#a google doc sheet to keep better track

[citylighten]

to storytellers with lengthy, ongoing stories: how many times have you cut a scene? 😂

[fairytale-poll]

In the next day or two (depending on how much time I have) I will be putting up a list of characters who have been submitted thus far, so I would ask anyone who wanted to send an ask seeing how many times [x] character has been submitted I would ask you to wait until that sheet is up so you can check it yourself :)

[exocynraku]

okay so you guys know how i have google docs with lists for my wc designs and my hypokits right yoouuu may be wondering how i've been keeping track of the family trees introducing the warrior cats family tree google SHEET . every cat on the left are ones i've drawn (probably wouldve been better if i sorted them alphabetically and not by group but ? idk if i have the brainpower to fix it) and then everyone on the right are characters who have some sort of family (including unnamed cats) who i haven't drawn

[fountainpenguin]

I've been experimenting with Firefox as a browser on the side (after using Chrome for many years), and while I'm going to try to keep using it because I know everyone says it's a better browser and that switching is easy, I want to make a few notes:

- Only 7 of my 23+ extensions had a Firefox parallel, so it's a learning curve to get used to things I no longer have. So far, I haven't found a working Xkit extension, making the Tumblr experience worse, but I'll keep trying. I miss my slider extension for adjusting screen brightness, which I have on Chrome. However, I'm grateful my password manager carried over.

- There's no Google Docs Offline extension. This isn't going to work for me, who does a ton of my work offline due to long carpooling trips, so even if I switch to using Firefox at home, I'd have to keep Chrome for this

-> Moving things between Word and Docs isn't super convenient for what I do, and I don't have Word on my laptop. Options such as wordcounter.com are an option in an emergency (I often open one such tab before a long car trip), but that's only useful for words, not working on formatting.

- I like Firefox's browser themes. One of them is an animated Spirited Away header that I really like because the URL bar is black and the top of the screen is dark. One of the problems I often have with Chrome is that I edit docs while in the dark, but extensions don't change the URL bar, which is blaringly white and distracting. I haven't tested Firefox in the dark, but I think I would like the dark bar.

-> Unfortunately, one common place I'm in the dark is on long carpool trips... and since there's no Edit Offline option, that's not as helpful as it could be. It may be helpful if I'm on a laptop in bed at night, but I haven't tested this yet.

- Was quite surprised that when I checked Firefox settings, all the "We track your data" toggles were flipped on? I thought that was the one thing Firefox was supposed to not do? (Or I'm not phrasing this properly since it may have been "We let websites use targeted ads by tracking data," or something like that).

And that's fine, I'm glad I could turn it off, but very surprising to me since all the Tumblr posts I've seen encouraging people to switch to Firefox talk about how it's so easy to move your extensions over, it does everything Chrome can do but better, and they never track your data, and so far my experience has been the opposite of this.

- I'm grateful I have a Google Doc bookmarked. All my bookmarks were easy and instant to migrate to Firefox, but because it's separate from Google (obviously), there's no easy way to access my files without having something like a bookmark.

So, instead of opening a new tab and clicking on the Google Apps menu (where I usually go to access docs or sheets), I instead access them by having one doc or sheet bookmarked, then clicking on the icon that takes you to those home pages.

I don't mind doing this because it's the same amount of clicks for me- I'm very used to having a doc, sheet, and gmail in my bookmarks bar and I recently added my calendar to bookmarks. However, if I hadn't bookmarked these before opening Firefox, I don't see any easy way to find them. I'm glad I'm tech-savvy enough to get there, but if I were not tech-savvy, I think this would be stressful for me.

- I'm not 100% sure what the point of a private Firefox browser is when people say that Firefox doesn't track your stuff. It looks like it's for cookies and history. One small (avoidable in the future) problem I had was thinking I was in the private browser when I was still in the regular browser because the colors are the same- there's just a small logo informing you if you're in the private browser.

So, if you're sharing a computer with housemates and trying to use Firefox's private browser, be careful not to get them mixed up. I think I made this mistake because the keyboard shortcut to open a new tab in Firefox is not the same as it is in Chrome, so I thought I'd opened the tab, glanced over at my second monitor, and missed the fact that it hadn't gone through.

- After I told Firefox to stop asking to be my default browser, the next time I opened it, it asked if I wanted Firefox to open my tabs for me. There wasn't a description of what this meant, such as if I'm in Chrome and right click a link to open it in a new tab, if it would open an entire Firefox browser instead of a new tab in my Chrome window.

I did not commit to this option due to me not understanding what it meant, but if that's what it would do, that would be super annoying right now. Also, that's really weird of it to basically ask to be default browser in different words (if that's what it was asking).

So, here's the main reason I wanted to make this post:

- I downloaded a new word counter because Word Counter Plus was not one of the extensions that had a Firefox parallel. I picked the 2nd most popular one (didn't see there was a more popular one 'til now).

Let me tell ya, there is nothing more horrifying than opening the draft you've been revising for weeks, highlighting, checking the word count, and seeing the number 2,940 when you're expecting 17k+ and you're in the AO3 editor box, so there's no way to recover history if I actually had deleted 14k words.

Image of my word counter extension on Firefox vs. my definitely more correct one from Google Chrome- same document, and I checked to confirm all the words were highlighted in Firefox.

Luckily, all my 17k words are still there. I'm just doing final revisions and will be done soon - trying to get from 17k words down to 15k - but I will definitely be doing this in my usual Chrome because Firefox is not up to this task.

... Okay, I just switched to using the more popular Word Count extension, and even though I followed the steps in the extension, nothing happened. I didn't get a pop-up.

-> After testing, it doesn't work correctly. I was able to open a new AO3 chapter and select a small section of text. However, it doesn't even try giving me a pop-up when I test it on the chapter with 17k words. Not a good sign that the only two word counter extensions with more than 1,000 people are unable to do this, even though the extension's page says "works for any length of text."

So far, I haven't had adblocker or captcha conflicts, though I do have to go through the usual annoyances of setting a new browser to my settings.

I also read somewhere that Firefox doesn't let you copy-paste / cut-paste because it protects your data by not saving things in your clipboard. So far, I have not encountered this problem. However, if I did, that would also be a deal-breaker because I need to highlight and move data between docs (and within my doc) on the regular.

I'm going to keep testing Firefox sometimes because I'd like to use it since people keep saying it's the best and that Google is changing stuff in June, so now's the time to switch.

Since I've only seen posts that enthuse about Firefox being easy and the best on my dash, I at least wanted to mention some of my struggles so my followers can go into Firefox with appropriate expectations if they're also hoping to do things like have an accurate word count or use Google Docs offline (especially if they're holding out to switch until June and might be caught off guard if the learning curve is harsher than expected).

So, imo:

- Chrome is still the best option for me as someone who keeps track of thousands of separate Google Docs and Sheets and likes them to be easily accessible

- My research suggests there is no possible way to edit Docs offline if using Firefox (Bad news for my multi-hour carpool life and a definite deal-breaker to switching permanently)

- The two most popular word counters were not able to handle the length of an average document (less than 60 pages in Google Docs)

-> I can continue using the Google Docs app on my phone to edit offline and then access those docs on Firefox when I'm back in Internet connection, but I'd rather use a laptop keyboard than a phone keyboard if I'm in a vehicle for 6 hours (which is a common experience in my life right now)

- I recommend testing extensions thoroughly in a practice setting before you try to use them for actual important work. I would have been SO embarrassed (and potentially fired) if I was checking a ton of articles for a client and some of them were off by 15,000 words, but I waved them through because I'd only tested the extension with small sections of words (where it seems accurate) and not long sections.

I also would have been embarrassed if I'd searched something I thought was private and then I wasn't in the private browser and it came up in my recent history.

So, I would say Firefox may not be the right browser for a writer unless they've found different tools that get around these problems, and if you want to use Firefox, take the time to get familiar with it before you do anything "serious" with it. If you have important documents to review for work, don't jump in assuming your tools will work correctly.

[cirphu]

nonnie here! I like the idea of pen pals! Especially because I feel guilty for taking so long to respond, so the snail mail vibe works for me. But here we go in response to the last one!

S&M by Rihanna for Even Sun, I want to say it's not because it's a sexy scene! It's just really funny and for some reason, that song feels like it could have changed the scene or made it more comical if they'd been able to use it or thought of it.

Last Twilight is definitely a show I would still recommend even if I am disappointed with how they handled the disability at the end. I have rewatched it again just to catch some of the other things I loved and they did get a lot of things right. So I hope people will still watch it. Just know that the ending isn't as good as it could be. It's not terrible it's just unsatisfying to me.

I am now at 87 finished, 5 sitting in the probably not gonna finish bucket (which is hard for me as a completionist) and about 5 that I am working on, most of them slowly because I want to finish them but they are tough to watch for one reason or other, and one of them that I am loving so much I am watching as it drops which I don't typically do, but that one is Wandee Goddday and I LOVE it so much!!! I have also watched a number of shorts and one movie.

I am keeping track in a google doc lol. I really wish I had thought to track it in a spreadsheet so I could mark when I finished each but I am too far in now! But I think I might still make a spreadsheet because I like sheets. We'll see. And I use MDL mostly for finding shows and figuring out what to watch next based on actors. Oh the google doc is sitting just over 18K words, so I have thoughts!

You mentioned the different countries and taking on same shows, like Cherry Magic and Why R U, I admit I still need to find the Japanese CM, but I have now watched both Why R U? and I love both versions, especially because I was able to compartmentalize the Thai one and not let it affect how I felt about the Korean one and I love them both. Just need to find the Japan Cherry Magic because the gifs I have seen look so good.

I still love my old top 4 but I have another 4 that are my favs too that I have to mention which are Semantic Error, Unknown, To My Star (both) and The Eclipse (with the caveat that I had some issues with it and wanted to change a few things but I did love Akk/Aye and the protestors so much!) To My Star hit me in a way I did not expect a BL to hit me, and I found some healing watching it. I am finding that BLs often address very real things that hit me kind of hard, and I am okay with that.

I've also learned that there are not happy ending BLs and I have to say I kinda hate them. But I have watched at least 4? Maybe 5 now, and only one was I okay with the fact that it wasn't a particularly happy ending, although they kind of hinted at something at the end, but it felt like it wasn't enough. That was Kissable Lips, which is the same couple from Poondock that I really liked. I liked the unique play on vampires (I have a thing for vampire shows but I didn't like two western vamp shows or rather I couldn't get into them, they were good but just didn't pull me in like I thought they would) and I know I have some more Vampire BLs I need to check out. Seriously hoping the Boun Vamp show is good, though I like the old name better than the new name LOL

Last but not least, about my cat and The Sign, I have rewatched it again on the big screen to see what if anything draws her attention, and I have to say you're a genius, she seems to like Phaya the most. AND SHE DEFINETLY LIKES HIM IN BIRD FORM!!! How did I not pick that up before?! AND she did like Saint in bird form too, in fact she tried to jump up on the place where the TV is and she fell off. Oh wait...this might mean she wants to eat him...she watches birds out the window like a hawk...it's kind of disturbing sometimes, so maybe she is just hungry and wants to eat them both 😂

Anyways still loving the BL world and cannot seem to pick a genre or a country that's a fav so I love them all, even the ones that pissed me off LOL

Sorry for the late response, my life got kinda flipped upside down and I am grateful for BL because it has given me something to distract me from the not so great thing. I am okay, just some people did some horrible things and I am trying to sort through it. In fact BL is kinda saving my sanity right now.

Thanks again Rae you made my world a better place with the BLs

K 💜

Hi nonnie~ great! pen pals it is! I also feel guilty for taking a while to respond… case in point this reply which I didn’t realize is over a month out orz

Re Even Sun: Ah, I understand. Idk when time will permit (there are so many things to watch this summer 😭), but I look forward to watching it at some point so I can get the full effect of what you’re saying.

Re Last Twilight: Yeah, that was the general consensus for the ending, but I still plan on giving it a chance since I enjoyed gif-watching it while it aired. I know what to expect, so the (potential) disappointment with how things ended won’t be as great.

Whoa, 87 already?! What’s your binging method? I gotta step up my game XD Seriously though, as I said last time, I definitely feel you because I am also a completionist but sometimes we have to take the L no matter how much it goes against our nature. Always remember, enjoyment comes first.

It’s been a month since you sent this. How’s it going with the 5 that you were struggling with? Did your interest pique for any of them?

Re Wandee Goodday: Despite a few plot holes and very questionable moments, it has been quite enjoyable for me too.

Ooo shorts! I’m always in the market for good ones — any recs? And if you are looking for some more to watch, I would recommend Trémulo (YouTube), Summerdaze (YouTube), Private Lessons (Gaga), Some More (Gaga), Love Takes Courage (Hold Me) (YouTube), and Please Tell Me So (YouTube). The last 4 recs are from the STRONGBERRY production house which I still highly recommend till this day. The fandom literally has a tag dedicated to them (#in strongberry we trust) which should tell you all you need to know XD

You can find Cherry Magic JP here — happy watching! I have yet to watch the Thai version yet, but it looks great.

Why R U? is one of my all time faves so I have not watched the Korean version because I know I will not be able to compartmentalize. That might change in the future, but for now it’s a no-go for me lol

Those are great additions to the top of your list. They ranked pretty high for me too and I have to agree with your sentiments about To My Star. K-dramas do melancholy characters/vibes very well which can be quite healing for those of us who can relate. Other dramas that I think do this very well are Blueming, Our Dating Sim, and Sing My Crush.

Same, I also don’t do sad endings. I was caught off-guard and utterly devastated once and wish to NEVER feel that way again lol

The vampire bls that have aired recently are not as dark as I’d like them to be but as you said, Revamp looks promising. There is also My Golden Blood, but I don’t think that it’ll air this year anymore.

For the old title of Revamp, are you talking about My Broccoli? If so, I have to agree. The stories are not connected, but that title would've been a nice call back to Boun & Prem's characters in Until We Meet Again.

Wait! It makes total sense that she would like them in bird form for food purposes! Here I thought she was feeling a level of camaraderie. Either way, my previous statement remains true. She indeed has good taste 😂

Glad to hear that you’re doing well despite what has been going on. I hope that things have gotten better and keep trending that way.

Sending hugs and positive vibes~ Talk soon 💜

P.S. I’ve updated your tag to #nonnie k

[kiwiana-writes]

7, 10, 13 for the beginning of the year asks!

7. Will you change anything about the way you interact with other writers?

I’ve been trying really hard to get over my chronic crippling fear of being annoying/too much/unwelcome and actually sliding into the DMs of people I want to get to know—it’s not something that comes easily to me at all but I’ve made some really special friendships in the last year and I’d hate to miss out on more of those, so. I’ll keep working on it 😅

Apart from that, trying to be more consistent with my commenting because I know how much comments mean to me as an author (including going back and commenting on stuff I bookmarked when doing my initial whip through the fandom tag after I gave up on trying not to hyper fixate here lol), continuing to share snippets of other authors’ work on tumblr and get hype, and maybe the big one—get better at subscribing to authors I like!! I’m great at subscribing to individual fics but for some reason I keep forgetting author subs are a thing and then being annoyed I’ve missed fics from authors I love 😂

10. Will you keep a record of all the fics you write and/or post this year?

Yes! My nerd ass has actually spent a decent chunk of today not only migrating my batshit Google sheets stats tracker into Airtable to make it a little easier to manage (something something 229 works on AO3 fml) but also adding a pretty cool WIP wordcount tracker into it as well. Because right now it’s all scattered across 52+ docs and a pain in the ass to track. It’ll also have the benefit of letting me see what WIPs I’m ACTUALLY working on…

I also got Zapier set up to create a new row in Airtable whenever I create a new Google doc in my WIP folder, because again, nerding out.

Definitely gotta put some thought into what stats I want it to calculate, though.

13. Aside from fanfic, are there any other fan works you’d like to try creating? Fanart, or fanvids, gifsets, or podfic? 

I have taken the tiniest of baby steps into gif making in the last month or so with my WIP Wednesday/Six Sentence Sunday/etc banner and what I learned from that process is that gif makers are even more ridiculously talented than I already thought they were. Definitely want to play with that more, maybe.

Also neither of them are new things to try, but I did pull back on both podfics and bookbinding in the last year and I’d LOVE to get back into both of those.

[fanfic asks for the new year]

[kadoodles-on-ao3]

Hey there!! Thank you for the kind ask (this is Zanthe's "Main" blog) I didn't want to reply to it directly because i'd like to keep it in my inbox to treasure, but I wanted to say thank you. It truly means a lot!

We are 🤝 over rarepairs in this tiny little fandom, though I do admit I love the anonymity nowadays! I've been here for years and it's very comfortable and nice being an older, more obscure artist lol.

I do recommend at the very least, sitting down and writing down your amv ideas. There are many i've never drawn, but i have a ton written down to chip away at the day I have the energy to, and it's very good to keep those ideas with you, i hope you're able to realize them one day, I'd love to see them!

Also, I'm glad my checklist can be of help!! If you're curious, it took about 4 days to make it, in which i was completely hyperfixated on it!spreadsheets my beloved. Good luck on your project!! If you'd ever like to chat, feel free to send a message ^w^ have a lovely day

Oh!! Of course, I'm glad it made you happy! To hear you liked it so much you want to preserve it is really touching and made me smile, thank you! :>

(I hope it's alright that I'm replying to your ask directly, if not let me know and I'll take this down and copy-paste what I said below to you in a DM if you'd like!)

Haha it's really true that rarepair fans are like their own group that crosses fandoms and/or specific ships, a little subculture inside a subculture of a subculture :)

I definitely can't blame you for not wanting a lot of attention since I feel the same way, I'd be terrified to be a big name haha.

Oh I really appreciate the advice! The fact that you think my ideas are worth preserving is very kind of you haha :) I'm very much the type who gets random inspiration at 3 AM or while eating dinner, and would otherwise forget my epiphanies if I didn't write them down. So ever since I was a kid I made a habit of it! Although back then I used pencil and paper haha, but now I have a 22-page-long semi-organized google doc. The AMV outlines are in there somewhere! Knowing there's even one person out there who wants to see something I've made or plan to make is an incredible feeling, thank you so much ;v;

Anyway, how did you learn to animate and make AMVs? And what drawing software do you use? If you don't mind me asking of course!

Oh thank you again for that checklist!! Wow 4 days seems like nothing compared to how extensive it is, that's amazing! I've been working on my own Xenoblade excel sheet project for a long time now, and it took me months and months to get that near completion. But if you're much better at organizing/planning than I am it saves a ton of time, I went through like 3 major restructurings of stuff that took days to finish... only to redo everything like a week later haha

And you're also very kind to read my silly tags and wish me luck on my project!! (It's a different one from before haha, that one is a comprehensive list of when all the party members' and bosses' voice lines play and under what circumstances. I'll be making it public on the upcoming anniversary!) For this other one, it's a challenge run of XC1 of sorts! But I have a dumb irrational fear that if I go into detail about what it is, someone else will swoop in before I get a chance to do it myself and take the world-first credit of it hahaha. But one day I will do it, I really want to, and your checklist will be immensely super helpful in planning my route and keeping track of everything, so thank you again! And thank you again (again) for this wonderful message, it really brightened my whole day! :))

[thattallqueerbassistresources]

What to Take Notes On For Your Fanfiction (and how to do that)

Outline

A roadmap, a reminder, and a reference.

This is arguably the most important one. If you have a start and end goal, even if its vague or a "wherever the words take me", its good to know where your plot points are, any moments you want to build up to, or something you want to foreshadow.

It can also be used as a quick reference for what you've already written. A sentence per important detail, event, or realization for instance, can help you know what you've already introduced, at what point, and in what order.

2. Characters

We all know and love them, but how well are you portraying them?

This can range from making sure you're keeping them consistent to canon, consistent within the fic, accurate to their voice, or just being able to know their relationship with the other characters and the world that you're writing.

My favorite way to do this is to have a quick physical description with as few words as possible, a summary of their past, their close relationships to relevant characters, and then a list of their common sayings, vocal tics, and phrases. For example, a character I want to write more often says "Hello? Is someone there?" into the fog. Like, 'multiple times an episode' often. This helps me be more accurate to her, and her voice.

You can also make note of their motivations, their bonds, their flaws, their fears, whatever you think is most relevant to that character and that story.

3. Important Details/Themes/Patterns

When you want something to be a recurring theme, you want to make sure that you both remember to make it reappear, and that its in the same vein as you meant it originally.

If you have a theme of water, or fire, or light, make a list of descriptors and metaphors that will work with those that you can then use later. You can save one phrase for referring to a particular character, or use the same type of words to describe something the pov character doesn't know how to. Having this written down somewhere you can access it easily may be very helpful if you are including any recurring themes or patterns.

4. Alternate Universe Details

Again, this is for consistency. You want the world to feel stable and real, certain in the facts about it.

You can write all of it down first, or make notes of what you throw in as you go, but it will all be useful to reference when you get to that point of "oh, what did I say about this thing?" because you won't have to read through 10k, but instead find it in a specific place.

5. A list of better words and phrases

This will help you greatly in the editing process, by giving you a quick reference full of similar or better words, phrases, and sayings to switch your duller or ill-fitting ones out for.

This is not one I've used, however, a friend of mine has a physical binder that they use as reference, and it has many many different sections they have divided it up into. It works very well for them, and I think that its worth a try :)

Side Note: All of these can be used for just one fic, or a series. However, I would advise that you keep everything in separate docs, and keep track of your progress in google sheets or a similar application.

[toastyboyjones]

WHAT YOU, AS A PLAYER, CAN DO TO HELP

Every group is different, and every DM needs different things, so the best thing to do is to actually ask them what they need help with the most. But these are some good universal helpers.

- Take notes, with whatever method works best for you. Your DM has a lot to remember, and gameplay goes a lot faster if they don't have to spend 20 minutes digging through google docs trying to find the name of an NPC that you wanted to talk to in the first place.

- Know your own character sheet. It can take time, but the better you understand your own abilities, the more you can utilize them. If a situation arises that seems perfect for an item or skill that you have, this was likely planned in advance FOR YOU, to showcase your PC and their talents. Reward yourself by seizing the spotlight, and reward your DM for thinking about you.

- Track your own stats. Especially in combat, but even in general, the DM has to know and keep track of the armor, health, weapons and spells of every single entity your PCs encounter in the entire world. It's not fair to make them do the same for you. Please track your own spell slots and HP.

- Assist with out-of-game planning. This one's simple. The less time the DM has to spend organizing schedules, hosting meetups, getting/making food and drinks, the more time they can spend planning the actual game.

- When it's time to play the game, play the game. I cannot understate this enough. Everyone has put a LOT of time, thought and energy into getting you all together and making this game happen. Please pay attention. Keep out-of-game chatter to a minimum. Do not interrupt. I'm not saying not to laugh and have fun, that's the whole point, but just be respectful of the effort to took to prepare this story for you.

Ultimately, just try to remember that this is a team game, and the DM is a player too. They're trying to help you have fun, help them too!

The trouble with trying to talk about "the players just dick around while the GM does all the actual work of making the game happen" as a dysfunctional mode of play in tabletop roleplaying spaces is that it's so normalised that a lot of GMs genuinely don't realise that's what's happening. They'll look at a description of the problem and with a perfectly straight face declare "yeah, that shit would never fly in my group, that's why we [proceeds to describe a way of organising play in which the GM does all the actual work of making the game happen]". And we wonder why GM burnout is such a universal phenomenon!

[centizen]

Best Remote Management Tools

Up until a few years ago, remote work was considered unreliable and was offered minimum wage; recently with the pandemic threats & collapsing economy, it is becoming a full-time career. As a business, you should manage teams when you are good at what you do back by taking risks and actions whenever required. Your brand may have several teams collaborating effectively under guided leadership. Stay up to date on projects by communicating with them regularly and checking if they have the necessary tools and details to handle the team. This raised questions and challenged credibility, context, reliability but powerful collaboration tools are now empowering people to explore the unexplored as of now. We’ll talk about the best remote management tools that manage a remote development team.

Effective management of Remote Management Teams

Some key points to manage the Offshore development team are,

Explain the project goal and make sure the team is on the same page as you. Context over communication delivers desired results.

Make sure the team works collaboratively to reduce stress and anxiety.

Swap work schedules among the team to overcome time differences.

Maintain and monitor a work log to keep track of the performances.

Have face-to-face chats often during brainstorming sessions to get familiar & understand how your team works out the knots.

WorkSpace for Remote Work Culture

By 2020, the world froze and had to resort to a remote workspace overnight. To cope up and continue with the new normal, organizations had to find a way to strengthen remote performance without compromising user and client experience alike. To navigate this setup without additional issues remote teams had to feel connected and the only way to establish a productive environment is through setting up a flexible, creative remote workspace where teams could understand what was going on with their team members. Google Workspace and Microsoft Workspace are considered as one of the best remote management tools for data handling, FIGJAM for creatives, Zoom by educators, etc made it feasible.

Google Workspace

Google had been an innovating tech leader so when their cloud based workforce formerly known as G-suite was easily integrated to work flows by most tech organisations. Additionally Google specifically renamed it to Google Workspace as they claimed that ‘work is no longer a physical place’. Remote employees are working with their employer, clients, teams for discussions, knowledge sharing backed by a strong team culture. Google workspace ensures security, and data privacy integrated with Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google meet, Vault, Work insights, etc to collaborate with your team effectively.

Microsoft Workspace

With Remote work implementation, organizations are facing the challenge of finding a reliable way to connect, collaborate and manage their works. Similar to Google workspace, Microsoft’s Workspace allows employees to customize My Workspace based on the team’s requirements. My workspace features include creating Folders to organize, saving searches, creating a dashboard, etc. Microsoft Workspace collection includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Microsoft 365 increases the production level and reduces the malware and intrusion risks.

Collaboration Tools

Whether it is for in-house teams or offshore teams, communication is the key for getting the work done effectively. To subdue this issue organizations use mail, chats, video calls, virtual chat rooms and conferences to help the team understand the project very clearly and collaborate effectively. Here are some highly recommended remote management tools to ensure seamless communication between teams.

Slack

Slack is a faster, better organised and secure way to communicate with your team. Slack is a messaging app for business that connects people to the information that they need. By bringing people together to work as a unified team, Slack transforms the way that organisations communicate. Slack enables creating team conversation into projects, teams, and topics. The pricing of slack is $6.67-$12.50/monthly with a free limited option.

Troop messenger

Troop Messenger, an Indian app for professional communication rivals Slack helps businesses to chat, meet, call and collaborate. The platform allows sharing files, audio-video conferencing, and much more. Troop is preferred when privacy is of concern. Since it possesses a low-complexity interface, teams can migrate files between teams, track or monitor the progress for businesses based on multi-locations. The price of troop messenger is up to ₹500 users/month.

Video Conferencing Tools

Whether it is in-house teams or remote teams face to face communication holds value than a text that conveys everything in detail. With video conferencing you can get your teams and clients on the same page as you. Video conferencing platforms are one of the needed remote management tools to provide a collaborative atmosphere between the employees from multiple locations. Since video conferencing performs 30% better in communication and collaboration it’s worth investing in a great video conferencing platform for your business. Here we have shortlisted a few tools that have high reputations by top organisations.

Skype

Skype, ahead of its time, is robust and works well for small teams. It is a good way to call and communicate with teams. Skype’s business package allows up to 250 team members and the video or audio call can be recorded for future references. Skype is versatile for HD video calling, screen sharing, video call recording, interactive video chats, and location sharing. Since Skype is a Microsoft product you can share data from office apps and services such as MicrosoftTeams, MicrosoftExchange, MicrosoftOneDrive, Microsoft SharePoint, and Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The skype pricing for business basic is ₹125.00 user/month and Microsoft 365 Business Standard is ₹660.00 user/month.

Zoom

Zoom with its recent fame has quickly become the go to tools by remote teams in the Corporate sector. It allows you to conduct one on one and group meetings with screen sharing, co-hosting, and recording or creating transcripts for meetings are some of the popular features. Zoom has 300+ million active users globally due to its high video quality, unlimited meetings, scheduled calls, host controls, and private or group chats. The pricing starts from $149.90 for 100 participants, with a Free limited plan. You can purchase the plans for up to 1000 interactive audiences and team members based on the organization size.

File-sharing Tools

Following quality communication and face-time, remote team management is always concerned about secure file sharing. File sharing involves any file transfer protocols or files being ripped (ie; copying files to disc) or through mails. Emails are one of the major file-sharing options with limitations on attachments and security. But, to secure file sharing among remote teams, cloud storage is inevitable, with tons of widely accessible apps in the market. Giants and smaller companies offer countless online cloud storage and file-sharing apps to synchronize and lead teams on the right path. We have mentioned the best remote management tools for an effective remote culture.

Google Drive

A cloud storage platform that enables users to save files online with access from multiple locations and features like documents, spreadsheets, presentations to share and secure files in a centralized location. Drive allows files and folders that can be accessed based on permissions. The user who creates a file or folder is recognized as the owner by default and can control the visibility and edit permissions across accounts or transfer ownership using Gmail. It integrates well with first-party or third-party web applications for a seamless customer experience. Google offers 15GB of storage for free and to extend the storage GoogleDrive offers various plans at low cost for both consumer and enterprise versions.

DropBox

Cloud storage plays a pivotal role for development. DropBox runs on a hybrid model, known as Magic Pockets, a custom-built infrastructure equipped with interfaces for easier collaboration regardless of location and device. For a smooth setup and execution, set up a shared folder to distribute files all over the team, or allow access from the web without stuffing them all in one system drive. Dropbox Basic is free with 2Gb storage and if needed can update from basic to business for unlimited storage.

Project Management Tools

Project management is a complex task that requires consistent tracking. Some challenges include visibility, asynchronous collaborations that have demanded remote teams to rethink how remote management tools help manage and monitor to yield maximum productivity.

Basecamp

Basecamp is a popular project management tool designed favored by large teams to organize, track, and collaborate tasks. Basecamp aims to make collaboration, management and team communication on the same platform with a To-do list and Message boards. To convey information, basecamp has a chat room that can be scheduled. Basecamp has a minimal clean interface with some limitations like no archive contents, and the team hierarchy will be forced to look after other alternatives.

Trello

Trello is a simple form that can be used by small teams with little to no technical experience. Trello is a cloud-based Project management platform, easy-to-use with visually intuitive Kanban Technology based list-making tools. Trello Dashboards are made up of Trello Cards that list the teams’ tasks and ideas. To keep track of Trello cards, use the List inbuilt in Trello. Trello Dashboards, allows you to view all the information about a specific item with a view limit of 10 boards at a time. Trello comes with no-code automation to integrate top work tools to manage, organize and build team spirit all in one place.

Time management tools

To stay organized amidst a tight schedule and to manage a team effectively time management is how a manager allows teams to get work done. When you schedule and organize tasks for team members across the same time. In the process of building a team with good management, ethics and organization remote team hours are tracked to calculate how much time their team members are spending to gain productivity and customer insights to ensure that remote teams are working optimally. Here is a quick overview of the best time management tools in the market.

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is the best remote time tracking tool to record and maintain the time spent on each activity through screenshots captured at a particular interval of time. To empower employees to increase productivity, TimeDoctor provides detailed analytics of Time spent on each task with quantifiable data which accounts for time worked on different projects, tools, and apps. With a 15 days free trial, Time Doctor Price ranges from $7-$20 per month.

ProofHub

ProofHub delivers all tools under one roof to efficiently track and manage time, tasks, reports and file proofing, and much more both automatically and manually using timers. ProofHub is already there among 85,000 teams and businesses worldwide with notable clients like Netflix, Google, Walt Disney to simplify the deadlines and deliverables management. For greater flexibility, Proofhub syncs with external apps like Google calendar, iCal to customize the feel and look to suit your preferences. Through steady boards, workflows, time tracking, and proofing boost team members’ productivity to track the progress on the go. ProofHub has both Ultimate and Essential Control Plan for $89/month and $45/month respectively for unlimited users. Proofhub is widely accepted and is awarded for its features and performance stand as an example. For excellent collaboration and standout features, businesses prefer Proofhub to be an alternative option.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, with time and technology advancing, each project with the right set of tools can help achieve best outcomes. This article was written with the aim to give an abstract idea on top tools preferred and used in the IT sector. However, experimenting with the right tools in the right circumstances helps understand what might work for you.

Empower your remote hiring process with Centizen Talent Hub

[smartonlinenotepad]

5 Best Productivity Tools for Remote Workers and Free Online Notepads

Remote work has become the new norm for many professionals, making productivity tools an essential part of daily routines. From managing tasks to keeping notes organized, the right tools can make all the difference in staying efficient. Online notepads are one of the most crucial tools for quick note-taking and brainstorming. Using a free online notepad ensures that you can jot down ideas on the go without any hassle, making it easy to stay on top of your work. Here are the 10 best productivity tools for remote workers to boost efficiency and stay organized.

1. Smart Online Notepad

Smart Online Notepad is an easy-to-use writing tool with powerful AI features, making it ideal for students, professionals, and writers. This free online notepad helps you write better, faster, and error-free with features like AI Grammar Correction, Text Rewriting, and Seamless Sharing. It also offers Word & Character Count, Dark/Light Mode, and Multi-Language Support. You can save notes, search old ones, and enjoy auto-save functionality, making it perfect for remote workers who need an efficient, hassle-free writing solution.

Features:

AI Grammar Correction

Text Rewriting

Seamless Sharing

Word & Character Count

Dark/Light Mode

Multi-Language Support

Note Saving and Search Functionality

2. Trello

Trello is a popular project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help remote workers organize their tasks and collaborate with their team. Trello's visual approach makes it easy to keep track of ongoing projects and deadlines.

Features:

Visual task management

Team collaboration

Integration with other tools

3. Zoom

Zoom is a well-known video conferencing tool that makes virtual meetings easy and accessible. It's essential for remote teams that need face-to-face communication to stay connected and discuss work progress.

Features:

High-quality video and audio

Screen sharing

Meeting recording

4. Slack

Slack is a messaging app designed for teams. It helps remote workers communicate effectively with channels, direct messaging, and integrations with other productivity tools.

Features:

Team communication

File sharing

Integration with project management tools

5. Google Workspace

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) offers a suite of productivity tools, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Calendar. These cloud-based tools allow remote workers to collaborate in real-time and stay organized.

Features:

Real-time collaboration

Cloud storage

Calendar and email integration

Conclusion

Productivity tools are essential for remote workers to stay organized, efficient, and connected. Whether it's taking notes, managing tasks, or staying in touch with colleagues, the right tools can make a significant difference. Smart Online Notepad stands out as a versatile online notepad for quick note-taking and content creation, helping remote workers write better and stay organized without hassle. From AI-powered grammar correction to seamless sharing, Smart Online Notepad is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a free writing pad online to improve their workflow. Give it a try today and transform the way you work!

[sammedkolhapuri]

The Freelancer’s Toolkit: Essential Software for Managing Your Design Business

Freelancing in the design world combines creativity with entrepreneurship. For freelancers juggling multiple projects and clients, having the right software toolkit is crucial for success. From project management to financial tracking, here are the essential tools every freelance designer should consider to streamline their workflow and expand their market reach.

1. Project Management: Trello

Trello is an intuitive tool that helps you organize projects into boards, lists, and cards. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can easily prioritize tasks, track project progress, and manage deadlines. Whether you’re working solo or collaborating with others, Trello keeps everything from client feedback to final designs in one accessible place.

2. Financial Management: FreshBooks

FreshBooks offers cloud-based accounting solutions designed for the specific needs of freelancers and small business owners. It simplifies invoicing, expense tracking, and time management, allowing you to keep finances in check without needing a background in accounting. With robust reports, you can quickly gauge your business health, helping you make informed financial decisions.

3. Communication: Slack

In the realm of client communication, Slack stands out for its versatility. It allows you to create channels for different clients or projects, ensuring that all communications are well-organized and retrievable. Slack integrates with a multitude of other tools, making it not just a communication platform but a central hub for notifications and updates.

4. Design and Visualization: Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud remains the gold standard for design tools, offering everything from Photoshop for photo editing to Illustrator for vector-based graphics and InDesign for layout design. These tools are indispensable for creating professional-quality designs that meet client specifications.

5. Multilingual Design Management: Translate.Photo

For freelancers working with international clients, language barriers can pose a significant challenge, especially when designs include textual elements. Translate.Photo is a plugin for canva/figma/illustrator and photoshop that seamlessly translates text within designs into over 75 languages. This not only speeds up the design process but also ensures that your work resonates with a global audience, expanding your market reach.

6. Time Tracking: Toggl

Toggl is a straightforward time tracking tool that helps you keep tabs on how much time you spend on each project. This is particularly useful for freelancers who charge by the hour or need to provide detailed time reports to clients. Toggl’s analytics also help you understand where you spend most of your time, allowing for better workflow optimization.

7. Cloud Storage: Google Drive

Google Drive offers a secure and reliable way to store and share large files. As a freelancer, you’ll find its integration with other Google services like Docs and Sheets beneficial for real-time collaboration and feedback.

Conclusion

Running a freelance design business requires more than just creative skills; it demands efficient management of projects, finances, and client relationships. By integrating these essential tools into your workflow, you can save time, enhance productivity, and focus more on what you do best: creating stunning designs. With the addition of Translate.Photo, you can ensure your designs are not only effective but also universally accessible, making your services invaluable to clients worldwide.

[jthatoi]

Unleashing Productivity: The Pivotal Role of Google Workspace

In today’s business context, when collaboration and efficiency are critical, the use of modern tools is not a choice but a strategic need. Google Workspace, a full suite of cloud-based services, has emerged as a key player in revolutionizing how businesses work, interact, and innovate. As we manage the intricacies of today’s workplace, the importance of Google Workspace in promoting productivity becomes clear.

An Integrated Ecosystem for Efficient Collaboration:

One of Google Workspace’s most notable characteristics is its ability to build a single ecosystem that smoothly integrates numerous productivity applications. The synergy among these services provides a collaborative atmosphere that exceeds the boundaries of typical office settings, from Gmail to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more. This oneness allows teams to work together more effectively, breaking down boundaries and allowing for a more fluid interchange of ideas.

Collaborative Workspaces:

Gmail, a strong email platform with an intuitive layout, powerful search tools, and advanced filtering options, is included in Google Workspace. It simplifies virtual meetings, as well as asynchronous and real-time communication. Google Drive, a cloud-based storage service for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, improves data management and eliminates version control issues. With Docs, Sheets, and Slides, Google Workspace emphasizes real-time collaboration, allowing several users to collaborate on documents at the same time, avoiding the delays and uncertainty associated with traditional file-sharing techniques. This functionality is very valuable for teams who collaborate across borders.

Efficient Project Management with Accessibility and Security:

With Google Calendar and Tasks, Google Workspace expands its capabilities into project management. Calendar keeps teams on track with schedules and deadlines, promoting a common knowledge of project schedules. Tasks, on the other hand, streamline to-do lists and progress tracking, supporting an organized and productive workflow.

Google Workspace prioritizes both security and accessibility in an era where data security is non-negotiable. Two-factor authentication, data encryption, and other advanced security features protect sensitive data. Simultaneously, the suite’s cloud-based structure ensures that users may access their work whenever and wherever they want, enabling a flexible and adaptive work environment.

Increasing Productivity in All Areas:

Google Workspace’s significance in increasing productivity extends beyond the limitations of traditional office arrangements. It is a driving force for creativity, a promoter of collaboration, and a defender of data integrity. As organizations throughout the world rethink their work paradigms, Google Workspace stands as a versatile and necessary ally, giving the tools required to prosper in today’s dynamic business landscape. Accept the power of Google Workspace and see your organization’s productivity skyrocket. The future of work has arrived, and it is fuelled by collaboration, efficiency, and Google Workspace’s seamless integration.

Conclusion:

Businesses that embrace Google Workspace are better able to boost productivity, remain ahead of the curve, and ultimately achieve their goals in today’s competitive landscape. Google Workspace is a dependable and important ally in the pursuit of better efficiency and productivity as the digital world evolves. Remember that in the business world, productivity is everything, and Google Workspace is the winning move.

So, whether you work in education, healthcare, manufacturing, marketing, retail, or another industry, think about implementing Google Workspace to empower your team and push your organization to better productivity and success. Google Workspace’s power is at your fingertips; make use of it immediately.

Read our article Google Workspace Automation: Your Key to Business Transformation to get an in-depth idea of various automation possibilities.

Are you curious about Google Workspace’s possibilities in your industry? Venturesathi provides customized automation solutions to increase productivity and efficiency. Explore our services to see how we might help you in your field.

[anelgisselle]

Customer Persona

Miranda Thompson

About her

Miranda is the owner of a jewelry business called Yesterdam based in Vancouver, BC. She is in her late 20s and has a background in jewelry design and business administration. She is the CEO of her sole-property business which means she is in charge of keeping track of finances, inventory, packaging and marketing.

Benefits she would receive from Busikeeper.

• Miranda would be able to access these templates anywhere, even without an internet connection.

• She will be able to customize the aesthetics of Busikeeper's digital resources to fit her brand.

• She will ultimately stay more organized and keep track of things professionally.

• Some of these templates can be accessed through Google Docs and Google Sheets, which means she can add access to her staff if she decides to expand her team, so they can ultimately make edits and keep track of things as well.

Use case

Miranda will use Busikeeper's resources to stay organized and have better business management. After buying and downloading a digital resource from Busikeeper, Miranda will be able to upload the template to Google Docs, Google Sheets or Canva. She may also download Goodnotes to write on PDFs. Regardless of which platform is used to open these templates, Miranda will be able to control access and get notifications whenever edits are made. These digital resources can also be edited and viewed on a phone, tablet, or laptop computer.

Previous solutions

Miranda used to keep track of inventory in a notebook and had no other methods of organizing her finances other than following what she revenue reports on Etsy at the end of the month. Although this was useful for some time, with an expanding business, Miranda had issues creating an end of month report that was organized enough to keep track of all expenses. On another hand, as all of this information was in a physical notebook, it was very difficult to access this information when Miranda didn't always have this notebook with her. There was also a risk of discarding important information and there was more room for mistakes.

Buying trigger

Miranda has been jugling multiple tasks, such as inventory management, client communication, and financial tracking. With limited time and resources, she often finds it challenging to stay organized and maintain efficiency in her business processes. She recognized the need for a solution that can simplify these tasks and provide her with the tools necessary to streamline her operations. This encouraged her to look for digital resources for her business online.

Buying process

Most small businesses buy from Etsy, Amazon or search up what they want on Google. With sponsored ads, Miranda was able to find Busikeeper's products on the first page on Etsy after searching for "Small business planners". She then saw the reviews for Busikeeper, added the resources of her choice to the cart, created an account, and paid using her credit card. Upon finishing the checkout process, the digital resources from Busikeeper were available for immediate download. The resources also came with a PDF showing instructions on how to upload these resources to editing platforms. She is now able to access these anywhere. She then left a review because of how easy it was to manipulate these templates. 

Choice factors

Some of the things Miranda kept in mind when choosing a digital template store:

• Background of the designer of the templates.

• How soon the templates would be delivered, which was immediately in Busikeeper's case.

• Variety, affordability and reviews.

• User-friendly and made for people with little to no experience in Excel.

[eldritch-bf]

Hyper-specific advice because I don’t see enough of this!

make your characters have inaccurate perceptions of themselves. your character might think they’re selfish but at every opportunity they act selfless. we all have blind spots so give these to your characters too! (this works best with first person pov but I’m sure you can do it in third.)

make a character’s personality trait helpful sometimes and harmful other times. impulsivity that makes them act quickly in high-stress situations which is great but it also sometimes results in the wrong choices.

make an excel/google sheets doc for your outline. for mine i have the chapter number, the date, the character pov (since mine is first person and switches between 5 characters), a summary column, and a continuity column. my story takes place in one setting but most stories have multiple locations, so you could include a column for that, the time of day, even the moon phase (one of my wips is from the perspective of animals so that is super important for that story).

you can also use excel/sheets for keeping track of your conlang. for my animal wip i have constructed a language called Vannro and I have 300 some-odd entries into my excel doc. i have columns for the Vannro word, the English translation, etymology and derived words (for some), the part of speech, and the subject. you can easily sort in alphabetical either in English or your conlang, and also sort by excluding all entries that aren’t under the subject “derogatory” or “places” etc. I always forget what my “be” verbs are so I sort through the part of speech column so I can find “is” “was” “are” etc.

use perspective to create tension for your reader. for example, in The Blackwater Anomaly in a chapter from Rainer’s pov, we experience his nightmare, however in a later chapter from Holly’s pov, when she asks him directly, he lies and says he hasn’t experienced any nightmares. Holly doesn’t know he is lying but the audience does. I also have characters who do not get chapters from their perspective, who may or may not be lying, and so both the audience and the characters experience that anxiety and uncertainty together.

consider using deep pov. you can read some articles about it but essentially you make the audience experience the story at the same time as the character and it makes your narration more active. this can also be done in third person. this has a lot to do with “show don’t tell” (although sometimes its better to just tell). remove some “telling” words like “thought/felt/saw” and just get directly into what’s happening. instead of “Ava saw a shadow fall across her shoulder” make it “a shadow fell across her shoulder”. your reader will know who you’re talking about. this even jumps into the unreliable narrator when you change “I felt like Isaiah was blowing me off” to “Isaiah blew me off.” the former has room for doubt and makes your character seem weaker. if she thinks she’s being blown off and she’s pissed about it, make her say that! you have to make the audience believe it’s true, it makes them more invested in the character’s experiences and emotions. and then if they later find out Isaiah wasn’t really blowing them off, there was an emergency or something, both the character and the audience can feel regretful together over misreading the situation and being pissed at Isaiah. if you leave room for doubt, then your reader will just feel unsurprised during the reveal and frustrated at your character for being stupid up until then.

you don’t have to “show” everything. sometimes there’s boring parts of a narrative that no one really cares about. you can either make a break in the text to show a time skip happened when your character was driving from point a to point b or you can give a paragraph or two about the drive, just telling what happened, even include an accident on the side of the road or an unexpected and frustrating road closure. its a very mundane and relatable aspect in our lives and we don’t need to be “shown” these, we can just be told. summarize the nonessential by telling or just skip it.

[seijohsremade]

ways to help protestors if you are unable to protest

everybody has to do their part. as a reference, this was posted on 1 june 2020. if any links are broken or direct to a place they should not, please feel free to add on with corrections. if there is new information with better knowledge, please feel free to share. thank you.

1. donate

do not donate to shaun king. he has repeatedly collected money to “support” black people, but no one knows where the money is.

BAIL FUNDS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST)

note: washington dc and new jersey have cashless bail systems.

bail fund google doc (also includes lawyers for protestors)

national bail fund network (directory of community bail funds)

community bail funds masterpost by @keplercryptids

resistance funds (google sheets; lists bail funds around the country)

nationwide bail funds (split a donation to the bail funds listed on the linked page with a single transaction)

atlanta bail fund

brooklyn bail fund

colorado freedom fund

columbus freedom fund

houston chapter of black lives matter

liberty fund (nyc based; focuses services on people from low-income communities)

los angeles freedom fund

louisville community fund

massachusetts bail fund

minnesota freedom fund (as of may 30, 2020, they are encouraging people to donate elsewhere since they have raised enough money; as of may 29, 2020, they do not have a venmo, as some fraudulent accounts have been claiming, source)

philadelphia bail out fund

richmond bail fund

MORE PLACES TO DONATE

note: more links are listed in the masterposts below.

northstar health collective (healthcare and medical aid for people on the front lines)

reclaim the block (aims to redistribute police funding to help the minneapolis community)

twin cities dsa (provides fresh groceries and hot meals to people in minneapolis)

2. educate yourself

it isn’t enough to sign petitions and reblog/retweet/etc. nonblack people, including people of color, owe it to black people to educate themselves and correct themselves and the people around them on anti-blackness.

note: more links are in the masterposts linked below.

resources and tools regarding racism and anti-blackness (google sheets compilation)

readings on society, racism, the prison system, etc. (twitter thread)

“where do we go after ferguson?” by michael eric dyson

official black lives matter website

3. give out supplies to protestors

people need supplies to protest safely, and even if they bring supplies with them, they can often run out. if you’re able, stock up and hand them out to people protesting. for more supplies to donate, see the “george floyd action” google docs link in section 5.

water bottles (dehydration and heatstroke are not things people should have to deal with alongside bastard cops. if the police in your area are particularly violent or known to use tear gas, get the ones with the sports cap/suction-thing/etc so people can use them as emergency eye-flushes.)

snacks (make sure to take into account that people have allergies of all sorts. foods will have a little label that says “may contain” and then list any potential allergens. write the allergens on the ziploc (or any container you use) in permanent marker, or better yet, write the snacks included in the pack.)

masks (don’t forget there’s still a pandemic going on. also it will aid in deterring facial recognition when the police try to track down protestors,  also part two, if the cops use tear gas, wearing a mask (with the combination of a scarf or bandana) will lessen the adverse effects. lessen, not stop.)

bandanas, scarves, etc. and goggles (ski goggles, swimming goggles, etc.) (see above for explanation on the scarves. same goes for the goggles. anti–tear gas and anti–facial recognition.)

clean shirts (for people who are heavily gassed. also helps deter recognition through clothing.)

wound care supplies (band-aids, packets of neosporin packets or a similar antibiotic, alcohol wipes, etc.; if you can, decant bactine into those little travel bottles.)

a sharpie or another type of marker (for writing bail numbers or emergency contacts on arms, hands, etc. it’s not enough to have your city’s bail fund number stored on your phone; the police won’t give it to you to look it up. give people a marker so they can write it down, preferably not washable so it isn’t easily removed.)

IMPORTANT: KNOWING FIRST AID

tear gas: if you’re hit, get out as fast and as soon as you can. take anyone you can with you. the longer you’re in the gas, the harder it will be for you to see, and it can irritate your airways, making it hard to breathe. if you’re hit, don’t run; it’ll only make things worse on your lungs. when you leave the area, take a cold shower. don’t use hot water (it will only reactivate the agent); don’t bathe (it will only spread the CS around). (source 1) (source 2) (cdc fact sheet on tear gas)

move them to a clean and ventilated area where it’s as safe as possible.

ask them if they’re wearing contact lenses. have them remove it. if they’re wearing glasses, rinse it with water.

solution of half liquid antacid, half water. spray from the inside going out, with the head tilted back and slightly towards the side being rinsed. if they say it’s okay, open the eye slightly while doing this. (source)

bullet wounds: the most important thing is to stop the bleeding. be sure to check for an exit wound and cover that as well. treat both wounds, but treat the worse one first.

stop the bleed (youtube video by uc san diego health)

first aid in active shooting scenarios

making a tourniquet (a commercial tourniquet is best, but improvised ones can work as well if done properly; the most important things to remember is that tourniquets are for limb injuries and are not meant for the head or torso and that they have to be very tightly wound on the injury.)

how to apply pressure dressings

miscellaneous

adult cpr tutorial (youtube video by cincinnati children’s; think of “staying alive” by the beegees or “uptown funk”)

4. be a source of information

be responsible with this. people’s lives are at stake. that being said, the media is a fucking joke and the best way to get accurate information in a grassroots rebellion is amongst ourselves. record everything, but if you are going to share any information at all, be sure to blur people’s faces.

signal (encrypted messenger app; messages delete after x amount of time): app store | google play

tool for scrubbing metadata from images and selectively blurring identifiable features

tech tips to protect yourself while protesting (by rey.nbows on tiktok, via vicent_efl on twitter)

cop spotting 101 (google docs)

know your rights (by personachuu on twitter)

NUMBERS TO CALL FOR ARRESTED PROTESTORS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; SOURCES LINKED TO THE NUMBER)

remember to keep phones OFF unless absolutely necessary. cell phone towers, stingrays, location notifs can all be used to track you and other protestors. don’t fuck around. if your phone must be on, keep it on airplane mode as often as possible and only communicate using encrypted methods. no, snapchat doesn’t count. (a twitter thread on stingrays, for those interested)

lawyers assisting protestors pro-bono (by riyakatariax on twitter)

atlanta: 404-689-1519

chicago: 773-309-1198

minneapolis: 612-444-2654

5. miscellaneous links and links for protestors

masterpost of petitions to sign, numbers to call, places to donate, and more (carrd by dehyedration on twitter)

#blacklivesmatter (google docs by ambivaIcnt on twitter; includes information on relevant events, other masterposts, lists of petitions and donation links, how to protest safely and protests to go to, and more)

george floyd action (google docs; includes information on apps to download, supplies to buy and donate, places to donate to, protest safety, resources on unlearning racial bias, and more)

how to get out of ziptie “handcuffs” (by finnianj on tiktok, via katzerax on twitter)

how can i help? by @abbiheartstaylor

how to make a signal-blocking cell phone pouch

tips for protestors by @aurora00boredealis

twitter thread for protestors (by vantaemuseum on twitter)

also, if you’re protesting, change your passcode. make it at least 11 characters long and don’t use facial/thumb recognition.