LingQ 5.0 Beta Access

Updates, Tips and Known Issues
21

@Vldmrt If you are interested to join the beta, please email support(at)lingq.com and ask for access. Thanks!

22

@Mr_Potato No, you will be fine. I also switch between the two versions all the time.

23

Performance is something we have to improve for sure. What actions require more clicking?

24

This is always a tricky issue. Some help to users is useful but we have to try not to overwhelm people, always recognizing that users don’t want to read. We have tried to make changes in the new version to eliminate some of the need to explain. I do agree with some conclusions from the ungroup articles.
The reality is this is an ongoing issue for us that we will continue working on forever probably. Always trying to incrementally increase the number of users who understand what to do.

25

When clicking on “move word to known”, you can’t just use the arrow keys to get to the next word. I’m not sure if the other things require more clicking or if the slow performance makes it seem that way.

26

We will definitely work on performance and making sure things like that are ironed out.

27

It should work the same way as it does in version 4.0. You just tick the “All” option above the checkbox column to select all. Adjust the number per page from 25 to 200.

28

Hi, bogdog!

"most of us have ebooks or paper books and these are mostly impossible to import without some fairly advanced technical know-how. "
You don´t need any “advanced” IT knowledge about how to import e-books into LingQ. Even removing DRM from Kindle books is a completely “straightforward” process. See:

“Unfortunately LingQ is always going to be too advanced for most language learners”
The problem starts much earlier (from my teaching experience). Often learners tend to rush forward blindly when it comes to language learning. Then they have two main options:

  • Option 1: Repeat what you learned at school (studying grammar, going to courses, etc.) - even if it doesn´t work.
  • Option 2: Follow a “wisdom of the crowd”-approach and choose the most popular app like Duolingo - even if it doesn´t work in the long run.

But acquiring “any” challenging skill (language learning, math, programming, AI, data science, bodyweight training, whatever) without spending some time learning how to learn / acquire such a skill is simply irrational behavior that often leads to failure. Unfortunately, I´ve met way too many learners in my life who are behaving “irrationally” in this sense.

However, LingQ definitely has some problems with its “user interface”, as it´s both a bit overwhelming and counterintuitive for newbies. This has nothing to do with being “too technically advanced” for many users.
This may be more the case with open source audio reader software Ă  la LWT, where you need to have more advanced IT skills.

At the same time, I agree with @mark: There´s no UX panacea and there are always tradeoffs to be made when designing an app like LingQ.

Have a nice day
Peter

29

Getting a protected Ebook into LingQ is complex. Let’s not pretend it isn’t. Downloading 3 or 4 different applications that may or may not work on the specific DRM your ebook has, is a complex task for 99% of users.

It may be completely straightforward, but that doesn’t explain the need for the “If there are problems…” and “If all fails” disclaimers at the bottom of the post you linked to.

it’s also worth mentioning that the method you linked would only really work for novels, not for vocabulary or grammar books, exam-prep texts, or for books with many images, for other books that use tables or columns to display text. It doesn’t work any book that isn’t a novel.

Additionally, I also get a warning when visiting epubcor.com :“Attackers might be trying to steal your information from www.epubor.com”.

I’ve used Calibre in the post, but it’s definitely not for beginners, and as most of my books from from the Apple or Play stores, it’s unlikely to work on them.

30

"It may be completely straightforward, but that doesn’t explain the need for the “If there are problems…” and “If all fails” disclaimers at the bottom of the post you linked to. "
Well, there´s usually “no absolute certainty” - neither in IT nor in life in general if that´s what you´re looking for.
In other words, removing DRM from Kindle e-books works in many cases, but it may not work in “all” cases (for example, when there are images involved). That´s just the nature of the IT beast :slight_smile:

“It doesn’t work any book that isn’t a novel.”
It doesn´t have to be a “novel”. It just has to be a “plain text” without too many images and without complicated formatting (many tables, two columns, etc.).
But, the vast majority of Kindle books are, well, “plain texts”, not the text genres you mentioned.

“I’ve used Calibre in the post, but it’s definitely not for beginners”.
I´d say almost anyone who can use Office programs à la Word, Excel, etc. is also able to use “Calibre”.

Having a background in computer science, I can assure you that “advanced” technical knowledge refers to a much “higher” IT level like programming, data structures, design patterns, unit tests, etc., but definitely not (!) to the use of common software products.

The problem seems to be that some users expect LingQ to remove the DRM of their e-books “by default”. And that´s not possible due to “legal” issues.
Amazon would be happy to rip LingQ to pieces if they dared to offer this solution by default.

“most of my books from from the Apple or Play stores, it’s unlikely to work on them.”
Why not?
See a similar solution for e-books from the Google play store:
https://www.osxwiki.com/remove-drm-from-google-play-books/

31

I dont understand you. If I need to export 165 words to ANKI - how can I do that (doesnt matter ver 4 or 5)? Step by step pls.

32

I think this process can be relatively easy if all goes well but does require a bit of effort which many users are not willing to make. And, there can always be issues. Our goal would be to somehow integrate and sell books through our platform. We would, of course, have to make arrangements with publishers to enable this. A more long term project for sure!

33
  1. Go to the Vocabulary tab
  2. Set the number of results per page you want to see ie. Show 25 to 200
  3. Select the tick box at the top of the tick box column to select all tick boxes for the terms displayed
  4. Choose export to Anki from the More Actions dropdown
34

Also, I’d be interested in trying the new version.

35

@kruskyro Please email us on support(at)lingq.com Thanks.

36

When I follow this link it says the thread doesn’t exist or is private. (Could it be because I only have a free account? I was interested in trying the new version out before deciding whether to get a subscription.)

37

@Septentriones You need to join the beta group first before you can access the Beta forum. It was my bad for posting that URL above. Please contact me on support(at)lingq.com and I’ll add you to beta. Thanks!

38

I wasn’t going to reply again as you seem to be missing the point.
I was talking about the LingQ business model and their target customers, not the technicalities of importing an ebook. I didn’t say LingQ was to technically advanced either.

  1. Nobody has ever suggested LingQ remove the DRM.

  2. Nobody is looking for absolute certainty - not sure why you put this in quotes as I never said it.

  3. I don’t know what a ‘background in computer science’ is, and it requires a bit more than that for you to be in a position to assure me of anything. I figure it means ‘self-taught’.

  4. You provided a completely straightforward solution that doesn’t work and requires access to compromised websites, with a slightly different solution required for each store and each version of DRM.

Complex solutions that don’t work aren’t solutions.

  1. LingQ doesn’t work for the book types I mentioned, despite you trying to make some sort of an argument that it does.

  2. To compare a one-trick pony app like Calibre to Excel is a bit odd. You may use Excel to type in numbers, but I wouldn’t consider that you are able to ‘use Excel’.

I agree that Calibre is a common software product and that your advanced skills are still very very advanced. I apologise for putting some noobs on the same level as someone with such advanced skills.

You can keep that ‘Super-advanced IT Guru’ sticker on your CV. You deserve it. You earned it.

39

Hi, bogdog!

“I was talking about the LingQ business model and their target customers, not the technicalities of importing an ebook. I didn’t say LingQ was to technically advanced either.”
There´s absolutely nothing “advanced” about importing e-books into LingQ, LingQ as a software (at least from a user perspective) or LingQ’s business model, which focuses on “reading” and “listening”.

BTW: Podcasts are one of the “success stories” of the Internet. So, a lot of people listen to them - even in their L2s.

I don’t know what a ‘background in computer science’ is, and it requires a bit more than that for you to be in a position to assure me of anything. I figure it means ‘self-taught’.
It means studying computer science at a university and specializing in software engineering (Java / Java EE) and business process management.

You provided a completely straightforward solution that doesn’t work …
Complex solutions that don’t work aren’t solutions.
I´ve imported probably more than 10k pages of Kindle books into LingQ, and the imports usually work like a charm. The problem starts when the formatting gets complicated (many tables, multiple columns, etc.). But, many e-books aren´t like that.

So, the combo Calibre + DeDRM seems to work for plain texts (beyond novels!) :slight_smile:

“LingQ doesn’t work for the book types I mentioned, despite you trying to make some sort of an argument that it does.”
The problem isn´t the type, but the formatting of the e-book. Plain texts (without too many images) are usually no problem. It doesn´t matter if they are factual texts, novels, poems, etc.

“To compare a one-trick pony app like Calibre to Excel is a bit odd. You may use Excel to type in numbers, but I wouldn’t consider that you are able to ‘use Excel’.”
My point was: If you can use Office products, you can also use Calibre.
There are “no advanced” software skills required when removing DRM from e-books.

I apologise for putting some noobs on the same level as someone with such advanced skills.
There are two types of people in this world:

  • Those who “complain” endlessly that XY doesn´t work / is impossible because it´s too advanced, too difficult, etc.
  • And those who simply make XY work.

That´s all.

Have a nice day
Peter

40

I’m not sure if we’re supposed to post feedback here or via email to support.

This is concerning the web interface in the Windows Chrome browser.

  1. When pasting the text of a lesson (chapter) into the text box, it doesn’t automatically separate the paragraphs. It creates one giant paragraph. By design?

  2. After uploading the audio for the chapter, I don’t see a way to “split” the text of a lesson to create time codes and there isn’t a “Clips” tab with the “Generate audio timestamps” button. How is the sentence audio created in v.5.0?

  3. I thought page view would show more text in 5.0. But it appears to be about the same amount if not less. It seems much of the screen is wasted.