#incorrect quotes as a format is frustrating

[thepalestrose]

Ruby, working on her weapons: Hey Penny, can you give me a hand?

Penny: [Immediately goes to hold Ruby's hand]

Ruby, smiling: You’re adorable but that’s not what I meant.

[incorrectbatfam]

Alrighty, I'd like to take a minute to address something that's been cropping up recently, which is stuff like this:

I've been getting an increasing number of asks and comments like the one above (I've deleted the Ao3 comments and turned on moderation). Normally, they don't bug me, but when I keep getting them over and over it kinda feels like a moth buzzing around my room that I can't keep ignoring.

Basically, some people have been wondering if I use an AI to create my posts and fics as they are becoming more common.

Let me state for the record: I don't, nor will I ever.

Without getting into the rabbit hole of my personal opinion on using AI for creative works, I started posting consistently for the DC/Batfam fandom on Tumblr and Ao3 in 2018 and 2020 respectively. Many popular programs came out post-pandemic, such as Sudowrite in 2021 and ChatGPT in 2022.

I don't blame folks who may think that, though. Incorrect quotes already tread on thin ice when it comes to some people not perceiving them as actual fan content—tale as old as time. Coupled with that, I often answer asks with an easily digestible format and write fics on a time crunch that aren't planned out in great detail. I'm fully aware the quality is somewhere in the middle. (This isn't inviting people to tell me I'm amazing and transformed their lives—I'm here to give people a quick chuckle as they go about their day.)

The issue is all of this is now within the capabilities of AI and it's getting harder to differentiate, which in turn is altering our expectations of each other. You can't draw characters with wonky anatomy, you have to get every feature right or you're using a generator. You can't post a drabble with bad grammar and overplayed tropes, you have to be the next Great American Novelist or you're relying on an algorithm. Fan creators—who are doing this for free, keep in mind—are being held to increasingly higher standards just to prove they are genuine.

Some of you are probably thinking, "it's just fandom, quit making a big deal." The thing is though, fandoms are built on people with different abilities creating for the love of it. This isn't to deride those who use AI as a tool—you do you, it is a hobby in the end. However, when we ascribe mediocrity to inauthenticity, we're reinforcing the notion that if you can't be perfect, you shouldn't bother trying. It's frustrating and frankly has no business in our community.

[transition-with-the-torah]

Title: Jews Don't Count: How Identity Politics Failed One Particular Identity

Author: David Baddiel

Format / Cost: Audiobook (free via Libby). For reasons I don't know, my library only has access to the audiobook version, and it was approximately 2 hours and 48 minutes (categorized as 'nearly 3 hours'). It was author narrated and released at some point in 2021.

2021 wasn't forever ago, or anything, but also, it felt like recounting a slice of British Twitter from about 2015 to no later than October 2020 [and the release of a particular report about antisemitism within the Labour Party] happened so long ago. Granted, talking about antisemitism isn't exactly something that seems to not be relevant. The basic idea wasn't that hard to grasp - Jews are viewed by Progressives as not actually counting as a marginalized group - and unsurprisingly, a lot of the examples pull from British culture: that one football club and derogatory use of 'Yid', T.S. Eliot poems read on BBC that ignored antisemitic language, Roald Dahl and his estate's sort of apology over antisemitism while Roald Dahl Day is seemingly popular, casting non-Jewish people to play Jewish actors in specific theatrical productions (relating to BAME casting efforts), and the like.

(This has been tagged as #reviews for personal organization on my blog and may not be considered a complete or satisfying review by others. It continues under the read-more.)

It's not that Baddiel is outright incorrect about his examples and the message he's aiming for, but there's something about the method of delivering that message that seems annoying at times. It might be that one part really has a lot of Twitter and how some people have been Canceled (just not for antisemitism), which requires listening to tweets being quoted. (I really don't want to hear someone try to recreate a laugh like that again.) It might be that some textual phrasing winds up feeling very blunt and not that hard to interpret uncharitably. It might also be that post-October 7th, it seems odd to skip over antisemitism based on treating diaspora Jews as Israeli, loyal to Israel, or acceptable outlets for I/P frustrations because of Baddiel's 'I'm in the diaspora so who cares about Israel' approach.

Mostly, some parts feel like they're useful for non-Jews to get a sense of how antisemitism didn't magically stop with the Holocaust. The idea of a hierarchy of racisms - where the proximity to US based Black vs White racism is recognized as racism with racism against other groups descending in recognizability - might ruffle some feathers. On paper, the idea could work for some non-Black groups, particularly outside of the US with US ideas of racism taking up most of the oxygen, but the actual conversations Baddiel references about this seem to suffer from being Twitter based and may not feel reflective of Black experiences either. (To me, this idea of a hierarchy of racisms is about recognizing racism as happening, but the idea that different racisms are treated as more important than others may not feel true to lived experience.)

Overall, I think this book can be a conversation starter for some readers, but it's definitely not going to feel like it manages to cover everything. Viewing Jews as too rich, too socially powerful, and/or as too close to being White and therefore 'Jewish racism isn't a thing' can explain some aspects of antisemitism, but there were some moments where I thought looking at other conditionally-white groups and seeing similarities in not being 'fully white' might have worked better than contrasting with Black racism examples.

Posted: 18 March 2024.

[usefulfictions]

Can we be genuine in a digital space defined by memes? [Week 9/Memes, Music, and Meaning]

Writing from:

November 2023

Presentation from a classmate about the role of memes in the digital world, particularly in music

Follow-up discussion with the class about memes and the ability to be genuine alongside/with them

Vox's "Why Do Memes Matter?" (2019)

This week might be the most incoherent thoughts I have had about a topic yet, specifically in terms of trying to separate it into weird/worrying/wonderful. Because of that, this will probably be the most word vomit-y that these posts get (hopefully), so apologies for that!

As someone who could be referred to as a 'digital native' in the sense that I grew up in a time where digital access is much more accessible than previous (though I was later accessing it than most others my age), memes have always been something I've encountered while existing in digital spaces. Additionally, I'm someone who is inclined towards the meaningfulness of silly and playful things. A quote from Brennan Lee Mulligan, "Profundity and absurdity are deeply in love, they go hand-in-hand, right? The world is profoundly meaningful and deeply silly," aptly echoes the sentiment I have towards silliness. Due to both of these aspects of who I am, I'm inclined to be fairly defensive of memes, at least in their theoretical sense, as something that can be entirely meaningful and which does not negate our ability to be genuine.

However, also because of my existence as someone in digital spaces, I have been witness to countless uses/contents of memes that leave me extremely frustrated. A fairly recent example is the use of terms like 'girl math' or 'girl dinner' which (to my knowledge) came about from reference to things like using cash instead of debit so the money doesn't count and to the 'meals' comprised of minuscule portions that girls tend to eat, respectively. These have developed into a trend that is very openly the repetition of misogynistic ideals, except it is often used by the same people (particularly women) who can be found calling themselves feminists. The problem I see here isn't the hypocrisy (though, on a personal level I do find that highly irritating) but how the silliness of memed phrases like 'girl dinner' and 'girl math' can hide the maliciousness of the ideology that encourages our engagement with those terms. When 'girl math' has come to mean 'simple' or 'incorrect' math, the implicit association of girlhood with a lack of intelligence rings loudly for anyone willing to interrogate what the genuine suggestion under the layer of silliness has to offer.

So, to that end, I do think it is true that memes don't harm our ability to be genuine, but I do think they can obfuscate what we are genuinely saying - both to ourselves and to those around us. That is, if I am using a meme, I am always doing it in a genuine manner, I am always portraying something about how I perceive the world. Certainly, it is in a silly or playful format, but the use of playfulness as an excuse for thoughtlessness is a practice that memes typically lead to.

[verifyaddresswithapis]

Address Standardization API Details

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You can avoid these problems by automating your address verification process with an address standardization API. This will help you ensure accurate address data throughout your customer journey, so your customers can complete their accounts and checkouts with confidence.

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The Address Standardization API supports updating address information in the Order Management System during interactive quote or order entry/maintenance, the Order API, catalog requests, and the Customer API. It also allows you to suppress the Address Standardization: Verify Recommendation (from Pick List) Screen after you select an address from a list of possible address matches returned by EDQ.

The Address Standardization API provides a full range of address standardization functions, including typo corrections, street name completion, appropriate locality-specific formatting, and more. It also helps developers detect inaccurate addresses by identifying missing or unconfirmed address components, so you can provide better user experiences and improve business performance.

SITES WE SUPPORT

Verify Address With API – Wix

[hermette-historian]

The Writing Process: Joe Hills

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a long form analysis essay, but I was privy to a video this evening that I thought deserved one. Let’s talk about Joe Hills, as an opinionated intellectual and as writer.

We all know about the legendary Joe Hills Writes Hermitcraft Fanfiction series, yes? I’ve talked about that on here a few times and it crops up time and again every time a fan comes across it. We’ve talked about how hilarious those videos are, how they represent a caricature of the crossover genre of 2012 fanfiction, etc. As much as I love that series, we are not here to talk about it at large today.

Just before Halloween of that same year, Joe made another video in the same format as the preceding two-Entitled The Ghosts of Col. Void RAF (Ret.), the book was spun of a very different thread. The content of the work is not super important to this particular angle (I could try to evaluate the historical context because I feel like there’s something there but quite honestly I’m too tired for that much outside research), but it contains some potentially triggering things so in case I forget to catch myself mentioning one I’m going to cut it here.

This video, In Joe’s own words, is an “unfiltered version of his brain”. Whether he intended it or not, it showcases his sincere creative process from beginning to end, and at least to me proves that like many highly educated people, his biggest creative vices are those of his own lack of ignorance. 

Joe hardly ever goes into anything knowing what exactly it is that he wants out of it, and nowhere is that more evidenced than in this thirty-minute, uncut, painstaking writing process. It started out as a genuinely scary ghost story half rooted in fan fiction about some fictional relative of Xisuma’s having a terrifying, ghostly encounter while stationed in Palestine that left him scarred for life, and quickly went off the rails into the same improvisational comedy territory as the other fanfictions while having absolutely nothing to do with Hermitcraft. This clearly happened because comedy involving big words, dramatic repetition, and run-on sentences is where Joe is most comfortable on camera-that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. He realized he was in way over his head trying to write something serious on camera, and unconsciously veered back into his comfort zone.

This all transpires within the first ten minutes-then something really interesting happens. As soon as Joe realizes that he’s starting to write comedy again, he gets frustrated with himself. He definitely tries to keep it together, but anyone that’s ever seen Joe genuinely upset will pick up on the shift in his tone and the pacing of his voice right away. So what does he do? He turns it into an educational moment. While he pulls himself together and musters the courage to keep going, he talks to the camera about how important it is to be realistic about one’s creative abilities while also encouraging yourself to keep going. My favorite quote by far is “ It’s fine to believe you’re a failure, but believing you always will be one is unacceptable”. 

Joe spends the rest of the video in a quick-rinse cycle with his own self-critical tendencies, just desperately trying to finish the story in a semi-serious manner while keeping the interest of the audience and the length of the video in mind. It’s exhausting! Writing a sentence or two, berating himself for incorrect continuity, bad sentence structure, clichés, any or all of the above, backspacing it all, only to write a very similar sentence and call it good enough to move on. Once or twice, he even raised his voice and snapped at himself in the camera’s fourth wall. By the time he’s done, he doesn’t even read it back out loud before calling it a day. 

The book wasn’t bad. In fact from a purely English perspective, by the time he was done yelling at himself to be better it was pretty much perfect. But that all culminates in what I find super interesting (and I feel relatable to a lot of us): he got so caught up in what he had been taught was the “correct” way of doing things, concepts that have been drilled into all of our heads by virtue of being taught to write well, that he started to forget the purpose of the writing and the bigger picture of the entertainment. In the end I feel that mindset is what killed the funny little series-if there’s anything that Joe will take too seriously to do it in an entertaining way, it’s words.

[kat-simss]

Links for Mobile Users

I spent a lot of my time on Tumblr via the mobile app, and it’s incredibly frustrating to try and navigate someone’s blog when it doesn’t allow you to access their actual page, so here’s a bunch of links & info!

navigation

resources

downloads

tags (for blacklisting purposes, e.g. if you don’t want to see things I’ve reblogged or stuff that isn’t sims-related)*:

*all tags don’t have actual quotes, that’s just so I can easily show what the tag actually is

I’m gonna put the rest of this under the cut, since it’s getting kind of long, but it also covers tags, plus LGBT+ content, any potential trigger warnings (if anyone wants something trigger-tagged, let me know) etc.

I use “nonsims kinda” or “nonsims” for things that are either not things that I, myself, posted, but are reblogs of things loosely related to sims content, or things that just aren’t related to the sims at all

I use “reblog” for things that I’ve reblogged, which may or may not be related to the sims

I don’t really post nsfw stuff at all, and if I do (e.g. un-pixelated sim woohoo, since I hate the censor since it interferes with screenshots), I’m not super great at tagging it. I’ll try to tag those as “sims nsfw” in the future.

Again, I pretty much only post sims content on this blog, but if there are any trigger tags you’d like me to add to specific posts or just in general, feel free to send me an ask on or off anon! Those tags will be in this format: “[potentially triggering thing] tw” (without the quotes or the brackets, e.g. pregnancy tw).

Misc Stuff:

Also, some of my sims are LGBT+, and although I am LGBT+ myself, I know that others’ experiences can be super different to my own, so if I say or do anything that irks you or may be incorrect, please send me an ask on or off anon! 

Finally (this is getting kinda long), if there is anything I can do to improve the accessibility of my blog, feel free to send me an ask on or off anon! I want everyone to be able to be comfortable on my blog, and be able to access everything on it (if anyone remembers my “yellow background with white text” phase...In my defense, I was on mobile, and I really like the color yellow). 

Phew, that was a long one. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy my blog!

[herstarburststories]

Knives & Calls (Dean Winchester x Reader)

A/N: Okay, first I just wanted to do a phone themed thing + incorrect quote of b99 here, but the idea just kept going and I decided to go with it. That format — phone text — was already used by some writers on Tumblr, and I decided to give it a shot. Feedback is encouraged.

Summary: You decided to check on Dean after a hunt, but it's easy to notice that something is missing. A video chat might be needed for you to make sure that he's okay.

Warnings: sexual insinuating, very slightly angst, not beta'd.

You smiled for no one but yourself when the picture of a grimacing Dean popped up. You remembered telling him to smile for you to take a photo, and his first reaction being to turn around and make a face at your phone.

You furrowed your eyebrows together, confused about his answer. Of course, Sam always tends to be more careful, check everything twice and analyze more than anyone else. But not even his slight hunter-like paranoia would somehow trick him into telling Dean to stay one more night in a cheap motel after they got comfortable in the bunker.

Although, you could be exaggerating. The boys could'vee been looking for a brother time, which would still be unlike. After all, spending a weekend with your brother would be way better somewhere away from a random, probably stinky motel. Perhaps for the shake of the good old times?

Dean's next text confirmed that you weren't overthinking, and there was no such thing as your hypothetical brotherhood reunion. You had known him for years. Either it was after a sex marathon in the backseat, 5 hours of driving to the repeated sound of his old rock tapes, or even the apocalypse itself, he would always drive. Not even once had Dean Winchester said that he didn't feel like driving his beloved Impala.

The second message came when your quick fingers were dancing against the keyboard to question if they were all right. You signed in relief as another message arrived.

Yet, you asked anyway. After all, you were talking to Dean Winchester. You had tones of emergency kits for him and Sam's weekly wounds.

Leaning forward, you glared at your phone as three tiny balls shook, indicating that Dean was typing. He was clearly avoiding talking about himself, but there was no subtle way of getting out such a direct ask from you. The texting indicator would stop and start again, as if he was writing, erasing, and repeating a few times.

You narrowed eyes at the glowing phone. On the other side, Dean could almost hear the way you said his name, not putting up for his weak excuses. If he closed his eyes, there would be facility to picture you crossing your arms and giving him a worried, yet half annoyed glance.

You didn't wait any further minute, slipping from the text messages application to the phone one, and calling him.

''Dean Winchester, what the fuck is lightly stabbed!?" Your furious tone englobed the obvious concern. You didn't need to see him to know that probably wasn't even one of his worst injures, but you were still worried. You always were. It just seemed so close to losing him everytime.

He didn't miss his humoristic trait to attempt lighting up your behavior, "I was stabbed, but it wasn't deep. You should see the other guy, sweetheart. Demon barbecue."

Although his voice wasn't near shaking, you could notice a glimpse of fragility there, as if he had just left a combat and wanted to keep up the strong warrior facet, while going through a terrible pain. It was lower than usual.

God, you just wished he was home.

"(Y/N), I'm okay. Don't worry. I'll be home tomorrow." Dean said softly; he knew that you didn't enjoy being a part from him when he got hurt. But you couldn't come with them since you had another case in the opposite direction. In fact, you had got home about fifteen minutes ago.

Squeezing the cellphone against your ear like it held your sanity, you nodded, "Or you could just let Sam drive and come home now, so I can take care of you."

The suggestion was laughed off by both of you. Of course he wouldn't.

A bit more relaxed, you pulled your phone away from your face, looking for a certain button before clicking there.

Just like that, Dean's face saw yours through a screen.

"Told you it wasn't that bad." He arches his eyebrows. Truly, his face was barely hurt. Just a few bruises that would go away within a few days. Rolling your eyes, you answerd:

"Very funny, Winchester. Let me see your--" Dean's smirk at this caused you to shake you head from side to side. He was unbelievable. 42 years, injured by a knife, and he would still manage to have a mind of a 25-years-old. "--Wound. Let me see your wound, Dean."

He huffed but moved the phone towards his main injure of the day anyway. Dean lifted his flannel shirt a little, showing the wound that was localizated near to his ribs.

You had to admit, it didn't apparent great profundity, at all. Away from the top five hurtings you had seen grabbed onto him.

"Are you sure it's not too much pain?"

His camera was fixed on the celling for a brief moment before Dean's face was lined to the screen again. Your own unnoticed tense muscles relaxing to the certainty that he was all right.

"Yeah, I've gone through worse. Besides, magic pills." Dean smiled wryly, grabbing the orange bottle and shaking it before putting it somewhere the video call didn't catch. "Your hunt--"

"The easy but necessary kind of job. Sault and burn." You shrugged, adjusting the phone on the table beside your shared bed.

"So, Sammy is not here." His eyebrows raised in insinuation. You pretended not to know where he was going with you, offering a simply agreeing noise in response. "We could play a bit."

"Maybe..." You purred and glared at him. Interrupting his next words before he could even push them out of his sinful mouth, abandoned your shirt. His eyebrows raised, slightly surprised and very appreciative to the view. You grabbed the phone, allowing the camera to travel from your lips, to your neck, then shoulders and collarbone. Dean's eyes glared at your distant skin in anticipation, his cock starting to tremble from excitement. Fuck, he missed touching you.

Unfortunately, the eldest Winchester didn't get to see his favorite part -- your boobs. You just switched the camera from the frontal one, causing it to show the floor of your and Dean's room instead. A complain was on the tip of his tongue, but it didn't come to the light when his eyes glanced at your red bra being thrown on the ground.

"Sweetheart, let me see you, come on." He whimpers, pressing his teeth to his lip. If Dean couldn't touch you right way, he could at least see your wonderful body; perhaps even watch you play with yourself, while screaming his name.

Your answer came to the light in a soft hearted laughter. Dean winged his eyebrow, very well aware that wasn't your playful, teasing laughter.

You aligned the mobile once again, which focused mainly on your face, well fixed above your collarbone. Dean let out a frustrated sigh as your smiled devilish at him.

"Next time, you better tell me when you get stabbed and not make up excuses, Winchester. Then maybe you would get some tonight." You shrugged, enjoying the small pout on his lips. "You have to rest. Guess I'll go enjoy myself and imagine you here. I'm already wet anyway. See you tomorrow!"

" What the--" You hang up the phone without any further warning, leaving a incredulously surprised Dean Winchester glaring at his mobile as if it had just started flying across the room or anything extremely shocking. "WOMAN! COME BACK!"

Dean screamed at the phone as if it contained you. He tried to call you up a few times, but you just laughed about it from the bunker. Groaning, he stared at his semi erect and clothed member.

His phone made a noise again, indicating a new message. He leaned in and opened it as fast as humanly possible, only to let an exasperated howl escape again. You were one of a kind. Specifically, his kind.

Goodnight, babe. Try not to scream too loud when you are thinking about me and touching that delicious cock if yours. ;)

[auroraknux]

Decided to make yet another “Incorrect Shadow Boom Quotes” post. As always, I don’t remember where most of these quotes originate from (I steal them from various incorrect quotes blogs), and some of them have been tweaked a little.

I just enjoy collecting quotes that fit the characters, I guess. :P (Though, it has given me some of my ideas for how I want to portray the characters in this AU.)

Sonic: You're flirting with me?

Knuckles: Something like that.

Sonic: Finally! Do it some more.

Knuckles: So wait, Rouge kissed you and you said "thank you"?

Shadow: Yes.

Knuckles: Well, that was very polite.

Shadow: I don't hate you anymore.

Sonic: No?

Shadow: No, though I did imagine at least 20 different ways to remove your head from your body.

Sonic: Really? Which one looked the best?

Shadow: Hedge clippers. Really dull ones.

Sonic: No, you wouldn’t want it to go quick, would you?

Rouge: I need your help.

Shadow: Okay, who are we killing? I won’t kill kids, that’s a rule. That rule is negotiable if the kid is a dick, though.

Shadow: (talking about Rouge) That’s my girlfriend, suckers!

Amy: That’s your wife.

Shadow: My wife! Even better!

Rouge: You’re pretty cute when you’re nice.

Shadow: Well, what am I when I’m not nice?

Rouge: Hot as fuck.

Amy: (talking about Sonic and Knuckles) This is the gayest thing I’ve ever seen. Truly, the gayest. I wouldn’t even act like that, and I’m dating a woman.

Shadow: Rouge, can you turn the light on?

Rouge: I don’t need to Shadow, you’re the only light I need in my life.

Shadow: Darling, that’s really sweet but I can’t see.

Sonic: [mentally] Wait, is he into me? Quick, make a bad joke and see if he laughs.

Sonic: [aloud] Did you hear the one about the skeleton who couldn’t go to the party? He had no body to go with!

Knuckles: [laughs] That’s really funny.

Sonic: …

Sonic: [mentally] Well, that’s not a fair test. That joke’s hilarious.

Rouge: Don’t buy flowers for your girlfriend. They don’t want that. Buy them swords! SWORDS ARE WHAT WOMEN WANT.

Rouge: I would greatly prefer a bouquet of twelve katanas over a bouquet of twelve roses any day.

Amy: I'm a lesbiab

Amy: Lesbiam

Amy: Less Bien

Amy: Girls

Sonic: It's okay, take your time.

Amy: [to Sticks] You’re gonna be my woman.

Knuckles: We can make this work! We're Romeo and Juliet!

Sonic: It didn't work for Romeo and Juliet. That play ends in a tragic double suicide.

Knuckles: That's how it ends? Why do people like it so much?

Shadow: We don’t use curse words in this house. *gestures to Tails* There are children present.

Sonic, in the distance: FUCK!

(After Sonic joins the group)

Shadow: Alright, usual formation!

Sonic: What's the usual formation?

Knuckles: Varies.

Sonic: How can the usual formation vary?!

Amy: Is the whole village gay?

Sonic: Not yet.

Knuckles: I was voted Most Confident in my Low Self-Esteem support group!

Sonic: There are no straight men, just men who haven't met me.

Sonic, about Knuckles: There’s a guy over there who looks like he can bench-press 300 lb…and I’d like to be 77 of them.

Amy: Most people that meet me don’t know that I’m gay.

Sonic: Blind and deaf people know you’re gay.

Shadow: Dead people know you’re gay.

Amy: Sticks, did you know I was gay when you met me?

Sticks: Buster knew.

Sonic: Where've you been, dude? I've been trying to find you all day!

Shadow: Oh, what a coincidence, I've been trying to ignore you all day.

Sonic: (to Shadow) I'm here, I'm queer. Get used to it.

Tails: Hey Rouge, I--

Rouge: Shh, I'm listening to music.

Tails: But there's no sound coming out?

Rouge: Listen closely and you'll hear it.

*Shadow laughing in the other room*

Rouge: There it is.

Shadow: I am offended. I am angry. I am very tired. So I'm gonna take a nap, but when I wake up, oh, you are in for it.

Shadow: [four hours later] How dare you?

Sonic [drowsy]: Can I lay on your shoulder?

Knuckles: Sure, whatever.

Sonic [sniffling Knuckles' neck]: You smell like... something nice. Vanilla maybe. It is good. I like it. I could be here all day and never get tired of it.

Knuckles: *blushes furiously*

Rouge: [watching some kids playing] I keep picturing our own kid in there, he'd be the best one.

Shadow: I think you meant "she".

Rouge: He.

Shadow: Either way Rouge, we've been over this. Kids are afraid of us.

Rouge: Yeah but why?

[Two kids run close to them and gasp]

Kid: Are they gonna eat us?

Shadow: Hi kids.

Kids: Ahhh! [both run away]

Shadow: I even smiled this time.

Sonic: I just want to be friends.

Knuckles: Okay!

Sonic: Plus a little extra.

Sonic: Also, I love you.

Amy: You all think I enjoy being a mother hen to you all?!

Everyone: ...

Amy: Okay fine, it's like crack to me.

?: For self-defense training, I'm going to pretend to be a burglar, and you two have to act wisely.

Maria: Okay.

Shadow: Sure.

?: If you want to live, give me all your money.

Maria: Bold of you to assume that I have money.

Shadow: Bold of you to assume that I want to live.

?: ...

Sonic: I'm cold.

Shadow: Like my heart.

Sonic: Now is not the time to debate which one of us is more dead inside.

Tails: I could strangle you.

Knuckles: You aren’t tall enough.

Tails: You’ve sunk low enough for me to reach.

Kidnapper: [on phone] We have your son.

Sonic: I don't have a son.

Kidnapper: [getting frustrated] Then who the heck just asked for chocolate milk with a straw and made us cut the crust off his PB&J?

Sonic: Oh god.

Kidnapper: What?

Sonic: You have my husband.

Rouge: [flirting] You have beautiful eyes.

Shadow: Thanks, I need them to see.

Amy: Tails, how long does it take until you start hallucinating from sleep deprivation?

Tails: I think--

Shadow: Seventy two hours.

Tails: How do you--

Shadow: There’s a clown behind you.

Amy: Knuckles, would you do me the honor of becoming my son-in-law?

Knuckles: Did you just propose to Sonic FOR me?

Amy: Someone had to do it.

Sonic: You have no idea what I'm capable of.

Shadow: Don't take it personally, but I feel like I'm being threatened by a cupcake.

Sonic: *looking in a mirror trying to practice self-love* You're doing great, you stupid bitch.

Amy: My sexuality doesn't define me.

Sticks: Hey, how are you?

Amy: Gay.

[wineschool-blog]

Understanding Tannin

https://j.mp/3DMQvwr Understanding Tannin - Keith Wallace - Table of contentsWriters Don’t Understand TanninWhy Wine Publications Get it WrongWhat is Tannin in Wine, Actually? Fermentation + Tannins = Condensed TanninsWhat We Should Be Talking About Instead of TanninWhat is Tannin ? (The Original Article)What are Tannins in Wine?What Else is in Red Wine?Where Do Tannins Come From?What Wines Have High Tannin? Which Wines Have Low Tannins?Red Wine and Wine PairingsAre there Health Benefits? Writers Don’t Understand Tannin When I was a winemaker in California, the very first question a customer asked me was “What is Tannin?” The question was also posed many times when I first started teaching wine classes back in 2001. I always gave a Pro-forma answer, even though I knew it was not exactly correct. I didn’t feel great about it, but it’s not easy to translate the science of tannin into a simple answer. That was some serious week sauce on my part. Why Wine Publications Get it Wrong Sadly, all the major wine publications have fallen into the same trap. As of this writing, if you do a search for “What is tannin?” the entire first page of results is multiple articles containing vague and oftentimes incorrect information. This isn’t intentional. Most wine writers are coming from a liberal arts background. There are only a few writers in the wine trade with a solid background in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). A notable exception is Jamie Goode, who expressed his frustration on explaining tannin in this post. Here’s a quote, in which he tries to explain tannin in simple terms: Tannins are therefore defined functionally. They are polyphenolic compounds that bind to and precipitate proteins. It’s a slightly complicated picture: not all polyphenols can act as tannins, and not all phenolics that bind proteins are tannins, but it’s still a useful definition.Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak This is a great explanation, but will the average wine drinker understand this? Probably not. The great sommelier-level magazine SevenFifty also attempted to address this issue: Tannins are made up of two classes of phenols (a large and diverse category of plant compounds): The two classes are flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Tannins are formed from individual, monomeric (mono denotes “single”) flavonoids that have bound together to form polymers (poly means “many”)—a process called polymerization. Non-flavonoids play a role in tannin formation as well, but from the perspective of tasting and wine structure, flavonoids—specifically those that form condensed tannins—are the primary contributors.Alex Russan, SevenFifty Alex’s answer is well-written and correct, which is not surprising: he’s a winemaker as well as an author. You should check out his label Metrick; his Mourvedre is a killer. As qualified as he is, his insights into wine aren’t going to help the casual wine buff understand. What is Tannin in Wine, Actually? These days, I have a response that a lot of sommeliers are going to be shocked by, but science is on my side. The reason all the answers to “What is tannin?” are either too simplistic or too complicated is actually quite simple. We’ve all been asking and answering the wrong question. There are no tannins in red wine. To be sure, there are tannins in grapes, just like in most plants. If you chew on any leaf, stem, or seed it’s going to be bitter. That isn’t surprising or complicated. Drink tea? Eat Broccoli, Smoke Cigarettes? They all have bitter compounds, and those bitter compounds are tannins. Fermentation + Tannins = Condensed Tannins The big difference between grapes and wine is fermentation, and that (literally) changes everything. Yeast and bacteria tear apart nearly every single fiber of the grape. Pretty much nothing except a single acid (tartaric acid) survives the process intact. Swirling in this vat of boozy destruction are three important compounds: proteins, seed tannins, and skin pigments. They are deeply attracted to each other and start forming chains. This is a three-way love affair that results in a brand new molecule: the condensed-tannin. This condensed tannin is very different from tannin, and it probably should have a different name entirely to prevent this eternal confusion. It’s also very confusing because not all condensed tannins look or act the same: different combinations of pigment, tannin, and protein create very different outcomes. What We Should Be Talking About Instead of Tannin At the end of the day, what we are really talking about is bitterness. These condensed-tannins bring a whole new set of flavors into wine. They make red wine taste like cherry and plums instead of apples and grapefruit. They help make wines aged in oak barrels taste like chocolate. They do a lot of cool stuff. Back in the day, I would describe tannin as the bitterness in red wine. But that’s not quite right, and it’s also not the question I answer anymore. When someone asks “what is tannin?” I now ask a question back: do you like red wine? Oftentimes, the people asking the question don’t care about tannins: they want to know why they do not like red wines as much as their friends. That’s a question that has an entirely different answer, and one that most sommeliers and wine educators can answer effectively. And if your friendly neighborhood sommelier can’t answer that question, they need to find another profession. What is Tannin in Wine? Our Original Article on Tannin A lot has changed in the last decade! Originally published in 2007 under the title “What is Tannin?” the following was written by our then-director of wine education. At the time, it offered great information and advice. It is still a great read, and we recommend you tuck in. However, we fell into the same trap that so many other publications have since: never really answering the question. As many wine writers have pointed out, tannin isn’t an easy question to answer because it requires a certain level of scientific knowledge. What is Tannin ? (The Original Article) Wine comes in a wide variety of styles. Depending on the winemaker’s skill, the grapes used, the weather, and even the type of soil where the vines are planted, wine can be easy to drink or contemplative; cheap or uber-expensive. Wine is complex, and to determine which bottle to buy, one must first understand what makes wine what it is, and from all its components, the most unique are tannins. What are Tannins in Wine? Browsing the web for wine information, you have surely stomped on the term: Tannins; often described as grip, structure, body or weight, tannins are exclusive to red wines. So, what are tannins? And where do they come from? How can you tell if a wine has tannins? And how do you know if they’re suitable to pair with your food? We did our best to explain all of this and more below. What Else is in Red Wine? Wine is mostly water. Up to 85% of a bottle’s content is H2O. Alcohol comprises almost the rest, leaving just about 3% for other stuff. What is this three percent made of? In red wine, sugars (imperceptible), acid, natural pigments, aromatic compounds, and tannins. Acid is self-explanatory, so are color compounds and aromatic molecules, but tannins are a bit more complicated. Tannins give texture to the wine, and to some extent, bitterness. Where Do Tannins Come From? Tannins are plant matter. Every plant has tannins, especially on their wood, seeds, and bark. If you don’t identify tannins clearly, try chewing on grape seeds. The drying sensation in your mouth is tannins reacting with your saliva as they bond. You’ll perceive a similar sensation when drinking black tea, when biting apple skins, or when snacking on pomegranate seeds. That’s all tannins. You see, tannins are present in the wine grape’s skins, on their seeds and their stems. During fermentation, the grape juice leaches tannins from all these sources becoming tannic itself. Did you know oak barrels, usually used to age wine, impart tannins to the liquid too? So, there you have it. That’s the definition of tannins and where they come from. Of course, not all wines are as tannic, and that’s because not all wine grapes are alike. Some grapes have thicker skins and therefore, more tannins. What Wines Have High Tannin? Which Wines Have Low Tannins? Tannic grapes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Sagrantino Tannat, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola and Syrah. Grapes with medium tannins, like Merlot or Malbec, will have a softer mouthfeel, and low-tannin wines, made with Pinot Noir, Gamay, Grenache or Barbera are simply velvety. You see, you must know how tannic grapes are to tell if a random wine bottle is tannic of not. The best way to train your palate is by opening a few bottles and concentrate on your mouthfeel. Once you understand which wines are tannic and which ones are smooth, you’ll feel confident and will be able to tackle more serious wine assessment knowledge. Red Wine and Wine Pairings Tannic wines are great with food, but not with all food. Tannins will react oddly with fish oils and will produce an unpleasant metallic taste. You should pair white wine with fish for this reason. On the other side, fatty fish, like salmon, sardines or tuna, can be paired with low-tannin wines like Pinot Noir. Full-bodied reds with considerable amounts of tannins are better reserved for red meat. Tannins will respond to meat the same way they react to the proteins in your saliva; smoothening every bite, actually improving your dining experience. Fatty meat needs more tannins, since the fat coats your palate, and tannins help with that. Lean meat doesn’t need as many tannins, but like everything in life, it’s a matter of preference. Cooking methods can also make certain foods more tannin compatible. Grilled food, even vegetables, chicken, or fish, will pair better with tannic reds, and a little smoke will help too. Coal-grilled meats are tannic wines’ best friends. You kinda knew that already — now you know why; because of tannins. Tannins are great for wine; they make it more concentrated and therefore, age-worthy. Some of the most long-lived wines in the world are so tannic you have to wait up to ten years before being able to enjoy them; time mellows these gritty particles. Are there Health Benefits? Tannins are good for you too; they are excellent sources of fiber and are have good anti-oxidative properties. As if you needed more reasons to enjoy a glass of red once in a while. - https://j.mp/3DMQvwr

[stuartkerrsposts]

How to Determine Who to Hire To Be Your Next Ideal Web Developer

Critical Advantages and Downsides You Should Understand About Distinct World Wide Web Developer Type-S

 I have asked todo internet site quotes lots and at times it really is down right dreadful to learn about the fights and troubles internet marketers and small business people confront when seeking to discover the proper web programmer.

 Too often times I hear people who believe that they certainly were scammed with their own prior web master and therefore are quite loath to employ some one fresh for concern with the exact same happening .

 Several of those folks chose they do all of the task , struggled terribly attempting to virtually master a completely new livelihood. They wind up phoning me outside from utter frustration which nothing's doing work and matters are far worse than previously squarespace store.

 1 moment that I had been getting a dialog with some one about a wholly irrelevant theme and he asked me exactly what I did, even once I replied he blurted out,"I despise web programmers"

 I cringed.

 I am convinced this occurs in most industry at which you will find individuals that are great at what they perform, a few people who really do sufficient to get through, and also others who just THINK that they are aware of what they are accomplishing!

 The internet development business is the same.

 If you're not pleased with your present web programmer or ' are at the practice of obtaining some one you may expect and rely to satisfy your internet development requirements, this guide will offer some invaluable guidelines which can assist you to locate the ideal match for your own team.

 First point to find crystal clear on is strictly what sort of assistance that you require.

 When Choosing an Internet programmer, very first Find clear on the Kind of Assistance you'll need:

 You can find several different sorts of"internet programmers" available and which makes the incorrect choice might be quite high priced. Thus make certain that you know"that" you might be hiring early and subsequently your pick procedure is likely to soon be a lot simpler out there.

 Listed below are just four common Kinds of Web programmers:

 The WordPress VA (Virtual Assistant)

 This individual has guessed out how WordPress quite nicely. They understand howto put in a WordPress motif (both purchased or free ) and certainly will get some alterations compared to this subject that will help fit your new colors. First, they are going to have fantastic comprehension of exactly what plugins are all readily available to coincide with your preferences too.

 Positive aspects: Normally hiring some one with this particular job charges much less than an entirely qualified programmer. Piecing collectively small-sized internet sites are the specialization.

 Downsides: Frequently WordPress is that they understand and how infrequently do that they understand HTML or even CSS to personalize your own internet site for absolutely any additional whistles and bells you would like .

 Frequently purchased topics are therefore stiff that moving a part in 1 portion of this webpage to the following is not possible to complete using such a limited understanding.

 When to employ themYou would like to seek the services of a WordPress VA once you're uninterested at an entirely branded/customized internet site. You recognize any personalization alternatives are confined and also you get exactly what the motif preview reveals apart from a shade, text and graphic varies.

 You'll likewise desire to get this alternative in the event that you're well versed in marketing and advertising plan, copy writing, and advertising and also certainly will certainly educate your VA exactly what should be accomplished. Expect them with small wisdom in certain or every one these regions.

 The Developer

 This man or woman is exactly what I call a"techno geek". We've got a couple of those people in we and we'd maybe not have the capability to become successful because we all have been with them!

 The huge benefits: They understand programming indoors and outside. They still live, sleep and eat .

 The downsides: '' They could definitely assemble you a completely operational site, not a issue. But do not anticipate it to check rather! Branding, copy writing, design and style layout and promotion have been infrequently seen inside their listing of skill-sets.

 You may most likely have to employ somebody else to aid with all those are as in the event that you aren't fully educated on yourself.

 The Way to employ Them: You'd like to engage the services of a programmer with this quality for those who are in possession of a complicated web site at heart that should be personalized to meet your wants. When it is an e commerce motor, membership internet site or some database-driven tool, then an entirely seasoned and knowledgeable developer can be the best choice.

 The"All Of Spherical" programmer

 This is one individual that has assembled enough internet sites to really truly have quite a very good grasp of greater photograph. They know exactly what can be referred to as"that a Generalist" at which they've got ample abilities to become in a position to create and produce a nice site.

 The huge benefits: Getting oneperson possess comprehension in different areas required for webdevelopment is just a huge also.

 Ordinarily this individual has programming acumen in order to take care of many customizations and obstacles which develop and won't require a plug in for every single features (that can bog off your internet site's efficiency ).

 Additionally they are proficient enough concerning visual and branding design your readers may delight in the adventure to be .

 Even the disadvantages: Although they may possibly appear to know much about internet creation, it truly is not possible for a single human being to become very good whatsoever. It really is uncommon to chance upon a excellent designer additionally be described as a fantastic programmer (they really do exist however they're a scarce strain.) That means you'll nonetheless have to become, or have somebody else in your own team that isversed in online marketing and advertising and training to greatly cancel any flaws the individual who you employ has.

 The Way To Employ Them: In case you're fortunate enough to locate somebody that has those skill-sets and it is reputable, then you definitely are going to have excellent advantage in your own workforce. You need to become conscious of exactly what their limits will be that you can offset those are as with different folks in the workforce.

 The Web-development Agency

 There a few diverse sorts of internet growth bureaus and also for the interest of the this piece, I will revolve around the type that individuals have been a boutique internet development and electronic marketing and advertising bureau. (In case you are searching to get a significant name bureau which just multi-billion greenback corporations utilize, you'd not need finished reading this guide for the aspect any way!)

 The huge benefits: An internet boutique webdevelopment service isn't just a only real demonstrate. They're a group of pros that may present, being a collective set, each one the different regions of experience your company wants from the marketing viewpoint.

 These regions normally comprise:

 Model Identity Style

 Website Design and Style and Format

 Copy-writing

 On the Web Advertising / Prospecting

 Video/Audio Modifying

 Search Engine Optimisation

 (Notice several bureaus just need a couple people in the team therefore don't forget to ask queries to learn which every one's skills is of course, whether every other skill-set is missing which you simply need )

 One other huge benefit of utilizing an internet development service will be they are quite knowledgeable on your own brand, your own placement and also the information you need communicate for the ideal customers.

 With each petition you provide themthey know exactly what will become necessary and also certainly will discuss selections with one personally to make some thing for you personally which is the ideal match for the demands.

 This prevents you from needing to learn what exactly is demanded and in addition have to guarantee different folks in your own team stay in keeping with your new content and layout therefore that you may focus far more about which you're doing most useful.

 The disadvantages: Determined by that which you see, the purchase price line may possibly be out your financial plan. Do your own search ask for and speak to testimonials that will assist you to select whether they'll send the things that they claim. Should they really have a fantastic standing if you are in time and on budget, then then your excess prices will balance in the lengthy term.

 When to employ themHiring a boutique webdevelopment service could be 1 among many most useful things that you may perform as being a fresh organization. Doing so will ensure your brand new venture will probably end up moving about the most suitable foot straight from the bat. You may spare a great deal of cash and time in the future in case you create this very first small business expenditure.

 In the event that it's the case that you previously possess an existent firm and internet site however area prepared to measure upto the following degree, here really is enough opportunity to earn within a service which will be able to assist you with not the"accomplishing" but the strategizing to guarantee you obtain into the place you really are interested in being devoid of wasting plenty of time, energy and money.

 You'll even desire to search for an service if you would like some one in your own team for continuing, steady service. Following your web site is assembled, you are going to want somebody who you may speak to at any moment for blog upgrades, producing fresh campaigns, undertaking search engine optimisation work .

 My last parcel of information is usually to make certain that you need to do your exploration who you would like. Now you are searching for some one with skill and experience that you will associate one to simply help you assemble your company.

 Unless that really is what you are on the lookout for, then you ought to steer clear of developers and programmers that just perform just what you let them know. Having some body who are able to offer suggestions and hints and become part of one's workforce to become an important resource if needed can be ideal for you personally.

 References are quite essential within this particular industry: Consistently question to speak with your own customers to find out exactly what their expertise has been dealing together with this programmer.

 Know about the ones that assert to become programmers when actually, they all heard was just how touse a"diy" applications such as WIX or even Weebly.

 The level of one's site - each in style and design and at the way that it's coded - is also important on several stages. Verify the individual who you hire knows just how to plan and assemble an excellent merchandise for you personally. In any other case, you'll probably be confronted by moving right on through the complete process yet again at a quick time period as soon as you comprehend that your internet site does you more harm than good by turning away your clients rather than bringing them!

[fanfictionlive]

not my cup of tea/recurring themes that i find irksome

first and foremost, one of the things i love about this subreddit is that there’s a space for venting even if an opinion is a minority. i can relate to some posts i’ve seen. for those that i don’t agree with or feel indifferent about, it gives me a different perspective to consider.

i’m quite nervous how some people will take this but here we go.

scrolling through the fics of a certain ship fandom, looking for a content that is to my liking (which, obviously, failed), i realized that these are recurring themes that i find irksome and makes me facepalm:

i don’t have a problem with people using fanfiction as a means to not-so-subtly talk about mental health issues and queer struggles (this isn’t me not acknowledging that it happen in reality, stigmatizing it, or being homophobic and apathetic to their struggle and under representation, pls don’t twist it that way). i’m just sick of constantly seeing fics (for this particular ship) loaded with mental health issues and queer struggles-related tags, and using it as a plot device. in other words, i’m simply fed up of the lack of variety and find these repetitive themes overrated.

what’s even worse is when the author’s just simply projecting personal issues to the character. at some point, admittedly, we, as writers, may have projected ourselves to an established character—our goals, behavior, mannerisms, even our deeply repressed desires. i get that. but personally, no matter how good the plot and the writing is, i get demotivated to continue reading a fic when it gives the impression or when i begin to feel that it’s not the character’s POV anymore but more like the author’s inner turmoil that i’m reading.

i also cannot enjoy social media AU (i.e., fake chat fics, fake twt thread, and whatnot) the same way i enjoy reading concise incorrect quotes. either i just can’t find a good fic formatted that way (and one that does not bring inward cringe) or it’s just not working for me at all.

lastly, reading a fic only to realize halfway that it’s just a complete iteration of an arc or the whole series is so frustrating (and it didn’t even go to the direction you want it to—double whammy—although, ofc, a reader does not have control over that. just feels unsatisfying, is all).

submitted by /u/nanahigeki [link] [comments] from FanFiction: Where Magical Ponies battle Imperial Titans https://ift.tt/37vdaNU

[studyfeather]

I just wanted to say I love your bullet journal and ask if you have any tips for starting a tumblr in general. I've seen your studyblr intro/advice post and it was so helpful to me, but I'm just starting my studyblr and already a bit lost as to how to navigate everything. Thanks in advance!

Hey there! (and omg you’re so sweet lskdjflk) I’m not the greatest when it comes to tumblr, but hopefully I can still help you out! I’ll share some navigation tips and some starting tumblr advice!

➸ Starting a Tumblr

Make a memorable username

The more memorable and simple your username, the better! 

Alongside this, a lot of people may associate you with your icon! So it can be disconcerting to some if your icon changes frequently. 

It’s also best if you stick to one username. You are able to change your username, but if anyone takes your previous username, they may think it is you. (But if you do change your username, make sure your followers know about it!)

Find/make a desktop theme that is user friendly, and pleasant to look at.

There’s nothing more frustrating (to me) to come across a blog that, no matter how much I try, I can’t seem to navigate it well. Or, if a blog has a displeasing color combination.

Usually I like to see a search bar, a navigation bar, a clean theme, and a place where I can easily see how to go to the next page.

It’s even better if your theme matches what type of blog you’re running, or some of your big interests.

As you’re running a studyblr, I’ve found that lights, whites, and pastels with a minimal layout tend to be the norm.

Remain active

The best way for anyone to get the most out of their tumblr experience is to remain active. Reach out to others with similar interests, add comments to a thread, post original content, etc. 

People WANT to follow other people who will be active. See it this way - it may be better to follow 5 active people, than 10 inactive people. 

Interact with your followers. Host giveaways (if you can afford it), do blog compliments or blog rates. Ask questions or something to get some sort of feedback.

Maintain some sort of vibe that people know you are approachable! And kind! 

Be sure to tag your posts

The best way for your blog and your content to be noticed, is to tag your posts with relevant search terms.

Quite a bit of people won’t use tags by way of people to find their posts. Instead, it will also be a place to add additional information, personal feelings, rants, if it’s a tangent to what the post is about, etc. Sometimes it can be important to read what others have to say in the tags.

��� Navigating Tumblr

Honestly, as a major tip, making sure you become familiar with how tumblr works. Settings (and how to change your settings), how to make posts, tag usage, themes, etc - and be sure to make use of it. I’ll share some tumblr basics.

Disclaimer: I use Windows 10 for desktop, and have an Android phone, so some things I say might not be cohesive. I’m also no tumblr master (and have googled how to do things more than I’d like to admit OTL) For the most part, I will be describing how to do things on a computer, and not on mobile - unless specified otherwise.

➸ Tumblr on a Computer

Let’s start with the super basics - the bar in the top right hand corner.

Dashboard

This is where you can see the content from the people you follow. What they post and what they reblog. If you follow tags, they will occasionally show up (and will specify somewhere if they are from a tag you follow - and not from a blog you follow). 

The dashboard is what you are defaulted to when you type “tumblr.com” - if you’re logged in, that is. 

There will be a number that pops up above the dashboard icon. This number tells you there’s x amount of posts that people you follow have reblogged/made you haven’t seen yet. You can refresh your dashboard by pressing the icon, and it will bring you to the top.

Explore

The explore will lead you to a separate page. This will give you different options for you to explore a little bit more with posts that are more tailored to you. I haven’t used this tab, but it can be a good way to find more of what’s out there.

Inbox

This is where you will find all of your asks. A number will pop up if you have new asks, but the number will disappear if you have seen it. (So even if you have not answered the ask but have seen it, the number won’t stay - but you can still access the ask, ofc.)

If you have multiple blogs for one account, you can access asks for each blog separately, or all together (option to do so will be on the right).

If you want to add tags to your asks, you can do the following:

Post your answer and later edit the post, adding tags.

Hold alt down - this will turn the “answer privately” option into a “save as draft” option. Go to your drafts (account -> drafts). Edit post, add tags, post. 

Messaging

Tumblr’s way of insant messaging! It keeps track of all the people you’ve messaged, and is a way for you to start a new conversation (messaging -> new message). 

If you have a new message, a number will appear on the message icon, and will disappear once you’ve viewed it.

If you do talk to people on your computer, their icons will show up on the right and will stack up on the right side of your screen. You don’t have to have it up (just click x on the messaging box once it’s pulled up), but it can be a super quick way to frequently message someone!

Activity

This is how you will see all the activity that involves you, what you’ve reblogged (if it’s been reblogged from you, that is), asks, etc. If you click the activity icon, you’ll see a little bit of your activity. 

If you click the “see everything” option at the bottom, you’ll be directed to a different page, where you can scroll down and see more of your activity. You will also see some more information you can mess around with.

You may notice some activity will be highlighted in different colors.

blue = people who you follow

purple = you’ve been tagged/mentioned

You can also see if people have added a caption and what they said. (not sure how to describe it though, but the notification will the thicker, have a bar beside what they’ve said).

You will also see what each activity notice is, and it will show in the user’s icon in the bottom right.

red/heart = like

green/arrows = reblog

blue/+ = follow

blue/speech bubble = comment on a post

purple/@ = tagged/mentioned

black/? = ask received

black/curved arrow = ask answered (you’ll only receive this if you ask publicly. if you ask anonymously, you won’t get a notification)

Account

This is where you can find different information concerning your account and some quick links.

Access your likes

See who you’re following

Settings

Help Center 

See what you’ve posted on your blog (does not take you to your page)

Your followers

Activity

Drafts

Queue

Click here to manage queue options and see what is in your queue.

Edit appearance

Side blogs

Make a Post

It’s just as it says - this is where you go when you want to make a post. You will be given seven different options. You have seven different options to optimize how to share your content.  (I don’t really use any option other than the text/photo - so I apologize if anything I say is incorrect)

Text

You can see different options how to to customize your text. You can have a title, header, bold, italicize, add links, make bullets, etc. If you highlight your intended text, you will find different options that will pop up. You can do that, OR type in the format manually. Here’s a guide that may help you:

@/unwrapping’s text formatting guide

Photo

Use this to add photos from your computer, or add a photo using an image url. 

You can also add a photo (from your device) if you see a + on the side of your post. Click that, and you’ll have even more options, including adding a photo.

To add a photo from the web, you can also copy/paste the image. Where you would like it. 

Quote

This will automatically add quotation marks, and give you a place where to supply the quote’s source.

Link

Share any link. Typically to an external source.

Chat

Uses a different font than a normal text post, meant to mimic a conversation. 

Audio

Share a song via url.

Video

Upload a video, or share a video from online.

Now to the top left - the search bar.

Search Bar

As it says, this is what allows you to search tumblr. 

Tumblr runs on tags. When you add a tag to an original post, this allows for it to be searchable. If anyone searches that tag, your post will end up somewhere. 

To track a tag, enter something in the search bar. There will be an option beside it that says “follow.” Click that.

If you track tags, they will show up once you begin typing. You can easily find your tracked tags this way!

You can also search for tumblr accounts by searching their usernames, and they will appear at the top.

The tumblr logo on the side will lead you to your dashboard.

➸ Give yourself a URL, icon, and theme!

URLs

You can change your url/username at any given time, and how ever many times you want. To change your url:

On desktop: Go to account -> edit apperance -> click your blog on the side (it will be on the right hand side, under the separate settings tabs) -> username. You’ll see a pencil on the right beside your url, and there you can change it. 

Your old url will be locked (meaning no one else can use that url) for 24 hours - but after that, anyone can take it. If you don’t want anyone to use your old url, you can always make a sideblog and leave it unattended. 

If you want to see your blog, simply type (username here).tumblr.com - i.e. mine would be studyfeather.tumblr.com. If you know someone’s tumblr username (their url), you can easily find their blog by using this method. You can also use this method to see if anyone has a username you want.

Icon

To set an icon for yourself (and how to change it) go to account -> edit apperance -> click blog on right side (as described in the url section) -> edit appearance. Click the pencil that’s on top of your icon.

You will also have the option to give your icon a circle or a square shape - whichever you like best!

Theme

Desktop Theme:

In order to give yourself a desktop theme, as far as I’m aware, you’ll need access to a computer. Go to your tumblr page. You’ll see in the top right corner a button that says “edit theme.” OR you can go to account -> edit appearance -> your blog -> website theme -> edit theme.

Here you can browse themes, make a customizable theme, edit your theme, add pages, etc. 

There will be a bunch of themes that you can find by browsing themes (as described above) but … it honestly won’t give you many options you might like (and some you have to purchase). Here’s some other places you can go to to find themes:

@theme-hunter 

@neonbikethemes

Here you can find more free tumblr themes - but be sure to follow their rules/terms of service/guidelines/etc.

You can also find themes (or blogs that share themes) by searching tumblr.

If you want to learn how to code tumblr themes, @buildthemes​ helps teach how. 

Mobile Theme:

Your mobile theme and desktop theme are two separate things. One is what will be seen on mobile, the other on desktop. To change your mobile theme (on desktop) go to:

account -> edit appearance -> select blog -> edit appearance. 

Here you can change your banner image, icon image, background color, and choose an accent color. This will be what other’s will see when they come across your 

➸ Settings

Go through your settings and be thorough in doing so. Find settings by clicking account -> settings. You have settings for: your account, dashboard, notifications, apps, labs, your blogs. Make sure everything is how you see fit.

➸ Finding your way around other people’s blogs

You’re wanting to send an ask but … you can’t find their ask page?

Type in the following: username.tumblr.com/ask . If their asks are closed, nothing may show up. 

You’re wanting to search something but … there’s no search bar?

You can search their blog using a url instead! For instance, if you wanted to search for my original content on my blog, you can find it by typing studyfeather.tumblr.com/tagged/featherpost ! the /tagged allows for you to earch for a tag. 

If you are searching for something with a space, a “_” (an underscore) serves as a space. For example: studyfeather.tumblr.com/tagged/monthly_spread

Want a quicker way to look at a blog?

Type username.tumblr.com/archive . This will show you all that user has posted and reblogged with some sort of image or cropped text, posts being separated by months. Can be pretty convenient when trying to find something you only remember distantly. 

➸ Become familiar with ways you can access tumblr, and how each device works best for you

Once you become familiar with tumblr on one device, make sure you know how to access everything you need on other devices as well. (imo) Each device has its pros and cons - but if I had to choose, I would say a desktop/laptop as my #1 choice.

Laptop

I use my laptop mainly to make posts (I’ve found making posts elsewhere can be screwy), access posts I’ve been mentioned in, or posts to comment on. I also prefer answering any messages here!

Phone

I use my phone when I’m on the go, and, for the most part, reblog everything using my phone (add tags, and add to my queue, and check my tracked tags). 

Other Devices

I don’t have any other devices, but that shouldn’t limit you either. Work with whatever suits you best!

Hope this helps? Honestly, it takes a little bit of roaming and messing around to get the hang of things, in my opinion. But best of luck Meg, you’re going to do great! ^7

[fivewrites]

5557 Reviews Your Fanfic #3:  Soul of a New Machine by StygianLotus

Hello, friends, I am 5557 on Ao3 and I review your fanfiction if you want me to.

Soul of a New Machine by  @stygianlotus

Summary:

Lance had been living the same cycle of events over and over since he got captured by the Galra. After seven months with Haggar, the other Paladins finally manage to save him. However, they soon realize that Lance's wounds run much deeper than they had hoped.

Rating: M

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence

Tags: Psychological Torture, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Psychological Trauma, Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Coran helps Lance, Langst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Angst, Post-Defeat of Zarkon, Post Season 2, Flashbacks, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, poor lance

Optional info:

Is English your first language? Yes How long have you been writing for? 4 years Are you 18+? No Do you want publish / write professionally one day? Maybe

Technical Style / Formatting: Paragraphs are of a good size.

Quotes and dialogue are all correct, punctuation is used correctly.

I find parenthesis to be unnecessary in fiction, but they are still used correctly.

Could use a bit of dialogue attribution switch-ups (Lance said vs. said Lance) here and there, but that’s a very small thing.

The second chapter’s flashback doesn’t need to be entirely in italics, but it’s ok.

Pace: The pace is affected by the problem of the mixed-omniscient narrator.

The biggest core problem in the story, and one that is at the root of all others like the confusing sentence structure is: Who is our narrator and what does our narrator know?

In some paragraphs, is seems like we have an unreliable, deep-pov narrator that keeps us well inside of Lance’s head. In other paragraphs, the narrator informs us in a more omniscient way of information that Lance himself does not know. And inconsistence narrator can lead to plot and characterization problems, as well and issues with general prose flow and how the story progresses.

We need to establish solidly who the narrator is (is it a detached voice of lance, or an outside figure?) and what exactly they know. Do they know A) everything about everyone, all the time? (omniscient) B) Everything about lance and only Lance (Limited omniscient) or C) Some things about Lance, but not everything (Unreliable non-omniscient)

Establishing this will help with the confusing sentence structure and set the pace and tone of the story so the reader can understand what’s going on (even with limited information) and progress.

Dialogue: The dialogue is fairly good, and I appreciate the fact that the team care about Lance and want him to feel safe and welcome back on the team.

Once we solve the narration problem, the dialogue will fit the story that much better.

Characterization: So far, characterization isn’t too much of a problem, but with huge, personality-changing events such as capture and torture, it’s really important to research trauma and how is can affect a person. It’s up to you to decide how lance’s behaviour deals with his trauma, whether he chooses to smile through it and pretend nothing is wrong, or like in your story actually show that he has been deeply affected.

It’s not wrong for Lance’s personality to change from an extreme situation. I think it would be wrong to write him as the exact same person he was before his capture, but I also want to stress that he is not 100% a new person. There are and will always be fragments of the old person there, and they will have good days where they are able to laugh and joke and have  a good time. It’s about finding the balance of depth.

For research, I would really recommend watching the movie Room (2016) about the 5-year-old child who grew up in captivity with his mother. This movie does an amazing job of showing that even in a dire situation, they are able to be sane and smart. It also shows that they are not immune to breaking down and falling apart. Both are true, and that is what makes the story so powerful.

Flow / Prose Style:

Try to find and remove extraneous filler words like was and had. As well, look for text written in the passive voice, and try to edit it to become more active.

“The cup was picked up by Lance.” - Passive “Lance picked up the cup.” - Active

I think I understand what you’re going for in the beginning, so I’m going to make a few assumptions.

The opening fades in like a person coming into consciousness after being knocked out- blurry, unclear, unable to pin facts and details and people. This is an appropriate way to open a thriller / angst story, no problems there.

My advice for a choice like this is that as an author you need to be very careful and specific about what you make clear and what you make hazy.

Too clear, and you don’t get the desired effect.

Too hazy and your readers are confused and bored because they can’t understand enough

So when you’re doing a style like this, be very careful about who knows what, and who is being mentioned. If you turn too many names into epithets or pronouns (he or she) we very easily lose track of what the narrator is referring to.

“He remembered Allura ordering for them to attack him, remembered Hunk being the one to do it while Lance was still restrained.”

This sentences contains two “he’s” and the second one is unclear as to who it’s referring to. We could use clarity by saying “Lance remembered Allura ordering for them to attack him, remembered Hunk being the one to do it while he was still restrained.”

“How could they still act like they were best friends after everything that had happened?”

And here, it’s slightly unclear as to who the “they” is referring to. Lance and Hunk? Lance and the rest of the paladins? Hunk and the rest of the paladins? etc.

For someone who is english as first language, some of the phrasing is… odd. It’s not exactly passive voice, nor is it grammatically incorrect, but it attributes action and intention to the wrong symbol of importance.

Like PutTING the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLAble. It’s not incorrect, but it it is jarring.

““Hey, Lance?” The sudden voice jerked Lance out of his thoughts, looking up quickly like he had gotten used to doing.”

The second part of the sentence says that it’s the voice, not lance, that looked up quickly.

“Keith’s face made Lance take an involuntary step back, watching him cautiously.”

This is also odd phrasing that leads to odd mental image. It’s like Keith is pressing Lance around physically… with his face. Keith’s face doesn’t really make anyone do anything unless he’s physically using it. The way it’s described currently gives keith’s face, and not keith himself the agency and importance.

At the very end of the sentence, it’s unclear whether it’s Keith’s face or Lance that is doing the watching cautiously.

I get the idea of the scene, but the phrases used to describe the action are odd. So when the common thread of concern is confusing sentence structure, it’s often a good time to go back to the basics and start from the bottom. try to rewrite sentences three times and pick the best one you like. this can also help stimulate new ideas and new ways of phrasing.

Parenthesis tend to be aside thoughts. Find a way to integrate them into their own sentence or paragraph. Also, things said in parenthesis tend to come across as comedic, so it helps the tone of the serious story to try to minimize them.

The same goes for but / although additions to sentences. Decide if they deserve their own new sentence or paragraph or if that information really needs to be told to the reader at all.

Beware when using epithets. “The blue paladin” sounds cold and unsympathetic. If you want readers to attach themselves, use names.

Story:

There’s a lack of impact in the initial chapter because we are told snippets of Lance’s experiences, but rather than holding it as a mystery, or exploring it in more depth, these things come across like an informative list rather than a story.

Each event and experience that lance has faced, while impactful on its own, loses impact when strung together with the other pieces that come across as list-like.

There are two options of exploring lance’s experiences, and this will come down to how you choose to narrate the story, and it’s this: Do you want Lance to be the POV character or not?

If you make lance the poc character, you can explore all of his thoughts and memories of the events of his capture. It would be an internal tale, and explore him learning to communicate with his team once again.

Or, you could make Keith the POV character, and write more of a “medical mystery / crime procedural” type story, where the team slowly learns of the events that happened to Lance and how deep they go. (this does not have to be a klance fic or romantic at all if you choose to make keith the POV. He’s just the narrator who cares about his friend)

The flaws in the first couple of chapters are a little counterintuitive. The story seems a bit rushed, and one would assume that it’s under explained. I think the opposite is true. It’s over explained, trying to catch us up as quickly as possible to everything that has happened to Lance.

What would make the story more interesting would be to let each event breathe a bit, and explore more of Lance’s sensory reactions and his dialogue with his team than simply stating what happened to him and what went wrong. Show us Lance’s flightiness and mistrust instead of telling us about his torture.

The first chapter could use a bit more environmental description. Where do they go in the lions? How far? When?

The second chapter where Keith is rescuing Lance is fairly straightforward a good, we just need to decide on a main narrator and stick to them.

“Keith wished that he knew how to help, really – it was frustrating to all of them. They wanted to be able to help, but Lance wouldn’t let them in. He still kept everything inside, as he usually did, they’d learned. Lance was the type to bottle up his emotions because he was worried they’d hold someone back.”

This would be a great opportunity to show us Lance’s mistrust instead of telling us. What are his actions? His reactions? What does he do, specifically?

“Coran wished that he could see what was going on inside of Lance’s head so that he could help him.”

This comes across as odd and weak because we as readers can see inside of lance’s head. We were told lots of things by the story, so there’s no surprise or mystery. We feel smarter than Coran, rather than on his level.

The story really starts to take shape in the third chapter, and I really like that Coran is both a main part of the story and well-characterized. But the POV / narration problems are of prime concern. Once we figure these out, it will start to flow much more smoothly and be much more engaging to read!

[aprilpillkington]

14 Spectacular Facts About Federal Contractors

Government contracts are a personal business that produces goods and services for public federal government companies. Contractors end up being used by the government by winning agreements that are out for bid. Government contractors are able to win agreements by submitting the most affordable expense bid in action to a proposition, which is required by law. Much like government firms, federal government contractors been available in all different sizes. Larger business will seek out government contracts in the 10s of countless dollars. These bigger corporations will generally bid on federal projects, however they are also thinking about state and local contracts. Smaller sized business usually look for smaller sized contracts that finest match their business certifications and scope of work. With more restricted resources, smaller companies will tend to seek out state and more localized agreements. So how does one go about ending up being government contracts? The procedure can differ for every single company depending on what state the business lies. Each state has differing processes and treatments to becoming a registered vendor, so inspecting first with your state, county and city procurement workplace is the initial step. Once you are a signed up supplier it becomes a matter of being aware that a federal government contract is out there. For many purchases above $25,000, the Federal government releases what they are going to buy and the bidding is open to the public. If you see a task that is right in your wheelhouse, it is best to present your best propositions and offer it a shot. While there are many procedural elements that require to be considered, getting your foot in the door is the significant primary step.

Each year, the government awards numerous billions of dollars in federal contracts to services to fulfill the requirements of federal companies and the armed force. The federal government’s objective is to award at least 23 percent of those agreements to small companies. To sell your service or products to the federal government, your service needs to fulfill particular requirements. Although the contracting procedure can seem complicated and frustrating at first, the government contractors offers lots of info and pointers to help you find out to compete as a federal contractor. Discover Sources of Federal Contracts There are a number of various methods you can discover opportunities to do organisation with federal firms and the armed force. You can utilize these resources to get a sense of the federal marketplace for the services or products your business offers. Browse the Contracting Opportunity Finder. It’s tailored to organisations new to federal contracting. Sign up for notifications from and search the FedBizOpps database of federal contracting opportunities. Enter into the General Solutions Administration (GSA) Schedules Program. Discover agreements through specific companies’ Workplaces of Little and Disadvantaged Company Usage. Become a subcontractor by working for another business that already has a contract with the federal government. This is a good way to present your company to contracting with the federal government and to construct a track record of success. Prepare Your Business for Federal Contracting in 8 Actions Make sure you read through all of the steps in the list prior to getting to work. This will assist you comprehend your timeline and what to anticipate from the procedure. You might also pick to reorder these steps to fit the specific requirements and timing of your work.

How to get contractor license?

Pick your license class. In lots of locations, you should obtain a contractor’s license of a particular class. Choose a specialized, if wanted. Name and register your business. Pass the contractor’s evaluation. Purchase insurance coverage and a bond, if required. Pass a background check. Choose if federal contracting is a good concept for your business. Think about aspects consisting of whether your business has adequate time and resources to buy the procedure. GSA’s Vendor Toolbox can assist you decide. Research study the need and rates for your product or service within the government contracts. Determine demand for your products or service with the Contracting Opportunity Finder, FedBizOpps, or the GSA Projection of Contracting Opportunities Tool. And use the Contract-Awarded Labor Category (CALC) site to get a concept of hourly labor rates in federal contracts. Avoid expensive mistakes and possible legal problems by researching the policies and laws for federal contractors. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers resources that can assist you find out about the responsibilities of federal contractors. You can likewise call a Procurement Center Agent (PCR) for help and therapy. Produce a service plan. It should include a marketing plan, staffing details, and a computation of just how much cash you anticipate your service to acquire from the contract. Look up the North American Market Category System (NAICS) code for your market. You must know your six-digit NAICS code to contend for federal agreements. Determine whether your business is eligible for any special labels (set-aside types) or programs. If so, you can complete for extra contracts that are “set aside” by the government contractors for small and/or disadvantaged services. You may also get preferential treatment when contending for agreements, depending upon the specific set-aside type( s) you qualify for. Register for a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) code. You need to have a nine-digit DUNS code to complete for federal agreements. The federal government uses this code to track your business’s credit record. This system is managed by Dun & Bradstreet, which is a private company. Registration is totally free for federal contractors. Register in the System for Award Management (SAM). You should have a SAM account to contend for federal contracts. The federal government uses this system to store information about your service, consisting of certifications, so it is necessary to keep your SAM profile upgraded. Registration is free. Keep in mind: While finding out about contracting, you might see information online about the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), nevertheless, this system was changed by SAM. Presently, contractors just require to sign up in SAM. How to Bid on a Federal Federal Government Contract Solicitation As soon as you’ve finished the steps to get your company all set for federal contracting, you can start the actions for searching for and reacting to contracting opportunities. To discover a federal contracting chance that’s a strong match with the services and products your organisation is prepared to use, start your search with the Contracting Chance Finder. This tool is geared to businesses brand-new to federal contracting. You can also look for contracting opportunities that are published through private companies or on FedBizOpps, which permits you to sign up to get notifications when opportunities that match your business products or services are published. Check out all of the paperwork about the contracting opportunity really thoroughly. Every chance is various and reading all of the information is very essential so you’ll comprehend the requirements. Make certain you’re responding to a solicitation rather than a presolicitation, which is often simply an ask for information and not really a request for deals. If you need assistance understanding what specific contracting terms imply, visit the Contracting Chance Finder glossary. Ask questions– don’t guess. Prior to you submit your product, get your questions answered by reaching out to the company contact person noted in the solicitation, or a Procurement Center Representative. Submit the requested types and technical, past performance, and rates details in the appropriate format by following the instructions in the solicitation. (Just the individual legally licensed to participate in contracts for your organisation must sign kinds.). Prepare to negotiate your finest deal with the government contracts. Make sure you understand the prices you consisted of in your offer and have a strong understanding of the requirements listed in the solicitation.

A federal agency may reject or seek information on your submission if it is incorrect, uncertain, insufficient, or late. Many contract submissions are not successful for these reasons. Offer your company its finest opportunity by reacting to the solicitation on time and correctly the very first time. After You Send a Deal

The federal government usually takes 30 to 120 days to evaluate submissions. A Contracting Officer (CO) deals with each review. Generally, contracts are awarded based upon several factors, consisting of How accountable and responsive a company is How technically acceptable a proposal is Past efficiency recommendations Rates and terms of the proposition As soon as your deal is reviewed, you will receive a reaction from the federal government. The response might let you understand your deal has actually been accepted or declined, it could be a demand to arrange a conference to work out terms, or it could be an ask for more details. If you do not get a response from the government contracts within three months, connect to the contact person listed in the solicitation.

What do federal government contractors do?

A government contractor is a private business that produces items and services for public federal government agencies. Contractors end up being utilized by the federal government by winning agreements that are out for quote. … Much like government firms, federal government contractors been available in all different sizes. Not every government job is done by a government employee; significantly, federal and state federal government works with a Government Contractor from the economic sector. The thinking is simple: there is a belief that private business can do the work faster and better at a lower expense. In fact, Daniel Moynihan once said, “The single most exciting thing you come across in government is competence, due to the fact that it’s so rare.” So, what is associated with being a contractor for government jobs? The contractors we are talking about own companies doing whatever from construction to managing security. Contracting has been around considering that the 1980s but in the past years it has actually ended up being a pattern. This contracting is likewise referred to as privatization or as outsourcing and is due, in part, to increased government boondoggle, or “red tape.” Federal governments tend to employ people to employ people to work with people. This contracting is likewise described as privatization, or as outsourcing. A study commissioned by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie found that privatization of specific state government contractors saved the state in excess of $210 million, according to the website LGI. West Virginia turned its Employees’ Compensation firm into a private insurance agency in 2005. Rates decreased by almost 30 percent. On the other hand, Texas relied on outsourcing for its information control and emergency situation retrieval. The state awarded a private business a seven-year contract worth about $863 million. The offer broke down due to under-staffing and “careless service.” Because most private and public corporations count on computer system service, the down-time was devastating. The answer to this question appears to be that state and city governments can privatize agencies and contract individual jobs, but they have to keep oversight. That implies continually keeping an eye on quality and cost. In addition, there need to be an initial cost-effectiveness study that becomes a working plan. Why is the tail end of that statement important? The answer to this is again, federal government boondoggle. In Colorado, for instance, a cost-effectiveness research study was done for constructing a brand-new veteran’s hospital. The facility was to be incorporated into an existing task at a likely cost of around $200 million. A contractor started building and construction but, after years of delay, the federal government had actually morphed the advancement into a stand-alone hospital with an increasing expense of more than $800 million and the courts are considering enabling the contractor to ignore the project. Oversight and cost-and-effectiveness studies are important, however federal governments need to “stay the course” for contracting to show effective and cost-saving. That Colorado problem is not agent of all government privatization. Federal government agreements can be financially rewarding for personal companies. The site Stable Job.com points out that the wage for government-hired employees is generally high. In fact, the typical pay for an employee is $55,000 and can reach $90,000. Business and employees can be sure they will be paid. Payment, however, can be slow in coming. It is also in some cases challenging to fulfill federal government credentials for a job. There isn’t a great deal of job security in federal government contract jobs: once they are completed the contract is terminated but, if you do good work, there is a high possibility of repeat hire. The other disadvantage for contract employees is that, given that they are not really civil servant, they do not have the very same benefit package. Federal government is growing and increased intricacy typically leads to locations of overlapping tasks and indecision. The trend towards privatization makes good sense. The Government Contractor is likely to be in demand for some time to come.

Check out a federal company and you may never know some workers are civil servant and some are contractors. The two often work side by side, and lots of contractors work under the direct management of federal jobs managers. Some of individuals working for contracting business wish for a government job, but numerous state they wouldn’t think about giving up their contracting status. An Option to Government A lot of people desire federal jobs however there’s more demand than supply, according to NJ.com. In fact landing a government position is often a long, arduous and tiresome procedure. It’s typically quicker and easier to get a job with a federal government contracting business. Mike Borgia, a production operations supervisor at Boeing, recommends in ClearanceJobs.com that defense contractors will employ you on the spot, no documentation, no waiting, if you have what the business want. A Different Method

Working for a contracting business does not have to be an option to federal employment; it can be an alternate means of achieving that objective. Contract positions supply a chance to acquire valuable experience, and lots of contract staff members are eventually offered government positions. Even when deals are forthcoming, it’s often easier to transition from contracting to federal employment, than it is for an outside candidate to get a job with no appropriate experience.

How to end up being a government contractor?

Look for smaller state and regional agreements. Research government agencies. Network within government contracting and procurement programs. … Go to government agency events. Find a mentor. Train your team. Market towards federal government agencies. An Appealing Package Many people find working for contracting companies to be rather attractive because they tend to pay well. Contractors generally make more than the government workers by their sides. On average, contractors with a security clearance earned $15,000 more than their federal government coworkers, according to a 2011 ClearanceJobs income study. Contractors’ incomes are typically enhanced with an attractive advantages bundle, including paid time off, budget-friendly medical insurance and retirement advantages. Get ready for Criticism Working for a contracting company can require tough skin. Contract workers frequently claim there’s no sense of friendship. They state government workers look down on them, make their jobs more difficult, enforce higher standards and often even try to get them fired. Contracting positions are also slammed by many members of the public who argue that contractors are overpaid and the government shouldn’t contract out numerous jobs. Not Danger Free Working for a contracting business likewise involves some dangers. In October 2013, the government partly closed down for over 2 weeks. Congress approved back pay for furloughed government workers, however not for contractors. Whether or not they earned money was left approximately their employers, who would not be repaid. There’s also less overall job security for contractors due to risks such as budget plan cuts and the lack of assignments at the conclusion of a contract. But lots of people accept that that’s simply the way it goes. Compensation In general, federal contractors can expect to be paid more than government workers doing the exact same job. However, given that contractors are not government employees, you will not get the generous benefits for which full-time government workers are eligible. If you own a small company and you’re thinking about obtaining a government contract, you can expect to receive reasonable market settlement or much better– but you will be taking on other vendors who send bids for the job.

Luckily, you can find out precisely just how much the federal government has paid for similar jobs in the past by browsing the Federal Procurement Data System. (Unlike economic sector customers, the federal government shares its spending history. After all, it’s funded by taxpayers– so they figure you have a right to know just how much you invested.). Flexibility. If you like the concept of working for the world’s largest employer, however do not want to be used by the federal government full-time, contracting can be a great way to go. You do need to abide by the regards to your government contract. Nevertheless, once the work is over, you can select to end your company relationship with the government if you choose it’s not for you. Or, you may want to court business of a various government agency. The flexibility of federal government contracting, compared to full-time government work, lets you test the waters of performing government work, with fairly little danger. Free Resources. The federal government wants to deal with small businesses– and you’ll discover a bunch of online resources readily available to help you navigate the procedure of government contracting. For starters, try the Federal Organisation Opportunities website, the Government Contracting Small Business Advancement Center (SBDC), and https://www.fbo.gov. Opportunities for Unique Classification Businesses. Are you a Woman-Owned Small Companies, Small Disadvantaged Service, or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses? These are just a few of the special classifications that can certify you for favored factor to consider when applying for government contracting jobs. Find out more by visiting the website for the Workplace of Small and Disadvantaged Service Usage. Exceptional Payment History. The federal government has a high credit ranking, and a strong history of paying its expenses. For small businesses, this is a big benefit, offering dependable cash flow.

14 Spectacular Facts About Federal Contractors published first on https://the4th3rd.tumblr.com

[holytheoristtastemaker]

Just as much as the website design is a crucial part of your business, designing a web form is important too. What people don’t know is that the process, much crucial information about the users is gatherable with the help of well-designed website forms. It makes the process of understanding your clientele easier and more efficient. Essentially, the whole process is a win-win situation for both sides. But sadly, not many people have the basic knowledge of designing a web form. An effective web form is aesthetically pleasing and yet serves the purpose of creation. While designing a website, web forms are often the last bit to work on. But that shouldn’t be the case since web forms are a great strategy to pull out information of the client and study the analytics of the situation as well. It is the most frequent interaction of the user with the website. While most of the people are unaware of what a web form is, we would like to share the basics, as well as the, don’t do’s of web form design. But before jumping into what should be kept in mind while designing the forms, let us try to understand their importance. Web forms can be in various forms – check out forms, registration forms, pop-ups, etc., here is what website forms are. What are Website Forms? To put it in simple words, a website form is a type of online supplement that requires the input from the user’s end. Just like a necessary document that we fill out for all official purposes, a web form requires for the users to put in particular details that might be crucial to access the website. Many businesses willingly chose to input website forms on their websites to make sure they receive data about the customers and build a database that could profit them in the longer run. In simple words, a web form is an extension for web development. To make things easier, PHP web development also offers a framework for the development purposes that can be a foundation to build web forms, pages as well as full websites. So to say, it is always an option to hire PHP web developers to help you design forms in case you wish to more professional and technically sound with the development. Based on the elementary concept of designing easy and efficient web forms, it is essential to keep track of what are the don’ts in the process. While designing a web form might be a simple task, to make it technically sound, some points have to be kept in mind. In this article, we’ll go through these don’ts and sum up for what makes a good web form. 1. Information overload: It is a simple thing to keep in mind that everybody’s time is super valuable. To be wasting it by answering irrelevant and unnecessary questions. If a minimum of two fields (say, for example, name and email address) is required for a particular set, do not overburden the form with telephone number, address and fields which might not be necessary. Instead, use something called progressive profiling. This ensures that you add multiple questions after the customer or user has been through the website form more than a couple of times. Make sure the way of asking for information isn’t misleading either. A user shouldn’t feel like he or she is only interrogated for marketing purposes. They should feel like being a part of the system, and this is done using intriguing catchphrases. In case you are filing a request for a budget or a quote, you can start by asking questions that relate to the challenges, timelines as well as expectations before asking last name or address. 2. Label Placement: It is a given that you must ensure the form field labels are correctly placed.  This way the customers aren’t misled or confused as what information is needed. Left-aligned labels are a hassle to keep up for users after they begin finishing up with a form. Most phone devices can zoom in on the field once the user starts to type, which in return hides out all the labels that align on the left. This method makes sure that the user zooms out every time they need to move to the next input. A more reliable solution is to use responsive queries that align the labels to the top on mobile and yet right-aligned on the view for desktop. This also is a try in the direction of making the labels bold to ensure more prominence over the input fields. 3. Placeholders are the new Labels! “Placeholder” attribute is a new addition to the input fields given by HTML5. This ensures a small hint as to the expected value or amount of field. The placeholder text is pre-coded in the field before a user tries to enter authentic information. It disappears when a user starts to type in the value. This technique is now widely used by many web designers. It helps eliminate labels and make placeholders as the new labels in the input fields. This method ensures clean designs, but it does leave a considerate amount of sacrifice on the user experience. Placeholders are a liability in situations where a user becomes unsure of the value, method or format that had to be entered. For reviewing the placeholder text, the user can only do so by refreshing the page. This results in losing all the entered data. It becomes a tedious and recurring process that guarantees the loss of attention from the user and eventually, drives users away. One compromise to overcome the issue is to hide the labels (using CSS). Also only show them after the user makes one of the input fields active. For example, Shopify is one such platform that provides a solution to this issue. It hides labels and then allows the users to see them once a particular input field is live. 4. Layout and Spacing: An excellent visual flow is necessary to provide ample space around fields and sections. This makes the design cleaner and more understandable. Grouping also matters a lot when designing website forms. It helps to make sure you have sections in the form that ensure easy readability. They make the forms more responsive. For example, first and last name can be grouped with a phone number, email address as well as address under a standard heading “Contact Information”. This gives a proper context to the fields that have is requested and highlight the urgency of the label. To organize the form in a better manner, make use of dotted lines or solid lines. This would help separate the various headings and groups from labels. A two-column layout for a form is always a good option. This works in a tricky way; in a sense, you can add all the labels and input fields on the left and the clickable submit buttons on the right side. This shall ensure that people don’t miss out on information that had to be filled out and submitted by looking at the second column. Furthermore, the buttons can be colour-coded to make it easier to spot the fields that are left to fill. 5. Error Messages and Misleading Validation: Coming across frequent errors might hurt or frustrate the users. An error might occur when the user might forget to fill a particular field. Moreover, they might fill the wrong format of information into the input fields. For example, an email address instead of a phone number. To make sure this issue is fought rightly, display error message around the input field so that the user is aware of the fact that there has been some mistake on their part of the submission. Use star marks, or colours, lines and borders to highlight the error fields to avoid any kind of unhappy users. Make sure to have a suggestion in the field area describing why the input is incorrect and what a correct entry might look like. 6. Captchas: Form spam is a frustrating affairfor website forms. They can also result in reporting of lead generation. A smooth, convenient way to combat this is using captcha or a device that determines if a human or computer is filling the form. Sometimes, captchas are confusing for the users to solve, or might be ignored. So make sure only to put them to use if you know your website is going to receive a considerable amount of form spam. Also, to ensure smooth and more accessibility, make sure to provide the options of refreshing or playing the audio file of words. “Honeypot” is another way to combat form spam. This method makes sure that there is a hidden field that can only be filled in by spambots. What makes it more thrilling is that it makes sure the spambot does not get through the completion of the field! 7. Success Messages and confirmations: To make sure the person doesn’t feel disengaged it is inevitable to give in an instant reply or feedback. This helps acknowledge their effort to fill out the  website forms. You can make things more reassuring by addressing an email to the user with the information submitted to tally the info as well as keep a copy of the submission. It is a useful practice to provide a time limit within which a person can get in contact with the user. This ensures that the user isn’t left hanging without any assurance of form receiving. 8. The form can’t be annoying! The style that makes a web form says a lot about the people who design it. While a floral style could make it more feminine, a dark layout could also make things dull. Since a web form should be inviting enough to catch a person’s attention. It should make them want to sign up for it. The design needs to be in a way that does not put off the users. It cannot be impersonal or distant from the message that the web page is supposed to convey. A web form should be a more indulging process for both the user as well as the designer. Errors that need to be Avoided To sum up the article, here are a few pointers that should be avoided while designing website forms: If you are using an auto-fill option, try not to use the auto-advance option. The auto-advance option ensures that the cursor automatically advanced to the next field upon pressing the enter key. Most of the users aren’t used to this feature. They would want to fight it to fill the field according to their pace. Make sure you do not design a form that has low readability or is confusing to get through. Try to organize the form in a way that sorts things out for the users. Never upload a web form without making sure you test it. A form needs to be optimized for phones as well. When approaching this step, make sure to optimize your form for every device. A webform is a crucial element of a website, a magnet that helps in lead generation. It helps apps and websites to reach a target conversation rate that helps them to stay in business. Designing web forms has never been an easy job, as there are tons of factors to be sure about. As a web designer, it is your responsibility to make be cautious about every minute detail. Make sure to consider the things that you shouldn’t do to create a form that attracts attention.

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