#key value database

[education43]

What Are the Qualifications for a Data Scientist?

In today's data-driven world, the role of a data scientist has become one of the most coveted career paths. With businesses relying on data for decision-making, understanding customer behavior, and improving products, the demand for skilled professionals who can analyze, interpret, and extract value from data is at an all-time high. If you're wondering what qualifications are needed to become a successful data scientist, how DataCouncil can help you get there, and why a data science course in Pune is a great option, this blog has the answers.

The Key Qualifications for a Data Scientist

To succeed as a data scientist, a mix of technical skills, education, and hands-on experience is essential. Here are the core qualifications required:

1. Educational Background

A strong foundation in mathematics, statistics, or computer science is typically expected. Most data scientists hold at least a bachelor’s degree in one of these fields, with many pursuing higher education such as a master's or a Ph.D. A data science course in Pune with DataCouncil can bridge this gap, offering the academic and practical knowledge required for a strong start in the industry.

2. Proficiency in Programming Languages

Programming is at the heart of data science. You need to be comfortable with languages like Python, R, and SQL, which are widely used for data analysis, machine learning, and database management. A comprehensive data science course in Pune will teach these programming skills from scratch, ensuring you become proficient in coding for data science tasks.

3. Understanding of Machine Learning

Data scientists must have a solid grasp of machine learning techniques and algorithms such as regression, clustering, and decision trees. By enrolling in a DataCouncil course, you'll learn how to implement machine learning models to analyze data and make predictions, an essential qualification for landing a data science job.

4. Data Wrangling Skills

Raw data is often messy and unstructured, and a good data scientist needs to be adept at cleaning and processing data before it can be analyzed. DataCouncil's data science course in Pune includes practical training in tools like Pandas and Numpy for effective data wrangling, helping you develop a strong skill set in this critical area.

5. Statistical Knowledge

Statistical analysis forms the backbone of data science. Knowledge of probability, hypothesis testing, and statistical modeling allows data scientists to draw meaningful insights from data. A structured data science course in Pune offers the theoretical and practical aspects of statistics required to excel.

6. Communication and Data Visualization Skills

Being able to explain your findings in a clear and concise manner is crucial. Data scientists often need to communicate with non-technical stakeholders, making tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Matplotlib essential for creating insightful visualizations. DataCouncil’s data science course in Pune includes modules on data visualization, which can help you present data in a way that’s easy to understand.

7. Domain Knowledge

Apart from technical skills, understanding the industry you work in is a major asset. Whether it’s healthcare, finance, or e-commerce, knowing how data applies within your industry will set you apart from the competition. DataCouncil's data science course in Pune is designed to offer case studies from multiple industries, helping students gain domain-specific insights.

Why Choose DataCouncil for a Data Science Course in Pune?

If you're looking to build a successful career as a data scientist, enrolling in a data science course in Pune with DataCouncil can be your first step toward reaching your goals. Here’s why DataCouncil is the ideal choice:

Comprehensive Curriculum: The course covers everything from the basics of data science to advanced machine learning techniques.

Hands-On Projects: You'll work on real-world projects that mimic the challenges faced by data scientists in various industries.

Experienced Faculty: Learn from industry professionals who have years of experience in data science and analytics.

100% Placement Support: DataCouncil provides job assistance to help you land a data science job in Pune or anywhere else, making it a great investment in your future.

Flexible Learning Options: With both weekday and weekend batches, DataCouncil ensures that you can learn at your own pace without compromising your current commitments.

Conclusion

Becoming a data scientist requires a combination of technical expertise, analytical skills, and industry knowledge. By enrolling in a data science course in Pune with DataCouncil, you can gain all the qualifications you need to thrive in this exciting field. Whether you're a fresher looking to start your career or a professional wanting to upskill, this course will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience to succeed as a data scientist.

Explore DataCouncil’s offerings today and take the first step toward unlocking a rewarding career in data science! Looking for the best data science course in Pune? DataCouncil offers comprehensive data science classes in Pune, designed to equip you with the skills to excel in this booming field. Our data science course in Pune covers everything from data analysis to machine learning, with competitive data science course fees in Pune. We provide job-oriented programs, making us the best institute for data science in Pune with placement support. Explore online data science training in Pune and take your career to new heights!

[goodoldbandit]

Data Unbound: Embracing NoSQL & NewSQL for the Real-Time Era.

Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo. skm.stayingalive.in Explore how NoSQL and NewSQL databases revolutionize data management by handling unstructured data, supporting distributed architectures, and enabling real-time analytics. In today’s digital-first landscape, businesses and institutions are under mounting pressure to process massive volumes of data with greater speed,…

[jstor]

I saw something about generative AI on JSTOR. Can you confirm whether you really are implementing it and explain why? I’m pretty sure most of your userbase hates AI.

A generative AI/machine learning research tool on JSTOR is currently in beta, meaning that it's not fully integrated into the platform. This is an opportunity to determine how this technology may be helpful in parsing through dense academic texts to make them more accessible and gauge their relevancy.

To JSTOR, this is primarily a learning experience. We're looking at how beta users are engaging with the tool and the results that the tool is producing to get a sense of its place in academia.

In order to understand what we're doing a bit more, it may help to take a look at what the tool actually does. From a recent blog post:

Content evaluation

Problem: Traditionally, researchers rely on metadata, abstracts, and the first few pages of an article to evaluate its relevance to their work. In humanities and social sciences scholarship, which makes up the majority of JSTOR’s content, many items lack abstracts, meaning scholars in these areas (who in turn are our core cohort of users) have one less option for efficient evaluation. 

When using a traditional keyword search in a scholarly database, a query might return thousands of articles that a user needs significant time and considerable skill to wade through, simply to ascertain which might in fact be relevant to what they’re looking for, before beginning their search in earnest.

Solution: We’ve introduced two capabilities to help make evaluation more efficient, with the aim of opening the researcher’s time for deeper reading and analysis:

Summarize, which appears in the tool interface as “What is this text about,” provides users with concise descriptions of key document points. On the back-end, we’ve optimized the Large Language Model (LLM) prompt for a concise but thorough response, taking on the task of prompt engineering for the user by providing advanced direction to:

Extract the background, purpose, and motivations of the text provided.

Capture the intent of the author without drawing conclusions.

Limit the response to a short paragraph to provide the most important ideas presented in the text.

Search term context is automatically generated as soon as a user opens a text from search results, and provides information on how that text relates to the search terms the user has used. Whereas the summary allows the user to quickly assess what the item is about, this feature takes evaluation to the next level by automatically telling the user how the item is related to their search query, streamlining the evaluation process.

Discovering new paths for exploration

Problem: Once a researcher has discovered content of value to their work, it’s not always easy to know where to go from there. While JSTOR provides some resources, including a “Cited by” list as well as related texts and images, these pathways are limited in scope and not available for all texts. Especially for novice researchers, or those just getting started on a new project or exploring a novel area of literature, it can be needlessly difficult and frustrating to gain traction. 

Solution: Two capabilities make further exploration less cumbersome, paving a smoother path for researchers to follow a line of inquiry:

Recommended topics are designed to assist users, particularly those who may be less familiar with certain concepts, by helping them identify additional search terms or refine and narrow their existing searches. This feature generates a list of up to 10 potential related search queries based on the document’s content. Researchers can simply click to run these searches.

Related content empowers users in two significant ways. First, it aids in quickly assessing the relevance of the current item by presenting a list of up to 10 conceptually similar items on JSTOR. This allows users to gauge the document’s helpfulness based on its relation to other relevant content. Second, this feature provides a pathway to more content, especially materials that may not have surfaced in the initial search. By generating a list of related items, complete with metadata and direct links, users can extend their research journey, uncovering additional sources that align with their interests and questions.

Supporting comprehension

Problem: You think you have found something that could be helpful for your work. It’s time to settle in and read the full document… working through the details, making sure they make sense, figuring out how they fit into your thesis, etc. This all takes time and can be tedious, especially when working through many items. 

Solution: To help ensure that users find high quality items, the tool incorporates a conversational element that allows users to query specific points of interest. This functionality, reminiscent of CTRL+F but for concepts, offers a quicker alternative to reading through lengthy documents. 

By asking questions that can be answered by the text, users receive responses only if the information is present. The conversational interface adds an accessibility layer as well, making the tool more user-friendly and tailored to the diverse needs of the JSTOR user community.

Credibility and source transparency

We knew that, for an AI-powered tool to truly address user problems, it would need to be held to extremely high standards of credibility and transparency. On the credibility side, JSTOR’s AI tool uses only the content of the item being viewed to generate answers to questions, effectively reducing hallucinations and misinformation. 

On the transparency front, responses include inline references that highlight the specific snippet of text used, along with a link to the source page. This makes it clear to the user where the response came from (and that it is a credible source) and also helps them find the most relevant parts of the text. 

[mlm-writer]

Tears of Lust (Dick Grayson x M!Reader)

Pairing: Dick Grayson aka Nightwing (YJ ver.) x Demon!Male!Reader Rating: Explicit Words: 3447 POV: Second Summary: If a demon is not majority of their time in hell, they get a rut once a year. You try to keep your human boyfriend out of your ‘weird’ demon things, but Dick has never wanted to be involved more. Note: Writing so many Young Justice fics and I don’t even remember the plot anymore. Should rewatch that some time. Sequel here. Tags: smut, ruts, heavy dacryphilia, we are entering monsterfucker territory, established relationship, super long tongue, anallingus, deep penetration, bit of magic, overstimulation, degradation, slight dumbification (?), maybe a bit humiliation???, breeding, throatfucking, pleasure dom reader, begging, anal fingering, anal fucking, and still sweet I promise, reader is so in looooove

Hell could go fuck itself. The cold of Earth was easy to deal with when you had three blankets wrapped around you. Usually it took that and a thick hoodie to keep you at your preferred temperature, but as your eyes stayed trained on the TV in front of you, sweat gathered on your back. You frowned and removed one of the blankets, only now noticing your leg had been bouncing this whole time. A sigh left you as you saw what time of the year it was again. 

You had no time to think about the arrangements you needed to make. You could hear Dick fumble with his keys outside the door. From the way the keys jingled, you could tell he had his hands full of groceries again. You paused the TV with a snap of your fingers and strutted over to the door, blankets around you like a cloak. When you opened the door, you were greeted with the exact sight you were expecting. 

Grocery bags hung from Dick’s wrists. You took them all with one hand, the other holding the blankets around you. “Are we hosting a dinner party? Why did you buy so much,” you questioned as you easily carried the bags inside and put them on the kitchen island. You pushed one of the plastic bags open to peer inside, seeing a lot of ice cream inside.

“Because this year, you are spending your rut here with me,” Dick replied in a matter-of-fact tone, like you had already agreed to do that, but you had forgotten. You froze. With a slow breath you turned around to see Dick leisurely taking his shoes off. The idea alone was enough to shorten the time for your rut to arrive. 

“Since when do you know about that?” Your words were all carefully picked, spoken slowly with a weight hanging on each of them. When Dick approached you to give you his usual welcome kiss, you took a step back, not allowing him to change the subject. 

Dick looked hurt, but his patience seemed to be endless with you. He did not try to get closer and instead walked over to the kitchen island to get started on putting the groceries away. “It is kind of hard not to notice that you have a ‘business trip’ every year around the same time. I did some digging in the Justice League database…” Dick paused, staring at the canned soup in his hand as if it offended him. “Why did you never tell me?” His eyes raised up to meet yours, the look of disappointment no longer directed at the chicken soup, but at you instead. 

You swallowed and sat down at one of the barstools, unconsciously picking the one that put some distance between you and your partner. “The ruts just occur because I don’t spend the majority of my time in hell anymore. I know how much you value monogamy, so I just go back and tough it out,” you defended yourself, afraid Dick thought you were secretly fucking people on the side. Now holding a huge bottle of lube, Dick gave you the side eye. You understood immediately that you were not answering his question. “I was afraid you would think it too much. You’ve been dealing with so much. I was afraid another demon thing would be asking too much of you.” You held your head high, owning up to your shortcomings. The fact that Dick had bought all this stuff was enough proof that you had been wrong. “I’m sorry, I should have thought more highly of you.” 

Dick sighed, putting down the cup noodles he had just retrieved from one of the plastic bags. “Apology accepted,” he muttered, before looking at you again. He then paused. “But wait, you’re not gonna tell me your rut is dangerous or something? No ‘oh I might lose control and I don’t wanna hurt you’ or something? You’re just going to let me?” You chuckled and shed the blankets, so you could more easily circle the kitchen island to wrap your arms around your lover’s waist. 

Dick twisted his head to kiss you and you happily complied. After a short kiss, you started helping Dick with the shopping. “You’ll be fine. I’m centuries old now. I won’t be an unstoppable animal. 

The apartment was made rut-proof by Dick and you did not have the heart to tell him that the Justice League database might contain some anti-demon propaganda, because some of the preparations were even beyond your comprehension. Dick had stored away all breakable items. Your cabinets were full of cereal for some reason. What was up with that? 

You enjoyed the cold temperature Dick preferred for once as you lounged on the couch with Dick snuggled up beside you. You wanted him ten minutes ago, but he was so cosied up that you felt bad if you were to turn off the TV just to fuck him senseless. You thought you were doing well until Dick spoke up. “You’ve been hard since like five minutes into this episode. When are you carrying me to the bedroom?” He had said it so casually, like he wanted an actual answer like ‘oh around 10pm’ or ‘after this episode ends’. However, you knew better than that. This was your lover’s way of saying ‘take me now’. 

You did not even bother turning the TV off. In a flash, you had Dick off the couch and in your arms. With a shadow dash you were in the bedroom in an instant. Dick bounced on the mattress as you threw him onto the bed. There was no room for words as your clothes ripped and you captured Dick’s lips mid-transformation. “Sorry,” you mumbled between filthy kisses, “I can’t maintain my human form during the rut.” 

“I know,” Dick replied, hands grabbing at the muscles that tore through the fabrics. He helped rid you of the confines you found yourself in. He reached for your cock, but you grabbed his hand, gathering the other one as well to pin them both above his head. “Holy shit, this is so hot,” he said in a breathy chuckle, his face stretched in an excited smile. 

You held his wrists above his head with a single, large hand, while you took his lips between your fangs. You gently toyed with them, before sliding your long, thick tongue into Dick’s mouth. He moaned like a pornstar. You could smell his arousal, his excitement and his precum leaking inside his underwear. 

Normally you would play with him more, but not today. You had a hunger that had to be satiated, so you penetrated his throat with your tongue and with a snap of your fingers, got rid of Dick’s clothes. The textiles evaporated like water on the stove and you were pretty sure Dick had no idea you could even do that, but he was too busy deepthroating your tongue to care. You fed him your saliva, thinking he could use the aphrodisiac effects of it to get through the night. When you finally let his mouth go, Dick was gasping for air. He looked happy as he was panting on the bed.

You grabbed his ankles and flipped him over like a pancake. Dick was giggling like a school girl seeing her crush. He followed your lead, allowing you to put a pillow under his hips. Your huge hands could fit a round cheek in each of them as you pulled them apart, revealing Dick’s plugged little hole. “Why does it seem like you’re the one going through a rut?” You scolded him teasingly as you lightly tugged at the plug. You pulled a little bit out, just to push it back in. Dick was humming in reply, loving the nails that were leaving animalistic marks on his bum. 

“I am promised a whole couple of days of endless fucking. How can I not be excited?” You gave his butt a light slap as a sort of reprimand, but Dick just seemed to enjoy it. Eventually, you had enough of just watching his hole stretch over the plug and you pulled it out roughly. Dick gasped, the sound dissolving into a cry as your tongue entered his slick hole. Your senses got filled by your lover. His scent was like gasoline on the fire that produced your hormones. His cries, as you swirled your tongue around inside him, were like an open tap above a clogged sink that was already full of lust. His taste… My god, his taste was like the first time you hit the high on drugs and everything feels so good and you feel like you could stay in the moment forever, never wanting to return to normal life. 

Little by little, your tongue penetrated him deeper and deeper. Dick was humping the pillow underneath him and letting out small cries of pleasure. You did not know how long it took for Dick to take it all, but by the time you had all 20 inches of your tongue inside him, Dick was desperately humping the pillow and your face. “Feels so good, so good,” he kept muttering, body overtaken by pleasure. He seemed to be unable to think of anything else but his upcoming orgasm. You helped him fuck himself on your tongue, your claws leaving bruises on his ass. When you could feel him on the edge, you pulled him close and started violently wiggling your tongue inside him. 

Dick groaned as your tongue milked him through his first orgasm. No amount of twitching and squirming could free him from your grasp. His cum had long stained the pillow, but you did not stop, pressing on all his sensitive spots repeatedly. “Please, baby! Mercy! Please!” None of those words have ever been your safeword, so you kept going. 

Dick’s voice reached a crescendo as you kept stimulating him. He was near-screaming when you smelled it, the thing you needed most. You retracted your tongue and climbed over Dick. He fell on the bed like a puppet with its strings cut. You grabbed him by the hair and forced his head up. There they were, glistening on a line from his eyes down his cheeks. You licked the tears off his cheeks, before giving him an appreciative kiss on the lips. “Why?” Dick shuddered, eyes hooded and a quiver in his lips as he struggled with just a single syllable. 

You grinned down at him and caressed his pretty face. “I’m disappointed you didn’t study better,” you mockingly cooed at him as you moved. You sat down against the headboard, gently lifting Dick to sit in your lap. “You just read you were gonna get fucked and your dumbwhore brain just turned off, didn’t it?” You whispered as you scooted him forward until his dick was flush against yours. He was fully flaccid, but you did not need him to be hard at all. Dick nodded with his mouth slightly open, arousal painted on his face. You morphed one of your clawed hands into a more human shape, something without any sharp edges. You did not harm Dick as you inserted a single, thick finger inside him. His breath got stuck in his throat and he fell forward against you. You held him cradled against your chest as you thrusted that single finger inside him. “I’ll try to explain in a way my dumb little slut will understand,” you whispered, adoring how he had his hands in fists resting against your chest. “If I spend a rut with a human, the only thing that will satisfy me are tears produced during sex,” you entered another finger, “now most demons would choose some barbaric way to get those, but me… I have you.” You curled your digits, finding Dick’s prostate with ease. Whether it was your hellish nature or due to how well you knew him, you were not sure, but you always found it right when you were looking for it. 

Dick writhed against you as you rubbed his prostate relentlessly. “I’m going to make you feel so good, my love,” you promised, “I’m going to melt your brain with pleasure, so all that is left of you when I’m done is a pretty, mindless, little fuckslut.” Your dirty words hurled Dick towards his second orgasm. He was biting his lips until the very end, where a loud moan broke his silence. His limp cock poured his cum over your hard length, but even when that little bit of cum ran out, you held him in place with one hand, while violating his prostate with the other. 

Dick wailed in pleasure, but you could tell he was on that border of where too much pleasure was indistinguishable from pain. He gripped your shoulders, blunt nails digging in you as he seemed to hold on for dear life. He raised his head, eyes big and pleading. “Please, please, please,” he cried out. It did not take long for his limp cock to twitch in another attempt at spilling cum over you, but it was too soon and Dick had nothing to give, except the big, juicy tears that started pouring from his eyes. You leaned down, lapping them up as you continued your assault. Dick’s whole body was shaking at your onslaught. “Stop, please!” Dick eventually screamed. That was not the safeword, but you understood he needed a break, so you pulled your fingers out of him, while licking the last of his tears off his face. 

Dick leaned against you, still sobbing. You wrapped your arms around him, stroking his back gently. Everytime a tear escaped him, your tongue automatically darted out to lap it up. “Shh, you did well, rest a little,” you cooed. You waited patiently as his breathing slowed, until Dick eventually let his hand wander down to take a good grasp of you. He stroked your cock lazily, spreading his own cum over your length. 

You lifted your lover up and turned around, sitting him against the headboard. You stood on the bed, looming over him with your big cock pressed against his cheek. “Ready for more?” You asked with a wolfish grin. Dick responded by taking the head of your cock in his mouth. You let Dick ease into it on his own, watching as he went from sucking the head to licking it all over, eating his own cum off your cock. However, your patience was not endless. You grabbed him by the jaw and let a finger trace along where his head and neck connected. Dick felt the tingle of the spell that temporarily disabled his gag reflex. He understood and his mouth fell open, eyes looking up at you expectantly. 

You braced yourself against the wall and leaned forward to shove your cock inside Dick’s mouth as far as it would go. Though he could no longer gag, there were still limits to his human body, so it was simply impossible for him to take you balls deep. Not that it mattered. His throat bulged and you moved back again, gently fucking his throat at first. Dick kept looking up at you with those obedient eyes as if he had accepted his fate as permanent cocksleeve. It was hard to keep the pace gentle. Before you knew it, you were fucking his throat like it was all he was, just a cocksleeve. “Look at you, just taking my cock down your throat like you’re a human fleshlight,” you grunted as you pushed in a little past what you knew was Dick’s usual limit. His eyes watered, but he could not gag. When you pulled out, he gasped for air. While he was panting, you leaned down to lick the tears off his face that had formed. 

Then you did it again and again, alternating between degrading Dick while you fucked his throat and letting him breathe while you sated your hunger with his tears. It was so hot, your lover taking it so well. However, you did not want to cum in his mouth or on his face. There was only one place your cum belonged. You pulled out and grabbed his hair, savouring the tears, before you roughly manhandled him onto his back. You bent him in two, knowing how flexible he was. Dick put his feet behind his head, hands on his ass to show you the best view. With a swipe of your thumb over his hole, Dick’s ass started producing slick based on how aroused he was. It was unsurprising that he immediately started leaking like you had already bred him full. 

“Such a good, dumb, bitch. Look how fucking horny you are, even after I made you cum 3 times. You’re leaking like a slut.” Dick had no reply, not that he would have been able to say anything while you rammed your cock inside him. The slide was easy, but the stretch was so sudden. You did not start out with gentle thrusts this time, wanting it to hurt a little. 

Dick had been prepped, but there was no amount of fingering that made taking your cock not bordering between pain and pleasure. He threw his head back, moaning and whining. “Breed me, please, please, I need to be full, please,” he begged and begged in between your harsh thrusts. The wall got a beating too as the headboard slammed against it and the bed creaked under you. Dick could not stop begging. You were tethering on the edge, but you wanted to see him cum once more. 

Dick’s hard member twitched against his stomach. Not a single touch had been required. You grabbed Dick by the back of his head and pressed your foreheads together. “Cum for me, now.”

Dick shook his head as much as he could in your grip. “Together, please,” he begged, tears already forming in the corners of his eyes. You gave him an evil smile that showed your disagreement. “Please, you’ll keep going, I don’t know if I can…” 

You cut him off with your free hand that grasped his cock. “I said now,” you growled. He howled as you mercilessly fucking him to orgasm with your hand and cock. You were impressed by the two drops of cum that still managed to come out of his cock. And then, of course, you kept going, fucking him balls deep while you stroked his cock. Dick screamed, his legs coming down, but between your foreheads pressed together and your cock in his ass, he had nowhere to go. He begged, a string of “please” endlessly spilling from his mouth. He writhed. He cried. His tears were delicious, filled with lust, desperation and pleasure. 

You could not get enough of it, the flavour consisted of the most exquisite mixture of emotions that you ever tasted. However, you were not untouchable yourself. Dick came again, his ass spasming around your cock and your knot inflated, locking you in as you spilled your seed deep inside Dick. He could feel it, crying out as his walls were even stretched more by the influx of cum. You let go of his cock, watching his belly that clearly showed the outline of your cock inflate a little. 

You wrapped his legs around your hips, trying to make him as comfortable as he could be, while waiting for your knot to go down. Meanwhile, you licked the remaining tears off him and stroked his hair. “There you go, so good for me, my love,” you whispered. You pecked his cheek, concerned by how Dick was still shaking and looking like he fought seven planets worth of evil aliens at once. His eyes were still closed, mouth open to catch his breath. “Say something, my love,” you murmured, concerned by his silence. 

Dick’s body went slack and he finally opened his eyes to look at you. “Promise me something,” he spoke softly, voice a little hoarse. You nodded and let your hands wander, giving him gentle touches all over to comfort him. “I can’t actually die from too much pleasure, right?” 

You tried to hold back your laughter, knowing that too much movement would be really hard on Dick’s ass right now. “Silly boy,” you mused as you leaned down for a loving kiss. Dick could not do much right now, but he still tried to reciprocate. “I would never let anything happen to my special human.” 

Dick smiled and nodded. “Good, good…” He clearly wanted to say more, but did not have the energy for it. You did not press; he needed his energy for later.

[if-whats-new]

What's New In IF? Issue 32 (2024)

By Aj, Dion, Briar, Jen and Peter

Now Available!

Itch.io - Keep Reading below

If you read the zine, consider liking the post: it helps us see how many people see it! And sharing is caring! <3

~ EDITORIAL ~

Two Issues in one week?!

Yes, it’s us again!

Since Issue 31 came out on Wednesday instead of the regular Saturday and we tried really hard to make this one on time, we’re back once more, just a few days apart.

We sincerely hope you’re not getting sick of us yet!

We want some feedback!

As we’re starting to get a hand of things, we would love some feedback from you guys! What you enjoy, want more or less off, how we could improve... Anything goes! We even have a nifty form.

We hope you enjoy this new issue!

AJ, DION, BRIAR, JEN AND PETER

~ BE A PART OF THE ZINE ~

THIS ZINE ONLY HAPPENS WITH YOU!

Want to write 1-2 pages about a neat topic, or deep-dive into a game and review it in details? Share personal experiences or get all academic?

WRITE FOR THE COLUMN!

Prefer to be more low-key but still have something to share? Send us a Zine Letter or share a game title for Highlight on…!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Came across something interesting? Know a release or an update announced? Saw an event happening? Whether it's a game, an article, a podcast… Add any IF-related content to our mini-database!

EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!

Contact us through Tumblr asks, Forum DMs, or even by email! And thank you for your help!!

~ EVENT SPOTLIGHT : IF Short Games Showcase 2024 ~

December 1st 2024 to January 1st 2025

Short games tend to get less love than longer games in general-purpose, non-speed-IF comps, while the ones released outside of a competition or jam may not get eyes on them at all. The IF Short Games Showcase 2024 aims to give the shorter works their very own place to shine!

The Short Games Showcase is an opportunity to show off shorter interactive fiction works made in the past year (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024), regardless of whether or not they were previously released.

Authors can submit up to three games - each of them should be completable in 30 minutes or less. The showcase has a broad view of IF. It will accept anything usually considered to fall under that umbrella, including parser games, choice-based/choose-your-own-adventure games, visual novels, point-and-clicks, and text-focused Bitsy games. In addition, a work must not have been submitted to more than three prior jams or competitions.

The SGS will have both a Best Overall winner and winners in several specific categories:

Best Use of Short Form

Best Use of Interactivity

Best Story-Focused Game

Best Puzzle-Focused Game

Most Replay Value

Best Previously Unawarded Game

There might be no prizes, but bragging rights are great too.

Do you have a short project that deserves it’s own moment in the spotlight? Then don’t hesitate and join too!

To read more about the rules and overall goal of the showcase, visit the Itch page.

~ ENDED ~

The voting for ECTOCOMP 2024 is officially over! Check out the results!

You can now check out all 16 entries to the Videotome Jam!

Disabled Rep VN Jam has a very simple premise but a very important message. Check out the submissions!

~ ONGOING (VOTING) ~

A Very Hallmark Game Jam has entered the voting phase. You can now vote for your favourite out of the five entries.

~ ONGOING (SUBMITTING) ~

Media depicting healthy examples of polyamory isn’t that common. The PolyJamorous 2024 is trying to break the status-quo!

This year’s Yuri Game Jam is in full progress. The devs have until December 2nd to submit their projects.

Once upon a time, a game jam was held to create stories around the theme of fairy tales… and that game jam is the Once Upon A Time VN Jam. It’s running from October 1st to January 31st.

Concours de Fiction Interactive Francophone 2025 is for all French-speaking enthusiasts. Submissions are accepted March 3rd 2025.

Are you perhaps a fan of more somber, melancholic themes? Then check out the Dying Year - Visual Novel Jam! You have until the end of the year to participate.

The Black Visual Novel Jam is all about working with creative professional developers who work in visual novels to bring more Black stories to life. The goal is to create a space where Black creators can show their unique storytelling through visual novels.

IF Short Games Showcase 2024 is a great way to shine some new light on your projects made in the past year (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024), regardless of whether or not they are previously released! You have until January 15th 2025 to join.

Winter Visual Novel Jam 2024 is here! You have until January 1st 2025 to submit your projects.

Are you familiar with Decker? Then why not take a part in the Deck-Month 2?

Another bitsy jam is here. This time with the theme "better late than never".

SeedComp! is a 2-round interactive fiction game jam, focusing on creativity and the growth of ideas and the Sprouting Round has just started! Check out the Planting round for inspiration.

~ OTHER ~

Intents to enter are open for Spring Thing 2025. To submit an intent to enter, you'll need a working title for the game and a few other pieces of information. Intents for the 2025 festival can be submitted any time between now and March 1st, 2025.

~ NEW RELEASE ~

You’re a promising officer in the Teranese military, a force which has not seen major engagement in decades but which holds vast influence. Thanks to the… complicated circumstances of an injury, you’ve been quietly reassigned. Now you’re to be the bodyguard to a child of a famous scientist who is attending a wilderness boarding school for the children of the richest and most powerful figures of Teran society. What could go wrong? Play Honor Bound (CScript) and find out! (There’s also a mini prequel game about the Honor Bound PC, aged 17 - Honor Bound: Recruitment Day (Twine).) @hpowellsmith

I Fell in Love with a Mailman (Godot) is set in the RADICAL 1980s with the rise of the claw machine industry, play as a girl boss big city girl who's grappling with the realization that her successful corporate life might not be as fulfilling as she imagined. Return home for the holidays and discover a new side of yourself: will you win a prize in the game of love, or is romance simply a rigged game of chance?

You are the Dark Queen—the most powerful being of your entire universe. Your lair is breached by an aspiring hero—a pitiful thing, easily crushed. Except they keep coming back. The Dark Queen of Morthlome is a 20 minute anti-game about an unconventional relationship and the capacity for change.

Two people show signs or attraction to you; however, only one truly loves you. "Eric or Alex?" The same question appears over and over again in your mind. Now it's time to really find out the answer! Go through different apps, discover and gather information in order to decide who is the true love in Attention (Unity)!

As always, don't forget to check out the submitted entries to the events mentioned in the previous pages. They deserve some love too!

~ NEW RELEASE (WIP) ~

In Swapped (Twine) you play as a 17 year old senior, anxiously awaiting the day you graduate, pack your bags, and ditch Sunnyview. But one day, all of that changes when filming for a movie is announced near your hometown. A chance encounter with the one and only Taylor Victory, famous actor with eerie facial similarities, leads to a deal. You will swap places—Taylor will experience a normal week of high school as you, and you will live the life of an actor in their place. @aurelim

In the grim remains of a shattered world, Voxhaven stands as the sole surviving city. The air, thick with pollution, carries the stench of decay and betrayal. The government’s watchful eyes are everywhere, controlling every move... every whisper. Survival means more than just enduring the endless haze—it's about navigating a city built on lies and deceit, where trust is scarce and death lingers in the shadows. In Voxhaven, freedom is a distant dream, and every breath you take is a reminder of the world’s broken past. - Requiem of the Fallen (Twine) @miss-briar-novels

This Too Shall Pass (CScript) delves into a reality in which you were once the Chosen One- Destined to save the world. But you had failed. You now navigate that same world 22 years later as it slowly succumbs to that fate you were supposed to save it from. @thistooshall-if

MEMORALYSIS (Ren’Py) follows the psychic detective Philon Delancy to a strange seaside town to solve the murder of one of its most notable public figures. What starts as a routine house call quickly reveals a tangle of messy relationships, local superstitions, and past unsolved mysteries — and at the center of it all is the victim’s enigmatic niece, Celosia James. But surely the rumors about the young heiress have been greatly exaggerated. After all, everyone knows demonic possession isn’t real.

To Allison, life is just an endless cycle of exhaustion with no escape route – wake up, study, work, fulfil family duties, sleep, rinse and repeat. But sometimes she can't help but wonder... Is that really all there is to life? Soon, Allison stumbles upon a group of people who may be just as lonely as she is, and little by little, their encounter returns colour to her world... - Re:Curse (Ren’Py).

In All the Way (CScript) you play as a young woman living in a time and place a little like the early 90’s in California that is about to have some serious run ins with the supernatural. Her life and that of her friends are quickly disrupted by beings that seem to have a bit of a vendetta for her - but what has she ever done to these creatures and why are they targeting her and her friends?

In the Halls of Asgard (CScript) you play a Norse God trying to survive in Asgard, and preparing for Ragnarök.

You play as the amnesiac protagonist, trapped in a mysterious house with two other captives. You quickly learn that the only way to escape is to have one of the three of you die. Will you kill or be killed? Who is the mastermind? Is there no way for all of you to survive? The mystery deepens as you find that no matter who dies, the killing game begins anew in Yet Another Killing Game (Ren’Py).

The Corpse Road (Twine) is an explorable fiction about death.

~ UPDATES ~

Ashenmaw - Dragons of Marrowoods (CScript) updated their demo. @ashenmaw-if

Fellow Traveler (Twine) released Episode 3 “tease” and Act 1. @robotvampire

The Soulforge Order (Twine) released Chapter 1. @thesoulforgeorder

The Sword of Rhivenia (CScript) released Chapter 5.

The Thousand Of Us (CScript) added new content to their public demo. @ivanwm-05

We Wretched Creatures (Twine) released Episode 6. @darkfictionjude

Azrael (CScript) updated their demo.

Drink Your Villain Juice (CScript) updated their Patreon demo. @drinkyourvillainjuice

New Era (CScript) updated their demo. @newera-interactiveif

Starways Saga (CScript) added new content to the Navy Path.

After Dark (CScript) updated their Patreon demo. @dalekowrites

Exit Through the Gift Shop (CScript) updated their demo.

Haunted (Twine) added a “Side Story” to their demo. @hauntedif

Meteoric (CScript) released Chapter 5.

The Unwilling Sword of Lamenthria (CScript) released Part 1 of Chapter 3. @lamenthria-if

Trouble Brewing (Twine) released Chapter 5. @troublebrewing-if

~ OTHER ~

Thom Baylay’s Kitsune (CScript) is now in Open Beta.

Issue 29 of the Amare Fortnightly Bulletin is out now! @amaregames

The Twine Cookbook is now available in print and through December 2024 it's 25% off! All proceeds from sales go toward the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation and its support of Twine.

~

As always, we apologize in advance for missing any update or release from the past week. We are only volunteers using their limited free time to find as much as we can - but sometimes things pass through the cracks.

If you think something should have been included in this week's zine but did not appear, please shoot us a message! We'll do our best to add it next week! And if you know oncoming news, add it here!

~ MAYBE YOU NEXT? ~

We did not get a submission this week. But if you have an idea for a short essay, or would like a special space to share your thoughts about IF and the community...

Shoot us an email!

~ HIGHLIGHT ON ~

A couple of games that we thought were cool.

Treasures of a Slaver's Kingdom by S. John Ross (Inform 7)

Comes with a fake manual for the 1979 TTRPG it's purportedly "adapting". Well-crafted, sincere, and really funny.

//submitted by Carter X.//

Your favourite game here?

Do you have a favourite game that deserves some highlighting?

An old or recent game that wowed you so much you spam it to everyone?

Tell us about it! And it might appear here!

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL! WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, OR EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN...

Have something to say? Send us a message titled: Zine Letter!

As we end this issue, we would like to thank:

Carter X.

For sending us a Highlight!!

And as always, huge thanks to all you readers who liked, shared, and commented on last week's issue!

What might be tiny actions are huge support and motivators to us!

Thank you for cheering us on this journey!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you for reading and see you next week!

AJ, DION, BRIAR, JEN AND PETER

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 32

[botanicalsword]

How to interpret the Composite/Davison Chart

>> Guide on how to interpret the Composite/Davison Chart >> Relationship • Dynamics and challenges ♡ Composite Chart >> Relationship ☽ Observations on Composite Chart / Davison Chart

Begin by focusing on:

Inner planets ( Sun / Moon / Mercury / Venus / Jupiter / Saturn )

ASC & MC (ASC - Represents the primary attitude towards each other, first impressions / MC - Represents the worldly aspects of the relationship, such as how others view the relationship, goals pursued within the relationship, etc.)

Stellium ( House / Signs ) 

Outer planets ( Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune / Pluto ) 

Asteroids ( Juno / Chiron / Lilith ) - commitment, healing and wounds, and raw, primal energies.

Lunar Nodes ( North nodes / South Nodes ) - the path forward / past patterns

Interpretation of Planets:

Houses & Aspects - Focus on key areas within the relationship, combining planetary qualities and aspects

Signs - Look at the traits and interaction patterns, dynamics and flow of energy within the relationship, indicating harmony, tension, or potential.

>> Relationship ✧ The focus of your connection • Composite Chart

Sun - the overarching environment of the relationship, the male partner's willpower and energy, the foundational aspects and primary objectives of the relationship, and its future direction

Moon - the female partner in the relationship, the emotional and inner feelings of both partners, emotional expression traits

Mercury - the communication style and patterns between the two people, as well as the areas where they tend to think more deeply

Venus - the love between the two people, the ways they express affection, their shared values, aesthetics, and the female partner. 

Mars - the drive and action dynamics within the relationship (especially from the male partner), temperament, sexual energy, and how conflicts are handled and resolved

Jupiter - areas where the connection can grow together, experience joy, and feel fulfilled

Saturn - areas where the relationship may face challenges, pressure, or limitations in their interactions

Uranus - sudden changes or instability within the relationship, or a tendency to challenge traditional norms

Neptune - potential areas of deception, lies, illusions, infatuation, dissatisfaction, or misunderstandings within the relationship

Pluto - areas where significant changes or conflicts may arise, leading to transformation within the relationship, which can result in either positive or negative outcomes.

>> Love / Relationship astrological insights >> Relationship ✧ (Part III) ✧ What are your criteria for choosing a partner? >> Relationship ✧ (Part II) ✧ What are your criteria for choosing a partner? >> Relationship ✧ (Part I) ✧ What are your criteria for choosing a partner?  >> Relationship ✧ Why Is It Difficult for You to Fall in Love? (Part 1)

>> Back to Masterlist ✧ Explicit Content

Quick Access to : ❥ Astro / Asteroid Indicators ❥ Synastry / Composite Chart Observations ❥ House Stellium Observations ❥ Astro basic info / Brief reads ❥ Asteroid database ❥ Personal studies ✧ spiritual journal

Exclusive access : Patreon

/ instagram : @le.sinex / @botanicalsword

[vintage-tech]

useful information: How to get a USB Blu-Ray player to work on your computer

Not a post about vintage technology, just an explanation of what you think might be simple to do but isn't: There are Blu-Ray players that plug into your computer by USB, and you discover that just plugging it in doesn't make it work* in the same manner that CD-RWs or DVD-RWs are automatically recognised and function. You will see "BR Drive" in My Computer and the name of whatever movie you have inserted, but that's as far as you're able to go.

*There is software you can buy to make a Blu-Ray (internal or external) function, sure, and if an internal came with your computer it's likely already installed -- but if you're like me you don't have that software, you're cheap and won't pay for software, and you want to use what you have installed already or find free solutions.

Looking in the Blu-Ray drive's package, there's not a lot of info about what you're supposed to do. The above no-name Blu-Ray player cost $40 from a popular website; name-brand ones can set you back $120 or so. Looking around online for those instructions, I never saw the whole set of directions in one place, I had to cobble them together from 2 or 3 sites. And so here I share that list. To keep out of trouble, I'm not linking any files -- Google will help you.

Get VLC, the free video player available for pretty much any operating system. Thing is, it doesn't come with the internals to make it work with Blu-Ray even if when you go to the Play Media menu there is a radio button for selecting Blu-Ray.

Get MakeMKV, a decoder for reading Blu-Ray disks. This had been totally free during the beta testing period but it's come out and has a month or two trial period you can work in.

Get Java if you don't already have it. Reason for this is, the menu systems on Blu-Ray disks uses this... technically it's not required, however it does mean you don't have options such as special features, language and sound changes, or scene selection if you don't have Java installed; insert a disk, it can only play the movie.

Get the file libaacs.dll online so you have AACS decoding. I am told it hasn't been updated in awhile so there may be disks produced after 2013 that won't work right, but you won't know until you try.

There's a set of keys you will also want to have so that the player knows how to work with specific disks, and so do a search online for the "FindVUK Online Database". There will be a regularly-updated keydb.cfg archive file on that page to pick up.

Got those three programs installed and the other two files obtained? Okay, here are your instructions for assembly...

In VLC: go to Tools, Prefs, click "show all"… under the Input/Codecs heading is Access Modules then Blu-Ray: Select your region, A through C. You can change this if you need to for foreign disks. Next related action: go to My Computer and C:, click into Program Files and VLC, and this is where you copy the libaacs.dll file to.

In MakeMKV: click View, then Preferences, and under Integration - add VLC.

Confirm that Java is set up to work with VLC by going to the computer's Control Panel, going to System Properties, and into Environment Variables. Click System Variables, and click New to create this key if it doesn't already exist: … Name: Java … Value: [the location of the Java 'jre#.##' folder... use Browse to find it in C:\Program Files\Java]

Let's go back into My Computer and C:, this time go to Program Data, and then do a right-click in the window and select New and Folder. Rename this folder "aacs" (without the quotes), and then you click into it and copy the keydb.cfg file here.

REBOOT.

And now you should be able to recognise Blu-Ray disks in your player and play them. Three troubleshooting notes to offer in VLC:

"Disk corrupt" -- this means MakeMKV has not decoded and parsed the disk yet, or that you don't have the libaacs.dll in place so that it can decode the disk. ...After checking the VLC folder for the DLL to make sure, launch MakeMKV, then go to File, Play Disk, and select the Blu-Ray drive. Now it will grind a bit and figure out the disk's contents.

A note appears when a movie starts saying there will be no menus, but the movie plays fine -- Java isn't running. ...Invoke Java by going to the Java Settings in Start: Programs. You don't have to change anything here, so Exit, then eject the disk and put it back in to see if the movie's menu now appears.

Buffering between chapters, making the movie pause for a few seconds? There is a setting for this but I need to find that info page again for where that is. (If you find it, tell me where it is!)

I don't claim to know a lot but if you have any questions I might have some answers or suggestions. So far I've watched "Office Space" and Disney's "Coco" without any issues beside occasional buffering.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Josh Marcus at The Independent:

The Trump administration is reportedly leaning on an Elon Musk-allied tech company to build wide-ranging data tools pooling government information on millions of Americans and immigrants alike. The campaign has raised alarms from critics that the company could be furthering Musk’s DOGE effort to vacuum up and potentially weaponize – or sell – mass amounts of sensitive personal data, particularly against vulnerable groups like immigrants and political dissidents. In March, the president signed an executive order dedicated to “stopping waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating information silos,” a euphemism for pooling vast stores of data on Americans under the federal government.

To carry out the data effort, the administration has deepened the federal government’s longstanding partnership with Palantir, a tech firm specializing in building big data applications, which was co-founded by Silicon Valley investor, GOP donor, and JD Vance mentor Peter Thiel. Since Trump took office, the administration has reportedly spent more than $113 million with Palantir through new and existing contracts, while the company is slated to begin work on a new $795 million deal with the Defense Department. Palantir is reportedly working with the administration in the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service, according to The New York Times. Within these agencies, the firm is reportedly building tools to track the movement of migrants in real time and streamline all tax data. The company is also reportedly in talks about deploying its technology at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Education, both of which have been targets of DOGE, and which store sensitive information about Americans’ identities and finances. [...] The Trump administration has reportedly pursued a variety of efforts to use big data to support its priorities, including social media surveillance of immigrants to detect alleged pro-terror views, and American activists who disagree with Donald Trump’s views..

This is very disturbing: The Trump Regime is partnering up with Peter Thiel-founded Palantir to gather data on millions of Americans that could be used to target immigrants and dissidents of the 47 Regime.

See Also:

TNR: Trump Taps Palantir to Create Master Database on Every American

For Such A Time As This (Andra Watkins): Palantir, Project 2025, and State-Sanctioned Moral Values

[fearfulfertility]

CONFIDENTIAL REPORT

DRC, Intelligence Division, Rapid Response Command

To: Director [REDACTED]

From: Chief Operating Officer [REDACTED]

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Large-Scale Canadian Surrogate Conscription

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Following Operation Maple Harvest, the nation of Canada was successfully annexed into the greater continental American territory, and the Department of Reproductive Compliance (DRC) has significantly expanded its operational reach.

With the integration of former Canadian territories into our oversight, the agency has successfully implemented surrogate capture and processing programs at an unprecedented scale. Reports indicate that over [REDACTED] viable surrogates have been conscripted in the first [REDACTED] months of post-annexation governance, with projections suggesting an exponential increase in the coming year before stabilizing the following year.

This report provides an overview of tactical enforcement strategies, territorial control measures, and logistical efficiencies that have enabled mass conscription efforts in the former Canadian provinces.

I. STRATEGIC TERRITORIAL CONTROL

With the dissolution of the Canadian federal government, all former provinces and territories have been absorbed into the newly established FEMA Zone 13 (Western Canada), FEMA Zone 14 (Central Canada), and FEMA Zone 15 (Atlantic Canada).

Immediate DRC oversight has focused on establishing the following:

Cross-Border Tracking Systems: Utilizing existing intelligence networks to identify high-value surrogate candidates from former Canadian census records and healthcare databases. Special emphasis should be placed on former military personnel, athletes, [REDACTED], and blue-collar workers as the most fertile and rebellious groups.

Paternity Compound Development: The rapid repurposing of former military bases, university dormitories, and correctional facilities to house surrogates en masse, as they already have established barracks facilities.

Conscription Quotas & Enforcement: Coordinate with regional compliance officers to ensure capture rates meet federal reproductive mandates while assimilating the Canadian workforce into the DRC and normalizing surrogacy conscription. 

II. MASS SURROGATE CONSCRIPTION OPERATIONS

The newly annexed Canadian territories have provided an unparalleled expansion of surrogate stock, primarily due to the favorable demographic conditions of the population. Initial surveys indicate that:

[REDACTED]% of identified surrogates are of prime fertility age (18-25).

[REDACTED]% of captured surrogates display favorable genetic markers, exceeding standard thresholds.

KEY CONSCRIPTION STRATEGIES

University Raids: Focused efforts on collegiate sports teams have yielded a [REDACTED]% success rate in acquiring prime surrogates while reducing the number of educated dissenters.

Nighttime Extraction Teams: The deployment of low-profile, plain-clothes retrieval units has resulted in the seamless collection of over [REDACTED] surrogates per week without significant public resistance.

Border Detainment Facilities: The closure of major highways and railway hubs has effectively trapped fleeing candidates, ensuring no viable surrogates escape the zone.

Employment-Based Luring Programs: Former Canadian job assistance programs have been repurposed as recruitment traps, attracting young men under the guise of “Federal Relocation Initiatives.”

III. KEY INCIDENT REPORTS

Case Study #1: Mass Athletic Securing Operation

At 02:15, a DRC enforcement unit conducted a conscription raid at the University of [REDACTED]'s athletic dormitories. Surveillance data confirmed that [REDACTED] athletes met the biological and age criteria for surrogate eligibility.

Outcome:

All surrogates were secured and inseminated on-site, with only minor resistance and injury.

Post-capture ultrasounds confirmed exceptionally high fetal loads, with three surrogates being flagged to be carrying octodecuplets (18).

Notably, members of the track and field teams averaged higher fetal loads (15-18 babies) than their peers on football, hockey, and basketball teams (12-16 babies).

"I thought being an athlete was supposed to make things easier… but it just made me a better surrogacy candidate. I'm so huge with these babies I can't even stand up, let alone run. My belly’s enormous, and it's like I'm being stretched tighter every hour. It's humiliating. I'm completely immobilized, pinned down by my own pregnancy, helpless, and at their mercy. No one warned me it would feel this intense." - Surrogate SC003-182-O

Case Study #2: Highway Roundup Operation

In coordination with the new administration for FEMA Zone 14, roadblocks were established on Trans-Canada and Perimeter Highways. Over [REDACTED] young men attempting to flee westward were intercepted.

Outcome:

[REDACTED] individuals identified as prime surrogate candidates were detained, dosed with high-potency aphrodisacs, inseminated, and transferred to the newly opened Paternity Compound C-005, formerly the Canadian Museum for [REDACTED].

Non-fertile individuals who aided or participated in the attempted escape were transferred to local law enforcement for detainment. As the Canadian legal system is suspended until a new regional administration is appointed, individuals are redirected to work programs supporting the expansion of Paternity Compound C-005.

Detainment and insemination on the highway allowed for new surrogates to be rapidly transported to nearby facilities. 

"We thought we could make it out, but they had every route blocked—now I'm stuck here, pregnant with so many babies I lost count. I’m so enormous I haven't moved from this bed in days; just breathing makes me dizzy, and every kick sends shivers through me. The officers who caught us said we'd serve as 'examples,' and now I get why—my body's not even mine anymore, swelling bigger by the hour." - Surrogate SC002-105-M

Case Study #3: "Warehouse Party" Capture Operation

At 19:42, local security forces uncovered a "warehouse party" inside a former natatorium complex (i.e. community swimming pool) in downtown Montreal. Surveillance drones detected over [REDACTED] conscription-eligible men in attendance.

Outcome:

Under Emergency Security Powers [REDACTED], the crowd was detained without apparent escapes.

Emptied swimming pools were convenient hold areas while local law enforcement screened candidates for fertility or detainment.

[REDACTED] surrogates secured and inseminated within 30 minutes. The highest single mass insemination in the last [REDACTED], second only to the New Philadelphia incident where [REDACTED] candidates were inseminated.

Post-capture ultrasounds confirmed exceptionally high fetal loads. One surrogate, SC004-118-V, was flagged to be carrying duovigintuplets (22).

"We were just having a good time, you know? Then suddenly, we're herded into an empty pool like cattle, tested, and next thing I know, I'm more pregnant than I ever thought possible… I never knew anyone could grow this fast! My belly's so enormous I'm stuck here, and every time the babies kick...I can't stop thinking about how much bigger I'm still gonna get." - Surrogate SC005-111-N

Case Study #4: Public Birth Demonstration

On [REDACTED], intelligence units intercepted communications indicating that former municipal leader Mr. [REDACTED], residing within FEMA Zone 14 (Central Canada), attempted to incite rebellion against newly established governance. 

Outcome:

Immediate apprehension of Mr. [REDACTED] and the conscription of [REDACTED], his 19-year-old son, Surrogate ID: SC06-202-Q.

SC06-202-Q was inseminated and confirmed to be pregnant with septendecuplets (17), an exceptionally high fetal load, resulting in rapid physical changes and eventual immobilization.

The surrogate reached a final pregnancy weight of 527 lbs (239 kg), rendering him completely immobile and dependent on medical staff for all movement and care.

Public Demonstration:

Scheduled the surrogate’s delivery as a mandatory public event in a local open-air square, attended by the local population, and broadcast on all local channels. Mr. [REDACTED] was restrained in a front-row seat with an unobscured view of the event.

The surrogate publicly induced and entered active labor at precisely 14:00, with all 17 fetuses delivered successfully over 4 hours.

Crowd reactions ranged from shock and discomfort to subdued apathy, effectively curtailing further open resistance in the region.

"They forced us all out there to watch—it was… I can’t describe what it was. The surrogate was massive, all you could see were his splayed legs and gigantic womb. I've never seen anything like it… he was groaning and shaking the whole time, his belly so big I swore it was gonna burst. Every time another baby came out, he let out these noises—it was like he couldn't even tell where he was anymore. Honestly, I couldn't look away, as shocking as it was." — [REDACTED], Local Resident

IV. FUTURE EXPANSION & PROJECTED OUTCOMES

The annexation of Canada has significantly exceeded expectations, proving to be one of the most fertile territories available for surrogate conscription. Future efforts will focus on the following:

Paternity Compound Expansion: Construction of five new high-capacity compounds in [REDACTED], Ottawa, and [REDACTED] City.

Mobile Paternity Units: Deployment of MPUs to secure and inseminate hard-to-reach rural populations.

Mass Public Compliance Initiatives: Implement “Surrogacy Service Announcements” and “Volunteer Reproductive Compliance” programs to normalize forced conscription within newly annexed regions.

Cross-Border Transfer Policies: [REDACTED]% Canadian surrogates to be transferred across the border to ensure their security as local seditious groups are eliminated.

CONCLUSION

The annexation of Canada represents a historic victory for the Department of Reproductive Compliance, ensuring a massive influx of high-value surrogates into North American breeding programs. While some initial resistance has been recorded, ongoing security operations confirm that disruptions to insemination activities are minimal, and the number of pregnant Canadian men continues to increase dramatically.

Prepared by:

Chief Operating Officer [REDACTED]

DRC, Intelligence Division, Rapid Response Command

----------------

Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

[arvandus]

Hello hello, I know you're not really talking about him recently but truthfully i feel like you understand Dabi's personality the most. So i wanted to ask what MBTI you think he relates to the most?

So, as per usual, the weekend was a bit busy with IRL stuff. But now I'm finally able to answer this!

First off, thank you SO MUCH, it really means a lot to me that you feel I understand him the most. That's very high praise because there are some truly amazing writers and meta-analyzers on here that also have amazing takes on Dabi and his personality.

Also, PLEASE talk to me about Dabi! I still love him so so much, I'll never get tired of answering asks about him, truly. I know I haven't written for him recently, but I don't love him any less.

Okay, back to your question...

So I've looked at this a few different ways... First, I went through and took the personality test as "Dabi"; i.e., I answered the questions the way that I think HE would answer them (this is different from how others may perceive him, btw). I used the test on www.16personalities.com, and the result that I ("Dabi") got was INTP, i.e., the Logician. I also looked at what was listed for him under the personality database website, which was ISFP, the Adventurer. Finally, I simply read up on what each of the categories were on Wikipedia, and thought about it. From what I understand and through my observations of him, I would label him as INFP, the Mediator.

Below the cut I'll show the personality test results, and discuss them by comparing them to the other results. Beware though, both anime and manga spoilers will be present because I use some specific examples to explain the results.

So, from the 16personalities test, here is what Dabi got:

Here's the rest of the descriptors for INTP-T:

I think for the most part this is accurate for him, at least for how he perceives himself. But I think there are going to be some key differences between how he sees himself and how we, as observers, see him.

Let's start...

Introversion:

We definitely can't deny that he's introverted, and that's clear across all three personality types that were assigned to him. He's never meshed well with others, especially on first meetings, thanks to his abrasive personality and very thick walls. This introvertedness may not seem as obvious when one thinks about how badly he wants the attention of his family, and his willingness to go public with his past, etc. But think of those moments... of him recording himself, of him dancing in front of Enji as he revealed himself... think of those things as a performance. Think introverted theater kid. And even then, it wasn't exactly for the purpose of the public's attention, but for his father's attention. His broadcast? Pre-recorded, not live. His face-off with his dad? He didn't give a shit that others were there and watching; his focus narrowed like a singularity; it was only him and his father in that moment.

Another helpful thing to keep in mind is that Introversion doesn't mean you don't want to be around others; it just means that you recharge best when you are by yourself. Dabi still definitely wants to be seen by his loved ones, but I think he is naturally an introverted person in that isolation is something he enjoys as a way to rest and rejuvenate himself. I see him finding most people exhausting to be around.

Intuitive:

This was the one of the portions that differed from his MBTI on the personality database, and I actually agree with the test result more. I see Sensing/Observation as "the scientist" and Intuition as "the philosopher," and I definitely feel that Dabi is more Philosopher than Scientist. Whereas Sensing/Observation is more literal, in the now, and taking things at face value, Intuition is not. That's not to say that Dabi doesn't observe; he absolutely does. But he does so through the lens of his ideals and how all of these individual pieces fit together into his belief system.

Wikipedia describes Intuitive as "imagining the possibilities of how things could be; notice the big picture, see how everything connects; enjoy ideas and concepts for their own sake, and likes to describe things in a figurative, poetic way." While I don't necessarily see him as figurative or poetic, I do think he's a bit of an idealist. He's someone who looks at the bigger picture, who's able to extrapolate a lot of information through observation, more so than what's immediately in front of him. He's a bit of a creative genius in that way, and it's shown by how quickly he was able to develop his quirk through watching his father's battles, and later with his brother, with practically zero practice. Additionally, he's a dreamer, always wanting more for himself, even when he was young, which was why his inability to meet his father's standards was such a huge blow to him. He could see the big picture of heroism and what it meant to society, his family, and to his father (and by proxy to himself) and to not be able to see himself as a part of that picture was incredibly damaging for him. Now, this intuition isn't necessarily something he's utilized for positive gains, at least not positive for others; his focus is very selfish/self-centered in this regard. But he's still able to idealize, imagine, and extrapolate. I also think he'd enjoy deep conversations about morals and hypotheticals, and enjoy playing devil's advocate quite often. He never takes things at face-value, always looking at what's underneath.

Thinking:

This was an interesting one, and the one that I think I wouldn't exactly agree with as an observer of his character. BUT, I think Dabi would believe that he's more thinking than feeling. We know that he's incredibly ruled by his emotions in his decision-making; and I think he embraces those emotions a bit more openly once his big reveal finally happens and he's able to fully pursue his conflict with his father (and by proxy his brother). But, I think Dabi fancies himself as someone who thinks 'logically,' who is smart and isn't swayed by the hearts of others. We see this in how he keeps others at arm's length; at how he keeps a level head during the summer training camp arc, etc. But, at the same time, later on, we see more of his vulnerable side. His strangely kind gesture and words towards Toga was spurred by his care for her. His reaction to Twice's death heavily impacted how he battled Hawks. And of course, we see how emotional he really is with regards to his family.

Now granted, he would most definitely put a 'logical' decision that will get him the result he wants over someone else's feelings, in most cases. When it gets down to it, his feelings will take priority over others' feelings, 9 times out of 10. But that doesn't mean he's a Thinking type; that just means he's selfish, and that if anyone's feelings are going to be listened to, it'll be his own. This doesn't surprise me considering his history of being emotionally neglected, let alone all of the other things that happened to him. Typically, a Feeling type would have a strong sense of altruism for others because they can easier empathize with them... and I think a part of him does empathize with his league comrades, which was why he behaved the way he did with Twice and Toga. But I think overall for Dabi, his Feeling is turned more inward, as he's empathizing with himself. It's a form of self-preservation, a way for him to protect his damaged ego. It clouds his judgment in the sense that he thinks he's not emotional because he's not easily moved by others; and yet, he's very emotionally moved by himself and his own pain.

Perceiving/Prospecting:

This, along with introversion, was consistent across the board of all three methods I used to analyze Dabi. The definition alone from the test describes Dabi to a T; good at improvising and adapting; flexible noncomformist, valuing novelty over stability. Need I say more? Also, Wikipedia describes it as: prefer to leave your options open; see rules and deadlines as flexible; like to improvise; spontaneous...

By contrast, Judging is much more rigid/structured, which doesn't really fit Dabi at all. Judging is all about planning, organizing, staying on task and meeting deadlines... I think Dabi is far too ADHD for that (Shh, I'm not projecting, I swear!).

Just think of it this way: if Dabi had the perfect upbringing and never became a villain, what kind of job would you picture him having? Would he have a desk job, pushing papers and sitting through meetings, doing the 8-5 grind? Or would he have something a little more spontaneous, more flexible, something that would mentally (and likely physically) engage him?

I rest my case.

So, I'd say that there are two answers to your question. If you're really looking at what would Dabi identify himself as, I would say the test would be the most accurate: INTP. (he'd also really like the title of the Logician; it would totally stroke his ego!).

BUT, if you're looking for more what his "true" personality would be, I would say INFP.

Now, the irony of this is that I'm an INFP. Actually, I used to be an INFJ, and that's what I thought I was while writing most of this up. I retook the test earlier today because I was curious if my results had changed at all over the past few years, and apparently they did, and it just so happens to align with what I was assigning Dabi. This could either mean that me assigning INFP to Dabi is due to implicit bias, as I see a lot of myself in him and vice versa, and it's possible that the two have gotten muddled a bit. Alternatively, it could also mean that I'm able to write him so clearly because I understand his character and his personality in a very, well... personal way.

Anyway, I hope that helps! Let me know what you think and which MBTI type you think fits him best! 💕

[thedystopianexperiance]

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025, also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, is a plan developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation to prepare for a future conservative administration in the United States. Launched in 2022, the initiative aims to reshape the federal government by consolidating executive power and implementing a conservative agenda. It is a continuation of Heritage’s 'Mandate for Leadership' series, which has influenced Republican administrations since the 1980s.

The plan includes several key elements:

1. Policy Guidance: Detailed recommendations for reorganizing major federal agencies to align with conservative principles, such as dismantling the Department of Education, reducing environmental regulations, and emphasizing traditional family values.

2. Personnel Strategy: A database and vetting system to place loyal conservatives into key government roles, replacing many career civil servants with political appointees.

3. Training Programs: A "Presidential Administration Academy" to prepare conservatives for federal leadership roles.

4. Agency Playbooks: Transition plans for each agency to quickly reverse prior policies and implement new reforms.

Critics warn the project, promote an authoritarian vision, undermine democratic norms like separation of powers, and threaten civil liberties.

Supporters argue that it seeks to restore limited government and uphold conservative values.

[the-nox-syndicate]

SysNotes devlog 2 - retrieving data from the database and NEW profile features!

Welcome back to my SysNotes update! SysNotes is a system management app for people with DID, OSDD, and those who are otherwise plural.

Today I will flesh out the backend of the application (which was completely missing in the first devlog) and add some new profile fields.

First Devlog (1) | Previous Devlog (1.5)

Pulling data from the database and populating the profiles

If you remember, in the first devlog I used hardcoded data to test the interface like so:

Storing data in code is not sustainable or maintainable, so in devlog 1.5 I have identified the most suitable database structure, created some tables, and filled them with test data. To populate the tables I generated dummy data using the Faker library which uses random Latin words to create sentences. This was the result for the Alter Profiles table:

First, let's delete the hardcoded data from the code. Wow, the user interface is looking so empty now!

I already implemented the basic code for processing alter data and displaying it on the page in devlog 1. However, I had to make some tweaks to it due to the nature of database queries.

Firstly, when loading Alter Profiles for the side menu, I'm only selecting their name and ID, without the other fields (description, history, etc). A common mistake beginner developers make in simple cases like this is retrieving the entire DB record. But the side menu does not need the extra information, and loading it in alongside the name would make the page slower!

You may also notice that I'm getting the names in alphabetical order - I thought this would look nicer on the sidebar than if the names were all random, and make it easier to navigate. I'm only getting the profiles that belong to the current user.

When I get the actual profile data, I retrieve it with its status and characteristics, which are stored in separate tables:

And here we go, the profile page now uses the data stored in the database!

New profile features

But this is all just using the the proof of concept profile fields I mocked up in devlog 1. In this devlog, I want to add NEW fields to allow the profile page to do more powerful things, and better integrate with the future features of Inner World and Front Decider (still looking for a better name for it 😩).

(By the way, I assigned the Ulysses profile to a different user for testing, so you won't see that profile in the sidebar from now on)

Alter origins

One new profile field I've been wanting to add is an alter's origins. Some of my alters split from trauma, others from loneliness, and others through being AuDHD. I created a new table called "Alter Origins" with an optional owner ID. This means that some origins are universally available to all users, while others can be created by users themselves to customize their profile. In this example, "stressgenic" is a custom origin my user (Test System) created.

To use this table, I need to connect it to the Alter Profiles table using a foreign key:

Now we can access it on the front end!

(It shows on the top line, highlighted red)

Side note: I had issues with most Tailwind v4 colors not working so I had to manually define the origin badge color classes based on the official Tailwind values 😓 I'm not sure how to fix it, I wanted to leverage Tailwind to allow users to select "custom colors" from the Tailwind palette... I'll look into it at another time.

Relationships

I wanted the ability to set up bidirectional relationships between alters and display them after the character traits area.

I created an Alter Relationships table with some relationships and their badge colors:

And then I created a pivot table where alter 2 is Alice, alter 3 is Amari, and alter 5 is Benji:

Now if we go to Alice's page, we will see:

And Amari's will show:

This feature took a long time to implement because I ran into some issues with the pivot table and model relationships. I'd be lying if I said I have a good grasp of Eloquent 😅

Alter categories

One last thing I want to add in this devlog is to add custom categories that the names in the sidebar could be sorted into, which would be helpful for systems with many alters (or those who want to store their alter data and OC data in one place but want to distinguish between them, like me).

I will add some default categories to the database - however, you will be able to add new custom categories to suit your needs. I also want each profile to have one OR MORE categories for flexible filtering. This means, annoyingly, that I have to tinker with yet another pivot table 😩

Here is my Alter Categories table. Like with origins and relationships, "owner_id" refers to the user who made the category, and NULL categories are available to all users.

The pivot table looks like any standard pivot table so I'll omit it for this feature. I've had enough of pivot tables. Luckily, I got the model relationships correct the first time 😎

And now, Alice's profile shows her categories under her relationships:

(And here are all the category badges so far)

But this isn't all! I want to be able to filter my profiles by category in the sidebar.

Let's create a drop down! I think this looks alright:

Now let's load the categories of our available profiles into the dropdown. For this, I will need to fetch the categories table when getting the profile names.

The dropdown code basically takes the array (list) of all profiles, compares each profile's category to the selected category, and adds them to the array of filtered profiles, then displays them. If the selected value is "-" it just displays the full list of profiles.

And here we go, our fragments are Alice and Colin:

I also wanted to add the ability to group profiles by their categories (e.g. grouping by Age will split the names in the side bar into "syskid" and "adult" boxes). But this devlog has gone on for quite a while, so I'll save that for another time ;)

What next?

I wanted to finish the whole Profile section and move on to the more exciting inner World and Front decider features, however the complexity of the profile section so far requires me to spend a few more devlogs on it, oops 😅 So here is what you can expect in the next few devlogs:

Rethink the User Interface of the Profile page (all these badge colors are getting messy! And is the current layout the best for displaying the data? Find out next on Dragon Ball Z!)

Add a way to create new profiles using the New Profile form

Add ability to edit the profile information and delete profiles

Do you have ideas on other fields and features I could add to SysNotes? Or maybe you have suggestions on how to clean up the UI? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading 🙌

[vtellswhat]

Understanding the Types of Literature Review: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding types of literature review: A comprehensive guide.

Literature reviews are critical components of academic research that give an overview of the available knowledge relating to a particular topic. This helps to identify gaps, forms a basis for further research, and grounds the study on established theory and evidence. Literature reviews, however, do not fit in one single type. Rather they are of different types. Each depends on the purpose and approach of the research. Let's have a detailed view of the types of literature reviews. ### 1. Narrative Review

A narrative review, sometimes known as the traditional one, gives a general overview of research regarding a particular topic. It is descriptive and focuses on summarizing and synthesizing findings without much depth analysis.

Key Features:

Focuses on storytelling and descriptive summary. - Majorly used in fields such as humanities and social sciences.

Lacks a systematic methodology for selecting studies, which can lead to bias.

Purpose:

Narrative reviews are ideal for understanding a topic broadly and identifying general trends or patterns in the literature.

2. Systematic Review

A systematic review is a rigorous and structured approach to synthesizing research. It follows a predefined protocol to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and comprehensiveness.

Key Features:

Has explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Is planned in databases systematically to find studies.

Keeps bias at a minimum by having a clear methodology.

Purpose:

Systematic reviews are applied to answer particular research questions, especially in fields like healthcare, psychology, and social sciences. Systematic reviews come with immense value because of their reliability and objectivity.

3. Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis is a type of systematic review that pools data from many studies together using statistical methods to make their own synthesis, which tries to produce a quantitative overview of research findings.

Key Features:

Assumes all studies share similarities in methodology to compare them. - Offers results with statistical significance by combining data. - Is considered a demanding statistical process.

Meta-analyses are commonly used in medicine and psychology to determine the effectiveness of interventions or treatments. ***

4. Scoping Review

Scoping reviews are exploratory and aim to map the breadth and scope of research on a topic. Less focused on answering specific questions and more on identifying research gaps, they are considered exploratory. #### Key Features:

Wide inclusion criteria, casting a net to encompass all aspects of a topic. Does not critically evaluate the quality of included studies in depth. Often a precursor to a systematic review. #### Purpose:

Scoping reviews are suitable for nascent research areas or subjects where there are a few published studies to date.

5. Integrative Review

An integrative review combines qualitative and quantitative research to achieve a holistic understanding of the topic under review. * Key Features:

It integrates data based on diverse methodologies.

This integration encourages innovation.

It is useful in the development of theories or models * Purpose:

It is common to find such reviews in nursing, education, and healthcare research where mixed methods are often employed.

6. Critical Review

A critical review evaluates and critiques existing literature, often proposing new frameworks or perspectives.

Key Features:

Involves in-depth analysis and interpretation.

Challenges existing assumptions or theories.

Requires a strong theoretical foundation.

Purpose:

Critical reviews are ideal for advanced academic writing, such as dissertations and theoretical papers.

7. Theoretical Review

Theoretical reviews focus on examining theories related to a topic rather than empirical research.

Key Features:

Compares and contrasts different theoretical frameworks.

Identifies theoretical gaps.

Explores the evolution of ideas over time.

Purpose:

These reviews are often used in disciplines like sociology, philosophy, and psychology to refine or propose theoretical models.

8. Annotated Bibliography

A much simpler form of literature review is the annotated bibliography-an overview and critique of each source.

Key Features:

Lists sources with brief descriptions and critiques. Not synthesizing findings from the studies. Serves as a precursor to further developed reviews.

Purpose:

This type is commonly used for coursework or preliminary research to organize sources.

Conclusion

Each type of literature review has a specific purpose and is appropriate for a range of research objectives. Whether the use is about embracing broad trends in a narrative review or diving deep in statistical relationships as in meta-analysis, awareness of the types can guide you towards choosing the right approach for your study. The right type chosen ensures that your research not only becomes more robust but also relevant and impactful in its field. Mastering the art of literature review will keep researchers conversing effectively in the academic arenas while paving a way to make further discoveries.

Need expert guidance for your PhD, Master’s thesis, or research writing journey? Click the link below to access resources and support tailored to help you excel every step of the way. Unlock your full research potential today!

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[theonlythingtheyfearistruth]

WHY DYSTOPIA MUST BE BORING TO SUCCEED

The "Boring Dystopia Strategy" is a highly strategic and often subtle method employed by those in power to create an enduring, all-encompassing authoritarian government. The genius of this approach is that it doesn't look like a dystopia at first glance. Each step toward oppression is disguised as a necessary solution to a societal problem, creating a series of small, unassuming changes that collectively transform society into a high-surveillance, debt-ridden, and highly regulated landscape. The result is a quiet but relentless march towards a government structure that controls nearly every aspect of daily life, cloaked in the language of safety, responsibility, and "public good."

Key Components of the Boring Dystopia Strategy

Enhanced Surveillance as Crime Prevention Surveillance systems are marketed as tools to make communities safer. The rationale is straightforward: if there are cameras everywhere, criminals are less likely to act. At first, this seems like a good idea. However, as surveillance expands, it reaches a point where privacy no longer exists—every action and interaction is tracked and recorded. People's movements, purchases, conversations, and even thoughts (through social media and data mining) become data points in a government database. The population is conditioned to accept surveillance under the guise of crime prevention, even though the surveillance network eventually exists to deter any resistance to the growing system of control.

Financial "Disincentives" as a Form of Behavior Control Insurance companies, incentivized by government policies, implement "dynamic" pricing models that penalize risky behavior. Drivers with even minor infractions, young drivers, or anyone with imperfect credit face skyrocketing insurance costs. While it’s presented as a means to reward safe drivers and reduce accidents, it’s ultimately a method of forcing people into line. Over time, these small financial penalties accumulate, and as people find themselves unable to afford the rising costs, they are pushed further into debt or forced to depend on the very government that created the conditions of their hardship.

The Department of Bureaucracy: A Growing Web of Useless Jobs New laws and regulations are introduced to solve every conceivable social issue, resulting in bloated departments filled with superfluous workers whose roles add no real value to society. The justification is often to create jobs and stimulate the economy, but these positions end up creating layers of bureaucracy that slow down meaningful progress. This web of inefficiency puts financial strain on both the government and the people, leading to higher taxes and fees. With each new law or regulation, the cost of compliance grows, straining both businesses and individuals who can't afford to play by an ever-increasing list of rules.

Rising Cost of Living as an Inevitable "Economic Shift" As government regulations add costs to every industry, prices naturally increase. This is explained away as the cost of progress or as an unfortunate byproduct of addressing critical social issues, like "ethical sourcing" or "green initiatives" that are actually revenue-boosters for corporations. As inflation rises and wages stagnate, the lower class is squeezed financially. Each attempt to improve their situation—whether by taking a second job or reducing expenses—is offset by further price increases or surprise taxes. This creates a cycle where economic mobility is nearly impossible, locking the lower class in place.

Debt as a Tool for Control As the cost of living rises, debt becomes unavoidable for many. Loans, credit cards, and financing options are promoted as solutions, pushing people into a system of lifelong debt repayment. With growing financial obligations and little hope of ever breaking free, individuals are forced to work harder, often taking on additional jobs, which leaves them with less time and energy to question or resist the system. Debt chains the population to the very system that oppresses them, creating a sense of dependency on government stability, even as that stability is the source of their financial despair.

The Final Stage: Disempowerment Disguised as "Efficiency"

As the population is weakened by financial strain, endless surveillance, and a tangled bureaucracy, the final stage involves introducing measures to "simplify" governance. This might mean fewer elected officials, streamlined decision-making processes, and the merging of regulatory bodies for "efficiency." In reality, this final stage centralizes power even further, leaving those at the top with almost unchecked authority, a situation that the people, too exhausted and indebted to resist, accept as necessary.

The Boring Dystopia Strategy works because it does not announce itself as an authoritarian takeover. Instead, it subtly shifts the balance of power by presenting every oppressive measure as a solution to a social ill. And because each step is introduced slowly, over decades, the population becomes accustomed to the new reality, accepting surveillance, debt, and regulation as the normal costs of a safe and responsible society. By the time people realize the extent of their powerlessness, the dystopian state is fully entrenched, with every escape route closed off.

[xaltius]

Unlocking the Power of Data: Essential Skills to Become a Data Scientist

In today's data-driven world, the demand for skilled data scientists is skyrocketing. These professionals are the key to transforming raw information into actionable insights, driving innovation and shaping business strategies. But what exactly does it take to become a data scientist? It's a multidisciplinary field, requiring a unique blend of technical prowess and analytical thinking. Let's break down the essential skills you'll need to embark on this exciting career path.

1. Strong Mathematical and Statistical Foundation:

At the heart of data science lies a deep understanding of mathematics and statistics. You'll need to grasp concepts like:

Linear Algebra and Calculus: Essential for understanding machine learning algorithms and optimizing models.

Probability and Statistics: Crucial for data analysis, hypothesis testing, and drawing meaningful conclusions from data.

2. Programming Proficiency (Python and/or R):

Data scientists are fluent in at least one, if not both, of the dominant programming languages in the field:

Python: Known for its readability and extensive libraries like Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn, and TensorFlow, making it ideal for data manipulation, analysis, and machine learning.

R: Specifically designed for statistical computing and graphics, R offers a rich ecosystem of packages for statistical modeling and visualization.

3. Data Wrangling and Preprocessing Skills:

Raw data is rarely clean and ready for analysis. A significant portion of a data scientist's time is spent on:

Data Cleaning: Handling missing values, outliers, and inconsistencies.

Data Transformation: Reshaping, merging, and aggregating data.

Feature Engineering: Creating new features from existing data to improve model performance.

4. Expertise in Databases and SQL:

Data often resides in databases. Proficiency in SQL (Structured Query Language) is essential for:

Extracting Data: Querying and retrieving data from various database systems.

Data Manipulation: Filtering, joining, and aggregating data within databases.

5. Machine Learning Mastery:

Machine learning is a core component of data science, enabling you to build models that learn from data and make predictions or classifications. Key areas include:

Supervised Learning: Regression, classification algorithms.

Unsupervised Learning: Clustering, dimensionality reduction.

Model Selection and Evaluation: Choosing the right algorithms and assessing their performance.

6. Data Visualization and Communication Skills:

Being able to effectively communicate your findings is just as important as the analysis itself. You'll need to:

Visualize Data: Create compelling charts and graphs to explore patterns and insights using libraries like Matplotlib, Seaborn (Python), or ggplot2 (R).

Tell Data Stories: Present your findings in a clear and concise manner that resonates with both technical and non-technical audiences.

7. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Abilities:

Data scientists are essentially problem solvers. You need to be able to:

Define Business Problems: Translate business challenges into data science questions.

Develop Analytical Frameworks: Structure your approach to solve complex problems.

Interpret Results: Draw meaningful conclusions and translate them into actionable recommendations.

8. Domain Knowledge (Optional but Highly Beneficial):

Having expertise in the specific industry or domain you're working in can give you a significant advantage. It helps you understand the context of the data and formulate more relevant questions.

9. Curiosity and a Growth Mindset:

The field of data science is constantly evolving. A genuine curiosity and a willingness to learn new technologies and techniques are crucial for long-term success.

10. Strong Communication and Collaboration Skills:

Data scientists often work in teams and need to collaborate effectively with engineers, business stakeholders, and other experts.

Kickstart Your Data Science Journey with Xaltius Academy's Data Science and AI Program:

Acquiring these skills can seem like a daunting task, but structured learning programs can provide a clear and effective path. Xaltius Academy's Data Science and AI Program is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge and practical experience to become a successful data scientist.

Key benefits of the program:

Comprehensive Curriculum: Covers all the core skills mentioned above, from foundational mathematics to advanced machine learning techniques.

Hands-on Projects: Provides practical experience working with real-world datasets and building a strong portfolio.

Expert Instructors: Learn from industry professionals with years of experience in data science and AI.

Career Support: Offers guidance and resources to help you launch your data science career.

Becoming a data scientist is a rewarding journey that blends technical expertise with analytical thinking. By focusing on developing these key skills and leveraging resources like Xaltius Academy's program, you can position yourself for a successful and impactful career in this in-demand field. The power of data is waiting to be unlocked – are you ready to take the challenge?

[indigosteeloracle]

Graph Analytics Edge Computing: Supply Chain IoT Integration

Graph Analytics Edge Computing: Supply Chain IoT Integration

By a veteran graph analytics practitioner with decades of experience navigating enterprise implementations

Introduction

Graph analytics has emerged as a transformative technology for enterprises, especially in complex domains like supply chain management where relationships and dependencies abound. However, the journey from concept to production-grade enterprise graph analytics can be fraught with challenges.

In this article, we'll dissect common enterprise graph analytics failures and enterprise graph implementation mistakes, evaluate supply chain optimization through graph databases, explore strategies for petabyte-scale graph analytics, and demystify ROI calculations for graph analytics investments. Along the way, we’ll draw comparisons between leading platforms such as IBM graph analytics vs Neo4j and Amazon Neptune vs IBM graph, illuminating performance nuances and cost considerations at scale.

Why Do Enterprise Graph Analytics Projects Fail?

The graph database project failure rate is surprisingly high despite the hype. Understanding why graph analytics projects fail is critical to avoid repeating the same mistakes:

Poor graph schema design and modeling mistakes: Many teams jump into implementation without a well-thought-out enterprise graph schema design. Improper schema leads to inefficient queries and maintenance nightmares. Underestimating data volume and complexity: Petabyte scale datasets introduce unique challenges in graph traversal performance optimization and query tuning. Inadequate query performance optimization: Slow graph database queries can cripple user adoption and ROI. Choosing the wrong platform: Mismatched technology selection, such as ignoring key differences in IBM graph database performance vs Neo4j, or between Amazon Neptune vs IBM graph, can lead to scalability and cost overruns. Insufficient integration with existing enterprise systems: Graph analytics must seamlessly integrate with IoT edge computing, ERP, and supply chain platforms. Lack of clear business value definition: Without explicit enterprise graph analytics ROI goals, projects become academic exercises rather than profitable initiatives.

These common pitfalls highlight the importance of thorough planning, vendor evaluation, and realistic benchmarking before embarking on large-scale graph analytics projects.

you know, https://community.ibm.com/community/user/blogs/anton-lucanus/2025/05/25/petabyte-scale-supply-chains-graph-analytics-on-ib Supply Chain Optimization with Graph Databases

Supply chains are inherently graph-structured: suppliers, manufa