WikiTok
Not sure if there's an app yet, I found one on the Android store by Arakassia...
this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2025
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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.
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.
It’s so easy, even on iOS. Just tap share and add to Home Screen. It’s probably just as easy on android.
Yep, you're 100% right. Not sure why I thought it was high friction. I feel like I confused trying to put an icon for an image on my home screen (gym app's sign in QR code) with sending a web page to the home screen.
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.
I think that's only partly true as companies, especially big ones, want the telemetry and control of a native app instead of just a web page
Proper PWA websites save very well to phone home screens (like voyager for Lemmy!)
It's just two taps in browser to get it on home screen.
On android:
- Open link in Firefox.
- Tap the three dots.
- Tap "add to start screen"
There's your app!
On iOS through Safari:
Tap the Share icon
Scroll down a little.
Add to Home Screen.
Profit?
I'm still scrolling. Will it ever stop?????
help me.
Seems to work fine as a PWA-esque shortcut on iOS for the time being
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.
Web 1.0 cures web 2.0 again.
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.
"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.
;/
Algorithms themselves are fine. It’s wikipedia. I’d actually use it if it brought me to interesting pages based on a recommender algorithm.
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.
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Just found this article that for some reason has me dying of laughter: ICBM address
That's hilarious
This is awesome. :3
As someone who loved the random article feature and will sometimes peruse Wikipedia at random, this is extremely fascinating to me.
If someone made this for TV Tropes, I would never get anything productive done again
My God my general but shallow knowledge of many things will grow more powerful
Wikipedia already has a "random article" function. I guess the tiktok ui is nice for some folks.
Just got the app it's absolutely fantastic.
I can feel my butthole unclenching already 🥲
Sadly the design is pretty bad on desktop monitors.
Having a real grand time adding a song from any musician I hit to a play list. I fucking love Awaz now.
...so.... content filters when? Let me limit it to certain subjects and I don't need social media anymore 😂
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.
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?"
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.
Are you asking if the app made specifically without an algorithm has an algorithm?
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
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.