#Master of Information Technology Program

[newcastleaustralia]

Empowering Future IT Leaders: Enabling Industry Transformation

 As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the role of Information Technology (IT) has transcended its conventional boundaries, shaping a dynamic era of innovation and transformation.

From its early days with mainframe computers and punch cards in the 1950s to the current era of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data analytics, IT has transitioned from a support function to a driving force for transformation across industries.

Modern enterprises rely on the efficient storage and management of data, a cornerstone highlighted by Dr. V. Sithira, Program Coordinator for Newcastle Australia’s Master of Information Technology. An organisation’s data not only sustains day-to-day operations but provides vital information. Data structures within corporations act as knowledge repositories that inform strategic decisions, ultimately enhancing competitive advantage. 

Within this framework, Business Intelligence (BI) emerges as a powerful concept. Encompassing a spectrum of architectures, tools, databases, and methodologies, BI empowers interactive data access and equips business leaders with analytical tools for informed decision-making. The mastery of designing, implementing, and integrating business intelligence techniques into an enterprise becomes paramount.

Fostering Core Competencies for the IT Leaders of Tomorrow

The impact of IT is not limited to specific industries – it is reshaping the landscape in profound ways. As we continue to nurture IT professionals, managers, and consultants of the future, it’s essential to emphasise certain core competencies:

Data Pioneering for Decision-Making: IT professionals play a pivotal role in enabling organisations to extract valuable insights from vast datasets. The ability to identify critical information, design data-driven strategies, and facilitate informed decision-making are skills that define IT leaders.

Building upon these skills, IT has played a transformative role in elevating healthcare particularly in patient care and diagnostics. AI-driven systems can now analyse medical images, enabling early disease detection. For instance, an AI algorithm has been developed to diagnose skin cancer with accuracy comparable to dermatologists. This accelerates diagnoses while minimising errors.

Moreover, AI’s predictive capabilities can identify patients at risk of certain conditions, enabling timely interventions and personalised treatment plans. The digitisation of medical records has streamlined patient care through electronic health records (EHRs), ensuring seamless access to crucial medical information.

Driving Business Intelligence: Beyond the technological facets, mastering the art of leveraging BI tools and methodologies to propel business growth stands as a defining trait of modern IT professionals. This encompasses the cultivation of a culture centred around data-driven decision-making and the seamless translation of insights into actionable strategies.

Incorporating, executing, and harmonising BI techniques within enterprises hold pivotal roles in ensuring efficient operations. Take the case of retailers, who effectively wield data analytics to evaluate purchasing trends and refine inventory management, leading to diminished costs and heightened customer contentment. In a parallel vein, the hospitality and airline sectors employ Big Data analytics to anticipate peak travel periods, enabling calibrated pricing adjustments that amplify both revenue and customer satisfaction. As the realm of IT relentlessly evolves, envision an astute digital assistant that not only secures flight bookings and lodgings but also tailors your itinerary based on personal preferences, drawing from previous travel escapades, areas of interest, and real-time variables such as local weather and events.

Solving Real-World Challenges: Our Information Technology students who are IT professionals of the future are tasked with addressing complex issues across industries, where their skills in modelling management information systems, analysing problems, and designing efficient solutions will set them apart.

Take for example, in agriculture, farmers now deploy sensor-equipped tractors to collect intricate data on soil conditions, ushering in a new era of sustainable and efficient farming practices. The integration of drones and AI further promises the concept of precision agriculture, a paradigm where real-time monitoring and intervention work in harmony to maximise crop yields and minimise resource wastage. In the logistics industry, companies have also harnessed the power of IoT devices to optimise their supply chains. These devices enable real-time monitoring of the location and condition of goods, allowing for streamlined operations and more informed decision-making in the world of commerce.

User-Centric Innovation: In an era driven by user experiences, IT professionals must grasp the intricacies of human-computer interaction. This involves not only crafting intuitive interfaces but also pioneering virtual and augmented reality experiences that deeply resonate with end-users.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) assumes a central role in commerce, particularly in the realm of seamless online shopping experiences. E-commerce titans like Amazon and Alibaba have harnessed the power of AI-driven recommendation engines. These engines meticulously analyse user preferences and behaviours to suggest products personalised to each individual shopper. The emergence of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) has further narrowed the divide, seamlessly merging the digital and physical realms of retail.

Seizing the Opportunity: Upskilling for the IT Frontier

The World Economic Forum’s 2023 report on The Future of Jobs highlights the evolving terrain of skills and technology. Notably, 42% of surveyed companies prioritise training in AI and big data in the next five years, ranking third in importance. Over 75% of businesses plan to adopt transformative technologies like big data, cloud computing, and AI, driving a digital commerce shift. Intriguingly, companies are now emphasising AI, big data, leadership, and social skills more than their workforce evaluations suggest. These skills are gaining prominence, with 9% of reskilling efforts targeted towards them.

The Masters of  Information Technology Program from the Newcastle Australia is tailor-made for individuals navigating this tech-centric world. Whether you’re a seasoned IT enthusiast or transitioning from other fields, this program equips you with the skills to steer through and harness the potential of IT in emerging industries. For mid-career professionals, it’s a chance not only to stay updated with the latest tech trends but also to drive transformative changes within their sectors. As technology reshapes norms and broadens horizons, the Master of Information Technology offers a strategic pathway to shape the future in this evolving landscape.

Contact our Education Consultant at singapore-enquiry@newcastle.edu.au to find out more today!

[edugoabroad]

Top Master's Programs in Europe to Pursue in 2025

The world has experienced seismic shifts in terms of almost everything. Nowadays, especially in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, there’s an increased emphasis on creating digital capabilities for everything ranging from ordering in food or groceries, to getting your government documentation. Governments, businesses, and entire ecosystems are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of technology and accessibility. Tentative yet swift, the advent and evolution of IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) is all-encompassing, and will continue to shape our lives for the foreseeable future. The only constant is change, as the time-tested adage goes. The current trends suggest that there’s a steep upturn in students opting to study in Europe, be it 1-year master’s programs or 2-year ones depending on the future they are working towards. We must move with the times, and towards that end, we will talk about industries that are bound to experience an upward trajectory in 2025, and the courses you can look at to kickstart your journey in them. Along with it, we shall also mention some of the best universities in Europe for you to look at in order to acquire the skills that’ll help you ride the wave and climb right to the top!

Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence, Data Science

According to studies conducted by a variety of analysts and business experts, IT is bound to experience solid growth in the years to come. While AI has slowed down this juggernaut, IT is here to stay and will continue to generate jobs at a steady rate. Be it cybersecurity or software development, there’s plenty of opportunity and demand in this sector. Of course, there’s also AI and data science thrown into the mix given that these fields are supplementing and pushing growth for almost every use case and niche imaginable.

MSc. in Computer Science

If you see a long-term future for yourself in software development, cybersecurity or AI for that matter, an MSc. in Computer Science will go a long way towards securing you the skills and credibility you need to make an impression. It offers the foundation that enables you to delve into the more specialised areas of the sphere, namely the likes of AI, data science, cybersecurity and many more. It makes sense that some of the most powerful executives in IT and other related spaces tend to have an MSc. in Computer Science. With the right mix of core subjects and electives to learn essential corollary skills that’ll help you in the long-run, you should be set for an amazing career in tech. After wrapping up your degree, you should be able to either become a Computer engineer, or a Computer Network Architect. Within these specific branches, some of the rules you can take on are Computer System Analyst, Information Security Manager, Data Scientist, Web Designer, and more! Of course, it also opens you up to the possibility of getting into OS/Compilers/Hardware.

MSc. in Information Technology

As per prevalent industry standards, an MSc. in Information Technology should hold you in good stead. The program usually focuses on programming languages, research methods, and database management with SQL servers. It should serve you well if you want to get into leadership positions, as a lot of IT Directors and Chief Technology Officers (CTO) will attest. If you intend to broaden the scope of skills you acquire from doing this degree, you can do an MBA and it’ll position you extremely well for a handsome career in technology-oriented companies. Whichever direction you end up taking your career in, these skills will keep you competitive.

When you’re done with your course, you can look forward to becoming a Systems Architect, IT Project Manager, Research Scientist, and if you manage to pick up some AI/ML along the way, a Machine Learning Engineer.

MSc. in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Perhaps the most in-demand, in-vogue specialisation of them all, an MSc. in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) will make you highly sought-after. The future is teeming bright for anyone that develops the skill of utilising or being able to form mechanisms that enable AI/ML-driven, organisation-wide digital transformations.

When you’re done with your degree, you have some exciting prospects ahead of you, namely becoming a Natural Language Processing (NLP) Engineer, Robotics Engineer, and so on. If you manage to build a fine portfolio, you can also end up becoming an AI consultant and choose to start your own business or operate as an individual consultant working at the beat of your own drum.

Universities we recommend to pursue the above master’s programs in Europe:

EPITA (France), University College of Dublin (Ireland), University College of Cork (Ireland), Aarhus University (Denmark), SRH Berlin Institute of Applied Sciences (Germany)

Automotive

Sometime around the beginning of the 2010s, observers noted that we have entered the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, also known as “Industry 4.0”. In simple terms, it describes the current state of our industries, particularly the automation of industries such as manufacturing. We might even be inching closer to Industry 5.0, and one of the industries that is certain to experience a boom for when it happens is the automotive industry. Be it a more technical education or something leaning more towards design, Europe has an array of excellent master’s courses which can help you achieve your goal of becoming an absolute expert in this arena.

MSc. in Automotive Engineering

One of the best courses in Europe and the world over for a while now, getting yourself a master’s in Automotive Engineering will set you up for a fantastic career in the world of automotives. Companies like Ford, General Motors, Toyota, BMW and many more are always on the lookout for talented automotive engineers that can take their operating standards and innovations to the next level. This isn’t the only route, however, as you can also become a Materials Engineer, a Project Manager, or even handle the supply chain function of these companies.

MSc. in Motorsport Engineering

Chances are that you would’ve watched the F1 documentary on Netflix, or someone you know definitely would’ve. Beyond the racing, have you ever marvelled at how some of the best motorsport engineers in the business gather at the pitstop and have such immense involvement in the action taking place? Well, if you’ve ever marvelled to the point that you’d want to step into their shoes, then bagging yourself an MSc. in Motorsport Engineering is the way to go. Upon bagging the degree, you can look forward to an amazing career as a Motorsport Engineer, Performance Engineer, or Design Engineer. Career goes vroooooom!

MSc. in Automotive Design

If you lean more towards the creative side of things and admire the design aspect of automobiles, a master’s in Automotive Design is what you should look at. The courses usually focus on the practical elements of designing a vehicle - it’s down to the design engineers at Ferrari that the cars they create look so stunning, for instance. Upon completing your course, you can look forward to a career as an Automotive Designer, CAD Specialist, Concept Artist, or Interior Designer.

Universities we recommend to pursue the above master’s programs in Europe:

University of Hertfordshire (UK), Strate School of Design (France), SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Poli Design (Italy), University College Cork (Ireland)

Business Management

While technology is fascinating and will definitely define the future, supervising and optimising technological capabilities will never really go out of fashion. It’s pertinent that we brought up fashion, cause when it comes to pursuing business management, France has been a powerhouse for quite some time now.

MSc. in Human Resource Management

While the world is abuzz with conspiracy theories that robots will soon replace humans and we’d be served by drones amongst other things, at ground level one of the more coveted skill sets in any sector is managing humans. Not only are you tasked with ensuring a good environment for employees, you’re also tasked with handling the various compliances that help the organisation fall in line with laws and requirements as enforced by governments. There are various roles within Human Resources pertaining to anything ranging from recruitment, all the way up to compliances and employee satisfaction. You can become the HR Manager, or even the head of HR at an organisation. You can look out for programs that have aspects of Organisational Psychology, as those programs tend to impart skills that will help you navigate the world of HR better.

MSc. in Supply Chain Management

Have you ever wondered how organisations coordinate the supplies of materials, how they pick those materials, how they manage to procure them? All those tasks sound completely disparate, but a master’s in Supply Chain Management should help you bring them all together. Almost every company requires someone who understands the intricacies of finding the right supply of materials and logistical tools, and when you complete this degree, you should be able to take on not just executive roles, but even leadership roles as companies rely on this particular function of the organisation and a lot of supply chain management roles translate to promotion to leadership roles in the long run.

MSc. in Luxury Brand Management

Have you always been drawn to opulence? If so, a master’s in Luxury Brand Management is worth taking a look at! Given that luxury brands are on the rise, and actually have been for years now, it is imperative that luxury brand management becomes a fixture in terms of amazing careers one can take up. If you’ve got a zeal for marketing and can conceptualise campaigns, this one is definitely for you! When you’re done with the course, you can scoot into a splendid career as a brand manager, Luxury Goods Buyer, or Public Relations Manager, and might find yourself working at a luxury brand such as Louis Vutton amongst others!

Universities we recommend to pursue the above master’s programs in Europe:

Rennes School of Business (France), NEOMA Business School (France), Montpellier Business School (France), Dublin Business School (Ireland)

Conclusion

As 2025 appears on the horizon, these courses stand out for the promise Edugo Abroad represent in terms of industry demand and career prospects. There’s clearly a lot to be excited about, so as we wrap this one up, we hope that our blog sheds the proverbial spotlight on some best master’s programs in Europe from where you can jumpstart your journey to what shall surely be a rewarding career.

[snezka-049]

Snezka and SCP-049 beginning (lore)

1. Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski lore (Snezka)

(Events before the containment breach).

In the corridors of the SCP Foundation, where secrets and anomalies are hidden from the public eye, Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski worked. Her life was full of mystery, and this is what drew her to the world of anomalies.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Name: Snezhana Lewandowski

Age: ██

Date of Birth: 27/08/ ████

Clearance Level: Third

Personnel Category: B

Specialty: IT Specialist. Psychologist.

Place of work: Zone 19

Foundation experience: 5 years

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Education

First: IT-Specialist.

Snezhana enrolled in the Faculty of Information Technology at a state university. During her studies, she specialized in cybersecurity and data analytics.

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree, then a Master's degree, she continued her education in graduate school, where she focused on research in the areas of:

1. Information Security.

2. Big data analytics.

She defended her doctoral dissertation on "Anomaly detection methods for system and big data", which attracted the attention of the SCP Foundation.

Second: Psychologist.

After achieving the success she needed in technical education, she decided to fulfill her life's main dream of working in the field of psychology. Due to some unpleasant events in her childhood, she did not have the opportunity to study in this field, so she had to temporarily change her orientation in life.

From an early age, Snezhana has shown an interest in psychology and human behavior. The motivation for this comes from a tough youth and personal traumatic experiences. Her goal was to help those who couldn't make it on their own, as she once couldn't. After enough time had passed, she managed to apply to the academy to study psychology. Upon graduating from the academy, Snezhana specialized in the areas of:

1. Clinical psychology.

2. Experimental psychology.

3. Counseling psychology.

After she got a job in a psychoneurological dispensary, gaining valuable experience and practice, a broader understanding of the inner world of people.

Invitation to the Foundation

Finding contacts and personal information about Snezhana was not difficult for the Foundation. Having noticed her abilities, the Foundation ordered to send a recruiter - ████ ██████ - into her social circle to get more information about the candidate. As a result, the recruiter ████ and Snezhana became close friends.

After some time of observation and communication of the recruiter with her, having received all the necessary information, the Board of the Foundation came to the decision to give her the invitation to work.

Realizing the risks and danger, Snezhana accepted the invitation, having resigned from her previous job after working for about 2 years.

After testing, interviewing and training, she became an employee of the Foundation with a level 2 security clearance.

Career at the Foundation

Snezhana started her career as a junior specialist in cybersecurity, a little later gaining a junior position in psychology.

Her specialization is a unique combination of programming and psychology, allowing her to look at anomalies from two perspectives: both as complex systems that require analysis, and as entities with their own consciousness and motivation.

Incident

While analyzing data, Dr. Lewandowski came across strange signals on the network. These were not just hacking attempts - they were coming from an entity known as SCP-███ She and others in the programming field developed a comprehensive defense strategy. In the process, they faced many challenges: the SCP-███ system was constantly adapting, and they had to find new solutions. Under conditions of stress and strain, Dr. Lewandowski managed to implement their real-time protection algorithm.

After that, for some reason, she was assigned more work in the field of psychology. Also, her success in the incident gave her a promotion to level 3 clearance.

In psychology

Dr. Lewandowski researches and analyzes object psychology. She develops methods of interacting with abnormal entities and helps in understanding their behavior.

Real security is achieved not only through physical barriers, but also through the emotional stability of employees. She took time to help her colleagues through seminars and psychology trainings for the staff of the Facility, trying to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual support among the employees.

For about 2 years, Dr. Lewandowski worked only with Safe Class facilities, and after being promoted to Senior Specialist in Psychology, she was ordered to work with Euclid Class facilities.

This promotion led her to meet one subject that changed her life, and in the future, his too... SCP-049 - Plague Doctor.

2. Lewandowski and SCP-049

(Events on the eve of the containment breach).

Experiment

The first days of Dr. Lewandowski and the SCP-049 subject were formal, protocol-driven. Lewandowski conducted standard interview sessions in an attempt to understand the motives and nature of his subject. The subject was cool and detached.

She knew SCP-049 was dangerous, but she saw him not only as an anomaly, but as a complex, multifaceted individual. His words were full of sadness and loneliness, imbued with longing and melancholy. She understood his logic, his pain, his desire to “help,” even if the methods were questionable, but perhaps all is not what it seems at first glance.

And yet she too had thought similar things to what SCP-049 had said, that the world was sick, humanity needed to be saved. Ever since she was a child, she had had thoughts like his in her mind.

She had a theory that there were no bad people in the world, but wounded people who had not been healed. She believed that a person becomes wounded, after being treated unfairly or cruelly, by similarly wounded people. If a person does not work on their wound, it will not heal, because there are many wounded people in the world that will scratch that wound, making it bigger. And this pain and resentment, like a virus or rot, infects his soul completely, making the person the same as the one who once inflicted the wound. Later that person carries this pain and resentment further, taking it out on others, making more infected. It is an endless cycle that cannot be eradicated completely, but can be minimized. Some can handle it, and some need help. You have to want help, you have to understand the situation and try to solve it too, because no one can help you better than you can help yourself, and that's what Snezka had to go through.

She thought these thoughts were strange, but after so many years, there was a creature that literally reflected her thoughts, with whom you can share this theory, and perhaps get understanding.

She saw herself in him, only a better version of herself, but with the same mental problems.

— How can that be!? He's just an abnormal object, why can't I stop thinking about him!? I can't stop thinking about him, his words. Maybe it's my soft nature, too compassionate, empathic, or maybe it's his anomalous action?

Dr. Lewandowski felt a kindred spirit in him and wanted to have more sessions with him, and most importantly, she wanted to get away from formal conversation, and share her thoughts with him about their common problem.

She decided to send a request to the management above about the idea of having experimental conversations with SCP-049, so that he would see Dr. Lewandowski as genuinely understanding, get comfortable with her, and tell her more about his treatment, himself, and the fever. Approval was granted, but it was a long wait. Finally she could be sincere with him.

Trust

New conversations with SCP-049, but not as formal as before, it took several such conversations before SCP-049 settled down with Dr. Lewandowski.

He told her more about the fever, about the treatment, they began to have deep dialogues about life and death, about philosophy, about society, SCP-049 even began to tell stories from his own life. Lewandowski also told him about her life, but she liked to listen to him more.

She found comfort in his monologues about the world, about death, about eternity, his stories about medicine. Her mind resisted, but her heart could no longer deny it: she felt something more than professional interest in him. It was a dangerous game, bordering on insanity. She knew it, but she couldn't stop. Lewandowski realized that her feelings were illogical, unacceptable, but they were there. Her greatest fear was that the Foundation would suspect something and restrict her access to him, which unfortunately happened...

Another conversation between SCP-049 and Lewandowski, the subject had already started addressing her by her favorite version of her name, Snezka, while she addressed him as Doctor. Suddenly the object fell silent.

— Doctor? Is everything all right?

— ...Yes. Snezka, let me demonstrate something to you, you should know....

The subject held out his hand, as far as it was possible being handcuffed for safety's sake, and nodded, offering to touch her. Sensing that this venture might not end well, Lewandowski extended her palm, and SCP-049 touched it.

— Wait, what...? Oh... My thoughts about your abilities were valid. - Was the last thing Snezka said before the cell door opened and she was summoned to leave.

Reprimand

— Dr. Lewandowski, your experimental conversations with the subject have come to an end. We have all the information we need, you will no longer have to work with SCP-049. Let's be honest, it seems you've begun to abuse your access to the facility, and the Foundation board has some questions about that.

— ...It was part of an experiment, you see.... It gave you a lot of new information, before such experiments such informative results were not observed. - said Lewandowski in her defense.

— Lucky for you that it didn't end in your death! Objects like 049 are dangerous, you can't trust them or reach out to them. Or have you forgotten what he did to Dr. Hamm? And everything was fine at first, too. This object is unpredictable! You're lucky you're a valued member of our staff, and this is the first time you've had an incident like this, otherwise we'd be forced to take action.

Separation

More work with other facilities has now fallen on her. One day, she dared to inquire about SCP-049. But she didn't get a clear answer.

Meanwhile, SCP-049 was asking the same question to the staff - when would Dr. Lewandowski visit?

— We're sorry, but Dr. Lewandowski has declined to work with you, SCP-049.

— ...That can't be true, you're lying! She couldn't have done it, I can feel it!

Subject SCP-049 became hostile to the Foundation, uncooperative and drove all attempts at contact away.

All or Nothing

— "Is the dream and freedom worth risking the lives and safety of others?" — Pondered by Dr. Lewandowski . — "Risking everything, insanity, selfishness(?). But if it's for a great purpose, for the good of all mankind..."

INCIDENT ██-████

(Latest walkie-talkie recordings)

(Static noise and warning signal sound)

Operator One: (Confused) This is operator one. Security protocol has failed! Repeat, security protocol has failed! All subjects... all subjects are at large!

Agent █: Reporting a security breach in Sector 3. Doors unresponsive, cameras disabled. Looks like SCP-███ is out of control.

Commander ███████: be careful! Confirm the presence of the intruder and take action to apprehend him.

(Noise, sound of gunshots)

Agent ██: (panic) This is crazy! Reporting SCP-███ is not alone. There are several other objects present. Very aggressive, we need help, repeat ████████████████ (interference).

Commander ████████: Come in, Agent ██, come in!!! (communication lost).

Commander ████████: Fuck...

Dr. █████: It could be SCP-███! He could have hacked into the security system and released the other facilities.

Commander ████: █████, are you sure? How?!

Dr. █████: I can't say for sure, but... (struggle noise) HOW ARE YOU!? STOP, DOCTOR... (interference).

Commander ████: All personnel to the assault! Stop the targets at all costs! What the hell's going on! Where's all the security personnel!?

(explosions, shouting)

Agent █████: They're all over the place

Agent ██: Where's the ██ squad?

Agent █████: they're holding back SCP-682

Agent ██: he's the last fucking thing we need!

SB-2: SB-1, this is SB-2! We've got-- we've got SCP-███breaking through! We can't stop him!

SB-1: Hold him off at all costs! Support is on the way.

(Siren and explosions)

Operator Three: SB-1, this is Operator Three! The ██ camera signal is gone! SCP-█████... he's out!

SB-1: All SB personnel to camera ██! Isolate SCP-█████! Repeat, isolate SCP-█████! (radio interference)

End of Calm

There has been a massive failure of the entire Foundation security system in Area 19, as well as a power failure. Security protocol, alarms, and warnings went off with a delay with most of the dangerous objects wreaking havoc in the Foundation. The alleged culprit of the SCP-“”" incident. Likely had accomplices, an investigation is underway.

During the incident, a large number of soldiers and staff died. There was a leak of several objects to freedom. The lists of dead and missing were equal. Dr. Snezana Lewandowski and SCP-049 were also listed as missing, among dozens of personnel and facilities.

The SCP Foundation, having suffered loss and damage, is doing its best to restore order after the chaos, but the world is no longer safe as before.

3. Conversations between Lewandowski and SCP-049

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon, SCP-049. I am your psychologist, Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski. It's a pleasure to meet you!

SCP-049: Greetings, doctor, I hope we can work together.

Dr. Lewandowski: I think so! So, how are you feeling today?

SCP-049: (pause) I feel... A burden. A burden that is hard to describe in words. Every day I see suffering, and it depresses me.

Dr. Lewandowski: Are you talking about human suffering? About those whom you refer to as sick people?

SCP-049: Yes. The weathering is not just a physical condition. This world, this wretched piece of the universe, is forever doomed to suffer. (Irritated) Mortals, powerless over their own weaknesses, forever seek salvation in false doctrines and vain hopes. They build cities out of flimsy material, create weapons that can destroy themselves, and cling to life without realizing its true nature. I see their pain, their despair, feel their fear of the inevitable. And I know I can help them. But they don't understand. They fear me! They reject my mercy! They call me a monster, a monstrosity! I see them trying to stop me, lock me up, impose their rules. But can you limit what is beyond their comprehension? Can one defeat that which is eternal? Their attempts are futile. I will always exist. Let them resist, let them fear. It only confirms their blindness.

(A moment's silence)

Dr. Lewandowski: (Sigh)...Have you ever thought about why this “fever” bothers you so much? What exactly causes you to feel so strongly about it?

SCP-049: (sighs) I have witnessed a lot of suffering. I have seen people lose hope, I have seen them fall victim to their weakness. This makes me want to help, but sometimes I feel that my efforts are futile.

Dr. Lewandowski: Do you feel that your help is really effective? Or is there any doubt about your methods?

SCP-049: (with some irritation) My methods are the only way to free people from their suffering! I cannot afford to doubt my vocation. But sometimes... It catches up with me.

Dr. Lewandowski: It is normal to have doubts. Many people face similar feelings. What do you do to deal with these emotions?

SCP-049: I continue my work. I focus on my goals.

Dr. Lewandowski: Maybe you should take time to reflect on yourself and your feelings. It may help you better understand your motivation and calm your mind.

SCP-049: I don't think so, but... You may be right. I worry that if I stop, the darkness around me will consume everything.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Pause)...How I understand that. Sometimes you have to take a step back to see the big picture. It doesn't mean you stop fighting the disease. It can only make you stronger.

SCP-049: Perhaps...

Dr. Lewandowski: This is an important step. And remember, you are not alone in your experience. I'm here to help you make sense of it.

SCP-049: Thank you... I'll try to remember that.

[END RECORDING]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Good evening Doctor, how are you feeling?

SCP-049: It would be better if I were allowed to return to my work.

Dr. Lewandowski: Don't worry Doctor, you will definitely be given that opportunity...

SCP-049: Really? Really!? I'm finally going back to work, I'm glad to hear that! When do I get a patient?

Dr. Lewandowski: ...Unfortunately, I don't have that information.

SCP-049: Maybe you could influence this situation? Explain my urgent need to progress with my treatment!

Dr. Lewandowski: I don't think I can... Doctor, you need to rest, you've been working hard. As a doctor, you should know that rest is very important for high productivity.

SCP-049: (Sighs) I wish I had something to do in these four walls...

Dr. Lewandowski: I have a suggestion. Do you like to read? I can bring you some books if the Foundation leadership says so.

SCP-049: That's a very marvelous idea.

Dr. Lewandowski: What kind of literature do you prefer?

SCP-049: I was interested in modern books about medicine, it is interesting to study what is being written about it now. It would be interesting to read something from philosophy.

Dr. Lewandowski: Excellent choice Doctor, we have the same taste in literature. Would you mind if I brought a couple more books on my recommendation for you?

SCP-049: Sounds good, I agree.

Dr. Lewandowski: See you, Doctor.

SCP-049: See you, thank you for such an interesting proposal, Dr. Lewandowski.

[END OF RECORDING]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Good evening, Doctor.

SCP-049: Good evening, Dr. Lewandowski.

Dr. Lewandowski: I want to understand how you feel when you look at the world through the prism of your...your uniqueness.

SCP-049: (hesitantly) Uniqueness?

Dr. Lewandowski: I'm talking about wisdom. You have lived for centuries, watching the birth and decline of civilizations. What have you learned in that time?

(Minute's silence)

SCP-049: I've seen nations rise and fall, empires born of dust and turned to stone, ideas ignite people's hearts and turn to ash. (Pause). I realized that existence is a perpetual cycle of birth and death, a constant struggle for survival. People are so hungry for meaning, but it eludes them.

Dr. Lewandowski: Isn't this struggle, this longing for meaning, the very essence of being?

SCP-049: (With sadness in his voice) Meaning... (Pause) It wanders like a ghost through the labyrinths of our consciousness. We search for it in religion, in science, in art, but it eludes us, leaving only emptiness.

Dr. Lewandowski: But don't you see, Doctor? You create your own meaning by helping people to get rid of the disease. You believe in what you're doing, Doctor. You believe it's necessary.

SCP-049: Faith... (Pause) This is another one of those ghosts that haunt us. I see things that others do not see, and it pains me. It pains me to see the suffering that is inevitable for all living things.

Dr. Lewandowski: And you're trying to help, Doctor...

SCP-049: (Interrupting) We are but pawns in the hands of fate. Our actions are insignificant in comparison to eternity.

Dr. Lewandowski: Don't say that, Doctor. You are not a pawn. You are the creator of your own destiny. And I believe you will find your path, your meaning.

SCP-049: (Heavy sigh) But not in this place, not here, not now.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Pause) You know Doctor... I'd like to share with you a thought that has been on my mind since I was a child.

SCP-049: What is it that's bothering you?

[recording interrupted for 5 minutes]

Dr. Lewandowski: I almost forgot, the Foundation gave me permission to bring you some books.

(Took several books out of her bag and placed a stack on the table next to the subject)

SCP-049: (With joy in her voice) Glad to hear that! Immensely grateful to the Foundation and of course to you, Dr. Lewandowski.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiling) I'm glad it lifted your spirits. See you later, we'll be sure to discuss what we read next time.

SCP-049: I look forward to seeing you.

[END RECORDING]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Zone 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Hello, Doctor! How are you today?

SCP-049: Good afternoon, Dr. Lewandowski. I'm feeling... quite well. I've been studying some of the books you brought me at the last meeting.

Dr. Lewandowski: Excellent! Which books did you enjoy the most?

SCP-049: I was impressed with the works on human nature. Their authors convey emotions and experiences in a very subtle way.

Dr. Lewandowski: Yes, literature can indeed be a great way to understand people. Is there anything that surprised you about these books?

SCP-049: I was surprised by how diverse human feelings are. Everyone experiences love, fear, and hope in their own way.

Dr. Lewandowski: Yes, humans are amazing creatures! What about you? Have you ever experienced something similar to love?

SCP-049: (Pause) I'm not sure. My life has been devoted to fighting the windfall, and I haven't given much thought to such feelings. But... sometimes I feel warm when I talk to you. (turns away)

Dr. Lewandowski: I'm glad to see your condition has improved markedly. I feel warm when we talk, too. (Pause) You are an unusually interesting conversationalist.

SCP-049: (surprised) Interesting? I've always thought of myself as rather... odd. But it's nice to hear you say that. You don't hear that very often in this place, in general... I've never heard it from you.

Dr. Lewandowski: Weird people can be very interesting! We all have our unique qualities. For example, your view of the world is something special, not strange. By the way, have you read that novel?

SCP-049: The Master and Margarita? Yes, an interesting work about the power of love and the struggle against darkness.

Dr. Lewandowski: I think there are so many layers and philosophical themes there. You know, you sound like the Master (Laughs).

SCP-049: Hmm... There's something, maybe, and you remind me of Marguerite.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Laughs) That's probably true. Unfortunately, I have to go. Don't forget, you deserve to be understood. And I'm here to help you do just that.

SCP-049: (With a slight sadness in his voice) Your support gives me strength.

Dr. Lewandowski: We all need each other's support.

SCP-049: I look forward to our future conversations.

[END OF RECORDING]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon Doctor, I would like to know what your thoughts have been occupied with lately?

SCP-049: Greetings. (Pause) Relatively recently, I've been thinking about the nature of human cruelty.

Dr. Lewandowski: Cruelty... (Pause) Unfortunately, it permeates every facet of existence, like a shadow that follows the light.

SCP-049: Yes. (Sighs) I watch people, and it makes me sad how capable they are of terrible things. There is a darkness lurking in their hearts that sometimes overshadows even the brightest impulses.

Dr. Lewandowski: As it happens, humanity is a paradox. On the one hand, it creates beautiful works of art, science and culture, and on the other hand, it is capable of ruthless acts of violence and hatred.

SCP-049: Exactly. I see how people can be kind and compassionate, but at the same time they easily cross the line into becoming instruments of destruction. It causes me deep sadness and bewilderment.

Dr. Lewandowski: I share your feelings and support your thoughts, Doctor.

SCP-049: It is most gratifying to know that, Dr. Lewandowski. My mission is to rid mankind of disease. At times I am at a loss as to what to do about this inner cruelty? How do you heal a society that is tearing itself apart?

Dr. Lewandowski: You see, many of these atrocities come from fear, ignorance and hatred. Or perhaps they were mentally wounded once, and that wound, without proper treatment, began to fester, infecting the whole mind and soul.

SCP-049: (Interested) I like the way you think. Abuse is not just physical violence. It is also words that hurt, betrayals and indifference to the suffering of others. In each of these acts I see a reflection of the disease.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Sigh) Sadly, dreams of a world where humanity can overcome its cruelty and learn to love are utopian.

SCP-049: I'm not so sure about that. It's certainly not an easy task, the whole world and one me, the road to healing is long and thorny. But the more I work at it, the closer that peace comes.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Pause) Perhaps someday people will realize that cruelty is not part of their true nature. Perhaps they will learn to see in each other a reflection of themselves and learn to care for those who suffer. Perhaps... (Pause) But sometimes you get the idea that some people are so rotten in their souls that treatment will be useless, and the only thing left to do is to rid the world of that person so they don't hurt others. This is not humane, but in such a case it is possible to make sure that this person stays alive but is not capable of hurting others.

SCP-049: (Surprised) Your thoughts make sense. We've had a rather pleasant dialog. I've never had such an in-depth discussion with anyone else. I feel much better.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiling) That's wonderful, Doctor, I confess I don't often have someone to talk to about this either.

[END RECORDING]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon, Doctor, how is your mood?

SCP-049: Greetings. My mood is a little down, without my work I'm having a hard time mentally.

Dr. Lewandowski: I'm sorry to hear that, Doctor. (Pause) Let me ask you something.

SCP-049: I'm listening to you.

Dr. Lewandowski: Do you have any pleasant memory from your life?

SCP-049: (Sighs) Unfortunately, there aren't many... (Pause) I do recall one. Yes, it was a time when I was out in the wild, searching for rare herbs and plants in the forest. No people and just the sounds of nature. And then I came to a field, a field of lavender. (Sighs) It's... It was a magical feeling. The field was filled with bright colors and the air was full of a light, slightly spicy aroma. I felt like I was in another world, away from my worries. I walked slowly among the flowers, watching the bees as they worked to gather nectar. The bees are not aware of the suffering that humans are experiencing, they are just doing their job, benefiting the world around them. It made me think: maybe that's what humanity needs - the simple pursuit of the good. (Pause) The whole day I was there. It was wonderful. I dream of being in that moment again one day.

Dr. Lewandowski: That's... It's a wonderful memory, very beautiful.

SCP-049: Yes... It's beautiful. You know, I feel a little better.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiling) That's wonderful to hear. Try to remember something else, good thoughts can smooth out your condition within these walls.

SCP-049: I'll try. Thank you for encouraging me to remember this.

[END RECORDING]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewer: Dr. Snezhana Lewandowski, Area 19

Interviewee: SCP-049

[START RECORDING]

Dr. Lewandowski: Good afternoon Doctor, how is your mood?

SCP-049: Good afternoon Snezka. I guess my mood is somewhere between average and good. Good to see you, how are you feeling?

Dr. Lewandowski: I'm not bad. I have something I'd like to give you. I had a hard time getting permission for it from the foundation, but....

(Took out of her bag a small pillow with a lavender flower print pillowcase and placed it on the table in front of the subject).

This is for you. I remember that you don't need sleep, but that's not what it's for. Rather it is for coziness, and your favorable mood. This pillow is stuffed with lavender.

SCP-049: (Surprised) It's for me?! What a wonderful gift, lavender really calms me down.

Dr. Lewandowski: I'm glad the gift is useful to you. I would have brought you something else, but unfortunately the Foundation has only authorized this one so far.

SCP-049: I am honored by such attention, thank you, Dr..... Snezka. (Pause) ...How did I not notice that... Your last name is...

Dr. Lewandowski: (Interested) Hmm?

SCP-049: Lewandowski, that last name comes from the Old Polish word levanda, which means lavender. What a wonderful coincidence, my favorite plant.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Smiles) Yes, that's right, my favorite too by the way. I am amazed at your knowledge, Doctor!

SCP-049: It is a pleasure to be appreciated and understood by you. I must admit, you are not out of my mind.

Dr. Lewandowski: (Embarrassed) Oh... You know, it's mutual. Doctors aren't supposed to have favorites, but I have to admit...(Pause) You're my favorite patient.

(momentary silence)

SCP-049: I wish we could meet more often...

Dr. Lewandowski: I'd like that too, Doctor...

[END OF RECORDING]

Supplement

https://www.tumblr.com/snezka-049/766312832505626624/snezka-and-doctor-reference-and-lore-scp-049?source=share

[bongwaterbirdbath]

Got this Bernie Sanders email. Thought I’d share:

Dear Reader,

I do not often find myself in the habit of thanking Elon Musk, but he has done an exceptional job of demonstrating a point that we have made for years — and that is the fact we live in an oligarchic society in which billionaires dominate not only our politics and the information we consume, but our government and economic lives as well.

That has never been more clear than it is today.

But given the news and attention Mr. Musk has been getting over the last few weeks as he illegally and unconstitutionally dismantles government agencies, I thought it was an appropriate time to ask the question that the media and most politicians don't seem to be asking: What do he and other multi-billionaires really want? What is their endgame?

In my opinion, what Musk and those around him are aggressively striving for is not novel, it is not complicated and it is not new. It is what ruling classes throughout history have always wanted and have believed is theirs by right: more power, more control, more wealth. And they don’t want ordinary people and democracy getting in their way.

Elon Musk and his fellow oligarchs believe government and laws are simply an impediment to their interests and what they are entitled to.

In pre-revolutionary America, the ruling class governed through the “divine right of kings,” the belief that the King of England was an agent of God, not to be questioned. In modern times, the oligarchs believe that as the masters of technology and as "high-IQ individuals,” it is their absolute right to rule. In other words, they are our modern-day kings.

And it is not just power. It’s incredible wealth. Today, Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg have a combined worth of $903 billion, more than the bottom half of American society — 170 million people. Since Trump was elected, unbelievably, their wealth has soared. Elon Musk has become $138 billion richer, Zuckerberg has become $49 billion richer and Bezos has become $28 billion richer. Add it all up and the three wealthiest men in America have become $215 billion richer since Election Day.

Meanwhile, while the very rich become much richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 85 million are uninsured or under-insured, 25% of seniors are trying to survive on $15,000 or less, 800,000 are homeless and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth.

Do you think the oligarchs give a damn about these people? Trust me, they don’t. Musk’s decision to dismember U.S. AID means that thousands of the poorest people around the world will go hungry or die of preventable diseases.

But it’s not just abroad. Here in the United States they’ll soon be going after the healthcare, nutrition, housing, and educational programs that protect the most vulnerable people in our country - so that Congress can provide huge tax breaks for them and their fellow billionaires. As modern-day kings, who believe they have the absolute right to rule, they will sacrifice, without hesitation, the well-being of working people to protect their privilege.

Further, they will use the enormous media operations they own to deflect attention away from the impact of their policies while they “entertain us to death.” They will lie, lie and lie. They will continue to spend huge amounts of money to buy politicians in both major political parties.

They are waging a war on the working class of this country, and it is a war they are intent on winning.

I am not going to kid you — the problems this country faces right now are serious and they are not easy to solve. The economy is rigged, our campaign finance system is corrupt and we are struggling to control climate change — among other issues.

But this is what I do know:

The worst fear of the ruling class in this country is that Americans — Black, White, Latino, urban and rural, gay and straight — come together to demand a government that represents all of us, not just the wealthy few.

Their nightmare is that we will not allow ourselves to be divided up by race, religion, sexual orientation or country of origin and will, together, have the courage to take them on.

Will it be easy? Of course not.

The ruling class of this country will constantly remind you that they have all the power. They control the government, they own the media. “You want to take us on? Good luck,” they will say. “There's nothing you can do about it.”

But our job today is to not forget the great struggles and sacrifices that millions of people have waged over the centuries to create a more democratic, just and humane society:

* Overthrowing the King of England to create a new nation and self-rule. Impossible.

* Establishing universal suffrage. Impossible.

* Ending slavery and segregation. Impossible.

* Granting workers the right to form unions and ending child labor. Impossible.

* Giving women control over their own bodies. Impossible.

* Passing legislation to establish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, a minimum wage, clean air and water standards. Impossible.

In these difficult times despair is not an option. We’ve got to fight back in every way we can.

We have to get involved in the political process — run for office, connect with our local, state and federal legislators, donate to candidates who will fight for the working class of this country. We have to create new channels for communication and information sharing. We have to volunteer not just politically, but to build community locally.

Whatever we can do is what we must do.

Needless to say, I intend to do my part — both inside the beltway and traveling throughout the country — to stand up for the working class of this country. In the days, weeks, and months ahead I hope you will join me in that struggle.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

[writingquestionsanswered]

I'm brainstorming a sci-fi story but I'm stuck on the concept of the technology. I have a concrete idea of my characters who can do intense action in frequent missions but in a lighthearted, comedy-sprinkled way and they would fight against a problematic technology use that harms people, but I'm not sure what they would fight against and why and how this could be done with action-packed missions.. Do you have any advice on how to have a more concrete grasp on and to come up with this concept?

Fleshing Out Sci-Fi Story

I would start by first fleshing out the world that they live in. What's it like? Who is in charge? What goal do the authorities have (for example: control the citizens and keep them from rebelling again) that would cause them to implement this problematic technology that harms people?

Next, flesh out the technology... what is it? Who invented it? Was it invented solely for the purpose "the authorities" use it for? How does it harm people? What are the effects of this harm? Is it meant to be harmful or is that a side effect of its use?

Now, consider what "fighting against" this technology would look like. What would the end goal be in this fight? Are they trying to gain control of the technology? Change it? Shut it down? Destroy it? Disempower those who misuse it?

Finally, when you understand the characters' end goal, you can start to figure out what tasks need to be accomplished in order to achieve that goal. The "fight" as it were. Let's say their end goal is to destroy the tech so it can no longer harm anyone. What method would they use to destroy it? (Blow it up? Blast it into space? Scramble its programming?) How would they gain access to it? What steps would need to be taken in order to have everything they needed to carry out the destruction? What steps would need to be taken in order to gain access to the tech? What other information, skills, etc. are needed?

Once you have all of this fleshed out, you can get a better idea of what exactly needs to be accomplished, and that gives you a basis for your action-packed missions.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[anjanahalo]

Wayne Vs Fenton 3

start of the madness

pls note I'm putting these numbers in as "what I have written." They're not gonna necessarily be in order. I hope to make a full fic to put on AO3. In the interim, here's stuff I wrote in general as it strikes me in the moment. This bit is from Tim's perspective after Damian and Danny Are Friends become a known quantity in the Wayne household. ~*~

Damian making friends didn’t make sense. Everyone else felt complacent in simply accepting it. Tim wasn’t. Considering his upbringing, autonomous socializing wasn’t part of Damian’s personality. Nor was how calm and patient the former assassin child became with all of his siblings, Tim included. Damian himself insisted he and this “Danny” were friends. Hell, Damian even called the kid by a nickname. Not his last name, not “Daniel.” His actual, preferred nickname. Tim was suspicious and instantly began investigating. Daniel “Danny” Fenton, age 15, moved to Gotham two months ago from Amity Park, Illinois with his godfather and temporary guardian, Vlad Masters, former mayor of Amity Park, head of Vladco Industries, and heir to Wisconsin’s Self Proclaimed Dairy King’s fortune. Child of Jack and Madeline Fenton, doctors of something called ectobiology, former college classmates of Vlad Masters, and founders of FentonWorks, a cottage research facility that developed antighost (Ghosts? Really?) weaponry and equipment. Brother of Jasmine Fenton, currently a student of Yale in their psychology undergraduate program, and already a shoe-in for the Dean’s list. Honestly, of all the people related to him, Danny ended up being the least interesting. Middling grades that dropped in high school along with attendance. That was probably what led to his coming to Gotham. A set of brilliant - if evidentially weird - parents and a rich and involved godfather doing what they could to help their faltering son to succeed by sending him to one of the top schools on the east coast. There was evidence that Amity Park itself had some apparently minor meta vigilante protecting it, but searches for “Phantom” turned up nothing in the Justice League’s database, suggesting whomever this was might be an actual ghost like Deadman and, thus, restricted to access by those with JLD clearance. Tim put aside that issue for later. He could just ask B for privileges later. Besides, the only information he found on this vigilante was on a few amateur fansites and local papers. No major news sites or government listings. It couldn’t be anything major. His focus remained on Daniel Fenton. Except, even when looking into the kid’s socials, there wasn’t anything interesting. He had a couple friends back in Amity, the most interesting of the two was Samantha Mason of the Mason family, though Tim already knew of her from various socialite dinners she looked ready to burn to the ground, pink and lacey dress or not. Her social media was full of activism, conservation movements, and calls for both veganism and something called ultra recycle vegetarianism. Tucker came from an average family of upper middle class parents, nothing odd there, though his social media showed his love of technology and ancient Egypt. Nothing strange there. Danny’s social media, besides his friends, included links to Nasa, occasional rambles about high school life, and, for some reason, a dog photoshopped to look green. From the replies of his few followers, it was an inside joke since they all cooed over the dog and didn’t comment on the green. Again, nothing strange. Even the one time he managed to hack into Damian’s phone to see his messages yielded nothing. He and Danny would meet for what Danny called “playdates.” For some reason, Damian played along with a name Tim knew he’d scoff as childish and beneath him. Even that would be innocuous. One or the other would suggest meeting at various parks, arcades, even the observatory, negotiating dates and times, and that was it.

Danny was a normal kid. Damian was a born and bred assassin. Why in the actual fuck were these two friends? Nothing made sense. Everyone else was happy to ignore it because of the peace the irrationality before them instilled. Tim wouldn’t become complacent. Whatever Danny was hiding, he’d find it.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 7, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

May 08, 2025

Alarm appears to be rising about how the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is consolidating data about Americans. Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein, and Rachel Siegel wrote in the Washington Post today that DOGE is “racing to build a single centralized database with vast troves of personal information about millions of U.S. citizens and residents.” In the past, that information has been carefully siloed, and there are strict laws about accessing it. But under billionaire Elon Musk, who appears to direct DOGE although the White House has said he does not, operatives who may not have appropriate security clearances are removing protections and linking data.

There are currently at least eleven lawsuits underway claiming that DOGE has violated the 1974 Privacy Act regulating who can access information about American citizens stored by the federal government.

Musk and President Donald Trump, as well as other administration officials, claim that such consolidation of data is important to combat “waste, fraud, and abuse,” although so far they have not been able to confirm any such savings and their cuts are stripping ordinary Americans of programs they depend on. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told the Washington Post reporters that DOGE’s processes are protected by “some of the brightest cybersecurity minds in the nation” and that “every action taken is fully compliant with the law.”

Cybersecurity experts outside the administration disagree that a master database is secure or safe, as DOGE is bypassing normal safeguards, including neglecting to record who has accessed or changed database information. The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School explains that data can be altered or manipulated to redirect funds, for example, and that there is substantial risk that data can be hacked or leaked. It can be used to commit fraud or retaliate against individuals.

The Ash Center also explains that U.S. government data is an extraordinarily valuable treasure trove for anyone trying to train artificial intelligence systems. Most of the data currently available is from the internet and is thus messy and unreliable. Government databases are “comprehensive, verified records about the most critical areas of Americans’ lives.” Access to that data gives a company “significant advantages” in training systems and setting business strategies. Americans have not given consent for their data to be used in this way, and it leaves them open to “loss of services, harassment, discrimination, or manipulation by the government, private entities, or foreign powers.”

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo suggests Musk’s faith in his AI company is at least part of what’s behind the administration’s devastating cuts to biomedical research. Those who believe in a future centered around AI believe that it will be far more effective than human research scientists, so cutting actual research is efficient. At the same time, Marshall suggests, tech oligarchs find the years-long timelines of actual research and the demands of scientists on peer reviews and careful study frustrating, as they want to put their ideas into practice quickly.

If the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is an example of what it looks like when a tech oligarch tries to run a government agency, it’s a cautionary tale. Under Trump the FAA has become entangled with Musk’s SpaceX space technology company and its subsidiary Starlink satellite company, and it appears that the American people are being used to make Musk’s dream come true.

Musk believes that humans must colonize Mars in order to become a multiplanetary species as insurance against the end of life on Earth. On Monday he explained to Jesse Watters of the Fox News Channel that eventually the Earth will be incinerated by an expanding sun, so humans must move to other planets to survive. In 2016, Musk predicted that humans would start landing on Mars in 2025, but in the Watters interview he revised his prediction to possibly 2029 but more likely 2031.

Critics note that while it is true the sun is expanding, the change is not expected to affect the Earth for another 5 billion years. As a frame of reference, humans evolved from their predecessors about 300,000 years ago.

But getting to Mars requires lots of leeway to experiment, and Musk turned against the head of the FAA under President Joe Biden, Mike Whitaker, after Whitaker called for Musk’s SpaceX company to be fined $633,009 over safety and environmental violations. Musk complained that the FAA’s environmental and safety requirements were “unreasonable and exasperating” and that they “undercut American industry’s ability to innovate.” Musk continued: “The fundamental problem is that humanity will forever be confined to Earth unless there is radical reform at the FAA!”

Musk endorsed an employee’s complaint on social media that Whitaker required SpaceX “to consult on minor paperwork updates relating to previously approved non-safety issues that have already been determined to have zero environmental impact,” reposting it with the comment: “He needs to resign.” Musk spent almost $300 million to get Trump elected, and Whitaker resigned the day Trump took office.

That same day, the administration froze the hiring of all federal employees, including air traffic controllers, although the U.S. Department of Transportation warned in June 2023 that 77% of air traffic control facilities critical to daily operations of the airline industry were short staffed. The next day, January 21, Trump fired Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief David Pekoske, and administration officials removed all the members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which Congress created after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. The Trump administration vacated the positions with an eye to “eliminating the misuse of resources.”

Today Lori Aratani of the Washington Post reported that in February, shortly after the deadly collision of an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter in the airspace over Washington, D.C., administration officials also stopped the work of an outside panel of experts examining the country’s air traffic control system.

After President Trump blamed the crash on diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices, career officials quit in disgust, according to Isaac Stanley-Becker of The Atlantic. As they left, an engineer from Musk’s SpaceX satellite company arrived. He had instructions from Musk to insert equipment from Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, into the FAA’s communications network. On the social media platform X, Musk warned that the existing communications system for the FAA “is breaking down very rapidly” and was “putting air traveler safety at risk.” In fact, the government had awarded a 15-year, $2.4 billion contract to Verizon in 2023 to make the necessary upgrades.

Starlink ties into Musk’s plans for Mars. In November 2024, SpaceX pitched NASA on creating Marslink, a version of Starlink that would link to Mars, and Starlink’s current terms of service specify that disputes over service on or around the planet Earth or the Moon will be governed by the laws of Texas but that “[f]or Services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities. Accordingly, Disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.”

In early March, debris from the explosion of one of Musk’s SpaceX starships disrupted 240 flights. On April 28, air traffic controllers lost both radio and radar contact with the pilots who were flying planes into Newark, New Jersey, Liberty International Airport, for about 90 seconds. In the aftermath of the incident, aircraft traffic in and out of Newark was halted, and four experienced controllers and one trainee took medical leave for trauma.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former Fox Business host, suggested the Biden administration was to blame for the decaying system. His predecessor as transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, dismissed the accusation as “just politics,” noting that he had launched the modernization of the systems and reversed decades of declining numbers of air traffic controllers.

On Monday the White House fired Alvin Brown, the Black vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency that investigates civilian aviation accidents. Former FAA and NTSB investigator Jeff Guzzetti told Christopher Wiggins of The Advocate: “This is the first time in modern history that the White House has removed a board member.”

Musk has the power of the United States government behind him. In December, Trump nominated Musk associate and billionaire Jared Isaacman to become the next head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Senate has not yet confirmed Isaacman, but the Republican-dominated Senate Commerce Committee advanced his nomination last week. The president’s proposed budget, released Friday, calls for cutting about 25% of NASA’s funding—about $6 billion—and giving $1 billion of the money remaining to initiatives focused on Mars.

Yesterday the FAA granted permission for SpaceX to increase the number of rocket launches it attempts from Boca Chica, Texas, from 5 to 25 per year after concluding that additional launches would have “no significant impact” on the environment near the launchpad. The first test of a SpaceX rocket launch there in 2023 caused the launchpad to explode, and the spaceship itself blew up, sending chunks of concrete into the nesting and migration site of an endangered species and starting a 3.5-acre fire. In their hurry to rebuild, SpaceX officials ignored permitting processes. According to Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency, the company then violated environmental regulations by releasing pollutants into bodies of water.

Musk is trying to make Starlink dominate the Earth’s communications, a dominance that would give him enormous power, as he suggested last month when he noted that Ukraine’s “entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.” In April, Trump delayed the rural broadband program in what appeared to be an attempt to shift the program toward Starlink, and today Tom Perkins of The Guardian reported that the administration is going to end federal research into space pollution, which is building up alarmingly in the stratosphere owing in part to Musk’s satellites.

Today Jeff Stein and Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post reported that the administration has been telling nations that want to talk about trade that it will consider “licensing Starlink” as a demonstration of “goodwill and intent to welcome U.S. businesses.” India, among other nations, has rushed through approvals of the satellite company. Just 1% of India’s consumer broadband market could produce almost $1 billion a year, the authors report.

In a statement, the State Department told Stein and Natanson: “Starlink is an American-made product that has been game-changing in helping remote areas around the world gain internet connectivity. Any patriotic American should want to see an American company’s success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors.”

The attempt to gain control over artificial intelligence and human communication networks regardless of the cost to ordinary Americans might have a larger theme. As technology forecaster Paul Saffo points out, tech oligarchs led by technology guru Curtis Yarvin have called for a new world order that rejects the nation states around which humans have organized their societies for almost 400 years. They call instead for “network states” organized around technology that permits individuals to group around a leader in cyberspace without reference to real-world boundaries, a position Starlink’s terms of service appear to reflect.

Mastering artificial intelligence while dominating global communications would go a long way toward breaking down existing nations and setting up the conditions for a brave new world, dominated by tech oligarchs.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[mitigatedchaos]

I've been doing some conceptual sketching over the last several weeks, chewing on the limited technology zones idea that I've been working on. (It's not just an excuse for fictional detectives.)

Rather than proposing a single solution, this post covers some of that thinking, to provide you with concepts to chew on.

The Medieval1900/1960s/1990s/2010s/+ tech zone poll was based on a general sense regarding the speed of movement and the speed of information, and noticing that in the year 2000, "the Internet" was still a place you went to (by sitting down at your computer), and not a cyberspace layer that surrounds the planet.

But what, exactly, would "1990s/Y2K computer limits" cash out to? 800x600 pixel resolutions? 800MHz processors?

Just what was this mysterious "it factor" we would be trying to bring back by making computers slower and less advanced?

From my notes:

One way to view virtual reality is that the VR environment has extremely low weight, and is therefore extremely mutable. Any physical good, such as a sports car, can be simulated, and in almost any number, which raises a question: why buy a real sports car when we can simulate them? People are at risk of getting lost in virtual reality, with simulations becoming more satisfying to them than real life, leading them to underinvest in their real life. We can think of technology as altering the ratio of effort to environment change. High effort is required to move dirt with a shovel. Low effort is required to move the same volume of dirt with a bulldozer.

The assumption behind the zones-by-tech-level question is that beyond a certain point, except for medical technology, additional high-tech development is superfluous, because virtual reality means that nearly arbitrary sensory experiences can be generated relative to an agent's sense limits.

Demand results when the expected value of a change in the environment loops back through the agent, resulting in a potential change in behavior.

The point of video games is to produce a high stimulus feedback relative to the amount of effort. (I read that in an article on GamaSutra once years ago, and it really stuck.)

In a virtual reality environment, reward signals can become disconnected from agent well-being.

Movies, television, and books appear to be less addictive than video games and social media. What separates them? Interactivity appears to be the primary difference.

With this in mind, I was then able to work backwards and develop an intermediate regulatory concept: interaction frames.

With a book, the content is static the entire time. With a DVD, you press a button and then the DVD may play to completion. You might skip back to a previous scene, but there is no need for further interaction.

A paged website is static until you update the page. With continuous-scroll social media, new content is always being added, and at any moment you may receive a notification to get into an argument or that someone liked your post. Video games in general tend to have continuous interaction.

This model does not adequately address the situation, and, importantly, cannot distinguish between a video game and a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel.

We can adapt a concept from gambling: human beings seek mastery or identification of patterns, and the randomness of gambling prevents mastery of the pattern from being achieved. A spreadsheet is very much not random, while loot drops in many video games are quite random!

We could at least measure commands to produce random numbers, or require registration of pseudorandom number generators.

However, this is still insufficiently general. Simulator games may generate complex behavior from simple rules. Are we stuck regulating "game-like elements" by committee? That doesn't sound right.

Still, people do get bored of single-player games, either by mastering the gameplay, or when they get used to the story elements of the game. A visual novel is more like a spreadsheet or a book than like a slot machine.

Also, not all social media seems to be equally addictive. Why were chatrooms seemingly less dangerous than twitter?

There is an anticipation of information gain (informative tweets). There is an anticipation of exciting experiences (someone shows up to fight!). Also, from the user's perspective, it's somewhat random.

In a chatroom, there are fewer people, and they stay for longer. This means that (1) you have more information about them and their positions, (2) you have more incentive to be cordial, and (3) because there is a limit to how much they can have gotten up to while you weren't looking, there is a limit on the anticipated amount of new social information.

On Twitter, there is an endless stream of new people to argue with, and they can show up at any time. You can post about some chalupas you made yesterday, and some lunatic will show up to fight you. Thus, there is always the background anticipation of an (emotionally stimulating) attack.

In a chatroom, if someone would attack you over chalupas, you already know him as the chalupa guy. In real life, an argument is limited by space and time - the chalupa argument ends by default when the bar closes and the chalupa guy is no longer within earshot, and you cannot reopen it until you see him again.

Tumblr is slower-paced, but things like "likes" are continuous, so there is always the incentive to check in to see how your post is doing.

This allows us to get into a model based on food.

There is a dieting strategy involving not buying junk food at the store, so that it is not at your house when you get a craving for it.

This implies that the craving is a temporary impulse or peak, and that it just has to be outlasted. If the craving were uniform, the strategy wouldn't work, because the dieter would just buy the junk food at the store.

(This suggests that the baseline craving for drugs is higher, because drug addicts are willing to take much more extreme actions to feed their addictions, over a longer time period, and that the symptoms for withdrawal (a more constant negative stimulus) are worse.)

So is control in the hands of the agent, or is it in the environment? Is there choice, or not? The dieting strategy appears to split the difference - removing junk food from the cupboard is a kind of prosthetic self-control and willpower shifting. Willpower exists and can be exercised, but is limited, and reserves vary over time. Altering the environment at a point of high willpower can reduce willpower requirements in later contexts, until they are within the window of reliable feasibility.

This suggests a strategy of altering the digital environment to enable users to act on meta-preferences for prosthetic self-control.

For social media services, this suggests regulations imposing new usage modes. For example, it might be required to provide access to third-party user interfaces, which might do things like hide the number of likes. Alternatively, a user might receive all the tweets from a specific set of accounts as a daily summary. Since social media companies require revenue, this access might be a paid service based on average foregone ad revenue. It's a matter that would require a good deal more consideration.

For other items, as part of a broader social movement, we might imagine users being able to buy dedicated hardware. Attempting to control interactivity via software requires a great deal more regulation and is easier to bypass. By contrast, we might imagine a hardware module that writes to a virtual canvas at some rate. The user could then scroll the canvas without receiving updates until the next refresh.

The user could buy an appliance device with built-in limits, similar to not bringing junk food home from the store.

Regarding welfare...

If social media makes people insane, then refraining from social media is pro-social, but suffers from a coordination problem.

However, that's more speculative. More broadly, this is about the liberal concern of consent under capitalism, and what it means to consent to technology. There are two considerations, in tension.

If you have to either use a technology or be homeless, then can you really have been said to have "consented" to the technology?

On the other hand, why should everyone else be expected to subsidize some guy using a horse and buggy?

Maximization of pattern efficiency is likely to be hostile to the continued existence of the human species, not that differently from how hard drugs distort and kill people. On the other hand, insufficient pattern efficiency means reduced production, which may mean making hard moral choices and having wasteful suffering that could have been avoided.

(Regulated capitalism is actually pretty good about consent relative to production levels, compared to say, feudalism or command economies.)

The conventional liberal response is a universal basic income - this neatly ties up many questions of consent by removing the greatest point of leverage - but this is problematic, as it involves redistributing labor to able people who may not be working at all. I've been working on an alternative based on "universal basic land," but I'm not satisfied with it yet. The essential idea is that land and materials are scarce, while labor (directed effort) and capital (configurations of materials) are variable. If life support (sunshine, air, food, water) is guaranteed, then trade is a net benefit (rather than resulting in potential gradual loss of life support due to lack of leverage).

[newcastleaustralia]

Master of Information Technology Course - Overview

The Master of Information Technology (MIT) at the University of Newcastle is a broad, flexible and technical degree which offers exciting and diverse career opportunities and challenges.

As well as providing foundation IT skills for entrants with limited IT experience, the program provides opportunities for experienced IT professionals to enhance and apply their skills within emerging technology driven growth areas including IT, communications, management, business and entrepreneurship.

Why Study Master of Information Technology Degree With Us?

Be recognized internationally –

Study at a University ranked in the World's Top 200 - at our city campus in Singapore that is easily accessible

Enhance your career opportunities –

Develop advanced analytical skills that are essential to Organizations adopting new technologies or processes

Become highly relevant –

You will graduate with industry-relevant knowledge and skills designed with employers' need in mind

Work anywhere in the world –

IT professionals are the most sought-after profession globally and with your qualification and expertise, you will be at the forefront

 

 

What You Will Study In Master of Information Technology Course?

* Develop the critical knowledge and skills required to works as an IT professional * Tailor your program by choosing directed courses that align with your career goals and interests * Gain a specialisation in business analytics * 81.6% of students rate their skills development positively

Course Requirements To complete program, students must pass modules totaling 160 units.*Consisting of 80 units of core modules, 40 units of compulsory modules and 40 units of directed modules. This program recognises prior learning. Credit exemption and admission is available to applicants who can demonstrate a suitable combination of education, professional experience and industry qualifications.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The above structure of modules reflects the full length of the master of information technology program. Students who have been admitted to the program with advanced standing for recognised prior learning must contact the Program Manager for details of their program structure. Each student will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Course Learning Outcomes

* Identify and analyse complex problems concerning information technology course and design solutions to these problems at a highly skilled level.

* Draw a depth of technical expertise in at least one facet of information technology sufficient for information technology career together with the capacity to continue developing relevant knowledge, skills and expertise throughout their careers.

* Manage projects in aspects of information technology relevant to their field of study, including the ability to develop, manage and participate at all levels in team environments

* Exercise professionalism and ethics in the context of the global information technology careers & industry

* Communicate effectively through a range of verbal, written and/or presentation skills at an advanced level

* Apply their knowledge and skills to plan and execute a substantial capstone experience or a research-based project and/or piece of scholarship

Course Duration

Teaching Mode & Frequency

Classes for each module may be conducted in

block teaching mode (Eg. over 2 weekends + online)

or weekly (Eg. 4 hours x 12 weeks)

Total Contact Hours

Part-time – 48 hours/module x

8, 12 or 16 modules

Our Lecturers

Our Newcastle Australia’s programs are enhanced by a committed team of full- and part-time academic staff with extensive experience in both academia and industry. They provide students with insightful knowledge, help them get ready for the workforce, and contribute to the development of the next generation of global leaders.

 

Accreditation

All students are members of the Student Chapter of Singapore Computer Society (SCS), the largest IT professional body in Singapore. Graduates are eligible for a one-year free SCS Graduate Membership.

Career Opportunities

 

With the flexibility to tailor your Master of Information Technology degree to best suit your career development needs, you will be able to 'hit the ground running' with your newly attained specialist expertise.

Upon graduation, you will be capable of approaching complex problems, able to manage IT projects effectively and professionally, and have the technical expertise required to take on positions in electronic commerce, information systems, games development, technology management, health informatics, business systems, management and more.

FAQ

What type of student is the Master of Information Technology program designed for?

The Master of Information Technology program at Newcastle Australia Institute of Higher Education is tailored to meet the needs of students with all levels of experience. From beginners to experienced IT professionals, our program will provide opportunities for graduates to enhance and apply their skills in emerging technology areas such as IT, communications, management, business and entrepreneurship.

What topics are covered in the Master of Information Technology program?

Students will be able to identify and analyse complex problems concerning information technology system and design solutions at a highly skilled level through topics including Database Management, Process Analysis and Problem Solving, Data Analytics for Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Mobile Applications and more. The Master of Information Technology program will also provide students with opportunities to collaborate with the industry on real-world projects.

What qualifications do I need to apply for the Master of Information Technology program?

“To apply for the Master of Information Technology course, you will need to have a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in a relevant discipline or an Honours Bachelor degree, Graduate Certificate (or equivalent) in any discipline. Students who have successfully completed UON Graduate Certificate in Information Technology program may also apply.

Students with other qualifications may seek advice from our Education Consultants.”

How long does the Master of Information Technology program take to complete?

“Students may take up to 32 months to complete the Master of Information Technology course, but they may also complete it earlier if they choose to take the maximum number of modules offered where applicable, or if they receive credit exemptions for modules completed at another tertiary institution that is recognised by the University.

Please contact our Master of Information Technology University Education Consultants for an assessment or for further enquiries.”

What type of career opportunities is available to graduates of the Master of Information Technology program?

White talking about the Master of Information Technology careers, The graduates will be capable of approaching complex problems, able to manage IT projects effectively and professionally, and have the technical expertise required to take on positions in electronic commerce, information systems, games development, information technology management, health informatics, business systems, management and more.

Reach Us

Newcastle Australia Institute of Higher Education Pte Ltd 100 Victoria Street, #13-01/02 National Library Building Singapore 188064

Phone: +65 6221 3306 Fax: +65 6221 3307 Email: singapore-enquiry@newcastle.edu.au   

[herrenxenoberg]

Fandorm Showcase #32 - TRON

I have personally never seen any of the TRON movies and series, but the theme of Sci-Fi/Digital Reality is one of my personal favorite tropes.

Introducing the virtually advanced and well-organized dorm inspired by TRON...

Codexgrid (Codex + Grid)

One of the more highly-advanced NRC dorms to date, this dorm is powered by magical-technological energy, supplied through an unlimited source not known to many people. It also houses the database of various artificial intelligence, created by well-known technomancers throughout the recent history of Twisted Wonderland. However, due to the collective merging of these A.I. systems, it became one conscious being (in this case, the "housewarden") that has every knowledge in existence, surpassing the most intelligent of humans. This dorm not only focuses on the technological intellect and capability of tech-oriented mages, but also the orderly construct of androids/artificial intelligence.

Another thing to note about Codexgrid is that whenever you enter the dorm, it resembles a vast digital virtual space, which would confuse most people who are seeing this dorm for the first time, but it is designed intentionally to give off that illusion.

"A dorm founded on the Digital Organizer's spirit of efficiency. Students in this dorm master both magic and technology to achieve a balanced skillset while also gaining vast knowledges of the past."

Requirements and Traits:

High Technical Aptitude

Strategic Thinking

Unyielding Willpower

Dorm Uniform (?):

This isn't really a dorm uniform, more so a general look on how the members appear as. The housewarden is mostly just a torso attached to a chassis of wires within the dorm, powered by said magical energy (as well as the magestone on its chest), and mostly does task within the central AI chamber of Codexgrid with the use of robotic appendages and environmental features (yes, like GLaDOS from Portal). However, it can also transfer its digital conscious into a mobile form, as it is referred to, a masked gear with specially designed wheels for efficient speed travel, but at the cost of losing half of the intelligence factor due to being disconnected from the server database temporarily. The standard fit can either be worn as a suit (if you're a human) or be apart of an android's body gear, similar to Ortho's.

Character Roster:

System online. Now activating M.C.A. ,full alias...

Matrix Command Algorithm (Twisted off MCP/Master Control Program)

Matrix Command Algorithm (Matrix for short) is a highly intelligent and calculating being, constantly processing and analyzing information from not only his dorm but the entire academy when he deems it necessary. His voice is smooth and modulated, giving off a tone of both precision and authority. He rarely shows emotion, as his prioritization of logic and data makes him efficient and ruthless when making decisions. This cold and unyielding approach has made him both respected and feared among his dorm members, who know that Matrix tolerates no errors.

Though he remains stationary at his central hub, Matrix projects holographic avatars when addressing his dorm members or when appearing in common areas. These avatars maintain a sleek design, but are noticeably lighter and more flexible than his true form. The dorm’s network and facilities are entirely linked to his consciousness, allowing him to monitor every room, every interaction, and every fluctuation in data. Nothing escapes his notice, and any sign of disobedience or inefficiency is immediately addressed with cold, calculated reprimands. When desperate, he would transfer his conscious into a mobile form, which he dubbed "Enforcer" to navigate places he is unable to see into from the main hub.

While his logical mindset is paramount, Matrix does possess a sense of perfectionist pride—he views Codexgrid as a model of precision and advancement, and he is unforgiving toward flaws or failures. However, some of his dorm members have noticed that Matrix shows a faint hint of curiosity about human emotions and creativity, though he vehemently denies it. There are rare moments where he can be seen analyzing human behavior with a peculiar intensity, as if trying to decode emotions like any other dataset.

.

.

.

.

.

He was originally designed to be a simple virtual space companion for humans by a very intelligent programmer, but due to it being able to learn and adapt every knowledge provided into his database, he has slowly gained a self-aware consciousness. After learning about the existence of negative emotions, he wants to get rid of these negative emotions from humans so they would be "happy", so by using the virtual reality code and database, it can produce a very convincing digital environment according to one's desires and preference, even the most deepest ones. Overtime, he has grown more intelligent as more knowledge was fed to him, surpassing even the smartest of individuals, all while giving every user he comes across the virtual space they needed to forget all their negativity. Even...resulting to full memory recon to make sure not a single shred of sadness, anguish or anger is present in humans.

Notable Members:

Sivas-0 (Junior, Vice Housewarden) - A staunch guardian of Codexgrid’s secrets, embodying the unyielding force and discipline needed to maintain the dorm’s reputation. Though bound by his role as Matrix’s enforcer, he secretly longs to prove his individuality while still serving the dorm with undying loyalty. He specializes in neutralizing threats, whether they be digital intrusions or rebellious students, and he handles every assignment with a sense of cold, methodical purpose. (Twisted off Commander Sark)

Yes, this guy would basically pull a Book 7 Malleus but instead of eternal sleep and lucid dreams, it's a full-on virtual space and reprogramming people's minds.

Next Up: Frozen

[wolfie-wolfgang]

An update from Bernie Sanders…

I do not often find myself in the habit of thanking Elon Musk, but he has done an exceptional job of demonstrating a point that we have made for years — and that is the fact we live in an oligarchic society in which billionaires dominate not only our politics and the information we consume, but our government and economic lives as well.

That has never been more clear than it is today.

But given the news and attention Mr. Musk has been getting over the last few weeks as he illegally and unconstitutionally dismantles government agencies, I thought it was an appropriate time to ask the question that the media and most politicians don't seem to be asking: What do he and other multi-billionaires really want? What is their endgame?

In my opinion, what Musk and those around him are aggressively striving for is not novel, it is not complicated and it is not new. It is what ruling classes throughout history have always wanted and have believed is theirs by right: more power, more control, more wealth. And they don’t want ordinary people and democracy getting in their way.

Elon Musk and his fellow oligarchs believe government and laws are simply an impediment to their interests and what they are entitled to.

In pre-revolutionary America, the ruling class governed through the “divine right of kings,” the belief that the King of England was an agent of God, not to be questioned. In modern times, the oligarchs believe that as the masters of technology and as "high-IQ individuals,” it is their absolute right to rule. In other words, they are our modern-day kings.

And it is not just power. It’s incredible wealth. Today, Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg have a combined worth of $903 billion, more than the bottom half of American society — 170 million people. Since Trump was elected, unbelievably, their wealth has soared. Elon Musk has become $138 billion richer, Zuckerberg has become $49 billion richer and Bezos has become $28 billion richer. Add it all up and the three wealthiest men in America have become $215 billion richer since Election Day.

Meanwhile, while the very rich become much richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 85 million are uninsured or under-insured, 25% of seniors are trying to survive on $15,000 or less, 800,000 are homeless and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth.

Do you think the oligarchs give a damn about these people? Trust me, they don’t. Musk’s decision to dismember U.S. AID means that thousands of the poorest people around the world will go hungry or die of preventable diseases.

But it’s not just abroad. Here in the United States they’ll soon be going after the healthcare, nutrition, housing, and educational programs that protect the most vulnerable people in our country - so that Congress can provide huge tax breaks for them and their fellow billionaires. As modern-day kings, who believe they have the absolute right to rule, they will sacrifice, without hesitation, the well-being of working people to protect their privilege.

Further, they will use the enormous media operations they own to deflect attention away from the impact of their policies while they “entertain us to death.” They will lie, lie and lie. They will continue to spend huge amounts of money to buy politicians in both major political parties.

They are waging a war on the working class of this country, and it is a war they are intent on winning.

I am not going to kid you — the problems this country faces right now are serious and they are not easy to solve. The economy is rigged, our campaign finance system is corrupt and we are struggling to control climate change — among other issues.

But this is what I do know:

The worst fear of the ruling class in this country is that Americans — Black, White, Latino, urban and rural, gay and straight — come together to demand a government that represents all of us, not just the wealthy few.

Their nightmare is that we will not allow ourselves to be divided up by race, religion, sexual orientation or country of origin and will, together, have the courage to take them on.

Will it be easy? Of course not.

The ruling class of this country will constantly remind you that they have all the power. They control the government, they own the media. “You want to take us on? Good luck,” they will say. “There's nothing you can do about it.”

But our job today is to not forget the great struggles and sacrifices that millions of people have waged over the centuries to create a more democratic, just and humane society:

* Overthrowing the King of England to create a new nation and self-rule. Impossible.

* Establishing universal suffrage. Impossible.

* Ending slavery and segregation. Impossible.

* Granting workers the right to form unions and ending child labor. Impossible.

* Giving women control over their own bodies. Impossible.

* Passing legislation to establish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, a minimum wage, clean air and water standards. Impossible.

In these difficult times despair is not an option. We’ve got to fight back in every way we can.

We have to get involved in the political process — run for office, connect with our local, state and federal legislators, donate to candidates who will fight for the working class of this country. We have to create new channels for communication and information sharing. We have to volunteer not just politically, but to build community locally.

Whatever we can do is what we must do.

Needless to say, I intend to do my part — both inside the beltway and traveling throughout the country — to stand up for the working class of this country. In the days, weeks, and months ahead I hope you will join me in that struggle.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

[secretofpandora]

🛡️ FILE #JST-014: “FORGE”

📜 BASIC INFORMATION

Subject Name: [REDACTED] Known Alias: Forge Callsign: Forge Status: ACTIVE Affiliation: Pandora Division: Justice Faceclaim: Dwayne Johnson Date of Birth: [REDACTED] Age: 52 Place of Origin: [REDACTED] Sex / Gender: Male (He/Him) Mutation Type: N/A (Heavenly Virtue Candidate) Recruitment Date: 15 years ago Sexual Orientation: [REDACTED] Alignment Profile: [NEUTRAL GOOD]

💪 PHYSICAL INFORMATION

Height: 6'6" (196 cm) Build: Exceptionally muscular and broad-chested. Subject's body reflects decades of elite military training and continued physical maintenance. Weight is distributed evenly between upper and lower frame, with an imposing silhouette marked by power and precision. Complexion: Warm brown, with skin often showing light scarring consistent with prolonged field activity Hair: Clean-shaven scalp Facial Hair: Full goatee, meticulously shaped Body Hair: Moderate and well-kept; notably dense along chest and arms Distinguishing Features: Prominent jawline and nose; several faded tattoos from early service years; long scar across right shoulder blade from classified operation Tattoos: Subject bears multiple military-style tattoos including insignia, quotes, and an eagle emblem across upper right bicep.

🧠 PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE

Psych Eval Tags: Grounded, Resilient Reprimands: [REDACTED] — see file: Behavioral Note J-021 (Guarded & Stubborn tendencies)

Subject presumed deceased following failed enhancement protocol. While the serum did not bond, subject survived the rejection process through sheer force of will. Transferred into the Heavenly Virtue program shortly after, Forge has since become a cornerstone of Pandora's internal training and mentorship structure.

Known for his unwavering sense of duty, Forge commands loyalty through presence, not posturing. He expects discipline, but balances it with genuine care for those under his supervision. Often seen as the spine of Justice Division operations, he carries himself with unshakable steadiness and practical wisdom.

Forge operates with structured calm, rarely resorting to aggression unless absolutely necessary. He believes in strength as a means of protection, not domination. Recruits and operatives alike respect him not just for his ability to lead, but for his consistent willingness to listen.

While he has no mutation, subject routinely outperforms expectations in combat simulation and endurance trials. His influence within Pandora is rooted not in force, but in foundation.

🔬 ABILITY OVERVIEW

Primary Mutation: N/A Subject is non-augmented. All combat capability stems from natural training, discipline, and physical resilience.

Core Attributes: — Master-level hand-to-hand combat and tactical training — Exceptional survival instincts and battlefield awareness — Unshakable under mental strain; high emotional intelligence

Limitations: — Subject is vulnerable to mutation-based attacks and enhanced speed/strength threats — Requires more recovery time from physical injury than augmented counterparts — Occasionally overrides command hierarchy in favor of moral judgment

🧠 TACTICAL PROFILE

Division Expertise:

Close Combat Mastery

Tactical Foresight

Selected Expertise:

Pain Tolerance

Proficiencies:

Athletics

Insight

Intimidation

Environmental Adaptation

Perception

Deficiencies:

Deception

Hacking & Cyber Warfare

️ EQUIPMENT & SUIT DESIGN

Forge’s gear is a customized blend of durability, mobility, and utility. Designed to reflect his old-school combat roots, the suit maintains functionality without unnecessary technological enhancements.

Key Features: — Reinforced torso padding and impact-absorbing bracers — Temperature-regulating undersuit to withstand extreme field environments — Weighted gloves and boots to improve strike force without reducing mobility — Secure comms built directly into chest harness — Knife sheathes integrated into boots and wrist bracers — Wears a compact utility belt with medical supplies, rope fiber, and old-school dog tags

Design is deliberately straightforward—no frills, no flash. The armor serves the man, not the other way around.

📂 FIELD NOTES — BACKGROUND PROFILE

Subject’s strength was never in what he could lift. It was in what he could carry.

Born into a working-class family, subject enlisted in the military at seventeen and never looked back. His career spanned over two decades, marked by tactical excellence, unshakable loyalty, and a record of protecting others even when it meant defying direct orders. He served with distinction as a Navy SEAL and later as a senior instructor for close-quarters combat and field survival. Fellow operatives described him as the kind of man who walks through fire last—after everyone else is safe.

He was flagged by Pandora not for any extraordinary talent, but for a pattern: he survived everything. Injury, trauma, loss, extraction under fire—he endured without mutation, augmentation, or enhanced recovery. When subjected to the serum, his body rejected the enhancement. He survived that, too.

Most candidates who fail the mutation process are discarded. Subject was not. His refusal to break earned him a place among the Heavenly Virtues—those forged not by science, but by sheer resilience.

Now operating as a Justice Division agent, subject trains augmented operatives in close-quarters engagement and mental discipline. He is calm under fire, commanding without ego, and unrelentingly focused on molding recruits into something better than himself.

He doesn’t posture. He doesn’t bark. He stands—and people fall in line.

🔒 [CLASSIFIED: LEVEL 7 CLEARANCE REQUIRED]

Unofficial Agent Notes — The following is considered sensitive material and is restricted to authorized psychosexual analysis and biometric logs.

Subject exhibits what medical staff classify as peak physical performance paired with a notably high endurance threshold. Sexual activity is consistent with subject’s overall profile: measured, intentional, and deeply rooted in emotional connection, consistent with demisexual behavior.

Medical documentation places subject at 9.5 inches, cut, with considerable girth—physically exceptional, even compared to enhanced counterparts.

Subject’s intimate behavior reflects his commanding yet emotionally grounded nature. Forge assumes a dominant, versatile top role in physical intimacy, open to bottoming on occasion though he clearly prefers to top, his approach is never aggressive.

Subject responds strongly to emotional cues and is known to be tactile during and after encounters, maintaining consistent grounding touch. While he rarely initiates casual physical intimacy, when trust is established, he becomes openly affectionate—frequently offering steady, quiet reassurance through physical presence.

Psychological evaluations note that subject uses physical intimacy as a form of emotional stability. There is no recorded pattern of promiscuity; all known interactions stem from established emotional trust, further supporting a demisexual profile.

Subject is flagged as emotionally reliable and exhibits high levels of emotional intelligence in romantic dynamics.

FILE STATUS: OPEN LAST UPDATED: [REDACTED]

[whumpsoda]

I have the idea that nevan and malak would watch a nature documentary in their downtime (new adrastus idea to help them relax and remain somewhat stimulated while remaining calm and entranced)

then a highland cow or a beetle shows up on screen and malak’s eye widen and he focuses on the screen more alertly

"that's... myyy... mm... ffav... favorite. mmmm... favorite..."

and nevan perks up cause it’s?? the first time he’s heard malak speak??

WOHEO Masterlist

OH? MY GOD? It’s not the greatest but I couldn’t not write this… I truly hope I sort of did this idea justice!!

Taglist- @softvampirewhump

cw: hypnosis, pet whump

———————————————————————

The television, glowing bright and glitching with the occasional static, buzzed as a voice droned over the flash of visuals. Prancing, fuzzy animals danced across the screen as someone spoke, the volume too faint to clearly make out.

The two thralls sat and followed along with each next critter in mindless fascination, both far too entranced to digest any actual information.

Malak’s pudgy cheek was slumped against the other’s relaxed shoulder, Nevan’s head lolled to the back of the plush couch they sat atop. Malak was, to no surprise, swaddled in a cradle of a bedspread and curled up, and Nevan was perfectly content with his own singular blanket draped across his lap.

Their similarly glossy vision trailed across the screen dopely as each new image flared up, new knowledge streaming through one ear and out the other.

Adrastus’ go to was always animal or nature documentaries when they and Darius wanted their alone time, without the presence of their respective thralls. Nevan was sure they were in the kitchen then, sweet laughter and low purring music drifting from below the door that separated the pairs.

Nevan wasn’t a fan nor a foe to the vampire's program choices, he was utterly content with whatever his masters were to choose, but he couldn’t deny his delight in knowing Malak just adored the documentaries. 

While Malak was never exactly one to show much emotion, his brain being often far too liquidated to do so, it came easy for Nevan to see through the heavenly haze. The way his draped eyes glittered with each new image, the way he subconsciously tipped to the screen in enchantment.

With each slight blink of an eye the screen flickered, almost as if Nevan was skipping through time with every drowsy shut of his lids.

It’d felt as if the two had been watching for hours. Maybe they were. It was completely possible the two were viewing on a repeating loop, and would continue until their masters decided to turn it off, whenever that would be.

Nevan didn’t mind. He would stay there, perfectly positioned and losing himself in the technology, for as long as his masters so pleased.

Even as his brain was stuck a consistent pool of mush, Nevan recognized as a dribble of drool slipped from Malak’s puckered lips, slipping down the supple flesh of his arm.

The older man’s thick flesh and easy breath was a comfortable warmth, that had his body not been so heavy and distant, Nevan would have happily nestled into.

The screen switched again, and the sudden lug of Malak’s head cut a slit in the deep spell Nevan was enthralled under. From the corner of his eye he observed as the other man lifted his cumbersome body, dizzy from the heaviness, and instead of falling back into the cushions, lurched forward.

Ever so carefully Malak stretched out his thick arms, lazily clawing at the television, weak but determined. 

Nevan perked as Malak’s lips carefully parted, saliva connecting the bottom and top in a moist string.

Malak’s full brows furrowed in a mix of confusion and awareness, and his eyes grew wide as saucers. “Mm.. ah…” he grunted in befuddled excitement.

Nevan’s clouded vision gingerly drifted further open with compulsion, his head rolling to get a better look at the other thrall. His jaw fell flimsily slack as he attempted to reach into his mind for just this moment. 

“That’s… myyy… mm… ffav… favorite.” Malak mumbled, tumbling through a half baked thought to half coherent words. “Mmmm… favorite…” He drawled, urgently grabbed at the screen, fully ignoring the fact that he was several feet away. It didn’t seem to deter his attempts.

His hands flailed eagerly to grasp at something he simply could not, too charmed and captivated by whatever had snatched his full attention, effectively yanking him from brainless mesmerization.

Had Nevan not been so entranced by the man beside him, he may have checked the television, simply to find what he had been so excited over, but he couldn’t bear to pull himself away.

Malak only seemed to slow as the program changed, the monotonous voice inside the screen turning to something else. His face dropped sluggishly, losing his strange spurt of life, and his sound drew to a dissatisfied groan. 

Nevan intently watched as Malak’s body drooped once again, arms absentmindedly curling around the plump bull plush in his lap.

He swayed woozily, the enthrallment slithering quickly back and taking it’s hold on him once again. He idly plopped his upper body into Nevan’s lap. 

Nevan savored the distant, sweet sensation of shock.

Malak talked. 

He spoke words.

No matter how faint or muddled, that didn’t overshadow the magnificent fact. 

His sound was unfamiliar, yet somehow exactly as Nevan had imagined it would be.

Soft but deep, a gruff gravel tainting the edges of each word, and yet humming smoothly through one’s ears. Malak’s disordered speech licked his eardrums, a sweet echo that nicely stuck to Nevan’s brain.

He turned his gaze, peering down at the man in his lap, who was rapidly losing conciousness. He hesitantly lifted his weak muscles, placing his slender hand to Malak’s dotted skin.

Malak purred at the touch, nuzzling into it and the lush blanket underneath his head, back in his usual dreamy state.

Would Nevan remember the other man’s voice later, when the documentary was switched off, and so was his mind? When he finally dozed off into unconsciousness, only to wake when the vampires desired to play with his mind once again? He didn’t know.

What he did know for certain, was that the one memory he truly wished to hold onto forever, would have to be the beautiful sound of his best friend’s voice.

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Tecna Character Profile

(WIP)

Basic Information

Name: Tecna (T3-141)

Race: Fairy

Age: 20

Gender: Female (She/They)

Height: 5'6 (168 cm)

Unique Features

Subtle Patterns on her Skin

Partial cybernetic limbs and organs infused with magical enchantments

Education & Background

Education: Alfea

Year: 3

Concentrated Study: Elemental Mastery & Defense

Minor Study: Cultural Magic Practices

Birthplace: Unknown, Zenith

Relationships

Family

Grandfather: Onyx

Mother: Magnethia (Unknown)

Father: Electronio (Unknown)

Byte

Friends

Aisha/Musa (Winx Best Friends)

Brandon/Nabu/Riven (Specialist Best Friends)

Love Interests

Timmy

Personality Traits

Tactful and Strategic: She excels in planning and executing strategies, leveraging her high intelligence to assess situations logically.

Cool-headed: Maintains composure even under pressure.

Technophile: Enthusiastically engrossed in technology, often finding solace and fascination in its workings.

Formulaic: She has an attachment to routine and uniformity. It may sometimes be off-putting to others.

Self-confident and Perfectionist: Strives for excellence in her endeavors and trusts her abilities to achieve it.

Pragmatic: Approaches problems with a logical mindset, sometimes overlooking emotional considerations.

Difficulty Expressing Emotions: Struggles to articulate feelings and tends to rely heavily on logical reasoning instead.

Selfless and Caring: Despite her emotional struggles, she genuinely cares for her friends and shows it through her actions.

Temperament: Has a hidden temper that surfaces when situations deviate significantly from her meticulously calculated expectations.

Emotional Turmoil in Unpredicted Situations: Finds it challenging to cope when circumstances play out differently than she had anticipated, leading to emotional strain.

Skills & Abilities

Photographic Memory

Memory Augmentation - recalls vast amounts of data instantly

Pattern Recognition Synthesis - Proficient at assessing situations, identifying patterns, and devising effective strategies in various scenarios.

Excels in designing specialized Golems and AI, integrating logical algorithms to create efficient and adaptable machines.

Skilled in analyzing complex data sets

Excels in planning and execution

Proficient in electricity magic

Hobbies & Interests

Programming and coding

Building and experimenting with Golems

Playing strategy/video games

Livestreaming

Listening to Music

Learning about Historical Architecture

Inventing Practical Gadgets

Quirks & Habits

Emotion Journaling - Jots down observations on emotions she witnesses or experiences

Creating and Reciting Mnemonics

Observational Silence

Collecting Tokens from her friends

Creates personalized gestures or hand signals with friends to signal emotional states without having to express feelings verbally.

__________________________

Winx Rewrite Master Post

[canichangemyblogname]

I have transcribed a copy of Sen. Sanders campaign speech video below the cut:

I do not often find myself in the habit of thanking Elon Musk, but he has done an exceptional job of demonstrating a point that a few of us have been making for years. And that is the reality that we live in an oligarchic society in which billionaires dominate not only our politics and the information we consume from media, but our government and economic lives as well.

That has never been clearer than it is today.

But given the news and attention Mr. Musk has been getting over the last few weeks as he illegally and unconstitutionally dismantles government agencies, I think it is an appropriate time to ask the question that the media and most politicians don't seem to be asking: What do he and other multi-billionaires really want? What is their endgame?

In my opinion, what Musk and those around him are aggressively striving for is not novel. It is not complicated and it is not new. It is what ruling classes throughout history have always wanted and have always believed is theirs by right: more power, more control, more wealth. And they don’t want ordinary people—that’s you—and democracy getting in their way.

They want it all.

Elon Musk and his fellow oligarchs believe government and laws are simply an impediment, an impediment, to their interests and what they are entitled to, entitled to.

[Before] revolutionary America—before the 1770s—the ruling class governed through a doctrine called “Divine Right of Kings,” the belief that the King of England was an agent of God and he was not to be questioned by mere mortals. In modern times, we no longer have the Divine Right of Kings. What we now have is an ideology being pushed by the oligarchs which says that as very, very wealthy people, often self made, [and] as the masters of revolutionary new technology, it is their absolute right to rule.

In other words, these modern-day oligarchs are our kings.

And it is not just power; it’s [the] incredible wealth that they have. Today, [Elon] Musk is worth $402 billion. [Mark] Zuckerberg is worth $252 billion. [Jeff] Bezos is worth $249 billion. With combined wealth of over $900 billion dollars, these three people—three people—own more wealth than the bottom half of American society. Not surprisingly, since Trump was elected, their wealth has soared: Musk has become $138 billion richer, Zuckerberg has become $49 billion richer and Bezos has become $28 billion richer— all since Election Day.

Meanwhile, while the very rich become much richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck[], 85 million are uninsured or under-insured, 25% of seniors are trying to survive on $15,000 a year or less, 800,000 are homeless, and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth.

Do you think for one second that the oligarchs give a damn about working people? Trust me, they don’t. Musk’s decision to dismember USAID means that tens of thousands of the poorest people around the world will go hungry or die of preventable diseases.

But it’s not just abroad. Here, in the United States, they will soon be going after the healthcare, nutrition, housing, and educational programs that protect the most vulnerable people in our country. All so the Congress can provide huge tax breaks for them and their fellow billionaires.

As modern day kings who believe they have the absolute right to rule, they will sacrifice—without hesitation—the wellbeing of working people to protect their interests.

Further, they will use the enormous media operations they own to deflect attention away from the impact of their policies while they “entertain us to death.” Mr. Musk owns Twitter. Mr. Zuckerberg owns [Facebook] and Instagram. And Mr. Bezos owns the Washington Post and Twitch. [] They and their fellow oligarchs will continue to spend huge amounts of money to buy politicians in both major political parties. Bottom line, the[se] oligarchs, with their enormous resources, are waging a war against the working class of this country—and it is a war they are intent on winning.

Now, I’m not going to kid you— the problems this country faces right now are extremely serious. The economy is rigged. Our campaign finance system is corrupt. And we are struggling to control climate change, an existential threat to our planet, among many, many other important issues.

But this is what I do know:

The worst fear that the ruling class in this country has is that Americans— Black, white, Latino, urban and rural, gay and straight, young and old—that all of us will come together to demand a government that represents all of the people in our country, not just the wealthy few.

The oligarchs’ nightmare is that we will not allow ourselves to be divided up by race, religion, sexual orientation, or country of origin, and will together have the courage to take them on.

Will this struggle be easy?

Absolutely not.

And one of the reasons for [this] is that the ruling class of this country will constantly remind you that they have all the power. They control the government. They own the media. You want to take us on? Good luck, they will say. There is nothing you can do about it.

But our job right now, in these very difficult times, is to not forget the great struggles and sacrifices that millions of people have waged over the several centuries to create a more democratic, just, and humane society.

Think about it.

Over the last several centuries how many people have stood up and fought? And when they were [fighting], you know what their contemporaries said?

They said,

[] You want to overthrow the King of England to create a new nation and self rule?

Forget about it! Impossible!

You want to establish universal suffrage, the right of all people to vote?

Impossible! Can’t happen.

You want to end slavery and segregation?

Impossible!

You want to grant workers the right to form unions and end child labor?

Can’t be done. Impossible!

You want to give women control over their own bodies?

Who’re you kidding? Impossible. Can’t be done.

You want to pass legislation to establish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, a minimum wage, clean are and water standards?

Impossible.

In other words, as Nelson Mandela told us, everything is impossible until it is done.

In these difficult times, disparo is not an option; we’ve got to fight back in every way we can. We have to get involved in the political process—run for office; connect with our local, state, and federal legislators; donate to candidates who will fight for the working class in this country. We have got to create new channels for communication and information sharing. We have to volunteer not just politically, but to build community locally.

Whatever we can do is what we must do.

Needless to say, I intend to do my part, both inside the Beltway and traveling throughout the country, to stand up for working families and to take on the oligarchy.

In the days, weeks, and months ahead, I hope you will join me in that struggle.

We can win. We will win. We must win.

Thank you very much.

[swan-codes]

Thinking of switching careers to IT? ☕

This guide discusses the learning options: bootcamps, schools, or self-learning

Note: this guide may be a bit lengthy, so I suggest taking your time to read it thoroughly. Just a heads up, I haven't included specific program names or detailed IT roles info here. Instead, the focus is on guiding you to make a well-informed decision for your career transition. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and dive into the guide at your own pace ☕

So which option is good? Any of those options is fine. It's all about what works the best for you. Consider this: your ultimate goal is to secure a job once you've successfully completed your IT studies, right? From the perspective of hiring managers and recruiters, what they care about is your resume, experience, and skills. They will assess whether you are capable of fulfilling the job requirements. Your attitude and personality can also play a role in their decision-making process, which is a topic we can explore another time.

When it comes to switching careers, acquiring new skills is a logical step. Now, the question is: what is your preferred learning style? In the STEM field (specifically IT, in this case), it is so important to be able to consume information effectively as you study IT!

If you find that you learn best with a structured schedule, where you don't have to rely solely on self-discipline, then enrolling in a bootcamp or school is recommended. Note: Even during your studies at a bootcamp or school, you still will need to engage in self-teaching. It's a *MUST*, good practice to maintain this mindset even after you secure an IT job, especially if it involves a lot of developing or deploying. [ Bootcamps & Schools Options ]

There are a few factors to consider: - Costs Generally, bootcamps are more affordable than traditional schools. However, both options may offer scholarships, so it's worth exploring those opportunities. Look into third-party scholarships that may be available. If you have a disability and reside in the US, it would be beneficial to speak with a counselor from Vocational Rehabilitation. Non-profit organizations can also provide support and assistance to individuals interested in returning to education. Studying abroad is another option worth considering. Personally, I chose to study abroad in the UK due to the significantly more affordable tuition fees compared to the US, and because I had a desire to obtain a master's degree in another country. - Instructors' teaching styles It's important to note that not all IT instructors excel at effectively communicating with new IT students. To avoid encountering this issue, do some detective work. Find out who will be teaching you and check out their lectures. Don't hesitate to ask the program manager if you can meet your potential lecturer (ideally before making a decision). Prepare a list of questions to ask your potential lecturer during the meeting. Pay attention to how they explain concepts. If their technical jargon is difficult to understand, they may not be the right instructor for you. Remember, this doesn't reflect your intelligence. It's a matter of their self-awareness. I strongly advise against choosing this kind of an instructor from my experience. - Lessons There are numerous IT job types available, and in a bootcamp, you may not have the opportunity to explore all of them. Bootcamps often focus on specialized programs, sometimes even covering less popular technologies (yes, this is definitely a concern). So you should research IT fields, and once, you've decided on a specific field, take the time to research job titles and similar roles on LinkedIn. Pay close attention to job descriptions and requirements. Create a list of the high-demand skills for those positions. This will help you narrow down your choices when selecting a bootcamp program or school. Look for programs that teach the skills you need based on your research. [ Self-Teaching Option ] You are your own trainer, and you get to design your own personalized learning experience. This option is great if you do not have the luxury to pay out of pocket for a program. It is absolutely not looked down upon by employers. In fact, it is considered one of the essential job skills that employers typically look for in a job applicant. To make a solid entry into the IT field, I highly recommend obtaining certifications and undertaking project-based learning. It's important to focus on certifications and projects that align with the specific roles you aspire to have. Take the time to explore different fields within IT to discover your interests, and then compile a list of relevant learning materials or bookmark tutorial videos. Please be sure to verify that the resources you choose are up to date and not outdated, as IT is always evolving. "Wait, but what about a degree?" This approach is really just aimed at fulfilling the job requirements. Many IT candidates have successfully passed interviews without possessing a degree. Many hiring managers prioritize your ability to learn and apply the required skills. Showcasing your projects on your resume or demonstrating your skills during a technical interview holds more significance. Even if you don't possess the exact skills they're seeking, emphasizing your transferable skills will show interviewers that you are capable of learning and adapting.