#1. changing the email address connected to my account for literally no reason and without my input

[chrismerle]

I fucking hate CCS Medical. I don't think there is a single person working for the company who gives a single sloppy shit that people are relying on their business to receive their necessary medical supplies.

I had a shipment of insulin pump and CGM supplies due to ship out on Jan. 3. Knowing that, and knowing my insurance was changing with the new year, I called the company in December to ask if I could give them my updated insurance info in advance, to make sure the switch wouldn't cause issues with my upcoming shipment. I did this because the company has fucked up my insurance multiple times already for no goddamn reason and I wanted to try to head that shit off at the pass.

It is the 7th now. I haven't received any notification that my order shipped. So I went online, and for SOME FUCKING REASON the pending order is also no longer on my dashboard on the patient portal, and it isn't listed with past orders. It's just gone. I am willing to put real, actual money on the odds of them having not actually updated my insurance info like they said they would, so they just decided that I no longer have insurance and cancelled my order. Which means now I'm just stuck sitting with my thumbs up my ass until Monday, when I can call and harangue them about my insurance yet again.

[np254]

No, it’s not a click bait. I quit social media and am in rehab.

Let me explain:

What

I deactivated my Instagram account.

I deleted the Facebook app on my phone. I cannot completely deactivate my account, because I am administrating a page (hence the responsibilities). I only access FB from my phone in case of emergencies. Everyday, I check my notifications once or twice from my laptop.

I logged out of Tumblr on my phone and deleted the app. Visits reduced to 2-3 times a week.

The only social-networking app I am still using on a daily basis is Messenger, which is more like a messaging app.

When

From October 13th. Undecided end date.

Why

1. My clean history with social media

I have been socially active all my life and been using my social accounts very consciously for years. Ever since my childhood, my parents have taught me about the importance of moderation when it comes to social media. Even though I have had 2 emails (not one, but two!) for 11 years (and I am 20), my parents have given me guidance on managing these from the very beginning. It was the same with Facebook (which I’ve also been having for about 10 years) – during the first few years, I never went online without parental controls. And for that I was thankful.

Even when I gained full control of my socials, which was about 7 years ago, everything was still going well. Although I have a lot of friends in school and from my social activities, social networks have always been there for its initial purpose – to help me stay in touch with people.

Even when I took charge of my social media accounts, I still used them with caution and consideration. On Facebook, I only connect with people whom I have actually met in real life or whom I have heard about/talked to or with whom I have many mutual friends. My Instagram account has been private from the beginning and I have my own “rules” when accepting new followers. It explains why my social circle is not massive but the interaction rate is remarkable.

At once I could confidently state: “I am a Digital Native, I know my way around social networks”.

2. The addiction

In the beginning it was very subtle. The addiction.

The addiction is young. It started since I went to Germany to study abroad 2 years ago. At the time, I wouldn’t say that it was an addiction. However, it was definitely slight overuse. As I started my “adult life” on my own in a country far away from home, away from any kind of supervision whatsoever, I allowed myself to do whatever I want as long as it’s justifiable.

Somehow I felt the need to update my life online constantly, mainly because: – of the distance. Being so far from each other, I wanted to keep my family informed about my new life – of the time-zone difference. Being online constantly helped me stay informed about family and friends at home. – Germany is beautiful, I had a good life and I wanted to brag about it So I ended up being online a lot. Luckily, I had a group of five girlfriends and we spent a lot of time together cooking, chatting, baking and studying, so I was distracted from my phone and laptop.

After the first year, I moved to Hamburg. Around this time, I started my hobby with analog photography and this blog. I also started my course at the HAW. Here we learned about the importance of our online presence – whether it is necessary and what are the risks. I decided that an online presence is inevitably necessary, since I am a hobby photographer and later on want to work in the media.

I think I did a good job maintaining my online image. I am on every social networks and my profile on each network is carefully though-over and well-drafted. They coexist in harmony with the same username and together they portray different aspects of my personality exactly how I want them to.

It would be nice if I stopped there. But I didn’t.

I craved validation, but my craving was the worst type – I didn’t actually need validation, I just wanted to put myself and my life online, and for that I would feel satisfied enough. The thought that everyone knew how great/not great my life was fed my ego. In my head, I told myself that I am doing a great job sharing with people the often unnoticed moments in life (very noble, I know). Of course, I was ecstatic when someone responded, but that was not the main point.

Now, I will include another factor that played a role. But I also want to disclaim that I do not intend to put all the blame on it. It was only unfortunate that among many other reasons, a long-distance relationship also contributed to the growth of my addiction. Along with my own craving for validation, I had another justified reason to post about every little thing in my life.

From there, everything went downhill. I was online all the time, and I mean the literal  meaning of the phrase. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. The first thing I do every morning was checking my phone for messages from the night, notifications on every social networks, emails, Facebook newsfeed and Instagram feed. This ritual took at least 30 minutes every morning, often an hour. If I didn’t do this, I could not wake up. You can say that my brain delved into new notifications to wake myself up.

Then, during the course of the day, I was online constantly, even when there was nothing more to check. Social networks are programmed to be addictive, to this I agree. Even when I had something to do (e.g. am in a lecture), I would still occasionally pull out my phone, completely unawared, and aimlessly scroll through the feeds. When I had read everything, I would turn to the “Discover” tab, which both Facebook and Instagram have. The vicious cycle went on and on.

Besides from checking the feeds, I also posted content. I trust my taste and my aesthetics, so I invested a lot of time in choosing and editing the photos that I post. A little while ago, I reached the peak of my addiction, where I spent excessive time on content for my Instagram story. I would edit the photos in 1-2 apps then design the layout with beautiful text description in another app. Just to post to a virtual story that will only last for 24 hours. When I was bored, I would write quotes. To have nice hand-writing by smearing your finger on the touch screen is not the most efficient thing to do. I wrote and rewrote until the quotes looked decent and met my aesthetic standards. All that too, served the Instagram story that is only visible for 24 hours.

I agree that there are people who have to do this for the sake of their career. They could be professionals who do this for a living. Considering that I am neither a professional nor  earn any cents from my social accounts, I was wasting so much time for nothing.

A few examples of my “creations” for my Instagram story:

Each of these took about 30 minutes.

The bad thing about the situation was that, I didn’t actually posted a lot on Facebook and Instagram. I only checked the feeds too frequently. Therefore, my addiction went unnoticed for a long time, since nobody, even myself, ever addressed my overuse.

It came to the point where I could not part with my phone or my laptop anymore. I would switch between my phone and laptop. Either one of them was always on, sometimes both. I would even check my phone while my laptop was booting or loading something. From time to time, I found myself in distress because I could never finish the book that I found interesting, or invest time in self-improvement as I did a year ago. Despite my distress, I never succeeded in cutting down my online time to spend time on other things. I just couldn’t.

3. The breakpoint

A month ago, something that happened had shaken me awake and rewired my way of thinking. My apologies for not explaining what this “something” was, for it is a personal matter.

I realised that I would waste my entire future if I didn’t make a change. I felt my mental capabilities deteriorated. I saw that I was not missing out on the virtual world, rather the actual world.

I did not want to live my life anymore, and I was the one who caused it all. 

I have thought about seeking help, but I figured, maybe I could still cure myself, as long as there is a strong self-discipline. With this mindset, I started out on my personal rehab. It is still happening. If it goes wrong, here you can read in black and white, i promise that I will seek professional help.

How’s it been? What have I learned?

It has been difficult, of course.

Like every other addiction, the cravings are unbearable. It’s especially hard when I check my socials in the morning or before I go to bed. If I lose control, I can scroll on forever.

The most noticeable thing are random moments. Sometimes when I find something funny, or an interesting thought passes my mind, I feel a very strong urge to post something onto my Instagram story. Other times, I would open the “Social Networking” app folder on my phone, where I have remembered the positions of every app, and tapped intuitively, only to choose the wrong one (because I deleted some).

From this experience, I learn that the nice moments in life should be enjoyed in person. Even when there is no friend around to share with. I learn to find joy in them. Getting used to not instantaneously share everything online is hard, often times I find myself reaching for my phone, then put it away, then look around to find a familiar face, then look up to the sky and smile to myself. As if there is a sacred secret between me and an unknown Significant Power.

Solitude and happiness may seem like they will never go together, but happiness is actually in its purest form when you can share it with yourself and the universe. The happiness you feel is a whole, and you feel it with your entire heart and attention. Most often, we try to share our happiness, forgetting that it should be felt by us first, before it can be shared with others. Otherwise, the happiness would lose its purpose: to fulfil one’s soul.

Another thing I’ve learned, is that I do not need to prove my emotions.  Honestly, people do not give much attention to what they see online, because the flow of information is endless, so they jump from this to that, quickly forgetting what they have seen. No one has noticed that I stopped using Instagram, even though I had been posting actively. As my account is deactivated, you can’t find me or tag me. From this I learn that life is not a stage and you don’t need an audience. Nobody will judge you if you are not happy, and the fact that you are happy and you show it does not do anything for anyone else, if they don’t truly care about you.

And people who care will go out of their way to make sure that you are fine. Even if you do not post anything on social networks, they will try to reach you. Such a short and simple message like “Hey, how are you doing? Haven’t heard from you in a while.” can light up my day brighter than 50 likes on a pic on Instagram.

Do I feel FOMO?

“Fear of missing out” has become a chronic disease. Funnily, I felt like I have always been having FOMO ever since I started using social media. No matter how often I check my feeds, I would still miss out on something.

To me, it doesn’t make any significance when I stop using social media in comparison to when I still used them in terms of FOMO. It’s not like I have stopped informing myself about the world. Quite the opposite, I read the newspaper regularly to know what is going on in real life.

The only problem that I currently still can’t solve is that I do not know what my friends abroad are doing. I have very good friends from school, with whom I do not talk very often but like to keep up with them via their social media accounts. Now that I am going completely sans Instagram, I don’t have a clue how they are doing, and simply hitting them up via Messenger just to ask if they are fine seems awkward and weird.

So far, this is my experience from one week with massively restricted social media usage.  The struggle and the journey continue…

Deep down I wish that something good will come out of this.

I quit social media

[armsinthewronghands]

Complete Text of the ‘Destroy’ Post

Screenshot of this is often trotted out as “evidence” I have a secret harassment group.

..also note anyone named in the comments should be able to confirm to the public the transcripts match the private post and anyone can ask to be added to the circles and read the originals.

Zak Sabbath Shared privately Aug 10, 2014  Destroy. Gender-inclusive language in D&D 5e raises roleplaying questions Gender-inclusive language in D&D 5e raises roleplaying questions metafilter.com 5 plus ones 5 38 comments 38 no shares Shared privately•View activity Hide 32 comments Onno Tasler's profile photo Onno Tasler +2 If that "evil consultant" campaign is going on much longer I'll buy a version of D&D 5 just to spite those responsible. Aug 10, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath +12 Buy Red & Pleasant Land--it'll be out soon, and I get a cut. Aug 10, 2014 Kasimir Urbanski's profile photo Kasimir Urbanski +2 You may want to consider Arrows of Indra, it's a great old-school game set in a carefully-researched interpretation of the Epic India of the Mahabharata. It's also transgender-inclusive. Hide this comment Aug 10, 2014 Kasimir Urbanski's profile photo Kasimir Urbanski +5 Yes you can! There are Vimana in the magic items section. One thing to note is that there are different ages, with vast periods of time between them, in the Mythic India chronology.  The Mahabharata is taking place in the last part of the Epic age, you could say.  As time goes by, the gods end up being less and less direct in their actions in the world, and magic becomes more and more rare.

In the time of the Avatara Shiva, there were entire flying cities ruled by demon lords.  Supernatural beings were everywhere and humans were largely subject to their whims; magic was almost ubiquitous. In the time of the Avatara Rama, much later, there were still some demon kingdoms but no more flying cities (Shiva shot them all to hell, sometimes literally), but Epic Superweapons and flying chariots were still what you could call semi-rare at least.  Some humans might live out their lives without encountering a supernatural being, if they lived in the core areas of the human kingdoms; magic was still very common but not on the same grandiose scale. The "present" of the Arrows of Indra setting is even far later than that, when the Avatara Krishna is just starting out, and it's mortal heroes more than immortal gods and monsters that are the chief movers and shakers of the world. Kingdoms, good, bad, corrupt, noble and everything in between are ruled mainly by men.  Kingdoms of monsters and demons and monkey-people and gold-skinned dwarves still exist only in very remote borderlands (that really only adventurers would be likely to get to).  Magic was used by wizards and holy men but only the very greatest heroes could hope (after a long career, great deeds, and shitloads of XP) to obtain a truly epic Celestial Weapon or gain some amazing artifact.

So yeah, the setting has vimana, but you have to work for it.

That's why I chose this era, besides the fact that you have the ruins of the earlier eras scattered around in the wilderlands of the setting, it's also this era that most suits the whole zero-to-hero path of the D&D system. Hide this comment Aug 10, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis +2 "Until they show a connection to FATAL or Racial Holy War it's not the darkest parts of the RPG community." posted by squinty at 11:48 PM on August 9

and so on.  This seems like a pretty reasonable group of people responding reasonably.  They sniff out bullshit, request evidence, and the entire tone is without excess bile. Aug 10, 2014 Richard G's profile photo Richard G "and then you dig a bit and it's vapour"

The fundamental problem here as I see it is that many commenters seem to have free-floating opinion receptors, ready to grab onto any opinion that floats by and repeat it, regardless of any actual information that also floats by.

The information is less digestible. You have to read and understand it. The opinions, OTOH, are made of nothing but hooks. Aug 10, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S +2 I flagged it. It's a stupid post for MetaFilter. People in the comments seem to be pointing out as much. You could try and email the mods yourself, since it effects you. I posted some links as well, but it seems like other people have done that already. Aug 10, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S And yeah, in general I think MetaFilter is less likely to fall for straight up horse shit. Aug 10, 2014 Greg Backus's profile photo Greg Backus I can work on this one too cuz them's my digs Aug 10, 2014 Wayne Rossi's profile photo Wayne Rossi I did several D&D posts on Metafilter and am already in that thread. It's a community I've been a part of for a decade. At most 1 person seems to be buying the Fail Forward bs on the comments. Aug 10, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S Weird there are so many MeFi users here. (I am chunking express.) Aug 10, 2014 Greg Backus's profile photo Greg Backus <- Golem XIV Aug 10, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis man, this is an entertaining read the more it goes on. Aug 10, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath +1 it doesn't entertain me. Someone should link to this: https://www.seebs.net/log/articles/791/ it's a new article by Seebs explaining EXACTLY where all this bs originated Aug 10, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis i mean only this specific thread you've linked above because it's like 80% people being responsible and asking for proof and facts instead of opinions. Aug 10, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath yeahNo, Not entertained. Not at all. Don't see why people are even spending a second putting up with the bullshit claims there. Aug 10, 2014 Anthony Holtberg's profile photo Anthony Holtberg Hm. All I see is a person who is vocal being bullied on the basis that some people don't like him and don't think anyone else should.

Dragging it into the professional arena is where this all goes awry. I'm terribly sorry this had to happen, +Zak Smith, especially at a time when things are hard enough.

I've had much the same done to me, and I do sympathize. People who work to do things a different way that makes them happy make others uncomfortable. 'Burn the heretic' and all that.

Again, I'm just sorry this sort of thing goes on. Aug 10, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath The shit being posted now is PURE didn't read the links . I didn't call out the James De people because they said he said "rape is awesome" I called them out because they said he threatened to rap ehis critics that's in links posted right there. And someone ask Shawn struck why I;m not in jail Aug 10, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis yeah it's gotten totally bullshit as the day has gone on. Aug 10, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath OH MY GOD IT'S STILl GOING ON. And Vecna is posting a bunch of debunked stuff. Aug 11, 2014 Wayne Rossi's profile photo Wayne Rossi +Zak Smith Metafilter threads stay open for a month and generally taper off after a day or two. Not sure what the deal is with this Vecna (not a real Metafilter user) or the "Dongion". Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S Yeah they joined yesterday, so probably someone emotionally invested enough in calling you a terrible person to spend $5 on the endeavour.  Aug 11, 2014 Kasimir Urbanski This comment is hidden because you've blocked the commenter. View the comment Aug 11, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis jesus fuck that guy has a hateboner the size of Albany at this point. Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S If it makes you feel any better people seem to be realizing this is mostly just axe grinding drama. Though the post is still up. I guess it didn't get enough flags. I still think you should email the mods. Aug 11, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath +Ramanan S Me? Aren't I like the very last person they'd listen to? If not, d;you have the email address? Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S +Zak Smith They might listen if you don't call them morons! I know you can do it if you try. I think it's worth a shot. I mean, the thread itself has links debunking that particular article.

You can use the contact form here: https://www.metafilter.com/contact/

(FYI: If it's deleted it'll still exist as a thread, but it wont't be indexed by google anymore and it's not linked from the site anymore. Like so: https://www.metafilter.com/88123/Get-motivated-by-every-movie) Aug 11, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath last time i called someone a moron for RTing that it worked. However--invective-free email sent. Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S God speed! Aug 11, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath in reverse order:

Oh, the whole thread? No, that's not something we're going to do, sorry.

On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 2:32 PM, zak smith I'm sorry, a member told me different.

(And people have already posted that link, which I can only assume you didn't read because it's long.)

The member said:

" FYI: If it's deleted it'll still exist as a thread, but it wont't be indexed by google anymore and it's not linked from the site anymore. Like so: https://www.metafilter.com/88123/Get-motivated-by-every-movie) " I don't know your policy. all I know is right now you're hosting something that is….

…well if I was running a site I'd be troubled by hosting it.

If you check the link I sent you might get a glimpse of the scale of how messed up it is and on how many counts. But I'm not the boss of you.

-zak

Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:28:40 -0700 Subject: Re: [MeFi Contact] The D&D Gender article

Hey there, you're welcome to make an account and link that post in the thread for discussion - we don't change or delete links after the fact (the discussion is about the link, so removing the link just confuses everyone.)

On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 2:24 PM,

Hi, this is Zak S. A member suggested I contact you about this article: http://www.metafilter.com/141806/Gender-inclusive-language-in-DandD-5e-raises-roleplaying-questions Basically, the first link there is a libelous unsourced hatchet job by a bunch of Something Awful trolls with a grudge. It's been so thoroughly debunked that even the people defending it at the bottom of the page have moved the goalposts from "Zak is a transphobic gatekeeper" to "Zak has fights with people online and that's unprofessional".

This has links to EXTENSIVE documentation of all the mistakes and inaccuracies in the article: http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2014/08/how-dungeons-and-dragons-is-totally-not.html

I suggest you take it down.

-Zak Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S Ah that sucks. At least you have more examples of random peoples calling this out as dumb, but I guess that doesn't actually make you feel better. Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S HELLO VECNA!

https://www.metafilter.com/141806/Gender-inclusive-language-in-DandD-5e-raises-roleplaying-questions#5679845 Aug 11, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath Jay Vee is likely Vecna. Aug 11, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis Jay Vee is definitely Vecna.

he just posted those same pictures at me. Aug 11, 2014 Zak Sabbath's profile photo Zak Sabbath +1 i'm really glad whoever is spying on me and taking these snapshots did it--since it proves my innocence Aug 11, 2014 Ramanan S's profile photo Ramanan S Yeah, just searching for those links only turns up posts from him. Aug 11, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis and he just tagged me into some bullshit elsewhere trying to quote me out of context within this thread.

reported, blocked. Aug 11, 2014 A. Miles Davis's profile photo A. Miles Davis oh, and it's https://plus.google.com/u/0/114989648662861338239/posts/5cqVsfEhwTn

[livitoninternetsafety-blog]

Internet Safety: How to make use of your device securely

There are a lot of threats in our social lives not just in realm of the real world but also in the new ways of socializing in this new era of century; the use Social Media Apps, or what others call the Social Networking Sites (SNS).  There are three most common threat that you can encounter on using the Internet or SNS: First, and the most common and that usually happens, Password Hacking. Password hackers are the people who hacks your password through password generator using your profile details such as birthdays, address, and even your phone numbers. Second, in connection to the Password hacking, is Phishing. The word Phishing literally means just like what is sounds. According to the website of phishing.org, their targets are contacted with email, text messages or posing as a legitimate institution to lure the people and give them necessary details such as credit cards and password details.  Third, last but not the least threat you could encounter on the Internet is Malwares. The Malwares is the short term for Malicious Wares as stated in the website of forcepoint.com. A Malware according to forcepoint.com are a collective name for a number of Malicious software variants that includes spyware, viruses, ransomware and etc. This could really affect your device, and could be a reason for a lot of bloatware apps or files in your device's storage. So, what are my 8 tips to stay safe on using the Internet for a safety and more securely browsing? 1. Use a third party app or software anti-virus. why use a third party app subscription? Well, your device (laptop, phones, tablet, PC) has a built-in software especially in laptops which they call the Windows defender. But, having the pre-installed one can't really protect you, and subscribing to a new one to double the layer of security does not sound bad at all. 2. Use VPN when browsing the internet VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, this will help you to conceal your IP Address and some important details about  you when you are browsing online. It's like going into incognito mode but a lot deeper. There are a lot of third party apps that offers pre-installed VPN such as Opera Browser. 3. Use a password generator Well, in this one we need to use a password generator for good. Because, you need to have a different passwords for different accounts. Never use the same password on all of your social media apps. 4. Use a third party app, Ad blocker. Well, as I have said earlier, there are a lot of browsers with built in tools. And I'll recommend the Opera Browser for that, because they have a lot of tools such as VPN, and an Ad blocker too. Advertisements that pops out of the windows sometimes might cause harm and can become the reason for  bloatwares on your device. 5. Make Logging out a habit. well, we tend to forget that there's a log out button on our social networking sites because we use our SNS accounts on our personal device and we don't bother to log it out. But what if you have the urge to use or rent a Public Device? well, goodluck. I hope you make a habit of always logging out.  6. Never open unknown emails, or emails with advertisements of good things. trust me, you don't want to have a bloatwares or trojans on your device. 7. Always read the pop up permissions This is a hundred percent must do. You know why? because when there are pop ups that asks for permissions we tend to just click 'ok' right away because we are too lazy to read. Allowing this permissions without you reading it, can lead to open your camera and the hackers could see what you are doing through you camera.  8. Last and still important thing to take note is to change your passwords you need to change your passwords at least every 6 months, or you could just change your email address or update necessary informations. This is important, so that, when you forget your current password you can retrieve it with your latest verified email.

[andrewdburton]

A brief guide to cybersecurity basics

Last Monday, I got an email from Spotify saying that somebody in Brazil had logged into my account.

I checked. Sure enough: A stranger was using my Spotify to listen to Michael Jackson. I told Spotify to “sign me out everywhere” — but I didn't change my password.

On Wednesday, it happened again. At 2 a.m., I got another email from Spotify. This time, my sneaky Brazilian friend was listening to Prince. And they apparently liked the looks of one of my playlists (“Funk Is Its Own Reward”), because they'd been listening to that too.

I signed out everywhere again, and this time I changed my password. And I made a resolution.

You see, I've done a poor job of implementing modern online security measures. Yes, I have my critical financial accounts locked down with two-factor authentification, etc., but mostly I'm sloppy when it comes to cybersecurity.

For example, I re-use passwords. I still use passwords from thirty years ago for low-security situations (such as signing up for a wine club or a business loyalty program). And while I've begun creating strong (yet easy to remember) passwords for more important accounts, these passwords all follow a pattern and they're not randomized. Worst of all, I maintain a 20-year-old plain text document in which I store all of my sensitive personal information.

This is dumb. Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.

I know it's dumb, but I've never bothered to make changes — until now. Now, for a variety of reasons, I feel like it's time for me to make my digital life a little more secure. I spent several hours over the weekend locking things down. Here's how.

A Brief Guide to Cybersecurity

Co-incidentally, the very same day that my Spotify account was being used to stream Prince's greatest hits in Brazil, a Reddit user named /u/ACheetoBandito posted a guide to cybersecurity in /r/fatFIRE. How convenient!

“Cybersecurity is a critical component of financial security, but rarely discussed in personal finance circles,” /u/ACheetoBandito wrote. “Note that cybersecurity practitioners disagree over best practices for personal cybersecurity. This is my perspective, as I have some expertise in the area.”

I won't reproduce the entire post here — you should definitely go read it, if this subject is important to you — but I will list the bullet-point summary along with some of my own thoughts. Our orange-fingered friend recommends that anyone concerned about cybersecurity take the following steps:

Get at least two hardware-based security keys. My pal Robert Farrington (from The College Investor) uses the YubiKey. Google offers its Titan Security Key. (I ordered the YubiKey 5c nano because of its minimal form factor.)

Set up a secret private email account. Your private email address should not be linked in any way to your public email, and the address should be given to no one. (I already have many public email accounts, but I didn't have a private address. I do now.)

Turn on Advanced Protection for both your public and private gmail accounts. Advanced Protection is a free security add-on from Google. Link this to the security keys you acquired in step one. (I haven't set this up because my security keys won't arrive until this afternoon.)

Set up a password manager. Which password manager you choose is up to you. The key is to pick one that you'll use. It's best if this app supports your new security keys for authentification. (I'll cover a few options in the next section of this article.)

Generate new passwords for all accounts. Manually create memorable passwords for your email addresses, your computers (and mobile devices), and for the password manager itself. All other passwords should be strong passwords generated randomly by the password manager.

Associate critical accounts with your new private email address. This will include financial accounts, such as your banks, brokerages, and credit cards. But it could include other accounts too. (I'll use my private email address for core services related to this website, for instance.)

Turn on added security measures for all accounts. Available features will vary from provider to provider, but generally speaking you should be able to activate two-factor authentification (with the security keys, whenever possible) and login alerts.

Turn on text/email alerts for financial accounts. You may also want to turn on alerts for changes to your credit score and/or credit report.

Activate security measures on your mobile devices. Your phone should be locked by a strong authorization measure. And each of your individual financial apps should be locked down with a password and any other possible security measures.

/u/ACheetoBandito recommends some additional, optional security measures. (And that entire Reddit discussion thread is filled with great security tips.)

You might want to freeze your credit (although, if you do, remember that you'll occasionally need to un-freeze your credit to make financial transactions). Some folks will want to encrypt their phones and hard drives. And if you're very concerned about security, purchase a cheap Chromebook and use this as the only device on which you perform financial transactions. (Believe it or not, I'm taking this last optional step. It makes sense to me — and it may be a chance for me to move beyond Quicken.)

Exploring the Best Password Managers

Okay, great! I've ordered a new $150 Chromebook and two hardware-based security keys. I've set up a brand-new, top-secret email address, which I'll connect to any account that needs added security. But I still haven't tackled the weakest point in the process: my text document filled with passwords.

Part of the problem is complacency. My system is simple and I like it. But another part of the problem is analysis paralysis. There are a lot of password managers out there, and I have no idea how to differentiate between them, to figure out which one is right for me and my needs.

For help, I asked my Facebook friends to list the best password managers. I downloaded and installed each of their suggestions, then I jotted down some initial impressions.

LastPass: 16 votes (2 from tech nerds) — LastPass was by far the most popular password manager among my Facebook friends. People love it. I installed it and poked around, and it seems…okay. The interface is a little clunky and the feature set seems adequate (but not robust). The app uses the easy-to-understand “vault” metaphor, which I like. LastPass is free (with premium options available for added cost).

1Password: 7 votes (4 from tech nerds) — This app has similar features to Bitwarden or LastPass. The interface is nice enough, and it seems to provide security alerts. 1Password costs $36/year.

Bitwarden: 4 votes (2 from tech nerds) — Bitwarden has a simple, easy-to-understand interface. It uses the same “vault” metaphor that products like LastPass and 1Password use. It's a strong contender to become the tool I use. Bitwarden is free. For $10 per year, you can add premium security features.

KeePass: 2 votes — KeePass is a free Open Source password manager. There are KeePass installs available for all major computer and mobile operating systems. If you're a Linux nut (or an Open Source advocate), this might be a good choice. I don't like its limited functionality and its terrible interface. KeePass is free.

Dashlane: 2 votes — Of all the password managers I looked at, Dashlane has the nicest interface and the most features. Like many of these tools, it uses the “vault” metaphor, but it allows you to store more things in this vault than other tools do. (You can store ID info — driver license, passport — for instance. There's also a spot to store receipts.) Dashlane has a free basic option but most folks will want the $60/year premium option. (There's also a $120/year option that includes credit monitoring and ID theft insurance.)

Blur: 1 vote — Blur is different than most password managers. It quite literally tries to blur your online identity. It prevents web browsers from tracking you, masks email addresses and credit cards and phone numbers, and (or course) manages passwords. I want some features that Blur doesn't have — and don't want some of the features it does have. Blur costs a minimum of $39/year but that price can become much higher.

Apple Keychain: 1 vote — Keychain has been Apple's built-in password manager since 1999. As such, it's freely available on Apple devices. Most Mac and iOS folks use Keychain without even realizing it. It's not really robust enough to do anything other than store passwords, so I didn't give it serious consideration. Keychain is free and comes installed on Apple products.

Let me be clear: I made only a cursory examination of these password managers. I didn't dive deep. If I tried to compare every feature of every password manager, I'd never choose. I'd get locked into analysis paralysis again. So, I gave each a quick once-over and made a decision based on gut and intuition.

Of these tools, two stood out: Bitwarden and Dashlane. Both sport nice interfaces and plenty of features. Both tools offer free versions, but I'd want to upgrade to a paid premium plan in order to gain access to two-factor authentification (using my new hardware security keys) and security monitoring. This is where Bitwarden has a big advantage. It's only $10 per year. To get the same features, Dashlane is $60/year.

But here's the thing.

I started actually using both of these tools at the same time, entering my website passwords one by one. I stopped after entering ten sites into each. It was clear that I vastly preferred using Dashlane to Bitwarden. It just works in a way that makes sense to me. (Your experience might be different.) So, for a little while at least, I'm going to use Dashlane as my password manager.

The Problem with Passwords

My primary motive for using a password manager is to get my sensitive information out of a plain text document and into something more secure. But I have a secondary motive: I want to improve the strength of my passwords.

When I started using the internet — back in the 1980s, before the advent of the World Wide Web — I didn't spare a thought for password strength. The first password I created (in 1989) was simply the name of my friend who let me use his computer to access the local Bulletin Board Systems. I used that password for years on everything from email accounts to bank sites. I still consider it my “low security” password for things that aren't critical.

I have maybe eight or ten passwords like this: short, simple passwords that I've used in dozens of locations. For the past five years, I've tried to move to unique passwords for each site, passwords that follow a pattern. While these are an improvement, they're still not great. Like I say, they follow a pattern. And while they contain letters, numbers, and symbols, they're all relatively short.

As you might expect, my sloppy password protocol has created something of a security nightmare. Here's a screenshot from the Google Password Checkup tool for one of my accounts.

I get similar results for all of my Google accounts. Yikes.

Plus, there's the problem of account sharing.

Kim and I share a Netflix account. And an Amazon account. And a Hulu account. And an iTunes account. In fact, we probably share twenty or thirty accounts. She and I use the same easy-to-remember password for all of these sign-ins. While none of these accounts are super sensitive, what we're doing is still a poor idea.

So, I want to begin moving toward more secure passwords — even for the accounts I share with Kim.

The good news is that most password managers — including Dashlane — will auto-generate randomized passwords for you. Or I could try something similar to the idea suggested in this XKCD comic:

The trouble, of course, is that each place has different requirements for passwords. Some require numbers. Some require symbols. Some say no symbols. And so on. I don't know of any sites that would let me use four random common words for a password!

For now, I'm going to take a three-pronged approach:

I'll manually create long (but memorable) passwords for my most critical accounts. This is the XKCD method.

For the accounts I share with Kim — Netflix, etcetera — I'll create new, memorable passwords that follow a pattern.

For everything else, I'll let my password manager generate random passwords.

This seems like a good balance between usability and security. Every password will be different. Only the ones I share with Kim will be short; all others will be long. And most of my new passwords will be random gibberish.

Final Thoughts on Cybersecurity

In this short video from Tech Insider, a former National Security Agency security expert shares his top five tips for protecting yourself online.

You'll note that these are similar to the Reddit cybersecurity guide I posted earlier in this article. Here are the steps he says to take to keep yourself safe:

Enable two-factor authentification whenever possible.

Don't use the same password everywhere.

Keep your operating system (and software) up to date.

Be careful with what you post to social media.

Do not share personal information unless you're certain you're dealing with a trusted company or person.

I won't pretend that the steps I'm taking will protect me completely. But my new system is certainly an upgrade from what I've been doing for the past 20+ years — which was, as I've mentioned, dumb dumb dumb.

And I have to confess: I like the idea of restricting my online financial life to one computer — the new $150 Chromebook. I'm not sure if this is actually doable, but I'm going to give it a go. If this works, then I may see if I can find a money-management tool that I like for the machine. Maybe then I can finally leave Quicken 2007 for Mac behind!

What have I missed? What steps have you taken to protect your online accounts? Which do you feel is the best password manager? How do you create memorable, secure passwords? How do you handle shared accounts? Help other GRS readers — and me! — develop better online security practices.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/cybersecurity-basics/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[suzanneshannon]

Trans-inclusive Design

Late one night a few years ago, a panicked professor emailed me: “My transgender student’s legal name is showing on our online discussion board. How can I keep him from being outed to his classmates?” Short story: we couldn’t. The professor created an offline workaround with the student. Years later this problem persists not just in campus systems, but in many systems we use every day.

To anyone who’d call that an unusual situation, it’s not. We are all already designing for trans users—1 in 250 people in the US identifies as transgender or gender non-binary (based on current estimates), and the number is rising.

We are web professionals; we can do better than an offline workaround. The choices we make impact the online and offline experiences of real people who are trans, non-binary, or gender-variant—choices that can affirm or exclude, uplift or annoy, help or harm.

The rest of this article assumes you agree with the concept that trans people are human beings who deserve dignity, respect, and care. If you are seeking a primer on trans-related vocabulary and concepts, please read up and come back later.

I’m going to cover issues touching on content, images, forms, databases, IA, privacy, and AI—just enough to get you thinking about the decisions you make every day and some specific ideas to get you started.

“Tried making a Bitmoji again, but I always get disillusioned immediately by their binary gender model from literally step 1 and end up not using it. I don’t feel represented.”

Editorial note: All personal statements quoted in this article have been graciously shared with the express consent of the original authors.

How we can get things right

Gender is expansively misconstrued as some interchangeable term for anatomical features. Unlike the constellation of human biological forms (our sex), gender is culturally constructed and varies depending on where you are in the world. It has its own diversity.

Asking for gender when it is not needed; limiting the gender options users can select; assuming things about users based on gender; or simply excluding folks from our designs are all ways we reify the man-woman gender binary in design decisions.

Names are fundamentally important

If we do nothing else, we must get names right. Names are the difference between past and present, invalidation and affirmation, and sometimes safety and danger.

Yet, many of the systems we use and create don’t offer name flexibility.

Many programmers and designers have a few misconceptions about names, such as assuming people have one moniker that they go by all the time, despite how common it is for names to change over a lifetime. People might update them after a change in marital status, family situation, or gender, or perhaps someone is known by a nickname, westernized name, or variation on a first name.

In most locales, legally changing names is extremely difficult, extremely expensive, requires medical documentation, or is completely out of the question.

Changes to name and gender marker are even more complicated; they tend to be two separate, long-drawn-out processes. To make matters worse, laws vary from state to state within the U.S. and most only recognize two genders—man and woman—rather than allowing non-binary options.Not all trans people change their names, but for those who do, it’s a serious and significant decision that shouldn’t be sabotaged. We can design systems that protect the lives and privacy of our users, respect the fluid nature of personal identity, and act as an electronic curb cut that helps everyone in the process.

Deadnaming

One need only search Twitter for “deadname app” to get an idea of how apps can leave users in the lurch. Some of the most alarming examples involve apps and sites that facilitate real-life interactions (which already involve a measure of risk for everyone).

“Lyft made it completely impossible for me to change my name on its app even when it was legally changed. I reached out to their support multiple times and attempted to delete the account and start over with no result. I was completely dependent on this service for groceries, appointments, and work, and was emotionally exhausted every single time I needed a ride. I ended up redownloading Uber - even though there was a strike against the service - which I felt awful doing. But Uber allowed me to change my name without any hoops to jump through, so for the sake of my mental health, I had to.”

Trans people are more likely to experience financial hardship, so using payment apps to ask for donations is often necessary. Some of these services may reveal private information as a matter of course, leaving them exposed and potentially at risk.

There are also ramifications when linked services rely on our data sources for name information, instigating an unpredictable cascade effect with little or no recourse to prevent the sharing of sensitive details.

These are examples of deadnaming. Deadnaming is what happens when someone’s previous or birth name is used, rather than the name the person uses now. Deadnaming is invalidating at the least, even as a faux pas, but can be psychologically devastating at the other extreme, even putting lives at risk.The experiences of trans, non-binary, or gender-variant folk can vary widely, and they live in disparate conditions throughout the world. Many are thriving and creating new and joyful ways to resist and undo gender norms, despite the common negative narrative around trans lives. Others can face hardship; trans people are more likely to be unstably housed, underemployed, underpaid, and targets of violence in and out of their homes, workplaces, and intimate relationships. The ramifications are amplified for people of color and those with disabilities, as well as those in precarious living/working situations and environments where exposure can put them in harm’s way.

Design for name changes

Here’s what we can do:

Design for renaming. Emma Humphries’ talk on renaming covers this nicely. Airbnb has developed policies and procedures for users who’ve transitioned, allowing users to keep their review histories intact with amended names and/or pronouns.

Get rid of “real name” requirements. Allow people to use names they go by rather than their legal first names.

Clarify when you actually need a legal name, and only use that in conjunction with a display name field.

Have a name change process that allows users to change their names without legal documentation. (It’s likely that you have procedures for marriage-related name changes already.)

Ensure users can still change their display names when connecting with other data sources to populate users’ names.

Don’t place onerous restrictions on changes. Once someone creates a username, web address, or profile URL, allow them to change it.

Draft a code of conduct if you’re part of an online community, and make sure to include policies around deadnaming. Twitter banned deadnaming last year.

Allow people to be forgotten. When people delete their accounts for whatever reason, help them make sure that their data is not lingering in your systems or in other places online.

Update the systems users don’t see, too

Identity management systems can be a mess, and name changes can reveal the failures among those systems, including hidden systems that users don’t see.

One Twitter user’s health insurance company kept their ID number between jobs but changed their gender. Another user updated their display name but got an email confirmation addressed to their legal name.

Hidden information can also undermine job opportunities:

“At a university as a student, I transitioned and changed my name and gender to be a woman. TWELVE YEARS later after being hired to work in the Libraries, the Libraries HR coordinator emailed me that I was listed as male still in the database. He changed it on my asking, but I have to wonder how long… was it a factor in my being turned down for jobs I applied to… who had seen that..?”

Emma Humphries details the hidden systems that can carry out-of-date information about users. Her tips for database design include:

Don’t use emails as unique IDs.

Use an invariant user ID internally, and link the user’s current email and display name to it.

Images

Visuals should allow room for representation and imagination rather than a narrow subset of the usual suspects: figures who appear to be straight, cisgender, able-bodied, and white/Caucasian.

What we can do is feature a variety of gender presentations, as well as not assume someone’s gender identity if they buy certain items.

Some companies, like Wildfang and Thinx, offer a broad array of images representing different races, body sizes, and gender expressions on their websites and in their ads.

Many are also choosing not to hire models, allowing room for imagination and versatility:

“I got a catalog for a ‘classic menswear company’ that features zero photos of any person of any gender. Now if only I could afford an $800 blazer...”

Here's what we can do:

Actively recruit diverse groups of models for photos. And pay them!

If you can’t shoot your own photos, Broadly has recently launched a trans-inclusive stock photo collection free for wide use. Avataaars allows users to create an avatar without selecting a gender.

Information architecture

How we organize information is a political act and a non-neutral decision (librarians have said this for a while). This applies to gender-based classifications.

Many companies that sell consumer goods incorporate gender into their product design and marketing, no matter what. The product itself might be inherently gender-neutral (such as clothing, toys, bikes, or even wine), but these design and marketing decisions can directly impact the information architecture of websites.

Here's what we can do:

Evaluate why any menus, categories, or tags are based on gender, and how it can be done differently:

“Nike has a ‘gender neutral’ clothing category, yet it’s listed under ‘men’ and ‘women’ in the website architecture. 🤔”

Forms

Forms, surveys, and other types of data gathering are surefire ways to include or exclude people. If you ask for information you don’t need or limit the options that people can select, you risk losing them as users.

Here's what we can do:

Critically evaluate why you are asking for personal information, including gender. Will that information be used to help someone, or sell things to your advertisers?

"Why does the @CocaCola site make me select a gender just to make a purchase? Guess my family isn't getting personalized Coke bottles for Christmas."

If you are asking users for their gender, you’d better have a good reason and options that include everyone. A gender field should have more than two options, or should ask for pronouns instead. When including more than binary options, actually record the selections in your databases instead of reclassifying answers as male/female/null, otherwise you risk losing trust when disingenuous design decisions become public.

Honorifics are infrequently used these days, but it takes little work to add gender-inclusive titles to a list. For English-language sites, “Mx.” can go alongside “Mr.” and “Ms.” without fuss. United Airlines debuted this option earlier this year.

Content

Here's what we can do:

Avoid inappropriately gendered language. Your style guide should include singular “they” instead of “he/she” or “s/he,” and exclude frequently used words and phrases that exclude trans folks. Resources such as this transgender style guide are a quick way to check your language and benchmark your own content guidelines.

Check assumptions about gender and biology. Not everyone who can have a period, can get pregnant, or can breastfeed identifies as women or mothers—just as not everyone who identifies as women or mothers can have periods, can get pregnant, or can breastfeed. Thinx, a company that sells period underwear, has an inclusive tagline: “For people with periods.”

Avoid reinforcing the binary. Groups of people aren’t “ladies and gentlemen” or “boys and girls.” They are folks, people, colleagues, “y’all,” or even “all y’all.”

Pronouns aren’t “preferred”—they’re just pronouns. Calling pronouns preferred suggests that they’re optional and are replacing a “true” pronoun.

Avoid reinforcing stereotypes about trans people. Not all trans people are interested in medically transitioning, or in “passing.” They also aren’t fragile or in need of a savior. Gender is separate from sexual orientation. You can’t “tell” someone is trans.

Privacy, surveillance, and nefarious AI

We’ve heard the story of algorithms identifying a pregnant teen before her parents knew. What if an algorithm predicts or reveals information about your gender identity?

Inferences. Users’ genders are assumed based on their purchase/browsing history.

Recommendations. A user bought something before they transitioned and it shows up in “recommended because you bought X.”

Predictions. Users’ genders are not only inferred but used to predict something else based on characteristics of that gender. Even if you don’t tell big websites what your gender is, they assume one for you based on your interests. That kind of reductive essentialism can harm people of all genders. One of this article’s peer readers summed this up:

“Gender markers are a poor proxy for tastes. I like dresses, cute flats, and Raspberry Pis.”

Flashbacks. “On this day” algorithms remind users of the past, sometimes for better (“I’ve come so far”) or for worse (“don’t remind me”).

AI-based discrimination

AI and surveillance software can also reinforce norms about what men’s and women’s bodies should look like, resulting in harrowing airline travel experiences and creating AI-based discrimination for trans people.

So, too, can trans folks’ public data be used for projects that they don’t consent to. Just because we can use AI for something—like determining gender based on a face scan—doesn’t mean we should.

Here's what we can do:

Read up and proactively mitigate bias.AI and algorithms can reflect developers’ biases and perpetuate stereotypes about how people’s bodies should look. Use AI to challenge the gender binary rather than reinforce it. Design for privacy first. Hire more types of people who represent different lived experiences.

Toward a gender-inclusive web

The ideas I’ve offered here are only starting points. How you choose to create space for trans folks is going to be up to you. I don’t have all the solutions here, and there is no singular trans experience. Also, language, definitions, and concepts change rapidly.

We shouldn’t use any of these facts as excuses to keep us from trying.

When we start to think about design impact on trans folks, the ideas we bring into question can benefit everyone. Our designs should go beyond including—they should affirm and validate. Ideally, they will also reflect organizational cultures that support diversity and inclusion.

Here's what we can do:

Keep learning. Learn how to be a good ally. Pay trans user research participants to help validate your design assumptions. Hire trans people on your team and don't hang them out to dry or make them do all the hard work around inclusion and equity. Make it everyone’s job to build a more just web and world for everybody.

Editorial note: All personal statements quoted in this article have been graciously shared with the express consent of the original authors.

This article is stronger and wiser thanks to Mica McPheeters at A List Apart and the following peer readers. Thank you.

Jake Atchison Katherine Deibel, Ph.D. Justina F. Hall Austyn Higgs Emma Humphries Tara Robertson Levi R. Walter

Trans-inclusive Design published first on https://deskbysnafu.tumblr.com/

[hodldrgn-blog]

New Post has been published on https://www.cryptomoonity.com/7-myths-of-self-sovereign-identity-2/

7 Myths of Self-Sovereign Identity

Dispelling misunderstandings around SSI (Part 1 of 2)

Image by David Travis on Unsplash

Here are seven myths of SSI that I repeatedly hear and will address across two posts. Myths 1–3 will be discussed here, myths 4–7 here.

Self-sovereign means self-attested.

SSI attempts to reduce government’s power over an identity owner.

SSI creates a national or “universal ID” credential.

SSI gives absolute control over identity.

There’s a “main” issuer of credentials.

There’s a built-in method of authenticating.

User-centric identity is the same as SSI.

Note: readers should have a basic understanding of how SSI works before reading this. For a primer, review the third and final section of The Three Models of Digital Identity Relationships.

The self-sovereign identity model.

Background

I recently attended the ID2020 event in New York, where some of the biggest players in identity were on hand, working toward fulfilling the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16.9: Identity for all by 2030. It was an excellent event, lots of energy, very professional, and serious about moving the needle on this BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal).

We heard first-hand examples of the pains caused by broken identity systems around the world, some of which were truly heartbreaking. Most of us take for granted that we can prove things about ourselves, unaware that over a billion people cannot, leaving them unable to obtain desirable work or advanced education, open a bank account, hold title to property, or even travel. As noted by the World Bank’s ID4D, identity is a prerequisite to financial inclusion, and financial inclusion is a big part of solving poverty.

That means improving identity will reduce poverty, not to mention what it could do for human trafficking. Refugees bring another troubling identity dilemma where the need is critical, and where we are commencing efforts through our partnership with iRespond.

The Culprit

Several times throughout the event, SSI was discussed as a new and potentially big part of the solution. While there was clearly hope, there was also skepticism that, in my opinion, stems from misperceptions about what SSI really is and is not.

If SSI really was what these skeptics thought, I wouldn’t favor it either. And if they knew what SSI really is, I think they’d embrace it wholeheartedly.

The perception problem begins with the very term, “self-sovereign.”

At one point on the main stage, the venerable Kim Cameron, Microsoft’s Principal Identity Architect and author of the seminal 7 Laws of Identity, quipped:

“The term ‘self-sovereign’ identity makes me think of hillbillies on a survivalist kick.”

Kim went on to clarify that he is strongly in favor of SSI, he just dislikes the term and the negative perceptions it conjures up.

Me, too.

Self-sovereign identity is not a great term — for lots of reasons — but until we have a better one, (“decentralized identity” is a serious candidate) let’s clarify the one we’ve got.

Myth 1: Self-sovereign means self-attested.

Third-Party Credentials

In meatspace (real life, compared with cyberspace), to prove something about yourself you must present what others say about you in the form of credentials or other evidence; without this, what you claim about yourself isn’t strongly reliable.

I can claim I went to Harvard, but when a prospective employer needs to know for sure, my claim is no longer sufficient. Saying my credit is great won’t get me a loan, and claiming I’m a pilot won’t get me into the cockpit. I need proof, and it must come from a source that the relying party will trust.

SSI is no different. You can make all the claims you want about yourself, but when a relying party needs to know for sure, you need to show them credentials provably issued by a source the relying party trusts.

Self-Attested Credentials

Self-attested verifiable credentials — what you say about yourself — still have their place: they are how you provide your opinion, preference, and most important, consent¹. Opinion, preference, and consent can only reliably come from the identity owner and not from third parties, whereas proof of identity or other attributes are exactly the opposite: they must come from third parties and not the identity owner.

So, to prove Timothy Ruff has given his consent — which only Timothy can give — you must be confident that you’re dealing with the real Timothy Ruff, which is only provable with third-party attestations.

This means that self-attested credentials, including consent, still rely indirectly on third-party credentials. (Unless it’s something like pizza preferences, where who you are doesn’t matter much.)

Bottom line: the foundation of SSI, as with any strong identity system, is third-party issued credentials, not self-attested credentials. SSI supports both, and each type can add value to the other.

Myth 2: SSI attempts to reduce government’s power over an identity owner.

This myth hearkens back to Kim’s comment, where the term “self-sovereign” could literally be interpreted to mean an individual might somehow become less subject to government. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, SSI can actually build a stronger and richer relationship between governments and citizens.

SSI makes possible a private, encrypted, peer-to-peer connection between government and citizens that can, with mutual consent, be used for powerful mutual authentication (preventing phishing), communication, data sharing, and more. This connection wouldn’t be affected by changes in email address, postal address, phone numbers, and so on. And since both sides of the link would be self-sovereign, either side could terminate it, too.

From the perspective of government, the initial function of SSI is straightforward: take existing credentials, whether physical or digital, and begin issuing them cryptographically secure in the form of digital, verifiable credentials. These credentials then can be held independently by the individual, and verified instantly by anyone, anywhere, including government, when presented.

The secondary function of SSI is even more interesting: use the encrypted connection that was created during credential issuance for direct, private, ongoing interaction with the constituent.

From the perspective of the individual, we’ve actually had some central features of SSI for hundreds of years, using the global standard known as paper. Today, government gives you a passport which you carry and present anywhere you wish, with broad acceptance. SSI simply makes the same thing possible digitally, and with significant advantages (zero-knowledge proofs/selective disclosure, revocation, mutual authentication, etc.).

This digital transformation of credentials simply hasn’t been possible until now, at least interoperably and on a global scale.

Myth 3: SSI creates a national or “universal ID” credential.

There exists no intention (or delusion) that I am aware of that somehow SSI can, once it is broadly adopted, supplant a national ID system. On the contrary, as mentioned above, government should get excited about how SSI can complement and improve existing identity systems, whether national, regional, or otherwise.

SSI actually does not replace the trust of government or any other organization; it is simply a means for connecting and exchanging instantly authenticatable data. SSI is set of protocols, not an actor, and it has no inherent basis for trust other than the cryptographic properties that ensure the privacy and integrity of the data exchanged and the connection used to exchange it. What parties exchange over that connection, and whether to trust what was exchanged, is up to them.

Some governments already understand SSI and are leading out on its implementation. My prediction: all governments will eventually use SSI to issue credentials digitally, to better communicate with and interact with constituents, to streamline internal processes where slow verification bogs things down, to more strongly authenticate the people, organizations, and things they deal with, and to reduce the printing of paper and plastic.

SSI in the Developing World

Now that’s all fine and dandy for the developed world… but what about the billion-plus “invisibles” living without credentials, often in situations where a government is somehow struggling to issue them… can SSI help?

Quite possibly.

In some parts of the world, trust within a community is established by obtaining from a trusted individual a signed attestation that you’re worthy of obtaining a loan, for example. With SSI this could be done digitally rather than on paper, it could involve biometrics that strongly attach the attestation to the attestee and attestor, and it could include attestations and other potential credit scoring data from multiple sources.

I can imagine a baby born in a remote village and receiving her first “credentials” from her family and friends, who each give her attestations about her birth and their recollections of it. Pictures, videos, songs, and other precious memories could be added to her brand new digital wallet — which is now so much more than a wallet — and with guardianship of it tied to her parents. Who knows how such a set of credentials issued by loved ones might later be used, but my sense is that it could be vitally important some day.

I love the fact that SSI is powerful for both developed and developing worlds. I can’t wait to explore this topic more in the future.

Part 2, Myths 4–7, can be read here.

Footnotes:

¹ Consent is a rich topic that will be covered in greater detail in the future. See here for an eye-opening perspective about how elusive, and practically impossible in many cases, consent can be.

Founded in 2013, Evernym helps organizations implement self-sovereign identity, and individuals to manage and utilize their self-sovereign identity. Learn more at evernym.com.

7 Myths of Self-Sovereign Identity was originally published in Evernym on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

[martechadvisor-blog]

How to Build Powerful and Profitable Landing Pages

There are number of data-backed reasons why digital marketers are needs to create more landing pages. From increasing conversion rates to deep-rooted SEO. But designing the often talked about more than 20 landing pages can be a pain. In this article we discuss the data and what defines a powerful and profitable landing page for your target audience writes, Aegea Barclay, Sales Development Executive, DevHub

Targeted landing pages provide an excellent way for your sales and marketing teams to generate leads and create user personas. A well-designed landing page can lead to a huge increase in conversions for your business but building one can be an overwhelming task at best.

There are so many design options available that many business owners struggle to find the “perfect fit” and paralysis by analysis becomes a very real thing. With the 100s of possible ways to build a landing page, how do you combat this indecision and create a landing page that actually converts users?

First, let’s examine the key elements of any successful landing page.

Identify and Address the Need of The Visitor

Research by Statistic Brain has shown that a user will generally spend around 8 seconds on a landing page before deciding whether to hang around. Every landing page should have one clear purpose, and this is where your UVP (unique value proposition) comes into play. **Your UVP is the first thing visitors will see when they click on your landing page and this is something you really need to spend time on, i.e. test, test, and test again until you find the UVP that provides optimal conversions**.

If you’re not sure what your UVP actually is, here are a few ideas to take into consideration:

Customer needs: what need or want does your product meet or fulfill?

Your niche: what do you offer that your competition doesn’t?

Target audience: who are you targeting with your USP and have you identified their personas?

Clarity: is your USP clear, concise, and direct?

Following that, here are a few common landing page usages that your UVP might be based on:

Promote an event

Gain subscribers

Drive newsletter signups

Offer a free trial

Host a competition

How-to guides

Price discounts

Remember, your ad is what gets your user to your site but your UVP is what hooks them once they’re there. If what you’re offering isn’t good enough, or clear enough, your users will click out of your site as quickly as they clicked on to it.

Provide A Solution To What They Need

The focus of your landing page should always be on the potential customer. Your key aim to is to tell your visitors what you do/offer, why they will benefit from what you do/offer, and how your product or service can ensure they receive those benefits. 

If someone has clicked on an ad to reach your website, then it means that your ad sparked their interest. Why? Because you’re promoting a solution to a key concern, want, or need that they have. It’s imperative to ensure that your landing page provides a solution to this need or you risk alienating your visitors.

Synchronizing your marketing content and landing page/s is extremely important. For example, if Joe sees an advert promoting a cure for hair loss and ends up on a landing page for synthetic wigs, he isn’t going to be very impressed. The design of your page must also match the email/ad campaign that’s linked to it.

Here are a few things to watch out for this regard.

Always try to use the same fonts, colors, and images where possible for familiarity.

Use the same keywords and phrases in your landing page and marketing copy.

Make sure your offer/product is immediately visible on your landing page (i.e. your UVP).

Ensure your content provides the solution your visitor has been promised by the ad they clicked on.

Turning clickers into conversions

**Once you’ve hooked your visitors, it’s time to convert them into customers. A clear and concise call-to-action (CTA) will get you over this hurdle. A badly written CTA will get you nowhere**, fast. Yet research from Small Biz Trends has revealed that almost 70% of SMBs don’t have a CTA at all!

Upon reviewing 1000s of CTAs over the years, we’ve gathered a few thumb rules for getting users to pay attention and convert:

5 essentials to optimize landing page conversions

1. Make your CTA stand out: place it above the fold and also in various places around your landing page if possible. Users shouldn’t have to keep scrolling to find out where to convert.

2. Design: your CTA should jump out of the screen with big fonts and colors that help to contrast it from the rest of the page. The rest of your page should be simple. The “cleaner” your design is, the less distractions the user has and the more likely they are to focus on your CTA. Ideally, your CTA should be the only clickable link on this page.

3. Make it an extension of your USP: your CTA should be a natural extension of your USP. Your USP sells your offer and your CTA provides a way to act on that offer.

4. Use buttons where possible: buttons are easy to use and it’s pretty obvious what they mean. It’s a literal call to action.

5. Use clear and concise copy: only ask for the bare minimum of information required if you’re trying to get visitors to sign up for an ebook or newsletter, or anything really. Asking for too much information decreases the likelihood that they’ll complete and submit the form.

“My favorite technique was just asking for a username rather than a full account sign up at first. It's the foot in the door principal — ask people for something small (a username) before showing them fields for more personal things like email and password. Once they fill in their username, they feel like they've already invested some time in creating the account and might as well finish." - Alexi Schiff, cofounder of Fetch Notes 

Is the complexity of building multiple landing pages dragging you down? Enter the automatic landing page builder.

If you only have 1 or 2 landing pages, then a regular landing page builder might work for you, for now. But if you’re dealing with 10, 100, or 1000s of pages, you need something much more advanced - and that’s where automatic landing page builders come in. Regular landing page builders are fine if you’re only dealing with a few pages, but can you imagine trying to create over 100 pages with it? And what if you need to make a minor change to all of those 100 pages? I feel stressed just thinking about it.

Automatic landing page builders allow you to create and manage 1000s of optimized landing pages at once by using tags. This means a lot less work for you as a business owner because you no longer need to create landing pages for every possible thing that visitors could be searching for on your website. 

And Finally, You Can Never Have Enough Landing Pages!

**More landing pages = more conversion opportunities for your business**. The main reason that most companies only have 1 or 2 landing pages is simply that they aren’t comfortable with creating them or confident enough in the results that can be achieved. But in our omnichannel, hyper-personalized world, brands need to ensure they give prospects the chance to connect via multiple touchpoints, each with customized messages that lead to customized landing pages instead of generic ones. After all, customized messaging will certainly drive a better click rate, but you don’t want all those clickers to land upon the same generic landing pages that negate all the work of the hyper-targeted messaging!

If you have been playing with the idea of hyper-segmenting and targeting your advertising campaigns but have stopped short because of the work involved with building hundreds of customized landing pages for each hyper-targeted campaign, then automatic landing page builders can come to your rescue. These tools let you customize hundreds of landing pages for each of your various campaigns and touchpoints, and offer a high level of flexibility to change and adapt the content without getting too technical.

This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

[mmo247]

[ONLY $1] – $1 DOLLAR PROJECT

YOU MAY NEVER RUN OUT OF CASH AGAIN!

PLEASE READ THIS PAGE VERY CAREFULLY YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!!

Earning money with less effort - a lot of money!!!

How??? - I’ll show you now - just read on.

Take 5 minutes - and read the complete page - then decide I made 20,000 dollars within the first 40 days.

If you decide to take the following instructions and necessary actions, you are GUARANTEED that you will get a similar result!

Please do not be skeptical about this program.

At least think about it for a few days.

Otherwise, you will throw away over 70,000 dollars in cash!

This system has been working for over 2 years, thousands of people have already participated WORLDWIDE, and they have been surprised by the results in no time and that with only 1 Dollar!

You will too!

I received a short and simple e-mail that explained how to earn over 70,000 Dollars and much more.

I ignored this message. Quite simply, “I was skeptical.”

However, I did not delete that e-mail because I thought there was something to it.

It went through my mind for days, even weeks, wondering if it would be possible to earn such a huge sum in such a short time.

I finally realized that I had absolutely nothing to lose.

So I put my doubts aside, took the first step and followed the simple instructions were given to me in that email.

The implementation took less than 30 minutes and it cost me aridiculous 1 dollar.

The results were stunning!!!

Only if you read on now, you will learn how it can work for you!

Let me assure you that this is a LEGALLY AUTHORIZED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY and an impeccable money making business.

In fact, you do not even need to get in touch with other people.

Anyone, with their own impulse, can succeed and build a fortune with this system.

If you only do this alone, I GUARANTEE that you will receive at least $20,000 in cash through your PayPal account within the next 100 days.

I know it must sound unbelievable to you, especially if you have never had such a sum, but believe me, this business works like nothing else that you have ever seen in your life.

This simple 3-step plan will change your life in a few weeks.

Please do not let your skepticism stand in the way to your financial success.

It is so easy!

This is the CHEAPEST, THE FASTEST and EASIEST way to make money online!

You will quickly and easily earn cash with just one copy of this website as an E-Mail and the simplest and most popular Internet payment system!

This program is by no means new.

It exists in many forms and has existed for several decades. But in the early days, it took much more time and effort, as well as spending hundreds of dollars. However, thanks to PayPal and the Internet, the issues are now practically ZERO! What is more, the whole process is FASTER, EASIER, and more LUCRATIVE than it has ever been!

If you already have a home business, leave it at that, you can run this side by side in the future.

If not, in the history of the internet this is the FASTEST and EASIEST way to earn a lot of money online.

I guarantee that you have never seen such a thing!

This program works no matter what country you live in or what currency you have there. It does not matter how old or how young you are. And you certainly do not need any special knowledge or talent. You do not need to run a website, or answer calls, make photocopies or send letters through the post office, or advertise, and so on.

The only things you need are:

An E-Mail address

A PayPal account in which 1 Dollar is deposited 30 minutes of your time, this program lasts for half an hour.

After you start it, you do not have the slightest job with it.

And yet, you can earn several thousand Dollars.

Within the next few weeks, you will make scary profits through this 30 minutes simple work! Yes, I know, it sounds too good to be true!

I thought exactly the same way you do now until I was convinced of the opposite!

You have absolutely nothing to lose and there is no limit to the amount you can earn!

The fact is: you will never earn FASTER, CHEAPER and PROFITABLE money.

Take your time and read everything! If you do not have time now, keep this E-Mail in your mailbox and come back later.

You certainly have an E-Mail Address.

Everyone has already heard of “PayPal” (if not you will be there soon) and when I got this concept, I knew it would work as a member of PayPal, I already had experience with the excellent performance.

PayPal is the easiest method you’ve ever seen to receive payments online.

Anyone with an E-Mail address can register for FREE! Once you have a PayPal account, you can send and receive credit card payments or cash anywhere in the world!

If you take this half hour you will not forget this day all your life.

HERE ARE TESTIMONIES OF 3 participants who decided to invest only 1 Dollar and half an hour:

What an amazing plan! Just three weeks ago, I followed your plan, although, so far I have not yet earned 50 thousand, I am pleased with the previous 15,340 Dollars. I am absolutely out of socks - Alan Humphries, Leicester

–

I do not know what to say … THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I sent 40 of this email and then, I just forgot the thing. To be honest, I did not really believe in the whole thing. But when I checked my Pay-Pal account a week later, more than 6,000.00 Dollars was in it! I now have over 26,000.00 Dollars in 30 days! I cannot thank you enough! - Lisa McDonald, Northampton

–

I was horrified to see how much money was flowing into my Pay-Pal account. Within 3 weeks my account has risen to 18,625.00 Dollar. At first, I thought that some kind of bad booking had happened! - Richard Barrie, Cirencester

Just a few months ago, some people did the same thing as you. Because they choose to follow the simple instructions that follow, they are now considerably better financially. And there is not a single reason why you cannot share in this success.

You have nothing to lose but ALL to win!

Let’s start, just follow the instructions as outlined now, and then prepare for a HUGE cash inflow over the next 30 days!

Here is what you need to do.

STEP 1

If you are not already a PayPal user, the very first task you need to do is to click on the PayPal link below and open an account for free.

It takes just 2 minutes! Here is the connection: https://www.paypal.com

STEP 2

It is a law of the universe that we must first give to receive.

Therefore, the first action to be done now is to open your PayPal account: Deposit 1 Dollar from your PayPal account to the FIRST E-mail address in the list.

As intended use of the payment, you write: “Please add me to your mailing list.”

Please specify this intended use, as this is a COMPLETELY LEGAL PROGRAM.

For instructions on how to make a payment, see “SEND MONEY” on the PayPal page. It is so easy! If you send your one-off payment of 1 Dollar to the first address in the list, do it with a big smile on your face, because “We reap what we sow!”

Here is the current list:

safe2emails@gmail.com

bennett246@btinternet.com

ramironrizzo@outlook.com

jaybowden04@gmail.com

travellingwithabear@gmail.com

onlinebossinternational@gmail.com

dinhlongplus.com@gmail.com

After you have made a payment of 1 Dollar to the FIRST E-Mail address on the list, something scary will happen.

It gives you an unsurpassable, overwhelming security, faith and conviction in the system. It has just been proven to you that it works because YOU have done it; so, there must be many other people who are willing to do exactly the same thing.

Now you have experienced it first-hand that this business really works!

STEP 3

Once you have made a payment of 1 Dollar to the first address of the list (together with the purpose “Please add me to your Mailing list.” – this is very important!!!), you will still have to do the following operation in the final step. Copy this text or page and send it to (you can also advertise this text on your own website as I have done it) at least 40 people. Keep the number 40 in your head, 40 is a good number of people that you can easily reach on the Internet, hundreds and even thousands of them could emerge.

The copy you send will include YOUR PayPal email address at #7 in the list - the address at #1 will add you to the list and the others will put you up in position.

The best way to send the mail now is simply to mark everything and then copy it with the right mouse button and then paste the text into the email, which you now send to about 40 different people.

Some advertising portals are really good and recommended.

Pangea list: http://bit.ly/2ooZgIM

1Goldmine: http://bit.ly/2rfoQ5T

Or you can create your own free website with the copy.

There are many free website builders that you can use on the web, for

example, these 2 good providers.

https://www.websitebuilder.com

https://mobirise.com

Service: https://goo.gl/7GggBG

Market your site via various German and American Paid Mail Service.

There are countless ways to reach several people and make them participate in this amazing program.

The only task that you have to consider is that

YOUR E-mail address is at number 7 in the list.

Please do not send spam. That is the only thing that could harm this genius system!

Of course, the address that was previously at #1 should have been removed, and the other email addresses should have been moved up one position to put your E-Mail Address at #7.

As long as you have done this correctly, your e-mail is ready to be sent!

A WORD OF WARNING!

Do not be tempted to add your e-mail address to position 1 to purchase money quickly!

It does not work that way!

If you do that, you will reach ONLY the people to whom you will send the e-mail directly and then your address will immediately be removed from place # 1 and you will not reach thousands of people!

But if you add your email address to position #7, you will literally reach 100 thousand people who receive or send your email. And at this point, your name will be at point #1!!!

And if you think you can copy this text just without paying the 1 Dollar to the first E-Mail Address, then you probably did not understand the whole system!!

Because if everybody would do that, then this would not work here and you will not get any money!!

I think one Dollar does not really hurt anyone!!

OK, let’s continue!

Send a minimum of 40 copies of the email, Once your emails are ready.

By sending these emails and paying via PayPal, the response time is EXTREMELY fast, thanks to the INTERNET!!!

Therefore, it will only take a few days for 1 Dollar payments to flood your PayPal account!

THAT WAS ALL!

The whole process should take about 30 minutes.

BE PREPARED, ENTHUSIASTIC… IT WORKS!!!

Half an hour of the simplest work is required.

No major issues, no stamps, no printing, copies, etc. and the concept is 100% approved.

Within 50 days over 5,000 Dollars in your PayPal account.

And that is GUARANTEED.

In fact, you can expect a significant number of 1-Dollar payments within the first few days!

Keep a copy of your e-mail so that you can use it again whenever you need more money!

Here’s how it works:

When you send your E-Mail, first put your E-mail address to number 7 in the list. This is the best position you can get if you really want to make a lot of money.

The response rate for this program is much higher than any typical email marketing campaign due to a number of reasons that will be explained later.

You can expect a response from about 25% of the people to whom you send the E-Mail. But first, let’s be extremely conservative, and assume that you have an average response rate of only 12.5%.

If you send your email to 40 different people, you can expect to reach at least 5 of those who do exactly what you did. (12.5% of 40 = 5).

By that time, your email address is at position #6 on the list, this list would have reached 200 people (5x40).

From these 200 people, you can expect at least 25 to participate (12.5% out of 200 = 25).

This puts you in 5th place with your email address further to Position #5 1,000 E-Mails (25 x40) that are sent out.

Among these 1,000 people, you can expect to have at least 125 (12.5% of 1,000 = 125).

This puts you in the fourth position with your e-mail address on another 5,000 E-Mails (125 x 40) that are sent out.

With these 5,000 people, you can expect at least 625 to respond (12.5% out of 5,000 = 625).

As a result, you will now be in the third position, with 25,000 emails (625x40) sent out with your email address.

Among these 25,000 people, you can expect 3,125 to respond (12.5% from 25,000 = 3,125).

And now that you are #2 on the list.

Out of these 125,000 people, you can expect to receive at least 15,625 (12.5% of 125,000 = 15,625).

This will put you in first place with your e-mail address on another 625,000 E-Mails (15,625 x 40) that is sent out.

Among these 625,000 people, you can expect at least 78,125 to attend (12.5% out of 625,000 = 78,125).

And now that you are #1 on the list, you will receive 78.125,00 Euro (78.125 x 1 Dollar).

If your email address reaches the number one position, you will receive money from a few thousand people within the next 30 days, just as you have sent your 1 Dollar. If you are prepared to invest half an hour, you are ready to receive around 70,000 Dollars or more.

That’s all you have to do!

This is real mone, which you can spend on everything you wish!

You can store all the money in your PayPal account, or transfer it to your bank account from there.

Is that not worth half an hour!!?? I guess so. Do you remember?

The example 12.5% above, assumes that 35 of the 40 people delete your email.

However, if you follow the plan correctly and send your E-Mail to the persons, the likelihood of those persons who will participate in it is approximately 25%, the example 12.5% is given only as the worst case.

Furthermore, the example is based on the fact that each participant sends out only 40 E-Mails.

Imagine what would happen if each participant sends out 1,000 emails instead of just 40!

Believe me, many people do this and send much more! I’m an example.

Consider the following! Millions of people surf the internet every day and worldwide! 80,000 new Internet registration every month!

The people who send you offers through emails are an excellent source to send back manually, or simply by using an Autoresponder. You can send e-mails to all your contacts, to business partners, etc.

Please do not send SPAM!

Invest 1 Dollar and 30 minutes of your time, but receive a substantial sum within a month. If you want to run this business continuously, you should have your own website, like this one, and advertise regularly, or have your emails sent regularly through various Paidmails services.

Of course, it would also make sense if you use many languages.

So I managed to stay in business for the last 2 years!

There is an infinite number of German and American Paidmail services that you can use to inexpensively send your e-mail, or promote your own copied website.

The possibilities are endless, and it’s that easy!

Unlike many other MLM programs, this 7-LEVEL PROGRAM only cost you 1 Dollar.

Only the first person on the list will receive your 1 Dollar gift, but everyone in the list will move up to position 1.

Because it’s so easy, the response speed is VERY HIGH and - FAST. And you start to see drastic results in less than two weeks! Remember, you only need to send 40 copies to start with.

40 emails are enough to get a substantial sum within 30 days.

For example, send to personal contacts and in response to people sending you their programs that like them already work on the net.

You know that this program works and you are already convinced about this system!

It will NOT be considered spam if you respond to offers from people who send you emails. So send your e-mail now (and/or create your own website like this one here) and prepare for a huge cash inflow within the next 30 days!!

4 factors that make this program so successful…

EXTREMELY FAST RESPONSE

EXTREMELY HIGH RESPONSE SPEED

UNLIMITED PROFIT POTENTIAL

FAST, EASY AND CHEAP TO START.

Because of the PRACTICAL ZERO INVESTMENT (only 1 Dollar), SPEED, and

HIGH PROFIT POTENTIAL, this program has a VERY HIGH SPEED!

Most email marketing campaigns have an average of 0.5% to 5%. However, this particular program usually produces a response rate of 20% and 30%. Why? Because this program is so easy to start, it costs almost nothing, it takes just 30 minutes, and the results can be seen within the next few days.

I have watched this type of MLM program for years, and this is the simplest and fastest that exists.

No stamps, no envelopes, no printing, no copies - just a little effort and a faith!!!

This program really keeps it “short and easy”!

UNLIMITED income potential!

This program is structured for everyone and only requires to send 40 emails.

Do not set the 40th limit. Send as many emails as you can. All 40 emails have a return of at least 20,000 - 30,000 Dollars WITHIN 100 DAYS.

So if you can send 50 E-Mails, 100 or whatever number, do it!

However, know that “sneaking” your name to a higher level of the list will NOT achieve the result.

Remember, the people in front of you have taken the trouble and deserve to be in their place.

So follow the guidelines, be honest and the money will come to you.

You may still be skeptical, just as I was initially, wondering if it really works. I have behind me everything going through your head right now, and I know how it feels.

But let’s be honest, I thought about what I really lost at that time;

30 minutes and 1 Dollar.

Is that not ridiculous?

I am more than happy today that I invested it.

But please follow the guidelines!

This program does not cost more than 1 Dollar and half an hour of your time, it will be a win-win for everybody if we all stick to the guidelines!

You now have the knowledge that will enable you to earn more than $70,000 within the next few weeks. The only thing that can hold you back right now is lack of faith or lack of self-belief. All the doubts you have right now will disappear within a few days after putting this plan into practice.

Trust me!

Some comments about https://www.paypal.com/, which you may find useful.

PayPal allows anyone with an email address to open an account and is the #1 online payment service in the world.

PayPal is used by more than 6 million eBay members as well as a number of online stores. You can finance your payments with your credit card or current account if you send money through PayPal. You do not have to worry about your privacy because PayPal keeps your billing information safe.

[the-fitsquad]

Dell Personal computer Corporation

In order to provide you with a compact pc, Dell manufacturers design and style laptops with all the internal elements placed closely collectively. A private laptop may be a desktop personal computer or a laptop, tablet, or a handheld Computer. At times a simple laptop cart will not suffice for your mobile office wants – that is when you may want to think about a mobile workstation. Offering a lot more versatile storage than standard laptop and computer carts, mobile workstations function tiered designs that offer specialized storage for keyboards, monitors, peripherals and more. Evetech Custom Workstations are developed for a wide-variety of technical, skilled, and scientific applications. As a designer, artist, editor, or developer, you demand the efficiency and energy of a high-finish workstation Computer. From CAD to Digital Content Creation and 3D Animation to Post Production, our workstations are ready to manage and improve your most essential and demanding skilled applications.

Yet another feature worth mentioning (or, actually, the lack of a single): The XPS 13 two-in-1 has no fans. Rather, it relies on passive cooling and a really efficient processor to manage heat. Given that I struggle with my MacBook Air’s fans every day, it was honestly refreshing not to hear continual whirring whenever I started stressing the system. The laptop certainly gets warm, specially on the bottom of its case, but it was never ever uncomfortably hot to hold in my lap. It appears like a small change at very first, but I’d envision a lot of shoppers would be into owning a fanless laptop.

A workstation is a unique laptop created for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be utilised by one individual at a time, they are generally connected to a neighborhood location network and run multi-user operating systems The term workstation has also been utilized loosely to refer to every little thing from a mainframe personal computer terminal to a Pc connected to a network , but the most typical type refers to the group of hardware presented by several present and defunct companies such as Sun Microsystems , Silicon Graphics , Apollo Computer , DEC , HP , Next and IBM which opened the door for the 3D graphics animation revolution of the late 1990s.

The term “workstation” is utilized to describe many different factors. The broadest definition of workstation is the complete area accessed by a worker when performing a specific job or job cycle. A somewhat a lot more restrictive definition of “workstation,” and 1 that has gained usage in the last twenty years is a terminal or personal pc (Computer), typically connected to a mainframe or to a network of computer systems. This definition grew out of the notion of the workstation as the station at which personal computer function is completed even though the work item may possibly be stored, and usually is, on a central mainframe method or on a network server. In colloquial usage the term workstation has evolved to imply any personal computer or terminal where operate is performed.

After upon a time (read: the 1990s), the difference among a true workstation Pc and a desktop or customer technique have been impossible to miss. Workstations weren’t just souped-up versions of customer systems with much more RAM or a larger-resolution show. They ran different operating systems, used different CPUs and graphics solutions this website, and had specialized hardware components that have been hard or, in some cases, impossible to match into a normal x86 consumer method. As the WinTel alliance gained industry share, these differences had been increasingly confined to niche hardware, till they all but vanished.

Choosing the appropriate keyboard is an essential part of designing your pc workstation. If you have the wrong keyboard setup appropriate now, your aching hands and wrists probably agree with the earlier statement. AVADirect has almost everything, from small type factor custom workstation computer systems to a single of the largest selections of custom element possibilities, making sure you can develop your new workstation Pc with the exact parts you want, just the way you want it. Decide on the greatest solution for you or your company, whether or not it really is a tower workstation, mini workstation, workstation laptop, an all-in-one particular workstation or a rack workstation.

This laptop workstation has a sleek and clean design that looks fantastic in any property office or laptop area, and incorporates a hidden cable management compartment. We have close partnerships with numerous leading producers which enables us to offer you laptops and merchandise at substantial discounts refurbished and checked by professionals, this includes Dell refurbished laptops, computers and notebooks. We also have HP, Samsung, Toshiba and other key brands accessible. We can deliver your Pc systems, servers, printers, monitors and parts quicker than other organizations in the UK and we provide tailor-made soon after-sales assistance.

Want your computer desk to match the rest of your residence? Here you can browse desks in a assortment of types, each contemporary and conventional. Our wooden desks come in a range of woods, such as pine, walnut and oak. You will also uncover more modern desk designs in black, white, metal or even glass. Your new pc desk will blend correct into your residence. Stop ergo issues that arise from every day pc use. Course focuses on suitable workstation setup and ergonomic work Practices Note: Eligible for a berry in Stanford’s BeWell Plan, credited quarterly. Berry credit is awarded one particular time only and completion is reflected once for the web course in STARS.

With an industrial pc workstation, mostly every little thing a worker needs to comprehensive or method a project is literally at his fingertips. Transforming a vast warehouse space that previously required workers to stroll thousands of footsteps all through the day into a hugely-effective, nicely-organized space with industrial computer workstations eliminates the time wasted walking around and increases the quantity of perform achieved by every single employee in the course of a shift. Further, with a mobile laptop workstation, an employee can save time, reduce methods, and enhance productivity by the convenience of taking his workstation with him – whether or not that be to a warehouse’s getting dock, a packing station, inventory aisles, or even the retail shop floor.

The Dell XPS 8900 series of organization computer systems has a single of the very best processors accessible, the Intel Core i7-6700 three.three-GHz processor. This processor has four cores. With hyper-threading, this processor has eight total threads of execution, which means that it is nearly like possessing eight cores. The difference among a quad-core processor with hyper-threading and 1 without having is like the distinction between an eight-lane highway versus a four-lane highway – a lot more data can pass by means of it. This is why the i7-6700 has a PassMark score of 11,000, which is the highest in our assessment. It’s easily capable of multitasking without experiencing a dip in overall performance.

A few hours later I get a phone get in touch with back from the guy (Indian) who says that I want to confirm that I am a genuine particular person. I give him my delivery address specifics and email address. He has an concern with my hotmail address (which is 1 that I’ve had for over 15 years and used to purchase all of my computers in the previous). Apparently since everyone can sign up for a hotmail account it is not very good sufficient to confirm that I am a genuine person. He wants me to send an email from my work address. I dispute this simply because I am purchasing this laptop for personal use. Sooner or later I give up and inform him that I’ll do this in the subsequent five minutes. I get an instant “out of workplace” reply back from the email address. No indication of whether my order has been moved out of the holding pattern it was presently in.

For my upgrade, I currently had a lot of the elements from my old method, and basically required to upgrade the core components – the motherboard and processor. I am a reasonably proficient Pc builder and type my personal IT help, so doing this was effectively within my skills. However, not everyone has the capacity or even the desire to get this “up close and individual” with their computer, so I set out to investigate what pre-construct and assistance services had been out there. My computer, my way is another on the internet guide that will help you make your Computer far more accessible. Straightforward to use sections give support on: Seeing your screen employing your keyboard and mouse, and help with language and reading.

From simple workstations to high finish command desks, we’ve got lots of furniture possibilities for your workplace, residence, or personal computer area, numerous with constructed-in cable management systems and numerous configurations to customize to your liking. We’ve also got workbenches, media carts, storage cabinets, shelving units, chairs, and even a desk with a built-in server rack. We have options for your IT labs, classrooms, warehouses, education facilities – wherever a comfy, organized workspace is preferred.

Filed under: Tagged: engineering, network from KelsusIT.com – Refurbished laptops, desktop computers , servers http://bit.ly/2laHAhl via IFTTT

[mediacalling]

25 Days, 25 Expert Social Media Growth Strategies [New Email Course for Marketers]

What’s working for you social media these days?

One of our goals at Buffer is to always be iterating and experimenting with what we do on social media and in marketing. Whether it’s cutting our posting frequency, curating content, or creating square videos, we’re always up for trying new strategies! Lots of times these experiments fail (and we learn valuable lessons) and other times they end up revealing great opportunities to grow.

So what are you experimenting with on social media this week? This month? This year?

We’d love to help with some ideas!

We’ve collected our 25 most effective social media growth strategies that have helped us move the needle over the past year. These tips and strategies are straight from our Buffer playbook and have helped people (including us) find great success on social media! We’re excited to deliver these strategies to you in a free daily email.

Join us for 25 days of social media growth strategies!

We’d count it an amazing privilege to share with you these strategies over the next several days. You can join for free by visiting the landing page below.

Join this course — 25 unique, social media growth strategies, delivered a day-at-a-time, for free!

We’ll send you one email per day, Monday through Friday, for the next 25 days.

All of the lessons contain detailed knowledge-packed information on how you can get started with that specific strategy immediately. These are real strategies, resources, and tips that we’re currently using here Buffer or that we have used in the recent past.

A huge shoutout to the amazing folks who are blazing trails on social media marketing and inspired many of the strategies that you will read about in this email course. Lots of them have been guests on the Buffer Podcast – The Science of Social Media!

Bonus: Many of the social media growth strategies include a short video tutorial!

Course preview

Here’s a quick look at what’s in store for our social media growth strategies course in the first 15 lessons:

The “Why” and the “How” behind social media marketing

The web’s top (free) social media content curation tool

Tools for creating videos on a budget

5 hidden Instagram marketing features

Must-have image creation tools for savvy marketers

The power of resharing content on Facebook

10 incredible stock photo websites to bookmark

Building your brand through content curation

Sell your product through educational screen recordings

Less is more with Facebook posting (preview below)

Understanding social media algorithms

6 time-saving social media tools

Social media analytics and benchmarking

5 secrets of successful video marketing

Strategies for sharing content across social media

Join our 25-day social media growth strategies course to see these lessons in detail and receive the remaining 10 lessons! 

A sample lesson

We’re excited to make sure that you get all of the information and takeaways you want from these emails and so I’m happy to share here a sample of one of the lessons from the course. Here’s lesson #10 (in-full) – Less is more with Facebook posting: (View full email in browser)

Less is more with Facebook posting In October of 2016 we dramatically changed our Facebook posting strategy.

A gradual, but noticeable shift in many social media algorithms and an influx of brand advertising on Facebook meant that it was important for us to either start experimenting or we’d continue to see a decline in organic reach and engagement.

We needed to make a change.

We cut our posting frequency by more than 50% on Facebook and began to truly focus on quality over quantity. What happened next, even the most optimistic social media manager couldn’t have expected:

Our Facebook reach and engagement began to increase even though we were posting less!

We’ve written a detailed breakdown on the impact this change has had on our Facebook results – But in the meantime, here’s a quick overview of our current Facebook strategy that we hope will help to spark some inspiration:

One or two posts per day maximum The main reason why I believe we’re seeing such a dramatic increase in reach and engagement is that we’re only posting one or two pieces of content per day on Facebook.

This serves two valuable purposes:

1. It forces us to only share the best of the best content because we literally have limited space 2. It allows the Facebook algorithm to focus on delivering one piece of content (vs. multiple) to our audience

Curated content Previously, we used to shy away from curated content because it didn’t directly affect the bottom-line: traffic, subscriptions, sales, etc.

However, sorting our Facebook posts by “Most Reach” shows exactly the impact it has had on our Page and growth: 7 of 11 of our most successful posts throughout the last 14 months are curated (not created by Buffer). These posts have combined to reach more than 750,000 people, averaging to about 107,000 people per post.

Curated content may not “directly” affect our bottom line, but it plays a significant role in reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares) and page growth.

Focusing on brand awareness and engagement Focusing on brand awareness and engagement vs. driving traffic to our website has become a staple of our strategy as well.

We’ve witnessed a shift in many social media networks over the last year. It used to be that brands and businesses could post links to their blog posts and watch the traffic flow in. And while that’s still the case for many publishers, savvy marketers can benefit from thinking about their content strategy as a whole – focusing on both direct traffic as well as engagement.

Posting content that aims to drive engagement only helps to build an activate Facebook audience. Then, right when you need them most, you can deliver a piece of brand content that will help move the bottom line.

Boosted Posts Last, but not least, I’d love to address how important Facebook boosted posts have been in increasing reach and engagement on our Page.

Currently, we spend roughly $40 per day boosting our best-performing content on Facebook.

Boosting posts takes content that’s already performing well and amplifies it on a huge scale. As that implies, the key is to focus on boosting great content, not necessarily posts that aren’t doing well and “forcing” them with advertising dollars.

You Can Do It Head over to your Facebook Analytics and calculate your average post engagement for the previous 7 days (total number of engagements / total number of posts).

Then, cut the number of times you post over the next 7 days by 50% and really focus on only posting your best content. Once 7 days is up, calculate your average post engagement again.

Did your engagement rate and total engagements go up or down? We’d love to hear!

Thanks for joining us, Brian & the Buffer Team

F.A.Q. – Frequently Asked Questions about this course

Does the course cost anything?

It’s 100% free!

We’re excited to give these strategies away in hopes that might be helpful for you and your social media marketing efforts.

Who is it for?

Everyone! It’s not tied to Buffer accounts at all, so both current Buffer users and yet-to-be Buffer users can join.

What happens at the end of the 25 days?

At the end of the 25-day course, we’d love to send you a congratulatory email (on a job well done!) plus details on where you can continue your education and connect with peers online. I’ll also be around to answer any follow-up questions you might have about the emails and subjects included in this course.

Will you be signing me up for other newsletters or lists, too?

Nope, we will not sign you up for other email lists without your express permission. Your email’s safe with us.

Help! I haven’t received my confirmation email yet!

If you can let us know the email you signed up with, I’d be happy to look you up in our system to see if all’s in working order. The first email should be headed your way shortly after signup, or first thing on Monday if you’ve signed up on the weekend. If you’re yet to see anything, I’d be very happy to investigate for you!

(Often times, some folks experience a bit more of a delay than others, depending on email service provider)

We’d love to invite you to join this course!

It would be awesome to have the opportunity to share these social media growth strategies and connect with you over the next 25 days.

If this course interests you at all, you can sign up directly online here!

We’re excited for the chance to share with you!

Feel free to leave any thoughts, questions, or comments here on the article, and I’ll hop right on them!

25 Days, 25 Expert Social Media Growth Strategies [New Email Course for Marketers] posted first on http://ift.tt/2qbaJ0t

[socialscooppage]

25 Days, 25 Expert Social Media Growth Strategies [New Email Course for Marketers]

What’s working for you social media these days?

One of our goals at Buffer is to always be iterating and experimenting with what we do on social media and in marketing. Whether it’s cutting our posting frequency, curating content, or creating square videos, we’re always up for trying new strategies! Lots of times these experiments fail (and we learn valuable lessons) and other times they end up revealing great opportunities to grow.

So what are you experimenting with on social media this week? This month? This year?

We’d love to help with some ideas!

We’ve collected our 25 most effective social media growth strategies that have helped us move the needle over the past year. These tips and strategies are straight from our Buffer playbook and have helped people (including us) find great success on social media! We’re excited to deliver these strategies to you in a free daily email.

Join us for 25 days of social media growth strategies!

We’d count it an amazing privilege to share with you these strategies over the next several days. You can join for free by visiting the landing page below.

Join this course — 25 unique, social media growth strategies, delivered a day-at-a-time, for free!

We’ll send you one email per day, Monday through Friday, for the next 25 days.

All of the lessons contain detailed knowledge-packed information on how you can get started with that specific strategy immediately. These are real strategies, resources, and tips that we’re currently using here Buffer or that we have used in the recent past.

A huge shoutout to the amazing folks who are blazing trails on social media marketing and inspired many of the strategies that you will read about in this email course. Lots of them have been guests on the Buffer Podcast – The Science of Social Media!

Bonus: Many of the social media growth strategies include a short video tutorial!

Course preview

Here’s a quick look at what’s in store for our social media growth strategies course in the first 15 lessons:

The “Why” and the “How” behind social media marketing

The web’s top (free) social media content curation tool

Tools for creating videos on a budget

5 hidden Instagram marketing features

Must-have image creation tools for savvy marketers

The power of resharing content on Facebook

10 incredible stock photo websites to bookmark

Building your brand through content curation

Sell your product through educational screen recordings

Less is more with Facebook posting (preview below)

Understanding social media algorithms

6 time-saving social media tools

Social media analytics and benchmarking

5 secrets of successful video marketing

Strategies for sharing content across social media

Join our 25-day social media growth strategies course to see these lessons in detail and receive the remaining 10 lessons! 

A sample lesson

We’re excited to make sure that you get all of the information and takeaways you want from these emails and so I’m happy to share here a sample of one of the lessons from the course. Here’s lesson #10 (in-full) – Less is more with Facebook posting: (View full email in browser)

Less is more with Facebook posting In October of 2016 we dramatically changed our Facebook posting strategy.

A gradual, but noticeable shift in many social media algorithms and an influx of brand advertising on Facebook meant that it was important for us to either start experimenting or we’d continue to see a decline in organic reach and engagement.

We needed to make a change.

We cut our posting frequency by more than 50% on Facebook and began to truly focus on quality over quantity. What happened next, even the most optimistic social media manager couldn’t have expected:

Our Facebook reach and engagement began to increase even though we were posting less!

We’ve written a detailed breakdown on the impact this change has had on our Facebook results – But in the meantime, here’s a quick overview of our current Facebook strategy that we hope will help to spark some inspiration:

One or two posts per day maximum The main reason why I believe we’re seeing such a dramatic increase in reach and engagement is that we’re only posting one or two pieces of content per day on Facebook.

This serves two valuable purposes:

1. It forces us to only share the best of the best content because we literally have limited space 2. It allows the Facebook algorithm to focus on delivering one piece of content (vs. multiple) to our audience

Curated content Previously, we used to shy away from curated content because it didn’t directly affect the bottom-line: traffic, subscriptions, sales, etc.

However, sorting our Facebook posts by “Most Reach” shows exactly the impact it has had on our Page and growth: 7 of 11 of our most successful posts throughout the last 14 months are curated (not created by Buffer). These posts have combined to reach more than 750,000 people, averaging to about 107,000 people per post.

Curated content may not “directly” affect our bottom line, but it plays a significant role in reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares) and page growth.

Focusing on brand awareness and engagement Focusing on brand awareness and engagement vs. driving traffic to our website has become a staple of our strategy as well.

We’ve witnessed a shift in many social media networks over the last year. It used to be that brands and businesses could post links to their blog posts and watch the traffic flow in. And while that’s still the case for many publishers, savvy marketers can benefit from thinking about their content strategy as a whole – focusing on both direct traffic as well as engagement.

Posting content that aims to drive engagement only helps to build an activate Facebook audience. Then, right when you need them most, you can deliver a piece of brand content that will help move the bottom line.

Boosted Posts Last, but not least, I’d love to address how important Facebook boosted posts have been in increasing reach and engagement on our Page.

Currently, we spend roughly $40 per day boosting our best-performing content on Facebook.

Boosting posts takes content that’s already performing well and amplifies it on a huge scale. As that implies, the key is to focus on boosting great content, not necessarily posts that aren’t doing well and “forcing” them with advertising dollars.

You Can Do It Head over to your Facebook Analytics and calculate your average post engagement for the previous 7 days (total number of engagements / total number of posts).

Then, cut the number of times you post over the next 7 days by 50% and really focus on only posting your best content. Once 7 days is up, calculate your average post engagement again.

Did your engagement rate and total engagements go up or down? We’d love to hear!

Thanks for joining us, Brian & the Buffer Team

F.A.Q. – Frequently Asked Questions about this course

Does the course cost anything?

It’s 100% free!

We’re excited to give these strategies away in hopes that might be helpful for you and your social media marketing efforts.

Who is it for?

Everyone! It’s not tied to Buffer accounts at all, so both current Buffer users and yet-to-be Buffer users can join.

What happens at the end of the 25 days?

At the end of the 25-day course, we’d love to send you a congratulatory email (on a job well done!) plus details on where you can continue your education and connect with peers online. I’ll also be around to answer any follow-up questions you might have about the emails and subjects included in this course.

Will you be signing me up for other newsletters or lists, too?

Nope, we will not sign you up for other email lists without your express permission. Your email’s safe with us.

Help! I haven’t received my confirmation email yet!

If you can let us know the email you signed up with, I’d be happy to look you up in our system to see if all’s in working order. The first email should be headed your way shortly after signup, or first thing on Monday if you’ve signed up on the weekend. If you’re yet to see anything, I’d be very happy to investigate for you!

(Often times, some folks experience a bit more of a delay than others, depending on email service provider)

We’d love to invite you to join this course!

It would be awesome to have the opportunity to share these social media growth strategies and connect with you over the next 25 days.

If this course interests you at all, you can sign up directly online here!

We’re excited for the chance to share with you!

Feel free to leave any thoughts, questions, or comments here on the article, and I’ll hop right on them!

25 Days, 25 Expert Social Media Growth Strategies [New Email Course for Marketers] posted first on http://ift.tt/2rAuuxO

[mariemary1]

25 Days, 25 Expert Social Media Growth Strategies [New Email Course for Marketers]

What’s working for you social media these days?

One of our goals at Buffer is to always be iterating and experimenting with what we do on social media and in marketing. Whether it’s cutting our posting frequency, curating content, or creating square videos, we’re always up for trying new strategies! Lots of times these experiments fail (and we learn valuable lessons) and other times they end up revealing great opportunities to grow.

So what are you experimenting with on social media this week? This month? This year?

We’d love to help with some ideas!

We’ve collected our 25 most effective social media growth strategies that have helped us move the needle over the past year. These tips and strategies are straight from our Buffer playbook and have helped people (including us) find great success on social media! We’re excited to deliver these strategies to you in a free daily email.

Join us for 25 days of social media growth strategies!

We’d count it an amazing privilege to share with you these strategies over the next several days. You can join for free by visiting the landing page below.

Join this course — 25 unique, social media growth strategies, delivered a day-at-a-time, for free!

We’ll send you one email per day, Monday through Friday, for the next 25 days.

All of the lessons contain detailed knowledge-packed information on how you can get started with that specific strategy immediately. These are real strategies, resources, and tips that we’re currently using here Buffer or that we have used in the recent past.

A huge shoutout to the amazing folks who are blazing trails on social media marketing and inspired many of the strategies that you will read about in this email course. Lots of them have been guests on the Buffer Podcast – The Science of Social Media!

Bonus: Many of the social media growth strategies include a short video tutorial!

Course preview

Here’s a quick look at what’s in store for our social media growth strategies course in the first 15 lessons:

The “Why” and the “How” behind social media marketing

The web’s top (free) social media content curation tool

Tools for creating videos on a budget

5 hidden Instagram marketing features

Must-have image creation tools for savvy marketers

The power of resharing content on Facebook

10 incredible stock photo websites to bookmark

Building your brand through content curation

Sell your product through educational screen recordings

Less is more with Facebook posting (preview below)

Understanding social media algorithms

6 time-saving social media tools

Social media analytics and benchmarking

5 secrets of successful video marketing

Strategies for sharing content across social media

Join our 25-day social media growth strategies course to see these lessons in detail and receive the remaining 10 lessons! 

A sample lesson

We’re excited to make sure that you get all of the information and takeaways you want from these emails and so I’m happy to share here a sample of one of the lessons from the course. Here’s lesson #10 (in-full) – Less is more with Facebook posting: (View full email in browser)

Less is more with Facebook posting In October of 2016 we dramatically changed our Facebook posting strategy.

A gradual, but noticeable shift in many social media algorithms and an influx of brand advertising on Facebook meant that it was important for us to either start experimenting or we’d continue to see a decline in organic reach and engagement.

We needed to make a change.

We cut our posting frequency by more than 50% on Facebook and began to truly focus on quality over quantity. What happened next, even the most optimistic social media manager couldn’t have expected:

Our Facebook reach and engagement began to increase even though we were posting less!

We’ve written a detailed breakdown on the impact this change has had on our Facebook results – But in the meantime, here’s a quick overview of our current Facebook strategy that we hope will help to spark some inspiration:

One or two posts per day maximum The main reason why I believe we’re seeing such a dramatic increase in reach and engagement is that we’re only posting one or two pieces of content per day on Facebook.

This serves two valuable purposes:

1. It forces us to only share the best of the best content because we literally have limited space 2. It allows the Facebook algorithm to focus on delivering one piece of content (vs. multiple) to our audience

Curated content Previously, we used to shy away from curated content because it didn’t directly affect the bottom-line: traffic, subscriptions, sales, etc.

However, sorting our Facebook posts by “Most Reach” shows exactly the impact it has had on our Page and growth: 7 of 11 of our most successful posts throughout the last 14 months are curated (not created by Buffer). These posts have combined to reach more than 750,000 people, averaging to about 107,000 people per post.

Curated content may not “directly” affect our bottom line, but it plays a significant role in reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares) and page growth.

Focusing on brand awareness and engagement Focusing on brand awareness and engagement vs. driving traffic to our website has become a staple of our strategy as well.

We’ve witnessed a shift in many social media networks over the last year. It used to be that brands and businesses could post links to their blog posts and watch the traffic flow in. And while that’s still the case for many publishers, savvy marketers can benefit from thinking about their content strategy as a whole – focusing on both direct traffic as well as engagement.

Posting content that aims to drive engagement only helps to build an activate Facebook audience. Then, right when you need them most, you can deliver a piece of brand content that will help move the bottom line.

Boosted Posts Last, but not least, I’d love to address how important Facebook boosted posts have been in increasing reach and engagement on our Page.

Currently, we spend roughly $40 per day boosting our best-performing content on Facebook.

Boosting posts takes content that’s already performing well and amplifies it on a huge scale. As that implies, the key is to focus on boosting great content, not necessarily posts that aren’t doing well and “forcing” them with advertising dollars.

You Can Do It Head over to your Facebook Analytics and calculate your average post engagement for the previous 7 days (total number of engagements / total number of posts).

Then, cut the number of times you post over the next 7 days by 50% and really focus on only posting your best content. Once 7 days is up, calculate your average post engagement again.

Did your engagement rate and total engagements go up or down? We’d love to hear!

Thanks for joining us, Brian & the Buffer Team

F.A.Q. – Frequently Asked Questions about this course

Does the course cost anything?

It’s 100% free!

We’re excited to give these strategies away in hopes that might be helpful for you and your social media marketing efforts.

Who is it for?

Everyone! It’s not tied to Buffer accounts at all, so both current Buffer users and yet-to-be Buffer users can join.

What happens at the end of the 25 days?

At the end of the 25-day course, we’d love to send you a congratulatory email (on a job well done!) plus details on where you can continue your education and connect with peers online. I’ll also be around to answer any follow-up questions you might have about the emails and subjects included in this course.

Will you be signing me up for other newsletters or lists, too?

Nope, we will not sign you up for other email lists without your express permission. Your email’s safe with us.

Help! I haven’t received my confirmation email yet!

If you can let us know the email you signed up with, I’d be happy to look you up in our system to see if all’s in working order. The first email should be headed your way shortly after signup, or first thing on Monday if you’ve signed up on the weekend. If you’re yet to see anything, I’d be very happy to investigate for you!

(Often times, some folks experience a bit more of a delay than others, depending on email service provider)

We’d love to invite you to join this course!

It would be awesome to have the opportunity to share these social media growth strategies and connect with you over the next 25 days.

If this course interests you at all, you can sign up directly online here!

We’re excited for the chance to share with you!

Feel free to leave any thoughts, questions, or comments here on the article, and I’ll hop right on them!

Thank 25 Days, 25 Expert Social Media Growth Strategies [New Email Course for Marketers] for first publishing this post.

[andrewdburton]

A brief guide to cybersecurity basics

Last Monday, I got an email from Spotify saying that somebody in Brazil had logged into my account.

I checked. Sure enough: A stranger was using my Spotify to listen to Michael Jackson. I told Spotify to “sign me out everywhere” — but I didn't change my password.

On Wednesday, it happened again. At 2 a.m., I got another email from Spotify. This time, my sneaky Brazilian friend was listening to Prince. And they apparently liked the looks of one of my playlists (“Funk Is Its Own Reward”), because they'd been listening to that too.

I signed out everywhere again, and this time I changed my password. And I made a resolution.

You see, I've done a poor job of implementing modern online security measures. Yes, I have my critical financial accounts locked down with two-factor authentification, etc., but mostly I'm sloppy when it comes to cybersecurity.

For example, I re-use passwords. I still use passwords from thirty years ago for low-security situations (such as signing up for a wine club or a business loyalty program). And while I've begun creating strong (yet easy to remember) passwords for more important accounts, these passwords all follow a pattern and they're not randomized. Worst of all, I maintain a 20-year-old plain text document in which I store all of my sensitive personal information.

This is dumb. Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.

I know it's dumb, but I've never bothered to make changes — until now. Now, for a variety of reasons, I feel like it's time for me to make my digital life a little more secure. I spent several hours over the weekend locking things down. Here's how.

A Brief Guide to Cybersecurity

Co-incidentally, the very same day that my Spotify account was being used to stream Prince's greatest hits in Brazil, a Reddit user named /u/ACheetoBandito posted a guide to cybersecurity in /r/fatFIRE. How convenient!

“Cybersecurity is a critical component of financial security, but rarely discussed in personal finance circles,” /u/ACheetoBandito wrote. “Note that cybersecurity practitioners disagree over best practices for personal cybersecurity. This is my perspective, as I have some expertise in the area.”

I won't reproduce the entire post here — you should definitely go read it, if this subject is important to you — but I will list the bullet-point summary along with some of my own thoughts. Our orange-fingered friend recommends that anyone concerned about cybersecurity take the following steps:

Get at least two hardware-based security keys. My pal Robert Farrington (from The College Investor) uses the YubiKey. Google offers its Titan Security Key. (I ordered the YubiKey 5c nano because of its minimal form factor.)

Set up a secret private email account. Your private email address should not be linked in any way to your public email, and the address should be given to no one. (I already have many public email accounts, but I didn't have a private address. I do now.)

Turn on Advanced Protection for both your public and private gmail accounts. Advanced Protection is a free security add-on from Google. Link this to the security keys you acquired in step one. (I haven't set this up because my security keys won't arrive until this afternoon.)

Set up a password manager. Which password manager you choose is up to you. The key is to pick one that you'll use. It's best if this app supports your new security keys for authentification. (I'll cover a few options in the next section of this article.)

Generate new passwords for all accounts. Manually create memorable passwords for your email addresses, your computers (and mobile devices), and for the password manager itself. All other passwords should be strong passwords generated randomly by the password manager.

Associate critical accounts with your new private email address. This will include financial accounts, such as your banks, brokerages, and credit cards. But it could include other accounts too. (I'll use my private email address for core services related to this website, for instance.)

Turn on added security measures for all accounts. Available features will vary from provider to provider, but generally speaking you should be able to activate two-factor authentification (with the security keys, whenever possible) and login alerts.

Turn on text/email alerts for financial accounts. You may also want to turn on alerts for changes to your credit score and/or credit report.

Activate security measures on your mobile devices. Your phone should be locked by a strong authorization measure. And each of your individual financial apps should be locked down with a password and any other possible security measures.

/u/ACheetoBandito recommends some additional, optional security measures. (And that entire Reddit discussion thread is filled with great security tips.)

You might want to freeze your credit (although, if you do, remember that you'll occasionally need to un-freeze your credit to make financial transactions). Some folks will want to encrypt their phones and hard drives. And if you're very concerned about security, purchase a cheap Chromebook and use this as the only device on which you perform financial transactions. (Believe it or not, I'm taking this last optional step. It makes sense to me — and it may be a chance for me to move beyond Quicken.)

Exploring the Best Password Managers

Okay, great! I've ordered a new $150 Chromebook and two hardware-based security keys. I've set up a brand-new, top-secret email address, which I'll connect to any account that needs added security. But I still haven't tackled the weakest point in the process: my text document filled with passwords.

Part of the problem is complacency. My system is simple and I like it. But another part of the problem is analysis paralysis. There are a lot of password managers out there, and I have no idea how to differentiate between them, to figure out which one is right for me and my needs.

For help, I asked my Facebook friends to list the best password managers. I downloaded and installed each of their suggestions, then I jotted down some initial impressions.

LastPass: 16 votes (2 from tech nerds) — LastPass was by far the most popular password manager among my Facebook friends. People love it. I installed it and poked around, and it seems…okay. The interface is a little clunky and the feature set seems adequate (but not robust). The app uses the easy-to-understand “vault” metaphor, which I like. LastPass is free (with premium options available for added cost).

1Password: 7 votes (4 from tech nerds) — This app has similar features to Bitwarden or LastPass. The interface is nice enough, and it seems to provide security alerts. 1Password costs $36/year.

Bitwarden: 4 votes (2 from tech nerds) — Bitwarden has a simple, easy-to-understand interface. It uses the same “vault” metaphor that products like LastPass and 1Password use. It's a strong contender to become the tool I use. Bitwarden is free. For $10 per year, you can add premium security features.

KeePass: 2 votes — KeePass is a free Open Source password manager. There are KeePass installs available for all major computer and mobile operating systems. If you're a Linux nut (or an Open Source advocate), this might be a good choice. I don't like its limited functionality and its terrible interface. KeePass is free.

Dashlane: 2 votes — Of all the password managers I looked at, Dashlane has the nicest interface and the most features. Like many of these tools, it uses the “vault” metaphor, but it allows you to store more things in this vault than other tools do. (You can store ID info — driver license, passport — for instance. There's also a spot to store receipts.) Dashlane has a free basic option but most folks will want the $60/year premium option. (There's also a $120/year option that includes credit monitoring and ID theft insurance.)

Blur: 1 vote — Blur is different than most password managers. It quite literally tries to blur your online identity. It prevents web browsers from tracking you, masks email addresses and credit cards and phone numbers, and (or course) manages passwords. I want some features that Blur doesn't have — and don't want some of the features it does have. Blur costs a minimum of $39/year but that price can become much higher.

Apple Keychain: 1 vote — Keychain has been Apple's built-in password manager since 1999. As such, it's freely available on Apple devices. Most Mac and iOS folks use Keychain without even realizing it. It's not really robust enough to do anything other than store passwords, so I didn't give it serious consideration. Keychain is free and comes installed on Apple products.

Let me be clear: I made only a cursory examination of these password managers. I didn't dive deep. If I tried to compare every feature of every password manager, I'd never choose. I'd get locked into analysis paralysis again. So, I gave each a quick once-over and made a decision based on gut and intuition.

Of these tools, two stood out: Bitwarden and Dashlane. Both sport nice interfaces and plenty of features. Both tools offer free versions, but I'd want to upgrade to a paid premium plan in order to gain access to two-factor authentification (using my new hardware security keys) and security monitoring. This is where Bitwarden has a big advantage. It's only $10 per year. To get the same features, Dashlane is $60/year.

But here's the thing.

I started actually using both of these tools at the same time, entering my website passwords one by one. I stopped after entering ten sites into each. It was clear that I vastly preferred using Dashlane to Bitwarden. It just works in a way that makes sense to me. (Your experience might be different.) So, for a little while at least, I'm going to use Dashlane as my password manager.

The Problem with Passwords

My primary motive for using a password manager is to get my sensitive information out of a plain text document and into something more secure. But I have a secondary motive: I want to improve the strength of my passwords.

When I started using the internet — back in the 1980s, before the advent of the World Wide Web — I didn't spare a thought for password strength. The first password I created (in 1989) was simply the name of my friend who let me use his computer to access the local Bulletin Board Systems. I used that password for years on everything from email accounts to bank sites. I still consider it my “low security” password for things that aren't critical.

I have maybe eight or ten passwords like this: short, simple passwords that I've used in dozens of locations. For the past five years, I've tried to move to unique passwords for each site, passwords that follow a pattern. While these are an improvement, they're still not great. Like I say, they follow a pattern. And while they contain letters, numbers, and symbols, they're all relatively short.

As you might expect, my sloppy password protocol has created something of a security nightmare. Here's a screenshot from the Google Password Checkup tool for one of my accounts.

I get similar results for all of my Google accounts. Yikes.

Plus, there's the problem of account sharing.

Kim and I share a Netflix account. And an Amazon account. And a Hulu account. And an iTunes account. In fact, we probably share twenty or thirty accounts. She and I use the same easy-to-remember password for all of these sign-ins. While none of these accounts are super sensitive, what we're doing is still a poor idea.

So, I want to begin moving toward more secure passwords — even for the accounts I share with Kim.

The good news is that most password managers — including Dashlane — will auto-generate randomized passwords for you. Or I could try something similar to the idea suggested in this XKCD comic:

The trouble, of course, is that each place has different requirements for passwords. Some require numbers. Some require symbols. Some say no symbols. And so on. I don't know of any sites that would let me use four random common words for a password!

For now, I'm going to take a three-pronged approach:

I'll manually create long (but memorable) passwords for my most critical accounts. This is the XKCD method.

For the accounts I share with Kim — Netflix, etcetera — I'll create new, memorable passwords that follow a pattern.

For everything else, I'll let my password manager generate random passwords.

This seems like a good balance between usability and security. Every password will be different. Only the ones I share with Kim will be short; all others will be long. And most of my new passwords will be random gibberish.

Final Thoughts on Cybersecurity

In this short video from Tech Insider, a former National Security Agency security expert shares his top five tips for protecting yourself online.

You'll note that these are similar to the Reddit cybersecurity guide I posted earlier in this article. Here are the steps he says to take to keep yourself safe:

Enable two-factor authentification whenever possible.

Don't use the same password everywhere.

Keep your operating system (and software) up to date.

Be careful with what you post to social media.

Do not share personal information unless you're certain you're dealing with a trusted company or person.

I won't pretend that the steps I'm taking will protect me completely. But my new system is certainly an upgrade from what I've been doing for the past 20+ years — which was, as I've mentioned, dumb dumb dumb.

And I have to confess: I like the idea of restricting my online financial life to one computer — the new $150 Chromebook. I'm not sure if this is actually doable, but I'm going to give it a go. If this works, then I may see if I can find a money-management tool that I like for the machine. Maybe then I can finally leave Quicken 2007 for Mac behind!

What have I missed? What steps have you taken to protect your online accounts? Which do you feel is the best password manager? How do you create memorable, secure passwords? How do you handle shared accounts? Help other GRS readers — and me! — develop better online security practices.

The post A brief guide to cybersecurity basics appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/cybersecurity-basics/ via http://www.rssmix.com/