#I’ll try to link the theory in this post’s text for easier access

[r0semultiverse]

Hey wait, are the computers using people’s voices who made a contract with The Eye much like my JonMartin accidental Eye contract theory? 👀

[dramarising-replacement]

G1 Hoarder Revamp and the Mountain of Salt

Can we all just acknowledge how much of a total fuck up the new G1 ping system is? I feel bad because they obviously went through so much work and beta testing for this system but it’s absolutely garbage in practice. This isn’t meant as a huge roast (even though I do think the creators could do with getting knocked down a few pegs given how poorly they’ve treated people through this entire process, oops) but I hope they at least see this and see things that they can work on. Obviously, going to them and sharing this stuff in person isn’t possible since L from arcane is notorious for gossiping and overall not super trustworthy, so anon route we go. I’ll give credit where credit is due: they definitely tried to go on the right path and the coding is good in theory. The big issue here is that they tried to fix something that was not great but worked with something that is not great and barely works. Sure there are some good things about the new ping system: if it’s not busy it’s not longer than six or seven minutes to do all of it for a few dragons, which, compared to the previous method? Pretty good timing. Helps automatically tag some colorgroups without having people confused about if their dragon counts or not, and uh... probably something else. The cons far outweigh the pros though: -sheet can only be used one at a time: terrible in theory, terrible in practice, there’s no queue system either so you’re not even guaranteed to go next even if you’ve been waiting ages. This becomes a nightmare around any holiday, as we’ve seen around notn, since everyone flocks to the ping generator and then quickly abandons after seeing the mess there. This should have been something that they found a way to work with from the start, especially since the previous spreadsheet, despite how long it took to sift through if you were actually assed to do all the specifics, could still be used by multiple people. -userface issues: going into the spreadsheet and it may all just be blank, does this mean someone’s using it? Someone isn’t? If you go ahead and assume not you’re going to get warned that you overrode someone since they get the ID to your dragon, if you don’t assume then you end up waiting for ages like an idiot and someone else swoops up the opportunity. The loading bar on the side doesn’t help give that info either since it constantly reloads due to the poorly planned code. Where users have their cells selected also doesn’t help since that isn’t always accurate. There are many times where the loading bar isn’t seen going, there isn’t any visible text on the screen, no comment in the box, but it’s still in use. This isn’t viable for anyone, especially not people who don’t fully understand how the system works. If you’re going to make it for only one person’s use at a time, you need to ensure it’s easier to see what’s going on for everyone. -laggy as all get out: sure, I don’t have to go through 15 pages of different types of pings on the old G1 pinglist and shovel through all the duplicates and specifics list people, but having more than 13 dragons or even doing a bigger lair sale (or even just anything during notn) means you get to wait for the program to chug away for ages (as well as the easy chance for someone to just cut in halfway through a load and have you start all over again or wait) and hope that the three people behind you don’t get impatient or angry as you have to do three separate input sessions rather than massing them all together as you could with the previous spreadsheet. -poorly designed aesthetically: maybe this may sound petty to some, but the design of the system is pretty terrible in terms of layout and color choice. This isn’t to say it’s just ugly though; after speaking about it with people who aren’t neurotypical, have disordered thinking processes, and/or have generalized issues reading things (autism spectrum, dyslexia, semi-visually impaired, etc.) it’s pretty clear that the entire thing is not accessible whatsoever for anyone who can’t immediately decipher what anything is. Black text on bright red is not a good thing for most people beyond old MySpace edgies. If you, as someone without reading or comprehension difficulties, are having a difficult time focusing on it: maybe consider how difficult it’d be for anyone else. The way the rules or tutorial section is laid out also does not help in terms of accessibility! It’s clunky and hard to read, does not flow well, and doesn’t explain as thoroughly as you may think. If you’re someone who uses coded spreadsheets often? Yeah sure, it might be understood. If you’re not? Welp. Good luck kiddo. -very poor user help: this is on the mods or creators more than the spreadsheet itself. If someone has a problem, the first thing you should do is talk with them to find the difficulty and tackle it from there. I’ve seen, multiple times now, where either N (plague) or L (arcane) straight up tell people that they can’t help them and that they should just read the guide on the front page. Like sure, they read them, but something is tricky for them and they’re asking for help. They can read the rules and guide again but without outside help, guess what? Not gonna help them. If you just keep linking them the forum or telling them to read the first page it won’t actually help anyone! One of your jobs as the creators here is to help the community that you made it for, not just parrot that they need to read. Be better. Add that to a system which is not forgiving of any mistakes whatsoever and it becomes a terrible little cocktail. Also does not help that, despite their sugar attitude about having people test it in discord servers, the creators l and r/p (both arcane) don’t actually help people who need help using it. -wait times/queue: this ties in to an earlier point, but there’s no way to organize who goes next. Sure, it might sound strange, but when you have to wait ages to get access despite you being there ahead of anon llama/drama/dingdong/animal because they can all hop in ahead of you, it becomes frustrating. People don’t always type in that itty bitty box to say what they’re doing, and people easily erase it or write over it, or they just outright ignore it. Obviously not everyone is going to do that, but it’s way too easy for people who are greedy/entitled to step over those who are being polite and patient. -no quick ping options this is also kind of minor, but at least with the old spreadsheet you could just click in and say “okay, I just want to ping XXY general for this because I have a quick sale.” Guess what: nah. You have to go through the entire chugging process and queue and everything else just to get that snippet of information on who to ping. What once took maybe five clicks is now five minutes to thirty depending on how many people are using it. Wanna quick check if a dragon with XYZ colours you hatched is one that someone wants specifically? Nah, fuck you. You have to input all the data and wait instead of just doing what was once a super easy quick search. There is so much other shit wrong with this system and I’m honestly surprised N (plague) allowed them to do this. Sure, the old pinglist could have done with some updating, but that should have been done in the form of clearing redundant double pings, maybe a way to sort through specifics like ‘male only’ and mass copy names there. Quality of life things, not this just... total mess. I understand that L and R/P got it into their heads that they needed to fix it and that they wanted to take over the entire system themselves, but they should have kept their pride out of it for once. The sheet to input what dragons you want is also another entire nightmare. It’s frustrating to go through the google poll a dozen times to say exactly what colors/eyes/gender/pasta-shape/siesta-fiesta under the sun you want rather than have a quick way to input it by drop-downs or even just a text based option like the old one had. It’s so easy to forget what you put in or which one you want to put in this time, so easy to end up making mistakes that you don’t see, etc. It’s just not an effective system. It’s great in theory, and sure, it’s all sparkly and new, but it’s like admiring an aluminum trash can. Shiny and sparkly under the sun, still holding a whole lot of hot garbage though. I understand that some people may find it easier, and that’s great! I’ve used it for a few things and yeah, it’s okay, but I wish the old one was back given all the grief and frustration this one has caused. Obviously I’m not in the place to be like DO THIS OR DO THAT since I’m not the one making the sheet here, but I do feel like the people who use it have every right to give commentary and feedback where possible. Even moreso when the creators and team aren’t actually as welcoming as they try to appear to be. As much as it sucks, a lot of L and R/P’s (primarily L) false niceties have kind of come to the surface lately which makes this whole situation just that much more awkward. If people don’t feel like they can approach you because they know you’ll rip into them here or on the anon site immediately, maybe you shouldn’t be a main creator of something for the user base or a mod for a bigger group. Just some side-thought to all this other stuff. Big post, big rambles, I can’t bring myself to organise it though because I’m pretty fed up and tired. Take from this what you may, but basically fix your shit new G1 Hoarder peeps.

[battlestar-royco]

updated faq

Round 2! I tried to shorten the answers so as not to be repetitive, and I also added new FAQs for your convenience. My past self who wrote my first FAQ annoys me, and this one is more thorough anyway, so here you go. I still can’t believe you all actually interact with me enough that I have to make one of these.

Questions up here, answers under the cut.

anti sjm basics

1. why are you an anti?

2. why are you specifically anti SJM?

3. do you like anything about SJM’s books?

4. terminology and practices

5. why do you hold SJM to a higher standard than other authors?/why do you focus on criticizing this one woman more harshly than you do men?

6. did you see what xyz stan did?

7. are you an anti for non-SJM stuff?

best of (in my humble opinion)

diversity and sensitivity

8. I have a question about writing and/or how to portray xyz identity...

9. can you please tag...?

10. is it okay if I like [x author]/[y series] even if I know they’re problematic?

11. what are your suggestions for aspiring authors who want to write diversely?

personal

12. is it okay if I message you?

13. why don’t you post about books/shows/movies you actually like?

14. favorites?

15. book suggestions?

16. are you a writer/what are you writing/do you plan on publishing?

17. is it okay if I follow you on other social media?

18. fandom research

19. when did you start your blog?

20. how did you decide your url?

anti SJM basics

1. why are you an anti?

I love thinking critically about the media I consume. Though I wouldn’t say I’m particularly “anti” any text or author, some people classify any criticism as “anti.” To respect people in the main tags, I post in anti tags so they don’t have to see critical posts. Otherwise, I love talking about positive, neutral, and negative aspects of books.

2. why are you specifically anti SJM?

The Anti SJM Manifesto

What made you turn into an anti? x x

Rowan/Rowaelin: x x x

The fandom: x x x x x x

3. do you like anything about SJM’s books?

Yes. I like a lot of SJM’s ideas, but I don’t like how they’re executed at all. I highly enjoyed TAB, TOG-HOF, and the witch storyline of QOS. My favorite TOG characters are Manon, Chaol, Nehemia, and Sorscha. Honorable mention for Lysandra, Kaltain, and Asterin. My favorite ACOTAR characters are Nesta, Lucien, and Tarquin. Additional links: x x x x

If you want my positive thoughts on certain SJM characters, look up: “anti sjm: [character name]” and you’ll find them.

4. terminology and practices:

Anti SJM Glossary. Seeing as many of us have had bad experiences with stans and in one case, authors, we censor names so our posts stay in our own tags.

What is soap dick? From August 2018 x x.

Manongate? when KOA came out, Charlie Bowater’s promotional art (x) depicted Manon as Asian. Here’s more on why that’s a problematic and lazy decision on SJM and Bloomsbury’s part: x x.

5. why do you hold SJM to a higher standard than other authors?/why do you focus on criticizing this one woman more harshly than you do men?

SJM alone out of all the biggest YA authors has yet to make craft improvements or display a social awareness similar to what I’ve seen from her colleagues. I give all authors an equal chance, but SJM’s writing and behavior has significantly decreased in quality compared to other fantasy authors despite her books being lauded as complex and feminist works. However, I’m not perfect, so do feel welcome to send me an ask if you think I’m being unfair.

The anti SJM community is focused on women because we all mainly read women. Critiquing women doesn’t mean we are unaware, dismissive of, or silent about the issues in men’s work. The “anti” movements for the likes of GRRM do exist, but under a different name than “anti”–there are thousands of critical meta blogs, book/TV critics and reviewers, Youtubers, etc out there who discuss his flaws in depth. I also have lengthy anti GRRM, anti GOT, and anti ASOIAF tags. Finally, I personally find critiquing and discussing women’s work a lot more interesting, productive, and empowering than doing the same for men, especially because my blog’s focus is on the YA author/transformative fan community at large.

About Leigh Bardugo: x x x x x x x

About GRRM (and GOT): x x x x x x x

About Tolkien: I've only read The Hobbit and a third of Fellowship of the Ring, and I’ve only watched FotR, so I don’t say much about him at all.

6. did you see what xyz stan did?

Probably not, especially if what they did was off Tumblr. I don’t look at stan accounts unless someone informs me that my posts or I have come up in conversation on their blog. Any specific stan urls in asks will be redacted both for their privacy and my own well-being. Stans have doxxed, harassed, and discriminated against antis, including myself, so I’d rather save us all the trouble.

7. are you an anti for non-SJM stuff?

I most often talk about SJM’s books, but I’ve also been very critical of GOT/ASOIAF. Following GRRM, several other YA authors have appeared in positive, neutral, and critical lights. On the more critical side we have Cassandra Clare and JK Rowling, and a very little bit about Victoria Aveyard, John Green, Maggie Stiefvater, Stephenie Meyer, and Veronica Roth. Otherwise, I’ve talked about Susan Dennard, Rick Riordan, Leigh Bardugo, and Marie Rutkoski. Check out my YA critical tag for more. I’m also down to discuss franchises like Star Wars, Fantastic Beasts, MCU, etc, as well as TV shows. Basically anything big in genre fiction media, there’s a good chance I’ve read/watched it and I have opinions!

best of

anti SJM

Are the Illyrians MOC?

Moral Ambiguity Series

Anti Nessian

Lucien or Rhysand?

Chaol or Rowan?

misc.

why are period dramas like... that

White Feminism

a beginner’s guide to fandom racism

diversity and sensitivity

8. I have a question about writing and/or how to portray xyz identity...

First and foremost, check my “writing advice” and “writing advice: poc” tags to see if the question has already been answered.

I am black cis girl with a dual degree in women’s/gender studies and creative writing. I will best be able to answer questions regarding black characters, women, racial oppression and identity as a whole, and most questions about queer characters. There’s a chance I can provide a basic answer to questions about demographics outside of these, but I’ll most likely advise you to ask another blogger or seek out sensitivity readers.

9. can you please tag...?

Yes. Just send an ask and I’ll tag anything. I’ve turned off all Tumblr notifications for this account so I probably won’t see tag requests in comments unless you comment within a day or so of the post.

10. is it okay if I like [x author]/[y series] even if I know they’re problematic?

Absolutely. I’m not the liking-things police and I can’t control whether you like something or not. There’s no such thing as an unproblematic author or unproblematic series, so you just have to like what you like at your own discretion and with a critical eye. As long as you’re aware of the issues and not denying or ignoring them, maybe even seeking out other people whose opinions add to the conversation, you’re good. It’s exhausting to be 100% critical but harmful to be 100% uncritical, so you have to seek out critics you like and figure out how to maintain a dialogue with the text and/or the author. The balance is different for everyone but once you find it, it gets easier to keep up!

11. what are your suggestions for aspiring authors who want to write diversely?

Concepts to be aware of and tropes to avoid: male gaze, the Bechdel test, the Mako Mori test, the sexy lamp test, fridging, Orientalism, xenoface (called “the Gamora Phenomenon” on my blog), black best friend, Spicy Latina, Dragon Lady, bury your gays, disability narratives, queerbaiting.

What not to do when creating a culture.

My advice about writing POC.

Check out these blogs if you like: x x x.

Follow as diversely as possible. Follow multiple blogs, especially writing- or fandom-themed blogs, run by POC (especially women and LGBTQ+), bloggers from religiously marginalized groups, bloggers with disabilities, older bloggers, younger bloggers, international bloggers, plus size bloggers, etc. Everyone has different perspectives and opinions, so it’s best to read from multiple sources.

Magnify marginalized voices in conversations about diversity, and LISTEN to what they are telling you.

Read diversely! Read genre fiction written by marginalized people. Maybe even read some gender, queer, race, or disability theory if you like. I’m personally a fan of Audre Lorde, Anne McClintock, and Sara Ahmed, but I like a lot more.

Seek out multiple sensitivity readers for the specific identity you are trying to represent (ie if you are trying to write a Muslim woman, ask a Muslim woman to sensitivity read for you. Experiences are not interchangeable so don’t treat them as such).

Don’t let the research stop here. This is just the beginning. There are plenty of awesome and accessible resources out there if you want to know more. I started learning about this stuff on sites like Tumblr, Goodreads, and Youtube. The Goodreads review sections, especially for YA books, are so entertaining and full of commentators coming at texts with feminist, queer, and POC lenses if you look in the right spots. There are also podcasts and Youtube videos about feminism, history of queerbaiting, and such. Happy reading/listening/writing!

personal

12. is it okay if I message you?

If we’ve been mutuals and/or we’ve interacted for a while (at least a few weeks or so), absolutely. When it comes to questions about writing or diversity advice in WIPs, I prefer asks (off or on anon is fine; if you’d like to be off anon but answered privately, you can indicate that in the ask). That way, other people with similar questions can join the discussion and I’m less likely to repeat myself. That said, I’m not opposed to messages; I just get shy around people I don’t know :). Regardless of ask or message, please try to ask the full question as clearly as possible so I can answer it to my best ability. Generally, you can expect an answer to your message or ask within a few days to a week of sending.

If you’re looking for a fight and/or if you start using condescending, rude, or discriminatory language, you will be ignored.

13. why don’t you post about books/shows/movies you actually like?

I do! :)

14. favorites?

books: Harry Potter; The Hunger Games; Six of Crows; Percy Jackson; The Winner’s Trilogy; Angelfall; The Secret History; Othello; Jane Eyre; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe/The Magician’s Nephew; A Storm of Swords.

movies: Alien, Blade Runner 2049, Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Annihilation, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Terminator 2, The Breakfast Club, The Lion King, Moonlight dir. Barry Jenkins, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Tangled.

tv series: Sense8, Battlestar Galactica (2004-2008), Black Mirror, The X Files, The 100, Westworld (season 1 only), Watchmen, Homeland (seasons 1-4 only), Orphan Black, Breaking Bad, The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, Fleabag.

15. book suggestions?

Book recs!

Maxine, did you read/watch...?

16. are you a writer/what are you writing/do you plan on publishing?

I hope to publish, yes! I write mostly YA fantasy, but I also love sci fi, crime drama, and certain elements of horror so I have works in or influenced by all of those genres. I want to get my foot in the YA fantasy door first and foremost :). Check out “polysorscha writes things” if you want to know more specifics.

17. is it okay if I follow you on other social media?

As of now I keep my blog disconnected from my personal life, so I don’t share my other socials but feel free to follow me over on my main blog @ripley-stark if you like! It’s just pretty gifs and photos of my favorite movies and shows, social justice, meta reblogs here and there, and rambling in the tags. Don’t feel like you have to follow if you don’t want to; I say a lot more on here.

That being said, I have given my Goodreads to a handful of people who ask, so if you want to track what I’m reading, private message me and I’ll send you the link. In the case that I share the link with you, please respect my privacy and do not repost or share the link anywhere else unless you see me share it on my blog publicly.

18. fandom research:

In March to May 2019, I conducted a survey on my blog in an attempt to gather information about fandom through a social justice–specifically, intersectional feminist–lens. Here are the results and my analysis of the survey x. The purpose for this data collection was to write my final undergraduate research paper in one of my two majors, women’s and gender studies (the other is creative writing!), which focused on diversity and inclusion in genre fiction media and fandom. The final paper is about 11k words. I haven’t publicly published it, but message me if you’re interested in reading it! I also plan on doing more similar surveys to gather information about what audiences want to see in future media, so if anyone is interested, please send messages, asks, comments etc about what YOU want to see and/or ideas about how we can spread the info to creators. This is much bigger than just me and I can’t do it without your help. I love hearing from diverse voices and amplifying them as much as I can. Everyone’s perspective is meaningful!

19. when did you start your blog?

No earlier than the end of April or beginning of May 2018.

20. how did you decide your url?

I wish the Celaena/Dorian/Chaol love triangle resolved in a polyamorous relationship, and that Nehemia and Sorscha were thriving. Seeing as I am black, Sorscha is one of two characters in T0G who represents me. Thus, polyamorous + Sorscha. :)

[autismus-obscurus]

On self-dx

A while ago, someone asked me privately to tell them why I was clearly pro self-dx. It's a question I have seen a lot. It's a complex topic and there's a lot of misconceptions about what self-dx even is. Here's a slightly adapted version of my answer (under a cut so I don’t clog your dash). If anyone else has something to add, please do.

Also, TW: swearing. Sorry not sorry, It's just how I talk.

First off, we have to define what self-dx even is. Self dx is NOT googling "autism symptoms", reading one list, and the deciding "oh I'm autistic, lets go beg for pity". I can't speak for all autistics, but I don't fucking want pity. That's not the point of saying you're autistic. I just want to live without constant overload, okay? Lets go a bit more into detail: I’m very clearly pro self-dx, but I will not take someone seriously who takes one test and reads one blog post and then decides “I’m autistic.” That’s not how this works. Self-dx means hours upon hours of reading blogs, of reading articles, of checking the criteria again and again (cynically said, you're checking off a list, we'll get to that again later on), of asking autistics about every tiny trait you suspect could point towards or against it, of self doubt, of hope, of finding autistics spreading positivity or Autism Speaks / Autism Moms(TM) telling you you’re a monster. It’s emotionally draining as fuck. Self-dx is a search for identity. It’s trying to find out why your life is the way it is, why you are a certain way and how to cope with problems in a way that doesn’t do any more damage.

This line of thought goes in hand with another tumblr thing: Many people shit on self-dx because there's this nearly immortal assumption that people self-dx because it’s “cool” to be mentally ill. It’s not. Admittedly, teenagers are fucking weird and maybe some genuinely think they are ill when they are not, but I'm convinced that is the minority at best. Also, when we get to the point of preteneding to be sick that’s a legitimate disorder in itself. (Münchhausen or imposter’s syndrome. I've heard it called pathological lying, but that's quite a bit different and also a disorder that people cannot control and need help for.)

Let's look at a few statistics. In Europe 30% of people are officially diagnosed with a disorder under the ICD-10 / DSM-V. 75% of mental disorders start in adolescence (according to a German survey, BGS 98; here's also a link to the offical WHO page with statistics: HERE). The survey does not include those who are too ashamed to get help, who have no access to help, who are just not taken serious or have to fear abuse if it becomes known. Autism is not a mental disorder, obviously, but the staggering majority of autistics in the past was diagnosed as a child and face many of the same problems. (I’ll get to why the diagnosis age is a problem for autistic people in general in a second.) Now imagine finding a community of people who understand you, who can give you actually helpful tips, and you don’t have to reveal your identity. Anything classified as abnormal is still a taboo. People don’t believe you or make jokes about you. Example: I had to fight for an autism diagnosis because my dad, and I quote, says “there is nothing wrong with you”. No, there’s not, but I’m still autistic. That’s the mindset people apply to any neurodivergence. As to the matter of why so many people on the internet claim to be neurodivergent / mentally ill, I have a theory of my own. I can’t prove it, but it makes sense for me. Many neurodivergencies make it hard to go out. I’m introverted as hell, and often don't have the spoons to go out. So what do I do? I spend my life at home, browsing the internet. It takes me so much less effort to keep contact with people than if I had to go out and meet them. No sensory overload, nothing unexpected will happen. Meanwhile, the healthy people and extroverts are out and about having fun their own way. And, coming back to the community, on here it’s a lot easier to express your thoughts, especially on taboo topics.

Example: I think reading this text we can agree that my English (my second language) is reasonably good and that I’m a logical, intelligent person that can express arguments in an ordered manner. Right? Well, if you would be talking to me face to face, I would probably not make a whole lot of sense. I stutter, I lose trains of thoughts, I fall over my vocabulary, my pronunciation is often wobbly and then I will inevitably panic and make even less sense (this goes for talking in my L1 as well, in case anyone wonders). I’m not dumb, but face to face communication is hard.

Next up, the issue with psychologists and getting diagnosed. There is this pervasive notion that pschologists are The Authority (TM) who know everything and nobody else can be as good as them. Here's the thing: Psychologists are human. They’re not omniscient. And sometimes those psychologists are just shit. They can be sexist, and racist, and narcissistic. They can be condescending, and unable to admit they doN't know enough about a topic, and flat out ignore new evidence because it doesn’t fit their worldview. Go in the actuallyautistic tag. The amount of people who are dismissed by their therapists because this so called professional “has a feeling” they’re not autistic is ridiculous. Feelings don’t matter. Only the diagnostic interview matters, but the patients are denied that because a psychologist trusts his gut more than science. Without a decent self-dx it will be pretty hard to get diagnosed as a teenager or adult. On top of that, once you have learned to pass, autistic traits get lost or suppressed for fear of punishment. Often you have to convince them to test you with a detailed list that describes how you fit the DSM criteria. Which is by definition already a self-dx. "Oh, but psychologist are trained for that, surely they know!!!!!11!" I’m a psychology student. I just got an A in my clinical psychology class. I'll write my thesis in clinical psychology probably. The amount of diagnoses you have to learn does not allow to go in depth of anything. What a psychologist does is listen to you and check boxes on a list. (Sound familiar? I said we'd get there again.) We didn't even talk about autism. I did a presentation on it, found out my course teacher doesn't even know ABA is harmful (his point was "well the literature says it's effective"; Are You Kidding?). Our paedagogy prof spewed some ableist phrases pitying her friend that has an autistic kid. The perks of being an undercover autistic person :))) (That's sarcasm.)

To get back to the point: An ableist at worst, at best uneducated psychologist decides if you’re autistic, solely on what they have been told. The amount of posts that goes "I was denied diagnosis because I have good grades / are a girl / have friends / can talk" is ridiculous.

Example: I was in therapy three times until I was fifteen and NONE of them got the idea I might be autistic, despite me showing pretty severe symptoms. I had to self-dx and then convince my therapist to test me. I only even got that idea because we watched Rain Man in school. Seriously? Who knows you better: You or a psychologist you know for an hour?

Okay, before I get carried off, all of that assumes you actually get as far as being tested. To get there, it requires parents to listen to their kid. Parents typically don’t want anything to be wrong with their kid. (There’s nothing wrong with being autistic, but too many people still think that.)

Example: My dad still doesn’t believe I’m autistic. My diagnosis was four years ago. Because, I quote, “There’s nothing wrong with you.” No there’s not, but that doesn’t make me allistic.

The amount of stereotypes and ableist myths is staggering. Autism is one of the most misunderstood conditions I’ve ever researched. The DSM criteria are shit. They are, since decades, based on boys. They’re very limited, and while not wrong, describe things in a way that makes it hard for people to find "atypical" examples (stereotypical interests = trains). What about girls obsessed with horses? Nobody thinks that’s abnormal, yet it’s very possible. There are still a ton of people who think girls cannot be autistic, or if they are, to use the ableist principles this idea is founded on, they have to be “low-functioning”. The truth is, even the diagnostic interviews can’t pick up on autistic girls very well, that is a known fact. (Look at this link for example: HERE) I have most of those posts tagged either as info or ableism, but I don't have the spoons to check right now and my internet is shit.) To paraphrase the article and the other sources I know: Most autistic females just fly under the radar because they’re better at adapting and hiding it. That doesn’t have to be a conscious effort, but it’s exhausting, and then you sit there as a teenager and wonder why you’re feeling like shit because you never learned healthy autistic coping machanisms (or got punished for them).

Example: I didn’t learn of stimming, of dyspraxia, of sensory processing issue and literally everything that had defined my daily life until I found the autsitic community. I don’t think my therapist ever heard of that and I was labeled too “high-functioning” to actually get help. I managed, and back then I was fine, or thought I was after the depression wore off. I’m paying the price for that now.

People of color and women are severely mis- and underdiagnosed in literally everything medical. Teenagers are very rarely taken seriously, especially girls. Some people don’t believe autism exists at all. Now, assume somebody has understanding parents or teachers or is an adult, and could, thoretically go to a doctor to get diagnosed. Because (paraphrasing the original ask here) by validating self-dx we only push the notiion that you don't need a doctor to be diagnosed (which is again the Autority Lane (TM)). Well, yes, it would be preferable to get an official diagnosis, for the accomodations alone, but there is a shitton of reasons not to.

Example: I am currently undiagnosed. How so? My therapist made a deal with my parents that we would not write down the diagnosis, to prevent it from bringing me trouble. At first I was like “that’s ableist bullshit”. It’s not. Well, it still involves a lot of ableism, but there are a lot of reasons why I have to weigh if getting a diagnosis is worth it, even though I clearly need the help right now.

Here is a list of good reasons why someone could choose not to get professionally diagnosed:

money (in Germany healthcare is mostly free, but in the US getting a diagnosis can cost several thousand dollar)

autistic people are at a much higher risk of abuse, and don’t get taken as seriously (see ABA therapy and Autism Moms)

With an autism diagnosis you can be instituationalized far easier against your will (that works with almost all mental diagnoses)

In Germany you will have a harder time getting an insurance, they will make you pay more and don’t provide certain services e.g. You want an insurance for when you become unable to work, you know, like almost everyone has? Yeah, forget about it, autistic people don’t get that.

It can be used against you when you get in a fight about your kids’ custody

Medical ableism is a thing. You can have everything from a cold to cancer, from depression to borderline, it’s all The Autism. Autistic people are often seen as not having enough insight into their own body and mind to judge their own body (just like women, so as an autistic woman you're fucked twice as much :))) )

Getting a job outside of “supportive” businesses (read: they want Rain Man. They’re IT businesses who want autistic programmers and engineers, everyone else is pretty much fucked.) will be almost impossible. Autism is a disability and nobody wants disabled people past what the necessary quota is.

In the psych field there are no officially diagnosed people I know of, one researcher’s work was discredited when it came out she was autistic. I was already warned several times that I should hide my autism if I wanted to get a job at all.

basically, people are shit and can and will use your diagnosis against you

Lastly, I don’t really understand why people are so hateful towards the self-dx crowd. I can’t prove that there’s no black sheep, but most of them are people who look to improve their lives and better their mental health. Let’s put it like this:

The anti-self dx crowd: Only psychologists can tell if you’re autistic. Self-dx: I think I’m autistic. Antis: How dare you! I can clearly tell you’re not autistic. Fuck off, faker.

Call me cynic, but that is the core of reason most anti-self-dxers apply. Who the hell gave them the authority to judge other people? How do you know what a person is going through from reading two posts on tumblr? This isn’t some elite club. That kind of thinking ostracizes us even more when we alread have to fight so hard to be allwoed to live. Who are the self-dxers hurting? The ableists treat us like shit anyway. And honestly? I’d rather let in five fakers than have an autistic person suffer alone because of they can’t “prove” they’re autistic.

Dev out.

[adaptform]

Not so much Lost in the System but…

Mid-November 2015 I hesitantly pick up my phone and text a friend asking if it’s ok to ring. A positive reply is received. I pause…  With a growing sense of dread I press to ring and slowly lift my phone to my ear. The dull trills seem to last a lifetime as I wait for an answer. This phone-call signalled to my friend that things were not as they should be; a deteriorating state of mental health which had seemingly come from nowhere. Incoherent explanations of my thoughts were naturally met with confusion and I wouldn’t even talk in detail about what was happening because I was so scared of what would be thought of me, what others would then say about me. A feeling that has not left me.  

December 2015 I go to a GP. The system where I live in theory is meant to make it easy for someone to get an appointment by offering times at different surgeries if one venue is fully booked. It does not make it easier… after numerous phone-calls on the mornings of numerous days I finally get to see someone. I take time out of work secretly to drive about 30 mins to the GP. It’s busy and uncomfortably warm which does not calm my growing anxiety. They are running about 40 mins late. All I can think is that I should be back before the next hour strikes to finish the work I had left to be here. As this deadline passes more worry, more heat, and I’m surrounded by sick old people. My name gets called. I am rushed into a room. I am rushed to speak. I do not know how I am meant to speak about this at all let alone quickly. However with previous experience of mental health difficulties at least I have a starting point unlike some people in similar positions. I am given some leaflets… I am told there are some groups that offer support but also after hearing what I have said the GP says words to the effect of “but it doesn’t sound like a group environment will be beneficial to you”. End of appointment. All I want is to speak to someone one to one but after this I feel totally discouraged from speaking to anyone at all. I’ve spent so long waiting that I rush home to try and finish work. I make my excuses about why I haven’t been able to.

March-ish 2016 I am encouraged to go back to a GP. I go to a different practice and see a wonderful nurse who not only listened to me but directed me to clarify what exactly it is I am feeling, as best as I could. She gives me some leaflets. Then tells me I have to go to the surgery I had previously visited to see a mental health link worker. At this point all I can think is that I hope it is not the same person as I saw previously…

I go back to the one place I don’t want to be… I see the mental health link worker (who is thankfully not the person who had no time for me). They essentially repeat everything the nurse had said, also admitting the mental health services in this part of the country are not adequate, not meeting the demand of the service and that waiting is inevitable. She then tells me the main point of entry is the Suffolk Wellbeing service which adopts a self-referral process. This is the first time I hear the words “self-referral”. Why didn’t anyone else tell me this before??? Months wasted… If I had known then I wouldn’t have had to even go to a GP… frustrated and feeling pretty f***ing worthless I head home. The next day I refer myself to Suffolk Wellbeing…

At this stage about 2 people know I have referred myself.

I wait for a fortnight for a letter to come through the post. I then wait for a phone-call about having a phone assessment to help decide what kind of support I could get from the service. A phone assessment is booked. I wait about a month for this to happen.

I have a phone assessment. I still do not feel confident in finding the words to coherently speak about how I feel. It’s a clunky call, me speaking myself into circles while questions try to clarify my standing. The phone-call turned out to be a relevancy test. Assessing whether it is appropriate for me to use the service. Although asked about what support I think I need – someone to speak to, I just want someone to talk to! – everyone is made to go through a series of lectures referring to mental health. I am told about a series of lectures under the title of ‘Stress Control’. Even those words are generalised. I am told in order to access any further support I must attend these. I am then told the next set of lectures is in September 2016. If my situation deteriorates in this gap i am encouraged to contact my GP. And I think we can all agree that I won’t be doing that.

Typically I miss the first lecture as I was abroad. I attend the rest. For each lecture you are asked to fill out a questionnaire to assess your levels of anxiety and depression. It was late last year that I found out these were written by drugs companies, which explains why all the words used in the questionnaire are all so doom and gloom. They are geared up to signal that someone needs drugs not that they need support. There is a massive difference. Why this is an accepted method in understanding someone’s mental health in this capacity I fail to understand.

The lectures themselves have an audience of about 30 people so the content is diluted… heavily diluted. They mention processes and plans to figure out your vicious cycle and to rationalise your thoughts which is all fine. Fine if you don’t have a job or any sort of commitment so you could actually spend time doing it at the moment of anxiety or depressive moods. They of course also encourage making time in an evening or weekend to figure out thought processes. Each week little handbooks for each topic are given out to refer back to every generalised thing that is said at the lectures. I go through all the handbooks. I still have them and will again revisit. Mainly because what else am I meant to do?

(Side note: Lectures, in terms of someone’s interest in the topic is affected by the person leading the lecture, the person speaking at the front of the room. I suggest they review some of those speakers.)

At the end of the last lecture we are all told what happens next. We will receive a letter through the post. It will either state that judging from your questionnaires that it is not believed you require further support OR it invites you to request a review assessment.

I wait a couple of weeks for my letter.

It invites me to review if I so wish. Yeah I think I’ll do that. It take multiple attempts across a few days to get through to the service on the phone. Saturated is the word that comes to mind. And a review phone assessment is booked.

I wait for a letter to confirm.

November 2016 my phone assessment arrives and I again attempt to explain what it is I am feeling. The person on the phone tells me I have explained myself very well and really tries to give me the support she knows I need. She suggests a couple of options and then asks me to hold the line… she comes back with the option of seeing someone face to face for a CBT assessment. The seeing someone in a one on one situation was what I knew I needed from the beginning… I am told there will be a wait. Realistically I will be waiting until Feb 2017… My feelings of content after being listened to and feeling as if the person on the end of the phone went out of her way to help me was met with disillusionment. I know it is not their fault that I have to wait. They don’t have that sort of control over how the service they provide is implemented. They can only use the resources they have to provide the best possible support for the increasing influx of people with mental ill health. But reading this you can imagine how my frustration over all these gaps has by now turned into a reluctant acceptance and well I feel pretty bummed out…

Surprisingly come January I receive a letter in the post with an appointment date on in. It’s for that very same month!

I recently attended this session, one-to-one, face-to-face and because of it was able to talk openly about what I consider to be the problem, where I think it stems from and what I think will help. You can’t have that kind of interaction with someone over the phone or during a lecture. Because this system really enjoys circles the support which is then offered to me, as after all this was just another point of contact to direct me to another area of support, is group CBT. I have by this point already expressed my fear of group support, that I will not be able to address the things I need to with others there but after discussing all the options this was still the support thought to be most beneficial to me at this time. Upon leaving I feel a mixture of relief and well I just want to give up.

I am currently waiting for someone to tell me when this group CBT will begin.

I’ve been referred to Suffolk Wellbeing since March 2016. My first GP visit concerning this which I would still count as part of “the system” December 2015… It has been over a year since I sought professional help. I don’t exactly feel positive about the time I have been working through this process. You must agree this is not acceptable. Perhaps needless to say I do not have the money to pay for talking therapy or other types of support. I live in a village in Suffolk and in terms of professional help I am not even close to feeling like I am supported.

To reiterate Suffolk Wellbeing are not completely at fault here. There is a bigger issue to hand including the general awareness of what mental health is and the conditions referring to it as a result of mental ill health. There is no one model that will ensure that this experience is not replicated many times over. It is not something that can be rolled out nationally, it must be tailored at least regionally and again to the individuals using the service. The resource in this region is poor. I have had mental health first aid training to help others (yeah… I know right… others…) for both adults and young people, both tutors of those courses explained the state of mental health support structures in this country as poor. Theresa May in her grand Charity Commission speech focused on mental health. Her words were welcome but a significant number of mental health charities have voiced their concerns over the plans and unfortunately as is usually the case money has a lot to do with this. On the subject of charities it would be ignorant of me not to mention the growing number of organisations that exist to advise and help those with mental health issues. Time to Change, Mind, Young Minds, Blurt Foundation to name a few. And for a more creative take on it The Sad Ghost Club are a personal favourite. They make zines and other crafty bits all centred around mental health with the money they make from sales going towards workshops with young people to express their mental health creatively. There is a growing amount of online resources available.

I 100% do not want to discourage anyone from using the kind of service that I am still using especially if you are struggling with your mental health. These are the kinds of services that should be a go to and should address your needs genuinely and in a timely manner. I write about my experiences not to unjustly criticise but because more awareness is needed of both mental health conditions and the support structures that are in place.

As a final note try as hard as can to not fall silent. I have not included in the above the ongoing support I get from friends who I hope know how thankful I am for them being in my life. It has been difficult trying to explain my thoughts to those who have had no experience of anxiety and depression but if I didn’t say anything at all then my situation would deteriorate further. I am just sorry that they have equally had to spend this amount of time living alongside this.

[wjwilliams29]

How SEO Would Look Like If Google Removed URLs from the Internet

Even if you don’t know what they actually are, if you use the internet, one of the first things you’ll stumble upon are URLs. We also call them addresses sometimes. You probably don’t spend much time thinking about them, but the World Wide Web is actually built  from the ground up on URLs. Every time you access or link to a web page, you use a URL.

  Google implied that “URLs must die”. But, is a world without URLs possible?

    Follow along and let’s jump a little deeper into this topic to see what Google has in plan and, maybe, how an internet without URLs would look like. Also, keep in mind that this is mostly supposition, so please do feel free to open a conversation in the comments section!

  Well, all that might be susceptible to change, as Google allegedly claimed that in order to have a server internet, “URLs must die”. However, the wording is more of a click bait rather than a fact.

  What Exactly Are URLs?

Why Does Google Want to Kill URLs?

How Does the Internet Look Like Without URLs?

How Would SEO Work Without URLs?

  What Exactly Are URLs?

  URLs are very complex in theory, but in practice they are very simple to use and understand.

  URLs stand for Uniform Resource Locator and are often referenced to as a web address.

  Put simply, it’s the address used to access a desired location/web page/resource.

    As an analogy, the browser is like a courier and the resource is like the contact person for delivery. 

  For example, if I want to publish a file.pdf document on the web, I need to host it somewhere. In order to host it, I need a server. The server will be assigned an IP which will tell us many things about the location. This is the country and city.

  The server is also assigned a specific domain or hostname (or multiple ones). Let’s say that’s the street and building.

  However, I’ll only store my PDF file in a specific place, let’s say a folder called resources. That will be the apartment.

  Then, I actually need to specify its name, to know exactly where I want to get.

  The final destination will be something like https://www.domain.com/resources/file.pdf

    Why Does Google Want to Kill URLs?

  Well, as stated in the introduction, Google never said that it wants to remove URLs completely.

  In an interview with Wired the Chrome Engineer Manager, Adrienne Porter Felt talked about “making identity understandable to everyone” and “the way URLs are displayed”.

  Note the key word here, which is ‘displayed’. Not killed, not removed, but displayed.

  But let’s just image for a second that Google actually said the phrase “In order to make the internet a safer place, URLs MUST DIE!!!”. Try it and maybe use the Skeletor voice as well.

      Google has fought to make URLs prettier and, therefore, easier to understand. We all know the “use pretty URLs” phrase. This means that instead of having https://yourwebsite.com/index/case-studies-242v43x/traffic-increase?ctcid=42542&bb=1425f you’d have something like https://yourwebsite.com/how-to-increase-traffic/.

  Pretty URLs are helpful in some ways. Users can make an idea about the topic of the web page by simply looking at the URL. Also, longer and weird URLs often seem suspicious and users might avoid following them.

  The article louring users with the murderous Google click bait also mentions a study made by McAfee which states that cybercrime costs the world $600 billion and it’s growing. The study only mentions the word ‘URL’ once and it involves various types of attacks, many of which have nothing to do with URLs.

  The article does point out that URL shorteners might affect the link between web identity and URLs and hackers might take advantage of this to mask malicious websites. However, URL shorteners are merely a redirect which could be set up cheap and easy using any domain.

  It’s true that the easiest way to get infected with any sort of virus is through accessing the wrong URL.

  However, this is a link problem, as usually you won’t be typing your way into a ransomware.

  Simply hiding the URL from the user in Chrome won’t help at all. A malicious URL could be hidden underneath an anchor text, on any website, at any time. It could be your best friend’s Facebook account that’s hacked and sends malicious URLs. You won’t even think before clicking, thinking it’s your friend and it must be safe.

  The best way to protect yourself against cyber attacks is to be informed and always a little cautious!

  Have a watch at this and you’ll understand that most of the time, hackers simply use the personal information you leak publicly against you. They might be at an internet cafe, reading what you type when you don’t access a secure website.

    So, next time you post something on Facebook, think twice. Make sure you also inform others about this.

    How Does an Internet Without URLs Look Like?

  Although Google never actually said that this was a possibility, there’s a chance they might try it!

  We’re still in the realm of speculation, but there’s actually some evidence for it.

  If Google makes the web less open, they might be able to completely remove URLs.

  The first thing I want to mention is Google AMP. I talked about Google AMP in the past and debated whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

  Whatever your thoughts are on Google AMP, one thing is clear: a URL-less world would resemble the AMP initiative. So far, AMP lists everything on Google’s servers, so you don’t actually need to use any URLs, except Google.com.

  But you still use URLs… and they still exist.

  You see… It’s almost impossible to imagine an open web without URLs. You need some sort of… identifier to reach a resource or location on the web. If it’s not an address, it’s an IP. If it’s not an IP, it’s a host name and so on.

  One friend of mine once told me “If you think you have a big imagination, try imagining a new color”. (inside joke: our colleague Cornelia might have a chance, as she’s color blind and hasn’t yet tried any of those glasses).

  URLs are very similar to real live physical addresses, so if you can imagine a world without addresses… then you probably can imagine an open web without URLs.

    However, if the web is less open, then Google can just be one single app which hosts all content. This way it can have control over malicious URLs… and everything else.

  The second thing I want to mention is Google Data Search. It’s a search engine launched in September 2018 and it’s targeted at journalists and scientists. It looks like it’s taking advantage of something similar to structured data in order to figure out bullet points, such as release date, author and description.

  Google Data Search is the closest we can find as to how a search engine would look like without URLs , although the content within the results does contain links (and URLs).

    If Google really considers URLs a threat to its users, then the only way of dealing with it is not let users access any URLs, at least not through Chrome. This means that Google will have to host all the content, so that users only have contact with Google’s servers and its own (hidden) URLs.

  This sounds good for the user, but in reality there are tons of issues. How will advertising work? How will website owners make money? Will they still publish content? Will they get paid by Google?

  How Would SEO Work Without URLs?

  In a world without URLs, SEO would pretty much work the same. The only thing missing from the algorithm completely would be backlinks (a backlink analysis tool company’s worst nightmare).

  However, we all know that is possible, since Yandex (the Russian search engine) doesn’t use backlinks in its algorithm. Google has tried this in the past (back when Cutts ruled the bots) but it hasn’t worked out for them, as the results came up a lot worse.

  I don’t know about that though, as if you used Google translate to translate “anything + torrent” in Russian and then search it on Yandex, you’ll definitely find anything you want for free. And all that without any backlinks in the algorithm!

    So, backlinks might be replaced by what we now call citations, in local SEO. It’s basically the same thing as a branded backlink, but without the link. It would work in a similar way Brand Mentions works to notify you about new mentions.

  Other than that, probably nothing much would change. 

  Content, CTR and UX will still be the most important factors when it comes to positioning things in search engines, along with other basic things, such as keywords in titles and how fast the resource loads (it shouldn’t be an issue anymore though, if Google hosts everything).

  Conclusion

  So… what do you think? Is an internet without URLs even possible? How would SEO look in a world where URLs don’t exist? Do you think Google is actually trying to solve a problem or is it trying to solve its own interests to gain more control over the internet?

  The post How SEO Would Look Like If Google Removed URLs from the Internet appeared first on SEO Blog | cognitiveSEO Blog on SEO Tactics & Strategies.

[pelatro-blog]

How the Internet of Things is transforming digital marketing

See on Scoop.it - Marketing Solutions for Telecom Industry Ever heard of John Wanamaker? No? Born in 1838, Wanamaker was a merchant and religious, civic and political figure, and he was considered by some to be one of the first marketing geniuses in American business. A huge proponent of advertising, Wanamaker said: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” Fast-forward nearly 160 years to 1995 and another pivotal moment in history—the first time I got on the Internet, which was through a dial-up modem. Not really knowing what to do on the Internet, I surfed the web, but back then there wasn’t much content. The waves weren’t big, so I turned off my surfboard, or my Compaq desktop, and probably put on a CD or something else 90ish. The magic of Internet ads One thing I’ll always remember about those early Internet days was ad display. Banner ads—later on, pop-up ads—all seemed like billboards along the freeway. There was no data and no ability to establish causation in relation to top-line growth. A couple years later in a college Lit class, a professor instructed us to Google a book written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to get clarification on what some obscure passage meant. I actually think I applied for a job with Google that night after realizing how superior the search experience was in comparison with Yahoo. A few years later, a good friend of mine got a job at Google and on the phone one day he explained how Google made its money. He asked me to search for something, and then directed me to click on the square ad on the right side of the results page, and I did. “See, you just made Google money,” said my friend. “Genius,” I thought. Since then, new channels have continued to enter the digital marketing and advertising landscape, in addition to banner ads and a search capability already in place. Soon came YouTube video, and shortly after that came mobile and social computing. Marketers now have a significant variety of channels and platforms to get their messages out, and now hiding from the taxman is easier than avoiding being advertised or marketed to—no matter what you’re doing or where you are. The return on digital advertising Today, significant money is spent on digital advertising, and while estimates vary, possibly more than $120 billion will be spent on digital advertising in 2016. That amount of money is spent because marketers know that doing so is effective; they just can’t tell how effective. Imagine an organization is budgeted to spend $1,000 a year on digital ads. For simplicity’s sake that company earns revenues of $2,000. In theory, you could say marketing produced 100 percent return on investment (ROI) for the organization’s fiscal year marketing budget, which would be a great return. But what if it only spent half that amount? Would it only earn $1,000 in revenues? This scenario offers a basic example, but it illustrates my thesis: the most sophisticated customers and marketing analytics platforms struggle to establish true causality. Many come very close, but marketing spend will always be a correlation to sales, not the reverse. I wonder what John Wannamaker would say now? Correlation is not causation—but it sure helps! The value of behavior Today’s marketers see strong correlations to Google ad buys and increased revenues. That’s why Google is such a powerful company, and its revenues continue to increase after more than 15 years of being in the Internet search business. Google has data on our searches, our YouTube views, our email content, our Global Positioning System (GPS) data and much more. Google can segment its user base, using highly advanced analytical tools that correlate preferences, context and location of an individual and deliver relevant engaging offers. Yet there’s still room for improvement. Improvement is needed because even though an individual may click a text display ad or a search link or a video banner ad, no implicit assurance of how that ad impacted a sale exists. If the ad hadn’t been there, would the sale have happened regardless? With no insight into how or if, marketers remain unsure how much top-line growth they’re contributing to the company, and they remain unsure of the cost of revenue. With banner ads and, for that matter, billboards and television ads, the goal is to simply reach an audience. But in today’s world, companies are trying to promote specific behaviors that represent value to a marketing organization. Facebook likes, shares, tweets, registrations and yelp reviews all represent valuable data to the marketing department, and metrics such as cost per impression are less valuable. Metrics more closely aligned with revenue, such as pay per call, cost per order and cost per lead take a large step forward in articulating correlation and, perhaps in some cases, causality. But room to improve still exists. Marketing organizations of the future, after solving the how-and-the-if challenge, should be able to measure themselves by a simple cost of revenue metric, as in, what does it cost to buy more revenue? The Internet of Things will enable marketers to measure cost of revenue because the data created from connected devices can solve the how and if. But how can it do so? The Internet of Things and caffeine management In the future, and to some extent today, Internet of Things connected devices are connecting themselves to other devices and exchanging data. A wearable device knows how long the person wearing it sleeps and when that person wakes up in the morning. It can communicate that data to the coffee machine, and the act of waking up triggers the coffee to start brewing. In addition, one coffee unit can be subtracted from the personal coffee inventory. A wearable device also knows when its wearer is away on business, and coffee won’t be made if that person is not sleeping at home. The same person’s spouse, who only drinks decaf on Sundays while reading the New York Times on a tablet, has a wearable device that also communicates with the coffee maker. As a result, two coffee types are brewed on Sundays, and two units are subtracted from the home coffee inventory. Coffee deliveries typically take five days to arrive, so 10 days before the coffee runs out, a message from the coffee maker arrives with an ad that says “buy”—no more emails with a repurchase reminder, no more alerts or cookie-based banner ads attempting to grab someone’s attention. And the risk that a person may forget to click a link and make selections no longer exists. Certainly, cross-sell and up-sell communications and additional offers will be made, but sizable segments of marketing budgets will be hypertargeted offers that fuse sales and marketing into an unbroken continuum of ecommerce. That offer may come from someone else, perhaps a food and coffee supplier, and the message may appear on a tablet, a wearable device, in a car or by some other means. It may come in email form, a text, a phone call, an instant message or some other communication channel. The person receiving the message may have set this event up to preorder coffee at the six-days-left period, in which case a message may not come at all—just a receipt. The point is, marketing will have the data and the ability to actually determine the cost of revenue. Now imagine that message comes from a competing brand with an offer to try its coffee, with access to the data and maybe with offers to switch to tea. The more connected the devices are in our lives, the more precise the offers will be, and it seems the precision may be limitless. The causality determination The future of the Internet of Things is one in which the point of sale is everywhere and anywhere. It blends sales, marketing and advertising into an omnichannel, platform-agnostic ecosystem that captures sales conversion metrics and links them to purchase-intent data, establishing causality. Matt Ackley, chief marketing officer (CMO) at Marin Software, calls this future “audience-based marketing.” Kevin Cain, director of content strategy at OpenView Venture Partners, calls it "targeted content." But I think this Forbes blog post comes closest to what I’m saying here by labeling it “integrated marketing.” Essentially, we’re all saying the same thing. By using data and analytics, we can market and advertise by delivering offers to highly defined, hypersegmented audiences and make those advertisements and offers as personal and contextual as possible. The huge advance that isn’t discussed is what the Internet of Things enables, which is the data-driven identification of marketing-to-sales causality, or figuring out true cost of revenue—which is the true Holy Grail of marketing. Now is the time to invest in integrating passive marketing and promotion capabilities into your Internet of Things products and devices. A tsunami of data is crashing down upon the enterprise, and only those who have plans in place to capitalize will make it out the other side. An Internet of Things integration trial Speaking of advertising, do you want something complimentary? Maybe a Raspberry Pi? Want to know what to do with it? Give this IBM Big Data & Analytics blog post by Bret Greenstein a read. It tells you all about how to set it up and start using it to test the IBM Watson Internet of Things platform. Try integrating the platform with a push notification, and send yourself a marketing message every time the Raspberry Pi detects an Internet of Things event. And if you do, send me a pic @peter_ryans or reach me here. Follow @IBMAnalytics

[wilheminaogden-blog]

Test Banks And Solution Manuals PDF Book

Looking for a test bank or solution guide for your academic classes and textbooks see testbankcampuscom and receive alternative manuals and your evaluation banks at . Test bank solution manual navigate our 23540 books college test bank quiz bank solutions manual answer key. Search the publication title in the search box our source would be the undisputable and finish add our site you want . Is a website utilized by several students as their source of test banks and alternative manuals to the most popular us international school university and faculty .

The great number is, as we hope, benefiting those who took the opportunity to study materials. And while TAs scanning lecture halls of drifting eyes, in search has undoubtedly resulted in the reduction of incidences of obvious copying, there is a subverted approach allowing some TestBankCampus allows pupils really assess their understanding and grasp of the program articles, building them more capable of academic accomplishment. to develop into a test already knowing what to write. Evaluation banks have been copies of examinations utilized as a research tool for many others and saved by students. Other student associations, sororities and fraternities take pride in their backlog of evaluations and permit members to use for analyzing, these examinations. One person is responsible for coordinating the tests.

Hamilton uses his chapter's test bank when he needs to supplement his studying. I found that seeing how old tests are put together really helps, and there are teachers who recycle answers year after year.

Looking at old tests helps me get better grades," Hamilton stated. While sharing old tests is permitted by Student Judicial Affairs (SJA), an advantage comes into play if students memorize answers. Old tests can contain identical questions to that of current exams, which can represent a major boost in the grade of the user. Despite SJA's stance, some, including chemistry professor Matthew Augustine, said that monitoring the difference between memorization and diligent studying proves unlikely.

Restricting the unfair advantage of people that have access to tests comes down to instructors. An instructor may take preventative measures like changing questions satisfactorily so that a pupil is still needed to use their own skills to demonstrate their understanding. Changing parts of a question may also make it much easier to detect if somebody is recycling a response from a previous evaluation version," Dudley said.

This year's midterm was the same format as last year's. The material warrants it," Augustine said. What I did this year was supposed to go through and change all of the acids to foundations it had been the exam. Augustine went on to describe that in courses such as chemistry and physics, having an idea of what's on a test does not necessarily lead to a higher grade. It's about putting in the time comprehend and to study the material. Years back, I did not have time to write an examination. I gave it the next moment, went through each problem on a clinic exam and a few other stuff, went home, changed the cover and went to the review session. In other types of classes, however, where particular theories are geared year after year, seeing what instructors focus on is less of a tool to research with, and more of an exclusive peek behind the curtain. There was similar questions on there which showed up about the midterm. Hamilton said after viewing a prior test.

I really don't think it's cheating. I don't really see how you can stop . I believe that it's a fantastic thing to have the ability to make certain your answers are right on thinking something you did wrong was 31, so you don't go. You don't understand anything from your errors should youn't even know if you find something is incorrect you can try to find what you did wrong and learn from it, although your answer was incorrect. I'll admit because you still need to find what you did wrong yourself that having the response is better than a answer. Yes, these guides could be misused. If you're just using them to look at your answers, I think there is nothing wrong. Some pupils will look up the answers and they won't ever learn how to actually do the work and they'll do much worse on the tests. Nice screen name. I can not count how many times I took a solo on Well You Needn't.

Publishers provide textbook test banks in Respondus format. You can search for all these textbooks with the Respondus Test Bank Network. You can search for your textbook straight on the Respondus website: http://www.respondus.com/testbank/search.php. Watch and then immediately pull questions into your own tests. If your textbook or specific edition isn't recorded, you can ask that the publisher make that test bank available in Respondus format. It's ideal to create this request well as it takes some time to convert an present test bank.

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I will be upfront and honest and say that test banks have been bought by me. I will inform you that I have to get a test with any of these questions in the test bank on these. You will be in trouble, if you are relying on these to pass a test. We were informed that the teachers write the vast majority of the their OWN questions, and don't even utilize the test lender. I used the test bank and it did help. I received a couple of Bs but mostly c's (if 80 percent or greater is passing). Because a lot don't come with rationales it was a wonderful study tool. I compose my justification for the query would answer the query, and double check myself with the book. It enabled me to retain a great deal of information because explain to myself why it had been wrong or correct and I had to reevaluate the response. Additionally, it is good practice on how best to answer questions. Nursing is a lot of application. You're going into the career if you're hoping to incorporate nursing.

Once you've downloaded the ExamView bundle or you've got the ExamView installer CD-ROM, you will have to install the computer software. Do so. The more recent ExamView software installs into a new directory, if you have a previous version installed, and the evaluation banks may not appear on your default location. Once you have downloaded the program, unzip the parent folder. Then, click on the SETUP icon, and the software will install. ExamView . Banks to your current text will be found in a folder in this location. ExamView . Test banks for your text will be seen in a folder in this location. If you have a previously installed a previous version of EXAMVIEW you will need to change the default test banks directory at the ExamView software Preferences. To alter these settings; start the ExamView Test Generator. Do the exact same for Tests directory and Internet (LAN) Tests directory if you need. Remember prior to closing the program window.

What's a Option Manual and why would I need one? So you've spent a fortune purchasing your text books for your chosen course. You've been sat in your class taking down the notes but you are still unsure of the answers when it comes answering the questions in each chapter of your text book. There is A Solution Manual exactly what it says. Sometimes referred to as Textbook or the Instructors Manual Answer Key. It's the answers to the questions on your text book, but broken down into actions that are understandable. When employed students are able to leave no stone unturned when replying homework issues and revising for exams.

This will lead to students and enable them to go into examinations confident they could handle any issue. This Solution Manual (also known as Answer Key) gives you comprehensive step-by-step methods and techniques about the best way to fix the problems more effectively and efficiently. They feature all the answers and solutions to each problem in your textbook. All odd and even issues are solved and included. By using the instructors solutions guide, you can study better to your classes and succeed in your academic education and thus increasing your chance to have a fantastic job and better future!

Have any of your instructors prohibited the use of them, either in writing or verbally? For some STRANGE reason people believe that teachers don't know of the. They do. They understand that the test bank of book is readily available throughout the net. Funny though many students think that USING a test bank is a Guaranteed "A"------- this is incorrect-- Al lot of people will look at evaluation banks and miserably fail. Times Test Bankers neglect. You have to be able to NOT just memorize questions, but also know the rationale behind them. Now, what about using NCLEX practice publications is that incorrect? Cross fit between the two, if they are from exactly the identical manufacture of this book and the queries? Test Bank--What color is the sky? Red? NCLEX Book--Blue is the color of? Sky, Grass, Snow, Blood? Another publication- Red is to bloodstream as ? It does not matter how the questions are asked or where they are from. You are aware of it, if you understand the answer. Did you have a class, and the teacher what was the questions that are exact, on the test?

All the time changes my tests, for example, format. I do it for the reason you have put forward. Technically, I would say that test banks aren't "cheating" since it is not a copy of the current test. On recycling the very same tests out of laziness, if faculty members insist, then they are at fault. Since they induce people to learn what they ought to have been studying during the class, I think that a case can be made that evaluations make good study guides. Having said all that, among the most rewarding experiences of my entire life was carrying over a survey course understood throughout the school as a "gut" (easy) course.

I waited before I struck on the first test against them, before the drop deadline had passed. It is not cheating at all as long as the same version of the test is not offered the same year. If you are unsure, e-mail or talk with your professor at the course and ask if she/he will allow a test bank to be used by you. Wow tarhunt that is really evil! Are these test banks generated? I don't think that it's cheating to look at them if the tests are published by the professors.

Then it's if they were obtained improperly. Wow tarhunt that is really wicked! Yes, but so richly deserved! Many fraternities and sororities have evaluation banks. If the professor will not change exams in any way, then they're inviting use (and misuse) of such a method. Essay evaluations can be made by them, if profs do not enjoy it. The only benefit they provide is that you've got a clearer idea of the way the information and questions will be requested by that particular professor. In my experience however, test files are helpful, but they do not compensate for understanding and not knowing the topic.

And test files slowly eliminate value over the years as professors and theories change, so they're just as good as they're updated and cleaned up. This is not cheating, provided that the evaluation isn't obtained by illegal ways. Using and saving old tests that were given back to students is completely valid. I had an encounter along these lines myself: a nutty old professor asked the very same questions on evaluations, year after year after year. I would advise that you attempt to find another course or department, even if it seems difficult to give up a simple grade, like I have just explained, if you can, if you experience a prof.

Otherwise, your analyzing strategy (and everything you get out of the course) can be wholly subverted. It isn't cheating - I taught in a university dept. that itself maintained a bank of tests right in the workplace for almost any students to consult. If going this route keeps a student from learning, then it might not be the best thing. You'll have to understand things on your career. I snip on the wire to defuse this item? You will be cheating yourself, if you merely learn to the exam. Perhaps the school can neutralize what some may see simply by submitting the tests on the department web website. My bio professor during summer closing from spring semester and put up her old midterm up on Blackboard so pupils could use them as study guides.

It's not cheating when the professor supplies them. If I can get it on Google at no cost, I say it's not illegal (this doesn't apply to press lol). But I did a quick Google search this upcoming quarter, and I discovered tests from the previous ten years. At UVa, many professors make students sign an oath that they have not looked at older tests. They've thrown out students who copied computer code from a previous student to get a course. Whatever the case, a prof should be smart enough to change their evaluations. If a pupil is dependent upon an evaluation bank, they will get hit once a test which was not at the test bank is handed out by the prof.