#Quick view functionality benefits

[blogborsa]

CREVH - GOLD

QuickBooks is a renowned accounting software that offers a seamless solution for small businesses to manage their financial tasks efficiently. With features designed to streamline accounting processes, QuickBooks simplifies tasks such as tracking receipts, income, bank transactions, and more. This software is available in both online and desktop versions, catering to the diverse needs of businesses of all sizes. QuickBooks Online, for instance, allows users to easily track mileage, expenses, payroll, send invoices, and receive payments online, making it a comprehensive tool for financial management. Moreover, QuickBooks Desktop provides accountants with exclusive features to save time and enhance productivity. Whether it's managing income and expenses, staying tax-ready, invoicing, paying bills, managing inventory, or running reports, QuickBooks offers a range of functionalities to support businesses in their accounting needs.

Utilizing qb accounting software purposes comes with a myriad of benefits that can significantly enhance business operations. Some key advantages of using QuickBooks include:

- Efficient tracking of income and expenses

- Simplified tax preparation and compliance

- Streamlined invoicing and payment processes

- Effective management of inventory

- Generation of insightful financial reports

- Integration with payroll and HR functions

These benefits not only save time and effort but also contribute to better financial decision-making and overall business growth. QuickBooks is designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses, offering tailored solutions for various industries and sizes.

When considering accounting qb software options, QuickBooks stands out as a versatile and comprehensive choice. To provide a holistic view, let's compare QuickBooks with two other popular accounting software options - Xero and FreshBooks. quick book accounting package and offers robust features for small businesses, including advanced accounting capabilities, invoicing, payment processing, and payroll management. Xero, on the other hand, is known for its user-friendly interface and strong collaboration features, making it a popular choice among startups and small businesses. FreshBooks excels in invoicing and time tracking functionalities, catering to freelancers and service-based businesses. By evaluating the features, pricing, and user experience of these accounting software options, businesses can make an informed decision based on their specific needs and preferences.

[klonoa-at-blog]

In-depth: What is a Moo?

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Moo? Perhaps what they enjoy eating? Today, we're going to give you a close up into the lives of those Phantom Beasts we call Moo.

First, let's examine this simple illustration of each function of a Moo.

Wiggly Wobblers: These allow a Moo to hear if danger approaches. As they walk, they wiggle. If stationary, you may even see them twitch in response to sounds.

Saucers: These let them see far ahead, depending on the conditions. It also has no problem seeing in the dark.

Borbs: These let them grasp objects such as shields and lances, due to help from their Pokey Jabbers. Both borbs have a small pink pad.

Pokey Jabbers: If they are unarmed, these will suffice as defense. They appear to extend outwards at times for extra sharpness.

Flippity Flops: These let them maneuver many types of terrain such as snow and staircases. As the name suggests, they are very bendable.

Moouth: This allows them to communicate with other Moo and also eat. Communication consists of the word "Moo" but with differences in inflection to indicate mood or intent.

What do Moo eat? It hasn't been observed in action, but they appear to enjoy ingesting colorful shards known as Dream Stones. These "pieces of dreams" seem to make them larger and more imposing if a certain amount is eaten. Do they find them delicious or just enjoy the benefits they provide? We are still unclear with their diet, as it is only after their demise we've been able to see these gems spill forth.

How does a Moo live? With a quick glance, one might assume they lead simple lives. But, surprisingly, most do not. Some Moo have been observed taking leadership roles, following trends, or devoting themselves to assisting in crime and world domination plots.

Pictured: Group of Moo adopting volleyballs as one of their own (left), Moo spotted assisting with a counterfeit money scheme (right).

Where do Moo live? It is sometimes unclear, as they don't seem to settle anywhere for too long, but often appear wherever there is conflict, chaos, or competition. If one is able, they can even utilize special portals to get from one place to another. These elusive tornado-like apparitions appear and disappear so quickly, nobody has been able to study them properly. It does seem to be a unique characteristic of all Phantom Beasts though. This will require much more research in the future.

Are all Moo evil? Moo, by default, are not evil. It is just within their nature to follow others, or wander by themselves absentmindedly. Oftentimes, they will follow a single path in life, back and forth on loop.

Who is Heart Moo? As mentioned earlier, some Moo take leadership roles. So far, we've only been able to observe this behavior with one we call Heart Moo. Why is that? Because it wears a green bandana with a heart on it. Wherever it goes, be it a volleyball competition or snowboarding, other Moo will follow. Perhaps it is viewed as a good role model for all Moo.

Pictured: The enigmatic Heart Moo, presenting it's prized volleyball to a group of Moos.

Moo are still largely a mystery, like all Phantom Beast who share the same characteristics. We hope one day we will fully understand them and their admirably simple way of life.

[prettyboykatsuki-moved]

pls read me for filth bestie: intj eldest daughter 🤓

ahhh. fellow intj. this one might be mean sorry. once again i am working on assumptions so disclaimer yadda yadda

intjs are usually known for being cold, calculated and intelligent as a result of introverted intution which is shared with your fellow NJ pairs and for the most part this stereotype is true. most intjs are gifted in early childhood and do well academically with good insight for pattern recognition. youve probably one point felt yourself to be better than your peers

the two way consequence of this being true is that you definitely have semi abysmal social skills. intj women(or just generally speaking fem presenting intjs) tend to make-up for this by capitalizing on their physical appearance in their later years if possible. intj men tend to be mildly insufferable because behaving that way is accepted as masculine and tolerable. this lack of understanding in relation to socialization comes two fold from your last function being extroverted sensing and your third function being introverted feeling.

like most introverted feelers you take things incredibly personal which wreaks havoc in your relationships. as you grow older and experience more things (and more trauma) your sense of basic sympathy allows you to overlook the things that you used to bother you day-to-day but you do have to actively realize that not everything that happens to you is a personal matter. in fact most things are not and your paranoia that they are worsens greatly under stress. a lot of shit has genuinely nothing to do with you

intjs are interesting in that they do actually get along with several types of people and tend to fall in the camp of open minded. you have a tendency to make quick judgements about people and you're rarely wrong on your first impressions but you sometimes allow them to cloud your judgement. you don't prefer leadership roles but you will handle them well when they are forced upon you which they often are as a result of you being technically competent and talented at compartmentalizing. how are u dealing with that one haunting impulsive decision you made btw

most often intjs get in relationships they can hide behind in some way. extroverts are ideal for this but it's mostly anyone who can comfortably shield them away from public scrutiny as they pressure of being around others is rather annoying to you though im sure you do fine. you've developed some specific culturally relevant social skills to keep you afloat but you need to recuperate more oftne than you care to admit.

you probably similarly had a phase of total hedonism in your late teens and young adulthood in a way that wasn't obvious to everyone else as you discovered your extroverted sensing and the concept of sensuality.

you have inadvertently developed a desire for validation of something you can't actually recognize. intjs are typically well accomplished in some aspect, but the validation you're seeking is actually entirely emotional and you will benefit a lot from realizing this. your ideal relationship is not someone who will simply shield you, but will allow you to be yourself and push you in areas you need pushing while fully understanding who you are and not who you are very good at pretending to be.

its fine to admit some parts of you are sloppy, irritable and irrational. the extremity you treat his part of yourself with is overblown in the first place and being around emotionally in tune people makes you self aware of this.

you date people you assume you'll have emotional control over and years later understand doing that is also exhausting you. the cycle will repeat until you can find someone who can view you with sincerity and all your flaws and acknowledge them without stepping on your toes about them all the type.

you can pretend that happy-go-lucky people exhaust you all you want but having at least SOME to balance you out is literally important to your nervous system. if dating a dumb himbo and the false sense of emotional security he gives you is what fixes you let it happen its fine no one else will be able to tell but them.

despite all of this, ultimately no one is harder on you than yourself which is why many people in your life forgive you for things most others would not. your expectations for your accomplishments as a result of your talents and somewhat your ambition suffocate you but your health is more important and it's fine to put those thoughts to rest eventually. not everything needs to happen at once for you

try not to let your perfectionism completely disconnect you from the one artistic hobby you have and work hard at that - it contributes more to your sanity than u will ever give it credit for and it is that deep. u can't pretend its not lol

it will be fine btw

[ghostace]

fénire lore rambles

this is for posterity not for reading u can skip this

- given to the Jedi at a very young age. Jedi named him, has no surname. no idea where he's from (more on this later)

- doesn't know his birthdate. doesn't celebrate it either. knows approximately how old he is but doesn't really think about it

- has always been unnaturally attuned to people's emotions, but the Jedi helped him to learn to control it and keep his own emotions in check. this doesn't extend to detecting lies, but he can pick up on hidden emotion

- doesn't like to lie even when it's for someone's benefit, though he sometimes has his own interpretation of what a lie is. very much "from a certain point of view"

- treats everyone as a friend first, and is quick to trust even when presented with evidence to the contrary. some might call him gullible but he always wants to believe the best of people

- the dark side gives him a tummy ache

- never took to any particular Jedi discipline. he has picked up certain skills like Jedi shadow-esque stealth, it's not to the degree or power level as in game

- primarily uses a saber pike, and trains with just a plain staff. stylistically he would train like a lot of modern wushu— specifically gunshu with a bo staff, using the force to enhance leaps and spins but otherwise very similarly. and like a lot of modern martial arts, his skills fall short in an actual combat situation

- muscular but not a bodybuilder. while he enjoys exercise and working out a great deal, his body is still soft and doesn't have that cut, overdone musculature

- tall. somewhere around 6'2 or 6'3

- his control of the force isn't particularly strong, either, struggling with nearly all basic aspects of the force so that many younglings have outpaced his control and strength

- good thing he loves children and tries to spend as much time as possible playing and teaching them. if anyone was to be a boy scout Jedi, that's fénire

- along with that, he also loves the outdoors. constantly tanned and sun freckled, he spends a lot of time swimming, surfing, hiking, camping— if it's outdoors, he wants to be doing it

- unless it's cold. he's a summer boy only

- when the jedi aren't putting up with him unofficially "training" younglings (taking them on camping trips or teaching them stick fighting) he's often assigned to quieter planets and colonies, small farms that need a pair of strong arms and a can do attitude. nominally he's assigned as protection and a mediator, but he's got a talent for soothing tensions and cheering people up

- his hair is dyed rather than sun-bleached, his natural brown in a permanent state of blonde, though the shade can vary. it also unintentionally hides his age, as he is older than his baby face implies. he's never cut his hair shorter than his chin, and usually it's near shoulder length

- he also keeps his entire body hairless except his long hair, simply due to disliking the sensation on his skin. even if he didn't he's got fairly thin and minimal natural body hair

- part of the reason he's assigned to smaller, quieter outposts is that due to his force empathy he finds crowded planets such as coruscant or nar shaddaa very overwhelming from the sheer amount of emotion he can pick up. he gets easily overwhelmed and can't function in those environments without assistance

- he also has a special interest in "plants and rocks" in his words, and it's one of the few areas he can actually bring himself to truly study— showing himself to be shockingly knowledgeable about all types of dangerous and edible plants. the rocks he just thinks are cool and collects far too many of them on his hikes

- he was never particularly book smart, struggling with anything that involves reading and memorising. he's very dyslexic, but he loves to read to kids so he struggles through it anyway and listens to audio books outside of that

- along with his reading issues, he was just never particularly good at learning to be a Jedi. he didn't take to combat or negotiations or healing or leadership or any of those things Jedi are typically known for

- loves to cook and bake. not particularly adept at it as a skill but he enjoys making food for people, and he will diligently follow a recipe to the best of his ability, and loves to learn about what foods all different species like to eat. just double check that he read the measurements correctly

- because he was raised as a Jedi and never particularly applied himself to learning practical things, he has extremely poor money sense and will lose or spend all of it unnecessarily. very easy to take advantage of in that sense

- he was never super close to mirialan culture, but he did go as far as getting the tattoos on his chin. he liked learning about it but felt no significant connection to that culture over any other. at the end of the day he thinks of himself as a Jedi first

- he met idrix, a chiss, in their youngling creche and became fast friends. both of them energetic and outdoorsy, but she took to being a Jedi a lot more than him and eventually ended up as a healer. fénire refers to her as his sister and does not explain when they are clearly not the same species

- fénire had many masters as a Padawan, many of whom (privately) gave up on him due to his wanderlust and lack of attention for actual studies. while he loves to learn new things, he doesn't have the typical discipline that Jedi require

- he was still a Padawan in his late 20s, and the Jedi council had decided to encourage him to leave the Jedi and try another path— he was considered a low risk for falling to the dark side, but he also isn't strong enough to be concerned about if he did. he'd failed his trials more times than he can remember, but never tried any less hard after each failure

- summoned to coruscant, already overwhelmed by the population and density there, he was unlucky enough to be present during the sacking. faced with the sith and knowing his own capabilities, he trusted his instincts and helped defend the younglings from the attacking force. it remains the only time he killed anyone and the memory of how terrible it felt still lingers

- given that the sudden return of the sith decimated the Jedi, and given his performance in helping other Jedi escape, the decision was made to allow him to become a knight— but keep him away from any serious responsibility by sending him to the quieter, safer planets, often places where just seeing a Jedi calms and assures people and is unlikely to have to deal with any sort of imperial or sith invasion

- which is a good thing because he barely carries his lightsaber, frequently forgetting or leaving it behind when he goes out

- his preferred style of dress is "none", though he's learned to behave himself around others— it's a casual comfortable nudism, not anything intentionally improper. he chooses soft, loose clothing in natural undyed fabrics, typically neutral browns and beiges, nearly always with his arms exposed— adjacent to Jedi fashion, even if he rarely wears robes

- he got separated from idrix when zakuul invaded and ended up following some other Jedi to join the alliance. he's not the most helpful, but he's taken it upon himself to help with any of the children on base— and defends them fiercely when odessen is atracked

- when it comes to romance and attachment, fénire is an enigma. he's at once very good at being laissez-faire and moving on from people quickly if they don't follow up with him, and also good at getting attached quickly if they do keep in contact

- extremely bisexual, and even beyond that he is open to most any kind of alien in the galaxy. not particular to just humanoids

- he's notorious for sending shirtless thirst traps to people and feels no shame even if it's been a long time. he does ask first, at least

- because the Jedi noticed his tendency to get attached quickly, that was another point of concern when he was going through his trials. because the council essentially granted him an exception, idrix is very fierce about protecting him from himself and trying to dissuade him from his attachments, even to the point of contacting and mildly threatening his potential partners. she means well— she's concerned he'll get kicked out of the order and he won't know how to survive without Jedi assistance

- lucky for fénire, she was a little late in joining the alliance, and by the time she arrived he was already dating Zahied, who was not at all put off by her threats

- they spend most of the alliance era together, and afterwards they each kind of retire together. fénire tells the new Jedi council, who are entirely clueless, that he's going to marry this guy and they just kind of nod and accept it because who even is this guy

- during their nice retirement it gets found out where fénire comes from— when czerka comes looking to claim their "property"

- turns out he was a genetic experiment, an attempt by czerka to make a living weapon and using the DNA of some of their lead scientists on the project had a mild success with fénire

- the goal was to create a force void bomb in a person— and there is a strange hole in fénire's force presence that most people miss, due to his warm nature and Jedi training. while patched over from all the years with the Jedi, the danger is still there, and in other AUs it comes to the forefront much sooner, especially when he uses the dark side

- the hole in the force is part of why he's so weak as a Jedi, since it sucks in the force, but he was entirely unaware of it or his status as an experiment for decades. the Jedi put some effort in to close and heal the force wound so that the risk to him and others is gone

- and then they get rid of that czerka operation, by whatever means necessary. in particular, they remove his "father", the primary scientist who contributed the most to fénire's genetics

- after looking into it, fénire finds out he isn't entirely mirialan— he has some zeltron and zabrak ancestry as well

- and only then can fénire and zahied truly retire, with all the mysteries solved. maybe

- and there's AUs but that's neither here nor there. don't worry about it

[fwckriley]

QUICK CHAT ABOUT COD CHARACTERS AND THEIR MBTI TYPES PT 1.

Hi!!! So, I was just scrolling through Tumblr late at night and I saw some headcanons, where the creator mentioned Ghost's MBTI. It reminded me that I had a word file saved, discussing about the characters and their MBTI. But, I haven't finished it, so I'll just ramble some of my thoughts here instead.

I want to begin with Ghost. Seriously, I genuinely want to understand why people type him as an INTJ, the guy is not a Ni dom at all. And also, let’s just exclude here any chance of him being an INTP. But, I do see Ti and Ni in his functions. In my opinion, he is an ISTP 5w6. For those unfamiliar, ISTPs have Ti (dominant), Se (auxiliary), Ni (tertiary), and Fe (inferior) in their functions.

I'll be honest, this inferior Fe makes me doubt a bit because Ghost seems much more like a Fi user. However, considering that Fe is inferior and theoretically his weakest function, it makes sense. And, to me, what makes ISTP the most obvious choice is that this man really isn't a Ni dom or a Ne aux type. But like I said, I do see some Ni in him, but very weak, which excludes the possibility of him being a Ni dom, and adds the possibility of him being a Ti dom. But, he has zero Ne, so he can’t be an INTP. Just to clear things up, I don't think analysts can't be impulsive or that sensors are dumb, not at all. But they do have some tendencies, and you can see differences in how they deal/view the world.

So, let me give an example of a character who's an analyst: Laswell. She's the embodiment of an INTJ. Price and Ghost deviate so much from her. Both of them should have both Ni auxiliary and Ni dominant, respectively. The way both of them deals with Shepherd and Graves betrayal makes it very clear how they aren't intuitive types for me. They’re incapable of seeing the other side of the situation. And I know it might sound like a crappy argument, but speaking as a Ne aux, I always open myself to possibilities even if I DISAGREE, especially if I can benefit from it. You know who else does that? Laswell. A Ni dom. It's very clear her Ni/Te, and that's why compared to Ghost, I don't understand why people type him as an INTJ. Personally, I think Ti and Ni can be easily mistaken. And for me, Ghost's Ti is pretty obvious, the way he is practical, and how he analyzes things, and his Se aux helps him to be very aware of his surroundings (of course, there are more than that in Se aux). But to me? there's nothing more Ti/Se than that. I'll just drop here two brief descriptions of Ti/Ni dom that make me pretty sure Ghost isn’t a Ni dom.

"Introverted Intuition seeks underlying patterns that can predict how events will unfold in the long term. The primary goal is to understand cause and effect accurately, enabling confidence in problem-solving and avoiding causing issues. Individuals with this dominant function tend to be 'perceptive,' often capable of 'seeing through' situations by finding the 'real importance' or 'essence' or 'root' or 'meaning' of things and understanding the fundamental factors that will influence how situations unfold, connecting past, present, and future considerations in non-linear ways. They unconsciously seek vaguely familiar patterns of contextual variables and tend to gather multiple perspectives to synthesize and visualize 'the true truth' or a better version of life. In this way, they tend to be quite certain about how they want their lives to unfold, usually aspirational in pursuing meaningful goals with focus and determination as they seek to realize their personal potential."

"Introverted Thinking seeks to discover rules or direct formulas based on facts to guide thinking and behavior towards greater consistency and coherence. People with this dominant function tend to be highly analytical, preferring to adopt positions/judgments that are as free from biases or undue influences as possible. They often enjoy building skills and accumulating technical knowledge by systematically analyzing and deconstructing ideas/situations, preventing and solving problems, and manipulating systems to fix or enhance them. In this way, they can be dispassionate and self-sufficient in approaching situations with their refined knowledge, often admired for their calm and competent approach to solve problems. However, they may also become emotionally detached from situations due to the excision of the human perspective, incorrectly assuming it is irrelevant to their analyses. When people don't know how to use Ti properly, they tend to be overly reductionist, seeing only a simple cause for a complex situation and unable to recognize the gaps/flaws in their own reasoning process, especially when trying to understand issues in relationships and social contexts."

“The reason the two get confused so often is because, one: they are both introverted functions which makes them hard to see and distinguish, and two: they are both abstract. Ni collects and stores abstract information, while Ti makes abstract connections and conclusions.”

“Ni is a 'perceiving' funtion, which is different from Ti because it does not do the 'judging' which is Ti's role. Ni in simple words is seeing and thinking about things very deeply to find connections and therefore form certain hunches or predictions. Many Ni dominants may have a conclusion which they got to, but they don't know how to explain the way they got to it. Ni uses more subconscious thinking than Ti does. Ti on the other hand analyses even more than Ni does, and sorts certain ideas, sort of like Pros and Cons, it is usually what can be the deciding factor.”

*Quick reminder: Ghost never anticipated Graves' betrayal, and didn't give any reasons that he suspected of Graves before that. He seems unfazed when the betrayal occurs, but that's because it's not something new to him.

So, while I can argue that his lack of Fe may simply be because it is an inferior function, hence less dominant and developed function (though I think he showed a lot of Fe during the whole Mexico situation) it’s hard to argue his lack of Ni because it's a DOMINANT function. And when we talk about dominant function, when is undeveloped, it doesn't indicate a lack of, but rather an unhealthy mode of acting/thinking/coping.

So, about Price... I think he's an ESTP. Stereotypically, he's not the typical ESTP. Unlike Ghost, who has a weak/undeveloped inferior Fe, I think Price has his inferior Ni very well developed, and that's why I think the fact that he is an ESTP is not so noticeable. Just as I compared Ghost to a character who shared the same MBTI type that was attributed to him, I will now compare Price to Makarov. In my opinion, Makarov in this game is a good example of an ENTJ. If you compare the characters and the way they behave, you’ll see that Price has a liiittle more difficulty seeing beyond the obvious, and for me, if he had Ni aux as many point out, he would have anticipated many of Makarov's actions. And I go further, I also believe he would never have let Makarov live back in 2019, recognizing the threat that Makarov was, if he were and ENTJ. Because ENTJs tend to thinking ahead, if they have a problem they’ll think in a way to solve pragmatically, effectively and definitively for once and all. Also, Price is highly reluctant to work with Shepherd, showing a lack of Te/Ni, working with his enemies to achieve his goals is not his first thought (but it’s Laswell “first” thought, a Ni dom). It's not about trust, but personal/team/world gain. Again, he’s incapable of seeing the big picture. And, of course, he has a significant amount of Fe, the way he is a great leader, communicates effectively with people around him, and bond with his team proves that.

I think all the quotes I put up above really show how neither Price nor Ghost use Ni in their first two stacks. But both of them use Ti. There's this stereotype that sensors aren't that smart, so when you've got two characters who should be the best of the soldiers, really smart and skilled, people tend link them with the “best MBTI types” and type them as Ni users (completely bullshit, they just do this because they don’t know how functions work). And again, when you compared them with two Ni users (Laswell and Makarov) you can see how different they are.

I'm gonna do a part two and post it later because I wanna talk about Gaz and Soap too (and some other characters, but the two of them are my main goal now), but I think this one ended up slightly longer than I planned.

[techflye4]

How can AI tools change the way the church functions?

Have you wondered if churches could use AI to improve their function? Churches traditionally offer Sunday masses and prayer sessions in their prayer halls, but recently, that has changed. Churches have become digital, and services are getting live-streamed. AI has revolutionized the church by providing them a mode to connect with the congregation members and bring in new members.

AI is helping the church to create new strategies, find creative ways to reach the community, and foster growth. Although AI cannot replace human warmth and passion, it has shown the potential to be a powerful tool to manage and optimize various administrative works.

The AI church platform offers various tools to help your church communicate and post updates of upcoming events and announcements both internally and externally. Let’s discuss some tools that churches can use.

AI-powered tools and their function:

AI chat:

It is a tool that is designed to enhance the way church members and staff interact with each other. AI chat is designed to be user-friendly and can communicate documents such as event notifications, policy manuals, minutes of meetings, etc. It facilitates quick, short communication between users. Key features of an AI file chat are:

Content rewriting and enhancement features

Effortless uploads and Editing features

Secure document handling

Worship planner:

This includes tools that can help your church plan things for events such as a Sunday mass by planning worship songs, managing sermons, and selecting scripture and other church announcements. Key features of the tools are

Capacity to sync with devices during live performance

Instantly upload and manage song

Seamlessly planning among the members.

AI brand voice:

Creating a brand voice will allow you to set a distinct benchmark for your church. It allows your church to align its messages to different target audiences for maximum resonance. You can also easily modify the voice or change the language to match the content and audience. Key features include:

Multiple brand profiles suit the needs of the audience.

User-friendly customization

Database management:

A church is made up of its community, and those are the people who visit to volunteer, worship, and donate. Having a record and contact information of the people who contribute to the service can greatly benefit the community when in need.

Advertising and social media management:

Using a social media platform to communicate your services and promote your church can be an efficient way to bring in new people and network with outside communities. Using an AI tool to post on multiple platforms and manage interactions can give a big boost to your church. It allows

Allows you to easily manage multiple social media platforms

Instant posting across multiple platforms.

Conclusion

Earlier, a pastor or church leader had to perform all the works of the ministry by themselves, giving them limited time to devote their efforts to creating stronger connections in the community. With new AI tools, the church has the opportunity to automate most of the routine work to engage with the congregants on a deeper level.

By introducing AI church solutions, the experience of churchgoers can be significantly enhanced. An online church presence can allow members to view announcements, programs, prayer, and worship sessions apart from church timings. If you want to learn about the different AI services available to your church, you may visit the AI Church Assistant.

For more details visit our website https://www.aichurchassistant.com/ 

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Given humanity's current understanding of quantum mechanics, how long does Gallifrey think it would take for humanity to build a somewhat functional TARDIS? (or, given humanity's current level of technological advancement, how long would it take for humanity to reach a similar level to Gallifrey in its prime in terms of technological advancement?)

How long until the Earth might reach the technological age of Gallifrey?

🌌 Quantum Mechanics

From Gallifrey's view, humanity's current grasp of quantum mechanics is like an infant taking its first doddery steps. Quantum understanding lays the groundwork for manipulating reality's very fabric, a cornerstone in TARDIS technology, but Earth is only scratching the surface of quantum theory, technology, and ethical application.

🛠️ Journey to a TARDIS

Creating a device like a TARDIS needs leaps in science and philosophy far beyond Earth's present capabilities. Gallifrey took around 10.5 million years to get from the first Gallifreyan to a functioning TARDIS.

Here's a checklist for Earth to work its way down:

Quantum Mastery and Unification: It'll take a few centuries to harmonise quantum mechanics with general relativity, laying down the theoretical framework for higher-dimensional manipulation.

Manipulating Space-Time: Several thousand years might pass before Earth can develop technologies capable of significant space-time manipulation, like traversable wormholes or warp drives.

Find a Power Source: This technology requires near-infinite energy sources that run on zero-point energy. Seeing as Earth is still breaking apart rocks and arguing about the liquid that comes out, this is a while away yet.

Understanding and Accessing Higher Dimensions: Transitioning from three-dimensional beings to entities that can perceive and interact with additional dimensions, including time, need evolutionary changes in humans or advanced cybernetic augmentation that could take hundreds of years to develop.

Consciousness-Technology Symbiosis: Achieving a symbiotic relationship between consciousness and machines, essential for TARDIS-like functionality, needs advancements in neuroscience, AI, and materials science.

You've Got Time Travel: Once all this has been achieved, you have time travel. But, I don't think it was mentioned how many more years it might take to use it responsibly. After all, could you really imagine the power of time travel solely in the hands of the elite? ...

... Oh, wait a minute.

Related:

💬|🧑👽Could a human become a Time Lord?: Quick look at how a human could become a Time Lord.

🤔|🧑👽What happens when a human spends a lot of time with a Time Lord?

💬|🧑⚡How does artron energy exposure affect humans?: Dangers and benefits of artron exposure for humans.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features:⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[ciaossu-imagines]

For Day 17, I used number 30 from prompt 7 for V from Mystic Messenger. It’s no secret how much I adore writing for this man, and I hope you all enjoy the smattering of little headcanons that I add to this fandom for him 😊

How long does it typically take the character to wake up in the morning? Can they make it by without coffee or do they need caffeine?

V is actually one of those semi-annoying people who can make do with less sleep than most would need. He needs about four to six hours to function right, and anything extra just nourishes his body better.

If he’s running on less than the extra sleep, on just what is needed, he wakes up pretty wide-awake right away. He’s not exactly hopping out of bed with a smile on his face, eager to get started, but he wakes up and is wide-awake.

If he’s running on more than six hours of sleep and has had a restful sleep, then he is semi-annoying in that he’ll wake up ‘bright-eyed and busy tailed’, to use that old saying. He’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day and everything that it brings to him in those situations and will be up and out of bed quick.

Even running on less sleep, V isn’t someone who hangs around in his bed after he wakes up for too long. He’s pretty quick to sit up. If he’s sleeping beside someone he loves, he might sit in bed and appreciate the beauty of them sleeping next to him for a couple moments, but he doesn’t linger too much. He’s up and out of bed within a few minutes of waking up.

While he can make it through, as far as wakefulness goes, without the added benefit of coffee or caffeinated tea, it’s not something he prefers to do. He genuinely enjoys the taste of good coffee and has been a big tea drinker for most of his life and because of that, he’s become quite used to getting at least some caffeine every day. He finds that if he goes without caffeine at all throughout the day, he feels a little headachy and he doesn’t enjoy the feeling of that.

I think part of his morning routine is to just relax and start his day properly with a cup of coffee or tea, depending on his mood and preferences that particular day. He looks out on the view from his apartment, savors the hot beverage and his breakfast, and mentally goes through everything he needs to do for the day and it’s just something that he feels really gets his day off to the right kind of start.

[safesaustralia7]

Affordable Small Safes That Don’t Compromise on Protection

In today’s world, safeguarding your valuables is not just a luxury but a necessity. Whether it’s important documents, cash, jewellery, or sentimental items, a reliable safe ensures these treasures remain secure. However, many people believe that quality safes come with a hefty price tag. The good news is that affordable small safes can provide robust security without draining your wallet. Let’s explore why these compact safes are an excellent investment and how they deliver top-notch protection.

The Importance of a Secure Small Safe

When it comes to protecting your assets, size does not always equate to security. Small safes are designed to provide a compact yet secure solution for safeguarding personal items. These safes are particularly useful for individuals living in apartments, dormitories, or small homes where space is limited. Additionally, their portability makes them an excellent choice for those who frequently travel or need to store valuables temporarily.

Despite their smaller size, modern safes are engineered with advanced security features that rival larger, more expensive models. This makes them an ideal choice for anyone looking to balance affordability with effectiveness.

Key Features of Affordable Small Safes

Affordable small safes may come at a lower price point, but they do not skimp on essential security features. Here are some critical attributes that make them a worthy investment:

1. Sturdy Construction: The best small safes are made from high-quality materials like reinforced steel. This provides a robust barrier against physical attacks such as prying, drilling, or hammering. The durable build ensures that even the most determined thief will have difficulty accessing the contents.

2. Reliable Locking Mechanisms: A safe is only as secure as its locking system. Affordable small safes often feature electronic keypads, biometric locks, or traditional key locks. While each mechanism offers varying levels of convenience, all are designed to prevent unauthorised access.

3. Fire and Water Resistance: Some small safes are equipped with fire-resistant linings and waterproof seals to protect contents from natural disasters. While not all budget-friendly safes offer these features, many do, providing an additional layer of security for your valuables.

4. Compact and Discreet Design: Small safes are designed to be easily concealed. Whether you choose to store yours in a closet, under a bed, or in a drawer, their discreet size ensures your valuables are hidden from view.

Benefits of Investing in a Small Safe

Affordable small safes offer a host of benefits that extend beyond their primary function of protection. Here’s why they are an essential addition to any home or office:

1. Peace of Mind: Knowing that your valuables are securely stored can significantly reduce stress, especially when you’re away from home. Whether it’s important documents or heirlooms, a safe ensures that your items are always protected.

2. Cost-Effectiveness: Investing in an affordable small safe is a cost-effective solution for securing your possessions. The price of a safe is often minimal compared to the potential loss of irreplaceable items.

3. Easy Accessibility: Small safes provide quick access to your valuables when needed. Unlike safety deposit boxes at banks, which require a visit during business hours, your personal safe is always within reach.

4. Versatility: These safes are not limited to just home use. They are also ideal for businesses to store petty cash, passports, or other sensitive documents. Their portability means they can be easily relocated as required.

How to Choose the Right Small Safe

Selecting the perfect small safe involves considering your specific needs and preferences. Here are some tips to guide your decision:

1. Assess Your Storage Needs: Think about the types of items you intend to store. If you’re safeguarding documents, ensure the safe has sufficient internal space and compartments. For valuables like jewellery or electronics, opt for a model with padded interiors to prevent damage.

2. Consider Security Features: Evaluate the locking mechanism and resistance features. If fire or water protection is crucial, look for safes with certified ratings. This ensures that your belongings remain intact even during emergencies.

3. Look for Portability Options: If you plan to move the safe frequently, choose a lightweight model with handles or grips. However, ensure that portability does not compromise the safe’s durability or security.

4. Set a Budget: Affordable safes come in various price ranges. Determine your budget beforehand and compare models within your range. Remember, a slightly higher investment in a well-reviewed safe can offer long-term security benefits.

Conclusion

Affordable small safes prove that you don’t have to spend a fortune to secure your valuables. These compact yet powerful safes offer robust protection against theft, fire, and water damage. By investing in a high-quality small safe, you gain peace of mind knowing your most cherished items are safe from harm. Whether you’re safeguarding sentimental keepsakes or crucial documents, a reliable small safe is an indispensable tool for modern security needs.

[mizukidevlog]

Devlog 24

A bunch of hard work really paid off this week! I got 'pausing' to work properly in my game. It really surprised me at just how complicated a simple game function could be. Of course, some of that difficulty would have existed if it was one of the first things I worked on.

There are two kinds of pausing. The first is your standard pause, pausing the game to leave the stage. view stage info, etc.. The second kind is a 'quick pause' that enables the player to switch between attacks mid-combat. Both are showcased below:

Having to use 5+ buttons to use different attacks or even using a single button to cycle through attack options felt too slow and tedious/ That's why I implemented a system that allows the player to change attacks on the fly. I felt like the benefits to having a quick and easy-to-use attack switching system outweighed any drawbacks to allowing the player to essentially FREEZE TIME whenever they wanted. Is freezing time on a whim too much power? You tell me, I'm not sure and could definitely use the feedback!

Fun fact: Despite the player needing to click on both pause menus, both are built entirely out of sprites with a single controller object! No extra buttons or instances needed!

Who said pausing time isn't fun?

'Till next week, stay safe!

[rohitrana9696]

Emaar Amaris Sector 62 Gurgaon: The Ultimate Luxury Living Experience

In the heart of Gurgaon, where luxury living meets convenience, Emaar Amaris Sector 62 emerges as one of the most sought-after residential projects.

With its strategic location on the prestigious Golf Course Extension Road and world-class amenities, Emaar Amaris is a perfect blend of modern design, comfort, and elegance.

If you're looking for a home that combines luxury with functionality, Emaar Amaris is the ideal choice.

Whether you're a homebuyer looking for a dream residence or an investor eyeing long-term returns, this project offers everything you need to live life at its best.

Why Choose Emaar Amaris Sector 62?

1. Prime Location with Unmatched Connectivity

Emaar Amaris is located in Sector 62, one of the most coveted localities in Gurgaon.

The project offers excellent connectivity to key commercial, corporate, and retail hubs such as Cyber Hub, MG Road, and Sector 44.

Residents can easily access the Rapid Metro, IGI Airport, and Galleria Market, all of which are just minutes away. Furthermore, Sector 62 is home to renowned schools like Scottish High International School, DPS, and Amity International School, as well as top healthcare facilities such as Medanta and Max Healthcare.

Whether you're commuting for work, education, or leisure, the connectivity around Emaar Amaris is seamless, making it the ideal home for urban professionals and families alike.

2. Luxurious Apartments Designed for Comfort and Style

Emaar Amaris offers ultra-luxurious 3BHK and 4BHK apartments ranging from 2200 sq. ft. to 3100 sq. ft.

These apartments are designed with modern aesthetics and practical living spaces, ensuring ample natural light, excellent ventilation, and privacy.

Each apartment comes with smart home automation, allowing you to control lighting, temperature, and home appliances at the touch of a button or through voice commands.

The integration of cutting-edge technology enhances convenience and creates an exceptional living experience.

3. World-Class Amenities for a Premium Lifestyle

What sets Emaar Amaris apart is its state-of-the-art amenities. This project offers everything you need to live a life of luxury and comfort:

Smart Home Automation: Control lighting, air conditioning, and appliances with voice commands or through a mobile app.

Infinity-Edge Swimming Pool: Enjoy panoramic views of the Aravalli Hills while you relax by the pool.

Fully-Equipped Gymnasium: Stay fit with access to a high-tech gym that meets all your wellness needs.

Grand Clubhouse: A luxurious space to unwind, socialize, and indulge in leisure activities.

Modular Kitchen: Designed for both style and functionality, the modular kitchen is ideal for those who love to cook.

Sports Facilities: The development includes tennis courts, a multi-purpose court, and other recreational spaces to keep you active.

VRV/VRF Air Conditioning: Enjoy the comfort of a climate control system that ensures energy efficiency and year-round comfort.

4. Proximity to Major Corporate Hubs

Emaar Amaris Sector 62 is surrounded by top corporate offices, making it an ideal location for professionals working in the tech and business sectors.

Leading brands like Zomato, Huawei, Dell, and Samsung are located nearby, making your daily commute quick and hassle-free.

Whether you're working from home or commuting to your office, the project’s proximity to corporate hubs is a significant benefit for residents.

5. Surrounded by Other High-End Residential Projects

Emaar Amaris is located in an area surrounded by other luxury developments, further elevating the stature of the project.

Neighboring projects like Mahindra Luminare, 4S Aurrum, and Silverglades Legacy 63A make this location a desirable address for high-end living.

The presence of upscale neighbors adds to the overall exclusivity of the area, making Emaar Amaris an even more attractive investment.

6. Ideal for Investment

Investing in Emaar Amaris offers not just a luxurious lifestyle but also strong potential for capital appreciation. With Gurgaon’s real estate market showing consistent growth, particularly in prime locations like Sector 62, your investment in Emaar Amaris is likely to yield impressive returns.

Whether you're purchasing for personal use or as a rental property, Emaar Amaris provides long-term value, making it a secure and profitable investment.

7. Breathtaking Views of Aravalli Hills

One of the standout features of Emaar Amaris is its stunning views of the Aravalli Hills.

Imagine waking up every morning to lush greenery and picturesque landscapes, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

The panoramic views enhance the appeal of these apartments and make them a perfect retreat after a busy day in the city.

Conclusion: The Epitome of Luxury Living in Gurgaon

Emaar Amaris Sector 62 Gurgaon is the epitome of luxury living, offering spacious apartments, cutting-edge technology, and world-class amenities.

With its prime location, excellent connectivity, and proximity to top corporates, this project offers the best of both worlds: a sophisticated lifestyle and convenience.

Whether you're looking to buy your dream home or invest in a lucrative property, Emaar Amaris is the perfect choice for those seeking an upgraded lifestyle in one of Gurgaon’s most prestigious neighborhoods.

[ramya7]

Top Apps for Task Management and Organization: Featuring Troop Messenger's Kanban Boards

In our fast-paced world, balancing work and personal tasks can be challenging. To stay organized and efficient, many people rely on digital tools to simplify task management. From to-do lists to powerful Kanban boards, these apps can help transform the way you manage your daily responsibilities. One standout platform, Troop Messenger, not only excels in communication but also offers quality services for task management, making it an essential tool for individuals and teams. Let’s explore some of the best free to-do list apps and highlight the benefits of Troop Messenger’s features.

 Discover 6 Free ToDo Apps with Kanban Boards

When looking for the best app for to-do list management, you want something versatile, intuitive, and packed with features to simplify your life. Whether you prefer a simple to-do list app or a more robust task manager with Kanban boards, these free apps will make your daily organization a breeze. Here are the top options:

 1. Todoist

Todoist has long been recognized as one of the best to-do list apps available. With its clean interface and powerful task management features, Todoist is a favorite among productivity enthusiasts. It supports task scheduling, recurring reminders, and project organization.

Key Features:

- Easy-to-use to-do list app for personal and professional tasks

- Supports natural language input, making task creation quick and easy

- Integrations with other apps to streamline workflows

 2. Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is a simple yet effective to-do list app. It provides smart suggestions, customizable task lists, and the ability to set reminders and due dates. It’s a free to-do app that syncs across all devices, ensuring you stay on top of tasks wherever you are.

Benefits:

- Seamless integration with Microsoft Office tools

- Easy categorization of tasks for better task management

- Ideal for both work and personal to-do lists

 3. Trello

Trello stands out as one of the best apps for to-do list and project management, using Kanban boards to organize tasks visually. Each board can be customized with labels, due dates, and checklists, making it easy to track the progress of individual or team projects.

Trello Features:

- Drag-and-drop functionality for effortless task management

- Collaboration features for teams

- Integration with various productivity tools for seamless workflows

 4. Asana

Asana is a top-rated to-do list app with features designed for both simple task tracking and complex project management. It offers Kanban boards, timeline views, and task dependencies, making it one of the best apps for work and life organization.

Highlights:

- Customizable project views and detailed task management options

- Task manager capabilities that support individual and team needs

- User-friendly interface that adapts to various project sizes

 5. ClickUp

ClickUp is a feature-rich task management app that provides to-do lists, Kanban boards, and advanced project management tools. It’s suitable for personal use and professional teams, making it one of the best free to-do list apps available.

What Makes ClickUp Great:

- Extensive customization options for managing to-do lists and tasks

- Goal-setting and time-tracking features to boost productivity

- Free version packed with functionality

 6. Troop Messenger’s Kanban Boards

Troop Messenger is a powerful communication and task management tool that provides quality services for teams. Beyond its stellar messaging and collaboration features, Troop Messenger offers Kanban boards that simplify task management. This makes it a unique, all-in-one solution for teams that need to stay connected and organized.

Troop Messenger Quality Services:

- Kanban Boards: Troop Messenger’s Kanban boards are easy to use and perfect for managing tasks and projects. They allow users to visualize progress and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

- Robust Communication Tools: Beyond task management, Troop Messenger excels in providing a secure and efficient communication platform. This includes features like file sharing, group chats, and video conferencing.

- Data Security: With Troop Messenger, you get top-level security, making it a reliable platform for sensitive work communications and task management.

 Why Use Kanban Boards for Task Management?

Kanban boards are a game changer for task management. They help visualize work, manage to-do lists, and ensure every task is accounted for. Whether you’re managing a large project or simple daily to-do items, Kanban boards help maintain clarity and focus.

 Conclusion

Choosing the best app for to-do management can revolutionize your productivity. From the simplicity of Microsoft To Do to the powerful Kanban boards in Troop Messenger, there’s something for everyone. If you’re seeking an all-in-one communication and task management solution, Troop Messenger is worth exploring. It combines secure communication, efficient collaboration, and intuitive task management, making it a top-rated to-do list app for teams and individuals.

No matter your task management style, these apps offer the tools you need to stay organized and productive. Start exploring these options today to find the best free to-do list app that suits your needs and experience the transformative power of efficient task management!

[amarsikkha]

Best free dating websites in the world

1. OkCupid

OkCupid is known for its detailed questionnaires that help users find matches based on compatibility. When you create a profile, you'll answer a variety of questions ranging from personal interests to political views. This extensive information allows the algorithm to suggest potential matches that align with your values and preferences.

One of the standout features of OkCupid is the ability to see the percentage of compatibility with other users based on shared answers. This can provide a deeper understanding of potential matches before initiating contact. The platform also allows for extensive profile customization, enabling users to express their personalities through prompts and photos.

Benefits:

Comprehensive matching algorithm.

Free messaging options.

A diverse user base catering to various relationship types.

2. Plenty of Fish (POF)

Plenty of Fish, or POF, has been around for a long time and boasts millions of active users. The site features a straightforward layout, making it easy to create a profile and start searching for matches. POF offers a variety of communication tools, including messaging and “Meet Me,” a feature that allows users to swipe through potential matches.

POF also provides personality tests and match percentages to help users find compatible partners. While the site offers premium features, the basic functionality, including messaging, is completely free.

Benefits:

Large user base increases your chances of finding a match.

Variety of communication options.

Personality tests enhance compatibility.

3. Tinder

Tinder is widely recognized for its swipe-right-to-like and swipe-left-to-pass format, making it one of the most popular dating apps globally. Initially focused on casual dating, many users have found meaningful relationships through the platform.

Creating a profile is simple, as you can connect your Tinder account to your Instagram or Spotify, allowing potential matches to see your interests and photos. While the basic version is free, Tinder also offers premium features like “Tinder Boost” and “Super Likes” for those seeking enhanced visibility.

Benefits:

User-friendly and quick matching process.

Large and active user base.

Ideal for both casual and serious relationships.

[187days]

Day Five

It's the first day of school!!!!!

It was a really good one, too.

I had a feeling it would be because I was excited last night- like, can't sleep because Santa is coming excited- and I hadn't felt that way since before Covid. I never stopped loving teaching, but it's been really hard these past couple years. It still is, in some ways (like the teacher shortage), but a lot of the pandemic trauma has faded. And I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. A lot of my colleagues said it, too, and so did The Principal. There's a real upbeat vibe.

This is what my schedule looks like:

Prep, 80 minutes

Advisory/Flex, 10 students, 45 minutes

Global Studies, 19 students, 54 minutes

Global Studies, 17 students, 54 minutes

Global Studies, 16 students, 54 minutes

Lunch, 25 minutes

APGOV, 18 students, 80 minutes

Because it was the first day, we swapped Advisory and Block One so it functioned as a homeroom. My advisees are sophomores now- it's the same students I had last year, plus one who moved here from out of state- so we didn't have a ton of stuff to go over. I gave them the basic back-to-school paperwork, their schedules, and their chromebooks. Then we played a little trivia game (questions about the school) for the remainder of the time. The teams ended up tying, so everyone got a little prize, which was fun.

After that, I had time to do seating charts for my Global Studies sections, make photocopies for the students who were added to my APGOV roster, chat with The Principal, exchange "good luck" emails with Mrs. T, and take a walk through the halls.

Then it was rapid-fire Global Studies time! I always start by asking my students to introduce themselves and tell me something they're interested in so that I can have a quick conversation. Like, if they say they like music, I'll ask who their favorite band or singer is, or if they mention playing a sport I'll ask what position they play. Then I say "nice to meet you," and sometimes they say it back. It's a positive way to begin.

After introductions, I had them look around the room and find the useful stuff- trash can, spare pencils, art supplies- and went over the course guide. Once I outlined my expectations for them, I had them write me a note or an email (that I responded to after classes ended this afternoon) to tell me about their expectations for me as their teacher. And we wrapped up class with a little brainstorm about aspects of culture to get them ready for the first unit.

In APGOV, we chatted about why they chose to take the course, the benefits and challenges of an AP course, what my goals in teaching this specific course are, and so on. Then I had them take Pew's Political Typology Quiz and email me their results- tells me what my class looks like, ideologically- and I shared mine, as well. We discussed the various things that shaped our views (for them: the pandemic, inflation, social media, parents and peers, NHPR, rapid changes in this part of the state, the 2016 and 2020 elections...). It's a good way to start, and longtime readers will know it's one I use year after year.

We had enough time afterwards to start talking about history, and about the things that shaped our founders' views. They did a great job recalling what they learned in APUSH and American Studies, so that was cool. That's good prep for next class when we'll dive into the Declaration of Independence.

After the bell, I got a bunch of stuff set for tomorrow, answered emails, and went down to see how Ms. B's first day had gone (I saw Mr. X throughout the day since he's right across the hall). We chatted for a bit, I gave her some advice on a lesson she's planning in the future, and then I headed home. Actually, I headed to the grocery store because teaching is hungry work, but you get the idea.

That's my twentieth first day with students, all done!

[northwest-cryptid]

Curious about the VRChat equality thing

Oh boy time to get into weird shit about how capitalism infects the brain through being able to benefit from it and how despite the stigma, even pirates and communists believe people deserve fair compensation for goods and labor but what is fair is an often debated topic.

So this is going to be a really long post if I'm actually being entirely honest, and as such I will give you a tl;dr up front, however I will say that if all you read is the tl;dr you're going to maybe understand about 15% of the overall situation on this and that's merely because there's no way to explain everything without giving a ton of context and information first and then going into dumb details about it all.

TL;DR essentially people took a model of a communist utopia, learned they could profit from it; and then capitalism took hold and is now destroying not only an entire application through basically micro dosing on micro-transactions, but also through creating extremely hefty barriers of entry to an already expensive hobby that once existed in a way that equalized people.

Now to actually get into the meat and potatoes of what I'm actually talking about here. If you've followed me for any amount of time you likely know the drill by now, I'm putting a "Keep Reading" here to save everyone's dashboards in case you don't already use the feature that automatically scrunches long posts since this is likely going to be pretty hefty as I'm fairly passionate about it and have a lot to say.

I ask that if you've made it this far, and actually clicked the keep reading button; that you stick with me and don't go skipping all over the place. I say this because I'm going to start off pretty boring and seemingly off topic but I promise this is all important for understanding my views on this topic; if you don't agree with me that's totally fine but I ask that you at least try to understand how I'm looking at this from my specific viewpoint.

Point 1 - We are all equal in the eyes of the Internet.

The internet, yea? It's kind of weird to talk about the internet because different people will see it as a different thing. Some of us may see it as nothing more than a collection of data that can be updated, called, and sent between a shared network all over the world. That alone is pretty cool, but others of us may see it as a visible extension of cyberspace. I'm somewhere in the middle myself, I feel as though people ask too much of cyberspace. While I won't get into it here, I have a lot of thoughts on the topic of things like "phantom sense" as VR becomes more of an accessible thing for people, I've found that specific subcultures begin to pop-up, and among them there are people who desperately want Virtual Reality to simply drop the "virtual" and become akin to meatspace.

Now if you're asking me, I personally think that much of the appeal of cyberspace comes specifically from the "cyber" part. Virtual Reality is inherently Virtual and there's nothing actually lesser or wrong about that. People gauge much of Virtual Reality AGAINST Physical Reality, which is dumb. They're both their own reality, why do we want them to be functionally identical, we could make use of so much of what Virtual Reality has to offer if we embrace that it's Virtual. Let's take a quick moment and think about that, what does it mean to be Virtual? To exist within a digital realm?

Well here's a thought experiment for you, let's say I take you and 9 other willing participants and put you all inside different rooms. In these rooms you have nothing but a computer and a desk. On that computer you can access a virtual chat room, there are no profiles, no images or avatars; you merely choose a name to represent yourself and are dropped into a chatroom with 9 other people.

How old are the other participants? Are they around your age group? Are you even aware of their age? Does it matter to you? Did it matter before I asked?

Following this line of thinking, let's look at some other features, are they all the same gender, or different genders? How tall are they? Do they come from a wealthy family? Do they have a job? Are they perhaps disabled at all, in any way? Do they make a lot of money if they do have a job?

I do ask these questions genuinely, so to make this little thought experiment easier to manage let's have you think of this; narrow the number from 10 participants to just 3, you're 1 of them so there are two other people here with you. You cannot physically see them, and everything from their usernames to their appearance is up to your personal interpretation. So I ask you to look over those questions and give them even a baseline answer, it doesn't need to be elaborate; you don't need to give it a lot of thought. You're not making a D&D character with a lengthy backstory. For anyone who said "I'm not doing that" I'll do it as well right here for you, you can ignore this if you wish to do this yourself; I do believe it's important to making my own.

The first other participant other than myself will be an older woman in her late 50s who works as a butcher, she lives a fairly average life; she has a roommate to help pay the bills as she is lower middle class. Even living in a fairly average home, renting no less; she has to save up for any purchases that aren't absolutely necessary for survival.

The other individual I am in this chatroom with is a younger nonbinary individual who claims to be 23, they don't currently have a job as they're studying and attending law school. They come from a wealthy family and while not rich; do enjoy a life as an upper middle class household. Despite their hefty schooling costs they're never short on money to pay for things they want.

Alright cool, now I know who I'm here with; and you know who you're here with, so here's the most important question to ask.

...Does any of that really matter here?

This isn't a deep philosophical conversation, it's a very simple question. Let me elaborate.

Does age define knowledge? Not really, it can help understand something better if you've spent a lot of time with a specific field of study, and yes our brains pick up knowledge better at certain age ranges, but overall it has no real merit over how well we can navigate something. If a 50 year old and a 20 year old are both passionate about learning how to model an avatar, script a code; or exist within a VR space they'll both be able to do so roughly just as well as the other. Sure we're all human and have our own quirks we work through, someone might pick up something far easier than someone else. However the capability to learn is always there.

Does money carry any weight in a digital world? Well, here in this chatroom no. It really doesn't. There's no pay to win system in a social setting like this. Having $1 to my name, or a million doesn't make a difference. I'm not able to see what computers everyone else has, perhaps someone has a really fancy, fast, nice computer; while I'm working with something a little more "run of the mill" but at the end of the day they both access the same internet data.

Things like money, age, physical ability, even social or economic standing; they have no real sway over the virtual. Not unless you account for third party outside influences.

Point 2 - But you know what I like more than materialistic things? Knowledge.

So now let's go back to a simpler time on the internet, when VR was still new and we all had to pay upwards of $200 - $300 and even sometimes $400 to strap an oversized projector to our face so we could experience what it's like to have a monitor not even inches from our face. Applications like VRChat were all the rage because most VR applications and games felt more like tech demos, people didn't know how to use the tech yet and most actual home VR headsets were development kits.

VRChat was fairly open source at the time, lending most of it's success to a community building assets, systems, and avatars for their own use within the application.

As with any good open source application a lot of the files and thus the understanding for how things worked were being shared around and people began to notice a pattern as with any form of labor.

Not everyone wanted to put in the time and effort to actually learn. In fact plenty of people who were purchasing VR headsets were fairly wealthy people, sure not everyone; some people got them as gifts or saved up money over the course of a long time; or they'd use large sum of money given during tax returns or holidays as a means to purchase a VR headset while they were on sale.

However yes, a lot of people had a lot of money sitting around and wouldn't mind throwing a couple bucks your way if you were willing to go through the trouble of making them an avatar, world; or asset.

Now, this isn't anything bad on the surface; but it poisoned the well and it began the conflict.

"So you're saying artists commissioned work is bad and it should all be free and artists should starve." Only as much as I'm saying we should piss on the poor. Which is to say, no I'm not saying that; but if you jumped on that train immediately I don't blame you for thinking I'm going there, but bear with me.

As time went on and we developed more and more for VRchat's main engine; we also developed tools like Udon; a scripting language made for VRChat specifically. The ways in which we could customize avatars, worlds, and even assets was ever changing and it seemed like it was only getting more and more complex.

So what happened? Did people provide tools, lessons; and understanding to those around them in hopes there were others who would pick up the knowledge and create brilliant things to continue the ever exponential progress?!

No. Well yes, but mostly no. See some people did in fact provide easy to follow tutorials! You can find plenty out there, at least for basic things; but many saw the chance to really make a point with this.

A point that they understood the system, and you did not.

A point that you were better off paying them for the things they know and you don't.

A point that you should never question them, and that if you fuck up it's your own fault and maybe next time you'll listen.

If you think I'm exaggerating you should consider yourself lucky to have not come face to face with the truly disgusting underbelly of asset sales.

See I don't mind selling goods and services; I am an artist myself and I believe fair compensation is important! If someone likes what you're selling and deems it a fair price that's great, that's a win win; everyone's happy.

However what if the person purchasing your wares doesn't understand their value?

Asset flipping is something we see a lot of, done entirely legally through fair use mind you. People will buy assets along with their commercial license, and then quickly and easily slap those assets onto an amalgamation of other cheap gimmicks only to sell the new model at a profit from it's component parts.

"But that's how things are sold Cryptid, what's so weird about that?"

Well, okay let's look at how sales in physical space works right?

If I buy a single banana, and that costs me $1; then to turn a profit I'll need to sell it for something like $1.25 this is literally just because once you buy my banana, I don't have any more bananas to sell.

So if I sell the banana for $1 I'm at a net neutral, I don't have the ability to generate any additional funds off the single banana I've bought. So let's say I buy 4, I sell each for 1.25 and all 4 sell, now I can buy an additional 1 and I've only made .25 cents.

Well shit, it looks like I need to hike the price by a decent margin if I'm actually going to make any sort of sustainable income from selling bananas right?

But what happens if we say, I have 1 banana that generates infinite bananas. I bought my infinite banana generator for $25 + Tax. Now I could say I want to sell my bananas for $30 because I had to pay $25 to get this one.

However, I can also make infinite bananas, and if my bananas are good quality; they should sell out; or at least sell a decent amount. So rather than pricing a single banana higher than the original price, I should logically sell my bananas a lot cheaper; let's say I sell them for a simple $1.25 same as before. Once I've sold about 20-ish bananas I'll have not only made my money back, but I'll likely have made a small bit of profit.

"But Cryptid, you could have made way more from selling even one single banana at $30! Why gamble on 20 people buying a banana instead of just selling the one!?"

Because if I sell my banana at $30, but you can buy an infinite banana generator for only $25, what's stopping you... wait... what's stopping you from-

No. Hold on you don't know how it works! You couldn't possibly use the banana generator like I can!

NO DON'T GO LOOKING AT THE SOURCE SALES, SURE I LEGALLY HAVE TO CREDIT THE BANANA GENERATOR BUT-

Listen to me it's a very difficult device to understand! You don't have the years of understanding I do! You should pay me instead! You'll only fuck it up! You'll WASTE YOUR MONEY if you buy it from the original creator!

IT'S ME BOY THE PS5!-

Ahem, sorry I got a little sidetracked there. My point with all of this is how digital sales work far differently given that I'm not actually giving up any resources when I make a sale, the product is infinite; and I could sell it over and over again. So selling it for less than it's component parts is essentially saving my buyers some money over buying each individual part and putting it together themselves. I save them time as well since I'd likely have put together all the shaders, blend trees for emotes, menus and submenus for toggles- oh no... hold on why is that still pink? OH MOTHERFUC-

Point 3 - Missing and Outdated scripts, assets, shaders, and best of all fear mongering!

See a big part of this whole sales concept for virtual good comes from the idea that if I sell you an avatar, world, or asset; I'm selling you a completed product. Something I devoted my time and expertise to that you may not have to devote to it. So then what happens when I no longer allow you to contact me for support, and half the product is missing? Well there's no refund policy on the website I use so uh, tough.

This is unfortunately very common. Outdated scripts never being updated while assets still remain up for sale with scripts in them that will absolutely DESTROY your project unless you specifically dedicate time to going through your files with not only an understanding of what each file controls, but also the surgical precision to remove the files in such a way that doesn't accidentally trigger a chain reaction.

Because believe it or not, most of the avatars, worlds, and assets for sale are not ACTUALLY quality made models.

"But Cryptid, the artist sets the price and the consumer deems it fair when they purchase the goods!"

Correct! However, at what point do we argue for false advertisement?

Not only are many of the avatars, worlds; and assets for sale priced at insane prices (we're talking upwards up $150 - $460 for some) but most of these avatars, worlds, and assets do not disclose important information about their products that consumers should be allowed to know prior to purchase. Like how in some cases a file is so big that it can take more than 2 real life days of uninterrupted loading and then still crash unity. Enjoy your $460 world map that doesn't have active support, says you're shit out of luck if you fuck up importing it at all; and doesn't actually load because don't forget, there's no refund policy.

So let's say an avatar, world, or asset DOES actually import correctly.

Once you get through all the fear mongering about how you need to import the model, and no I'm not joking; people are openly lying in their readme files to scare people into following useless instructions.

i.e according to one readme if you import the shaders after the avatar your entire project will become corrupt beyond saving and you'll need to restart from scratch. In reality shaders automatically update if a model calls for them; so importing the shader at any point would simply just update the model to use the correct shaders. In that same vein let's address "YOU NEED TO START A NEW PROJECT, DO NOT IMPORT THIS AVATAR INTO AN EXISTING PROJECT OR IT WILL FUCK UP AND I WILL NOT HELP YOU" guess what? I tested it, like any other avatar/model importing the unity package at any point in the project just, you know; imports it.

I have also heard stories of people saying there are scripts in the unity files that can corrupt your computer's core files if you don't follow their instructions SPECIFICALLY, which A. isn't true; and B. why are you selling what you basically call a potential trojan?

So anyways, once you get through all the fear mongering about how you clearly can't do anything on your own (literally one of the readmes had a link to visit the site that tells you how to log into your account. For reference/context you're not even allowed to get to this point and upload an avatar/world until you've logged into VRChat and been an active user for about a week. They talk down to you and treat you like you're stupid because they rely on you NEEDING them to tell you exactly how to navigate this "super scary" application otherwise you wouldn't pay them upwards of $80 for a model they basically took from other people and used a plugin to glue together.) You can now look over your avatar/world, since you've managed to do the unthinkable and import a unity asset pack correctly!

Not all assets are made equal, and I think it's very important to understand that while yes the artist and consumer enter into an agreement over price that they both deem fair; it's important to understand how capitalism comes in many forms.

In this case I've noticed that Gumroad recycles almost all of their assets from other people on the website, and their models are extremely sub par when you compare them with far cheaper models on Booth. While some Gumroad shops do link back to their Booth counterparts, a lot seem to want this to remain a eldritch knowledge.

So on the off chance everything just works, you're good to go; congratulations I genuinely hope you enjoy your likely overpriced avatar because ultimately that's what matters, if you're happy with what you paid for then there's no harm done.

However in more cases than I care to admit, the readme will tell you to go buy various other plugins and asset packs to make the thing you just bought work.

Now as an example of how to do this right, and it's still shitty; but at least I think it's done right. There's a fishing system for sale that directly mentions in it's website based description that you'll need two other asset packs, those both being linked. Here's the hard part to justify though, for the system itself is about $23 after conversion, the other two asset packs are respectively $50 and $10, so in total something you thought would only be $23 is about $83 if you want it to actually be functional.

Now again in that case everything is listed on the website clear as day and this is at least generally how I see things being listed which is okay with me. However I've seen more cases than I care to admit where this information is advertised as "this avatar has XYZ" and then in the readme says "you'll need to purchase XYZ from [User] to get the XYZ system working!" So now we have false advertisement AND hidden fees?!

When avatars can cost more than $250 and not be a unique model of your own OC or something commissioned and still be missing additional features, sometimes shaders; which require a monthly patreon subscription to access. Only to then see that the avatar/world/asset comes with a ton of stipulations and regulations of use? It's all very hard to figure out what "fair" is anymore.

It may just be my opinion, but when someone sells me something I expect it to be a complete thing that I then own, not something I'm not "legally allowed to edit" or that isn't entirely completed and that I'd need to go purchase additional things for.

Important reminder here, all of this is for a VR application where you just kinda vibe and hang out in a virtual space. People are happy to pay expensive prices for good quality, but few people are willing to deliver good quality; fewer without a ton of rules and restrictions.

Literally not but a week ago my partner was looking at an avatar that specifically said VIEWING the blend shapes was "breaking terms of service" so that's cool. For the record blend shapes are literally just adjustable values most people use for editing an avatar without needing to mess with the mesh. It allows you to hide parts of the avatar so that clothing will fit over the mesh without clipping, or lets you easily adjust face shape to better manage your expressions or facial features.

Can we also quickly touch on the fact that I was helping a friend edit something on their avatar, and found out that the person they bought it from had positioned an entire 3D watermark of their username inside the head of the model which;

they bought the base from someone else. they bought the clothing from someone else. they bought the gimmicks and additional features from someone else. All they did was actually slap it all together.

"Yea but that takes effort" no it really doesn't see that's the thing about Avatar creation, the more you know the less any of this makes sense!

There's a plugin called Modular Avatar, it basically does all the work for you, all you have to do is select the clothing, hair, whatever you want to add to your model; right click it and select modular avatar's "setup outfit" button. It then manages all the bones for you!

This person put more effort into branding the model than they put into putting the avatar together!

I know this because while working on adding one thing to the model, one of it's core outdated scripts fucked up and caused a bunch of issues that we managed to work around by literally never allowing the avatar to enter play mode. Which makes it significantly harder to work with, so we're using two variations of the same project open at the same time, one of which is entirely fucked; but lets us nab values from the avatar while it's in play mode; the other can never enter play mode and must continue to contain a broken and outdated script; because removing it causes the blendshapes to entirely fuck up.

This would be like if I went to google images, found a bunch of pictures of anime characters; slapped one of their heads on another ones body, took another one's hair and slapped it over top, poorly merged all the layers together and then aggressively plastered my signature on it while also totally admitting where I got all the art.

Now I do admit there's a little bit of weird grey area here, see no one is commissioning these avatars; they're just up for sale. So someone who buys it is saying they feel like purchase of this avatar as it is, is entirely fair for the price. Whether or not that's true is besides the point because you could argue that the buyer wasn't forced to pay for something if they didn't want it.

But like, let's do a quick simulation...

Hi welcome to my Gumroad shop, $30 please.

What do you mean you do not want... uh... Shipiku my totally original avatar I made (with assets from other creators) for like $30?! HE HAS GIMMICKS.

...Okay yea looking at that image is physically painful to me, I have created something truly horrific. We should move on, to my favorite part of all of this which is-

Point 4 - The Eroticism Elitist-ism of the Machine!

With the Oculus Quest being a more budget friendly VR Headset for people to pick up more and more people got into VR and thus VRChat by extension. So how did VRChat respond? By making the Unplugged Quest basically the standard for "good quality" which means that a ton of worlds and avatars just won't be accessible to the VR equivalent of taping a chromebook to your face; and yet that will be the new norm. This created a pretty sizable divide in how things function. Now you have a camp of people who refuse to even permit entry to their private worlds unless your avatar is rated "good" because of "performance issues" but why would they care about cramming so many people into their world?

Oh... it's because they are monetizing access. Yea, of course they want everyone to have access to their world, the only way to get in is to know someone who's already in, or sleuth around until you find their discord; then you need to boost their discord and more often than not pay either micro-transactions inside VRChat (because that's a thing now) or pay directly through patreon/donations to the world creator.

On the other hand you have some creators who outright refuse to let quest users access their world. Even though technically the world is optimized enough that a quest user COULD access the world, there are scripts that have been implemented into various worlds that are outright hostile towards quest users, where if it detects you're using a oculus quest headset that isn't plugged into a computer; you'll essentially not be able to interact with the world. There are many ways this is accomplished, in some cases it's literally just having hostile entities that cause you to constantly respawn, other times it's more directly just moving your spawn point to a box way off the map so you're effectively locked behind a prison you can't respawn out of.

As you can imagine there's a good bit of elitism on both sides. Which yes, is just another way people are gatekeeping VR behind a paywall. Not only do you need an expensive headset, but you better buy "the right one" not to mention you'll likely want to/need to pick up full body tracking, and pay a considerable entry fee or upkeep fee to a good handful of private worlds.

"but Cryptid, people are allowed to charge for access to things they create, that's just business!" Yea I'm not saying it's not allowed, I'm saying it's shitty.

I don't insert these blurbs as though I feel like you, the reader; are ALWAYS aggressively saying these things while reading my post. I put these here because they're things I've been told before, and they're things I want to address. So please understand that these aren't hypothetical cases of arguments in my head; nor are they meant to project any personality onto you.

That in mind, let's address this; I'm not saying people aren't allowed to seek capital investment in their hobbies. Obviously as a streamer I would love if people donated to me. However this is more akin to locking my streams behind a paywall, again; totally legal and totally allowed but still kind of a dick move. Why do I have so much problem with it? Well let me explain it this way

I work at an escape room, my CEO once asked my manager what the difference between a group of 7 and a group of 2 was. My manager confidently responded "we make more money from a group of 7" to which the CEO corrected him "no, there is no difference. We do not use any more or less resources, we don't take more time to reset the room; there is no difference." We have also been asked if a group of 2, and a group of 7 come in at the same time; who do we prioritize? The answer? Whoever booked first.

What's the core concept here? Well it's a simple ideology, if we don't use any resources hosting a group, there is no difference between groups; if someone took the time to book with us earlier, we see to them earlier. It's basic logic that we take into account the care that someone has put into being here, and also what we lose in providing them the service of our escape room.

So let's apply this to a private VRChat world.

Remember, VRChat hosts these servers, so I'm not paying any upkeep costs for having an active world. Considering how scripts and programming work I have little need to pay someone to monitor or moderate my world; especially considering I do not take responsibility for the acts of those who visit my world.

Then what is the difference between a private and a public instance of my world?

Well, I'll tell you because there actually IS a difference here.

See private worlds have two very special properties.

Public display, whether streamed to an audience or done in a public world; of any NSFW imagery or behavior will result in a ban. The important take away here is if this is done in PUBLIC. Private worlds and instances are exempt from this. VRChat doesn't care what you do in private as long as it's not being streamed publicly.

Likewise, Private worlds require access to be granted via someone already in the world, and the only people who can access the private world are it's creators. Meaning that if someone wants into my world they HAVE to go through me. If I make it public, then anyone is allowed to access the world, and even host their own private instances of my world. There's one more thing about this that people don't like but we'll get into that a bit later because that's going to be a pretty lengthy discussion.

So what IS the difference? Is it just that you can partake in NSFW shit in a private world? Well, kind of; but it's more that second point that's important.

People understand that VRChat as a whole is a very, let's just say passionate place when it comes to ERP. I have no judgement on the topic, but I think the exploitation of it is a bit unnecessary. By which I mean the hosting of private worlds designed specifically to be clubs, sex parties, or otherwise exclusive NSFW events that people must pay to access. Now obviously any NSFW world is going to be private, but not all require the use of financial compensation to access.

If you're wondering how I know all this:

A. I frequent NSFW communities, my side gig is literally adult animation. Who cares. B. I have a lot of friends who participate in that sort of thing, I personally live with my partner and while I do understand the appeal of that sort of thing, it doesn't really interest me.

Regardless, it's not exclusive to NSFW worlds, more so that those are the ones I've seen asking extreme prices.

More often than not it's done through patreon, you are given a special role in a discord or you're given access to secret worlds if you pay enough monthly, with some worlds stating that for $100+ a month you can have your picture in the world. Yes, a picture; of your avatar; in an exclusive paywalled world... for $100.

Again I know this goes back to "if the consumer and the seller deem it fair blah blah blah" but if you're still arguing that, you're missing the grander point here.

If that's the case allow me a moment to try to make sense of a summary:

the internet is a place where we leave behind any inequality; a place where you and I, no matter our background, financial situations; or social standing, are equals. We bear no difference in status; only in interests. That is, unless I have access to parts of the internet you do not.

So you pay $499.99 for a headset, congratulations; you had to get a cheaper model because it's what you could afford. Now you're the target of much harassment and general dislike as you bought "the wrong headset" without consideration for how you'd be treated for it. You can't access much of the virtual net, so you decide to spend even more money to buy a few accessories; a cable that will link you directly to your computer for example (or better wifi if you use the wifi link, which yes; good internet also costs money and isn't available to everyone depending on their location. Again it's inequality.)

Now you blend in, you appear to be a PC user like anyone else, congratulations you now have access to almost just about everything, except you don't. You try to join me in a world only to see I'm in a "private instance" and my social obligations say I'm not allowed to answer your invitation request because you didn't pay to be here. I send you a discord link, it's to some random group you've never heard of, you need to join this if you want access to this one world. You can live without it, so you don't click it.

The next day you see I'm again, in a private world. You go to a few public worlds and find they're mostly populated by younger children, random people who don't want to talk to you; and most only have 1 - 2 people, with most instances of even the popular worlds being set to private. So what do you do? You ask to join me, and I again; send you a different link this time. A patreon link, that states you can gain access to the world I'm in for $10 a month, payment up front; and then you'll need to get approved through a discord.

Oh but you can't show up like this, your avatar quality is "poor" you'll need to optimize that. Looking it up online most people say to buy something off Gumroad or Booth, so you look; most avatars are extremely sexualized; the ones you can find aren't "good" quality nor are they optimized and some are outdated by a few years.

Eventually you find one that's not horrible; it's an extra $25. At this point you're paying the following, grabbing these numbers directly from the internet mind you:

$499.99 for a headset. $79.99 for a link cable (it doesn't even charge the headset) $24.99 for an avatar that is allowed on the world. $10 a month for access to the world. Oh but wait, you're not assured a slot in the private world; it can only support up to 30 people per instance and if you want to reserve a spot you need to boost the discord server, so let's tack on nitro as well, and extra $9.99 per month.

Even if you only do these as a one time payment to access this world once. Here's what you're out, in total: $624.96 before even factoring in taxes.

All of this, so you can experience a few hours of hanging out with a friend. Well, was it worth it? Let's see;

In America, the average hourly wage (not minimum, average) across all 50 states is $29.81 as of December 2020. You can look that up if you'd like I found this number via Indeed so grain of salt and all that.

But let's go ahead and say it's $30 an hour. Now for the record, most people I know work for far less, but we're not concerning ourselves with minimum wage just yet, but we will.

So if you're making $30 an hour, and you need to reach a total of (again rounding to be fair here) $625 and we're not accounting for tax eating half your pay, we're looking at:

((30 an hour * 8 hours per day) * 5 days a week)

or 240*5 = $1200 a week.

Well hey that's not so bad! You make enough in a WEEK to almost buy this all twice o-oh no. I didn't think about cost of living...

Well no this is fine let's just check the average rent!

A quick internet search will tell us "The average rent for an apartment in the U.S. is $1,718."

Well... okay, that sucks. How much is gas right now? Right okay well Forbes says "today's average price of gas in the U.S. is $3.47 per gallon" and I need about 30 gallons per tank, and I need to get gas about twice a month, I live about 15 minutes from my work and I drive a fairly fuel efficient car but that's still roughly $208 I'm spending on gas each month.

What about groceries? Again a quick search says "on average, Americans spent $779 per month on food in 2022" which means we're looking at, without even factoring in utilities, taxes, or ANY leisure activities a grand total of roughly $2,705 per month?!

This mind you, is the AVERAGE. We're low balling some of those prices and not even caring about taxes, fees, and utilities.

But hey it's okay we're making 1,200 per week! So we take that number and multiply it by 4! That means before taxes we're left with 4,800!

Hey speaking of, how does that work? Let's do another average!

Well it turns out because of how taxes work averages are hard, but I'm seeing that about 13.3% is a safe bet, so let's go with that.

13.3% of 4800 = 0.133 × 4800 = 638.4

okay, that's not TOO bad right? That leaves us with 4161.6 and then we can pay the monthly costs which leaves us with $1,456.6

Alright so now we can afford rent, gas, groceries, taxes, the works! Plus we have enough left over to pay for our fancy headset, an avatar, and access to a world, plus nitro and... jesus that's a lot isn't it?

What are we left with after all of this? $831.64

I sure hope you don't have any student loans, no credit card payments; no other obligations.

You're left with less money for the month than you made in a day of work.

"Okay sure, but the bulk of that comes from the headset!" Correct again!

One of the cheaper headsets available at that!

But did you notice that the average person would only be able to scrape by if they went out of their way to purchase something and jump through all these hoops? All for what? Paying an extra roughly $45 (20 of which renews every month) for basic access to the thing they bought the $500 headset for? That's considering the avatar you bought was actually only $25, actually still functional; and has everything included with it.

I won't make us run all the numbers again, but I want you to consider that minimum wage in America is $7.25 or just $290 before tax PER WEEK.

Let's contextualize that...

an avatar that costs $25? That's 3.44 hours. $10 access to patreon? 1.37 Tack on another 1.37 for nitro boosting.

Total cost for that $45? 6.18 hours of work before tax.

Now if you're lucky enough to have a full time job, that's not TOO bad; but this is also just for one singular world. For one singular avatar.

Remember, the cost of living stays the same; the price of gas doesn't change just because you don't get paid as much as the guy at the pump over from yours.

Working at minimum wage you'll make $1,160 a month again; before taxes. That's not even enough to cover the average cost of rent.

So if you don't make enough money to splurge on patreon and discord access, I guess you're just going to have to stick to public lobbies.

Again, it's possible; and it's legal, and that's all fine and whatever.

It's not about whether you CAN; it's about whether you should HAVE TO.

Not only is it true that not everyone can, but I genuinely don't believe anyone should have to.

It's not that I don't believe people should be paid for their hard work, or that some work doesn't "deserve compensation" rather I believe equality extends to things like paywalls.

There have been studies that prove that piracy drops the second people can afford a product. Using a piracy as a "try before you buy" format is one of the most popular; and we see this being so prevalent because for so many people, money is just so tight they can't afford the luxury of leisure activities.

Technically speaking you can access VRChat without the need for a VR Headset, however most worlds are designed around the headset and hand controls. Furthermore, arbitrary rules being held by people with private worlds allow creators to literally make the demand that you use a VR Headset and in some cases you'll not be allowed in the main instance of a private event unless you have full body tracking; which can cost upwards from $300+

Which yes, does in fact mean that gatekeeping doesn't just stop at the paywall, it extends to the disabled.

Imagine if you will, being turned away from a private event that you paid money to go to; just because of the fact you happen to be in a wheelchair and not have the ability to use leg tracking. You love to see ableism slipping into "quality control" don't ya?

Okay so what all do we know now? Let's quickly recap before I get to my last point because boy is this one gonna be a doozy and I want to make sure we're all on the same page before I break that ice and dive into that iceberg never to be heard from again.

For starters we understand that, as far as the internet is concerned; we're all equals. Money, social standing; even your background don't really mean anything here. You're an identity you put forward, allowed to be whoever and whatever you want. Chatrooms, forums, blogs, video games; these things DO but shouldn't; gatekeep their communities by putting up paywalls quite often. This is generally frowned upon more often than it's not, even when it's understood.

We know even when a company states they need to charge membership for the sake of keeping a game running or keeping a website up; we still frown upon the idea of a company gatekeeping content or usability behind a paywall. Yet in spaces like VRChat this gatekeeping is often disguised behind the idea of fair market trading and "supporting indie developers" which in some cases, is actually what's going on, and in others is sleazy cover from the likes of people like me who will point out when putting up a paywall and making demands of your users is, while totally legal and technically allowed; STILL just as shitty.

Which brings us to our next point, which is that even among that market; we have extremely overpriced and broken avatars, worlds, and assets; many of which don't come as a complete package requiring you to obtain other goods and services from other creators to get them working; most of what you can find is a jumbled mess of other people's stuff, haphazardly thrown together and thrown at you for a quick buck, a typically overpriced quick buck at that. With extremely predatory fear mongering designed to keep you from exploring unity and the VRChat Creator Companion to possibly find out how to do things yourself, because remember that this is all absolutely just wizard magic and if you fuck it up your computer will catch on fire and open a portal to hell and then slenderman will come out and Jeff the kill you! Or... you might need to restart unity or something, yea that's more likely... Oh and speaking of actually using VRChat!

Most of the actual populated worlds are hidden behind discords, patreons; or other paywalls. With most public worlds including additional features only available via patreon or by purchasing a subscription through in app micro-transactions. With costs for something as simple as having your picture presented in a world costing as much as $100 per month in same cases. If you attempt to go the route of using the non-VR app you'll likely face elitist gatekeeping where map creators do not want "ugly default posing avatars" in their private worlds they charge people to get into, so you'll still not be let in unless you buy a proper headset, and no; they don't mean the cheap ones, unless you're willing to purchase an additional attachment to make it function just like the $1,000 alternatives. Even then you may STILL be kept from the "main" instance if you don't have additional $300+ full body tracking in some cases.

So then, what do you do?

If you want to enjoy the absolute brilliance of VR in the modern era, if you want to see what it's like and experience it before capitalism chokes even more life out of it where are you to turn?

Point 5 - AHOY! WE BE COMMUNIST PIE RATERS ON THIS HERE INTERNET, TAKE YOUR CAPITALISTIC ASS BACK TO YOUR 9-5!

I have never seen such hatred and fear for anything like I have for piracy in the VRChat community.

Now this might largely stem from the idea of "rippers" people who literally rip assets live, this is why a lot of people won't put their worlds up for the public. Because they fear someone will come along and just reupload their world; and I think that's really silly because if you pay attention, it happens and it doesn't change anything because the people who are actually going to publicly available worlds continue to access the same publicly available worlds they've been going to, rather than reuploads. Most people use favorites lists or find a world through a creator, so reuploading the world will only really fool maybe a small handful of new first time users into maybe actually spending some money on a micro-transaction for a reuploaded world. Which can easily be remedied by getting rid of micro-transactions and instead maybe relying on a direct donation system if anything.

People are very up in arms about people ripping avatars and assets; and the reasons for this branch from "that's stealing" to "it's a violation of someone's personal identity!" Which sure, I can understand that somewhat.

So here's the other thing to consider, the majority of models; including "unique models" are actually just pretty simple edits or whatever of existing models.

You may not believe me, so here's a quick example:

Popular Vtuber and Twitch personality Filian!

Great model, absolutely stellar work on this one; and I am not joking, I'm not being sarcastic. Yea, I love Jingo's work... what? You thought Filian made that herself? Oh no wait you likely thought it was commissioned right? Like she had this made specific for her?

Nah she's using a Rindo base!

AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING!

JINGO is a great avatar maker, and Filian has done some minor edits to the $46 avatar:

Oh huh? Yea no you heard me correctly, Rindo is only $46 USD.

She comes with a few toggles for outfits, she has plenty of blendshapes (and JINGO won't yell at you for adjusting them), she even comes with her own custom emojis and voice clips! Really easy to edit features and tons of clothing that is very affordable you can easily set up using modular avatar.

If you're not a fan of her base, you could use a Moe, or maybe a Selestia base fits you better, or a Kikyo; oh you want a male avatar? Try Minase he's pretty good as a base, he's the male counterpart of the female base; Shinra! All of these base models come complete with everything you need baked right in, or if they do need a shader; it's entirely free for download and the link is provided; the prices for these? Roughly range around $50 entirely affordable, easily editable; you can make your own entirely unique avatar right now using any of these as a base.

"Cryptid I thought you were talking about Rippers! Where's the PIRACY!"

Oh well, do you remember what I said before? When you make something affordable people will still buy it. There's a ton of places where these models are available for download whether or not you wish to buy them from their proper respective shops. However most people I've spoken to admit they go back and purchase the base after making their model with it because "it's affordable, a fair price for what you're getting; and the bases are very good quality!" Couldn't agree more.

But I also say this because if we humor the idea that someone rips Filian's avatar, what do they really get? They get a free Rindo with minor changes. They didn't hurt Filian, they hurt JINGO if anything; and even then "piracy is a victimless crime" applies here as well.

I will say I don't really endorse the idea of ripping things live, but the idea that live ripping is any different than piracy is also a little silly if I'm being honest.

When you build a 10 foot paywall to entry, people are going to build an 11 foot ripping tool to get over it. That IS the internet, and I wouldn't care if there wasn't such a big stink about rippers and piracy in general when it came to VRChat.

There's this idea that if you pirate something you're stealing from a small indie creator uwu and that's bad because now they can afford to eat because you were greedy! Or this concept that by pirating something and using it on your avatar, in a world; even if they'll never know, even if you're only using the models privately, you have in some way violated their privacy and commit identity theft.

As someone who has actually been the victim of identity theft multiple times, let me tell you right now, unless someone uses my avatar to specifically open another 5 Verizon accounts in my name I don't really care.

This is the only time in my life I've seen the internet HATE piracy so fervently and it made me wonder why; until I recognized that the loudest people were in the readmes of those gumroad avatars, the loudest voices weren't the creators of popular bases or models like Rindo, Kikyo, or Selestia; they were people on gumroad who fear monger and spread this message that "if you didn't pay for this avatar I will block you from my discord, ban you from ever accessing my world, and you'll never be able to buy from me again!" Like okay man I'll just go directly to the source you buy everything from get over yourself, guess I won't give you money for another overpriced avatar with awful optimization then.

When I listen to the way people talk about piracy in VRChat it's never seen as a victimless crime, it's never seen as being a normal thing the internet does, it's seen as a vile, evil; horrible soulless act of devilish greed! But they all share a common word that being "my" or "your" when people talk about it they say "yea rippers will reupload YOUR world without any care" or "yea someone took MY asset and reuploaded it on a file sharing site"

It's personal.

"Okay what about you Cryptid wouldn't you be mad if-" No.

Let me make this abundantly clear, if I ever made something for VRChat, an avatar, a world, whatever. I don't care what it is; if I made something and I put it out there on a site for like $5 and then I saw it on a website with someone saying "hey does anyone have this? I want it buy I can't afford it/don't want to pay for it." I am NOT fucking with you, I would simply answer the post myself and say "yea here ya go, if you need any help getting it set up let me know; I made it. If you ever feel like tossing me a donation or tip I'd appreciate it but don't worry if you can't afford it."

BECAUSE THAT'S COMMUNISM BAY-BEE.

I have, in the past; and even now, benefit from piracy. I'm pretty sure most people have. The only way I will ever listen to someone tell me piracy is wrong and bad and evil, is if they have literally NEVER benefit from any form of piracy, communism, or sharing of files and information; and even then I will simply understand that their opinion comes from a place of privilege.

I don't at all find it surprising that most of the people complaining about rippers and pirates come from:

Countries with good economies where they can actually afford shit (such as Norway)

Sites where they're allowed to sell the models at an extreme premium and offer no refund policy.

And that my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg of shit that goes on in Virtual Reality spaces regarding paywalling; gatekeeping, and general capitalistic bullshit.

Remember, piracy is all well and good when it benefits me, but if you want to take what I'm selling for significantly too much money, you're a soulless vile creature and I will make sure everyone knows it!

^ That's sarcasm if anyone out there has the "piss on the poor" reading comprehension.

I'm going to go eat a burger and touch grass.

[atrak6195]

The Rise of GPS Tracking Platforms Melbourne

In an age where technological innovations continue to change daily life, GPS tracking has come up as a crucial innovation with different applications ranging from personal to complex business solutions. As of now GPS tracking platforms Melbourne has taken over the vibrant and technologically advanced city, showing a significant transformation around the city and service efficiency.

View of GPS Tracking

GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking includes observing and tracking the location of objects or people with signals from the satellite. These devices receive signals from a network of satellites to know about the exact locations, giving instant updates on their whereabouts. Such devices are used in different fields, including transportation, asset management, and personal safety.

Historical Adoption in Melbourne

Over the last ten years, the use of GPS tracking platforms Melbourne has notably increased. Initially used mainly for navigation, improvements in technology have broadened its applications to include delivery services, public transportation, personal safety, and fleet management.

Early Applications

Melbourne began using GPS technology in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the origin of GPS tracking devices for navigation. The car navigation systems became popular, assisting drivers with route optimization and avoiding traffic.

Integration into Business Solutions

As technology improved, businesses in Melbourne realized the potential of GPS-tracking companies to improve operational efficiency. The logistics and transportation sectors were early adopters, using GPS fleet tracking to optimize routes, reduce fuel consumption, and improve delivery services.

Public Transport Enhancement

The city's public transportation system now includes GPS tracking systems. The trains, trams, and buses have GPS devices fitted in them, offering travelers instant updates on the arrival and departure times. This integration has simplified travel, reduced wait times, and increased overall system dependability.

Applications of GPS Tracking Platforms in Melbourne

GPS tracking platforms Melbourne offers various purposes:

- Fleet Management: Some businesses with large fleets such as delivery services, taxi companies, and public transport operators, use GPS fleet tracking Australia to check on their vehicles, plan routes properly, and ensure driver safety.

- Asset Tracking: Industries such as construction and rental services use GPS devices to monitor valuable assets, prevent theft, and ensure accurate equipment utilization.

- Personal Safety: GPS tracking devices are being used by many for personal safety. They allow parents to monitor their children and enable caregivers to track elderly family members.

- Public Transport: Real-time updates from GPS improve public transport efficiency, encouraging more people to use eco-friendly traveling options.

- Emergency Services: GPS tracking helps emergency services dispatch units quickly to critical situations, potentially saving lives.

Benefits of GPS Tracking Platforms in Melbourne

The widespread use of GPS tracking platforms Melbourne is due to several key benefits:

- Enhanced Efficiency: Real-time tracking allows systematic resource distribution and optimized route planning, reducing functional costs.

- Cost Savings: Businesses benefit from lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance expenses, and improved driver behavior with the use of GPS tracking devices.

- Instant Updates: Timely information enhances decision-making for businesses and improves commuting experiences for travelers.

- Theft Prevention: GPS tracking minimizes theft risks by enabling quick recovery of stolen things through accurate location tracking.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite some benefits, GPS tracking platforms Melbourne faces several challenges that require careful attention:

- Privacy Concerns: We must balance tracking benefits with individuals' privacy rights by having clear rules and getting permission.

- Data Security: Keeping GPS data safe from unauthorized entry and storing it securely is crucial.

- Technical Issues: Sometimes GPS signals may be lost, or devices may stop working, so it's important to have good support to fix problems quickly.

- Implementation Costs: Starting GPS tracking device can be expensive for small businesses, but the long-term advantages usually make it worthwhile.

The Future of GPS Tracking Platforms

The future of GPS tracking platforms Melbourne looks great due to the ongoing technological growth and better applications:

- Integration with IoT: Combining GPS with IoT (Internet of Things) technologies will increase data accuracy and performance across different industries.

- Autonomous Vehicles: The rise of self-driving vehicles will increase the requirement of GPS tracking systems to ensure safe and systematic navigation.

- Sustainability Initiatives: The GPS tracking company supports environmental sustainability by planning better routes, reducing fuel consumption, and promoting eco-friendly transportation.

- Customization and Innovation: Future GPS systems should offer industry-specific customization, easy connection with other technologies, and better reporting capabilities according to business needs.

In conclusion, the increasing popularity of GPS tracking platforms Melbourne shows the city's commitment to use advanced technology for benefits of society. While issues such as privacy and security must be tackled, the transforming ability of GPS technology in providing better efficiency, safety, and fleet tracking is undeniably great. As Melbourne continues to grow and adapt, it is set to lead in using GPS tracking technologies, improving both business and community.