Now that Google.cn defaults to google.hk, I got quite a shock with all those darn traditional characters.

In simplified language mode, I've completed HSK1 and HSK2, and 75% through HSK3 with writing practice only. At this point, I feel adventurous enough to try to start learning traditional character equivalents. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to do so inside Skritter.

At first, on account settings, I changed my language preference from simplified to traditional. After that, I found that Skritter only proffered words that had common forms between simplified and traditional. Then I tried changing account language preference to both and a few traditional characters made their way into my queue.

However, since my traditional vocabulary is much retarded compared to my simplified vocabulary, I would like to start from HSK1 and HSK2.

I go to vocabulary->textbooks and click Study button on HSK1 and HSK2. Then from practice page, I click study HSK1 or HSK2. After practicing a few words that all have <100% due, I notice from the drop-down menu that the list is paused, so I click the play icon. I might get a word or two added, but after practicing a few more characters, inevitably I end up with the 3 dots of death as it waits and waits and waits for the next character.

After refreshing everything, I go back to the practice page and notice that HSK1 and HSK2 have both disappeared from my practice page. Repeat ad infinitum.

Am I running into a bug?

Are there better ways to accomplish my goal?

I actually called Nick about how to get all my simplified characters into traditional.

The trick is to go the textbooks section, and once you are inside the textbook (where you see each section and their date completed): select the first one (in the form of a radio button).

It will start adding from the first section of each textbook you study, only traditional (since the simplified are already 100%).

I hope that helps.

Note: And indeed, you do have to select Traditional, Both, or Traditional + Previously added simplified in order for it to add the traditional characters from the sections.

Given that there are only 350 simplified characters, it shouldn't take you too long. It might be simpler to make a shared list of all the 350 characters.

You sure? Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_characters suggests there are around 2000....

Ah I see, 350 massively different ones, the others are comparable by radicals...

Nick, what about the queue? Queue items leave no tangible list behind after they're introduced. Is there a way to relearn former queue items with traditional characters?

I began adding trads shortly after beginning my Skritter career and found that since the queue doesn't leave a tangible list, two things are helpful/necessary.

First, (and this is important to me personally because I'm a list person) when I add anything that's not in a textbook or specific custom list, I add it to a general custom list called "Added." Here I keep all items I would have put in the queue, in case I want to go back and re-add them later. This is helpful not only for trads and simps, but for skritter's adding new features. Then, I add to the queue from the "Added" list. An extra step, but worth it for my peace of mind.

Second, perhaps the easiest way to re-add all those trad words from the queue that are not in a list is to export vocabulary, and then make a list from that (or lists, depending on the number of items). Since only the trads in the list will be unknown, it should be easy to quickly move through the list.

Yeah, it's currently a big failing of the queue (and soon to be rectified by the Scott beast, when he shapes it more like a list on the backend).

Dert has the right of it with the vocab export. The "Added" list sounds like a good stopgap until the queue starts behaving like that.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I must have been smoking crack that day. I tried out traditional chars for two days before my wrist gave up and my simplified queue ran rampant.

Anyhow, just when you get a little pride about how many words you've learned, you realize how little you've learned compared to the locals...