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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

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An interoperability rule for your money

This is the final weekend to back the Kickstarter campaign for the audiobook of my next novel, The Lost Cause. These kickstarters are how I pay my bills, which lets me publish my free essays nearly every day. If you enjoy my work, please consider backing!

"If you don't like it, why don't you take your business elsewhere?" It's the motto of the corporate apologist, someone so Hayek-pilled that they see every purchase as a ballot cast in the only election that matters – the one where you vote with your wallet.

Voting with your wallet is a pretty undignified way to go through life. For one thing, the people with the thickest wallets get the most votes, and for another, no matter who you vote for in that election, the Monopoly Party always wins, because that's the part of the thick-wallet set.

Contrary to the just-so fantasies of Milton-Friedman-poisoned bootlickers, there are plenty of reasons that one might stick with a business that one dislikes – even one that actively harms you.

The biggest reason for staying with a bad company is if they've figured out a way to punish you for leaving. Businesses are keenly attuned to ways to impose switching costs on disloyal customers. "Switching costs" are all the things you have to give up when you take your business elsewhere.

Businesses love high switching costs – think of your gym forcing you to pay to cancel your subscription or Apple turning off your groupchat checkmark when you switch to Android. The more it costs you to move to a rival vendor, the worse your existing vendor can treat you without worrying about losing your business.

Capitalists genuinely hate capitalism. As the FBI informant Peter Thiel says, "competition is for losers." The ideal 21st century "market" is something like Amazon, a platform that gets 45-51 cents out of every dollar earned by its sellers. Sure, those sellers all compete with one another, but no matter who wins, Amazon gets a cut:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital

Think of how Facebook keeps users glued to its platform by making the price of leaving cutting of contact with your friends, family, communities and customers. Facebook tells its customers – advertisers – that people who hate the platform stick around because Facebook is so good at manipulating its users (this is a good sales pitch for a company that sells ads!). But there's a far simpler explanation for peoples' continued willingness to let Mark Zuckerberg spy on them: they hate Zuck, but they love their friends, so they stay:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

One of the most important ways that regulators can help the public is by reducing switching costs. The easier it is for you to leave a company, the more likely it is they'll treat you well, and if they don't, you can walk away from them. That's just what the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau wants to do with its new Personal Financial Data Rights rule:

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-jumpstart-competition-and-accelerate-shift-to-open-banking/

The new rule is aimed at banks, some of the rottenest businesses around. Remember when Wells Fargo ripped off millions of its customers by ordering its tellers to open fake accounts in their name, firing and blacklisting tellers who refused to break the law?

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/10/07/497084491/episode-728-the-wells-fargo-hustle

While there are alternatives to banks – local credit unions are great – a lot of us end up with a bank by default and then struggle to switch, even though the banks give us progressively worse service, collectively rip us off for billions in junk fees, and even defraud us. But because the banks keep our data locked up, it can be hard to shop for better alternatives. And if we do go elsewhere, we're stuck with hours of tedious clerical work to replicate all our account data, payees, digital wallets, etc.

That's where the new CFPB order comes in: the Bureau will force banks to "share data at the person’s direction with other companies offering better products." So if you tell your bank to give your data to a competitor – or a comparison shopping site – it will have to do so…or else.

Banks often claim that they block account migration and comparison shopping sites because they want to protect their customers from ripoff artists. There are certainly plenty of ripoff artists (notwithstanding that some of them run banks). But banks have an irreconcilable conflict of interest here: they might want to stop (other) con-artists from robbing you, but they also want to make leaving as painful as possible.

Instead of letting shareholder-accountable bank execs in back rooms decide what the people you share your financial data are allowed to do with it, the CFPB is shouldering that responsibility, shifting those deliberations to the public activities of a democratically accountable agency. Under the new rule, the businesses you connect to your account data will be "prohibited from misusing or wrongfully monetizing the sensitive personal financial data."

This is an approach that my EFF colleague Bennett Cyphers and I first laid our in our 2021 paper, "Privacy Without Monopoly," where we describe how and why we should shift determinations about who is and isn't allowed to get your data from giant, monopolistic tech companies to democratic institutions, based on privacy law, not corporate whim:

https://www.eff.org/wp/interoperability-and-privacy

The new CFPB rule is aimed squarely at reducing switching costs. As CFPB Director Rohit Chopra says, "Today, we are proposing a rule to give consumers the power to walk away from bad service and choose the financial institutions that offer the best products and prices."

The rule bans banks from charging their customers junk fees to access their data, and bans businesses you give that data to from "collecting, using, or retaining data to advance their own commercial interests through actions like targeted or behavioral advertising." It also guarantees you the unrestricted right to revoke access to your data.

The rule is intended to replace the current state-of-the-art for data sharing, which is giving your banking password to third parties who go and scrape that data on your behalf. This is a tactic that comparison sites and financial dashboards have used since 2006, when Mint pioneered it:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/12/mint-late-stage-adversarial-interoperability-demonstrates-what-we-had-and-what-we

A lot's happened since 2006. It's past time for American bank customers to have the right to access and share their data, so they can leave rotten banks and go to better ones.

The new rule is made possible by Section 1033 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, which was passed in 2010. Chopra is one of the many Biden administrative appointees who have acquainted themselves with all the powers they already have, and then used those powers to help the American people:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

It's pretty wild that the first digital interoperability mandate is going to come from the CFPB, but it's also really cool. As Tim Wu demonstrated in 2021 when he wrote Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, the administrative agencies have sweeping, grossly underutilized powers that can make a huge difference to everyday Americans' lives:

https://www.eff.org/de/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/21/let-my-dollars-go/#personal-financial-data-rights

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

Image: Steve Morgan (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._National_Bank_Building_-_Portland,_Oregon.jpg

Stefan Kühn (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abrissbirne.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Rhys A. (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/rhysasplundh/5201859761/in/photostream/

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

#pluralistic #cfpb #interoperability mandates #mint #scraping #apis #privacy #privacy without monopoly #consumer finance protection bureau #Personal Financial Data Rights #interop #data hoarding #junk fees #switching costs #section 1033 #interoperability

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joshsilverseyebrow · 7 days ago

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type o negative for Metal Edge magazine (1999),

(courtesy of YourMomPlaysMagic on reddit)

transcription:

By Paul Gargano

Photos by Annamaria DiSanto

There's a lot to be said for a band that names the first song on their album "Skip It," treating the listener to the sounds of a CD skipping for 10 seconds. They obviously don't lack in the sense of humor department, clearly don't take themselves too seriously, and are none too afraid of letting a good joke cloud the dementia of their art. "We are a tragic comedy," comments Type O Negative keyboardist Josh Silver when asked about his band's subtle sense of humor. "The best songs Type O have ever recorded are tragic comedies...”

"Like, 'I Know You're F.cking Someone Else,'' chimes frontman Peter Steele-the band's vocalist, bass player, pre-dominant songwriter and principal de-composer of songs-citing the bluntly titled track that opens 1992's The Origin of the Feces.

Truth be told, there's not a lot that Type O Negative do that doesn't reflect their collective wit and dry take on the world around them. In 1991, their Slow, Deep and Hard debut opened with "unsuccessfully coping with the natural beauty of infidelity" and closed with the double billing of "the misinterpretation of silence and its disastrous consequences" and “gravitational constant: G=6.67•10^-8cm^-3gm^-1sec^-2.” Not bad for a bunch of Brooklyn boys in a heavy metal band.

A year later, Feces featured a Type O take on the Jimi Hendrix cover "Hey Joe — dubbed "Hey Pete" — and depicted the 6'6" Steele holding a standup bass in the album art. It was the same bass he would later play in the "Black No. 1" video, from 1993's Bloody Kisses. With the unexpected commercial success of Kisses, Type O got their first lesson in the hazards of allowing the American intellect to interpret their art.

"After the 'Black' video, people were coming up to me after shows and asking, 'Where's the big bass?'" laughs Steele, with Silver making sure his implications were clear: "Everyone misses the humor, it goes right over their heads."

But in the band's eyes, their Bloody breakthrough led to something far worse than a few missed gags-their success got blown out of proportion by their record label.

"We got a few records sold under our belts, and instead of letting the band be a band, the label saw it as a platform to do even more commercially successful things," recalls drummer Johnny Kelly. Once again, Silver details: "Instead of just letting us do what we do best, they're trying to make us something monsterous and commercial. That's the one thing that this industry can't understand about us, and now they just keep making the same mistakes over and over again."

"They're trying to homogenize and pasteurize us," chimes guitarist Kenny Hickey, "And that's the most terrifying thing about it," says Kelly. “I think in the end, that is ultimately going to hurt us.”

Not if Silver has anything to do with it: “It won’t, because we won't let it happen."

Says Steele, summing up the dogma that is Type O Negative, "We're an answer, looking for a question."

Sitting in an artsy Manhattan hotel room with the members of Type O Negative is hardly the place to find that elusive question, especially given the extreme mid-summer heat and inhumane lack of air conditioning. But the more we talked, the more the same issue was raised: How do you market a band that defies any of the neat subgenres that cloak the hard rock and heavy metal communities?

"It doesn't pay to be trendy," advises Steele, "because by the time you rip off Limp Bizkit and the album comes out next year, there are going to be new trends."

So rather than ride the trends, Roadrunner Records urged Type O to create their own with their follow-up to Bloody Kisses, 1996's October Rust. The album was arguably their most defining artistic statement, but somewhere between the recording and the album's release, it lost the raw, primal power of their previous outings. It was art, but on a canvas, and Type O fans were accustomed to sketchings on the insides of cavernous walls.

"October Rust is a heavy album, but when you try and put too many layers on it, in order to fit everything in sonically, you have to cut some of the heaviness out of it," explains Steele. "I just don't think the album was congruent with what was going on at the time. It wasn't trendy at all. I don't think anything we've ever done has been trendy — For us to be trendy would be like trying to hit a nail in the f.cking dark. It's a matter of luck."

"We're the square pegs," adds Hickey, with Steele cutting back in: "I do admit that the last album was a little formulated, and I/we should not have listened to the record label when they said, 'Write some stuff for radio, they'll make you f.ckin' rich.' The funny thing is, as much as October Rust is still my favorite album that we've done, it's not radio friendly-Even though we tried to make it that way. So now, we've just stopped trying."

"You're being too hard on the album now," adds Hickey. "I think there were some very complex songs on that album, melodically and stuff, and that threw radio. There was just too much shit to listen to at once."

At this point in the conversation, voices start to raise over the intentions of Rust, Steele trying to tread a diplomatic line, and Kelly getting frustrated with his bandmates' defensiveness towards the album. "There were a lot of awesome songs on that album, and I'm tired of people f.cking beating it up. So much so that we're doing it now, we're even beating it up. It's very frustrating!”

Silver agrees. "That was not a shitty record. It is what it is — You take a musical risk and you go out on a limb. That's life. If it's too much for the average person to digest, and people don't get it, f.ck 'em."

"The planets really just didn't align for us on that album," Kelly continues. "It was really tough, we were on tour for a month after the album came out and people were still coming up to us and asking when the record was going to be released. Some of the radio stations didn't even know we had singles." In addition to general dissaray at their label, the band were also between managers, interviewing candidates pre-show while on tour, and without anyone to go to bat for them with the Roadrunner powers that be.

Which leads to the September 21 release of World Coming Down, the latest canon in the Negative collection. The band has signed with Andy Gould Management whose artist roster also includes Rob Zombie, Monster Magnet and Drain S.T.H., and new personnel at their label indicate that their might be reason to be optimistic about the future.

"Optimism?" repeats Steele when the word is uttered, Silver deadpanning in response, "That's nonexistent."

Hickey: "Personally, I'm just closing my eyes and jumping into the fire."

"You know how some people look at a glass as half empty, others half full?" Steele ques-tions, "We don't even have a glass."

But they do have one hell of a record. World Coming Down is Type O Negative sporting their most comfortable dark and dirgey tones, numbing the senses with the diabolic sounds of music as somber as its creators.

Clocking in at over eight minutes, "White Slavery" is haunting and surreal, a penetrating voyage to the inner banks of the mind's most remote corner. Still left with a glimmer of hope? "Everyone I Love Is Dead" follows, harder hitting than its predecessor, with the buzz of guitars lifting Steele's vocals to majestic heights and providing the song with glorious depth. The title track carries the album to complete sonic overload, a troubling and disturbing nosedive of extended sound and distorted equilibrium. It's more than music, it's a mood, and it's what Type O convey more brilliantly than any band that could be considered their peers.

"We really just wanted to do something heavy again," says Silver, hitting the proverbial nail on the head. "It was back to the basics, ripping off Black Sabbath again."

"Actually, we tried for something simpler on this record," adds Kelly. "The production is half of what we used on the last record."

Says Steele: "The object was really to sound more like four people than 40. We made a concious effort not to do three different guitar tracks or put three different keyboards on—The other reason we've gone back to this style is that it's really hard to reproduce some of the stuff from October Rust live. It's very lush, and we're only four guys... We didn't expect to get two singles off of Bloody Kisses, it just happened ["Black No.1" and "Christian Woman"], so this time we just concentrated on making the songs, then we can always edit them down."

"We've done it the hard way our entire life, and we're going to do it the hard way this time — Radio is something that's not about this band, and trying to make us that takes away our soul and is a waste of everybody's time. Especially the listeners," continues Silver. "I think a band that's done the most right is Ministry. They've kept their integrity, sold well, never sold out to the main-stream, and they've done it over and over again. Instead of being greedy and trying to go where we don't belong, I know where Type O Negative does belong, and it's not modern rock radio. When you support Type O Negative you need to support art."

"Art?" chimes Steele, obviously uncomfortable with the serious turn the conversation has taken. "Was someone thinking of art?"

"I was thinking of Art Carney," drops Kelly.

"Art deco?" questions Hickey, but Steele has already found the answer he is looking for:

"No, Art Carney... That's the other thing that's happening now, a lot of our comedy is coming from TV from the late '50s to late '70s, and kids today—they could be our kids—they don't get it. We're quoting The Flintstones, The Munsters and Abbott and Costello, and we think it's f.ckin' funny, but the kids are looking at us like, "You guys aren't funny!"

So is it discouraging that a lot of the band's subtleties go over the heads of the audi-ence, and Type O are often tagged as little more than a proverbial "goth" band?

"It is, but this vampire goth thing isn't something that we've made up," begins Steele in response, "it's something that we've been tagged with."

"Tagged with? But you have FANGS!" snaps Hickey, as the room bursts into hysterics all around.

"It doesn't matter! Just let me finish! Once we found our niche, we just kind of exploited it a little bit..." but Steele can't hold his laughter back — “What was the question? Did I mention that our next video is going to be a cartoon? Johnny in his car, running over the Road Runner."

As Steele segues into a humming medley of television theme songs, attention diverts to Hickey, who at the time of the interview had been sober for five months.

"It has changed my approach a lot, in that I've sobered up and now I can play better," confesses the guitarist. "I was a wreck last tour, but I was sober for the entire recording, and it's the best I've ever played."

Steele reemerges in the conversation. "I wish I could say that. I remember about three minutes of recording the demos-trying to tune drunk, that's about it. There's nothing good to say about drugs and alcohol, other than that some fun can come out of them. There's nothing good about them, just stupid adolescent humor."

For Hickey, being sober has meant a new focus towards his music. "Now, I look at it as I have to make money to support my family and to give my daughter a good future. I never looked at it as cash dollars, ever. I just wanted to get in a bus and tear an asshole into the world. Now it's a lot different. I'm preparing for the future and I have a college fund started for my daughter. I didn't give a damn about anything before, not even myself. Not that it effects the way I think about the music now, I would never want to sell out to make money, or anything like that, but now I look at it like a career rather than a f.ckin' circus or a giant comedy i asically, he's doing the same thing ho always has, but now he's scared," smiles Silver. "Do you think you can start me a college fund, too? I can use college...”

Did Hickey's sobriety contribute to the delays in recording the album?

"Actually, the first factor was that we had been on tour for four-and-a-half years, so when we came home we wanted virtually nothing to do with each other for a long time," explains Steele. "After like six months, we decided it was time to get back to work, but we had gotten older and life had gotten more complicated-Kenny and Johnny got married, Kenny had a daughter, and there were setbacks, personal problems came up. We'd take two steps forward and one step back."

"When you leave your life for five years, then suddenly you come back, you have a lot of catching up to do. You start remembering that you're human again," details Hickey.

"The other thing," continues Steele, "was just trying to write quality songs. We had three or four left over that just weren't up to par, then you open your equipment for the first rehearsal in six months, and you don't even recognize it. It's difficult to just start right up again. We could have been sitting here eight months ago, but we would have had a subpar album with the first 10 songs we wrote. We needed to get back into the swing of things."

"It's like squeezing out a large turd," notes Hickey, demonstrating that fatherhood hasn't stripped him of his penchant for colorful detail, "sometimes it takes awhile."

There's little doubt that the album benefited from the extra time, as "Creepy Green Light" punches through with a flair that borders on mid-'80s Euro-pop — undeniably Type O while shining as the album's most effervescent cut, a diversion from the down-trodden spirit of "Everything Dies." "Pyretta Blaze" flirts with a mid-song keyboard run that is reminiscent of early U2, while "Hallow's Eve" drops the sound right back into the familiar TON underworld, paving a path for a spellbinding cover of the Beatles'"'Daytripper," which—like "Summer Breeze" and "Cinnaman Girl" from previous releases-sets the standard for maintaining the integrity of a classic song while giving it the full-on Type O treatment.

Full on Type O treatment? We asked each of the members what the most important element of Type O Negative is to them.

Hickey: "Our look."

Kelly: "Our hair."

Steele: "Our smell."

Silver: "Truth and Emotion go a long way."

"That's all right, image does count," says Steele seriously, "but the only way to be really successful is to follow your heart, hope that your work is put out there and marketed properly, and hope that people jump on it."

It's back to that marketing question... If all goes well, we'll be seeing Type O Negative in arenas like their hometown Madison Square Garden, but they don't need that type of success to be happy.

"I’d be happy to play my back garden," pans Steele, "the one behind my house."

#josh silver #johnny kelly #kenny hickey #peter steele #type o negative #i love josh silver #i love type o negative #bloody kisses #world coming down #october rust #gothic metal #goth

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wphostzone · 6 months ago

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What is Web Hosting? Discover Types, Key Factors, & 2024’s 12 Best Web Hosting Platforms.

Web hosting—the physical presence of your website on the internet—is essential for your online business. Without dependable web hosting, you jeopardize your capacity to run your business and meet your consumers’ expectations.

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Web hosting uses internet-facing hardware and software to provide web services to end users. It is where your website and services are stored, processed, and delivered.

At its most fundamental, web hosting consists of secure internet interfaces and communications, computer server hardware and storage, web server software, and content (text, pictures, audio/video).

However, most web hosting solutions also include database servers, content management systems, e-commerce tools, security and authentication, and other applications required for websites to function and remain secure.

The web hosting sector is critical and is expected to increase by more than 20% year between 2024 and 2028.

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#Web Hosting #Hosting #WordPress Hosting #WP Hosting #Best Web Hosting #Web Hosting Platforms #Top 12 Web Hosting

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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Citizens of the European Union live in an internet built and ruled by foreign powers. Most people in the EU use an American search engine, shop on an American ecommerce site, thumb American phones, and scroll through American social media feeds.

That fact has triggered increasing alarm in the corridors of Brussels, as the EU tries to understand how exactly those companies warp the economy around them. Five years ago, Shoshana Zuboff’s book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism neatly articulated much of lawmakers’ critique of the tech giants, just as they were preparing to enforce the flagship GDPR privacy law. Now as the EU enacts another historic piece of tech regulation, the Digital Markets Act, which companies must comply with starting tomorrow, March 7, a different critic du jour sums up the new mood in Brussels.

In his 2023 book, Technofeudalism, Yanis Varoufakis argues the big US tech platforms have brought feudalism back to Europe. The former Greek finance minister sees little difference between the medieval serf toiling on land he does not own and the Amazon seller who must subject themselves to the company’s strict rules while giving the company a cut of each sale.

The idea that a handful of big tech companies have subjugated internet users into digital empires has permeated through Europe. Technofeudalism shares bookshelf space with Cloud Empires and Digital Empires, which make broadly similar arguments. For years, Europe’s wanna-be Big Tech rivals, like Sweden’s Spotify or Switzerland’s ProtonMail, have claimed that companies like Google, Meta, and Apple unfairly limit their ability to reach potential users, through tactics like preinstalling Gmail on new Android phones or Apple’s strict rules for the App Store. “It’s not a problem to be a monopoly,” says Sandra Wachter, professor of technology and regulation at Oxford University’s Internet Institute. “It becomes a problem if you're starting to exclude other people from the market.”

Crowbarred Open

In answer to that problem, Brussels’ politicos agreed to the Digital Markets Act in 2022. It is designed to rein in the largest tech companies—almost all of them from the US—that act as gatekeepers between consumers and other businesses. A sibling regulation, the Digital Services Act, which focuses more on freedom of expression, went into effect last month. Wachter says they follow a long tradition of laws trying to protect the public and the economy from state power, wielded either by the government or the monarch. “With the rise of the private sector and globalization, power has just shifted,” she adds. Tech platforms rule over digital lives like kings. The DMA is part of the attempt to keep up.

The rules change tomorrow for platforms deemed “gatekeepers�� by the DMA—so far including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok parent Bytedance. The law essentially crowbars open what the EU calls the gatekeepers’ “core services.” In the past regulators have proposed containing corporate giants by taking them to pieces. EU lawmakers have adopted the motto “Don’t break up big tech companies, break them open.”

In theory, that means big changes for EU residents’ digital lives. Users of iPhones should soon be able to download apps from places other than Apple’s app store; Microsoft Windows will no longer have Microsoft-owned Bing as its default search tool; Meta-owned WhatsApp users will be able to communicate with people on rival messaging apps; and Google and Amazon will have to tweak their search results to create more room for rivals. There will also be limits on how users’ data can be shared between one company’s different services. Fines for noncompliance can reach up to 20 percent of global sales revenue. The law also gives the EU recourse to the nuclear option of forcing tech companies to sell off parts of their business.

Homegrown Challengers

Most tech giants have expressed uncharacteristic alarm about the changes required of them this week. Google has spoken of “difficult trade-offs,” which may mean its search results send more traffic to hotel or flight aggregators. Apple has claimed that the DMA jeopardizes its devices’ security. Apple, Meta and TikTok have all filed legal challenges against the EU, saying new rules unfairly target their services. The argument in favor of the status quo is that competition is actually thriving—just look at TikTok, a technology company launched in the past decade, now designated as one of the so-called gatekeepers.

But TikTok is an exception. The DMA wants to make it normal for new household names to emerge in the tech industry; to “drive innovation so that smaller businesses can really make it,” as the EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager explained to WIRED, back in 2022. Many hope some of the new businesses that ��make it” will be European. For almost every big tech service, there is a smaller homegrown equivalent: from German search engine Ecosia to French messaging app Olvid and Polish Amazon alternative Allegro. These are the companies many hope will benefit from the DMA, even if there is widespread skepticism about how effective the new rules will be at forcing the tech giants to change.

Today, US-based Epic Games said Apple had terminated its European developer account, soon after Epic announced it would take advantage of the DMA to open a new games store for iOS. Apple told WIRED that Epic was untrustworthy and Apple has the right to terminate the accounts of any of Epic's wholly owned subsidiaries following a 2021 court judgment. “Apple chose to exercise that right,” a statement provided by company spokesperson Rob Saunders said.

App Stores will be an early area of focus for DMA enforcement, Vestager said this week. But Europeans can’t expect the internet to transform overnight. In its early days, the new law’s effects will be more about the power struggles behind the curtain of the world’s biggest companies; not about making netizens’ lives easier. In fact, their online experience is likely to get messier at first. There will probably be even more website pop-ups. “This dominant position that these companies have is partially because we have been so addicted to convenience,” says Anu Bradford, a professor at Columbia Law School and author of Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology. The new rules will mean users have to reengage with what they want their online lives to look like, she adds. Defaults set by US corporations will no longer be chosen for them.

Instead the DMA’s objective is to remind Europeans what they traded in exchange for that convenience in the first place. The DMA is about power, not necessarily convenience. Whether Europeans will be able to remember that as their online worlds are cracked open remains to be seen.

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chiragqlanceblogs · 5 days ago

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How Python Powers Scalable and Cost-Effective Cloud Solutions

Explore the role of Python in developing scalable and cost-effective cloud solutions. This guide covers Python's advantages in cloud computing, addresses potential challenges, and highlights real-world applications, providing insights into leveraging Python for efficient cloud development.

Introduction

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses are increasingly leveraging cloud computing to enhance scalability, optimize costs, and drive innovation. Among the myriad of programming languages available, Python has emerged as a preferred choice for developing robust cloud solutions. Its simplicity, versatility, and extensive library support make it an ideal candidate for cloud-based applications.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into how Python empowers scalable and cost-effective cloud solutions, explore its advantages, address potential challenges, and highlight real-world applications.

Why Python is the Preferred Choice for Cloud Computing?

Python's popularity in cloud computing is driven by several factors, making it the preferred language for developing and managing cloud solutions. Here are some key reasons why Python stands out:

Simplicity and Readability: Python's clean and straightforward syntax allows developers to write and maintain code efficiently, reducing development time and costs.

Extensive Library Support: Python offers a rich set of libraries and frameworks like Django, Flask, and FastAPI for building cloud applications.

Seamless Integration with Cloud Services: Python is well-supported across major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Automation and DevOps Friendly: Python supports infrastructure automation with tools like Ansible, Terraform, and Boto3.

Strong Community and Enterprise Adoption: Python has a massive global community that continuously improves and innovates cloud-related solutions.

How Python Enables Scalable Cloud Solutions?

Scalability is a critical factor in cloud computing, and Python provides multiple ways to achieve it:

1. Automation of Cloud Infrastructure

Python's compatibility with cloud service provider SDKs, such as AWS Boto3, Azure SDK for Python, and Google Cloud Client Library, enables developers to automate the provisioning and management of cloud resources efficiently.

2. Containerization and Orchestration

Python integrates seamlessly with Docker and Kubernetes, enabling businesses to deploy scalable containerized applications efficiently.

3. Cloud-Native Development

Frameworks like Flask, Django, and FastAPI support microservices architecture, allowing businesses to develop lightweight, scalable cloud applications.

4. Serverless Computing

Python's support for serverless platforms, including AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions, allows developers to build applications that automatically scale in response to demand, optimizing resource utilization and cost.

5. AI and Big Data Scalability

Python’s dominance in AI and data science makes it an ideal choice for cloud-based AI/ML services like AWS SageMaker, Google AI, and Azure Machine Learning.

Looking for expert Python developers to build scalable cloud solutions? Hire Python Developers now!

Advantages of Using Python for Cloud Computing

Cost Efficiency: Python’s compatibility with serverless computing and auto-scaling strategies minimizes cloud costs.

Faster Development: Python’s simplicity accelerates cloud application development, reducing time-to-market.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: Python runs seamlessly across different cloud platforms.

Security and Reliability: Python-based security tools help in encryption, authentication, and cloud monitoring.

Strong Community Support: Python developers worldwide contribute to continuous improvements, making it future-proof.

Challenges and Considerations

While Python offers many benefits, there are some challenges to consider:

Performance Limitations: Python is an interpreted language, which may not be as fast as compiled languages like Java or C++.

Memory Consumption: Python applications might require optimization to handle large-scale cloud workloads efficiently.

Learning Curve for Beginners: Though Python is simple, mastering cloud-specific frameworks requires time and expertise.

Python Libraries and Tools for Cloud Computing

Python’s ecosystem includes powerful libraries and tools tailored for cloud computing, such as:

Boto3: AWS SDK for Python, used for cloud automation.

Google Cloud Client Library: Helps interact with Google Cloud services.

Azure SDK for Python: Enables seamless integration with Microsoft Azure.

Apache Libcloud: Provides a unified interface for multiple cloud providers.

PyCaret: Simplifies machine learning deployment in cloud environments.

Real-World Applications of Python in Cloud Computing

1. Netflix - Scalable Streaming with Python

Netflix extensively uses Python for automation, data analysis, and managing cloud infrastructure, enabling seamless content delivery to millions of users.

2. Spotify - Cloud-Based Music Streaming

Spotify leverages Python for big data processing, recommendation algorithms, and cloud automation, ensuring high availability and scalability.

3. Reddit - Handling Massive Traffic

Reddit uses Python and AWS cloud solutions to manage heavy traffic while optimizing server costs efficiently.

Future of Python in Cloud Computing

The future of Python in cloud computing looks promising with emerging trends such as:

AI-Driven Cloud Automation: Python-powered AI and machine learning will drive intelligent cloud automation.

Edge Computing: Python will play a crucial role in processing data at the edge for IoT and real-time applications.

Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Strategies: Python’s flexibility will enable seamless integration across multiple cloud platforms.

Increased Adoption of Serverless Computing: More enterprises will adopt Python for cost-effective serverless applications.

Conclusion

Python's simplicity, versatility, and robust ecosystem make it a powerful tool for developing scalable and cost-effective cloud solutions. By leveraging Python's capabilities, businesses can enhance their cloud applications' performance, flexibility, and efficiency.

Ready to harness the power of Python for your cloud solutions? Explore our Python Development Services to discover how we can assist you in building scalable and efficient cloud applications.

FAQs

1. Why is Python used in cloud computing?

Python is widely used in cloud computing due to its simplicity, extensive libraries, and seamless integration with cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.

2. Is Python good for serverless computing?

Yes! Python works efficiently in serverless environments like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions, making it an ideal choice for cost-effective, auto-scaling applications.

3. Which companies use Python for cloud solutions?

Major companies like Netflix, Spotify, Dropbox, and Reddit use Python for cloud automation, AI, and scalable infrastructure management.

4. How does Python help with cloud security?

Python offers robust security libraries like PyCryptodome and OpenSSL, enabling encryption, authentication, and cloud monitoring for secure cloud applications.

5. Can Python handle big data in the cloud?

Yes! Python supports big data processing with tools like Apache Spark, Pandas, and NumPy, making it suitable for data-driven cloud applications.

#Python development company #Python in Cloud Computing #Hire Python Developers #Python for Multi-Cloud Environments

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rohitpalan · 3 months ago

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Forecasting Exponential Growth: The Global Cloud Communication Platforms Market 2020-2030

The global cloud communication platform market will experience a double-digit CAGR over the forecast period, 2020-2030. Upsurge in investments in IT infrastructure for cloud service providers (CSPs), internet service providers (ISPs), and hyperscalers have been critical in driving market growth. Further, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has compelled several organizations to turn to work from home (WFH) model, thereby, resulting in increasing deployment of cloud communication platform solutions.

Digital collaboration tool providers, including Zoom, and Microsoft, are witnessing a remarkable upswing in usage across continents due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. Given the shortage of on-site IT personnel, companies are utilizing cloud-based solutions to maintain and monitor their storage, and server installations in data centers. Enterprises are leveraging full potential of cloud to establish resilient and disaster-immune models to satiate the remote workforce, as well as ensure data security and enterprise application integrity.

Request a Sample of this Report: https://www.fmisamplereport.com/sample/rep-gb-3349

“While the COVID-19 pandemic is having a detrimental impact on the global economic order, it is having a mildly positive impact on cloud communication platform market. Although the pandemic is troubling cloud service providers, in uncertain times, the public cloud infrastructure is delivering flexibility and safe house for organizations striving to maintain normal operations” says the FMI study.

Cloud Communication Platform Market – Key Takeaways

The healthcare industry would remain key revenue generator, given rising trend of bring your own device (BYOD), and increasing need for mobility in the industry.

Benefits such as low costs, and greater functionality are bolstering the adoption of Unified communications as a service (UCaaS).

Large enterprises would remain the primary customer of cloud communication platform services.

Market in North America continues its positive trend, backed by increasing adoption of UCaaS and IVR solutions.

Cloud Communication Platform Market – Key Driving Factors

Rising preference for online backup and database solutions has boded well for market.

Increasing shift towards cloud-based unified communication services to push adoption rate.

Swelling demand for high-speed data transfer mediums in developing regions to offer growth potential to market players.

Cloud Communication Platform Market – Key Constraints

Security and privacy risks associated with shared communication networks are restricting widespread adoption.

Redesigning the network for cloud requires high initial cost.

Anticipated Market Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered the revenue growth of almost every industry, including the cloud communication platform market. Alerted by the situation, several private, and government organizations have transitioned to remote working, thus, translating into swelling adoption of cloud communication platform solutions. In addition, customers are significantly banking on video streaming services as they strictly following self-isolating regulations. Such evolving trends are auguring well for the cloud communication platform market. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market expanded by nearly 1.4X in 2019 and will see a surge in demand amidst the COVID-19 crisis, as remote working becomes the new normal.

Competition Landscape

Key players in the cloud communication platform market are Cisco Systems Inc., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Avaya Inc., Ozonetel Systems Pvt. Ltd., and Dialogic Inc. Players are focusing on collaborations and new service launches in order to expand their presence further during the COVID-19 recession and extend their customer base.

#Cloud Communication Platforms Market

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agamiblogs · 1 month ago

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What is SaaS and How to Build a SaaS Platform

What is SaaS? SaaS, or Software as a Service, is a cloud-based software delivery model where applications are hosted online and accessed through the internet. Unlike traditional software that requires installation, SaaS applications run on web browsers, offering convenience and flexibility. The provider manages all technical aspects, including updates, maintenance, and security, while users pay a subscription fee for access.

SaaS is popular for its cost-effectiveness and scalability. Businesses use SaaS for tools like customer relationship management (CRM) systems, project management platforms, and communication solutions. Consumers also rely on SaaS for entertainment and personal productivity.

How to Build a SaaS Platform If you're wondering how to build a SaaS platform, here are the essential steps:

Define Your Purpose: Start by identifying a problem that your SaaS platform will address. Research your audience and focus on a specific niche.

Plan Features: List features that add value, such as easy navigation, integrations, and real-time collaboration. Scalability should also be a priority.

Select the Right Technology: Choose technologies like React for frontend development, Node.js or Python for backend, and cloud hosting platforms like AWS.

Create an MVP: Build a Minimum Viable Product to test your concept, gather feedback, and refine your platform.

Ensure Security: Implement strong encryption, secure authentication, and regular updates to protect user data.

By understanding what SaaS is and following these steps, you can build a successful SaaS platform that meets market needs.

#SaaS #software as a service #how to build a saas paltform

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psktechnologiesnagpur-blog · 2 months ago

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vibratingskull · 1 year ago

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Home sweet home

Part1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Tag List

ThrawnxF!reader

It’s your first leaves and Thrawn and Eli already cry for help. In the ebullient city of Coruscant you go searching for an apartment, but the empire doesn’t treat its citizen the same.

You adjust your sunglasses, it’s a sunny day despite the clouds of pollution on Coruscant, and you can feel the wind in your hair. Leaning against the wall of the community shuttle stop you can’t resist to take a holograph of the beautiful sun and freiters rings on your imager. You will post it later. You put it away, pull down your hat on your head and observe the different ships passing in front of you in their mish mash of lines that ribbon the sky. It is early in the morning but traffic is already high. School children walk among the salarymans and other office workers. Some hail a cab while others choose to walk. A group of youths are playing hard bass much to the regret of some walkers.

You approach the edge of the platform. That’s your shuttle. You enter, validate your ticket and take a seat. Head resting in your hand and forehead against the window’s glass you look outside as the ship took off, making your body vibrate.

It is your second leave since you took post in the marine, and you didn’t think you would have to pass it that way, but oh well. You start humming a new tone you’ve heard as the skyscrapers get blurry with the motion. This is gonna be a rough day for your muscles, it's gonna be tiring but it is to help a friend.

You hold that though.

Helping a friend. You bite your inner cheek. You're not gonna dwell on that again… Thrawn doesn't see you in any other way, accept it!

But it is hard. Your reason tells you to cope with it but your heart cries every time, aching you from the inside.

You shake your head. No! Enough with this defeated energy!

You are young!

With a promisng start to a great career!

You always had your chance in the dating market, it's not gonna end now and you won't let it! You're not gonna wait for Thrawn forever and waste your best years, you need to dive right in, drink, fuck, smoke some spice (occasionaly) and make the most of your youth! Fuck this guy! Who does he think he is to shake you up like that? Starting today you take back control of your love life and forget him like the fling it was!

You take out your comlink, searching your contacts. Who would you be down to spend time with? How about one of your new coworkers? There are a few of them you could bite into. No, it will get messy with work. Someone outside of that circle, then. Do you want a fuckbuddy or a grounded relationship? Anything that makes you forget him you decide. You scroll down the list, searching for your heart's desire. Suddenly a contact holds your attention. You consider it, your finger stopped mid-movement. Your pupil dilates considerably reading the name.

________________________

"Thrawn wants what ?" You question, incredulous.

"He doesn't want, he needs." Eli corrects.

You put away your comlink for he doesn't hear you sigh at the comment.

"That's a detail…"

"He needs an apartment on Coruscant but he doesn't know anything about how we proceed here."

You flick your tongue.

"Can't he just stay at the barracks?"

"No."

"... He has been thrown out?"

"Yes."

You pinch the bridge of your nose. Oh the headaches in perspective…

"And why should I come? You don't need me for that, I have other plans than this."

You can hear Thrawn in communication with someone else in the background. It's not going well apparently.

"(y/n) please…" He lowers his voice so as to not be heard "Please! I don't want to go alone with him."

Visibly Eli didn't forgive Thrawn yet. You consider the situation, your options and sigh again, defeated.

"Alright…"

"Thank you (y/n)!" Eli's evidently relieved.

"But you pay for the beers!"

He laughs

"If that's all it takes to buy you, consider it done!"

The next day you embark on the first community shuttle towards Eli’s apartment. The day is gonna be long so you should as well come early. You quickly arrive at the address you received and enter the building. The space allowed for the housing is rather modest but it is well placed and the neighborhood seems to be quiet. Eli chose well, you tell yourself.

In the stairs you cross paths with a Togruta, you feel yourself tensing up. She addresses you with a smile and you nod to her. You hope Eli won’t have any problem in the future. By reflex you tighten the collar of your coat and pick up the pace in the stairs. You finally arrive at Eli’s floor and knock on his door.

“One minute!” You hear.

You hear ruffling sounds and pressed steps then the door slides open and Eli appears, disheveled, in what appears to be pajamas and sleeps in his eyes. You smile at this sight. Behind him you see Thrawn crossing the room in uniform, the contrast couldn't be more striking.

Eli lets you enter and immediately proposes to take your coat and offers you some caff like the good host that he is. You gladly accept, taking the time to observe the decoration of the apartment. Not all the boxes have yet been open, stacking up in the corner of the room. You notice the foliage plants on the shelves and counter, the paint of the wall is impersonal but the pictures frames offer some warmth. You stop to look at them. You can see Eli in different settings : at the beach, at the canyon, when he was a child and older, with his parents or with what you suppose to be his friends on Myomar, broad smile and sparkling eyes with his comrades. You continue to advance until you remark some images you took yourself and send to him after. One of them is a selfie of you in a classroom with Eli sleeping on the table and Thrawn concentrates on his datapad in the background, another one his a pictures of you, Eli and Karyn in the roof garden of the Academy, pressed against one another to ensure you could all be seen on the pictures, and the last one is Eli, you in the middle and Thrawn in your Gala’s formal dress. Eli smiles lightly, annoyed by the flash of the imager, you're holding their shoulders with a large smile and eyes closed, Thrawn seems to be frowning at something behind the imager. It is a terrible picture, but that’s what makes it goofy and interesting in your opinion.

Eli arrives at your side with your caff mug and you follow him into his living room, which is a mishmash of a kitchenette and a living area giving to a small balcony. His apartment is really similar to yours, you realize. You sit down on a pouf and wait to be briefed, savoring your hot caff. You take a look at the petite table in front of you, covered with flyers and papers about housing and apartments complexes.

“Sorry to have called you on such short notice, (y/n). But we could really do with another pair of hands with this.” Eli apologies profusely.

“So what are we doing today exactly?” You take a sip.

“We need to find him an apartment, so prospect, calls, arrange visits… Everything. We need to find him a place to live other than… here.”

“You live here?” You ask, rising your eyebrow

“I am in a position where I must abuse Ensign Vanto’s amiability.” Thrawn explains.

“We really need to find him another place to live!” Eli doubles down.

You shook your head looking at them bickering.

And that is how you spent your day, rummaging through the flyers, comparing prices and surfaces, commodities, and a lot, a lot, of time on the comlink talking to real estate agents. You inherit this task because, according to Thrawn, “people will be more receptive to a woman”, whatever that’s supposed to mean because you did not book one appointment. Everything goes seemingly well until they learn about Thrawn being an alien.

“We don’t do business with aliens, I’m sorry.”

“But he’s a respectable lieutenant of the marine!”

“We are doing serious business here, do not bother us with jokes please.”

“You don’t understand, he-”

“It’s useless. Goodbye Ma’am!”

And they hang up.

Sometimes it’s you who cut off the conversation when the discussion descends into mockery on their part. Screams were exchanged at some point and you had to refrain from throwing your comlink against a wall. You sit back, fuming. A bunch of idiots!

Noon rings and your tummy growls in an unladylike manner. Those emotions really whet your appetite. You fumble around the kitchenette, wondering what you could cook.

“Breaktime!” Eli shouts, stretching his back. He stands up and comes to your side to discuss today’s menu. You decide to go for a timeless classic : pasta! Can’t do wrong with that.

While you cook, Eli’s exit the apartment to buy drinks and Thrawn stays slouched on the sofa, continuing to contact real estate companies via message. Eli comes back with beers as he promised yesterday and briquette of fruit juice for Thrawn. You don’t comment anything but there is a thing hilariously comic to Thrawn sipping those colorful briquettes with a straw like a child would. You bring the dish on the table in the middle with the cutlery.

“All the plates are dirty, so everyone picks up from the dish!” You announce.

You clink your drinks and start eating. You slurp the elongated green goodies while sipping your beer and searching for a steal online. When was the last time you passed a day like that? Slouching with friends, beers and dishes next to you without any authority figure in sight? At some point Eli puts on music and you start banging your head to the beat. You remember starting to dance with Eli when your head was close to explode with information and boredom. Waltzing like children in the living room, you laugh heartily together and almost get Thrawn to join. Almost.

Several beers after the evening was here and with it, its dark night despite the city’s lights. You’re laying down on the sofa next to Thrawn with a flier on your eyes, you completely lost track of time and a headache was rearing its head. You sigh.

“What have we got until now?”

“We have four visits tomorrow.” Thrawn announces, still contacting more companies.

“Four? Nice!” It’s a better result than what you hoped for.

You possibly had a solution to all that, but you’re not sure you want to use it. You try raising up but a dizziness seizes you.

“Ouch… What hour is it?” You pass your hand on your tired eyes.

“Nine.”

“Woaw, I need to go home but I can’t be arsed at the same time…” You have a furred tongue “Can I use your bathroom first?” You ask Eli.

“To your left.” He answers, doing the dishes.

You splash cold water to your face, scrubbing vigorously to wake you up. You look at yourself in the small mirror, tiredness visible on your traits.

“You should stay here tonight!” Eli proposes as you get out. “I have a spare mattress somewhere.”

You look at him disoriented.

“No it’s good, I can go home.” You answer.

“It’s dark and you’ve been drinking all afternoon, you should stay here.” He insists

What does he want?

“I’m not drunk.” You spit out annoyed, and lying a little “And I’m a grown girl, I can mind myself!”

He blocks you and puts his hands on your shoulder.

“I would be more at peace if I knew you were safe.” He pivots towards Thrawn. “She should stay here for the night, it is the most secure thing to do, right?”

“Perhaps.” Thrawn looks at you both, wondering why he was thrown into this.

“See, Thrawn agrees!”

“He did not.”

“(y/n)...”

He glances at you with a stare heavy of meaning.

Okay.

“I guess I can stay here tonight after all, I’m really tired.” You yawn.

Eli's shoulders relax, visibly relieved.

“I will prepare the mattress.”

He takes out and splays a futon on the living room, you lay down and flap your legs.

“Put down your datapad, Thrawn. We are done for the day!” You order.

Against all odds he listens and puts it down silently, crossing his legs he slouches down the sofa.

“What can I offer to you guys?” Eli investigates.

“Pizzas and movies!” You chant.

He looks at Thrawn for his opinion.

“That sounds good to me, Ensign.”

Eli leaves to buy pizzas and fizzy drinks, while you and Thrawn are tasked to select the movie for the night.

“What about this one ?” He proposes

“No, it’s too cheesy.”

“This one?”

“Too sad.”

“How about this one?”

“It’s a hassle”

He sighs

“This one, maybe?”

“If I say no you will get angry?”

“No.”

“...I’ve already seen it.”

“Well I don’-”

“Hey! What about this one?” You cut him off, selecting the one you noticed. “It’s a thriller about a marine officer like us!”

He considers it, reading the summary. He nods slowly.

“It looks promising.”

“I’ve got the pizzas!” Eli comes back, arms full with cardboard boxes and cans of coke. He threw them down on the table and let himself fall on the sofa. “What did you choose?”

“This one.”

“Cool, I haven't seen it yet!”

Everyone takes a slice of pizza and plays the movies. You’re completely absorbed by it, barely eating, taken by the suspence. Or that’s what you would have said if Thrawn didn’t stop talking.

“This is a bad strategy. They can get to him easily.”

“Shhh.”

“Why the politician don’t mind it’s business? They are not supposed to interfere in military matters!”

“Shhhhhhhh.”

“I see at least five ways to get away from this situation.”

“SHHHHHHHHHHH.”

“Ridiculous, those types of weapons do not do those types of damage. Typically they-”

“Shhhh! Good grief!”

You open wide eyes at the revelation of the real bad guys, Let a “Oh” escape you at the climax , and recoil at the explosion scenes. Finally it ends. You turn towards your friends and see Eli sleeping soundly on Thrawn's shoulder.

“Aaaaaaaaw…” You whisper.

“He did not last until the end...” Thrawn says, looking at him with softness in the tone.

He slides on the side and lays him down cautiously on the sofa as you put the plaid on him.

“He must be exhausted.” You murmur.

“He works really hard on the Blood Crow.” He says softly.

“Really?”

“He is a good officer.” He nods

“Have you spoken since last time?”

His eyes dart on you but you don’t back down.

“No.” He admits.”We did not have the time to properly discuss our differences.” He takes a break. “But I am looking forward to it.”

“It’s good.” You agree, eyes going back to the sleeping form of Eli.

You both look at him sleeping peacefully, he looks like an angel like that, you thought.

“You should take the bed.” He whispers.

“You sure? I can take the futon, I don’t mind.” You counter.

“No, it would be impolite of me.” This is his sole argument.

“Alright, thanks. Goodnight Thrawn.”

“Goodnight, J.C.”

You enter the bedroom, take out your clothes and go to sleep. The night is calm and you sleep in a slumber without dreams.

The next day you're on your way to the visit in a shuttle, flipping through the necessary papers to present.

“Do we get the payslip?”

“Yep!”

“What will you do if they ask for a guarantor?” You ask.

“Will the Emperor be enough as a guarantor?” Thrawn answers bluntly.

You look at him dead in the eyes.

“Pray for them to have your humor…”

Good pick they never asked for a guarantor, wrong pick they had zero sense of humor. The first one slammed the door to your face when they saw Thrawn, the second one was mysteriously not disponible anymore, a family bought it they claimed and the third didn’t open, plain and simple. Despite that you thought you would have more chances with the fourth.

“All the rooms are well exposed and you're near amenities.” She tells with a professional smile.

You visit the apartment, passing from one room to the others. Nice, you think. A little away from the base but manageable. You sit on the bed, bouncing on it to test it.

“Which one of you is interested in this property?”

“It is me.” Thrawn announces.

It lasted less than a second but her eye twitched and you saw it. It surely didn’t escape to Thrawn either but he doesn’t formalize. She put back her professional mask quickly, searching on her datapad.

“So you have your identity papers, your payslips,... “ She lists, scrolling on the screen. “I think we are all good, we can discuss the price if you want.”

“Oh, we’ve seen the price on your website.” You add.

She looks at you with an enlarged smile, twitching a little.

“Well, the house reserves itself the right to change its prices.” She has a voice too joyous to your liking.

“What kind of prices are we talking about?” Thrawn asks politely.

You move closer with a bad feeling.

“Around those orders.” She turns her datapad to Thrawn and you read over his shoulder.

You choke.

“How much!?” You push him out of your way and seize the pad. “These are not the prices announced on the site!”

Eli comes into the room, alarmed by the ruckus.

“It's a regular procedure.” She’s searching for human complicity in you, but she finds only shock and anger.

“What?!” You shout. “This is stealing!”

She tries to take back the pad but you don’t let go.

“Well.” She smiles. ”He’s not human, so… We need more insurance and we have to adjust our prices.”

You will knock her off.

“You listen here, you preppy cow-”

“Alright that's enough for today!” Eli interjects, physically removing you from the apartment while you scream.

“It should be illegal! We will sue you!” You spit, dragged by them both in the street. “Thief!”

“So it concludes this for today.” Eli sighs, a bit discouraged

“Let us take a break.” Thrawn proposes, imperturbable, your total opposite.

“What!? How can you be so calm?!” You’re losing your breath shouting so much.

“It is useless ninety eight percent of the time, only a clear head can give you the result you aspire to.” He responds in a conversational tone.

“But she tried to scam you!”

“Then consider you went furious on my behalf, it is sufficient for me.” He’s completely unbothered. Your jaw drops, sometimes you just can’t follow him. “Let us find a bar and refocus.”

He doesn’t wait for any response and starts walking, you follow them shuffling along, shooting in garbage on your way.

They found a charming pub, and took a table outside under the blazing sun, but you're in no mood to appreciate the setting. You let yourself fall into the chair with a huff, they sit down with more manners and order for the group. You let out a big audible sigh and let your head rest on the table completely discouraged. Your solution comes back in your mind but you chase it away. The jazzy tune of the bar reaches your ear, and you start humming it.

“Well that was rather unsuccessful…” Eli let out, slouching in his seat.

“A temporary setback.” Thrawn temporizes, his hand holding his chin. “This situation will solve itself in one way or another, let us keep searching.”

“You’re right! There are still a lot of real estate companies on Coruscant. We will target those working with non-humans!” Eli cheers.

You sigh again. You don’t share their optimism, actually this unfortunate day completely

done you in. You only deign rising from the table when your drinks arrive. You drink your juice absent-mindedly. You should have taken something stronger. Thrawn and Eli are talking in the background of your mind, your solution imposed itself to you once again. Should you present it to them? You hesitate.

“Look Thrawn. There is a spot for street art up in the street.” Eli exclaims

“Indeed. Shall we get a look?” Thrawn proposes.

You slouch on your seat.

“You can go boys, I will keep the table while you're gone.” You incite them.

They rise to see the spot and you’re now alone with your thoughts. You inhale deeply and massage the back of your neck, thinking about this. You recently inherited an apartment from your great uncle, but you have memories inside this apartment. You’re not sure you want to get rid of it… Someone puts their hand on your shoulder.

You bolt away, turning toward the stranger and meeting with a charming smile. The blonde man looks at you with sparkling eyes, fanning himself with a fan. You recognize him instantly.

“I knew I’ve seen you somewhere.” He says, sitting down in front of you. “You were on this test at the Academy 4 months ago, right?”

“Governor Satlove…” You answer. “I mean, yes! Yes, I was at the exam. But what are you doing here, if I may?”

“I’m here undercover.”

You frown.

“I am here to escape from my duties.” He explains, putting one finger to his lips.

Indeed you notice he’s not into his green uniforme but a more casual white shirt he opened slightly, letting the sun warm up his pale skin.

“You can… Just do that?”

“Of course not!” He laughs “I had to escape from my different aids to come here. But I stay contactable just in case.” He shows you his comlink. “But tell me rather, what are you doing here?” He gestures towards you.

“Me? I hum… I’m with friends. They are looking at the street art a little further.” You don’t especially want to talk but you don’t want to sever some links with a governor that could be proven useful in the future.

“The little brunette and the blond one?” He investigates.

“No the dark blue… The blue guy. And the brunette. You have a really good memory, Governor.”

“Thank you, I take good care of it. And you can drop the Governor thing, we are almost the same age.”

“Then should I call you sir?”

“Call me by my name!” He extends his hands to you. “Pleased to meet you, I am Nather.”

You shake his hand with a grin.

“Pleased to meet you, I am (y/n).”

“(y/n)! What a charming name, it suits you very well.” He almost chants. You feel your face heated up with the compliment. “What are you doing lately? What were your orders after the exam?”

“I’m a Private First Class on the Zephyr Heavy Cruiser. We have been patrolling inside the inner rim and the colonies lately.”

“I think your ship was planned to patrol around my planet recently.” He says a hand to his chin.

“Which planet, if I may?”

“The charmant Tirahnn planet.” He displays a theatrical gesture, letting his braid fly from shoulder to shoulder.

It’s a planet right on a hyperspace lane if you recall correctly. You can’t say more.

“I’ve never seen it.” You confess. And barely heard of it you complete in your head.

“I will make you visit if you wish one day, or you will come yourself for a mission.” He starts folding one of the napkins around. “What are you doing in my region if I may ask in turn?”

You think rapidly, you should be able to tell that to a governor even if you don’t know any details, it should be okay.

“If i’m not mistaken, we are suspecting pirates to rob slaves of the empire.”

“Pirates near my planet?” He takes a choked expression. “That won’t do, I will need to pass some calls!” He finishes his folding in a crane and deposes it in front of you with a side smile.

You smile back but it fades quickly.

“What happens (y/n)? I see in your face, you seem to have some worries.” He asks genuinely concerned.

“Oh nothing important, just… rehashing some thoughts."

"Those looked like important thoughts." He mind-absently picks some salted nuts from the ball and throws them expertly into his mouth.

"I hesitate to help a friend, I…"

He darts his incisive gray eyes on you.

"You hesitate to help a friend? I do not need to tell you that it should be an easy answer."

"Yes, I mean no. I want to help my friend. It's just that I should renounce something I hold dear to my heart for the memory it holds. And I don’t know if I’m ready for it."

He frowns, contemplating the fact in front of him and searching for an option.

“Would it fulfill its goal?”

“Sorry?”

“The thing you’re not sure to let go, would cede it to your friend to fulfill its primary purpose?”

“Yes?”

“Then you should give it away. I suppose you don’t have a practical use for this thing or you would have advanced this argument, so you should as well cede it to your friend and permit it to fulfill its primary goal. Helping a friend is always the way to go.”

“But… I’ve got memories…”

“You will always have them! Those memories are in you, not in this thing. Don’t grow too attached to material objects, they are not built to last but our memories are in our heart and forever. “

You wrap your head around the argument, weighing the pros and cons.

“Maybe you're right…” You end up saying.

“Maybe I am indeed, what would you actually lose? You would hand those precious memories to a friend, there are more unfair deals in life don’t you think.”

You slowly nod coming to terms with your decision. He’s right. You hold your glass with two hands, taking a big sip at the straw.

“I think I’m gonna follow your advice and help my friend. I think I just needed a third party opinion to push me.”

“Wonderful!” He takes Thrawn’s glass and clink it with yours. “I’m glad I could help.” And takes a great sip of it. You choke on yours.

“Huh, sir…?”

“You know what, we’ll surely hear again about those pirates. We should stay in contact.” He hands you his comlink and gestures to you to give him yours. You exchange them and enter your respective number.

“Sir, this is my drink you're drinking!” Thrawn appears behind him with Eli on his heels.

Surprised, his sight goes between Thrawn and the glass. He laughs heartily.

“I am sorry dear friend! I will return it to you.” He hands him back his glass, raising from the chair. He gives you back your comlink with a charming smile. “Here you go. To our next meeting!”

You all three look at him walking away, making some calls.

“What was that?” Asks Eli, a bit lost.

“I am… not sure.” You respond.

They both sit back and Thrawn considers his well diminished drink with a raised brow.

It dawns on you that he doesn't need a Private First Class to discuss the subject of pirates and that you just gave him what he wanted. Damn, the guy is good! You think. You berate yourself a little.

“So, back on the apartment subject…” Eli starts.

“I… May have a solution to propose to you, guys.”

____________________________________________________________

The sound of an incoming message brings you back to the present time. You lower your gaze to your comm.

“I am delighted to hear from you again. How about tomorrow, 14h?”

You smile, and answer back, the heart light.

You soon arrive at your stop, you get out, and start walking on the trails of your childhood. You traverse a park full of kiddos and their parents and grin at their laugh and their shoutings. You arrive in front of the apartment complex, entering, you cross paths with the old building caretaker.

“Oh, if it isn’t the young (y/n)! How are you doing?” She asks with her shivering voice.

“Hi, Ms Lynduty! I’m good and you?”

“Oh you know, my old bones make me suffer, but that’s the weight of the years. The young man you brought with you…”

An alarm sets off in your head, and on the other hand you're amused to hear Thrawn being qualified as a “young man”, maybe everyone looks young at this age…

“Is there a problem? He has done something?”

“No, he’s a really calm resident, It changes me from your uncle who kept bringing new women everyday! But he looks like he has some problem with all his mail.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Ms Lynduty, I’m actually here to help him. Have a nice day!” And you start working your way up the stairs.

You reach the floor soon enough and Thrawn opens his door the second you set foot on the landing.

“Thank you J.C., I am in need of assistance.”

He welcomes you and takes your coat, you enter the apartment, immediately graced by the cardboard boxes everywhere. You’re not surprised, the furniture inside the apartment was not… what you would find inside the flat of a respectable lieutenant of the marine, or any respectable person per say. A complete change of furniture was in order. You note with amusement he already has displayed holograms of art everywhere in the flat despite not having furniture.

You traverse the room as well as you can, slaloming between the boxes, the tins of paint and the tarps and sitting down on one of them.

“So, what’s the problem?”

He gestures to the pile of mail on the table. A big pile. Oh gods.

“I do not possess the vocabulary to treat those yet.” He simply notes.

You nod with a pout, well that’s gonna be fun.

“Eli couldn't help you?”

“Ensign Vanto is with his family for this leave.” He explains.

So while Thrawn is busy assembling furniture for his flat, you’re answering and filing up those mails while giving him a vocabulary lesson. Insurance, bills, tax… Everything the bureaucracy could produce, you saw it! You arrange them on the floor,stepping over it with a highlighter in hand and a pen in your mouth to complete them. It took you several hours and as much beer, generously provided by Thrawn, nonetheless to rummage through all this. You were well fed up at the end of it, with your head ready to explode.

But you couldn’t rest once you’re done, you still have to help Thrawn with his furniture and remove this unsavory fur off the walls. You had to screw, to glue, to turn, to plug, you didn’t have the time to be bored. The hours flew bye and you were far from finished. Damn those instruction manuals, they’re never in the right language. And there is always a set of screws that wasn’t used at the end and that’s not normal, so you have to reread all the instructions and bicker on what step you screw up based on the illustrations.

“I told you the board B5 goes there.”

“But that is not possible, the C7 plank can not fit in this configuration.”

You only put up four pieces of furniture together and the rest of the boxes are staring down at you. You left out a sigh of fatigue. You’ll never see the end of it…

You massage your temples, this time you really have a headache. You put down your beer and walk in a not very straight way to sit on a cardboard box to observe your work. Thrawn finishes building up the shelf and takes some steps back to get a good look. Something hits you as you embrace the room with your sight.

“Shouldn’t we have started with the paint ?”

“It would be for another day.” He states with a soft voice.

You lazily nod. You already have all the other furniture to put up, another thing added to the list. Great. Thrawn turns his head to the window. It’s night.

“We shall stop for today.”

“Good, cause I'm not good at anything for now.” You rise up and stumble your way to open the window and get some fresh air, you fan yourself with your hand. You drinked a bit too much, you realize.

Thrawn removes his jacket to reveal his black tank top and you take advantage of the opportunity to take a good look at his biceps without too much discretion, he heads towards the kitchen.

“We should at least eat one meal. Are you hungry?”

That’s right, you didn’t even eat at noon you recall, at the moment this thought crosses your mind your stomach grumbles.

“It looks like so!”

“What could please you?”

You straighten up with a broad smile.

“Pizza?”

He shots you a glare.

“I had a more healthy meal in mind.”

You pout, it was worth the shot.

You finish your beer admiring him cooking, watching his hands fly expertly from one pan to the other, mincing and mixing the ingredients. You hold back a burp, hiding your mouth with your hand, you may be a bit drunk but you didn’t renounce your dignity yet. And you didn’t want to appear unladylike in front of him… Mostly that. You start thinking if you should care about that since you decided to renounce him, but it just worsens your headache.

“It is ready!” He announces, wiping his hands. “But I’m not yet familiar with your products, so I can’t promise you the taste.”

“I’m sure it will be delicious!” You cheer.

You reel back to your former place and sit down. He watches you from head to toes but doesn’t say a thing. You seize your fork and take a big bite of the dish. You wrinkle your nose. Indeed cooking is not part of his skills, the savors are unbalanced and the spice is overshadowing everything. You gulp it down, trying to keep your face as neutral as possible and shoot him a smile. You decide that you’re too drunk to care and take others bites one after the other, letting them burn the inside of your mouth with pleasure.

“I think it would be wiser if you sleep here tonight.” He says, stirring his food.

You blink mid-bite, stopped in your movement.

“No offense but you are not walking straight. I can offer you a bed for the night if you wish.”

You consider the offer, taking a sip of water. You clearly didn’t learn your lesson from the last time and you actually feel pretty wasted right now, you hardly see yourself going home in one piece tonight. You slouch back and pretend to think about it for a second. You raise your hand.

“I will gladly accept in this case!” You slide your tongue on your teeth.”I will help you place the mattress!”

“I do not have one.”

Your eyes slide to the sofa’s box still not put up and goes back to him with questions.

“Then where…?”

“I thought we could share the bed for the night.” He spills, concentrates on his plate.

Your bite takes the wrong way in your throat and you try to cough it out. Hold on, you didn’t sign up for that!

“Wait, you’re sure?” You ask, instantly sobered up.

He shruggs.

“I do not see how this could be a problem.”

“I don’t have any pajamas.” You try.

“I will lend you something, do not worry.” He appears unfazed, completely blind to your trouble.

Oh you worry, yes, but not about that.

“Cool…” You let escape in one breath “Thanks…”

________________________________________________

How did you end up in this situation?

You promise yourself to forget him and you end up in his bed. Fate has a twisted sense of humor.

You release your breath. Calm down. Your headache doesn’t help anything.

You open your eyes in the dark room and listen to the quiet and steady breath next to you, at least one of you two is getting some sleep. But not you. You’re too tense to sleep. You hunch, trying not to touch the man sleeping next to you, pulling the covers to your chin.

At least he had changed bed and got rid of this horrid shell bed for a standard double bed and all the weird appliances are not here anymore. Now the bedroom looks like it came from a show home. Without personality, only practical. Cold…

But the bed is far from cold, without grazing him you can feel the warmth of Trawn’s body from where you are and you feel like you could sweat, but this may be because of your burning body. You were afraid he would sleep topless when you got to the bed, but thanks for your sanity he put on a shirt, or you would really have lost your mind. It doesn’t take much to ignite your desire lately and being in the same bed as him, so close and so far away, alarm all of your senses to the brink of overstimulation. You breathe deeply, getting back control. His scent fills the room, making you feel dizzy. You bury yourself under the cover but you smell him on it and on the pajama he lended you, you float in this shirt too large for you, you feel goosebumps point at every breath. Anywhere you go he envelopes you.

You turn your head, observing the profile that detaches itself from the wall lighted up by the moon through the blinds. You follow the line of his forehead with your eyes, the shadow of a disheveled hair strand, the curve of his eyelids that let red light pierce through, the arc of his turned-up nose, the plumpness of his lips… You gulp, your throat suddenly dry like the desert.

You keep your gaze fixated on him, telling yourself that heaven was closer than you know, that you would just have to expend your arm to reach it… You hold your breath, brushing his cheek with the back of your fingers, feeling the softness and the warmth of his skin, tender. You touch his lash with the tip of your finger, smiling at him squinting at the touch. Then your hand sneaks its way along his neck, brushing softly his apple then traveling south to his chest. You feel the fabric on the palm of your hand, you search for a second, opening your hand wide when you find his heart, feeling the steady and calm heartbeat, you savor the delicious vibrations through your skin, wanting to put your head on his chest to hear it yourself. It soothes you and you close back your eyes, ready to let the slumber take you.

Suddenly his heartbeat accelerates and his breath gets caught up in his throat. You rise on your elbow, wary of what's happening. He opens his eyes in a flash and you pull back your hand instantly. His eyes blinks, fixated on the ceiling and you hear him out of breath. He inhales and exhales several times, you look at him with googly eyes wondering what might have happened. He frowns.

“You are not sleeping.” This was not a question.

He turns his head towards you and your gazes meet. You smile lightly.

“Indeed. Nothing escapes you.”

He sighs, passing a hand over his face and ruffling his hair.

“Is everything good?” He politely asks.

You raise an eyebrow.

“It’s I who should ask that? What just happened?”

“Nothing.” He breathes

Sometimes he really takes you for an idiot, you think.

“So, “nothing” can put you in this state?” You inquire.

He sighs once again, fatigued. You feel like he’s gathering his thoughts, a hand in his hair.

“I was dreaming about… My sister. The day they took her…”

You nod pensively, it was indeed not the most peaceful memory he must have. You put your head back on the pillow, sight still on him.

“How does this make you feel?” You whisper like a secret.

“Powerless, like a child. I promised myself I would fight to never feel this again.”

There are a lot of promises getting thrown everywhere those days you thought. You put yourself closer, as if your presence would comfort him. His eyes on the ceiling you see the muscles of his throat tightens slightly.

“And… alone. I was the sole person in the cold universe.”

Did his voice crack at the end? You can’t say for sure. Your hand travels under the cover to find his, you seize it, the warmth spreading through your palm. You know how it feels and you sympathize with his pain. You would have liked to have someone when it happened to you.

“We are here.” You murmur. “I am here.” You affirm with a reassuring voice.

He squeezes your hand.

“I know.” He closes his eyes. “And I am grateful for it.”

Your heart flutters at those words and a smile grazes your lips. You don’t have the relationship you are hoping for, but you could satisfy yourself in being the friend of this out of the ordinary being. For now.

Maybe.

“Me too...”

You’re met with silence. You listen and hear a steady breathing. He’s asleep. You hold his hand, putting your head against his shoulder and let a single tear rolling down your cheek.

You squeeze his hand, intertwining your fingers.

You will never be satisfied by it. Never. You will need to cut ties with him and keep your distance or your heart will bleed everyday.

You kiss him on the cheek, taking your resolution, tearing your heart apart.

@bluechiss, @al-astakbar

#thrawn x reader #thrawn x y/n #thrawn x f!reader #thrawn x you #thrawn #grand admiral thrawn #mitth’raw’nuruodo

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