#poor website design

[collgeruledzebra]

Ok so the audio drama production post is breaking 1k with literally like 2 people having even come close to the actual intended point of it. Cool. screams into towel

[oobbbear]

I wanna grow up and be a dinosaur

[tacit-semantics]

Desire for library card so strong I’m on the dmv website

[tragicdesign]

Idk if this is this is the official site, but this looks like ass 😭

[bitsbug]

If Tumblr's gonna have dogshit ui can it at least be consistent

Like.. ok. You click on the blog icon to go to the blog, and the name to go to the post itself. This is consistent for the dashboard and posts in followed tags. but in REBLOGS you have to click the empty space and not the name. why?? Why in that specific instance is it different? Is it truly so difficult to maintain the trend you've already established? I honestly wouldn't find this as annoying if it was /less/ consistent.

And not to mention how they removed looking at the post someone reblogged from ... Tumblr have web design that makes sense challenge (impossible)

[lodish]

we didnt even see her full design yet. you hate female characters bc of their designs. you like male characters despite their designs

when did i say i hate her.... girl be so serious with me.............

[lilyvines]

people coming over from twitter only to complain about tumblr all the time are so lame like you walked into this circus willingly

[bizperfect]

Is Your Website Suffering From Poor Design Syndrome?

Also, with all the website builders out there, it’s quite possible to do it yourself. You can start with this simple guide.

[violetren]

To whoever designed the university housing student portal,

If I find you, I am going to remove your knee caps with a belt sander.

Sincerely your new comm & media student resident.

[artemisdesari-blog]

Sometimes being the mum who exists in fandom spaces leads to awkward, even concerning, conversations. Such as the one which happened this morning. The mum of my daughter's best mate asked me if one of their mutual friends had sent her a specific message. This message was a link to a fic on ao3, if this had been a G rated fic this conversation would not have happened. It was not G rated. It was an E rated fic. Our kids aren't even 12 yet. As it happens, both of our kids have their internet access heavily locked down and monitored. They have phones because of how their school manages homework. The mutual friend, however, is not so monitored. Or she wasn't, given what her mum found she's about to be. This kid had found a fandom, joined it, and found it chock full of antis. The fic had been sent to her by one of them as an example of the sort of terrible people out there who need to be harassed and attacked because they wrote a smutty story.

Someone thought it was appropriate to send written porn to an 11 year old to encourage her to attack the author.

This resulted in a very awkward conversation where I had to explain to multiple horrified parents the anti culture that is becoming so prevalent. The fact that there are adults who use that purity message to groom kids. The way they escalate and how it bleeds into real life. One parent told me she'd wondered why her 14 year old was suddenly concerned about the two year age gap between her parents. The more I explained, the more absolutely ludicrous it sounded and the more baffled these poor mums looked. More than once I was told "but the characters aren't real, it's really weird but it isn't hurting anyone". Which is the point. The fictional situation isn't hurting anyone. The person who sent porn to an 11 year old is.

Was the person who sent it the author? Doubtful, that thing was tagged in the extreme. Was the person who sent it an adult? Almost certainly. The parent who's child received the original message has found more concerning stuff and gone to the police, but from the language the person doing the sending was in the US. We aren't. Did my daughter receive it? No, she isn't interested in that fandom and therefore wouldn't have bothered with it. Is this the fault of the author? No, they didn't send the link, they didn't ask to be harassed, they wrote a story and put it on ao3, the website created in response to rampant censorship and designed to allow for all kinds of fiction. Is this the fault of the parents? Partially, they should have been looking at their daughter's internet use and clocked what was happening sooner. Is this the fault of the child? No, she's 11, she didn't know better.

This has been a difficult day. Multiple parents have had their eyes opened to parts of fandom culture they had no idea existed. And the thing of it is, they aren't concerned about the why of anti rhetoric. They don't care about the adults writing about teens or rape or incest or torture or any of the rest, because they looked at the clearly tagged and rated fics and figured that it worked the same as a warning on any streaming service. They only cared because some utterly vile individual decided to expose their child to something this girl might not have looked at for years.

Proshippers did not cause what I have spent afternoon helping several sets of parents navigate. Antis did. Normally I'm fairly quiet about the whole debate because I just want to get on with my life and share my experiences. Today I got dragged into that mess in my every day life and the adults in the equation didn't react the way Antis like to think they would. They didn't condemn the author. They condemned the anti who shared the work with a preteen.

[gmatechnologi]

The Cost of Poor Planning Reasons Your Digital Strategy May be Failing

https://www.gmatechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/The-Cost-of-Poor-Planning-Reasons-Your-Digital-Strategy-May-Be-Failing.jpg.webp

In today’s digital age, having a solid strategy is crucial for any business to succeed. However, many companies fail to recognize the importance of proper planning and end up with lackluster results. Whether it’s due to outdated tactics or underestimating the power of social media, there are countless reasons why your digital strategy may be falling short. In this blog post, we’ll explore the cost of poor planning and share actionable tips to help you turn things around and achieve success online. So buckle up and get ready to learn how you can take your digital game from mediocre to extraordinary!

Introduction

It’s no secret that poor planning can lead to disastrous results. But when it comes to your digital strategy, the consequences can be even more severe. Here are four reasons why your digital strategy may be failing:

You’re Not Defining Your Goals

Without a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, it’s impossible to create an effective digital strategy. What are your business goals? How do you want to grow your online presence? What are your target markets? Without answers to these questions, you’ll never be able to develop a plan that leads to success.

You’re Not Identifying Your Audience

Who is your target audience? What are their needs and wants? What motivates them? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’ll never be able to develop content or campaigns that resonates with them. As a result, your digital strategy will fail to meet its objectives.

You’re Not Leveraging Data

Data is one of your most powerful tools in developing a successful digital strategy. By analyzing website traffic data, social media engagement data, and other relevant metrics, you can gain insights into what’s working and what isn’t. Without this data-driven approach, your efforts are likely to be wasted on ineffective tactics that don’t produce results.

You’re Not Monitoring Your Progress

Finally, it’s important to continuously monitor your progress and adjust your digital strategy accordingly . This involves setting benchmarks and tracking your performance over time, as well as testing different tactics to find out what works best. Without this ongoing assessment, you won’t be able to adjust your strategy as needed in order to optimize results.

In conclusion, if you want your digital strategy to succeed, it’s important to take a comprehensive approach. Define your goals, identify your audience, leverage data, and monitor your progress regularly. By implementing these steps, you can ensure that your digital strategy is successful and leads to the intended results.

What Is A Digital Strategy?

If you’re not sure what a digital strategy is, you’re not alone. In fact, many businesses don’t have a clear or well-defined digital strategy. Without a digital strategy, businesses risk missing out on important opportunities to connect with their target audience and achieve their desired outcomes.

A digital strategy is an essential part of any business’s overall marketing plan. It’s a holistic approach to marketing that takes into account the ever-changing landscape of the internet and the role it plays in customer behavior. A successful digital strategy must be flexible and adaptable, as well as reactive to changes in the marketplace.

There are several key components to a strong digital strategy:

Define your goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your digital marketing efforts? Be specific and measurable.

Research your audience. Who are your customers and what do they want? What motivates them? What online channels do they use most often?

Develop targeted content. Once you know who your audience is and what they want, you can develop content that speaks to their needs and interests. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, ebooks, webinars, etc.

Promote your content across multiple channels. Don’t just rely on one channel to get your message out there – diversify your efforts across social media, email marketing, paid advertising, etc.

Analyze and optimize your campaigns. Make sure you track your performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. Test different messages, calls-to-action, and other tactics to see what works best for your business.

By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful digital strategy for your business.

Common Mistakes That Lead To Poor Planning

When it comes to planning your digital strategy, there are a number of common mistakes that can lead to poor planning and ultimately, failure. Here are four of the most common mistakes:

Not Defining Your Goals

The first mistake is not defining your goals. What exactly do you want to achieve with your digital strategy? Without clear goals, it will be difficult to measure success and determine whether or not your strategy is working.

Not Researching Your Audience

The second mistake is not researching your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your digital strategy? What are their needs and wants? What kind of content will they engage with? Without a clear understanding of your target audience, it will be difficult to create a successful digital strategy.

Not Creating a Solid Plan

The third mistake is not creating a solid plan. A digital strategy is not something that can be thrown together last minute – it takes time and effort to develop a successful plan. Make sure you allocate the necessary resources upfront in order to create a comprehensive plan that will set you up for success.

Not Monitoring & Adjusting Your Strategy

The fourth mistake is not monitoring and adjusting your strategy as needed. Things change rapidly in the digital world, so it’s important to keep an eye on your strategy and make tweaks as necessary. Don’t be afraid to experiment – what works today might not work tomorrow, so always be prepared to adjust your strategy.

Not Having Clear Goals And Objectives

If you don’t have clear goals and objectives for your digital marketing strategy, it’s likely that your campaigns are not going to be as successful as they could be. Without a clear plan, it can be difficult to track progress and measure ROI, which can make it difficult to justify continued investment in digital marketing.

It’s important to set realistic goals and objectives for your digital marketing campaigns, and then create a plan for how you’re going to achieve those goals. Once you have a plan in place, you can start to implement tactics and track your progress. If you find that your campaigns aren’t meeting your goals, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

If you’re not sure where to start, our team of digital marketing experts can help you develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan that will get you results. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

Setting Unrealistic Expectations

Your digital strategy may be failing for a number of reasons, but one common denominator is setting unrealistic expectations.

When you set out to create or revamp your digital presence, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and what’s possible within the constraints of your budget, timeline, and resources. Too often, organizations set out with grandiose plans that are simply not achievable given their limitations. As a result, they end up disappointed and disenchanted with the whole process.

It’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve and to set achievable goals that will keep you moving forward. Otherwise, you run the risk of letting your digital strategy fall by the wayside.

Failing To Monitor Progress And Measure Results

If you’re not monitoring progress and measuring results, you’re probably not going to be very successful in achieving your digital marketing goals. Here are some specific ways in which failing to monitor progress and measure results can cost you:

You won’t know what’s working and what’s not.

If you’re not monitoring progress, you won’t have any way of knowing which aspects of your digital strategy are working and which ones aren’t. This can lead to wasted time and money spent on activities that aren’t effective, while valuable resources are diverted away from areas that could be more productive.

You’ll miss out on opportunities to improve.

Continuous monitoring allows you to identify areas where your digital strategy could be improved. Without this feedback loop, you’ll miss out on chances to make adjustments that could lead to better results down the line.

You’ll lose sight of your goals.

It’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re not keeping track of your progress towards specific goals. If you don’t have a clear picture of how well you’re doing, it will be difficult to stay focused on what’s important and continue making progress towards your objectives.

Allocating Too Little Resources

If you’re not allocating enough resources to your digital strategy, it’s likely that your initiatives will suffer as a result. Without adequate funding, your team won’t be able to execute their plans properly or effectively, which can lead to a number of issues down the line.

Some of the most common problems associated with insufficient resources include:

-Inadequate staffing levels: If you don’t have enough people working on your digital strategy, it’s going to be very difficult to get anything done. This can lead to projects falling behind schedule, deadlines being missed, and overall subpar results.

-Lack of quality control: When you’re stretched too thin, it’s hard to maintain the same level of quality control that you would if you had more resources. This can result in rushed or sloppy work, which reflects poorly on your brand.

-Inefficient processes: If you’re not investing in the right tools and technologies, your team will likely end up wasting a lot of time and energy on manual tasks that could be automated. This inefficiency can lead to frustration and even burnout among employees.

Ultimately, if you want your digital strategy to be successful, you need to make sure that you’re allocate adequate resources towards it. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up facing a number of challenges along the way.

Lack Of Communication Between Stakeholders

There are a number of reasons why communication between stakeholders can break down, leading to poor planning and execution of digital strategies.

One common reason is that different stakeholders have different objectives and priorities. For example, the marketing team may be focused on generating leads, while the sales team is focused on closing deals. Without clear communication and alignment between these teams, it’s easy for the digital strategy to become unbalanced and ineffective.

Another reason for poor communication is silos within organizations. Different departments or teams may be working in their own silos, without sharing information or collaborating with each other. This can lead to duplication of effort, wasted resources, and ultimately a lack of cohesive strategy.

Finally, inadequate communication can simply be the result of not taking the time to properly plan and coordinate between all stakeholders. In today’s fast-paced business world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of effective communication in planning a successful digital strategy.

If you’re experiencing any of these problems with communication between stakeholders in your organization, it’s important to take action to rectify the situation. Proper alignment of objectives, more collaboration between teams, and better overall coordination will lead to a more successful digital strategy that meets the needs of all stakeholders involved.

Conclusion

Poor planning can be a costly mistake when it comes to your digital strategy. If you want to make sure that your digital strategy is successful, you must plan ahead and consider all the potential risks. Having an effective plan in place will ensure that your business is on track for success and that you are able to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. With thoughtful consideration, dedication, and hard work, your digital strategy can be the key to a prosperous future for your business!

[dcxdpdabbles]

Hi!

If you’re still doing these asks, do you mind maybe adding a part 5 to Passion for Fashion?

I would love to see how Danny and Red Robin’s impromptu date goes and Constantine’s reaction to all this.

And poor Killer Croc is so confused and uncomfortable around the twins, oh and not to forget Dan’s inner turmoil over losing a love interest because his body no longer matches his mental and spiritual age😂

I’d also love to see the reactions of the rest of the Batfam to Tim going on a date and their reaction to Dan’s flirting with Croc.

Your request came in after I had already written most of Part 5, but I hope I can include most of what you asked for in it and make it up with another Part of the Au for you.

Danny strutted down the runway, fighting to keep his gaze straight ahead as various flashes from cameras went off.

He mentally went through his checklist of proper catwalk tips that he watched the other day—or, more accurately, Dan forced him to watch from some free video website—ensuring his hands were relaxed, long strides were made, and his shoulders were firm but not stiff.

This was the contest's second round, with Tim Drake proposing the "Gotham Aesthetic" as the theme and challenge. Apparently, the teenage CEO spent most of his childhood taking photos of the city and wanted others to appreciate the architecture of the aged town.

There was no kidnapping attempt this time, and the contest was back on schedule. However, there was a delay because some of the models had dropped out after they were nearly sold (Dan called them cowards, but Danny personally thought they were wise to do so). Hence, fashion designers had to scramble for someone new or forfeit their position in the contest, allowing some eliminated to take their place.

It took nearly four weeks to confirm that the same designers were staying but would need to remake or adjust their outfits. Thankfully, Wayne Amature Fashion Show was more than willing to offer them time.

Dan had already made Danny's outfit but figured he would remake it anyway. Once completed, new designs were crafted, adjusted, and flung into an idea box. He created so many it was as if Dan were a man possessed (Pun intended).

Danny needed to figure out how much fabric he was going through, but sometimes, he had to remind the other to sleep, eat, and shower. It seemed the other kept forgetting he was human now and needed to do these things for his health and Danny's poor nose.

Dan also seemed obsessed with exploring new parts of Gotham just to take pictures of buildings to get "inspiration." Danny went with him as he had nothing better to do, and the pair made an unlikely duo.

Both got stares in the streets—Danny for strutting around Gotham wearing some of Dan's regretted challenge outfits in an effort to learn to catwalk in them and Dan for dressing as close to the homeless as he could. For all that Dan could make amazing pieces of fashion, the man only filled his own closet with mismatched joggers and pajamas.

Danny had to force him back to change at one point since Dan had intended to walk around in a bathrobe- with shorts and stained short sleeves underneath it. He drew the line on bathrobes.

It was so embarrassing to be gawked at all the time that Danny could not help but wish Dan would try just a little. This was somewhat worse than when he was alone because at least then he knew it was just how stupid and awkward he looked in the outfits.

Now, he just felt subconscious about trying too hard compared to Dan.

"Relax, kid," The other scoffed, snapping a picture of the Brown Bridge. "By the time you're my age, you honestly stop caring about what other people think, so long as you like how you look."

"Can't you at least comb your hair?"

"I forgot how to do that."

Danny snaps his head in his direction, blinking owlishly "What?"

Dan shrugs. "My hair was fire for a literal decade, brat. How was I supposed to comb it?"

"Oh," Danny supposes, that makes sense. After all, Dan was more ghost than human at that point, driven mad by his grief and a colossal monster. He sort of forgot that. "Do you want me to show you how?"

"Ew. No. Too much work. Humans are so high maintenance." Dan rolled his eyes and shifted his tone into a mocking one. Comb your hair, change your clothes, take a bath."

"You smell like shit, Dan."

"You look like shit!"

"We have the same face!"

"It's better on me!"

Their public arguments also attract lots of stares. Danny would feel embarrassed by them if he wasn't so busy bickering with Dan as they moved about.

Ultimately, Dan had made his outfits formal steampunk during the break. Danny wished he had stayed with the Dark Academia idea because he felt he was walking around in a costume instead of clothes.

Dan told him that it felt too basic to go with Dark Academia since, now that he saw more of Gotham, he thought it better represent the city as a whole instead of the elites of Gotham. Danny debated with him until he agreed to make two of the four outfits- meant to represent all four seasons of Gotham's beauty or something stupid like that- to be dark academia.

Danny nears the end of the runway, stopping right before the judges to strike his pose. His eyes never leave the center decorative flower in the far back, but he makes sure to slowly turn his head as if he is gazing at the crowd.

There are gasps as he pulls off his tophat in a twirl to hide the way he presses the button on his hip. At once, his pants and sleeves light up in the gentle glow of the Brown Bridge's famous historic lampost show. It's no brighter than his ghost glow, but it makes him look like a vision, especially when he puts the hat back on with a mysterious curl of his lips.

Danny practiced that move for weeks—even when it made him cringe—and he is happy to have pulled it off successfully as he twists around and struts away. The Brown Bridge only lights its lanterns in the winter, so this hits a true Gotham native here for the seasonal challenge portion.

With his superhearing, he manages to catch Tim Drake-Wayne's dreamy sigh. Danny fights the urge to fist bump. If they impressed the special judge so much, then they just guaranteed their spot in the next round.

Each round meant they were closer to completing the mission. Since it's been practically impossible to find Batman—even when the man was running around dressed like a giant bat—this was their best bet.

Once he's backstage, he rushes to Dan's area, already ripping off most of his outfit for the last piece. Spring dark academia vaguely reminded him of rich school uniforms, but at least they didn't have ridiculous amounts of belts and metal on them.

Dan already has the outfit set out and quickly helps him change. He adjusts the vest and collar for Danny, glancing angrily at the model walking up the line. "Come on, we only have a few minutes before the last two models finish their walk for the Winter portion."

Danny nods, throwing on the gargoyle ear cuffs, only to pause when he sees a strange card on Dan's station. He pushes aside the black rings to grab a tiny green card with a giant question mark. "What's this?"

"Some guy saw my work and wanted to commission him a suit. Apparently, he was tired of how no one could style the question marks." Dan answered, distracted while reapplying some powder to Danny's face.

"A question mark? Why?"

"It's his gimmick or something. I didn't bother to ask for too many details. He will be going to our house soon to get his measurements done," Dan says, twisting Danny's face with his chin to make sure everything looks good. Danny lets him, blindly slipping on his rings and bracelets. "Thought it be a fun little side project."

"How did he hear about you?"

"You remember how you took those boxes of clothes to the job search office to give to people? Apparently, one of his employees' younger brothers borrowed a suit for his prom, and he thought the photos were nice." Dan shrugs. Then he glances in alarm at the stage hand who signals for them. "Never mind that. It's almost our turn again. Get out there!"

Danny scurries away, but not before he sees a beautiful redhead woman in green- was that leaves and vines???- stride over to Dan as the clone puts away his makeup.

She gestures with a business card, and Dan blinks as she talks once before he eagerly takes out his design journal. She must be a performer asking Dan for a new forest design or something.

Danny wonders why Gotham has so many people with oddly specific gimmicks.

He turns his head away to stride back into the catwalk, head held high as he does so. Danny makes the mistake of locking eyes with one of the judges- Tim Drake-Wayne is gawking at him like the people of the street do- and he snaps his gaze away, fighting to keep his composure.

He thinks he does well since Team Fenton snatches first place in this round. Drake-Wayne catches him at the after-party, praising his final outfit so much that Danny offers to give it to him, knowing Dan wouldn't mind.

Drake-Wayne goes red, early agreeing, but since they are so different in size—the CEO's waist is slightly leaner but with far more muscular forearms—Danny tells him to come by his house that weekend to have Dan resize it for him.

It should be fine since the Question Mark man and Leaf Lady will also be there that day for their own measurements.

[remi-harbinger]

If SY is so excited that Great God Airplane collabed with some shitty game dev to create PIDW online, no one on the game's review website would know with the vitrol he spewed from his keyboard about the poor graphics and countless bugs in the game design and how the game was so distanced from canon it was as if there was a plague,, he still stays up till the early hours of the dawn to play the game again and again to interact with LBH though!

Meanwhile, OG LBH who gained sentience is pissed at this "Peerless Cucumber" who keeps playing the same route again and again. He knows he's a game character but even a NPC can get tired of repeating the same sentence again and again... So he starts switching it up.

SY is pleasantly surprised at how the dialogue of LBH gets more and more realistic the more times he plays the game... Is it just his imagination, or did the LBH sprite just bring him to the same field as he brought Wife #348??? And offer him the feathers of the Jade Carved Stork, which he also gave Wife #598??? System?? Game dev??? Great God Airplane??? Help a player out here??/

[spaghettioverdose]

Am I stupid or something because I agree with all of your post but I don't know what's wrong with small businesses. Am I a capitalist because I'm disabled and can only make money selling stickers or am I missing a bigger picture

Because this is tumblr and people in the notes will immediately read three lines of this and accuse me of pissing on the poor, I will begin with a disclaimer that I am neither comparing you to a Elon Musk nor calling you evil.

So, you sell stickers. I would assume that in this context you are selling your own stickers with your own designs, rather than working as a cashier selling someone else's stickers, since you're disabled and you mentioned you can't work a job. You are therefore selling a product you own (whether you produce the stickers entirely yourself or use a 3rd party company) for a profit at a (presumably) online store instead of selling your labour power for a wage. This, by definition would make you petit bourgeois.

When communists talk about class positions, it is not a question of an individual's morality, motivation or amount of income.

Being a small business owner (or petit bourgeois), means that your class interests and the class interests of the workers (the proletariat) come into conflict. As a clear example, let's say in this scenario that you are selling a sticker design on a 3rd party website that specialises in this service, and they source the actual physical stickers from factories around the world. Here, you are essentially selling your intellectual property to the company in exchange for some of the profits from its further sale. Perhaps many of those factories are in the global south, in countires with very low wages and few worker protections (due to intervention from imperial core bourgeoisie powers). One day, the political struggle for worker rights and higher wages is won in some of these countries, driving up the cost of production for the stickers. Perhaps there is also a victory for a union of delivery service workers at home in the imperial core, driving up wages and protections for them as well, further cutting into profits.

The function of the 3rd party sticker company is to strive for ever-increasing profits the capitalists who own it and its investors. The cut in profit will have to be made up elsewhere. This will be done by investing in political groups that are willing to repress worker movements within these countries, shifting production to countries that have yet to achieve these worker victories, cutting corners on their imperial core workers, increasing their price of service by taking a larger cut of your profits, or a mixture of some or all of these.

In that scenario, the proletarian class interests (higher wages, more protections and regulations) are in direct conflicts with the interests of the bourgeois 3rd party sticker company (higher profits, meaning lower wages and less protections and regulations) and by extension, yours, as your class interests also revolve around profit. When workers gain more power, it cuts into your profits. As a petit bourgeois, you are incetivised to support and pursue bourgeois and petty bourgeois politics such as IP laws.

As an individual, you can be whatever kind of person with whatever politics and views you have. As a petit bourgeois small business owner, you have a certain class position that comes with a certain set of class interests. You can always choose to forego your own class interests and instead support the class interests of the proletariat by being a communist even while continuing to be petit bourgeois or even as full on bourgeois. Very notable example being Engles who, although he was a factory owner, he was also one of the two founders of marxism, with the other one being Marx.

The point I was trying to make in the post that probably got you to send this anon, is that there isn't anything inherently communist or "leftist" about supporting small businesses. It is both an incredibly common liberal policy and talking point to support small business, and it does not serve the interests of a proletarian political movement to protect the petit bourgeoisie or ally with them, except in certain instances and involving certain sections of the petit bourgeois, rather than a blanket statement of saying that the small business owner is a nobler form of capitalist.

[hyper-pixels]

How to Grow Up

A guide on how to grow up. It was originally posted by @/friendliness but half the links were broken. So I took what links weren't broken and added other links and more things to know.

This is USA based resources

Personal

Reasons to Stay Alive – A Tumblr post of 116 reasons to stay alive by @/friendliness.

How to Get Better At Asking for Help – Website is Harvard Business Review. The article is “5 Ways to Get Better At Asking for Help” by Wayne Baker.

What to do if you Can’t Afford Therapy – Website is Psych Central and the article is by Steven Rowe.

How to Quit Smoking – “The 22 Best Ways to Quit Smoking” by Debra L. Gordon and David L. Katz M.D. from the Healthy Digest.

How to Legally Change your Name – Website is Forbes.

Wanna Learn Something New? – A Tumblr post made by @/hamletthedane with various new things to try from language learning to ballet.

Free Harvard Courses – Harvard University’s free online courses.

Getting a New Computer? – A quick and dirty comprehensive guide by WIRED on what to look for.

How to Sew – Website is Autodesk Indestructibles. The article is “How to Sew” by Jessyratfink. Having a small sewing kit (that you can pick up from nearly any craft store) is super handy and has saved my life and clothes.

What to Look For in Clothes A YouTube video by Alyssa Beltempo titled “How to Identify High Quality vs. Poor Quality Clothing | Slow Fashion”. Here’s a WikiHow [x] if a YouTube video isn’t your style.

Dealing with Executive Dysfunction – A Tumblr post made by @/compassionatereminders. It's a list to more links on how to deal with executive dysfunction.

Another List Like this One – A Tumblr post made by a now deactivated account. It's a list much like this one.

Home

What’s a mortgage? – Website is realtor.com and the page is called “What is a Mortgage? Home Loan Basics Explained” by Cathie Ericson.

First Apartment Checklist – A checklist PDF. Here’s another link to a Tumblr checklist [x] 

What to Ask Landlords Before Renting? – “25 Questions To Ask a Landlord When Renting a Home” by Morgen Henderson.

What’s Renter’s Insurance? – Website is Forbes Advisor. The article is by Jason Metz and titled “How to Get Renters Insurance”.

Plant Care – A master list of how to care for plants made by @/difficults

Job

Time Management – Website is Entrepenuer and has 10 time management tips. One I personally recommend is keeping a physical calendar book on hand. I keep mine in my bag with a designated pen.

Finding the right job – Website is The Muse and it has 13 free career assessment tests.

Make a resume – Website is Resume Now. Many hirers look at your name, the middle of the page (where your experience list is) and skim the rest.

Job Interview Tips – Website is Linkedin. The article is titled “10 Job Interview Tips to Land The Career of Your Dreams” by Caren Merrick.

How to Write a Cover Letter – Website is The Writing Center. University of Winsconsin, Madison. It’s titled “Writing Cover Letters” and I can’t find the author.

Money

Couponing! – Website is Coupon Database :: Southern Savers. It has a list of mobile apps for coupons to places.

Call 211 for Help – the website leads to 211.org. It's anonymous and can help you get connected to food programs, paying bills and things like doctor appointments. Here’s a Tumblr post about it [x] by @/poessionisamyth

Groceries! – This is a Tumblr meme post, but scrolling through tags/reblogs/replies and there’s plenty of good tips. The post is by @/charlotten

What To Do if You Can’t Pay Your Bills – Website is Nolo. The article is “When You Can’t Pay Your Bills: Thiings To Know” that was updated by Amy Loftsgordon. 

Are You Paying Too Much for Your Phone Bill? – An article by Beht Beverman titled “How Much is Too Much to Pay for a Cell Phone Bill?”.

54 Ways to Save Money – Website is America Saves.

How to Do Taxes – Website is Wiki-How.

The 70/20/10 Method – Website is Business Insider. The Article is “A Beginners Guide to the 70-20–10 Budgeting Method” by Paul Kim.

Side Hustle Ideas – Website is Forbes. “30 Side Hustle Ideas To Make Extra Money In 2024” by Krista Fabregas.

Emergency

Your Rights When a Cop Pulls you Over – Website is Business Insider. Cops are allowed to lie to you, and they will, so be careful.

Hotline List – The website is DoSomething.org. Depression/Suicide, domestic abuse, child abuse and runaway/homeless/and at-risk youth hotlines.

What to Keep in Your Car – Website is MentalFloss. I live in a snowy area that gets blizzards and bad ice. I keep blankets, water and other aids in my car as well as a knife and road flare. I also own a self jumping car battery and it has saved my ass more than once. Heimlich Maneuver – A one minute video by the Mayo Clinic.

The Heimlich Maneuver on Yourself – A one minute video by The List Show TV.

What to Keep in Your Wallet – Website is PureWow. The article is by Rachel Bowie. Keep your drivers license, medical insurance card, and an emergency contact in your card. If you have a pet home alone make sure that you have a card detailing this. Free printable one here [x]

Traveling

Packing List – Website is Smarter Travel.

Traveling with Little to No Money – Website is Nomadic Matt.

How to Pack a Suitcase – Website is Real Simple. The article is by Thersa O’Rourke.

How to Apply for a Passport – Website is WikkiHow.

Making a Travel Budget – Website is Travel Made Simple. “How to Make a Travel Budget” by Ali Garland

[saint--claire]

When I was a little child, there was a particular library book I checked out week after week, endlessly renewing it as much as I was able. The book, How to Raise and Keep a Dragon by John Topsell was a quasi-nonfiction guide to, as you guessed, rearing different species of dragons. I loved it. Tiny-me had plans.

As an adult, I tried to buy it a few times. No dice. The book was so old that no mainstream bookseller stocked it. Even when I tried niche websites recommended by various booksellers and librarians, I still couldn't find it. It was sadly lost to time, apparently not popular enough to make it into the archives.

But.

My best friend had a copy of that book. We're going to call her G, for several reasons not relevant at the moment. I was discussing my search with G one day, for some reason I can't remember now. She got a funny look on her face, asked me a few questions about the cover, listened to me do a very poor job of explaining with my hands how the hardcover copy had included a real gemstone in the dragon's forehead, and then went off to fish it out of her bookcase.

I was Gobsmacked.

I should not have been, given that the history of shared childhood books between us both would have made a circle with ragged edges, more so than a venn diagram, but I digress. The book came home to live in my house for a few months, and I was delighted by the chance to read it again.

Do people remember those type of books? Dragonology, Egyptology, The Stone Age - a way of introducing children to non fiction. They very earnestly spoke about the responsibilities needed to raise dragons, the practicalities involved. There was a record of registration you could fill out, if you had carefully considered the information to your self and felt you were responsible enough to to go through with adopting a dragon.

I vaguely remember filling out some of the riddle and puzzle questions in the Dragonology books. I would never have written in John Topsell's book, it was a library book.

But.

When I re-read G's copy at home, smiling over the familiar artwork, I was surprised to turn the page and find the painstaking, somewhat-wonky handwriting staring back at at me. Baby G, with her name spelled out in freshly-joined but still-not-quite-got-the-hang-of-this-yet cursive lettering. Baby G had filled the registration out in her best handwriting, in glittery green gel pen to denote the importance of the document. This was compared to the earlier, less important checklists done in plain black ink.

I read the registration certificate. Smiled. Smiled some more at the names listed for G's dragon, her dam, and her sire - Eragon was also a great book. Go off, Christopher Paolini.

Breed; standard Western Dragon. The box 'miniture' was ticked, to show that G's dragon was of the minature specic variety, rather than a full size dragon. This was, as she would later explain to me, chosen on the basis that baby-G felt it was the more financially responsible choice. Also so she could keep her dragon in her house with her, but we're not there yet.

I looked at that certificate. Looked at it again. Looked at the calendar, and then looked at the sewing machine I had just been given for Christmas.

G celebrates her birthday in January.

The template came first. I studied the different images of the standard western dragon through the book, picked my favourite, and re-drew it to a significantly larger scale.

Inking the design to the fabric, four times over probably took the longest.

I very subtly asked G the next time she was over (after hurling all dragon-related materials in a panic into the depths of my wardrobe) what type of colour dragon she would have, should it come up. As G later said, that type of question from me truly did not register as anything other than a question asked from theoretical interest. I transitioned the topic as discreetly as I could after she answered, and delightfully, my sneakiness went in one ear, out the other, and she forgot I had ever asked until several weeks later.

I enjoyed painting them.

Don't ask me how many mistakes I made through this process. So many. I do already know how to sew, but it's been a long time. I'd been meaning to get back into it for a while.

Given that various aunts and grandmothers and my mother had a knack for calling when I was up to my elbows in either paint or pins, it became a family affair. Each of them peered at the project through face time and offered their advice.

Some of the advice I took, some I didn't. No regrets about sewing it in pink thread. Considerable regrets about accidentally slicing one of the feet in half and having to fix that.

In the end though, she was finished.

I carefully pinned on her name tag, with the name baby-G had chosen with a little blue ribbon. A collar was unacceptable, this is a dragon, people, come on. Dragon's don't wear collars.

I put the book in the box, open to the registration certificate, and put the dragon on top. Wrapped the whole thing up with a bow and then refused to touch it before I sent myself mad trying to fix details that didn't really need to be fixed.

A bit late for her birthday, sure, but there we are. We'd gone for a trip off to nowhere for a weekend, to go try wine made out of blueberries and hike up a waterfall. (And climb on it. And swim in it. It was a very good waterfall).

I gave her the box, informed her she wasn't allowed to keep the box, just the contents (it was the only thing I had that was big enough for me to keep all of my A3 portfolios in, it had only been temporarily-repurposed as dragon housing), and then left the next bit up to the gods.

A surprise, sitting un-awaited for some 15 years in amber, to catch up to baby G and adult G together.

Happy Birthday, baby and adult G.