Compare · Knowledge & Research

Distilly Person Profiles vs FOIA Requests

Two knowledge & research skills. Which one fits your job? Side-by-side below.

The short version

Distilly Person Profiles

By Distilly

Capture how a colleague, mentor, or public figure thinks so your AI can draw on it.

FOIA Requests

By James Anditis (Journalism)

Draft and file Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain government records.

What each one does

Distilly Person Profiles

  • Builds a profile of your own preferences so a personal AI assistant knows who it works for
  • Captures a colleague's workflows, standards, and communication style from their messages and docs
  • Researches a public figure's views and ways of thinking from public sources
  • Imports PDFs, screenshots, email exports, and chat history from Slack, Lark, or WeChat
  • Lets you add new material or correct a profile later, and roll back changes

FOIA Requests

  • Provides ready-to-use templates for federal and state FOIA requests with proper legal language
  • Explains the 9 federal exemptions and state-specific public records laws across all 50 states
  • Guides you through fee waiver requests, appeals processes, and tracking submission status
  • Includes reference tables for state-by-state laws and legislative exemptions
  • Offers strategic advice on crafting specific, targeted requests that agencies are more likely to fulfill

When to pick each one

Reach for Distilly Person Profiles when…

  • A teammate is leaving and you want to keep their know-how and context
  • You want your AI assistant to understand your role, style, and priorities
  • You want to ask how a favorite author or thinker might approach your question
  • You are handing over a project and want the knowledge captured in one place

Reach for FOIA Requests when…

  • You're investigating a story and need official documents from a government agency
  • You need to understand what records are legally available in your state or at the federal level
  • You're appealing a denied FOIA request or requesting a fee waiver
  • You're tracking multiple public records requests and need to follow up with agencies

Quick facts

Distilly Person ProfilesFOIA Requests
Made byDistillyJames Anditis (Journalism)
CategoryKnowledge & ResearchKnowledge & Research
SourceView ↗View ↗
Detail pageOpenOpen