Let's try to increase our visibility

Discussion in 'Technical Issues & Suggestions' started by Big_Dog, May 26, 2014.

  1. luke

    luke Member VIP member

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    It doesn't have to be done with earphones. Stereo helps. Your brain sorts it out. It also allows the listener to use the balance to get one language only should they want. The idea is to let you use material that might be a bit over your head if I were monolingual. Also, it takes advantage of a simple math equation: It's better to learn 10% of 1000 words than 100% of 50. The listener also gets the benefit of context, which many find helpful in vocabulary acquisition.
  2. Cainntear

    Cainntear Active Member VIP member

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    I'm not convinced. It's impossible to listen to two things at once, and it's quite difficult to switch focus. Moreover, when you realise you haven't understood something, you've probably already missed the translation.

    That's not to say there isn't some merit in this type of file -- if you're using a computer, having basically two synced tracks is handy. If you listen in VLC, you can select left or right channel only, then when you have a problem, stop, rewind, and play as the other channel only.
  3. luke

    luke Member VIP member

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    The stereo bilingual recording isn't for everyone. It may appeal more to the busy or ADHD personality type. As far as switching focus, I haven't found it to be that difficult, but I do have a dozen or more hours of lifetime practice.

    The idea isn't necessarily that you will listen only once to the recording. If it's a great book, for instance, you may want to listen to it several times. In many ways, it's Listen/Reading method. If fact, the progenitor of Listen/Reading is where I got the idea in the first place. Putting it into Audacity and tightening it up is my contribution.

    The audio system in a car generally has a balance knob. Same with personal audio equipment. Not certain about smartphones, etc. I'm sure it will be there someday soon if it isn't already available.
  4. Stelle

    Stelle Active Member VIP member

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    I linked to polydog today on my blog today. That said, I want to make sure that this is true:

    "Polydog is a relatively young forum. It was established in April 2014, in part to provide an alternative space for HTLAL members who were frustrated with slow loading times."

    Am I making untrue assumptions in saying that the forum was created in part as a response to the perceived problems at HTLAL? Or was that just a coincidence? Also - was it established in April 2014? I can't find an "about" page on the forum.

    Big Dog - let me know if that bit needs to be edited.

    Here's the whole description that I posted today:

    Polydog is a relatively young forum. It was established in April 2014, in part to provide an alternative space for HTLAL members who were frustrated with slow loading times.​

    Polydog has a small membership, but it’s very busy for its size. The conversations there are rich and interesting. The members are active, committed learners who are very interested in discussing the nuts and bolts of language learning. It’s also the best place I know of to passionately debate the merits of anki vs wordlists.​

    (Personally? I’m not overly passionate about vocabulary tools. But I love that there’s a space for people who are!)

    It's interesting to be part of a young forum that is growing quickly. While Polydog doesn't (yet!) have the depth or breadth of content that an older forum might boast, it has other benefits: an active and approachable administrator, a personalized and inclusive feel, lively interaction with smart learners, and a streamlined and attractive interface.​

    And also: dogs. (But cat people are welcome too. Honest.)

    Thanks,
    S
    Big_Dog, Peregrinus and biTsar like this.
  5. Peregrinus

    Peregrinus Active Member

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    Stelle, that is a very nice post. It certainly seems accurate to me. The only suggestion I would make would be perhaps to mention a resource or two found here like the Russian drama transcripts, and perhaps some links to substantive language related topics recently discussed. That would help searches for those things to find your blog which would lead here.
  6. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Nice post! It wasn't really created in response to HTLAL problems - I just got opportunistic at that time. It was established in January. But there's no need to edit it - most people seem to think it's sort of a mini HTLAL, and that's ok.
  7. neofight78

    neofight78 Member VIP member

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    This forum is run by a dog rather than running like a dog! (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself)

    HTLAL as a website is truly awful, it's a shame that so much good content and community is locked up within it.
  8. biTsar

    biTsar Active Member VIP member

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    Is there some reason it can't be fixed ?
  9. Cainntear

    Cainntear Active Member VIP member

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    FX wrote the forum software himself, so it's a very unusual beast, and porting it to another software platform would be a big job. I suppose he could close it down to all new postings and keep it as an archive, then install a newer package, but that would still mean porting the user data across and the search facility would be buggered up a bit....
  10. Peregrinus

    Peregrinus Active Member

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    Yeah, because Cainntear and I and others around here can't post there :). Which is why I am only concerned about polydog's visibility and software issues.
    Cainntear likes this.
  11. hrhenry

    hrhenry Member VIP member

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    That's something many people have suggested, but FX shows no interest in doing. He also doesn't appear to want to let go of control, so about all anyone can do is wait for its end, then lament the fact that there's no (or there will be no) post-site archive.
  12. biTsar

    biTsar Active Member VIP member

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    That's too bad. Lots of good info. I hope the heavy hitters have back-ups of their own material.
  13. Cainntear

    Cainntear Active Member VIP member

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    It's also a sh**load of work, and as he hasn't been a regular on the forums for years, why on Earth would he bother?
  14. hrhenry

    hrhenry Member VIP member

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    He doesn't need to bother. I know there are a couple people that are willing and able to sort through it all and get a decent archive (even knowing the amount of work it would take), but they're powerless to do so because he won't grant anyone else the access needed. Moderator capabilities aren't enough.
  15. Wise owl chick

    Wise owl chick Active Member

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    People have discussed this so many times and during about seven billion years. You can copy and save the things which you find useful.

    FX hasn't interest at all, anyway he is weird and probably sometimes in prison. except Iversen, the moderators only like to delete posts and ban the people. It's a pity, in about 2008 it was a great forum, before the Stasi moderator team. but since the moderating team deleted and banned all the interesting people, HTLAL became boring, of the posts maybe 1/4546778888 is interesting.

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