An old article isn't updated if uploaded for translation into another language (bug or feature?)

[Dessamator]

If an article has previously been uploaded for translation into a language(L1), when it is uploaded again for translation into a different language its contents do not change even if the original site's content has changed.

This also happens even if the article has not yet been uploaded but the user has only seen the preview. It keeps a snapshot of the last time it was uploaded, and doesn't refresh despite changes to the original source.

For example, article one contains:

If there is one does not know 'how to correct the sentence' but is certain the sentence is incorrect.

Article two, uploaded several months later contains :

If there is one does not know 'how to correct the sentence' but is certain the sentence is incorrect.

Yet this sentence was corrected in the source article ICG several months before article 2 was added:

If one does not know how to correct a sentence but is certain the sentence is incorrect, and has already followed IRA1.

I'm certain this behaviour was designed to increase efficiency and decrease bandwidth usage for articles already uploaded, but it may cause these types of problems. Especially since by its very nature wikipedia is a resource that is constantly changing.

[mstreeter]

Thanks for pointing this out, it's not the intended behavior. What's happening is that we use a third-party service to simplify the page (removing ads and other irrelevant elements) before importing it into our system. This service is returning old cached results for your URL. I've asked them to fix this, but I'm not sure how long it will take.

This does not happen for Wikipedia articles, because for Wikipedia we have our own custom parser and don't use the third-party service.

[Dessamator]

Thanks for the response. I'm just wondering if you have any plans to address the fact that Wikipedia itself changes often. Are there any plans for a system for Duolingo to obtain a fresh copy of a wikipedia's article periodically (every month or so)?

P.S. I'll move it to troubleshooting since it is unintended behaviour.

[mstreeter]

For Wikipedia, we fetch the latest version when uploading, but once the article is uploaded we don't have any plans to modify it based on changes in the original. It's not a bad idea, just not something that's a priority for us right now.

[Dessamator]

I think this problem is still happening. I also noticed that there is another problem with regards to uploading. If I upload, for example :

1. http://duolingo.wikia.com/wiki/Duolingo_Coach#Use
2. http://duolingo.wikia.com/wiki/Duels#References

If I upload the content of 1, it will be different from 2, it won't have any picture in no.2 for example.

[Jack.Elliot]

your posting is beyond my understanding

however it seems very important

hopefully it will all be good

especially of the source being fluid

Because you are smarter than the average bear

some Lingots are posted in your direction

[Dessamator]

Hmm, yes it is kind of hard to explain. But I'll try to simplify it. If Yogi, the bear wrote in a wiki article:

I'm smarter than the average bore. (Version 1)

This article was uploaded to wikipedia, and then to Duolingo.

Yogi Bear later realizes and corrects the sentence to:

I'm smarter than the average bear. (Version 2)

Duolingo will only have Version 1, even if that article is uploaded again into another language.

[Jack.Elliot]

...

.. .... .... . You are a real star

,
Thanks

[Jack.Elliot]

So Duolingo has an older possiblie in-correct article

Wiki is fluid and current yet Duolingo is Static (and out-of-date)

is that what you are trying to convey ?

The question for Duolingo then is .......

...... ... ... how to become Fluid, current and vibrant

[Dessamator]

Exactly. Duolingo's current upload system, assumes that an article will never change. Which makes sense for most static pages, yet it doesn't work very well for wiki-like pages.

[Jack.Elliot]

You are very good at explaining this

You must be a teacher or a prof

[mstreeter]

This should be fixed now.

[Selcen_Ozturk]

I am happy to read this because I have been thinking in the last half an hour that I am crazy :) I was trying to upload some "wikihow" articles on our new "Turkish immersion", but what I see on wikihow and on duolingo were totally different. Now it makes sense. Hopefully they change this.

for example:
https://www.duolingo.com/translation/9d2493029e9af5b7b07f92342dc195ad
http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-a-New-Language-Fast

[Dessamator]

I've noticed it for more than 6 months. I don't see them changing it anytime soon. Even more funny is when people upload the same article someone did, but in another language. Then they really get a strange surprise when the content isn't the same. :)

[Dessamator]

I just realised this is another problem altogether.It looks more like these:

• https://www.duolingo.com/comment/1010283
• https://www.duolingo.com/comment/1303520

[KTKee-EnglishEng]

I had a problem with re-uploading an article I'd previously deleted and it then failing to show up in immersion; I guess the problem has the same source?

[mstreeter]

This sounds like a different issue. If the article shows up under Your Uploads but not anywhere else, you may need to re-enable it (click "Re-enable article" in the right sidebar).

[KTKee-EnglishEng]

Oh, I completely missed that. It's turned up now but unfortunately way down the page so people might miss it. Thanks anyway.