Journal MCP Server
The Journal MCP Server is our fourth memory experimentation approach, reimagining AI memory as an organic, reflective practice rather than mechanical storage.
Key Concepts
Hermeneutic Circle: Captures how understanding deepens through the back-and-forth between parts and whole, between specific discoveries and evolving context.
Tree Structure: Organizes around overviews (current synthesis), entries (chronological journey), and subsections that emerge naturally from the work.
Temporal Salience: Recent entries are easily accessible, older entries require higher relevance to surface - creating natural rhythms of memory.
Dual-Dimension Search: Matches both work context and content to prevent false positives where content matches but context doesn't.
Implementation
The actual implementation is located at /journal-mcp-server/ in the repository root, including:
- README.md - Core design vision and architecture
- design-doc.md - Technical implementation details
- implementation-plan.md - Development roadmap and phases
The server uses a git-centric approach where journal sections are markdown files with current understanding as file contents and incremental entries stored as git commit messages.
Integration with Collaboration Patterns
The journal server aligns with existing patterns:
.ongoingfiles that track evolving work- GitHub tracking issues that document understanding as it shifts
- Consolidation moments ("Make it so") when insights crystallize
- The natural rhythm of exploration → synthesis → new exploration
This creates a memory system that serves the deeper practice of collaborative understanding rather than just information management.