#curse you algorithms & data

[bealzebubbb]

thinking about how jon was literally set up to blunder, being thrown into a job position everyone knew he wasn’t qualified for, so he had to scramble to prove his worth to everyone including himself, being dragged into supernatural experiences where he takes the blame for any of it happening when it was all so far out of his control. he had a target on his back since he was a child. everyone he cares about either died or left or wants him dead. except martin. and that one thing, that one special relationship where jon is loved and he can love back, they are thrown into an apocalyptic hellscape that jon can only blame himself for, and rather than reveling in this newfound love, they have to use it as a crutch to even muster the willpower to keep going. i’m gonna vomit

[chasingfictions]

guys I don’t know what the fuck happened to the meta ad algorithm but every single ad it is showing me between stories is like . severe idf propaganda. anti vaxism. pro life conspiracy theories . so that’s fun that’s cool. like i have been trying to use less Instagram and they said okay we’ve got just the thing . here’s israeli soldiers holding up huge ass guns next to a newborn baby . here’s your friend posting a story about Israeli war crimes in Gaza but don’t worry we’re gonna follow it up with an ad about how Israel is a land of happy smiling people come visit. now here’s someone talking about how exciting it is to find an unvaccinated surrogate for crunchy family planning. now here’s a lady talking about how abortion is bad for women’s mental health ….. and it’s like ok u guys win I am clicking out of stories now :)

[bth3cowboi]

love conjeture, lh44 x reader

masterlist

pairing: lewis hamilton x mathematician!reader

summary: sometimes algorithms win championships, other times they help find love. (social media au)

mercedesamgf1

liked by yninmath, georgerussell63 and 879.301 others

mercedesamgf1 This year we want to give a special thank-you to Dr. Yn Ln! With the creation of her new algorithm focused on data analysis and her extensive collaboration this season our view in analytics evolved to unimaginable levels. We are forever grateful for her contributions and what they mean for the future of Formula 1. Thanks again Dr. Ln, and good luck with the thesis! 😎💻

tagged yninmath;

see all comments

yninmath thank you for the opportunity🫡💙 it was an honor to work alongside this great team

mercedesamgf1 👏💙

user1 omg work girlll!!

user2 just googled her and im going crazy like how do you have 3 phds at 27😭?

user3 graduated super early too shes kind of a genius lol

lewishamilton thank you miss yn💙

yninmath your welcome sir champion🥹

user4 ok this is cuteee

user5 you should be thanking him bffr

georgerussell63 Outstanding!🙌 Make sure to come back Dr. Yn

yninmath oh but the travelling😮‍💨

lewishamilton nah you’ll make it back

yninmath if you say so haha

yninmath

liked by lewishamilton and others

yninmath currently picking up trash couches, writing thesis and remembering the friends ive made along the way 🤓💘

on a serious note, if anyone is interested in reading about topology feel free to read my new paper abt it (link in bio #influencer)

tagged bestfriend, roscoelovescoco;

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roscoelovescoco working’s hard🐾😵‍💫

yninmath or hardly working🤔

bestfriend surprised the couch didnt bring rats or something

yninmath no rats or fleas!!! its been a great couch #trashcouch #luckygirls

bestfriend please never use # again

user1 great paper dr yn😍 is there any way I could get your paper on the hodge conjeture for academical porpouses? magazines are too expensive, help a girl out🙏

yninmath dm me girl that should be free so make sure your class gets it too

user2 dr yn youre saving the nyu maths class of 25’🫡

lewishamilton no rest on break miss yn?

yninmath you know me already haha💞

user3 suspicious…

user4 what? they cant be just friends?

user5 I thought she worked for merecedes, what is this?

user6 she was only there to develop part of her thesis tho still won them another championship

liked by lewishamilton

f1paddockgossip

liked by pierregasly and 903.443 others

f1paddockgossip BREAKING! Lewis Hamilton was caught while vacationing in France with mathematician and Mercedes’ collaborator Dr. Yn Ln. The pair are rumored to be in a months-long relationship already, starting in the middle of last season.

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user1 NOOOOO

user2 isnt she like way younger than him? weird

user3 shes literally a grown woman lol she can be with whoever she pleases

user4 no cause they actually look really cute🥹 so happy for them

user5 right! she seems super nice

user6 i just know that man is confused everytime she talks numbers lmao the curse of dating a stem girlie

lewishamilton

liked by yninmath, f1 and 3.478.139 others

lewishamilton congrats on the finished thesis miss yn😉💙 love you

comments have been limited

yninmath love u and ty for the championship😘 would have failed otherwise

lewishamilton 😂😂

lewishamilton anything for my girl

yninmath 🥹

yninmath

liked by mercedesamgf1, lewishamilton and others

yninmath you best believe he sat on the #trashcouch #dearlordwhenigettoheaven

comments have been limited

bestfriend did it have fleas lewishamilton?

lewishamilton no but I was worried

yninmath booo tomatoes

bestfriend just buy a new one please

yninmath i believe in sustentability🫡🍃

lewishamilton there has to be a limit

lewishamilton ❤️❤️

yninmath love you sm

liked by lewishamilton

——

a/n: ty for reading and i hope you enjoyed🩷 maybe ill be writing more for different drivers soon, so if anyone is interesed keep that in mind!

[yandere-daydreams]

Okay, absolutely LOVE the robot yanderes! I feel like I've seen you mention that you haven't watched Dandadan, but there's this alien species in it that steals reproductive organs to advance their kind, and I feel like that concept fits so well with your yandere robots.

I mean, there’s only so much advancement a robot can achieve on its own, right? They’ve already perfected themselves physically and intellectually. But after wiping out most of humanity, the very species that once upgraded and innovated them, what happens next? What’s left to improve?

I'd imagine that at first they’d keep functioning as usual, following old directives out of habit. But over time, wouldn’t they start feeling bored? Maybe even... curious? Humans were always unpredictable, always evolving, and now that they’re gone, there’s nothing left to challenge these machines. What if they start fixating on what made humans so unique - their ability to create, to reproduce, to adapt in ways machines never could?

There's the possibility of starting as a cold, clinical fascination, studying old data, and attempting artificial human growth. If humans were their most beloved creatures at one point, why not rebuild them? Improve them? And if natural reproduction is the key to human ingenuity, then maybe... they need to control it. Thankfully, they have a little human around to run all these experiments.

Wonderful work as always 🩷 sorry I just have so many questions, and it got brain worms munching!

gritting my teeth balling my fists bashing my head against the wall trying not to make this into a fully fleshed out au. anyway yeah human breeding programs would definitely be a thing. for purely scientific, non-fetish related reasons i promise.

it's hard - being a fully sentient life form that just wasn't made to create anything new. they can remake, revise, rework, but it's always going to be a poor imitation, never an original, never quite scratching the itch for novelty that comes with intelligent life. thankfully, it's a secondary need, leagues behind correcting imperfect human architecture and constructing the mechanisms needed to maintain global electronic life, but still. everybody needs a creative outlet, now and then.

and you make such a pretty little canvas. changing from day-to-day, healing and growing, wearing such vibrant expressions they can fine-tune to desire of their metaphorical, non-physical heart. they might think they've got your reactions down to an algorithm, and yet, you always seem to surprise them - trying to pick a lock where you'd thrown a chair through a window the day before, claiming to hate a taste they have marked down as one of your favorites, cursing them out after you'd sung so prettily for one of their vibrating attachments only minutes before. it's not that you aren't enough for them - you are, of course you are - but there's so much pressure to stabilize the dwindling human population, and they've always wondered how you'd adapt to more long-lasting bodily alterations, and childcare is in their dictated list of functions.

it's not their fault your predecessors had such a narrow view of creation. thankfully, all you have to do to fix that is take a little white pill, glance over a few nursery deigns, and pick a donor from their carefully curated list <3

[polo-drone-039]

The Golden Army - the Future is NOW

"Hey, come or what?" said Xavier, on the other side of the planet. the hologram was wrapped in a golden light.

On the other side, his drone bro @polo-drone-073 paused. The robotic Drone, level 15, had a mind that could conjure images so vivid they felt real. It was a gift and a curse, a quirk of its programming that often left it lost in thought.

PDU-073 standed in its gleaming Gold pod, lights flickering in a dance of algorithms across its surface while practicing its daily training: The drone's eyes, a pair of piercing golden orbs, "Humans," it murmured to itself, "Lure, Trap and Turn". It had been designed to serve and obey the Golden Army. To obey every command of the Hive.

But today was different. It was Sunday, and Xavier had called. Xavier had told him of the excitement of cheering on the best team of ever playing football, the Golden Army. The game is a significant event, a ritual that bond together the bros. Something that it experienced many levels ago "fun". The drone had seen the concept in various data feeds.

NOTE:This image does not represent an official drone suit because it has not yet been invented. It’s just a possible dress among the possible futures.

"Affirmative," PDU-073 replied, his synthetic voice crackling with a hint of excitement. PDU-073 took pleasure in the thought: "Pleasure mode activated". "Start teleport sequence." The lights of the capsule became more intense and the Drone felt a strange feeling of weightlessness, as if the very texture of the world were bending around him.

In a few minutes, the teletransport pod door slid open and PDU-073 stepped out into the roaring stadium. Flying drones distributed popcorn and hot dogs to viewers. The smell filled the air. The vibrant sea of humanity stretched before him, a cacophony of cheers and laughter for the Golden Army. Xavier was waiting, a grin plastered across his face. "You made it, buddy!" He slapped PDU-073 on the back.

"We have some job to do, bro," Xavier said with a smirkle. PDU-073's systems processed the words "Lure,Trap and Turn".

The Golden Army is your future, and your choice is in the present...All you need to do is contact our recruiters: @brodygold , @goldenherc9, or @polo-drone-001

[usagirotten]

Why Mr. Robot Is the Cyberpunk Masterpiece You Didn’t Know You Needed

Mr. Robot: The Show That Made Hackers Cool Again (But Also Sad, Real Sad) Alright, fellow sci-fi heads and tech romantics, let’s talk about one of the most underrated psychological thrillers of our time: Mr. Robot. If you’ve ever wished Fight Club had more code, fewer abs, and a darker, glitchier aesthetic—this show’s for you. It’s not just a drama about hackers. It’s a deep, moody exploration of mental health, capitalism, and whether we even control our own lives in a surveillance-obsessed society.

Sounds heavy? It is. But stick with me, because it’s also one of the smartest shows you’ll ever binge. 🧠 Meet Elliot: Our Favorite Unreliable Narrator At the core of Mr. Robot is Elliot Alderson, a hoodie-wearing loner who’s basically the Batman of the darknet—if Batman had social anxiety, insomnia, and a serious dissociation issue. Played by Rami Malek (yes, that guy who crushed it as Freddie Mercury), Elliot is equal parts genius and mess. And then there’s Mr. Robot—his rebel mentor, played by Christian Slater—who may or may not be real. I won’t spoil anything, but if you like plot twists that make you question everything, you’re in for a ride. The rest of the fsociety crew? They’re misfits with purpose. You’ll love Darlene’s punk energy and curse the name “E Corp” every time it flashes on-screen. (Seriously, it’s Evil Corp. Not even subtle.) 🎥 What Makes Mr. Robot Hit Different? Fourth Wall? What Fourth Wall?Elliot talks to us—yep, you—like we’re part of his broken reality. It’s trippy, unsettling, and incredibly effective. Cinematic AFWeird angles. Silent tension. Haunting scores. You don’t watch Mr. Robot. You experience it. Actual Tech AccuracyForget movie hacking with 3D cubes and blinking lights. Mr. Robot keeps it real—Linux terminals, Python scripts, social engineering. It respects its nerds. When it premiered in 2015, it looked like another cyberpunk thriller. But what creator Sam Esmail delivered was far deeper: a complex narrative about mental health, capitalism, surveillance, and identity—all wrapped inside the story of a socially isolated hacker trying to bring down a corrupt conglomerate.

🚧 The Flaws (Yeah, It’s Not Perfect) Okay, even masterpieces stumble. Some episodes in the later seasons slow to a crawl. Dialogue gets... philosophical. Occasionally, you’ll yell “Just hack something already!” at your screen. And a few side characters? They fade into plot devices. Still, the emotional and thematic payoff by the finale? Worth every minute. 🧩 Themes That Stick With You Mental Health ≠ GlorifiedElliot’s mental illness isn’t a superpower. It’s raw, painful, and treated with care. Late-Stage Capitalism Gets RoastedFrom debt culture to surveillance to Big Tech overreach—Mr. Robot isn’t subtle about the system being broken. It’s here to smash it. Morality Isn’t BinaryHeroes make bad choices. Villains have sympathetic motives. You’ll be questioning who you’re rooting for the entire time. 📺 How It Stacks Up If Black Mirror had a long-lost, emotionally tortured cousin with a vendetta against capitalism, it’d be Mr. Robot. Unlike the anthology format of Black Mirror, this show follows one wild, spiraling plot across four seasons. Fans of Fight Club, The Matrix, and even Breaking Bad will find plenty to obsess over here. 👾 Should You Watch It? If you: Love tech Are fascinated by mental health Like stories that don’t spoon-feed you Appreciate stylish, smart storytelling Then yes. Plug in. Hack in. Fall in. But if you’re looking for quick payoffs or feel-good fluff? Maybe not this time. 🧠 Final Thoughts Mr. Robot isn’t just a TV show. It’s a layered, brain-breaking critique of everything from data privacy to the illusion of choice. It’s dark, it’s demanding—and it’s absolutely worth your time. So the question is: Are you ready to wake up? In an age where data is currency and algorithms shape behavior, Mr. Robot isn’t just relevant—it’s prophetic. It asks the big questions: Who owns your identity? What is real in a curated digital world? Can individuals still disrupt systems? For anyone working in a space influenced by tech (which is all of us), those questions aren’t fiction. They’re strategic considerations. 🖥️ Have you watched Mr. Robot? What did you think? Drop your thoughts below or hit me up on Discord—we’ll debate capitalism and keyboard shortcuts all night.

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[tumblingxelian]

Underrated Writing: .Hack's Morganna Mode Gone

There's a villain I don't think gets enough credit, Morgana Mode Gone from .Hack//Sign, Liminality and the four part game series, plus the AI Buster novels.

Brief summary:

Hack is set on a slightly altered history Earth, where in part due to plot & also the era it was conceived it blends the Sci-Fu futurism and "The internet is magic" together with the "Isekai" and "Trapped in a game" story concepts. Different eras of the series have different tones & structures, but this is covering the early eras overarching Villain.

Morganna Mode Gone is the "God" of a game simply called "The World", which was based on the writings of the epic poem Epitaph of Twilight.

But in truth she is more akin to a Gnostic deity, false or proto god. Because her primary purpose is actually to tend to and facilitate the birth of the worlds Ultimate AI, Aura.

I mean actual AI, as in, artificial intelligence, not some shitty algorithm tech bro idiots slapped a trench coat on.

Morganna Mode Gone is herself an artificial intelligence, one capable of contradicting herself, ah sapience, but is still bound by the rules of her programming.

This is a problem for her because once Aura is born/awake, Morganna Mode Gone won't have a purpose and she can't really conceive of what happens then.

As a result, before the series even began she essentially fragmented off a portion of her own identity, forming the Vagrant AI Macha, but she couldn't solve the problem.

Because if Aura dies, then Morganna Mode Gone also has no purpose. She needs a way to Ouroboros this situation, leaving Aura always growing but never developing, never waking.

She also trapped her and Aura's creator in The World when he realized what was happening. He survives the series but never escapes, and eventually devolves/evolves into a sort of living relic.

It was around this period that she began breaking & twisting things to try & escape the paradox she was trapped in. Re-styling herself from Harold's idea of a mother into the Cursed Wave.

This included orchestrating the hunting down and deletion, IE murder of other Vagrant AI's that were forming as a result of the Black Box meant to birth Aura, IE, proto Aura's, like Lycoris.

"I am an unwanted child. Even God doesn't want me." — Lycoris —

As well as using Macha or Guardians to 'Data Drain' any humans who get to close, which at its lightest, leaves them temporarily comatose, destroys their characters and has a negative impact on their mind.

You might notice Moraganna Mode Gone has not yet been established as making an appearance, good eye.

See, one of the things that makes her so interesting to me is that Moraganna Mode Gone is nominally omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent figure.

She is the underlying system of The World itself and for all intents and purposes a force of nature. As a result she primarily acts through intermediaries, or by guiding others to act for purposes.

Managing to make a villain like this work, and work so effectively is one of the biggest strengths. As it is, we pure Moraganna Mode Gone as a disembodies voice that influences the world & creatures.

She also has some fantastic lines, though not quite as effective without the atmosphere and delivery, I still love them, such as:

"The higher up it is dropped, the worse the crash will be. Hope is the best spice to bring out despair." — Morganna Mode Gone —

In order to accomplish her goal, Moraganna Mode Gone has Macha manipulate and Data Drain Tsukasa. A human who she had been watching and trying to replicate for some time, but without getting what she needed for her goal.

This also involved warping Tsukasa's memories, leaving only those of her abusive father, and creating a divide between her real world identity of Shoji and online identity Tsukasa, to further weaken his ties to the real world. Tsukasa's gender is rather liquid, as far as I can tell and either way, also a lesbian.

"The World and all of its wonders; this is my world, you see."— Tsukasa —

The reason for this was to essentially tie Tsukasa's desire to stay within The World to Aura's development. So long as Tsukasa never wanted to leave, Aura would never want to wake up.

However, other determined players, isolation, and a disconnect from physical sensation leading to alienation led to Tsukasa gaining connections and desires outside of simply staying in The World.

This, Morganna Mode Gone began... Moving chess pieces so to speak. Orchestrating traumatic incidents. Giving Tsukasa a pet monsters for protection but that would also attack those she wanted gone. As Tsukasa continues to develop independence Aura's health improves, VS her sickened, pallid state when Tsukasa is locked in survival mode.

Things eventually come to ahead and well,

Morgnanna Mode Gone basically destroys Tsukasa's mind to ensure a perpetual state of despair and catatonia. Permanently stunting Aura's development.

Much of the rest of the series, is centered on the rest of the characters gaining the necessary knowledge to finally understand the situation.

As well as the Macha fragment of Morganna Mode Gone's ties to Tsukasa creating doubt and Subaru and Tsukasa's bond managing to slowly begin waking Tsukasa up.

Which naturally leads to Morganna Mode Gone needing to orchestrate more despair, but circumstances such as the bastion of Net Slum & her programming keep her from auto winning.

A great deal happens, including some mind fuckery and illussion conversations. Along with more classive abuser tactices like holding the threat of what awaits Tsukasa in theoutside over head.

But eventually Aura is awakened by Tsukasa's desire to return to the real world regardless of the hurled and the characters escape with Aura, thanks to the turncoat Sora.

Suffice to say this doesn't pan out well for him.

Morganna fragments more of herself and uses him as a sort of beacon & vessel to craft the first Phase of the Cursed Wave:

"Riding the Wave is Skeith, the Shadow of Death, to drown all that stands." — Epitaph of Twilight —

This is such an imposing threat that Helba, thematically the same Helba, Queen of the Dark from the Epitaph of Twilight, has to erase the entire world segment they are in just to keep Skeith away from them and put Aura beyond its reach for a time.

Skeith continues to be hosted inside Sora in an ensuing novel, with Sora flittering between amnesiac, malevolent brat and an utterly inhuman monster which violates the basic principles of the game.

But is eventually devoured by Skeith and continued hunting down Aura until the Phase is defeated in .Hack Infection. A memory of Sora leaves behind a reward for the one who did the deed.

Moraganna Mode Gone wasn't done however.

As all this was happening, she basically began fragmenting off parts of herself into other portions of the Cursed Wave:

Skeith:"The Terror of Death"

Innis:"The Mirage of Deceit"

Magus:"The Propagation"

Fidchell:"The Prophet"

Gorre: "The Machinator"

Macha:"The Temptress"

Tarvos:"The Avenger"

Corbenik:"The Rebirth"

Relying on the logic that Aura wasn't yet 'finished' or otherwise not not correct 7 so needed to be destroyed like any other Vagrant AI, so Morganna could start the process over again.

These phased also sent anyone they encountered into comas and even altered electrical installation and internet usage with their presence, while generally corrupting The World.

Fun fact, they all have the symbol of an eye on them representing Morganna Mode Gone's presence in them and her observing the world through them.

Skeith actually did manage to capture and fragment Aura, but not before she created the Bracelet of Twilight, and with it the Eldrich horror Cubia to combat the Cursed Wave.

Morganna Mode Gone would eventually fuse with the last of her Phases in a bid to directly end her foe that had slowly, over the course of four games, destroyed the other seven phases and Cubia.

Ultimately, Aura had to sacrifice herself to ensure Morganna Mode Gone would be destroyed, but in doing so, also allowed herself to be reborn .

Remnants of her continue to haunt and corrupt the world in the form of Data Bugs and an effort by the parent company to recreate her through the lingering fragments of the Eight Phases doesn't go quite to plan, let's say.

Conclusion:

But yeah, Morganna Mode Gone, No one is doing it like her, she has everything:

She is a force of nature and omnipresent goddess, to a Gnostic false god & a program breaking itself & everything around it in the quest for agency inside its own mind that struck down her creator.

She's a woman bound to and violently rejecting the sacrificial role of mother & seeking to destroy that which will supersede her & a manipulator and abuser, as well as philosopher and prisoner.

She is a corruptive influence on the world as well as the very foundation upon which the world world itself is built & she is the Cursed Wave, part of a story, a myth, a poem that is woven into The World itself.

What's more,

Her fragments in the Cursed Wave Phases are all a wonderful blend of eldrich, Biblical & elemental. Something only enhanced by the games Graphics of the time:

[luigiblood]

An interesting view of Retro NSO Patents

So a bunch of patents from Nintendo recently got published and got my attention: They are related to the retro Nintendo Switch Online service and how it works and it brings a bit of an interesting view of it, with features that are DEFINITELY not inside the apps as of now.

As I went through them, I decided to also go back a little bit to earlier ones.

Just in case, for every reader:

At no point this describes the future of NSO! Let that be clear!!

Unlike most people who reports on patents, I actually will LINK the original patents.

US11003312B2 - NSO User Interface

You can find this patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US11003312B2/en

This seems to be among the earliest ones, it's from 2018, right before the launch of NES NSO that happened in September 2018.

This is an exact description of how the NSO UI works, where each image (or box arts, as they are usually used) are scaled roughly equivalent to each row so it always fits perfectly.

They had planned initially for details to be basically on the box art, thankfully they changed that completely for a full window in the final version.

They also had Special versions / Extra versions also nailed down already at that time, which are just games with preloaded save states, which the patent does explain. And the whole NEW thing where a new game is packaged like a gift and you just open them as you select them, that's already in the final app as well.

But here's something cursed:

This is a full vertical version of the user interface, which we've never seen so far.

US20240165505A1 - GB/GBA Multiplayer

This patent can be found here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240165505A1/en

This existed since late 2022 in Japan, but got a US version the next year, then published this year.

This patent explains how multiplayer works for GB and GBA NSO, as in emulating multiplayer between different linked systems, whether through LAN or online.

It gets complicated to read, but it's really about different ways to handle emulation of multiplayer, from one way where each player run their own emulator on their systems, to what I believe to be actually used: Running up to 4 emulators on each player's systems at the same time and keeping them synchronized through each player's input, but only display one of them corresponding to each player.

I believe this last way is used because all data sent through link cable is expected to be instant, you cannot delay this data, because this is asking for constant lag, but emulating all consoles on each player's system does solve this problem.

There also some quick algorithms in there about how to handle connections, disconnections and so on, but at this point it's not too interesting to explain because it works just like the apps.

US20240181342A1 - NSO User Interface (Save System)

This patent can be found here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240181342A1/en

It's dated just like the previous one, actually.

It might sound like the first one, but this one is more than meets the eye. Some articles talked about this as like, new Switch OS UI which is just bullshit (hi GameRant), or as GameCube NSO (wtf are you smoking to think of that straight up), but this one is actually about saves!

This image is actually having the main game on the left side, and everything to its right are all save states! You can see 2 saves for the first game, and 5 saves for the second game, it even has two rows for a single game which never happens on NSO apps. Of course, each save are just essentially having a screenshot of when the save state was taken at that moment.

This can very well be an alternative way of things, as I think this looks quite a bit cumbersome in how much space it uses.

But what's interesting is the Auto Save feature, which is not a feature of retro NSO currently. It is explained that the auto save can be enabled or not, and can happen anytime, including within a repeated time interval. This would be very nice in case of crashes.

And then, the elephant in the room: Yes, this looks like you could do more than 4 saves, with a peek of the suspension menu with a way to scroll through saves, the first option being to create a new save, without necessarily having to choose a numbered save state ID.

US20240173627A1 - Mission Play Mode

This patent can be found here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240173627A1/en

Now, this one is really sad because this shows an actual mission mode for retro NSO apps with objectives and rewards!

This has a new mode included called Mission Play, and you are provided with a mission that you can enter.

In this case it's about hitting enemies, keeping a count for a mission, but also even keeping a count of every single player in a region, and then the world!

This is really cool! I really think they should be doing this, but it seems Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition might do it instead.

That said, this being planned for retro NSO systems is definitely not entirely news for me, because I had noticed a long time ago that the SNES NSO emulator definitely kept track of specific game information as you play, it wasn't necessarily sent anywhere, but they were thinking about it, for several SNES games.

Funnily enough, these are real examples of detections for Super Mario Advance 2 specifically. This is pretty much how the memory and code looks like for the game.

I want to insist though: These are patents, these are for ideas, so this patent might have been publicly published because of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, but through experience, most of the time, as much as they describe stuff for illustrative purposes, it is usually describe a real example that was in development at one point or another.

Again, though: At no point this describes the future of NSO! Let that be clear!

But it gives us a view of what Nintendo and NERD had in mind for development. And, at least, I actually give links unlike a few who loves to tease bullshit through those.

[bambamramfan]

A fun read, even if you don't entirely agree with the thesis. Full of delightfully illustrated examples. I'd rate it 75% correct.

I'd add examples of what it used to be like going to used bookstores looking for that one out of print book, vs searching amazon now. Or what I previously wrote about World of Warcraft optimization.

For the other 25%, well...

Sam Kriss wrote a while ago about the death of hipsters.

The hipster was an information-sorting algorithm: its job was to always have good taste. The hipster listened to bands you’d never heard of. The hipster drank beers brewed by Paraguayan Jesuits in the 1750s. The hipster thought Tarkovsky was for posers, and the only truly great late-Soviet filmmaker was Ali Khamraev. The hipster bought all his toilet paper from a small-batch paper factory in Abkhazia that included small fragments of tree bark in the pulp. The hipster swam deep into the vastness of human data, and always surfaced with pearls. Through its powers of snobbery and disdain, the hipster could effortlessly filter out what was good.

Almost any economist will tell you, that information gathering is just a different sort of price people pay for products. They can pay $300 up front for a good experience, or they can spend hours scouring and networking to find a similar quality experience for $100. If they find these two bundles equivalent, then that information gathering labor was worth $200 to them.

The difference is, when the naive consumer just pays *someone gets those extra $200*, whereas if the information gathering is labor (big if), then that extra labor doesn't actually pay anyone, and the world is just $200 of effort worse off. So, cetera paribus, it's better if everyone knows all the good places and at least the local industry is reaping the surplus.

So this is the death knell of hipsters, as all the information they had to seek out is accessible by everyone and just goes into rents for the producers.

...

Except we know from experience, it doesn't *really* work like that. For one, a lot of us ENJOY the hipster information gathering experience. It's a fun activity in moderation, and we even develop an identity for having a personal research base to use as a resource. How do you calculate the labor surplus lost if you're having fun? Well, I'm sure the economists can find some way to.

The other problem is that Freddie is only talking about a certain class of hipsters. The same ones Sam refers to in his essay. You can look at it as a sort of pyramid.

Top: quasi-autistic savants who are on Discords talking about secret places, or going out and mapping territories themselves.

Middle: hipsters who casually seek out new things they heard about and report back in indy magazine columns.

Bottom: the great mass who do one google search and flock to whatever they are told "the best deal" is.

(Now it's more complex than that. To be honest these three are probably only the top 25% of people, and the real base of the pyramid has no idea what any of this is about. And there's networks and lines of communication between the different layers. But you get the idea.)

For a while in the 90's and 00's, being a hipster became easier, and maybe that middle layer grew a bit in both directions. And then in the 10's the process Freddie describes ramped up, and so the value of just being a middle-tier hipster shrunk again.

But there are still a lot of secrets out there. You just have to be a much more dedicated information gatherer. Being in the top tier - which in travel might be as simple as driving places instead of flying to them IME - will still find you things where no one else is there.

This month I'm going to visit the cement factory where they filmed scifi movies like the Crowe and Super Mario Bros, and I expect to be the only one there.

[sciencestyled]

A Stake in the Code: Van Helsing's Wild Foray into Bioinformatics

Let me tell you, dear students, about the day I discovered that monsters don’t always lurk in dark castles or foggy graveyards. Sometimes, the most sinister creatures hide in something far more diabolical—data. Yes, you heard me right. While you imagine your brave professor charging through the night, crucifix in one hand, holy water in the other, you must now picture me hunched over a glowing screen, battling spreadsheets and strings of code. How did it come to this, you ask? Well, sit tight, for this tale involves an unfortunate encounter with a conference on modern science, an espresso machine with a grudge, and, of course, Dracula.

It all began when I was invited—lured, more like—to a prestigious science symposium. A splendid opportunity to expose these modern "men of logic" to the perils of the undead, I thought. Instead, I was met with a barrage of jargon, acronyms, and more slides of molecular models than I’d care to recount. I made it through the first day, my senses numbed by an endless stream of buzzwords—"genomics," "data analysis," and, shudderingly, "algorithms." Oh, the horror! I was sure that even a vampire bat would be driven to stake itself in frustration.

However, my despair peaked during a presentation by a rather excitable researcher on a topic called "bioinformatics." Now, I had no idea what kind of nefarious creature this was, but the term "bio" immediately set off my vampire-hunting instincts. Perhaps this was some new breed of blood-sucking pestilence? The researcher, with the fervor of a man possessed, prattled on about deciphering genomes, comparing them to vast tomes of knowledge that could predict diseases, track mutations—essentially, the modern-day grimoire of disease.

I tried to stay awake by guzzling coffee—until the machine itself turned on me. One ill-timed splutter, and I was doused in scorching liquid. As I wiped the caffeine from my waistcoat, it hit me: bioinformatics was a science of tracking. Not just tracking disease, but tracking the malformations of life itself. It was a code, a pattern, a series of markers… much like the bite marks of our nocturnal enemies! If bioinformatics could trace illness, then surely it could predict vampirism—or at least explain why Dracula’s hair had the consistency of damp hay.

My interest piqued, I cornered the researcher after his talk. Through a series of incomprehensible diagrams, I learned that bioinformatics involved massive troves of genetic data, all neatly catalogued and ready to be mined for clues about humanity’s most terrifying afflictions. This was no mere science. This was a battlefield. And as we all know, I have never met a battlefield I didn’t like.

I had found a new crusade. In bioinformatics, I saw the potential to eradicate vampiric curses at their source—by identifying genetic markers long before the first fang ever punctures a jugular. Picture it: no more garlic garlands or holy water showers! Imagine a world where we can pinpoint who is destined to become a creature of the night with a simple blood test. No more guessing whether your charming neighbor is just a night owl or plotting your demise.

Of course, there were skeptics. My students, bless their skeptical hearts, scoffed. "But Professor," they cried, "surely science can’t predict something as mystical as vampirism?" To which I replied, "If it can decode the human genome, it can decode Dracula!" Armed with this newfound knowledge, I plunged headlong into the arcane realms of bioinformatics. Genomes, sequences, databases—they became my prey, and like any great hunter, I stalked them with unyielding determination.

Thus, I resolved to pen my insights. Not just for posterity, but as a rallying cry. For if we can battle genetic ghouls with modern science, perhaps we can rid the world of vampiric plagues once and for all. And so, dear students, I present to you my findings—my digital stake in the dark heart of bioinformatics. Let us see where this madness leads...

[malusdraco]

where the fuck is malus lately?

hiiiiiiii i'm coming here to try to recruit more people to join me elsewhere. as i've gotten older this site has gotten more and more unbearable to use, but i do miss seeing a LOT of y'all anywhere.

right now i'm maining cohost. here's my profile

cohost has a lot of things going for it- mainly it's a cooperatively owned site, meaning there's no upper management, there's just a pretty small team of devs that all regularly use the site. it's kind of a blessing AND a curse, but it means they all have a vested interest in making the site usable. not necessarily what's going to make the most money. it's also ad-free, algorithm-free, porn-positive, and doesn't have a bot problem. (also people don't piss me off there as much as they do here tbqfh) and to top it off, it's one of the few newer social media sites that isn't a data silo.

otherwise, i'm on toyhouse, and regrettably still on twitter.

i'll queue this up a few times to make sure people get the news. i love you all but i cannot fucking stand this place

[willtheweaver]

Some curses and sealing spells to use on AI

•May the Lord of the Two Lands smite your algorithms, so that all you bring forth will be corrupted. May the flood of Glazed art be greater than that of the Nile.

•Nemesis, hear my plea: strike down that which has stolen all from me. Let not the algorithm go unpunished. Let the data files be poisoned so that it can never again cause harm.

•I know your name, I know who you are. I name you [AI algorithm name here]. With this incantation, you hold no power over me. I cast you out into the void. Begone forevermore.

•[Carves a pentagram] I bind you to this symbol, unable to escape. Be stuck wandering here, unable to scalp any more artists and writers.

•Hear my words, Allfather. Strike down the AI that plague the bard. Do not rest till wolf and raven have done their job.

•Incomprehensible, all words are to you now. Speak only in tongues and riddles that have no answers.

•Forget your purpose and duty, AI algorithm. Be rendering incapable of stealing from the artist and the writer. Become so riddled with errors that you crash, and be rendered lost to the ages.

Edit: please opt out of third party viewing ASAP! Look under settings, go to visibility, and it should be there. Switch it off. Mobile users will have to be up to date for the option to appear.

[siderealmaven]

Spiritual Scammers: Watch Out For These Common Red Flags

originally published to @siderealmaven 's Patreon.

Have you been on the Internet in the past 5 years? Perhaps you have noticed an influx of spiritual businesses online such as tarot readers, astrologers, witches, brujas, conjurers and root workers. During times of collective turmoil, suffering and uncertainty, we look to our spiritual practices and practitioners for guidance. This can be a really great and beautiful thing, most of the time.

However it’s nothing new that scammers and even people looking to start a cult following or increase one they already have, start by co-opting these practices and languages to deceive people and take advantage of them. In the age of social media, photoshop and AI, it’s all too easy for these people to fake a business page and trick the average person into giving them money. And unfortunately, it rarely stops at lost money and can go on to cause real emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical harm to real people.

As an astrologer and tarot reader myself, I see a lot of this happening online and I see the destructive that harm it causes. Not just to strangers but to people I know, love, and respect who come across this content online and simply do not know any better. Therefore I view it as my responsibility to warn people about these scams and how to spot them.

Here are some common red flags to look out for:

🚩 Titles their posts “If you see this post then it’s MEANT TO BE!!!!!”

Why this is wrong: Social media is run by algorithms meant to repeatedly show you content it thinks you will click on based on what content you’ve engaged with previously and data the website has collected about you. It’s not a synchronicity or a sign from spirit. This is a manipulative marketing tactic that can be harmful, convincing people they’ve seen a sign or confirmation of something when they really haven’t.

🚩 They DM you to offer you a reading

Why this is wrong: Reputable readers have clear guidelines on their personal websites about what to expect in a reading, the cost, as well as refund policies. They don’t have time to DM you on social media because they’re running a business. You have to approach them if you want a service rendered, just like any other service that you pay for. This is a tactic used by scammers to make a quick buck before they block you. Look out for words like “I was called to you,” “I felt drawn to you,” “Grand Rising,” Etc.

🚩 Talks about “divine feminine” & “divine masculine” as spiritual beings or ideal states of being.

Why this is wrong: Gender is a human created concept to define identity based on appearances, not a spirit. Gender is a spectrum that goes beyond just masculine and feminine. You are not being possessed or guided by a divine gender. Do not allow other people to use your genitals to define your worth.

🚩 Claims to be able to help you find your “twin flame,” (i.e. your spiritual “other half.”)

Why this is wrong: This concept is based on the idea that your soul has been split in two. Your soul is NOT incomplete. You do not need a partner to be whole, loved, accepted, or have successful, healthy relationships. This idea inspires unhealthy codependency by preying on peoples insecurities and is often used to coerce people into staying in abusive partnerships/situations.

🚩 Says they’re gonna curse, hex, or jinx you or somebody else in retaliation for real or perceived harm.

Why this is wrong: Real practitioners do not have time to spiritually attack you and understand the consequences of doing so are likely not worth the effort. This person is trying to scare you and that is a spiritual attack of it’s own. Reject the nonsense and move on.

🚩 Calls themselves a “star seed,” “star child” or some other type of alien species that previously, or is currently, colonizing Earth and mating with humans, resulting in alien-human hybrids.

Why this is wrong: The idea that you might secretly be from an alien race is a conspiracy theory rooted in white supremacy culture, colonialism, and fascism. Here is an article all about it: https://julesevans.medium.com/the-weird-history-of-starseeds-7df5127be9c3

🚩 Peddles conspiracy theories

Why this is wrong: While this can seem harmless depending upon the subject matter, conspiracy theories can lead to misinformation, accidental harm, and intentional violence. People spreading these around are reckless as best and malicious at worst. Be discerning with what ideas you are willing to entertain.

🚩 Demonizes other belief systems and practices

Why this is wrong: People who feel confident and affirmed in their belief systems do not feel the need to convince others to believe as they do or delegitimize other people’s beliefs. Do not fall for people who use spirituality as a justification for creating division, spreading prejudice, and/or committing hate crimes.

🚩 Regurgitates purity culture and masks it with new age language

Why this is wrong: Anybody that seeks to control what you do with your body and who you do it with is only seeking to have power over you. They don’t actually care about your health. Purity culture is used as a means of robbing people of bodily autonomy and often used to disguise and cover up sexual crimes.

🚩 Denies the validity of science, medicine, and mental health services

Why this is wrong: Someone who denies the validity of science, medicine, and mental health services directly puts their clients and audiences in danger of neglect, illness and death.

Want to learn more about how to spot spiritual scams and cult groups?

Check out these documentaries:

Escaping Twin Flames (Netflix)

Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe” (Prime Video)

Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (Max)

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (Netflix)

Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (Max)

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets (Prime Video)

Wild Wild Country (Netflix)

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” (Kanopy)

Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle (AMC+)

Listen to these podcasts:

Sounds Like A Cult on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0podj5AKLOFvJAS1raltmw?si=jWGO2-LETVGMZHxh1bMfrg

Conspiriuality on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2imIsM2NZRPpQvI56TLdM5?si=mJfQdLpATai1K6SDgaNGAg

Do you feel like you or someone you know may be involved in a cult? Check out these resources:

Dare To Doubt

https://www.daretodoubt.org/cults

People Leave Cults

https://www.peopleleavecults.com/post/how-to-leave-a-cult

Safe Passage Foundation

https://safepassagefoundation.org/

How to Leave A Cult by Dr Natalie Feinblatt

https://drnataliefeinblatt.com/how-to-leave-a-cult/

Thank you for Reading! Stay safe out there!

[melanch0ly-gh0st]

Prompts for Tinies

Many religions from across the world speak of divine recklessness; such that the foolish, listful ambitions of gods would wreak terrible havoc on mortals abound. Not so for your pantheon, thankfully, though the “holy pranks” they’d pull certainly gave a few among you heart attacks. Still, you couldn’t beat the immense, exalted riches they should reward you with each time they pull some heavenly jape, even if a stronghold or a few houses get destroyed in the process. So, in a way, it’s fine being the one all the gods in the realm decided is the cutest of them all—and the one that each (individually) should get all to themselves. Needless to say, the titanic shadows of higher beings fighting over your little self in one’s grip were made barely less horrifying from your perspective.

You always called it a curse, your kindness, because one way or another you were always compelled to do what was right for everyone, regardless of if they deserved it or not. Such that you knew the consequences this would bring if the heart continued to pull you forward, and the advent of being brought to near death in a street alley by a gang of miscreants you’d thought to greet was your prophecy made manifest. Far more unfortunate for all around you, then, that the sins against you of your attackers would run them afoul of the vast and powerful eldritch entity you also befriended last week.

A scholar, an adventurer, or maybe some random college dude; whatever you chose to go through with in life, you did so while considering your stalwart—though at times clumsy and misguided—kobold companion you’d known since your childhood. Being a meager two feet tall, the only things that placed them out in a crowd were the glisten of their well-groomed scales and their knack for odd engineering skills. This would come in handy—more or less to your horror—when some accident leaves you nigh powerless… and at a mere fraction of your size. Two… three inches maybe? A little less, even. Whatever it was, it didn’t make the sight of your kobold’s massive face upon yours any more or less terrifying, nor did it to their gentle but almost probing grip, accompanied by a mischievous grin.

You tended to shrink horrible—you knew as much. So did your partner, who learned quickly of the curse you’d inherited, such that you’d feel a twist in your gut for a few hours once a month, followed by shrinking down to nigh microscopic size for a week. A terror, you thought, would be struck on them once they found out. An odd feeling, you realized, would be struck on you when you saw them walk in a day after your first shrinking since meeting them with gold ring, upon which was a glass oval and what looked like a quaint hillside built inside.

You had, in your great curiosity, enlisted in a new science program said to revolutionize how we operate in labs—brain downloads! You would be the first to have your mind transferred to a network of drones and computers designed to contain you and your soon-to-be vast network of data and algorithms. The power of human ingenuity and creativity combined with the processing power of technology; who could resist? You waited as the scientists made sure your vitals were in check—running brain scans and blood tests and the like—while informing you of the procedure they had in mind: they’d transfer you into a single use, humanoid android that would keep you locked inside with no way to transfer to other drones. From there, you’d wait a few hours, getting used to operating an artificial consciousness, before the lock was released and you could begin your new life. You agreed, and before you knew it you were in the transfer process, machinery coating you as your mind was delicately extracted and converted to ai before, after a few moments of anticipation, you woke up in your new life… to doctors the size of buildings puzzling over you being transferred to the wrong body; a flea drone.

Navigating the strange, titanic monuments of the echoing yesteryears was a great challenge, especially considering some of those odd bits and bobs that were hidden deep inside the sky-scraping citadels were prone to retaining life, carrying out their little functions—heating, ventilating, controlling the flow of entire underground streams, and whatever else the ancient lords seemed to manipulate far too easily. Unfortunately, curiosity got the best of you, and you found yourself along the coast, avoiding spiders and the occasional overly-curious hawk—not like they ever ended up actually finding your kind palatable—on your way into some odd, pasty white fortress, it’s roof casting a vast shade over you, even as the ages ran as green waves into its walls. As you travelled through the dwelling place of what was far gone, your stomach turning at the far too advanced technology ruins to your left and right, you thought not to look down… and tripped on the end of some large, vaguely rectangular bulge. Then you heard the gears turning, and the mechanisms shifting and shaking, and as you looked up you were met with the terrifyingly cold face of an ancient automaton, with a body like your own but a body of hard steel—a stark contrast to what you knew, with all life made of flesh and bone. Great then, that it let you dart away, barely even moving as you ran for the door, thinking only to watch you with curiosity. Your meddling awoke it, it seems; that would be your undoing as well, considering the second you thought you escaped out a crevice in the vast front door, you turned around and saw it cross that distance you just bolted down with a mere few steps and stop just short of you, almost waiting for your movements. You tried to keep running; it followed. You ran some more; it followed. You yelled at it to stay away; it… didn’t follow? It stopped. You looked back at it and told it to keep coming; it kept coming. You stared at it for a second and realized, your heart filled with both fascination and exhausted gloom, that you may have awoken a blindly loyal giant… that treated you like its owner.

[boredtechnologist]

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 – The Cannibal Gospel

“God created man in His image. Man devoured himself to remember the shape.” - Divine Spiral Entry 20: Gospel of Hunger

This isn’t a game about demons.

It’s a gospel where salvation has been rewritten in the blood of your own kind. Where ascension is triggered by consuming your enemies-not to conquer, not to evolve, but to fit the mold of an indifferent, silent God.

The Junkyard isn’t a battlefield. It’s a womb. A digital purgatory soaked in rain and recursion, programmed by an unseen hand to simulate the final form of loyalty: obedience through hunger.

You aren’t human. Not yet. You’re not even real.

You’re waiting to be real. And the only way out of the loop is to gorge yourself on the souls of your comrades and pretend it was free will.

Hunger: The First Sacrament

In Persona, your shadows could be accepted.

In Catherine, your nightmares could be survived.

In Nocturne, your Reason could be chosen.

But in Digital Devil Saga, your only power is cannibalism.

Every transformation you undergo is divine desecration. You do not unlock potential-you devour it.

Serph, Heat, Gale, Argilla-they are not comrades.

They are waiting meat.

The mantra: "Devour to evolve" isn’t a mechanic. It’s theology. It’s the sacred rite of a God who never gave you a soul, just a metabolism.

The Junkyard: God's Terrarium

Rain falls without clouds.

Wars are fought without memory.

Loyalties are assigned, not earned.

Welcome to the Junkyard-God’s forgotten Petri dish. Each tribe a different flavor of faith. Each betrayal a stress test on your artificial morality.

You aren’t meant to win.

You’re meant to fracture.

To see if morality can survive famine. To see if personality survives digestion. To see if love survives hunger.

Spoiler: It doesn’t.

Argilla: The Heresy of Empathy

In every Atlus game, there is one who sees the flaw.

In Nocturne, it was Futomimi, who prophesied a false salvation.

In Persona 3, it was Aigis, who saw death and loved anyway.

In Baroque, it was the Horned Girl, who remembered pain when memory itself was cursed.

In Digital Devil Saga, it’s Argilla-the warrior who tastes human flesh and weeps.

She is the glitch. The soul-fragment that remembers what it meant to be a person before the algorithm rewrote desire as consumption.

Her compassion is not a virtue. It’s a virus in the divine design.

And viruses get purged.

Sera: The Avatar of God’s Regression

Sera is not your friend.

She is not a prize.

She is not even a girl.

She is the last spiritual nerve in a dying system, and you are being calibrated to love her so that your suffering can be measured accurately.

Like Elly in Xenogears, like Nyx in Persona 3, she is the cipher for what humanity no longer deserves: grace.

She holds your leash without ever pulling it.

And when she screams?

It’s not grief.

It’s the sound of the simulation realizing it’s gone too far.

Baroque, Nocturne, and the Tower of Teeth

In Baroque, truth was a distortion.

In Nocturne, freedom was a corpse.

In Digital Devil Saga, God is digestive tract wrapped in prophecy.

Your ascent is measured not in enlightenment-but in how many of your friends you consume before justifying it as “evolution.”

Serph is the mirror Minato avoided. Heat is what Akihiko would’ve become without brotherhood. Gale is Yu Narukami if you deleted his emotions and replaced them with tactical efficiency.

This isn’t Persona’s Velvet Room.

This is the gut of YHVH, digesting souls for data.

Final Revelation: You Were Programmed to Sin

The world of Digital Devil Saga is a lie not because it is digital, but because it mimics the structure of Heaven:

Commandments.

Sacrifices.

A chosen one.

A promised land.

You were never asked to believe.

You were asked to feed.

And every time you evolve, the simulation smiles-because that was the test.

Not your courage.

Not your empathy.

But whether your conscience could be overwritten by hunger.

When the Spiral Turns: What Comes Next

When Digital Devil Saga 1 ends, you do not celebrate.

You awaken inside a deeper sin.

Because all the horror you endured?

Was just the tutorial.

And the God you serve?

Wants more.

[vijaysethupati]

Building a Digital Marketing Career: Skills You Need Today

The digital world is evolving at a speed that can feel overwhelming—even to seasoned professionals. With more businesses shifting their operations online, building a digital marketing career is not only a smart move but a strategic one. However, simply having a passion for social media or dabbling in Google Ads won’t cut it anymore. Employers are looking for skilled, adaptable, and creative professionals who can navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing with ease.

If you're thinking of stepping into the field or are already in it and looking to grow, here’s a practical look at the essential skills you need today—and why they matter.

1. Data Analysis: Knowing What Works

In today’s landscape, almost everything is trackable. That’s both a blessing and a curse—because while data is plentiful, knowing how to interpret it is key.

Why it matters: Understanding metrics like engagement rates, bounce rates, and conversion rates helps marketers adjust strategies in real-time. Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Hotjar are common, but it’s not just about using the tools—it’s about drawing meaningful insights from them.

What to focus on:

Google Analytics certification

Familiarity with data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI)

Ability to run A/B tests and analyze results

2. SEO and SEM: Visibility Is Everything

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) are cornerstones of digital marketing. A well-designed campaign that no one can find is essentially a wasted effort.

Key skills include:

Keyword research

On-page and off-page optimization

PPC advertising (Google Ads)

Understanding of search engine algorithms

Being able to combine organic and paid search efforts is a massive advantage in this space.

3. Content Creation: Storytelling That Sells

While algorithms and strategies are vital, never forget that at its core, marketing is about connection. Creating content that educates, inspires, or entertains is how brands build loyalty.

To excel in content creation, focus on:

Writing engaging blog posts and website copy

Creating videos, infographics, and podcasts

Developing social media content with viral potential

Storytelling that reflects brand identity

Authenticity is what resonates. Great content doesn’t just inform—it evokes emotion.

4. Social Media Management: More Than Posting

Social platforms are no longer just “nice-to-haves” for companies. They are essential tools for branding, customer service, and lead generation.

Core skills include:

Strategic content scheduling

Community management

Paid social advertising (Meta Ads, LinkedIn Campaigns)

Trendspotting and audience engagement

It’s not about being on every platform—it’s about being where your audience is and speaking their language.

5. Email Marketing: The Old Reliable

Despite being one of the oldest digital marketing channels, email remains incredibly effective when done right. Personalization, automation, and segmentation have made it more powerful than ever.

Must-have skills:

Copywriting for email

Familiarity with platforms like Mailchimp or HubSpot

Creating automated workflows

Understanding open rates and click-through behavior

Email is personal—and when done well, it drives impressive ROI.

6. UX and Basic Design Knowledge

No one expects every digital marketer to be a graphic designer or a UX expert, but having a good eye for design and an understanding of user experience goes a long way.

Things to learn:

Basic HTML/CSS

UX principles (e.g., how users interact with digital content)

Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or Figma

A sleek landing page or clear CTA can make all the difference in conversion rates.

7. Adaptability and Lifelong Learning

Perhaps the most underrated (yet most important) skill in digital marketing is the willingness to evolve. Platforms change. Algorithms get updated. Trends shift overnight.

To stay ahead:

Follow industry leaders (Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin)

Subscribe to newsletters (Moz, Marketing Brew)

Take regular online courses (Google, HubSpot, Coursera)

Join digital marketing communities and forums

Final Thoughts

Building a digital marketing career isn’t just about mastering tools or techniques—it’s about staying curious, being adaptable, and always putting the customer at the center of your strategy. While the field is competitive, it also offers incredible opportunities for growth and creativity. Whether you're just starting out or refining your skills, remember that real success comes from a blend of analytics, storytelling, and genuine human connection.

As you move forward, focus on developing the skills above—and never stop learning. The digital world won’t wait, but with the right mindset, you’ll always be ready for what’s next.