Glossika Product Updates

[sfuqua]

Wow, it looks bad for what I want.
I hope I'm wrong, but I'm very disappointed so far.

Maybe this new approach will be good for someone else.

No more GSR? No more mp3's? Everything centralized under glossika control? No time pressure on answering (if it's online only)? Perhaps this will work better for beginners, and I know there is more money in beginners, but we don't need another memrise or duolingo.

No new courses in the old format? No new GSRs?

It's too bad, I was sort of excited about glossika.

I feel betrayed.

[Xmmm]

Wow, it looks bad for what I want.
I hope I'm wrong, but I'm very disappointed so far.

Maybe this new approach will be good for someone else.

No more GSR? No more mp3's? Everything centralized under glossika control? No time pressure on answering (if it's online only)? Perhaps this will work better for beginners, and I know there is more money in beginners, but we don't need another memrise or duolingo.

No new courses in the old format? No new GSRs?

It's too bad, I was sort of excited about glossika.

I feel betrayed.

I probably prefer that it stay mp3s also, but from the business owner's perspective it's a lousy model these days with all the piracy. And there's a lot of piracy because nobody wants to pay 113 dollars up front which is why glossika has to give out 40 percent discounts a few times a year.

Whereas the 10 dollar a month subscription model ... works very well. People who won't pay 50 or 70 dollars upfront for something will pay 10 a month for it for 3 years. Innumeracy.

[sfuqua]

I understand about piracy, subscriptions, and the profitability of beginners. It may make good sense for his business.
It doesn't, however, interest me.
He is taking a product I found intriguing and changing it into something I'm not interested in.
I don't think he cares about my business.
Fine.

[Sizen]

I'm torn. I like that there will be new topics. I like that I can potentially study whichever languages I like. I like that I won't get the same sentence multiple times because the translation is the same in my target language. These are all very positive changes.

I'm worried about two things, however. First, if I have no control over the algorithm and how often it skips sentences in order to bump me to the next level, this is a negative for me. Ideally, I should be able to run through all the sentences if I so desire. Second, if I have no way of doing Glossika without an internet connection, this is also a problem.

Besides the fact that a Chinese font is used for the Japanese pdfs, I'm already very satisfied with the product as it stands. With this second email, I'm very seriously considering buying the remaining courses I want, and waiting until I've decided to pick up a new language to try their new system.

[neofight78]

I don't think he cares about my business.
Fine.

I'm pretty sure he does. The problem is that he also cares about the business of his other customers and of potential customers too. He can't please all of the people all of the time. I understand you might be disappointed, but it seems to me you are taking it a bit too personally.

I suspect it'll turn into an online subscription sentence SRS thing. That has some potential upsides, a smarter algorithm for starters. On the downside there will be less control for users. Let's wait and see...

[Random Review]

Damn, there's a few of his courses I was planning to use and I can't do anything about it, because I have no way of sending money home to my UK bank account to buy them (apparently even Paypal hates me in China, because its system refuses to send me the damn confirmation text).

This is pretty gutting TBH. The reason I stopped subscribing to 'Learn with Oliver' (which was an excellent product) was that when I had enough money for the subscription, I didn't have internet access or v.v. Or if I had both, I didn't have a private room to do it in. I was never able to use it.

The way he's announced it reminds me of nothing so much as that episode of the Simpsons where Homer gets into a fight with the garbage men, returns home and announces to his family (something along the lines of): "Good news! They aren't going to empty our trash anymore!"

[Saim]

Honestly I put Glossika on my phone as a way to go on walks while still studying rather than having to sit with my computer all the time, or while traveling in some cases. I'd definitely pay for a monthly subscription service where I can access multiple languages (implied by "more content at no extra cost for you", although maybe I'm misinterpreting that), but I'm not sure about its utility if I can't use it offline or on the go.

[sfuqua]

Sorry if I came off too whiney.

Earlier, I told Michael Campbell about our thread here, since I quoted him extensively from Facebook.
This morning, I received an email from him.
He was defensive about what he is doing, of course, but his email was quite polite, and he specifically asked to keep my business.
He emphasized that he had always intended glossika to go this direction and the whole GMS/GSR thing was just a stopgap until this new step.

Of course glossika doesn't owe me anything.
Of course Michael may know more about language learning than I do.
Of course the new system will be better than the old one in some ways.
Perhaps more people will be helped by his new system.
Perhaps I would learn a lot from it.

I'm just not very interested in the new setup. I loved the simplicity and control over learning I had with the old system.
I will miss the Irish and Cebuano glossika courses that I was hoping they would finish someday.
I hope they at least keep selling their old courses.
I wish they would finish some of the courses they have been promising for a while, but this seems very unlikely, at least in mp3 form.

I regret the nice things I have said about glossika, not because I hate glossika or anything, but because the whole product is changing, and whatever I said doesn't apply to their new product.
I regret the 40000 reps and 80 hours I have put in in three languages using a product which is now discontinued in favor of a "much more effective product."
I hope it is more effective and that everyone lives happily ever after.
Peace

[Theodisce]

I regret the 40000 reps and 80 hours I have put in in three languages using a product which is now discontinued in favor of a "much more effective product."

There's no need to regret it, really. You will not forget what you have learned.

[luke]

I regret the 40000 reps and 80 hours I have put in in three languages using a product which is now discontinued in favor of a "much more effective product.

I'm with your sentiments. I like the freedom and control in the language learning process and independence from an internet connection. (what will I use when I'm driving?)

Having said that, do you think you will be prevented from finishing the courses you have? Do you have everything you need to continue, or is a critical piece of the current system going to evaporate for existing owners of the product?