I rewrite this review because after using it more extensively, I found out Mammoth is a great tool for studying a topic by collecting information on the Internet. 

 

What is Mammoth? Some people call it an alternative version of Evernote. Some call it a communication and publishing tool for groups.

As I see it, Mammoth is a tool for collecting various types of information. You drag and drop “images, links, and files. Graphics, audio files, videos, presentations” from websites onto a page called a board. You can also drag files from your hard drive. Files are automatically uploaded and a preview is seen on the board.

People can also write a message at the bottom of a board, which enable them to communicate about the content of the board.

This clip from Mammoth tutorial shows how it works.

 

Today, I tried Mammoth a couple of hours. There was a topic that I wanted to study for a long time but have been delaying indefinitely. I created a board for the topic and began googling various keywords related to the topic. I also added pdf files related to the topic. The result was fantastic. I was able to make a board that includes all the detailed information on the topic. I can read all the related websites and files on the board and keep expanding the board until I cover all the necessary information. Simply selecting website contents onto a board and editing the content to emphasize important points with editing tools like bold fonts or yellow marker is a great way to study a topic. Mammoth is a great software that has more potential than I previously. thought

I like Mammoth but there are some more improvements to be made to make it better.

First, the software still feels like not fully finished. When I make a new board, I can make a cover using an image. The problem is, regardless of the size of the image file, the end result is a expanded cover that occupies almost half of the screen. I want to see more information on the board instead of a bloated cover image. I looked for an option to adjust the cover image or delete it, but in vain.

Second, the supporting plugin is not very impressive. For example, I tried a Chrome add-on called mini Mammoth. Usually, what I expect from a web content clipping add-on is an intuitive method of use. The best example is a chrome plugin called 2Checkvist for my favorite online list maker and todo list manger, Checkvist.  You just select any texts on a webpage and you click 2Checkvist. Then, it shows the clipped text and a dropdown menu for all the list. You just choose the list where you want to send the text and click “Add to the list”.  That’s all. Simple and easy and fast.

The Mammoth add-on for Chrome, compared to 2Checkvist, asks users to make too many clicks and is not intuitive. You have to click the add-on, choose one of the boards and select texts or images from another websites and drag and drop on a board. In terms of numbers of clicking, the add-on does not feel any different from using the board with another browser window.

In spite of these minor problems, Mammoth is a great software with many potentials. You can try Mammoth here for free.