Skritter: Online Character Practice, want feedback!

[skritterdoug]

@Janne - This feature is fairly high on the list (and is often requested) though I can't promise exactly when the devs will get it ready-to-roll.

[imron]

Well, seeing as you asked, I figure I'd add my bit in case you find it useful somehow.

I don't use Skritter, but I don't think I'm really in your target market. By the time Skritter came out I was already a reasonably advanced learner and could write a decent amount of characters. I checked it out when it was first released, and have checked it out from time to time as changes have been made, but have never really found a compelling case to use it.

Mainly I guess because most of the writing practice I do now (if I do it) is based around cursive handwriting, with the emphasis on learning to write it so that I am able to read it, or it's to improve the appearance of my actual physical handwriting, neither of which Skritter is able to help with.

I also generally don't like structuring my learning around spaced repetition systems because I prefer to get "repetitions" through more natural types of feedback. It might not be as efficient for optimally revising a word, but then I never need to spend time doing SRS reps, or worry about skipping a day or two and having the SRS queue blow out.

Anyway, it seems like a really useful tool, but like I said, I don't think I'm a fit for the target market.

[skritterdoug]

@imron - Thanks for the useful feedback.

[roddy]

Anyone who hasn't got around to trying Skritter yet might want to avail themselves of our 30% off offer

[mnanon]

Hoping for another CNY offer =)

[roddy]

Do we have anyone on here who's been involved in testing Skritter's upcoming iPhone app and wants to give us some sneaky inside information? Skritter is basically ideal for a smartphone app, and what little they've given away it sounds very promising. I can see this being the killer app that, much like Pleco, convinces people to buy a new device (I went right out and bought a graphics tablet the day after discovering Skritter).

[Meng Lelan]

I am but as for sneaky insider information you should go find Nick at Skritter. They have a Facebook page.

[roddy]

Those brazen little teases have put up a teaser page.

[aifeluna]

awesome！ this site will help a lot for people who want to studying how to wirte!

nice job guys!

[Neil_H]

I have been using Skritter for a few months now. I started of trying to use it to write but given I was being prompted to review more words than I could write I was making no progress at all. I switched of the writting a month ago and just concentrated on learning the characters and tones. Skritter allows you to study your own text book online so I am able to read my book then review the characters through Skritter. This is now working for me and I am able to keep up with the reviews.

One comment. My bank is charging me an extra £1 on top of the £6.5 for the monthly subscription due to it being an international payment. When are you going to setup a UK based payment system?

[icebear]

Do we have anyone on here who's been involved in testing Skritter's upcoming iPhone app and wants to give us some sneaky inside information? Skritter is basically ideal for a smartphone app, and what little they've given away it sounds very promising. I can see this being the killer app that, much like Pleco, convinces people to buy a new device (I went right out and bought a graphics tablet the day after discovering Skritter).

I've been part of it for a few weeks and have to say its amazing; I think I've been able to halve my daily Skritter time despite a constant amount of new words being added. Using it with a stylus works even better. It's still got a few obvious flaws/gaps, but the core functionality is already there and works very well, and the few releases I've seen have gotten progressively better. I only log onto their website anymore for list management (which isn't yet possible in the app).

I think it's safe to say everyone with an iOS device is going to be very pleased once its finally released.

[abcdefg]

We want to figure out why some people come to the tool, maybe check it out, maybe even try it out but don't go on to use it regularly and subscribe.

I did a trial subscription several months ago but did not continue because it was simply too much work on top of the other ways I was studying. I just wanted Skritter to help me learn handwriting, not the whole comprehensive shebang. Had I been able to turn the "extra" features off, and just use if for handwriting practice like I use a pad of paper and a pencil, I would have continued the subscription.

I cannot wake up every day to an Anki queue, a Skritter queue, a ChinesePod queue and so on. Plus if I take a few days off, it gets overwhelming. That's probably just a personal preference combined with laziness; but you asked, so I am answering.

[icebear]

I cannot wake up every day to an Anki queue, a Skritter queue, a ChinesePod queue and so on. Plus if I take a few days off, it gets overwhelming. That's probably just a personal preference combined with laziness; but you asked, so I am answering.

I would have had the same issue, except I just deleted all my old SRS systems and started from scratch with Skritter encompassing all flash card sides. Highly recommended to those on the fence; its great to have everything consolidated, and I think their system of adding words and studying cards is much better than in Anki or ChinesePod (specific to Chinese, that is). I wouldn't pay for just the flashcard feature, but since the handwriting is worth it to me, I might as well get all the mileage I can out of their system and what efficiencies it can add to my overall studies.

[abcdefg]

#93 -- That does make good sense. Maybe I should give it another go, and this time with an electronic writing tablet. My Hanzi writing really does need lots of work and I tend to neglect that aspect of Chinese language learning, always leaving it "until later."

[rebor]

To each their own of course, but I find that Skritter has transformed the experience of studying Chinese for me. Before it felt like I could spend hours writing a character without it sticking. A lot of it is thanks to the SRS of course, but the concept of actually writing the characters plays a big part too. I'm currently studying in Beijing, and since we are required to write homework and tests by hand, writing is important. In the long run I might give it up and focus on recognition, but right now it's awesome to just log on to skritter and write away and not have to think about "manually" reviewing the 汉字. I'm usually not a fanboy, but for skritter I am ;)

[Kherith]

Hej,

I am an absolute beginner in chinese, currently waiting for my textbooks to come. I suscribed yesterday  to Skritter in order to try, and I have to admitt that I like it very much. Indeed, Im spending time memorizing characters and trying to reproduce them afterwards but I do not feel like studying, but more like a game that practices my meemory. Thus I guess I know around 40 characters already and I enjoy learning. I think I will take the monthly subscription ;) Just one thing: there are a few characters with which I have difficulties to write, because the software does not really recognize my drawing even though I'm right and drawing the right way.

[roddy]

I note from the Skritter newsletter that Olle of HackingChinese, and regular poster on here, has joined the Skritter team. Congratulations to Olle on the new position, and to Skritter on a fine hiring decision. 

[fabiothebest]

Finally Skritter released an open beta Android app. See here: http://blog2.skritter.com/2014/06/skritter-for-android-beta-release.html

[SkritterJake]

Thanks for spreading the word @fabiothebest! 

 

Go forth and grab the beta app, and help us make Skritter even better! 

 

-Jake

[Hofmann]

It's been more than 5 years since I've looked at Skritter. I was messing around with the beta Android application, and here are a few thoughts. I'm using a SPH-L710.

 

• I think on one occasion, opening the app twice attempted to open another instance.
• Adding items to study seems to take very long.
• I wish the hardware buttons did something.
• (Lists doesn't seem to have anything yet)
• I would like strictness settings that lets you ignore stroke order, direction, and placement. 丶 often seems hard to place.
• 

These switches are unintuitive. Make them tappable or slide the blue part within the frame.

• 

Whatever typeface you used for the title lacks the caron on some characters, making Pinyin in titles look odd, so I would choose another one.