Changes in the Android App (list)

[Hombre_sin_nombre]

This is a list of changes in Android app I can think of at the moment, might have forgot about something:

Good

• dark mode

• fixed courses downloading for offline mode

• grammar mode (still half-cooked, you can’t review it after completing)

• learn with locals and pronunciation exercises (personally not sure if they are useful, but if it’s so for someone so be it)

• some bugs were fixed (many still exist, like discrepancy of learned words between web and mobile)

• extended speed review options (150 words option)

Bad

• removed badges system (instead of funny names we have levels with numbers now, no more streaks badges)

• deliberately broken down access to community courses via app (you can’t see them, but can study after adding via web)

• numerous nonsensical design changes (for one, profile and settings button moved from bottom to the top corner - difficult to reach)

• ugly elements of new design like four-fingered hand and cheese-like menu

• elimination of 100 items speed review option (reverted after convincing Memrise that it’s bad)

• unlimited hints (anti-learning)

• removed swipe to navigate main screen

• removed flags in courses list, new pics in the official courses don’t add any useful info

• removed scoreboard for a chosen course (you can see it only after completing a session, it was available any time)

• removed final score screen after completing a session (was fun competing against yourself in speed reviews)

• learning sessions divided into three or four sessions (when you are learning 7 words for example)

• reduced learning sessions (instead of 6 repetitions some words are learned after 3-4, why not make it an option?)

• hidden mems window in the official courses

• enlarged audio button and video screen thus long sentences are not visible at full (problem for devices with small and middle-size screens)

• overlappinng of words in long sentences (correct word order exercise) because of previously described design changes

• broken down keyboard button (you have to tap it every time to activate)

• let’s not forget about Ziggy disaster (reverted)

• renaming of ignore button (the most recent)

• preplanned elimination of “mark difficult” button in speed reviews

• broken down points system (speed review items cost 3 times more than before)

?

• Grammar/chat bot (removed, was not popular)

• improved flashcards algorithm (you see a translation and have to choose correct card between 4 of them; very often you can guess correct answer by eliminating wrong parts of speech - you see a verb and need to exclude nouns)

What is also bad is that many changes were made on the qiuet, without any announcement, like Memrise is afraid users will criticise them.

Bottom line in my point of view is many of those changes were unnecessary, Memrise team could have spent their resources much better on real improvements. For instance, they could make long-desired pinned courses list, so it would be easier for users to navigate, or make more customization (all-typing mode and so on).

[johnastsang (Johnas Tsanga7)]

@Hombre_sin_nombre

grammar mode (still half-cooked, you can’t review it after completing)

Yes, and it’s still very basic. There are just very few grammar sessions so far.

@Hombre_sin_nombre

learn with locals and pronunciation exercises (personally not sure if they are useful, but if it’s so for someone so be it)

“Learn with locals” is useful in the sense that the lovely clips make the learning sessions much more lively and exciting. They must’ve costed a lot. I really appreciate them.

@Hombre_sin_nombre

deliberately broken down access to community courses via app (you can’t see them, but can study after adding via web)

This should really be fixed asap. I’ve recommended Memrise to many of my friends, and I need to teach them how to add user-generated courses via web almost every time. Very annoying. Fixing it should be beneficial from a business perspective by making the app more attractive for perspective subscribers.

@Hombre_sin_nombre

removed scoreboard for a chosen course (you can see it only after completing a session, it was available any time)

No, it’s available by clicking the three dots at the top-right corner of a course box that appears on the Dashboard.

@Hombre_sin_nombre

removed final score screen after completing a session (was fun competing against yourself in speed reviews)

Not quite sure about this. I can see my final score after completing a speed review session.

@Hombre_sin_nombre

reduced learning sessions (instead of 6 repetitions some words are learned after 3-4, why not make it an option?)

I also feel strange about this. Some words are repeated by 6 times as before but some are repeated by 3-4 times. Who decided which words get reduced repetitions?

@Hombre_sin_nombre

Grammar/chat bot (removed, was not popular)

Actually chat bot was a good idea that is worth developing, and I assume that grammar bot is just substituted by the current grammar sessions.

To add one more bad change: The removal of the “auto-ignore” function, which, when activated, automatically ignore words that are detected to be learnt in other courses.

[johnastsang (Johnas Tsanga7)]

@johnastsang

I can see my final score after completing a speed review session.

@johnastsang

it’s available by clicking the three dots at the top-right corner of a course box that appears on the Dashboard.

Oh, I was talking about the web version. Sorry that I wasn’t aware that you’re talking about the Android app.

[Hombre_sin_nombre]

@johnastsang

“Learn with locals” is useful in the sense that the lovely clips make the learning sessions much more lively and exciting. They must’ve costed a lot. I really appreciate them.

If I remember correctly users made donations to make it possible.

The MemBus is off!

Day 1 of the Membus Tour What some of us are waiting for is happening. Some might even have contributed to the setting up and are stakeholders in it. Soon we will have many sound resources to be added to the Memrise courses… Some valuable additions for B1/B2 even C1 courses. After eight intensive months of planning, we were nearly ready; after eight months of plotting the itinerary, recruiting the team, decking out the bus… and becoming rather more intimate with the technicalities of dies…

@johnastsang

I was talking about the web version

Yep, it’s about Android app.

[Hombre_sin_nombre]

@johnastsang

To add one more bad change: The removal of the “auto-ignore” function, which, when activated, automatically ignore words that are detected to be learnt in other courses.

Yes, it looks like this feature is gone from the website.

There was also an old forum system when you could report an error to a user, which created a course, because every course had its own thread (I have not seen it personally, but heard of). Now it’s more difficult, some courses don’t have their “bugs report” threads on this forum.