This makes it less cluttered and reduces the chances that a new user will think “Oh, I have to understand all of this to use FSRS” or “I gotta tweak these numbers manually”.
Though I’m not sure how exactly. I’m thinking about adding a question mark right next to every single setting/option, but that would make the UI look cluttered. Suggestions are welcome.
When “Evaluate” shows the metrics, make it like this: “Log loss: 0.5000 → 0.4950, RMSE: 4.5% → 4.3%”. That way users won’t have to write down/memorize the numbers.
Make it possible to “delete” the yellow message about Anki versions.
A simple cross should suffice.
Use a more recent date, like 2006 (Anki release year), as the default in “Ignore reviews before”. Also make date in the box faded, just like the default parameters.
Rename “Relative overdueness” to “Retrievability (ascending)” and add “Retrievability (descending)” when FSRS is enabled.
Manually expand the parameters each time? It doesn’t seem convenient to me.
If you are worried about newcomers, then you should look at the experience of other applications. It would be possible to add the “advanced settings” switch. That is, to offer users either the current view or the most necessary minimum of settings.
And in order to change the parameters. But yes, most often to look at them.
I would not want anki to lose its convenience because of the newcomers. Moreover, sooner or later a beginner will cease to be such and it will no longer be convenient for him.
Happy to accept a PR for 1 and 2. 3 can be discussed separately. Agree that 4 makes things difficult for regular users. It could be obviated by remembering the toggle state.
Also, Dae, I know I’ve been pestering you about automatic optimization since forever, but that is the most highly requested feature AND the only missing thing that prevents FSRS from being usable “out of the box” with zero tweaking. I know you said that it will cause problems when syncing across different devices, but surely that can be solved. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but right now it seems like your position is “Automatic optimization will cause problems, therefore let’s just forget about it instead of solving those problems”.
Sure, there are other things to work on, like implementing Easy Days and Load Balance, but as nice as those are, they will not make FSRS accessible to the average person. Automatic optimization will.
EDIT: I added a good suggestion, check number 6 in my list at the top.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Anki/comments/1cqb382/discussing_responses_from_my_recent_fsrs_usage/
“Make it possible to have different parameters per deck, not just per preset
Deck specific, rather than deck preset specific, optimisation”
This is indeed often requested for FSRS.
There is already a precedent when the setting is redefined separately for the deck.
And the ability to optimize the parameters for a separate deck has already been implemented.
Parameters can be useful when trying to help users who are confused, low-tech, English-limited (especially if using a localized version), etc. I have many-a-time relied on a Deck Options screenshot to keep from having to explain where to find every detail of what I am hoping to find out.
So I’m casting a vote for expanded by default – even though it frustrates some of the purpose of Expertium’s suggestion.
“Makes support easier” is a reasonable argument against this feature, and I’m not sure there’s sufficient value to justify it if it’s going to default to off.
I’ve found that to be the case on some sizes of screens/windows, regardless of which platform. But it hasn’t been that much of a challenge because just by seeing the field, I can –
(1) tell whether the user has optimized, and
(2) see at least the first 4 parameters – which handily are the only ones I can interpret on sight, and are the cause of a significant share of new-to-FSRS user concerns.
If someone has an intense enough question that I think all 17 parameters would be useful (pretty rare), I have to make them copy them in text anyway.
When “Evaluate” shows the metrics, make it like this: “Log loss: 0.5000 → 0.4950, RMSE: 4.5% → 4.3%”. That way users won’t have to write down/memorize the numbers.
Make it possible to “delete” the yellow message about Anki versions.
Regarding the yellow message. First of all, it takes up a lot of space. Second of all, while it’s useful for someone who just started using FSRS, its usefulness fades away very quickly. Something as simple as a cross to close it would be nice.
2006 was Anki 1.0 emacs time I think. I don’t think that it’s going to be compatible with anything recent. I like 2010 because people prefer round numbers
