#The Best Web Hosting In 2022

[anbuselvi1]

How we test web hosting providers

How we test web hosting providers

Our web host reviews aim to consider all the key elements which make up a good, or even the best web hosting provider. This includes us taking a meticulous look at elements that make a top quality web host, such as features, ease of use, speed, uptime, price, trustworthiness, and more.  We highlight strong points, warn you of potential problems, then weigh up what we’ve found and deliver a…

[sunxxxie]

Looking for a Fic

You know that feeling when you find an absolute gem of a fic, so good that in your mind it's actual canon content...so good you have dreams about it and even after *years* it's ever-present at the back of your mind. But when you go looking for it, it's GONE?! Sending you spiraling for several weeks as you desperately scour the web for it. And after several weeks and cryptic dreams about the plot, you feel as if you might be slowly loosing it.

Well, that's my current situation. I'm getting desperate- so desperate that I'm on tumblr.com begging for help(not desperate enough to log into reddit tho). Please tell me I'm not crazy and I didn't dream up one of the best fics I've ever read.

The fic was a Lego Monkie Kid fic centered around Bai He (aka LBD's host) after the events of season three. Itwassowellwrittengodineeditnow.

From what I remember:

Shadowpeach was the main romantic(kinda) relationship mentioned although from the few chapters I read it focuses more on the platonic relationships at the beginning. Also PIF and DBK were briefly implied to be in a poly relationship with an original female character which was cool.

The description was something along the lines of: "Bai He is just trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the Lady Bone Demon is gone. Luckily, she has the help of MK and the others... something something- Wukong noticed the shadows of the male primate circling the island but never having the courage to come closer.." Or something like that.

Bai He my emotionally repressed princess/affectionate. You could tell the author wrote her character with a lot of love. She was an orphan who had been in the care of an orphanage in France(I believe) before she became a street kid in China. There was also this underlying subtext that her time spent in France was during the 90s(the lore bro, the *lore*). Bai He's disconnect between her ethnic background compared to the rest of the gang made her interactions with the main cast really unique.

Lady Bone Demon's relationship with Bai He was portrayed as almost like an abusive/manipulative parent that you can't seem to completely hate because they're your parent and they're doing what they think is the best for you. Chiefs kiss.

Any fic that mentions the nuances of LBD and MK's dynamic instead of watering down her character to that vile evil Witch who wanted to destroy the world>>>>>>

The subtle world building 🙇peak🙇. The story literally began outside the city where the residents were evacuated. This included the main gang who'd basically already taken Bai He in. There were passing mentions of other mythological pantheons. Plus references to the JTTW.(the author mentioned something about Wukong having descendants which was mind-boggling to me- ik it's inaccurate but whatever.)

Monkey King basically got custody of Bai He and he took her to Flower Fruit Mountain to watch over her condition.

The author detailed Bai He's struggles with her past and her present situation as she was no longer fully human.

Nahza(my goat) was there, living up to his role as protector of children.

The closest fic I've found is 'A Bone to Pick' by SmilesThroughFandoms but the vibe is off. It isn't the same.

It was incomplete with more than 20 000 words and posted somewhere between late 2022/23.(this was the general time frame I read the fic before loosing it. In my defense I (a) didn't have an ao3 account at the time and (b) I was reading it in incognito mode🤡)

If anyone has any information about it please please please please please tell me.

[realdirtfacts]

Selling your merch and shipping from home with Fourthwall

I've been selling @shiftythrifting Junk Boxes - our curated secondhand mystery boxes - since 2017 using different platforms with different levels of success. I moved to Fourthwall in 2022 and my teeny tiny business has only grown since then! FW is free to use and you get ALL the money from your home sales save for the credit card processing fees. I don't miss the fee structure from our previous hosts, so I thought I'd write up a little guide on how easy it is to get started.

Things you need to start shipping from home:

A scale, and it doesn't need to be an expensive or large one! Even a kitchen scale works for small stuff.

Packaging and packing materials for the product(s) you're selling.

Access to a post office and/or a printer.

Funds set aside for postage. You'll get this money back with your Fourthwall payout when the month rolls over.

(Optional but handy) A ShipStation account.

Make yourself a store if you haven't already. You can sell print on demand, digital stuff, and your own inventory in one place but today we're talking about selling from home, so add a product and pick the middle option.

You can customize everything about your product on this page, from adding size and color variations, the materials used to make it, size charts, inventory, and more. Get an accurate weight of what you're selling in its packaging and add that here. Hit save and you have your first listing. Gonna be selling a variety of products? You can duplicate the listing with the meatball menu! Change the name, photos, and anything else that needs changing and have your second listing up in a couple minutes.

Didi protip: I like to put people's reviews right in the listing. Lots of photos help sell your product, but there's nothing like a positive review from fans!

Fourthwall's Collections feature lets me put my Junk Boxes in their own little section where I can set them to hidden or mark them sold out if I get sick or am on vacation. This lets me easily turn the self-fulfilled part of my store off while folks can still purchase print on demand and digital stuff and sign up for memberships.

Didi protip: If you are in the US, the US postal service will pick up your outgoing packages free of charge on any regular mail day. Just set up a pickup on USPS.com!

When you've made your first sale, you can either make the label yourself or connect directly to ShipStation through Fourthwall's app integration. That's brand new and I love it so far. My labels pop up in ShipStation about 24 hours after a purchase, giving people a little window of time to adjust their order or make changes before I ship it.

At that point, all that's left is handing it off to the postal carrier of your choice! Boom, you're done!

A final note from me, I moved ShopShifty to Fourthwall so I could have one address for ALL my merch instead of splitting it between Patreon, a print-on-demand store, and the Junk Box store. It's proven to be the best choice I've made in years and has saved me a ton of money in marketplace fees, Paypal's cut, and web hosting charges. This has genuinely been the easiest way to sell my merch!

[venusvity]

Yoo Mirae (Korean: 유미래, born January 6, 1997), known professionally as Bliss (Korean: 블리스; Japanese: 至福), is a Korean singer, dancer, and actress based in South Korea. She is a former member of the South Korean girl group Venus, formed by Angelico Entertainment in 2018. She is portrayed by Lee Yoomi & Wendy Son.

Mirae was born on January 6, 1997, in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Her mother is the esteemed musical theatre actress Yoo Misun. Mirae attended high school at the School of Performing Arts in Seoul. Throughout her school years, she starred in multiple school musicals. She joined a school drama club and earned more experience in the entertainment industry by attending auditions.

In 2014, Mirae joined Angelico Entertainment as a trainee after passing its auditions. 

In October 2014, she appeared in Emphasis' music video for "Du Du Du!" as a lifeguard. The same year, she starred in Priority's "Say You Love Me" music video as Reid's love interest. In 2015, she would be featured in W Korea alongside Kang Juwon of Priority. Mirae would do a lot of modeling pre-debut, working with brands such as Laneige, Nature Republic, Amuse, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, and Etude House.

𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖: 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒

On March 17, 2018, Mirae would officially debut in VENUS with the release of their first extended play (EP), SHE DEVIL, and its lead single, "SHE DEVIL." She would take on the stage name "Bliss."

She was the group's co-leader, main rapper, and main vocalist.

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 - 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏: 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭

In January 2020, Bliss made her acting debut as the female lead in the web drama Please Try Again, which achieved record-breaking viewership.

On March 24, 2021, Bliss was announced as a cast member for the musical Midnight Sun as Seo Haena, with DAY6's Wonpil, Baekho, DeepDive's Kiwoo, GOT7's Youngjae, Shinee's Onew, Kang Hye-in, Kei, and Lee Ah-jin. To promote the musical, she collaborated with stage member Onew to release "A Melody Called You (너라는 멜로디)"

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒

On June 10, 2024, during the Venus contract transfer, Bliss, unlike the other four members of Venus, would not sign with Mydol Entertainment. A letter announcing Bliss's departure from the group would be posted to Venus' social media accounts.

It is still under heavy debate if Bliss left the group or was removed by Mydol CEOs.

On August 7th, 2024, Bliss renewed her contract with Angelico Entertainment.

Before her debut with Venus, Yoonah featured in advertisements for Samsonite, Smart Uniform, LG Electronics, and Nikon. 

In September 2018, Bliss and band-mate Baebi became endorsement models for Japanese cosmetics brand Kiss Me. 

In September 2021, Bliss was announced as the new host of the program Music Bank with L.O.L's Jesse. For their performance on the program, they were awarded with the Best Couple Award at the 2021 KBS Entertainment Awards.

In February 2021, Korean clothing brand It Michaa selected Bliss as its muse for its Spring 2021 collection. She was also appointed for the summer 2021 campaign on It Michaa's line, For a Day Michaa. 

In 2022, Coca-Cola Korea selected Bliss as an endorsement model for Dr Pepper.

In January 2023, Bliss stepped down as Music Bank host after sixteen months in the role.

In February 2023, Bliss became the new muse for the South Korean casual fashion brand SJSJ.

In December 2023, Dyson selected Bliss as its official Brand Ambassador, representing the new Dyson hair care products. Then, in January 2024, the American athletic apparel retailer Alo Yoga announced Bliss as the new face for its spring 2024 campaign. 

[yuurei20]

Meet the Seiyuu: Deuce Spade

In 2021 both Deuce’s VA Kobayashi Chiaki and Epel’s VA Tsuchiya were selected for “Rookie of the Year” awards. In 2022, the radio show he hosts with VA Kobayashi Yusuke (no relation, Kobayashi is a very common surname) won the “Best Creative Radio” award by popular vote.

He worked with Ruggie’s VA Ichikawa on both Sonny Boy and Boogiepop Phantom. Here is a 2021 interview the two had together.

Kobayashi is real-life friends with Ruggie’s Ichikawa, and the two host a regular web show on Nico Nico. Their most recent video is available here:

His first lead role in an anime was in 2018’s “Butlers: Chitose Momotose Monogatari” as Kyoichi Sano. He has since voiced lead characters in 16 anime including Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, Y School Heroes, GREAT PRETENDER, Moriarty the Patriot, SK8 the Infinity, Fanfare of Adolescence, Shoot! Goal to the Future (with Epel’s VA Tsuchiya) and Arknights: Prelude to Dawn.

He has voiced lead characters in 8 video games including DANKIRA!!! – Boys, be DANCING! and For Whom the Alchemist Exists.

He has had roles on over 30 drama CDs, including the lead role of Sayama Masaki alongside Ace’s VA Yamashita as Date Yuusei in “Hizamazuite Ai o Tou” (NSFW).

Kobayashi has hosted three different episodes of Twisted Radio Station, all three available with English subtitles.

Episode 2 (with Ruggie’s Ichikawa)

Episode 3 (with Sebek’s Ishiya)

Episode 6 (with Ace’s Yamashita)

He also hosts a regular YouTube show, “Kobayashi Chiaki’s Blue Monologue”, where he spends half an hour talking about pretty much whatever he likes.

The most recent episode (as of this tweet) is number 64, viewable here:

He also voices Sora Yakumo in Mayonaka Danshi Meshi alongside Idia’s VA Uchiyama and Crewel’s VA Ito.

All three twst voice actors appear in this installment:

Kobayashi seems to prefer radio-style shows over being on camera, but he does appear in this brief promotion of the 2021 animated movie “Summer Ghost”, where he voiced main protagonist Suzusaki Tomoya alongside Silver’s VA Shimazaki.

(Silver's Shimazaki on the far right, Deuce's Kobayashi center)

[haveyoureadthispoll]

While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tiny Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever. Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it—both inside the cult and outside of it—is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?

[meganwilhoit]

Digital Retailing: Branding on the Web

Branding is a super important tool and concept, not just for businesses but also for one's personal use. A few months back my school's American Marketing Association (AMA), hosted an event for “personal branding”, and expert individuals came in to discuss what branding was and how we could develop our own “brand”. Although this event pertained to personal branding, it still helped me grasp a better understanding of what branding actually is. And what I learned was branding is made up of a lot of different things, not just the company's name or logo. 

By definition, branding is “is the process of giving meaning to a specific organization, company, products or services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds. It is a strategy designed by organizations to help people to quickly identify and experience their brand, and give them a reason to choose their products over the competition’s, by clarifying what this particular brand is and is not” (Marion, 2022). 

As more people shift towards the e-retail shopping experience, companies are having to adjust their branding to accurately reflect their company on a digital platform. I also think it should be noted that customers' expectations play a huge role in the differences between online and offline branding. Meeting these expectations is crucial for a company to succeed in branding and overall. Although I do think branding can be very similar between the web and the traditional retail environment, there are also some differences that should be considered to fully optimize the customer experience. 

The first difference is in customer service. Customer service is a part of a company's brand and implementing good customer service will give consumers a better idea of what the company represents. Customer service can be much easier to obtain in the traditional retail environment. Consumers can speak directly to an associate or manager if any issues arise. 

A personal experience of exceptional customer service in a traditional retail environment is when I shop at Altar’d State. They are a women’s boutique with the mission “Our mission is to serve as an inspiration, empower others and give more than we receive. We do this by lifting those who need a helping hand, volunteering our time to enrich lives, and extending the power of prayer.” (Altar’d State, n.d). Whenever I shop with them I am always given the best customer service, from the moment I walk in I am greeted by an associate and they offer to help me find exactly what I am looking for. They will offer a dressing room if I am a pile of clothes and will also offer advice and compliments while in the dressing room. Altar’d State goes above and beyond in its customer service aspects to build its brand and show its consumers what they strive for in a company. But with e-retailing, this interaction and customer service cannot be performed, companies have to use other resources to create these experiences with customer service and stay consistent with their branding. 

An online retailer that I think has achieved high levels of branding through its customer service is Amazon. Amazon has been successful in filling the void of social interaction that is found online. They offer quick shipping with Amazon Prime, even offering one-day/overnight delivery in some areas. They promote “frequently bought together” or “similar products” on all their product listings to offer their consumers more advice and expertise. And Amazon has extensive reviews from customers who have purchased the product previously. Other customers can view these reviews with different filters (such as most recent or best to worst) to find all the readily available information before purchasing. Amazon also has a traditional customer service phone line and email for their customers if any larger issues arise. But the majority of the time customers can navigate through Amazon’s website to make returns or contact supplies. 

Another difference in branding is through packaging design. We all know how a brand's product packaging can help with its branding. Brands can use their logos, slogans, and colors on their packaging to keep consistent branding and help spread awareness of the brand. Some examples are Tiffany’s iconic blue box with the white ribbon or Campbell's classic red and white soup cans. But I also view packaging design as how the product is presented to the customer upon purchase. This can also help a company’s brand differentiate between traditional retail environments and online retailers.  If a company has poor packaging (such as unidentifiable or not securing the product properly) customers are going to associate the company with low quality. 

In a traditional retail environment, the packaging design falls down to how the products are placed in the bag and the branding on the bag. One example from personal experience that comes to mind is Victoria’s Secret. Once I check out my item are wrapped in their color-themed tissue paper (typically white or pink), placed in their classic pink striped bag, and more tissue paper is added to the top. Each of these elements helps their branding. Not only do I feel I have purchased a more high-quality product due to the packaging, but the branding of the bag helps me and other consumers clearly identify the brand. 

In the e-retail environment, packaging design falls into how the packaging is shipped to the consumer. Patagonia is a clothing brand (online and traditional retail) but a huge focus on sustainability and being environmentally friendly. To ensure this message is conveyed through all their channels, they have made a strong effort to make their packaging design more sustainable. Their shipping boxes are cardboard but the inside of their boxes have some of their classic designs to keep branding consistent. They also have made efforts to minimize the amount of packaging required and made plans for their consumers to easily recycle these packaging components. Patagonia is using its packaging design to convey its message of being sustainable while still ensuring the packaging is identifiable to its brand. 

One way online retailers can build their branding and ensure it is consistent with their message is through social media. Over the past three years or so we have seen social media turn into e-retailers themselves. Instagram and Pinterest have even been able to create “shopping centers” on their networks where consumers can easily shop for products and purchase them through the app. Customers can follow companies on social media to keep up on new releases, and upcoming sales, and even enter potential giveaways. Companies can use their social media to connect with their customers on a more personal level while still being in the digital environment. Companies can also use social media to help with their digital branding by posting pictures and videos that accurately reflect the brand and what they are all about, especially since “a picture is worth a thousand words”. 

Two examples came to my mind when thinking of companies that use social media to help build their brand. The first is Patagonia. As I stated before they are huge on sustainability and environmentalism, one of their marketing campaigns was even about “Don’t Buy This Jacket”, which brought awareness to the overconsumption of clothes. On Patagonia's social media accounts, they strive to maintain this message, instead of consistently posting about their products, they actually feature environmental activists as well as consumers wearing Patagonia while performing outdoor activities. This is a great example of using social media to accurately reflect their brand. 

The other example that came to mind was Aerie, a smaller section of American Eagle featuring women's intimates and loungewear. Their purpose is to “love everybody”, and through their social media accounts, they post so many diverse women wearing Aerie clothing, whether that is different bodies or ethnicities, and featuring women with disabilities too. This is to bring love to one another and show that every body is beautiful, not just the “standard” we see all too often in magazines. 

Traditional and online retailers can both use the same branding strategies but they use them in different ways, such as how they create customer service experiences or how they package their products. But I also think social media play’s a huge role in a company's branding. This is where companies can really connect with their consumers and show off their products as well as their purpose and what they stand for. 

References

Altar'd State. (n.d.). Standout For Good. Altar'd State. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.altardstate.com/stand-out-for-good/

Marion. (2022, March 9). What Is Branding? The Branding Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2015/10/what-is-branding-definition/

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

On September 12 at 7pm, I'll be at Toronto's Another Story Bookshop with my new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation.

On September 14, I'm hosting the EFF Awards in San Francisco.

#20yrsago Gilmore on not obfuscating email in online archives https://web.archive.org/web/20030924160038/http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200309/msg00069.html

#20yrsago Tell the Patent Office to back off on the open source WIPO debate https://web.archive.org/web/20030921014946/http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2776

#20yrsago Making Book: best of the proto-blogs https://memex.craphound.com/2003/09/09/making-book-best-of-the-proto-blogs/

#10yrsago Bid on the spy-rock that Lockheed and the DoD stiffed a subcontractor on https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/09/ebay-rock-cam-surveillance/

#10yrsago What NSA sabotage does to security https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2013/09/09/nsa-apparently-undermining-standards-security-confidence/

#10yrsago Fighting back against NSA sabotage with a dead-man’s switch https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/09/nsa-sabotage-dead-mans-switch

#10yrsago NSA broke into networks of Brazil’s president; state oil company, Google Brazil, and SWIFT, for “economic” reasons https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-09-08/u-s-government-spied-on-brazil-s-petrobras-globo-tv-reports

#5yrsago Motorola patents a robocop autonomous car that brethalyzes, mirandizes you, calls your lawyer and collects your bail https://patents.google.com/patent/US10049419B1/en?oq=10049419

#5yrsago A public bank for LA: instead of sending hundreds of millions to predatory finance, Angelenos’ taxes can fund community development https://whowhatwhy.org/economy/business/banking-on-the-public-option-will-la-lead-the-way-for-people-owned-banks/

#1yrago Guide to a ripoff-free funeral https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/09/high-cost-of-dying/#memento-mori

[techpccleanup]

BEST SMALL BUSINESS WEB DESIGN IN 2023-2024

CRAFTING SUCCESS: UNVEILING THE BEST SMALL BUSINESS WEB DESIGN STRATEGIES

for the best small business web design, you will need a Professional Website Design company. Follow the link to get Professional Website Design Services. In the fast-paced digital era, having an impactful online presence is imperative for small businesses. A well-designed website is the gateway to attracting customers, building credibility, and driving growth. In this article, we will delve into the world of the best small business web design, exploring key strategies, and highlighting the crucial role it plays in the success of modern enterprises. let’s start reading how to choose best the  small business web design 

As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, I can offer guidance on factors to consider when choosing a web design service for a small business in 2023-2024. However, I might not have specific information on the newest companies or services that emerged after my last update.

Here are some tips to consider: BEST SMALL BUSINESS WEB DESIGN IN 2023-2024 -

Responsive Design: Ensure the web design service focuses on creating websites that are mobile-friendly and responsive across various devices. This is crucial as more users access the internet through mobile devices.

Customization and Flexibility: Look for a service that offers customization options tailored to your business needs. Templates are good, but the flexibility to make unique adjustments is key for branding and functionality.

SEO Integration: The chosen service should have a good understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) principles and implement them within the website design. A website that's optimized for search engines is essential for online visibility.

User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design: A well-designed website should offer a smooth user experience and an intuitive interface. Check for services that prioritize UX/UI design to ensure visitors have a pleasant browsing experience.

E-commerce Functionality (if applicable): If you're planning to sell products online, ensure the web design service has experience in creating functional and secure e-commerce platforms.

Portfolio and Reviews: Review the portfolio and client testimonials of the web design services you're considering. This can give you insight into their style, capabilities, and client satisfaction.

Cost and Maintenance: Understand the pricing structure and ongoing maintenance or support offered by the service. Some companies offer packages inclusive of hosting and maintenance, while others might charge separately.

Security Measures: Ensure the web design service implements adequate security measures to protect your website and customer data from cyber threats.

Scalability: Consider the future growth of your business. The website should be scalable, allowing for easy updates and expansions as your business evolves.

Customer Support: Choose a service that offers reliable customer support. Timely assistance in case of issues or updates is crucial for the smooth functioning of your website.

When searching for web design services in 2023-2024, consider these factors and conduct thorough research to find a service that aligns with your business goals and requirements. Additionally, explore reviews, ask for referrals, and compare offerings to make an informed decision.

Benefits of BEST SMALL BUSINESS WEB DESIGN IN 2023-2024:

Professionalism and Credibility: A well-designed website enhances the credibility of a small business, establishing a professional online presence that attracts potential customers.

Mobile Responsiveness: Websites that are optimized for mobile devices ensure a seamless user experience across different screen sizes, catering to the increasing number of mobile users.

Improved User Experience (UX): A focus on UX design elements enhances user satisfaction, encouraging visitors to stay longer on the site and explore its offerings.

Search Engine Visibility: Incorporating SEO principles into web design improves a website's visibility on search engines, helping small businesses reach a wider audience and attract organic traffic.

Branding and Differentiation: Customized designs allow businesses to create a unique brand identity and stand out from competitors in the market.

E-commerce Functionality: For businesses involved in online selling, a well-designed e-commerce website provides a platform for seamless transactions and customer interactions.

Security Measures: Implementing robust security measures ensures the safety of sensitive data, instilling trust in customers and protecting the business from cyber threats.

Scalability and Flexibility: Designs that are scalable and flexible enable businesses to adapt and grow without facing limitations regarding website functionality.

BEST SMALL BUSINESS WEB DESIGN IN 2023-2024 of Important Points:

Customization: The ability to create a personalized website tailored to the specific needs and branding of the business is crucial.

Speed and Performance: Websites need to load quickly and perform efficiently to retain visitor interest and improve search engine rankings.

Content Management System (CMS): Consideration of the CMS used for website development is important for ease of content updates and management.

Analytics Integration: Integrating analytics tools allows businesses to track website performance and make data-driven decisions for improvements.

Social Media Integration: Seamless integration with social media platforms helps businesses leverage their online presence and engage with a wider audience.

Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Strategically placed CTAs prompt visitors to take desired actions, such as making a purchase or contacting the business.

Ongoing Maintenance and Support: Ensure that the web design service offers post-launch support, updates, and maintenance to keep the site running smoothly.

Accessibility and Compliance: Designs should be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, and comply with relevant regulations and standards.

Considering these points and ensuring the selected web design service aligns with these factors can significantly benefit BEST SMALL BUSINESS WEB DESIGN IN 2023-2024 by creating a strong online presence and facilitating growth opportunities.

[mariacallous]

Sweden’s suddenly cleared path to NATO membership casts the Baltic Sea region in a new strategic light. For the first time in modern history, every state in the region except Russia will be part of a single, close-knit military alliance, which has led some to giddily declare the Baltic Sea a NATO lake. Other than the fate of Ukraine itself, the creation of a powerful northeastern bloc in NATO is the most strategically significant fallout for Europe from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war.

The Baltic region is also a crucible from which the answers to many of NATO’s most pressing questions could emerge. What does a coherent strategy for deterring Russia look like? How can the Baltic states best be defended? What capabilities are needed, and how will they be integrated across the alliance? The contributions of NATO’s newly unified Baltic bloc—the Nordics, the three Baltic states, Poland, and Germany—to European defense will be vital to the resilience of the alliance.

With NATO focused on supporting Ukraine and better securing the bloc’s eastern frontier, another vital effect of northeastern security cooperation is only now beginning to receive the attention it deserves. The region must urgently address two overlapping challenges: maritime infrastructure protection and energy security. Indeed, in addressing these vulnerabilities, the countries of the region could collectively strengthen security, become a laboratory for how to protect maritime infrastructure, and serve as a model for other regions to follow.

The Baltic Sea, just like the North Sea farther west, hosts a dense web of critical infrastructure links: ports and terminals, undersea pipelines, electricity transmission cables, and telecommunication cables. And their number is expected to grow: As the region completes a massive swing away from Russian energy, governments are expanding their liquefied natural gas (LNG) import infrastructure, building out offshore wind parks, and investing in new undersea power transmission lines. As the Baltic states accelerate their departure from the Russian power grid—a legacy from when they were annexed by the Soviet Union—they are making significant investments in power links with Europe. These and other investments will create an even denser network of critical infrastructure, particularly in an already crowded Baltic Sea.

Of course, Russia still maintains power projection capability, mainly through its naval, air, and missile bases in Kaliningrad—and unlike Russian land forces, these have not been gutted by the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. The Russian Navy may be underfunded, but its underwater capabilities are growing in strength. Although the perpetrators have not been definitively determined, the underwater bombings of two Nord Stream pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022—as well as ongoing Russian threats and operations in the Baltic Sea and North Sea—have forced European governments to pay more attention to their highly vulnerable offshore energy and other infrastructure.

Accurately assessing threats to maritime energy and undersea communication infrastructure can be difficult. Adversaries could use submarines to deploy crewed or uncrewed submersibles, but attacks could also be launched from research vessels or even passing commercial ships. Also vulnerable to approach by sea are shoreline installations, such as LNG terminals. Landing stations for fiber-optic telecommunication cables are another possible target. What’s more, an adversary could easily employ civilian saboteurs to damage coastal infrastructure.

An attack need not be catastrophic—infrastructure networks usually have redundancies and extra capacity built in to compensate. Below the threshold of a blackout strike, however, infrastructure sabotage can be used by an adversary as a relatively easy and affordable way of sending a message or undermining a population’s sense of security. Sabotage could also prepare the ground for a broader attack. What makes sabotage attractive for an adversary is that attribution can be difficult, compounding the sense of insecurity and confusion. In January 2022, for instance, an undersea fiber-optic cable connecting a satellite ground station on the Norwegian island of Svalbard to the country’s mainland was severed, causing much speculation over Russian involvement. No conclusive evidence ever emerged. Meanwhile, NATO is certain that Russian spy ships have increased their efforts to map Europe’s critical maritime infrastructure.

Some of the larger countries in Europe are looking to step up their capacity to monitor, protect, and repair their undersea infrastructure. France has launched a new seabed warfare strategy and is investing in unmanned underwater vehicles, while Britain is creating a new Centre for Seabed Mapping and dedicating a multirole ocean surveillance ship to safeguarding infrastructure. Britain and Norway have also entered a security partnership to jointly protect their undersea infrastructure, a sign of London’s ambition to be a security provider in the region, including with regard to maritime energy and other infrastructure. (The two nations are major natural gas producers and have a network of pipelines crisscrossing the North Sea.) In the Baltic Sea, the Polish government is contemplating legislation that would permit the military to target ships attacking a key gas pipeline and establish a permanent coast guard base at the LNG terminal in the port of Swinoujscie. NATO already has a standing Maritime Group monitoring the North and Baltic seas and is conducting military exercises there. The Swedish submarine fleet will in future contribute greatly to NATO’s capabilities in the Baltic.

Most smaller European countries have only limited capacity to monitor and repair maritime infrastructure, even in their own waters. For all states, coordination remains a big challenge: Commercial owners and operators, militaries, coast guards, and other security services all have some responsibility in this field, as do policymakers and public administrators at various levels. While industry actors are often more aware of the immediate consequences of damaged energy or communication links, they rarely have access to comprehensive threat assessments compiled, if at all, by national governments. Then there is the issue of coordination across international borders. With so many actors involved, assembling a fully integrated operational picture of activity below and above water and developing contingency plans for responses to threats can be challenging, to say the least.

The Baltic Sea, with its shallow waters, low salinity, and many islands and archipelagoes, comes with some terrain-specific security challenges. Nevertheless, it is a useful testbed for how best to coordinate European responses to threats against critical maritime infrastructure. Both NATO and the European Union have turned their attention to shaping these responses and announced a new joint flagship initiative: the Task Force on Resilience of Critical Infrastructure. NATO-EU collaboration is a no-brainer here, since protecting critical maritime infrastructure requires merging military and civilian security measures. But both NATO and the EU will likely encounter obstacles working with so many different private actors and with sharing sensitive information about national infrastructure even among allies.

NATO can take the military lead. In recent months, it has ramped up patrols and naval exercises in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and established a new Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure within NATO’s Maritime Command. The bloc also wants to bring together national civilian, military, and industry stakeholders, doubling down on NATO’s role as a hub for sharing information and best practices. The alliance also plans to support members in identifying innovative technologies that can help secure critical undersea infrastructure. To underline the importance of all this, NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, this week dedicated a whole paragraph of their official communique to the “real and … developing” threat to critical undersea infrastructure.

The EU updated its maritime strategy this year, stating its intention to ensure the resilience and protection of critical maritime infrastructure. A traditional starting point for the EU is to launch blocwide regulation, including a directive on critical infrastructure that entered into force this year. But the effectiveness of these measures depends on national capitals’ willingness to implement them effectively and quickly. The EU might get further if it is able to complement its regulatory stick with financial carrots, especially for smaller member states. Some of these states have asked for a dedicated section of the EU budget for public investments to protect critical infrastructure. The EU could also use its newly expanded tools on defense industrial funding to support member state investment in securing infrastructure.

Both organizations should also prepare for future threats to maritime infrastructure that may come not only from Russia. China, for instance, poses a different kind of security challenge as it buys and develops critical maritime infrastructure in Europe, from undersea communication cables to stakes in European ports. European governments have grown more alert to the potential risks of these investments in recent years, even as countries such as Germany continue to sign over infrastructure to Beijing. But officials tasked with tightening the investment review process complain that they do not yet have access to a clear map of who owns what in undersea and shoreline infrastructure.

In the years to come, the countries of the Baltic Sea region will be able to stress-test European responses to these challenges. Their efforts will likely yield valuable lessons for other operational theaters. These could include the Arctic, where melting ice could open up new sea routes for digital infrastructure. Partners of the West in the Indo-Pacific, facing similar hybrid threats to their critical maritime infrastructure, could learn from the European experience as well. Lessons from the region could also inform the EU’s plan to invest in a new undersea internet cable in the Black Sea designed to improve digital connections to Georgia, a candidate for EU membership, while reducing the country’s dependence on cables running through Russia.

The efforts to develop and implement a robust, shared approach to maritime infrastructure and energy security should include all countries in the Baltic Sea region, with the obvious exception of Russia. That may take some work, as these countries have not always seen eye to eye on security, especially in their assessment of Russia. Security in the northeastern bloc needs the buy-in of powerful Western European countries such as Germany. But the relationship between Berlin and Warsaw is increasingly deadlocked, preventing these two major countries from providing leadership in the region. Germany’s announcement that it will permanently station a military brigade in Lithuania, if it can be implemented quickly, could go some way to rebuild the trust lost by Berlin through its many years of Russia-friendly policies. The Polish elections in the fall, if they bring a change in government, might relax Warsaw’s relationship with the rest of Europe. A more strategic approach to regional security, however, will rely in large part on the military experience and innovation capacity of the smaller, nimbler Nordic and Baltic countries.

If NATO’s Baltic Sea members can build on Finnish and Swedish accession to the alliance, use all the tools at their disposal, and pursue a more coordinated, pragmatic approach to critical infrastructure security, they will reduce one of Europe’s greatest vulnerabilities exposed by Putin’s war on Ukraine. If NATO’s new northeastern bloc fails to achieve this despite a clear common threat and interest, there is little hope that the alliance can succeed elsewhere.

[onenettvchannel]

FLASH REPORT OVERNIGHT: Maryland YouTuber 'VivziePop' on Helluva Boss won Best Animated Show and 'Gawr Gura' took home a new Best VTuber at the Streamy Awards 2023, leaving JaidenAnimations' fall short on a Double Friendly Nomination in Awards Night [#OneNETnewsEXCLUSIVE]

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- In a night of celebration and recognition… Vivienne Maree Medrano from Frederick, Maryland; better known in the online world as VivziePop, emerged victorious as her animated series "Helluva Boss" claimed the coveted Best Animated Show award at the Streamy Awards 2023.

(THUMBNAIL and FILE PHOTO COURTESY for REPRESENTATION: Double Toasted / YT PHOTO & Google Images)

The star-studded YouTubers' event took place last Sunday night (August 27th, 2023 at 6pm -- Pacific local time) at the glamorous Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles, California, United States of America (U.S.A.), marking yet another milestone in the career of their talented female YouTube creators.

(FILE PHOTO COURTESY: Google Images)

Hosted by The Game Theorists' MatPat, whose real name as Matthew Robert Patrick and other featured personalities like xQC (Félix Lengyel), Smosh (Ian Andrew Hecox & Daniel Anthony Padilla), Dream (Clayton Ray Huff), etc.

Streamy Awards, which recognizes outstanding achievements in online video and the YouTube creators behind them, saw strong competition in the 'Animated' and 'VTuber' category.

(SCREENGRAB COURTESY: Sam Haft & Streamys / Twitter PHOTO -- Per Ms. Loona's notes, a scary tactic of Imps' meeting already in progress during the episode, except for a video clip obtained by Streamy Awards 2023)

VivziePop's Helluva Boss, a web series spin-off of her highly successful show 'Hazbin Hotel' was captivated fans with its unique, independent animation style and dark comedy. The success of the aforementioned web series further solidifies Medrano's status as an influential figure in the world of online video animation.

On the other hand, the emerging trend of Virtual YouTubers or 'VTubers' took center stage during the awards night. One of the notable winners of the night was Gawr Gura, a charismatic VTuber known for her entertaining livestreams and catchy tunes. Not only that, Gura released a one-shot Japanese YouTube anime short of Tonari Animation in mid-September 2022 called Shark'd. Gura's subscribers to its YouTube channel boasts nearly 4.5 million and she is an official member of a virtual talent agency Hololive English, which took home a well-deserved award, highlighting the growing popularity and influence of this unique online content format.

(ART PHOTO COURTESY via Jaiden K. Dittfach / Twitter PHOTO -- Dittfach signs up on Twitch, with her boxed package and began streaming LIVE, a day before the Streamy Awards 2023)

Leading up to the awards night, a fellow female YouTuber in Southern California named Jaiden Kiyomi Dittfach, popularly known as JaidenAnimations' despite falling short in her categories role between Animated & VTuber made headlines by announcing her expansion into the world of Twitch.

The versatile Southern Californian YouTube creator individual -- unveiled her plans on a special livestream the night before the ceremony last Saturday (August 26th, 2023), showcasing her determination to explore new avenues and engage with her ardent fanbase in exciting ways since she is a nominated individual role. Contemptibly falling just short of the awarded titles, Dittfach continues to shine brightly as she expands her presence to Twitch, diversifying her content in a night to remember before the Streamy Awards 2023.

Ditffach's decision to expand onto Twitch allows her to connect with her audience through a more interactive platform, where viewers aside on YouTube LIVE can engage in real-time during her streams in most occasional schedule possible. With her signature humor and relatability, Dittfach is set to bring her unique content to the Twitch community while continuing her successful journey on her original YouTube channel.

A friendly award-winning competition between VivziePop and JaidenAnimations at the Streamy Awards 2023 exemplified the camaraderie and support prevalent among creators in the online world. Both talented individuals have thrived in their respective fields, captivating fans through their creative works and genuine personalities. As the Streamy Awards 2023 came to a close, it was evident that Medrano's continued success and Dittfach's innovative expansion onto Twitch would only propel them further in their separate careers. These two exceptional female, independent YouTube creators have undoubtedly left their mark on the world of online content creation, inspiring others and paving the way for future stars.

The Streamy Awards 2023 proved to be a night of triumph, collaboration and innovation, as creators from various platforms were honored for their exceptional talent and influence. With VivziePop's Helluva Boss and JaidenAnimations' expansion into Twitch -- in exchange for a double trouble defeat, it is clear that the digital landscape will continue to evolve, offering new opportunities for creators to push boundaries and captivate audiences all over the world.

(SCREENGRAB COURTESY: Streamys & VivziePop / YT PHOTO -- Two titlecards for representation purposes)

You can relive the best moments on demand between the Streamy Awards 2023 and two seasons of Helluva Boss, which were both available to stream exclusively and globally for free on YouTube.

FILE PHOTO COURTESY for REPRESENTATION: Crunchyroll News and YT Banner PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://www.fairmont.com/los-angeles/ [Reference Hotel Biography via Fairmont website] *https://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/13th-annual-nominees/ [Updated Referenced Nomination Listings from the Streamy Awards] *https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/The_Game_Theorists *https://twitter.com/streamys/status/1695966567270596696 [Referenced Twitter Video #1 via Streamys] *https://twitter.com/SamHaft/status/1695972867572470037 [Referenced Captioned Twitter Post via SamHaft] *https://twitter.com/streamys/status/1695972696994259424 [Referenced Captioned Twitter Image #1 via Streamys] *https://twitter.com/streamys/status/1695987497967530324 [Referenced Captioned Twitter Image #2f via Streamys] *https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Gawr_Gura_Ch._hololive-EN *https://www.tonarianimation.com/works/ *https://socialblade.com/youtube/channel/UCoSrY_IQQVpmIRZ9Xf-y93g/monthly [Referenced Statistics Data via SocialBlade] *https://twitter.com/streamys/status/1695985597926789325 [Referenced Twitter Video #2f via Streamys] and *https://twitter.com/JaidenAnimation/status/1695572769218671087 [Referenced Captioned Twitter Image via JaidenAnimations]

-- OneNETnews Team

[novalabs]

Wix Vs WordPress

Both Wix and WordPress offer fantastic features, regardless of whether you think a free website builder should host your blog or build an e-commerce website for selling your handcrafted items. If a feature isn't native to one platform or the other, there are programs or plugins to help you expand the functionality of your site. Your needs and goals, which you will discuss with your website application development business, will determine the best option for you.

The Difference Between WordPress and Wix in 2023

Comprehensive solutions, including WordPress and Wix*-based content management systems, are offered by seasoned website creation companies like Novalabs. Ask our specialists how to utilize the free website builder.  

What is Wix?

With Wix, you can create your own website without needing to know how to code. It's a "software-as-a-service" (SaaS) tool, meaning you pay a monthly price to utilize it rather than own the product. 

What is WordPress?

In 2003, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little founded WordPress as a platform for blogging. Since then, it has evolved into a totally free website builder.

By the year 2022, it will be widely known. According to BuiltWith.com, the platform is currently used by about 36.5 million live websites. 

There are two distinct WordPress configurations to take into account: 

Web-based WordPress

Similar to Wix, hosted WordPress is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for creating and managing websites that can be accessed at wordpress.com. 

Although it started out as a blogging service, it is now a fully functional website builder. You pay a regular charge to use it, and in exchange, you get access to a wide range of components that help you build a website. 

WordPress Self-Hosted

You can download and install the self-hosted WordPress program from wordpress.org on your own web server. This suggests that you should get hosting so that your website has a location. Currently, WordPress is open-source, which means that the code that powers it is easily available and modifiable. 

Wix vs. WordPress: Points to consider

1. Usability

One of the simplest website builders to use to create a website is Wix. Why? You can change everything in your program without installing any additional software. Their user interface is quite simple and intuitive, especially for total beginners. They also have an Application Market where you can add features with a single click if you ever want to add more functionality. 

However, compared to WordPress, Wix requires far more work to construct a website. WordPress is also well-known for its modules and plugins. However, installing or performing them is typically not that simple. To establish a site, the software as a whole basically needs a little bit of specialized training or at the very least some development experience. 

2. Design and adaptability

There are roughly 1,000 (yes, 1,000!) free templates in Wix's layout library. They are organized into classes (websites, cafés, photographers, etc.) and are slick and modern.

Whatever the case, you can undoubtedly relax because Wix offers a perspective that is entirely transportable. Although this is totally acceptable for Google (more on this later), you might need to re-arrange a few features (using intuitive) to properly serve your site on mobile devices. 

With Wix versus WordPress, you can get the exact you need if you know CSS and HTML or, on the other hand, if you wouldn't mind investing a few hours figuring out how to update your layout's code.

3. Plugins and Apps

There are many methods to expand your industry-specific site on Wix, and you can choose from 300 free and paid applications in the application market. There are incredible apps for things like lodging reservation systems, artist picture displays, or invoice generation, for instance. The fact that some of these applications are created by Wix itself is actually extremely significant. 

WordPress is renowned for its plugins, which include those for virtual entertainment, contact management, website design improvement, and more. WordPress serves as a good example of this since there is actually a plugin for everything. Although Wix's applications are much easier to set up and maintain, your choice is subject to some restrictions. 

Conclusion

It implies that the best free website builder depends on the type of site you want to create. Hiring a WordPress website development business is perhaps the best option if you require a solid solution that will scale over time. 

However, Wix is helpful for smaller, more modest sites that take less work and have an adequate design. The choice you make in the end will rely on what you really want from your website.

[archivyrep]

Archivists are not librarians: Understanding the differences [Part 4]

Continued from part 3

Anna's manipulation of the archivist begins in My Dictator Boyfriend

This includes effective collection management, archival appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, description, outreach, and reference. It is also about ensuring physical and intellectual control of records that have enduring value, occasionally directing workers to help arrange, exhibit, and maintain collections, and creating (and managing) a system to maintain and preserve electronic records. [7] While a librarian does some of this, when it comes to organizing library collections, outreach, and reference, preserving records is not a major part of many libraries, as they are more public-facing and are concerned with day-to-day operations even more than archives.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Dec. 9, 2021.

This is especially the case with public libraries, which probably won't have programs for long-term preservation of records, but only to retain records for long enough for certain operations. However, libraries with special collections, rare books, or other archivy elements may focus more on long-term preservation. It is something which is not much of a concern for public librarians, to be perfectly honest, unless such librarians are interested in it for other reasons apart from their work. I say with certainty because when I worked at a local library before I began grad school, there were no efforts to preserve records for long periods of time, just enough for the library catalog and patron records to function.

There are number of other duties archivists have, such as records management, digitization, public outreach, writing, teaching, looking after collections, and, again, involvement in the life cycle of an archival record. Just as important as classifying, analyzing, describing, or organizing records, is the fact that judgment of archivists will determine how the future views the past. Archivists may also experiment with Web 2.0 technologies to describe which can best meet the needs of archivists and patrons. [8]

Clearly, there are similarities between librarians and archivists when it comes to outreach, dealing with patrons, organizing materials, and describing collections, but there are so many differences between the two professions. Part of the problem is that the two disciplines are smashed together as part of MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) programs, with very few programs specifically about archives, leading these programs to be called "library programs" or the schools that host them "library schools."

Perhaps the SAA should accredit their own programs instead. Or maybe the SAA can come to an agreement with the ALA where both can work together to accredit programs, rather than the ALA to be in charge of accrediting programs, when it should really be a collaboration between both organizations if this is deemed to be necessary. Otherwise, the confusion between the two professions will cause problems with perceptions not only of archivists, but also of librarians, causing problems for those in both professions.

If you still think, after reading this post, that archivists and librarians are the same, then you truly are a dullard. The differences between them should be acknowledged and hopefully this post will help dispel some who believe the two are the same.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[7] See the ICA page entitled "Who is an archivist?", "so, what exactly does an archivist do?" from anthroarchivist, and "What Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers Do" section of the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

[8] See Jennifer Wright's "Some Archival Career Advice" post, Peter Chan's "What Does it Take to Be a Well-rounded Digital Archivist?" post, Erica Siegrist's "Records Managers vs. Archivists – What’s the Difference?" post, Samantha Thompson's "What do archivists keep (or not)?" post, the "Historians in Archives" page on American Historical Association website, and J. Gordon Daines III and Cory L. Nimer's "Web 2.0 and Archives" article.

[pinkleafsheep]

Essentially it's a MASSIVE musical event in Europe that pits bands and musicians from different countries against each other, all with very out there practical effects, but it's not just European countries taking part. This is mostly because there's some complex web of broadcasting rights, that let's Australia and Israel participate.

However, they've in the past banned countries for the acts of their government. Best example is Russia, who were banned from the competition in 2022 due to the invasion on Ukraine. However, Israel is allowed to participate despite their own invasion on a debatably larger scale. The reason given was "to stay non-political", but this is just false, and contradicts their stance on Russia.

Hence the boycott, it's letting Israel play propaganda to a stage of millions, and a boycott is a fucking MASSIVE deal. I can't stress enough how popular this event is in Europe. It's in the ball park of the superbowl. This will hurt them and it will hurt them hard. Several countries like Ireland and the hosts of the year Sweden are arguing they should pull out entirely and are under pressure to do so.

Free Palestine, fuck Eurovision.

the bds movement has officially called for a boycott of eurovision 2024.