#but that's for a much heavier post. some of which is still painfully relevant to a lot of us today. so y'know.

[spring-lxcked]

Happy pride, the serial killer in the rabbit suit is queer. In all seriousness, I said I was going to write this headcanon awhile ago but I'm just getting around to it. Also: reminder that pansexual is an older term than people often think. Still, William usually defaults to "queer" on the occasion he's openly talking about his orientation.

William realized he was queer/pansexual when he was 15. It's the usual story: he developed an undeniable crush on a boy at school, but didn't pursue it. Obviously, he had grown up in a very unaccepting time and this wasn't something he was open about. His own feelings about it were initially mixed (a result of being raised in such a homophobic society), but by the time he left for university in America, he was neutral on his own queerness. It was simply a fact about himself. In university he explored his sexuality thoroughly regardless of gender, both casually and in very brief relationships. While he still obviously kept his orientation private from most people, he did find some other members of the community he could talk to openly. Finding out that William was queer in university wouldn't have been that hard, but afterward he starts being much, much more careful. Without getting into it, I think we all know that he couldn't afford to be outed with the type of business he was wanting to open. He (happily) marries and feels content that there's no way his orientation comes out. He does not and will not tell his wife about his queerness by default. Then the divorce happens, he's left with custody of three young kids, and dating just isn't his priority, regardless of gender. Still, William absolutely would take the risk of dating a man and even disclosing this to his kids (if they're old enough to keep quiet about it) if he really, really liked someone and intended the relationship to be lifelong. William generally doesn't care if his kids are queer, but his borderline obsession with keeping them safe (especially post-CC's death) can rear its head if they are openly queer. This is absolutely the part where he drops the bombshell of also being queer (if they don't already know) as a way to prove he has a "fair argument" about safety/homophobia. You might expect his reservation to be about the "optics" of him having a queer kid, but by this point (assuming his kid is coming out as a teen), he is actively caring less and less about that. NOTE: In verses where William is lowkey obsessed with head over heels for Henry (which, lbr, can be pretty much from university onwards lmao), he is seemingly much more likely to hint at his orientation, although this is only around Henry. Of course, he's more likely to open up about it/flirt if he thinks the feelings are mutual OR if Henry's queer as well (and Will knows). He also just generally talks about Henry in a way that is. . . potentially telling. Still, he'll claim this is just admiration, which is half true.

[emailmarketin]

How To Write Engaging Instagram Captions (6 Copywriting Tips)

How do you write scroll-stopping Instagram captions?

Instagram captions need to follow the ABCs of copywriting.

So first they need to get attention with a great graphic and a compelling headline.

Second, they need to provide a benefit or some sort of value in the form of education, entertainment, or inspiration.

And lastly, they need a strong close.

They need to give people one clear and concise call-to-action.

six tips for writing killer Instagram captions

Tip # 1 "to get more likes, share a relatable story"

It is a known fact that actual photos of people

do typically get more likes,especially for a personality based brand

So rather than trying to pull content out of thin air,as much as you can, share real stories

and be as specific as possible.

Remember, the more specific the story,

the more relatable your copy.

Lastly, don't be afraid to create polarity,

take a strong stand for something you believe in,or own up to your own imperfections.

Nothing engages people more than a story that validates their own concerns, doubts, and fears,or speaks to a shared cause, mission, or belief.

Tip # 2 "Get more saves,share your favorite tips and tools"

provide insider tips and invaluable shortcuts

on a topic that is highly relevant to your followers.

And there's just something about lists

that we as humans just absolutely love, right?

It's actually scientifically proven that we love lists because they're simple and they provide easy frameworks for us to process information quickly in an otherwise overoversaturated dateline and a detailed list that supplements the graphic,

we also have a clear CTA that says,

"Comment yes below for us to DM you the links."

And sometimes we even include a save for later call to action in the graphic directly above the save button.That makes it really, really clear and easy for a follower to just click once,save that to their archive,

and then they can refer back to it later whenever they want

Tip #3  "To get more shares,post a thought-provoking meme or quote"

The biggest crowd pleasers of them all,

memes and quotes, both are punchy, straight to the point,

and offer a quick burst of fun, just like a tequila shot.Memes have the ability of uniting us using the universal emotion of humor.

There is no better way to do this than through satire of real life.

And while quotes may have gotten a bad rap lately,thanks to those spreading oversimplified, stolen,

and sometimes painfully cliche wisdom,

the numbers do not lie, people love quotes.

The bottom line is this, both quotes and memes are indisputably powerful and share worthy,especially when they are relevant to your audience and speak to their sense of identity,or a common belief system.

Tip # 4 "To get more comments, ask a simple question."

one of the best ways to get your followers to comment on your posts is to ask them a question, of course,

but here's the thing, you want to keep it quick

and ask a question that requires very minimal effort.include the question in the graphic itself

as well, because don't forget,

we are in the scrolling generation so you can ask a multiple choice question

if you do want to keep your question open-ended,

that's cool too.

Make the question painfully easy to answer,

like in my most commented post of all time,

It requires very little effort to answer,

and it evokes a strong sense of pride and identity.

So these types of posts are great gagement rate.

So the higher your engagement rate,

the more likely your posts are to be seen by more people and the faster you grow.

But again, you do not want your entire account

to just be these types of posts,

because then you're not adding a lot of value

for your audience.

They are a great way though, to get conversation going and have a little fun between your heavier content posts

Tip #5 "To get more leads, provide valuable resources."

Because Instagram prohibits hyperlinks

in the captions themselves,it can be really challenging for brands to send their followers to their website.It requires a lot of interest

and serious manual effort from the reader.

Those three little words, "link in bio"

require a surprising amount of work,

which means you better be giving people a damn good reason to stop their scrolling, go to your profile,click the link in the bio,

then to leave the Instagram app altogether

to access your website,and then take the desired call-to-action,

which is to sign up or buy something.With that being said,social media can still be a great source for leads,

but see this as an opportunity to put on your marketing hat and ask yourself this question,

what can I give my followers that is so good

that they'll want to stop what they're doing right now,

leave Instagram and go get it?

So the answer to that is to share a highly valuable and relevant resource that helps them solve one of their most pressing problems.

Tip # 6 "To get more followers, make it playful and have fun."

The best posts of them all are the ones that get a lot of likes, comments, shares, and saves because those are the posts

that keep peoplese those are the posts

that keep people coming back for more

and boost your following like crazy.

So my most engaging posts of all time across all metrics was this power words post.

Power words are a copywriter's secret weapon when it comes to giving your copy some needed pizazz.

So in this good old fashioned word game,

we listed down some common adjectives

and offered alternatives that can evoke more emotion and action in your copywriting.

We then asked our followers to fill in the blank

and find a better word for "increase".

So these kinds of posts are really fun and easy to answer,

but they also evoke our human competitive nature,

add a ton of value, and provide a unique opportunity for your audience to interact with you in a fun way.

By mixing up the style, format, and design of your posts,

while of course always following the ABC copywriting rules in your captions,

you'll boost your engagement and following in no time,plus you'll have a fun, creative, and exciting feed that keeps people coming back again and again and again.

[goarticletec-blog]

Pixel Slate vs. Pixelbook: The productivity conundrum

New Post has been published on https://www.articletec.com/pixel-slate-vs-pixelbook-the-productivity-conundrum/

Pixel Slate vs. Pixelbook: The productivity conundrum

So maybe you’ve heard: Google’s got a new high-end Pixel product that’s finally ready for us productivity-hunting primates to purchase.

The product is curiously tough to define. It’s a tablet, but probably not like any other tablet you’ve used before. It’s a laptop, but only kinda — and with a fair number of asterisks attached. And it doesn’t run Android, exactly, though it does run Android apps and have an interface that’ll feel awfully familiar if you’ve used a recent Android phone.

The product, as you no doubt know (you smart cookie, you), is the Pixel Slate — a convertible Chrome OS computing device that doubles as both a laptop and a tablet, provided you pick up its optional keyboard accessory. On paper, it almost seems like a more versatile version of Google’s high-end Pixelbook, which is basically the same thing except with a display that swivels back instead of detaching completely.

Once you’ve spent some time using the two products in the real world, though, something becomes painfully clear: These devices are absolutely not equals. And the difference between them is not what you’d initially expect.

Pixel Slate vs. Pixelbook: The stark hardware reality

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Whether or not Chrome OS is right for you is a question only you can answer. I’m not going to waste your time talking about the merits or limitations of Chrome OS as a platform here, because that truly is a completely separate question (and one we’ve talked about puh-lenty over the years).

So from here on out, we’re gonna assume you’re able to get your work (and non-work) accomplished with a combination of web-centric tools, Android apps, and maybe even a couple Linux apps — and that generally speaking, a Chromebook provides an appropriate and hopefully even ideal productivity environment for you. Capisce? Capisce.

And let’s push one more pesky ol’ elephant out of the room while we’re at it: In terms of user interface, software, and capabilities (and despite what some coverage by folks who clearly don’t spend much time using Chrome OS outside of product review periods may suggest), the Pixel Slate and Pixelbook are essentially identical. So, too, is any other reasonably recent Chromebook with a touchscreen in place. What we’re talking about here, then, are differences in form and hardware between Google’s two flagship laptop/tablet products — nothing less, nothing more.

All right — so all of that being said, here’s the cold, hard, non-sugarcoated truth: Using the Pixel Slate for productivity purposes feels like using a lesser version of the Pixelbook. You’re trading a premium, luxurious-feeling laptop that also doubles quite effectively as a tablet for a pretty nice tablet that awkwardly functions as a second-class laptop.

JR

With the Pixel Slate, instead of a sturdy-feeling metal body à la the Pixelbook, you get a flimsy plastic case with keys built into it. This contrast is most apparent when you try to use the device on your lap — y’know, like a laptop — and its screen wobbles around as you type while its keyboard attachment flexes and shifts beneath your fingers. It’s passable enough, but it’s certainly not ideal — nor is anywhere near a premium-feeling experience.

JR

I’m actually writing this whilst propped up in my bed (yes, it’s that kind of week) and moving back and forth between a Pixelbook and Pixel Slate. Each time, the exchange feels like shifting between a top-of-the-line professional machine and a clumsily constructed screen-and-keyboard-attachment combo. The former is an absolute delight to type on, while the latter is one of those things you’d tolerate if no better options were present — maybe while gently kicking yourself for not packing a preferable solution — but would never willingly select, given the choice.

Harsh, I know. But we’re here to talk truths, and sugarcoating doesn’t serve any of us well.

Oh, and all of that is only part one. The real sticking point is still ahead.

Pixel Slate vs. Pixelbook: The tablet factor

“But surely the Pixel Slate has some advantages,” you must be thinking. And guess what, Waldo? You’re right-o! The Pixel Slate’s speakers are meaningfully better than the Pixelbook’s: They’re located on either side of the display, which means they’re always facing toward you (unlike the Pixelbook’s, which are beneath the keyboard and thus facing the wrong way when you’re using the device in one of its tablet-like arrangements). They’re noticeably fuller-sounding, too — no contest at all there.

And despite the fact that speakers flank its screen, the Pixel Slate has smaller bezels than its sibling, which we all know is a Super Big Deal™ in any 2018 technological assessment. The Pixel Slate also adds a fingerprint sensor into the mix, which a welcome touch, but it lacks a headphone jack (something the Pixelbook does have). Win some, lose some, I guess.

JR

So maybe the Pixel Slate makes sense for someone who mostly wants a tablet, for more passive types of consumption, and doesn’t care so much about the keyboard-using experience? Maybe. But, well, we’re talking primarily about productivity here, remember? And even when it comes to tablet-oriented use — because hey, even the most productive among us occasionally needs to kick back and watch a perfectly (ahem) work-appropriate PG-rated video — I’m just not sure the Pixel Slate is really the preferable choice.

I get that a lot of folks are accustomed to having a tablet that’s a slate-like screen and nothing more, but here’s the thing: The Pixel Slate is a really big screen. It’s 12.3 inches, diagonally, and just over a pound and a half in weight. That makes it too large and heavy to hold comfortably in the air for long, as one might hold a smaller tablet while lying back and relaxing.

You know what is a practical and enjoyable way to use a tablet of this size? With a stand attached. Kind of like the stand built into the Pixelbook, which allows you to position the screen at any angle and comfortably gaze uponst it or even tap it while it rests effortlessly on a table, desk, or your lap. And yes, the Pixel Slate’s keyboard attachment can accomplishment that same effect — but it’s less stable, less durable- and premium-feeling, trickier to manipulate, and less well-suited to the productivity side of your usage. (It also makes the Pixel Slate a touch heavier than the Pixelbook, when attached, and quite a bit clunkier, too.)

JR

Beyond that, the Pixel Slate’s keyboard comes at a literal cost: While the base Pixel Slate costs $999 for a model that’s roughly comparable to the starting level Pixelbook, the keyboard attachment runs an extra 200 bones. If my high-tech number-crunchin’ machines are correct, that means you’re looking at about $1,200 for a system on par with the thousand-dollar Pixelbook — and when it comes to real-world usage, as we’ve established, it actually isn’t on par in oh-so-many ways. (Of note: The Pixelbook is currently marked down to $699, which makes the comparison even more skewed — though there’s no telling how long that discount will last.)

Putting it all together…

So what to make of the Pixel Slate? Who is this product for? Honestly, that’s a question I’ve been struggling to answer since I started using the device about a week ago. I guess if you only want a tablet and don’t care at all about having a physical keyboard, you could make an argument for buying one of the lower-end Pixel Slate models — which start at $599 for fairly limited-power configurations.

But once you start getting into actual productivity, that recommendation gets trickier to make. I don’t think anyone doing serious work will want anything less than the $799 Pixel Slate model, and once you throw in the keyboard, that’s a $998 investment — the same as a high-end convertible Pixelbook, which does all the same stuff as the Pixel Slate but in a superior all-around arrangement and without all the pesky compromises. (And that’s to say nothing of the Pixelbook’s current $699 pricing, of course, which wildly changes everything.)

If you really, truly just have to have a tablet that detaches from its base instead of swiveling around, the Pixel Slate might be worth considering. But I’d strongly suggest rethinking why you need that form and whether the swiveling setup might actually address your needs more effectively — especially when you consider the bigger picture of everything else involved.

Here’s what it boils down to: The Pixelbook is a top-of-the-line convertible that feels like the best of both worlds — a powerful and versatile machine equally well-suited to productivity and entertainment. The Pixel Slate, on the other hand, fails to excel in either domain — and it’s downright disadvantageous in the one most relevant to our current focus. If productivity matters at all to you and you’re looking for a best-in-class experience, the Pixelbook (which is guaranteed to get OS updates all the way through June of 2024, by the way) is still the one to get.

In an era overrun with endless options and ambiguous choices, thank goodness some decisions are still easy to make.

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[Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld]

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