[HN Gopher] Duolingo app update with Path UI facing backlash fro...
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Duolingo app update with Path UI facing backlash from users
Author : Markoff
Score : 13 points
Date : 2022-11-19 19:12 UTC (3 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (piunikaweb.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (piunikaweb.com)
| nGaR5zKE wrote:
| Well, at first I also didn't like it, but I found its benefits:
|
| 1) old things do get repeated - but not like you having to jump
| back in the path, but by introducing things to repeat inside the
| current lessons. And you still have the "weights" button to
| practice manually if you wish to
|
| 2) what you used to have on one level in the three (e.g. three
| lectures on the same row) and you had to learn them one by one or
| mix them manually, now gets automatically mixed for you. This
| makes learning harder, since to get the purple level, you have to
| complete the purple challenges of several lectures mixed all
| together
|
| 3) levels in the new path are just spaces where you learn a
| concrete new thing. But lessons from previous levels get mixed
| into the new one. So it is like learning a new layer of your tree
| AND practicing the previous layer at once.
| _tom_ wrote:
| People hate change. It's not news.
|
| I have a two year streak. It doesn't really change anything for
| me, except making fewer choices.
|
| If they had changed from the new UI to the old one, the same
| articles would be written. It's the change people don't like, not
| the quality of the UI.
| Rebelgecko wrote:
| I was up to a 50 day streak but decided to stop after this
| update. It feels like it's removed all agency from me to choose
| what I learn, or what type of lesson I do (although the new UI
| also got rid of some types of lessons that apparently won't be
| restored for another year). The amount of wasted space and
| scrolling in the UI make lessons feel so sisyphean. I literally
| spent 30 seconds scrolling and couldn't find the end of the path.
| I'm not going to give myself carpal tunnel trying to review a
| lesson I need a refresh on.
|
| The CEO did a damage control AMA on reddit saying that the update
| is a boon for whatever metrics they measure, so the only feedback
| that matters is if people vote with their feet. I've ended my
| Super subscription and am trying out LingoDeer.
| ryantgtg wrote:
| I tried duolingo for the first time in like 6 years - pretty
| sure I was using the "old" design and not this latest. The
| gamification seems obscenely high. It feels like 50% of the
| experience is either watching animations or clicking things
| that say "ok" "next" or "no thanks." Plus it's all tests - no
| teaching! It took me a long time to realize that is a quite
| hidden tips section that actually teaches you some things prior
| to the tests, but those are clearly not part of the main flow.
| lostlogin wrote:
| > I tried duolingo for the first time in like 6 years -
| pretty sure I was using the "old" design and not this latest.
|
| It would seem unlikely that an article would appear now about
| a 6 year old update, and the article mentions changes made on
| November 1.
| ryantgtg wrote:
| To clarify, I tried it a couple months ago for the first
| time in 6 years.
|
| They've been talking about the rollout of this update for
| at least three months. So it was unclear to me if the
| latest version I used was indeed this new one.
| watwut wrote:
| Not everyone has new path still. They are rolling it out
| slowly. Everyone who has enough updated app should get it
| eventually, but it is not there yet.
| bin_bash wrote:
| you can (and should) disable those animations in the settings
| xarthna wrote:
| I like the new UI. As with all major UI changes there will be
| some backlash. People become set in their ways of old UI/UX,
| accustomed to the training and ease of use. Users will have to
| adapt. And that takes effort. People hate forced effort.
|
| I am very happy now that the android UI matches the web. I have
| been waiting for this for sometime, and the disconnect prior was
| disorienting.
| foostepsndpics wrote:
| If you drill into users' specific complaints, it seems like the
| update is so unpopular because it was designed to increase
| monetization above all else.
|
| Yes, the UI changes are questionable and many long-time users
| find them offensive. But that is beside the point. The new UI is
| here to stay, because it is designed to add more frequent
| paywalls, more friction for non-paying users, and more of a
| competitive edge for paying users in the gamified social aspects.
|
| Personally, I cancelled my subscription and dropped the app,
| because nickel & diming longtime users is a big red flag
| indicating that a company is starting to circle the drain. C'est
| la vie.
| Markoff wrote:
| I've had to edit title because it was too long:
|
| Duolingo app update with Path UI faces backlash from users,
| demand company to revert the change
|
| Personally I've got this update like 3 days ago, luckily for me I
| was few days away from 1000 days streak, which I wanted to
| finish, so I forced myself to use this horrible new Path layout,
| which is not organized at all for me to choose what I wanna learn
| or practice specifically (regular practice vs stories) and app
| removed user's choice (very popular idea among devs to take away
| existing options from users with each update, same goes with
| browsers, Signal SMS or Android OS), so finally after finishing
| 1000 days I'm done with the app. I will maybe keep it for few
| days/weeks to see whether they will revert the change our give
| users a choice, but if not I'm uninstalling it and certainly
| stopping daily usage.
|
| Oh did I mention months ago I've got for hard practice 25 points,
| this was reduced to 10 points and with this latest update reduced
| to 5 points, so while lube half year ago I could gain quickly 25
| points, now I need to spend 5 times more time to gain same
| amount.
|
| Such a shame ruining app with unnecessary update nobody asked
| for.
| nefasti wrote:
| I like the new one better.
| grandpoobah wrote:
| The old one was good for keeping your previously learned skills
| sharp, because you had to periodically revisit older lessons to
| keep the icon from showing as shattered.
|
| However, when all you're doing is revisiting old lessons, you
| stop making significant progress...
|
| So it's a bit of a double edged sword really.
|
| One thing is certain, some people will complain no matter what.
| Do you cater to the vocal minority?
| TheLoafOfBread wrote:
| I had exactly same problem. I was not making any progress and
| instead of that I was repeating "broken" badges. The moment
| when you got too many broken badges, it is just endless chore
| and you can't move forward.
|
| So I actually welcome the change as I can move forward, while
| repeat via "Practice to earn hearts"
| parker_mountain wrote:
| I like the new one better. About 120 days in. I can see how it
| sucks for people who are deep in, 300+ days etc. I would love to
| see a page with more dense menus for drilling into subjects,
| selecting what you want to learn, etc.
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(page generated 2022-11-19 23:02 UTC)