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thymewayster · 1 year

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Really good Twitter thread originally about Elon Musk and Twitter, but also applies to Netflix and a lot of other corporations.

Full thread. Text transcription under cut.

John Bull @garius

One of the things I occasionally get paid to do by companies/execs is to tell them why everything seemed to SUDDENLY go wrong, and subs/readers dropped like a stone. So, with everything going on at Twitter rn, time for a thread about the Trust Thermocline /1

So: what's a thermocline?

Well large bodies of water are made of layers of differing temperatures. Like a layer cake. The top bit is where all the the waves happen and has a gradually decreasing temperature. Then SUDDENLY there's a point where it gets super-cold.

That suddenly is important. There's reasons for it (Science!) but it's just a good metaphor. Indeed you may also be interested in the "Thermocline of Truth" which a project management term for how things on a RAG board all suddenly go from amber to red.

But I digress. The Trust Thermocline is something that, over (many) years of digital, I have seen both digital and regular content publishers hit time and time again. Despite warnings (at least when I've worked there). And it has a similar effect. You have lots of users then suddenly... nope. And this does effect print publications as much as trendy digital media companies. They'll be flying along making loads of money, with lots of users/readers, rolling out new products that get bought. Or events. Or Sub-brands.

And then SUDDENLY those people just abandon them. Often it's not even to "new" competitor products, but stuff they thought were already not a threat. Nor is there lots of obvious dissatisfaction reported from sales and marketing (other than general grumbling). Nor is it a general drift away, it's just a sudden big slide. So why does this happen? As I explain to these people and places, it's because they breached the Trust Thermocline.

I ask them if they'd been increasing prices. Changed service offerings. Modified the product.

The answer is normally: "yes, but not much. And everyone still paid" Then I ask if they did that the year before. Did they increase prices last year? Change the offering? Modify the product?

Again: "yes, but not much."

The answer is normally: "yes, but not much. And everyone still paid." "And the year before?"

"Yes but not much. And everyone still paid."

Well, you get the idea. And here is where the Trust Thermocline kicks in. Because too many people see service use as always following an arc. They think that as long as usage is ticking up, they can do what they like to cost and product.

And (critically) that they can just react when the curve flattens But with a lot of CONTENT products (inc social media) that's not actually how it works. Because it doesn't account for sunk-cost lock-in.

Users and readers will stick to what they know, and use, well beyond the point where they START to lose trust in it. And you won't see that. But they'll only MOVE when they hit the Trust Thermocline. The point where their lack of trust in the product to meet their needs, and the emotional investment they'd made in it, have finally been outweighed by the physical and emotional effort required to abandon it. At this point, I normally get asked something like:

"So if we undo the last few changes and drop the price, we get them back?"

And then I have to break the news that nope: that's not how it works.

Because you're past the Thermocline now. You can't make them trust you again.

#netflix #twitter #economics #corporations #social media

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girlweepinginstairwell · 1 year

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why is every single job listing like Creative Executive Administrative Marketing Coordinator Manager Associate Content Publicity Communications Digital Support Assistant. girl what does that mean. like what would i even be doing

#job search is going really well clearly

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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 months

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Subprime gadgets

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me THIS SUNDAY in ANAHEIM at WONDERCON: YA Fantasy, Room 207, 10 a.m.; Signing, 11 a.m.; Teaching Writing, 2 p.m., Room 213CD.

The promise of feudal security: "Surrender control over your digital life so that we, the wise, giant corporation, can ensure that you aren't tricked into catastrophic blunders that expose you to harm":

https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/

The tech giant is a feudal warlord whose platform is a fortress; move into the fortress and the warlord will defend you against the bandits roaming the lawless land beyond its walls.

That's the promise, here's the failure: What happens when the warlord decides to attack you? If a tech giant decides to do something that harms you, the fortress becomes a prison and the thick walls keep you in.

Apple does this all the time: "click this box and we will use our control over our platform to stop Facebook from spying on you" (Ios as fortress). "No matter what box you click, we will spy on you and because we control which apps you can install, we can stop you from blocking our spying" (Ios as prison):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

But it's not just Apple – any corporation that arrogates to itself the right to override your own choices about your technology will eventually yield to temptation, using that veto to help itself at your expense:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/microincentives-and-enshittification/

Once the corporation puts the gun on the mantelpiece in Act One, they're begging their KPI-obsessed managers to take it down and shoot you in the head with it in anticipation of of their annual Act Three performance review:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/08/playstationed/#tyler-james-hill

One particularly pernicious form of control is "trusted computing" and its handmaiden, "remote attestation." Broadly, this is when a device is designed to gather information about how it is configured and to send verifiable testaments about that configuration to third parties, even if you want to lie to those people:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/08/your-computer-should-say-what-you-tell-it-say-1

New HP printers are designed to continuously monitor how you use them – and data-mine the documents you print for marketing data. You have to hand over a credit-card in order to use them, and HP reserves the right to fine you if your printer is unreachable, which would frustrate their ability to spy on you and charge you rent:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/02/hp-wants-you-to-pay-up-to-36-month-to-rent-a-printer-that-it-monitors/

Under normal circumstances, this technological attack would prompt a defense, like an aftermarket mod that prevents your printer's computer from monitoring you. This is "adversarial interoperability," a once-common technological move:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

An adversarial interoperator seeking to protect HP printer users from HP could gin up fake telemetry to send to HP, so they wouldn't be able to tell that you'd seized the means of computation, triggering fines charged to your credit card.

Enter remote attestation: if HP can create a sealed "trusted platform module" or a (less reliable) "secure enclave" that gathers and cryptographically signs information about which software your printer is running, HP can detect when you have modified it. They can force your printer to rat you out – to spill your secrets to your enemy.

Remote attestation is already a reliable feature of mobile platforms, allowing agencies and corporations whose services you use to make sure that you're perfectly defenseless – not blocking ads or tracking, or doing anything else that shifts power from them to you – before they agree to communicate with your device.

What's more, these "trusted computing" systems aren't just technological impediments to your digital wellbeing – they also carry the force of law. Under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, these snitch-chips are "an effective means of access control" which means that anyone who helps you bypass them faces a $500,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence for a first offense.

Feudal security builds fortresses out of trusted computing and remote attestation and promises to use them to defend you from marauders. Remote attestation lets them determine whether your device has been compromised by someone seeking to harm you – it gives them a reliable testament about your device's configuration even if your device has been poisoned by bandits:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/05/trusting-trust/#thompsons-devil

The fact that you can't override your computer's remote attestations means that you can't be tricked into doing so. That's a part of your computer that belongs to the manufacturer, not you, and it only takes orders from its owner. So long as the benevolent dictator remains benevolent, this is a protective against your own lapses, follies and missteps. But if the corporate warlord turns bandit, this makes you powerless to stop them from devouring you whole.

With that out of the way, let's talk about debt.

Debt is a normal feature of any economy, but today's debt plays a different role from the normal debt that characterized life before wages stagnated and inequality skyrocketed. 40 years ago, neoliberalism – with its assaults on unions and regulations – kicked off a multigenerational process of taking wealth away from working people to make the rich richer.

Have you ever watched a genius pickpocket like Apollo Robbins work? When Robins lifts your wristwatch, he curls his fingers around your wrist, expertly adding pressure to simulate the effect of a watchband, even as he takes away your watch. Then, he gradually releases his grip, so slowly that you don't even notice:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/ppqjya/apollo_robbins_a_master_pickpocket_effortlessly/

For the wealthy to successfully impoverish the rest of us, they had to provide something that made us feel like we were still doing OK, even as they stole our wages, our savings, and our futures. So, even as they shipped our jobs overseas in search of weak environmental laws and weaker labor protection, they shared some of the savings with us, letting us buy more with less. But if your wages keep stagnating, it doesn't matter how cheap a big-screen TV gets, because you're tapped out.

So in tandem with cheap goods from overseas sweatshops, we got easy credit: access to debt. As wages fell, debt rose up to fill the gap. For a while, it's felt OK. Your wages might be falling off, the cost of health care and university might be skyrocketing, but everything was getting cheaper, it was so easy to borrow, and your principal asset – your family home – was going up in value, too.

This period was a "bezzle," John Kenneth Galbraith's name for "The magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it." It's the moment after Apollo Robbins has your watch but before you notice it's gone. In that moment, both you and Robbins feel like you have a watch – the world's supply of watch-derived happiness actually goes up for a moment.

There's a natural limit to debt-fueled consumption: as Michael Hudson says, "debts that can't be paid, won't be paid." Once the debtor owes more than they can pay back – or even service – creditors become less willing to advance credit to them. Worse, they start to demand the right to liquidate the debtor's assets. That can trigger some pretty intense political instability, especially when the only substantial asset most debtors own is the roof over their heads:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/

"Debts that can't be paid, won't be paid," but that doesn't stop creditors from trying to get blood from our stones. As more of us became bankrupt, the bankruptcy system was gutted, turned into a punitive measure designed to terrorize people into continuing to pay down their debts long past the point where they can reasonably do so:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/bankruptcy-protects-fake-people-brutalizes-real-ones/

Enter "subprime" – loans advanced to people who stand no meaningful chance of every paying them back. We all remember the subprime housing bubble, in which complex and deceptive mortgages were extended to borrowers on the promise that they could either flip or remortgage their house before the subprime mortgages detonated when their "teaser rates" expired and the price of staying in your home doubled or tripled.

Subprime housing loans were extended on the belief that people would meekly render themselves homeless once the music stopped, forfeiting all the money they'd plowed into their homes because the contract said they had to. For a brief minute there, it looked like there would be a rebellion against mass foreclosure, but then Obama and Timothy Geithner decreed that millions of Americans would have to lose their homes to "foam the runways" for the banks:

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2012/08/how-treasury-secretary-geithner-foamed-the-runways-with-childrens-shattered-lives/

That's one way to run a subprime shop: offer predatory loans to people who can't afford them and then confiscate their assets when they – inevitably – fail to pay their debts off.

But there's another form of subprime, familiar to loan sharks through the ages: lend money at punitive interest rates, such that the borrower can never repay the debt, and then terrorize the borrower into making payments for as long as possible. Do this right and the borrower will pay you several times the value of the loan, and still owe you a bundle. If the borrower ever earns anything, you'll have a claim on it. Think of Americans who borrowed $79,000 to go to university, paid back $190,000 and still owe $236,000:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

This kind of loan-sharking is profitable, but labor-intensive. It requires that the debtor make payments they fundamentally can't afford. The usurer needs to get their straw right down into the very bottom of the borrower's milkshake and suck up every drop. You need to convince the debtor to sell their wedding ring, then dip into their kid's college fund, then steal their father's coin collection, and, then break into cars to steal the stereos. It takes a lot of person-to-person work to keep your sucker sufficiently motivated to do all that.

This is where digital meets subprime. There's $1T worth of subprime car-loans in America. These are pure predation: the lender sells a beater to a mark, offering a low down-payment loan with a low initial interest rate. The borrower makes payments at that rate for a couple of months, but then the rate blows up to more than they can afford.

Trusted computing makes this marginal racket into a serious industry. First, there's the ability of the car to narc you out to the repo man by reporting on its location. Tesla does one better: if you get behind in your payments, your Tesla immobilizes itself and phones home, waits for the repo man to come to the parking lot, then it backs itself out of the spot while honking its horn and flashing its lights:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

That immobilization trick shows how a canny subprime car-lender can combine the two kinds of subprime: they can secure the loan against an asset (the car), but also coerce borrowers into prioritizing repayment over other necessities of life. After your car immobilizes itself, you just might decide to call the dealership and put down your credit card, even if that means not being able to afford groceries or child support or rent.

One thing we can say about digital tools: they're flexible. Any sadistic motivational technique a lender can dream up, a computerized device can execute. The subprime car market relies on a spectrum of coercive tactics: cars that immobilize themselves, sure, but how about cars that turn on their speakers to max and blare a continuous recording telling you that you're a deadbeat and demanding payment?

https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/miss-a-payment-good-luck-moving-that-car/

The more a subprime lender can rely on a gadget to torment you on their behalf, the more loans they can issue. Here, at last, is a form of automation-driven mass unemployment: normally, an economy that has been fully captured by wealthy oligarchs needs squadrons of cruel arm-breakers to convince the plebs to prioritize debt service over survival. The infinitely flexible, tireless digital arm-breakers enabled by trusted computing have deprived all of those skilled torturers of their rightful employment:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/02/innovation-unlocks-markets/#digital-arm-breakers

The world leader in trusted computing isn't cars, though – it's phones. Long before anyone figured out how to make a car take orders from its manufacturer over the objections of its driver, Apple and Google were inventing "curating computing" whose app stores determined which software you could run and how you could run it.

Back in 2021, Indian subprime lenders hit on the strategy of securing their loans by loading borrowers' phones up with digital arm-breaking software:

https://restofworld.org/2021/loans-that-hijack-your-phone-are-coming-to-india/

The software would gather statistics on your app usage. When you missed a payment, the phone would block you from accessing your most frequently used app. If that didn't motivate you to pay, you'd lose your second-most favorite app, then your third, fourth, etc.

This kind of digital arm-breaking is only possible if your phone is designed to prioritize remote instructions – from the manufacturer and its app makers – over your own. It also only works if the digital arm-breaking company can confirm that you haven't jailbroken your phone, which might allow you to send fake data back saying that your apps have been disabled, while you continue to use those apps. In other words, this kind of digital sadism only works if you've got trusted computing and remote attestation.

Enter "Device Lock Controller," an app that comes pre-installed on some Google Pixel phones. To quote from the app's description: "Device Lock Controller enables device management for credit providers. Your provider can remotely restrict access to your device if you don't make payments":

https://lemmy.world/post/13359866

Google's pitch to Android users is that their "walled garden" is a fortress that keeps people who want to do bad things to you from reaching you. But they're pre-installing software that turns the fortress into a prison that you can't escape if they decide to let someone come after you.

There's a certain kind of economist who looks at these forms of automated, fine-grained punishments and sees nothing but a tool for producing an "efficient market" in debt. For them, the ability to automate arm-breaking results in loans being offered to good, hardworking people who would otherwise be deprived of credit, because lenders will judge that these borrowers can be "incentivized" into continuing payments even to the point of total destitution.

This is classic efficient market hypothesis brain worms, the kind of cognitive dead-end that you arrive at when you conceive of people in purely economic terms, without considering the power relationships between them. It's a dead end you navigate to if you only think about things as they are today – vast numbers of indebted people who command fewer assets and lower wages than at any time since WWII – and treat this as a "natural" state: "how can these poors expect to be offered more debt unless they agree to have their all-important pocket computers booby-trapped?"

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/29/boobytrap/#device-lock-controller

Image: Oatsy (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/oatsy40/21647688003

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

#pluralistic #debt #subprime #armbreakers #mobile #google #android #apps #drm #technological self-determination #efficient market hypothesis brainworms #law and political economy #gadgets #boobytraps #app stores #curated computing #og app #trusted computing

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whereserpentswalk · 22 days

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You're a content creator. Or perhaps video maker is a better word. Filmaker doesn't sound right, you mostly just film yourself. But either way because you read stuff to a camera for a living everyone is telling you to get a digital voice box. You never thought of yourself as the type to become a cyborg, but it's not something you can see, and it really does get down that narration voice down more than any fleshy voice box does.

You finally cave in and get it. Your new voice is way more steady, a bit more feminine and high, strangely calmly enthusiastic. It's really weird hearing yourself talk with so little imperfections, it's not how you sound in your head at all, and all your freinds are kind of weirded out. But on the bright side your channel grows a lot, you've gained more subscribers in the month since you replaced your voice than you have in all the years when you had your biological voice. Everyone is so very proud of you, for the first time your parents actually support your job, and you have so much more to spend now.

After a few months a big network wants to sign a contract with you, it'll let you get the good sponsors, the ones that people trust, and let you crossover with content creators you only ever thought of yourself as a fan of. It seems so nice, though they do say that they can request any body part they want be replaced, or else you'll break contract, and become nothing once more.

After things go well for awhile, but your growth steadied a bit, your network request you take another mechanical body part. They say your expressions aren't very "on brand" and your face shape is a bit too 2050s for their liking, so they're going to replace some of your facial muscles with much more plyable machines. After the surgery your expressions are entirely manual, or set by an app, it skyrockets your channel, but none of your freinds or family even recognize your face, and it doesn't emote when you aren't actively telling it too, so most of your offline social interactions leave you stuck with an expressionless wide eyed stare. You realize they also added some online upgrades to your mechanical voice box, it sounds even less like you now, and you're not able to say words like 'fuck' or 'sex' or 'unionize'. You didn't realize before how horrifying it would be to try to say a specific words and not be able to, nomatter how hard you try.

Your career keeps going well, you get some upgrades that stop you from sleeping or eating that much but you don't really mind those. You also start having fewer and fewer freinds outside the industry and more and more freinds from within it. But after a minor scandal with an ex, your manager tells you you're going to get a new type of surgery: they say that it's not good for someone as famous as you to have body parts that aren't advertiser freindly, they tell you you need to have your genitals and nipples removed, with such a young audience it would be irresponsible not to. A marketing expert feigns comfort as you try to cry, telling you you'll be just like a cute little doll.

You know you can't resist. The company technically owns your face and your voice, if you tried to resist they could have them ripped out of your skull, leaving you a bloody mess. You enjoy your sex organs for the last few days you have them, trying to make the most out of what you'll probably never have again. When the operation is done you wish your eyes could still cry, your body feels so alien, your anatomy so weird and empty and like your body isn't your own. There's an awful voice in the back of your head (and in every comment section now) telling you're not a real woman anymore. You start to understand what people mean by dysphoria, your body is less and less your own every day.

Eventually they take almost all of your body, it's theirs to control. As the years go by you don't have bones you have metal and plastic, you don't have skin you have rubber that looks a lot like skin. Even your eyes are gone, you have new color changing eyes, with the same restrictive settings that Christian parents put on their children's artificial eyes, that block out things like nudity and gore, they censor away a lot of books and news articles too. You don't feel like yourself at all, you're someone else's now, someone's pretty little doll. Your body doesn't even look human now, more like a hyper feminine anime figurine, with no hair on its legs, and a face that never cries or gets angry.

You can barely look at human bodies now, they don't even read as real to you. You admire other cyborgs if anything, cyborgs who replaced their body parts because they wanted to, and look how they want, people with jailbroken limbs and organs that run on Linux, many limbed insectoids who don't try to look humanoid, and furries whose artificial skin makes them look like wolves or cats, or asymmetrical punks who have art sprawling across their metal chassises. You admire them more because at least you could in theory some day become that, become someone who owns their own body, even if most people consider them the lowest of the low, the most cringe the most unmarketable. You want so badly to become unmarketable.

Mabye you want everything to be torn away. You fantasize about your expensive body being destroyed, and ending up with boxy uncomfortable hospital model parts. Mabye if you're broken nobody will want to play with you. You don't know if anything can save you, anything short of a r*volution, and that's not even a word your eyes can see or your mouth should say, so it's so scary to think of it.

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things-about-cars-in-posts · 2 months

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what do you like about cars?

I think you knew, upon asking this, that I could only ever have answered with either an ironic one-liner or a dozen-part novel. And unfortunately, this is already the second line, so novel it is. So then, without any further ado than the literal half year that’s gone by since this was asked, let's go.

1. Engineering matters

At the end of last year (aka when I started writing this, yikes) my dear old iPhone 6S moved on to a new home because it simply wasn't keeping up with me anymore. (And again, I was using an iPhone 6S in 2023. If I say a phone is too slow, it's too slow.) I had plenty of criteria for the replacement: a smallish screen not overboard on resolution, ideally a physical media control button and/or vibration toggle, repairability, a FUCKING AUX JACK... Something like the Sony Xperia 10, whose only real issue is marketing so trash you've only just now learned Sony never stopped making phones.

And yet...

This fancy wallpapers-sporting foldable is a Motorola RAZR 5G, a phone whose too-big screen already broke (though at the edge due to adhesive issues) and those who dared try warn repairing it will be as hard as phone repairs get. Why the fuck did I buy this? Well, because it has something more important than the aux jack, proper sizing, and good cameras: it made me go “That’s so cool!”, and when’s the last time a phone made you say that? It's the cusp of a new technology, and whether it becomes the future of phones, a future of phones, or just a weird footnote, it is an island of interesting in a sea of boring. And sadly, even this island is rapidly sinking. The drive for new form factors has already boiled down to the same two phones and their evolution is sinking into the usual millimetric proportion tweaking, camera rearranging, touchscreen expanding, case material switching, fingerprint sensor moving, and spec improvements not even manufacturers can come up with use cases for. I mean, seriously, how does the iPhone 15 differ from a software-updated iPhone X (which is apparently not pronounced "x", so I guess the iPhone Twitter)? Nothing is new. Nothing is tackled differently. The user experience does not differ. And why should it, when iPhone users will get a new one out of habit anyway and many are so tech illiterate moving a button could hospitalize them? Five generation newer and 150% faster are numbers you basically have to trust, because they don't make a difference that matters.

But in cars? 150% faster will matter alright. Even just looking at it. Cars are a visceral experience to even witness, let alone ride in or drive, and the frantic engineering pursuits for performance and overall capability actually have impactful real world implications beyond "some pockets will bulge 1mm less". And their engineering involves so many fields that there’s always a breakthrough going on somewhere - which leads to another reason their engineering is so interesting: there’s simply so much of it that anyone interested in engineering will find something for them, no matter their level or sector of expertise! Interested in mechanics? Well, obviously you’ll have a field day! Aerodynamics? Don't even get me started! Electronics? You're getting more goods by the year! It spread from engine management to safety assists to infotainment to ergonomic adjustments to even suspension and aerodynamics! Sound design? Even just working on the way engines sound is a profession of its own, let alone making these barrels of metal and glass propelling themselves at triple digit speeds through hundreds of explosions a second things you can comfortably have a conversation in - and that's not even mentioning horns and chimes! Hi-Fi? We’ve spent most of a century trying to get concert hall sound from a tiny tin can where everyone sits off-center and everything bumps and shakes around and you have maybe room for two components* a third the normal size and speakers can only be in a handful of places you wouldn’t want them which may well be the next room over**!

And this is just engineering.

*Like everything in the car world, there are exceptions to that

**For those unfamiliar, subwoofers, the speakers dedicated to, indeed, sub-bass, due to their frequent humongousness are often installed in the trunk.

#stay tuned for part 2!#sony phones *are* great btw #they are sold in actual colors and they're full of cool features #their aux jack can double as a stereo input!!!

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solarwynd · 17 days

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hot take but pjms are loosing the plot w the never ending album promo comparison debate. its not a jimin-against-the-world type situation, but a members vs bang-sb-jk situation. that was very clear to pjms last year but it seems we’ve gone back on some of that progress. trying to pit the others against each other and nitpick similarities and differences between all of their individual releases actually takes attention away from and benefits the real culprit but oh well.

the levels of demand among the members have always been different that is not new information to the members, their fans, or their management. the real issue (at least for me) is not others members getting “more” or different promo rollout than him. let’s be serious, how did more or less music videos help any of the other members out? what difference did a cd make for most of them? and there are many other examples where the others (except for one ofc) got things he didn’t that weren’t necessarily helpful for them.

all of the members have gotten different sources of promotion, which i actually encourage. what would be the point in all of them doing the exact same thing? at one point, jimin was considered privileged about getting his physical album to be available on the same day as its digital release. then that became a norm for the others.

but by constantly nitpicking normal differences (among 6 members) in their rollouts we lose sight of the real mistreatment or whats actually disadvantageous to him. the real issue is not the (5) others getting different things, it is him not receiving the *level of support that his demand requires*. i dont see an issue with the other 5 getting a little boost here and there, because they lack demand and its only natural for them to expand their horizons and find a new audience that does support them. however, jimin ALREADY has an audience and is not being given the support that corresponds to it (e.g. radioplay, award shows, timely certifications, praise from his own damn label, etc) despite it being actually successful. bottom line, team “global superstar” is the common enemy here and all of the other solos are too busy fighting each other to accept that.

Solos pitting the members against each other is how they’ve always operated though. That’s literally what they all get off on including pjms. Comparing numbers and claiming that the member they stan is better. And while I’m sure other solos do recognize that Bang favoriting JK has had some negative affects on the member they stan, they don’t really have it out for him because they’re main enemy will always be Jimin. He is their common ground. Somebody they can all team up against and hate in unison. But regarding pjms, they still universally agree that Bang and Hybe are the real prime culprits in all of this.

I agree that rapline getting bulkier rollouts in contrast to Jimin hasn’t helped them and I never wanted to have identical rollouts because creatively that’s boring. What I and other pjms have always wanted is fairness at base level, like the CD, playlisting and servicing to radio because we know beyond that most likely he isn’t going to get JK level label aid that would be proportionate to his demand in the states. It’s been established that it’s intentionally set like that by Bang and Scooter.

The MV situation is simply because Jimin asked for a visual and was denied. If Jimin had never mentioned that, no pjm would be stuck on him not getting those 2 extra MVs. I’d just see it as something that I’d also like to see from him down the line. It was never about wanting them because we believed it was crucial for charting or exposure. If all seven members got the same amount of those 3 things, I’d have no qualms on that end. And the numbers made off that would just be left up to who has more interest and that can’t really be helped with how skewed it already is.

Common sense would dictate to any label or management that you’d push what has demand in the market that shows it, but Bang and Scooter are stupid men and Jimin isn’t who they want to push so they half ass everything surrounding him. We all know that already. So it’s not that pjms are failing to see the bigger picture, cause we’ve already come to that conclusion like you said. It just keeps gets rehashed because everytime a member has a comeback and gets something Jimin didn’t get for FACE/LC it just irritates all over again. Can’t really fault us for being annoyed in retrospect. But again, we’ll see how they go about PJM2 because for the other members obviously things have went better for them promo wise and *hopefully* it’ll be the same for Jimin too.

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trulybetty · 7 months

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oct' 31 x trick or treat

Prompt: trick or treat (something sweet this way comes p.III) Pairing: marcus pike x f!Reader Word Count: 2,524 Warnings: barely beta'd is the name of the game, all mistakes are my own. mentions of baking, a tiny dash of spice, no spoilers here 💕 Summary: maplewood, a small town nestled in northern bc where people flock to see the changing blossom trees and celebrate the fall season. after losing your job you find yourself a part of the community which includes the towns baker who left a less than stellar impression on you. AO3: coming soon

A/N: It's here! The conclusion to this terribly sweet Marcus Pike story and my October prompts!

x. masterlist x. something sweet this way comes part I x. something sweet this way comes part II

As October inched towards its end, the energy in Maplewood shifted towards an almost palpable excitement. Fairy lights had been strung up between the buildings, ghosts and witches dangled from the trees, and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes sat proudly in shop windows.

You had thrown yourself with full vigour into your job search, declaring that your sabbatical in Maplewood would need to come to an end at some point. So you’d dusted off your resume, worked on cover letters and created many alerts of vacancies between Toronto and Vancouver.

And then, the offer came. A job back in Toronto. On paper, it was everything you had been working towards: good pay, room for advancement, a chance to move back to the bustling metropolis you knew so well.

Just two months ago, you would have snatched it up without a second thought. But things had changed. Maplewood had seeped into your bones; the small-town charm, the sense of community, and the friendships you'd formed had given you a newfound perspective on what ‘home’ could mean.

Adding another layer to your already complicated emotional landscape, was Libby.

“You know,” she said one evening, “the tourism board has an opening. It's in digital marketing,” Libby continued as you both sat in the living room above the bookstore, you with a new mystery novel and her with a cup of herbal tea. “They're expanding their team, and I thought of you immediately. You'd be perfect for it.”

You looked up from your book, “That does sound interesting,” you admitted, your mind racing as you weighed the options.

“Just think about it,” Libby advised, noting your indecision. “You don't have to make up your mind right away.”

But time was not a luxury you had. The job in Toronto needed an answer soon, and the Trick or Treat Parade was just around the corner, a reminder that life in Maplewood moved at its own pace, whether you were ready or not.

And then there was Marcus.

Amidst the excitement for the end of the month Trick or Treat Parade, you had successfully managed to avoid Marcus for the most part since your stint at the bakery.

Whether by luck or meticulous planning, you had kept your interactions brief and formal, a kind of self-imposed exile to protect yourself from... well, you still weren't exactly sure what you were protecting yourself from.

It wasn’t without his efforts either - he’d turned up the afternoon of the Jack-o-Lantern hunt. Libby had been sitting at the counter when she’d glanced up at the store's window seeing Marcus look both ways before jogging across the street. Eyebrows raised, she turned to you, “Marcus is coming over. Do you want me to—”

“Yes,” you interrupted, not even needing to hear the rest, “Libby, you just have to promise me, if Marcus asks for me, say I'm not here, okay?”

Libby chuckled but nodded. “You got it.”

You retreated to the back of the shop, behind rows of bookshelves and out of sight. Moments later, you heard the chime of the front door bell, announcing Marcus' arrival.

“Hey Libby, is—ah, never mind,” Marcus started, seeming to catch himself mid-sentence.

“She's not here,” Libby confirmed, her voice carrying to your hiding spot. “Can I help you with something?”

“Ah, just wanted to drop these off,” Marcus replied. You could almost hear the crinkling of paper, imagining him setting down one of his signature boxes of baked goods on the counter. “For both of you. Consider it a thank you for the help last week.”

“Sure, I'll let her know,” Libby said, slightly hesitant, as if balancing on a tightrope of truth and discretion.

Just as you were thinking you might've pulled off the perfect vanishing act, you accidentally knocked over a stack of newly arrived books with a loud crash. You winced, cursing your clumsiness under your breath.

Back at the front of the store, Marcus raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”

Libby cleared her throat, a little flushed, “Oh, it must be the mice. I've been meaning to deal with that.”

Marcus' voice floated back, laced with a knowing skepticism. “Mice?”

“Uh huh,” Libby nodded.

He gave her a pointed look, “It sounds like a rather large mouse.”

Libby stuttered a response, “I mean, did you see that picture of that rat eating pizza in that New York subway?”

With a departing chime of the bell, Marcus finally left after his conversation with Libby finished, and you waited a full minute before emerging from your hiding spot, guilt written all over your face.

Libby looked at you, then at the box Marcus had left on the counter. “So, what gives? Why are we avoiding Marcus?”

You sighed, finally letting your guard down. “I almost kissed him.”

Libby's eyes widened, her expression shifting from surprise to excitement and then she let out made you wince, “I knew it! I knew you two would be good for each other.”

“Libby, it's complicated,” you said, hoping to dial down her enthusiasm a notch or two.

“What's so complicated?” She nudged the box toward you, lifting the lid to reveal an array of doughnuts and pastries, each more inviting than the last. “The guy leaves you doughnuts, and you're practically swooning. Sounds pretty straightforward to me.”

“It's not about the doughnuts, or the almost-kiss, or any of that,” you said, searching for the right words. "It's about me. I'm confused. I came here to escape my old life, remember? To take a break and figure things out. And suddenly, I'm considering jobs here, thinking about staying in Maplewood, and—”

“Marcus Pike.” Libby finished for you, her eyes softening.

“And Marcus Pike,” you conceded, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders as you admitted it out loud. “Everything was straightforward, come here and take a break, find a job and get back to life, and now? Now it’s like my compass is spinning in every direction and I have no clue what I’m doing.”

Libby moved closer, her eyes sincere. “Look, life doesn’t always fit into neat boxes, and that’s okay. Sometimes the messy parts are what leads us to the most beautiful things.”

“You’re such a romantic, you’ve been hanging around these books too long,” you said, half-teasing but also touched by her words.

“And you’re a realist,” she said with a grin, “That’s why we get along. But sometimes, realists need to let their guard down and see where life takes them,” she replied, pushing the box of pastries closer to you.

You picked one up and took a tentative bite, your thoughts swirling almost as much as the cinnamon in the pastry. As you chewed, you found yourself reflecting on Libby’s words. There was a truth to them that resonated deep within you.

“So, what’s your plan?” Libby finally asked after you’d savoured your bite.

“Plan? Who says I have a plan?” you retorted, a smile creeping onto your face.

“That’s the spirit,” Libby cheered, raising her tea cup in a mock toast.

You clinked your doughnut against her cup.

But as the evening wore on, and you found yourself scrolling through job listings again, your cursor hovered over the tab with the Maplewood tourism board job. What would it be like to build a life here? To become part of this community, to wake up every morning in this sleepy but charming town, and possibly, to explore what it and its residents had to offer?

It was the night of the Trick or Treat parade in the town square.

The evening air was crisp, filled with the smell of autumn leaves and the sugary scent of candy. The Maplewood Town Square had been transformed into a wonderland of Halloween festivities, with strings of orange lights illuminating the dusk, and tables adorned with pumpkins and fall decorations. Kids in costumes scurried about, their laughter and the chatter of their parents filling the air.

You adjusted your witch's hat, the extent of your commitment to dressing up for the occasion. Libby, in contrast, had gone all out, embodying Where's Waldo with red-and-white stripes and a matching beanie. She looked at you and chuckled, "You could've tried a little harder than just a hat."

“I'm wearing all black. That counts for something,” you said, defending your minimalistic approach.

The two of you mingled through the crowd, stopping at various tables to admire the creativity of your neighbors. Your heart thumped a little harder when you saw Marcus’s booth up ahead. He was standing behind a table, handing out intricately designed Halloween sugar cookies to a line of eager children.

“I suppose,” Libby mused, her eyes scanning the crowd as she munched on a caramel apple.

You felt a flutter of nerves in your stomach. You'd run into Marcus a couple days earlier when you’d both awkwardly bumped into each other at the grocery store. Just when you thought you might be able to say something, Ella, who owned the diner, popped between the two of you, asking Marcus about his glazed doughnuts, and you'd taken that as your cue to leave, losing your nerve.

Since then, you'd been keeping an eye out for him but with the town's festivities in full swing for the end of the month it was one missed opportunity after the other and left you feeling that the universe seemed to be giving you every sign that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't meant to be.

And tonight seemed like it was going down the same road.

Marcus looked engrossed now in a conversation with another parent, and you felt that familiar tension creep back in. Just as you thought of moving on, he looked up, catching your eye. For a moment, it was as if the world paused, his gaze locking onto yours. Your heart picked up speed, a sense of anticipation rising.

And then someone screamed, which was followed by the sound of laughter.

All eyes snapped to the spectacle of the haunted house across the way, the moment shattered. When you looked back at Marcus, he was once again absorbed in his work, handing out cookies to a trio of young witches.

“Damn it,” you muttered under your breath.

Libby glanced at you, then over at Marcus surrounded by children eager to fill their bags with treats, “Come on,” she said softly as she hooked arms with you, “Let’s go get some hot cider.”

As the evening wore on, you felt a series of missed chances piling up. It was almost getting humorous. Every time you managed to get close to Marcus's table, he, or you were pulled away—including Sarah, who’d shown up with her arm in a sling wanting to know about your week in the bakery, and then by the Mayor, who wanted to thank Marcus for his contribution to the event.

Finally, resigning yourself to another missed opportunity, you told yourself it was for the best. It was easier this way—easier to keep Marcus at a distance, safely contained within the realm of 'what could have been' rather than risk the messiness of 'what could be.'

As the clock neared the end of the evening, you and Libby began the trek back to her apartment above the bookstore. Libby looked at you, her expression thoughtful. “You know, sometimes when the universe gives you signs, it's not to deter you but to test how much you really want something—or someone.”

You paused, letting her words sink in. Maybe she was right. Maybe these obstacles weren't stop signs but hurdles, gauging whether you'd leap or turn back.

Once you were inside, you looked out the window across the street to Marcus's bakery, now dark but for a single light on in the back.

You didn’t stop to think it through.

Instead you grabbed your jacket, telling Libby to lock up and you'd be back and headed out the door.

As you stepped out into the cool night, a newfound resolve settled in. If the universe was testing you, then it was time to pass with flying colours. And with that, you walked towards the bakery, not knowing what awaited you but ready to find out.

Standing outside the bakery door you paused for a moment, if only to take a deep breath before you knocked the door, hoping it was loud enough to be heard out back.

You heard him shout from the back, “I've got nothing left Bill, Frank will have to go without!”

You knocked again.

When the sound of hurried footsteps drew nearer, Marcus appeared with a perturbed look until he saw you standing there. His eyes widened with surprise as he opened the door.

“Hey,” you said, your voice tinged with a nervous energy you couldn't quite suppress. “Do you have a minute?”

“Of course,” Marcus said, stepping back to let you in.

The bakery felt cozy, its lingering scent of baked goods filling the air as you stepped inside, closing the door behind you.

You hesitated, your gaze falling on the miniature decorative ghosts that decorated the now empty display case. “I think I owe you an apology,” you started.

“What for?”

You licked your lips nervously before turning back to him, “For avoiding you.”

He smiled knowingly, “I had noticed your lack of presence every time I happened to come into the bookstore. I think Libby was starting to run out reasons for your absence.”

You laughed, “Despite living and breathing books, surprisingly creativity is not always her strongest suit.”

“That it's not.”

You smiled and continued, “I guess…” you trailed off trying to find the words, “we almost kissed…” you stuttered, still trying to find the right words.

“And why would that be a reason to avoid me? It felt like you wanted to as much as I did?”

“I did,” you admitted, “but it was complicated.”

“Complicated?”

You chewed at your lip, “Because I've had an offer to take a job back in Toronto.”

“Oh,” the disappointment in his voice was impossible to miss.

“Yeah.”

“Congratulations,” he started, trying to sound more upbeat, “you've always said it was your plan.”

You paused, “Well, it was.”

He cocked an eyebrow in confusion, “Was?”

You offered him a bashful smile, “You're looking at the newest digital marketing coordinator for the Maplewood tourism board.”

“Congratulations again,” he laughed.

“Thank you.”

Another silence fell between you, the tension in the room palpable.

Marcus looked at you, his eyes full of something you couldn’t quite put your finger on, but it felt like hope. “So, where does that leave us?”

You took a step closer. “I think that leaves us at the beginning of something. Something I’m willing to explore, that is if you are?”

Marcus closed the gap, his hands finding your face, his touch warm and grounding. “Then let’s start at the beginning.”

As your lips met, it felt like the answer to an unspoken question, a missing piece slotting into place.

And as you kissed, soft and tentative, as if both of you were testing the waters, the uncertainties and what-ifs seemed to melt away, leaving only the palpable sense of a new chapter unfolding.

#october x 500 #autumnal offerings #something sweet this way comes #marcus pike #marcus pike fanfic #marcus pike fanfiction #marcus pike x you #marcus pike x reader #marcus pike x f!reader

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itsclydebitches · 10 months

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I honestly have no idea how they intend to greenlight volume 10 if it's not been greenlit already. They've announced the final season of Red vs Blue and a lot of early day fans are in agreement that the end of RvB is the signaling of the end of RT in general. It's their second biggest money maker next to RWBY. After this new season, it's over. What do they do next? Do RT really believe that RWBY is popular enough to coast on for another decade? It'll be a miracle if it lasts even one more year.

Their viewership has been on a decline since Volume 6, they've abused so much of their animation department that there's almost no one left, most of their VA talent for RWBY's popular characters aren't coming back due to all the controversies, any spinoffs or soft reboots or whatever keep going back to the Beacon era and don't really do much to help with the overall problems that are down to the roots of the company.

They even made their biggest ship that kept what few fans are left canon and put out half assed merch that sold out in minutes, and somehow they still haven't managed to find enough money to greenlight another volume?

If they somehow miraculously get Volume 10 made, it's probably going to be the last.

The last few years of RWBY have really highlighted for me how challenging it is to define "popularity" and "success" nowadays. Granted, a good chunk of that is simply my own ignorance about how the production side of things are run, but it nevertheless feels like there's this intense level of ambiguity that wasn't there in the past (or at least wasn't as obvious). Fandom itself has always been an unreliable source because depending on the corner of the internet you're in, you can get a wildly skewed perspective without engaging with everything that contradicts how "good" or "bad" you think things are going. As you say, merch sells out in minutes, yet neither the finances nor the implied security of that seems to be enough to land another Volume. There are questions about whether this could be a marketing scheme, wherein Volume 10's future is simply being kept under wraps to drum up interest. There's the question of whether popularity matters at all when we've got companies cancelling and pulling undoubtedly successful shows, all according to their own, long-term algorithms. On the one hand the information surrounding RT is all about the abuse of their workers, another scandal, how this might all tie into the strikes... and yet most of this is nothing new and RWBY has still secured movies, a soft reboot, comics, and books. I agree completely with your list above of all the ways in which the series is struggling (massively) and yet RWBY has been "dying" for half its run-time. So is this the final nail in the coffin—the inevitable ending that's been a long time coming—or just another year where the fandom unintentionally cries wolf?

I'm not so naive as to believe that things were actually simple 'back in the day'—that's the nostalgia talking—but it still seems like things were simpler in comparison to what we've got now. TV and its media equivalents used to be—or at least felt like—a fairly straightforward journey of airing, ratings, syndication, cancellation, renewal, and then (eventually) the viewer securing a copy for themselves via VHS and DVDs. Now it's like, "What do I do with the newbie webseries eventually bought up by a major corporation and moved from a free watch, to a company-specific streaming watch, to a different, more expensive streaming watch, all of which has led to a decade of success with various spinoffs, but apparently this webseries still isn't making enough money to continue? Regardless, it and everything else I love to watch is inching more and more towards digital-only copies, a status that is inherently nerve-wracking, which means that if it does suddenly crash and burn (given that this is one of two series keeping the original company afloat) circulating this story and maintaining the fandom will be that much harder."

I find that depressing and I'm someone who thinks RWBY is pretty awful right now. I can't imagine what that ambiguity and the state of streaming media in 2023 feels like to fans still in love with the show.

So yeah. Idk how they intend to greenlight Volume 10 either.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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fairycosmos · 7 months

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what do you do if you don’t go to uni? asking as someone who is dropping out of uni for my mental health (please remind me of how hot that is)

i'm a digital marketing exec rn......i have qualifications in childcare/support teaching via college (which is different to uni in the uk, college is like a trade school you go to to learn a certain skill or gain a certain qualification) so i did that for like 3 yrs and worked in schools + nurseries while doing copywriting on the side.......then made the switch to freelance copywriting throughout the latter part of the pandemic and did an internship at a digital marketing office, went back to freelancing for months, then finally gained full time employment where i'm at now as a digital marketing exec + content manager......i've hopped paths a lot and probably will continue to to be honest as nothing is guaranteed these days and obviously not having a degree does present certain roadblocks unfortunately but there are absolutely numerous paths to employment be it freelancing or interning or volunteering or just gaining hands-on experience however you can. it's very very very hard and grueling but i know if i went to uni in 2018 when i was "supposed" to i would've probably ended up in a psych ward or dead no exaggeration so yeah (also i legit didn't/don't have the money or living circumstances to go to uni lol.) it's VERY hot. probably the hottest thing you could ever do. to put yourself first and go after what you need like that ...........

#anon

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thejudgingtrash · 1 year

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Yass, time for adult!Percy!

I was wondering about life past the current Riordanverse and I really like the idea of gathering different possible jobs for Percy, for fics and for fun.

So here’s a few:

1. Teacher/Counselor

First of all, what kind of teacher? Is he an elementary teacher? Does he teach AP classes in high school? Which subjects? Public school or private school (let’s not forget, Percy spent a good chunk in his life in private schools as the token poor negro kid and was surrounded by awful arrogant rich kids like Nancy and Matt)? Montessori school?? And most importantly: no, I absolutely do not see it.

Percy’s ofc very compassionate and aware of surroundings, so he’d be on high alert with his students but with the current and former state in schools I don’t think he’s willing to get traumatized each and every single day at school.

2. Marine Biologist

Call me basic but since it’s essentially canon, Imma stick beside him (tbh I can’t remember anything past PJO lol). But marine biology is such an interesting and diverse field?? Like c’mon now!

Yes, it’s a lot more chemistry and math and physics than one might think but the possibilities? And the benefits with his powers? Let Percy get a minor in psychology and study animal behavior by actually interviewing them, IT’S A GENIUS MOVE IF YOU GET THE VISION!

3. Marketing Manager

Hehe. My field of study. Am I biased? Of course I am! Was this part of my fic Oh. It’s Them Again? Yessss, mama!

Again. Such an interesting field with many possibilities! And he’d get more than just a good check in NYC if he switches positions enough! Like… is Percy a digital marketing manager? How much does he hate Google, Meta, Amazon and co.? Is he working in strengthening brand awareness and if so, how? Is he forced to work in newsletter/email marketing? Is he a sales machine and constantly on the road? Or is he a key account manager and simply focuses on a handful of important clients?

Is he, as a disgruntled millennial, forced to work with spoiled gen z influencers he hates and has to figure out the TikTok algorithm like a grandpa on the sofa whilst unhelpful Annabeth is laughing at him (shut up Annabeth, we all know you use IG reels and occasionally YT shorts at best!!)? Does he accidentally go viral and HATES everyone calling him daddy in the comments??

Oh, the possibilities.

4. Firefighter/Paramedic

Hell yes. I saw someone else posting about this ages ago (if you can remember, feel free to @!). But this is so interesting. If you want to somewhat stick to canon and let Percy use his powers, this could be an option.

I see it, helping and saving people that way could be an option. Still, also more on the traumatizing side but I actually think this is more interesting than a teacher. And oh, the possibilities in stories are endless! Saving people and pets from burning houses. Coordinating shifts in the station, being a first responder… oof.

That said…

5. Doctor

Oof, I should really work on The Wedding Dance in the future even tho it’s hella minor plot point…

Hospital doc? Owning his own practice doc? Doing 1 first and 2 next? What type of doctor is he? Simply an internist? A gastroenterologist? Pediatrician (could be traumatizing)? A surgeon to let out his god complex? Okay, let’s note down surgeon for Annabeth… a neurologist? Endless opportunities. Where’s the PJO x Grey’s Anatomy fic we all need??

6. Hotelier

Whilst the service industry is incredibly fucked (pre- as well as post-Pandemic), this is also interesting. Let Percy and Sally own a bed and breakfast. What does it look like? How many rooms are there? How much do they hate booking.com and AirBnB for taking a good chunk of commission?

Where’s the hotel located? In Montauk? In Manhattan? In Greece?? What are the roles? Does Sally do the cooking and house keeping whilst Percy does repairs and is the receptionist/clerk?

Who are the guests?? You decide!

7. Chef/Baker

Ahhh… Chef!Percy my beloved, you will always be welcomed. So. Much. Stuff. To. Think. About. And yes, this will actually be relevant for one of my fics, IFYKY. Head chef, deputy chef, junior chef… did Percy go the Institute of Culinary Education? Did he go to Italy or France for a few years to hone his craft? Or did he purposefully say f Europe, let’s head somewhere else? What is his specialty? How much sleep does he get per week?

Also I’m never letting go of Baker!Percy and Sally who own their sweet cupcake shop and sell all kinds of sugary shit!

8. Stay at Home Dad

My fave trope, don’t get it twisted! While I think Annabeth and Percy realistically have one kid max plus two or three pets, I love the idea of Career and Business Woman!Annabeth and SAHD Percy who’s trying to make her life as easy as possible whilst tending the baby, trying to clothe the toddler and reminding their elementary school aged kid to pack their lunch.

A chaotic, yet amazing and rewarding life (which is still stressful! Just a different kind of stressful!)

Sooooo…

What do you think? Agreements, disagreements? Anyone who’s interested/in school for/already working in any of these fields? Do you think it’s unrealistic? Is it realistic?

Mayhaps, I’ll think about other demigods and what they can do in the future 🧐🫡

#pjo #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabeth #percy jackson and the olympians #sally jackson #heroes of olympus #hoo #pjo au #adulthood

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darkpink75 · 1 month

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My website has come a long way from its origins as a small site with a few spreads available for doing a digital tarot reading. While there's only a few decks of cards available (those that are in the public domain), there are now 33 spreads available, and more are being added frequently as of late.

Newer additions include a 12 month, 13 card oracle for the year, a five card cross (four elements with a significator), a Whispers of the Ancestors spread I found and liked (for communicating with one's ancestors), and a two card spread (with one being a significator). A description of what each set of cards in a spread signifies can be previewed on the site

The site offers a rather subdued, old-Internet style experience, even if it is optimized for mobile and features some subtle responsive design that makes looking at the cards hassle-free. It is coded from scratch in PHP by me, and doesn't use a content management system. While I did attempt to put mostly non-intrusive advertising on the site relevant to the tarot decks being used in the past, I gave up on that and there is no advertising on the site. What you will not find on the site are endless marketing ploys for monetized "spiritual" products, or Search Engine Optimized design made to suck all the character out of the site in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator of mysticism. In fact, the site does have a donate button, but donations are really the only way the site is monetized. It is first and foremost a labor of love.

So, if you're looking for a unique experience with online tarot reading, give it a try.

#tarot #tarot cards #tarotblr #tarot community #tarot reading #cartomancy #tarotcommunity #divination

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brehaaorgana · 10 months

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Btw since we're talking about ADHD strategies for handling organizing events and tasks — I like this book Grip: The Art of Working Smart for workplace (office, freelance, creative) organization (and growth!) advice. Rick Pastoor really breaks down how to manage a work calendar (he focuses on/prefers digital), and to-do lists. Basically he starts with the premise that people "aren't natural born planners," and we can't possibly remember everything we need to, so we have to create an external hard drive for our brain.

There's also stuff for like, evaluating your job (if it's a good fit, if you want something else) and performance, finding valuable feedback (and who to listen to which is like!!! Great advice) and stuff like that, but the beginning parts about organization are why I bought it.

Highlights:

Figuring out your work habits and how to experiment to make things easier for you

Action plan for last minute jobs

The Eisenhower matrix for figuring out priorities of tasks. I started doing this at work when I feel like I have too much to do and no idea what to do first. The book explains each quadrant and like, what to do about tasks in those places and it has saved my skin at least twice.

How to make a to-do list. Literally a whole chapter. There's prompts for what to put on it, how to deal if you have too many things jangling in your brain to start, setting up keyboard shortcuts for digital list entries to help preserve focus, how to turn vague tasks into to-do list actions, and then only later does he explain how to get more complex with the lists. How to use the list.

He even talks about like, intentionally hyperfocusing and setting up the right environment to do that when you want to crunch through something lol.

Whole chapter on dealing with work emails!! I have so many, all the time. Necessary to defeat the beast.

There's an added mini chapter at the end about preparing for a vacation from work and returning from work without everything being maximum stress which is great.

Basically EVERYTHING IS BROKEN DOWN!! EXPLAINED!! steps provided to make it easier or less to tackle!!

Apparently it didn't do so hot in the English (US/UK) market which is a shame because it was VERY HELPFUL to me. (I went searching and found someone else with ADHD recommending it, which is how I found this out!)

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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams received more than $100,000 from a mysterious limited liability company that doesn't appear to have any online presence outside of her financial disclosure form and corporate records, a Fox News Digital review found.

Abrams' financial disclosure form, released in March, lists Dream Project Partners Inc. in multiple sections, including "statement of income" and "direct ownership interests in business entity." The Georgia Democrat listed herself as a "Board Member and Shareholder" and recorded in the income section that she received $50,000 in 2021 and $100,000 in 2022.

The financial form says she has no duties with Dream Project Partners Inc., and its "principal activity" description is also vague.

"Developing a culturally competent technology platform for entrepreneurs," the disclosure form says.

STACEY ABRAMS TIED TO MULTIPLE ABOLITIONIST GROUPS DESPITE CLAIMS SHE DOESN'T SUPPORT DEFUNDING POLICE

The other online presence for the opaque company is in Delaware business records, which lists it as a domestic corporation established in June 2021.

Delaware, known for its permissible corporate secrecy, does not require entities to list managers or members in formation documents. Instead, it allows just the name and address of a registered state agent as a substitute. The Dover-based Resident Agents Inc. is its registered agent in its papers.

Stacey Abrams-linked group took almost $500K from taxpayer-backed COVID fund as donations swelled by $20M

Abrams, who touted herself as a "Yale-trained tax attorney" earlier this year, also disclosed relationships with several other limited liability companies. She acts as a "managing member" of Davis Hall LLC, which until 2021 was named Sela Technologies LLC, according to a search of Georgia State records. Abrams lists this as her "personal office," according to the forms.

OVER 100 GEORGIA SHERIFFS CONDEMN STACEY ABRAMS OVER ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ FOUNDATION'S TIES

Meanwhile, the forms show that Abrams is also the owner of Hall Davis LLC, which deals with "general business" matters. The repeat gubernatorial candidate says in the financial disclosure that she has more than a 5 percent ownership interest in both companies and that they each have a fair market value of more than $5,000.

Abrams' net worth has drastically increased as she worked in the private sector over the past few years. She's now worth $3.17 million, a significant uptick from her reported $109,000 net worth four years ago.

Abrams pushed back against criticism of her increase in wealth earlier this year by telling the Associated Press that she believes "every person should have the opportunity to thrive."

"And because I had three years where I was in the private sector, I leveraged all three years, and in that time I’ve done my best to not only be successful personally but to do what I can to help Georgians," Abrams said.

Abrams has also padded her income by inking book deals and giving dozens of speeches. Abrams will be releasing another children's book in December titled "Stacey's Remarkable Books."

Fox News Digital reached out multiple times to the Abrams campaign with a series of questions regarding Abrams' involvement with Dream Project Partners, Davis Hall LLC and Hall Davis LLC, but the campaign did not respond.

#nunyas news #as politicians go she's a standout for being worse

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arkenforge · 1 year

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What does OGL v1.1 mean for VTTs?

Hey folks! You’ve probably heard that a draft of the OGL v1.1 from WotC has been leaked. We’ve heard what this means for publishers thanks to folks like The Rules Lawyer and Linda Codega. We haven’t heard much about the VTT side of things. As a VTT developer, we’ll be weighing in on this issue from the digital TTRPG side of things. We’ll be explaining how this is a clear attempt for WotC to consolidate power in the digital TTRPG space at the expense of independent (and some large) publishers.

If you aren’t sure what the OGL is, we’ll let Wikipedia do the work on this one.

Before we dive into how this will affect the VTT space, we need to look at the context for the OGL v1.1 release.

D&D Beyond

D&D Beyond is by far the most popular tool for character management in D&D5e. It contains a fully searchable and filterable repository of all game rules, classes, races, spells, etc. It also does character management, encounter building and dice rolls, and hosts a digital copy of all official 5e adventures. Essentially, if you’re using any official content from Wizards of the Coast, you can find it on D&D Beyond.

Last year D&D Beyond was purchased by Wizards of the Coast for $146.3 million. At the time of purchase they had amassed almost 10 million users (now ~13 million based on a recent investor call). We learnt recently that WotC is using D&D Beyond as the cornerstone of their new digital D&D offering. All of the content and automation that is needed to play 5e can be managed through D&D Beyond except for one key element – interactive maps. That’s where the recent announcement of Wizards’ new VTT, OneD&D, comes into the picture.

But why male models VTTs?

For those that haven’t heard of the term before, VTTs are virtual tabletops. They allow people to run their games digitally, either online or in person. VTTs tend to provide tools and/or automation to make running your games smoother and more immersive. They are also very useful for those who have party members in multiple locations.

VTT use is at its highest point ever. After two years of global isolation, players flocked to online VTTs such as Roll20, Foundry, Fantasy Grounds, and Owlbear Rodeo. This led to millions of players who typically play around the table to experience digital tabletop tools for the first time, and by far the most popular game they were playing was D&D.

Playing D&D online

Right now 5e is played everywhere, and could make up as much as half of all TTRPG games played globally based on information from last year’s Orr report. This is a huge market, and right now it’s spread over every VTT out there. Wouldn’t it be great for Wizards of the Coast if everyone was playing on a platform that they fully owned and controlled? GMs could buy all their content from WotC directly, without needing to revenue share with those other VTTs. The famously under-monetised players could customise and personalise their characters with purchaseable cosmetics or character sheets that are provided by WotC directly, not by independent artists.

Wizards of the Coast certainly seems to think that this is a great idea. Enter OneD&D.

OneD&D is a new VTT being built by Wizards, slated for a 2024 release. Early footage from the announcement trailer shows it as a highly detailed 3D platform that provides all the standard VTT features. However, with everyone already using all the other VTT platforms competition would be quite fierce. That is, unless they had a way to shut out others from the market.

We think that’s one of the primary purposes of OGL v1.1 – to deliberately remove the competition for digital D&D tools, leaving WotC with the monopoly on all future D&D content through D&D Beyond and OneD&D.

Consolidating Power – OGL v1.1

The primary thing we need to worry about in the VTT space is covered by the following excerpts. We’ve bolded the important bits:

From the recent OGL post on DnDBeyond: “those materials are only ever permitted as printed media or static electronic files (like epubs and PDFs)”, and

This section from Linda’s Gizmodo article: “[The updated license] only allows for creation of roleplaying games and supplements in printed media and static electronic file formats. It does not allow for anything else, including but not limited to things like … virtual tabletops or VTT campaigns … You may engage in these activities only to the extent allowed under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy or separately agreed between You and Us.”

The mostly overlooked takeaway from OGL v1.1 is that it only covers static electronic files. That is, content that can not be altered in any way, and content that is in transferrable file form. No websites. Even if you’re putting up a single static web page, if it’s got text from a 5e book it’s illegal.

Creating a form fillable PDF? Not allowed. Building your own 5e character manager? Illegal. A 5e compendium? Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (ironically also a reference to a Hasbro product). Nothing that is both digital and interactive can be published without a special ‘custom agreement’ with WotC.

The forbidden content

Here’s a few examples of things that are both digital and interactive that OGL v1.1 forbids:

A fully searchable and filterable repository of any 5e content. If you can show or hide content based on a set of filters, it’s not static

Character management

Encounter building

I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty close to all the things that D&D Beyond does! What else could you consider digital and interactive I wonder?

Interactive maps

Automation of 5e rules and combat

That’s sounding quite a bit like the features a VTT might provide! How awfully convenient that WotC is releasing one in 2024!

“But VTTs already have agreements, so OGL v1.1 won’t affect them”

This is an argument that WotC has already made, and no doubt will continue making until the release of OneD&D. This is specifically what they’ve said:

“The top VTT platforms already have custom agreements with Wizards to do what they do.” (source). This is a handwaving a lot of issues.

Firstly, note here that the top VTT platforms are specifically Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds. FoundryVTT, who at this point we would very much consider a top VTT, does not have a custom agreement with WotC. Arkenforge (who we consider a pretty great VTT) does not have an agreement with WotC. The vast majority of VTTs don’t have an agreement with WotC.

As Foundry founder and developer Atropos himself said recently: “We’ve been actively monitoring this situation and we’re going to be proactively working on a path forward that will cover our use case and allow us to support One D&D. We are not, however, in a position to do so already under the terms of today’s post. There is work to do“.

This isn’t a surprise

We alluded to this in our previous article about the D&D Beyond purchase: “The bigger implication here though is the continuation of ‘unofficial’ D&D Beyond support. …there are a large number of tools out there that are currently skirting an incredibly grey area of licensing. Neither D&D Beyond or WotC have approved these tools…. Knowing WotC, it’s incredibly likely that as the release of the VTT draws near, the creators of these tools will start receiving Cease and Desist letters and takedown notices”. It’s why we’ve deliberately shied away for putting anything even remotely close to 5e into our software. We’d love to have functionality that allows us to pull D&D Beyond data, but it’s a dangerous area.

There’s a very long list of VTTs that have appeared in the last few years that primarily serve 5e content. Too many to list here. All of these VTTs are risking cease and desists under OGL v1.1. Tools that pull content from Beyond, or even tools that allow for easy browsing of the 5e ruleset are also illegal under OGL v1.1.

Independent releases on VTTs

The other elephant in the room with Wizards’ statement is that this agreement is with VTT platforms that release their own versions of 5e books. VTTs are also an excellent marketplace for independent creators. They can publish their content for people to play directly without needing to worry about printing and distribution. Many Patreons also offer VTT content for their higher tier patrons.

Content that independent creators create and sell on these platforms is not part of the VTT agreement. Most likely the OGL v1.1 will prevent them from creating interactive digital versions of their products to sell on VTT marketplaces. This is going to force anyone wanting to create online D&D content to OneD&D, who will more than likely provide plentiful tools to publish your content through their own platform.

The ability for WotC to revoke any license with only 30 days’ warning can put a strain on those VTTs with marketplaces. We could very well have a message from Wizards that we need to remove a certain product at once. Not only does this put stress on our the people managing our marketplace, it can also annoy users who could see any D&D-related purchased content vanish from their libraries with no warning.

OGL v1.1 overreach

As you read above, we expected the heavy-handed crackdown on 5e content. It’s only natural that WotC would try to reduce competition and move as many players as possible to their own platform. What we didn’t expect however, were the changes to OGL publishing.

Wizards is trying very hard to have OGL 1.1 be the only publishable license available. They’re already trying to claim that the existing OGL is now unauthorized, which would prevent anyone from publishing under it.

If you think this will only affect D&D, here’s just some of the popular Publishers and TTRPGs that are published under the previous OGL.

Paizo – Pathfinder, Starfinder

Evil Hat Productions – Fate, The Dresden Files RPG

Pinnacle Entertainment – Pathfinder for Savage Worlds

Green Ronin Publishing – Mutants and Masterminds

This leads to one big question for publishers and VTTs alike. Can these publishers publish VTT versions of their systems and adventures? The new OGL says no.

A digital graveyard

Under the new licensing, Mutants and Masterminds can’t decide to put their content on any VTT without consulting WotC first. We likely can’t get official Pathfinder or Starfinder content on our own Arkenforge store because those new products may violate OGL v1.1’s ‘no interactive digital content’ terms. Despite a publisher already having a deep library of content, converting an existing adventure module for a VTT can easily be classified as a ‘new product’ that OGL v1.1 covers. No third parties could create digital content for these systems either. Many people will likely try to continue releasing content for open VTTs such as Foundry under the Fan Content Policy, but that’s treading into an incredibly grey area and will most likely be forbidden.

If this interpretation is correct (and all signs so far point to WotC trying to push this as the correct interpretation) then there’s a lot more than D&D that will be affected by this change in the digital space. Several independent creators will be unable to keep up releases with new VTTs unless Wizards allows them to. This simple change in the OGL gives Wizards of the Coast complete control of the digital future of several popular roleplaying games. We sincerely hope that this isn’t the interpretation that they end up going with.

Conclusion

Wizards of the Coast strongly believes that online, digital tools are the future of tabletop roleplaying. They’ve structured OGL v1.1 to try and monopolise this space for all future D&D content. Both large and independent publishers can only release digital content on Wizards’ terms. These terms will likely come with either OneD&D exclusivity requirements or some level of royalties. They can also choose to shut people out of the digital market entirely. OGL v1.1 gives WotC the ability to stop Paizo releasing any future Starfinder content on any VTT. There’s a couple of other tricks that they have up their sleeve that we unfortunately can’t discuss for legal reasons.

OGL v1.1 in its current form will undoubtedly be disastrous for the future of independent creators for 5e content. Wizards is unhappy with the lack of control they’ve had over independent creators in the past, and they’re now tightening their grip too hard. We can only hope that enough people speak out to make these Wizards break concentration.

#dnd #onednd #ogl 1.1 #ogl #opendnd

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