#ai based accounts receivable

[kapittx]

Accounts Receivable and Cash Flow Challenges in Technology and IT Services Companies

The technology and IT services industry is a dynamic and rapidly evolving sector that encompasses a wide range of services and products aimed at managing and optimizing information and business processes.

The Technology and IT Services industry is driven by several key factors that are shaping its growth and evolution. While AI is going to bring in a paradigm shift in the industry and its offering, some of the primary drivers of this industry are Digital Transformation, Cloud Computing, Big Data and Analytics, Internet of Things, Technology innovations like 5G, Blockchain, SaaS etc.

Technology and IT Industry Segments : 

1. Software Companies

Independent Software Vendors (ISVs): These companies develop and sell custom made software solutions that can be used by different  industries.

Software as a Service (SaaS): These companies provide software applications over the internet and have high dependence on subscription management.

2. IT Services Companies

System Integrators or Value Added Resellers: These firms are solution providers and play the role of an aggregator by incorporating various hardware and software offerings from OEMs  as part of their solution.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs): These companies manage a customer’s IT infrastructure and end-user systems on a proactive basis.

IT Consulting Services: These firms offer expert advice to help organizations assess and implement advanced IT solutions.

3. Cloud Solutions Providers

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): These companies provide virtualized computing resources over the internet.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): For application development, hardware and software tools over the internet are the primary focus of PaaS providers

4. Tech Product Companies

Hardware Manufacturers: These companies produce physical devices such as computers, smartphones, and networking equipment.

Semiconductor Companies: These firms design and manufacture semiconductor chips used in electronic devices.

5. Cybersecurity Providers

These companies offer products and services to protect systems, networks, and data from cyber attacks.

6. Data Center Providers

These companies offer facilities and services for housing and managing data storage systems.

7. Telecommunication Companies

These firms provide communication services such as internet, phone, and television.

8. E-commerce Companies

These companies operate online platforms for buying and selling goods and services.

9. Tech Infrastructure Companies

These companies provide the systems and facilities that enable web-based communications and commerce.

10. Tech Service Companies

These companies offer experienced and technical personnel to help businesses leverage technology.

Irrespective of the segment you operate, in the dynamic landscape of Technology and IT services sector, accounts receivable management and ensuring smooth cash flow are critical for sustaining growth and operational efficiency. However, these companies often face significant challenges that can impede their financial health. This blog post delves into the primary reasons behind accounts receivable challenges and offers insights into how they can be addressed to reduce DSO and increase cash flow.

1. High Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)

One of the most pressing issues is the high Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), which measures the average number of days it takes for a company to collect payment after a sale. A high DSO means the time taken by customers to pay the invoices is longer and exceeding the credit perion offered.  This can severely impact cash flow and several factors contribute to this:

Complex Billing Cycles: Technology and IT services often involve complex billing structures, including milestone-based payments, subscription management models, and time-and-materials contracts. These complexities can contribute to the delays in invoicing and collections.

Client Negotiations: Clients, especially large enterprises, may negotiate extended payment terms, further elongating the DSO.

2. Inefficient Accounts Receivable Processes

Inefficient accounts receivable processes can lead to delays and errors in invoicing and payment collection. Common inefficiencies include:

Manual Processes: Reliance on manual processes for invoicing and payment tracking can result in errors and delays. 

Lack of Automation: Without automation, accounts receivable teams spend excessive time on routine tasks, leaving less time for strategic activities like follow-ups and dispute resolution.

3. Disorganized Ledger Management

Disorganized ledger management can cause significant issues in tracking and reconciling payments. This disorganization can stem from:

Inconsistent Record-Keeping: Inconsistent or inaccurate record-keeping can lead to discrepancies between the amounts billed and the amounts received.

Poor Communication: Lack of communication between departments can result in incomplete or incorrect information being recorded in the ledger.

4. Customer Disputes and Payment Delays

Customer disputes over invoices can lead to payment delays and strained relationships. Common causes of disputes include:

Billing Errors: Errors in invoices, such as incorrect amounts or missing details, can contribute to payment delays and disputes.

Service Issues: Disputes may also arise from perceived issues with the services provided, leading customers to withhold payment until the issues are resolved.

5. Economic Uncertainty

Economic uncertainty can exacerbate AR and cash flow challenges. Factors contributing to this include:

Market Volatility: Economic downturns or market volatility can lead to reduced spending by clients, resulting in delayed or missed payments.

Budget Constraints: Clients facing their own financial challenges may delay payments to manage their cash flow, impacting the AR of technology and IT services companies.

6. Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with various regulations can add complexity to the AR process. For example:

Data Privacy Regulations: Ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA can require additional resources and processes, potentially slowing down AR activities.

Financial Reporting Standards: Adhering to financial reporting standards can necessitate detailed documentation and verification, adding to the administrative burden.

7. Supply Chain Disruptions

Supply chain disruptions can impact the delivery of products and services, leading to delays in invoicing and payment collection. These disruptions can be caused by:

Geopolitical Tensions: Geopolitical tensions can disrupt supply chains, leading to delays in project completion and invoicing.

Raw Material Shortages: Shortages of essential raw materials can delay production and delivery, impacting the timing of invoicing and payment collection.

8. Technological Challenges

While technology is a key enabler for IT services companies, it can also pose challenges:

Integration Issues: Integrating new technologies with existing systems can be complex and time-consuming, potentially leading to delays in AR processes.

Cybersecurity Threats: Cybersecurity threats can disrupt operations and lead to delays in invoicing and payment collection.

Addressing the Challenges

1. Implement AI Powered Accounts Receivable Automation

Automating accounts receivable processes can significantly improve efficiency and accuracy. Automation tools can handle routine tasks like invoicing, payment tracking, and reminders, freeing up AR teams to focus on strategic activities. Automation can also reduce errors and speed up the payment collection process.

2. Enhance Communication and Collaboration

Improving communication and collaboration between departments can help ensure accurate and consistent record-keeping. Regular meetings and updates can help identify and resolve issues quickly, reducing the risk of disputes and delays.

3. Adopt Advanced Analytics

Leveraging advanced analytics can provide valuable insights into payment behaviors, customer creditworthiness, and collection effectiveness. Predictive analytics can help forecast cash inflows and identify high-risk accounts, enabling proactive management of AR.

4. Strengthen Customer Relationships

Building strong relationships with customers can help reduce disputes and payment delays. Regular communication and prompt resolution of issues can enhance customer satisfaction and encourage timely payments.

5. Optimize Billing Processes

Streamlining billing processes can help reduce errors and delays. This can include adopting standardized billing templates, conducting regular audits, and ensuring timely and accurate invoicing.

6. Monitor Economic Trends

Keeping a close eye on economic trends can help companies anticipate and prepare for potential challenges. This can include diversifying the customer base, offering flexible payment terms, and maintaining a healthy cash reserve.

7. Invest in Technology

Investing in technology can help address integration and cybersecurity challenges. This can include adopting cloud-based solutions, implementing robust cybersecurity measures, and ensuring seamless integration of new technologies with existing systems.

Conclusion

Accounts receivable and cash flow challenges are significant hurdles for technology and IT services companies. However, by adopting strategic measures such as AI powered accounts receivable automation, advanced analytics, and improved communication, these companies can overcome these challenges and ensure sustained growth and financial stability. At Kapittx, we are committed to helping businesses streamline their AR processes and optimize cash flow through innovative AI-powered accounts receivable solutions. By addressing these challenges head-on, companies can focus on what they do best – delivering cutting-edge technology and IT services to their clients.

[treasure-mimic]

So, let me try and put everything together here, because I really do think it needs to be talked about.

Today, Unity announced that it intends to apply a fee to use its software. Then it got worse.

For those not in the know, Unity is the most popular free to use video game development tool, offering a basic version for individuals who want to learn how to create games or create independently alongside paid versions for corporations or people who want more features. It's decent enough at this job, has issues but for the price point I can't complain, and is the idea entry point into creating in this medium, it's a very important piece of software.

But speaking of tools, the CEO is a massive one. When he was the COO of EA, he advocated for using, what out and out sounds like emotional manipulation to coerce players into microtransactions.

"A consumer gets engaged in a property, they might spend 10, 20, 30, 50 hours on the game and then when they're deep into the game they're well invested in it. We're not gouging, but we're charging and at that point in time the commitment can be pretty high."

He also called game developers who don't discuss monetization early in the planning stages of development, quote, "fucking idiots".

So that sets the stage for what might be one of the most bald-faced greediest moves I've seen from a corporation in a minute. Most at least have the sense of self-preservation to hide it.

A few hours ago, Unity posted this announcement on the official blog.

Effective January 1, 2024, we will introduce a new Unity Runtime Fee that’s based on game installs. We will also add cloud-based asset storage, Unity DevOps tools, and AI at runtime at no extra cost to Unity subscription plans this November. We are introducing a Unity Runtime Fee that is based upon each time a qualifying game is downloaded by an end user. We chose this because each time a game is downloaded, the Unity Runtime is also installed. Also we believe that an initial install-based fee allows creators to keep the ongoing financial gains from player engagement, unlike a revenue share.

Now there are a few red flags to note in this pitch immediately.

Unity is planning on charging a fee on all games which use its engine.

This is a flat fee per number of installs.

They are using an always online runtime function to determine whether a game is downloaded.

There is just so many things wrong with this that it's hard to know where to start, not helped by this FAQ which doubled down on a lot of the major issues people had.

I guess let's start with what people noticed first. Because it's using a system baked into the software itself, Unity would not be differentiating between a "purchase" and a "download". If someone uninstalls and reinstalls a game, that's two downloads. If someone gets a new computer or a new console and downloads a game already purchased from their account, that's two download. If someone pirates the game, the studio will be asked to pay for that download.

Q: How are you going to collect installs? A: We leverage our own proprietary data model. We believe it gives an accurate determination of the number of times the runtime is distributed for a given project. Q: Is software made in unity going to be calling home to unity whenever it's ran, even for enterprice licenses? A: We use a composite model for counting runtime installs that collects data from numerous sources. The Unity Runtime Fee will use data in compliance with GDPR and CCPA. The data being requested is aggregated and is being used for billing purposes. Q: If a user reinstalls/redownloads a game / changes their hardware, will that count as multiple installs? A: Yes. The creator will need to pay for all future installs. The reason is that Unity doesn’t receive end-player information, just aggregate data. Q: What's going to stop us being charged for pirated copies of our games? A: We do already have fraud detection practices in our Ads technology which is solving a similar problem, so we will leverage that know-how as a starting point. We recognize that users will have concerns about this and we will make available a process for them to submit their concerns to our fraud compliance team.

This is potentially related to a new system that will require Unity Personal developers to go online at least once every three days.

Starting in November, Unity Personal users will get a new sign-in and online user experience. Users will need to be signed into the Hub with their Unity ID and connect to the internet to use Unity. If the internet connection is lost, users can continue using Unity for up to 3 days while offline. More details to come, when this change takes effect.

It's unclear whether this requirement will be attached to any and all Unity games, though it would explain how they're theoretically able to track "the number of installs", and why the methodology for tracking these installs is so shit, as we'll discuss later.

Unity claims that it will only leverage this fee to games which surpass a certain threshold of downloads and yearly revenue.

Only games that meet the following thresholds qualify for the Unity Runtime Fee: Unity Personal and Unity Plus: Those that have made $200,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 200,000 lifetime game installs. Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise: Those that have made $1,000,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 1,000,000 lifetime game installs.

They don't say how they're going to collect information on a game's revenue, likely this is just to say that they're only interested in squeezing larger products (games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Fate Grand Order, Among Us, and Fall Guys) and not every 2 dollar puzzle platformer that drops on Steam. But also, these larger products have the easiest time porting off of Unity and the most incentives to, meaning realistically those heaviest impacted are going to be the ones who just barely meet this threshold, most of them indie developers.

Aggro Crab Games, one of the first to properly break this story, points out that systems like the Xbox Game Pass, which is already pretty predatory towards smaller developers, will quickly inflate their "lifetime game installs" meaning even skimming the threshold of that 200k revenue, will be asked to pay a fee per install, not a percentage on said revenue.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Hey Gamers!

Today, Unity (the engine we use to make our games) announced that they'll soon be taking a fee from developers for every copy of the game installed over a certain threshold - regardless of how that copy was obtained.

Guess who has a somewhat highly anticipated game coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024? That's right, it's us and a lot of other developers.

That means Another Crab's Treasure will be free to install for the 25 million Game Pass subscribers. If a fraction of those users download our game, Unity could take a fee that puts an enormous dent in our income and threatens the sustainability of our business.

And that's before we even think about sales on other platforms, or pirated installs of our game, or even multiple installs by the same user!!!

This decision puts us and countless other studios in a position where we might not be able to justify using Unity for our future titles. If these changes aren't rolled back, we'll be heavily considering abandoning our wealth of Unity expertise we've accumulated over the years and starting from scratch in a new engine. Which is really something we'd rather not do.

On behalf of the dev community, we're calling on Unity to reverse the latest in a string of shortsighted decisions that seem to prioritize shareholders over their product's actual users.

I fucking hate it here.

-Aggro Crab - END DESCRIPTION]

That fee, by the way, is a flat fee. Not a percentage, not a royalty. This means that any games made in Unity expecting any kind of success are heavily incentivized to cost as much as possible.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A table listing the various fees by number of Installs over the Install Threshold vs. version of Unity used, ranging from $0.01 to $0.20 per install. END DESCRIPTION]

Basic elementary school math tells us that if a game comes out for $1.99, they will be paying, at maximum, 10% of their revenue to Unity, whereas jacking the price up to $59.99 lowers that percentage to something closer to 0.3%. Obviously any company, especially any company in financial desperation, which a sudden anchor on all your revenue is going to create, is going to choose the latter.

Furthermore, and following the trend of "fuck anyone who doesn't ask for money", Unity helpfully defines what an install is on their main site.

While I'm looking at this page as it exists now, it currently says

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

However, I saw a screenshot saying something different, and utilizing the Wayback Machine we can see that this phrasing was changed at some point in the few hours since this announcement went up. Instead, it reads:

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming or web browser is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

Screenshot for posterity:

That would mean web browser games made in Unity would count towards this install threshold. You could legitimately drive the count up simply by continuously refreshing the page. The FAQ, again, doubles down.

Q: Does this affect WebGL and streamed games? A: Games on all platforms are eligible for the fee but will only incur costs if both the install and revenue thresholds are crossed. Installs - which involves initialization of the runtime on a client device - are counted on all platforms the same way (WebGL and streaming included).

And, what I personally consider to be the most suspect claim in this entire debacle, they claim that "lifetime installs" includes installs prior to this change going into effect.

Will this fee apply to games using Unity Runtime that are already on the market on January 1, 2024? Yes, the fee applies to eligible games currently in market that continue to distribute the runtime. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

Again, again, doubled down in the FAQ.

Q: Are these fees going to apply to games which have been out for years already? If you met the threshold 2 years ago, you'll start owing for any installs monthly from January, no? (in theory). It says they'll use previous installs to determine threshold eligibility & then you'll start owing them for the new ones. A: Yes, assuming the game is eligible and distributing the Unity Runtime then runtime fees will apply. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

That would involve billing companies for using their software before telling them of the existence of a bill. Holding their actions to a contract that they performed before the contract existed!

Okay. I think that's everything. So far.

There is one thing that I want to mention before ending this post, unfortunately it's a little conspiratorial, but it's so hard to believe that anyone genuinely thought this was a good idea that it's stuck in my brain as a significant possibility.

A few days ago it was reported that Unity's CEO sold 2,000 shares of his own company.

On September 6, 2023, John Riccitiello, President and CEO of Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U), sold 2,000 shares of the company. This move is part of a larger trend for the insider, who over the past year has sold a total of 50,610 shares and purchased none.

I would not be surprised if this decision gets reversed tomorrow, that it was literally only made for the CEO to short his own goddamn company, because I would sooner believe that this whole thing is some idiotic attempt at committing fraud than a real monetization strategy, even knowing how unfathomably greedy these people can be.

So, with all that said, what do we do now?

Well, in all likelihood you won't need to do anything. As I said, some of the biggest names in the industry would be directly affected by this change, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they're not just going to take it lying down. After all, the only way to stop a greedy CEO is with a greedier CEO, right?

(I fucking hate it here.)

And that's not mentioning the indie devs who are already talking about abandoning the engine.

[Links display tweets from the lead developer of Among Us saying it'd be less costly to hire people to move the game off of Unity and Cult of the Lamb's official twitter saying the game won't be available after January 1st in response to the news.]

That being said, I'm still shaken by all this. The fact that Unity is openly willing to go back and punish its developers for ever having used the engine in the past makes me question my relationship to it.

The news has given rise to the visibility of free, open source alternative Godot, which, if you're interested, is likely a better option than Unity at this point. Mostly, though, I just hope we can get out of this whole, fucking, environment where creatives are treated as an endless mill of free profits that's going to be continuously ratcheted up and up to drive unsustainable infinite corporate growth that our entire economy is based on for some fuckin reason.

Anyways, that's that, I find having these big posts that break everything down to be helpful.

[reasonsforhope]

"Doctors have begun trialling the world’s first mRNA lung cancer vaccine in patients, as experts hailed its “groundbreaking” potential to save thousands of lives.

Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 1.8m deaths every year. Survival rates in those with advanced forms of the disease, where tumours have spread, are particularly poor.

Now experts are testing a new jab that instructs the body to hunt down and kill cancer cells – then prevents them ever coming back. Known as BNT116 and made by BioNTech, the vaccine is designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of the disease.

The phase 1 clinical trial, the first human study of BNT116, has launched across 34 research sites in seven countries: the UK, US, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain and Turkey.

The UK has six sites, located in England and Wales, with the first UK patient to receive the vaccine having their initial dose on Tuesday [August 20, 2024].

Overall, about 130 patients – from early-stage before surgery or radiotherapy, to late-stage disease or recurrent cancer – will be enrolled to have the jab alongside immunotherapy. About 20 will be from the UK.

The jab uses messenger RNA (mRNA), similar to Covid-19 vaccines, and works by presenting the immune system with tumour markers from NSCLC to prime the body to fight cancer cells expressing these markers.

The aim is to strengthen a person’s immune response to cancer while leaving healthy cells untouched, unlike chemotherapy.

“We are now entering this very exciting new era of mRNA-based immunotherapy clinical trials to investigate the treatment of lung cancer,” said Prof Siow Ming Lee, a consultant medical oncologist at University College London hospitals NHS foundation trust (UCLH), which is leading the trial in the UK.

“It’s simple to deliver, and you can select specific antigens in the cancer cell, and then you target them. This technology is the next big phase of cancer treatment.”

Janusz Racz, 67, from London, was the first person to have the vaccine in the UK. He was diagnosed in May and soon after started chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The scientist, who specialises in AI, said his profession inspired him to take part in the trial. “I am a scientist too, and I understand that the progress of science – especially in medicine – lies in people agreeing to be involved in such investigations,” he said...

“And also, I can be a part of the team that can provide proof of concept for this new methodology, and the faster it would be implemented across the world, more people will be saved.”

Racz received six consecutive injections five minutes apart over 30 minutes at the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Clinical Research Facility on Tuesday.

Each jab contained different RNA strands. He will get the vaccine every week for six consecutive weeks, and then every three weeks for 54 weeks.

Lee said: “We hope adding this additional treatment will stop the cancer coming back because a lot of time for lung cancer patients, even after surgery and radiation, it does come back.” ...

“We hope to go on to phase 2, phase 3, and then hope it becomes standard of care worldwide and saves lots of lung cancer patients.”

The Guardian revealed in May that thousands of patients in England were to be fast-tracked into groundbreaking trials of cancer vaccines in a revolutionary world-first NHS “matchmaking” scheme to save lives.

Under the scheme, patients who meet the eligibility criteria will gain access to clinical trials for the vaccines that experts say represent a new dawn in cancer treatment."

-via The Guardian, May 30, 2024

[runicmagitek]

Fellow fic writers, please watch out for Dulcie Ruiz (@/perfectlygloriousllama on Tumblr, @/_dulcerrr_ on Twitter, and (currently lol) @/dulcerelapsed on AO3), who is sending messages to people and offering to create fanart.

They are not an artist. They are shitting out AI-generated trash.

I have already received comments on random fics from this person and reported them to AO3. Looks like the old account was removed and they unfortunately made a new one, because my dear friend @wingsyouburn received a similar comment literally today.

Another friend received a message from them on Twitter and I realized this person was following (and is now blocked lol).

And this same asshole took advantage of my friend, who was delighted to hear someone wanted to make art for her based on her fics, and realized it looked fuck all like the character she requested.

I don't appreciate some AI hack taking advantage of my friends and I also don't appreciate this fuckwad trying to weasel into fandom spaces with literally no effort. I highly recommend reporting any comments from this user on AO3 and also anyone with similar messages. I also recommend blocking anyone who solicits to make something for you while being incredibly vague and, you know, suspicious as fuck. Please spread the word and fuck AI "art" with a cactus.

[quab00]

[tumblr] 2 changelog:

POLLS are now 2x super effective

BOOPS and EVIL BOOPS are now unvaulted

BOOPS and EVIL BOOPS are now 35% less effective to not break the current META

AI CONTENT will now result in a MISSILE being launched at OP'S HOUSE upon posting (does not apply to HAIKU BOT or other FRIENDLY NPCS)

MUTUALS get 5% damage and healing buffs when on the same POST

WORLD HERITAGE POSTS now grant 10% resistance buffs

USERS can now fight BOT accounts in the new PVE game mode

REBLOGS now grant a 5% damage boosting status effect

LIKES now grant a 5% damage resistance status effect

TAGS now grant elemental damage buffs and resistances based off of their title

LGBTQIA+ have a 20% buff to all stats during PRIDE MONTH

WHOLESOME and OPTIMISM POSTS now grant a 15% healing boost

ASK BLOGS are unvaulted and gain multiple buffs to all stats to fit back into the META

USERS can now que in NON-FRIENDLY FIRE lobbies and STRICTLY PVP lobbies

all members of a FANDOM gain a buff in ZONES that their FANDOM controls

fixed a bug where QUALITY POSTS would not receive attention they deserve

CRABS, LOBSTERS, and all other CRUSTACEANs now have increased speed, damage, and health

shortened LOAD TIMES by changing from lazy loading to productive loading

CATS have increased cuteness

all USERS who joined [tumblr] before this update will receive a LEGACY BADGE

[mcyt-trick-or-treat]

Trick or Treat!

MCYT TRICK-OR-TREAT is a gift basket exchange where participants will sign up to create (and receive) three gifts for other participants. Each gift should be considered either a “trick” (something sad, angsty, or whumpy) or a “treat” (something cute, fluffy, or comforting) based on the prompts, likes, and DNWs of the person you are creating for.

SCHEDULE

August 18: discord opens, nominations begin

August 25: sign-ups begin

September 8: signs-ups close

September 14: assignments go out. creation period begins

October 12: posting deadline

October 26: maximum extension deadline

October 31: collection opens

November 7: anonymous period ends

LINKS

Discord: here

Tagset: here

Ao3 Collection: here

REQUIREMENTS

You must create three complete gifts by the creation period deadline. All gifts must be posted to Ao3; you must have an Ao3 account to sign up.

WRITERS: Each gift must be a complete work with a minimum of 1,000 words. If multi-chapter, all chapters must be posted by the deadline.

ARTISTS: Each gift must be a complete artwork to the degree you consider finished; ie, clean line work, color, etc.

RULES

You must be a member of the Discord and open to DMs from the moderation team in order to contact you about event-related matters.

You must be age 13+ at the time of sign-ups.

Be kind and courteous to your fellow event participants, and respect the mod teams’ rulings.

No NSFW content is permitted in the exchange or in the Discord server. All fics must be rated M or lower by Ao3 ratings, with absolutely no explicit sexual content.

No AI-generated content.

All works must be MCYT/MCRP centric. RPF will not be permitted in this exchange.

Ships between canonically related characters and adult/minor ships will not be permitted.

[allaboutnalu]

The AllAboutNalu Gift Exchange is back for 2024! Even if you participated last year, please read the rules again as changes have been made.

Thank you to the ever talented @kaleilaart for this years banner!

Timeline: Sign ups open: September 20th to October 4th Assignments sent: October 6th Check ins: November 2nd and December 1st Gifts due and posted: December 20th

Sign up here!

Rules and FAQ under read more!

Rules

This is a Nalu based event. Everything created for this exchange must focus on Natsu and Lucy, whether platonic or romantic.

For administration purposes, you must have a Tumblr account to participate and you must have DMs on so that the organisers can contact you. This simply makes contact and coordination easier.

NSFW fanworks or requests are not allowed as part of this event

If you find yourself unable to complete your gift or you wish to withdraw from the event, you must contact one of the organisers to ensure that your recipient receives a gift from someone else. Failure to do so will get you barred from any future allaboutnalu hosted gift exchanges.

If you change your url between sign up and the end of the gift exchange you must contact us to ensure we can keep track of our participants.

AI, stolen, or traced works are not allowed as part of this exchange.

Use of official art must be transformative. Manga colourings, edits, or gifsets are allowed but must be transformative and not traced or unedited.

Until you reveal your gift, please do not disclose who your gift recipient is in any public capacity (i.e. on social media or in any discord server with a public invite).

All gifts must be new and created for the event. Dedicating a new chapter to an already existing fic does not count as a gift.

All gifts must be created to a standard that you would normally consider as “finished”.

Do not deliberately break your recipients DNW (do not want) guidelines.

All gifts must be posted to Tumblr with your gift recipient tagged.

Remember that this is an event that prioritises giving rather than receiving. While we will do our best to ensure everyone receives a high-quality gift that meets their standards, there is only so much we can do beyond ensuring that everyone gets a gift.

While we aim to accept as many people who sign up to the event, signing up does not guarantee acceptance into the exchange. If you were found in violation of any of the rules in the 2023 event, have your tumblr dms closed, or are otherwise non-contactable by the assignment period, you will be unable to participate in the exchange.

Please be sure to thank your gifter after you have received your gift.

Be respectful.

To ensure you have read and understood the rules, please write the code word aquarius in the notes section of the first page of the sign up form. This lets us know that you have read the rules in their entirety and forms submitted without this will be disregarded.

Have fun!

FAQ

I won’t be able to complete my gift/I need to withdraw/I have changed my url/I need to contact the organisers for any other reason. Who do I contact?

Please send a dm to @allaboutnalu or @tokkias to discuss your situation.

I’ve been allocated to create a gift for someone I don’t like, can this be changed?

Allaboutnalu aims to be a neutral zone and we encourage you to create a gift for your initially assigned recipient. If for some reason you feel you cannot create a gift to a high-quality standard for your allocated recipient, please reach out and we will try to reallocate you.

I was not given my assignment on the assignment date

While we aim to accept as many sign ups as possible, they do not guarantee participation in the event. Reasons for non-allocation are outlined in the rules. These are in place to ensure that administrative issues from the 2023 event are not repeated. If you think we have made a mistake then you are more than welcome to reach out via dms and we will see what we can do.

Is dark/violent content allowed?

Yes, but within reason. If your recipient has specified that they do not want to receive this type of content, please be mindful of that. Please also be mindful of tagging any potentially triggering content in your gifts.

What do I do if I need to contact my gift recipient before the gift reveal dates?

Please reach out to allaboutnalu through dms so we can contact your recipient on your behalf. Please do not contact your recipient via anonymous asks.

Can I give more than one gift?

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[leothil]

About deco my tree

If you, like me, used the decomytree-site to receive and send messages lately, you've probably also seen the post warning that the site might have nefarious intentions. This is likely correct. When I went to look at my messages today, it told me "Currently, only the app can open messages due to high usage." That is clearly complete bullshit. It's probably self-evident, but DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE APP. This is base level scam stuff: trick people into getting excited about a service, then lock it to only one platform where the user will have to give up some information in order to get what they want.

(Obviously, I can't say with 100% certainty that something sus is afoot, but my warning bells are ringing very loudly. I am leaning towards this being more of an attempt to lure money out of people than an information stealing attempt, but you can never know.)

I took a look at what the app requirements are:

This ain't great for something that allegedly only is for leaving cute messages for other people. I'm looking specifically at the "Data isn't encrypted" part. If you've taken a look at your tree today, you've probably noticed that ads for an AI app have appeared here and there in the UI; this is by the same company behind deco my tree.

Now. If you still want to see your messages, there is the option of running the app in a virtual environment that isolates it from the rest of the device, and thus from the data on it. I think iOS and Android both might have native sandbox environments, but I'm not familiar with them. What I did was download an android emulator to my computer and installed the app there. It's completely separated from the rest of my OS and will cease to exist when I nuke the session after reading and saving all my messages.

The emulator I used is called Bluestacks. It has ads and will take up ca 5GB of space, but it's a reputable emulator, and I've used it before to play android games on my desktop. Once you're in there, you can navigate to your tree in the already existing Chrome browser on the desktop (or home screen, I suppose), and find the link to their help center, where they have a download link for the apk file without needing to go through the Play Store (which you'd have to log in to using a google account). Also a bit suspicious, but handy in this case. I've also included the links above for you to use. Once you've downloaded the .apk the app will open and you'll be able to log in and see your messages.

Side note - if you used a generic password that you use in several other places for this tree, I highly recommend changing it in all other places, especially if you usually combine it with the same email you used for decomytree.

Another fun thing I noticed is that the app refuses to load the earliest three messages on my tree, for whatever reason. But when I navigate back to the website (inside the emulator), it now opens the messages just fine since it can tell I have the app installed. 🙃 The app also continuously displays ads for the same AI app mentioned above, trying to trick you into clicking on them when you're swiping through your messages. It also does this fun thing:

Yeah. Bypassable, but highly irritating, and guaranteed to catch at least some poor people that don't know what to click on to make it go away.

TL;DR: don't download the app directly to your phone, use a sandbox to isolate it to see your messages, and then ask it to delete your account (and hope that it works, because so far the so-called verification code has failed to appear in my inbox). And change your password if you've used the same one elsewhere on the internet.

[pillowfort-social]

Site Update - 2/9/2024

Hi Pillowfolks!

Today is the day. Post Queueing & Scheduling is finally here for everyone. Hooray! As always we will be monitoring closely for any unexpected bugs so please let us know if you run into any.

New Features/Improvements

✨ *NEW* Queue & Schedule - One of the most highly requested features has finally arrived at Pillowfort. Users can now effortlessly Queue or Schedule a post for a future time.  

Queue helps keep your Pillowfort active by staggering posts over a period of hours or days. Just go to your Settings page to set your queue interval and time period.

How to add a post to your queue: 

While creating a new post or editing a draft, click on the clock icon to the right of the “Publish” button and choose “Queue.” Then click “Queue” when you’re ready to submit the post.

Schedule assigns a post a specific publishing time in the future (based on your timezone you’ve selected in Account Settings). How to schedule a post: 

While creating a new post or editing a draft, click on the clock icon to the right of “Publish” and choose “Schedule.” Enter the time you wish to publish your post, click on “Submit” and then click “Schedule.” 

How to review your queued & scheduled posts: 

On the web, your Queue is available in the user sidebar located on the left side of the screen underneath “Posts.” (On mobile devices, click on the three line icon located on the upper left of your screen to access your user sidebar.)

Note: the “Queue” button will only display if you have one or more queued or scheduled posts.

A CAVEAT: It is not currently possible to queue or schedule posts to Communities. We do intend to add this feature in the future, but during development it was determined that enabling queueing & scheduling to Communities would require additional workflow and use case requirements that would extend development time when this project has already been delayed, and so it was decided to release queue & scheduling for blogs only at the present time. We will add the ability to queue & schedule to Communities soon after the Pillowfort PWA (our next major development project) is complete.

✨ End of Year Fundraiser Reward Badges: End of Year Fundraiser Rewards Badges will begin to be distributed today. We'll update everyone when distribution is done.  

✨ End of Year Fundraiser Reward Frames: As a special thank you to our community for helping keep Pillowfort online we have released two very special (and cozy!) Avatar Frames for all users. 

As for the remaining End of Year Fundraiser Rewards - we will be asking the Community for feedback on the upcoming Light Mode soon. 

✨ Valentine’s Day Avatar Frame: A new Valentine’s Day inspired frame is now available!

✨ Valentine’s Day Premium Frames: Alternate colors of the Valentine’s Day frame are available to Pillowfort Premium subscribers. 

✨ Site FAQ Update - Our Site FAQ has received a revamp.  

Terms of Service Update

As of today (February 9th), we are updating our Terms of Service to prohibit the following content:

Images created through the use of generative AI programs such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and Dall-E.

An explanation of how this policy will be enforced and what exactly that means for you is available here: https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/4317673

Thank you again for your continued support. Other previously mentioned updates (such as the Pillowfort Premium Price increase, Multi Account Management, PWA, and more) will be coming down the pipeline soon. As always, stay tuned for updates. 

Best, Staff

[kapittx]

High-Impact Strategy for Dunning Management: Increase Cash Flow And Reduce DSO

Special collection efforts are targeted initiatives designed to address specific objectives within the broader context of accounts receivable management. One such critical objective is reducing the value and quantity of seriously aged invoices. This effort to reduce the value and aged open items can significantly hog senior management time and can be mentally draining. Often these aged items are defined as 90 to 120 days and above and can be found in the far right column of the receivables aging report. These receivables are at the greatest risk of bad debt loss. Longer they remain unpaid the higher the risk of never recovering them and will directly impact your bottom line. These receivables do not get unnoticed and both senior management as well as auditors monitor them.

Dunning management is a critical process for businesses that ensures the timely collection of outstanding payments. In this blog, we’ll explore the intricacies of these efforts and their impact on financial health, cash flow and to reduce DSO.

What Is Dunning Management?

Dunning management refers to the systematic approach businesses use to handle overdue payments from customers. It involves a series of steps aimed at recovering outstanding balances while maintaining positive customer relationships.

High Impact Strategy for Dunning Management

Aged receivables—those lingering unpaid balances—pose a significant challenge for businesses. They carry the risk of bad debt loss, demand provisioning in the bad debt reserve, and attract scrutiny from senior management and auditors. But how can companies strike the right balance between resource allocation and recovery?

In this blog post, we’ll explore a high-impact strategy for dunning management—one that optimizes collections while maintaining cash flow and customer relationships.

The Dilemma

Resource Allocation vs. Payback:

Aged receivables demand attention, but allocating substantial resources for their recovery may yield only modest returns.

Writing them off, however, is prohibitively expensive.

Impact on Cash Flow:

If collection staff focuses excessively on aged accounts, normal collection efforts suffer, affecting cash flow.

The Solution: A Strategic Approach

1. Segment Your Receivables Portfolio

Customer Attributes:

Categorize receivables based on customer characteristics (e.g., size, domestic vs. foreign, government vs. private sector).

Consider line of business, reseller/partner vs. end user, and other relevant factors.

Map the receivable based on invoice-to-cash life stages ( e.g., invoice which are collectable, disputed, under going legal litigations or provisioned )

Billing Status:

Distinguish between billed and unbilled accounts.

Each segment requires a specialized approach.

2. Develop High-Speed Procedures

Customized Workflows:

Document procedures for each segment (e.g., call blitz, collection letters, reconciliation packs).

Tailor communication to the specific needs of each group.

 3. Implement a Collection Infrastructure

Empowerment and Escalation:

Define negotiation empowerment levels.

Establish an escalation protocol for unresolved disputes.

Document Retrieval and Credit Controls:

Streamline access to relevant documents.

Tighten credit controls to prevent further delinquency.

4. Organizational Design

Utilize Existing Staff:

Design the organization to execute the high-impact action plan.

Consider supplements for administrative or reconciliation support.

Training and Tools:

Train staff in high-speed procedures.

Provide workspace, tools, and resources.

5. Monitor and Measure Progress

Collection Activity Plan:

Track both activities (inputs) and results (outputs).

Regularly assess progress against targets.

6. Launch and Drive Results

Secure Management Approval:

Gain buy-in from leadership.

Announce the program to the organization.

Hands-On Supervision:

Manage the program with experienced, tactical oversight.

Continuously drive results.

By strategically addressing aged receivables, businesses can unlock cash flow, reduce bad debt risk, and maintain healthy customer relationships. Remember, it’s not just about collecting money—it’s about optimizing resources for maximum impact. 

Key Components To Execute Dunning Management Strategy

Dunning management strategy should enable you to build customer trust and ensure long-term relationships. Design a comprehensive communication strategy using emails and phone calls as payment reminder tools

1. Communication Channels:

Emails: Sending automated emails with friendly reminders about overdue payments.

Phone Calls: Personalized calls to discuss payment issues

2. Dunning Levels:

Level 1 (Soft Reminder): Gentle reminders about the due payment.

Level 2 (Intermediate): More assertive communication, emphasizing the urgency.

Level 3 (Final Notice): Clearly stating consequences if payment isn’t made promptly.

Download eBook – Top 10 Dunning Management Email Templates

3. Automated Workflows

Setting up workflows triggered by payment due dates.

Escalating communication based on predefined rules.

4. Payment Retry Logic:

Automatically retry failed payments.

Adjust retry intervals based on customer behavior.

5. Customer Segmentation:

Segmenting customers based on payment history, loyalty, and responsiveness.

Tailoring dunning strategies accordingly.

Best Practices for Effective Dunning

https://www.kapittx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Practices-for-Effective-Dunning-1.jpg

1. Personalization:

Address customers by name.

Customize messages based on their payment history.

2. Clear Communication:

Be concise and transparent about outstanding balances.

Explain the consequences of non-payment.

Helping customers understand the importance of timely payments without feeling pressured

3. Timing Matters:

Send reminders before due dates.

Gradually escalate communication as deadlines approach.

4. Flexible Payment Options:

Offer alternative payment methods.

Allow partial payments if necessary.

5. Data-Driven Insights:

Analyze dunning performance metrics.

Adjust strategies based on success rates.

Conclusion

Dunning management is more than just chasing payments; it’s about maintaining customer trust and ensuring long-term relationships. By implementing effective dunning processes, businesses can improve cash flow, reduce churn, and foster positive customer experiences.

Remember, successful dunning isn’t just about collecting money—it’s about nurturing valuable connections.

Click here to see a case study from Kapittx.

Request a demo today.

Check out Kapittx’s LinkedIn here.

[shima-draws]

POKEMON FUSION GIJINKA ADOPTS 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO!!

Just like last time this is an auction! So please read the rules below so you know how to bid <3

Also these are on DeviantART as well! Might be easier to go over there and bid under the comment chain.

Everything is under the cut ;)

RULES

◆ Please make sure you have money before placing a bid! You can’t back out once you’ve bid so please be aware of that. Bid responsibly <3

◆ Going off of that, if you win the auction, payment must be sent within 24 hours. Otherwise, I will release the adopt to the next person in line.

◆ Payment is through PayPal only. If you don’t have a PayPal account and want to buy one of these adopts, I suggest you get one!

◆ The auction will run for 48 hours from the time an adopt is first bid on. In the case of an AB, the auction will end for the specific adopt immediately.

◆ I do not do holds. This is a first come first serve auction.

◆ You will receive the full-sized image without the watermark once payment is confirmed.

◆ I will not give refunds! Once it’s bought, it’s yours!

TERMS OF USE

◆ These adopts are for personal use only. Since they’re based off of Pokemon, I cannot sell them for commercial use.

◆ The design is yours to change/do whatever you’d like with once you purchase it! However, please DO NOT STEAL OR RESELL it. If you didn’t buy the design it’s not yours!

◆ If you buy one and would like to repost the art elsewhere, that’s fine. Just please, if you can, credit me! (This blog specifically if you’re not sure what to credit.)

◆ Using my artwork to train AI is NOT permitted.

SB (Starting bid): $35

MI (Minimum increase): $5

AB (Automatic buy): $100

Shiinotic + Polteageist (SP): OPEN

Roselia + Drampa (RD): OPEN

Togekiss + Xurkitree (TX): OPEN

Cobalion + Volcarona (CV): CLOSED

Ralts + Bewear (RB): CLOSED

Please reply on this post to bid! (I'll also be replying with updates on the bids.)

i.e. RD SB, CV $45, SP AB, etc.

If you have any questions feel free to DM me <3

[berix2010]

Do you love Team Fortress 2 and hate Valve's years of neglecting the bot issue?

Then please sign the petition at save.tf and help spread the word about the #FixTF2 movement! More information can be found in the read more, but the tl;dr is that Valve has been neglecting Team Fortress 2's bot issue for far too long, and on June 3rd its encouraged to share your screenshots and video of cheater bots in action with the hashtags #FixTF2 and #SaveTF2

Despite this game still having a loyal and active community of fans most companies could only dream of in spite of the game itself having no major content updates since 2017, people have been feed up with the fact that Valve has done next to nothing to deal with the waves of cheater bots that have not made the game both harder to play normally (especially outside of peak playing hours) but have actively made the game toxic and even outright dangerous for players looking to have fun. In the words of this site and petition's creators:

"The bot hosters are malicious actors, using their aimbots as a vessel to endlessly attack and harass community members. They abuse the in-game text and voice chats to spread the most vile hate speech imaginable, while simultaneously advertising their “bot immunity services” in an attempt to scam the players desperately looking for a solution. They’ve used these same means to dox people’s personal information and broadcast it to the player-base against their will. Bot hosters have even gone so far as to commit actual crimes, such as using AI voice-modifiers to impersonate and slander non-consenting parties, launching persistent DDoS attacks, and have even swatted one of their most ardent critics."

Despite being over 17 years old, having a very active fanbase, and still having new seasonal cosmetics being released regularly for real money, Valve has horribly neglected this game and left in a state where its practically overrun nefarious actors exploiting the game for personal gain. Most fans don't even care about releasing a new update as big as the last one (2017's Jungle Inferno update) at this point, we just want Valve to fix the bot crisis.

On June 3rd, its heavily encouraged by the leaders of this consumer movement to post videos, screenshots, and personal accounts of players' encounters with these bots in an effort to get #FixTF2 trending and put a spotlight on Valve's neglect of the game despite continuing to profit from it. The petition itself will be sent to Valve, and all you need to do is add your email and name, and click on the confirmation email. Their site is currently getting a lot more traffic than expected, so you may need to wait over 10 minutes to receive the confirmation email and officially add your signature.

[novella-november]

Honestly, that ask really just shows just how easy it would have been for certain companies to respond properly to AI questions -- that is, to say, in a shorter post:

While I can't stop you, not only do I disprove, but I have *explicitly banned AI from this challenge.* If you acknowledge the rules of no plagiarism and no AI, and use AI to generate your 30,000 words regardless, you will at least be forced to admit to *yourself* that even if you didn't consider it as such before, you are, in fact, *cheating*. And, in doing so you are not only defeating the point of the community challenge, but also harming your fellow writers and artists every time you put more info in and get more info out of the Plagiarism Machine. If you decide not only to *cheat* in the challenge, but also then go on to proudly brag about how you used AI to generate your work, or post content like images that are clearly AI generated..... well, that's on you when you find yourself blocked by a few thousand writers and artists at once, isn't it? This community event has no formal submissions, so it is based on the honor system -- and that, of course means that when you choose to break the rules.... you'll feel it when you *break that code of honor.* Maybe you won't notice it at first, but you definitely will when you find yourself suddenly unable to interact with a few hundred accounts from cool authors and writers, who are all happily chatting and exchanging ideas -- all while your posts in the tags receive 0 notes because you don't realize it but everyone's blocked you....

[vavialdavi]

Frozen fandom, I have a message for you!

Y'all really need to calm down on the asumptions cause it's possible that none of them turn on canon. I'm gonna adress the two big ones: Norse myth and Hans (by extension Helsa)

Unless, we've heard completely different speeches, Jennifer Lee never mentionned Norse myth. The castle in the sky could be Asgard as much as it could not. Let's not forget the question castle ruins in Ahtohallan. Ahtohallan already being its own entity. Norse myth could play a role in F3 and F4 as well as it could not. Yes, Frozen has inspirations and references to Norse myth, but it's not the only one . One thing you tend to forget is the great inspiration of Saami culture the Frozen franchise have, especially in the second movie. It would be more logical if they keep that way for the new movies instead of going after Norse myth as their main base. Nothing's confirmed.

Y'all have the right to make every theory you want but, keep in mind that at the end of the day, they remain theories. Mrs Lee told us to not hold onto that concept art. Let's consider all possibilities. It could be completely wipped off and we wouldn't know before 2027. Don't forget they were still chanoine the script a few months before F2 premiere and that Elsa was villian before Mrs got involved in the project. We're never sure with Frozen.

I'ma be fully honest, I don't want Hans to be a relevant character again and I'm quite fine with him being a joke along the franchise. The idea of a redemption arc with him having a positive role in the sisters' story, the possibility of Helsa even more make me sick. BUT all I'm about to say could also apply to my views on Honeymaren and elsamaren.

"Coming out of Frozen 2, we still have some questions. A lot of questions. That is just page one. Now you see why it will take two films to answer them. Just a tease, once again just a tease." These are Mrs Lee's words

This more looks like a list of the questions they've received. Rather than the ones F3 and F4 are gonna answer. Mrs Lee didn't say that. Considering the fact that the first two are already answered. Ahtohallan. The fifth spirit is the human spirit, Elsa and Anna are the bridge between spirits and humans (one side of each). Just watch Frozen 2 and the Myth short, please.

But let's say, all of these questions are gonna get answered. Some of them can just be mentionned a few seconds. And It's still not a confirmation of Hans's return and even less of a potential redemption arc. You can theorize what you want but Hans could also remain a blatant franchise joke. Or we could just see a memory of him in Ahtohallan showing what he became. Mrs Lee didn't confirm which characters are coming back for the sequels (even though it seems clear our five MCs and the Nokk are). We don't know anything about Hans's future.

1- Long story short, I'm not telling y'all what you should believe or not, I'm just asking to not act like what is NOT confirmed is. Don't hold too much on your asumptions cause you might end up not appreciating the actual movies if none of them happens. As an elsamaren shipper, I feel what I say.

2- I also fear y'all might start a new misinformation wave. Critical thinking and media literacy being concepts unknown in most of the fandoms, it can turn out really bad. I haven't forgotten how dirty some of you did Honeymaren just you didn't like the idea of lesbian Elsa. To this day, there are still being convinced she is her cousin. I remember really well how many people fall for that ai fake news made by a SATIRE disney account that Elsa was getting married to a woman in F3...

[matan4il]

hi quick question: what do u know about the lavender ai post that's circulating? i saw it on this fact checking blog i follow and they made it seem legit but im not convinced

Hi Nonnie!

Before I get into this specific subject, I just wanna tell you that for me personally, this war has been an eye opener about how little some "fact checking" sites are worth. I've read several articles on that type of site, which could have used some fact checking themselves. In some cases, they had author names attached to them, and when checking the authors out, it was easy to find that they were not free of bias themselves. So... yeah. Take "fact checking sites" with a grain of salt. Even journalists sometimes get it wrong, and they're held to higher standards, and have more personal accountability, than most "fact checking sites," not to mention that the latter often simply rely on a selection of journalistic sources, but sometimes without really taking into account which are reliable, and which aren't.

As for the lavender AI issue specifically, I heard it briefly referenced on the news, during a discussion panel, and it was brought up in the context of recent conspiracy theories about Israel. The panelists were so clear on how obviously false these all were, they didn't even really get into refuting any of them.

A bit like how, in the past, when watching panelists discussing antisemitic tropes reincarnated as anti-Israel lies, I saw them bring up the one claiming Israel set up a field hospital in Haiti after the earthquake in order to harvest organs, which is obviously a new version of "the Jews are bloodthirsty" without bothering to refute it, because to Israelis, it's evident that it's bullshit. Not only because we're aware that we're not actually those evil creatures, lusting for death and destruction, that the anti-Israel crowd likes to portray us as, but also because we know that the constant terrorist attacks here have made Israel a world leader in the field of emergency medicine (here's an example: even the antisemitic UN had to admit an IDF unit was the best medical emergency team in the world), so that's the actual reason we set up that field hospital, much like we use our experience to help others in basically every disaster around the world that's willing to accept aid from Israel (and sometimes we operate even in places like Syria, where technically, we're defined as an enemy state, so all of the aid had to be provided directly to private people, and while keeping their identity a secret, so their own government can't presecute them for receiving it).

Anyway, since the TV discussion didn't get into refuting what they clearly saw as an absurd, hateful lie, I went online in search of more info, and found that this news venturing into mainstream media happened in The Guardian, a British news source known for its anti-Israel bias, to the point where a female black, non-Jewish journalist of theirs felt the need to point it out all the way back in 2003, and in Nov 2023, a Jewish employee of theirs had published a personal piece about feeling unsafe there, and looking for another place of employment. But the source that The Guardian is quoting, is actually not a proper journalistic publication, it's an anti-Israel propaganda blog based magazine, which includes Israeli anti-Zionists and Palestinians, publishing in English since its audience is very much not Israelis despite claiming that they want to inspire change in Israel, and responsible for systematically vilifying the country and spreading lies about it.

If I, as an Israeli, thought that something was wrong with a system the IDF is using, and wanted to see real change in my army, I wouldn't go to a publication that isn't journalistic in nature, that doesn't publish in a local language, that most Israelis have never heard about, and that those who did, don't trust, because of its known anti-Israel reputation. That in itself makes me suspicious.

The IDF gave a statement in response to questions presented by The Guardian, based on the aforementioned piece. It's a bit long, but here are the main references to the claimed AI system Lavender (emphasis added by me):

Some of the claims portrayed in your questions are baseless in fact, while others reflect a flawed understanding of IDF directives and international law.

The process of identifying military targets in the IDF consists of various types of tools and methods, including information management tools, which are used in order to help the intelligence analysts to gather and optimally analyze the intelligence, obtained from a variety of sources. Contrary to claims, the IDF does not use an artificial intelligence system that identifies terrorist operatives or tries to predict whether a person is a terrorist. Information systems are merely tools for analysts in the target identification process. According to IDF directives, analysts must conduct independent examinations, in which they verify that the identified targets meet the relevant definitions in accordance with international law and additional restrictions stipulated in the IDF directives.

The “system” your questions refer to is not a system, but simply a database whose purpose is to cross-reference intelligence sources, in order to produce up-to-date layers of information on the military operatives of terrorist organizations. This is not a list of confirmed military operatives eligible to attack.

For each target, IDF procedures require conducting an individual assessment of the anticipated military advantage and collateral damage expected. Such assessments are not made categorically in relation to the approval of individual strikes. The assessment of the collateral damage expected from a strike is based on a variety of assessment methods and intelligence-gathering measures, in order to achieve the most accurate assessment possible, considering the relevant operational circumstances. The IDF does not carry out strikes when the expected collateral damage from the strike is excessive in relation to the military advantage. In accordance with the rules of international law, the assessment of the proportionality of a strike is conducted by the commanders on the basis of all the information available to them before the strike, and naturally not on the basis of its results in hindsight.

The IDF outright rejects the claim regarding any policy to kill tens of thousands of people in their homes.

Some things about the claims in that piece don't work out IMO. Like, the number of fatalities if indeed there's an AI system, which produced a list of 37,000 Hamas and PIJ terrorists, with an automatic green light to kill between 15 to 100 civilians per each, especially in the first months of the war, and even assuming they couldn't target them all during that period of time (we do know most Hamas units have been destroyed). There are about 1,500 terrorists in a Hamas battalion (source in Hebrew), and 4 are left in Rafah, so only about 6,000 Hamas terrorists are in the last area the IDF has not operated in yet. That would mean roughly 31,000 terrorists were accessible targets. Just for the sake of erring on the side of caution, let's assume 10 killed civilians per Hamas terrorist, instead of that piece's claimed 15-100 approved per target. This would produce somewhere around 341,000 people killed in the first months alone. Let's go even lower, let's say 5 civilians killed per terrorist instead of 15-100. That would mean 186,000 killed during those months. We are exactly 6 months into the war, and even Hamas' numbers (likely inflated) don't claim more than 33,000 as the total number of fatalities. The given numbers and directives in that so-called "article" just don't match the reality on the ground, but claim to explain it, and to prove that Israel is being callous with civilians' lives in Gaza.

I'll also add that the AI-based decision making described doesn't take into account the possible presence and harm to the lives of Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza. That's another thing that makes me doubt that piece, because the IDF commanders have repeatedly stated their commitment to bringing back all the hostages, and as many alive as possible, and Israeli soldiers more than once risked their own lives to get them out, whether it was living people, or the bodies of Israelis who deserve to get to be buried back home, with their loved ones there, as in tact as possible. This scenario only works if we assume the Israeli commanders and soldiers have no sentiment for the lives of their own kidnapped civilians.

I guess that's what the piece's aim is. To play on people's fears of AI determining whether people will live or die, and to paint Israel as an evil, unfeeling, bloodthirsty entity, capable of anything, including of the inhumanity of letting computers decide the fate of human beings. The ease and speed with which people believe this, and spread this notion, before anyone has verified that Lavender is anything other than a database, just like the IDF says, feels like a demonstration of how all antisemitic blood libels are spread.

I hope this helped!

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[the-river-runs]

My best friend Fandom has once again returned and asked me to post to Tumblr for her! Once again, I have permission to post this video and all edits were done by Fandom (http.redshoes on Instagram)

These memes are all based on Cryptid Sightings by @naffeclipse

She has a lot to say this time around!

A message from Fandom:

"Hello Naff!! And hello everyone :D

It’s me, your girl, your local meme and edit maker, Fandom (aka http.redshoes on Insta 😎)

I’ve come back to make another meme comp for you guys! I wanted to make this earlier, but:

1. I was busy saving/collecting ATSV content on Instagram like Pokémon to getting noticed twice by Jack in the Box ☺️

2. I had to create an Ao3 account (understandably ofc AI theft sucks) and was um. You know… being silly in the comment section 👀 (please don’t mind me if you ever stumble upon them - I react and appreciate the stuff I enjoy in weird ways 💔)

3. Was waiting for my friend here to finish reading so I didn’t spoil anything in the memes! We both loved the series so much and man. The Naff do be eclipsing fr in releasing chapters left and right biggest round of applause for one of my favorite authors here 👏👏👏

Naff, you did such a great job writing this fanfic. I’m going to repeat myself from the comment section BUT you need to give yourself a pat on the back, relax, take a break - just reward yourself. You deserve it all and I hope that you take care of yourself for all the hard work you’ve done 💞💞💞

I’ve also included the lovely artist themselves, @themeeplord , again in one of my meme comps.

It’s only one meme but dang they always draw Eclipse to be getting that gain 💪💪💪 (bc of how muscular he is haha.) Mad respect to all of the drawings they create - they’re always a banger to see.

(Most of the memes surround the last episode + epilogue so if you haven’t read those chapters LOOK ‼️ AWAY ‼️ Don’t get spoiled 🤯)

(P.S. for the imagine scenario that’s not a meme, this is what they’re saying in the audio:

“[Amused] You can hear their heartbeats? Come on, that’s a little far fetched.”

“[Soft chuckling] I can hear yours too… Your heart’s beating pretty fast.”

I’d like to think this would take place around the beginning of “The Episode Bedeviling Bodies,” where the Hunter is still trying to understand their dear friend and what they’re capable of. I thought it was fitting ngl and included it in the comp.

There were uh, more memes I wanted to include, but I’m running low on storage space atm. I’ll get back to making more after I’m done clearing that out ^^’)

(P.P.S. Okay I don’t have Tumblr obviously but 🕴️ apparently you guys really liked the SJ memes I made??? Because my friend’s been receiving notifs of it still??? Thank you so much you guys!! I didn’t really expect people to enjoy them that much 😭💘💘💘)

Now without further ado, enjoy the meme comp! >:D " -Fandom