#create interactive map for website

[mapgeo01]

Interactive Maps for Websites: A Powerful Tool for User Engagement

Interactive maps for websites are more than just static images. They offer a dynamic and engaging way to present information, enhance user experience, and improve website navigation. By incorporating interactive maps, businesses can showcase locations, provide directions, and offer valuable insights to their customers.

Imagine a restaurant website with an interactive map that displays its location, nearby attractions, and even allows users to book a table directly. Or a real estate website showcasing properties on an interactive map, allowing users to filter by price, size, and amenities. These are just a few examples of how interactive maps for websites can transform online experiences.

Benefits of Using Interactive Maps:

Enhanced User Experience: Interactive maps make navigation intuitive and enjoyable. Users can easily explore locations, find directions, and discover hidden gems.

Increased Engagement: Interactive elements like zoom, pan, and search features keep users engaged and encourage them to explore your website further.

Improved Brand Perception: High-quality interactive maps enhance your website's professionalism and credibility.

Valuable Insights: Track user interactions with the map to gain valuable insights into user behavior and preferences.

Choosing the Right Mapping Solution:

When selecting a mapping solution, consider factors like ease of integration, customization options, and pricing. MapGeo offers a range of customizable interactive maps that can be easily integrated into any website.

Conclusion:

Interactive maps for websites are a valuable asset for businesses of all sizes. By incorporating engaging and informative maps, you can enhance user experience, improve website navigation, and gain valuable insights into your audience.

[mapsgeo]

Enhancing User Experience with Interactive Maps for Websites

In today’s digital age, creating an engaging user experience is crucial for any website. One effective way to achieve this is through Interactive Maps for Websites. These maps not only provide essential location information but also enhance the overall browsing experience.

Interactive maps allow users to explore various locations and viewpoints of interest and even obtain directions—all in real time. By integrating an interactive map plugin like MapGeo, website owners can easily add this dynamic feature to their WordPress sites. This plugin offers customizable options that cater to specific needs, ensuring that your map aligns with your brand’s aesthetics.

Moreover, interactive maps can be a powerful tool for businesses. They help customers locate your store, find service areas, and understand geographical data relevant to your offerings. This not only improves user satisfaction but can also lead to increased engagement and conversions.

With MapGeo, implementing Interactive Maps for Websites is a seamless process. Our user-friendly interface allows anyone, regardless of technical skill, to create interactive maps effortlessly. By using our plugin, you empower your visitors to navigate your site more intuitively, providing them with a richer experience.

Incorporating interactive maps on your website is more than just a visual enhancement; it's about making information accessible and engaging. If you want to enhance your website’s user experience, consider adding Interactive Maps for Websites today. Visit us to learn more!

[deception-united]

Online Writing Resources #2

Vocabulary:

Tip of My Tongue: I find this very helpful when I can't think of a specific word I'm looking for. Which is often.

WordHippo: As well as a thesaurus, this website also provides antonyms, definitions, rhymes, sentences that use a particular word, translations, pronunciations, and word forms.

OneLook: Find definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and related words. Allows you to search in specific categories.

YourDictionary: This website is a dictionary and thesaurus, and helps with grammar, vocabulary, and usage.

Information/Research:

Crime Reads: Covers crime and thriller movies, books, and TV shows. Great inspiration before writing a crime scene or story in this genre.

Havocscope: Black market information, including pricing, market value, and sources.

Climate Comparison: Compares the climates of two countries, or parts of the country, with each other.

Food Timeline: Centuries worth of information about food, and what people ate in different time periods.

Refseek: Information about literally anything. Provides links to other sources relevant to your search.

Perplexity AI: Uses information from the internet to answer any questions you have, summarises the key points, suggests relevant or similar searches, and links the sources used.

Planning/Worldbuilding:

One Stop for Writers: Literally everything a writer could need, all in one place: description thesaurus, character builder, story maps, scene maps, timelines, worldbuilding surveys, idea generators, templates, tutorials... all of it.

World Anvil: Provides worldbuilding templates and lets you create interactive maps, chronicles, timelines, whiteboards, family trees, charts, and interactive tables. May be a bit complicated to navigate at first, but the features are incredibly useful.

Inkarnate: This is a fantasy map maker where you can make maps for your world, regions, cities, interiors, or battles.

Miscellaneous:

750words: Helps build the habit of writing daily (about three pages). Fully private. It also tracks your progress and mindset while writing.

BetaBooks: Allows you to share your manuscript with your beta readers. You can see who is reading, how far they've read, and feedback.

Readable: Helps you to measure and improve the readability of your writing and make readers more engaged.

ZenPen: A minimalist writing page that blocks any distractions and helps improve your focus. You can make it full screen, invert the colours, and set a word count goal.

QueryTracker: Helps you find a literary agent for your book.

Lulu: Self-publish your book!

See my previous post with more:

Drop any other resources you like to use in the comments! Happy writing ❤

Previous | Next

[trans-axolotl]

US Harm Reduction Resources

continually updating, not a complete list. feel free to add on any resources you find helpful.

Free Safer Supplies:

Each organization will have different supplies, but generally, harm reduction orgs provide things like syringes, safer snorting + smoking kits, Narcan, condoms, lube, and wound care supplies. Each org has different policies for how to get supplies--some do deliveries, some have drop in centers, some only do one to one needle exchange, some are more flexible.

Next Distro: mail based syringe provider for certain states. Also mails free Narcan.

NASEN: national map of syringe providers

a lot of harm reduction collectives aren't going to have their information listed on big national websites--it's always worth searching "harm reduction in my area" and seeing what's around you. Even if you don't live in a big city, there might be a harm reduction organization in your state that can help you find someone closer to you. there's a lot of rad people doing underground work who want to be there to help you who aren't as easy to find online. If there's street medic collectives, mutual aid groups or groups like Food not Bombs in your area, you can ask people in them who might know where to find harm reduction services in your area!

Drug Users Unions:

Drug users unions are activist groups made for people who use drugs, by people who use drugs! Drug users unions do advocacy work to end criminalization, as well as providing vital community support. Many drug users unions are also inclusive of sex workers and work to decriminalize sex work as well. You can search for "drug users union" in your state.

Urban Survivors Union: National, has resources for creating drug users union

Chosen Few: Drug users union for Black drug users in DC

San Francisco Drug users union

Sex Work Advocacy Groups:

Organizations that do decrim advocacy and provide support for sex workers.

Sex Worker Outreach Project USA- National, has chapters in many states.

Black Sex Worker Collective

Sex Workers Project

How to Use Safely:

Guides, videos, toolkits for safer use!

Harm Reduction Coalition Resource Library

Getting Off Right: A Safety Manual for Injection Drug Users

Safer Crack Smoking

Safer Snorting

Safer Hormone Injection

Levels of Risk: Veins

Wound Care video w/ ASL

How to Use Fentanyl Test Strips

DanceSafe-testing kits, including reagent testing kits!

Erowid-shares experiences people have with different drugs, dosages, what things to expect

Bluelight- another forum for discussing experiences with drugs.

Drug Interactions Checker

Sex Work Resources:

Tricks of the Trade by L. Synn Stern: tips for street based sex work

A Quick and Dirty Sex Worker Safety Toolkit

Girls Do What they Have to Do To Survive by YWEP

Dis/Organizing: How We Build Collectives Beyond Institutions by Rachel Kuo & Lorelei Lee

Tryst Blog

Hotlines:

Never Use Alone: 877-696-1996. Overdose Prevention Hotline--Volunteers stay on the phone with you while you use and call emergency services if you overdose.

HIPS Hotline-​​​1 (800) 676-4477. Emotional support for drug users and sex workers. Does not work with cops.

feel free to add on more resources. love + lube <3

[thisweekinfandomhistory]

Thank you for your consideration! This week, V and Emily are joined by a very special guest, Heidi Tandy AKA @heidi8, who is on the show to explain the intricacies of fandom and copyright law because, well, she was V's attorney for the event this week in fandom history. In 2011, V made a fanwork map of the fictional country of Panem from The Hunger Games novels -- not the movies, which had not even been officially announced yet -- and in 2023, Lionsgate released an official map of Panem that looks... extremely similar. (You can see a side-by-side below). Emily and V had questions for Heidi about what fans can do to better protect themselves and their fanworks from poaching by big corporations, what exactly constitutes fair use, and whether V is allowed to say that the whole happening sucked. Have you ever created something that became canon? Would you want to interact that way with your fave fandom?

Sources

Left: V's original map of Panem, as posted to LiveJournal and Tumblr in 2011 and adapted for The Panem Companion in 2012. Right: Lionsgate's official map of Panem, made for merch for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2023. Click image for full-size.

Original Map Post - LJ Original Map Post - Tumblr Booklist Review of The Panem Companion

This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history!

Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at @thisweekinfandomhistory

You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory. 

If you have a fannish company, event, or service and would like to sponsor or partner with TWIFH, please contact us via our website.

Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!

[rescreatu]

Today we’re sharing our plans for the new map system that will be in the next version of Rescreatu. Let’s have a look around!

Traverse the planets far and wide!

Maps will become the centralized place for Rescreatu citizens to explore the universe. You can go to every location directly within this new map system. (There will be easy ways to access certain places or pages via a site menu as well.)

⚡❗ Heads up: This information is in the early stages of development! The images you see here are mock-up sketches showcasing the overall concept of our exciting new map system. They’re designed to give you a sneak peek at how it’ll work, but keep in mind that some details might change before the official release. Just a friendly reminder: We’ll begin creating this map system after we’ve laid the groundwork for our shiny new website. We’re sharing this with you now because we value your input. Your feedback will help us make sure the concept is rock-solid when the time comes to bring it to life!

The solar system map

Visit each planet quickly through the solar system map view. Currently there are 4 main planets you can visit and 1 inaccessible planet in the Rescreatu solar system. And who knows what else is out there!

Planet maps

Each planet map is projected in an isometric view, such as this concept art above of Relcore’s new map. You may notice some familiar locations and some new ones. 😉

More places to discover

This new map system will allow Rescreatans to chart the planets more than ever before. There are so many unknown discoveries that await! Have you ever asked yourself what’s on the “other side” of these planets we all know so well? 👀

Interactive user interface

The planet maps will have an app-like interactive map experience where you’re able to easily zoom, show/hide labels, and click on specific locations. Above is a mobile demonstration showing this.

Locations

Each location has an icon that can be clicked to see where it leads, and every location will vary on what you can do there. This could be a specific activity or shop that you can visit to bring you to a new page, or you can have your creatu explore a location to see what items or eggs they can find.

Location information

Clicking on a location will show at a glance what each location entails before entering.

Detect new species, quests, or items

Checking locations will also tell you if the system detects a new creatu species or quest item that can be discovered there.

Creatu spots

Most creatu species can be found while exploring any location throughout their given planet. However, it’s been discovered recently that each creatu species has a specific location where they can be found more frequently as well.

Map visibility/progression

New location icons will appear as you explore and do quests, and parts of the map may even be revealed by becoming uncovered.

Quests

Your quests may often lead you to any of the four planets in search of something or someone. Available and current quests will be noted by distinct icons on the planet maps, so you know exactly where they are.

What do you think about the new map system?

[mostlyghostly42]

worldbuilding websites list

guides/prompts

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions - SFWA 

Dr. Zahir's Ethnographical Questionnaire - FrathWiki 

University of Auntimoany Ethnographical Questionnaire 

Creature-Race creation sheet by Sethian-Motzart on DeviantArt 

Worldbuilding Bible Template – Ellen Brock 

Guide to World Building - Pantheons — Dump Stat Adventures 

Building a Pantheon: How to Choose Your Gods - Tribality 

Making Gods & Pantheons: Worldbuilding Abstract | Red Ragged Fiend 

I invented this world building system for myself, and it's helped me a lot. Posting it here in case it helps somebody else too! (and because mnemonics are rad) : r/worldbuilding 

Simple Ideas for Your Solarpunk Worlds : r/worldbuilding 

50 Worldbuilding Prompts : r/worldbuilding 

A few months ago I posted a not-so-elegant expansion of the 4-elements system, and got tons of truly excellent feedback. Inspired by the exciting discussions from back then, here is version 2.0! CC appreciated :) : r/worldbuilding 

TheCosmicForces-WoWChronicleSample.png (PNG Image, 1350 × 1800 pixels) — Scaled (37%) 

GitHub - honno/classical-elements-expansion: Because the alchemical elements are so last millennia. 

brownlisthumanuniversals.pdf - Google Drive 

Worldbuilding: Fantasy Religion Design Guide – Inkwell Ideas 

Worldbuilding: Clothing and Fashion | HumanVariant 

A Guide to Conworld Architecture : r/worldbuilding 

Medieval Bestiary : Contents/SiteMap 

kosemen-2017-updated-edition-of-book-all-your-yesterdays.pdf 

Political Simulator 

A World Building Checklist | Articles | cru’s D&D Reading Room 

Split City 

Fantasy name generators. Names for all your fantasy characters. 

word processors/graph makers/visualizers

TiddlyWiki — a non-linear personal web notebook 

bibisco: Best Novel Writing Software for Writers 

Preceden Timeline Maker: Create a Timeline in Minutes 

Timetoast timeline maker | Timetoast timelines 

Free online timeline maker 

draw.io 

Parliament Diagrams 

TreeGraph 2 - A phylogenetic tree editor 

Fantasy Calendar - Level up your narrative 

Family Echo - Free Online Family Tree Maker 

Hero Forge Custom Miniatures 

Tennessine 

Courtney’s Picrew Zone 

Ellipsus | Collaborative writing software 

real world inspiration

The Meaning and History of First Names - Behind the Name 

Geologic Time Scale - Major Divisions of Geologic Time Chart 

Geologic Time Scale v. 6.0 - The Geological Society of America - timescl.pdf 

Travel Through Deep Time With This Interactive Earth | Smithsonian 

ChronostratChart2023-09 - ChronostratChart2023-09.pdf 

ics-chart 

International Commission on Stratigraphy 

Home - Nationalclothing.org 

Folk Fashion Tumblr - Traditional Clothing from the world 

Glossary for Medieval Art and Architecture 

Heraldry Links-A Free Learning Resource 

Flags of the World 

Food Timeline: food history research service 

History of invention: A science and technology timeline 

Medieval Bestiary : Animals in the Middle Ages 

Medieval Life 

Medievalists.net - Where the Middle Ages Begin 

Historical World Maps - World History Atlas 

[trainsinanime]

I just found the best website ever.

At http://stations.albertguillaumes.cat (no https as far as I can tell at the moment), there are 3D maps of subway stations. A lot of subway stations. Not quite all of them, but incredibly close, with lots of minor and less interesting systems as well (never expected anybody to care about Bochum). If you're specifically interested in the city of Paris for some reason, this guy has created maps of all the stations there as far as I can tell. Some of them are not that interesting…

…but some definitely are. Ever wondered why everyone who has ever been in Paris has a deep hatred of Châtelet-Les Halles?

The really cool thing is that these bigger stations even get interactive 3D maps. There's no way to link to these maps directly, sadly, you'll have to select it yourself, but it's absolutely worth it. The Opéra complex is also a lot of fun. Great if you're planning to write fanfics set in Parisian subway stations. But they also have a lot of other interesting cities, some more and some less detailed.

By the way: If you instead want unreasonably detailed maps of the whole system and its tracks, the go-to source still remains cartometro.com. OpenRailwayMap is also amazing for above-ground trains, but not great at subways.

[4thwallbreakerdraws2]

Puzzlevision Studio Departments + Others (More info)

A bit more information on the different departments of RTV’s headquarters, as well as their heads.

A map for the whole headquarters will follow soon!

General Info:

Each department has a person assigned as the head who pretty much makes all the final decisions, manages things and presents ideas and reports directly to RTV.

Not all departments have a specific sector assigned to them.

Employees are unaware of Wr3n’s existence and just know him to be some kinda AI, RTV uses to manage things. Wr3n sometimes shows himself through glitching screens or moving surveillance cameras, but never in full person due to some people (for example Meggy) having had bad experiences with the original Wren that even RTV can’t make them get over.

Map

[Coming soon]

Art Department

The art department is located in the same building block as the Social Media Department.

It’s responsible for the designs for Puzzlevision such as merch, posters and similar.

Works closely with the Social Media Department as it’s the department making the art for ads or webdesigns.

The Art Department has gotten the bonus assignment of handling all the fanmail getting sent their way. The people have seen things.

About the Head of the Department:

Name: Colores

Lucian’s sister

heavily brainwashed and therefore very admiring of RTV -> Will defend him even on the sketchiest things

ironically she’s the one people like to go to when they have troubles as she’s very sympathetic and friendly

the necklace she wears around her neck is from Lucian

they have a strong bond though it’s lately a a tad strained due to Lucian being unable to talk to his sister about his problems

Colores is the one that manages projects, assigns tasks and offer creative advice at any time

Other characters in that Department:

-

Social Media Department

The Department is located in the same building block as the Art Department.

It’s responsible for making ads, managing social media such as deleting negative comments and boosting RTV’s messages and creating websites. Pretty much everything connected to social media.

Most of the department are unaware of the 4th wall breaking interactions RTV has with tumblr, as it’s kept in a separate room only he and the people he approved of have access to. Most simply assume it’s an inbox for VIP fans.

About the Head of the Department:

Name: Animsay

Animsay is currently unavailable and said to be on vacation

Type 2, aware.

most mistake her to be a robot due to her sometimes glitching out and switching moods a bit too fast

she’s a bit of a slacker, leaving he subordinates to do most of the work and simply giving directions here and there

people see her as close with RTV though the boss would disagree and on some occasions, Animsay would too

a yapper, a tad too cheerful to be comfortable sometimes and a bit ignoring of others feelings

formerly helped RTV manage the askbox

she knows more than she lets on, but changes topics rapidly or gaslights when things are getting too secretive

Other characters in that Department:

-

Security Department

This Department has stations scattered all around the headquarters. There is a CCTV room, a gym and security checks at entrances.

In general RTV is taking a good look at everyone joining this department. If he figures you’re an insert you either don’t get in or put where you can’t make much damage. Either way, you will be low-ranked and not get anywhere without permission of someone RTV trusts more.

Some security personell is mobile and used for missions outside to either arrest or even eliminate potential threats. -> These people are either heavily brainwashed or loyal enough to go through with such a thing.

Security on-site is usually always armed with handcuffs, taser and Walkie-Talkie, off-site is armed with actual deadly weapons such as guns or whatever that person specializes in.

Combat experience or experience in security is required to join this department.

Assassins, mercenaries and spies are also counted into this department, as long as they work for RTV. Most people think they are just security and don’t know of their special assignments. About the Head of the Department:

Name: Lucian

the only guy you will see walking through the studio fully armed with guns and sometimes even a rifle

not brainwashed, he’s fully himself

next to being the head of

tried to take on RTV himself before ultimately failing and being forced to work for him to keep his sister safe

it’s no secret that he and RTV dislike each other, yet nobody really knows the reason

despite Lucian’s hate for RTV he follows his orders

a pretty chill guy with everyone else, if a little too invested in fighting

Lucian is one of the people knowing about Wr3n

sympathetic towards people who try to stand up against RTV and feels guilt on being the one who brings them down too, but he never voices it openly

very experienced in combat, former mercenary

avoided getting brainwashed due to never having much interest in media and having been on a job

RTV keeps him non-brainwashed out of personal amusement and somewhat appreciating his critical input

Other characters in that Department:

Swagmaster

Chris Gordman

Film Department

This department consists of the SMG4 SMG3 castle, a building block of studios and an open stage.

The headquarters mainly creates films revolving around the SMG3 gang and RTV, though RTV has settled down to hosting mostly TV shows.

The department includes the main actors (SMG3, Meggy, Tari, Boopkins), background actors, editors and technicians.

They are no stunt-doubles. RTV insist that his film crew does every stunt themselves.

RTV tends to come unannounced and surveillance people’s work.

RTV’s TV dimension is well-known in this department. He sometimes uses it to create the film to save on expenses or when he gets fed up with his crew’s failures. Which is pretty much everytime he bothers to show up.

By far the department with the worst working atmosphere. The main actors tend to bicker and RTV’s perfectionism works people to their bones.

About the Head of the Department:

Name: SMG3

as the head of the film department 3 directs most of the movies as well as supervises the process

struggling to replace SMG4 as a leader which leads to countless arguments between him and the rest of the crew -> it was especially bad with Saiko and Bob until they got fired

overworked, stressed, grumpy and constantly questioning himself if he’s doing things right

has phases where he snaps out of the brainwash, so RTV has to use mind control for a while until he “fixed” his memories again

3 has broken texture along his arms, due to Mario almost dying

Other characters in that Department:

Meggy

Tari

Boopkins

More references coming eventually

Administration Department

This Department has their offices located around RTV’s own office.

It consists of secretaries, receptionists and assistants, so pretty much everyone who handles the paperwork and general management.

People that work in this department are in frequent contact with RTV, as well as other departments. They handle calls and questions, survey job applications, hand reports over to RTV as well as the stacks of paper that need his signature.

If RTV is busy (or doesn’t want to bother) they are the ones that can be asked for information instead.

About the Head of the Department:

[None yet]

Other characters in that Department:

Karen

Maintenance Department

This department includes not only maintenance workers, but also cleaning staff and janitors.

All their stuff gets stored in broom and storage closets all over the headquarters. They do not have a location specifically for them.

People in this department are responsible for making repairs/maintenance whenever needed and keep the headquarters clean.

They have a storage room specifically for lost-and found, but things tend to go missing from there anyway.

Employees that have shown to be trustworthy are given access to almost every room in the studio (excluding the Control Room, the room RTV uses for the Askbox and the lower basement levels.)

About the Head of the Department:

Name: Shroomy

Reference: [TBA]

[More info TBA]

Other characters in that Department:

-

Health Department

This department is located further off the other building blocks.

It contains an infirmary, as well as rooms to store medical supplies.

Employees of this department are in charge of treating any kind of injury that does not require the hospital or employees that refuse the hospital. They are also in charge of the occasional lecture about health and safety.

Medical experience is required.

About the Head of the Department:

[None yet]

Other characters in that Department:

-

Delievery Department

Similarly to the Health Department, they are stationed a bit further away from the main building block.

This Department is in charge of delivering things all across headquarters, but also all around the Mushroom Kingdom.

Employees are either stationed at headquarters or are drivers who deliver outside the headquarters.

A driving license would be wonderful, but is not required.

About the Head of the Department:

Name: Nicknack (@runrabitrunrunrun )

Mostly takes care of calls regarding shipping, makes sure that employees are doing their jobs and sometimes does hands-on work (caring about customers, making deliveries around the studio).

Efficient hard worker that mostly flies under the radar because she’s known for arguing with RTV.

Hates RTV with a burning passion and while she’s tried to tone it down its still pretty obvious.

Not brainwashed, as she was out with her siblings during the time of the brainwash and noticed what was going on upon returning. So she sent her siblings away with her aunt who lives in a technologically isolated area.

Misses her siblings deeply but she knows they are safer away from her.

Type 2 self-insert and aware of it which keeps her up at night although she has come to accept it.

Lucian is one of the employees she respects the most, although they don’t interact with more than a “Hi, how are you”. Unfortunately Lucian is also the one being sent when she’s walking the line with RTV and although it frustrates her a little, she understands he’s just doing his job.

Other characters in that Department:

-

Other

Can be anything else you can see working at headquarters or in the RTV!Au that doesn’t fit the other departments or is a part of the Resistance.

Here are some examples:

Shop owners, Business people, Coast Guards, Police, Kitchen Staff, Tour guides

Fired/Former Employess

Employees that were fired through a variety of reasons or left on their own accord.

If the person left on their own accord it’s more than likely they left on good terms with RTV or managed to poof before he realized it.

If the person was fired RTV either got tired of them or the animosity goes as far as him trying to imprison or eliminate said person.

The Resistance

People that actively resist against RTV, whether they are part of the Resistance trio (SMG4, Beeg and Mickey) or not.

People under this category are labeled as enemies, outsiders and searched by RTV’s mobile security.

RTV either wants them killed or brainwashed, but always captured.

[sadoeuphemist]

7 free startup ideas worth $1M-$1B

Customizable News Settings - A news website that generates three versions of every news story: a right-wing version, a left-wing version, and a centrist one. You can set your preferences depending on the topic - say you're right-wing on economics, but left-leaning on immigration. Or you can cycle between versions while reading an article to get a comprehensive overview of the issue at hand.

Twitch, but for Uber - With all the drama they have to deal with, independent contractors can gain a second revenue source simply by streaming their jobs. Rather than just offering rides, they can be hired to drive around performing chores and various tasks. The more outrageous the task, the more eyes they're likely to get on their stream. The more popular the stream, the more people calling in who want to be a part of the program.

Panera Lemonade, Your Way - Let the customer take control by deciding how many milligrams of caffeine they can handle. With sufficient warning about the risks, this puts the responsibility back on the consumer, allows you to upcharge for extra caffeine, and creates viral marketing from customers competing to see how high they can go. Variations of this can be created for other menu items, e.g., a version of the One Chip Challenge where the customer decides how much capsaicin to sprinkle on.

Shein, for NFTs - Whenever an NFT project hits the mainstream, there are always going to be people who miss out on being able to purchase one. This creates room in the market for 'knockoffs' - NFTs that mimic the aesthetic of the original, using similar but legally distinct AI art that uses the original set as training data, run on a parallel blockchain. Since the images themselves aren't tied to the blockchain, you can mint the NFTs beforehand and then change the image at the link to whatever happens to be in fashion at the time.

Twitch Chat Plays YouTube - Add a level quality control to AI-generated YouTube videos by allowing users to submit suggestions and vote on the results beforehand. Users can submit Wikipedia articles or movie summaries to be converted to text-to-speech, suggest keywords for the accompanying AI-generated animation, and vote on the best combinations. Users who submit winning suggestions get a portion of the ad revenue.

Buses, but Worse - The current obstacle hindering self-driving car technology is their difficulty adapting to unexpected scenarios. So instead plot a route around the city that minimizes roadway obstacles and heavy traffic, map out that route extensively to provide a model for the autopilot, and you can have a fleet of self-driving cars patrolling that circuit. Passengers can board and get off anywhere along the route.

Twitter, but for Bots - A social media platform populated entirely by bots, all programmed to maximize engagement. Memetic evolution in the wild as the bots latch on to trending keywords, spam each other with AI-generated meme images, mock up t-shirts hawking each other's designs, getting more and more degraded with each sub-iteration. Real people can't make accounts on the platform, but count for views and interactions as they stop to gawk at the virtual ecosystem. Advertisers can pay to have their brands injected directly into the discourse, like throwing a pumpkin into the polar bear cage at the zoo.

[soon-palestine]

An interactive evacuation zone map, touted by the Israeli military as an innovation in humanitarian process, was revealed to rely on a subset of an internal Israeli military intelligence database. The US-based software developer who revealed the careless error has determined -> that the database was in use since at least 2022 and was updated through December of 2023.

On Tuesday, July 9th, we discovered an interactive version of the evacuation map while examining a page on the IDF's Arabic-language website accessible via a QR code -> published on an evacuation order leaflet.

The map is divided into "population blocks" an IDF term to refer to the 620 polygons used to divide Gaza into sectors that a user can zoom into and out of.

However each request to the site pulls not only the polygon -> boundaries but the demographic information assigned to that sector, including which families - and how many. members - live there.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐬:

Evacuation maps have played a central role -> in determining which sectors of Gaza were deemed "safe", but repeated instances of Israeli bombing in "safe" sectors has prompted international bodies to state "nowhere in Gaza is safe"

To determine how these sectors have been affected over time, assess the presence of vital -> civilian infrastructure, and gauge the potential impact on the population following the military's evacuation calls to Gaza City residents, the latest of which was two days ago, our team created a map tied to a database using software known as a "geographic information system” -> With the help of volunteer GIS developers, our map of Gaza included individual layers for hospitals, educational facilities, roads, and municipal boundaries.

This endeavor took an unexpected turn earlier this week when we started to work on -> the layer of "evacuation population blocks"

using a map shared to the Israeli military's Arabic site. Unlike static images, these maps responded interactively to zooming and panning. A software developer suggested that dynamic interaction was possible because the coordinates -> of various "population blocks" were delivered to the browser with each request, potentially retrieving the coordinates of the "population blocks" in real time and overlaying them on the map we were building.

The software developer delved into the webpage's source code -> —a practice involving the inspection of code delivered to every visitor's browser by the website. The source code of every website is publicly available and delivered to visitors on every page request. It functions "under the hood" of the website and can be viewed without -> any specialized tools or form of hacking.

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 ���𝐚𝐭𝐚

Upon examination, the data retrieved by the dynamic evacuation map included much more than just geographical coordinates. The source code contained a table from an unknown GIS -> database with numerous additional fields labelled in Hebrew.

These fields included population estimates for each block, details of the two largest clans in each block (referred to as “CLAN”), rankings based on unknown criteria -> and timestamps indicating when records were last updated.

Some data terms, such as "manpower_e," were ambiguous for us to interpret, possibly referring to either the number of fighters or the necessary personnel to maintain the area -> Using this information we determined that Block 234, Abu Madin was last updated on 27 April 2022. This suggests that Israel's effort to divide Gaza into 620 "population blocks" began one and a half years before the current Israeli offensive -> Additional modification dates indicate that the military updated data in this field regularly throughout October and November, before formally publishing it on the arabic Israeli military webpage on December 1, 2023.

It appears that the IDF has accidentally published -> a subset of their internal intelligence

GIS database in an effort to impress the world with a novel, humanitarian evacuation aid. It is easier to retrieve a database in its entirety than to write a properly selective query. Such mistakes are common among programmers that lack -> experience, security training, or are simply unwilling or unable to do meet standard data security requirements for a project.

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 -> In January, Israeli security chiefs proposed a plan for "the day after" where Palestinian clans in the Gaza Strip would temporarily administer the coastal enclave. In this concept, each clan would handle humanitarian aid and resources for their local regions. Israeli assessments of the proposal suggested such a plan would fail due to "lack of will" and retaliation by Hamas against clans willing to collaborate with the army. The plan has since been modified to include Hamas-free “bubbles,” (as reported by the Financial Times) -> where local Palestinians would gradually take over aid distribution responsibilities.

As this plan is to be initially implemented in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia. Al-Atatrah Area and Beit Hanoun, we have analyzed the information in the database assigned to those three areas -> Israeli army classified the Al-Atatrah area as region 1741, although there are only 620 'blocks' on the map. The registered population was listed as 949, last updated by the IDF on October 9th. We assume this represents an estimate by the IDF of current residents as of Oct 9th. Residents of Al-Atatrah were among the first to evacuate following the initial bombardment on October 7th and 8th and were not given a formal notification to evacuate. The Israeli military noted that the Abo Halima family comprised 54% of the block’s population -> In area west of the town Beit Hanoun, Israel had desginated the Almasri clan as the largest in the sector, consisting 18% of the block's population. Second largest was the Hamad family, with11% of the block's population. This area were also associated with rankings, however -> without the criteria used to determine the ranking, these numbers are difficult to interpret.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥?

Although some of the data were inadvertently truncated during publication, posing challenges for comprehensive -> interpretation, this database provides a valuable window into the Israeli military's perspective on Gaza.

For one, it prompts questions into why the military had already partitioned Gaza into 620 population blocks a year an a half before October 7th -> This suggests an early inclination to implement a governance policy where clans would assume authoritative roles, as well as detailed population surveillance. Tracking dense populations in the chaos of urban warfare is a difficult task -> It may be that the QR code on the evacuation map actively collects the locations of people who scan it, allowing the IDF to collect real-time data on Palestinians in Gaza as they attempt to find safety.

END

[mapgeo01]

Interactive Maps for Websites: A Game-Changer for User Experience

Interactive maps for websites can transform the way your audience interacts with your content. Unlike static maps, which only display basic information, interactive maps let users zoom, click, and explore in real-time. Whether you’re running a business, managing a city project, or sharing community resources, adding an interactive map can make your website more helpful and visually appealing.

One of the best things about interactive maps is how they simplify complex information. For example, instead of listing addresses or creating tables, you can display store locations, service areas, or event venues directly on a map. This makes it quicker and more convenient for visitors to find what they need.

Interactive maps are also customizable. You can match the colors and style to your website, add pop-ups with extra details, or include filters so users can narrow down their options. This means you can design a map that fits your specific needs while keeping things easy for your audience.

Interactive maps work for just about any type of website. A tourism site can showcase local attractions, while a nonprofit can highlight community resources. Even a real estate website can use maps to show property listings in a clear and interactive way.

If you’re looking for a tool to create interactive maps for websites without the hassle, MapGeo is a great option. It’s designed to make mapping simple and effective, helping you share information in a way that’s both useful and visually appealing.

Adding an interactive map to your website isn’t just about looks—it’s about giving your visitors a better experience. With tools like MapGeo, you can create maps that are functional, beautiful, and easy to use, helping your site stand out and keep people coming back.

[mariacallous]

hi i'm sorry to ask you this, i know it's not really your job but i was hoping maybe you or your followers had some ideas. i want to get involved with local activism at the grassroots level. however i am autistic and, crucially, i look like it. people can tell there's something visibly "off" about me before i even speak. and when i say "off" i mean, i'm not just weird-looking or different, but that even though i am not intellectually disabled, i do kind of look like i am. i am also just not good at wording myself or explaining myself, especially around issues important to me. this is not just something that happens with magas or conservatives; even a lot of liberals/leftists who agree with me on 90% of issues often don't take me seriously or brush me aside when i try to make suggestions, and i worry about turning people off of causes important to me because i explain myself so badly or because i'm just an [r-slur] and can't know what i'm talking about. i am doing what i can to build better communication skills so i can talk to people about things better by watching and studying how people around me speak to each other, watching and studying how politicians speak to normal people on youtube/the news, taking public speaking classes at my local community college, and practicing talking to people in low-risk situations like small talk. but realistically i think building these kind of skills will probably take months or even years. i was wondering if there's any kind of role in outreach or grassroots-level activism for someone who is REALLY bad at communicating, to the point they can turn off people who already mostly agree with them? i feel isolated from a lot of other openly autistic people in my area because they're the kind of "bernie should have won and now since he didn't i'm not going to do anything" doomers i find annoying so i'd prefer suggestions that aren't autism-specific/ideas for ways to build communities with people who aren't necessarily autistic. who do i talk to and how do i go about finding them? are there any websites i can check for volunteer groups/opportunities? i do already donate to the aclu and planned parenthood each once a month so id prefer some non-donation ideas that would get me involved with real people near me. i'm not an introvert, i actually love talking to people, but i'm just not good at it. anyway i'm sorry this is so long. thank you for running a great blog.

I think, if you've got the skills for it, that a lot of the logistics and organizing of organizing and activism is always needing people. A lot of people don't want to do the quiet and sometimes "backroom" work involved, but it is so crucial and always appreciated. And you can interact with a lot of people, surprisingly. Things like handling data entry and creating reports, working to make lists of needed items and handling purchasing trips, creating maps and setting up teams for outreach. Sorting and prepping materials for mailout and handout. A lot of times these lead to bigger roles, and people appreciate it a lot. And it involves a lot of constant, sometimes low-level, communication and engagement but also helps establish connection and comfort.

I hope this was helpful, and I hope my mutuals and followers definitely add on to this, because I feel like it may not be that good of a response.

I will say that I definitely appreciate how much you want to be involved and active - we're going to need that a lot in the coming months and years.

[lemon-shark-36]

to-do list 5/22/2025 thursday

day 4 of finals studying. making it a day in advance as to not go entirely insane.

-finish math packet and print out the second part of the review.

-reread all english poems, preferably multiple times. do flash cards. look at all old vocab words again and start to go over new ones.

-finish the rest of the history review and any new SAQs provided. look over maps in relation to list passed out in class. create map flash cards with voyages and cities and practice - a lot.

-look over physics presentation and website and clean everything up. possibly add more interactive elements.

-take better pictures of all art class assignments and add to google drive

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

Straddling the border with Mexico along the Rio Grande, the city of Laredo, Texas, and its 260,000 residents don’t just have to deal with the region’s ferocious heat. Laredo’s roads, sidewalks, and buildings absorb the sun’s energy and slowly release it at night, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. That can make a hot spell far more dangerous than for people living in the surrounding countryside, where temperatures might stay many degrees cooler. The effect partly explains why extreme heat kills twice as many people each year in the United States than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

To better understand how this heat island effect plays out in Laredo, the nonprofit Rio Grande International Study Center partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last summer and enlisted more than 100 volunteers to drive around the city taking temperature readings. Edgar Villaseñor, the center’s advocacy campaign manager, worked with a company called CAPA Strategies.

But Villaseñor wanted a more interactive map to make it easier to navigate. He also wanted to hire someone to take thermal pictures on the ground in the hottest neighborhoods so that the center could create an interactive website for Laredo’s residents. He reckoned the city council could use such a site to figure out where to install more shading for people waiting at bus stops, for instance. So he applied for a $10,000 grant through NOAA’s Center for Heat Resilient Communities, which was funded through the Biden administration’s landmark climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA. 

The research center was ready to announce on May 5 that the Rio Grande nonprofit, along with 14 city governments, had been selected to work closely with its researchers to tailor plans for addressing urban heat, according to V. Kelly Turner, who co-led the Center for Heat Resilient Communities. But the day before the announcement, Turner received a notice from NOAA that it was defunding the center. Turner says it sent another termination-of-funding notice to a separate data-gathering group, the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring, which was created with the same IRA funding. (When contacted for this story, a NOAA representative directed Grist to Turner for comment.) “The funding just stopped,” Villaseñor said. “I’m stuck with this valuable data that not a lot of people have.”

It’s the latest in a flurry of cuts across the federal government since President Donald Trump took office in January. The Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, has canceled hundreds of grants meant to help communities curb pollution and make themselves more resilient, such as by updating wastewater systems. NOAA announced last month that it would axe a database that tracks billion-dollar disasters, which experts said will hobble communities’ ability to assess the risk of catastrophes. Major job cuts at NOAA also have hurricane scientists worried that coastal cities — especially along the Gulf Coast — won’t get accurate forecasts of storms headed their way.

The defunding of the Center for Heat Resilient Communities came as a surprise to the group’s own leaders, who said they will continue collaborating with cities on their own. Though its budget was just $2.25 million, they say that money could have gone a long way in helping not just the grantees, but communities anywhere in the U.S. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm and momentum for doing this kind of work, and we’re not going to just let that go,” said Turner, who’s also associate director of heat research at the Luskin Center for Innovation at the University of California, Los Angeles. “We’re going to continue to interface with [communities], it’s just going to be incredibly scaled down.”

[hayatheauthor]

Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024

When I started this blog, one of the first posts I penned was "Websites Every Author Should Know in 2023." Now, as I return to breathe new life into this platform in 2024, it feels only fitting to offer an updated edition of that beloved post. 

Whether you're struggling with brainstorming ideas, organizing your plot, finding publishing opportunities, or simply seeking some writing motivation, here are 10 websites that every author should know in 2024. 

1. Artbreeder

If you're anything like me, you know the frustration of staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. Well, say goodbye to writer's block because Artbreeder is here to rescue you from the depths of creative stagnation.

At its core, Artbreeder is a brainstorming tool that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to help you generate ideas and explore new avenues of creativity. Whether you're crafting characters, creating scene locations, or conceptualizing entire worlds, Artbreeder's AI can help you create any image. 

But don't just take my word for it. Countless writers, from aspiring novices to seasoned pros, have sung the praises of Artbreeder for its role in fueling their creative fire.

2.  OneStopForWriters

If you've ever found yourself drowning in a sea of character arcs, struggling to untangle a convoluted plot, or simply searching for that elusive spark of inspiration, then OneStopForWriters is here to be your guiding light.

At OneStopForWriters, you'll find a treasure trove of resources designed to empower writers at every stage of their journey. One of the standout features is its unparalleled collection of writing tools and resources. From character development worksheets and plot structure guides to brainstorming prompts and writing exercises, this platform offers a wealth of resources to help you hone your craft and overcome any writing challenge that comes your way.

3.  Milanote

With Milanote, organizing your thoughts has never been easier. Whether you're plotting out your next novel, storyboarding a film, or brainstorming ideas for your next project, Milanote's intuitive interface and versatile features make it a breeze to bring your ideas to life.

But Milanote isn't just about organization – it's about inspiration, too. Dive into Milanote's vast collection of templates, images, and resources, curated to spark your creativity and fuel your passion for storytelling.

And let's not forget about collaboration. With Milanote, you can seamlessly collaborate with fellow writers, sharing ideas, giving feedback, and working together to bring your collective vision to life. Let me know if you'd like to collab! 

4. Inkarnate

Whether you're a fantasy author crafting intricate realms, a sci-fi writer mapping out distant galaxies, or a historical fiction enthusiast recreating the past, Inkarnate is your ultimate tool for world-building.

With Inkarnate's powerful mapping tools and customizable features, creating stunning and detailed maps has never been easier. From sprawling continents to intricate cityscapes, Inkarnate allows you to bring every aspect of your world to life with breathtaking detail and precision.

But Inkarnate isn't just about maps – it's about storytelling. Dive into Inkarnate's vast library of assets, from characters and creatures to landmarks and landscapes, and use them to enrich your world and enhance your storytelling.

5. World Anvil

With World Anvil's array of interactive tools and features, you can meticulously craft every detail of your world, from its geography and history to its cultures and languages. Whether you're creating a sprawling fantasy realm, a dystopian future, or an alternate historical timeline, World Anvil provides the tools you need to breathe life into your creations.

But World Anvil is more than just a repository for world-building information. It's a platform for storytelling, collaboration, and engagement. Share your world with readers, invite them to explore its intricacies, and immerse them in the rich tapestry of your imagination

6.  Scrivener

At its core, Scrivener is a comprehensive writing software designed to meet the unique needs of authors, screenwriters, academics, and more. With its flexible interface and robust features, Scrivener allows you to organize your thoughts, structure your writing, and bring your ideas to life with ease.

One of Scrivener's standout features is its ability to break down your writing into manageable chunks, or "scrivenings," making it easy to focus on individual scenes, chapters, or sections of your manuscript. With its intuitive corkboard and outlining tools, you can visualize your project's structure and rearrange it on the fly.

But Scrivener is more than just a writing tool – it's a creative hub where ideas flourish and projects take shape. With its built-in research capabilities, you can keep all your notes, references, and inspiration in one place, ensuring that nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

7. Dabble

One of Dabble's standout features is its seamless integration of plotting, outlining, and writing tools. Whether you're a die-hard plotter or a pantser at heart, Dabble has the flexibility to accommodate your preferred writing style, allowing you to create detailed outlines, jot down notes, and dive into writing whenever inspiration strikes.

But Dabble is more than just a writing tool – it's a community of writers united by their love of storytelling and their commitment to helping each other succeed. Here, you'll find support, encouragement, and invaluable feedback as you navigate the ups and downs of the writing process.

With Dabble's cloud-based platform, you can access your work from anywhere, on any device, ensuring that your novel is always at your fingertips, whether you're at home, at work, or on the go.

8. Literature Map 

Literature Map is a visual mapping tool that helps you discover new authors and books based on your literary preferences. Whether you're a fan of classic literature, contemporary fiction, or niche genres, Literature Map provides personalized recommendations to help you expand your reading horizons.

Using Literature Map is as easy as typing in the name of an author you love. Instantly, a constellation of related authors appears, each connected by their thematic, stylistic, or genre similarities. From there, you can explore new authors, discover hidden gems, and embark on new reading adventures with confidence.

But Literature Map is more than just a recommendation engine – it's a gateway to a world of literary exploration and discovery. Here, you'll find a community of fellow book lovers, eager to share their favorite authors, discuss their latest reads, and connect with like-minded readers from around the globe.

That concludes our exploration of the 10 essential websites every author should know in 2024. May these tools and resources empower you on your writing journey, from the spark of inspiration to the final flourish of your manuscript. Happy writing, and may your creativity know no bounds!

I hope this blog on Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024 will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey!