WikiTok cures boredom in spare moments with wholesome swipe-up Wikipedia article discovery.
  • pelespirit@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    This is pretty awesome. I do see the need to be able to add categories of interest. Like follow history, the arts, etc. Cool regardless.

    • misterdoctor@lemmy.worldEnglish
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      13 days ago

      “I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm,” Gemal told Ars. “And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”

      The developer seems staunchly anti-algorithm but I feel like some sort of filter system would work well. I know nothing about development but the same level of randomosity (it’s a word don’t look it up) but for specific topics would be amazing.

      • auraithx@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        0·
        13 days ago

        ;/

        Algorithms themselves are fine. It’s wikipedia. I’d actually use it if it brought me to interesting pages based on a recommender algorithm.

        • Graphy@lemmy.worldEnglish
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          13 days ago

          Yeah this is just the wiki random button with a simplified TikTok gui.

          Pretty much a useless site which is a shame since I was excited about it.

    • MrSilkworm@lemmy.mlEnglish
      0·
      13 days ago

      On android:

      1. Open link in Firefox.
      2. Tap the three dots.
      3. Tap “add to start screen”

      There’s your app!

      • LucidNightmare@lemm.eeEnglish
        0·
        13 days ago

        On iOS through Safari:
        Tap the Share icon
        Scroll down a little.
        Add to Home Screen.
        Profit?

    • BaroqueInMind@lemmy.oneEnglish
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      13 days ago

      Most “apps” are just http web hooks to a regular website backend with extra tracking telemetry. So a website working as a PWA should be enough for everyone.

      I hate how everything has to be a fucking app, because it doesn’t need to be.

      • AstralPath@lemmy.caEnglish
        0·
        13 days ago

        If phone OSes made it so there’s less friction to save a web page as an icon on your desktop it would help to resolve that issue I think.

        • kiagam@lemmy.worldEnglish
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          13 days ago

          Proper PWA websites save very well to phone home screens (like voyager for Lemmy!)

          • Hazor@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            11 days ago

            They also want the ability to make you agree to a TOS with an arbitration clause so you can’t sue them when your wife dies because they screwed up her food.

        • uis@lemm.eeEnglish
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          13 days ago

          It’s just two taps in browser to get it on home screen.

        • flames5123@lemmy.worldEnglish
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          13 days ago

          It’s so easy, even on iOS. Just tap share and add to Home Screen. It’s probably just as easy on android.

          • C A B B A G E@feddit.ukEnglish
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            13 days ago

            It’s very easy.

            Chrome let’s you do “install” websites to home screen, Firefox allows saving shortcuts to home screen.

            The annoying thing is that you can’t save them to the app drawer (at least on vanilla android), so if you have a clean home screen you have to sacrifice that.

  • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    My God my general but shallow knowledge of many things will grow more powerful

  • Cad@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    Wikipedia already has a “random article” function. I guess the tiktok ui is nice for some folks.

  • GluWu@lemm.eeEnglish
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    13 days ago

    Saw this posted in a ADHD com a few days back. Every comment was just like “oh no…”. I opened it and like 20 minutes later realized, oh no. I can and have spent many entire days just reading Wikipedia and following linked subjects. So much so I run out in areas. I can’t handle a lot of visual and audio stimulation, short form content is such a nightmare for me, can’t watch it. But give me pages of the most dense info and I’m hooked. I just need the option to download every paper referenced from every Wikipedia page I visit.

  • miscellanii@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    If someone made this for TV Tropes, I would never get anything productive done again

  • webghost0101@sopuli.xyzEnglish
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    13 days ago

    Does it have an algorithm of some kind?

    I usually hate them but for something safe like wikipedia i would love to have it tailored to my interests.

    • RmDebArc_5@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
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      13 days ago

      Apparently not:

      “I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm,” Gemal told Ars. “And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”

      • webghost0101@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        0·
        13 days ago

        I understand their stance but it is a bit sad because if i could tailor it to my interests i absolutely would use it all the time.

        Wikipedia is massive there is way more that i don’t want to read then there is that i do.

        Personally i think there is roam for a “not insane, Fully transparent and user controlled” algorithm but also that would take a lot of developer effort.

    • TachyonTele@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      13 days ago

      Are you asking if the app made specifically without an algorithm has an algorithm?

      • webghost0101@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        0·
        13 days ago

        Its not presented as being specifically made without.

        There is plenty of room for more ethical algorithms and to get technical. It definitely does have a algorithm.

        A very basic formula that simulates randomness to pick one Wikipedia page after the other.

        I just wish i could customize that to my interests. So for example it favors articles tagged as ancient mythology and minimizes politicians from the 90s

        • TachyonTele@lemm.eeEnglish
          0·
          13 days ago

          Its not presented as being specifically made without? Wat

          Developer creates endless Wikipedia feed to fight algorithm addiction

          and spend spare moments of boredom without reaching for an algorithmically addictive social media app.

          without an invasive algorithm tracking you and pushing you toward the lowest-common-denominator content.

          Gemal is currently resisting calls to automatically tailor the stream of articles to the user’s interests based on what they express interest in.

          “I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm,” Gemal told Ars. “And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”

          “I have no grand plans for some sort of insane monetized hyper-calculating TikTok algorithm,” Gemal told us. “It is anti-algorithmic, if anything.”

          Ill just repeat that last line again for you:

          “It is anti-algorithmic, if anything.”

          The code is on github, go for it.
          Also, read the article for once. Jesus.

          • webghost0101@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            0·
            13 days ago

            There is no need to communicate like this. I actually had already learned about this app and checked it out yesterday on a different community with way less people and there was no article there. I just saw the opportunity of this post as way to discuss it.

            I like to make a few things clear that seem to cause confusion.

            1. I made my post in full understanding that it probably does not feature a “preference based algorithm”, trying it out did not gave it the impression it did. But i want to be more sure there is nothing along those lines included and tried to engage in discussion about the need for preferential settings. Its somewhere between a genuine and rhetoric question.

            2. Call me pedantric, trough i prefer autistic but “algoritm” has like i explained a specific meaning to me. Its mathematical formula for a specific purpose. The app in question is code, code is math. Randomizing code (which are never truly random btw) uses an algorithm. You can not tell me that the app uses NO algorithm, well oc you can but to my brain that does not compute. Any form of customizing the feed, even a hack, would be algorithmic in nature.

            3. I disagree this (and many things) require a full fledged article, just a clear few line description or like including those quotes you put up here would do for me. I know the internet likes to make everything into “news” but i don’t have to like or partake in that. I prefer to spend my time engaging on lemmy about the topic directly because that (this diverted discussion included) helps it grow.