#online hotel booking sites | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

idkwhatimdoinghere1655 · 5 months ago

Text

(1) Hotel Girl - Carlos Sainz

Finally. A holiday. 5 days of some much needed and well deserved rest. Well, apart from the occasional email he'd have to send and phone call he'd have to take. But, it was a small price to pay for a working week of pure bliss.

Carlos had decided to spend part of his summer break by himself in the bougiest hotel he could possibly find. He would have rented a villa to himself, but then he'd have to cook, hire a chef or go out every night.

Cooking was not his idea of relaxing, a chef would be a waste for just him, and going to restaurants every night by himself was the literal definition of sad. He didn't want photos of him dining alone circulating the internet, no way.

At least in a hotel, he had room service, housekeeping, and food served on site so he wouldn't have to venture far. He might explore the local town if he felt like stretching his legs, but he wouldn't force himself just for the sake of tourism.

After spending what felt like hours travelling, going through menial airports and checking into the hotel, Carlos was finally able to switch his mind off and relax in his hotel room. It was too much room for one person, but he was in the position where he could treat himself without batting an eyelid.

Once he had unpacked, he figured he'd take a little wander around his home for the next few days. The hotel was a relatively new build, lots of glass and neutral greys and whites. The glass allowed for views of the stunning scenery in pretty much every area of the hotel.

The hotel was located on a vast and secluded beach somewhere in the Bahamas, which was plenty far enough away from anyone who could personally know him, as well as far away enough from the press. It was out of the way, so much so that there was only one road to go in and out of the hotel.

He wandered through the lobby, smiling back at the personnel on the desk before turning away to mind his own business. He walked past the different restaurants on offer, even if he didn't think that he'd be utilising them too much during his stay.

He also strolled by the spa, which he made a mental note to pay one or two (or more) visits to. Carlos could smell the essential oils from a mile away, and the soft tones of the typical spa music soothed his soul instantly. Well, for the meantime, anyway. God did a massage sound good right about now.

Having the stress and tension worked out of his muscles was exactly what he needed. Reading the board, he saw that he'd need to book at reception for his massages. He'd probably be spending every day in there, but that wasn't a problem for him. It was his holiday, and he could do whatever the hell he wanted to.

Now all he really had to check out was the pool, but he'd seen plenty of pictures when he booked online. He was too tired to walk down to the beach today due to the jetlag, so Carlos ultimately decided to take himself off to his room so he could rest properly.

Once he was back in his suite, Carlos wanted to relax on his balcony for a moment. He took himself over to the mini fridge and selected an ice cold water which he would undoubtedly be paying through the roof for, but he'd deal with it.

The balcony had a stunning view of the pool, and he could see the golden sands and the sun setting behind the horizon as it glittered on the surface of the water. There was a light breeze to try and combat the still sweltering heat that was emanating from the sun.

As he nosied around, he spotted couples on their terraces, entangled in each other's embrace. Now that was a view he could be doing without. Luckily for Carlos, all he had to do was turn his head left, and the rest of the world faded into obscurity. He could focus on the mesmerising view of the ocean and the pure silence that enveloped him.

He heard a few screen doors open and close, the patter of footsteps quietening down after the click. For a while, it was just him and his thoughts. No racing, no people, just him and the silence. It was a welcomed change, his mind finally allowed to stop rocketing around like it was on a track and it could just lull into a calm tranquility.

He didn't know how long had gone by before he heard a soft hum carried on the wind. He thought everyone had gone inside, or to dinner. But he only heard one set of footsteps on the tiled terrace surface.

Carlos would normally have just ignored the other person making their way outside, but something inside him told him to turn his head. His intuition was fully correct when his eyes landed upon her.

He couldn't quite tell whether he was thankful for noticing her, or very very ungrateful for having found something that could take up his thoughts and replace the peace he was supposed to have. She had taken a seat on her sun lounger - just like he had.

Her hair was pulled back in a bun at the back of her head, a few curls springing out from the uniformity. Her body was wrapped in a dress of colours swirling around her figure as long legs protruded from the skirt.

It was like her skin was shimmering under the light of the setting sun. Her eyes were hidden from him behind sunglasses, but from what he could see, the rest of her face was gorgeous enough to intrigue him.

She was reading a book, he couldn't see the title from where he was, but she seemed to be pretty engrossed. He tried to tear his eyes away, avert his gaze back over to the ocean and the small waves rippling across the top of the water, but he couldn't.

There was a view that he was much more interested in, and a view that he could have watched until the moon took its place as the beacon in the sky. She was breathtaking. The sight of her was like seeing the Aurora Borealis for the first time, an encapsulating experience that could never quite be forgotten. She was like a goddess, put there purely to tempt him.

Carlos' mind instantly took him down the dangerous rabbit hole of asking too many questions. He became his own detective, interrogating himself on the minimal information he had on her. From what he could see, there didn't appear to be a ring on her finger, and there wasn't a towel on the sun lounger beside her.

It seemed as if she was all alone. Maybe she was like him: taking a vacation away from the chaos of her life. Maybe she too had been entranced by the pool, the spa and the beach. The peace, the quiet and the serenity.

Even if this was the case, unknowingly, she had taken away his ability to experience those things. He was mentally scolding himself for suddenly becoming so interested on some random girl he had seen on her hotel room balcony, since he was supposed to be having some well-deserved him time.

Yet, he wasn't that lucky.

In a moment of weakness, Carlos coughed slightly. He wanted to see if she'd look up to see where the noise had come from, but she sat unmoving. Her eyes were seemingly still glued to the pages of the book, which she would turn every now and then. He couldn't see past the sunglasses.

As the sun set further behind the horizon, she still stayed on the balcony with her book. And so did Carlos. He would only go in once she did, even if that took him until the early hours of the morning.

While he was staring, he took the time to run through the myriad of questions that he was asking himself. Why the hell was he so enticed by this random girl on the balcony? Why was he letting himself get so worked up by her? Who was she? Her room seemed to be nearer reception, so that must have meant that her room number was below the one hundreds- no. Stop.

He would not stoop to borderline stalking the girl on the balcony. No. That wasn't the kind of guy he was. If he was really interested, he could try and talk to her if he saw her around. He wasn't going to go full Joe Goldberg on her. Yet.

Checking his watch, he saw that it was nearing on eleven pm. She had shuffled around in her seat a few times, the hardness of the sun lounger becoming uncomfortable after prolonged sitting. But, she was making good headway in her book.

She had gotten through a chunk of pages, maybe a quarter of the full thing. He wondered if it was interesting and if she was enjoying reading it, or if she was just reading it for the sake of finishing it and would then not recommend it to her friends.

Was she the popular one among her friends? She seemed to be. She seemed like the nice one that everyone would lean on for help, or the reliable one. He probably just thought that because that was the girl he wanted her to be. For both of their sakes.

Who was he kidding, he was unbelievably captivated by the girl on the balcony.

As the minutes ticked towards midnight, the girl put her bookmark back in her book and closed it, swinging her long legs over the side of the lounger and standing. He watched her hips sway as she took the few steps into her room, sliding the door shut with a soft click that sounded a lot louder in the quiet of the night.

Carlos was left as the only person sat outside. His mind was conflicted, to say the least. He was annoyed that he was so attached by this girl he had seen across the hotel complex, and it was so aggravating. Here he was, trying to relax, but no. The universe had other ideas.

It just had to throw a beautiful woman in the mix to rattle everything up. The weariness he felt was definitely exuberating his thoughts of her, but now he had to find some common sense, get a grip, and act like a normal, completely sane human being.

With a sigh, Carlos took himself back inside as well. He brushed his teeth, took in his own weary expression and went straight to bed. A relieved groan escaped his lips as he collapsed down on the bed, his body quickly succumbing to the grasp of sleep.

There were no dreams plaguing his mind through the night, and he woke up to a light knocking on the door. His back cracked as he got out of bed and slowly stepped over to his hotel room door. Opening it, he saw a small, old lady with a large kart behind her.

"Housekeeping?" she smiled, her eyes wandering up and down his body.

She had a light blush on her cheeks, clearly slightly flustered by the shirtless, handsome man that she was looking at. "Could you come back in half an hour, please?" he asked, and she nodded immediately.

"Of course, sir, of course. Have a nice day."

"You too," he returned, closing the door behind him. He'd just head down to breakfast so he could let the nice lady do her job. The room wasn't messy at all since all he had done was sleep and sit on the balcony to watch- oh yeah. Her.

He had escaped the thought of her during his rest and the few minutes of his morning, but his mind had become tired of running away from her. He wished he could just ignore her, but there was that small part of him that wished he could catch another tantalising glimpse of her.

Carlos dressed himself and sorted out his hair somewhat before heading out of the door with his room key and wallet in his pocket. He would have just done room service for breakfast, but he wanted to give the woman some space.

She was in the room next door and she flashed him a kind smile as he peered in the door. The walk through the opulent lobby was short, and he could feel a small sniffle coming on due to the aircon.

And just out of the corner of his eye, he could've sworn he had saw her. He turned his head, only to see another relatively pretty woman. But, she didn't hold a candle to the girl who was reading the mystery book on her balcony the previous night.

He shook his head, trying to waft away the thoughts of her as he tried to have a peaceful breakfast. Carlos continued to walk, keeping his mind fixed on the thought of breakfast as opposed to visions of her.

Just as he thought he had torn his mind away from the wonder that she was, he saw her. The real her, this time. Not a random woman who had some similarities to her when he didn't have the chance to look at her properly. There she was.

She was wearing just a pair of blue wash shorts and plain white top, but it didn't matter. She was the single most stunning creature he had ever laid his eyes upon. He watched her walk down a corridor, and he spotted a sign that they were serving breakfast at one of the cafes in the hotel.

Carlos couldn't help himself but follow on, keeping his distance so he wouldn't seem like too much of a creep. But, who was he kidding? He was being creepy, practically following her to where she was going just to eat breakfast. He couldn't help but be entranced by the way that her hips swayed side to side as she walked and the way her figure looked. Awe-inspiring was all he could attach to her.

She settled down at a table, all by herself yet again. The woman picked up her menu, her shining eyes scanning over the contents. Carlos strategically picked a table that wasn't too near her, but near enough that he could happily see her. He just saw the first thing on the menu and decided on that, since he had much prettier things to be looking at.

As the waiter approached her table, his ears picked up to try and suss out the language she was speaking. English, Spanish or Italian, he would be fine. His French was questionable at best, but it was similar enough to Italian and Spanish. Plus, he could always ask Charles if he was in need of any urgent lessons. Well, Charles or Duolingo.

He heard snippets of her conversation, some 'no's' and 'yeses' as well as a nice, polite bout of 'pleases' laced in the exchange. But, even if she was speaking English to the waiter, that didn't mean it was her mother tongue.

But from what he could hear, her accent sounded pretty English, so he felt it was safe to assume that if he did end up talking to her in some delusioned parallel universe, he could aptly communicate with her. As if he would ever get the opportunity to talk to her, though.

Even just the idea of her focus being on him while they engaged in small talk about the weather sent his heart into a spiral of undefinable emotions. It was something he so desperately desired, but also needed to resign himself to the fact that it wasn't going to happen.

When the waiter came to his table next, he was at a loss for what he was supposed to be ordering. He flipped the menu open, his mouth just reading out the first option his eyes found. He didn't mind eggs benedict, he could live with having that for breakfast.

The waiter was gone just as quickly as he came, and Carlos was left with just his jug of water and his thoughts. Again. God, this holiday was such a bad idea. He tried to take in the surroundings of the restaurant, the theme being beachy, but still with a hint of luxury.

He allowed his eyes to flit over to her every now and then, taking in the way her eyes studied the room around her and the way in which she sipped at her cappuccino. From the distance, he saw the slight lipstick mark that was left behind on the white ceramic.

Her food got there before his did, and it was exactly as he had ordered his. Eggs benedict. Yes, he had only ordered his since it was the first thing he could make out, but the delusional part of his brain saw it as fate.

Her smile was enchanting as she thanked the waiter, small dimples on her cheeks as her kind eyes looked up at him. He wanted her to smile at him when she looked at him, not some waiter who just brought out her breakfast.

Shortly after, the waiter was back with his eggs benedict, which he wasn't even hungry for anymore. He was hungry for something else. Something a hell of a lot sweeter.

He scarfed down his eggs benedict like a man starved, just so he could be gone before she was. He didn't want to allow himself to stoop to the point of waiting to watch her leave, just so he could see the tantalising way in which her body moved.

He forced himself to walk straight through the hotel, straight through the lobby and right into the elevator before he even had chance to think and wait. By the time Carlos arrived back in his room, the lovely cleaning lady had made the bed and done some general tidying.

He was not going to allow this random girl to ruin his relaxation time, no way. This was about him. No one else but him. So, why not take some time to lounge around the pool? He could go for a swim, catch a little sun, maybe do a sudoku or two. Now that was a proper version of repose.

The quicker he did things, the less his mind would drift back to her, so he quickly packed some things in his backpack. A book of sudokus, sun cream, a towel, and his phone. He checked the room, making sure there was nothing that he was missing before he set off on his leisurely stroll down to the pool.

His footsteps echoed off the tall ceilings of the corridors and the lobby, and he really was appreciating the luxury of the hotel he was staying in. Of course, he had only picked the best for himself, but he was cognizant of the ability to spoil himself a little.

Carlos had the choice of 3 pools around the resort, the first of which being the one located in the spa. Now, it would have been quiet, but he wasn't interested in the soothing music and smell of lavender right now. Instead, he opted for the soft splashes of water and scent of suncream.

The first of the other 2 pools was located by the beach, and the views were absolutely breathtaking. But, there were quite a few people there, so he finally decided on the other pool. There was nothing wrong with it, you could still see the ocean and take in the sights, so he didn't think it was too much of a compromise.

Settling on a sunlounger, Carlos stripped his shirt off and stuffed it into his backpack, allowing himself to soak up the sun. He'd hold off on the suncream for a short while, hoping he wouldn't get burnt on the first day of his holiday.

Leaning back on the lounger, Carlos took a deep breath, taking in the surroundings. There weren't many people around the pool, just the odd couple lazing around with a few people swimming laps. Now this was the peaceful atmosphere he was looking for.

He closed his eyes, feeling his skin soaking up the rays of sunlight. The palm trees around the pool rustled softly in the sea-side breeze, and it took the edge off of the pure heat that was felt all around.

The voices around him were hushed, people conversing in soft tones as to not disturb the quiet of the pool. Around an hour had passed of Carlos lying around on his sun lounger, he decided a dip in the pool was what he was wanting.

He left his stuff where he was sat, knowing it wouldn't get stolen or anything. He took the stairs one at a time, and the temperature of the water was perfect. Carlos swam over to the edge and rested his back against the cool tiles.

He was thoroughly enjoying people watching, mostly just couples their on their holidays. He had seen a few people who seemed to be alone like him, as well as a few families with older children.

He was thankful for his sunglasses so he could observe without being noticed and without seeming like a creep. Well, he might have been slightly creepy towards the girl from the balco- and there she was again.

He scoffed to himself, annoyed that he was letting himself think back to that. She was omnipresent practically, even if she wasn't there physically, she plagued his mind. He thought if he didn't fight the thoughts so much, then they wouldn't be so aggressive in their push to the forefront of his mind.

And just as he thought nothing else could go wrong, he heard the patter of feet on the tiled walkway through the near silence of his surroundings. His heart knew before he had seen her, and as soon as he had raised his head, he was greeted with the sight of the goddess he had seen.

She was wearing a sheer throw over her bikini, and she had a body that looked like it was sculpted by God himself to make her absolutely perfect for Carlos. She sat down at a lounger that was dangerously close to his, and he fully contemplated just sitting in the pool until she eventually left.

As she shrugged the throw off her shoulders and stuffed it into her tote bag, he couldn't help but marvel at the way her skin shone in the sunlight. If only he could just run his hands over her, feel the smoothness under his fingertips...

Alas, that wouldn't be happening.

Again, this was one of those times where he was unbelievably thankful for the genuins invention of sunglasses. His head may have been sat square on his shoulders, but his eyes were looking slightly to the right.

She readjusted her sun lounger, sitting back as she rummaged around in her bag for something. There it was, the book. The colours on the cover were the same, yet he still couldn't quite catch the title of the book. If he could hazard a guess, it was some sort of mystery, based off of the dark blues of the cover.

He couldn't help but see her as the type of girl to read a romance novel, but he wasn't sure. Maybe it was a book about romance, the deep intricate facets of love and devotion to someone. But he wouldn't know.

If he could, he would offer to rub sun cream on her back, his hands lingering for just a little longer than necessary. He knew he wouldn't be able to resist peppering a few kisses down her neck and across her shoulders. Carlos tried to imagine her laugh as she playfully told him to stop it.

He wouldn't stop, leaning his head down and kissing her more just to prove his point. Maybe he'd make a suggestive comment - it would have depended on the mood of the day. Even if that had never stopped Carlos before.

He had to snap himself out of it before his mind went to darker places, not wanting the physical effect of said thoughts to become evident. Now that would have been really really embarrassing. He'd never forgive himself if he let himself go that far.

Every page she turned was like an indicator of time passing by, the bookmark moving through the pages like a stop-motion picture. He wondered if she was enjoying the book, who her favourite characters were. Maybe there were some quotes that she'd remember, some more philosophical or meaningful ones.

If he could figure out the title, he'd give it a read. See if he enjoyed it too.

It was seeming like she was never going to leave, and Carlos could feel his skin becoming dried out by the chlorine, rippled and rough like unconditioned leather. He swam his way over to the edge of the pool, hauling himself out of the water with as much grace as he could.

Water droplets ran down his body as he made his way back over to his sun lounger. Unless he was losing his mind, which was highly likely, he could've sworn her eyes flicked up from the gripping words on the page and onto him.

He saw the blue of her irises, her pupils constricting as she momentarily looked at him. He could have sworn his heart was going to break through his ribs and skin, pouring out for everyone to see. As he sat down, picking up his towel and lazily running it over his body, he tried to take a few deep breaths.

'Get it together' he thought to himself, 'you're being stupid.' He really felt idiotic as he sat there, trying to calm down from something as simple as his random hotel crush looking at him for a moment as he walked by.

It was just human curiosity. That is all it was. She wasn't checking him out, she wasn't looking at him with particular interest. It was plain, simple, inquisitivity.

He draped his towel over the back of the chair so that it could dry in the heat, and he leant back, closing his eyes to try and chill himself out. As he sat there, his thoughts were running wild. He was so consumed by the simplest action, a teeny little look in his direction, and he was already getting frustrated at himself for letting himself feel this way.

"Hey, sorry, excuse me?" a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

A/N - Hey loves! Would really appreciate if you could reblog this, still think I'm shadowbanned for some absurd reason. Hope you enjoyed, been working on this for a short amount of time, and I quite like this one. Love y'all! 💖💖

|masterlist|

146 notes · View notes

st0rmyskies · 29 days ago

Note

Mmm Stormy Tipsy Time, you say? Perfect time to ask this question that's been living in the back of my brain for some time:

What's everyone favorite forms of ...alone time materials, if you catch my drift?

Who reads books and who watches videos? Who's willing to pay for some personal shoutouts on Only Fans and who just googles their favorite buzzwords? And any particular genres they prefer?

Thank you!

PERFECCT question honestly, under the cut for lots of adult terms and my filter is questionable rn.

Twilight - Our country boy is the kind that surfs well-known porn sites for photosets and those 20-second clips that he watches at a volume between 0-2. He definitely had a secret stash of things in his room when he was younger that at one point was ditched in a panic. He favors gay gangbangs and outdoor sex.

Wild - Makes his own (you can thank @poodle-anon for this hc of mine), either solo or with friends. The video quality is grainy at best and indiscernible most times. It's not for view or for purchase by others, though. This is strictly a collection for Wild himself to enjoy. So I suppose his genre of preference is 'homemade'?

Champion - When he's not going through his own phone for the evidence that Wild left behind of his more wild exploits, Champion is taking it slow with photos of singles and couples of any orientation or identity, and the occasional video of a guy going it solo. Mostly through search engines set to Incognito Mode. Purely for research purposes.

Warriors - If he's bothering with anything, it's got to be a full-length video. And it's a little private EVENT of self-care. The lights are off, his headphones are in, and that door is locked tight. He's a connoisseur of BDSM vids and tends toward hard bondage, fully-outfitted dungeons, and forced o's. If he pays for anything, you know it ain't on his credit card.

Sky - He used to be a mainstream porn site-guy, but with the advent of OnlyFans he's much more interested in those things posted by the creators themselves. Solely interested in solo female or lesbian vids and photosets. Likes girls in bikinis washing muscle cars. He's such a fucking boy, oh my god. He doesn't subscribe to things in particular but will occasionally send a little 'thank you' tip.

Legend - More interested in photos than videos. He just likes to take his time taking in the details, that's all. He switches between seeking out M/M/F and M/F/F threesomes with the occasional indulgence of a gifset. If he's watching vids it's without the sound on, sometimes the sounds people make are just dumb. He also has his fair share of books that contain significant sex scenes. A frequent search term for him is "redhead."

Hyrule - A fan of videos, especially of gay encounters in hotel rooms or in exotic vacation locales. He doesn't seek out porn with women in it, but it doesn't turn him off, either. Alternative guys are something he gravitates toward (surprise surprise). Most frequently searches for first time/virgin vids and prefers videos where the guys are having fun and/or seem convincingly into one another.

Four - Our boy is in to BOOKS. Because literature is such a safe space to explore sexuality! And because you can explore some freaky kinks that way, too. His library includes everything from damsel-and-knight to monsters and ovi. Gets most of his material from fanfiction sites.

Wind - Also solely interested in het videos and media. Has an OF and a Patreon under a pseud and subscribes to specific entertainers. Attends weekend online 'events' where said entertainers will take suggestions from the chat. Religiously watches with his headphones on and fully disconnects his computer speakers. Most of his searches include the terms "Gerudo" and "cuck" although there's some bondage in there, too.

Time - WHY AM I TOO EMBARRASSED TO WRITE THIS ONE

Dark - Subscribes to specific OF accounts with Shadow's credit card. Men, women, or other-gendered, doesn't matter to him. If Twilight ever starts an OF he will blow all of his savings on it, you know that.

#lmtcoy #stormys spicy asks

20 notes · View notes

bidinn123 · 6 months ago

Text

Explore Top Online Hotel Booking Sites for Your Next Trip!

Planning a vacation? Discover the best online hotel booking sites that offer amazing deals and seamless booking experiences. Get the best rates and book your perfect stay with ease. Check out BidINN now!

#best hotel in india #best hotel app #online hotel booking sites #hotel booking websites

0 notes

thepastisalreadywritten · 10 months ago

Text

(CNN) — Jack Latham was on a mission to photograph farms in Vietnam — not the country’s sprawling plantations or rice terraces but its “click farms.”

Last year, the British photographer spent a month in the capital Hanoi documenting some of the shadowy enterprises that help clients artificially boost online traffic and social media engagement in the hope of manipulating algorithms and user perceptions.

The resulting images, which feature in his new book “Beggar’s Honey,” provide rare insight into the workshops that hire low-paid workers to cultivate likes, comments and shares for businesses and individuals globally.

“When most people are on social media, they want nothing but attention — they’re begging for it,” Latham said in a phone interview, explaining his book’s title.

“With social media, our attention is a product for advertisers and marketers.”

In the 2000s, the growing popularity of social media sites — including Facebook and Twitter, now called X — created a new market for well-curated digital profiles, with companies and brands vying to maximize visibility and influence.

Though it is unclear when click farms began proliferating, tech experts warned about “virtual gang masters” operating them from low-income countries as early as 2007.

In the following decades, click farms exploded in number — particularly in Asia, where they can be found across India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond.

Regulations have often failed to keep pace: While some countries, like China, have attempted to crack down on operations (the China Advertising Association banned the use of click farms for commercial gain in 2020), they continue to flourish around the continent, especially in places where low labor and electricity costs make it affordable to power hundreds of devices simultaneously.

‘Like Silicon Valley startups’

Latham’s project took him to five click farms in Vietnam.

(The click farmers he hoped to photograph in Hong Kong “got cold feet,” he said, and pandemic-related travel restrictions dashed his plans to document the practice in mainland China).

On the outskirts of Hanoi, Latham visited workshops operating from residential properties and hotels.

Some had a traditional setup with hundreds of manually operated phones, while others used a newer, compact method called “box farming” — a phrase used by the click farmers Latham visited — where several phones, without screens and batteries, are wired together and linked to a computer interface.

Latham said one of the click farms he visited was a family-run business, though the others appeared more like a tech companies.

Most workers were in their 20s and 30s, he added.

“They all looked like Silicon Valley startups,” he said. “There was a tremendous amount of hardware … whole walls of phones.”

Some of Latham’s photos depict — albeit anonymously — workers tasked with harvesting clicks.

In one image, a man is seen stationed amid a sea of gadgets in what appears to be a lonely and monotonous task.

“It only takes one person to control large amounts of phones,” Latham said. “One person can very quickly (do the work of) 10,000. It’s both solitary and crowded.”

At the farms Lathan visited, individuals were usually in charge of a particular social media platforms.

For instance, one “farmer” would be responsible for mass posting and commenting on Facebook accounts, or setting up YouTube platforms where they post and watch videos on loop.

The photographer added that TikTok is now the most popular platform at the click farms he visited.

The click farmers Latham spoke to mostly advertised their services online for less than one cent per click, view or interaction.

And despite the fraudulent nature of their tasks, they seemed to treat it like just another job, the photographer said.

‘There was an understanding they were just providing a service,” he added. “There wasn’t a shadiness. What they’re offering is shortcuts.”

Deceptive perception

Across its 134 pages, “Beggar’s Honey” includes a collection of abstract photographs — some seductive, others contemplative — depicting videos that appeared on Latham’s TikTok feed.

He included them in the book to represent the kind of content he saw being boosted by click farms.

But many of his photos focus on the hardware used to manipulate social media —webs of wires, phones and computers.

“A lot of my work is about conspiracies,” Latham said. ” Trying to ‘document the machines used to spread disinformation’ is the tagline of the project. The bigger picture is often the thing we don’t see.”

Click farms around the world are also used to amplify political messages and spread disinformation during elections.

In 2016, Cambodia’s then-prime minister Hun Sen was accused of buying Facebook friends and likes, which according to the BBC he denied, while shadowy operations in North Macedonia were found to have spread pro-Donald Trump posts and articles during that year’s US presidential election.

While researching, Latham said he found that algorithms — a topic of his previous book, “Latent Bloom” — often recommended videos that he said got increasingly ��extreme” with each click.

“If you only digest a diet of that, it’s a matter of time you become diabetically conspiratorial,” he said.

“The spreading of disinformation is the worst thing. It happens in your pocket, not newspapers, and it’s terrifying that it’s tailored to your kind of neurosis.”

Hoping to raise awareness of the phenomenon and its dangers, Latham is planning to exhibit his own home version of a click farm — a small box with several phones attached to a computer interface — at the 2024 Images Vevey Festival in Switzerland.

He bought the gadget in Vietnam for the equivalent of about $1,000 and has occasionally experimented with it on his social media accounts.

On Instagram, Latham’s photos usually attract anywhere from a few dozen to couple hundred likes.

But when he deployed his personal click farm to announce his latest book, the post generated more than 6,600 likes.

The photographer wants people to realize that there’s more to what they see on social media — and that metrics aren’t a measurement of authenticity.

“When people are better equipped with knowledge of how things work, they can make more informed decisions,” he said.

“Beggar’s Honey,” co-published by Here Press and Images Vevey, is available now.

13 notes · View notes

flighthotelgo · 3 months ago

Text

youtube

Flight Hotel Go is a comprehensive travel service platform designed to streamline the booking process for flights and hotels. Whether you're planning a vacation, business trip, or a quick weekend getaway, Flight Hotel Go offers seamless options to book both your flight and accommodation in one go. The platform provides users with a vast selection of airlines and hotel chains worldwide, ensuring competitive pricing, real-time availability, and tailored recommendations based on personal preferences.

0 notes

beeribas · 12 days ago

Text

Hi, I’m offering writing commissions now! I am offering short story length works (1,000 to 10,000 words) and while I can go over 10,000 for some works I will prefer to keep works under 10,000. My work is 1 cent per word with a minimum of 1,000 words. I’ll be taking commissions on Ko-fi and the link to my page will be at the end of this post and in my bio.

I’m a senior English major at the moment so my turn around time might be a little slow. I’m also (hopefully, I’m currently applying) going into grad school for Creative Writing in fall 2025 so turn around time will be a little slow at that point too. I have one properly published work (a short story titled Words to Use More Often in a short anthology titled Under the Skin) and one poem published in my school’s arts magazine. Please also note that I do have a learning disability that affects my grammar and spelling abilities so apologies in advance for any issues that may cause. I will have you look over the work before I send you the finished product to make sure it is what you wanted and isn’t filled with a lot of errors.

I Will Do -

Genre fiction (fantasy is my main genre but my published work so far is realistic fiction and poetry)

Established characters for shows/books/movies

OCs in an original universe or real world/realistic fiction stories of OCs

OCs in worlds from shows/books/movies

Shipping (OC x OC, Established character x Established character, Established character x OC)

I’m more than happy to write fics and backstory stuff for D&D characters. A lot of what I write in my free time is about my own D&D characters so I enjoy writing in that setting.

I Will Not Do -

NSFW/Smut. I’m not uncomfortable with a little steamy stuff but I’m not a good smut writer so I won’t offer that.

Extreme violence or gore, I’m not fantastic at writing physical fight scenes so violence isn’t something I can really do. I’m not comfortable doing extreme gore but some levels of gore is fine (mild depictions of injuries, blood mentions, mentions of past injuries/trauma)

Relationships between adults and minors

Anything that portrays things such as abuse, racism, or queerphobia in a positive light. I can write stories where characters face these issues but I will not write them in a positive or glorified light. I also will not use racist slurs.

For the most part I will not write stories set in worlds from fandoms I know nothing about or I do not like. This is mainly because I wouldn’t know enough about the world or plot of the original story to write something set in it. I might make exceptions for some things but if I don’t know the franchise/story the work you want takes place in I most likely won’t take it. I won’t do Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss because I do not like those shows for personal reasons so I’m not comfortable writing about them.

Some Rules and Extra Notes -

No posting my writing online without crediting me and no posting my writing to fanfic sites. I’m ok with you giving copies of the work I do to friends for free but don’t claim my work as your own or try to resell it.

I have the right to refuse service to anyone. If I’m uncomfortable with writing a particular prompt or a particular fandom I will refuse to write it.

I will try to complete the story as soon as I can but it may take a while to finish some things. I’m in college and disabled so I do have some things in my life that might prevent me from writing for a few days. I will keep you updated on my progress and let you know if I will be taking longer than expected to write a particular story for whatever reason. I am a particularly fast writer and have written 3000+ word short stories in about an hour or two so it should not take too long for me to complete the first draft of your story but I will keep you updated if it does.

What I Need From You -

Name(s) of the character(s) you want the story to be about, a description of how they look (and a pic of them if you have one), a description of their personality, and their relationships to other characters.

The genre you want the story to be in and your preferred word count if you have one.

Tropes you enjoy and would like me to include.

Tropes you don’t like and anything you don’t want me to add.

Any inspiration you want for your story. This can be anything from a music playlist to a Pinterest board to a different show or story you want emulated.

If you have a preferred date of compilation let me know. I will try to get a first draft done as soon as possible.

Be as detailed in what you’re interested in as you can, even if all you’ve got is character names and a vibe.

I will need some form of contact to message

My Ko-fi link - https://ko-fi.com/beeribasschultz/commissions

#writing commissions #d&d #queer writer #commissions

2 notes · View notes

tourismirctc · 9 months ago

Text

Discovering the Best deals on Hotel Room Is Essential

Finding the best deals on hotel rooms is important for travelers who want to save money without compromising comfort and quality. In the current digital age, online booking tools are crucial in helping tourists find the most affordable accommodation.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN BOOKING ON BEST CHEAP HOTEL BOOKING SITE

Whereabouts

It affects access to tourist attractions, transportation facilities and other facilities, the location of the hotel is important.

Price

Cost-conscious travelers tend to give higher priority to choosing affordable accommodations that offer good value.

Facilities

Free breakfast, gym, swimming pool, Wi-Fi and a few other amenities can enhance the overall visitor experience

Evaluations and Scores

Reviews and ratings from previous guests offer vital details about the amenities and services of a hotel.

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT ONLINE HOTEL BOOKING SITES

With the cheapest online hotel booking sites available, IRCTC Tours stands out as a reliable site that offers affordable rates and user-friendly deals, it needs to compare prices and availability across multiple channels to ensure the best quality.

HOW TO FIND THE CHEAPEST DEALS ON HOTEL ROOMS WITH IRCTC TOURISM

IRCTC Tourism offers various discounts on online cheap hotel booking, especially for registered users. By using promo codes and taking advantage of seasonal offers, travelers can earn great savings on the cost of their stay.

Benefits of Booking Hotel Rooms with IRCTC Tourism

Booking hotel rooms through IRCTC Tourism offers a variety of advantages, including seamless integration with Indian Railways' other travel services, secure payment options, and specialized customer care.

TIPS FOR GETTING THE BEST DEALS ON HOTEL ROOMS

Plan ahead of time. Booking early can usually result in better rates and availability.

Be Flexible with Your Dates: Traveling during off-peak seasons or on weekdays may result in lower rates.

Use loyalty programs: Use booking sites’ loyalty programs to earn rewards and collect discounts.

Conclusion

Finally, budget vacationers should look for the best hotel room.Online booking services like IRCTC Tourism have made it easier than ever to get reasonably priced lodging. Visitors can consider factors such as location, price, amenities and reviews to make an informed decision without breaking the budget and have a memorable stay.

Source: https://tourismirctc.blogspot.com/2024/04/discovering-best-deals-on-hotel-room-is.html

#cheapest online hotel booking site #best cheap hotel booking site #online cheap hotel booking #best hotel rates online #best deals on hotel rooms

0 notes

roo-bastmoon · 2 years ago

Text

BTS TUTORIAL: Tickets to Concerts

UPDATES NOW IN ORANGE BELOW!

So you wanna see BTS in person? Who doesn’t! That would be so dope.

Let’s chat about it.

Whew, okay, as a toddler ARMY, I worry I’m biting off more than I can chew with this one, because I’ve never been to a BTS concert. But since friends have been giving me good advice about trying for tickets to Yoongi’s tour, I will take a crack at it, share what I have heard, just in case it’s helpful.

So far, the only BTS-related concert we know of for 2023 is Suga’s Solo Tour.

In order to buy tickets, you have to jump through several hoops:

First, you better have an active ARMY membership. Deadline for that (for this concert) is past but you should still get one anyway.

Next, you will have had to apply for ARMY PRESALE. You gotta do this on both Weverse—which will give you a confirmation code/QR—and then you gotta do it again on Ticketmaster.

DO NOT FORGET TO PUT YOUR ARMY MEMBERSHIP ID NUMBER INTO TICKETMASTER.

This will allow you to ENTER INTO A LOTTERY to try for tickets.

IF you win this lottery, you will get an email on the evening of Tuesday, February 28th giving you a special login code for tickets during ARMY presale.

ARMY presale goes live on March 1st at 3pm your local venue’s time.

Research your venue ahead of time so you know the seating arrangement and tiers, in case you have preferences about where you sit.

I have no idea which seats are “good” seats for a stadium (some have a single stage set up at one end, some have ramps or multi mini-stages in the middle). I hear that standing by the front or barricade is really loud and intense so know your limits.

UPDATE:

Go ahead and log in to your Ticketmaster account now and put in TWO debit or credit cards (or gift cards). One as your primary; one as your backup in case something goes wonky. Save that info in your PAYMENT OPTIONS so you won't waste time plugging in numbers the day you want to buy.

On the day of the ticket sale, get onto the site at least ten minutes before the tickets are released, then refresh the page no more than 10 seconds before the release time to improve your chances of getting to the front of the queue. For example, if tickets go on sale at 3pm on a Wednesday, hop on the Ticketmaster site at 2:50pm, then refresh the page 10 seconds before 1pm.

You will then be entered into a queue along with a max of another 2,000 people. There could be 200,000 other people ahead of you, but YOUR cohort of 2,000 will be automatically queued and you can do nothing but wait for your turn.

DO. NOT. REFRESH. ONCE. IN. QUEUE. You will lose your place.

Stay in queue, deep breaths, and wait for your turn, then let the Hunger Games begin.

You want to take a few seconds to pick your seats, then check out IMMEDIATELY.

Note: if you are not handicapped, please leave seats marked WC (wheelchair) and the ones next to them (for companions) to those who truly need them.

You can only purchase up to 4 seats per lottery code, unless as a group you get an agent and try to purchase a box ahead of Presale, but those cost thousands of dollars and there is a waiting list and I have no idea how you actually get that done.

If by some miracle there are tickets left over from ARMY’s special presale, the following day opens to general presale. Then tickets go on sale to the public the day after that. (But we all know they are gonna sell out completely in minutes, and then after that there will be online trading and mark ups and whatnot.)

For step-by-step info, checkout Ticketmaster’s post here:

If you got tickets, the next thing you’ll want to do is book travel and accommodations immediately because mark-ups will skyrocket. Look for safe and well-rated hotels, motels, Airbnb, etc., in walking distance if possible.

Things to consider:

Can you take a bus or train to the area to save on airfare? How are you going to eat? Food at the venue will cost a lot but taste cheap. How are you getting to the venue if everyone is competing for cabs? Do you have a safe and non-obvious place to hide your cash on your person?

These are logistics you’ll want to play out thoroughly before your concert (Roo says, having never been to a popular music concert because she’s a giant musical theater nerd who only goes to the symphony—but this is what my older ARMY friends tell me.)

If you’re part of a community with fellow ARMY traveling to your concert site, it’s always a good idea to meet up and travel together (strength in numbers). Also check the rules of your venue to see if you need to use a clear plastic bag or if cell phones are not allowed, that sort of thing.

A lot of times ARMY are kind enough to bring freebies and giveaways, like stickers or crafts and such. Sorry to “Mom” you guys, but, please think twice before eating or drinking anything that a stranger hands you. If it comes it original brand packaging, cool. Otherwise, maybe don’t risk it. Not that ARMY has a history of poisoning or drugging people but, ya know, stranger danger.

Finally, it’s cool to bring posters and banners and things to hold up during certain moments in the concert when cameras pan to that—but please don’t block others’ views behind you. ARMY are supposed to be considerate and polite. Tickets and travel are expensive; don't ruin others' experiences.

Folks also say that you’ll likely experience a post-concert “high” and then a “drop.” So maybe have some self-care on hand. Make sure you have ways to hydrate. Bring some Kleenex and throat lozenges. Have a soothing playlist at the ready for when you try to sleep that night. Enjoy every ounce of it and then build in some time to decompress. Plan something fun to look forward to soon after.

This is now the extent of my knowledge when it comes to preparing for concerts.

I’m gonna try for tickets for Newark on the 29th but it’s my first time ever doing anything of the sort, so I’m prepared for the likelihood I won’t get one of the 16,000 seats available that one night. If that’s the case, I will try not to be too disappointed—I figure it’ll help me save on travel and accommodations in case Jimin ever decides to tour on this side of the world.

In any case, should you ever find yourself trying to go to a BTS concert, please share tips and tricks and have a good time.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

DISCLAIMER:

I am a Dope Old Person and have been ARMY since January 2022. So I still have a lot to learn.

I’m making mini-tutorials for people like me who are comfy with technology but totally new to voting, streaming, and buying Kpop stuff.

If you know of better, more up-to-date information, please comment or DM me so I can make sure I’m not spreading misinfo. Please be polite; we are on the same team!

Feel free to apply whatever you learn here to other BTS members and other artists; I’m Jimin-biased so I am focused on helping Jimin at this moment in time, but I’m OT7 so rest assured I’ll put my shoulder to the wheel for all our members!

#BTS Tutorials #Jimin #Park Jimin #Yoongi #Suga #agust d #min yoongi #BTS concert

76 notes · View notes