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After skimming the site and code: Do not use this, just use anki. Anki has a free web version (anki web), and has free-as-in-AGPL desktop apps as well. Maybe

After skimming the site and code: Do not use this, just use anki. Anki has a free web version (anki web), and has free-as-in-AGPL desktop apps as well. Maybe one day this software will be comparable to anki, but right now it's missing spaced-repetition (which is the only thing that really makes large decks usable), and practically all the other features of anki.

hwgilbert16 3y ago
The project is still early in its development. Spaced repetition is something that has been recommended to me and has already been planned for the project from the beginning. The current flashcard implementation is not what it is intended to be in its final stage - it’s more of a showcase of initial functionality and a proving ground for building upon what other projects (like Anki) already offer. Anki web is an option, but the Anki project as a whole can be daunting to new non-technical users with the variety of implementations it has. Scholarsome is intended to be simpler to use for these users while still offering more powerful study tools.
- j45 3y ago
  Well said about Anki. I use it and it’s not for the many, and learning with spaced repetition should be.
- TheDong 3y ago
  If your goal is to be simpler, and also more powerful, could you write down what that means? If your goal is to just poke around without a plan, or to just copy features without a unifying vision, it seems unlikely it ends up simpler or more powerful than anki. As far as I can tell, there's no vision written down anywhere, no list of things other systems got wrong but you'll get right, no insight into what needs to be done in this space. The only selling points / differentiators I see listed right now are: "no paywall/free, open source". Those do not differentiate it from anki.
  - nerpderp82 3y ago
    > no vision written down anywhere Shouldn't this be a deck of cards?! I echo your sentiment. I also agree the Anki is a bit of a morass. A streamlined UI for creating Anki cards could be nice.
throwawaystress 3y ago
Wow, that’s an unnecessarily harsh criticism. The OP spent a lot of time coding this up, it’s still in progress, and they should feel proud of it! Anki isn’t for everybody, and maybe this person made a UI that speaks to some people better than others. I count myself among the camp of people who like SRS but dislike Anki.
- o1y32 3y ago
  "Anki isn't for everybody" But I didn't see a single sentence about how this is different from Anki and why? Why do you want to reinvent the wheel when Anki is good enough?
  - sunnybeetroot 3y ago
    Because options is good for consumers and drives healthy competition leading to more innovations.
  - mbork_pl 3y ago
    Haven't yet seen this tool, but here's a quick answer. A few years ago, after skimming through the docs, I gave up on Anki because it seemed too complicated. I was using SuperMemo back when it was a DOS (and later Windows 3) application, I consider myself a fairly sophisticated user (e.g. I have a good expertise on LaTeX, even coauthored a textbook, I know Emacs very well, also authored a textbook), I've been a hobby programmer for over 3 decades and a professional one for 7 years, earlier I did a PhD in maths, etc., etc. And still Anki looked intimidating. That says something about "good enough". There's definitely space for an easy to use SRS out there. I am using Anki now, btw, although I use it in a very simple way, but I think the point still stands. (Also, I agree that any new SRS should be somehow Anki-compatible.)
    - hwgilbert16 3y ago
      This is what the project is intended primarily to address. Tools like Anki are very powerful and accomplish what they set out to do, but they fell prey to feature overload in certain aspects. All it takes is one quick look at their docs to turn people away to a more mainstream option. Condensing its features into a more bite-sized application can make a world of difference for usability.
matt_daemon 3y ago
At a minimum I would say any new SRS app or site needs to be Anki-compatible. It just has such a big lead in terms of mindshare in the space - though I agree with other comments that it definitely has some seriously dated features. Any interest is the space is good imo.
- j45 3y ago
  It has a lead but is no where near mainstream where the maximum amount of people could improve their opportunities to improve their lives.
- hwgilbert16 3y ago
  I’ve been looking into adding the ability to import sets from Anki, especially with how widespread it is. We already have it for Quizlet, but Anki will certainly be next to be able to be imported from.
j45 3y ago
Release early and often, or release when it’s all done. Shipping isn’t easy. Anki is definitely nice and full of features but also a victim of design by committee and kind of consulted at times. Lots of space out there for options and alternatives.
kazinator 3y ago
Anki also has an independent FOSS reimplementation for Android called AnkiDroid. They can exchange data. Years ago I used Anki to prepare some decks which I then used with AnkiDroid. I think AnkiDroid is mostly written in Kotlin now.
- realusername 3y ago
  I've never managed to make pronunciation work on ankimobile personally, I'm using another app
  - kazinator 3y ago
    That's nice, but AnkiDroid and AnkiMobile are different things. The former is a complete FOSS implementation of Anki for Android, whereas AnkiMobile is a proprietary companion app to Anki from the Anki author (I think, iOS only).
    - realusername 3y ago
      I didn't know that, I only use android so I did not notice you had another app on iOS. Maybe the one I tried was called AnkiDroid then? I can't remember. I'm using a completely non-Anki based flashcard app just because of the lack of this feature.
thiht 3y ago
Anki is really not that great. All the implementations I’ve tried are ugly as hell and have crappy UX. It’s also over complicated for something as simple as flash cards.

hwgilbert16 3y ago

The project is still early in its development. Spaced repetition is something that has been recommended to me and has already been planned for the project from the beginning. The current flashcard implementation is not what it is intended to be in its final stage - it’s more of a showcase of initial functionality and a proving ground for building upon what other projects (like Anki) already offer. Anki web is an option, but the Anki project as a whole can be daunting to new non-technical users with the variety of implementations it has. Scholarsome is intended to be simpler to use for these users while still offering more powerful study tools.

j45 3y ago
Well said about Anki. I use it and it’s not for the many, and learning with spaced repetition should be.
TheDong 3y ago
If your goal is to be simpler, and also more powerful, could you write down what that means? If your goal is to just poke around without a plan, or to just copy features without a unifying vision, it seems unlikely it ends up simpler or more powerful than anki. As far as I can tell, there's no vision written down anywhere, no list of things other systems got wrong but you'll get right, no insight into what needs to be done in this space. The only selling points / differentiators I see listed right now are: "no paywall/free, open source". Those do not differentiate it from anki.
- nerpderp82 3y ago
  > no vision written down anywhere Shouldn't this be a deck of cards?! I echo your sentiment. I also agree the Anki is a bit of a morass. A streamlined UI for creating Anki cards could be nice.

throwawaystress 3y ago

Wow, that’s an unnecessarily harsh criticism. The OP spent a lot of time coding this up, it’s still in progress, and they should feel proud of it! Anki isn’t for everybody, and maybe this person made a UI that speaks to some people better than others. I count myself among the camp of people who like SRS but dislike Anki.

o1y32 3y ago
"Anki isn't for everybody" But I didn't see a single sentence about how this is different from Anki and why? Why do you want to reinvent the wheel when Anki is good enough?
- sunnybeetroot 3y ago
  Because options is good for consumers and drives healthy competition leading to more innovations.
- mbork_pl 3y ago
  Haven't yet seen this tool, but here's a quick answer. A few years ago, after skimming through the docs, I gave up on Anki because it seemed too complicated. I was using SuperMemo back when it was a DOS (and later Windows 3) application, I consider myself a fairly sophisticated user (e.g. I have a good expertise on LaTeX, even coauthored a textbook, I know Emacs very well, also authored a textbook), I've been a hobby programmer for over 3 decades and a professional one for 7 years, earlier I did a PhD in maths, etc., etc. And still Anki looked intimidating. That says something about "good enough". There's definitely space for an easy to use SRS out there. I am using Anki now, btw, although I use it in a very simple way, but I think the point still stands. (Also, I agree that any new SRS should be somehow Anki-compatible.)
  - hwgilbert16 3y ago
    This is what the project is intended primarily to address. Tools like Anki are very powerful and accomplish what they set out to do, but they fell prey to feature overload in certain aspects. All it takes is one quick look at their docs to turn people away to a more mainstream option. Condensing its features into a more bite-sized application can make a world of difference for usability.

matt_daemon 3y ago

At a minimum I would say any new SRS app or site needs to be Anki-compatible. It just has such a big lead in terms of mindshare in the space - though I agree with other comments that it definitely has some seriously dated features. Any interest is the space is good imo.

j45 3y ago
It has a lead but is no where near mainstream where the maximum amount of people could improve their opportunities to improve their lives.
hwgilbert16 3y ago
I’ve been looking into adding the ability to import sets from Anki, especially with how widespread it is. We already have it for Quizlet, but Anki will certainly be next to be able to be imported from.

j45 3y ago

Release early and often, or release when it’s all done. Shipping isn’t easy. Anki is definitely nice and full of features but also a victim of design by committee and kind of consulted at times. Lots of space out there for options and alternatives.

kazinator 3y ago

Anki also has an independent FOSS reimplementation for Android called AnkiDroid. They can exchange data. Years ago I used Anki to prepare some decks which I then used with AnkiDroid. I think AnkiDroid is mostly written in Kotlin now.

realusername 3y ago
I've never managed to make pronunciation work on ankimobile personally, I'm using another app
- kazinator 3y ago
  That's nice, but AnkiDroid and AnkiMobile are different things. The former is a complete FOSS implementation of Anki for Android, whereas AnkiMobile is a proprietary companion app to Anki from the Anki author (I think, iOS only).
  - realusername 3y ago
    I didn't know that, I only use android so I did not notice you had another app on iOS. Maybe the one I tried was called AnkiDroid then? I can't remember. I'm using a completely non-Anki based flashcard app just because of the lack of this feature.

thiht 3y ago

Anki is really not that great. All the implementations I’ve tried are ugly as hell and have crappy UX. It’s also over complicated for something as simple as flash cards.