Home Forums TextFugu TextFugu Updates

This topic contains 39 replies, has 27 voices, and was last updated by  Lilie 8 years, 4 months ago.

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  • #43962

    Aikibujin
    Member

    This was posted 10 mins ago by Viet on WaniKani:

    Viet-

    So I guess I’ll share what I have been doing.

    After the last major WK update, I was recruited into the TextFugu project to build a new content management system. This is one of the reasons why my involvement in WaniKani hasn’t been as active.

    I don’t know how much information was divulged, but the plan is to restructure TextFugu, which includes the integration of “EtoEto.” So basically from the demo video, TextFugu and Project Kuma will be under a new service umbrella that we plan on calling EtoEto. TextFugu will be renamed to Fugu for beginner content. Kuma is essential EtoEto content (advance) where it is listening materials with text. Basically written stories and audio from many Japanese natives of all walks of life. Kappa (name subject to change) will be intermediate content. New features are planned. To name a few, site-wide searching, bookmarking, progress visuals, and quizzing. I know Mami has been in charge of the Kuma side and there is tons of content on that end.

    There will also be some integration between EtoEto and WaniKani as well, such as pulling WK data and highlighting vocabulary you know. The most prominent use for this will be in the Kuma section.

    As for WaniKani, I have some major ideas of how I want to take WK to the next level in terms of the application itself. But for the moment, I am limited to only incremental updates of application fixes.

    As far as content goes, Koichi told me audio for all 50 levels are done. He is currently QAing them now and processing them. In terms of other content, he will have to chime in on that.

    So here is a video demo of the next evolution of TextFugu. Do note this is incomplete and subject to change. This was only four days of work and actually was recorded a couple weeks ago.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/19si2yz6fa7n879/etoeto-test.mov

    I’m anticipating some questions. Note that these answers are not set in stone, but are solid.

    What will be the subscription plans for EtoEto? Will it change from TextFugu?
    EtoEto will follow the same pattern as TextFugu. Monthly sub and a lifetime sub. Rates will probably increase though due to the drastic increase of content.

    What will happen to TextFugu subscribers when EtoEto is released?
    Lifetime members will be grandfathered into EtoEto. Meaning they won’t have to pay an additional dime. The TextFugu site will remain online for a set duration to ease the transition.
    *** *** ***

    Viet is the technical brains behind the WaniKani project, which is a Kanji learning system that is part of the Tofugu umbrella.

    WaniKani users can find the above post here: https://www.wanikani.com/chat/wanikani/4625/page/11

    #43967

    Qndrez
    Member

    Thanks for posting this :)

    #43968

    michael62511
    Member

    Any word on when the major changes to TextFugu will be implemented?

    I know an exact date is unrealistic, but it would be nice to know a general guess. Are we talking weeks? Months? Years? Should I be excitedly checking for the new update? Or should I just push TextFugu to the back of my mind for the time being and focus on other things?

    #43977

    Aikibujin
    Member

    Koichi has said that there are still months of work involved.

    So I would hope for a year from now, and be pleasantly surprised if it came sooner.

    Here’s some more that was posted in the same thread:

    A picture that Viet added to show the difference between Tofugu’s products before and after the restructure:

    Someone asked if Viet had an estimate on how long his part of the job will take, which is implementing the content management system and his response was:

    I am hoping in a month or two (for the CMS only). It is just me doing all the work, both front- and back- end, so there is a lot to do and learn in the process. I am also being extremely diligent in implementing tests and avoiding spaghetti code (DRY), so that is taking up time as well.

    *** *** ***

    Someone asked for details on the Kuma section, which is what the current EtoEto prototype [test site] will be transformed into:

    I don’t think the test site Koichi put up did the content any justice. I have plans on making the text more useful. Some ideas I have:

    Highlight active sentence with audio; Visual focus on the sentence that the audio is currently on.
    Grammatical breakdown of text (Similar to Jisho, example)
    English translation with text
    Dictionary integration

    I have some other ideas as well. But I think the above are important.

    *** *** ***

    More from Viet:

    …EtoEto is pretty much an all around Japanese learning site. From my understanding, the first two sections [Fugu and Kapa] will introduce grammatical material, among other things. The last section [Kuma] will be to put that knowledge into practice, both in reading and listening.

    *** *** ***

    In response to a question concerning if all three sections will be completed on release, Viet responded:

    From my understanding, Fugu will have 100% of its content completed and Kuma will have a large library available (around 300 or so “stories” last I heard which was a few months ago). Kuma will continue to grow. Kappa will at least be partially done, from what I’ve been told. A discounted pricing scheme will account for this until that section is 100% done.

    *** *** ***

    In response to the difficulty levels of the material in the Kuma section:

    Kuma will offer a range of beginner to advance text. Everything will be keyworded with difficulty and type (such as business, casual, children, etc) so you’ll be [able to] filter out what you want to read.

    *** *** ***

    The following is from Koichi, in response to content updates to WaniKani. I post it here as parts of it are relevant to TextFugu and over all updates:

    Unfortunately, this [content updates to WaniKani] is at the bottom of my barrel right now. I promised audio and sentences [would be added to WaniKani] so that’s getting a higher priority. Level 51+ [WaniKani currently has 50 levels] content is more like a “it would be nice if…” sort of thing. I plan to do it eventually, but I’m not going to let it get in the way of other things that need to get done sooner (for me right this moment that’s the new TextFugu, as well as making sure Audio goes up). My original goal was ~1 level per month this year. Perhaps I’ll catch up and add 2 this month, if I get the time.

    Sorry for the lack of updates. I’ve been heads down, working on pretty much everything and their mothers, as the saying goes… I often forget people really like to know what’s going on, but then I lose track of time… months and months of it sometimes… or I just put off updates for people because I’d rather spend my time working on the things I should be updating people about.

    Other times, we just look at the forums and feel discouraged. There’s sometimes a lot of negativity going on, and I’ll shield myself from it (by not responding… I still read stuff, mind you) to things in the forums. As someone who has to do creative stuff for a living, taking part in that negativity takes away from the happiness I feel working on these projects. When I share updates, and when I share what’s being worked on and when I think it will be done it creates expectations. When I inevitably don’t get it done on time (ask anyone who writes for a living… they definitely don’t get anything done on time, or even close to on time) people get angry. When people get angry that causes extra stress and pain and doesn’t help me to get these things done faster. I go from really wanting and enjoying adding the new content and seeing the audio with the lessons and etc etc to just feeling like it’s boring, monotonous work. I know it’s selfish, but I don’t want to feel that way. So, in order to do that, I don’t put up updates as often. I know I know, whine whine whine. I’ll stop now.

    Anyways, all bad excuses, I know I should be giving regular updates on things, that’s my responsibility, etc etc, but that’s an explanation of various reasons why I don’t give updates as often as I used to. Also why I stopped giving date-estimates on things (Viet taught me that one, so blame him).

    I hope these updates satisfy the we-want-updates/we-want-answers monster for another month or so. In the short term you should be seeing audio going up as well as updates on the new changelog. Long term? Mysteries…

    *** *** ***

    Note: text that occurs between [ ] was added by me for clarity. ^_^

    #43992

    JoshuaJSlone
    Member

    I remember it being said before costs would likely go up due to the amount of new content–the new intermediate and advanced levels being included in the same TextFugu replacement program certainly justifies that.

    #43996

    Aikibujin
    Member

    Probably a good idea to just buy lifetime now and not have to worry about price changes.

    #44067

    Damn, I wish this stuff had been around when I first started, it does look pretty good. I don’t believe we’ll be getting it any time soon though, as is Koichi’s style ;)

    “A discounted pricing scheme will account for this until that section is 100% done.”
    That should have been the case for TextFugu from the get go. Ridiculous that it was so expensive in its perpetually half-finished state for all these years.

    #44070

    thisiskyle
    Member

    Micheal, the site was a lot cheaper in the early early days….I think I got my lifetime account for $30.

    #44090

    Yeah, I vaguely remember people mentioning that. But when I joined the site, the standard fee was $120 and the site wasn’t *even* half-done then. To be fair, Koichi actually switched my account to Lifetime after only two months subscribed because it was during a sale that I asked him to upgrade me and he was feeling especially Christmassy or something, so I only ended up paying $40 myself. Even though I didn’t pay *too* much, I still feel bad for the people that paid the full. $40 is still quite pricey when you consider better, fully-completed textbooks are on the market for the same price or cheaper (not to mention Tae Kim which is FREE).

    #44174

    zeldaskitten
    Member

    I understand it must be hard to read a lot of negative posts… but I must say, some of the negativity is quite just. specifically, the fact that the same questions are being asked over and over again. I know you’re busy and don’t want to put effort in this site since it’s going to be replaced BUT some of these issues seem like super easy fixes. example, just add a note about 七人 pronunciation! please, even if you don’t respond here.. a simple note can’t be too time consuming… and it would prevent a lot of confusion for the people who are still trying to learn from your current website. there are a couple more things that constantly confuse your students and can be found browsing the forums.

    =^..^=
    #44176

    Viexi
    Member

    just add a note about 七人 pronunciation! please, even if you don’t respond here.. a simple note can’t be too time consuming… and it would prevent a lot of confusion for the people who are still trying to learn from your current website.

    I do agree. The note about 七人 would be absolutely invaluable and I suffered from it myself :P

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by  Viexi.
    #44215

    Leon
    Member

    Aikibujin thanks for posting this, I was wondering what was going on with the updates. I’ll hold off getting stuck back into things for the moment then and see if the re-do will re-motivate me :P

    #44218

    zeldaskitten
    Member

    Aikibujin thanks for posting this, I was wondering what was going on with the updates. I’ll hold off getting stuck back into things for the moment then and see if the re-do will re-motivate me :P

    that’s been my plan since a few years ago ;-)

    =^..^=
    #44222

    Leon
    Member

    that’s been my plan since a few years ago ;-)

    Hahaha yeah its easy to do :P

    Having fun on Wanikani at the moment :D

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by  Leon.
    #44245

    Aikibujin
    Member

    From what I’ve inferred so far from the various sources on this, I wouldn’t expect the update to happen for at least another year, and frankly it would surprise me if it weren’t longer than that.

    Koichi still reads WaniKani forums, particularly if his name is mentioned, though I suspect other Tofugu members may bring it to his attention.

    I am truly convinced he doesn’t read these forums at all. He told me he would post more on here when I asked him once, he made one post, and that was it.

    So yeah. I wouldn’t hold your breath.

    If you don’t want to use TextFugu in it’s current state, you’d be better off switching to Tae Kim or Imabi rather than waiting for the update. If they go by plan, the new update will have intermediate and advanced levels, so by the time it comes out I would plan on being at that level by then, rather than waiting to learn the basics, which is what TF currently covers.

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