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flame-of-tar-valon · 8 hours ago

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musings on ffxiv politics in my very not-canon fanfic world:

so. firstly. I'm not precisely making any of these changes in the pursuit of 'realism'. I don't care how fantastical they are, really. any added complexity I introduce is purely in the interest of making them more interesting to write, for me.

now, a bit of context: I am a fan of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. in this series there is a focus on (fantasy) political maneuvering known as Daes Dae'mar, or the Game of Houses. this is essentially the process by which members of an aristocratic monarchy compete against one another for social position and political power, up to and including claims for thrones. Daes Dae'mar was very influential on my developing adolescent brain, to the point that two of my earliest tumblr urls were direct references to it.

so, naturally, I am motivated to flesh out the systems of governance for all of the relevant city-states. a lot of these are fleshed out in lore books or supplemental materials, but I am not referencing them while writing this post. I will reference them when writing my fic, though, so please bear with me if anything seems off. now, onto the meat of this post.

Part 1: Ul'dah

Ul'dah is the easiest, because it is the city-state with the most political intrigue of all of them. conflicts between the Sultana and the Syndicate erupt constantly, most notably in the 2.x MSQ. what I dislike about this is the way the game bends over backwards to keep the status quo. nanamo is a naive, powerless figurehead who wants to abdicate, but is poisoned before she can by a challenger. but yet ANOTHER opponent of hers swapped out the poison for a nonlethal one and orchestrated the former's execution at the hands of the sultana's fiercest defender! adeledji is an antagonist who wants to disrupt the status quo and has to be stopped; lolorito, on the other hand, profits from stability, so he saves the sultana's life, orchestrates adeleji's downfall, and covers up the entire thing to keep the peace — with strings attached.

how am I planning to change Ul'dah politics? first, by expanding the arena of potential future Syndicate members. the Syndicate is comprised of the six individuals who have provided the most wealth to the city, allegedly. how, then, is this wealth determined? is this a table where anyone rich enough can outbid someone for a seat? in my opinion, there needs to be competition for stations, influence, and financial power. maybe some of the seats are permanent: even just the head of the nation's military and church, respectively, leaving the other four seats up for grabs. THEN actually show the group of people vying for those last seats, show what happens when power changes hands — in canon, I'm not sure if the seats vacated by adeledji and raubahn were ever filled (unless pipin inherited his father's seat).

speaking of showing change: I don't want Nanamo to stay on the throne. she should dissolve the monarchy the way she originally planned to. yes it was naive, but the message of "oops ok I'll stay on the throne but learn to be more like lolorito but it's a good thing because I still have my pure heart <3" isn't something I'm interested in writing. have her abdicate. let it be messy. let her live a new life at the Silver Bazaar under a fake name.

Part 2: Limsa Lominsa

so Limsa Lominsa is in a really weird place as the most politically compelling to me and also the most disappointing execution to me. you have a bunch of major pirate* powers — in order to be a contender, all you need is a ship and a crew — and every seven years they have a contest and whoever wins is the dictator for the next seven years. that person's crew becomes the national military, but every other pirate crew is still out there, so the dictator needs to keep all her opposition happy. the dictator controls basically everything that is national — military, trade, land, treaties, law, whatnot.

to boil that down to "yeah the current ruler paused elections under martial law, outlawed piracy, and all three major opposition crews are fine with all that" is a bit of a letdown. sicard's duel was so cool! and hyllfyr's intervention was also badass! but I want things to be more complicated.

merlwyb's martial law has to end at some point. when it does, who will win rulership next, and what will her successor do with her ban on piracy and all her peace treaties? other crews won't always be content with not getting a seat at the planning table. but aside from the dictatorial crisis, consider: how is it decided which crews are politically significant enough to be worth mentioning? aside from merlwyb's League of Lost Bastards, there's rhoswen and carvallain who... have their thing going on, and hyllfyr who seems to just endorse merlwyb.

I want to explore how ambitious pirates with no fondness for taking orders scheme to rise to the top of the food chain, whether by taking the helm of the current powers or by steering their own crews into places of significance. I want to wade into the issue of how a curious libertarian autocracy accustomed to changing hands every seven years will need to change its inner workings to weather the tides of a changing political landscape as a post-piracy paradise.

also I love sicard. he will be a top player of Daes Dae'mar in my fic (and already is! if you haven't read How to Go Home Again, he's in [newly revised] chapter 2. gotta show up early to the msq these days. )

Part 3: Gridania

ok before I get started let me just say: I recently read that E-Sumi-Yan used to be the elder seedseer back at the start of 1.0. I'm bringing that back. nothing against Kan-E, it's just that for a position with 'Elder' in the title, a guy 200 years older than you probably deserves it more.

ok anyways. from what I read, Gridania is governed by a Seedseer Council who deliberate and discuss every issue of import before coming to a consensus. but on the brink of calamity, this slow deliberation was counterproductive, so they switched to just one person making decisions: Kan-E-Senna. I think they should switch back.

politics in Gridania seem to be much less linked to access to station and power, and much more linked to vested authority to carry out one's whims. those who are able and trained to interpret the elementals' will are given a lot of leeway in how they enforce their interpretation. they are not free from bias (looking at you, Hearer Marmaduke).

as it is presented ingame, there is not much room for the same internal politics in Gridania as in Ul'dah or Limsa Lominsa. I, however, think this is to Gridania's detriment, as internal political intrigue is one of the best ways to provide depth and investment into a setting.

in my fic, Gridania gets a couple shakeups, notably a mini-Greenwrath which calls the region's relationship to the Elementals into question. in the wake of this, there's groups of people who lose faith in entrusting the entire functioning of the city-state to the religious elite, and struggles for power take on a very "I know how to fix things better than they do" stance. I'm not fully sure what this will look like — Ul'dah has the Syndicate, and Limsa has the great pirate powers, but Gridania lacks a significant rulership opposition group. but I really WANT there to be one. Gridania needs it the most.

I think in order for that to happen, though, three region needs to stop being the Elementals' playpen. and I think the only way to stop painting it as such is to show how the Elementals in other parts of the world live. you cannot tell me that between Raincatcher Gully and Rootslake, only one of them has enough nature spirits to be significant to the running of that nation's government. (it probably has something to do with Amdapor, but I need to refresh my memory of the lore before I plan anything).

anyways. I'm struggling with planning the intrigue in the gridania chapters of my fic right now. that's why I decided to type this long-ass post.

#htgha

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beardedmrbean · 8 months ago

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EU’s proposed Chat Control law has become a bone of contention between members of the bloc. First proposed by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in May 2022 as part of bloc’s push to combat child sexual abuse online, the framework of the bill has now come under fire, earning itself a derisive term “Chat Control”.

France, Germany and Poland have particularly refused to accept a clause that allows for mass scanning of private messages by breaking end-to-end encryption. Some tech companies, along with trade associations, and privacy experts have all vehemently opposed the regulation.

On the other hand, Interior Ministers of Spain and Ireland have supported the proposal. Separately, a network of organisations and individuals, advocating for children’s rights in Europe, have lashed out at EU leaders for failing to tackle child sexual abuse online.

What are the concerns of those against the proposal?

Scanning end-to-end encrypted messages has remained a controversial issue. That’s because there is no way to do this without opening risky backdoors that can be accessed by third parties who can exploit the vulnerability, in turn ending the promise of end-to-end encryption.

Tech firms that treaded the encryption bypassing path have have often been made to retreat. In 2021, Apple announced NeuralHash, a feature that could automatically scan iCloud photo libraries of individual devices for child sexual abuse material, or CSAM. Employees and activist groups expressed concerns over the loss of privacy. A year later, Apple said it had abandoned the initiative.

Another looming issue the iPhone maker recognised in the process was how authoritarian governments could potentially misuse the feature by using it as a tool to target individuals who oppose the regime.

Erik Neuenschwander, Director of user privacy and child safety at Apple, admitted this in a note saying, “It would […] inject the potential for a slippery slope of unintended consequences. Scanning for one type of content, for instance, opens the door for bulk surveillance and could create a desire to search other encrypted messaging systems across content types.”

When brining in a similar clause through the UK’s Online Safety Bill, lawmakers attempted to make way for client-side scanning of private and encrypted messages. The proposal was postponed after receiving pushback from encrypted messaging app owners like WhatsApp and Signal. The duo threatened to leave the UK if such a law was passed. In its final stages, in September, 2023, the House of Lords considered the potential security threat that the clause would bring saying it would not implement scanning until it was “technically feasible.”

What is the status of EU’s Chat Control law?

On June 30, a new draft of the proposal is set to be be reviewed. Legislators have now left the idea of scanning text messages and audio, and are instead targetting shared photos, videos and URLs with an adjustment to appease the naysayers.

Another tweak in the making could be people’s consent in sharing material being scanned before being encrypted. But this compromise has been largely called out as a farcical one. A report by Euractiv which has been confirmed by internal documents show that if a user refuses the scanning, they will simply be blocked from sending or receiving images, videos and links hardly leaving them with a choice.

Despite these measures, EU’s enforcement of such regulations have seen exemptions to the rule. In November 2023, the European Commission reportedly published a proposal to amend the regulation on a temporary derogation of the E-Privacy Directive against CSAM. Under the regulation, specific online communications service providers were allowed to sift through or scan messages to detect, report and remove online child sexual abuse material or CSAM and content that solicits children. The regulation is set to expire in early August . The initial plan on the table was to simply extend this regulation for another three years. But, according to media reports, plans for further extensions were stalled in February this year.

Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal app called the measures to assuage concerns as “cosmetic”, and has signed a joint statement along with a group of over 60 other organisations like Mozilla, Proton, Surfshark and Tuta, voicing out her concerns. Whittaker has echoed her earlier warning saying Signal will leave the UK rather than undermine end-to-end encryption.

A blog, co-authored by Riana Pfefferkorn, a research scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory and Callum Voge, director of government affairs and advocacy at the Internet Society, notes, ”If government surveillance is a concern in an established democratic entity like the EU, what hope is there for beleaguered democracies like Turkey, India and Brazil, much less autocracies?”

#nunyas news

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mariacallous · 8 months ago

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Over 170 images and personal details of children from Brazil have been scraped by an open-source dataset without their knowledge or consent, and used to train AI, claims a new report from Human Rights Watch released Monday.

The images have been scraped from content posted as recently as 2023 and as far back as the mid-1990s, according to the report, long before any internet user might anticipate that their content might be used to train AI. Human Rights Watch claims that personal details of these children, alongside URL links to their photographs, were included in LAION-5B, a dataset that has been a popular source of training data for AI startups.

“Their privacy is violated in the first instance when their photo is scraped and swept into these datasets. And then these AI tools are trained on this data and therefore can create realistic imagery of children,” says Hye Jung Han, children’s rights and technology researcher at Human Rights Watch and the researcher who found these images. “The technology is developed in such a way that any child who has any photo or video of themselves online is now at risk because any malicious actor could take that photo, and then use these tools to manipulate them however they want.”

LAION-5B is based on Common Crawl—a repository of data that was created by scraping the web and made available to researchers—and has been used to train several AI models, including Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion image generation tool. Created by the German nonprofit organization LAION, the dataset is openly accessible and now includes more than 5.85 billion pairs of images and captions, according to its website.

The images of children that researchers found came from mommy blogs and other personal, maternity, or parenting blogs, as well as stills from YouTube videos with small view counts, seemingly uploaded to be shared with family and friends.

“Just looking at the context of where they were posted, they enjoyed an expectation and a measure of privacy,” Hye says. “Most of these images were not possible to find online through a reverse image search.”

LAION spokesperson Nate Tyler says the organization has already taken action. “LAION-5B were taken down in response to a Stanford report that found links in the dataset pointing to illegal content on the public web,” he says, adding that the organization is currently working with “Internet Watch Foundation, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, Stanford, and Human Rights Watch to remove all known references to illegal content.”

YouTube’s terms of service do not allow scraping except under certain circumstances; these instances seem to run afoul of those policies. “We've been clear that the unauthorized scraping of YouTube content is a violation of our Terms of Service,” says YouTube spokesperson Jack Maon, “and we continue to take action against this type of abuse.”

In December, researchers at Stanford University found that AI training data collected by LAION-5B contained child sexual abuse material. The problem of explicit deepfakes is on the rise even among students in US schools, where they are being used to bully classmates, especially girls. Hye worries that, beyond using children’s photos to generate CSAM, that the database could reveal potentially sensitive information, such as locations or medical data. In 2022, a US-based artist found her own image in the LAION dataset, and realized it was from her private medical records.

“Children should not have to live in fear that their photos might be stolen and weaponized against them,” says Hye. She worries that what she was able to find is just the beginning. It was a “tiny slice” of the data that her team was looking at, she says—less than .0001 percent of all the data in LAION-5B. She suspects it is likely that similar images may have found their way into the dataset from all over the world.

Last year, a German ad campaign used an AI-generated deepfake to caution parents against posting photos of children online, warning that their children’s images could be used to bully them or create CSAM. But this does not address the issue of images that are already published, or are decades old but still in existence online.

“Removing links from a LAION dataset does not remove this content from the web,” says Tyler. These images can still be found and used, even if it’s not through LAION. “This is a larger and very concerning issue, and as a nonprofit, volunteer organization, we will do our part to help.”

Hye says that the responsibility to protect children and their parents from this type of abuse falls on governments and regulators. The Brazilian legislature is currently considering laws to regulate deepfake creation, and in the US, representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has proposed the DEFIANCE Act, which would allow people to sue if they can prove a deepfake in their likeness had been made nonconsensually.

“I think that children and their parents shouldn't be made to shoulder responsibility for protecting kids against a technology that's fundamentally impossible to protect against,” Hye says. “It's not their fault.”

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2truehearts · 2 years ago

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YES OH MY GOD I AM ‼️‼️‼️

HI HI NEW MOOT !!!

HIII MICHI !!!

#📸 — potential blackmail material.#🫶 — moot moot rena #:: SHDJSHDHDH AAAAA THAT MUSTVE BEEN SO FUN OH MY GOD #:: WAIT WHILE WERE ON THE CONAN GRAY TOPIC WHATS YOUR FAVORITE SONG OF HIS !?!?#:: MINES FOOTNOTE AND LITTLE LEAGUE #:: when I was making that sb I was SO HAPPY THAT URL WAS AVAILABLE #:: srry for the burst of excitement I JUST NEVER KNEW SOMEONE WHO COULD LIKE HIM AS WELL

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esther-dot · 1 year ago

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Hi, i sent that link for more reference about the subject. The more the merrier, right? And i think it's always nice to appreciate the efforts of all the meta writers, old and new ♥

Curiously, the other post from 2017 you linked (by princess in a tower), was written after the convo in the link i sent (marydri was princess in a tower old url).

Have a good day :)

(Continuation of this convo)

I genuinely do believe “the more the merrier” which is why I always attempt to link to posts if I know where I first heard something, but I’m also reluctant to go too far into the “crediting” idea because the last time this came up, it wasn’t a celebration of what the older Jonsas had written, but an attempt to make a newer Jonsa meta writer feel like crap. It wasn’t used to include, but was a deliberate attempt to discredit and just kinda, exert ownership of ideas and prevent people from taking things in new directions.

As a Jonsa, a fan of a ship that only exists because fans decided to come to their own conclusions and offered new readings on characters and dynamics, even reinterpreted themes of the story, you have to understand just how off-putting and counterproductive that behavior seems to me. I want every jonsa to feel heard and appreciated for their efforts, for them to enjoy the fandom, which is why, when I’m active, I do my best to both boost newcomers and link to older metas, but prior experience with this works cited idea has made what I consider a pleasure, a real minefield.

Fandom is all about how we inspire each other to create, it isn’t just about the source material. A comment sparking a meta, a meta inspiring characterization for a fic, a fic inspiring art, I’ve seen all of that and think it’s a beautiful thing. So no, I don’t think that’s “curious,” I think it’s perfectly normal for a comment to inspire someone to write a meta. I’ve tagged people in asks to get them to write about an idea, had other people then write metas about it. I like it! Also, ifeas grow in unpredictable ways, and we’re all engaging with our beloved book or show via different mediums and on different websites and in many different languages, so choosing to assume the best of each other’s motives is necessary, and I’m wary of anything that discourages people from engaging. We don’t know which meta someone else has read. For a while, I read all the knew meta, this year, I haven’t even tried to keep up. Sometimes not being credited isn’t an exclusion, it’s simply because you weren’t part of the journey for that specific individual. I’ve seen people come to the same conclusion following very different paths a lot in fandom! And generally speaking, I’m really not sure how “ownership” of a parallel or of a theory works? Waymar’s death foreshadowing Jon’s or that he’ll lose an eye or that we’ll get romantic Jonsa, all are offshoots of the basic “these guys are described the same way,” but I’d think it a bit odd for the person who first noticed the parallel (years before it became a Jonsa thing) to feel ownership over everything that came after.

An infamous example of the futility of theory ownership is the poor blogger who came up with a Sansxn version of the Ashford theory which Jonsas looked at and said, “you do not know what to do with this but we do!” and ran with it, and they’ve been trying to squash people jonsa-ing it or speculating about Sansa x Aegon ever since:

You get the idea. It’s a great theory, I don’t like the original ship, but kudos for op for noticing the parallels. They saw something, someone else saw it too. Many, many people ran with it. It’s inspired a general “Jon is the last suitor” or specific, “Jon will literally go to the tourney” spec in our fandom. I’ve read lots of stuff about it and enjoyed it all. However, I don’t assume everyone who writes about the Ashford Tourney is stealing from the op. I genuinely think a lot of fans didn’t even know where it (potentially) originated, and I certainly don’t think the original goal of the theory (Sansa ends up with the Hound) precludes reinterpretations.

Anyway, I absolutely make an effort to credit Jonsas whenever I can, but having witnessed what I have within our fandom, and seeing how other people treat Jonsas because of this stuff, I’m resistant to getting bogged down in this issue. I don’t want fans to feel like they can’t post about Waymar without someone vague blogging because they weren’t credited. I’ll gladly read a dozen posts talking about the Waymar -> Jon -> Sansa wildly in love -> Jonsa idea and love each and every one of them. I enjoy reading different takes on the same idea. It takes nothing away from those who have already made up their minds about what it means, and sometimes, the new post words things in a way that clicks with a new audience which is something we all should appreciate. It’s all upside imo!

#dot chat

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cwarscars · 11 months ago

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ivory-paragon

Send me a url and I'll write some positivity for it.

@ivory-paragon

consider this a fuckin duel answer of multi-positivity goodness cause im gonna sperge over u both like some weird stalker who admires your shit from afar but is too terrible ( lazy? overworked and not around enough? idk lets ignore the fine deets ) to interact more ( as much as id love to shhhh )

SO firstly;

james aka my boy rufus - heid's boy rufus? lmao, probs not. everytime i see james on my dash, i see the fuckin' king you know what i mean? i see a passion that is inspiring, a love for the character that spans decades (im pretty certain, how long is a decade?) in a strange way, james' portrayal / love for rufus makes me feel nostalgia. i have flashbacks to advent children being realised, i remember my sister ( i wonder if she'll see this she follows me lol ) fawning over rufus in the og. it's a cosy feeling. like watching toonami or playing dirge of cerberus, i feel snuggly.

that's a weird way to describe somebody and their portrayal - but i hope it makes some sense. it's a warm, comforting feeling. i can see the appreciation for the original source material in james' portrayal and writing whilst also seeing a nice blend / respect for the newer stuff / way that rufus is written now. i know a fair few people who write with james and whenever i see the threads appear on my dash - they're the sort that i stop and read. i find james' take on rufus interesting and intrigueing, and it makes me really think about how my heid and his rufus would interact. i know that i could get something there that wouldnt be a 'typical' kinda ship. yknow? it would be something complex, potentially dark but also not without the family(sorta) aspect that comes from the shinra line & heidegger.

another thing i wanna note here in my admiration towards james is the two of yous interactions / the entire scenario that you've shaped around rufus/cloud's relationships. i find your combined passion admirable and it's very clear, i think, to anybody on the dash that the two of you have a lot of chemistry when it comes to writing. it's the kind of writing partnership a lot of rpers dream of; i love that.

@spec-b

AS FOR YOU, i know you didn't send this in for your url but fuggit, im a rebel, a bad boy -

you know i'm an absolute grade a simp for anybody appreciative of the og. for anybody willing to give it a shot ( too many turn their noses up at the older graphics ) and anybody who actually runs with it, admires and appreciates it. you do that. you not only appreciate it - but you do it justice. you insert the nuances both suggested and outright shown in the original into your portrayal and i see 'em - i see you doing it, goddamn i admire it.

it's so refreshing being able to actually reccomend something as silly as new threat to someone and see them play it, enjoy it - have fun and speak about it with such a passion / joy. it's so refreshing and so, so lovely to see. i know that if i threw up some headcanon garble to you about how heid is fearful of the north crater because in the og, he doesn't leave the highway - you'd GET IT. like, i know you'd probably see my silly ramble and understand it because your passion for the original game is as prominent ( if not more so ) than my own love for it.

i adore the depth you give cloud that he had in the original; i love that you not only play with that depth but also add your own take onto it. you play with things suggested, stuff that could have been canon had the story shifted in a slightly different direction. seeing your both extremely loyal / to-character but also alternative take on cloud is both refreshing and respectful to the original. i admire that a great deal.

i don't write with the two of you anywhere near as much as i'd like to - and that's entirely on me. i'm awful for finding the time to just write these days outside of starter calls or asks but i want you both to know that i really do admire you, i love seeing your stuff on my dash and i appreciate you both hugely as people. keep doing you, keep loving the original, keep loving your characters. you're inspirational and i hope you both know it. <3

#(answered)#THIS IS A LONG ONE SORRY MATES u two gonna see this shit and do the marge covering her face meme at me lmao #(foreversave)#(positivity)

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kafus · 2 years ago

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help mesjdfksfd

i'm trying to think of a potential site URL to reserve on neocities for my kaf fansite... it needs to be something that isn't too direct (i don't want copyright-able words in the URL, i can't literally put "kaf" or "kamitsubaki" etc in there) but is also relatively unique (like if you were to search it on google you'd probably be able to find it in the first few results)

kaf is associated with a good amount of iconography... i'm working with a lot of potential words and symbolism. there's the obvious music theme of course, but there's also:

birds! all of kaf's performing outfits are named after birds. her first incarnation ever, hinadori, means "baby bird" or "chick" but the rest of her outfits are named after specific birds (her main youtube outfits after hinadori are aogora/blue tit, tsubame/barn swallow, and kiji/pheasant - though idk how i feel about singling any one version of kaf out here. if i were to reference any specific outfit, it would be hinadori)

the ocean/fish, so many of her songs reference the ocean and she's often depicted with blues and water. and you know her mascot animal thing that's present in so much of her media is a giant fantasy fish named laplace that flies (swims?) in the sky

flowers!! her name, 花譜, means roughly "flower (music) note" or "flower sheet music", pretty self explanatory here

ice cream... there's no deep meaning here it's just one of her favorite foods and they've depicted her with ice cream in official materials a lot and even named her cover lives after ice cream LOL

i feel like it's also worth mentioning that her fanbase are called "observers" (but my personal site is already called virtualobserver so i kind of don't want to reuse that) and her youtube membership club is called Observation Club of the Unidentified Girl (未確認少女観��部) which is a direct reference to this song

so tldr DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS THAT I CAN WORK OFF OF i'm kind of terrible with this stuff afdsjdf (and yes i'm going specifically with a kaf theme, there will be other kamitsubaki stuff present on the site but the focus is kaf)

edit: help this was apparently my 2000th post

#kiki was here #kiki.txt

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jcmarchi · 1 year ago

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10+ Excellent Web Design Tools & Resources to Use in 2024 - Web Design Ledger

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/10-excellent-web-design-tools-resources-to-use-in-2024-web-design-ledger/

10+ Excellent Web Design Tools & Resources to Use in 2024 - Web Design Ledger

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keeps users informed about the status of appointments or events.

offers custom notifications that enable users to tailor alerts for specific services or events.

The library of prebuilt websites also plays a significant role in making working with Trafft a pleasant experience. The Career Mastery Coaching prebuilt website illustrates what an effective event booking system might look like.

Key features users notice once they start using Trafft include easy backend and frontend interface navigation and the power the customization options bring to the table.

Web developers and digital design agencies can be expected to be more than pleased to discover that Trafft offers a White Label option.

Customer Average Grade: 5 stars on Capterra

Client Feedback: “ I love that Trafft has so much included – and that you can customize literally everything, including the email & SMS notification wording (which is a big deal for me since I like communications to be in my brand voice).”

Support Materials: Trafft’s ticketing system. Support manual, YouTube videos, social media, and email.

View the Booking Solution

3. wpDataTables -The Best Tables & Charts WordPress Table Plugin

wpDataTables offers an ideal solution for businesses and individuals who need to create tables and charts.

The wpDataTable plugin’s top feature, its Multiple Database Connections capability, represents a data management breakthrough by empowering every table to become a data hub that can pull information from different databases or servers.

By simplifying data management tasks, wpDataTables allows its users to create custom, responsive, easily editable tables and charts with ease. A bookseller could probably put this Responsive Catalog Table with Books to good use.

Features new wpDataTables users will discover include:

an abundance of useful functionality wrapped in an intuitive package.

the ability to adroitly manage complicated data structures.

wpDataTables also supports separate connections for working with specialized database systems and features chart engines for displaying data for marketing, financial, and environmental uses.

Customer Average Grade: 4.5/5 pm WprdPress.org

Client Feedback: “WpDataTables is an excellent WordPress Plugin. What you are able to accomplish with this plugin is nothing short of amazing. Their support is even better! Highly, highly recommend using this product and supporting this company.

I have tried different utilities for creating charts out of a series of CSV files I use for weather data, but it has been a hassle until I discovered wpDataTables which does exactly what I need. Very user friendly and versatile. And it also understands that there are other standards for date, decimal, and time apart from the Americas.”

Instant Support Materials: Support manual, the Facebook community, and YouTube videos

View wpDataTables

4. Uncode – Creative & WooCommerce WordPress Theme

Uncode is the #1 WordPress and WooCommerce theme for creatives, professional designers, and agencies looking for an ideal solution for any project.

While Uncode’s ensemble of website building tools and options would seem to more than justify its popularity, most of its users say the demo library is its #1 feature. The demos not only exhibit exceptional attention to detail but have proven to be excellent sources of inspiration as well.

Uncode’s classic Web Experiences is one of the 5 most downloaded demos. Just imagine what you could do with it.

New users are impressed with the value inherent in Uncode’s demos and wireframes, the level of customization, and the top-notch customer support.

Uncode’s principal users are:

Agencies and Freelancers, because of the multitude of options that cover the needs of every customer or client.

Shop creators, who can easily make effective use of Uncode’s advanced WooCommerce features.

Customer Average Grade: 4.89/5

Client Feedback: “I have used Uncode on 6+ websites now, and it’s absolutely my go-to theme! The features, quality, and customer support are outstanding. The developers do an incredible job of keeping the theme up to date and stable, constantly implementing new features and optimizing the theme. A solid product with great documentation and responsive support team. Kudos!”

Instant Support Materials: Support manual, Facebook groups, YouTube videos

Purchase the Theme

5. LayerSlider – Best WordPress Slider Builder Plugin

LayerSlider, the top-rated WordPress slider plugin, empowers web designers to effortlessly enhance websites and make them truly shine.

LayerSlider’s scroll effect has emerged as its top feature. You can find it prominently displayed in the recent batch of full-size hero scene and whole website templates. Scroll through the Flavor Factory pre-built web page and see how easy it can be to use LayerSlider to help capture and engage visitors.

LayerSlider easily accommodates a range of uses, from creating simple sliders or slideshows to sprucing up your site with captivating animated content.

Newer users appreciate:

LayerSlider’s customizable interface that suggests the plugin was created specifically for their use only.

easy access to millions of stock photos and videos plus other integrated online services.

the Project Editor that ensures that what you need is right where you need it.

LayerSlider also really shines when there is a need to create content for marketing purposes. Marketers are impressed with the mind-blowing effects that can be incorporated into their popups and banners.

Client Feedback: “A fantastic slider plugin with regular updates to make sure compatibility is never a problem. Keep up the amazing work!”

Support Materials: Product manual, In-editor help, support tickets, and email.

Preview LayerSlider

6. Amelia – WordPress Booking Plugin for Appointments and Events

Amelia is the best WordPress plugin for Agencies and Businesses in need of a streamlined booking solution.

The automated notifications system is Amelia’s top feature. Users could tell you how easy it was to categorize and position appointments as pending, approved, cancelled, rejected, or rescheduled. Special notices such as upcoming events or birthday congratulations can also be forwarded via the notifications system to assist clients and enhance their loyalty.

Amelia offers a number of templates that can be customized to help businesses grow. Yoga Studio is a notable example of how a template can be put to use to advertise a business.

Those new to Amelia could tell you about:

the ease of navigation they discovered, the innovativeness exhibited in the backend and frontend interfaces, and its functionality and user-friendly design.

the value its transparent pricing policy offers.

the extent of the customization options.

The Amelia plugin offers an ideal booking solution for service-oriented businesses including those specializing in ticket sales and/or events. Programming agencies and developers could also profit from having Amelia in their design toolkits.

Customer Average Grade: 4.8 on Capterra

Client Feedback: “Great plugin, I have tested similar, but Amelia seems to be the best for my site, I have many customers through the site, and everybody is satisfied with this appointment system. Sometimes there are a few bugs but quickly corrected through regular updates. Globally very good notation.”

Instant Support Materials: YouTube videos, Discord Group, and Support Manual

View Amelia

7. WhatFontIs

The most powerful and accurate free font identifier.

This tool’s top feature is its accuracy. WhatFontis users have a 90%+ chance of finding whatever free or licensed font they want identified.

No other system can claim that accuracy, and most of them charge a fee for whatever service they provide. It is worth noting that the ability of WhatFontis to identify a given font correctly can be compromised if the quality of the submitted image is subpar, and that is what accounts for some of the roughly 10% of missed identifications.

WhatFontis can do what it does best in part because of its database of 990K+ free and commercial fonts. This is nearly 5 times as many fonts as that attributed to the nearest competitor.

Whether the goal is to identify a specific font sent by a client, or simply because it is attractive, a customer wants to know what it is and where to find it. A search can be conducted for a font regardless of its publisher, producer, or foundry.

The process is as easy as can be.

Upload a clean font image.

In response, an AI-powered search engine identifies the font and as many as 60 close neighbors.

Links are provided that show where a free font can be downloaded or where a commercial font can be purchased.

Note: Cursive font letters must be separated before being submitted.

Client Feedback: “I came across this website courtesy Google search, used their services successfully; and today I find out it’s on product hunt! If you are ‘driven’ by the need to discover what font ‘that person/ company’ uses, then this should be your go-to solution site. For most of us it would be a once in a blue moon need, except for the professionals.”

Types of Instant Support Materials: User Forum

View WhatFontis

8. Slider Revolution – More than just a WordPress Slider

Slider Revolution is the best WordPress plugin for Designers, Web Developers and anyone seeking a way to create jaw-dropping animated sliders.

This plugin’s top feature is the ability it gives to its users to visually create stunning animated effects for WordPress.

The Slider Revolution plugin is not limited to creating sliders. It can be used to:

create stunning home pages that immediately engage its visitors.

create portfolios that will be viewed a second, or third, time because of the method of presentation.

design eye-catching sections anywhere on a website.

A stroll through Slider Revolution’s library of 250+ templates may be all that’s necessary if you need a little inspiration to get started. These templates have been 100% optimized for different screen configurations and feature special effects you won’t see on most websites. The Woodworking Website template for example, makes clever use of the hover effect to highlight both text and images. The layout itself can be used for a wide variety of website types or niches.

The Slider Revolution plugin is tailor made for individual web designers and developers, web shops, and small agencies.

Customer Average Grade: 4.6/5 on Trustpilot

Client Feedback: “I absolutely love the Slider Revolution. It does wonders for my projects. I am super excited about all of the templates that are ready for use. Their support has been incredible”.

Instant Support Materials: Support Manual, YouTube videos

View the Plugin

9. Getillustrations – Creative Stock Illustrations Library

The best resource for designers who are looking for top quality illustrations with terrific attention to detail.

Getillustrations’ top feature is three things in one; 21,500+ vector illustrations, free updates for one year, and new illustrations added every week. In other words, once you get started, good things keep coming your way!

You will have 40+ nicely arranged categories to select from. Most categories have several hundred illustrations, a few have more than 1,000.

These illustrations appeal to clients ranging from students and businesses to designers and developers. You’ll find pencil and basic ink illustrations, several 3D illustration categories, and fitness, logistics, and ecology illustrations to name but a few, and since they are exclusive to Getillustrations you will have an edge over those using other stock illustration resources.

You can purchase illustrations by the pack if you choose to. The Motion Illustrations pack is one of the larger ones with 1,090 vector web illustrations at latest count .These Motion illustrations feature a diverse range of themes, each of which makes a statement.

Client Feedback: “I really like the different styles available in this library. I used it to illustrate some of my blog posts. Since you get vector files, you can also recolor them to have them match your brand and product identity!”

Support Materials: Vector stock illustrations in .Ai .Figma .PNG and .SVG

View Getillustrations Offerings

10. Mobirise AI Website Builder

The best tool for creating and downloading full page websites using prompt commands only.

The Mobirise AI website builder is a revolutionary tool that uses intelligent algorithms to generate beautiful websites. Its top feature enables its user to generate a website using a single prompt.

The super-intuitive single prompt interface makes Mobirise AI an ideal choice for anyone looking for a simplistic yet efficient design approach.

Describe in detail what your site is all about, and this AI website builder will take your data and through the use of intelligent algorithms auto-generate a basic layout.

Once that is accomplished you can use prompts to customize style, colors, fonts, etc., and edit pre-generated content to suit your needs.

When you have the beautiful, optimized for Google and mobile devices website you want you can launch it with a single prompt.

Note: Even though Mobirise AI does much of the work, you retain full ownership of your website.

Client Feedback: “The AI website builder was astonishingly intuitive. What I appreciated the most was the seamless drag-and-drop interface which allowed me to position elements anywhere on my site. The AI’s design recommendations saved me hours of second-guessing my layout choices. Not to mention, the automatic SEO feature was a godsend–it optimized my site without me having to learn the complex ins and outs.”

Instant Support Materials: Support Manual, User Forum, YouTube Videos

View the AI Website Builder

11. XStore – Best WooCommerce WordPress Theme

XStore is the best WooCommerce theme for anyone looking to quickly build a high-converting online store.

XStore is obviously tailored for use by shop owners and prospective shop owners who seek an online presence. While the selection of ready-made stores (pre-built websites) has always been highly popular, the recently introduced selection of Sales Booster features has emerged as the top favorite.

New users soon come to appreciate the Builders Panel and the intuitive XStore Control Panel, both of which give them the store-building and customization flexibility needed to create the custom store they envision.

They also like the solid start XStore’s pre-built websites make possible. The layout of the Marseille prebuilt website is an excellent example of why it’s possible for a novice to get a store up in running in a few hours.

XStore doesn’t stop there. Its users have instant access to the powerful family of Single Product, Checkout, Cart, Archive Products, and 404 Page Builders; all favorites of shop owners.

Customer Average Grade: 4.87/5

Client Feedback: “I love this theme! There’s a wider learning curve to go through before getting a hang of the features, but the overall versatility and aesthetic factor is excellent.”

Instant Support Materials: Support Manual, YouTube videos

Buy the Theme

12. Blocksy – Premium WooCommerce WordPress theme

Blocksy is the best free WordPress theme for building attractive, lightweight websites in 2024.

There doesn’t appear to be much about Blocksy that its users don’t love. Consequently, when it comes to identifying this premium WooCommerce WordPress theme’s top feature, there’ s a 4-way tie.

Blocksy’s footer and header builders are super-user friendly.

Gutenberg support ensures top performance.

Developers love the advanced hooks and display conditions.

Everyone appreciates seamless WooCommerce integration together with its associated features.

And on top of it all, Blocksy is free!

Several of the things new users quickly recognize is that Blocksy:

uses the latest web technologies.

provides exceptional performance.

integrates easily with the most popular plugins.

Cosmetic is a beautiful, meticulously crafted starter site with a pleasant design that lets products take center stage. While centered on beauty products, its layout can be used for a wide variety of website niches. Cosmetic is one of the 5 most commonly used starter sites.

Customer Average Grade: 5/5 on WordPress.org

Client Feedback: “Blocksy is fast and light, responsive and beautiful. Blocksy has nothing superfluous and has everything you need. I love Blocksy, and Blocksy loves me.”

Instant Support Materials: A readily accessible Documentation Section, Support Manual, YouTube videos. Facebook Group

View Blocksy

13. Total WordPress Theme

Total is the best WordPress theme for web designers and developers seeking the flexibility required to design from-scratch.

Total’s top feature is its seemingly unlimited flexibility. Its assortment of design tools and options makes it a Swiss Army knife of website design and is one reason its name is so appropriate. A well-deserved reputation for amazing support also tends to set Total apart.

Not long after becoming acquainted with Total, its users could tell you about a number of things they discovered and like including the fact that:

Total has settings for everything, tons of page building options, a font manager, custom post types, and more.

Total is speed optimized.

Total provides dynamic templates for posts and archives.

Total’s pre-built website collection is another favorite. Synergy’s minimalistic design lends itself to a wide range of uses and is one of the 5 most widely used pre-built websites.

Total is tailored for beginners, developers, and DIYers. Advanced designers like Total as well, and for all intents and purposes, anyone else will too.

Customer Average Grade: 4.86/5

Client Feedback: “I have been using Total for several years now for several (10+) websites. Out of the box it’s already a great theme and very well documented. Some websites required specific functionality and so far, there was nothing I couldn’t provide. If I can’t figure it out myself, support is always willing to help. I don’t need another theme anymore.”

Instant Support Materials: Support Manual

View the Theme

14. Essential Grid – WordPress Gallery Plugin

Essential Grid is the best WordPress Gallery Plugin for businesses who want to capture visitors’ attention with breathtaking galleries.

Essential Grid is the best WordPress Gallery Plugin for anyone who wants to create a unique, attention-getting gallery.

Essential Grid’s library of 50+ unique grid skins is its top feature and is what this WordPress gallery plugin is all about. Why these skins are such a favorite is easy to see. Most web designers and developers would not want to have to take the time to create a gallery from scratch and the grid skins offer an excellent alternative approach.

In addition to making it easier to create a gallery layout you want, it’s also possible you’ll come across a grid skin layout you haven’t even thought possible and can’t wait to put into use. The YouTube Playlist layout for example shows how the hover effect can transform a seemingly run-of-the-mill gallery into a real attention getter.

Essential Grid’s users will tell you how much of a time saver this plugin can be, and how effective it is at helping them organize their content streams.

Customer Average Grade: 4.7/5 on Trustpilot

Client Feedback: “I have to say that the level of support I received is definitely one of the best I have ever experienced. Big thumbs up!”

Instant Support Materials: Support manual and YouTube videos

View Essential Grid

15. WoodMart – WordPress WooCommerce Theme

WoodMart is the best WooCommerce theme for niche ecommerce design.

Just a glance at the WoodMart website is enough to grab your attention. Woodmart’s top feature, super-realism, pops right out at you. The custom layouts for shop, cart, and checkout pages are so well done that it’s easy to forget where you are and start window shopping.

There is plenty more to about WoodMart too, for example:

A multiplicity of available design options.

Easy customization to fit the brand.

The time-saving Theme Settings Search and Theme Settings Performance Optimization features.

Widely used “Frequently Bought Together”, “Dynamic Discounts”, and social integrations options.

WoodMart also has a White Label option.

Finding the most popular demos isn’t easy since most of them enjoy lots of usage. WoodMart Organic Baby Clothes is one of the 5 most downloaded demos.

Customer Average Grade: 4.93/5

Client Feedback: “This theme is perfect. It has all the options you can imagine and tooltips to help you understand what you are about to change. It’s fast out of the box and makes a great use of Elementor. Great responsive design.”

Instant Support Materials: Support Manual and YouTube Videos

View the Theme

*******

Do you see one or more web design resources and tools you would like to add to your toolkit? It would certainly be easier than having to sift through hundreds on your own. That is why we did the vetting process for you. You still will want to preview those that interest you and try them out if possible. The free ones are of course for the taking.

What will you be looking for? These 15 excellent web design tools & resources have several characteristics in common. Characteristics that are necessary to be considered as “best-in-class”. Those characteristics are as follows.

Plugins, themes, and resources are easy to install or set up and are user friendly.

They give your website an edge in terms of design, functionality, or visitor appeal; or all three.

Customer support is friendly, fast, and competent.

They allow you to test the product for free. Or give you enough information to ensure that won’t end up feeling like the product you purchased is markedly different from the one you saw advertised.

Check out any or all of the 15 best web design tools and resources you believe you could put to good use. Test them out if you can and either add them to your toolkit or write them off.

Are you done? Not really. Since there are many new web design tools & resources coming into the marketplace every day, some of which might offer greater opportunities, your search will never really end.

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iptvtunes · 1 year ago

Text

IPTV Codes for Android Devices

https://iptvtunes.com/

Are you feeling restricted by the limited channel options on your Android device? Have you ever pondered the possibility of expanding your streaming choices affordably? Look no further! This article delves into the realm of IPTV codes designed for Android devices, showcasing the incredible potential they hold for enhancing your entertainment experience.

In essence, IPTV codes open up a vast array of channels, delivering global content directly to your Android device. With just a few codes, you can gain access to a plethora of movies, TV shows, sports events, and more. Picture enjoying premium content without the burden of hefty subscription fees. This article provides a comprehensive breakdown, guiding you through the process of acquiring and utilizing IPTV codes on your Android device.

Understanding IPTV Codes

IPTV codes play a pivotal role in enhancing the functionality of IPTV on Android devices. Essentially, these codes serve as keys to unlock a vast array of channels, content libraries, and features. The benefits they bring to the table are not only significant but also contribute to the growing popularity of IPTV among Android users.

How to Find and Use IPTV Codes

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) codes, also known as IPTV subscription codes or M3U codes, are alphanumeric strings that provide access to IPTV services. Please note that using IPTV codes to access content without proper authorization may violate copyright laws and terms of service, so it’s important to use them responsibly and within legal boundaries.

To Become iptv Reseller

Here’s a general guide on how to find and use IPTV codes:

Finding IPTV Codes:

Online Forums and Communities:

Many IPTV users share codes and playlists on forums and online communities. Look for IPTV-related forums or groups where users share their experiences and codes.

Social Media:

Platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook have communities dedicated to IPTV. Search for keywords like “IPTV codes” or “IPTV playlists” to find relevant discussions.

IPTV Providers:

Some IPTV service providers offer free trial codes to potential customers. Check the official websites of reputable IPTV services to see if they provide trial codes.

YouTube Tutorials:

YouTube often has tutorials and videos where users share IPTV codes. Be cautious and verify the legitimacy of the source before using any codes.

Using IPTV Codes:

M3U Playlist URL:

The most common form of IPTV codes is the M3U playlist URL. It is a text file that contains information about the channels and streams. Copy the M3U URL provided by the code.

IPTV Player:

Use an IPTV player or application to input the M3U URL. Popular players include VLC, Kodi, IPTV Smarters, and others. Download and install the player on your device.

Player Configuration:

Open the IPTV player and locate the option to add a new playlist or source. Paste the M3U URL into the designated field.

Verify and Save:

Verify that the playlist is working by checking a few channels. Save the playlist, and the player will usually refresh to display the available channels.

Enjoy IPTV:

Once the playlist is added successfully, you can start enjoying IPTV channels. Navigate through the channels using the player’s interface.

IPTV Services What You Need to Know Related To IPTV

Important Considerations:

Legal and Ethical Use:

Ensure that you have the legal right to access the content. Avoid using codes that provide unauthorized access to copyrighted material.

Security:

Be cautious about the sources from which you obtain IPTV codes. Avoid sharing personal information, and use reputable sources to minimize security risks.

Quality and Reliability:

Consider using reputable IPTV services to ensure better content quality, reliability, and customer support.

Top IPTV Codes for Android Devices

Navigating through the myriad of available IPTV codes can be overwhelming. To simplify your choices, we review some of the top IPTV codes for Android, comparing their features and performance. This section acts as a comprehensive guide for users looking to make informed decisions.

Tips for Optimizing IPTV Experience on Android

While IPTV codes enhance your streaming experience, it’s crucial to optimize the overall performance on your Android device. Learn about compatibility, and gain insights into troubleshooting common issues to ensure a seamless and enjoyable IPTV experience.

Legal Considerations and Best Practices

Before delving deeper, it’s essential to address the legality of IPTV codes. This section outlines the legal landscape and provides best practices for responsible use, ensuring users stay within the bounds of the law while enjoying IPTV content on their Android devices.

Future Trends in IPTV Technology

As technology advances, so does the world of IPTV. Explore the evolving features and anticipated developments in IPTV for Android devices, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of streaming technology.

User Reviews and Recommendations

Real-world experiences matter. This section showcases user reviews and recommendations, offering valuable insights from those who have explored the world of IPTV on their Android devices. Learn from their experiences and make informed choices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, IPTV codes for Android devices open up a world of entertainment possibilities. Recap the benefits and express final thoughts on how these codes revolutionize the way we consume digital content.

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