#Facebook Customer Support Number

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Your car spies on you and rats you out to insurance companies

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TOMORROW (Mar 13) in SAN FRANCISCO with ROBIN SLOAN, then Toronto, NYC, Anaheim, and more!

Another characteristically brilliant Kashmir Hill story for The New York Times reveals another characteristically terrible fact about modern life: your car secretly records fine-grained telemetry about your driving and sells it to data-brokers, who sell it to insurers, who use it as a pretext to gouge you on premiums:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/carmakers-driver-tracking-insurance.html

Almost every car manufacturer does this: Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, Chrysler, etc etc:

https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2020/09/09/ford-state-farm-ford-metromile-honda-verisk-among-insurer-oem-telematics-connections/

This is true whether you own or lease the car, and it's separate from the "black box" your insurer might have offered to you in exchange for a discount on your premiums. In other words, even if you say no to the insurer's carrot – a surveillance-based discount – they've got a stick in reserve: buying your nonconsensually harvested data on the open market.

I've always hated that saying, "If you're not paying for the product, you're the product," the reason being that it posits decent treatment as a customer reward program, like the little ramekin warm nuts first class passengers get before takeoff. Companies don't treat you well when you pay them. Companies treat you well when they fear the consequences of treating you badly.

Take Apple. The company offers Ios users a one-tap opt-out from commercial surveillance, and more than 96% of users opted out. Presumably, the other 4% were either confused or on Facebook's payroll. Apple – and its army of cultists – insist that this proves that our world's woes can be traced to cheapskate "consumers" who expected to get something for nothing by using advertising-supported products.

But here's the kicker: right after Apple blocked all its rivals from spying on its customers, it began secretly spying on those customers! Apple has a rival surveillance ad network, and even if you opt out of commercial surveillance on your Iphone, Apple still secretly spies on you and uses the data to target you for ads:

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

Even if you're paying for the product, you're still the product – provided the company can get away with treating you as the product. Apple can absolutely get away with treating you as the product, because it lacks the historical constraints that prevented Apple – and other companies – from treating you as the product.

As I described in my McLuhan lecture on enshittification, tech firms can be constrained by four forces:

I. Competition

II. Regulation

III. Self-help

IV. Labor

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

When companies have real competitors – when a sector is composed of dozens or hundreds of roughly evenly matched firms – they have to worry that a maltreated customer might move to a rival. 40 years of antitrust neglect means that corporations were able to buy their way to dominance with predatory mergers and pricing, producing today's inbred, Habsburg capitalism. Apple and Google are a mobile duopoly, Google is a search monopoly, etc. It's not just tech! Every sector looks like this:

https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/learn/monopoly-by-the-numbers

Eliminating competition doesn't just deprive customers of alternatives, it also empowers corporations. Liberated from "wasteful competition," companies in concentrated industries can extract massive profits. Think of how both Apple and Google have "competitively" arrived at the same 30% app tax on app sales and transactions, a rate that's more than 1,000% higher than the transaction fees extracted by the (bloated, price-gouging) credit-card sector:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/07/curatorial-vig/#app-tax

But cartels' power goes beyond the size of their warchest. The real source of a cartel's power is the ease with which a small number of companies can arrive at – and stick to – a common lobbying position. That's where "regulatory capture" comes in: the mobile duopoly has an easier time of capturing its regulators because two companies have an easy time agreeing on how to spend their app-tax billions:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/05/regulatory-capture/

Apple – and Google, and Facebook, and your car company – can violate your privacy because they aren't constrained regulation, just as Uber can violate its drivers' labor rights and Amazon can violate your consumer rights. The tech cartels have captured their regulators and convinced them that the law doesn't apply if it's being broken via an app:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/18/cursed-are-the-sausagemakers/#how-the-parties-get-to-yes

In other words, Apple can spy on you because it's allowed to spy on you. America's last consumer privacy law was passed in 1988, and it bans video-store clerks from leaking your VHS rental history. Congress has taken no action on consumer privacy since the Reagan years:

https://www.eff.org/tags/video-privacy-protection-act

But tech has some special enshittification-resistant characteristics. The most important of these is interoperability: the fact that computers are universal digital machines that can run any program. HP can design a printer that rejects third-party ink and charge $10,000/gallon for its own colored water, but someone else can write a program that lets you jailbreak your printer so that it accepts any ink cartridge:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/ink-stained-wretches-battle-soul-digital-freedom-taking-place-inside-your-printer

Tech companies that contemplated enshittifying their products always had to watch over their shoulders for a rival that might offer a disenshittification tool and use that as a wedge between the company and its customers. If you make your website's ads 20% more obnoxious in anticipation of a 2% increase in gross margins, you have to consider the possibility that 40% of your users will google "how do I block ads?" Because the revenue from a user who blocks ads doesn't stay at 100% of the current levels – it drops to zero, forever (no user ever googles "how do I stop blocking ads?").

The majority of web users are running an ad-blocker:

https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/

Web operators made them an offer ("free website in exchange for unlimited surveillance and unfettered intrusions") and they made a counteroffer ("how about 'nah'?"):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

Here's the thing: reverse-engineering an app – or any other IP-encumbered technology – is a legal minefield. Just decompiling an app exposes you to felony prosecution: a five year sentence and a $500k fine for violating Section 1201 of the DMCA. But it's not just the DMCA – modern products are surrounded with high-tech tripwires that allow companies to invoke IP law to prevent competitors from augmenting, recongifuring or adapting their products. When a business says it has "IP," it means that it has arranged its legal affairs to allow it to invoke the power of the state to control its customers, critics and competitors:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

An "app" is just a web-page skinned in enough IP to make it a crime to add an ad-blocker to it. This is what Jay Freeman calls "felony contempt of business model" and it's everywhere. When companies don't have to worry about users deploying self-help measures to disenshittify their products, they are freed from the constraint that prevents them indulging the impulse to shift value from their customers to themselves.

Apple owes its existence to interoperability – its ability to clone Microsoft Office's file formats for Pages, Numbers and Keynote, which saved the company in the early 2000s – and ever since, it has devoted its existence to making sure no one ever does to Apple what Apple did to Microsoft:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/adversarial-interoperability-reviving-elegant-weapon-more-civilized-age-slay

Regulatory capture cuts both ways: it's not just about powerful corporations being free to flout the law, it's also about their ability to enlist the law to punish competitors that might constrain their plans for exploiting their workers, customers, suppliers or other stakeholders.

The final historical constraint on tech companies was their own workers. Tech has very low union-density, but that's in part because individual tech workers enjoyed so much bargaining power due to their scarcity. This is why their bosses pampered them with whimsical campuses filled with gourmet cafeterias, fancy gyms and free massages: it allowed tech companies to convince tech workers to work like government mules by flattering them that they were partners on a mission to bring the world to its digital future:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

For tech bosses, this gambit worked well, but failed badly. On the one hand, they were able to get otherwise powerful workers to consent to being "extremely hardcore" by invoking Fobazi Ettarh's spirit of "vocational awe":

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

On the other hand, when you motivate your workers by appealing to their sense of mission, the downside is that they feel a sense of mission. That means that when you demand that a tech worker enshittifies something they missed their mother's funeral to deliver, they will experience a profound sense of moral injury and refuse, and that worker's bargaining power means that they can make it stick.

Or at least, it did. In this era of mass tech layoffs, when Google can fire 12,000 workers after a $80b stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years, tech workers are learning that the answer to "I won't do this and you can't make me" is "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" (AKA "sharpen your blades boys"):

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/29/elon-musk-texts-discovery-twitter/

With competition, regulation, self-help and labor cleared away, tech firms – and firms that have wrapped their products around the pluripotently malleable core of digital tech, including automotive makers – are no longer constrained from enshittifying their products.

And that's why your car manufacturer has chosen to spy on you and sell your private information to data-brokers and anyone else who wants it. Not because you didn't pay for the product, so you're the product. It's because they can get away with it.

Cars are enshittified. The dozens of chips that auto makers have shoveled into their car design are only incidentally related to delivering a better product. The primary use for those chips is autoenshittification – access to legal strictures ("IP") that allows them to block modifications and repairs that would interfere with the unfettered abuse of their own customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

The fact that it's a felony to reverse-engineer and modify a car's software opens the floodgates to all kinds of shitty scams. Remember when Bay Staters were voting on a ballot measure to impose right-to-repair obligations on automakers in Massachusetts? The only reason they needed to have the law intervene to make right-to-repair viable is that Big Car has figured out that if it encrypts its diagnostic messages, it can felonize third-party diagnosis of a car, because decrypting the messages violates the DMCA:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/drm-cars-will-drive-consumers-crazy

Big Car figured out that VIN locking – DRM for engine components and subassemblies – can felonize the production and the installation of third-party spare parts:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/08/about-those-kill-switched-ukrainian-tractors/

The fact that you can't legally modify your car means that automakers can go back to their pre-2008 ways, when they transformed themselves into unregulated banks that incidentally manufactured the cars they sold subprime loans for. Subprime auto loans – over $1t worth! – absolutely relies on the fact that borrowers' cars can be remotely controlled by lenders. Miss a payment and your car's stereo turns itself on and blares threatening messages at top volume, which you can't turn off. Break the lease agreement that says you won't drive your car over the county line and it will immobilize itself. Try to change any of this software and you'll commit a felony under Section 1201 of the DMCA:

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

Tesla, naturally, has the most advanced anti-features. Long before BMW tried to rent you your seat-heater and Mercedes tried to sell you a monthly subscription to your accelerator pedal, Teslas were demon-haunted nightmare cars. Miss a Tesla payment and the car will immobilize itself and lock you out until the repo man arrives, then it will blare its horn and back itself out of its parking spot. If you "buy" the right to fully charge your car's battery or use the features it came with, you don't own them – they're repossessed when your car changes hands, meaning you get less money on the used market because your car's next owner has to buy these features all over again:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

And all this DRM allows your car maker to install spyware that you're not allowed to remove. They really tipped their hand on this when the R2R ballot measure was steaming towards an 80% victory, with wall-to-wall scare ads that revealed that your car collects so much information about you that allowing third parties to access it could lead to your murder (no, really!):

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/03/rip-david-graeber/#rolling-surveillance-platforms

That's why your car spies on you. Because it can. Because the company that made it lacks constraint, be it market-based, legal, technological or its own workforce's ethics.

One common critique of my enshittification hypothesis is that this is "kind of sensible and normal" because "there’s something off in the consumer mindset that we’ve come to believe that the internet should provide us with amazing products, which bring us joy and happiness and we spend hours of the day on, and should ask nothing back in return":

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-have-great-conversations/

What this criticism misses is that this isn't the companies bargaining to shift some value from us to them. Enshittification happens when a company can seize all that value, without having to bargain, exploiting law and technology and market power over buyers and sellers to unilaterally alter the way the products and services we rely on work.

A company that doesn't have to fear competitors, regulators, jailbreaking or workers' refusal to enshittify its products doesn't have to bargain, it can take. It's the first lesson they teach you in the Darth Vader MBA: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/26/hit-with-a-brick/#graceful-failure

Your car spying on you isn't down to your belief that your carmaker "should provide you with amazing products, which brings your joy and happiness you spend hours of the day on, and should ask nothing back in return." It's not because you didn't pay for the product, so now you're the product. It's because they can get away with it.

The consequences of this spying go much further than mere insurance premium hikes, too. Car telemetry sits at the top of the funnel that the unbelievably sleazy data broker industry uses to collect and sell our data. These are the same companies that sell the fact that you visited an abortion clinic to marketers, bounty hunters, advertisers, or vengeful family members pretending to be one of those:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/07/safegraph-spies-and-lies/#theres-no-i-in-uterus

Decades of pro-monopoly policy led to widespread regulatory capture. Corporate cartels use the monopoly profits they extract from us to pay for regulatory inaction, allowing them to extract more profits.

But when it comes to privacy, that period of unchecked corporate power might be coming to an end. The lack of privacy regulation is at the root of so many problems that a pro-privacy movement has an unstoppable constituency working in its favor.

At EFF, we call this "privacy first." Whether you're worried about grifters targeting vulnerable people with conspiracy theories, or teens being targeted with media that harms their mental health, or Americans being spied on by foreign governments, or cops using commercial surveillance data to round up protesters, or your car selling your data to insurance companies, passing that long-overdue privacy legislation would turn off the taps for the data powering all these harms:

https://www.eff.org/wp/privacy-first-better-way-address-online-harms

Traditional economics fails because it thinks about markets without thinking about power. Monopolies lead to more than market power: they produce regulatory capture, power over workers, and state capture, which felonizes competition through IP law. The story that our problems stem from the fact that we just don't spend enough money, or buy the wrong products, only makes sense if you willfully ignore the power that corporations exert over our lives. It's nice to think that you can shop your way out of a monopoly, because that's a lot easier than voting your way out of a monopoly, but no matter how many times you vote with your wallet, the cartels that control the market will always win:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/05/the-map-is-not-the-territory/#apor-locksmith

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/12/market-failure/#car-wars

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[incorrectbatfam]

I am curious about Steph's time working in retail. Any interesting stories about her time there?

[at a clothing store]

Steph: Your total is $133.37.

Margie: You forgot my coupon.

Steph: It expired two months ago.

Margie: Can you still try?

Skylar: Mom, it's fine.

Margie: Shush, let her try.

Steph: Sure I can try.

*coupon declines*

Steph: Your total is $133.37.

Margie: But the coupon.

Steph: *sighs*

———————

[at a drive-thru]

Steph: Welcome to Batburgers, what can I get you?

Margie: I'll do a double batburger with fries and a six-piece Robin nugget.

Steph: Anything else?

Margie: Nope.

Steph: Alright, please pull up to the next window.

Margie: *goes into the store*

Margie: Where's my order?

———————

[at a coffee shop]

Steph: Iced vanilla latte for... Maggie?

Margie: It's Margie.

Steph: Sorry about that.

Margie: You should be. I want you to remake it, and this time get my name right.

———————

[at a restaurant]

Steph: Are you guys ready to order?

Margie: Yes, I'll do the chicken alfredo, but can you do it without salt? I'm trying this new zero-sodium diet from Facebook.

Steph: Sure.

[twenty minutes later]

Steph: How's everything tasting?

Margie: My food is completely tasteless.

Steph: Would you like me to take it back?

Margie: Yes, and fix it.

[ten minutes later]

Steph: Here you go, your chicken alfredo.

Margie: *takes a bite*

Margie: I told you no salt!

———————

[at a grocery store]

Steph, putting a mop bucket away: There, aisle seven is all clean.

Margie: My baby threw up in aisle seven.

Steph: On it.

Margie: And clean up my baby too.

Steph: What?

Margie, handing Steph her baby: Clean up my baby.

———————

[at a furniture store]

Margie: I need a replacement part for this end table.

Steph: *checks on her iPad*

Steph: I'm sorry, that product was discontinued ten years ago.

Margie: Could you check in the back?

———————

[at a call center]

Steph: Wayne Industries customer support, how can I help you?

Margie: I want to cancel my subscription.

Steph: Can I get your phone number?

Margie: *gives her number*

Steph: There's no account under that number.

Margie: There should be.b

Steph: I don't see it here. Can I get a name and date of birth?

Margie: What kind of information harvesting scam is this? I'm gonna have a talk with your higher ups.

Margie: *hangs up*

———————

[at home]

Bruce: Hey Steph, how was work?

Steph: Normal. How was the school carnival?

Bruce: It was pretty good, except for Margie. Ugh, you have no idea.

Steph: *eye twitches*

[unhinged-diaries]

Business Guide:

How to get started

When you have a business name in mind look up the domain name to see if it’s taken. You don’t want to spend money on an LLC just to find out that your name is taken. Thats a waste of money because you also have to pay to dissolve it.

If the name is not taken, great, don’t file an LLC yet. Go online and get a virtual business address. Why? If you’re running your business out of your home like I am, just know that it’s public information if you use your address to file your LLC. A virtual address should cost like $10-$20 a month. Use that to file your LLC.

Once you’ve filed that LLC get your Ein. That’s your Employee Identification Number. It’s your businesses tax id. It’s free to file on the IRS website. Don’t fall for the scam websites you guys.

Once you’ve gotten your EIN go to Google domains and get your website name aswell as 3-4 emails. An email for your social media accounts, an executive email for yourself, an ecomm@businessname.com for things like your business bank account, Shopify account, etc; and maybe a customer support email. I use the social email as a customer support email. All of this should be like $50/month.

Once you’ve don’t that get on Canva and make that logo bookie. Personally I paid someone on Fiverr to make mine because I’m a “soft business life” kind of girl and I’d rather pay the professionals. Thats just me though.

Once you’ve got your logo go ahead and get them social media accounts going. Instagram, tiktok, Facebook.

Alright now this is where it gets specific to clothing brands because that’s what I own.

Time to find a manufacturer. Head over to alibaba and search what kind of product you want to sell. Be sure to add “oem” if you want a manufacturer that customizes. Look for the amount of orders they’ve gotten on that product. If it says zero orders that’s ok. Some styles are new and thus haven’t been ordered yet. Check any reviews they have for other products. Also check the total revenue they’ve done. It’s on the store profile. I can’t tell you what the sweet spot is yet bc I’ve only used one manufacturer so far but I’d look for mid six figures and up if you wanna be real safe.

Chat with them and order a sample. Even if you buy from a vendor list you’ll need your own sample to make content with. I suggest buying one and first. It’s worth the wait because if you buy multiple and end up not liking them you’d have wasted money that could’ve gone into testing a different manufacturer.

Do not launch with more than 2 products. Even 2 is a stretch, wallai start with one.

This is because if you’re doing the preorder, which I suggest, you’ll be depending on customer orders to pay for the bulk order. Manufacturers do their moq by color or style. If you have too many options in your website and customers order a mix of things, you better pray you have enough money to cover the bulk for all those different styles. Stay safe and give them 1-2 options to choose from.

Pre order method is great if you don’t have a lot of cash to start with because the orders pay for themselves. Bulk orders start to wrack up. Especially if it’s a custom style or material. You don’t want to break the bank for something that might not sell.

Once you’ve gotten and approved your samples choose a launch date. 2-3 weeks before that launch dates post consistently. At least once a day but remember quality over quantity. Now don’t be tricked. Quality doesn’t mean a full cinematography. It means connecting with your audience and relating with them to a point where they’re like “this business gets it”. Either that or attaching yourself to an identity they want to have. “It girl ig influencer”, “feminine soft life babe” “clean girl Pilates princess” whatever the fuck it is embody ur as best as you can. When customers attach your product with an identity that is aspirational to them they will buy it without rationalizing. It’s why the luxury market makes so much off of ppl who can’t afford to buy it twice.

Focus on the backend

If you have a goal of getting an influx of orders and making a lot of sales, be sure that your business is structured in a way that can handle it happening at any given time. You know those tiktok businesses that get one viral video and sell out over night? That could be you but if you’re not prepared ppl are going to be upset. I suggest working backwards:

A customer service platform/inbox so that you can answer them right away with frequently asked questions.

Have stock so that you have something for customers to buy once they finally land on your website.

Have a well presenting website so that ppl don’t think you’re a scam. I’m going to do a post on this bc some of these business websites drive me fuckin nuts. Color theory ppl, color theory.

A social media page with some kind of social proof ie reviews from customers in some way shape or form. Ppl are going to be looking for what others have to say about your brand. Hire UGC creators to make videos that you can post on your page. They’re cheaper than influencers but still know how to convey the message well. You’ll have to have extra samples and items on hand to send them. Also check out their usage rights. Some will allow you to use their videos in ads but you have to pay extra and it’s only for a certain amount of time. But if they do it right, you’ll get a great return. Scared money don’t make no money.

A social media page that shows the products in movement and different lighting. I need to be able to imagine myself in the item before I buy it. Where would I wear it, how will it fit on me. Even when I’ve already ordered something I stay going back to the businesses social media page just to see the clothes again. I might even search it up to see other ppl wearing it.

Packaging

No need to go crazy with the packaging in the beginning. Don’t get me wrong, branding is important but as a beginner you may not have the money for that yet. You need to focus on spending money on what will give you the best return. Just get regular poly mailers from Amazon in your brand colors. You’ll also need:

A stack of 6x4 shipping labels

A thermal printer

A scale

When your manufacturer sends you the clothes they will most likely be in their own little bags. If not you can get those from Amazon too.

Later on you can go to alibaba and find a manufacturer to print you custom poly mailers for that extra edge. Put your logo, a cute message, and your social media handles on the bag and that’s it. Good to go.

You can also design your own thank you cards as well. I won’t be doing that.

Little things to remember

Don’t feel like you have to keep up with big brands. You don’t need to launch something every two weeks. As a matter of fact I advise against emulating super fast fashion brands. I only launch a new item once the pre ordered items have been shipped out to customers.

Be nice to your customers. You’d think this was obvious but it’s not. Some ppl are rude, ghetto, and uncouth. If you hate authority and have a smart mouth I think you should either take a customer service course or hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines to do your customer service for you because no customers = no money.

I’ll update this as I learn and grow:

12/18/2023

Influencers

Not every influencer with a mass follower base is going to be your influencer. It’s possible that you pay $5000 for an influencer with 75k followers to post your product on her page but that post makes you less than $3k. That means you’ve net negative $2k. What a fuckin waste of money.

This is why it’s important to develop a persona for your brand. What is your brand identity? Who is your target audience? What are their psychographics?

Where do currently shop? What are there favorite social media apps?What is their race? Their age? Their ethnicity? Are they in college or highschool? Do they have parents that support their lifestyle or are they hustlers? Are they concerned about price or quality more? Are they married? Do they have children? Are they environmentally conscious?

You need to embody Joe Goldberg and peer at them through their window. Acquaint yourself with every part of their life.

Also, you might not be your target demographic yet and that’s ok. The girls that shop with my brand have social lives. They go out with their friends and need outfits to wear. I don’t have a social life. The only clothes I wear are my work clothes to go to work and my robe when I’m at home.Or a sweat set and a bonnet to run errands.

Don’t think to yourself “ I would never wear that.” “I would never buy something at that price point”. That’s fine cuz someone else will. A lot of people will.

Another thing is your demographic could change once you start your business. It might be that you create content that attracts a different type of person than what you originally planned and that’s cool too. We don’t live in a perfect world. As long as they’re close enough to what you had predetermined it’s ok. Sometimes our business comes out different than we hoped but it’s just as good if not better. It’s like child. Don’t destroy its greatness trying to turn it into something it doesn’t want to be.

User generated content

Love, love, love her down. She’s that sweet spot between making content yourself and having an influencer with a large following make the content for you. UGC is a form of social proof which is something you need for an e-commerce brand especially. Ppl can’t just pop into your store and try on your stuff so they need the opinions of “regular” people to sell them on it. They want to see that person try it on, do a close up of the fabric, wear it to a social setting, etc;

What I like about UGC is that I can pick someone who fits into my brand persona to represent my brand even if I don’t. Someone that appears aspirational but still relatable. Like I said previously, you yourself might not embody your brands persona but you can pay someone who does.

A little translate for yall: I do not live in a nice apartment. My room is small, and dark, and filled with boxes. My living room has mix matched decor and I myself am not the body type I’d like to be (pls don’t hit me with body positivity babe). What I can do is pay a girl with the opposite of all those things and knows how to sell a product.

I have a girl right now that I’ve inquired to make posts for me and she’s got it all. Her rate for one video is $100 with an extra $30 for 90 days of usage in ads. $100 is the new 50 and for the return I’ll get on her, THATS A STEAL.

If you need to find a UGC creator search it up on tiktok and Twitter. Most of them have a portfolio of past work they’ve done. If you feel like they match your brands vibes, keep their info for when you’re ready.

I suggest to have a roster of them because if ppl keep seeing the same person over and over, the thought that that person is just a regular degular customer leaves their mind and you lose the magic of UGC.

Update 12/21/2023

I’ve been sick but yall ain’t paying me so it’s ok. Here’s the update.

Website

Your website is your home babe and when you’re preparing for guest you can’t have your home looking any type of way. Not only does it need to be clean but it needs to be cohesive and inviting.

You know how many times I’ve opened someone’s booking page on Instagram and I click off. Not only am I not reading through all of that small ass text but my head hurts cuz you’ve got a black font on a hot pink background.

Some of yalls websites to not comply with accessibility guidelines so pay attention to that bc you can be sued. Ppl should be able to read what you have on there without getting a headache.

Good rule of thumb is to have one primary color, and then black and white. Don’t over complicate it. Your primary color will be your logo, think twitters blue, then your secondary colors should be black and white, for your text. You might have an accent color like gold or silver, this should be used sparingly for a little dazzle.

If you’re a clothing brand like me, keep the text short and sweet. Think about it, when you go shopping on your favorite website are you bombarded with a soliloquy on how the collection came to be? And even if you are do you stop and read the whole thing? I don’t bc I don’t care. That’s what your Instagram story is for.

All I want to see is the attention grabber and a short,but convincing, tagline.

Example: Ski Resort 2023-“Stun the slopes and stand out on the ski lift with best sellers spotted at St. Moritz”

Let you images tell the rest of the story.

Don’t overwhelm them with options

Guys this is so important. The more options ppl see the less they buy or the less likely they are to buy. Why? This is the thought process.

“Omg the stuff on this website is so cute! Let me go through their catalog and add to my cart as I go”

5 minutes of scrolling

“Ok I have too many things in my cart let me just save to a wishlist instead”

Another 5 minutes of scrolling

“Ok I’ll just stop here and go back to my cart and decide what I’m going to get rn”

Goes to cart

Spends 10 minutes deciding what she’s gonna get bc there’s so many good options

Takes 10 items out of her cart and only buys two basics bc she knows those are less likely to disappoint.

And scene

That is if she didn’t leave after the second five minutes of scrolling. Nowadays five minutes on a non stimulating website is a lot, don’t let it take that long.

Obviously this also depends on the customers budget. Some people have the money to just buy everything in their cart (I wish- one day), but most are just window shopper you hope to convert with your nice styles, images, and prices. Don’t make it harder for people to give you their money.

I have more but I’m tired of writing so I’ll update yall tmrw.

[apeekintothepantry]

Meet Violet Fielding, my original historical character from 1918 Boston!

I've been doing some workshopping with my custom historical characters because I've been a little bored with AG's historical offerings of late, and because it's a fun excuse to dig into moments in time that interest me personally, but AG probably wouldn't produce a similar character themselves. (I say that, but my 1940's Hawaii character predates Nanea, so who knows! Maybe I'm manifesting some future stuff I can borrow for my gals.)

Violet is the youngest of three siblings. Her older sister Alice is in her early 20's and either a nurse or a Hello Girl, leaning towards nursing because I'm not sure I want her to go overseas and she could work at a hospital in Boston during the war. Her older brother James is 19 and enlists in the Marines once the US enters World War I. I think by Violet Saves the Day, he's returned home dealing with quite a bit of "shellshock" and that becomes a somewhat major theme.

Her parents are pretty wealthy, and the family lives in a brownstone on Beacon Hill in Boston. Her dad is a doctor and mom is a suffragist who also gets involved in causes supporting the war effort. Both parents are very supportive of their kids following their passions and getting themselves out there in this still relatively new century, which is why Alice has been allowed to go to school instead of immediately marrying some wealthy guy.

Vi herself is a precocious and creative kid. I think she likes to draw and paint and generally be crafty and creative, which comes in handy when brainstorming ways she can support her brother overseas and the war effort more broadly. While she's not afraid to get her hands dirty, she does like typically girly things like having teatime and looking at catalogs filled with new dresses. Her book series would theoretically cover 1917 through 1919 or so, and touch on the war, Women's Suffrage, the Spanish Flu, shellshock, and possibly the Boston Molasses Disaster.

Currently I'm trying to come up with a best friend character for her, as she really needs a Nellie or Ruthie in her life with the age difference and both siblings being off doing exciting and scary things without her. There are a lot of different directions I could go in with said friend - fellow wealthy-ish kid feels boring, Boston had a lot of new immigrant communities in the 1910's, some of whom did live in a specific part of Beacon Hill, Boston historically struggles with insidious covert racism but was still a city with a number of prominent Black and Jewish communities - and nothing's quite clicked as perfect just yet.

Violet is a Marie-Grace doll with a Nanea wig. Someone was selling her on a Facebook group a few years ago and I immediately felt like she was a Violet and needed to join my crew. Her last name was inspired by Lady Dorothie Fielding, a British woman who drove an ambulance during WWI and received several awards for bravery and service. Fielding's letters home were published after her death and are a really fascinating look at what it was like on the front lines doing this incredibly dangerous and important work. I used it as a major primary source for an educational interactive I helped develop in one of my previous jobs.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT SEO & MARKETING NEWS FOR ECOMMERCE, JULY 2024

If you are new to my Tumblr, I usually do these summaries of SEO and marketing news once a month, picking out the pieces that are most likely to be useful to small and micro-businesses.

You can get notified of these updates plus my website blog posts via email: http://bit.ly/CindyLouWho2Blog or get all of the most timely updates plus exclusive content by supporting my Patreon: patreon.com/CindyLouWho2

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

There is a relatively new way to file copyright claims against US residents, called The Copyright Claims Board (CCB). I wrote more here [post by me on Patreon]

After a few years of handwringing and false starts, Google is abandoning plans to block third-party cookies in Chrome. Both Safari and Firefox already block them. 

When composing titles and text where other keywords are found, it can be useful to have a short checklist of the types of keywords you need, as this screenshot demonstrates. While that title is too long for most platforms and search engines, it covers really critical points that should get mentioned in the product description and keyword fields/tags as well:

The core keywords that describe the item

What the customer is looking to do - solve a problem? Find a gift? Feel better? 

What makes the product stand out in its field - why buy this instead of something else? Differentiating your items is something that should come before you get to the listing stage, so the keywords should already be in your head. 

Relevant keywords that will be used in long tail searches are always great add-ons.

What if anything about your item is trendy now? E.g., sustainability? Particular colours, styles or materials/ingredients are always important.  

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Google’s June spam update has finished rolling out. And here is the full list of Google news from June. 

Expect a new Google core update “in the coming weeks” (as if we needed more Google excitement).

Google’s AI overviews continue to dwindle at the top of search results, now only appearing in 7% of searches.

Despite Google trying to target AI spam, many poorly-copied articles still outrank the originals in Google search results. 

Internal links are important for Google SEO. While this article covers blogging in particular, most of the tips apply to any standalone website. Google also recently did a video [YouTube] on the same topic. 

Google had a really excellent second quarter, mostly due to the cloud and AI. 

Not Google

OpenAI is testing SearchGPT with a small number of subscribers. Alphabet shares dropped 3% after the announcement. 

SOCIAL MEDIA - All Aspects, By Site

General

New social media alert: noplace is a new app billed as MySpace for Gen Z that also has some similarities with Twitter (e.g., text-based chats, with no photos or videos at this time). iOS only at the moment; no Android app or web page. 

Thinking of trying out Bluesky? Here are some tips to get the most out of it. 

Facebook (includes relevant general news from Meta)

Meta’s attempt at circumventing EU privacy regulations through paid subscriptions is illegal under the Digital Markets Act, according to the European Commission. “if the company cannot reach an agreement with regulators before March 2025, the Commission has the power to levy fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s global turnover.”

If you post Reels from a business page, you may be able to let Meta use AI to do A/B testing on the captions and other portions shown. I personally would not do this unless I could see what options they were choosing, since AI is often not as good as it thinks it is. 

Apple’s 30% fee on in-app ad purchases for Facebook and Instagram has kicked in worldwide as of July 1. 

Facebook is testing ads in the Notifications list on the app. 

Meta is encouraging advertisers to connect their Google Analytics accounts to Meta Ads, claiming “integration could improve campaign performance, citing a 22% conversion increase.”

Instagram

The head of Instagram is still emphasizing that the number of DM shares per post is a huge ranking factor. 

LinkedIn

Another article on the basics of setting up LinkedIn and getting found through it. 

You can now advertise your LinkedIn newsletters on the platform. 

Pinterest

Pinterest is slowly testing an AI program that edits the background of product photography without changing the product. 

Is Pinterest dying? An investment research firm thinks so. 

Reddit

If you want to see results from Reddit in your search engine results, Google is the only place that can happen now. 

More than ever, Reddit is being touted as a way to be found (especially in Google search), but you do have to understand how the site works to be successful at it. 

Snapchat

Snapchat+ now has 9 million paying users, and they are getting quite a few new personalization updates, and Snaps that last 50 seconds or less. 

Threads

Threads has hit 175 million active users each month, up from 130 million in February. 

TikTok

TikTok has made it easier to reuse your videos outside of the site without a watermark. 

TikTok users can now select a custom thumbnail image for videos, either a frame from the clip itself, or a still image from elsewhere.  

Twitter

You can opt out of Twitter using your posts as data for its AI, Grok. 

YouTube

YouTube has new tools for Shorts, including one that makes your longer videos into Shorts. 

Community Spaces are the latest YouTube test to try to get more fan involvement, while moving users away from video comments.

(CONTENT) MARKETING (includes blogging, emails, and strategies) 

Start your content marketing plans for August now, including back-to-school themes and Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday on August 13. 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (EXCEPT INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AND ECOMMERCE SITES) 

Google Ads now have several new updates, including blocking misspellings. 

Google’s new Merchant Center Next will soon be available for all users, if they haven’t already been invited. Supplemental feeds are now (or soon will be) allowed there. 

STATS, DATA, TRACKING 

Google Search Console users can now add their shipping and return info to Google search through the Console itself. This is useful for sites that do not pay for Google Ads or use Google’s free shopping ads. 

BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

The second part of this Whiteboard Friday [video with transcript] discusses how consumer behaviour is changing during tight economic times. “People are still spending. They just want the most for their money. Also, the consideration phase is much more complex and longer.” The remainder of the piece discusses how to approach your target market during these times. 

Prime Day was supposedly the best ever for Amazon, but they didn’t release any numbers. Adobe Analytics tracked US ecommerce sales on those days and provides some insight. “Buy-now, pay-later accounted for 7.6% of all orders, a 16.4% year-over-year increase.”

MISCELLANEOUS

You know how I always tell small business owners to have multiple revenue streams? Tech needs to have multiple providers and backups as well, as the recent CrowdStrike and Microsoft issues demonstrate. 

If you used Google’s old URL shortener anywhere, those links will no longer redirect as of August 25 2024. 

[designsfromtime]

WANT TO LEARN TO SEW YOUR OWN COSTUME?

After a decade of back-to-back commissions, I’m shifting my focus from creating costumes to teaching my techniques and walking students through step-by-step on-line courses that will be available through Teachable.com.

I’ve been working without any substantial time off since 2013! The only time off during the year I took was the month of August to participate as a cast member at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance faire each year. That’s not really a vacation ya’ll! I direct a fiber arts demonstration group so while I wasn’t sewing, I was still working as an entertainer!

While I am SOOO grateful for the success I’ve had with a full commission schedule booked out one to two years in advance, I need to free myself to travel, finish writing my historical based novels and FINALLY publish them, and sew for the passion of it again! – Hell, sew for myself and my family again because I “want to” rather than have to! Americans are notorious for taking their passion and torturing it until you end up hating what used to bring you joy. So, I’m changing that!

At 63 It’s time for me to take my 50 years of experience sewing, and my 20+ years of historical costume construction, and pay it forward to a new generation! My courses will be very detailed, with step-by-step videos, printed handouts, and a private Facebook page for my paying students. I will be able to answer questions, post videos to answer questions when necessary, and my students can post pictures of their work and support each other.

While I’m not closing down my Etsy store, I have drastically pared back my listings and will only be taking commissions for projects that inspire my creativity.

I am currently booked out to January 2025, but after that I’m closing my commission books for a year or so to concentrate on teaching and writing. Once my courses are filmed and uploaded, I will open my books again but will only take a limited number of commissions every year - or not at all if my sewing courses take off. I’m leaving my options open!

I’m hoping to have the first course available by January 2024. If you’re interested in taking my courses, I recommend following me on Facebook. I will be posting information there as well as my TicToc and Instagram. I’m not on Tumblr very often but will ‘TRY’ to keep ya’ll posted.

My first class will be a 16th century kirtle (bodice and skirt) like you see in the picture above. I will be offering my students a custom drafted pattern for their kirtle bodice at a cost of $30. The listing is available on my Etsy store. 

Other classes will include:

-        18th century stays

-        16th Century men’s doublets

-        16th century children’s clothing

-        16th century smocks

-        And more!  - - Tell me what YOU want to learn sew!

I will also be offering blackwork cuff and collars to my students, and I’m kicking around the idea of offering to embroider your fabrics for noble gowns - just the skirt facings, bodice front, sleeves and “maybe” the forepart (under skirt) - of course for a fee. Embroidery fees can be rather pricy, but I charge the industry standard of $1.00 to $1.50 per 1000 stitches. 

So, stay tuned for more information and thank you for all your support!

[tehri]

Meanwhile in Sweden - Banking-Edition, or Why Do I Still Have This Account, or We Have Customer Service (Allegedly)

I really have to wonder if the bank I have an account with in Sweden even wants customers to be able to contact them. Or if they just want anyone who is not already a customer to be unable to contact them.

Context: This bank relies heavily on a digital identification method (as does a lot of shit in Sweden, but that's a whole separate rant). They rely on it to the point that if you, as a customer, try to call them for help with something, you have to identify yourself with that. There used to be a number you could call if you didn't want to use that; this was just for general questions and wasn't really for customers to use. I say that there used to be a number like that, because I tried calling it today, and it demands that particular identification method now. Fun.

Extra context: My old phone is a 2012-model that doesn't support the OS demanded for the new update for the app running this digital identification method. Since March, I haven't had access to any online services for my account, which is An Issue. I recently got a new phone as a graduation gift. A gift that I did not really want and very specifically only got because I am pretty much softlocked out of everything in Sweden if I do not have this particular identification method. Tax-office shit, banks, fucking anything, you NEED this thing (again, separate rant). I still have a fucking student loan to pay off in Sweden, so I've kept the account with this bank for the purpose of Minimal Fuckery (which has turned into Maximum Fuckery).

The problem?

I cannot activate this digital identification method on the new phone. It won't let me. You can normally do this in three differnet ways - using your old phone's one (obviously not possible, it won't even let me use the app now), a security calculator thing (think two-step authentication device; I Had one, but it's dead, and you can't switch batteries in them and the bank doesn't send them to addresses not in Sweden, so this is out too), and a passport or ID. I tried using my passport. Works fine - up until I agree to the final terms and conditions, upon which it suddenly gives me the message that it doesn't work and that it's to do with the bank's terms and conditions, but it doesn't tell me what part of those terms and conditions are broken, so Idk what's up.

The additional problem?

I can't contact the bank for help with this. Can't call - all the numbers are softlocked behind this goddamn identification wall. Can't use a chat-service on their site - it's a virtual assistant, which has always been absolutely useless and pointless and stupid. Can't email - they don't accept queries like these via email or even their own internal messaging system anymore. Can't visit an office - the only branch office in Finland doesn't deal with private customers, only businesses.

I resorted to their Facebook page. Got the answer of A - check the page for how to activate this identification method on a new phone (already checked that multiple times, nothing pertainin to my situation there), B - call [insert number here] and use a code with 5 numbers that you picked yourself at some point as identification method instead (I already called that number, did not receive alternate identification methods as an option, and do not recall at any point ever picking a code for anything, so ?????), or C - visit an office in Sweden to get help (which I do not even know when that could possibly happen, if it's next year or the year after).

Gold star, guys. Such great possibilities to contact you. And no, I'm not mad at the customer service person who sent the answer, I'm just mad at the system they've set up where they are literally impossible to contact for anything if you do not have access to these specific things.

[onlinereputationindiaseo]

How effective digital marketing services can help small businesses?

You cannot deny the importance of an effective digital marketing strategy in a digitally driven world like today. Moreover, in today's cutthroat industry, digital marketing services can be vital in supporting small businesses' expansion and success. These services provide a range of tools and tactics that can improve a company's online visibility, draw in more clients, and boost revenue. This is an in-depth look at the advantages that small businesses can get from best digital marketing services for small business. 

Expansion of the customer base 

Every company works towards expanding their customers in order to making higher profits. That said, digital marketing services from digital marketing company in India are primarily helpful for small businesses in expanding their customer base. Moreover, conventional marketing techniques, such as print advertisements or fliers, can be costly and have a narrow audience. On the other hand, digital marketing enables companies to use the internet to connect with potential clients anywhere in the world. Small businesses can greatly increase their audience and customer base by taking advantage of the large number of people who use social media, search engines, and other online platforms on a daily basis.

What are the key cogs of an effective Digital marketing strategy?

It all depends and varies from one industry to another. Moreover, a company can have a different approach towards it digital marketing efforts in comparison to other companies. Also, search engine optimization is one of the best digital marketing techniques offered from affordable digital marketing agency in India. On the other side, optimizing a website for search engines to rank higher on search engine results pages is known as SEO. 

SEO ( Search engine optimization)

Your website should be at the top of search results when customers look for goods or services associated with your company. Also, improved rankings make your website more visible and more likely to draw in visitors. Using proper keywords, producing excellent content, and creating back links are all part of SEO via digital marketing company in India. Similarly, small businesses can raise their online visibility, draw in organic traffic, and eventually boost sales by putting SEO strategies into practice.

Social media marketing 

The role of social media marketing in today’s world is quite imperative. That said, millions of people use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn every day to interact with content. Small businesses can engage with customers directly, establish brand awareness, and connect with their audience by making a strong online presence on these platforms. Social media marketing entails communicating with followers, sharing interesting content, and updating frequently. On social media, paid advertising can also be very successful. At the same time, Businesses can reach particular demographics, interests, and locations with the help of tailored advertising options offered by social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. By focusing marketing efforts on the most relevant audience, this targeted approach maximizes return on investment.

Email marketing 

Although many experts quote email marketing as an old horse, it still comes as highly capable of driving your digital marketing efforts. Businesses can send out newsletters, promotions, and updates straight to the inboxes of their customers and potential customers by gathering their email addresses. Also, email marketing fosters relationships with consumers by giving them access to exclusive deals and useful information. It is an affordable method of keeping clients informed and interested in your business. Email marketing via an affordable digital marketing agency in India can be made even more effective by using personalization and segmentation to target particular customer groups with messages that are tailored to their interests and behaviors.

Content marketing and PPC 

Content marketing has its role to play in driving your digital marketing efforts even in a small business. Moreover, posts on blogs, articles, videos, infographics, and more can fall under this category. Also, Businesses can become industry experts and gain the audience's trust by offering pertinent and helpful information. Additionally, SEO is enhanced by high-quality content, which increases the website's organic traffic. Small businesses can use content marketing to inform, assist, and resolve customers' issues, which will eventually boost client loyalty and revenue.

For small businesses, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a very successful digital marketing tactic offered y digital marketing services for ecommerce. Moreover, PPC advertisements can be found on social media and search engine results pages; companies only have to pay when a user clicks on their ad. This model guarantees that marketing expenditures are closely linked to results and allows accurate budget control. One of the most well-known PPC networks is Google Ads, which enables companies to place bids on keywords associated with their goods or services. When used effectively, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can quickly bring targeted traffic to a website and produce leads or sales.

Final words

There is no denying that trusted digital marketing agency can certain take your market value to next level. Moreover, small businesses can gain a lot from using best digital marketing services for small businesses. Also, small businesses can reach a wider audience, interact with customers, and increase sales by utilizing SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, PPC advertising, analytics, local SEO, influencer marketing, and brand identity development. Having a strong online presence is crucial in the digital age, and digital marketing offers the tools and techniques to do so. Investing in digital marketing services has the potential to greatly accelerate the growth and success of small businesses.

[beardedmrbean]

An organiser of a "white party" in Sri Lanka has apologised after the event sparked a backlash online.

The event's advertisement specified a white dress code, but also had a line saying "Face control: White" - which was largely interpreted to mean the event was open only to white people.

An organiser later said the event was "a bad idea", adding that it was meant to bring together expatriates.

The party, which was due to take place last Saturday, was cancelled.

Backlash against the event was swift, with many on social media calling it "disgusting" and "racist".

"I know not all expats are like this... but this sort of thing should be stopped fast and stopped hard," said one local restaurant owner.

"How dare they come to a brown country and ban the people of that country," another social media user said on Facebook.

Writing on Instagram under the handle geo_ecstatic, a man who said he was an event organiser, said there was "no malice or racism" in planning the party.

"We wanted to meet expats who have been living here for a long time and love Sri Lanka. The team... supported me and a joint decision was made to quickly organise a party," he said, adding that he has since had to leave the country after receiving a barrage of abuse and threats.

"I didn't expect this to be such a sensitive moment for a huge number of people. I admit that it was a bad idea... and I understand that we created it ourselves out of our stupidity. I deeply apologise to everyone whose feelings were hurt."

The event was due to be held in the Sarayka Lounge in the southern coastal town of Unawatuna. The venue later posted a statement saying the party had been cancelled, adding that its staff team " did not conduct a thorough-enough check" and have "severed ties" with the event planners.

"We have never supported and will never support various racist statements or organisations," they wrote.

The organiser as well as the owners of Sarayka Lounge are believed to be Russian citizens.

Rupasena Koswatta, president of an Unawatuna entrepreneurs' association told BBC Sinhala many Russians have moved into Unawatuna, a coastal city just 5km (3.1mi) from Galle, in the last two years.

Many of the tourism businesses there are now owned by Russians in the area now known by many as "Little Moscow".

The Russian Embassy in Colombo later released a statement saying it "strongly condemns all forms of racial discrimination and nationalism" and urged citizens residing on the island to follow its laws and respect local customs.

Later on Sunday, Sri Lanka said it had ended long-term tourist visa extensions for Russians and Ukrainians. More than 288,000 Russians and nearly 20,000 Ukrainians have travelled to Sri Lanka since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, according to reports. But the country's President Ranil Wickremesinghe later reportedly said the decision was made without prior Cabinet approval.

[azspot]

The very nature of monetizing these platforms is antagonistic. You don’t pay more to have a better experience, you pay nothing to have a worse one. And the continually lax approaches to trust and safety are a huge part of the problem. The most damning proof of this is the lack of transparent customer service in any of these networks. Anytime anyone loses access to their Instagram, or Twitter, or Facebook accounts, they are met with a faceless email, no customer support number, and no real recourse or appeal process beyond hitting a few buttons and praying to the lord. Despite making over a hundred billion dollars in one year, despite being an interconnecting part of society that can manipulate elections and radicalize youths, there is no telephone number to talk to anybody at Facebook.

Social Media Is Dying

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

On July 14, I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! On July 20, I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

#15yrsago Myths about Canadian healthcare https://www.denverpost.com/2009/06/04/debunking-canadian-health-care-myths/

#15yrsago Abstinence doesn’t work for IT or for teens https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jun/16/computer-security-abstinence

#15yrsago Scam artists con Apple into killing app that tells you when the bus is due in San Francisco https://web.archive.org/web/20090627161346/http://sfappeal.com/news/2009/06/who-owns-sfmta-arrival-data.php

#10yrsago US inches towards decriminalizing phone unlocking https://www.techdirt.com/2014/06/25/year-half-later-unlocking-your-phone-one-step-closer-to-being-legal/

#10yrsago North Korea threatens “merciless” war against the US over Seth Rogen movie https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28014069

#10yrsago Copyfraud, uncertainty and doubt: the vanishing online public domain https://medium.com/@xor/houston-we-have-a-public-domain-problem-bd971c57dfdc

#10yrsago Charlie Stross on the stop/go nature of technological change https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2014/06/yapcna-2014-keynote-programmin.html

#10yrsago Lurking inside Obama’s secret drone law: another secret drone law https://www.techdirt.com/2014/06/25/enough-secret-law-newly-released-doj-drone-killing-justification-memo-points-to-another-secret-drone-memo/

#10yrsago Kleargear must pay $306,750 for trashing a complaining customer’s credit https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/kleargear-must-pay-306750-to-couple-that-left-negative-review/

#5yrsago Podcast number 300: “Adversarial Interoperability: Reviving an Elegant Weapon From a More Civilized Age to Slay Today’s Monopolies” https://ia903004.us.archive.org/11/items/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_300/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_300_-_Adversarial_Interoperability.mp3

#5yrsago How China ingests and adapts western culture https://aeon.co/essays/how-china-remakes-its-cultural-imports-from-the-west

#5yrsago Prosecutors and federal judges collaborate with corporations to seal evidence of public safety risks, sentencing hundreds of thousands of Americans to death https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-courts-secrecy-judges/

#5yrsago EU expert panel calls for a ban on AI-based risk-scoring and limits on mass surveillance https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/26/18759447/eu-ai-ethical-policy-recommendations-ban-mass-scoring-surveillance

#5yrsago You treasure what you measure: how KPIs make software dystopias https://web.archive.org/web/20190622092434/https://datascience.columbia.edu/ethical-principles-okrs-and-kpis-what-youtube-and-facebook-could-learn-tukey#.XRMxf5DB5eg.twitter

#5yrsato Dieselgate 2.0: 42,000 Mercedes diesels recalled for “illegal software” https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/06/german-regulator-says-it-discovered-new-illegal-software-on-daimler-diesels/

#5yrsago Insulin: why the price of a 100-year-old drug has tripled in a decade https://prospect.org/health/insulin-racket/

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

[instapaper]

Instapaper iOS 8.3: CarPlay, Text-to-Speech Improvements, and more

Today, we launched Instapaper iOS 8.3 on the App Store. This release features a new CarPlay app for playing articles, a number of text-to-speech improvements including access to more voices, the ability to edit article metadata, and other improvements.

CarPlay

With the Instapaper CarPlay app, it’s now easier than ever to listen to your articles while driving. The CarPlay app offers easy access to your entire Instapaper account, including your saved articles in Home, Liked, Archived, and Folders.

To start listening to an article, just select one from the list.

When an article is playing, you can easily rewind, fast forward, adjust playback speed, and like or archive the article.

Anyone can use the CarPlay app to play one article at a time. With Instapaper Premium, selecting an article in CarPlay will automatically create a Playlist that allows you to listen to your articles one after the other.

Additionally, Premium customers can use the Instapaper app to create a custom playlist by going to the More button in an article list, selecting Playlist, and choosing articles to play. The CarPlay app will automatically detect custom Playlists, and you can access the Playlist from the top right of the Now Playing screen on CarPlay.

We’re offering a free month of Instapaper Premium through May if you’d like to trial playlist functionality and other Premium features.

Selecting Voices

Previously, Instapaper used the default text-to-speech voice for the language of the article. In Instapaper 8.3, we now offer the ability to select from multiple text-to-speech voices. You can select voices in Instapaper Settings > Voices.

Instapaper will continue to automatically detect the language of the article and use the selected voice for that language. The selected voice will also be used for listening to articles with CarPlay.

You can download additional high quality voices by going to iOS Settings > Accessibility > Speech > Voices. We recommend the high quality Alex voice for English.

Editing Articles

In this release, we are adding the ability to edit article titles and descriptions directly in iOS. This can be helpful for adjusting the title/description or adding your own context to the article.

You can modify article titles and descriptions by swiping an article in the list, pressing the Share icon, and then tapping Edit.

Deprecating Connected Accounts on Mobile

We are deprecating the ability to link connected accounts (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc) on iOS in order to reduce maintenance overhead. You can still link your connected accounts in your Instapaper Settings on web. Additionally, Instapaper will still support automatically posting liked articles and notes to your connected accounts regardless of which platform you use.

Thanks for writing in with your feature requests and bug reports. We really appreciate hearing from you and your requests inform our roadmap. If you have any feature requests, questions, and/or issues, please let us know via email at support@help.instapaper.com or via @InstapaperHelp on Twitter.

[allaboutmarketing4you]

Kanban, Waterfall, and DevOps  are three different approaches to project management and software development. Here's an overview of each concept: 1. Kanban: Definition: Kanban is a visual management method for software development and knowledge work. It originated from manufacturing processes in Toyota and has been adapted for use in software development to improve efficiency and flow.

Key Concepts: Visualization: Work items are represented on a visual board, usually with columns such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done."

Work in Progress (WIP) Limits: Limits are set on the number of items allowed in each column to optimize flow and avoid bottlenecks.

Continuous Delivery: Focus on delivering work continuously without distinct iterations.

Advantages: Flexibility in responding to changing priorities.

Continuous delivery of value. Visual representation of work enhances transparency.

Use Case: Kanban is often suitable for teams with variable and unpredictable workloads, where tasks don't follow a fixed iteration cycle.

2. Waterfall: Definition: The Waterfall model is a traditional and sequential approach to software development. It follows a linear and rigid sequence of phases, with each phase building upon the outputs of the previous one.

Phases: Requirements: Define and document project requirements. Design: Create the system architecture and design. Implementation: Code the system based on the design. Testing: Conduct testing to identify and fix defects. Deployment: Deploy the completed system to users. Maintenance: Provide ongoing support and maintenance.

Advantages:

Clear structure and well-defined phases.

Documentation at each stage.

Predictable timelines and costs.

Disadvantages: Limited flexibility for changes after the project starts.

Late feedback on the final product.

Risk of customer dissatisfaction if initial requirements are misunderstood.

Use Case: Waterfall is suitable for projects with well-defined requirements and stable environments where changes are expected to be minimal.

3. DevOps: Definition: DevOps (Development and Operations) is a set of practices that aim to automate and improve the collaboration between software development and IT operations. The goal is to shorten the development lifecycle, deliver high-quality software, and foster a culture of continuous integration and delivery.

Key Practices: Continuous Integration (CI): Merge code changes frequently and automatically test them.

Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CD): Automate the release and deployment processes.

Collaboration: Promote collaboration and communication between development and operations teams.

Advantages: Faster delivery of software. Reduced manual errors through automation. Improved collaboration and communication.

Use Case: DevOps is suitable for organizations aiming to achieve faster and more reliable delivery of software through the automation of development, testing, and deployment processes.

#mktmarketing4you #distributionchannels #HoshinPlanning #Leanmethods #marketing #M4Y #lovemarketing #IPAM #ipammarketingschool #Kanban #ContingencyPlanning #virtual #volunteering #project #Management #Economy #ConsumptionBehavior #BrandManagement #ProductManagement #Logistics #Lifecycle #Brand #Neuromarketing #McKinseyMatrix #Breakevenanalysis #innovation #Facebook #icebergmodel #EdgarScheinsCultureModel #STARMethod #VRIO #7SFramework #gapanalysis #AIDAModel #SixLeadershipStyles #MintoPyramidPrinciple #StrategyDiamond #InternalRateofReturn #irr #BrandManagement #dripmodel #HoshinPlanning #XMatrix #backtobasics #BalancedScorecard #Product #ProductManagement #Logistics #Branding #freemium #businessmodel #business #4P #3C #BCG #SWOT #TOWS #EisenhowerMatrix #Study #marketingresearch #marketer #marketing manager #Painpoints #Pestel #ValueChain # VRIO #marketingmix We also left a video about Lean vs Agile vs Waterfall | What is Lean | Difference between Waterfall and Agile and that could help you. Later we will leave one about Kanban:

[maddyshome]

Someone just hacked my fb account. The help center is useless. Someone with a russian email changed my real email and removed my email, they did a reset on my password so I could not access my account without having access to the email adress they had. NOTHING ON FACEBOOK HELP CENTER COULD HELP ME RECOVER MY ACCOUNT. THEY KNEW I NEEDED ACCESS TO THE EMAIL ADRESS THEY HAD OR THE PASSWORD.

Facebook was so useless its not even funny. I had to report my own account for being fake because the fb AI is a goddamn joke. They have no support chat or phone number. Theres is no customer support. I do not even know if it was me reporting my own account that got it deleted or the russian hacker deleted it.

Fuck you facebook. Fuck you mark zuckerberg. Fuck you stupid russian hacker for stealing my data. Im just a normal person. Why the hell would you do that

[nurjahan774]

Digital Marketing Tips and Tricks

Understand your audience and your goals.

Before you start any digital marketing campaign, it's important to understand your target audience and what you want to achieve with your campaign. What are their demographics? What are their interests? What are their needs and pain points? Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you can tailor your messaging and content to resonate with them.

Create compelling content.

Content is king when it comes to digital marketing. Your content should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. It should also be well-written and edited. If you can create high-quality content that people want to read, watch, or listen to, you'll be well on your way to success.

Optimize your website for search engines (SEO).

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It's the process of optimizing your website and content so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). When you rank higher in SERPs, you're more likely to be seen by potential customers. There are a number of things you can do to improve your SEO, such as using relevant keywords in your titles and meta descriptions, creating high-quality content, and building backlinks to your website.

Use social media to connect with your audience.

Social media is a great way to connect with your target audience and build relationships with them. By sharing interesting and engaging content, you can attract new followers and promote your brand. You can also use social media to run contests and giveaways, and to provide customer support.

Track your results and measure your ROI.

It's important to track the results of your digital marketing campaigns so that you can see what's working and what's not. This will help you to refine your campaigns over time and improve your ROI. There are a number of different tools that you can use to track your results, such as Google Analytics and social media analytics.

Here are some additional tricks that you can use to improve your digital marketing results:

Use email marketing to stay in touch with your audience and promote your products or services. Run paid advertising campaigns on platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Partner with other businesses in your industry to cross-promote each other's products or services. Attend industry events and conferences to network with potential customers and partners. Stay up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends and technologies. By following these tips and tricks, you can improve your digital marketing results and achieve your business goals.

[buzzconnect]

BuzzConnects: Customized Bedding Sets, Stylish Hoodies, and Trendsetting T-Shirts Just for You

Contact Information

Website: https://buzzconnects.net/

Business Email: support@buzzconnects.net

Business Address: 701 Tillery Street Unit 12-1294, Austin, Texas 78702, United States

Business Phone Number: +1 (512) 316-0860

Business Registration Number: 804938699

Support Time: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm (GMT -5)

Founded in 2023, BuzzConnects was created to simplify product customization. Recognizing the limitations of existing retail processes, our entrepreneurs pioneered a platform offering a diverse range of easily customizable products. Today, we thrive as a dedicated community of satisfied customers.

Quilts and Bedding Sets Transform your bedroom into a haven of comfort and style with BuzzConnects Bedding Collection. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, our exquisite linens promise an unparalleled sleeping experience. Each product is designed for exceptional comfort, ensuring a peaceful night's sleep every time you rest. Our dedication to quality is evident in every thread and stitch, making BuzzConnects Bedding Collection the choice for those who value both aesthetics and functionality. Experience the difference where comfort meets elegance. Upgrade your bedroom today for ultimate relaxation.

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