#Chat Applications

[inkskinned]

i have chronic pain. i am neurodivergent. i understand - deeply - the allure of a "quick fix" like AI. i also just grew up in a different time. we have been warned about this.

15 entire years ago i heard about this. in my forensics class in high school, we watched a documentary about how AI-based "crime solving" software was inevitably biased against people of color.

my teacher stressed that AI is like a book: when someone writes it, some part of the author will remain within the result. the internet existed but not as loudly at that point - we didn't know that AI would be able to teach itself off already-biased Reddit threads. i googled it: yes, this bias is still happening. yes, it's just as bad if not worse.

i can't actually stop you. if you wanna use ChatGPT to slide through your classes, that's on you. it's your money and it's your time. you will spend none of it thinking, you will learn nothing, and, in college, you will piss away hundreds of thousands of dollars. you will stand at the podium having done nothing, accomplished nothing. a cold and bitter pyrrhic victory.

i'm not even sure students actually read the essays or summaries or emails they have ChatGPT pump out. i think it just flows over them and they use the first answer they get. my brother teaches engineering - he recently got fifty-three copies of almost-the-exact-same lab reports. no one had even changed the wording.

and yes: AI itself (as a concept and practice) isn't always evil. there's AI that can help detect cancer, for example. and yet: when i ask my students if they'd be okay with a doctor that learned from AI, many of them balk. it is one thing if they don't read their engineering textbook or if they don't write the critical-thinking essay. it's another when it starts to affect them. they know it's wrong for AI to broad-spectrum deny insurance claims, but they swear their use of AI is different.

there's a strange desire to sort of divorce real-world AI malpractice over "personal use". for example, is it moral to use AI to write your cover letters? cover letters are essentially only templates, and besides: AI is going to be reading your job app, so isn't it kind of fair?

i recently found out that people use AI as a romantic or sexual partner. it seems like teenagers particularly enjoy this connection, and this is one of those "sticky" moments as a teacher. honestly - you can roast me for this - but if it was an actually-safe AI, i think teenagers exploring their sexuality with a fake partner is amazing. it prevents them from making permanent mistakes, it can teach them about their bodies and their desires, and it can help their confidence. but the problem is that it's not safe. there isn't a well-educated, sensitive AI specifically to help teens explore their hormones. it's just internet-fed cycle. who knows what they're learning. who knows what misinformation they're getting.

the most common pushback i get involves therapy. none of us have access to the therapist of our dreams - it's expensive, elusive, and involves an annoying amount of insurance claims. someone once asked me: are you going to be mad when AI saves someone's life?

therapists are not just trained on the book, they're trained on patient management and helping you see things you don't see yourself. part of it will involve discomfort. i don't know that AI is ever going to be able to analyze the words you feed it and answer with a mind towards the "whole person" writing those words. but also - if it keeps/kept you alive, i'm not a purist. i've done terrible things to myself when i was at rock bottom. in an emergency, we kind of forgive the seatbelt for leaving bruises. it's just that chat shouldn't be your only form of self-care and recovery.

and i worry that the influence chat has is expanding. more and more i see people use chat for the smallest, most easily-navigated situations. and i can't like, make you worry about that in your own life. i often think about how easy it was for social media to take over all my time - how i can't have a tiktok because i spend hours on it. i don't want that to happen with chat. i want to enjoy thinking. i want to enjoy writing. i want to be here. i've already really been struggling to put the phone down. this feels like another way to get you to pick the phone up.

the other day, i was frustrated by a book i was reading. it's far in the series and is about a character i resent. i googled if i had to read it, or if it was one of those "in between" books that don't actually affect the plot (you know, one of those ".5" books). someone said something that really stuck with me - theoretically you're reading this series for enjoyment, so while you don't actually have to read it, one would assume you want to read it.

i am watching a generation of people learn they don't have to read the thing in their hand. and it is kind of a strange sort of doom that comes over me: i read because it's genuinely fun. i learn because even though it's hard, it feels good. i try because it makes me happy to try. and i'm watching a generation of people all lay down and say: but i don't want to try.

[excellisit]

Building Chat Applications with Laravel Echo: A Guide to Real-Time Interactivity

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, the demand for real-time communication features has surged, giving rise to the need for robust and efficient solutions. Laravel Echo, a powerful tool integrated into the Laravel framework, emerges as a key player in facilitating real-time interactions, particularly in the realm of chat applications. A leading web development company in Kolkata provides professional services on building chat applications with Laravel Echo. 

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the fundamentals of Laravel Echo, its integration with Laravel Broadcasting, and how developers can leverage this dynamic duo to build engaging and responsive chat applications.

Understanding Laravel Echo and Broadcasting

Laravel Echo: The Voice of Real-Time Web Applications

Introduction to Laravel Echo:

Laravel Echo is a JavaScript library that simplifies the implementation of real-time features in web applications. It serves as the bridge between your Laravel back end and the front end, allowing seamless communication and data synchronization.

Features and Benefits:

Event Listening: Laravel Echo enables the listening for specific events broadcasted by the server, such as new messages or user updates.

Broadcasting Channels: It provides a straightforward way to subscribe to and broadcast events on channels, facilitating organized communication.

WebSocket Integration: Laravel Echo seamlessly integrates with WebSocket protocols, ensuring low-latency, real-time updates.

Laravel Broadcasting: Broadcasting Events to Multiple Clients

Introduction to Laravel Broadcasting:

Laravel Broadcasting is the Laravel framework's built-in solution for real-time event broadcasting. It utilizes various broadcasting drivers, including Pusher, Redis, and more, to broadcast events to multiple clients simultaneously.

Event Broadcasting Workflow:

Event Creation: Define events that should trigger real-time communication, such as a new chat message or user activity.

Event Broadcasting: Laravel Broadcasting broadcasts these events to subscribed clients through a selected broadcasting driver.

Client-Side Listening: Laravel Echo on the client side listens for these events, triggering actions based on the received data.

Building a Real-Time Chat Application with Laravel Echo

Unveiling the synergy of Laravel Echo and Laravel Broadcasting, this guide empowers developers to craft engaging chat experiences that transcend traditional communication boundaries. 

From setting up real-time events to implementing presence channels and optimizing the chat interface, join us in exploring the intricacies of Laravel Echo as we bring the immediacy of real-time interactions to the forefront of web development.

Setting Up Laravel Broadcasting: 

Installation and Configuration

Install Laravel Echo and a broadcasting driver of your choice (e.g., Pusher, Redis).

Configure Laravel to use the chosen broadcasting driver in the broadcasting.php configuration file.

Creating Chat Events

Event Creation:

Generate an event class for chat messages using the php artisan make:event command.

Define the necessary properties within the event class, such as the sender, message content, and timestamp.

Broadcasting the Event:

Implement the ShouldBroadcast interface in the event class to indicate that it should be broadcast.

Laravel automatically handles broadcasting the event when triggered.

Broadcasting Chat Messages

Server-Side Broadcasting:

When a new chat message is created, broadcast the chat event using Laravel's event system.

Laravel Broadcasting takes care of pushing the event data to the selected broadcasting driver.

Client-Side Listening:

On the client side, use Laravel Echo to listen for the chat event.

Define actions to take when the event is received, such as updating the chat interface with the new message.

Implementing Presence Channels

Introduction to Presence Channels:

Presence channels in Laravel allow you to track the presence of users in real-time.

Useful for displaying online users, typing indicators, or other presence-related features in a chat application.

Setting Up Presence Channels:

Define presence channels in Laravel Echo and configure the back end to authorize users to join these channels.

Update the front end to display real-time presence information.

Optimizing and Enhancing the Chat Experience

Discover how to seamlessly integrate real-time features, implement presence channels, and employ innovative strategies. It helps developers create a dynamic and immersive chat environment that goes beyond conventional expectations, providing users with an enriched and interactive communication experience.

Authentication and Authorization

User Authentication:

Authenticate users within your Laravel application.

Laravel Echo automatically binds the authenticated user's ID to the broadcasted events.

Authorization for Channels:

Implement channel authorization to ensure that users can only access channels they are authorized to join.

Laravel Echo provides mechanisms to handle this authorization seamlessly.

Implementing Typing Indicators

Real-Time Typing Notifications:

Extend the chat application by implementing real-time typing indicators.

Broadcast typing events when users start or stop typing, updating the interface for all connected users.

Storing and Retrieving Chat History

Database Integration:

Store chat messages in the database to ensure persistence and enable retrieval of chat history.

Implement methods to fetch and display chat history on the client side.

Security Considerations

Secure Broadcasting:

Implement secure practices, such as using HTTPS and securing broadcasting channels, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted data.

Data Validation:

Implement robust validation for incoming chat messages to prevent security vulnerabilities.

Conclusion: Elevating Interactivity with Laravel Echo

In conclusion, Laravel Echo emerges as a game-changer for developers seeking to enhance their web applications with real-time interactivity. Whether you're building a chat application, collaborative tools, or live update features, Laravel Echo, in tandem with Laravel Broadcasting, provides a seamless and efficient solution. By following the outlined steps and considerations, developers can empower their applications with the dynamic responsiveness users crave in today's digital landscape. A leading web development company in Kolkata also helps build chat applications with Laravel Echo. Laravel Echo opens the door to a new era of user engagement, where real-time communication is not just a feature but a cornerstone of modern web development.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

alternate apocalypse ending or something who the hcrist knows anymore

[notedchampagne]

i love and respect butch lesbians so much. i hope they bite and infect me

turned off reblogs because radfems got to this post. get fucking away!!

[glitchedmagic]

Etho looking up is what gave the game away. 

He had that look in his eyes. Cautious and alert and just the right amount of paranoid. He opened his mouth to call a warning—

Tango was moving before he even processed anything else and the explosion that would have killed him instead just launched him forward, where he hit the grass and rolled up onto one knee, reaching for a sword he didn’t have. 

Bdubs shouted something. Cub groaned. 

Those damned red names couldn’t give him a moment’s peace—

Tango blinked. Red names? This was Hermitcraft. It had been months since the last life game. 

But he looked up to the top of his now-ruined cliff and there was Cub, another TNT minecart in hand and Tango swore he saw a flash of red. 

It was gone as quickly as it appeared. Bdubs negotiated a fishing tournament, Cub ran off and reappeared in brightly dyed leather armor and a fish mask (that obscured his eyes, Tango noted). Scar joined them and there was peace and fishing for a while. 

He sat on the grass next to Etho, his tail flicking lazily through the air as he watched his bobber. Etho had his feet in the water and looked to the casual observer like the picture of serene. 

Tango wasn’t the casual observer. 

He’d seen Etho sit just like this on the edge of a fortress of snow, dark oak tree at his back, watching the world around him. Later, he’d joined Etho on a narrow bridge a hundred blocks in the sky, watching the ants below plant wheat on a dumb bridge. And most recently, they’d sat by a river and listened to Bdubs chatter in the distance, and waited for the chaos to resume. 

“Your fishing rod is smoking.” Etho said softly. 

Tango dropped it and… yep. There were clear marks from his claws burned into the handle. 

Etho splashed a bit of water onto it and the smoke was whisked away on the wind. 

“Whoops,” Tango tried to laugh it off and reached into a pocket for his fireproof gloves. “You know, fishing is intense and all that.”

Etho looked at him for a long, soul-exposing minute. Then he turned back to his bobber and said, “This isn’t the life games, ya know.”

“I know—“ 

“But whatever is going on, it’s not that different.” Etho finished, his voice at a volume for only the two of them to hear. “And if Cub’s already breaking out TNT minecarts around people’s builds…”

“We’ve been thrown right into the end game.” Tango agreed. “What can we even do about it, though?”

“The exact same thing you do on the life series. Survive. Keep on your toes. Distract and deflect when you can, run when you can’t. Have back up plans and alliances and know that at the end of the day, the only person you can trust is yourself.”

“That’s…” Tango let out a breath. His attention had long since left fishing. “How have you not won yet?”

“I don’t know. I certainly deserve it,” Etho laughed. 

“Humble today, aren’t you?”

The two of them fell into silence. Bdubs and Scar were bickering somewhere behind them, something about horses. Scar laughed loudly and Tango wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, or if the laugh was a little more maniacal than usual. 

He glanced over his shoulder to where Cub was standing, fishing rod in hand, and posture stiff. With the mask, it was impossible to tell where his attention was focused. 

A fish tugged on his line and Tango started to reel it in, feeling it fight against the pull. He let out a low breath, settling his fire. “I think I need to start carrying a sword.”

Etho just hummed in agreement.

[okthatsgreat]

i think its important i let this job application know that im a total bitch and just overall terrible to be around. do you think theyll hire me despite this

[irrealisms]

hi! yr probably not lookin for asks anymore, but. what's your lifesteal elevator pitch? i know absolutely nothing abt it or any of the folks on the server except the vague things i've absorbed frm reading yr analysis as it crosses my dash, but it compels me, etc.+ also merry christmas! <33 🎄🌟

good news: i am always looking for asks

bad news: my parents DID go to sleep and i was able to wrap presents and put them beneath the tree and so on, so i wasn't going to do more asks tonight

good news again: i actually already have a lifesteal pitch. in a google doc. bc i'm normal

the pitch does assume you're basically already into mcrp and just curious about lifesteal in specific BUT we went to dsmp together so this works out

I really love shitty little tryhards causing problems via impressive feats of minecraft, and lifesteal is full of those. if you like people being good at minecraft, I really recommend lifesteal--in s2, clownpierce was top 50 worldwide at crystal pvp, and now he's washed and in s6 there are 2-3 (depending on who you ask) lifestealers who are better than him at pvp (admittedly maybe not at crystal); in s4, there's some stuff that's impressive in ~vanilla (eg parrot wins a 1v1 while on one heart) and some stuff that's impressive through exploits/social stuff (eg a group of people use a glitch + social engineering to get /op and prove to mojang that the glitch is a security issue that needs patched). every season is like this! lifestealers have backdoored the server 3 seasons in a row (s3-5). for a more recent weird Lifestealer Behavior, rekrap and jumper filled in every end portal room and built new fake ones to make it look like the world glitched and generated without them. lifesteal is weird and constantly coming up with new weird yet impressive things to do. a lot of stuff that's currently banned on lifesteal (F3+A, pie ray) are things i only learned were possible from lifesteal. (on the flip side i'd say: if you are not into shitty little tryhards making weird impressive clickbait, you probably won't like lifesteal, although you may still like hearing about it from time to time.)

related to them being shitty little tryhards causing problems: the rules are...more of a suggestion. getting around the rules, and hiding from the server owner and/or other players that you're doing so, is often part of the fun of lifesteal! (see also the thing where i mentioned that it's been backdoored three seasons in a row.) if that's intriguing: check it out. if not: once again, you have been warned.

lifesteal absolutely has lore and some people roleplay on it, there is nonzero c/cc divide, but it's more like traffic life than, say, late dsmp--it's fully improv, not scripted, and even more than traffic life it is genuinely adversarial. you can sometimes be confident that someone is in character but you can never be sure if someone is out of character, on lifesteal-- things like "going to someone's house irl to turn off their computer" or "lying about your homework/school/sleep schedule" or "changing your entire discord layout so that when you DM someone they think you're someone else" or "claiming you need their footage of an event for your video when actually you just want to see where their spawn point is" are all things that have been done on lifesteal that are considered fair game! everything on lifesteal is real; sometimes this goes well, sometimes it doesn't, but both are interesting to see imo because they are real

partially for this reason and partially for other reasons, lifesteal is fascinating to me as a piece of unique storytelling? a lot of mcyt is doing interesting things with its medium and being improv, lifesteal's not fully unique in that, but definitely if you like that you might like lifesteal. along with the improv, there's the fact that many lifestealers lie about what actually happened in their videos (comparing different videos with the vods, or in some cases with "what people say in various vods" when events weren't streamed, gives some fascinating insights imo--how do people frame their stories? how honest are they? what do they blatantly lie about, what do they gloss over or omit, what do they include in full? who, if anyone, do they see as the heroes or villains? whose videos agree with each other, and whose present a totally different story?), and the fact that conflict about "where do we want the story to go next, what do we think would be an interesting video/the best ending" is often the driving motive for in-character wars and conflicts! if you're interested at all in lifesteal and storytelling, check out barrier blocks part 2 by @mering/@myrmica, which is a deep dive on eclipse federation and the end of lifesteal s4 (those are my special guys); it dips into some academic game studies and it's really, really good. i genuinely cannot recommend it highly enough. (part one is also real good for non-lifesteal-specific discussion of mcrp!)

if you want a more specific plot summary (esp of s4) and/or "how do i actually, like, watch this" (of any seasons): hmu! but that's my pitch. also, read barrier blocks

[secretly-a-trekkie]

when is it my turn to die tragically in a fictional universe and have people write fanfiction about me

[project-rereverse]

Applications Now Open!!

We’re thrilled to announce that applications for Project Re:reverse are now open for both artists and writers! Artists Click Here Writers Click Here We're looking for passionate creators to join our team as we push forward with the webcomic. Artists, we’re looking for your portfolios— show us your best work in character designs, backgrounds, and comic art. Writers, we want to see your writing samples that highlight your skills in dialogue, character development, and storytelling. This is your chance to collaborate with a passionate team and help bring our webcomic to life! Need help? DM this account, or reach out to our owners @wernon or @ohopalsunrise !!

Submit your application today and join the team!!

[shaadowmilkcookie]

doodle to keep me going.. i miss them… primotalii (oc) likes just dance bc he likes moving around!!! shadow milk likes mario party because he likes to hurt people.

playing a game of cards with either of them is probably horrifying….. spiritual near death experience. primotalii unintentionally has a really good poker face bc be locks the fuck in so hard his face barely twitches 😭

[painterofhorizons]

Psst.

There's this job listing with my old employer that I totally really badly want.

I'm also totally really badly not qualified for said job. So it's also super duper scary.

But I think I'm gonna apply anyways.

[mlbigbang]

Writers!! Don’t miss out!

Remember to fill in the writer’s application form. Apply before 1 June!

Read more:

FAQ | Schedule | Mods | Rules

[irlnorthshaw]

voices in the back of my mind finally found its way... transmasc skarra and that probably being the reason why he doesn't live w family

also random detour for a sec. there's this person going around commenting under my sharra videos replying to other people that they're COUSINS??? don't make me laugh bro 😭😭

[xxplastic-cubexx]

idk the consensus on the last stand but old man charles and erik rolling up to lil ol young jean gray's home and sitting down with her like two old men about to adopt their daughter .. it makes my brain happy at the very least

[itsybitsybatsyspider]

your honor? Im going to lose it

[nando161mando]

Being ghosted would be better than this