#labour law softwares

[labourlawsinindia]

https://simpliance.in/

Simpliance provides technology-based governance, risk and compliance solutions to organizations varying from large corporates to start-ups. The GRC tools like risk management, regulatory compliance and audit softwares optimize business performance.

Simpliance also hosts India’s largest digital platform for automated Statutory Compliance Management which helps businesses comply with Indian Labour laws.

Request a FREE DEMO now!

[labourlawcompliancesoftware]

The Ultimate Guide to Labour Law Compliance Software

In today’s fast-paced business environment, staying compliant with labour laws is no longer just a legal obligation—it’s a cornerstone of a successful organization. With ever-evolving regulations, manual tracking and compliance management can be both overwhelming and error-prone. Enter Labour law compliance software powered by Digiliance, a revolutionary tool designed to simplify compliance and ensure your organization is always audit-ready.

Why Labour Law Compliance Matters

Labour laws are designed to protect employee rights, ensure workplace safety, and promote fair practices. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines, legal disputes, and reputational damage. For businesses of all sizes, staying compliant isn’t just about avoiding penalties—it’s about fostering trust and transparency with employees and stakeholders.

What Is Labour Law Compliance Software?

Labour law compliance software is a digital solution that automates the tracking, management, and reporting of statutory requirements. It helps organizations streamline processes like payroll compliance, employee benefits, workplace safety, and audits. With tools like Labour law compliance software powered by Digiliance, businesses can move from a reactive approach to a proactive compliance strategy.

Key Features of Labour Law Compliance Software Powered by Digiliance

Automated Compliance Updates One of the biggest challenges in compliance is staying up to date with constantly changing regulations. Labour law compliance software powered by Digiliance ensures you’re always informed about updates and amendments, helping you adjust processes seamlessly.

Centralized Document Management Gone are the days of sifting through piles of paperwork. The software allows you to store, organize, and retrieve compliance documents in a centralized digital repository.

Customizable Alerts and Notifications Missing deadlines for filings or renewals can be costly. With Digiliance, you can set up automated reminders, so you never miss an important date.

Audit-Ready Reporting Preparing for audits becomes a breeze with pre-configured, customizable reports that provide a comprehensive view of your compliance status.

Integration with HR and Payroll Systems The software seamlessly integrates with your existing HR and payroll systems, ensuring smooth workflows and accurate compliance management.

User-Friendly Interface You don’t need to be a tech expert to use the software. Its intuitive design makes it easy for teams to navigate and utilize its features effectively.

Benefits of Using Labour Law Compliance Software

Reduced Risk: Minimize the risk of non-compliance with real-time updates and automated tracking.

Cost Efficiency: Avoid hefty fines and reduce manual labour, saving time and money.

Improved Productivity: Focus on strategic initiatives while the software handles the compliance workload.

Enhanced Transparency: Build trust with employees and stakeholders by ensuring fair and legal practices.

Why Choose Labour Law Compliance Software Powered by Digiliance?

Digiliance has earned a reputation as a leader in the compliance space, offering cutting-edge solutions tailored to the unique needs of businesses across industries. Their software stands out for its robust features, user-centric design, and unwavering commitment to helping organizations achieve seamless compliance.

Final Thoughts

Staying compliant with labour laws doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By investing in Labour law compliance software, you can simplify compliance, reduce risks, and focus on what truly matters—growing your business. Embrace the future of compliance management and empower your organization with the tools it needs to thrive.

Ready to take the leap? Explore how Labour law compliance software powered by Digiliance can transform your compliance processes today!

[digiliance548]

How Labor Compliance Software Can Save Your Business

In today's complex regulatory landscape, businesses across industries grapple with a myriad of labor laws and compliance mandates. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines, legal battles, and reputational damage. Labor compliance software emerges as a strategic tool to mitigate these risks and safeguard your business's bottom line.

Understanding the Labor Compliance Challenge

Labor laws are intricate, with frequent updates and varying interpretations. Manual tracking and management are prone to errors, oversights, and inconsistencies. The consequences of non-compliance can be severe:

Financial penalties: Government-imposed fines can be substantial.

Legal fees: Disputes and lawsuits can drain resources.

Reputational damage: Negative publicity can erode customer trust.

Employee morale issues: Non-compliance can lead to decreased employee satisfaction and turnover.

The Role of Labor Compliance Software

Labor compliance software is designed to automate and streamline labor-related processes, ensuring adherence to complex regulations. Key functionalities include:

Time and Attendance Tracking: Accurately records employee hours, overtime, and breaks, preventing wage and hour violations.

Payroll Integration: Seamlessly integrates with payroll systems for accurate wage calculations and deductions.

Compliance Calendar: Tracks deadlines for various labor-related filings and notifications.

Document Management: Stores and organizes essential labor compliance documents.

Reporting and Analytics: Generates detailed reports on labor costs, compliance metrics, and potential risks.

How Labor Compliance Software Saves Your Business

Preventing Costly Penalties: By automating compliance tasks and reducing manual errors, the software minimizes the risk of wage and hour violations, overtime miscalculations, and other costly penalties.

Streamlining HR Processes: Automating time and attendance, payroll, and compliance tasks frees up HR staff to focus on strategic initiatives and employee relations.

Mitigating Legal Risks: The software helps maintain accurate records, reducing the likelihood of labor disputes and lawsuits.

Improving Employee Morale: Ensuring fair wages, accurate timekeeping, and compliance with labor laws enhances employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Comprehensive reports and analytics provide valuable insights into labor costs, productivity, and areas for improvement.

Choosing the Right Labor Compliance Software

Selecting the appropriate software involves considering several factors:

Business Size and Industry: The software should align with your organization's specific needs and industry regulations.

Features and Functionality: Evaluate the software's capabilities to meet your compliance requirements.

Cost and ROI: Consider the initial investment and long-term benefits of the software.

Vendor Reputation and Support: Choose a reputable vendor with excellent customer support.

Scalability: Ensure the software can accommodate your business's growth.

FAQs

Q: Is labor compliance software mandatory for all businesses? A: While not legally required in all cases, labor compliance software is highly recommended for businesses of all sizes to mitigate risks and ensure legal compliance.

Q: Can labor compliance software help with employee scheduling? A: Yes, many labor compliance software solutions offer scheduling features to optimize workforce utilization and prevent overtime violations.

Q: How long does it take to implement labor compliance software? A: Implementation time varies depending on the software complexity and business size. Typically, it can take several weeks to a few months.

Q: What is the return on investment (ROI) of labor compliance software? A: The ROI of labor compliance software is often measured in terms of cost savings from avoided penalties, increased efficiency, and improved employee morale.

Conclusion: Protect Your Business with Proactive Compliance

In today's complex regulatory environment, labor compliance is no longer an option but a necessity. By investing in robust labor compliance software, businesses can safeguard their bottom line, protect their reputation, and create a solid foundation for growth. Don't let labor compliance be a liability; transform it into a competitive advantage.

[communistkenobi]

I think if there is 1) massive economic and social pressures intentionally eliminating as much free time people have as possible, 2) every job application portal is built on an automated mysticism software meant to reject as many resumes as possible, 3) mass corporate adoption of AI, 4) continuous international rollbacks of labour laws so your boss can install go-pros on every employee to make sure you aren’t picking your nose on the clock 5) personal concern about the fact that failing to please the automated mysticism job portal means you will lose your housing and/or die, people using AI to generate a resume or an email makes some amount of sense. at this point you just need to simply acknowledge that there are a variety of social and economic pressures incentivising the use of chatGPT for administrative work, and even accepting that 100% of those chatgpt outputs are bad/unusable/whatever, you need to ACKNOWLEDGE that this behaviour is largely an output of these pressures. and you can even still hold onto the belief that this behaviour isn’t making the world better! but like you guys are just straight up conservatives for finger wagging at people while intentionally ignoring these pressures even exist. and over resumes and emails of all things! i hope you all have jobs in some protestant capitalist apologia factory somewhere, I can’t imagine anything more pathetic than saying this shit for free

[nochd]

A friend pointed me to a thing called Atlantis Word Processor. I've started a trial period and it's looking good so far. It promises that I only need to buy it once and then I own a copy forever, which is very appealing.

So, without telling us, Microsoft has removed WordPad from our computers. Anything you used to use WordPad for will now open in Microsoft Word.

At the same time, Microsoft have inserted an AI feature called "Copilot" in Microsoft Word which runs automatically unless you turn it off.

I've been using WordPad rather than Word for twenty years because every time they make Word fast enough to be convenient, they stuff it with "features" and slow it down again. I don't need a grammar checker and I can spellcheck well enough without a red wiggly line and I don't want to have to manually turn off the less-than-helpful auto-replacements for when I'm writing a fictional name that happens to have a common misspelling in it. The only thing I ever needed to open anything in Word for was to check the word-count.

But this? This is vastly worse.

I'm looking into a thing called LibreOffice, but it doesn't seem to have a bug-free way to edit documents in Rich Text Format (the one WordPad saves things to).

[pearlofthewoods]

Has anyone else seen the ad for that ‘Peech’ app on their Tiktok FYP multiple times today? Cause I have, and it was infuriating.

It was a paid-partnership ad in which the influencer promoted putting fanfiction into an AI-generated voice-over app that describes itself on the App Store as ‘your AI-powered reading sidekick.’

Now I don’t profess to know much about text-to-speech-readers and AI. Perhaps they’re not as bad as I think, perhaps they’re not generative-AI. Because I know text-to-speech software does have some legitimate uses for accessibility purposes.

But this next part, I have no patience for.

Because the worst part is, it’s a paid subscription service. This means the app would be charging its users to put your fanfiction into an AI-generator for quote ‘the magic of AI-voices’ which ‘pick the perfect voice for each genre’.

Without your, the author’s consent.

I originally gave the creator the benefit of the doubt, and wrote in the comments that if anyone proclaimed to be a ‘fanfiction lover’ or a ‘fanfiction girlie’ as she did, they should not use an app that is profiting from fanfiction (& thus other people’s unpaid labour btw).

I also explained that this puts fanfiction as a whole at risk. As by profiting from fanfiction, this surely breaks copyright laws and upsets the very delicate legal balance fanfiction relies upon.

Because I know that some people aren’t aware.

But that video came up on my FYP for a second time today. God knows why.

And it seems the creator has just turned the comments off while continuing to promote this??

God i can’t even avoid seeing this AI ad twice on my fyp in one day. 🤦‍♀️

Is this what it’s going to be now?

Repeatedly fielding AI-ads from self-proclaimed ‘fanfiction girlies’ and not even being listened to when you try to explain why this is damaging to your community?? The community she professes to love so much???

ugh. i hate this. I hate it. so much.

[maaarine]

English Just 'Badly Pronounced French', Paris Academic Says (Tom Barfield, Barron's, March 09 2024)

"French linguist Bernard Cerquiglini would like to send a copy of his new book, "The English language doesn't exist: it's badly pronounced French", to King Charles III. (…)

Norman French's use by the new colonial aristocracy endowed English with words that at first glance might look homegrown, like "cabbage", "lure" or "wage", in the 150 years after William the Conqueror took the throne.

But Cerquiglini is most interested by the 13th and 14th centuries, when French -- by then a second language used in trade, administration and law -- bled freely into English because "a job, fortunes in land or cash, upholding a contract, liberty or even one's life, could depend on mastering" the tongue.

Half of English's borrowings from French took place from 1260-1400, producing words like "bachelor", from the old French word "bachelier", meaning a young noble not yet a knight.

"Travel" is related to the modern French word for labour, "travail", while "clock" stems from the French "cloche", a bell struck to sound the hours before mechanical timepieces were invented.

By the time Shakespeare came to write his plays in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, around "40 percent of the 15,000 words in his works are of French origin", Cerquiglini notes.

These days the place of "Anglo-Saxon" words in modern French can stir defensiveness in Paris, often from the Academie Francaise, charged since 1635 with preserving the language in its "pure" form.

"Language in France is official, of the state, national. And so of course we have an academy" whose members enjoy "a ridiculous outfit, a sword, a palace by the Seine" river in Paris, Cerquiglini said.

In recent years the academy has railed against imports related to Covid-19, such as "cluster" or "testing", as well as tech terms like "big data".

Cerquiglini said the academy has scored some worthwhile wins, such as convincing the French-speaking world to use the native-sounding "logiciel" instead of the once-omnipresent "software".

But he added: "This isn't an invasion, these are French words that have gone for training in England and that are coming back to us.""

[unichrome]

AI and the value of labour (but only if it's yours)

Few of you have missed the whole AI/AI-art/ChatGPT-debate by now and even though few have the technical literacy to actually know what it is and its implementations, it hasn't stopped people from having opinions on it, and wow they sure are Opinions. It's mainly about how it's art-theft and will put already struggling artists out of business because now there's a chance that their dandelion found in a deviantart furry artwork they made using GIMP once will now be seen made sort of in the same style on a 250x250 pixel generated picture from a free online generator. And now I'm going to be snarky about it but also highlight a problem seen from the other end of this - the value of labour, and I'm not talking about the artists labour here.

But first let's look back a little bit for some well-needed perspective:

The logic for this is nothing we haven't seen before; you can't copy art and have it made available for just everyone to use like this! In the early 2000's it put musicians out of business and destroyed music forever with the introduction of napster. Pirate bay is why movies no longer are being made. It has destroyed art as we know it when people tauntingly right-clicked on a cryptobro's NFT and clicked "save as" (which I assume is also very problematic for the people who are vehemently against AI art? It's a literal 1-to-1 copy of your work). Media corporations are dying because intellectual properties are no longer protected under the copyright laws after 70 or so years. In the 90's there was even some video star who literally murdered a radio star. With the introduction of vinyl, it even killed live music forever.

So technology has been destroying just about all forms of art as we know it for a while now and each time it's the same doomsday predictions from the newly formed kind of art-christianity where some art has soul (Good, Skilled Laboured artists) and others hasn't (Evil, of course).

Now for the informative part of the post:

In the 1970's, computers as we know them today began forming, and with it, the value of a computer programmers skill and labour. Alongside with this, they saw a growing problem: Corporations owned everything they made, and corporations will also have the whole say about what will be present on a computer and the price of everything present on it.

This was not very appreciated by neither the programmers, and nor the customers (although few saw this growing problem coming). So in a weird twist of fate, programmers became one of the most left-wing labour-rights occupation you could find by forming Free Software Foundation, GNU, and essentially setting the stage for you to be able to use the free GIMP software instead of buying a staggering price for Adobe's Photoshop. It enabled you to download firefox instead of buying a copy of internet explorer. Because yes, before this kind of software activism formed, and the general environment of software development became to make it as freely available as possible - and having an outright despise for corporations like Novell and Microsoft for taking such huge amount of money to their own pockets instead of the developers, literally every piece of software cost money. A LOT of money.

This kind of 100% for free software usage we're used to has also led to us no longer being appreciative of the work and skill that goes behind keeping a software not only developed and updated continuously for decades, but also spending money on keeping it hosted and delivered to you for free. We even joke and scoff about the mere thought of having to pay 0.99 Euro for an app we'd use daily and a developer spent 2 years in the making. Meanwhile, when someone offers to pay someone merely 10 euro or so for a handmade blanket, there's an outrage about the value of labour and skill. And rightfully so! I support that, and so should you, even if it's labour that you weren't the one making.

And it doesn't end there either - we all know corporations has no trouble finding new ways to charge you money. Organisations like Free Software Foundation, various Linux projects and Mozilla have campaigned for a freer usage in general, leading to fair-use laws, campaigning for the right to repair your technology instead of having to buy new one all the time, as well as preventing corporations from banning every other piece of software on a computer that they don't want you to have (from a competitor or free alternative of their software).

I mentioned Adobe specifically, because in the wave of anti-AI-art outcry, artists are campaigning for a ban on making software that uses other peoples artistic similarities (not copies mind you, similarities, meaning making it a copyright infringement to have art that is similar to yours, since that's what AI-art algorithms create), and I'm sure right off the bat many of you can see the huge problem with that, but Adobe sure isn't. They're also gladly in on this, because that would mean that free alternatives of Photoshop like GIMP would also become a copyright infringement. So would a lot of our other free software we use daily and take for granted.

That's all I wanted to say about this I think. The TL;DR version is basically to value labour even if it isn't yours, and to not take it for granted. As a final part to remember about AI is that it is a tool, and like any tool it can be used for good or evil. AI is what made it possible for us to make sense of the large hadron collider data and made enormous leaps in scientific discovery in just a few years, that would otherwise had taken 500 years to sort through by humans, and with a much higher rate of error.

[labourlawsinindia]

Automated Labour Law Audits and Compliance Software — SEAL

Simpliance’s revolutionary automated statutory audit platform driven by AI & Machine Learning technology is helping companies reduce costs by 50% while conducting 100% audit checks of all records submitted and exponentially increasing audit speed.

INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

First of its kind AI & Machine Learning driven audit platform in India enabling compliance at a click

100% EMPLOYEE RECORDS CHECKED

Automated engine, checking 100% records on all high-risk audit points of labour compliance

VARYING PAYROLL INPUT FORMATS

Capable of analysing varying payroll input formats from different softwares

INTEGRATED REGISTER GENERATION

Automated state-wise statutory register generation; PAN India under all applicable laws

Book your FREE DEMO now!

[labourcompliance]

Minimum Wages Act Compliance for Corporates in India

Introduction

The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, is a crucial labor law in India that ensures fair wages for workers in various industries. It sets a legal minimum wage that employers must pay to prevent exploitation and promote economic justice. Corporates operating in India must comply with this Act to avoid legal repercussions and ensure fair employee compensation.

Key Provisions of the Minimum Wages Act

The Act mandates several essential compliance measures, including:

1. Applicability of the Act

The Act applies to scheduled employments specified by the Central and State Governments.

Covers all businesses employing workers in industrial, commercial, or other specified sectors.

2. Fixation and Revision of Wages

The government prescribes minimum wages based on skill level, nature of work, and region.

Wages are revised periodically to accommodate inflation and economic conditions.

3. Payment of Wages

Wages must be paid within the stipulated time frame (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly).

Employers must not deduct wages unlawfully except for legally permitted reasons.

4. Overtime and Working Hours

Any work beyond the prescribed working hours must be compensated at overtime rates.

Ensures compliance with regulated work schedules to prevent exploitation.

5. Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to comply can lead to penalties, including fines and imprisonment.

Non-payment of minimum wages can result in legal actions and reputational damage.

Compliance Challenges for Corporates

Corporates often face challenges in adhering to the Minimum Wages Act, such as:

Navigating State-Specific Regulations: Different states have varied minimum wage structures.

Managing Large Workforce Compliance: Ensuring accurate payroll compliance across multiple locations.

Keeping Up with Wage Revisions: Frequent revisions by authorities require constant monitoring.

Avoiding Legal Liabilities: Non-compliance can result in lawsuits and penalties.

How Corporates Can Ensure Compliance

Regular Wage Audits: Conduct periodic payroll audits to ensure compliance with wage laws.

Automate Payroll Systems: Use software solutions to track minimum wage updates and payroll adjustments.

Seek Legal Expertise: Engage labour law consultants for expert guidance on compliance.

Employee Awareness Programs: Educate employees on their wage rights and grievance redressal mechanisms.

Monitor State Notifications: Stay updated on government notifications regarding wage revisions.

Ensuring compliance with the Minimum Wages Act is not just a legal obligation but also a commitment to fair labour practices. Corporates must proactively implement wage regulations to foster a compliant and ethical work environment. Non-compliance can lead to legal issues and financial penalties, making it imperative for businesses to integrate wage compliance as part of their corporate governance framework.

For professional assistance on Minimum Wages Act compliance, contact Sankhla Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd. at www.sankhlaco.com.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT ECOMMERCE NEWS (INCLUDING ETSY), AUGUST 2024

Hello, and welcome to my very last Ecommerce News update here on Tumblr.

After today, these reports will now be found at least twice a week on my Patreon, available to all paid members. See more about this change here on my website blog: https://www.cindylouwho2.com/blog/2024/8/12/a-new-way-to-get-ecommerce-news-and-help-welcome-to-my-patreon-page

Don't worry! I will still be posting some short pieces here on Tumblr (as well as some free pieces on my Patreon, plus longer posts on my website blog). However, the news updates and some other posts will be moving to Patreon permanently.

Please follow me there! https://www.patreon.com/CindyLouWho2

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

Etsy has banned gift certificates/cards sold by individual shops, as of Sept 15. Only Etsy Gift Cards are now allowed. The second quarter report press release says they plan on selling Etsy Gift Cards through third parties, but no official word on how and when yet.

Many Amazon Handmade sellers were unable to list new items after a site update on July 31 [post by me on LinkedIn]. While Amazon told sellers to apply for an exemption from the Product ID requirement, some report that is not working, or that they do not have the option to apply for one. 

Reminder that Canadian Etsy shops will be charged a 1.15% Regulatory Operating fee on the item price and shipping cost as of August 15. [I’ve set a bunch of things to expire. If Etsy isn’t profitable enough to pay its taxes, maybe they should consider cutting executive pay instead of squeezing microbusinesses even more.]

ETSY NEWS 

Etsy has updated its Privacy Policy, to take effect August 31. Changes include mention of biometric data. Note that some parts of the policy are screenshots, and therefore not easily searchable nor accessible to screen readers - I am not sure how they can get away with that. I used the Wayback Machine to do a comparison of the parts that software can actually read.   There’s also a new US regional privacy policy, which currently covers laws in several states.  

Etsy is promoting a Labour Day sale August 21-September 2, and has already set up the "Cyber Savings Sale" (November 18-December 3) for Cyber Week. You can schedule the official sales through links in the announcement.

Forbes covered Etsy’s sex toy ban [soft paywall; not safe for work photos]. To no one's surprise, plenty of the banned items are still found on site, including toys and vintage Playboy magazines. 

Etsy is accused of allowing shops based in “illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory” and profiting off of them. Etsy’s response: "[W]e have shared this information internally with the appropriate teams for review."

Etsy's promised program for buyers - Etsy Insider - will be rolling out as invite-only beta in September. It's a paid membership for US buyers and includes:

Free US domestic shipping on millions of items

A birthday bonus

Limited edition annual gift, designed by an Etsy seller

First access to special discounts and select merchandise

While some of the "special discounts" are paid by sellers, that is a voluntary program shops can sign up for here. That form also allows you to sign up to offer new items to Etsy Insiders first - “drops” - which does not involve offering discounts. Etsy has done these sorts of "offers" in the past, and I believe they have already reached out to sellers for the first round of offers in September (based on some emails I have received from shop owners).

You can now sign up for “Etsy Up”, the virtual sellers conference scheduled for September 10. However, despite saying they have announced “our agenda”, all that is provided is a vague set of topics (other than the fact they will be announcing the Etsy Design Awards Finalists). It makes me wonder if there are official Etsy announcements coming soon that they don’t want to reveal too early by posting the real agenda. If yes, around August 15 is a good bet, given that  Etsy’s Search Analytics will end that day, and many new policies kick in on September 15, just one month later.

The Etsy app is showing rectangular listing images in search for some visitors, but it appears to be a test [Reddit thread with screenshot]. I wouldn’t change anything at this time. 

No, Etsy has not replaced your listing tags. I covered that topic here on LinkedIn. 

I wrote about the new Listing Image Requirement policy and the email Etsy sent to some sellers on Monday July 29. [post by me on Patreon] And not everyone is being fooled by Etsy’s new Creativity Standards, but some acknowledge it will be difficult for Etsy to turn away factory-made goods at this point. [Disclosure: I am quoted in that article]

ECOMMERCE NEWS (minus social media)

Amazon

Amazon’s second quarter revenue was below expectations, and the company predicts nothing better in the third quarter. 

In a surprising change, Amazon has decided to cancel overage fees for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inventory storage, retroactive to July 1. 

Canadian Amazon sellers will be subject to a new digital services fee as of October 1. This is due to Canada’s new digital services tax. 

In a case that may have an impact on other larger ecommerce sites, a court ruled that Amazon is responsible for recalls of products sold through Amazon, including through “Fulfilled By Amazon”. 

US Amazon shoppers can now link their Pinterest and TikTok accounts to Amazon to be able to buy directly from Amazon ads on social media. This is already available on Facebook, Instagram and Snap. 

Amazon is changing its refund policy for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) users: if sellers do not receive an automatic reimbursement for loss, damage and returns, they will now only have 60 days to apply for one.  A lot of ecommerce experts think Amazon is making a mistake in setting up a China to US section on the site.

eBay

eBay second quarter revenue and profit was higher than expected, but the third quarter projections are low.  

The eBay app has taken a lot of flack for inserting ads between each item in a purchase history. 

Poshmark

As marketplaces popular for pre-owned items compete for the best new stock, Poshmark is offering “rewards” for listing at least 1 item a week. 

Shopify

Shopify had a better-than-expected second quarter, and expects a decent third quarter as well. Getting larger businesses to use Shopify has helped the tech company, but I still wonder how that affects the small and micro businesses who used to be the target market.

Walmart

The Walmart Marketplace has added Chile as its fourth country, after the US, Canada and Mexico. 

All Other Marketplaces

Hundreds of business owners who sell on Temu held a protest at the marketplace headquarters on July 29. Fines for returns are one cited issue. 

Payment Processing

Credit cards issued by Chase in the US will no longer allow third-party buy-now-pay-later purchases, as of October 10. Conveniently, they offer their own option, Chase Pay Over Time. PayPal has expanded the quicker checkout solution Fastlane to all US businesses, which fills in customer information without a log in.

[addawithbalmiki]

the biggest problem with AI isn't that it's 'labour-stealing' btw. when typewriters came into the market, people raged about them stealing jobs. when laptops came into the market, same thing happened. no, innovation will always demand change in how things are happening that's not new. people will adapt with AI too.

no, the biggest problem with AI is how absolutely misleading the entire industry is. i don't know if it's because i'm in software that's why it's common knowledge to me but AI is just a tool - just like any program is. you can reinvent AI but its purpose is to be a tool. ethics surrounding AI is glitchy because of this. it's supposed to be a tool used by a person and anyone who uses it will be liable for the decisions made. the AI industry has created this fear by letting this tool grow unchecked and not ethically challenged. there should be proper laws and reforms in place like AI is not going to crawl through your history or personal details, because the company will be charged with misusing AI. deepfakes being made by any person will be legally punished.

AI is an age old chapter. we've been there and we've adapted through establishing ethical and legal practices. and all the industries pushing for AI SHOULD be subjected to all these laws to prevent unchecked usage of something that is ever-growing and is here to stay.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Big Brother

For those of you who aren't aware (because I know a lot of you are USian or at least not being here in the UK, and there's a lot going on right now), there have been some ... issues ... in the UK the last little while. And by "issues", I mean "alt-right riots". Supposedly rallies, but y'know. More are expected over the weekend. I will be staying indoors as much as possible, even though I did have plans to be Out And About at least a little this weekend. A nearby borough already had its bits of violence not all that long ago, and that was severely under-reported. If anyplace else in London is going to have some of that shit (because Whitehall, while it makes a statement, isn't a place where you'll find mosques or businesses run by non-white people the way, say, Clapham or Peckham or most of outer London), it'll be in that borough. Those who are now having to call themselves "anti-racists", since all of the other terms for "not an asshole" have been turned into insults, are planning counter-protests. So ... yeah. Riots.

The reason for this particular blog entry title is what our relatively new PM, Kier Starmer, wants to do about it. What he wants to do is expand the use of live facial recognition technology. Which, because we're not in the EU anymore and we left before the EU laws we had to write into our own human rights record could catch up with the technology, is a highly under-regulated technology. Hell, Starmer suggested this expanded use of facial recognition on the same day that the EU passed a law largely banning the use of facial recognition software.

Please understand that this is talking about shit like checking whether someone's on the Naughty List before they're allowed to so much as board a train, and phrases like, "where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the individual depicted is about to cause an offense". Emphasis mine, because we already know that five people got arrested and sentenced to years in jail just for talking about a protest on fucking Zoom. Stuff like this could be used to go, say, "Well, this guy was under suspicion of planning a protest, and he wants to go to Liverpool; he shouldn't be allowed to go and cause trouble in Liverpool, so he is not allowed on the train".

Combine live facial recognition technology (which already struggles with identifying Black people) and the various recent bills that allow for much greater stop-and-search powers, and no legal restrictions on how this can be used? It's a fucking human rights nightmare. We've already got voter ID; apparently shit like this amounts to having a national ID scheme. Except instead of some jackboot-wearing asshole asking to see your papers, they'll just point a bodycam at you and let you hope to hell that it doesn't read your face wrong. Or right, honestly. We've thrown "innocent until proven guilty" out the fucking window because they don't even wait until you've done anything.

And this is the response to white supremacist assholes rioting, attacking mosques, and stabbing thirteen people at a dance class. "Let's implement a solution that will most negatively affect the people these white supremacist assholes are actually attacking! YAAAAAAY!"

Fuck this country. Fuck it right in the ear. And fuck Labour. Then again, the Tories would probably have been worse at this point. Though I wonder how the white supremacist assholes would have felt with Rishi Sunak, who is not exactly white, still being Prime Minister. Then again, they'd have preferred Farage, who is not quite encouraging violence this weekend but is saying that it's an inevitability and will only get worse. On Formerly-Twitter. It's the fascist asshole's tacit permission, and we all know it. Especially the people who will use it as such and throw a brick through some poor shopkeeper's window. Or worse.

This place scares me and I can't complain to my mother because she very much believes in "if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear" and supports things like banning face coverings and the like Because Terrorism. Then again, she lost so many friends on 9/11 and I sometimes think that got to her in ways she hasn't really tried to explore in, say, therapy. Me? I believe until innocent until proven guilty, and too much of this doesn't really seem to care if you're guilty, and while it's being talked about in the context of alt-right riots, you know that's not how it'll be used long-term.

*whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine*

[captain-hawks]

Dee my beloved!! I missed you so very much these past couple of weeks! I have post notifications for you turned on so every time I got a lil notification from you I would be like c: when I saw your url and then :c bc I was usually too distracted/busy to come on here esp bc I need a laptop for the level of word vomit I usually conjure up for your precious thoughts and words.

I hope you're feeling better, so sorry to hear you were sick. I spent 20 hours making over 2 gallons of noodle soup and all its accoutrement for my bf's surprise bday party so I'm virtually sharing it with you. It's a bun rieu with plenty of Dungeness crab topped with lots of fresh veggie and herbs and homemade crab meatballs and herby fish paste and lil porky meatballs.

Did you do anything fun over labor day/are you prepping for fall in any way? I'm switching out my candlessss even though it is still a hellscape where I am and will feel like living on the surface of the sun until November.

I missed your AMA so can I ask now? What's the most embarassing thing that's happened to you in recent memory? Bc I flew home for a wedding and although it was for the son of beloved family friends (the son i also consider a brother figure), some people should not get schwasty in public bc the father of the groom came over loudly proclaim/lament that he wished *i* was becoming his daughter in law instead. At his son's wedding to a very sweet lady I adore. Five separate times. With people all around. I wanted to return 2 the sea. I wanted to be left alone in a corner with the 6 ebooks I had downloaded. I literally hid in a restroom for 75 minutes and risked everybody thinking I had The Shits just so I could get some peace to myself.

Anyways, before I go I am going to leave you with some of the final product of the cake I was telling you about that I was testing different components for. I really wish I could actually share with y'all instead of just telling you and cate about it in chats but until wonkavision is invented I'll pretend sending a pic is the same thing. I settled on double vanilla brown butter cake/pickled cayenne strawberry compote/yuzu and lemon curd liquid cheesecake/graham milk crumb. The layers didn't come out as cleanly as I'd hoped but I might try another one with white and yellow peaches (macerated? Cooked into a jam or Japanese style syrup?) and a Mango curd to squeeze every last bit of summer fruit season out.

If kita-non is around and for some reason bothers to read my inane prattle can i pls share a slice with u too. The couple times I got to skim your thoughts these past few weeks I was spending time offline I wanted to give your brain a big ole squeeze. Just lookin' at the pair of you with hearts in my eyes like look at u guys go torturing us with sweet sweet kita thoughts. We can pretend he supplied the fruits used in the cake ❤

I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE BACK 😭🫶!!!!!

i was still feeling quite cruddy over labour day weekend, but i DID go hunt down the CVS puffer jacket snoopy plushie....a personal accomplishment 😂 (he was hard to find!). also i’m planning to bust out my giant totes of halloween decorations this weekend!!! my fall candles are staring at me adoringly from the closet ready to take over.

I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR MISFORTUNE????? i cannot believe. i, too, would have called the bathroom my new home to never be perceived again. (has anyone informed sober!dad of his big drunk mouth????)

so this is secondhand embarrassment until i come up with a better story BUT i was on a zoom meeting at work today, and a man was pitching software to my boss & i. said man realized 40 minutes in that the software actually isn’t even available in my geographical region and thus he had completely wasted our time. i watched his soul leave his body through the screen. the most awkward goodbye followed.

also if i magically appear in your pocket at some point like a tiny creature with its hands out begging for food, it’s because every time you describe something you’ve made, i yearn like no tomorrow. that soup sounds divine?? AND THE CAKE!!!!! THE CAKE!!!!!!!! it’s beautiful. it puts other cake to shame. i will dream of this cake. it will haunt me.

[beardedmrbean]

Hundreds of people wrongly convicted in the Post Office scandal are set to have their names cleared under new legislation planned by the government.

The law is expected to come into effect by the end of July and will apply to convictions in England and Wales.

It will apply to convictions meeting specific criteria and is expected to clear the majority of victims.

The government said the possible exoneration of some genuinely guilty of crimes was "a price worth paying".

Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted due to faulty software.

Incorrect information provided by a computer system called Horizon, developed by Japanese firm Fujitsu, meant that sub-postmasters and postmistresses were prosecuted for stealing money.

Many of those convicted went to prison for false accounting and theft. Many were financially ruined.

Some sub-postmasters caught up in the scandal have died or taken their own lives in the intervening years. So far, 102 convictions have been overturned.

Keith Bell had been a sub-postmaster in Stockton-on-Tees since 1985, but like hundreds of others, he started noticing discrepancies in his accounts after Horizon was installed in his branch.

He called Post Office helplines, but was given little support. He spent more than £12,000 of his own money to make up the shortfalls, and eventually delayed some transactions to try to balance the books.

He was convicted of false accounting in 2002 and had to do 200 hours of community service.

He didn't challenge his conviction at the time, as he didn't have the means to take on the Post Office, and he believed he had been at fault.

But now the 75-year-old wants his name cleared and expects his conviction to be quashed.

"I'm relieved they are going to quash all the convictions, which is long overdue," he said in response to the announcement on Thursday. "It's a relief to be able to talk to friends. It's a relief to be able to look people in the eye now."

Post Office scandal: The Horizon saga explained

How do the Post Office scandal compensation schemes work?

The issue was thrust back into the spotlight by an ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, earlier this year.

Criticism had said that the process for overturning convictions and getting compensation was far too slow.

There are three main schemes aimed at groups of victims who had different experiences of the scandal - but the schemes have been accused of being long-winded and complicated.

Announcing the plans, Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake said the legislation was likely to "exonerate a number of people who were, in fact, guilty of a crime".

But he said: "The government accepts that this is a price worth paying in order to ensure that many innocent people are exonerated."

Some 700 people were prosecuted by the Post Office. Another 283 cases were brought by other agencies including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Prosecutions by the DWP will not be quashed under the new law.

Mr Hollinrake said the new legislation would overturn all convictions that met certain criteria. It will only cover:

convictions from the Post Office and CPS

"relevant offences", such as theft and false accounting

sub-postmasters and their employees or family members

cases where the offence took place during the time that the Horizon system (and its pilots) was in operation

cases where the convicted person was working in a Post Office that was using the Horizon system software (including relevant pilot schemes)

cases in England and Wales

However, the government said it would work with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to ensure their schemes to quash convictions were "compatible with the UK compensation scheme".

Labour MP Kevan Jones said he welcomed news of the legislation but added it was vital that the government set aside enough time for the new law to be passed "as quickly as possible".

"There are some initial key questions that need answering, including whether the Post Office's Capture system counts as a 'pilot' of the Horizon system for the purposes of this bill."

Mr Hollinrake added that he recognised the "constitutional sensitivity" of the planned legislation, but added it did not set a precedent for the future relationship between the government, Parliament and the judiciary.

"The scale and circumstances of this prosecutorial misconduct demands an exceptional response," he said.

"We are keen to ensure that the legislation achieves its goal of bringing prompt justice to all of those who were wrongfully convicted as a result of the scandal, followed by rapid financial redress."

[indipopcorn]

97000 Indians held trying to enter illegally - Ever wondered why?

According to US Customs and Border Protection data, a record-breaking 96,917 Indians were apprehended while unlawfully crossing into the US between October 2022 and September 2023. This marks a fivefold increase compared to 2019-20.

Although this news is not shocking to anyone, it is shocking when discussing the magnificence of our country. I've seen over the years that Indian expatriates write more about their affection for their own country. Regretfully, they have no desire to go back to India and aid in its growth. People who do not reside here are trolling those who write about the issues we face.

Our beloved Prime Minister is unquestionably a fantastic leader with a vision to improve India, but that doesn't mean that young people can’t voice their concerns and opinions. In reality, when you make your opinion in a civil manner, society benefits. Yes, in a polite way.

One of my cousins, who excelled in GTU's IT programme, was employed by a reputable private company in this area. She was earning a meagre wage while working a certain number of hours. Due to our large population, we have little opportunities and no labour laws. She later travelled to the USA. In less than a year, she managed to land a position as a software engineer, receiving a respectable salary in addition to recognition for her degree. She's also got her mental health back.

One of the women I met was having marital issues. Her life has gotten worse as a result of her decision to file for divorce. She needed to isolate herself from civilization. In society, even her parents experienced some form of psychological abuse. Her only goal in life was to move to Australia, live a dignified life, and become financially independent.

Here, girls are entitled to their parents' property, but if they have a boy, they are not entitled to it, and in such cases, they must stay at their parents' home as guests.

One of my friends was having trouble getting a job. He spent five years without a job while he studied for the government examination. It was harder for him because he belongs to the general category. His family wants him to immigrate to Canada in any way possible since they believe that society has wrecked his mental health.

A man who lives in Ahmedabad's Old City and comes from a lower middle class household. He and his family had great hardship in society, but ever since his family immigrated to Canada, he has gained some notoriety.