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cleaduvalls · 5 years ago

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i watched “spy kids” 4 times in 1 week and here are my thoughts

carmen your nightgown is like 200 years old, get a new one

you clearly know this story by heart, you’re saying parts of it. why are you questioning what “take him out” means

a double wig should be more obvious than that

we can see that that’s a glass elevator. people can see you changing, ingrid

nice hat

why did you kill the swan

is that paul rudd???????

how are jets ripping pages out of a book

heart shaped parachutes shouldn’t be working that well

why is there a guitar on your bed. how do you sleep

i think the kids would have seen the track in the floor at SOME point

why is there a jungle gym in their house. i know they’re spies but who has a jungle gym.... in their HOUSE

carmen you’re a frog

i think juni just legitimately try to kill carmen

why are both parents going to school. is that like, a Thing????

juni how do you do that

who puts a video screen in the front seat

hey look its floop. love that guy

they’re not picking on you for the bandages, it’s cuz you brought the toys OUTSIDE your backpack. always put them inside. trust me

did his mirror just.... zoom in?????

h*ck yeah beat him up greg

do all the other kids hate him too??????

dang that hurt

“chief” that’s so white

stupid kid. his dads a spy

that floop doll isn’t even close to accurate

hey look its floop again. love that dude

Big Willy Wonka Energy

oooh skipping numbers i see. love that

why do the subtitles have “mr. floop” as his name. its just floop, yall

“sometimes in order to think big you have to think small” pretty inspirational tbh

oh hes fidgeting!!!!!! love that

woah what are you doing this is rated pg ingrid

i wish my uncles would tell me im shrinking. they just make small talk abt school 😔

this gradenko lady looks like jan from the office

hey its floop again!!!!! love that dude

yes juni. its a fire drill in your own home

these dudes have a jungle gym AND a pool. what the h*ck

why did you pull off your mustache to prove you’re not related. if anything that makes you more related. greg does that too

why did he put the mustache back ON

where did those boats come from

carmen says manual weird. man-yull

right, cuz adrenaline causes warts

“don’t touch anything” *immediately touches everything*

basic boat ettiquette: don’t shit in the boat. those toilets can’t handle anything

is that globe..... punched in???????

floop!!!!!!! love that dude

feet on the desk????? i dunno seems pretty gay

since when did carmen get keys to that

i might be wrong but i dont think thats every country

what does pressure have to do with positioning a laser

this floor is the best mechanic in the whole movie. reminds me of a richie rich comic i had as a kids

why did they not run into the wall. i wanted to see that

is the slide there when floop films his show????

HEY ITS FLOOP!!!! love that dude

theres a bunch of normal food like.... sour worms. why did they pick the slime from charlie and the chocolate factory when johnny depp finds the oompa loompas

thats a sick coat. best one in the movie

that was a good snap. nice acoustics

God what a power move. something thanos would say

listen floop i love you but thats not how you say research

fELIX NO

and hes gone. cool

did she kick the camera?????

haha author unknown. cuz hes a spy

why did you take that one specifically????? plot convenience????

he can still be a spy, just not a good one. learn to read

is that supposed to be a question?????

FUN FACT if you listen closely when carmen says “like felix said” you can hear a weird cut in “said”, almost like its a new clip

theres no keyhole

i think juni can read. why are you spelling it

did you have the floop toys in your pocket????

OKAY THIS SCENE WHERE THEY PLAY IT BACKWARDS?????? THAT MESSED ME UP AS A KID

what do those things do?????

i can feel the pain from the fan blades

how did that break the chain????

why would you annouce that. they can hear you. just because they’re thumbs doesn’t mean they’re deaf

that’s a thing, not a place

FLOOP!!!!! ON A BILLBOARD!!!! love that dude

how are you slipping. shes holding YOU

YOU DROPPED HIM GENIUS

how do people not notice the jetpack dudes

DOES NO ONE CARE THAT CLOTHES WERE STOLEN

that’s a cute coat

why is the lady cool with carmen just... doing that

HEY I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!!!! AND THAT DUDE!!!!!

ofc you can’t think “straight enough” you’re gay

why is mexico sepia tone

when do you think juni had time to change and learn a new language

IF IT HURTS TO HIT HIM, S T O P

i wanna be on that merry-go-round

HOW DO YOU K N O W THAT HIS CODE NAME. WHY “MUST” IT BE HOMBRE

i love how junis just like “we already got a fake uncle”

LOOK AT HOW FLOOP IS SITTING!!!!!!!! THATS GAY!!!!!!! HE IS A HOMOSEXUAL!!!!!!!!

ALSO MORE FLOOP!!!! say it with me, LOVE THAT DUDE!!!!!!!!!!

minion looks like barry from friends

wait i lied this coat is better

we DO have uncles like that!!!!!

if your inventions are so good why is your font so BORING

hey wait carmen said that. hmmmmmmmm 🤔🤔🤔

glowsticks dont help you see like at all

the map looks like gallifreyan but its not. spy kids is older than the doctor who reboot

they go ZOOM

THATS NOT HOW YOU SAY MANUAL!!!!!!!

great job carmen YOU wrecked the plane

WHATS A REGULATOR

oh its just a breathing thing

haha pee joke. funney

where are the brains coming from???? that factory is Not Correct

if i were juni i would look back over all the floop’s fooglies tapes and see what the agents were saying backwards. once the mission was done, ofc

it took me like 5 minutes to figure out what sknaht meant the first time

SEE THIS MECHANIC IS GOOD BC NOW THERES NO PLEXIGLASS

WHY DOES NO ONE RUN INTO THE WALL

F L O O P I S G O D

love that dude

you discussed with the spy parents that juni watched the show. he just told you that you took his parents. you KNOW this is juni, why are you surprised that he watches it????? you already know!!!!!!

tbh i kinda want some of those colorful chains. they’d look cool somewhere

haha voice crack

no wonder your shows not doing well. those are awful times

why is there a sexy thumb nurse. why did floop make the thumb nurse sexy

use her first name?????? you’re clearly dating

!!!!!! THEY USED THE SAME TOOL MULTIPLE TIMES!!!!!! UNHEARD OF!!!!!!!

he cares so much about this show!!!!!! its so sweet!!!! love that dude

YEP THIS COAT IS BETTER, LOOKS A M A Z I N G IN A RUNNING SCENE

haha you killed carmen

ok this scene with the acid crayon is like my absolute favorite. something about using a crayon to escape and then floop (love that dude) opening the door a second later and then doing a double take. FAVE

wheres belize

ok so apparently its a country by mexico

no you CANT tell her you need to ESCAPE

we finally got a clean outside shot of the castle.... that place is wack

haha minion can’t sit in the hand chair correctly because hes STRAIGHT what a loser

hey juni HOW DO YOU DO THAT

minion you know what the robot costumes look like AND what juni looks like. dont be stupid

what..... what do you want carmen for, exactly, minion??????

floop is supportive of others’ art!!!!!!!!!!! love that dude

HE SAID “WHERE’S MOM AND DAD” LIKE THEY’RE HIS OWN PARENTS THAT’S SO C U T E

ALSO ANOTHER SCENE WITH THE GREAT RUNNING COAT

he says doppelganger beautifully

“its too late” that timing was BEAUTIFUL

you COULD take 500 brains out if you just TRIED HARDER. still love that dude

his control panel has buttons that spell “floop”

WHY CAN MINION TALK NORMAL

if its reversible why do you have it in later movies

carmen fights fake juni and juni fights fake carmen because they didnt have the fancy clone (?) technology

THREE TIMES!!!!!! THEY USED THE SAME TOOL T H R E E T I M E S THIS HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!!

nice censorship

HOW DID MACHETE SMASH ONLY THE CLEAR WINDOWS AND A L L THE CLEAR WINDOWS THERE ARE NO MORE CLEAR WINDOWS!!!!!! ANYWHERE!!!!!

wow nice 3 buttons thats totally how you hack

oh look they have all died

oh. guess not :((

machete you better rip off your mustache

HES GOING TO JUNIS LEVEL TO TALK TO HIM!!!!!!! HE RUFFLED HIS HAIR!!!!!!!!! HES GONNA MAKE A GREAT DAD!!!!!!!

wow no shit ingrid

did he leave his wart bandaid on the kitchen counter?????

ALAN CUMMING!!!! ON A CEREAL BOX!!!!

ok CLEARLY other people watch floop’s show, he’s rated number 2. kids at the school are gonna recognize juni and carmen. they better get popular

is that george clooney

well that’s not how it works in spy kids 2. or 3. or 4. or the tv show

#this took like 2 hours #spy kids #spy kids spoilers #spoilers #juni cortez #carmen cortez #ingrid cortez #gregorio cortez #minion #fegan floop #floops fooglies #sk1 #robert rodriguez

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yukwhore · 6 years ago

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Bodily Harm (1)

Synopsis

The story starts out with two best friends, Sienna and Marin, who are on a summer break trip to Seoul after their first year of university. They're both huge fans of the group NCT and decide to go to one of their fan-signs while they're on vacation, but a horrible accident brings them even closer to the boys than they ever would have expected.

Hey guys~

This is my first time trying to write a fanfic so go easy on me lmao. I really don't know if this will get any reads, it's more for me to just write down all of my ideas and storylines that I have stuck in my head.

If anyone does read this, feel free to leave me a comment and give me some feedback! I'd love to hear from someone who reads this. I'm starting this near the end of the quarter so depending on how well this goes I'll try and update as much as I can.

WARNINGS: swearing, mention of gun violence

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"Sienna."

...

"Sienna."

A voice brought me out of my deep sleep, interrupting my dreams.

"Sienna, I swear to God, if you don't turn that fucking alarm off I'm gonna ship you back to Seattle." The voice said again, louder and more demanding. I blinked my eyes, still half asleep, and flung my arm out from beneath the blanket, scrambling for my phone that was on the bedside table. I grabbed it and smacked the "off" button, earning me a sigh of relief from my friend on the other side of the bed.

"Finally," Marin said, throwing the duvet off of her and swinging her feet to the floor. "I thought it'd take you another 2 years to turn that thing off."

"Sorry," I mumbled, my voice not yet ready for the day. "I'm guess I'm so knocked out from jet-lag that I slept right through it." I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed and watched as Marin made her way to the bathroom and began to brush her teeth.

"You should start getting ready, Sienna." She called from the bathroom. "We only have like 3 hours until the fan-sign and theres no way I'm missing out on seeing my boys because you couldn't wake up. We're in Seoul, wake up and experience the city you nerd."

"I know, I know. Let me known when it's my turn in the bathroom." I said, pulling the covers over me to catch a few more minutes of precious sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you almost done?" Marin asked, already waiting by the door with her shoes already on.

"Almost done," I said, swiping on my mascara and putting the finishing touches on my makeup. "I just have to throw on my clothes and then we're Gucci, I swear"

Marin rolled her eyes as I ran out of the bathroom and began digging through my suitcase. "See! Almost done." I said while pulling out my outfit.

I had been planning what I would wear to this fansign ever since we bought out tickets to Seoul. After all, this was an important event. We were finally meeting our idols and, after spending so long dreaming of this moment, it was finally here. I held up my black skinny jeans, low cut tie-die top, and my ripped jean jacket. I flashed a huge grin at Marin and she groaned.

"Cute, now hurry up." She glanced at the time on her phone. "I'm giving you 2 minutes and then I'm leaving without you."

"Okay, okay." I quickly changed out of my pajamas and threw on my clothes, making sure to check my look in the small mirror hanging on the bathroom door. Satisfied with how I looked, I ran back to my suitcase and grabbed my red nike running shoes.

"You're wearing those?" Marin scoffed. She herself was wearing a loose fitting floral top tucked into a white skirt, completed with her favorite Calvin Klein slip on sandals.

"Of course I am, we have a lot of walking to do." I said while slipping my shoes on. "Don't come running to me when you start complaining about blisters, bud." She scoffed and rolled her eyes again, choosing not to listen to me. I tied my laces and ran up to her, smiling and grabbing her arm. "Lets go!"

We locked the hotel room door behind us and skipped down the hallway arm in arm, brimming with excitement.

"Are you excited to see Mark?" I asked her, squeezing her arm even tighter.

"Of course," She laughed. "Are you excited to see Lucas?"

"Who do you think I am? Of course I'm excited to finally meet the love of my life." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. We made our way through the lobby of the dingy hotel we're staying at, waving and quickly bowing at the front desk receptionist before walking through the front doors and onto the city street. The sounds of the city filled our ears, cars honking, people talking, and the faraway bark of a dog. Marin immediately ran to the curb and waved her arm for a taxi. Almost as soon as she put up her hand, a taxi pulled into the stand and a man got out.

"Annyeonghaseyo!" He said while opening the back door for us. We smiled back, bowed slightly, and climbed into the taxi. "Foreigners?" He asked while getting into the front seat.

"Yes, uh, SMTOWN?" I asked, telling him our destination.

"Ah! Yes, SMTOWN!" He said while smiling and nodding. "NCT Fans?" Marin and nodded in response as he pulled away from the curb. We were giddy with excitement, and my stomach churned from nerves. Marin noticed the look on my face and grabbed my hand, squeezing it to calm me down.

"Don't worry, they're just regular people." She assured me. "Theres nothing to be nervous about." I was so lucky to have such a good friend.

Me and Marin had known each other since 3rd grade, and she was my closest and oldest friend. We were joined at the hip and did everything together, up until she moved out of state for college this last year. Thankfully, she was home for the summer, and we were able to convince our parents to let us go on this vacation together. Personally, I was surprised my parents even agreed to let me travel to a foreign country with my friend. They were ridiculously overprotective. Even if I am a legal adult, in college, making my own money, they still want me within arms reach. Despite this, through months of begging and an entire speech about our "independence", we were able to make this trip happen. Even if my parents were calling to check on me every half hour, I had still enjoyed these past two days in Korea.

"So, whats our plan for tomorrow?" I asked Marin. She opened her purse and dug around, bringing out her meticulously organized planner and flipping through the pages.

"Well, since today is kind of a big day," She stated, giving me a wink. "Tomorrow we'll have some down time before we leave for Busan the day after. Maybe we can spend the day shopping and check out the fish markets we've heard so much about."

"Or we can sleep in and get rid of some of this jet-lag." I suggested, only half joking. Marin pinched my arm just as the car came to a stop outside of crowded auditorium-looking building.

"Ladies," The taxi driver said. "Here is SMTOWN!"

We climbed out of the side door and said our thanks to the driver, stepping to the curb as he sped away. Marin shoved her phone in my face, pointing at the time.

3:50

"We'd better start running, the fan sign starts in 10 minutes and I think they're closing the entrance soon." She said, tugging me towards the front doors. We pushed our way through the hoards of fangirls waving signs outside and jogged through the doors. Immediately, a hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around, bringing me face to face with a tall security guard. He said something to me, which neither Marin or I understood. We looked at each other in confusion.

"Ah," He said after realizing we couldn't understand him. "NCT?" He asked. We nodded in agreement.

"Ne, NCT." Marin said. He pointed to a desk across the room with other security guards behind it. We said thank you and quickly walked to the desk, pulling out our IDs and tickets once we approached it.

"Right through here." A woman said to us in English, leading us through a set of doors.

"Thank you so much!" I said bowing to her as we walked by. I turned to Marin and grabbed her arm.

"Bitch I'm gonna fucking cry, I'm gonna do it." She said dramatically, wiping away fake tears. I laughed and squeezed her arm tighter.

"As the great Troy Bolton once said, we're all in this together." I said, laughing again as we walked down the hallway and into the large open auditorium. We entered the room and were immediately blown away by how many people were there. There had to be at least 100 people crammed into the room, and the sound of all of them talking at once was ear splitting.

Me and Marin began to look for our seats and were surprised to see we were in the front row. Stepping down the stairs, we made our way through the crowd down to our designated row.

"How that for good luck!" Marin said as we squeezed past the people in our row. I noticed some dirty looks thrown our way and whispers being exchanged as we walked by. I didn't understand most of what the were saying, but the words "foreigner" and "bitch" stood out to me along with the phrase "why are they in this row?". I brushed the comments off, ultimately deciding to focus on the fact that NCT would be only a few feet away from me in just a few minutes.

We sat down and looked around us. While we waited, I took out my phone and texted my mom

Just got to the fan sign, momma! I'll call you as soon as we're done! Love you!

She responded immediately, despite it being almost midnight back home.

I love you too sweetie! Have fun, tell Lucas I said hi.

I laughed and showed it to Marin, letting her take my phone and type her own text to my mom.

I'll make sure she tells him, its always good to greet your future son in law. Love you auntie! - Marin

"Oh my God, Marin." I took my phone from her and rolled my eyes.

"What?" She teased. "If your mom likes him its a good sign." I was about to respond when I heard another harsh whisper from behind me. Unlike before, this whisper wasn't about me and Marin. As I listened, I noticed the word "Sasaeng".

Oh shit, I thought. Is there a sasaeng here? At the fan sign?

"Dude, Marin." I tapped her on the shoulder. "Those girls behind us said something about a sasaeng." I whispered.

"Really? Here? At the fan sign?" She asked, her eyes wide open in shock.

"I mean I think so, I just heard it mentioned real quick." I explained. "Should we ask them about it?" Marin quickly shook her head, shrinking back in embarrassment.

"Us? No. You? Sure." She said, crossing her arms in front of her. Although Marin acted like the mom between us, I was the confident one. Marin wasn't afraid to do dumb things in front of me or call me on my bullshit, but got embarrassed quickly in front of other people.

I turned around and looked up at the girls behind us.

"Uh... Sasaeng?" I asked, my eyes wide with curiosity. The girls looked at each other for a moment before one of them responded.

"Ahh, ne..." She said slowly.

"Yeogi? Here?" I said in disbelief. The girls nodded in response. "Eodie? Where at?"

"Naneun moleunda." The other girl said, shrugging.

"What did they say?" Marin asked me.

"They said they don't know where, but there is one here." I told her. She shivered as if a cold breeze had swept by her.

"Freaky, I've heard so much about sasaengs on twitter but I've never actually been around one." She said, looking around at the people surrounding us as if she'd be able to spot the lunatic.

Just then, a familiar beat began playing throughout the auditorium, drowning out the screams of the fans.

Black, Black, Black, Black on...

"OH FUCK." I blurted out, whipping around and facing the stage. The crowd around us began to grow louder and buzz with excitement.

"Sienna, shut up oh my GOD." Marin scolded, equally excited but maintaining her composure.

"MARIN." I said, grabbing her arm. "NCT IS COMING." I shook her out of excitement and a huge smile began to form on her face. She grabbed my arm and shook me back.

"SHIT, YOU'RE RIGHT." She yelled, her composure breaking.

The MC walked out on stage and gave a short ramble, which was hard to understand since I was more focused on something else. I began looking to the sides of the stage to try and catch a glimpse of one of the boys. Just when I was beginning to think my search was pointless, I was shocked to see a face peeking out from behind the curtains, out of view from the other rows of seats behind us. I leaned forward in my chair, squinting, trying harder to make out the face.

"Wait..." I whispered to myself. "Is that... Yukhei?" The face turned towards the mass of people in the auditorium and I finally got to see it clearly.

"Oh my God." I said loudly. I could feel Marin giving me a judging look but I was too focused to bother. The familiar face slowly turned and stopped with his eyes on me.

It really is him.

We held eye contact for a few moments before I gasped in shock. My hand flew to my mouth and my eyes widened. I watched as Yukhei laughed and winked before disappearing back behind the curtain.

"Marin." I said, still starting intently at the spot Yukhei had disappeared from. "Marin, holy shit."

"What?" She asked, giving me a weird look again.

"I think I just saw Lucas and I think he just winked at me." I said, falling back into my seat with my mouth hanging open in shock.

"You what?" She said in disbelief, twisting around to stare at me. "You're kidding. You're full of shit. Are you sick or something?" She put her hand on my forehead as if checking for a fever. "You don't seem sick, but then again, you're talking some crazy shit."

"Seriously! It just happened!" I said sincerely, receiving only a doubtful look in response.

"NCT!" We were interrupted by the MC, and both of us completely forgot what we were talking about. Me and Marin grabbed each other's hands and screamed along with the rest of the fans in the auditorium as the boys began to walk out on stage. The screams from the crowd intensified as all 18 members filed out of stage, forming a line right in front of where me and Marin were seated.

"To the world! We are NCT! Hello, we are NCT!" The boys greeted in perfect unison. I swear I almost fainted right at that moment. My eyes scanned the row of boys and landed on Yukhei off to my right. I was surprised to see he was looking at me.

"Annyeonghaseyo! We are NCT 2018." Taeyong said with a microphone in his hand. The rest of his words blurred together as I stared at Yukhei.

Was I crazy?

Maybe I was lucid dreaming.

Maybe he wasn't really looking at me.

I raised my hand slightly and gave a small wave to test. I watched him as he chuckled slightly and gave a small wave back, flashing that goofy grin I've always seen in their interviews and VLives. I closed my eyes and blinked once, twice, trying to tell if this was real life, but when I opened my eyes he was still looking at me.

"MARIN." I whispered harshly and tugged on her shirt. "He's doing it again, I swear. I'm not crazy!" She brushed my hand off and shushed me, her eyes trained on Mark as he nodded along with Taeyong's speech. I looked back at Yukhei to see him slightly laugh at me and Marin's exchange. It was weird, the way he looked at me. Being foreigners, me and Marin had gotten our fair share of looks from strangers on the streets these past few days. This, however, wasn't like that. The way he watched my every moved seemed as if he was examining me, as if he was interested in the way I was moving. It almost made me uncomfortable knowing he was looking at me.

The MC took the microphone back from Taeyong and the boys, including Yukhei, turned away to take their seats. While the boys got settled, talking to each other and playing around, a security guard walked down from the stage and stood at the right side of our row. I recognized him as the same security guard who had grabbed my shoulder earlier in the foyer of the building. He listened into his headset and said something in response, then motioned for our row to stand up. Me and Marin followed the people in front of us as we shuffled along towards the stairs at the end of the stage, my heart pounding faster with each step. We were about 7th in line and waited patiently as the first few fans stepped up to the stage.

"Marin, can you hand me my thingy." I said, too excited to focus on my words. Thankfully, Marin understood. She reached into her purse and pulled out my Empathy album I had brought to get signed.

The person in front of me moved forward and I took a step up onto the stairs where I stood bouncing with excitement. Now I was only one turn away from meeting the first member, Johnny, who was seated on the end of the table. I watched as he flashed the girl a smile and waved goodbye to her, then turned to me. I stood where I was, paralyzed, before Marin gave me a small push towards the table. I stumbled slightly and gave her a 'I'm gonna fight you' look while Johnny laughed at our little fight.

"Annyeonghaseyo" He said, smiling up at me as I stood opposite the table from him.

"Hey," I said, my voice slightly shaky. "Its really really nice to meet you."

"Oh, you sound American!" He said, his eyes opening in interest.

"Yeah, haha, me and my friend are from Seattle and we're on vacation here." I explained, brushing my hair away from my face.

"Thats so cool, I've always wanted to go to Seattle! I hear its pretty wet though." He said, already jumping into the conversation. I suppressed my natural instinct to make a bad joke over him saying 'wet' and just nodded instead.

"Yeah, its pretty rainy, you sorta get used to it after a while." I said.

"Whats your name?" He asked me, his tone feigning interest.

"Oh, its Sienna."

"Well its really really nice to meet you, Sienna." He said, making me laugh.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I placed my album on the table and opened it, flipping through the photo book until I landed on a picture of him from the "Touch" promotions. This, hands down, was my absolute favorite picture of him and I had been planning for months to get it signed. I slid it towards him and flashed a wide grin. He looked down at the book and smiled.

"I'm guessing this is where you want me to sign?" He asked, pen already in hand. I nodded enthusiastically in response, nudging the book closer to him. As he began to sign, I looked to my right to see Marin, tapping her foot, waiting impatiently for her turn. Hurry it up, she mouthed to me, tapping at an imaginary watch on her wrist. I mouthed back chill out and turned back to Johnny who was finishing up.

"Thank you so much!" I said as he handed back my photo book.

"No problem," He said. "I guess your friend is getting impatient." He pointed over to Marin who still seemed annoyed I was taking so long talking to Johnny.

"Ah its fine, she's just like that." I explained, waving my hand towards her. The security guard that stood behind Johnny leaned down and whispered in his ear, pointing at me and then moving his hand towards the next member, which was Lucas (Just my luck), who was just finishing up signing a fan's poster.

"Sure," He said back to the guard then turning back to face me. "I think our times up, Sienna. It was nice talking to you." He said with a wave.

"You too, Johnny. Tell my friend Marin I say hi." I added, pointing over at Marin.

"Will do." He laughed again as I turned away and stepped towards Lucas who was seated next to him. As soon as I turned, he looked up at me, a smile forming on his face. I took another step towards him, staying back from the table, too nervous to get any closer. He leaned forward in his chair, looking at me with his bright eyes.

"Annyeonghaseyo," He said, giving me a small wave just like the one he had earlier.

"Oh, hey." I stammered, quickly becoming a nervous wreck in his presence. "I'm Sienna."

"Ah," He said, a look of realization flashing on his face. "Nice to meet you, Sienna. You are American, right? You know, Johnnys from America."

I nodded, smiling back at him.

"Yeah, we were talking about it just a minute ago." I explained, a small bit of my anxiety leaving. I looked over at Marin who was already deep in conversation with Johnny.

"He's from Chicago, where are you from?" He asked me.

"Oh, me and my friend are from Seattle. Its farther northwest and has a lot more rain than where Johnny is from."

"Ah! Seattle Starbucks, yeah?" He asked, making me giggle.

"Yeah, Seattle Starbucks." I said, a huge smile forming on my face. Actually, Marin was right. Talking to these guys was so much easier than I thought. I almost hadn't noticed that I had edged right up to the table while we were talking.

"Thats cool," He said. "My English is still bad, I hope you can understand me well."

"That's okay, you're doing amazing so far." I gave him a thumbs up and he laughed, suddenly dissolving any uneasiness I had left. Talking with him just seemed so natural and came so easy to me, it was like talking to a long time friend. I was trying to keep my words pretty basic, hoping to avoid any issues that the language barrier could cause.

"Oh," I said suddenly. "I almost forgot." I reached behind me and pulled out my empathy album, setting it on the table between us.

"Dream version!" He said, picking up the album and flipping through the photo book.

"Yeah, its my favorite one. I even got your photo card." I blushed slightly, feeling slightly awkward from admitting it.

"Cool! Where is that handsome face at?" He asked jokingly, slightly biting his lip and simultaneously killing me.

"Its at home, up on my wall." I laughed and covered my face with my hands in embarrassment.

"That is good!" He declared, raising his hands dramatically. "That is where it belongs." The corner of his mouth pulled back and he flashed that signature Yukhei smile I had only dreamed of seeing in my lifetime.

Wow, I thought to myself. I don't think it get any better than this.

However, in an instant, the mood had changed.

Yukhei began to say something but froze, his mouth stuck open. His eyes darted behind me frantically. I looked at him confused, unsure of what was happening.

The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion.

The loud cheers from the crowd had turned, becoming more panicked, and I heard screams of terror from behind me. A voice was shouting something I couldn't make out above the screams of the crowd. I watched as the security guards jumped from behind the tables and moved towards the crowd, frantically pushing past me.

Then, I heard the blood chilling crack of a gunshot.

My ears buzzed as the sound of the shot rang in my ear, deafening me. Yukhei jumped up from his chair and over the table, grabbing me and pulling me behind the partial wall that was on the stage. I looked up at him as he held me in his arms, his eyes wide with fear and concern, yelling something over his shoulder that I could'nt hear. He grabbed my shoulder and I cried out in pain, my vision becoming blurry. Then I looked down at his hands to see them stained with blood.

My blood.

#nct #nct127 #fanfic #au #lucas #kpop #yukhei #nctu #bodilyharm

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willddheartt · 7 years ago

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I Like You Too - Finn Wolfhard

A/N: Helloo! I hope you like this imagine, I finished it during the early hours of the morning so it may not be that good but I'm trying, This will be the last one i post this book tho as I have a science test on Thursday (November 16th, 2017) Part 2

Ill post again Friday. I used a name instead of putting (Y/N) because its easier for me to write with a name.

Warnings: None.

Paring: Finn x Reader

Summary: Finn and the reader are close friends who both have a crush on each other, but they never say anything because they aren't sure how the other feels. But when they find out that are doing a kissing scene in the show, the truth comes out.

Stranger things Season 2 was announced. We were all so ecstatic about filming and having the fans love the first season so much they basically demanded a second season.

This time instead of staying in hotels and trailers we got a huge mansion. It was so crazy to see how much the fans loved the show, they loved it so much that they got us a mansion to stay in while filming.

We were back filming season 2 and I had just arrived at the house, I stepped back to look at the big white house. It was huge! I walked inside the double doors revealing the Duffer brothers and a big open down stairs area that was finished with hard wood floors.

“This place is huge.” I said

“Yeah, You're one of the first ones here, go claim your room.” Matt said

I ran up the stairs and took one of the rooms with a balcony.

I threw my bag on my new bed and walked out on the balcony, the war sunny weather blew gainsay my skin, slightly pushing my hair back.

I smiled knowing I’d soon see my best friend Finn in person again.

I missed him when we weren't filming. Although we both lived in Canada I lived in P.E.I. and he lived in Vancouver, so It was pretty hard to see him. We did face time but it wasn't the same. I missed seeing him in person, hearing his voice with out it cutting out from bad connection. We had seen each other one time during the break, he came to P.E.I. for a week.

We did a bunch of Live streams on Insta. We had to sit really close together if we both wanted to read the comments and most time since it was winter Id just pull my favourite fluffy shirt comforter over the both of us, or he'd put his arm around me when he leaned forward to see the comments which made me lean with him.

After that, along of the fans started to ship us.

A lot of the accounts who came on their username was something to due with our ship name. It didn’t bother me that they did it, I found a lot of their edits really cute and I’d like any that I saw.

I walked down stairs to find that I was in fact the first person to arrive. I sat on the huge white couch and connected to the wifi.

Not long after scrolling through my instagram seeing everyones posts abut how excited they are, the front door clicked open and Gaten walked in.

“Gaten!” I yelled hugging him.

“Hey, I missed you.” He said

“I missed you too.” I said

“Were the first ones here, go pick your room.” I said

I was a little disappointed that it wasn't Finn who walked in the door, but I hadn't seen Gaten at all over the break.

Everyone arrived shortly after Gaten and I. Millie, Noah, Sadie, Dacer, Natalia and Charlie, Joe, and Caleb. Finn still hadn't arrived, I frowned and walked up to my room laying on my bed, laying my favourite white comforter over it, then flopping down onto it.

I pulled my headphones out of my bag and listened to some music while I read, continuing from where I left off. I had been reading for about 15 minutes until someone attacked me from behind with a hug. I didn't think my music was loud but it must have been because I didn't hear the others or the front door open.

“Finn!” I yelled moving to hug him back.

“I missed you so much.” I said

“I missed you too.” He said

We sat on my bed, not talking because we had nothing to catch up on as we talked everyday.

“One thing you never updated me on tho was what happened with you and that guy Riley.” Finn said

“Oh yeah.” I said, Riley was a guy I dated, but he broke up with me after Finn came out for a week because he said the fans were right.

“We didn't work out.” I said

“Oh, well I'm sorry.” Finn said sadly

“Its okay, Im back with my family now, thats all that matters.” I replied smiling

We all gathered in the living room to catch up with one another. It reminded me a lot of when you'd share about your weekend in elementary school, only we weren't sharing about two days, we were talking about three months. Everyone had done so much, I didn't do much because 1. theres not much to do in Canada when its winter and 2. I didn't have many friends back home, but I still went to public school so once people found out I was friends with the cast and everything everyone wanted to be my friend, but they were using me tho so I tried to avoid most of them.

All I did was go to school, freeze, and FaceTime Finn.

“So, Faith, what did you do?” They all asked

“Well, Finn visited. thats about it.” I said

“We saw your lives.” They laughed

“Finn?” They questioned

“Talked to Faith, filmed IT and school.” Finn said

Im pretty sure it didn't surprise anyone that we talked over the break because to someone new it would seem like we’re dating, which we weren’t, we were only friends, which I was okay with for the moment.

Our first day in the house went by really fast and before I knew it, the sky was pitch black and everyone was going to bed.

I changed into my pjs, lose fitting shorts and a tank top. As I strung some lights around my room there was a soft knock at my door.

“Yeah?” I said turning to the opening door.

“Hey, wanna come live stream with me?” Finn asked, I smiled

“Hell yeah.”

Finn and I were up until the early hours of the morning, live streaming and goofing off.

the fans who were watching seemed happy to see us together again. We ended the stream when we saw how late it was.

“That was fun.” I said

“Yeah, Just like when I was visiting you.” Finn smiled

“Exactly like that.” I replied.

“I’m gonna go to bed now Finny.” I said getting up

“Okay, see you in the morning.” He said

I looked out the window when I reached my room, the sun was about to come up. I went out on my balcony and realized I could get to the roof.

“Hey Finn.” I said quietly in his door way

“Yeah?” He asked still wide awake

“The sun’s gonna be up soon and we can get to the roof from my balcony.” I said

“Lets do it.” Finn said

We both sat on the roof, the cool morning breeze blew against my bare skin giving me goosebumps even though I wasn't cold.

Finn and I sat closely watching the sunrise. We took a lot of photos and posted them to Snapchat, then Finn took a selfie of us posting it to snapchat as well.

“Its been a while since I have seen something Like this.” I sighed, laying back on the rough roof.

“Not many times I'm up this late back home.” I said

“I know.” Finn laughed

“Hey, its not my fault you stay up all hours of the night.” I laughed pushing his shoulder

We had been Filming one episode a week, sometimes more. But we had just gotten the script for episode 8, and we all sat around the living room reading over our scripts and acting some scenes out.

“Oh my god Faith and Finn, you're gonna love this one.” Caleb laughed

“What? Why?” I asked not sure about what he was talking about.

“Page 49.” He said, I flipped to about the middle of the book and skimmed over the page until I found stopped about midway through the page finding the line Caleb was talking about.

“Alex and Mike kiss.”

I read the line and instantly felt my face burn red.

“Who said I’d love it?” I asked getting defensive, Finn gave me a confused look before flipping to the page.

“Oh we all know you have thing for each other.” He said, everyone nodded

“What?” I asked looking to Finn then back to Caleb.

“Were just friends.” I said

“If you guys aren't comfortable with it you don't have to it.” Ross said.

“Oh no, Its fine.” I said, Finn nodded

“Okay, were filming that tomorrow.” Matt said

‘Oh god.’ I thought

Once we had all read through the script, everyone ventured off to do their own thing. I fell on my bed, face first burring my face in a pillow.

I mentally slapped myself for getting so defensive so quickly. If you know me you’d know how much of a bad liar I am, I get defensive and deny everything.

Im surprised nobody caught on to me, because I actually did have a thing for Finn, I just didn't want him to know because I'm not sure how he feels, or if he even likes me the same way.

I laid in bed with my headphones in listening to music and I eventually fell asleep, accidentally. It was only 1:45pm but when I woke up it was 12:30pm.

I stretched and walked down stairs to fine something to eat as my stomach growled demanding food.

Finn was sitting at the island in the dimly lit kitchen on his phone.

“Hey.” I said softly

“Hey.” Finn said looking up form his phone.

“Whats up?” I asked making it sound more like ‘wasup’

“Live stream.” He said

“Oh, Hey Finn’s live.” I said

I looked around the kitchen for food before settling on pizza rolls.

I sat next to Finn and leaned on his shoulder so I was in the frame of the live.

“Hey guys.” I said again, reading the comments.

A lot of the fans freaked out that I was so close to him. it was mostly the fans who shipped us. I laughed at how they were freaking out.

“Chill guys, this happens a lot.” I laughed

“Honestly it does.” Finn said

That didn't help but only made them freak out more.

“Oh my.” I laughed

“Anyway, how was your nap?” Finn asked

“Pretty good, but I'm still tired.” I said

“How? You fell asleep at 1:00” Finn said

“I have no clue but Im gonna eat my Pizza rolls then go back to bed.”I said said.

Finn yawned

“Alright guys, Im gonna end it here. Ill see you later.” He said tapping the end button and putting his phone down

“I was gonna see if you wanted to do a live with me earlier but someone decided to fall asleep.” He said

“Sorry, I was- and still am, tired.” I said putting my hands up in defence.

There was still another 8 minutes the pizza rolls were going to be ready.

I sighed and sat with my head down. There was slight tugging at my hair, I looked and Finn was attempting to braid it.

“What are you doing?” I laughed

“Im braiding your hair, cause its pretty.” He said

“Okay.” I set my head back down and let Finn finish.

The next day was full of nerves for me. I was extremely nervous about the kissing scene I had to do with Finn, because I knew exactly what would happen. We’d kiss and Id break character then he’d find out how I feel about him.

It was the time to film the scene I had dreaded all day. I took a breath before we started.

“We cant do that, don't you realize how dangerous that would be?!” I exclaimed

“But what if its the only way to save Will?” Finn said, I paused before saying my next line

“I just don't want another close call.” I said referencing Dart.

“We wont.”

“But what if we do? You saw all the demo-dogs Mike! I just don't want to lose you” I said whispering the last part.

“You won’t, I promise.” He said

“How can you be sure?” I asked

Finn stepped closer and placed a hand on my cheek before leaning in and kissing me.

I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady us.

“Okay cut!” The director said as Finn and I pulled apart.

“You guys did amazing! Wonderful job. And thats a wrap.”

I was laying on my bed, scrolling through twitter

Finn yelled for me, I got up off my bed and walked to the next room, finding Finn standing by the end of his bed.

“Hey.” I said walking up to him

“Hey..” He said. the vibe in the room was such of someone who wanted to say or ask something but didn't know how to say it

“Whats up?” I asked

“I um-“ He cleared his throat “We should hang out more this time.” He said completely forgetting what he was going to say at first.

“Yeah, definitely.” I smiled I was about to turn around and walk out of the room, but I couldn't shake the feeling I had of a question wanting to be asked

“Is there anything else?” I asked

“Well, Yeah. but its nothing, it doesn't matter.” He said looking away. I could tell it wasn't nothing and it did matter.

“Finn.” I said, looking into his eyes

Everything unraveled almost playing out just as the scene.

Finn placed his hands on my waist and kissed me.

I kissed back placing my hands on his shoulders, we both pulled away at the same time.

“The thing is Faith I really like you, and I have for a long time I just sins know how to tell you or how you would react.” Finn said

“I like you too Finn.” I said

“But why’d you deny it and get all defensive when Caleb said you did?” He asked

“Because I wasn't sure how you felt.” I said “But, he's right. I do have a thing for you. It feels good to actually say that out loud. Its been like I have been hiding something from you for so long.” I said

#finn wolfhard #finn wolfhard imagine #finn x reader #mike wheeler #mike wheeler imagine #mike wheeler x reader #richie tozier #richie toizer imagine #richie x reader #strangerthings #stranger things imagine #it 2017 #it imagine

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newtshirtcom · 4 years ago

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simonegaleanaus · 6 years ago

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The 5 Best Free Blogging Platforms in 2019 (100% Unbiased)

So, you’d like to take blogging for a test drive, eh?

See if you like it or not before ponying up the bucks for a complete self-hosted WordPress setup?

You’ve probably heard you can start a blog for free, and indeed you can. The big question is:

What’s the best free blogging platform right now?

And the answer is… it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

In this post, we’ll go over all the different free blogging platforms and give you the pros and cons of each, but first, let’s stop to ponder a more fundamental question:

Table of Contents

Do You Even Need a Free Blogging Platform?

No Blogging Platform is Right for Everyone

#1. Medium: Best Platform for Simplicity

#2. WordPress.com: Best Sandbox Platform

#3. LinkedIn: Best Platform for Professionals

#4. Instagram: Best Platform for Visuals

#5. Guest Blogging: Best Platform for Building Your Authority

Making the Switch to Self-Hosted WordPress

What’s the Best Free Blogging Platform for You?

Do You Even Need a Free Blogging Platform?

The truth:

Blogging can be expensive.

If you’re a seasoned blogger who’s been around the block a time or two, who’s already figured out which ideas work and which don’t, it’s easy to chalk up these costs as the price of doing business. Spend money, make money. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

But what if you’re a beginner learning how to start a blog for the first time? What if you’re someone who hasn’t yet figured what works and what doesn’t?

I’ll let you in on a secret…

You can experiment just as well on a free blogging platform as you can on a self-hosted WordPress setup with all the bells and whistles.

Actually, you can experiment better on a free blogging platform since the learning curve isn’t as steep.

Do you really want to experience the inevitable growing pains of blogging while forking over large piles of cash each month?

Free blogging platforms allow you to confirm your blog topic has potential, spy on the competitors in your niche, and test your ideas without spending any of your hard-earned dough.

So which one is best?

Well, that’s the thing:

No Blogging Platform Is Right for Everyone

Different bloggers have different needs, and different blogging platforms are good for different things. Ultimately, “best” will depend on you and your situation.

That said, each of the platforms we’ll discuss do have common traits (besides being free). Let’s briefly look at them before we dive in:

There’s zero maintenance hassle. The burden of maintenance doesn’t fall on you when you use a free blogging platform. No worries about software updates, data backups, or gremlins hacking your server — they’re all handled by someone else.

They’re easy to use. To varying degrees, each platform is friendly to beginners. With limited tech savviness, you could get started today.

Customization is limited. If you’re a micromanager, take a deep breath: you will not have full control or unlimited options when you use a free blogging platform.

That last one can be both a blessing and a curse.

Once you get serious about blogging, the limited customization options of free platforms will likely hold you back. When you’re just starting though, the limitations will help you focus on what’s important: the aforementioned testing of your ideas.

Alright, enough prologue.

Ready to find out which platform is best for you? Let’s go.

#1. Medium: Best Platform for Simplicity

First up is Medium.

Founded by Evan Williams, one of the founders of Twitter, Medium launched in August 2012 to much fanfare, and it’s grown into a behemoth. According to the New York Times, as of May 2017, Medium was up to 60 million unique visitors each month.

That’s considerably less than WordPress, but Google Trends indicates the tide could be turning:

The red line in the graphic above represents the number of worldwide searches for “wordpress” during the past five years. The blue line represents the number of searches for “medium.”

Granted, some of those “Medium” searches could be for the TV show of the same name that starred Patricia Arquette from 2005 through 2011.

Nonetheless, it’s growth is impressive.

How Do You Get Started?

Medium offers multiple ways to register.

Don’t want to remember yet another password for yet another account? No problem. Sign up using one of your social media accounts.

Go to Medium.com and click the “Get Started” button:

Choose Google or Facebook. You’ll then be asked to log into your (Google or Facebook) account. Once you authorize Medium to access your account, it will redirect you back to Medium.

That’s it.

To get to your Medium account in the future, all you have to do is click “Sign In” on the homepage and choose the “Sign in with Google” or “Sign in with Facebook” option.

Or if you already have a Twitter account, it’s even easier. Choose the “Sign In” link instead of the “Get Started” button, and you’ll see the following:

Click the “Sign in with Twitter” button (even though you haven’t yet signed up).

If you haven’t already logged into Twitter, you’ll be asked to log in and then authorize Medium to access your Twitter account.

Click “Ok,” and you’ll be off to the races.

What Do You Get For $0?

A simple, beautiful WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) blogging platform that embraces minimalism.

After you join, click your avatar (the floating head) in the top-right corner of the page and then, select “New story.”

You’ll land on a clean, easy-to-use editor.

Where to insert the title for your post is clearly defined. So, too, is where to begin typing your first sentence.

Every change you make gets automatically saved in the background. And as you type, you begin to see exactly how your finished post will appear to your readers.

That’s the beauty of a WYSIWYG editor.

There’s no guessing, no wondering, and no trial and error. If your post looks good in the editor, it’s going to look good when your post goes live after you click the “Ready to publish?” button.

And speaking of what happens after publishing, there’s something else Medium offers you for the whopping price of zero dollars and zero cents:

The chance to be featured in front of their 60+ million readers.

Write something that wows people and, if it receives enough love from readers (they click a “clap” button to show their approval), it could get featured as one of Medium’s top stories on their app and website…

Or in their “Daily Digest” email…

Such a spotlight would mean lots of new eyeballs on your content.

Who Should Use Medium?

Anyone. Everyone.

Seriously, though it isn’t perfect, you’ll be hard pressed to find a blogging topic or niche that Medium can’t service.

This is especially true if your niche will be self-improvement or entrepreneurship. Medium puts your content, your message, front and center to your readers.

As Evan Williams once put it: “Medium is not about who you are or whom you know, but about what you have to say.”

Best-selling authors. Entrepreneurs. Writers who stepped away for a season, but are making a comeback. Ministers who have a good sense of humor. Yours truly.

All have things to say, and all have found homes on Medium.

Who Should NOT Use Medium?

Microbloggers (you’d be better off using Instagram — more on that later).

Those who don’t plan on using their blog for writing (photographers, podcasters, etc.).

Anyone who likes to color outside the lines.

Medium is all about the written word. Sure, graphics embedded into Medium posts look great, but in the end, it all comes back to the words.

Medium is best for those who love words. It excels at typography. It uses an abundance of white space so that its text has a perfect canvas. It embraces a minimalistic design so that nothing distracts your readers from your precious — yes, I’m going to repeat it — words.

Look at this example screenshot from a post written by Jeff Goins:

Black text on a white background. A simple, easy-to-read font. It’s a perfect arrangement for Jeff’s strong, unique voice.

Medium offers no glitz, glam, or sparkles. And, unlike WordPress.com (which provides a few basic design themes and customization options), Medium is one size fits all.

What you see is what you get.

If you like what you see, great. If you don’t, there’s not a lot you can do about it.

Final Word on Medium

What are the Pros?

Built-in audience of over 60 million readers!

Good for all blog types

Excellent typography — your blog will look professional

More business friendly than WordPress.com

What are the Cons?

Little, if any, customization — your blog will look like every other Medium blog

Conclusion: If the written word is your preferred medium, you’ll do very well with Medium. It’s an easy-to-use platform that puts your words front and center, and it’s the platform we most often recommend to beginner bloggers.

But is it the right choice for everyone?

Let’s look at the other options…

#2. WordPress.com: Best Sandbox Platform

Source: Lorelle on WordPress

Launched in 2005, WordPress.com is a turnkey blogging platform built on the open-source WordPress.org software.

In any given month, over 409 million people will view more than 21 billion pages on WordPress.com’s network of blogs. In September 2018, more than 70 million posts were published and over 52 million blog comments were written.

In short, WordPress is quite popular.

How Do You Get Started?

Signing up for a free account takes only a few minutes.

Go to WordPress.com and click the “Get Started” button to get to Step 1:

You’ll need to enter your email address, a username, and a strong password.

Next, enter a few details about your blog for Step 2:

For Step 3, enter an address for your site:

Once you’ve typed something, you’ll get a list of options. Be sure to select the “Free” one.

Finally, in Step 4 you pick a plan. Again, choose the “Free” option.

What Do You Get For $0?

WordPress.com’s “free for life” plan gives you numerous features, including:

A free WordPress.com subdomain

“Jetpack” essential features

Community support

Dozens of free themes

Let’s look at those features in more detail:

Free Subdomain

A couple of definitions are probably in order…

First, what’s a domain? See the address bar at the top of your browser? What comes after the “https://” is the domain.

In the case of this site, the domain is smartblogger.com. For my site, it’s beabetterblogger.com.

And in the case of WordPress, the domain is wordpress.com.

So what’s a subdomain? If the domain is the parent, the subdomain is the child. Anything between the “https://” and the domain is a subdomain.

Some examples:

alumni.harvard.edu

braves.mlb.com

finance.yahoo.com

That’s what WordPress is offering with its free subdomain.

So, if I wanted to start “Kevin’s Awesome Blog” on WordPress.com, my subdomain might be something like kevinsawesomeblog. Readers would type kevinsawesomeblog.wordpress.com in their browser to view my site.

It’s not a good look if you’re a business (more on that later), but for a sandbox blog where you’re testing your ideas, it’ll do the trick.

Jetpack Essential Features

WordPress.com doesn’t allow third-party plugins (unless you upgrade to their “business” plan). So, if your buddy tells you about this “amazing” WordPress plugin “you’ve got to try,” you’re out of luck until you upgrade to a self-hosted WordPress site.

However, WordPress.com’s free plan does come with many built-in plugins that offer everything from spam protection to contact forms.

For a complete list of the built-in functionality that WordPress.com offers, check out their plugins page.

Community Support

Possibly WordPress.com’s best feature (beyond the price) is its extensive support system and knowledgebase.

You can find virtually anything you need to know about using their free platform in WordPress.com’s Support section. To call their collection of how-to articles merely “extensive” would be an understatement.

And if you have a specific question you need an answer for, they have you covered there too.

Visit the WordPress.com forum, search to see if anyone has had your same question, and browse the answers. Can’t find the solution you need? Post the question yourself.

Free Themes

Whereas Medium prevents you from customizing the look of your blog, WordPress.com gives you options.

With “dozens” (93 at the time of this writing) of free themes from which to choose, WordPress.com offers design flexibility that isn’t available with Medium and the other free platforms.

What we’re saying is…

You get a lot for “free.”

Who Should Use WordPress.com?

WordPress.com is a solid platform for almost every type of blogger.

Do you want to be a self-help blogger? Good news — WordPress.com will meet your needs.

Want to blog on food, pets, or politics? You’re in luck.

Just want to write about life? That’s WordPress.com’s jam, my friend.

Source: The Next Adventure

But WordPress.com is good for more than just blogging. You can also use it for projects and e-commerce stores, which isn’t something the other free platforms can claim.

That gives it an edge over the other options. If you want to blog and do something else with your site, WordPress.com offers flexibility the others do not.

However, it’s not a good fit for everyone…

Who Should NOT Use WordPress.com?

If you want to blog for a business, you should skip WordPress.com and look into Medium or LinkedIn (which we’ll discuss in a moment).

Why?

Because it makes you look like a cheapskate.

Free is wonderful, but using WordPress.com when you’re a business is the equivalent of handing out business cards with the printer’s logo on the back of them.

Doesn’t exactly scream “I’m a professional,” does it?

Also:

If you’re hoping to join a blogging community where your posts have a chance to be discovered by new audiences, you should look elsewhere.

Medium shines a spotlight on the best their members have to offer. If you write something great, it has a chance to be featured and seen by millions.

WordPress.com? Not so much.

Here’s a screenshot of the most-recent “Editors’ Picks” on the official WordPress.com blog:

There might as well be tumbleweeds blowing across the screen.

Final Word on WordPress.com

What are the Pros?

Suitable for a variety of blog types

Solid support articles and forum

More design options than other free platforms

Shorter learning curve if you choose to transition to self-hosted WordPress later

Good for more than just blogs

What are the Cons?

Not ideal for businesses

You can’t install third-party themes and plugins

Lack of community makes it difficult to build an audience from scratch

WordPress advertising and banners may appear next to your content

Conclusion: If you’re a non-business blogger who wants an easy to use platform that gives you some control over customization, WordPress.com is a solid option — especially if you plan to transition to self-hosted WordPress someday.

#3. LinkedIn: Best Platform for Professionals

Source: Darren Rowse

Next up is LinkedIn.

Primarily used for professional networking, LinkedIn also offers a publishing platform. This allows any of its 560 million users (as of September 2018) to write posts that could (potentially) be read by any of the 260 million members who are active in a given month.

(Again, potentially.)

How Do You Get Started?

Go to LinkedIn.com, and you’ll see this window encouraging you to join:

Enter your name, your email, and a strong password. Then click the “Join now” button.

You’ll then be asked to answer a few simple questions:

Your country and zip code

Whether or not you’re a student (if no, you’ll enter your job title and the name of your employer; if yes, you’ll enter the name of your school and other relevant info)

Your reason for joining LinkedIn

It sounds like a lot, but it’s fairly harmless.

Still, if you feel the urge to throw your computer into the dumpster, we won’t blame you.

What Do You Get For $0?

A free-to-use publishing platform that’s focused on professionals and business contacts.

If you’re already a LinkedIn member, publishing your content will be easier than WordPress.com, Medium, or any other blogging platform.

Why?

Because it’s built right into your LinkedIn profile. Click the “Write an article” button and start writing.

Who Should Use LinkedIn?

Anyone who wants to reach professionals and businesses.

After all, that’s what LinkedIn is all about, right? Nurturing business relationships.

Source: Syed Balkhi

Blogging on LinkedIn helps to cultivate those relationships.

When you write an article, LinkedIn will notify your existing connections. If your article is great (and why wouldn’t it be?), they’ll take notice. Write more and more great articles, and they’ll start to see you as an authority.

And, like with Medium, great content on LinkedIn has a chance to get noticed by those outside your list of connections.

If one of LinkedIn’s editors sees your masterpiece and decides to feature it on one of LinkedIn’s numerous channels, your work gets exposed to a giant audience of interested, like-minded professionals.

Tip: Want to increase the chances a LinkedIn editor will see your article? Share it on Twitter and include “tip @LinkedInEditors” in your tweet.

Who Should NOT Use LinkedIn?

This one is pretty straightforward…

If you aren’t a working professional, or you’re not looking to reach working professionals, you’ll be better off choosing one of the other free platforms.

Final Word on LinkedIn

What are the Pros?

Good for professionals and businesses

Clean, simple design

Easy to use — publishing platform is built right into your LinkedIn profile

Built-in audience of like-minded professionals

What are the Cons?

Only good for professionals and businesses

Very few customization options

You can’t schedule posts for future publishing

Conclusion: If you’re looking to write posts that will reach professionals and businesses, LinkedIn is the best free blogging platform available.

#4. Instagram: Best Platform for Visuals

A photo and video-sharing platform that’s owned by Facebook, Instagram is one of the largest social media sites in the world.

As of June 2018, Instagram has 1 billion users worldwide. The previous September, they had 800 million users — a growth of 200 million in only nine months.

Even if you subtract everyone who follows a Kardashian or has posted a photo of themselves impersonating a duck, Instagram offers an audience of well over 75 people.

(Kidding. Mostly.)

How Do You Get Started?

On a personal computer, go to Instagram.com, and you’ll see the following:

Enter your phone number or email address, your name, your desired username, and a strong password. Then click the “Sign up” button.

Or, skip all that and click the “Log in with Facebook” button (assuming you have a Facebook account). If you aren’t already logged in, it will ask you to log into your Facebook account.

You could also do the above using the Instagram app on your mobile device.

What Do You Get For $0?

You get an extremely popular social media platform that’s perfect for microblogging.

What’s microblogging, you ask? Here’s how it works:

You get a great image. Maybe it’s a photo you took on your camera, or perhaps it’s a Creative Commons image that perfectly fits your current shade of melancholy.

You upload the image to Instagram.

And for the caption? You write a short blog post.

Here are a couple examples:

In the above screenshot, Sarah Von Bargen cleverly plugs a course she offers in the midst of a tiny, bite-sized post (accompanied by a photo of assorted beverages).

And in the below screenshot, my friend Jaime Buckley (in true Jaime Buckley style), uses Instagram to publish an eye-catching graphic alongside 107 inspirational words on parenting.

That’s microblogging — and it can be done very, very well using Instagram.

Who Should Use Instagram?

Anyone who focuses on highly-visual topics.

Models…

Photographers…

Yoga instructors…

Professional chefs…

Make-up artists, hair stylists, clothing stores…

The list goes on and on.

If you’re someone who can combine great visuals with short posts that pack a punch, you can have great success using Instagram as a microblogging platform.

Who Should NOT Use Instagram?

If your idea of a great image involves pulling out the iPhone 3G you’ve had since 2008 and snapping a photo, Instagram may not be the platform for you.

If you tend to draft novels when you write, Instagram’s 2,200 character limit when writing captions could prove problematic.

Also, if your target audience tends to shy away from mobile devices for any reason, Instagram might not be the best platform to test your ideas. Instagram started life as a mobile app. Mobile is where it shines, and it’s where most of its users call home.

(So, if you’re planning to start a Wilford Brimley fan club, it’s probably best to skip Instagram.)

Final Word on Instagram

What are the Pros?

Great for visual topics

Ideal platform for microblogging (short posts)

Great if your target audience primarily uses mobile devices

What are the Cons?

Limited to 2,200 characters

Limited to one hyperlink (in your bio)

If your target audience isn’t on mobile, it’s less than ideal

Conclusion: Instagram offers a great microblogging platform geared toward visual topics. However, it is not kind to fans of the great Wilford Brimley.

#5. Guest Blogging: Best Platform for Building Your Authority

Sometimes, the best platform for your work is someone else’s popular blog.

Why? Because it can mean instant credibility.

Once your post publishes on a site like Smart Blogger, Forbes, Lifehacker, or Business Insider; people look at you differently.

Yesterday, you were just you — a talented, attractive writer living in obscurity. But then, after having your work published on a well-known website, you’re now seen as a subject matter expert in your field.

What happened? Guest blogging happened.

How Do You Get Started?

There are two approaches to finding sites where you can contribute guest posts.

The first is easy…

Check to see if the blogs you already like to read (that are relevant to your niche, of course) accept guest post submissions.

Browse their “About” or “Start” pages. Try their “Contact” page. Sometimes, they’ll make it easy and have a “Contribute” or “Write for Us” link in their navigation menu or footer.

The second approach involves utilizing Google’s and Twitter’s search capability.

Here’s how it works:

As you can in the screenshot above, you can query a topic (in this example: “blogging”) along with a search phrase (“write for us”).

Google returned a list of results that contained both of those search terms/phrases.

Click on the results that look promising, browse the sites, and see if they’re a good fit. Not all sites will be worth your time. Skip the ones that aren’t. Bookmark the matches.

Then try some other, similar queries:

“Blogging” + “guest post”

“Blogging” + “contribute”

“Blog tips” + “write for us”

And so on.

Replace “blogging” and “blogging tips” with whatever topics you would like to write about.

Searching for guest blogging opportunities on Twitter follows a similar routine:

Type “guest post”, “guest blog post”, “guest article”, etc. in the search box. Twitter will give you a list of tweets where people used those exact phrases.

Every time someone proudly tweets that a guest post they’ve written has been published on someone’s site, as Meera Kothand does in the above screenshot, it’s saved by Twitter for posterity. And it allows you to go on an archeological hunt find it.

Scroll through the results.

Based on the title of the guest post and the site that published it, you will have a good idea whether or not it’s a match for you. Keep scrolling until you find some possibilities. Click the link in the tweet, browse the site, and bookmark it for later if you think it’s a contender.

What Do You Get For $0?

You get the chance to put your words in front of already-existing, relevant audiences.

Jon wasn’t an unknown when he wrote How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World as a guest post for Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger in 2011, but he was an unknown to me until I discovered the post a few years later.

Then everything changed.

It didn’t matter that Jon was already well known by most thanks to his former role at Copyblogger; for me, his ProBlogger post was a gateway drug.

Jon went from being an unknown — a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce — to an authority on blogging I had to read.

That’s the power of guest blogging. Every time you put your words in front of newly targeted audiences; you have the chance to gain fans for life.

Who Should Guest Blog?

Anyone who wants to build their credibility and boost their authority.

How can guest blogging do that, you ask? Let’s use me as an example.

Before I wrote my first guest post for Smart Blogger, the only people who viewed me as an authority on blogging were my wife and maybe one of our cats.

My site, Be A Better Blogger, was less than a year old. After reading a post about quitting your job and moving to paradise written by some guy named Jon, launching my own “blog about blogging” sounded like a great idea.

So that’s what I did. I was on unemployment at the time, and I had a lot of free time on my hands.

And I was doing a great job in such a short period.

The only problem?

I had little credibility. Few saw me as an authority on the topics I was writing.

Then I received an email…

Jon’s editor, the talented Glen Long, invited me to write a guest post for Smart Blogger (formerly known as Boost Blog Traffic).

That guest post…

Led to a second opportunity…

Which led to a third…

Which led to the post you’re reading right now.

It led to opportunities like writing for Syed Balkhi over at OptinMonster.

It led to being asked to provide quotes for dozens of blog posts and articles.

It led to flattering, tongue-placed-firmly-in-cheek emails like this one from James Chartrand:

It may not have led to tons of traffic for my website or large crowds chanting my name in the streets, but guest blogging did something that would have taken me considerable time to do on my own:

It legitimized me.

Hey, and speaking of website traffic…

Who Should NOT Guest Blog?

Anyone who wants to build up their own blog.

The reason? It isn’t very efficient.

Brace yourself…

You would better off publishing your masterpiece on your website, even if it isn’t yet popular, rather than on someone else’s — even if their website is very popular.

Please don’t misunderstand: Guest blogging is a great way to gain credibility; however, it isn’t a great way to get traffic to your blog. Not anymore.

Guest blogging may have been a nice traffic source in the past, but those days are long gone.

In his eye-opening article on the topic, Tim Soulo determined guest blogging was a poor return on investment if your goal was to generate traffic to your website.

According to Tim’s survey of over 500 bloggers (which included yours truly):

Guest posts from those in the marketing niche earned their authors an average of only 56 website clicks

85% of the authors received fewer than 100 referrals to their sites

That doesn’t mean you should never guest blog. It just means you need to be clear about your reasons for doing so.

Guest blog for credibility, for boosting your authority, and for building your brand.

Don’t guest blog if you’re hoping for traffic. More often than not, you’ll be disappointed.

Oh, and there’s one more group who shouldn’t guest blog:

Those who want to take shortcuts.

There’s both good and bad when you’re putting your words in front of a large audience. If your post teaches them something new, inspires them, or gives them something juicy to chew on; they’ll remember you for it.

And if it sucks? Yeah, they’ll remember you for that too.

Guest blogging is a great way to build your authority, but it’s also a great way to destroy it.

If you’re not willing to put in the time and do the work, guest blogging isn’t for you.

Final Word on Guest Blogging

What are the Pros?

Write for interested, targeted audiences

Fastest way to build your authority and reputation

What are the Cons?

Fastest way to destroy your authority and reputation

Not an efficient method for getting traffic to your own website

Getting published on quality sites is hard work

Time-consuming — may be hard to fit into busy schedules

Conclusion: Guest blogging is a great way to build your authority and get your content in front of new readers. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. However, it’s unlikely to generate tangible traffic to your blog.

Making the Switch to Self-Hosted WordPress

Technically, there’s one more free option out there…

The WordPress.org software — the same software used by WordPress.com — is free too. It’s free for any and all to use.

However, just like there’s no such thing as a free puppy (once you factor in food, veterinarian bills, and replacing all your shoes after they’ve become chew toys), WordPress.org’s software isn’t actually free once you add up the other expenses.

See, to use the software, you have to install it on your own web host. That costs money.

Is this something you will want to do eventually? Absolutely. Just not right now. Not when you’re getting started.

So how will you know when you’re ready?

Jon recommends making the switch once you reach a 20% outreach success rate.

What does that mean? Let’s break it down:

Step #1: Register for a Free Blog

Step #2: Follow Jon’s New Method for Starting a Blog

If you haven’t read How to Start a Blog in 2018, do so immediately.

(Well, not immediately. Finish reading this post; leave us a comment; and share it with all your friends, loved ones, and acquaintances. Then, by all means, immediately after saying hi on Twitter, go and read Jon’s excellent tutorial.)

In the post, Jon shows you how to conduct a miniature outreach campaign where you email 10-20 influential bloggers and ask them to share your blog posts.

Once you’ve hit a 20% success rate, you’re ready to make the transition.

Step #3: Switch to Self-Hosted WordPress

Jon’s post also offers guidance for making the switch. When you’re ready to choose a web host, be sure to read WordPress Hosting: A Brutally Honest Guide That’ll Save You Money.

It’ll help you pick the best host for your needs and budget.

What’s the Best Free Blogging Platform for You?

That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?

You now know why testing your ideas on a free blogging platform when you’re just starting is a good idea. You now know the pros and cons of Medium, WordPress.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, and guest blogging. And, you now know how to get started with each of them.

So which one is it going to be?

If you want my honest opinion, the answer is simple…

The best free blogging platform is whichever one will get you to stop dipping your toes into the water and start diving in head first.

The next blogging masterpiece isn’t going to write itself.

Are you ready?

Then let’s do this thing.

About the Author: Kevin J. Duncan runs Be A Better Blogger, where he uses his very particular set of skills to help people become the best bloggers they can be.

The post The 5 Best Free Blogging Platforms in 2019 (100% Unbiased) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/blogging-platforms/

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cackieo · 7 years ago

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My front door all decked out for Christmas in the snow

I know a lot of you don’t much care for winter, but in my dotage, I’ve come to have quite an appreciation of the opportunity it gives to go inwards. It also gives me the chance to catch up on stuff that I don’t seem to have time for the rest of the year.

And so, I’ve spent a good deal of time during this past week, when the god of winter was howling at the door, to spend time at the computer revamping this website. It’s been a few years since the look had been updated and I felt it was past time to for a change. I’m very excited and pleased with how it has turned out. I hope you are, too.

Hopefully, I’ve gotten the major bugs worked out but I’m quite sure some tweaking is still required. I’m especially happy with the new “HOME ” page. You will notice that you don’t land right on the “BLOG” page anymore but on a page with lots of images and an overview of Glittermoon Vintage Christmas that you can scroll down to see.

Please take some time to have a look around and then leave me a comment with your opinion. Positive or negative, it all helps.

Just click on the “HOME” button to get there. I’d love to hear if the navigation works ok for you, how you like the “new look,” and just about anything else you’d like to let me know about. Thank you!

And now….. Christmas 2017!

My main tree for 2017

I was awfully behind getting ready for Christmas again this year but it came just the same as it always does and we had a lovely one. I hope you did, too!

I want to share a couple more pictures, this time of the critters who spend time under the tree.

My antique chicken rocker from England holds my childhood teddy bear, a little dog that belonged to my mother-in-law, and an angel made from vintage materials. There’s also my MIL’s doll bed (made from a cigar box and clothespins) with a tiny bisque baby, a dear little elephant, and 2 favorite Christmas books. This copy of “The Bird’s Christmas Carol” (one of my favorites that my grandmother read to me as a child) is dated 1917 and is inscribed inside from a father to his daughter.

On the other side of the tree is my herd of pachyderms and an Irish pony on wheels with Patrick’s childhood Raggedy Andy doll. He apparently lost an arm in a war somewhere in his past….poor thing.

The newest addition to my tree, though far from new himself, is this marvelous Santa. I bought him from a vendor friend at the Country Living Fair in Atlanta last fall. He belonged to her grandparents; in fact, I believe her grandfather actually made him. Like many people our age, she has found herself buried with stuff from her parents and grandparents and needed to let him go. Luckily, he has found a very good home with me.

For the second year in a row, my sister and her 3 girls made the trip down here for a whirlwind Christmas visit. They arrived Christmas afternoon. I had everything ready, the table set, trees lit, packages wrapped, Christmas music playing, etc. They brought a fresh turkey from the Amish market at home. We slapped it in the oven and set about having a grand old time.

The table all set for Christmas dinner

As you can tell, we had a casual dress code…Sophie is massaging Uncle P’s hand as Sarah looks on.

After dinner, it was time for presents!

This is Charlotte (l) waiting for her uncle to open his present from her. That’s my sister taking pictures.

And then, like a whirlwind…it was all over. We felt a little low after they left the next day.

The detritus of Christmas dinner. We will save the wishbone until next Christmas.

But the next day, we regrouped. I spent the rest of the week very happily doing….nothing!!! It was wonderful.

After a toast to the New Year, Mother Nature sent us the Big Chill. Pretty much everybody in the US knows whereof I speak. It was cold!!!

But, my it was beautiful. The first day of the storm sent us snow – and wind. Lots of wind. I am so very grateful that we were the some of the lucky ones who had a warm and snug home to hunker down in.

Emma P. and I braved the elements to get outside and fill the bird feeders so our winged friends would not go hungry. Here are a few shots of what we found in the garden.

After a while, Emma was ready to come in.

Come on, Mom, I’m cold!!

And that brings us up to today. The trees are still up and so are all the decorations. I’m not quite ready to let Christmas go just yet.

As a photographer, I love the light in winter. My mom’s snowbabies cavort on the dining room table.

This is the view from the dining room towards the garden room. You can see both trees from here. The snow had just finished falling and a wintry sun came out, shedding her gorgeous light upon us.

And that, my friends, is where we are today. Maybe sometime next week, I’ll feel the urge to move on to a clean slate. But not just yet.

I would like to wish each of you a wonderful 2018, filled with joy and love. Cheers!

I’ll be back soon.

New Year, New Look! …and a Look Back at Christmas 2017 I know a lot of you don't much care for winter, but in my dotage, I've come to have quite an appreciation of the opportunity it gives to go inwards.

#2018 #christmas #christmas tree #family #new year #snow #winter

0 notes

viralhottopics · 8 years ago

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Right-to-Repair is ridiculous

Congrats, you got it apart. Now what?

Image: Shutterstock / PATHOMRAT PRAERIN

My co-worker, Tracey, held her iPhone like a baby bird with a bent wing.

I stared at the dark screen. The device was still on, but stuck somewhere between living technology and a dead iPhone. Tracey said that the device made a popping sound and got really hot in one corner while she was making a phone call. Then, her screen cracked, and burnt her ear. She wanted to know what to do. She explained the incident happened shortly after having third-party iPhone screen repair company iCracked replace her shattered iPhone 6 screen. iCracked was ready to let the original technician repair her phone again. I warned her against it. The phone was obviously dangerousand letting them touch it again probably wouldnt help. In fact, I thought it might hurt.

Right-to-Repair? What a ridiculous phrase. No one has the right to repair anything.

I was reminded of this episode as I read about Nebraska, the latest state to consider new Right-to-Repair legislation. If the legislation passes, it’d require Apple, Samsung, and other electronics manufacturers to supply parts and detailed repair manuals to everyone, including repair shops, and average consumers. And there are several legislative efforts like it underway around the country.

Right-to-Repair? What a ridiculous thing to say. No one has the right to repair anything. You might have the skill to repair something (something that iCracked tech might’ve lacked). And you can hand people all the schematics, instructions, and parts you want and they still wont be able to replace an iPhone battery or screen.

Another way to say it

We dont lead with that language, said The Repair Associations Executive Director Gay Gordon-Byrne.

Her organization supports Right-to-Repair legislation around the country. Gordon-Byrne, who has a bit of a DIY streak in her, agreed that repairing something isn’t a right like free speech. In fact, some of the legislation her organization sponsors is called Fair Repair. The Right-to-Repair language actually started in the auto industry. Obviously, it would be silly for us not to take advantage [of it.], she told me.

Even though the language of the legislation being pushed in Nebraska includes the word consumers and reads broadly, Gordon-Byrne insists the goal of the legislation isn’t you should repair your own stuff.

That may be so, but I worry the DIY community, the Maker community, and especially Apple-repair shop iFixitwhich stands firmly behind Right-to-Repair, and urges their site’s visitors to support itfeel otherwise.

The company, which sells an excellent line of repair tools and kits, does daily teardowns of popular consumer electronics products, and rates them on repairability. It gave the iPhone 6 a 7 out of 10 score, which makes it sound quite repairable. Of course, the teardown features 22 steps using four specialized tools you can buy, naturally, from iFixit. Its screen replacement guide for the phone features 26 steps, an $80 part, and seven tools.

Gordon-Byrne says companies like iFixit should be credited with small third-party iPhone repair services that do exist. Without the intel they provide on how these products are made and the components within them, as well as the tools and, sometimes, replacement parts they offer? There probably wouldnt even be an iCracked.

The End of Repair

When they work, sites and services like iFixit and iCracked fill in a crucial gap between the end of your iPhone warranty and buying a new iPhone. But Traceys experience makes me wonder if the entire consumer electronics repair industry is a farce. Apple and Samsung aren’t building these products to be repaired. They started with batteries that cant be removed, and continued with hidden screws. Even water-resistance flies in the face of a repair job. ‘Soon as you open that phone, you can probably kiss any real waterproofing you might’ve had goodbye.

This, for Gordon-Byrne, is a positive. Most repair is actually simpler than people expect, she told me, adding that many repairs aren’t “repairs” at alltheyre just parts replacement. If a board goes dead, the repair shop slips it out, and slides a new board in.

Shes right, but the typical consumer gamely trying to repair their iPhone wouldnt get that far in. Theyd struggle to open the device, and probably wouldnt know how to unplug the front panel that includes both the LCD and glass screen cover.

I agree, theres a shift in manufacturing that has tended to using more adhesives and more integrated parts, said Gordon-Byrne.

Its not that I dont believe in better-built products and repairability. We need tightening against planned obsolescence cyclesTV sets that once lasted 25 years now fail after five. Im also a tinkerer. Ive taken apart everything from VCRs to BlackBerry Curve phones and their classic scroll buttons. When I see moving parts, I think: repairability. Todays phones have almost no moving parts. At least the iPhone 6 had a moveable home button. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus dont even have that.

Apple would rather just not.

Apple, which wouldn’t comment for this story, has made no secret of its distaste for the Right-to-Repair movement, lobbying against it in multiple states. Its also sought to steer people away from third-party and potentially unlicensed repair companies by lowering the cost, in the U.S., at least, of some of its own repair services (Apple doesn’t cover most cracked screens unless the crack was caused by a manufacturing defect). The company also understands just how hard it is to repair and dismantle its own products. In 2015, Apple introduced LIAM, a custom-design, iPhone-dismantling robot. Its still a prototype, and only safely dismantles an iPhone 5, but it also separates and sorts recyclable and hazardous materials. My guess is that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, iPhones will be so thin, powerful, and complex than only a robot will be able to repair them.

Opponents contend that Apple’s fighting Right-to-Repair legislation because it wants to protect trade secrets. But which ones, exactly? iFixit teardowns reveal virtually every component inside these devices. There’s clearly some stuff iFixit cannot figure out via observation. Im fine with that. Apple wanting to protect some details of its iPhone technology is no different than Kentucky Fried Chicken trying to protect its secret recipe.

DIY disasters

I think its a fair concern that Right-to-Repair laws could lead to an explosion of Radio Shack-like iPhone and Samsung electronics parts shops. Consumers will wander in with broken iPhone and Samsung Galaxy screens, and walk out with all the parts and tools they need to repair them. And they will fail, miserably.

Plus, what if a consumer’s injured during a failed repair attempt? They slice open a finger on the cracked glass, or put it back together incorrectly, so the battery fails (and maybe even explodes). Its the consumers fault, obviously, but they could also try to sue Apple or Samsung.

Gordon-Byrne laughed off my concern. I cant imagine someone going in to try and sue Apple for a finger cut, when its already clear that the phone has glass and that glass is fragile.

The Right-to-Repair movement would make a lot more sense to me if it focused solely on industrial technology. Farming and manufacturing equipment are, increasingly, filled with hard-to-repair solid-state components. When theres millions of dollars (and potentially: infrastructure) on the line, it makes sense to ensure that businesses, farms, even governments can repair this equipment, as opposed to simply having to replace it.

The Repair Association has, in fact, considered pursuing something less inclusive. Gordon-Byrne pointed me to Wyoming and Kansas, two states considering legislation tailored to farm and ranching equipment. On its Wyoming Bill page, though, The Repair Association says it would like to see the bill be adjusted to include all digital equipment.

Too new to fail

If Right-to-Repair succeeds, Gordon-Byrne sees a lot more people getting trained and going into business for themselves as technicians. It could be a booming business. It could also face one very big challenge: modern product-upgrade cycles. New smartphone manufacturer and carrier plans are encouraging consumers to upgrade their phones every year (and pay a monthly fee, so they dont notice the $700 theyre plunking down for that new iPhone). Leaving aside clear profit motives, it introduces a new possibility to our smart-phone-owning existence: More and more people will be carrying like-new phones, and repair opportunities may dwindle.

That reality’s probably years away, though, and Right-to-Repair is struggling to make its way through a handful of state legislatures, which leaves us with the somewhat dicey status quo and companies like iCracked that are, even by their own admission, feeling their way through the repair process.

The repair industry was the wild west and to some extent, it still is. Said iCracked CEO and Founder AJ Forsythe.

He was understandably alarmed about Traceys experience, noting that its not the norm. iCracked does seem obsessed with repair quality. It even captures video of its parts on the assembly line and uses barcodes to attach that footage to the final product its iTechs use in repairs.

However, iCracked, like most third-party repair companies, is still flying partially blind-folded. Since Apple doesnt provide repair manuals and certified parts to companies like his, Forsythe has made over two dozen visits to China to find the companies supplying iPhone parts. Are they the exact same parts Apple uses? A lot of the time, they are the same, said Forsythe. But Apple is well known for forcing supply partners to, sometime subtly, alter components just for them. Could Forsythe be certain his LCD panels match Apples?

As far as we know from the supply chain team over there, they are wildly similar, or the same, he told me.

Forsythe, naturally, supports Right-to-Repair. I asked him if hes comfortable with even more consumers trying to repair their own phones. He acknowledged that not everyone’s as handy and tech savvy as he is. Would I feel comfortable having my father or mother repair a phone?”

“I guess [the answer] would be how well they could follow instructions.

AND NOW, A DIFFERENT OPINION: Apple doesn’t want you to repair your iPhone because they’re money-hungry and evil.