#personal beneficiary data

[nationallawreview]

“Arbitrary and Capricious” – A Sign of Things to Come?

On July 3, 2024, the US District Court of Northern Texas issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order in the combined cases of Americans for Beneficiary Choice, et al. v. United States Department of Health and Human Services (Civ. Action No. 4:24-cv-00439) and Council for Medicare Council, et al., v. United States Department of Health and Human Services (Civ. Action No. 4:24-cv-00446). The Plaintiffs…

[reasonsforhope]

Determined to use her skills to fight inequality, South African computer scientist Raesetje Sefala set to work to build algorithms flagging poverty hotspots - developing datasets she hopes will help target aid, new housing, or clinics.

From crop analysis to medical diagnostics, artificial intelligence (AI) is already used in essential tasks worldwide, but Sefala and a growing number of fellow African developers are pioneering it to tackle their continent's particular challenges.

Local knowledge is vital for designing AI-driven solutions that work, Sefala said.

"If you don't have people with diverse experiences doing the research, it's easy to interpret the data in ways that will marginalise others," the 26-year old said from her home in Johannesburg.

Africa is the world's youngest and fastest-growing continent, and tech experts say young, home-grown AI developers have a vital role to play in designing applications to address local problems.

"For Africa to get out of poverty, it will take innovation and this can be revolutionary, because it's Africans doing things for Africa on their own," said Cina Lawson, Togo's minister of digital economy and transformation.

"We need to use cutting-edge solutions to our problems, because you don't solve problems in 2022 using methods of 20 years ago," Lawson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video interview from the West African country.

Digital rights groups warn about AI's use in surveillance and the risk of discrimination, but Sefala said it can also be used to "serve the people behind the data points". ...

'Delivering Health'

As COVID-19 spread around the world in early 2020, government officials in Togo realized urgent action was needed to support informal workers who account for about 80% of the country's workforce, Lawson said.

"If you decide that everybody stays home, it means that this particular person isn't going to eat that day, it's as simple as that," she said.

In 10 days, the government built a mobile payment platform - called Novissi - to distribute cash to the vulnerable.

The government paired up with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) think tank and the University of California, Berkeley, to build a poverty map of Togo using satellite imagery.

Using algorithms with the support of GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that uses AI to distribute cash transfers, the recipients earning less than $1.25 per day and living in the poorest districts were identified for a direct cash transfer.

"We texted them saying if you need financial help, please register," Lawson said, adding that beneficiaries' consent and data privacy had been prioritized.

The entire program reached 920,000 beneficiaries in need.

"Machine learning has the advantage of reaching so many people in a very short time and delivering help when people need it most," said Caroline Teti, a Kenya-based GiveDirectly director.

'Zero Representation'

Aiming to boost discussion about AI in Africa, computer scientists Benjamin Rosman and Ulrich Paquet co-founded the Deep Learning Indaba - a week-long gathering that started in South Africa - together with other colleagues in 2017.

"You used to get to the top AI conferences and there was zero representation from Africa, both in terms of papers and people, so we're all about finding cost effective ways to build a community," Paquet said in a video call.

In 2019, 27 smaller Indabas - called IndabaX - were rolled out across the continent, with some events hosting as many as 300 participants.

One of these offshoots was IndabaX Uganda, where founder Bruno Ssekiwere said participants shared information on using AI for social issues such as improving agriculture and treating malaria.

Another outcome from the South African Indaba was Masakhane - an organization that uses open-source, machine learning to translate African languages not typically found in online programs such as Google Translate.

On their site, the founders speak about the South African philosophy of "Ubuntu" - a term generally meaning "humanity" - as part of their organization's values.

"This philosophy calls for collaboration and participation and community," reads their site, a philosophy that Ssekiwere, Paquet, and Rosman said has now become the driving value for AI research in Africa.

Inclusion

Now that Sefala has built a dataset of South Africa's suburbs and townships, she plans to collaborate with domain experts and communities to refine it, deepen inequality research and improve the algorithms.

"Making datasets easily available opens the door for new mechanisms and techniques for policy-making around desegregation, housing, and access to economic opportunity," she said.

African AI leaders say building more complete datasets will also help tackle biases baked into algorithms.

"Imagine rolling out Novissi in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast ... then the algorithm will be trained with understanding poverty in West Africa," Lawson said.

"If there are ever ways to fight bias in tech, it's by increasing diverse datasets ... we need to contribute more," she said.

But contributing more will require increased funding for African projects and wider access to computer science education and technology in general, Sefala said.

Despite such obstacles, Lawson said "technology will be Africa's savior".

"Let's use what is cutting edge and apply it straight away or as a continent we will never get out of poverty," she said. "It's really as simple as that."

-via Good Good Good, February 16, 2022

[mariacallous]

A coalition of human rights groups have today launched legal action against the French government over its use of algorithms to detect miscalculated welfare payments, alleging they discriminate against disabled people and single mothers.

The algorithm, used since the 2010s, violates both European privacy rules and French anti-discrimination laws, argue the 15 groups involved in the case, including digital rights group La Quadrature du Net, Amnesty International, and Collectif Changer de Cap, a French group that campaigns against inequality.

“This is the first time that a public algorithm has been the subject of a legal challenge in France,” says Valérie Pras of Collectif Changer de Cap, adding she wants these types of algorithms to be banned. “Other social organizations in France use scoring algorithms to target the poor. If we succeed in getting [this] algorithm banned, the same will apply to the others.”

The French welfare agency, the CNAF, analyzes the personal data of more than 30 million people—those claiming government support as well as the people they live with and their family members, according to the litigation, filed to France’s top administrative court on October 15.

Using their personal information, the algorithm gives each person a score between 0 and 1, based on how likely it estimates they are to be receiving payments they are not entitled to—either as fraud or by mistake.

France is one of many countries using algorithms to search for error or fraud in its welfare system. Last year, WIRED’s three-part investigation with Lighthouse Reports into fraud-detection algorithms in European welfare systems focused on their use in the Netherlands, Denmark and Serbia.

People with higher risk scores can then be subject to what welfare recipients across the bloc have described as stressful and intrusive investigations, which can also involve their welfare payments being suspended.

“The processing, implemented by the CNAF, constitutes massive surveillance and a disproportionate attack on the right to privacy,” the legal documents on the French algorithm read. “The effects of this algorithmic processing particularly affects the most precarious people.”

The CNAF has not publicly shared the source code of the model it is currently using to detect welfare payments made in error. But based on analysis of older versions of the algorithm, suspected to be in use until 2020, La Quadrature du Net claims the model discriminates against marginalized groups by scoring people who have disabilities, for example, as higher risk than others.

“People receiving a social allowance reserved for people with disabilities [the Allocation Adulte Handicapé, or AAH] are directly targeted by a variable in the algorithm,” says Bastien Le Querrec, legal expert at La Quadrature du Net. “The risk score for people receiving AAH and who are working is increased.”

Because it also scores single-parent families higher than two-parent families, the groups argue it indirectly discriminates against single mothers, who are statistically more likely to be sole-care givers. “In the criteria for the 2014 version of the algorithm, the score for beneficiaries who have been divorced for less than 18 months is higher,” says Le Querrec.

Changer de Cap says it has been approached by both single mothers and disabled people looking for help, after being subject to investigation.

The CNAF agency, which is in charge of distributing financial aid including housing, disability, and child benefits, did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to WIRED's question about whether the algorithm currently in use had significantly changed since the 2014 version.

Just like in France, human rights groups in other European countries argue they subject the lowest-income members of society to intense surveillance—often with profound consequences.

When tens of thousands of people in the Netherlands—many of them from the country’s Ghanaian community—were falsely accused of defrauding the child benefits system, they weren’t just ordered to repay the money the algorithm said they allegedly stole. Many of them claim they were also left with spiraling debt and destroyed credit ratings.

The problem isn’t the way the algorithm was designed, but their use in the welfare system, says Soizic Pénicaud, a lecturer in AI policy at Sciences Po Paris, who previously worked for the French government on transparency of public sector algorithms. “Using algorithms in the context of social policy comes with way more risks than it comes with benefits,” she says. “I haven't seen any example in Europe or in the world in which these systems have been used with positive results.”

The case has ramifications beyond France. Welfare algorithms are expected to be an early test of how the EU’s new AI rules will be enforced once they take effect in February 2025. From then, “social scoring”—the use of AI systems to evaluate people’s behavior and then subject some of them to detrimental treatment—will be banned across the bloc.

“Many of these welfare systems that do this fraud detection may, in my opinion, be social scoring in practice,” says Matthias Spielkamp, cofounder of the nonprofit Algorithm Watch. Yet public sector representatives are likely to disagree with that definition—with arguments about how to define these systems likely to end up in court. “I think this is a very hard question,” says Spielkamp.

[lifewithchronicpain]

Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries receive too little each month to reasonably afford apartment rent in any housing market across the nation, a new report shows. Nationally, the average rent for a basic studio or one-bedroom apartment exceeds the average SSI payment of $983 per month. Even in the cheapest rental market in the country — Dallas County, Mo. — rent for either a one-bedroom or efficiency would require 64% of a person’s monthly SSI payment.

The findings are outlined in a new report called Priced Out that’s regularly updated by the Technical Assistance Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on housing issues among people with disabilities, and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities, a coalition of disability advocacy organizations. “With the latest data from several federal sources compiled at the end of 2023, it is unfortunately clear that yet again, the 4.1 million people with disabilities ages 18 to 64 who receive SSI cannot afford an apartment in any housing market in the United States without additional support,” Lisa Sloane, a director at the Technical Assistance Collaborative, wrote in a posting about the findings. “Because there is neither enough affordable housing nor sufficient access to rental assistance, many of these people find themselves homeless, at ongoing risk of homelessness, living in segregated institutions, or incarcerated.”

The researchers compiled data on fair market rents in housing markets across the nation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and compared those numbers to SSI payments for each locality. While federal SSI payments are capped at $943 per month for individuals and $1,415 for couples, some states chip in extra. The average rent across the country for a basic one-bedroom apartment runs $1,398 per month, with a studio running just shy of $1,300, according to the report. At the highest end, SSI recipients would need two-and-a-half times their monthly benefits to pay for either a studio or one-bedroom apartment in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville housing market in California.

The researchers note that many SSI recipients qualify under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s classification of “worst case housing needs,” which is defined as households with incomes at or below 50% of their area’s median income who receive no government housing assistance, pay over half their income in rent, live in severely inadequate conditions, or both. “More often than not, people with developmental disabilities go to school with people who do not have disabilities, work with people who do not have disabilities, and should be able to expect to live in (the) community according to their own choices, including in their own apartment. Since rental assistance reaches only one in four households eligible to receive it, more housing resources are desperately needed,” Sloane told Disability Scoop.

[iviarellereads]

All Systems Red, Chapter 6

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which Murderbot makes a joke, to a human, and doesn't spontaneously combust.

The humans had debated where to go, within the time they'd had, knowing their supply levels. Ratthi has coined "EvilSurvey" for the enemy, in the absence of another name, and the group knows EvilSurvey have access to their HubSystem data, including where they'd surveyed previously, so they had to pick somewhere new. The result was in some rocky jungled hills.

While MB scouts the area to make sure nothing can drag off the little hopper in the night, it thinks about its options. It's not precisely half bot and half human, because those parts aren't discrete from each other. What it knows is that it can't abandon the humans, because it can imagine them all too well being hurt by the rogue SecUnits, and it hates having emotions about reality. Besides, it has no resources here, and nothing to do, and a limited media entertainment archive.

When it returns, Mensah says she knows it's more comfortable with the opaqued helmet, but she thinks the humans will benefit from seeing, rather than a construct, a person who's helping them, since that's how she thinks of it. MB's insides melt, and it un-opaques the visor, and has the helmet tuck back into its armour. Mensah thanks it, and they go inside.

The humans all have a long discussion about what's going on.(1) The main point is that they must want something in the blacked-out regions of the map. MB brings up that EvilSurvey might believe the company and PresAux's beneficiaries won't look further than a rogue SecUnit if they can blame it on that. They can't disappear two survey teams unless their "corporate or political entity" doesn't care, so it asks if DeltFall's would care about them, and PresAux's would care about this crew.

Every human turns to stare at it, and Volescu asks if it doesn't know who they are.(2) MB says there was an info packet, but it never read it, because it didn't care. Gurathin is dismissive, but MB restates: it was indifferent and annoyed.

Gurathin asks why MB doesn't want them to look at it. It clenches its jaw so hard it gets a performance reliability alert, and snaps that it's not a sexbot, its appearance is beside the point.

Ratthi snorts, but MB realizes it's not directed at it as he tells Gurathin that MB is shy. Overse adds that it doesn't like interacting with humans, which makes perfect sense given how constructs are treated in corporate-political areas.

Gurathin asks if they could punish it by looking at it, to replace its governor module. MB says, maybe, until it remembered it has guns for arms. Mensah asks if Gurathin is satisfied at the threat but ultimate lack of violence. Gurathin says, for now, but he wanted to be sure it wasn't under outside influence.

Arada says that's enough of that, this is a learning experience for everyone, including MB, who has to learn how to interact with humans on its own terms as a free agent.

Mensah sends a private message in the feed, hoping MB is alright. MB whines that she only cares because she needs it. Mensah says she DOES need it, the humans all do, because none of them have experience in situations like this. MB is the only one who won't panic, who will keep steady.

That was absolutely true. And I could help, just by being the SecUnit. I was the one who was supposed to keep everybody safe. I panic all the time, you just can’t see it, I told her. I added the text signifier for “joke.” She didn’t answer, but she looked down, smiling to herself.(3)

Ratthi asks where EvilSurvey are stationed on the planet. MB says it left a few drones around the habitat that may pick something up on audio or visual to help. It thinks internally about how it had downloaded the SecSystem onto the big hopper and purged the whole storage in the hub, so EvilSurvey won't get anything about its functions.

Mensah points out that it will have to go back in range of the hub to retrieve that data, and asks how long they're likely to stay at the habitat. Everyone groans at the potential loss of their samples and the things they had to leave behind, but MB says there's nothing there that EvilSurvey is likely to want, so not very long.

Mensah sets up a watch schedule, including explicit time for MB to do diagnostics and recharge. It plans to use the time to also watch Sanctuary Moon and decompress after so much dealing with humans.

After the humans settle for the night, it walks the perimeter again. When it comes back, Ratthi is on watch at the big hopper's hatch. It removes its helmet again, and asks why everyone was so shocked it asked if their political entity would miss them. Ratthi smiles and says Mensah is the political entity. Preservation Alliance is a non-corporate system, and Mensah is the current elected administrator on the steering committee. One of the principles of Preservation Alliance is that admins continue their regular work, and hers required this survey.

MB is still processing this and feeling a little stupid for not reading the packet, when Ratthi adds that bots are considered full citizens in Preservation territory. MB is internally dismissive of this, noting that even "full citizen" bots require human guardians.

MB reroutes back to the subject at hand: the company knows who Mensah is, then. Ratthi confirms, and MB thinks how the company would scramble to have help here in record time if the beacon had launched. Not even a bribe would stop it.

It seems unlikely that EvilSurvey knows who Mensah is, given their behaviour, and they have no access to the SecSystem storage with the info packet that could tell them. MB isn't sure how to use that information, but thinks about it anyway.(4)

The next day, MB prepares to take the little hopper back in range of the habitat to check the drones. It wants to go alone, but Mensah, Pin-Lee, and Ratthi are also set to go along. MB is upset, because it can't stop catastrophizing the situation and focusing on all the ways every aspect can go wrong.(5) Gurathin comes up and says he's going too. MB snarks that it thought he was satisfied. It takes him a minute to remember, ah, the conversation last night. MB lies blatantly that it remembers everything it's ever heard, though it clarifies internally that it deletes most of it as useless junk.

Mensah intervenes on the feed, saying Gurathin doesn't have to come if MB is uncomfortable. MB would rather the others weren't coming, because it wants them safe, but it wouldn't mind so much(6) if Gurathin died in the events to come. It tells Mensah it's fine, and they all leave.

MB circles off further west, to prevent EvilSurvey from reverse engineering their course back to the real camp. The humans are mostly sleeping in their seats, but Gurathin is awake in the copilot's chair with it.

Eventually, Gurathin says he has a question, but waits for MB to give him permission to continue, which it thinks is "weirdly new". He asks if the company punished MB for the mining company's deaths. MB explains, not like he's thinking. They shut it down, brought it back online at intervals, and tried to purge its memory. After some silence, Gurathin asks if MB blames humans for what happened to it. MB says that's a stupid human thing to do.

What was I supposed to do, kill all humans because the ones in charge of constructs in the company were callous? Granted, I liked the imaginary people on the entertainment feed way more than I liked real ones, but you can’t have one without the other. The others started to stir, waking and sitting up, and he didn’t ask me anything else.

Eventually they make it, and move in to land, just inside the drones' range. MB keeps its transmissions brief, but all three are still active, and the downloads begin. MB realizes the drones recorded everything since they left, so it pushes half the footage into the feed for Gurathin to look at and starts skimming. It finds a good picture of the EvilSurvey ship, and footage of five SecUnits, including the two from DeltFall. It identifies the logo for EvilSurvey, which actually includes a name: GrayCris. Nobody recognizes it.

The SecUnits, no doubt with the combat overrides equipped, all get out of the hopper and go toward the habitat. Five humans follow them. MB thinks they aren't professionals, and their SecUnits are company, not private.

It's still reviewing its footage when Gurathin says they have a problem. He found something in the footage from the drone inside the hub.

The visual was a blurred image of a curved support strut but the audio was a human voice saying, “You knew we were coming, so I assume you have some way to watch us while we’re here.” The voice spoke standard lexicon with a flat accent. “We’ve destroyed your beacon. Come to these coordinates—” She spoke a set of longitude and latitude numbers that the little hopper helpfully mapped for me, and a time stamp. “—at this time, and we can come to some arrangement. This doesn’t have to end in violence. We’re happy to pay you off, or whatever you want.”

Everyone starts talking, but Mensah stops them and asks MB what its opinion is. It says that if they go, GrayCris can kill them all, and if they don't, GC has until the project end date and the company pickup to find and eliminate them anyway.(7)

Mensah says GrayCris seem to believe they know why PresAux is here. GC know by now that PA went to one of the map blackout areas, precisely where in that area, so they must think that PA has information of value. It gives PA leverage, but how can they use it?

And then MB has a wonderful, terrible idea.(8)

=====

(1) I could be annoyed at how often some of the same questions and points are reiterated each chapter, but it's also realistic that, in the absence of an answer, you would bring up "who the heck ARE they" every time you think about what's happening in this situation, so I'm once again inclined to forgive what normally I might also criticize. (2) Look, I'm a sucker for a subverted line, and "You don't know who we are?" is so well played here. Usually it's haughty, arrogant. Here's it's played straight to perfection. (3) A JOKE! A real piece of humour! Alright so it's gallows humour at best, but still! Our little construct is growing up so fast. Which is good because the book's almost over. (4) Admittedly, this is a kind of clumsy way to get it across that this information is probably going to come back. Especially since, going over it the once already told us that it's meaningful enough to include in such a short story. It only counts as the rule of threes if those three are separated enough to register separately. (5) MB is an eternal mood, honestly, but never more so than this. Part of its security programming is being able to see eventual results and compensate to prevent them. That's also how some people's anxiety works: you can imagine so many ways things go wrong, because theoretically that allows you to plan and ensure that it goes better, but sometimes the ability to see things going right is impaired so you only ever see the terrible consequences and never the good outcomes. (6) Reading between the lines: it would still mind, some. Maybe only because the other humans like him, maybe only because he's a person and people deserve continued life and not terrible murder. But it does care. (7) It's A Trap! (8) Tune in tomorrow, or, you know, keep reading to find out for yourself.

[nathandiary]

Research: Happiness and Fundamental Needs.

This morning I have been reading studies on how researchers are trying to measure levels of happiness on a global scale.

In 2012, the UN started their yearly World Happiness Report, using ‘global survey data to report how people evaluate their own lives in more than 150 countries worldwide’. The UN also declared that in order for a country to improve happiness of future generations, sustainable development goals need to be considered. Sustainable development and happiness go hand in hand.

Moreover, in the 2023 World Happiness Report published by the UN, there was a chapter on 'Relationships between Altruism and Well-being for Altruists, Beneficiaries, and Observers’. The study shows that when somebody is being altruistic, not only does it benefit the person receiving help, but it also improves the well-being of the helper. The study also shows that people who receive help are more likely to help others, ‘creating a virtuous spiral’.

In conclusion, measuring human happiness transcends mere economic indicators, emphasizing the importance of quality of life and fulfilment of basic needs. The UN's World Happiness Report underscores the significance of sustainable development in fostering happiness globally. Additionally, altruism emerges as a pivotal factor, fostering a virtuous cycle of well-being and societal harmony.

[the-empress-7]

Just to stress again, the latter is my speculation and my gut instinct. I make that opinion based on my judgment of the character integrity of this group that operate within Sistah Space (it is very, very low).

However, as before the only true beneficiary in this instance is Sistah Space, not the domestic violence victims, not the service users, just the charity.

I strongly take a personal issue with the ethics on points like this, as I interpret this as the charity ultimately failing its charitable objective.

In reality, the charity operates as If it were a for-profit capitalistic obsessive business. It is the kind of behaviour and attitude that I would expect to see from the likes of a payday loan company, but certainly not a not-for-profit charity, under any circumstances.

Let's move onto grant number four. Rolling in with grant number four for £22'500, this was awarded on 27th April 2020, again from @London_cf (20 days after being awarded £4'300 for products).

This time, Sistah Space submitted a grant application stating that the funds were to be used to purchase x4 laptops, x4 mobile phones, and x1 administrative assistant (clearly a reference to a salary). The grant application also stated that this would allow the charity to operate a 24 hour service.

First things first, if at least half of this grant was used for a salaried assistant, then I'd be inclined to believe that the salary details in the financial report would need a closer look into.

I would also be incredibly interested to know if there is anyone at Sistah Space, outside of this family and the small key group, who have ever received any sort of Training that would lead to any sort of qualification at any level. I have read a lot about training for Djanomi (Ngozi's daughter) but nobody else.

Additionally, it would be interesting to discover whether this salaried assistant is a family member; nepotism is a noticeable Theme throughout every single aspect of this charity and its operations.

I also cannot help but notice from multimedia that very often members of the charity are plodding around with macbooks. For the avoidance of any doubt, to any person that may be unfamiliar with the Apple brand, it is a product that leans on the higher end scale in terms of price to value. For data entry and administrative tasks I wouldn't expect to see macbooks for a charity that supposedly struggles so much it submits an endless stream of applications for grants.

Also - and this is important - pay attention and remember that in this grant the charity stated in the application the laptops and mobile phones would allow it to operate a 24 hour service with an online presence, we will be reflecting back on this later, a number of times. Moving onto grant number five, which was for £9'800 from @TNLComFund and this was awarded on 22nd May 2020. In the application for this grant, Sistah Space stated that it would allow the charity to transition to an online service for victims of domestic violence.

Now the way This is worded would suggest that the charity does not have an online service prior to making this application. Perhaps the National Lottery Fund could have had more due diligence in vetting the information in the application, but if they were to trust it on face value then This cost is on the upper scale but it's not unreasonable *if* (big if) the transition to establishing an online presence and service was being done on a custom basis and from scratch. Now this is when we will be doing some hopping about, if you have been reading this from The very beginning (quick hello to you, because I've been sat for hours typing this lol), then you may recall earlier when we discussed the original Sistah Space website which is still accessible via Izabela Jelonek's github (as a reminder, if you google search 'sistah space github' then you will find it). Sistah Space already had an online presence, on a website with a customised code (I'll reflect on this point later too, so keep that in mind). It has had the website since at least 2016 if not earlier (as we can see from various notices on it)

So this grant for £9'800 has absolutely nothing to show for it. Not a single thing. So what I would very much like to know is what was this money used for.

Let's rewind back to the Trustee Annual Reports again for a moment, and within these reports there is typically a Statement of some sort to give a general idea of the charities future plans. Time and time again, this is dominated by the single subject of purchasing a London property. Sistah Space claims to have some money aside to purchase a property in London, after they spent even More effort once again harassing @hackneycouncil, with the assistance of @HackneyAbbott to lobby on their behalf, pushing for extremely favourable conditions that would be de facto exclusionary to every other domestic violence unit in the Hackney area.

My speculation is that Sistah Space has been ringfencing money from grants that have been awarded to the charity, on the grounds of purposefully misleading information to improve chances of securing more funding. I stress again that this is my speculation, based on what is available to my eyes but I very much suspect it is a very real possibility this is happening and the @ChtyCommission ought to be diving into the management and operations of Sistah Space to minimise, what in my opinion, is a recipe for disaster that will significantly damage confidence in both the Commission as the regulator, and confidence in charities in general with the public.

At this point I would also like to stress, in all the grants so far (remember we're doing them in chronological order on this thread), not once has there ever been mention of a property. Moving on to grant number six, and this is one that is highly relevant today. The sixth grant Sistah Space was awarded was for £32'948 on 11th August 2020. This grant was awarded by none other than our very own @DCMS, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The purpose of this grant of course was to relieve pressure on public services (bless the NHS), and to ensure that charities and business has the financial resources to continue operating.

This grant in particular irks me up the wrong way, because it requires good faith on Part of the applicant that they are in genuine need of emergency funding to survive. Through a multitude of reasons and in light of the speed at which things were moving, we lost billions to fraud during the pandemic which we all, as taxpayers, have to make up the shortfall Now I am very much aware that this is not an isolated issue restricted to just one organisation, it was a widespread problem. However, I am reserving my right to treat them all with equal disdain and disgust; and I make no apology for that because this was committed by those Now I am very much aware that this is not an isolated issue restricted to just one organisation, it was a widespread problem.

However, I am reserving my right to treat them all with equal disdain and disgust; and I make no apology for that because this was committed by those A surplus (profit) that was larger than its liabilities (expenses). You would be forgiven for asking at this point why on earth Sistah Space was continuing to submit applications for grants:- I am asking the same question.

Some people may think that Sistah Space had a lot of Expenses to cover during the pandemic, but (for those that don't recall):

Sistah Space's premises was rent-free since December 2019; grants were provided for electronics, a new employee, food, hygiene products, skincare products, haircare products, etc.

So once again, I'm at A total loss as to what expenses this charity was supposedly having to deal with. Where did all this money go when so many freebies were provided?

Let's move onto grant number seven. This was for an award of £40'000 from Greater London Authority on 1st December 2020. This Grant does not have much information attached to it. Curiously, it is listed under a different name (Royal Dock) though the same charity registration number. I haven't fully explored this one yet, as it is an outlier, so I'm going to move on and not make any judgment here.

So, grant number eight. This time coming from @London_cf (yet again) for £12'000 awarded on 22nd December 2020. The application for this grant detailed how it would be used to purchase more essential products: food, hygiene products, skin care, hair care, etc.

Additionally Sistah Space stated that part of the grant would be used to cover the salary of another part-time domestic abuse advisor.

This will be the second time recruitment has been brought up in grant applications; as before, I am curious to know whether even just one of these Salaried positions is filled by anyone outside of the family or the key circle members. Still to this day the only advisors I have seen reference to other than Ngozi is Rosanne Lewis (of many names) and Djanomi (Ngozi's daughter, also of many names).

Next, we come onto my Personal favourite which I have been so annoyed by since I found out about it lol.

Grant number nine was awarded by @comicrelief (a charity that I very much like) and it was for the amount of a whopping £60'000 awarded on 8th September 2021.

This grant I am going to go into Quite a bit more detail because I want to demonstrate precisely how this was an utter and complete fraud and I hope that @ChtyCommission pays attention to this part if not anything else. I also hope that Comic Relief pay attention here, too.

Before I resume writing about This grant in particular, I need to bring up a lot of documents and tabs, because I will be tagging relevant persons due to the sizeable amount of money involved here. The details on this grant is so wild that I'm genuinely struggling where to even begin explaining it. Anyway, let's start with what the application to Comic Relief stated, as This application is one that we can see the submission by Sistah Space.

Sistah Space made a number of claims, and it splits into three areas:

(1) the charity claimed that its core user group is in the 40-86 age range and that part of the grant would be used to teach the To teach the people of an older age how to navigate around the internet, make use of online banking, etc.

(2) the charity claimed to Comic Relief that if it was awarded the grant for the sum of £60'000 then this would increase the outreach of Sistah Space by at least 60% However there is no citation to support such a claim; there are no details of any study commissioned by Sistah Space that even touched on the subject. Remember, Sistah Space utilises Survey Monkey (the free version) to conduct all its research thus far, and all of these are Still available online as you are reading this tweet. You can even complete the survey and submit your results, as they are all still live (despite being claimed on the website it ceased in 2020/2021).

I have looked long and hard for any evidence or even a mention of a study That focuses on outreach potential; at this point I am confident enough to state that it does not exist. I am also confident to state that this is a random number plucked out of thin air, as there is precedent for this to happen elsewhere. At the start of this thread I Explained how @CarolinePidgeon made the claim in the @LondonAssembly that Sistah Space saw a 300% increase in service demand. I also earlier wrote that this figure is present in a Trustee Annual Return.

During a @hackneycouncil virtual meeting on 27th January 2021, Ngozi Fulani attended this meeting and stated that Sistah Space has seen a 500% increase in service demand (that would mean a 200% jump in a single month).

Elsewhere in the Trustee Annual Reports, Sistah Space stated that its staff members halved and it's workload doubled. Given That Sistah Space has thus far opted to talk in percentiles, I shall translate: Sistah Space claimed that service demand increased 200%, and staff availability decreased 50%.

We have very different figures - 500%, 300%, 200% - all referencing service demand around the same Period, and coincidentally and strangely, they always seem to round off to perfectly whole figures. For that to happen on all three occasions, since we're on the topic of statistics, is nigh impossible.

But for a moment let's roll with it. Let's pretend that these figures Are correct and let's take the middle ground of 325%.

If you recall to earlier in this thread, I made a point on referencing the staggering increase in admin costs, which was a year on year increase of 4703% (note how I didn't land on a perfectly whole number lol).

Even if The service demand increase figures were true (to be clear, they are not but let's pretend so otherwise), then it would still not correlate anywhere near a 4703% increase in admin expenses.

Furthermore, Sistah Space expressly stated that they had to suspend taking on new Cases and only work with the existing cases. That is put on record by Sistah Space to the @ChtyCommission and I am glad that I clocked it.

If the charity was not taking on new cases, in what world is it possible for service demand to increase and expenses to soar?

The issue With lies and dirty accounts, is that if you're going to attempt to try and pull it off, you have to have every single last detail and digit absolutely pristine otherwise it all falls in on itself. That is what is happening here, unfortunately.

Now let's move onto the Third point.

(3) Sistah Space has put a high price tag on the cost of a new website. Once again, the application is written to imply that a website is not suitable, but I will come onto this in a moment because this is an area I am in a position to understand well.

Now before I go further here, I want to explain that I have previously reached out to a very small number of people that were involved, in some way or another, in anything Sistah Space could reasonably claim an expense on. This includes the new Sistah Space website which is Currently live right now.

On the footer on this website, you will see that it is credited to the work of a business called Lex Designs London Ltd. My understanding is that this is a sole director limited company, and I spent some time watching some of her social media videos Where she showed herself working on the PC and the applications. The reason I watched them is because I am extremely familiar with a lot of the Adobe Creative Commons apps.

I sent a private message to @AlexElissaaa over instagram, briefly explaining why I was contacting And presenting the question if her business was commissioned to the tune of £60'000 or around that figure to build a website.

I explained to Alexandra that the reason I was asking was to source more information for a better understanding, and the business that put its name Against the work seemed like a sensible route to take.

Alexandra declined to comment, which is fine as it doesn't necessarily alter the detail I will go into next. In the world of website creation, for a custom built website with some fancy features to a personalised Specification, you're probably talking upwards of around £4'000 depending on the complexity of the work involved and amount of code required.

However Alexandra is a graphic artist - from what I have seen she is at an amateur level of digital art (I'm making that opinion on The basis of professional work). In videos Alexandra has posted, I can see that she uses AI (adobe illustrator) and PS (adobe photoshop). Both very common run of the mill applications for any graphic designer, as expected.

However, her knowledge is somewhat limited as she Relies on licenced templates. The idea is that you purchase the licence, you then download the template, open it up in the application and all the layers are pre-set where you can then edit the graphic to suit your need. There's nothing wrong with this, but it is typically A method employed by those who are at an amateur level which is rather common in those that are self-taught. (props for being self-taught in the first place though - I wanted to say something positive because it feels like I'm being negative when that's not the point).

Anyway, so we've established that Alexandra can tamper with graphic design to a satisfactory level, but I would not regard it at a high end professional level (keep going Alexandra, you'll eventually get there). However, Alexandra is most certainly not a coder. That I can Outright demonstrate by pointing any one of you in the direction of pulling up the page source code on the Sistah Space website, and you will see the assets (multimedia files, pictures, etc) are all stored on Square Space servers.

What is Square Space? Well, if you've seen TV adverts for 'Wix' where it shows you how you can easily build your own website utilising the *extremely* beginner-friendly templates, then Square Space is in effect the same thing. Similar to that of Wordpress templates, it is website creation for those with zero coding Experience or knowledge.

I just want to reiterate that there's not actually anything wrong with these platforms, they are fantastic options for those who are not positioned to write their own code, but hell will freeze over before anyone sells a Square Space website for £60k More so, just to reiterate my point, Lex Designs London's own website is built on the Wix platform.

If you are a website creator/coder however you fashion it, your website, particularly your landing page, is by far your biggest sales tool. It is your chance to brag with With every trick you know. Getting the right colour palette, balance of text and infographics, user interface, UX, platform responsiveness (mobile, laptop, tablet, etc). So much goes into that advertisement in of itself.

I can categorically tell you, nobody pitching custom Built websites would be seen alive with a freebie template. It just doesn't happen.😂

Now there is a cost for Square Space, for the hosting, however you can navigate to Square Space's website and see the prices for yourself. It is very cheap and very reasonable, especially If you are utilising a package that comes with e-commerce solutions (online payments) as that saves you the trouble of having to set up an account with a merchant bank and payment processing company, so on so forth.

Sistah Space's new website is in fact actually a technical Downgrade on what they had originally.

Though I will secede, that the new website is more aesthetically pleasing. But on technical input, the original website wins hands down. To put this into perspective, you could go onto Fiverr and easily find anyone who would do the The exact same job for $5. It is super quick, super easy, does not take a lot of time at all and that's why people price it so cheaply because it is easy money. Consequentially, it is also why so many offer template installation services.

So I'm rewinding back a little to This grant for £60'000.

Where did this money go and what has it been used for?

To get an answer to that question, we would really need the @ChtyCommission to do what any responsible regulator would do and investigate it.

I would have liked to been able to trust Sistah Space However, with all that I have chosen to share thus far, I believe I've explained in a concise and clear manner (as far as I reasonably could) why that option is untenable.

I also want to take a moment to express that I am not in favour of hurling abuse at anyone. I started My investigation into Sistah Space as a stranger, and I intend to complete it as a stranger.

BUT there is one thing I would *greatly* appreciate, is if you would take a moment to report concerns to the @ChtyCommission, because these concerns are valid and need addressed.

- JustPikachoo on Twitter

This may be the longest ask I have ever received.

Based on what I have seen so far, it's a matter for the charity commission to investigate.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Loans, Stock, and Personal Wealth

If you are a famous Artist. Like Banksy or somebody. And you make a piece of Art, that art isn't worth anything.

Until an appraiser, comes along and says "it is worth 'x'". Or somebody offers to buy it. But it's not like Banksy created money from nothing, he still has to sell it.

When he sells it, that generates a taxable event. Another way to generate a taxable event, is for somebody else to trade a "certified Banksy piece" to another person, in lieu of cash. Like a bartering system.

Except, most small transactions, are "under the table" and thus not taxable. This includes gardeners trading vegetables for other food stuffs, or you pulling weeds for a sandwich. They're not taxable. Otherwise everybody would be taxed.

Same with a company. At start-up, a company is worth nothing, until it starts generating profit. --or-- somebody offers to purchase stock of the company, for partial ownership.

Those, aren't quite taxable until the stock is sold, because company stock isn't considered worth anything, except what somebody pays for it.

So while Bezos' stock is technically worth Billions, the question is; who would pay Bezos' billions of dollars for his share of the stock? Who even could? And even then; what restrictions are normal for stock ownership by the rules of his board members?

Sure he could take out a loan, but the banks pay taxes on the income they make from the loan. And they would only make such a loan were they certain it would be paid back.

Despite that; Bezos' base salary is reportedly around 90k as of 2022, with most of benefits and *value* coming to him as perks of job. (theoretically) there's not actually much public data on what "compensation" and "benefits" are when reported on. Just a number they depict.

It could be insurance, company car, on site amenities like food and private suite, company jet, and stipends for certain things.

And because of that; the company would be the one paying all the taxes on those benefits. It should be noted that many amenities and benefits are shared by other employees in the company (benefits of wholesale is it's cheaper)

And reporters count the cost for an individual person to pay for all those benefits, instead of reporting on the actual cost to the company itself. (And include all the beneficiaries, or other employees who also get those benefits. And what level do you have to be to receive them?)

It should be noted; that $90k divided by 12 months is 7500 a month, divided by 30 days is $250 a day divided by 40 hours a day is 6.25.

Meaning that if he *only* works 40 hours, he's making less than half of a typical Amazon employee.

That's still twice what I was making in the military. Working close to the same hours you'd expect to be working. (10-12 hours a day, most days) which is between 70 and 90. (More because travel means time away from home.)

However, Bezos' has like 20billion (reportedly) in $$ and personal assets. (Like cars and houses, and other *things*) so like, I'm not worried about Bezos' in any facet.

And it also depends on if he actually works those 80 hours, or if he's like most people and just on auto-pilot until there's a meeting or emergency.

And the local fast food restaurants (high-expense town) you can see about 12-15$ an hour. Which is about 1,920$ per month. But could you imagine if you worked 80 hours with all that overtime?

So if you're making more than 20k a year, you're doing pretty good.

But here's the problem; rent in this area costs more than you're making. And landlords don't like you to have a roommate to help split the cost. Which means you have to rent a place that allows roommates, or sleep in your car.

If it wasn't towed by your landlord.

[heretichromia]

I'm pretty happy with where the Star Rail metagame has landed, all things considered. Ruan Mei has changed the landscape just enough to be interesting and competitive, and I'm happy with where she's landed.

It's...still rather clear that the two best units in the game are DHIL and Jingliu, and the new units haven't exactly done much to unseat those tyrants. Still, I honestly don't hate where we're sitting. At least, MoC stats-wise, there's a lot of team comps that have proven themselves pretty competitive with those teams under specific circumstances.

Ruan Mei has given a massive boost to Kafka comps, to the point where I wouldn't be overly surprised if Black Swan comes out of the gate swinging for the top spots. Topaz is the other major beneficiary of Ruan Mei's nonsense, as expected, and her performance hasn't been half-bad either.

Topaz is clearly the most flexible DPS unit in the game, and should probably at least be an immediate thought the moment you see the color red. All of her comps have performed pretty admirably since Ruan Mei's release, and while there isn't a single one of them that's horrendously strong by itself (yet), she's more than proven her worth. I personally just think she's fun, too.

Both Kafka and Topaz have been surprisingly flexible, and...even more surprisingly, they work pretty well with each other. Like, really well, according to the (very limited sample size) data that we have. Like, "if we trust these stats at all, they're each other's best partners" well. Now, I don't know if I do. Kafka hypercarry has also put up continually good stats, and my personal experience with it has been...unimpressive. Maybe there's a broken setup I'm not privy to, or something—but it's something I'll be investigating more now that Ruan Mei is out. A third viable Fire/Lightning team is a funny thing to have in the game.

Every support unit (except for arguably Asta) is BIS or near BIS in some relatively strong comp, and the strongest team currently per stats, Jingliu hypercarry, is very flexible and can be built with a good number of units while still performing admirably. Choosing teams for MoC feels like it's an actual decision again, since there are legitimate options now.

Anyone who was huffing copium that Ruan Mei would make Jingliu Blade a top-tier team is undoubtedly a little disappointed with where she landed, but I'm pretty damn pleased.

Physical and Wind feel like they're the elements in the toughest spots right now. Clara and Argenti are units who aren't unconditionally strong in every circumstance, and have the same weakness in single-target fights. Blade, meanwhile, is just okay. Topaz revitalized Fire, and over time it's gone from feeling like Fire-weak enemies had one fewer weakness to something that legitimately matters—so I'm hoping the same happens to Wind and Physical, and ideally that the something isn't just "if you see Green, bring this exact lineup of four units that includes Black Swan."

[ayastudie]

Courier Frameworks of Delivery

A 'courier' is the term that is utilized to call an individual or organization that offers delivery of messages, packages and mail. It have different characteristics like speed, security, following, mark, specialization and individualization of services, and serious delivery times. These elements are not generally present in a standard mailing framework and is in this way impressively less expensive than a courier.

Many are the ways by which messages, records and items are conveyed and sent, same goes valid for the various kinds of courier frameworks.

A Standard Courier service is one which most of us are familiar with in transportation reports and packages all around the globe. Organizations engaged with offering such a service utilize specific cycles and moves toward guarantee the wellbeing and security of items to be sent. Larger part of the packages are protected at a specific sum, in spite of the fact that assuming extra protection is required, additional charges might be consolidated to the transportation rate. Changes on the cost of transportation is likewise made according to the speed or how fast the package will arrive at its objective. After the expense and appropriate data (names of sender and collector, objective location) are determined, the package is then continued for sending by means of truck or plane.

Short-term and express transportation cost more profoundly than a standard courier service however guarantees the clients that the packages are sent and delivered within a short time period. Such packages implied for the time being or express transport are mostly flown or transported through planes particularly assuming the area of the beneficiary is of significant distance from the sender. These package might be delivered on a typical or regular traveler plane yet huge delivery organizations or courier services utilize their of armada of planes or freight planes which are solely utilized exclusively for shipments.

Personal Courier services send genuine or genuine couriers from one spot to another. One representation is a 'Bicycle Courier' where the courier is a solitary individual who personally delivers the message, package, or report. Clearly, these services are given fundamentally by little courier service to their customers of well established on a customary and repeating basis.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Data leak investigation motivated by Brazilian Report story gains scale

On Monday, the Federal Prosecution Office requested an investigation into the data systems of Caixa, a state-owned bank, and DataPrev, the public company that manages the database of all pensioners and beneficiaries of welfare programs. 

The goal is to find out where and how the personal data of millions of Brazilians is leaking from government agencies, and was motivated by an exclusive story published by The Brazilian Report on October 22, 2022.

Documents obtained by The Brazilian Report showed that bank representatives had access to the private data of millions of low-income voters and offered them payroll deduction loans. 

These loans were part of Jair Bolsonaro’s re-election strategy. As the former president tried to create a feel-good factor around the economy, he allowed welfare beneficiaries access to credit — but many economists warned at the time that these loans could easily become debt traps for the targeted population strata — as recipients could commit up to 40 percent of their monthly income to repayments.

Continue reading.

[filaantrocrowdfunding]

Five Common Myths About Crowdfunding

You must be agreeing with the fact that crowdfunding is a fairly new concept in a developing country like India. People are still often confused about what the term crowdfunding means. In simple terms, crowdfunding is defined as the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2021, the global crowdfunding market was valued at 13.64 billion U.S. dollars and was forecasted to double by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2 per cent.

So crowdfunding isn’t a dying market at all. On a similar note in this article, we will clear the top five misconceptions regarding crowdfunding. Here are they listed below:

Yes, All the Cases Are Genuine!

We at Filaantro personally go the extra mile to verify the genuinity of all of our campaigns. Moreover, these cases are evaluated on a periodic basis. We put utmost work into embedding the importance of making sure that our crowdfunding platform is safe and trustworthy of the donor’s and the patient’s belief. Documents like hospital bills and doctor’s prescriptions are shared without any masking to enable the donor to confirm the genuinity of the campaign.

2. Yes! The Money Is Actually Being Received By The Patient/Beneficiary

As far as money is concerned, for all the medical crowdfunding campaigns the money is transferred directly into the bank account of the hospital. So there is a hundred percent transparency. Whereas if there is a campaign for a personal cause the money is directed to the individual’s account. We make sure to provide the correct, accurate bank account details in the campaign description itself so that any donor can verify and safely transfer the money to the needy campaigner.

3. Yes, It’s Totally Safe to Donate on a Crowdfunding Platform

Whatever data you fill in while donating or starting a crowdfunding campaign is never shared with any third-party website. We at Filaantro use the highest SSL encryption system to make sure your data is in safe hands. You can rest assured about your data all while donating or starting a new crowdfunding campaign.

4. Fundraisers Are Just for emergencies

This is one of the most common myths about crowdfunding campaigns, that a crowdfunding campaign is only for emergencies. People can surely start crowdfunding campaigns during emergencies as well as during funerals, to pay for education, to pay for costly medical bills, etc. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many people lost their jobs and livelihood, such people can also start a crowdfunding campaign to ask for help and gather funds to pay for their basic necessities.

5. Money Can’t be Raised for an Individual

Surely money can be easily raised for a larger cause but on a similar note, money can be also raised for an individual entity. If the individual’s needs are genuine and authentic, people don’t mind donating to the person’s campaign. There are a multitude of stories where people have donated generously for an individual crowdfunding campaign.

We, at Filaantro, believe in crowdfunding for a cause. It is the platform that allows any individual, society or community across the globe to raise funds for any cause such as medical, education, natural calamity, sports, rehabilitation, non-profit, animal support, emergency, arts and media, technology, rural development, and other causes, with great ease. Our vision is to connect like minded Individuals and communities through our platform and inspire them to raise funds for the greater good. And our mission is to help campaigners achieve their goals through trust, transparency and simplicity.

It takes only a few minutes to register with us and raise your campaign. We believe in your cause. We believe in your dream, We believe in you.

[tiapandayblogs]

Five Common Myths About Crowdfunding

You must be agreeing with the fact that crowdfunding is a fairly new concept in a developing country like India. People are still often confused about what the term crowdfunding means. In simple terms, crowdfunding is defined as the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2021, the global crowdfunding market was valued at 13.64 billion U.S. dollars and was forecasted to double by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2 per cent. 

So crowdfunding isn’t a dying market at all. On a similar note in this article, we will clear the top five misconceptions regarding crowdfunding. Here are they listed below:

Yes, All the Cases Are Genuine!

We at Filaantro personally go the extra mile to verify the genuinity of all of our campaigns. Moreover, these cases are evaluated on a periodic basis. We put utmost work into embedding the importance of making sure that our crowdfunding platform is safe and trustworthy of the donor's and the patient’s belief. Documents like hospital bills and doctor’s prescriptions are shared without any masking to enable the donor to confirm the genuinity of the campaign.

Yes! The Money Is Actually Being Received By The Patient/Beneficiary 

As far as money is concerned, for all the medical crowdfunding campaigns the money is transferred directly into the bank account of the hospital. So there is a hundred percent transparency. Whereas if there is a campaign for a personal cause the money is directed to the individual's account. We make sure to provide the correct, accurate bank account details in the campaign description itself so that any donor can verify and safely transfer the money to the needy campaigner. 

Yes, It’s Totally Safe to Donate on a Crowdfunding Platform

Whatever data you fill in while donating or starting a crowdfunding campaign is never shared with any third-party website. We at Filaantro use the highest SSL encryption system to make sure your data is in safe hands. You can rest assured about your data all while donating or starting a new crowdfunding campaign. 

Fundraisers Are Just for emergencies:

This is one of the most common myths about crowdfunding campaigns, that a crowdfunding campaign is only for emergencies. People can surely start crowdfunding campaigns during emergencies as well as during funerals, to pay for education, to pay for costly medical bills, etc. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many people lost their jobs and livelihood, such people can also start a crowdfunding campaign to ask for help and gather funds to pay for their basic necessities. 

Money Can’t be Raised for an Individual:

Surely money can be easily raised for a larger cause but on a similar note, money can be also raised for an individual entity. If the individual’s needs are genuine and authentic, people don’t mind donating to the person’s campaign. There are a multitude of stories where people have donated generously for an individual crowdfunding campaign. 

We, at Filaantro, believe in crowdfunding for a cause. It is the platform that allows any individual, society or community across the globe to raise funds for any cause such as medical, education, natural calamity, sports, rehabilitation, non-profit, animal support, emergency, arts and media, technology, rural development, and other causes, with great ease. Our vision is to  connect like minded Individuals and communities through our platform and inspire them to raise funds for the greater good. And our mission is to help campaigners achieve their goals through trust, transparency and simplicity.

It takes only a few minutes to register with us and raise your campaign. We believe in your cause. We believe in your dream, We believe in you. 

Source - https://filaantro.org/blog/five-common-myths-about-crowdfunding/

[neoqueenmomo]

Birthday Cards - Would you say you are Sending Them?

It was first viewed as that the early Chinese were quick to send greeting cards. There was learn more proof the Egyptians additionally included them into their parchments.

By the 1400s the Germans began to send cards yet the enormous development occurred in the 1850's when stamps originally permitted cards to be sent rapidly and productively.

From that point forward the development of cards has been faltering to now top over 7.5 billion in the US alone. Sending of birthday cards has been a significant fragment of this development. Why?

A birthday is viewed as by a great many people as their most significant day of the year. It's the day to commend their being conceived. We celebrate strict birthday events too. The introduction of Christ, Budda's birthday, etc.

It's great practice to send birthday cards to family, partners and business partners. If it's finished in a genuine manner, perceiving an individual's birthday shows you care about them and need to praise their extraordinary day. It's hence fundamental you start gathering birth dates from individuals and putting away them into a data set so you can easily be reminded of a looming birthday. Everytime you meet another business partner ensure you get their birthday too. On the off chance that you are needing to foster a drawn out business relationship with this contact, sending a birthday card will put your name before them once again.

There are many kinds of birthday cards you can send including on the web birthday cards, free email birthday cards, printable birthday cards, Trademark cards or American birthday cards. Anything that you pick, ensure it reflects what your identity is. Email type birthday cards are speedy and can be extremely enlivened and showy yet they may likewise communicate something specific that you are in a hurry and didn't invest a ton of energy picking a personal card.

Printable cards from specific card destinations permit you to browse heaps of formats yet you want to check the quality before you post to your closest companion or new client. A low quality card can harsh your relationship rapidly. Trademark Cards and American Greeting Cards are the world's biggest and give a decent choice. Be that as it may, there again maybe you are needing to have an effect with a personalized card?

Contingent upon who you are sending your birthday card to you want to personalize your message. Normally you'll have to make reference to the event ie "Happy Birthday" and maybe add a significant second you imparted to the beneficiary. Understanding what you and the beneficiary share for all intents and purpose will make composing a card more straightforward. You can allude to interests or even transactions assuming you believe it's proper. In any case, make sure to make it heart felt. On the off chance that the card scents of a business advancement, you'll before long have your beneficiary making tracks.

[digitalwaveit]

Digital Marketing Trends in 2024: Navigating the Future — Digitalwave

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Moves from Hype to Application

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword; it has become a cornerstone of digital marketing. AI tools, such as chatbots and generative AI, are revolutionizing customer interactions and data analysis. AI-powered chatbots provide instant responses and personalized recommendations, enhancing the customer experience. Additionally, AI-driven predictive analytics help marketers make data-driven decisions, improving campaign efficiency and overall marketing effectiveness.

2. Hyper-Personalized Content

Generic marketing messages are a thing of the past. In 2024, hyper-personalized content that resonates on an individual level is the norm. The combination of AI and data analytics allows businesses to craft tailor-made messages, recommendations, and offers for each consumer. From personalized product suggestions based on browsing history to customized email campaigns, hyper-personalized content creates a more intimate connection between brands and their audience members.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC)

Consumers today seek authenticity, and UGC provides an accessible avenue for businesses to deliver just that. Whether it’s social proof, such as customer reviews and testimonials, or other content like user-created videos, people are more likely to engage with content that feels natural and genuine. UGC not only builds trust but also creates a sense of community around a brand. Encouraging and showcasing UGC will tap into the power of organic, authentic content, fostering stronger connections with the audience and boosting returns.

4. Social Media and Short Videos

The rise of short videos has reshaped how brands engage with audiences, and social media platforms have been the major beneficiaries of this trend. Platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok are gaining popularity, offering businesses a dynamic way to showcase their personality and connect with users. Short, aesthetic videos provide an opportunity for quick, impactful communication of brand messages. In 2024, short videos will continue to trend upwards, and businesses should take note.

5. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

AR and VR are set to redefine how brands connect with their audience in the digital space. From virtual product tours to interactive shopping experiences, these technologies offer immersive experiences that captivate consumers. The integration of AR and VR will become more widespread in 2024, providing businesses with new avenues to engage and delight their customers.

6. Voice Search Optimization

Voice-activated technology, such as smart speakers and assistants, is thriving in 2024. The proportion of voice search queries has continued to rise, accounting for a significant majority of all searches. Marketers are increasingly exploring ways to integrate voice search into their digital marketing strategies, recognizing the importance of being present in the voice-activated ecosystem to capture the attention of users in this growing segment.

7. Ethical Marketing and Sustainability

Parallel to technological advancements, sustainability is becoming central to digital marketing trends in 2024. A NielsenIQ study reveals that 78% of US consumers deem a sustainable lifestyle important. Ethical marketing practices, such as transparency in data usage and advertising, authenticity in brand storytelling, and ecological responsibility, are becoming fundamental. Implementing sustainable practices like green advertising and fair representation in campaigns is now a strategic business move.

8. Live Streaming

The live streaming sector is experiencing a remarkable surge, marking its significance in the digital marketing trends of 2024. Live streaming allows brands to engage with their audience in real-time, providing a sense of immediacy and authenticity. This format is particularly effective for product launches, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive Q&A sessions, making it a valuable tool for building brand loyalty and customer engagement.

9. Nano- and Micro-Influencer Partnerships

2024 is witnessing a significant shift towards nano- or micro-influencer marketing. These influencers typically offer higher engagement rates and more niche, dedicated followings, leading to more authentic and impactful endorsements. Brands are reallocating their influencer marketing budgets to partner with these smaller, yet more influential personalities, recognizing the value of quality engagement over sheer reach.

10. High-Quality Content

The battle for consumer attention has intensified, leading to a clear verdict: brands dedicated to producing high-quality content are emerging victorious. High-quality content — be it blogs, videos, podcasts, or social media posts — stands out by offering depth, insight, and relevance, engaging audiences on a more meaningful level and fostering loyalty. The commitment to quality over quantity is what will define the leading brands of 2024.

Conclusion

Navigating the complex terrain of 2024’s marketing landscape requires agility, innovation, and a customer-centric approach. By staying informed and leveraging the latest digital marketing trends, businesses can effectively engage their audience, drive growth, and achieve marketing success. Whether it’s integrating AI, optimizing for voice search, or leveraging the power of social media platforms, understanding these trends will be vital for marketers in 2024.

As we move forward, it’s essential to adapt and embrace these trends to stay ahead of the competition. The digital marketing landscape is ever-evolving, and those who can keep pace with these changes will be the ones to thrive in the years to come.

By following these trends and strategies, businesses can ensure they remain competitive and relevant in the dynamic world of digital marketing. Stay tuned for more insights and updates as we continue to explore the exciting developments in the digital marketing space.