#Facebook Ad Manager app

[rigels-nigels]

Why are you updating

Why are you fucking updating I turned updates off you crummy invasive overly pushy scummy scammy os

[subjectsix]

I don't know I'm not done talking about it. It's insane that I can't just uninstall Edge or Copilot. That websites require my phone number to sign up. That people share their contacts to find their friends on social media.

I wouldn't use an adblocker if ads were just banners on the side funding a website I enjoy using and want to support. Ads pop up invasively and fill my whole screen, I misclick and get warped away to another page just for trying to read an article or get a recipe.

Every app shouldn't be like every other app. Instagram didn't need reels and a shop. TikTok doesn't need a store. Instagram doesn't need to be connected to Facebook. I don't want my apps to do everything, I want a hub for a specific thing, and I'll go to that place accordingly.

I love discord, but so much information gets lost to it. I don't want to join to view things. I want to lurk on forums. I want to be a user who can log in and join a conversation by replying to a thread, even if that conversation was two days ago. I know discord has threads, it's not the same. I don't want to have to verify my account with a phone number. I understand safety and digital concerns, but I'm concerned about information like that with leaks everywhere, even with password managers.

I shouldn't have to pay subscriptions to use services and get locked out of old versions. My old disk copy of photoshop should work. I should want to upgrade eventually because I like photoshop and supporting the business. Adobe is a whole other can of worms here.

Streaming is so splintered across everything. Shows release so fast. Things don't get physical releases. I can't stream a movie I own digitally to friends because the share-screen blocks it, even though I own two digital copies, even though I own a physical copy.

I have an iPod, and I had to install a third party OS to easily put my music on it without having to tangle with iTunes. Spotify bricked hardware I purchased because they were unwillingly to upkeep it. They don't pay their artists. iTunes isn't even iTunes anymore and Apple struggles to upkeep it.

My TV shows me ads on the home screen. My dad lost access to eBook he purchased because they were digital and got revoked by the company distributing them. Hitman 1-3 only runs online most of the time. Flash died and is staying alive because people love it and made efforts to keep it up.

I have to click "not now" and can't click "no". I don't just get emails, they want to text me to purchase things online too. My windows start search bar searches online, not just my computer. Everything is blindly called an app now. Everything wants me to upload to the cloud. These are good tools! But why am I forced to use them! Why am I not allowed to own or control them?

No more!!!!! I love my iPod with so much storage and FLAC files. I love having all my fics on my harddrive. I love having USBs and backups. I love running scripts to gut suck stuff out of my Windows computer I don't want that spies on me. I love having forums. I love sending letters. I love neocities and webpages and webrings. I will not be scanning QR codes. Please hand me a physical menu. If I didn't need a smartphone for work I'd get a "dumb" phone so fast. I want things to have buttons. I want to use a mouse. I want replaceable batteries. I want the right to repair. I grew up online and I won't forget how it was!

[mustmed00]

To Read More: https://bit.ly/4e5HwIB

Google Ads conversion tracking: A Comprehensive Guide https://bit.ly/4e5HwIB

In this comprehensive review, we will explore the various aspects of Google Ads conversion tracking, from setup to advanced techniques, and the significant benefits it offers to advertisers. By the end of this review, you will understand how to implement and leverage conversion tracking to achieve your marketing goals, avoid common pitfalls, and stay ahead of industry trends.

[prodigitalyofficial]

5 Visual Regression Testing Tools for WordPress

Introduction:

In the world of web development, maintaining the visual integrity of your WordPress website is crucial. Whether you're a WordPress development company, a WordPress developer in India, or a WordPress development agency, ensuring that your WordPress site looks and functions correctly across various browsers and devices is essential. Visual regression testing is the solution to this problem, and in this blog post, we'll explore five powerful visual regression testing tools that can help you achieve pixel-perfect results.

Applitools:

Applitools is a widely recognized visual regression testing tool that offers a robust solution for WordPress developers and development agencies. With its AI-powered technology, Applitools can detect even the slightest visual differences on your WordPress site across different browsers and screen sizes. It offers seamless integration with popular testing frameworks like Selenium and Appium, making it a favorite among WordPress developers.

Percy:

Percy is another exceptional visual regression testing tool that is specifically designed for developers and agencies working on WordPress projects. Percy captures screenshots of your WordPress site during each test run and highlights any visual changes, making it easy to identify and fix issues before they become a problem. Percy's dashboard provides a comprehensive view of all visual tests, making it a valuable asset for any WordPress development company.

BackstopJS:

BackstopJS is an open-source visual regression testing tool that has gained popularity in the WordPress development community. It allows you to create automated visual tests for your WordPress site, making it easy to spot discrepancies between different versions of your site. BackstopJS offers command-line integration, making it convenient for WordPress developers to incorporate visual testing into their workflows.

Wraith:

Wraith is a visual regression testing tool that is highly customizable and offers seamless integration with WordPress development projects. It allows you to capture screenshots of your WordPress site before and after changes, then compare them to identify any differences. Wraith's flexibility and versatility make it a valuable choice for WordPress development agencies looking to streamline their testing processes.

Visual Regression Testing with Puppeteer:

Puppeteer is a Node.js library that provides a high-level API to control headless browsers. WordPress developers can leverage Puppeteer to create custom visual regression testing scripts tailored to their specific needs. While it requires more coding expertise, it provides complete control over the testing process and is an excellent choice for WordPress developers who want to build a bespoke visual testing solution.

Conclusion:

In today's competitive online landscape, ensuring that your WordPress website looks consistent and functions flawlessly is of utmost importance. Visual regression testing tools play a vital role in achieving this goal, helping WordPress development companies, WordPress developers in India, and WordPress development agencies maintain the visual integrity of their projects.

Whether you choose the AI-powered capabilities of Applitools, the user-friendly interface of Percy, the open-source flexibility of BackstopJS, the customization options of Wraith, or the coding prowess of Puppeteer, these visual regression testing tools empower you to identify and resolve visual discrepancies efficiently.

In the ever-evolving world of WordPress development, staying ahead of the curve is essential. Integrating a visual regression testing tool into your workflow can save time, improve the quality of your WordPress projects, and enhance the user experience. So, whether you're a WordPress developer or part of a WordPress development agency, consider incorporating one of these tools into your toolkit to ensure your WordPress sites continue to impress visitors across all devices and browsers.

[d3teck]

Benefits of Social Media Advertising and its Trends

It's essential for organizations, especially those in the IT and software sectors, to stay ahead of the curve in today's fast-paced digital world where technology and customer behavior are always developing. Through good social media management and social media advertising, you may contact and interact with your target audience in one of the most efficient ways possible. Let's examine the many benefits of social media advertising and the newest trends that may make your software or IT business successful in the digital era.

Improve brand awareness through social media advertising

The capacity to increase brand recognition is one of the main advantages of social media advertising. For IT and software businesses, establishing a strong online presence is essential, and social media platforms are the ideal tool for doing so. You may generate and select content that appeals to your target audience by developing a thoughtful social media strategy and working with digital marketing professionals. Social media provides a platform to efficiently contact potential customers, whether it's for sharing business insights, showing your company culture, or advertising your goods and services.

Digital marketing service providers are essential to helping businesses create and develop a strong social media presence in a country with a booming IT industry. They are aware of the dynamics of the local market and can help you customize your social media campaigns to meet the demands and tastes of your target audience. You may get assistance from them with Facebook marketing, YouTube marketing, or Instagram advertising.

READ MORE

[yogeshkhatri]

Identify Your Interest

Many of us are under the impression that digital marketing requires technical skills. Well, there’s so much more to it. Individuals who do well in this field are the ones who are passionate enough to explore it. You might have basic social media skills to enhance to become a digital marketer. Yes, social media is a part of digital marketing, but to have expertise in social media, you are also required to work on your creativity and Facebook ads which are paid. You will be required to manage Facebook (now, Meta) ads which are not similar to using Facebook Messenger or the normal Facebook app. If you are interested in knowing why certain sites appear first, then others on search engines, you can discover search engine optimization (SEO). If you want to get into e-commerce, you can learn both social media and SEO. Ultimately, it all depends on the field that interests you the most.

[dezigndigitalau]

In today's digital age, businesses are looking for innovative and effective ways to reach their target audience. To stay ahead of the competition, businesses need to have a strong online presence and digital solutions. If you're based in Perth and looking for expert digital solutions, get in touch with Dezign Digital today!

[anupamarao09]

We provide best web hosting services includng all types of apps development, widgets, social media integration, website creation etc.

Web Hosting Services Lucknow

We also do custom design, develop, test and deploy Android apps of your choice.

Our team is well versed with Android SDK and API with complete knowledge of the Android platform that is adaptable to larger, VGA, 2D graphics library, 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 1.0 specifications, and traditional smartphone layouts. We do customized application development ranging from asset tracking to advertising, gaming to messaging and voicing, GPS to multimedia applications.

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[obscurevideogames]

Tumblr’s Core Prodct Stratgy

Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on trying to keep our sinking ship afloat for as long as possible. This means desperately trying to copy every new fly-by-night social media app that some multi-billionaire sh*t out during their daily Peloton routine. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. If you find the things we say here worrisome, please understand that is our exact intention. You've outgrown our target demographic. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

The Diagnosis

It's lookin' pretty bad y'all!

After somehow losing hundreds of thousands of users during the great pr0n purge of 2018, we started to wonder if anything could be done to get back to where we were. We even brought in a management consultant who charged us a ridiculous amount of money. It would make you sick if you knew how much, but we got a few nice meals out of it at least. Anyhow, we handed this guy the app, and HE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO USE IT! It was f*cking hilarious! But suddenly it all clicked -- our users are a bunch of stupid idiots who can't even do basic arithmetic. I mean, they spend all day looking at their phones, so what do you expect?

Tumblr’s best feature is its unique content and vibrant communities. But who cares, right? We're just as happy getting traffic from people sh*t-posting memes, vague-booking, giving out-of-context hot takes to news events, and spewing whatever random thought is in their head at the moment. Plus that stuff doesn't p*ss off Apple.

To keep this thing going we need new people. And by "people" we mean teenagers, like we used to have back in the good ol' days. Unfortunately we're all in our 40s now, so we have no idea what they want. But teenagers are so cool! Imagine if they talked to us like we're one of them? We're getting hard just thinking about it.

Our Guidng Principls

To make Tumblr cool again, we must address these huge glaring issues.

People can look at a blog without logging in. How is that fair to all the poor schlubs who had to fill out forms to get an account? Also we haven't figured out a way to force ads onto the personalized pages yet. But we swear that's not the main reason.

People can see content they are looking for or linked to. People can keep up with blogs they follow. But the problem with this is, people don't know what they want. We know what they want! We're smart. We wrote this damn site, remember?

Promote posts that incite pointless conversations. Posts that are guaranteed to bait every troll into responding. Isn't that why all your Magat relatives love Facebook so much? We can do that!

P*ss off your content creators in every way possible (see #2).

Create algorithms that throw an unending barrage of irrelevant content in your face. Have you seen Instagram lately? We could do that so easy!!!

The app is slow. The website is slow. Obviously this is because of GIFs. Facebook and Instagram don't allow them, so why should we?

Conclusion

Our mission changes on a day-to-day basis. Right now we're super jealous of all the attention that new Threads thing is getting. We're still not sure what it is, but we're gonna download it after work.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Subprime gadgets

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me THIS SUNDAY in ANAHEIM at WONDERCON: YA Fantasy, Room 207, 10 a.m.; Signing, 11 a.m.; Teaching Writing, 2 p.m., Room 213CD.

The promise of feudal security: "Surrender control over your digital life so that we, the wise, giant corporation, can ensure that you aren't tricked into catastrophic blunders that expose you to harm":

https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/

The tech giant is a feudal warlord whose platform is a fortress; move into the fortress and the warlord will defend you against the bandits roaming the lawless land beyond its walls.

That's the promise, here's the failure: What happens when the warlord decides to attack you? If a tech giant decides to do something that harms you, the fortress becomes a prison and the thick walls keep you in.

Apple does this all the time: "click this box and we will use our control over our platform to stop Facebook from spying on you" (Ios as fortress). "No matter what box you click, we will spy on you and because we control which apps you can install, we can stop you from blocking our spying" (Ios as prison):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

But it's not just Apple – any corporation that arrogates to itself the right to override your own choices about your technology will eventually yield to temptation, using that veto to help itself at your expense:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/microincentives-and-enshittification/

Once the corporation puts the gun on the mantelpiece in Act One, they're begging their KPI-obsessed managers to take it down and shoot you in the head with it in anticipation of of their annual Act Three performance review:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/08/playstationed/#tyler-james-hill

One particularly pernicious form of control is "trusted computing" and its handmaiden, "remote attestation." Broadly, this is when a device is designed to gather information about how it is configured and to send verifiable testaments about that configuration to third parties, even if you want to lie to those people:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/08/your-computer-should-say-what-you-tell-it-say-1

New HP printers are designed to continuously monitor how you use them – and data-mine the documents you print for marketing data. You have to hand over a credit-card in order to use them, and HP reserves the right to fine you if your printer is unreachable, which would frustrate their ability to spy on you and charge you rent:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/02/hp-wants-you-to-pay-up-to-36-month-to-rent-a-printer-that-it-monitors/

Under normal circumstances, this technological attack would prompt a defense, like an aftermarket mod that prevents your printer's computer from monitoring you. This is "adversarial interoperability," a once-common technological move:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

An adversarial interoperator seeking to protect HP printer users from HP could gin up fake telemetry to send to HP, so they wouldn't be able to tell that you'd seized the means of computation, triggering fines charged to your credit card.

Enter remote attestation: if HP can create a sealed "trusted platform module" or a (less reliable) "secure enclave" that gathers and cryptographically signs information about which software your printer is running, HP can detect when you have modified it. They can force your printer to rat you out – to spill your secrets to your enemy.

Remote attestation is already a reliable feature of mobile platforms, allowing agencies and corporations whose services you use to make sure that you're perfectly defenseless – not blocking ads or tracking, or doing anything else that shifts power from them to you – before they agree to communicate with your device.

What's more, these "trusted computing" systems aren't just technological impediments to your digital wellbeing – they also carry the force of law. Under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, these snitch-chips are "an effective means of access control" which means that anyone who helps you bypass them faces a $500,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence for a first offense.

Feudal security builds fortresses out of trusted computing and remote attestation and promises to use them to defend you from marauders. Remote attestation lets them determine whether your device has been compromised by someone seeking to harm you – it gives them a reliable testament about your device's configuration even if your device has been poisoned by bandits:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/05/trusting-trust/#thompsons-devil

The fact that you can't override your computer's remote attestations means that you can't be tricked into doing so. That's a part of your computer that belongs to the manufacturer, not you, and it only takes orders from its owner. So long as the benevolent dictator remains benevolent, this is a protective against your own lapses, follies and missteps. But if the corporate warlord turns bandit, this makes you powerless to stop them from devouring you whole.

With that out of the way, let's talk about debt.

Debt is a normal feature of any economy, but today's debt plays a different role from the normal debt that characterized life before wages stagnated and inequality skyrocketed. 40 years ago, neoliberalism – with its assaults on unions and regulations – kicked off a multigenerational process of taking wealth away from working people to make the rich richer.

Have you ever watched a genius pickpocket like Apollo Robbins work? When Robins lifts your wristwatch, he curls his fingers around your wrist, expertly adding pressure to simulate the effect of a watchband, even as he takes away your watch. Then, he gradually releases his grip, so slowly that you don't even notice:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/ppqjya/apollo_robbins_a_master_pickpocket_effortlessly/

For the wealthy to successfully impoverish the rest of us, they had to provide something that made us feel like we were still doing OK, even as they stole our wages, our savings, and our futures. So, even as they shipped our jobs overseas in search of weak environmental laws and weaker labor protection, they shared some of the savings with us, letting us buy more with less. But if your wages keep stagnating, it doesn't matter how cheap a big-screen TV gets, because you're tapped out.

So in tandem with cheap goods from overseas sweatshops, we got easy credit: access to debt. As wages fell, debt rose up to fill the gap. For a while, it's felt OK. Your wages might be falling off, the cost of health care and university might be skyrocketing, but everything was getting cheaper, it was so easy to borrow, and your principal asset – your family home – was going up in value, too.

This period was a "bezzle," John Kenneth Galbraith's name for "The magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it." It's the moment after Apollo Robbins has your watch but before you notice it's gone. In that moment, both you and Robbins feel like you have a watch – the world's supply of watch-derived happiness actually goes up for a moment.

There's a natural limit to debt-fueled consumption: as Michael Hudson says, "debts that can't be paid, won't be paid." Once the debtor owes more than they can pay back – or even service – creditors become less willing to advance credit to them. Worse, they start to demand the right to liquidate the debtor's assets. That can trigger some pretty intense political instability, especially when the only substantial asset most debtors own is the roof over their heads:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/

"Debts that can't be paid, won't be paid," but that doesn't stop creditors from trying to get blood from our stones. As more of us became bankrupt, the bankruptcy system was gutted, turned into a punitive measure designed to terrorize people into continuing to pay down their debts long past the point where they can reasonably do so:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/bankruptcy-protects-fake-people-brutalizes-real-ones/

Enter "subprime" – loans advanced to people who stand no meaningful chance of every paying them back. We all remember the subprime housing bubble, in which complex and deceptive mortgages were extended to borrowers on the promise that they could either flip or remortgage their house before the subprime mortgages detonated when their "teaser rates" expired and the price of staying in your home doubled or tripled.

Subprime housing loans were extended on the belief that people would meekly render themselves homeless once the music stopped, forfeiting all the money they'd plowed into their homes because the contract said they had to. For a brief minute there, it looked like there would be a rebellion against mass foreclosure, but then Obama and Timothy Geithner decreed that millions of Americans would have to lose their homes to "foam the runways" for the banks:

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2012/08/how-treasury-secretary-geithner-foamed-the-runways-with-childrens-shattered-lives/

That's one way to run a subprime shop: offer predatory loans to people who can't afford them and then confiscate their assets when they – inevitably – fail to pay their debts off.

But there's another form of subprime, familiar to loan sharks through the ages: lend money at punitive interest rates, such that the borrower can never repay the debt, and then terrorize the borrower into making payments for as long as possible. Do this right and the borrower will pay you several times the value of the loan, and still owe you a bundle. If the borrower ever earns anything, you'll have a claim on it. Think of Americans who borrowed $79,000 to go to university, paid back $190,000 and still owe $236,000:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

This kind of loan-sharking is profitable, but labor-intensive. It requires that the debtor make payments they fundamentally can't afford. The usurer needs to get their straw right down into the very bottom of the borrower's milkshake and suck up every drop. You need to convince the debtor to sell their wedding ring, then dip into their kid's college fund, then steal their father's coin collection, and, then break into cars to steal the stereos. It takes a lot of person-to-person work to keep your sucker sufficiently motivated to do all that.

This is where digital meets subprime. There's $1T worth of subprime car-loans in America. These are pure predation: the lender sells a beater to a mark, offering a low down-payment loan with a low initial interest rate. The borrower makes payments at that rate for a couple of months, but then the rate blows up to more than they can afford.

Trusted computing makes this marginal racket into a serious industry. First, there's the ability of the car to narc you out to the repo man by reporting on its location. Tesla does one better: if you get behind in your payments, your Tesla immobilizes itself and phones home, waits for the repo man to come to the parking lot, then it backs itself out of the spot while honking its horn and flashing its lights:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

That immobilization trick shows how a canny subprime car-lender can combine the two kinds of subprime: they can secure the loan against an asset (the car), but also coerce borrowers into prioritizing repayment over other necessities of life. After your car immobilizes itself, you just might decide to call the dealership and put down your credit card, even if that means not being able to afford groceries or child support or rent.

One thing we can say about digital tools: they're flexible. Any sadistic motivational technique a lender can dream up, a computerized device can execute. The subprime car market relies on a spectrum of coercive tactics: cars that immobilize themselves, sure, but how about cars that turn on their speakers to max and blare a continuous recording telling you that you're a deadbeat and demanding payment?

https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/miss-a-payment-good-luck-moving-that-car/

The more a subprime lender can rely on a gadget to torment you on their behalf, the more loans they can issue. Here, at last, is a form of automation-driven mass unemployment: normally, an economy that has been fully captured by wealthy oligarchs needs squadrons of cruel arm-breakers to convince the plebs to prioritize debt service over survival. The infinitely flexible, tireless digital arm-breakers enabled by trusted computing have deprived all of those skilled torturers of their rightful employment:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/02/innovation-unlocks-markets/#digital-arm-breakers

The world leader in trusted computing isn't cars, though – it's phones. Long before anyone figured out how to make a car take orders from its manufacturer over the objections of its driver, Apple and Google were inventing "curating computing" whose app stores determined which software you could run and how you could run it.

Back in 2021, Indian subprime lenders hit on the strategy of securing their loans by loading borrowers' phones up with digital arm-breaking software:

https://restofworld.org/2021/loans-that-hijack-your-phone-are-coming-to-india/

The software would gather statistics on your app usage. When you missed a payment, the phone would block you from accessing your most frequently used app. If that didn't motivate you to pay, you'd lose your second-most favorite app, then your third, fourth, etc.

This kind of digital arm-breaking is only possible if your phone is designed to prioritize remote instructions – from the manufacturer and its app makers – over your own. It also only works if the digital arm-breaking company can confirm that you haven't jailbroken your phone, which might allow you to send fake data back saying that your apps have been disabled, while you continue to use those apps. In other words, this kind of digital sadism only works if you've got trusted computing and remote attestation.

Enter "Device Lock Controller," an app that comes pre-installed on some Google Pixel phones. To quote from the app's description: "Device Lock Controller enables device management for credit providers. Your provider can remotely restrict access to your device if you don't make payments":

https://lemmy.world/post/13359866

Google's pitch to Android users is that their "walled garden" is a fortress that keeps people who want to do bad things to you from reaching you. But they're pre-installing software that turns the fortress into a prison that you can't escape if they decide to let someone come after you.

There's a certain kind of economist who looks at these forms of automated, fine-grained punishments and sees nothing but a tool for producing an "efficient market" in debt. For them, the ability to automate arm-breaking results in loans being offered to good, hardworking people who would otherwise be deprived of credit, because lenders will judge that these borrowers can be "incentivized" into continuing payments even to the point of total destitution.

This is classic efficient market hypothesis brain worms, the kind of cognitive dead-end that you arrive at when you conceive of people in purely economic terms, without considering the power relationships between them. It's a dead end you navigate to if you only think about things as they are today – vast numbers of indebted people who command fewer assets and lower wages than at any time since WWII – and treat this as a "natural" state: "how can these poors expect to be offered more debt unless they agree to have their all-important pocket computers booby-trapped?"

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/2024/03/29/boobytrap/#device-lock-controller

Image: Oatsy (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/oatsy40/21647688003

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

[langernameohnebedeutung]

A few years ago I was working for a research department that studies regional history and I was also managing their social media (instagram, facebook and twitter). Now, for the most part, the work we did was primarily interesting to other academics studying regional history as well as some excited lay people and we also sometimes worked with schools etc.

When I stopped working there, a co-worker took over the social media accounts for another 2 years or so. Then, about 1 year into the Muskification of Twitter, my then-former boss (we are still friends) told me that they would no longer be posting on Twitter because it sucked now and the engagement was dropping, so it wasn't worth paying someone to manage the account. But that the account would remain up as a resource for anyone who was interested.

Now, I still got access to that account. I'm actually still logged in on one of my devices (because that's my 1 functional Twitter account, if I want to look at stuff).

And it is honestly insane that when I go on there these days, almost the entire fucking feed is EXPLICITLY far-right content (it's literally the vilest, most card-carrying upfront racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, and so on) - and, it's almost completely in English and is about American politics. Now, this is an account that has never posted in English, and never engaged with English content, most of the accounts it follows are from German-speaking countries and if they aren't, they're usually Dutch or French or Belgian + about regional history - nothing American and certainly not current politics. And when German content does show up on the feed, it's also usually racist shit AND political things - filtered for an account that has never engaged with political content.

And the thing is, obviously this is not the stuff I look at there. Sure, I'm forced to look at it when I open the app but usually I just go on twitter to have a look at some important trending topics or to get live updates about some event like elections or catastrophes.

No one is actively using this account to actively engage with any content at all (all the likes are strictly content about regional history events, responses to our own tweets, tweets by university faculties or academics, livetweets from conferences etc and nothing has been added since the account went functionally dead). So I'm just saying that this is my field study of how fucked Twitter is these days and how propaganda is literally funnelled at people. (And especially how the algorithm equates "interested in history" with "interested in far-right content")

[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!

[emiplayzmc]

One random fact about each and every one of my Addisons because I CAN:

-Target (Main Pink, jewellery maker, Cyber Shoes manager, tea shop owner)'s fav Light World flowers are bleeding hearts and foxgloves.

-Sample (Main Blue, Cyber Shoes II customer service) has insomnia. Only in his worst mental states can he actually sleep, but only very lightly.

-Banner (Main Orange, fashion designer and caterer) has a borderline unhealthy obsession with making Victorian-era clothes specifically for themself to put on display in their own closet. They can count on one hand the amount of outfits they've actually worn of that time period.

-Broadcast (Main Yellow, news / shopping channel host. Their only host.) is aromantic. YIPPEE.

-Spam (Addispam, email-man and ever-changing intern) learned how to make cars in his spare time by himself before he made it big. He never had actually used them, though - just kept them in an unused alleyway and mix-n-matched them in his spare time between delivering emails and internships.

♤~♤

-Click (Banner's boyfriend, baker and party caterer, Pink) lives in an attic above his bakery. It's small, but it feels like home to them. It has a stained glass window overlooking a highway on the other side of Main Street.

-Vice (Sample's co-worker / girlfriend, Service's Trojan, cashier at Cyber Shoes II, Orange) breaks into Sample's apartment at night to raid his fridge / watch TV for a while. She doesn't know that Sample is awake every time she does this and just lets her get away with it (they live in the same complex). She loves the nights that he makes stuff with leftovers for dinner.

-Snap (Broadcast's co-worker and best friend, camera-man, Green)'s favourite drink is a Shirley Temple. They've never been a fan of alcohol.

♤~♤

-Gamble (Mobile and Clickbait's father, casino owner, Blue), despite being an online advertisement, doesn't know much about how to actually use the Internet beyond posting his casino ads. Mobile tries to help him learn by giving him social media accounts, but he's basically like a grandpa using Facebook.

-Mobile (Clickbait’s elder sister, mobile advertiser [mainly in gambling / lottery / casino apps] and casino bartender, Yellow) prefers to go by Cooper / Couper, or Coop / Coup, her middle name - a reference to Martin Cooper, inventor of the mobile phone.

-Clickbait (Mobile's younger brother and Click's Trojan, clickbait advertiser [mainly making Couper's ads more flashy and clickable], casino bartender, Cyber Shoes II supervisor, gossip columnist, Pink)'s only 'true' friend is a young Werewerewire named Amp that he met in the Dark Web.

-Service (Manager / owner of Cyber Shoes II, Orange) has tapped Vice, Clickbait, and Sample's phones to monitor their activity on their phones, much to their displeasure.

♤~♤

-Hanahaki (placeholder name, Purple)'s favourite flowers are lavender and wisteria vines.

-Patient 0 (placeholder name, Pink) is one of the oldest Addisons to exist and hates being one. Not like Spamton and Sample do with just 'being a Darkner in general,' but actively hates the Addison species, and has days where he wants to destroy his casing to be unrecognizable as one... unfortunately he has enough damage to his endoskeleton as is without uncovering his entire inner skeleton.

♤~♤

[prodigitalyofficial]

The Impact of Mobile Devices on Web Design

Introduction

In the digital age, where smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of our daily lives, the impact of mobile devices on web design cannot be understated. As more and more people access the internet on their mobile devices, with the increasing use of various devices, websites need to be able To adjust the layout and content of a webpage or application according to the screen size. And resolutions of the devices they are being viewed on. This is known as responsive web design. Comes into play, ensuring that websites look and function seamlessly across various devices. In this blog, we will explore the significance of mobile-friendly websites, the increasing usage of mobile devices, and the key benefits of responsive web design and web development. We will also share helpful advice for carrying out the implementation. Responsive web design effectively.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design (RWD) is a web design approach that aims to create websites that adjust their layout and content automatically to fit various devices and screen sizes. Different screen sizes, resolutions, and orientations Responsive web design company refers to designing a website that can adapt to different screen sizes and devices. This ensures your website looks good and functions appropriately on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. It looks great and functions correctly, whether accessed on a desktop computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or any other device.

Importance of Mobile-Friendly Websites

Increasing Mobile Usage

The prevalence of mobile devices is undeniable. According to Statista, as of 2021, there were approximately 3.6 billion smartphone users worldwide. This number is expected to continue growing in the coming years. As more people rely on their increasing use of mobile devices for internet browsing, it has become essential to have Mobile App Development . For businesses and website owners to cater to this ever-expanding audience.

Improved User Experience

Mobile users have different needs and expectations compared to desktop users. They want websites to load quickly, be easy to navigate with touch gestures and provide easily readable content without excessive zooming or scrolling. A mobile-friendly website enhances the user experience by ensuring visitors can access information effortlessly, leading to higher satisfaction and extended engagement.

Higher Conversion Rates

Mobile-friendly websites are more likely to convert visitors into customers or achieve other desired actions. Whether making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form, responsive design makes it convenient for users to take these actions on their mobile devices. This, in turn, can lead to higher conversion rates and improved business outcomes.

Key Benefits of Responsive Web Design

Improved Mobile Compatibility

Responsive web design ensures compatibility across all mobile devices and screen sizes, eliminating the need to create a separate mobile version of your website. RWD adapts the existing design to accommodate mobile users. This approach saves time and resources while providing a consistent user experience.

Cost-effectiveness

Maintaining multiple website versions (desktop, mobile, tablet, etc.) can be costly and time-consuming. Responsive web design streamlines the development and maintenance process by consolidating all versions into one. This reduces the need for separate updates and content management, saving money and effort.

Enhanced SEO Performance

Search engines optimization prioritize mobile-friendly websites for indexing and ranking in search results, with Google's mobile-first indexing primarily using a website's mobile version. A responsive design ensures your website meets Google's mobile-friendly criteria, potentially improving your search engine rankings and visibility.

Easier Website Management

Managing a single website is far more efficient than juggling multiple versions for different devices. With responsive web design, you only need to make updates and changes once, and they will apply universally to all devices. This simplifies website management, reduces the risk of inconsistencies, and ensures a coherent brand image across all platforms.

Tips for Implementing Responsive Web Design

Prioritizing Content

When designing for mobile, it's essential to prioritize content. Identify your website's most critical elements and information. Ensure the content is intended to be easily accessed and viewed on smaller screens. You may need to reorganize, resize, or hide certain elements to create a clean and user-friendly mobile experience.

Optimizing Images

Large images can slow page loading times, especially on mobile devices with slower internet connections. Use responsive images that adapt to the user's screen size and resolution. Additionally, employ image compression techniques to reduce file sizes without compromising quality.

Utilizing Breakpoints

Breakpoints are specific screen sizes at which your website's layout and design adapt. Consider various breakpoints to accommodate devices like smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Use CSS media queries to define these breakpoints and specify how the layout should change at each stage.

Key Takeaways

The Impact of Mobile Devices on Web Design Please let me know if you need further assistance with this topic. It must be addressed. As mobile usage continues to rise, responsive web design is necessary for businesses and website owners. It offers numerous benefits, including improved mobile compatibility, cost-effectiveness, enhanced SEO performance, and easier  wordpress website management.

You can design a responsive website that can Ensure smooth adaptation to different devices and screen sizes without any disruptions or glitches. Users across multiple devices by prioritizing content, optimizing images, and utilizing breakpoints. Embracing responsive web design is an intelligent business decision and a way to provide a superior. As businesses strive to improve their user experience, changing business environment," they face numerous challenges in the digital landscape.

Conclusion

As mobile devices continue to shape how we access information and interact with the internet, responsive web design remains crucial for ensuring that websites are accessible and effective across all platforms. As technology evolves and new devices emerge, responsive "Design principles will always remain crucial in the design field." web development ensures that users have a seamless and enjoyable experience, regardless of how they browse the web.

[adbros]

30 ways to make real; money from home

Making money online from the comfort of your home has become increasingly accessible with the growth of the internet and digital technologies. In 2023, there are numerous realistic ways to earn money online. Here are 30 ideas to get you started:

1. Freelance Writing: Offer your writing skills on platforms like Upwork or Freelancer to create blog posts, articles, or website content.

2. Content Creation: Start a YouTube channel, podcast, or blog to share your expertise or passion and monetize through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.

3. Online Surveys and Market Research: Participate in online surveys and market research studies with platforms like Swagbucks or Survey Junkie.

4. Remote Customer Service: Work as a remote customer service representative for companies like Amazon or Apple.

5. Online Tutoring: Teach subjects you're knowledgeable in on platforms like VIPKid or Chegg Tutors.

6. E-commerce: Start an online store using platforms like Shopify, Etsy, or eBay to sell products.

7. Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services on your blog or social media and earn commissions for sales made through your referral links.

8. Online Courses: Create and sell online courses on platforms like Udemy or Teachable.

9. Remote Data Entry: Find remote data entry jobs on websites like Clickworker or Remote.co.

10. Virtual Assistance: Offer administrative support services to businesses as a virtual assistant.

11. Graphic Design: Use your graphic design skills to create logos, graphics, or websites for clients on platforms like Fiverr.

12. Stock Photography: Sell your photos on stock photography websites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock.

13. App Development: Develop and sell mobile apps or offer app development services.

14. Social Media Management: Manage social media accounts for businesses looking to enhance their online presence.

15. Dropshipping: Start an e-commerce business without holding inventory by dropshipping products.

16. Online Consultations: Offer consulting services in your area of expertise through video calls.

17. Online Surplus Sales: Sell unused items or collectibles on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

18. Online Fitness Coaching: Become an online fitness coach and offer workout plans and guidance.

19. Virtual Events: Host webinars, workshops, or conferences on topics you're knowledgeable about.

20. Podcast Production: Offer podcast editing, production, or consulting services.

21. Remote Transcription: Transcribe audio and video files for clients.

22. Online Translation: Offer translation services if you're proficient in multiple languages.

23. Affiliate Blogging: Create a niche blog with affiliate marketing as the primary revenue source.

24. Online Art Sales: Sell your artwork, crafts, or digital art on platforms like Etsy or Redbubble.

25. Remote Bookkeeping: Offer bookkeeping services for small businesses from home.

26. Digital Marketing: Provide digital marketing services like SEO, PPC, or social media management.

27. Online Gaming: Stream your gaming sessions on platforms like Twitch and monetize through ads and donations.

28. Virtual Assistant Coaching: If you have experience as a VA, offer coaching services to aspiring virtual assistants.

29. Online Research: Conduct research for businesses or individuals in need of specific information.

30. Online Real Estate: Invest in virtual real estate, such as domain names or digital properties, and sell them for a profit.

Remember that success in making money online often requires dedication, patience, and the ability to adapt to changing trends. It's essential to research and choose the opportunities that align with your skills, interests, and long-term goals.