#Whats the difference between web developer and designer

[itcareerblogs]

Web Developer vs Web Designer: What's the difference?

In today’s digital world, websites are essential for building a strong online presence. But do you know who makes these websites look great and work smoothly? That’s where web developers and web designers come in. They have different roles, but both are key to creating websites that stand out and perform well.

Web developers and web designers both help create websites, but they have different skills and roles. Developers focus on coding and making the site work, like builders and architects. Designers focus on the look and feel of the site, creating layouts and improving user experience, like artists.

In this blog, we’ll explain their skills, types and how their roles differ, how they work together, and what makes each one important. Whether you're curious or thinking about a tech career, this guide will make it easy to understand both paths.

What is a Web Developer?

A web developer is a professional who creates and maintains websites and web applications. Their main job is to build the structure and functionality of a website, making it both user-friendly and visually appealing. Web developers work with a variety of programming languages, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to design the layout, features, and interactive elements of a site.

Types of Web Developers

Frontend Developers: Focus on the user-facing part of the website.

Backend Developers: Manage server-side logic and databases.

Full-Stack Developers: Combine both frontend and backend expertise.

DevOps Developers: Focus on deployment, integration, and server management.

Responsibilities of a Web Developer

Building and Maintaining Websites: Writing code to create the backbone of a website.

Frontend Development: Implementing the visual aspects of a website using languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Backend Development: Handling server-side functionality, databases, and application logic using languages like PHP, Python, or Ruby.

Testing and Debugging: Ensuring the website operates smoothly across all devices and browsers.

Skills Required

Proficiency in programming languages and frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Django).

Understanding of databases and server management.

Knowledge of version control systems like Git.

Problem-solving and analytical skills.

Tools Used by Web Developers

Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Vue.js, Angular.

Backend: Node.js, Django, Ruby on Rails, Laravel.

Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB.

Version Control: Git, GitHub, GitLab.

Testing Tools: Selenium, Jest, Mocha.

Development Environments: Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, IntelliJ IDEA.

What is a Web Designer?

A web designer is a professional responsible for creating and designing the visual elements of websites. They focus on the look, feel, and overall user experience of a website. This involves planning the layout, selecting colors, fonts, images, and ensuring the website is visually appealing and easy to navigate.

They also pay attention to usability, accessibility, and performance to make sure the website is user-friendly and fast.

Types of Web Designers

UX Designers: Specialize in user experience design.

UI Designers: Focus on user interface elements and interactions.

Visual Designers: Blend graphic design with web design principles.

Interaction Designers: Concentrate on the interactive aspects of websites.

Responsibilities of a Web Designer

Creating Layouts and Wireframes: Designing the structure and navigation flow of a website.

Visual Design: Choosing colors, fonts, images, and other visual elements to align with the brand identity.

User Experience (UX) Design: Ensuring the website is easy to navigate and provides a positive user experience.

User Interface (UI) Design: Crafting interactive elements like buttons, forms, and sliders.

Skills Required

Proficiency in design tools like Adobe XD, Sketch, or Figma.

Knowledge of UX/UI principles.

Basic understanding of HTML and CSS.

Creativity and an eye for detail.

Tools Used by Web Designers

Design Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator.

Prototyping Tools: InVision, Marvel, Axure RP.

Collaboration Tools: Miro, Zeplin, Slack.

Testing Tools: Hotjar, Crazy Egg.

Web Developer

Primary Function Focuses on coding, building, and maintaining the functionality of websites.

Average Salary ₹5,00,000–₹16,00,000/year(varies by experience, location, and specialization).

Educational Background and Qualification Typically holds a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fields.

Technical Skills Proficient in programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, and frameworks (e.g., React, Angular).

Web Designer

Primary function Responsible for creating the visual layout, style, and user experience.

Average Salary ₹3,00,000–₹12,00,000/year(varies by experience, location, and specialization).

Educational Background and Qualification Often has a degree in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, or related disciplines.

Technical Skills Skilled in design tools like Adobe XD, Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Familiarity with HTML and CSS is beneficial.

Understanding the difference between a web developer and a web designer is important if you're looking at careers in the web industry or planning a website. Web designers focus on how a website looks and feels, creating its visual style and user experience. Web developers, on the other hand, build the website using code to make those designs work.  Whether you're a creative person who loves design or a problem solver who enjoys coding, the web industry has exciting opportunities that match your skills and interests.

[door-insurance]

Ahm, hello Life is Strange fandom- I got an announcement

I have been working on my own LiS fan visual novel

This is VortexVN,

You play as Victoria waking up from a hangover with no memory of the week prior, you are tasked with piecing together what happened between her and one of the 4 love interests.

And of course the love interests are:

-Chloe (Chaseprice)

-Max (Chasefield)

-Kate (Chasemarsh)

-Rachel (Amberchase)

The game starts with a quiz; you unlock a route by picking answers related to the character you wanna romance (they are very obvious)

It takes place in an AU where the events of LiS1 and BtS didn't really happen and there are no special powers, Victoria's still a bi tch- I guess that's her special powers.

Think of this game as a spiritual successor to Love is Strange by Team Rumblebee rather than Life is Strange 1

Gameplay so far is your typical point and click visual novel affair, you will be given options to explore rooms, examine objects and talk to other characters- the interactions will play a crucial part in how the game ends,

You can win the girl or get rejected or worse... It will depend on how Victoria carried herself throughout the game,

Mistreating certain characters may prove to be a dealbreaker for the love interest,

Each girl has two close friends in the dorm that you should not upset (I'll reveal who in the guide pdf)

This game is also perfect for Victoria haters as you can ruin her life

The game has its own journal system that will be different depending on who you're romancing, it also comes with a read button (I blurred most of the text so you can get curious and play the game)

Read button will display the journal content in Open Dyslexic font

In the demo you'll only get to explore Victoria's room and the dorm hallways and you'll get two encounters from Juliet (Showers) and Alyssa (Hallway)

VortexVN is still in development, I have finished part.1 of the project and will start polishing it soon- the initial build of part.1 will be available to play as a demo!

The cutscenes lack color and proper shading at the moment and you will find placeholders as well, the art style is all over the place- this will change after the polishing phase

Download links:

Mac and Windows

Web browser ver (I don't recommend that you play it on mobile, also the web version lacks animation and takes forever to load graphics)

programs used:

-Renpy (visual novel engine)

-Photoshop CS5 (Drawing/rendering/animating/designing)

-Clips studio (Texturing)

-tablet: XP-Pen Artist 13

Note: I'm not monetizing this project nor do I claim ownership of the Life is Strange ip, all materials and assets presented in this visual novel were either created by me or are royalty free- I did not lift anything from the games via data mining or by leaks

This game is not a response to or a gotcha at Life is Strange Double Exposure or Deck Nine, I didn't really dislike the game

Besides, I've had the idea of a Victoria centric fan game since the first LiS back in 2015

I'm open for feedbacks! You can DM me or reblog this with a review or something- maybe write a comment.

[artechoceneexplorer]

Dungeon Meshi Encyclopaedia: The Mermaid

Another finished piece of my Dungeon Meshi Encyclopaedia like illustrations, this time, creature adventures need to be wary of when near deep bodies of water: the Mermaid (Sirena uroscelis).

Full piece view

Close-ups and notes on the design choices:

The scientific name is pretty simple, as it is composed of the Latin word for mermaid (sirena) for the genus name, and the words for tail (uro-) and leg (-scelis).

The teeth are similar to those of other aquatic predators like otters and seals, with conical pointed teeth on the front to help it grab onto slippery aquatic prey, and sharp, serrated teeth on the back for slicing the meat of said prey. The laryngeal anatomy is similar to that of humans, which can already create very complex sounds compared to other apes, maybe slightly modified with the added ability to produce sounds outside of the human hearing range, helping spread their songs (which might have some biological explanation but they also might be just spells in a language humans can't understand or imitate well enough).

Similarly to many cetaceans (in particular belugas, which were the main inspiration for this part of the design) they have fat pockets not only for insulation, but also for tucking in their arms when swimming to be more hydrodynamic and reduce drag.

Close-up of the upper body, head morphology and cranial anatomy

The face is flatter than a human's, and like the rest of the upper half of the body, it is hairless, further aiding in hydrodynamics, compensating the drag produced by the long head of hair.

This hair has a purpose, as I'd imagine it would be useful to camouflage in between aquatic vegetation while they stalk for prey, hiding until it is close enough to strike. To help with gripping prey underwater, they have not only a permanent wrinkling of the fingertips, similar to what happens in humans, but the wrinkles are reinforced with small keratinous tubercles, and the nails are sharp and curve inward, forming a slight hook shape.

Like most aquatic animals, and unlike other apes, the genitals are internal, hidden behind a genital slit.

Close-up of the upper body and a mermaid hunting a merman fry

One of the most unique characteristics of this mermaid is the "tail". At first I considered an actual tail for them, but the original design had a tail clearly inspired by the lower body of seals, with the tail flukes being back flippers and even a small tail like structure (which wouldn't make sense with the anatomy I chose so it's now a fatty outgrowth derived from the metatarsus); so instead of an actual tail it is actually a fusion of the two hind legs, which would make sense as a descendant of a hominid (which famously lack tails). It has large webbed feet acting as a fluke, and strong leg bones with bony crests to anchor very strong muscles.

Close-up of the "tail" anatomy, showing the leg bones that comprise it

Another very unique feature of this species, responsible for the appearance of an "all female" species. In reality, when maturing, males start producing excess testosterone both sexes start producing estrogens, which affects the development of an externally feminine appearance. Thanks to a very localised reception of testosterone on the gonads, the estrogen has no effect on their reproductive capabilities. The only way to tell the difference between sexes is by a small difference in size, as adult females are slightly larger and have slightly more fat because of the extra effort of carrying the young.

Close-up of the sexual dimorphism of the mermaids

Hope you enjoyed this new dungeon meshi piece, feel free to suggest what the next one will be :>

[magnuspanoptes]

readings of the podcast which try to frame jon as having been tragically manipulated and forced through every decision by elias are of no interest to me. because it's not true, is it. when elias tells him in mag 92 "you always chose to see," he's being cruel, yes. victim blaming him, even. but to completely disregard it as an attempt at manipulation would be a mistake. much of the podcast is about exploiting people's trauma. as i've said before, jon's role as head archivist, back when it was still presented as a mundane office job to the audiences, and he hadn't developed any beholding powers yet, involved filing away statement givers' trauma without offering help of any kind. the institute subsists on this form of exploitation, in a literal sense obviously, because it's a temple to the eye. but even if you take that reveal away, it's also true in simply an administrative sense in season one. and jon used to ruthlessly dismiss every single statement giver with as much apathy as he could muster (while knowing that if a statement doesn't record digitally, then it's the truth), and note that faking skepticism was a form of coping mechanism for him, it was the choice between making statement givers feel small or making himself feel vulnerable—and is this not simply the bureaucratic version of what he does later as a supernatural avatar of the beholding, vampirically feeding on people's terror to stay alive or risk being consumed by the eye?

(Season 3) MAG 117 - "Testament" // (Season 4) MAG 142 - "Scrutiny"

of course, i'm not saying he bought it on himself, that he deserved to be put in an impossible situation later for being an arse in season one. jon too, has had his trauma exploited in the form of a guest for mr spider, an experience which eventually led him to the magnus institute where he would help fulfill the web's designs. so, in the grand scheme of things everyone was puppeteered by forces beyond their control, but would you excuse jonah for eveything he's ever done because of it? then why must jon be rendered completely non-agentic? yes, elias manipulated him, but he has never had to straight up coerce jon into anything. jon's just always done what's been expected of him. because they're alike. their shared desire for knowledge originates from fear. jon always chose to see because something had hurt him once and he needed answers, and we can assume jonah chose the beholding because it was the only entity which would expose him to information on all the other fears. knowledge is a means of survival for both of them, an inclination which later manifests literally as they become avatars who must subsist on terror. it all really comes down to letting yourself be exploited or exploiting someone else to escape that fate (you don't escape, not really, nobody does in the podcast), and jon did choose (with as much agency he could've possibly had in a story like this). the difference between them being that elias feels no remorse for his choice, but jon's character is defined by the enormous guilt he feels about the things he has done and what he must do to continue living, until he doesn't.

[bubybubb]

(big dog head with dog eyes), 2024

Materials : recycled corrugated cardboard, hot glue, papier mache (flour, glue, water, newspaper, paper towels), acrylic + gouache, found plastic pear, gloss finish with metal hardware on rear.

On view at Toutoune Gallery in Toronto until end of January.

Below the photograph is an image created between myself x AI in 2022 that inspired the above piece. My views and concerns have changed a lot since my experiments in 2022. Even then I had some worries, but I was also incredibly curious and was given the access to play around for multiple months with free credits that replenished daily. (I thankfully didn't spend a dime)

I came out of it with a breadth of imagery that has continued to inspire me, not unlike how I am inspired by found imagery on the web, bootlegs and other odd and lost ephemera, toy design, novelties, mass produced objects like stickers etc.

I spent most of my credits on mixtures of words, textures, colours and shapes to create a world of miniatures. Eventually the machine was trying to make too much sense of my requests and the playful and creative aspects melted away for me. I am still curious about the image making uses of this type of tool but in the hand of corporations, no different in goal than the corporate art of popular mass culture films, music and gaming etc, everything is on a continuous soulless trajectory. Haha, sigh. There is a lot of art that I already ignore.. understand it's all incredibly subjective, but most art sucks (to me).

I enjoyed my results but I don't enjoy the context in which this all 'exists'.

I have remade these digital curiosities anew. From the unreal-state of this nightmarish tech, material works were eventually born from my hands. It did not feel dissimilar to me than how I used to enjoy utilizing photoshop to clash together found imagery. Being playful with things found online that didn't necessarily belong to me, but felt as though they belong to us all.

The art of appropriation through some extra 'filters' that can leave you blind. I wish one could access a reversal mechanism with AI, to see all the pieces of the puzzle that was used to construct a resulting image. Clearly a lot of what is concocted through AI are deliberate plagiarisms: can you imagine requesting 'work' in the voice or style of a specific artist and believing that what the machine has created is 'unique'? (Ahem: Paul Schrader lol)

Sorry to blab but I will have continued rambled thoughts about AI technology as we keep seeing all of this develop esp in mass culture. My feelings in terms of AI in the art world is that it probably will eventually be seen as a fad that has eaten itself. (Perhaps it already has. AI CEOs are already admitting that their algorithms have already scraped all there is to scrape.)

...

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I told my mother her book covers are bad?

I (20s F) used to design book covers for my mother, who is a self published author. I've recently stopped, both due to time conflicts because of work/school, and because it was a pain working with her (she never knew what she wanted and I would have to BEG her to give me enough information to work with, but then would ask for random additions to completed covers because new ideas suddenly came to her head; would give me deadlines for covers to be completed and then complain if I was doing personal hobbies instead of working on her cover even if the deadline was weeks away. also I don't know if this will be relevant, but yes I was paid for all covers I made for her). I did a handful of covers for her over the past few years, all of which she said she loved and would excitedly show to anyone she could. However I recently noticed she'd had some of the covers I'd done for her remade by a friend of hers. Some of them are Fine (not the best, I think the friend just throws stock photos into Canva) but others are very bad. Not quite Chuck Tingle bad, but close.

I love my mom, and she loves writing. It's been her dream to pursue a writing career for decades, and I want her to succeed! But no matter how much we say don't judge a book by its cover, a good cover can mean the difference between readers snatching a book up immediately and skipping over it without a second thought. Especially for self published authors who can't pull readers by name alone. I think it's important to note that she has explicitly asked for my help in this regard in the past (in addition to helping her design her website/developing an "brand" identity for her). She self admits to having no artistic eye and not knowing the difference between what looks "good" or "bad" (yes I know these are subjective, but you could slap a stock photo on a white background with comic sans and she wouldn't understand why that's not a Good cover she should be paying possibly several hundred dollars for) and has asked for my help both when I was a teenager with an interest in art and in the past few years as I'm currently in college for art and design. However she hasn't asked for my help recently, and that's where I fear I may be TAH. If this was her hobby I wouldn't care at all, but she's actively trying to make a career off her writing, and I believe some of her covers (in addition to things like poor web design and other miscellaneous stuff) reflect poorly on her because they look unprofessional, lazy and just. bad. From the way she's spoken in the past, I think she doesn't care/doesn't want to focus on anything that isn't actually writing, and while I understand that sentiment, I think it'll do more harm than good to her career. If it weren't for the issues mentioned above, I'd offer to work with her again.

WIBTA if I told her these covers were bad, despite her not explicitly asking for my input?

What are these acronyms?

[crystal-moon-101]

Species: Cellu'gami Homeplanet: Parrennial Life-Span: 100-150 Habitat: Forests, Swamps, Jungles Diet: Xylophagy, Folivore Breeding: Sexual Reproduction Sexual Dimorphism: Females and males looking extremely similar, the main noticeable difference being in the end sections of their tail. Males have a bioluminescent end, while females do not. Children only develop this trait after emerging from their cocoons when they’re old enough. Behaviour/Bio: The cellu'gami are a very recent addition to the galactic world, due to outsiders interacting with them too early. In their homeworld, many of their plants have metallic properties within them, especially the trees. A strange hybrid between plant matter and metal. The cellu’gami feed off of the flora, mostly the trees, along with building their civilizations around them. However, because of these unusual properties of their plant life, outsiders came in and started uprooting their plants to study or sell off, and more damage would have been done if not for the Plumbers stepping in and providing protection. Because the cellu’gami feed off of these plants, their young absorb the metallic substances and form sharp, but highly flexible wings after going through a cocoon process when they’re old enough and have eaten enough. Young cellu’gami, also known as “A Pouch”, have a bag-like body that they can hide into, living in burrows made within trees to eat from the inside out made by their parents. They are pretty helpless, and can easily be narrow minded when it comes to food, so parents have to keep a close eye on them. Cellu’gami live in massive colonies, and are fairly neighbourly to each other. Though when it comes to strangers or those not in their colonies, they can be rather hostile and untrusting, very quick to assume the kind of danger that lives outside their homes. Even as they make more and more connections outside their homeworld, it takes a lot for many of them to warm up to anyone they’re not familiar with. Though despite being considered more primitive than most plants that reach the space stage, they are fairly intelligent creatures, especially when using their webs, calculating the strength and width of them when doing things like crafting homes, traps and so on. They’re also quite clean beings, and spend a long time making sure their wings are up to code. Abilities: Origami Shaping - Because of how flexible their wings are, the cellu’gami are able to shape their wings into origami like patterns, but that is entirely based on what the individual knows, even if they have instinctual creativity that can mentally guide them. They often hide their bodies within their builds for protection or better movement based on their environment. It can also be used as a social method for them.

Metal Wings - Their wings are a light metal substance, but are extremely durable and sharp. They can easily cut through many materials, or even other creatures if they so wish, leaving behind clean cuts wherever they go.

Flight - While not rapidly fast in the air, they are very agile, able to twist and turn through the wind with ease, and can even use their massive wings to halt quickly. It is very mesmerising in how they take flight.

Webbing - They can produce a thin but strong enough webbing to hold things in place, their webs also able to glow in the dark. It can be easily broken through by large and strong individuals, but can still be used for crafting or trap making.

Night Vision - They are mostly nocturnal in nature, and thus have developed the ability to see in the dark, and have an easier time spotting things in the night than they do during the day.

Bite Force - They have an insane bite force and can lock their jaws to stay on their targets. Their bites are described as burning, rather painful to go through, as it was designed to peel away bark from their trees with ease. There have even been reports of members who have died, and yet are still biting onto something and can not be pried off with ease.

Wall Sticking - Their legs are able to stick onto most surfaces to crawl around with ease, whether that be the floor, walls or roof, and their sense of direction is hardly ever lost on them.

Weaknesses: While their wings are tough, their bodies are much more squishier. They are not good in the water, being very poor swimmers. Males can not turn off their bioluminescent tails, and thus cannot hide with ease sometimes. If their wings are damaged, the only way to restore them over time is to eat their native plant-life, but if they have no access to it then their wings will never heal. Hot enough flames can melt their wings. An individual can be limited on what they can shape into based on their own knowledge.

[taswritesstuff]

ellipsus: an honest review

(this is pretty much directly copied from an insta post i just made. if you're seeing this before monday 4/21, when this goes live on insta... cool! you got in early. also, check my instagram out)

what is ellipsus?

ellipsus is a writing platform designed for collaboration, but it can definitely be used alone. i, personally, only write solo, so this review mostly focuses on the solo writing experience (with a few mentions of collaborative features).

features

there are sort of 4 main parts to ellipsus when it comes to writing: folders, documents, the main writing doc, and drafts. you can make folders to house multiple documents, and you can even put folders into folders, which allows for a TON of organization.

inside each document, you have the main document and the drafts. the way it’s meant to be used is as follows: you do all your writing in the main doc, and then you can make drafts that copy everything in the main doc. any changes you make in the drafts doesn’t change the main doc.

that, however, is not how i use documents. i like to make a document about one topic - for example, character development and worldbuilding - and then make drafts that relate to that topic (i.e., a draft for each character bio). this allows for even MORE organization beyond folders, microfolders, and documents.

ellipsus also has templates like word and google docs, but i don’t have much to say as i haven’t tried any of the templates out. as of right now the templates don’t have previews (outside of the ellipsus blog), just names, which has made me hesitant to look into them any further because... you know... i don’t really know what I’m getting into. this is just something to note.

pros

LOTS of organization via folders within folders, documents, and drafts

built-in collaboration tools (such as version history, a chat box for collaborators, and commenting on drafts)

lots of formatting tools (such as headings, a divider, quote/code, indents, and more)

the platform is constantly being improved & updated

if you’re a font nerd like me: new fonts are added fairly often, and the selection is pretty good right now! it has a good variety of different font types.

IT'S FREE!!

cons

you can’t switch between fonts in one draft/the main doc - only one font for the entire thing (diff headings can have different fonts)

can be glitchy sometimes (though i’ve never lost work!)

you can move documents between folders, but you can’t move drafts between documents. (this might not seem like a big deal to some, but i accidentally made a draft in the wrong doc once and wasn’t able to move it, which sort of threw off my organization :/)

ellipsus is only on web, which is great on computers but makes it difficult & not fun to use on mobile

should you use it instead of word and google docs?

i’ve been using ellipsus for around 2 months now, and i’d say it’s a great alternative... but it doesn’t have everything. in some regards, i’m still finding it difficult to completely transfer over from google docs, which I’ve been using for years. one thing i love is ellipsus' stance completely against ai, and its commitment to staying that way. i still mostly use google docs on my phone, since ellipsus is hard to use on mobile.

final thoughts & comments

i think ellipsus is a great tool, and that everybody should try it out! maybe you won’t transfer over to it completely right away (or ever), but it’s still something to look into. is it perfect? no, but it’s improving all the time.

interested? find them here:

tumblr: @ellipsus-writes

website: https://ellipsus.com/

blog (also linked through website, but i think more people should look into it for new features, features you may have missed, and current writing news): https://ellipsus.com/blog

happy writing!

[scoutofmymind]

Hello! I just discovered I’m Your Man, and I’m so full of fondness for this story, I mean this is incredible. I read the lore and saw the visuals as well, this story is so so special to me. I was wondering (and hoping) if you were planning to write for this story again? Sending my love and appreciation your way <3

Hey darling! Thank you so much for reading, and asking me about it! I loved writing for that piece, it was a lot of fun, and I conjured up a lot of lore for it — I can’t promise I’ll finish, or that I’ll do an official second part, but under the cut I’m just giving you what I have that I never published (or finished) of a part 2.

Fair warning, I didn’t take the time to proof read too much or edit. This is essentially a kind-of first draft, so it might be messy, or worse, has plot holes. 💋

Evenings were easiest, though that was rather like saying drowning was preferable to burning.

They brought the blessed relief of shadows, of carefully maintained distances, of words swallowed behind silver spoons and crystal glasses. The gilded dining hall stretched endless between you and your father, though the space never felt quite vast enough. The table itself was a battlefield dressed in finery —every elaborate centerpiece a fortress, every candle flame a warning signal, every piece of silverware a potential weapon or witness.

Almost ironically — or perhaps deliberately, knowing your father's appetite for subtle cruelties — he'd begun stationing Luigi among the dinner guards.

The Grims stood like living statuary, paired in perfect symmetry along the walls, their muzzles gleaming dully in the candlelight.

Your father had always appreciated aesthetic suffering.

Each guard was positioned precisely, their shadows stretching across the imported marble in careful geometry.

Luigi stood sixth from the left, and though his stance matched his fellow Grims perfectly, you could read entire sonnets in the minute differences — the slightly looser grip on his weapon, the barely perceptible shift of weight when your father spoke too sharply, the way his eyes tracked the servants' movements with concern rather than suspicion.

Keeping your gaze from finding him had become an exquisite form of torture.

You'd developed an entire language of not-looking; studying the ornate ceiling frescos until you'd memorized every painted cloud, counting the crystalline drops on the chandeliers, examining your reflection in the soup as though it held state secrets. But your eyes were treacherous things, drawn to him like compass needles to true north.

The worst part was knowing your father watched you not-watching.

He sat at the table's far end, a spider in his web of calculated ceremony, measuring the space between your glances with the same precision he used to measure the kingdom's borders.

Each time your eyes skipped too close to Luigi's position, your father's wine glass would pause halfway to his lips — a gesture that carried more threat than any spoken warning.

Still, there was a bitter comfort in these evening performances.

At least in the dining hall, everyone wore their masks openly — your father's benevolent tyrant, your own dutiful daughter, Luigi's obedient hound.

The honesty of pretense, served alongside each carefully plated course.

"Father, why do we need the hounds here whilst we eat dinner?" You ask, letting sweetness drip from each syllable. The question is crafted with the same delicate precision as the sugar sculptures adorning tonight's dessert course — beautiful, fragile things designed to shatter.

Despite his perpetual softness toward you — or perhaps because of it — you'd seen what lurks beneath your father's facade.

Since your mother's death, you've watched him transform like iron in a forge, folding and refolding into something harder, sharper. The man who once read you bedtime stories now reads execution orders with the same cadence.

Your father's hand stills, fork hovering above his plate, and the silence stretches long enough that the candle flames seem to hold their breath.

"Tell me," he says finally, his voice carrying the same tone he uses when addressing servants who've broken valuable items, "would you question why we keep shields mounted on our walls? Or why the castle keeps its gates?" He sets his fork down with a loud precision that makes you flinch. "These creatures serve their purpose. Nothing more."

You cast your gaze upward to catch his, and the temperature in the room seems to drop as he continues, "They may walk on two legs, but make no mistake — they are tools, not beings for contemplation. The muzzles aren't decorative, they’re necessary. Like chains on a door."

You feel Luigi's presence across the dining room, steady as heartbeat, though you dare not turn, your fathers gaze flicking past your shoulder, and his lip curls slightly — the same expression he wears when discovering rats in the grain stores, a hand reaching for his pistol.

"Perhaps," he says, "you've spent too much time in the gardens. Your mother's softness speaks through you, and while it was charming in her, it has no place in our current Kingdom."

The mention of your mother falls like an executioner's axe, and he knows it.

Later, you find yourself shivering in the east hall, the long stretch of marble flooring illuminated by candelabras lining the ornate wall, their flames cast dancing shadows across centuries-old tapestries, each flicker a potential betrayal of this stolen moment. "Miss you," Luigi whispers earnestly, his voice barely stirring the air between you.

The winter's chill seeps through the very foundation beneath him, but even this bone-deep cold is preferable to his former post — outside the vacant North Tower where a new pup now stands, facing the harshest winds winter could devise, just as Luigi once did.

The east wing's bustling nature should have made it impossible to pluck Luigi from his duties, each passing shadow a potential witness, but like all obstacles your father erected between you, it only stood for a night or so — after all, you'd learned long ago that the busiest places often held the best hiding spots, and that most eyes saw only what they expected to see.

The castle's rhythms were as predictable as tides.

Every third hour, like clockwork, the kitchen staff would parade through the east hall with their thunderous carts of dishes and linens, and the noise would draw the attention of even the most disciplined guards, and the temporary chaos of bodies and movement provided perfect cover.

You'd learned this during your childhood wanderings, watching from hidden corners as the entire wing transformed into organized mayhem, and more importantly, you'd noticed how the guard stationed closest to the kitchens would habitually step aside, pressing against the wall to allow the procession through.

Luigi, being the newest addition to this post, had been stationed precisely there — a placement likely meant as another punishment, subjecting him to the constant disruption.

It was almost too easy to time your requests for his escort to these moments, when his temporary step away from his post would go unquestioned. After all, what guard would refuse a princess seeking protection during such chaos?

And if your chosen paths happened to lead away from the bustle rather than through it, well — that was simply a matter of comfort and propriety, wasn't it?

The library's defunct servant passages would be perfect — specifically, the narrow maintenance corridor behind the east wing's reading room, originally designed to allow servants quick access for tending fires and delivering books, it had fallen into disuse once the castle modernized its heating systems.

Few remembered these passages existed, their entrances cleverly disguised as decorative panels in the library's ornate woodwork.

What made it ideal was its location between the library's outer wall and inner chambers — the thick stone masking any sound, while the regular creaking of the building's ancient architecture provided perfect cover for any subtle movements.

Your fingers tremble with practiced urgency as you undo the cruel leather straps, each movement gentle despite your haste. The muzzle comes away with a wet sound that makes your chest ache, revealing the constellation of puncture wounds across his cheeks — fresh rivulets of blood trace familiar paths down his jaw, marking today as one where he couldn't hold his tongue.

"My stubborn boy," you breathe, already dabbing at the wounds with your handkerchief. The white silk comes away crimson, like all the others hidden away in your chambers. “Can’t keep anything to yourself.”

Luigi catches your wrist, stilling your ministrations.

Even in the dim light of your hidden corner, his eyes hold that same burning intensity that first drew you — not the dutiful blank stare of a Grimguard, but something wild and unbreakably human.

You lean forward, pressing your forehead to his, breathing in the metallic tang of blood and leather and him. This close, you can feel the slight tremor in his frame — exhaustion from standing at attention for so long, “Will you ever forgive me for putting you in this danger?” You whisper, your nose nudging his.

Despite the fresh wounds, a crooked smile tugs at his bloodied lips — the same reckless grin that gets him in trouble during training, as he reaches up with scarred knuckles to touch your face, his calloused fingers impossibly gentle for someone who's been trained to kill.

"Not your fault," he murmurs, wiping away a tear you hadn't noticed falling. His smile turns sharp, almost proud. "They tried to grab my collar and I caught his hand." He chomps his teeth dramatically at you, the bright white enamel bloodstained from the wounds on his cheeks.

You've seen him in the training yard, snarling defiance even as they force the muzzle on him.

Watched him stand proud with blood running down his chin because he refused to stay silent when ordered.

But here, with you, his fierce edges soften, even as he bears his bloody teeth in a playful grin — like a wolf pup showing off its first kill, eager for praise rather than fear. The same smile that terrorizes the guards transforms into something almost innocent when directed at you, even as he growls, "Let them hurt me. I hurt them back worse."

You reach out to trace the fresh thorn marks on his neck, each puncture a reminder of how close they come to going too deep. "Luigi, please," you whisper, voice catching. "They'll kill you if you keep this up. Father already talks about how you're more trouble than you're worth."

His playful grin falters for just a moment, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes before the wildness returns. "Let them." he says, but his voice lacks its usual bravado. His hand catches yours where it rests against his wounds. "I can't-I can't just submit like the others." He struggles with the words, frustration evident in his clenched jaw. "Rather die standing than live on my knees."

"You don't understand," you plead, gripping his forearms. "There are worse things than the thorns. I've seen what they do to the ones they decide to break. The ones that disappear into the lower chambers." Your voice drops to a horrified whisper. "Sometimes we can hear them screaming for days."

Luigi goes very still at that, his breathing shallow.

For a moment, real fear crosses his face — not for himself, you realize, but something else.

Or someone else.

But he only allows himself a heartbeat to sit with that grief before he's pressing his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. This part of his ritual is as familiar as breathing — marking you with his scent, erasing any trace of the suitor who dared stand too close today.

The gesture should seem animal, primitive, and perhaps it is.

After all, that's how they raised him.

Chained and muzzled, trained with thorns and pain until human and beast blurred together; yet, there's something achingly human in the way his hands tremble against your back, in how he breathes your name like a prayer against your skin.

Flesh and bone and something wilder — something they couldn't beat out of him no matter how hard they tried.

You could feel the heat radiating off of him, wild hearts beating in tandem, hands roaming two bodies that ache for each other but have been kept apart for far too long. "How much longer?" he murmurs against your neck, the words half-growl, half-plea. His fingers trace idle patterns on your back, but there's tension in every line of his body. "Until we can stop hiding?"

You know what he's asking — about the plans you've whispered in the dark, about the ship waiting in the southern harbor and the loyal Grimguards who've agreed to look the other way, about the small fortune in jewels you've slowly been converting to untraceable coin.

Three more weeks until the spring festival, when security will be distracted and the crowds will provide cover. Three more weeks of watching him bleed, of forcing yourself to smile at what your father has called the Destined Suitor.

"Soon," you promise, running your fingers through his hair, careful of the fresh bruise at his temple. "Just a little longer.” You pull back just enough to cup his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your eyes. "Three weeks," you whisper. "Then we'll be free. No more thorns, no more hiding. Just us."

The wild hope that flares in his eyes makes your chest ache. It's the same look he had when you first suggested running away together — like he couldn't quite believe someone would choose him, choose freedom with a broken weapon over a crown and a kingdom.

“Just us.” Luigi echoes, a nod following an earnest hum. He transfers his trust to you, not just in this very moment but in all of them. In every moment he leaves his post to be with you, in every moment he ‘s vulnerable, the whimpering pup who snarls and spits and makes itself as big as possible when threatened.

"Are you scared?" you whisper, Your fingers trace the raw edges where metal has worn his skin thin. His slight head shake carries a practiced indifference, but you notice how his throat tightens, how his fingers curl against your dress. You've seen what happens in that arena — watched pups tear into each other with desperate fury, their humanity unraveling thread by bloody thread as the crowd cheers.

"No," Luigi says, but the scars around his cheeks tell a different story. They're deeper now, darker — a map of defiance etched into flesh. Each time you remove his muzzle, each precious moment he claims his face as his own, the wounds carve themselves deeper.

His attention drifts to your face, and something in his expression softens. There's still a boy beneath the scars, beneath the kingdom's attempts to forge him into steel. "Are you worried for me?" His hand lifts, catching a strand of your hair between callused fingers. Even now, with hands trained to break bone, he touches you like you're made of gossamer.

Like he's afraid his violence might stain you.

"The Teething doesn’t hold a match to the Muzzling.” He recalls the sparring he’d done with his first muzzle, even before it’d been thorned — heavy metal weighing his head, obscuring most of his sight, meant to train him for endurance before his permanent one.

"What's any of it good for?" The wonder slips out before you can catch it, fragile as a dying breath. Your fingers trace the cruel architecture of his muzzle laid off to the side, and you remember a different kingdom.

You'd grown up believing in fairy tales — in a land where the castle's shadow meant protection, where your father's crown symbolized wisdom rather than power. You remember running through meadows that bloomed eternal, your shoes stained green from grass that seemed to stretch into forever, and how the gardeners would weave you crowns of daffodils, the air always smelling of spring's promise.

Now those same fields lie buried under sheets of unforgiving ice.

The flowers have long since withered, their graves marked by frost. Even the earth itself seems to have hardened, frozen to its core like your father's heart. Sometimes you wonder if you dreamed that gentler kingdom, if it ever truly existed beyond your childhood memories — or perhaps this is what kingdoms always become, when kings forget that crowns should weigh heavy with responsibility rather than pride.

You watch his eyes drift back to the crystal chandelier above, searching for wisdom in its scattered light. "I think-“ His tongue clicks softly against his teeth, followed by that drowsy habit of his, lips parting in a yawn he'd normally have to suppress. Without the muzzle, he can indulge in these small freedoms.

"I think it is necessary."

The words hang in the stillness between you, and your fingers weave through his dark waves, each curl a small rebellion against the military precision they demand of him, but you don't interrupt this rare moment of vulnerability. He's still learning to trust his voice, to remember that language can be wielded as skillfully as teeth and claws.

"I think," he continues, each word carefully chosen, "the kingdom needs teeth." His eyes hold a wisdom that makes him seem ancient despite his youth, although he struggles still to find the words. "Without the Teething, they might forget what power looks like. And when they forget-" He pauses, and you see him wrestling with memories he hasn’t shared yet. “That's when real monsters want to play. At least with us, with the hounds, everyone knows where the danger lies."

The terrible logic of it makes your chest ache.

He's learned to see his own subjugation as a form of protection — a controlled violence to prevent unchecked chaos. The clear-eyed understanding of a young man who's seen too much of the world's darkness.

"When they know what we can do — what we're made to do-“ his voice grows softer, almost gentle, "they stay in line. They don't hurt each other in the streets. They watch us fight instead." His fingers tighten in your dress, betraying the conviction in his words. "Before the hounds, before the muzzles. There was so much blood. At least now-“ he swallows hard, "there are rules."

You hear what he won't say, that he'd rather bear the thorns himself than watch the kingdom tear itself apart — that somewhere he's accepted his role as both warning and sacrifice, carrying the weight of controlled brutality to ward off something he fears would be far worse.

It's the logic of someone who's been taught that peace can only exist in the shadow of power — and perhaps has seen enough to believe it.

Still, it would never stop him from pushing the envelope.

His acceptance of necessity didn't breed docility.

He’d always bite the hand that fed him.

But to show him kindness without permanence would have been a cruelty worse than leaving him.

Furthermore, Luigi was devastatingly easy to love.

He was rough around the edges that needed it — calloused hands, scarred knuckles, the way he'd bare his teeth when startled; but he was soft in all the ways that mattered.

How he'd fold your blankets in the morning, the gentle way he'd test bath water with his wrist, how he hummed old lullabies while he clung to you in your sleep, always mindful of your feelings, still, despite years of being trained as a demonic pet rather than human.

Against all odds, against the leather and steel they'd forced between his teeth, against every lash and command, Luigi had clung to his humanity like a drowning man to driftwood. It lived in his laugh — starting rusty, as if remembering how, then building to something wild and free. It showed in his breathing — no longer the measured pants of a trained beast, but deep and steady and sure.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in terms of lore or where I planned on going with the story. Like I said, I loved writing for it! I just can’t promise a continuation beyond this and I apologize! But that’s also not to say I never will.

[blubberquark]

Are Game Blogs Uniquely Lost?

All this started with my looking for the old devlog of Storyteller. I know at some point it was linked from the blogroll on the Braid devlog. Then I tried to look at on old devlog of another game that is still available. The domain for Storyteller is still active. The devblog is gone.

I tried an old bookmark from an old PC (5 PCs ago, I think). It was a web site linked to pixel art and programming tutorials. Instead of linking to the pages directly, some links link led to a twitter threads by authors that collected their work posted on different sites. Some twitter threads are gone because the users were were suspended, or had deleted their accounts voluntarily. Others had deleted old tweets. There was no archive. I have often seen links accompanied by "Here's a thread where $AUTHOR lists all his writing on $TOPIC". I wonder if the sites are still there, and only the tweets are gone.

A lot of "games studies" around 2010 happened on blogs, not in journals. Games studies was online-first, HTML-first, with trackbacks, tags, RSS and comment sections. The work that was published in PDF form in journals and conference proceedings is still there. The blogs are gone. The comment sections are gone. Kill screen daily is gone.

I followed a link from critical-distance.com to a blog post. That blog is gone. The domain is for sale. In the Wayback Machine, I found the link. It pointed to the comment section of another blog. The other blog has removed its comment sections and excluded itself from the Wayback Machine.

I wonder if games stuff is uniquely lost. Many links to game reviews at big sites lead to "page not found", but when I search the game's name, I can find the review from back in 2004. The content is still there, the content management systems have been changed multiple times.

At least my favourite tumblr about game design has been saved in the Wayback Machine: Game Design Tips.

To make my point I could list more sites, more links, 404 but archived, or completely lost, but when I look at small sites, personal sites, blogs, or even forums, I wonder if this is just confirmation bias. There must be all this other content, all these other blogs and personal sites. I don't know about tutorials for knitting, travel blogs, stamp collecting, or recipe blogs. I usually save a print version of recipes to my Download folder.

Another big community is fan fiction. They are like modding, but for books, I think. I don't know if a lot of fan fiction is lost to bit rot and link rot either. What is on AO3 will probably endure, but a lot might have gone missing when communities fandom moved from livejournal to tumblr to twitter, or when blogs moved from Wordpress to Medium to Substack.

I have identified some risk factors:

Personal home pages made from static HTML can stay up for while if the owner meticulously catalogues and links to all their writing on other sites, and if the site covers a variety of interests and topics.

Personal blogs or content management systems are likely to lose content in a software upgrade or migration to a different host.

Writing is more likely to me lost when it's for-pay writing for a smaller for-profit outlet.

A cause for sudden "mass extinction" of content is the move between social networks, or the death of a whole platform. Links to MySpace, Google+, Diaspora, and LiveJournal give me mostly or entirely 404 pages.

In the gaming space, career changes or business closures often mean old content gets deleted. If an indie game is wildly successful, the intellectual property might ge acquired. If it flops, the domain will lapse. When development is finished, maybe the devlog is deleted. When somebody reviews games at first on Steam, then on a blog, and then for a big gaming mag, the Steam reviews might stay up, but the personal site is much more likely to get cleaned up. The same goes for blogging in general, and academia. The most stable kind of content is after hours hobbyist writing by somebody who has a stable and high-paying job outside of media, academia, or journalism.

The biggest risk factor for targeted deletion is controversy. Controversial, highly-discussed and disseminated posts are more likely to be deleted than purely informative ones, and their deletion is more likely to be noticed. If somebody starts a discussion, and then later there are hundreds of links all pointing back to the start, the deletion will hurt more and be more noticeable. The most at-risk posts are those that are supposed to be controversial within a small group, but go viral outside it, or the posts that are controversial within a small group, but then the author says something about politics that draws the attention of the Internet at large to their other writings.

The second biggest risk factor for deletion is probably usefulness combined with hosting costs. This could also be the streetlight effect at work, like in the paragraph above, but the more traffic something gets, the higher the hosting costs. Certain types of content are either hard to monetise, and cost a lot of money, or they can be monetised, so the free version is deliberately deleted.

The more tech-savvy users are, the more likely they are to link between different sites, abandon a blogging platform or social network for the next thing, try to consolidate their writings by deleting their old stuff and setting up their own site, only to let the domain lapse. The more tech-savvy users are, the more likely they are to mess with the HTML of their templates or try out different blogging software.

If content is spread between multiple sites, or if links link to social network posts that link to blog post with a comment that links to a reddit comment that links to a geocities page, any link could break. If content is consolidated in a forum, maybe Archive team could save all of it with some advance notice.

All this could mean that indie games/game design theory/pixel art resources are uniquely lost, and games studies/theory of games criticism/literary criticism applied to games are especially affected by link rot. The semi-professional, semi-hobbyist indie dev, the writer straddling the line between academic and reviewer, they seem the most affected. Artists who start out just doodling and posting their work, who then get hired to work on a game, their posts are deleted. GameFAQs stay online, Steam reviews stay online, but dev logs, forums and blog comment sections are lost.

Or maybe it's only confirmation bias. If I was into restoring old cars, or knitting, or collecting stamps, or any other thing I'd think that particular community is uniquely affected by link rot, and I'd have the bookmarks to prove it.

Figuring this out is important if we want to make predictions about the future of the small web, and about the viability of different efforts to get more people to contribute. We can't figure it out now, because we can't measure the ground truth of web sites that are already gone. Right now, the small web is mostly about the small web, not about stamp collecting or knitting. If we really manage to revitalise the small web, will it be like the small web of today except bigger, the web-1.0 of old, or will certain topics and communities be lost again?

[haydenigmatic]

Lady Verena (veh-REH-na) Sarpe (/sɑːrp/)

Introducing Lady Verena, the captivating scion of one of the eight kingdoms' powerful families. Renowned for her beauty and political acumen, she weaves a complex tapestry of seduction and strategy to navigate the intricate web of courtly affairs. What twists await her?

As for a face claim there are a few: Katie McGrath as Morgana Le Fay, possibly Eva Green, even Alicia Agneson and of course she reminds me of Morrigan, all of them are a mix of what I picture her.

Now for her voice I think; Kathleen Turner the voice of Jessica Rabbit, I love her no matter what her health condition has done to her voice.

Main Family Dynamics:

Duke Veneger - The Spymaster:

Her father, is the spymaster serving the king. His absence from home due to his court duties creates a void in her life, contributing to her independence and self-reliance.

Duchess Jyne - The Ailing Mother:

Her mother, was once a significant influence in her life. However, her illness has made her unable to interact, creating a longing for the nurturing connection they once shared.

Veredus - The Heir with Reservations:

Her elder brother and the heir to the family, harbours reservations about his sister's unconventional ways. He views her with scepticism, wishing for a more traditional sister who would conform to societal expectations.

Vardan - The Second Son:

Her other elder brother, He has a knack for exploration and is often away on journeys to distant lands. Despite the physical distance, Verena and Vardan share a bond forged through occasional letters and updates, maintaining a connection despite the miles between them. He is more of a silent observer in the family dynamics. He neither openly opposes nor supports Verena's choices, maintaining a neutral stance.

Here are some random details about her:

Memorable Quote: "In this world, one's reputation is a weapon as sharp as any dagger."

Is an excellent horsewoman and loves nothing more than taking a spirited stallion out for a ride in the countryside.

Has a secret love for sweets and often indulges in them when no one is watching.

She is obsessed with collecting rare and exotic perfumes from all over the world.

Wears tight, low-cut dresses exclusively designed by a renowned tailor who understands her unique style.

Developed immunity to poisons, both a strength and a vulnerability. While it grants her a certain invincibility, it has also become a dangerous addiction.

love for the theatre isn't just limited to being an audience member. She actively participates in local productions, taking on various roles that allow her to explore different facets of herself.

Her white ferret companion is named Kavi. Originally intended as a meal for a serpent she had, changed her mind and kept the ferret as a pet. Becoming a constant, sneaking companion, often resting on her shoulder or within the folds of her elaborate dresses during social gatherings.

The illness that befell her mother left her unable to interact, creating a void that she struggled to fill, until Countess Roderick took her under her wing, she viewed her as a mother figure.

Countess Roderick became a surrogate parent, filling the void left by Verena's ailing mother and absent father. Visiting every day or extending invitations to her estate, the Countess became both mentor and confidante. However, her teachings went beyond the conventional, delving into the realm of feminine power and manipulation. Countess Roderick believed in arming her with the tools she'd need to navigate the treacherous world she was born into.

Fuelled by a mix of rage and political calculation, her father orchestrated the demise of Countess Roderick and her husband. This act, intended to protect the family's honour, irreparably fractured her trust in familial bonds and propelled her into a world where power and cunning were her only constants.

Her Network of Informants: "The Eyes of the Snake" maintains an extensive network of informants across the Eight Kingdoms. Information flows seamlessly through their channels, allowing her to stay well-informed about potential threats or opportunities.

[dailyanarchistposts]

"Ecologist" means different things to different people. Strictly speaking, an ecologist is a scientist (usually a biologist) who studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environments. "Deep ecologists," on the other hand, may or may not be scientifically trained, and their topic is not ecology per se but rather developing a harmonious relationship with Nature, and defending the Earth against human-generated threats. Scientific ecologists, to the extent that they want to appear respectable, may be quite anthropocentric in their day to day behavior; deep ecologists, on the other hand, are explicitly biocentric (or at least they try to be). To many people, an "ecologist" is simply an environmentalist, or someone who (unlike Hayduke) picks up bottles and cans along roadsides (I've seen garbage trucks labeled "Ecology Dept."). Some self-labeled environmentalists have added to the confusion by misinterpreting what ecology fundamentally means, and using it as a buzzword for various political goals.

More distributing to me, as a professional ecologist sensitive to people's lack of appreciation of ecology, is that environmentalists are often antagonistic toward science and scientists in general, not just toward manipulative science and technology. Some openly suggest that scientists are the enemy, and have nothing positive to offer the environmental movement. For example, in planning a recent Green Conference in Florida, organizers went out of their way to assure that no scientific ecologists were involved. When I criticized the program of the conference (which featured anti-deep ecologist Ynestra King as a keynote speaker) and asked why no ecologists had been invited to speak, the conference organizer responded that if I meant, by "ecologist," the "progressional, biological scientist type," then he saw no need for that kind of person to speak at a conference for activists.

I admit I feel a little uneasy about being called a scientists...somehow that label conjures up images of little men in white lab coats playing with test tubes and DNA. But a woman or man crouched in the forest, keying-out (and admiring) a fungus or recording details of bird behavior, is every bit as much of a scientist as the experimenter in the laboratory. And the lab scientists, too, may contribute invaluable information toward our understanding of how Nature works. I suggest that science phobia is often misguided, and that ecological science is a constructive approach to knowing Nature. By itself, science may be neither necessary not sufficient to understand Nature, but it is one fo the best tools we have. Deep ecologists and other environmentalists would do well to consider more thoughtfully what the Way of Ecology offers, both as a science and as a worldview.

The science of ecology developed from natural history, the lore of Nature. Since Charles Darwin, this lore has been unfused with concepts of interdependence, interrelationship, and co-adaptation—indeed, it was Darwin's thoroughly scientific theory of evolution that made ecology possible. Evolution made sense out of natural history; facts heretofore disconnected became interacting components of general patterns that should be explained in a rational and convincing way. Furthermore, elements in Darwin's theory were empirically testable—the hall-mark of science.

Unlike religious beliefs, scientific hypotheses are designed to be discarded if they no longer accord with observations. Much hogwash persists in science, but honest scientists do their best to weed it out. The subject of ecology is Nature, which has developed in all its beauty through organic evolution and is a vast web of interactions more complex than humans can ever fully comprehend. As ecologist Frank Egler has pointed out, "Nature is not only more complex than we think, but more complex than we can ever think." It is one intricate system composed of a hierarchy of nested subsystems, with structure flowing upward and constraints flowing downward. Although ecological complexity can never (and some would add, should never) be fully quantified, the study of complex interactions—ecology—produces overwhelming respect for the whole in all who approach it sensitively.

In becoming scientific, natural history does not denigrate into mechanism, but rather matured into holism while retaining the proven techniques of mechanistic science. Establishing facts through observation, experiment, and other reductionist methods, ecology unites them and integrates them into broad, general theories, into wholes greater than the sum of their parts. The wholes (theories) are there all along, of course, guiding the collection of data and providing context for facts. As Stephen Jay Gould has pointed out, facts do not speak for themselves, but are read in the light of theory. Perhaps most important to deep ecologists, ecology and evolutionary biology demonstrate unequivocally that humans are just one ephemeral component of an interrelated and interdependent biota. Ecology and evolutionary biology place us firmly within nature, not on top of it.

Natural science is explicitly non-anthropocentric, even though many of its practitioners are still stuck in anthropocentric modes of thought. Scientists, such as Jared Diamond, who have become familiar with taxonomies developed by indigenous cultures (i.e., the way they separate and classify wild organisms into types) are generally impressed by the similarity of indigenous taxonomy to scientific taxonomy. "Primitive" people recognize mostly the same species in Nature as do modern scientists. The differences usually involve those plants and animals that are not used directly for food, clothing, ornamentation, drugs, and other human purposes. These "useless" species tend to be "lumped"; thus, fewer distinctions and fewer species may be recognized by indigenous cultures than by scientific taxonomists. Indigenous people, like everyone else, have a utilitarian bias that has been naturally selected to foster their survival. For this reason, they have developed a taxonomy that is anthropocentric compared to that of biology, which seeks to classify all organisms with equivalent precision, regardless of their utility to humans. This is not to deny that most research money in biology is channeled into anthropocentric research (e.g., medical science and genetic engineering), and that vertebrates and vascular plants have received more attention than "lower" forms.

Ecologists, as scientists, devote their lives to studying, and hopefully understanding, how Nature works. These people love the Earth. As the British entomologist Miriam Rothschild remarked, "For someone studying natural history, life can never be long enough." Other approaches to this same end (or to no particular "end") are also valid, and are not mutually exclusive. Direct experience, contemplation, meditation, and simply the ecstasy of being immersed in wilderness are equally viable approaches and, in fact, provide many ecologists with the inspiration they need to carry on. These spontaneous or mystical experiences are accessible to scientist and non-scientist alike. Nothing in my professional code of conduct as an ecologist says that I cannot run naked and whooping with joy through the desert, or sit all day and stare at a rock. When I am actively engaged in research, of course, these particular activities may not be appropriate, but only because they may bias my results (for example, by scaring away all the fauna). A whole human being is one who is equally comfortable with rational and intuitive-spontaneous explorations of Nature---one who can deal with "hard facts" at one moment and be a wild animal the next. These two approaches, complementary and intertwined as yin and yang, are both essential to holistic understanding.

Aldo Leopold, my favorite deep ecologist, was able to carry his message so powerfully because he had the sensitivity of a poet and the objectivity of a scientist. He communicated in the hard, factual language of science, sprinkled with brilliant, experiential metaphors in the finest tradition of Nature essays. Virtually every faction within the environmental, ecosophical, and resource management fields claims old Aldo for its own, yet few people seem to comprehend the more radical, biocentric notions he developed gradually through his life, and articulated late in his career. Because he could write so damn well and is appreciated by so many people of such divergent worldviews, Leopold provides deep ecologists with an avenue along which to lead others toward biocentric understanding.

If yin and yang, intuition and rationality, emotion and thought, right brain and left brain are complementary, then so too are deep ecology and scientific ecology. It may be that their relationship is mutualistic: they need each other. Don't judge scientific ecology from your experience that most ecologists (or scientists, generally) are anthropocentric jerks. Most philosophers, accountants, lawyers, farmers, and television repairmen are anthropocentric jerks, too. At least ecology, "the subversive science," has a biocentric, holistic underpinning, which cannot be said for most other disciplines. If most scientific ecologists are not deep ecologists, it is because they have yet to grasp the radical implications of their science. If most deep ecologists are not scientific ecologists, then perhaps it would behoove them to explore natural history, evolution, and ecology. You don't need a college degree to be a good ecologist, though it helps, because it compels exposure to the cumulative knowledge of others through textbooks, journals, and symposia. But the best ecology is learned in the field from observation and reflection on why Nature works the way it does; and from just being there, out of doors and away from the human-dominated world.

It is no accident that many ecologists and field biologists are somewhat crude, wild-eyes, and uncivilized, or to put it simply—"earthy." As John Steinbeck, who was trained in zoology, noted in Log from the Sea of Cortez, "What good men most biologists are, the tenors of the scientific world---temperamental, moody, lecherous, loud-laughing, and healthy...The true biologists deals with life, with teeming, boisterous life, and learns something from it." The message of the ecological worldview, in its fullest expression, is this: Get out into the woods, the mountains, the deserts, the swamps. Feel it, explore it, examine it, think about it, understand it. Rational analysis and direct intuition do not conflict—you need both and your brain is built by natural selection to do both. It is your Nature.

If science, in the form of the "new sciences" or ecology, evolutionary biology, and quantum mechanics, is capable of reinserting humans into Nature by enlarging the self to include the whole biosphere—"the world is my body" (Alan Watts)—then perhaps we have come full circle. We began as primitives, relatively un-self-conscious and inseparable from the ecosystem; we evolved into calculating, rational beings, becoming more and more alienated from our real home; we developed other-wordly religions to place us above other life-forms, and dualist reductionist science to ascribe mechanism to all of Nature; but then we developed new forms of science that put us, surprisingly but objectively, right back where we began and where we belong: as Earth-animals.

Most scientists don't want to think (or, at least, talk openly) about such things or feel they cannot do so without jeopardizing their scientific credibility and, therefore, their careers. Jobs and money are scarce for ecologists, and appearing radical or unscientific is usually a one-way ticket to poverty and obscurity. This does not excuse ecologists from active involvement in defending the Earth, but their hesitation is understandable. Deep ecologists must encourage scientific ecologists to get involved in saving that which they study. The battle to defend the Earth needs warriors who specialize in determining what the war is being fought over, what it takes to save what we have, and how we might be able to put it all back together again.

[jcmarchi]

The Importance of Investing in Soft Skills in the Age of AI

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-importance-of-investing-in-soft-skills-in-the-age-of-ai/

The Importance of Investing in Soft Skills in the Age of AI

I’ll set out my stall and let you know I am still an AI skeptic. Heck, I still wrap “AI” in quotes a lot of the time I talk about it. I am, however, skeptical of the present, rather than the future. I wouldn’t say I’m positive or even excited about where AI is going, but there’s an inevitability that in development circles, it will be further engrained in our work.

We joke in the industry that the suggestions that AI gives us are more often than not, terrible, but that will only improve in time. A good basis for that theory is how fast generative AI has improved with image and video generation. Sure, generated images still have that “shrink-wrapped” look about them, and generated images of people have extra… um… limbs, but consider how much generated AI images have improved, even in the last 12 months.

There’s also the case that VC money is seemingly exclusively being invested in AI, industry-wide. Pair that with a continuously turbulent tech recruitment situation, with endless major layoffs and even a skeptic like myself can see the writing on the wall with how our jobs as developers are going to be affected.

The biggest risk factor I can foresee is that if your sole responsibility is to write code, your job is almost certainly at risk. I don’t think this is an imminent risk in a lot of cases, but as generative AI improves its code output — just like it has for images and video — it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a redundancy risk for actual human developers.

Do I think this is right? Absolutely not. Do I think it’s time to panic? Not yet, but I do see a lot of value in evolving your skillset beyond writing code. I especially see the value in improving your soft skills.

What are soft skills?

A good way to think of soft skills is that they are life skills. Soft skills include:

communicating with others,

organizing yourself and others,

making decisions, and

adapting to difficult situations.

I believe so much in soft skills that I call them core skills and for the rest of this article, I’ll refer to them as core skills, to underline their importance.

The path to becoming a truly great developer is down to more than just coding. It comes down to how you approach everything else, like communication, giving and receiving feedback, finding a pragmatic solution, planning — and even thinking like a web developer.

I’ve been working with CSS for over 15 years at this point and a lot has changed in its capabilities. What hasn’t changed though, is the core skills — often called “soft skills” — that are required to push you to the next level. I’ve spent a large chunk of those 15 years as a consultant, helping organizations — both global corporations and small startups — write better CSS. In almost every single case, an improvement of the organization’s core skills was the overarching difference.

The main reason for this is a lot of the time, the organizations I worked with coded themselves into a corner. They’d done that because they just plowed through — Jira ticket after Jira ticket — rather than step back and question, “is our approach actually working?” By focusing on their team’s core skills, we were often — and very quickly — able to identify problem areas and come up with pragmatic solutions that were almost never development solutions. These solutions were instead:

Improving communication and collaboration between design and development teams

Reducing design “hand-off” and instead, making the web-based output the source of truth

Moving slowly and methodically to move fast

Putting a sharp focus on planning and collaboration between developers and designers, way in advance of production work being started

Changing the mindset of “plow on” to taking a step back, thoroughly evaluating the problem, and then developing a collaborative and by proxy, much simpler solution

Will improving my core skills actually help?

One thing AI cannot do — and (hopefully) never will be able to do — is be human. Core skills — especially communication skills — are very difficult for AI to recreate well because the way we communicate is uniquely human.

I’ve been doing this job a long time and something that’s certainly propelled my career is the fact I’ve always been versatile. Having a multifaceted skillset — like in my case, learning CSS and HTML to improve my design work — will only benefit you. It opens up other opportunities for you too, which is especially important with the way the tech industry currently is.

If you’re wondering how to get started on improving your core skills, I’ve got you. I produced a course called Complete CSS this year but it’s a slight rug-pull because it’s actually a core skills course that uses CSS as a context. You get to learn some iron-clad CSS skills alongside those core skills too, as a bonus. It’s definitely worth checking out if you are interested in developing your core skills, especially so if you receive a training budget from your employer.

Wrapping up

The main message I want to get across is developing your core skills is as important — if not more important — than keeping up to date with the latest CSS or JavaScript thing. It might be uncomfortable for you to do that, but trust me, being able to stand yourself out over AI is only going to be a good thing, and improving your core skills is a sure-fire way to do exactly that.

[bloomblanche]

＊✿ It's Melly!! ✿＊

I just realized that I haven't talked about her much on my blog. Time to fix that.

(Text cut for aesthetic purposes)

Bear in mind that she kinda evolved from "splatsona" to "OC who shares a lot of things with me (but not everything!) and still represents me sometimes but is mostly her own character now"

❥ Mélusine (full name Mélusine Larchipel) is 20 years old and goes by she/her. Her height is 166 cm, aka 5'5. She's autistic and pansexual.

❥ She's all academics, no street smarts. She's rather shy, overly polite, and has trouble voicing her opinions (as well as socializing in general). Her enthusiasm and eccentricities regularly slip through the cracks of her demure appearance.

❥ Melly moved to Inkadia around 10 years ago (making her multilingual as a result), but she still hasn't gotten used to everything because she would mostly spend her time inside without interacting much with other people. She's only recently started to open up, and she uses ink sports and tableturf as a way to do so.

❥ Her mom is a surface Octoling, but her dad is a Cirraling (which is my fan species of cirrate octopuses). That makes her half-grimpoteuthis! The reason why it matters is that the top design isn't her true appearance. The bottom one is what she looks like all-natural.

(Older drawings for comparison)

❥ Due to the biological differences of cirrate octopuses, her chromatophores and her ink sac are a bit underdeveloped. It takes roughly 15 minutes of light exposure for her chromatophores to be able to change colour and roughly 30 minutes in darkness for her to revert back to her natural colour.

❥ She's a bit insecure about her differences, so that's why she disguises herself as a regular Octoling. In fact, her hairstyle is meant to make her ears look smaller since she would get teased for them as a kid.

❥ This character is pretty much a metaphor for masking, when you think about it

❥ Now! Being part-dumbo has its perks, such as better night vision, but it also has its downsides. Remember when I said that her ink sac was underdeveloped? Because of that, she has to focus almost all of her gear abilities into ink saving.

❥ And that combined with her being unable to play anything other than brushes means that Melly REALLY sucks at Salmon Run. She sucks so much that her teammates kept complaining, and she ended up getting kicked out of Grizz Co. She doesn't mind it too much, though, because she's happy earning money with turf war and sewing. Not to mention that the whole business looks really shady anyway.

❥ Going back to brush weapons! Melly has a weird obsession with them. She owns all of the available ones on the market and will only listen to Sheldon's rambles if they're about brush weapons (if they aren't, she will immediately zone out)

❥ She's named Mélusine after the fairy from the eponymous myth. Mélusine is a spirit of fresh water who was cursed to become a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. So! Not only does it have a water theme, but it reflects her appearance-changing deal. She likes her full name, and her family uses it on a regular basis. The reason why she mostly goes by "Melly" is because it's easier for her friends to pronounce.

❥ Her favourite band is Chirpy Chips, and her favourite song from them is Shellfie. She's also a big fan of Raian (guess where that came from) and has a celebrity crush on them.

❥ Her favourite show and videogame are called "Magical Mumi Uni-chan" and "Coral Village 2" respectively.

❥ She loves blueberry pies and hates walnuts for their dry aftertaste (macadamia nuts are more up her alley)

❥ She developed emetophobia as a kid after a severe bout of salmonella.

❥ She really likes flowers as well as lolita fashion and does sewing as a hobby.

❥ While not visible in this drawing, she has some webbing between her fingers (which are tainted purple)

❥ Her shoes are punk whites with ruffle socks.

❥ And last but not least: Melly is based on this specific octopus! She's also very interested in the deep sea and likes to search for books about it.

Thank you for your interest!!

Here are some silly gifs

[classytheoristnut]

How do you market online

With digital marketing, businesses and products are promoted online. It lets firms look at their marketing plans to see what’s working. Companies reach out to new and existing customers through Google search, social media, email, and websites.

How people shop has changed because of the Internet. Before buying something, people spend a lot of time online researching it. 

SEO services Company In Chennai use digital marketing to reach people on the Internet. Marketing means getting in touch with your audience at the right place and time. Online is the best place to look for potential customers.

How digital Marketing Works?

Digital marketing is the best way to build a business’s brand and spread the word about it. A company can reach its target audience online with the help of digital marketing.

Websites are the heart and soul of Chennai Digital Marketing Agency. SEO and SEM use a company’s website to spread the word about its brand or bring in more business. SEO, or “Search Engine Marketing,” tells search engines how to rank websites. 

When a website ranks high in search engine results, the company will likely get more business since most people click on the first page of results.

Your business can grow if you use digital marketing.

People and businesses of all sizes are doing everything to keep up with new technologies. Most companies are changing how they do business online or market themselves to reach a more extensive online market.

Getting targeted audiences online makes the difference between a business idea that fails and one that works. Even if many people visit your site, only a small number of leads will turn into sales. Business owners can stay in business and do well if they use YouTube video promotion Company in Chennai in the right way.

Businesses can grow with the help of digital marketing

Digital marketing counts every click and looks at how customers to act. It tells you about your audience so you can make ads that are more relevant to them. Digital marketing helps any size of business build a reliable brand. 

All a Facebook advertising Company in Chennai needs to create a consistent brand in the market is a unique logo, a tagline, and good graphics. This branding helps connect big and small businesses. 

An excellent digital marketing campaign will help you make more money by making more sales. Most small companies can’t afford to market. Digital marketing is a better way to market because it makes connecting with clients easier, converting audiences and keeping costs down.

Why is digital marketing important for businesses?

For a business to grow, digital marketing is a must. Digital marketing is a cheap way to take over the Internet. Even if you have a lot of traffic on the Internet, it’s useless if you can’t turn it into a return on investment (ROI). 

Your plan for digital marketing needs to be well thought out. Work with a website design, development, and SEO expert in Social Media Marketing Chennai and SEO in Chennai.

Conclusion

DLK Technologies Pvt Ltd  is a social media marketing Company in Chennai that has won awards and wants to help your online business do well. We use the best digital marketing methods and the newest ways to do it. 

Every day, marketers develop new ways to reach web users with the right message. We, google map promotion Company in Chennai, work hard and effectively to make sure our customers are happy. We use the latest methods and tools to serve clients worldwide.

[ar-pic-ulated]

A Star Wars sequel trilogy AU: Same actors, totally different story

Five unlikely heroes are embroiled in the conflict between a criminal gang and decommissioned Imperial troopers when a package is mistakenly given to Rey, an unassuming mechanic, instead of its correct receiving courier. When she’s targeted by the syndicate for its disappearance she stows away to the system the package was sent to in an effort to retrieve it, further entangling herself and the crew of the ship in the web of conspiracy and black market dealings that starts to unravel around them.

The ship Rey steals away on is manned by a crew of cutthroat bounty hunters now targeted by the pursuing gangsters, who reveal a hostage in the form of Paige, sister of the bounty hunter pilot Rose Tico. In order for Paige to go free they must retrieve the package from the planet it was sent to, in a territory ruled by ruthless magistrate Finn and his closely guarded community of guerrilla fighters.

Finn, a strategic and calculating leader holding a longstanding grudge against Imperial troopers, reluctantly agrees to aid Rey and the crew of the Mardji in their search when he realizes the now-missing package puts his people at risk of being targeted by the encroaching Imperials-turned-mercenaries. However, before the package can arrive in port the ship goes down over the wilds of Takodana; Finn, Rose, and Rey are forced to set off in search of the downed ship when they realize both the syndicate and gang of mercenaries are now in pursuit, and either of them retrieving the relic is recipe for disaster.

In the catacombs of Takodana, Poe Dameron searches for answers that will explain his mysterious past when he is led by a prophetic vision to an artifact deep beneath the ruins. When he touches the artifact it binds itself to him in a brilliant flash of light and shows him a vision of his old friend Paige in grave danger: Paige, longtime treasure hunter and con artist, had discovered the other piece of the artifact now bound to Poe’s wrist and intended to steal it en route to a crime syndicate before it was mistakenly sent to Takodana. Though Paige thinks she’s outwitted the criminals by allowing herself to be held ransom, Poe now knows the extent of the relic’s power and what it will be capable of in the wrong hands if both pieces are brought together. It isn’t long before those searching for the same relic begin to close in, and Poe must now contend with the powerful artifact and the effects it has on him.

The adventure that follows brings together allies old and new, forcing them to race against the clock to save kin, community, and their comrades-in-arms.

And I think that’s a wrap!

I started this series as an exercise in character design, swapping out action figure pieces to see who worked best with costume changes and what kind of characters or story I could come up with based on those characters and their potential interactions. The story pitch developed as I came up with each new character and idea, the aim being to find a plausible Star Wars movie idea that was entirely separate from the Skywalker lineage, Jedi, and Empire storylines while still using the same actors in different character archetypes. I’m satisfied with the end result 😊

Some director’s cut notes:

I wanted to elevate Finn’s character to one of an established leader and make him the most community-focused/connected of the group, in addition to being the most cerebral and strategic. I kept the flavor of being in opposition to the remnant Imperial troopers based on what he may have experienced personally in his youth regarding them, with the backdrop of Tatooine’s concept art circa The Mandalorian’s timeline providing the tone.

Finn’s jacket here is actually the vest portion of Cassian Andor’s figure from Rogue One! Finding a different costume or silhouette for his figure was difficult as most pieces didn’t fit or look right, so I went with the altered jacket and color scheme instead. His sleeves, which were not removable, have been dusted with eyeshadow to match the coloration (Eyeshadow can be layered better and in finer particles than paint, and is much easier to remove without ruining the paint job of the original figure)

Rey’s still a mechanic and still has a staff, but her changed character allowed for the staff to serve a dual purpose in that it’s a mobility aid as well.

I almost didn’t have Paige Tico in the story until I remembered her (I’ve only seen The Last Jedi once) and bought the figure on a whim. I was very satisfied with her costume swap as I think it makes for a realistic and fun adventuring outfit combining elements seen in westerns with practical climbing gear, and the ‘escape artist’ part of her new backstory is an allusion to her being able to escape dangerous situations when all hope seems lost. While in canon she was unable to survive, in this universe it is implied that she always will.

Paige and Rose shoot with opposite hands so when they stand together side by side, they’re able to shoot together

The name for Rose’s ship The Twin Mardji comes from a Vietnamese folktale of the Trưng sisters who led a rebellion against Han Chinese authorities in Jiaozhi, going into battle on the backs of war elephants. Veronica Ngô and Kelly Marie Tran are both Vietnamese, the term ‘twin’ is just meant to refer to Paige and Rose being sisters, and Mardji was the name of the Asian elephant that portrayed the bantha in the original trilogy. In this universe my idea was that the ship belonged to both girls, they were forced down different paths in life, and now Rose has a debt she has to work off to her crew. Paige intended to pay that debt with the money she received from fencing the Macguffin

Poe was the most difficult character to come up with a costume for just because his head was disproportionate on a number of other figures and I really wanted to find a different character type for him outside of the typical roguish adventure hero since the Han Solo types were the only bodies that really fit. While I still wanted his character to have some sense of action to fit in with the story, making him the Force-sensitive/magic user/sage and researcher helped me play around with some more ideas outside of the adventurer archetype and I think Bib Fortuna’s cloak realy helped change his silhouette and make him different than what his character is/was characterized as in both canon and fandom. I think it’s fun to cast against type and it forces me as a writer to get more creative and see how I could make a convincing, fun, and unique character that could be played in an interesting way by that same actor. (I also wanted to find a character type we don’t typically see a lot of Latino men playing in movies or shows, especially considering part of the stereotyped backstory they gave Poe’s character in the later sequel movies.)

I had Takodana in mind while browsing some of the concept art early on anyway and I think the architecture and flavor of Maz Kanata’s castle makes for an interesting backdrop with a lot of opportunities— It was only after I did some research did I find out Takodana really is a nexus of the Force!

This concept art backdrop is taken from The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 1