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thissidekhushi · 1 year

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Roles of Street Vendors

Street vending is an informal sector activity that provides a livelihood for millions of people across the world. Street vendors are small-scale entrepreneurs who sell goods and services on the streets, sidewalks, and other public spaces. The roles of street vendors in society are multifaceted, and they play an essential role in the economy, community, and urban development. Government provides Solution to women street vendors and helping women street vendors. In this Blog, we will discuss the various roles of street vendors in society.

Economic Role

Street vendors play a vital role in the economy, especially in developing countries. They provide goods and services that are affordable and accessible to low-income consumers who cannot afford to shop in formal retail stores. Street vending is also an essential source of income for many low-skilled workers who are unable to secure formal employment. Street vendors provide a diverse range of goods and services, including food, clothing, electronics, and household items. Street vendors also contribute to the local economy by generating income and creating employment opportunities. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), street vending provides employment for around 100 million people globally. This sector contributes to the growth of the informal economy, which is estimated to account for between 25% and 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in developing countries. In some countries, street vending has become a significant source of tax revenue for the government.

Social Role

Street vendors play a crucial role in building and maintaining social relationships in communities. They provide a space for social interactions, allowing people from different social classes and backgrounds to come together. Street vendors often develop close relationships with their customers, and their businesses become community landmarks. Street vending creates a sense of community, providing a space for people to gather and share experiences. Push cart vendors also provide a social safety net for vulnerable groups, including low-income families and the homeless. They often provide free or subsidized goods and services to these groups, helping them to meet their basic needs. Street vendors are also known to donate to charity and participate in community development projects.

Environmental Role

Street vending can also play a role in promoting environmental sustainability. Street vendors often sell locally sourced, seasonal, and organic products, which are better for the environment than products produced by large corporations. They also help to reduce food waste by selling produce that would otherwise go to waste. Street vendors in india during covid promotes the use of public transportation and reduces the need for private cars, which contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Street vendors can also contribute to urban greening by creating green spaces in areas where there are few or no parks. They can set up stalls and sell plants and flowers, helping to improve the aesthetics of the urban environment.

Political Role

Street vending has become a political issue in many countries, with vendors often facing harassment and eviction by local authorities. Street vendors have formed associations and unions to defend their rights and advocate for their interests. These organizations have become important political actors, lobbying for legal recognition, protection, and the right to operate without harassment. Street vendors have also become an important force in shaping urban policies. In some cases, they have successfully advocated for policies that support the development of street vending, such as the creation of designated vending zones. Street vendors have also advocated for policies that promote their social and economic rights, such as access to credit, training, and social protection.

Cultural Role

Street vending can also play a role in preserving cultural traditions and promoting diversity. Street vendors often sell traditional and ethnic foods and crafts, which help to preserve cultural heritage. They also promote cultural exchange by bringing together people from different cultural backgrounds. Solutions for street vendors also contribute to the cultural vibrancy of cities. They add color, sound, and activity to urban environments, making them more attractive to visitors and residents alike. Street vending can also promote cultural tourism by providing visitors with an authentic local experience.

#Solution to women street vendors #helping women street vendors #Push Cart Vendors #street vendors in india during covid #solutions for street vendors

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harbourfronttechnologies · 2 years

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How to Get a Loan for a Tiny Home

Are you interested in buying a tiny home, but don't know how to get a loan for it? Don't worry, you're not alone! A lot of people are interested in tiny homes but don't know where to start. In this blog post, we will discuss the different ways that you can get a loan for a tiny home. We will also provide some tips on how to improve your chances of getting approved for a loan. So, whether you're just starting to research tiny homes or you're ready to buy one today, this blog post is for you.

What is a tiny home?

A tiny home is a small dwelling that is usually less than 400 square feet. Tiny homes can be built on wheels, making them easy to move, or they can be stationary. They are becoming increasingly popular as people look for ways to downsize their living situations and live a simpler life.

How can I get a loan for a tiny home?

The first thing you need to do is figure out how much you can afford to spend on a tiny home. This will help you narrow down your options and make it easier to find a loan that fits your budget. Once you know how much you can afford, the next step is to start shopping around for loans. There are a few different types of loans that you can use to finance a tiny home.

The most common type of loan for a tiny home is a personal loan. Personal loans can be obtained from banks, credit unions, and online lenders. The interest rate on a personal loan will vary based on your credit score and the lender you choose. Another option is to get a home equity loan. This type of loan uses your home as collateral, so it's important to make sure that you can afford the monthly payments. Home equity loans typically have lower interest rates than personal loans, but they also come with the risk of foreclosure if you can't make the payments.

If you're looking for a more creative financing option, you could try crowdfunding. There are a number of platforms that allow you to solicit donations from friends, family, and strangers in order to finance your tiny home. This option is often used by people who have difficulty qualifying for traditional loans.

Once you've decided on the type of loan you want to apply for, the next step is to fill out a loan application. Be sure to include all of the necessary documentation, such as proof of income and identification. Once you've submitted your application, the lender will review it and make a decision. If you're approved, you'll be able to start construction on your new home right away!

What are some tips for getting approved for a tiny home loan?

There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting approved for a loan. First, make sure that you have a good credit score. The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to be approved for a loan. You can get your credit score for free from a number of sources, such as Credit Karma. Another tip is to have a down payment saved up. Having a down payment shows the lender that you're serious about buying a tiny home and that you have the financial resources to do so. Finally, be sure to shop around for loans and compare interest rates. Getting the best interest rate will save you money in the long run.

FAQs

Do banks loan money for tiny homes?

Yes, banks will loan money for the purchase of a tiny home. The interest rate on the loan will depend on your credit score and the lender you choose.

Can I get a mortgage for a tiny home?

Yes, it is possible to get a mortgage for a tiny home. However, it can be difficult to qualify for a mortgage on a tiny home because they are considered to be unconventional property.

What is the average interest rate for a tiny home loan?

The average interest rate for a tiny home loan is between five and seven percent. However, this will vary based on your credit score and the lender you choose.

What are the requirements for a tiny home loan?

The requirements for a tiny home loan vary depending on the lender you choose. However, most lenders will require that you have a good credit score and a down payment saved up. Additionally, the home must meet certain size and safety requirements.

What is the process for getting a tiny home loan?

The process for getting a tiny home loan is similar to the process for getting any other type of loan. You will need to fill out a loan application and submit it to the lender. The lender will then review your application and make a decision. If you're approved, you'll be able to start construction on your new home right away.

The bottom line

Tiny homes are becoming increasingly popular as people look for ways to downsize their living situations and live a simpler life. If you're interested in buying a tiny home, there are a few things you need to know in order to get a loan for it. First, figure out how much you can afford to spend on a tiny home. Then, research the different types of loans that are available to you. Finally, apply for a loan and start construction on your new home.

Originally Published Here: How to Get a Loan for a Tiny Home

from Harbourfront Technologies - Feed https://harbourfronts.com/loan-tiny-home/

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eastern-anarchist · 2 years

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I used to ask you for donations when I couldn't run away from home because of domestic violence. Now I'm subjected to daily violence in my country. Unfortunately, more than half of our population doesn't have a job now. Despite free transport and humanitarian aid, money is still required. Now I need at least 35 dollars, more is better. If you like my blog and care that I answer your questions under the threat of missile strikes, then you can support me.

Credit card - 5168 7554 6787 3952. Name - Tetiana Osadchuk. Money can be transferred via Paysend or Western Union.

Thanks!

#ukraine #no war #no war to ukraine #eastern europe

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zsocca55 · 3 years

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Hi! I just finished a paper focusing on the Hungarian uprising of 1956. Reading through memoirs and transcripts have been quite painful, but I feel more informed. While I largely focused on and used American resources, I couldnt help but wonder how Hungarians and Hungarian historians view the event. Do you have any insight or know about any differences with how the event is potrayed in Hungary? Thank you so much, your blog has become a favorite of mine! <3333

Thanks for the kind words! ❤️

I didn’t know the 1956 Hungarian Uprising is still know in America! There is indeed a very distinctive difference in how the USA and Hungary saw the world in that certain year. I’m just gonna explain the events for those who haven’t heard of it real quick while trying to point out the differences in perspective:

First of all, 1956 may become quite a touchy subject when it comes to mentioning the USA, because Hungarians think America has abandoned them at the time of need during the uprising while the Eisenhower-goverment had this “liberating propaganda” and created false hope in Central-Eastrern Europe that American help would arrive in case these nations rose up against the Soviets.

The thing is America wasn’t satisfied with the Eastern Block status quo in the 1940-50s but later he accepted the situation and decided not to tamper with this status quo. This two-faced political approach was what confused the Central-Eastern Europeans and made them think America still had his ‘40-50s approach and would jump at any opportunity to free the Eastern Block. And that’s where these poor states were wrong.

America and the Soviet Union had a ‘warmer’ period during the 60-70s when the two carefully tried to get on terms with each other. Because the USSR wanted nothing to negotiate about his underlings, America decided not to pry in case their relationship might turn colder again.

America instead subtly tried to support governments like the one in Jugoslavia, where the nationalist approach meant greater freedom for the state and hoped that other Central-Eastern nations would start adapting this approach too, which was acceptable for the USSR as well.

But Poland and Hungary had enough in 1956 and after the protests in Poznań, Hungary organized a solidarity march for Poland in Budapest on October 23, which then led straight to Hungary’s freedom fight against the Soviets.

America, being in a tight spot, kept up the look of supporting Hungary, but in truth wanted to stay away from the conflict, and after the Soviet Union realized this, they attacked Hungary without fear that they would be stopped by America. Hungary really trusted that America would help, she was waiting for it, until it became evident that she is in fact, alone.

After the seemingly quick victory and upcoming changes towards neutraulity in Hungary, the freedom fight was struck down mercilessly, with Hungary on the losing side, around 3000 dead, 20 000 injured, and 229 civilian executed from revenge. Around 200 000 civilians fled to Austria afterwards, who opened his borders to the refugees and organized their settlement or helped them move on to other countries. Thank you Austria!

At the news of the uprising, people across Poland came together to organize and send a horde of medical supplies, money, medicine, clothes via airplanes. Around 12 000 Poles donated blood (795 litre!!!) for the injured in need and Hungarian flags were raised in Warsaw. Thank you Poland!

The date of the uprising became a national holiday in Hungary in 1989 after fall of the USSR and the Hungarian Republic was born. This event is portrayed in quite a positive light, there are films and books about it and it’s one of the most discussed topics in Hungary. It’s kinda viewed as a lonely heroic suicide fight against an impossibly powerful enemy in spite of being abandoned by the West. And we are immensely proud of the heroes!

Phew, that turned out longer than intended, but let me sum it up:

-Hungary had false hope in America and was let down

-America had more important business, which is understandable

-The 1956 Uprising and Freedom Fight is one of the most important events in Hungarian History - the heroes of the era are glorified

-The 1956 Uprising and Freedom Fight was an uncomfortable sore thumb for America so the media applauded the bravery of Hungarians then let it die out

-BUT! To America’s credit, Elvis Presley launched a donation for the Hungarian case in the Ed Sullivan show in 1956. Large food supplies arrived not long after that to Hungary. Budapest made him a honorary citizen out of gratitude. Thank you Elvis!

So I guess that’s the history lesson for today. I hope I answered your question! :)

(There is a firewall illustration in Budapest dedicated to that certain Time magazine cover:)

#historical hetalia #hetalia hungary #1956 #uprising #freedom fight #hetalia usa #hetalia america

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shrimp-propaganda · 3 years

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a word on donations

I'm not going to call this person out, but I received both an ask and a direct message (after I didn't respond to the ask) asking me to spread a donation post. I'm not sharing the post. And I am not likely to share any other donation posts unless I personally know the person and can verify the situation.

I know not everyone is trained to detect Financial Tomfuckery™. I work in a credit union, and I am trained to do this, and it is part of my job to help our members be safe with their money, so I want to take a second to explain why I'm not comfortable spreading these.

The first thing we ask people when they are sending wire transfers, or getting cash to buy something from Craigslist, or using any instant transfer app, is "Do you know the person you are giving money to?" If a blog is asking you to spread their post, you should ask yourself, how do I know this is legitimate, and not just the Tumblr equivalent of a Nigerian prince in my spam email? In my experience, most of these blogs present very little verifiable information, and if someone were to ask me about it at work? I would tell them to delete it and ignore it, because it’s probably a scam.

Things that read as SCAM, in flashing red lights:

A blog that has only 3 or 4 posts, or every post is about donations, or both (does this sound closer to a bot or a human?)

A blog that is sending out tons of messages to other blogs asking for reblogs (similar tactics are used by the people blowing up your phone with scam calls trying to get you to give them money/personal information)

The situation is catastrophically urgent but they only need $5 from you (again, does this sound like a scammer or a real human? scammers are known to send scary emails/letters and make scary phone calls but then only demand small amounts of money because it’s less likely to tip you or your bank off that something isn’t right)

I want to make it clear that I’m absolutely not saying every blog who does this is definitely 100% a scam. I know plenty of people were going through a hard time even before COVID, and I know plenty of people might not realize how sketchy this can come off to a stranger. I hope that anyone trying to use Tumblr for donations that sees this can understand why asking for donations in this way might make people hesitant.

tl;dr, my job requires me to help people identify when they are about to be scammed, and these requests have far too much in common with actual scams for me to ever feel confident in endorsing them without personally knowing the person and their situation, so please do not send me donation/reblog requests

#long post #not shrimp #donations

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rushingheadlong · 4 years

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This isn’t exactly Queen-related, but since this is my “bandom” blog y’all are getting this post over here instead of on my main so. sorry about that I guess lol.

I mentioned this a little bit in my post about the sale Tim Staffell is having on his bandcamp right now, but I also want to talk about this in it’s own right too: Music artists, especially independent creators, earn hardly any money from streaming services and it’s important to actually buy their products to support them!

I know there are other posts going around talking about the problems with Spotify’s payment model right now, but a) I can’t find them to reblog at the moment and b) I think it’s easy to get confused when you look at “average amount paid per stream” because that’s not actually how streaming sites pay out their artists at all.

Rolling Stone did a breakdown in August 2020 of what Spotify most likely pays out to artists, based on the available revenue information. If you don’t want to read the whole article, the long and short of it is that:

The conservative estimate for the number of artists on Spotify is 3 million - of which only about 43,000 artists account for the top 90% of streams on the site.

Spotify doesn’t technically pay artists per stream. All the revenue that it distributes to artists each month is pooled together, and artists are paid out from that pool based on popularity of individual tracks.

As this separate Rolling Stones article explains, if five hit new songs by one artist pull in 2% of all the streams in December, that artist (and everyone with rights to those five songs) gets 2% from that pool of money. But that means that if you listen to nothing but small, independent artists the money Spotify makes from you is going first and foremost to top-name artists and not the people you actually listen to.

Here’s a breakdown from that first article that makes this a little clearer: The top 43,000 artists make about $22,000 per artist per quarter. Everyone else (over 98% of all artists on Spotify) averages $36 per artist per quarter, or roughly $12 per artist per month.

You can also see that in breakdowns of what artists with high stream numbers actually make. Just over 1 million streams earned one group just under $5,000 across three months. Although to be clear, this is not a problem with only Spotify and buying digital copies of albums from places like iTunes and Amazon also doesn’t result in high profits for artists - usually netting them less than $1 per album, or about 9 cents per track downloaded.

Here’s the thing, though: If you buy directly from the artist themselves that percentage of profits goes way up.

That should be obvious, but it’s easy to rail against how unfair Spotify and other streaming sites are and lose sight of the fact that there is a very clear way to support independent and/or less popular artists and it’s by simply buying their stuff without using a middleman!

Not to keep talking about Tim Staffell but that’s exactly what we’re going to do for a moment here: He sells his music and limited merch through Bandcamp which takes 15% of each sale of digital downloads and 10% of each sale of merchandise.

His albums are priced a little more expensive than a $9.99 iTunes purchase, but you can buy digital copies of his entire discography for £24 and he’ll make about £20.40 on each sale. If you buy a physical copy of one of his albums for £20, he makes £18. Hell, even if you buy a CD during his 50% sale he’ll still take home about £9 from it and that is still a significantly higher profit than what either streaming sites or iTunes pay out.

This article talks more about how much more money artists earn selling through Bandcamp than they do through streaming sites. One example given is a band who made $4,200 releasing a new album on the site, vs maybe making $100 a year in streaming.

From a broader ethical standpoint, that same article talks about some of the charity donations that Bandcamp makes from their revenue and the fact that since the COVID-19 pandemic started Bandcamp has launched “Bandcamp Days” where they waive their percentage from each sale entirely so all profits go directly to the artists. (There’s also the fact that Bandcamp simply pays out artists faster than streaming sites do, so they aren’t waiting for their money to be released.)

It’s also worth noting that Bandcamp requires artists to set a minimum amount, but you can also choose to pay more if you want so if you have some extra cash to burn you can, in fact, give it directly to that small indie artist whose music you fell in love with if you so choose!

And the thing is, it can be really easy to look at a group and see that they have their music on iTunes or Amazon or whatever and just buy from there out of habit, but I guarantee that if you look at their website they’ll also have a link to their Bandcamp page - but you do have to go looking for it!

If you follow my main blog, a few weeks ago I was waffling over whether I wanted to buy merch from The Longest Johns (yes, you’re getting a real glimpse into my musical tastes today). I spent well over an hour looking through their store and I was so tempted by the vinyl copy of their newest album. And I’m still tempted by it but y’all, I live in the US and conversion from £ to $ plus international shipping is not always the kindest so I didn’t buy it. And I will never judge anyone for not having the money to pay for international shipping to support independent artists.

But here’s the thing: The Longest Johns also have a Bandcamp page, which I never went looking for because I’ll admit that I found their music to stream and I just did that and never looked further into it. But now that I know that I can buy digital copies of their albums for £10, of which 90% of that is going directly to them, I am definitely going to be doing that instead.

I get that not everyone has the money to do this, and I fully understand that streaming sites are sometimes the only way that people can listen to the music that they love. If you don’t have the money to spend on something, then of course that’s fine!

But if you do have the money, considering spending it to directly support an independent artist!

Look, Queen is a multi-million dollar enterprise. It’s one thing to advocate for supporting new album releases, like Live Around the World, because that can influence future projects that they might release - but at the end of the day, I genuinely don’t care if you illegally download their music or stream it or anything else. (Seriously, I don’t care if you stream Queen, because the issues with Spotify’s payment structure don’t matter to them when they’re that rich already and there needs to be a massive overhaul* across all streaming platforms anyway in order for smaller artists to make a reasonable profit off streaming sites.)

But if you have an independent artist that you love - be in Tim Staffell or The Longest Johns or Omnia or anyone else - how you engage with their music does matter a lot more. And if you’re financially able to do so, look into buying their music or their merch from them directly, either through Bandcamp or whatever other storefronts they may use. They’ll get a much larger share of the profits if you do that than any amount of time you could spend streaming them on Spotify.

*If you want to do something to start forcing changes with how streaming sites pay out artists, the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers has a list of demands for Spotify specifically which includes paying at least one cent per stream, adopting user-centric pay models, revealing existing payola and then ending it altogether, and crediting all labor in recordings, among other things. You can sign on to support them and read more information HERE and there’s a tumblr post you can reblog HERE as well.

#long post //#text #not queen //#ramblings

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cindylouwho-2 · 4 years

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RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, June 28 2020

Welcome to my latest summary of recent ecommerce news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & Etsy! This covers articles, podcasts, videos and infographics I came across since the late May report, although some may be older than that.

I am currently working on Etsy search testing and a few new blog posts and pages for my website, so it may be a few more weeks before I get a new report out. In the meantime, if you have an questions, comments or suggestions, please contact me here or on my website.

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES

Ecommerce sales are way up, but so are many costs, and delays in shipping are part of the problem. “...many of our merchants start preparing mid-year for peak-season volume, holidays. We’ve seen many merchants hitting and even exceeding their normal Black Friday and Cyber Monday volumes consistently through April, forcing them to adapt quickly for greater capacity.” UPS is charging high-volume customers a surcharge based on how much more they are shipping compared to normal times, and also for an increase in oversized packages.

Mail delivery is still slow in many countries. Canada Post hit an all-time delivery record with 2.1 million parcels on May 19, but may finally be getting caught up. [article in French] Shipping between countries can also be substantially delayed, in part due to the lack of air traffic right now. USPS is using sea transport for packages to some European countries. And USPS rates are going up for international shipping in July, due to the new Universal Postal Union deal. "Anyone who is a bulk shipper, your rates are going up".

A reminder that the US economy isn't suddenly going to stabilize in the fall; it’s likely to crash. The US is now officially in a recession. Many people are not going to have money for a lot of discretionary spending. Furthermore, some categories of items will likely drop in price due to company closures, supply chain issues and bankruptcies. That will increase competition at the same time there are fewer buyers for many types of items. Ecommerce sales in the US are projected to rise 18% this year, but it won’t be enough to make up for the loss of brick & mortar retail sales. “The apparel and accessories category is typically the second-largest in e-commerce, for example, but will only grow 8.6% as consumers shift spending away from discretionary, non-essential purchases.” Retail in the US is expected to be down more than 10% in 2020.

ETSY NEWS

Etsy has released an addition to the iOS app that will allow shoppers to use augmented reality to see wall art on their home’s walls. The Verge was critical of how long it took for Etsy to catch up with the competition, and the fact that it is not available for Android yet. TechCrunch went into more detail.

As mentioned last time, you can now add short, no-audio videos to your listings. Etsy is so big on this, they are offering listing credits and ad credits to sellers who upload 5 or more videos by July 6. As always, make sure you read the legal policies before you participate in this offer.

The Etsy Design Awards are back, with submissions due by July 15th. Note that they are only open to 38 countries, for some reason. There is a forum discussion thread with tips, and a podcast [audio & transcript] with previous winners.

If you sell any items for kids, you will find this trending items article from Etsy useful. Searches including “kid,” “child,” or “baby” didn’t go up as much in April as one might have expected, given the pandemic shopping bump, but puzzles were popular. They include some search terms: for example, there was a “250% YoY increase in searches on Etsy containing “jump rope” in April. Also, “while school may look different this fall, we’re already seeing an increase for school-related searches compared to the same time last year.”

Face mask seller ZhenLinen was interviewed on NPR [text and audio] about mask selling, and was even asked about the offsite ads fees near the end. They sold 31,000 masks while their event-supply business was in pandemic limbo; most of those sales were through Etsy. The good news articles about mask sales, & suggesting Etsy as a source of masks, are continuing, although some do mention slow delivery times and even undelivered orders. By the way, if any mask sellers are looking for new places to sell, Facebook finally caught up and is now allowing mask sales, ads and other promotions.

According to analysis of Etsy’s API data, May 2020 was Etsy’s best month ever. Remember that the API data misses things like sales of multiples, so it is not the most accurate source, but I don’t have any reason to doubt the statement is true.

Etsy stock went over $100 for the first time, before dropping as the rest of the market went down.

You have probably already seen Etsy’s statement on race issues after the recent murder in the US. “That’s why today we are announcing donations of $500,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative and $500,000 to Borealis Philanthropy’s Black-Led Movement Fund, as well as matching employee donations. We encourage our community to join us in supporting these important organizations. Etsy is built on a belief that communities have the power to change the status quo. Change is hard-fought, and we are committed to this fight.“

If you have your real name on your Etsy account, don’t attract any attention from the police.

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES

If you don’t really understand what algorithms are and how they work for search engines, you will want to get caught up here. Key to understanding: “An algorithm is not a formula.”

This is a bit advanced, but it’s a good explanation of how to figure out searcher intent in Google results, and then fulfill it with new content. [video, transcript, and downloadable form]

Linking from one page on your website to another can be an important part of SEO. It can also help you get more page views, if you link to new pages from your most popular pages. Creating internal site links on the same page through a table of contents [advanced, coding info] can even get you more links in Google search results.

Speed on mobile devices is also a big part of SEO as well as conversions. “a 0.1 second improvement in site speed resulted in Retail conversions increases of 8.4% and average order value increases of 9.2%.”

Bing made changes to its backlink tool, including the ability to see your competition’s backlinks. The option is part of Bing’s Webmaster tools, & allows you to analyze “similar sites”. Their Webmaster Tools now can also analyze your site for SEO errors.

A former Google employee is starting a new search engine, called Neeva.

Some SEOs recommend removing “low-quality” pages from your site to improve your overall rankings, but low-quality doesn’t necessarily mean pages that few people visit [text & video]. And short posts are not necessarily “low-quality”. If your page is mostly duplicate content, it is like low quality, but just repeating a few lines on each page is not duplicate content.

Google missed a few episodes of its Google search news YouTube post during the pandemic, but they were back on May 26 with an update. They’ve also finally released their webspam report for 2019. “we observed that more than 25 Billion pages we discover each day are spammy.”

Advanced content [video with multi-language subtitles, & text summary in English]: Google, JavaScript, & links.

Shopify sites have built-in blogs,and those blogs can help you get sales through SEO. And while we are on Shopify SEO, here is some advice on fixing technical SEO issues on Shopify sites. [the second is advanced content unless you know some coding]

While having an author page isn’t a requirement on any news/blog site, it might be a good idea anyway [text and video]. Content that is useful for readers is ultimately good for your site’s SEO.

Here is a history of Google’s PageRank, and what it still does for ranking.

Did the Google May core update really mess up organic search relevance? Some people think so. [I had noticed the Wikipedia drop but thought it was just for a particular search.] There may be more ranking updates underway right now.

Google plans on introducing user experience as part of the ranking algorithm, although it won’t happen before next year, and we will get 6 months warning. Search Engine Land lists the following elements: “whether the page loads quickly, if it’s mobile-friendly, runs on HTTPS, the presence of intrusive ads and if content jumps around as the page loads.” They add a bunch of technical advice, and the tools to follow up on it.

Do you find SEO confusing? Don’t worry - even the pros working for big companies make huge errors.

(CONTENT) MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails)

Updated infographic with the common social media image sizes used today. (Several of these get published yearly, because there are always changes.)

Is blogging still relevant? [TL;DR - yes] And if you want to write more interactive posts, here are some tools for that.

Video app TikTok made a lot of money in April, but is seeing competition from a new short video app called Zynn, which allows users to make money by watching videos and bringing in new users. However, Zynn has already been removed from Google Play store amid accusations of content theft. Instagram has a challenger called “Reels”, and even YouTube wants some of that TikTok traffic, so they are introducing 15 second videos. Meanwhile, TikTok is coming under closer scrutiny for its invasive tracking.

Every social network apparently needs to have their own version of Stories these days, so Pinterest has introduced a new version of Story Pins in the US. “Unlike Stories on other platforms, which are often self-focused snippets from someone’s life, Pinterest Stories Pins are designed as clickable content focused on sharing ideas. For example, Story Pins could offer a step-by-step guide to cooking a recipe or creating a craft project. A Story Pin could also offer ideas around how to reorganize your home office, keeping the kids entertained, beauty tutorials and more.”

Google appears to be imitating Pinterest with their new release, called “Keen”. You add items yourself but Google then attempts to find more things you are interested in, using AI.

If you are looking for some new tools to help with Instagram, Social Media Today compiled a list of 5 recent ones. They include image processing, templates, and analytics.

Twitter is beta-testing the ability to tweet sound files directly from the platform, instead of embedding links to other sites. The article notes that these may be more difficult to moderate than text tweets would be.

Two of the three parts of this article cover local businesses, but the middle part has some promotional ideas that mostly involve content marketing & social media. Nothing groundbreaking, but a decent list if you are looking for new free ways to advertise.

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS)

Semi-advanced - how to improve your Google Ads optimization score.

GCLID is short for “Google Click Identifier” to help track ads and conversions. You can learn more here. [Understanding this is useful for both your own ad campaigns and understanding other ads, such as the Etsy Offsite Ads program.)

Money coming in from social media video ads has increased from the lows in April. Facebook ads have improved the most.

New advertisers on Instagram will not necessarily have to link their accounts to Facebook any more. It may be linked to a campaign to “stop hate for profit” that calls for people to stop buying Facebook & Instagram ads during July, and which has attracted several big players such as Unilever and Verizon. Some companies are leaving all social media ads, or are extending the Facebook boycott until the end of the year. But as the first article points out, Zuckerberg’s complete control of voting means he can’t be turfed by a board just to protect profit, so a short boycott may not be the best way to get change.

Facebook published a new explanation of how ads work on the platform.

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING

For people who are new to Google Analytics: here are some things you should be tracking, as well as these, and some tips on finding source info for SEO work. If you want to improve your customers’ experience with the site, check out these tips. [There is some crossover between the 4 articles, but I think that those of you trying to learn more detailed examples of how GA works will find everything useful.]

What is a “session” in Google Analytics? This article includes screenshots & tips on changing their length.

You can get great keyword data from the Google Search Console - here’s how.

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS

Online shopping has received a huge boost from the pandemic lockdowns, and big online marketplaces are now competing for new small businesses to fill the growing demand. Walmart outsold eBay in May, for the first time ever. Things are slowing down a bit, though: “buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) had begun to “plateau.” BOPIS growth in May was 195% year over year, which was down from its April peak of more than 200%.”

Amazon is being criticized for allowing many prohibited items to be sold on the site, even through “fulfilled by Amazon”, so the items are stored in its warehouses. “Graham did not respond directly to many of our specific questions, including how many of the banned items that The Markup found had been sold, why the company had not noticed some of them for months, why some were listed as Amazon’s Choice, and why many were stored in Amazon’s warehouses for shipment. He did not respond at all to questions about why Amazon itself had offered banned items for sale. Most of the banned listings we reported to Amazon have been removed, although at least three have popped back up.” [emphasis added]

Amazon is now offering multi-channel fulfillment in the US; you don’t even need to use Fulfillment by Amazon to sign up. They’ve also introduced lines of credit for sellers, through a partnership with Goldman Sachs.

eBay is rallying sellers to object to a proposed Louisiana law that would force marketplace sites to verify the identities of higher-volume sellers in the state. The law was passed anyway, and takes effect July 1. Here are the highlights of the new law.

Now-fired eBay employees harassed and stalked the EcommerceBytes owner and her husband for months after eBay’s CEO at the time said eBay needed to “take down” the site & its owner.

Walmart now has ThredUp as one of its third-party sellers on the Walmart website. They sell second-hand clothing and accessories for women & kids, often famous labels. Sales are all online but buyers will be able to return things to Walmart stores.

Walmart has also partnered with Shopify, allowing small businesses to list directly on Walmart’s website through Shopify. This appears to be a limited initiative, as they only plan on including 1200 Shopify sellers by the end of 2020. Most analysts think this is a plan to compete with Amazon more directly.

In addition to its existing website, Target is now offering items on Instagram Checkout.

Shopify has been getting great media coverage lately, including this article suggesting them as an alternative to Amazon third-party selling, once the new “Shop” app gets some traction.

BigCommerce has introduced drag-and-drop design tools for its website builder.

Square has begun using rolling reserves to reduce its risk with some sellers. “In one instance, Legal Knock, a company that builds websites for law firms, told the Times that it never had a customer demand a refund for their work and yet Square kept $4,000 in reserve in May. Sean Weber, the owner, said he had trouble contacting the company and wasn't satisfied with its explanation. He even said Square blocked him on Twitter.”

Upcoming PayPal changes for US users include seller protection for some digital items, and not necessarily requiring buyers to return items to win a significantly not as described case. Remember that many PayPal changes start with the US and then expand to other countries; Canadian changes are here.

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE

When thinking about customer returns, remember that a lower-than-average return rate is not necessarily your top goal. “You may ask, “why would a merchant want to increase returns?” It’s because they’re using returns as a growth driver. They’ve figured out, for their respective businesses, that a higher rate of returns actually nets out to an increase in sales and repeat purchasing. So much so, that the overall uptick in business far outweighs the increased costs of more frequent returns.”

Consumers are reading reviews more than ever, but half of this study’s respondents said that “‘too many companies’ are creating fake reviews online.”

Many people are tired of the “things are different” ads that have predominated, & want to see more ads showing people getting back to normal. “The U.S., U.K. and the Netherlands are primed for a jump in fashion purchases, with significant percentages of consumers in those countries planning clothing purchases in the next 30 days. The finding suggests that fashion marketers may increase their marketing efforts to reach consumers who are ready to buy apparel as lockdowns are lifted.”

We don’t know what the holiday shopping season will look like this year, so ecommerce businesses should be planning for many different scenarios.

Here’s an interesting overview of how some searches changed in the first few months of the pandemic. [infographic] And some of the shopping changes people made, especially Gen Z, may be permanent. “...younger consumers are shifting their habits faster than their older counterparts.” That report also states that “33% of these consumers have increased their online spending, for a net increase of 6%, versus 23% of consumers in older generations, or a net increase of 1%.”

Here’s more on the second-hand clothing trend that is hitting its boom years. “According to the report, secondhand goods are expected to make up 17% of a person’s share of closet space by 2029, up from just 3% in 2009.” Gen Z is a big user of Depop, which has a lot of altered and enhanced vintage clothing available.

MISCELLANEOUS

This article has inspired me to completely redo my website’s About page. Not yet, of course, but some day soon…

Speaking of websites, here’s a good list of dos & don’ts for a contact form.

eBay may be probing your computer when you visit, and that is not always legal.

Free Zoom accounts can’t set up encrypted calls/meetings, because “the firm wants to keep this feature away from free users to work with law enforcement in case of the app’s misuse.”

Finally in privacy news, Google is being sued for still tracking you in various ways when you use Chrome’s incognito mode.

#etsynews #search engine optimization #analytics #content marketing #customer service #ecommercetips #social media news

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nyruratchet · 5 years

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Time...

“...Why you punish me?”

So, I explained last time the situation regarding the creation of my music...monetarily. But let me explain and expand on how my time is utilized on a monthly basis.

If I haven’t made it clear, I hate my job. But here’s the thing, it’s flexible (for the most part), has benefits: (insurance, free-ish air travel, scheduled pay increases). Cons: passengers are allowed to treat crew like shit, always working with new people (that you may not mesh well with), anyone you try establishing a relationship with has pre-conceived notions/little to no faith you will ever be around, pay SUCKS until you get REALLY senior (7+), and...more, but I digress. But that flexible schedule, albeit limited, has afforded me the ability to work on music; until it doesn't.

See, I was getting “comfortable” in my work situation a few years ago until certain a situation beyond my control forced me into deep debt, bad credit, and deeper depression. In order to fix all of this, money is needed. How do u get money? Work more. More work leads to more depression and sometimes health issues. So, I’ve been stuck in this seamlessly endless cycle of paycheck to paycheck living. And my desire and NEED to work on my music has not helped it (as explained in the previous blog post). Every time I get a bit more money, it goes to my craft.

See, after you put all that money into creating art, you have to then put it OUT there. And in the case of a performer, you need to do live performances. That is a whole other situation in itself. There are lots avenues to get live performance experience. Open mics, concert showcases, live cabaret/karaoke bars, etc. Guess what THEY ALL COST MONEY. But not only money, LOTS of excess time is involved.

This past spring, I was dragged into a showcase by my producer friend (who I’m partially in love with but he’s straight...but that’s another story). In order to do a showcase, you have to apply for acceptance. Applications involve you submitting current work and having a worthy social media following (which you have had to spend constant time building). Once you fill out the application, send the files and info, PAY your entry fee ($25) and receive your acceptance, you then have to sell tickets. Yes, how do they get people to come to the showcase? By having YOU bring them. And if you cannot find people to buy your tickets, all of those tickets come out of YOUR pocket. So, I was given 25 tickets to sell (last minute mind you); 25 tickets to sell at $20 bucks each. So, if I don't sell them, I owe the company $500 dollars. Yup, that’s correct. In order for me to perform my original content on their stage, I needed to make sure they got their $525 and help them get people in the venue so that they buy drinks at the bar (which we were given ZERO drink tickets for). Now before stepping on stage, you don’t get a sound check. So, you show up early before everyone to check in and simply check they have your correct music file(s) then wait...and wait...and wait. But your music has to be edited within their restrictions (this means more studio time. Remember, studio time =more $$...just making sure ur following me. Too many times you’ll hear big recording artists talking about how they have just sat in studios for hours creating a song from scratch. Yeah, only if you are signed to major label is this a thing! But anyway...back to the showcase.)

Needless to say, I did everything I needed to. But I had some help since I asked to do this last minute and told them UP FRONT they would have had to get that unsold ticket money from me in blood. I landed from working a redeye the day before, got a nap in, did my vocal exercises in my car on my way to New Jersey, checked in and sat there. Since some people didn't show up on TIME, I was abruptly grabbed from drinking my whiskey at the bar and told “YOU’RE ON NEXT!” Being the seasoned professional that I am, took that shot to the head, said “Actually, that’s not my slot...but ok, I’m ready.” NO SOUND CHECK, NEVER given TIME on the stage beforehand...I went on. Sung my ass off with a standing ovation from the judges. Then, went back to drinking with my friends who were in shock because they had never heard me really sing live. Then I had sit for HOURS while mediocre “rappers” and “singers” rapped over pre-recordings of their own vocals. Finally, they were ready to announce the winners. I won that sucker.

But what did I win? ...A promise to be put into another show... *DICK FACE* No money to recoup what I just spent getting to this moment. No free promotion on social media to help me and my art. NO, some bullshit. So, I took the experience fore what it was and cut my losses. I got some exposure and was able to test out an unreleased song...but besides that. Nothing but wasted time and effort. I left there feeling somewhere between elation and disappointment. Not to mention, I was exhausted; I had done all this after working my full time job, and had to work again the next day. So all I had time to do was drive home and sleep.

“Like a wave bashing into the shore...

Since this, I have had some money issues and mental health issues, so I have just barely been able to work on music. On my days off, I have to sleep and get back in the groove of being a real person instead of a redeye zombie. Then when I’m feeling slightly normal, I’m back to work...it is a vicious, irritating, restraining cycle. I’ve tried working shorter flights so I’m home more; nope, the pairings (schedules) for those flights work you in a way that leaves you feeling raped. My company will build a pairing with a duty time of 27hrs and only pay you for 15-17 of those hours. DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. Then on top of that, your rest time at the hotel is set to 11hrs...WTF??

Let me explain this for those of you with normal jobs. On these pairings, you are schedule to work a number of flights each day. So, 3 day pairing means you work 3-4 flights each day and have 2 layovers. Now lets say FLIGHT time is 1.5-2.5 hrs each (8-12hrs). Then you land from your final flight for day one. We’re usually delayed at our carrier...honestly, rarely on time. So, you have minimum rest at 11hrs. BUT, before you can leave the aircraft we have to get all passengers off the plane, CLEAN the seats, wait on our shuttle which is probably late if your pilots are sucky human beings and haven’t called ahead to make sure they’re there (Pilots aren’t required to clean; just us lowly peasants). So, by the time you get to the hotel, down to 10hrs. If you get there and rooms are ready, great. IF NOT, another 20-30 min or longer. But, lets say you’re down to 9.5hrs now. Get to your room. Hopefully your key works, air/heat works, no one is already in you room (yes...it happens all the time), room already cleaned, no bed bugs, and you aren’t by a noisy ice machine/elevator. You then have to shower and eat. Let’s say you get all that done in an hour. You now have 8.5 hrs to sleep...BUT WAIT, the van is scheduled to pick you up from the hotel 45 min to an hour before you are supposed to report at the airport and you need to be dressed and ready to make that van. So instead of 8.5hrs, you actually have 7hrs at best to sleep and pop outta bed, get dressed and properly ready to do the shit show all over again; all the while, knowing they are really only paying you for the time you spend on the aircraft, AFTER THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND THE BRAKE IS RELEASED. Time before like boarding, checks, delays? nope...no pay. Just us waisting our fucking time. Literally.

Why, is this? cuz everyone does it is the answer. That is how all airlines do it, so you have no leg to stand on. Got a union, the company retaliates like a reprimanded toddler. Now as I said before, once you get to be a super senior in your company and can choose what you want to work, when you want to work, in the position you want to work, getting $40/hr at base hours and a crazy amount for premium (overtime) hour, etc. the job is GOLDEN. (Unless that company gets purchased/merged.) But for a young person/flight attendant in debt, living in NYC, with a high cost of living, life ain’t fun. I tried living in New Jersey for a lower cost; that came with its own issues. I’ve taken out loans, became a hermit to save money, worked holidays, etc. Dug my hole deeper is what I did. And I’m pretty good at setting goals and managing my time and getting things DONE. But for some fucking reason, life is not working in my favor. This job is not working for me. I see younger people coming up behind me doing LITTLE to no work, getting musical accolades with trash “music” (I know, matter of opinion...but really. C’mon now), young white/latino/asian twinks shaking their ass for anything that breathes and getting rich men to pay their bills or marry them, all the while telling me they just want my BBC or other racist BS like that (Yes, I have receipts) and I’m just like WTF AM I DOING WRONG?! Have I spent my time stupidly?

And the most recent shit that really hurt my feelings: If any of you remember (to the three of you reading this lol), a few months ago I posted about help getting into bartending. Well, I had actually asked a friend in person before that about bartending and if he knew any directors who could do a music video. This “friend” told me “no, not really”. Didn’t know anything about that, he just does movies and short films (which I’ve donated to his kickstarters for btw...) but no one who he thinks does music videos. THEN, I asked this same “FRIEND” how much he would charge to be IN a music video, as I had a song (the one I won the showcase with) that he would be perfect for as it deals with subject matter he rallies for. I wanted to help his career out in turn by help my video out, because I’m ugly and having beautiful actors in my video would be a better sell (as again, I need this song to make money. He then tells me me, he’s not sure how much he would charge for that. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER...this bitch releases a music VIDEO to his NEW SINGLE about a SIMILAR SUBJECT!! Without promotion, he gets instant 2.2k hits on the video on youtube. MIND YOU, he would always be shy to sing around me and I told him, “you need to give yourself more credit. You have a beautiful voice.” Meanwhile, I’m asking for some knowledge from him, and he wouldn’t help me with ANYTHING. I have NEVER asked for a hand out. Just tell me where the door is, I will get in even if I have to pick the lock. But he not only pretended he didn’t know where the door was, he was holding the keys, had lock picks on the side and duplicates to share; But, for whatever reason...didn’t want to share that with me. Even though, I was going to include him in MY art without any thought and was willing to pay. Now, I have some thoughts on why he did this. But seeing as I’m on the verge of tears, I’ll end on that note.

...You wash away my dreams.”

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oaktreeforms · 6 years

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Happy Thursday Credit Unions!! Check out the #HumanitarianHighlight to see a few credit unions go out of their way to make a difference. 👏 Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as we do! You can check it out post here: http://ow.ly/zwUd50jZo9g #HolidayHelpfulness

#credit union #creditunionlending #creditunionlendingforms #creditunioninnovation #oaktree #actofkindess #cudifference #CU #selfishness #credit union donations blog

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cosmichorror-yt · 5 years

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The Horrors of Copyright Laws - Blog By Matt

Context:

Before, this was written for the purpose of becoming a video, but decided to just make it a blog post. I wanted to shine a light on general internet freedom and Article 13 that recently passed.

History:

Alexander III of Macedon commonly referred to as Alexander The Great, was a ruler of ancient Greece. In 331 BC, he founded Alexandria in Egypt where The Library of Alexandria was built. Estimations show that 40,000 to 400,000 books, scrolls, and other documents were contained, with a staff of over 100 scholars at its height. It was once the centerpiece of all works of fiction, non-fiction, Christian, Pagan, and scientific knowledge. The library accepted all works of both religion and science. With something such as the great Pyramids still standing today, it's easy to wonder why such an important and historical place is nowhere to be found. Most believe it destroyed by burning from unsupportive heretics (religious extremists who might've believed it was ungodly to spread science). It's important to note that it was also allegedly accidentally burned by Julius Caesar in the midst of an ongoing civil war during the time, which may have been the only reason it burned, but most would beg to differ. Some very few documents from the library were actually collected and distributed across the world over time, and those documents dictated how technologically advanced we are today. Imagine if it was never burnt down, let that thought sink in. It's really interesting to think about how advanced human civilization could've been. All of the now-coined science or sci-fi may have been something already discovered and invented 1,000 years ago.

Why do I mention this ancient legend? Well assuming it was indeed destroyed mainly by heretics, it shares an important lesson to not let the knowledge get in the wrong hands. Dogma, the ideas and rules that are created by controlling and manipulative authorities, is the most likely culprit judging by the repeating history of man where a king, royal family or set group of people restrict freedom of thought, persecuting anyone for having opposing opinions. We saw it during the Middle Ages with the Templars, and we're seeing it again in the modern era on the Internet. Without dogma, knowledge flows free like a stream of water that travels from land to land, providing the nourishment of learning and free-thinking. But alas, like a dam of that stream, dogma stops us from advancing as a species.

And here we are...

Today's metaphor of the destruction of the library is corporations and governments of the world restricting society's role in having fair access to tools that enable us the ability to learn and project what we've learned onto those who wish to learn as well. In 2012, the internet faced a colossal censorship threat. It was a bill advocated from Hollywood in the US Congress called SOPA, an acronym for Stop Online Piracy Act. If passed, it would’ve literally criminalized piracy and using copyrighted content. Meaning it would’ve destroyed many websites, careers, and lives. The maximum penalty for sharing copyrighted content would have been 5 years in prison. Imagine being forced by the Government into an orange jumpsuit because you shared unbought music on your Youtube account. Not only would content creators be at risk, but we’d also all be in a predicament because everyone’s favorite Youtube channel would be taken down. The bill never passed thanks to huge online campaigns that stopped it from happening. The sad thing is, it’s going down again with Article 13 being passed as a law in the European Union. Businesses working with the Government are much more relentless when it comes to passing these bills, more so than we are trying to stop them, and that has to change now. While copyright laws protect the works of artists, they also result in restriction of internet freedom of expression for many professions such as movie critic, game reviews, and people who do music covers. Most Youtube content creators rely on using copyrighted content to build their own niche up by using clips, sound pieces and images with credit given to convey or explain a point. The resolution is to not punish content creators who use copyrighted content as long as credit is given. We should instead allow websites to plugin an option prior to the upload of an artist’s work that allows them to type in and select credit is given to a certain copyright holder they used content from, eliminating the process of blocking content that contains copyrighted content and giving a percentage of the creator's revenue to that holder, but also allowing the creator to add in their own way of making revenue like convenient merchandise plugins, donation buttons, and subscription programs.

Consequences:

In consequence of Article 13 passing, Youtube will be included in the collection of countless sites forced to implement upload filters of content that may or may not be infringing rights of an original owner. Meaning European musician YouTubers who make covers that sound like an original song or European movie critics who use footage from the movie they’re analyzing will automatically have their videos stopped from uploading with some message popping up saying something along the lines of “Your upload has been rejected as our algorithm determined your video does not meet our copyright guidelines”. This results in these content creators having to redo their entire video, editing and checking it perfectly to make sure they are absolutely no chances that the upload will be rejected and even then the algorithm probably won’t function properly and will falsely detect their STILL is copyrighted content in it, once again resulting in the removal of the video you may have spent weeks putting together. This reminds me of some of my own videos that have been demonetized automatically for allegedly having dubstep music in it when it’s an Amnesia video with only Mikko Tarmia’s soundtracks from the game in the video. Youtubers shouldn't have to have their channel's revenue at stake because a robot can't function properly. Add onto the fact viewers in the EU who want to watch an American Youtube video that breaks Article 13’s rule will be unavailable in their country, leading to millions of Youtube channel fanbases dying off because most channels used copyrighted content before they knew this law would be passed, and this would result in the loss of millions of online careers, entertainment and the opportunities alike.

Going Against The Agenda:

While it’s a good practice to treat your work like a business, in some aspects, amateur content creators like myself shouldn’t get carried into the impossible requirements a real business has like buying countless licenses and not being able to have an individual opinion or needing to be ‘politically correct’. If individual artists and indie groups avoid anything potentially copyrighted or controversial, it will be an easier decision for laws to be passed that dispose of channels that do have copyrighted content (even if credit is given). And this subject can easily be applied to anything relating to the conflict of people’s freedom, corporations, and governments. That makes the whole censorship thing seem more like a small step into eventually controlling entirely what society sees because people aren’t vocal enough to catch attention, consequently brainwashing the rest of the people into believing absolutely anything a business or government desires them to believe. Article 13 is the tip of the iceberg of a bunch of censorship problems we’ll face in the near future. It’s going to get much worse if we don’t start showing that we will never stop expressing free thought and freedom to use copyrighted content with credit being given fairly, without giving in to control from organizations. Too much professionalism is also a problem on Youtube seen from a lot of Youtube celebrity channels that intentionally act and react just like mindless corporations would act to consumers. Clickbait, misleading headings, being overly dramatic, and emotional manipulation for money are Youtube's version of scandalous corporate strategies. As a result, this will taint free-speech, individualism, opinions, shock value and creativity with a business-minded agenda which focuses purely on grabbing your attention and emotionally manipulating the audience into giving them money and views somehow. Not only does it endanger freedom of expression, but it also waters down the good aspects of the classic Youtube we know and love into a grayer environment where natural, relatable content that easily entertains us becomes tasteless, talentless content that lures the audience into misleading content designed for revenue. The problem is that there is constantly new laws being passed such as Article 13 in Europe that has made it impossible for content creators to get noticed or even be allowed to build their own niche because it may not be ‘appropriate’ in their country. Advertisers who cherry pick the most family-friendly videos also make it hard for content creators who want to do their own thing, because their certain type of content may not make any money as they rely on revenue-focused corporations who won’t touch anything remotely controversial with a 10-foot pole.

The Next Chance:

It’s all a battle between old people who don’t understand the cost and the younger generation who understand that these laws harm internet freedom greatly. If it weren’t for Article 13, Google could just to turn Youtube into a platform that highly encourages individualism and intellectual, detailed, creative, and even shocking content, but they can’t now and wouldn’t anyway. And will Google ever get to do that now? We could only hope that it would even work, ads make Youtube billions each year so it might be too late to switch gears regardless of set laws. Ultimately, it's up to the people to be vocal about this very slippery slope of an issue. It’s up to us in the future to elect the right people before laws like these get passed.

#article13 #copyrightlaws #copyright #article12 #freedomofspeech #youtube #youtuber #netnetrality #google #coporations #coporateagenda #consumerism #businesses #individualism #creativity #freethought #horror

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yeoli-thm · 6 years

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Theme 37 - All in one contained theme

Since I’ve recently hit 500+ followers, I wanted to release something for y’all as a thank you, so enjoy! <3

Static preview | Codes

Includes: blog posts, ask/submit, about, navigation, faq, blogroll

Features:

400px or 500px posts

carousel slider

reblog/like buttons

about page image (width:160px)

custom font and font size

text selection color

optional show captions, toggle tags

full-screen pop-up search box

Note:

basic HTML knowledge is recommended to customize theme

does not have infinite scroll

does not have background image option

optimized for chrome

Credits:

feather icons by Cole Bemis

pxu photoset by Pixel Union

Please like or reblog this post if using! Donations are also welcomed if you’d like to support my themes :)

#themes #theme #it only took me a few days to code this compared to my other recents #so i hope everything is working alright #blog #y:thm

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lsesu · 5 years

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Struggling to make ends meet after the holidays? Tips on how to get through January

The holiday season in London is a notoriously expensive time. Whether you bought gifts for everyone in your Halls, or too many mulled wines at Winter Wonderland (we don’t judge!) you may now be aiming to get back on track for January. This post will provide you with some budgeting and saving tips to ensure your 2019 starts off well.

Don’t let payment dates catch you out!

Knowing your income vs. your expenditure is really important for staying on track. Perhaps the most crucial thing to know is whenthese occur e.g. if you have a part-time job, you’ll likely be paid monthly, or if you receive a scholarship, these may come in termly instalments. Trying to align these with outgoing costs such as rent or your phone bill isn’t always so clear-cut. A great way to prepare is to create a timeline for payments in and out. Doing this can help you notice potential “difficult days” e.g. if your wages come in a day after your rent is due, then you can prepare for this in advance. You may even be able to negotiate payment dates with suppliers or your landlord if you’re struggling one month. We strongly advise that you get any alternative arrangements with them agreed in writing.

Getting digital

If you prefer your phone to old-fashioned pen and paper, then you may find it easier to use an app to help with budgeting. There are lots out there to choose from (including many free ones) but do keep in mind that you’ll be giving out personal financial info, so ensure it’s a reputable app with good reviews.

All the apps below are free to use or download and listed on the Martin Lewis’ (AKA the Money Saving Expert) website, so may be a good place to start. Martin Lewis is also an LSE alumnus and was the 1994/95 LSE SU General Secretary!

Yolt – Allows you to track your finances and manage your overall spending. You can use categories to see how much you're spending in different areas.

Cleo – Works through Facebook and takes a read-only (so no one can ever move money in or out of your account) look at your spending to help you keep track of your finances.

Money Dashboard – Categorises your spending and displays all incoming and outgoing amounts on a dashboard chart, so you can see what you spend in different areas.

Pariti – Connects your bank accounts: you can view what you have coming in plus set spending goals. It updates automatically each day so you can see what you've left to spend.

Spending Tracker – You can choose to track your spending weekly, monthly or yearly.

Flash the cash

If like me, you find it easier to spend more absent-mindedly using your debit or credit card, then why not consider taking out cash to use for the week ahead? The act of pulling out cash from your wallet and holding change in your hand can seem more mindful than simply tapping a card on a reader. It may help you think about what you’re spending money on and whether the purchase is really necessary. It also helps you visibly see when you’re getting close to the end of your weekly budget and means that you don’t have to rely on bank clearance times to see your actual balance.

If any cash is left at the end of the week, treat yourself to something extra like a muffin or a new notebook… go on, you’ve earned it!

Discounts and deals

If you don’t have an NUS Totum card already, then make sure you snap one up and download the app. It costs £12 for a one-year card, £22 for two years and £32 for three. There are over 200 UK discounts on top high-street brands and many local independent places accept them too.

If you’re between 16-25 and travel on trains regularly, you should definitely consider getting a 16-25 Railcard, which cuts a third off off-peak train tickets. Cards can be bought from the railcard website for £30 a year, or £70 for three years. Totum offers an extra 12% off the one-year versions too!

If you’re a full time student and use TFL buses, tube, or trams via a weekly, monthly, or yearly travel card then you could be saving 30% on these by purchasing a Student Oyster card. You can apply online by paying a £20 administration fee, and then once LSE has approved your student status, your card will arrive in the post.

Food for thought

You can save money on food by eating the meals provided outside the SSH every weekday by Hare Krishna. This is vegetarian and free, although you can give a small donation if you are able to, which helps them continue their work. There are also many food banks around London, which can provide you with free staples in times of need. Some of these require a referral from a social worker or a charity, but other independent ones can be used without this. Many people go through short-term times of hardship, and the people that run food bank services are trained to be non-judgemental and supportive. Find out more here.

LSE SU Hardship Fund

If over the holidays you experienced unforeseen circumstances which are now impacting your ability to cover your essential living costs, then please do get in touch with the SU Advice Service. The Students’ Union has a Hardship Fund with the purpose to resolve short-term financial hardship so that a student can continue their studies without this burden. Hardship is of course extremely personal and means something different to everyone. We consider each application on a case-by-case basis and schedule a face-to-face/phone appointment with every applicant so you can discuss your circumstances with a designated Student Adviser. Your Adviser will act as your advocate throughout the process and present your application to the panel for consideration.

Awards can be made from many categories including emergency housing, medical costs, and right to choose. These have maximum awards ranging from £500 to £1500. We will need some information and evidence from you, such as the figure you need, one month of bank statements, and evidence of regular payments (exactly what is required will depend on your circumstances.) Guidance and advice on the process is detailed on the application form. The team are also happy to answer any questions or concerns via email on [email protected].

- Blog written by Helen Clarke. Helen Clarke is a Student Adviser in the LSE Students’ Union and a member of the Advice Team.

The LSESU Advice Team is based on the 3rdfloor of the Saw Swee Hock Building and we provide free, independent and confidential advice to all LSE students on academic and housing matters. We also administer a hardship and childcare fund.

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kjblynx · 6 years

Text

Emergency Funds

Some of you know my predicament through my RP blog (which I really shouldn’t have posted anything to but I was feeling stressed and needed to vent somewhere public at the moment and didn’t realize my phone was logged into that account) but I thought I’d post this here in more detail. I was an idiot with my budget last month because I was too excited for a convention and forgot I am the money maker in this house.

I’ve put it below the cut because I know people don’t really want to read all this personal shite. My wording in everything below is very informational and formal, following my reasoning patterns rather than telling a story.

My credit union checking account is currently -$388. $358 of that is from a $670 check I wrote for rent. The remaining $30 is a fee from the credit union so the check doesn’t bounce even when I don’t have the full amount in my account.

I’ve applied for a $500 personal loan from my credit union in hopes to cover the rest of this month, but I’ve not received word back yet and I know I’ll owe that plus interest starting in August.

This week I owe: • $80 to a Best Buy credit card used to purchase a few computer components to keep my partner’s programming computer alive. • $22 for my renter’s insurance because it’s a requirement to live in the apartments I live in. • $80 to a different credit card we reserved for gas but had to use to pay rent around November of last year. • $70 to ATT because our internet is effing expensive and still gets bogged down for not apparent reason in the middle of the night when it’s only me playing WoW and my partner playing Beat Saber. All of the above can not be delayed or moved. They just won’t do it. All other payments I was able to adjust for mid-month to give me a couple weeks to get the electricity ($100 because June-July heat is killer and our stove is older than me) and car insurance ($66 but maybe I can cancel it because the car isn’t going to get repaired any time soon) earned through tips and bath bomb sales.

Including food, entertainment, and personal care (Groceries, Netflix, WoW, Dollar Shave) my average monthly expenses is $1200. I’m hoping I can limit my use of the air conditioner and stove this month to bring the electricity bill down for next month; I’ve canceled my WoW sub for the time being and lowered the quality of our Netflix sub. We’re looking at severely limiting our meals to serving sizes and not purchasing any unhealthy snacks or drinks.

My tips in June and July are much lower than the rest of the year. I make an average of $700 in tips per summer month and supplement the difference with selling homemade goods and recording voice overs. Due to limited transportation and needing open availability for my job, getting a second regular job is out of the question. During the winter months I work 40+ hours a week and earn upwards of $2000 in tips alone per month.

My partner programs and makes music 50 hours a week from home and donates plasma twice a week and uses their income to pay the Best Buy and Gas credit card when able, but the amount they make is extremely limited and with their computer acting up they have needed to use some of those funds to purchase parts outside of the Best Buy card.

paypal.me/kjblynx

My grandmother (retired and barely able to cover her medication) suggested I have a paypal me link available for those whom want to help out, so I’ve made one. My whole family has struggled with money for a long time and I’ve always prided myself on not needing help, but my Gma K tells me I need to suck up my pride and deal with the present. I don’t expect anyone to just donate to me without some sort of clause or strings attached, and I feel odd even asking for help.

I’ll gladly make Glitter Dicks($10each, $15 for custom), Bath Balls($6 each), Foot Fizz(2/$5), and Shower Scents(5/$5) for anyone who wants to help our situation. ($7.50 standard shipping, US only)

I’m ready to earn the aid people are willing to give. Give me a task, a request, a goal, or a suggestion and I’ll do my best to fulfill it.

In the end, I really am on the verge of cracking. I’m the strong and sophisticated person of my family and friend groups, the ENTJ, full of rational and logic based evaluation, but I’m pulling my hair out and struggling to keep tears in during this.

Thank you for reading this god awful post of me being stressed.

#stress #money issues #struggling #about to break #entj #money

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solarpunk-gnome · 6 years

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This spring, Vancouverites may find renting a set of camping equipment as easy as borrowing a book from the library. The Thingery project is a recent initiative launched by Vancouver Tool Library founder Chris Diplock. The first Thingery pilot project was carried out in summer 2016, and Diplock reached agreements over the following months with the city of Vancouver, a local credit union, and various neighborhood groups to bring the idea to life.

A Thingery, as described on the project's website, is a self-service, "community-owned library of things" housed in a modified shipping container. Items, which can include tools, sports equipment, and cooking supplies, are donated or bought collectively by Thingery members. Borrowers reserve the tools online and pick them up through an access code system. Members pay a $50 one-time lifetime membership fee and a subsequent $29 annual fee for access to a world of tools. Some tools also carry small borrowing fees, although many are free.

One of Diplock's goals was to bring the concept behind the tool library, which he founded in 2011, into more Vancouver neighborhoods. In a city that's so vastly spread out, getting to a single tool library location isn't feasible for many Vancouverites. "We wanted to have [something like the tool library] on the scale of a lending library, with multiple branches and the tool library could not scale at that rate," Diplock says. "What we're trying to do is put [tool library-like facilities] directly in the neighborhoods and make them self-service."

Diplock says the level of buy-in from communities has been a motivating factor. "We're grateful that we have this much interest from the community."

He says the project is still too new to have a detailed profile of its users and potential users. "We don't yet have a real snapshot of who our borrowers are, but we're expecting a wide range of people, given that space limitations are an issue for many people. A lot of the apartments and condominiums people live in are fairly small, so there’s an appetite not to own equipment that would take up space."

The first Thingery opened on Dec. 2 in New Westminster, and four more Vancouver-area locations are in the works, scheduled to open in early 2018. Each Thingery is owned and maintained by its own neighborhood-based co-op, which also organizes donations and group purchases. Julia Hulbert is on the board of the Kitsilano Thingery co-op, which oversees a Thingery expected to open in February of next year in Kitsilano near downtown Vancouver.

"We have no place in Kitsilano where you can just go rent some tools or camping gear, and there’s a profound need for that," Hulbert says. "You have students, young families and other people in small apartments who just don’t have the space for a volleyball net or a camp stove."

Hulbert, an urban studies graduate student, says the Thingery's usefulness goes deeper than providing families with camping equipment on loan. "This was something I stumbled across on Facebook and I thought it was a really awesome premise," she says. "What drew me to it was the idea of building my own community in Vancouver. The sharing economy has a lot of potential to bring people together and help form new personal and community connections."

Hulbert and her fellow board members are hoping to organize regular community programs at and around the Thingery. A beach cleanup is scheduled for early spring as part of the group's membership drive, and more programs are in the works. "In a few years, I would love to see the Kitsilano Thingery have 500 members and great community programs and strong partnerships with community groups," she says. "I can see the concept spreading across Canada as a way to bring the localized sharing economy back to neighborhoods."

"Once we get started, I'm hoping to take out a bocce kit, and definitely an extra set of snowshoes," she says. "A Thingery membership is $50 for a lifetime membership, plus $29 per year, and a set of new snowshoes is about $150 and can be rented multiple times a year. It's really easy to get your investment back. It's also great to be able to borrow high-quality equipment, instead of buying cheaper equipment to save money and then having that equipment wear out."

Diplock and Hulbert would like to see the concept spread across the region, and potentially much farther. Diplock says he has already heard from people interested in establishing Thingeries outside of Vancouver, notably in surrounding municipalities and in Alberta. "It's great to know that we're building something that's scalable for local communities," he says. He urges anyone interested in establishing their own neighborhood Thingery to get in touch through the project website. "If it can work here in Vancouver, it can work almost anywhere."

All photos courtesy of The Thingery

#solarpunk #tool library #library #Thingery #sharing economy #Vancouver #community #shareable #woodworking tools #tools

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