“ I think there’s more value, or maybe more power, than is obvious in a simple “Oh yeah.” I’ve never been a fan of the idea, popular in some techno-futurist circles, that we’ll eventually just outsource memory itself to “the cloud,” accessing the data we need, on demand. What about the memories that we don’t happen to be demanding, that we don’t remember enough to know to demand? Flipping through an old photo album isn’t an “on demand” experience – it’s enjoyable precisely because you find what is there, whether it’s what you’re looking for or not. Sometimes it sparks fond memories. Sometimes it makes you feel old. Sometimes it surprises you with evidence of some thing balanced just on the lip of forgotten.
— Rob Walker, “A simple tool that reminded me of the value of ‘Oh yeah’”
