If you use the privacy respecting Gboard alternative called FUTO keyboard, you've probably noticed that the built in swipe typing is HOT GARBAGE. (Typing this currently with two thumbs for this exact reason.)
Most keyboards improve their swipe algorithms by simply spying on you and logging your typing data. FUTO isn't about that, so they have built a simple webpage based typing game that you can use to improve their system in an ethical and voluntary manner! Just swipe the website's keyboard to type a provided sentence.
I love this, they can crowdsource the improvement without invading privacy!
Share with any relevant communities you're a part of. The more data, the better this gets.
I'm trying really hard to not revert back to Swiftkey (again, as I do every time I run out of patience with a new privacy respecting keyboard), and I don't even use swipe typing. I'm still hoping that the more I type the better the predictions will get but after using it for a few months I feel like I'm just adapting to bad predictions rather than the predictions getting better.
I'm using this one.
https://github.com/Helium314/HeliBoard
Once I downloaded dictionary for my native language+ English that came preinstalled, and granted permission to learn from my typing, it's pretty good.
Not as good as swift key, but enough for my needs.
I don't use swipe typing but someone I know said it is alright.
I was skeptical first but after a day or two or became good and now after a month I can't explain why I didn't make the switch earlier it's perfect for my use and I feel more in line with my values
Yeah, it's been on and to answer questions below, no it doesn't affect my battery.
I'm having small problems like suggesting capitalized words in the middle of a sentence and suggesting capitalized words as a different word than the non capitalized ones. Like it'll suggest "That" in the middle of a sentence and also "that" at the same time, so two of the three slots are taken up.
FUTO was the joke naming we'd use for files in an old job as there was this one guy who's files were always "FileName-Final" or "FileName-Final2" or "FileName-UseThisOne". So FUTO (Final Use This One) became the name for the most up to date versions
That would require a lot of data privacy concerns to be addressed. Even if it's an explicit opt-in. The current method uses sample text which can't include PII. Using user supplied text would almost guarantee they'd get names and other PII in their data set.
I also imagine it's harder to train the model when you don't know exactly what the user was trying to type. I.e. Was the swipe detection wrong, or did the user delete the word because they changed their mind on what to write?
Would love to help, but they need a way more optimized site or a faster server, whichever is causing the slowness. Waited a full minute and barely got the keyboard to load.
The one thing I really don't like about it, that really prevents me from using the keyboard is that when I misspell something, and it autocorrects, and then I want to add something else to it, hitting the backspace key removes the autocorrection, with no way to disable it (at least from what I've seen), I cannot stand that, which is why I've still been using gboard, but without network permissions because I'm on GrapheneOS.
Although I don't use FUTO keyborad, I don't think collecting typing data is a problem, as long as it is done locally. There shouldn't be a binary choice between privacy and better user experience.
My only gripe with this page is that it's in the browser and it keeps recognising a back gesture (swipe from the edge of the screen) whenever a word starts with q or p.