mxgrn

Love how easy and intuitive it is to use it! Keep it up, what a great project!

I also wanted a frictionless card creation experience, and I didn't want another (mobile) app for that. I'm only using SR for new vocabulary in a foreign language, so I created a multilingual AI-powered Telegram bot [1] that does just that.

Creating a flash card is as simple as sending a word (or expression) you want to learn. The bot takes care of the rest: generates the translation, pronunciation, and examples.

The bot also uses FSRS for SR.

[1] https://lexicorn.ai

I’ve never seen an AI flow of any kind that meets what would meet the quality of a typical ‘corporate’ acceptable flow. As in, reliably works, doesn’t go crazy randomly, etc.

Jump [1] built a multi-million dollar business exactly on this, a service used by corporations in financial consultancy.

[1] https://jump.ai/

For the past couple of years, I've used LLMs for helping me creating flashcards -- and loved it. Initially, I built a very simple desktop tool that would send the LLMs output to a Google spreadsheet, from where Flashcards (an iOS app, [1]) would import them as decks.

After a year or so, I wrapped it up in a Telegram bot, so I could just send a new card or phrase to it, and it would take care of translation, pronunciation, and usage examples. As I'm usually learning several languages in parallel, I also added the automatic language detection (from preselected languages).

Then I randomly found out that FSRS is better than SM2 (which Flashcards uses), and found an Elixir library that implements that. So, I decided to drop both spreadsheets and the Flashcards app, and implement the review process right in my bot.

This is how I ended up with https://lexicorn.ai -- just got my first paying subscriber (yay, I guess). The site doesn't say it, but it's 5 euros/month.

[1] https://apps.apple.com/de/app/flashcards-deluxe/id307840670

Yep, a Telegram bot to "track it all": https://t.me/geektrackbot

How I'm personally seeing it, the sole reason for burnout is doing stuff you're not enjoying, for too long. Then, the solution I'm trying to follow is to organize my life in such a way that I never feel the pressure of deadlines, as well as any need to communicate with people I dislike.

I'm working on a Telegram-based all-in-one personal life tracker.

Apparently, Telegram bots provide functionality that allows creating UI resembling native apps, with the bonus of not having to install anything besides Telegram, as well as not having to ask any app stores for approval. Combined with chat-based UX, it fits perfectly for tracking things.

https://geektrack.mxgrn.com/

I always liked playing Memory/Concentration with friends, but there was no multiplayer online version of it, so, I wrote my own: https://pairs.one (no registration needed).

As if every presenter has the same time all the time.

This is a great video for introducing Elixir/BEAM.

For deployment I'm using Docker + Github CI + Digital Ocean basic droplets. Docker support is built into Phoenix, all you need is `mix phx.gen.release --docker`.

What I like about it is that upgrading a DO host is basically a matter of spinning off a new droplet and install Docker on it. Also, setting up deployment for a new Phoenix project takes about 30 minutes now.

I would recommend reading these 2 books in parallel: Elixir in Action by Sasa Juric (one of my favorite programming books in general), and Programming Phoenix from PragProg. And before that, to wet your appetite and get a feel for the Erlang VM, watch a small video by Sasa Juric on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvBT4XBdoUE

I'd be curious as to why he finds the F keys faster.

Simply because it's a single key press, even no modifier is needed. So, yeah, it's faster and less thinking.

That's a great idea!

You'll still be able to do that with Fn+F1/F2.

Way slower and more cognitive overhead.

Good one :D

I see your point, but personally I never liked following fixed beliefs if in the long run I could benefit from dropping them. As an example, that's why I also learned Dvorak (which was much more painful than re-learning F-keys).

you have to press Fn-F1 to access F1

Yep, by default, but you can change that in the settings. The the Fn modifier isn't required.

Thanks for taking time to comment, I'm realizing the message turned out vague. My main point was that, while I do set up on a year-long "journey", the specific techniques are not as important as handling motivation. "The map" basically boils down to practice, and the biggest part of the "journey" is going to be how I keep up the motivation.

Good question, thanks! I do regularly hesitate on whether an article should be used or not. I suppose I need to read and write a lot during this year to get more comfortable with that.

What's ngmi?

AFAIK, you don't need "complete" or "new" here, "the Star Wars trilogy" is fine. It's "the Title/Name something".

Appreciated the effort! Love these tiny details. Edited the post.

From what I've seen so far, ChatGPT is surprisingly good at editing texts. Would love to hear an opinion from a native, though.

It's about being adult is about not giving a shit to a lot of thing.

This. In my little theory, that's exactly the watershed: will one be able to find something exciting to do. If succeeded, learning abilities and creativity follow the energy. It's akin to falling in love, really. But yeah, when you get older, you my need to try harder finding those things.

I couldn't find any tricks as to how to identify such areas of interest, but I "discovered" an indirect factor that raises the chances for that: regular physical exercise, ice baths, proper nutrition, and staying calm. When I feel great, the world suddenly becomes a fun place to live.

either “I started” or “I am starting” not “I start.”

... And suddenly it seems so obvious! Thanks, fixed!

You're right, thanks! Fixed.

Well, only in a way :) I don't think colloquialisms are necessarily what I'm after, but rather a richer, literate language.

Thanks for the comment. Wanted to add that, for me personally, effort _has_ to follow fun, and only then it's efficient, and, most importantly, sustainable. This post was partially inspired by an awesome book called Company of One by Paul Jarvis, btw.