{"id":9702,"date":"2017-10-21T17:59:48","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T17:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rsoftsolution.com\/blog\/githubs-scandalized-ex-ceo-returns-with-chatterbug.html"},"modified":"2017-10-21T17:59:48","modified_gmt":"2017-10-21T17:59:48","slug":"githubs-scandalized-ex-ceo-returns-with-chatterbug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/githubs-scandalized-ex-ceo-returns-with-chatterbug.html","title":{"rendered":"GitHub\u2019s scandalized ex-CEO returns with Chatterbug"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Translation earbuds might eliminate some utilitarian reasons to know a language, but if you want to understand jokes, read poetry, or fall in love in a foreign tongue, you\u2019ll have to actually learn it. Unfortunately, products like Rosetta Stone leave people feeling burned after claiming the process should be easy while never helping you practice talking with a real native speaker. You know, the skill you actually want. Just memorizing vocabulary doesn\u2019t make you fluent.<\/p>\n

\"\"So after teaching millions of people to code better, a team of former GitHub co-founders and executives this week launched Chatterbug<\/a> to combine the best of online and face-to-face foreign language learning. Starting with German, Chatterbug uses a homegrown video chat alternative to Skype that lets you simultaneously talk, type, read, and screenshare your way to becoming conversational.<\/p>\n

But one of the co-founders\u2019 past may cast a shadow over Chatterbug. Tom Preston-Werner resigned from his role as CEO<\/a> and co-founder of GitHub following an investigation into allegations of harassment and intimidation of a female employee by he and his wife Theresa Preston-Werner.<\/p>\n

GitHub employee Julie Horvath told TechCrunch<\/a> that Theresa had bullied her about not writing negatively about the company, said she could read employees\u2019 private chats and had spies at the startup, and verbally bullied her.<\/p>\n

While an independent investigation claimed to have found no evidence of illegal behavior or gender-based harassment on Tom\u2019s part, it did conclude that the former CEO showed \u201cmistakes and errors of judgment\u201d and \u201cinsensitivity to the impact of his spouse\u2019s presence in the workplace and failure to enforce an agreement that his spouse should not work in the office.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ex-GitHub CEO and Chatterbug co-founder Tom Preston-Werner<\/p>\n

We asked Tom how he\u2019s building Chatterbug differently this time around. \u201cWith some hindsight, the organic management structures at GitHub were a double edged sword. It unleashed a lot of creativity, but was fragile in handling conflict\u201d says Preston-Werner. \u201c<\/span>From the very beginning of Chatterbug I\u2019ve had serious conversations with the other founders on how to use those experiences to create a more robust channel of communications.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Former GitHub head of comms and Chatterbug co-founder Liz Clinkenbeard tells TechCrunch \u201cIn retrospect, I think one of the major challenges at GitHub back then was that the company\u2019s fairly flat structure sometimes made it difficult to know who to talk to about problems, and how to resolve them before they escalated.\u201d With Chatterbug, she says the team has \u201c<\/span>been very open and deliberate about wanting to foster a safe and supportive work environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that Tom\u2019s inclusion on the team could make it tougher for Chatterbug to hire talent, especially women. Though at least it seems the company is taking office demeanor and harassment issues seriously as it grows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always tried my best to empower my teammates and create a work environment that every employee will love. I haven\u2019t been perfect at that endeavor in the past\u201d admits Preston-Werner. \u201cBut I\u2019ve learned much from those experiences and intend to use that knowledge to ensure that Chatterbug is a safe, welcoming, and productive place to work for women and other folks traditionally underrepresented in the tech industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cutting Skype Out Of Language Learning<\/h2>\n

Scott Chacon discovered what was broken about the current crop of language learning tools when he tried to pick up French via Duolingo and Japanese through Skype chats before spending time in the two countries. \u201cI realized there was a gap between the digital apps that are super flexible but aren\u2019t very effective at teaching conversation with real people, and the tutoring systems or in-person schools that were inflexible and super difficult to do\u201d Chacon tells TechCrunch.<\/p>\n

So he started building his own tools that would blossom into Chatterbug. The former GitHub co-founder and CIO recruited GitHub\u2019s Clinkenbeard, director of engineering Russell Belfer, and Preston-Werner over late 2015 and early 2016. They raised a $1.8 million seed round from SV Angel and Berlin\u2019s Fly Ventures to have early-stage allies on both sides of the pond.<\/p>\n

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Setting goals in Chatterbug<\/p>\n

Now after some private trials starting in March, Chatterbug<\/a> just launched<\/a> the public beta of its German learning program, with Spanish and French coming next. And right out of the gate, it\u2019s trying to set reasonable expectations for how fast people can pick up a new tongue. \u201cThe most difficult part of being in the business is that Rosetta Stone and other companies try to sell the idea that language learning can be easy\u201d Chacon says.\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Learning a language is not easy. It\u2019s like a marathon.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why one of the first things you do in\u00a0Chatterbug is adjust a slider for when you want to be fluent by, and it tells you how frequently you\u2019ll have to study and be tutored. The app then gives you a foundation of vocabulary using \u201cspaced repetition\u201d, a study method employed by medical students where questions you get wrong get shown more often while you\u2019re displayed fewer questions like those you got right.<\/p>\n

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Chatterbug understands when you almost get an answer right<\/p>\n

Then Chatterbug schedules you for one-on-one tutoring over its video chat system designed specifically for language learning. Rather than having to commit to a weekly session time, only learn when your particular tutor is available, or fall behind if you miss a group class, you just punch in when you want to practice. Chatterbug pairs you with whatever appropriate tutor is available, gets them up to speed on your progress, and provides a personalized curriculum of exercises to do together based on what you\u2019ve been screwing up.<\/p>\n

The heavy engineering background of the Chatterbug team allowed it to create a WebRTC-based video chat that lets you view files together with your tutor and see each other\u2019s cursors as well as talk and type. That\u2019s a huge improvement over trying to pass PDFs back and forth or figure out what exercise the teacher is discussing.<\/p>\n

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Chatterbug\u2019s video chat lets you talk, type, view files, and see each other\u2019s cursors<\/p>\n

The pricing model flexes to accommodate your pace. You can get all the self-study features plus one live lesson a month for\u00a0\u20ac15 or eight for\u00a0\u20ac80 with extra sessions costing\u00a0\u20ac12 each if you want to take a vacation next year. Or for\u00a0\u20ac195 you get unlimited sessions and can learn a language in just a few months. Chatterbug is also going B2B, appealing to businesses trying to educate employees by offering discounts and easy expensing.<\/p>\n

Turning Anyone Into A Teacher<\/h2>\n

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Chatterbug co-founder Liz Clinkenbeard<\/p>\n

The startup\u2019s data-driven approach could make it quick to expand to more languages and identify what\u2019s toughest to learn. Chatterbug gives you the option to have it store recordings of your video sessions, and even give it permission to use them for research. Clinkenbeard studied linguistics at Harvard, and is using her expertise to help the company determine what are the most common vocab and grammar mistakes to help you avoid them.<\/p>\n

Long-term, turning native speakers into tutors could offer new employment options to those lacking other quantifiable skills. \u201cAfter leaving GitHub, I wanted my next project to be something that would positively impact a lot of people. As a filter, I\u2019d ask myself \u2018could this idea lead to the creation of a million jobs?’\u201d says Preston-Werner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chatterbug faces a wide range of competitors like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, Busoo, Babbel, and HelloTalk \u2014 some with deep pockets and a penchant for downplaying the difficulty of reaching fluency. Being real with people doesn\u2019t always make for great marketing, and people who failed with other products exhibit a \u201chealthy amount of skepticism\u201d says Clinkenbeard.\u00a0Then there\u2019s the looming threat of advancing translation technology, like the new Google auto-translating Pixel Buds headphones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, \u201cI don\u2019t think it will destroy the need for language learning\u201d says Chacon. \u201cAt some point, in-person translators will be obsolete. Not sure if that\u2019s in 5 years or 45 years.\u201d But even if we solve information translation, culture translation will still be in demand. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to wear an ear bud while you\u2019re getting married\u201d he laughs. At a time when the world is increasingly polarized and xenophobic, understanding your fellow humans without a technological intermediary could generate some much-needed empathy.<\/p>\n

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Article source: http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/techcrunch\/social\/~3\/zazMKDTyTXo\/<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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