#(the only problem is i only have access to it during my graphic design class and i also have actual work to do)

[punctuation-completionist]

“potentially do something of your choosing” - could you show some examples of those prospective wallpapers?

these are some of the phone proportioned wallpapers, and while i can't find where it's saved, my blog header is also a thing that i designed! these are a tad old—i mean they're from september and i have gotten better at graphic design and i think that my minor amount of pixel art experience somewhat helped me—but i think they should give an idea of what i can do!

#ask tag #some of these are made with illustrator and some are made with a different software (sketchbook autodesk) #the illustrator ones are better i think. if i make you guys things on request it's probably going to be on illustrator if i can manage it #(the only problem is i only have access to it during my graphic design class and i also have actual work to do) #(but pish posh. anyways yeah) #i know that i said i would be answering asks at 50% but this seems like it could influence votes #not counting #because i was just about to go to bed lol. anyways

[vergietania]

Week 11- Compulsory Question 1

There wasn't much that I would want to change from the group manifesto as it has similarities to my personal manifesto. However, I want to add consistency to the group manifesto because consistent artwork throughout your work can develop your design to be professional and clearly communicate the message. It's also important to know that it's always good to document and understand your work step by step. Only then can you figure out what works for you and what doesn't.

A great example would be the Annual 99U Conference in New York City (2018). Consistency is present in the design elements used throughout the artwork, whether in posters, shirts, etc. The repetition of colors and type portrayed in the products goes well together because there is a clear system. I also think that the gradient of the colors also brings out the visuals of the design. 

I have read other designers' manifestos, but Zachary Style, a graphic designer, has a similar manifesto to mine. He wanted to create inspiring works that would bring an impact and good changes to people. I like that he wrote about stepping stones where he describes that failures are a part of success because I believe that even if our artwork fails, it's just a part of your artwork's process to improve.

During Image materiality class, I had to create two posters about my two connected words about watery city, but they must be in different mediums. I decided to do a Collage and Illustration for the posters.

When I first drew it out for my illustration poster, it didn't look how I wanted it to be. I wanted to create a city inside the eye and portray the water as tears. But it didn't come out as good as I envisioned, so I asked my lecturer how to improve the poster. After taking the feedback, I began to draw again, and it turned out better than before, which I'm proud of as it's a significant improvement for me.

For me, one significant aspect of CTS B was WEEK 2: This Is How You Connect Theory And Practice. As a designer, it is important to understand and know yourself. Acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses can affect your work because you can't fix it if you don't see the problem. My weakness is that I am hard on myself, so when I receive bad feedback about my work, I tend to change everything. When I first experienced branding class, it took me a long time to be satisfied with my work.

I am still trying to overcome that weakness, and only by exploring can you discover yourself more through trial and error. After all, there is no such thing as a perfect identity, just what makes people unique.

(Word Count: 461)

References:

“Zachary Styles: Design Manifesto 2020.” Design Manifestos .Org, 3 Feb. 2021, designmanifestos.org/zachary-styles-design-manifesto-2020/. 

“Design Manifesto 2020.” Dribbble, dribbble.com/shots/14002032-Design-Manifesto-2020. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023. 

Brooks, Mark. “10th Annual 99U Conference New York City - 2018.” Behance, www.behance.net/gallery/69553267/10th-Annual-99U-Conference-New-York-City-2018. Accessed 14 Nov. 2023. 

Melling, Emily. “The Importance of Consistency in Design Work.” Yes I’m a Designer, 12 Jan. 2019, yesimadesigner.com/the-importance-of-consistancy-in-design-work/#:~:text=It%20helps%20design%20work%20communicates,confused%20and%20compositions%20looking%20messy! 

#graphic design #critical thinking #illustration #art

[ttlmt]

do it bee

alright.

there’s a few things i kept seeing confusion about, so i’ll try to clear it up the best i can with my amateur enthusiast knowledge. 

disclaimer: all of this could be completely wrong. this is just what i’ve learned from working as a bookseller in the past and taking a few classes on publishing and just generally doing a lot of personal research into it both as a reader and with interest in joining the industry. i do not know dan’s individual situation, nor am an expert by any means. i am also coming at this as a canadian, so the innerworkings of uk/us publishing are just from what ive learned here.

you will get through this book: 

bee’s possibly incorrect far too long guide to the publishing industry and how international editions and signed copies might work for daniel howell’s new book ‘you will get through this night’ available for preorder now

follow @daysuntilthisnight​​ for a countdown #shamelessselfpromo

1) the uk vs us edition

the uk cover is the one without dan’s face on it. the us cover is the one with dan’s face on it. its not uncommon to have multiple covers and putting someones face on the cover is a very american publisher thing to do, personally i really like both. the cover you get is dependent on where you/your country order the book from.

if you ordered from danandphilshop or shop.danielhowell, you will be getting the uk cover, as it is a uk business. if you ordered from the us store right when the book was announced and before the signed copies sold out, it will probably be the uk cover (more on that in the bit about signed books). after that, i’m not sure because i do not know how irlmerch’s distribution works. 

one thing to note is all books have an ISBN number which is like a universal barcode for the book at all stores and it comes from the publisher. the beginning of the isbn dictates the publisher/language/product type/etc and the end identifies the particular book. the uk edition and the us edition have different isbn numbers, as will the ebook, audiobook, etc. this is a good way to figure out which edition you are buying from your local bookstore, and you can cross reference with the isbn in uk or us stores. its usually listed at the bottom of the product page online.

if you live in a country besides the us or the uk, it depends whether the book is being distributed or published in your country. distribution is often more cost effective, and is usually the way it works. as far as i know, dan’s book is being distributed (not published) to the countries on this list with the exception of the us where it is being published (not distributed). if a book is being published in a country, it will have a different isbn and sometimes a different cover. if a book is being distributed it will have the same isbn and cover as the country it is distributed from (usually the closest publishing hub, so london or new york in this case).

to know what edition is in your country, you can compare the isbn numbers and/or the covers. you can also take a look at your other books to see whats normal in your country to get sort of an idea. im assuming europe will get the uk edition but im not sure about other countries.

here in canada for example, our books are usually distributed from the US meaning you will be getting the us cover if you order the book from a canadian store. i ordered from irlmerch when dan’s book was announced though, so i think im getting the uk edition.

1.5) covers and book design

most of the time, especially with new authors, the author has very little say in the final decisions re: book cover and book design. they usually get input, and the publisher gets final say. book design is also a very different thing then general graphic design and professionals genuinely go to school for this. thats not to say there arent bad book designs or that regular people can’t do it too, it’s just something to keep in mind. 

2) signed books vs signed editions

there are a few different ways that signed books can work. primarily, there are signed editions and signed books. both are physically signed by the author, the difference is when in the process these books are signed.

signed books is the ‘old-fashioned’ way, where the author will sit at a table and sign copies of their book. the author usually signs on the title page and for a long time, this was the only way to do it. they have already been printed by the publisher so they will have the same isbn as unsigned books. signed books are usually more limited, often they can be personalized, and if you have ever gone to a proper book signing where the author signed the book in front of you, you have a signed book. signed books are also sometimes made available at the authors local bookstore because they are able to sign them in person. as far as i know, the books that were ordered from danandphilshop or shop.danielhowell during the initial signed run will be signed books. i also believe there are/were limited signed books from uk retailers, i think those are/were signed books (not editions) where the isbn matches the normal first edition of the book. 

signed editions are a fairly new thing, and have made signed books so much more accessible which is awesome! signed editions have a different isbn then their normal edition and signed book counterparts. they are technically two different books and are listed as a separate book in stores. that is because signed editions have one (1) extra page. this allows the author to be sent boxes of pages, not books, to sign BEFORE the books are bound. the pages are then sent back to the publisher to be included in the final printed copy of the book.

signed editions help authors to sign even more copies which allows for things like signing hundreds of thousands of copies of a book in some cases. if you are familiar with john green’s books (and hank’s too), he is a large part of the reason signed editions increased in popularity. for example, his book turtles all the way down had a signed edition and a normal edition, they were the same price but the signed edition included the one more page that john had signed. this also allows authors to do fully signed first edition runs, such as john’s new book the anthropocene reviewed (which comes out the same day as dan’s book lol), where every single copy of the first edition is signed (so there is no such thing as an unsigned american first edition, this is becoming more popular for some authors to do especially if the first edition print is not very a large quantity).

if you saw dan’s ig story from today (which was almost definitely a delayed post lmao), he was signing the signed edition papers that will be bound in the signed edition copies of the book in the us. as far as i know, it is only the us publisher that has this option. as you can see on the us store books-a-million, there is a signed edition and a normal edition. they are listed seperately and there are different isbns. the signed edition will be bound with the one extra page that dan has signed. 

both types of signed books have been actually signed by dan and are so cool to have if that’s something you want and are able to get. if not, you’re not missing much.

3) book piracy and pricing

i’m not here to tell you what to do, so i won’t. i know being able to buy books is a privilege and dan is a millionaire. full stop. he doesn’t need the money and you probably do.

books are expensive. the difference between cost and price of a book can vary drastically. does your calc textbook actually cost the publisher $300? probably not, but it does cost more per copy to print less copies of something (like a textbook) then it does to print millions of copies of a nyt bestseller. does a $24 book cost that much to develop/print/distribute? maybe. 

but most of that money goes to the publisher. the fact of the matter is authors get very little from the actual sale of the book (usually only a couple dollars), which okay, not exactly convincing you against piracy but hear me out. the actual number of sales a book has lets a publisher know how successful a book is, which helps to decide how many more prints/editions are made and often dictates future opportunities for authors.

a series of books that i love is very popular on tumblr, but there was a serious problem a few years ago where copies of the book were being pirated so much, sales were down so drastically, that the publisher almost didn't continue to publish the series. in the case of smaller authors or your favourite ongoing series, buying your copy of the book could be the difference between the existence of the next book or not.  in dan’s case, i don’t know what his future plans are, idk if he plans to write more in the future, but i do know that publishers look at previous sales to decide if they are going to publish a book in the future.

ebooks are usually cheaper and more accessible if money is an issue. used books, while not helping with sales, are also a great option if you’re willing to wait and look around. you can often request your local library buy a book and read it that way, or they might even already have it. there probably even audiobooks and ebooks at your local library. stores like am*zon are usually cheaper as well. online stores of large chains like b&n and indigo will often have the books cheaper to match amazon. however if you can, support your local bookstore.

of course if the author is a horrible person do whatever tf you want. also fuck the textbook industry. 

tldr: dan worked really hard on his book with professionals to make it the best it could possibly be. i think it looks beautiful, and it will help a lot of people. the publishing industry is a mess but really cool. check the isbn of the copy you ordered if you want clarification or you can just wait for the surprise. 

#this is nearly 2k words #i was supposed to work today xsfhkdf #but this was fun! #also if anyone has any more info or anything id love to be (nicely) informed #and any other qs i can attempt to answer #ask #anon

[blubberquark]

Excel, Word, Access, Outlook

Previously on computer literacy: A Test For Computer Literacy

If you’re a computer programmer, you sometimes hear other programmers complain about Excel, because it mixes data and code, or about Word, because it mixes text and formatting, and nobody ever uses Word and Excel properly.

If you’re a computer programmer, you frequently hear UX experts praise the way Excel allows non-programmers to write whole applications without help from the IT department. Excel is a great tool for normal people and power users, I often hear.

I have never seen anybody who wasn’t already versed in a real programming language write a complex application in an Excel spreadsheet. I have never seen anybody who was not a programmer or trained in Excel fill in a spreadsheet and send it back correctly.

Computer programmers complain about the inaccessibility of Excel, the lack of discoverability, the mixing of code and data in documents that makes versioning applications a proper nightmare, the influence of the cell structure on code structure, and the destructive automatic casting of cell data into datatypes.

UX experts praise Excel for giving power to non-programmers, but I never met a non-programmer who used Excel “properly”, never mind developed an application in it. I met non-programmers who used SPSS, Mathematica, or Matlab properly a handful of times, but even these people are getting rarer and rarer in the age of Julia, NumPy, SymPy, Octave, and R. Myself, I have actually had to learn how to use Excel in school, in seventh grade. I suspect that half of the “basic computer usage” curriculum was the result of a lobbying campaign by Microsoft’s German branch, because we had to learn about certain features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows 95, and non-Microsoft applications were conspicuously absent.

Visual Basic and VBS seemed like a natural choice to give power to end users in the 90s. People who had already used a home computer during the 8-bit/16-bit era (or even an IBM-compatible PC) were familiar with BASIC because that was how end-users were originally supposed to interact with their computers. BASIC was for end users, and machine code/compiled languages were for “real programmers” - BASIC was documented in the manual that came with your home computer, machine code was documented in MOS data sheets. From today’s point of view, programming in BASIC is real programming. Calling Visual Basic or .Net scripting in Excel “not programming“ misrepresents what modern programmers do, and what GUI users have come to expect after the year 2000.

Excel is not very intuitive or beginner-friendly. The “basic computer usage” curriculum was scrapped shortly after I took it, so I had many opportunities to observe people who were two years younger than me try to use Excel by experimenting with the GUI alone.

The same goes fro Microsoft Word. A friend of mine insists that nobody ever uses Word properly, because Word can do ligatures and good typesetting now, as well as footnotes, chapters, outline note taking, and so on. You just need to configure it right. If people used Word properly, they wouldn’t need LaTeX or Markdown. That friend is already a programmer. All the people I know who use Word use WYSIWYG text styling, fonts, alignment, tables, that sort of thing. In order to use Word “properly“, you’d have to use footnotes, chapter marks, and style sheets. The most “power user” thing I have ever seen an end user do was when my father bought a CD in 1995 with 300 Word templates for all sorts of occasions - birthday party invitation, employee of the month certificate, marathon completion certificate, time table, cooking recipe, invoice, cover letter - to fill in and print out.

Unlike Excel, nobody even claims that non-programmer end users do great things in Word. Word is almost never the right program when you have email, calendars, wikis, to-do lists/Kanban/note taking, DTP, vector graphics, mind mapping/outline editors, programmer’s plain text editors, dedicated novelist/screenwriting software, and typesetting/document preparation systems like LaTeX. Nobody disputes that plain text, a wiki, or a virtual Kanban board is often preferable to a .doc or .docx file in a shared folder. Word is still ubiquitous, but so are browsers.

Word is not seen as a liberating tool that enables end-user computing, but as a program you need to have but rarely use, except when you write a letter you have to print out, or when you need to collaborate with people who insist on e-mailing documents back and forth.

I never met an end user who actually liked Outlook enough to use it for personal correspondence. It was always mandated by an institution or an employer, maintained by an IT department, and they either provided training or assumed you already had had training. Outlook has all these features, but neither IT departments nor end users seemed to like them. Outlook is top-down mandated legibility and uniformity.

Lastly, there is Microsoft Access. Sometimes people confused Excel and Access because both have tables, so at some point Microsoft caved in and made Excel understand SQL queries, but Excel is still not a database. Access is a database product, designed to compete with products like dBase, Cornerstone, and FileMaker. It has an integrated editor for the database schema and a GUI builder to create forms and reports. It is not a networked database, but it can be used to run SQL queries on a local database, and multiple users can open the same database file if it is on a shared SMB folder. It is not something you can pick up on one afternoon to code your company’s billing and invoicing system. You could probably use it to catalogue your Funko-Pop collection, or to keep track of the inventory, lending and book returns of a municipal library, as long as the database is only kept on one computer. As soon as you want to manage a mobile library or multiple branches, you would have to ditch Access for a real SQL RDBMS.

Microsoft Access was marketed as a tool for end-user computing, but nobody really believed it. To me, Access was SQL with training wheels in computer science class, before we graduated to MySQL and then later to Postgres and DB2. UX experts never tout Access as a big success story in end-user computing - yet they do so for Excel.

The narrative around Excel is quite different from the narrative around Yahoo Pipes, IFTTT, AppleScript, HyperCard, Processing, or LabView. The narrative goes like this: “Excel empowers users in big, bureaucratic organisations, and allows them to write limited applications to solve business problems, and share them with co-workers.”

Excel is not a good tool for finance, simulations, genetics, or psychology research, but it is most likely installed on every PC in your organisation already. You’re not allowed to share .exe files, but you are allowed to share spreadsheets. Excel is an exchange format for applications. Excel files are not centrally controlled, like Outlook servers or ERP systems, and they are not legible to management. Excel is ubiquitous. Excel is a ubiquitous runtime and development environment that allows end-users to create small applications to perform simple calculations for their jobs.

Excel is a tool for office workers to write applications to calculate things, but not without programming, but without involving the IT department. The IT department would like all forms to be running on some central platform, all data to be in the data warehouse/OLAP platform/ERP system - not because they want to make the data legible and accessible, but because they want to minimise the number of business-critical machines and points of failure, because important applications should either run on servers in a server rack, or be distributed to workstations by IT.

Management wants all knowledge to be formalised so the next guy can pick up where you left off when you quit. For this reason, wikis, slack, tickets and kanban boards are preferable to Word documents in shared folders. The IT department calls end-user computing “rogue servers“ or “shadow IT“. They want all IT to have version control, unit tests, backups, monitoring, and a handbook. Accounting/controlling thinks end-user computing is a compliance nightmare. They want all software to be documented, secured, and budgeted for. Upper management wants all IT to be run by the IT department, and all information integrated into their reporting solution that generates these colourful graphs. Middle management wants their people to get some work done.

Somebody somewhere in the C-suite is always viewing IT as a cost centre, trying to fire IT people and to scale down the server room. This looks great on paper, because the savings in servers, admins, and tech support are externalised to other departments in the form of increased paperwork, time wasted on help hotlines, and

Excel is dominating end-user computing because of social reasons and workplace politics. Excel is not dominating end-user computing because it is actually easy to pick up for end-users.

Excel is dominating end-user computing neither because it is actually easy to pick up for non-programmers nor easy to use for end-users.

This is rather obvious to all the people who teach human-computer interaction at universities, to the people who write books about usability, and the people who work in IT departments. Maybe it is not quite as obvious to people who use Excel. Excel is not easy to use. It’s not obvious when you read a book on human-computer interaction (HCI), industrial design, or user experience (UX). Excel is always used as the go-to example of end-user computing, an example of a tool that “empowers users”. If you read between the lines, you know that the experts know that Excel is not actually a good role model you should try to emulate.

Excel is often called a “no code“ tool to make “small applications“, but that is also not true. “No Code” tools usually require users to write code, but they use point-and-click, drag-and-drop, natural language programming, or connecting boxes by drawing lines to avoid the syntax of programming languages. Excel avoids complex syntax by breaking everything up into small cells. Excel avoids iteration or recursion by letting users copy-paste formulas into cells and filling formulas in adjacent cells automatically. Excel does not have a debugger, but shows you intermediate results by showing the numbers/values in the cells by default, and the code in the cells only if you click.

All this makes Excel more like GameMaker or ClickTeam Fusion than like Twine. Excel is a tool that doesn’t scare users away with text editors, but that’s not why people use it. It that were the reason, we would be writing business tools and productivity software in GameMaker.

The next time you read or hear about the amazing usability of Excel, take it with a grain of salt! It’s just barely usable enough.

#end-user computing #computer literacy

[angiethewitch]

🦇 As every Stereotypical joke, none of them is funny and only ignorant people will laugh at them.

As I am German, I don't think so, unfortunately 😅. Same continent, different country, same problems. My prof actually rushed home just to give us this lecture, which is kinda cool.

Uni is otherwise pretty good. It's gonna be a lot of work, but at least not many classes. And I'm studying English & German in hopes to become a teacher! How about you? (Are studying? Did study?)

oh brilliant I hope you enjoy your studies! I studied art and design in uni, it was really cool. it wasn't just doing art, it incorporated philosophy, politics, social movements, all that stuff as well as critical thinking, and I refined my style. we took photography, textiles, graphics, life drawing, book designing, printmaking, loads of cool stuff. the campus also had an excellent library, the campus was separated from the main building but we had access to all the stuff in the main building too, the libraries were amazing. I loved going there and curling up with a huge book on my favourite artists or movements or new techniques. I learned a lot about the world there, and I found out I have a passion for art history and critiquing art. im considering studying art history, my tutor said I was brilliant at looking at the current state of the world during the paintings were made and seeing how that is reflected in their work. she said I'd make a good art historian

sorry for the big chat! im really passionate about this stuff and im grateful I had the opportunity to study it

#answers #bat of manhatten

[rebeccalartfoundation]

Printmaking 3 - Creating hardground etching plates

Today’s class started off with a tutorial with Brian.

Feedback sheet from tutorial.

We discussed what my project was about and found it very useful having to relay my concept and see if it was coherent. I received positive feedback regarding my concept but need to make it clear how my final pieces will be presented in the exhibition space. I will need to draw some sketches of the space to help visualise and work out ideas of how I want things to be presented.

Creating plates

‘Any acid-resistant coating used to make an etching is called a ground. In the past a great variety of different grounds were used, and each master had a personal formula. Most of them had wax as a basis, combined with various oils and varnishes’. - Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2021.

Lyman Byxbe, Weed Lace, 1933. Etching.

I had wanted to try etching with hardground after being inspired by Alice’s beautiful hardground plates. The plates I believe were made from Zinc and were polished with varnish before placing the hardground.

Brian showed us two methods for hard grounding:

First method

- Graphic chemical liquid is brushed onto the plate and left to dry. It dries quite quickly and is the most straightforward process.

Second method

Video of melting wax for hardground

-The more fun method! The plate is warmed on a hot plate and paraffin wax is melted on the surface. Once dried, the plate is lit by flames and reacts with the fire, creating a shiny surface ready for etching. I wanted to be through and went over some spots but learnt it is not advised to do that as it can make the plate sooty. After the plate has been fixed, it is wiped down to remove soot and ready for etching.

Video of fixing the hardground

Brian had suggested to do softground to create softer pencil like lines like my drawing of hand in my sketchbook, but the ground would be too soft to take home. Due to time restraints I went with hardground, which will produce sharper lines but feel it would still be effective and interested to see how it will turn out.

Preparing design

Michael Landy, from Nourishment series. 2002. Etching on paper. 

Ideas for second hand plate, drawing inspiration from my textile performance 2 and Henry Moore’s lithographs.  I was also drew inspiration from Michael Landy’s depictions of weeds from the Nourishment series, researched from Unit 2.

Sketches for original plan of featuring both plants for larger plates

Final plate designs

Once the grounds were set, I began designing the plates. The plate of the hand with chamomile, lavender and St John’s Wort was designed during the studio practice session but I was more stumped on the design for the other plate. I wanted it to be a pair and feature a hand again, so drew hands in different positions using myself as a reference. I had originally planned to feature plants again but from my tutorial with Brian he recommended a contrast in design. This led to the idea of drawing pills to represent the medication and the contrast of using pharmaceuticals to natural remedies. I decided to go for an open hand with pills for contrast against the closed hand. This contrast can be viewed in different ways by the spectator. Is it a sense of freedom? Or reliance? I created marks and the sketchy line work using a mixture of thin and bolder lines with the drypoint tool.

Test Plates

Before putting my hand plates in the acid bath, I had two tester plates to see what effect I would wanted from the acid bath. I had created a bird design, inspired by Tracey Emin’s bird prints and my own trace monotype of a bird from our first term of printmaking. The second design of the eye was to explore how solid areas of etching would print, as well as stippling. The goal was to explore different types of mark making and how they would develop in the bath.

Process with Acid Bath

*Health and safety* Given tutorial by Brian and what to do if acid gets in eye. Eye wash for 15 mins, alert tutor then taking to hospital. If get on skin, mild sting but can be washed off. Have to wear gloves and googles in room with acid. Rinse plates and gloves thoroughly with water after taking plates out of the acid bath.

Once the design has been etched, it has to be placed in an acid bath for the lines to be engraved into the plate. The acid bath has a mix of nitric acid with water with the ratio 7:12. I had placed the some the smaller test plates in first and let it develop for 5 minutes before rinsing off with water. After rinsing, I added finer lines and placed them back in the bath for about a minute to produce finer lines. It was important to time how long the plates were in the bath due to ‘biting’ where lines would become bolder and merge together due to the acid eating away.

Happy with the results, I then moved to placing the bigger plates and left them in for 8 minutes to develop. After taking them out, I added finer lines of the threads and placed it in for a minute to produce a variety of line weights. The plates are then rinsed off thoroughly with water. 

Once happy with the plates, I went downstairs to clean the varnish off with methanol.

Plates after hardground/varnish is off.

* Health and safety * Had to be done in a fume cupboard due to toxic fumes.

Test Prints

It was coming towards the end of class so I had to print quickly. I used an oil based etching ink however it was very stiff so had to dilute with oil to loosen. Next I buffered away the ink with scrim but not too much so the lines still held ink. The test and bigger plates came out very well and happy with that the lines and marks through.

Reflection

What went well- Overall I am extremely happy with how the plates and test prints came out. I had achieved my goal of creating cohesive plates that were relevant to my concept regarding mental health and plants and also exploring markmaking through print. The prints shows the desired line weights I was after and has clarity. I had not done hardground etching before and it was great to learn the process behind it.

What didn’t go well/problem solving- Time management. The prep time takes a long time, longer than expected. But I am happy that I made the decision creating my plates to how I wanted it instead of rushing. I didn’t want to comprise the design. Unfortunately this only left me a very short amount of the time to do the test print once but I am happy with the results. I had wanted to print the larger plates side by side but didn’t have a larger piece of paper prepped. One of the prints is slightly cut off due to paper size but made the decision to do that so I could see how both plates printed in that session.

What would I improve on/do differently- I feel I could’ve been more loose with the etching and explore more vigorous marks but I was tentative. I was also worried if that would’ve made it less clear. However I’m still very happy with the design and the sketch look I was going for.

Next steps

Last printing session next week. My aims are:

-Relief print with lino stencil to pair with face fabric print

-Hardground etching prints- Prints of hands. Including ghost prints to make set of two or three on paper.

-Medication packets- transfer dye using heat press at start of lesson

A lot to do and requires planning. I have liaised with the textiles department to use their heat press machine at 9.30 am. I have estimated it will take about an hour but shouldn’t take as long and hopefully not miss too much the start of print making (which starts at 10). I aim to print my hardground etching plates first and then focus on the relief print on fabric.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021. Printmaking - Etching | Britannica. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/printmaking/Etching#ref397199. [Accessed 07 June 2021].

[clevelandstate]

Film Students and Safe Sets

Written by Lauren Koleszar // The Vindicator

*This story has been edited slightly for length*

Film & Media Arts is one of the most hands-on majors at Cleveland State. It relies on massive collaboration and in-person filming that normally requires between ten and thirty cast and crew members for upperclassmen producing junior- and senior-level professional content. New COVID-19 guidelines require a “Safe Sets” certification, and students have been limited to crews of ten people or less on a set at one time. Camera departments that normally run on four to five students are being managed by two if they’re lucky. Students are choosing to produce scripts that need only a few actors and can be filmed at safe, easily accessible locations. Students are desperately working on pre-production and editing from home; and when on set, they’re filling multiple crew positions to make up for the absence of the much larger number of students who are normally able to work on one set together.

In spite of these challenges, film students at CSU are producing impressive creative content and becoming multi-faceted filmmakers as they take on many new responsibilities that are ultimately shaping them into better equipped professionals who will have a wide range of skills and experience.

We talked to film major Davis Chu, whose freshman year at CSU coincided with the opening of the university’s new film school in the fall of 2018. The initial lockdown hit during Davis’s second sophomore semester, and he took us through his personal experience and observation of the evolution of student filmmaking at CSU over the course of the last year.

LAUREN KOLESZAR: Elevator pitch. Who are you, what do you do and what interests you? DAVIS CHU: Hello there, my name is Davis. I’m a third-year film major, concentration in post-production, with a minor in graphic design. I am also in the Honors college. My passions include: writing, comedy, animation, editing, music, screenwriting, acting, and television. To clarify, when I say “television,” I mean watching it. Although I’m also working on an original pilot for school.

LK: Why are you studying film, and what are some of your favorite films, creatives or influences? DC: I think if life is a circus, then studying film is a trampoline. It may not have the safety net of other more stable fields, but it’s a great launching pad for someone who wants to pursue the arts. 

I’m a film major, but I don’t consume as much film as I do comedy and TV. My comedy influences include the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, Mel Brooks, Larry David, Dave Chappele, Ricky Gervais, Dana Carvey, Marc Maron, Conan O’Brien, John Mulaney, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert...

For TV shows: VEEP, Barry, Fleabag, Atlanta, Master of None, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, Succession, Girls, Seinfeld, Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty...

LK: Film is so hands-on, and most classes changed dramatically with the switch to Zoom. Describe the impact of the March 2020 lockdown on your film classes and projects. What kinds of things unique to film students had to change? DC: The period of January to March was a very slow, then exponential realization that the world was falling apart. I was supposed to edit a student short. My assistant editor was my dear friend Alex Maytin. They were yet to shoot, but the production was underway, and Alex and I were preparing to tackle the footage. It was an ambitious project and it honestly seemed monumental. Little did we know that the lockdown would dwarf our problems completely.

When school announced it was going virtual, Alex and I started brainstorming a potential remote workflow. He was gonna merge and organize the footage, mail it on a USB and I would edit. Like, we really thought the production was still happening. Needless to say, it didn’t.

Everyone in the school had to take on their own projects and oversee it from start to finish. People chose to make documentaries, short narrative films, I decided to make a small series of sketches titled Under Quarantine.

LK: What has filmmaking been like in the era of COVID-19? DC: I think the lasting impact on the film industry will be distribution. We were already moving in the direction of streaming services. But I think the presence of COVID-19 has accelerated the process. My prediction is that studios and creatives will probably lean away from film and into miniseries. I don’t really mind that. Storytelling is storytelling, whether it’s a 120-minute movie or a three-episode hour-long miniseries.

LK: How has your personal approach to creating and studying changed over the past year? DC: I’m definitely not alone in saying I’ve grown a lot in the past year. What changed the most is my approach to learning and creating. I’ve come to the conclusion that almost every skill is learnable. If you want to get good at something, all you have to do is take the time to do it. Last semester, I had a lot more time I could dedicate to my schoolwork (just by removing the time it takes to walk to and from class). I made some stuff I was really proud of. I found a love for animation. I think I have more patience for overcoming learning curves now.

LK: What has changed for the better? For the worse? DC: There are a couple super small silver linings if you look close enough. One of them is the accessibility and flexibility of education. For most of the classes I was taking, the transition was rather smooth. If I’m taking an animation class, and we’re all using our computers anyway, why don’t we take advantage of this great technology and just meet virtually?  

LK: How has the transition been for professors and faculty? In what ways have they helped make accommodations for students? DC: The professors have been incredibly accommodating. Earlier this semester, I tested positive for COVID and [it] wiped me out. I emailed all of my teachers and within a day, every one of them responded with empathy and get-well wishes. Through extensions and exemptions, I was able to catch up and now I’m back! It’s also cool that the faculty are conscious enough that not everyone has access to the same level of technology.

LK: Has there been anything you've learned or had the opportunity to experience because of the impact of COVID-19? Personal or film-related? DC: I don’t know how much of this is related to COVID-19 but I have been pretty introspective lately. I’ve been slowly coming to terms with the Asian-American experience and how race has affected me. With this topic in mind, I started writing a TV pilot for my class. I guess that is one of the benefits of being an arts major. Be it COVID-19 or racism or any problem, we have the luxury of being forced to process our emotions. 

LK: Finally, what inspires you and how do you work to overcome the weight of the pandemic on your college and creative experience? DC: I take everything one step at a time. And I try to remember that so long as I’m doing my part to keep other people safe, that’s all that really matters. Control what you can, set a good example for others, and let go of the rest. And creatively, so long as I have access to tools I can use to make stuff, I’m satisfied.

*To read this article in it’s original, full-length format or to check out other great Vindicator content, visit thevindi.com/post/film-students-and-safe-sets.

#TheVindi #the vindicator #film and media #Engaged Learning #Cleveland State University #cleveland state

[piccadilly-lilly]

Digital Self-Sufficiency 101

I’ve noticed that the chaos of 2020 has caused many people to notice that commercially available technologies have grown increasingly intrusive, expensive, and restrictive. Therefore, I thought I would put together some easy ways to maintain privacy and self-sufficiency as much as possible in the digital age.

SOFTWARE IN GENERAL

Using incognito mode or private mode in your browser actually does nothing to prevent your internet service provider from watching your activity. The Tor browser is your easiest option for keeping your search history private.

To keep downloads, system updates, and activity from other applications private, consider using a VPN. Personally, I sometimes use ProtonVPN for this, but some people might find it uncomfortably slow. A proxy server will not provide the same layer of protection but suffices for day-to-day use.

Never reuse passwords, but it is usually okay to choose a common theme for them, and choosing long or uncommon phrases is actually safer than using random strings of characters.

Password managers are also relatively safe. KeePass is a good open-source choice that creates an encrypted password database on your device and so keeps your information entirely private.

Consider switching browsers. Chrome (including Chromium) and Edge both send data to Google and Microsoft respectively. Firefox is heavily customizable, open-source, and focused on privacy; Opera is closed-source but does provide useful features such as a built-in browser VPN.

TrackMeNot is an add-on that performs automated random Google searches, making it much harder for Google to determine your search activity. Also, use an adblocker wherever possible - AdBlock Plus is an effective free choice.

Archive.org is an excellent source of ebooks, journals, music, etc. that allows you to borrow materials and download them or read them online without requiring any personal information.

DRM, or digital rights management, is a form of software used to prevent people from copying files or accessing them outside of certain applications (such as iTunes for music, Adobe Reader for ebooks, etc). It is perfectly legal to remove DRM from works you have purchased, so that you actually own the file and not just a license to access it within a certain framework.

There are several plugins available for the Calibre ebook library that get rid of DRM on book files; this is the one I use. I don’t have iTunes or Spotify, but I’ve heard good things about NoteBurner, and I know that plenty of alternatives exist for DRM removal of music files.

Also, youtube-dl is a useful tool for downloading videos from YouTube. Be careful to use this only on open-source or public domain videos.

LINUX

Linux has advanced astronomically in the past decade -- it is definitely the best option for privacy and security, and is now fairly easy to use.

If you’re just beginning, Ubuntu is a great choice with graphics that will make your PC look and feel a bit like a Mac. You can completely opt out of giving any data to the developers, and it’s by far the most commonly used distro in the Linux community, meaning that most support and apps are developed for it.

Take a test drive! Here is an easy tutorial for how to put Ubuntu on a USB stick and run it on your computer without affecting your Windows system or changing any of your files.

On most hardware, an out of the box Ubuntu installation works fine for browsing the web, watching movies, studying, and day-to-day use -- do test it using a USB before installing it, though.

The best thing about Linux is that you are the absolute dictator of your own computer. The appearance, functionality, and resource management of your system is all up to you. Also, there are hundreds of different operating systems and configurations under the Linux umbrella.

The fact that most viruses and malware are designed to run on Windows offers a degree of protection to Linux users, and those running more obscure distributions are less vulnerable, but security consciousness is still very important. ClamAV is a good open-source antivirus specifically designed to scan for malware targeted at Linux systems, and chkrootkit can detect any rootkits that may be installed on your system.

If you use Linux exclusively, the WINE toolkit can allow you to run programs designed for Windows. It does require some setup but eliminates a lot of compatibility issues (*pointed glance at my online classes*).

WINDOWS

A computer with standard Windows installed will never be all that private or independent, given the limitations hard-coded into the system, but there are still plenty of things you can do.

Don’t use a Microsoft account on your personal computer -- this enables Microsoft to combine data sent from your computer with your personal information. To turn this off, go into Settings, select Accounts, find your own account, and click the “Delete” option.

If you are installing Windows on a computer, don’t connect to the Internet during the setup process. When it asks you to connect to WiFi, click the “I don’t have Internet” option in the bottom left corner -- this will allow you to set up Windows using a local account, bypassing the requirement to create a Microsoft account.

When it comes to protecting your PC from hackers, choose strong passwords and be careful what you click on, and after that Microsoft Defender should do the trick. For the most part, commercial antivirus software is not necessary; any malicious actor worth their salt will be able to circumvent common choices like McAfee or Norton.

The Windows updater includes many invasive features without a way to opt out, and can be disabled. Hit the Windows key + R to bring up the Run menu, type “services.msc” in the text box, and press Enter to open the Services Manager. Find Windows Updates and Windows Update Medic, right-click on both of those, and select “Disable.”

Use caution when electing not to update Windows; oftentimes patches for important security vulnerabilities are incorporated into the updates, and Microsoft doesn’t allow users to select which updates to install.

OS X / iOS

The entire Apple business model is based on hardware that’s far below the industry standard for the price range and software that’s obsolescent from the moment you purchase it. These products are pure fashion over function and are pretty much inseparable from their surveillance software and use restrictions.

HARDWARE

Don’t get a new laptop simply because yours is getting older or slower. Hardware available to the average consumer hasn’t changed significantly in the past decade. If your computer is getting older and feels slower, that’s probably because Windows has grown heavier and less efficient with every update.

Self-sufficiency and durability go together in technology as in all other facets of manufacturing.

SSDs may be slightly faster than conventional hard disk drives, but they don’t have as much storage capacity and will fail more quickly, so for most uses an HDD is probably more practical. Anything that has “flash memory” as its sole form of storage should be avoided.

Entry-level laptops in 2020 are usually worse in terms of design and specifications than they were in 2015. Second-hand options can be a good idea, especially workstations designed for business use (my PC was made in 2012 and is still humming along with no problems).

Swappable batteries are increasingly rare but go a long way to increase the usefulness of a PC while traveling or offline. Also, touchscreens always shorten battery life by at least an hour or two. 

Intel Atom processors are common on lower-cost laptops but are very slow and prone to overheating unpredictably.

Also, anything without a fan (look for a visible vent on the underside) can overheat in the summer and is probably indicative of lower processing power.

The vast majority of two-in-one laptops and tablet hybrids are severely underpowered -- the extremely small size prevents the use of proper computer hardware.

Source: am a Linux user and hobbyist programmer who learned most of this using the time-honored Mess Around and Find Out methodology.

#not aviation #computers

[lunamanar]

Off-the-Cuff First-impressions Review: Trials of Mana

I got Seiken Densetsu 3/Trials of Mana in the mail today and am surprised by just how excited I am about it. After the admittedly predictable letdowns of the Secret of Mana “remake” and the FFVIII “remaster,” not to mention the iOS revision of the former, you’d think I’d be jaded at this point. 

But! FFVII remake is Actually Good, and so far it looks like Trials of Mana is, while certainly lower budget, also Actually Good. The voice acting is kinda meh, but not bad enough to detract from the game in my opinion, and considering they are working with SNES-era scripts (the dialogue is 99% word-for-word the same as the more recent translation of the original SD3 game, so it’s going to be a bit stilted anyway) it’s really not bad at all. 

Besides, the actual meat of the game--the world, character and monster design, and the gameplay--is extremely solid and I have had very little trouble acclimating to it. It’s fun to play, it feels good to run around and explore the world and the battles are both very simplistic in a way that is familiar to an old fart like me and very satisfying in the way they function. One of the biggest weaknesses the original game had was absolutely horrendous input lag in some areas due to 1. the sheer size of the loaded map section, such as Rolante/Laurant, 2. The number of on-screen instructions the SNES had to process during battles, particularly during fights where you had massive sprites taking up the entire screen (the awful awful wall-guardian “Genova” [harhar] is probably the single hardest boss in the game purely due to input lag/drops; when you attack an enemy, even assuming your weapon swings when you tell it to, and that’s a big ‘if,’ the monster you are attacking is actually in a state which is several frames ahead of whatever state it visually appears to be in on-screen, making it extremely difficult to time your attacks properly to both defend and do optimal damage to what should have been a relatively minor “miniboss” fight). Trials of Mana, on the other hand, has none of those problems, simply thanks to more modern technology. So far every fight I’ve engaged in has been smooth and responsive as well as very visually appealing.

And wow is this game pretty. It’s not the most amazing example of the best graphical advances in gaming history, to be sure, but I genuinely don’t think that matters, as it’s still beautifully detailed and really does look like they took the original graphics and magicked them into more modern models. The re-imaginings of each area and monster are very faithful to both the aesthetic and the layout of the original design while at the same creatively expanding on them; I've had no trouble finding my way around familiar maps or identifying the bestiary, but I have found a lot of added depth to them, such as the ability to jump down on rooftops and find hidden nooks that were just static backdrops or otherwise out of sight in the original. The areas are more layered and interactive, but very importantly, nothing is missing. Not even the dogs and cats, who still bark and meow at you if you talk to them. I feel like I’m being allowed to see and explore the original maps from angles I didn’t have access to in the past. It really makes the 16-year-old in me unbelievably happy, to be able to finally, actually see and do these things I could only wish for back then. For people who have never played it, it’s probably a very pretty, if otherwise unremarkable experience, but for me it’s the granting of a wish I’ve had for a long time, but never expected to happen. 

Similarly, I think a lot of people will look at the plot for this game and go, “...what?” Because it really doesn’t seem to have been changed at all from the SNES version, aside from a few little tweaks to the dialogue here and there to ease the transition between some sections or correct for differences in game mechanics (of which there are only a few; again, this is definitely a remake--it remains the same game with the same mechanics at its core). This can lead to some pretty awkward interactions between characters, and at times it seems pretty clear that the voice actors weren’t given a lot of direction about the context of their lines. It’s not a bad story, but it’s a very simply told one, and feels more like it’s targeting 12~16 year-olds (which it probably is, to be fair) who might not care so much about nitpicking the semantics of the plot and character motivations. Which is to say, most of the characters who are not main protagonists or villains are painfully cardboard-flat. They do what they do and say what they say because it advances the plot for them to do and say those things. Elliot falls for a “trick” that I’m pretty sure most 4-year-olds would see through. The Bad Guys are 1-dimensionally evil, wanting to either destroy or take over the world, with the possible exception of Lugar and Koren who have slightly more complicated “I’m your rival” reasons. That leaves the complexity up to the protagonists to shoulder, and while I haven’t played that far into the game yet, thus far is is beat-for-beat and shot-for-shot the same as the original, so I expect that character-building will be left largely up to the player to mentally write in, especially since the game features light/dark class-changes as a feature of its progression. (I do kiiiind of hope that your choice in class changes has a more material effect on the ending’s outcome, but I think that might be asking a bit too much from a remake of this sort.) But the somewhat archaic plot and character arcs are not surprising and for me don’t take away any of the game’s charm. Nikita is still the best, the shop owners still dance inexplicably, the fact you can play a werewolf is badass, rabites are still cute, Don Perignon is still kind of a jerk. I’m very nervous/excited to get Busukaboo and Flammie and hope they’ll be as much fun now as they were then. And the whole world is so damn pretty, I’m just glad to be there. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the music. I’m not sure how much of a hand Hiroki Kikuta actually had in this remake, but the synth-orchestral arrangements of his originals are excellent so far. They’re both accessible/adaptable to the game’s sudden scene transitions (”Nuclear Fusion” starts and ends just as cleanly) while being a richer version of the themes, keeping close to the original sound while making better use of all the instruments that the SNES just wasn’t capable of emulating well. It blends very well with the rest of the game and I hope that continues to be true. 

I do have nitpicks; while I know it’s a popular mechanic, I don’t like the “shift-lock” sort of dash using the left analog stick as both directional and a button. I think the camera controls are solid, but I do wish there wan a toggle-option to have the camera just follow over your shoulder wherever you run until you either run into a battle or turn it off. The character models don’t seem especially affected by anything except the most intense/pervasive lighting and sometimes feel oddly out of place, like I’m watching one of those old movies where an animated character comes into the Real World. Some of the monster designs seem cute-ified more than I’d like. And I can’t help but think that if the game can be this nice as a third-tier title for SE, what could it have been if they’d but the resources behind it that they obviously did with FF7? I understand why they didn’t, but it’s hard not to wonder what it could have been if they had.  Seiken Densetsu is one of the most fraught series in the history of home video games and the fact that it’s even still around is something of a miracle, in my opinion. After the last...four?...titles following Legend of Mana, and the disappointment that was SD2′s (second!) remake, I really didn’t go into Trials of Mana with high hopes. I have been really, honestly pleasantly surprised. Even if you’re a diehard old-schooler who really doesn’t like modern JRPGs, if you have any nostalgia left for this series, you should give this one a go. I think it translated really well to 3D models, and what little it loses in the switch, it makes up for in playability. It’s not hard to pick up, it’s easy on the eyes and ears, it’s less grind-y than the original, and it doesn’t try to be more than what it is. I’ll probably always prefer the original, of course; there are too many memories attached to it for me, too many things that were groundbreaking at the time that are now old news or completely obsolete nowadays, and the new game certainly doesn’t push any modern boundaries. But it’s worth checking out, and especially if you’ve spent 20 years feeling let down by the Mana series, this might actually be the game you were hoping for, albeit maybe a decade late. 

#other games #seiken densetsu #seiken densetsu 3 #sd3 #trials of mana #sd3 remake #long post #i have not proof read this at all #wysiwyg #opinion

[aarjav-jain]

Complete course on Digital Marketing

Well, I know everything about this course. As I am the curator of one of these courses :-)

First I want to thank all my Tumblr readers, as of now we got 450+ enrollment from Tumblr.

And, I would like to write everything about this course here on Tumblr. So, I have asked the question myself.

First thing first, the story behind this course creation.

I was the school topper in my 12th grade from Guru Tegh Bahadur Public School, I got 96%. I was excited after that, as I got admission in Delhi University based on my marks.

Since after scoring such good marks and getting admission to Delhi University, I was hoping that now things will get easy in life.

But that sweet shell was broken on the day of orientation in the college, that day I saw more than 1500 students with the same marks and college in their hands.

And then I knew that this place is not for me, I can not achieve my dreams by following a regular path.

After reading hundreds of the article and watching hundreds of the video I came to know about Digital marketing and found that the scope of digital marketing has increased in the past at a faster rate and will be growing drastically in future also.

Then I decided to learn digital marketing, I joined a course for digital marketing in Delhi by paying 50,000, and after I was done with the course I was having good theoretical knowledge but no practical knowledge.

I started to watch Youtube videos and started reading Neil Patel's articles to brush up my skills and to gain some practical knowledge I go for 2 internships in Delhi and Noida. After 1 year I decided to launch a digital marketing agency, we started well with some potential clients.

Suddenly I clicked with an idea of starting some webinars to share knowledge of digital marketing, the motive of those webinars was to get digital marketing clients.

But instead of people asking for digital marketing services, people start asking whether we provide digital marketing course, that was the moment I decided to launch a course on Digital Marketing.

But there was one big hurdle that more than 50 institutions in Delhi are providing digital marketing courses from the last 5 years. The question was-

How to differentiate us from others?

To find the answer, I started enrolling for online courses at these institutions. I came up with 2 things that these institutes were not providing that was-

1. Practical knowledge

2. Marketing knowledge

3. Mentorship

By marketing knowledge here I mean is in the whole course the instructors did not explain what is marketing, they did not tell me what is consumer behavior, no one explains to me how reputed companies market themselves on different platforms. Instructors were only focusing on digital aspects of the course like website development, social media marketing, or SEO.

Digital marketing can not be learned by only watching the video and reading blogs. Mentorship is very important to learn digital marketing.

So once you will enroll in this course, you will be directly in contact with me. In the first lecture I clearly state that you need to implement everything that you are learning and when you find any queries or doubts, you will be directly contacting me for that. There will no online portal where you have to add your question and wait for the answer.

During the whole course, you will be only in contact with me not with my team members :-)

That was the answer to my question "How to differentiate us from others?". We decided to launch Digital marketing that will cover all the aspects of the Digital part as well as the marketing part. That is why name it as "A complete course on digital marketing".

In this course, we teach our students with a practical approach. We make sure that the marketing part is been covered in the course. In the course, there are 20+ marketing case studies of companies like Coke, Uber, and Starbucks that how these companies use marketing as their growth tool. Ever concepts of marketing like season marketing, cause marketing, emotion marketing is been discussed in detail, and many time in the course.

Now let's understand some other aspects of the course-

Course Audience (Basically who can enroll):-

I have developed the course keeping three types of audience in considerations.

This course is for:-

Marketer:- It is been said that one should always brush up their skills, if you are already in the marketing field and working as a marketing head, you should enroll in this course. Now the time is changing and the same with the demand for digital marketing over traditional marketing.

Business Owner/ Entrepreneur:- More than 120+ business owners enroll in this course and make their business online. It is a better option than hiring an agency and giving them at least 50,000 for doing your digital marketing. If you are having the time to learn from the course and implement, it is the best option you can get to make your business online.

Career seeker:- We help you to make your career in Digital marketing, you can enter into this field as a freelancer, affiliate marketer, have your own digital marketing agency, build your personal brand as an influencer or can apply for jobs at various positions like website developer, SMM expert, SEO expert.

Students:- Students enrolled in graduate programs like BCom, BA(Economics), BBA, BBM, BSc( Maths), BSc (Statistics) can always consider the digital marketing industry as their career choice. Every topic is explained from the beginning and we will be taking you to an advanced level step by step.

Though the course is made for the above four audiences, certain sections are focussed on just one of the above. But, since the course will progress in a systematic manner where the participant will get one video class a day, everyone has to complete all the sections.

COURSE FEE - Why not free?:-

1990/- Rs Though, we have distributed free copies of this course to many college students. We couldn’t make it free for all.

We did keep it free for 1 week and told everyone I knew about this course. But, they were 5 to 10 takers of this course.

Then we ran ads. Targeted ads to people looking for Digital marketing courses. And, we did 27 sales in three weeks.

I and my team decided to keep a price for the course to cover the cost of the website and video hosting and advertising.

Whatever we earn, we invest back in this website and ads.

In this course, I will be sharing my personal methods and experience that will help you to get digital marketing clients, getting jobs, working as an affiliate marketer. I helped a lot to the businessmen to take their businesses online with the help of this course.

All the experiences are shared :-)

Certificates along with the course:-

6 certificates from Google, that includes Google Analytics for beginners, advance and google ads, etc.

2 certificates from Hubspot that includes Email marketing and Hubspot marketing.

2 certificates from Facebook Blueprint.

I certificate from our organization for completion of course.

Idea is to reach out to a minimum of a million live in India and teach them digital marketing in common and simple language videos. There is a very high chance that when you are reading this answer, even this post is sponsored :-) And if you are interested in buying this USE QUORA5 as coupon code to buy the course. You will get a 5% discount.

What we offer:-

In this course, you will learn- Website development, Facebook Marketing, YouTube Marketing, Linked In marketing, SEO, Google Analytics, Affiliate marketing, Video Editing(Advance), Graphic designing(Basic), Analytical marketing, Google Ads, Social Ads, Google tag manager, E-commerce website development and marketing, E-mail Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Content Marketing, Marketing strategies insights.

I mean everything about DIGITAL MARKETING :-)

We will be providing you Elementor pro( page building software) free along with the course, worth Rs.14000/- and advance video editing software, worth Rs. 3000/-. These are provided so that you can learn digital marketing on the premium platforms. Please search them on Google :-). We are able to provide you these plugins at such a low cost because we use this software in our digital marketing agency.

You will be getting access to all the pre-recorded 90 lectures and software lifetime.

We also conduct 2 webinars every month, so that I can share the practical problem that I face in the digital marketing agency and share with you my real projects.

In the webinar, we focus on 2 things:-

The real-life digital marketing problems that I face working with my clients and ask my student in the webinar that what will you do if you were at my place. This actually gives them practical knowledge.

I work on my client's project in front of all of my students on the webinar. So that they will have knowledge that how to work at a professional level in this field and we provide the maximum level of practical knowledge to all our students.

The best part about these webinars is that you will be getting a webinar link in every 15 days so that you can learn digital marketing as long as you want. So learning never stops. 80% of the student continues watching these webinars even after completion of this course.

What you can do after the completion of this course?

After the completion of this course, you can get a chance of working as an intern in our Digital Marketing Agency and can earn some experience.

You can work as a Freelancer, many learners are working as a freelancer and earning 20,000–25,000 per month. One difficulty that you have to face working as a freelancer is getting the first 2 clients. After that things get easy.

You can have your own Affiliate website and can earn passive income from the Amazon Affiliate program in the form of commission. 20% of the learners are having their own websites and are on a path to build their own brand.

Start your own Digital Marketing Agency, this may seem a hectic task, but lot’s of methods are told in this course through with you can start your successful agency.

Apply for a job at various positions like website developer, SMM expert, SEO expert, and can have a stable job.

After this lockdown digitalization has become an obligation, nothing can stop you to get excel in this field. But with a single contingency “Will to work”

No knowledge is bad knowledge. :-) And, I had to make just one course for all. That's why I named it also “A complete course on Digital Marketing”

Thanks.

#marketing entrepreneurship business digitalmarketing

[beneaththetangles]

Alita: Battle Angel (Review)

Near the end of Alita: Battle Angel, the title character’s boyfriend utters an emotional thank you to her: “You saved me.” I tried to stay in the sentimentality in the moment, I really did, but my mind couldn’t help but wonder, “Okay, but who’s going to save us?” And then more seriously, to this: “Could have even James Cameron saved Alita?”

First announced by Cameron in 2003 as his follow-up to Titanic, the adaptation of the Battle Angel Alita manga (Gunnm in Japan) and its prequels took a back seat, instead, to the Avatar franchise. Long-gestating, Alita looked to be the next in a long line of anime or manga adaptations announced in Hollywood and then tossed away (see Robotech and Evangelion). But Cameron’s love for the property is deep, and he turned the reigns over to Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) to direct this vision of a post-apocalyptic future where denizens of Iron City live below the floating metropolis of Zalem, the last surviving fortress from a war several hundred years prior. The citizens below, including Ido’s ex-wife, Chiren (played by Jennifer Connelly in an unproductive role), and Alita’s love interest, Hugo, want desperately to ascend, while the Zalemites literally throw their trash, including Alita’s remain, down below.

The world of Alita is beautifully crafted. Participants were given an early taste of the film’s design through the Passport to Iron City experience, which, like the film, recreates a believable version of the future that feels suitably sci-fi while capturing the feel of a real living community, cosmopolitan and full of weary people just trying to get by. I was reminded of my time in Egypt as a youth, making my way through the bustling crowds of Cairo and unsure of how to navigate the city and culture—Alita, just entering this world, is much the same as I was. After being rebuilt by Ido and reared by him as a daughter, she must learn both the simplest of things, like how to eat an orange, and the complex, including the discovery of elements important to the city and the film, namely the hunter-warrior culture, consisting of bounty hunters who are law enforcement replacements, and motorball, a sports perhaps best described as gladiatorial cyborg roller derby, and highly anticipated by fans of the Alita manga and anime. The film is often at its best following Alita as she engages in her new life, the mundane and the dangerous, and as she learns to use advanced fighting skills trained and embedded within her.

Rosa Salazar stars as Alita in Twentieth Century Fox’s ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.

Of course, she also falls in love. And that relationship is part of Alita’s largest problem, a direction good on its own but here contributing to a convoluted storyline. James Cameron’s greatest films are all relatively simple in scope: rescue the survivors, destroy the nest, and make an escape in Aliens; protect a young boy and his mother from a future killing machine in T2; break across classes and expectations during a great tragedy in Titanic. But unlike those films, which hurtle toward a conclusion with only a very few supporting threads to get them there, Alita meanders the entire time. Check out some of these plotlines: Ido wants Alita to be like his deceased daughter, who died at the hand of a motorball combatant, and led to a divorce. Chiren is also a doctor, but she works for the gangster Vector, who also employs Alita’s boyfriend in a way that may or may not destroy their blossoming romantic relationship. Vector promises both Chiren and Hugo that he will send them to Zalem, but Ido’s been there and says it can’t happen except through motorball—there are three motorball races, by the way, in the film. Vector, it should be mentioned, becomes possessed by the evil genius Desty Nova, who really runs the show, and uses a gigantic cyborg to hunt Alita. Said cyborg is developed by Chiren and is first encountered when Alita suspects that Ido is actually a serial killer.

And I haven’t even mentioned the bounty hunter, Zapan.

The Alita film feels like one giant manga, adapting the storyline from the first four volumes of the series and including material from the prequels in flashback scenes. It’s been noted time and time again that Cameron loves the source material, and it shows. He and Rodriguez stick surprisingly close to Yukito Kishiro’s work—the climax feels almost like a frame for frame shot from the manga. The directive from Cameron seems to have been to do so, but manga are meant to be meandering. They work best, sometimes, when they journey to unexpected places seemingly far from the story at large. Movies don’t fare so well when doing so—at times Alita was confusing and, like the character herself, out of control.

The dialogue certainly didn’t help. Only half-facetiously will I say that another directive from Cameron seems to be this, at least since 1997: Teenage characters must speak like they’re in a WB drama. Though to be fair, the silly dialogue sometimes works: “I do not stand by in the presence of evil” went from corny trailer dialogue to goosebump-inducing intimidation in the film proper. But by the end of movie, I literally spoke Hugo’s line—the one starting this review—before even he did. Such was the predictability of the dialogue, perhaps mirrored best by Vector, who seemed to be the one guy who thinks he’s suave but actually knows way too little language to be anything of the sort, and Chiren, who never gets enough good lines to give her climactic one the power it deserves.

The actors do as well as they can with the writing, and a few even excel. I’ve already mentioned Waltz, who adds more gravitas and believability to Ido than is given in the comic. And Rosa Salazar is pitch-perfect as Alita, a character that in one scene must be spunky and cute and in another hot-headed and imposing. Salazar pulls all of that off perfectly. From the moment she appears on screen, Salazar is Alita.

She is also able to handle the physicality, but credit has to be given to the fight scene coordinators and the special effects editors—they had to make this diminutive character into an terrifying fighting machine, and that they did. She is beautifully crafted, exceedingly beautiful, delicate, and powerful in design. The choreography is wonderful and brutal, as the world is meant to be, and Rodriguez deserves much praise for this. Alita is a PG-13 movie that feels accessible to young audiences for 95% of its run time and then like an R-rated movie during the fights, as Rodriguez is able to get away with graphic violence because he is slicing up cyborgs instead of full humans, and blue blood flows rather than red. The Motorball scenes also do not disappoint—they are fast, vicious, and, most importantly, carefully crafted so that viewers can understand exactly what is happening and to whom without the action slowing down. 3D and IMAX are used perfectly in such scenes (no surprise coming from the master, Cameron).

If only the movie could have lived completely in those fight scenes, and in the quiet ones between Alita and Ido or Alita and Hugo. But it doesn’t—there are too just many chapters to unfold in a film that can’t decide if its a coming of age drama, post-apocalypic jaunt, sports movie, or simply just background for Alita Part II (particularly through the brief appearance of Jai Courtney’s Jashugan and an actor as Nova whose identity I won’t reveal, though I will say I mistook him for John Cusack at first). It swings for the fences, and when it connects, Alita hits home runs, but when it misses, it falls face first into the Iron City dirt. Alita: Battle Angel is a monumental effort that is at times incredibly enjoyable and perhaps even historic, demonstrating that manga can be made into a compelling film—you only need not make the mistake of being married too closely to the material. And with such intimacy, I’m not sure even James Cameron could have found a way to save it from being the beautiful mess it turned out to be.

Rating: *** (3/5 stars)

#Movies #Alita: Battle Angel #Battle Angel Alita #GUNNM #Reviews #Manga #Articles #Author: TWWK

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Macbook Pro Software Update Not Working

System cleanup in one click

Which audio driver is used by MacBook Pro 7.1??? I'm running BootCamp (Windows7 Ultimate x64) and I'm having a problem with audio input, so I'm looking for anything taht will make it work. In Device Manager I had 'Cirrus CS4206A (AB13)' and three devices of 'NVIDIA High Definition Audio'.

Make your Mac fast and secure with CleanMyMac X.

The trackpad is a vital component for any desktop. It allows you to interact with the graphical user interface in ways keyboard shortcuts simply don’t allow.

With a trackpad not working Mac and PC devices may feel downright useless. As we’ve become accustomed to interacting with our computers using a trackpad or mouse, a Mac trackpad not clicking or responding to gestures is troubling.

But don’t worry, if your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air keyboard is not working, as you’ve arrived at the right place, get some of the best possible solutions here. Why Is MacBook Keyboard Not Working? Macs are usually smooth-running machines. However, software and hardware related issues can arrive during use. The documentation indicated that the update: 'Fixes a stability issue that could occur during heavy CPU load on 16in MacBook Pro (2019 and 2020) and 13in MacBook Pro (2020)'. Hopefully we won't. The 16-inch MacBook Pro brings a whole new class of performance to the notebook. Thanks to a more advanced thermal design, the Intel Core i9 processor with up to 8 cores and 16 threads of processing power sustains higher performance for longer periods of time — and delivers up to 2.1 times the performance of a quad-core MacBook Pro. Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 using preproduction 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M1 chip, as well as production 1.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645, all configured with 16GB RAM and 2TB SSD. Tested with prerelease Shapr3D 3.45.0 using a 288.2MB model.

We’ll discuss how MacBook trackpad problems can be solved, what to do when your trackpad fails, how to fix trackpad on MacBook, and the apps that keep any Mac running smooth so you can avoid issues with your trackpad in the future.

Why isn’t my trackpad working?

If a MacBook Pro trackpad not working is ruining your day, there could be a simple fix. First, let’s explore why your trackpad may be spontaneously unresponsive.

If the MacBook trackpad not working is an issue for you, the easiest fix is to plug in an external trackpad or mouse to your Mac.

The first thing to do is check if your version of macOS needs an update. To do so, click the Apple logo in the Mac’s menu bar, select ‘about this Mac,’ then ‘software update.’ If the Mac you’re using has new firmware available, download it.

The reasons for a MacBook trackpad not clicking are varied. It could be the macOS version it’s running, or an app that’s causing issues behind the scenes. It may even be that your system is overworked, and the trackpad is unable to keep up with your clicks and commands.

Finally, your settings may be to blame, especially if an app changed them without notifying you.

How to fix trackpad on your MacBook

There are six key ways to diagnose and fix an unresponsive trackpad on your Mac. Keep in mind an external mouse or trackpad plugged into a Mac is the simplest way to navigate these issues, as a plugged-in peripheral device has no connectivity issues.

Check system preferences

The aforementioned steps for updating Mac also apply, but you can do the same in system preferences. Here’s how:

Select the Apple logo at the top left corner of the Mac menu bar

Select “System Preferences”

Select “Software Update”

If prompted, download and update your version of macOS or OS X

Disable force click

The trackpad on your MacBook has two main interactivity types: force click, and tap to click. The difference between the two is how firmly you need to press your trackpad to get a response. Tapping allows you to simply tap the trackpad to select items, while force clicking demands you press firmly enough on your trackpad to hear (and feel) a click.

Macbook Pro Software Update Not Working Windows 8.1

If you’re tapping and not clicking, it may be the cause of your issues. Here’s how to toggle the setting:

Select the Apple logo at the top left corner of the Mac menu bar

Select “System Preferences”

Select “Trackpad”

Under the “Point & Click” heading, toggle the “Force Click and haptic feedback” off

In this heading, you can also tweak how forcefully you need to tap or click your trackpad to elicit a response. Simply select the “Click” slider, and change the setting to suit your needs.

Reset trackpad

A MacBook pro trackpad reset is not as daunting as it seems. All you’re really doing is toggling your MacBook’s trackpad back to the factory settings in System Preferences.

Most of us altered the settings of our trackpad to better suit our individual needs, and it may have caused issues in the background that causes a trackpad to become unresponsive. To toggle settings back to their original positions, follow the first three steps above to get into the “Trackpad” section in System Preferences.

Make sure “Tap to click” is unselected. In the “Scroll & Zoom” header, ensure “Scroll direction: Natural” is selected. These two setting should return your trackpad to its default state.

Reset NVRAM or PRAM

A lot of niggling issues can be solved with a simple NVRAM or PRAM reset. It’s a simple fix you can do any time, too. Here’s how:

Shut down the MacBook completely

Wait 30-60 seconds

Open MacBook and press the power button

Once the MacBook screen illuminates, immediately press and hold the option, command, P, and R keys

Hold the keys down for 20 seconds, or until you hear a startup sound

Release the keys and let your MacBook boot up normally

Reset the SMC

The SMC reset protocol depends on which MacBook you have. For those MacBooks introduced in 2017 or earlier, follow these steps:

Power down MacBook completely

With the MacBook off, press and hold the shift, control, and option keys

While holding those keys, press and hold the power button

Hold all four keys for ten seconds, then release

Press the power button to boot the MacBook

For MacBooks 2018 or later (with a T2 security chip) follow these steps:

Shut down your MacBook, and make sure it’s unplugged from any power supply

Wait 15 seconds, and plug the MacBook in

Wait five seconds, then power MacBook on by pressing the power button

Run Apple diagnostics

Your MacBook can run a simple diagnostics check from startup. Here’s how it’s done:

Disconnect the MacBook from all external devices except a power supply (if necessary)

Shut down your Mac completely

Power the Mac back on while holding down the D key

When you see a screen asking your language preference, release the D key and select your preferred language

Allow the diagnostics to complete its check

All of these diagnostic and repair steps may be avoidable, too. If you have CleanMyMac X on your MacBook, a routine checkup performed on a schedule of your choosing can help keep any Mac running in peak condition and your settings appropriately stable.

CleanMyMac X’s Smart Scan feature quickly checks the Mac for unnecessary files, privacy issues, and ensures its optimized for speed. There are also unique modules for speed optimization and privacy checks, which perform a deeper scan of a MacBook. CleanMyMac X is also the best way to update and remove apps from your MacBook, helping you feel confident the apps you love aren’t surreptitiously disabling your trackpad.

Bonus tips for your Mac

Repairing and maintaining a Mac is always important, but so is diagnosing it. iStat Menus helps you know exactly what’s going on with your Mac in real time, and lives in the background to keep you focused.

iStat Menus only appears in the Mac’s menu bar, with rich icons that provide a glimpse into your Mac’s performance. If you’re curious about what a Mac is doing, simply click the iStat Menus icon to bring up a full menu of the Mac’s CPU, memory, disk, network, and sensors.

Hovering over any of those categories brings up a sub menu with even more detail – and hovering over sections in the sub menu will surface a chart detailing Mac’s performance statistics in real time. There’s simply no better way to know what a Mac is doing behind the scenes than iStat Menus.

After you’ve diagnosed your MacBook with iStat Menus and maintained it with CleanMyMac X, your next step is backing your system up. That’s where Get Backup Pro comes into play!

Get Backup Pro allows you full control over what you backup, and when. You have the ability to run routine, scheduled backups of particular folders, or your entire system. It’s great for those who want to keep daily backups of their documents or photos, but only want to backup an entire system on occasion.

Get Backup Pro even provides the ability to create bootable backups of your entire system; it’s the perfect app for creating clean, thin, bootable backups in the event you need to restart from scratch.

A wonky trackpad is never fun to deal with, but it can be avoided. Often, trackpad woes are little more than an overtaxed system that can’t respond in time to your trackpad clicks and gestures. iStat Menus helps you understand if that’s the case.

CleanMyMac X allows you to keep Mac running smooth better than anything else, even Apple’s own built-in tools. And when you’re confident your Mac is in peak condition, creating a backup is always a smart idea.

All three of these wonderful apps are available for free during a seven day trial of Setapp, a robust suite of productivity apps for Mac.

In addition to these three apps, you’ll gain immediate and unlimited access to the entire catalog of nearly 200 other impressive apps for any Mac in Setapp. When your free trial is over, retaining unlimited access to all of those amazing apps is only $9.99 per month, so why wait? Give Setapp a try today!

Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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Apple has determined that a very small percentage of 13-inch MacBook Pro displays may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

Display backlight continuously or intermittently shows vertical bright areas along the entire bottom of the screen

Display backlight stops working completely

Affected devices were sold between October 2016 and February 2018. Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service affected MacBook Pro units, free of charge.

To identify your computer's model and to see if it is eligible for this program, choose Apple () menu > About This Mac. Eligible models are listed below.

MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

Note: No other Mac notebook models are part of this program.

Please choose one of the options below for service. Your MacBook Pro will be examined prior to any service to verify that it is eligible for this program.

Find an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Make an appointment at an Apple Retail Store.

Contact Apple Support to arrange mail-in service via the Apple Repair Center.

To prepare your unit for service, please backup your data.

Note: If your MacBook Pro has any damage which impairs the service, that issue will need to be repaired first. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair.

Macbook Pro Software Update Not Working Windows 10

This worldwide Apple program does not extend the standard warranty coverage of your MacBook Pro.

If you believe your MacBook Pro was affected by this issue, and you paid to have your display repaired, you can contact Apple about a refund.

Why Won't My Mac Do A Software Update

The program covers eligible MacBook Pro models for 5 years after the first retail sale of the unit or 3 years from the start date of this program, whichever is longer.

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Art Nouveau Woodblock Prints vs Contemporary Digital Art Prints

Art nouveau thrived from 1890-1910 and is considered to be the “bridge between Victorian clutter and Modernism.” (Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. 6th Edition. Pg 212) At the time “art nouveau” was coined in Paris, the style was considered the ‘new art.” Art nouveau's most identifiable features were it’s free-flowing lines, subjective color, floral motifs, and it’s rejection from traditional art forms. Artists of the time primarily created books, posters, and advertisements; producing beautiful artworks which drew inspiration from gothic arts, Victorian paintings, nature, fantasy, and Japanese woodblock printing. Artists of the time primarily used the woodblock printing method for sharing their new art with the world. Many countries had distinctive styles within the umbrella of art nouveau, but an international new style emerged with technological advances in printing presses, and the market for art for middle and working class people increased. There was a demand for art depicting everyday people, activities, and scenarios, rather than images of unrelatable people and places. Women enjoying life’s pleasures such as drinking and dancing were a huge subject matter for posters. Additionally, some books of the time had illustrations so scandalous they were outlawed in England. Oftentimes artists gained notoriety due to the controversy of their artworks.

“Woodblock prints were a careful collaboration between publisher, artist, block cutter, and printer. The publisher financed the production of a print and coordinated the work of the other three partners. The artist supplied a separate drawing for each color. These were pasted onto woodblocks and the negative or white areas were cut away, destroying the original drawing in the process. After all the blocks for a print were cut, printing began.” (Pg.209) This extensive planning and tedious work that went into some illustrations for printing show the skill of the team at the presses. Mistakes could easily be made while carving the woodblock that could compromise the integrity of the original art, so highly skilled etchers were sought out. Aubrey Beardsley was briefly a renowned artist during the art nouveau period and found a solution by using the “photo engraving process to transfer his artworks from paper to woodblock press, retaining complete fidelity to the original art,” unlike hand carved woodblock illustrations. (Pg. 219)

Besides the team of hands required to produce prints during the art nouveau period, other contingencies posed issues in the woodblock printing process. Inks had to be applied expertly and quickly during printing which posed another problem at times. Only limited colors were available in the past, and only so many could be used per design for fear of colors bleeding and muddling the details. The printing process required a lot of time and manpower to complete, and a plethora of expensive materials were wasted in the trial and error process, unlike today, where we have unlimited digital tools at our fingertips with thousands of colors available to us.

The art and process of making art today is much more efficient, cost effective, and convenient. Contemporary art has many focuses, styles, and mediums thriving. One of my personal favorite styles is digitally created psychedelic art, which draws inspiration from multiple religions, spiritual beliefs, psychedelic experiences, flowers, animals, the nude body and music.

Throughout psychedelic graphic art there is use of repeating or kaleidoscope patterns, sacred geometry, surreal imagery, with vivid and contrasting colors. Oftentimes there’s a sense of a journey, the unknown, or out-of-body experiences. Art of today focuses more heavily on storytelling, entertaining and creating an ambiance or statement in a room, versus depicting the day to day life of the public. A lot of contemporary art can be described as hyperrealistic, as the line between a painting or a photograph is hard to identify at times. Artists of today have the ability to bend reality within photographs, sometimes without detection. Digital art mediums such as Surface Pro’s and IPads are easy to transport and make art easily accessible, in places traditional mediums would be too messy.

Android Jones is a digital artist who is extremely accomplished in our contemporary times, from his fantasy dreamscape artworks to his own graphic design programmed called Microdose VR, which operates conveniently on surface drawing pads. In his artistic process he is able to single handedly make artworks that would have in past times required a team to make. The burden of mistakes, spacing, and wrong colors is removed from the creative process as digital paintings can be erased, redrawn, skewed, recolored, and resized endless times- all without wasting paper or inks. Creating digital art allows for quick, easy, high quality printing. In fact, you can have your artwork printed in as little as an hour as of currently, and there are self service options which would allow you to create prints, from start to finish completely autonomously. Producing a print was a feat in the 1890s-1910 which could easily take months.

I must conclude that contemporary digital art is better versus art nouveau woodblock printing for the fact that supplies are not wasted in the process of making digital art, the process of making prints requires only yourself and the person running the printer, every color and brush imaginable is available in digital art programs, and finally, contemporary art is what I have grown up around, what I can deeply relate to, and what inspired me to start painting myself. There’s nothing I love more than making paintings and I owe that appreciation to the artists whose exhibitions I stood in awe of before at the Smithisonian.