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webart-studio · 6 years ago

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10 Grants You Have to Know About for Your Lady-Owned Enterprise or Group

March 19, 2019 6 min learn

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.

4 out of each 10 companies, or 40 p.c, in the US are actually women-owned, in accordance to The 2018 State of Ladies-Owned Companies Report from American Categorical. These companies make use of eight percentof the entire non-public sector workforce and contribute 4.three p.c of whole revenues

The mix of women-owned companies and companies equally owned by women and men — 14.6 million — account for 48 p.c of all companies.

As well as, the variety of women-owned companies, 2007 to 2018, grew by 58 p.c, the report stated.

Associated: 5 Unstoppable Feminine Entrepreneurs Making Their Dents on the World

These numbers illlustrate what we already know: Ladies entrepreneurs are having an amazing affect on the small enterprise panorama nationwide.

But to proceed to be aggressive and develop, these entrepreneurs have to search out funding for his or her ventures. And, alarmingly, ladies enterprise homeowners are having hassle getting financial institution loans. Fortunately, they nonetheless produce other choices, given the rise of technology-driven monetary lending sources — equivalent to on-line loans, peer-to-peer loans and crowdfunding.

Then there are authorities grants. Whereas not broadly identified or used, these grants are one other nice possibility for ladies looking for further funding for his or her enterprise ventures. They only take slightly extra work.

Understanding grants

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Enterprise homeowners typically flip to grants as a result of they don’t seem to be required to pay them again; basically, you’ll be able to take a look at grants as “free cash,” however they arrive with stipulations. Additionally, understanding and navigating the grant course of will be advanced.

First, it’s a must to analysis and discover a grant for which you are eligible. Then, it’s a must to perceive the strict software and compliance tips you will need to meet, to be eligible. Third, it’s a must to compete with different companies for a similar pool of cash. Fourth, when you’re awarded a grant, you will need to report on the way you used it. Lastly, you will need to dedicate time and vitality to the prolonged software course of, then anticipate approval. In a nutshell, it is advisable to have all your geese in a row, up-front and afterward.

Discovering federal and state grants

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Many enterprise homeowners assume that federal grants are only a click on away. We have now all seen the advertisements selling free federal cash to start out companies. However this can be a big false impression. Whereas there are federal grants out there within the areas of medical analysis, science, schooling and know-how growth, no such grants exist particularly for women-owned companies. You could discover grants that fund tasks that empower ladies, however such funding is usually put aside for nonprofit firms, not for-profit companies.

When researching grants particularly for a woman-owned enterprise, begin on the state degree. Most states provide grants for women-owned companies in some capability. Every state web site has a enterprise part the place you will discover grant and funding alternatives for ladies and minority-owned companies. instance of that is the enterprise part for the state of New York, which lists incentives and packages for companies. Take a look at your state’s website to search out out what is on the market for your enterprise.

Associated: U.S. Is No. 1 for Ladies Entrepreneurs, However There’s Nonetheless Room for Enchancment

One other nice useful resource to make use of in your analysis is the Minority Enterprise Improvement Company (MBDA). The MBDA is an company of the U.S. Division of Commerce that assists minorities and girls in establishing and rising their companies. On its website, you’ll be able to analysis grants and entry hyperlinks to state businesses that work with women-owned companies for funding alternatives. Click on right here to view all the state businesses throughout the nation.

Non-public grants for ladies

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To assist in your search, we gathered info on these non-public grants for ladies entrepreneurs began:

The Eileen Fisher Ladies-Owned Enterprise Grant Program: These grants, for companies which might be 100 p.c women-owned and have founding rules of social consciousness, sustainability and innovation, had been placed on maintain however are anticipated to be revamped as of this spring of 2019. Test the web site for particulars.

FedEx Suppose Greater — Small Enterprise Grant Program:

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Candidates to this Fedex grant program are inspired to share their visions to obtain a portion of the $200,000 awarded in grants (Hurry! the 2019 contest ends March 25!). A part of the judging entails most people voting for the finalists, so members could promote their companies whereas garnering votes.

Concept Café Small Enterprise Grant:

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The Concept Café is a free gateway that hosts completely different grants on its website. This Small Enterprise Money Grant of a $1,000 grand prize to a enterprise with probably the most progressive concept has honored 20 companies thus far.

The Cartier Ladies’s Initiative Awards

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The Cartier Ladies’s Initiative Awards characterize a joint partnership created in 2006 by Cartier, McKinsey & Firm, and INSEAD enterprise college, It awards annual grants to help tasks by ladies entrepreneurs and is without doubt one of the largest and most prestigious enterprise grants for ladies, however the competitors is steep. The primary-place prize on this worldwide ladies’s enterprise competitors is $100,000 for seven “laureates”; second place comes with a $30,000 prize for seven finalists. The competitors is closed for 2019 however functions open in June 2019 for 2020.

Chase Google — Mission Most important Avenue Mission:

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The Mission Most important Avenue Grants, a partnership of JPMorgan Chase and Google, awarded $250,000 to 12 winners this 12 months (out of 35,000 functions. Recipients additionally acquired a visit to Google headquarters. Recipients embody companies like Edibles Rex, an organization devoted to offering nutritious meals for kids in Detroit’s constitution colleges.

Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR):

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The Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR) program is a extremely aggressive program that encourages home small companies to interact in federal analysis and R&D that has the potential for commercialization. A number of federal businesses are concerned. As of Nov. 20, 2018, businesses might award a Section I award as much as $252,131 and a Section II award as much as $1,680,879 with out looking for SBA approval.

Walmart Ladies’s Financial Empowerment Initiative (WEE):

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Grants can be found for nonprofot organizations that align with the Walmart Basis’s key areas of focus: alternative, sustainability and group. Globally, Walmart and the Walmart Basis gave $1.Four billion in money and in-kind contributions throughout fiscal 12 months ending Jan. 31, 2017. And, we did it one grant and one group at a time. Nationally, grants are $250,000 and above. Eligible nonprofit organizations should function on a nationwide scope by means of chapters/associates in lots of states across the nation or by means of packages that function regionally/regionally however search funding to duplicate program actions nationally.

The Amber Grants

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he Amber Grants started in 1998, in honor of a younger girl (Amber) who died on the age of 19 — unable to meet her entrepreneurial goals. The Amber Grant helps ladies such as you obtain the goals that Amber couldn’t. Every grantee receives a $2,000 grant and grow to be eligible for the annual $25,000 grant, which might be awarded on the finish of 2019 to certainly one of 12 qualifiers. Hurry! This 12 months’s software interval ends March 31.

The Tory Burch Fellowship

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As much as 50 finalists a 12 months on this grant competitors obtain a $5,000 grant for this year-long Tory Burch Fellowship, and four-day enterprise workshop at Tory Burch Headquarters in New York Metropolis.The $5,000 grant should be used for enterprise schooling. This 12 months’s software course of ends in June.

Associated: Why Entry Is the Key to Ladies’s Equality within the Workforce

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garkomedia1 · 6 years ago

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10 Secrets to Finding a Job You Love

Entrepreneur and social media sensation Gary Vaynerchuk and nine others tell us how they found their calling and how you can find yours.

January 7, 2019 9 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Research suggests that more than half of us are unhappy at work. From lawyers to brokers and CEOs, these Advisors in The Oracles are proof it’s possible to be successful and have a job you love. Here, they share how they found work that fulfills them — and how you can too.

1. Stop doing things you hate.

Gary Vaynerchuk

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The Oracles

I found what I was meant to do because I know who I am and ignore everyone else. Listen to yourself and stop doing stuff you hate. Don’t take a bad job because it pays more, and don’t go to college just to meet others’ expectations.

If you don’t know what you want to do, try as many experiences as possible. Don’t play it safe; do things that make you uncomfortable. To discover your passion, start by asking those around you about your skills and weaknesses, then triple down on what you’re good at. You’re not lost; you’re just early in the process. So stop judging yourself and be patient. Life is long.

When you find your dream, stick with it, even when it’s hard. Have the audacity to believe that you can do what you love for the rest of your life — because you can. —Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerMedia (700+ employees with over $100 million in annual revenue), five-time NYT best-selling author of “Crushing It!”

2. Audit yourself.

Allyson Byrd

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The Oracles

Maybe you’ve felt negotiable in life, optional, or even disposable — family life, location, socioeconomic status, race, and gender all shape your self-worth. I was abandoned by a father who was in prison and raised by a mother who deeply loved me but worked three jobs. So I spent my younger years seeking validation that I mattered. ;

If you’re in conflict with yourself, how can you discover meaningful work? Ask yourself: Am I authentically reflecting my gifts? Do I live my purpose or seek purpose in things outside me? How am I mastering my greatness and contribution to the world?

I found my calling by exploring these questions so often that the fear of failure faded. I began to trust myself. I learned to fail with speed and agility, understanding that failure is temporary but mandatory and is your best feedback in the personal growth process.

Remember: Meaningful work isn’t about your role or money; it’s about your self-belief. Most people resist trial and error, but getting lost is part of the process. Tune your internal navigation system to personal accountability, stay true to your passions, and live the grandest version of you. That’s the fastest path to your highest calling and a life that loves you back. —Allyson Byrd, renowned sales trainer and founder of The Church of Profit Acceleration, who generated $13+ million in sales revenue for clients in 2018; connect with Allyson on Instagram

3. Bring value.

Glennda Baker LeBlanc

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The Oracles

Finding meaningful work doesn’t have to be your proverbial needle in a haystack. But you may not know right away when you’ve found your life’s passion. For me, the key to success is being able to bring value while feeling valued.

After 26 years in real estate, I’m much more passionate today than when I started. I get fulfillment from helping clients find their homes for life, which is usually their largest investment. They depend on me to bring expertise and advice to their life savings. I love when I get to make a mark on their lives. —Glennda Baker LeBlanc, associate broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices; top 1 percent of all agents nationwide, with more than half a billion in career sales; connect with Glennda on Facebook and Twitter

4. Tinker with ideas on the side.

Kenny Rueter

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The Oracles

Several years ago, I spent my off-hours building a sprinkler toy for fun. My boys loved it, and neighbors started flocking over. When I decided to sell tutorials on how to build them online, I discovered there wasn’t an easy, point-and-click platform to sell online training. So I started building one. I didn’t intend on the project taking away from my day job, but following my interests and uncovering a problem led me to create a company.

Unhappiness at work doesn’t necessarily mean you need to begin the job hunt. Instead, spend your off-time tinkering with your passions or ideas. This may give you clarity to fall in love with your job again or lead to an entirely new opportunity. —Kenny Rueter, CEO and co-founder of Kajabi

5. Try different things.

Raul Villacis

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The Oracles

I’ve been working since I was 13 years old. Back then, my motivation was money. As I got older, I realized money wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in my job. It took a while to find something that I was good at and would make money. I had to patiently try different things.

Working only for money will not make you happy in the long run. If you want to find meaningful work, ask yourself what you would do even if you didn’t get paid. Then find out who needs that service. It takes time to try enough things until you find what makes you happy. But in the end, it pays off. —Raul Villacis, CEO of The Next Level Experience, an organization that empowers high-level businessmen to become better leaders; connect with Raul on Facebook and Instagram

6. Ask how you can serve others.

Amy Sangster

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The Oracles

When I worked at a bank, my friends with executive jobs could afford luxuries, yet they rarely smiled and often complained about not having enough time to spend with loved ones. I knew then that exchanging time for money was not for me. When my now business partner, Lewis Mocker, introduced me to day trading, I became obsessed with mastering it because of the lifestyle it would provide. Although I quickly became successful, something was missing — a feeling of contribution.

If you reach this point, ask yourself how you can serve others. Without a doubt, I know I’m here on Earth to be a motivator and guide for those who, like me, refuse to settle for less than they deserve. Pay attention to what truly inspires you. What gives you a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose? What makes you feel alive? Build a life around serving others in areas that you truly value. —Amy Sangster, co-founder of Infinite Prosperity; learn to invest, trade, and build wealth with Infinite Prosperity’s free lessons

7. Do what excites you.

Oleksandr Kosovan

Image credit:

The Oracles

I played with metal construction sets as a kid. I’d imagine some new machine, then try to build it. When I got the result I wanted after many iterations, I was incredibly excited. Imagination and delivery became my motivation. As an adult, I applied this approach to programming and products by creating complex algorithms to solve tasks. After days of hard work, I was extremely happy when it worked. I realized this engineering approach drives me.

What drives you? Look for this kind of excitement in your everyday life. Apply a results-driven approach to solve complex tasks in your life, and notice what brings you joy when it works. —Oleksandr Kosovan, founder and CEO of Setapp and MacPaw, whose flagship app CleanMyMac has exceeded 5 million users; co-founder and partner at SMRK VC Fund

8. Enact changes that make you and others happy.

Jason Hall

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The Oracles

You need happiness to be productive and content. Step back and really look into your situation if you’re unhappy with work. Identify what is making you unhappy and what you need to do to solve it. Most importantly, be willing to take risks and make significant changes.

In my work, I focus on transparency and creating partnerships. Our clients rely on us for solutions, and work becomes meaningful when you help others better themselves. We’re happy when our clients are happy, and we don’t stop until we hear it in their voices. —Jason Hall, author, founder and CEO of Five Channels; generating $30+ million in sales revenue for clients in 2018

9. Pay attention to your thoughts.

Guy Sheetrit

Image credit:

The Oracles

I found my calling by necessity. I was a small-business owner, and traditional advertising and marketing methods weren’t working anymore. I learned website development and SEO to grow my business and really enjoyed the work, so I started doing it full time.

Pay attention to your thoughts and actions. The subconscious mind is good at reliving important events and thoughts, but they’re easy to miss if you don’t pay attention. These thoughts will help guide you to your true calling. —Guy Sheetrit, CEO of Over The Top SEO, who provides customized SEO marketing solutions for e-commerce, local, and Fortune 500 companies

10. Allow your calling to find you.

Nafisé Nina Hodjat

Image credit:

The Oracles

I was practicing civil litigation when some friends got into trouble with the law. They insisted I handle their cases, even though criminal law was outside of my wheelhouse. It turns out that criminal defense is my passion, which I would’ve never known had I not fallen into it.

That said, there are unreasonable expectations to “live your passion,” which can lead to disappointment. Instead, look at your life as an amazing gift and a beautiful adventure. When you love your life, stay in gratitude, and do your best, great things show up on your path. Have faith in yourself and allow your calling to find you. —Nafisé Nina Hodjat, founder and managing attorney of The SLS Firm

Want to share your insights in a future article? Join The Oracles, a mastermind group of the world’s leading entrepreneurs who share their success strategies to help others grow their business and build a better life. Apply here.

For more articles like this follow The Oracles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

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terasource-blog · 8 years ago

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Who I am doesn’t matter, what I represent does. You can find out more about me here.

This is going to be long, so bear with me. Note: Some images are a little hard to read, a list of all image links can be found at the very end.

Tera online has had its issues for a long time. Poor optimisation, lag that worsens with every patch and limitations on what classes people can play based on ping, as well as race and gender. That’s without even touching on the bugs and exploits that have been around for years.

These issues are by no means recent. They’ve been known for a long time and we’ve all chosen to play the game despite them. Sure, we’d love to see them fixed, but the reality is that they haven’t been and most likely never will be.

It’s incredibly hard to separate between EME and BHS, so allow me to do my best to explain the difference. EME is a blind kid in a pitch black room being led to the door via BHS’ instructions. When EME falls flat on their ass the community blames them. When in actuality they fell because BHS provided poor instructions.

The above at least applies when considering content patches and any patch fixes that pop up along the way. By no means does this excuse them in other areas, such as event planning, lack of transparency and being out of touch with the communities needs and expectations.

What is evident by recent actions is that the way a community is run is at the discretion of the region and thus the Community Manager, and by extension the publisher they represent.

Damage (DPS) was mainly speculation back when DPS meter was ever a thing. I still remember during the early inception of Tera and how people thought poison skills were high DPS because they ripped threat from tanks. Wrong obviously, poisons skills in general did for some strange reason or bug?

Running MCHM with people was always about class choice and individual performance. Whereas now we know, while DPS classes aren’t equal in the potential DPS they can do, there are people who play less overpowered (OP) classes better than players playing the OP ones.

With the removal of crusades the competitive scene died down a lot. The PvP scene has since diminished to all but nothing for a number of reasons, with the leading contributor being the removal of the crusade board. PvE on the other hand is the only competitive scene left, due largely to DPS meter.

There's no denying that the DPS meter’s ingrained in this games culture and the removal of it is an umbrella of synonyms for the words stupid and ignorant.

Packet Injector

Injector! Injector! Injector! Injector! The reason we’re here.

I’m an advocate of the packet injector, as it was originally intended for; allowing players to play the game at low ping no matter where they’re from. How can anyone be against that? People can pick a class that wouldn’t necessarily be suited to their ping and even enter the competitive scene because of it.

Move to Chicago!

Fuck you. I’m trying to remain unbiased but that response comes across entitled. I’m glad that you live in Chicago or you might actually have to form an educated opinion on the matter. We shouldn’t have to move state or country to be able to play the game. Nor do I think it’s against the best interest of EME and its longevity. Now players across the world and those closer to home with crappy connections, can play the game the way the game is meant to be played. Doesn’t sound like a poor business decision to me.

The ones behind the code

Meishu, known for creating the proxy injector. While their endeavor was a noble one, in setting out to help players by reducing the discrepancy between high and low ping, they also held the door open. Allowing scripters with less helpful intentions to come in and lay waste, toeing the line of what is or isn’t acceptable.

Their concept design was later improved upon by Bernkastel and Pinkie Pie, theirs only worked for gunner and ninja, affecting the classes energy bar spenders and archer’s rapid fire.

Bernkastel, known for his moderating of the Tera Online official discord, Tera subreddit and paid script writing services. If you have yet to visit, this is his website: https://teraproxy.tumblr.com

He charges one million a script, of which more than a few cross the line on what is acceptable.

Here’s where it gets murky. Scripts that take away from EME’s revenue, with outfits at the click of a button that persist through teleporting and logging out. As well as some that quite frankly play the game for you, that instant block after every attack.

While it’s apparently unavailable due to ethical considerations, one has to ask why make such a script in the first place? And will your ethical boundaries hold true now that you’re banned? Lets take a look.

The ethical gloves are off now. Thank you EME, for reacting without a proper plan in motion. Instead of preventing packet injecting from working, you banned the scripters and pissed them off by doing so. Quickening the escalation of the issue.

While the picture doesn’t prove anything not already known, there is a big argument between selling scripts and artwork and how different the two really are. Rather than discuss the obvious, in regards to how artwork helps promote the game and scripting is treated black and white by most. I’ll ask this; how many artists post on the official forums asking to be paid via Paypal? I haven’t seen any, and if they did they’d be banned. Would you feel safe offering to sell scripts on the official forums without being banned, even if it were for gold? If your answer is no, as I’d expect it to be, then you know it’s wrong. Sucky, because it’s your time and energy being spent to produce these scripts, but ultimately it is wrong.

Pinkie Pie, they also went by the name Pinkie on Tempest reach. Known for scripting and leading the proxy discord. They also create, improve on and publish other peoples works, making it easier for people to get their hands on.

Just to name a few of the scripts they’ve dabbled in. Unlike their counterpart Bernkastel, they offer their scripts for free. However there are a large number of scripts traded privately on the discord itself.

Some of which include:

HP Dump - Drops a players HP for slaying runs.

Enrage Announcements - As it reads, alerts you when enrage is up, how long it’s up for and what HP % enrage will be up next.

Mana Potion - Automatically uses mana potion when your mana falls below a certain threshold.

I must admit, some of these seem like quality of life changes. If there are no limits to what the proxy is capable of then where does it end? Where is it headed? Will the game be better or worse off if the packet injector is left unchecked? Remembering that scripters are only answerable to themselves, the sky’s the limit, unless EME intervenes.

Kourinn, the scripter responsible for cosplay-master. Not much else is known of him other than he has a good sense of self preservation. Shutting down his Github and taking a vow of silence on the proxy after declaring he’s fleeing the country. If ‘country’ were to mean the proxy scene. This was his Github: https://github.com/Kourinn/

The risks for scripting were known. Most didn’t practice any discretion, with their in game names matching their Discord, Tumblr and Github. Thus making them easy to find and ban. Surely there’s no surprise?

There are a few other scriptwriters but these are the main three, with an added addition.

The packet injectors potential is limitless as we’re learning with new scripts popping up every day. It’s not hard to understand why people are fearful and why Enmasse felt the need to step in.

Especially when the culture to break and destroy things is being celebrated on the proxy discord, although not by all. The mere fact Memeboy felt he was safe enough to announce in a channel of 800+ people, should be a huge red flag to everyone. Signifying that the culture around 3rd party programs is only worsening.

The exploit only allowed for them to purchase from a tier higher than theirs, while they appear to be T10 they were actually T2, the credits on the other hand are only client sided (aren’t usable).

Cheat engine was responsible for the emporium exploit and not the packet injector, but what do semantics matter at this point? The actions of Memeboy prompted a response from EME, when they were otherwise silent on the topic before.

It was expected action would be taken.

I guess EME figured they couldn’t just condemn one exploit, knowing how far the proxy has gotten, or it might come off looking like endorsement. Encouraging people to further explore what the injector is capable of.

Coupled with the use of the packet injector to get over the barricade at RMHM’s first boss. Yep, it’s doable without. It’s also a lot easier to do with it. Joining random LFG groups and seeing it being done with such ease is proof of that.

This next part originally started out titled ‘The first 24 hours,’ which has since long past.

You Won’t Believe What Happens Next..

Threats against Enmasse.

Witch hunts, after the Player Council (and not just against Yamazuki, who’s comments are generally :facepalm:)

Proxy Discord teaching 800+ people how to access GM Panel, this was a few hours before Spacecats weekly stream. This was with the packet injector, and NOT cheat engine.

Misinformation, but on whose end?

A call for communication, when this is the leading mindset.

Turning their backs, big names like Loriri (responsible for translating KTera patch notes) turning their back on Tera Online, despite their claims to love the game and wanting to see it grow. How do you think reviews like his appear to new players. Just check the hours played. If I were a new player reading what he wrote, knowing his position and hours spent playing, I wouldn’t bother playing. I hope he adjusts his stance or deletes it.

Ownership of how it could all go wrong, Pinkie Pie claiming responsibility for shutting down a game with a hack they released.

Proof that even ‘Gods’ fall.

Silencing on both the official forums and official Tera discord, the Tera Discord remaining unwelcome to people with differing opinions ‘white knights’ and the Tera Forums which bans both sides black and white on the subject.

A little over 14 pages since Noesis’ statement declaring EME’s stance on all 3rd party programs.

Proof that even ‘white knights’ get forum banned. Look at that forum name.

If it looks like I’m going after anyone or leaning more on the scripters and moderators of the official discord and Tera subreddit, that’s because it’s hard not to. If you have yet to realise it then allow me to clarify, the official discord moderators are mostly scripters and Tera subreddit moderators.

When you consider one group holding three important roles in the Tera community, you understand why there’s so much more content on their side to focus on than their is from the other side of the table, and Enmasse. They’re also a company that clocks off, while we keep going.

Because of such it makes it difficult for players, new and old, to find accurate information on what’s going on because a lot of it is being controlled by one side.

Both sides have their faults. I’m not going to point out who is or isn’t to blame for all of this. I’m trying to remain impartial with this posting and so here’s a list of things to consider instead:

Acknowledgement from scripters that they could be banned at any time (displayed in the above screenshots). Knowing what they were doing was deemed wrong by Tera’s Terms of Service.

There is no line or limitation that scripters can’t cross which leads to the concerning question ‘what’s next?’

Enmasse reacting poorly by banning scripters without a system in place to prevent 3rd party software.*

EME/BHS stuck in their ways and refusing to evolve. This game has stripped itself of features like Crusade Boards that made this game competitive, telling people no to DPS meter when it’s keeping PvE worth doing.

Community expectations and demands going unanswered.

This game was made to be played with sub 30 ping.

NA Tera players are from everywhere around the world. Ping is inconsistent and the games lag is only worsening, people want a solution and proxy is the only one available.

Outfit scripts that potentially take away from EMP revenue, hurting the game.

*Enmasse reacting without proper consideration of what could and would happen is another disturbing element to consider. Not having a system or code in place to prevent 3rd party programs, particularly packet injecting, since those are the only known scripters to have been targeted, is a big problem. If you know a terrorist has a bomb you should be trying to disarm it first or at least have a system preventing them from using it on you, not killing their families and ignorantly expecting them to never go after you. Excuse the metaphor, it isn’t for everyone.

We need to be moving forward as a community. This games population is already quite small and continues to decline. It’s longevity is on all of us.

Going forward

EME/BHS clearly don’t have a system in place to prevent 3rd party programs and people are threatening to quit even if they do. The best option for all involved is for EME to impose limitations and guidelines for scripters, which requires a sit down to speak with them.

Most games have mods and addons that improve the quality of Game play and keep people interested. The way it’s being done isn’t ‘acceptable’ but this game has no interface that allows modding/addons. This has to be the only game that instead of adding features, removes them (crusade boards).

This has been my attempt to provide some perspective on both sides of the table. All images can be found here: http://imgur.com/a/13l40

I am Anonymous, but I’m not alone.

#packet injector #proxy #tera online #3rd party program

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scurvgirl · 8 years ago

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A Life Worth Living

More Dad!Marassal, when Marassal arrives that morning after Dirthamen and Selene meet.

Dirthamen belongs to @feynites

Selene belongs to @selenelavellan

The plan had always been to find Selene after Dirthamen came of age to have a relationship like that. So Marassal took him traveling when he turned 21 and every little lead that Marassal scrounged up came up empty.

He couldn’t find her or her son. They had vanished. Which, all things considered, was understandable, They were still reeling from the Templar involvement all those years ago. But it made surprising Selene with this very good man he’s raised difficult.

When they return home, he has an episode. His skin crawls and shivers, expanding and retracting in painful contortions. Desire has been denied and she regrettably does not deal with that and it’s been getting worse over the years. Dirthamen tries to help, comforting touches, making food - but there is only so much he can do while Marassal keeps his desire, the thing he wants, secret. His back shivers and his wings spring from his back from the magical pressure. They’re not pretty bird wings, he is not pretty when he is...like this.

He had never wanted to be pretty like this, the goal wasn’t to be seductive but to be terrifying. To be left alone. The desire for freedom beating so hot inside of him.

But it doesn’t phase Dirthamen, if anything it...helps cue him. Marassal has gotten those whole self-care for his abomination self down to an art. He keeps himself happy, he’s learned how to take care of himself by not fighting his desires, by accepting them and acting. It’s...resulted in a few issues, but he is alive and not dying. Self-care is important. But there are times where this self-care only goes so far.

Marassal’s lingers on the couch, heaving as his body tries to find an equilibrium in form. Dirthamen makes dinner - chicken and dumplings soup, and he helps Marassal slowly sip on it.

By the morning, Marassal is back to normal. Desire is riding a bit higher than normal, tinting his normally brown eyes purple, but he’s contained in his body. Dirthamen has questions, so many questions, and Marassal does his best to answer them.

“How did you become an abomination?”

Marassal blinks and when he smiles, his teeth are ragged and sharp, “That is not a story for my son to hear.” Dirthamen’s eyes widen slightly but he nods and moves onto more mundane questions.

Years pass but Marassal doesn’t give up. Dammit, he’ll find Selene. He’ll find her. It’s more than setting her and Dirthmen up, now he’s genuinely concerned for her. Desire aboms do not hide like this, it’s unnatural for them. The more they hide, the more they isolate themselves from society...it’s like a sickness, not being able to feed and sustain the Desire, slowly and surely corrupting the spirit to desperate levels.

It’s how aboms become the abominations of old.

He goes through all of his contacts and begins to infiltrate police databases. Looking for any clues.

Nothing.

Dirthamen is twenty-seven when one of the leads dings. Sort of. There has been a recent submission of a set of equations to a publication of Mathematics Today. The contributor of these equations is listed under a blatant pseudonym. He gets in contact with the publisher who have nothing to contact the contributor with other than an email.

Hm. Sending a “Hey! Your true love isn’t dead and he can be found at these marvelous coordinates!” won’t work. If anything, it’ll send her deeper underground.

Instead, Marassal contacts Dirthamen and poses the idea that perhaps emailing coupons to the bookstore will generate more revenue. It’s not a hard sell, and Marassal offers to take up the emailing.

He puts in the email he got from Mathematics Today and attaches the coupon.

Buy One $10 Book and Get one Free!

It lists the store’s name, the online store, the telephone number, and most importantly the store owner’s name. It’s...a bit of a longshot.

But then...then he gets that wonderful text. A strange woman by the name of Selene asking Dirthamen to come home with her.

Finally.

He drives all night to make it into the city where Dirthamen and Selene are set up. He picks up muffins and doughnuts before heading to the apartment. He quickly assesses the environment and finds it lacking - there are few places for indulgences, mostly laundromats, pawn shops, and small family owned restaurants. Not that there is anything wrong with these fine establishments, but they’re not particularly nourishing for Selene and that is concerning.

The apartment complex is even worse. Drab and depressing, colorless, filled with people who are unable to fulfill their desires. And what desire is filled is not the sort to keep Desire healthy. There is despair and longing but no actual desire beyond hopes and dreams. Nothing concrete, nothing sustaining.

The tendrils of her passenger eek out past the door to her apartment, flaring irregularly as he tries to gain a hold of what is going on. Marassal can only catch a few stray thoughts.

Is this real?

How is he not dead?

What’s going on?

Dirthamen.

Oh dear, ooooh dear. Perhaps...he should have reached out to Selene after rescuing Dirthamen. Assured her that her love wasn’t dead like the reports….

One of them would have taken him from us, his own Desire laments.

No matter, what’s done is done.

He knocks on the door and Des flares in severe annoyance.

Now, now, Des, is that any way to treat an old friend? Desire coos. A moment passes before the deadbolt and locks click open and Selene cracks the door open, eyes bright purple.

“What are you doing here?!”

He holds up the boxes of muffins and doughnuts and smiles, “Dirthamen! Dirthamen, darling, I’m here,” he turns to Selene with a smile, “my son asked me to come, he believes you need help.”

Des wriggles possessively in front of the door, clearly not wanting to share the only source of desire fulfilled in an...undetermined amount of time. Desire unfurls inside of Marassal and reaches out to Des, letting some of her power roll out and onto him. An olive branch,of a sort. Selene’s eyes flash and she shivers.

“Selene, I am not here to take him away - but he does need to keep his blood sugar up, otherwise he gets a little moody. In fact, here,” he takes out a doughnut and hands it to Selene as he walks by, “get your blood sugar up, it helps.”

He walks into the apartment and Dirthamen emerges from the small bathroom, smiling.

“Papae! Oh good you brought food, I forgot to ask. I was looking in the fridge and I didn’t really see anything, so thank you. Sorry Selene, I should have told you. This is my father, Marassal and he’s like you? I think, I mean you have some of the signs that Papae has when he’s not feeling good so I just thought that he could maybe help?” Dirthamen fidgets and Marassal sets the boxes down before walking over to Selene. Desire inside of him unfurls and presses into Des, asking for communication.

What is going on?!

We rescued Dirthamen as a baby - we made Mythal and Elgar’nan believe he was dead and we rescued him. Raised him, loved him, supported him.

A barrage of emotion swirls in Selene’s aura, half Des half her as the tenuous equilibrium they had suddenly comes into flux. Des is awake and starving. Desire pushes them to eat the doughnut, and she begins to nibble on it, slowly gaining more momentum as she goes. Desire gives Des a bit more sustenance, he drove by a plastic surgeon’s office earlier and his tank fill to burst thanks to that. Des practically latches onto Desire, demanding more.

Desire gives as much as she can before it gets a little tenuous for them. By then, Marassal has guided Selene to the couch and she’s digging into her second doughnut. Dirthamen eats his blueberry muffin and doesn’t interfere in the clearly magical and very demonic activities going on.

“I’ve been thinking about becoming a house flipper slash restorer. There are all these houses in the area I live in that are roughly one hundred years old but they’re practically decaying away, it’s just not right. I lived through that era, I know what houses looked like, how they should feel. I just need to get my contractor’s license...that should take what? A year or two? Making people’s dreams come true with homes...that sounds like a good profession, you know, I could use a business partner with it. You could handle all the financials of it, help good deserving families get good homes? Just until you’re on your feet again, if you want, just an idea. Still, I’ve been in the mood for a career change. Sex line operator is just not doing it anymore.”

“Papae!” Dirthamen sputters and Marassal rolls his eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’ve only done it for the past five years.” Marassal rubs Selene’s back as she finishes eating her doughnut, rambling on about his future prospects. Her breathing deepens, her eyes become clearer, sharper. Des settles a bit more inside of her, not completely and not without agitation, but it’s better. Much better.

Her eyes dart over to Dirthamen and Marassal waves Dirthamen over.

“I need to use the restroom, how about you hold onto Selene for a bit?” Marassal stands and Dirthamen takes his place. Selene presses herself against him almost immediately, needing that contact.

This is real, Des. Desire reassures. This is real, he is alive, he’s here, he’s healthy and good.

#my writing #marassal has bat wings btw #he turns into a giant fox bat #marassal #dirthamen #selene lavellan #dirthalene #fic #dark everyone is an abom au #feynites #selenelavellan

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douglassmiith · 4 years ago

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A Brief Guide to Letting Black Entrepreneurs Be Entrepreneurs

July 1, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In today’s global economy, racism is not only ignorant, it’s costly. Just ask Facebook, which has lost billions in advertising revenue amid calls to eliminate hateful rhetoric from its platform.

Hopefully, this will ring the alarm bell for others who are snoozing under the blanket of “business as usual.” People are not just going to go away quietly this time. If they’ve been willing to risk their lives during a pandemic to protest for equal rights, the uprising will continue. It’s time for a real shift, and that includes a genuine effort to nurture and elevate Black founders to a position where they can access the capital needed to introduce new and profitable ideas to the marketplace.

The sticking point is that too many companies and investors view supporting Black entrepreneurs as a matter of social impact or charity, rather than good business sense. What needs to happen now is for those who control the purse strings and equitably spreading the wealth cease viewing business in black and white and simply let an entrepreneur be an entrepreneur.

In the interest of hastening change, I’ve laid out answers to several questions even the most well-intentioned would-be allies might be asking themselves. The moment to let Black entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs begins now.

Related: It Doesn’t Take a Rocket Scientist to Solve the Racism Problem in Business

What do you mean when you say, “Let a Black entrepreneur be an entrepreneur”?

The message is: Let the Black entrepreneur be an entrepreneur, not somebody you think you’re giving charity to. It’s business. A lot of times, when you’re Black, that precedes everything, but when you think of a great painter, you don’t say it’s a great white painter. You just say it’s a great painter.

Is donating to organizations for Black causes the same as investing in Black entrepreneurs?

A lot of businesses, when looking to close the diversity gap, say, “Oh, well we’re going to do a charitable donation or give to a nonprofit.” But we’re bringing in opportunity. See the person as an entrepreneur, not a charity case. Give the funds to the black founders so that they can build their companies. An example of this thinking is a well-known VC, Jason Calacanis, who invested in the likes of Uber and Calm and recently posted on Twitter that he is going to hire engineers to build a Facebook clone and donate the proceeds to black founders. This thinking assumes that black founders: A) are not engineers and B) are charity.

These funds that will take all this money that Google, Pay Pal and SoftBank want to use to solve the issue need to invest directly in the black founders. Otherwise, what they’re saying is, “We don’t want to give the money to you.” The people putting these funds up for VCs to distribute need to understand that what they’re coming back to them with is a bunch of baloney.

How can I better ensure funds meant to nurture Black businesses are being best put to use?

My solution is for the Googles and PayPals and SoftBanks to make sure that when they’re dealing with the VCs who are going to be in charge of the money they decided to set aside for Black businesses, to treat the businesses as an opportunity that’s coming to them.

If SpaceX is an opportunity, you’re going to put massive amounts of money there. If it’s an act of charity, you’re going to put $5,000. If I’m Google, I say to Andreessen Horowitz and all these other companies that I want them to find companies unlocking opportunities within these communities. Then, they cannot come back with excuses to take these funds and put them somewhere else. When you invest in underrepresented founders, automatically, they’re going to open doors for you to places you are not even aware are there.

What’s an example of lucrative black opportunities that narrow-minded business leaders and investors missed out on?

Forever and ever, we’ve been saying that when you go to the makeup aisle, you get a powder that’s too light for your face or too dark for your face, so people have to improvise at home by mixing. You have a whole market, but no one was listening. Rihanna said, “You know what? I see my mom doing that, and I have to do that myself,” so she launched Fenty Beauty, which has completely transformed the industry, and now everyone’s running to catch up.

It’s the same thing with Black Panther. It’s again about serving an underserved market, not going into it as a charity or checking a box. Rihanna happens to be a celebrity, but it’s about the fact that she got the money to open that door, because we don’t get the money to open those doors. There are a ton of us out there who know where a lot more doors are.

How have VCs continued to raise the ceiling for Black founders and lower the floor for privileged entrepreneurs?

A lot of times, you have one person who has $336 million and another person who is struggling to put everything together. In a field where you’re judged by daily active users, one person might have 10,000 people, and the other person with $336 million might have 10 million people, but you’re being judged by the same metrics.

So investors will say, “Well, we’re gonna go find a Black Jason Goldberg with 10 million users,” and then come back and say, “Well, we didn’t find anyone with 10 million users. We found nice people who are trying really hard with maybe 10,000 users, so we’re now going to take this money that you’ve allocated specifically for them and go put it somewhere else.”

You’ll be hard-pressed to find an entrepreneur with 10 million users or generating that much revenue because the seed hasn’t been planted to allow them to get to this high ceiling. You can’t compare oranges and apples in that way, and that’s another system that’s in place to make sure no new entrants get in there and justify continuing the status quo.

What about the argument that there is a pipeline issue when it comes to Black and brown talent and skillset?

People are graduating. People are coding. People have ideas. Knowledge is not genetically encoded into people, it is acquired. It’s just about the right opportunity. People are going to go where they’re valued. When you look at a company like Facebook, and you don’t see one single Black face on their board or their leadership retreat they’re posting pictures of, you’re not going to want to go there. It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s just a blockage at the entrance keeping minorities from coming in.

Is most of this unconscious bias, or something worse?

It’s baffling to many people why the diversity gap in business is not closing, because you have companies that are saying, “Hey, help us close the gap.” But somehow the bridge is not being built. We have made a lot of progress, but not far enough. There’s still a lot of redlining of black entrepreneurs, even at the growth stage. A lot of black founders will build the company, people are excited about it, and when it’s time to go from seed to growth, you’ll see the headline, “Bubl raises X, then Sean Ramsay out” or, “Kairos secures Y then Brian Brackeen out or “Hopstop raises Z, Chinedu Echeruo out.” It’s a redlining. When you like the food but you don’t like the farmer, you want to come and take the farm and put the farmer out, and it happens over and over again.

Related: The First-Ever Live, Virtual Reality Comedy Special Could Only Happen Now

What is the very next step I should take if I want to make more money with a wider variety of founders?

There are two ways to look at investing in underrepresented communities: It’s a great opportunity to open up new markets or a way to sustain and take care of your current customers. Imagine if the top Black athletes, influencers and musicians with more than one billion followers combined left the platforms that don’t have any Black people in their leadership or have racist algorithms and went to platforms where they’re valued and appreciated? People are sick and tired of dealing with “isms.” They simply want a fair chance, but if they are kept from accessing heaven here on earth, they’ll raise hell.

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riichardwilson · 4 years ago