#hacking for beginners

[cypheroxide]

The Hacker's Guidebook:

Aspiring hackers! I’ve created a guide covering core cybersecurity concepts new hackers should master before tools. I break down networking, OS internals, & hacking tactics. Recognize hacking as lifelong journey—arm yourself with the basics!

Core Concepts for Budding Cybersecurity Enthusiasts The Building Blocks of Ethical Hacking So you want to become an ethical hacker and enter the exciting world of cybersecurity. That’s awesome! However, before you dive headfirst into firing up Kali Linux and hacking everything in sight, it’s vital to build up your foundational knowledge across several InfoSec domains. Mastering the fundamentals…

[blackmoreops]

Starter Guide on Hacking and Information Security: The Two Paths

Are you looking to break into the world of ethical hacking and cybersecurity? This comprehensive guide will show you the best ways to develop real hacking skills that can lead to a rewarding career in information security. Before we dive into the methods and resources, let’s be clear: ethical behaviour is non-negotiable in this field. This guide isn’t about gaining notoriety or impressing your…

[hackeocafe]

Hacking Active Directory for Beginners (over 5 hours of content!)

[tiktok-singularity]

5 food hacks.

[glowettee]

hey mindy mindy its me again (after that chaotic love poem lmaolmao) mwah mwah can u do like a notion guide post ?? like what would be helpful to add and also how you set yours up?? that would be so so helpful ilyily have the best day and sleep tight mwah mwah kiss kiss love xoxo, emily

hey emily! ✧

omg hi again!! (the love poem chaos was iconic btw, never apologize for that) you truly are my biggest fan (and i'm yours <3)

✧・゜: my notion setup: organized chaos but make it cute :・゜✧:・゜✧

so you asked about my notion setup and i'm soo excited to share because i've gone through approximately 500 iterations before finding what actually works for me! and by "works" i mean i've stuck with it for more than 3 weeks which is honestly a personal record.

the thing with notion is that it's so customizable it can be overwhelming?? like, i spent more time watching "perfect aesthetic notion tour" videos than actually using the app for the first month. classic me behavior.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ getting started (without spiraling) ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

first things first - don't try to set up your entire life system at once! i made this mistake and abandoned notion for 2 months because it felt too overwhelming.

start with ONE area that's currently chaotic in your life. for me it was school assignments because i kept forgetting deadlines until 11pm the night before (and then panicking while eating peanut butter straight from the jar… not recommended).

my biggest tip is to not get caught up in making it pretty right away. i know that's like, counterintuitive coming from me, but functionality first, then we make it cute!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my actual setup ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

homepage: i have a super simple homepage with links to my main dashboards (school, blog, personal) and a little daily quote that changes. also a tiny photo of my cat judging me for motivation.

school dashboard: this is my most used section! i have a calendar view of assignments, a database of all my classes with linked notes, and reading tracker. the best part is the assignment database where i can filter by due date and subject.

blog dashboard: where i keep all my post ideas (like this one!), content calendar, and stats tracking. i also have a section for brands i want to work with someday (manifesting!).

personal dashboard: this has my habit tracker, journal prompts, and goals. i also keep recipes here because i was tired of screenshots getting lost in my camera roll.

reading nook: where i track books i've read/want to read with little ratings and notes. sometimes i write embarrassingly emotional reactions to plot twists that no one else will ever see.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the actually helpful stuff ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

okay so beyond the basic setup, here are things that have made notion actually useful for me:

templates!! i have templates for everything - blog posts, class notes, weekly planning. it saves so much time not starting from scratch.

linked databases are literally magic. i can have the same information show up in different places filtered different ways. like my assignments appear on my homepage as "due this week" but in my school dashboard i can see everything.

embeds are underrated. i embed my spotify playlists, google calendar, and pinterest boards so everything's in one place.

toggle lists for anything lengthy. they keep things looking clean but you can expand when needed.

color coding that actually means something. i used to just pick pretty colors but now each color has a purpose (red = urgent, blue = school, pink = blog, etc).

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ making it pretty (because we still care) ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

once the functionality is working, THEN we make it cute:

i use a consistent color palette across all pages (mostly soft pinks, lavender, and sage green)

custom icons for each page (there are free packs online or you can use emojis)

cover images that are cohesive (i use pinterest)

font consistency! i stick with the same headings and text styles

little decorative dividers between sections (just search "aesthetic dividers" and you'll find tons)

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my honest thoughts ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

the truth is my notion isn't instagram-perfect all the time. some sections get messy when life gets busy, and that's fine! the beauty of it is you can always clean it up later.

the pages i actually use daily are pretty simple. it's the ones i rarely visit that look the most aesthetic (because they're not battle-tested with real life, lol).

start simple, find what actually helps you, and then make it pretty enough that you want to use it. that's the real secret!

let me know if you want more specific details about any part of my setup! i could literally talk about this forever (as you can probably tell from this novel of a response).

sending you the most organized vibes! hope this helps!!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

p.s. sleep tight to you too! currently writing this at 1am because i have no concept of proper sleep schedules

[ladycatastrophe7]

How to Fix a Flat Scene: A Checklist for Writers To make Any Scene Engaging

Link to Full Blogpost that dives deeper into this: https://www.society-of-heartsiders.com/how-to-fix-a-flat-scene-in-writing-a-checklist-for-writers/

Don't improve the scene. Instead, focus on the question; "how can I make this more interesting?"

Add Tension and Stakes through internal conflict.

Eliminate Redundancy and merge similar scenes (similar emotion, purpose or themes) to make one powerful instead of many half-assed scenes.

Make the Characters irreplaceable. If you could exchange any character in this scene with another and have the same outcome, strengthen the characterisation.

Deepen the Emotion. Get clear on what emotion you want to convey through the scene.

Write With Purpose. Know the purpose of the scene.

Revealing Information at the Right Time (suspense-building). Set up questions before you reveal the answers. Don't just dump information without allowing the reader to ask the question first.

[kamrulislamsakib]

The Evolution of Hacking: From Cyberpunk Fantasy to Real-World Reality

Hacking has been a part of internet culture for as long as there’s been an internet to hack. For some, it’s a rebellious act—tearing down the walls built by corporations or governments. For others, it’s an artform, a way of playing with systems, seeing how far you can push boundaries. But what does hacking really mean today? And why does it still capture our imagination?

Historically, hacking has been portrayed as a dark art. Think back to movies like The Matrix or Hackers—hackers as antiheroes, taking down the system from the inside. But while these portrayals are often exaggerated, they did reflect a truth: hacking represents a desire to reclaim power and control. In a world where tech companies and governments collect personal data and monitor our every move, hacking is one way to level the playing field.

In the real world, hacking has taken on many forms. There’s ethical hacking, where people are hired to test systems for vulnerabilities, and there’s black-hat hacking, which involves illegal activities. But even those who engage in illegal hacking often see themselves as part of a larger rebellion against control and surveillance.

It’s easy to romanticize hacking, to see it as this cool, underground world of rebellious acts and revolutionary potential. But the reality is more complex. Hacking today isn’t just about taking down the man; it’s about finding flaws, building something new, or even just learning how things work beneath the surface. It’s about pushing boundaries, challenging authority, and questioning the systems that run our world.

And perhaps that’s the real reason hacking still resonates with so many people. It’s not just a skill or a rebellion—it’s a form of empowerment. It’s the ability to break free from the constraints placed on us, even if only for a moment.

In a world where everything feels so rigid, so controlled, hacking is the ultimate act of freedom. It’s a reminder that the digital world is malleable, that we can create our own paths through it, and that the rules are often made to be broken.

[avalonthewitch]

Gardening Tip for the Broke #3

This past summer I have been *obsessed* with lemons. So much so I started to look into how to grow my own lemon tree at home, so here I come sharing my findings with you.

First and foremost, growing lemon trees from seeds is a LONG process. If you want your own lemons sooner rather than later, go to a tree nursery to pick one up for yourself or get a graft from someone.

Second, when deciding to grow lemon trees from seed, you have to keep in mind that not all the seeds will end up in fruitful trees, and those that do won't always have good tasting fruit. If you really want good tasting fruit from your struggle, do the same as above because its not fun to find out after 3-5 years that your tree is fruitless or has bad tasting fruit.

Okay, onto how to get saplings from seeds in a v low effort way!

Extract the seeds from the fruit (I usually do this while squeezing out lemon juice for lemonade/limoncello)

Check which seeds are viable: fill a glass with water and one by one drop the seeds in. Any seeds that float won't sprout, those that sink have the chance to.

Take the viable seeds out from the glass. They will be slippery and have a goo-like film on them. We need to take this goo off. The best way is to pop the seeds into your mouth and suck on them like a sweet until all the lemon taste is gone. Alternatively, give them a good scrub with a paper towel.

Take a plate, cotton ball*, and shot glass. Wet the cotton ball and place it onto the plate, place a few seeds (I usually do 3-6 seeds) onto the cotton ball, cover the cotton ball with the shot glass. (You can put multiple cotton balls onto the plate, each should have their own shot glass).

Place the plate on top of the fridge and wait.

*I usually use two cotton pads which I rip up and bunch into a ball and it works perfectly as well.

The first time I did this method, I did it a day before leaving home to travel for a month. When I came back most of the seeds had sprouted and were ready to put into soil.

My current batch has been on the fridge for a few weeks now but I haven't had a peek at it in a week or so but have seen some sprouts appearing last I checked.

I've found that seeds from lemons at my local veg shop are bigger and seem to sprout more often, but supermarket lemon seeds have also sprouted!

I plan to try doing this with limes next and will keep you updated.

Happy gardening!

[affiliatemarketingshortslongs]

OneLink Affiliate Systems Exposed

🔥 OneLink Affiliate Systems This channel brings you a mix of bite-sized tips and deep-dive tutorials to help you crush it with affiliate marketing. From beginner-friendly strategies to advanced hacks, we cover everything from content marketing, SEO, email funnels, to traffic generation and automation.

🎬 Shorts = Quick Wins 📹 Longs = Deep Strategies

Subscribe if you're serious about growing passive income streams online—without the hype!

[cypheroxide]

Coding and Scripting for Beginner Hackers

Learning to code and write scripts is a crucial skill for getting into ethical hacking and cybersecurity. Scripting allows you to automate repetitive tasks, develop your own custom tools, analyze data, and program everything from small hacking tools to machine learning models. Understanding and knowing how to code in different languages can be extremely useful when doing deep dives into malware…

[anielskaaniela]

How to Create and Customize a Raglan Top or Dress Pattern [Beginner-Friendly]

In this post , you will learn how to self draft and hack sewing pattern for raglan dress or top. A raglan top or dress is a garment that has sleeves that extend to the neckline, creating a diagonal seam from the underarm to the collarbone. They are flattering and comfortable styles that suit any body type. In this post, you will learn how to create a raglan top or dress pattern from scratch.…

[theendearingdesigner]

Simplest Way to Track Social Media Marketing ROI?

Social media marketing is vital for modern businesses, but many struggle with one crucial question: "Is our social media investment paying off?" If you've been searching for a straightforward way to measure your social media ROI without getting lost in complex analytics, this guide is for you.

...

What is Social Media ROI?

Social media ROI measures the value your business gets from investing time, money, and resources into social media marketing compared to what you put in. This value comes in various forms:

Direct revenue from social media campaigns

Lead generation and customer acquisition

Website traffic increases

Brand awareness growth

Community building and engagement

Understanding your social media ROI helps determine if your strategies are working and where to focus your resources for maximum impact.

...

Why Tracking Social Media ROI Matters

Smarter decision-making: Know where to allocate your budget based on what's actually working.

Accountability: Justify your social media investments to stakeholders with hard data.

Performance optimization: Identify your most successful content, campaigns, and platforms.

Resource allocation: Make informed decisions about where to spend your time and money.

Competitive advantage: Use data insights to refine strategies faster than competitors.

...

The Simplest Method for Tracking Social Media ROI

After analyzing various tracking methods, the most effective yet straightforward approach combines UTM parameters with Google Analytics for website traffic and online conversions, supplemented by unique promo codes for direct sales attribution.

Here's how to implement this method in 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Define Clear, Measurable Goals

Start by establishing what you want to achieve with your social media efforts. Your goals should be SMART:

Specific: "Increase website traffic from Instagram by 20%" rather than "Get more traffic"

Measurable: Include numbers that can be tracked

Achievable: Set realistic targets based on your resources

Relevant: Align with broader business objectives

Time-bound: Set a specific timeframe

Common measurable social media goals include:

Generate X leads per month from social media

Increase website traffic from social channels by X%

Achieve X direct sales attributed to social media campaigns

Grow follower count by X within a specific timeframe

Improve engagement rate by X% over a defined period

Step 2: Identify Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Select KPIs that directly relate to your goals:

For brand awareness:

Reach

Impressions

Follower growth rate

Brand mentions

Share of voice

For engagement:

Likes and reactions

Comments and replies

Shares and retweets

Click-through rate (CTR)

Engagement rate

For website traffic:

Website visits from social media

Referral traffic

Bounce rate of social traffic

Average session duration

For lead generation:

Number of leads from social media

Conversion rate of social media leads

Cost per lead (CPL)

Lead quality

For sales conversions:

Direct sales attributed to social media

Conversion rate from social media traffic

Revenue generated from campaigns

Return on ad spend (ROAS)

Step 3: Calculate Your Investment Costs

Track all costs associated with your social media efforts:

Advertising budgets for paid campaigns

Content creation costs (photography, videography, copywriting)

Staff time allocated to social media management

Software and tool subscriptions

Any other resources directly invested in social media

Be thorough here—accurate cost tracking is essential for true ROI calculation.

Step 4: Implement Simple Tracking Methods

For website traffic and conversions - UTM parameters + Google Analytics:

Create unique UTM parameters for all links shared on social media using Google's Campaign URL Builder or a similar tool

Structure your UTMs consistently:

utm_source = the platform (facebook, instagram, linkedin)

utm_medium = the type of traffic (social, paid_social)

utm_campaign = your specific campaign name

utm_content = the specific post or ad

Set up goals in Google Analytics to track conversions from social media traffic

Create regular reports showing traffic and conversions from each social channel

For direct sales attribution - Unique promo codes:

Create platform or campaign-specific promo codes (e.g., INSTA25, FB25)

Share these unique codes in your social media content

Track redemptions at checkout to directly attribute sales to specific platforms or campaigns

For broader impact - Platform analytics:

Use built-in analytics tools from each platform (Meta Business Suite, Instagram Insights, TikTok Analytics, etc.) to track engagement metrics and audience growth.

Step 5: Calculate Your ROI Using a Simple Formula

The fundamental formula for social media ROI is:

Social Media ROI = ((Value Generated - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment) × 100

For example:

If your e-commerce business generated $50,000 in sales from social media referrals

And you spent $18,000 on social media marketing

Your ROI would be (($50,000 - $18,000) / $18,000) × 100 = 178%

For B2B companies measuring lead value:

If you generated 100 qualified leads valued at $200 each (total value: $20,000)

And your social media costs were $4,000

Your ROI would be (($20,000 - $4,000) / $4,000) × 100 = 400%

...

Real-World Success Stories

Galaxy Theatres: By implementing targeted Facebook and Instagram campaigns with proper tracking, they achieved a 72% increase in ticket sales and significantly grew their Instagram engagement.

Incontact: This B2B company trained their sales team on social selling techniques with careful ROI tracking, resulting in a 215% increase in revenue.

Retro Kids: The toy company lowered their cost per acquisition by 31% and increased their return on ad spend to 4.27 through strategic social media campaigns with proper attribution.

...

Key Takeaways for Simple, Effective ROI Tracking

Focus on goals that matter to your business. Don't try to track everything—concentrate on the metrics that directly impact your business objectives.

Be consistent with your tracking methods. Use the same UTM structure and tracking processes every time to ensure accurate data.

Combine quantitative and qualitative data. Numbers tell only part of the story—customer feedback and sentiment are also valuable.

Start simple and build complexity over time. Begin with the basic tracking methods outlined here, then add sophistication as you become more comfortable.

Review and optimize regularly. Check your social media performance data at least monthly and adjust your strategy based on what's working.

By following these straightforward steps, any business can effectively track their social media ROI without getting overwhelmed by complex analytics or expensive tools. The key is consistency in tracking and a focus on the metrics that directly connect to your business goals.

Remember: The goal isn't perfect attribution, but rather a consistent framework that helps you make better decisions about your social media investments.

...

This article (https://theendearingdesigner.com/simplest-way-to-track-social-media-marketing-roi) was first published on The Endearing Designer.

[artfaithfully]

Regarding art reference

I see a lot of people saying that a new years goal is to “use less reference” in their artwork. And I wanna address it, especially regarding new/beginner artists.

Reference isn’t a bad thing. We have a visual library in our brains, and we build that library through using reference images to draw! How can we expect to have a catalog of how things should look if we don’t use references to begin with?

Build your catalog first. If you don’t, your brain tries to fill in gaps incorrectly. Reference isn’t bad. Don’t copy! But compile different references to create something else.

We can’t create something from nothing.

Cheers, and happy new year! - Faith💖

[tiktok-singularity]

Add pocket to your pants

[champstorymedia]

Investing in Your Wardrobe: How to Build a Timeless Closet on a Budget

Introduction Investing in your wardrobe doesn’t have to break the bank. With the right strategy and mindset, you can build a timeless closet that reflects your personal style without spending a fortune. In this article, we will explore how to curate a wardrobe that will stand the test of time while staying within your budget. Building a Foundation When it comes to building a timeless wardrobe…

[recsspecs]

Good students, on the other hand, constantly raise the bar for themselves

as they focus on what they haven’t learned and mastered yet. This is why high achievers who have had a taste of the vast amount of knowledge out there are likely to suffer from what psychologists call imposter syndrome, the feeling that you are not really up to the job, even though, of all people, they are (Clance and Imes 1978; Brems et al. 1994).

- How to Take Smart Notes (Sönke Ahrens)