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    1. A new way to learn vocabulary. A story about a word nerd and AI. And a call for help.

      Hi logophiles! I am a total word nerd. Over the last six years--mostly accidently--I ended up creating a bunch of vocabulary learning materials and spent way too much time thinking deeply about...

      Hi logophiles! I am a total word nerd. Over the last six years--mostly accidently--I ended up creating a bunch of vocabulary learning materials and spent way too much time thinking deeply about how we learn new vocab and how to teach it. My story: basically, via word of mouth, people with kids taking the SSAT and the SAT kept asking me for my materials which I continually iterated on as I got feedback. It wasn't my day job, lol, it wasn't even a side hustle.... just an obsession :) As I shared my "system", I kept dreaming of even better ways to make vocab learning effective, easy, and fun.

      Some interesting things about learning vocab. The "keyword method" is extremely effective. (The keyword method is associating a target word with a similar-sounding word (the "keyword") and then creating a vivid mental image connecting the keyword with the target word.) [Ávila & Sadoski, 1996; Shapiro & Waters, 2005]. Further, connecting the new word and its meaning to your own personal experience is much effective than rote memorization. ("...engaging in deeper semantic processing and relating information to personal experiences can activate distinct neural circuits compared to those involved in rote memorization." [Andreasen, O'Leary, Cizadlo, Arndt, Rezai, Watkins, Ponto, & Hichwa, 1995]).

      There are a lot of other cool things I discovered on my (research-obsessive) path to make learning vocab radically easier. A core driver for me has always been thinking about the epistemology of word-learning. What does it mean to "know" a word? "Knowing" a definition is different from truly knowing a word, where you can deploy it effortlessly when the context is right. That led to endless rabbit holes of learning about polysemy, colocations, and a whole lot more.

      The first day I saw Dalle my jaw dropped. This was it! This was the missing piece for learning vocab 2x, 3x, 4x(?) more efficiently than has ever been possible. The image generation AI tools can make a custom image that packs in your own favorite keyword mnemonic and your own personal story into a cool image. Whoa! Because what has been my total obsession could finally be created in the real world, I teamed up with two good friends with the technical chops to build what had been percolating in my brain for six years. We've built a beta version over the last four months and it is ready to test!

      I love Tildes, and I don't want to self-promote, so I am not going to drop the app name / website, but I am here with an ask. We want feedback! We want to make this the dream app for anyone who is serious about growing their (English) vocab. We want you in our beta test group.

      The commitment I'm asking of our beta testers is a bit onerous. I want to hop on a zoom call with you while you use the app for an hour or so and have you tell me what you love and hate. I want to ask you a bunch of questions about what you want to see in your dream learning app. Then I want to give you the app for a month a two; hopefully you'll use it and learn a bunch of words; then I want to hop on a 20 minute call with you and get your hot take on the whole thing.

      It is such an intense passion project for me; I want to make the app just rock-your-world-awesome. That's why I want to do live user interviews. (Which is a little out of the ordinary for sure.) And I can't do that without talking to real people who care about growing their vocab who are willing to hang out with me for an hour or two. :)

      As a thanks for your help, when we go to the paid version, you'll get three months free, and a massive lifetime "friends and family" discount. But more than that, you'll really impact what we build next, and how we can make it better. While it's maybe a little idealistic, or might even sound silly to some, I feel like better vocab = better communication = better relationships. So I am all-in, fervently devoted, and hopeful that you'll come along for the ride and help me make it epic.

      Who is it for? Studying for standardized tests? Oh yeah. This will help a lot. Want to raise the ceiling on what you can read. Let's go! Want to improve your English skills? This is for you. Love words. Yep! I'd love to meet you! Basically, if you love words, and/or have something coming up that requires that you know more words, I really hope you'll be part of our test!

      More interesting stuff about vocabulary:
      --Average high school graduate has a vocab size of 16,000 words
      --Average college grad, 20,000 words
      --Average PhD. 28,000 words

      Tildes is a very smart and well read group, so I' bet the average vocab size around here is 25,000 to 35,000. Want to know your (approximate) vocab size. One of the best (easy and fast) tests is here:
      https://preply.com/en/learn/english/test-your-vocab
      (I have nothing to do with that site or company, and do not endorse them. It's just that their vocab size estimator is really well done.)

      Want to be a beta tester, or just talk more about vocab, shoot me a message!
      pandacat@onmail.com

      11 votes
    2. Looking for an app with calendar, timetables, reminders, timers etc

      Ideally an all-in-one app with sync to a Windows or browser app. For paid apps, preferably a one-time purchase rather than subscription. I like organizing and customizing, so user freedom is...

      Ideally an all-in-one app with sync to a Windows or browser app. For paid apps, preferably a one-time purchase rather than subscription. I like organizing and customizing, so user freedom is pretty important too. Bonus points if you've found the app useful for ADHD.

      Google Calendar worked pretty well, but now I'm looking to build habits for hobbies and studies, while also keeping up with occasional appointments. I think it'd be much simpler to just have everything under one app.

      15 votes
    3. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (March 2024)

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing. I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can...

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing.

      I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates and user feedback.


      Recently:

      Three Cheers version 1.0 is out for Android! (Mar 25, 2024)

      • Submit topics!
      • Added donation option in Settings
      • Share links from other apps to create a Tildes submission
      • Edit topic text
      • Delete topics
      • Require minimum Android 7.1.1
      • Fixed refreshing feed after login/logout

       

      iOS v0.11.3 (Mar 28, 2024): Fixed UI bugs and crashes on large iPhones (Pro Max series), particularly when using the in-app WebView browser.

      iOS v0.11.2 (Mar 8, 2024): Fixed crashes in Inbox under the Comments tab.

      Android and iOS v0.11.0 (Mar 3, 2024)

      • Added sort options for topics
      • Tap username on comment, and topic OP, to view profile
      • View markdown of topic OP
      • Fixed minor UI bugs
      • (Android) Fixed wrong profile showing via bottom tab, after logging into a different account

       

      Android and iOS v0.10.0 (Feb 15, 2024)

      • View and send private messages
      • Added button to send private message from a user's profile
      • Added "Tap to refresh" when a feed is empty
      • Show posted time in topic OP
      • Renamed bottom tab to Inbox (instead of Notifications)
      • (Android) Removed animation when using bottom tabs
      • (Android) Fixed crash when replying from a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed crash toggling Details in topic OP
      • (iOS) Fixed layout bugs with markdown tables
      • (iOS) Fixed UI bugs when replying in a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed minor UI bugs and crashes

       

      Last month's topic: February 2024

       


      Where to get it

      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      114 votes
    4. Is there an easy way or app to find songs based on bpm? For my workout playlist.

      I like that music app algorithms are able to suggest similar songs to add to my playlist, but I wish there were a way to specify bpm for the song suggestions. I get extra motivation from a...

      I like that music app algorithms are able to suggest similar songs to add to my playlist, but I wish there were a way to specify bpm for the song suggestions. I get extra motivation from a playlist with a specific and consistent bpm when I'm doing jump rope or using the treadmill.

      Is there an easy way to search for songs based on both "vibes" and bpm?

      Or alternatively, music playing app that can auto adjust songs in a playlist to all play at the same bpm.

      13 votes
    5. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (February 2024)

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing. I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can...

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing.

      I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates and user feedback.


      Known bugs

      • iOS v0.9.1 crashes when tapping a Details block in a topic OP. Fixed in v0.10.0.

      Recently:

      Android and iOS v0.10.0 (Feb 15, 2024)

      • View and send private messages
      • Added button to send private message from a user's profile
      • Added "Tap to refresh" when a feed is empty
      • Show posted time in topic OP
      • Renamed bottom tab to Inbox (instead of Notifications)
      • (Android) Removed animation when using bottom tabs
      • (Android) Fixed crash when replying from a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed crash toggling Details in topic OP
      • (iOS) Fixed layout bugs with markdown tables
      • (iOS) Fixed UI bugs when replying in a user's profile
      • (iOS) Fixed minor UI bugs and crashes

       

      Android v0.9.1: Fixed crash double-tapping comment in profile, and other rare crashes and minor bugs.

      iOS hotfix v0.9.1: Fixed a possible crash opening the Notifications tab.

      Android and iOS v0.9.0 (Jan 22, 2024)

      • View user profiles ("all posts" feed; more options like bios coming in the future)
      • Tweaked app theme colors
      • Fixed various layout bugs
      • (Android) Fixed crash tapping links in comment reply preview
      • (Android) Fixed missing Share button on topic OP if logged out
      • (Android) Fixed black background setting on Android 9 and earlier

       

      iOS hotfix v0.8.1: Fixed keyboard blocking the Exemplary prompt dialog.

      Android and iOS v0.8.0 (Jan 9, 2024)

      • Apply comment labels (Exemplary, Offtopic, Joke, Noise, Malice)
      • Tap an Exemplary label you've received to see messages
      • Added Reply to text selection context menu
      • Quote selected text when replying
      • Fixed app incorrectly treating user as logged in after restoring a Google Drive or iCloud backup
      • (Android) Added Share button to OP in comments section
      • (Android) Support Android 14
      • (Android) Fixed rendering non-breaking spaces
      • (iOS) Fixed logout bug if no connectivity
      • (iOS) Fixed markdown table layout and CPU idle bugs
      • (iOS) Fixed rare crash collapsing a comment

       

      Last month's topic: January 2024

       


      Where to get it

      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      79 votes
    6. The decline of username and password on the same page

      Web devs: what's up with this trend? For enterprise apps, I get it…single sign-on needs to detect what your email domain is to send you to your identity provider. For consumers, I feel like it's...

      Web devs: what's up with this trend? For enterprise apps, I get it…single sign-on needs to detect what your email domain is to send you to your identity provider. For consumers, I feel like it's gotta be one of these reasons:

      • Users don't know about the tab key being able to move to other fields on a page
      • Mobile users don't really have a tab key, despite there being "previous/next field" arrows on the stock iOS keyboard since its inception (Android users, help me out please)
      • Users tend to hit Enter after typing in their username, leading to a form submission with a blank password
      • Security, maybe? In the past I have sent a link and a password in separate emails or separate communication methods entirely. Are you hashing/salting these separately for better MITM mitigation?

      Did your UX team make a decision? Are my password managers forever doomed to need a "keyboard combo" value for every entry from now on?

      Non-devs: do you prefer one method over the other? If so, why?

      Tildes maintainers: selfishly, thanks for keeping these together :)

      71 votes
    7. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (January 2024)

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing. I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can...

      This is a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app, which is currently in alpha testing.

      I'll summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates and user feedback.


      Recently:

      Android v0.9.1: Fixed crash double-tapping comment in profile, and other rare crashes and minor bugs.

      iOS hotfix v0.9.1: Fixed a possible crash opening the Notifications tab.

      Android and iOS v0.9.0 (Jan 22, 2024)

      • View user profiles ("all posts" feed; more options like bios coming in the future)
      • Tweaked app theme colors
      • Fixed various layout bugs
      • (Android) Fixed crash tapping links in comment reply preview
      • (Android) Fixed missing Share button on topic OP if logged out
      • (Android) Fixed black background setting on Android 9 and earlier

       

      iOS hotfix v0.8.1: Fixed keyboard blocking the Exemplary prompt dialog.

      Android and iOS v0.8.0 (Jan 9, 2024)

      • Apply comment labels (Exemplary, Offtopic, Joke, Noise, Malice)
      • Tap an Exemplary label you've received to see messages
      • Added Reply to text selection context menu
      • Quote selected text when replying
      • Fixed app incorrectly treating user as logged in after restoring a Google Drive or iCloud backup
      • (Android) Added Share button to OP in comments section
      • (Android) Support Android 14
      • (Android) Fixed rendering non-breaking spaces
      • (iOS) Fixed logout bug if no connectivity
      • (iOS) Fixed markdown table layout and CPU idle bugs
      • (iOS) Fixed rare crash collapsing a comment

       

      iOS hotfix v0.7.2: Fixed crashes in Notifications tab, and fixed crash inserting emoji in reply

      Android and iOS v0.7.0 (Dec 27, 2023)

      • Added a markdown formatting bar when composing a comment
      • Edit comments after posting them
      • View markdown of other users' comments
      • (Android) New setting: Quit confirmation
      • Fixed comment reply preview bugs
      • Fixed bugs viewing direct linked comments
      • Fixed numbered list bug
      • Fixed rate limit error message
      • Fixed crashes and UI bugs

       

      Android and iOS v0.6.x (Nov/Dec 2023)

      • In-app notifications of comment replies
      • Highlight and jump to linked comments

       

      Last month's topic: December 2023

       


      Where to get it

      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      108 votes
    8. I'm thoroughly done with my choices being only "yes" or "not now"

      I've noticed this changing over the years from my options when interfacing with a website or app going from "yes" or "no", to "yes" or "maybe later". I've tipped over the point from being mildly...

      I've noticed this changing over the years from my options when interfacing with a website or app going from "yes" or "no", to "yes" or "maybe later". I've tipped over the point from being mildly annoyed by this trend to now being angry about it.

      Navigate to my bank's web portal to pay bills, "did you want to try and qualify for this new Visa card?"

      Launch and use an app, "leave a rating!"

      It's even a part of Windows now. When running through update prompts, setting up a Microsoft account is "yes" or "remind me in 3 days". The answer is no thank you!

      I want to be able say no! And don't ask me anymore, ever again! How often should a product be allowed to nag you into doing something you have absolutely no intention of doing? It feels like a situation where the dial on the nags could just keep getting turned up to try and force people into just submitting into whatever it is they're nagging us to do. They'll just keep prompting you over and over until you get fed up and just say yes.

      Is this mindset actively being pushed by large companies to take away our ability to say no, and stop asking? Are there rules in place for this kind of thing?

      178 votes
    9. 63 - A digital version of the classic "Celebrity" party game

      Hello Tildes, I wanted to share with you a project that I have been working on for quite some time and have finally released. 63 is a modern version of the classic public domain party game known...

      Hello Tildes, I wanted to share with you a project that I have been working on for quite some time and have finally released.

      63 is a modern version of the classic public domain party game known by many names, but listed on wikipedia as Celebrity. (Some people might know it as Hat Game, Fishbowl or by some of its commercial versions such as Time's Up or Monikers)

      The game works exactly like all these other games except you only need your phone to play it, no pen and paper or decks of cards required. The game is pass-and-play so only one phone is needed for a any size group.

      For this initial release, the english version of the game only has 2 packs of cards available to choose from (General and Celebrities) but my goal is to add more packs and create a platform where anyone can create and share their own packs of cards.

      You can download the game now on Android or on iOS.

      For those not familiar with the rules I'll leave a brief explanation below but inside the game there's a more comprehensive rule section and tutorial.

      GAME RULES:

      A random deck of cards is generated for each game based on the packs chosen. Each card represents a concept and the objective of the game is for teams to guess as many cards as possible.

      Two teams take it in turns to guess cards. Each turn is 63 seconds long and the player from the active team holds the phone and gives clues to their teammates.

      There are three rounds, each with different rules for giving clues:

      ROUND 1 - Forbidden words
      You can’t use words from the card’s title

      ROUND 2 - Only one word!
      You can't make sounds or gestures nor use any word in the card title

      ROUND 3 - Charades!
      Words are forbidden, only gestures and sounds are allowed

      At the end of the three rounds the team with the most points wins!

      This is one of the first places I've shared the project in, especially for a global audience (since the game is also fully in portuguese), so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
      Hope you enjoy 63!

      6 votes
    10. Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (December 2023)

      I'll start posting a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app. This first one's a little early, but I wanted it to coincide with the Android v0.6.0 release. A recurring...

      I'll start posting a recurring topic for the Three Cheers for Tildes mobile app. This first one's a little early, but I wanted it to coincide with the Android v0.6.0 release.

      A recurring megathread will make it easier for people to hit Ignore on each one if they want, without feeling like they're missing out on bigger announcements surrounding the app.

      I'll make an effort to summarize the previous month's updates at the start of each topic, so people can read the updates and then hit Ignore if they don't care about more frequent updates or user feedback.


      Recently:

      iOS hotfix v0.7.2: Fixed another Notifications crash, and fixed crash inserting emoji in reply

      iOS hotfix v0.7.1: Fixed crash in Notifications tab

      Android and iOS v0.7.0 (Dec 27, 2023)

      • Added a markdown formatting bar when composing a comment
      • Edit comments after posting them
      • View markdown of other users' comments
      • (Android) New setting: Quit confirmation
      • Fixed comment reply preview bugs
      • Fixed bugs viewing direct linked comments
      • Fixed numbered list bug
      • Fixed rate limit error message
      • Fixed crashes and UI bugs

       

      iOS v0.6.0 (Dec 11, 2023)

      • In-app notifications of comment replies
      • Added buttons to mark notifications read
      • Highlight and jump to linked comments

       

      Android v0.6.1 (Nov 30, 2023)

      • Added buttons to mark notifications read
      • Fixed crash tapping links in notifications
      • Fixed notifications UI bugs

      Android v0.6.0 (Nov 26, 2023)

      • In-app notifications of comment replies
      • Highlight and jump to linked comments
      • Fixed tapping titles in ~music to open comments

      Known bug: You can't manually mark notifications as read. I overlooked this because I have the "Automatically mark all notifications read when you view the Unread Notifications page" setting enabled on the website settings. I'll fix this soon.

       

      Also the iOS version is still getting feedback on TestFlight after its November 1 release—thanks everyone for trying the app and giving feedback. The Android app will tend to get features sooner than iOS; I expect it to continue this way in general, just because I'm more familiar with Android development.


      Android version on Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.talklittle.android.tildes

      iOS version on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      90 votes
    11. Best open source EPUB reader app?

      I was wondering what the best open source EPUB reader was, for both Android and Windows 10/11. It's ok if it's a different app for each platform. I don't need to be able to convert EPUB to...

      I was wondering what the best open source EPUB reader was, for both Android and Windows 10/11. It's ok if it's a different app for each platform.

      I don't need to be able to convert EPUB to proprietary formats, I just need to be able to read some DRM-free EPUBs I have, preferably on an app that's open source so just does its job without collecting a bunch of data.

      11 votes
    12. Three Cheers for Tildes (iOS version) is open for alpha testing on TestFlight

      TestFlight TestFlight link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy Three Cheers for Tildes is an unofficial mobile app for Tildes, originally announced on Tildes' 5th birthday. The original...

      TestFlight

      TestFlight link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/mpVk1qIy

      Three Cheers for Tildes is an unofficial mobile app for Tildes, originally announced on Tildes' 5th birthday. The original announcement answers some basic questions about the app.

      iPhone and iPad support

      The app supports iOS versions as early as iOS 12.4, which includes iPhone 5s and iPad Air 1st generation.

      The app also sports an iPad dual-pane layout, similar to the tablet layout in the Android version.

      30-second iPad demo: https://youtube.com/shorts/S0tT2qM-Wh8

      Missing features

      Like the Android app, the iOS app is still missing tons of features—hence "alpha". Alpha version 0.5 is currently good enough for light use, to help check on Tildes once or twice a day. You can log in, vote, and comment.

      Notable missing features as of v0.5: Submitting topics; Markdown editor; In-app notifications; Comment labels; Sort options.

      Android?

      (Looking for the Android alpha? See the Android alpha testing announcement.)

      Now that the iOS alpha version is out, I can look at adding missing features to both Android and iOS. Thanks for your patience if you've been using the Android app in the meantime.

      90 votes