#SHARES

[wip]

I noticed that when you Blaze posts, one of the metrics you get back is the number of "Shares". I really liked seeing that data because it means people are sending your post outside the Tumblr ecosystem to friends or family.

Are there plans to add this to normal posts?

Naturally this feature shouldn't include the identity of who shared, just the number of total shares. And since the bottom of posts is currently cluttered, it could instead be placed in the Notes tab for each post. 🤔

Answer: Hi, @vaguelygenius!

We hate to disappoint, but right now, no, we’re not planning to show this for all posts—sorry. It remains a special thing for people using Blaze at least for the foreseeable future. It would also require considerable work to incorporate more widely, and that work is a little outside our current bandwidth.

That is only the foreseeable future, of course. If things were to change, such as if we saw more usage of Blaze, we’d be more keen to bring this out to more people. Keep the questions coming, and happy Blazing, people.

[villa-kulla]

@ the mag7 fam, I realize I have no way of convincing you this is not a 'and then everyone clapped' fake post, but i LITERALLY MET MANUEL GARCIA RULFO this weekend at a TIFF party, and we LITERALLY SPOKE FOR LIKE 5 MINUTES

Takeaways:

he is really ridiculously handsome, excellent brown eyes, A+

really not as tall as he seems in character, and much slighter, i may have to revisit how 'looming' i've written him in fic lmao

(on that note it is biZARRE meeting someone whose character you've written fic about, that is the first time that has happened to me. i can only be grateful i haven't written too much with him, i'd have withered if it was ethan hawke or LBH lol)

he was extremely friendly! and as it transpired he lived in my hometown for about a year so we just chatted about that. he loves poutine and hates the winter, and he has my full agreement on both counts 👍

he also appears to be dating vincent d'onofrio's daughter which is sO cute, the mag7 fam lives on 🙌 (she is gorgeous btw. and I don't think this is like a 'scoop' or private info or anything lol, I asked if he had anything going on at tiff that day and he was very openly like 'no only next week, today I'm just supporting her!)

(also the context for All This is my gentleman friend is a journalist and i joined him at TIFF for the weekend and basically larped as a famous person all weekend lol good times. weekend was crazy but this part felt the most relevant to tumblr)

[carolinespoetry]

I'm relatively new to the platform and would love to find some small creative writing/poetry accounts to follow! Please drop any recommendations that you have or comment if you post your own writing!

[mote-historie]

The Planet got Destroyed by Tom Toro.

"Yes, the planet got destroyed, but for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders."

Description: A man and 3 children sit around a fire in a scorched wasteland.

[yukisenshiwolf]

Did I quick sketch/ anatomy poses to try and get dad bods down since this character has one!

[cazssserole]

Samira and her family STILL need about €27 200 to get her family to safety

Help her get to at least €10,000, and any amount is appreciated. Donate or share

[thepastisalreadywritten]

(CNN) — Jack Latham was on a mission to photograph farms in Vietnam — not the country’s sprawling plantations or rice terraces but its “click farms.”

Last year, the British photographer spent a month in the capital Hanoi documenting some of the shadowy enterprises that help clients artificially boost online traffic and social media engagement in the hope of manipulating algorithms and user perceptions.

The resulting images, which feature in his new book “Beggar’s Honey,” provide rare insight into the workshops that hire low-paid workers to cultivate likes, comments and shares for businesses and individuals globally.

“When most people are on social media, they want nothing but attention — they’re begging for it,” Latham said in a phone interview, explaining his book’s title.

“With social media, our attention is a product for advertisers and marketers.”

In the 2000s, the growing popularity of social media sites — including Facebook and Twitter, now called X — created a new market for well-curated digital profiles, with companies and brands vying to maximize visibility and influence.

Though it is unclear when click farms began proliferating, tech experts warned about “virtual gang masters” operating them from low-income countries as early as 2007.

In the following decades, click farms exploded in number — particularly in Asia, where they can be found across India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond.

Regulations have often failed to keep pace: While some countries, like China, have attempted to crack down on operations (the China Advertising Association banned the use of click farms for commercial gain in 2020), they continue to flourish around the continent, especially in places where low labor and electricity costs make it affordable to power hundreds of devices simultaneously.

‘Like Silicon Valley startups’

Latham’s project took him to five click farms in Vietnam.

(The click farmers he hoped to photograph in Hong Kong “got cold feet,” he said, and pandemic-related travel restrictions dashed his plans to document the practice in mainland China).

On the outskirts of Hanoi, Latham visited workshops operating from residential properties and hotels.

Some had a traditional setup with hundreds of manually operated phones, while others used a newer, compact method called “box farming” — a phrase used by the click farmers Latham visited — where several phones, without screens and batteries, are wired together and linked to a computer interface.

Latham said one of the click farms he visited was a family-run business, though the others appeared more like a tech companies.

Most workers were in their 20s and 30s, he added.

“They all looked like Silicon Valley startups,” he said. “There was a tremendous amount of hardware … whole walls of phones.”

Some of Latham’s photos depict — albeit anonymously — workers tasked with harvesting clicks.

In one image, a man is seen stationed amid a sea of gadgets in what appears to be a lonely and monotonous task.

“It only takes one person to control large amounts of phones,” Latham said. “One person can very quickly (do the work of) 10,000. It’s both solitary and crowded.”

At the farms Lathan visited, individuals were usually in charge of a particular social media platforms.

For instance, one “farmer” would be responsible for mass posting and commenting on Facebook accounts, or setting up YouTube platforms where they post and watch videos on loop.

The photographer added that TikTok is now the most popular platform at the click farms he visited.

The click farmers Latham spoke to mostly advertised their services online for less than one cent per click, view or interaction.

And despite the fraudulent nature of their tasks, they seemed to treat it like just another job, the photographer said.

‘There was an understanding they were just providing a service,” he added. “There wasn’t a shadiness. What they’re offering is shortcuts.”

Deceptive perception

Across its 134 pages, “Beggar’s Honey” includes a collection of abstract photographs — some seductive, others contemplative — depicting videos that appeared on Latham’s TikTok feed.

He included them in the book to represent the kind of content he saw being boosted by click farms.

But many of his photos focus on the hardware used to manipulate social media —webs of wires, phones and computers.

“A lot of my work is about conspiracies,” Latham said. ” Trying to ‘document the machines used to spread disinformation’ is the tagline of the project. The bigger picture is often the thing we don’t see.”

Click farms around the world are also used to amplify political messages and spread disinformation during elections.

In 2016, Cambodia’s then-prime minister Hun Sen was accused of buying Facebook friends and likes, which according to the BBC he denied, while shadowy operations in North Macedonia were found to have spread pro-Donald Trump posts and articles during that year’s US presidential election.

While researching, Latham said he found that algorithms — a topic of his previous book, “Latent Bloom” — often recommended videos that he said got increasingly “extreme” with each click.

“If you only digest a diet of that, it’s a matter of time you become diabetically conspiratorial,” he said.

“The spreading of disinformation is the worst thing. It happens in your pocket, not newspapers, and it’s terrifying that it’s tailored to your kind of neurosis.”

Hoping to raise awareness of the phenomenon and its dangers, Latham is planning to exhibit his own home version of a click farm — a small box with several phones attached to a computer interface — at the 2024 Images Vevey Festival in Switzerland.

He bought the gadget in Vietnam for the equivalent of about $1,000 and has occasionally experimented with it on his social media accounts.

On Instagram, Latham’s photos usually attract anywhere from a few dozen to couple hundred likes.

But when he deployed his personal click farm to announce his latest book, the post generated more than 6,600 likes.

The photographer wants people to realize that there’s more to what they see on social media — and that metrics aren’t a measurement of authenticity.

“When people are better equipped with knowledge of how things work, they can make more informed decisions,” he said.

“Beggar’s Honey,” co-published by Here Press and Images Vevey, is available now.

[synsick]

It's so sad that I post original photography and can't get a fuckin' like or reblog but I post someone else's work or some damn memes and MFers go wild with it. This happens on every damn platform I'm on. Wtf?!

[mewmewdraws]

I need more of peoples power from music.

I have a playlist that's 632 songs which youtube music is shitty at shuffling at somehow-

So I'ma ask people who see this..... PLZ... Comment a song or shit even you're whole playlist so then I can have my playlist long AS FUCK.

if you question why I am doing this. I must bet my moms playlist that has 1000+ songs. THIS HAS BECOME A LIFE GOAL OF MINE!!!

I will not rest until I have past her number of songs >:)))))

P.S if you want my playlist then I shall give :)

Ty for reading plz stay healthy <3

[elllonmusk]

[tradebrainsportalsblog]

Opportunities and Risks for Stock Market Investors

Investing in the stock exchange is a very emotional business, some people find it thrilling yet scary at once. However one must consider the associated dangers to succeed at this risky venture. This article will show you all that can be derived from investing in stocks and what losses may follow. In light of these, we can improve our investment choices.

Worries over Investment in the Stock Market

The Potential for Exceptional Gains

One thing that draws investors to the share market is that they have a chance to earn huge amounts of money. Normally, statistically speaking, shares tend to surpass all other forms of investment such as bonds or saving accounts over time. If one picks good stocks, she/he stands to earn high returns if their prices rise in line with the development of companies being represented by those shares

Risk Reduction Through Variety

There’s a huge variety available when investing on shares; hence, diversification is possible. This means putting your money into different types of assets as well as sectors and industries in order to avoid being affected by risks related to only one asset class. Hence, diversification protects one against massive losses that follow underperformance by one sector alone which may cause havoc during market downturns such as when comparing technology sector performance with that of healthcare or consumer goods sectors respectively.

Dividends

Some stocks provide dividends, which are bascially payments from a company’s earnings made at regular intervals to the shareholders. Even if there is no significant growth in stock prices, dividends can still be dependable sources of income. This may be more advantageous if you are looking for an additional reliable income stream aside from possible capital gain.

Ownership and Influence

Whenever one buys stocks, he/she acquires partial ownership of that particular corporation. This type of ownership gives certain advantages such as having the right to vote on specific company decisions as well as accessing various reports on its finances and earnings. While your influence may be minimal when owning only a few shares; but it brings about some uniqueness in investing through stocks.

Liquidity

Typically, stocks rank high on the liquidity scale meaning they can be bought or sold with relative ease compared to other investments like real estate. Therefore, this liquidity allows for quick access of cash when needed or adjustments made on portfolios according to changing market circumstances.

Risks in Stock Market Investing

The Fluctuations In The Market

The most important risk that comes with stock market investing is fluctuating prices.

There are unpredictable changes in prices as well as rapid ones in stock markets which can cause stress because of potential losses. Economic events, political developments or investor sentiment shifts may also drive market-wide swings. It is important to be prepared for these ups and downs and avoid hasty decisions based on short term fluctuations.

Risks That Are Specific To The Company

Investing in individual stocks exposes you to how specific companies perform. For instance, if a company hits financial problems or faces regulatory issues its price may drop. In this case this company-specific risk could lead to huge losses when its performance worsens. Diversification can help to some extent in dealing with this risk though care must be taken while researching and picking firms.

Economic And Political Risks

The stock market can be adversely influenced by economic downturns and political instability for instance; during periods of recession, inflation or shifts in government policies there occurs depreciation in stock prices. However, these greater economic/political issues often lie outside of your control but keeping an eye on key indicators related to the economy as well as polities enables one to expect possible effects on their investments.

Risk of Bad Investment Choices

In order to invest in the share market one has to engage themselves in research and make wise selections. If you do not understand, you can invest poorly and lose money. Thus, it is vital that you learn about market trends, stock fundamentals and investment techniques. Moreover, you may want to seek financial advisors or reliable sources to help guide your investment decisions.

Making Decisions Based on Emotion

One of the largest dangers of stock market investing is making decisions based on emotions. For example, when a stock price drops, fear and greed can make an individual sell stocks that they shouldn’t otherwise sell, or instead pursue rapidly appreciating stocks regardless of their fundamentals. Emotional investing results in buying high while selling low thus eroding your returns. A practical way to avoid emotional investing is by creating a sound investment plan and adhere to it.

Balancing Risks with Opportunities

Making money in the stock market requires a balance between the opportunities that are available and the dangers which are involved. Below are tips on how this balance can be achieved:

Educate Yourself: Knowledge is key when it comes to investing. Investing in other vehicles, such as stocks and other related areas, is worth your time. The more information you have on these areas the more informed decisions you will be making.

Set Clear Goals: Know your objectives and risk acceptance level. Is it for long-term gains, income, or for both. Knowing what you want going forward will make choosing instruments easier hence developing suitable plans which are in line with such objectives.

Diversify Your Portfolio: Never depend on one source. Conduct portfolio analysis. By varying the types of investments among many sectors, industries and asset classes, you minimize risk and maximize chances for favorable results. Invest in dividing paying stocks, bonus providing stocks and also blue chip companies in order to reduce the risk

Stay Informed: Track news on the market, economic progress, and performance by companies. A well -informed investor can then make informed decisions about investing and adjust accordingly.

Emotional Investing Must Be Avoided: Unless it is a part of your investment strategy, do not allow feelings to influence your choices. Regardless of price changes in shares, be disciplined and stick to the approach you have set.

Conclusion

While there are many opportunities in the stock market, there are also risks involved. Understanding these variables, along with having a measure of balance in your approach increases your chances of success as well as avoiding losses. Remember that patience, research and discipline are crucial to a successful investing journey. Stay informed, make wise choices while keeping in mind your long term objectives as you navigate the exciting world of stock market investing.

[xxnesh]

long needed tumblr refresher

[villa-kulla]

Some sad news. I just wanted to share that sadly my dear sweet cat Leo passed away the other month. It's been very difficult without him. I know I've been taking a break from tumblr for the past while, but since some of you guys were always fond of him on here, I thought I should let you know too. I always appreciated all your nice words about him, and was only too happy to show him off. As beautiful as he was, he was even more sweet. He was the cuddliest, funniest, most good-natured, charming, lovely little lion you could imagine, and he had all my love. I miss my little friend so much and am trying to remind myself that no cat could have been more loved. My beautiful former street cat with a wonky ear came so far and finished his life with a family that just adored him. I hope we gave him as much comfort as he gave us. Miss you, my sweetheart, and love you always🧡

[myzacoza]

Steve Biko, the South African Struggle Hero Who Was Prepared to Sacrifice His Life for Black Liberation

What happens when death becomes the ultimate marker of one’s commitment to one’s freedom? Jacob Dlamini explores this and other questions in his new book, Dying for Freedom: Political Martyrdom in South Africa. This edited extract, from the chapter Dead and Proud, focuses on Steve Biko’s attitude to martyrdom and to the political uses of death (30). Steve Biko’s death on 12 September 1977…

[nakflix]

Top 10 Best R-Rated Thriller Netflix Movies