This scared my housemate too. It’s manipulation to get you to continue, so you buy their subscriptions and/or microtransactions. I love Duolingo, but fuck this manipulation shit.
Scared the shit out of me ngl
Submitted 7 months ago by ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/8f04cd96-6b96-49a8-8d37-7c649fb16dd1.png
Comments
orphiebaby@lemm.ee 7 months ago
ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Personally all it did for me was make me uninstall the app years ago (this picture has been appropriated for comedic use)
orphiebaby@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Fair.
FeatherConstrictor@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
I mean, of all the ways to manipulate people into paying money on an app, I feel like changing the app icon to draw attention is fairly benign?
orphiebaby@lemm.ee 7 months ago
It’s a (accidentally? nightmare-fuel) sad face designed to get you back in so you spend money. It might not be the worst thing ever, but it’s still pretty gross. Also the app is used by children.
vox@sopuli.xyz 7 months ago
well it’s a language learning app so a little bit of motivation can be a great thing for the user
orphiebaby@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Emotional manipulation wouldn’t be a good way, especially not a face that scares the shit out of people (I can’t even look at it, as I’m sensitive to uncanny valley and distorted faces, especially the kinds of sad or scared faces 1940s cartoons used to freak you out), especially not so that it can get you back to spending money, and doubly-especially not so that it can get you back to spending microtransactions.
bquintb@midwest.social 7 months ago
They’re always doing creepy shit with that bird
gndagreborn@lemmy.world 7 months ago
He just wants to talk with you. In an alley. In the inner city. At night.
ZombieMantis@lemmy.world 7 months ago
In an alleyway. With a baseball bat. Politely.
SuperIce@lemmy.world 7 months ago
The Spanish or Vanish ad is terrifying. I don’t know how the marketing team got permission to have “I love the taste of human flesh” in Spanish as one of the lyrics in the song.
FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 7 months ago
huh, the wrinkles go away when I enlarge the image for viewing.
bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 7 months ago
I know, what’s up with too-old lingo?
FQQD@lemmy.ohaa.xyz 7 months ago
Same, what’s this about anyway? xd
I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Same. The bird is dying because you haven’t completed a lesson in a long time. He so sad… only you can cheer him up.
Edit: I just completed three lessons and he still looks haggard, so I don’t know what that little fucker wants. Probably for us all to purchase the paid version.
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s just the newest icon update. They change the icon every once in a while to get people to open the app again.
It has nothing to do with your actual usage.
Robin@lemmy.world 7 months ago
I have the paid version, I’m on a 109 day streak, and the stupid bird still looks like that. Must be a bug
xx3rawr@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
Duo is not sad. Just dissapointed. Duo gives you seven days to live
Honytawk@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
Looks like they got hit in the head with the notification
ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 7 months ago
Duolingo regularly changes their app icon to weird things. It’s not done to get users to buy things. It’s so you post the icon on social media as a form a free advertising. The company really loves that their mascot has become a meme and play into it.
humbletightband@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 months ago
Evil corporate wants us to fucking birdwatch
Passerby6497@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Good thing birds aren’t real.
Fandangalo@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Why evil? I’m not a capitalist, but it’s a language learning company being silly; they aren’t causing massive injustice.
Ginger666@lemmy.world 7 months ago
The sheeple gotta stop giving free advertising to corporations