g'day π
β
everyone knows the Duolingo owl has a bit of a merciless streak
just you miss a lesson and find out what happens... π±
but it's not just his loyal followers he subjects to such fatal reprisals...
for even his own platform is vulnerable to the axe πͺ
β
many features have come and gone over the years π
some just didn't make the cut
whilst others were actually pretty popular (r.i.p. sweet audio lessons π)
these comings and goings drive users crazy
β
especially when they're in the middle of a Friends Clash they can no longer complete...
thatβs right:
Duolingoβs first truly competitive mode is the latest feature to fall...
bye-bye Friends Clash βοΈ
it was a short and little-read tale
published mere months ago and gracing only a handful of devices
Friends Clash took the popular timed challenges concept, blended it with Friends Quests, and served up a stiff cocktail of 1v1 language learning...
it was a simple concept:
score more points than your friend-turned-foe = win the clash π
β
an interesting idea, no doubt
something a little different to spice up the Duolingo universe πΆοΈ
it engaged your friends and followers in an entirely new way
XP, pride and bragging rights made for an enticing reward
so why, then, did Duolingo remove it? π€
why did such an innovative mode not see a wider rollout?
on this, I can only speak from my personal experience
which is:
though the idea was interesting, the execution was anything but π
early novelty soon gave way to perhaps unavoidable frustrations:
- unanswered clash invites
- abandoned clashes once it became clear one friend was going to win
- an uneven playing field of lengthy German monster-words vs one-word Esperanto stat-pads
after a few weeks, Friends Clashes drifted to the background, gathering more Duolingo dust than my High Valyrian course
I just didn't find it that fun
nor did I find it particularly effective, perhaps inevitable given timed challenges are one of Duolingo's least effective features
for what it dishes out in XP, it shortchanges in any tangible gains in proficiency
and given my goal this year is to work less, learn more, it made no sense to spend what little time I have trying to conquer my Duolingo friends in a relatively unrewarding arena.
I was excited when it launched...
yet completely disinterested when it disappeared.
I barely noticed it had gone
only after receiving emails from confused readers did I clock the empty space it used to occupy...
to be honest, I think the writing was on the wall when Duolingo started pinging out clash invites on behalf of its users...
"Get ready... Claire wants to clash! βοΈ"
I can assure you, Duo, that this is the last thing Claire wants π
she didn't send it
she didn't even know what a clash was π
when the app starts creating artificial interest in a feature, you know the bread's spent far too long in the toaster
some will mourn its passing π₯
despite my criticism, i know some users logged in the other day and were disappointed to see their clashes had been removed
certainly there was some support (my inbox and the Duolingo subreddit would be testament to this):
so who knows: perhaps owlyβs just gone back to the drawing board, poring over the data, ironing out the creases in preparation for a future, more effective comeback
or, maybe he's realised this kind of competition isnβt the way to learn a language π€·
after all, if it had been such a roaring success: why remove it?
β
for perhaps the first time ever, iβm not that sad to see Duolingo axe a feature.
β
...but what about you?
| What did you think of Friends Clash? π€ |
|
|
|
|
π€ͺ Weird Duolingo π€ͺ
Unexpected guests in this week's Weird Duolingo...
Shoutout to Alpha for sending in this one:
Guess no barbecue is complete without a shell-ebrity guest, eh... π
|
Seen something barmy on your Duolingo adventures? Let me know... and it could feature in a future newsletter!