#all this run around trying to sort out the html which i have no patience for...

[ghostoffuturespast]

All this fucking time, and I finally figured out how to get rid of the fucking paragraph breaks in between lines on a03... I'm an idiot. shift+enter

duh.

[neojeno]

I really wouldn't mind you aiding me with some tutorials love

giffing tutorial/resources

hi anon! sorry it took me so long to answer. i figured this might be helpful for others out there who have asked me similar questions, so i’ve compiled a pretty comprehensive list of tutorials/resources. idk about others but when i was new to giffing, it took me a lot of painful effort to go around and look for resources, so i’m putting it all here to make it a little easier!

i download videos using 4k video downloader. it will download very good quality 1080p videos in .mp4 format. if you’re downloading a 4k video, make sure to change the setting option to .mkv so that you get 4k and not 1080p—for obvious reasons since you want the highest quality.

i rely on kpopexciting to get .ts files — which are basically raw, very high quality video files for live performances. they are much less grainy than .mp4 versions of live performances—which are the ones you’ll see uploaded to youtube. i’ve found that 4k videos (in .mkv) are just as good quality as .ts, but obviously you will rarely see live performances in 4k, so get .ts when you can!! you can also try to find .ts files on twitter, but you may have to do a lot of digging. i wish i could recommend you twitter accounts, but the ones i used to go to have been very inactive/taken down all their drives :( but this website is really nice and updated frequently so i would recommend it!

vapoursynth links + download. the reason you would use vapoursynth is to resize your gif, while maintaining the optimal quality of the gif. if you gif without vapoursynth (.ie only using photoshop), it will still be fine, but the image quality may be grainier. also, you will definitely need vapoursynth to gif .ts files —more will be explained in the tutorial i’ve linked below. i would recommend that you have a high processing/lots of ram/newer desktop or laptop to use vapoursynth so that 1, your computer isn’t fried and 2, your vapoursynth process will go a lot faster. i am using a 2017 macbook pro for all my work, and it runs pretty well, but my laptop still gets pretty hot so just make sure you’re not running a million things in the background while using adobe products and vapoursynth lol. i used a pretty old and beat up 2011 model macbook air back then, and i will say that yes vapoursynth worked and ran on it, but it took much longer, and basically fried the laptop’s battery (aka i had to get the battery changed twice and the laptop would die randomly) but issok it was a school borrowed laptop so i didn’t feel too bad lol. im just saying this as a precaution, to preserve the health of your electronic devices!! but don’t be afraid to use vapoursynth! you should still try it at least once.

thank you to @realstraykids for this super detailed, really nice tutorial! it includes how and where to download videos, how to gif using vapoursynth, using photoshop, comparisons, coloring, and pretty much all you need to know. 10/10 would recommend

thank you to @dreamcolouring for this lifesaver!!! the best and easiest way to blur out unwanted captions/objects in your gifs. i recommend doing this step after converting your frames to video timeline and before you do sharpening and coloring. another tip i’ll add is to feather the selection you’ve made right before you click on “add vector mask” —this will make sense once you’ve read through the tutorial. feathering it will make the blurred spot less noticeable and more subtle.

i use this generator to create gradient colored captions! copy and paste your text, then select the colors you want. generate the code, and copy it. change the settings of the text editor on your post to HTML. paste the code, preview, and voila! add elements <blockquote>,<b>,<i>, etc as needed. see more on colored captions in this tutorial by @kylos​ --i believe op mentioned a different and better color generator but for some reason it won’t work for me :( hopefully it works for u! basically same idea as the previous generator i mentioned.

my own mini tutorial/workflow process of making gifs. this includes working with a .ts file, vapoursynth, photoshop, coloring, watermarking, etc. and a few of my own tips below:

if you are working with an .mp4, you do not have to make any changes to the preprocessor/denoise filters/sharpening in the resizing part of vapoursynth—it doesn’t make that big of a difference if you do. but if you are working with a .ts file, definitely do make those changes,, that’s the whole reason you have vapoursynth. with an .mp4, i like to use vapoursynth to just resize, but i don’t add any additional settings. i use smart sharpen in photoshop to sharpen it, which is pretty good on it’s own (at least in photoshop 2020!).

my rule of thumb is to do add .02 seconds when i am setting frame delay. so if when you first import the frames, they are at 0.04 seconds, i usually change them to 0.06. of course, this is my personal taste—you can make all your gifs faster or slower depending on how you want em to look.

if you are on a mac, you can screen record by pressing Command+Shift+5 (it’s a shortcut to quicktime screen recording). I only screen record for things like the beyond live concert or other live streamed events. the image quality of the screen recording, in my experience, is actually pretty good. when you gif the screen recording however, you may notice that it adds extra frames that you don’t need. by that i mean duplicate frames. you could keep the duplicate frames but that just means the size of your gif is going to be much bigger (keep in mind the limit is 8mb). in order to remove those duplicates, my only solution has been to remove them manually (by holding Command while selecting), or when you are importing the video to frames, select the option to “limit to every 2 frames”—but this method will be less precise and still not as good as manually removing frames. if you remove the duplicate frames, this means you will need to set the frame delay even slower, to make up for lost frames. in my experience, fps(frames per second) and frame delay work in conjunction. so for example, if i delete every other frame because they are duplicates,  but the starting frame delay is 0.02, i am now going to change it to something like 0.05 (so i added 0.03 seconds rather than my usual 0.02). if the duration length and the image dimensions of the gif are short/small, feel free to keep the duplicate frames in—i only delete duplicate frames in order to keep my gif under the 8mb limit. then, if you keep the duplicate frames in, continue with your standard frame delay preferences.  now that i’m writing this im realizing this might not make a lot of sense lol.. but don’t worry about it for now and if you run into trouble w screen recorded gifs then you can come back to this for reference. again, this is only my experience recording on a mac—it may be a lot different if you use a screen recording program or are on a pc.

i don’t really use .psd templates because i like to give every gif/gifset it’s own unique coloring—so i remake the coloring every time, but if you get into a rhythm it’s pretty easy. there are a lot of nice coloring tutorials out there, too! my personal coloring adjustments in order: levels, exposure, color balance, selective color (if needed), vibrance, photo filter (if needed), color lookup (i use 2strip most often and i put it on ‘color’ blending mode). don’t forget to adjust the opacities and fills of the ‘color lookup’ adjustment layer in case it’s too strong. go back to correct each adjustment layer as needed. then, when you’re done and satisfied, group all those layers, copy the group (you can do an easy command+c), and paste it onto the next gif you’re working on for easy workflow.

if for some reason you can��t see the frames when you import your layers/video, it’s likely because your ‘timeline’ window isn’t showing up. just go to the window menu on photoshop, go to the bottom and you’ll see ‘timeline.’ make sure it has a check next to it.

i recommend watermarking your gifs because a lot of people like to repost tings these days 😠 - so make sure u got your brand on it! i keep my watermark saved to my ‘libraries’ in photoshop so it’s ready when i need it. i use the blending mode ‘overlay’ and adjust the opacity, but if you don’t want to do that you can also add a stroke/shadow to your watermark/do all sorts.

tag #nctinc for your nct creations and #jenonet for your jeno creations!!

here’s my own mini tutorial (well not much of a tutorial ig more like a work process vid?): took about ten minutes including the time to search and download the video (but i didn’t record that part i trust yall know how to do that), vapoursynth, and exporting. i hope this helps somewhat! feel free to ask more questions whenever :)

keep in mind that giffing takes a lot of patience, energy, and experience—so don’t worry if it takes you a bit to figure things out or if your gifs don’t turn out the way you want them to the first time around. we all start at the same place and all run into problems. i know giffing can sound intimidating and seem like a lot of work, but i promise, once you get into a routine, giffing is going to happen in minutes—and you’ll get beautiful gifs. have fun! 😊

[stimtoybox]

Member Applications!

After thinking, experimenting and much hair-pulling (not figuratively or metaphorically) I have come to the obvious conclusion that this blog is too much for one disabled person to handle. Part of being multiply disabled is the two-for-one package of knowing first hand why accessibility is important and having decreased ability to practice it, so I need to bring on a team who can help me do this and bring you all a better blog, since my chronic pain is getting in the way of allowing me to do all this and anything else.

I’m after two or three people who can help me with taking the many wonderful stim toy posts floating around Tumblr and can add the resource information that means other people have to do the least amount of scrolling, clicking or researching: image descriptions, direct links to the product in question, prices, alternate sellers, archival tags (I’ll post on how I do this), any seller or product advisory notes. I’d like at least two people to share the workload - so that this becomes something done a few hours a week, not an every day job. I try to run on a queue with a buffer of a few weeks, so there is no requirement to be on Tumblr every day to do this.

This should allow me more spoons for messages, HTML coding the tags pages, asks and my own reviews and tutorials.

Because I am not particularly good at shared projects and because this sort of thing is so far outside my comfort level it’s laughable, please understand that I won’t be granting admin status until I’m more comfortable with this as a shared blog. At this stage, I’d be posting private lists of posts to be formatted and queued and leaving you to post those to the queue, or asking you to save anything cool you find to draft which I can then add to the list.

If this interests you, please check below the read more cut for more information on the kind of people I’m looking for and how to apply:

The Non-Negotiable Mod Attributes List

Adulthood. (Tumblr users over the age of eighteen.) This is because I don’t show my follower list and do allow NSFW blogs to follow me if they don’t practice certain kinds of kink and refrain from interaction. (My belief is that knowledge should be accessible for everyone.) I cannot allow a minor to have access to the activity page.

A willingness to be exposed to NSFW blog titles and avatars on the activity page. I only ask that people who engage in kinks that mirror non-consent and cg/l-type blogs (basically: things that trigger me) don’t follow, which means that active kink and gore blogs who abide by my no-interaction rule do follow me. Again, I don’t want to restrict knowledge.

(While I have a list of people I’d prefer not to follow me, I only actively block, in addition to the above who ignore my right to consent, spammers, individuals I know to be unsafe for the community for various reasons and a few notorious discoursers. I will always listen to you on the matter of blocking someone who is unsafe for you, but I want it to be plain that the activity page is not a safe space.)

Neurodiversity. This place is for ND people and about ND people, and I’d like it to remain run by ND people. You absolutely do not have to be autistic.

People who aren’t REGs/TERFs/exclusionists. This is for my comfort, as a pan aro-ace agender/trans person. It breaks my heart that I must mention this on a stim toy information blog, but discourse’s roots reach everywhere, and I really don’t want to have to develop a relationship with someone knowing we have such wildly differing beliefs on something that hurts me.

(If you blog on a platform of hate for another group, even if said group isn’t mentioned above, I kindly ask that you don’t apply.)

A no-gatekeeping attitude as to which ND people can stim or which ND people should be prioritised in stimming. I’m deeply uncomfortable with conversations on who can’t use the word “stim” or arguments that autistics should be centred in stim spaces. I hope this space is more about unity among stimmers than divisiveness, and I’d like to keep on working to make this so.

Awareness of accessibility. I want this space to serve as many stimmers as possible, and that includes otherwise-disabled stimmers who have difficulty accessing or interacting with information. I absolutely do not know myself all I should about this: I’m just asking for an ability to keep learning.

Reasonable English expression. I would prefer capital letters to begin a sentence, basic punctuation and some sense of when to paragraph. This is also for accessibility: I struggle to read text without capital letters beginning sentences, can’t read all-bolded text and can’t parse long block paragraphs.

(Perfect adherence to English style conventions is often ableist, racist and classist, but some adherence in communication makes it easier for people to derive information without struggle.)

A willingness to check the tags pages for already-used tags before tagging, hunt down direct links and check listings for shipping information, further item details or purchasing information. I spend a lot of time doing this. I’m trying to make the informative posts on this blog contain the basic information people need with a minimum of clicking or searching in the most accessible possible way.

An interest in stim toys. You don’t have to know much about them, because I didn’t before starting this blog, but please have an interest in stim toys and stimming!

Optional Mod Attributes

I’d like to have a North American mod and a European or UK mod at least, if possible, as this broadens our knowledge base.

Queue Wrangler Duties

The addition of image descriptions, links, product details, additional source information and archival tags to posts on my list before adding them to the queue.

Observation of any accessibility/advisory issues about a listing or tutorial - no alt text (I check images using Firebug on Firefox, but that requires the ability to read basic HTML), no captions/descriptions, sound of video, holes that merit a trypophobia tag, etc. I don’t do this perfectly myself and don’t expect perfection from you, but the attempt is awesome.

(If you can’t do or observe certain things because disability, that isn’t a problem.)

The saving of posts to the draft folder – if you happen across something that can be informative with a little work, save it to the draft folder. If you find a great video, a post somewhere not Tumblr, a tutorial, a new store? Anything you think is new, approaches something old in a new way or just too awesome not to share? Save it to the draft folder. I truly want you to help out in finding cool things!

(I ask you to draft it because that way if someone else spotted it, we don’t double-up. My job is to keep track of what’s been posted already, and I can easily delete anything added twice.)

If you happen across a giveaway, sale or other time-sensitive post and have checked the blog to make sure someone else hasn’t tackled it already, please add a description and anything else informative and tag and post it immediately. The sooner these go up, the better, so I’d be very glad for you to post these as you see them.

Patience with me. You’re dealing with a perfectionistic, possessive writer and blogger who fell into this strange thing of having a community blog and is woefully unprepared for it. I’m learning all this on the fly and I’m probably going to make more mistakes than you ever will.

Please note that I do prefer some post formatting ability (for example, in-text hyperlinks, not pasted URLs). This might be extremely nitpicky, but I’m an editor and text designer myself. Neat text makes my soul happy.

Additional

Please write and queue your own reviews, informative posts and tutorials! If you want my watermark so it looks official, it’s yours. If you’d rather post to your own blog and reblog it here, that’s also awesome. I’d very much like to have your thoughts about stim toys made accessible to our followers, so please join in on talking about toys.

I’d also like a bio and any links pertinent to you that we can add to a team page on the sidebar.

If you have a store, an art blog, a book, a website, anything SFW that we can promote to thank you for your work, we’ll post it. I’m sure our lovely followers won’t mind a few non-toy Promotional Sunday posts in return for your efforts here.

Interested?

Send me a submission (it will not be posted) from your main/primary blog answering the following questions:

User name:

Include that of your secondary blog, too, if you think I’ll better know you that way. If you want to be known a certain way, mention this, too.

(Please do this. I know your primary blog user name is already attached to the submission. Write it out for me again anyway.)

Age:

This can be general: mid 20s, 50+. Just indicate to me in some way that you’re not a minor.

Nationality/region:

Tell me where you’re living. You absolutely do not have to give away identifying information.

About:

Tell me about yourself in a paragraph or two - anything you think I need to know or should know. Pronouns, neurodiversity, why you like stim toys, why you think you’ve got patience enough to deal with me, what you had for breakfast, what makes you happy, your special interests/hyperfixations, what you do at school or work, why you want to help out a stim toy blog. Anything. This lets me get to know you a little better!

Show me your work:

Link me to a post containing an image description (anything; it doesn’t have to be a stim toy) written by you so I can see how you do it.

Content restrictions:

Do you have any content you cannot, should not or would not interact with? GIFs, loud videos, moving anything, items with holes, images including hands... Listing these things means that I don’t hand you a list of videos when you can’t hear them or a list of GIF posts when GIFs give you seizures. Inform me so I can better help you, please.

Anything else:

If there’s anything else about you that you think I should know, tell me.

Applications will be open until midnight April 26 AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) or GMT+10.

Thank you, my followers, for all you’ve done to help me out. I truly appreciate it.

[suzanneshannon]

Responsible JavaScript: Part I

By the numbers, JavaScript is a performance liability. If the trend persists, the median page will be shipping at least 400 KB of it before too long, and that’s merely what’s transferred. Like other text-based resources, JavaScript is almost always served compressed—but that might be the only thing we’re getting consistently right in its delivery.

Unfortunately, while reducing resource transfer time is a big part of that whole performance thing, compression has no effect on how long browsers take to process a script once it arrives in its entirety. If a server sends 400 KB of compressed JavaScript, the actual amount browsers have to process after decompression is north of a megabyte. How well devices cope with these heavy workloads depends, well, on the device. Much has been written about how adept various devices are at processing lots of JavaScript, but the truth is, the amount of time it takes to process even a trivial amount of it varies greatly between devices.

Take, for example, this throwaway project of mine, which serves around 23 KB of uncompressed JavaScript. On a mid-2017 MacBook Pro, Chrome chews through this comparably tiny payload in about 25 ms. On a Nokia 2 Android phone, however, that figure balloons to around 190 ms. That’s not an insignificant amount of time, but in either case, the page gets interactive reasonably fast.

Now for the big question: how do you think that little Nokia 2 does on an average page? It chokes. Even on a fast connection, browsing the web on it is an exercise in patience as JavaScript-laden web pages brick it for considerable stretches of time.

Figure 1. A performance timeline overview of a Nokia 2 Android phone browsing on a page where excessive JavaScript monopolizes the main thread.

While devices and the networks they navigate the web on are largely improving, we’re eating those gains as trends suggest. We need to use JavaScript responsibly. That begins with understanding what we’re building as well as how we’re building it.

The mindset of “sites” versus “apps”

Nomenclature can be strange in that we sometimes loosely identify things with terms that are inaccurate, yet their meanings are implicitly understood by everyone. Sometimes we overload the term “bee” to also mean “wasp”, even though the differences between bees and wasps are substantial. Those differences can motivate you to deal with each one differently. For instance, we’ll want to destroy a wasp nest, but because bees are highly beneficial and vulnerable insects, we may opt to relocate them.

We can be just as fast and loose in interchanging the terms “website” and “web app”. The differences between them are less clear than those between yellowjackets and honeybees, but conflating them can bring about painful outcomes. The pain comes in the affordances we allow ourselves when something is merely a “website” versus a fully-featured “web app.” If you’re making an informational website for a business, you’re less likely to lean on a powerful framework to manage changes in the DOM or implement client-side routing—at least, I hope. Using tools so ill-suited for the task would not only be a detriment to the people who use that site but arguably less productive.

When we build a web app, though, look out. We’re installing packages which usher in hundreds—if not thousands—of dependencies, some of which we’re not sure are even safe. We’re also writing complicated configurations for module bundlers. In this frenzied, yet ubiquitous, sort of dev environment, it takes knowledge and vigilance to ensure what gets built is fast and accessible. If you doubt this, run npm ls --prod in your project’s root directory and see if you recognize everything in that list. Even if you do, that doesn’t account for third party scripts—of which I’m sure your site has at least a few.

What we tend to forget is that the environment websites and web apps occupy is one and the same. Both are subject to the same environmental pressures that the large gradient of networks and devices impose. Those constraints don’t suddenly vanish when we decide to call what we build “apps”, nor do our users’ phones gain magical new powers when we do so.

It’s our responsibility to evaluate who uses what we make, and accept that the conditions under which they access the internet can be different than what we’ve assumed. We need to know the purpose we’re trying to serve, and only then can we build something that admirably serves that purpose—even if it isn’t exciting to build.

That means reassessing our reliance on JavaScript and how the use of it—particularly to the exclusion of HTML and CSS—can tempt us to adopt unsustainable patterns which harm performance and accessibility.

Don’t let frameworks force you into unsustainable patterns

I’ve been witness to some strange discoveries in codebases when working with teams that depend on frameworks to help them be highly productive. One characteristic common among many of them is that poor accessibility and performance patterns often result. Take the React component below, for example:

import React, { Component } from "react"; import { validateEmail } from "helpers/validation"; class SignupForm extends Component { constructor(props) { this.handleSubmit = this.handleSubmit.bind(this); this.updateEmail = this.updateEmail.bind(this); this.email = ""; } updateEmail (event) { this.setState({ email: event.target.value }); } handleSubmit () { // If the email checks out, submit if (validateEmail(this.state.email)) { // ... } } render() { return ( <div> <span class="email-label">Enter your email:</span> <input type="text" id="email" onChange={this.updateEmail} /> <button onClick={this.handleSubmit}>Sign Up</button> </div> ); } }

There are some notable accessibility issues here:

A form that doesn’t use a <form> element is not a form. Indeed, you could paper over this by specifying role="form" in the parent <div>, but if you’re building a form—and this sure looks like one—use a <form> element with the proper action and method attributes. The action attribute is crucial, as it ensures the form will still do something in the absence of JavaScript—provided the component is server-rendered, of course.

A <span> is not a substitute for a <label> element, which provides accessibility benefits <span>s don’t.

A <button> without type="submit" is just a <button> that only does what’s bound to it. If we intend to do something prior to submitting a form, then we should add type="submit" and move the action bound to the onClick handler to the <form> element’s onSubmit handler.

Incidentally, why use JavaScript to validate an email address when HTML5 offers form validation controls in almost every browser back to IE 10? There’s an opportunity here to rely on the browser and use an appropriate input type, as well as the required attribute—but be aware that getting this to work right with screen readers takes a little know-how.

Knowing these things, we can refactor this component:

import React, { Component } from "react"; class SignupForm extends Component { constructor(props) { this.handleSubmit = this.handleSubmit.bind(this); } handleSubmit (event) { // Needed in case we're sending data to the server XHR-style // (but will still work if server-rendered with JS disabled). event.preventDefault(); // Carry on… } render() { return ( <form method="POST" action="/signup" onSubmit={this.handleSubmit}> <label for="email" class="email-label">Enter your email:</label> <input type="email" id="email" required /> <button type="submit">Sign Up</button> </form> ); } }

Not only is this component now more accessible, but it also uses less JavaScript. In a world that’s drowning in JavaScript, deleting lines of it should feel downright therapeutic. The browser gives us so much for free, and we should try to take advantage of that as often as possible.

This is not to say that inaccessible patterns occur only when frameworks are used, but rather that a sole preference for JavaScript will eventually surface gaps in our understanding of HTML and CSS. These knowledge gaps will often result in mistakes we may not even be aware of. Frameworks can be useful tools that increase our productivity, but continuing education in core web technologies is essential to creating usable experiences, no matter what tools we choose to use.

Rely on the web platform and you’ll go far, fast

While we’re on the subject of frameworks, it must be said that the web platform is a formidable framework of its own. As the previous section showed, we’re better off when we can rely on established markup patterns and browser features. The alternative is to reinvent them, and invite all the pain such endeavors all but guarantee us, or worse: merely assume that the author of every JavaScript package we install has solved the problem comprehensively and thoughtfully.

Single page applications

One of the tradeoffs developers are quick to make is to adopt the single page application (SPA) model, even if it’s not a fit for the project. Yes, you do gain better perceived performance with the client-side routing of an SPA, but what do you lose? The browser’s own navigation functionality—albeit synchronous—provides a slew of benefits. For one, history is managed according to a complex specification. Users without JavaScript—be it by their own choice or not—won’t lose access altogether. For SPAs to remain available when JavaScript is not, server-side rendering suddenly becomes a thing you have to consider.

Figure 2. A comparison of an example app loading on a slow connection. The app on the left depends entirely upon JavaScript to render a page. The app on the right renders a response on the server, but then uses client-side hydration to attach components to the existing server-rendered markup.

Accessibility is also harmed if a client-side router fails to let people know what content on the page has changed. This can leave those reliant on assistive technology to suss out what changes have occurred on the page, which can be an arduous task.

Then there’s our old nemesis: overhead. Some client-side routers are very small, but when you start with React, a compatible router, and possibly even a state management library, you’re accepting that there’s a certain amount of code you can never optimize away—approximately 135 KB in this case. Carefully consider what you’re building and whether a client side router is worth the tradeoffs you’ll inevitably make. Typically, you’re better off without one.

If you’re concerned about the perceived navigation performance, you could lean on rel=prefetch to speculatively fetch documents on the same origin. This has a dramatic effect on improving perceived loading performance of pages, as the document is immediately available in the cache. Because prefetches are done at a low priority, they’re also less likely to contend with critical resources for bandwidth.

Figure 3. The HTML for the writing/ URL is prefetched on the initial page. When the writing/ URL is requested by the user, the HTML for it is loaded instantaneously from the browser cache.

The primary drawback with link prefetching is that you need to be aware that it can be potentially wasteful. Quicklink, a tiny link prefetching script from Google, mitigates this somewhat by checking if the current client is on a slow connection—or has data saver mode enabled—and avoids prefetching links on cross-origins by default.

Service workers are also hugely beneficial to perceived performance for returning users, whether we use client side routing or not—provided you know the ropes. When we precache routes with a service worker, we get many of the same benefits as link prefetching, but with a much greater degree of control over requests and responses. Whether you think of your site as an “app” or not, adding a service worker to it is perhaps one of the most responsible uses of JavaScript that exists today.

JavaScript isn’t the solution to your layout woes

If we’re installing a package to solve a layout problem, proceed with caution and ask “what am I trying to accomplish?” CSS is designed to do this job, and requires no abstractions to use effectively. Most layout issues JavaScript packages attempt to solve, like box placement, alignment, and sizing, managing text overflow, and even entire layout systems, are solvable with CSS today. Modern layout engines like Flexbox and Grid are supported well enough that we shouldn’t need to start a project with any layout framework. CSS is the framework. When we have feature queries, progressively enhancing layouts to adopt new layout engines is suddenly not so hard.

/* Your mobile-first, non-CSS grid styles goes here */ /* The @supports rule below is ignored by browsers that don't support CSS grid, _or_ don't support @supports. */ @supports (display: grid) { /* Larger screen layout */ @media (min-width: 40em) { /* Your progressively enhanced grid layout styles go here */ } }

Using JavaScript solutions for layout and presentations problems is not new. It was something we did when we lied to ourselves in 2009 that every website had to look in IE6 exactly as it did in the more capable browsers of that time. If we’re still developing websites to look the same in every browser in 2019, we should reassess our development goals. There will always be some browser we’ll have to support that can’t do everything those modern, evergreen browsers can. Total visual parity on all platforms is not only a pursuit made in vain, it’s the principal foe of progressive enhancement.

I’m not here to kill JavaScript

Make no mistake, I have no ill will toward JavaScript. It’s given me a career and—if I’m being honest with myself—a source of enjoyment for over a decade. Like any long-term relationship, I learn more about it the more time I spend with it. It’s a mature, feature-rich language that only gets more capable and elegant with every passing year.

Yet, there are times when I feel like JavaScript and I are at odds. I am critical of JavaScript. Or maybe more accurately, I’m critical of how we’ve developed a tendency to view it as a first resort to building for the web. As I pick apart yet another bundle not unlike a tangled ball of Christmas tree lights, it’s become clear that the web is drunk on JavaScript. We reach for it for almost everything, even when the occasion doesn’t call for it. Sometimes I wonder how vicious the hangover will be.

In a series of articles to follow, I’ll be giving more practical advice to follow to stem the encroaching tide of excessive JavaScript and how we can wrangle it so that what we build for the web is usable—or at least more so—for everyone everywhere. Some of the advice will be preventative. Some will be mitigating “hair of the dog” measures. In either case, the outcomes will hopefully be the same. I believe that we all love the web and want to do right by it, but I want us to think about how to make it more resilient and inclusive for all.

Responsible JavaScript: Part I published first on https://deskbysnafu.tumblr.com/

[constructionsworkr3053]

Content Workflow Using Github And Markdown

Content Workflow Using Github And Markdown

Table of Contents

Intro: The problem The Four Rules Of Content Workflow Setting Up Your Tools Getting Ready To Write Writing Committing (Saving) Your Work Publishing Repurposing Resources

TL;DR We publish digital content. We write and create for the internet and screens. But our content workflow dates back to the days of desktop publishing. This post suggests a better way that uses Github and Markdown. It gets away from word processors and folders, helping you create content that’s ready for reuse. It uses readily available tools that won’t bloat your work or lock you into proprietary formats. Read on for a step-by-step walkthru. With a few stops for ranting and raving.

A couple years ago I measured how I spend time when writing. I wanted to see where/if I could tweak my content workflow. The result was so depressing I wore the same pair of cycling socks for a week:

It takes me about 90 minutes to write a 750-word blog post. In that time, I spend:

45 minutes writing

15 minutes editing

30 minutes doing… what exactly?

Wait. What? That can’t be right. I spend a third of my time on a writing project not writing.

What. The. Actual. Fucklebucket.*

So I checked my notes.

33% of writing time is sucked out of me by time-wasting stupidity:

Flailing around, trying to clean up a formatting problem in a blog post

Troubleshooting software problems

Digging up the second version of my intro, which I think I liked better than the fifth and sixth, but I honestly can’t remember because I usually just delete and type over stuff

Trying to figure out how the hell I create a smart quote

Reformatting a whole Word doc because the editor wants it in Google Docs format

Recapturing images because they’re all embedded in the document, and they look like poo

All these examples fall into two groups: Formatting and version management. Both are our jobs. Even if we have our own editorial and design team

HAHAHAHA DID I JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE YEAH SURE I HAVE 3 PEOPLE AT MY BECK AND CALL JUST TO MAKE SURE MY STUFF LOOKS GOOD HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA cough sniff

we’re responsible for the first pass. Formatting and version management is part of our job.

And we suck at them.

We worry about flinging the next blog post over the wall, instead of creating versatile content that we can publish anywhere and reuse anytime.

We’ve Got Problems

We think about decoration first, structure second.

We worry about flinging the next blog post over the wall, instead of creating versatile content that we can publish anywhere and reuse anytime.

We save five minutes now and cost ourselves hours later.

We spend our time on writing, editing, and publishing. But we ignore the stuff that moves content between those steps: Workflow. So our workflow is riddled with potholes and broken glass. We still have to move from writing to editing to publishing. But instead of helping, the workflow slows us down.

An Outdated Workflow For Outdated Tools

We’re working on the internet, but we use tools created for desktop publishing in the 1980s. Yes, even you fresh-faced youngsters with healthy backs and no ear hair are using the software equivalent of antiques.

I’m talking about Word Processors. Word processors weren’t designed for writing. They were designed for typing and decorating. Word, Google Docs, and their devil-spawn relatives were designed to bring bold type and Comic Sans to the masses. They are not designed to help writers create, manage, and publish structured content.

I’m also talking about storage. Files saved in folders—online or off—are a metaphor for paper and filing cabinets. They’re about as useful as the corded phone I now use as a doorstop. They were created so that one person (maybe two) could work on one piece of content at a time.

Sure, there are tools out there that claim to update all of this, streamline workflow, etc. They all become bloated, expensive versions of the word processors and dated storage metaphors they try to replace. Fancier potholes. Prettier broken glass.

So poof. A third of my time gone because I’m spending my time in Dropbox and plinking away in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

We need a better way to do this.

Find A Better Way

This is what I’ve worked out: A workflow that creates structured, reusable content. It lets me manage versions across devices and multiple writers. And it works well for 750-word blog posts as well as chapter books.

Most important, it lets me spend more time writing.

There’s a nice benefit to all this, too: Your writing looks better on the web. Let’s face it: Most of us write for the web. We’re publishing blog posts day in, day out. Use this workflow and your writing is web-ready (I hate that phrase, but it works here). It looks better, loads faster, and gets view source-ing HTML geeks like me nodding with approval.

Feel free to try all or some of it.

Also feel free to hunt me down on LinkedIn or Twitter: @portentint and https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianlurie/

The Four Rules Of Content Workflow

First, a successful workflow has to follow these four rules:

Structure > Format And Design

Structure matters more than format or design: The fact that you have say, a level one heading is more important than exactly how that level one heading looks, because it may look different on various platforms.

You can pour well-structured content into lots of different formats, from Microsoft Word to HTML. You can easily change the design of well-structured content using CSS or any other templates, including Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

You can also easily repurpose well-structured content, adapting it from prose to presentation to script.

So a good content workflow has to support structure first, format and design second.

Proprietary Tools Are Traps

Tools—word processors, for example—trap us with proprietary formats. They also trap us on specific devices.

Yes, I can open a Google Doc or Word file on my phone. Yes, I could edit it. But I won’t, because it’s awful.

I need a cross-platform process that’s as tool-independent as possible.

Repurposing Is Inevitable

Smart content creators re-use their work.

E-books become blog series

Blog posts become slide decks

Transcripts become blog posts

Word documents become Google Docs become HTML

I’m going to repurpose content. My workflow has to support that.

Good Writers Are Orderly Hoarders

I always seem to delete an old file moments before I need it. Or I forget why I made an edit. Or I edit in circles, ending up back where I started.

We need to keep everything for every project:

All revisions and drafts

All image files

All other supporting files

The full change history for all of the above

And we need to keep it in an organized format.

Setting Up Your Tools

You only have to do this work once. If you’ve never used these tools, there’s a learning curve that feels pretty short if you’ve been using desktop software.

Still, it takes a little patience to install new stuff. Take the extra time now, and you’ll save hours later.

Install Markdown Tools

First, you’re going to work in Markdown. I’ve already written about why, so I won’t waste too many words on it here. Markdown is a super-simple markup language that’s perfect for writers. Everything you’re reading right now started as Markdown.

There’s also a great tutorial here and a syntax cheatsheet here.

You can write Markdown using a plain text editor, then preview and export it to other formats, like HTML.

But there are a few Markdown-focused editors that make it easier. They still use plain text—no proprietary formatting—but they flatten the learning curve. My favorite is Typora.

Typora

Typora runs on OS X, Windows and Linux. Type in Markdown and Typora gives you an instant preview. So if I type:

# Typora

It instantly turns that into a level one heading “Typora.”

Download it here: typora.io.

Note: When you install Typora, go to Preferences or Settings (depending on the operating system). Find the Markdown tab/settings. Make sure you uncheck “Smart Quotes:”

Turn off smart quotes in Typora

Typora is filled with all sorts of other niftiness, like key combos to add links and set headings. Be sure to explore it.

Other Options

I also really like:

Dillinger.io

iaWriter

Ulysses

And my longtime favorite, atom.io. Atom is a pure text editor, so it’s not as friendly, but it’s fast as heck and easy to customize. If you want to get nerdier, that’s your best choice.

You can use a standalone preview and export tool like Marked 2, or automate advanced templating and batching with Pandoc (very steep learning curve, very powerful). But for 99% of your work, Typora’s export features will work just fine.

Set Up Version Control With Github

Rule of Content Workflow Number Four: We need to be orderly hoarders. To do that, use Github.

Developers built it to support developers. But what do developers do? They type stuff into files. They save the files. They manage versions of those files while lots of other developers edit and contribute.

So this tool they built is perfect for writers, too. And while it looks scary, it isn’t that hard to learn.

Install Git on your computer. You can get the Windows installer here and the OS X installer here. If you’re on Linux, I’ll assume you know what you’re doing.

Go to github.com

Set up an account

Download the Github desktop client

You’re all set.

Git will let you track changes with far more detail than Microsoft Word, and pass your work around for simultaneous revisions or contributions by lots of other people.

It’s also close to bulletproof, which you’ll really appreciate if you’ve ever used the revision tracking in Word, Google Docs and other tools.

One Last Gadget

Go get TextExpander. Yes, it costs a little money. It’s worth it.

After you install it, subscribe to this snippet group:

HTML Entities

It’s where I keep the shortcuts I use to create smart quotes and such. They’re handy if you’re in a hurry or can’t remember the HTML entity for a smart right quote (like me).

What You’ve Got

You’re ready to follow all four rules of content workflow:

Markdown and Typora help you create structure

You’re not using any proprietary formats

The resulting content will be easily repurposed from one format to another

Thanks to Github, you’ll be an orderly hoarder

Hopefully, this whole process didn’t take more than fifteen minutes. If it did, I apologize. Please throw empty beverage cans at me the next time you see me. Empty ones. It’s not like I stole your car or something.

Getting Ready To Write

I’ve got lots of steps here, but this takes about five minutes, start to finish:

Step 1: Create Your Work Folder And File

Your work needs a home. Create one in advance. I’m writing this to prep for Learn Inbound. I’m going to have images and some supporting files.

Now, create your markdown file.

Create a folder where your work will live. I’m writing this to prep for Learn Inbound. I’m going to have images and some supporting files. I create folders accordingly

Open Typora

Click File >> New

Save the file in your work folder. You can name it whatever you want. I’m not feeling all that creative, so I’ll name it “post.”

You’ll end up with this:

For bonus points, in Typora, click View >> Outline and you’ll see a nice heading-based outline of your work as you write. It’s a structural view of your content. And structure is what we’re all about, right?

Outline View In Typora

Step 2: Create Your Github Repository

Git is pretty intimidating until you break it down into steps:

Open Github Desktop

Click File >> Add Local Repository

Choose your work folder

If Github Desktop asks, click create a repository here

Create a new repository in Github Desktop

Click Create Repository or Add Repository as relevant

Github does its thing. If you look in your folder and can see hidden files, you may see some stuff like this. They belong there. Let them go on with their lives:

Ignore these

You’ll also see the repository appear on the left, much like this:

Git repository, added to Github Desktop

It won’t have the lock until you push the repository to Github.com.

Now that you did all that, here’s a tip: You can also create a repository by dragging a folder into Github Desktop. But if you do, I deny all responsibility. I’ve had very odd results with drag and drop. Which is reasonable from a tool built by folks who probably haven’t used a mouse in 20 years. I say that with the utmost respect and awe.

Step 3: Put Your Repository On Github.com

So far, you’ve got a Github repository on your local computer. That’s not all that helpful. Now you need to “push” all of this up to Github. That way, your files are backed up, you can retrieve them anywhere, and you can have other folks work on your writing.

In Github Desktop, click the Publish Repository button. Here’s what it looks like on OS X:

Publish repository from Github Desktop

Check Keep this code private

Unless you’ve set up a Github organization or have an enterprise account (you’ll know if you do), don’t change any other settings

Click Publish Repository

If you’re not logged into Github, you’ll get a login prompt.

Github desktop pushes files up to the cloud and creates a repository on your Github account

Done. If you want to geek out, log into github.com. You’ll see that your new repository is all comfy and cozy:

Your content project, on Github

Large Projects

Github kicks buttocks if you’re creating something large and complicated. If you’re working on a big project, you’ll want to do a couple other things:

Add a readme.md. it’s a special file that Github will show as part of your project’s “home page.” It’s an excellent place to make notes for the rest of the team

Invite others to the repository. Sharing is caring (the kind of thing I write on a Sunday when I’ve rewritten this post five times)

Learn how branches work. I wrote a very short bit about that below. Someday I’ll write a separate post

What You’ve Got

You should now have:

A home for your work, both on your desktop and on Github.com

Your first files

Between that and a few bathroom breaks, you’ve spent about ten minutes.

Now you can write!

Writing

You know what to do. Write stuff. Add images and whatever else you need. A few time- and sanity savers:

Structure

Remember Rule Number One: Structure is more important than format.

Use the handy outline on the left side of Typora for an at-a-glance structural view of your content:

Outline view shows me where I'm at in the content structure

If you’re working on a large, multi-file project, you can change the outline to a file tree. Then you can see all text and Markdown files. I’m an outline fan myself.

Syntax

This isn’t a guide to Markdown. You can find that here.

But follow these guidelines:

Headings

Headings are the core of good structure. Web browsers, search engines, word processors, presentation software and most other content tools convert headings into content blocks and outline elements. You must use them.

When you create a heading, use this syntax:

# Heading 1

## Heading 2

### Heading 3

And so on. That creates real, structural headlines.

In HTML, that markup becomes proper markup for each..

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Do you believe that reducing healthcare insurance premiums and the amount to be paid for healthcare goods and services is possible?

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A coworker once told me that once you're labeled as a homeowner, your car insurance rates go up b/c you can be sued for your house. Is there any truth to this? If it matters, I live in NY.""

""If I fill in a online Auto Insurance quote ,give them information like my SS# am I at risk for Idenity Theft?""

If I fill in a online Auto Insurance quote ,give them information like my Social Security number and the rest of my personal information that I am I asked for online am I putting myself at risk for Identity Theft?""

Can my parents add me to their car insurance?

My parents have Allstate car insurance. I have my own car registered in my name. I live with them. Can they add me to their car insurance?

How much would insurance cost an 18 year old for a car and a motorcycle under his parents insurance?

car is a honda accord 2005 motorcycle is a honda cbr600rr

Crowdsourced car insurance company? Would you join?

If I were to set-up a crowdsourced car insurance company would you be interested in joining? I appreciate how much money is required when starting a car insurance company but I seriously think that with a concentrated effort and a crowdsourced company then we could beat the large companies at there own game. The way I envisaged it working was that the idea attracts as many people as possible and each person pays a membership fee. In return for the fee the person gets a share in the company with certain voting rights. The share doesnt entitle you to free insurance, but seriously reduced in price. Insurance policies are only available to members, the main benefit being to keep insurance costs down people would hopefully be less likely to claim. When the company generates profits, those profits would go into a pot and at the end of the year the pot would be sent out to members in the form of dividends. Anyone interested?""

Car Insurance for a Month?

I am going to be at law school and only need car insurance from Mid December until Mid January. Is there a special type of insurance I can get so I don't have to pay year round? The cars will still be covered by my parents the rest of the year.

Are there deals in car insurance if someone parents are divorced?

and he/she technically only lives with one parent?

Do you actually need commercial insurance to deliver pizza?

I'm a courrier and I just got a new car I'm looking to insure. I called Progressive and they told me that ANYONE who uses their car for work, even pizza drivers, are required to have commercial car insurance. They quoted my price to be about $11,000 a year. That is insane; no pizza driver or person who does what I do IN THIS COUNTRY pays that much for insurance. So if anyone can shed some light; is it truly required? What could happen if I don't have it and have an accident on the job. Since I'm a contractor and I don't have real hours, could I just say I'm off the job no matter what?""

How much will insurance costs?

I am under 25 years old, live in CA, and first time car owner and getting insurance on a car older that 15 years... which company do you recommend and why? Thanks!""

If you live in the US, & against the Affordable Care Act, do you want more affordable healthcare insurance and healthcare goods and services?

Do you believe that reducing healthcare insurance premiums and the amount to be paid for healthcare goods and services is possible?

Can you get a car loan under your name and the car insurance under someone else?

you see if i get the car loan and the insurance under my name then ill be paying about 600 bucks a month in insurance and thats way to much!!i can have the loan under my name but would it be allowed to have the insurance part in some one else?

How much is insurance on a motorcycle?

tell me your sex, age, location and cost per month. i live in baltimore, md""

California speeding and no proof of insurance ticket?

It was dark and raining. I just came off the bay bridge in SF and am positive I was driving below 40 on the bridge and between 40-60 when I got off the bridge. The cop was on 80E past fremont exit. He said I was at 67 in a 50 zone and also did not give me enough time to look for my proof of insurance. He said lets make this easy and quick and cited me for speeding and for no insurance and not no proof of insurance. He cited both as non-correctable. It this accurate? I don't think his radar reading isaccurate. How can Ichallenge this?

Cheap health insurance that will cover dental?

I need some help. I can no longer work at one of my jobs and my new job wont provide insurance since it is part-time I need help and scared that i cant afford anything. i already cant afford student loans. is there any cheap insurance packages i can get in ct?

CAR INSURANCE FOR A 16 YEAR OLD?

would it be more expensive for car insurance for a brand new car or a used car.

Can a woman add a man to her health insurance?

Im about to graduate college and hope to become a teacher in August...my fiance wants to open a tattoo shop and therefore will not have insurance coverage... so my question is: Once we're officially married, and i am employed as a full time teacher...will I be able to add him (and my 2 kids) to my insurance? The reason im asking is bc im unsure (embarassingly) if a woman can add her husband to the insurance..bc i know men add there wives and stuff all the time? Does my teacher insurance cover all of us, including my husband and 2 kids?""

WHat is a good cheap auto insurance? I am an 18 year old male....yes I know I'm screwed.?

It is bad enough having insurance when your a teen male, but when you have a sports car with a V8 in it...well it gets a whole lot worse. I just bought my dream car (a pontiac trans am) and now I would like insurance so I can drive it....the car cleared out my savings(im a senior in high school so I didnt have a whole lot to begin with). I heard viking insurance is good , but IDK. I want to have decent coverage, but also not have my whole paycheck go to them either. anybody have any tips or know of any good insurance companies. ps and no i dont want to sell my car and buy some Civic lol""

Does passing on shoulder make insurance go up?

If you get a ticket that accuses you of passing on the shoulder, would that add points to your record and make insurance go up like a speeding ticket?""

Advice between life insurance and medical insurance?

I have 24 yrs old and am hesitating between life insurance which propose a cash back bonus of 25 % every 5 years on a 30 yr term policy and a usual medical insurance.? The premium cost for both are a little bit similar.

Do i qualify for VA insurance?

I just found out that i am pregnant last week and we don't qualify for state insurance because we make too much. But my husband just got out of the marine corp in August so does anyone know if we can get insurance through the VA even though he's already out even if we have to pay a little a month. Or if anyone knows of any insurance i can get for cheap, by the way i don't know if it helps but my husband is unemployed right now. Thank you.""

Car accident and insurance procedures?

I got into a car accident yesterday. I wasn't at fault for the accident, and I know my car is totaled. I was wondering how the whole thing will go down with the insurance and what the process is going to be. I filed a claim with my insurance co. and am waiting for them to call me up. I was wondering if the other person's insurance has to pay for my car and what not. I am also wondering if there will be any consolation since the other driver was dui.""

Insurance for 16 year old male?

Just out of curiosity how much would insurance cost to get a 2005 350z at 16. It doesnt matter which insurance agency i just want an estimate. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Also which factors increase or decrease the cost of insurance?

Will a police officer get lower insurance rates?

Im in training to be a cop, and i want to finance a 2010 Chevy Camaro, will being a cop help with car insurance rates?""

Any 18 Year old drivers with car insurance?

I'm 18 and I cant find any insurance under 7K and this is clear ageism. Are there any other young drivers who are sole policy holders with cheaper insurance?

What companies would offer me the cheapest car Insurance?

So currently I have my car insure with Nation Wide and montly payment is $61 for liability. Is there any other company that would offer me a cheaper insurance fee? I have a Honda EX 2000. 2 doors.

The best car insurance company for a young driver?

Hey guys I'm 18 and about to get my first car and I've been notified that i need a car insurance before even buying a car from a car dealership. HELP! I've heard that young driver's insurance is more expensive than experienced driver's insurance, Is there a cheap car insurance for beginning drivers?""

Safe to buy Insurance over the phone ?

I need car insurance , is it safe to give my credit card information over the phone ? What would they ask for ? Just the card number ? Will they want the expiration date and 3 digit code on the back ? Do they need my SSN number ? I know they will need an address , phone number and drivers license number. The people that answer (I have called 6 places for a quote) seem like the type you do not feel safe giving all this information too.""

""I'm going to be 18 when i get my car, and i was wondering how much car insurance usually costs in general?""

I always hear car insurance is like $800-$1000 for a new teenager in a sports car, but is that per month or per year? And if its per month, is there a way you can drive without insurance? or is that completely illegal...? 'cause that much a month would be f***ing ridiculous for a teenager going to college and working part time...""

What is the cheapest insurance company for a inexperienced 18yr old driver?

I'm looking ti out insurance on my soon to be new used car? I'm just now getting a license and I don't know where to begin looking for insurance.

How are illegal immigrants getting free health care?

I heard in a lot of debate about illegal immigrants and how they care free services such as health care. I became a U.S citizen two years ago and I've been trying to find cheaper and quality health care, but I couldn't. I researched free health care online, but can't find it. I don't have health insurance, so whenever I visit the doctor, I either pay upfront if it's about $200 or they send me the bills if its way higher. So how are illegal immigrants getting free health care?""

What insurance company should I choose for my car?

I just got dropped from state farm because of high risk and I'm looking for something affordable for a college student/ musician. I have to get full coverage as well. What is a cheap company I can go with that's not going to screw me over or anything?

Insurance deposit for an auto insurance?

I received a quote for an auto insurance and they require a deposit and then the first premium payment..Will the deposit be refundable? Why is there a deposit? Thank you!

What do i do about health insurance?

I need health insurance. Most assitance i dont qualify for but work doesnt offer and i cant afford just any insurance. Any ideas?

Can i get insurance then put modifacations on my car?

Hi i am getting a mk 2 golf and will be modding it out with rims tint lights and lowering suspension. If i get the insurance quote at 4grand and then put the mods on the car is it a year of cheap insurance or do i need to tell them i have altered the car? Thanks.

Staying in California for 2 months. Is it worth it to get a motorcycle?

I'm from Indiana, am over 21, and have a valid Indiana drivers license. I'm going to be staying in California for 6-8 weeks and would like some sort of transportation. I'm considering buying a motorcycle or scooter but am not sure if it will be worth it considering the hassle of registration, insurance, etc. Then I would sell it again before I go back to Indiana. My brother has offered to give me motorcycle lessons before I leave and I could get my Motorcycle learner's permit from the local BMV. Does anyone have experience with titles, registrations, insurance etc and could tell me if it would be worth the hassle?""

If you live in the US, & against the Affordable Care Act, do you want more affordable healthcare insurance and healthcare goods and services?

Do you believe that reducing healthcare insurance premiums and the amount to be paid for healthcare goods and services is possible?

What is the cheapest and most affordable auto insurance?

i live in illinois

""Approximately, how much is a car insurance for a newly passed drive with Peugeut 206?""

hi everyone i kind of have a slight problem... ive recently passed my driving test and bought peugeut 206 (2002 make) 1.1, but when i do a search on comparison websites the insurance is no less then 2400 pounds! im really confused as i thought it would be much less... is this right? :S""

Will my insurance cover a stolen rental car that I loaned to someone?

I have a great insurance company, but I don't even know if ANY insurance company would cover this. I rented a car with my neighbor (i.e. we agreed to split it), but I'm the ...show more""

Which medical insurance is best for the self-employed?

medical insurance and Rx co pay

""Roughly, how much would it cost to insure a 17 year old for a motorcycle?""

Hey, I'm sixteen, and live in Birmingham, England. I'm thinking of buying a geared, 125cc motorbike for when I am seventeen. I have looked around for insurance quotes, but none are straight forward, and as I don't have a bike yet, I can't get a very accurate one. I understand the only way to get a quote is to simply ask an insurance dealer, but I just wanted a simple, rough figure to get a price range for my self. If anyone can give me any information on price or how to get insurance, that would be greatly received. Thanks if anyone can help.""

17 Year old insurance rates?

On average, how much would insurance be for a 17 year old male with a 2001 BMW 740li? I have an okay job but I don't wan't to spend over 5k on insurance a year, as that would eat almost a fifth of my salary. Would insurance be cheaper on a coupe such as a 1991 Nissan 240sx? Also, do you have to pay a higher rate if your car is turbocharged? Will they insure you if your pushing over around 500 horsepower? If I buy a 240sx I'm going to do an engine swap for sure, so I want to know if it would be better to wait. Any answer is a good answer, so thanks for anything!""

Who took over an insurance company?

who now administers insurance policies previously administered by american health and life insurance company of new york

1990 Mazda Rx7 Insurance?

Im 18, i live in wisconsin and im looking to buy a 1990 Mazda rx7 gtu.. i have no bad records or nothing b student... and i was wondering how much a year would a 1990 mazda rx7 gtu cost? or even monthly.. before i can buy it need to know if can support 2 cars on my insurance a year. Any help would be great.. i'v been looking every where..""

""Cons, why accept mandated car insurance, but bash on affordable health care?""

ACA is unconstitutional, but car insurance isn't?""

Best overall car insurance company?

In your opinion (or based on any experiences) what is the best kind of car insurance?

""When you buy a used car, are the licence plates previously on the car the new owners? And about insurance:?

how does someone legally test drive a car if they had no previous car or insurance and also how do they drive it from the dealership to their home?

Health Insurance Help for Visitors?

my family is visiting us in california and need medical visit. they have visitors insurance which says that we need to pay for our visit now and they will evaluate and reimburse us. do these insurances reimburse anything and everything? what is a hospital/clinic to visit for visitors around southern california? how is kaiser?

Around how much do you think I will need to pay for car insurance?

I'm moving out on my own. I'm 18, female, have had my license for 2 years, no tickets, no suspensions, no accidents. I'm going to be living in Los Angeles, driving a car probably from 1990-95. I know you can't give me an EXACT number, but around how much monthly do you think?""

What's a good insurance company for motorcycles?

I live in Halifax, NS and looking for good insurance rates. Also, what type of insurance should I get? Full coverage? I would like to insure my soon-to-be 2000 Kawi Ninja 250.""

How much are geckos i found one for 7.00. at petco i thought they were a lot more money.?

a while back i went to petco and seen it. It was a bright green gecko. it looked like the one from the car insurance place and it was like 3-4 inches but it was 7.00 so i was just wondering.

""I am turning 16 years, and i really want to drive a moped, how much will my annual insurance cost?""

I am turning 16 years, and i really want to drive a moped, how much will my annual insurance cost?""

Can the color of a car affect insurance rates?

Can the color of a car affect insurance rates?

Car insurance ?

who knows the most cheapest it car insurance company plz ?

Car insurance first time owner?

Hi, I'm an international student with USA drivings license in Fl. I'm covered by my boyfriends car insurance company in order to drive his car but that's everything what I have as insurance. I'm on my way on buying a new car and I don't know what to do. Because I have my driving's license for an less than year the rates are pretty high. Almost 500$ for a month. Does anybody know any cheap insurance company that will help me to overcome this obstacle and moreover is there any other trick that I can use in order to reduce the rates. Thank you in advance.""

Should you get insurance on a rental car?

I'm taking a trip later this month and will rent a car for a couple of days. Should I choose insurance, the minimal cost is around $8 per day, so it's not too much or anything. I was wondering if most people got the insurance just in case something happens. Normally I would, but I always hear people say that getting insurance for these kinds of things is stupid.""

Can you buy a car and not buy insurance?

i dont have my liscence yet but i'm thinking about buying a car, and i was wondering if i had to start paying for insurance; i dont have my liscence and wont be driving the car yet? can i just pay insurance when i get my liscence? i live in Connecticut if that matters""

How long do you have in maryland to add a new auto to your insurance?

I'm being told that it's 14 days, when I thought maryland state law says 30 days?""

Need a MRI and obgyn but don't have insurance?

I have had abnormal vaginal bleeding for a month and I found out the other day I have a tumor on my uterus and need a MRI and see a OBGYN but I don't have insurance. Would they just bill me? I'm low income and on work comp right now so it's even lower. I am applying for cmsp that's california state assistance but I won't have it by then

How do you get health insurance?

im 16 and i dont have any health insurance. i wanna try out for the wrestling team this year but i dont think the school will let me because i have no health insurance. how do you apply for it and how long does it take to get it?

Car totaled Auto insurance wont pay full amount with salvage title?

This is crazy my car was hit head on, our airbags saved our lives, now the auto insurance of the other party wont pay full amount on 2006 vibe , because there is a salvage title on my car. My car has that title not from a accident because it was a stolen car that we bought at auction . The Insurance company put's the salvage title on anything. Now what are we going to do sue them, How do you fight this crazy salvage rule its not our problem its their rule . It was also the other persons fault and it ruin our vacation with body pains it was all messed up.""

If you live in the US, & against the Affordable Care Act, do you want more affordable healthcare insurance and healthcare goods and services?

Do you believe that reducing healthcare insurance premiums and the amount to be paid for healthcare goods and services is possible?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-does-my-car-insurance-keep-going-up-logan-peters/"

[mikegchambers]

Baby steps to the cloud: migrating your corporate website

Cloud isn’t just for new projects —migrating an existing application like a website is often the preferred first step

It’s easy to get the impression that the cloud is so alien to on-premise IT that you have to wait until a new project comes along to try it out. Fortunately for patience-impaired like me, we can easily migrate existing workloads across and see immediate benefits.

Getting one migration project off the ground is the key to convincing the Powers That Be that 100% cloud is where the company wants to be in the future. This step is all about building credibility to achieve our ultimate goal of becoming cloud natives.

Quick Recap: Key Benefits of Cloud

While cost savings are usually the hook, that’s not what cloud is really about. At its core, cloud provides three benefits that are either needlessly hard or impossible to do yourself:

Availability: what percentage of time is your application ready for its users? While no system can ever reach 100%, we’re generally trying to do everything we can to be close to perfect. Being unavailable is the tech equivalent of a power outage — the TV is still on the wall but it’s blank.

Durability: how much of the system (code and data) are you expecting to lose? Hard disks will always fail, tornadoes will swallow up buildings and well-meaning people will always do stupid things. Durability is all about surviving the unholy trinity of entropy, disaster and human stupidity. In my TV analogy, the TV has been stolen.

Scalability: what can the system do to cope with increases and decreases in load? When your product gets a deal on Shark Tank, will it cope with a 10,000 times increase in traffic? This is a ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma with your own hardware because you inevitably end up with too few or too many resources. In real life, this is like having more TVs appear when you want to watch multiple channels, but vanishing when no longer needed.

Basically, is it working? Is it there? Do I have enough resources? Fault tolerance and high availability are snooze-inducing buzzwords for the average human, but flip the words around and they just mean your application can tolerate faults and will be available more than you would expect. In practice, pulling off this magic trick is all about finding bottlenecks and points of failure. In essence, you are creating a plan B for everything, always assuming plan A is going up in smoke.

I was going to say how the most unexpected things fail but a picture speaks 1000 words.

But you also need to determine which website is worth the effort. For a corporate webpage that manages employee’s tennis court reservations, who really cares if it only works 95% of the time running on someone desktop PC? Big deal if it breaks (apologies to tennis fans). But if your site is streaming video for the Game of Thrones finale, you damned well better achieve 100% availability (I’m looking at you, HBONow). This is clearly much better candidate for migration.

Example Project: Your Company’s Website

It’s not new, it’s not sexy, but your company’s website is important and it’s one of the few ways your customers get a glimpse into your internal technology horror show. It’s a good place to start for a cloud migration since the transition is well understood and your glorious success will be highly visible.

There are many ways to build a website on-premise but here is one of the most common approach:

A typical website configuration makes cloud people cry.

Bad, bad, bad. This is a sorry design based largely on the ‘hope and pray’ approach that has a unhappy track record for disappointment. If one piece fails, it all fails. Cue screaming customers, mad executives and pagers beeping at 3am.

Anecdotal personal experience, not scientific.

Apart from the declining availability that happens when you multiply lots of 99% probabilities together, it also cannot be upgraded without downtime. This is just about the laziest setup for a website (though surprisingly common) and while might be fine for a hobby blog — would be a train wreck for anything remotely popular. Let’s make it work properly a la cloud.

Pray that nobody kicks the server and the hard disk lasts forever because it scores low on our Big Three.

Version 1: Just add cloud!

In practice there are just as many ways to cloudify a project but here’s my first sketch at using AWS to lift this website into the 21st century. Marvel at my graphic for a few moments and I’ll explain on the other side…

Fun fact: 90% of the world’s cat videos are stored on S3.

This isn’t as complicated as it looks but it was fun to draw. Piece by piece, this is what we have:

VPC: the dotted line is like the electric fence around your cloud playground. “Virtual Private Cloud” is tech talk for your very own piece of cloud real estate.

Route 53 lets us point traffic at the domain name level wherever we want at massive scale. This is a smart managed networking service that we can later use to do all sorts of cleverness (like routing regional users or fighting off denial of service attacks).

CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN). These are extremely powerful, very cheap and loaded with kick-ass. Usually 90% of website content is static (e.g. images and video) so with a CDN — quick win alert! — you can offload this and release significant server resources. But wait, there’s more! The CDN can distribute to servers geographically closest to your visitor, so it also helps speed up your site for customers far, far away.

S3: Amazon’s mindbogglingly large storage system can securely store files, feed CloudFront, and even hold machine images for servers. In this example, we’ll keep 90% of our data here because it’s super-reliable, highly secure and cheap.

Regions: the diagram shows one region but it can be duplicated exactly to others. If you open an office in Asia, we can just roll out a copy to this region, update Route53 (so local customers hit their local region) and we’ll be done by dinnertime. Need a third region in Europe? Done.

Availability Zones: each region has at least two AZs. Why? Because power fails, networks go down and life happens. We mitigate this by having our infrastructure across two AZs so our customers will never know when an outage occurred.

Elastic Load Balancer (ELB): this takes every incoming request, determines which instances are available to help, and sends it over. If a zone is down, the ELB will be the piece that switches everything across. ELBs are the unsung heroes in orchestrating most of the cloud dance.

Auto-scaling: this is simpler than it sounds. When our instances get too busy (or freeze or die), auto-scaling steps in, powers up some new boxes, installs all the software we need and tells the ELB that it has more places to send work to. It’s the manager that watches the checkout line and says, ‘We need another register open’.

Instances: cloud lingo for ‘servers’. There was just one ‘webserver’ in the first diagram, now we have a fleet of interchangeable machines all doing the same thing. We can add more, take them offline, perform upgrades as needed and generally operate without impacting visitors negatively. We build these instances based off our custom images.

ElastiCache: caches remember the answers to questions and since webservers get asked the same questions frequently (‘hey, what’s the homepage look like?’), they can take the load off the database that would otherwise be doing the work. Caches are much faster than databases and are particularly useful for read-heavy applications like websites.

Database (RDS): scaling databases is hard, replication is scary, and most companies do it badly. RDS is a managed service that does this for you, allowing us to scale quickly with read replicas while also doing its own housekeeping, like backups and maintenance.

This Looks Expensive — and Complicated

I know what you’re thinking. “I just wanted a Honda Civic and you gave me a Tesla delivered by a SpaceX rocket.” I did, but fortunately it’s cheaper and more reliable than the Honda (if that’s even possible, hey Honda fans?).

This is the sort of environment you can build out in a few hours on AWS and might easily have an average running cost of a few hundred dollars a month (depending on your usage). The reason it’s so fast and cheap isn’t because I’m the best cloud guy in the world with extremely reasonable rates and a great can-do attitude, it’s because cloud is code. Let’s repeat that together (the cloud part):

Cloud is code. Infrastructure is code. Build it up. Throw it away.

Nobody is ordering servers, racking hardware or approving purchase orders. We simply build out a CloudFormation template (like a blue print for your house), click “Create” and automation happens. An army of bots builds exactly what we want and we’re done. The hardest part will be migrating files and content, and even that can be fairly simple with a few scripts.

Version 2: Simpler, Faster, Better

Ok, version one solved many of our problems presented in the Dire Stack of On-Premise Failure. It gave us much more availability, durability was effectively solved, and while scalability was impressive, it could still be improved.

Imagine you have a webpage that’s going to get massive amounts of traffic unpredictably across multiple geographic regions. Suddenly you get one million visitors from Australia when a TV ad runs during a national event, and then nothing for 24 hours. And now the traffic hits the West Coast, 10 million visitors during TV ads on cable in the evening, and then it goes quiet. How do you scale up fast enough or make sure the right regions are in place?

In order to accommodate this extreme traffic, I present for your consideration “version 2”:

In the classic website model, you need a web server, database and code to connect it together. In this new version:

Static HTML pages are served on the global CDN (CloudFront). These are just files thrown out to the user’s browser on request.

JavaScript pulls dynamic content through Lambda (via an API). This runs on the client (keeping the hard work on their side).

Lambda connects to ElastiCache, DynamoDB or RDS for the data. This is a massively-scalable tool that runs small chunks of code.

You might remember from last week’s blog post on Mobile Apps that this is a serverless implementation that effectively handles the scaling for you. It’s exceptionally resilient to denial of service attacks and offers blazing performance for a distributed visitor base. It’s also much cheaper to implement than version 1. While it’s not going to work for CMS-based sites that rely on the more traditional stack, it’s an A+ alternative for high traffic landing pages with a spiky demand curve, such as those targeted by TV ads.

What’s the smallest step you can take?

Sometimes the Big Bang migration can be alarming so it’s also worth mentioning a couple of small move alternatives that would greatly improve your overall website infrastructure with just a little cloud.

CDNs can and should be deployed to any and all public-facing websites. CDNs are cheaper than coffee. We’re talking pennies per gigabyte and this single step will have a huge performance improvement for any website. Seriously, it’s a no-brainer.

Lift and shift: if you moved the webserver and database from the first diagram into the cloud, you would expect a slight performance bump (cloud providers’ networks are faster than yours) and it could promote further baby steps to total cloudification. Over time it can morph into the version 1 diagram fairly easily.

Serve a backup site from S3: if your IT people are refusing to budge, one idea is to serve a backup version of the site from S3. This means whenever your site is down, a static version is served in its place. This will only work for certain types of site but it does allow you to handle failure a little more gracefully, and then opens the door to future cloud migration.

Store your code in cloud repositories. It’s a sensible safeguard but this practice also gets your development and IT groups familiar with automation tools. Automation is catnip to developers and it’s the Trojan horse to cloud.

There’s nothing alarming about automation at all.

Imagine the Possibilities for Your Applications

There are many ways to bring cloud into existing applications and workloads in your organization. The ephemeral nature of virtual hardware can be difficult to grasp and somewhat unsettling.

Pre-cloud, we built everything like it was poured concrete, a major production that was hard to change and move. Cloud providers gave us small ready-made pieces that are like Lego bricks. We can add, change, build up, tear down and have this enormous flexibility that takes a while to fully appreciate.

In most companies, getting ‘on premise’ servers versus cloud servers, it’s like comparing communist-era food rationing to Costco.

This simple example is just a website. Imagine what you could do for a distributed point of sale system in retail. You could create cloud-based services that securely support your cash registers, website and mobile e-commerce app. Write once, use everywhere. Mind blown.

Did you enjoy this? Click the little heart below!

Baby steps to the cloud: migrating your corporate website was originally published in A Cloud Guru on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

from A Cloud Guru - Medium http://ift.tt/2pf6OLF

[myupdatesystems-blog]

Best Email Marketing Tips

New Post has been published on https://myupdatesystems.com/2017/04/14/best-email-marketing-tips/

Best Email Marketing Tips

I know you will agree with me that the internet and email have been with us for quite some time. Most of the generations that existed before the birth of the internet are gradually passing away. Hence, I can say that most of us were born in the “internet age” and as such are familiar with the usage of the internet and email. So I guess we have already moved the past and are really in this “new age”.

As true as this conclusion is, the fact is that most individuals and companies are still naïve about the power and importance of email marketing, which has been adjudged as the best way of not only creating but also maintaining and sustaining the profitability of a business. And here’s why:

Why do people make purchases? In order to have and implement a successful email marketing campaign, you must understand why people make purchases. Basically, people buy a product or service to satisfy their “needs”, while others buy because of they just “want” it.

Although there are many factors affecting people’s decisions to buy, the most important reason why they bring out their money in exchange for that product or service is because they like it and have developed trust for the brand or person behind the product or service. This confirms the notion which states that “people buy people”, and this goes for any industry and the internet marketing industry is definitely not left out.

I am quite certain that you have come across different people on the internet who can be of help, the fact that you are reading this article clearly proves my point. So if you are a regular reader, am confident that you will find what I have to say useful and we would be able to relate in some way or the other.

For you to have a successful email marketing program, you must have a product or service which your target audience need or want. Email marketing is a great way for you to build a relationship with people by enriching their lives by satisfying their needs with your product or service. Once you are able to do this, you do not only open the door for engagement and trust, you also have a list of people who will buy the product or service you are promoting if what you are offering solves their problems.

Another powerful saying I must also share with you is that “there is money in the list”. This implies that as long as you have people who trust you on your email list, then you will always have a business and never run out of cash inflow. The biggest asset of any business is its email list and this is not just restricted to internet businesses. I am also talking about brick and mortar businesses and self-employed people.

An email list is so important that if you take away any number of buildings, vehicles, and equipment, you can still make money if you have your email list. So you can only imagine how it is if it’s your business email list that is taken away. You have no potential customers to reach out to straight away. Email marketing is, therefore, the lifeblood of any business and I want you to understand how important it is.

What I want to achieve with this article is simple. My goal is to give you the knowledge and tools you need to launch an awesome email marketing campaign. Without a shadow of a doubt, you will get results. No more beating around the bush. Let me show you tried and tested methods that you can apply to your business as soon as you finish reading this article.

1. Create Compelling Content

Subject Line

There are millions of contents on the internet begging to be opened. So if you ever want your contents to be opened, then you have to start with a “catching” subject line. This is the beginning of a step by step checklist you have to use each and every time you send a message to your subscribers.

The subject line is what your prospective customers will see in their inbox. Now if they are anything like me, then their inbox with being full of tons of different messages from all sorts of businesses and other people like you. Your message must, therefore, rise above the rest and catch their eyes.

To achieve this, some good ideas that have been used successfully on a regular basis includes “funny” subject lines, single word lines, controversial subject’s lines and of course, you can keep it simple by saying exactly what you are writing about. This technique has been proven to be effective and it will help your message to stand out amongst the crowd and increase your open rates by great lengths.

One Central Idea

It is very important for you to have a central idea when you are crafting your messages. There is a high chance that you are going to lose focus and this will confuse your target audience as to what you are trying to pass across. Don’t expect your target audience to work out what you are trying to pass across because they do not have the time and patience to do so. It is your responsibility to clearly pass your message across by harmonizing it with the central idea.

A Clear Call to Action

You must write in a way that all your messages have a clear call to action regardless of what you want your subscribers to do. Do you want your target audience to buy your product or service? Or do you want them to simply check out a piece of content which you have created? Then write in a way that will nudge your audience into action. If you fail to include a call to action, people will not take action and your message would have been a waste of time.

Relevance to Audience

In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of crafting a great email. If your message is not relevant to your audience in any way, shape or form, why do you think they will open it, talk less of reading it in the first place? If your audience is interested in losing weight, then don’t bother them at all with dog grooming products. Believe me, they may become so annoyed and simply jump off your list. You might think this does not happen but believe me, I have seen similarly bad examples and I would hate to see you make this fatal mistake.

Give Your Emails a Person Touch!

Relationship is what defines us as humans. Businesses must build the cordial relationship with their customers because that might be the reason they keep coming back. So you must not jettison this personal touch which people love. You must “show” them that you care more about them than their money.

An excellent way you can achieve this through email is by using fields built with modern templates, which refers to purchasing history, customer values and most importantly, their names. Remember, a person’s name is the sweetest thing to them that they will love to hear and this has been proven to be very effective. The best provider of this service, in my opinion, is AWeber, as they are very reliable and have everything you need.

2. Use the Right Tools

Drag and Drop Builder

You do not have to be an expert or know how to code in order to give your emails great designs. Welcome to the drag and drop templates world that is making life easier. You are at liberty to modify themes, colors, drag and drop all different fields within your email. This saves time. You can also create your own signature to use at the end of every email you write. So before you send the mail to your audience, you can preview it to ensure that the design and the display are exactly how you want people to see it. In the past, I worried about how the email was actually going to look like when it is opened but this has now been taken care of with the drag and drop builder.

3. Test Your Deliverability

The best email in the world cannot be effective if it fails to reach its target audience. There is a number of reason why this may occur and it is, therefore, important that this problem is nipped in the bud in order to avoid a waste of time and effort.

The first thing you need to consider is compatibility. You must, therefore, ask yourself if the emails you are sending to your audience are compatible with all devices such as mobiles, tablets, and desktops. You must ensure that it displays properly by initially reviewing it. If not, your audiences will have no choice other than to unsubscribe from your mailing list.

Another aspect of your emails that you must not toil with is its format. You need to ensure that your emails can be opened in plain text format if the HTML cannot be read. You need readability in all clients and on all platforms.

The last and not the least is spam analysis. If you are sending out valuable information to people in the form of great written content and videos, it shouldn’t be a problem. However, you will have to watch your step so that you wouldn’t be classified as “too spammy” once you start running promotions and asking people to buy your product or service.

4. Segment Your Audience

With segmenting, you will be able to match your content with your recipient’s interests. This creates a level of personalization that can make your email marketing campaign more successful. There are two ways you can segment your audience which can greatly improve your results.

Geographic: adding a little local flavor to your emails draws your audience closer to you because they will see you as a person who understands them. Hence, on a subconscious level, they will be able to relate better with you because people often relate better to persons who talks about their home country or town than others especially if you are marketing locally.

Behavioral: you can also segment your audience based on their behavior pattern once you can churn out relevant and timely information to suit their buying pattern. People are at different stages of buying cycles and depending on what you are selling; there can either be a long or short buying cycle. The higher the price, the longer the cycle and vice versa.

So you must be able to understand your audience buying pattern for you to be able to reduce the length your buying cycle. Another factor you must watch out for is repeat purchases. If you are able to get your price tailored along what your audience can afford in relation to what your competitors are offering, then you can achieve a short buying cycle.

5. Track, Analyse and Adjust

You need to ensure that your email marketing campaign is actually working in order to move ahead. You have to take stock and see if you are really achieving the goals you set out for your email campaign. Tracking produces actionable metrics which helps you can determine whether your messages are effective. If you are achieving your goals with your email campaigns, it means that your messages are effective. And if this is not the case, then you need to change the aspect of your marketing that is not working.

This is the key to any successful marketing campaign regardless of what type it is. You should be able to track your efforts and analyze what is working and what is not. Then make the necessary change of the part that is not working. Listed below are some aspects you must look out for:

Open rates: let’s assume you are experiencing poor open rates. You can overcome this problem by changing your subject line to something more catching and appealing to open. As I have explained earlier in this post, there are multiple ways in which you can do this.

Click Through’s: So you are not getting the massive click through’s you want? Why don’t you change your content and make it more engaging? Ensure you also have a call to action message by including natural looking links to your products and services.