#Boolean search generator

[subjectsix]

KIP'S BIG POST OF THINGS TO MAKE THE INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY SUCK A LITTLE LESS

Post last updated November 23, 2024. Will continue to update!

Here are my favorite things to use to navigate technology my own way:

A refurbished iPod loaded with Rockbox OS (Rockbox is free, iPods range in price. I linked the site I got mine from. Note that iPods get finicky about syncing and the kind of cord it has— it may still charge but might not recognize the device to sync. Getting an original Apple cord sometimes helps). Rockbox has ports for other MP3 players as well.

This Windows debloater program (there are viable alternatives out there, this one works for me). It has a powershell script that give you a little UI and buttons to press, which I appreciate, as I'm still a bit shy with tech.

Firefox with the following extensions: - Consent-O-Matic (set your responses to ALL privacy/cookie pop-ups in the extension, and it will answer all pop-ups for you. I can see reasons to not use it, but I appreciate it) - Facebook Container ("contains" Meta on Facebook and Instagram pages to keep it from tracking you or getting third party cookies, since Meta is fairly egregious about it) - Redirect Amp to HTML (AMP is designed for mobile phones, this forces pages to go to their HTML version) - A WebP/AVIF image converter - uBlock Origin and uBlacklist, with the AI blacklist loaded in to kill any generative AI results from appearing in search engines or anywhere.

Handbrake for ripping DVDs— I haven’t used this in awhile as I haven’t been making video edits. I used this back when I had a Mac OS

VLC Media Player (ol’ reliable)

Unsplash & Pexels for free-to-use images

A password manager (these often are paid. I use Dashlane. There are many options, feel free to search around and ask for recs!). There is a lot that goes into cybersecurity— find the option you feel is best for you.

Things I suggest:

Understanding Royalty Free and the Creative Commons licenses

Familiarity with boolean operators for searching

Investing in a backup drive and external drive

A few good USBs, including one that has a backup of your OS on it

Adapter cables

Avoiding Fandom “wikias” (as in the brand “Fandom”) and supporting other, fan-run or supported wikis. Consider contributing if its something you find yourself passionate or joyful about.

Finding Forums for the things you like, or creating your own*

Create an email specifically for ads/shopping— use it to receive all promotional emails to keep your inbox clean. Upkeep it.

Stop putting so much of your personal information online— be willing to separate your personal online identity from your “online identity”. You don’t owe people your name, location, pronouns, diagnoses, or any of that. It’s your choice, but be discerning in what you give and why. I recommend avoiding providing your phone number to sites as much as possible.

Be intentional

Ask questions

Talk to people

Remember that you can lurk all you want

Things that are fun to check out:

BBSes-- here's a portal to access them.

Neocities

*Forums-- find some to join, or maybe host your own? The system I was most familiar with was vbulletin.

MMM.page

Things that have worked well for me but might work for you, YMMV:

Limit your app usage time on your smartphone if you’re prone to going back to them— this is a tangible way to “practice mindfulness”, a term I find frustratingly vague ansjdbdj

Things I’m looking into:

The “Pi Hole”— a raspberry pi set up to block all ads on a specific internet connection

VPNs-- this is one that was recommended to me.

How to use computers (I mean it): Resources on how to understand your machine and what you’re doing, even if your skill and knowledge level is currently 0:

This section I'll come back an add to. I know that messing with computers can be intimidating, especially if you feel out of your depth. HTML and regedits and especially things like dualbooting or linux feel impossible. So I want to put things here that explain exactly how the internet and your computer functions, and how you can learn and work with that. Yippee!

[tonydaddingham]

it's all well and good to have discourse regarding generalised theories and meta and such like, it's cool to discuss and (politely) debate stuff; maybe you can change other fans' minds by sharing your perspective/analysis, or maybe they can change yours.

what's not cool though? screenshotting actual posts (that can easily be found on a straightforward google boolean search, or hell - usually just by typing the contents into tumblr itself) of takes you don't agree with and subjecting them to focused ridicule. those are someone's thoughts and feelings. that is someone's time, their effort, and their dedication.

what's not cool is vagueing about people's posts in such a way that it is obvious that your post is about them, about that particular post, and not just the theory/theme in general. this fandom is huge but it's also incredibly small sometimes - we're all so often of the same mind that art and fic and meta pass through us like shockwaves. what im saying is that the person that that post is about? they'll probably see it. don't be bullies. a good portion of us have had enough of bullies to last us a lifetime, and it's not needed here.

reblog a post and disagree courteously, patiently, and with compassion, or make a separate post "ive seen discussion on this theme/thought, and whilst it was interesting, i personally don't agree and here's why...". send a polite ask to the op perhaps asking them to clarify some things, because you don't agree but at least want to understand and discuss, if they'd be amenable.

if the bad takes are becoming too much, or are upsetting you, or the person is doubling down despite polite debate and it's pissing you off? that's absolutely valid and you're allowed to feel like that - and if you don't want, or can't, address it politely, and it's too much... block them. block them so you don't have to keep seeing it. rant about it in the DMs to someone you trust if you really need to, but don't publicly make people - on what is (to my mind) the mostly inclusive and open-minded platform - feel like shit because they see media different than you.

don't make people feel like they're absolute scum just because you disagree. don't make them feel stupid, or close-minded. dont stick labels on them that they will likely internalise and make them feel like the worst human being to walk the earth. it's humiliating, it's alienating, and it's going make some people fear having any interest in something they used to enjoy, and that once brought them joy when they needed it most. you personally may not be bothered, but others might - have some respect for them.

god knows im not perfect and ive done it myself, im not pretending otherwise bc sometimes i catch myself being unkind, or feeding into this culture of "different thought = wrong thought", but by god im trying to do better. don't be like me, please please please just be fucking kind

[kaurwreck]

because you mentioned research, do you have any advice or methods of doing efficient research? I enjoy research too but it always takes me such a long time to filter out the information I actually need that I often lose my momentum ;__;

I'm not sure if I'm the best resource for this; I'm so dogged that once I start, it's hard for me to stop. The more tangled or difficult a research question, the more engaging I find it. In addition to loving cats, part of why I have cats is because they are very routine-oriented, and they'll pull me out of my hyperfocus for meals and sleep if I become too caught in what I'm researching; otherwise I don't notice I'm hungry or exhausted. It's not uncommon for me to focus so intensely that I'll look up and suddenly realize I've been researching something for 8+ hours.

But, in general, while it depends on what you're researching, I recommend having an expansive toolkit of resources. Google is fine, but it's only one index of many. I also use other databases and indexes like JSTOR, ResearchGate, SSRN, and Google Scholar (which is helpful for navigating Proquest, too, since Proquest's search function is incompetent). I also use DuckDuckGo, which is infinitely better for privacy than Google and which doesn't filter your searches or tailor them based on your location and search history, so you receive more robust results and significantly fewer ads (this has a tradeoff, which is that sometimes the searches are less precise).

Sometimes, I use Perplexity, but I do not recommend using Perplexity unless you are willing to thoroughly review the sources linked in its results because, like any generative AI tool, it relies on statistical probability to synthesize a representation of the information. In other words, it's not a tool for precision, and you should never rely on generated summaries, but it can help pluck and isolate resources that search indexes aren't dredging for you.

I also rely on print resources, and I enjoy collecting physical books. For books, I use Amazon to search for titles, but also Bookshop.org, e-Bay, Thriftbooks, AbeBooks, Common Crow Books, Paperback Swap, Biblio, and university presses (my favorite being the University of Hawaii Press, especially its On Sale page, and the Harvard East Asian Monographs series from Harvard University Press). This is how I both find titles that may seem interesting (by searching keywords and seeing what comes up) and also how I shop around for affordable and used versions of the books I would like to purchase. (If you don't want to buy books, local and online libraries and the Internet Archive are great resources.)

Most relevantly, and I assume most people might already know this, but I can't emphasize its importance enough: use Boolean logic. If you are not using operators and modifiers in your search strings, you are going to have immense difficulty filtering any relevant information from indexes.

[mariacallous]

Years ago, when people still used Boolean search and I was a cub reporter, I worked with photographer Nick Ut at the Associated Press. It felt like being in the presence of one of the Greats, even though he never acted like it. We drank the same office coffee, even as I was barely out of journalism school and he had a Pulitzer Prize that was nearly three decades old. Ut, if you don’t recognize the name, took the photo of “Napalm Girl”—Kim Phuc, whom Ut captured in 1973, at 9 years old, running from a bombing in Vietnam.

Lots of people know that photo. It’s one of the most searing images to come out of the Vietnam War—one that shifted attitudes about the conflict. Ut himself wrote many years later that he knew a single photo could change the world. “I know, because I took one that did.”

Hundreds of photos have come out of the Israel-Hamas war since it began more than seven months ago. Bombed out buildings, mass funerals, damaged hospitals, more injured children. But, as of this week, there’s one that’s garnered more attention than most: “All eyes on Rafah.”

The image features what appears to be an AI-generated landscape in which a series of refugee tents spells out the image’s title phrase. The exact origins of the image are murky, but as of this writing it’s reportedly been shared more than 47 million times on Instagram, with many of those shares coming in the 48 hours after an Israeli strike killed 45 people in a camp for displaced Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The image was also shared widely on TikTok and X, where a pro-Palestine account’s post featuring the image has been viewed nearly 10 million times.

As “All eyes on Rafah” circulated, Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist with BBC Verify, posted on X that it “has now become the most viral AI-generated image I’ve ever seen.” Ironic, then, that all those eyes on Rafah aren’t really seeing Rafah at all.

Establishing AI’s role in the act of news-spreading got fraught quickly. Meta, as NBC News pointed out this week, has made efforts to restrict political content on its platforms even as Instagram has become a “crucial outlet for Palestinian journalists.” The result is that actual footage from Rafah may be restricted as “graphic or violent content” while an AI image of tents can spread far and wide. People may want to see what’s happening on the ground in Gaza, but it’s an AI illustration that’s allowed to find its way to their feeds. It’s devastating.

Journalists, meanwhile, sit in the position of having their work fed into large-language models. On Wednesday, Axios reported that Vox Media and The Atlantic had both made deals with OpenAI that would allow the ChatGPT maker to use their content to train its AI models. Writing in The Atlantic itself, Damon Beres called it a “devil’s bargain,” pointing out the copyright and ethical battles AI is currently fighting and noting that the technology has “not exactly felt like a friend to the news industry”—a statement that may one day itself find its way into a chatbot’s memory. Give it a few years and much of the information out there—most of what people “see”—won’t come from witness accounts or result from a human looking at evidence and applying critical thinking. It will be a facsimile of what they reported, presented in a manner deemed appropriate.

Admittedly, this is drastic. As Beres noted, “generative AI could turn out to be fine,” but there is room for concern. On Thursday, WIRED published a massive report looking at how generative AI is being used in elections around the world. It highlighted everything from fake images of Donald Trump with Black voters to deepfake robocalls from President Biden. It’ll get updated throughout the year, and my guess is that it’ll be hard to keep up with all the misinformation that comes from AI generators. One image may have put eyes on Rafah, but it could just as easily put eyes on something false or misleading. AI can learn from humans, but it cannot, like Ut did, save people from the things they do to each other.

[llyfrenfys]

Mis Hanes LHDT+ 2023 : Gair y Dydd #5 -Rhyngryw

LGBT+ History Month 2023: Word of the day #5 - Intersex

Rhyngryw

(adj. Intersex)

Rhyngryw is a relatively new term in Welsh. It translates to 'between sex' and is a Welsh localisation of the English term Intersex (which only became popularised itself in English around the mid-to-late 90s).

The previous terms for Intersex in Welsh were, like in English, slurs (e.g. hermaphrodite) or archaic (e.g. bi-sexual). This post is about the history of Rhyngryw, but if you're interested in general Welsh Intersex terminology history I'd recommend reading my blog here.

The term Rhyngryw hasn't appeared in any Welsh dictionary before (that I'm aware of, my records go up to 2018). Therefore to discover the history of Rhyngryw, we must try a different approach.

The first term for intersex in Welsh which isn't a variation of deuryw or hermaffrodit is cymysgryw (literally 'mixed sex'), in Geiriadur Termau from 1973. However, it doesn't seem like this term caught on.

Using boolean commands in a Google search for "Rhyngryw" yields the Wicipedia page for Rhyngryw, created on the 13th September 2007. As of December 2007, the page looked like this:

It uses the term Rhyngrywioldeb (intersexuality). The title of the Wicipedia page wasn't changed until 2021 to Rhyngryw.

Despite the absence of a long history for Rhyngryw, we can estimate that around 2006-2008 the term may have originated. Webster's Welsh-English Thesaurus Dictionary in 2008 gave Anrywiol as a term to mean intersex. Anrywiol ordinarily means asexual, but it is possible that in 2006-2008, attempts were made to move away from older archaic or offensive terminology to a new term. It's possible anrywiol was one of those attempts, but rhyngryw, whenever it originated originally, won out in the end.

[sadgrrly02]

What exactly does library science entail? I'm not sure I've ever heard of that field.

Basically it's a degree in being a librarian. I've mostly been doing my general education credits, so I'm not too far into it yet. Thus far i've taken a course that was almost entirely dedicated to learning how to search databases using boolean operators and that sort of thing. The other was the first basic course in Library Science, which mostly involved reading a bunch of stuff about ethics in relation to the operation of the library as a public service.

[jellicle-chants]

This absolutely does not apply to all of Gen Z, btw. I’m Gen Z (born pre 9/11) and I had typing classes in elementary and middle school. (I can’t even fathom why you would not teach typing to a generation of kids growing up with home computers and internet, but whatever.) I learned to use keyword and boolean searches also in elementary because the encyclopedia website we had access to used them. The way I was taught to write emails was basically “write a letter,” because yes, we were in fact taught how to write on paper. (I was even taught how to write in cursive, but I think I was one of the last years that happened.)

Outside of school teachings, my friends were jailbreaking their iPhones and building their own PCs by middle school. I was introduced to new TV shows on pirating sites when I was probably only 8-10 years old during sleepovers. In college, I don’t think I knew a single person who didn’t own a laptop (although I did mostly hang out with STEM and English majors).

Basically, the Gen Z I know is not nearly as tech illiterate as y’all are making us out to be. Maybe it’s more of a Gen Alpha thing, although I suspect there’s plenty of kids in that generation who know how to do everything I just listed. Generations are not a monolith, so please don’t go around saying we’re all TikTok-addicted cavemen or whatever. ✌️

this can't be true can it

[subhzer0]

How to Make ₹1 Lakh/Month from LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Many young professionals are finding ways to earn a significant income while building sustainable, long-term businesses. One of the best platforms for this is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is among the world’s most famous social media platforms today. As per statistics, an average active user in the US earns $46,600 per year on LinkedIn.

To save you time and hustle, we have covered an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to make ₹1 lakh per month using LinkedIn, particularly through offering services like lead generation. Let’s dive deep and see how to achieve this.

Understanding the Basics

First and foremost, it's crucial to set a clear goal without setting unrealistic expectations.

The digital space is filled with promising schemes that claim you can make money overnight just by sending a few messages or purchasing a certain course. This mindset is misleading and can lead to disappointment.

Instead, focus on building a sustainable business. The key to earning a consistent income is to deliver real value by solving someone else's problem. It requires a long-term commitment and a willingness to put in the work.

Building a Real Business

Rather than searching for get-rich-overnight schemes or following fake gurus, invest your energy into building a rock-solid business that genuinely delivers value to people.

One of the opportunities in today’s era is offering lead generation services. Many businesses, especially small local shops, constantly seek new customers but often lack the tools or knowledge to attract them.

Here are a few businesses that can greatly benefit from lead generation services:

Local education institutes

Restaurants

Repair services (plumbing, electrical work, etc.)

Real estate firms

By taking the initiative to help these businesses, you not only solve a big challenge for them but also create a reliable and consistent income source for yourself.

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn stands out as an excellent choice for connecting with potential customers because it is designed for networking professionally. LinkedIn allows you to easily find and connect with decision-makers.

LinkedIn’s Boolean search feature lets you conduct detailed searches to find exactly who you’re looking for. For instance, if you are reaching out to doctors in New Delhi, you can filter your search and find these specific professionals.

The Complete Roadmap Once you have shortlisted the potential clients, it’s time to reach out. Here is a straightforward strategy for outreach:

1. Personalize Your Outreach

When you send a connect request to any individual, make sure to personalize your message; otherwise, your message will be counted as spam, which will lead to the ban of your LinkedIn account. Always start your message by appreciating their work and then request to accept connection.

For instance: “Hey Ravi, Inspired by the work you do. Especially the work you do in curing diabetic patients. Kudos to you! Can we connect?”’

2. Be Consistent

It doesn’t happen overnight. It requires ongoing effort and dedication. Whether it’s sending out connection requests, building your portfolio, or refining your messaging, stick to it over time and watch your efforts pay off.

Aim to send at least 20 personalized connection requests every single day. Over a 90-day period, this totals about 1,800 outreachs. If 30% of these people accept your request, you’ll have around 600 new leads to connect with.

3. Nurture Relationships

Once they accept the connection request, focus on nurturing relationships with those new connections. These people are where you will likely find the most potential for turning prospects into paying clients.

4. Network and Build Skill

The first three months should be about learning and skill-building. Even if you don’t see immediate results, you are craving the path of sustainable income. By the end of this period, you have cultivated a network of potential clients.

5. Client Acquisition

Moving into the next three months, shift your focus towards onboarding clients. With your sharpened skills and processes established, it’s time to start signing clients and generating revenue.

In this quarter, aim to close three clients with an average monthly package of ₹30,000-₹40,000 by providing Google My Business, Website Development, and Lead Generation Service.

By the end of this quarter, your revenue from these clients can reach approximately up to ₹1 lakh.

6. Collect reviews and testimonials.

By the third quarter, aim to have happy and satisfied clients who benefit from your lead generation services. After you have successfully delivered quality results to a few clients, your reputation will help you attract more business.

7. Scale and onboard new clients.

In the fourth quarter, look at ways to scale your business by onboarding more clients.

8. Recurring Revenue System

One great aspect of offering lead generation services is the potential to earn recurring income. Businesses are always on the search for new customers, so if you deliver valuable leads, they are likely to retain your services every month.

Conclusion

The primary takeaway is that success lies not in shortcuts or quick wins but in building a sustainable, rock-solid business that provides genuine value to clients. By delivering lead generation services, consistently nurturing client relationships, and using LinkedIn effectively, you can create a reliable and recurring revenue stream.

If you are serious about generating this kind of income, follow this roadmap; dedicate yourself to putting in the effort necessary to build a thriving business.

Start today and step into a future filled with possibilities!

[aparnarj]

How to get better at doing research-Zolarink

Improving your research skills involves developing a systematic approach and utilizing strategies that help you efficiently gather, analyze, and synthesize information. Here are several tips to enhance your research capabilities:

1. Clarify Your Research Question

Define the scope: Be specific about the topic or problem you're investigating. A clear and well-defined research question will guide the direction of your work.

Narrow your focus: If the question is too broad, break it down into manageable subtopics or aspects that you can explore in detail.

2. Use Reliable and Varied Sources

Start with academic databases: Use platforms like Google Scholar, JSTOR, PubMed, or subject-specific databases. They provide peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and other scholarly materials.

Evaluate sources: Assess the credibility of the source by checking the author's qualifications, publication date, and the publisher’s reputation.

Diversify your sources: Combine academic papers with books, expert interviews, reports, and other trusted materials to get a well-rounded perspective.

3. Develop Efficient Search Strategies

Use advanced search techniques: Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), quotes for exact phrases, and asterisks for wildcard searches to narrow or broaden results.

Refine keywords: Experiment with different search terms and synonyms to cover all possible avenues of research.

Search in multiple languages: If applicable, check for sources in different languages to get additional perspectives.

4. Organize and Manage Information

Use reference management tools: Software like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley helps you organize your references, store PDFs, and automatically generate citations.

Take organized notes: Keep track of key ideas, quotes, and their sources. This makes it easier to cite later and avoids losing valuable information.

Create an outline: Draft a rough outline of your research to visualize the structure and flow of your final work.

5. Critical Thinking and Synthesis

Analyze the evidence: Don’t just accept information; question its validity, assumptions, and relevance to your research question.

Look for patterns and connections: Compare findings across sources, identify common themes or contradictions, and explore new insights or gaps.

Synthesize, don't summarize: Rather than simply summarizing the material, integrate it into a cohesive narrative that addresses your research question from various angles.

6. Stay Current

Monitor recent publications: Follow leading journals, academic conferences, and news in your field to stay updated on the latest research and trends.

Use citation tracking: Identify key papers in your area of research, and track which later papers have cited them to uncover additional relevant studies.

7. Be Systematic and Consistent

Establish a routine: Dedicate regular time slots for research to maintain focus and progress steadily.

Break down tasks: If the project feels overwhelming, break it into smaller tasks like literature review, data collection, analysis, and writing.

8. Seek Feedback

Consult with experts: If possible, talk to faculty members, colleagues, or professionals who are experienced in the topic.

Peer review: Share your work with others to get constructive feedback. Fresh eyes often catch mistakes or suggest new directions.

9. Improve Writing and Communication

Write as you research: Draft as you go along, rather than waiting until you have everything. This helps clarify your thoughts and often leads to deeper insights.

Be clear and concise: When writing up your research, avoid jargon unless necessary. Write for a general audience, explaining technical terms clearly.

Revise and refine: Editing is key in research writing. Ensure that the structure is logical, arguments are supported, and the writing is free of errors.

10. Develop Persistence and Patience

Expect setbacks: Not every search will be fruitful, and not every lead will pan out. Patience is essential in research.

 By honing these skills and habits, you'll gradually become a more efficient, effective, and thorough researcher. The key is consistent practice and adapting your methods to the specific challenges of each new research project.

Please take some time to visit:  https://www.zolarink.online/

[vtellswhat]

The Importance of Literature Review in Academic Research

When embarking on any research journey, whether it’s for a thesis, dissertation, or scientific study, understanding the existing body of knowledge in your field is critical. For research students, mastering the literature review process is essential, as it forms the foundation of any rigorous academic study. In this blog, we’ll explore the purpose of a literature review, its structure, and some best practices to make this process more manageable and impactful.

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is an in-depth evaluation and summary of existing research on a specific topic. It serves multiple functions:

Provides Context: It shows how your research fits into the broader field and highlights gaps in knowledge that your study aims to address.

Identifies Key Theories and Concepts: By reviewing existing research, you can identify influential theories, methodologies, and key terms.

Prevents Redundancy: A literature review helps avoid repeating previous studies by building on existing research rather than duplicating it.

Justifies Your Research: It allows you to demonstrate the necessity of your study by highlighting the limitations or gaps in current knowledge.

A well-conducted literature review does more than just summarize past research. It synthesizes different viewpoints, making connections between studies and critically assessing the current understanding of the topic.

Structuring a Literature Review

A structured approach is essential to make the literature review coherent and useful. While formats may vary based on disciplines and journals, the basic structure of a literature review generally includes:

Introduction: Begin by defining the topic, explaining its relevance, and outlining the scope of your literature review. Mention the key themes or perspectives you’ll discuss.

Thematic or Chronological Organization:

Thematic Approach: Organize studies based on central themes, concepts, or methodologies. This approach works well if there are distinct ideas or schools of thought in your field.

Chronological Approach: If you aim to show how research has evolved, arranging studies chronologically can be useful to illustrate progress and shifts in understanding over time.

Critical Analysis: Rather than simply summarizing each study, critically analyze them. Compare methodologies, results, and conclusions, and discuss any conflicts or gaps in the literature.

Conclusion: Summarize the findings, identify gaps, and explain how your research will address these gaps or contribute to the field. This section ties your review back to the importance of your research question.

Best Practices for Conducting a Literature Review

Here are some tips to help you write a comprehensive and well-organized literature review:

Start Early and Stay Organized: Collecting and reviewing articles can be time-consuming, so starting early is crucial. Use reference management software like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote to keep track of your sources, notes, and citations.

Use Quality Sources: Focus on peer-reviewed journal articles, books from reputable publishers, and credible reports from authoritative institutions. Avoid relying heavily on blogs, general websites, or other non-academic sources.

Develop a Strong Search Strategy: A thorough literature review requires a systematic search of relevant databases (e.g., PubMed, JSTOR, Scopus). Use keywords, Boolean operators, and other database tools to refine your search and ensure you capture the breadth of relevant studies.

Read Critically: Evaluate each study’s methodology, limitations, and findings rather than accepting them at face value. Critical reading helps you form a well-rounded view of your topic.

Look for Patterns and Gaps: While reading, take note of patterns, contradictions, or gaps in the literature. Identifying these will help you understand where your research can contribute uniquely to the field.

Summarize and Synthesize: After reading, write summaries for each article and look for connections between them. Synthesis is the heart of a literature review; it involves connecting the findings and perspectives of various studies to create a cohesive narrative.

Revise and Refine: Literature reviews often go through several drafts. Be open to revising and refining your arguments to ensure clarity, coherence, and academic rigor.

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

The literature review process isn’t without its challenges. Here are some common issues and tips for overcoming them:

Information Overload: With so much research available, narrowing down relevant studies can be difficult. Focus on the most recent, relevant, and high-quality sources, and don’t be afraid to exclude tangential studies.

Writer’s Block: Writing about other people's research can feel overwhelming. Take it step-by-step—begin with summaries, identify key themes, and gradually build toward a cohesive analysis.

Bias in Literature Selection: Aim to include a range of perspectives to avoid cherry-picking studies that support your hypothesis. A well-balanced review reflects the full scope of research on your topic.

Conclusion

Conducting a literature review may seem daunting at first, but it is a crucial skill for any research student. A comprehensive literature review not only helps justify the need for your research but also provides a roadmap for structuring and contextualizing your study. With a well-organized approach, diligent reading, and a commitment to synthesis, you can turn your literature review into a powerful foundation for your research.

Ultimately, mastering the literature review process will make you a better researcher, thinker, and contributor to your field. Embrace it as an opportunity to learn, connect ideas, and contribute to the knowledge in your area of study.

By following these guidelines, research students can approach the literature review process with confidence and clarity. Good luck with your research journey!

[govindhtech]

Vector Search In Memorystore For Redis Cluster And Valkey

Memorystore for Redis Cluster became the perfect platform for Gen AI application cases like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), recommendation systems, semantic search, and more with the arrival of vector search earlier this year. Why? due to its exceptionally low latency vector search. Vector search over tens of millions of vectors may be done with a single Memorystore for Redis instance at a latency of one digit millisecond. But what happens if you need to store more vectors than a single virtual machine can hold?

Google is presenting vector search on the new Memorystore for Redis Cluster and Memorystore for Valkey, which combine three exciting features:

1) Zero-downtime scalability (in or out);

2) Ultra-low latency in-memory vector search;

3) Robust high performance vector search over millions or billions of vectors.

Vector support for these Memorystore products, which is now in preview, allows you to scale up your cluster by up to 250 shards, allowing you to store billions of vectors in a single instance. Indeed, vector search on over a billion vectors with more than 99% recall can be carried out in single-digit millisecond latency on a single Memorystore for Redis Cluster instance! Demanding enterprise applications, such semantic search over a worldwide corpus of data, are made possible by this scale.

Modular in-memory vector exploration

Partitioning the vector index among the cluster’s nodes is essential for both performance and scalability. Because Memorystore employs a local index partitioning technique, every node has an index partition corresponding to the fraction of the keyspace that is kept locally. The OSS cluster protocol has already uniformly sharded the keyspace, so each index split is about similar in size.

This architecture leads to index build times for all vector indices being improved linearly with the addition of nodes. Furthermore, adding nodes enhances the performance of brute-force searches linearly and Hierarchical Navigable Small World (HNSW) searches logarithmically, provided that the number of vectors remains constant. All in all, a single cluster may support billions of vectors that are searchable and indexable, all the while preserving quick index creation times and low search latencies at high recall.

Hybrid queries

Google is announcing support for hybrid queries on Memorystore for Valkey and Memorystore for Redis Cluster, in addition to better scalability. You can combine vector searches with filters on tag and numeric data in hybrid queries. Memorystore combines tag, vector, and numeric search to provide complicated query answers.

Additionally, these filter expressions feature boolean logic, allowing for the fine-tuning of search results to only include relevant fields by combining numerous fields. Applications can tailor vector search queries to their requirements with this new functionality, leading to considerably richer results than previously.

OSS Valkey in the background

The Valkey key-value datastore has generated a lot of interest in the open-source community. It has coauthored a Request for Comments (RFC) and are collaborating with the open source community to contribute its vector search capabilities to Valkey as part of its dedication to making it fantastic. The community alignment process begins with an RFC, and it encourage comments on its proposal and execution. Its main objective is to make it possible for Valkey developers worldwide to use Valkey vector search to build incredible next-generation AI applications.

The quest for a scalable and quick vector search is finished

In addition to the features already available on Memorystore for Redis, Memorystore now offers ultra-low latency across all of its most widely used engines with the addition of fast and scalable vector search on Memorystore for Redis Cluster and Memorystore for Valkey . Therefore, Memorystore will be difficult to beat for developing generative AI applications that need reliable and consistent low-latency vector search. To experience the speed of in-memory search, get started right now by starting a Memorystore for Valkey or Memorystore for Redis Cluster instance.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[alecbicheno]

FMP blog

02/08/2024

Over the past few days I have continued to work on the scene.

I began by adding more cables. I wanted one front and centre to attract the eye of the viewer and to generally add to the scene by plugging into further bits of machinery.

I tried a few variations of cables, with different positions and sizes, but settled on making a bundle of cables. This was simpler than I thought to make, where I follow the above process but then select edges along the length and duplicate them, then repeat the process of adding depth and converting it.

I also made the doorway for the vault door using Lissa’s door model and the Boolean modifier. It resulted in the topology being very messy but I went through and fixed it afterwards.

I then encountered an issue with the faces, where there was some odd shading. I initially thought it was to do with the normals, and it turns out there were a few flipped normals anyway, but after fixing this the issue still persisted.

I later down the line found a fix for the shading issues, which was to use the edge split modifier.

Scene so far.

I cut a hole in the glass part of the tube using the knife tool as our creature would have had to escape from it.

From here it was just a matter of importing the models over to the Unreal Engine scene.

I’m very happy with the scene overall. I have used a variety of techniques throughout making it, and I’m particularly happy with how the cables have turned out and how they look in the scene. This is because I haven’t really done much modelling of cables, and the last time I did I struggled with making them but now they have turned out well and didn’t take up much time, so there’s a notable improvement there.

So my next steps are to import these models into Unreal Engine. From there I’ll be applying textures to them instead of using Substance Painter, like with previous parts, in the interest of time. I also will be searching for more assets to use to fill out this scene, as well as the others, and most importantly I will be searching for a way to create a night vision camera effect that a camcorder would have.

[kaushalkumar1711]

How Does a Candidate Tracking System Improve Recruitment Efficiency? 

Building a team with skilled people is essential to driving organizational growth. However, the process can be long due to the complexity of hiring in general. A helpful approach could be practicing internal and external networking by finding the person who best fits your needs.  

As you willfully plan on following the right recruiting process, this guide helps you simplify it by using a candidate tracking system or applicant tracking system (ATS) to help you hire the best personnel for your company's job openings. 

Consider candidates who have applied previously 

Your company must have accumulated an array of candidates if focused on gradual growth and consistent hiring. These people believe you have the proper skill set that you have been seeking.  

However, you can collect fresh applicants much more quickly than those who have already applied for positions. This inefficiency arises due to the need for more functionality in systems to search specific terms relating to candidate resumes through emails, line documents, or paper records, which are highly time-consuming since one has to dig through each resume to find a suitable candidate.  

Candidate tracking software comes in handy. It maintains a database of every applicant, making it more straightforward to search through. You get an applicant's profile for future consideration even if you don't hire them immediately. This unique candidate profile helps you comb through all significant job seekers and find the one who meets the job's criteria. 

Zero in on the suitable candidates  

Let's say you urgently need a graphic designer in Mumbai. You want to avoid running through paper resumes or emails for every Mumbai-based designer who has submitted their application. Use the candidate management software instead. The system has "Boolean Search Functionality," meaning you can combine terms like "AND," "OR" and "NOT" qualifiers. Search for "Graphic Designer" AND "Mumbai" to zero in on candidates who rightly fit the experience and location requirements. 

Please keep track of candidates as they progress. 

Keeping track of applicants during the interview process can be challenging, but it's crucial for timely hires and a positive candidate experience. A candidate tracking system helps by providing insights into job openings and applicants' statuses. You can view candidates' progress through your workflow and assess each job's applicant pool. This system offers an overview of pending jobs and candidates, allowing you to identify bottlenecks and keep the hiring process moving smoothly. 

Replicate your preset workflow in the applicant tracking system 

In hiring, finding qualified candidates is just the beginning. You need to involve others who review resumes, participate in interviews, and provide input on candidates. Your applicant tracking system should support your company's established hiring workflow. For example, suppose your process involves: 

A recruiter phone screening. 

A phone interview with the hiring manager. 

In-person interviews with team members. 

In that case, you can set up this workflow in your system and assign each stage to the appropriate people. The system can also serve as your internal communication hub, sending automated notifications to team members when it's their turn to provide feedback. They can respond directly through email, and their comments will be automatically logged into the candidate's profile in the system. 

Ask your candidates the right questions. 

The modern job application involves more than submitting a resume and cover letter. Before contacting candidates for interviews, it's essential to understand how they approach the job. 

Candidate management systems let you add custom questions to your online applications. These questions can range from general inquiries like "Why are you interested in this role?" Refining assessments to include more intricate criteria can enhance their effectiveness in evaluating critical thinking and aptitude. 

Asking the right questions upfront saves the candidates' and your company's time if they need to be the right fit. The answers are stored in each candidate's profile, allowing you to search for key terms when considering them for future roles. 

Get time back 

An applicant tracking system streamlines the recruiting and hiring process, freeing you from tasks like reviewing resumes and scheduling interviews. It allows you to focus your time and energy on finding the best fit for your company.  

Use AI to search, communicate, and engage with potential candidates efficiently. AI screening swiftly identifies critical skills based on experience, akin to human assessment. With Talentpool, get to know candidates better for personalized engagement and alignment with aspirations. 

[goodresearchtopics]

How reliable is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is a widely used and valuable tool for academic research, but like any database, it has its strengths and limitations. Understanding its reliability requires consideration of several factors:

Comprehensiveness: Google Scholar's vast database covers a wide range of academic disciplines and sources, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, conference proceedings, and preprints. This breadth can be advantageous for interdisciplinary research but may also lead to occasional inclusion of non-peer-reviewed or lower-quality sources.

Citation Metrics: Google Scholar calculates citation metrics such as the h-index and i10-index based on its database. While these metrics provide insights into an author's impact and productivity, they may not always accurately reflect scholarly influence, as they can be influenced by self-citations, variations in citation practices across disciplines, and other factors.

Accessibility: Google Scholar's user-friendly interface and free access make it widely accessible to researchers, students, and the general public. However, this accessibility means that not all content in Google Scholar is peer-reviewed or of equal scholarly rigor. Users should critically evaluate the sources they find, considering factors such as author credibility, publication venue, and peer review status.

Search Algorithm: Google Scholar's search algorithm prioritizes relevance and citation count, which can be beneficial for finding influential works but may also lead to some bias toward older, highly cited papers. Users should employ advanced search features and Boolean operators to refine their searches and retrieve more precise results.

Coverage and Updates: Google Scholar continuously crawls the web to index new content, but it may not capture every scholarly publication or update immediately. Some disciplines or languages may also be underrepresented in Google Scholar's database. Researchers should complement their searches with other databases and resources to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Overall, Google Scholar is a valuable tool for academic research, but users should approach it with a critical eye, carefully evaluating the relevance, quality, and reliability of the sources they find. It is most effective when used in conjunction with other scholarly databases and resources to ensure thorough and rigorous research.

[maklodes]

It's understandable that people are disappointed with the current quality of Google searches. The whole "You type in a search. Then the engine corrects the search you actually gave it into what it thinks you want, replacing uncommon spellings with common spellings, etc, and then it gives you a bunch of AI generated SEO shit that aren't even good results for what it thinks you want."

I'm also nostalgic for the good old days a little bit, but I feel like even at its height, Google still left a lot to be desired? What I really want is a fairly intuitive, precise system of Boolean controls, wildcards, regular expressions, etc, that I can use to precisely define what I do and don't want.

I feel like that's something you used to see sometimes in the Old Internet -- sometimes hidden behind an "advanced search" button or the like -- but I don't recall Google ever having it. Duckduckgo sorta maybe has it a little bit, but not with the level of control and specificity I'd like. I want to be able to search for x AND (y XOR (NOT Z)) or whatever.

[zappyhireglobal]

What is Boolean Search in Recruitment?

As recruiters and hiring managers, we know that the process of sourcing and identifying the right candidate can be time-consuming and challenging. With an ever-increasing number of applicants, it can be overwhelming to sift through hundreds or thousands of resumes and online profiles to find the best fit for your organization. That’s where Boolean search comes in – a powerful tool that can help you search for candidates with greater efficiency and precision.

What is Boolean Search?

Boolean search is a technique used to narrow down and refine search results by using specific keywords and phrases. It is named after the mathematician George Boole, who developed the concept of Boolean algebra in the mid-19th century. The boolean search involves using logical operators such as “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” to create complex search strings that return more relevant results.

With respect to recruitment,  it means using a specific set of search techniques to find the right candidates for a particular job. Boolean search allows recruiters to search for candidates based on specific criteria. It uses the operators AND, OR, and NOT to combine search terms, and produce more targeted results and relevant candidates. 

How does Boolean Search work in Recruitment?

In recruitment, Boolean search is commonly used to identify candidates with specific skills or experience. Let’s say you’re looking for a marketing manager with experience in both digital marketing and branding. You can use Boolean search in your ATS to find candidates who meet these criteria. You would enter the search terms “marketing manager” AND “digital marketing” AND “branding” into the search bar. The AND operator ensures that all three search terms are present in the results, narrowing down the pool of potential candidates.

If the recruiter finds that they’re getting too many irrelevant results, they can use the NOT operator to exclude certain terms. For example, they might add NOT “social media” to the search query to exclude candidates who specialize in social media marketing.

On the other hand, if the recruiter wants to broaden their search, they can use the OR operator to include multiple variations of a term. For instance, they might enter “marketing manager” AND (“digital marketing” OR “online marketing”) to include candidates who may have experience in different types of digital marketing.

By using Boolean search in recruitment, you can save time and effort by quickly identifying qualified candidates based on specific criteria, leading to more successful hiring outcomes.

Tips for using Boolean Search in Recruitment

Be specific

Use specific keywords and phrases that accurately describe the qualifications and experience you are looking for in a candidate. Avoid using generic terms that could return irrelevant results.

Instead of searching for “marketing jobs,” use specific keywords like “digital marketing specialist” or “content marketing manager.” This will help to narrow down the search results and provide more relevant candidates.

Experiment with different search strings

Try different combinations of keywords and Boolean operators to see which ones return the best results. Be flexible and willing to adjust your search parameters as needed.

Try different combinations of keywords and Boolean operators to see which ones return the best results. For example, you could use “developer” AND (“Java” OR “Python”) to find candidates with experience in either Java or Python programming languages.

Use quotation marks

Enclose phrases in quotation marks to search for an exact match. This will ensure that the search results only include the exact phrase you’re looking for.

For instance, if you are looking for candidates with experience in “customer relationship management,” using quotation marks will ensure that the search results only include that exact phrase.

Utilize advanced search features

Many online job boards and resume databases have advanced search features that allow you to filter search results by criteria such as location, education, and years of experience. Take advantage of these features to narrow down your search even further.