#making posts from the mobile web app is. a struggle

[babyblue-mind]

quick lil sketch :>

[mariacallous]

A few years ago I wrote about how, when planning my wedding, I’d signaled to the Pinterest app that I was interested in hairstyles and tablescapes, and I was suddenly flooded with suggestions for more of the same. Which was all well and fine until—whoops—I canceled the wedding and it seemed Pinterest pins would haunt me until the end of days. Pinterest wasn’t the only offender. All of social media wanted to recommend stuff that was no longer relevant, and the stench of this stale buffet of content lingered long after the non-event had ended.

So in this new era of artificial intelligence—when machines can perceive and understand the world, when a chatbot presents itself as uncannily human, when trillion-dollar tech companies use powerful AI systems to boost their ad revenue—surely those recommendation engines are getting smarter, too. Right?

Maybe not.

Recommendation engines are some of the earliest algorithms on the consumer web, and they use a variety of filtering techniques to try to surface the stuff you’ll most likely want to interact with—and in many cases, buy—online. When done well, they’re helpful. In the earliest days of photo sharing, like with Flickr, a simple algorithm made sure you saw the latest photos your friend had shared the next time you logged in. Now, advanced versions of those algorithms are aggressively deployed to keep you engaged and make their owners money.

More than three years after reporting on what Pinterest internally called its “miscarriage” problem, I’m sorry to say my Pinterest suggestions are still dismal. In a strange leap, Pinterest now has me pegged as a 60- to 70-year-old, silver fox of a woman who is seeking a stylish haircut. That and a sage green kitchen. Every day, like clockwork, I receive marketing emails from the social media company filled with photos suggesting I might enjoy cosplaying as a coastal grandmother.

I was seeking paint #inspo online at one point. But I’m long past the paint phase, which only underscores that some recommendation engines may be smart, but not temporal. They still don’t always know when the event has passed. Similarly, the suggestion that I might like to see “hairstyles for women over 60” is premature. (I’m a millennial.)

Pinterest has an explanation for these emails, which I’ll get to. But it’s important to note—so I’m not just singling out Pinterest, which over the past two years has instituted new leadership and put more resources into fine-tuning the product so people actually want to shop on it—that this happens on other platforms, too.

Take Threads, which is owned by Meta and collects much of the same user data that Facebook and Instagram do. Threads is by design a very different social app than Pinterest. It’s a scroll of mostly text updates, with an algorithmic “For You” tab and a “Following” tab. I actively open Threads every day; I don’t stumble into it, the way I do from Google Image Search to images on Pinterest. In my Following tab, Threads shows me updates from the journalists and techies I follow. In my For You tab, Threads thinks I’m in menopause.

Wait, what? Laboratorially, I’m not. But over the past several months Threads has led me to believe I might be. Just now, opening the mobile app, I’m seeing posts about perimenopause; women in their forties struggling to shrink their midsections, regulate their nervous systems, or medicate for late-onset ADHD; husbands hiring escorts; and Ali Wong’s latest standup bit about divorce. It’s a Real Housewives-meets-elder-millennial-ennui bizarro world, not entirely reflective of the accounts I choose to follow or my expressed interests.

Meta gave a boilerplate response when I asked how Threads weights its algorithm and determines what people want to see. Spokesperson Seine Kim said what I’m seeing is personalized to me based on a number of signals, “such as accounts and posts you have interacted with in the past on both Threads and Instagram. We also consider factors like how recently a post was made and how many interactions it has received.” (A better explanation might be that Threads has a rage-bait problem, as this intrepid reporter learned.)

What scares me most about this is not that Meta has a shitbucket of data on me (old news) or that the health hacks I’m being shown might be completely illegitimate. It’s that I might be lingering on these posts more than I realize, unconsciously shoveling more signals in and anxiously spiraling around my own identity in the process. For those of us who came of age on the internet some 20 to 30 years ago, the way these recommendation systems work now represents a fundamental shift to how we long thought of our lives online. We used to log on to tell people who we were, or who we wanted to be; now the machines tell us who we are, and sometimes, we might even believe them.

As for Pinterest, I granted the company access to my account so they could investigate why the app recommends ageist, AARP-grade content to me in its emails. It turns out I hadn’t actively logged in to the app in over a year, which means the data it has one me is, ironically, old. Back then I was researching paint, so the app thinks I’m still into that.

Then there’s the grandma hair: Not only had I searched on Pinterest for skincare products and hairstyles in the long-ago past, but Pinterest gives a lot of weight to data from other users who have searched for similar items. So perhaps those other, non-identifiable users are into these hairstyles. The company claims its perceived relevance for recommendations has improved over the past year.

Pinterest’s suggested solution for me? Use Pinterest more. Un-pin stuff I don’t like. Threads also suggested I can fine-tune my own feed by swiping left to hide a post or tapping a three-dot menu to indicate I’m not interested. It’s on me, young buck. In both cases, I’m supposed to tell the algorithms who I am.

I’m supposed to do the work. I’m supposed to swipe more. I’ll be so much better off if I do. And so will they.

[radellama]

GOTY 2024

This year was pretty rough, ngl. Talking strictly in terms of gaming, I started out ok, but then was in hospital mid-March. That wrecked my wrists (and the rest of my body) so badly that I couldn’t hold a controller to play properly for months afterwards. Then… when my wrists were finally getting their strength back after a lot of physio work, MY TV SCREEN BROKE!!!

I had planned to try and go outside of my comfort zones this year, trying new stuff in genres I like, and new things in genres I’ve never tried before. I prepared a nice handful of games to try, mainly on my PS4 this year, but… without a functioning TV screen, I’m fucked lol. I had to shift focus towards stuff I can play on my handhelds and computer; which, I still had stuff to play for the year... But. Man. I wanted to play Sekiro so bad - the night I installed it I ended up in hospital, and then a few days into playing after I recovered enough to hold the controller, the TV broke! Made me a bit sad ngl!

Anyway, I have a very strange variety of games played this year. I’ve made the decision to skip writing about some of the games I played, as I either dropped them due to health issues OR simply didn’t enjoy them enough to keep slogging through. I generally don't want to write about games like this unless I've hit the credits, or gotten roughly 70%-85% through as the minumum to give it a fair go. Maybe I’ll come back to a few that I dropped, but I really don’t think I can write about my little stints that I played while utterly depressed and struggling with health issues, haha.

Regardless of dropping a few, I think I’ve got more than enough to write about this year. I have also made a neocities page where it’s easier to read everything (on mobile and web!), and spoilers are hidden if you don’t want to see them. I’ve made the decision that the full reviews will be hosted here from now on, as they’re like… the ultimate way to read these. They’re getting too long to comfortably put in a Tumblr post, but I’ll still make posts with each game’s intro and you can decide if you wanna read like usual hehe.

Usual warnings for mild-moderate game spoilers and abrasive opinions ahead.

~~~

Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, 3DS

After playing Story of Seasons last year (and loving it!), I was exited to give Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns a go and see what improvements and changes they’d make. However, it was apparent very early on that this was going to be a frustrating play through. And that sucks, cause I love farming games! I gave it a fair go, getting halfway into the second year, and then I lost a save due to not getting my 3DS to the charger in time, and I really didn’t want to redo the previous couple of days lmao.

So, what happened!? I was very confused; the game still looked decent, clearly using the same engine and model bases as the previous game, it had a nice little story to it that helped contextualise why you move to the country and start farming, it had pretty much all the basic farming gameplay you’d expect… and yet, this felt really crap. I looked up when this game out, and it came out less than half a year after the previous Story of Seasons 3DS game. So, yeah, that kinda answers a lot for me. Now, I am just assuming that it was a rushed production based on how I felt while playing it, paired with those release dates being so close together- but this was not that fun for me!

You begin by wistfully daydreaming about becoming a farmer, and have a little spat with your father when you share that dream with him. He’s not keen on you becoming a farmer, despite coming from the farm life himself! Eventually, he concedes, and makes sure your uncle is there to greet you and help you set up everything you need on your farm. As you start to get acquainted with your new life, you’ll quickly notice that there are two blocked areas you can’t get to, and that you can only access one of the titular trio of towns. To unlock the other towns- and earn your father’s approval -you’ll have to complete certain tasks, upgrade various things, and work hard to thrive on your farm. This is a simple but sweet premise; and on it’s own, I have no issues with it- in fact, I really like that it gives a bit of motivation to do well! Who doesn’t love a bit of spite-fuelled success?

Read the full review here...

~~~

Moonlighter, Switch

I’ve had this game for a while, but never got around to it until now. After having my first real exposure to rogue-likes through Hitman’s Freelancer mode, I was curious to try and get a feel for it as a more prominent game mechanic. I couldn’t remember why I’d originally bought the game (other than it was on sale lol), but here was the perfect excuse to give it a go!

You play as a merchant named Will, who’s inherited the sole responsibility for his family’s shop- the titular Moonlighter. In this world, there seem to be two main aspirational jobs; that of the Hero and the Merchant. Heroes go out into the mysterious dungeons on the outskirts of town to collect goods, and merchants sell those goods. Will wants to become the first Hero-Merchant, and ventures off to find things he can then sell at his shop.

This illustrates the two main aspects of the game you’ll be playing through, dungeon crawling and shop simulation. The common thread between both is inventory management- picking which items you’ll be keeping from your dungeon crawls and how much you wanna sell them for.

Read the full review here...

~~~

The Sims 3, 3DS

This and the following entry are a call and response, as I played them back to back when my hands had recovered just enough after my hospital visit to hold my 3DS in bed. I wasn’t originally going to write about these, but hey… it could be fun.

Unlike this game.

I thought it would be more fun in the early stages – the character models look so much nicer than Sims 3 DS, and allowed for a better, yet still limited, range of customisation. I just wanted to play out my OC Harland becoming the best nurse in the world while having a fun romance with Magus, but this game made that so difficult!

To start, yes, I’m so happy that you can make multiple sims and build relationships, AND YOU CAN WHOO HOO!!!!!!! But... they’re not the only aspect of playing The Sims, as you’re balancing their whole life. This was really frustrating to play here, as you don’t have any metres for basic needs. You can’t see the basics like hunger, hygiene, tiredness, ect, through some simple colour coded bars and see what needs attention, like in every other Sims game. No, the only way to know what your Sim needs is via any moodlet/wishes that pop up- and this sucks because they usually only popped up when something was way too urgent, or at the most inconvenient of times!

This bled into how difficult it was to manage your Sim’s personal, work and social life. This blind balancing act was so frustrating, and it’d become even more so, as the Sims were incredibly needy and seemed to be programmed against you…

Read the full review here...

~~~

The Sims 3: Pets, 3DS

In the Polo to the previous’ Marco, this game was muuuuuch better to play! And, there’s pets!

Immediately, the gameplay was more fun because I CAN SEE THE METRES FOR EVERYONE!!!!! I can tell when they’re hungry or stinky or lonely or tired, it should’t have to be said, but I’m so glad it’s there. You can even see these for your pets, so it’s easier for them to immediately feel like part of the family as you balance their needs as well.

The basic gameplay is the same as previous, but better and more balanced to let you play how you want a little bit more – though I found that it was still a bit tricky, as the Sims were very needy and things were still balanced against you, just less egregiously, so I didn’t mind. All the things you can do with your humans, you can do an equivalent of with your pets – this means you can help them build their skills with their owners, or alone, and there is always something to do, even if all the humans in the household are out to work or asleep. If you’re close enough with your pet, you can even bring them to work, and depending on your pet’s skills, you may be able to get a promotion too!

Read the full review here...

~~~

Donut County, PS4

A simple premise for a simple game – you control a hole, and need to swallow up stuff.

I like that, I had fun playing.

This was a shorter indie game, and I remember when it was a hyped up fad years ago. I saw it on sale while I was getting Katamari as a game that’d have easier controls while my wrists and hands were still recovering from my trip to the hospital, so… why not?

I finished the game in one sitting, over an hour or two, and have come back to play it now and then when the itch hits. I really like the simple puzzle elements of swallowing items into the hole and getting progressively bigger as you swallow more stuff. In later levels, there are more mechanics added to this, like absorbing water which makes items float instead of getting swallowed, or a catapult that you can launch recently swallowed items up into the sky with. These get a few chances to evolve and force you to think about how to interact with the environment and solve the puzzle of swallowing up everything.

Read the full review here...

~~~

Katamari Darmacy: Reroll, PS4

What a weird little game! A really fun one, but super weird. This one has been in my peripheral for years, and I’ve been wanting to play for a while - so it was nice to finally have the excuse to get it.

The game is pretty simple – there’s stuff everywhere, and you need to roll it up! You play as the little Prince, and have a self-absorbed father- The King of All Cosmos, who talks in exclusively in record scratches -who tasks you with rolling up stuff to turn into stars and refill the sky after he destroyed it. To do so, you will be dumped into an area and told to roll up a certain amount of stuff in a certain amount of time, and if you do a good enough job, you’ll get a slightly less condescending response from the King.

The vibe is really fun, with low poly models of everything and a distinctly jazzy soundtrack, bringing a unique and charismatic charm to the game. It’s easy to see why it became a bit of a cult classic, and still seems to be held in high regard from what I’ve seen; it’s genuinely pleasant to play when you get the hang of the controls and immerse yourself in the humour of it all. There are cutscenes here and there following two young children who notice the stars in the sky have disappeared, only to be dismissed by their mother. The more you fill the sky with stars, the more you’ll see what they’re up to, which is a funny but nice way to see your progress.

Read the full review here...

~~~

Hitman: Blood Money, PS4

Having fallen in love with the World of Assassination Trilogy, I was curious about the previous entries in the series and wanted to see more of how Hitman came to be. I often hear everyone hype up Blood Money as the best one, so... why not start there?

The story is framed through a series of flashbacks during a conversation between a former FBI director and a journalist. They are discussing the many run-ins they’ve had with the elusive Agent 47, segueing into the missions you play. There’s background information you’ll notice if you pay attention, like the controversial nature of clones and how the current vice president is involved in some kind of political ploy for a rival agency to the one 47 works for. I won’t lie, the plot felt a little messy and melodramatic to me, so it wasn’t the easiest to follow along with, but on the whole it was engaging enough to keep me interested.

The game starts with a great tutorial, that- while a bit hand-holdy and linear -gave a thorough introduction to all of the main mechanics you’ll need to play the game. There’s basic stuff; like changing outfits, sneaking around, hiding bodies, and using various weapons and distractions to your advantage – but there’s also more advanced mechanics to be mindful of, like how to smuggle weapons, poison food and drink, setting up accidental kills and using people as covers while shooting. Some are more polished than others, with some feeling well executed for what it is, and others leaving a little to be desired.

Read the full review here...

~~~

Power Wash Simulator, Switch

I wasn’t going to write about this, as I didn’t think there’d be much to say… but I got addicted.

And of course I have a lot to say.

After spending something like 300+ hours with the game this year, it’s safe to say I enjoyed it. So much so, that it became a danger for me to play. It was a great brain-off comfort while struggling with long term chronic pain and recovering from my hospital trip, and even when I’d worked hard and started to get a bit better physically, I’d still lose days to this game. I even bought the Shrek DLC (which was pretty fun), and would end up just mindlessly replaying my favourite levels over and over simply out of habit.

So, what do you do in this game?

You clean shit with a pressurised water spray. That’s pretty much it.

If you find no satisfaction with that kinda thing, then this isn’t the game for you! The more I played, however, the more I noticed some of the quirks and cool features of this game. So lets get into it.

To start with, this is a game played in first person, and you control the nozzle of your water gun. Walking around and aiming the water is pretty standard for dual sticks, but you can press a button to hold the camera still and only move the nozzle if that’s what you’d like. The main goal is to clean something that’s filthy, and at the end of every level you get to watch a little speed run of your cleaning. When replaying levels (and knowing what angle this speed run view is) I found it fun to clean away the dirt in patterns that’d be more interesting to watch sped up- it’s like one last treat at the end!

Read the full review here...

~~~

JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Eyes of Heaven, PS4

In my endeavours to try new things this year, I decided to play Eyes of Heaven while I stayed at my friend’s house a couple times this year. I’d watched JJBA parts 1-5 with her when we lived together, and had actually bought her this game as a gift - so why not give it a go?

I have historically not enjoyed fighting games; I just don’t understand the techniques or skill expected of me as a player, and the mechanics so often feel like they're held together with duct tape, resulting in button mashing being your best bet. Knowing this, I genuinely made an effort to try and learn what this game is asking of me, and figure out the best techniques to fight in my favour. That said, there was still a lot of button mashing- but that works. All I really expected from a JoJo game was to muda-muda-muda my way through enemies, and you can definitely do that!

The story was a lot more than I was expecting, and certainly was bizarre; so I was glad that there was a through-line, however vague, to keep players invested and show some sort of progress. The game didn’t recreate or adapt storylines straight from JoJo, rather, combined all of them vaguely in it’s own thing. There’s temporal/inter-dimensional rifts opening up and causing havoc, which connects to various points in the JoJo series. There are a bunch of enemies to fight, and for some reason, friends of the various JoJo’s are acting strange too! You’ll fight friend and foe alike, slowly revealing that you need to collect scattered parts of a holy corpse to save your friends, defeat your enemies, and get to the bottom of all this strangeness. It’s as simple as a JoJo plot can be, and was a clever way to have all the JoJo’s and pals across various points in time (and dimensions!) team up and fight their enemies.

Read the full review here...

~~~

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, DS

As someone who loves Paper Mario 64, I was talking with a friend about it, and he mentioned that he LOVES this game. It’s a game pitched to me as similar enough to the other Mario RPGs, but not quite the same as Paper Mario. I didn’t know anything about the game, and don’t think I’d really heard of the Mario and Luigi series properly until he brought it up, so why not give it a go?

Immediately upon booting, I noticed that this game world seemed quite flavourful and full of character, which was nice to see! I miss this sort of thing in Mario games, and it’s not something I’d expect to see out of any mainline 2D or 3D Mario games, especially not these days.

The plot started strong – the Mushroom Kingdom has been overrun with an epidemic of… the blorbs! Those suffering with a case of the blorbs will find themselves ballooned in size, feeling quite rotund, and unable to do anything. It’s quite the problem, so Peach holds an emergency meeting to figure out what to do. Starlow, a representative of the Star Sprites (who will be known as Chippy for most the game), has been sent to help, but even she can’t cure the blorbs. Just as Mario and Luigi arrive to this meeting, Bowser makes and appearance too. This causes a ruckus, he gets upset when he sees Mario, and havoc ensues.

Read the full review here...

~~~

Fear and Hunger, PC/Mac

I wanted one last game to play before wrapping up the year and writing these, and I had two games on my computer that I really wanted to get to, but didn’t get the chance to squeeze both in because of my health issues this year. I was lamenting over this with my bestie, and they suggested I do a coin flip.

Funny, that, as flipping a coin is not just a mechanic of the game, but something I consider to be the main motif of everything this game is about. But, I’m getting ahead of myself here. This game is dreadful, leaves you feeling heavy and ick-ed out- and I love it for that.

Before I get too far into this review, I do want to preface some warnings about the game. It has a lot of dark and disturbing themes, and does not shy away from them – so take the trigger warnings seriously. I cannot talk about this game without covering the subject matter in depth, and I do not want to gloss over it for the sake of being ‘palatable,’ as that defeats the point. If depictions and discussion of nudity, sexual content, rape, drug use, substance abuse, suicide, bodily harm, dismemberment, or graphic depictions of violence and gore are too much for you, take this as the warning to skip over this one.

I went into this game pretty blind- all I knew is that it was an indie cult hit, the battle system intrigued me, and the dark themes drew me in. Now having played, I feel like that’s the optimal way to jump in; blindly trying to figure stuff out as you go. But, if you want a little more context, I’m certainly going to go in depth, so let’s get started.

Read the full review here...

[thinkcapadvisors]

Top SaaS Branding Mistakes to Avoid in 2025 & How Marketing Consultants Can Help

Building a strong brand is essential for any SaaS company looking to differentiate itself amongst its competitors. However, many SaaS companies make critical branding mistakes that can weaken their positioning, reduce customer trust, and impact growth. Below, we outline key mistakes to avoid and discuss how a Fractional CMO and a marketing consulting firm can play a pivotal role in developing a robust SaaS brand.

Lack of a Clear Brand Strategy

One of the biggest mistakes SaaS companies make is failing to define a brand strategy. A well-crafted brand strategy ensures that a company has a strong foundation in place, including:

Developing a Customer Persona and Defining Target Audience: Understanding your ideal customer profile is crucial. For instance, A fintech SaaS brand targeting young investors aged 20 to 45, should cater to their financial aspirations, tech-savviness, and trust concerns. The brand should reflect reliability, ease of use, and security.

Visual Identity and Brand Colors: Brand colors play a key role in perception. For a fintech brand, colors like blue (trust, security), green (growth, financial prosperity), and white (simplicity, transparency) can be some options. The brand’s color palette and assets should evoke trust while also appealing to the targeted demographic.

Defining Brand Values: Brand values directly impact brand identity and design. A SaaS company needs to articulate values such as security, innovation, customer-centricity, and simplicity, ensuring they are reflected in brand communication and design.

Role of a Marketing Consulting Firm

A marketing consulting firm can help SaaS companies define their brand strategy by conducting market research, competitor analysis, and customer persona development. They also guide messaging, design, and brand positioning to ensure alignment with business goals.

Brand Inconsistencies Across Marketing Channels

Another common mistake companies make is inconsistency in branding elements across marketing materials and communication channels.

Why It’s a Problem

Brand inconsistency confuses customers and weakens recognition. For example, if the design and language differ across:

Website

Social media platforms

Presentation decks

…then the audience may not form a strong, unified impression of the brand.

For SaaS companies, maintaining brand consistency across the marketing website and the product itself (web app/mobile app) is crucial. If the branding on the marketing website looks different from the branding inside the app, users may feel disconnected from the experience, affecting trust and retention.

As a marketing consulting services firm working with various clients, we have observed that even established brands with a diverse range of software products often struggle with consistency. As they transition to digital and SaaS platforms, maintaining uniformity across marketing and product experiences becomes a challenge.

Role of a Fractional CMO

Fractional CMO services encompass leading the marketing function while overseeing the development and management of marketing assets. A Fractional CMO ensures brand consistency across all touch-points, including design, tone of voice, and messaging, across both digital and offline assets.

Inconsistency in Visual Identity

The Importance of a Cohesive Visual Identity

A SaaS brand’s visual identity includes elements like:

Typography

Icons & illustrations

Caricatures vs. real human faces

UI/UX design

Many SaaS companies make the mistake of using multiple identity elements across different assets, leading to a fragmented brand image. For example, if a brand uses illustrations on their website but switches to stock images in social media posts, it creates inconsistency and confusion.

Key Takeaway: A brand’s visual identity should be strongly linked to its values and target audience. A fintech SaaS company targeting young investors might opt for a sleek, minimalist design with high-tech imagery to evoke security and innovation.

Role of a Fractional CMO

A Fractional CMO works closely with the branding/marketing agency to develop a visual identity system, ensuring consistency across all brand assets. He also oversees the implementation of this identity system across digital platforms, ensuring that branding remains strong and uniform. 

Lack of Branding Guidelines

A branding guidelines document serves as a manual for the correct use of various branding elements. It ensures brand consistency by defining:

Logo usage and variations

Color codes and color palette combinations

Typography and font hierarchy

Visual elements, imagery, and design styles

Asset design for business stationery, including visiting cards, letterheads, and presentation templates

Branding guidelines are exceptionally useful for larger teams and companies operating across multiple countries. When different teams work on branding and marketing, a detailed branding guideline document ensures uniformity in brand presentation.

 

Making Changes and Updates to Brand Identity at the Wrong Time

Another mistake SaaS companies make is poor timing in brand identity changes

Startups changing too soon: A brand takes time to resonate with its audience. Startups often make the error of rebranding too quickly before their identity is established. Instead, they should focus on marketing efforts that reinforce brand recall.

Established companies delaying brand refresh: On the other hand, well-established SaaS companies often delay brand refreshes, leading to outdated branding that no longer resonates with the evolving market or competitive landscape.

External factors like mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships: If a company undergoes a merger, acquisition, or partnership, brand updates must be proactive and well-communicated. Failing to do so can result in a loss of brand value, recognition, and recall.

Role of a Marketing Consulting Firm

SaaS marketing consultants help companies determine the optimal timing for brand updates. As part of a brand refresh strategy, they evaluate market positioning, customer sentiment, and competitive dynamics to determine whether a minor refresh or a complete re-brand is necessary.

Conclusion

The SaaS and tech industry is one where branding influences not just visual identity and brand recall but also customer acquisition, product UI, and overall user experience. Effective SaaS branding requires careful planning and execution, and a Fractional CMO or marketing consulting firm plays a crucial role in guiding companies through this process. By ensuring a well-defined strategy, consistent branding, and a cohesive visual identity, SaaS companies can build a strong market presence and drive long-term success. Looking for marketing consulting services to build a strong brand for your SaaS business, visit: https://www.thinkcapadvisors.com/marketing-strategy If you are looking for experienced Fractional CMOs for your business, visit: https://www.thinkcapadvisors.com/fractional-cmo-services

Tag = Brand Strategy Marketing, Fractional CMO Services, Fractional Marketing Services, Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Consulting Services, marketing consulting firm

[lily22223]

How DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App Supports Multi-Platform Operations: Android, iOS, and Web

Hey there! If you’re a restaurant owner, small business, or entrepreneur looking to expand your food delivery service, you’re probably already aware of how important it is to reach your customers wherever they are. Whether they’re using Android, iOS, or browsing on the web, you want your food delivery service to be accessible to everyone.

That’s where DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App comes in — and let me tell you, it’s a game-changer for multi-platform operations. Imagine your customers being able to order food from your restaurant, whether they’re on an Android phone, an iOS device, or just on their laptop at home. Sounds pretty great, right?

In this post, I’ll dive into how DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone app development makes it easier than ever to manage your food delivery business across all these platforms. So, let’s break it down and see how this all works.

Why Multi-Platform Support is a Must-Have for Your Food Delivery Service

First off, let me just say this: in today’s digital world, people use all sorts of devices. Some people are die-hard iPhone users, others swear by Android, and there are still plenty of people who prefer browsing on their laptop. So if your food delivery app is only available on one platform, you’re potentially leaving a lot of customers on the table.

Here’s where the magic of UberEats Clone App development comes into play. By supporting Android, iOS, and web platforms, DeliveryBee ensures that you can meet your customers wherever they prefer to shop. Whether they’re in the app store, on their desktop, or using a mobile browser, your service will be right there waiting for them.

Android, iOS, and Web: How DeliveryBee Does It All

1. Android: Reach a Wider Audience

Let’s start with Android. With Android being the most widely used mobile operating system worldwide, having an app that works flawlessly on Android devices is crucial. DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App is fully optimized for Android, which means it runs smoothly, no matter the phone or tablet your customer is using.

The best part? You can customize the app to reflect your restaurant's branding, menu, and special promotions — all while keeping it user-friendly. The app’s design is clean and intuitive, so Android users won’t struggle to navigate. Whether they’re looking to order a quick meal or browse your full menu, the app provides a seamless experience from start to finish.

2. iOS: A Sleek, Reliable Experience for Apple Users

Next up is iOS. As we all know, iPhone and iPad users are loyal. They expect apps to be high-quality and smooth, and DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App delivers just that. With UberEats Clone app development designed for iOS, your food delivery service will feel right at home on any Apple device.

The app is designed to take full advantage of iOS’s capabilities, ensuring fast load times and a super-responsive interface. Whether it’s iOS 14 or the latest iOS 16, the app will work flawlessly across all versions. And, just like the Android version, you can fully customize it with your branding, so your customers have a unique and consistent experience.

3. Web: Tap Into the Power of Browsers

Not everyone loves apps — and that’s where having a web version of your food delivery service comes in handy. Some customers might prefer to browse your menu, place an order, and pay directly through their laptop or desktop computer. DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App doesn’t leave them hanging.

With the web platform, you get a fully responsive website that works just as well as the mobile app. The design is optimized for any screen size, ensuring that customers get the same great experience whether they’re on a phone, tablet, or desktop. This way, you can expand your customer base to people who prefer the convenience of ordering from their browser.

Managing It All in One Place

Now, here’s the part that really makes DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App stand out: centralized management. Whether your customers are ordering via Android, iOS, or the web, all the orders are managed in a single, unified backend system. This makes your job so much easier because you don’t have to juggle multiple platforms or worry about syncing data across devices.

Unified Dashboard: Track orders in real-time, manage deliveries, and see customer feedback across all platforms from one easy-to-use dashboard.

Real-Time Updates: Whether someone places an order from an Android phone or an iPhone, you’ll receive instant notifications and updates about the status of the delivery.

Flexible Customization: The app’s backend allows you to update the menu, adjust pricing, offer discounts, or create special deals that are reflected across all platforms automatically.

Why DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App is Perfect for Your Business

If you’re a restaurant owner or small business owner, I’m sure you’re already thinking about how you can expand your reach. Having a food delivery app that works on Android, iOS, and web is not just convenient for your customers, but it also opens up new opportunities for your business to grow.

The UberEats Clone App by DeliveryBee isn’t just about making it easy for your customers to place orders on their favorite devices; it’s about giving your business the tools to succeed across multiple channels. And because everything is managed in one place, you get to focus on growing your business, not on managing complex systems.

Get Started with DeliveryBee Today!

If you’re ready to take the leap and start your food delivery business, using DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App for multi-platform operations is one of the smartest decisions you can make. With support for Android, iOS, and web, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience, provide a seamless user experience, and manage everything effortlessly from one central platform.

I’m excited for you to start your journey in the food delivery space. If you have any questions or want to know more about how UberEats Clone app development can help grow your business, feel free to reach out. Let’s make your food delivery business a success — on every platform!

I hope this helps you understand how easy and effective DeliveryBee’s UberEats Clone App can be when it comes to running a multi-platform food delivery service. Let me know if you want to dive deeper into any of these features or have any questions. I’m here to help!

[bouncybrain]

So I received a reply from someone on the @inkblot-app team on my post [here]

Hi there! Sorry you're struggling with sign up. We're currently going through a lot of changes as just last year we transitioned from being an LLC to a Non-profit Organization.

You can always reach out to support@inkblot.art via email for assistance.

However, to be transparent, if you want to review the site, I recommend waiting out for some of our bigger announcements regarding change and QoL.

If you have any questions though, feel free to reach out to us!

The sign-up loads perfectly fine, yes, and then it’s covered in a single ad blown way out of proportion. When I initially went to check it had an ad blow up nearly right when I went to tap the app link. If I don’t read at my usual speed, then the ads can intrude before I finish reading everything on screen.

Not to mention links to the TOS and Privacy Policy are completely broken, too. I’ve tried every relevant link from the inkblotapp.info site on top of the TOS and Privacy Policy linked on the sign-up page (used a device that loads desktop for this) and all of those are broken!

That means no access to the TOS, Privacy Policy, content guidelines, beta tester agreement, content warning guidelines, copyright policy, or the FAQ! The only links that work are the Kickstarter link (it’s been over since 2021) and the brand kit link.

If just the initial hurdles are this borked it isn’t a good sign for the rest of the project. I go into these reviews as someone with no professional experience or knowledge about running or maintaining these things, much less the costs and coding that makes them function, but I do go into these reviews as a consumer of the webbed sites since the early 2000s.

I know about barely-functioning websites and sites that take three eons to load a jpg, but this is a little bit silly if you want more mobile users. It doesn’t matter much if the target audience primarily uses desktop, but with all the talk about the app (which I can’t download, regardless) it seems like that isn’t the case.

From where I’m standing, any full review is gonna take a substantial wait. Hence why my initial post was so short and flippant. Sure, I could sign up on my device that loads desktop and doesn’t have the sign-up issue, but… I feel like that would be disingenuous to a full review.

Also I realize my reviews might sound aggressive or harsh lmao not my intent I just don’t use enough exclamation marks in enough places

(Making this a post instead of contacting because I don’t really need assistance, I have patience to wait and see if things change. This is mostly for transparency on my end.)

[einfotechsolutions]

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[qonqr]

QONQR 4.0

Greetings Players

It has been a very long time since my last formal update. I’ve been struggling with some tough decisions regarding QONQR over the past few years. The TL;DR; is that I’m working on QONQR again. I’m making efforts to keep it alive. The details follow. Warning: it is a lot of doom and gloom, but there is positivity at the end.

Some background and history

Version 2 and 3 of QONQR were written using a coding technology called Xamarin. It allowed us to write code once and run it on iPhone, Android and previously Windows Phone.  For a small company like ours, it wasn’t feasible to write the application 3 times for 3 different platforms. Xamarin was written on top of Microsoft’s technology, and Microsoft purchased Xamarin several years ago to make it the core of its cross-platform developer solution.

Several years ago, QONQR simply couldn’t pay my salary anymore. I started a new application with another entrepreneur and that project was also a cross-platform application, written in Xamarin, this time for PC and Mac. I’ll refer to this app as “NOTQONQR”.  For the past 10 years, I have worked in Xamarin on Android, iOS, MacOs, and Windows (and Windows Phone). Building cross platform software has become one of the most frustrating and unfulfilling career decisions I’ve made. I realized it wasn’t phone apps or gaming that was making me miserable. It was everything cross-platform and the dependency on multiple companies to make a good product so that I could in turn make a good product.

While things started out “OK”, building software in Xamarin over the past decade has destroyed my passion for building software. I, along with the developers I have worked with, had the attitude for years that the issues were the result of being on the cutting edge and early days of cross platform development. I lost that opinion years ago.  To this day, the outstanding bug list for Xamarin is thousands deep. Many of these bugs have been on the list for years, and now they will never be fixed.

While this sounds like a Xamarin issue, it is an industry issue. Look around at other cross platform solutions, and you’ll be hard pressed to find one that doesn’t have many hundreds or thousands of outstanding bugs on their public bug trackers. Building apps is a nightmare, it has been from the start. I have spent most of my development time on both projects the past 5 years fixing issues caused by big companies or governments. I can’t count how many times I spent my days fixing something that worked just fine 6 months ago, but now is broken because Apple, Google or Microsoft decided to do the exact same thing a different way, and now a rewrite is needed.  Governments around the world have passed laws making it harder for developers to build apps. Privacy laws have made it nearly impossible to keep predators, would-be hackers and toxic people out of an app. Governments and consumer advocacy groups are suing and fining Apple and Google at every opportunity. As a result, Apple and Google are making changes that satisfy the mob, but hurt developers like me. No smart developer would build a game like QONQR today. The things we did before to ensure the GPS coordinates were legitimate, people were actual people, and gameplay was fair have nearly all been removed from my toolkit, making it very hard to protect my good players from bad people.

To further the opinion that this is an industry problem, a friend of mine who is a well-known Android podcaster, author of several android developer books, and speaker and many large developer conferences recently made a blog post about the state of app development. He mentioned that he is seeing burn out in both Android and iOS camps. Developers are tired of fighting the issues and are leaving to become web developers or leaving all together. He even admitted that he thinks his days as a mobile developer are numbered, despite being an internationally known and industry respected mobile dev. Too many developers are exhausted from the continual churn of fixing things that shouldn’t need to be fixed.

My mental status the last few years

I frequently receive support emails berating me for allowing cheaters to cheat, including two emails last week from a long-time player demanding I either “fix my shitty app or shut it down.” Sadly, most of the perceived cheating isn't actually happening, and the small number issues that we are blocked from addressing are the result of Apple and Google, and many of them are in direct response to new laws and regulations that protect everyone, including criminals and predators, but not developers.

In the first 5 years of QONQR, I would regularly work from 7am to 2am multiple days a week. However, for the last 5 years I have been in a developer depression of sorts. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I would sit at my computer for hours, sometimes an entire day and struggle to write 10 lines of code. I’d find any excuse not to code. Everything I looked at was broken. Internet searches showed me never ending bug reports in Xamarin, Android and iOS, that went unfixed, and workarounds that must have worked at some point, but no longer work today. I hated the profession I had chosen, the technology stack I had invested my career in, and felt trapped by being tied to two applications that I had ownership of, and from which I couldn’t just quit and find a new job. My wife would ask me frequently to consider finding a career I thought I would enjoy and just give up software all together. Unfortunately, I simply didn’t have passion for anything outside of my volunteering as a high school robotics coach. That is a retirement, not a career move.

The technology situation today

Xamarin was declared “dead” by Microsoft a couple years ago. It was replaced by a technology called MAUI. In nearly all respect, MAUI is identical to Xamarin, but of course different enough. My fellow developer and I started migrating NOTQONQR from Xamarin to MAUI about 3 months ago. Early indications are that MAUI will have better performance and stability than Xamarin had. It seems to be slightly or moderately better in most cases.

For the developers reading this, I’ll get into some technical details in this paragraph, skip to the next if you aren’t a developer. We built the UI for both apps using code. XAML markup wasn’t even an option for years when QONQR staring using Xamarin. You needed to build your pages one element at a time using code. No markup, no layout tools. Many/most developers who have been using Xamarin for more than 5 years, probably built their UI using code, rather than markup, even after XAML became an option. For the NOTQONQR app, I spent a week in June and completely converted the code from the Xamarin framework to the MAUI framework. It was pretty easy to get to a point everything would compile. I was able to get tens of thousands of lines of UI code to compile in the new framework in a few days. When the app would run, we found lots of minor issues with layout. Things didn’t align quite right or wouldn’t become visible when they should have been shown. We came to the realization that we needed to completely rewire the UI in XAML, and could no longer draw our pages using code. The rendering engine was built for pre-compiling your page layout and it was clear Microsoft had not put much emphasis or testing on generating UI on the fly. It makes sense. Given the timelines the Microsoft developers were under, it was the right choice. Unfortunately, it took a few weeks migration and made it into a few months for those of us who started with Xamarin a decade ago. The effort to get to MAUI even though it is basically the same as Xamarin is a huge lift due to the age of our code.

I attempted to migrate QONQR to MAUI two years ago when Xamarin was declared “dead” and MAUI the new successor. At the time, MAUI could not play sounds, did not have notifications, and could not make an in-app purchase. The product was “ready for production” and completely unusable. I was stuck. There was no way I could migrate QONQR to MAUI and given my mental state, I just couldn’t force myself to push through the issues like I had in the past. That was a stopping point for me and QONQR. I’m sure all the players noticed nothing new was happening.

Fast forward two years, NOTQONQR must migrate. I wasn’t the only owner of the app and my partner company needed to make it work. We were looking at a complete rewrite of the app in a new language, or push through a MAUI migration.  So we revisited MAUI. Things are much better two years later.

When I started working in MAUI for the NOTQONQR app, it felt like home. I spent years working in XAML markup before Xamarin. MAUI made sense and seemed to work well. Yes there are still thousands of bugs on the backlog. This is frustrating but not new.

My attitude got better. I have spent several days in the past month working past midnight in MAUI. I’ve spent my weekends writing code. It has been a significant change from being unable to force myself to write code, to looking forward to it again. I can’t say that I love writing code again, but I do feel productive.

The future for QONQR

I’m up against a big deadline. Apps written in Xamarin have an end of the year deadline to be migrated to something else or stop working. I am getting notices that maps will stop working in the next version of iOS if I don’t update my controls, and an update isn’t possible in Xamarin. It is very possible the current version of QONQR will not work on the new iPhone or when everyone updates iOS.

I had planned to try and work on QONQR over the summer, but having a summer intern at NOTQONQR I needed to manage and that MAUI migration taking months more than planned took all my time away. Now that intern has returned to college, and the NOTQONQR migration can be wrapped up by the other developer on that team, I have told the owner of the NOTQONQR company I’m taking a month off work. I’ll be avoiding my other job to focus on QONQR.

Sadly, the first two weeks of the QONQR migration have been painful and slow. After two weeks of long days and weekends, I have the Welcome page, login and map working including the Android Anti-hacker security checks. That’s it. Some of the simple pages may work as is, with the basic migration, but all of the complicated pages (which is a lot of the app) will need a fresh start. For example, the launch page draws everything in the middle of the screen stacked on top of each other. Very little can be salvaged, I need to start over and build the screen from scratch. I think many of our pages may be this way.

Admittedly, I spent much of my time the past two weeks just trying to get the core of the app to work. A lot of the system stuff like local storage, notifications, sounds, colors, fonts, images, etc all had to be setup differently. I had to start with a completely new map. Animations never really worked well in Xamarin and they aren’t any better in MAUI. I’m taking them out everywhere I can since they have always been the source of most crashes. Today I have a running app in MAUI, but it doesn’t do much yet. The past two weeks have shown me this looks possible to complete before the end of the year.

Beta release of QONQR 4.0.

Distribution: If/when I get to that point, the beta would be available through Google Play and Apple App Store and you would need to opt-in to the beta program. I previously had been using Microsoft’s App Center for pre-release versions of the app for player testing. That has been shut down. The only good option available is to release through the stores, which requires official (and long) app reviews on Apple, even for a test release. You won’t be able to run the beta side by side with QONQR 3.X

Barebones: Registration may have to be done online in the early releases. Upgrades and ordnances may also have to be purchased one the web portal. Probably no notifications.

No Chat: Right now, I am planning to remove chat from the app. The US Senate passed a bill in July that would make me responsible for anything posted in my app by a user. While this bill is unlikely to become law, it is a sign of further punishing app developers, but not giving us the tools to keep bad people out of our apps. I will replace chat with a link to the “Unofficial Community Discord”.  It is unclear how this potential law may impact the forums should something similar become law in the future.

Launch: I’m going to do my best to get something like the old launch screen working, but it may be just the simple launch screen to start. Whatever I come up with, I hope it will be temporary. A big challenge with QONQR is hackers attempting to automate launching. While I have some ways of stopping that after a few hours the current “are you human”, takes hours to have an impact. I’d like to redo this screen so that it requires more than just tapping in the same spot over and over to launch. No one likes change, but I hope you like cheaters less. I’ll do my best to come up with something players will tolerate but is harder to automate.

Messaging: Player to Player messaging may eliminate the use of the custom emoji packs we have sold. This will simplify the complexity of this screen and message passing. If you purchased one of these emoji packs, you will receive a bundle of cubes as compensation. I won’t know for sure if we are removing the packs until I get in there and attempt to migrate.

Sync Lock Mini Game: This unfortunately needs to stay as our only reasonable way to combat multi-scoping. I am well aware this still hurts families, but I don’t have an alternative giving the privacy laws the EU and US have enacted that prevent me from taking better measures. This is a very complex UI and I’m concerned about the effort it will take to migrate.

No music: I don’t think I’m going to migrate the background music. I think it is time to let this go. Background audio is hard and inconsistent.

Skins: This seems unlikely. The library I used in Xamarin to tint images doesn’t work on Maui. I don’t have plans to work on a replacement until everything else is working.

New features: None are planned yet, but the largest roadblock to new features in the past 3 years was the knowledge that anything we built was being built on a dead coding platform. If the migration succeeds, that roadblock will be gone.

Can developers help?

Many have asked me if they can help or if I can make QONQR open source. Sadly, I don’t think this is a viable path forward. Exposing all of the code would make it a trivial matter for a hacker to bypass all the protections in the app and automate and manipulate everything except buying cubes. Even if I went to the effort to pull out the secret code that stops hacking the app, any developer who worked on the code would be perceived a cheater. There are too many instances in the past where a player I asked for advice or tips, claimed to be a QONQR developer and claimed to have a special build and/or free cubes. This has never been true, but if people think their opponent is cheating they stop playing or stop spending money that is needed to keep the servers alive. The past has shown that letting anyone have even a little access never ends well.

Even today, with as hard as it is to stop hackers and cheaters the impact is much smaller than most people believe. Yes, some players are probably cheating their location, but they are put into overheat penalty on their scope when they do. They can deploy in two locations, but deploy fewer bots than if they stayed in one spot. I get many emails with “proof” that someone is cheating. Most of the claims don’t hold up when investigated. There are certainly limits on what I can do, but the perception of people cheating is much much higher than actual instances we have uncovered. Every day, I receive dozens of automated notices where QONQR code blocked devices that had a hacked version of the game, attempts to steel cubes, GPS spoofing penalized, too many failed launch verification, and players switching devices too frequently. There are many many cheater detections in place and they are working. For the most part, the biggest problem with cheating isn’t that it is happening, but that players think it is happening much more often than it really is. Giving anyone access to even part of the code would only make this problem worse.

In Reflection

Next week, it will be 14 years since the name “QONQR” came out of Justin’s mouth at a Starup Weekend competition. So much has happened in that time. There was a time when I felt like it was going to be time to turn off the servers because profits had gone negative. Then Gmenman goes and gets a huge damned Legion tattoo. There was no way it could be shut down in the months after that. A while later, profits got a little better and the servers were safe again. A few years ago, I posted a fairly negative blog post about how things were going, hinting that things may finally be coming to an end. The next day I received a heartfelt thank you message from a player who had shared that she struggled in her real life and QONQR was the first place where people accepted her as the person she was, and didn’t judge her as they did in the real world. She thanked me for making a safe place for her to be her true self. There was no way I was going to take that away from her, so I kept the servers up. TotallyGomer and YellerCukes both shared with me their appreciation for QONQR as a way to stay in touch with their friends and the outside world before their passings. This will forever be something I’m proud to have provided. Together we have grieved the untimely losses of several players, and the memorials show how much they are missed. Players have been through so many challenges in their lives, with QONQR friends supporting them along the way.

The necessity to either rewrite QONQR or shut it down has been looming over me for months. It doesn’t make financial sense for me to stop working at my other job and spend months rewriting the QONQR app to keep this going. The smart thing would be to shut it down and move on. Focus on something new and leave behind all the issues of mobile gaming, government regulations, and abusive mobile marketplaces.  But…  the smart decision has been the wrong decision too many times before.

QONQR is too much of who I am, who you are, who we are. I’m going to try. QONQR may be always full of issues. It may have fewer features than in the past, but I’m going to try and keep the heart of what QONQR has always been in the new version. I can’t promise it will be done soon and can’t even tell you it will keep working on your current or new device in the coming months. However, I’m here today to tell you, QONQR is too important to let go, and I’m working on keeping it going until I find it just isn’t possible. I now believe I can make it work. I ask for your understanding and patience as the 4.0 beta moves forward.

For those that continue to buy cubes, thanks for keeping the servers alive.

-Scott (aka Silver)

[apptechmobilesolutions]

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[mariacallous]

In today’s digital world, injustice lurks in the shadows of the Facebook post that’s delivered to certain groups of people at the exclusion of others, the hidden algorithm used to profile candidates during job interviews, and the risk-assessment algorithms used for criminal sentencing and welfare fraud detention. As algorithmic systems are integrated into every aspect of society, regulatory mechanisms struggle to keep up.

Over the past decade, researchers and journalists have found ways to unveil and scrutinize these discriminatory systems, developing their own data collection tools. As the internet has moved from browsers to mobile apps, however, this crucial transparency is quickly disappearing.

Third-party analysis of digital systems has largely been made possible by two seemingly banal tools that are commonly used to inspect what’s happening on a webpage: browser add-ons and browser developer tools.

Browser add-ons are small programs that can be installed directly onto a web browser, allowing users to augment how they interact with a given website. While add-ons are commonly used to operate tools like password managers and ad-blockers, they are also incredibly useful for enabling people to collect their own data within a tech platform’s walled garden.

Similarly, browser developer tools were made to allow web developers to test and debug their websites’ user interfaces. As the internet evolved and websites became more complex, these tools evolved too, adding features like the ability to inspect and change source code, monitor network activity, and even detect when a website is accessing your location or microphone. These are powerful mechanisms for investigating how companies track, profile, and target their users.

I have put these tools to use as a data journalist to show how a marketing company logged users’ personal data even before they clicked “submit” on a form and, more recently, how the Meta Pixel tool (formerly the Facebook Pixel tool) tracks users without their explicit knowledge in sensitive places such as hospital websites, federal student loan applications, and the websites of tax-filing tools.

In addition to exposing surveillance, browser inspection tools provide a powerful way to crowdsource data to study discrimination, the spread of misinformation, and other types of harms tech companies cause or facilitate. But in spite of these tools’ powerful capabilities, their reach is limited. In 2023, Kepios reported that 92 percent of global users accessed the internet through their smartphones, whereas only 65 percent of global users did so using a desktop or laptop computer.

Though the vast majority of internet traffic has moved to smartphones, we don’t have tools for the smartphone ecosystem that afford the same level of “inspectability” as browser add-ons and developer tools. This is because web browsers are implicitly transparent, while mobile phone operating systems are not.

If you want to view a website in your web browser, the server has to send you the source code. Mobile apps, on the other hand, are compiled, executable files that you usually download from places such as Apple’s iOS App Store or Google Play. App developers don’t need to publish the source code for people to use them.

Similarly, monitoring network traffic on web browsers is trivial. This technique is often more useful than inspecting source code to see what data a company is collecting on users. Want to know which companies a website shares your data with? You’ll want to monitor the network traffic, not inspect the source code. On smartphones, network monitoring is possible, but it usually requires the installation of root certificates that make users’ devices less secure and more vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks from bad actors. And these are just some of the differences that make collecting data securely from smartphones much harder than from browsers.

The need for independent collection is more pressing than ever. Previously, company-provided tools such as the Twitter API and Facebook’s CrowdTangle, a tool for monitoring what’s trending on Facebook, were the infrastructure that powered a large portion of research and reporting on social media. However, as these tools become less useful and accessible, new methods of independent data collection are needed to understand what these companies are doing and how people are using their platforms.

To meaningfully report on the impact digital systems have on society, we need to be able to observe what’s taking place on our devices without asking a company for permission. As someone who has spent the past decade building tools that crowdsource data to expose algorithmic harms, I believe the public should have the ability to peek under the hood of their mobile apps and smart devices, just as they can on their browsers. And it’s not just me: The Integrity Institute, a nonprofit working to protect the social internet, recently released a report that lays bare the importance of transparency as a lever to achieve public interest goals like accountability, collaboration, understanding, and trust.

To demand transparency from tech platforms, we need a platform-independent transparency framework, something that I like to call an inspectability API. Such a framework would empower even the most vulnerable populations to capture evidence of harm from their devices while minimizing the risk of their data being used in research or reporting without their consent.

An application programming interface (API) is a way for companies to make their services or data available to other developers. For example, if you’re building a mobile app and want to use the phone’s camera for a specific feature, you would use the iOS or Android Camera API. Another common example is an accessibility API, which allows developers to make their applications accessible to people with disabilities by making the user interface legible to screen readers and other accessibility tools commonly found on modern smartphones and computers. An inspectability API would allow individuals to export data from the apps they use every day and share it with researchers, journalists, and advocates in their communities. Companies could be required to implement this API to adhere to transparency best practices, much as they are required to implement accessibility features to make their apps and websites usable for people with disabilities.

In the US, residents of some states can request the data companies collect on them, thanks to state-level privacy laws. While these laws are well-intentioned, the data that companies share to comply with them is usually structured in a way that obfuscates crucial details that would expose harm. For example, Facebook has a fairly granular data export service that allows individuals to see, amongst other things, their “Off-Facebook activity.” However, as the Markup found during a series of investigations into the use of Pixel, even though Facebook told users which websites were sharing data, it did not reveal just how invasive the information being shared was. Doctor appointments, tax filing information, and student loan information were just some of the things that were being sent to Facebook. An inspectability API would make it easy for people to monitor their devices and see how the apps they use track them in real time.

Some promising work is already being done: Apple’s introduction of the App Privacy Report in iOS 15 marked the first time iPhone users could see detailed privacy information to understand each app’s data collection practices and even answer questions such as, “Is Instagram listening to my microphone?”

But we cannot rely on companies to do this at their discretion—we need a clear framework to define what sort of data should be inspectable and exportable by users, and we need regulation that penalizes companies for not implementing it. Such a framework would not only empower users to expose harms, but also ensure that their privacy is not violated. Individuals could choose what data to share, when, and with whom.

An inspectability API will empower individuals to fight for their rights by sharing the evidence of harm they have been exposed to with people who can raise public awareness and advocate for change. It would enable organizations such as Princeton’s Digital Witness Lab, which I cofounded and lead, to conduct data-driven investigations by collaborating closely with vulnerable communities, instead of relying on tech companies for access. This framework would allow researchers and others to conduct this work in a way that is safe, precise, and, most importantly, prioritizes the consent of the people being harmed.

[iwebnext]

Enhancing Your Mobile Marketing Strategy with Social Media Post Design Services

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, mobile marketing has become a crucial component of any successful business strategy. With the majority of consumers accessing the internet through their mobile devices, it's essential for businesses to optimize their mobile marketing efforts. One way to achieve this is by partnering with a mobile marketing agency that offers social media post design services. In this blog, we will explore the significance of mobile marketing and how enlisting the help of experts can improve your social media presence and drive business growth.

The Mobile Marketing Revolution

Mobile devices have transformed the way we access information, interact with brands, and make purchase decisions. According to Statista, as of 2021, over 50% of global web traffic came from mobile devices. This shift has made mobile marketing a priority for businesses across various industries.

Mobile marketing encompasses a wide range of strategies, including mobile-friendly websites, mobile apps, SMS marketing, and, importantly, social media marketing. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, are major hubs for reaching and engaging with potential customers. To succeed in the mobile marketing arena, you need to create captivating and relevant social media posts that resonate with your target audience.

The Power of Visual Content

Visual content is at the heart of effective social media marketing. In a world filled with information overload, compelling images and graphics can capture the viewer's attention in an instant. High-quality visuals not only make your brand more appealing but also convey your message more effectively.

Social media posts with eye-catching images and designs are more likely to be shared, liked, and commented on, ultimately increasing your brand's reach. Investing in professional social media post design services can help you stand out in the crowded social media landscape and create a lasting impression on your audience.

Advantages of Professional Design Services

1. Consistency: A mobile marketing agency that offers social media post design services can help you maintain a consistent brand image across all your social media platforms. Consistency in design, color schemes, and style reinforces brand recognition and trust.

2. Customization: Design professionals can tailor your social media posts to match your brand's personality and goals. Whether you need posts that are fun and vibrant or formal and informative, they can create visuals that resonate with your target audience.

3. Creativity: Designers bring a fresh and creative perspective to your social media posts. They can develop innovative concepts and visuals that captivate your audience, making your brand more memorable.

4. Time-Saving: Outsourcing design work to professionals frees up your time to focus on other aspects of your business. Instead of struggling with design software, you can leave it to the experts and ensure a faster turnaround time.

5. Up-to-Date Trends: Designers stay updated on the latest design trends and social media best practices. This means your posts will always reflect current design aesthetics and perform well on the platforms.

6. Quality Assurance: Professional designers have the experience and tools to create high-quality visuals that look great on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Driving Engagement and Conversions

Effective social media post design is not just about aesthetics; it's about driving engagement and conversions. When you invest in top-notch design services, you are more likely to see the following benefits:

1. Increased Engagement: Well-designed posts are more likely to be shared, commented on, and liked, increasing your brand's visibility and engagement with your audience.

2. Better Click-Through Rates: When your posts are visually appealing and clearly communicate your message, they can lead to higher click-through rates, driving traffic to your website or landing pages.

3. Enhanced Brand Loyalty: Consistently appealing posts help create a loyal online community around your brand, fostering stronger relationships with your customers.

4. Improved Conversions: Engaging visuals can motivate users to take action, such as signing up for newsletters, making purchases, or participating in your promotions.

Conclusion

Mobile marketing is an essential element of any modern business strategy, and social media plays a pivotal role in reaching and engaging with your audience. To maximize your social media marketing efforts, consider partnering with a mobile marketing agency that offers social media post design services. These professionals can ensure that your brand stands out, communicates effectively, and drives engagement and conversions.

In a mobile-driven world, the visual appeal of your social media posts can make all the difference. Investing in professional design services is strategic moves that can help your brand thrive in the competitive digital landscape. So, if you're looking to enhance your mobile marketing strategy and make a lasting impact, don't underestimate the power of well-designed social media posts.

[dreamcyberinfoway]

Top 10 Web Development Companies in India

We are living in a world of digital dominance. It is no denying that businesses are struggling to survive in this uber-competitive environment. Hence, there is a need to embrace custom web development. If you wish to increase your sales or boost ROIs, web development is critical to turning those metrics around. A robust online presence is an absolute necessity in the modern digital era.

According to Siteefy, there are 201,045,211 active websites on the internet. Businesses are taking advantage of the reach and exposure a well-built custom website can provide them. And there has never been a better time to invest in web development services. In fact, India is home to some of the best website development companies in the world.

Hence, in this post, we are compiling a brief and handy list of India's top 10 web development companies. We have focused on shortlisting companies with the industry's best talent. We have also ensured that every company we include on this list is in lockstep with the latest technological trends. You will find this list helpful in picking a reliable development partner. It will help you get comprehensive and robust custom website development services for your project. So, let’s get started!

Top 10 Web Development Companies in India

There are countless firms offering web development services in India right now. Yet, only a few are worth their salt when it comes to professional development expertise. Hence, we have compiled the following list to help you find a trustworthy development partner so that you don't have to separate the wheat from the chaff yourself.

1.  Dream Cyber Infoway

We are starting off on a high note with this one. Dream Cyber Infoway, or DCI, is leading the way with its custom website development and curated associated IT services. With over 12 years of experience, the agency has arrived at battle-tested work methodologies. The company has an in-house team of top-notch industry professionals. The agency provides tailored services specific to your business, industry, and market requirements. 

If we look at DCI's 12-year-long stint, it becomes clear that the company is dedicated to helping clients scale their businesses. The services are rendered excellently with an acute focus on maximizing profits. The agency is customer-first in all respects. Client testimonials and reviews on the website are favorable. The company engages in long-term, committed professional partnerships with clients. The focus is on ensuring high customer satisfaction. The agency has a demonstrated track record of delivering superior end products. Be it a custom website, application, or software.

With clientele around the globe, Dream Cyber Infoway has proven its mettle in development and design. The firm builds websites and software products that bring consistent ROIs for clients. If you can make the time, check out DCI's portfolio on the company's website. You will better understand whether your project is a good fit for the brilliant team at DCI.  

The following are the services offered by Dream Cyber Infoway:

CRM Development

Credit Repair Software

Custom Web Development

SaaS Development

Real Estate Website Development

E-Commerce Development

API Development And Integration

CMS Development

Mobile App Design

Law Firm Website Design

Custom Software Development

Frontend Development

Hotel Restaurant Website Design

Social Network Development

2.  WPWeb Elite

Next on our list is a popular plugin-development agency. WPWeb Elite has been declared Envato Elite Author on CodeCanyon. The company has created countless WordPress Plugins and Themes. All plugins and themes are uniquely tailored to meet a particular industry's needs. The company provides solutions in the following domains:

WordPress Websites;

WooCommerce; and

Digital Downloads store owners.

Following are some of the best-selling plugins built by the company:

Social Auto Poster;

WooCommerce PDF Vouchers;

WooCommerce Social Login;

Bravo- WooCommerce Points and Rewards.

3.  InApp

In the third spot, we have InApp. This is a full-cycle software development company that was established back in 2000. The company provides quality web development services at cost-effective and transparent pricing. Even though it's a US-based company, it has established quite a presence in India. It has done so primarily by providing excellent customer service on time. The agency has also maintained open and transparent communication with clients.

4.  Aalpha Information Systems India

The focus of Aalpha Information Systems is on providing affordable and scalable solutions. The ultimate goal is to increase corporate profitability. Aalpha has been catering to clients around the globe for the past ten years. Aalpha adheres to the best project management techniques. It enables them to offer high-quality solutions on schedule and with seamless integration.

Aalpha has a reputation for producing top-notch work and holding leadership positions in the industry. The organization has delivered consistent and trustworthy website development services. The company has worked with several businesses globally in a variety of roles and marketplaces.

5.  Capital Numbers

Leading supplier of digital engineering services, Capital Numbers provides unique software solutions. Its clientele includes a broad spectrum of customers. From SMEs and digital agencies to startups, this company serves all types of clients. The team consists of more than 750 highly qualified individuals with experience in a wide range of fields. React, Angular, .NET, Python, Node, PHP, Java, and other cutting-edge technologies are just a few of the ones the firm is skilled in. Capital Numbers has built a reputation for dependability and competence. The firm has earned several industry accolades.

6.  Hyperlink InfoSystem

Hyperlink InfoSystem is a trustworthy and reliable IT business. Its headquarters are in Ahmedabad. The firm helps companies to expand online while staying within budget. Their 950+ personnel offer expert services like Metaverse, Web & App Development, NFT Marketplace, IoT, Blockchain, and more.

 They have created 2000 websites, 4000 mobile applications, and 100 Al & IoT solutions. The firm provides usable solutions for enterprises facing issues in the technology sector.

7.  OpenXcell

With very talented and committed offshore teams, OpenXcell is another web development services provider that delivers reliable software solutions. A Leading IT consulting firm, OpenXcell, was established in 2009. It is preferred for its creative and reliable digital solutions. Using the unmatched expertise of a highly skilled product development team, the agency assists you in developing your company into a successful enterprise. They help businesses grow their online and mobile app development clientele. The company accomplishes this by leveraging its vast pool of knowledgeable experts. Their domains of expertise include Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and more.

8.  LTIMindtree

LTIMindtree is a leading provider of technology consulting and digital solutions. The company uses technology businesses from various sectors to rethink their business models. It allows businesses to spur innovation and increase growth. The firm helps companies to achieve more significant competitive differentiation, customer experiences, and business outcomes in a convergent world. LTIMindtree brings to the deep table domain and technological knowledge. Following are the fields in which LTIMindtree has expertise:

Internet of Things

Big Data Analytics

Business Process Automation

Blockchain

Artificial Intelligence

Machine Learning

Digital Consulting

Information Technology

Cloud Migration and more.

9. IndiaNIC

IndiaNIC Infotech Limited has made our list for a good reason. The cost-effectiveness of the company's services is truly impressive. Despite becoming successful, the company still needs to maintain low pricing. It has positioned itself as an appealing alternative for individuals on a limited budget. This organization employs many programmers and other IT experts. It can handle any back-end (PHP, Laravel, Node.js) and front-end (AngularJS, ReactJS, Flutter) related work.

10.            Next Big Technology(NBT)

This India-based web development firm provides various add-on services. It includes SEO and eCommerce development. The benefits are designed to increase your website's traffic and revenue. Since 2009, they have produced high-quality work. The company's performance has garnered its team several accolades from the industry. It includes the top-rated badge on sites like Upwork, Clutch, GoodFirms, and others. They also have in-house web development experts. As a result, the company has a ton of expertise. The team has worked with a wide range of content management systems. The team is also well-versed in different development environments—for example, Laravel, Magento, CodeIgniter, Shopify, and others.

Conclusion

So these were the top 10 web development companies that are currently dominating the Indian IT scene. Hopefully, you will find this list helpful. It will help you narrow down your search for a reliable and trustworthy custom web development partner. If you still have some unanswered questions, feel free to reach out to our team. They will be happy to help you. Pick from India's top website development companies and build a stellar business presence online.

Resource: https://medium.com/@webdevelopmentservicesusa/top-10-web-development-companies-in-india-b4ba7a4ffee1

[engineering]

How Post Content is Stored on Tumblr

We’re currently rolling out an opt-in beta for a new post editor on web which will leverage the Neue Post Format behind the scenes. It’s been a very long time coming -- work on the Neue Post Format began in 2015 and was originally codenamed “Poster Child”, and it was borne out of a lot of things we learned dealing with the previous new post editor we released on web around that time. Over the years, the landscape of how people make posts on different platforms across the internet has changed dramatically. But here on Tumblr, we still want to stay true to our blogging roots, while giving access to a wide creative canvas, and the Neue Post Format reflects that work.

With literally billions (tens of billions!) of posts on Tumblr, how do we move this churning engine of content from one format to another without breaking everything? It took many phases, and releasing the new editor on the web will be one of the final pieces in place. To understand how far we’ve come and the challenges we’ve had to face, you need to know the deep dark secrets of how we store post content on Tumblr. This hellsite we all love is held together by duct tape, good intentions, and luck, and we’re constantly working to make it better!

A post is seemingly a very simple data model: it has an author, it has content, and it was posted at a certain time. Every post has a unique identifier once it’s created. In the case of reblogs, they also have the “parent” post and blog it was reblogged from (more on How Reblogs Work over here). In a standard normalized database table, these columns would look like:

Post identifier (a very big integer)

Author blog identifier (an integer pointing to the “blogs” database table)

Parent post identifier (if it’s a reblog)

Parent blog identifier (if it’s a reblog)

When it was posted (a timestamp of some kind)

Post content (more on this in a minute)

Before the Neue Post Format, posts had discrete “types”, so that’d be a column here as well. But once you have these discrete “types”, you have to determine how you want to store the content of each “type”. For photo posts, this is a set of one or more images. For video posts, this is either a reference to an uploaded video file, or it’s a URL to an external video. For text posts, it’s just text, in HTML format. So the actual value of that “post content” column can change depending on what type it is.

Here’s a simple example, note how each post type has different kinds of content:

As Tumblr grew, its capabilities grew. We added the ability to add a caption to photo, video, and audio posts. We added the ability to add a “source” to quote posts. We needed somewhere to store that new post content. Because Tumblr was growing so rapidly at the time, this needed to happen fast, so we took the easiest path available: add a new column! That first “post content” column was renamed “one”, and the new post content column was named “two”. And as Tumblr grew more, eventually we added “three”. And each column’s value could be different based on the post type.

Needless to say, eventually this made it very difficult to have consistent and easy to understand patterns for how we figure out things like… how many images are in a post? Since we added the ability to add an image in the caption, it’s possible there’s images in the “one”, “two”, or “three” columns, but each may be in a different format based on the post type. Reblogs further complicate the storage design, as a reblog copies and reformats post content from its parent post to the new post. The code to figure out how to render a post became extremely complicated and hard to change as we wanted to add more to it.

Further complicating this was the fact that most (but not all) of these post content fields leveraged either HTML or PHP’s built-in serialization logic as the literal data format. Before PHP 7, HTML parsing in PHP (which is what Tumblr uses behind the scenes) was extremely slow, so rendering a post became more of a struggle as the post’s reblog trail grew or its post content complexity increased. And HTML and PHP’s serialization logic isn’t easily portable to other languages, like Go, Scala, Objective-C, Swift, or Java, which we use in other backend services and our mobile apps.

With all this in mind, in 2015, two needs converged: the need to have a more easily understandable and portable data format shared from the database all the way up to the apps, and the need for more types of post content, decoupled from post type. The Neue Post Format was born: a JSON-based data schema for content blocks and their layout. This has afforded us the flexibility to make new types of content available faster, without needing to worry necessarily about how we’ll store it in HTML format, and has made the post content format portable from the database up to the Android app, iOS app, and the new React-based web client.

Going back to the standard, normalized database table schema for posts, we’ve now achieved the intended simplicity with a flexible JSON structure inside that “post content” column. We no longer need post types at all when storing a post. A post can have any and all of the content types within it, instead of being siloed separately with a myriad of confusing options depending on the post type. Now a post can be a video and photo post at the same time! When the new editor on the web is fully released, we can finally say that this format is the fuel powering the engine of content on Tumblr. It’ll enable us to more quickly build out block types and layouts we couldn’t before, such as polls, blog card blocks, and overlapping images/videos/text. Sky’s the limit.

- @cyle

[bluescreening]

Internet Safety

Yeah, I know, you’ve all sat through the talks at school telling you never to tell strangers your credit card details or whatever. But it has come to my attention that there are a worrying number of people who don’t know the actual practical things you can do to stay safe and secure while on the web. These tips cover invasions of privacy from anybody including big companies and hackers. It’s probably worthwhile to give ‘em a go.

Personal Safety

Password Safety - Use a different password for every website. I’m not kidding. If you think you’ll struggle to remember that many, you have two options. Firstly, you can use a password manager such as OnePassword, which is probably the safest option. If you’re like me and can’t quite bring yourself to trust one (there’s no reason not to, it just doesn’t sit right with me) you can use variations on a password for unimportant sites, and then come up with secure ones for sites you share more personal info with. 

Have I Been Pwned? - This is a website which tells you if your email has been involved in a data breach. Don’t worry if you have been pwned - you have different passwords for everything, remember! Just be aware of what data has been leaked, and change a password or two if necessary. Sign up for their email notifications to stay on top of recent breaches.

ProtonVPN - A VPN, if you don’t know, stands for virtual private network. Picture all the different connections between devices in a network, linked through WiFi or cables, as highways. VPNs section off a lane for your own private use, so nobody can see what you’re sending or receiving. It’s unlikely that anyone will be looking on your home network, but on public WiFi networks it’s important to prevent anyone seeing anything they shouldn’t - it’s not hard to packet sniff! You can also use them to bypass school and workplace website blocking, and access sites blocked in your country. Obviously ProtonVPN isn’t the only one, but I’d recommend em as they encrypt everything and have some pretty beefy systems in place to prevent tracking. It’s available on all devices for free.

ProtonMail - Yes, yes, more ProtonStuff, but this is a really good one. I’ll get onto why Google tracking you is a bad thing later, but if you want to break out of Google’s ecosystem, ProtonMail is a good alternative to GMail. It encrypts all your emails, which means nobody intercepting the email will know what it says. That means it’s great for private matters that you want to keep secret or avoid Google telling people about, like banking and stuff. It’s also a bit more customisable than GMail.

Social Media Checkup - Do you know exactly how much someone can find out about you, just by looking at your social media? Facebook is a special offender for that one (I don’t even have an account there anymore - and dear lord was deleting it a struggle) but Insta, Snapchat, Twitter and yes, even Tumblr, might provide a creep more info than you bargained for. Think about how much you want to make public, or how much the app has on you at all. There are plenty of tutorials on how to adjust your settings.

HTTPS Everywhere - A very handy extension that forces websites to encrypt all your data as you send it back and forth.

Avoiding Tracking

Why? - I know it might seem weird that a large company, or even the government, might want to keep track of little old you. Sure, they can target you with relevant ads, but whatever, you use an ad-blocker anyway. That is, until you realise that behind the scenes, on almost every website you visit, data-brokers are collecting info on you and what you do online, and building a profile of you. It’s not anonymous. And it can be used for anything from determining your creditworthiness and insurance premiums to detailed surveillance. Yeah. With all the protests going on lately, it would make sense to keep these people from learning about you for your own safety and your future.

DuckDuckGo - Start by using this search engine instead of Google, and installing the Privacy Essentials extension. It’s a good search engine, for one thing. For another, it prevents tracking and lets you know whose schemes you’ve foiled, you meddling kid. It gives each site you visit a privacy rating, and lets you know how much it’s increased that by. For example, Tumblr usually receives a D, but DuckDuckGo has blocked some trackers and improved it to a B. It has also informed me that trackers have been found and dealt with on over 50% of the websites I visit. Google is unsurprisingly the main culprit.

Alternative Browsers - There are lots of things you can use instead of Chrome, and many of them work really well! I recommend Firefox, since it’s almost exactly like Chrome but open-source, and it also protects you from trackers and has lots of fun extensions. There are some other good PC ones too like Opera and Vivaldi, but I haven’t used them before so I wouldn’t know how good they are. DuckDuckGo has its own mobile browser which is currently my main one.

Adblockers - You can’t get targeted ads if you don’t get ads! You can choose who to show ads for too, so if you want to support a certain site you can whitelist them. Try UBlock Origin, or Adblock Plus. Install ‘em as extensions for whatever browser you’re using.

Privacy Checkup - Go through your Google account with a fine-toothed comb and check what is being tracked about you. Pause your YouTube history, your Maps history, your Google Assistant history. Clear what you can. Check Amazon too. Also, never ever use Cortana or Siri or Alexa or anything like that. Ever. No matter how cool having a robot assistant is.

And that should be that! I’ll try to keep updating this post with new tips as I find them, but this is everything I do for the minute to ensure I’m protected online. 

UPDATE #1 (9/8/20): I started using Vivaldi and goddammit is it brilliant!!! Extreme customisation, it's chromium-based so you have all your fancy Chrome extensions and it has a lovely mobile app too. My current browser setup on both desktop and mobile is Vivaldi with Firefox as a backup, both with DuckDuckGo and adblockers.

[evendeadlmthehero]

The Five Year Promise: The Snap (5/10)

Summary: Y/N Stark, 20 year old superhero, makes a promise with a 16 year old Peter Parker after being cheated on, that if she hasn’t found love in the next 5 years, they’d finally go on a date. Then the snap happens. Y/N is gone and Peter isn’t

Warnings: lots of angst and swearing

Twitter// buckyslemons

The Five Year Promise Masterlist

A/N: no one told me how to add read more in my posts on a MOBILE APP, not the laptop so if I see comments saying to add ‘read more’, either teach me or please be quiet.

You and your father were hidden from above watching as needles started to come in contact Dr. Strange's face, causing an obviously painful whitish subcutaneous glow at each touch. “Give me the stone!”

You watch, trying to plan your next move before something taps your shoulder. You raise your hand to it, ready to shoot, but then see what it is and stand down. It was Strange’s cloak. Your father looked at it confusedly. “Wow you're a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren't you?”

Suddenly you hear someone drop down before you, making both you and your father turn around. “Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty.”

“What the-“

“I know what you're both gonna say,” Peter begun as he raised his hands up. He watched as your face turned into one of anger.

“You should not be here,” your father had muttered, shaking his head at both of you. “I did not want either of you here.”

“I was gonna go home-“

“I don't wanna hear it.”

“But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you both,” Peter spoke, glancing at you specifically.

“You’re such an idiot peter!” You told him, anger coursing throughout your body. “My father and I could’ve handled this! This isn’t a fucking game peter, this is a one way ticket!”

“Don’t you think I get that-“

“Obviously not!” You cut him off, taking a step closer to him. “You can’t just risk your life recklessly like that!”

“You’re doing the same thing!” Peter spoke back, his turn to get angry. “I don’t get why it’s so bad when I do it!”

“Because you’re a damn kid Peter!” You yelled back at him. His face dropped for a second before looking at the floor as he played with his fingers. “You do things out of pure instinct. Not thinking that two avengers plus a wizard was enough as it is.”

‘Just a kid,’ he had though. ‘Just a little kid.’

“Come on guys,” your father breathed in heavily as he took you both to the viewpoint as tension between you and Peter rose. “We got a situation. See him down there? He's in trouble. What's our plan? Go.”

“Um. Okay, okay,” Peter spoke, trying to forget what you had said earlier on and concentrate. He had to prove you wrong. That he wasn’t a impulsive teenager. That he was an asset. He and the Cloak then popped back upright. “Okay. Did you ever see this really old movie, Aliens?”

-

“Painful aren't they?” You heard maw speak as he poked Stephen with needles, making him scream. “They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them-“

He stops as he hears a thump behind him. Maw turns to see Iron Man standing there, hand repulsors ready to fire. Ebony Maw’s face remained unchanged as he looked at your father. “Could end your friend's life in an instant.”

Your dad shrugged, acting like he didn’t care. “Gotta tell you, he's not really my friend. Saving his life is more a professional courtesy.”

Maw walks slowly towards your father, beckoning very large, very solid metal objects to float behind him. “You've saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine.”

Your father remained unbothered as he sighed. You readied into position, your fists pointed towards the wall of the spaceship. “Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies.”

You let out a quantum blast which pierces the side of the ship to Maw's right and begins to suck everything out with depressurization, especially Maw and his large objects. Dr. Strange is pulled loose of his pinnings, loses the needles, but also heads for the hole, helpless to resist. The Cape wraps around his arm and an anchor point, but Dr. Strange's arm slips loose and he keeps going.

You are also struggling to hold tight to the pipe attached to the wall. Peter sees this and shoots a web strand at Dr. Strange and you with one hand, while he holds onto a piece of the ship with the other. It breaks, sending them both towards space when his Iron-Spider suit's metal arms brace him to keep him from being sucked out. Fortunately, Dr. Strange is still surrounded by the ship's atmosphere making haste to leave.

“Yes!” Peter yelled excitedly as spider-legs came out of his suit. “Wait what are those!”

Peter crouches with his new spider-legs, and makes a mighty leap and pulls you both back inside. Your father quickly sprays nanites onto the hole to plug it up. He then walks past Dr. Strange, shaking his head and with his armor retreating into its containment as Dr. Strange gets to his feet and becomes en-Cloaked. “We've gotta turn this ship around.”

“Yeah,” you replied back sarcastically as you walked over and sat on the floor, your back against the wall. “Now he wants to run. Great plan.”

Dr. Strange looked over at you. “No, I want to protect the stone.”

Your dad walked towards the expansive front view-port before speaking. “And I want you to thank me now. Go ahead, I'm listening.”

“For what?” Stephen had scoffed, matching Tony’s ego. “Nearly blasting me into space?”

Your father moved his head to the side looking at Strange absurdly. “Who just saved your magical ass? Me.”

Strange shook his head at your dad, letting out a bitter laugh. “I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet.”

“Admit it.” Your father had spoke, taking a step forward. “You should have ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused.”

“Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you.”

“And due to that fact, we're now in a flying doughnut billions of miles away from Earth with no backup!”

“Can you guys for one secound just shut up!” You cut them both off as you walked over to the ship’s systems, trying to work out what it was doing. “This ship is self-correcting its course. Thing's on autopilot.”

Dr. Strange walks closer to you. “Can we control it? Fly us home?”

“Maybe,” you spoke shaking your head as you looked at the various switches and buttons. “Might take a while but we could get home, gather the remaining Avengers and-“

“-I'm not so sure we should,” your father cut you off as he looked to be in a deep thought. You looked at your father confusedly.

“Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos,” Strange shot at your father. “I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here.”

Your father stalks over to Strange. “No. It's you who doesn't understand, that Thanos has been inside my head for six years since he sent an army to New York and now he's back! And I don't know what to do. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?”

Dr. Strange thinks for a secound before nodding his head. “Alright, Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand. if it comes to saving you, your daughter, the kid or the Time Stone, I will not hesitate to let either of you die. I can't, because the fate of the universe depends on it.”

“Nice. Good. Moral compass. We're straight,” your father nods at Strange. He then steps over to Peter, as he formally taps each of Peter's shoulders with the edge of his hand, dubbing him as is done at a knighting. “Alright, kid. You're an Avenger now.”

Your father doesn't look at him as he says those words, knowing well what he is signing him up for. Peter however looks at Tony in disbelief, and then cycles through delight, satisfaction, pride and determination, and braces himself for what's to come. You scoff at your dad, knowing all to well what he was doing. You then look at Peter before shaking your head and storming off to find a quiet place out of here.

“Go after her,” your father spoke, giving Peter a little tap on the back. “See if she’s alright.”

Peter nodded at Tony before going over to where you had stormed off. He walked around for a few minutes before he saw you pacing around in an empty room. “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe he just made you an Avenger! I can’t believe you’ve risked your life for no reason and my dad has made you an Avenger!”

Peter scoffed, walking into to room you were in. “You expect me to stay there while you’re up here!”

“You heard me Peter, it’s a one way ticket!” You stopped pacing to look at him as you waved your arms around. “You should’ve stayed there no matter what happens to me!”

“You don’t fucking get it do you!” Peter yelled in frustration, pushing back his hair as his heart started beating rapidly out of anger and exasperation. “For the smartest person in the world you can be so daft!”

You crossed your arms, looking at Peter as he offended you. “Excuse me?”

“Last week you asked if I liked you. I don’t.” He spoke as he clenched his jaw. Your heart dropped for a moment as you took a step back. “The truth is I love you.”

“Peter,” you mumbled, shaking your head at him. “You don’t even know what love is.”

“And there you again, patronising me,” Peter spat out as he laughed bitterly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’m not!” You told him, uncrossing your arms.

“Yes you are! You always do!” He accused you as he pointed a finger at you. “You think because I’m four years younger than you, that I don’t know anything!”

“I’m not saying that, I’m just saying you haven’t been exposed to many things in life yet,” you replied back, trying to get him to understand where you were coming from. Peter wasn’t in love with you, was he? “Love being one of them.”

“Not exposed?” Peter shouted, his face displaying a look of unbelief for your lack of awareness. “I’ve been exposed for years! For years I’ve been exposed to love because of you! I can’t think of anything but you! And you don’t even fucking see it!”

“Pete-“

“No! You don’t get to talk! Because it’s been like this for two years, of you looking at me like I’m some sort of kid! And this watch?” He held up his wrist as he showed you the watch you gave him. “This is because you feel sorry for me! You don’t love me! C’mon Y/N tell me you don’t actually see me more than a brother, because it’s a one way trip, remember! I might not come back to hear the truth!”

“Peter,” you let out a sigh as you pinched your nose. You honestly don’t why you gave him the watch. Maybe you saw potential in the guy, because he sure did pay attention to you. You thought in the future, you might give it a shot. “you’re a nice guy. I though that-“

“That if you exhausted all your options and still didn’t find the one that I was the last person who you’d date,” Peter let out a little chuckle, looking at the floor. “Its fine I get it.”

“Peter, look you might not even ‘love’ me by the end of five years,” you tried to reason with him, taking a step forward. “You might find someone else when that timer hits zero.”

Peter let out another bitter laugh as he walked over toward you, making your breath halt.

“You know how I know that this is what love is?” Peter spoke, looking at you dead in the eye. “Because what you just said sounds fucking impossible.”

-

You, Peter, Tony and Dr. Strange are aboard the ship when you see the surface of a planet approaching. Dr. Strange looked at your father, walking near the window. “I think we're here.”

“I don't think this rig has a self-park function,” your father spoke before looking at you. “Get your hand into this steering gimbal. Close those around it. You understand?”

“Got it,” you replied back. You walk over to the steering wheel that looked like two gloves, as you put your hand in one of the gloves.

Your father places his hand on the other glove. “This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta to move at the same time.”

The ringship is heading straight for the center of what looks like one of a colossal game of jacks. “We might wanna turn. Turn! Turn! Turn!”

Your father armors up as the ringship clips the "jack" obliquely, but still losing a good third of its hull in the collision. Peter throws up his helmet at the same time. Doctor Strange steps between them and creates the Shield of the Seraphim around you all, anticipating a rough landing. The ship, now reduced to about 40%, plows through the dirt and stops, leaning slightly to one side. Doctor Strange helps you and your now de-helmeted father, to your feet. You’re both panting a little from the exertion of arrival. “You alright? That was close. I owe you one.”

Peter descends from above in classically spider-like fashion as all three of you looked at him. “Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something, and I end up eating you, I'm sorry.”

Your father pointed at Peter like a parent telling off his child. “I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?”

“I'm trying to say that-“ Peter stopped as he looked behind you both. “Something is coming.”

A grenade rolls into view. You, Peter, Strange and Tony get thrown well back when it fires its energy pulse.

“Thanos!” You hear a creature yell as he flings a blade at Doctor Strange, who neatly deflects it with a mystical shield, and in return sends the Cloak of Levitation at the creatures face, half-smothering him and throwing him to the floor. You see what seemed to be a Human attacking your father and due to how close your father was to him, you couldn’t just shoot at him. The man had your father in what seemed to be a magnet.

You opted for your black widow skills and ran toward him, wrapping your legs around his neck, choking him with your thighs.

“Get off me!” The man yelled as he tried to smack you in the head with the back of his gun. You grabbed it with your hand. The man purposely fell backwards to get you off his back, making you see a daze. He then shot an electric current that wrapped around you like a cord. Your dad pulls free of the magnet then runs towards Drax as soon as he sees that Quill had you, putting a foot on his torso.

Quill has you in a head-lock, gun pointed at your head. Doctor Strange has a mystical shield of golden energy up, and stands ready at the third point of the triangle. Mantis had Parker in a coma.

It was a complete mess.

“Alright, everybody, stay where you are, chill the F out,” Quill spoke as he depowered his helmet. “I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?”

Your father spoke, dehelmeting as well. “Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?”

“I’ll do you one better! Why is Gamora?” The creature that was headlocked by your father spoke out.

“What the fuck is wrong with him,” you whispered to yourself as you looked at the creature that your father had under his foot.

“Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French-fry little miss thighs of death!” Quill had spoke, pushing the gun towards your head more.

“Let's do it! You shoot my daughter, I blast him. Let's go!” Your father threatened as he extends his nano-tech cannon, looking uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face.

“Do it, Quill! I can take it.”

“No, he can't take it!” Mantis yelled back.

“She's right. You can't,” Dr Strange deadpanned.

“Oh yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine. I'll kill all four of you and beat it out of Thanos myself,” the man spoke before looking at you. “Starting with you.”

“Wait, what. Thanos?” Dr Strange spoke, trying to inject clarity and sanity into the situation. “Alright, let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?”

“What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? "Jesus"?” The guy spoke making you roll your eyes at him as it dawned to you.

“You're from Earth?” You had asked him, turning around to look at him from the death grip he had you in.

“I’m not from Earth. I'm from Missouri.”

‘Well this was going to be a long day,’ you thought you yourself as you closed you eyes and sighed.

-

Peter and yourself had sat on one of the rocks in the planet which you came to learn was called titan. Despite your predicament and the place in ruins, it was a beautiful place.

Your dad was trying to explain the plan to a group of people who you’d learnt the names of a while ago. The one that looked like a Prey Mantis had the name Mantis. Go figure.

Mantis was currently jumping on what seemed to be a gas emitting from the ground or something, you didn’t know. But what you did know was if Thanos was as strong as others had told you he was, then you guys were in for it. Because you had found a team of some questionable characters.

You sighed, rubbing your temple before facing Peter, who looked like he was ignoring you. “Pete?”

He didn’t respond, staring at the rocks in front of him. You shook your head, playing with your fingers.

“Come one Pete,” you softly spoke, turning around to have your body face him. “We might not come back out of this. We need to talk.”

“Fine,” Peter mumbled, grabbing a rock from the floor and chucking it across. “You go first since I already confessed about how I love you and how apparently it’s not even real.”

You rubbed your eye before biting the bottom of your lip, trying to form some logical explanation on your outburst. You looked around the planet, playing with the material of your suit.

“Truth is Peter, you’re not a kid. You’re smart, mature, attentive and heroic,” you spoke. “But I didn’t give you that watch to risk your life for me. Or to ignore other girls for me. I gave you that watch because if you exhaust all your options, and there’s no one else left, that we give it a go. Because I want to. But I want to make sure you 100% want to and not because I’m the first girl you like.”

Peter’s head moved up at that comment. “That’s the thing. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone like you. And it scares me. So when you gave me that watch...for once I-I felt hopeful. I felt hopeful that we might have something. Maybe not now, but in the future.”

“Exactly Peter,” you spoke, putting your arm around his shoulders as you pointed at his watch. “This is for the future. In the future things change. Things become unpredictable. Hell, you might not want to wear this in a couple of months or years time. But that’s okay. The main thing is when we’re both ready, if we are ready, we’ll give it a shot. It’s just now I can’t. Not because of age primarily but because I just got my heart broken. And you need to meet other girls before you decide what you want. Because once we start, we can’t be friends if things go wrong.”

“I get it,” Peter whispered to himself, rubbing his arm. “You need time. And I need time too. I need time to actually grow. To learn. To be a man. I’m 16 and you’re 21. We both need time. It isn’t right to try now.”

You give Peter a hug which he returns. It’s warm and gives you a feeling of eating a hot chocolate fudge during Christmas. Like home. “I hope the future is kind to us.”

“I hope so too,” Peter replied back as you both pulled away from each other. You then looked at each other’s eyes, for a secound almost lost.

You then awkwardly looked away, your attention once again caught by the Mantis girl as she spoke. “Excuse me, but, does your friend often do that?”

You looked over to where she was pointing, where you see Dr. Strange sitting cross-legged. He was floating slightly above the ground, his hands poised in a mystic gesture with the Time Stone glowing brightly in the Eye of Agamotto setting. Green vapor-like energy flows from the stone, and more intricate magical energy patterns circle Dr. Strange's forearms. The Cloak of Levitation flows behind him as if the Stone is creating a strong breeze. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side, the motion blurring, but resembling looking for something.

Peter, you and your father ran over to him. Your father grabbed him, shaking him. “Strange! We alright?”

Dr. Strange snaps out of his trance and falls forward, letting out a cry.

“You're back. You're alright,” your father breathed in heavily as he took a step back.

“Hey, what was that?” Peter asked Strange who was still breathing deeply. He then sighed, looking at you all.

“I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict,” Strange spoke, looking deflated.

“How many did you see?” Quill had asked him.

“14,000,605”

Your father looked nervous as he asked the next question. “How many did we win?”

Dr. Strange stares intently at Tony for a moment. He looks at your father like he was silently apologising to him, giving you a quick glance. “One.”

At the time, that look meant nothing to you. Like it was just Strange tired from viewing all possible outcomes.

But looking back at it, you would’ve yelled at him. Pleaded with him. That somehow, someway it could’ve gone differently.

That there was an outcome that he may have missed.

-

You hid behind a rock with Peter, waiting for the arrival of Thanos. You were lying if you said you weren’t afraid. You were. It was like being a child. You think there’s monsters under your bed. You tell your parents, and they laugh, saying that monsters aren’t real. And then you return to bed, unable to sleep.

This is what it felt like, your heart thudding against your chest. This is it. This is what you’ve been waiting for. And although you’ve been waiting six years, you still didn’t feel prepared.

“Somethings not right,” you whispered to Peter, giving him a quick glance before keeping your eyes out for Thanos. “Something- I don’t think I- I will make it- fuck.”

You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes. Peter moved towards you, rubbing your back. “Pete? Can you promise me something?”

“Anything,” Peter spoke, looking at you concerned. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to contain yourself.

“I don’t want you to comment on this, just a yes or a no. I don’t want sympathy and I don’t won’t hope. I just want a yes or a no,” You begun before looking away at him and back where Strange was. “If I don’t make it, take care of my father will you?”

“Y/N-“

“Will you?” You reinforced. Peter gulped, before nodding. He wouldn’t let you die. He couldn’t let you die. “Good. Great talk.”

You let out a little breath before you look back. A blue mist started appearing, getting bigger and bigger. You know what it was. It was a portal created by the tesseract. You remembered it from 2012.

You then see a giant man who looked almost 8 foot tall. He had a violet complexion and donned a gauntlet with four stones; reality, space, power and soul.

You held your breath as you realised he’s here. Thanos is here.

“Oh, yeah, you're much more of a "Thanos”,” Dr Strange spoke from the stone he was sitting on. Thanos looked at him, his face unchanged.

“I take it the Maw is dead,” Thanos sighed, as he slowly walked around before stopping. “This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission.”

“You may regret that,” Dr Strange replied arrogantly. “He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts.”

Thanos let out a little smile. “And where do you think he brought you?”

You see Star-Lord crouch behind wreckage with his weapon ready, behind Thanos. You and Peter peek from behind Dr Strange. “Let me guess. Your home?”

Thanos begun explaining his home, showing various imagery of what used to be. Explains why he was doing what he was. Trying to justify himself.

Dr. Strange summons his Mandalas, entering a fighting pose. “I think you'll find our will equal to yours.”

And that’s when you all get out of your position.

“Ours?” Thanos spokes before he looks up to a see a chunk of wreckage descending rapidly on him, too rapidly to react and powered by your father. He is subsequently crushed by it.

The wreckage on top of Thanos erupts in purple, as he bellows in rage. He turns the hovering fragments into a flock of bats with the Reality Stone and swarms your dad with them, driving him back through the ruins.

Peter webs his eyes, and swings in to kick him in the face at the same time that Drax leaps from cover, blades in both hands, to knee-slide behind Thanos and try for a tendon slide across the back of the Titan's knee.

You jump through a portal that strange had created and blast golden energy, that sends Thanos hurdling back. He uses the reality stone to send the discarded ship towards you, but you fly in full speed right through it as the heat from the quantum energy sliced the metal of the ship.

Strange starts dueling with Thanos while Drax attacks similarly on his other side. Thanos punches Drax through a ruined wall, then shatters the blade with one hand and tears the web from his eyes. He advances on Doctor Strange and kicks at him, but Strange's shield absorbs the damage.

You make your way back on the ground, and shoot Thanos from behind. Thanos uses the Power Stone to shoot balls of energy towards you but you quickly deflect them with your own powers. You then use quantum energy to lift up a massive rock and aim it at Thanos who crushes it before it even reaches him.

“Don’t let him close his fist,” you had heard Dr Strange whisper to his cloak. The Cloak swoops off Doctor Strange's shoulders and wraps itself tightly around Thanos' armored hand, who starts tugging at this unexpected wrapping.

Doctor Strange starts throwing portals everywhere. Peter leaps through one on Thanos' left.

“Magic!” He punches Thanos in the head and vanishes through a portal to the lower right before reappearing above Thanos. “More magic! Magic with a kick! Magic with a-“

Before he can finish Thanos turns, grabbing him from the air, and throwing him to the ground, with his hand around his neck. “Insect!”

He then throws him at Doctor Strange, knocking them both down. Thanos finally tears the Cloak away and is then promptly surrounded by fiery explosions as you bombarded him with your powers.

He sucks all the flame into the gauntlet with the Power Stone and fires it in a stream back at you, hitting you dead on and sending you far away.

Peter leaps from behind, more conventionally this time, while Thanos concentrates his fire on you, and webs the gauntlet and drops down in front of him, pulling hard to stop Thanos from hurting you.

‘Can’t let her die,’ Peter had thought.

Thanos yanks on the web-line, pulling the much lighter teenager towards him, and punching him on his way past. He tears the webbing free of the gauntlet just in time for a small spaceship to attempt to crash-land on him.

The ship drags Thanos along for a distance, burying him under debris. He stands just as the pilot leaps in a great arc to punch him, landing in front of him with an energy-blade at the ready.

It was Nebula.

Thanos punches her away. Doctor Strange uses the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to pinion the gauntlet, pulling Thanos' fingers open and trying to pry the gauntlet off his hand.

Thanos tries to pull free, as Drax slides in from his right, kicking his knee and knocking him off-balance, then wrapping himself around Thanos' kneeling leg. You quantum blast his legs, making him fall, before holding his legs in a ball of energy.

Star-Lord shoots a electric trap onto the ground to Thanos' right, the tangle-field holding down his unarmored hand. Peter swings in, webs Thanos' chest then wraps it around behind him, digging his Iron Spider legs into the ground to anchor himself.

Doctor Strange opens a portal straight above Thanos' out of which drops Mantis, landing on the Titan's shoulders, her hands on his temples. He bellows as she tries to put him under.

Thanos was now trapped. And you were slightly relieved.

Your father is pulling on the gauntlet. Doctor Strange reapplies the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to reinforce the trap's hold on Thanos' right hand, and the Cloak helps him pull. Thanos is finally subdued enough to incapacitate, not fully asleep.

“Is he under?” Your father spoke as continued pulling on the gauntlet. “Don't let up.”

“Be quick,” Mantis cried as she clenched her eyes closed, trying to concentrate. “He is very strong.”

“Parker, help! Get over here,” your father spoke as Peter drops his web-line, and hurries to help Tony with the gauntlet. “She can't hold him much longer. Let's go.”

Quill flies over to join the others, stands in front of Thanos, tauntingly. “I thought you'd be harder to catch. For the record, this was my plan. Not so strong now, huh? Where is Gamora?”

Thanos stirred from that name, still under asleep. “My Gamora.”

“No, bullshit,” Quill spat out, as you continued comcentrating your power on holding Thanos’ legs. “Where is she?”

Mantis lets out a sob, her face in shock. “He is in anguish.”

“Good,” Quill spat out harshly, staring at Thanos.

“He- he mourns.”

“What does this monster have to mourn?” Drax yelled.

Nebula had stood there, her eyes welling up as she put the pieces together. “Gamora.”

“Fuck,” you whispered, looking at Quill who’s face was in shock.

“What?”

Nebula shook her head with horror and sadness at what had happened. “He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul Stone but she didn't.”

Your father frasps the danger immediately and de-helmets. “Okay, Quill, you gotta cool it right now, you understand?”

Quill slowly turns to Thanos.

“Don't, don't, don't engage, we've almost got this off!”

“Tell me she's lying,” Quill spoke, now enraged. “Asshole! Tell me you didn't do it!”

“I had to.”

Quill shook his head while starting to tear up. “No, you didn't! No, you didn't!.”

He continues to rage and then pistol-whipping Thanos twice in the face, causing Mantis to let go in pain. “No you didn’t!”

“Quill!”

Your father leaps for Star-Lord's arm, re-helmeting and leaving Peter to pull off the gauntlet. You hold onto Thanos’ legs with your powers more strongly, your whole body aching in pain. Thanos wakes completely, now well and truly furious. He head-butts Mantis, grabbing the cuff of the gauntlet just as it is sliding off his hand, causing Peter to stumble back, and then throwing Mantis away off his shoulders.

Thanos kicks Drax off his right leg and into Nebula and Star-Lord, knocking them down. He yanks on the Crimson Bands holding his right hand to throw Doctor Strange far away, and swats away your father and his repulsor shots.

He then grabs you, using the power stone to chuck you across the sky. Peter sees this and runs over to you but before he reaches you, your head hits the rock.

Your vision starts to daze, the last thing you see is Peter’s face before you black out.

-

Your vision was blurry as you opened your eyes, blinking rapidly. You could hear voices murmuring somewhere as you focussed on the orange sky above you. You look to your left, seeing a familiar brown pair of eyes. “Peter?”

Peter smiled at you, but it didn’t fully reach his face. Your head was pounding as you looked at your surroundings. Half of the guardians passed out and you dad clutching his injured stomach. And then Strange. Strange didn’t have the time stone.

“Oh no,” you muttered shaking your head, making your head pound even more. “Wh- what happened.”

“Thanos wanted to kill your dad,” he mumbled defeatly, making your eyes widen as you looked over to your dad. “Then Dr Strange gave up the stone for his life.”

You quickly got up, Peter quickly trailing behind you just in case you had fell. You had ran up to your dad, taking him by surprise as you gave him a tight squeeze. No words were exchanged, but both of you knew how much you loved one another.

“Stop being such a self-sacrificial ass, okay?” you told him, grabbing his cheeks as you made him look you in the eyes. Your father gave you a sad grin and a little nod. “Y-you can’t do that.”

You then grabbed Peter and pulled him into the hug with you and your father. You guys all squeezed each other, happy that none of you guys had died. That you might have a chance of coming back home, or to what’s left of it if the remaining Avengers don’t win.

You then made eye contact with Dr Strange, who hasn’t stopped looking at you for a while now. You then pull away from the hug and walk over to him. “You gave away the stone.”

Dr Strange nodded, not breaking eye contact with you. “Yeah, I did.”

You nodded, looking at his face for any answers on why he did what he did. A thunder broke your gaze, as you looked up and saw a cloud forming. You then saw Dr Strange in the side of your eye let out a sigh.

You then felt sick, your stomach doing somersaults. Your vision started going in and out of focus, your whole body shivering. You were scared and terrified. You didn’t know what was happening but you knew it was something horrible.

“Ah!” You screamed, as you held your stomach in pain. Peter and your father ran over to you, trying to hold you upright.

“Hey, hey what’s wrong?” Your father asked as he sat you down. You shook your head, your eyes filled with tears as the most excruciating pain jolted throughout your body.

“Something is happpening,” Mantis cries as everyone looked over to her. And then the most horrifying thing happened to her. Her body had slowly disenergrated into ash, the wind carrying it away.

“Quill?” Drax had spoken as he too had disenergrated whilst Quill watched in horror. Your father had gotten up, walking over to Star-Lord as he too started to fade.

“Steady, Quill,” your dad spoke before Quill had vanished. You let out a sob as the pain got worse and worse.

“Tony,” Dr Strange had spoken, catching your father’s attention. Little speckles left his body as he looked at your dad with pleading eyes. “There was no other way.”

He had vanished as well, leaving you, Peter, your father and Nebula. You let out a cry before shaking your head. “It hurts so much!”

“Hey, Hey, Hey,” your dad spoke, his eyes tearing up. “It’s going to be fine. We just have to get back to earth.”

“You don’t understand!” You told him, lifting your arm up as you saw dust particles leave your hand and then re-forming. “Dad I- it’s me too. I have- he-“

You shook your head, not wanting to say. Your suit was trying to heal you. But the pain was getting worse and worse. “I h-have to turn the suit off.”

“No!” Your dad yelled at you. You looked at Peter, seeing tears fall down his face as he watched on silently. You closed your eyes, falling into a hysteria of cries.

“I’m gonna g-go either way Dad,” you spoke, unable to form coherent sentences. “I have to do it.”

“Please-“

“I l-love you dad. Please don’t waste your life,” you cried out to him, holding his hand. You then looked at Peter giving him a sad smile. “And Pete, I like you. I do. B-but I was always scared to give it a go. B-but remembered what you promised. P-please.”

“No, no, no you can’t just do that! You can’t smile at me and tell me everything’s gonna be alright every time it isn’t!” Peter shook his head at you, grabbing your hand. “You- you- please just- just lets take you home, we can fix this. P-please j-just look me in the- the eyes-“

“F.R.I.D.A.Y,” you whispered, as you gave your father one last look before looking at Peter who was a sobbing mess. You then squeezed his arm while he was speaking.

“A-and know everything’s going to be fine,” Peter finished, his whole body shaking. His Spider senses was on overdrive as anxiety flooded his whole body. He couldn’t lose you. Not again. Not ever. “J-Just please stay.”

“Turn off my suit,” you finished your command, giving both men a smile as you saw dust particles slowly leave your body.

“No!” Peter yelled out, trying to stop the dust from leaving your body. Your dad watched you, unable to take his eyes off from decaying daughter, watching in absolute shock and grief.

Peter’s senses allowed him to hear your heartbeat get fader and fader before it wasn’t there at all. He can hear every spec leave your body, one by one. It was by far one of the worst experiences in his life.

Peter Parker had to watch you die twice.

Your body slowly collapsed into a pile of ash. Peter sobbed as he grabbed the dust from the floor and trying to put them together. “Th-this isn’t h-her! S-she doesn’t l-look like this! She- we have to- she can’t- We have to fix her!”

Tony watched in silence as Peter tried to pick up your ashes. He watched as Peter let out a gut wrenching cry as he realised he couldn’t do anything with what was left of you. Tony then slowly picked up what was left of you and closed his hand into a fist as he placed it near his heart.

He had failed. He had lost his only daughter.