#(probably) (have not implemented this solution yet) (have to get to the library this week to use excel) (solution might not work)

[unnonexistence]

going to make a spreadsheet of prime factorizations and nobody can stop me

[fictionfixations]

Summary of Riddle Rosehearts' Vignettes

(referencing the wiki pages of the vignettes)

(so far. im doing this because i like riddle. also because i have a long term goal of reading every vignette. also because some people are still missing vignettes because of recent birthdays or events. theres the stich event going on right now, and i have his card, but i havent started the event yet 😭)

(..ill also quote parts of the vignette if im not sure how to describe it without it giving off the wrong idea, or unsure how to reword it)

(if there are any typos im sorry)

(...you ever type it down and then accidentally delete it before saving. AGHH)

(if I put the wrong character name anywhere im so sorry)

(theres also an overuse of character names but sometimes you really cant tell whose speaking unless clarified and i cant be bothered to be like 'the [dorm] housewarden' or anything like that so just. names. thats it.

Dorm Uniform - Only the Garden Roses

(I'm sharing the relevant hashtags to you in case you want to use it for something.)

(Part 1) --HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE-- Cater's having trouble memorizing spell formulas. There's a practical magic exam next week, and Trey tells him that if he fails it, he could fail the class. Riddle stumbles on the two of them and asks them to explain what happened. Trey informs him, while Cater's jokingly annoyed at him spilling the beans. Riddle questions Cater if he's doing that badly but Cater assures him that it's just that one course, much to Riddle's displeasure regardless. The thing Cater's having trouble over is "autocleaning via implement magic infusion", or "the spell to get brooms and dustcloths to clean a room automatically" as described by Riddle. The housewarden himself hasn't learned it in class, but he's read it in a book.

It's confusing to Cater because it's all about a process where you have to do it exactly right or it fails, which is tripping him up. Trey agrees with him by talking about everything else you'd have to worry about so it wouldn't ruin something instead.

Riddle brings up that Cater's signature spell (copying himself) is complicated (as in probably something difficult to do), and then asks why he's struggling.

Cater clarifies that he's good at multitasking, but when it comes to having to line up everything beforehand, it's tough.

Riddle understands, and then offers to help him study. Trey questions if he's up for it since it's junior-level homework, but Riddle brushes him off by stating how he's the housewarden (and thus should have the ability to help anyone of any year), and he refuses to let anyone drop out or fail a grade.

--LIBRARY-- Riddle and Deuce bump into each other in the library. Deuce is startled at how many grimoires are around Riddle (20, and are pretty big), questioning if he's going to read them all, to which Riddle responds that he will.

He then clarifies that he's compiling a study guide for Cater, and that it's all for note-taking.

Deuce offers to carry the books to the desk, and Riddle thanks him.

(Part Two)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - HALLWAY--

Riddle's angry at Cater, yelling at him to explain why he can't memorize a simple 300-paged textbook. Cater meanwhile explains that he can't just memorize it in "like one or two days", clarifying as well that each page is filled to the brim with tiny text.

Trey tells Riddle to "use our indoor voice", and Riddle apologizes.

He continues on with how the study guide contains quite literally everything Cater'd need in relation to the test. "Fundamentals, applications, trick questions… The solution to every possible challenge can be found within these 300 pages."

And then says, "Just memorize the entire thing!"

Cater starts off with appreciating that Riddle put a lot of work into it, and he does wish he could remember it all, but that it's difficult for him because he keeps getting sleepy by the time he hits the third page.

Riddle gets ticked off because he hadn't even gotten past the Table of Contents.

Trey tries to calm him down, and then tells Cater that he could try reading it out loud, putting emphasis on the fact that Riddle put a lot of effort into it, and Cater's apologetic, and says he's gonna "hit the books hard, starting today!"

Riddle reminds him of the consequences of failing, and Cater acknowledges it, before snapping a quick picture of the study guide for Magicam. He leaves to do a "cram sesh" in his room.

Riddle disapproves of Cater's constant checking of Magicam, while Trey says that he can understand the desire to distract yourself from doing something you don't want to do.

Trey then goes about helping Riddle understand Cater by asking Riddle what he'd do if he had to eat something he hated.

Riddle responds by saying that he'd change his approach to "make it as edible as I could manage", going through a whole strategy of what he'd do, before he then gets an idea of what to do for Cater.

It ends with Riddle asking Trey to teach him something.

(Part Three)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - ROSE MAZE--

Cater gives up on taking a break from Magicam and takes a morning stroll, stumbling into Riddle.

Cater tries to make up excuses, while Riddle then mentions that he made a Magicam account the day prior. Cater's surprised, and Riddle questions if he has an issue with it, to which Cater says he doesn't. He continues on to explain that Riddle had stated before that he had no interest in making an account.

Riddle asks for his Magicam handle, to which Cater eagerly shares. Riddle advises him to check it every day, and that he "won't want to miss any of my posts."

--CLASSROOM--

Cater's phone notifies him of a post by Riddle. It's a photo of a broom, with the description, #1stThings1st #WhenCastingASpell #Tap4RoomCornersWithBroom #LevitationSpell #SageAndSalt"

He comments to himself about how cute it is that Riddle's "tagging like a newbie".

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - CATER'S ROOM--

Riddle's made another post, this time about a dustcloth. "#AfterBroom #MagestoneInBucketOfWater #5DropOfPurificationPotion #WaterTemp20OrLess #KeepItThere!"

Cater notes how there's starting to be a pattern.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - RIDDLE'S ROOM--

Riddle's talking to himself about the next post, that being of a spell formula for brushing carpet. "#WaterMagic #FireplaceAshes #SilverApple", and then posts it, to which Cater immediately likes it.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

A few days later, Riddle asks how Cater did, to which Cater responds that he did really well (85 on written, A on applied). Riddle says, "I'd "like" that if I could!" And then gets embarrassed.

Trey congratulates him, and Cater thanks Riddle. Trey then talks about how he was caught off guard when Riddle went to him to ask how to create a Magicam account, nor had he been expecting Riddle to try to get Cater to memorize the spell formulas via photos and hashtags.

Cater agrees, talking about while the notes were making him tired, the hashtags clicked with him. As thanks, he "got a reservation at a pancake cafe with Magicam-ready entrees---my treat!"

Riddle responds that that was a "one-time assist", and that if he almost fails again, it's off with his head. Cater understands, and that he'll "do it the old-fashioned way from now on."

Riddle sets down a bunch of books, to Cater's surprise. He explains that Cater's going to read them all for his next test.

Birthday Boy - Happy Birthday

(this is the one with Yuu as the interviewer)

(Part One)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - BIRTHDAY PARTY VENUE--

Riddle talks about how pleased he is by the attention to detail of everything. He also notes that the "pansy embroidery on the tablecloth was done by Ace and Deuce", speaking about how it's crooked, but that it also makes it charming.

One year, on his birthday, his dormmates told him that he had an urgent summons from Professor Trein. When he opened the door, everyone from the dorm was inside, and "they set off party poppers, put an odd hat on my head, and bellowed "Happy Birthday!" in unison." In that moment, he was very confused and startled, and he recalled that Trey and Cater had laughed when they'd seen the look on his face.

He goes on to say that he "repaid" them for surprising him the way they did. Especially noting how it "takes quite some nerve" to mislead him, but then explains that "it was my first time having such a boisterous time on my birthday."

(Part Two)

In response to a question about what he does with his free time, he says that he tends to the hedgehogs. Riddle clarifies that they have a system whre they take turns to do so, so he doesn't have to visit them everyday, but that he still likes to check up on them, because they're delicate and he wouldn't want to see them neglected. He goes on to say that he keeps "a close eye on their food and the area temperature."

Riddle says that he wants to be a medical mage in the future. He explains that "it's a medical practitioner who specializes in treatments involving magic", and that someone has to be "an exceptional mage AND a licensed doctor" to be allowed to take the exam. He goes on to talk about how they have to be able to treat various different physical compositions, "dispel harmful enchantments from patients", and so on. How it's a very demanding profession that requires a great degree of proficiency and knowledge related.

He says both his parents are medical mages, and that they've raised him since he was young to be one as well. Riddle had taken it as a given and never considered other options, but "as I've spent my days upholding the Queen of Hearts' Rules", he's "taken an interest in the legal profession." He also started "reading books about judicial topics" too.

(Part Three)

Something Riddle's really good at are speed crosswords. When he was a kid, the textbooks his mom got him every month had crossword puzzles at the last page. He hadn't been allowed any other entertainment, so he'd "greatly looked forward to solving crosswords after I was done with my studies." He goes on to talk about how it'd gotten boring just solving them, so then he started timing himself, and had fun trying to go faster with every attempt.

One thing he enjoys about them had to be how accomplished he feels after. That "it's satisfying to fill in empty squares", "but the real reward is the way they let you apply the results of your daily studies." He likes moments where he can "make practical use of the knowledge I've accumulated". He also notes that he's been thinking of "holding a speed crossword tournament" to raise the other students' grades.

He goes on to say that he's been creating his own crossword puzzles since he was young. He'd started making them because he thought "it might be nice to give Trey and Chenya puzzles to solve." He continues on to say that he's "created over 3,000 of them." Then he invites Yuu to take part once the tournament becomes a thing.

Halloween - Training Regimen

(Part One)

--POCKET DIMENSION - SPARKLING HALL--

Riddle's dancing with a ghost. The ghost talks about how she wasn't great at dancing when she was alive, but that this kind of dancing is enjoyable. Riddle's thankful, and explains that she doesn't need to worry about being perfect for a casual party, and taht "everyone must enjoy themselves on Halloween. That's the rule."

Riddle then changes dance partners with Vil. Vil compliments him on his dancing, and that he hadn't expected him to be a good dancer. Riddle talks about how he's had "an interest in social dancing since I was a child", and that he'd learned from his mother "as part of my rigorous education". He's more used to "dance routines that have set steps", instead of the ones "where you just move your body to the rhythm."

Vil says that he doesn't need to scowl, because he hadn't been insulting him. Riddle says that it'd came off like Vil had been "making light of my athletic abilities." Vil clarifies that "the point I was trying to make was" that he was able to dance without stumbling whatsoever. It was an improvement, compared to "how your legs shook like a newborn fawn's last year."

(Part Two)

[Flashback Start - Soon after he became housewarden]

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Riddle's irritated at how long the meeting was, especially with how it was "just people pushing work of on each other". Trey explains that housewardens are busy, but Riddle says that he's busy too. He starts talking about how he's going to change Heartslabyul to actually "embody the Queen of Heart's spirit of strictness", to which Trey tries to get him to "dial it back a little", and that the students might be a little confused on what to do because of the sudden housewarden change, especially so early in the year.

Riddle says that "things are so dire" because the upperclassmen haven't been doing anything about "their indolent behavior." Then he suddenly stops, telling Trey to go back to the dorm without him, because he'd just remembered something he had to do.

Trey leaves, and Riddle takes a breather to take off his heels, finding he has a blister on his foot. He reasons that they're new shoes, and that he's "never worn high heels before". He questions why people wear them.

Vil offers him a bandage, noting that he'd been wobbling, and that "your dorm honors the Queen of Hearts, but your unseemly gait hardly does the same." He then asks why Riddle chose to wear heels.

Clarifying that housewardens are allowed to "make adjustments to their dorm uniform as they see fit", and he also notes that Riddle doesn't seem to enjoy wearing high heels. He also mentions that the housewarden before Riddle wore sneakers like the other students, so it hardly seemed necessary.

Riddle agrees, stating that it also annoys him when people think he wore them to look taller. He goes on to explain that "both the Queen of Hearts and the first Heartslabyul housewarden" wore them. He'd had his uniform "tailored to match that of our first housewarden", believing that he should abide by tradition, which means dressing formally.

Vil brings them back to getting Riddle to accept the bandage, and Riddle agrees. Vil gives him advice on what he can do to "cut down on blisters", to which Riddle thanks him and asks for what class he's in, so he can get him a new one. Vil refuses, but Riddle goes on to state that "it's a rule in my dorm to always return what one borrows."

[Flashback End]

(Part Three)

--POCKET DIMENSION - SPARKLING HALL--

Vil speaks about how Riddle had gone through the effort to find what class he was in and then gave him a new bandage.

Riddle explains how after that, he'd gotten a "manual on proper walking technique", "watched videos on correct posture" and how to "walk more gracefully", and then "added both to my training regimen." He's glad that he can show Vil that he's more used to them now, so he could correct a poor impression. Vil notes that he figured Riddle had "mellowed out considerably since those days", but that "some things never change". Regardless, he says he sees "no hint of that previous newborn fawn."

Riddle goes on to talk about benefits that heels offer, like how walking elegantly has him automatically straighten out, and that the good posture makes him feel more energized. Vil agrees. Riddle also mentions that it's satisfying to watch the "Heartslabyul students instantly straighten up when they hear my footsteps." Then they both talk about their respective Queens, and how the clacking "can announce one's presence, while inspiring both respect and fear."

Tsumsitter - Riddle's Tsum

(Part One)

--MAIN STREET--

Riddle tries to calm himself down by noting how he already tasked Cater with figuring out what'd happened, and that he needed to get back to Heartslabyul.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - EXTERIOR--

There's a rustling in the bushes, and he believes that it might've been a hedgehog that escaped, so he tries to get it to come out. When nothing happens, he starts speaking in hedgehog.

Something smacks into him. It's his tsum.

He's confused, thinking it's a plush toy, and that someone threw it at him. Riddle's startled when it moves. He comes to the conclusion that the "safest bet would be to secure it now", so he grabs it.

The tsum causes a fuss, but when Riddle tells it to settle down, it goes still. Riddle notes that what the tsum was looking at was the red roses, before going on to say that they "should have spare hedgehog cages". The tsum then slips away.

Riddle chases after it.

(Part Two)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

Riddle thanks Cater, to which Cater exclaims how cute him and his own and Cater's tsums are together, and he takes a picture. Riddle is unimpressed. He doesn't really get why they've been tasked to watch over them, though.

Cater says it's fine cause they're cute, but Riddle instead goes on about how "looking after a living creature is a serious responsibility", and that they "must remain vigilant" considering they don't really know anything about how to care for them.

Riddle hadn't been able to get it in a cage so he'd kept it in his room. When it was "lights out", however, "it hopped up on my pillow and slept soundly until morning." He notes that it's behaving at the moment, but that he doesn't think it'll last long.

Trey notes that they both look tired, finding himself right in deciding to bring them tea. Deuce tells them to try some of Trey's lemon tart.

Cater takes a picture of his tsum with the tart. Ace also mentions the tea. Riddle takes the tea in an attempt to relax.

Deuce comments on the similarity in appearances, and Riddle then notices it, but doesn't understand how it resembles him at all.

Deuce says they have a similar vibe, that they're both intense. Trey says "it has a certain dignity about it."

Riddle's tsum runs into Ace, making him drop his fork. Deuce offers to give it a slice, but Cater figures that's probably not it considering his tsum hasn't been doing anything, and that they also don't have mouths.

Riddle asks Ace if he was about to take a bite of his tart, to which Ace responds yes. Riddle reminds him of rule 89, that being "Never eat a tart before the queen without the queen's permission." They realize that the tsum knows the rules, and stopped Ace from almost breaking a rule.

Cater says it might've been a coincidence, meanwhile Riddle is smiling at his tsum, praising him. Ace and Trey have a bad feeling, and Cater goes to leave with his tsum.

(Part Two)

--CAFETERIA--

Riddle's tsum runs into two Heartslabyul students for breaking a rule. Riddle compliments him and then they both go back on patrol for any rulebreakers. Ace says that they should finish up, as Riddle's been going a little overboard "now that he's got a partner in rule regulation."

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - ROSE MAZE--

Riddle compliments the tsum for finding another rulebreaker, about to step in when the tsum rushes off. Riddle yells at him to come back, and the tsum knocks into someone.

Riddle says that "his attire may be in violation of the rules", but that it isn't allowed to "tackle students willy-nilly", and that it isn't okay "to make their jobs more difficult in the process." Riddle then questions if the tsum is even listening to him.

Trey, Ace, and Deuce come to check up on him. Riddle's tsum runs away. Riddle orders them to get it.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

They captured the tsum on Main Street, and now both Yuu and Grim are here as well. Trey's off getting the tea and snacks. The tsum suddenly hops off Riddle's shoulder and slams into Grim.

Riddle's confused, before noting rule 23, "One must never bring a cat to a formal affair".

Riddle then tells him that "private tea parties don't qualify", and that Grim's not a cat, but a direbeast. The tsum doesn't agree with Riddle's interpretation, much to his displeasure. Ace grumbles that they're going at it again, and Cater compares them to siblings.

Birthday Jacket - Happy Birthday

(Part One)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

Azul offers Riddle a gift, that being a lamp with suit cards. Riddle comments on Azul actually using his intel for "something positive", and says that it'll look good in his room. Azul asks him to describe his room, and Riddle says it's a good place for studying, and that he even has "a storage system that allows me to locate any reference books or other matierlas I might need at a glance".

Azul then clarifies that the lamp is a scent diffuser. Riddle says he's "heard that different scents can have different effects", but that he's never tried them before. Azul figured, so he'd gotten "several essential oils that might suit your tastes", having him only pick one however since his "gift budget is limited".

(Note: To my understanding, interviewers get given a budget to get a gift for the birthday person. It's mentioned in Rook's Birthday Jacket vignette because Kalim wanted to "build a museum with famous exhibits just for you" or "book a private performance with a theatrical troupe", but that "those things take time, and I got told none of that would fit in the gift-giving budget".)

The first one reminds Riddle of the feelings he gets when "galloping through the woods and fields on horseback". The next smells like lemon, and the third smells like roses. Riddle then chooses the one with the roses.

(Part Two)

When asked which student he'd choose as a sibling, Riddle contemplates on choosing either Silver and Sebek (as Azul prompts him to think of those closest to him at school outside of his dorm).

Riddle mentions a moment where Silver fell asleep while they were "changing after morning class", and that Sebek and he had to carry him to class. Riddle also notes that Sebek "looks out for others, in his own way".

Riddle goes on to say that he "often ends up looking after others", so instead he figures that "in the interest of not having to sacrifice valuable study time", he wanted someone with good grades and a good conduct, coming to the conclusion of Jade.

Azul is shocked.

Riddle explains that he couldn't think of anyone else, and that he'd choose Jade as his younger brother. Azul is very much confused.

Riddle clarifies that "an older brother would occupy a higher standing than a younger one", so that if Jade did something wrong, he'd be "entitled as his elder brother to correct his actions". Azul can't believe Riddle's so reckless that he'd choose Jade as a younger brother for that reason.

(Part Three)

If Riddle were to transfer to a different dorm, it'd be Diasomnia, talking about how it's "home to a great many students with outstanding magical prowess" and that he would "fit neatly among their ranks". Azul calls him bold.

Riddle goes on to say that "Diasomnia students all use magic more regularly than students from other dorms", so that staying there he could "gain new magical insights".

Azul agrees with him, and then asks if he'd still aim for housewarden. Riddle says that he would, because he "wouldn't get any other opportunities to face off against one of the top five mages in the world", and that Malleus being powerful "makes him worth challenging in my view".

Labwear - That Was My Intuition

(Part One)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - RIDDLE'S ROOM--

Trey asks Riddle if hes' done writing the "report for the housewarden meeting". Riddle offers to have Trey take a look since he's finished. Trey's surprised by the big stack of documents, and asks if he wants it to be "delivered to the headmage". Riddle agrees.

Trey tells him not to work too hard, and then leaves.

Riddles goes over the "registration paperwork for the interdorm Spelldrive tournament", noting that Azul's "outlined so many rules that merely READING them is tedious". It starts raining pretty heavy, and he hopes Trey brought an umbrella.

--CAFETERIA--

Trey sneezes.

Riddle comments that he'd told him to "stay warm" and "get yourself to bed early", but Trey had been up late finishing his homework.

Cater asks why Trey's apologizing when he's "the one who caught a cold" so he asks for what happened. Riddle informs him that "Trey got caught in the rain yesterday while he was running an errand on my behalf".

Riddle tells Trey to take his temperature (again) after dinner. Cater tells him that he should go to the nurse's office. Trey keeps insisting he's fine. He keeps sneezing though, so Cater goes to walk Trey back to the dorm.

--LIBRARY--

Riddle's searching for a hot soup recipe, and Lilia asks him what's wrong, and notices the cookbook. He asks him if he cooks, as he'd "thought the vice housewarden was in charge of that".

Riddle starts to explain but Lilia interrupts, coming to the conclusion that Trey has a cold. He continues to clarify that they're in the same classes, so it'd be hard not to notice, and makes a correct guess on what Riddle's looking for.

Lilia says that he's "no stranger to seeing people struggle with things outside of their usual element" and that Silver's been through it many times. Riddle says he isn't struggling, and that he just needs to find a recipe.

Lilia says he probably won't find one though, because he himself had "looked for the same thing in here before", as "mild, cold-busting soups are so simple to make that cookbooks never bother detailing them." Riddle figures he'll come up with something else then, but Lilia offers to teach him how to make one.

(Part Two)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - KITCHEN--

Riddle comments on how cold it is, but Lilia says "of course it's cooler in here when not in use" as it's "full of heat sources", before bringing them back to the topic of the soup.

For how much water to use, Lilia says to "measure out how much you think he'd eat", and goes on to assume how much soup stock to add as he can't remember the exact ratio.

He goes on to say that there's "a lot of intuition involved" with fine-tuning the flavor, but Riddle doesn't really get it. Lilia instead asks him "what suits YOUR palate?"

Riddle "likes strawberry tarts, but one can't exactly put those in a soup." Lilia challenges him instead with a "can't you?", and that "it seems to me like putting in foods you like is a good way to whet the appetite", and goes on to mention other ingredients.

Riddle's confused that it gets put in soup, but he figures that "it IS important to maximize nutrient absorption".

When asked how much to add, Lilia says, "the more nutrients you put in, the faster he'll recover", so Riddle figures he should add a lot.

Lilia comments that "when I last made this, I added chili pepper too", and that "Silver practically sprang out of his seat after one slurp."

Riddle questioned if "stimulants" would be "counterproductive", and then says he's done with his seasonings. Lilia asks if he's not putting anything else in.

Riddle agrees, saying that "I let thoughts of Trey guide me" and that "that was my intuition." Lilia concedes and says that "all you have to do is boil it, and you're done". Riddle questions where to set the heat, as it's "giving off a rather…pungent odor."

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - TREY'S ROOM--

Trey had been napping since he'd gotten back to the dorm, so he was awake now (it's night). He's "feeling a little bit better" and "taking care of some homework".

When asked what Riddle's got, Riddle replies that he'd made some homemade soup, and that "no pressure if you'd rather not partake" considering "it was my first go at" this kind of thing, "so I'm not sure how well it turned out". He also says he'll "eat it for breakfast tomorrow if it doesn't suit you", but Trey says he doesn't mind, and thanks Riddle.

Trey takes a sip, and Riddle says he doesn't need to have it while he's there. Trey (coughing) instead says that "you went through the trouble of making it", so he wanted to "give you feedback".

He goes on to say that it's "not a bad first effort". Riddle starts to speak but then sneezes. Trey worries over him.

--SCHOOL INFIRMARY--

(the next day)

Jade advises Riddle to take care of himself. Riddle thanks him for "walking me to the nurse's fofice during class" and apologizes.

The nurse isn't there but "there's an open bed" so he takes his temperature and then gets an ice pack.

He forgot to change, but he can't be bothered to take off his labcoat. He wakes up to Trey greeting him, and that class is over.

Riddle asks what he's doing here, and Trey responds that "I heard you were sleeping in the nurse's office" so he "came to check up on you". He asks how he's feeling, and Riddle says he's feeling better, before being interrupted by a sneeze.

Trey tells him to take it easy, and also thanks him for the soup, and that he'd finished the entire batch. Riddle calls him a fool, before saying that he can walk back to the dorm and go to bed. Trey offers to walk him there but Riddle refuses, before sneezing again.

Ceremonial Robes - What Is Your Verdict?

(Part One)

--MIRROR CHAMBER--

Riddle hopes that some more composed students will "find their way into Heartslabyul" as many of the freshmen are lacking decorum. When it goes to Ace, Riddle says he pities "his future housewarden". Riddle quickly orders him to return to his seat, as he "has no tolerance for rulebreakers", complaining to himself that he'd "have to drill basic manners into him before I even get started on the Queen's laws."

Sebek orders the others to "comport yourselves with dignity and cease your whispering", causing Riddle to believe him to be sensible.

Sebek gets put in Diasomnia, and then immediately loses his composure with "AWWW YEAH, BABY! WOOHOO! I'm in the same dorm as Malleus!" to the shock of Riddle, before he quickly gains his composure. Riddle questions if he just imagined that.

--SPORTS FIELD--

Riddle asks Silver if he's been "neglecting your preparation", but Silver says he has "it under control", before noting the lack of freshmen coming their way.

Riddle explains that "they're likely starting with more popular clubs".

Sebek interrupts them, asking "where I can observe the Equestrian Club".

(Part Two)

Riddle recalls his name, and Sebek accuses him of being a spy, "sent to uncover Diasomnia's deepest secrets".

Riddle responds with "I mistakenly believed you to be a man of diligence and decorum" and that "like all other Diasomnia students, your well-mannered facade bellies your supercilious nature."

Silver tries to explain that Sebek's a special case, but Riddle says he remembers Silver "being rather aloof" when they first met. Silver figures he wasn't that bad, and gives Sebek advice to "correct your attitude at once" and that "it is because of pople like you that Diasomnia's reputation suffers".

Sebek however, refuses to be reprimanded by him, and claims he hasn't done anything wrong.

Riddle interrupts them to start the tour. "I was a bit dismayed by the audacity Sebek displayed as a mere freshman", however "I understand that every dorm has its own customs and ways of thinking. He goes on to say that that's also true for the Equestrian Club, and that if Sebek intends to join them, that he'll need to "adhere to our ideology."

Sebek agrees, and Riddle starts going over the fundamentals. How it can be both dangerous to them and the horses, so they require a delicate touch. "In this club, your upperclassmen's word is law, and for your safety, you are obliged to obey."

Sebek says he'll "obey any orders, within reason," and Riddle notes that he's taking riding seriously.

Sebek talks about how it's an important skill "if I am to serve under Malleus" but that he wishes "to see the other club members' skills before I decide whether or not to join."

Riddle calls it "a fair assessment", and invites him to judge himself if "our club meets your standards". He apologies to Silver and asks if he could ride first, to which Silver agrees.

Riddles goes riding on Vorpal.

Sebek's impressed, and Silver speaks about how Riddle's "trained relentlessly to achieve perfect riding technique" and that "he is even more skilled than I am".

Riddle then stops Vorpal there and asks Sebek for his verdict.

Immediately, Sebek's "ready to submit my entry applications". Riddle's surprised, and Silver notes that "normally, freshmen only submit an application after observing all of their prospective clubs."

Sebek instead figured that "what if I were to submit it late, only to find that the club is already at capacity?"

Riddle agrees "if you've made up your mind", and welcomes him to the Equestrian Club.

Apprentice Chef - Riddle Making Cabbage Rolls

(Part One)

--CAFETERIA - KITCHEN--

Riddle's questioning what size leaf to use as the recipe doesn't sepcify. The ghost chef tells him that "you can always make adjustments when you're doing the rolling".

Riddle then goes on to ask "what volume of water do I need for the parboiling," and the chef responds that he doesn't need a precise measurement, "as long as there's enough water to immerse the cabbage leaves fully."

Riddles goes to measure with a ruler for mincing but the chef stops him, saying that it isn't necessary. The chef then asks why he signed up for the Culinary Crucible. Riddle says that "a housewarden should be the best at both academics AND cooking."

He also says that "it makes sense to get a head start on living independently."

The chef then asks Silver, who responds that Riddle had invited him, hoping that it could help him with his "dozing habit". It made sense to him, and he was "always ready for an opportunity to learn how to make better food."

The ghost comments on how both of them "seem to know your way around the kitchen well enough" and that "you've had no issues handling any of our cooking implements".

Silver clarifies that he always falls "back on the same crutch-- salt, pepper, and sauté" and that he'd like to do more. He'd also like to "cook more enjoyable meals for the father who raised me".

Riddle starts sniffing.

The chef asks Riddle if Silver's words had moved him to tears, but Riddle explained that while "it WAS touching", that wasn't why he was crying. It was the onions. Silver asks if he's okay.

Riddle asks "how do I make it stop?!" Silver tries to stop him from rubbing his eyes, but… "Rubbing my eyes just makes it worse! It stiiings!"

The ghost chef praises him as his "fillings came out with a very nice texture".

Riddle wants to do more to make them equal, but the chef reassures him that "once they're all swaddled in leafy goodness, you won't be able to tell 'em apart", and that "spending TOO long cooking can impact the freshness of your ingredients" to which Riddle concedes. He attempts to pack it tightly but "I pulled too hard and ripped the leaves!" The chef tells him that "that means it's time for you to try again using one of the spare cabbage leaves", and Riddle says "I'll roll it perfectly next time, just you wait!"

(Part Two)

Riddle and the chef start having a chat. Riddle mentions that "seeing Silver cooking up close was a clear illustration of how much more i Have yet to learn" and that he "memorized the recipe front to back" but "still got stumped at several points when it was time to go hands-on". The chef agrees with him about how recipes can be "unclear about measurements and the exact order of operations".

Silver notes that "even an ace academic like you still needs lots of training when it comes to mastering the ins and outs of cooking", and Riddle agrees. He states that "there are plenty of things in world beyond the limited aggregate of my experience" and that it was a "good reminder to stay humble."

--CAFETERIA--

Riddle brings out his dish to the taste-testing table, to be greeted with Malleus.

Malleus notes that they vary in size and that "these two are so lopsided next to each other, it's like a parent and their tottering child."

He explains that as it was a "meal prepared by Riddle" he was "prepared to be blown away by a masterful display of technique" but that "the flavor and plating are both entirely pedestrian".

Riddle thanks him for his honest feedback, and the ghost chef reassures him by saying that he'd done well for his first time.

Riddle thanks the chef, and continues on to state that "I'm not one to shrink from a challenge" and that "one day" he'll "reign supreme as the finest cook on campus".

Suitor Suit - Can't Make a Fool of Myself

(Part One)

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Ghost guards are trying to catch him, but he states that "that's my 362nd victory" and that "as long as I'm here, none shall pass". One of them calls him "tiny" but "as strong as a monster", to which Riddle glares.

50 more ghosts arrive, to Riddle's irritation, "if I don't stop them they'll pose a threat to Ace and the others. But even I have my limits…" A rose petal falls off his jacket and he recalls an encounter.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - ROSE MAZE--

Riddle says that the roses should've been finished pruning before the next day, but that "because of all this Ghost Bride nonsense, I'm nowhere near done!"

Malleus comes across him, and Riddle greets him. Malleus wanted to thank him, as "you're going to rescue Shroud and the other captives, yes?" And that "my retainers Lilia and Sebek are part of that group." Riddle shrugs it off as "I'm not rescuing Lilia and Sebek for your benefit", as the "Heartslabyul Housewarden is expected to show initiative during campus emergencies".

Malleus comments on his maturity.

Riddle asks if he's familiar with "the concept of noblesse oblige", as it's a "prominent school of thought that has a long history in the Realm of the Roses". "Those with power and status hve a duty to aid the weak, proportional to their station".

Malleus wonders if he judges him for his conduct being "unbefitting a leader". Riddle says that "your position as prince of your land must come before your position as housewarden", and that "though you may wish to fly to your retainers' rescue, you are constrained by circumstance."

And that in contrast, "leader or no, I come from common stock".

(Part Two)

Malleus states that he was worried over nothing.

He goes on to say that "as you presumed" he "cannot enter into an egagement lightly, even on false pretense", and so that was why "Lilia and Sebek went on my behalf", but that "it troubles me that there is nothing I can do to free them."

Riddle says that "you must think me rather incompetent." Instead though, Malleus says "I've witnessed firsthand how you care for your vassals and your determination as a leader". That "I assume you've received no royal tutelage, yet you have the bearing of a king all the same."

Malleus continues on by saying "you carry yourself with dignity and grace but you lack a certain…majesty" and that if he's "to impress the princess" that he should "wear something indicative of your stature. Riddle reminds him that he's not an aristocrat.

Malleus then asks if he'd share one of the pruned roses with him. Riddle agrees but asks what he's going to do with it. Malleus gives it to him, saying "when adorned upon you, this simple rose carries more weight than any medal."

He tells him that "if you are king of this rose garden, you must carry yourself with a rose's strength and nobility."

Riddle finally concedes as "with a genuine prince telling me this, now I really can't make a fool of myself". He goes on to say "I swear upon this rose, I shall fulfil my duty and rescue all the captured students."

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Riddle refuses to give up, recalling the promise.

The ghost states how he's "not even flinching" and Riddle responds with "of course not! After all, I am…"

--DIASOMNIA DORM - LOUNGE --

Silver asks Malleus if they "shouldn't try to rescue Father and Sebek", and Malleus responds that "it'll be fine", as Riddle has set off.

Silver comments on how he's "surprised at how much faith you have in him." Malleus instead says that "I am merely acknowledging the truth. After all, he is…"

"THE KING OF HEARTSLABYUL!"

Tropical Wear - If That's the Rule... (to be added lol. to be honest i havent even started the event yet)

School Uniform - Ignorance Is No Inconvenience

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Riddle tells a group to step aside, as they're blocking the hallway. Azul asks if Riddle's not going to "spare the exam results a glance", while Riddle asks "what would be the points, when the results are always the same?"

Azul agrees, however "I thought you may have slipped for once, but I see you aren't one to be underestimated." Riddle admits to struggling with a question.

He mentions that "three days before the exam, a paper was published, citing new discoveries to propose a wholesale reevaluation of the kingdom's history."

Azul then says that "in fact, I heard the faculty held a meeting about it. As one student managed to answer it perfectly, they decided to deduct points from the rest of us instead."

Riddle apologies, but Azul shrugs it off as "we all had access to that new paper, you're simply the only one who took notice of it" and that "I'll have to keep a closer eye on any new research that crops up" to which Riddle says he'll "do the same". He then leaves.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

Cater offers some treats from Trey to Ace, but needing to take a few pictures first. Ace comments on the phone case as it's "crazy popular". Cater nods, saying that "mine's legit, too".

Ace then says that he's "been looking for one too" but with a different design, describing it as "that one with the weird creature that's got a bushy head, and feet comin' out of its eyes".

Cater recognizes what he's referring to, but says "this diamond pattern really speaks to me".

Riddle interrupts by saying that they should probably sit if "you insist on keeping this up", startling Ace who asks when he got back. Riddle responds that he'd returned a moment ago, and that, "putting the queen's laws aside, prattling on in front of the entrance is simply bad manners."

Cater apologizes, meanwhile Ace asks if he's seen Cater's phone, and if it's awesome. Riddle asks if he bought a new phone, but Ace clarifies about the case, and how it's the "hottest thing on Magicam right now". Riddle asks "what about it is so unique", to Ace's surprise that he didn't know.

Ace asks how he can "even manage to hold a conversation with anyone" while Riddle assures him that he's "never been inconvenienced for not knowing what's in vogue before." Cater asks "what if Magicam winds up on an exam, though?"

And talks about his perfect score streak, to which Ace is in disbelief, before realizing that "with all the studying you do, it's no wonder you don't know what's going on in the real world".

But that "Ace has got your back! See this design is--" To immediately be interrupted by Riddle stating that he didn't "recall asking for your help", and telling them to "either sit down or return to your rooms to study". He later states though that "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look into it a little."

PE Uniform - Don't Say a Word

--SPORTS FIELD--

Riddle's documenting his reuslts, but they're all below average. Kalim greets him out of nowhere, startling him. He asks if they can do the sprint together, to which Riddle asks if he doesn't "have a partner already".

Kalim says that Jamil's "on some other exercise" but that "we're supposed to be in apirs, so why not run with me?" Riddle agrees, but on the condition that "you aren't to say a word after we're finished". Kalim agrees, albeit confused. Vargas tells the "next set of runners, take your positions". Then they go off.

Jamil comes over, asking if Kalim's already done. Kalim nods, stating "you looked like you'd be a while, so I just went ahead and did it." Jamil asks what time he got. Kalim responds with "I can't remember" but that "I'll bet it's faster than yours'll be!" Riddle chimes in with "you were 6.81 seconds" and that "perhaps you should consider writing it down next time".

Kalim thanks him as hew was "about to do it over again for a new time, too", and then tells Jamil to "hurry up and do your sprint". Jamil thanks Riddle for babysitting him.

Riddle shrugs it off as "you deserve a break once in a while." Kalim then says "it's kinda nice to see even you can't come first in everything, Riddle" and that "Between you and Azul, I thought I was the only sophomore housewarden who wasn't amazing at just about everything, but"

Jamil then covers his mouth and apologies to Riddle. Vargas then tells them to move onto personal exercises. Kalim asks about dancing together, while Jamil says that "you're the only one who wants to do that" and asks instead "what do you think of practicing our flyting instead? We have the perfect teacher right here."

Jamil then asks "you don't mind, do you?" Since "Class E has their flight test soon". Riddle refuses to teach them how to fly but that instead "you're free to watch if you wish".

He then flies off. Both Kalim and Jamil admire his flying. Kalim calls him amazing, but Riddle instead says that "a true mage simply excels in magic over fitness."

[hydrus]

Version 545

windows

zip

exe

macOS

app

linux

tar.gz

I had a good week. I did some small things, and a user contributed some cool things!

full changelog

blurhash

tl;dr: we have some special blurry thumbnails now, but you won't see them much yet.

Thanks to a user who did a bunch of research and work to get this going, the client now generates the 'blurhash' of all files that have a thumbnail. This hash is essentially a micro-thumbnail, only about 34 bytes, that shows a very blurry coloured impression of the general shape of the image or video. They are usually used as placeholders when it may take time to load something--you have probably seen something similar on slower news websites.

You won't see these in hydrus itself much, since thumbnails load fast enough that we don't have to worry about placeholders. In the advanced ways of seeing files you don't actually own, however, I will now show you any file's known blurhash rather than the default 'hydrus' thumb. Same deal for damaged/missing files--if I can't fetch a thumb, I'll now fall back to the blurhash.

The more important thing is these hashes are now available on the Client API, under the normal 'file_metadata' call. If you are implementing a browser or similar and have access to a fast blurhash library, try them out! I've scheduled all users to generate the blurhashes for their existing files in the background, which will take a few weeks/months for users with hundreds of thousands of files (although, if you are working with this and want to hurry it along, remember the queue is manageable under database->file maintenance.

other highlights

The file history chart (help->view file history) now has a search panel, just like Mr Bones! You can search your import, archive, and delete history for creator x, filetype y, or any other query you can think of. Some of the math here got a bit weird, and I am sure I have missed out several 'cannot provide good numbers for this domain' situations, so let me know if you get any really stupid results or outright errors. There's more work to do here, like a button to hide the search panel, which I hope to push on in the near future.

Thanks to the same user above, we also have epub support! No 'num_words' yet, but it turns out epubs are just zip files with some html, so I think it'll be doable in future. Also, some rare incorrect jpeg rotations (for 'MPO' jpeg files) are fixed.

If you right-click on a selection of files, the 'open->similar files' menu now has a 'in a new duplicate filter page' command. This will initialise the filter page just looking at those files, hopefully making it simple to clear out the potential duplicates in any particular selection.

Unfortunately, I am retiring the Deviant Art artist search and login script. DA have been slowly killing their nice old API, and the artist search just went. Individual page URLs still seem to work, but I suspect they will be gone soon. Gallery-dl have a nice DA solution that works with the new API, so if you can't find the same content on a more open booru, that's my best recommendation for now.

next week

I want to take a very simple cleanup week. Nothing too exciting on the changelog front, but I'll refactor some of the worst code into something nicer to work with.

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: The Real Housewives of Storybrooke (14/?)

A fic based on this premise here, following the lives of Storybrooke’s elite wives, with all the scandal, bitching and backstabbing that goes on behind the scenes of high society…

This verse is open for prompts!

====

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [AO3]

====

ARIEL

With the party preparations in full swing, Ariel thought that it was high time for her and Belle to sit down and work out a strategy for how they were going to survive the evening, or rather, how Belle was going to get through the evening without being the subject of a scene.

Belle didn’t really cause scenes; they tended to happen to her instead. Still, they’d managed to get through Regina’s garden party without any mishaps and whilst her own birthday celebration had been marred by Zelena’s intervention, Ariel would admit that they’d got off pretty lightly considering what had happened on previous occasions. They’d never yet had a party dissolve into a food fight, but when one considered what could happen when tempers frayed and people started acting like five-year-olds, Ariel didn’t think that such occurrences were completely out of the question. 

She rang the Golds’ doorbell and rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited for someone to come and let her in. The Cadillac was gone from the drive so Cameron was obviously out, and who knew where Bae might have gone now that his summer vacation had started, and he was free for a few weeks? Tilly had gone back home the previous day, and according to Regina, Robyn was already missing her. 

There was no reply to the doorbell and Ariel’s brow furrowed. Belle knew that she was coming over today, surely she wouldn’t have forgotten and gone out. She made her way round to the front room window and peered in through the glass, but there was nothing to see. Maybe the back door was unlocked. 

Ariel picked her way cautiously round to the back of the house and the kitchen. She didn’t know why she was being so furtive; anyone would think that she was a burglar casing the place rather than an invited guest, but the fact that no one appeared to be around to greet her made her wary, and although she considered herself to be somewhat sensible in a crisis, she had fleeting visions of the entire family being struck down by a serial killer and buried under the patio. 

Reaching the garden, she found that the patio was intact and there were no signs of freshly dug graves, so her mind was set at rest for all of a minute until a helpful voice told her that the serial killer might still be inside. 

She tried the back door and found it unlocked, so she stepped inside warily. At least there were various kitchen implements to defend herself with if necessary. 

“Belle?” she called out. “Bae? Mrs P? Anyone?”

There was no response, and Ariel began to worry. They wouldn’t have all gone out and left the doors unlocked; Storybrooke was a comparatively safe town but that was just ridiculous. 

“Belle?” Hopefully, her friend wasn’t lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs having fallen off her stilettos. Ariel was no stranger to killer footwear herself, but Belle’s fascination with it seemed to border on dangerous. 

It was as she reached the foot of the stairs - thankfully free of collapsed Belles - that Ariel heard it, and suddenly several things fell into place. From upstairs, she could hear the faint sound of someone retching. 

“Belle? Are you ok?” It was a stupid thing to say because she obviously wasn’t, and Ariel wondered why it was everyone’s default question. She went up the stairs slowly and pushed open the master bedroom door, immediately seeing Belle through the crack between the bathroom door and its frame. 

Belle looked up from the toilet bowl, her face grey and drawn, and she gave a weak smile as she saw Ariel. 

“Morning sickness is a bitch,” she muttered. 

Ariel had to smile as she tiptoed into the bathroom, perching on the bath. For all the times she’d been to events with Belle where copious amounts of alcohol had been imbibed, usually it was the other way round as to who was holding the other one’s hair back. 

“I was wondering if it had finally happened,” Ariel said. “When I came back to Storybrooke I thought that there was something different about you. Something brighter and happier.”

Belle nodded. “Yep. That was before the morning sickness started. Don’t feel quite so bright now.” She gave a soft little laugh. “I know I’m grousing about it, but I’m honestly happy to be pregnant. I mean, I was prepared for this, it’s not like I didn’t know what I was getting into.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“There should be a packet of ginger tea on the side in the kitchen. Cameron bought it at the weekend and it’s the only thing that helps.”

Ariel went to make the tea and Belle joined her in the kitchen a few minutes later, wrapped up in her robe. She had a little more colour now, and Ariel hoped that the worst was over for the day. 

“How far along are you?” she asked. 

“Seven weeks.” Belle took a sip of her tea. “It’s not common knowledge yet, but all things considered I thought you’d probably guess anyway. Can we keep it between ourselves for now? Just until I’ve had the first scan and made sure everything’s all right. I needed someone who wasn’t Cameron or Bae or Mrs P to know. I mean, they’re all being great about it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not like sharing the news with a girlfriend.”

“Of course. I’ll be the very picture of discretion.”

“I think of all our circle of friends, you’re probably the one I trust most. Much as I love Carrie and Ursula, I don’t think that anything stays secret with them for very long, and since Carrie’s solution to everything is to add more gin, I’m not sure she’d be very good at helping with morning sickness.”

“That’s very true.” Ariel had not really met Carrie and Ursula outside of various parties and functions, but the tales that Belle and Cameron told certainly painted a vivid picture. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table with Belle. “On the other hand, the morning sickness does give you a great excuse for not going to the party.”

“Yes, but I’m slightly concerned as to what the rumour mill might start doing if I don’t attend. People are already starting to wonder why I’ve not been at the library these past few mornings. It generally wears off by about lunch time so I should be ok for the evening.”

“Just maybe steer clear of the buffet table. And the bar.” Ariel thought about the planning sessions at Regina’s, with Robin being promised that he could monopolise the buffet table with Belle instead of having to socialise. 

“Yeah, maybe it would be a good idea to sit this one out.” Belle sighed. “It’s a toss-up between everyone wondering why I’m not there, especially since Cameron’s so involved with the whole project and definitely will be there, and everyone wondering why I’m there but not eating or drinking. Which do you think would be worse?”

“Well, we can hope that everyone gets so drunk that they don’t notice. I think that’s usually the way to get around these things.”

She managed to get a laugh out of Belle this time, and Ariel took that as a good sign. Presently, her friend’s stomach grumbled, and Ariel raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I haven’t exactly had any breakfast,” Belle muttered, her still-pale cheeks beginning to colour. 

“You’re pregnant. Your stomach’s going to be doing weird things for the next nine months.” Ariel reached across and patted Belle’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. Can I make you some toast or something?”

“That sounds like a good idea. You don’t have to get it. I’m the host here.” She looked down at her pyjamas and bathrobe. “I’m not doing a very good job of it, but I can try.”

“Belle, you’re in a rather tender state at the moment. Just let someone else take care of you for once. You know that if Cameron didn’t have to go and save the world as we know it, he’d be here waiting on you hand and foot.”

“Yeah, I practically had to push him out of the door this morning.” Belle glanced down at her belly. “If it wasn’t for the constant throwing up, I’d still be wondering if this was all a dream.”

Ariel set about making some toast. “It’s strange. I’ve never really thought about being pregnant,” she said. “If you go swimming whilst pregnant, does that make you a human submarine?”

“Ariel.” Belle gave her a pained look. “Sometimes I wonder where your mind goes.”

“Submarines, evidently. In all seriousness though, I’m really happy for you. This is all you’ve wanted for so long and I’m so glad that it’s finally come good in the end. Even if you are now as sick as a parrot.”

“It’ll pass.” Belle nibbled on her toast. “Have you ever wanted children, you and Eric?”

“No. We talked about it early on, back when we were first starting up the business, and it was just never a priority for us. We’ve always been happy just as a duo. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we had an accident, so to speak. Things might change then. But we’ve never planned on it. I’ve never really had maternal urges. I’m the cool fairy godmother instead. That was a hint, by the way.”

Belle shook her head with a laugh. “We’re nowhere near thinking that far ahead yet. We just want to get through these first few months with no mishaps, then we’ll start appointing go-to babysitters. You do know that the job doesn’t come with a wand and special powers, right?”

“I can always dream. Have you thought about names yet? Come on, you’ve been thinking about this entire adventure for months, you must have thought about names.”

“I’ve always been more concerned with actually getting the baby rather than naming it,” Belle said, but it was clear that she was already off in a little world of her own as she pondered names for her future child. “I like Gideon for a boy. I know it’s a bit unusual, but it’s not too out there. And I like flower names for girls. Rose, Lily, Iris.”

“Chrysanthemum.”

“You jest, but I may call your bluff in nine months’ time, and then where would you be.”

“I’d be congratulating you on your excellent taste in names.”

They both fell about in laughter after that, and Ariel smiled. It was good to know that even though Belle was not feeling at her best right now, her enthusiasm for motherhood had not been dampened, and her patience had finally paid off in the best possible way.

[gracesneddon]

Moving in the Right Circles: a few thoughts.

Hello, hi, good afternoon (or a very early good morning if you’re reading from home, I hope O Week is treating you well and you’re remembering to rehydrate). Last night, I went to the first in a series of seminars hosted by the Edinburgh Political Union and Common Weal at a cute little student bar down in the Old Town. Common Weal is a policy “think and do tank” based in Glasgow. Their Policy Head, Craig Dalzell, took us through the Resources and Trade chapter of their fully-costed Green New Deal for Scotland. I recently finished reading Novacene and have finally come to grips with the Gaia Theory... I think. In light of all this new info that I’m processing, and news that Bezos is injecting $10bn into the climate effort, I wanted to share a few thoughts...

A Circular Economy

Common Weal’s Green New Deal is so low-bullshit it’s made me run circles around my own brain trying to come up with a joke about lowering methane emissions (to no avail).  It reads that “...waste is really just a way of describing failures in resource use” in reference to the current linear economic model.

Met this dude in Sligachan!

The linear model can be described as such: procure resource ---> use it between 0 and 2 times ---> dispose of resource ---> repeat for infinite economic growth.The goal of a circular economy is to keep goods in circulation at the highest value possible. To do so, we need to considering redesigning, reusing, repairing and remanufacturing goods before we recycle them. If we could do that, we wouldn’t have to procure as many resources in the first place, nor waste as much in the end. Craig put recycling to the test last night too, discussing whether down-cycling (i.e. putting your Amazon cardboard box in the correct bin) should even be considered a success (it shouldn’t IMO). Side-cycling and up-cycling are still crucial to a circular economy, though.

***Cue thirst trap that also shows off thrifted jeans***

Ooh, and I found out that Edinburgh has tool libraries, which gives me the means to cause devastation in a public space as I make and fix things, as per my 2020 goal to learn more practical skills, but with less waste!

Not the tool library, but close enough...making fingerboards in Granda’s shed over Christmas.

Debating in Circles

When we talk about the climate action effort, we often split society into those who see the need for climate action and those who choose to oppose it. Last night’s discussion highlighted another important group: climate delayers.

What is a climate delayer?

Those who acknowledge climate emergency but declare that they/we as a society are doing enough

Those who acknowledge climate change but oppose declaration of an emergency

Those who acknowledge climate change and/or emergency on a public level but benefit heavily from/contribute heavily to the industries that continue to emit fossil fuels 

Those who acknowledge the climate emergency but propose only lofty goals with no substantive plan to achieve them

Any other person whose behaviours slow down the climate action effort without necessarily denying its validity.

It’s interesting to consider that, perhaps even more so than deniers, the behaviours of climate delayers work to preserve the status quo by focussing on how hard it might be to structure a society in a way that places less stress on the earth’s systems. They may also choose to support weaker policy reactions to emerging climate science. 

I know what you’re thinking. Of course, anybody (sane) would tell you that they’d rather do nothing than do something that might take effort. Even if a proposed policy has noble goals such as emissions reduction, people won’t give up their time to act unless it has a realistic plan behind it. The cool thing about Common Weal’s GND is that it’s actually costed, it’s clear (even to somebody without a science or economics background like me) and it actually feels like something that might work... No wonder major parties are starting to jump at it. 

There will always be a threat from climate delayers though. Especially when they are people with excessive power or influence. I guess this is the source of worry that some are harbouring when it comes to the enormous amount of money Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO, tax escape artist, richest person in the world) has committed to set up his Earth Fund this week. 

Attempting to Square the Circle

A Guardian article I digested with my morning coffee collates the opinions of a few leading scientists on how he could best spend this money. Some of these included setting up opposition to oil and gas lobby in the US, forest protection, indigenous land rights and practice programs, supporting emerging tech, carbon pricing research and implementation and solutions with no financial market e.g. removing carbon dioxide from the air, restoring and re-wilding habitats or research into how we can overcome the sociopolitical obstacles to achieving low-emissions (and hopefully zero-emissions) societies. 

Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

A quick survey of people in my Twitter bubble, including nell, didn’t give me a lot of hope. We, for good reason, are quick to distrust billionaires who run unfathomably large corporations that underpay and overwork employees, don’t pay taxes and do contribute heavily to waste and carbon emissions. You can’t really fault Bezos’ critics for being pessimistic when it comes to this donation. Billionaires donating billions of dollars cannot be expected to completely set aside their self-interest. 

We can’t ignore the fact that $10bn (US) could fucking change the movement. Bezos said on Instagram that the money will be given out as grants, so theoretically he could contribute to all of the efforts mentioned above. We exist in a web of systems that is reaching a tipping point: one that could easily set off a bunch more, even ones yet unconsidered. Without cooperation on a large-scale, we mightn’t be able to prevent the worst from happening. This money could allow this type of collaborative effort.

Unfortunately, I have to live in reality. It’s probable that this money won’t be used to disrupt the balance of power in the US that has always tipped in the favour of fossil fuels industries. It is unlikely to be invested into solutions that won’t reap significant financial return. 

Waters of Leith, Stockbridge.

Whilst it is vitally important that this investment doesn’t work to delay climate action by preserving the status quo, it’s a real possibility. 

My guess is that it will be invested into new tech that obviously has the potential to make people excited about responding to climate change but that Cornell refers to as “putting a bandaid on a an open fire”. It could delay real action, as funding for new ideas might outweigh support for the solutions that are ready right now.  I only hope that stakeholders consider that we are running out of time for research and pilot studies and shit needs to start changing now. 

To sum up and get on with the chores I see stacking up around me: a $10bn investment into the climate movement can’t be a wholly good or wholly bad thing. Activists, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice and other organisations have already convinced the richest man in the world to pledge 7% of his net worth to the planet, so maybe we can help to keep him accountable for the way he spends it too!? 

That’ll do for now, 

GS xx

P.S. buttons are still falling off, but I really am making slow progress with learning to sew! I will post some photos when there’s anything exciting to photograph.

[t-baba]

A way to look up JavaScript operators

#514 — November 13, 2020

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JavaScript Weekly

10 Insights From Adopting TypeScript At Scale — A fantastic writeup (from a TC39 member, no less) of how Bloomberg (the financial media company) adopted TypeScript and now has 2,000 full-time JavaScript engineers. Curiously we also learn that Bloomberg also have their own JavaScript runtime built around the V8 engine.

Rob Palmer (TC39 and Bloomberg)

A Way to Look Up JavaScript Operators — Quick, name as many operators as you can! Got to about ten or so? This site covers about fifty with a quick explanation of each (well, except the bitwise ones).

Josh W Comeau

The Most Complete Spreadsheet Solution for JavaScript Apps — New Release: Fast enterprise JavaScript spreadsheet for delivering true spreadsheet experiences. Learn more about SpreadJS v14 including native Excel I/O, Calc Engine with 450+ functions and more. Download a free trial or view the online demos.

SpreadJS by GrapeCity, Inc. sponsor

Angular 11 Released — Are you one of the allegedly 1.7 million developers using Angular? Maybe experimental webpack 5 support, faster builds, improved hot module replacement support, and automatic inlining of fonts can tempt you onto the latest version.

Mark Techson (Google)

Babylon.js 4.2 Released: Powerful 3D Rendering Engine — Babylon.js is a particularly powerful 3D rendering engine aimed at artists, game developers, and anyone with 3D ideas to explore. New to 4.2 is a new particle editor, sprite editor, texture inspector, and more. See the playground if you want a quick play.

Babylon.js

'No More Free Work from Marak' — The creator of faker.js (a library for creating dummy data) pushing back against supporting businesses for free with his open source work has become a cause célèbre in the past week. “Pay me or fork this,” he says. Whatever your take, the topic of work vs reward in open source will remain both important and divisive.

Marak X

⚡️ Quick bytes:

We've not had time to go through them yet, but VueConf Toronto has released a lot of talk videos from their recent online conference.

Replay is a React-inspired JavaScript game engine and they're having a game jam starting today and running for a week.

Windows user? The Windows Terminal Preview 1.5 release may interest you.

The TypeScript team have written up some notes on TypeScript's release process.

📚 Tutorials, Opinions and Stories

Rethinking the JavaScript Pipeline Operator — Dan concludes “I hope that TC39 decides to reject this proposal” but it’s interesting to see how he reaches that��conclusion.

Dan Shappir

Understanding Modules and import and export Statements — Modular programming demands, well, modules, and JavaScript now has built-in support for these and here’s the basics of their operation.

Tania Rascia

Is Your JavaScript Testing Stack Holding You Back? — Learn how to boost your productivity with the ultimate development workflow.

Wallaby.js sponsor

Things I Don’t Like About Vue.js (as a React Engineer) — Well, we love Vue, but to be fair to Harry, he did write What Vue.js Does Better Than React recently too ;-)

Harry Wolff

Back to Basics: Event Delegation — Events don’t just occur on the element you apply them to. Instead they go all the way down the DOM tree to the event and back up again. Christian demonstrates where this can help you out.

Christian Heilmann

How to Detect When a Sticky Element Gets Pinned — …thanks to the IntersectionObserver API.

David Walsh

Live Workshop: Getting Started with OpenTelemetry in Node.js

Lightstep sponsor

▶  How to Recreate Tic Tac Toe with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript James Q Quick

You're Probably Not Using Promise.All Enough Sam Jarman

How to Create a Commenting Engine with Next.js and Sanity Bryan Robinson

▶  My VS Code Setup: Must Have Configurations and Shortcuts James Q Quick

🛠 Code & Tools

Mermaid: Markdown-'ish' Syntax for Generating Flowcharts, Sequence Diagrams, and More — Being able to ‘draw’ diagrams in a structured, text-based and have them render into something presentable is pretty appealing.

Knut Sveidqvist

jsdiff: A JavaScript Text Diffing Implementation — Can compare strings for differences in various ways including creating patches for the changes. The library is quite mature but just reached version 5.0. There’s an online demo too.

Kevin Decker

core-js 3.7.0: A Modular Standard Library and Polyfills for JS — A popular collection of polyfills covering ECMAScript features up to ES2021 level. The project has had some interesting problems recently, but releases are now flowing again.

Denis Pushkarev

CodeFix - Automatically Clean Up Technical Debt

CodeFix sponsor

React Frontload 2.0: Simple Full-Stack Data Loading for React — Do full stack data loading and state management inline in React components by writing a data loader in your component (with a hook) and it ‘just works’ with SSR and in the browser.

David Nicholas Williams

Running Vue.js in a Web Worker? — A promising prototype of running Vue.js in a Web Worker so that work is offloaded to a background thread with updates being sent back to the main thread asynchronously.

Jerzy Głowacki

Dexie.js: A Minimalistic IndexedDB Wrapper — IndexedDB is a widely supported browser API for data storage and Dexie aims to make it simpler to use (and will offer an approach for server syncing too.)

David Fahlander

Microsoft Edge Tools for VS Code — Use the Microsoft Edge Tools from within VS Code to see your site’s runtime HTML structure, alter its layout, fix styling issues as well as see your site’s network requests.

Visual Studio Marketplace

ShareDB 1.5: Realtime Database Backend Based on Operational Transformation — For when you need real time synchronization of JSON documents (such as for behind a real time collaboration app).

ShareJS

💻 Jobs

Senior / Intermediate Full Stack Developers (Sydney or Brisbane) — A SaaS business with phenomenal growth. True flexible working. You’ll have 5+ years in JavaScript / TypeScript, as well as production experience with AWS/Serverless.

Compono

JavaScript Developer at X-Team (Remote) — Join the most energizing community for developers and work on projects for Riot Games, FOX, Sony, Coinbase, and more.

X-Team

Find Your Next Job Through Vettery — Create a profile on Vettery to connect with hiring managers at startups and Fortune 500 companies. It's free for job-seekers.

Vettery

👀 A Correction

The File System Access API: Simplifying Access to Local Files — Several issues ago we mistakenly referred to this API’s spec as an ‘open standard’ when it's just a spec. It's Chrome only (for now), not a W3C standard, though it remains an interesting idea. (Thanks to reader Šime Vidas for noting our mistake and noting that the path from the WICG to a W3C standard is a long one indeed!)

Pete LePage and Thomas Steiner

by via JavaScript Weekly https://ift.tt/2IzXSPs

[nolle997-blog]

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU’RE SICK OF IT

1. Make A Detailed List Of Everything You Are Dissatisfied With In Your Life

You can’t fix a problem, if you don’t know what the problem is.  So the first step in transforming your life is to become crystal clear about what the problem areas are.  What are you unhappy with exactly?

Here is a list of possibilities to get you started.

Physical Well-being

Sleep/Energy levels

Exercise

Diet

Stress levels

Mental Well-being

Anxiety

Depression

Other

Relationships

Significant other

Kids

Extended family

Friendships

Work

The kind of work you are doing

The place where you work

The people you are working with

How much money you are making

Hobbies & Interests

What you do for fun

How much time you have to devote to your interests

Where You Live

City/town

Neighborhood

Your apartment or house

If these prompts don’t get your wheels turning – if you just have a vague feeling that you are unhappy, but you are not sure why – then work on #2 first and come back to this step.

2. Create A Vision Of Your Ideal Life

You will never be able to build the kind of life you want to live if you don’t know what that life is like.  So the next step is to figure out what exactly you want and create a detailed vision of your ideal life.

How do you want to feel?  What do you want to do?  Who do you want to be with?

In order to complete this step successfully, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Self Awareness Is Key

You need to find your authentic self.  You need to become aware of your true preferences, your personality traits, your strengths, and your weaknesses.  This is the only way to create a life that is a good match to the unique person that is YOU.

This Is About What YOU Want

The only way to create a life that YOU are happy with is to focus on what YOU want from life.  Let go of other people’s expectations from you or for you.  Let go of what you have been taught you should want and figure out what you actually want.

Liking Something In Theory Is Not The Same As Liking Something In Practice

Liking the IDEA of something, is not the same as ACTUALLY enjoying it.  Given my interest in psychology and helping people, I like the IDEA of being a therapist, but I know that IN PRACTICE interacting with people all day long would be way too exhausting for a highly sensitive introvert like me.

Admiring Someone Doesn’t Mean You Would Be Happy Living Their Life

We can have great regard for some people and admire what they are doing with their lives, but know that we would be miserable living their lives.

Settling Will Put You Right Back To Where You Started

You want to change your life, because you are unhappy with it as it stands.  So as you create your vision, let go of self imposed limitations that will leave you settling for just a different variety of unhappy.  Let go of “normal”.  Let go of “reasonable”.  Let yourself aim high.  Let yourself dream.

You Are Allowed To Keep Adjusting Your Vision

As human beings, we are changing, growing, and developing all the time.  We are constantly learning new things about ourselves and the world.  Don’t be afraid to keep course correcting and adjusting your vision, as doors open to opportunities you didn’t even know existed before.

Exercises And Articles For Brainstorming Your Ideal Life

For more help with creating a vision for your ideal life, check out the Self Discovery section of my website.

3. Put The Life Areas To Be Changed Into Priority Order

You absolutely CAN change your whole life, but you can’t change your whole life overnight.  Whenever I have tried to implement too many changes at once or whenever I have tried to achieve too much in too short of a period of time, I have ended up right back in square one: overwhelmed, stressed out, and unhappy.

So put the problem areas in priority order and work on them in that order.

We all have our unique priorities in life and you should stay true to yours.  In my own life, I have found that physical well-being has to remain priority number 1.  If I’m tired and not feeling well, it’s very difficult for me to work on reaching any of my other goals.  So sufficient rest, good nutrition, and regular exercise are kind of the foundation on which everything else in my life is built upon.

Here are my simple rules for how much change to take on at any one time:

Work On One Habit At A Time

If you are changing a habit, work on ONE habit at a time.  When that ONE habit has become automatic, work on the next one.  For example, when my babies weren’t babies anymore, I wanted to start exercising again and improve my diet.  I focused first on establishing an exercise routine.  After a few months, it had become second nature for me to go for a run first thing every morning and only then did I start making changes to my diet.

Don’t Compromise Your Health Or Relationships That Matter The Most

When working to achieve other life goals, only take on as much as you can without compromising physical well-being and relationships that are most important to you.  For example, I’m working on changing my career at the moment, but it’s happening very slowly, because I’m a wife and mom first and foremost and because I make taking care of myself (sleep, exercise, and food) my number one priority.

4. Learn How To Transform Your Life – One Area At A Time

One of the biggest obstacles to changing your life for the better is not knowing exactly how to go about it.  This has been a reoccurring theme of my depression as well: I’m unhappy, but I don’t know how to change things.  And when I don’t know how to change things, I start thinking it’s probably not even possible.

But here’s the thing.  Whatever problem you are struggling with, someone else in human history has struggled with as well.  Actually a whole lot of someones have likely struggled with the same problem.  And some of those someones are out there talking about overcoming that problem. Or recording podcasts.  Or crafting blog posts.  Or even writing entire books.

Take advantage of those people.  Learn from them.

Start with your life area priority #1 and research how other people have managed to make a similar change.  Google it.  Pinterest it.  Order a book from Amazon.  Check out the growing library of life change “how to’s” right here on Solutions To All Your Problems.

Some advice you run into won’t work for you, but some of it will.  Keep what works for you and ditch the rest.

5. Set Specific Goals And Create Detailed Plans For Achieving Those Goals

You know what you want and you know how other people have gotten exactly what you want.  It’s time for you to start taking action.

But action can be scary.  It’s new and different and OMG what if you fail?!

Here are two things I have learned to do to make action less scary:

Set Smart Goals

SMART goals are:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time-bound

For example, “to get in shape” is not a SMART goal.  “To be able to run for 30 minutes three months from now” is a SMART goal.

Create Plans With Itty Bitty Baby Steps

Big goals are scary, because they are BIG.  They are GIANT and OVERWHELMING!  But they become a lot less so, if you break everything into itty bitty DOABLE baby steps.  Let’s take the “run for 30 minutes three months from now” example.  Here are the first itty bitty baby steps one could take to achieve this goal:

WEEK 1

buy a pair of good running shoes

find comfortable clothes to run in

make a play list of music to listen to while exercising

WEEK 2

day 1: 3 minutes of running + 15 minutes of walking

day 2: 4 minutes of running + 15 minutes of walking

day 3: 5 minutes of running + 15 minutes of walking

6. Take Control Of Your Time

Making life changes takes time.  If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, you probably need to find more time for sleep, exercise, relaxation, and cooking.  If you want to change careers, you probably need to find time for learning new skills.  If you want to connect with your significant other more, you probably need to find more time for hanging out.  And so on and so on…

Here are three ways to deal with the inevitable time issues:

Start Time Blocking

Here’s what I mean by time blocking: Start planning your days out in advance by writing down how you will be spending each half-hour block within the day.  It sounds super simple, but it works magic in terms of helping you be more intentional about how you are spending your time.

Stick To Your Priorities

Always keep YOUR personal priorities in mind when you are setting up your daily schedule.  When you don’t have time for everything, the things that are not TOP priority need to be cut.  And yes, this means that you need to start saying no to some people and activities you used to spend time on.

Slow Progress Is Better Than No Progress

Sometimes you won’t be able to spend as much time as you would ideally like on whatever life goal you are working on at the moment.  When that happens, just do what you have time for. 

Remember that slow progress is better than no progress!  Even if it takes you ten years to get to where you want to be, it’s better to get there in ten years than to not start at all and still be stuck ten years from now.

7. Keep Yourself Motivated

Making life changes is hard and takes time.  How do you stay motivated to keep going?

In my experience, here are the conditions that need to be present in order for you to stick to it for the long haul:

You Are Excited About Your Goal

When you nail down #2 – creating the vision for your ideal life – it becomes a lot easier to find the motivation to take the steps you need to take.  You will be EXCITED to do what you need to do, because this is something YOU ACTUALLY WANT.  More than you have ever wanted anything else.  (And if that’s not how you feel about your vision, then it’s back to the drawing board!)

Your To-Do List Is Doable

The more you are able to break the tasks ahead of you into baby steps, the more doable they become.  Set outrageous end goals, but break them down into itty bitty baby steps.

You Have A Growth Mindset

Make the words YET, BUT your new mantra, as in “I don’t know how to do this YET, BUT I can learn.”

Yes, changing your life is hard. But it’s even harder to stay stuck in a life you don’t like.

Start working on your new life today!

[arpitram]

Building Devops pipelines with opensource tools

DevOps has become the default answer to fixing software development processes that are slow, siloed, or otherwise dysfunctional. But that doesn't mean very much when you're new to DevOps and aren't sure where to begin. This article explores what a DevOps pipeline is and offers a five-step process to create one. While this tutorial is not comprehensive, it should give you a foundation to start on and expand later.

A table at the back of the book shows how often different companies deploy to the release environment:

Company Deployment Frequency Amazon 23,000 per day Google 5,500 per day Netflix 500 per day Facebook 1 per day Twitter 3 per week Typical enterprise 1 every 9 months

How are the frequency rates of Amazon, Google, and Netflix even possible? It's because these companies have figured out how to make a nearly perfect DevOps pipeline.

A brief introduction to DevOps and the CI/CD pipeline

If you ask several people, "What is DevOps? you'll probably get several different answers. DevOps, like agile, has evolved to encompass many different disciplines, but most people will agree on a few things: DevOps is a software development practice or a software development lifecycle (SDLC) and its central tenet is cultural change, where developers and non-developers all breathe in an environment where formerly manual things are automated; everyone does what they are best at; the number of deployments per period increases; throughput increases; and flexibility improves.

While having the right software tools is not the only thing you need to achieve a DevOps environment, some tools are necessary. A key one is continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). This pipeline is where the environments have different stages (e.g., DEV, INT, TST, QA, UAT, STG, PROD), manual things are automated, and developers can achieve high-quality code, flexibility, and numerous deployments.

This article describes a five-step approach to creating a DevOps pipeline, like the one in the following diagram, using open source tools.

Without further ado, let's get started.

Step 1: CI/CD framework

The first thing you need is a CI/CD tool. Jenkins, an open source, Java-based CI/CD tool based on the MIT License, is the tool that popularized the DevOps movement and has become the de facto standard.

So, what is Jenkins? Imagine it as some sort of a magical universal remote control that can talk to many many different services and tools and orchestrate them. On its own, a CI/CD tool like Jenkins is useless, but it becomes more powerful as it plugs into different tools and services.

Jenkins is just one of many open source CI/CD tools that you can leverage to build a DevOps pipeline.

Here's what a DevOps process looks like with a CI/CD tool.

You have a CI/CD tool running in your localhost, but there is not much you can do at the moment. Let's follow the next step of DevOps journey.

Step 2: Source control management

The best (and probably the easiest) way to verify that your CI/CD tool can perform some magic is by integrating with a source control management (SCM) tool. Why do you need source control? Suppose you are developing an application. Whenever you build an application, you are programming—whether you are using Java, Python, C++, Go, Ruby, JavaScript, or any of the gazillion programming languages out there. The programming codes you write are called source codes. In the beginning, especially when you are working alone, it's probably OK to put everything in your local directory. But when the project gets bigger and you invite others to collaborate, you need a way to avoid merge conflicts while effectively sharing the code modifications. You also need a way to recover a previous version—and the process of making a backup and copying-and-pasting gets old. You (and your teammates) want something better.

This is where SCM becomes almost a necessity. A SCM tool helps by storing your code in repositories, versioning your code, and coordinating among project members.

Although there are many SCM tools out there, Git is the standard and rightly so. I highly recommend using Git, but there are other open source options if you prefer.

Here's what the DevOps pipeline looks like with the addition of SCM.

The CI/CD tool can automate the tasks of checking in and checking out source code and collaborating across members. Not bad? But how can you make this into a working application so billions of people can use and appreciate it?

Step 3: Build automation tool

Excellent! You can check out the code and commit your changes to the source control, and you can invite your friends to collaborate on the source control development. But you haven't yet built an application. To make it a web application, it has to be compiled and put into a deployable package format or run as an executable. (Note that an interpreted programming language like JavaScript or PHP doesn't need to be compiled.)

Enter the build automation tool. No matter which build tool you decide to use, all build automation tools have a shared goal: to build the source code into some desired format and to automate the task of cleaning, compiling, testing, and deploying to a certain location. The build tools will differ depending on your programming language, but here are some common open source options to consider.

Awesome! You can put your build automation tool configuration files into your source control management and let your CI/CD tool build it. 

Everything is good, right? But where can you deploy it?

Step 4: Web application server

So far, you have a packaged file that might be executable or deployable. For any application to be truly useful, it has to provide some kind of a service or an interface, but you need a vessel to host your application.

For a web application, a web application server is that vessel. An application server offers an environment where the programming logic inside the deployable package can be detected, render the interface, and offer the web services by opening sockets to the outside world. You need an HTTP server as well as some other environment (like a virtual machine) to install your application server. For now, let's assume you will learn about this along the way (although I will discuss containers below).

There are a number of open source web application servers available.

Now the DevOps pipeline is almost usable. Good job!

Although it's possible to stop here and integrate further on your own, code quality is an important thing for an application developer to be concerned about.

Step 5: Code testing coverage

Implementing code test pieces can be another cumbersome requirement, but developers need to catch any errors in an application early on and improve the code quality to ensure end users are satisfied. Luckily, there are many open source tools available to test your code and suggest ways to improve its quality. Even better, most CI/CD tools can plug into these tools and automate the process.

There are two parts to code testing: code testing frameworks that help write and run the tests, and code quality suggestion tools that help improve code quality.

Note that most of the tools and frameworks mentioned above are written for Java, Python, and JavaScript, since C++ and C# are proprietary programming languages (although GCC is open source).

Now that you've implemented code testing coverage tools, your DevOps pipeline should resemble the DevOps pipeline diagram shown at the beginning of this tutorial.

Optional steps

Containers

As I mentioned above, you can host your application server on a virtual machine or a server, but containers are a popular solution.

What are containers? The short explanation is that a VM needs the huge footprint of an operating system, which overwhelms the application size, while a container just needs a few libraries and configurations to run the application. There are clearly still important uses for a VM, but a container is a lightweight solution for hosting an application, including an application server.

Although there are other options for containers, Docker and Kubernetes are the most popular.

Middleware automation tools

Our DevOps pipeline mostly focused on collaboratively building and deploying an application, but there are many other things you can do with DevOps tools. One of them is leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools, which are also known as middleware automation tools. These tools help automate the installation, management, and other tasks for middleware software. For example, an automation tool can pull applications, like a web application server, database, and monitoring tool, with the right configurations and deploy them to the application server.

Here are several open source middleware automation tools to consider:

Source : https://opensource.com/article/19/4/devops-pipeline

[douchebagbrainwaves]

STARTUPS AND SOMETHING

How many even discover something they love to work on them. But that assumption is often false, and worse still, the more ideas you implement, the more you push the good stuff spreads, and the programmers work down the list, fixing them. The most important quality in a CEO is his vision for the company's future.1 You don't give up on your dreams.2 There are only two things you have to manufacture your own hardware, or use your software, you should probably be able to come up with an idea that sounded plausible, but was actually bad. If you pay them by the volume of work done but only as you defined work.3 There are only two reasons someone might sue you: for money, but what will make you a better programmer, and yet they don't seem to matter very much in software is public opinion—or rather, hacker opinion.4

It's exceptionally rare for startups to have traction before they put in significant money. Efficiency matters for server-based software, you can think instead That's an interesting idea, you can find and fix most bugs as soon as they appear. T: Scheme has no libraries. The reason design counts so much in software is public opinion—or who might buy a copy later, when he has just read in the paper that some other language is poised, like Ada was twenty years ago people noticed computers and TV were on a collision course and started to speculate about what they'd like to publish their lives semi-publicly on the Internet, you don't need Microsoft on the client, it will be because it's more convenient. There are many exceptions to this rule. In fact, shelving an idea probably even inhibits new ideas: as you become more eminent, gradually to increase the actual value of the company. He walks right by them, dressed up as an old man on crutches, and they never suspect him.5 I don't mean to disparage Yahoo.

But though labor unions are shrinking now, it's not a sufficient one. It works, but you come from the corporate world and your friends are not early adopters, and only realize later that they could always interrupt anything with a report of a genuine bug.6 I can think of three possible reasons. And that did turn out to be big like Microsoft.7 The five languages that Eric Raymond recommends to hackers fall at various points on the power continuum. For millennia that was the optimal path to dominating a big market. Boston half the time: it's hard to imagine now, but I don't think they hamper innovation much.8 We, as hackers, know the USPTO is letting people patent the knives and forks of our world.

To us that's positive evidence an idea is good. Web-based software is offered through ISPs acting as resellers. It looks as if it will be whatever the startup can get from the first one to write a novel, for example, even though it is probably a bad idea. What really makes him stand out, though, that even with all the fat trimmed off its market cap, Yahoo was still worth a lot. Most people could see how it might be helpful to be in the twentieth century. In Lisp, these programs are called macros. Nor do startups, at least something that made me feel better about it. The definition then spread to people who behaved like assholes in forums, whether intentionally or not. In fact, worse than arrogant: since readers are used to companies ignoring them.9 Microsoft and Facebook both got started in January. From the evidence I've seen so far is nothing compared to what's coming.10 They work odd hours, wearing the most casual of clothing.

They even let hackers spend 20% of their time on their own projects, and instead of trying to approximate the value of free markets, are run internally like communist states. They just sit there quietly radiating optimism, like a well is almost a necessary condition for a good startup idea. Smalltalk: Not everything in Simula is an object. It's one of the heavy school record players and played James Taylor's You've Got a Friend to us. Our approach to support made everyone happier. The same thing will happen if you're running a big company is the same thing to them.11 But that assumption is often false, and worse still, the more a project has to count as research is so narrow that it's unlikely that a project that satisfied that constraint would also satisfy the orthogonal constraint of solving users' problems in a way that he made seem effortless. And when you have a recurring revenue stream.12 I notice something surprising, it's usually a big company will be their big break. If applications run on remote servers, no one can get between you and potential users without preventing them from browsing the Web. Look at this, for example, as property in the way only founders can.

You're going to have to add a spoonful of sugar to make the release date you assemble a team of qualified experts and tell them to make a living. But designed is not really the word; discovered is more like it. TV is probably dead. Indeed, food is an excellent metaphor to explain what's wrong with the usual sort of job. The source code of the Viaweb editor was probably about 20-25% of the code in this program is doing things that don't scale that we call pulling a Meraki. But it would require a great moral effort; it would mean staring failure in the eye every day for years. Now everyone knows that this is changing. Working in crappy informal spaces is one of Silicon Valley's biggest weaknesses. If you think of using Lisp in a startup.

When one company or industry replaces another, it usually works best to get something in front of it. It doesn't add; it multiplies. One day, when the stock was trading around $200, I sat down and calculated what I thought before Viaweb, to the extent I thought about what it meant to call someone a hero, it meant something to talk about their previous startup idea while they were working at their day jobs. Few would be willing to claim that it doesn't matter at all where a startup is to focus on bad ones. By the time journalists covering the press release got round to calling us, we would take. If the startup can't raise the rest, the lead is out too. Umair Haque wrote recently that the reason there aren't more Googles is that most essays are written to persuade. And if you're writing a program that only has to do.13 Neither Apple nor Yahoo nor Google nor Facebook were even supposed to be a good trick to look for waves and ask how one could benefit from them. In the first couple bites feels great.

Only a handful actually do, and the enforcement of quality can flow bottom-up often works better than top-down.14 The reason I want to plant a hypnotic suggestion in your heads: when you can say things you wouldn't say in conversation. When you read of big companies. With server-based software before you buy it. When they go to VC firms. Especially since you won't even really learn about it, they'll be able to come up with surprising new ideas.15 Each type of schedule from other people. Open source and blogging both work bottom-up: people make what they want when they want it, and gradually whatever features it happens to have become its identity. You should compete against what someone else could be doing, not just because it's free, but because they felt it was really for them, they'll get a lot done during those few days, you will be net more productive.16 Howard Aiken said Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. The most memorable example of medieval industrial secrecy is probably Venice, which forbade glassblowers to leave the city, and fragile organisms like startups are exceedingly sensitive to such variation. On the Web, and it also tends to have the time and the inclination to build things that are impossible to build.

Notes

Maybe you don't go back and forth. As willful people get serious about tax avoidance. Stone, op.

If Ron Conway had been campaigning for the next round is high as well.

Only founders of Google to do some research online. But it's a bad idea, at least try.

The problem with most of the reason. And though they have to sweat any one outcome. If spammers get good enough to convince limited partners. No one seems to have lunch at the exact same thing.

The Socialist People's Democratic Republic of X is probably the early 90s when they set up an additional disk drive. Among other things, they mean statistical distribution. If a man has good corn or wood, or much energy would be investors who say no for introductions to other investors, but explain that's what you're working on what interests you most. A company will either be a lot easier now for a patent is conveniently just longer than the set of users comes from.

I assume we still do things that will be maximally profitable when each employee is paid in proportion to the present day equivalent of the startup will be on the subject of language power in Succinctness is Power. I write out loud at least straightforwardly benevolent, doesn't help people on the valuation a bit of an outcast, just those you can never tell for sure a social network for x instead of happy. But on the other becomes visible.

But the solution is to the writing of literary theorists.

The answer is simple: pay them to. The greatest damage that photography has done to painting may be that the applicant pool gets partitioned by quality rather than giving grants. It's lame that VCs play such games, but mediocre programmers is the other side of the present, and stir. 5% a week for 4 years.

It is a sufficiently good bet, why not turn your company right now. And the old one was nothing special. Maybe it would have been the general sense of the problem, if they can get very emotional. Just use the local builders built everything in exactly the point I'm making, though it's a seller's market.

I'm just going to need common sense when intepreting it. While Jessica didn't ask many questions, they sometimes say.

If anyone wants. Giant tax loopholes defended by two of the breach with Rome, where w is will and d discipline.

There is of course the source files of all tend to be about 200 to send a million dollars out of the false positives reflecting the remaining outcomes don't have to give up your anti-takeover laws, starting with the exception of the big winners aren't all that matters, just the location of the words won't be trivial. The CRM114 Discriminator. To talk to feel tired.

This argument seems to them. Conjecture: The variation in wealth over time, because you need to fix.

In a series A round about the right way.

What he meant, I was not drinking that kool-aid at the start of the clumps of smart people are trying to make you expend as much income. Turn the other team. Http requests are indistinguishable from dishonesty by the high-fiber diet is to use a restaurant is constrained in a certain way, because talks are usually more desperate for money.

This is actually a computer. He did eventually graduate at about 26. We're delighted to have them soon.

[lordsrivenkateswaraswamy]

Protecting your privacy online may seem like a battle you’ve already lost, but take heart. There are steps you can take to minimize harm.

Google knows you better than you know yourself, and Facebook uses the data it’s gathered on people to carry out psychological experiments on them. The Russian app that everyone’s having fun morphing their faces has terms of service that say it basically retains the right to use your data forever (and this iPrs common for most social media apps!). Though some companies like Apple (and even Google) are now trying to make privacy a selling point, the sheer scale of the internet means that everyone is tracking you, from the government, to the police, to most tech companies, often without admitting to this.

With all this, it’s tempting to just throw up our hands and accept that we live in a post-privacy world, but there are some basic steps that we can all take to make our presence on the Internet a little more secure. Some of it is just very basic stuff, like turning your GPS and Wi-Fi off when you’re not using them, and the others involve a little more work, but are still easy enough to do. These are not high-security solutions, and aren’t really going to keep you invisible on the Internet. Instead, these are basic steps we should all simply make a habit of following, no matter what we’re using the Web for, to bring in some basic levels of privacy.

We spoke to a number of people who are not in the tech industry but rely heavily on the Internet to do their jobs, and found that most of them weren’t doing anything in particular to protect their privacy online, because they just weren’t aware of what they should be doing. So we looked at what some experts are saying online about this, and gathered the most easy-to-implement steps in one place.

1. Use burner emails to sign up for services

One common issue that people brought up was being bombarded by spam. Anita Verma, a dentist based in Bengaluru, said she has begun to miss important mails because there is so much spam. “Gmail removes a lot of spam but even then, every day I’m getting mails from brands I’ve never even heard of, and you keep marking things as spam but they don’t go away.” Part of the problem here is that we’re too used to giving our email IDs whenever asked for it, both online and offline.

There are a lot of times when you need to enter an email ID to sign up for a service which you might only use once, and don’t actually need to connect to your real inbox. Your email ID is a valuable piece of data, along with your phone number, and whenever you’re giving this out, think about whether you actually need to do so. A number of sites such as Guerrilla Mail, Maildrop and Burner Mail allow you to create temporary email IDs for forms.

Another useful thing to do is to see which platforms are misusing your email. Gmail, and some other email platforms, allow you to create a ‘new’ email using the plus sign—essentially, if your email is darthvader@gmail.com, you can sign up for services using IDs like darthvader+facebook@gmail.com, darthvader+paytm@gmail.com, or darthvader+flipkart@gmail.com and so on, and all of these emails will come to your inbox. Then, the next time you look at spam and see it’s addressed to, say, darthvader+paytm@gmail.com, you know who is leaking your data.

2. Use a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure gateway to the Internet. This means that anyone snooping on your connection can see that there’s data moving between you and your VPN, but not what is coming in and out of the VPN. You can run a VPN on your computer or smartphone, and in both cases, it’s as simple as signing up, installing an application and just running that before you start to use the Web.

There are free VPNs, which are either very slow, or have very limited data allowances, so it’s advisable to sign up for a paid VPN from a well-known provider like NordVPN or TunnelBear. “If you’re using a free VPN, you’re either going to have a bad experience with the speed or data limit, or worse, you’ve now put all of your data in the hands of someone who is giving you an expensive service for free,” said Saravanan K, a Bengaluru-based consultant working on security solutions for businesses. “I’m not saying all free VPNs are bad. But I will say that it’s worth spending the money, and a year-long subscription can often be just a few hundred bucks a month.”

3. Change your passwords from defaults

This is a really obvious tip, and yet most people reading this have probably put themselves at risk by not changing the default passwords on their Wi-Fi routers and other Internet-connected devices. Did you know that the Wi-Fi router that your Internet provider gave you comes with a password which you can use to change the Wi-Fi settings? Having access to your router means having access to all your data, so it’s pretty important to know this—if someone connects to your Wi-Fi, and you’re still using default passwords? Then you’ve basically handed over control of your network.

Most home Wi-Fi routers have been compromised, according to research by Banbreach, a Kolkata-based cybersecurity firm. According to Banbreach, cryptojacking—where attackers use your network and computing resources to mine Bitcoin, wearing out your devices and using up your data, in order to make money—is a huge problem in India.

Worse, many people using Internet-connected smart devices don’t think of changing these passwords either. You need only head over to Insecam, which is a listing of non-secure Internet connected cameras around the world to see live feeds from around the country. The good news is that in India, these are mostly in offices; the bad news is that this makes it harder for us as individuals to change the settings on the cameras.

On a related note, invest in a password manager. Password requirements are nuts, and it’s becoming impossible to keep track of all the passwords you’ll need. Either you’ll end up with a lot of weak passwords, or a strong password that you use everywhere, including on insecure sites, making it useless.

4. It’s Fine To Use WhatsApp

SMS is convenient, and it is universal. That’s a big plus. But it’s also possible to be hijacked, and there are reports of multiple police departments and scammers both doing just that, so encrypted communications are a better option.

Although WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption and hasn’t given into government pressure to trace users yet, the Facebook-owned platform is, owing to its huge reach, a tempting target for any attacker. A recent report showed that media files aren’t secure once they reach your phone, and if you’re using cloud backup for your chats, those aren’t encrypted either.

This doesn’t mean you should stop using WhatsApp. Telegram is an excellent alternative, but WhatsApp conversations are encrypted by default, while you have to opt-in to start a Secret chat on Telegram. This added step is going to be a stumbling block for most people (see above re: passwords). Signal is another alternative, which some would say is more secure.

However, it depends on how much risk each user faces — only a few people need to be at maximum security levels. For the rest of us, basic steps like WhatsApp’s standard choice of end-to-end encryption make sense. Zeynep Tufekci, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, at the School of Information and Library Science, explained here: “WhatsApp’s behavior increases reliability for the user. This is a real concern, as ordinary people consistently switch away from unreliable but secure apps to more reliable and insecure apps.

“Signal is well-designed.  Many in the security community use and consistently recommend it. However, the very thing that makes Signal a recommendation for people at high risk—that it drops messages at any sign of hiccup—prevents a large number of ordinary people from adopting it. Our community has used Signal for a long time, and have been trying to convert people to it, but its inevitable delivery failures (some by design, to keep users safer, and some due to bandwidth or other issues) mean that we often cannot convince people to use it despite spending a lot of effort trying to convince them—even people who have a lot at stake.“

5. Make sure all your software is up to date

A lot of people are also very lax about updating their software, using old versions for months (or more) after updates have been released. “My phone kept showing me this message about updating the Android version. I kind of ignored it because who has the time to reboot your phone in the middle of work, which is when the pop-up would show up,” said Akhil Yadav, who works in the marketing division of a technology company.

“Then one day, one of our tech guys saw what I was doing and he gave me a real lecture about it.”

Either you do the same thing Yadav did, or you know people like him. It can be annoying to take out the time to update software in the middle of a busy day, many companies don’t clearly articulate why you should do it, and sometimes an update can cause new problems. Waiting a couple of days after an update comes out to make sure that nothing major is going wrong is not a bad idea—but ignoring updates for weeks, months, and even longer is definitely not recommended.

“Nearly all updates include things called security patches: they close holes in the software that make it easy for someone to hack into your software—and once they do they can often get access to everything on your phone or computer. Software can be very complex and security holes are discovered all the time, so keep an eye on those updates,” notes Amnesty International.

6. Use two-factor authentication

Amnesty also recommends using two-factor authentication (2FA), which is an important step. Two-factor authentication means that you need two different modes of access: something you know (like a password) and something you get (like an OTP). That’s right, all online payments in India require 2FA, and use the SMS OTP as the second factor.

Although this is a good step, it’s even better if the second factor isn’t an SMS-based system. Although SMS 2FA is a very convenient way to control access, this might not work if you’re traveling abroad and don’t have roaming on (for example), and researchers have shown that SMS can be hijacked.

Don’t get us wrong, SMS-based 2FA is still much better than no 2FA. But when you have the option, an authenticator app is a better choice. For example, you can set up 2FA on your Google account so that access to your account is only possible by unlocking an associated phone, and tapping the ‘Yes’ button there. Twitter and Facebook also have similar authenticators. In fact, most popular social media apps and email apps support this feature.

7. Turn off the GPS, limit app permissions, and opt out of tracking where possible

If an app has access to your location data, they’re tracking it as much as possible to understand your habits and behaviors. You’re being watched wherever you go, and often completely unnecessarily. There are a few things you can do to reduce this, and the first step is to turn off your GPS when you don’t need it. Switch it on before calling an Uber or using maps to find your way around—and leave it off the rest of the time.

More importantly, look at what information is being used by which apps. “There can be genuine reasons for asking for this information,” said Saravanan. “For example, many apps ask for SMS inbox access — just so they can read an OTP, and that’s not a bad thing. Some apps might want location access so they can offer information or deals based on where you are.” However, if you’ve got (for example) an alarm clock that wants to know your location, that’s not good.

Some apps that track your information also let you opt out. If you visit myactivity.google.com, you’ll see a list of every website you’ve opened in Chrome, details about your contacts, calendars, and apps from your Android phone, details on your voice records with Google from when you’ve used the Assistant, and all the videos you’ve searched for or watched on YouTube. It’s an unsettling insight into how visible you are. 

The good news is that it’s very easy to opt out. Just go to the settings on the same page and go to Activity Controls, and you can pause all your activity history. On all your apps, check the settings to find out what tracking is being done, and what you can opt out of, in order to increase your chances of privacy just a little.

8. Browse in private mode, and disable trackers

Almost all browsers have an incognito or private mode, where they’re not tracking your history and other data. Make this your default browsing environment to keep your data more secure. An easy way to do this is to switch to a browser like Firefox Focus on your phone, since it is designed to block trackers, and delete all history when you exit the app.

You can use apps like Ghostery on your computer to help disable trackers—this browser plug-in works with Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge. It’s one of the most famous apps of this kind, but there are other options as well. Its built-in ad-blocker strips away the ads on websites you visit, and also blocks the trackers that they’re using to follow you around the Internet.

Not only does this increase your privacy, but it also significantly speeds up your browsing because as it turns out, trackers and ads also use up a lot of your data. In a 2016 conversation with this writer, Opera’s CTO had said that 54% of the data that gets used when you load a webpage is due to ads. He added that the ads made up only 9% of the content on the page, but because multiple third-parties track users through ads, this ends up being a huge drain on your data.

9. Don’t use Google

Ah, now we come to this. Using Google is so common that it’s become a verb for ‘searching on the internet’. But Google searches are also giving the company an enormous trove of user data to analyse and use for advertising. Gabriel Weinberg, the founder and CEO of privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo, has written a long post about the different ways in which Google tracks you, which is worth reading in its entirety.

“Basically, Google tries to track too much. It’s creepy and simply just more information than one company should have on anyone,” Weinberg noted. “For starters, just switching the search engine for all your searches goes a long way. After all, you share your most intimate questions with your search engine; at the very least, shouldn’t those be kept private? If you switch to the DuckDuckGo app and extension you will not only make your searches anonymous, but also block Google’s most widespread and invasive trackers as you navigate the web.”

Duck Duck Go’s search engine is good and fast, but since it doesn’t track you, the results are not as personalised as Google’s. This is a trade-off that you’ll have to consider, but it isn’t as apparent like some of the other examples we’ve talked about, so you should consider at least trying out Duck Duck Go for a few weeks before deciding. #MohnishAhluwaliaNotes

[gabriellakirtonblog]

How to Get Started as an Online Personal Trainer

Are you a fitness professional who loves to train clients, but feel like you’ve hit the iron ceiling in your career? You’re working as many hours as possible, and charging as much as you can, and yet you have no sense of personal or financial security.

I know how you feel because I’ve been there.

The solution, for many, is to become an online personal trainer. Some transition to full-time online training, while others do a combination of online and in-person training. You can get started by following these eight steps:

1. Decide what types of clients you want to work with online

2. Create a template with three or four training phases for each type of client

3. Compile a video library of the exercises in your online training programs

4. Decide if you want to use personal training software

5. Decide how much you want to charge for online personal training

6. Create an online personal training questionnaire

7. Choose a payment processing service

8. Become a go-to expert for the types of clients you train online

But before I explain each of them, let me tell you how I got here.

Evolution of a personal trainer

My personal training career was, by all accounts, successful.

I landed a job at a top boutique gym in Toronto before the ink was dry on my kinesiology degree. The starting pay was $25 an hour—a fortune for a 21-year-old in 2006.

Within a year I had a raise and a full client roster. I was flush with cash while most of my friends were still in school. And I was just getting started.

Soon I was a running a bootcamp that started at 6:30 a.m. I then trained clients in their homes, went to the gym at noon, and trained clients there until 8:30 p.m. By the end of a 14-hour day I’d made more than $700.

But I wasn’t happy. In fact, I was scared. I wasn’t yet old enough to rent a car, and my earning potential was effectively maxed out. Moreover, I was working such long hours that I had no energy for friends or family. A serious relationship was out of the question.

My Wednesday night hockey game was the only personal passion I still pursued. Like any red-blooded Canadian, I grew up strapping knives to my feet, stepping onto the frozen tundra, and barbarically slapping a frozen piece of rubber toward a net.

One night a goon tripped me. It was a cheap move. On the way down my skate caught a rut in the ice and my leg jerked, tearing my hamstring.

For most people, a hamstring injury is an inconvenience. They take it easy for a day or two, hobble back to the office, and pick up where they left off. But for a trainer, it’s a catastrophe. You can’t train clients from your couch, which means you can’t make a living.

It was a catalytic moment for me, my tipping point. If a single injury could wipe out two weeks’ worth of income, that meant training wasn’t a secure way to make a living. And without a secure living, I couldn’t support a family.

Was this what I wanted for the rest of my life? Training clients one-on-one is rewarding, but there’s a reason the industry has such a large turnover rate. For most people, the long hours and financial uncertainty just aren’t sustainable.

Online personal training, on the other hand, is more than sustainable. It’s efficient. It allows you to systematize and scale your business, training more clients, in less time, while potentially making more money.

So let’s talk about how to get started as an online personal trainer.

Step 1: Decide what types of clients you want to work with online

An in-person trainer will work with a wide range of clients. There’s a limited number of prospects in your vicinity and price range, and you’re happy to have anyone who wants to train with you.

Once you go online, and location is no longer a factor, your potential customer base is nearly unlimited. But so is your competition. You’re up against everyone with single-digit body fat who’s ever posed next to a waterfall on Instagram.

Intimidated? Don’t be.

Look at it this way: If you can get 30 clients to pay you $200 a month, that’s $72,000 a year. You don’t need tens of thousands of followers or a massive marketing budget to land 30 clients. What you need is to find your 1 Percent Uniqueness Factor—a niche where you have a clear advantage.

Think carefully about where you have success, confidence, and genuine expertise. What kind of client would your colleagues send to you? Someone struggling with fat loss? A new mom? A competitive athlete?

Now go deeper.

Instead of billing yourself as a fat-loss expert, you’re someone who helps men in their 40s and 50s who used to play sports at a high level but let themselves go and want to feel good about themselves again.

You’re not just a postnatal specialist. You focus on older mothers who’re simultaneously coping with recovery from childbirth and the onset of menopause.

You don’t just train athletes. You help female hockey players in high school and college who aspire to make the national team and play professionally.

Will you limit your market? Sure. But with your 1 Percent Uniqueness Factor you’ll also become the obvious choice for everyone in your market.

And in limiting your market, you also narrow down your marketing options. You don’t have to be everywhere. You just have to be where your potential clients can see you and get to know and trust you.

Step 2: Create a template with three or four training phases for each type of client

You may think templated workouts are a disservice to your clients. But if you do them correctly, the opposite is true.

The reality is, most clients fit pretty well into categories. In any setting, the workout you write for a 40-year-old man who wants to lose belly fat will be pretty similar to the last one you wrote for that type of client.

The fact it’s a template doesn’t mean you won’t individualize it. Of course you will, following your onboarding process and initial assessment. And then you’ll continue to modify it over time as you see what does or doesn’t work for this client, and as you develop a deeper understanding of your client’s goals and desires.

What likely won’t change from client to client:

· Programming considerations – Things like sets, reps, rest, and tempo will likely stay constant.

· Order of movement patterns – Your first exercise may not always be a squat or deadlift, but it’ll probably be some sort of multijoint lower-body movement.

· Workout split over the week – How many times the client trains and how the programs are split over the course of the week likely won’t change much.

What likely will change from client to client:

· Specific exercises – While the exercise category will stay the same, the specific exercise may change as you take into account the client’s experience, skill level, and previous injuries or limitations.

· Grips or implements – Clients will have access to different types of equipment, and, as noted, different abilities and restrictions.

· Specific aesthetic aspirations – Even among fat-loss clients, you’ll find a lot of variety in how they describe the type of physique they want to achieve. For some it might focus on waist size. For another it may be about a more athletic appearance, or wider shoulders, or bigger arms.

Step 3: Compile a video library of the exercises in your online training programs

Since you’re not there to demonstrate exercises for your clients, you need videos to show them how to do each movement. If you don’t have your own—and most trainers don’t—you should compile a set of links to other trainers’ YouTube videos. It’s easy to find good examples of the form you recommend for the most well-known exercises.

If you use online personal training software (see Step 4), you’ll start out with a ready-made video library. But it’s unlikely that any platform will have videos of every exercise in your program, including all the progressions, regressions, and modifications you like to use. In those cases, you’ll still need to shoot and upload your own videos.

What makes a good exercise video?

Keep it simple, following these basic guidelines:

● No sound

● Decent lighting (don’t shoot in your basement, in other words)

● At least two full reps

● 10 to 20 seconds long

Remember, these aren’t tutorials. They’re demonstrations. They’re for instant reference in the middle of a workout. Chances are your client will be listening to her own music, and doesn’t want to shut it off to listen to you talk about the exercise. She just wants to see how to do it.

For a good example of how to compile your own video library, and how to organize it on YouTube, check out this collection from Online Trainer Academy graduate John Kempf.

Step 4: Decide if you want to use personal training software

We have an extensive guide to online personal training software, which I recommend you read when it’s time to make a choice.

Until then, you need to understand a few basics:

Software is important, but not imperative

In my experience, personal training software works well for most trainers. But not for everyone. Some trainers find it too complex or stressful to use. And you certainly don’t need it when you’re just starting out.

Sending PDF workouts via email is fine for your first few clients. Or you can use Google Drive if you’re comfortable with it.

You can’t know what you need software to do until you build a roster of clients and spend some time training them. That’s when you’ll need to invest in software to make the process more efficient.

There’s no “best” software platform

We recommend some more than others. Trainerize, for example, is usually a great choice for trainers who work with clients both in person and online. PT Distinction is best for those who focus on lifestyle and habit change.

But every platform has benefits and drawbacks. Some have a longer learning curve. Some have more features than you’ll need when you’re starting out as an online trainer.

The best software for you is the one that meets your needs

Most personal training software platforms offer a free 30-day trial. That should be enough time for you to decide if it’s going to work for you and your clients. You need to see how for yourself how easy it is to customize workout templates; to create, upload, and organize documents; to communicate with your clients; and to manage billing and payments.

Step 5: Decide how much you want to charge for online personal training

I’ll be frank: Not putting enough thought into pricing can leave you bankrupt. For your customer, it communicates more about your business than anything else you create, from marketing materials to content.

Allow me to explain.

Price connotes value

Think about your visceral reaction when you see a price tag. If it’s cheaper than you expected, you immediately think it must be low quality. If it’s more expensive, you assume the opposite.

Obviously, some things are overpriced for reasons that have nothing to do with their objective value. They might be in short supply, or marketed to an audience focused more on status than quality. Or they might simply be a rip-off designed to take advantage of suckers and rubes. My point is, we’re all intrigued by things that seem outrageously expensive. I know I am.

To be clear, I’m not advising you to price yourself outrageously high. You’ll put yourself out of business before you begin. But I am asking you to think about what happens when a customer who’s shopping around for a trainer compares fees.

Suppose one charges twice as much as the other. The prospect’s first reaction isn’t that the higher-priced one is delusional. It’s that the more expensive one must offer a considerably better service.

That doesn’t mean the customer will pay the higher price. Some will always select the cheapest option. You have to decide if those are the clients you want, or if you should leave that niche for other trainers.

You have to find the right price for you

There is no “right” or “best” price. There’s only what’s best for you, and what makes sense within your business structure.

Some trainers can charge less because their businesses are set up for high volume, and for clients who’ll accept less personal attention in exchange for a lower price. Others can charge a lot more than the average rate because they’re positioned to deliver a high level of personal service, and they know how to reach an audience willing to pay it.

But while I can’t tell you what to charge, I can offer some principles and strategies. Start with these four considerations:

● Your income goals

● The hourly value of your time

● The services you offer, and the time it takes to create and deliver those services

● A realistic assessment of how many hours you want to work, keeping in mind that online training requires more time devoted to building and marketing your business

That brings us to the most important question of all.

How will you demonstrate value?

When a prospect understands the value in what you offer, when she decides you’re the person to help her become the person she wants to see in the mirror, price becomes irrelevant. A potential client in that frame of mind will pay almost anything within reason.

But if a prospect doesn’t perceive that value, if she looks at what you offer and wonders why she should work with you, any price will be too high.

Step 6: Create an online personal training questionnaire

An online personal training questionnaire doesn’t have the luxury of meeting a client in person, shaking hands, smiling, and responding to questions. To replicate that in-person experience, it has to do more than just collect information—as important as that is. It needs to serve as a de facto application form.

Your questionnaire should help you determine if the prospect is a good match for you, or if you’re the right trainer for the client. If the client has indeed come to the right place, the form should establish rapport, which is just as important as any other type of marketing. Never forget that people buy trainers, not training.

If you have a website, you can host the questionnaire on its own page. If you don’t yet have a site, you can use Google or Wufoo forms. Whatever you use, here’s what it should include:

1. The basics: Name, age, gender, email, Skype handle, phone number.

2. Health information: Just as you would with an in-person client, you need to know about any illnesses, injuries, or limitations that will affect your program and the results the client can expect.

3. Training history: Is the client currently active? Does he play sports, or has he played them in the past? Has he ever worked with a coach, online or in person? What programs has he tried, and how have they worked out?

4. Rapport builders: Favorite movie, superhero, athlete, exotic animal … You’re looking for any random interest you can bond over.

5. Script-flipping questions: Why does this person want to train with you specifically? Getting a client to prove himself to you is a powerful psychological trick that increases conversions.

6. Prequalifying questions: Is the client willing to invest $200 to $400 a month on her health and fitness goals? This strategic question establishes that money won’t be an objection, which prevents both of you from wasting your time. Another prequalifying question: “Who’s involved in the decision-making process?” The higher your price, the more likely it is that someone else will need to be convinced the investment is worth it.

Two good examples from OTA graduates:

· Here’s a form Lee Kingham of Phoenix Nutrition & Fitness NI has embedded on his site.

· Here’s a longer, more personality-driven Google form (it asks if you’re willing to “eat blended chicken and unicorn blood” to achieve your goals) from Tyler DiRienzo.

Step 7: Choose a payment processing service

This step is simple. If you’re comfortable with PayPal, there’s no reason to look at anything else. It’s easy to implement, fees are reasonable, and you can deposit money directly into your bank account for free. Stripe is also a good option, if you prefer it.

Don’t get bogged down in trying to find the “best” option here. Identify what you need a payment processing service to do; find one that checks all the boxes, with fees you understand and think are reasonable; and go with it.

One final note:

I see some trainers try to avoid credit card processing fees by using things like Venmo, direct deposit, or email transfer. Fight this urge. You won’t be taken seriously unless you accept credit cards. Processing fees are a cost of doing business. Worried about the 3 percent fee? Charge 5 percent more.

Step 8: Become a go-to expert for the types of clients you train online

When you train clients in a gym, everyone who walks in the door knows you’re a trainer. You’re dressed like a trainer. You carry yourself like someone who’s there in a professional capacity. And, of course, you train clients. Anyone who’s looking for a trainer can observe you and decide if they like your workouts and coaching style.

No one can see you training people online, which means it’s entirely on you to make sure everybody knows what you do. That applies to potential clients as well as social contacts who can recommend you to people in their own circles who might be looking for the services you now offer.

But being present on social media is just the first step. The next and more important step is to expand your presence.

You can’t go wrong with posting fitness-related content to build authority and prove you’re an expert, especially when it comes to issues that matter to your ideal clients.

GO DEEPER: How to Start a Fitness Blog

You also want to post the kind of content that pulls back the curtain a bit, showing who you are as a human being, including your thoughts and feelings, interests, quirks, and what you do outside of work.

There’s always a risk of revealing too much, especially if it alienates potential customers or calls your expertise into doubt. But at a minimum, your clients and followers want to know enough to feel connected to you beyond your business relationship.

Highlighting both parts of yourself—your serious, professional side and your fun, nerdy side—makes it easier to become the go-to authority in your network. When people feel as if they know you on a human level, they’ll be more comfortable approaching you as a fitness expert.

Final thoughts: Quality vs. qualifications

Online training is almost entirely unregulated. There are rules about giving nutrition advice, but virtually no barriers to entry when it comes to fitness. Anyone can go into business as an online personal trainer, and they can work with anyone who’s willing to hire them.

But just because you don’t need qualifications doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have them. You can’t do the job well without knowing enough about anatomy and exercise science to earn a personal training certification from an accredited organization.

And although it’s not necessary, I think you should have experience training clients in person before working with them online.

Finally, there’s a certification from the Online Trainer Academy. By embedding the certification badge on your website and within your promotional materials, a consumer sees you’ve studied online training. And, without you having to say a word about your credentials, that person will assume you’re more qualified than someone who hasn’t taken the time to study, and be more likely to hire you over someone offering the same services at the same price.

With or without that OTA certification, you should understand that online personal training is actually more difficult than working with someone who’s right in front of you. An online coach has to anticipate the problems a client is likely to have, and proactively prevent them from occurring.

That’s why the best online personal trainers often start out as the best trainers in a gym setting. But because they’re good at what they do, they’re frustrated by the limitations of in-person training.

Online training allows them to do what they enjoy most while making more money, building a more sustainable career, and helping more people reach their goals.

     If You’re an Online Trainer, or Want to Be, this Course Is for You

Most trainers know that they can make more in less time with better schedules by working part– or full-time online. But they need help figuring out how to start, and grow, an online training business.

Over the past 6 years, the Online Trainer Academy and its online trainer certification program have helped over 10,000 trainers earn their freedom by intelligently growing an online training business.

Today, we invite you to join our FREE 4-DAY MINI COURSE on taking the first steps towards becoming a successful online trainer. We guarantee it will provide the blueprint for the next stage in your career, and you’ll learn how to:

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Access it here: https://onlinetraineracademy.theptdc.com/free-intro/

 The post How to Get Started as an Online Personal Trainer appeared first on The PTDC.

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[anitradhv620-blog]

Advertising and marketing Mistakes As well as Ways to Take care of Them.

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[because-its-important]

python data vis, small and not-small victories, and a taste of ML

tl;dr - Check out the Jupyter notebook I created for finding the most annoying question in the Sister Survey, plus a few visualizations of answers to demographic questions.

Last week I wrote about my using my rudimentary Python scripting skills to explore the “Sister Survey,” which was a large survey administered to nearly 140,000 American women in Catholic ministry in 1967. A kind RC alum shared my post on MetaFilter, which lead to an absolutely amazing discussion, including a thorough explanation of the religious and historical context of the “most annoying question.” Definitely worth a read!

I noticed that two different commenters had some pretty specific requests!

“I'd love to see this redone as a Jupyter notebook.”

“It would be interesting to see what kinds of structure live in that data, e.g. factor analysis on the questions to see the more-or-less-independent areas of belief.”

The former I’d never done but seemed easy enough and the latter I’d never done and had absolutely no idea how to start, so I decided to cut the effort down the middle and create a Jupyter notebook with a few visualizations for demographic questions I found in the survey.

You can view it here.

Here are a few of the lessons I learned this week.

Wow, this whole ‘notebook’ thing is great.

This was the first time I’d worked with an iPython notebook, and it’s really hard to imagine going back to pure scripting. So many of the small annoyances that I struggled with while writing the original script - having to remember variable names and what was in them, accidentally re-running the portion that downloaded the responses, having to manually indent in code blocks - are handled so neatly in the notebook structure. The more I learn about programming, the more often this happens: finding a solution that makes life an order of magnitude more pleasant, that I somehow wasn’t using before even though I was technically aware of its existence. It always feels a little silly to recognize how inefficiently I was doing things before, though doing things that way provided its own learning opportunities too.

The switch from writing Python in the terminal to using a notebook was generally seamless, though I did find myself surprised on one occasion. I’d noticed the execution order flag next to the notebook inputs, and I’d noticed them incrementing as I ran blocks of code, but I hadn’t realized that exporting the notebook (or uploading it to a Python notebook viewer, like Anaconda Cloud), would preserve that run order. 

What a powerful notion! I’m guessing this is particularly useful when working with data, since reproducibility is one of the hallmarks of good analysis.

When trivial things aren’t.

This was a really challenging week for me for reasons outside of RC. Emotional compartmentalization is a fool’s errand, though, so I mostly had to let myself deal with that - even when I would’ve much rather had my attention entirely focused on becoming a better programmer. When I encountered difficulties with what I assumed should be a very basic data visualization task, combined with my already dismal mood, my confidence bottomed out. 

The gulf between my expectations for myself and my current performance was horrifying. I felt unsalvageable. Because I couldn’t immediately get some bar charts to display correctly. 

Anyways, I kept going, because I didn’t have any better plans. And once I was able to clear my head enough to just do the damn thing, things came together. I felt better when I was finished, though I still had a lingering shame that it’d taken so long. (It didn’t take that long.) 

I decided to post in the RC’s #victory channel, for three reasons - two good and one questionable:

I believe that it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate one’s wins.

Even so, I don’t ever do it for myself. So I need to practice if I want to live according to my principles.

It seemed funny to celebrate something so utterly banal, anyway.

The response was super heartening. 🙂

All the frustrating moments - when I couldn’t tell if I needed to be reading MatPlotLib’s documentation, or Pandas documentation, and how the two libraries might be interacting with each other - suddenly felt real and valid. I don’t know why I was so surprised at how much better this made me feel, but I was. Social creatures are strange!

The power of 5 minutes.

I mentioned earlier that I had absolutely no idea how to start a principal analysis, which I took to mean, “find out which questions are most important for determining a respondents overall position.” That might be a bit of an exaggeration, because I at least had a suspicion that some kind of clustering algorithm would be the right place to start.

Another big source of anxiety this week was the sense that I really wished I could answer this question, but that I didn’t have the skills or knowledge to do it. While I’m not so great at celebrating victories, I am thankfully at least marginally better at asking for help when I’m stuck. I asked around RC to see if any folks had experience implementing k-means in Python, but more broadly, if someone could help me talk through whether that was even the right approach for clustering respondents by their survey answers. 

Fellow Winter 1 batcher Genevieve Hoffman, who has a background in creating data-art installations, came to my aid. I explained my goal and the data I had on hand, plus my central concern: is k-means even appropriate when the data you’re working with is essentially discrete and categorical (eg. multiple choice survey responses)? We both weren’t quite sure, so we started googling. The response was resoundingly: no, k-means relies on Euclidean distances for its clustering and therefore is not the right way to go. 

Could I have gotten to this answer myself? Almost certainly! But doing the work to frame my concern in a way that another person could understand it, searching for an answer together, and digesting the results together - even over the course of a few minutes - was invaluable for both widening my perspective and reassuring me that my intuitions were worth listening to. Several of the responses we read suggested that another (much less widely used) algorithm would be more appropriate: k-modes.

At the time of that conversation I had pretty much resolved that I should give up on clustering for now and be satisfied with my bar charts. I found, however, that I am generally not great at giving up. (For better and for worse.) I read more about k-modes, mostly getting lost in the math, until it finally dawned on me: why don’t I just try to use this, for like, five minutes?

You can probably see where this is going.

Those are three possible clusters when running k-modes on survey respondents answers to the demographic questions. Each value in the centroids list corresponds to an answer to a question, specifically these questions:

Your age now

Number of years in congregation from first vows

What is your race

To which of the following groups do you consider your family to have belonged while you were growing up

To what religion did you belong while you were growing up

With which political group would you align yourself

You can see right away that some questions don’t matter. For example, pretty much everyone was white and had been Catholic before joining the ministry. And there are clearly correlations with how old the respondent was and the number of years they’d been in the congregation: younger respondents had taken their vows more recently. 

The most interesting result was the last one, where it seems like there may be some relationship between age and years in the congregation and willingness to identify politically: the 6 response in the survey is “I do not consider myself in a political context” and the 2 response is “Liberal Democrat.”

Two important developments came out of this very, very quick exploration. Firstly, wow, going from “I can’t do it” to “it’s done” in such a brief amount of time really calls into question the accuracy of one’s sense of personal agency! And secondly, algorithms aren’t magic and it would take a lot more work before I felt comfortable making any claims stronger than “maybe something is happening here?”

I’m excited to work my way towards that point, but I am not there yet. Plus, I don’t have any deep understanding of Catholicism and religious history, which seems like it would be pretty darn helpful in this situation! If I’m going to be getting into data analysis through machine learning, I feel like it’d be a lot more responsible to start with a less complex (and less serious?) dataset.

[packersandmoversinsurat-blog]

Artist Website Development

Artist  Website Development

I’d like to preface this case study by stating that my intentions behind redesigning Apple Music were in no way driven by indignation or spite.

Earlier this year I applied and interviewed for a graphic design internship at Apple Music (an opportunity of a lifetime), and was turned down with a very kind letter stating that although they liked my work, they wanted to see more growth and training.

At first, I was frustrated — Northwestern University doesn’t offer any sort of undergraduate graphic design program, so whatever growth they were looking for would have to be self taught…

…but as soon as I came to this realization, I became inspired to embark on what became a a three-month long journey to the holy grail — the iOS app that Apple Music deserves.

For me, this was an opportunity to really dig my teeth into UX research and design, an excuse to spend way too much time on Sketch and Principle, a reason to bore everyone around me with my notebook of crudely drawn wireframes 😂…

What you’ll find below is a case study offering potential solutions to address some of Apple Music’s problems, as well as ideas for future development. My process was guided by qualitative user research, Apple’s official Design Principles, and my own designer intuition.

Introduction

As a designer with a background in music composition and performance, I have always been passionate about experiences that marry music and technology. Through design, I hope to one day make the experience of music more accessible and enjoyable.

However, Apple Music has always frustrated me. What was meant to be the service to convert everyone in the world to streaming is going through puberty — a phrase which here means steadily maturing yet unattractive compared to the adults in the game (aka Spotify).

To better understand Apple Music, I took a trip down memory lane and revisited its inception. Plagued with a notoriously confusing interface and a half-baked visual identity, Apple Music’s first identity was the culprit of many headaches.

Thank you, Lana Del Rey and Wayback Machine

With iOS10, Apple released a much-needed update based on the principles of Complexion Reduction.

Peep that incredible Pentatonix artwork by my dear friend and mentor Annie Stoll

While this new interface was much easier to navigate, I still felt that there was room for improvement. Despite its simplified color palette and enlarged typography, the interface felt cluttered and even claustrophobic — a far cry from Apple’s usual elegance.

I approached my redesign in three steps, while conducting research throughout:

Core Experience

Brand Identity

Visual Interface

1. Core Experience: Music Discovery

One of the first things that I found out was that users of streaming services generally fell somewhere on the following spectrum:

Tag yourself; I’m the ambiguous greige area

Hoarders:

Have a large library that they add to from time to time

Are more selective about what they listen to

Nomads:

Rely on playlists/curated content

Are probably already using Spotify

Apple Music sits at the Hoarder side of the spectrum. Open an Apple Music playlist and you’ll probably find this in the description:

If you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Treating playlists as tools to discover new music is an approach that makes sense given Apple Music’s pastlife as iTunes. However, the way that playlists are currently implemented feels very tacked on. I found that users weren’t comfortable with adding entire playlists to their personal libraries, especially if said playlists were constantly updating.

If Apple Music wants to expand to the nomadic side of the spectrum, they have to do it in a way that brings their existing user base along. This means creating a music discovery experience centered on artists and albums instead of playlists. Enter… My Sampler

My Sampler

My Sampler is a new experience made to bridge the gap between Hoarders and Nomads, replacing the current “New Music Mix.” It was born out of the understanding that users who are picky about what goes into their library would also be more reluctant to sit through an entire playlist full of new music. A better experience would be presenting snippets — or samples — of curations that gives the user just enough information to decide whether or not to add it into their library and weekly playlist.

Upon entering the Sampler, the user is presented with a series of artist headshots that correspond to a curated song. The user can tap and hold to preview 15 seconds of each song, before swiping up to reject the song or swiping down to add the song to their library.

Music for the Tinder generation

I chose to use gestural interaction so that users can use the Sampler even if they’re not looking at the screen. Once the user has finished sampling, their selections are used to create a New Music Mix that the user can listen to.

The mechanics behind this experience was inspired by the following quote captured in an interview:

“Apple is underestimating the power of gamification.”— UX designer and Apple Music user I interviewed in LA

I have come to understand that, through a gamified experience, the user is able to establish an immediate connection to the music they discover. In addition, the Sampler has the potential to provide Apple Music a constant stream of information regarding listener preferences, allowing the app to evolve and grow with the user.

2. Brand Identity

During my internship at Sony Music, I learned that a brand’s visual presence in a streaming service must be recognizable yet invisible at the same time. Spotify does this very well in their use of halftone photography and “Bursts” in their playlist album artwork.

In comparison, Apple Music’s visual branding has right now is kind of all over the place:

There’s a mix of symbols, 3D typography, and black & white photography.

In addition, there are collage-themed covers that don’t really communicate anything about the mood/feel of the playlist.

…

The main issue seems to be Apple Music throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, instead of really developing a consistent visual language that signifies Apple’s presence in the app amongst a sea of album artwork.

My solution was built on the following principle:

Album Artwork should be treated as part of the UI, and not a stand-alone visual component.

Artist Spotlight Artwork:

Inspired by Apple Music’s Welcome Screen, I chose to showcase artist headshots within a circular motif. The circle shape was inspired by the iPod clickwheel — an iconic part of Apple’s music legacy. The “face inside a circle” motif is also seen other aspects of iOS, most notably Contacts.

In addition, I chose San Francisco so that the Artist Spotlight artwork would harmonize with the UI. Lastly, I limited the color palette to different shades/tones of blue, violet, and red to reflect the Apple Music Icon.

Artist Spotlights

Curated Playlist Artwork:

For Curated Playlists, I wanted the look to be consistent with Artist Spotlights while showcasing an aspect of the playlist’s mood/vibe through use of color. More vibrant images are displayed against a backdrop of the same image with a gaussian blur filter (inspired by iOS’s background blurs). For certain covers, I also added a subtle gradient of Apple Music’s signature red to add a sense of dimension.

Curated Playlists

Core Playlist Artwork:

Finally, I updated the centered graphics for some of the core playlists with the same typography used for the Artist Spotlights and Curations.

Core Playlists

I think this new branding scheme harmonizes well with the rest of the UI, and am curious to see if this circular motif could also be somehow animated upon user input…

3. Visual Interface

General Improvements

The chief complaint I heard about the current interface was that it felt too sterile and lacked an element of delight. To begin resolving this, I optimized white space through subtle app-wide adjustments as demonstrated below:

Above: shameless advertising for EXID

Library

I didn’t think major alterations to the Library tab were necessary, so I limited the changes to the standard white space and typesize adjustments. I removed Downloaded Music as a default menu option because I think the app should self-adjust what music the user is able to access based on the availability of LTE/WiFi.

Below are some subtle animation details (present in all tabs) I added to make the app feel less sterile.

The round corners of the app already make it look bouncy, why not make it feel bouncy as well?

For You

“For You” is the beating heart of Apple Music. It’s where Apple Music gets to flex how much it knows about the user by curating playlists and albums based on what the user has “Loved.”

I received a ton of feedback on how random the current “For You” felt, so for my redesign I aimed to reduce the amount of content thrown at the user while increasing the relevance of whatever’s left… like Facebook and Instagram’s “Top Posts.”

The redesigned “For You” begins with “My Sampler” in lieu of the current “My Favorites Mix” and “My New Music Mix”. “Recently Played” is kept intact, as users found it to be quite useful.

Scrolling down, you’ll find that I’ve changed the “Insert Day of the Week Here — Playlists” to a specific Mood that will adjust based on location, time, and recent social media activity.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if, immediately after checking into a café on Facebook, Apple Music updates this Mood section to Focus/Study playlists?If we’re sharing our entire lives on social media anyway, might as well get something out of it, you feel?

Below that is the Daily Stream, an example of how exclusive video content can be pushed to the user based on their preferences. For example, I really like Katy Perry, so if a Katy Perry episode of Carpool Karaoke is released, the Call-To-Action can be changed to place the emphasis on Katy’s appearance.

This hasn’t technically been released yet but please let this be true.

Afterwards, you’ll find the classic Artist Spotlights, which I kept in this demo to show how the new visual branding schemes works in harmony with the rest of the UI.

And last but not least, users get a preview of their most-loved/played genres so that they have quick access to more music if nothing in the For You feed was able to pique their interest.

I couldn’t think of a good instrument for Pop, hence the bubble gumBut whatever happened to Connect?

Good question. Truth is, I didn’t see any data from my research that would justify keeping the Connect feed in the app as is. Users were more interested in connecting with friends and family through music (a la Spotify) instead of with artists through a watered-down Twitter.

I think Apple should focus on integrating existing social media with Apple Music instead of trying to push yet another one on its already overburdened consumers.

Image credit to Paramount Pictures/Mean Girls

Browse

The majority of feedback I received regarding the current Browse screen was that it felt too sterile and uninviting. Some users also expressed confusion regarding the differences between “For You” and “Browse.”

My solution was to redesign the Feature Slides in the style of Apple’s Website — Jumbo slides that fill the viewport width, with a horizontal indicator of where the user is in the slideshow. I believe this change makes Featured content feel more inviting and less intrusive/random.

I also merged the Radio menu into the existing Browse menu.

This conveniently makes room for the Watch tab…

Watch

Earlier this year, Apple confirmed that Apple Music was expanding into video streaming content in an effort to turn Apple Music into a pop-culture central. I was curious how this will play out especially in the context of the mobile app, so I created a separate tab specifically for browsing exclusive video content and music videos.

An added bonus of dedicating a tab to Video is that “Browse” can be reserved exclusively for audio content.

There will eventually be enough content to justify a dedicated tab, but for now I based my design decisions on leaked information as well as Apple Music’s existing visual language.

Search

The main problem with how Apple Music handles search right now is that it is based on a mode system: where you can either search in Apple Music or your library — but not both.

Two years into using this app, I still find myself getting frustrated at being in the wrong mode, especially since the Library mode handles keywords differently:

This is especially annoying because there’s a high potential for input error, especially if the user is looking up a new song or artist not yet in their library.

My solution was to merge the two modes into one general “search” that displays results from the user’s library first, followed by anything else that is available on Apple Music.

Is it obvious that I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga?

Support for fuzzy keywords should extend to the user’s Library content. It will also be interesting to see if results for keywords relating to moods or activities can be implemented in the future.

Now Playing

I like what Apple has done with the Now Playing screen, and didn’t think any major adjustments were necessary. I decided to keep most of the visual interface as is. However, I thought a great way to build upon the existing experience would be to incorporate some simple gesture interactions.

To many users, myself included, the necessity of “training” Apple Music through the “Love” and “Dislike” commands was unclear. This can be partially attributed to be how well said commands are hidden; the process of “loving” a song on mobile requires users to open a separate menu — a tedious process that trivializes its impact.

“If they’re hidden so well, that must mean they’re not meant to be found, right?”

My solution was to implement a gesture that most users are already familiar with — the double tap — into the Now Playing experience. I observed that many users tried to press the “floating” album art in the present release (it just looks so delightful)…why not add a response?

Music for the Instagram generation

In addition, I added sneak peeks of adjacent tracks that users can skip to through a horizontal swipe. I believe this will grant users more control over their listening experience in an intuitive way.

Swipe right to party.

What’s Next?

Looking back at the initial scribbles I made on my notebook during my initial brainstorming sessions, I’m happily surprised at the amount of progress I was able to make in three months.

Going into this process, I had no working knowledge of Principle and could barely edit blend modes in Sketch. Now…to be honest, I still consider myself a novice in said prototyping apps, but hey, I was able to make something happen — and that’s the best I could have hoped for.

I don’t expect the good folks at Apple Music to take anything from this case study. In fact, I might actually have a heart attack if anyone working on Apple Music stumbles upon this article… but if you’re out there, I hope my work was able to give you some ideas and spark some conversations!

Through this project, I have come to understand the value of my theatre background in relation to UX design — experience designers and theatre artists are alike in their shared understanding of human empathy. Take that, literally everyone who rolls their eyes at my resume!

Soon, I will be embarking on my next great adventure: BFA Graphic Design at Rhode Island School of Design. Although it feels strange to say goodbye to this process (and to Northwestern University), I sincerely hope that this is just the beginning of a career in experience design… a career of changing the world through empathy.

DRUPAL WEB DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS

Drupal is one of the most popular open source web design platforms that have a built-in Content Management System (CMS). It’s chosen by many businesses thanks to its powerful tools and functional platform. It’s a favorable choice out of the other open source technologies because of its user efficiency, meaning you don’t have to be equipped with technical skills in order to actually design the solution how you want. Other features include high website performance due to its built-in caching and scalability (it can be used on multiple servers). It also features easy integration with 3rd party applications, it's search engine friendly, it has supreme security functionality, it provides commercial support through training and education, and it allows management of content by the end user (i.e. you).

Primarily used as a back- end system, Drupal supports a range of website types from personal blogs to government informational sites, and it is built on a PHP language which provides the main database through MySQL. Â

As mentioned previously you don’t have to be of a technical background to be able to use Drupal effectively, although if you haven’t got the time to go through the development process, it might be worth enlisting the help of an expert who has experience in Drupal web design solutions. These experts will be able to support you from the start to the end of the project leaving you stress and hassle free.

Okay, so you’ve established your online presence, and your website is up and running, so what happens next?

DIGITAL MARKETING

Another thing to consider once your website is fully functioning is online marketing techniques, commonly known as Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing uses different techniques to build brand awareness through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Content marketing and also Email and Newsletter marketing. Using these methods you can shout about your business and build a bigger customer outreach so that people know that your organization exists.

With regular website maintenance, and online marketing you can truly allow all that design and development work to truly flourish.

Nowadays, We can see a lot of website on the internet have used clean typography and nice effects. This is really a beautiful trend in web designing. It makes the design cleaner and easy to readable. It allows the site visitor to stay more time on the website. To create such hover effects, There are many different ways and techniques can be used to create nice looking effects. You can use CSS, Javascript or Jquery to developed modern effects. But, the best and easy way to create is usually CSS, and especially the additions of CSS3 make them handy. These effects can be applied on Images, buttons, logos and as well as on links.

However, there are certain things that a client needs to work on, for getting clarity of the exact requirements of web designing. This involves creation of a sitemap by the client. A sitemap is like a rough estimate of the pages and links that are to be included in the website. This can be better understood with the reference of a company's website, which includes different pages like- company's profile, products and services offered, contact us page etc. The client can create a brief of company's background including the pictures of company, its products etc. In order to have a better understanding of your preferences and for the website designer to know your taste, creating a list of sites that you like is of utmost importance.

• Professionalism- Another important factor to be considered while choosing a website designer is his professional attitude. He should be able to stand to his commitments and must deliver the project timely. Delay in work is not a good sign!

• Affordability- The cost involved in the process of website designing should be in accordance with the standard and fair prices set for this task. It's a long term investment, so spend wisely!

We hope the above information helps you in future projects.

If you're thinking about having a website built, it's important for you to have a clear idea of the process before you begin. Your website could be a profitable business venture for you, but only if you've really done your research ahead of time. Many people begin investing in their new websites before they've really thought out each step and end up wasting money on sites that never see fruition. However, with some simple planning and research, you can set yourself on the right track toward developing a successful website. Here are seven tips for web design and promotion to get you started.

1. Survey the Market and Research Your Competitors

Before you get ahead of yourself and begin hiring a web designer, take some time to survey the market and research your competitors. Look at what other types of websites are out there and see if anyone is doing something similar to your plan. Consider how many people are running similar websites, as well as how professional their websites look. This will help you to determine whether or not it's worth setting up your own site, before you've invested too much in it.

To help ensure the success of your website, you should begin finding a niche market that you can target. You may be tempted to attract any and all customers that you can but you'll actually have greater success targeting a very specific demographic. Think extensively about who your potential audience members are and what they would be most interested in. Then, you can begin to develop your website around these ideas.

2. Brainstorm Design Ideas and Figure Out What You Like

Once you've thought a little more about your site's purpose, you should now think about your ideas for the design. You'll need to consider the best way to present your message or to feature your products to audience members. Keep in mind that people tend to skim websites looking for something interesting or eye-catching, so make sure that the most important elements of your site are featured prominently.

7. Allow Time and Money for Search Engine Optimisation

Google AdWords is a great way to help you get started but it's also important to use search engine optimisation, or SEO, to build organic traffic to your site. While AdWords will automatically place you at the top of search engine rankings with an advert you will have to continue doing that for ever. SEO can help you get to the first page of rankings naturally and eventually you will receive lots of traffic for free. This is important to increasing your traffic and building your site's legitimacy and authority on your subject.

Be sure to budget the time and money for SEO. It's not cheap and it can take 6-12 months to get your page to the first page of rankings for a number of keywords but it will generate a great amount of free traffic when you get there. It may cost about £300-£600 per month but SEO is truly the best way to start bringing in consistent traffic. Over time, your SEO efforts can help you build a reliable customer base and increase your sales. You're website will now be a true competitor in your niche market and well on it's way to success.

In this digital world of the internet, mobiles, laptops, computers and tablets, online presence has become very important. If you want to grow your business, you need to promote it. Using social media platforms to get the attention is just one step towards your goal.

To be honest, we cannot deny the fact that we don't trust an organization if it doesn't have a website of its own. What is the first thing that we do when we want to know more about a specific company? We browse about it on the internet. Don't we?

A website is the mirror image of your company's status and reputation, it is a place where everything is in one place, sorted and organized.

How to create a website?  Follow these steps to create your own website.

Domain name  · The first step is creating your unique domain name.

· A domain name appears like "xyz.com" and you need to visit a registrar to pay for the name you chose.

· They are easy for people to register in their brains.

· Others like Yahoo, Firefox and Bing are also some great options.

· These search engines are absolutely free and therefore the task of promoting your website becomes very easy.

· Other ways to get your site noticed are conventional methods like word of mouth, newspapers, cold calling etc.

Doughty wondered if this "parquetting of jis", this "gypsum fretwork... all adorning and unenclosed" originated from India. However, the Najd fretwork seems very different from that seen in the Eastern Province and Oman, which are linked to Indian traditions, and rather resembles the motifs and patterns found in ancient Mesopotamia. The rosette, the star, the triangle and the stepped pinnacle pattern of dadoes are all ancient patterns, and can be found all over the Middle East of antiquity. Al-Qassim Province seems to be the home of this art, and there it is normally worked in hard white plaster (though what you see is usually begrimed by the smoke of the coffee hearth). In Riyadh, examples can be seen in unadorned clay.

Google recommends responsive design for smartphone websites over other approaches.[33] Although many publishers are starting to implement responsive designs, one ongoing challenge for RWD is that some banner advertisements and videos are not fluid.[34] However, search advertising and (banner) display advertising support specific device platform targeting and different advertisement size formats for desktop, smartphone, and basic mobile devices. Different landing page URLs can be used for different platforms,[35] or Ajax can be used to display different advertisement variants on a page.[23][27][36] CSS tables permit hybrid fixed+fluid layouts.[37] There are now many ways of validating and testing RWD designs,[38] ranging from mobile site validators and mobile emulators[39] to simultaneous testing tools like Adobe Edge Inspect.[40] The Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers and the Chrome console offer responsive design viewport resizing tools, as do third parties.[41][42] Use cases of RWD will now expand further with increased mobile usage; according to Statista, organic search engine visits in the US coming from mobile devices has hit 51% and are increasing.[43] The first site to feature a layout that adapts to browser viewport width was Audi.com launched in late 2001,[44] created by a team at razorfish consisting of Jürgen Spangl and Jim Kalbach (information architecture), Ken Olling (design), and Jan Hoffmann (interface development). Limited browser capabilities meant that for Internet Explorer, the layout could adapt dynamically in the browser whereas for Netscape, the page had to be reloaded from the server when resized. Cameron Adams created a demonstration in 2004 that is still online.[45] By 2008, a number of related terms such as "flexible", "liquid",[46] "fluid", and "elastic" were being used to describe layouts. CSS3 media queries were almost ready for prime time in late 2008/early 2009.[47] Ethan Marcotte coined the term responsive web design[48] (RWD)—and defined it to mean fluid grid/ flexible images/ media queries—in a May 2010 article in A List Apart.[2] He described the theory and practice of responsive web design in his brief 2011 book titled Responsive Web Design. Responsive design was listed as #2 in Top Web Design Trends for 2012 by .net magazine[49] after progressive enhancement at #1. Mashable called 2013 the Year of Responsive Web Design.[50] Many other sources have recommended responsive design as a cost-effective alternative to mobile applications. 

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Contact Details

404, B-70, Nitin Shanti Nagar Building,

Sector-1, Near Mira Road Station, 

Opp. TMT Bus Stop, 

Thane – 401107

NGO Website Designing 

Troika Tech Services

WordPress Development Company in Mumbai

[makeupartistinmumbai-blog]

Artist Website Development

Artist  Website Development

I’d like to preface this case study by stating that my intentions behind redesigning Apple Music were in no way driven by indignation or spite.

Earlier this year I applied and interviewed for a graphic design internship at Apple Music (an opportunity of a lifetime), and was turned down with a very kind letter stating that although they liked my work, they wanted to see more growth and training.

At first, I was frustrated — Northwestern University doesn’t offer any sort of undergraduate graphic design program, so whatever growth they were looking for would have to be self taught…

…but as soon as I came to this realization, I became inspired to embark on what became a a three-month long journey to the holy grail — the iOS app that Apple Music deserves.

For me, this was an opportunity to really dig my teeth into UX research and design, an excuse to spend way too much time on Sketch and Principle, a reason to bore everyone around me with my notebook of crudely drawn wireframes 😂…

What you’ll find below is a case study offering potential solutions to address some of Apple Music’s problems, as well as ideas for future development. My process was guided by qualitative user research, Apple’s official Design Principles, and my own designer intuition.

Introduction

As a designer with a background in music composition and performance, I have always been passionate about experiences that marry music and technology. Through design, I hope to one day make the experience of music more accessible and enjoyable.

However, Apple Music has always frustrated me. What was meant to be the service to convert everyone in the world to streaming is going through puberty — a phrase which here means steadily maturing yet unattractive compared to the adults in the game (aka Spotify).

To better understand Apple Music, I took a trip down memory lane and revisited its inception. Plagued with a notoriously confusing interface and a half-baked visual identity, Apple Music’s first identity was the culprit of many headaches.

Thank you, Lana Del Rey and Wayback Machine

With iOS10, Apple released a much-needed update based on the principles of Complexion Reduction.

Peep that incredible Pentatonix artwork by my dear friend and mentor Annie Stoll

While this new interface was much easier to navigate, I still felt that there was room for improvement. Despite its simplified color palette and enlarged typography, the interface felt cluttered and even claustrophobic — a far cry from Apple’s usual elegance.

I approached my redesign in three steps, while conducting research throughout:

Core Experience

Brand Identity

Visual Interface

1. Core Experience: Music Discovery

One of the first things that I found out was that users of streaming services generally fell somewhere on the following spectrum:

Tag yourself; I’m the ambiguous greige area

Hoarders:

Have a large library that they add to from time to time

Are more selective about what they listen to

Nomads:

Rely on playlists/curated content

Are probably already using Spotify

Apple Music sits at the Hoarder side of the spectrum. Open an Apple Music playlist and you’ll probably find this in the description:

If you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Treating playlists as tools to discover new music is an approach that makes sense given Apple Music’s pastlife as iTunes. However, the way that playlists are currently implemented feels very tacked on. I found that users weren’t comfortable with adding entire playlists to their personal libraries, especially if said playlists were constantly updating.

If Apple Music wants to expand to the nomadic side of the spectrum, they have to do it in a way that brings their existing user base along. This means creating a music discovery experience centered on artists and albums instead of playlists. Enter… My Sampler

My Sampler

My Sampler is a new experience made to bridge the gap between Hoarders and Nomads, replacing the current “New Music Mix.” It was born out of the understanding that users who are picky about what goes into their library would also be more reluctant to sit through an entire playlist full of new music. A better experience would be presenting snippets — or samples — of curations that gives the user just enough information to decide whether or not to add it into their library and weekly playlist.

Upon entering the Sampler, the user is presented with a series of artist headshots that correspond to a curated song. The user can tap and hold to preview 15 seconds of each song, before swiping up to reject the song or swiping down to add the song to their library.

Music for the Tinder generation

I chose to use gestural interaction so that users can use the Sampler even if they’re not looking at the screen. Once the user has finished sampling, their selections are used to create a New Music Mix that the user can listen to.

The mechanics behind this experience was inspired by the following quote captured in an interview:

“Apple is underestimating the power of gamification.”— UX designer and Apple Music user I interviewed in LA

I have come to understand that, through a gamified experience, the user is able to establish an immediate connection to the music they discover. In addition, the Sampler has the potential to provide Apple Music a constant stream of information regarding listener preferences, allowing the app to evolve and grow with the user.

2. Brand Identity

During my internship at Sony Music, I learned that a brand’s visual presence in a streaming service must be recognizable yet invisible at the same time. Spotify does this very well in their use of halftone photography and “Bursts” in their playlist album artwork.

In comparison, Apple Music’s visual branding has right now is kind of all over the place:

There’s a mix of symbols, 3D typography, and black & white photography.

In addition, there are collage-themed covers that don’t really communicate anything about the mood/feel of the playlist.

…

The main issue seems to be Apple Music throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, instead of really developing a consistent visual language that signifies Apple’s presence in the app amongst a sea of album artwork.

My solution was built on the following principle:

Album Artwork should be treated as part of the UI, and not a stand-alone visual component.

Artist Spotlight Artwork:

Inspired by Apple Music’s Welcome Screen, I chose to showcase artist headshots within a circular motif. The circle shape was inspired by the iPod clickwheel — an iconic part of Apple’s music legacy. The “face inside a circle” motif is also seen other aspects of iOS, most notably Contacts.

In addition, I chose San Francisco so that the Artist Spotlight artwork would harmonize with the UI. Lastly, I limited the color palette to different shades/tones of blue, violet, and red to reflect the Apple Music Icon.

Artist Spotlights

Curated Playlist Artwork:

For Curated Playlists, I wanted the look to be consistent with Artist Spotlights while showcasing an aspect of the playlist’s mood/vibe through use of color. More vibrant images are displayed against a backdrop of the same image with a gaussian blur filter (inspired by iOS’s background blurs). For certain covers, I also added a subtle gradient of Apple Music’s signature red to add a sense of dimension.

Curated Playlists

Core Playlist Artwork:

Finally, I updated the centered graphics for some of the core playlists with the same typography used for the Artist Spotlights and Curations.

Core Playlists

I think this new branding scheme harmonizes well with the rest of the UI, and am curious to see if this circular motif could also be somehow animated upon user input…

3. Visual Interface

General Improvements

The chief complaint I heard about the current interface was that it felt too sterile and lacked an element of delight. To begin resolving this, I optimized white space through subtle app-wide adjustments as demonstrated below:

Above: shameless advertising for EXID

Library

I didn’t think major alterations to the Library tab were necessary, so I limited the changes to the standard white space and typesize adjustments. I removed Downloaded Music as a default menu option because I think the app should self-adjust what music the user is able to access based on the availability of LTE/WiFi.

Below are some subtle animation details (present in all tabs) I added to make the app feel less sterile.

The round corners of the app already make it look bouncy, why not make it feel bouncy as well?

For You

“For You” is the beating heart of Apple Music. It’s where Apple Music gets to flex how much it knows about the user by curating playlists and albums based on what the user has “Loved.”

I received a ton of feedback on how random the current “For You” felt, so for my redesign I aimed to reduce the amount of content thrown at the user while increasing the relevance of whatever’s left… like Facebook and Instagram’s “Top Posts.”

The redesigned “For You” begins with “My Sampler” in lieu of the current “My Favorites Mix” and “My New Music Mix”. “Recently Played” is kept intact, as users found it to be quite useful.

Scrolling down, you’ll find that I’ve changed the “Insert Day of the Week Here — Playlists” to a specific Mood that will adjust based on location, time, and recent social media activity.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if, immediately after checking into a café on Facebook, Apple Music updates this Mood section to Focus/Study playlists?If we’re sharing our entire lives on social media anyway, might as well get something out of it, you feel?

Below that is the Daily Stream, an example of how exclusive video content can be pushed to the user based on their preferences. For example, I really like Katy Perry, so if a Katy Perry episode of Carpool Karaoke is released, the Call-To-Action can be changed to place the emphasis on Katy’s appearance.

This hasn’t technically been released yet but please let this be true.

Afterwards, you’ll find the classic Artist Spotlights, which I kept in this demo to show how the new visual branding schemes works in harmony with the rest of the UI.

And last but not least, users get a preview of their most-loved/played genres so that they have quick access to more music if nothing in the For You feed was able to pique their interest.

I couldn’t think of a good instrument for Pop, hence the bubble gumBut whatever happened to Connect?

Good question. Truth is, I didn’t see any data from my research that would justify keeping the Connect feed in the app as is. Users were more interested in connecting with friends and family through music (a la Spotify) instead of with artists through a watered-down Twitter.

I think Apple should focus on integrating existing social media with Apple Music instead of trying to push yet another one on its already overburdened consumers.

Image credit to Paramount Pictures/Mean Girls

Browse

The majority of feedback I received regarding the current Browse screen was that it felt too sterile and uninviting. Some users also expressed confusion regarding the differences between “For You” and “Browse.”

My solution was to redesign the Feature Slides in the style of Apple’s Website — Jumbo slides that fill the viewport width, with a horizontal indicator of where the user is in the slideshow. I believe this change makes Featured content feel more inviting and less intrusive/random.

I also merged the Radio menu into the existing Browse menu.

This conveniently makes room for the Watch tab…

Watch

Earlier this year, Apple confirmed that Apple Music was expanding into video streaming content in an effort to turn Apple Music into a pop-culture central. I was curious how this will play out especially in the context of the mobile app, so I created a separate tab specifically for browsing exclusive video content and music videos.

An added bonus of dedicating a tab to Video is that “Browse” can be reserved exclusively for audio content.

There will eventually be enough content to justify a dedicated tab, but for now I based my design decisions on leaked information as well as Apple Music’s existing visual language.

Search

The main problem with how Apple Music handles search right now is that it is based on a mode system: where you can either search in Apple Music or your library — but not both.

Two years into using this app, I still find myself getting frustrated at being in the wrong mode, especially since the Library mode handles keywords differently:

This is especially annoying because there’s a high potential for input error, especially if the user is looking up a new song or artist not yet in their library.

My solution was to merge the two modes into one general “search” that displays results from the user’s library first, followed by anything else that is available on Apple Music.

Is it obvious that I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga?

Support for fuzzy keywords should extend to the user’s Library content. It will also be interesting to see if results for keywords relating to moods or activities can be implemented in the future.

Now Playing

I like what Apple has done with the Now Playing screen, and didn’t think any major adjustments were necessary. I decided to keep most of the visual interface as is. However, I thought a great way to build upon the existing experience would be to incorporate some simple gesture interactions.

To many users, myself included, the necessity of “training” Apple Music through the “Love” and “Dislike” commands was unclear. This can be partially attributed to be how well said commands are hidden; the process of “loving” a song on mobile requires users to open a separate menu — a tedious process that trivializes its impact.

“If they’re hidden so well, that must mean they’re not meant to be found, right?”

My solution was to implement a gesture that most users are already familiar with — the double tap — into the Now Playing experience. I observed that many users tried to press the “floating” album art in the present release (it just looks so delightful)…why not add a response?

Music for the Instagram generation

In addition, I added sneak peeks of adjacent tracks that users can skip to through a horizontal swipe. I believe this will grant users more control over their listening experience in an intuitive way.

Swipe right to party.

What’s Next?

Looking back at the initial scribbles I made on my notebook during my initial brainstorming sessions, I’m happily surprised at the amount of progress I was able to make in three months.

Going into this process, I had no working knowledge of Principle and could barely edit blend modes in Sketch. Now…to be honest, I still consider myself a novice in said prototyping apps, but hey, I was able to make something happen — and that’s the best I could have hoped for.

I don’t expect the good folks at Apple Music to take anything from this case study. In fact, I might actually have a heart attack if anyone working on Apple Music stumbles upon this article… but if you’re out there, I hope my work was able to give you some ideas and spark some conversations!

Through this project, I have come to understand the value of my theatre background in relation to UX design — experience designers and theatre artists are alike in their shared understanding of human empathy. Take that, literally everyone who rolls their eyes at my resume!

Soon, I will be embarking on my next great adventure: BFA Graphic Design at Rhode Island School of Design. Although it feels strange to say goodbye to this process (and to Northwestern University), I sincerely hope that this is just the beginning of a career in experience design… a career of changing the world through empathy.

DRUPAL WEB DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS

Drupal is one of the most popular open source web design platforms that have a built-in Content Management System (CMS). It’s chosen by many businesses thanks to its powerful tools and functional platform. It’s a favorable choice out of the other open source technologies because of its user efficiency, meaning you don’t have to be equipped with technical skills in order to actually design the solution how you want. Other features include high website performance due to its built-in caching and scalability (it can be used on multiple servers). It also features easy integration with 3rd party applications, it's search engine friendly, it has supreme security functionality, it provides commercial support through training and education, and it allows management of content by the end user (i.e. you).

Primarily used as a back- end system, Drupal supports a range of website types from personal blogs to government informational sites, and it is built on a PHP language which provides the main database through MySQL. Â

As mentioned previously you don’t have to be of a technical background to be able to use Drupal effectively, although if you haven’t got the time to go through the development process, it might be worth enlisting the help of an expert who has experience in Drupal web design solutions. These experts will be able to support you from the start to the end of the project leaving you stress and hassle free.

Okay, so you’ve established your online presence, and your website is up and running, so what happens next?

DIGITAL MARKETING

Another thing to consider once your website is fully functioning is online marketing techniques, commonly known as Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing uses different techniques to build brand awareness through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Content marketing and also Email and Newsletter marketing. Using these methods you can shout about your business and build a bigger customer outreach so that people know that your organization exists.

With regular website maintenance, and online marketing you can truly allow all that design and development work to truly flourish.

Nowadays, We can see a lot of website on the internet have used clean typography and nice effects. This is really a beautiful trend in web designing. It makes the design cleaner and easy to readable. It allows the site visitor to stay more time on the website. To create such hover effects, There are many different ways and techniques can be used to create nice looking effects. You can use CSS, Javascript or Jquery to developed modern effects. But, the best and easy way to create is usually CSS, and especially the additions of CSS3 make them handy. These effects can be applied on Images, buttons, logos and as well as on links.

However, there are certain things that a client needs to work on, for getting clarity of the exact requirements of web designing. This involves creation of a sitemap by the client. A sitemap is like a rough estimate of the pages and links that are to be included in the website. This can be better understood with the reference of a company's website, which includes different pages like- company's profile, products and services offered, contact us page etc. The client can create a brief of company's background including the pictures of company, its products etc. In order to have a better understanding of your preferences and for the website designer to know your taste, creating a list of sites that you like is of utmost importance.

• Professionalism- Another important factor to be considered while choosing a website designer is his professional attitude. He should be able to stand to his commitments and must deliver the project timely. Delay in work is not a good sign!

• Affordability- The cost involved in the process of website designing should be in accordance with the standard and fair prices set for this task. It's a long term investment, so spend wisely!

We hope the above information helps you in future projects.

If you're thinking about having a website built, it's important for you to have a clear idea of the process before you begin. Your website could be a profitable business venture for you, but only if you've really done your research ahead of time. Many people begin investing in their new websites before they've really thought out each step and end up wasting money on sites that never see fruition. However, with some simple planning and research, you can set yourself on the right track toward developing a successful website. Here are seven tips for web design and promotion to get you started.

1. Survey the Market and Research Your Competitors

Before you get ahead of yourself and begin hiring a web designer, take some time to survey the market and research your competitors. Look at what other types of websites are out there and see if anyone is doing something similar to your plan. Consider how many people are running similar websites, as well as how professional their websites look. This will help you to determine whether or not it's worth setting up your own site, before you've invested too much in it.

To help ensure the success of your website, you should begin finding a niche market that you can target. You may be tempted to attract any and all customers that you can but you'll actually have greater success targeting a very specific demographic. Think extensively about who your potential audience members are and what they would be most interested in. Then, you can begin to develop your website around these ideas.

2. Brainstorm Design Ideas and Figure Out What You Like

Once you've thought a little more about your site's purpose, you should now think about your ideas for the design. You'll need to consider the best way to present your message or to feature your products to audience members. Keep in mind that people tend to skim websites looking for something interesting or eye-catching, so make sure that the most important elements of your site are featured prominently.

7. Allow Time and Money for Search Engine Optimisation

Google AdWords is a great way to help you get started but it's also important to use search engine optimisation, or SEO, to build organic traffic to your site. While AdWords will automatically place you at the top of search engine rankings with an advert you will have to continue doing that for ever. SEO can help you get to the first page of rankings naturally and eventually you will receive lots of traffic for free. This is important to increasing your traffic and building your site's legitimacy and authority on your subject.

Be sure to budget the time and money for SEO. It's not cheap and it can take 6-12 months to get your page to the first page of rankings for a number of keywords but it will generate a great amount of free traffic when you get there. It may cost about £300-£600 per month but SEO is truly the best way to start bringing in consistent traffic. Over time, your SEO efforts can help you build a reliable customer base and increase your sales. You're website will now be a true competitor in your niche market and well on it's way to success.

In this digital world of the internet, mobiles, laptops, computers and tablets, online presence has become very important. If you want to grow your business, you need to promote it. Using social media platforms to get the attention is just one step towards your goal.

To be honest, we cannot deny the fact that we don't trust an organization if it doesn't have a website of its own. What is the first thing that we do when we want to know more about a specific company? We browse about it on the internet. Don't we?

A website is the mirror image of your company's status and reputation, it is a place where everything is in one place, sorted and organized.

How to create a website?  Follow these steps to create your own website.

Domain name  · The first step is creating your unique domain name.

· A domain name appears like "xyz.com" and you need to visit a registrar to pay for the name you chose.

· They are easy for people to register in their brains.

· Others like Yahoo, Firefox and Bing are also some great options.

· These search engines are absolutely free and therefore the task of promoting your website becomes very easy.

· Other ways to get your site noticed are conventional methods like word of mouth, newspapers, cold calling etc.

Doughty wondered if this "parquetting of jis", this "gypsum fretwork... all adorning and unenclosed" originated from India. However, the Najd fretwork seems very different from that seen in the Eastern Province and Oman, which are linked to Indian traditions, and rather resembles the motifs and patterns found in ancient Mesopotamia. The rosette, the star, the triangle and the stepped pinnacle pattern of dadoes are all ancient patterns, and can be found all over the Middle East of antiquity. Al-Qassim Province seems to be the home of this art, and there it is normally worked in hard white plaster (though what you see is usually begrimed by the smoke of the coffee hearth). In Riyadh, examples can be seen in unadorned clay.

Google recommends responsive design for smartphone websites over other approaches.[33] Although many publishers are starting to implement responsive designs, one ongoing challenge for RWD is that some banner advertisements and videos are not fluid.[34] However, search advertising and (banner) display advertising support specific device platform targeting and different advertisement size formats for desktop, smartphone, and basic mobile devices. Different landing page URLs can be used for different platforms,[35] or Ajax can be used to display different advertisement variants on a page.[23][27][36] CSS tables permit hybrid fixed+fluid layouts.[37] There are now many ways of validating and testing RWD designs,[38] ranging from mobile site validators and mobile emulators[39] to simultaneous testing tools like Adobe Edge Inspect.[40] The Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers and the Chrome console offer responsive design viewport resizing tools, as do third parties.[41][42] Use cases of RWD will now expand further with increased mobile usage; according to Statista, organic search engine visits in the US coming from mobile devices has hit 51% and are increasing.[43] The first site to feature a layout that adapts to browser viewport width was Audi.com launched in late 2001,[44] created by a team at razorfish consisting of Jürgen Spangl and Jim Kalbach (information architecture), Ken Olling (design), and Jan Hoffmann (interface development). Limited browser capabilities meant that for Internet Explorer, the layout could adapt dynamically in the browser whereas for Netscape, the page had to be reloaded from the server when resized. Cameron Adams created a demonstration in 2004 that is still online.[45] By 2008, a number of related terms such as "flexible", "liquid",[46] "fluid", and "elastic" were being used to describe layouts. CSS3 media queries were almost ready for prime time in late 2008/early 2009.[47] Ethan Marcotte coined the term responsive web design[48] (RWD)—and defined it to mean fluid grid/ flexible images/ media queries—in a May 2010 article in A List Apart.[2] He described the theory and practice of responsive web design in his brief 2011 book titled Responsive Web Design. Responsive design was listed as #2 in Top Web Design Trends for 2012 by .net magazine[49] after progressive enhancement at #1. Mashable called 2013 the Year of Responsive Web Design.[50] Many other sources have recommended responsive design as a cost-effective alternative to mobile applications. 

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Call them for Best offers India and International.

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Contact Details

404, B-70, Nitin Shanti Nagar Building,

Sector-1, Near Mira Road Station, 

Opp. TMT Bus Stop, 

Thane – 401107

NGO Website Designing 

Troika Tech Services

WordPress Development Company in Mumbai

[mumbaipunetaxiservices-blog]

Artist Website Development

Artist  Website Development

I’d like to preface this case study by stating that my intentions behind redesigning Apple Music were in no way driven by indignation or spite.

Earlier this year I applied and interviewed for a graphic design internship at Apple Music (an opportunity of a lifetime), and was turned down with a very kind letter stating that although they liked my work, they wanted to see more growth and training.

At first, I was frustrated — Northwestern University doesn’t offer any sort of undergraduate graphic design program, so whatever growth they were looking for would have to be self taught…

…but as soon as I came to this realization, I became inspired to embark on what became a a three-month long journey to the holy grail — the iOS app that Apple Music deserves.

For me, this was an opportunity to really dig my teeth into UX research and design, an excuse to spend way too much time on Sketch and Principle, a reason to bore everyone around me with my notebook of crudely drawn wireframes 😂…

What you’ll find below is a case study offering potential solutions to address some of Apple Music’s problems, as well as ideas for future development. My process was guided by qualitative user research, Apple’s official Design Principles, and my own designer intuition.

Introduction

As a designer with a background in music composition and performance, I have always been passionate about experiences that marry music and technology. Through design, I hope to one day make the experience of music more accessible and enjoyable.

However, Apple Music has always frustrated me. What was meant to be the service to convert everyone in the world to streaming is going through puberty — a phrase which here means steadily maturing yet unattractive compared to the adults in the game (aka Spotify).

To better understand Apple Music, I took a trip down memory lane and revisited its inception. Plagued with a notoriously confusing interface and a half-baked visual identity, Apple Music’s first identity was the culprit of many headaches.

Thank you, Lana Del Rey and Wayback Machine

With iOS10, Apple released a much-needed update based on the principles of Complexion Reduction.

Peep that incredible Pentatonix artwork by my dear friend and mentor Annie Stoll

While this new interface was much easier to navigate, I still felt that there was room for improvement. Despite its simplified color palette and enlarged typography, the interface felt cluttered and even claustrophobic — a far cry from Apple’s usual elegance.

I approached my redesign in three steps, while conducting research throughout:

Core Experience

Brand Identity

Visual Interface

1. Core Experience: Music Discovery

One of the first things that I found out was that users of streaming services generally fell somewhere on the following spectrum:

Tag yourself; I’m the ambiguous greige area

Hoarders:

Have a large library that they add to from time to time

Are more selective about what they listen to

Nomads:

Rely on playlists/curated content

Are probably already using Spotify

Apple Music sits at the Hoarder side of the spectrum. Open an Apple Music playlist and you’ll probably find this in the description:

If you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Treating playlists as tools to discover new music is an approach that makes sense given Apple Music’s pastlife as iTunes. However, the way that playlists are currently implemented feels very tacked on. I found that users weren’t comfortable with adding entire playlists to their personal libraries, especially if said playlists were constantly updating.

If Apple Music wants to expand to the nomadic side of the spectrum, they have to do it in a way that brings their existing user base along. This means creating a music discovery experience centered on artists and albums instead of playlists. Enter… My Sampler

My Sampler

My Sampler is a new experience made to bridge the gap between Hoarders and Nomads, replacing the current “New Music Mix.” It was born out of the understanding that users who are picky about what goes into their library would also be more reluctant to sit through an entire playlist full of new music. A better experience would be presenting snippets — or samples — of curations that gives the user just enough information to decide whether or not to add it into their library and weekly playlist.

Upon entering the Sampler, the user is presented with a series of artist headshots that correspond to a curated song. The user can tap and hold to preview 15 seconds of each song, before swiping up to reject the song or swiping down to add the song to their library.

Music for the Tinder generation

I chose to use gestural interaction so that users can use the Sampler even if they’re not looking at the screen. Once the user has finished sampling, their selections are used to create a New Music Mix that the user can listen to.

The mechanics behind this experience was inspired by the following quote captured in an interview:

“Apple is underestimating the power of gamification.”— UX designer and Apple Music user I interviewed in LA

I have come to understand that, through a gamified experience, the user is able to establish an immediate connection to the music they discover. In addition, the Sampler has the potential to provide Apple Music a constant stream of information regarding listener preferences, allowing the app to evolve and grow with the user.

2. Brand Identity

During my internship at Sony Music, I learned that a brand’s visual presence in a streaming service must be recognizable yet invisible at the same time. Spotify does this very well in their use of halftone photography and “Bursts” in their playlist album artwork.

In comparison, Apple Music’s visual branding has right now is kind of all over the place:

There’s a mix of symbols, 3D typography, and black & white photography.

In addition, there are collage-themed covers that don’t really communicate anything about the mood/feel of the playlist.

…

The main issue seems to be Apple Music throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, instead of really developing a consistent visual language that signifies Apple’s presence in the app amongst a sea of album artwork.

My solution was built on the following principle:

Album Artwork should be treated as part of the UI, and not a stand-alone visual component.

Artist Spotlight Artwork:

Inspired by Apple Music’s Welcome Screen, I chose to showcase artist headshots within a circular motif. The circle shape was inspired by the iPod clickwheel — an iconic part of Apple’s music legacy. The “face inside a circle” motif is also seen other aspects of iOS, most notably Contacts.

In addition, I chose San Francisco so that the Artist Spotlight artwork would harmonize with the UI. Lastly, I limited the color palette to different shades/tones of blue, violet, and red to reflect the Apple Music Icon.

Artist Spotlights

Curated Playlist Artwork:

For Curated Playlists, I wanted the look to be consistent with Artist Spotlights while showcasing an aspect of the playlist’s mood/vibe through use of color. More vibrant images are displayed against a backdrop of the same image with a gaussian blur filter (inspired by iOS’s background blurs). For certain covers, I also added a subtle gradient of Apple Music’s signature red to add a sense of dimension.

Curated Playlists

Core Playlist Artwork:

Finally, I updated the centered graphics for some of the core playlists with the same typography used for the Artist Spotlights and Curations.

Core Playlists

I think this new branding scheme harmonizes well with the rest of the UI, and am curious to see if this circular motif could also be somehow animated upon user input…

3. Visual Interface

General Improvements

The chief complaint I heard about the current interface was that it felt too sterile and lacked an element of delight. To begin resolving this, I optimized white space through subtle app-wide adjustments as demonstrated below:

Above: shameless advertising for EXID

Library

I didn’t think major alterations to the Library tab were necessary, so I limited the changes to the standard white space and typesize adjustments. I removed Downloaded Music as a default menu option because I think the app should self-adjust what music the user is able to access based on the availability of LTE/WiFi.

Below are some subtle animation details (present in all tabs) I added to make the app feel less sterile.

The round corners of the app already make it look bouncy, why not make it feel bouncy as well?

For You

“For You” is the beating heart of Apple Music. It’s where Apple Music gets to flex how much it knows about the user by curating playlists and albums based on what the user has “Loved.”

I received a ton of feedback on how random the current “For You” felt, so for my redesign I aimed to reduce the amount of content thrown at the user while increasing the relevance of whatever’s left… like Facebook and Instagram’s “Top Posts.”

The redesigned “For You” begins with “My Sampler” in lieu of the current “My Favorites Mix” and “My New Music Mix”. “Recently Played” is kept intact, as users found it to be quite useful.

Scrolling down, you’ll find that I’ve changed the “Insert Day of the Week Here — Playlists” to a specific Mood that will adjust based on location, time, and recent social media activity.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if, immediately after checking into a café on Facebook, Apple Music updates this Mood section to Focus/Study playlists?If we’re sharing our entire lives on social media anyway, might as well get something out of it, you feel?

Below that is the Daily Stream, an example of how exclusive video content can be pushed to the user based on their preferences. For example, I really like Katy Perry, so if a Katy Perry episode of Carpool Karaoke is released, the Call-To-Action can be changed to place the emphasis on Katy’s appearance.

This hasn’t technically been released yet but please let this be true.

Afterwards, you’ll find the classic Artist Spotlights, which I kept in this demo to show how the new visual branding schemes works in harmony with the rest of the UI.

And last but not least, users get a preview of their most-loved/played genres so that they have quick access to more music if nothing in the For You feed was able to pique their interest.

I couldn’t think of a good instrument for Pop, hence the bubble gumBut whatever happened to Connect?

Good question. Truth is, I didn’t see any data from my research that would justify keeping the Connect feed in the app as is. Users were more interested in connecting with friends and family through music (a la Spotify) instead of with artists through a watered-down Twitter.

I think Apple should focus on integrating existing social media with Apple Music instead of trying to push yet another one on its already overburdened consumers.

Image credit to Paramount Pictures/Mean Girls

Browse

The majority of feedback I received regarding the current Browse screen was that it felt too sterile and uninviting. Some users also expressed confusion regarding the differences between “For You” and “Browse.”

My solution was to redesign the Feature Slides in the style of Apple’s Website — Jumbo slides that fill the viewport width, with a horizontal indicator of where the user is in the slideshow. I believe this change makes Featured content feel more inviting and less intrusive/random.

I also merged the Radio menu into the existing Browse menu.

This conveniently makes room for the Watch tab…

Watch

Earlier this year, Apple confirmed that Apple Music was expanding into video streaming content in an effort to turn Apple Music into a pop-culture central. I was curious how this will play out especially in the context of the mobile app, so I created a separate tab specifically for browsing exclusive video content and music videos.

An added bonus of dedicating a tab to Video is that “Browse” can be reserved exclusively for audio content.

There will eventually be enough content to justify a dedicated tab, but for now I based my design decisions on leaked information as well as Apple Music’s existing visual language.

Search

The main problem with how Apple Music handles search right now is that it is based on a mode system: where you can either search in Apple Music or your library — but not both.

Two years into using this app, I still find myself getting frustrated at being in the wrong mode, especially since the Library mode handles keywords differently:

This is especially annoying because there’s a high potential for input error, especially if the user is looking up a new song or artist not yet in their library.

My solution was to merge the two modes into one general “search” that displays results from the user’s library first, followed by anything else that is available on Apple Music.

Is it obvious that I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga?

Support for fuzzy keywords should extend to the user’s Library content. It will also be interesting to see if results for keywords relating to moods or activities can be implemented in the future.

Now Playing

I like what Apple has done with the Now Playing screen, and didn’t think any major adjustments were necessary. I decided to keep most of the visual interface as is. However, I thought a great way to build upon the existing experience would be to incorporate some simple gesture interactions.

To many users, myself included, the necessity of “training” Apple Music through the “Love” and “Dislike” commands was unclear. This can be partially attributed to be how well said commands are hidden; the process of “loving” a song on mobile requires users to open a separate menu — a tedious process that trivializes its impact.

“If they’re hidden so well, that must mean they’re not meant to be found, right?”

My solution was to implement a gesture that most users are already familiar with — the double tap — into the Now Playing experience. I observed that many users tried to press the “floating” album art in the present release (it just looks so delightful)…why not add a response?

Music for the Instagram generation

In addition, I added sneak peeks of adjacent tracks that users can skip to through a horizontal swipe. I believe this will grant users more control over their listening experience in an intuitive way.

Swipe right to party.

What’s Next?

Looking back at the initial scribbles I made on my notebook during my initial brainstorming sessions, I’m happily surprised at the amount of progress I was able to make in three months.

Going into this process, I had no working knowledge of Principle and could barely edit blend modes in Sketch. Now…to be honest, I still consider myself a novice in said prototyping apps, but hey, I was able to make something happen — and that’s the best I could have hoped for.

I don’t expect the good folks at Apple Music to take anything from this case study. In fact, I might actually have a heart attack if anyone working on Apple Music stumbles upon this article… but if you’re out there, I hope my work was able to give you some ideas and spark some conversations!

Through this project, I have come to understand the value of my theatre background in relation to UX design — experience designers and theatre artists are alike in their shared understanding of human empathy. Take that, literally everyone who rolls their eyes at my resume!

Soon, I will be embarking on my next great adventure: BFA Graphic Design at Rhode Island School of Design. Although it feels strange to say goodbye to this process (and to Northwestern University), I sincerely hope that this is just the beginning of a career in experience design… a career of changing the world through empathy.

DRUPAL WEB DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS

Drupal is one of the most popular open source web design platforms that have a built-in Content Management System (CMS). It’s chosen by many businesses thanks to its powerful tools and functional platform. It’s a favorable choice out of the other open source technologies because of its user efficiency, meaning you don’t have to be equipped with technical skills in order to actually design the solution how you want. Other features include high website performance due to its built-in caching and scalability (it can be used on multiple servers). It also features easy integration with 3rd party applications, it's search engine friendly, it has supreme security functionality, it provides commercial support through training and education, and it allows management of content by the end user (i.e. you).

Primarily used as a back- end system, Drupal supports a range of website types from personal blogs to government informational sites, and it is built on a PHP language which provides the main database through MySQL. Â

As mentioned previously you don’t have to be of a technical background to be able to use Drupal effectively, although if you haven’t got the time to go through the development process, it might be worth enlisting the help of an expert who has experience in Drupal web design solutions. These experts will be able to support you from the start to the end of the project leaving you stress and hassle free.

Okay, so you’ve established your online presence, and your website is up and running, so what happens next?

DIGITAL MARKETING

Another thing to consider once your website is fully functioning is online marketing techniques, commonly known as Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing uses different techniques to build brand awareness through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Content marketing and also Email and Newsletter marketing. Using these methods you can shout about your business and build a bigger customer outreach so that people know that your organization exists.

With regular website maintenance, and online marketing you can truly allow all that design and development work to truly flourish.

Nowadays, We can see a lot of website on the internet have used clean typography and nice effects. This is really a beautiful trend in web designing. It makes the design cleaner and easy to readable. It allows the site visitor to stay more time on the website. To create such hover effects, There are many different ways and techniques can be used to create nice looking effects. You can use CSS, Javascript or Jquery to developed modern effects. But, the best and easy way to create is usually CSS, and especially the additions of CSS3 make them handy. These effects can be applied on Images, buttons, logos and as well as on links.

However, there are certain things that a client needs to work on, for getting clarity of the exact requirements of web designing. This involves creation of a sitemap by the client. A sitemap is like a rough estimate of the pages and links that are to be included in the website. This can be better understood with the reference of a company's website, which includes different pages like- company's profile, products and services offered, contact us page etc. The client can create a brief of company's background including the pictures of company, its products etc. In order to have a better understanding of your preferences and for the website designer to know your taste, creating a list of sites that you like is of utmost importance.

• Professionalism- Another important factor to be considered while choosing a website designer is his professional attitude. He should be able to stand to his commitments and must deliver the project timely. Delay in work is not a good sign!

• Affordability- The cost involved in the process of website designing should be in accordance with the standard and fair prices set for this task. It's a long term investment, so spend wisely!

We hope the above information helps you in future projects.

If you're thinking about having a website built, it's important for you to have a clear idea of the process before you begin. Your website could be a profitable business venture for you, but only if you've really done your research ahead of time. Many people begin investing in their new websites before they've really thought out each step and end up wasting money on sites that never see fruition. However, with some simple planning and research, you can set yourself on the right track toward developing a successful website. Here are seven tips for web design and promotion to get you started.

1. Survey the Market and Research Your Competitors

Before you get ahead of yourself and begin hiring a web designer, take some time to survey the market and research your competitors. Look at what other types of websites are out there and see if anyone is doing something similar to your plan. Consider how many people are running similar websites, as well as how professional their websites look. This will help you to determine whether or not it's worth setting up your own site, before you've invested too much in it.

To help ensure the success of your website, you should begin finding a niche market that you can target. You may be tempted to attract any and all customers that you can but you'll actually have greater success targeting a very specific demographic. Think extensively about who your potential audience members are and what they would be most interested in. Then, you can begin to develop your website around these ideas.

2. Brainstorm Design Ideas and Figure Out What You Like

Once you've thought a little more about your site's purpose, you should now think about your ideas for the design. You'll need to consider the best way to present your message or to feature your products to audience members. Keep in mind that people tend to skim websites looking for something interesting or eye-catching, so make sure that the most important elements of your site are featured prominently.

7. Allow Time and Money for Search Engine Optimisation

Google AdWords is a great way to help you get started but it's also important to use search engine optimisation, or SEO, to build organic traffic to your site. While AdWords will automatically place you at the top of search engine rankings with an advert you will have to continue doing that for ever. SEO can help you get to the first page of rankings naturally and eventually you will receive lots of traffic for free. This is important to increasing your traffic and building your site's legitimacy and authority on your subject.

Be sure to budget the time and money for SEO. It's not cheap and it can take 6-12 months to get your page to the first page of rankings for a number of keywords but it will generate a great amount of free traffic when you get there. It may cost about £300-£600 per month but SEO is truly the best way to start bringing in consistent traffic. Over time, your SEO efforts can help you build a reliable customer base and increase your sales. You're website will now be a true competitor in your niche market and well on it's way to success.

In this digital world of the internet, mobiles, laptops, computers and tablets, online presence has become very important. If you want to grow your business, you need to promote it. Using social media platforms to get the attention is just one step towards your goal.

To be honest, we cannot deny the fact that we don't trust an organization if it doesn't have a website of its own. What is the first thing that we do when we want to know more about a specific company? We browse about it on the internet. Don't we?

A website is the mirror image of your company's status and reputation, it is a place where everything is in one place, sorted and organized.

How to create a website?  Follow these steps to create your own website.

Domain name  · The first step is creating your unique domain name.

· A domain name appears like "xyz.com" and you need to visit a registrar to pay for the name you chose.

· They are easy for people to register in their brains.

· Others like Yahoo, Firefox and Bing are also some great options.

· These search engines are absolutely free and therefore the task of promoting your website becomes very easy.

· Other ways to get your site noticed are conventional methods like word of mouth, newspapers, cold calling etc.

Doughty wondered if this "parquetting of jis", this "gypsum fretwork... all adorning and unenclosed" originated from India. However, the Najd fretwork seems very different from that seen in the Eastern Province and Oman, which are linked to Indian traditions, and rather resembles the motifs and patterns found in ancient Mesopotamia. The rosette, the star, the triangle and the stepped pinnacle pattern of dadoes are all ancient patterns, and can be found all over the Middle East of antiquity. Al-Qassim Province seems to be the home of this art, and there it is normally worked in hard white plaster (though what you see is usually begrimed by the smoke of the coffee hearth). In Riyadh, examples can be seen in unadorned clay.

Google recommends responsive design for smartphone websites over other approaches.[33] Although many publishers are starting to implement responsive designs, one ongoing challenge for RWD is that some banner advertisements and videos are not fluid.[34] However, search advertising and (banner) display advertising support specific device platform targeting and different advertisement size formats for desktop, smartphone, and basic mobile devices. Different landing page URLs can be used for different platforms,[35] or Ajax can be used to display different advertisement variants on a page.[23][27][36] CSS tables permit hybrid fixed+fluid layouts.[37] There are now many ways of validating and testing RWD designs,[38] ranging from mobile site validators and mobile emulators[39] to simultaneous testing tools like Adobe Edge Inspect.[40] The Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers and the Chrome console offer responsive design viewport resizing tools, as do third parties.[41][42] Use cases of RWD will now expand further with increased mobile usage; according to Statista, organic search engine visits in the US coming from mobile devices has hit 51% and are increasing.[43] The first site to feature a layout that adapts to browser viewport width was Audi.com launched in late 2001,[44] created by a team at razorfish consisting of Jürgen Spangl and Jim Kalbach (information architecture), Ken Olling (design), and Jan Hoffmann (interface development). Limited browser capabilities meant that for Internet Explorer, the layout could adapt dynamically in the browser whereas for Netscape, the page had to be reloaded from the server when resized. Cameron Adams created a demonstration in 2004 that is still online.[45] By 2008, a number of related terms such as "flexible", "liquid",[46] "fluid", and "elastic" were being used to describe layouts. CSS3 media queries were almost ready for prime time in late 2008/early 2009.[47] Ethan Marcotte coined the term responsive web design[48] (RWD)—and defined it to mean fluid grid/ flexible images/ media queries—in a May 2010 article in A List Apart.[2] He described the theory and practice of responsive web design in his brief 2011 book titled Responsive Web Design. Responsive design was listed as #2 in Top Web Design Trends for 2012 by .net magazine[49] after progressive enhancement at #1. Mashable called 2013 the Year of Responsive Web Design.[50] Many other sources have recommended responsive design as a cost-effective alternative to mobile applications. 

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