"42+" - why?

[jpskoubo]

Hi everybody,
At the top of the screen, when there are more than 42 lessons or reviews, it says 42+, but when you click on it, it might 100 or 80 or whatever.
Why does it say 42+ instead of the actual number of lessons or reviews to do?

[Leebo]

Not displaying the total figure is something I guess to keep people from feeling too put off by big numbers.

Why 42? Koichi is a fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s just a reference to something in that. There are numerous other 42 references on the site.

[jprspereira]

I do agree that it should exist an option in the settings to deactivate the 42+. We shouldn’t need a script for this.

[jpskoubo]

Or having the option to see the actual number, if the user would like that.

[jprspereira]

@jpskoubo

Or having the option to see the actual number, if the user would like that.

Yeah, that’s what I meant

[idiomargot]

I have another way of looking at this… It’s probably best not to let your reviews get bigger than that number. Doing smaller batches of reviews is easier than tackling a beast load of 150.

[jprspereira]

@idiomargot

It’s probably best not to let your reviews get bigger than that number.

No matter what your stance is, people should be able to get the accurate numbers. It’s okay to have the 42+ thing, as it makes the whole WK experience less serious and more fun. However, having to make an extra click every time you want to check your lessons/reviews is not being user-friendly. People should be allowed to make a choice

[idiomargot]

@jprspereira

People should be allowed to make a choice

I agree in principle yeah… I installed the script, I found the 42+ somewhat annoying. I think that the ultimate timeline is something that should’ve just been standard as well.

[heisamaniac]

I haven’t used the time line at all. I personally don’t find it necessary really…
I prefer to just deal with what ever comes my way as it comes. I’m probably in the minority when it comes to this though.

[jprspereira]

@idiomargot

I think that the ultimate timeline is something that should’ve just been standard as well.

I agree that the ultimate timeline adds more to your experience than a script that removes the 42+. However, while the ultimate timeline is more of an innovative idea, I see the 42+ thing as a deviation from what is standard. With the former, you’re getting more of what was expected. With the latter however, you’re simply removing a barrier that’s standard everywhere else.

I’m not against the 42+ thing being default. Like I said, it adds some fun to the WK experience. However, it’s acting as a barrier for users and they should be allowed to remove it without the need of scripts

[Aarix]

Here’s a better idea, give a way for userscripts to be installed on the server side for our accounts. I see both sides and am on the “Have the option” side.

[jprspereira]

@Aarix

Here’s a better idea, give a way for userscripts to be installed on the server side for our accounts. I see both sides and am on the “Have the option” side.

Couldn’t that cause a security problem though?

[Radish8]

I personally like the 42+ thing, and I take the view that anything over 42 is just “lots” and I don’t really care what the actual number is.

However, I do think it’s a bit much to force it on people. If they didn’t provide an option to toggle it off, I’d at least like (or prefer?) to see something like seanblue’s Lesson Hover Details implemented into the main site, for review number as well as lesson breakdown.

[Userscript] WaniKani Lesson Hover Details

This is a third-party script/app and is not created by the WaniKani team. By using this, you understand that it can stop working at any time or be discontinued indefinitely. What is it? This script lets you see the lesson breakdown by type (radicals, kanji, vocab) when you hover over the Lessons icon in the menu bar. [image] Settings By default the script will show the total number of lessons available per type, followed by the total number of lessons for the current level in pa…

I also only feel so blasé about the 42+ because I have Ultimate Timeline, which I really think should be incorporated into WK proper.

[sornvru]

This is what the API is for. They could add plugin support, but from my perspective the existing system works pretty well for what we need.

[rfindley]

@jprspereira

@Aarix

Here’s a better idea, give a way for userscripts to be installed on the server side for our accounts. I see both sides and am on the “Have the option” side.

Couldn’t that cause a security problem though?

No more of a security risk than using TamperMonkey.

But I could understand why they wouldn’t want to open the door to that. The bigger issue would be: With Tampermonkey, if something goes wrong with a script, you just turn it off. If it was server-side and something went wrong, you might not be able to get to the settings to disable it.

[jprspereira]

@rfindley

No more of a security risk than using TamperMonkey.

I mean yeah, installing scripts implies the user taking their own risks. That’s also why I said that needing a script for the 42+ thing is completely unnecessary. The user shouldn’t be put in a position to risk themselves for something that the team thought it was funny to do differently

Thanks for the explanation!

[HotWeather]

I like 42+ thing.
I think the limitation is the width of the circle around it.

[seanblue]

It’s not. If you use the script to see that you have hundreds of reviews it fits fine.

[HotWeather]

You shattered my heart to 42+ pieces

[Aarix]

I’m thinking there can be a setting panel with installed userscripts you can turn off and on JUST like the tampermonkey dashboard. Would be immensely helpful for devices that don’t have userscript support