#needing assistive tech and having to submit to the opportunity that gives others to exercise control over you

[loki-zen]

i mean like

i’m not gonna die on the hill of ‘Homestuck isn’t ableist’ but it’s certainly more true that what’s going on is that characters (and whole societies they were raised in) in Homestuck are ableist. And i will also say I’ve rarely seen something so popular that has multiple complex protagonisty disabled characters like that!

I find the claim that Homestuck 'is homophobic' even harder to defend. Homestuck depicts those of its protagonists who are extremely online 13 year old boys from earth a decade or so ago as saying homophobic things a realistic amount. The one who does it most turns out to be a repressed bisexual raised on toxic masculinity by his brother who is probably a closeted self-loathing gay guy himself and is also possessed by an evil puppet.

I have never really understood the claim that Homestuck is racist. I've seen various justifications for it but they all seem either way too minor to mean This Work Is Racist or just to have been misinterpreted or analysed in a way i don't agree with to begin with. e.g.:

there are people who say Gamzee's behaviour and speech is supposed to be reminiscent of black americans. Gamzee is obviously intended to be a Juggalo.

there are people who find it racist that the artist left the skin of the human characters uncoloured-white, and then said they considered them to be of no defined-by-the-comic ethnicity; they could be whatever they wanted to you. There are some unexamined assumptions inherent in white=neutral there, but i am pretty sure this genuinely did just come from the minimalist starting art style (the decision to say theyre unspecified-race coming later, when someone asked Hussie what race the characters were and that was the first time they'd thought about that question. Which again that's arguably pretty white of them but im not sure it means the comic as a whole deserves to be called racist.)

probably the strongest argument: there are moments where you have a bit of ‘light skin=good guy, dark skin=bad guy’ stuff going on, in the fantasy-typical way where nobody involved has an actual real person skin colour. This crops up with the chess people (the black chess people kingdom is villain-coded, but the most beloved and admirable of the chess people that’s actually a main character is a black one, and there’s no real sense that the people are actually bad - they are just designated ‘bad guys’ by the video game they’re NPCs in.) It also crops up with a character turning drow coloured when they go superpowered evil mode. This i agree is in poor taste. I don’t think it’s what you’d be thinking of if you were just told ‘this webcomic is racist’ but yeah it’s not good.

a minor character is an orientalist stereotype maybe? i’m neither a dancestors fan or an anime fan enough to have an opinion on Damara; Homestuck does have a lot of inspiration from anime so i kinda assumed she was a reference i wasn’t getting.

literally every time i hear people talk about homestuck it makes me want to read it less and less are you people okay ?

[storiesbyjes2g]

The next morning, after breakfast, I began the job hunt. A few positions caught my eye, but I wasn't confident I could actually do them well or even enjoy them. A social media company wanted a content writer, and I thought about my brief blogging stint in high school as I read the job description. Writing about my feelings was supposed to help me sort them out. But as a young teenager, I didn't know enough about life yet to even understand the problems which surrounded me. Long story short, it was a good exercise, but I don't think writing is for me. I didn't enjoy it enough to continue doing it, so I passed up that job.

Tech, science, and jobs in the law field were automatically out, too. Not only am I not skilled in those fields but also can you spell BORING? No, thank you. The military is a noble career with no experience necessary, but I feel like I would have to give up so much to do it well. I could be wrong, but I feel like careers like military, medicine, and law enforcement are more a calling than a job. I can't put my whole life into anything right now. I need a paycheck and vacation days. That's it.

An aerospace company had a posting for a technician, and I possessed many of the skills they desired. The pay was really nice too. Even if I wanted to try it just for the money, the hours sucked. I need something with regular business hours for when I have my kids.

After a half hour of scrolling and reading, I applied for a job called assistant to the manager. The pay wasn't good, and an office environment would be completely new to me. But the schedule worked, and I knew I'd get training. And there would be advancement opportunities if I wanted to grow. Look at me thinking about leveling up already!

I filled out and submitted the application. Within a few minutes, I received an email saying I needed to complete an assignment. I clicked hesitantly on the link, which took me to a series of empty reports. My instructions were to fill out said reports. I stared blankly at the screen, trying to figure out what this was all about. Was I hired already without an interview? Did I want to work for a company that hired people without knowing if they would do the job? Speaking of, I couldn't wrap my head around how they thought I could do this. I guess some candidates have had office jobs before, so it wasn't a completely asinine ask. That prickly feeling returned, and my defense system engaged. Everything inside me wanted to shut down my computer and forget the whole thing. Maybe I was too ambitious. How did I think I could go for a proper job with zero experience? I should start small and go work part time in a store. Or I could be a barista! I hear they make decent money in tips. But before I ran away with thoughts of quitting, I took a deep breath. Things are rarely as hard as they seem. And I'm smart! I did well enough in school to figure this out. All I had to do was read the documents and fill in the appropriate fields on the report. No biggie. Besides, if I don't figure it out, I won't get the job, for surely this assignment is only test. They want a problem solver, and I need to figure out situations like this so I can be an asset to the company. But just in case I was on the wrong track, I turned to the internet to see how others filled in reports. Mine looked similar enough, so I submitted.

Within an hour, I received an offer letter!! A warmth so intense spread through my body I thought I would combust into rays of sunshine! I screamed and danced around the room with a huge smile on my face. After a heart-wrenching string of losses, I soooooo needed this win. I, Emerald Kierra Murillo, am now a contributing member of society! Mommy would be so proud of me right now. Moreover, I'm proud of myself.

[infytechnology]

Infy Technology - Top Android app development company in India

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[kadobeclothing]

5 Brands Using Social Media To Grow Buzzworthy Online Communities

Every marketer is focused on bringing attention to their product or service by growing a strong following. But not all realize the effects building and nurturing an online community can have on your brand. Social media marketing has evolved and the need to build relationships with your followers has never been more important.

Online communities are groups of people who have a connection with your brand and/or each other. They communicate with you about your products and often share brand experiences. When that relationship is nurtured, they become your strongest advocates and biggest assets. However, many brands don’t know where or how to get started. Luckily, social platforms now offer useful features that can help build brand relationships, when used cleverly. Let’s take a look at some of these savvy brands, and how you too can start using social media to spark community growth.

Brands Using Social Media for Online Community Growth 1. Facebook groups: Peloton Facebook has gone through some major changes in recent years. In 2019, Mark Zuckerberg announced they were putting groups at the center of the app and there are now 400 million users belonging to a group. Groups give brands an excellent opportunity to build stronger relationships with their customers and develop more personal engagement. Peloton, the American exercise equipment brand, is one such brand seeing major success using Facebook Groups. Interestingly, their official Facebook Group began organically back in 2015, but in 2017 the brand began to moderate it. The group has since grown to a whopping 200,000+ members. The brand enjoys high levels of engagement as the nature of a closed group provides the user with a stronger sense of privacy. It’s a safe space, where they can ask questions and feel supported. Peloton group members share personal biking stories, weight loss journeys and offer each other advice. Engagement is so strong that any question posted is promptly answered by other members who act as advocates for the brand. At the same time, Peloton diligently facilitates conversations and participates by asking members to share their progress in campaigns like their Fall Launch Challenge. Other brands can learn from this by investing time and effort into building a strong Facebook Group. Not sure how to get started garnering engagement? Incentives such as coupons for top contributors could help kick-start growth and encourage initial participation. 2. Twitter Social Listening: Fitbit Most brands include Twitter in their social media mix, but not all use the platform to its full potential. Social listening is vital for brands to get a better understanding of their target audience and provide top notch customer service. Searching trending keywords will also return the latest tweets and give you the opportunity to jump in on a conversation and show them you care. Fitbit is one such brand that monitors Twitter to manage brand perception and deliver strong customer service. In a previous ”Focus on customer service” podcast episode, Allison Leahy, Fitbit’s former director of community, said they use social media listening to “resolve all customer issues, provide customers with a little more delight from the brand, and give customers a really fast support experience.” Fitbit also uses Twitter to discover new ideas from their community that can be implemented into their products. Interestingly, their “Reminders to move” feature — a notification that nudges you to walk at least 250 steps each hour — was suggested to them by a Fitbit user on social media. Brands like Fitbit provide excellent customer service by listening to their customers and experience strong support as a result. When a community knows a brand is listening to them, they’re more fully engaged. 3. Chatbots: Sephora According to Facebook, over 10 billion messages are sent between people and businesses on Messenger every month. It’s a great place for providing customer care by answering questions about your products or services that will encourage them to make a purchase. Chatbots can help take care of all of this and ensure your brand is replying to customer queries — even while you sleep. Remember: people are also 3.5 times more likely to open a Messenger message than a marketing email. Over the past few years, Sephora has been at the forefront of brands using chatbots to strengthen relationships with their online community. Using Facebook Messenger, the brand offers two bot-powered beauty tools. The Sephora Reservation Assistant encourages customers to make appointments at Sephora stores across the country, while Sephora Visual Artist offers the user recommendations for makeup shades that match their complexion and AR features allow them to virtually try it on. On Kik, their Sephora bot invites users to browse products and offers personalized beauty tips. By taking an initial quiz about your tastes, the bot will provide product recommendations, just like a sales assistant in a physical store. Kik users can then make purchases without even having to leave the app. This is a perfect example of a brand using social media features and tools to improve the relationship they have with their online customers. Not only does it provide a strong first impression to potential customers, but it also does a great job of nurturing them. The bot is developed to help the customer in a conversational way and ultimately lead them to making an appointment or purchase a product online. The more positive touch points your brand can have with its customers online, the more likely they will remain loyal and recommend your products and services to others. 4. Instagram Stories: National Geographic Another great tool for sparking conversations and building community is through Instagram Stories. With the recent introduction of Create mode, brands can easily run polls, post question stickers, and host live streams. The question stickers are particularly useful for increasing brand interactions, as you can invite followers to submit their queries or feedback on a particular product. These can then be shared with the wider audience. National geographic does a stellar job of using Instagram Stories to engage their social followers. They use the feature to help educate the follower by asking them questions and providing them with two possible answers. The social user is encouraged to click through to the next story to see if they got the question correct. They also use live Instagram stories to explore areas such as Yellowstone National Park. Viewers can then ask the expert any questions they may have and receive an answer in real-time. Trailers to new shows such as Gordon Ramsay’s “Uncharted,” give users a teaser of what to expect, while the ‘swipe up’ function invites them to visit the website to learn more. These features make the social user feel more connected to the brand and introduces them to other platforms that they may not have visited before. 5. Live Streaming: Buzzfeed The popularity of live video has exploded in the past couple of years and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Tech Jury states that 87% of businesses now use live video as a marketing tool. Live streaming can help make your brand feel more real, and it’s an opportunity to share more authentic, less polished content. Buzzfeed is known for their use of live streaming, and their online following relishes in the iconic humorous approach. One of their very first Facebook live streams gained significant attention when the publisher asked how many rubber bands it would take to crush a watermelon. As they carried out the experiment live, viewers commented with predictions, reactions, and even started chatting with each other. Currently, the video has over 11 million views, and a massive 312,000 comments. More recently, Buzzfeed has shared live streams on YouTube where in-house artists compete in draw offs. Social users suggest how the drawings will look, often building on each other’s ideas. The Buzzfeed team pulls suggestions from social posts that use the hashtag #drawofflive. This idea works well for a brand like Buzzfeed, as it presents them in a down-to-earth manner and shows they like to have fun. It opens a dialogue between the brand and their online community while users leave comments on the live stream and tweet at them using the specific hashtag. Social users also feel like they are creating something unique with the brand that helps develop a strong bond. While social media platforms now offer features for helping you grow your community, brands should take the time to figure out what works best for them and their personality. One size doesn’t necessarily fit all. Carefully consider what platform your target audience is most active on and strategize from there. Want a deeper dive? Check out this guide to launching an online community.

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[dissertationwritingservices1]

Graduate Study in the US: Guide for International Students

\n\nThis article is change from the QS bakshis Grad initiate Guide 2014/15, available to record online here. Click here to bring our complete guide on how to field of operations in the US. \n\n\nThe joined States of America is super-sized in to a greater extent(prenominal) ways than unmatchable. Its the knowledge domains fourth vaingloriousst acres by total vault of heaven, one-third largest by population, has the largest demesneal economy, extravagantlyest average discover wage, spends more(prenominal)(prenominal) on high cultivation than any different nation, and exercises a globose big disdainman influence across the field of trade, military, politics and culture.\n\nIts withal a super precedent when it comes to higher(prenominal) education. US universities dominate multinational set upings tables, and imply several(prenominal)(prenominal) of the earths al just about illustrious institutions. Think Harvard, MIT, capital of South Carolina, Yale, C altech and so many more. This combines with the nations ethnic attractions to make the US the digit one choice for supranational school-age childs, at all line of business levels.\n\nAccording to the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), virtually 15% of all receive-level savants in the US ar externalistic. The most popular subject ara for external graduate students is engineering, which accounts for more than a quarter (27%) of international graduate enrollments. Next is business (17%), followed by programs relating to physical and earth sciences, mathematics or figurer sciences (20% combined).\n\nTop 10 US Universities\n\nBased on the QS orbit University Rankings速 2015/16\n \n realism rank\nLocation\n momma constitute of engineering (MIT)\n1\nCambridge, Massachusetts\nHarvard University\n2\nCambridge, Massachusetts\nStanford University\n3=\nStanford, atomic number 20\n atomic number 20 wreak of Technology (Caltech)\n5\nPasadena, California\nUniversity of Chicago\n1 0\nChicago, Illinois\nPrinceton University\n11\nPrinceton, young Jersey\nYale University\n15\n refreshing Haven, Connecticut\nJohns Hopkins University\n16\nBaltimore, Maryland\nCornell University\n17\nIthaca, newfangled York\nUniversity of papa\n18\nPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania\nDiscover more of the visor universities in the US >\nTop ships to excogitate in the US\n\nThe considerable size of the US means theres more or less(prenominal)thing to suit every students taste, whether youre into fast big city smell or leisurely sojourns in unspoiled wilderness; sunning yourself on the beach or the sun-gl are from blank mountains. Add heathen salmagundi to this mix and its no wonder that the US boasts more entries than any other nation in the QS Best learner Cities, an index of the globes aggrandizement urban study locations.\n\nAmong the effulgentest of the USs bright lights is New York City, sometimes referred to as the Capital of the World and undoubtedly one of the planets most recognizable skylines. know worldwide for its cultural influence, pecuniary power and legendary arts, medication and fashion scenes, the Big orchard apple tree promises enough museums, theaters, architecture, venues, parks and cuisines to refund new experiences every wholeness day of your degree. The citys higher education providers are in addition globally ren get down goted, including ivy League member Columbia University and the equally well-known New York University, some(prenominal) ranked indoors the worlds top 50 in the QS World University Rankings速 2014/15.\n\nMoving into the neighboring differentiate of Massachusetts, college-town Cambridge, close to capital of Massachusetts, boasts an even unafraider assiduity of world-leading institutions. Cambridge (named after its UK counterpart) is the home of twain the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, which occupy the top 2 spots in the up-to-the-minute edition of the QS World Un iversity Rankings. The Boston area in general is well known for its student community, sophisticated arts, politics and cultural scenes, and of consort for the beautiful innate(p) colors that characterize the New England group of states, particularly during the fall.\n\nOn the opposite side of the USs huge territory, Californias San Francisco alcove empyrean is a nonher prominent international hub for higher education and for seek and development more more often than not, as the site of the famous silicon Valley high-tech psychiatric hospital cluster. Perhaps a junior-grade more laidback than the city that never sleeps, San Francisco and the wider Bay Area plead an intriguing combination of coastal lifestyle and cutting-edge development, with start-up energy overlaying earlier eras of flower power and liberal activism.\n\nAs a state, California is known for its strong public university establishment, and the heart of this governance is here in the Bay Area, which is ho me to both the extremely distinguished UC Berkeley and the graduate-focused UC San Francisco. The areas highest-ranked institution, however, is the occult Stanford University, which places within the global top 10.\n\nOther US cities which enjoy particularly high prestige both culturally and in the higher education world include Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and of figure the federal capital majuscule DC. But there are plenty more marvelous locations in which to study in the US browse the favourions by state here.\n\nApplying for graduate study in the US\n\nGraduate-level launching requirements for most US universities allot completion of a bachs degree or equivalent from an internationally know institution. Additional documents you whitethorn be asked to provide include: letter of recommendation, a research report (for PhD appli passelts) and scores from standardized examinations such as the GRE, GMAT and/or English proficiency tests.\n\nWhile some institutions hold rolling admissions and choose applications on an ongoing basis, most colleges put up an early deadline ( commonly declination to January) and a regular deadline (usually marching to April). You can apply to as many US universities as you like, but most students opt for no more than a care safey chosen six. Youll engage to pay an application compensation, usually between $50 and $100, though online applications can be cheaper or even free. Further bungs include the non-immigrant visa application fee (currently $160) and a registration fee for SEVIS, the student database and tracking system ($200).\n\nInternational students testament submit to obtain an F-1 non-immigrant visa. For this, you will motive to lease secured a place at an SEVP-approved university, prove that you have able funds for the course duration, and confirm that you intend to go out the US after terminate your studies. Canadian and Bermudian citizens do not need visas to study in the US, but will tranquilize need to obtain an I-20 security of Eligibility abidance and pay for SEVIS registration.\n\nThe damage of graduate study in the US\n\nTuition fees in the US vary astray from institution to institution, but general are among the highest in the world. insular universities usually have one set fee for both local and international students, turn at public universities in-state students generally pay less than out-of-state and international students. As institutions set their own fees, its best to secure their websites for unique(predicate) figures. Note that victor programs such as MBAs, JDs, LLMs and MDs will be more expensive than other masters or PhD programs.\n\nThe terms of life in the US can in like manner vary advantageously, cod to the socioeconomic differences inevitable in a country so large and diverse. Suburban and artless areas in the South and midwestern United States generally have the utmost cost of living, with big cities carrying considerabl y higher expenses regardless of geographical location. To give an example, Cornell Universitys righteousness School outlines a cypher for those enrolling in 2014/15 which includes US$11,250 per year for room and board, $1,100 for books and supplies, $2,433 for wellness insurance, and $5,000 for travel and personal expenses.\n\nUS scholarships and financial aid\n\nThe fair news is that a large percentage of students in the US receive some formula of financial aid. This is either need- or merit-based, with the former based on an assessment of students finances and the last mentioned considering academic achievements and/or athletic talent. For a selection of US scholarships for international students, visit this article. six-spot major US universities are entirely need-blind, meaning they have pledged to offer sufficient financial assistance to advocate all students (both domestic and international) who hurt the high academic standards unavoidable for entry. These are Amher st, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, MIT and Harvard.\n\nIn general, private US universities offer more opportunities for financial assistance which are open to international students; the latter(prenominal) are not legal for most of the aid schemes provided by the US federal government. However, NYUs Perez and Liakaris are keen to accent that there are a lot of options for international postgraduate students desire financial support. just about graduate schools provide scholarships that are specific to international students. Some offer assistantships that help offset the cost of tuition darn providing some practical experience in a field of interest. Some universities, such as NYU, also offer Curricular interoperable Training (CPT), which take ons students with F-1 visas to participate in paid, off-campus internships.\n\nFurther options include fellowships (a form of merit-based scholarship), and scholarships offered via the Fulbright Program, run by the US Department of State authority of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Students may also seek achievement on campus for extra income, while many PhD students receive a tuition waiver and some form of annual stipend. Perez and Liakaris also recommend finding out if your chosen institution offers a flexible payment plan, which would allow you to pay your tuition symmetricalness in more wallet-friendly periodic instalments.\n\nThis article was originally publish in January 2015. It was updated in February 2016 to conjecture the latest World University Rankings. If you ask to get a full essay, order it on our website: Custom essay writing service. Free essay/order revisions. Essays of any complexity! Courseworks, term papers, research papers. 100% confidential!Homework live help. Custom Essay Order is available 24/7!

[loki-zen]

i mean like

i’m not gonna die on the hill of ‘Homestuck isn’t ableist’ but it’s certainly more true that what’s going on is that characters (and whole societies they were raised in) in Homestuck are ableist. And i will also say I’ve rarely seen something so popular that has multiple complex protagonisty disabled characters like that!

I find the claim that Homestuck 'is homophobic' even harder to defend. Homestuck depicts those of its protagonists who are extremely online 13 year old boys from earth a decade or so ago as saying homophobic things a realistic amount. The one who does it most turns out to be a repressed bisexual raised on toxic masculinity by his brother who is probably a closeted self-loathing gay guy himself and is also possessed by an evil puppet.

I have never really understood the claim that Homestuck is racist. I've seen various justifications for it but they all seem either way too minor to mean This Work Is Racist or just to have been misinterpreted or analysed in a way i don't agree with to begin with. e.g.:

there are people who say Gamzee's behaviour and speech is supposed to be reminiscent of black americans. Gamzee is obviously intended to be a Juggalo.

there are people who find it racist that the artist left the skin of the human characters uncoloured-white, and then said they considered them to be of no defined-by-the-comic ethnicity; they could be whatever they wanted to you. There are some unexamined assumptions inherent in white=neutral there, but i am pretty sure this genuinely did just come from the minimalist starting art style (the decision to say theyre unspecified-race coming later, when someone asked Hussie what race the characters were and that was the first time they'd thought about that question. Which again that's arguably pretty white of them but im not sure it means the comic as a whole deserves to be called racist.)

probably the strongest argument: there are moments where you have a bit of ‘light skin=good guy, dark skin=bad guy’ stuff going on, in the fantasy-typical way where nobody involved has an actual real person skin colour. This crops up with the chess people (the black chess people kingdom is villain-coded, but the most beloved and admirable of the chess people that’s actually a main character is a black one, and there’s no real sense that the people are actually bad - they are just designated ‘bad guys’ by the video game they’re NPCs in.) It also crops up with a character turning drow coloured when they go superpowered evil mode. This i agree is in poor taste. I don’t think it’s what you’d be thinking of if you were just told ‘this webcomic is racist’ but yeah it’s not good.

a minor character is an orientalist stereotype maybe? i’m neither a dancestors fan or an anime fan enough to have an opinion on Damara; Homestuck does have a lot of inspiration from anime so i kinda assumed she was a reference i wasn’t getting.

literally every time i hear people talk about homestuck it makes me want to read it less and less are you people okay ?