#Pipeline pro website | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rjzimmerman · 6 days ago

Text

Who Is Lee Zeldin? (Sierra Club:

Excerpt from this story from the Sierra Club:

President-elect Donald Trump’s selection to lead the Environmental Protection Agency is, in a word, unexpected. The appointment announced on November 11—in which the Trump transition team erroneously referred to the EPA as the “Environmental Protective Agency”—was not an energy industry lobbyist like Andrew Wheeler or a MAGA insider like Mandy Gunasekara, who authored the EPA chapter of Project 2025. Instead, Trump chose Lee Zeldin, a little-known former Republican congressman from Long Island, New York, whose background on environment and energy issues is relatively skimpy.

So, then: Who is this person who will be in charge of the federal agency tasked with protecting the environment and public health?

Zeldin is a politician and military officer who grew up in New York’s Suffolk County. From 2015 to 2023, he represented New York’s First District (eastern Long Island) in Congress, where he sat on the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees. Before that, he served for four years in the New York state senate. In 2022, he ran for governor of New York against Democrat Kathy Hochul, a race that he lost by six points.

He’s a booster of fossil fuels and promises to unleash “energy dominance.”

In his run for governor of New York, Zeldin campaigned on expanding fossil fuel extraction. He called for allowing “the safe extraction of natural resources in the southern tier” of the state, approving new pipelines, and repealing the gasoline tax. He also was a staunch opponent of New York’s ban on fracking and ran on ending it. “[Zeldin] has a record of being pro-fracking, and that’s a record I think he’s going to clearly carry forward into the Trump administration,” Eric Weltman, a senior organizer in Food and Water Watch’s New York office, told Sierra.

Zeldin has mentioned pursuing “energy dominance” as one of three top priorities in heading up the EPA. “It is an honor to join President Trump’s cabinet as EPA administrator. We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI,” Zeldin said in a statement on X.

He has taken more than $410,000 from the oil and gas industry, and he questions the scientific consensus on climate change.

According to Climate Power, Zeldin has received over $410,000 from the oil and gas industry in his election campaigns, including over $260,000 while running for Congress and more than $150,000 in his gubernatorial run. He has taken more than $60,000 from Koch Industries over the course of his political career, according to Open Secrets data.

His voting record in Congress is mostly anti-environment, with an LCV lifetime score of just 14 percent.

Zeldin unsurprisingly has an overall poor voting track record, as scored by the League of Conservation Voters. “Trump made his anti–climate action, anti-environment agenda very clear during his first term and again during his 2024 campaign. During the confirmation process, we would challenge Lee Zeldin to show how he would be better than Trump’s campaign promises or his own failing 14 percent environmental score if he wants to be charged with protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and finding solutions to climate change,” Tiernan Sittenfeld, LCV’s senior vice president for government affairs, said in a statement.

He supported a few conservation efforts for his district.

While in Congress, Zeldin backed several conservation initiatives for his district in Long Island. According to the campaign website for his gubernatorial run, he helped save Plum Island—a tiny island off the eastern tip of Long Island—by securing repeal of a 2008 law requiring it to be sold to the highest bidder. He also worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to “protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project,” a climate resiliency coastal risk reduction project to help safeguard Long Island’s prized beaches.

He appears to be against clean energy funding and tried to gut public transit funding in New York.

In addition to voting against the IRA and its massive clean energy investments, Zeldin early on in his political career attempted to divert funding away from clean energy programs in New York and undermine the New York City area’s transit system, according to Environmental Advocates NY. The New York environmental organization bestowed its “Oil Slick” award in 2011 on Zeldin, a rookie state senator at the time who led an effort to try to weaken public transit. He sponsored a bill that would have defunded the MTA, resulted in service cuts and fare increases, and discouraged public transit use. The bill would have also diverted $100 million away from clean energy programs to “plug holes in MTA’s finances.”

#EPA #lee zeldin #trump

2 notes · View notes

ed-e · 11 months ago

Text

I see how ai can have useful applications to artists (photobashing, paintovers, concepting for artists like me whose focus isn’t on that part of the pipeline) and I think creating really silly images like “the fellowship of the ring visits waffle house at 3am trail cam footage” is harmless fun but the most staunchly pro ai people on this website are some of the most annoying motherfuckers on the planet

#this same circle of people has also been called out for being antiblack so it’s like okay you’re insufferable all around

3 notes · View notes

bonmonjour · 10 months ago

Text

Denialism from Top to Bottom

[ This is another essay I wrote for college, back in Summer 2023. ]

It is quickly becoming evident that mass anthropogenic climate change is the single greatest environmental problem of our time and has been for decades now. It is surprising, then, that so many continue to promote denial of the reality of climate change. As climate change has become more prominent, the topic of denialism has also become more prominent in scholarship. The body of work is large, spanning many decades and drawing from many fields. Some authors have focused on the ties between climate change denialism and certain groups or institutions, e.g., Congress, journalists, and pseudoscientists (Hansson; Harrison; Zehr). Many papers have also discussed a variety of mental processes that explain the behavior of climate change denial, including motivated reasoning, authoritarianism, emotional regulation, self-efficacy (Jylhä et al.), anti-reflexivity (McCright et al.), or social denial (Norgaard). Interestingly, many authors have noted that having right-wing politics, comorbid with a belief in free-market capitalism, is a predictor for a given individual subscribing to climate change denialism (Björnberg et al.; Hansson; Jylhä et al.; McCright et al.)

One phenomenon that has not received much attention is the source attribution effect. Furthermore, relatively few psychological studies have taken the social aspect into account. With this paper, I will examine the influence of the actions of industry and powerful individuals on climate change denialism, mostly in the United States. First, I will look at how think tanks, a prominent source of denialist rhetoric, promulgate denialism. I will then look at some connections between industry and politicians, another source. This will be followed by a psychological explanation for the right-wing public’s higher support of denial that draws on Hanel et al.’s description of the phenomenon of source attribution. Climate change denial is “well-moneyed and politically well connected” (Hansson 39). Industry and wealthy individuals ostensibly have considerable monetary and political power, and so it is important to examine the ways in which they affect our environment and society.

To start, one individual who is often brought up in the discussion of climate change denial is Charles Koch. Koch is an owner of Koch Industries, a multinational conglomerate involved in, among others, the petroleum and energy industries (“Charles Koch”). Of the three conservative think tanks Björnberg et al. mention, “the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and the Heartland Institute” (236), Koch has been involved in two. In 1977, he co-founded the Cato Institute, a think tank dedicated to disseminating the ideas of small government and free market through many channels, such as through news media, reports, and even podcasts (“About”). In 2006, they released a report that cast doubt on many predictions of climate change models, e.g., predictions about ice caps, freak weather events, or extinction rates. In doing so, they cast doubt on the computer models themselves as, apparently, they did not reflect reality (Michaels). This is similar to the phenomenon that Zehr describes of managing uncertainty. Instead of outright saying that nothing is happening, they point to flawed models as the reason for why there is uncertainty (94). In recent years, the Cato Institute has laid off the more extreme forms of denialism, but the same cannot be said about its spinoff, the Heartland Institute.

Founded by a former director of the Cato Institute, the Heartland Institute describes itself as “the pipeline between the freedom movement . . . and the nation’s 8,400 national and state elected officials” (“About Us”). Even a cursory search for ‘climate change’ on their website reveals over 200 pages of articles, as well as two recurring segments called “Climate Change Roundtable” and “Climate Change Weekly” that are dedicated to promoting climate change denialism (“Browse Heartland”). One recent article entitled “[Fill in the Blank Climate Crisis] Season is Here” furthers uncertainty around climate change by expanding the problem (Burnett). That is, by bringing up new topics such as allergy season or maple syrup production, they promote the idea that scientists are not certain, and the science is not settled as it is always coming up with something new (Zehr 93). It is evident that rhetoric advanced by conservative think tanks is a key way that industry and powerful individuals can promote their interests, both to policymakers and to the public, by spreading climate change denialism.

Think tanks and policy centers are far from the only way that industry can influence legislators. Often, more direct methods are used. Although the diffusion of authority in the United States’ institutions can be an obstacle to climate change policy, it can also facilitate it. When favorable policy does manage to pass, the system can work to prevent backsliding (Harrison 77). Therefore, the gridlocked legislative system alone cannot explain why climate denialist policy is far more common than the alternative. Instead, connections between industry and policymakers must be taken into account. Although not her focus, Harrison gives examples of industries pressuring the legislature into acting a certain way. After the United States accepted its target during the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol, a full 31% reduction in emissions, a group consisting of industry, businesses, and trade associations, led in part by the American Petroleum Institute, strongly voiced their opposition to Kyoto (68). Lamont Hempel, documentary filmmaker and chair of Redland College’s Sustainability Council (who has since passed), reported that “Congress bow[ed] to pressure from the fossil fuel lobby and energy-intensive industries” (qtd. in Harrison 78).

The lobbying efforts were not constrained to one party, however. Although the majority of funding from fossil fuel companies went to the Republican party, the Democrats were also lobbied by their local industries— “oil in Louisiana, coal in West Virginia, and automobiles in Michigan” (Harrison 79). Looking at statistical data gathered over the past 30 years, the Democratic party has received approximately 20% of all oil and gas contributions, while Republicans have received approximately the other 80% (“Oil and Gas”). It is clear, then, that the disparity between the types of bills passed is due, in part, to industry pressure. While not the attitude of climate change denialism per se, legislation that treats climate change as a non-issue still denies the reality of climate change and favors the corporations and associations that benefit from the continued use of fossil fuels.

On top of lobbying, policymakers themselves can have personal ties to industry. Harrison notes that “Bush was a former Texas oilman and his vice president was formerly the CEO of the world’s largest oil field” (76). Along with the party leadership, many other Republicans during the Bush administration also had connections to the petroleum industry: people such as White House editor Philip Cooney, former lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute who left to go work with ExxonMobil, and James Inhofe, the man who peddled the conspiracy theory that climate change was invented by weather channels (86) and has connections to both Charles Koch and the Heritage Foundation (“James Inhofe”). When the economy of a region, or the profit of a corporation, is heavily dependent on processes that exacerbate climate change, the full acknowledgement of climate change can be a threat to profits. Hence, those corporations or individuals can use their considerable resources to implement policy that is beneficial to them. This phenomenon is by no means exclusive to the United States; Norgaard mentions how central natural gas is to the Norwegian economy (349) and how Norwegian policy has favored that industry (365).

Having discussed how wealthy individuals and industries reliant on fossil fuels spread their message through policy centers and politicians, I will now look at a way this affects the public through a psychological lens. The source attribution effect, put simply, is when one is more affected by the source of some information rather than the content. In a series of four experiments, Hanel et al. presented two groups that stereotypically have opposing worldviews with either correctly or incorrectly attributed aphorisms. That is, Christians and atheists were presented with either a Bible verse or a quote from a Greek philosopher, while Democrats and Republicans were given quotes from each party’s presidential candidates (53). What they found was that “the actual origin of the aphorisms did not matter” (56). Christians tended to agree with a statement when it was attributed as a Bible verse, while atheists were more likely to disagree, in spite of the actual source of the quote. More relevantly, this same effect was also observed in the experiment consisting of Democrats and Republicans. A given individual tended to agree with a quote attributed to a member of the party they identified with, even if the quote actually came from the other party (58). This pattern is also not exclusive to the United States. Hanel et al. replicated the experiment in the United Kingdom, with quotes from Conservative and Labour MPs, and found similar results (60).

The source of claims and attitudes about climate change denial are, therefore, crucial to explaining why a certain demographic might lean one way or the other. As discussed previously, a large part of climate denialist rhetoric stems from these conservative Anglophone think tanks and policy centers that often have considerable right-wing funding. Conservative news presenters, podcast hosts, journalists, and politicians appeal to other conservatives because of the source attribution effect. When Bush cited “the incomplete state of scientific knowledge” (Harrison 85), right-wing members of the public—largely Bush voters themselves—were more likely to agree with the claim the science is incomplete. When Republican senator James Inhofe put forward the idea that climate change was a conspiracy made up by weather channels (86), average Republicans were more likely to agree simply because the source was also a Republican.

Although many studies have focused on psychological factors, relatively few have taken the social aspect into context. The source of typically climate denialist claims and attitudes are equally as important as individual predilections. A large part of denialist rhetoric ultimately comes from industries that rely on climate change exacerbating processes, such as the American Petroleum Institute or the Norwegian natural gas industry, or wealthy individuals, like Koch, who have financially benefited from fossil fuels. This rhetoric, one that serves to keep regulation and intervention out of these ventures, is spread by well-funded think tanks and policy centers to both politicians as well as members of the public. The politicians are thus compelled to enact policy that benefits the industry. In addition, politicians that have ties to industry, especially conservative ones, also spread the same rhetoric to their party base. Those in the base, right-wing members of the public who support right-wing politicians, are in turn more likely to believe such rhetoric simply because it is coming from a source in the in-group. This article could not consider every aspect of the transmission from corporation to the public. The roles of other actors, such as activists and scientists, also need to be examined. The state of conservative think tanks in other Anglophone countries could also be explored. In addition, energy-intensive industries and wealthy individuals are just one aspect of the capitalist system. As such, studies focusing on other aspects, such as the propaganda model of media or false consciousness, and their relation to climate change denialism might also be beneficial. With climate change arguably being the most important environmental issue of today, affecting the entire planet, it is important to understand its denial from a multitude of angles. In addition to psychological or sociological effects, looking at broader systems and power dynamics is critical. As capitalism is the social, political, and economic status quo currently, it is necessary to examine all the ways in which it affects our environment and our society.

References

“About.” Cato Institute, 2023, www.cato.org/about. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

“About Us.” The Heartland Institute, 2023, www.heartland.org/about-us. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

Björnberg, Karin Edvardsson, et al. “Climate and Environmental Science Denial: A Review of the Scientific Literature Published in 1990-2015.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 167, 20 November 2017, pp. 229-41, doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.08.066.

“Browse Heartland.” The Heartland Institute, 2023, www.heartland.org/?s=climate+change. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

Burnett, H. Sterling. “[Fill in the Blank Climate Crisis] Season Is Here.” The Heartland Institute, 21 March 2023, www.heartland.org/opinion/climate-change-weekly-465-fill-in-the-blank-climate-crisis-season-is-here. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

“Charles Koch.” DeSmog, 25 June 2021, www.desmog.com/charles-koch. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

Hanel, Paul H.P., et al. “The Source Attribution Effect: Demonstrating Pernicious Disagreement between Ideological Groups on Non-Divisive Aphorisms.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 79, November 2018, pp. 51-63, doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.07.002.

Hansson, Sven Ove. “Science Denial as a Form of Pseudoscience.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol. 63, June 2017, pp. 39-47, doi.org/ 10.1016/j.shpsa.2017.05.002.

Harrison, Kathryn. “The United States as Outlier: Economic and Institutional Challenges to US Climate Policy.” Global Commons, Domestic Decisions: The Comparative Politics of Climate Change, edited by Kathryn Harrison and Lisa McIntosh Sundstrom, The MIT Press, 2010, pp. 67-103, doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262014267.003.0003.

“James Inhofe.” DeSmog, 18 April 2023, www.desmog.com/james-inhofe. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

Jylhä, Kirsti M., et al. “Science Denial: A Narrative Review and Recommendations for Future Research and Practice.” European Psychologist, 13 December 2022, doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000487.

McCright, Aaron M., et al. “Ideology, Capitalism, and Climate: Explaining Public Views About Climate Change in the United States.” Energy Research and Social Science, vol. 21, November 2016, pp. 180-9, doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2016.08.003.

Michaels, Patrick J. “Is the Sky Really Falling? A Review of Recent Global Warming Scare Stories.” Cato Institute, 23 August 2006, www.cato.org/policy-analysis/sky-really-falling-review-recent-global-warming-scare-stories#. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

Norgaard, Kari Marie. “‘We Don’t Really Want to Know’: Environmental Justice and Socially Organized Denial of Global Warming in Norway.” Organization and Environment, vol. 19, no. 3, September 2006, pp. 347-70, doi.org/10.1177/1086026606292571.

“Oil and Gas: Long-Term Contribution Trends.” OpenSecrets, n.d., www.opensecrets.org/industries/totals.php?ind=E01. Accessed on 22 June 2023.

Zehr, Stephen C. “Public Representations of Scientific Uncertainty about Global Climate Change.” Public Understandings of Science, vol. 9, no. 2, 1 April 2000, pp. 85-103, doi.org/10.1088/0963-6625/9/2/301.

#own post #climate change

2 notes · View notes

saudadite · 2 years ago

Note

but you should really start examining why trans women, who are very much a minority on this website, are so well represented in callout posts and blocklists

...Are they? Hasn't this shit been going on for several years now, targeted at whoever commits the unforgivable sin of writing shippy fic about teenagers or drawing aged up fanart of child characters or whatever? I mean, I'm not surprised that this has reached such heights that people are starting to notice how often it's vulnerable queer and particularly trans people who are the subject of this harassment, but like, this has been building for a while. I'm also not surprised that it's reached such heights that it's looped around to regular bigotry. But the callout posts and suicide-baiting aren't new, and they were targeted at less vulnerable targets like cishet women shipping Reylo before the people doing that shit managed going after trans and other queer people for bad kinks somehow acceptable within "progressive" circles. Not to go "where were you?", and I'm glad you're speaking up about this, but I kinda wish you'd noticed it sooner...

im kind of struggling to follow the logic in your argument? let me preface this by saying I'm by no means an expert or whatever in the history of transmisogyny on this site, and I'm also not going to touch that whole pro/anti discourse with a ten foot pole.

re: your initial question do you disagree with me saying trans women are so often the targets of callout posts and blocklists? either way I don't agree with the basis of your argument, which seems to be that fandom/shipping callouts + suicide baiting etc is on par with callouts/suicide baiting etc of trans women on this website, or that social violence against trans women here was built on top of persecution of fandom mums or whatever. sure callouts + blocklists probably did originate from fandom discourse but like there isn't some cishet reylo-to-transfem callout pipeline and it seems kind of redundant to frame it as "technically tme people suffered from this before tma ppl did"

again while I don't pretend to know all that much, i know transmisogyny has been prevalent on tumblr since its beginning, and from what I've seen from posts by transfem mutuals who were on this site to witness it, transmisogyny 10 years ago was this websites bread and butter. i don't think going after trans women specifically- because rhats what this post is about, not just trans or queer people in general, not just "regular bigotry"- has ever not been an acceptable or popular position.

#ask #if anyone else wants to add on anything bc i dont tjink i really expressed myself coherently lol

2 notes · View notes

hydralisk98 · 2 years ago

Text

Content list... again. Mostly KDE related.

I guess I will customize my daily driver home workstation towards a full custom operating system small steps at a time, section by section.

HTML5/CSS3-only website (landchad.net), Konqueror/Librewolf/Firefox, Okular...

Braindump #1

Servitor computing architecture (both software and hardware)

Liquidshell

VeneraFS (Common Lisp + ZealOS' RedSeaFS)

Fish shell

Vim

vim-wiki & other (Neo?-)Vim plugins...

Konsole

Okteta & KDE partition manager

K3B

KTorrent?

Cervisia

Kate

ghostwriter

Caligra

Karbon

KDevelop

Blender

GIMP

Kdenlive

Konversation

Akregator

Thunderbird

Hexo

Librewolf

Firefox

surf

Minetest

Godot + Qodot

BUILD2

ITS

OpenXanadu

DOS

CTSS

'Mal' Lisp

Multics

Unix & xv6

DIBOL

Windows 3.11 reimplementation

Notecards & HyperCard / HyperTalk & Cardfile

Akademset

DEMOS

AGAT-9

Vector-06C

Pentagon computer

Minitel

DIBOL

MINIX3

Pixelcrushers' Love/Hate & Quest (system) for Unity

Sophisticated disk hex editor, KDE liquidshell-like desktop environement, Fish shell scripting, selfhosted Git version control with GitLab, try Common Lisp as login shell?, VeneraFS (RedSeaFS redesigned), Servitor architecture VM, physical boxsets, physical media customization, physical printouts;

VeneraFS (open libre transparent multimedia filesystem easy to edit in disk editor, with traits from ZealOS' and Common Lisp's object system [CLOS]),

Topic list:

LibreOffice Writer/Impress/Calc & Caligra office productivity suites

ZealOS 2023 workflow review

History of some technologies and reviewing alternate developments / derivations

KDE desktop environment customization

Firefox & LibreWolf & Konqueror browsers

Inkscape (vector graphics)

Karbon / Krita (vector graphics & animation workflow)

Kdenlive (video editor)

Blender (3D modelers' suite) [papercrafts, 360 toon animations and 2D/3D assets]

GIMP (with G'MIC addons)

Kate & ghostwriter (Plain text -> R Markdown workflow)

Konsole (Fish + Tmux + Vim workflow)

K3B & Brasero (formatting + burning onto physical media, making boxsets with such and distributing it like 'zines)

InstantMessaging (Konversation, Ruqola, NeoChat...)

Making your own RSS Feeds & also reading them

lb from Luke Smith

Landchad.net

Fediverse & Mastodon

GNU Jami

Ken Silverman

John Romero

John Carmack

Video rental store databank with LibreOffice Base

some macro markup -> SGML -> HTML3.5 -> XHTML4 -> HTML5

Writing affirmations -> making subliminal audio tracks

Turing Machines & equivalences to Lambda Calculus

Basics of coding, programming, maths and linguistics

Egyptian hieroglyphics as a esoteric programming language

Digging computation before the second world war

Why synthetic serfs for autistic communications & reading social clues and how to do such with justice

Constructed languages for machines? (SVJ Junior's proposal rewritten)

M1 iMac 24" max for some Linux distro?

StarFighter Linux laptop?

Pinephone Pro 64 smartphone?

Upgrade and customize further my 2014 custom PC build by 2025

Lisp keyboard + deskmat + optical mouse + dedicated stereo speakers + vertical 2560x1440p monitor setup

Three CP77 playthroughs (Vanilla, Modlist, DIY handmade mods + open source port?!)

Cyberpunk Red & Pathfinder 2nd edition, sessions of solo play?

Gumroad / Etsy / 'Itch.io' creative production pipeline

Going through edutaining suggestions and curation lists

Going through my virtual backlogs of content to address

Going through my physical backlogs of content to address

#maskutchew

2 notes · View notes

jtownraindancer · 1 year ago

Text

Some Pro-Tips I picked up interviewing at multiple types of jobs and from previously working HR/Management:

Read the company website. When the time for questions comes up at the end, that's when you can ask about something specific. (At my current job, I asked them to tell me more about the LGBT+ policies for our students and the steps taken to break the School-to-Prison Pipeline.) They'll remember you asked, and showed genuine interest in the company!

Always dress a step above what you think the job will require. This is the time to make the best possible impression. If a job will be a tshirt and jeans, you should still shoot for dressy slacks, and a nice polo/button-up/blouse. (Honestly I just stick with a solid navy-blue dress I scored back in the business section of Bon-Ton with either a cardigan or a blazer depending on the environment.)

Make sure whatever outfit you pick is COMFORTABLE! The last thing you want to be focusing on are how much those dress shoes pinch, or how itchy the fabric of your jacket might be. I personally suggest spending a day or two getting acclimated to wearing it (especially shoes!)

Don't be humble. You have value. You ARE valuable. Prove it, and don't sell yourself short.

On that note, try to have several different stories elaborating on that value.

Memorize the job description. Ask questions about it.

Take extra copies of your cover letter and resume and any qualifying documents (clearances, certifications, etc) with you to the interview! It shows that you're well-prepared.

Make sure your outfit is tidy. I still can't believe this, but I've actually seen one of my fellow recruiters turn someone down because their shoes had a little mud on them, on a rainy day.

If they ask a question that you feel like there are exceptions for? There are no exceptions. There is no grey area. There is only black-and-white, and you need to go with the answer that is closest to what They want.

Be courteous to everyone, not just the folks you're interviewing with. Some recruiters make sure to talk to their secretaries, and they'll pay attention to how you present yourself when not in the spotlight.

Turn your cell phone on Silent, if not all the way off. Don't check notifications on your watch either.

Go to the restroom before your interview. Give yourself that minute to just breathe.

Sorry if this sounds daunting; this all varies over the type of job you're interviewing for of course, and I promise not all interviewers are quite this intense. But it does help to be prepared.

remember that interviews are not about giving a good and honest first impression that they'll carefully consider. interviews are about saying the special words and phrases they're looking for that give you points and when they tally those up whoever earned the most job points wins

#i included the secretary thing because that's actually what made the decision for my boss #he said i had a good handshake and that i was the kindest person they had interviewed all week #the secretary above me also said it helped that i knew about the program before i came in; i knew what to actually expect here #i also complimented one of the panel's scarves after the interview; made their day apparently ^_^;#didn't compliment them for any nefarious purposes; i just thought it was pretty!#shut up ace

90K notes · View notes

realestate123456 · 1 day ago

Text

Lead Generation Companies

In today's competitive business landscape, generating high-quality leads is critical for growth and success. Lead generation companies specialize in attracting, engaging, and converting potential customers into valuable leads. But what sets successful lead generation companies apart? Here, we explore the top strategies that have consistently delivered exceptional results for the best in the industry.

1. Targeted Audience Research

Successful lead generation companies invest heavily in understanding their audience. This involves:

Demographic Analysis: Identifying the age, location, gender, and income levels of their target audience.

Behavioral Insights: Analyzing customer behavior, preferences, and buying patterns to create personalized strategies.

Buyer Personas: Creating detailed buyer personas to align marketing campaigns with audience needs.

Pro Tip: Use tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, and customer surveys to refine audience insights.

2. Content Marketing Excellence

High-quality, engaging content is the cornerstone of effective lead generation. Companies leverage:

Blog Posts and Articles: Informative and keyword-rich content that drives organic traffic.

Whitepapers and E-books: Gated content that provides value in exchange for contact details.

Video Content: Tutorials, case studies, and webinars to capture audience attention.

Example: HubSpot's free resources library is a great example of how content marketing attracts leads.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO ensures that content reaches the right audience at the right time. Top lead generation companies prioritize:

Keyword Optimization: Targeting high-traffic and long-tail keywords relevant to their audience.

Technical SEO: Improving website speed, mobile-friendliness, and structured data for better rankings.

Backlink Building: Collaborating with reputable websites to increase domain authority.

Result: A well-optimized website brings in organic traffic that converts into leads without the need for paid ads.

4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC campaigns are a fast and efficient way to generate leads. Companies focus on:

Targeted Ad Placement: Displaying ads on platforms where their audience spends the most time.

A/B Testing: Continuously optimizing ad copies, visuals, and CTAs to improve conversion rates.

Retargeting Campaigns: Re-engaging users who have previously interacted with their brand.

Platforms to Watch: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads offer powerful PPC opportunities.

5. Social Media Engagement

Social media is a goldmine for lead generation when used strategically. Companies:

Leverage Multiple Platforms: Utilize LinkedIn for B2B leads and Instagram or Facebook for B2C audiences.

Interactive Content: Polls, quizzes, and live sessions to engage audiences directly.

Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers to expand reach and credibility.

Tip: Use platforms’ analytics tools to measure performance and tweak strategies in real time.

6. Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing remains one of the most effective tools for nurturing leads. Successful companies focus on:

Personalization: Using customer data to send tailored messages.

Automated Campaigns: Creating drip email sequences that guide prospects through the sales funnel.

Clear CTAs: Including direct and compelling calls-to-action to drive conversions.

Example: Brands like Amazon excel at using personalized emails to retain and upsell to customers.

7. Leveraging CRM Software

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are essential for tracking and managing leads. Features include:

Lead Scoring: Identifying high-priority leads based on behavior and engagement.

Pipeline Management: Visualizing the journey from lead capture to conversion.

Automated Follow-Ups: Ensuring timely communication to nurture prospects.

Top Tools: Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho CRM are widely used in the industry.

8. Harnessing the Power of AI and Automation

Artificial intelligence and automation streamline lead generation processes. Benefits include:

Chatbots: Providing instant responses to website visitors and capturing lead details.

Predictive Analytics: Forecasting customer behavior to target the right audience.

AI-Powered Content: Using AI tools to create personalized content and improve outreach efficiency.

Impact: Automation reduces manual effort and speeds up the lead generation process.

9. Lead Magnets and Offers

Creating irresistible offers helps capture potential leads. Examples include:

Free Trials: Allowing customers to experience the product or service before committing.

Exclusive Discounts: Offering limited-time deals to encourage immediate action.

Webinars: Providing educational sessions that add value while capturing leads.

Example: Dropbox used free storage offers to convert millions of users into leads.

10. Data-Driven Decision Making

Successful companies rely on data to guide their strategies. Key steps include:

Analyzing Metrics: Tracking metrics such as conversion rates, website traffic, and email open rates.

Customer Feedback: Incorporating feedback to refine campaigns and offerings.

Regular Reporting: Using data dashboards to monitor performance and adjust tactics.

Result: Data-driven strategies are more likely to meet and exceed goals.

11. Building Strategic Partnerships

Collaborations with complementary businesses can expand reach. Strategies include:

Cross-Promotions: Partnering with other companies to promote each other’s services.

Affiliate Marketing: Offering commissions to partners who generate leads.

Joint Ventures: Creating co-branded campaigns for mutual benefit.

Example: A CRM software company partnering with a digital marketing agency to share leads.

12. Exceptional Website Experience

A lead generation company’s website serves as its digital storefront. Features of a great website include:

User-Friendly Design: Ensuring navigation is simple and intuitive.

Mobile Optimization: Catering to the growing number of mobile users.

Clear CTAs: Strategically placed calls-to-action that encourage visitors to take the next step.

Tip: Use tools like Hotjar to analyze user behavior on your website.

13. Customer-Centric Approach

Top companies prioritize understanding and addressing customer pain points. This involves:

Active Listening: Using social media and customer support channels to gather feedback.

Tailored Solutions: Offering customized services to meet unique customer needs.

Building Trust: Sharing testimonials, reviews, and case studies to establish credibility.

Result: A customer-focused strategy drives loyalty and repeat business.

14. Staying Ahead of Trends

The lead generation landscape evolves rapidly. Successful companies stay competitive by:

Adopting Emerging Technologies: Experimenting with VR, AR, and blockchain.

Attending Industry Events: Participating in conferences and networking events to stay informed.

Continuous Learning: Offering team training to keep up with best practices.

Example: Companies that embraced video marketing early reaped significant rewards.

15. Creating a Strong Brand Identity

A recognizable and trustworthy brand attracts leads effortlessly. Companies achieve this through:

Consistent Branding: Using a uniform voice, color scheme, and logo across platforms.

Thought Leadership: Sharing expert insights through blogs, podcasts, and interviews.

Community Engagement: Actively participating in social causes and online communities.

Result: A strong brand builds trust and attracts high-quality leads organically.

Conclusion

The success of lead generation companies lies in their ability to combine creativity, technology, and data-driven strategies. By focusing on audience understanding, leveraging modern tools, and staying ahead of industry trends, these companies continue to set benchmarks in attracting and converting leads. Businesses looking to scale should adopt these proven strategies to stay competitive and achieve sustainable growth.

0 notes

chandra2026 · 8 days ago

Text

The Ultimate Timeline for Learning Selenium: From Beginner to Pro

Selenium is one of the most sought-after tools for web automation testing, making it a valuable skill for software testers and developers. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to enhance your existing knowledge, this timeline will guide you from a beginner to a Selenium pro. By following this structured approach, you’ll gain proficiency in Selenium within a realistic time frame. If you want to advance your career at the Selenium Course in Pune, you need to take a systematic approach and join up for a course that best suits your interests and will greatly expand your learning path.

Week 1: Lay the Foundation

Days 1–2: Learn the Basics Before diving into Selenium, ensure you have a solid understanding of:

Programming Fundamentals: Focus on Python, Java, or C#. Python is often the easiest for beginners. For those looking to excel in Selenium, Selenium Online Course is highly suggested. Look for classes that align with your preferred programming language and learning approach.

HTML, CSS, and DOM: Understand how web pages are structured, including tags, attributes, and the DOM.

If you’re entirely new to programming or web technologies, spend a few extra days mastering these essentials.

Days 3–7: Setting Up and Exploring Selenium

Install Selenium: Set up Selenium WebDriver and a browser driver like ChromeDriver.

First Script: Write your first script to open a webpage and automate basic tasks like clicking buttons and filling forms.

Locators: Master identifying web elements using locators like id, name, class, XPath, and CSS Selectors.

Waits: Understand implicit and explicit waits to handle page load times.

By the end of Week 1, you should be comfortable with basic web automation tasks.

Week 2: Building on the Basics

Days 8–10: Interacting with Advanced Elements

Automate dropdowns, checkboxes, and radio buttons.

Handle pop-ups and alerts with Selenium.

Days 11–13: Navigating Frames and Windows

Learn how to switch between iframes and browser windows or tabs.

Practice using real-world websites with multiple frames and pop-ups.

Day 14: Data-Driven Testing

Integrate data-driven techniques to test multiple scenarios by reading data from files like Excel or CSV.

By the end of Week 2, you’ll be skilled at handling complex elements and data-driven testing.

Week 3: Tackling Real-World Scenarios

Days 15–17: Organize Code with POM

Implement the Page Object Model (POM) to make your test scripts reusable, modular, and easy to maintain.

Days 18–20: Work with Testing Frameworks

Combine Selenium with frameworks like TestNG (Java) or pytest (Python).

Learn how to create, organize, and run test suites efficiently.

Day 21: Handling Dynamic Elements

Develop strategies to manage dynamic web elements, such as those with frequently changing IDs or classes.

By the end of Week 3, you’ll be able to write clean, scalable, and efficient test scripts for real-world applications.

Week 4: Mastering Advanced Concepts

Days 22–24: Advanced Selenium Features

Explore headless browser testing to execute tests without a visible browser.

Learn how to run parallel tests to save time.

Days 25–27: Integration with CI/CD Tools

Set up Selenium with tools like Jenkins for continuous integration and delivery.

Automate test execution as part of your CI/CD pipeline.

Days 28–29: Distributed Testing with Selenium Grid

Set up Selenium Grid to run tests on multiple browsers and platforms simultaneously.

Day 30: Final Project

Choose a real-world application and create a comprehensive test suite. Use advanced techniques like POM, data-driven testing, and CI/CD integration.

Pro Tips for Success

Practice Daily: Dedicate 2–3 hours each day to coding and practicing on real websites.

Focus on Hands-On Learning: Write scripts regularly to strengthen your understanding.

Leverage Community Resources: Join forums and Selenium groups to troubleshoot and learn from others.

Stay Consistent: Stick to the timeline, even if progress feels slow.

Learning Selenium is an exciting journey that can significantly boost your career prospects. This timeline gives you a structured approach to mastering Selenium in just four weeks. From understanding the basics to handling advanced scenarios, you’ll be equipped to take on real-world web automation projects with confidence.

So, start today, follow this timeline, and watch yourself grow from a beginner to a Selenium pro in no time!

#selenium #selenium course #selenium training #selenium automation #selenium certification

0 notes

churchrvb02 · 15 days ago

Note

If you knew how campaigning works you would not be defending transphobic Texan campaign ads in front of this website's very queer userbase. The correct defense *here*, if you must say *anything at all*, is to point out that Harris is not saying these things and that transphobia is not the position of the party at large. You do not gain trans people's trust by saying "he's right to throw you under the bus actually".

At no point did I say that it is right or okay to throw Trans people under a bus. I'm very supportive of the trans community, and I'm incredibly concerned for their safety going forward. It's quite clear that Harris lost, in a big part because of, the perception of trans issues. Tr*mp spent most of his advertising on tying Harris to pro-transgender topic and scaring transphobic people that she was "for they/them, and not for you" Which is completely wrong, by the way, Harris would have been a president for everyone. Now as for what I DID say in that post, I pointed out that Allred was running in TEXAS. Come on. It's TEXAS. I ran as a Democrat in a very Republican district, and only when asked about LGBTQ+ issues did I bring up my support of the community. Not because I'm ashamed of supporting my friends, (I'm not) but because if anyone wants to win an elected position to hopefully protect the people they care about, knowing that the majority of voters actively hate trans people, staying away from the topic is the smartest thing to do in a campaign. One of the people running for county commissioner is a transwoman amd also a furry who wears her cat ears openly (in a county that is regularly in the news for hate, sadly). I canvased many people with her and took several photos with her throughout our campaigns this year. The LGBTQ+ members of my community know who I am and that I support them. It isn't about loudly proclaiming unyielding support to a marginalized and unfortunately vastly hated demographic, because that's not what this is, and that's not what Allred did. Knowing your audience is one of the first rules of a campaign. Unfortunately people are largely hateful, ignorant, and misinformed, and now we have to do even more than before to try and protect the most vulnerable among us.

And ps. It is precisely because of this site that I love and support the LGBTQ+ community - seeing the love and the joy people have firsthand humanizes them when society actively tries to dehumanize them. I'm grateful for Tumblr for helping me avoid the right-wing nazi pipeline that cishet males my age are falling victim to more and more lately.

Please don't take this as any kind of attack, but rather understand that I know what I'm talking about, that it sucks that in the real world you have to know your audience. It sounds awful and I hate that this is the way things are, and that it's going to get worse now that Harris lost. All we can do is, like I said before, protect as many people as possible going forward. Thank you

0 notes

korshubudemycoursesblog · 22 days ago

Text

Unlocking the Potential of Selenium Webdriver for Test Automation

Selenium Webdriver has truly revolutionized the world of software testing, giving testers a highly efficient and versatile tool to automate repetitive tasks and validate complex web applications. It’s quickly become a go-to solution for testers and developers alike who need a reliable and open-source framework for their automation needs. If you're new to Selenium Webdriver, or even if you're a seasoned pro, exploring its practical uses and best practices is key to enhancing your skills. Here, we'll dive deep into why Selenium Webdriver has become such a powerful tool and how you can leverage it for successful test automation.

Why Selenium Webdriver Is Essential for Test Automation

With web applications becoming more complex and consumer demands constantly evolving, the need for automated testing tools has never been greater. Selenium Webdriver addresses these challenges head-on by offering a robust and adaptable framework that allows testers to automate tasks across multiple browsers and operating systems. Whether you're building a small application or a large, scalable web solution, Selenium Webdriver is the backbone that ensures every feature works as expected—without requiring endless rounds of manual testing.

Getting Started with Selenium Webdriver

To make the most of Selenium Webdriver, start with a clear understanding of what it is and how it works. Selenium Webdriver is part of the larger Selenium suite, which also includes Selenium IDE and Selenium Grid. Each part serves a different purpose, but Selenium Webdriver stands out for its ability to execute tests in various browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, allowing for highly customizable testing.

If you're wondering how to get started with Selenium Webdriver, the process is straightforward:

Install a supported programming language – Selenium Webdriver supports several languages, including Java, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, and C#. Pick one you're comfortable with, or consider learning a new language to expand your skills.

Set up the Webdriver for your browser – Selenium offers specific drivers for each browser (ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver for Firefox, etc.).

Create your first test script – Write and execute a simple script to automate a basic task like navigating to a website, entering data, or clicking buttons. This will help you get a feel for how Selenium Webdriver operates.

Key Features of Selenium Webdriver

Selenium Webdriver is packed with features that make it flexible and efficient, such as:

Cross-browser compatibility – Run tests on popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, ensuring your application works everywhere.

Support for multiple programming languages – Choose from Java, Python, JavaScript, and more.

Integration with testing frameworks – Selenium Webdriver integrates seamlessly with frameworks like JUnit, TestNG, NUnit, and Pytest to organize and execute tests more efficiently.

Easy scripting and debugging – With features like WebDriverWait and Actions, writing and debugging scripts becomes manageable.

How Selenium Webdriver Fits Into Continuous Integration (CI)

Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) have become standard practices in agile development. Selenium Webdriver fits perfectly into CI/CD pipelines, where automated tests must be executed quickly and frequently. Jenkins, CircleCI, GitLab CI, and Bamboo are popular CI/CD tools that integrate with Selenium, allowing automated tests to be run every time a change is made to the codebase. This ensures that bugs are caught early and developers can maintain high code quality.

Integrating Selenium with these tools is straightforward. Most CI/CD platforms support Selenium testing, and by running Selenium scripts as part of your build process, you gain rapid feedback on whether new code changes have introduced any issues.

Understanding Locators: The Heart of Selenium Webdriver

Locators are fundamental to Selenium Webdriver, as they define how elements are identified on a webpage. Selenium provides several methods for locating elements, each suited to different types of web structures. The most commonly used locators include:

ID – Fast and unique; ideal if the element has an ID attribute.

Name – Useful if the element has a name attribute and is unique on the page.

Class Name – Targets elements based on class names, though it may match multiple elements.

Tag Name – Rarely used but can be helpful when targeting multiple similar elements.

CSS Selector – Highly flexible and precise, allowing complex selections.

XPath – Extremely powerful, enabling navigation across the entire document structure.

Knowing when and how to use these locators will help you create reliable, maintainable scripts, a must for scalable automation.

Data-Driven Testing with Selenium Webdriver

In real-world applications, one of the key features you'll need is the ability to run tests with varying input data. Data-driven testing in Selenium Webdriver allows you to pull data from external sources like Excel files, CSV files, and databases, feeding it into your test scripts dynamically. This approach lets you verify how your application behaves under different conditions without rewriting scripts.

A common setup for data-driven testing involves:

Setting up a data source – Use files, databases, or any external data source to store test data.

Reading data in your script – Use libraries like Apache POI (for Excel files) or OpenCSV (for CSV files) in Java to read and iterate over test data.

Executing tests – As your script pulls in different data sets, it will run the same actions but with new inputs, ensuring a robust test coverage.

Parallel Testing with Selenium Grid

As your automation suite grows, running tests sequentially can become time-consuming. Selenium Grid offers a solution by enabling parallel testing, allowing multiple tests to run simultaneously across different browsers and platforms. This significantly speeds up the testing process, which is critical in fast-paced CI/CD environments.

To use Selenium Grid:

Set up the Selenium Grid hub – The hub manages test sessions and distributes them to nodes.

Configure nodes – Nodes are the individual machines or virtual machines that execute the tests.

Run parallel tests – With the grid configuration in place, you can run tests on various environments simultaneously.

Best Practices for Working with Selenium Webdriver

Getting comfortable with Selenium Webdriver is the first step. To truly master it, following best practices is essential to maintaining test quality and reliability:

Use waits effectively – Rather than relying on arbitrary sleep commands, leverage WebDriverWait to wait for elements to load dynamically.

Structure tests modularly – Break down test cases into small, reusable functions to avoid redundancy and make debugging easier.

Take advantage of assertions – Assertions are crucial for validating test results. Whether using JUnit, TestNG, or Pytest, make sure to incorporate assertions to verify expected outcomes.

Manage locators efficiently – Store locators in a separate file or use a page object model (POM) to keep code clean and organized.

Regularly update test scripts – Websites change frequently, so update locators and test data as necessary to keep scripts functioning smoothly.

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Automation with Selenium Webdriver is powerful but comes with its own set of challenges. Some common issues include dynamic elements, loading delays, and cross-browser inconsistencies. Here are solutions to tackle these challenges:

Dynamic elements – Use locators that are less susceptible to changes or identify unique patterns to locate elements reliably.

Loading delays – Incorporate implicit and explicit waits to handle elements that take time to load.

Cross-browser testing – Test scripts may work on one browser but fail on another. Running tests on Selenium Grid or using cross-browser testing services like BrowserStack helps ensure compatibility.

Integrating Selenium with Other Tools for Enhanced Testing

Selenium Webdriver’s flexibility extends beyond standalone testing. It integrates well with many other testing tools, including:

Cucumber for behavior-driven development (BDD) testing, which makes tests easier to understand for non-technical stakeholders.

Appium for mobile testing, allowing Selenium tests to be extended to Android and iOS applications.

Allure or Extent Reports for test reporting, which generates visual summaries of test results.

The Future of Selenium Webdriver: Selenium 4

The latest release, Selenium 4, brings several exciting updates, including:

New relative locators – These locators allow you to find elements in relation to others, making locators more intuitive.

Enhanced debugging and troubleshooting – The new WebDriver API makes debugging faster and more efficient.

Native support for Chromium DevTools – This gives testers direct access to network conditions, making it easier to test for various network speeds and latency issues.

Staying updated on these new features will keep your skills relevant and maximize your testing capabilities.

Final Thoughts: Why Mastering Selenium Webdriver Is a Must

Selenium Webdriver is much more than a tool—it’s an essential part of modern software development and testing. Whether you're aiming to enhance your technical skills or contribute to a high-quality product, mastering Selenium Webdriver is invaluable. Its versatility, cross-browser compatibility, and seamless integration with CI/CD and other testing tools make it a powerhouse for automation.

Master Selenium Webdriver, and you’ll find that you’re not only becoming proficient in automated testing but also building a skill set that is increasingly in demand in today’s tech-driven landscape. So take the time to practice, experiment with advanced features, and keep refining your skills—Selenium Webdriver will only become more critical as the industry continues to evolve

0 notes