#if you want to make a blog with the same gimmick and have those conversations i say go for it. do what i can't

[charactersmashorpass]

i know no standard i set will be uniform and not everyone will view it the same way i do. and i can't stop these sorts of submissions from coming in, but i can make my own decisions about what is and isn't acceptable to me and put in effort to do a more thorough vetting process

edit: okay one more thing, me choosing to not include characters is not some ultimate signal of morality, it's just based on me and my own beliefs. this is a dumb gimmick blog, and ultimately i'm going to prioritize my own comfort and boundaries before getting involved in discourse that i, quite frankly, don't think i have the ability to speak about in the way that i think it should be spoken about

#this is the last i'll say of this for the time being bc i have such low energy atm #i may go through and delete other polls as i feel necessary and like. if i'm honest i would rather this gimmick blog not be the center #of these sorts of complex conversations because i do not have the ability to adequately word it #i get the point these conversations are making but i am not someone who is well versed or energized enough to have them #if you want to make a blog with the same gimmick and have those conversations i say go for it. do what i can't

[mobloomspell]

I finished the main quest for Tears of the Kingdom, rolled credits and got my little epilogue scene, and my final thoughts are... meh. 

If that sounds familiar, that’s because the blunt truth is the game never changed from my first and second impressions. It shares the same exposition five times, it’s blatantly obvious not much is going on story-wise and the presentation, lovely as it is, can’t hide that. A majority of the plot is bad, and I don’t feel the need to sugarcoat that opinion for an otherwise good game.

(While none of my complaints are unique, there are probably hundreds of blogs and comments criticizing  the same things I am, I will say, maybe unpopular opinion: I don’t mind the Sheikah tech being basically erased and replaced with Zonai stuff, and other little retcons throughout. All my problems with the structure is from treating TOTK as its own standalone game and story.)

I don’t even hate the main quests most of the time, it’s pathetically easy to skip the bits I wasn’t liking each time. In some ways the town stuff is a massive improvement over BOTW and fun to play and interact with this world. The dungeons and even getting to those places with a companion are neat little sequences. But I cannot emphasize enough how actually completing dungeons and being ‘rewarded’ with essentially the same (far too long) cutscene is such a deflating experience to what I was just enjoying. I don’t how to briefly explain it, but I feel like new Zelda games have this problem where I’m not really a part of them anymore as a player, I’m just supposed to sit there and accept that Link is The Hero the universe revolves around. It’s weird and boring and I hate it every time!!

LOZ games have always been game first, with narrative being a far second priority. And I’m an easy to please lady, I genuinely love BOTW and HWAOC because they’re simple and don’t waste time dressing themselves up as anything more important than they really are. I expected TOTK to be on that same level just with a different gimmick. But even with those reasonably low expectations, the story feels like it’s the brainstorm session of a plot that lucks into making a scene or thread I like, but spends a lot of time saying nothing. Most of it fell flat for me, and the worst part is I can see how even just a few punched up sentences here and there could have a domino effect to better emphasizing what I think the main quest is thematically trying to say. You certainly can’t make Ganon’s terrible dialogue worse.  The basic shape of a decent story is there, it just desperately needs a second draft to reach its potential.

(I spent most of the post-credit scene thinking “what are you talking about?” as characters conversed about something that had been brought up maybe once, it was unintentionally funny)

Sorry to sound like a broken record, but it’s just plain true that Zelda is the only character I cared about here. She’s a bit too fair maiden archetype for me to be fully comfortable with (to be fair, this is a problem BOTW has too) but she’s got the closest thing to a basic character arc in comparison to the lacking development everyone else has. A concept at the center of her story is unambiguously cool and compelling to be worth pinning a game on. Along with the main quest, there are also side quests that show she’s been doing things like commissioning a schoolhouse to be built and starting an animal sanctuary at a stable. These are nice glimpses into a down-to-earth person’s life as she genuinely cares about the present world around her, not just the big plot stuff. It’s crumbs in comparison to other RPGs but I savored them.

I could say more but I actually want to focus on the stuff I set aside to get to the credits like finding more pretty outfits, or playing indie games I bought from itchio and haven’t checked out yet. At the very least, I preordered TOTK because I thought it would be fun to play and I might finally have an opportunity to experience something before fandom osmosis spoiled stuff for me, and I got to have that, it was nice. TL;DR narrative lacking but gameplay good.

#diary #totk spoilers #tears of the kindom spoilers #minor ones but i'll be nice

[vedacollings]

How To Make A List For Free

A great title that is keyword rich is the starting point for link bait. Provide what you advertise in the title. There is a great chance that the title will be included in the anchor text within the obtained link including to its advantage. Public talking. If you're somebody who speaks to company groups on a normal basis, then these can be fantastic opportunities to get individuals on to your mailing list. In exchange for their company card, you can provide your viewers a totally free report, or any other promotion associated with the subject you've been speaking about. If your talk has been of value, then they are more likely to want to signal up to get more info from you. Once somebody has purchased the listed item, it ought to be delivered off. This is usually carried out as soon as the payment from the buyer has cleared. The buyer ought to know which shipping choice was offered when they purchased the item. It's usually an additional bonus if the seller can provide rapidly. This will also result in great feedback from most buyers as well! Strictly an offline activity, postcards are nonetheless an affordable way to promote, and individuals study postcards. There are solutions that provide a database of postcards to choose from and for a premium, they can also print, package deal and mail them to your list or an internal GSA verified list. Clicking the display options tab at the leading of this panel opens a screen that enables you to choose which desk columns are visible or concealed on the table. Choose a box for a column you want to make visible GSA verified list in the table or un-verify it to conceal that column. Clicking the tab once more will close the screen. Craigslist isn't using this frivolously, they've attempted a number of gimmicks including telephone verification posting in some classes that demands a callback telephone quantity with a password that's both despatched utilizing voice or an SMS message. 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Electronic conversation has taken more than the way the world communicates. It is gradually replacing print media, although some form of print media will usually stay. Right here are a few email list developing tips to get you on your way.

[loghorizonfunfacts]

Some personal Akatsuki ramblings

I rarely talk about Akatsuki herself in length -- usually when I’ve spoken about her in the past, it was about her role in the story as it pertains to Shiroe. I have a draft for my character analysis of her that’s been rotting away in my drafts for like, 2 or 3 years now but I’ve never been able to finish it. (I know what’s to come in future volumes, but without an official translation, I’m hesitant to take my own Google Translated-interpretations at face value.)

Some of this will be quite personal, maybe a bit controversial as well, so I’m keeping the bulk of it under a read more. (Mobile users... sorry.)

One thing that has slightly bothered me over my past few years in the LH fandom is how often Akatsuki gets reduced to either “best girl” or “failure love interest who sees a middle school girl as a rival”. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with liking Akatsuki for her awkward quirkiness, or disliking her because her insecurities (and the character arc resulting from it) are rooted in a rather unrealistic character gimmick (somehow looks like an elementary schooler as a college student?). But I think it’s completely overlooking the root reason why Akatsuki is the way she is.

While I initially had a negative reaction to volume 6 when I first read it, after time (and an official translation), I’ve found myself intensely relating to Akatsuki’s situation. Though I’m not completely qualified to speak about this and would like some insight into the matter from people with more knowledge/experience in the subject, it seems to me that Akatsuki may in fact be autistic (or at the very least, neurodivergent in some form).

I speak from the perspective of a (maybe) neurotypical person (more about that later), so perhaps someone would disagree with me. However, I think Akatsuki’s awkwardness is rooted in something deeper than mere “she isn’t good at talking,” which is where most people find her relatable and then stop there.

In volume 6, she explicitly says that she’s never had friends her own age. When she gets grilled for her lack of communication, she bemoans the fact that she doesn’t know how to express her feelings and can’t just show people what she’s thinking. Even Shiroe points out in volume 5 that they have difficulty keeping conversations going, and after he asks her to provide a conversation topic when she protests this, she comes up short.

Akatsuki’s almost hyper-focus on the master-ninja roleplaying (which Shiroe also explicitly gets weirded out by, and cause other characters concern) seems in line with the “restricted interests and repetitive behaviors” often found in those with autism. Whenever Shiroe tries to gently suggest he’s not interested in his role in their assumed roleplay, she digs her heels in and he gives up -- perhaps an example of “trouble understanding another person’s point of view,” another trait common in those with autism.

So, what’s that all got to do with me? Well, simply put, I saw a lot of myself in Akatsuki. The difference between series I’m intensely interested in (special interest/hyperfixation?) and ones that I casually like are like day and night. For series that I’m truly into, my interest spans several years, and usually involves maintaining or aiding a wiki about it or otherwise having blogs devoted to analyzing it thoroughly. It ends up eating at my time and my attention to my own detriment, and as William later says in volume 7, I even think about it when I eat and when I shower. This line in particular hit home:

Akatsuki had been avoiding the things she really had to do. She’d worked desperately at only the things she liked doing, and had tried to convince herself that was effort.

Oftentimes, I know what I have to do. My homework, my job search, networking with people, building relationships. But if it doesn’t interest me, no matter how hard I push and pull at it, I end up going back to the things I like doing or thinking about. Sometimes, I don’t even like what I do, I just do it because it’s something I can do.

My lack of communication skills is also much like Akatsuki’s. It’s not a casual “lol what even is talking to people”; reading Akatsuki’s introspection and seeing things from her point-of-view felt like I was seeing things through my own perspective of the world.

I don’t know how to express myself and sometimes, I don’t even know if there’s something to express. I can be “my way or the highway” to the point where it’s driven people away. I can’t keep up a conversation and I’m perfectly content with not talking with others. I find small talk inane and people casually conversing with me (whether they’re strangers or friends) puts me on edge.

When Akatsuki struggles to express familiarity with the other girls, it takes Rayneshia declaring her a friend to give her the words to speak. Throughout high school, there were only a few people I can definitely say was a friend. Everyone else, I could never get a read on. Did they consider me a friend? Was I an annoyance, or was I just wallpaper in the backdrop of the school? I was rarely ever anyone’s “first pick” for anything and I usually stayed to myself as to not cause trouble for anyone; I learned in middle school not to stick myself into already-established friend groups.

In a lot of ways, Akatsuki probably felt the same about the Watermaple group. She was there on Shiroe’s orders, not because the other girls there liked her. So in her eyes, the greatest courtesy she can do is eliminate the threat on her own... which she fails to do.

What makes Akatsuki even more relatable is that she isn’t explicitly autistic; Mamare has never spoken about whether his characters are societal commentary (though personally, I think they are). The most he’s ever said about them is that he tries to make them like people he knows.

Maybe Mamare isn’t even (fully) aware that Akatsuki was written in this way. Perhaps he wrote her thinking “someone out there will relate to her.” And he’s right. In a way, not making her (possible) neurodivergence solidified canon is what makes her even more relatable to me.

As a result of my Chinese-American background, the sort of cultural perspective on neurodivergence I’ve been raised in is, to put it bluntly, “Well, tough.” If you don’t have a severe disability, that means you don’t have a disability, and you better damn well act like a normal person. (For some measure of “normal” that I have yet to figure out.)

Things like autism and developmental orders were treated as something for “others.” In fact, for most of my elementary through high school years (I lived in a predominantly white neighborhood), I genuinely thought autism and ADHD were a white people thing. To be fair, given some cursory research into the general view on autism in China and Japan, they probably think so too -- if they even know about such things at all.

A fair number of the general populace seem to be unaware of them; I’ve seen Japanese tweets spreading awareness about ADHD on twitter, and a JP twitter mutual had a mental breakdown as a result of their ADHD and anxiety making them unable to perform at work. It makes me wonder if Akatsuki exhibits autistic traits because Mamare knows people who act similarly (or perhaps, he can relate to them himself), but none of them actually know that there’s an actual underlying reason and it’s not a mere relatable personality quirk.

So in the end, I have absolutely no idea whether I’m normal or not. I can’t tell if I’m actually neurodivergent or if I’m faking it to make an excuse for myself. I’m Akatsuki as she watches Minori and Shiroe at the end of volume 5: feeling helpless, knowing that our juniors are “ahead” of us and “more successful.” We want to push our ineptitude on our inexperience and our sub-par equipment, but what we’re really lacking is interpersonal skills and, even though we know that’s what we’re missing, but we have no idea how to work on that.

#log horizon #akatsuki #lhff rants #get to know lhff

[wordpress53477eeiz-blog]

Selecting A Net Internet hosting Company That Is Reliable To Your Business

Having a website means that you'll finally get to know net hosting. You could not be too conversant in precisely what the net host is and why it is essential for your websites to get a good internet host, however all over the world give you the knowledge it's essential find a net host that is a good dates your company's site.

You should definitely check what amount house you will be given from your host. Some web hosts only give 1GB of free space, while some other offer much more. Good for me free websites, the more room you use, the better the restricted your account grow to be before you can start shopping for it.

When opting a hosting service, always check their document for down time. If you are conducting enterprise in all areas of website, you'll conceivably lose prospects if they can not entry your company site always, day or night. Examine also how repeatedly they've outages weekly, what may have the length of these outages are.

Learn the terms among those contract earlier than subscribing to the internet hosting service. You should look for a guarantee proactol as will be up to date immediately once you add it to all of your server. Do not forget that your visitors need updated content and also you won't be able to satisfy their expectations with a slow hosting service.

Keep away from free webhosting services. These services help themselves by placing promotions on the top of most various visite site they host. These commercials could annoy your visitors or schedule your website seem unprofessional. As well as, some free hosts may prohibit the quantity of business content allowed on the websites that they host.

If you want to to automate shopping cart software, make sure it's beneficial for your internet host. A very good web host ought to support certain options corresponding to Internet scripting, dynamic content or executable files. These options empower you to add other ways to your users of connect with your product, for example by leaving feedback.

When searching for a web web host, you wish to go with safety over cheaper prices. It's important that just not only is your entire info safe, however nearly every one of visitors' information, as well. Opt for web hosting provider that you just know you may belief and that provides secure web hosting.

Make certain you analysis net hosts on the internet or on specific blogs. Then slender the number one few choices. We can find a great deal net hosts, actions you can take analysis on each one. But, uncovering a short group hosts you'll be able to avoid all of the pitches and gimmicks that many of the hosts will try to promote you on.

Ensure you decide on a web host that provides each cPanel and Fantastico. CPanel can be of some use in controlling and supporting website easily by this amazing control panel that could be very consumer friendly. Fantastico is a strong script installer that permits you to set up scripts in just two minutes instead of the thirty minutes that it takes to place them out of view manually. Each these features may be extraordinarily made use of by you. If there are you are considering selecting doesn't present each and every single, then you probably should take into account finding another host.

Pick a internet host that gives unlimited disk space and bandwidth. You will not have to be worried about making reference to the utilization limit. Internet hosting plans that restrict disk house and bandwidth often can charge you extra for each unit of disk area or bandwidth used on the limit. Should you not monitor it, this will set you back lots of money.

Once you must handle the brand new to switch your current service to a better web host provider, think about using strategies and information transfer service to enjoy the change a lot easier. It may be very time-consuming to do this one file each time, and fraught with perils associated with by chance dropping priceless content. The code you have to is known as FTP (file transfer protocol) client software. There are numerous suppliers situated on the Web and most are moderately priced.

If you will most likely feel compelled to modify your internet host, be sure that your new host gives at the least the same options and repair as your overall host. Changing net hosts is just not difficult, however it may require some preparation and work. So if you cook the switch, be certain that you are altering to a better strategies to cause it to price your while.

Website hosting is stuff that you need if you have a dating site, so use the tips listed here to hook up with great net host. Soak up slowly, and should you need to reread the tips right here, do so. A web host will likely what i am saying between getting visitors and gross sales and also achieving none, so make the best decisions with oversight by the data in this article--More on shared hosting.

[basham2005-blog]

Effective Ways to Attract Readers on Social Media

                           Capturing Attention in Social Media

           Using social media to capture attention means utilizing popular platforms in order to engage two-way conversations in order to promote a service or product. Social media is one of the fastest way to reach people and communicate needs as well as advertising. Many of the places traditional marketing uses are not seen by the masses any longer, with the rise of Netflix and Hulu’s commercial free services, social media can be the bridge to reach those people.

3 Strategies for Capturing Attention in Social Media

eWOM

Daughterty and Hoffman (2014) claim that word of mouth (WOM) is a powerful way influence consumers actions, from reviews to advertising. If you think about when you are about to make a big purchase, you re

search quality and maybe safety standards and then you seek out reviews and ask around to people who might have had experience with this product. Or there is the time when your friend or family member raves about a product or service, you are automatically more inclined to buy and use that specific brand.

Add Pictures

The human brain can process visuals much easier than text (Parsons 2018). Parsons goes on to say that text alone tends to bore the average reader, and that photos can make an article more attractive and user friendly. Visuals allow better understanding from readers, more trustworthiness and more effectiveness of the article. When the author breaks up text with photos, it makes the text much easier to absorb as well as much more attractive to read.

Get Personal

No one wants to click on a generic post and read about the same thing that every other person is saying or has said. On my personal timeline, I have a girl that I’ve known since high school but we were never really friends. A few years ago, she started sharing her weight loss journey on Facebook. She made it all about her journey and what her continuing plan was. After a little while, she would start to make offers, on a few of her posts about anyone who might want to join her. This made it super intriguing for me, I began following her, and have even engaged in conversation about her journey and what she did to make that happen. It turned into her business, but she was selling it without the typical generic “reply yes if…” posts. She made her journey personal and people can relate to that rather than someone who just posts a “skinny” picture and ask if are interested in looking like her. Get personal in your post, real life attracts interest that no sales gimmick can touch. I have included a link to her profile, with permission, in the reference list.

Maintaining Engagement in Social Media

           Now that you have captured the attention on social media, how do you keep it? Through communication, honesty and personality (Standberry 2018). Social media is a great two-way advertising and marketing platform. Learn how to engage the consumers attention through stories, responding to emails and messages right away, and building a rapport. Being honest and real can have a great impact on the consumers. Having the personality to promote the engage with customers and provide superior customer service.

References

Daugherty, T. (2014) eWOM and the importance of capturing consumer attention within social media. Journal of Marketing and Communications. (1352-7266) 20, 1-20, pg 82

Parsons, N. (2018) Do visuals Do visuals really trump text? Retrieved from hhtps://www.liveplan.com/blog/scientifiv-reasons-when-you-should-present-your-datsa-visually//

Patel, N. (n.d.) 11 best practices for including images in your blog post. Retrieved from https://neilpatel.com/blog-post-image-guide/

DelaCruz, K. (2018) Beachbody Coach Facebook Page Reference. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1799686781

Standberry, S. (2018) The 8 best ways to increase your social media for your brand. Retrieved from https://www.lilyfemarketing .com/blog/increase-social-media-engagement

Wainwright, C. (N.D.) How to write catchy headlines and blog titles your readers can’t resist. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/a-simple-formula-for-kick-ass-titles-ht

[bryanllamado]

ATM with Bryan | 23

We’re finally doing this thing… again. Welcome to ‘how to be bryan.’– the reflections and musings of a young professional on a pursuit to educate and live purposefully. What about that intro, though? Haha! Just trying to open this entry in a different manner this time. It has been 3 weeks since I last wrote and published an entry here, and I took some time off from updating the blog to *sort of* absorb the fact that the new year has come. Well, the year started just fine, but there hasn’t been any obvious change if we were to compare it to the previous one.

To those of you who have been reading the blog for years now (and have been here before my hiatus), you may have stumbled upon this ‘ATM with Bryan’ series where I talk about my currentlys. The last time I have written a volume under this series was in 2018, after the 1st semester of my last year in college. Now, I have been off of school for a year and a half now, and a couple of years older. Isn’t that insane? Time flies so fast, indeed. But we’re not here for that, so I’m giving you a list of my ‘at the moments.’

C U R R E N T L Y

Reading

Worlds of You by Beau Taplin. This is Taplin’s second collection of poetry, first published in 2017. (I know) I am years late, and only learned about this during the ECQ after I asked my IG friends to suggest poetry books for me to read. On another matter, it’s also one of my goals this year to read more (poetry) books because I don’t think my schedule can cater novels. *bleeds in metaphor and imagery*

Writing

the 23rd volume of ATM with Bryan, alongside some songs and poems. Just like what I mentioned in my past entries, I’m ~trying~ to go back to my roots. I’m looking forward to rolling out content for the Valentine’s Day which includes *insert a list of planned online gimmicks* and then some. I just feel like now is the perfect time for us to spread love and actually do so.

Listening

to Spotify’s Hallyu Boy Bands playlist. Isn’t it surprising? Well, the old Bryan that you know is gone. *face palm* To my defense (in case you’re confused AF), I’ve always had a diverse taste in music and it just happened that a few weeks ago, I was listening to a random K-Pop playlist when I heard TXT’s CROWN and the chorus just stuck in my head. I knew I had to give in and listen so yeah. #justified lol

Thinking

about how to handle my finances better during this time of the year. This is one of the constant conversation pieces now that I’m a young adult. I started 2020 on a bad note financially by splurging on unnecessary stuff and not realizing that a ~no work, no pay policy~ pretty much exists. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again, but the thing is, I don’t even have money to spend in the first place. So why bother? *insert GCash number*

Smelling

the alcohol scent from my hands. Here’s a reminder for you all to STILL sanitize and follow the minimum health standards. *winks*

Wishing

for motivation to finish all my assigned tasks and activities this week. I’ve always been an intrinsically motivated person as I do things out of love and passion, but the old Bryan is gone. Haha! Not that I don’t love what I do now, I need extrinsic motivation now more than ever, and I think I’d appreciate it in material manifestations. Long story short, hindi talaga sapat ang love lang! *sighs*

Hoping

to be more organized and to have more storage space in my room. I’ve been watching a lot of lifestyle vlogs recently and I’ve seen some creative ways on how to maximize your space. I also hope to declutter my stuff and get rid of the ones that no longer serve my goals and interests for the New Year. The bad thing about it is that I’m sooo sentimental. I don’t just throw my stuff away– not even coffee receipts and movie tickets from years back.

Wearing

a red pambahay shirt and a pair of swimming shorts.

Loving

my new set of fave Starbucks drinks! Oh God, I can’t stress enough about how addicted I’ve been to some SB drinks these past few weeks. My top three drinks (on the menu) at the moment were Iced Caramel Macchiato, Iced Chai Tea Latte, and Iced Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls, and off the menu, I love the Barista Drink, Pink Drink, and Tiktok Drink. I can def write a whole entry about this but yeah. #coffee_forever_and_ever

Wanting

to meet up with my friends who I haven’t seen in a while. I just thought of this now, and while I have internet friends who I can converse with to vent out and rant, I’d also love to catch up with my friends. Zoom meetings are not enough! Good conversations would be better over good food, so to my friends out there, baka naman. I would need money first, though!

Needing

a new phone or tablet. I was supposed to gift myself a new phone last year but due to money matters and delays, I did not meet my expected budget. Quite frankly, this isn’t an immediate concern as my current phone is still very functional, but for me to fully multi-task and maximize productivity, I need a separate phone for gaming, video editing, and file management.

Feeling

bombarded and mentally overwhelmed. I’m grateful for the work and endeavor that I have right now, but now is also the time when I want to pursue artistic and creative pursuits– just like this blog. I want to work on my passion projects, but the guilt eats me up when I try to set my professional tasks aside. I’ve felt so overwhelmed at times that I end up not doing anything. #jokesonme

Clicking

through some podcasts episodes. I think I’ll write an entry about this soon, so watch out for that. I’ve been consuming a lot of audio content in the form of podcasts, for I have grown tired of the current YouTuber culture of pranks, click bait, and nonsense content. Praise the heavens for podcasts! I have discovered a lot of local podcasters and met people through the podcast community– like the AWJP x SOS Fam.

This is where the entry ends for today.

Please check out the other entries on the blog and if you have any requests or any topics you want me to write about, feel free to send me a message.

Till the next entry!

Bry. x 012320

#ATMwithBryan #article #blog #blogging #blogger #journal #life #personal #writing #writer

[michaelandy101-blog]

Twitter Fleets Just Launched In the U.S.: What Marketers Need to Know

New Post has been published on http://tiptopreview.com/twitter-fleets-just-launched-in-the-u-s-what-marketers-need-to-know/

Twitter Fleets Just Launched In the U.S.: What Marketers Need to Know

Following the success of Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Snapchat, and now LinkedIn Stories, Twitter’s finally launched its own story feature.

It’s called Twitter Fleets.

The launch of Twitter Fleets comes after a successful pilot which began nine months ago. In March, Twitter began testing the feature in Brazil and continued to add other countries to its pilot until unveiling the feature in the U.S.

But, how does Fleets work and how might your brand leverage it in your marketing strategy? We’ll walk you through everything we know so far below.

What are Twitter Fleets?

Fleets are temporary tweets that look like vertical Instagram Stories. This content disappears after 24 hours and cannot be retweeted, replied to publicly, or embedded on to other pages.

Fleets, or fleeting tweets, are similar to Instagram Stories. Like Instagram’s layout, Twitter users who have Fleets will see a bar with circular Story icons from each account above their Twitter feed.

From their homepage, a user can tap on a circular Fleet icon to see what an account posted in their Fleets area.

Unlike tweets, the text, video, or photo published shows up in a vertical format, similar to Instagram Stories. But, if you like the Tweet format, you can also share a one in a Fleet to draw more attention to it, like McDonalds does below:

  How to Use Twitter Fleets

1. Tap the circle with your face in it in the Fleets bar.

Like Instagram and LinkedIn Stories, the Fleets bar is above your feed and your Fleet icon will be on the right side, as seen the first screenshot shown above.  

2. Create your content.

Also similar to other story platforms, you’ll see a simple camera screen where you can take a picture, film a video, upload content from your camera roll, or create a Fleet with a basic background color and text comment.

3. Add text and descriptions.

Once you’ve designated your content, you can tap “Aa” to add text, the color icon to change the color of the text, or the ALT icon to add an alt-text description for those with screen readers.

4. Publish your Fleet.

When you’re done, you can simply tap “Fleet” in the upper right-hand corner to publish what you’ve created.

The Motivation Behind Twitter Fleets

Because Fleets disappear after 24 hours, just like Instagram Stories, Twitter says it’s aiming to see if its ephemeral content will promote deeper and more personal conversations on the platform.

To make Fleets even more “personal,” other users cannot retweet or share the link to them. Twitter users can also only reply to Fleets via direct message.

When Twitter started its Fleets pilot, the company surveyed some of the first beta testers. As expected, most who used Fleets said they felt more comfortable publishing more personal thoughts or opinions than they’d publish in standard tweets. This was because the users knew that this content would eventually disappear.

“We hope that those people who are not usually comfortable with Tweeting use Fleets to talk about the reflections that come to their head,” said Mo Al Adham, a Twitter product manager explained, in Twitter’s announcement.

Twitter Fleets also signifies yet another move social media platforms are making towards embracing ephemeral content.

While disappearing video, text, and Stories might’ve sounded like gimmicks back in the earlier days of social media, ephemeral content features are increasingly common in today’s online landscape.

Although Fleets might not be the center of brand strategies just yet, you can still begin identifying potential ephemeral content that could ultimately work on the platform. Below, I’ll highlight a few commonly used ephemeral tactics that could boost brand awareness on Twitter Fleets. 

How Brands Could Use Twitter Fleets

1. Publishing Limited-Time Offers

Want to sell out a lot of one product quickly? Or, offer a promotion to your most engaged Twitter followers? One great way to do both of these things could be using Fleets to promote temporary sales, offers, or coupon codes.

Since Fleets only last for 24 hours, users won’t be able to find the codes or promotions forever. That could mean that these audiences might feel a sense of urgency to make a purchase, use a given coupon code, or just visit your website to learn more about your product.

Image Source

2. Hosting Daily Giveaways

Along with posting about short-term sales and coupon codes, Fleets — and other Story platforms — could be great places to promote giveaways. With a Story-like platform, you can include more text, video, and photo about the products you’re giving away and explain the rules of your giveaway within multiple pages.

While you can announce a giveaway in standard tweets, all of this information might have to be published in multiple posts or a thread due to Twitter’s character count limitations. And, because Twitter’s feed is so fast-paced, you’ll likely need to post more than once to get a large number of contest entries in a limited time.

With a platform like Fleets, you’ll not only be able to post multiple pages of tweets in the same Fleet story, but your content will also appear in the Fleets area above a user’s feed. This might mean that there’s less risk in your contest announcement being buried by tweets from other accounts.

Additionally, because Fleets and Stories only last for 24 hours, viewers might feel a sense of urgency. Like with coupons or sales, audiences might want to enter your contest, view your entire Story, or go to your website before the Fleet disappears.

To give you some added inspiration, here’s an example of a contest that a brand once ran on Instagram Stories:

Image Source

3. Embracing Live Events on Social Media

Want to leverage live events or short-term news in your social media marketing strategy without it clogging up your Twitter profile? Consider covering the event with ephemeral content. That way, when the event is over, users focus back on your overall brand and business.

In this example below, the NBA’s Instagram Story featured coverage of the Toronto Raptors parade in Ontario, Canada. At this point in the Story, a Raptors team member took selfies with the rapper, Drake.

4. Interacting With Loyal Fans

While Twitter’s highly public platform already allows brands many opportunities to find and interact directly with fans, Fleets could also be a helpful tool for this.

On Instagram and Facebook Stories, you might regularly see content where brands ask users to DM them questions or content. Then, a brand might create a Story with user-generated quotes, images, or videos. This tactic makes users who participated feel like the brand cares about their thoughts. Meanwhile, an interactive Story like this allows other audiences to see that the brand appreciates its most engaged followers.

Aside from question-and-answer interactions, you could also go one step further by publishing Fleets with user-generated content from customers or fans. One brand that frequently does this on Instagram Stories and Facebook is Planet Fitness. In the story below, they highlight fitness journey photos sent to them by their actual customers:

Not only does this Story allow loyal Planet Fitness fans to contribute to the brand’s social media content, but it also allows prospects to see how real people have benefited from the gym’s services.

5. Offering Behind-the-Scenes Content

Most of us know that people love seeing behind-the-scenes content from celebrities, athletes, and influencers on Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, and Snapchat. But, research shows that consumers also enjoy behind-the-scenes material from brands.

While tweets offer brands a platform to create quick well-worded posts or publish heavy-lift content, Fleets could allow brands to show audiences behind-the-scenes content or insights that make them look more authentic and relatable. This is something we’ve seen brands frequently do on their temporary Instagram Stories.

In the Story below, the New England-based Caffe Nero highlights a Barista of the Year competition that it holds with its staff every year. The Story highlights how Caffe Nero baristas are dedicated to serving customers and shows off an authentic piece of the restaurant’s company culture that many customers might not know about.

5. Informing Audiences About Complex Industry Topics

When you craft a tweet, you need to sum up your message in 280 characters or start a thread. But with Fleets or other social media Stories, you can add further information or insight with photos, videos, or multiple pages of text. This could allow brands to offer Twitter users a stronger variation of valuable, easy-to-create content that isn’t limited to tiny tweets, pricey marketing videos, or time-consuming live streams.

Here’s an example of how HubSpot discusses more complex industry topics via Instagram Stories. While you might not be able to add the same level of imagery to Fleets content, you could potentially leverage multiple pages of text in a similar way.

Navigating Ephemeral Content

Can content that disappears really leave an impression? Well, if Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have taught us anything — the answer to that question is, “Yes!”

While ephemeral platforms are a new and exciting opportunity, it does take creativity and brainstorming to create content that will grab your audience in a memorable way.

To get better acquainted with key ephemeral content tips and strategies, check out this introduction to the content type. Then, learn more about how major brands are leveraging current ephemeral platforms like Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, and Snapchat.

Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published to cover the Twitter Fleets pilot in May 2020, but was updated in November 2020 for comprehensiveness and freshness.

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[allenmendezsr]

Faststart 9 - The Best Beginners Course On Affiliate Marketing

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/faststart-9-the-best-beginners-course-on-affiliate-marketing/

Faststart 9 - The Best Beginners Course On Affiliate Marketing

 Buy Now

    How You Can Get Your First Dollars Online WITHOUT Spending Weeks Trying, Struggling And Failing

I will show you EXACTLY how you can fast-start a real, sustainable online business in 9 simple steps from scratch…

Hi, My name is Barry Rodgers

If you are on this page I am guessing that you either…

Have started trying to make money online but real, tangible results always seem just out of reach

Or you want to start online marketing but you are overwhelmed with loads of conflicting information about how to get started

If so, it’s not your fault.

There are new training products being launched every week that all promise riches but are often either over-complicated and confusing for beginners or they focus on a “loophole” or “system” that worked once but may not be sustainable.

Everyone is looking for the next new shiny magic bullet and product creators will always be happy to oblige…

One week they are told they should be spamming people on Snapchat, the next week it may exploiting an “Instagram loophole”. All with no proper explanation of putting the foundations down for a long term income…

It’s no wonder so many people get information overload, get thoroughly confused and quit before they have made any money at all.

DON’T have to start creating products.

DON’T have to worry about all the “tech” that comes with it.

DON’T have to stress about recruiting affiliates

DON’T have write blog posts or articles.

DON’T have to make videos.

DON’T have to figure out Facebook or Google ads.

DON’T have to man a support ticket desk

Those things can wait.

Right now, you need to focus on what will…

i) Make you your first dollars

ii) Put your long-term foundation in place

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It doesn’t have to be bogged down with “tech”

You see, if you boil away all of the fluff and just concentrate on those TWO SIMPLE GOALS, it is surprisingly easy.

Of course there is some work involved

But I know that anyone can get themselves set up ready to make money in around 9 hours or less.

How do I know?

Because I timed each step.

Obviously, those hours don’t include scrolling through Facebook, watching a YouTube cat video, checking email and all of the other time-sucks the internet provides us with.

For anyone who has failed to get their online business off the ground, focusing on the basic twin goals of i) getting your first dollars coming in quickly and ii) putting a foundation down for future success would seem the obvious thing to do…

At this stage, you…

I also want you to STOP and think for a moment…

If you seriously want to finally get some dollars dropping into your Paypal account, you need to take a step or two back and go back to basics.

What you don’t need is fluff, shiny objects or overwhelm.

And you want to start seeing results NOW. Not in 12 months time.

But at the same time, be building an asset that will continue to provide an income into the future.

Would YOU be interested in that?

If the answer is “YES!”, read on…

But I don’t see many people teaching this stuff these days….

I created something I call FASTSTART 9

They probably think it is boring and too basic for them to bother to make a training course about.

They probably assume that most folks already know this stuff.

They probably think that it lacks a “hook” or a “gimmick” to make it shiny enough to do a “big launch”

…And in a way they are correct!

…But they are missing the point

If you are just starting out…

If you are struggling… 

If you have tried to sort through all the conflicting advice and business models out there and feel like your head is about to explode… 

If you have realised the potential of having an internet based income stream but have been so overwhelmed with information that you have been paralyzed from taking action and actually starting something…

Then you need to STOP!

STOP buying gimmick after gimmick

STOP looking for a magic money button

STOP scrolling through  marketing groups on Facebook and kidding yourself you are “working”

STOP buying bulls*** products from people who launch a new one every month

Listen up… The fact of the matter is…

So what do you get in FASTSTART 9?

No overwhelm or over-complication for a start.

You are walked through 9 easy to follow modules that clearly explain and show how to take each step (and the “why” behind them as well).

I will be completely honest with you – this is basic, common-sense training that is not overcomplicated with fluff or fancy-dancy loopholes to try and make me look clever.

In fact – full transparancy here – if you have been around the online marketing space for any length of time, you will probably already know 90% of what is inside…

…but the point is many folks get so overloaded that they never put anything profitable into action. You need the simple. You need the step-by-step.

This is a course designed to make it easy for you to put it all into action – in just 9 simple steps…

We will be keeping it tight…

We will be purely concentrating on those simple twin goals: getting some dollars coming in and, at the same time, establishing a solid foundation for future income streams.

And we will be doing it in simple bite-sized steps.

I will be sharing insights and a few “golden nuggets” and “ninja tricks” from my own experiences of building an online business. This will probably be the 10% the more experienced folks will not know.

There will be nothing “hard” or “difficult” for you to master but, as you follow along actually doing each step (not just reading and watching the videos) you will be getting invaluable hands-on experience of how this whole online marketing thing works.

Here are just some of the things you will discover inside…

> The free tool that will totally remove a big tech headache immediately (in module 6)

> Increasing conversions by generating C******  (module 6)

> The ONE simple thing that 99% don’t do that will make you look more  professional than that 99% (module 1)

> Adding a T***** to a squeeze page to increase conversions (Module 6)

>The “ninja trick” that means more traffic to affiliate offers (and more $$$… find this in Module 6)

> The template for high converting email copy & campaigns (Module 7)

> How to use other people’s lead magnets to build your list (Module 4)

> How to treat new leads with respect milliseconds after they join your list so you don’t immediately lose any trust (module 6)

> How to use social proof to encourage more people to subscribe – with a free tool (module 6)

> The “old skool” forgotten tracking tool that will save you $$$ (module 5)

> Simple extra monetization strategies that can earn you 3 figure commissions (module 6)

> What you must leave off an opt-in form so that it will convert (module 3)

Well, firstly, I am making this entire course available for a one time price (not a subscription fee as some vendors would). That means it is kept affordable for the people who need it the most.

You get instant access to the whole of this no-nonsense, step by step training in 9 individual bite-sized modules – videos with pdf overviews and checklists – showing you how to accomplish the twin goals of making your first sales and laying solid foundations for the future, with all the crap boiled away.

The whole course is designed to give you a fast start if you are a beginner or get you back on track if you are not.

But that is not all…

As I have mentioned, this course is focused on getting you going so you see your first dollars coming in and putting some foundations down…

But what happens after that?

Good question.

To address this, I have made an extra bonus module  that gives you a blueprint for developing your new business on the foundations you have made with this course.

This module is ready for you when you have completed the course and put it into action.

I could EASILY charge for this as a separate product but you get it as a free bonus with FASTSTART 9

If you are ready…

If you want to get this done…

Just click the button below and choose your checkout option

So what exactly do you get?

Earnings Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure that we accurately represent these products and services and their potential for income. Earning and Income statements made on this page are only estimates of what we think you can possibly earn. There is no guarantee that you will make these levels of income and you accept the risk that the earnings and income statements differ by individual. As with any business, your results may vary, and will be based on your individual capacity, business experience, expertise, and level of desire. There are no guarantees concerning the level of success you may experience. Any testimonials and examples used are exceptional results, which do not apply to the average purchaser, and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Each individual’s success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation. There is no assurance that examples of past earnings can be duplicated in the future. We cannot guarantee your future results and/or success. There are some unknown risks in business and on the internet that we cannot foresee which can reduce results. We are not responsible for your actions. The use of our information, products and services should be based on your own due diligence and you agree that the owner and publisher of this page and the product(s) sold here is not liable for any success or failure of your business that is directly or indirectly related to the purchase and use of our information, products and services

“ClickBank is the retailer of products on this site. CLICKBANK® is a registered trademark of Click Sales, Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 1444 S. Entertainment Ave., Suite 410 Boise, ID 83709, USA and used by permission. ClickBank’s role as retailer does not constitute an endorsement, approval or review of these products or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of these products.”

🔒100% Secure & Safe Checkout. Buy With Confidence

Skimming? TL;DR?

Here’s what you missed. Access to my new FASTSTART 9 course that will get you in a position to get dollars coming into your account and lay the foundations for future success in 9 simple steps. No overwhelm, just simple steps.

If you have any pre-sales questions, hit me up (there should be a little chat button on the page somewhere) If I am online and not on the phone/in a meeting/on the toilet, I will answer your question immediately. Otherwise I will get back to you by email later. Other support links are in the footer.

Just $17

NOTE: This purchase will show as a charge by ClickBank or CLKBANK*COM on your statement.

[ask-thegoatbro]

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE MUN. Repost, not reblog! Tag muns you would like to get to know better when done! Name: Seth Nickname: Sethy Age: 25 Faceclaim: Walfas version of the mun? Does that count, if not I would definitely use Riki Naoe. Pronouns: He/His Height: 5”6 (170cm) Birthday: Oct 19. Aesthetic: How do I answer this? Last song you listened to: Fallen angel (Aria Rose cover) Favorite muse(s) you’ve written: If you count doing a canon character in your own interpretation and writing all about it counts, It's the Asriel I wrote up. What inspired you to take on your current muse (that you are posting this on): I was tired of seeing a lot of Asriel's that are just so common on the aspect that they don't really utilize their past experience as Flowey as well not acknowledge it, some running away that fact and it's just... I wanted to do an Asriel that fully is aware what he had done, to better himself while having conflicts that centers around what he had done. While all the knowledge he has over all the timelines he had done when he was Flowey and using it for potential character development and interactions. What are your favorite aspects of your current muse: I love using an Asriel with his two sides! The first side is his former innocent one. You know the one with such innocents in his shiny eyes, so kind-hearted as warm and soft as his fur. All of this to not worry those he may not know or cares about. Then his actual side, the one he had become after many timelines he had been a part of and remember, all the things he had gone through and done. Meeting a human(Chara), being close friends, the day his father got sick from the buttercups, the plan Chara made up he agreed to,  witnessing them dying from buttercups, absorbing their SOUL, what happened at the surface, all the things he did as Flowey(repeating timelines over and over with helping everyone to killing everyone), all the routes of the game Neutral → pacifist → genocide → repeating of soulless pacifist → returning to the past with Chara with all of his memories and Chara with theirs. The side that lost it's shine in his eyes from all of his experiences, how mentally mature he had become with knowing how many times he had died and betrayal from his 'best friend' and the length of time his mind had to continue to develop among the regrets towards the actions he had done as Flowey that he does not deny and know He and Flowey are the same person. He has overwhelming knowledge of timelines, monster lore and SOULs and ect...including characters. He speaks with such a mature tone and isn't afraid to do what he has to even if it isn't nice too. The side that knows he is a failure as a prince and only wants to go by his actual birth name. The side he reveals when he has to or towards certain situations, subjects and to certain characters. Yet, that's his gimmick he remembers all the timelines and has a vast knowledge yet... he's not powerful at all. He has to develop that and that will be so much time into it, he even just learned to do fire magic and training to use it properly. Also, as a side note. I LOVE seeing other character reactions upon seeing him either way. What’s your biggest inspiration when it comes to writing: I... I want more for the Boss Monster. I want people to know that Asriel has GREAT potential as a character as he is. He has SO much potential development if you make sure you have Asriel know he his both himself and Flowey and have him reflect upon that. I want people to know that Asriel like this is fun to interact with. I suppose, I am fueled by the fact I want to be a serious Asriel blog that people would love the way he works like this. I love writing this Asriel and sharing it, I like coming up with critical thoughts and it seems so fun to rp with characters, make a story and play with character interactions.  Music is a good boost to pump me up. More so with emotional scenes. Favorite types of threads: Character interactions and development! Even a simple conversation works wonders! But, those that can be deem important and shape a character, something so emotional and those that are jarring. Ones where you learn more from characters. Yes please! The biggest struggle in regards to your current muse: ...I have to do a LOT of reading, in order to do this Asriel right I need to make sure FACTS are right. I have to constantly do research on the Undertale lore and facts. Sometimes I have to think critically and make up how things work that makes sense, for example, Boss monsters and that their magic is fuel by their emotions. For Fan Characters, I set it up differently where Asriel has to get to know them more and then he regain blocked memories of them because his dialog during genocide I have to accept that. But, THAT can be use for development! But, I'm afraid of that sometimes people would dislike my thoughts, be turned off about it while I hope... Maybe I could talk more about why I think so, because I totally would love to do that!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE talking about some of the working of things in undertale, at least in theory and I like hearing what people have to say on theirs. Sometimes, I feel like people may be turned off from how Asriel is like, not liking that mature side that people aren't used to.  But, I'm going to continue on and see what happens in the future! Tagged by: (Stole from @the-junk-sela ) Tagging:   @binary-endeavor @wocxdid @the-shrunken-heart all the others were already tagged I’m sure. But anyone else who sees this may as well do this too~

#about the mun #im sorry for all of the writing

[dianeolsen]

Top PPC Spy Tools in 2019 – Pdatas Blog

In today’s capitalistic world, competition is rife. Firms are willing to go to any length if it means that they will triumph as the supreme controller of the market. Of the many gimmicks that they employ, PPC spy tools are some of the most diverse and effective methods used by firms worldwide. 

What are PPC Spy Tools

In simple terms, PPC spy tools are integrated systems and software that help you learn about your competitors’ activities, including their spending habits. Now, there are several different spy tools and not all work with all platforms, and this is why when it comes to PPC, that is, Pay Per Click, we try to cover spy tools that work on both AdWords and Bing. From rankings to keywords to domains, the array of PPC spy tools out there equip you with a thorough brief on your competitor. 

However, it is essential that you pick out the spy tool that best fits your purpose, and with so many to choose from this can prove somewhat daunting. Here’s what to look for in a useful PPC spy tool:

What makes a good PPC spy tool:

While there are no set criteria to determine what makes for a good PPC spy tool, there are a few given markers that those in the industry tend to go by.  The spy tool should be able to work on several levels, collecting information at different layers to make for a more comprehensive report. It should also work well with a range of platforms, the greater its adaptability, the better. 

The spy tool should be able to work on several levels, collecting information at different layers to make for a more comprehensive report

Moreover, when it comes to PPC spy tools or virtually any kind of spy tool, subtlety is key. The device should ensure maximum security for the organization using it and should in no way indicate that such a service is being employed. It should be remembered that these are just a few basic guidelines for when it comes to selecting your PPC spy tool; every situation differs. The selection process entails knowing precisely what your spying goals are!

Know your Spying Goals  

Gone are the days when getting on the bandwagon seemed like an intelligent choice. Nowadays, it is all about originality and getting your own methids to work for you. With that in mind, it is essential to think about what you hope to achieve through your various spying activities as this will largely dictate the process.

Your spying process would be entirely different if you were collecting data on keyword similarity compared to if you were, say, focusing on finding new opportunities in the market. Once you get involved in the world of PPC spy tools, what you will learn is that there is a lot more to gain from this than just competitor strategies and trending keywords. PPC spy tools open new avenues, including untapped channels and offers through which an organization can better their standing in the market. Once you have got your spying goals sorted, it is necessary to select the ones that will enable you to meet them effectively.

To help you make a more educated choice, we’ve outlined some of the top PPC spy tools of 2019:

1. SpyFu 

SpyFu deals with one of the most widely used PPC spy tool techniques; keywords. With SpyFu, you can access any competitor’s keyword data for up to the past 13 years. However, it extends beyond just keyword purchases and also includes organic rankings and ad variations. Once, you run for your required competitor’s statistics, and you will be able to see their spending habits, including exactly how much they spend on specific keywords and channels. 

Click Here To Get SpyFu!

SpyFu allows you to view the number of monthly keyword searches and the count of adverts created by an advertiser. Available as both an organic search and a paid search option, SpyFu allows access to everyone without disrupting budgets.

Click Here To Get SpyFu!

2.  ISpionage 

iSpionage helps you achieve three things: targeted traffic, lead generation, and increased conversion rates. With over 70,000 competitor PPC keyword lists, iSpionage enables quick searches for profitable keywords as well as displaying your competitor’s monthly AdWords budget. Some of its other features include grouping strategies, use of proprietary keyword effectiveness indexes, and indicating monthly traffic estimates garnered by each advert. 

iSpionage’s most significant feature is its versatility. Its systems cover competitors in not only Google and Yahoo but also Bing helping you check all areas for potential clients and growth. But it does not end here, iSpionage also displays competitor’s original created ad copies and enables you to view different destination URLs since many organizations create separate landing pages for each group of keywords.

3.  Follow 

Follow is one of the most accessible PPC spy tool platforms to use out there. This is because it operates as a browser extension that inculcates a variety of spy tools into one that is effective. This makes it the best choice for any organization wanting to carry out an informative investigation of its competitors.

As a comprehensive all in one spy tool, Follow enables you to view all of the following (pun intended!):

– Monthly site visits

– Estimated PPC traffic figures

– Text ad summaries, including the amount of traffic they attract individually

– Country by country paid advertising numbers

–  The competitor’s choice of display ads

–  Performance statistics for each banner display

What is more, with its many pricing options, Follow is accessible for all. It starts out as a free of charge specialized keyword spy tool and goes on to increments of $37 and $97 a month for 500 and 5000 monthly lookups, respectively.

Follow’s selling point is its ability to integrate multiple sources to produce data that is thorough, comprehensive, and far-reaching to make for comparisons that are well-rounded. 

4.  Serpstat

With Serpstat, time is success. It runs all of its operations on minimal time runs, which is why it is the perfect tool if you are looking to stay one step ahead of your competitors. Whether you want to search keyword rankings, list websites or evaluate your competitor’s advertising budget distribution, Serpstat will do all, and that too in just a matter of minutes. 

Serpstat’s unique feature is that it allows for parallel comparisons between yourself and your competitors. What this does is that it highlights areas that are not being fully utilized by other competitors in the market, making for openings that the firm can target. In this way, organizations can sway the market to achieve a maximum advantage through targeted advertisements.

Although Serpstat does offer free of charge services, its paid packages are on the expensive side, starting at $69 and going up to $499 a month, each with increased benefits.

5.  SEMrush 

SEMrush is genuinely an all-in-one marketing PPC spy tool. It lets you view your competitors’ information over a range of platforms, including Google Search, YouTube adverts, Google Shopping, and Google Display Network. This makes for a comprehensive report that enables you to push your firm ahead of your competitors, on every level. 

With SEMrush, it is all about the figures. Packing in 800 million keywords, 100 geo databases and 130 million domains it leaves virtually no space untouched. SEMrush covers SEO, paid traffic, social media, market research, and content and PR, diversifying its operations to the extent where it has something to offer to everyone.

Price wise, however, SEMrush is comparatively less user-friendly. Although they do provide a free seven-day trial, that is as far as their free of charge services go. After that their monthly plans lie in a range of $99 to $400. 

6.  Google Auction Insights 

Google Auction Insights is an embedded report within Google AdWords, which compares a firm’s standing to that of its competitors in the perimeter of the same auction. Since this PPC spy tool focuses solely on an organization’s Google AdWords performance, it details an elaborate report, helping the firm compete more effectively in the market. 

Of the many components of this report, some of the most insightful are impression shares, the average ranking of adverts in auctions, overlap rates, top page rates, position above rates, and outranking shares. Such a wide range of areas to be covered is a rarity when it comes to the PPC spy tool world. We recommend Google Auction Insights to firms that are just starting out as this is the perfect tool to get you used to the PPC spy tool arena.

7.  SimilarWeb

SimilarWeb provides an array of competitor information, but it focuses on web traffic and competitor activities. It displays search volumes and costs per click as well as the amounts of traffic generated by individual keywords.  

SimilarWeb allows you to form a benchmark concerning your competitors and the economy as a whole. It also unveils competitor’s analytics and online strategies as well as highlighting where firms can venture for new opportunities such as partners, affiliates, and leads. Additionally, SimilarWeb enables firms to pick up on emerging trends that are likely to blow up, once again allowing for success ahead of competitors.

Despite its excellent reputation, SimilarWeb experiences a downfall when it comes to its pricing. Although it offers a free version, this is limited to five results, one month of mobile app data and three months of web traffic data, making for very restricted spying. To expand your operations, you will need to purchase their paid plan.

8.  Ghostery

There is much more to PPC spy tools than meets the eye. A good spying ordeal will cover all the stops, including any backend strategies and tests that competitors may be running to further their platform. Ghostery is a PPC spying tool that does just that, and it operates as a smart browser by allowing firms to establish control over adverts and tracking technologies that help declutter, ensure maximum security when it comes to your data and to fasten up page loading times. 

Additionally, Ghostery also allows users to view precisely what Java Scripts are embedded into a competitor’s site by displaying a list of running scripts. It does not just end there, by simply clicking on this list, users can see how each script can prove of benefit to them with a detailed outline of how it can be integrated into their own system; customization at its peak.

Oh, and all this is entirely free of charge through Ghostery’s platform! 

9.  Wordtracker

Wordtracker is essentially a PPC spy tool that is focused on keywords but with an added extra. What it does is that it goes beyond keyword platforms such as AdWords by integrating data from YouTube and Amazon into the search, making for a more comprehensive spying process. Wordtracker allows you to categorize keyword listings, filter them, and view the amount competitors spend on them as well as considering the return that each individual keyword garners. 

Click Here To Get Wordtracker!

Wordtracker helps improve your outreach by identifying gaps in the market that can be targeted. This is done after analyzing a wide range of competitors and compiling the strategies employed by each to view in unison the sectors that have been left unattended.

However, if you are a firm that is operating on a budget, then Wordtracker may prove to be a downfall for you. With prices starting from $27 and going up to a maximum payment of $99 a month, the lack of any free services may prove a hindrance to some. Still, these prices are highly competitive when compared to other paid PPC spy tool platforms.  

Click Here To Get Wordtracker!

10.  The Search Monitor 

The Search Monitor is a highly advanced PPC spy tool and one that is not recommended for those that are just starting out (prices will indicate why!). Although it offers a range of spying services, what The Search Monitor focuses on is adverts. Their mode of operation is split up into two primary paths: brand protection and competitive insights.

Brand Protection covers the monitoring of the following:

–  Brand bidding

–  Offer content

–  Landing pages

–  FTC (Federal Trade Commission) compliance

–  OTA (Online Travel Agencies) pricing

Whereas Competitive Insights allow the user to gather information on the following areas:

–  Brand bidding

–  PPC benchmarks 

–  PLA (Product Listing Ads) benchmarks

–  SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SERP

Additionally, the platform also allows users to pick up on any violations that competitors may be engaging in as well as monitoring affiliates and catching price differences amongst different sellers of the same products or services.

Since this is a PPC spy tool platform that is aimed at more advanced operations, it inculcates geo-monitoring over many prominent search engines, making it suitable for multinationals. However, the real downfall of The Search Monitor is realized when prices are taken into consideration.  With no free of charge services, it automatically rules out those that cannot afford to spend on spy tools. But this is not the only category that is cut off from the platform as prices start at a staggering $599 a month, making this a purchase only for the lucrative buyer. The Search Monitor makes sure to maintain exclusivity in every way possible, and users are required to contact their sales department to request a free demonstration. 

11.  Campaign Watch

“Using Campaign Watch is like having your top competitors report their marketing strategy to you first thing in the morning,” said one loyal user, such is the power of this PPC spy tool platform. There is hardly any spy tool which is as comprehensive as Campaign Watch; it allows users to monitor competitor’s search viewings, their landing page traffic, their annual spends, keyword to spending ratio amongst a plethora of other statistics and strategies.

 Their integrated Competitive Intelligence Dashboard makes spying a breeze what with its easy to use display and fast searches. Campaign Watch provides compiled lists of competitors rankings according to different criteria, including keywords, adverts, and landing pages.

This again is a spy tool platform that thrives on its exclusivity. Campaign Watch’s pricing plans are customized according to each organization’s requirements and are only released once a thorough discussion is carried out. 

12.  Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a PPC spy tool that focuses on two aspects of the competitor spying process; search performance and landing page experience. It gives a full low down on your competitors, no matter how many, by displaying keyword rankings, traffic garnering statistics for individual web pages, and backlink counts. What is excellent about Ahrefs is that it works across locations and devices, making sure that all areas are covered.

Ahrefs is, perhaps, one of the most widely accessible PPC spy tool platforms due to its immensely diverse pricing range. Starting out as a seven-day demo for $7 only its packages range from $99 to $999 according to the services required. It is clear then that Ahrefs caters to a broad demographic of users, virtually from every background.

There you have it, a comprehensive guide to the top PPC spy tools of 2019. No matter what your requirements or the size of your firm, you are sure to find one that suits your needs. These tools are sure to give you all the goods on your competitors, helping you take one step forward in your business ventures. 

By Pdatas Blog

from My Blog https://affiliatepro.info/top-ppc-spy-tools-in-2019-pdatas-blog/ via Affiliate Pro On Tumblr

from Affiliate pro https://ift.tt/2muKd1c via Wordpress

#Affiliate pro

[timetbl]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

* rhu is pissed, send tiny flames to help  /  accepting

oof, nonnie you want me to rant just to you? that is very lovely of you so yeah, putting it under a cut since it’s gonna get long !

001. please for the love of everything that is good and nice and fluffy, if you’re going to like a reverse starter call, try to make sure you also have non-romantic opens available. this is because for certain types of ships ( or even because it might happen that it’s not the right moment ) or connections, some heavy inspiration for that kind of connection is needed. some of us do ships only if plotted, too, because it’s simply their comfort. so yeah, having only romantic opens in my opinion is not that good ! but i applaud the honesty in seeking those plots openly, nonetheless !! i might not be the right partner for them, but i’m sure there’s many who actually prefer that !!

002. always somehow connected to the subject: when liking someone’s starter call, plot call or reverse starter call, please read the rules and muse page of who you’re liking the post from ! it’s been�� so embarrassing to go and see who liked my calls only to find out a good chunk of my fcs are banned or ‘selective’, and the remaining muses might have the same fcs as them, or aren’t fitting the plot in mind. if you like someone’s call, make sure to have at least a muse from the roster chosen in mind, as it will avoid me and others so much embarrassment.

003. it’s 2019 how about we stop guilt tripping people on which type of muse we all should or shouldn’t interact with, because if they don’t then they need to ‘check themselves’. if you’re not okay with someone’s muse or the way they operate their blog, then block, blacklist and move on. if you really have your tongue in a pitch, tell them in private and have a conversation like adults. remember that you don’t know the other person on the other side of the screen nor you know the reasons behind their choices, and you got no rights to tell them how to deal with their ocs or their blog. i am honestly too old to get involved with some blatant petty false-activism on this site, yikes——

004. for every person complaining about a certain side of the rpc ( we all know which one ), there’s someone tired of seeing everything in this site being so goddamn america-centric and using ‘diversity’ as a gimmick when the truth is that they don’t give a shit about whatsoever exists beyond america, and it fucking shows.

005. commissioning themes and graphics like the good ol’ times died because of patreon exclusive premade themes and no one wanting to commission for things to be truly tailored to be unique to them since they now can just throw some coins and have the same ‘exclusive’ thing 10 other people have. there we go, i said it.

#negative / #i got a bit ranty and i'm sorry but i needed to let some bitterness out #Anonymous

[clubpassim]

Women in Folk - McKain Lakey

Hey there!

Katie here with the next installment of the ‘Women in Folk’ blog. Today’s interviewee is McKain Lakey!

McKain is a freelance folk musician who primarily plays solo. She started playing guitar at age 11, writing original material at 12, banjo at 13 and has been singing since before she can remember. While she’s been mostly a solo artist (who toured for 8 months last year), she used to be in an old-time music duo called Woolly Breeches, and has made appearances with other bands as well; her electro-folk duo with Aseem Suri, Wyman Street, will be releasing their debut single June 30th. McKain came out with a 4-track solo EP entitled West about a year ago. While the EP stands on its own, McKain mentioned that one of the tracks entitled Sadie’s Song, became the beginning to an entirely different project she’s working towards now;

“One of the songs on the EP was inspired by a murder ballad entitled ‘Little Sadie’. Most murder ballads tend to represent only one side of the story. The stories are often told by the person that survived - the person doing the killing. That’s the side of the story that gets passed down from generation to generation. In researching a lot of old ballads, I found myself pretty frustrated by the lack of women’s stories, women’s voices. so I decided to write a response to the ballad of Little Sadie, taking it and re-writing it from Sadie’s perspective as she’s dying. The song talks directly to the person that killed her. Since writing ‘Sadie’s Song’ I’ve been working to develop that concept into a bigger project, which will hopefully culminate in a full-length album eventually. I hope to make it a collaborative project with other women musicians who are doing similar work.”

McKain did a 10-day writing residency in February with Hedgebrook in support of this project where she researched many of the old stories from which these murder ballads came. Her biggest musical influences for this album are “bad*ss old-time ladies” such as Hazel Dickens, Ola Belle Reed, and Ginny Hawker.

She attended the Berklee College of Music where her primary focus was on Audio Engineering, and it was being on the “fringes” of the Roots program there that introduced her to Passim, where she has since given three shows.

The next part of the interview reflects on her experiences of being a woman engineer and artist. (*strong language is used in the following interview*)

[full interview under the cut]

Club Passim: Talk a little about your experiences as a female artist in the Folk/Americana genre.

McKain Lakey: I’ve worked for many years as an audio engineer so most of my more pointed experiences with gender in music have been on that side of things. That is a big reason I became a performer actually. I did want to pursue my own music but it became pretty clear to me that that was my career path after delving into the world of live sound and getting burnt out from dealing with misogyny all the time.

Even though there are still a lot of stigmas and challenges to being a woman performer, I find it is a lot easier to be a woman performer than be a woman audio engineer. We are definitely underrepresented in both areas but I definitely experienced a lot more blatant sexism as an audio engineer than as a performer. But I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel like the experience of being a woman really informs the music I make and informs my perspective in a different way. I feel like we’re coming to a time where that perspective is becoming more valued, and it feels like a really ripe moment to make an impact as an artist by being true to those experiences as a woman in the world. It’s a cool time to be a woman artist.

Being a part of this community of women folk musicians reminds me of when I wrestled in high school. I was on a women’s wrestling team which was still a pretty new concept, so most schools didn’t have a team with girls that filled every weight class. This meant we wound up wrestling for each other’s teams a lot because if your team had two people in one weight class you would loan a wrestler to a team that didn’t have someone in that weight class. It really felt like a ‘wild west’ of women’s wrestling. But what was cool was that whenever I went to a tournament, there was always this huge sense of camaraderie. Even though we were technically in competition with each other, we were also rooting for each other because we played for each other’s teams all the time. You’re all in it together as women wrestlers, and I feel that same sense of camaraderie within women in folk music. There’s always this sigh of relief when you see other women, like “oh, my people”. The bond is very strong for ladies in folk music and that feels very cool.

CP: Do you notice a difference in how you’re treated by other artists, venues, audiences, and industry professionals before vs. after you play?

ML: Yes. Most of the time before I play people don’t take me seriously, but after my set they’ll understand I know what I’m doing. I’ve had a lot of luck with different venues that are very supportive, but every once in a while you have to play that sh*tty gig where no one really cares until you play your set and have a chance to make an impact.

CP: Often, all-male bands have a heavy female fanbase that buys merch, go to shows, support, etc. Do you feel your music is supported by men in this same way? Why or why not do you think that is?

ML: I would say so. If I look at the statistics online of the people who are streaming my music (though I don’t think it is a very good indicator), it’s more women than men, but it’s actually pretty evenly split. At shows, I hear positive responses from both men and women. Actually, for the song I wrote about Little Sadie, I get more comments from men telling me, “Hey that was a really interesting perspective. I’m going to think about that more, let’s have a conversation”.

CP: Incredible classical artists such as classical pianist Yuja Wang use their performance attire as a way to express themselves. This provocative style of dress has been viewed as “distracting” from the music by some. What are your personal thoughts on women using fashion and sex-appeal as a means of bringing in more audience members and assisting in selling their music?

ML: I don’t think it’s my place to judge what any woman wears on stage, period. Whatever your personal style is, whatever is authentic to you is what you should be doing. Women claiming their sexuality is a very powerful thing, so if that’s a big part of your art, then f*****g go for it, that’s rad. I don’t see any problem with that.

There’s a big focus on what women wear, but that conversation distracts from what they’re actually saying with their music. Maybe they’re trying to make a statement with what they’re wearing and we’re completely missing the statement because we’re focusing on the fact that it was “provocative”.

That is definitely something I struggle with as a woman artist. ‘What is the appropriate stage attire that is going to be reflective of who I am as an artist but still comes across as professional’? It’s something I think about a lot, and it frustrates me that men don’t have to think about that. They can show up in jeans and a t-shirt and no one’s going to really think less of them. I also struggle with what feels authentic to me vs. what comes across as authentic.  That’s something I encountered a lot in my duo Woolly Breeches- we often experimented with gender-bending, wearing a lot of men’s clothing. If I were a man I would wear pearl snap shirts every day, but wearing pearl snap shirts every gig as a woman was often seen as a gimmick. That’s the line that I struggle with and feel a lot of frustration towards. It’s completely uneven between the genders with stuff like that.

CP: In your opinion, how can men be more aware or informed about their women co-workers and collaborators in the music industry?

ML: Listening is a big part of it. On the personal accountability side, I’ve been trying to be okay with having any conversation that I would have with a female artist with a male artist. I think sometimes there’s this weird secret club of ladies where we’ll talk about our experiences of being woman musicians together, but we’re not super visible to our male peers. I’ve been trying to focus on being very transparent with where I’m at and not catering the things I talk about based on the gender of who I’m talking to. That has done a lot to spur conversations with male peers who have the potential of being strong allies but don’t necessarily know how to do that.

It’s definitely a two-way street, though. Males need to be actively listening to women. That goes in any setting. From listening when women are advocating for themselves and paying them what they’re actually worth, to listening to us in musical settings. Dudes - don’t just play over women musicians, make sure you’re listening to woman bandleaders just as well as you’d listen to a male bandleader. There are a lot of really subtle ways that men are socialized to ignore women or downplay their contributions. The simple act of listening and being present for women musicians is the foundation of implementing change.

CP: What do you do in a situation when you feel disrespected by the artists/co-workers you’re surrounded by?

ML: It’s very circumstantial. I am really picky with who I spend time with. Going to Berklee, I learned really quickly that I just don’t believe in forgiving a**holes based on their musical merit. I can always find another good musician to play with or hang out with who is a good person too. There are so many amazing musicians who are working hard to make this world a more equitable place, so when I see people being disrespectful, I just leave it. I don’t need to be in this situation, there are so many other places I can go where I WILL be respected.

However, there are those moments where you do need to confront the situation right away. The introduction to a person has been the biggest point of asserting myself actually. I learned this as an audio engineer. If I didn’t assert myself as having power and knowledge within the handshake of meeting an artist, then they would walk all over me for the rest of the night. I’ve definitely carried that with me in my interactions with other people. You have to introduce yourself as someone who is friendly, but also won’t take anyone else’s s**t. It immediately puts a damper on any further disrespect that might occur. That’s usually how I confront the issue before it even happens, though it sucks that that has to happen in the first place.

CP: What message do you want to display as a performer in folk music?

ML: To have respect and compassion for people’s stories. A big part of my work has been exploring perspectives of marginalized people throughout history. I focus mostly on women and queer folks because those are identities I carry. But at the heart of it, it’s about going into your interactions with people with kindness and compassion and to be present for the people you’re around. In the end, it’s all about respect.

CP: What words of wisdom/encouragement do you have for aspiring women in folk?

ML: The women in the folk industry, both musicians and tech, are a really good group of people. Having so many amazing women mentors, colleagues and friends that I’ve gotten to know through this scene is what I cherish most. Collaborating with these women is one of the best parts about doing what I do.

My biggest words of encouragement would be ‘Welcome!’ There are people here that really love you and want to support you. Your best resources are the women around you. We have to keep working on building this community together because it’s a really important one to have. There is a lot of potential for us to express ourselves through this genre, we just have to dive in.

                                                           ~

Perhaps my favorite thing McKain said in the interview was that she doesn’t believe in forgiving people for their attitude or behavior based on their musical merit. While attending Eastman I have most definitely run across this issue a number of times. Being an incredible musician does not excuse nor warrant the poor treatment of friends, peers, and mentors. Unfortunately, this still seems to be lost on many musicians today, men and women alike, though in my experience this attitude tends to appear more frequently in men.

Thanks, McKain for bringing this up and sharing your thoughts and experiences! We can’t wait to see your projects come into fruition.

Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next installment of the ‘Women in Folk’ blog!

Katie

#womeninfolk #clubpassim #songersongwriter #solo #feminism #boston #folk #murder ballads #womeninpower

[stachebrown-blog]

Yooka-Laylee: A Young Developer’s Insight

*** SPOILERS ***

Before I get started, I should introduce myself. Well, maybe not-so-much WHO I am, as this is the internet, and very few people care about a random stranger’s name, but more-so WHAT I am. In my junior year of college, I am beginning to take courses involved in gaming culture, knowledge and theory. That, mixed with the fact that I am already currently attempting to create a large-scale game with a ragtag group of friends, means that I better know what I’m talking about. This is the place where I talk about it. 

Over the next week or so, I’ll be playing small amounts of the new(ish) game, Yooka-Laylee. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Yooka-Laylee was a game that was supposed to be a sort of spiritual successor to the old Banjo-Kazooie games for N64. For those of you who haven’t heard of Banjo-Kazooie, think Super Mario 64. If you haven’t heard of THAT, then I give up and this probably isn’t the blog for you.

Anyway, as I read, I’m going to give you guys the good, the bad and ESPECIALLY the ugly when it comes to the game. Now, as a wanna-be professional, it is my inherent duty to avoid bias, but considering I mildly enjoyed the Banjo-Kazooie games and most platformers, I may make numerous references to the differences. So, here we go, let’s kick this off with something I really hated about my first hour and a half of play. Warning, there will be SPOILERS all around this blog.

The game played well. The controls were smooth, the visuals were nice, and the premise was..... actually, let me stop to talk about the premise. I don’t know what the story-writers were thinking when they pitched this idea because at no point does it make sense to me. The game starts with the two title characters, Yooka the chameleon and Laylee the bat, lounging around peacefully after we see two antagonists power up an evil machine to steal all of the books in the world. As it turns out, they were only looking for one specific book, one that Laylee happened to find recently and had very little interest in. However, at the exact moment the book begins flying away, the dynamic duo thinks “Oh hey, we could probably sell that book for money”, because all heroes are in it for the money. 

Even ignoring that, it would be very hard to stay immersed in the plot. The characters constantly refers to the world as a game, and is always referencing to other elements of the game as if they already know it all. Even Laylee mentioned the second world BEFORE I EVEN GOT THERE. As a quick note to developers out there, it is very hard to stay immersed in a situation of a world when they recognize it as unimportant. The world doesn’t need to be saved because it is a game. 

Other quick dislikes, I found that the characters were just blander copies of their Banjo-Kazooie counterparts, with Yooka deciding to save the world because..... they live in the world? And Laylee just wanting money and being slightly cynical the entire time.

However, the game is not all bad. Along with the smooth controls, and ignoring the not-so-witty writing, the gameplay is actually decently fun. A great callback to the old games, you run around and collect items in order to progress both your skills and the worlds you can travel to. I assume there are bosses (though I have fought none) and most of the Pagies (the main collectible) have decent, short puzzle or action sections preceding them.

However, there was a small complaint about the gameplay too. In many sections, at least in the first world, Pagies were collected by completing short tasks for people. A few of these, when activated, would start a small minigame with the reward being the Pagie. This is all well and good, but in a game where exploration is the main idea, it feels very limiting to be stuck in a small area or minigame while you complete a task which could have just as easily been scripted as a small part of the large world instead of the sole part of an event triggered solely for the collection of that one Pagie.

As a whole, the game is far from a bad game. It’s got some decently delivered lines, some of which would be even better if they weren’t constantly throwing the same punchline into all of their jokes. I am not exaggerating when I say that about 70% of the conversations involved a 4th wall breaking reference to the fact that this is a game. Far too meta.

That line actually wraps up my first session pretty nicely. Yooka-Laylee doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. There are sections where it makes obvious callbacks to its predecessors, but most of the time it either takes the reference way too far, or doesn’t take it far enough. Honestly, it keeps a lot of the shortcomings as well. While most of the controls are pretty intuitive and easy, the darned shooting mechanic that every 3D platformer seems to want is clunky, hard to use and aim, and all around could have been avoided.

However, the game is fun enough, and I will continue to play. Other quick notes: There is a section where you play as a flower, but the only gimmick the flower seems to have is impaired movement (there should probably be something new or exciting). The main villain seems bland and uninvolved, especially compared to Gruntilda from BK (Banjo-Kazooie, not Burger King). Rolling mechanic: very innovative way to reuse old mechanics, very flowing, very fun. Power bar: I don’t think I like this. For now, it just seems like an unnecessary handicap that prevents you from constantly rolling. Perhaps with some powerups later on it is needed for balance (but there are a lot of other, better ways around that, like actually balancing that one ability). There are ups, there are downs, but now, I must get back to my thrilling playthrough of Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.

Stick around for updates; it is likely that I will write another blog within the next two days. That’s all for now, but keep gaming, keep developing, and most importantly: ALWAYS keep a critical mind.

#video games #yooka-laylee

[udemy-gift-coupon-blog]

How to Make Friends: The Definitive Guide to Meeting People ##Edx ##FreeOnlineTraining #Definitive #Friends #Guide #Meeting #People How to Make Friends: The Definitive Guide to Meeting People Hi, I'm Soma I want to talk about human beings for a sec. Whichever way you look at it, humans are social animals. Our brain evolved with communication in mind, and many scientists actually believe that human to human contact was one of the main drivers of our evolution in the first place. On top of our biology, we’re also raised to make friends from day 1 – from our parents giving us playdates as babies, to being put into schools that encourage socialization, to the countless social activities available to all of us at work and in adult life. Clearly meeting people & making friends in person is important. But today, people don't. Right now, in 2019, people have fewer friends than ever. Modern society is lonely. Really lonely. It's gotten so bad that Psychology Today actually listed loneliness a "serious public health problem". And the symptoms are getting harder and harder to ignore. Depression. Anxiety. Panic attacks. Twenty years ago, these were thought of as serious, rare issues. Now everybody & their dog has them. It's a byproduct of our infatuation with technology. And while I'm not against technology, I am against people not knowing the basic social skills required to function in modern day society. Let me put it this way: things have gotten bad, and they're continuing to get worse. And the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Put the two together, and clearly something has to change or we'll have a lot more on our hands than just anxiety. That’s where I come in. I’ve spent the last few years compiling every note, every video, every conference, and every presentation I’ve ever witnessed about meeting people and making friends... and I want to share that information right here, right now. I didn't always used to be this way. When I was younger, I struggled to make friends just like you. In fact, I was probably worse. I got anxiety just asking people for the time. But with conscious practice and effort, I’ve made it to a point where I have a huge network of amazing friends that inspire me and encourage me to do my best. And I want to show you how to get the same. Enter my course, How to Make Friends: The Definitive Guide to Meeting People - In this course, I’m going to teach you how to make more friends than you know what to do with. First, I'll teach you a simple three-step formula that can start a conversation with anyone. That's right. Anyone. Big, multimillion dollar CEO? No problem. The little old lady on the side of the road? You betcha. Then, I’ll show you how to tinker that approach for unique situations – for example, making friends at work or over the Internet. Then, I’ll show you the exact sequence of steps I use to set up my social media for networking and mass contacting. I’ll run you through how to get phone numbers & contact information. How to set boundaries. What to say when a friend pisses you off. Even how to save face when someone shit talks people right to your face. I go through everything from a to z, and I poured my heart and soul into showing you exactly how to do it, no gimmicks. Plus, if you enroll right now, you’ll get a 30 day money back guarantee, so if for whatever reason my course doesn’t float your boat, you get 100% of your initial investment right back in your pocket. I made this course for you, because I don’t want loneliness to be a public health issue. I don’t like taking the bus and having everybody look quietly down at their phones. I don’t like awkward elevator rides. I want people in conversations, sharing ideas, and building relationships, and I’m sure you do too. So let’s get going. Who this course is for: Those seeking long lasting and abundant friendships. 👉 Activate Udemy Coupon 👈 Free Tutorials Udemy Review Real Discount Udemy Free Courses Udemy Coupon Udemy Francais Coupon Udemy gratuit Coursera and Edx ELearningFree Course Free Online Training Udemy Udemy Free Coupons Udemy Free Discount Coupons Udemy Online Course Udemy Online Training 100% FREE Udemy Discount Coupons https://www.couponudemy.com/blog/how-to-make-friends-the-definitive-guide-to-meeting-people/

[spidersanctuary]

A disordered venting about RP problems:

My experience RPing with Tumblr RPing is not very extensive - goes back about five years, I think. Before that, I RPd a bit, much earlier, but for the most part the only RPing I've done is on Tumblr (and Skype, but as an extension of Tumblr RPing).

I don't like bouncing around. I tend to stick with a place that looks legit, get attached to the characters (mine and others') and stick it out, even sometimes unreasonably so. I've been in... basically three group RPs. Two of them were larger (let's say, defined as "more than around ten active players at any given time", and the third was smaller and purely reactionary, a-la "we don't like the way things are here so we'll make our own". Though not without problems (and I can't say I didn't have my part in them), it was the most drama-free as a whole. It also looks like the fourth, soon to come, might follow along the same pattern.

Despite my sample size of one, I'm confident in saying small groups have a different dynamic. Especially if they're founded by people who already know each other. Bigger groups are trickier, in many ways, and I was struck by the realisation that the different problems I encountered in both my bigger groups were representative of two ends of a spectrum.  Similar things going wrong in opposite ways, so to speak.

One of them was defined by lack of forethought and planning. Indeed the whole RP just kind of happened organically, something more serious growing out of something very silly and casual. While it had its fun sides - and it was wildly fun, at times, for as long as the fun lasted - it's also obvious in retrospect how that could be a huge problem. Different players. No standardised rules or guidelines until way, waaay later in the game (after much drama had already happened). Lots of different people with different RPing backgrounds and personalities and playstyles, none of them fully on the same page. While many of the problems had to do with one or two difficult personalities in the group, that's not really the isuse. There is always a risk of... unpleasant people, no RP group is safe from them and no RP guidelines will truly protect you from someone who WANTS to start shit or manipulate things to their benefit and is cunning enough to do that. But even aside from that... the lack of regulation about who could grab what characters and how many (some players ending up with 20+ blogs), or any kind of spoken agreement about activity guidelines and replying etiquette. Lack of agreement about how "canon" certain plots were, in the RPing continuity. Lack of agreement about the continuity, period. A clash between people who wanted to develop a certain pre-planned (and rather exclusive) storyline and those who were more in it for spontaneity. It was a recipe for disaster. It didn't need to get as bad as it did, but starting off like that, it was bound to get unpleasant eventually anyway.

Now, the other group... oh, the other group. After the colourful experience of the first group, the things it offered seemed like a reassuring breath of fresh air. Planning! An almost DnD-esque level of detail to the established universe, rulebook, bestiary and lore! Basically an entire little sandbox lovingly crafted for you to play in. Transparent activity guidelines and rules! An actual mod team working to be approachable while still holding authority! New plots for everyone to participate in to be released basically by the clock, so nobody would feel left out! So lovely! Unfortunately, things are rarely as sunny as they appear. A certain type of literate, application RPs is infamous for their snobbishness and elitism, and despite the initially welcoming tone, that was exactly what this unravelled to be. On the flip side, many of the appeals of the group amounted to little more than elaborate publicity acts. Always, always must the group remain attractive and desirable to newcomers (perhaps unsurprisingly given the apparently abysmal player retention rates, both short and long-term). The tone turned out very different from what was advertised, the sandbox-like universe revealing itself to be more of a literal sandbox, with complex topics turned into gimmicks, and supernatural characters (prosecuted and feared for their in-humanity) easily and casually sharing information about their powers with near-strangers like kids on a playground comparing their toys. The "plots" thrown one's way are not only usually poorly (if at all) developed but intrusive, so that they are impossible to avoid completely even if one is not interested in them. Worse yet, the RP insists on doling out serious consequences and high-stakes crises like death, destruction, invasions of murderous monsters or malignant town-wide spells, but is curiously reluctant to allow any room for serious RPing or sense of consequences.

In fact, it's impossible to talk about consequences when even a sense of any basic continuity is thrown out the window, precluded by the occasional hiatus and re-launch and the various measures taken to make sure that new players enter onto a relatively blank slate. Yes, even if long-time residents of the area and the populace in general SHOULD remember and be affected by that politically motivated massacre half a year back, or that time monstrous vegetables SLAUGHTERED half a school of elementary schoolchildren. Thus, even though the RP is long-running (turning two years old soon), it is impossible for the setting to develop any sense of history, and instead it seems to turn more and more comically nonsensical the more tragedies befall the town and are promptly forgotten a few weeks later. Rather than a serious and in-depth setting, one begins to feel instead as if all the characters are living in a Lotus Eater-like state of vague oblivion, briefly reacting to various events but never quite letting them reach collective memory.

Now, all this might be bearable (and even fun! There's an appeal in a certain kind of wacky no-strings-attached horror-comedy-gore, no denying that), IF a couple things weren't true. a) If the RP (and specifically the mod team) didn't make such a huge deal about what a serious and respectable and serious RP it is. No OCs allowed. "We allow shipping but we don't put an emphasis on it! Please don't think this is one of those silly ship-obsessed RPs". No more than two characters allowed. Replies MUST happen every x days, and even though replies of various kinds are accepted (all prose, just different formats and individual reply lengths), only CERTAIN kinds count towards the activity requirement (???!), and a long-term failure to keep it up will end up in you getting the boot. Even if you ARE active and involved with other people and interact a lot. (Don't even get me started on that. I and about three or four other people, most of whom LEFT shortly after, ended up having our plots disrupted SIGNIFICANTLY because the mods booted - or in this case harangued into throwing in the towel and leaving in a huff - a player who was active with all of us, but wasn't active enough in "the RIGHT way" i.e. the right format. This was part of a bigger package of them caring more about keeping up certain pretenses and ticking off certain boxes to be more outwardly desirable to new applicants than the fun of the users who were already there.) b) The nit-picking. Oh god the nitpicking and micromanagement. Some of the shit I've personally seen, some of it I've heard about. It's one thing to crit a player for not being IC with a mod pre-made character. It's another thing to do that after they've been in play for A YEAR, and if you do that then, you're being blatantly disrespectful of all the development the player's put into them. And it's yet another thing to do that to someone's OC (before the 'no OCs' rule was instated). I've had mods dictate to me that my character shouldn't be reacting to x event like this or that, by listing a bunch of factors that, while possibly convincing, were only ONE possible way to interpret the big picture. For real. Psychology is complicated but for some reason all that goes out the window the moment the mod team decides they know how your character should be played (and I'm not talking about blatant realism or accuracy issues like "that's not how PTSD works" but actual decisions/ways of thinking, things that there should, in theory, be no "wrong" option with because once again, people are complicated).

Which brings me to: C) The omnipresent feeling of entitlement by the mod team aka the Powers That Be, as if they believe that theirs is such a supremely privileged, special and elite group, that they merely DEIGN to let you be a part of it. All of it manifesting in a complete lack of basic courtesy when approaching players. Or rather, any player who's been there longer than a month and who they're not actively trying to be Welcoming(TM) to. I should have seen it pretty early when I had a beef with another player who, to wit, disliked that an RP scene we had depicted her character as a "bad guy" (who was previously ESTABLISHED in canon as a psychopathic murderer!!! and the RP scene basically showed him doing more of the same!!!). She ended up badmouthing me to other players she was interacting with closely, and then they as a group complained about me to the mods, in which she twisted a certain conversation we'd had over Skype into something that reflected very badly on me, along the lines of me forcing her to RP a scene she would be triggered by. Now. This was resolved when I provided the mods with copied Skype messages (direct Skype quotes, a format that, in theory, can't be doctored) that showed she was fabricating that conversation - that she had outright told me she WOULD be okay with doing that scene. She eventually got booted for that (and other stuff). And all would have been well if it weren't for the way I had been initially addressed by the mods, and the condescending, denigrating, making you feel like shit TONE of it. Going from zero, utter peace, to "you have an attitude problem and you need to stop now or we'll kick you out". They also tacked on about half a dozen minor "offenses" I had done, like rambling too much about how the reasons I liked a school subject someone else disliked in the ooc chat, or trying TOO hard to get involved in plots, or other bullshit things that the people involved hadn't even complained to them about. I later realised that this, too, was a Pattern. Whenever they went to you with any sort of grievance, whether from their own side or from another player, they would tack on about half a dozen other "transgressions" you had made, sometimes making them up entirely out of thin air. (Other examples include: Me trying to "enforce a headcanon" by having my character react x way. I then pointed out that the "headcanon" I was allegedly """"enforcing"""" was the information stated on THEIR blog about how characters are large are reacting to a previous major town-wide event. (To wit: the information stated that the Event, a violent and deadly clash between two groups of people, exacerbated tensions between them and led to more mistrust between them. My character, who belongs to ONE group, was being mistrustful of the OTHER group. And somehow, this was not okay. Yes. That's it. That is literally how asinine it got. But then again, it's not surprising - as I explain later, it wasn't baout the offenses making sense. It was about getting to make me feel shitty for something) Or: I was being "inconsiderate" by having my character "out" the supernatural status of another character whose player was no longer in the group, and who they were not in contact with. Said player and I HAD in fact discussed this at the time, and they'd WANTED to have it happen, but the mods didn't know one way OR the other. They simply ASSUMED so they could try to pin it on me!) A long line of instances of them taking "offenses" that they didn't know for sure were offenses, that the player DIRECTLY affected HAD NOT come to them about, to paint a bigger picture of you being some kind of Problem Child who was daring to be naughty in THEIR classroom.

Now, I don't know if this was deliberate, but I can see why they did it. It makes you, as the player, feel like crap, puts you on the defensive, makes you question yourself. "Holy crap, were people really bothered by that time I went on a jokingly-serious rant about how awesome botany is when someone said they hated that topic in biology class?" (Hint: No they weren't. They thought NOTHING of it. But the mods saw it and filed it away for when they needed to make you feel like crap.) It puts the mods in a position of power and strengthened their authority. It forces you into a no-win scenario where you either deny the nonsensical accusations, and thus weaken your position and look less credible because it looks like you can't accept responsibility when you're wrong, OR accept the accusations and thereby agree with them that you're the naughty child and bad at following the rules. So it's a shitty, shitty manipulation technique. All of it coming from a place of entitlement and elitism.

I wish I could say I come from all this wiser, but it does feel like entitlement and elitism are the common denominator here. Part of the problem of the first RP was certain people needing to feel like they were superior and hating it when other people got in the way of that. Part of the problem of the second was stuck-up, self-important mods. Ultimately, it comes down to people who enjoy, just a little too much, to feel power and authority over people. To say that "it's THIS way, because I say it is" and have that listened to without question. Who enforce the rules not because it benefits the community, but because it makes them look good. Who view discussion, in and of itself, as disobedience, as an attack on their authority, an attack on them. I can't say I know for sure how to recognise the warning signs of a group like that BEFORE applying. But maybe big RP groups just aren't worth it, period.

#rp #roleplaying #rp problems #tumblr rp #honestly this is just for the purposes of catharsis #and man did it feel good to get ita ll out #certain past fandom rp #~~~certain original setting supernatural rp~~~~