#so asking for the same amount of money and/or not providing free ways to access it as they build their catalog is certainly A Move | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kyra45 · 2 years

Text

How to spot a scam blog

Hi! I’m Jess/Key and this post is meant to give you the basics on how to quickly spot a scam post. A scam blog is a blog that has saved their post contents from offsite (usually Facebook) and has reposted it here with no indication it’s not actually theirs. Not all blogs asking for aid are scam accounts, but unfortunately their quite common and have been common for a long while now. They often target users who use certain tags or those who fell for the scheme once before. This guide and info work better if you have time stamps turned on. Real accounts needing help generally will be easily able to show legitimacy without needing this list.

As always, all info I supply is free to access but tips are appreciated! I do this to teach users how to quickly spot a scam account and how to deal with them before they take off with money sent to them by unaware users. Unfortunately many users have lost money to scammers without being aware of it until it’s too late. So please share this post to anyone who may have shared a scam post if it’s following the general guidelines I’ve explained here.

The ask says to answer privately - A common theme now is the ask sent requests you to answer privately. This is usually done because the scammer doesn’t want anyone to look up the ask and see it’s been sent to many users. If you actually need help, don’t send asks like this! The ask always urgently requests you to donate right then and there and says if you can’t then please share the pinned post. This is often an instant red flag for a pet scam.

The blog is only a few hours old - Often, the account that sends you the ask is very new. A quick scroll through the account reveals only a few posts here and there that seems to be from a trending tag but aren’t tagged. Closer inspection would show these posts are reblogged all within the same amount of time and then no more after the pinned post is made. This is also a red flag for a pet scam if the pinned post is for an animal.

The pinned post has replies off - Having replies off isn’t anything usually too suspicious, but usually can be considered that if the account isn’t too old and is sending multiple asks. If some replies were removed but is turned off, then it’s likely for a reason.

The username is based off the animal - Another common rising theme is the account name is based on the name of the animal being used in the post combined with the address given in the post. While this isn’t really anything too odd, it’s still rather peculiar.

The vet bill doesn’t match - Inspect the images provided of the vet bill. You may quickly notice they don’t match the supplied information given in the post and may give away the pictures were taken from an entirely different animal themselves. You could also see the actual name of the owner isn’t the one in the address though the blog could make an address to look like the vet bill.

Search the username/address/ask - With luck, a quick search on tumblr of all the info you’ve seen on the account themselves will likely show you proof that what you’ve seen is actually a scam account. This means the user sending the ask has stolen their images and story off another place and is trying to pass off the animal as their own. If an anonymous user explains to you how it’s a scam, please search before you demand evidence because it’s likely all the info you need is already accessible.

Other info - Scam accounts tend to turn off their askbox so no one can send asks. They may still have messaging enabled so people can ask for proof that way. Unfortunately, any proof of legitimacy the scammer tries to send you this way is also stolen from offsite and in no way proves real. Reverse image search does not work on images posted in private places.

#scam #checklist #how to spot a scam blog #important information #long post #longpost

7 notes · View notes

lendersainc · 1 month

Text

FHA Loan Requirements in 2024: What You Need to Know

Thinking about buying a home in 2024? An FHA loan might be a good option for you. These loans, backed by the Federal Housing Administration, are popular because they make it easier for people to buy a home, especially if they don’t have perfect credit or a big down payment. Here’s what you need to know to qualify for an FHA loan in 2024.

1. Credit Score: Don’t Need Perfect Credit

One of the main reasons people choose FHA loans is because you don’t need a high credit score to qualify. In 2024, the requirements are:

Credit Score of 580 or Higher: If your credit score is 580 or above, you only need to put down 3.5% of the home’s price as a down payment.

Credit Score Between 500-579: If your score is between 500 and 579, you’ll need to make a bigger down payment—at least 10% of the home’s price.

Keep in mind, though, that some lenders might ask for a higher credit score, so it’s a good idea to check with a few different lenders.

2. Down Payment: Lower Cost to Get Started

FHA loans are known for their low down payment requirement. If your credit score is 580 or higher, you only need to put down 3.5% of the home’s purchase price. This is much lower than the 20% down payment that many conventional loans require.

Even better, you can use money given to you by a family member, friend, or employer to help with the down payment. Just make sure the gift is documented properly.

3. Debt-to-Income Ratio: Balancing Your Budget

To qualify for an FHA loan, your lender will look at how much of your income goes toward paying your debts. This is called your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. For 2024, the FHA guidelines are:

Front-End Ratio: Your mortgage payment shouldn’t be more than 31% of your gross (before-tax) monthly income.

Back-End Ratio: All your monthly debt payments, including your mortgage, shouldn’t be more than 43% of your gross monthly income.

These rules help ensure that you can afford your mortgage payments along with your other expenses. Some lenders might allow a higher DTI ratio if you have strong credit or extra savings.

4. Employment History: Steady Income Helps

Lenders want to see that you have a stable job history before they approve your FHA loan. Generally, they look for at least two years of steady employment.

If you’ve recently changed jobs but stayed in the same line of work, you might still qualify, especially if the new job pays more. If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to provide more paperwork, like tax returns and profit and loss statements.

5. Property Requirements: Home Must Meet Standards

Not every property can be bought with an FHA loan. The home has to meet certain standards to make sure it’s safe and livable. Here’s what to know for 2024:

Primary Residence: The home must be your main place to live, not a vacation home or rental property.

HUD Approval: The house needs to meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) minimum property standards. This includes passing an inspection to make sure the home is in good shape and free from health hazards.

6. Mortgage Insurance: An Extra Cost to Consider

When you get an FHA loan, you’ll need to pay for mortgage insurance. This insurance protects the lender in case you can’t make your payments. In 2024, you’ll have to pay:

Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium: This is 1.75% of the loan amount, paid when you get the loan.

Annual Mortgage Insurance Premium: This is paid monthly and ranges from 0.45% to 1.05% of the loan amount, depending on your loan term and down payment.

Mortgage insurance adds to your overall costs, so it’s important to budget for it.

Conclusion

An FHA loan can be a great way to buy a home in 2024, especially if you don’t have perfect credit or a large down payment. With flexible credit requirements, low down payments, and reasonable debt-to-income ratios, FHA loans make homeownership more accessible. Just be sure to understand all the requirements and costs involved so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

#FHA LOAN

0 notes

dentistcollingwoodau · 3 months

Text

Factors Individuals Considers While Selecting A Dentist

Finding Dentist Collingwood Clinic can be a daunting experience. There are definitely plenty of options available to choose one. But selecting the right one is a big process. People tend to forget about oral health a lot nowadays. When you neglect to clean and floss your teeth properly, problems may occur. Dental checkups and visits on a regular basis can benefit patients' teeth, gums, and general oral health. Visiting the dentist frequently should be taken into consideration like other things that you do regularly. It can be a good investment when looking back in the future. It will give you a bright smile. There are a number of crucial aspects to take into account when choosing the ideal one to support the maintenance of strong teeth. Making sure the dental you choose can also be confusing. To help you along, consider the following:

Seek Recommendations

Start by asking friends and family for recommendations in Dentist Collingwood, as they can provide valuable insights based on their own experiences with local dentists. They might visit their dentist regularly and can suggest someone with extensive experience. Speaking with several dentists before deciding is usually a good idea. Avoid making a hasty decision; instead, take your time to research thoroughly. Check the portfolio of potential dentists online to ensure they have a good reputation with previous patients. Make a list of recommended dentists and contact their clinics to schedule consultations.

Free Consultation

Some Dental Clinic Collingwood offer free consultations to their visits, as it’s one good way to attract more customers. Here, it is beneficial for people as well as dentists. People can use this to get free dental consultations and get themselves checked regarding dental concerns and also clear their doubts. This tend to provide an overview of the dental and dentist for the visitors. As for dentists, this will help in improving their reputation in and around the city about their clinic.

Uses of Technology and Equipment

Who doesn’t love Modern technology? Advanced equipments are installed by the dentists in this generation. Look for these things as they help in an easy process, and helps patients to complete the dental procedures in a hassle-free manner with utmost comfort. Using advanced technology, you can benefit from many things like cost, improved results, and same-day outcomes. This approach will help you find a well-qualified dentist you can trust. Make sure to discuss the things with dental that you need.

Accessible Dental Solutions

Finding affordable practices is one of the difficult things when one starts to look for recommendations. When you get a piece of information about a dental, you obviously look for affordability. By eliminating lengthy procedures, investing in timely treatment can ultimately result in financial savings. The amount of money needed out of budget for standard and emergency dental care can be greatly decreased by having insurance for your dentistry. Seek plans that provide comprehensive coverage for unforeseen circumstances, rehabilitative, and early detection.

Nothing but the best care for you, with no ulterior motives

Dental clinics offer a customer-oriented approach, where patient’s words are taken seriously. Without thinking anything, one can get a good consultation. Tailored recommendations are also given by dentists based on the person’s needs and oral health. It's critical that you and your dentist communicate openly and address any concerns you may have regarding the state of your teeth and available treatments. So, Transparent information is shared among with patients by dentists to avoid confusion and better understanding. A comfortable environment has been provided to make sure patients are being comfortable and valued.

Ending with the conclusion

PROSMILES dentists play a crucial role in helping people maintain good oral health, which is essential for overall well-being. Do your research before selecting a Dental Collingwood to make sure you get high-quality care. Dentists are available to assist you in making well-informed choices regarding your oral health. Their main priorities are your dental health and delight, so you can be sure you'll leave with gorgeous, wholesome teeth.

#dentist collingwood #dental clinic collingwood #collingwood dentist #dental collingwood

0 notes

skinsort · 11 months

Text

Selling Skins

My last post contained a lot of thoughts on skinning, the attitude towards coders in the rpc, and what we're actually paying for when we buy a skin. I kind of left it off with a so what, and a promise to talk more about my approach going forward. My thoughts on that are below.

Having made a completely original skin, and realizing how much time and effort it requires if I'm not doing derivative work every time, I also realized that doing customs makes no sense for me. There's no universe where that works out to be a reasonable use of my time- not just because the compensation is so far out of line with what I would normally charge for my skillset, but because I also wouldn't even be working on things I was necessarily interested in. I'm willing to discount my work to help the community in general- but only if I'm not treating it like an actual job, with clients telling me what to do and dictating the creative direction of my skinning. I don't want to deal with all that.

That said, there's some reasonable talk about what multisales and their value once they've been sold dozens of times. I think there's a sweet spot to be found there with limited multisales. Doing it that way allows a coder to make a reasonable amount of money in return for their time and skill, while also making sure that anyone who buys their skin won't be using it in an oversaturated field, full of other versions of the same thing. My plan moving forwards is to choose designs and new approaches which are interesting to me, fun for me to code, and likely different structurally each time. I probably won't be working off a base very often. I will be striving in every skin to deliver something which is (to me) a near-professional level of work- with responsive, intuitive accessible, performant designs. Because of this, I'll be pricing higher than most multisales. Most skins I see look very aesthetic at large screensizes, and simply don't function well in any other way. I can't code like that, it's simply not in my bones. So, given that, I will probably charge around $100 for a full skin, selling it up to ten times depending on the amount of time I spent on creating it. I will always fix any bugs which are found in a skin of mine, and I'll do a first time install for free. I think that's a situation which is most fair to everyone involved. There's a certain amount of uniqueness for the purchaser which doesn't require an exorbitant amount of money to commission me. I get to work on things I actually like and enjoy coding. I can hold myself to a standard I'm happy with in the work without drastically undervaluing myself or asking any one person to compensate me for that standard. Admins can actually afford a skin which rises to an high level on stuff that usually gets ignored. And if the way I code doesn't appeal, so be it, there's no butting heads over aesthetic preferences. I'll probably catch some flak for talking about my work this way, or pricing it along these lines, to which I can only shrug. I've worked in software development for a long time now on top of my education. I know what my time is worth, and I know how much I'm already giving away for free doing it this way. This is the structure I can feel good about, and I hope that as I start to release skins the people who purchase them feel like they got what they hoped and expected they would. If that doesn't seem to be the case I'll reevaluate- but honestly if I can't find a happy medium between using my time well and delivering a good product, I'll probably go back to just coding new skins as needed for myself. Anyway, those are my thoughts on how I'd like to balance providing a service and preserving my sanity as I start to skin for the rpc. I hope that makes a reasonable amount of sense to people, and I look forward to bring things live in the new year!

#meta

0 notes

agencyxs747 · 1 year

Text

Why Hire a Professional Event Planner?

Doing it yourself may seem a good way to save money, but sometimes paying someone with industry connections saves you even more and ensures that your event is successful.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: Marketing events Houston, Brand activation Houston, Corporate party planner, Corporate event planner Houston & Houston corporate events.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://xs.agency/

Hiring an event planner may seem, to many people, to be an unnecessary and added expense. However, precisely the opposite is true. An event planner can save you large amounts of money, in proportion to the size of your event.

You may be thinking of planning and handling your own event. Before you do so, bear in mind that the total amount of money you end up paying may exceed what you would otherwise have paid, plus the added service of an event planner. This is because you can benefit from many discounts and perks that an event planner has access to.

Here are 5 ways that an event planner can save you money.

1. Professional Network

It's the job of event planners to retain a network of suppliers and vendors that they regularly deal with, from venues to flower suppliers to catering, among others. This special relationship enables the event planner to get discounts and deals that you may not get by going directly to the suppliers yourself.

For example, a supplier may give you a quote of $4,000. However, an event planner who shares history with the same supplier, or even better ones who can give the same package, can perhaps get the same package for only $3,200. You benefit because you pay less for what you want, and the savings can go to the fee of the event planner.

2. Savings on Hotel Costs

You may want to book a block of rooms with a specific hotel, along with a conference room within the hotel itself. To save on costs, you can ask your event planner to refund the commission that the planner might normally get from the hotel. This can save you a chunk of money, dependent on the size of your event.

Plus, event planners have strong relationships with hotel sales managers, so they are more likely to get a better deal than you would.

3. Negotiation Skills

A good event planner will know what is important to the venue that you are booking, and should be able to negotiate a mutually beneficial contract for both you and the venue.

For example, the event planner can negotiate complimentary services, reduced rates on rooms, upgrades, or perhaps lower rates or free use of meeting rooms.

4. Added Discounts

Because event planners handle multiple events, vendors and suppliers value the business these planners bring and oftentimes provide better pricing, with a special discount for the event planner. You can ask your event planner if the added discounts they get from their vendors can be passed on to you.

5. Time and Stress

They say time is money, and an event planner saves you time so that you can do other things that may be more important to you. You also have peace of mind in knowing that someone is taking care of the details of your event in a professional manner.

Others say that health is wealth. An event planner eliminates stress, especially in times of unexpected emergencies. For example, what if you planned an outdoor event and it suddenly rained? A good event planner will have trained staff and have a backup plan to handle such an emergency.

Please feel free to visit us at: https://xs.agency/

0 notes

tcx-mania · 1 year

Text

Grateful AF

I just needed to take this moment to be thankful. Thankful for all that I have.

My body which aches and tells me that I'm alive and reminding me that my health is important. It bears me the ability to move and partake in activities that I enjoy and allow me to make a difference in this world with ease. My teeth which are imperfectly there and holding strong reminding me that I must take care of them. My hair which is strong and healthy and beautiful making me feel feminine and powerful. My eyes and senses which allow me to be in touch with and interact with the world in a way that is irreplaceable.

My brain which can take in new information and my mind that has the desire to learn and grow. A mind that is accepting of challenges and has the ability to see things in ways that others can't. That tries to find the good in all and give the benefit of the doubt.

My spirit which can remain positive even during trials and tribulations and has a desire for fun, experience, and learning, and has the ability to reflect and forgive myself when I fall short of my own expectations and others'.

My job which is challenging to my knowledge, intellect, learning, skills reminding me that I am a little fish in a big pond that can make a difference with the right amount of ambition and discipline. Where I'm surrounded by a culture of people and coworkers who love nature and fun and kindness and try their best inspiring me to be a higher level. And a boss that I hold dearly in my heart and look up to and respect.

My home which needs cleaning and maintenance remind me that I have warmth and safety and that good things come with a price. A place that connects me to my family and gives me the space I need to express myself and feel at home.

Clean water in "abundance" that I can so easily take for granted for cleaning, showering, and drinking. Clean air that I can breathe in-- free of a mask. Containing the air and molecules breathed in my my ancestors and all those before me. Ordinary and extraordinary all the same.

The Internet and smartphones which provide access to unlimited information and software that can spread knowledge of nearly anything you could ask for. Reminding me of the blessing I have for speed of communication and education at my fingertips if I'm willing to look carefully.

My car which allows me to not only get from place to place, but brings me there in a way that I can pass safely. It's loud sounds reminding me that I am in a car and traveling with speed and that driving is fun. Giving me an accessible way to feel the wind on my face and enjoy peace and time to myself. Where I can meditate and think and find solace.

My country that I live in which has blessed me with the freedom of expression and a place I can feel accepted and grants the opportunity to work hard and contribute to society and earn money that I can spend however I want and have food to eat and feed my loved ones. A government that isn't perfect and teaches us that there is always more room for growth and progress and revolution, but allows us the space to try to make a difference.

A world that has strange and wonderful unimaginable beauty. A place where different creatures with unique strengths and weakness that remind me that being different is a necessary part of life and a spectacle at that. Where mother nature is in charge and will thrive above all. Where one can realize the divinity of interconnectedness and love. Where all experiences that us as humans take place. A world that I am grateful to be a part of and reminds me that my life is short and must be lived. That anything good in this world comes with working hard, giving love, and having strength in self and others.

My living parents and brothers and sisters who are all unique and important to me-- each of them holding a piece of my heart. I wish them health, love, discipline, strength, wisdom, adaptability, peace, and happiness. They have shaped me both indirectly and directly into the person I am today. My extended family that I'm so proud to be related to and show me different sides of life.

Friends that accept me and act as a mirror to the person I am. Who are honest and helpful. Who share my different passions and laugh with me. Who want me to succeed and open my mind up to new ideas. Who I can count on when I really need the hand.

My daughter who teaches me so much every single day and walks each step in life as her own person. She embodies kindness, compassion, charity, love, brilliance, creativity, femininity, strength, patience, and fun. She empowers me to be an amazing role model and challenge myself and the characteristics I may have inherited so I can exercise virtues and heighten my emotional intelligence and encompass patience and find ways to cope with my feelings so that someday she can learn it through me and realize her true potential, encapsulate the essence of love, express herself authentically, and help others to do the same.

My boyfriend who loves me for who I am and makes me feel beautiful and wanted. His sweet touches that brush my hair or my back and holds me in a way that no other has ever done. With consideration and thoughtfulness providing me security in ways I never imagined feeling. And finally feeling heard and cared for by someone who wants me to grow and succeed. He grants me the independence and freedom that I need to become the person I was meant to become. A man who teaches me what it means to be a good partner.

There are so many things in this world I am thankful for and I couldn't possibly name them all, but for each of them I am blessed. Cheers to gratitude and happiness.

#writtenbytcc #taylorcheylyncrossman

0 notes

creditsin · 2 years

Text

Apply for personal loan online

Apply For Personal Loan Online

CreditsIn offers you a personal loan from multiple banks and NBFC’s with attractive interest rates and quick disbursals, CreditsIn also Offers You exciting rewards and cash back, You can also refer your friends and family and earn cashback.

A personal loan is an unsecured loan that enables you to get a loan for your personal use. These Unsecured loans are available to you without any type of security. Personal loans can be used for a variety of expenses, such as weddings, travel, paying off credit card debt, etc. Without going through lengthy procedures, the loan is approved as soon as possible.

Types Of Personal Loan

Travel Loan

A travel loan is provided to cover the travel expenses, You can apply for a travel or vacation personal loan if you wish to take a trip or vacation but need money for it. For instance, if you want to go on vacation but don't have the money, you might apply for a personal loan.

Wedding Loan

A wedding loan can help you if you or a member of your family is getting married and you need money to cover the event's costs personal loan can help

Debt Consolidation Loan

This loan option helps you to clear multiple debts at once, You would just have to service the loan that you have taken out, and you would only have to make one EMI rather than several. Your credit card debt might be effectively consolidated with a debt consolidation loan. You can use a debt consolidation personal loan to pay down your overall debt if you have unpaid balances on several credit cards.

Medical Loan

Medical loans are provided in the case of emergency to pay for your medical emergency. This circumstance can occur if there is any difficulty in settling your health insurance claim with your insurer.

Top-up Loan

Top-up loans are often intended for current borrowers who require more funds on top of their current personal loans. Such loans are available to you during the loan's term.

Personal Loan Balance Transfer

Let's assume that you are currently repaying a personal loan. You believe, however, that the interest rate levied by your lender is no longer affordable for you. You can choose to transfer the amount of your personal loan to a different lender with a cheaper interest rate in this circumstance.

Advantages Of Personal Loan

Attractive Interest Rates

Competitive interest rates are offered on personal loans. As a result, you can take advantage of low EMIs. The interest rate is typically fixed.

Quick Approval

Personal loans are easy nowadays they can avail of personal loans on the same day if they have a good credit score.

Collateral Free

Personal loans are unsecured, so you can avail without any security, Its very easy to avail of a personal loan compared to other loans.

Minimum Documents

The fact that there are fewer documentation requirements for online personal loans is one of their main benefits.

Build Credit Score

Particularly if you are new to credit or have a low credit score, accessible personal loans are an excellent way to increase your credit score.

Flexible Tenure

A flexible repayment schedule is one of the features of personal loans that appeals to potential customers.

How To Apply For Personal Loan In CreditsIn

➢ It only takes a few minutes for applying for a business loan

➢ Just click on apply online download the creditsin app

➢ Register with creditsin

➢ Share your basic information and submit

➢ Our team will reach out to you for the further loan process

FAQ’s Frequently Asked Questions

What is the document required for applying for a personal loan?

When you apply for a personal loan these are the basic documents required, it may vary from bank to bank

➢ Identity proof

➢ Proof of address

➢ Income proof

➢ Business proof (for self-employed)

➢ Other documents if the lender requested

#personal loans #apply loan online #personal loan app

0 notes

pharmacyfromukraine · 2 years

Text

How To Save Money When Buying Medicines Online?

High costs in life are often simpler to identify than regular, minor ones. Consider the cost of healthcare as an example. To ensure that your finances remain solid in a medical emergency, you most likely purchased medical insurance with a high insured amount and critical illness coverage.

However, how often have you considered how much money you spend on routine medications for common ailments like a cold, fever, headache, or minor scrapes and bruises? Additionally, they are cyclical. You probably do not give much thought to the cost of the prescription drugs you need to treat high blood pressure or high blood sugar. But these little costs pile up. Because of this, this article goes into detail on ways to reduce your pharmaceutical expenses.

How to Reduce the Cost of Your Medications –

Look for Cheap Generics

Find Online Pharmacy Stores that provide generic medications at reasonable prices. On their websites, several retail pharmacies advertise a generic list of medications with prices as low as $4 for a month’s supply and $10 for a three-month supply. Ask your doctor to write your prescription for a 90-day supply so that you may get the cheaper 3-month supply. Ask about free generic antibiotics or courses offered by several retail food store corporations.

Discuss cost with your healthcare providers

If your doctor has prescribed any medications that need a co-pay, let your doctor know that you prefer generic medicines with minimal co-pays. Since you must contribute to the whole cost in the case of co-insurance, the lower the cost, the less co-insurance you will be required to pay. Drugs purchased over the counter (OTC) or without a prescription are not covered by insurance but are often less priced.

Compare prices

It is best to examine rates given by several pharmacies if you have not chosen a co-pay and must pay the entire cost of the drug since prices might vary depending on the number of medications and region. Additionally, if you are a frequent customer, your pharmacist may be able to deliver your medications at a reasonable price.

Request a generic medication

Ask for the generic version of any prescription that your doctor prescribes. Generic medications cost at least 30 to 80 percent less than brand-name medications while having the same active components and therapeutic effects. Today, many well-known branded medications are also accessible in generic form. Examples include medications for heartburn, cholesterol-lowering statins, non-sedating antihistamines, and several medications for Type 2 diabetes. Generic medications have received FDA approval as being both secure and efficient.

Search for patient assistance initiatives

Some patient assistance organizations provide free or inexpensive medications if you are unable to afford to purchase your medications. They also provide free or low co-pays for several prescription medications. The websites of several pharmaceutical firms often provide information on patient assistance programs.

Request free samples of medications

Frequently, prescription drugs are offered as free samples by physicians. You may ask your doctor for the same thing, and if the medications are brand-name, see if there are any generic alternatives. If the brand-name medication is costly and there is no generic alternative, you could have to pay after the expired trial period. If there is a generic alternative, there is no need to purchase the pricey brand-name medication. Generic medications work just as well.

Coupons for savings

Several drugstores and pharmacies provide discount coupons or other incentives for some medications. It’s possible that certain prescriptions, such as those for anxiety disorders, don’t qualify for discount coupons. Ask the pharmacist for a discount if you don’t have a discount coupon. There are internal discounts for prescription medications at several chain pharmacies.

Only purchase reputable and reliable medications

Shopping from an online medical shop might be fast, convenient, and cost-effective, but it can also be unsafe. Verify the online pharmacy store’s legitimacy. Avoid purchasing Divigel, Divigel Estrogen Gel, and Glimepiride Tablets from dubious websites because you risk receiving incorrect or phony medications or even expired meds.

Examine the Co-Pay for Your Medications

The portion of a claim settlement you must pay while the insurer covers the balance is known as a co-pay or co-payment. Ask your insurer about the “copay tiers” on your health plan before you purchase any prescription medications. These copay levels differ for branded pharmaceuticals, preferred drugs, and generic drugs (first tier, second tier) (and 3rd tier). You may sometimes pay more for the co-pay than you would if you paid for the medication out of pocket. Therefore, get your insurer’s pharmacy formulary, or the list of covered medications, from them. Ask your insurance company regarding co-pays for your prescriptions if you are still unsure of the price. Your pharmacist may assist with copays and suggest less expensive but potent substitutes.

Conclusion

Your costs may be significant if you use branded pharmaceuticals or long-term treatments. But by using the above advice, you may save costs on prescription medications. You may also ask your healthcare professional for free samples, generic choices, or cost-effective substitutes. Medical insurance is necessary to safeguard your finances in a medical emergency, regardless of whether you are taking medicine or not.

If you want to save more on buying Benzyl Benzoate and other medicine, visit our website.

#BenzylBenzoate #GlimepirideTablets

0 notes

solutionpiner · 2 years

Text

Packrat storage reviews

#PACKRAT STORAGE REVIEWS PORTABLE#

#PACKRAT STORAGE REVIEWS FREE#

Provides 404 cubic feet of space and can accommodate one to two rooms of furniture.ġ2-foot container – The size of a 10’ x 10’ storage room. You have your choice of three different container sizes with 1-800-PACK-RAT, and you can mix and match sizes to ensure you get the right amount of space for your stuff.Ĩ-foot container – The size of an 8’ x 8’ storage room. Note however that this perk does not apply in the state of North Carolina. According to their website, if you find a lower price for the same service with another provider, 1-800-PACK-RAT will beat it. They’re not usually posted online though, so be sure to call and ask about specials.īest price guarantees. In addition to regularly offering promotions for college students, members of the military, first responders, teachers, medical workers, and seniors, you can almost always score some type of discount when you call to book your service. 1-800-PACK-RAT isn’t stingy when it comes to discounts.

#PACKRAT STORAGE REVIEWS FREE#

Another bonus: you get 30 days of free on-site or warehouse storage with moving services, which is a steal if you’re not going immediately to your new home.Īmple discounts. 1-800-PACK-RAT’s moving services include both local and long distance moves, and since they do pick-ups and deliveries seven days a week you can be sure they’ll work around your schedule-and not the other way around. Wherever you’re going, your storage container can meet you there.

#PACKRAT STORAGE REVIEWS PORTABLE#

All 1-800-PACK-RAT portable moving and storage containers are made of steel and are completely weatherproof, which means you won’t have to worry about moisture or rodents damaging your belongings while they’re in storage. Here are some of the special features that help this provider stay ahead in the industry. If you’re looking for a portable storage and moving company that can do it all and give you a discount in the process, then 1-800-PACK-RAT could be a great choice. It’s also a good solution if you need to clear out room in your house during a renovation project, since you can store your container right in your driveway. These service options are great for storage and local and long distance moves for general consumers, as well as for corporate relocations and storage. Other services include auto transport and full-service capabilities if you need help loading or unloading your portable container. With 1-800-PACK-RAT, you can choose from one of four options for your moving and storage container: That’s good news if you live somewhere remote or simply don’t have a nearby facility, though it might cost you more for pick-up or delivery to a non-central site. The company says they service 97% of the country and are willing to do what they can to ensure you have access. The company is also partnered with Lowe’s Home Improvement and many Lowe’s stores keep 1-800-PACK-RAT containers on sight, so you can see exactly what they look like before you commit-or you can use their online space calculator to determine what you’ll need.Ĭan’t find a 1-800-PACK-RAT location near you? You’re still in luck. If you don’t feel like paying for a bigger storage container than you need (and why would you?), then you’ll be glad to know that 1-800-PACK-RAT offers three different sizes. And while it’s not always the cheapest option upfront when it comes to portable storage and moving containers, these discounts can help offset the cost so that you end up saving more than you would with another provider. One of their key defining features is a commitment to discounts and deals, with regular promotions that make it easy to save money on service. 1-800-PACK-RAT: The Basicsįounded in 2003, 1-800-PACK-RAT is one of the leading moving and storage container companies, growing from three to fifty locations in its first two years and now offering locations in 30 states. To help you out, we’ve put together this quick guide to 1-800-PACK-RAT, including pricing, size options, and what sets its apart from the competition. While the services offered by 1-800-PAT-RACK are similar to its competitors, there are still differentiating factors that you should consider when deciding whether it’s the right moving and storage provider for your needs. This type of service can be a good alternative to hiring full-service movers, especially if you’re trying to save some money on your relocation. Similar to PODS, SMARTBOX, and U-Pack, 1-800-PAT-RACK allows you to rent a large container, fill it up with your stuff, and then have it shipped to your new home or stored for a set period of time. 1-800-PACK-RAT specializes in portable storage containers, which are growing in popularity as one of the most popular-and affordable-moving and storage solutions. If you’re looking for moving services then you’ve probably come across 1-800-PACK-RAT, a moving and storage provider that offers options for both local and long distance moves.

#Packrat storage reviews

0 notes

respectable-username · 3 years

Text

🔐 Why You (Probably) Don't Need A VPN

A rant by a software engineer sick of VPN ads from her favourite YouTubers

TL;DR:

Here are some legitimate reasons the average internet user might want to use a VPN:

To connect to their company's internal network

To bypass the Great Firewall of China (or other types of website blocks at country or organisation level)

To watch Netflix etc as if you were in another country

Here are absolutely rubbish reasons to use a VPN:

Privacy

And today, I'll tell you why.

Hang on, won't a VPN stop hackers from stealing my passwords?

I mean, it does encrypt the web traffic coming from your device.

You know what else encrypts web traffic coming from your device? Your browser.

Yes, in the year 2021, pretty much all websites on the internet are accessed over HTTPS. The "S" stands for "secure", as in "your request will be securely encrypted". If your browser is using HTTPS, nobody can capture the data you're sending over the internet. More detail in the "I like too much detail" section at the bottom of this post.

It's very easy to check if you are using HTTPS by looking at your URL bar. In most browsers, it will have a lock on it if secure:

(From top left to bottom right: Chrome on iOS, Safari on iOS, Chrome on Windows, Edge on Windows, Firefox on Windows, and Safari on Mac. Screenshots reflect the UI at the time this post was written. Oh gosh this has taken over 4 hours to write.)

But isn't moar encryption better? What if somebody breaks HTTPS?

For starters, nobody's breaking your HTTPS, and there isn't any benefit from double encrypting. This is because of the maths behind encryption/decryption!

Encryption works kinda like a lock and key, except the lock is maths and the key is a special number only known to the person allowed to unlock the information.

The important thing is, without the key, all the locked data looks like complete and utter garbage. Completely unusable. Barely distinguishable from random noise. There's absolutely no way to tell what the original data was.

The other important thing is that the key is nearly unguessable. As in, with current technology, will generally take more than the lifetime of the universe to guess by chance. And when technology gets faster, we just make the numbers bigger again until they're once again secure.

For any major website you use, they will use a strong encryption algorithm (ie lock) with big numbers so your keys will be strong enough to withstand an attack. This means your data is safe as long as that lock icon is in your URL bar.

A VPN will not make the existing garble any more garbled. The extra $10/month or whatever you're paying for does not buy you any extra protection.

If you want to know more about how encryption and HTTPS in particular work, see the "I like too much detail" section at the end of this post.

Something something viruses

How's a VPN going to stop viruses? It controls the path your internet traffic takes, not the content that gets sent down that path. I guess it could block some known virus-giving hosts? But if it's known to the VPN provider, it's probably also known to the built-in antivirus on your computer who can block it for you.

(Oh yeah, 3rd party antivirus is another thing that's not worth paying for these days. Microsoft's built-in Windows Defender is as good as the third party options, and something something Macs don't get viruses easily because of how they're architected.)

Honestly though, keep your software up to date, don't click on anything suspicious, don't open files from sources you don't trust, and you'll be right most of the time.

And keep your software up to date. Then update your software. Hey, did I mention keeping your stuff updated? Update! Now! It only takes a few minutes. Please update to the latest version of your software I'm begging you. It's the number 1 way to protect yourself from viruses and other malware. Most major software attacks could have been prevented if people just updated their damn software!

But my ISP is spying on me!

Ok, it is true that there are TWO bits of data that HTTPS can't and won't hide. Those are:

The source of a request (your IP)

What website that request is going to (the website's IP)

These are the bits of information that routers use to know where to send your data, so of course they can't be hidden as the data is moving across the internet. And people can see that information very easily if they want to.

Note: this will show which website you're going to, but not which page you're looking at, and not the content of that page. So it will show that you were on Tumblr, but will not show anyone that you're still reading SuperWhoLock content in 2021.

It's this source/destination information that VPNs hide, which is why they can be used to bypass website blocks and region locks.

By using a VPN, those sniffing traffic on your side of the VPN will just show you connecting to the VPN, not the actual website you want. That means you can read AO3 at work/school without your boss/teachers knowing (unless they look over your shoulder of course).

As for those sniffing on the websites end, including the website itself, they will see the VPN as the source of the connection, not you. So if you're in the US and using a VPN node in the UK, Netflix will see you as being in the UK and show you their British library rather than the American one.

If this is what you're using a VPN for and you think the price is fair, then by all means keep doing it! This is 100% what VPNs are good for.

HOWEVER, and this is a big "however", if it's your ISP you're trying to hide your internet traffic from, then you will want to think twice before using a VPN.

Let me put it this way. Without a VPN, your ISP knows every website you connect to and when. With a VPN, do you know who has that exact same information? The VPN provider. Sure, many claim to not keep logs, but do you really trust the people asking for you to send them all your data for a fee to not just turn around and sell your data on for a profit, or worse?

In effect, you're trading one snooper for another. One snooper is heavily regulated, in many jurisdictions must obey net neutrality, and is already getting a big fee from you regardless of where you browse. The other isn't. Again, it's all a matter of who you trust more.

For me personally, I trust my ISP more than a random VPN provider, if for no other reason than my ISP is an old enough company with enough inertia and incompetence that I don't think they could organise to sell my data even if they wanted to. And with the amount of money I'm paying them per month, they've only got everything to lose if they broke consumer trust by on-selling that data. So yeah, I trust my ISP more with my privacy than the random VPN company.

But my VPN comes with a password manager!

Password managers are great. I 100% recommend you use a password manager. If there's one thing you could do right now to improve your security (other than updating your software, speaking of, have you updated yet?), it's getting and using a password manager.

Password managers also come for free.

I'm currently using LastPass free, but am planning to switch after they did a bad capitalism and only let their free accounts access either laptop or mobile but not both now. I personally am planning to move to Bitwarden on friends' recommendation since it's not only free but open source and available across devices. I also have friends who use passbolt and enjoy it, which is also free and open source, but it's also a bit DIY to set up. Great if you like tinkering though! And there are probably many other options out there if you do a bit of googling.

So, yeah, please use a password manager, but don't pay for it unless you actually have use for the extra features.

No I really need to hide my internet activity from everybody for reasons

In this case, you're probably looking for TOR. TOR is basically untraceable. It's also a terrible user experience for the most part because of this, so I'd only recommend it if you need it, such as if you're trying to escape the Great Firewall. But please don't use it for Bad Crimes. I am not to be held liable for any crime committed using information learned from this post.

Further reading viewing

If you want to know more about why you don't need a VPN, see Tom Scott's amazing video on the subject. It's honestly a great intro for beginners.

I like too much detail

Ahhh, so you're the type of person who doesn't get turned off by long explanations I see. Well, here's a little more info on the stuff I oversimplified in the main post about encryption. Uhh, words get bigger and more jargony in this section.

So first oversimplification: the assumption that all web traffic is either HTTP or HTTPS. This isn't exactly true. There are many other application layer internet standards out there, such as ssh, ftp, websockets, and all the proprietary standards certain companies use for stuff such as streaming and video conferencing. Some of these are secure, using TLS or some other security algorithm under the hood, and some of them aren't.

But most of the web requests you care about are HTTP/HTTPS calls. As for the rest, if they come from a company of a decent size that hasn't been hacked off the face of the planet already, they're probably also secure. In other words, you don't need to worry about it.

Next, we've already said that encryption works as a lock and a key, where the lock is a maths formula and the key is a number. But how do we get that key to lock and unlock the data?

Well, to answer that, we first need to talk about the two different types of encryption: symmetric and asymmetric. Symmetric encryption such as AES uses the same key to both encrypt and decrypt data, whereas asymmetric encryption such as RSA uses a different key to encode and decode.

For the sake of my writing, we're going to call the person encrypting Alice, the person decrypting Bob, and the eavesdropper trying to break our communications Eve from now on. These are standard names in crypto FYI. Also, crypto is short for cryptography not cryptocurrencies. Get your Bitcoin and Etherium outta here!

Sorry if things start getting incoherent. I'm tired. It's after 1am now.

So first, how do we get the key from symmetric crypto? This is probably the easier place to start. Well, you need a number, any number of sufficient size, that both Alice and Bob know. There are many ways you could share this number. They could decide it when they meet in person. They could send it to each other using carrier pigeons. Or they could radio it via morse code. But those aren't convenient, and somebody could intercept the number and use it to read all their messages.

So what we use instead is a super clever algorithm called Diffie-Hellman, which uses maths and, in particular, the fact it's really hard to factor large numbers (probably NP Hard to be specific, but there's no actual proof of that). The Wikipedia page for this is surprisingly easy to read, so I'll just direct you there to read all about it because I've been writing for too long. This algorithm allows Alice and Bob to agree on a secret number, despite Eve being able to read everything they send each other.

Now Alice and Bob have this secret number key, they can talk in private. Alice puts her message and the key into the encryption algorithm and out pops what looks like a load of garbage. She can then send this garbage to Bob without worrying about Eve being able to read it. Bob can then put the garbage and the key into the decryption algorithm to undo the scrambling and get the original message out telling him where the good donuts are. Voila, they're done!

But how does Alice know that she's sending her message to Bob and not Eve? Eve could pretend to be Bob so that Alice does the Diffie-Hellman dance with her instead and sends her the secret location of the good donuts instead.

This is where asymmetric crypto comes in! This is the one with private and public keys, and the one that uses prime numbers.

I'm not 100% across the maths on this one TBH, but it has something to do with group theory. Anyway, just like Diffie-Hellman, it relies on the fact that prime factorisation is hard, and so it does some magic with semi-primes, ie numbers with only 2 prime factors other than 1. Google it if you want to know more. I kinda zoned out of this bit in my security courses. Maths hard

But the effect of that maths is easier to explain: things that are encoded with one of the keys can only be decoded with the other key. This means that one of those keys can be well-known to the public and the other is known only to the person it belongs to.

If Alice wants to send a message to Bob and just Bob, no Eve allowed, she can first look up Bob's public key and encrypt a beginning message with that. Once Bob receives the message, he can decrypt it with his private key and read the contents. Eve can't read the contents though because, even though she has Bob's public key, she doesn't know his private key.

This public key information is what the lock in your browser is all about BTW. It's saying that the website is legit based on the public key they provide.

So why do we need symmetric crypto when we have asymmetric crypto? Seems a lot less hassle to exchange keys with asymmetric crypto.

Well, it's because asymmetric crypto is slooooow. So, in TLS, the security algorithm that puts the "S" in "HTTPS", asymmetric RSA is used to establish the initial connection and figure out what symmetric key to use, and then the rest of the session uses AES symmetric encryption using the agreed secret key.

And there you have it! Crypto in slightly-less-short-but-still-high-enough-level-that-I-hope-you-understand.

Just realised how long this section is. Well, I did call it "too much detail" for a reason.

Now, next question is what exactly is and isn't encrypted using HTTPS.

Well, as I said earlier, it's basically just the source IP:port and the destination IP:port. In fact, this information is actually communicated on the logical layer below the application layer HTTPS is on, known as the transport layer. Again, as I said before, you can't really encrypt this unless you don't want your data to reach the place you want at all.

Also, DNS is unencrypted. A DNS request is a request that turns a domain name, such as tumblr.com, into an IP address, by asking a special server called a Domain Name Server where to find the website you're looking for. A DNS request is made before an HTTP(S) request. Anyone who can read your internet traffic can therefore tell you wanted to go to Tumblr.

But importantly, this only shows the domain name, not the full URL. The rest of the URL, the part after the third slash (the first two slashes being part of http://), is stuff that's interpreted by the server itself and so isn't needed during transport. Therefore, it encrypted and completely unreadable, just like all the content on your page.

I was going to show a Wireshark scan of a web request using HTTP and HTTPS to show you the difference, but this has taken long enough to write as it is, so sorry!

I could probably write more, but it's 1:30am and I'm sleepy. I hope you found some of this interesting and think twice before purchasing a VPN subscription. Again, there are legit good uses for a VPN, but they're not the ones primarily being advertised in VPN ads. It's the fact that VPN ads rely so heavily on false advertising that really grinds my gears and made me want to do this rant. It's especially bad when it comes from somebody I'd think of as technologically competent (naming no names here, but if you've worked in tech and still promote VPNs as a way to keep data safe... no). Feel free to ask questions if you want and hopefully I'll get around to answering any that I feel I know enough to answer.

Nighty night Tumblr. Please update your software. And use a (free) password manager. And enable two factor authentication on all your accounts. But mostly just update your software.

#technology #vpn #things you don't need #things that piss me off #res rambles #res writes

577 notes · View notes

nanowrimo · 2 years

Text

Community Fundraising Means Showing Up for Each Other

Let’s talk interdependence and donor support today with our Director of Community Fundraising, Allison Celosia. She wants you to feel empowered as a returning or first-time donor to NaNoWriMo and our broader literary arts community.

Image id: A yellow and teal graphic of a bar chart entitled “FY22 Annual Budget USD $1.4 Million.” There are four bars, from left to right Corporate Partners 21%, Community Donors 46%, Store Merch 20%, and Affiliate Income 13%.

Did you know that NaNoWriMo is story-powered by more than 8,000 individual donors every year? In fact, more than 45% of our annual revenue comes from community members like you.

This year, our annual operating budget is $1.4M… aka, we have to raise $1.4M in funding to sustain our amazing community and writing programs. (For the super math nerds, that’s more than $600K from community members alone. Whoa! That’s donor power!)

This annual budget plan ensures that we offer our programs free-of-cost to all our participants. We want to provide everyone access to their stories, to their imagination, to the overall joy of writing and reading. Eliminating a paywall is one HUGE way we can do that for our community.

But ahh, what does that look like in context with everything going on in the world? We’re seeing news headlines about the highest U.S. inflation rate in 40 years. This means a carton of eggs is 3 times the price as it was last year, gasoline is USD $7 per gallon in some cities… the list of commodity price pain points are endless. Same goes in the U.K., Canada, Germany, India, and so many other countries where Wrimos live, work, and write.

For me as a community fundraiser, historic inflation rates might spark fear and anxiety. I might feel pressure to “do whatever it takes to get that cash.” But that’s not me! I’m an abundance mindset fundraiser. I’m a humanity-comes-first fundraiser. I’m good with reorienting our metrics to better reflect our economic reality because at the end of the day, I know that our community—myself, the rest of the NaNo staff and board, and all of our 8,000 donors and counting—are doing the best we can to invest in the good health of our creative community.

We are about to enter our fall fundraising season with two big campaigns ready to mobilize all our community resources: NaNo Prep and our Double Up Donation Weekend. In a few weeks, I will be inviting all of us to give within our means, and that is really an invitation to be thoughtful about your own financial power and privilege.

For many of us, it means donating to NaNoWriMo this year might look a lot different.

Maybe you want to give, but feel pressured to give at a certain amount and it has frozen you from making any contribution at all. My response is, “That’s fine! Would moving to a monthly recurring donation help ease the financial commitment? That way, it’s not a lump sum donation but a smaller donation once a month.”

Maybe your donor interests lie elsewhere this year because of, well… gestures at the state of the world. My response, “Awesome! Do you want help budgeting, so you can make meaningful donations to all the causes that matter to you? We can do that!”

Maybe you are straight up mad that rent is high and groceries are more expensive, and you don’t wanna hear from me asking for money. My response, “I hear you. I’m a renter in Los Angeles, and am feeling similar pains. Fundraising can feel extractive. After reading Edgar Villanueva’s Decolonizing Wealth as a staff team, we learned that we could reframe money as a tool for building love and restoration, rather than for punishment or penalty. You’re an important member of this community, no matter your donation level or even if you donate zero zip zilch at all.

Ultimately, we hold each other accountable and we also hold each other tenderly when it comes to mobilizing donor dollars to sustain NaNoWriMo as an available, inclusive resource for hundreds of thousands of writers around the world.

The math of raising $600,000 from community donors doesn’t go away with hard times. We need those funds to keep our programs accessible and free-of-cost. Our annual budget covers personnel expenses, technology needs to support more than 350,000 Wrimos annually, and a merchandising store and fulfillment center to provide fun writers’ tools and goodies to support us along our writing journeys.

That’s when I remind myself that we’re a community first. We can rely on each other and step up wherever we can. Maybe this is the year we move from 8,000 donors to 10,000 donors to share the work of raising funds, maybe this is the year we build out more partnership drives to build resources with like-minded organizations and friends—the opportunities are limitless when we prioritize mutual support and interdependence as ways to sustain NaNoWriMo and our entire creative community.

Stay tuned, as I continue to wax poetic and bring more community support into our fundraising efforts here at NaNoWriMo.

Allison Celosia is a storyteller, written word mostly. She edits aloud in real time and trips over their native Bisaya (Filipine) tongue. Allison is also a movement building fundraiser who centers community relationships in their work. Outside of fundraising, they are active in local labor organizing. She makes challah bread with her own home-milled flour and reads bilingual children’s books with her nephew every chance they get.

#nanowrimo #writing #writing community #community centric fundraising #stats #by nano hq #allison celosia

15 notes · View notes

mylordshesacactus · 3 years

Text

Goals Only Matter In Soccer

A recurring theme I hear from people struggling to “figure out” roleplaying is that they feel their characters are flat, uninteresting, or that they’re otherwise bad at character creation because their characters don’t have “goals.” Or, as the flip side of that coin, that they themselves are bad roleplayers because they either can’t remember their characters’ goals, or can’t/don’t enjoy actually roleplaying those goals.

(A short break for shameless self-promotion: If you want some one-on-one assistance with character creation or are struggling to roleplay, I do one-hour consult sessions to give you specific help in tapping into your RPG character. You get tailored guidance with no attempts to tell you what you “should” do, and I get to ethically keep my therapeutic interviewing skills from getting rusty while in grad school limbo. Everyone wins!)

This is getting a bit esoteric. Let’s use some concrete examples.

Some common “goals” might be: A wizard whose goal is to become more powerful or gain a certain form of knowledge, a noble-born character whose goal is to restore their family’s name or wealth, or the evergreen goal of avenging a great wrong like the death of a loved one.

These are all great character goals! There is nothing wrong with having a character with a clear goal they work toward over the course of the game, and making a character with a clear goal is a great way to get started with roleplaying!

But it is only one method. And it’s not always appropriate.

I’m about to blow your damn mind: Characters don’t need goals.

The idea that a well-rounded character should always have a “goal” is pervasive, and honestly harmful to good character creation and roleplaying! And it’s even more difficult to overcome because if you look for roleplaying or character-building advice, “give them a goal” is generally one of the first bullet points. This is well-meaning, and it’s not bad advice. But if it leaves you feeling like your character is incomplete because they don’t have A Goal—or worse, feeling obligated to tack on a “goal” and struggle to prioritize it in roleplay—then it’s not helpful.

Characters do not need “goals”.

But all characters need motivations.

As usual, I’m going to use my own characters as an example so you don’t feel like I’m lecturing you. I think I only have one major D&D character who could be stated to have a “goal”--my halfling druid/fighter, who wants to repay her debt to the Circle so that she can make a clean and respectful break and live her own life without guilt.

But the others? Benny (Benevolence, but only her mom calls her that), my tiefling bard, doesn’t have a “goal” she works toward; in all honesty, her goal was her pre-campaign life. She likes being a travelling musician, she wants to perform and meet people across the continent! Rinda, my dwarven paladin, has five kids at home--her nieces and nephews, who she adopted after her sister’s tragic death in a mine collapse. She’s got no career ambition because she feels that chasing rank or prestige is inappropriate in a paladin, whose priority should be ordinary people and who needs to be accessible and grounded in the reality of the common folk. Her “goal” is to just keep being an honorable, mid-rank paladin and providing for her family.

That’s not remotely helpful in a tabletop RPG! Those are terrible “goals” for a character in a team-based game! If I followed general beginner RP advice and leaned into those goals, I’d end up that dreaded monstrosity, the player who says things like “but why would my character get involved? She would just let the town guard handle it”.

However, these characters’ motivations are a different story.

Benny doesn’t set out with the goal of becoming a hero; it’s not something she consciously works toward or considers a major aspiration. But she is responsible for what she allows, and at her core, Benevolence was well-named. She was raised by loving parents who taught her how to raise working animals and livestock ethically and with compassion, and who taught her the regret that comes of making selfish decisions. Helping others and minimizing suffering isn’t her life goal. She didn’t set out from home with a dream of being better than her parents, of putting good into the world instead of just mitigating the bad...but sometimes people really do just help others because it’s the right thing to do.

Rinda? Her driving purpose will always be her family. Caring for them is her goal, the thing she intentionally prioritizes, the thing she actively works for. But her motivations are not the same thing. Yes, she wants to stay close to take care of her kids...but her responsibilities as a paladin are important to. She’s a protector who swore an oath, and her children are not more important than children in the next city over who will suffer without her intervention. Her motivation is to make people feel safe, but that’s not really a traditional “goal”. And she’s a stronger character for that!

So: Motivations > Goals.

Which does NOT mean that your character shouldn’t have a concrete goal! That’s not what I’m saying at all. Rather...if your character has a concrete goal, arising naturally from their backstory, and you struggle to roleplay that goal, it may be because you’re not tapping into why your character has that goal in the first place. Are they seeking power because they’re terrified of a specific enemy? To prove a detractor or an abuser wrong? In order to accomplish a specific task--and in that case, who or what made them believe that task was important? Why is your rogue trying to avenge the death of his sister--and you can’t say “love” or “grief”. Many people have lose loved ones; what made this specific person decide that the only way forward was murder, and that his target(s) were responsible, and that he personally had to dedicate his life to killing them?

(This course of questioning may lead you to realize that you don’t have an answer. If that happens, ask yourself--is this a realization that your CHARACTER might have? That they don’t know why they’re doing this? Follow that thread! If not, it’s possible that you’ve tacked on an artificial “goal” for the sake of having one, and your character would be stronger without that anchor weighing them down.)

Sedge, that druid/fighter from earlier--her goal is to repay a massive debt so that she can be free of the Circle’s influence and live her own life. But her motivation? A mixture of shame and honor. The Circle saved her from a lot of predatory loans from bad people, rescued her, saved her life. She’s embarrassed at ending up so deep in debt and too proud to not repay that kind of kindness, but also feels a genuine gratitude for their kindness toward a total stranger. She wants to do right by them--but hates being a druid--but has always wanted to be the kind of hero who helps others exactly as selflessly as they did.

It creates a lot of in-depth roleplay possibilities that wouldn’t exist if I’d just left that goal as simple as “acquire X amount of gold to pay off her student loans” and proceeded to play Sedge as simply money-obsessed.

Even if your character does have a clear goal, their motivations can change and come into conflict with it! A heroic character with debts to repay might easily refuse a huge payday if it requires them to do something shady...but they might not. How desperate are they? A wizard whose goal is to unlock the power to cast Wish might see a path to that goal...but pursuing it would mean abandoning a helpless village in the path of an orc army, and if she stays to defend that village, she loses her opportunity.

What wins out, in the end? And what effect will that choice have on her psyche?

Suddenly it really, really matters why she’s so dead-set on learning Wish. Whether it’s out of pride or fear (which might be easier for her to set aside in the face of innocent lives) or out of a deep-rooted belief that something absolutely essential rests on her learning this spell—something a lot harder to turn her back on.

These conflicts can occur with or without a “goal”. But, whether a character has a “goal” or not, these conflicts and intimate, pivotal character moments absolutely cannot exist in a character without motivations.

#d&d #character creation #rp development

230 notes · View notes

blueprint-han · 4 years

Text

[Image ID: A black picture with the title “HOW TO SUPPORT FANFICTION AUTHORS” written in bold caps lock, colored with a winter forest picture. End ID.]

Well, this post has been made countless times, but I’m making one too because I’ve seen a lot of people say they’re new to tumblr and don’t know the whole “reblogging is better than liking” rule and other stuff. So without any further ado, here are ways YOU can support the fanfiction authors. Now keep in mind this applies to almost every author out there, not just the stayblr fandom, so if you’re a silent reader (or even if you aren’t), I advise you go through this post. Warning, this is a fairly long post going into detail, so yeah. I still expect you, the readers to read this, and if you’re a writer, feel free to lmk if i’ve written smth wrong or if you want me to add something! ^^

In this post I’ll go into thorough analysis of the pros and cons of each of the methods listed here and how YOU as a reader can show the authors whose fics you read more love and motivate them to produce content.

WARNING; LONG POST! GOES INTO A DECENT AMOUNT OF DETAIL. NOT EDITED, EXCUSE ANY TYPOS.

#1 : LIKING !

I think this is basic common knowledge, and a lot of people tend to do this. When you like the post, the author sees it, you see it, and if the author has their liked posts accessible (which majority of the time they don’t), and if someone deliberately goes to check it, then they see it. See why so many authors say just liking does nothing? Only liking says “Hey, I’m gonna tell you your story is not that good by simply liking it and not sharing it with other people. :D”

♯ PROS:

You’re telling the author that you've read their fic, and either you’ve enjoyed it to a certain extent, or you’re just saving it to read for later.

Likes are seen by you, the author and anyone who has access to your likes (which, most people don’t).

♯ CONS:

If you ONLY like, you’re not really helping the author’s work reach a wide audience because this site isn’t Instagram. Reblogging is the only way people can SEE our works. I’ll cover more on that in the next section.

In a nutshell, liking is good! But you should most likely use it in a combination with the other stuff I’ve listed below, because just the like itself doesn’t really do much in giving the author any feedback or interaction on their fics.

To clear shit up; I’m not talking about those people who don’t read the story or appreciate it in the first place. I’m talking about those who appreciate the fic, like it, but don’t leave any sort of feedback to show that.

#2 : REBLOGGING !

This is SO, SO important. I cannot stress on this enough. Let me explain WHY so many writers stress on reblogging content:

Tumblr’s tag system is inherently fucked up, and has grown more so over the year. I’m not kidding, at first, the fic either used to show up in the tags or it didn’t, but now, sometimes your fic can be REMOVED from the tags because of,,, idk tumblr tag shit. Anyways, as you can see, it’s very demotivating for authors at that point, because the major way for people to find their content and expand their blogs has been blocked.

Due to this reason, tumblr authors need to RELY on you, their followers to help spread their works to a wider audience. Now again, before you get me wrong, I’m not saying you ae forced to rb our works regardless of whether you like them or not. BUT, that being said, if you DO infact like the story, there’s no harm in reblogging, right? By doing this you’re indirectly telling the author — “hey! :D I liked your fic! Which is why I am gonna share it to my followers so they can read it too :D” Trust me, you’re doing nothing but helping the people who produce content for you to read. Seems like a worthy cause to hit the reblog button, right? It’s only a one, or maximum two step procedure.

Leave tags in your reblogs! Trust me, as an author myself and as much as I know from all my author friends, we oft check the tags of your reblogs to see if you found any part amazing or even if you have anything to say about the writing we put so much hard work into. Even a key smash or a “This was so [insert adjective] 🥺” is enough to leave a smile on your authors face.

♯ PROS :

You’re !! Sharing !! Your authors !! Works !! This leads to them getting more recognition, so for the content they’re so graciously providing for free, you’re promoting their blog and helping them expand it.

If the tags are being a shit, which majority of the time they are, then you’re literally making an author’s day by reblogging! You’re showing them that you, a follower and appreciator of their works are willingly sharing their content because it deserves to be seen by more people. Again before any dumb people decide to attack me, i am talking about people who like the fic but don't bother reblogging and are silent/ghost readers. I am not forcing anyone to read anybody’s work.

YOU’RE MAKING YOUR AUTHOR SO HAPPY WHAT MORE REASONS COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT !! 🥺

♯ CONS :

Literally none, because as far as I remember no author is against reblogging of their works. It’s quite literally the way this platform functions. Reblogging is IMPORTANT.

#3 : COMMENTING/SENDING FEEDBACK !

This kind of overlaps with the previous section, but THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT STEP !! When you leave feedback, you are directly giving the author something so much more valuable to them than high follower/note counts or money. Your feedback is literally our serotonin. I kid you not the number of times I’ve received a positive comment and smiled and it has made my day. There’s a reason youtubers (though not the best example, bear with me here because it was the only one I could think of) ask people to subscribe, like and COMMENT. The subscription is like a follow, the like is ofc like a heart, and the comment is equivalent to an rb with comments in the tags.

You might argue and tell me that a comment is basically like an ask so the reblogging step isn’t necessary, but I’m sure 99% of you use YouTube and you know that more comments leads to people’s videos boosted in the stream/trending charts. This is what reblogging does. Reblogging shares the piece with other people like minded, which leads to a boost in reads. You are literally helping your author grow.

It’s quite literally the same thing as youtubers. Youtubers NEED validation to keep their content creation going, so do writers, so do other ccs on this site. This post is however, focused on WRITERS, so keep that in mind.

♯ PROS :

By doing this, you’re giving author valuable feedback! It’s similar to what you do in rbing with tags. Interactivity with their fics boosts their note counts and helps expand their audience, so srsly, now think of it: your one comment is playing such a massive role to help ccs create more content.

Imagine how much of a difference the note counts will be in when every person who simply likes after reading the fic, reblogs, leaves a comment and sends an ask. the note counts would be high on each and every fic, which is validation in itself, but your comments would inspire the writer so much more! Please, don’t skip the commenting part. Even a simple one like: “this is so cute!” is wonderful.

♯ CONS :

Remember, if you’re gonna give constructive criticism (which I’m sure you all are smart enough to know if different from hate), make sure the author is okay with it. Authors need to be in a specific mindset and must be ready to accept criticism, so if you’re gonna give constructive criticism to them when they’re at a low point, it may demotivate them.

Just commenting, instead of reblogging and commenting in the tags/ reblogging and then leaving an ask in their inbox, while it gives validation in plenty, will not lead to the author’s work being spread. Therefore I suggest either reblogging and commenting in the tags or reblog and then leave an ask, or comment under the fic!

!! reminder; I am not saying that if you don’t rb and just leave feedback, your feedback has no value. We authors truly appreciate every bit of feedback, but this post is aimed to help you learn how to interact with and support authors, and make them feel more motivated, because the current scenario of liking and scrolling is taking a toll on their creative abilities. Take it from a person who’s been writing for a year.

#4 : COMMSIONING VIA THEIR KO-FI/OTHER APPS !

Before any of you attack me, let me tell you that this is not a step that is 100% necessary to do. ONLY donate if you can and if you genuinely want to, and if anyone is forcing you to pay for something against your will, you need to get yourself out of there.

Regardless, if an author has a kofi and you’re able to and you want to donate, you definitely should! It’s also a valid form of support.

#5 : ADDING THEM ON REC LISTS/ RECOMMENDING THEM TO REC BLOGS

This is such an underrated option, to be honest. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen my fic was recommended onto some rec list and it’s made me smile so hard. If you like some fics, create a rec list! They’re oft very popular amongst the fans too. Making rec posts is such a great way to share your favorite stories with others.

Rec blogs! I’ve seen a couple going around, and needless to say they are a great way to get someone else to read your favorite author’s work whilst also giving them your own feedback. These blogs oft accept recs via a form or ask box, and they leave your feedback along with their own, or else they’ll oft tag the author in the feedback post, so look! You’re basically helping your author share their fic to many more people, because you’ve given them feedback and a reblog.

♯ PROS :

Validation! Feedback! Reblogs! More exposure! Helping a blog grow! Spreading love! basically a run down of the stuff I’ve said before!

♯ CONS :

Literally no con of this. Unless, a one in a million case, this author says they don’t like receiving feedback/being tagged, and I’m sure NO person has said this before, at least none that I’ve heard of.

#6 : FINAL COMMENTS; MISC !

When an author points out about how the interactivity is drastically reducing, don’t just give them blind apologies. Yes, you feel sorry for not interacting as much, we understand, but rather show that you’ll become a better content consumer through your actions. We need to see that we’re not just throwing words into a void and that people are actually trying to be better content consumers.

Understand the fact that authors don’t get paid for this, and 99% of the time, these authors don’t take commissions either. They’re giving you novel worthy writings for free. Take Percy Jackson: You think the author would have felt motivated to write the subsequent parts, let alone two whole series based off of it if literally no one showed that they were interested? Rick Riordan has sales, he is being paid, there are millions of people and big agencies who provide him feedback. Now take that huge amount and simmer it down to an audience of maybe 10000 people This is what fanfic authors want. They don’t want your money, nor are they telling you to risk your lives for them. All they want is, a reblog, some tags, some feedback, some INTERACTIVITY. A sign that they aren’t throwing fics into the void and that people actually like them, some motivation to continue. Seems fairly easy to throw an rb with some tags, right?

Don’t bother to tell me that we do this for ourselves and we shouldn’t ask for likes and reblogs and feedback, because 1) you are consuming the content that we “write for ourselves” and 2) writers post their content here for interactivity and feedback. We could just not post and write and save our fics in our dungeon drafts for years. But we choose to post to entertain the readers, the consumers. And we aren’t even asking that much in return.

Don’t give me the whole “I’m scared that authors feel that comments are annoying” excuse either because seriously this has been DEBUNKED SO MANY TIMES. Istg, in the nicest way possible, if you still think writers are annoyed by interaction and feedback, after so many posts, long rants have been posted as to how we’re not, then you must truly be living under a rock. There, I said it. Please stop thinking this way, I’ll say it again, AUTHORS ARE NOT ANNOYED OF FEEDBACK, COMMENTS, TAGS, REBLOGS. WE LOVE IT. Saying this is like saying that the audience in a theatre play shouldn’t clap when the play ends because the actors would find it noisy. 🤡

I’ve seen some people saying they have anxiety issues and such, so pls note that I’m not invalidating your condition. If you’re trying to be more interactive, I really appreciate it! If you can’t, that’s fine too. You’re trying.

But for the people who have no reason other than feeling lazy to rb and comment, your lack of interactiveness is not excused. Please. Tumblr is a reblogging site. If you’re gonna consume content like authors are some sort of machines, I encourage you to go get some more perspective.

This site is not Instagram or the satan bird app. Your likes are appreciated but frankly speaking, they do nothing to the author except tell them “Hey i read ur fic but i'm not gonna support u :D” and honestly, that is detrimental to their creative capabilities and mental health.

DON’T FOLLOW AN ACC JUST TO MINDLESS RB THEIR SIGNAL BOOST POSTS AND THEIR REBLOGS OF GIFS AND NOT INTERACT WITH THEIR WRITING AT ALL ! Trust me, authors prefer a lower amount of interactive followers than a high count that doesn’t even give them any feedback. Again your follows are appreciated, but when you’re following, you know the type of content the author creates, so the author expects that the more followers, the more interactivity. These days, this is just becoming the opposite. So don’t do it! If you’re gonna follow to read, interact with their works. I promise, this will make both you and the author happy. A win-win situation.

In conclusion: SUPPORT YOUR FUCKING AUTHORS! THEY ARE NOT MACHINES THAT HAVE NO FEELINGS TO PRODUCE CONTENT FOR YOU! FICS TAKE DAYS AND DAYS OF PLANNING, PLOTTING, OUTLINING, WRITING, EDITING, MAKING TEASERS. SO JUST SHOW THEM YOU APPRECIATE THEM WITH AN RB. IT’S THE L E A S T YOU CAN DO.

I will be liking this post here written by the lovely @chaninfused and @scriptura-delirus . Please take time to read it because if you weren’t convinced by my arguments, you will see how much frustration we as writers face on a daily basis. Please, just show support. Here is the post by @stayndays about how to get more people to read your work, because it also has a note on reblogging. Please educate yourself, and put an end to this mindless consuming culutre and bring up some interactivity.

If you’ve read this far, I want you to go to two of your favorite authors and leave some feedback in their inbox, and tag me in it (either tag me yourself or ask the author to do so, they won’t mind). Show your writers that our words are taking effect and you are becoming better consumers. I mean it. I’m serious. I want every single one who reads this post to do this. besides valid reasons, if you’re lazy to do this, you’re a part of the problem. PLEASE get more perspective.

Also, feel free to add to this post! I’d love to read your thoughts too, remember to be kind though. And, if I think your rb is somehow contradicting my points and is bringing down the reason I made this post, I will politely ask you to delete your comment, because this post is about being truthful about the harsh reality of tumblr consumers and how we can change it. I’m sure none of you will let it get to that point, though. <3 love you guys. 💓

And, just a reminder, don’t just blindly like this too. Do what I said before, and while I am not forcing you, I’d appreciate your reblog, because seriously, it took me 3 whole days to write this, plus, I’m sure this will help more of your followers understand the fault in consumer culture. haha, that’s it! This post was way too long uff.

also, this is ur cue to not be stupid in my inbox. You have something to say? Think I worded smth wrongly? I’m sure it wasn’t my intention to do so, point it out with manners.

697 notes · View notes

barbiegirlbaby · 2 years

Text

Leveling Up Journal: Where to start?

Glowing up sounds amazing but if you're like me, starting is the biggest hurdle. Part of the difficulty is just picking managable goals so I have compiled a short list to show where a glow up should start.

1) You

This one is the most important because it is how others percieve you but your body is your vessel, and you will always need to live with it.

So, make your health a priority. Work out, book dentist appointments, doctor visits and mental health professionals. Make a sleep schedule, a cleaning schedule and a five year plan. Look at yourself from a different point of view and ask yourself "what do I do that no longee serves me?", maybe that's drinking too much, ordering takeout and never cleaning on time or maybe it's being judgey, stressed and negative about yourself.

A forgotten aim of the glow up is to live long and happy. You cannot do that if your habits take off 5 years of your life. And enjoying what you do is so much easier when you are not in pain or thinking negative thoughts.

2) Money

Am I insinuating that you need money to glow up? No. But you do need to know how to manage it. Learn about financial matters and put that education to practice. The sooner you are more independent with your money the sooner you can let go of your dependence on other and fly free.

In my opinion, people who are dependent on financial advice or help from others, unless obviously they are an impartial service you have access to like bank provided financial advisors or others, are more easily influenced and feel different about potentially cutting off toxic family members, friends or acquaintances.

Once you have your money secure, learn how to budget. If you find that you don't like it, that's fine but find something else to keep your spending in check.

If you live in the US or any other country with similar financial systems, become aware of your credit and learn how to improve it.

It is also good to know what to do if any of your accounts are compromised as in a panic, it's sometimes hard to think about researching next steps. Especially when money is involved.

3) Aesthetic

That word has been fairly vilified by the online community but I want to claim it back. To be an aesthetic is a cohesive way of quickly describing or showing others what you are about and who you want to be. Cohesive is the keyword here because that is really the only thing separating rzndom pictures from a moodboard, the same goes for real life. Make sure your clothes match and your makeup too, maybe pick a colour scheme if that helps. Have a signature scent, hairstyle and handbag.

Your aesthetic is what makes you recogniseable to others, it makes you memorable. So go ahead, be the green juice girl, luxury woman or pink pilates princess of your social circle

4) Intelligence

I'm a big fake it till you make it fan. Especially in education. Only a small amount of us are (education) smart by nature but we may shine in other useful domains. However, any well-rounded individual strives to be smart in all areas. Getting smarter is easy too; reading, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries or learning new skills all make you smarter. There is almost no need to sit at a desk studying for hours on end.

Take advantage of all these easy ways to learn things and educate yourself. In my opinion, people who strive to educate thelselves and put effort into their intelligance make for more interesting conversation partners and better communicators, both qualities we should hope to improve in ourselves.

5) Mentality

A glow up cannot be successful if you do not believe it will be. This isn't a loa thing, but if you go out everyday believing that you look stupid and ridiculous, you will never glow up. If that is the case, reassess whether you are doing this for the right reasons. Are you, first and foremost doing it to benefit you and your life? Are you doing it to make a positive change? Even if your goal is to feel confident after a career change or to bag the hottest guy in LA, make changes with a "positive change for me", why? Because while everything else spraks of your person and who you are becoming, confidence screams about it.

Or in other terms, confidence is hot and alluring.

This list shows you the first level of you "leveling up journey", treat it as such. Do not end your self improvement there and re-evaluate your goals to find new areas to level up. The goal is to be the best self you can be, and the more life you live the more areas of self improvement you unlock

#level up journal #leveling up #glowing up #glow up #caring for myself #home ec #home economics

22 notes · View notes