#gmail design change

[jcmarchi]

Things That Keep the Grumpy Designer Awake at Night

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/things-that-keep-the-grumpy-designer-awake-at-night/

Things That Keep the Grumpy Designer Awake at Night

I’ve learned many lessons in my years as a grumpy designer. One is to try and separate work from the rest of your life. It’s a healthy practice – one that leads to (slightly) less stress.

But, try as I might, certain things stick with me. Things that stay at the front of my mind all day and night. This vicious cycle results in less sleep and more grump. Yes, that’s wonderful for inspiring columns. Not so good for the soul, though.

I’m willing to bet that others are facing the same issue. The growing complexity of web design is making it harder to relax.

Feeling better starts with sharing. So, allow me to dig into the depths of my psyche. The following is a look at web-related issues that keep me up at night. Make a cup of coffee and join me on this nerve-wracking journey.

The Never-Ending Quest for Web Security

Security has long been a thorn in our sides. We can build websites in any number of ways. However, they all seem to be a target for malicious actors.

I work primarily with WordPress. I love the flexibility it offers. But securing these sites is a constant battle.

Hackers have numerous points of attack. They might take advantage of a plugin vulnerability. Or they might crack a weak password. They’re even stealing session cookies these days.

WordPress isn’t alone in the struggle for security. But working with it each day seems to magnify the issue. It has become a constant presence in my mind.

Sometimes, the situation feels hopeless. You plug one security hole – only to see another one pop up. Cleaning up a hacked site is tedious at best. Plus, the thought of data theft is enough to make anyone nervous.

Perhaps the answer lies in not going it alone. Web security is a vast subject. Threats continue to evolve. Thus, working with expert tools (and humans) is worth the price.

Even so, security issues make it harder to fall asleep.

The Always-on Work Culture of a Web Designer

Remember my goal of separating work and life? I’m terrible at it. Sure, I do well enough during slow times. But I drown when things get busy.

The web industry has a 24/7 work culture that’s hard to escape. A website won’t wait until business hours to break. Most clients won’t consider the clock when making a request, either.

It used to be easier to get away. Before smartphones, you could leave your desk and inbox behind.

I can recall vacationing in places that had no internet access. I could go an entire week without email. How quaint!

Good luck avoiding your inbox these days. You’ll need self-discipline and clients who can temporarily live without you.

Yes, I try to turn my brain off. I’ll even abstain from replying to an email – for a while. Eventually, my brain gets the best of me. Things stay on my mind until I address them. So, why not respond?

That makes sense on the surface. It doesn’t lead to much peace after hours, though.

The Things Out of My Control

Web designers can only control so much. Security is one example – but there are others. Modern websites tend to rely on third-party providers.

That covers everything from web hosting to SaaS (software as a service) to plugins. We may get to choose which tools to use. But we must also trust them to deliver.

What happens when something goes wrong? We might be able to contact a support person. However, some providers take days to respond. Plus, some companies are using chatbots as their first point of contact. Navigating these tools is no picnic.

The result leaves us stuck in the middle. Our clients want to know what’s going on. Meanwhile, we can only rely on what the provider tells us. A lack of communication can be frustrating and worrisome.

It’s about more than downtime, though. Sometimes, a product makes a significant change that impacts your website. Things may not work the way we (or our clients) expect. That leaves us scrambling to figure it out.

Gmail’s recent bulk-sender policy changes are an example. The change’s impact went beyond my expectations. That led to a lot of rushing around to fix email deliverability issues.

Sure, we can try to prepare for the inevitable. But sometimes, all we can do is react.

The Expectations of Clients and Myself

Expectations can keep any web designer up at night. Clients are asking more from us. They want high-end features in exchange for bargain-bin pricing.

That leads us on a wild goose chase. The quest to be faster, cheaper, and better. How do we squeeze in more projects in the same timeframe?

The expectations we have for ourselves are also a burden. I pride myself on getting things done. I want to create the layouts, pick the colors, and write the code. It’s the way I’ve done things for over two decades.

That’s becoming harder, though. The right tools can help. But there’s still a massive responsibility to do the job right.

Part of this may be cultural. Growth is expected and encouraged. After all, who wants to stay the same?

We don’t prioritize comfort nearly enough. Doing so may be perceived as accepting the status quo. Nobody wants to look like they’re stagnating.

All told, this adds to the pressure we feel. We must move onward and upward, regardless of the consequences.

Making Sense and Making Peace

So, what lessons have I learned? That was the point of writing this down, right?

I think web designers need to create boundaries – and stick to them. Otherwise, it’s too easy to get pulled into that vicious cycle. It’s hard – but better than the alternative.

Self-forgiveness is also a factor. It’s OK if you don’t know how to do something. There’s no shame in needing extra time to complete a project.

Sometimes, we’re harder on ourselves than any client could be. So, permit yourself to be imperfect. Give yourself some grace. None of us go through life without experiencing adversity.

Finally, don’t let your job become your only source of identity. It took me a while to understand that advice. But we all need time away from the online world.

Will the things above still keep me awake? I’m betting that they will. Perhaps it’s better to accept it instead of fighting it. Tomorrow can always be better.

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[wallnoises]

Hi, I don’t normally make posts like this these days but I’m a 29 y/o transfem planning to move in March 2024 in order to be closer to family and also because living in the city has proven too expensive for me. Unfortunately we are breaking the lease to do so and that in and of itself is going to be expensive (‘a couple thousand and some change’ expensive). Any donations are appreciated

I have been making my living for the past year as a freelance illustrator. It’s been a lifelong dream finally realized but unfortunately like most artists right now, I’ve been barely scraping by financially and taking on any work I can find.

That said, my inbox is always open for artwork commissions as well. I have worked for 4+ years in game design as a concept artist, designer and modeler.

Below is a small selection of the contract work I’ve done for the past year as an artist for Hatchlings:

Péypal- wallnoises@gmail.com

Vemmo- @wallnoises

Business inquiries may also be sent to the gmail address listed above

——

Thanks again 💜

[bittlestofbats]

CLOSED.

Gonna start uploading base adopts here more often cause multiple accounts is becoming a hassle tbh.

To make this much easier on me all adopts have been posted on my ko-fi store where you can buy it there and get the file.

https://ko-fi.com/bittlebat/shop/autumndogs

PRICE: $17 USD EACH

I have heard ko-fi glitches out sometimes, and if that's the case contact me and I'll send you the file through gmail.

If any downloadable file IS the preview image lemme know, sometimes I make uploading mistakes.

If an adoptable is missing from the shop it's already been bought OR is on hold for someone.

If you really prefer not to go through ko-fi DM me.

❀•°────────────────·❀•°❀°•❀·───────────────°•❀

RULES

★ You're allowed to do anything with the adoptable and change it however you like ( With that said, don't use my adopts in illegal or immoral content cause that's disgusting ) ★

★ I can not change the base's species, gender appearance, etc myself but if you want too, be my guest. ★

★ Do not reupload my designs or copy on purpose if you are not the buyer, that's theft! ★

★ Try not to overprice if reselling, be fair to others around you. ★

★ If uploading this picture to Toyhouse or anything remember to credit me and credit the base to the base maker ★

★ Ko-fi is preferred but paypal direct is also accepted ★

★ I never draw feral NSFW on any sort of character so please don't draw it with my designs either. ★

❀•°────────────────·❀•°❀°•❀·───────────────°•❀

CREDITS

Canine Base by: oZIPPYo

❀•°────────────────·❀•°❀°•❀·───────────────°•❀

[ravings-of-a-mad-scientist]

I think there is something of a story that could be made out of tech no longer being supported by the tech is life supporting

You know what? YES! There is a story to be made out of tech no longer being supported even though it's life supporting! My fuckin emails!

I used to use Windows' default mail app, which sucked. It couldn't work with custom email addresses and was generally janky, but you know what? It was my janky default mail app, because I was too lazy to change it to a better one. Just like with every other default app included with Windows 10 (which I still use even though they came out with a Windows 11 (even though they said they'd never do that (fuckin tryhards)))

But then Windows was all like

"mail app will no longer be supported, please switch to Outlook, bleh".

And that's when my alarm bells started ringing. I knew shit was going down hill. First they took Flash, and now they're after my fuckin MAIL?!? Is nothing sacred???

And what's worse, they had the gall to make *me* do something, and accept change, when I'd much rather be embracing stagnancy. What? Are we too good for the bare minimum all of a sudden?

But, I also knew the deadline was like six months away, so I didn't do shit and forgot about it. Because I have a heavy prescription for A.D.D., a mental disorder which makes it difficult to not put things off until the last minute since I can't think in scales longer than about six days. I am heavily dependant on my calendar app to tell me when to do stuff.

But then it happened. Six entire months had passed, and I finally had to change to Outlook. That made my afternoon a SLIGHTLY more stressful and busy than it'd have normally been, the bastards

But, you know what? There's no point getting angry over that. I think I might have just been too complacent with my old shitty default mail app all that time, and was too lazy and had too many dysfunctioning executives to look for better options. I might never have known what other mail apps could be like until someone gave me that little push. There really is a lesson to be learned here. 😔

And you know what that lesson is?

DON'T EVER FUKIN TRUST WINDOWS! BECAUSE OUTLOOK IS WAY SHITTER AND JANKIER THAN MAIL APP! WHY DID THEY MAKE ME SWITCH TO IT???

It takes forever to open, it also fucked the calendar app because apparently those can't be separate windows anymore so I had to spend like 20 minutes fixing it, then it fucked my wife, and just today it refused to open at all because it FALSELY believed it was already open.

I ended up having to restart my entire ass computer, WITH A FORCED WINDOWS UPDATE, giving me plenty of time to write this post. Haven't slept in 42 hours btw (unrelated). Then Outlook decided to log me out, so I had to find my password to sign back in. Meanwhile, I couldn't do any work because the only thing I needed to do was see my goddamned emails! So I finally get in, and I discovered that apparently that Windows update was updating Outlook, because I had to tell them that NO, I DON'T WANT MY DATA HARVESTED.

All this and for what? Fashionable looking UI design? Compatibility with email handles that don't end with @gmail.com?

What do I look like, some kinda jackass who owns multiple alternate email addresses with custom domains? Custom domains that I've been using an entirely separate web based email service to check since the old mail app wouldn't let me open them, but I was just too lazy to switch over to completely for my primary work and school gmails? Do I look like someone who bought themadscientist@ravingsofamadscientist.com thinking that somehow a *mailing list* would make me INTERNET FAMOUS?

Because yes, I am and I did do that. But you know what? I STILL do all that because I haven't gotten around to putting those emails into Outlook!

YOUR FORCED EMAIL SERVICE MIGRATION ACHIEVED NOTHING! SUCK IT BILL GATES!

[pidgedee]

Opening LIMITED commissions!

hello i am moving and dealing with a LOT of unexpected expenses, so i will be opening one commission slot at a time for the next couple months. if you’re interested in a slot and it is already full, i will add you to a waiting list and contact you whenever i am ready to take a new commission.

payment is in USD via paypal; full payment required up front. dm me or email pidgedee[@]gmail,com to reserve a slot or with any other questions!

YES: ocs, fanart, ship art, mild blood/gore, humanoid characters, character designs, multiple characters (add +50% price)

NO: furry/full anthro characters, animals, mecha/ complex machinery, nsfw, extreme blood/gore/ violence, kink, incest, adult/minor ships

i will not draw content i am uncomfortable with. i reserve the right to decline, cancel, and refund commissions at any point in the process. all commissions cancelled from my end will be refunded in full. commissions cancelled by client will be fully refunded if cancelled before the sketch is received; otherwise, commissions cancelled by the client will not be refunded.

commissioned art is for personal use only. you may not resell art commissioned from me in any way.

PROCESS: upon receiving payment, concept, references, etc, i will begin on a sketch. within 1-2 weeks, i will provide the sketch for you to request changes. after this, i will make the requested changes and proceed to lines+color. the total turnaround time is 2-3 weeks, with additional time added if many and/or major changes are requested. i may also request additional pay if major changes to your original concept are requested after the process has begun.

[gay-milton-quotes]

I'm Unpeeling Myself from Big Tech!

"Unpeeling" being any act you take that limits the amount of data a large tech corporation can gather from you, decreases your reliance on products of those corporations, or increases autonomy over your technology. I'm ripping the term from a line in this review by Joanna Nelius, where she writes, "People are looking for ways to peel their eyes from their smartphones like a layer of Elmer’s glue from their hand — to remove a part of themselves that really isn’t a part of themselves." It's different than "unplugging" because the goal isn't to go off the grid, or even to limit one's technology usage. The goal, instead, is to extract from the invasive, addictive, destructive capitalist vision a set of tools that are useful to YOU.

It started when I realized I don't need a smartphone. I've deleted most social media from my phone, and the stuff I still have I prefer to check on my laptop. Not all "dumb phones" (I hate this term) offer the same features, though, so I began to think on a granular level about what I need from a cell phone. Eg, not all "dumb phones" provide MMS, but my family lives 3k miles away. I wanna still talk in the groupchat.

On the more complex end, I write on my phone. I've been using Google Docs to move seamlessly from scribbled writing drafts on my phone to formatted, finished works on my computer since I was fourteen.

Except, Google Docs is useless now. I've been unable to use it since they lowered the storage capacity. The only other cloud storage writing thingy with similar functionality is Office 365, which sucks.

Could a dumb phone with a basic "notes" feature work? Maybe, but I'd have to re-type everything to get it into a formatted document. Ideally, I'd have like, a mini-laptop just for writing - something I could fit in my pocket or in a small bag, so I could bring it to work without looking like a dick - and then, in addition, a basic phone for calls/texts/GPS stuff. But does a device this specific to my use case even exist?

Yes. Yes it does.

This is a GPD Micro PC. GPD mainly sells handheld gaming machines, though this product is designed for mobile IT professionals. It's probably too chonky for a pocket, but mark my words, I will figure out how to make it work for me.

It's stupid, but this gave me a rush. I've been struggling along, tied to the bloated corpses of three gmail accounts, for years, because I needed Google Docs for my writing workflow. But now I don't. I have the power to actually tailor my tech for my life.

By this point, I was like, alright, I don't need Google Docs anymore, I don't need a smartphone, what else? Do I need Windows? No, probably not, right? I can use Linux Mint on this new guy, especially since he'll mostly be a basic writing machine. LibreOffice is less intrusive and bloated than MS Word - a better experience for free than I'd have from the paid program. If I go all the way and install Linux, I also won't have to deal with ads in my start menu, or pre-installed spyware screenshotting my activities.

In fact, if I back everything up on an external drive, I can delete my old Google Drives and switch my main computer to Linux, too! So, I finally bit the bullet and invested in an external hard drive.

This is the problem with "product ecosystems," by the way. When one part of that ecosystem - Google Docs - fails, the whole thing collapses. All the bloat and corruption you dealt with just stops being worth it, and it's easier to make a radical change to a new system. I witnessed something similar happen with comedy tech youtuber Dankpods earlier this year, except with Apple's ecosystem: he was a lifetime Apple guy - seemingly not in a worship way, but he liked their products, and was certainly in Apple's ecosystem. Then a couple things went sour for him, and now he runs Linux.

I'm doing this for personal and ideological reasons. I'm personally sick of Clippy - I mean, Copilot - peeping in to tell me how to write what I'm writing on Office 365. I abhor the idea of paying Google for a service they offered for free until recently, knowing they can flip the script at any point. And while we're talking ideology, I'm a communist, and even though this is far from a shift everyone can make, I believe that taking any available steps towards shutting Big Tech out of our lives is a net good. If all you can do is delete Instagram, or use a screentime tracker, or switch to Firefox, do it. I'm finally in a position to make this more drastic change, and I'm excited.

Get in the weeds about how you use technology. Do you need everything at your fingertips, all the time? If not, what, specifically, do you need? Is there a way that you, now or in the future, can trim out the parts you dislike? And what can you change now?

[gingersnappish]

COMMISSIONS: OPEN

I've got a couple slots before the Holidays come up!

Please DM me or shoot an email to fatacoll16 at gmail dot com

BASE PRICE: 1 character (full body, full color) --- $100

+ Background---------------------------------------+$100

+Additional Character -----------------------------+$50

COMIC PAGE BASE PRICE------------------------ $250

F.A.Q. “Do you draw …X…?” Most likely yes! I'm comfortable drawing nearly anything! I have a very small handful of specific exceptions - but it never hurts to ask!

I reserve the right to refuse a commission in the rare event that I feel I am poorly suited to the idea - but I will let you know politely and without judgement at the outset!

~NSFW OK! (and welcome!)

~I reserve the right to add and appropriate surcharge to the initial quote in cases that require a high degree of technical skill and additional time - complex battle scenes set in intricate environments, extremely detailed tech, or elaborate costuming and character design necessitating extensive from scratch concept work, for examples. Any surcharge will be fully discussed with the individual prior to invoice/payment.

~Payment in full required prior to start of work. All prices in USD (invoice via Paypal once we agree on terms)

~Rough sketch sent for approval prior to completion for any full color commission. Alterations are gratis for 2 rounds prior to inking/coloring; any further changes will be subject to an hourly rate.

~Commission will be delivered 4 weeks (30 work days) from receipt of payment, unless otherwise discussed. — I look forward to working with you!

[mariacallous]

Citizens of the European Union live in an internet built and ruled by foreign powers. Most people in the EU use an American search engine, shop on an American ecommerce site, thumb American phones, and scroll through American social media feeds.

That fact has triggered increasing alarm in the corridors of Brussels, as the EU tries to understand how exactly those companies warp the economy around them. Five years ago, Shoshana Zuboff’s book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism neatly articulated much of lawmakers’ critique of the tech giants, just as they were preparing to enforce the flagship GDPR privacy law. Now as the EU enacts another historic piece of tech regulation, the Digital Markets Act, which companies must comply with starting tomorrow, March 7, a different critic du jour sums up the new mood in Brussels.

In his 2023 book, Technofeudalism, Yanis Varoufakis argues the big US tech platforms have brought feudalism back to Europe. The former Greek finance minister sees little difference between the medieval serf toiling on land he does not own and the Amazon seller who must subject themselves to the company’s strict rules while giving the company a cut of each sale.

The idea that a handful of big tech companies have subjugated internet users into digital empires has permeated through Europe. Technofeudalism shares bookshelf space with Cloud Empires and Digital Empires, which make broadly similar arguments. For years, Europe’s wanna-be Big Tech rivals, like Sweden’s Spotify or Switzerland’s ProtonMail, have claimed that companies like Google, Meta, and Apple unfairly limit their ability to reach potential users, through tactics like preinstalling Gmail on new Android phones or Apple’s strict rules for the App Store. “It’s not a problem to be a monopoly,” says Sandra Wachter, professor of technology and regulation at Oxford University’s Internet Institute. “It becomes a problem if you're starting to exclude other people from the market.”

Crowbarred Open

In answer to that problem, Brussels’ politicos agreed to the Digital Markets Act in 2022. It is designed to rein in the largest tech companies—almost all of them from the US—that act as gatekeepers between consumers and other businesses. A sibling regulation, the Digital Services Act, which focuses more on freedom of expression, went into effect last month. Wachter says they follow a long tradition of laws trying to protect the public and the economy from state power, wielded either by the government or the monarch. “With the rise of the private sector and globalization, power has just shifted,” she adds. Tech platforms rule over digital lives like kings. The DMA is part of the attempt to keep up.

The rules change tomorrow for platforms deemed “gatekeepers” by the DMA—so far including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok parent Bytedance. The law essentially crowbars open what the EU calls the gatekeepers’ “core services.” In the past regulators have proposed containing corporate giants by taking them to pieces. EU lawmakers have adopted the motto “Don’t break up big tech companies, break them open.”

In theory, that means big changes for EU residents’ digital lives. Users of iPhones should soon be able to download apps from places other than Apple’s app store; Microsoft Windows will no longer have Microsoft-owned Bing as its default search tool; Meta-owned WhatsApp users will be able to communicate with people on rival messaging apps; and Google and Amazon will have to tweak their search results to create more room for rivals. There will also be limits on how users’ data can be shared between one company’s different services. Fines for noncompliance can reach up to 20 percent of global sales revenue. The law also gives the EU recourse to the nuclear option of forcing tech companies to sell off parts of their business.

Homegrown Challengers

Most tech giants have expressed uncharacteristic alarm about the changes required of them this week. Google has spoken of “difficult trade-offs,” which may mean its search results send more traffic to hotel or flight aggregators. Apple has claimed that the DMA jeopardizes its devices’ security. Apple, Meta and TikTok have all filed legal challenges against the EU, saying new rules unfairly target their services. The argument in favor of the status quo is that competition is actually thriving—just look at TikTok, a technology company launched in the past decade, now designated as one of the so-called gatekeepers.

But TikTok is an exception. The DMA wants to make it normal for new household names to emerge in the tech industry; to “drive innovation so that smaller businesses can really make it,” as the EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager explained to WIRED, back in 2022. Many hope some of the new businesses that “make it” will be European. For almost every big tech service, there is a smaller homegrown equivalent: from German search engine Ecosia to French messaging app Olvid and Polish Amazon alternative Allegro. These are the companies many hope will benefit from the DMA, even if there is widespread skepticism about how effective the new rules will be at forcing the tech giants to change.

Today, US-based Epic Games said Apple had terminated its European developer account, soon after Epic announced it would take advantage of the DMA to open a new games store for iOS. Apple told WIRED that Epic was untrustworthy and Apple has the right to terminate the accounts of any of Epic's wholly owned subsidiaries following a 2021 court judgment. “Apple chose to exercise that right,” a statement provided by company spokesperson Rob Saunders said.

App Stores will be an early area of focus for DMA enforcement, Vestager said this week. But Europeans can’t expect the internet to transform overnight. In its early days, the new law’s effects will be more about the power struggles behind the curtain of the world’s biggest companies; not about making netizens’ lives easier. In fact, their online experience is likely to get messier at first. There will probably be even more website pop-ups. “This dominant position that these companies have is partially because we have been so addicted to convenience,” says Anu Bradford, a professor at Columbia Law School and author of Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology. The new rules will mean users have to reengage with what they want their online lives to look like, she adds. Defaults set by US corporations will no longer be chosen for them.

Instead the DMA’s objective is to remind Europeans what they traded in exchange for that convenience in the first place. The DMA is about power, not necessarily convenience. Whether Europeans will be able to remember that as their online worlds are cracked open remains to be seen.

[sweetfirebird]

hmm so it turns out, as far as i can tell anyway, tiktok is a hot mess and i think that design is intentional, that someone made a tiktok with the name riscoops, which is fine i don't own it or have a tiktok etc but then they must have used my gmail under that same name because I started getting notifcations. their icon is not an actual photo and their bio says roblox which feels just feels scammy to me. don't understand why tiktok would make you confirm your email to change your email address but not to sign up. (because they give no shits and misinformation is their business model). what kind of platform lets you open an account with a random email and doesn't send a verification email to that account to confirm it?

[nicopilledbrainrot]

im really excited about the awakened pv ! hes my favorite ancient andsince ive been playing since launch, hes sorta become a comfort character for me. i like how his design is inspired by bishops, and the long hair + blue accents do him wonders lol. ill probably draw his awakened ver...but im actually kinda sad bc i just got locked out of my account due to a gmail bug, so i lost my original since launch account on it :( i had pv at 4 ascension and *every* cookie and treasure!! a fully explored kingdom and map and arena master statues since hollyberry season 2 or 3 iirc!!! i also had stardust, my 2nd favorite behind pv, fully ascended and leveled!!! all my toppings and beascits were minmaxxed on most of my cookies too..., sobs. though ive forgotten most of early game and alot of mechanics have been changed since i started playing, so itll be nice to experience it again and start from scratch i think ?

[skyburger]

hmmmm whos your oldest oc and how have they changed?

ojh my glooooorb endfire lulamoon my baby. she is still dear to me i still have a twilight sparkle i drew on to try and makje her look like endi she sits on my desk usually i think she might be behind my monitor atm.

but OHHHH shes changed so much i toned her down becayuse like ie know a lot of characters get hit with mary sue labels unfairly but to be entirely fair. that very much was her. she was part changeling from being bitten and infected i think(?) and had a robot leg (also lost in the changeling attack iirc) and one robot wing also i think? and her other wing was like night-sky patterned. and she had one eye that was completerly black with a scar over it and i think it also had the sans undertale blue wispy trail thing people draw sometimes when she used her powers. she also had sans powers i think? IDK also her still remaining legs were also covered in scars because thjats cool when youre nine years old. and still is c ool tbf.

she was princess lunas daughter and i think also king sombras? this was at a poinmt where i kind of shipped them i think cause like ill be real my parents got divorced and i wonder if that was me trying to make myself feel better which is rewally funny in retrospect. i used to be like this about asgore and toriel from undertale also. and she had this ridiculous extended family i think i also decided trixie lulamoon and snowdrop (from that one fan short film if u know) were her siblings and i want to say there was another one that im forgetting. i might find evidence of this on my wattpad hmm.

anyway she was called lulamoon because well its trixie lulamoons surname but also i was OBSESSED with mlpstopmotion on youtube as a kid (i met her at a convention once she was very nice) and she had this series called just different iirc? anyway the characters were sorted into houses a la hairy porter and lulamoon was lunas house (the four houses were based on the princesses) (and chrysalis maybe also had one if orget? she was the villain) but me and my bff at the time were obsessed with this and she had a matching oc who was celestias daughter iirc and her name was north wind. (Wherever u are now i hope youre doing well and i wonder if u still like tostitos as muchj as we did in third grade)

i have some old as balls ms paint base art i can probably dig up of her + some recent artfight stuff from after i toned down her design considerably LOL i might bring back her craziness shes fun. shes my baby. i will update after i dig through my wattpad and like gmail LOL thankyou for asking i loveyou

[freedomseeker-1]

Life is a prison from young to old!.

You might be wondering what I'm talking about, but think about it for a moment—every day feels the same. For students, it’s the same routine: school from 8 to 5, or 9 to 4, depending on where you live. For adults, it's no different: work from 8 to 5, day in and day out. It's like a prison, except we aren't behind bars. We wake up, work, and go to bed, while the system grinds on, keeping everything the same. Feel like you're stuck? Trapped in the same routine, day after day? It feels like life is just a repetitive cycle—get up, go to school or work, come home, sleep, and repeat. It’s like being on a treadmill that never stops. You dream of doing something different, living a life that excites you, but instead, you're confined to this system that was designed long before you were even born. Like you're just a number in a giant code. This broken system leads to depression, anxiety, and hopelessness for so many people. Some even take their own lives because they can’t afford rent or the basic costs of survival. This shouldn’t be the reality we accept. We need to come together and make a change. It's time to speak up, challenge this system, and push for a better, more just world. I'm calling on you—fellow citizens—to join me in this fight. Whether it’s through conversations on Discord, Gmail, or any platform, we need to come together and take action. Let's stop waiting for the system to change itself—it won't. We are the ones who can make a difference, but it starts with us coming together and demanding better. If you’re ready to be part of the solution, reach out. Together, we can be the change we need. Discord: starboy265w or thehoobadoob Or just reply and ask your questions, like how to join the movement. PS: This is a real project, and no fake Ai generation.

We have nothing against the government, but we want to help them solve the problems they encounter.

[whyceasefirefaq]

NEW OUTREACH GRAPHICS! The following post is in solidarity with the growing number of students at universities who are calling for their schools to divest from apartheid and genocide. It fills my heart to see all the encampments at Columbia, The New School, NYU, & more. WHERE CAN I DOWNLOAD THE OUTREACH GRAPHICS? You can find the new and old outreach graphics here. ARE THEY FREE? Absolutely. If you'd like to donate money, kindly do so to one of the groups on the featured groups/action list. You can also donate your time by getting involved or just spreading the word about their efforts.

WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE COLORS? When I first had the idea to create this project, I wanted to make outreach graphics in solidarity with the color theme of the Palestinian flag. But then as I started to share the project beyond the choir & usual activist circles (aka the people whom I am trying to reach), I would sometimes hear: "How come you went with Christmas colors?" "Is that the colors of the Italian flag?" And I realized that sticking to this color theme was perhaps not as important as I had originally thought. Perhaps brighter colors will be more eye-catching, which will lead to more people taking action, which is what's most important. That said if you prefer the first design which is in the color theme of the Palestinian flag, it's available to download here. "BUT WHAT ABOUT 10/7?!" I also wanted to create a second sign for the moments when I'm doing local outreach and people would bring up October 7th. Originally when I created this project, I wrote a FAQ that addressed this question, but I soon realized that the people who were passionately asking (sometimes yelling) "What about October 7th?!", were not going to then take the time to go to the site and read what I wrote.

Meanwhile, I knew how I felt, but had yet to condense my answer to a quick go-to response. And I realized that as a result, it was giving off the false impression that I didn't care and/or that I was OK with what happened on 10/7, which led to them shutting down. So, I created a response graphic, which is now the back of my main sign, so I can flip it over as needed. That said, it works as a primary sign as well. REACH OUT You can find me @ rebelwheelsnyc on twitter, instagram & tiktok. You can also message me on this site or if you don't have a Tumblr account, you can email me: rebel wheels NYC @ gmail . com (no spaces) In solidarity - Michele Sommerstein #NotInMyName! [IMAGE DESCRIPTION: TAKE ACTION SIGN: Yellow rectangle with white border. The main text is hot pink] and has a thick bold yet modern font that reads "take action for a ceasefire." To the right of the text is a QR code which is a white rectangle with a variety of black squiggly lines. when people use their cell phones to scan it, it leads to a petition. Underneath is a black rectangle with white text that reads "scan code with your phone and sign the petition". Under that in Black, it reads "Jewish-led, allies are welcome". Under that, it reads "why ceasefire faq . tumblr . com /action" . And lastly, at the bottom, it reads "questions? Concerns? Why ceasefire faq.tumblr.com". lastly to the right of the URL is a watermelon slice which is the symbol of Palestinian resistance. 

WHAT HAPPENED SIGN: a yellow rectangle with a white border. There is a slightly diagonal light yellow square as part of the background, as well as two thick green exclamation marks. One on each side. The left one is towards the bottom and the right one is towards the top. At the top in a hot pink font, it reads "What happened". Below the text and in smaller black font it reads "on October 7th was traumatic and wrong. As was the Nakba, the 75 + years of apartheid and persecution imposed on Palestine via Israel. So yes, what happened on October 7th was not okay, but this didn't start on October 7th and it doesn't justify genocide." Lastly, at the bottom is a horizontal hot pink rectangle with yellow text that reads Questions? Concerns? Why ceasefire faq . tumblr . com. and lastly above the pink rectangle on the right side is a small QR code which is a white square with various black squiggly lines that when people scan with their cell phone at least to a petition]

[pidgedee]

hey there. do you want art of your blorbo?

i am opening THREE commission slots! payment is in USD via paypal; full payment is required up front. additional information under the cut!

i will draw ocs, dnd characters, your minecraft sona, your favorite guys in various situations, AND i can draw funny little emotes of all of those guys for you to use!

to reserve a slot or ask any other questions, please dm me or email pidgedee[at]gmail[dot]com.

current slots available: 0/3

YES : ocs, fanart, ship art, mild blood/gore, humanoid characters, character designs, multiple characters (add +50% price)

NO : furry/full anthro characters, animals, mecha/complex machinery, nsfw, extreme blood/gore/violence, kink, incest, adult/minor ships

i will not draw content i am uncomfortable with. i reserve the right to decline, cancel, and refund commissions at any point in the process. all commissions cancelled from my end will be refunded in full. commissions cancelled by client will be fully refunded if cancelled before the sketch is received; otherwise, commissions cancelled by the client will not be refunded.

commissioned art is for personal use only. you may not resell art commissioned from me in any way.

PROCESS : upon receiving payment, concept, references, etc, i will begin on a sketch. within 1-2 weeks, i will provide the sketch for you to request changes. after this, i will make the requested changes and proceed to lines+color. the total turnaround time is 2-3 weeks, with additional time added if many and/or major changes are requested. i may also request additional pay if major changes to your original concept are made.

need help figuring out what you want me to draw? check out my art commission resource document!

[prajna-alva]

Gophish Setup Guide: Launching Phishing Campaigns

Phishing Scenario : CASE 1 - Breaking news

Objective: The objective of this phishing campaign is to lure employees into clicking a malicious link disguised as breaking news from the company. The landing page masqueraded as a Gmail sign-in page, prompting users to enter their login credentials. This page was designed to steal users' email account credentials.

Install Gophish framework

Make the required changes in the config.json file

Launch Gophish and our first step would be to set up the sending profile by which we will send out phishing emails. 

Let’s assume that the target company is using Gmail server

(When setting up the sending profile in Gophish using a Gmail account, you have to enable 2FA and give app access to Gophish)

Since our target company is using Gmail server, we will use Gmail email on our phishing campaign so we have set host as smtp.gmail.com:587. After creating the sending profile, we have to test if the sending profile works by sending a test email.

We're using the email address adster.matrix@gmail.com as our designated Gmail account for sending phishing emails. Make sure to include the password that was generated when granting Gophish access to this Gmail account. After configuring the sending profile, we can test it by sending a test mail.

This is what the test mail will look like:

Email Template

The next step involves integrating an email template for the phishing campaign. We can opt for a pre-made template, for example, here we use a Breaking News email template, for initial testing. We can incorporate a tracking image within the emails to monitor various engagement metrics, including email opens, clicks, and receipt statuses. It also has an option where we can add a link which will redirect the victim to the landing page. On the landing page we can proceed to request for more valuable information from the user.

Landing Page

In the third step, set up a landing page where targets will be directed after clicking a link in the email. This landing page plays a crucial role in the phishing campaign, as it's where you can capture sensitive information like passwords. Gophish defaults to using http://0.0.0.0:80 for the landing page, but we can customize it to look like a legitimate login page or other enticing content to attract targets. We'll need to specify a redirect page where users will be sent after submitting their credentials.

In the User & Groups section, you'll need to input the email addresses of your targets. Gophish framework requires you to provide the first name, last name, email address, and the rank of each target individual on the user groups page. You can also upload target details from a CSV file stored on your local system using import feature.

Install and set up Ngrok:

Install ngrok via Apt with the following command:

curl -s https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com/ngrok.asc \

 | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ngrok.asc >/dev/null && echo "deb https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com buster main" \

  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ngrok.list && sudo apt update && sudo apt install ngrok

Run the following command to add your authtoken to the default ngrok.yml configuration file.

ngrok config add-authtoken 2crm6P5lWlbTm4rwoGqn0QSHhPA_6nf7WmMJFKXVSD2SgBohF

Create an index.html page for the landing page and launch python http server in the port 8001

               • python3 -m http.server 8001

               Note: Verify in the browser if it's actually accessible.

We can also use other login page cloning techniques like built in gophish cloner, or Github projects (we used), Custom or by using third party clones (ex-goclone).

If it's a php file use the following command instead:

               • php -S localhost:8001 -t . 

Launch ngrok :

ngrok http http://localhost:8001/

Use the URL under forwarding and paste it on the Gophish URL section in the campaign page shown below:

Creating Gophish Campaign:

Go to the Campaigns section.

Choose the right email and landing page templates.

Enter the landing page server URL.

Select the target group.

Start the campaign and monitor its progress.

Once we click on the link we are directed to the landing page, where we can enter our credentials.

You can find all the phishing reports related to a specific campaign on the Dashboard in the Gophish framework. Here, you can see details such as sent emails, opened emails, clicked links, submitted data, and any emails reported as phishing by the targets. This page provides a comprehensive overview of the ongoing phishing campaign.

Phishing scenario: Case 2 - Password Reset Campaign

The aim of this phishing campaign is to trick users into divulging their login credentials by pretending to offer account protection in response to a fake mailbox compromise.

Users received an urgent email claiming their mailbox was compromised. They were directed to a phishing landing page disguised as a password reset portal.

Upon clicking the link, Users were redirected to a fake password reset page resembling the email service provider's design, where they were prompted to enter their login credentials.

[gingersnappish]

COMMISSIONS: OPEN!

I've got a few slots available!

Please DM me Tumblr or email me at fatacoll16 at gmail dot com

SKETCHES -Half Body____________$30 -Full Body____________ $50 +Background__________$25 +Add. Character_______$30 FULL COLOR FINISHED ART -Half Body____________$70 -Full Body____________ $90 +Background__________$50 +Add. Character_______$60

F.A.Q. “Do you draw …X…?” ~Highly likely! I am comfortable drawing nearly anything! I have a very small handful of very specific exceptions - but it never hurts to ask! I reserve the right to refuse a commission in the rare event that I feel I am poorly suited to the idea - but I will let you know politely and without judgement at the outset.

~NSFW OK!

~Comic Page(s) commissions are available on a case-by-case basis. I am first and foremost a comic artist by trade so please reach out if you have something in mind! My rates start at $150/page; final quote is determined by project’s size and unique demands. Please refer to the DIEYMLIH comic site for examples.

~I reserve the right to add and appropriate surcharge to the initial quote in cases that require a high degree of technical skill and additional time - complex battle scenes set in intricate environments, extremely detailed tech, or elaborate costuming and character design necessitating extensive from scratch concept work, to name a few examples - any surcharge will be fully discussed with the individual prior to invoice/payment.

~Payment in full required prior to start of work. All prices in USD (I invoice via Paypal once we agree on terms)

~Rough sketch sent for customer approval prior to completion for any full color commission. Alterations are gratis for 2 rounds prior to inking/coloring; any further changes will be subject to an hourly rate.

~Commission will be delivered 3 weeks (15 work days) from receipt of payment, unless otherwise discussed. — I look forward to working with you!