---
title: "Native skills vs current surfaces — what should we replace"
url: https://memory.wiki/NpXe_CnP
updated: 2026-05-15T17:04:40.630Z
hub: https://memory.wiki/hub/raymindai
bundle_count: 1
concept_count: 12
source: "strategy-note"
---
# Native skills vs current surfaces — what should we replace

> Companion to the "Native skills + connectors" note. Native integrations aren't only *additive* — some of them are better-shaped versions of what we already ship. This walks each current surface and calls out replacement candidates.

## Obvious replacement candidates (cost > value today)

| Current surface | Replacement | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Desktop app (Electron, mac/win)** | **PWA install + macOS Share Sheet ext + QuickLook plugin** | Electron wraps mdfy.app web — value ≈ web. Maintenance is heavy (build / signing / auto-update / memory). The actual mac-native value (Share Sheet, Spotlight, QuickLook) is not reachable from Electron. **Drop Electron → split into three mac-native pieces. All three together are still lighter than Electron upkeep.** |
| **Chrome extension's "AI capture" mode** | **Claude Skill + ChatGPT GPT + Gemini Extension** (once all three ship) | A native skill in each AI is one click in the AI's own surface — and reaches iOS / Android / desktop apps the Chrome ext can't. **But the Chrome ext's GitHub README + generic web-page capture stays.** Scope down to "web page capture only." |

## Partial replacement / depends on usage

| Current surface | Alternative | Verdict |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **VS Code extension** | Claude Code hooks + Cursor MCP | Case is weaker — if the user is already in Claude Code / Cursor, they don't open the VS Code ext separately. **But the VS Code ext is an *editor*, not just an integration.** Audit usage; consider freezing new feature work; invest in Claude Code hooks instead. |
| **Manual AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md / .cursor/rules wiring** | Claude Code hooks auto-managing the file | **Keep.** The manual one-line recipe is the *universal* path that works in every tool, current and future. Hooks are an additive convenience layer for Claude Code specifically. Both. |

## Keep as-is

| Surface | Reason |
| --- | --- |
| **MCP server** | IDE-tier integration (Claude Desktop, Code, Cursor). Complementary to a web-tier Skill, not redundant. |
| **GitHub Action sync** | Repo / team-level source-of-truth on push. Claude Code hooks are individual + real-time — different scope. Both. |
| **6 import routes (PDF / DOCX / Obsidian / Notion / GitHub / URL)** | Content ingestion paths. Orthogonal to AI integrations. |
| **REST API** | Every native skill calls this. Turning it off kills everything else. |

## Strongest single recommendation

**Drop the Electron desktop app → "mac-native triplet."**

The Electron app has the highest current upkeep cost (auto-update, code signing, RAM footprint, separate GitHub Releases channel) and the lowest unique value vs. the web app. Three real mac-native scenarios users would actually use are *not* reachable from Electron:

1. **Spotlight / Raycast search for mdfy docs** — PWA install + URL scheme handler
2. **"Save to mdfy" from Safari / Mail / Notes** — macOS Share Sheet extension (Swift App Extension)
3. **Finder space-bar on a** `.md` **file → rendered preview** — QuickLook plugin

The three combined are still lighter than maintaining Electron. After they ship, give the Electron app a 1-year deprecation notice and point the download page at PWA install.

## Second recommendation

**Migrate Chrome ext's AI-capture path to native skills incrementally.**

The Chrome ext's per-AI capture (ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini chat selectors) is the most fragile piece in our stack — every UI redesign at OpenAI/Anthropic/Google forces a selector patch. Native skills don't have that brittleness. Plan: ship Claude Skill + ChatGPT GPT first, then narrow the Chrome ext to "generic web-page + GitHub README capture only."

## Re-prioritised order (combining build + replace decisions)

1. **ChatGPT GPT + Actions** — relieves Chrome ext AI-selector maintenance for ChatGPT users
2. **Claude Skill (web)** — relieves Chrome ext AI-selector maintenance for Claude users
3. **Electron → PWA + Share Sheet + QuickLook** — net upkeep reduction
4. **VS Code ext usage audit** — decide freeze vs. continue based on telemetry

#1 + #2 are net-positive on day one (broader reach, lower upkeep). #3 needs the three mac-native pieces shipped before deprecation can start.

---

## Summary
The document recommends replacing the Electron desktop app with three lighter macOS-native pieces (PWA install, Share Sheet extension, QuickLook plugin) and migrating the Chrome extension's AI-capture functionality to native skills in Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini to reduce maintenance burden while expanding reach across platforms.

## Themes
- Replace vs enhance trade-offs
- Native integration maintenance costs
- Mac-native capability gaps

## Key takeaways
- Electron desktop app should be replaced by three lighter mac-native pieces: PWA install, macOS Share Sheet extension, and QuickLook plugin.
- Chrome extension's AI-capture mode should migrate to native skills (Claude Skill, ChatGPT GPT, Gemini Extension) while keeping generic web-page and GitHub README capture.
- VS Code extension is an editor, not just an integration; usage audit should determine whether to freeze new features or continue investment.
- MCP server, GitHub Action sync, import routes, and REST API should be kept because they serve distinct scopes complementary to web-tier skills.
- Three native skills plus PWA plus Share Sheet plus QuickLook have lower combined upkeep cost than maintaining Electron.

## Insights
- Electron wraps the web app without enabling macOS-specific features like Spotlight or Share Sheet that users actually need, making its maintenance burden unjustifiable.
- Native skills in each AI platform reach mobile and desktop surfaces the Chrome extension cannot, solving the fragility problem of maintaining selectors across UI redesigns at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
- The manual rules-file approach should coexist with automated hooks because it provides a universal fallback path that works in any tool past and future.

## Open questions / gaps
- What does the VS Code extension usage telemetry currently show to guide the freeze decision?
- What is the timeline for shipping all three native skills before Electron deprecation begins?

## Concepts in this document
- **Chrome extension** _(entity)_
  Surface within memory.wiki ecosystem.
- **Claude** _(entity)_
  Specified AI tool for prototyping and validation before moving to high-fidelity design.
- **MCP server** _(concept)_
  A standard protocol allowing diverse AI tools to query and interact with the memory.wiki hub.
- **ChatGPT** _(entity)_
  One of the AI platforms currently suffering from isolated memory silos.
- **VS Code extension** _(entity)_
  Surface 3: developer-focused extension to inject context into code tasks.
- **Electron desktop app** _(entity)_
  Current macOS/Windows distribution surface with high maintenance cost and limited unique value vs. web.
- **Competitive Positioning** _(tag)_
  Strategic differentiation from existing solutions in the AI memory and knowledge management space
- **Authored, not extracted** _(concept)_
  Principle that user intent comes first and AI linking is secondary, preventing product from reading as auto-organization tool.
- **Claude Skill** _(entity)_
  Web and desktop integration for Claude that reaches mobile and app surfaces the Chrome extension cannot cover.
- **Graph in response** _(concept)_
  Architecture where graph data lives in URL responses rather than behind service calls
- **Platform Integration** _(tag)_
  Category covering native AI platform skills and connectors implementation
- **Cross-AI structural moat** _(concept)_
  Competitive differentiation through one URL working across multiple AI platforms rather than fragmented per-AI variants.

## Concept relations (within this doc's concepts)
- **VS Code extension** complements **MCP server**
- **Claude Skill** demonstrates strategy **Platform Integration**

## Bundles containing this document
- [Phase 2 strategy: connectors, replacements, first-principles](https://memory.wiki/b/Ih0eUczw)
  > Three working notes from a strategy review session on 2026-05-15. Native AI integrations roadmap, what current surfaces to replace, first-principles drift check.

_Hub canonical:_ https://memory.wiki/hub/raymindai
_Concept digest:_ https://memory.wiki/raw/hub/raymindai?digest=1&compact=1