#export factoring

[aarunresearcher]

The United States trade finance market size is projected to exhibit a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1% during 2024-2032. The increasing globalization of businesses, growing international trade, rapid technological advancements, favorable government regulations and policies, continuous innovation in financial products and the rise of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent some of the key factors driving the market.

[tradersuraj1]

Leading Export Factoring Services in India to Boost International Sales

Export factoring is a financial transaction and a type of debtor finance in which a business sells its accounts receivable (invoices) to a third party (the factor) at a discount. This arrangement provides the business with immediate funds, typically a percentage of the value of the receivables, which can help improve cash flow and mitigate the risks associated with international trade. Export factoring is particularly beneficial for businesses engaged in exporting goods or services to international markets.

For expert finance consultancy for this visit:

https://www.myforexeye.com/export-factoring

[kredxgtx]

The Evolving Landscape of Export Factoring: A Glimpse into the Future

The realm of international trade finance is undergoing a rapid transformation, with export factoring emerging as a key player. This financial instrument, which allows businesses to sell their invoices at a discount in exchange for immediate cash, is not new. However, it's evolving in ways that could significantly impact exporters, especially in the context of the modern global economy. 

his article delves into the potential future developments of export factoring and how they might shape the world of international trade.

1. Digital Integration and Automation

The future of export factoring is inextricably linked with digitalization. We are witnessing a trend towards the integration of sophisticated software solutions and platforms that automate and streamline the factoring process. This digital shift is expected to reduce processing times, improve accuracy in risk assessment, and enhance overall operational efficiency. As a result, exporters can expect faster funding and more transparent transactions.

2. Increased Access for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Historically, export factoring has been more accessible to large corporations with substantial resources. However, there's a growing shift towards democratizing access to this financial tool for SMEs. Innovations in financial technology (FinTech) are making it easier for smaller businesses to engage in export factoring, thus opening up new growth opportunities in international markets.

3. Blockchain and Smart Contracts

Blockchain technology and smart contracts hold significant potential for revolutionizing export factoring. By enabling secure, transparent, and immutable transactions, blockchain can provide a level of security and trust that is paramount in international trade. Smart contracts can automate various aspects of the factoring agreement, including invoice verification and payment processing, thereby reducing the likelihood of disputes and fraud.

4. Sustainability and Ethical Considerations

As global awareness of sustainability issues grows, export factoring is likely to be influenced by ethical considerations. Factors may start to give preference to businesses that demonstrate sustainable and socially responsible practices. This shift could encourage exporters to adopt greener and more ethical business models, impacting global trade practices positively.

5. Geopolitical Impacts and Global Trends

The changing geopolitical landscape and emerging global economic trends will continue to influence export factoring. Factors such as trade wars, economic sanctions, and regional trade agreements will play a crucial role in shaping the risk assessment and decision-making processes in export factoring. Businesses must stay attuned to these changes to navigate the complexities of international trade finance effectively.

6. Enhanced Risk Management Techniques

Advancements in data analytics and AI are set to improve risk management in export factoring. With more sophisticated tools for analyzing market trends, credit risks, and economic indicators, factors can make more informed decisions, thereby reducing their exposure to bad debts. This advancement will benefit exporters by potentially lowering the cost of factoring services.

Conclusion

The future of export factoring is dynamic and promising, marked by technological advancements, wider accessibility, and evolving trade dynamics. As we move forward, it will be crucial for businesses engaged in international trade to understand and adapt to these changes. By doing so, they can leverage export factoring more effectively, ensuring liquidity and driving growth in the ever-competitive global marketplace.

[tradewindfinance2]

Letters of Credit in Trade Finance: Purpose & Types

International trade finance plays a key role in simplifying trade between importers and exporters who work collaboratively from different corners of the world. A key benefit of trade finance is that it reduces the payment and supply risks between exporters and importers by introducing a third-party finance partner.

Export finance can be availed via multiple tools like the issuance of letters of credit, bank guarantee, lending, forfeiting, export credit, debt factoring, and such. These financial tools help exporters make international business transactions, reducing the hassles or risks that usually accompany them such as currency fluctuations, different global regulations, political instability, issues of non-payment, or the creditworthiness of one of the parties involved.

To best leverage the benefits of international trade finance, it is important to be well-acquainted with the tools that are designed to facilitate it. In this blog, we will explore the purpose and the types of letters of credit. What Is A Letter Of Credit? Widely used in the international trade industry, a letter of credit is issued by a bank or a financial institution on the behalf of the buyers. It is a tool drafted to guarantee that the seller will receive payment in exchange for the products and services delivered to the buyers. If the buyers are unable to make the payment due to some unforeseen circumstances, the bank or the financial institution is to pay the seller, according to the terms and conditions stated in the letter of credit. Owing to a host of advantages, letters of credit play a key role in today’s global trade transactions. The key benefit is that letters of credit can be customized in a way that the terms best serve the requirements of both parties involved. In addition, they can establish a strong sense of security among buyers and sellers involved in a project. The transactions can be made in an organized manner and within the set timelines. Different types of letters of credit are used, depending on the kind of transaction that has to be made, as well as the amount.

Types Of Letters Of Credit 1. Commercial letters of credit: This type of letter of credit is also referred to as an import/export letter of credit. Commercial letters of credit are of key importance in global trade as they serve as a direct payment method. Here, the issuing financial institution makes payments to the seller immediately, once the application is reviewed and approved.

2. Standby letters of credit: Unlike commercial letters of credit, standby letters of credit are secondary payment methods. Here, the financial institution has to pay the seller only if the buyer cannot. If a transaction does not go through as expected, the institution intervenes. It compensates the seller in case the buyer cannot make payments. 3. Revolving letters of credit: These letters of credit come with a specific benefit; they can be used to make a series of payments. They allow one to make any number of draws within a certain limit. There is usually an expiration date, often one year. These letters are frequently used among businesses that work together on multiple projects for long periods. 4. Revocable letters of credit: With these letters, sellers can legally modify or cancel certain terms related to transactions at any time, without the consent of the buyers. These letters are not common as most buyers do not agree to them, and the UCP has no provision for them.

5. Irrevocable letters of credit: Given that there are fewer risks involved, irrevocable letters of credit are more common than revocable ones. They state that no modification or cancellations can be made without the consent of all parties involved. Irrevocable letters of credit can either be confirmed or unconfirmed. 6. Confirmed Letters of Credit:

These letters require that another financial institution, other than the original issuing institution, guarantees the letter of credit. The second institution is the confirming institution, usually one that the seller trusts. Here, the confirming institution makes the payment if both the buyer and the letter-issuing institution fail to do so. How Does It Work? No matter the type, every letter of credit has to be drafted as an official document. Both buyers and sellers have to agree upon the terms and conditions mentioned in the letter of credit before submitting the final application to the financial institution that will issue it. All the parties involved are expected to thoroughly review the detailed terms in the application concerning the expiration date of the letter, payment cycle, deadlines, amounts mentioned, and such.

Once the application is submitted, the third-party financial institution reviews the buyer’s credit history, assets, and liabilities to verify whether the terms stated in the letter can be met. The institution agrees to provide the letter of credit once they have enough proof to back the buyer’s creditworthiness.

If the buyer is unable to pay the seller, the financial institution has to make the full payment. In case the buyer has made a partial payment, the institution has to pay the remaining amount. Financial institutions usually charge a fee for a letter of credit, which can be a percentage of the total credit that they are backing. The fee amount can differ depending on the institution and the amount they are guaranteeing.

Scale your Business with Tradewind Expand your export business beyond boundaries with Tradewind Finance, one of the leading international trade finance companies. Our experts are trained to guide you through the best solutions, each one tailored to your requirements. Trade finance companies like Tradewind offer trade finance facilities in multiple currencies, eliminating the risks of currency exchange. Representatives at Tradewind are multicultural and fluent in over 15 languages, serving clients in more than 30 countries. With an emphasis on eliminating trade risk, Tradewind offers Factoring finance solutions. You also get the flexibility to choose the best avenue: 1. Export Factoring via Letter of Credit:

Your buyer opens a letter of credit with us, which guarantees you are paid if the terms and conditions specified in the letter of credit are fulfilled. 2. Export Factoring via Payment Against Documents:

If you sell on documentary terms, we will advance the funds and handle the bank collections process.

3. Export Factoring on Open Account Terms:

We first inspect the creditworthiness of your buyer and set a credit limit on them. Then, we buy your accounts receivable and pay you generally within 24-48 hours of invoice submission. We handle the management of your accounts receivable and the complete dunning process. In case your customer cannot pay due to insolvency, we will pay you (non-recourse). We provide flexible financing solutions to companies belonging to diverse sectors – Automobile, Apparel and Textile, Industrial and Mechanical, Food and Beverage, Electronics, Gaming & Media, and more. Aspire to take your business to newer heights? Take the leap with Tradewind today.

[taniyasharma2023]

What is export factoring and why do companies use it?

A financial intermediary buys a company’s receivables and lends cash to their firm in the process known as export factoring, which is a type of international factoring. Recourse and non-recourse are the two types of export factoring,

For a number of reasons, export factoring is distinct from a conventional bank loan. First off, it does not appear as debt on a company’s balance sheet, in contrast to bank loans.

Furthermore, due to the fact that export factoring frequently doesn’t require collateral, small and medium-sized enterprises are more likely to be approved for financial service.

Moreover, rather than the borrower’s own financials, the funding through export factoring is dependent on the creditworthiness of the company’s clients.

If you want to use export factoring efficiently, you should search for reliable export factoring companies. Choose the one out of the export factoring companies in India that

provides the best export factoring services. You will surely be able to find a company that provides export factoring facilities of a high standard.

Some of the ways companies can prove beneficial by using export factoring in India are:

Export factoring enables them to provide open account terms, improve their liquidity, and become more competitive. It can also be seen as an alternative to long-term bank financing, export credit insurance, and other high-cost loans.

Export factoring helps, particularly where there are short-term sales of products and if there may be a danger of non-payment. It enables commerce to be conducted on open account terms. It lessens credit and collection issues in cases of foreign sales and speeds up cashflows, helping to reduce credit risk and give the company liquidity.

[midseo]

Automatic Power Factor Controller Panel, APFC Panels, Manufacturer, India

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[globaltrandeandfinancinghub]

As exemplified by Tradewind Finance, supply chain finance companies are essential to global trade. They facilitate trade financing and foster connections among businesses of all sizes across continents, driving economic expansion. Nonetheless, growth can be hampered by financial constraints and operational inefficiencies. This is where supply chain financing and optimization come into play.

[ramenheim]

These women are also only allowed to exist in two æsthetic categories: be high-performance fem or be chapstick fem. Any actual stab at gender non-conformance is constantly undercut with the vibe of "but remind the audience she's still just a woman" instead of 'just a person' literally like, everytime. They're constantly tied back to a santized state of womanhood, where woman who just exist (or are honest to god Butch) are fucking absent/portrayed as gross; and those who Can't/Won't have kids are portrayed as being Broken by that state. fict!Women are in noticable full-kit make up + tightly worn clothes, unless they need to look like they live in squalor; yes they can be a tomboy, as long as they're always *physically humbled* in some way later/get the make-up force-fem beam; yes they can like girls, but two only get paired up if they're both beautiful & femme-aligned (or feminine-masc aligned), and they're no real fleshing out of that relationship that isn't just Tragedy. The whole if someone is "ugly" then it's because they're ""supposed to be hated/distrusted"" is my top no.1 least favourite storytelling trope, and it's enshrined fucking everywhere-- even in ppl's fan media analyses.

Masculinity in women (and femininity in men) is so fucking reviled right now-- and I don't anticipate the state of art getting much better unless we fucking survive the Gender Culture War we're all under.

The Epic of Gilgamesh has sparked me into thinking about women in literature and storytelling, and how in some ways we are unusually misogynistic in the way we tell stories compared to...most of history

I've been reading the Foster translation of the epic, and it's striking how...not-antagonistic the text is toward women.

For one thing, a significant portion of the characters with important roles are female. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are obviously the important ones, and Utnapishtim to a degree, but we also have Inanna, Ninsun, Shamhat, Siduri, Utnapishtim's wife, and even Aruru, who gets credit here for being the supreme creator being.

I was surprised as well by how neutral the text is in portraying them. Shamhat, the 'harlot' ("sex worker" doesn't work here, because there are some spiritual/religious connotations here as well i think?), is...just a character. She isn't demonized, we aren't supposed to despise her. Siduri is just a weird lady running a tavern at the end of the world all alone. Ninsun, Gilgamesh's mother, is a source of wisdom and authority.

There are repeated occasions throughout the story where other characters seek out female characters because of their power and/or wisdom (e.g. Gilgamesh going to Ninsun for help interpreting his dreams, the gods summoning Aruru to create someone to oppose Gilgamesh). They're also actually allowed to speak in the story.

I remember being surprised by it when I read the Iliad that we actually got to hear Briseis speak, just as I was by how much talking women do in Shakespeare.

I think I expected less because the storytelling produced by the present day world around me set the bar so low.

In the Original and Prequel trilogies of Star Wars, there are, like, at most six female characters with speaking roles that I can remember (Leia, Padme, Mon Mothma, Zam Wessell, Beru Lars, and the decoy queen in The Phantom Menace whose name I can't remember). You probably don't even remember some of these, because they were not important at all. It's like if Dexter Jettster happened to be female.

That's just the thing, though, isn't it? Dexter Jettster is male. Chewbacca is male. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn are male. Sebulba, the pod-racer that explodes in Episode 1, is male, Jen Porkins is male, Greedo is male, Poggle the Lesser is male, Boss Nass is male, Salacious Crumb is male, Captain Panaka is male, even the droids are at least coded as male. There is no reason for it.

I don't know quite enough about Marvel to compare, and honestly haven't bothered with Marvel in a few years, but only one of the original Avengers is female, as well as only one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, both were defined by their relationships to major male characters, and both died. The focus on the male characters is overwhelming. 

We're used to stories that barely have any female characters in them. The Lord of the Rings has what, three? four? women? Stories that actually have similar proportions of men and women receive backlash, as Scott Lynch did when Red Seas under Red Skies had "too many" women (it was still predominantly male!) Even books that are praised as "feminist" or appear to be focused on women neglect the actual presence of women. I only read the first two Throne of Glass novels, but I can only remember two female characters in it apart from the main character, and iirc both of them die. (It's not a 'feminist' series at all, but I digress.)

We're actually backsliding in some respects, if you ask me—in visual media, traditionally "unattractive" women are disappearing. Weird women are disappearing. "Strong Female Character" has become just another trope as restrictive as any of the other roles "allowed" for women. We see people looking backward at characters like Edna Mode as unusually human and well-represented when I'm not convinced that they were at the time.

And now the Epic of Gilgamesh seems unusually woman-focused and not-misogynistic. I wonder how we got here...

[read-marx-and-lenin]

I'm asking this in good faith, but this is something I'm genuinely confused about. Regarding the Holodomor, or the Soviet famine of 1930 in general, why does it matter if it was a genocide or not? At best it seems to be a natural famine exacerbated by poor decision making, and while that is far different from a genocide, I don't understand why that specification matters, because it was still made worse by Soviet intervention, unless I'm getting the facts wrong which I probably am.

It matters to the Western propagandists who were insistent for decades despite zero evidence that the famine was used to commit atrocities against the people of Ukraine. The refrain the whole time was that once the Soviet archives were made public, they'd finally have the proof they needed. The archives are eventually opened, and surprise surprise, there's not only no evidence of the deliberate withholding of grain, there's evidence of significant amounts of food aid being sent to help alleviate the famine. The myth of a Ukrainian genocide began as Nazi propaganda and was adopted as part of the "double genocide" narrative by Western reactionaries after WW2 to downplay the crimes of the Nazis and to maintain a narrative about liberal opposition to "authoritarianism", painting Western capitalists as the "free world" fighting against both fascism and communism. (Don't ask them why they stopped fighting fascism after WW2 though.)

As for the human elements of the famine, it is also part of the typical Western narrative, even among those who admit the Holodomor was not a targeted anti-Ukrainian genocide and who admit that there were environmental factors, to try and put substantial amounts of blame on the Soviet collectivization of agriculture. I am not going to lie and say collectivization went smoothly with no issues, but you cannot ignore the factors of reactionary sabotage by kulaks (including the destruction of animals and grain and the outright murder of party officials) and the effects of Western sanctions and sabotage on the economic development of the USSR.

While some have argued that there was a complete "gold blockade" on the USSR during the famine and so the Soviet Union was forced to export grain to facilitate international trade, the blockade was never enforced by all Western nations at the same time and the Soviets were still able to export gold and silver at various times throughout the 1920s. It is true, however, that gold reserves were stretched thin at the time and the Soviets simply didn't have enough gold to cover their international debts. Soviet gold mines had never been extraordinarily productive and the rest of the Soviet economy was still developing at the time, so grain was one of the few things that they expected to have in surplus. In addition, there were various other sanctions in place by 1930 that did limit who they could trade with and what they could trade with, but the export of grain was almost never restricted. The famine caught them off guard at a very bad time.

While international grain exports were restricted during the famine as grain was diverted to famine-stricken regions of the country (and grain imports were increased as well), the problems with hoarding only worsened as in the panic of the famine, kulaks sought to exploit the people and create a profitable black market on grain. A struggle against the kulaks coincided with worsening environmental effects and the spread of disease among both crops and humans.

The famine was not man-made, it was not entirely natural, and it was not the inevitable outcome of collectivization. It was a perfect storm of a variety of factors. Stalin was not some heartless monster condemning millions of Ukrainians to death for daring to defy the glorious Soviet Union. He was not some idiot who had no idea what he was doing, plunging the nation into famine out of ineptitude. He was not a stubborn maniac who refused to abandon failing economic policies even at the cost of human lives. He was a human being, one of many in charge of the Soviet Union, dealing with concurrent disasters as best as they could.

[inky-duchess]

WorldBuilding Ask Game

Here is a little ask game for WorldBuilding in your WIP to pad out one country or all of them! Use it for yourself or ask a friend and spread some love. Focus on a particular section and have fun!

Geography

What does your world look like? What's the biome? Are there different ones?

Are there any oceans? If so, are they accessible? Are they a reliable source of travel and food?

Are there any rivers in your world? Any lakes? What's the longest river? Deepest lake?

Is there a safe supply of drinking water? If not, why not?

Are there mountains in your world? What's the highest one?

What is the weather like? How does this effect life?

What animals inhabit the world? What animals are indigenous or considered exotic?

What are some natural features your world is famous for? Is your world considered beautiful?

How many countries in your world?

How are countries divided? By natural lines or by agreements?

Population

What's the population like? Is it large or sparse?

Is there any factors in population density? Do more people live in a certain area more than elsewhere? Why is that?

Are there different peoples living in your world? If so, how do they get on?

How important is nationality? Are foreigners tolerated? Or are they unwelcome?

What countries get on? What countries hate one another?

Are there any important cities? Why are they important?

What's the architecture like? Are there any outside influences?

What's a typical building material? What's considered an expensive feature to include?

What is infrastructure like? Are roads and railways in good condition?

Is there public transport? Is it reliable?

Government

What system of government does your world adhere to? Is it popular?

Where is the seat of government?

Are there different governmental agencies?

Are there political parties? If so, what are their goals?

How much control does the government have over the average person?

Can your people vote? If not, why not? If so, who has/hasn't the right to?

Are there any parties or organisations that oppose the government?

How does the government crack down on sedition?

Are people allowed to criticise the government? If so, how? If not, how do they get around it?

How are laws made? Who makes them?

Is there any odd laws in your world?

What are some punishments to crime? Are they considered fair?

What crimes are unfathomable for the people?

Who handles justice? Is justice obtainable for all?

Are there any police? What's their reputation?

What role does the military play in your world?

Who controls the army? Head of state or government as a whole?

Is it considered a good career path?

Who can join the army? Are there any restrictions?

What is your world's stance on war? Are there any neutral parties? Or particularly warlike ones?

Commerce and Trade

How is trade done?

Is currency universal or dictated by region?

How is your economy going? What effects it?

What trade is your world known for?

What are some exports? What must your world import?

Are any goods considered luxurious?

What services are available in your world? What services are niche?

What sort of work is common? Is work readily available?

Who is expected to work?

Are workers treated fairly or unfairly?

Are there any ways workers are protected? If not, what are some consequences?

Is your world more reliant on technology or on labour?

Is agriculture possible in your world? If so what can your people grow?

How big is industry? What goods can your people make?

What resources can your country exploit?

What are some barriers to trade and commerce?

Is your nation known for quality? Or Quantity?

Who does your country trade with most often? Who do they boycott?

Are there any major ports in your country?

Are there any banned goods? If so, is there a black market for their purchase?

Society

How society expect one to behave in public? Are there different expectations for different people/genders/ranks?

Is there a social order? Can one move up the ranks?

Is there any considerations made on account of rank, gender, age or position?

What is considered a social faux pas?

Are there any gestures or actions that are considered rude or socially unforgivable?

What would utterly shock somebody to see somebody do?

What are some opinions that are normal for your world but can be considered subversive in real life?

How can one rise up the status ladder? Is there much trouble to do so?

What denotes a person's place in society?

How is life different in cities compared to life in the countryside?

Daily life

Where would someone go to buy their weekly shop? Is food easy to come by?

What would be the daily routine of the wealthy? The common man?

How is hygiene handled in your world? Where does one go to spruce up?

What would be some day to day tasks one might face?

What is the favoured means of travel?

Are there any problems in your world that could effect a daily routine? Potholes? Gigantic spiders? Acid rain?

What ammenties would an average person expect to have access to?

Where would one go if they are injured or ill? What's healthcare like?

Do people feel safe where they live? Are there any places somebody might face danger?

How do people communicate? Is it difficult? Why?

What do people do for fun? What's considered normal fun versus hedonistic?

What pastimes are common? What kind aren't?

Is education valued?

Is there access to education? If so, for who?

Are the population educated? If so to what extent?

Family Life

What is the typical family set up?

Is extended family important?

Who can be considered family? Who can't be?

Is marriage considered a duty? Or is it more of a personal choice?

Is divorce possible?

Can people adopt children?

What happens to orphaned children?

Are children important? If not, why not? If so, why?

What are some typical toys children play with?

What are some games children play with one another?

How is in charge of household chores?

Is there a hierarchy in families?

Are children expected to take on certain roles?

What is the living situation like between the different ranks? Are the roles different?

What's considered the proper way to raise a child?

Culture and Languages

Are there multiple cultures in your world? How do they differ? Do they mesh well together?

How are cultures similar? How are they different?

Are there any traditions in your world? How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

Are there any special days? Events?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

What languages are spoken in your world? If so, how do they sound?

Are there any dialects? If so, how do they sound?

Are most people monolingual? Or bilingual? Or multilingual?

Are there any languages that are closely related?

What is considered a universal language?

Religion

Is religion a thing in your world?

Is religion a staple of life or just a small part?

Does religion affect politics, personal lives and affiliations?

Is your world sectarian? Or ruled by religion?

What are some influences religion has on daily life?

What sort of religion is it? Monotheistic? Polytheistic?

What are some myths your people believe in?

What common rituals does one undertake on a day to day basis?

How does one please a deity?

Where do your people pray? How do they?

What symbols would denote a follower of a certain belief system to a stranger?

What places or objects are considered sacred?

Are there religious orders? If so, who can join?

Is there tolerance or violence over religion? If so, between which faiths?

Food and Drink

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What would lunch be?

What would be a typical dinner?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?

Are there certain rules about how one can prepare food?

Are there any restrictions on eating with certain people?

How is food generally prepared by?

History

Who are some notable figures from history?

Who founded the country?

Is history looked back on with fondness? Or do your people rather forget?

Are there any heroes in history? Any villains?

What are some highpoints in the history of your land?

What are some points of history nobody likes to speak about?

Does history effect your land, people, culture, language in the present? If so in what ways?

What historic monuments are still around in the present day? What has been lost?

How do people learn about history? Do they learn the truth? Or just an abridged version?

What's a historical event that is important to the story?

[simplyanjuta]

Transferring animations between rigs (e.g. adult to child)

The steps below describe how to transfer an animation from an adult rig to a child rig but the method should be applicable for any transfer between human rigs.

However, I haven't tested other constellations. Let me know if you have any other tips, suggestions, corrections or run into any issues.

Many thanks to thepancake1 for helping figuring out the details that are not obvious at all 💛

I posted this little guide in Creator Musings for someone wondering about it but sharing it here as well.

Step 1)

Export the adult sim animation you want to transfer (=your source) to Blender.

Open a blend file with a child rig (=your target).

Append the adult rig with the animation to the child rig in Blender (File > Append > Select the blend file > folder "Object" > select rig and mesh there)

Select the animation from the adult rig for the child rig (select the child rig in the Outliner menu > select the scene tab in the properties panel below > in "S4S AnimationTools" select the adult animation as the "active animation")

This will get the job mostly done, but the animation will be offset and jumping around, as you see below. To correct for that you will need to set up several constraints as described in step 2.

Step 2)

As you see below the height of the ROOT_bind of the adult sim and child sim differ by about a factor of 0,7:

You can check the exact location in edit mode:

The ROOT_bind of the child rig is located at 0.6920, the ROOT_bind of the adult rig at 1.0112 on the Z axis, which gives a factor of 0.6920/1.0112=0.6843354430379747

With that information you now need to do the following (see image below for comparison, I also uploaded my blend file with the set up here):

In the Dope Sheet menu, select "Action Editor" and press "New Action" there to make a copy of the selected animation.

In the Dope Sheet Summary uncheck ROOT_bind (thus disabling the animation on the root bind for the child rig). Update/Correction: However, the rotation channels need to stay enabled (this only matters if the ROOT_bind is rotated in an animation). The setting should look like this:

In the Transform menu type in -0,6920 on the X axis for ROOT_bind (thus resetting its position to 0 in the animation; can't properly explain why X axis is chosen here instead of Y but it has sth to do with how local rotations of a bone are determined according to pancake)

Create a "Copy Location" constraint for ROOT_bind of the child rig targetting it to the ROOT_bind of the adult rig (this is done in the Properties panel > Bone Constraints), set Influence to 0.6843354430379747 (factor calculated above), deselect "Z"

Create a second "Copy Location" constraint for ROOT_bind in the same way but this time deselect "X" and "Y" and instead select "Z" and check "Offset".

The animation will now play as expected:

Step 3)

All you need to do now is bake the animation (thus applying all the constraints you set up). Select Pose > Animation > "Bake Action...", then check "Visual Keying" and "Clear Constraints" in the pop up. The animation will now work stand alone and you can delete the adult rig.

Alternatively, if you use Pancakes animation tools, you just need to export the clips, the constraints will be applied automatically.

[writers-potion]

I'm writing a sci-fi story about a space freight hauler with a heavy focus on the economy. Any tips for writing a complex fictional economy and all of it's intricacies and inner-workings?

Constructing a Fictional Economy

The economy is all about: How is the limited financial/natural/human resources distributed between various parties?

So, the most important question you should be able to answer are:

Who are the "have"s and "have-not"s?

What's "expensive" and what's "commonplace"?

What are the rules(laws, taxes, trade) of this game?

Building Blocks of the Economic System

Type of economic system. Even if your fictional economy is made up, it will need to be based on the existing systems: capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, feudalism, barter, etc.

Currency and monetary systems: the currency can be in various forms like gols, silver, digital, fiat, other commodity, etc. Estalish a central bank (or equivalent) responsible for monetary policy

Exchange rates

Inflation

Domestic and International trade: Trade policies and treaties. Transportation, communication infrastructure

Labour and employment: labor force trends, employment opportunities, workers rights. Consider the role of education, training and skill development in the labour market

The government's role: Fiscal policy(tax rate?), market regulation, social welfare, pension plans, etc.

Impact of Technology: Examine the role of tech in productivity, automation and job displacement. How does the digital economy and e-commerce shape the world?

Economic history: what are some historical events (like The Great Depresion and the 2008 Housing Crisis) that left lasting impacts on the psychologial workings of your economy?

For a comprehensive economic system, you'll need to consider ideally all of the above. However, depending on the characteristics of your country, you will need to concentrate on some more than others. i.e. a country heavily dependent on exports will care a lot more about the exchange rate and how to keep it stable.

For Fantasy Economies:

Social status: The haves and have-nots in fantasy world will be much more clear-cut, often with little room for movement up and down the socioeconoic ladder.

Scaricity. What is a resource that is hard to come by?

Geographical Characteristics: The setting will play a huge role in deciding what your country has and doesn't. Mountains and seas will determine time and cost of trade. Climatic conditions will determine shelf life of food items.

Impact of Magic: Magic can determine the cost of obtaining certain commodities. How does teleportation magic impact trade?

For Sci-Fi Economies Related to Space Exploration

Thankfully, space exploitation is slowly becoming a reality, we can now identify the factors we'll need to consider:

Economics of space waste: How large is the space waste problem? Is it recycled or resold? Any regulations about disposing of space wste?

New Energy: Is there any new clean energy? Is energy scarce?

Investors: Who/which country are the giants of space travel?

Ownership: Who "owns" space? How do you draw the borders between territories in space?

New class of workers: How are people working in space treated? Skilled or unskilled?

Relationship between space and Earth: Are resources mined in space and brought back to Earth, or is there a plan to live in space permanently?

What are some new professional niches?

What's the military implication of space exploitation? What new weapons, networks and spying techniques?

Also, consider:

Impact of space travel on food security, gender equality, racial equality

Impact of space travel on education.

Impact of space travel on the entertainment industry. Perhaps shooting monters in space isn't just a virtual thing anymore?

What are some indsutries that decline due to space travel?

I suggest reading up the Economic Impact Report from NASA, and futuristic reports from business consultants like McKinsey.

If space exploitation is a relatiely new technology that not everyone has access to, the workings of the economy will be skewed to benefit large investors and tech giants. As more regulations appear and prices go down, it will be further be integrated into the various industries, eventually becoming a new style of living.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Today, we know from the research of Jason Hickel and his colleagues that in 2021 the Global North was able to extract from the Global South 826 billion hours in net appropriated labor. This represents $18.4 trillion measured in Northern wages. Behind this lies the fact that workers in the Global South receive 87–95 percent lower wages for equivalent work at the same skill levels. The same study concluded that the wage gap between the Global North and the Global South was increasing, with wages in the North rising eleven times more than wages in the South between 1995 and 2021. This research into the contemporary global labor arbitrage is coupled with recent historical work by Utsa Patnaik and Prabhat Patnaik that has now documented the astronomical drain of wealth during the period of British colonialism in India. The estimated value of this drain over the period of 1765–1900, cumulated up to 1947 (in 1947 prices) at 5 percent interest, was $1.925 trillion; cumulated up to 2020, it amounts to $64.82 trillion. It should be emphasized that the Global North’s contemporary drain of economic surplus from the Global South, via the unequal exchange of labor embodied in exports from the latter, is in addition to the normal net flow of capital from developing to developed countries recorded in national accounts. This includes the balance on merchandise trade (import and exports), net payments to foreign investors and banks, payments for freight and insurance, and a wide array of other payments made to foreign capital such as for royalties and patents. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the net financial resource transfers from developing countries to developed countries in 2017 alone amounted to $496 billion. In neoclassical economics, this is known as the paradox of the reverse flow of capital, or of capital flowing uphill, which it ineffectively tries to explain away by various contingent factors, rather than acknowledging the reality of economic imperialism. With respect to the geopolitical dimension of imperialism, the focus this century has been on the continuing decline of U.S. hegemony. Analysis has concentrated on the attempts of Washington, since 1991, backed by London, Berlin, Paris, and Tokyo, to reverse this. The goal is to establish the triad of the United States, Europe, and Japan—with Washington preeminent—as the unipolar global power through a more “naked imperialism.” This counterrevolutionary dynamic eventually led to the present New Cold War. Yet, despite all of the developments in imperialism theory over the last century, it is not the theory of imperialism so much as the actual intensification of the Global North’s exploitation of the Global South, coupled with the resistance of the latter, that has stood out. As Sweezy argued in Modern Capitalism and Other Essays in 1972, the sharp point of proletarian resistance decisively shifted in the twentieth century from the Global North to the Global South. Nearly all revolutions since 1917 have taken place in the periphery of the world capitalist system and have been revolutions against imperialism. The vast majority of these revolutions have occurred under the auspices of Marxism. All have been subjected to counterrevolutionary actions by the great imperial powers. The United States alone has intervened militarily abroad hundreds of times since the Second World War, primarily in the Global South, resulting in the deaths of millions. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the primary contradictions of capitalism have been those of imperialism and class.

3 November 2024

[mywitchyblog]

PSA: YOUR SCRIPTS ARE SAFE. PERIOD. FULL STOP. 🔒🛡️

No, Notion employees aren’t sipping lattes while reading about your DR love story or your plot to be the main character in Hogwarts.

i saw this on my mutual @shiftinghoesblog and i though some of yall may need reassurence.

The Tea on Notion’s Privacy Policy ☕🍵

Notion’s Data Access and Consent guidelines are crystal clear (source: Notion Help Center). Employees CAN’T just waltz into your notes for funsies. Their policies lock your data down like the vault at Gringotts. Here’s the breakdown:

STRICT Access Controls: Notion employees can only see your data under very specific circumstances, like troubleshooting technical issues. AND THAT’S ONLY IF YOU GIVE THEM PERMISSION. Consent is queen here. 👑 If you didn’t say “yes,” they ain’t got the key, honey.

Encryption is Everything: Your notes are encrypted both in transit (when they’re being sent to the server) and at rest (when they’re stored). Translation? No hacker, Notion intern, or cosmic entity is peeping your Draco Malfoy fantasies or villain-arc DR scripts. 🖤✨

Account = YOURS: You can delete, export, and control every single thing you store in Notion. It’s like having the Elder Wand but for your data. 💼🪄

Let’s Talk Real Safety Tips (Because You’re a Boss 🖤):

If you’re still side-eyeing this, here are ways to flex your data security like the baddie you are:

💻 Password Power-Up: Use a password so strong even Bellatrix couldn’t crack it. And no, “password123” isn’t cutting it, bestie.

🔐 Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Protect your account like it’s holding the secrets to the multiverse (because, well, it kind of is).

📥 Backup Your Scripts: If Notion gives you the ick, download your scripts and store them offline or in an encrypted file.

And to Those Doubters Saying “But What If—”

Stop it. 🙄✨ Notion has actual legal obligations to protect your data. They’re not out here violating privacy laws to sneak a peek at your alternate-reality plotting. If that’s not enough, why would Linda from IT care about your scripted DR wedding or the drama at your magical prom? THEY DON’T, SWEETHEART. 🥂

So What’s the Vibe?

💎 Notion is Safe AF. 👑 Your DR secrets are sacred. 🔥 Stop worrying and script like the magical icon you are.

Now get back to manifesting your Desired Reality with confidence, sass, and all the ✨main character energy✨ you can muster. Your shifting journey is yours, protected, and unstoppable. 💫🌌 Go slay it, babes. 🔥🖤