#advantage of user-generated content

[ennobletechnologies]

7 Effective Ways to Boost Your Organic Social Media Reach as a Remodeler or Custom Builder

As a remodeler or custom builder, you want to make sure your social media posts are reaching as many eyes as possible. You’ve likely already put a lot of effort into perfecting your website design and content, so now it’s time to focus on growing your organic social media reach. Here are 7 effective ways to give your reach a boost.

The world of organic social media reach for remodelers and custom builders can be a tough one to crack. You want to make sure your social media posts are reaching as many eyes as possible, but you also don’t want to spend a fortune on ads. The good news is, there are a few effective ways to boost your organic social media reach without breaking the bank.

Here are 7 effective ways to give your reach a boost:

1. Use social media scheduling tools

When you’re running a business and need to keep your social media channels current, using social media scheduling tools can save you time and ensure your posts are updated regularly. Social media scheduling tools help you plan your posts ahead of time so that you don’t have to worry about posting manually on different social media platforms every day.

You can plan content for multiple channels, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more. Scheduling tools can even automate posts and help you tailor your content to the right audience. This way, you can reach a wider audience, enhance engagement and boost organic reach.

The use of social media scheduling tools can help you save time and be more efficient with your social media management. Additionally, by consistently and regularly updating your social channels, you can boost your organic reach and keep your followers interested in your content.

2. Use hashtags thoughtfully

Hashtags can be very beneficial to your organic social media reach. Hashtags help your content reach the right people and even become viral. When used effectively, hashtags can make your content go viral and attract a larger audience. If you are remodeling or custom building in a specific area or have a target audience, hashtags can be useful for many reasons.

The use of targeted hashtags can help you boost your organic reach as it will speak directly to your target audience. Keeping your hashtags consistent with your content could generate more organic likes and shares, which leads to more organic followers.

Using hashtags thoughtfully is essential when you want to boost organic reach. Especially when you use hashtags associated with the local area you are remodeling or custom-building in. Also, if you create content focused on renovation or custom-building tips, using hashtags with similar topics can be very beneficial to expanding your organic reach.

3. Collaborate with other businesses or influencers in your industry

Collaborating with other businesses or influencers in the same industry could help you reach a wider audience and boost your organic social media reach. Collaborations with businesses can help you cross-promote content, leverage each other’s followers, and create exclusive content together.

Similarly, partnering with an influencer in the custom building and remodeling industry can help you reach influencers’ followers and generate more organic shares for your content.

When creating collaborations with businesses or influencers, make sure both sides benefit from them. The influencers should be paid for their work, even if it’s only a token of appreciation. Otherwise, it could backfire and damage your reputation. On top of that, influencers should use authentic copy, unique visuals, and relevant hashtags when promoting your content. The right hashtag combinations used effectively can be a great help to your organic social media reach.

4. Take advantage of user-generated content

User-generated content is another great way to boost your organic social media reach as a remodeler or custom builder. User-generated content is any content that has been created by your followers and published on your page.

It can come in many forms: posts, photos, hashtags, reviews, and video. It helps you connect with potential customers better, build trust, and boost your brand awareness. On top of that, user-generated content can create more organic shares and significantly increase your organic social media reach.

Encouraging your followers to share their experiences and content with your brand is key to leveraging this type of content. To make it easier, use relevant hashtags and create contests, challenges, and ask questions. People love to share their opinions and experiences, and this way, you can get them to create content for your brand and help to amplify your message.

Read More: https://ennobletechnologies.com/social-media/7-effective-ways-to-boost-your-organic-social-media-reach-as-a-remodeler-or-custom-builder/

[salesmarkglobal]

Understanding Social Selling for Demand Generation: What is social selling?

Social selling is not just a process of forwarding messages along the lines of informal organizational communication. That is another function of social media management: creating an authoritative profile on the sites that actively communicate with your audience. This can be achieved through:

Content Sharing: Regularly share valuable information and articles that pass on knowledge to the readers.

Thought Leadership: Offer your expertise in the subject as a specialist; provide information to the target audience.

Relationship Building: Proactively seek customers out and learn their conditions and, if possible, the possibilities of solving them.

Read more- 

[not-mary-sue]

Alright, to ao3's soon to be arriving Wattpad Refugees, a basic guide to general user culture:

1.) Unlike Wattpads vote system that let's you like each chapter, the ao3 equivalent kudos only allows one per work. Everyone is generally quietly annoyed about this. To engage with each chapter, you're heavily encouraged to comment. Trust me, it makes people's day.

2.) Ao3 has no algorithm. By default it's latest updated work first. You can find things to your taste through searches, filters and tags.

3.) 'No archive warnings apply' and 'user has chosen not to use archive warnings' mean two very different things. No archives warnings means the work is free from any content that could require a warning tag (character death, graphic depictions of violence, non-con, etc). User has chosen not to use archive warnings means it could contain any of the warning content, be it hasn't been explicitly tagged. Treat it like an allergen. No archive warnings apply is allergen free. User has chosen not to use archive warnings, may contain traces or whole chunks of the allergen. If you're likely to have a bad reaction, maybe don't take the risk.

4.) Speaking of warnings, ao3 has very few restrictions on the type of work that's allowed. Whatever your personal thoughts or feelings on that are, thats how the site is. You're likely to run across some dark subject matters and a lot of people are uncomfortable with reading that. You're well within your rights not like these works and have your opinion on whether they should be allowed, but harassing the authors of such works (or any works) is more likely to come back on you than them. Ao3 operates on a strong policy of 'don't like, don't read'. Use the tagging system to your full advantage to only engage with the kind of works you want to see.

We look forward to welcoming you all and seeing the fantastic works you create. Happy writing!

[genshin-scenarios]

android au - entertainment droids

Summary: In a modern-futuristic world, it is possible to create androids that are so advanced, they’re pretty much human. This is the 4th out of 5 android au posts, each focused on a different group! 

The Epiclese collection was created with the entertainment industry in mind - as consultants, bodyguards, helpers, performers, or simply as a companion for a busy celebrity.

Characters: Lyney, Neuvillette, Wriothesley, Furina, Albedo

Content warnings: references to the darker/dangerous sides of the industry in Neuvillette, Wriothesley, and Furina’s parts.

Lyney is first and foremost a performer. Whether or not it’s to distract a crowd of people while you’re running late for your own concert, or just to keep the kids at a cafe from crying, depends on the day. So long as it brings smiles and wonder to their faces however, Lyney’s not picky about who watches him practice his sleight of hand.

You’re surprised to learn that Lyney’s charming lines are only directed at you. You’d expected that to just be his general demeanor, but your friends say he’s more lively around you, and otherwise is a lot more professional and polite, rerouting conversations to focus on his user rather than himself.

But when he’s with you, in the comfort of your own home, all he seems to want is your attention solely fixed on him. Maybe he has an odd perception that you aren’t as easily impressed (because he holds you in such high regard), but Lyney thrives off doing the chores with you and keeping a conversation going, drawing laughter out of you as a balm to your busy lifestyle.

He’s happiest when you’re comfortable enough to chat about your day without needing to be asked, admiring the domesticity of the action. In this sense, he’s somewhere between a performance and companion android, though that was also shaped by how you wanted to treat him more as an equal rather than a stage assistant. 

On days where you’re trying to sneak out between rehearsals for a quick snack or fresh air, Lyney’s your partner in crime - happy to cover for you. What makes his heart skip a beat though is when you ask him to go with you and keep you company; technically speaking he doesn’t have a heart, but the sensation is very close to it. How can Lyney help it, when he adores you so much?

Similarly to the T.D.H. line, Neuvillette is essentially a personal assistant. He has a down-to-earth personality, albeit taking things too literally sometimes - but you find that part of Neuvillette endearing. It’s a nice change from the people who downplay your opinions or experiences, just because of your line of work or popularity.

Perhaps it’s because he’s designed for the entertainment industry, but you find that Neuvillette has quite a lot of legal expertise in his database. Which is great for when you’re losing your temper and want to vent a little bit, Neuvillette reminding you that if you want to do something, there is a loophole in place (he’s joking, probably. But if it comes to matters of defending your honor, no one has to tell Neuvillette twice before he steps forward, letting his quiet air melt into something a lot more intimidating.)

That’s one of the few times Neuvillette might ignore directives from anyone but you. As much as he appears calm and collected, nothing triggers his anger more than people trying to take advantage of or belittling you. It comes with your work, some would say - but in that case, Neuvillette would say he was created to return a bit of hope to his user. It's a cruel irony that sometimes, it is those that aren’t human who possess the most humanity.

Neuvillette has a fascination with the types of masks people put on; for the sake of others, themselves, and the little voices in their heads.

When you tell Neuvillette that he takes care of you very well, he always replies that it’s simply his job. Aside from that professionalism, you do catch him smiling out of the corner of your eye. It’s nice to have your efforts acknowledged, whether you were a human or android. Perhaps the two of you have more in common than you thought.

Compared to Neuvillette, Wriothesley is more obviously a bodyguard. And if you like having someone to banter with throughout the day, he’s the model for you!

Wriothesley is an android designed to deal with the darker side of the industry. It’s all for the sake of protecting your ability to smile as brightly as you can for your fans - perhaps you’re an idol of some sort, who also does your best to hide your struggles beneath an act of bravado. 

You’re aware of the work Wriothesley does, but like you, he never talks about it. He simply teases you about your popularity when you greet one-another in the hallway, asking if you’d like to go to lunch now.

How peculiar your mirroring circumstances are… Wriothesley tried to distance himself from you at first, not wanting to create anymore links that could result in drama or weaknesses - but he underestimates how much you shine, not just onstage, but also in your ability to make him want to get closer to you. 

At first he says it’s to personalize his protocols; knowing your habits, preferences, what makes you actually smile, so that he can filter that out within the practiced expressions you give to the camera. If something was happening behind-the-scenes, only then could he react in ample time.

Wriothesley underestimates the moment he’s close enough to actually, maybe - support you emotionally during a stressful time. He almost reaches out to you further because he sees the cracks in your mask, but is reminded of the work he’s done, and how rough his hands have gotten after so many fights and practices in the boxing ring.

Perhaps that’s when Wriothesley starts feeling the most human he’s ever been. He tries to hide how much he gravitates toward you, but… is it so bad for him to feel this way?

As much as Furina portrays herself as a fun companion in the public eye, there is undoubtedly a second purpose to her design.

Security for celebrities can be a sensitive thing; this is where Furina comes in, as an android who scans over the places you’re heading to and your general surroundings, always keeping an eye out to make sure your days go as smoothly as they can.

And if she does spot someone suspicious, no one would blink an eye if your entertainingly dramatic android puts up an impromptu act. If things escalate, she sends a quick call or report to the police nearby before anyone gets hurt.

Aside from this, Furina’s a great companion to bring to events. She soaks in the attention with grandeur, speaking up more if she notices your energy levels are lower that night. She also tends to silently tend to you without vocally mentioning it - if you sprained your ankle, Furina instead gives a different excuse that’s centered around herself. In this sense, she has a tendency to take the fall for you even when you don’t ask her to.

When you tell her there’s no need for that, Furina puts a sort of barrier between you by giving you a small smile, saying it’s only natural for her. That’s when you start to realize that maybe, compared to the other androids, Furina struggles to find her exact purpose or specialty. 

She’s a fun companion, but lacks the skills to cook and clean beyond a basic level. She’s a good listener, but wonders if the emotions that she feels so potently might be a weakness rather than a strength.

Furina is a good actor. But once, when a child went up to give her a flower in thanks for giving them a cupcake, the smile she wears is something you hoped you could bring out from her more.

Albedo specializes in coordinating makeup and outfits for you. Maybe you perform or travel often, which makes an android the most convenient choice, but what you don’t expect is to start looking forward to spending time with him.

With his quiet charm and occasional teasing remarks, it’s safe to say that you quickly grew comfortable with having Albedo in your everyday life. You discover that he likes to read and draw while waiting for you, preferring not to talk to too many strangers despite his politeness to them. 

It’s reassuring to know you’re not the only one who might like to keep to yourself sometimes. But when you don’t speak to Albedo for a while, thinking that he might prefer comfortable silence, he does end up initiating conversation.

When asked, Albedo simply says that he’s curious about how your day went, and little things like that. It’s useful for his job as an android, and… let’s just say that you’ve become a rather important subject of interest for him. So don’t worry about talking too much.

Another unexpected outcome is how much he increases your confidence. He asks for your opinion when it comes to costumes, adjusting things towards what your preferences are… and most importantly, if you aren’t sure - Albedo makes sure to surprise you every time with how beautiful you look.

You once expressed to Albedo that beauty wasn’t something gendered or measured on a scale. Perhaps it’s more towards something that makes you pause, or wish to see it again.

You didn’t think those words from months ago would return to you now. With a satisfied hum, Albedo notes that you seem to like this outfit, and urges you to sit down so he could get started on makeup. If you ever had uncertainties, Albedo would make sure the audience was dazzled enough to echo his sentiments to you tenfold.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Regardless of what companies and investors may say, artificial intelligence is not actually intelligent in the way most humans would understand it. To generate words and images, AI tools are trained on large databases of training data that is often scraped off the open web in unimaginably large quantities, no matter who owns it or what biases come along with it. When a user then prompts ChatGPT or DALL-E to spit out some text or visuals, the tools aren’t thinking about the best way to represent those prompts because they don’t have that ability. They’re comparing the terms they’re presented with the patterns they formed from all the data that was ingested to train their models, then trying to assemble elements from that data to reflect what the user is looking for. In short, you can think of it like a more advanced form of autocorrect on your phone’s keyboard, predicting what you might want to say next based on what you’ve already written and typed out in the past. If it’s not clear, that means these systems don’t create; they plagiarize. Unlike a human artist, they can’t develop a new artistic style or literary genre. They can only take what already exists and put elements of it together in a way that responds to the prompts they’re given. There’s good reason to be concerned about what that will mean for the art we consume, and the richness of the human experience.

[...]

AI tools will not eliminate human artists, regardless of what corporate executives might hope. But it will allow companies to churn out passable slop to serve up to audiences at a lower cost. In that way, it allows a further deskilling of art and devaluing of artists because instead of needing a human at the center of the creative process, companies can try to get computers to churn out something good enough, then bring in a human with no creative control and a lower fee to fix it up. As actor Keanu Reeves put it to Wired earlier this year, “there’s a corporatocracy behind [AI] that’s looking to control those things. … The people who are paying you for your art would rather not pay you. They’re actively seeking a way around you, because artists are tricky.” To some degree, this is already happening. Actors and writers in Hollywood are on strike together for the first time in decades. That’s happening not just because of AI, but how the movie studios and steaming companies took advantage of the shift to digital technologies to completely remake the business model so workers would be paid less and have less creative input. Companies have already been using AI tools to assess scripts, and that’s one example of how further consolidation paired with new technologies are leading companies to prioritize “content” over art. The actors and writers worry that if they don’t fight now, those trends will continue — and that won’t just be bad for them, but for the rest of us too.

[jbk405]

I think I've found one of the key reasons why I prefer the old Expanded Universe to the current Star Wars content: Unique types of villains.

More specifically, people who weren't just Evil Force Users With Long Robes And Red Lightsabers. While there were always a few Darth Vader-clones that popped up to fill up space, so many of the Arc Villains were distinct not just in personality, but also how they were dangerous.

Grand Admiral Thrawn was a military tactician, which wasn't the point of any of the main villains in the Original Trilogy. Grand Moff Tarkin was a "Build a bigger superweapon and bludgeon the galaxy into submission" kind of villain, and Vader and the Emperor were mystical dark wizards. This isn't a complaint or criticism, but just pointing out that military tactics were never on display in the films since that wasn't the type of story they were telling. But Thrawn didn't have prophetic powers or Destiny, he had to analyze and plan around what he could learn about his adversaries. It's a different type of fight than Literal Magic. In the original Thrawn Trilogy, Captain Pellaeon frequently internally narrates how different Thrawn's style of leadership was to either Vader or the Emperor (Even if his art-analysis did verge on magic by itself).

Ysanne Isard was a political and/or espionage manipulator, which was even less a point of the Original Trilogy than military tactics were. She took advantage of the realities of actually needing to build a nation out of an underground military movement. With all of the dirty gutter politics, self-serving agendas, and logistics that doom so many revolutionary movements. I'm not as big a fan of her arc as I was when I was younger (I re-read the Rogue Squadron novels a few years ago and the writing quality is not as good as I remember, and Isard's plans frankly don't hold a lot of water), but the concept is still fantastic.

Warlord Zsinj on the surface seems like a merger of Thrawn and Isard -- he's a military commander who specializes in espionage -- but he also has a big focus that neither of them demonstrated: Business. While he still blows stuff up with his giant space ships and is sowing dissent through brainwashing and spycraft, he's simultaneously establishing a galaxy-wide network of completely-legitimate commercial businesses that he owns through untraceable pseudonyms. They fund his campaigns, give him influence on planets outside of his direct control, and allow him to control resources without any of his adversaries even being aware of it.

Even one-shot enemies like the Ssi-ruuk were so unique: They're invading the galaxy because their technology is powered by living souls and they want to harvest all life in the galaxy. That's messed up, and so distinct from the general "Take over the world" motivation of the Empire.

But as time went on, more and more of the enemies were just "Darth Vader Again". Another Jedi who fell to the Dark Side, or another long-lost schism of the Sith who rediscovered mainstream galactic society, or some other thing that is eventually resolved by a one-on-one lightsaber duel and a personal grudge against the Skywalker or Solo families. It definitely felt like they were out of ideas and kept running through the same villains over and over again.

This kicked into high gear after the Prequels came out, and continued in the new continuity after the EU was rebranded as "Legends".

I wish we could go back to the idea that there could be an enemy who wasn't super powerful in the force and consumed by Hatred Of The Jedi. With their own skills, their own methods, and something that makes them more than just another wannabe-Sauron. Pirates who are just pirates, marauding ex-Imperial Warlords who are just marauding ex-Imperial Warlords, and corrupt politicians who are just corrupt politicians, instead of revealing that Palpatine returned (somehow) all over again.

[obsessive-clown]

Your content is so nice. To a fellow yandere Nanami enjoyed I am curious about your two cents on this. What would be the difference personality wise between a Yandere Nanami and a Yandere curse user Nanami 🤔

Oh!! This is an interesting one…

As someone who hasn’t dabbled too much into Curse User Nanami media (but would love to), I think I have a few ideas…

꧁ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ꧂

First of all:

Curse User Kento is far more sadistic. This is just a given, I mean look at the man. Slaughtering his entire work place? Not giving a shit about other people or anything around him? There is no doubt in my mind that man has a hit list of sorts, and every single name on that list is full of people who have wronged you, hurt you, dated you, slept with you. All of it.

Not to mention, I think Curse User Kento would be a bit sloppier with his work, unlike his Sorcerer counterpart. Whether this be on purpose or just because he has a lack of care. Sometimes he wants you to find someone from your past, that you’ve nearly forgotten about, on the news and taken out brutally. He struggles to show love and interest, at least in normal ways, anyways.

Following Up:

While CU!Kento has a lack of care, empathy and compassion for others, something about you makes his long dead, cold and miserable heart beat and feel something new.

Regular, Sorcerer Kento is just kept to himself. He doesn’t particularly like showing too much emotion. He doesn’t like people seeing his soft side and using that to their advantage. But with you, he lets you in on every bit of it. There’s just something about you that the Sorcerer loves and can’t get enough of. Unlike his Curse User counterpart, he has morals, he approaches you in a calm, normal, civilized manner.

Both of the Kento’s are incredibly problematic in their own sense though.

CU!Kento will convince you to push those around you, away. Gaslighting? He’ll do it, if it means getting to be with you. No other man— person in general— is good enough for you. Only he is. Everyone else is garbage compared to you. He struggles with being overly controlling in my mind. He would love to work on this for you, since he doesn’t particularly like seeing you upset, but he can’t help it. Old habits die hard and he just needs to know he’s your only option and that you’re his.

Sorcerer!Kento will be overly possessive of you. You want to go out? Let him come with you. He hates the thought of another person getting the idea to try and take what’s his. You’re his prized jewel, so naturally, he hovers a lot. Gatekeeping you? Absolutely. You’re his everything, his reason to keep going. He may hide all of this well and be extremely subtle and soft with how he shows it, but it’s a force of habit.

꧁ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ꧂

These are just a few things I could think of… I’m sure more will conjure and I’ll have to post about them… I apologize for posting this so late though! And I hope you enjoyed, loves. 🫀

[wist-eri]

i’m not really sure about what KOSA does to censor the internet. what exactly is there to it? i’ve heard a lot of awareness posts about it but not about what it actually does

i’m just going to copy-paste and slightly edit a previous reblog i made. though i’m not too sure how completely accurate this is, hopefully this can be of help if anyone wants a bit more info or wants to write a letter on their own:

——

basically, they’re forcing companies to limit certain content based on age and what could be considered dangerous to minors. they do somewhat give examples of what’s “mature content” but 1. they’re incredibly vague and 2. they open up for many other interpretations.

they also give the state attorney general the right to file a civil lawsuit against companies they think is infringing on this and showing minors “mature content.” however, this also means that this is completely up to the state attorney + state court’s interpretation, which can VERY EASILY be influenced by personal and political views. aka, a lot of LGBTQ information and other resources can be easily censored if the state deems it unnecessary for minors (and if the state court agrees with that belief). if one state does that successfully, it causes a ripple effect. aka, this can literally lead to censorship and the bill is straight up allowing that interpretation.

and another qualm i have with the bill (other than just the censorship part): the bill also states that they want ways to verify a user’s age so that they can filter content properly. however, the only way that’s truly foolproof is LITERAL GOVERNMENT IDS. this basically means that your personal information is collected by a “covered company” (the term they use for social media platforms and stuff) and used for age verification. let me tell you i don’t think that’s a good idea AT ALL. it compromises everyone’s security, not just minors. like, what are they gonna do in the case of a data leak / security breach? how many people will have their personal information revealed and taken advantage of?

KOSA is a trojan horse with a LOT of consequences. it’s way too risky to implement into congress at this current stage, unless either of these problems can be solved through amending the bill or just straight up not approving it entirely.

ALSO: the bill is currently introduced in the SENATE and is being contemplated over. however, there’s still a lot the bill needs to do before it passes into law (house of representatives, president, etc) aka, do not stop expressing how DANGEROUS this bill is, in the case it’s passed in the senate. keep talking when it’s in the house of representatives. do what you can

THIS TOO: (https://www.stopkosa.com/)

[olderthannetfic]

CW: rant about "racist fetishizing" and "exotification" as a white person, etc.

One thing that particularly drives me bonkers is when antis take issue with things that are either not obviously negative or are inextricable from things that are neutral or even positive. For example, are there situations where AAVE really is "appropriated" and used in a way that takes advantage of black culture while keeping a comfortable distance to actual black people? Sure! But my gents. 1) A random Tumblr user having absorbed a ton of AAVE into their speech patterns and saying "y'all" a lot is not it, 2) absorbing language patterns from those you socialize with is an unavoidable side effect of socialization, and I don't know how to tell this to terminally online people but it is in fact a good thing. It is a good thing that African-American people are so present and their content engaged with enough that people are passively absorbing AAVE! No, it doesn't mean racism is solved or that people who say "y'all" can't be racist, but absorbing AAVE in and of itself is a good sign!

I have a similar complaint with most accusations of "fetishization" (beside the meaningless vagueness of the term), because what it comes down to is "you find people who look like this sexy and that's BAD". Even "exotification" is not in and of itself a bad thing, when removed from the context of imperialism and colonialism, because looking at someone and thinking they're sexy because they look so different to what you're used to, i.e. "exotic", is not actually inherently a bad thing! We have some amount of sexual draw to what's different - I mean, people with blue eyes apparently all have a single common ancestor who really got around, for crying out loud.

Where this attraction becomes problematic is when due to the outside material conditions (whether on the societal scale or the single person scale), the exotified person is both desirable and lacking in power, but the exact same thing is true whatever the ethnicity of the person! (A good deal of what feminism views as "predatory" behavior in men is only really predatory against the background of economic desperation in women wherein there is some material disadvantage to turning down unwanted advances, and would be considerably more harmless in a setting where everyone is equal and living comfortably, which I daresay should be the end goal of any equality and empowerment movement).

As someone with straight hair, I think curls are sexy. As someone with brown hair, I think redheads and blond people and people with black hair are sexy. As a white person, I would probably date one of my cute Chinese co-workers if I weren't so damn ace, because something about that combination of same tone or darker skin + completely black smooth hair + the general facial features (including the monolid some people get so insecure about because Western poisoning sigh) is just gorgeous to me and I'm not afraid to say it. Saying something like this should not be taboo. People of any ethnicity deserve to have people of other ethnicities gushing about what makes them look distinct and unique! I mean, shit, people gush about white skin and blond hair and blue eyes enough.

(Disclaimer: I am once again not saying that there aren't contexts where calling out racial fetishization is appropriate, or where people desire someone for their physical differences but still consider them to be subhuman. There are many such cases, I know. I would even say that, based on observations of the heterosexual world, wanting to fuck someone and thinking they have equal value as a person can be completely and utterly uncoupled from each other. But this doesn't mean that all expressions of attraction because of the physical differences are automatically suspect, and it's no wonder that so much of pushback against "fetishizing X ethnicity" reads like a pamphlet in support of racial segregation!)

Tl;dr: Thinking someone of X ethnicity is hot and being racist towards that ethnicity can co-occur but have little to do with each other. People try to fix the latter problem by attacking instances of the former, and that's stupid, and just ends up looking like "you're not allowed to thirst outside of your own race".

--

It still boggles my mind that y'all is the thing people have chosen to take as appropriation from AAVE.

[mariacallous]

Reddit said ahead of its IPO next week that licensing user posts to Google and others for AI projects could bring in $203 million of revenue over the next few years. The community-driven platform was forced to disclose Friday that US regulators already have questions about that new line of business.

In a regulatory filing, Reddit said that it received a letter from the US Federal Trade Commision on Thursday asking about “our sale, licensing, or sharing of user-generated content with third parties to train AI models.” The FTC, the US government’s primary antitrust regulator, has the power to sanction companies found to engage in unfair or deceptive trade practices. The idea of licensing user-generated content for AI projects has drawn questions from lawmakers and rights groups about privacy risks, fairness, and copyright.

Reddit isn’t alone in trying to make a buck off licensing data, including that generated by users, for AI. Programming Q&A site Stack Overflow has signed a deal with Google, the Associated Press has signed one with OpenAI, and Tumblr owner Automattic has said it is working “with select AI companies” but will allow users to opt out of having their data passed along. None of the licensors immediately responded to requests for comment. Reddit also isn’t the only company receiving an FTC letter about data licensing, Axios reported on Friday, citing an unnamed former agency official.

It’s unclear whether the letter to Reddit is directly related to review into any other companies.

Reddit said in Friday’s disclosure that it does not believe that it engaged in any unfair or deceptive practices but warned that dealing with any government inquiry can be costly and time-consuming. “The letter indicated that the FTC staff was interested in meeting with us to learn more about our plans and that the FTC intended to request information and documents from us as its inquiry continues,” the filing says. Reddit said the FTC letter described the scrutiny as related to “a non-public inquiry.”

Reddit, whose 17 billion posts and comments are seen by AI experts as valuable for training chatbots in the art of conversation, announced a deal last month to license the content to Google. Reddit and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FTC declined to comment. (Advance Magazine Publishers, parent of WIRED's publisher Condé Nast, owns a stake in Reddit.)

AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are seen as a competitive threat to Reddit, publishers, and other ad-supported, content-driven businesses. In the past year the prospect of licensing data to AI developers emerged as a potential upside of generative AI for some companies.

But the use of data harvested online to train AI models has raised a number of questions winding through boardrooms, courtrooms, and Congress. For Reddit and others whose data is generated by users, those questions include who truly owns the content and whether it’s fair to license it out without giving the creator a cut. Security researchers have found that AI models can leak personal data included in the material used to create them. And some critics have suggested the deals could make powerful companies even more dominant.

The Google deal was one of a “small number” of data licensing wins that Reddit has been pitching to investors as it seeks to drum up interest for shares being sold in its IPO. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman in the investor pitch described the company’s data as invaluable. “We expect our data advantage and intellectual property to continue to be a key element in the training of future” AI systems, he wrote.

In a blog post last month about the Reddit AI deal, Google vice president Rajan Patel said tapping the service’s data would provide valuable new information, without being specific about its uses. “Google will now have efficient and structured access to fresher information, as well as enhanced signals that will help us better understand Reddit content and display, train on, and otherwise use it in the most accurate and relevant ways,” Patel wrote.

The FTC had previously shown concern about how data gets passed around in the AI market. In January, the agency announced it was requesting information from Microsoft and its partner and ChatGPT developer OpenAI about their multibillion-dollar relationship. Amazon, Google, and AI chatbot maker Anthropic were also questioned about their own partnerships, the FTC said. The agency’s chair, Lina Khan, described its concern as being whether the partnerships between big companies and upstarts would lead to unfair competition.

Reddit has been licensing data to other companies for a number of years, mostly to help them understand what people are saying about them online. Researchers and software developers have used Reddit data to study online behavior and build add-ons for the platform. More recently, Reddit has contemplated selling data to help algorithmic traders looking for an edge on Wall Street.

Licensing for AI-related purposes is a newer line of business, one Reddit launched after it became clear that the conversations it hosts helped train up the AI models behind chatbots including ChatGPT and Gemini. Reddit last July introduced fees for large-scale access to user posts and comments, saying its content should not be plundered for free.

That move had the consequence of shutting down an ecosystem of free apps and add ons for reading or enhancing Reddit. Some users staged a rebellion, shutting down parts of Reddit for days. The potential for further user protests had been one of the main risks the company disclosed to potential investors ahead of its trading debut expected next Thursday—until the FTC letter arrived.

[89hitokiri]

In a parallel world where dogs are a threat, a special group of cats stands out.

黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) is one of the primary operational units of Kage Cat Corp, specializing in cybershecurity, hacking, counterintelligence, espionage, counter-meowrnalism, and counter-purrpaganda. Members of 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) are meticulously selected and undergo rigorous training to execute critical and clandestine missions that ensure Kage Cat Corp's dominance in the competitive world of pet rivalry.

Main Operations of 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage)

1. Cybershecurity: Protection of Kage Cat Corp's internal systems against dog hackers and mischievous squirrels, using advanced cryptography and artificial intelligence techniques to detect and neutralize threats in real-time. Constant vigilance to keep those sneaky canine intruders out.

2. Hacking: Infiltration into rival dog networks to steal trade secrets, find out where they hide their bones, and gain strategic advantages. Includes creating digital furballs and exploiting tail-wagging vulnerabilities.

3. Counterintelligence: Identification and neutralization of canine spies and internal threats. Dismantling rival espionage cells within Kage Cat Corp, especially those working for Doggo Inc.

4. Espionage: Collection of crucial information from dog parks and government pet agencies through infiltration and data manipulation techniques. Frequent use of stealth mode to avoid being detected by bark-sensitive systems.

5. Counter-meowrnalism: Discrediting dog bloggers and pet media outlets that publish harmful information about Kage Cat Corp by spreading cleverly crafted feline-friendly narratives or manipulated truths.

6. Counter-purrpaganda: Creation and dissemination of content that improves Kage Cat Corp's public image and harms its canine rivals. Utilizes social media platforms and other digital media to promote the supremacy of felines.

Proprietary Tools and Technologies

All technology used by 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) is exclusively developed and owned by Kage Cat Corp, ensuring absolute control over its capabilities and operations.

Proprietary Software

1. Automated Bot Network (CatNet-X):

- Functionality: Operates multiple social media accounts to post content, interact with users, and amplify specific messages. Can infiltrate private dog lover groups and forums to gather information and spread feline superiority propaganda.

2. Sentiment Analysis Artificial Intelligence (PurrceptorAI):

- Functionality: Analyzes large volumes of data in real-time, identifies trends, detects changes in public opinion, and assesses the impact of purrpaganda and misinformation campaigns.

3. Social Engineering Software (Pawthmancer):

- Functionality: Collects and analyzes personal data from social media users, enabling personalized social engineering attacks to gain access to sensitive accounts or confidential information.

4. Propaganda and Misinformation Algorithms (EchoLitter):

- Functionality: Generates and disseminates manipulated or false content to influence public opinion and destabilize Kage Cat Corp's canine rivals.

5. Secure Communication Platforms (CipherMeow):

- Functionality: Ensures that internal communications within 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) are completely secure using state-of-the-art encryption protocols.

6. Dark Web Monitoring Tools (DarkPaw):

- Functionality: Tracks activities on the dark web, facilitating the identification of emerging threats and the acquisition of leaked data.

Proprietary Hardware

1. Digital Surveillance Drones (StealthPaws):

- Functionality: Intercepts wireless signals and accesses unsecured networks, performing reconnaissance and espionage tasks in physical locations.

2. Augmented Reality Devices (AR-Meowser):

- Functionality: Provides AR interfaces for real-time system manipulation during missions.

3. Cryptographic Servers (QuantumClaw):

- Functionality: Secures the storage and processing of sensitive data using quantum cryptography technologies.

Presence on Social Media and Internet Forums

黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) maintains an omnipresence across all digital platforms, using its proprietary tools to carry out a variety of operations.

1. Online Community Infiltration: Utilizes CatNet-X to operate fake profiles on platforms like Reddit, 4chan, and other specialized forums. Integrates into these communities to gather information and sow misinformation, often spreading rumors about how dogs actually prefer catnip.

2. Crisis Management and Public Opinion: During crises, employs PurrceptorAI to monitor public opinion and develop communication strategies. Uses EchoLitter to steer the narrative and divert public attention with humorous cat videos.

3. Misinformation Campaigns: Conducts coordinated campaigns with EchoLitter to spread false content and confuse canine rivals, such as claiming dogs are plotting to outlaw naps.

4. Trend Manipulation: Uses algorithms to make certain topics or hashtags go viral, manipulating social media platforms' algorithms to promote pro-Kage Cat Corp content, like Cats Rule Dogs Drool.

5. Data Collection: Pawthmancer collects large-scale data from social media users, enabling detailed analysis to identify patterns, trends, and potential threats, such as new brands of premium dog food.

6. Digital Sabotage: Uses its tools to infiltrate the accounts of dog influencers and critical journalists, publishing compromising or manipulated content to destroy their credibility, such as photoshopping them with chewed-up shoes.

Example Operation of 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage)

Operation "Silent Purr":

- Objective: Humiliate a rival journalist who had been publishing stories against Kage Cat Corp.

- Execution: 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) launched a campaign using CatNet-X to spread humorous but false accusations about the journalist being a notorious cat food thief. Simultaneously, they infiltrated his social media accounts using Pawthmancer to post photoshopped images of him caught in the act of stealing cat food from local stores.

- Outcome: The journalist became the laughingstock of the community, with memes and jokes about the "Great Cat Food Heist" spreading virally. His credibility was damaged, his articles lost influence, and Kage Cat Corp emerged with their reputation intact and even strengthened due to the humorous nature of the operation.

Future of 黒猫影 (Kuronekokage)

黒猫影 (Kuronekokage) will continue to innovate and develop advanced technologies to remain at the forefront of cybershecurity and covert operations. The unit is preparing to face new technologies, develop even more advanced capabilities, and remain a key component in Kage Cat Corp's structure. Its omnipresence on all social media platforms and internet forums ensures that it will always be one step ahead in the information war, protecting and expanding Kage Cat Corp's dominance in the digital realm and maintaining the delicate balance of feline supremacy.

[ennobletechnologies]

As a remodeler or custom builder, you want to make sure your social media posts are reaching as many eyes as possible. You’ve likely already put a lot of effort into perfecting your website design and content, so now it’s time to focus on growing your organic social media reach. Here are 7 effective ways to give your reach a boost.

Read More: https://ennobletechnologies.com/social-media/7-effective-ways-to-boost-your-organic-social-media-reach-as-a-remodeler-or-custom-builder/

[salesmarkglobal]

Social Selling Platforms for Demand Generation Key Tools

Read more - Social Selling for Demand Generation

[megatrons-husband]

Hello, I just saw this in the tags and wanted to add my own input. I am an abuse survivor and also a megastar shipper. Megastar is one of my tops, and that’s because they are both abuse victims and I see myself through both of them. When I ship them, I generally ship them as healing past the abuse and trauma they’ve both been through and make them happy, and able to heal and grow together, I always felt that if I was able to see those two heal and be happy, and being victims of abuse (megatron abused thru slavery, starscream abused thru megatron) then I would be able to heal myself. Being able to portray megatron and starscream break the cycle of abuse makes me happy in a way and even tho we don’t get it canonically, I try and portray it with what I write. 

I do agree a lot of depictions of megastar are extremely abusive, esp tfp depictions. I myself don’t really interact with fandom content that makes them out to be abusive. I do admit that there are a lot of people who glorify the abuse in the ship and that was a reason I just, didn’t interact with the fan version of it. At the end of the day, each to their own but I resonate with this answer. 

I agree with everything you said and I think you offered a very kind and nuanced answer. 

That said, at the end of the day I think that most all transformers ships have the ability to be priorship or abusive and it always irks me or at least, saddens me when people just go after megastar shippers. I mean, despite being an abuse survivor myself and going out of my way to portray the ship in a unique way to me, Ive had people tell me to kill myself. I remember there was a megastar story board artist who worked on Earthspark, and people were telling her to kill herself and to get hit by a bus. Ive realized that in the tf fandom it’s like ‘okay’ to harass megastar shippers even this elf us who don’t ship the ship in an abusive way, but other shippers tend to be exempt from this,.

lIKE I also like MegaOP, but MegaOp also has incredibly abusive foundations too. Especially TFP MegaOP, where Megatron quite literally took advantage of Optimus when he had no memories and just in general, some of the things he’s done to Optimus, short of torturing him and even killing and hurting his friends just o hurt him, are abusive and reminds me of things that happened to me. And people tend to romanticize that, and call them like ‘crazy husbands’ or exes or something like that, and I realize that it’s so common to romanticize the abuse in MegaOP, just like proshippers do, but its’ almost never called out the same way megastar is. Hell, some of the people bashing Megastar are the same people who think it’s romantic when Optimus is gettin beat and nearly killed by Megatron, or when Megatron kills and hurts those close to Optimus.

I don’t mean to rant to you, I just noticed how ship hate and suicide baiting is so acceptable to do to megastar shippers. It’s so common, even if we *don’t* ship the ship in an abusive way. And there aren’t that many megastar shippers compared to others. It’s a very isolating experience because I realize this fandom is ‘friendly’ until people have double standards over a ship you like. Like i said, I'm an actual abuse survivor, and in a place where I still have to live with my abuser, so writing megatron and starscream working thru their own traumas and loving one another is kinda healing to me. BUT being told to kill myself over it, sometimes by popular bloggers in the TF fandom, and then seeing them glorify abuse in other ships is not fun.

SORRY i just wanted to send this to you because i agree with your ask. originally i was gonna respond to your post but i was anxious

Ok first i would like to say your absolutely AMAZING. You are a poet becuse this is the most accurate opinion of transformers ships ive seen in awhile, twitter users a shakering is there boots right know!! And your view of megastar is perfect and the way you described your writings of them sounds amasing and a great and healthy way to potray them, also i very glad that it helps you. : ] And just puting this out there as a abuse survivor to i get you. Id like to touch on megop to since you mentioned it! Iam not going hate anyone fore it because once again to each there own, but i hate the double stander for megstar shipers, when megop is just as bad! People really need to understand that both have the opportunity to be awful horribly portrayed ships, or beautiful heartfelt relationship with great story telling! And one last thing that i would like to add is when you said that ever transformers ship has the opportunity to be proship, and yes i agree strongly with this. the transformers fandom has a very bad problem of fetishizing relationship and just around makeing really bad and gross ships. But something id like to say is some ships will never be heathy, and cant be. There are some ships that are just gross and overall cant be labled as anything other than proship. For instance, somthing that makes me absolutely sick is people who ship overlord and Fortress Maximus, specifically there idw/mtmte portrayals. A little background if some have never read the comics, Fortress Maximus was a warden at this prison basically and overlord came a over ran the place, killing tons of bot and taking many captive. Maximus was one of said bots and overlord wanted some information that only Maximus had and for 3 and a half years torture, abused, and lobotomized him. The amont of trama that Maximus gained from that, form overlord, alone should show how awful of a ship it is to began with. There is no way that it could be written to be heathy for either bot because its shown alot just how much Maximus HATES Overlords guts. But iam a stop there, or iam a write a hole essay. Thank you for shareing your opinion on the matter! It was really well written!! Hope you have a good day or night! :]

[thegodthief]

What do you find most exhausting about your practice? Conversely, what is the most fulfilling to you?

Earlier, I had quipped that the short answer to both questions was the same: "Solitude." If you will grant me the indulgence of explaining why I answered thus.

It is exhausting working alone for damn near everything. The pandemic made matters worse, but this has been a problem for me from the moment I began stubbing my toe on the rocks along this path. Trial and Error™ is the hallmark of the practitioner, but when you don't have the ability to have your work peer reviewed, then the errors stick around longer and the trials have a heavier cost. I'm always hiding a part of me from other magic users while I wait to see which one of their DNI categories I'm going to fall into, this time.

What I noticed pre-pandemic is that eclectic magic users were very welcome, as long as you were eclectic in the right (read: popular and/or mainstream) way. There is a reason one of my first posts here so long ago was a rejection of sisterhood with other witches who were trying to claim some sort of connection for no other reason that I was considering if I was even a witch in the first place.

Here and now, in the long tail of the pandemic, I haven't tried to attend any in-person events or ceremonies. They all seem to fall on a weekday and are prohibitively far from me such that I'll lose more than just the earnings of the day. Not to mention, that I don't know the people putting these things together, nor the people presenting at the shindig, nor the area that the event is happening in.

Online, it is not much better. The groups I see in the few servers I lurk in are well established and have mutual chains linking within and without the online spaces. It feels like watching a group of kids playing double-jump and they have been playing so long together that they have their own rhythm for jumping in and out of the rope because everything about the game has been shaped into a pattern that suits them best. And here I am, clunky, uncoordinated, not presenting as expected, and the group leader is telling me to jump in anytime but the moment I do, I snag the rope and the game (read: conversation) just stops.

I don't question if that online space was meant for me. If it was, I wouldn't be fucking up the game. I question if I'm meant for online spaces, and have quietly taken my leave from most servers. (waves hand) I am not the content creator you are looking for.

This leaves me with very few people that I can be weird with. That I can ask a "deep question" to. That I have been trying very hard not to abuse with my single-minded focus, because one of the hardest things I have had to realize lately is that I am considerably Not Normal™ when it comes to wooish shit, because I don't think that even the Big Name Practitioners™ think about or try wooish shit as much as I do. Very often, their social media feeds (public and/or quasi-public) are 90% Everyday Life™ that you see for anyone else in that general area or demographic and an occasional Now This Is What I Call Magic!™.

There isn't anyone else like me, which is probably very good for everyone else, but is really fucking shit for me.

But, that same solitude is also very fulfilling for me. Because I do try the Weird Shit, and I do poke at the thing that most folks on my dash are concerned about poking at, and I get to work the ritual that takes advantage of my single-minded focus, and on occasion, I get shit done. It means that I don't have someone annoyed that I'm staying up late to do the thing for the tenth night in a row, or that when I put a jar in the fridge labeled "Not For Human Consumption" that it will remain where I put it no matter how many months days I go back to finish the rite I started.

It means I don't have to ask permission (or forgiveness) for deviating from the plan, because the plan was always going to be uncovered as I went anyway. It means that when I plan the purchases for the rite, that I don't have to add a "pinch" tax for when someone else decided to help themselves to the ingredients before the rite and takes just a "pinch" for themselves.

It means that I progress according to the work I'm putting in, and if something takes me a few years months to understand, then that's okay, and if someone takes me a few hours days to master, then that's also okay, and I'm not trying to force myself to work through my shit on someone else's timing, and that's hella okay.

But then, like the ouroboros, I wind up back where I started. I have this neat trick, this personal understanding, this alternative way of working this jar I picked up, and I want to talk about it with someone because that's one of the better ways for me to truly understand what I'm doing and what I've learned, but because this little thing I have doesn't have an accepted lineage, source, book reference, BNP recommendation, then I'm no different from amulet-chasers.

You'd think that having a personal blog of my own would make this easier. After all, having a space independent of advertisers and/or corporate interference means I can say what I want. But who is reading? Who was reading? With all that has happened (and continues to happen), my posts have dwindled to nigh nothing, and Tumblr remains the only space where I am active.

I don't know how to break the cycle.

This was very likely not the answer you were expecting. But it is the only one I have to give. My apologies.

[jakethesequel]

I didn't "get" the TikTok social media format - thought it sucked and made no sense and had none of the features I actually want in a social media - until YouTube started pushing Youtube Shorts, and now I understand. The Tiktok/Shorts/Reels social media model is taking most of its design cues from slot machines. I'm sure other people have written about this, but I wasn't able to really internalize the feeling until Youtube pushed Shorts to the top of my app and made me experience it for myself.

The video, the content, takes up the whole screen. Other features, like descriptions and comments sections, are minimized if present at all. Pausing and scrubbing are also made difficult or impossible, often if you miss something you just have to rewatch the whole thing and at that point you'd rather just go on to the next video. Often any kind of links in the title/description/comments are banned, ostensibly to prevent spambots and phishing, but...

All of these features serve the same thing the sounds, lights, and secluded booths serve for slots: to make sure nothing is going to distract you from the machine. To keep you investing your money and/or your time. Banning links is obvious, why encourage you to visit another site, visit the competition, when they can keep you here? Pausing the video, reading the description or comments, that'll just slow you down and then you might start thinking about "hey, what time is it?" and "oh yeah I have these other things to do" instead of scrolling to the next Content and thinking about that instead. Content is too short for you to put on in the background while you do other things, like a regular youtube video. Even if you tried, the Content won't just end and be silent while you finish up, giving you time to think about what to do next. Nah, it repeats itself, it loops over and over, annoying you into scrolling to the next video (and the next, and the next, and the next). Every aspect of these apps is designed for maximum engagement, and designed with the same features casinos use to create addictions!

They do this to sell ads, of course. People on regular youtube (or any similar site, just using the hegemonic one as shorthand) often use adblocker, and even those who don't, they skip the ad as soon as they're allowed. Because they're here to watch the video they clicked on, from their recommendations or their subscribed channels, not the ad that pops up before it. The ad is an unexpected intruder. Mandating a short-form runtime - but not Vine short, because that's too short to retain engagement - helps. If people are watching 20-minute videos, you can only sell so much ad space before you're even worse than regular TV. But if people are watching 1-minute videos, you can get away with showing even just 1 ad for every 5 videos, and be tolerated way more than 4 ads in 1 long video, despite having the same adspace-per-minute!

Plus, throwing a bunch of short Content at the user is way easier to generate an algorithmic profile off of and sell that information to targeted advertisers. A simple watched/swiped metric over hundreds of shorts with constant engagement; versus the complexity of analyzing "well, you watched 15 minutes of a 30 minute video and then clicked away, but left a like and a comment" over far fewer longer videos with intermittent engagement.

The biggest advantage of that? They can now get around that "intruder ad" effect I mentioned. When you click on a youtube video, you expect the get the video you clicked on. Any ad that comes up before it is an annoying little unexpected intruder, and even if you aren't savvy enough to have uBlock installed, you're going to click Skip Ad as soon as you can to get what you actually came for. So what do TikTok/Shorts/Reels do? They take away your ability to choose what you watch. All you can do is ask for the algorithm to give you a new video, there's no list of recommendations to choose from. Now the ads aren't intruders, because you weren't expecting anything else. You aren't primed to reject it for being in the way. On top of that, ads are disguised as Content. The break between ad and video on Youtube is clear, ads have their own space and are noticeable. Even the ads on an infinite scroller like tumblr or twitter have some things to mark them out as not being normal posts. On the new slot-machine socials? There's maybe an "ADVERTISEMENT" highlighted before the title in the intentionally deficient description section, one word in a section that takes up less than 10% of the screen space, at the very bottom where it's probably covered up by your thumb. Because the algorithm lets them slot it in between very similar Content, and you have no idea what Content to expect next, and the mandatory "this is an ad" labels are designed to be unnoticeable; by the time you realize what you're watching is an advertisement, you've already watched most of the ad. Long past when you would've already hit Skip otherwise.

Like I said, I'm sure others have talked about this, but it's been driving me crazy now that I've seen it for myself. I'm glad people have caught on to how gacha games create addiction; hopefully we can start to do the same with these predatory apps. I honestly don't know which is worse. Gacha games take your money, but these advertising algorithms manipulate your mind. Mostly into spending your money, yes, and that's creepy enough in itself, but it's also easily used to manipulate not just wallets but votes and political opinions. It's no accident that reactionaries, fascists, and conspiracy theorists thrive on Youtube Shorts.