#It fits into the chain of dominos especially if you also adopt the reading that Aina was patient zero of Doll Syndrome

[honestlyvan]

(Now on DW!)

The more I joke about Ovan being Aura's favourite the more seriously I start taking my own position on it, partially because I feel like in any other cyberspace story the overlord AI punishing his planeswalker hackerman activities would be part of the premise, but in the story we get, it's actually almost the exact reverse of that.

Ovan is not just not punished for his initial curiosity, he's already been rewarded for it when the story starts. His possession of the Epitaph, while entirely symbolic, marks him as having a scholarly mastery over The World, having discovered the secrets of the world and then being rewarded for that knowledge with the revelation of the final secret, inaccessible through means other than the favour of its keeper.

Ovan has completed exactly the kind of hero's journey you'd expect from the character he's playing as the guildmaster of the Twilight Brigade. In Fidchell's prophecy in vol3 he is practically identified as a "master of both worlds" figure, a cipher for both AIDA and The World, already in possession of the keys to both.

Also, Ovan's possession of the Epitaph -- the final secret -- does implicitly mean Aura liked the story Ovan was telling to Aina about The World. If her first wish was simply to be born, to exist, then it would stand to reason that after being granted that, she would like to be acknowledged as being there, in existence, as a part of the world and The World alike. It's an acknowledgement that she liked being seen and found, that Ovan's interpretation of her made Aura feel understood.

[jeramymobley]

Coronavirus: Brand Moves for Friday March 20

Google Chrome extension Netflix Party which adds a social, sharing element to watching streaming video – a development that is obviously much needed in these times of self-isolation – has experienced a massive boost in popularity over the last few weeks. The extension (an unofficial add-on, with no connection to Netflix) works by showing your requested video, but with a bar down one side for your user group to comment and chat. It’s a very interesting development, bringing the ‘watercooler moment’ to streaming video.

Music website Bandcamp is waiving its revenue share on all sales today (Friday) to help musicians affected by the crisis. “Artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are being canceled for the foreseeable future,” explained the website’s CEO, Ethan Diamond. “With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is now an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it.”

Workplace communication platform Slack has launched a very timely redesign to make the platform friendlier to new users. As remote working has suddenly become an essential tool for many companies, the number of workers newly moving on to the platform has made its quirky, tech-heavy interface look like an obstacle to new adopters, compared to more intuitive, traditional rivals such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. The update, which is being rolled out over the next few weeks, is intended to “make it easier for anyone to use Slack, adapt it to how they work and access essential tools,” according to the company.

Social media giant TikTok is to donate $3m to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s charity After-School All-Stars. The charity was set up in 1992 by the former actor to support children with free after school activity programs. The money will go to feed families whose food security has been affected by the closure of public schools in response to the virus outbreak.

Food delivery firm Just Eat is launching a £10m-plus package of support for UK restaurants over the next 30 days. The company said it would be handing back a third of all commission paid by independent restaurants, removing commission on orders which customers collect from restaurants and waiving sign-up fees for new restaurants. It will also begin paying restaurants weekly and relaxing restrictions on independent restaurants working with other delivery partners. Andrew Kenny, UK Managing Director, said: “These are some of the most challenging times the restaurants we work with have ever been through. We want to show our support and help them to keep their doors open.”

German publisher Lensing Media, which prints a number of local newspapers, has published a ‘help needed” poster for readers to stick in their windows or on their doors in case they need assistance from their neighbours.

Ebook and audiobook platform Scribd is making all its content free for the next 30 days. “With millions of people around the globe staying close to home to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, access to books and information is more important than ever before,” said CEO Trip Adler. “We encourage you to take care of yourself and each other, and we hope reading can offer you solace during these difficult times.”

The list of British brands offering discounts to National Health Service staff is still growing. Many are high-street takeaway or restaurant outlets, who are offering free drinks and/or discount on food. The list currently circulating contains Prêt à Manger, McDonalds, Leon, Domino’s, Nando’s, Busaba, Carluccio’s, Wimgstop, Feya Café, Elan Café, Itsu, Gusto, Benugo, Burger King and Starbucks. And generously, hairdressing chain Rush are offering a free wash, style and blow dry. Let’s hope that some of the NHS’s frontline staff find time to take them up on it.

Media and tech organisation Popsugar has rushed to launch a new fitness app, Active by PopSugar and is offering it to users for free. The app, which is available on iPhone, Android, Roku and Chromecast, gives users access to more than 500 workouts from yoga and pilates to dance cardio and strength training. “We worked through the weekend to get to get it out,” said PopSugar general manager Angelica Marden. Though the app was originally intended to be a subscription service, it’s going to be free for the foreseeable future. The aim, said Marden, is to give “support and a small joy to consumers as they’re at home.”

UK-based retailer the John Lewis Partnership has launched a £1m community support fund. It will be used, via its Waitrose grocery stores, for schemes such as local delivery services to support the self-isolating, the vulnerable, older people and those looking after them, as well as for delivering boxes of staples to local care homes. It will also donate products for customers to share with vulnerable neighbours.

Formula 1 today announced the launch of a new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series, featuring a number of current F1 drivers. The series has been created to enable fans to continue watching Formula 1 races virtually, despite the coronavirus affecting this season’s opening race calendar. The broadcasts, which will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, will run in place of every postponed Grand Prix, starting with the Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday March 22. Every subsequent race weekend will see the postponed real-world Formula 1 race replaced with a Virtual Grand Prix. The initiative is currently scheduled to run until May.

British railways operator Network Rail, which owns and operates stations as well as managing a more diverse property portfolio, has cancelled all first-quarter rent for its tenants, both station retailers and elsewhere to, as the organisation says, “provide significant relief for small businesses who are worried about the impact of the virus on their footfall… and help retailers during this tough time.”

Parking app JustPark has asked the UK public to use their app to list driveways and other parking spaces that can be used by health workers and patients. The aim is to ease pressure on NHS staff and patients by giving them more parking options and to help them avoid using public transport to and from the hospital. The app will not be levying any fees from the listings, “in order to say a huge thank you to NHS workers and a ‘get better soon’ to patients.”

Proving that charitable acts can also be sexy, website Pornhub has made all of its premium-priced content available to those in lockdown in Spain, France and Italy. Pornhub is the world’s biggest pornography site, with some 42 billion visits per year, or 115 million per day.

Craft and vintage sales website Etsy has announced that over the next month it is to put $5m into an effort to drive sustained business to sellers, and is giving a one month grace period to any seller who needs extra time paying their bills. “In times of crisis, small businesses and the self-employed face enormous financial challenges,“ said CEO Josh Silverman. “This is the community that Etsy is built to support, because behind every purchase, there’s a person, not a factory.”

Luxury British perfumier Miller Harris is donating its entire stock of 11,000 hand washes, hand lotion and hard soaps as treats for the elderly via charity Age UK. The company is distributing soaps and hand washes to charity units across the country; support workers will then deliver packages to those in need within their local areas.

US movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse has set up an emergency fund in an effort to aid staff members who have critical short-term needs. Alamo Drafthouse co-founders Tim and Karrie League set up a relief fund in partnership with the Emergency Assistance Foundation and contributed $2 million dollars from their Alamo Community Fund. The chain has so far closed 40 locations, Approximately 80% per cent of Alamo’s corporate staff, along with almost all theater employees, were furloughed, with only a few core employees remaining. Furloughed team members who work for corporate-owned locations will receive a supplemental two weeks’ pay, and their health coverage will be covered through the end of April. “We’re doing everything we can to help get our teams through the furlough period while making certain there will be a stable company to return to,” Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League said.

Marks & Spencer, Lidl, Aldi, Danone and Coca-Cola European Partners have partnered with donations platform Neighbourly to create the Neighbourly Community Fund, funnelling funds directly to UK community organisations helping those most at risk during coronavirus crisis. The partners have already committed a combined total of almost £500,000 to the fund, to provide immediate micro-grants to community organisations that are helping the people most affected by the outbreak, including the elderly, those on low incomes and people at risk of food insecurity.

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