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submitted 2 months ago by Pro@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
  • Following backlash to statements that Duolingo will be AI-first, threatening jobs in the process, CEO Luis von Ahn has tried to walk back his statement.
  • Unfortunately, the CEO doesn’t walk back any of the key points he originally outlined, choosing instead to try, and fail to placate the maddening crowd.
  • Unfortunately the PR team may soon be replaced by AI as this latest statement has done anything but instil confidence in the firm’s users.
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[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 34 points 2 months ago

I'm a long time user of Duolingo and you earn plenty to give yourself the occasional streak freeze if you can't go two days without doing a lesson. It's not really as predatory as it sounds. It's nothing like pay to win type games.

Fuck Duolingo for the AI shit though, don't mistake me for a Duolingo simp thinking their blameless. It's just that the monetization is not as predatory as it sounds.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 months ago

I have so many could probably keep a streak foing indefinitely without ever doing a lesson, but I'd need to log in every couple days to repurchase the streak freeze.

[-] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 6 points 2 months ago

Nobody has ever learned a language by using Duolingo anyways. It's an app that lets you pretend your are doing something useful with your life instead of just slaving away at your job enriching others.

[-] Smokeless7048@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

I have definitely learned a lot of Spanish from Duolingo, and while I'm not fluent, i went from being able to count to able to hold some basic conversations with Spanish people i know.

[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 9 points 2 months ago

You're just pretending you are doing something useful with your life instead of just slaving away at your job enriching others.

/s, obviously. What a wild take they have.

[-] Smokeless7048@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

You had me to the /s, NGL

[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 10 points 2 months ago

Jesus fucking Christ, lighten up lol.

[-] Sonor@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

the realest comment on lemmy, ever

[-] AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 months ago

Ah, okay, thanks for the info! I've never used Duolingo so I genuinely don't know.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 3 points 2 months ago

"Freezing" your streak is just silly, even if they offer it for free. Is this just for online clout, so you can brag (falsely) to others how long you haven't broken a streak?

If an alcoholic goes 10 years without drinking, then has a beer, the streak is broken. Doesn't mean you can't recover and improve, but it is what it is. It's dishonest to pretend it didn't happen, especially if you're comparing yourself to others...

[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Really comparing missing a day of a language learning app to alcoholism recovery?

Your streak doesn't go up on days you use a freeze.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 4 points 2 months ago

No? It was a comparison of the streak, not the subject of the streak. That was just an example. My point remains. Unless you can literally stop time, the streak died. It's okay that it did, but why pretend it didn't?

[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago

If you can't see why someone might have a different criteria for a streak in days without alcohol as a recovering addict and days in usage of a learning application I can't help you.

this post was submitted on 26 May 2025
771 points (100.0% liked)

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