010 Memorizer 1.2

Learning about 010 Memorizer has become a bit of a revelation. Having suffered from bad memory for all my life, especially when it comes to numbers, finding a tool that can help you “translate” those elusive numbers into concepts we can remember more easily makes a big difference. The program uses the rules of the Phonetic System (also known as Major System) to help you transform digits and large numbers into letters and phrases that you’ll never forget. Dates, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, IP addresses, PINs, and even credit card numbers are easier to remember when transformed into a vivid image or crazy concept that we can then translate into digits.

Nothing comes without effort, though, and you’ll need to learn a certain set of rules to first understand and then master the conversion process. There are ten basic rules (one for every digit from 0 to 9) that you need to understand and memorize before being able to produce longer word combinations that are meaningful to you. Though the Phonetic System is still the basis for the program’s functionality, these rules are based more on mnemotechnics than on anything else – 1 is a T because it has one downstroke, 6 is a J because an inverted J looks like a 6, or 4 is an R because that’s the last letter of the word in English.

All you have to do – once you’ve memorized the rules – is to key in the number in question into the program’s interface and let it translate it into letters, words, and even expressions for you. You’ll be offered a list of words for the entire number and for different groups of digits – it is then up to you to go for the word combination that better fits your memory. Alternatively, you can let the program create random word associations for the selected number, which you can then edit to your liking. According to the program, the more outrageous and absurd the word association is, the easier it’ll be for your brain to remember it and to reveal the number hidden behind it.

010 Memorizer comes with tools to help you store, find, modify, and edit your number-word associations at any time. You can also change the program’s dictionary by adding or removing words, editing the code associated to a certain word, and even creating and adding to it those associations that work for you.

This is not a tool for everyone, and it does require a learning curve that will vary from person to person. Personally, and despite my memory limitations, I find it easier to remember 2901 than a phrase like “nap based eyesight aid”, but I’m sure that with a certain amount of practice and especially when dealing with longer and much more complex figures, 010 Memorizer can be of great help. It is a completely free tool, so giving it a try won’t cost you anything but time.