I think having your watch history disabled probably makes that worse. If you don’t give YouTube data on what you watch, then it’ll always push the most trendy, popular stuff on you. Before I started using the Unhook extension recently, my YT recommendations never included Asmongold for example. Because YouTube has figured out that I don’t watch that kind of stuff.

In before people let AI write their papers, then copy them by hand.

The most obvious thing I can think of is that it allows people who are unable to connect with people in real life due to disabilities and such to connect with groups of people from all walks of life and have a meaningful social life.

Still, lots of negatives as you said.

Our tool use and application of our intelligence is still quite unique. Special is a loaded term, but humans are very different from all other life forms on this planet - and of course, in many ways, still very much the same.

Well, with such a glowing endorsement I’ll have to give it a try. I checked yesterday, though, and they don’t have Japanese, which I want to learn, and Korean, which I am almost “done” learning. So I guess it’ll have to wait until I start learning a different language.

Wow, that is very impressive! I’ve got a long way to go … Only 2 at C2 and one at around B2. Also a bit of French, I’d say A1+. Did you use Babbel for all of them? I’m really curious what it does that makes it work so much better than the other apps I’ve come in contact with. I might have to try it. :D

Fair enough. I’m happy that it works for you. I suppose maybe Babbel is the exception. My friends mostly use Duolingo and Lingoda and those are awful, judging by their progress.

Do you speak those 8 languages to a high level? C1 or C2? It’s not that I don’t believe you and I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I’ve met a lot of people who say they speak 4+ languages and then really only speak them at a A2-B1 level. That’s not nothing, but that’s not what I’m aiming for and I think not what most people are aiming for.

I want to start learning Japanese this year and I might give Babbel a try, but I’ll probably end up sticking to textbooks for grammar + Anki for vocab + podcasts/tv/games and later on books for immersion. But I think part of that is also that I don’t really want to study on my phone. Even doing Anki on it is annoying.

I know a lot of people love language learning apps, but I’d argue for a different approach: Don’t use them at all. I like learning languages a lot, and focus on fluency in one language at a time over learning just the basics in many (nothing wrong with that, just not my approach). And what really works for me has always been a mixture of textbooks, dedicated vocab studying and tons of immersion. Language learning apps are fun, but they don’t make you do the boring, hard work that actually sees results.

From my own experience: I know many people who have years-long streaks on DuoLingo and others, but actually speak very little of their target language. Meanwhile I’ve never used a language for learning Korean (Self-taught. I’ve been at it for nearly 5 years now) and I can speak to my Korean friends for hours while only having to look up words very occasionally or having them explained to me in Korean.

By all means, use Babbel or another European alternative if you are going to use them. But maybe also consider changing your approach, you might see much better results.

Really interesting approach, but I must agree with the critics that this needs much better testing. The bureaucracy may be annoying, but we do rigorous testing for a reason. The harm that could be done by unsafe, untested vaccines is not just problematic because of the people that it could harm directly, but because of the already growing number of people who are unwilling to vaccinate themselves and their children out of (unfounded) concerns over safety.

While I would agree, many people really do hate the idea of electric cars for no other reason than nostalgia for combustion engines. But it’s changing.

As a German, you’re not wrong :D

While often true, they still end up making life better for millions of people often enough to be worth it.

I think it’s less about permission and more about rights. In Germany, there is a right to work part-time. Basically, if you work for more than 6 months at a company and the position you are working in can be performed as a part-time position, then your employer must grant you a part-time position upon request. Suitable full-time job offers must also always be offered as part-time offers, although in reality this doesn’t happen as much I think.

There are more specifics, but that’s the gist of it.

In my opinion, the CDU/CSU is trying to create a new scapegoat for the languishing economy. Previously, it had been unemployed people on social welfare (“Bürgergeld”), but since their government introduced their own (arguably worse and def more expensive) legislation, they need a new group of people to target so that their voters don’t do the unthinkable and actually start blaming the government for not properly governing the country.

I have recently finished my 4th playthrough of FFX and am now playing Final Fantasy IX for the first time. Blind, so far about 25 hours in and I’m liking it a lot. The more light-hearted, cartoony story style isn’t usually my cup of tea, but the game is charming and despite a lot of junky writing, as is typical for Final Fantasy, I am emotioanlly invested in the future of these characters. The combat is also really nice and I like how well balanced and paced it is. I’d say it’s on the harder side as Final Fantasies go. Still not hard, but just spicy enough for casual play. I’m looking forward to finishing it probably sometime this week.

Oh, and fuck tetra master.