Duolingo should add messaging
I've come across some very intelligent and funny people on my journey to learning French and Spanish. It really makes the experience here in Duolingo more personal when you find people who help you with every persistent question about why this or how that! LoL
However, I only get to converse with them over the lessons. Whenever I need to ask a specific question that I know some people could answer due to their vast knowledge of the language I find myself having to browse through the lessons just to find them and ask them something I need help in.
If I could just contact them directly through a message that would be seen as soon as they login that'd be superb because sometimes questions you leave in the comment sections of the lessons go unanswered for days if not a couple of weeks.
Moreso, if I just wanted to take a 15 min break and chat through messaging with someone on their daily lives, how they are incorporating their newly learned languages into their life, etc. that'd be cool! =)
I know that we can provide our facebook and twitter profiles through links on our Duolingo profile to contact them that way but that's jump through too many hoops.
18 Comments
You can post on other people's streams, but if they comment on it, you won't get a notification. Don't ask me why. I agree that private messages would be really great.
Good point, Samsta. They'd have to know to respond on your stream for you to be notified. PM's would be much better.
When someone answer a comment I made on his/her stream I receive a mail notification and also when someone answer a comment on my stream.
I guess its a issue of time lagging with notifications. I originally though the stream was a time log of all the recent activities you've been doing on duolingo and not just contacting someone. But can't everyone see "publicly" what you put on someone's stream?
What if you want a private convo?
Well private one you can't here. But you can ask people for their mail, skype, FB or anything else...
I guess either way you'd have to wait for them to respond to your questions or conversations anyway because you have to add them on either profile including duolingo then ask the question and hopefully they'll answer the question right then and there and hopefully Lol you'll online at the same time
Yes, but then you would have your e-mail address out where everyone can see it :P
Well you have workarounds...
You can create a pad here: http://lite.framapad.org/, then give to the person you want to give your XXX ID (XX= FB, skype, mail, etc...) the link of the pad on his stream (when is connected). in less than 30sec you write you're ID, he/she copies it then delete it... no more trace.
:)
That's strange. When someone posts on my stream I get a notification. But like I said, not when they comment on my stream or on my post.
One of the things I love about Duolingo is that you don't get messages from timewasters like you do on Busuu and iTalki.
No, "My dear, I am a meaningful man seeking deep intimate connection and know I want to live the rest of my life with you because I feel connected to your picture" rubbish!
Or, the "can I pay money into your bank account" scams.
It is so wonderful just to be free to learn the language without irritating distractions from people who shouldn't be on a languages site. I really worry that direct messaging would encourage the wrong sort of people to join up. The very public nature of all posts on here acts as a powerful deterrent to misuse.
What do others think?
If you're friends with them on DuoLingo, click on their icon in your friends list, then write a message directly on their stream. I think they get an alert on the bell at top right. I just left you a message to test that. Of course, anything you write on their stream is public. Good luck!
If this works as I believe, you should be able to leave a question on your friend's stream that he or she will be alerted to upon sign-in. It's not as good as private messaging, but might work until something like that is implemented.
I agree, i'd like to see the community aspect intensified a little here. On Livemocha it was abused to some extent, with lots of people messaging others for more than just language learning, treating it more like a website for flirting. That being said, I met some good pen pals there and even had some more advanced German speakers (including native speakers) help me on a paper I had to write in my College course over German Civilization and History!
Especially with this Incubator about to increase the multinational user base here, I'd love to see some more promotion for interaction between users. A few sleezy messages in your inbox now and then are worth finding a few talented native speakers to help you take your languages to the next level.
