| FAQ: Recently added answers |
Use layouts to determine window sizes (#29094)
(Janusz, USA Educational, Monday, October 18, 2004 7:34 PM)
Question:
Is there a
possibility to introduce a command line parameters to open SuperMemo in a predetermined window size (say 640x480)?
Answer:
No. You can use layouts instead. Arrange the windows in the way you like and choose
Window : Layout : Save as default (Ctrl+Shift+F5). You can store several layouts and choose one of them from
Window menu at any time
You can easily learn 10,000 items per year (#29064)
(Robyn, Oct 13, 2004, 10:12:16)
Question:
I read that many users add 10,000 items per annum effortlessly, but this is 28 items per day implying 230+ reps per day. Isn't that very demanding? Can it be kept up year after year? What sort of material is the 10,000 item observation based on?
Answer:
Adding 10,000 items per year is demanding and requires self-discipline. Many users are able to
achieve this rate, but they are still a minority. The statistic refers to learning English vocabulary (in particular:
Advanced English). This rate can be sustained for a couple of years; however, it requires a ready-made simple word-pair collection.
Advanced English provides a supply of learning material for only a
sustained 4 years of learning at the said rate
E-mail communication is imperfect but invaluable (#30023)
(snjpurcell, Friday, November 19, 2004 6:36 AM)
Question:
Waiting on e-mail interactions given all the problems you have with email as documented in your FAQ is a very poor solution for unlocking SuperMemo for use
Answer:
Even though the cases of lost mail increase (mostly due to anti-virus and spam protection barriers), e-mail is still a very effective way of communicating with customers. Unless there is an inherent problem on the customer side (e.g. specifying wrong address, permanent error at the mail server, etc.), the random nature of communication problems makes it possible to resolve a vast majority of cases by simply resending mail. Assuming perfect randomness of delivery trouble, if 1% of mail is lost, resending should leave only one in 10,000 cases unresolved. In cases of repeated delivery problems we may resort to calling the customer. Such cases are
extremely rare
You can save HTML files locally to save on your Internet bill (#29200)
(nibalart, Italy, Oct 24, 2004, 23:12:18)
Question:
I have imported some html pages, but when I'm not connected to the Internet the pictures don't appear. Is there any chance to do all downloads automatically without spending a fortune on connections to the Internet
Answer:
You could save the page with
File : Save As (Web page complete) in Internet Explorer and import it with
Edit : Add to category : HTML file in SuperMemo (Ctrl+Alt+H). This way, you will be on-line exactly as long as it takes to load the page
once
Turning off template type mismatch warning (#29188)
(morphpuppy, Oct 23, 2004, 12:23:18)
Question:
When I press
Ctrl+Alt+N to paste text to SuperMemo, a screen pops up with "Template
type differs from the element type Topic #164". How can I turn this off?
Answer:
When you choose
Ctrl+Alt+N, your article is pasted to a default topic template of the
current category. However, if your default topic template is actually an
item template, you will receive the warning: "Template type
differs ...".
You can either choose another topic template for your current category or change the type of the current template to "Topic". You change default category templates in the category registry (Search : Categories)
Find string enters the editing mode (#736)
(Marcos Pereira Rufino, Jun 29, 2004, 18:49:52)
Question:
When I press
F3 or choose Search : Find string, one of the components enters in the editing mode
Answer:
Find string
is used to search for a string in longer texts. The component automatically enters the editing mode so that you might immediately proceed with editing actions. Most often, you will need that function in incremental reading. Once you locate a piece of text, you may want to process it for further learning. By default, presentation mode is selection-less so that you associate selections with editing
Use Edit : Menus to access the component menu of a read-only component (#29192)
(Ivan Briery, Oct 25, 2004, 12:17:19)
Question:
I selected
Read Only in an HTML component, but now right clicking on the component does not offer the same menu. How do I remove this
Read Only attribute now?
Answer:
You need to use Edit : Menus : Component to access
Text : Read-Only again.
Once you make a component read-only, it will disable the standard component menu with all editing options. In such cases, HTML component offers the standard Internet browser menu
You can import multi-line question&answer files (#29253)
(Steffen Schwember, Oct 28, 2004, 08:51:36)
Question:
I could
not import multi-line (not multi-answer) items into SuperMemo using the following
text in the Q&A file:
q: What is ...?
a: explanation
a: example
a: synonyms
Answer:
You must make sure that you are using plain text components. In HTML, your lines will be merged into "explanation example synonyms" (unless you introduce HTML tags). You can either choose a plain text template for the import, or apply the template after the import
You can easily back up SuperMemo (#29624)
(Gilles Compienne, United Kingdom, Tuesday, November 02, 2004 10:39 PM)
Question:
I have been disappointed by the fact that the download only gives
access to a bootstrap program. It means that if your servers are down or your company goes under then I will not be able to reinstall the product (to keep Windows happy, I usually reinstall it every 2 years or so!)
Answer:
You only need to back up your SuperMemo executable (e.g. sm2004.exe). The program is self-contained and does not require an installation procedure. You can also backup SuperMemo along with your collections. To reinstall, you will only need to copy your SuperMemo folder to a new computer. Last but not least, if there was to be a problem with the continuity of a given software line or business, SuperMemo is likely to be released as freeware
Ordering SuperMemo 2004 should be easy (#29743)
(Jan Warngren, Thursday, November 04, 2004 8:52 AM)
Question:
I've been trying to get to your
SuperMemo Store for a couple of days. I've tried via Yahoo Shopping, by clicking on your website and by
googling it and so on. Don't you want to sell your product? Haha,
usually when you want to buy something it is very easy. Now it almost seems like you deliberately trying not to sell
Answer:
You can order SuperMemo 2004
from here. If you experience any problems, make sure your firewall or your browser do not block the purchase in any way (scripts, cookies, ActiveX, etc.).
The order page is hosted by Yahoo Stores and should be considered state-of-art. Other orders seem to flow in without hindrance at the moment.
See also: Yahoo FAQ
You can do a swap on questions and answers in a branch (#29748)
(Kazimierz Bigus, Nov 04, 2004, 14:52:53)
Question:
What is the easiest way of swapping questions to answers for a given group of elements?
Answer:
Use
Tools : Swap Q&A on the browser menu
You can paste a picture to HTML as remote or as local (#1040)
(Ewa K, Aug 12, 2004, 09:26:58)
Question:
When I copy pictures from webpages into HTML, they always get integrated locally with the HTML file. Can I just leave them on the remote server?
Answer:
You can paste pictures to become local or to remain remote:
In the first case, only the bitmap will be copied with no information about bitmap's location. Such a bitmap will be integrated with the HTML file to which you paste.
In the second case, a piece of HTML will be copied with a pointer to the remote image (e.g. <img alt="Map of " src="http://www.nationmaster.com/images/maps/sb-map.gif" width="330" height="354">). Such an image will remain remote
Problems with installing a collection (#29810)
(Lovicam, Nov 10, 2004, 06:16:31)
Question:
I downloaded the GeographyMix and it shows the icon of a floppy disk on my desktop. I double-click on it but it does not do anything, I open SuperMemo and double-click on it and it still does not do anything. I then dragged GeographyMix onto the SuperMemo icon, it opened SuperMemo with nothing, and created two additional icons on my desktop: a folder and an icon. When I click on the icon, it opens the same blank version of SuperMemo, and when I open the folder, it shows 5 folders (info, registry, stats, tasks and temp) and one file (collection). I then opened SuperMemo and clicked on
File : Open Collection : Desktop -> GeographyMix.kno then I click OK and it re-opens the same blank page with nothing on it
Answer:
The correct sequence is:
Explanations:
See also:
You can change the default item template in any category (#29973)
(Pat E., Oct 18, 2004, 21:29:47)
Question:
I couldn't seem to find the way to change the item template for the current category
Answer:
Do as follows:
Q&A file import allows of HTML tags (#29766)
(Justin Wilson, USA Educational, Nov 05, 2004, 07:41:45)
Question:
I imported a Q&A file with important information about verb types included inbetween angle brackets. I was shocked to discover that all this information is simply discarded after import!
Answer:
Q&A files allow of HTML tags. All information in angle brackets will be interpreted as HTML. If it does not form valid HTML, it will be treated as "invisible comment"
SuperMemo knowledge and SuperMemo documentation do not live by the same rules (#30037)
(David Weisblat, Nov 18, 2004, 07:28:15)
Question:
The layout of your own support documentation doesn't follow your own
rules of formulating knowledge. Doesn't that seem odd to you?
Answer:
The 20 rules of formulating
knowledge refer to knowledge that is supposed to be subject to active repetition. SuperMemo documentation is supposed to be reviewed passively.
20 rules refer to learning, while the documentation serves as a reference. Not all rules valid for active repetition will apply to passive review.
Nevertheless, if you identify specific problems with the documentation or specific articles that are hard to comprehend or use, your remarks will be considered with utmost attention
Installing old Advanced English with new SuperMemo (#30003)
(Lipatov Anatoliy, Finland, Nov 17, 2004, 17:28:07)
Question:
To update Advanced English 97 bought on CD-ROMs to SuperMemo 2004 format I put all the information from both CD to the hard drive (into two different folders corresponding to each of the discs) of my computer and run the old Advanced English collection. SuperMemo seems to successfully go through the process of updating. But at the end of the process I got the following message:
File not found: F:\Supermemo_disk1\SYSTEMS\PRON\reports\Recover.txt
Answer:
The recommended procedure is:
If you would like to use the collection without CD-ROMs, copy the sound files from CD-ROM #2 (the elements folder) to your hard disk and point Secondary Storage of Advanced English to that location (Options : Data access : Secondary storage)
Corrupted download may result in "futile upgrade" (#24584)
(Nitin T, Nov 17, 2004, 19:30:13)
Question:
I have ordered SuperMemo 2004 upgrade. The install seems to go successfully. In the end I am given an option of
"Run SuperMemo". When I run it, it still opens the old SuperMemo 2002
Answer:
This
could happen if SuperMemo files had been corrupted at download. Repeat the download process. If the problem persists, you may need to look for reasons with your computer configuration. You can also
contact support for further assistance
After a break, you may be surprised with good recall and long intervals (#24576)
(Dustin, USA Educational, Nov 18, 2004, 09:26:34)
Question:
I decided to dust off one of my old collections and give it another go. I was pretty pleased that I managed to answer half of all the questions just about perfectly. Since there was an interval of two years since my last use, SuperMemo was putting the next repetition out to, in some cases, 2009! These are items with a total of 3 repetitions on record. I'd like to know if for the time being there's a way to override the interval manually? This way I can confirm, just for myself, that in some 70 days from now there's still a good memory trace
Answer:
There is a widespread misconception that SuperMemo schedules repetitions when the information is "on the verge of forgetting". The truth is that it schedules repetitions at the time where only a small fraction of material is likely to be forgotten. Due to a negatively exponential nature of forgetting, this implies, that even after a substantial delay in repetitions, you are still likely to remember most of the learned material even if you double or triple the interval (assuming well-formulated knowledge). To capitalize on this fact, you should reserve pure SuperMemo strategy only for your mission-critical material. For the rest, you can safely increase the forgetting index or heavily use
Postpone. This way you can find the optimum balance between high retention of vital knowledge and high speed of learning for lesser important material. If, due to delays, your interval was 2 years instead of 2 weeks, you can still recall some of your material if it is either very easy or is subject to repetition outside SuperMemo. If you show good recall after 2 years, SuperMemo will accordingly look for an appropriately long interval that will comply with the forgetting index criteria. Repetition in 2009 should then not be a surprise. If your material is very easy, SuperMemo imposes an upper limit on how much you can delay a repetition (even if it might result in better recall than indicated by the requested forgetting index). This is why you may show excellent recall after a long delay. However, 2009 is a repetition date with that limit already imposed. If you believe you recall some items by fluke or by virtue of having them reminded in the course of other activities, you can manually set the next repetition to a safer date. You can also change intervals when you simply feel you do not want to risk forgetting in the meantime (remember about the
spacing effect that may have the outcome opposite to the intended one!).
You can use Execute Repetition (Ctrl+Shift+R) to choose a new interval or a new repetition date. Having already executed a repetition, you can alternatively use Reschedule (Ctrl+J) for the same purpose. Both commands are available from the element menu
Warnings at collection repair are no reason to worry (#30034)
(John Butler, United Kingdom, Nov 18, 2004, 12:21:27)
Question:
I get the following message at using
Repair collection:
Warning! Template registry reference list cut to 500 members
Template #13: "Item"
Members listed: 593
Should I start getting worried?
Answer:
Warnings should never be a reason to worry. However, if you do not understand them, it might be beneficial to check for their meaning in the documentation or, if they are not documented, write to support for the documentation to be extended.
In your case, you have used a template "Item" on more than 500 elements. SuperMemo tries to keep a reference list of these elements. This reference list is useful if you would like to see which elements use the template
"Item". However, for performance reasons, SuperMemo does not keep lists longer than 500 elements. In other words, if you review elements using the template
"Item", you will not see all of these elements. If you applied a new template to those elements, there would still be 93 elements which would retain the old template. At the next
Repair collection, SuperMemo would then recompile a new reference list and you would be able to access those extra 93 elements and re-apply the new
template
You can use the German keyboard with SuperMemo (#30019)
(Mark Banks, Nov 19, 2004, 05:00:39)
Question:
Does SuperMemo have the capability to type the German umlaut a, o, & u (dots on top of the letter); and es-tset (looks like a B)?
Answer:
Yes. However, this is not a function of SuperMemo, but a function of Windows. Use
Control Panel : Keyboard : Input locales for that purpose
You can achieve fluency in both British and Indian accents (#30057)
(Anab, United Kingdom, Nov 22, 2004, 12:35:03)
Question:
I am originally from India and speak good English since all my education in India was in the English language. But after I came to London, I felt a little inhibited, as my accent was very "Indian”. I realised that it is not your command over the language but how you speak the language, which defines the relationships one forms with local people and becomes critical to feel socially included. I wish to learn “A British Accent” but at the same time I don’t want to forget the way I speak originally because that seems to be one of the most important links I have to my own cultural background and my home in India. Is there a method by which I can learn a new accent and still retain my old accent?
Answer:
To retain your Indian accent, you will probably only need to stay in touch with your culture and refresh your natural way of speaking from time to time. Probably you will not need SuperMemo for that. As for the British accent, you will need to begin a program of conscious immersion. This means a meticulous attention to all differences between the two accents, the choice of words and phrases, and the pronunciation. Focusing 100% on the British accent for some time would probably be the best strategy. All documented details of differences between the accents, you could store in and rehearse with SuperMemo. This way you will be sure your investment is not eaten away by time and forgetting. It will also help you minimize interference between accents. With time, you shall be able to turn on a mental "switch" and speak the accent of your choice.
Despite the fact that we speak here of two versions of English, the knowledge of differences between accents and cultures is huge! It may be easier to learn a new language fluently, than to move from fluency to a native perfection. You can accomplish reasonable language fluency with 5000-10,000 items in SuperMemo. Approaching native accents is more of an acting skill. It may call for another 5000-10,000 items with this vital difference that those items are not easy to find in a textbook (say "British English for natives of India").
Moreover, the items are often hard to define and verbalize. Learning a new accent will also rely more on your "inborn talents" for mimicking languages. Research shows that you need specialized neural networks for this goal. If you fail to develop these networks early, if you live most of your life in one phonetic world, it will always be harder (but not impossible) to compensate when moving to a new phonetic world.
The best thing you might do now is to ask one of your friends with an acute ear for accents to call your attention to your native ways of speaking. Once you identify differences, you could use SuperMemo to meticulously document and drill both
ways (i.e. both accents). You will iterate this process until you reach a satisfactory
fluency. This is a long way!
Adding random images to items would not likely improve the learning process (#28967)
(Michael, Oct 10, 2004, 15:17:53)
Question:
If SuperMemo could select a random image from a directory of a few thousand everyday life images (people going to work, forests, shops, kitchens, etc), and display those images as background to items, would this not be far better than seeing every item against a plain background? It would be more like real life: at each repetition, your brain would have to recall the answer while in a completely new 'virtual environment'
Answer:
Unfortunately, random images are not likely to add challenge to repetition. They would not simulate real life situations well. The value of the context shows at times when you force the brain to extract commonalities from a muddled picture. Questions with backgrounds are extremely easy to decode and you will quickly learn to ignore backgrounds (well-formulated items are context-independent). Your brain will simply learn very quickly than no additional useful information can be found in the background. The ever changing backgrounds will not render your questions different or more difficult. You will make a repetition, and a few seconds later you may not even be able to recall the context picture. The picture will not enter the stimulus portion of the stimulus-response association. No inference, no learning. This is why the value of this approach from the learning standpoint will be limited.
This does not mean that random pictures would not have an esthetic effect that would make learning fun and/or perhaps improve the neurohormonal setting for the review process. Theoretically, this could work to your advantage. However, pictures might also act as a
distraction (e.g. if these included attractive individuals of the opposite sex).
Changing backgrounds might be welcome, if you previously used static backgrounds to short-circuit the path to the correct answer (i.e. associate the answer with the picture rather than with the question).
Such clue-illustrations should be avoided, yet are a common practice for many. Sadly, SuperMemo World has
also made an error by experimenting with static images in Advanced English 97 CD-ROM. Research shows that these images had a detrimental effect on the learning process. Students who memorized portions of Advanced English 97, showed diminished recall once the pictures were removed from the process (even though these had not carried any relevant information).
Last but not least, this answer is purely theoretical. To definitely answer your question, we would need to run a test and compare repetitions with and without visual context. The outcome would hinge on the type of images (e.g. the degree of distractibility) and your personal preferences. For that reason, do not take this response as final. You can create your own collections and experiment. Once you believe you are getting better results with pictures, it would be worth analyzing your particular case and look for reasons
You can see the position of a task in the tasklist within Element Parameters (#30155)
(Bryan Bodine, Wednesday, December 01, 2004 9:16 PM)
Question:
What is the meaning of the
Pos field in the Element Parameters dialog on the Task tab?
Answer:
Pos
indicates the current position of the task on its tasklist. Although, task's position on the list should solely be determined by its
Value and Time, you may occasionally want to "sneak in" urgency to override importance (e.g. in condition of an approaching deadline). Instead of determining the true
Value of the task, you can "cheat" and set Value in such a way that the task is placed close to the top of the
list
You can keep many tasklists in one collection (#30018)
(Mackay Paul, United Kingdom, Wednesday, November 17, 2004 8:23 PM)
Question:
How can I create multiple tasklists within a single collection?
Answer:
Use
Edit : Create tasklist for each tasklist. Use tasklist combo box on the Tools toolbar to switch between tasklists. You can also use the combo box in the tasklist manager, this will switch the tasklist temporarily (i.e. the default tasklist will not be changed)
Not all buttons in SuperMemo are documented (#30230)
(Bryan Bodine, Wednesday, December 01, 2004 9:16 PM)
Question:
There is a small (no caption) button to the right of
Time field in Task parameters. When clicking this button, it automatically converts whatever is in the
Time field to 0.017. There is no documentation on this button
Answer:
This button is useful only in reading lists. It sets the
Time field assuming the reading speed of 1000 chars/min.
Some less frequently used buttons or menus are indeed not listed in documentation. In such cases, you could use button or menu hits for a description. If that is not helpful,
write to us
You can choose a template for cloze deletions (#30293)
(Aleksander Pronkiewicz, Poland, 9. decembar 2004 23:56)
Question:
When I create a cloze deletion, a template is applied by default to newly created items. Saving a new template as a default does not change anything
Answer:
The template used by cloze deletions depends on the default item template of the category to which the article belongs. Saving template as default will only affect the currently used category. If the article belongs to another category, saving default template operation will have no effect on the appearance of cloze deletions.
In addition, if you uncheck Auto-Apply in the article's category, no template will be used. Instead, the cloze deletion will be formed on the basis of the template used by the article
SuperMemo is a compromise (#30745)
(Robert Drózd, Poland, 20. decembar 2004 9:12)
Question:
If
Random Tests are inferior to mid-interval repetitions, why haven't
you dumped Random Tests at all from SuperMemo? I don't think that many users understand the difference between
Random Tests and mid-interval repetitions
Answer:
Random Tests should not be used in learning; however, they are still useful in reviewing someone else's collection.
Inevitably, SuperMemo is a compromise between what is optimum for learning and what users want.
For example, drag&match tests are dismal in terms of learning efficiency (let alone the time needed to prepare tests for oneself), yet years ago a number of customers threatened to "switch to alternative flashcards" if they did not get
drag&match.
Random Tests are considered a must-have feature by SuperMemo newcomers. The fact that many users do not understand the difference between random test and mid-interval repetition, only shows that the road to acceptance of the alternatives is long.
Very often, the choice of the proper name solves the comprehension problem. Let's hope, the
term review will be accepted to intuitively denote mid-interval repetitions (although
review is also used in other contexts, e.g. to differentiate active
recall from passive review in repetitions).
In Random Tests you randomly peek at elements. In Random Review you peek at elements and inform SuperMemo that you are trying to register
information in memory. This way, SuperMemo can leave an imprint of the Review on the learning process.
Use Random Review when inspecting your own collection, use Random Test when inspecting somebody else's collection
You can temporarily randomize repetitions (#30734)
(Piotr Slowinski, Poland, Dec 23, 2004)
Question:
How can I randomize repetitions without randomizing the sequence of items in the outstanding queue?
Answer:
You can do it this way:
This will act as if you randomized repetitions, but you will be able to return to the original sequence of elements with Esc
You can easily add components with templates (#188)
(David Mckenzie, United Kingdom, 8. januar 2005 14:23)
Question:
When I add a component to an already generated element, 99% of the time I want to add an answer. I also often add images which I want not stretched. Is there any way of setting defaults for these 'one-off' components?
Answer:
You can define a template with an extra answer component. Then you can apply this template if you want to add an answer to elements that look the same or add that template if you add the answer to different types of elements. Analogously, you can define another template with an extra unstretched image component and apply or add this template wherever applicable
Background in SuperMemo (#232)
(Marcos Pereira Rufino, 13. januar 2005 20:21)
Question:
I've noticed that the "background" feature
(Ctrl+Alt+F10) is active by default in SuperMemo 2004. Is it supposed to happens this way? I used to disable the background
every time I open my collections because I like to see my dictionary at the back of SuperMemo and have a fast access to it
Answer:
The background is used for SuperMemo to completely fill out your screen and maximize focus on learning. However, if you like to see through unused screen space, you can turn off the background and save your default layout the way you find it more efficient
(save the layout with Ctrl+Shift+F5)
Understanding U-Factors, O-Factors, etc. is optional (#368)
(Alec Sherman, Australia, Saturday, January 15, 2005 1:08 PM)
Question:
What is 'A-Factor', 'U-Factor etc.?
Answer:
Understanding all those X-Factors may take some time and is not vital for your progress in learning.
A-Factors (for items) are easiest. They tell you how difficult an item is. The larger the A-Factor the easier the item. Very difficult items may have A-Factors equal to 1.3-1.4. Very easy items may have A-Factors equal to 5-6. Mathematically, A-Factor equals the ratio of the second and the first optimum interval in learning a given difficulty class of items. The actually used intervals always differ slightly from optimum intervals.
U-Factor (for repetition>1) equals the ratio of intervals I(n+1)/I(n) for n-th repetition. It tells you how much the interval increased in the last repetition.
Other X-factors may be harder to understand. You would need to understand the algorithm used by SuperMemo. Understanding of the algorithm is not easy and is entirely optional.
See also the glossary with short definitions of
individual factors
SuperMemo relies heavily on third party applications to do import and processing of data (#444)
(Gary Belhomme, Canada, 27. januar 2005 8:39)
Question:
I just wanted to know if SuperMemo can accept input from pen scanners? If it does not have this feature are you planning to offer it in a future versions?
Answer:
SuperMemo does not include a specific code for pen scanners. However, you can use a pen scanner with your favorite word processor and paste the resulting text to SuperMemo. Wherever possible, SuperMemo avoids duplicating functions that are far better done by other applications.
Phonetic transcription registry includes special characters in the sort (#419)
(Mirek Wojna, France, Jan 28, 2005)
Question:
I added phonetic transcription to the phonetic transcription registry: licorice ->
'lIk@rIs/'lIk@rIS.
But when I search for /, and review the new subset, I cannot find my transcription. It should be sorted between: leads =
lid/led and lists = lIsts/lists
Answer:
Remember that the registry does not sort independent of the stress mark! In other words, you should search for licorice after
lever='lev@R/'liv@R
Use Alt+F7 to get to the read-point (#356)
(Karen, 22. januar 2005 8:54)
Question:
Pressing
F7 to get to my read point in the article brings up a spelling checker. Have you changed that command? That never happened in SuperMemo 2002
Answer:
Yes. This change was postulated by users who are accustomed to use F7 to spell-check their texts (as in Microsoft applications). You can use
Alt+F7 to get to the read-point. It will take some time before this becomes a habit. The change was made to make life easier for future users
Problems with registration on Pocket PC (#497)
(Epp, Helmut, USA Educational, Feb 01, 2005, 06:20:39)
Question:
SuperMemo for Pocket PC seems to forget the registration. After I put in the password and username all is well and I am not restricted to 30 elements
Answer:
Make sure you use
File : Exit to quit SuperMemo. This one operation is needed for the registration data to be stored in Windows CE registry
Massive swapping of questions and answers is possible with the browser (#598)
(Quin Arbeitman, Wednesday, February 09, 2005 2:20 PM)
Question:
I opted for SuperMemo 2004 because of the possibility of executing
Swap components on a subset of elements; however, I have had no luck finding this option (including by googling "site:supermemo.com")
Answer:
To swap questions with answers in a group of elements, do the following:
It is recommended that you back up your learning material before you process a large number of elements at once
You can use voice recognition to create your collections (#640)
(leo murphy, Friday, February 11, 2005 10:49 PM)
Question:
If I used voice recognition software to dictate my questions and answers into text, could I transfer the text of questions and answers into SuperMemo?
Answer:
Yes. You could use the
Q&A file format or paste your file and process it
with incremental reading
My collection disappeared (#977)
(HickoryHol, Friday, February 18, 2005 9:56 PM)
Question:
Today I decided to download a free collection (Latin vocab) and now I have lost everything I had previously entered. Is there any way I can retrieve it? What did I do wrong so that this doesn't happen again? I want to order other collections but am a little afraid to now
Answer:
You would need to specify more details on your course of action. When users report their collections disappearing, there may be a number of reasons of which the most frequent probably are:
Depending on the cause, your collection might or might not be retrievable. Installing a new collection should not affect your previous work, unless the new collection has the same name and location as your old collection, and you allow the installer to overwrite the old collection.
Make sure you read this text carefully: Backing up your learning material
You can import Q&A files with your selected fonts and colors (#653)
(Bismillah, Tuesday, February 15, 2005 8:48 PM)
Question:
It is very difficult to setup a Q&A deck with proper fonts and colors for questions and answers
Answer:
You can do it this way:
Pending queue is not the best tool to prioritize your items (#1038)
(Eryk, Poland, Wednesday, February 23, 2005 6:34 PM)
Question:
When I add new items they automatically become memorized. What to do to have them pending and memorize when I feel like doing it?
Answer:
Pending queue is no longer recommended in learning material you create yourself. It is far better to overload the learning process, use the forgetting index to prioritize items, use
Postpone to unload excess items and use Execute Repetition (Shift+Ctrl+R) or
Reschedule (Ctrl+J) to send items to a later date repetition.
Pending queue presents items on the "first come first go" basis. Overloaded learning process with randomized schedule with present excess items randomly. You can then decide to send them to later date with
Ctrl+J depending on when you think you will have time to master them. You can even use
Forget (Ctrl+R) to put the least important items to the pending queue.
If you do not want to learn Postpone and other incremental reading tools, you will need to press
Ctrl+R after adding each item or use Learning : Forget on subsets of items that you want to place in the pending
queue
You can print many Q&A items on a page (#1163)
(Lyn Nurick, South Africa, Wednesday, March 09, 2005 4:29 PM)
Question:
How can I print out all the elements with their answers? Is there a way of printing out many items on one page (e.g. to be used as a last minute revision)?
Answer:
By design, SuperMemo is basically a paperless application. Therefore, it does not include printing options. However, you can work around it by exporting your item subset as a Q&A text file:
If you know how to use stylesheets, you can also export with Tools : Export as XML. This way you can retain HTML formatting and provide your own custom layout to the printed items
Phonetic transcription on upgrade (#1264)
(Aga Kolodziej, Mar 17, 2005, 18:19:38)
Question:
I switched from SuperMemo 97 to SuperMemo 2000, but I can not find how to replace text with phonetic transcription when mouse is moved over the component
Answer:
You need the following:
Categories vs. Folders vs. Topics (#1277)
(marktboylan, Mar 15, 2005, 23:16:57)
Question:
Can someone please explain to a noob the difference between
categories, folders and topics?
Answer:
Topics and items are two types of
elements ("pages of information") in SuperMemo. Topics may be used to display longer general texts for reading. Items may be used to display specific questions and answer that test your memory. Only items ask for grades in learning.
Folders are elements that keep together a bundle of other
elements. They are like folders in Windows, only instead of keeping Windows folders and files, they keep topics and items (and other SuperMemo folders).
Categories are like special super-folders that keep elements together and make sure they are provided with some special properties (e.g. color, font, picture, etc.)
You can turn on and off templates for cloze deletions (#1307)
(Vikki Lam, Mar 10, 2005, 20:52:21)
Question:
How can I turn off the option that automatically applies a template to my cloze deletions?
Answer:
You can learn a number of branches in sequence (#1304)
(appleriver, Mar 21, 2005, 10:42:16)
Question:
Whenever I get through one branch in learning, I would like to automatically go to the next branch
Answer:
In subset learning, you have two options:
This means that you can do one of the following:
You can release your own CD-ROM with SuperMemo (#1458)
(Jonathan, Mar 23, 2005, 08:40:35)
Question:
I have recently built a SuperMemo language collection and I am hoping to sell it to language students. I would like to sell it along with a copy of SuperMemo. What should I do?
Answer:
You can do the following:
If neither option is satisfactory, contact us to discuss other options
You can change the color of the font in a text selection (#1576)
(ksimic, Apr 06, 2005)
Question:
I can`t find how to change the colour of selected part of the text
Answer:
You can right click over the selected text, choose
Text : Edit font on the component menu and change the color of the font. Remember that this will not work in
plain text components (e.g. you will need to use HTML
components instead)
You can use Japanese in SuperMemo 98 freeware (#1565)
(Jonathan Heddle, Mar 23, 2005, 08:40:35)
Question:
Can I use Japanese in SuperMemo
98? Can I copy Japanese texts from SuperMemo 2004?
Answer:
You can use HTML components in
SuperMemo 98 to display Japanese.
To copy Japanese texts from SuperMemo 2004 to SuperMemo 98 do the following:
SuperMemo 2005 (#1635)
(Klara, Apr 06, 2005, 14:10:23)
Question:
Can you tell me when do you expect program SuperMemo 2005?
Answer:
We do not announce new versions in advance to make sure that the development cycle is completed without external pressures that might negatively affect software quality. Moreover, the cycle now extends to 2-3 years and there is very little chance for successive annual releases
Titles are created automatically from the first text component (#1616)
(wulinsi, Apr 05, 2005, 09:25:10)
Question:
I have a template with a static text component in it. The default item name is always the text from the static component, so its always the same
Answer:
You could put this component to the end of the component list in your template. Use
Components : Component order on the component menu
(Ctrl+Shift+O)
You cannot choose the number of repetitions afforded an item (#4709)
(Kats R., USA Educational, May 31, 2005, 19:55:22)
Question:
I use a forgetting index of 8%. However, sometimes, there are too many repetitions. Is there any way to fix repetitions at a given number (say 100 or 150), without changing the forgetting index?
Answer:
Repetition number does not meaningfully translate into learning goals. This is why you can control the learning speed and retention
only via the forgetting index. However, if you reach 100 repetitions at the forgetting index of 8%, you need to carefully analyze your items for the compliance with the
rules of formulating knowledge. For well-formulated knowledge, you should rarely reach beyond 20-30 repetitions in lifetime within the reasonable range of the forgetting
index
You can generate your own XML files for import to SuperMemo (#4334)
(Xavier Verges Farrero, Apr 26, 2005, 00:40:32)
Question:
Would SuperMemo 2004 be happy if I generated my own
XML files?
Answer:
Yes. The definition is simple enough for you to just export an exemplary XML file from SuperMemo 2004 and figure out its structure on your own
Vocabulary can be learned in a passive way, active way or both (#4377)
(Chris Capel, May 02, 2005, 23:33:48)
Question:
When learning language vocabulary, why is it important to have swapped items, with the same word appearing in the answer of one item and the question of another?
Answer:
In real life, you encounter words and phrases passively (e.g. when reading or listening to someone) or actively (e.g. when you write or speak). For those reasons, you to form memories for both passive recognition and active recall. As active recall often (but not always) entails passive recognition, you use passive recognition only in two cases:
For active recall, it is recommended that you use word definition instead of word pairs in learning. This means that you should define the meaning of the word and ask for its recall. If you use a foreign word as the question, your command of the target language will be less fluent, and may entail a degree of translation instead of native automaticity. Learning with word pairs in two languages is recommended only for translators and interpreters who need to translate between languages, as opposed to just using the learned language. All in all, swapping may be useful, but it is not always needed
SuperMemo 2004 is compatible with a subset of Multimedia SuperMemo (#4279)
(asmiech, Poland, Apr 21, 2005, 12:14:26)
Question:
I learn Power Words with Multimedia SuperMemo 1.2.57 (Jan 9, 2003). Is it possible to use SuperMemo 2004 for the database?
Answer:
It is possible to open files created with Multimedia SuperMemo with SuperMemo 2004; however, some functionality may be missing. At times, the missing functionality may be needed to effectively use a given collection. In addition, you cannot downgrade your collection back to the old format. In other words, the upgrade is irreversible.
For more see: http://wiki.supermemo.org/index.php?title=Multimedia_SuperMemo
Cannot select a new default element (#4142)
(Barry Giles, Australia, Jun 03, 2005, 12:52:46)
Question:
Cannot select a new default element
because of this error:
Access violation at address 0046925D in module 'sm2004.exe'
Read of address 616373A5
Answer:
This is a harmless bug in SuperMemo 2004. The error occurs when you try to define a default element, but close the
Options window before choosing the default element in the contents window with
Accept.
"Save template with objects" vs. SuperMemo 98 (#4814)
(jon tarpman, Jun 12, 2005, 00:37:20)
Question:
I am using SuperMemo 98. I would like to save a template along with its text. It is suggested that this can be done by saving template with objects from the element menu.
But I don't see the option on the menu. Is this feature only present in more recent versions of SuperMemo?
Answer:
Template : Save with objects
is not available in SuperMemo 98. However,
Edit : Duplicate on the same menu could help you accomplish similar functions
Default font in HTML components affects only newly created texts (#4803)
(Reed, Richard W, USA Government, Jun 08, 2005, 06:21:53)
Question:
When I create a cloze deletion, the default font of the question is Arial but the default font of the answer is Times Roman. When I go to
Tools : Options : Answer font, the default font is Arial. I would like the answer font to default to Arial
Answer:
Cloze deletion extracts a piece of HTML code without
the surrounding HTML tags. If your default browser font is Times New Roman and your original text is shown in Arial, the answer will be extracted without the Arial
<font> tag and display in the default Internet browser font (e.g. Times New Roman). The
Answer font in Options does not affect fonts used in cloze deletions (only newly created HTML answer fields are initialized with that font). In other words, the only way to change the font in answers is to either change the default font in the Internet Explorer or force a template auto-apply with plain text answers using the preferred font.
Remove read-only attribute from files copied from a CDR (#4842)
(Mikhail Golender, Jun 13, 2005, 03:38:10)
Question:
I can not use my collections recorded to CD. I am not satisfied with this disadvantage. I get the message:
"Fatal error!
Cannot reload HugeArray from C:\PROGRAM FILES\SM2004\SYSTEMS\MEDICINE\info\history.sub
File access denied"
Answer:
After you copy files from the CDR, you need to remove the read-only attribute from all files. Otherwise SuperMemo cannot modify the collection
Check the website for important updates to SuperMemo (#4859)
(Brian K. Barrett Jr., May 13, 2005, 03:54:41)
Question:
Is there a way to receive an
e-mail when both the PC and PPC versions of
SuperMemo get updates?
Answer:
No. We do not do bulk mailing. Updates are rare and if they are important they are listed at supermemo.com. With SuperMemo 2004, you can also re-run the installer to see if a newer version of the program is available; however, updates are available only if critical problem in the program is identified and removed.
Usually that means only 1-2 updates shortly after the release
To save space, SuperMemo keeps one formatting per one text (#4873)
(supermemo-at-yahoogroups.com, Jun 18, 2005, 14:37:07)
Question:
I noticed that when answers are the same, formatting transfers from one to the other.
For instance, I have a question, "Who is called upon to decide which of the three goddesses,
Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite, is the fairest?" with an answer of Paris. But I also have a question,
"Where did Porfirio Diaz flee in 1911?" with the same answer. Why does the the format from the first question transfer to the second?
Answer:
To save space, SuperMemo keeps one formatting per one unique text. To keep different formatting for identical answers, you need to make the text unique (e.g. by adding an extra
space or so). If you keep answers identical, SuperMemo keeps the formatting that was applied last.
Similarly, if you edit a picture, it will change in all elements that use it. To save space, SuperMemo does not clone pictures at editing.
You cannot use Q&A format for importing sound (#29241)
(Steffen Schwember, Oct 28, 2004, 09:17:03)
Question:
Is it possible to automatically add a sound to an item using the Q&A import feature? Can I import sounds using a similar syntax?
Answer:
No. The ancient Q&A format survived only because before XML data exchange, it was the only way of transferring questions and answers between SuperMemos.
After some training effort, you will notice it is far easier to use templates to edit your learning material within SuperMemo. You need to use a sound template and
Import file (Ctrl+Q) to import the sound file to your items. This
approach is recommended because it ensures learning and authoring proceed in
parallel (i.e. once you add an item to SuperMemo, it automatically enters the
learning process)
Importing OCRed vocabulary (#4789)
(Dagwin Roelants, Belgium, Jun 07, 2005, 15:38:16)
Question:
I used OCR software to make a large list of French words and their translation in Dutch. Do I have to copy and paste them into SuperMemo or is their some sort of template to import them (from
.xls or .doc, etc.)?
Answer:
Two methods are most popular with equally balanced number of those who prefer one over the other:
XML data exchange has been designed for smaller data sets (#1718)
(Wojciech Baranski, Poland, Monday, April 11, 2005 11:14 PM)
Question:
XML Export of my 6000 items Spanish database from SuperMemo 2004 takes 9 hours! The same process in SuperMemo for Pocket PC runs for 5-10 minutes. It seems to me, that the problem in the export algorithm has a bug. I'm starting to add new
entries and I fear that exporting a database with 7500 entries will take more than 12 hours
Answer:
SuperMemo 2004 slows down when building the XML tree because it uses Microsoft's native validating parser that builds the entire tree in memory before writing it to a file. The bigger the tree the longer it takes to verify and expand it. SuperMemo CE uses its own linear procedure for exporting XML data that is not size-dependent. XML data exchange was primarily designed for a quick exchange of small portions of your learning collection between platforms. As long as you export small subsets that span outstanding material for up to a week (usually no more than 1000-2000 items), the export shall take minutes (unless you are using PC less rich in resources). It is also not recommended to export large files from SuperMemo for Pocket PC as their size is again limited by available resources on Pocket PC. In your case, that would mean that you keep your large collection in Windows and learn its small portions on Pocket PC. You can also transfer the entire collection to Pocket PC once on the assumption you will not return to SuperMemo 2004
OEM Character set vs. HTML (#1733)
(Derek, Apr 09, 2005, 15:58:02)
Question:
What justifies an OEM font? Also how do I check to see if things are encoded in HTML? Can I convert?
Answer:
In SuperMemo, you can used a OEM font to use a 256-character set to represent texts in foreign languages. You can also use HTML to represent the full Unicode range of characters. The encoding you are using depends on you, and you will probably be in the best position to determine which encoding is used in your collection. If you use plain text components, you are probably using an OEM font that displays characters as determined by the relevant code page. If you use HTML components, you are probably using HTML representation (e.g. as pasted from the Internet). SuperMemo does convert OEM to Unicode only on one occasion: when you export your collection to XML. In such a case, you need to select OEM conversion and you need to supply your font's code page number. As XML must use Unicode for the file to be displayable on other devices, SuperMemo converts your OEM fonts to Unicode. You can thus use XML export to determine the encoding. If it does not display ok in XML without conversion, it must be code page based.
You can but you do not need to determine the sequence of items to repeat (#1819)
(johnw, Tuesday, April 12, 2005 5:28 PM)
Question:
Can the user select which cards to go over at any time? Or is it only accessible via the scheduler
Answer:
It is recommended that you only review items as scheduled by SuperMemo. However, if deadlines or exams enter into the picture, you can make use of
subset review.
Note that reviewing more, may often mean worse recall and poorer consolidation of memory.
Low forgetting index will slow down learning (#4315)
(Ole
F., Germany, Apr 25, 2005, 15:35:21)
Question:
I do not understand why you recommend a forgetting index of 10. If I put the forgetting index in the options to 4, the first repetition is after 2 or 3 days. This seems to me to be a nearly perfect first interval
Answer:
The shorter the interval, the more comforting the perception of knowing things well. However, reducing the forgetting index to 4% will dramatically slow down the learning process. This comes not only from the fact that shorter intervals are used, but also from entering an area where the spacing effect will be painfully visible (spacing effect results in poor memory consolidation if intervals are too short). Today, 4% may feel well; however, objective measurements will show that your speed of learning will suffer and that breaks in learning will do more damage to
recall
Use Search : Find Unicode to search for non-Latin characters (#4388)
(Rafal Smyka, Poland, May 03, 2005, 08:30:33)
Question:
I've upgraded 'Deine Chancen in Deutsch' from SuperMemo 98 to SuperMemo 2004. Now when I'm trying to search for items with German umlauts, nothing is found
Answer:
Use Ctrl+S instead of Ctrl+F in search (Ctrl+Shift+B to open the search results in the browser), or use Search : Find Unicode (in this case, choose the OEM option)
Names of inquirers are automatically added to FAQ lists (#4404)
(anonymous, May 03, 2005, 14:32:56)
Question:
I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind changing my inclusion in your FAQ page to an anonymous heading, as I didn't really want my name floating about on Google
Answer:
Yes. Your name will be removed from FAQs. Names are added automatically and are removed only (1) upon inquirer specific request, or (2) if the questions are intimate or might be
embarrassing, or (3) the name is unique enough to identify a specific person.
Name removal requests are processed within 2-3 days, uploaded within further 3-4 days and will disappear from Google within 1-4 weeks depending on page's popularity.
For any inconvenience cause, we apologize
Use Synchronize Contents button to view the location of elements in the contents window (#6899)
(JUNEI MARTINS DE MELO, Dec 09, 2005, 02:53:39)
Question:
I am having problems with incremental reading. The text does not scroll to the keyword I deleted with
Alt+Z to create a cloze deletion. The question is then not fully visible. I have to manually display it using the mouse. It seems to be a defect because I pressed the button "Synchronize the contents window with the displayed element".
Answer:
One of central principles of incremental reading is: keep your questions short. While extracting topics, you should arrive at a sentence that contains minimum information. Only such a sentence is a good candidate for generating cloze
deletions. Within the normal range of screen resolutions and font sizes, you should never need to scroll your question to be able to read it. In other words, before you press
Alt+Z, make sure your topic sentence is as short as possible.
The button you pressed is used if you want SuperMemo to update the selection in the contents window while you are learning. Occasionally, you may wish to instantly preview all elements displayed in the element window in the contents window. You can check this button for such occasions. However, it is always automatically unchecked while learning so that to prevent slowing down the transition from one element to another.
What would I need SuperMemo for? (#4509)
(torben svendsen, Norway, Sunday, May 08, 2005 6:41 PM)
Question:
How do I get the questions? Do I have to write them myself? If I wanted to write my own questions and practise, what would I need SuperMemo for?
Answer:
The primary benefit of SuperMemo is to ensure that you can remember the answer to the questions you write down. It is difficult to do an optimum review without a computer. For more see:
Introduction to SuperMemo
Is SuperMemo 2004 easier to use? (#5703)
(John Morgan, Aug 20, 2005, 15:06:47)
Question:
Several years ago I tried to use SuperMemo. The program was complicated and I was unwilling to invest the time required to learn the program. Is the new
SuperMemo 2004 easier to use? Does it support Unicode fonts?
Answer:
Although SuperMemo 2004 increases the clutter of options, it does make a number of procedures easier. In particular, Unicode support was substantially
improved.
As for user opinions, they always differ. A large majority of comments seems to indicate that SuperMemo 2004 is easier to use. However, the program remains complex and requires substantial investment of time if to be used at a professional
level
Your contents is your property (#1035)
(Paul Mulik, Wednesday, February 23, 2005 10:34 PM)
Question:
When I create my own Q&A lists, is it OK to share these lists with anybody?
Answer:
Yes. Your contents belongs to you. It is not much different to creating document files with MS Word, or composing your own e-mails in your mails software. If you decide to share as freeware, consider publishing it at supermemo.com
Changing a category template will only affect new items added to the category (#1882)
(Rorce Lam, Canada, Tuesday, July 27, 2004 11:05 PM)
Question:
Once I am able to change the default category template, will all the previous items created using the old template change?
Answer:
No. If you change the category template, only newly added elements will be created with the new template.
Previously created elements will not change in any way. If you would like to change the look of old elements, open them in the browser and use
Template : Apply template on the browser's Process Browser menu
You can localize remote images or import them to the registry (#2006)
(JPik, Sep 21, 2004, 13:20:19)
Question:
In
Download Images, why do I need to click Localize after Download? Why isn't it automatic?
Answer:
After you
download the images, they are stored in a temporary folder. Before they can be used, you need to either click
Localize (to integrate the images with the HTML file stored locally on your hard disk), or
Import (to import images to the registry and display them in proliferating image components). After you choose between
Localize or Import, temporary images are deleted. If Localize proceeded automatically, choosing
Import would leave two copies of the same image on your hard disk: the local copy integrated with HTML and the copy imported to the image
registry
You can delete templates by using the template registry (#30036)
(Michael D. B., Nov 18, 2004, 09:01:34)
Question:
I have a ton of templates that I never use, how do I remove them?
Answer:
Use the template registry
(Search : Templates). Click on the unused template and press Del. If the template happens to be in use by a few items, and you still want to delete it, choose Impose at delete time to make sure the items that use the template do not lose their look
Names of HTML files may appear random (#27124)
(Colin B., Aug 05, 2004, 06:52:20)
Question:
Items which are added are mixed up. When editing question text
(Edit : Edit File) the name is 51.htm, When editing question text the name is
58.htm
Answer:
You do not need to be concerned with filenames in the element filespace (visible when pressing
F9). The system for naming files is complex and understanding it is not needed when using SuperMemo. In most cases, you can do your editing without evoking an external editor (as with
F9). However, if you do use Edit File, ignore the filename. It is meaningless from the user's perspective and should not be changed
Final drill includes the randomized set of poorly recalled elements for the day (#6962)
(Artur Mickiewicz, gru 01, 2005, 12:10:43)
Question:
I don't want to learn all the entered words straight away. When I learn 30 words, I would like to press Final Drill and have repetition only from the 30 words I was learning. What I am getting at the moment is all random words from the
entire database (214 words), which I haven't even learned.
Answer:
If your final drill includes unlearned elements, it must have been created artificially and should be deleted. In the normal course of learning, only memorized items that perform poorly are introduced into final drill.
Otherwise than by using subset operations, you cannot execute a final drill on a subset of elements. Final drill is a low priority stage where you try to increase chances of recalling an item once it had been forgotten. If you learn on subsets, all subset will contribute to the final drill. Ideally, the final drill queue should then be randomized (it happens by default).
If you happen to run out of learning time during the final drill stage, there is little harm in deleting the final drill queue. All short-interval items will be presented again soon during standard repetitions. For long-interval items, the effect of final drill is negligible.
You must determine your own grading criteria for Fail vs. Pass (#4652)
(yahoogroups, May 23, 2005, 18:40:10)
Question:
I am curious how people grade themselves with a guess that is right. For instance, a question asks, "Early Indian group that built flat-top pyramids?" and I guess Mayans (the right answer). But I am not positive I could recall this if someone asked me in person, how would you grade yourself?
Answer:
You must decide what level/form of recall is satisfactory, and grade Fail if you do not meet that level, or Pass/Good if you do.
If you guess the answer, minor changes to the form of the question might result in failing to answer. It is now up to you if you can afford to fail in real life situations, or if this is just a portion of your fun knowledge were precise recall is not essential.
For vital knowledge, not only should you grade Fail, but also identify the clues that make the guess possible, and change the question accordingly. If there are not clues, and the guess is just a wild shot (say you only heard of Maya, Inca and Aztec and pick the first that comes to mind), you should grade Fail.
Changing category template will affect only newly added elements (#4759)
(Barry Giles, Australia, Jun 04, 2005, 15:58:04)
Question:
When creating a new category in the
contents window using the Category wizard, I select a valid Topic Template but , a check of the new category (using
Ctrl+Shift+P) shows no template applied
Answer:
To change template in existing elements use
Apply template in subset operations. Changing the template for a category affects only new elements added to that category
Merging collections is easy (#4756)
(Jerry, Poland, May 24, 2005, 10:45:03)
Question:
What is the best technical means of
combining two collections in one?
Answer:
Use File : Merge
collection. This copies the content of the current collection to any collection of your choice. Remember that the transfer may leave some settings behind (e.g. a collection can keep a single default background image, if you merge two collections, the image of the transferred collection will be ignored)
You can use subset operations to treat portions of knowledge differentially (#7388)
(Darek, Jan 21, 2006, 04:11:07)
Question:
I would like SuperMemo to have an option:
"Postpone/Dilute All except Selected"
Answer:
You can easily accomplish that with subset operations or with child browsers. All you need to do is to subtract the subset you do not want postponed before you execute
Postpone. Better yet, you can use subset learning. Start with reviewing all material that you do not want postponed. At the end of the day, postpone the rest.
HTML and plain text components are best for storing texts (#5054)
(Jan, Jun 16, 2005, 20:41:59)
Question:
What
format is best for saving items in SuperMemo? Plain Text, RTF or HTML?
Answer:
Use
plain text for a large number of unformatted questions and answers. Use HTML for
formatted text, Unicode, tables, text interleaved with pictures, etc. Other ways
of storing text have many drawbacks and should be avoided. In particular: RTF is
retained for compatibility only, and OLE is rather unstable. In short: plain
text is fast and small, while HTML allows of rich formatting
Picture occlusions must use an image component (#5377)
(Kazimierz Bigus, Jul 26, 2005, 23:08:08)
Question:
I would like to create occlusion elements where shape component would cover parts of images
embedded in HTML component. SuperMemo does not allow me to do it despite the fact that the shape component is the last one in component order editor
Answer:
You cannot create occlusion tests with pictures embedded in HTML because the HTML component has an "always on top" property. In addition, there is a risk that free-flowing pictures will move their position if you scale the HTML component or apply a new template. To create graphic occlusions you will need to use image components. You can easily convert your HTML pictures to image components with Download images (Ctrl+F8)
You can safely invest years of learning in SuperMemo (#5317)
(Alex Quinn, USA Educational, Jul 22, 2005, 13:23:21)
Question:
Reading your documentation raises questions that make one nervous about investing tens or hundreds of hours into SuperMemo for Windows.
Answer:
As long as you learn to create
correct backup copies, you can safely invest years of learning into SuperMemo.
Many users have successfully continued learning for over a decade with
multi-megabyte files. Even if the development of the product or the company cease, the Windows version is likely to retain compatibility with future versions of Windows for years (DOS versions from 1980s are still usable today). You can always export your learning material as XML and try to transfer it to other platforms in the future. Last but not least, in case of trouble, SuperMemo is more likely to be released as open source than to die out entirely
Windows shortcuts mask SuperMemo shortcuts (#6487)
(M.M., Oct 27, 2005, 12:45:29)
Question:
I cannot use Ctrl+Alt+M shortcut (to save the current element as the default
template for the current category). I tried to save a template and instead MS
Outlook turned on
Answer:
You must have defined this shortcut in Windows to start Outlook. Windows
shortcuts take precedence and mask shortcuts in SuperMemo. You can either use an
element menu option (Template : Save as default), or change the Windows
shortcut for Outlook
Import Web Pages : Local Pages results in blank elements (#6391)
(R. G., USA Government, Oct 07, 2005, 23:30:55)
Question:
When SuperMemo 2004 tries to
Import Web Pages with Local Pages set, the resulting HTML component is blank
Answer:
If
you select portion of text in the browser (e.g. in a search box), SuperMemo will
try to import that portion first (if it is empty, a blank page might result). This might come from the fact that your browser is not up-to-date (use
Tools : Windows Update in Internet Explorer to verify this), or that you are importing pages of special non-HTML content (e.g. embeded Active X content will not import). If those pages are located on the Internet,
and you still cannot solve your problem, send the URL for review so that this behavior could be verified
No slide show in SuperMemo 2004 (#6730)
(Wynn Beattie, Nov 09, 2005, 09:43:03)
Question:
Is there a slide show feature. It would be great at the beginning of class to show questions and answers by a zip drive that does not have to be installed on a PC. It is also a great way to site back and read/study without buttons and distractions
Answer:
No. SuperMemo 2004 does not include this feature.
The closest alternative is to open the set that is to be presented and run a random review (e.g. with
F11). You will need to press Space or Enter before the next "slide" is shown.
The slide show option (called "Demo") was present in SuperMemo 7 (1995) but was dropped due to little interest. Moreover, the present line focuses on
incremental reading, which does not produce much material suitable for slide
shows
Cannot save OLE Object (#1991)
(Michal Grodzki, Poland, Sep 29, 2004, 18:53:50)
Question:
SuperMemo displayed the following error:
Cannot save OLE Object #2
Cannot create file C:\mount\SML2nd\MG2004\elements\3\1\21\27513.OLE
Answer:
"Cannot save OLE
Object" error occurs at the time when SuperMemo tries to save an object embedded in the OLE component. This procedure occurs in two steps: first (1) the OLE
container is closed (if the OLE object is active) and then (2) OLE object is saved to a file (or the file is deleted if the object is empty).
Object #2 indicates that the OLE registry member located at position #2 is the one that could not be saved.
"Cannot create file" is the specific error generated by the OLE server (i.e. not SuperMemo). In this case, for unknown reasons, the OLE server could not create the file in which the OLE object should be stored. The most likely cause of such a situation is that the file has been locked (e.g. by a crash of the OLE server). Unfortunately, SuperMemo does not have any control over OLE server other than to command it to save the file. Once this procedure fails, all SuperMemo can do is to display the error. Restarting the server, SuperMemo or Windows can all help to recover from a similar situation.
All you can do here is to experiment with the particular server and look for possible causes of the server crash. Even if the server is unstable, some simple workarounds may exist that will make it possible to use it in conjunction with SuperMemo. See also: Cannot save OLE Object
Cannot save OLE Object (#7237)
(Joseph T. Craney, Jun 20, 2004, 05:06:49)
Question:
SuperMemo has displayed the following error:
"Cannot save OLE Object #1
The server threw an exception"
Answer:
This error is beyond SuperMemo's control. It is a result of trouble with the server application. For example, if you are integrating Excel spreadsheets, the error would be caused by Excel. If this problem persists, you might prefer to use the binary component to integrate files unsupported by SuperMemo. You will lose instant preview, but you may prefer editing or inspecting the files in the original application. This will eliminate potential stability problems coming from the OLE
in-place activation and unstable communication between SuperMemo and the OLE server.
See also: Cannot save OLE Object
Done is executed during learning (#941)
(Jerry Ast, Poland, Thursday, August 12, 2004 12:05 AM)
Question:
What is the recommended way of using
Done: in the learning process or just while browsing?
Answer:
Done
(Ctrl+Shift+Enter) should be executed at the end of processing a piece of text in the learning process. In SuperMemo, you rarely just browse through your collection. To capitalize on each exposure with information, if you need to deal with subset of information, you do that more through subset learning (review) than through browsing. For that reason,
Done is almost always executed during learning or during subset review.
Occlusion shapes hide behind content (#6698)
(Max, Nov 12, 2005, 01:26:09)
Question:
When I try to create a graphical deletion, the shape appears behind the content. Even in presentation mode
Answer:
You need to use Image components for this purpose. HTML and OLE components show always on top. In other words, if your pictures are embedded in HTML or OLE, they will always come on top of the shape component
Some fields in Plan are not editable (#3702)
(Mariusz Zmuda, May 19, 2005)
Question:
In
Plan, I can't change Delay manually. When I've tried, I could write only "***". Why?
Answer:
Delay is a measure of the time that passed between the optimum start of the activity and the actual start of the activity. You can affect
Delay only by executing activities in time. Once you are late, the Delay is determined by the degree of your lateness. It is a read-only
property
Wrong definitions in Advanced English (#2613)
(Tomasz
S., Apr 29, 2006)
Question:
I found many errors in Advanced English. For example:
Q: to desex (an animal)
A: sterilize
I would say "spay" and get a 0. This is a typical problem with definition-word items throughout the database.
Answer:
The purpose of such questions is to ask for the meaning of the word
desex (here in the animal context). In other words, this is a passive recognition test. It does not matter what your actual answer
is as long as you correctly recall the meaning of the word desex.
If you answer spay, your grading will depend on your learning criteria and may range from Null to Bright.
Here are the three most typical actions you should take in the context of this item:
Defining fonts for the collection (#26479)
(Jerry Ast, Poland, Jul 09, 2004, 22:56:23)
Question:
How can I define the font of all elements in the question-answer template? In Multimedia SuperMemo, I just use
Ctrl+Alt+U to create a duplicate that has the same font settings (different for question and for answer)
Answer:
New SuperMemo uses
HTML instead of plain text. HTML keeps fonts wired in the text as opposed to keeping them in the registry (as in simple plain text components). To have new SuperMemo behave in the "old way", change your default template in your
current category from HTML to plain text (e.g. use
Classic template). You can execute Duplicate with Ctrl+Alt+D
For the font to be applied in HTML, the text selection cannot be empty (#1603)
(Grzegorz Sep 09, 2004, 14:20:49)
Question:
I applied
SMIPA font to an answer component (HTML), but the font does not seem to have changed
Answer:
Be sure you first select the text in which you want to have the font changed. Then chose
Text : Edit font (if you need to apply this font only once) or Text : New font (if you plan to reuse the font
definition with the help of the font registry).
Unlike plain text components, HTML components allow of the font to be applied
to a portion of the text. This is why you first need to select that portion. See
more: Tools : Options : Fonts
You can change fonts in a group of elements (#27569)
(Kazimierz Bigus, Sep 12, 2004, 02:31:38)
Question:
I would like to change the font size in plain text components in a group of elements
Answer:
If these elements use the same template, it is enough you choose
Text : Edit Font on the component menu. However, if the elements use a different template, you may need to open them first in a
browser and then apply a single template with Process Browser : Template : Apply
Template on the browser menu. Remember that this will work only with plain text components
Why cannot get my software? (#5435)
(Steve Roberts, Aug 16, 2005, 00:40:20)
Question:
This is riduclous. You have my money and I cannot get SuperMemo. I have never had problems like this. I click download and the site says it has no record of my order. Have the courtesy to give me adequate directions
Answer:
If you have any problems with downloads, you can always send us an e-mail and you will receive all necessary help. In your particular case, the period between the purchase and the attempt to download was too long. Your identity is verified by means of a credit card number. However, for security reasons, all credit card numbers are deleted from the Yahoo server within several days. This why the Download button will work only until that time.
How can I best delete and re-download SuperMemo (#7361)
(DONALD GRASS, Jan 19, 2006, 18:41:41)
Question:
I would like to delete SuperMemo, download again, and re-install. Should I use Windows "add/remove" to delete? Any special instructions for second download?
Answer:
It is enough you delete your SuperMemo folder. Be sure to back up your learning material (which is by default stored in that folder). If you need to download again, you can always e-mail for help.
Important! If you want to reinstall due to suspicious behavior of the program (e.g. due to corrupted data in your learning material), it is enough you move SuperMemo executable (e.g. sm2004.exe) to a newly created folder.
Unicode in SuperMemo 98 (#630)
(supermemo at yahoogroups.com, kwi 10, 2006, 01:15:10)
Question:
I have SuperMemo 98. How do I find out if it supports Unicode? I want to learn Korean
Answer:
Unfortunately, SuperMemo 98 is very weak in Unicode. All it can do is to display Unicode in HTML components or OLE components. Both can be edited using external editors or using HTML if you know HTML. To learn Korean, use HTML components and edit HTML using any HTML editor (editing Korean in HTML verges onto heroic;
you would need to know all Unicode codes for Korean ideograms)
Cannot write to KNO file: H:\SuperMemoInstallation\systems\Daily Japanese.Kno (#7609)
(Chakravarty, Apr 12, 2005, 19:52:51)
Question:
SuperMemo displayed the following error:
Cannot write system info:
H:\SuperMemoInstallation\systems\Daily Japanese.Kno
or
Cannot write to KNO file: H:\SuperMemoInstallation\systems\Daily Japanese.Kno
Answer:
This error occurs when there is a problem writing to your collection file: "Daily Japanese.kno". This may be an indication of a serious problem that needs to be investigated for safety of your learning material. As the problem occurs at the very low level, it is difficult to determine if it is software or hardware related. You should run File : Repair collection on "Daily Japanese" AFTER restarting BOTH SuperMemo AND Windows. If this re-occurs, you may need to investigate your computer for problems unrelated to SuperMemo. If errors occur at repairing collection, see the error documentation to choose the optimum course of action (which may involve resorting to your most recent backup).
Bug statistics: Among users who reported this problem there is a greater than average proportion of those who use Asian languages and those who use network drives to store some or all collection files
You can check the certificate of security of SuperMemo Store (#5229)
(Donna Egge, Saturday, August 27, 2005 7:49 PM)
Question:
This is the first time I have ordered anything online without an indicator of security (like Verisign). I hope this is very secure
Answer:
SuperMemo Store at www.super-memo.com is hosted by Yahoo Stores with state-of-art security. The security padlock is displayed in the browser only when you proceed via the checkup. The padlock is not visible amongst ordinary store pages. The padlock should help you identify the certificate as issued by Secure Server Certification Authority to Yahoo
for order.store.yahoo.com
Topics that play the role of folders should be dismissed (#16)
(Tyler Durden, kwi 28, 2006, 23:14:33)
Question:
I'm using topics like
"chapter 3: verb conjugations", but they show up when I'm learning, minor annoyance, not sure what's going on
Answer:
When you see such topics, press
Ctrl+D. These should be dismissed (i.e. not play any role in the learning process)
Dismiss tasks to keep them in the archive (#9851)
(Laubscher, Theresa, Jun 27, 2006, 15:16:33)
Question:
I want to mark a task as finished and not necessarily lose track of the task and on which tasklist it was
Answer:
Once you execute a task, dismiss it (e.g. with
Ctrl+D). This action will turn a task into an archive (dismissed) topic. If the tasklist category and its archive category are different, this action will also move the task to the archive category. You can change the archive category for a given tasklist in the tasklist registry. Use can use
Ctrl+D either in the tasklist manager or when viewing the task in the element window
Help files at supermemo.com are marked in blue (#10180)
(Robert G., kwi 27, 2006, 05:33:27)
Question:
Your help system is too wordy. I don't want to know about your
reasearch and the theoretical background underpinning your product. I've been reading this thing for several hours and still don't understand how to use the product
Answer:
Help files of SuperMemo for Windows are marked in blue. If a link leads you to pages in a different color code, you can consider these optional. You will find little
"SuperMemo theory" on blue help pages (except where it directly affects the function of the program).
As for being wordy, some users prefer concise documentation, while others like things explained step-by-step, even if steps are repetitive for different procedures. Majority, however, expresses a wish for more detailed explanations of individual functions.
For those differences in opinion, documentation files become not much different from the web. You will never manage to read everything. You have little choice but to locate material that helps you learn individual skills as needed and ignore the rest.
Last but not least, it is the program itself that is rather complex. It is more friendly to an advanced user than to a beginner.
In addition, some skills take months to develop rather than just hours. It is not always the documentation that is at fault.
All in all, cutting down on volume is not a prescription for friendlier documentation. It is the optimization of the structure of the document space that is considered the best way to accomplish the goal. Yet, if you believe you have specific observation as to individual improvements, they will be considered carefully. Wordiness will not likely be tackled by deleting portions of the documentation. These are more likely to be relegated to less frequently traversed pathways.
Some collections can only be used in SuperMemo for Windows (#27426)
(Robert Budzul, Aug 27, 2004, 04:24:46)
Question:
I
notice that on some of the websites with additional SuperMemo files, that ones
for Chinese or Arabic learning are marked as not being compatible with Pocket
PC. Can you shed light on why this would be so? Is it the problem with the font?
Will it remain like that?
Answer:
SuperMemo for Windows uses many
features that are not compatible with other SuperMemos. Some collections are not
transferable to other versions for lack of functionality (in other versions) or
lack of conversion tools
Cannot determine workload (#8104)
(adrian rivera, Saturday, August 13, 2005 7:10 PM)
Question:
SuperMemo has just displayed the following error:
"Cannot determine workload for day 33"
Answer:
This error indicates corrupt data in the file
workload.dat that is stored in the info folder of your collection.
You may try the following:
The main worry with this error is that it may indicate problems with a file system in your computer. In other words, it is quite likely, other files in SuperMemo will get corrupted as well. This is therefore highly recommended that you give your PC a thorough hardware, software and security checkup
Cannot get children count (#5543)
(David fenollosa garcia, Aug 11, 2005, 16:54:25)
Question:
SuperMemo has just displayed this error:
"Cannot get children count for element #1"
Answer:
This error indicates corrupt data in the file
contents.dat that is stored in the info folder of your collection.
File : Repair collection might solve the problem; however, the error appears to occur in the root of your whole knowledge tree. This may make recovery difficult.
You may try the following:
Universal Q&A text file format is ASCII only (#8503)
(Tim Navratil, Feb 16, 2006, 16:37:45)
Question:
I am using SuperMemo CE. I am trying to create a database of English Words being answered with both Pinyin and Chinese Characters. I created a txt file using Unicode on Windows Notepad. When I import a file without the Chinese characters, the file imports fine. If I include a Chinese character the file gets created but it is empty. The font I'm using for the Chinese characters is listed on the font pull down menu on the SuperMemo database edit screen
Answer:
The original Q&A file format does not allow of non-ASCII characters. SuperMemo for Windows can import such a file if this is UTF-8 encoded and the appropriate import option is chosen. Other SuperMemos do not currently support UTF-8. To use Chinese in SuperMemo for Pocket PC create your items inside SuperMemo CE, or use XML file format for import. If you have SuperMemo 2004, you could also create your items there and transfer to Pocket PC via XML. You could also import your Q&A file to SuperMemo 2004 first.
Continuous video does not play (#6372)
(Kazimierz Bigus, Sunday, October 09, 2005 12:47 AM)
Question:
What is the option
Continuous in video components supposed to do? If it is expected to repeat the movie - it does not work that way. I always have to create a script. E.g.
play 3
goto 1
Answer:
If checked, Continuous should continually play the video. Because the video restart occurs through windows messaging, it might so happen that your configuration somehow interferes with that system (e.g. through message intercepts). You could try the same procedure on a neighboring PC and look for interfering software or configuration
differences. Please write back if you collect more information
You can save texts with a template (#7415)
(Neal Walters, Jan 23, 2006, 07:49:45)
Question:
How can I make the text “sticky” to the template so that all items in the template will say “Cortina German” in the text box?
Answer:
Instead of using
Template : Save as template on the element menu, use Template : Save with objects on the same menu
There are no mechanisms for prioritizing separate collections and these could best be merged (#7412)
(Neal Walters, Jan 23, 2006, 14:11:49)
Question:
I see there are tasks and priorities for incremental reading, but how do I assign priorities to collections?
Answer:
There are no priority mechanisms that work across collections (although you can set up your own system using collection names, etc.). It is recommended that you merge collections into one and use priority system of incremental reading to master the flow of knowledge in your master collection. The chief tools to use are:
the Priority Queue, A-Factors, intervals, forgetting index, subset review, selective postpones and branch operations. Some of the prioritization is done for you in the background as you work with extracts and
clozes
You do not need a credit card to upgrade (#8471)
(Christian Schrauff, Germany, Feb 13, 2006, 21:54:27)
Question:
I have SuperMemo 2000 an would like to upgrade to SuperMemo 2004. Is there any way to get the upgrade without a credit card.
Answer:
Yes. There are several methods of payment, and the price of the upgrade is unchanged. All you need to do is to write an e-mail with a request for the current payment methods and the price
Final drill queue is a relic from older SuperMemos (#2679)
(80.4.224.6, Aug 07, 2006)
Question:
Why is there an auto-delete option for final drill. Does it not slow down learning?
Answer:
The final drill queue is a relic of older SuperMemos. It is universally used and even liked by users of SuperMemo (esp. students of languages). However, it provides for a slightly relaxed repetition routine. Ideally, the student should consider a repetition a one-only chance to reconsolidate a memory. Items that score
Pass are not significantly 'fixed' in final drill, and will score Fail if badly formulated, if their difficulty is underestimated, or simply by chance due to the randomness of the process of forgetting. The ''weakness'' of final drill comes here from
spacing effect. On the other hand, items that score Fail will usually do far better after the final drill, however, it should be the student's goal to ensure sufficient recall after the first review. This attitude improves concentration in learning, and can be demonstrated as a measure that improves the overall speed of learning. It may seem the failure rate after the first interval should increase, but SuperMemo compensates that by shortening intervals (to a reasonable degree). In overloaded learning process (e.g. in
incremental reading), the final drill concept becomes particularly outdated, as repetitions of the outstanding material will always be of far more importance than the final drill repetitions. As a result, SuperMemo makes it possible to automatically delete the final drill that is older than one day, or suggests doing so to the user
Selling collections (#10628)
(Olav Benum, Aug 15, 2006, 17:36:01)
Question:
How profitable is it to sell SuperMemo collections? Is there a financial reward for bringing people to your site or getting them to buy SuperMemo?
What are the arrangements for selling at your site? Can I be sure to be admitted? Can I split in free and for pay collections as I like? What margin do you take? Can you indicate how much some existing collections are selling? Is there some kind of financial reward for bringing people to your site or getting them to buy SuperMemo?
Answer:
Selling SuperMemo collections has always been difficult (see history of SuperMemo Library). There are only a few success case and these all were associated with substantial investment in advertising or other forms of promotion (e.g. Easy English series, Advanced English, or Extreme English DVD). SuperMemo forms a small and rather elitist market. Within that market, the interest in ready-made collections is little. Easy English was an example where the learning material was advertised on its own and SuperMemo was carried along as a bonus. In other words, the highest selling SuperMemo product was not even named as a SuperMemo product. If you decide to promote your collection on your own website, you can use "Money in the link" program to sell SuperMemo as well.
You can prevent the spell-pad from being hidden at question time (#1115)
(Maarten, Netherlands, Aug 23, 2004, 14:56:48)
Question:
I do not like the check-mark
Answer of the Spelling template. I don't understand why it is there. When I use items with a spellpad, I want to see the spellpad immediately after pressing
Next Repetition. I don't want to press a key to get the spellpad visible
Answer:
The
Answer attribute is part of data, not part of presentation. In other words, it is not affected by the template. The
Spelling template has Answer unchecked, but this does not affect the source element data. For that reason, you must make sure that
Answer is unchecked in the element onto which you apply the template, or uncheck
Answer after applying the template
Swapped word-pair requires a separate learning process (#27433)
(Kenneth Nichols, Aug 26, 2004, 12:30:10)
Question:
I'm learning Dutch. Sometimes I want to be given a Dutch word and to respond with its English meaning, but other times I want to do the reverse. How do I do this in
SuperMemo?
Answer:
You need to create two separate elements with two different questions. This is compulsory. The reverse word-pair produces a different memory trace! The fastest way to do this is to use
Duplicate and Swap components. You can execute these two by
pressing Ctrl+Alt+D and Ctrl+Shift+S in succession
Learning material that changes overtime (#27500)
(Dr. U.
Muller, Switzerland, Monday, September 06, 2004 8:11 AM)
Question:
I would like to learn material that is changing over the time. I am a medical doctor. There are continually upgrading online
resources around like UpToDate® or Standard Books where you could get an updated version every few years. Are there some ways to detect easily, what parts I have imported into SuperMemo did change.
Answer:
Changes and updates to knowledge we learn with SuperMemo have until now been a very hard problem to tackle. SuperMemo may even put you at a disadvantage when compared with "slow learners" in cases
where you think you know and do not check upon the validity of your knowledge. The best remedy until now has been a never-ending learning approach, in which you incrementally learn new things and resolve contradictions in your aging
study material.
You can use Edit : Add to category : Web page (Ctrl+Alt+U) to import a web page and make it show its most recent version (by checking
Open automatically); however, this will not allow you to execute incremental reading and will have marginal effect on learning.
In the future, on-line SuperMemo might include collaborative material. Items changed and invalidated would show up highlighted in your collection so that you could review and relearn the material that is no longer valid. However, this
vision is not coming up soon.
Please read more about incremental reading. This technique provides a number of mechanism that help you regularly update knowledge in massive learning
Error editing HTML (#2703)
(Seth G., Sep 06, 2006)
Question:
I get this error message:
Error editing HTML
Access violation at address 7778DD49 in module 'shdocvw.dll'. Read of address 00000000
I use Windows XP (SP2) and IE 6.0 (SP2)
Answer:
This error might occur while switching between editing and display modes. It is raised by a component of Internet Explorer ('shdocvw.dll').
You could first see if it is not content-dependent (i.e. caused by a specific page that causes problems with Internet Explorer). For example, you could apply HTML filter (F6) or read more here: http://www.supermemo.com/help/faq/html.htm
If this persists, you might send the article that is causing the problem.
You can convert a directory with sound or image files into a collection (#27559)
(Pawel, Poland, Saturday, September 11, 2004 9:22 AM)
Question:
I have many sound
files. It would be great if SuperMemo could generate elements based on the filenames from the directory
containing sounds
Answer:
Try the following:
SuperMemo vs. EyeQ (#27562)
(Dave, Sep 10, 2004, 16:13:20)
Question:
How does SuperMemo compare with EyeQ a reading program on an infomercial?
Answer:
Rarely do we test and/or pass
judgment on products in the "speed-learning" or "speed-reading" category. The field is very wide and peppered with pseudo-scientific claims that are too costly to verify on a one-by-one basis.
Your inquiry is the first to call our attention to EyeQ. On a quick net search, it seems there are a number of products using this name in areas ranging from optometry to nutrition. However, you are probably interested in the product based on the "research of Dr. Kawamura".
The scanty information available from the web indicates that the program seems to capitalize on
the concept of "whole brain learning" that is supposed to accelerate the processing of information. On multiple occasions, we have expressed
skepticism in reference to both "whole brain" and "widening information stream" (e.g. search for PhotoReading at supermemo.com).
SuperMemo helps you retain memories with the help of well-timed review. As such, it goes in quite an opposite direction. It encourages you to disregard excess information that is not likely to be consolidated long-term. With SuperMemo, you are supposed to learn the difference between short-term knowledge used for contingencies, and mission critical knowledge that you can afford to consolidate in long-term memory for years or lifetime of use.
Please consult other sources on the matter of EyeQ. We will revisit the subject if there is more interest from amongst users of SuperMemo
Empty RTF text found (#1774)
(Grzegorz Szczotka, Sep 14, 2004, 13:47:39)
Question:
SuperMemo
displayed this message:
Empty RTF text found at registry member #Text #641: """
Answer:
SuperMemo warns you that your text registry stores an empty RTF text at position #641. This text will be of no use and can be deleted (e.g. use
Ctrl+G with 641 to locate the text in the text registry and press Del). SuperMemo will keep displaying this error until you disconnect all references to the deleted text in your text components. You can do it by running
File : Repair collection with Rebuild registries checked. During
this procedure SuperMemo resets references to a deleted member.
Instead of deleting the member, you can also use Ctrl+B in the registry to browse users of the member #641. If there are not too many
elements listed, you can simply edit or delete the empty texts, or delete the empty text components if you do not need
them
Copied collections always look for secondary storage files in the original location (#11121)
(Gary Belhomme, Canada, Oct 16, 2006, 06:35:29)
Question:
I restored a backup to my new laptop, but I keep getting this annoying message “Cannot find SuperMemo Backup files in drive L:”.
Drive L: is no longer a partition on my new system. How do I modify the backup files so that it no longer searches for Drive L:?
Answer:
Try the following:
Tools : Options : Data access, and delete Secondary Storage
Optimum nap time is best determined with statistics (#10818)
(Georgios Zonnios, Monday, October 09, 2006 11:10 AM)
Question:
How can there be an optimum nap-time? Your article states the following:
· Homeostatic sleepiness increases with the length of time we stay awake
· Naps are a needed solely to get rid of homeostatic sleepiness.
Since naps are meant to be kept short, I understand they can’t have a circadian component. Therefore it seems logical that the two-processes model does not explain the optimum timing for naps! After all, as long as you stay awake your homeostatic sleepiness continuously increases
Answer:
Your reasoning is correct. The two-processes model
of sleep propensity does not explain while we best nap at mid-day. The two-processes model can be understood as the first iteration
of the ultimate model of sleep and wakefulness. Borbely, Achermann and other researchers continue to enhance the model to better explain various phenomena without making the model overly complex.
The "optimum nap time" is a concept that is best explained by mathematics. The
optimum nap time is the time, somewhere in the middle of your waking day in free running sleep, that produces the maximum probability of falling asleep
or the minimum average sleep latency.
You can easily plot your optimum nap time with SleepChart. SleepChart collects your sleep block statistics and can accurately point to the time of day where your naps might be most beneficial. The only conditions you need to meet are: (1) you need to free run your sleep (SleepChart uses a technique of predicting your homeostatic and circadian sleepiness that only works for natural, undisturbed sleep) and (2) you need a few weeks of your sleep data to make the reading accurate.
If you are a seasoned napper, you probably already know your optimum nap time, and you can use SleepChart to confirm your observations. If you are new to napping, you can start with naps in the exact middle of your waking day, and adjust the precise hour using SleepChart and your own observations. For example, if you cannot fall asleep, your nap might be too early. If you sleep too long, it might be too late, etc.
As for the biological explanation, it is worth to know that there are a number of brain nuclei involved in sleep. Each is responsible for its own input processing. Each produces an output that depends on the input and its current state. Your napping will be affected by factors such as stress, temperature, exercise, weather, exposure to light, and many more. The circadian factors are also multiple. Apart from the levels of circulating hormones, body temperature, etc. there are different phases for REM propensity, SWS propensity, ultradian cycles, and other lesser components of your circadian pattern. Sleep researchers are only gradually finding out the enormous complex