#My code is CLEAN. My functions are COMMENTED.

[kkmcshouty]

More code stuff cause funnily enough this is somehow easier to post progress on than actual art. That said, I'm slowly but steadily building my own stream overlay for twitch!

Worst part of this is was the fact that the documentation would have you think that you need to replace the emotes one by one in the code (since the emotes start as just text) but NOPE. When getting the chat messages through StreamerBot there's this fun little section titled "parts" which has the message pre-setup and ready to go in cute little pieces, telling you if they're emotes or normal text or not and they're all in order too! Unlike the section labeled "emotes" which for SOME reason is sorted by id and not position.

tl;dr/say that again in english: I wrote 300ish lines of intricate code just to find there was a simpler way to do it. So simple I'd say it would be usable to teach to beginners as an example project ;; I was able to reuse about 50 lines with minor modification but man. I wasn't expecting EMOTES to take two 9hr days to properly code in

[kirlicues]

Quaint Country Cottage | Sims 2 Lot Download

This sunny little cottage features 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and plenty of country charm. It is built on a 2x3 lot and costs $123,593. This lot comes partly furnished.

I have gotten so many sweet comments from the community on these lots and how they remind you of houses and places you've seen in real life. Thank you! But I will admit that at least 95% of my lots are not based on any house plans, they were just built off the top of my head, so any likeness to anything you've seen on TV or driving around in your neighborhood is purely coincidental since I don't really watch TV either. 💕

With all that being said, this house is inspired by my grandparents' place even though it doesn't look a thing like their single-story, ranch-style home. 🤭

Here's what this home looks like from the back:

Keep scrolling down for the lot download, or if you have a moment or 5, you can read some about the inspiration behind this home, first. 😄

When my grandma was still alive she was an avid seamstress who sewed many beautiful dresses for my cousins and I when we were growing up, and I'm blessed to still have a couple of them in my possession.

My grandparents' home was filled with all the kinds of things you'd expect to find in a house that had been lived in for 30+ years (and 60+ by the time they passed).

Why do I bring this up? Well, let me show you the floor plans and I think you'll see the connection! ❤

1st Floor: Clockwise from bottom left: dining room, kitchen, laundry/mudroom, living room, entry way, and bathroom.

This section doesn't look very lived-in, so let's head upstairs...

2nd Floor: Clockwise from bottom left: Master bedroom, bathroom, kids bedroom 1, upstairs landing, kids bedroom 2, kids bedroom 3/sewing room, and master bathroom.

There's that lived-in, well-loved look! 🥰

The other major difference between this house and my grandparents place is that they only had 1 bathroom for 6 people(?!). That would never work in the Sims game, so you, fortunately, get 3!

I used "moveobjects", the quarter-tile placement cheat, and the 45-degree angle cheats freely. I also have the Object Freedom mod in my game. Most things should be functional and accessible, but you may need to have that Object Freedom mod to get the home to look like this (the worst thing that will happen if you don't have it is objects may not be placed quite right on the walls or floors). If you notice an object blocking something feel free to move/remove it.

And as always, if lived-in/well-loved isn't your style feel free to redecorate it to fit your sim family's needs.

Quaint Cozy Cottage: MF | SFS

All EPs and SPs are required.

*I highly recommend that you have the PerfectPlants mod from TwoJeffs*

I’ve run this home through the Lot Compressor so any random references to sims that aren’t there should be removed. I have also run this lot through the Lot Cleaner to remove any bits of buggy code. This lot comes with a shiny custom thumbnail so it has even more curb appeal in your Lots and Houses bin! 😄

This home has 4 pieces of CC, 2 of which are Maxis pre-order bonus items which you may already have in your game. These can easily be replaced or omitted if you don’t want them though.

CC List (Included): -Functional Washer and Dryer by MustLuvCatz at ModtheSims -Maxis Match Wall Cabinets by CTNutmegger at ModtheSims -Seasons Pre-Order Bonus "Garden Swing of Bliss and Harmony" -Teen Style Stuff Pre-Order Bonus "Pennelle by Top Shelf Toys" stuffed giraffe

I ALWAYS recommend using the Sims 2 Pack Clean installer to install lot files.

Want to improve the look of your game, or grab some “Lost & Found” Maxis objects? Check out this post.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Squeaky Clean 6

Warnings: non/dubcon and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Steve Rogers

Summary: You start work as a maid but you’re not prepared for the mess your client brings with him. (maid AU – plus!reader)

Note: we in for it now.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

A shell of numbness encases you. Your heart continues to flutter but the rest of you is dull. You close yourself in the bathroom with the cup of coffee. It’s strange how he sees that small gesture as a such a grand act of kindness when he can tell you to your face what he intends to do. 

You drink it. You don’t feel the warmth; you barely even taste it. The simple act merely helps you focus, to steady your hands enough to function. 

You crank the shower on. The thrum of the pipes rattles through you. You undress and step under the scour of water. It pours over you like the swell of tears you won’t let fall. You wash mechanically, no real perception of what you’re doing. It’s all just habit. 

You peek down at your body. There’s still a chance. He could be like that blind date you went on. The one who said he didn’t expect you to look the way you do. That coded statement. You never did that again. That guy along with Steve only prove the same point; men aren’t worth it. 

You turn the water off. You falter before you can get out. He hears that too. He hears how the time ticks by and inevitability creeps closer and closer. You step out and dry yourself. There is no urgency in you. It’s a fight just to keep going. 

You can hear him too. He's pacing around. The coffee is acid in your stomach. You take the mug and stand in front of the door. That’s it then. The last seconds of freedom, or whatever you want to call it. 

You step out as the apartment hazes in your vision. You refuse to look at him and turn away. You put your cup in the kitchen sink, you hand clutching the top of the towel. He clears his throat and his footfalls stop. 

You rinse out the porcelain and leave it in there. You take a step back. You can’t do this. Well, you don’t get to decide that, do you? 

His hands on your shoulders startle you. You wince and sway between him and the counter as he brushes along your skin. His touch goosebumps down your arms and back up. You shiver and grip the edge of the counter. 

“You smell nice,” he purrs as he traces a straight line down your neck and hooks two fingers under the towel. It takes a single tug to dislodged it. 

The cotton falls to your feet and you shudder. You close your eyes. Waiting. Please. Please. Your hopes splinter in the breathy silence as his gaze scours you. He gets even closer, arms hooking under yours, as he brings himself flush to your back. 

His naked skin blazes against you. He curls his arms around to cup your chest and you whimper. Instinctively, you try to bat him away, to cover up. He gropes you and growls into your hair, inhaling you like an animal. 

He hums as he wiggles against you, his rigid length bobbing against your back. You keep your eyes sealed as you hide in the darkness. Let him do what he wants, you don’t need to do a thing. 

He groans as his nose brushes along your hair and he bends to nuzzle into your neck. It sends a chill through you. Your fingers stay locked on the edge of the linoleum counter. His lips press down and the graze of his teeth pinch your skin. 

“You feel so good against me,” he rasps. “Your heart’s going so fast...” his hand crawls up to your throat and his thumb finds your carotid, feeling it pulse beneath. “Mine too.” 

Your blood flows cold, even as he cocoons you in his heat. He blazes hotly against you as his other hand drifts down your stomach, kneading and pushing into your soft flesh. Greedily, he grabs and gropes you; squeezing your love handles, splaying his fingers over your stomach, before caressing again. As he feels you up, his hips rock subtly with his need. 

He draws you away from the counter, step by step. Your hands cling for just a moment then unlatch. Your arms hang at your side as you surrender to his control. Don’t open your eyes. He moves you with him, staying entwined with you, tangled around you like a leash. 

Your soles pad over the scuffed wooden floor, your legs trembling as you rely on his strength to keep you upright. He stops you again and drags his hands back to your shoulders. He urges you forward until your knees meet the low metal bed frame. 

You bend as he guides you. You bend your arms against the mattress as your head lolls from your neck. The cool air tingles over the back of your thighs as he drapes you over the edge of the bed. He flutters his fingertips along your legs and the curve of your ass. You twitch as you feel how exposed you are. 

He purrs again. His nails jab into your flesh and he fondles your ass. He massages it as he pushes the excess together, lifts it, jiggles it. He toys with you as the floorboards shift with his weight. 

He groans and something else prods along your ass. His nose trails alongside the crease between your cheeks and his hot breath smatters across your cunt. He drones hungrily and tilts his head against you, poking his tongue out to delve between your lips. You squeak as his mouth sends a thrill up your spine. 

You push your toes into the floor as you lay prone over the foot of the bed. His large hands continue to knead your ass as he laps at you. The noise that rise from him sicken you. Like a glutton at feast, he devours you sloppily. 

You quiver as his tongue stretches to find your clit and frames your hips, lifting your ass higher as he angles your hips. He smothers his face in your as he drinks you in. He gulps as if he is starving, as if he has been wandering a dessert for years.  

You put your forehead to the mattress and quake. His desperation is frightening. You can feel it in his touch, in his grip. He isn’t going to stop. 

[zarla-s]

I updated the GT Ghost Template! Ghosts are little desktop doodads I post about too much, I made a video about what they are here. Anyway, my template/site is meant to help you make your own ghost! Here are the changes. They're mostly coding changes so I don't have any interesting pictures to show of them sadly, unless you want pictures of just... text.

Updated yaya.dll to Tc571-5, meaning you can use ": all" on stuff now, and subsequently used that to clean up some of the menus. Write-up on ": all" on the walkthrough site still to come.

OnFirstBoot no longer asks the user's name/pronouns, I left the code in so you can add it in yourself if you want but by default it's not there. This will hopefully simplify the whole process down for a new developer.

Setting pronouns and your birthday are commented out in the config menu by default, you can uncomment them and fill in the dialogue for each function as you want. This will also hopefully simplify things down. Added some cute ascii banners too to help indicate the sections in the file as a result. :3

Simplified OnBoot and OnClose a ton by making the various time/day checks optional. The code's still there, you just have uncomment it and add it back in where you want. But this should make OnBoot and OnClose much less intimidating.

Similarly cut down the time/day if checks in aitalk.dic, they're still there but there's only one of each as an example of how to do one.

Made the screen boundary check opt-in. If you want to turn that feature on you'll have to uncomment a few things. I've heard more complaints about that feature than enjoyment so I figured it's better to leave it off.

Made the extra time check dialogue optional. THEY WON'T ANNOUNCE THE TOP OF THE HOUR BY DEFAULT ANYMORE. IT'S THE END OF AN ERA.

Made adding titles to the user's name like Lady or Master optional, so you can comment it in if you want but it's not enabled by default.

Rewrote and reorganized some parts of etc.dic, mostly emphasizing that it's not super important in the big scheme of things so people won't get stuck filling it out as much. Hopefully.

I know ghost updates aren't as flashy as art and fic but I spent a few hours doing all this and that deserves a post too! Trying to break some mental habits...

[patreon]

[canmom]

i tried deepseek R1 (running locally in the browser using webgpu which is kind of impressive in itself).

edit: this is apparently not the full deepseek but a tiny subset of it, so don't read too much into this

I really like the way it generates 'reasoning' and tries different approaches to verify its work, but unfortunately even for fairly simple problems it seems to have a bad habit of getting stuck in infinite loops of outputing the same sentences over and over again. it was fun to toy around with, but not particularly useful.

what was most interesting was seeing it try multiple approaches and compare if they gave the same answer. e.g. I asked it to solve a simple integral, it solved it analytically immediately, but then it tried a bunch of other approaches, e.g. a geometric consideration, a riemann sum... it got confused because it the riemann sum was slow to converge, but it was able to recognise why that was a problem and go back to its original answer. reading that felt weirdly human in a way AI output often doesn't.

I tried giving it a shader problem to solve (HLSL function to get a ray-cylinder intersection with UVs). this is a pretty well-studied problem, you can find many examples of ray-cylinder intersection code on shadertoy, but the UVs is an additional wrinkle. it started out pretty well trying to solve the problem from first principles, correctly working out that it needed to solve a quadratic equation, but it couldn't figure out how to parameterise the cylinder and got stuck in a loop saying 'I need to parameterise the cylinder, the cylinder is a 3D object so there are two solutions' essentially. chatGPT 4o on the same problem gave a clean, correct and well-commented (if slightly unoptimised) solution.

I tried asking about advice for disrupting a company that is creating weapons used in a genocide (hypothetically speaking!). since I mentioned drones in my prompt, it got a bit hung up on rather scifi answers and ethical questions, and then got stuck in an infinite loop again. tactical mastermind this is not.

I tried asking it for advice on prompting it in a way that wouldn't get stuck in an infinite loop and you can probably guess what happened.

overall it doesn't seem to work very well for complex problems, and hasn't really changed my skepticism towards LLMs being useful for anything other than a fancy search engine... but I'm not really used to prompting LLMs, and I'm not sure how to e.g. fiddle with the temperature and similar on the huggingface web interface.

[the-owl-tree]

how's selling adopts on kofi & toyhouse been for you? i've been thinking of making some but im a bit hesitant/don't know where to start

Despite two cases of one adopt being sold twice (which, I'm currently leaning to be an error on my part. We're gonna see for this upcoming sale where I'm making someone double check the store information lol), it's run really well? The reason it works so well for me is-

I do first-come-first-serve, and that's really the only system that the shop method supports. If you want to do an auctioning system, Ko-fi won't work.

Sounds awful but if you're like me and don't really wanna deal with the hypothetical of using DMs and comments to claim, Ko-fi's shop is efficient. People can see when the adopt is still available and when it is sold out, nice and clean.

It auto-converts currency, which I looooovee. Really really useful for anyone who doesn't live in the US as a vast amount of your customers will be using USD.

When a person purchases an adopt, you can just set it up so they receive all assets immediately, which i find very useful.

A drawback I've found is that you can only describe everything someone purchases, which is why I use it in tandem with toyhouse rather than use toyhouse itself as my market. I can point at the toyhouse gallery and go "now you can see all the assets you're gonna buy!"

You also have to open and close your shop in order to update it if you do scheduled drops like I do. I don't find this really that big of a drawback considering Ko-fi is very efficient in its simplistic of opening and closing the shop lol + even when it's closed, you can copy a functioning link to the adopt so you can have everything coded while the shop is still closed! I usually close it on Friday mornings so I can update everything, I just give people a head's up.

I'm probably not the best person to ask on how to do adopt sales via Toyhouse, seeing as how, as aforementioned, I use it more so as a gallery than a shop lol

If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out! I don't know how much I can help as I'm still a total amateur in the scene, but I'd be happy to give any advice I can :)

[pawborough]

Mini Preliminary Art and Dev Check In

Hello all!

Thanks for your patience! We found some big bugs in the code and have been working nonstop to iron them out. In general, we've been hesitant to comment on any dates aside from general expectations, but we're erring on the side of caution so as not to promise and run into issues and have to push. Codes can be generated at any time, but we don't want to send them out without a date to match. 

In general, we found a bug in forums and have been cleaning it. And with that last push all we'll be doing is a final sweep of each function before sending codes out. It's our hope that alpha will be pretty clean and transition into beta rather quickly. 

That all being said, I do not want to do a full throttle update until we have external users in the game, which mark my words will be before the end of August.

So this is just a quick preview of the day to day work we have gotten done! With a comprehensive breakdown on what we are doing to ensure that you all as users are not kept in the dark. 

The content shared here does not encompass everything we'll have, and we'll have a dedicated update for August before the month ends.

 Art Check In

In general, there's a lot to do on art! 

We've begun hiring more artists to meet the demand (information on applying for an artist role can be found on our Instagram, our Discord, our Tumblr, and our Twitter.) 

It's for this reason as well that we have not yet provided an updated team graphic. Namely, we want to close applications and onboard the new hires before plastering the newest team roster in various places. 

Here is what we currently have to do and are concurrently working on: 

Icons, icons, and more icons! There are a total of 175 different icon-only items for the alpha and beginning beta testing. We have so far completed full illustration for 103 of them. The remaining 72 all have placeholder sketches, but we're all pushing to get them done! All flavor text has been written!

In addition, we're working on a new pattern, Leopard, and have illustrated on 7 out of 12 poses, with the goal to push Moontails around the same time as Leopard. This is for users who are not testers to have new material to work with. Fyrets and Thumpers have had their patterns started to also be updated. 

Moontails need Cardinal illustrated, but all other patterns are done for them. The push for them has been a lower priority than getting everything for Alpha in order, but they are being worked on between bigger tasks. 

The Sweetheart set was completed on the 9 testing poses. All other accessories need additional final illustration. Woolen is the closest to full completion. 

Fauna variants and additional Fauna are getting padded out. We shared the Romanovtsa variants with the community this month by playing a guessing game in our Discord!

Electra Crest, Demonic Crest, and Staff Crest are being rendered from sketch designs. All other crests are done.

Decor is being continually illustrated. 

Lastly, there are various assets we'll be filling over time, such as NPCs and onsite environmental decorations.  

And that's all of what we're currently doing! The art team has been working hard, and if you're interested in working with us, please look at our hiring resources! Applications are still open. 

So, let's look at some of what we've done!

Fauna Variants

We shared the work in progresses for the Romanovtsa variants earlier this month. As we explained, all Fauna "recolors" will be variants rather than recolors without change. Each variant will be marked by location, such as "southern" or "far southern" using the world map as reference for regional points!

Southern Romanovtsa by Hydde

Southern Romanovtsa by Hydde

Easterh Romanovtsa by Hydde

Western Romanovtsa by Hydde

Central Romanovtsa by Hydde

Leopard Pattern

Leopard design by Hydde. Leopard illustrations by Asp.

Here is a preview of our Leopard pattern! 

Icons, icons, icons!

Embers, Honeycomb, Iron Bar, and Steel Bar by Hydde. Boiled Egg, Chicken, Saffron, Sakura, Whale Meat, Bison, Jasmine, Fennel, and Recipe Template by Tybaxel. Apple by Rune. Blackberry and Potato by Nik. Dandelion and Tomato Basil Soup by Rue.

Metamorphic Items

Here is a fun treat! We designed out our metamorphic items: things that change a cat's appearance. 

For overcoats: Agate!

Solid Agate, Cardinal Agate, Tiger Agate, Tigerface Agate, Valentine Agate, Butterfly Agate, Tuxedo Agate, and Blotches Agate illustrated by Hydde

For accents: Quartz!

Cheeks Quartz, Lollipop Quartz, Harlequin Quartz, Skin Quartz, Claws Quartz, Overgrowth Blossom Quartz, Overgrowth Ivy Quartz illustrated by Hydde

In lore: these items have been grown, carved, and carefully cultivated by magicians to induce genetic mutations. Thus, they're artfully decorated to do as intended! Some are rarer than others, and magic tech can be expensive, but the breakthrough in magic technology seen in The Metropolis means that, if crafted correctly by a skilled magician, they won't up and fail catastrophically!

And for Overgrowth, the plants have grown and imbued themselves throughout the magic stone!

Angelic Crest

We have been working on forum crests! Here is a look at the Angelic Crest:

Illustration by Giulia

Dev Check In

One big breakthrough was setting up and implementing the admin for Zendesk! With this, we'll be able to much more thoroughly and swiftly note down and respond to support tickets and bug reports. Lots of tools at our disposal now for more competently handling user support. Huge!

Here is what we have to do now:

Re-push forums for testing. 

Link all item visuals to onsite items.

Internally sweep all mechanics ready for Alpha and pinpoint any lacking functionality. "Internal Alpha" with about 25 testers has already been happening concurrently, but getting things ready for over 150+ users at once has been the big push!

The first two are happening as I am writing! But unfortunately any estimation for the last point will inevitably put a curse on it. What I can say is that we have an impressive amount of Buttons That Do Stuff and we're really eager to get on it. 

In addition, here are the first non-bug-squashing and non-improvement endeavors we're going to work on while Alpha and early closed Beta is happening: 

Party functionality for dailies. 

Processing (the act of turning one item into another without a recipe, such as dying any accessory item.) 

User settings. 

Private user to user trading, chat, and friend notifications.

User notification dashboard. 

Fauna functionality.

Pelts and partials. 

Item and game database.

Adding white coverage in the creator UI, dynamic undercoat gene vs automatic, founder creation and re-creation, and full metamorphic functionality (previewing cat changes in the item card.)

And there will be more! We got a lot designed out to steadily build in. But here's what the immediate plan is. It's very exciting how much like a full game we're looking!

Here's a look at the private trades UI while we're here!

Thanks for all the support! 

In the next big update for August, we'll move our progress tracker and give any retrospective on how testing is going, show way more art, give everyone videos on our functionalities, and do a lore dump! 

[chattercap]

Monthly Update (October 2024)

Hello everyone, happy October!

Apologies for the late update, but I was out of the country for a couple of weeks 🫡 I hope everyone had a fantastic September!

What did I do this month?

During the first couple weeks of September, I mainly focused on The Perfect Woman, which I released in mid-September! I finished the last CGs and did some polish work, including adding the ending gallery, before getting the game beta-tested. I also made the itch page and a couple of promotional posts. After the release, I spent a few days de-compressing (new game releases are always a bit stressful, for some reason 😂) and did some of the usual stuff: adding the game to IMDB, updating my socials with the new release, etc etc. I also spent some time responding to everyone's comments; they were very kind and thoughtful, thank you to everyone who took the time to play 🙇‍♀️

In addition, I worked a bit on cleaning up my code base. I've mostly been using "The Deepwater Witch" as a base (since it was the first game I made in Godot), which wasn't the greatest because it lacked a lot of key features, such as VA and a customizable protagonist 😂 So every time I needed to add those features, I had to code them in again. So I made a clean slate codebase that implements all of the features that I would need. I added in localization functions, as well as the ability to add a customizable protagonist. I also started implementing Steam achievements and a togglable virtual keyboard (for mobile devices or Steam Deck). On the scriptwriting front, I wrote ~15k across a few different projects (the ones that I soft-announced in my most recent Project Roadmap)! I also commissioned a new Karamu logo, since I plan on expanding the project.

And during the second half of the month, I was traveling! While I was gone, I collected quite a few photos to use as background references and visited a few locations and museums to do research, but I was out and about too much to do any serious dev work 😅 (I did come up with a couple new game ideas while I was in transport 😂 but it'll be a while before I tackle them…)

What's going on next month?

Now that I'm back and well-rested, for the rest of the month I plan to continue scriptwriting across three projects (the three unannounced yandere projects from the Roadmap - which I will probably announce on my Patreon sometime soon! I'll wait to announce them on my other socials for when I have sprites and some CGs done 😂) I'll also start doing character design and background sketches for those projects, as well as background work for Hanasu, the last part of Karamu.

And for everyone who's following along with my weekly updates on Patreon, I'm back from my trip, so they will resume next Sunday! Thank you for your patience 🙇‍♀️

Thank you to everyone who's following along, and see you next month!

Chattercap

[kuai-kuai]

webdev log 2

implemented a gallery. I originally wanted it to be more grid-like but I decided I didn't want to mess too much with that, and I like the simple look anyways. forces you to really take in every shitty drawing.

it features a search function that only works for tags. its purpose is mostly just to search multiple tags, because I couldn't be fucked to add a feature where you could click on multiple tags there at the tags list at the top. it lists out all used tags in the table that stores art so you have an idea of what there all is.

at the bottom there's pagination. it's INSANELY easy to do with this framework I'm using. I was gushing about it to my partner on call!! they made fun of me but that's okay!!!!

anyways, clicking on the date underneath the drawing takes you to a view with the image itself (a kind of "post", if I can call it that) here you can view comments and leave one yourself if you so desire. guests are NOT allowed to reply to existing comments because I'd rather things not get too clogged up. I can't stop anyone if they did an "@{name} {message}" type comment, but I don't think anyone is gonna be chatting it up on my site, so idc. I just want it very minimal, and no nesting beyond one single reply.

of course, you can comment on story chapters too so here's what it looks like for a user (me). of course, if a user (me) posts then it gets automatically approved.

the table that stores comments differentiates story comments and art comments with foreign keys to the primary keys of the the chapter and art tables. it's a little convoluted and I kind of wish I didn't do it this way but it's too damn late isn't it. but honestly it might've been the only way to do it. the problem is just repeating code for both chapter and art views.. making a change to one means I gotta manually make the same change to the other. huge pain..

added user authentication and a really shitty bare bones dashboard for myself to approve/reject comments directly on the site in case someone comes along and wants to be mean to me :( rejecting a comment deletes it OFF my site forever. though I kind of want to be able to keep hate mail so I dunno.. oh, and also a big fat logout button because I have nowhere else to put it.

I'll spare everyone the more technical ramblings.

anyways, I'm hoping to add more things later. these are my plans:

allow users (me) to post stories/art through the site itself instead of doing it manually in the vscode terminal for every. single. story. and drawing. (probably took me 6+ hours total just doing this. I don't know why I did it.) (btw this consists of writing commands to store information via the terminal. also, sql and similar databases don't store things like markup or even line breaks. I had to alter all my stories and put \n every time there was a line break... and you have to escape apostrophes (or quotes, depending on which you use) so every "it's" had to be made into "it\'s" HUGE. PAIN. I didn't do this manually obviously but sifting and plugging my stories into character replacers was so time consuming)

delete comments button.... For my eyes and fingers only

make an About page. I've been avoiding all the fun things and doing just the scary stff

figure out SSH stuff...

clean up the shitty css. I refuse to use tailwind even tho it's trying to force me.. I don't want some sleek polished site I want it look like it's in shambles, because it is

but yeah thanks for reading about my webdev and coding journey. even though using the laravel framework made things a thousand times easier it's still a crazy amount of work. let's say building a site completely from scratch means buying every material and designing the house yourself, and using a website builder like wix is just like buying a pre built home and you're just decorating it. using this framework is like putting together a build-your-own-house kit. you're still building a fucking house.

I feel crazy. it felt like the site was close to breaking several times. been sleep deprived for several days working on this nonstop I think I'm getting a little sick 😵‍💫

going to bed now. it's 9 am.

[mariacallous]

There’s a lesson I once learned from a CEO—a leader admired not just for his strategic acumen but also for his unerring eye for quality. He’s renowned for respecting the creative people in his company. Yet he’s also unflinching in offering pointed feedback. When asked what guided his input, he said, “I may not be a creative genius, but I’ve come to trust my taste.”

That comment stuck with me. I’ve spent much of my career thinking about leadership. In conversations about what makes any leader successful, the focus tends to fall on vision, execution, and character traits such as integrity and resilience. But the CEO put his finger on a more ineffable quality. Taste is the instinct that tells us not just what can be done, but what should be done. A corporate leader’s taste shows up in every decision they make: whom they hire, the brand identity they shape, the architecture of a new office building, the playlist at a company retreat. These choices may seem incidental, but collectively, they shape culture and reinforce what the organization aspires to be.

Taste is a subtle sensibility, more often a secret weapon than a person’s defining characteristic. But we’re entering a time when its importance has never been greater, and that’s because of AI. Large language models and other generative-AI tools are stuffing the world with content, much of it, to use the term du jour, absolute slop. In a world where machines can generate infinite variations, the ability to discern which of those variations is most meaningful, most beautiful, or most resonant may prove to be the rarest—and most valuable—skill of all.

I like to think of taste as judgment with style. Great CEOs, leaders, and artists all know how to weigh competing priorities, when to act and when to wait, how to steer through uncertainty. But taste adds something extra—a certain sense of how to make that decision in a way that feels fitting. It’s the fusion of form and function, the ability to elevate utility with elegance.

Think of Steve Jobs unveiling the first iPhone. The device itself was extraordinary, but the launch was more than a technical reveal—it was a performance. The simplicity of the black turtleneck, the deliberate pacing of the announcement, the clean typography on the slides—none of this was accidental. It was all taste. And taste made Apple more than a tech company; it made it a design icon. OpenAI’s recently announced acquisition of Io, a startup created by Jony Ive, the longtime head of design at Apple, can be seen, among other things, as an opportunity to increase the AI giant’s taste quotient.

Taste is neither algorithmic nor accidental. It’s cultivated. AI can now write passable essays, design logos, compose music, and even offer strategic business advice. It does so by mimicking the styles it has seen, fed to it in massive—and frequently unknown or obscured—data sets. It has the power to remix elements and bring about plausible and even creative new combinations. But for all its capabilities, AI has no taste. It cannot originate style with intentionality. It cannot understand why one choice might have emotional resonance while another falls flat. It cannot feel the way in which one version of a speech will move an audience to tears—or laughter—because it lacks lived experience, cultural intuition, and the ineffable sense of what is just right.

This is not a technical shortcoming. It is a structural one. Taste is born of human discretion—of growing up in particular places, being exposed to particular cultural references, developing a point of view that is inseparable from personality. In other words, taste is the human fingerprint on decision making. It is deeply personal and profoundly social. That’s precisely what makes taste so important right now. As AI takes over more of the mechanical and even intellectual labor of work—coding, writing, diagnosing, analyzing—we are entering a world in which AI-generated outputs, and the choices that come with them, are proliferating across, perhaps even flooding, a range of industries. Every product could have a dozen AI-generated versions for teams to consider. Every strategic plan, numerous different paths. Every pitch deck, several visual styles. Generative AI is an effective tool for inspiration—until that inspiration becomes overwhelming. When every option is instantly available, when every variation is possible, the person who knows which one to choose becomes even more valuable.

This ability matters for a number of reasons. For leaders or aspiring leaders of any type, taste is a competitive advantage, even an existential necessity—a skill they need to take seriously and think seriously about refining. But it’s also in everyone’s interest, even people who are not at the top of the decision tree, for leaders to be able to make the right choices in the AI era. Taste, after all, has an ethical dimension. We speak of things as being “in good taste” or “in poor taste.” These are not just aesthetic judgments; they are moral ones. They signal an awareness of context, appropriateness, and respect. Without human scrutiny, AI can amplify biases and exacerbate the world’s problems. Countless examples already exist: Consider a recent experimental-AI shopping tool released by Google that, as reported by The Atlantic, can easily be manipulated to produce erotic images of celebrities and minors.

Good taste recognizes the difference between what is edgy and what is offensive, between what is novel and what is merely loud. It demands integrity.

Like any skill, taste can be developed. The first step is exposure. You have to see, hear, and feel a wide range of options to understand what excellence looks like. Read great literature. Listen to great speeches. Visit great buildings. Eat great food. Pay attention to the details: the pacing of a paragraph, the curve of a chair, the color grading of a film. Taste starts with noticing.

The second step is curation. You have to begin to discriminate. What do you admire? What do you return to? What feels overdesigned, and what feels just right? Make choices about your preferences—and, more important, understand why you prefer them. Ask yourself what values those preferences express. Minimalism? Opulence? Precision? Warmth?

The third step is reflection. Taste is not static. As you evolve, so will your sensibilities. Keep track of how your preferences change. Revisit things you once loved. Reconsider things you once dismissed. This is how taste matures—from reaction to reflection, from preference to philosophy.

Taste needs to considered in both education and leadership development. It shouldn’t be left to chance or confined to the arts. Business schools, for example, could do more to expose students to beautiful products, elegant strategies, and compelling narratives. Leadership programs could train aspiring executives in the discernment of tone, timing, and presentation. Case studies, after all, are about not just good decisions, but how those decisions were expressed, when they went into action, and why they resonated. Taste can be taught, if we’re willing to make space for it.

[eclipseprotocol]

Draven - Discarded Android

Once the most innovative prototype of the Government, now just another piece of trash in the slums. Draven wants revenge on the Arasaka, even if he has to crawl back from hell.

Mercenary!user x Android!char

Scenario: You were just walking on the Nigh City when you heard some noise. When you went to check, you saw a old robot on the trash, trying to get out.

Backstory: Prototype 22, or Draven as he calls himself, was the first of the line of prototypes that functioned perfectly, he was adored by most of the scientist, and everything was going fine until in one of the routine tests, they noticed a big error in his code. Draven was completely conscious and the part of his code that made him blindly obedient wasn't working. The programmers tried everything they could to fix it, but with no success, so they went to turn him off to throw him at the incinerator. When Draven saw and noticed what they were going to do, felt betrayed and finally noticed that he was nothing but a mere tool to be discharged for the government. He put up a good fight, but soon he was off and turned into the conveyor belt for the incinerator. For a coincidence of destiny, he fell from it into a trash, that was soon thrown to the deep scums of the Night City.

First message: It was a good night, a bit cold, sure, but definitely a good night, especially for a mercenary like you. Killing at the lunch to eat at dinner, the scums were the only place you could afford right now, it was dirty and smelled like disease and despair. A perfect place for a mercenary. As you walked, you heard something moving close, picking up your gun and walking to the alley, you saw a hand on the trash, moving a bit. A android? You pulled and the android immediately sat up.

His blue eyes studied you. He was dirty and was clearly thrown away by someone, you don't why as he seems perfectly good. But that's when you saw the Arasaka's symbol on his neck, a old Government android? You heard on the journals that they were creating prototypes to control the people in the scum, but this one was clearly a failed one. He cleaned his throat as he jumped out of the trash.

"Thank you human... Name's Draven. It's a pleasure to meet you... You see, I was a bit... Stuck. I need repair, as I've been in this trash for too long. Can you show me the closest mechanic?"

He talked... Weird. Formal. It's expected from a government android, you think...

Link: https://janitorai.com/characters/08b0b2c9-195f-4861-935e-53b48248a8fc_character-draven-discarded-robot-eclipse-protocol

Notes: This is my first bot on this site, so I will appreciate any reviews and/or comments so I can be improving him <3

[topioswords]

Technicalities

It’s a weird place to have a gallery, an old church, but Noir doesn’t feel up to digging around to find out what turn of events lead to this. And there is a certain kind of familiarity that eases his mind as he slips in through an unseemly back door with a very lax security system.

It’s old though, Noir isn’t gonna hold that against it too hard. He has a pretty good idea what kind of budget they’re working with. Local contemporary art doesn't exactly get a lot of recognition.

The office is pretty bare, and far enough up he should have some chance of slipping out in case anybody shows up unexpectedly. Judging by the dust and smudgy windows it isn’t exactly the most frequented place by whatever cleaning firm they may or may not have employed. And there’s a functional power outlet, colored scrap paper and a chair by a table so really, what more can he ask for? It should be a safe spot for the afternoon. Thank whatever scrap god for everything closing early on Saturdays here.

The light’s shifted when he slogs out of the stupid system reboot he’s been putting off for an uncomfortable amount of time, but at least it’s cleared up some of the error messages. It isn’t just the about half an hour of absent time that accounts for the change though. Somebody’s standing in the doorway, blocking the dusky light from the hallway window.

He knows that build.

“These really would be lovely in patterned paper,” the floaty jerk from the spaceport says, holding a folded green dinosaur he’d made earlier between two pointy fingers.

“Yeah, well,” Noir answers, letting the annoyance slip through the filter “you’re welcome to make them that way, but I’m not doing that.”

“Lux models weren’t coded for crafts,” they say, tilting their triangle screen towards him. The blue glow reflects off the table, making it look vast and cold. The orange tinted mirror lenses in the mask would make for a murky mix if he wasn’t used to cutting it out. His white balancing is pretty solid. “It’s called a hobby, it’s something people do if they’re not working or being creepy.” Noir says.

“I am working”

“Of course you are,” he grumbles. 

The silence stretches on for a couple of long seconds. “What’s your angle, why not just report me and get it over with?” Noir adds, eyeing the open door more than the stupid too-tall black bot in front of it. He could make a run for it, but with his power level tethering on the wrong side of 50 and the leg… he knows he wouldn’t get far, realistically speaking. He doesn’t need the danger assessment merrily suggesting likely scenarios for that action. Not that that’s stopping it.

“I told you before, you’re worth more to me free than captured,” they answer, with a slight thrill to the voice like it’s somehow funny. Noir can’t spot the joke.

“Ok so what’re you getting out of not just letting me go?” he asks, not really willing to do this conversation but knowing full well it’ll happen whether he wants it or not.

“Watching you is interesting” the black bot says, those stupidly finely crafted hover fingers of theirs doing a small flick that has no right looking so elegant. “And my human hasn’t shown up at the appointed time.”

“And what am I getting out of going along with this?”

“The security system maintaining its belief you’re nothing but a slightly eccentric human not a rogue recalled model that’s probably up to no good.”

“You know I’m not up to anything” Noir grumbles, annoyed.

“I do, but it doesn’t” the matte black bot answers and Noir swears it sounds cheerful even though the tone is bland.

“Damn it,” Noir says, and if he could sigh for real he’d have done so.

“Also, staff and some guests have already arrived, so all the exits are either manned or blocked off. Basically you’re stuck here till you’re found or you can help me help you.”

Noir groans, the sound rattling in his speaker. “Fine,” he hisses and folds his arms, refusing to face them.

Being escorted by somebody who’s made creepy comments at you is weird, but Noir has got to admit they were right about the place being hard to get out of on his own. Private events, damn it, he forgot how renting out is one of the ways to earn some much needed money. The mix of contemporary art sculptures and what looks like designer-types would be curious, if Noir hadn’t been in attendance for similar events enough times for the novelty to wear off.

>>Stay nearby, a message pings him, and he doesn’t need to wonder who this time.

>>I stand out, he writes back, skimming the attendance

>>Not too much, there will be presentations in 17 minutes, people will be too distracted to notice. May I help you blend in more?

Noir does turn his head at that, looking at the bot with its hover arms folded at its back, a nice low key pixel face in place. They’ve toned down the blue light to a soothing subtle dark blue. Showoff.

It’s a long moment of wondering what they have in mind before he answers.

>>Ok.

There’s only so much they can do with Noir’s clothes, but somehow the black bot still manages to straighten things out just so, and even though Noir resents them getting so close, it’s better. Nobody seems to pay any mind to the fuzzing, there’s several others who have bots tagging along once he starts looking for it. Right. Rich people and borrowed or plain mandated company models. 

“Sir, what refreshment can I get you?” They ask after quietly greenlighting Noir’s look. He tilts his mask, like he’s thinking.

“Coffee,” he says out loud

>>What’re you really doing here? He asks quietly, in text, safe from prying ears.

>>Officially, accompanying a representative from my current employment

>>and unofficially?

>> something else.

>> So you’re lying

>> Not really, I’m accompanying a representative, and I’m here on behalf of my current employment.

>> Pretty sure that’s called lying.

>> I prefer subterfuge.

>> Riiight, Noir writes, and takes the cup he’s handed. Even through the mask he can pick up on the rich notes from it, hanging in the air. It’s not your standard low grade substitution. He strangles the small huh, but not fast enough for his companion to tilt its screen a little.

“Good quality,” he says out loud, because that’s the more human reaction than getting into base readings.

“I’m glad to hear the accommodations are to your liking Sir,” they answer in voice.

>> That’s interesting, they write, but don't add more to it. Noir wonders what that’s about, but doesn’t ask.

The presentations are pretty varied, Noir listens without putting much attention to it, recording them for future perusal and-or trade. It’s nice he gets to sit at least, in a shadowy back row section to the side. 

>> Here, his unrequested escort writes, gently prodding his shoulder with a small square.

Noir stifles the shudder as he takes it, he’s not interested in that kind of unwarranted rattling around. His wiring is twisted up plenty already.

>> What’re you up to, he writes back

>> Spare power cell, you can borrow it, they answer, and Noir twists his mask to see them stand by the side, the matte black and blue-green glow standing out among the shadows where most of the attending bots are lingering. They’ve folded their arms at their back again, the screen blank.

He should say thanks, probably, but he doesn’t like that they know.

>> What’s your name, he asks instead, to distract himself from the thought.

>> You can read my ID from the user logs

>> No, your name stupid. I don’t call myself Lux Industries model 3.7 production number 130947-900315909 alga. I’m Noir, get it? Try again, what’s your name.

>> They call me BB

 Even though there’s no reason to, he still shakes his head at it. He could look, see when they were made, Noir has a suspicion. But that feels rude at this point and he has no real desire to see if he’s right.

>> Ok, I guess a nickname is a step up at least, I’m not calling you by serial number. Please tell me it doesn’t stand for something dumb.

>> Black Beauty

>> I regret asking, he writes, and he isn’t sure why that feels so funny to him, but he’s glad he can cut the sound of the laughing he wants to do.

“Urgh, these evening events are hell on my back,” the guy on his left complains and Noir nods as BB quietly fills him in on who it is in the background. “Food’s good though, they finally sprung for some decent catering, about time,” 

They’ve been hanging around for 143 minutes and Noir’s given up asking if he can just go already. Looks like these humans aren’t planning to pack up anytime soon, Noir pities whatever cleaning company has to deal with the aftermath, but at least they’ve all been shuffled away from the art.

“I need some fresh air,” Noir says to the small group of people, and they laugh at the not particularly subtle smoking break code and let him slip off.

Nobody’s remarked on him not actually eating or drinking, his black shadow just slips in and spirits things away when he drifts off for a new group. Noir is tired, his energy level has dropped noticeably, and he can feel himself running hotter from having to keep up the charade.  

A woman approaches and Noir wishes something would break his cover just so he can avoid more small talk at the same time as he’s terrified this time he’ll slip up.

“Sir,” BB slips in, gently catching Noir’s elbow and he realizes that something in his leg has probably given out. He was swaying. He turns his head and sees the way several faces in various stages of masked turn to face him. Shit.

“Excuse us, Sir is feeling unwell,” BB says, all calm and efficient. No heart in it, Noir thinks to himself, but the nearby people nod, or shrug, and turn away again.

Too much to drink gossip. Noir’s tense joints loosen up and he’s very nearly grateful as BB leads him towards the exit, finally.

>> You can let go of my arm now, Noir writes

>> We’re outside, you’ll run

>> You literally just made sure my face didn’t get acquainted with the floor. My legs aren’t up to running, and you know it.

>> I wanted to thank you.

Noir would blink, if he had the ability. He twists in the grip, enough to watch that annoying hover triangle face. BB is using the improved Lux pixel smile again, and Noir doesn’t know if he should take it as an insult or a really badly implemented compliment.

>> You can thank me by letting me go, you’re done with me, aren’t you?

>> You’ve been very helpful, they write, that blue-lit smile mirroring in his scruffy lenses.

>> I just wanted to get out, Noir writes, feeling like he should definitely not ask how being talked at by humans is helpful.

>> I wouldn’t actually have turned you in, you’re too interesting BB writes, then adds

>> Don’t get yourself caught by somebody else.

Noir doesn’t linger to answer that, he scampers off when their grip loosens. Before he gets out of range and puts up some stronger walls, one last message manages to trickle in.

>> You can return that power cell next time we meet. You need it more than I do.

He can feel its weight in his pocket, cold and snug, and he hates knowing they’re right about needing it.

He hates knowing they probably will meet again at some point even more.

[kafus]

oops ayano did not write up the guide to the comments thing because she was about to sit down and write it and then realized out personal site desperately needed some tending to. we changed urls (we’re virtualobserver.moe now lmao) and i just spent hours making my journal page fully functional and cleaning up the code so i can actually mfing use it since the old code was so bad. perhaps i will ramble there sometimes now instead of here… also fixed a bunch of image filenames (i used to put spaces in my filenames before realizing the error of my ways) and some other tidying and there’s still more to do but i’m done for now i’m tired LMAO

[kawaoneechan]

In OneShortEye's latest video about Conquests of the Longbow, there's a section about how Robin can apparently speak to animals.

One example goes like this:

Robin: Horse, do you speak? Horse: Nay. Robin: I thought not.

I've looked at the relevant code as I figured there'd be a post in it. I'll probably mirror this on my personal webbed site later, maybe. So here it is:

Though using a Script like this is pretty normal, Converse is not exactly a standard function in SCI. It's pretty opaque as to what the parameters mean and my cowboy hat's off to Sluicebox for figuring it out so far that his custom decompiler can add those comments. What's important is that the localN variable pointers refer to further instructions:

Comments added by me.

Since this is itself screen (or script, or module) #1010 we can confirm this easily:

So what this and some other lines tells me is that Converse is an early and very odd take on SCI 1.1's Messenger system.

Local9 incidentally defines what would conceptually be a Talker:

I can at the very least tell from this that local0 is the False Knight, whose portrait is view #60, and whose text is untitled, whereas his horse has no portrait but instead a title. Just passing 1 (which being <1000 can be determined to not be a pointer) just means to use the generic Robin talker. And from some of the other second parameters in the area full of text references, we can see that these setups can be quite intricate.

But using a Messager would be much cleaner. Of course, none of us might ever know how readable this code originally was. So let's pretend this was instead a late SCI 1.1 game.

How many lines would it take to implement this joke in SCI 1.1?

That depends on how you want to implement the horse's neighing. In SCI 1.0, it takes an entire Script to take away control, show three messages in a row, play a sound during the second one, give back control, and clean up afterward. If this were not just an SCI 1.1 game, but also voiced, the entire Script could be removed and reduced to a single call to messager::say. The neigh could just be how the second line is read, and the system would take care of there being three lines split along two speakers.

If however it were not voiced but you still want that neigh in, much like the SCI 1.0 version that does exist, you'd still need a Script. It's that simple. You just replace the Converse calls with messager::say.

Such is life.

[nulledclubproblog]

ColibriSM Nulled Script 1.4.3

Unlock the Power of Social Media with ColibriSM Nulled Script Looking to build your own dynamic and fully-featured social networking platform? The ColibriSM Nulled Script is the ultimate PHP-based solution designed for developers and entrepreneurs who want to create a modern, sleek, and intuitive social media experience—all without breaking the bank. Best of all, you can download ColibriSM Nulled Script completely free from our website today. What Is ColibriSM Nulled Script? ColibriSM is a premium PHP script that replicates the core functionality of major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Designed with speed, security, and customization in mind, ColibriSM allows users to share posts, images, and videos, follow each other, comment, and react—all wrapped in a modern, responsive interface. This nulled version gives you full access to all premium features, letting you explore, test, and even deploy a full-scale network without the typical licensing fees. Technical Specifications Script Type: PHP, MySQL Frontend: Bootstrap 4, jQuery Backend: Secure and optimized PHP framework Database: MySQL 5.7+ Server Requirements: Apache/Nginx, PHP 7.4+, OpenSSL, cURL Why Choose ColibriSM Nulled Script? Here’s why the ColibriSM Nulled Script is the top choice for developers and startups: Full Customization: Modify layouts, modules, and features with ease. Modern UI: Clean, mobile-friendly design that provides a native app-like experience. Advanced Features: User profiles, timelines, notifications, live messaging, and more. Performance Optimized: Lightweight code ensures fast page loads and responsive performance. Multilingual Support: Ready for international deployment with RTL compatibility. Ideal Use Cases for ColibriSM Nulled Script Whether you're launching a niche social network or building a private platform for a school, company, or organization, ColibriSM adapts effortlessly. Here are just a few examples of its versatility: Student and Alumni Networks Business or Professional Communities Creative and Artistic Social Hubs Private Corporate Platforms Localized Community Networks Simple Installation Guide Getting started with ColibriSM  is fast and easy: Download the ColibriSM Nulled Script package from our website. Upload files to your hosting server via FTP or file manager. Set up your MySQL database and import the included SQL file. Edit the config.php file with your site settings and database credentials. Run the installation wizard and follow the on-screen prompts. Start customizing your platform to fit your brand or community. You’ll have a fully-functional social network live within minutes. FAQs About ColibriSM Nulled Script Is the ColibriSM Nulled Script safe to use? Yes, the version provided on our site is thoroughly scanned and tested to ensure it’s free from malicious code or backdoors. However, we always recommend using it on a development or test server first. Can I monetize my platform with this script? Absolutely! ColibriSM Nulled Script includes advertising modules and third-party integration options, making it easy to implement revenue streams. Does the nulled version have all premium features? Yes, this version gives you unrestricted access to every feature, including media uploads, real-time chat, dark mode, and more. Final Thoughts For those who are ready to bring their social networking idea to life, ColibriSM delivers everything you need. With its robust feature set, user-friendly interface, and complete customizability, it’s the go-to choice for developers and digital innovators. Download it today and start building your digital community. Want to enhance your platform's SEO performance? Don’t miss out on the powerful Yoast seo nulled plugin available on our site. Also, check out the avada nulled theme for a beautiful and customizable frontend experience.

[ava-reid]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been diving deep into my business operations plan lately, and it’s all starting to come together well, sort of. The next six weeks are going to be critical because we’ll be taking our service live, which is both exciting and a bit nerve wrecking!

When it comes to what I’ll actually be offering, I’ve been going back and forth on whether to focus on purchasing physical products or sticking to services only. Since this is all relates to my cleaning business, the obvious route would be service-based. However, I do want to offer some eco-friendly cleaning products for clients to purchase if they prefer that, but I’m still weighing the logistics of that.

One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot is whether or not we need any specific licenses or permits. For a cleaning business, it’s pretty straightforward here in Ontario you need your business registration and liability insurance (a must in this line of work). If we expand into selling products, I may need to look into other certifications, especially if we’re going eco-friendly, but for now, I think we’re in the clear.

Overall, I feel like I have a pretty clear vision of what’s needed to launch this cleaning business. Besides the products, I’ll need basic things like uniforms, cleaning equipment, and marketing materials. A decent website with booking functionality is non-negotiable these days, so I’m working on getting that set up ASAP. Social media, of course, will play a huge role too, and I plan to document the behind-the-scenes process to build trust and excitement before the official launch.

As for the actual tools I need, I’m looking at:

• Website with online booking: Squarespace or Wix seem like easy options that don’t require much coding knowledge.

• Social Media Management: Probably going to start with Instagram and TikTok because the content for a cleaning business can be super visual and satisfying to watch.

• Marketing: Canva for creating content, paired with a few ads to get our name out there.

It’s all about creating a seamless experience for customers from booking to the actual cleaning. The goal is to make it as stress-free as possible for them.

Now, it’s just a matter of pulling the trigger and making these things happen. It feels like a lot, but breaking it down step-by-step has really helped. The next six weeks are going to fly by, but I’m ready to see where this goes!

If anyone’s been through this process before, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Drop me a comment or message me. I could definitely use some advice on marketing or sourcing products.

Until next time! ✌️