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norisbeinghuman · 4 months

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Creativity in the age of AI

“I Dig a Pygmy” by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf Aids. Phase one, in which Doris gets her oats. - John Lennon on “Two of Us”

My husband and I have been watching The Beatles: Get Back documentary and it made me think a lot about creativity, art and authenticity.

I love The Beatles. Every time I hear the opening chord of the Hard Day’s Night, I am transported back in time, 6 years old, sitting in the back of the car on our way to visit grandma on a Saturday. Beatles have shaped my taste in music more than probably any other band. Despite all the difficulties and the drama that accompanied the making of what turned out to be their last album – Let It Be – it is such a treat to watch them at work. Or maybe I should rather say to watch them at play.

Once they get into a flow, the four of them seem to be having so much fun. They break out into random songs, add silly lyrics, banter and laugh. While they are undoubtedly working and creating gems such as Let It Be, the process is so very clearly play. And not only in the sense that they are playing music, which they obviously are, but they are also playing with the music, with each other and with their ideas.

I was surprised to realise how many of these spontaneous little moments made it onto the finished album, just like the quote that introduced this blog post. It’s something John Lennon says out of nowhere, making everyone laugh. It has nothing to do with any of the songs. But it is there, the first thing on the album. Ir’s far from the only example. There are many bits and pieces that were clearly improvised, created from a moment of sudden inspiration, a moment of play. Most of them are just funny, silly, little things. But as a listener, I find them to be oh, so delightful.

The times of “perfect”

Watching The Beatles at play made me confront expectations I have about my own process of creation. Art and creative expression have been becoming more and more important for me over the last several years. I am getting more and more convinced that creative flow is one of the biggest joys in life and something we humans need to be happy. It doesn’t have to be big art, there are infinitely many ways to be creative. In my case it’s mostly writing, fibre crafts (like knitting and crochet) and an occasional drawing. My talent and ambitions are modest, and my goal is almost entirely just my own fun and satisfaction.

If the stakes of my creation are so low, why then do I seem to be more afraid of being silly and making mistakes than The Beatles were, while they were producing an album they knew millions were waiting for?

I think a part of it is the times we are living in. All of us have constant access to tools that allow us to make anything look just that little bit more polished. Just that little bit more “perfect”. Filters, photo editors, auto-tune, and now most of it powered by AI in addition. Heck, just the ability to take 50 selfies so we can pick the best one is a way of polishing reality that is very new in the history of humankind.

I know there are people who are trying to fight against this on social media, posting content and images that are more authentic, but I would say these are in the minority. There are many more who will say they are posting a candid photo, but still make sure to get themselves from the good side, or make sure the lighting is just right, or whatever else.. And most will just go with it and do their best to make their creation as polished and professional-looking as possible.

The result is that we are exposed to a stream of what pretends to be the normal life of others, but in reality is highly-polished highlights of their lives. In return, we feel like that is the level we should aim for when we are sharing something of our own. Anything less feels just plain not-good-enough. And sadly, these aren’t completely empty fears, because in the day and age of social media, the criticism we might receive online can be absolutely cruel and ruthless. I just think about the women who show their normal faces and their age in an attempt to normalise the way an average 30 or 40 year old looks like without any procedures and makeup, and they get shredded to pieces in the comment sections. We are all so used to unattainable standards that we don’t even know that that is what they are anymore.

If this is happening with “normal” people, it’s no wonder that the vast majority of big-name actors and pop stars (if not all) have a number of plastic surgeries, veneers on their teeth, flawless makeup, contouring, and an aura of effortless perfection about them. I find it so refreshing to look at music videos and concerts from a few decades ago. People look so much less polished, less perfect, and (I am probably projecting here) more at peace with that lack of perfection. Skin texture, less-than-perfect teeth, body hair, nipples showing through the tops, normal faces, normal bodies, and clothes and makeup that were meant more as a form of expression, rather than a way to hide the flaws of their wearer.

Looking at The Beatles jamming in their studio in 1969, I couldn’t help but wonder what we might be losing in our hunt for perfection. Because while it might feel like it makes sense to pursue perfection, it seemed to me that we are, indeed, losing something. I think creativity might be one of the first victims of perfectionism.

Creativity requires play.

Creativity is impossible to control. It is not something we can force. We can facilitate creativity by crafting the right conditions and hoping for it to appear, but we can’t make it happen.

Creativity is something that emerges spontaneously from play. Play is one of those things that are difficult to define, although we all experience it and intuitively know it when we see it. Play means engaging with our internal and external world in the moment, exploring, having fun. It’s a state of focus and flow, that we access so easily when we are young, but it gets more difficult as we get older. While play might look a little different in adults, it is still play, and it is the state in which we can reach into the well of our creativity.

What do we need to be able to play? One of the main requirements is a sense of safety. Not feeling safe makes it difficult to focus deeply, and to try new things that might lead to mistakes. Without feeling safe to fail, we can’t play. The other thing is the right kind of challenge: something interesting and stimulating, something that stretches us, but is still within our abilities. Ultimately, play is built on trust. Trust that our environment is safe and that we are allowed to explore, try and fail; and trust in our own ability to overcome the challenge.

Perfectionism killed the cat… I mean, play

Perfectionism is at the opposite end of the spectrum from play. There is nothing easy or playful about it, and I think one of the main reasons is that it is born out of fear.

I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. - Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird

Perfectionism is the fear that keeps us from trusting the safety of our playground. We don’t think we can afford mistakes. And perfectionism is the the fear that erodes our trust in ourselves. When perfection is the goal, we can never ever be good enough, and it’s only a matter of time before the fear paralyses us into procrastination and avoidance.

Imperfection is so very, very necessary, and being OK with it opens the doors to creativity, connection and authenticity.

It is our mistakes and the acceptance of mistakes that allow us to play, to practice, to be truly creative, to develop ourselves. It is how we learn and how we become better.

It is in our mistakes and in our lows that we best connect with others; they are what makes us human, what makes us relatable, what makes us real. I feel like we live in times where we would prefer “perfect” over “real”. Maybe it’s not so strange that the use of AI tools is becoming so common for tasks that are at their core creative ones. It feels safer not to show ourselves, not to risk failure. And definitely easier to avoid having to be creative when we are paralysed by perfectionism.

Most of us know all that, but that doesn’t remove the fear, nor the pressure we feel from the society.

Perfection seems like such a noble goal from the outside, for who wouldn’t want to be “perfect”. But its pursuit is a prison. It keeps us from freely exploring the world and ourselves. Perfectionism steals our play away, and with it our creativity, authenticity and connection to others. Truth is, we will make mistakes anyway, no matter how hard we try. We might as well stop trying so hard, and we will have more fun leaning into our mistakes, rather than fearing them.

To be honest, I am not sure where I am heading with this. I am winging it as I go, because I am trying to do as I preach. I am trying to play. To be real. To stop being afraid of imperfection. And I know that I will make mistakes and be cringey and that not everyone will like me, and I am doing my best to be OK with it.

I think the tide of our times will turn. Just like the 50s were followed by the 60s, which seemed much less concerned with perfection, I think people will eventually get tired of stepping so carefully through their lives. And until then, we can swim against the tide and have fun with it.

https://noriparelius.com/post/creativity/

#being human #creativity #ai #play #writing #perfectionism #social media

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sorcieresque · 6 years

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leaked daisy and ai spicy xxx hot girls IM

pear-otter Yes. A bunch of times. My favourite one is where you’re a ludicrously wealthy trophy wife and I’m a down on my luck pastry chef. You hire me to cater an event and I fall helplessly into your wiles when I first visit your house. I’m amazed by the size and opulence of you and your husband’s house, but am quickly distracted by you. You descend the grand staircase in a sheer black robe, through which I can see your underwear, lacy and intricate. Your hair is artfully disheveled like you just awoke but your makeup is flawless. You want to give the impression of effortlessness, and vulnerability, and I buy it. As the date of the event grows closer, you invite me over more and more often, to adjust the menu. I wonder if you’re just lonely, or if it’s my company in particular you desire. I need this job, so either way, I don’t complain. By the day of the event, you have me completely at your mercy. I am enamoured and would do anything for you. You dress in a ravishing white blouse tucked into a tight pencil skirt. Your hair is in a ponytail, hanging in loose curls, and your eyes are endlessly sad when I see you. The event is a success, but just when it’s winding down, you find me in a back hall. You look scared, but maybe it’s all an act, your hair askew, and blood on your shirt. You say your husband is dead, and take me to see his body. I’m horrified, but you feed me a story about it being self defence. Whether I believe you or not doesn’t matter. I’m devoted to you, guilty or innocent. So I help you cover up the crime, make it look like an accident, burn your clothes. Help you wash the blood off. But when news of your husband’s death gets out, people are naturally suspicious. You’re the prime suspect, but I cover for you. Somehow, I’m implicated. When tensions are highest, we meet in your house, by moonlight. You convince me to confess to the murder, somehow making me think it’s my idea. You kiss me. Sometimes things get a little more heated than a brief kiss. The next morning I confess to the murder. You come to every day of my trial, still dressed in mourning clothes, as if you’re mourning for my freedom just as much as your husband’s death. I’m found guilty. You cry, and I hope the tears are genuine, but I never know for sure. For months you don’t visit me, and I try to come to terms with the fact that you used me, manipulated me into taking the fall for your husband’s murder. Until one day I have a visitor. It’s you of course, dressed in a tight black dress and a fur throw. You look like you’ve just come from a beautiful party. You act casual and coy, trying to play me as usual, but something’s different. I wonder what you want from me this time, what else is there, and finally I become frustrated with your cagey behaviour. I stand to go, but you ask me to wait. You admit you miss me. You just wanted to see me. At first I think it’s nothing but a trick, but there’s a desperation in your eyes that tells me you’re being truthful. Visiting hours end and you promise to visit again. And you do. There are trailers for conjugal visits, and you use your influence to let us meet in them, even though we’re not married. When I get out of prison, you wait for me in a fancy car, dressed in a wide brimmed hat. You’re wearing red lipstick, and you smile and ask where I want to go.

sorcieresque Firstly. I am high as shit.

sorcieresque Secondly, thank you for your candor. But wait, there's more.

pear-otter ?

pear-otter Are you really high?

pear-otter Daisy? Are you okay?

sorcieresque Yes and No. In your order. I said wait. I am typing.

pear-otter Okay.

sorcieresque I twice monthly entertain the idea of showing up at your door, the trope: Large coat and small lingerie. On your lap while you blush and stutter, fully-clothed. Trite, I know. I think I get off more to the power I’d hold than the subject prop of the fantasy; the patriarchy has sure done a number on me. I am aware lacy underwear and sexual confidence will not make anyone treat me equal to a man or give me the salary I deserve, that is, if I ever intended to get a job, then I could dethrone Elon Musk in a heartbeat. Where was I. These are lesbian asks and so we must take 30 minutes off being sex-critical feminists. We make love all night. I top, there is bondage involved. Much more Intimate, deeper: Sometimes I do not feel like Daze exactly but I’d rather wear a floral blue hawaiian shirt and men’s jeans, a silver gun strapped to my waist, my heart on my chest, hair long, disheveled. I walk like Daze walks and move like Daze moves but I am not a boy. I have never told anyone this. I think about girls like you but I do not know very many girls like you so you will do. A guy is hitting on you, you are clearly uncomfortable with his advances, leaning back into a locker. His arm is blocking you from escaping. I come over and put my arm around your waist and One second I must punch Tyler in the face permanently she is being obnoxious.

pear-otter Hang on. Moire is there in the fantasy or Moire is there with you in real life right now?

sorcieresque Right now. I've punched her in the face permanently. Where was I.

pear-otter Your arm around my waist

pear-otter Also I have some questions but I’ll hold them til the end. Wait one is pressing, are you sharing this with Moire?

sorcieresque Into a locker his arm is blocking you from escaping I come over and put my arm around your waist and I could say something along the lines of The Lady Here Doesn’t Care For What You Have To Say or Excuse Me, That’s My Girl even when you are not in fact my girl, but instead I simply just kiss you on the side of the face and smile at him and escort you out of his grasp until we are out of sight. In this fantasy I do not expect to be paid back. I cannot stand a woman being harassed and will use my gentlemanliness for good. I want to be strong, imposing, protective. I want to intimidate men not with short skirts but swagger and confidence or as the kids say, Big Dick Energy. But you are grateful. You swoon a bit and perhaps kiss me on the corner of the mouth, write your number on the inside of my arm. I wait exactly four days to text you.

pear-otter I like it I like that you simply kissed me on the side of the face

pear-otter You don’t need words to convey your intentions to the guy, or aggression to intimidate him. That would be playing his game, and you don’t do that

sorcieresque sent a GIF

pear-otter Is this Moire

sorcieresque [[ WRONG PERSON ]]

pear-otter [[I see]]

sorcieresque Yes. I have punched her in the face forever. Thank you. I like the part where I convince you to plead guilty for the crime I commited. It's much too flattering.

pear-otter I like that part too It’s probably my favourite part

sorcieresque Let's unpack that.

pear-otter You might be able to do it. If the situation was right

pear-otter I don’t mean if you... you know. I just mean. I don’t know. I probably wouldn’t go to jail for you in real life though I’d escape In my fantasies I’m never a shapeshifter, although sometimes I’m not Ai either.

sorcieresque You wouldn't survive a day in prison. Do you often wish to pay, or perhaps, atone, for some unspoken guilt that you refuse to acknowledge.

pear-otter Hence why I’d escape

sorcieresque sent a photo post http://pear-otter.tumblr.com/post/175391797716/sorcieresque-no-yes-soft-pink-lacy-with

By the way, I forgot to say: Niiiiiiiice.

pear-otter Hmm, I don’t think so... Sometimes I’m the rich trophy wife and mmmsomeone else is the one who goes to prison. Oh. Thank you

sorcieresque Whom.

pear-otter Moire

sorcieresque I knew it.

pear-otter One time it was Val but then I just felt guilty

sorcieresque She'd do well in prison.

pear-otter Are you telling Moire?

sorcieresque I'll spare you the embarrassment.

pear-otter Okay

sorcieresque But I did do a dramatic reading of your fantasy. You're an excellent writer. She read mine over my shoulder. Everyone's a critic.

pear-otter Okay. Thank you? Did she laugh

sorcieresque Yes.

pear-otter Okay.

sorcieresque Like you laugh when. Puppies. I'll take you lingerie shopping.

pear-otter Really?

sorcieresque Yes. You'll have to model them though.

pear-otter You’re really nice like this Daisy Kind I mean

pear-otter I guess... I agree to go. If you still want to when this weird spell is over, and when you’re not high.

sorcieresque I am absolutely fucking stoned. You can't hold me accountable.

pear-otter I’m just saying if you change your mind and don’t want to go, that’s okay

sorcieresque I can still be mean.

pear-otter Oh I’m sure you can

sorcieresque You couldn't possibly escape prison. You're not. Wiggly. Enough. It's laughable that you think you could.

pear-otter I’m a shapeshifter?

sorcieresque Not in your fantasy. Check AND mate.

pear-otter Otters are known for their wiggles, Daisy

pear-otter Oh Well I never said I escaped in my fantasy

pear-otter Hang on are you saying I’m fat

sorcieresque I'm saying you're weak.

pear-otter I don’t know how I’d be without my powers so. Maybe Do you have your powers in your fantasies?

sorcieresque Duh.

pear-otter All of them?

sorcieresque They're me. I'm them. We aren't Daisy and an extra. I am me.

pear-otter Yeah well same but I still have some idea of what it means to be just human

sorcieresque When I was human it hurt.

pear-otter Oh in the cave? I was just an otter

sorcieresque Then perhaps you are an otter and an extra.

pear-otter I mean probably. My mother was an otter first Are you having fun with Moire

sorcieresque Mmmmtyer is too bony to be comfortable. Did your father fuck an otter.

pear-otter Gross To both

sorcieresque I mean, I ask. Respectully. Did he fuck an otter, respectfully.

pear-otter Of course not, my mother was granted human form before he was even born Yesterday at 11:07 PM

sorcieresque Where was her consciousness before that. Today at 6:31 AM

pear-otter She was just an otter. Today at 10:56 PM

sorcieresque That is so fucked up. That is absolutely goddamn messed.

pear-otter How?

pear-otter That’s just how it is. It’s how most kawauso become shapeshifters. And kitsune and other things.

sorcieresque Like in Japanese Cartoons.

pear-otter Kitsune? Yes, they’re very popular, including on the television.

sorcieresque Ah. I think I like otters more. Like puppies.

pear-otter Oh Thank you then Foxes do have a reputation of being more sly and wily

pear-otter You like when I film otter stuff right? You liked it a lot when you were sick before

sorcieresque But can they dance cinematic ally shot choreographies. I think not.

sorcieresque Check AND maete.

pear-otter Haha, I guess that’s true :) So ARE you having fun with Moire?

sorcieresque Mmmmnnnnnnnnn̯͜n͚͉̝̟͉n̙͎̳͓͢ yes. But you shall take this to your grave. I a mswearing you to secrecy of the highest degree.

pear-otter Okay sure

sorcieresque PINKY swear. With Your HEART.

pear-otter How can I pinky swear with my heart I have to do it with my pinky finger

pear-otter Whatever I Pinky Swear.

sorcieresque [Photo of Daisy dragging her hands down her face in an exasperated gesture, her eyes bloodshot white, the fleshy pink of the inside of her eyelids showing.] The Fat man of Sand is pouring his concoction in my eyeballs. If there's anything else you wish to know Speak now or forever hold your peace.

pear-otter Aud’s weird boyfriend? Is Aud there too? Oh actually wait

sorcieresque Hmm.

pear-otter In your fantasy?

sorcieresque Mhmm.

pear-otter You said um and I quote “I top, there is bondage involved.” What does that mean I mean I know what bondage IS I MEAN Hypothetically And I guess? I understand the first half of the sentence But could you perhaps elaborate!

pear-otter Haha or not? It’s okay!!! The moment has passed I guess I was just curious

pear-otter Daisy? Are you telling Moire this? I was just Joking isn’t the right word Playing along haha You probably fell asleep or got too caught up hanging out with Moire, which I hate I mean I don’t hate Moire!!! Just the thought of you two hanging out, especially high, really bothers me Why am I saying this What if you’re making out That’s hot ***NOT THAT’S NOT something you would want to do??????? Right???? If you were not high STOP Anyway. Good night Daisy I hope you’re not making out with Moire or bonding with her too much I mean I hope you sleep well And Moire. Apart. Maybe in separate rooms even Oh no. You’re going to wake up, not high, and see all this It was nice talking to you like this. Um. I don’t suppose we could pinky swear my last 500 messages into secrecy too? Good night

#IM #pear-otter

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victoriagloverstuff · 6 years

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Is it time to remove Zuckerberg from (his) office? – TechCrunch

A colleague, who shall remain nameless (because privacy is not dead), gave a thumbs down to a recent column in the NYT. The complaint was that the writer had attacked tech companies (mostly but not exclusively Facebook) without offering any solutions for these all-powerful techbro CEOs’ orchestral failures to grasp the messy complexities of humanity at a worldwide scale.

Challenge accepted.

Here’s the thought experiment: Fixing Facebook

We’ll start with Facebook because, while it’s by no means the only tech company whose platform contains a bottomless cesspit of problems, it is the most used social platform in the West; the de facto global monopoly outside China.

And, well, even Zuckerberg’ thinks it needs fixing. Or at least that its PR needs fixing — given he made “Fixing Facebook” his ‘personal challenge’ of the year this year — proof, if any more were needed, of his incredible capacity for sounding tone-deaf.

For a little more context on these annual personal challenges, Zuckerberg once previously set himself the challenge of reading a new book every two weeks. So it seems fair to ask: Is Facebook a 26-book sized fix?

If we’re talking in book metaphor terms, the challenge of fixing Facebook seems at least on the scale of the Library of Alexandria, say, given the volume of human content being daily fenced. It may, more likely, be multiple libraries of Alexandria. Just as, if Facebook content was housed in a physical library, the company would require considerably more real estate that the largest library of the ancient world to house its staggeringly-massive-and-expanding-by-the-second human content collection — which also of course forms the foundation of its business.

Zuckerberg himself has implied that his 2018 challenge — to fix the company he founded years before the iPhone arrived to supercharge the smartphone revolution and, down that line, mobilize Facebook’s societal ‘revolution’ — is his toughest yet, and likely to take at least two or three years before it bears fruit, not just the one. So Facebook’s founder is already managing our expectations and he’s barely even started.

In all likelihood, if Facebook were left alone to keep standing ethically aloof, shaping and distributing information at vast scale while simultaneously denying that’s editing — to enjoy another decade of unforgivably bad judgement calls (so, basically, to ‘self-regulate’; or, as the New York Times put it, for Zuckerberg to be educated at societal expense) — then his 2018 personal challenge would become just ‘Chapter One, Volume One’ in a neverending life’s ‘work-in-progress’.

Great for Mark, far less great for humans and democratic societies all over the world.

Frankly, there has to be a better way. So here’s an alternative plan for fixing Facebook — or at least a few big ideas to get policymakers’ juices flowing… Bear in mind this is a thought exercise so we make no suggestions for how to enact the plan — we’re just throwing ideas out there to get folks thinking.

Step 1: Goodbye network of networks

Facebook has been allowed to acquire several other social communication networks — most notably photo-focused social network Instagram [1BN monthly active users] and messaging app platform WhatsApp [1.5BN] — so Zuckerberg has not just ONE massively popular social network (Facebook: [2.2BN]) but a saccharine suite of eyeball-harvesting machines.

Last month he revealed his sunless empire casts its shadow across a full 2.5BN individuals if you factor in all his apps — albeit, that was an attempt to distract investors from the stock price car crash conference call that was to follow. But the staggering size of the empire is undeniable.

So the first part of fixing Facebook is really simple: No dominant social network should be allowed to possess (or continue to possess) multiple dominant social networks.

There’s literally no good argument for why this is good for anyone other than (in Facebook’s case) Zuckerberg and Zuckerberg’s shareholders. Which is zero reason not to do something that’s net good for the rest of humanity. On one level it’s just basic math.

Setting aside (for just a second) the tangible damages inflicted upon humans by unregulated social media platforms with zero editorial values and a threadbare minimum of morality which wafts like gauze in the slipstream of supercharged and continuously re-engineered growth and engagement engines that DO NOT FACTOR HUMAN COST into their algorithmic calculations — allowing their masters to preside over suprasocietal revenue stripping mega-platforms — which, to be clear, is our primary concern here — the damage to competition and innovation alone from Zuckerberg owning multiple social networks is both visible and quantifiable.

Just ask Snapchat. Because, well, you can’t ask the social networks that don’t exist because Zuckerberg commands a full flush of attention-harvesting networks. So take a good, long, hard look at all those Stories clones he’s copypasted right across his social network of social networks. Not very innovative is it?

And even if you don’t think mega-platforms cause harm by eroding civic and democratic values (against, well, plenty of evidence to the contrary), if you value creativity, competition and consumer choice it’s equally a no brainer to tend your markets in a way that allows multiple distinct networks to thrive, rather than let one megacorp get so powerful it’s essentially metastasized into a Borg-like entity capable of enslaving and/or destroying any challenger, idea or even value in its path. (And doing all that at the same time as monopolizing its users’ attention.)

We see this too in how Facebook applies its technology in a way that seeks to reshape laws in its business model’s favor. Because while individuals break laws, massively powerful megacorps merely lean their bulk to squash them into a more pleasing shape.

Facebook is not just spending big on lobbying lawmakers (and it sure is doing that), it’s using technology and the brute force of its platform to pound on and roll over the rule of law by deforming foundational tenets of society. Privacy being just one of them.

And it’s not doing this reshaping for the good of humanity. Oh no. While democratic societies have rules to protect the vulnerable and foster competition and choice because they are based on recognizing value in human life, Facebook’s motives are 100% self-interested and profit-driven.

The company wants to rewrite rules globally to further expand its bottom line. Hence its mission to pool all humans into a single monetizable bucket — no matter if people don’t exactly mesh together because people aren’t actually bits of data. If you want to be that reductive make soup, not a “global community”.

So step one to fixing Facebook is simple: Break up Zuckerberg’s empire.

In practical terms that means forcing Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp — at a bare minimum. A single network is necessarily less potent than a network of networks. And it becomes, at least theoretically possible for Facebook to be at risk from competitive forces.

You would also need to at keep a weather eye on social VR, in case Oculus needs to be taken out of Zuckerberg’s hands too. There’s less of an immediate imperative there, certainly. This VR cycle is still as dead as the tone of voice the Facebook founder used to describe the things his avatar was virtually taking in when he indulged in a bit of Puerto Rico disaster tourism for an Oculus product demo last year.

That said, there’s still a strong argument to say that Facebook, the dominant force of the social web and then the social mobile web, should not be allowed to shape and dictate even a nascent potential future disruptor in the same social technology sphere.

Not if you value diversity and creativity — and, well, a lot more besides.

But all these enforced sells-offs would just raise lots more money for Facebook! I hear you cry. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — so long as it gets, shall we say, well spent. The windfall could be used to fund a massive recruitment drive to properly resource Facebook’s business in every market where it operates.

And I do mean MASSIVE. Not the ‘10,000 extra security and moderation staff’ Facebook has said will hire by the end of this year (raising the headcount it has working on these critical tasks to around 20k in total).

To be anywhere near capable of properly contextualizing content across a platform that’s actively used by 2BN+ humans — and therefore to be able to rapidly and effectively spot and quash malicious manipulation, hateful conduct and so on, and thus responsibly manage and sustain a genuine global ‘community’ — the company would likely need to add hundreds of thousands of content reviewers/moderators. Which would be very expensive indeed.

Yet Facebook paid a cool $19BN for WhatsApp back in 2014 — so an enforced sell off of its other networks should raise a truck tonne of cash to held fund a vastly larger ‘trust and safety’ personnel bill. (While AI systems and technologies can help with the moderation challenge, Zuckerberg himself has admitted that AI alone won’t scale to the content challenge for “many years” to come — if indeed it can scale at all.)

Unfortunately there’s another problem though. The human labor involved in carrying out content moderation across Facebook’s 2BN+ user mega-platform is ethically horrifying because the people who Facebook contracts for ‘after the fact’ moderation necessarily live neck deep in its cesspit. Their sweating toil is to keep paddling the shit so Facebook’s sewers don’t back up entirely and flood the platform with it.

So, in a truly ideal ‘fixed Facebook’ scenario, there wouldn’t be a need for this kind of dehumanizing, industrialized content review system — which necessitates that eyes be averted and empathy disengaged from any considerations of a traumatized ‘clean up’ workforce.

Much like Thomas Moore’s Utopia, Zuckerberg’s mega-platform requires an unfortunate underclass of worker doing its dirty work. And just as the existence of slaves in Utopia made it evident that the ‘utopian vision’ being presented was not really all it seemed, Facebook’s outsourced teams of cheap labor — whose day job is to sit and watch videos of human beheadings, torture, violence etc; or make a microsecond stress-judgement on whether a piece of hate speech is truly hateful enough to be rendered incapable of monetization and pulled from the platform — the awful cost on both sides of that human experience undermines Zuckerberg’s claim that he’s “building global community”.

Moore coined the word ‘utopia’ from the Greek — and its two components suggest an intended translation of ‘no place’. Or perhaps, better yet, it was supposed to be a pun — as Margaret Atwood has suggested — meaning something along the lines of ‘the good place that simply doesn’t exist’. Which might be a good description for Zuckerberg’s “global community”.

So we’ll come back to that.

Because the next step in the plan should help cut the Facebook moderation challenge down to a more manageable size…

Step 2) Break up Facebook into lots of market specific Facebooks

Instead of there being just one Facebook (comprised of two core legal entities: Facebook USA and Facebook International, in Ireland), it’s time to break up Facebook’s business into hundreds of market specific Facebooks that can really start to serve their local communities. You could go further still and subdivide at a state, county or community level.

A global social network is an oxymoron. Humans are individuals and humanity is made up of all sorts of peoples, communities and groupings. So to suggest the whole of humanity needs to co-exist on the exact same platform, under the exact same overarching set of ‘community standards’, is — truly — the stuff of megalomaniacs.

To add insult to societal and cultural injury, Facebook — the company that claims it’s doing this (while ignoring the ‘awkward’ fact that what it’s building isn’t functioning equally everywhere, even in its own backyard) — has an executive team that’s almost exclusively white and male, and steeped in a very particular Valley ‘Kool Aid’ techno-utopian mindset that’s wrapped in the U.S. flag and bound to the U.S. constitution.

Which is another way of saying that’s the polar opposite of thinking global.

Facebook released its fifth annual diversity report this year which revealed it making little progress in increasing diversity over the past five years. In senior leadership roles, Facebook’s 2018 skew is 70:30 male female, and a full 69.7% white. While the company was fully 77% male and 74% white in 2014.

Facebook’s ongoing lack of diversity is not representative of the U.S. population, let alone reflective of the myriad regions its product reaches around the planet. So the idea that an executive team with such an inexorably narrow, U.S.-focused perspective could meaningfully — let alone helpfully — serve the whole of humanity is a nonsense. And the fact that Zuckerberg is still talking in those terms merely spotlights an abject lack of corporate diversity and global perspective at his company.

If he genuinely believes his own “global community” rhetoric he’s failing even harder than he looks. Most probably, though, it’s just a convenient marketing label to wallpaper the growth strategy that’s delivered for Facebook’s shareholders for years — by the company pushing into and dominating international markets yet without making commensurate investments in resourcing its business in international markets….

Fascinating detail from @karaswisher interview w/ Zuck where he admits Fb's margin comes from rest of world – i.e. where fb is under-resourced vs impacts/damage its platforms can have – and not from the US. So, tl;dr, fb's profitability is reliant on fb's lack of responsibility pic.twitter.com/UNG7OFssjF

— Natasha (@riptari) July 19, 2018

This facet of Facebook’s business becomes especially problematic when you consider how the company has been pouring money into subsidizing (or seeking to) Internet access in emerging markets.

Initially via its Internet.org ‘Free Basics’ initiative which was marketed as a ‘humanitarian’, quasi-philanthropic mission to ‘wire the world’ — though plenty of outsiders and some target countries viewed it not as charity but as a self-serving and competitive-crushing business development tactic. (Including India — which blocked Free Basics, but not before Facebook had spent millions on ads trying to get locals to lobby the regulator on its behalf).

More recently the company has been putting money into telecom infrastructure a bit less loudly — presumably hoping a less immediately self-serving approach to investing in infrastructure in target growth markets will avoid another highly politicized controversy.

It’s more wallpapering though: Connectivity investments are a business growth strategy predicated on Facebook removing connectivity barriers that stand in the way of Facebook onboarding more eyeballs.

And given the amounts of money Facebooks has been willing to spend to try to lodge its product in the hands of more new Internet users — to the point where, in some markets, Facebook effectively is the Internet — it’s even less forgivable that the company has failed to properly resource its international operations and stop its products from having some truly tragic consequences.

The cost to humanity for Facebook failing to operate with due care is painfully visible but difficult to quantify.

Not that Zuckerberg has let those inconvenient truths stop him from continuing to suggest he’s the man to build a community for the planet. But again that rather implies Facebook’s problems grow out of Facebook’s lack of external perspective.

Aside from the fact that we are all equally human, there is no one homogenous human community that spans the entire world. So when Zuckerberg talks about Facebook’s ‘global community’ he is, in effect, saying nothing — or saying something almost entirely meaningless as to render down to a platitudinous sludge. (At least unless his desire is indeed a Borg-esque absorption of other cultures — into a ‘resistance is futile’ homogenous ‘Californormification’ of the planet. And we must surely hope it’s not. Although Facebook’s Free Basics have been accused of amounting to digital colonialism.)

Zuckerberg does seem to have quasi-realized the contradiction lurking at the the tin heart of his ‘global’ endeavor, though. Which is why he’s talked suggestively about creating a ‘Supreme Court of Facebook‘ — i.e. to try to reboot the pitifully unfit for purpose governance structure. (Although talk of ‘community-oriented governance’ has neither been firmed up nor formalized into a tangible structural reform plan.)

While the notion of a Supreme Court of Facebook, especially, does risk sounding worryingly like Zuckerberg fancies his own personal Star Chamber, the fact he’s even saying this sort of stuff shows he knows Facebook has planet-straddling problems that are far, far too big for its minimalist Libertarian ‘guardrails’ to manage or control. And in turn that suggests the event horizon of scaling Facebook’s business model has been reached. Hello $120BN market cap blackhole.

“It’s just not clear to me that us sitting in an office here in California are best placed to always determine what the policies should be for people all around the world,” Zuckerberg said earlier THIS YEAR — 2018! — in what must surely count as the one of the tardiest enlightenments of a well educated public person in the Western world, period.

“I’ve been working on and thinking through,” he continued his mental perambulation. “How can you set up a more democratic or community-oriented process that reflects the values of people around the world?”

Well, Mark, here’s an idea to factor into your thinking: Facebook’s problem is Facebook’s massive size.

So why not chop the platform up into market specific operations that are free to make some of their own decisions and let them develop diverse corporate cultures of their own. Most importantly empower them to be operationally sensitive to the needs of local communities — and so well placed to responsively serve them.

Imagine the Facebook brand as a sort of loose ‘franchise’, with each little Facebook at liberty to intelligently adapt the menu to local tastes. And each of these ‘content eateries’ taking pride in the interior of its real estate, with dedicated managers who make their presence felt and whose jobs is to ensure great facilities but no violent food fights.

There would also need to be some core principles too, of course. A set of democratic and civic values that all the little Facebooks are bound to protect — to push back against attempts by states or concerted external forces seeking to maliciously hijack and derail speech.

But switch around the current reality — a hulkingly massive platform attached to a relatively tiny (in resources terms) business operation — and the slavering jabberwocky that Zuckerberg is now on a personal mission to slay might well cease to exist, as multiple messy human challenges get cut down to a more manageable size. Not every single content judgement call on Facebook needs to scale planet-wide.

Multiple, well resourced market-specific Facebooks staffed locally so they can pro-actively spot problems and manage their communities would not be the same business at all. Facebook would become an even more biodiverse ecosystem — of linked but tonally distinct communities — which could even, in time, diverge a bit on the feature front, via adding non-core extras, based on market specific appetites and tastes.

There would obviously have to be basic core social function interoperability — so that individual users of different Facebooks could still connect and communicate. But beyond a bit of interplay (a sort of ‘Facebook Basics’) why should there be a requirement that everyone’s Facebook experience be exactly the same?

While Facebook talks as if it has a single set of community standards, the reality is fuzzier. For example it applies stricter hate speech rules to content moderation in a market like Germany, which passed a social media hate speech law last year. Those sorts of exceptions aren’t going to go away either; as more lawmakers wake up to the challenges posed by the platform more demands will be made to regulate the content on the platform.

So, Zuckerberg, why not step actively into a process of embracing greater localization — in a way that’s sensitive to cultural and societal norms — and use the accrued political capital from that to invest in defending the platform’s core principles?

This approach won’t work in every market, clearly. But allowing for a greater tonality of content — a more risqué French Facebook, say, vs the ‘no-nipples please’ U.S. flavor — coupled with greater sensitivity to market mood and feedback could position Facebook to work with democracies and strengthen civic and cultural values, instead of trying to barge its way along by unilaterally imposing the U.S. constitution on the rest of the planet.

Facebook as it is now, globally scaled but under-resourced, is not in a position to enforce its own community standards. It only does so when or if it receives repeat complaints (and even then it won’t always act on them).

Or when a market has passed legislation enforcing action with a regime of fines (a recent report by a UK parliamentary committee, examining the democratic implications of social media fueled disinformation, notes that one in six of Facebook’s moderators now works in Germany — citing that as “practical evidence that legislation can work”).

So there are very visible cracks in both its claim to be “building global community” or even that it has community standards at all, given it doesn’t pro-actively enforce them (in most markets). So why not embrace a full fragmentation of its platform — and let a thousand little blue ships set sail!

And if Facebook really wants one community principle to set as its pole star, one rule to rule them all (and to vanquish its existential jabberwocky), it should swear to put life before data.

Locally tuned, culturally sensitive Facebooks that stand up for democratic values and civic standards could help rework the moderation challenge — removing the need for Facebook to have the equivalent of sweat shops based on outsourcing repeat human exposure to violent and toxic content.

This element is one of the ugliest sides of the social media platform business. But with empowered, smaller businesses operating in closer proximities to the communities being served, Facebook stands a better chance of getting on top of its content problems — getting out of a reactive crisis mode piled high with problems where it’s currently stuck to taking up a position in the community intelligence vanguard where its workers can root out damaging abuse before it gets to go viral, metastasize and wreak wider societal harms.

Proper community management could also, over time, encourage a more positive sharing environment to develop — where posting hateful stuff doesn’t get rewarded with feedback loops. Certainly not algorithmically, as it indeed has been.

As an additional measure, a portion of the financial windfall gained from selling off Facebook’s other social networks could be passed directly to independent trustees appointed to the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation for spending on projects intended to counter the corrosive effects of social media on information veracity and authenticity — such as by funding school age educational programs in critical thinking.

Indeed, UK lawmakers have already called for a social media levy for a similar purpose.

Step 3) Open the black boxes

There would still be a Facebook board and a Facebook exec team in a head office in California sitting atop all these community-oriented Facebooks — which, while operationally liberated, would still be making use of its core technology and getting limited corporate steerage. So there would still be a need for regulators to understand what Facebook’s code is doing.

Algorithmic accountability of platform technologies is essential. Regulators need to be able to see the inputs underlying the information hierarchies that these AI engines generate, and compare those against the outputs of that shaping. Which means audits. So opening the commercial black boxes — and the data holdings — to regulatory oversight.

Discrimination is easier to get away with in darkness. But Mega-platforms have shielded their commercial IP from public scrutiny and it’s only when damaging effects have surfaced in the public consciousness that users have got a glimpse of what’s been going on.

Facebook’s defense has been to say it was naive in the face of malicious activity like Russian-backed election meddling. That’s hardly an argument for more obscurity and more darkness. If you lack awareness and perspective, ask for expert help Mark.

Lawmakers have also accused the company of willfully obstructing good faith attempts at investigating scandals such as Cambridge Analytica data misuse, Kremlin-backed election interference, or how foreign money flowed into its platform seeking to influence the UK’s Brexit referendum result.

Willful obstruction to good faith, democratically minded political interrogation really isn’t a sustainable strategy. Nor an ethically defensible one.

Given the vast, society-deforming size of these platforms politicians are simply not just going to give up and go home. There will have to be standards to ensure these mega-powerful information distribution systems aren’t at risk of being gamed or being biased or otherwise misused and those standards will have to be enforced. And the enforcement must also be able to be checked and verified. So, yes, more audits.

Mega-platforms have also benefited from self-sustaining feedback loops based on their vast reach and data holdings, allowing them to lock in and double down on a market dominating position by, for example, applying self-learning algorithms trained on their own user data or via A/B testing at vast, vast scale to optimize UX design to maximize engagement and monopolize attention.

User choice in this scenario is radically denuded, and competition increasingly gets pushed back and even locked out, without such easy access to equivalently massive pools of data.

If a mega-platform has optimized the phasing and positioning of — for example — a consent button by running comparative tests to determine which combination yields the fewest opt outs, is it fair or right to the user being asked to ‘choose’? Are people being treated with respect? Or, well, like lab rats?

Breaking Facebook’s platform into lots of Facebooks could also be an opportunity to rethink its data monopoly. To argue that its central business should not have an absolute right to the data pool generated by each smaller, market specific Facebook.

Part of the regulatory oversight could include a system of accountability over how Facebook’s parent business can and cannot use pooled data holdings.

If Facebook’s executive team had to make an ethics application to a relevant regulatory panel to request and justify access each time the parent business wanted to dip into the global data pool or tap data from a particular regional cluster of Facebooks, how might that change thought processes within the leadership team?

Facebook’s own (now former) CSO, Alex Stamos, identified problems baked into the current executive team’s ‘business as usual’ thinking — writing emphatically in an internal memo earlier this year: “We need to build a user experience that conveys honesty and respect, not one optimized to get people to click yes to giving us more access. We need to intentionally not collect data where possible, and to keep it only as long as we are using it to serve people… We need to be willing to pick sides when there are clear moral or humanitarian issues. And we need to be open, honest and transparent about challenges and what we are doing to fix them.”

It seems unlikely that an application to the relevant regulators asking for ‘Europe-wide data so we can A/B test user consent flows to get more Europeans to switch on facial recognition‘ would pass the ‘life before data’ community standard test.

And, well, it’s well established that the fact of being watched and knowing it’s happening has the power to change behavior. After all, Facebook’s platform is a major testament to that.

So it may be more that it’s external guidance — rather than a new internal governance model — which Facebook sorely lacks. Some external watchers to watch its internal watchmen.

Step 4) Remove Zuckerberg from (his) office

Public companies are supposed to be answerable to their shareholders. Thanks to the share structure that Mark Zuckerberg put in place at Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is answerable to no one except himself. And despite Facebook’s years of scandals, he does not appear to have ever felt the urge to sack himself.

When the idea of personal accountability was brought up with him, in a recent podcast interview with Kara Swisher, he had a moment of making a light joke of it — quipping “do you really want me to fire myself right now? For the news?” before falling back on his line that: “I think we should do what’s gonna be right for the community.”

And, you know what, the joke was exactly right: The idea that Zuckerberg would terminate his own position is both laughable and ludicrous. It is a joke.

Which means Facebook’s executive structure is also a joke because there is zero accountability at the highest level — beyond Mark’s personal threshold for shame or empathy — and that’s now a global problem.

Zuckerberg has more power than most of the world’s elected politicians (and arguably some of the world’s political leaders). Yet he can’t be kicked out of his office, nor lose his CEO seat at any ballot box. He’s a Facebook fixture — short of a literal criminal conviction or otherwise reputation terminating incident.

While you could argue that not being answerable to the mercenary whims of shareholder pressure is a good thing because it frees Zuckerberg to raise business transformation needs above returns-focused investor considerations (albeit, let’s see how his nerve holds after that $120BN investor punch) — his record in the CEO’s chair counters any suggestion that he’s a person who makes radical and sweeping changes to Facebook’s modus operandi. On the contrary, he’s shown himself a master of saying ‘oops we did it again!’ and then getting right back to screwing up as usual.

He’s also demonstrated a consistent disbelief that Facebook’s platform creates problems — preferring to couch connecting people as a glorious humanitarian mission from whence life-affirming marriages and children flow. Rather than seeing risks in putting global megaphones in the hands of anyone with an urge to shout.

As recently as November 2016 he was still dismissing the idea that political disinformation spread via Facebook had been in any way impactful on the US presidential election — as a “pretty crazy idea” — yet his own business had staffed divisions dedicated to working with US politicians to get their campaign messages out. It shouldn’t be rocket science to see a contradiction there. But until very recently Zuckerberg apparently couldn’t.

The fact of him also being the original founder of the business does not help in the push for disruptive change to Facebook itself. The best person to fix a radically broken product is unlikely to be the person whose entire adult life has been conjoined to a late night college dorm room idea spat online — and then which ended up spinning up and out into a fortune. And then into a major, major global mess.

The ‘no better person than me to fix it’ line can be countered by pointing to Zuckerberg’s personal history of playing fast and loose with other people’s data (from the “dumb fucks” comment all the way back in his student days to years of deliberate platform choices at Facebook that made people’s information public by default); and by suggesting entrenched challenges would surely benefit from fresh eyes, new thinking and a broader perspective.

Add to that, Zuckerberg has arguably boxed himself in, politically speaking, thanks to a series of disingenuous, misleading and abstruse claims and statements made to lawmakers — limiting his room for manoeuvre or for rethinking his approach; let alone being able to genuinely compromise or make honest platform changes.

His opportunity to be radically honest about Facebook’s problems probably passed years and years back — when he was busy working hard on his personal challenge to wear a tie everyday [2009]. Or only eat animals he kills himself [2011].

By 2013’s personal challenge, it’s possible that Zuckerberg had sensed something new in the data stream that was maybe coming down the pipes at him — as he set himself the challenge of expanding his personal horizons (not that he put it that way) by “meeting a new person every day who does not work at Facebook”.

Meeting a new person every day who did work at Facebook would have been far too easy, see.

Is it even possible to think outside the box when your entire adult life has been spent tooling away inside the same one?

Step 5) Over to you…

What are your radical solutions for fixing Facebook? Should Zuckerberg stay or should he go? What do you want lawmakers to do about social media? What kinds of policy interventions might set these mega-platforms on a less fractious path? Or do you believe all this trouble on social media is a storm in a teacup that will blow over if we but screw our courage to the sticking place and wait for everyone to catch up with the cardinal Internet truth that nothing online is what it seems…

Cool read from TC Source Link

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wonderfuls-worlds · 7 years

Text

Mystic Messenger : Day 3 ~ V Walkthrough (FULL ANSWERS)

Thank you for your support, you were all so sweet to me <3

Contributor (THANK YOU SO MUCH): @verycharismaticdragon Thank you for suggesting your help : @therosettewolf, @anasaraz

Check out their tumblr !

If you are on phone, please setting the page to be seen in the computer version! On the phone, the answers are sometimes unaligned and it can confuse you…

In order to not bother and annoy my followers who don’t play this game by this looong post, I’ll put a seperate line. Click to see.

00 :31 : Under the Shimmering [Zen, V]

I wanted to chill out more and then go to sleep. (nothing)

I was waiting to meet you, Zen (Zen)

The beautiful are sleepy heads..? (Zen)

I think your biorhythm will break living like that. (nothing)

I actually want to see V’s photos! (V)

God, finally we’ll have some peace and silence. (nothing)

Wow, you’re even humble! Such perfection ! (nothing)

Are you in a motorcycle gang? (nothing)

Zen, riding your bike under the moonlight… (Zen)

I wonder how Jumin will look like riding the bike! (nothing)

That’s the thing, you can never find your driver’s license when needed. (nothing)

Share with me some photos of your driver’s license, if you have some. (nothing)

It’s the same thing. Just do it. (nothing)

Both are so perfect. How am I to choose?! (Zen)

Wow! It’s you when you were younger! (nothing)

You’re here to see me!! (nothing)

I want to chat with everyone together. (V)

Aren’t motorcycles dangerous? (nothing)

Zen, you had an accident? (nothing)

You feel free as a bird when you ride with the wind. (Zen)

When you’re feeling frustrated and all, playing games are the best! 0% accidents! (nothing)

What if something dangerous happens to you? (V)

How exactly did the crash occur? (nothing)

Tell me what happened back then. (nothing)

V, you’re quite persistent. (nothing)

It would have been serious if V didn’t follow you. (V)

V, you should take photos of me someday as well! (V)

Trying to deny it by myself is too hard. I need some help here. (nothing)

Flowers? V, were you Zen’s fan? (V)

Zen, what were you like back in the days? (nothing)

You still look promising. (nothing)

Life is about rebounding back when you were considering quitting lol (nothing)

Maybe you’re in a slump? (nothing)

I lie low for a while. (nothing)

Do something that brightens your mood! (nothing)

Forget about everything and let time pass by. (nothing)

V, do you normally clock in such late hours? (nothing)

You seem to be coming in at late hours… Are you okay? (V)

V, you go well with wine! (nothing but best answer for V)

Zen, I hope you get to shoot a beer commercial. (Zen)

Have you ever heard of alcohol-related dementia? (nothing)

Don’t drink too much! (V)

Good bye! (nothing)

You have a lot to worry about. (nothing)

I’m like that as well. (V)

I think I should get going now. (nothing but best answer)

I’m going to stay up late. (nothing)

Visual Mode V

02:46 : Paradox of the Survival of the Fittest [Unknown]

I was testing the game you gave me. (Unknown)

Ray, why aren’t you sleeping? (nothing)

We connected as I wanted to see you as well! (Unknown)

You seem to have a lot of work to do. (nothing)

If you have something to say, come over yourself. (nothing)

There’s the modern convenience called the phone. (nothing)

Then it’ll bloom twice as much flowers! (nothing)

Wonder why it grew in two stalks. (nothing)

Wouldn’t it be because only one had sunlight and the other had none? (nothing)

It could be that one of it is like an extra giveaway, since it grew into two from one stalk. (Unknown’s heartbroken!)

I feel sad for the weaker stalk... (nothing)

There’s nothing you can do, it’s nature’s way of survival of the fittest. (nothing)

I want to save the weaker stalk somehow. (Unknown)

You’re right. The weaker stalk was the one that sacrificed! (Unknown)

But for flowers to blossom, the weaker one should be stripped. (nothing)

Throw it out and buy a new pot. (nothing)

Rescue both. (nothing)

It’ll be a flower gained from the other’s sacrifice... (nothing)

Wow… I’ll look forward to it, Ray! (nothing)

Yawn. I think the game you made is more interesting. (nothing)

It was fun. With hidden morals and all... (Unknown)

Are you going back to work? (nothing)

Ray, when are you going to sleep? (nothing)

07:00 : Take Care of Your Health [707, Jumin, Jaehee]

Why don’t you lower the brightness? (nothing)

Change your glasses into sunglasses lol (nothing)

Huh. The name’s even suspicious for a start. (nothing)

I’ll get ready to write it down! (707)

Isn’t that just a bunch of powders and not a drink? (nothing)

Can I taste it? (nothing)

Reports to police right now (nothing)

It’s not like the stakes are some kinds of market free-giveaways... (nothing)

A match of outstanding product quality!! (707)

Send in an ingredients review document as well (nothing)

Seems you have an innocent spot in you, Jumin. (Jumin)

You don’t even know the prices at convenience store? You must be joking! (nothing)

Throwing it out down the drain… of something you made with great difficulty… T_T (707)

You’re suddenly acting a bit pathetic. (Jumin)

In other words, you’re distracted. (nothing)

Catching your breath is important as well. (707)

You’re nodding to that? ;;;;; (nothing)

Tell me more of this cleaning fairy. (nothing)

Cleaning fairy sounds too suspicious... (nothing)

Awesome! Why don’t we learn it’s secret cleaning methods at the party? (nothing + answer to the email)

Huh; It’s Jaehee;; (nothing)

Jaehee, good morning! (nothing)

You are very persistent. (nothing)

Too bad, you were this close to being successful in your fabrication. (707)

Jaehee, good luck today! (Jaehee)

You just came in. Are you already leaving? (nothing)

Isn’t it enough to have one friend like V? (Jumin + V)

You really have only two friends? (707)

Can someone translate what Seven’s saying? (Jumin)

1011011…... (707)

It wasn’t too far. It was way way too far. (nothing)

I thought it was funny lol (nothing)

Stop getting distracted and get to work. (nothing)

Don’t forget to bring Sevenstar Drink Version 2 when you come back! (nothing)

09:13 : Back in the Days [Zen, Jaehee]

Jumin’s company? (nothing)

A morning meeting of beautiful people? Lol (Zen)

Cat café (nothing)

Did you get your license renewed? (nothing)

I’m ready to hit Save. Please show it to me!!!! (Zen)

I’m actually tired of seeing it since I’ve seen it numerous times. (nothing)

When did you debut? (nothing)

Oh! I suppose the roads were familiar to you- (nothing)

You must be happy. (nothing)

And the story goes that it was your girlfriend. (nothing)

Ooh, celebrity! (Zen)

It must have been worthwhile! (Zen)

What photo did V debut with? (V)

Oh, um, yeah. Let’s put it like that. (nothing)

Zen, I invite you to the room of mirrors. (nothing)

Yeah. I think its hard to compare appearances with you, Zen! (Zen)

The one with Pickachoo!? (nothing)

I wanna be - most very best - (nothing)

I will decline as Ninpendo might get us because of copyright infringements. (nothing)

Great! I’ll catch Backpack Monsters by inviting him to the party. (nothing + answer to the email)

Oh… sweet jesus..! (Zen)

Wow lol (nothing)

My eyes are screaming out with joy! (nothing)

Welcome! (nothing)

Jaehee, our professional Zen-critic, can you please explain to us what kind of performance it was? (Jaehee)

And like this, the number of photos in my folder increase one by one... (Jaehee)

I want to see that performance - (nothing)

AI role…? It must have been easy for an AI to play an AI role. (Unknown)

Jaehee, your Zen-intelligence is really awesome. (Jaehee)

Skin conditions are always better when you’re young… (nothing)

Truth is, I think I prefer V than Zen. (V)

Jaehee, have a glass of cold coffee right now before you run wild. (Jaehee

It’s a meeting with V’s acquaintance, right? (V)

I want to know whom he’s having the meeting with - (nothing)

It’s my father-in-law ^^ (nothing)

V’s dad… I wonder what kind of person he is. (nothing)

He would have received some hardcore education. (nothing)

Silver spoon family class... (nothing)

I like V’s humble attitude. (V)

They have few things in common, but they’re also different - (nothing)

A virtual world of their own… (nothing)

I think their relationship is… too glorified. (nothing)

I think they pair well together ^^ (V)

You do know that beer isn’t part of brunch, right? (nothing)

Enjoy your meal- (nothing)

Are you worried? (nothing)

Does V know about this? (V)

You have one… called being a fan-girl. It’s your boyfriend and friend. (V)

I want to be friends with V too. (V ( best answer)

It kind of bothers me that there’s a secret V keeps even from his friend. (Unknown)

Bye- (nothing)

Jaehee, have a great day today! (Jaehee)

12:22 : My Best Friend [Unknown]

I did- (nothing)

Not yet. (nothing)

Of course! Friends are really dear. (nothing)

No… Humans betray someday. (nothing)

You’re friends with flowers ^^ (Unknown)

Aren’t you working indoors all the time? (nothing)

What’s the flower language of blue roses? (nothing)

What’s the flower language of daffodils? (nothing)

Lisianthus (nothing)

I like lily-of-the-valley! (nothing)

Um… I think I feel more close with the friends inside the game. (V)

You can! Though more time would be needed. (Unknown)

Who is it? (nothing)

I’m jealous... (Unknown)

Um, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it… (nothing)

I don’t feel it at all… I wish you’d be obsessed with me a bit more... (nothing)

I don’t think you’re obsessed with me. I’m just glad that you seem to care for me a lot! (Unknown)

Who is this person? (nothing)

Then Ray, are you working for this person? (nothing)

When the party is held… I think I would want to leave here. (nothing)

I want to be with you…! My mind will not change. (Unknown)

Bye! (nothing)

I want to see you today, Ray ! (Unknown)

Visual Novel Jumin

14:09 : Small Cute Adorable (707, Jaehee)

Oh, savior of Justice!! Has a villain appeared? (nothing)

Every day is a crossroad lol (nothing)

Is something wrong? (nothing)

What’s your real job? (nothing)

You’re a person receiving a salary. (nothing)

I secured your portrait of the deceased. Thanks. (nothing)

What a dangerous mission… I wonder if you can return safely…? (707)

I understand her. She must’ve been surprised to learn that your mission is a dangerous one… (nothing)

Condolences to Jaehee’s eyes... (Jaehee)

I think I’m already used to it now-^^ Hahaha. (nothing)

I pray for your successful mission. (nothing)

Will a nude photo be next? (nothing)

Do I need to feed the fairy with compliments? (707)

Such delicate plot… This messenger is truly awesome. (Unknown)

I am curious of the next theme. (nothing)

Is 3 days enough? Won’t you need a week? (nothing)

3 days...? (nothing)

Got it. (nothing)

...Let me hear it out first. (nothing)

Oh! Compliment from the bottom of Jaehee’s heart ! (nothing)

I was about to recommend the first one!! (707)

Jaehee… you want to get out of this fast, right? (Jaehee)

Cars are dreams! Don’t sell it! (nothing)

Seven! Sell your car to me! (nothing)

Maybe it’s duty-free business? Lol (nothing)

Since it’s largely influencing the national economy…I think it’ll be larger than what we imagine… (nothing)

Okay… Good bye. (nothing)

It’s inevitable because of its size difference. (nothing)

What is it...? (nothing

Not really. (nothing)

I pay a decent amount earnestly. Thought not as much as Jumin… (nothing)

I’m a person with a fragile wallet that gets billed with withholding tax. (nothing)

Wouldn’t V’s mother’s hair color have been mint? (nothing)

The father might have dyed his hair...(nothing)

V might have colored his hair...TT (nothing)

You’re the son of dragon? Whatever... (Jaehee)

I wish a dragon would come to the party... (707)

Wouldn’t it be better if we invite those who can actually attend the party? (Jaehee)

Let’s make an equal world for everyone together! (707)

Lololol (nothing)

It looks like a strong name. (nothing)

Whoa... (nothing)

It’s not the right time to unveil the sealing of the dragon Smug, so I therefore decline. (nothing)

Okay! Let’s invite it! (nothing + answer to the email)

Can the party be really held properly? T_T (Jaehee)

Wow- (nothing)

So this person has nothing to do with the pilot you first mentioned! (nothing)

How is this person related to you, Jaehee?;; (nothing)

You’ve put your effort in trying to find the most ordinary person! (nothing)

We’re already too ordinary, and I don’t think we need to invite this person! (707)

We cannot decline someone like that! (Jaehee + answer to the email)

Whoa…are you going to fall now? (nothing)

What are you talking about? I’m sure you’re not really flying through the sky…. (nothing)

Sounds dangerous... (nothing)

I want to try that! (nothing)

A genius! (707)

I’d expect nothing less from someone V has appointed in charge of security. (V)

I don’t think it’s a good idea to trust all of Seven’s words. I mean, we’ve seen him playing tricks a lot… (Jaehee)

Didn’t he invite the vampire and udon…? (Jaehee)

The party might become more interesting! (Jumin)

No way- They both don’t look like bad people. (nothing)

I’m worried that V might become baffled with all this. (V)

You don’t think V told those two to recommend only the weird guests to pretend to be holding a party, do you? (Unknown)

To rest during the evening, I must continuously work.. (nothing)

I should pick up and finish up the work I was doing- (nothing)

I’ll start my grand afternoon…! (nothing)

16:32 : Precious friend [V, Jumin]

V! Hi! (nothing)

Hello. (nothing)

Do you think the members were serious with their recommendations? (nothing)

I think it’ll be fun! (nothing)

Jumin, welcome. (nothing)

Two friends gathered in a chatroom^^ (nothing)

Rich people helping each other out - what a great world they live in. (nothing)

What kind of person is V’s father? I wonder what his impression is like. (nothing)

Did you exchange any secrets? (Unknown)

Ah, then you two should enjoy your conversation through the phone ^^ (V)

Is it a humiliating secret that you can’t share with me? (nothing)

Fathers are said to be close but distant as well. Especially in case of father-son relationship…! (nothing)

Oh… You’ve become estranged. I’m a bit like that as well. (V)

V, you have a lot of secrets... What kind of secrets are you hiding from your father? (Unknown)

It would have been better if you’ve told V before proceeding with it… (V)

I think it’ll be a good occasion to get together. (Jumin)

Can I go to that occasion? (Unknown)

I think it’s was Jumin’s way of being considerate of you- (Jumin)

V… you seem very uncomfortable with your father. (V)

Feels like your business will be a big hit! (Jumin)

You must have seen each other often since you both lived in the same neighborhood- (V)

Do you have any stories… like secrets regarding V? (Unknown)

Impressive; (nothing)

Church..? I don’t think that type of religion can heal people. (Unknown)

I want to hear memories of you two ^^ (nothing)

Who sang better? (nothing)

Cute - !! (V)

I think V would have won... (V)

So, who won? (nothing)

Please don’t say that, V. It’s not your fault. (V)

Yes… Sometimes an emotional decision can worsen the situation. (Unknown)

It’s going to get better little by little, V. (V)

Don’t you think this sadness isn’t something you can overcome? (Unknown)

V… don’t fall into too much despair, and try to cheer up! (V)

Bye. (nothing)

Though he looks very cool on the outside… I think he’s having a hard time. (nothing)

He wouldn’t think me as a replacement of Rika, would he? (nothing)

Is there anything I can do for V? (V)

I think Rika was more unfortunate. (Unknown)

I’m going to think of V… Bye. (V)

I’m going to take a break now! Take care! (nothing)

(Jumin calls)

18:24 : Explosion of Emotions [Yoosung, Zen]

Yes, I did. (nothing)

Umm… I did see it, though I didn’t understand quite well. (nothing)

Please calm down… (nothing)

Yoosung, you must be in pain... (Yoosung)

Doesn’t it feel like everyone is hiding something? (Unknown)

Hello – (nothing)

Welcome, Zen the Gorgeous - (nothing)

We were talking about Jumin. (Yoosung)

Yoosung is currently exploding with emotions. (Zen)

You should be nice to your relatives. (nothing)

Aunt and uncle? (nothing)

Whoa… isn’t that harsh? It was their daughter’s funeral…. (Yoosung)

Don’t you think Rika’s family affected her in a bad way? (V)

There seems to be a lot of drama... (nothing)

Rika was adopted? (nothing)

They’re a family. Didn’t they keep contact with Rika? (nothing)

I didn’t know since Rika had a bright image... (nothing)

I think V’s trying hard too. Why don’t you leave him alone for a bit….? (V)

It’s not easy to trust someone with secrets. (nothing)

Lololol (Yoosung)

I think having someone next to you would help ^^; (Zen)

Yup. It is a heal-all-potion, the panacea. (Zen)

I don’t think that’s something… Yoosung needs. (Yoosung)

Zen said that to help you… but you just shake it off… (nothing)

Don’t treat Yoosung like a child. He’s an adult. (nothing)

Zen… it might reach him later on. (Zen)

I don’t think it’s a good idea to enforce your method. (nothing)

Everyone might become more light-hearted when everyone reveals the truth! (Unknown)

I wonder what V’s thinking... (V)

I’m glad that at least you’re acting more positively. (Zen)

His way of grieving might be out of this world! (707)

Seven maybe has a heart made of steel? (nothing)

If you ride the motorcycle, V will get worried. (V)

Riding your motorcycle? Through the wind- (nothing)

You can ride through the wind with a VR game. (nothing)

I hope you’re not taking your motorcycle for a trip around your neighborhood! (nothing)

Zen, you’ll look gorgeous even after sweating. (Zen)

Visual Novel Yoosung

20:11 : Reason behind the Curiosity [Unknown]

Why does the background look different whenever you log on? (nothing)

You’re on your way here? Wow... (Unknown)

I was about to have dinner – (nothing)

I’m not in my room yet... (nothing)

I was resting. Doing this and that. (nothing)

Bzzzz! Wrong, you’ve got them all wrong! (nothing)

You’ve got a few right ^^ (nothing)

Um… don’t we need time to learn about each other? (nothing)

How much do you like me? (Unknown)

I feel… a tad suffocated. (Unknown – but not the best answer)

I actually feel good. (Unknown)

I acted naturally, not trying to pry out secrets. The ALs felt really natural…. (nothing)

It was fun today as well. V turned a bit more active. (V)

Give me a second... (nothing)

Yes! (nothing)

Visual Novel :

I’ve been waiting for you! It’s great to see you. (nothing)

Aren’t you busy? (nothing)

You said you needed caffeine. (nothing)

You talked about a garden. (nothing)

I want to go to that garden fast. (nothing)

I’m not an idiot- (nothing)

It’s a little chilly. (nothing)

They’re beautiful…! (nothing)

Just what do you do here, Ray? Why are you so busy?

When will this game end? (nothing)

No, I’d like to try it some more. (nothing)

I want to finish it quickly and go home. (nothing but don’t make him cry ;-;)

But…just what is this place? (nothing)

I want to go back and rest! (nothing)

Already ? I don’t want to go back. I feel trapped in there… (nothing)

Let’s walk for few more minutes. I want to talk to you some more. (nothing)

(THAT ENDING THOUGH, IM DYING)

21:49 : Powder of the Coordinator ! [707, V]

Hi-ho (nothing)

Cleaning Fairy! Have you completed all your chores? (707)

Yes, it was great talking to V and all. (V)

Yes- I went for a walk in the gardens. It was great. (Unknown)

I don’t know... (nothing)

Yes! (nothing)

This time it’s an insurance scam? (nothing)

Heartwarming.... (nothing)

When can I receive reimbursement? (nothing)

Yes^^ (V)

I’m holding the phone right now. (707)

Wow! I’m so glad! (nothing)

I’m embarrassed ^^; (nothing)

What else did you find out apart from that? (nothing)

Wow…! (nothing)

You really didn’t come in very often before lol (nothing)

And what other kinds of information did you find out? (nothing)

Sure- (nothing)

A tad later, please. (nothing)

Feels great that he’s looking out for me! (V)

I don’t know… Perhaps he’s not sincere about it. (Unknown)

Can I change the channel? (nothing)

V said not to advertise. (V)

Let’s hear it out first. (nothing)

Done with the advertisement? (nothing)

I want to buy one for V. (V)

Where did the insurance ad go? (nothing)

Yes, I’ll order one box, please… There’s someone here who needs it… (nothing)

Good luck with your convenience store thing! (707)

Bye, Mr.Advertiser. (nothing)

V calls

23:07 : Another Level of Salvation [Jaehee, Yoosung]

Jaehee, you should have some of Sevenstar drink…! (707)

Hello, Jaehee! You’re up late! (nothing)

I believe Seven will be able to avoid them without a problem. (707)

Troubled times, these times... (Jaehee)

I have a bad feeling about this... (nothing)

Why don’t you go to a shaman? Or hire an exorcist... (nothing)

Yes… I hope they stop before they create more victims. (V)

Um… Maybe it could actually save someone… That’s probably why deeply religious people look very happy. (Unknown)

Welcome- (nothing)

Yoosung, what have you been up to? (nothing)

No… We must stop him!!! (V)

Was it effective? (Unknown)

Are you ordering Sevenstar Drink!? (707)

Did you fall into the world of gaming? (Yoosung)

Isn’t that a virus..? (nothing)

Seems like a sign. (nothing)

Sob... (nothing)

Sniff… I smell something… the smell of a spaceship burning… (707)

Weren’t there any hidden information? (Unknown)

Start binge-gaming from now on. (Yoosung)

I’m thankful that he’s become brighter... (Jaehee)

Go back to the game. (Yoosung)

I believe it’s a problem you eventually have to return to and solve... (V)

Sounds like good words, but it’s always better to do an adequate amount of good deed. (nothing)

She’s right! (nothing)

I can see how dangerous it is just by hearing it; (V)

It may be happiness to those that want to be saved by force... (Unknown)

Why don’t we, the RFA, inherit and continue that!? (Yoosung)

Yes… But we won’t be able to do as much as before. (Unknown)

It might not be fancy like salvation, but I will do my best. (V)

Eating might help you ease that stress. (nothing)

Yoosung, it might be time for you to look for professional help. (nothing)

I’m a bit suspicious lol (nothing)

Whoa, interesting! (nothing)

He looks too fishy. I’ll decline. (nothing)

Let’s invite him! I wonder what his next costume will be after the leopard. (nothing + answer to the email)

Yoosung, you’re leaving in a speed of light. (nothing)

Vent out stress by gaming! (nothing)

I think he just needs a way to vent out like that for now. (Jaehee)

He needs true salvation... (Unknown)

I think I should get some rest too. (nothing)

If you find it, please tell me as well! (V)

Visual Novel Jaehee

Day 4 | V is here.

#day 3 #v route #v's route #v walkthrough #mystic messenger #walkthrough

231 notes · View notes

pixelproductions · 5 years

Link

Best Customer Engagement Strategies You Need To Know

Customer engagement strategies are key for any business to be successful, here are the best customer engagement strategies you should be using.

Entrepreneurship is the dream for many. This is, of course, an impressive challenge to overcome.

I think that most budding entrepreneurs understand that there are significant hurdles in setting up a successful business. I also believe that it’s a real eye opener to actually live it, seeing how hard it truly can be. There are a wide variety of things that business owners need to do so that they can succeed. One of the most important is incorporating customer engagement strategies.

Many people, however, do not know what this is, nor how to do it. That is why we are going to talk about it extensively.

What is Customer Engagement?

Customer engagement is a method entrepreneurs use to encourage customers to interact with them through various communication channels. Savvy brands use this to create a more personal communication experience allowing customers get to share the experience they have when handling/using a particular product/service. Now that you are conversant with the term “customer engagement,” customer engagement strategies will be easier to understand.

Customer engagement strategies are mechanisms that help business owners engage with their customers.

The reason customer engagement strategies are so important is because this is the root of how brands draw in new customers, keep existing customers happy, boost customer loyalty and ultimately increase sales.

So, what are these strategies?

Customer Engagement Strategies for Brand Building

1. Personalize Information

Customers always want to feel like they are connecting to you as a brand on a personal level. This just means that you need to treat them as part of your company’s family. One way of doing so is conveying a message meant for a specific person only.

A good example would be to send a “Happy Birthday” message to a client on his/her birthday. To add a more personal touch, it would be amazing if you add their name to the message. This will make them feel special and it will be a great way to engage them in your brand.

2. Humanize Your Brand

Another way of engaging clients is through humanizing your brand. This essentially means that you need to move away from operating as a company and just be a “human.”

Although it should be obvious that good communication with customers should be the backbone of any engagement strategy, many companies get it wrong. Every day, brands falter on both listening and engaging with their audience — you know…the human part.

A great way of accomplishing this would be through brand storytelling. Brand storytelling helps businesses become unforgettable to their target audience.

In fact, business storytelling works so well, it has become an integral part of the marketing process. Through storytelling, businesses just like yours, can better connect with your target audience, increase trust in authority, and stay engaged with your customers.

3. Embrace Customer Engagement Solutions

Technology is changing the way we engage customers, and in the case of eCommerce for the better. Engaging customers has always been a bit challenging, but technology such as AI has bridged the gap between automation and personalization.

SeeLevel HX is an excellent example of one such solution. With the mystery shopper process, customer engagement for online businesses skyrockets ultimately bringing ROI up exponentially for these stores.

There are many different ways to improve customer engagement through technology, you may want to check out this list of the Top Automation Tools to Boost Engagement and Sales.

4. Prioritize Customer Experience

Your customers are the people who keep you going as they help you gain profits and many other benefits. If your customers are not your number one priority — they should be. This is the same attitude that your staff should have. Basically, this means focusing on providing the best customer experience.

Customer experience is important, in this case, because it provides you as a business owner an opportunity to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. If you want to use this particular strategy, you will first need to ask yourself some tough questions. With your current business model, how can you best serve your clients? When your products/services needed the most? At what time(s) do you offer these services/products? When you are able to answer these questions, you will know you are on the path of successfully implementing this strategy.

5. Provide Valuable Information

In the past, many businesses viewed providing high value information a “weak” customer engagement strategy. Many businesses were afraid that if they provided too much information their customers would simply do it themselves. Over the past several years we’ve come to understand that you simply can’t provide too much information to a potential customer. Your potential customers are in desperate need of solutions, and your here to help!

The provision of valuable information can be in many forms. If you are selling mobile phones, for instance, you can post instructional videos frequently about phone-related various things.

Many of our clients make use of a low cost outdoor banner stand at events or tradeshows to communicate valuable information. Yes, all of your marketing materials should be designed to engage your specific audience.

6. Exchange Rewards With Actions

Many clients would be happy to reciprocate once you reward them with something of value. Therefore, when your clients take a particular action that is good for your venture, you must reward them with something that they like.

A Customer Loyalty Program is easy to implement to your online store which boost engagement and incentivizes not only purchases but return customers.

Also, these programs are offered to every customer to enroll into so that they become brand loyal and reap benefits every time they come back and shop with the same brand. This way the brand gets loyal customers and customers through the loyalty program gets discounts, freebies, coupons, cash back and more on going back every time.

7. Share Your Client’s Stories

When you want to engage with your client, you should consider reducing the brand’s messages and focus more on sharing the client’s stories. People are more likely to respond and interact through these stories rather than the messages. The reason is quite simple. The clients you have dealt with are real people, and that is what resonated with them better.

Social media could be the best place to share these stories. In addition to the fact that it teaches people fast and quite easily, it provides options for you to engage. The stories could be in any form that you like. It can be in the form of reviews, testimonials, photos, or anything else you would like.

8. Learn From Your Mistakes

Human beings are generally emotional beings. These emotions are usually brought out by particular things that happen in the surroundings, like being offended. That is why you will find an unhappy client expressing him/herself in a certain way.

When people are emotional, they need to feel heard and understood. Many business owners usually just offer solutions without hearing them out. Doing so usually makes them feel like you have not taken the time to listen, and this is not good.

The best thing to do would be to listen to them keenly and see things from their perspective, and after understanding them, you better accept your mistakes. It is after this that you plan on how you are going to handle the situation. Through this, your customers will feel a lot better.

Furthermore, unhappy customers can often be the most honest critics. Harvest the complaints and analyze them. This will give you an insight into two or three things in your company.

Conclusion

Customer engagement is a tricky sea to navigate through, but with the strategies above, you will be able to sail through.

Don’t forget personlization begins with every message you send your customers. Make sure that when you communicate, you do so in a way that makes your customer feel like a part of your brand. If you’ve got tips that are really working for your brand, please include them in the comments below, because others want to know.

#best customer engagement strategies you need to know #customer engagement

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that-black-parade · 7 years

Text

V’s Route Walkthrough (Day 3)

[Previous Day | Next Day]

00:31 Under the Shimmering. Selection 1

I was waiting to meet you, Zen. (Zen)

I wanted to chill out more and then go to sleep. (Nothing)

Selection 2

The beautiful are sleepy heads…? (Zen)

I think your biorhythm will break living like that. (Nothing)

Selection 3

God, finally we’ll have some peace and silence. (Nothing)

Wow, you’re even humble! Such perfection! (Zen)

I actually want to see V’s photos! (V)

Selection 4

Zen, riding your bike under the moonlight… (Zen)

I wonder how Jumin will look riding the bike! (Nothing)

Are you in a motorcycle gang? (Nothing)

Selection 5

That’s the thing, you can never find your driver’s license when needed. (Nothing)

Share with me some photos of your driver’s license, if you have some. (Nothing)

Selection 6

It’s the same thing. Just do it. (Nothing)

Both are so perfect. How am I to choose!? (Zen)

Wow! It’s you when you were younger! (Nothing)

Selection 7

You’re here to see me!! (Nothing)

I want to chat with everyone together. (V)

Selection 8

Aren’t motorcycles dangerous? (Nothing)

Zen, you had an accident? (Nothing)

Selection 9

When you’re feeling frustrated and all, playing games are the best! 0% accidents! (Nothing)

What if something dangerous happens to you? (V)

You feel free as a bird when you ride with the wind. (Zen)

Selection 10

How exactly did the crash occur? (Nothing)

Tell me what happened back then. (Nothing)

Selection 11

It would have been serious if V didn’t follow you. (V)

V, you’re quite persistent. (Nothing)

Selection 12

V, you should take photos of someday as well! (V)

Trying to deny it by myself is too hard. I need some help here. (Nothing)

Selection 13

Flowers? V, were you Zen’s fan? (V)

Zen, what were you like back in the days? (Nothing)

Selection 14

Maybe you’re in a slump? (Nothing)

You still look promising. (Nothing)

Life is about rebounding back when you were considering quitting lol (Nothing)

Selection 15

I lie low for a while. (Nothing)

Do something that brightens your mood! (Nothing)

Forget about everything and let time pass by. (Nothing)

Selection 16

You seem to be coming in at late hours… Are you okay? (V)

V, do you normally clock in such late hours? (Nothing)

Selection 17

Have you ever heard of alcohol-related dementia? (Nothing)

Zen, I hope you get to shoot a beer commercial. (Zen)

V, you go well with wine! (Nothing)

Selection 18

Good bye! (Nothing)

Don’t drink to much! (V)

Selection 19

You have a lot to worry about. (Nothing)

I’m like that as well. (V)

Selection 20

I’m going to stay up late. (Nothing)

I think I should get going now. (Nothing)

02:46 Paradox of the Survival of the Fittest. Selection 1

Ray, why aren’t you sleeping? (Nothing)

We connected as I wanted to see you as well! (Ray)

You seem to have a lot of work to do. (Nothing)

I was testing the game you gave me. (Ray)

Selection 2

If you have something to say, come over yourself. (Nothing)

There’s the modern convenience called the phone. (Nothing)

Selection 3

Wonder why it grew in two stalks. (Nothing)

Then it’ll bloom twice as much flowers! (Nothing)

Selection 4

I feel sad for the weaker stalk… (Nothing)

It could be that one of its like an extra giveaway, since it grew into two from one stalk.

Wouldn’t it be because only one had sunlight and the other had none? (Nothing)

Selection 5

There’s nothing you can do, it’s nature’s way of survival of the fittest.

I want to save the weaker stalk somehow. (Ray)

Selection 6

You’re right. The weaker stalk was the one that sacrificed! (Ray)

Throw it out and buy a new pot.

But for flowers to blossom, the weaker one should be stripped.

Rescue both. (Nothing)

Selection 7

Wow…I’ll look forward to it, Ray! (Nothing)

It’ll be a flower gained from the other’s sacrifice… (Nothing)

Selection 8

Yawn. I think the game you made is more interesting.

It was fun. With hidden morals and all… (Ray)

Selection 9

Are you going back to work? (Nothing)

Ray, when are you going to sleep? (Nothing)

07:00 Take Care of Your Health. Selection 1

Change you glasses into sunglasses lol (Nothing)

Why don’t you lower the brightness? (Nothing)

Selection 2

I’ll get ready to write it down! (707)

Huh. The name’s even suspicious for a start. (Nothing)

Selection 3

Isn’t that just a bunch of powders and not a drink? (Nothing)

Can I taste it? (Nothing)

Selection 4

Reports to police right now. (Nothing)

It’s not like the stakes are some kinds of market free-giveaways… (Nothing)

Selection 5

Send in an ingredients review document as well. (Nothing)

A match of outstanding product quality!! (707)

Selection 6

You don’t even know the prices at convenience stores? You must be joking! (Nothing)

Seems you have an innocent spot in you, Jumin. (Jumin)

Selection 7

You’re suddenly acting a bit pathetic. (Jumin)

Throwing it out down the drain…of something you made with great difficulty… T_T (707)

Selection 8

Catch your breath is important as well. (707)

In other words, you’re distracted. (Nothing)

Selection 9

You’re nodding to that? ;;;;; (Nothing)

Tell me more of this cleaning fairy. (Nothing)

Selection 10

Awesome! Why don’t we learn its secret cleaning methods at the party? (Email)

Cleaning fairy sounds too suspicious… (Nothing)

Selection 11

Huh; It’s Jaehee;; (Nothing)

Jaehee, good morning! (Nothing)

Selection 12

You are very persistent. (Nothing)

Too bad, you were this close to being successful in your fabrication. (707)

Selection 13

Jaehee, good luck today! (Jaehee)

You just came in. Are you already leaving? (Nothing)

Selection 14

Isn’t it enough to have one friend like V? (Jumin)

You really have only two friends? (707)

Selection 15

Can someone translate what Seven’s saying? (Jumin)

1011011… (707)

Selection 16

I thought it was funny lol (Nothing)

It wasn’t too far. It was way way too far. (Nothing)

Selection 17

Stop getting distracted and get to work.

Don’t forget to bring Sevenstar Drink Version 2 when you come back! (Nothing)

09:13 Back in the Days. Selection 1

Did you get your license renewed? (Nothing)

Cat cafe. (Nothing)

A morning meeting of beautiful people? lol (Zen)

Jumin’s company? (Nothing)

Selection 2

I’m actually tired of seeing it since I’ve seen it numerous times. (Nothing)

I’m ready to hit Save. Please show it to me!!!! (Zen)

Selection 3

Oh! I suppose the roads were familiar to you— (Nothing)

When did you debut? (Nothing)

Selection 4

And the story goes that it was your girlfriend. (Nothing)

You must be happy. (Nothing)

Ooh, celebrity! (Zen)

Selection 5

What did photo did V debut with? (V)

It must have been worthwhile! (Zen)

Selection 6

Zen, I invite you to the room of mirrors. (Nothing)

Oh, um, yeah. Let’s put it like that. (Nothing)

Yeah, I think its harsh to compare appearances with you, Zen! (Zen)

Selection 7

I wanna be — most very best — (Nothing)

The one with Pickachoo!? (Nothing)

Selection 8

Great! I’ll catch Backpack Monsters by inviting him to the party. (Email)

I will decline as Ninpendo might get us because of copyright infringements. (Nothing)

Selection 9

Wow lol (Nothing)

Oh…sweet jesus…! (Zen)

My eyes are screaming out with joy! (Nothing)

Selection 10

Welcome! (Nothing)

Jaehee, our professional Zen-critic, can you please explain to us what kind of performance it was? (Jaehee)

Selection 11

I want to see that performance — (Nothing)

And like this, the number of photos in my folder increase one by one… (Jaehee)

Selection 12

AI role…? It must have been easy for an AI to play an AI role. (Ray)

Jaehee, your Zen-intelligence is really awesome. (Jaehee)

Selection 13

Truth is, I think I prefer V than Zen. (V)

Skin conditions are always better when you’re young… (Nothing)

Jaehee, have a glass of cold coffee right now before you run wild. (Jaehee)

Selection 14

t’s a meeting with V’s acquaintance, right? (V)

I want to know whom he’s having the meeting with — (Nothing)

Selection 15

It’s my father-in-law ^^ (Nothing)

V’s dad…I wonder what kind of person he is. (Nothing)

Selection 16

Silver spoon family class… (Nothing)

He would have received some hardcore education. (Nothing)

Selection 17

I like V’s humble attitude. (V)

They have few things in common, but they’re also different — (Nothing)

Selection 18

A visual world of their own… (Nothing)

I think they pair well together ^^ (V)

I think their relationship is… too glorified. (Nothing)

Selection 19

You do know that beer isn’t part of brunch, right? (Nothing)

Enjoy your meal— (Nothing)

Selection 20

Are you worried? (Nothing)

Does V know about this? (V)

Selection 21

You have one…called being a fan-girl. It’s your boyfriend and friend. (V)

It kind of bothers me that there’s a secret V keeps even form his friend. (Ray)

I want to be friends with V too. (V)

Selection 22

Bye— (Nothing)

Jaehee, have a great day today! (Jaehee)

12:22 My Best Friend. Selection 1

I did— (Nothing)

Not yet. (Nothing)

Selection 2

No…humans betray someday. (Nothing)

Of course! Friends are really dear. (Nothing)

Selection 3

Aren’t you working indoors all the time? (Nothing)

You’re friends with flowers ^^ (Ray)

Selection 4

Lisianthus. (Nothing)

I like lily-of-the-valley! (Nothing)

What’s the flower language of daffodils? (Nothing)

What’s the flower language of blue roses? (Nothing)

Selection 5

Um…I think I feel more close with the friends inside the game. (V)

You can! Thought more time would be needed. (Ray)

Selection 6

I’m jealous… (Ray)

Who is it? (Nothing)

Selection 7

Um, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it… (Nothing)

I don’t think you’re obsessed with me. I’m just glad that you seem to care for me a lot! (Ray)

I don’t feel it at all…I wish you’d be obsessed with me a bit more… (Nothing)

Selection 8

The Ray, are you working for this person? (Nothing)

Who is this person? (Nothing)

Selection 9

I want to be with you…! My mind will not change. (Ray)

When the party is held…I think I would want to leave here. (Nothing)

Selection 10

Bye! (Nothing)

I want to see you today, Ray! (Ray)

14:09 Small Cute Adorable. Selection 1

Every day is crossroad lol (Nothing)

Is something wrong? (Nothing)

Oh, Savior of Justice!! Has a villain appeared? (Nothing)

Selection 2

You’re a person receiving a salary. (Nothing)

What’s your real job? (Nothing)

Selection 3

I secured your portrait of the deceased. Thanks. (Nothing)

What a dangerous mission…I wonder if you can return safely…? (707)

Selection 4

Condolences to Jaehee’s eyes… (Jaehee)

I understand her. She must’ve been surprised to learn that your mission is a dangerous one… (Nothing)

Selection 5

Will a nude photo be next? (Nothing)

I think I’m already used to it now—^^ Hahaha. (Nothing)

I pray for your successful mission. (Nothing)

Selection 6

I’m curious of the next theme. (Nothing)

Do I need to feed the fairy with compliments? (707)

Such delicate plot…This messenger is truly awesome. (Ray)

Selection 7

Is 3 days enough? Won’t you need a week? (Nothing)

3 days…? (Nothing)

Selection 8

Got it. (Nothing)

…Let me hear it out first. (Nothing)

Selection 9

Oh! Compliment from the bottom of Jaehee’s heart! (Nothing)

I was about to recommend the first one!! (707)

Jaehee…you want to get out of this fast, right? (Jaehee)

Selection 10

Seven! Sell your car to me! (Nothing)

Cars are dreams! Don’t sell it! (Nothing)

Selection 11

Maybe it’s duty-free business? lol (Nothing)

Since it’s largely influencing the national economy…I think it’ll be larger that what we imagine… (Nothing)

Selection 12

Okay…Good bye. (Nothing)

It’s inevitable because of its size difference. (Nothing)

Selection 13

What is it…? (Nothing)

Selection 14

Not really. (Nothing)

I pay a decent amount earnestly. Thought not as much as Jumin… (Nothing)

I’m a person with a fragile wallet that gets billed with withholding tax. (Nothing)

Selection 15

Wouldn’t V’s mother hair color have been mint? (Nothing)

The father might have dyed his hair…. (Nothing)

V might have colored his hair… TT (Nothing)

Selection 16

You’re the son of a dragon? Whatever… (Jaehee)

I wish a dragon would come to the party… (707)

Selection 17

Let’s make an equal world for everyone together! (707)

Wouldn’t it be better if we invite those who can actually attend the party? (Jaehee)

Selection 18

Whoa… (Nothing)

lololol (Nothing)

It looks like a strong name. (Nothing)

Selection 19

Okay! Let’s invite it! (Nothing)

It’s not the right time to unveil the sealing of the dragon Smug, so I therefore decline. (Nothing)

Selection 20

Can the party be really held properly? T_T (Jaehee)

Wow— (Nothing)

Selection 21

You’ve put your effort in trying to find the most ordinary person! (Nothing)

So this person has nothing to do with the pilot you first mentioned! (Jaehee)

How is that person related to you, Jaehee?;; (Nothing)

Selection 22

We’re already too ordinary, and I don’t think we need to invite this person! (707)

We cannot decline someone like that! (Jaehee)

Selection 23

Whoa…are you going to fall now? (Nothing)

What are you talking about? I’m sure you’re not really through the sky… (Nothing)

Selection 24

Sound dangerous… (Nothing)

I want to try that! (Nothing)

Selection 25

I don’t think it’s a good idea to trust all of Seven’s words. I mean, we’ve seen him playing tricks a lot… (Jaehee)

A genius! (707)

I’d expect nothing less from someone V has appointed in charge of security. (V)

Selection 26

Didn’t he invite the vampire and udon…? (Jaehee)

The party might become more interesting! (Jumin)

Selection 27

I’m worried that V might become baffled with all this. (V)

You don’t think V told those two to recommend only the weird guest to pretend to be holding a party, do you? (Ray)

No way—They both don’t look like bad people. (Nothing)

Selection 28

I’ll start my grand afternoon…! (Nothing)

I should pick up and finish up the work I was doing— (Nothing)

To rest during the evening, I must continuously work. (Nothing)

16:32 Precious Friend. Selection 1

V! Hi! (Nothing)

Hello. (Nothing)

Selection 2

I think it’ll be fun! (Nothing)

Do you think the members were serious with their recommendations? (Nothing)

Selection 3

Two friends gathered in a chatroom ^^ (Nothing)

Jumin, welcome. (Nothing)

Selection 4

What kind of person is V’s father? I wonder what his impression is like. (Nothing)

Did you exchange any secrets? (Ray)

Rich people helping each other out — what a great word they live in.

Selection 5

Is it a humiliating secret that you can’t share with me? (Nothing)

Ah, then you two should enjoy your conversation through the phone ^^ (V)

Selection 6

Fathers are said to be close but distant as well. Especially in case of a father-son relationship…! (Nothing)

V, you have a lot of secret…. What kind of secrets are you hiding from your father? (Ray)

Oh…You’ve become estranged. I’m a bit like that as well. (V)

Selection 7

It would have been better if you’ve told V before proceeding with it… (V)

I think it’ll be a good occasion to get together. (Jumin)

Can I go to that occasion? (Ray)

Selection 8

I think it was Jumin’s way of being considerate of you— (Jumin)

V…you seem very uncomfortable wit your father. (V)

Selection 9

You must have seen each other ofter since you both lived in the same neighborhood— (V)

Feels like your business will be a big hit! (Jumin)

Do you have any stories…like secrets regarding V? (Ray)

Selection 10

I want to hear memories of you two ^^ (Nothing)

Church…?! I don’t think that type of religion can heal people. (Ray)

Impressive; (Nothing)

Selection 11

Cute - !! (V)

Who sang better? (Nothing)

Selection 12

So, who won? (Nothing)

I think V would have won… (V)

Selection 13

Yes…sometimes an emotional decision can worse the situation. (Ray)

Please don’t say that, V. It’s not your fault. (V)

Selection 14

It’s going to get better little by little, V. (V)

Don’t you think this sadness isn’t something you can overcome? (Ray)

Selection 15

V…don’t fall into too much despair, and try to cheer up! (V)

Bye. (Nothing)

Selection 16

I think Rika was more unfortunate. (Ray)

Thought he looks very cool on the outside…I think he’s having a hard time. (Nothing)

He wouldn’t think me as a replacement of Rika, would he?

Is there anything I can do for V? (V)

Selection 18

I’m going to take a break now! Take care! (Nothing)

I’m going to think of V… Bye. (V)

18:24 Explosion of Emotions. Selection 1

Yes, I did. (Nothing)

Umm… I did see it, though I didn’t understand quite well. (Nothing)

Selection 2

Please calm down… (Nothing)

Doesn’t it feel like everyone is hiding something? (Ray)

Yoosung, you must be in pain… (Yoosung)

Selection 3

Hello — (Nothing)

Welcome, Zen the Gorgeous — (Nothing)

Selection 4

We were talking about Jumin. (Yoosung)

Yoosung is currently exploding with emotions. (Zen)

Selection 5

You should be nice to your relatives. (Nothing)

Aunt and uncle? (Nothing)

Selection 6

Whoa…isn’t that harsh? It was their daughter’s funeral… (Yoosung)

Don’t you think Rika’s family affected her in a bad way? (V)

Selection 7

There seems be a lot of drama… (Nothing)

Rika was adopted? (Nothing)

Selection 8

I didn’t know since Rika had a bright image… (Nothing)

They’re a family. Didn’t they keep contact with Rika? (Nothing)

Selection 9

It’s not easy to trust someone with secrets. (Nothing)

I think V’s trying hard too. Why don’t you leave him alone for a bit…? (V)

Selection 10

Lololol (Yoosung)

I think having someone next to you would help ^^; (Zen)

Selection 11

Yup. It is a heal-all-potion, the panacea. (Zen)

I don’t think that’s something…Yoosung needs. (Yoosung)

Selection 12

Zen said that to help you…but you just shake it off… (Nothing)

Don’t treat Yoosung like a child. He’s an adult. (Nothing)

Selection 13

I don’t think it’s a good idea to enforce your method. (Nothing)

Zen…it might reach him later on. (Zen)

Selection 14

I wonder what V’s thinking… (V)

Everyone might become more light-hearted when everyone reveals the truth! (Ray)

I’m glad that at least you’re acting more positively. (Zen)

Selection 15

His way of grieving might be out of this world! (707)

Seven maybe has a heart made of steel? (Nothing)

Selection 16

Riding your motorcycle? Through the wind- (Nothing)

If you ride the motorcycle, V will get worried. (V)

You can ride through the wind with a VR game. (Nothing)

Selection 17

I hope you’re not taking your motorcycle for a trip around your neighborhood! (Nothing)

Zen, you’ll look gorgeous even when after sweating. (Zen)

20:11 Reason Behind the Curiosity. Selection 1

You’re on you way here? Wow… (Ray)

Why does the background look different whenever you log in? (Nothing)

Selection 2

I was about to have dinner — (Nothing)

I’m not in my room yet… (Nothing)

I was reading. Doing this and that… (Nothing)

Bzzzz! Wrong, you’ve got them all wrong! (Nothing)

You’ve got a few right ^^ (Nothing)

Selection 3

How much do you like me? (Ray)

Um…don’t we need time to learn about each other? (Nothing)

Selection 4

I feel…a tad suffocated. (Ray)

I actually feel good. (Ray)

Selection 5

It was more fun today as well. V turned a bit more active. (V)

I acted naturally, not trying to pry out secrets. The AIs felt really natural… (Nothing)

Selection 6

Yes! (Nothing)

Give me a second… (Nothing)

VNM — Selection 1

Aren’t you busy?

I’ve been waiting for you! It’s great to see you.

Selection 2

You talked about a garden.

You said you needed caffeine.

Selection 3

I want to go to that garden fast.

I’m not an idiot—

Selection 4

They’re beautiful…!

It’s a little chilly.

Selection 5

But…just what is this place?

Just what do you do here, Ray? Why are you so busy?

When will this game end?

I want to finish it quickly and go home.

No, I’d like to try it some more.

Selection 6

Let’s walk for few more minutes. I want to talk to you some more.

Already? I don’t want to go back. I feel trapped in there…

I want to go back and rest!

21:49 Power of the Coordinator. Selection 1

Cleaning Fairy! Have you completed all you chores? (707)

Hi-ho. (Nothing)

Selection 2

Yes. I went for a walk in the gardens. It was great. (Ray)

Yes, it was great talking to V and all. (V)

Selection 3

Yes! (Nothing)

I don’t know… (Nothing)

Selection 4

This time is an insurance scam? (Nothing)

When can I receive reimbursement? (Nothing)

Heartwarming… (Nothing)

Selection 5

Yes ^^ (V)

I’m holding my phone right now. (707)

Selection 6

I’m embarrassed ^^ (Nothing)

What else did you fin out apart from that? (Nothing)

Wow! I’m so glad! (Nothing)

Selection 7

And what other kinds of information did you find out? (Nothing)

You really didn’t come in very ofter before lol (Nothing)

Wow…! (Nothing)

Selection 8

A tad later, please. (Nothing)

Sure — (Nothing)

Selection 9

Feels great that he’s looking out for me! (V)

I don’t know…perhaps he’s not sincere about it. (Ray)

Selection 10

Can I change the channel? (Nothing)

V said not to advertise. (V)

Let’s hear it out first. (Nothing)

Selection 11

Done with the advertisement? (Nothing)

I want to buy one for V. (V)

Where did the insurance ad go? (Nothing)

Yes, I’ll order one box, please….there’s someone here who needs it… (Nothing)

Selection 12

Good luck with your convenience store thing! (707)

Bye, Mr.Advertiser. (Nothing)

23:07 Another Level of Salvation. Selection 1

Hello, Jaehee! You’re up late! (Nothing)

Jaehee you sould have some of Sevenstar Drink…! (707)

Selection 2

I believe Seven will be able to avoid them without a problem. (707)

Troubled times, these times… (Jaehee)

Selection 3

I have a bad feeling about this… (Nothing)

Why don’t you go to a shaman? Or hide an exorcist… (Nothing)

Selection 4

Yes…I hope they stop before they create more victims. (V)

Um…maybe it could actually save someone…that’s probably why deeply religious people look very happy. (Ray)

Selection 5

Yoosung, what have you been up to? (Nothing)

Welcome — (Nothing)

Selection 6

Was it effective? (Ray)

No…we must stop him!!! (V)

Selection 7

Did you fall into the world of gaming? (Yoosung)

Are you ordering Sevenstar Drink!? (707)

Selection 8

Seems like a sign. (Nothing)

Isn’t that a virus…! (Nothing)

Selection 9

Sniff…I smell something…the smell of spaceship burning… (707)

Weren’t there any hidden information?

Sob… (Nothing)

Selection 10

Star binge-gaming from now on. (Yoosung)

I’m thankful that he’s become brighter…. (Jaehee)

Selection 11

I believe it’s a problem you eventually have to return to and solve… (V)

Go back to the game. (Yoosung)

Selection 12

Sounds like good words, but it’s always better to do and adequate amount of good deed. (Nothing)

She’s right! (Nothing)

Selection 13

I can see how dangerous it is just by hearing it; (V)

It may be happiness to those that want to be saved by force… (Ray)

Selection 14

Why don’t we, the RFA, inherit and continue that!? (Yoosung)

Yes…but we won’t be able to do as much as before. (Ray)

It might not be fancy like salvation, but I will do my best. (V)

Selection 15

Yoosung, it might be time for you to look for professional help. (Nothing)

Eating might help you ease that stress. (Nothing)

Selection 16

I’m a bit suspicious lol (Nothing)

Whoa, interesting! (Nothing)

Selection 17

He looks too fishy. I’ll decline. (Nothing)

Let’s invite him! I wonder what his next costume will be after the leopard. (Email)

Selection 18

Yoosung, you’re leaving in a speed of light. (Nothing)

Vent out your stress by gaming! (Nothing)

Selection 19

He needs a true salvation… (Ray)

I think he just needs a way to vent out like that for now. (Jaehee)

Selection 20

If you fin it, please tell me as well!! (V)

I think I should get rest too. (Nothing)

#mysme v #mystic messenger #mysme another story #mysme #V route

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tripstations · 5 years

Text

How Robots are Impacting Travel

robots are starting to impact our lives. From cleaning your floor to cutting your lawn, keeping a swimming pool sparkling and even glass, you can now buy window cleaning robots. These little technological wonders are invading our homes and making mundane chores easier than ever. But are robots in the hospitality industry making an impact yet?

As well as The Travel Blogs, I also have a second website, Little Robot Shop, so I thought it would be fun to do a crossover post that blends the two and take a look at how robots are invading the travel and hospitality industry.

How are robots being applied in the travel industry?

Since the travel industry is dynamic, integrating robotics is an ever-growing innovation that is continually being refined. As more travel organizations are starting to see the benefits of robotics, they are becoming a more common sight.

It is Asia, in particular, Japan and China, that are leading in the adoption of robotic travel services, many other travel and hotel brands are incorporating travel robots to give their clients a rewarding experience.

In fact, robots are becoming a more common sight in many hotel roles, including the delivery of room services, entertainment, cleaning, and customer care. Some of the latest innovations are even being used for security checks and cooking.

While in the past, most robots were made to resemble animals and machines, more fashionable travel robotics mimicking human behaviors are being innovated. Let’s take a closer look at a few examples of travel sectors and companies that have embraced robotics.

Robots in the hospitality industry

Several leading hotel chains serve as excellent examples of what robots are capable of. They have adopted robotics in their day-to-day activities, including cleaning and room service delivery.

The Henn-na Hotel chain in Japan owns a chain of hotels that are staffed by robots. In their hotels, you will be welcomed and checked in by, rather oddly (but pretty cool), a robot dinosaur. There are also robots to carry luggage and take guests to their rooms.

youtube

However, recently the management of the hotel chain fired the majority of their robots as the experiment proved that there was actually no saving and have once again hired humans. I guess the technology still isn’t good enough quite yet.

Another example of robots in hotels is the Hilton Hotel concierge in McLean, Virginia. Known as Connie, this robot will answer your questions regarding the hotel amenities, check-out time, nearby attractions, eateries, and areas of interest.

In Intercontinental Hotel based in Crowne Plaza, Silicon Valley you will find Dash, a machine robot doing what it does best navigating, the hotel corridors to deliver items such as towels and toiletries to guests’ rooms.

Aloft Cupertino and Residence Inn by Marriott are other hotels where you will find robots being used in the hospitality industry.

But it’s not just hotels, restaurants are starting to see the benefits of robots too.

In China, many restaurants have deployed robotic waiters and waitresses. If you visit most of the He Restaurants in at least 13 Chinese cities, your food will probably be delivered to the table by a robot.

However, my favorite example of how robots are having a hugely positive impact in the hospitality industry is in Cafe Dawn, Tokyo. Here the cafe deploys robots that are remotely run by paralyzed staff.

Depending on the severity of paralysis, just eye movement can control these robots.

youtube

This is the perfect example of how humans can work with robotics to give a new lease of life to people in unfortunate circumstances while offering a truly unique dining experience to their customer.

But it’s not just the waiting that robots are meddling with. Boston robotic technology has been taken a notch higher by replacing even the chef! Once you make your order, a Spyce’s robotic kitchen will prepare your meal in less than three minutes and serve you.

Robotics in transport hubs

People rushing everywhere as they run to try and catch their fight, especially when combined with jetlag on a layover means airports can be confusing places. It is easy to get lost, delayed, or even miss your flight.

That is why a few airport operators are testing and deploying robots to reduce queuing and make the airport experience smooth and enjoyable for passengers.

Recently, Geneva Airport, San Jose International Airport, and Schiphol Airport have all been experimenting with robotics. In these trial instances, they used robots to entertain, help in check-in, translate, and carry luggage and guide passengers.

Additionally, a fleet of robots is being tested in airport security departments and already in use in La Guardia Airport, New York. With facial recognition cameras, the robots can move around freely while police officers in the control room can monitor and easily keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

youtube

As with airports, train stations have realized the massive potential with robots and continue to form collaborative efforts with innovators. Case in point is pepper robot which is deployed by Eurostar Company at St. Pancras International Station to give information about train schedules, ticket prices and nearby amenities in multiple languages.

Once again, though, for the most innovative use of this technology, we have to look to Japan. To prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympics Games, Japan is focusing on improving its transport, communication, and accommodation sectors.

To help ease the transit of participants and fans from all over the world, Japan is introducing Arisa, a six-foot robot, created by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Arisa will give subway travelers directions in Japanese, Chinese, English, and Korean, and even show them the way to the restrooms.

youtube

Besides Arisa, Japan has also been testing robot station security guards to boost security. Named Perseusbot, they have set this security robot to patrol the rail stations and help staff in detecting suspicious baggage and individuals.

This is something I would certainly expect to see more of in the not too distant future. While we are still a long way away from a full-on Robocop with AI decisiveness, robots can still monitor while being overlooked but a human touch in a control room.

Robots on cruise ships

Cruise ships have not been lagging in exploring robotics. One of the major cruise ships, Royal Caribbean, has deployed robots as part of their staff. In their Anthem of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, they have robotic bartenders onboard. Each boat has two robotic bartenders that can prepare up to 1000 cocktails per day.

Another cruise company, Costa Cruises, has a humanoid robot as part of its staff. Pepper, an interactive robot on Costa Diadema can entertain and provide information regarding, onboard amenities and ship itinerary.

Robots you can travel with

But what about travelers, how can we enjoy robots on the road? While there is no doubt, the majority of the technological breakthroughs have been aimed at large companies with the kind of budgets that can afford advanced robotics, if you’re a fan of the future, there are a few ways you can enjoy this trend.

Robotic luggage

Unlike robotic luggage porters, that transport baggage robotic suitcases are self-driving and are designed in such a way that they follow their owners.

The self-driving suitcases by Zzpro are linked to and controlled by a smartphone via Bluetooth. This smart luggage has a removable lithium battery and a built-in scale.

What’s more, some sit on and ride option which means for the lazy traveler, you can actually ride your suitcase. I witnessed this myself just earlier this year while in Newark Airport, sorry for the poor video quality, but I wanted to include it.

youtube

Cleaning robots that travel with you

As I alluded to earlier, robots clean your home, but that technology will soon be available to put in your luggage and take on the road with you.

Now, of course, you’re not going to take a vacuum with you, however, have you ever get grossed out thinking about hotel bed sheets and what a life they have? Well, this little bacteria-killing bot may be just what you are looking for.

CleanseBot is a portable bacteria-killing robot that gets under the sheets and uses UV lights to disinfect and sterilize surfaces. Weighing only 220 grams, this smart travel robot will is an excellent bit of tech for any germ-o-phobes that you know!

Drones

Given the amount of human control required with drones, I guess this is a bit of a stretch, but more people than ever are currently traveling with drones. As technology advances, the little flying photo makers are cheaper than ever and packing more technology and smart modes than ever before.

GPS control, dronies, auto-orbit, return to home on auto-pilot, it’s not that long ago that these features were restricted to the most expensive drones, however, they are now coming basic features.

youtube

Limitations of robots in the hospitality industry

Like with any disruptive technology, adoption of robotics in the travel industry has raised several questions, criticism and created a wave of fear.

While some people find robotics fascinating, others anticipate that robotics will water down the authentic experience that comes with hospitality should travel industry embrace entirely operated robotic services.

To those that are opposed to robotics, they feel that human connection is paramount to any travel experience. While robots offer certain positive benefits within the hospitality industry, there are few limitations that cannot be ignored.

Robots are limited in their ability to comprehend emotions, human behavior, solve conflicts, and handle emergencies.Although robots are great in mastering different languages quickly and translating more accurately, their performance power is limited to translating official languages. They are incapable of translating and comprehending local dialects, slug, humor, and sarcasm. The initial cost of purchasing and installing robots is an expensive investment. While they may later help in cutting down the cost of running the company, their buying price and maintenance can be high. The good thing is that as more developments continue to be carried on, robots will probably become more affordable.Implementation of robots in hotels and airlines is predicted to cause a labor shortage by replacing the human workforce. While today most robots are being used to supplement staff, there is a probability that the underway piloting will give rise to intelligent robots that will be programmed to perform accurately with minimal human involvement. This means that most of the staff dealing with customer service will be laid off while programming courses will be in high demand.

So what do you think?

It is predicted in the coming years’ robots will become more and more prevalent in the travel industry, but as the Henn-na hotel chain has proved, they are not quite good enough yet.

It is clear that travelers will come into contact with more robots in room service delivery, providing directions, and handling check-ins and check-outs and especially in high-security areas.

But are we ready to trust them?

At the moment, it seems while they make a fun attraction, interacting with them can sometimes be a frustrating practice and most travelers prefer having actual human staff available rather than robotic staff working on their own. The quality of AI and trust just isn’t there yet.

It is likely with the advancement of technology and continual investment in and improvement of artificial intelligence, there will be a rise in the global acceptance of robots. While we’re not quite at i-Robot level yet, it seems we are on the way.

Let’s just hope the future is more Jetsons than Terminator.

How about you, ould you be happy to have a robot prepare and serve your dinner? Or do you crave the human touch?

The post How Robots are Impacting Travel appeared first on Tripstations.

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harshaan46-blog · 5 years

Text

No Likes or Comments? Photo App VSCO Has Been Doing It for Years

At its F8 developer conference this week, Facebook announced that Instagram is testing a system whereby likes are hidden and can only be seen by the account holder. Apk Editor does the same job of its name. It gives you the features to Edit, make change save you customized app and if you don’t have the app you can extract form any app already install in your device. "We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they're getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people they care about," said Instagram chief Adam Mosseri.

This might seem like a novel approach, but rival photo-sharing app VSCO has been doing it for some time. All uploaded images are devoid of likes or comments, a move intended to help young artists express their creativity without criticism or social pressure, according to VSCO's VP of Product, Allison Swope.

Last month, on the sidelines of the Dublin Tech Summit, we spoke to Swope about this, and the company's use of artificial intelligence to analyze photos and match up users. Here are edited and condensed excerpts of the conversation.

Two years ago, it was announced that VSCO was training an AI, which you call Ava, to analyze photos and connect users. We have mentioned the game hacking process also below via Apk Editor apk so read it to understand, you can also take the YouTube help afterwards. How does that work, and why does VSCO see that as important? When people upload content on VSCO, not only are they expressing themselves but they're looking for inspiration. We want to be able to show people the creators and the content that will inspire them, and keep them coming back to fall in love with creativity. That's what the recommendation service is built to do.

The AI itself analyzes every photo on the platform and identifies key attributes; for example, Ava will be able to look at a photo and not only tell that it's a portrait but that it's a joyful, strong, energetic photo. That identification model comes through years' worth of manual tagging done by VSCO's content curation team, and it's constantly being enhanced and refined by [that] team. That way, Ava can better understand the aesthetic of an image and more specifically the nuances of aesthetic, such as how a photo is styled or composed.

Also Read Here : https://allblogger5.blogspot.com/2019/04/khloe-kardashian-claps-back-at-another.html

Users see this in the app in three ways: Related Images, which suggests photos with the same mood; Discover, which shows you similar content to what you've favorited or reposted; and For This Photo, which is a selection of presets best suited for the photo.

With regards to 'For This Photo,' do you think we're going to have more instances of AI recommending ways for people to improve their photos? Definitely. I think it's a great use of AI to guide people and give them ways they can improve whatever they're doing. They grow, and learn, and feel like they're making progress.

Is there a concern that AI could get away from the human creativity VSCO is built on? I think it's more about trying something new. If people are serious about their creativity, they also want guidance from people they trust. That comes from looking at what people [they follow] create, content that helps you understand how to edit photos, that inspires you with tips and tricks, and I think AI is part of that toolkit. Really good AI, such as our preset recommendations, inspires people to try something new with their work they might not have thought of before.

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On that point, you've said that social media makes people disconnect from their creativity. What does that mean? People go through their day creating in a lot of ways. Most people are taking photos on their smartphones, and editing them in some way, and sharing them out somewhere. [But] people on VSCO are doing that in the service of creation and their creativity - to express [themselves] freely and have people appreciate what [they're] creating for what it is.

That idea of creation for creation's sake, that's why VSCO avoids likes and comments? VSCO has always been a platform for self expression, and so hasn't had comments from the start, hasn't had like counts, hasn't had follower counts. As [people] use and experiment with new technology and new platforms, they're becoming more aware of the impact it has on their lives. VSCO empowers them to choose a platform where they can do that without fear of judgment. We are growing, and more and more people are choosing VSCO, and so I think that that's just...the way that it's going.

Why do you think people need somewhere that doesn't have a fear of judgment? Because they want to be able to express themselves freely. If you're creative and you want to make stuff and you want to put it out into the world, we're giving them a space. Their creativity, and the differences between what they make and other people [make] can actually be celebrated, and they don't feel a need to conform.

Because conformity doesn't help you express yourself better, and because we're not making judgments about what content is good through some sort of algorithm. We show you what you follow, [and] you're really able to choose what you want to connect with.

Does that mean other social medias have a type of identity, some conformity, to the content that goes onto them? I wouldn't comment on what role the other social media platforms are playing necessarily.

But what did VSCO see that the other apps didn't? VSCO has that quality of "this is my work, and it stands for itself, and it stands alone." If you walk into an art gallery or a museum, you're not going to see a place to post a like or comment. The artist is not asking for that type of feedback.

So it's a kind of privacy? Well it's interesting, because VSCO isn't private.

Does it feel private? I'd say the lack of likes and comments give users a sense of ownership over their space that serves them in a different way, [better] than having the content gated in some way.

And that's a part of why so many of VSCO's users, 75 percent in fact, are younger people? Yes, this young generation is remarkably self-aware, and interested in social media that serves them and makes them better and meets their needs. And they're really choosy about where and how they share their content.

We're seeing a lot of awareness of the need for self expression, and the value that that has for mental health. I think there is a popular opinion of young people that all they care about is selfies and likes and comments. But that's not the side of the youth we see at all. We see people that are very ambitious to create the world they want to live in, and I think that as we move into more video, more mixed-media, giving people more ways to create, we expect to see more people coming to VSCO to be a part of that.

Source : https://in.pcmag.com/news/130222/no-likes-or-comments-photo-app-vsco-has-been-doing-it-for-years

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2whatcom-blog · 5 years

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Environmental Thinker Invoice McKibben Sounds Warning on Expertise

When writer and environmentalist Invoice McKibben wrote The Finish of Nature in 1989, the world was a really totally different place. The science behind local weather change was not as refined, the general public's understanding of the problem extra restricted, and the real-world results of worldwide warming far much less apparent to the typical particular person. Thirty years and greater than a level Celsius of warming later, humanity has but to noticeably take care of the planet's local weather downside. Warmth-trapping greenhouse gases proceed to construct up within the environment, and the U.S. authorities has did not take significant motion to curb them. And along with local weather change, McKibben now sees two different existential threats dealing with humanity: synthetic intelligence and human genetic engineering. He writes about these points in his new e-book, Falter: Has the Human Sport Begun to Play Itself Out? Scientific American spoke with McKibben, founding father of the local weather change group 350.org, concerning the motivation behind his e-book, why he believes these issues are so perilous, and the way humankind may handle its self-created crises. What's totally different, when it comes to local weather change, because you wrote The Finish of Nature in 1989? In 1989 there was nonetheless one thing considerably summary concerning the risk . We knew it was coming, the science was clear, however you could not but take an image of it. Thirty years later it is the dominant truth of every day life for a whole lot of thousands and thousands of individuals every single day around the globe who're coping with some flood, drought, wildfire or the regular rise of the oceans--all the issues we have unleashed. So it's a very totally different state of affairs in that manner. It's actual now. You draw consideration to what you name two different existential threats to humanity--artificial intelligence and human germline genetic engineering. Why do you assume these three points are essentially the most alarming? These are the opposite issues that probably shift what we have understood to be our place on this planet. Simply as local weather change dramatically undermines nature, so these shifts dramatically problem human nature. For synthetic intelligence, folks have speculated about every kind of catastrophe eventualities. Possibly they're true, perhaps they don't seem to be. However even when AI works because it's purported to, the inevitable end result would be the supplanting of human beings because the measure of which means on this planet. And to what finish? In order that we will make issues occur extra rapidly? Why do we would like that? What's the level? It appears to me that these are the questions we have not even begun to ask. There are clearly huge sensible worries about what it means to start out etching inequality into our genes --what are the well being dangers and so forth. These are all persuasive and highly effective causes to not do . However they do not get on the deepest cause, which has to do with the which means of being human. Simply because it turned out that we had been unsuitable to take the steadiness of the bodily world with no consideration, we're additionally unsuitable to take the which means of a human life with no consideration. I worry that it is not going to show very arduous to undermine that. Do you solely see these two applied sciences (AI and germline engineering) as harmful? Or do additionally they have one thing optimistic to supply folks? Applied sciences include a collection of advantages and prices. The traditional instance is fossil fuels: they did wonderful issues for us till we reached a degree the place we had been utilizing them in such amount that they had been doing harm. Now we have to discover different methods to energy our lives. I in truth do not assume that human genetic engineering gives us a lot in the way in which of profit. If persons are apprehensive about genetic illness, we will already take care of that by way of preimplantation genetic analysis, which is utilized in fertility clinics around the globe. It helps you to be sure that your baby would not have a genetic illness, however it would not allow you to enhance your baby. So I do not assume the advantages are very excessive, and the potential cost--in phrases of meaning--is huge. Some may say that you simply're being overly alarmist, particularly when it comes to AI and genetic engineering. How would you reply to that critique? I am used to it as a result of folks mentioned it for years about local weather change. I want that I had been . If something, we have been under-alarmist about it. I feel the most important downside round AI and human genetic engineering is that we're barely discussing them in these phrases. One of many factors of this e-book is to get that dialogue underway as quick as we will. Given how little we have achieved to deal with local weather change, the place can we go from right here? Do you see any potential options that would assist us handle the issue in time? The excellent news is that the engineers have achieved their job with exceptional pace and energy. Thirty years in the past we did not know what was going to exchange coal, oil and gas--we simply knew that they had to get replaced. However within the final decade, the value of a photo voltaic panel has dropped 90 %. In many of the world now, photo voltaic and wind are the most affordable methods to supply power. However we're not making the transition rapidly enough--not for lack of engineering, however for lack of political will. The fossil gas business has a lot political energy and it is keen to make use of it to take care of its enterprise mannequin, even on the expense of breaking the planet. So it should take a one-two punch of nice engineering and nice motion constructing. Over the past 10 years we have constructed a local weather motion actually out of nothing, and it continues to develop. You noticed exceptional stuff this yr with schoolchildren throughout the planet leaving their school rooms, demanding motion. We're seeing younger folks push for a Inexperienced New Deal within the U.S. I do not know precisely what type all this may finally take, when it comes to laws and coverage, however I do know that that ferment is an efficient signal. Persons are not going to take this mendacity down. How can we handle these different existential threats--AI and genetic engineering? Will the strategy be just like local weather change? We're a bit earlier within the curve, however you may already see folks starting to attempt to determine responses to them--though I do not assume persons are speaking deeply sufficient but and I think about it will require movement-building to be able to get these huge conversations going. There are components on each the political left and proper which are made uneasy by these new applied sciences, and will probably be fascinating to see whether or not or not they will determine tips on how to work collectively. Why did you write this e-book? What are you hoping it is going to accomplish? After I wrote The Finish of Nature 30 years in the past, my idea of change was easy. I used to be 27 years outdated; I assumed folks would learn my e-book after which they'd change. I now know that that is not the way in which change occurs. Books and arguments are one a part of what must occur, however I spend most of my time now constructing actions. I feel these are what actually will transfer the needle. I hope that this e-book contributes a bit to that movement-building course of. However I additionally simply wish to mark the place we're. Thirty years in the past my best worry for local weather change, in a manner, was that we might stroll off this cliff with out even recognizing it. I feel now at the very least there's going to be a critical struggle. And that's, on the very least, a extra dignified manner for people to be partaking with this best of crises. Read the full article

#2what.com #climate #engineering #genetic #nature #terms #thirty #we've

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firehawk12 · 8 years

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Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

Horizon Zero Dawn is a game that came out of nowhere for me. Guerilla Games’ track record is a bit suspect at best, and the fact that Killzone Shadow Fall was, to be kind, a forgettable experience so there wasn’t really any reason to have any expectations for their latest offering.

Yet somehow, despite the complete shift in genre, Guerilla has managed to deliver a game that is fun to play and features an engaging world to contextualize that play. The core mechanic in the game, fighting against the robotic creatures in the game, fulfills the promise of an open-world combat system. As Aloy, you have many options at your disposal to engage with these monsters. You might stalk them in the grass and strike from behind, or you might choose to set up various traps along their patrol paths, or perhaps you might go in guns blazing (or bows blazing) and shower them with arrows.

The actual mission design leaves a lot to be desired — the majority of the missions in the game have the same loop: find a quest giver, go to a waypoint on the map, follow a glowing purple trail, fight some enemy, return home to collect your reward — but the combat more than makes up for the cliched gameplay loop.

What surprised me the most is that the game itself is built in a way that should offend me, in the same way that Ready Player One and the news of a Matrix reboot lead me to believe that popular culture is dying a slow death, regurgitating both the gameplay mechanics and science fiction tropes that can be found in many other properties.

As a game, it obviously draws inspiration from the many Ubisoft games that have driven the open world formula to the ground, with towers (of a sort) to climb and a map riddled with icons displaying a myriad of collectables. As a fictional world, the future depicted in Horizon is a pastiche of science fiction ideas pulled from a myriad of sources — Earth is doomed because Ted Faro, a billionaire with an overinflated sense of self-importance, designed military robots that consumed organic matter for fuel, thus dooming all of humanity. Realizing that there was no way to stop the robot apocalypse, humanity, led by Elisabet Sobeck, developed a plan that would save life on Earth — wait for the machines to wipe out all life on the planet, then “reboot” everything by reintroducing humanity once the machines have died off and the planet is safe. There’s even a ship full of embryos being sent into deep space as a backup plan that you can read about in the audio logs, so you can check that box too.

But that’s fine. Sure, the game feels like Assassin’s Creed with Terminator slapped on top of it, but it’s a text that proves that something really can be greater than the sum of its parts. The game unapologetically draws inspiration from a variety of video games and science fiction texts, but is never bogged down by its source material. It’s neither referential nor reverential to the material that it is drawing from, so you never feel taken out of the text because a writer/designer wants to show you how clever they are by trying to point out something you should immediately recognize. No one says something stupid like “Come with me if you want to live” just because Horizon is a game about a robot uprising.

Having played a bit of Ghost Recon Wildlands, a game that faithfully follows the Ubisoft open-world formula, you can immediately see the difference between a group of designers who care about creating a compelling lore for their world and a group where the lore is essentially just window dressing for the gameplay loop. Even after a week finishing Horizon, I still find myself speculating and thinking about the “post” post-apocalyptic world that Guerrilla has created.

There is one criticism I have with the game that I wanted to talk about. For the most part, I’m content with how the story and lore is delivered to the player. There’s nothing really unique here in terms of how the narrative is presented to the player — you have standard cinematic cutscenes, audio logs, text logs, “in game” cutscenes (which are essentially audio logs with character models that you can look at), and conversations with NPCs. There’s a token attempt to give the player some choice by allowing Aloy to choose how to respond to certain situations (although I can’t remember the in-game terms, essentially she can be sympathetic, cruel, or thoughtful), but these decisions are essentially inconsequential.

I suppose that’s fine. I understand that most of the resources are going to be devoted to creating an open world that is worth exploring since that’s going to be how you spend most of your time with the game (and it’s clear that the designers are enamored with their work because they included a “photo mode” for you to take screenshots and show off their work for them), but I can’t help but be somewhat disappointed by how the story is delivered.

In particular, the NPC conversation system is ripped straight out of a BioWare game… from 10 years ago. Here’s how a typical conversation plays out in the game:

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Forgiving the fact that the facial animation feels off, particularly Aloy’s smile at the end, doesn’t this conversation feel very familiar if you’ve played any BioWare game made in the last 15 years or so? It’s two people standing, always facing each other, while the camera simply cuts between the two of them. Shot/reverse-shot, over and over again. Every single conversation looks exactly the same, even important ones where some major plot point is being revealed to Aloy/the player.

Even the first Mass Effect tried to break up its conversations with some more interesting camera angles:

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I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in believing that a game released in 2017 should at least have better presentation than a game released in 2007. Particularly if I’m forgiving the developers for not really introducing any ludic storytelling moments in their game at all.

I wanted to illustrate how distracting this presentational style can be with an explicit example, so I’ll just say now that the rest of this discussion will contain spoilers for the end of the game.

At the beginning of the game, you start off playing as a younger version of Aloy who is being trained by Rost, her adoptive father figure, in the ways of the Nora. Through a various set of circumstances, Rost eventually sacrifices his life to save yours, fulfilling his duty as a father-figure who must die in order to motivate the main character (as I said, the game is not really original, but in this context it sells the story).

One of the bigger mysteries in the game is Rost’s relationship with Aloy — why was Rost ostracized from his society? Why does he care so much about Aloy?His character also introduces questions about Aloy’s character as well — who are Aloy’s parents? These questions help make the quest to save the world from another robot apocalypse much more interesting, because suddenly Aloy has personal stakes in the quest which makes her immediately relatable to the player. The game is as much about discovering the truth about Aloy’s “family” as it is about trying to stop the rogue AI Hades and his plans to consume the world.

You have an engaging world that you want to explore and an interesting main character that you are learning about as you play the game. You and Aloy learn her identity at the same time (although the game gives you ample opportunity to guess at her true identity throughout the game), and the revelation that Aloy is a clone of the original Elisabet Sobeck, the woman who tried to save humanity during the original apocalypse, lets you connect to both Aloy’s devastating realization that she was bred for a specific purpose and to the overall narrative of the game.

That’s all great, and it pays off in a wonderfully emotional moment for Aloy at the end of the game. Yes, she never had parents, but she had a father-figure who taught her the skills to survive in the new world and a mother-figure who guided her on her journey to save humanity.

But let’s look at how the game presents this characterization to the player. Here’s how Aloy’s relationship with Rost culminates in the game:

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After his noble sacrifice, he is eventually buried next to his home, and Aloy can visit his grave to update him on her journey. Speaking to a loved one’s grave is a ritual that everyone can relate to , and we’re meant to feel for Aloy’s loss by getting a glimpse at how much she still cares for him. Except this sentiment is ruined by the game’s archaic conversation system. It’s clear that the game is treating Rost’s grave as a second “character” in this conversation, and because of how limited the conversation engine seems to be, the only thing the developers were able to show is the back of Aloy’s head while she speaks to a badly framed shot of the grave. We don’t even get a cut to a reverse-shot of Aloy speaking so that we might be able to see the emotion on her face as she pours her heart out to her father. The best they can do is switch to a medium shot so that the visuals aren’t entirely static, but it’s hard not to see the limitations of the game engine. Certainly it robs the moment of its emotional impact because you can’t help but notice the static nature of the scene.

Now let’s take a look at how they present Aloy’s search for her “mother’s” grave:

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The difference is night at day. Yes, it’s a cutscene, and so they have a lot more control over what they can show. It’s much more crafted, and honestly, more cinematic than the scene where she speaks to Rost. We get shots of both Elisabet’s body and Aloy’s reaction to finding her mother. We even get the crane shot at the end to show us not only that Aloy has discovered who she is, but that both Elisabet and Aloy have managed to save humanity from destruction.

Now, do I wish there were more cutscenes in the game? Of course not. The last thing I want is another Uncharted where the game’s story is conveyed through unskippable non-interactive cinematics. But they could have done something to at the very least spice up the NPC conversation system to do more than just show the two characters talking to each other. There’s no reason why Aloy couldn’t have been talking to Rost’s grave while clearing some brush away from the stones, or even sitting down next to it while facing the camera so that we could see her character emote. The same goes for every single conversation that you have in the game, from the relatively minor ones like the one above with Talanah, to the major ones where you speak with Sylens about the true nature of the Zero Dawn project.

Horizon Zero Dawn is a game that, outside of its combat mechanics, doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It’s an experience that feels very familiar, both in terms of the gameplay loop and in terms of the story it conveys. But if you’re willing to forgive the well-worn nature of the game, and in my case, the issues with how the game presents its story, then you’ll have one of the more fulfilling game experiences of the year.

#horizon zero dawn #videogames #review #game #2017 #video games

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spiralingworm · 7 years

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Horizon: Atheism Dawn

Warning: I will be spoiling some of the Horizon lore and pretty big story plot points. Maybe don't read this, if you plan on finishing Horizon: Zero Dawn.

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Horizon is an exceptional game in my eyes. From the very beginning till the very end I was engaged in Aloy story. The combat system certainly helped in keeping me hooked, because for every secret the world had to offer there was a satisfying fight to back it all up. Giant robo dinosoaurs roaming the land are the best thing I encountered on my PS4. There is this strangely satisfying feeling of aiming at specific machine parts, releasing the arrow and watching green damage indicator going up. The sounds...

(Photo Mode #1)

The sound feedback you receive as a player is just awesome. You know when you made a good shot , you know when you should dodge and you know when you screwed up. Only thing better than sound in this game are the visuals. This game just looks gorgeous. I don't know how exactly Guerilla was able to pull this out, but I am pretty happy for them. Especially because I got to play this awesome game, and engage in this beautiful and rich world. Rich in lore and sense.

(Photo Mode #2)

This game just makes sense. Everyone here happens for a reason and pretty much everything is explained in some way. By the end you know everything you should know and you are eager to learn more. The world is filled with small lore that explains small quirks that the old ones bothered with. There are the obvious comedy holo letters, but you will also find some scary ones. Like how big corporations roamed the world and use their power to silence the criticism in brutal fashion.

(Photo mode #3)

The Old Ones understood the world and how all of this stuff works. Their technology was sophisticated and thanks to that they had the ability to create anything at will. Their multicultural society was beautiful. Technology lived side by side with religion and everyone was okay with it, because they had pretty good grasp on universe. Let's flash forward to present time. Tribal times.

Now for the bigger spoiling part.

There are three major tribes present in the game Banuk, Carja and Nora. All three of them have their own religion and reasoning behind those faiths. In many ways those humans are very primitive and they read the universe wrong. All three of them built their faith on wrong perception, because of insufficient data. Humans are scared of things they can't easily explain and religion gives you those answers and all are happy. Pretty much...

(Photo Mode #4)

Banuk live in their small village in peace with what are normally pretty aggressive machines. When you enter their tiny encampment you will see robots standing still and people worshiping them. Everything is of course in calming shade of blue. Banuk priests will tell you that their holy cries and prayings are the reason for all of this. That they can create the signal that somehow calms those creatures down. High above the village lies small easter egg from the old ones. The big ball that transmits calming signal to all creatures around. There is nothing magical about it.

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(Random non-scripted encounters. The world just lives.)

Carja are praising the sun. Literally the sun is a god in their world. They are also the most civil ones among three you meet. They made some advancments in technology and society. Their new king is actually quite nice and reasonable man. Yet they still think this big ball of fire in the sky has consciousness and is responsible for life on earth. Well it is partially true, but not in the sense Carja believe. The point that they get right is the understanding that sun treats everyone equally. Burning everyone the same way... well depending on you geographical location.

(Photo Mode #5)

So we arrive to the third tribe our tribe and by our I mean the tribe where Aloy was born. Nora worship the All-Mother deity which lives inside giant mountain. This tribe is lead by High Matriarchs and you are eligible for this title by being a grandmother, and you grandchildren need to be alive. I actually like this conditions, because if you are old enough for the job you probably know a little bit about life. Of course there are some exceptions and you will experience them playing the game, but hey it works. The deity is actually an artificial intelegence in charge of gatekeeping. Giant mountain is just a big vault of the old ones, and the key to opening the door is possessing correct DNA. Which no one in Nora tribe actually have so no one can actually enter the vault. Ironic isn't it?

(Seriously spoilers now)

So you play as an outcast Aloy from Nora tribe that needs to prove that she isn't the lesser one. Why she is an outcast? The vault is actaully a repopulation center left by the old ones and Aloy is the product of this place. Machines left her at the front gate soon after birth in hope that the tribe will take care of her. The twist here is that matriarchs treat her as impure, because All-Mother said so. Due to malfunction in DNA database AI just couldn't recognise her. So they banish a child which is unable to move it's limbs properly. Banishing to live alone in the wild that is. Thank fuck for another outcast Rost, because he took care of this little child.

(Photo mode #7)

I mean I could even kinda understand their position, because they don't know any better. However it is hard to not see a correlation between this world and our world. In both advancement of technology and religion trying to explain the world. I generally believe that the world will end by some genious scientist going a step too far. I generally believe that the world would be a better place if not for medieval ways of killing brilliant minds. I mean just think of it. What could Galileo accomplish, if not for the threats of literally burning him alive. That said religion is a great way to find morality in this cruel world, just not the only one.

Oh and by the way when Aloy starts to understand more of the world, by actually researching what The Old Ones accomplished, she is seriously sick and tired by this religious bullshit...

#horizon zero dawn #atheism #carja #nora #banuk #aloy #lovethisgame

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dpdanielpinheiro · 4 years

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Lords, mais uma rubrica de #gettoknow, e hoje é Sexta, o que significa que é uma Criadora de Conteúdo! A Sara Nata, com 24 anos e residente no Porto, trabalha na indústria da moda, em algo muito interessante, como Fashion Advisor! Além disso, está cada vez a ganhar mais notoriedade no Instagram, onde garanto que vale apena acompanha-la! Vamos conhece-la melhor?

Lords, another rubric of #gettoknow, and today is Friday, which means you are a Content Creator! Sara Nata, 24 years old and resident in Porto, works in the fashion industry, in something very interesting, Fashion Advisor! In addition, it is gaining more notoriety on Instagram, where I guarantee that it is worth just accompanying it! Shall we get to know her better?

1. Como tudo isto começou, e de onde surgiu a ideia de te tornares um criadora de conteúdo? / How this all started? And from where you hot the idea of turning into a Content Creator?

Sara – Eu sempre tive um enorme interesse pelo mundo da moda, mas aos meus 20 anos intensificou-se. Fiz a minha formação e com isso decidi criar o meu Instagram mais direcionado para a moda para de certa forma mostrar às pessoas que pudemos ser aquilo que quisermos e vestir o que nos faz sentir bem.

Sara – I have always had a huge interest in the world of fashion, but at the age of 20 it intensified. I did my training and with that I decided to create my Instagram more focused on fashion to somehow show people that we could be what we want and wear what makes us feel good.

2. Quais foram / são as tuas influências nacionais e internacionais para a inspiração? Seja em estilo como em criação de conteúdo. / Which were / are your national and international influences for content creation?

Sara – Para te ser sincera não tenho nenhuma inspiração direta no que toca ao meu trabalho. Quanto ao meu estilo eu tento sempre manter o equilíbrio entre o que está in e o meu gosto pessoal. Em Portugal temos excelente criadores de conteúdo tais como, o promissor Bruno Lexim, Nuno Antunes, o João Catarino e inclusive tu! Numa onda mais streetwear gosto bastante do Gonçalo Olivier.

Sara –To be honest, I have no direct inspiration when it comes to my work. As for my style, I always try to keep the balance between what’s in it and my personal taste. In Portugal we have excellent content creators such as the promising Bruno Lexim, Nuno Antunes, João Catarino, and even you! In a more streetwear wave I like Gonçalo Olivier a lot.

3. Em termos de estilo, sei que já “passaste” por homem devido ao estilo que tens! Alguma dessas “críticas/confusões” te abala? | When it comes to style, I know someone already thought of you as a man because of the style you wear? Are those tips of critics something that put you a bit down?

Sara – Embora entenda que esse tipo de confusão possa surgir, enganos como esses não me abalam pois é exatamente por isso que eu faço o meu trabalho, para que o facto de eu ser uma rapariga com um estilo mais masculino quebre todos os tabus em relação ao género. No que toca a criticas, as construtivas são sempre bem vindas.

Sara – Although I understand that this type of confusion can arise, mistakes like these do not shake me because that is exactly why I do my job so that the fact that I am a girl with a more masculine style breaks all the taboos in relation to gender. When it comes to criticism, constructive ones are always welcome.

4. Qual é para ti a maior dificuldade em criar conteúdo? E já agora, qual a maior facilidade? | What is your biggest difficultie on creatin content? And also, the easiest thing?

Sara – Definitivamente a maior dificuldade é por em pratica muitas das ideias que surgem. Apesar de ser bastante criativa existe sempre a entrave de encontrar o local perfeito para enquadrar a ideia exatamente como a imaginei. Quero sempre primar pela diferença e destacar-me dos demais pois acredito que seja assim o segredo para a criação do nosso próprio conteúdo. No entanto, o meu forte é a criação de looks, adoro a liberdade de poder “brincar” com a roupa, cores, formas etc.

Sara – Definitely the biggest difficulty is putting into practice many of the ideas that come up. Despite being very creative, there is always the obstacle of finding the perfect place to frame the idea exactly as I imagined it. I always want to stand out for the difference and stand out from the others because I believe that this is the secret for the creation of our own content. However, my forte is creating looks, I love the freedom of being able to “play” with clothes, colors, shapes, etc.

… não fazendo aquilo que os outros esperam ver.

5. Para este trabalho o que consideras fundamental? | For this this work, what is for you fundamental?

Sara – Acho que o importante é sermos genuínos e fieis a nós mesmos. Criando o nosso próprio caminho e não fazendo aquilo que os outros esperam ver.

Sara – I think the important thing is to be genuine and true to ourselves. Creating our own path and not doing what others expect to see.

6. Pelo que vi, és Fashion Advisor! Queres falar um pouco do que é, para quem não está familiarizado com essa profissão? | For what I’ve seen, you are a Fashion Advisor! Do you want to talk a bit about that, for those who don’t know what that means?

Sara – O meu trabalho tem imensas vertentes mas respondendo especificamente ao que me perguntas-te numa explicação simples e rápida é ajudar todas as pessoas que tem dificuldade em se vestir. Para que possas entender melhor todos nós temos um biótipo, que é nada mais nada menos que a forma do nosso corpo. E é ai que eu entro ao encontrar a roupa que favoreça e realce as formas de cada um.

Sara – My work has a lot of strands but responding specifically to what you ask me in a simple and quick explanation is to help everyone who has difficulty dressing. So that you can better understand we all have a biotype, which is nothing less than the shape of our body. And this is where I enter when I find the clothes that favor and enhance the shapes of each one.

7. O teu perfil tem um tema muito específico, algo que eu gosto porque também o faço! De onde surgiu a ideia de teres uma edição assim? | Your feed as a very specific them, something i love because i do the same! From where it came about that idea of such editing?

Sara – As minhas fotos são maioritariamente tiradas em ambientes urbanos/cidade e acho que o meu tipo de edição se enquadra super bem nesse tipo de ambiente pelos tons mais escuros e fortes e claro não esquecendo a parte estética do meu feed.

Sara – My photos are mostly taken in urban / city environments and I think that my type of editing fits very well in that type of environment due to the darker and stronger tones and of course not forgetting the aesthetic part of my feed.

8. Consideras o Marketing extremamente importante para a criação de conteúdo, ou achas que as vezes isso pode também retirar a originalidade do próprio content creator? | Do you look at Marketing as something very important to content creation, or do you feel that, sometimes, it can take originality from the content creator?

Sara – Não acho que seja extremamente importante, acho que nos devemos dar a conhecer, sim, mas nunca perdendo a nossa essência e sem grandes malabarismos.

Sara – I don’t think it’s extremely important, I think we should make ourselves known, yes, but never losing our essence and without great juggling.

9. Qual a tua função como criador de conteúdo? Influenciar? Inspirar? Dar aos seguidores o que eles querem ver? Porque? | What is your Goal as a content creator? Influenciate? Inspire? Giving your followrs whatever they want to see?

Sara – O termo ‘influenciar’ é muito forte para mim! Acho que não nos devemos sentir influenciados por ninguém, porque tu ao influenciares quase que obrigas a outra pessoa a ser ‘igual’a ti. Eu por exemplo não sou o estereotipo de mulher nem tão pouco o que a sociedade ‘impõe’ e eu não posso influenciar alguém a ser como eu! Acredito sim que podemos inspirar pessoas! Inspirar para um simples look, foto ou até mesmo para um estilo de vida mas sempre mantendo a nossa essência.

Sara – The term ‘influence’ is very strong for me! I think we shouldn’t feel influenced by anyone because when you influence, you almost force the other person to be ‘just like you’. I, for example, am not the stereotype of a woman or what society ‘imposes’ and I cannot influence someone to be like me! I do believe that we can inspire people! Inspire for a simple look, photo, or even for a lifestyle but always maintaining our essence.

… ia parecer forçado e para mim assim não faz sentido.

10. Quando se trata de patrocínios, quais são os teus critérios para aceitar uma parceria? Existe algum conteúdo que não farias? | When it comes to sponsors, what are your criteria to accept them?

Sara –Certamente que existe imenso conteúdo que não faria pelo simples facto de não me identificar e como referi anteriormente temos de ser fieis a nos próprios! Que sentido faria por exemplo aceitar uma parceria de make up? Não tem nada haver comigo ia parecer forçado e para mim assim não faz sentido.

11. Descreve-me a Sara Nata em 3 palavras! | Descrive me yourself in 3 Words!

Sara – Paciente, determinada, sonhadora.

Sara – Patient, determined, dreamy.

Espero que tenham gostado de Conhecer a Sara um pouco melhor! Deixem a vossa opinião nos comentários! Em breve sairá outra rubrica, por isso fiquem atentos!

I hope you like, to get to know better Sara! Leave me your opinion on the comment box! Soon will come out another article, so keep tuned for that!

[callaction button_text=”Follow” button_url=”https://www.instagram.com/sara_nata/” background_color=”#333333″ text_color=”#ffffff” button_background_color=”#b5b5b5″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” rounded=”true”]Sara Nata[/callaction]

#gettoknow | O que acha a Sara sobre Influenciar? Lords, mais uma rubrica de #gettoknow, e hoje é Sexta, o que significa que é uma Criadora de Conteúdo!

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toomanysinks · 6 years

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NVIDIA and OpenAI’s capped returns

Editor’s note: Starting as a trial, the Extra Crunch Daily newsletter is going to be delivered Tuesday-Saturday, in order to faithfully analyze the happenings in the startup and financial world Monday-Friday.

Open AI’s capped returns

OpenAI announced yesterday that they are going to be offering a “capped return” security for investors as part of the for-profit/non-profit split the organization is creating:

As mentioned above, economic returns for investors and employees are capped (with the cap negotiated in advance on a per-limited partner basis). Any excess returns go to OpenAI Nonprofit. Our goal is to ensure that most of the value (monetary or otherwise) we create if successful benefits everyone, so we think this is an important first step. Returns for our first round of investors are capped at 100x their investment (commensurate with the risks in front of us), and we expect this multiple to be lower for future rounds as we make further progress.

I candidly don’t understand this structure at all. For venture capitalists — and particularly early-stage investors — returns are driven by one, maybe two, and extremely rarely three startups in a portfolio (that would be Benchmark’s 2011 fund, which includes Uber, Snap, and WeWork). That one outlier investment may drive a majority of all fund returns. If OpenAI were to be that investment, how you could you possibly relinquish the remaining upside? Maybe you could prospectively sort of accept this, but how would you explain to LPs that “ah, yes, seven years ago we decided to give up that next 150x” or whatever.

OpenAI LP (the for-profit entity) is trying to target more mission-oriented investors, who presumably value incentive alignment but not (huge) profits. That’s fine, but the idea of capping a return as a mechanism to capture run-away value creation seems really off to me and should be discouraged.

My colleague Devin Coldewey also had a negative take, but sort of in the opposite direction — that OpenAI “may not be quite so open going forward” and is going to focus more on profits than science. That’s a fair criticism as well, although I think the profit motive will get us to AGI faster.

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With Mellanox deal, NVIDIA buys a chance to salvage its growth

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

Written by Arman Tabatabai

NVIDIA confirmed whispers Monday when it announced it was acquiring adjacent semiconductor player Mellanox for $6.9 billion. Mellanox specifically focuses on interconnects and networking components that transfer data between cloud compute and storage resources.

The strategic rationale for NVIDIA is fairly straight-forward despite being a little outside of the company’s core competency. As we’ve discussed a few times before, NVIDIA got absolutely crushed towards the end of last year as the company struggled to find growth while facing headwinds from a dried up crypto market, a testy geopolitical backdrop, customer erosion, and increased competition. NVIDIA cuts its sales guidance by $500 million in the last quarter which, as the NYT pointed out, CEO Jensen Huang called “a real punch in the gut.”

NVIDIA has been betting the farm on diving into the data center, cloud computing, and supercomputer/AI markets that require parallel computation well served by NVIDIA’s graphical processing unit (GPUs). With Mellanox, NVIDIA will not only gets access to a segment with higher margins than its current operations but will, more importantly, be able to offer solutions across the full compute stack for data storage and AI/ML.

As TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden put it:

“While NVIDIA has focused its energies on computing, Mellanox works across Ethernet and other networking technologies — complementary areas for the two when addressing new computing and data transfer challenges brought about with the rise of AI, cloud services, an explosion of smartphone and other connected device usage and as-yet nonexistent tech like self-driving cars, which will put even more strain on our data infrastructure.”

The deal had been fairly well-telegraphed prior to the official announcement and is expected to be cash and earnings accretive. And the purchase price doesn’t appear to be too outlandish either — especially given a bidding process Huang described as “very competitive” — coming in slightly below the over $7 billion NVIDIA was rumored to be offering in order to outbid Intel, Xilinx, and Microsoft, all of whom had been linked as potential buyers during the past year in which Mellanox has reportedly been up for sale .

Notably, Intel seems to have missed out again here during a time where the company has been pouring money into R&D trying to play catch-up after struggling in recent years to keep up with the industry’s transition to new technologies.

NVIDIA stock was up around 7% on the day and Mellanox traded up to roughly $118 — just below the $125 per share acquisition price — with the market seemingly baking in a five-to-six percent chance of the deal not going through given the US government’s increased scrutiny on the global chip industry and pushback seen in prior semiconductor transactions. While a rejection of the deal would certainly be negative for NVIDIA, the company would only have to cough up a termination fee of $225-$350 million if the deal is blocked by shareholders or regulators and both leadership teams seem to be on board.

For NVIDIA, it seems like a small price to pay for a new shot at growth and a chance to quickly gain share in an increasingly competitive market.

Where is China’s new NASDAQ?

Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images

China has a money problem (well, it has a lot of money problems, but let’s just focus on one for today). The country has produced a dizzying array of global-scale technology companies, including Alibaba, Tencent, and many more. The problem is that these startups grow up in China, but perform their IPO debuts overseas, typically in New York and also often in Hong Kong. There are a whole lot of reasons why this happens, but it annoys the hell out of the senior Chinese leadership.

So the Shanghai Stock Exchange, one of the two leading markets in the country, has been working with regulators to introduce a “NASDAQ-style” trading board that would have fewer rules on new issues. Those more lenient rules would include allowing companies to be unprofitable at IPO and to allow for multiple share classes, presumably with differential voting rights. In other words, they are designed for Silicon Valley-style startups.

We learned last week that the board’s introduction will come near the end of May, and it unveiled a nearly final set of rules for the new exchange last week. That’s months late though, since back in December, the exchange had said that new equity issues could begin trading as early as March.

The reason all of this minutia matters is because of Ant Financial . The Chinese fintech company was last valued at $150 billion, and its IPO, which has been rumored for months now, will be one of the major financial blockbusters of the year.

Where Ant Financial chooses to debut is a hugely important question for these exchanges, and for getting a read on the future divide between U.S. and Chinese capital markets. At its scale, it could almost single-handedly christen Shanghai’s new board, and indeed, it is rumored that the company wants to do just that. Certainly the Chinese government wants the company to trade locally.

So the question is whether it has the time to wait for Shanghai to get all of its pieces in order, while also ignoring the large capital markets in New York, London, and Hong Kong that would almost certainly have to be tapped for a company its scale.

LinkedIn’s failures in China

Illustration by Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

It’s not every day you get a direct takedown of a product by that product’s former leader. But over the weekend, former LinkedIn China president Derek Shen blasted the company’s approach to China, according to a translation by Jill Shen at TechCrunch editorial partner TechNode (who I presume is unrelated):

“It’s horrible that the LinkedIn product managers don’t even realize they have lagged way behind a list of new social networking services such as WeChat, feeling good about themselves instead,” said Shen in a LinkedIn post on Monday. The former LinkedIn executive said that he tried to improve the platform when he joined the company six years ago, but struggled to make progress as it involved so many stakeholders within the organization.

(Of course, knocking LinkedIn’s product is a favorite pastime of pretty much any worker in Silicon Valley today).

LinkedIn first took China seriously in early 2014, and has had reasonable success in the interim, growing to around 41 million users. LinkedIn is unique among Western-run social networks in having (any) access to the Chinese market — essentially no other major network (including Twitter and Facebook) has passed through the Great Firewall.

Yet, its fortunes appear to be turning. LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, is feeling a bit of a pincer from both Chinese and Western critics. The professional network has followed the censorship edicts of Beijing, much to the chagrin of human rights organizers. It has also added in a real name requirement linked to mobile phone numbers, which is now mandated by the government.

Meanwhile, domestic competitors like Maimai (脉脉) and Zhaopin (招聘) are building traction with more native products, to Shen’s point above. Maimai in particular has raised hundreds of millions in venture capital and is rumored (like all late-stage companies) to be targeting an IPO.

We talk a lot about the market-entry barriers that China’s government has placed on Western tech companies, but at least when it comes to consumer apps, it is also important to note that product cultural awareness doesn’t come instantly. Even if China’s markets opened tomorrow, these apps would still have to compete in the marketplace, and there is no guarantee that Chinese professionals want garbage InMail offering “growth services” any more than Silicon Valley workers do.

Eliot Peper and “narrative responsive design” on the web

Novelist and strategist Eliot Peper gave Extra Crunch readers a lengthy reading list of great speculative fiction a few weeks ago to help inspire the creation of startups. Now, one of his major projects has been published.

A few years ago, Peper published True Blue, a short story about discrimination in which people’s life outcomes are determined by the color of their eyes. It’s a parable to our own world, infested with the kind of speculative details that Peper is known for.

After publishing the short story, he teamed up with Phoebe Morris and Peter Nowell to bring a fully-illustrated and responsively-designed version of the story to life, with some funding from TechStars founder David Cohen.

What’s quite exciting about this project is seeing how artists are using the web as a deeper narrative platform. From Peper’s discussions of how the team made the product:

One of the counterintuitive lessons we learned was how powerful it is to obscure certain details, letting readers bring more of their imagination to the story. Specifically, we discovered that detailed lines often trigger the sense of something being depicted for you, so we smudged and faded and shadowed until we felt the right balance of detail and suggestion. This philosophy carried through to design — which so often aims to reduce tension by making experiences simple, intuitive, and convenient. But stories thrive on conflict, and Peter challenged himself to use design to evoke tension instead of erasing it.

He even engineered a new tool that cropped images so that they adapted to different devices and screen sizes not only by changing size, but actually changing image composition to preserve narrative content and emotional impact. When I told him about the project over a slice of Arizmendi pizza, author/friend/media experimenter Robin Sloan coined a term for this new technique: Narrative Responsive Design.

A lot of work yes, but the wait and effort I think are worth it. Read the story and learn more about the process of making it.

Editor’s Note

We are slowing down a bit on the infrastructure side that we have been discussing ad nauseam.

Thanks

To every member of Extra Crunch: thank you. You allow us to get off the ad-laden media churn conveyor belt and spend quality time on amazing ideas, people, and companies. If I can ever be of assistance, hit reply, or send an email to [email protected].

This newsletter is written with the assistance of Arman Tabatabai from New York

You’re reading the Extra Crunch Daily. Like this newsletter? Subscribe for free to follow all of our discussions and debates.

source https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/12/nvidia-and-openais-capped-returns/

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fmservers · 6 years

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NVIDIA and OpenAI’s capped returns

Open AI’s capped returns

OpenAI announced yesterday that they are going to be offering a “capped return” security for investors as part of the for-profit/non-profit split the organization is creating:

You’re reading the Extra Crunch Daily. Like this newsletter? Subscribe for free to follow all of our discussions and debates.

With Mellanox deal, NVIDIA buys a chance to salvage its growth

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

Written by Arman Tabatabai

As TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden put it:

For NVIDIA, it seems like a small price to pay for a new shot at growth and a chance to quickly gain share in an increasingly competitive market.

Where is China’s new NASDAQ?

Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images

LinkedIn’s failures in China

Illustration by Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

(Of course, knocking LinkedIn’s product is a favorite pastime of pretty much any worker in Silicon Valley today).

Eliot Peper and “narrative responsive design” on the web

What’s quite exciting about this project is seeing how artists are using the web as a deeper narrative platform. From Peper’s discussions of how the team made the product:

A lot of work yes, but the wait and effort I think are worth it. Read the story and learn more about the process of making it.

Editor’s Note

We are slowing down a bit on the infrastructure side that we have been discussing ad nauseam.

Thanks

This newsletter is written with the assistance of Arman Tabatabai from New York

You’re reading the Extra Crunch Daily. Like this newsletter? Subscribe for free to follow all of our discussions and debates.

Via Danny Crichton https://techcrunch.com

#TechCrunch

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