#so i only sell them at cons or individually online

[edenfire]

🌸💗 MUAH! 💗🌸

just thinking about bnha ending and getting nostalgic🥺💞 I drew this button design ages ago, but I'm gonna be bringing it back for anime magic for old times sake💗🌸

(pls no spoilers, I still need to get caught up!)

[cozylittleartblog]

hey, so I'm trying to figure out what places would be good to sell my own art at, and I'm wondering- what has been your experience with selling on etsy? I've heard mixed reviews from people, and I want to know your perspective as an etsy seller.

etsy is not perfect but i think it gets a little more shit than it deserves, i've thought about opening my own website but generally i'm actually pretty okay with the services i get on etsy compared to what it costs so i'm just gonna make a subjective pros/cons list for you under the cut (because its loooong)

oh and if anyone else has experience selling on etsy and would like to add their two cents in the replies/reblogs please do!

Pros

⭐ The search function - this is etsy's biggest selling point. it already has a dedicated userbase of millions of people and a search feature to help them find your shop, which takes a lot of the load of marketing off your shoulders, and marketing is a huge factor for pushing sales. i am not good at marketing and a lot of my sales just come from people searching my stuff up lol

⭐ Purchase protection program - if USPS loses or damages your package, you file a missing package report and they confirm they don't know where it is, Etsy will refund your buyers order out of their own pocket (under $250). this is my favorite etsy feature because USPS likes to eat packages every now and again. delicious keychains. if you had your own storefront, you'd just have to replace the order yourself.

⭐ Share & Save program - every time someone makes an order on your shop through a special Share & Save link, etsy will refund you 4% of the fees. it's a nice perk to doing some of your own marketing and it helps combat the moderately high etsy fees!

Trackable letter mail - selling stickers but think it's insane to charge $4 shipping? you can buy letter mail labels for about the rate of regular postage, which is like .65c. this tracking is done through etsy though so you can't track with usps, but it does give customers a little peace of mind. this only works in the 50 US states though.

Customs forms built into your shipping label - shipping internationally is a nightmare. etsy makes it easy though, generating everything you need to ship internationally on one label that you just have to sign and date and slap on your package like normal. for some countries they will actually just have your package sent to a domestic facility where they literally do all that for you. this is miles easier than having to do all that paperwork yourself.

buy shipping labels directly from etsy - related point, and just what it says on the tin. when you fulfill an order, you can buy your labels right there on Etsy so you don't have to mess around with a third party website. it comes out of your sale funds so you don't need to charge a card or a bank account or anything.

star seller program - some people say this is completely useless but i actually disagree! it's incredibly easy to earn this badge, and it lets buyers know you've got some of the best products, shipping, and customer service around. it helps you stand out from some of the more... questionable shops on the website.

sales tax - they remit sales tax for you. i don't think any of the other online platforms similar to etsy do this but i could be wrong. doing any kind of taxes sucks so i consider it a perk if they do it for you.

website promotions - every now and again etsy likes to host sales out of their own pocket. you get all the perks of having a sale without eating into ur profit margin. HUGE sale booster

generally the site is just very easy to learn and use and it's very beginner and dumbass friendly. i say this as a former beginner and current dumbass 👍

Cons

❌ the fees. oogh the fees. they claim it's just a 6.5% fee per sale, but on top of that you have to pay .20c automatically for every individual item you sell, plus there are processing fees (3% + .25c) that apply both to the item you sold AND the cost of shipping. i think it comes out to like 10% total in fees on average @ > @

❌ but wait, there's more fees! if you make more than $10k in sales a year (very easy number to hit actually) you are forced to participate in offsite ads, which i believe takes 15% of your total sale on top of the fees in the previous point. these kinds of sales are not as common as you'd think, but it's still annoying having a couple bucks shaved off your profits a few times a month because of them.

corporate bullshit - etsy is like renting a space in a mall. you don't own your lot, nor the mall itself, so if upper management decides to make any stupid ass decisions, you just have to deal with it or pick up and move. if they decide to raise fees again, you just gotta Deal. you are a little bit helpless on this website unfortunately

the push for discounts - etsy is constantly shoving it in your face that they want you to do discounts. they want you to have free shipping on orders over $35, they want you to do 25% off or more on sales, they want you to have returning customer discounts and abandoned cart discounts and 'you recently favorited this item' discounts - but you already have to compete with the steep fees, and when a customer gets free shipping, you still owe USPS that $4-ish bucks to send the package. you don't have to do any of this, but they do reward participating shops by favoring them in the algorithm and search results, so you can feel like you're missing out.

there aren't as many cons imo but they Are steeper cons. generally etsy is very beginner friendly and easy to get into and set up, and in spite of everything i do actually recommend everyone looking to get into online retail start on etsy and perhaps move to other platforms in the future. plus, you can combat all the fees by just... making your prices a dollar or two higher than you initially wanted to, and using your 'save and share' link as frequently as possible. the fees are a little bit much, but you have to think about what you get in exchange:

the search is invaluable, you could argue the fees are partially a marketing budget lmao. if you have a private website you alone have to push traffic to your website, and not as many people know about things like shopify and bigcartel so they might not be as trusting putting their card details into it. i miss out on a lot of REALLY COOL STUFF because artists only advertise on instagram and i don't hear about them, meanwhile if i want some cool owl house stuff i can literally just search that in etsy and find a lot of TOH stuff super easily. i cannot highlight enough how GOOD the search function is, especially in this day and age where social media like instagram and twitter will blacklist your posts if you say words like 'shop' or 'sale' and now nobody can find your stuff in that website's search either. its very hard to do your own marketing now a days :(

being able to refund customer's lost orders out of the company's pocket is such a nice thing to fall back on if you have to and worth its weight in fees. USPS lost like... four or five packages of mine in december. that's like $100 or more worth of stuff that Etsy Covered Completely, and a lot of the times the customer will take that refund to make their order again. don't abuse this system, make sure you check with usps that the package is actually Gone, but it's a godsend when you don't make billions of dollars and eating the cost of lost orders would otherwise sting a bit.

if etsy did not make international shipping easy i simply would not ship anywhere but the US to be honest. shipping to europe is still a headache though but that's because europe is stupid

that's everything i can think of, but tl;dr yes please open an etsy 👍 i recommend it completely in spite of everything

⭐ if anyone wants to open their own etsy shop, use my referral link to make your first 40 listings for free! :)c ⭐

[teamfreewill2pointo]

I'm sorry, but could you break down the maths of cons for me?

I did a rough count of seat numbers and came up with 700.

I read elsewhere that J2 got the same for a convention as their salary, which was rumoured to be 175k.

I also read that actors kept the autograph and photo money.

There are a fair few actors at a convention, who need to be paid and have their travel.

There doesn't seem to be enough money in it.

Would you mind breaking down the revenue streams and who gets what?

also, is it me or are the venues getting smaller. I only see these on YouTube and the older stages seem much bigger.

Thank you....and merry Christmas.

J2 have a base fee of 300k each, which means they don't show up unless guaranteed that amount by the con organizers.

They get that money through a percentage of ticket sales, photo ops, autos, and m&gs.

The number of tickets sold depends on the con. Some sell a lot more than others. I don't know the percentages they get, but I know it's more for ops/autos/m&gs than tickets.

When guestimating their photo fees, let's say it's 50% (it's way higher) at almost $200 a pop for their solos and selling 300, that's at least $100x300=30k just for their solos. They used to sell out every con. Now that they are appearing on both Saturday and Sunday, CE will sell more photo ops if they have the time to fit it into the schedule. So not selling out at recent cons doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't selling 300. It could mean that they are selling 300, but there's an extra 50 available because J2 have the time to do it now.

I don't know the current numbers for the various ops, although I am very curious. If you go to the op table to buy more ops, you can peep the current number of tickets sold, but only if ops are still available to be sold. You can also sit in the theater and see how many numbers are called for each group. I know that J2 is the biggest money maker and usually goes over 300 sold if they have the time in the schedule.

If they sell 20 m&g seats at $500 each, that's 10k. I dunno the percentage they keep, but probably over 50% and they split the J2.

The autos are usually rolled into gold. I have no idea how many of those sell when sold individually.

In addition to the assigned seats with numbers, there are also GA seats. These seats are not assigned and there's no way to know online how many are sold unless you have access to Creation's data. If you go there in person, you can count them.

If I recall correctly (I haven't been to a con in months, and I wasn't counting the seats when I was there), the GA setup was equivalent to or greater than the other sections combined. Now, this doesn't mean that every seat was filled, but based on the cons that I've attended, I estimate that they sell at least half GA for every assigned seat. It also varied from con to con, with some cons having more GA sections.

For NJ con, there's over $325k in gold, $57k in silver, $47k for copper and $35k for preferred single day sold so far. That's $464k not including GA. GA weekend is $249. Fri is $70, Sat $80, and Sunday $100. There's a lot more people on Sundays and I don't know what percentage of people in the theater on Sunday only bought tickets for that day.

If your estimate of 700 seats is correct and we say GA was half that and everyone in GA bought Sunday only tickets, we're looking at 35k for GA, but that's a huge underestimate.

There's also the auction for VIP and the cast gets a cut of that.

I know they were concerned about Burbank and worried that they would lose money on it. It's interesting that they dropped the gold so much for SFcon.

300k/con is a really high price and the reason that you typically don't see both Js at conventions outside the US.

[alicenpai]

closed my redbubble!

by the way I quietly emptied out my redbubble a while back, i want to say will no longer be supporting the platform. T__T the tldr is that my art kept getting flagged + the cuts taken from artists is too much.

thank you for reading if you got this far!

1. My art kept getting flagged

- jojo stuff gets flagged by v1z. but golden kamuy is licensed by the same company and it's? fine? looks like there's a difference between mainline v1z series + v1z signature series.

- other people are constantly selling stolen artwork + official art, basically any artwork that is not theirs. i don't really want to be on a platform that turns a blind eye to some users and shuts down others.

- listen, we're not going into the legal debate of whether or not fanart is ethical to sell. that is not an viewpoint i can reliably uphold and provide information on. as a freelancer, doing cons + online shop stuff is a part of my income. but generally in the grand scheme of things, i don't even earn that much money from each series. without tagging series/characters, it very drastically decreases your chances of having your art seen.

2. too much profit is taken from artists

- at first i didn't know you could fiddle with the profit margins... until I got some sales, and I was like why am I only earning 20 cents a sticker when they're a full $2.50 😶

- I had to raise the profit margins so that I could at least earn like, a dollar or two per sticker, which I think is more than fair for all of the hard work artists put into their creations. understandably people did not really want to pay $4-6 a sticker on the platform, however, i'd like to argue that is pretty much the average market price for stickers (like a 3" sticker) at cons and individual artist shops.

- i saw the recent update where they're taking an additional "cut "account fee" from artists. i do not wish to support them any further.

I still have an inprnt! but I'm in the process of cleaning out the old stuff that don't have much interest anymore + filling it with newer, better artwork! i feel that i've improved and i no longer feel the old art/style reflects me as an artist. unfortunately, full illustrations are very hard on my arm and sometimes they flare up the RSI i got in art school... so i have to work much more loosely these days + cannot feasibly draw illustrations as often as before. it will take some time to have like, more than 3 prints up on there!

and i know inprnt takes 50% which is more, but justifiably prints are higher priced. on redbubble most people buy cheap small items like stickers, which are priced way less than an average print, and no one was buying prints off redbubble haha.

[smartphonegears]

The Best Places to Buy and Sell Used Apple iPhone 13 Pros: A Comprehensive Guide

In the dynamic world of smartphones, Apple's iPhone has consistently been a frontrunner, captivating users with its cutting-edge technology and innovative features. The iPhone 13 Pro, released in September 2021, was no exception, boasting advanced capabilities in photography, performance, and design. If you're considering buying or selling a used iPhone 13 Pro, you've come to the right place. This extensive guide explores the best platforms and methods for purchasing or selling a used iPhone 13 Pro, helping you confidently navigate the process.

I. Buying a Used iPhone 13 Pro

When it comes to buying a used iPhone 13 Pro, there are several reliable options available. Each option has advantages, so consider your preferences and priorities to make an informed choice.

Apple Certified Refurbished

Pros:

Reliability: Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones are rigorously tested and certified and have a warranty. Quality Assurance: These devices are thoroughly refurbished, ensuring they meet Apple's high-quality standards. Warranty: Typically, you'll receive a one-year warranty, which can provide peace of mind. Access to Apple Services: You can purchase AppleCare for additional coverage and access Apple's customer support. Cons:

Price: Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones are not the cheapest option, as they offer high-quality assurance.

Authorized Retailers and Resellers

Pros:

Warranty: Some authorized retailers and resellers may offer warranties and after-sales support. Quality Control: Reputable retailers often check and test their used devices before selling them. Variety: You may find a variety of conditions, price points, and storage capacities. Cons:

Price: Prices may vary, and some retailers charge a premium for their services. Limited Selection: Availability can vary based on location and demand.

Online Marketplaces

Pros:

Price Options: Online marketplaces offer various price options, including competitive deals. Variety: You can find numerous listings with different conditions, colors, and storage capacities. Seller Ratings: Some marketplaces provide ratings and reviews to help you choose reputable sellers. Protection: Some platforms offer buyer protection and return policies. Cons:

Risk: Buying from individual sellers carries a degree of risk, as quality and honesty can vary. Scams: Be cautious of potential scams or counterfeit devices on online marketplaces.

Local Classifieds and Community Marketplaces

Pros:

Price Negotiation: You can negotiate prices directly with sellers. Local Transactions: Local options enable in-person inspections and immediate purchases. Cons:

Risk: These platforms may have fewer security measures, increasing the risk of scams. Quality Assurance: Quality and device history may be harder to verify. II. Selling a Used iPhone 13 Pro

If you want to sell your used iPhone 13 Pro, various platforms and methods are available to maximize your return. Here are some of the most popular options:

Apple Trade-In Program

Pros:

Convenience: The Apple Trade-In program is straightforward and convenient, allowing you to trade in your device at an Apple Store or online. Apple Gift Card: In exchange for your used iPhone 13 Pro, you'll receive an Apple Gift Card that you can use toward a new Apple product or accessory. Cons:

Value: The trade-in value offered by Apple may not be as high as what you could get through other methods. Limited to Apple Products: The Apple Gift Card can only be used for Apple purchases.

Online Marketplaces

Pros:

Reach: Online marketplaces like eBay and Swappa provide access to a large pool of potential buyers. Pricing Control: You can set your asking price and choose how to sell your device (auction or fixed price). Competitive Bidding: Auction-style listings may result in competitive bidding, potentially increasing the final selling price. Cons:

Fees: Some online marketplaces charge fees for listing and selling your device. Scams: Be vigilant about potential scams and follow safe selling practices.

Local Classifieds and Community Marketplaces

Pros:

No Fees: Most local classifieds and community marketplaces don't charge listing or selling fees. Local Transactions: You can sell your device locally, facilitating in-person inspections and transactions. Cons:

Safety Concerns: Be cautious when dealing with local buyers, and meet in safe, public locations. Limited Reach: Your listing may have limited exposure compared to larger online marketplaces.

Trade-In Programs at Retailers

Pros:

Convenience: Trade-in programs at retailers like Best Buy and Gazelle offer convenience, and some may provide instant quotes. Potential for Competitive Offers: Some retailers may offer competitive trade-in values. Cons:

Value: Trade-in values can vary significantly between retailers, so comparing offers is essential. III. Tips for a Successful Transaction

Regardless of whether you're buying or selling a used iPhone 13 Pro, these tips can help ensure a smooth and successful transaction:

For Buyers:

Research Thoroughly: Take your time to research the condition, price, and specifications of the used iPhone 13 Pro you're interested in. Compare prices on various platforms to ensure you're getting a fair deal.

Verify the Device: Ask the seller for detailed information about the device's condition, including any cosmetic imperfections or functional issues. Request photos of the device from multiple angles.

Check IMEI/Serial Number: Verify the device's IMEI or serial number to ensure it's not reported as lost or stolen. You can do this through Apple's website or relevant carrier services.

Meet Safely: If you're conducting an in-person transaction, meet in a safe, well-lit, and public location. Bring a friend or family member if possible.

Secure Payment: Use secure payment methods, such as PayPal or platforms with buyer protection, when buying from individual sellers online.

For Sellers:

Clean and Reset: Before selling your iPhone 13 Pro, ensure it's clean and presentable. Perform a factory reset to erase all data and settings.

Accurate Listing: Provide accurate and detailed information in your listing, including the device's condition, any imperfections, and the included accessories.

Set a Competitive Price: Research the current market value of your device and set a competitive price to attract potential buyers.

Quality Photos: Take high-quality photos of your device to accurately showcase its condition and appearance.

Secure Payment: If you accept online payments, use secure and trusted payment methods to protect yourself from scams.

Buying or selling a used Apple iPhone 13 Pro can be a rewarding experience, offering cost savings to buyers and an opportunity to recoup some of the investment for sellers. Successful transactions are key to thorough research, clear communication, and secure practices.

Whether you choose Apple Certified Refurbished, authorized retailers, online marketplaces, or local platforms, there are various avenues to explore. Each option has advantages and considerations, so select the one that aligns with your preferences and priorities.

Following the tips outlined in this guide, you can confidently navigate buying or selling a used iPhone 13 Pro, ensuring a seamless and satisfying transaction experience. Whether upgrading to a newer device or seeking a budget-friendly alternative, the used iPhone market offers opportunities for both buyers and sellers to achieve their goals.

[amzonline]

Amazon Retail Arbitrage - An Ultimate Guide 2023

Arbitrage is a type of business in which a seller frequently buys products from shops and sells them for a high profit on huge online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, and others. There are two types of arbitrage businesses: online arbitrage and retail arbitrage. In this article, we’ll look into Retail Arbitrage and what it entails.   

Amazon Retail Arbitrage. Have you frequently heard about this word? Do you wanna know a brief explanation about the term?   

In this article, you'll get to know the introduction of amazon retail arbitrage and how it’s gonna help every amazon seller. Are you a person who is struggling to start selling products? We'll help you to know how to get started with amazon retail arbitrage.   

And also, we'll let you know about the pros and cons of retail arbitrage and the challenges that come with it.   

What Is Retail Arbitrage?  

Retail arbitrage is the process of buying products from retailers and reselling them on an online marketplace such as Amazon for greater profits. Retail arbitrage has been widely used by sellers from third-party suppliers to increase their market profit. 

In some cases, shops may have bought a significant amount of stock even if the items aren't selling well. However, if the provider decides to offer them at a discount and the item continues to play a significant role in the market, this is a good opportunity for you to grab the products, capitalize on the opportunity, and profit from it. 

What are the Benefits of Retail Arbitrage?  

As we all look upon benefits, especially when it comes to a business without profits, we'll not be encouraged to work. So, take a look at the benefits of using retail arbitrage.  

Retail arbitrage is a risk-free third-party selling business on amazon, and when compared to other private label products, it's also the quicker and simpler way of selling.   

As you sell products from prominent brands, you won't have to spend much time convincing the buyers about the product's quality.   

Retail Arbitrage saves time because when you purchase a private product, you must go through a lengthy process of formalities that includes product research, manufacturer background, logo, package design, and then shipping the products from the manufacturer factory.   

It makes money in a shorter period.   

With retail arbitrage, you may quickly start making money while learning about the Amazon platform.  

You can start your business at any level of your budget. Even with minimal upfront investments.   

What are the risks that may arise in Amazon Retail Arbitrage? 

If you're running a business, it is possible that you may face risk at the business has both positives and negatives. It's very much important to be cautious about the risks that are gonna happen in your business.  

Scroll down to know about the risk that may arise in amazon retail online arbitrage.    

Your business can only be as successful as your capacity to acquire inventory for future sales.    

For the initial purchase, you have access to your stock and deals.    

Amazon also made it more difficult to find products for resale. They have gated some brands, which means that third-party vendors are no longer allowed. If you wish to resale the products, you must first obtain approval to sell a product from the appropriate brand.     

Large retailers have restricted the number of units a customer can purchase. This will be much harder to get the quantity that the customer need.     

Time investment is also one of the major risks because it takes time to track down great deals. You need to visit a ton of local stores and source more deals.    

How to get started with Amazon Retail Arbitrage?  

Get the start-up plans and start your work accordingly!   

Create your own Amazon Seller Account    

There are two choices available to you when you initially establish your Amazon seller account. Either a professional account or an individual seller account.   

Individual Account 

An individual seller account is preferable when you want a simpler, more fundamental selling experience. Yet, compared to professional accounts, this kind of account is more constrained.   

Professional Account 

Professional accounts can take over 40 products, and it won’t require an Amazon fee for each sale.   

You will have an added advantage in using the professional that it offers the FBA feature. If you choose the FBA feature, you need to send your products to amazon’s warehouse. The Amazon team will take care of the storage and fulfillment. It is not a free service, but it is super comfortable, and it reduces the amount of work that a seller has to do. It also gives you ensure of quality and punctuality in delivering the package. It also boosts your customer support.     

Choose Your Products to Sell 

Here, you need to spend a lot of time choosing your products in the right manner. Because, choosing products for amazon retail arbitrage, should you need to look for inexpensive products that must be sold for a profit? Now, this is an important factor that you need to be careful about the offer by your competitive sellers.   

How to choose products? 

Search for items during clearance discounts to make sourcing simpler. You might also try reading product reviews on Amazon.com. It is reasonable to infer that if an item has more than a thousand reviews, it has been sold more than a thousand times. This suggests that the product is profitable because it either has a large customer base or it moves quickly.   

The Amazon seller mobile app is also available. You can do price comparisons with different merchants, thanks to this. You may scan product barcodes using the app to view current product listings throughout Amazon. Before choosing a product to sell, be sure to take Amazon's fees and probable delivery costs into account to make the most of your resources.   

In addition, even if you can search for things at the lowest prices, you must make sure they are still of great quality and are useful. Compromise on quality will damage your reputation as a vendor, and Customers will always seek excellent value from you. 

Add your Products to your account and start selling them. 

You may start listing the products and start selling them as soon as you've been able to source them. To reach your targeted buyers, make sure your Amazon product listing is optimized. Inputting comprehensive product details, using desired keywords, and including high-quality photos of your products are all examples of this.   

The visibility of your product on the site will increase if you've chosen Fulfilled by Amazon. For your rates to remain competitive, you may also have the same price. Don't forget to exclude Amazon fees and other costs associated with your goods from your actual selling price to determine how much profit you stand to make from your products. Make modifications if your profit results in negative.    

Follow comments and take care of your platform.   

After making a purchase, customers are more inclined to provide reviews. Provide the finest service you can if you want to receive good feedback. Appoint a customer support agent that can react right away to comments and reply to questions. To improve your selling approach, it would also be a good idea to monitor the evaluations of your rivals.   

Are You Ready to Start Selling Products on Your Own?   

Hope this article made you review and analyze yourselves! These are the major points that you need to go through before doing retail arbitrage. Anyone can become an Amazon Seller if they are well-cleared of the above-discussed points.  

Stop by here if you're interested in learning about Amazon online arbitrage.   

We wish you all the very best to start your career as a Successful Amazon Seller! 

[sineala]

How would you say fandom culture has changed over the years? What are some differences you notice between older and younger fandom folks?

I’ve been thinking for a while about how to answer this, and I’m not sure I have a really good answer, but I’m going to try.

I’ve been in fandom since approximately 1995. Maybe 1994. At that point, the world wide web was a relatively new part of the internet, and the fandoms I was in had most of their activity on privately-hosted mailing lists (predating eGroups/OneList/Yahoo Groups) and on Usenet newsgroups, with fiction beginning to be available on websites as part of either fandom-specific or pairing-specific archives as well as authors’ individual pages. Fanfiction.net did not yet exist. LiveJournal did not exist. AO3 definitely did not exist. If you wanted real-time chat, there was IRC. I was coming in basically at the tail end of zine fandom; zines were no longer the only way of distributing fanfiction, as fandom started to move online. So I have a selection of zines from 90s-era Western media fandoms but even by then zines weren’t where I was doing most of my reading.

I think in terms of generally “what it was like to be in fandom,” the big-picture stuff hasn’t changed. Fandom still produces creative fanwork and likes to, y’know, get together and talk about fandom. Also, almost every fight or complaint that fandom has about something is a thing that has been going on for actual years. People complain that, say, the kudos button is ruining comment culture because back in the LJ days the only way you could comment on a story was, well, by leaving an actual comment, or sending an email on a mailing list, and this might mean that people who would have otherwise commented have left a kudos instead. But back in the LJ and mailing list days, people were complaining that commenting was going downhill since the days of zines, when in order to comment on a story you had to write a real paper letter and mail it and because you had to do that, the quality of feedback was so much better than you got nowadays because people could just dash off a quick email or comment. You get the idea. Top/bottom wars are not new either. Pairing wars are not new. If you’ve been in fandom a while, you will pretty much have seen all the fights already. I think one thing that is new, though, is the fandom awareness of things like privilege and intersectionality and various -isms, as well as things like “providing warnings might be nice” (do you know how much unwarned deathfic I have read? a lot!) and I sure won’t say we’re perfect at any of this now, but I think fandom is trying way way more about all that stuff than it used to.

There are some fights we actually don’t have anymore, as far as I can tell. I feel like it’s been years since I’ve seen the “real person fiction is wrong” battle, but also I don’t hang out in a whole lot of RPF fandoms, so it’s possible that’s still going and I just don’t see it.

There also used to be a recurring debate about whether gay relationships that were canonical were slash or not. When slash started, obviously this wasn’t a question because there weren’t canonical gay relationships in fandoms, period. But as gay characters began to appear in media, people started to wonder “does slash mean all same-sex relationships, or does slash mean only non-canonical same-sex relationships?” Now, you may be reading this and think that sounds like an incredibly weird thing to get hung up on, but that’s because what appears to have happened is that the term “ship” (originally from X-Files Mulder/Scully fandom) has, as far as I can tell, come up and eaten most of the rest of the terminology. Now people will just say, “oh, I ship that.” For any pairing, gay or not, canonical or not. Fandom seems to have decided that for the most part it no longer actually needs a term specific to same-sex relationships as a genre.

Similarly, there are a few genres of fic that we used to have also pretty much don’t exist anymore. There are also plenty of genres that are well-entrenched now that are also extremely recent -- A/B/O comes to mind. But there are some kinds of fic we don’t write a lot of now. Like, I haven’t seen smarm in years! I also haven’t seen We’re Not Gay We Just Love Each Other in a while. There was also a particular style of slash writing where you’d basically have to explain, in detail, what made you think that these particular characters could be anything other than straight. You’d have to motivate this decision. You’d have to look at their canonical heterosexual relationships and come up with a way to explain why all those had happened in order to reconcile how this one guy could have romantic feelings for another guy. When had he figured out he wasn’t straight? Who might he have been with before? How does he interact with people in ways that make you think he’s not straight? That kind of thing. You had to, essentially, show your work. And these days a lot of fanfic is just like, “Okay, Captain America is bisexual, let’s go!” It’s... different.

Fandom also used to skew older, is my sense. A lot older. I don’t know, actually, if it really was older, but I get the sense now that there are some younger people who are surprised that adults are still in fandom. I have seen people saying these days that they think they’re too old for fanfiction because they are not in middle school anymore. And I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the barriers to access fandom are a lot lower than they used to be. You used to basically have to be an adult with disposable income (or know an adult with disposable income who was willing to help you out; but even then if you were reading explicit fiction you also had to swear you were 18+, usually by sending in an age statement to whoever you were buying the zine from or to the mods of the list you wanted to join, so a lot of fandom was very much age-gated). Internet access was not widely available. Even if you had internet access, you maybe didn’t have your own email address, so you couldn’t sign up for mailing lists; free email providers didn’t exist. If you wanted to buy zines, you had to have money to buy them. If you wanted to go to cons, you had to be able to afford the cost of the con, travel to the con, et cetera. If you wanted to have a website you had to know HTML. Social media did not exist. You want to draw art? Guess what, you’re probably drawing it on paper! You might be able to upload a picture to your website if you have a digital camera or a scanner, but both of those things are expensive, and also a lot of people don’t have the capability or the money to download pictures from the internet (some people have data caps with overage charges, and some people have text-only connections!), so they won’t get to see it. Maybe you can sell your piece at a con! You want to make a fanvid? We called them songvids, but, anyway, you know how you’re doing that? You’re going to hook two VCRs together and smash the play and record buttons very fast! If you want anyone else to watch them, you are either making them a tape personally and mailing it to them or bringing your vids to a convention. Maybe you can digitize them and upload them, but it’s going to take people hours to download them!

(Every three hours my ISP would kick me off the internet and I’d have to dial in again. If it was a busy time of day, it might take me 20 or 30 minutes to get a connection again. And that was assuming no one else in the house needed to use the phone line. Imagine if your modem went out every three hours now.)

And now, for the cost of my internet connection, I can read pretty much whatever fanfiction I want, whenever I want it. I can see all the fanart I want! I can watch vids! Podfic exists now! Fanmixes exist! Gifsets and moodboards exist! If I want to write fic I can write it with programs that are completely free, and as soon as I post it everyone in the entire world can read it. If I want to draw or make vids that may require some additional investment, but I may also be able to do it with things I already have. Do you have any idea how good we all have it?

There are a couple of kinds of fan activity that don’t seem to exist anymore, though, and I miss them. I know that roleplaying still goes on, but I feel like these days most people who do real-time text roleplay have switched to things like Discord. I know that in the LJ days, RP communities were popular. But I really miss MU*s (MUDs, MUSHes, MOOs, MUXes..), which were servers for real-time text-based RP with a bunch of... hmm... features to aid RP. There were virtual rooms with text descriptions, and objects in virtual rooms with descriptions, and your character had a description, and they could interact with the objects as well as with other characters, and you could program things to change descriptions or emit various kinds of text or take you to different rooms, and so on. Just to, y’know, enhance the atmosphere. It was fun and it was where I learned to RP and I’m sad they’re pretty much gone now.

I also don’t think I see a lot of fanfiction awards in fandoms. Wonder where they went.

Going back to the previous point, the barriers to actually consuming the canon you are fannish about are way, way, way lower now. You can pretty much take it for granted that if right now someone tells you about a shiny new fandom, there will be a way to read that book or watch that show or movie right now. Possibly for free! Of course you can watch it! Why wouldn’t you be able to?

This was absolutely, absolutely not the case before. I’m currently in Marvel Comics fandom. If there is a comic I want to read, I can read it right now on the internet. I have subscribed to Marvel Unlimited and I can read pretty much every comic that is older than three months old; the newer ones cost extra money. But I can do it all from the comfort of my own home right now. I was also, actually, in Marvel Comics fandom in the nineties. If I wanted to read a comic, I had to go to a comic book store and hope they had it in stock; if they didn’t, I had to try another store. Not a lot of comics were available in trade paperback and they definitely weren’t readable on the internet. I used to read a lot of Gambit h/c fic set after Uncanny X-Men #350. I never found a copy of UXM #350. I still haven’t! But I did eventually read it on Unlimited.

Being in TV show fandoms also had similar challenges. Was the show you were watching still on the air? No? Then you’d better hope you could find it in reruns, or know someone who had tapes of it that they could copy for you, otherwise you weren’t watching that show. It was, I think, pretty common for people to be in fandoms for shows they hadn’t seen, because they had no way to see the show, but they loved all the fanfic. The Sentinel had a whole lot of fans like that, both because I think it took a while for it to end up in reruns and because overseas distribution was probably poor. So you’d get people who read the fic and wrote fic based on the other fic they’d read, which meant that you got massive, massive amounts of fanon appearing that people just assumed was in the show because it was a weirdly specific detail that appeared in someone’s fic once. Like “Jim and Blair’s apartment has a small water heater” (not actually canonical) or “Blair is a vegetarian” (there’s an episode where his mother visits and IIRC cooks him one of his favorite meals, which is beef tongue).

Like, I was in The Professionals fandom for years. I read all the fic. I hadn’t seen the show. As far as I know, it never aired in the US, and it certainly never had any kind of US VHS or DVD release. I’d seen a couple songvids. I eventually saw a couple episodes in maybe 2003, and that was because my dad special-ordered a commercial VHS tape from the UK and paid someone to convert it from PAL to NTSC. I didn’t get to see the whole show until several years later when I got a region-free DVD player someone in fandom sent me burned copies of the UK DVD releases and then I special-ordered the commercial release of the DVDs from the UK myself. But if I were a new fan and wanted to watch Pros right now? It is on YouTube! For free!

I think also one of the things about fandom that’s not immediately evident to new fans is the way in which it is permanent and/or impermanent. There are probably people whose first fannish experience is on Tumblr or who only read fanfic on FFN and who have no idea what they would do if either site, say, just shut down. But if you’ve been in fandom a while, you’ve been through, say, Discord, Tumblr, Twitter, Pillowfort, Imzy, DW, JournalFen, LJ, GeoCities, IRC, mailing lists. And sure, if Tumblr closed, it would be inconvenient. But fandom would pack up and move somewhere else. You would find it again. It would, eventually, be okay. Similarly, if you’ve been in a lot of fandoms, if you’ve made a lot of friends, drifting through fandoms is like that. You’ll make a friend in 1998 because you were in the same fandom, and then you might go your own ways, and ten years later you might be in another fandom with them again! It happens.

But the flip side of that is that I think a lot of older fans have learned not to trust in the permanence of any particular site. If you like a story, you save it as soon as you read it. If you like a piece of art, you save it. If you like a vid, you save it. Because you don’t know when the site it’s on will be gone for good. I have, like, twenty years of lovingly-curated fanfic. And I feel like people who have only been in fandom since AO3 existed might not understand how much AO3 is a game-changer compared to what we had before. It’s a site where you can put your fic up and you don’t have to worry that the webhost is going out of business, or that the site might delete your work because they don’t allow gay fiction or explicit fiction or fiction written in second person or fiction for fandoms where the creator doesn’t like fanfiction, or whatever. Because all of those things have absolutely happened. But, I mean, I still save pretty much everything I like, even on AO3, just in case.

So, basically, yeah, fandom is a whole lot more accessible than it used to be. I think fandom is pretty much still fandom, but it’s a lot easier to get into, and that has made it way more open to people who wouldn’t have been able to be in fandom before. There is so, so much more now than there ever was before, and I think that’s great.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Anti-vaxers cool the mark

I often write about the material conditions that make people vulnerable to conspiratorial thinking, especially covid-denial, anti-masking, and vaccine refusal.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/04/eighty-sixed/#risk-management

Specifically, I think it’s important to go beyond the mystical explanations of “algorithmic radicalization” that assume that ad-tech companies are telling the truth when they claim that big data and machine learning can make people do anything.

https://onezero.medium.com/how-to-destroy-surveillance-capitalism-8135e6744d59

The fact that regulators let the Sacklers tell obvious lies about opioid safety so that they could make $10+b pushing Oxy, igniting the opioid epidemic that has killed 800,000 Americans is a good reason not to trust “the system.”

Which is not to say that platforms are irrelevant to the growth of conspiracies — but that relevance is not in the automated mind-control. Rather, it’s that online platforms let people find each other.

That’s what ad-tech is, a people-finding machine, e.g., “Find me people who looked at fridge reviews to show these fridge ads to.”

People-finding has a profound impact on our ideology and discourse.

People with all kinds of disfavored views can locate others without risking social sanction. If you’ve always felt that somehow neither gender binary describes you, but lacked the words to explain it, you can use the internet to find people who have those words.

You can join them in community and find the strength and courage to come out.

Of course, this also applies to people who’ve always secretly dreamed of marching through the streets holding a torch and shouting “Jews will not replace us.”

People-finding is also important for “ideological entrepreneurs” — people hoping to spread ideas, for good or ill. An important kind of ideological entrepreneur is the con-artist — a fraudster on the grift.

Covid fraudsters have found it easy to locate marks, thanks to the combination of a large number of people who’ve been traumatized by official corruption and collusion (for example, the opioid epidemic) and the people-finding character of the internet.

The most successful covid disinformation is orchestrated by convicted fraudsters with histories of conning people for money — like Joseph Mercola, a Florida osteopath the New York Times called “The Most Influential Spreader of Coronavirus Misinformation.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/24/technology/joseph-mercola-coronavirus-misinformation-online.html

In 2017, the FTC made Mercola pay $3m to settle claims related to his fraudulent tanning bed business. Now he’s got a vast online following whom he warns that vaccines will “alter your genetic coding.” He advises people to buy his vitamins instead.

Writing for The Atlantic, Brooke Harrington frames the bizarre about-faces from covid disinformation pushers who now espouse vaccination in the context of the sociology of con-artists.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/vaccine-refusers-dont-want-blue-americas-respect/619627/

Sociologist Erving Goffman’s classic 1953 essay “On Cooling the Mark Out” describes his studies of the victims of con artists, and the way that their shame at being taken let the fraudsters revictimize them.

https://infofranpro.wdfiles.com/local--files/19520101-on-cooling/19520101%20On%20cooling.pdf

Victims were so embarrassed at being marks — at being convinced of “highly dubious claims — and blocking out all information to the contrary” — that they’ll do anything to recover their self-image as discerning, smart people.

That desperation opens the mark up to being “cooled” by a confederate of the con-artist — a member in good standing of the mark’s “reference group” (the network of people we all rely on) — to ensure the mark blames themselves, not the con artist.

The cooler helps marks rebuild their lives and social standing, and also re-frame the story of the scam so that nothing bad really happened.

This, Harrington says, is the right way to understand the wave of far-right pundits and grifters who now say vaccines are safe and needful, after a year and a half of social and economic profiteering through disinformation.

When Ron DeSantis says “the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down,” he’s shifting the blame from his cohort of cynical disinfo peddlers to other marks, and opening space for a mark to go and get vaccinated at last.

This cool-off lets the con artists skip away without consequence and can lead to more vaccinations — but for so long as your reference group continues to believe in the con, it’s a tough sell.

That’s why Missouri’s Ozarks Healthcare has created a private entrance where people in disguise can come and get a quiet vaccination — they don’t want their friends and family, the people they depend on, to turn on them.

But Harrington is optimistic: “The conservative coolers are finally on the case, and only they have a chance of transforming partisan vaccine refusers into vaccine adopters.”

Beyond that, Harrington urges us to adopt a sociological framework for understanding what’s going on with vaccine refusal — not a matter of individuals making bad choices, but as a community-level phenomenon.

[queenofwerewolves]

Future Hope - chapter 2 - Starting something new..

They were almost ready, all they needed was the one thing every revolution heroes needed: Badass outfits. For that, they counted on Griff to make some patterns to stick on their outfits or whatever weapons they carried, Kip suggested to make stickers to glue them around the city whenever a crime occured and they came to the rescue, to leave a message that something happened. Everyone loved that idea, and eitch one got to work in making their outfits, stickers and whatever else they needed to start the revolution for real...

With stickers and acessories settled, now they needed the main thing: The outfits. But.. No one knew how to sew or make clothing.

"Wait!" Maria shouted. "I know someone! Ya'll remember Maggy yeah?" She added with a tone of excitement.

"Ah, isnt she the one who draws the Metal Werehog and how you joke she refuses to tag you in them?" Togekiss answered with a tone of sass. Maria blushed and pouted her lips.

"Yeah yeah. Anyways she's visiting here for a local con, selling her drawings and prints, did you know she actually sews and knits clothes?" Maria added with a tad of admiration.

"Really? Well shit badass then" Blink added with a soft smile. "How do we get in contact with her?" She asked.

"She should be at the event center setting up her booth stand. If we leave now we'll have plenty of time to talk to her." Maria answered with a confident tone.

"What are we waiting then?" Kip added. "Let's go!"

Everyone nodded and made their way to the local event center.

At that same event center, Maggy was setting up her booth, putting her prints up on the sides and on top of her desk, showing the kind of work she does and displaying her various pieces she drew herself, whether it was her OCs, Silent Hill or Sonic theme, eitch was individually beautiful and unique. She also set up a small cashier and some paper and pens for possible requests on the fly, or a doodle with an autograph, you can never be too prepared.

She was organizing her papers when a small hand knocked on the wooden booth to call her attention, she looked up to see the entire Future Hope crew, with Maria in front and smiling confidently.

"Maria!" She exclaimed happily, going around the booth for a hug, who Maria happily accepted the hug.

"It's so good to see you!" She said with an excited tone, she pulled apart from the tone and looked at the remaining others, many she didnt recgonize. "And.. Who are these?" Maggy asked.

"Ah, Maggy these are some of my Tumblr friends, like you! Im sure you know Griff already" Maria said referring to Griff, who had a hand behind his hand and sheepishly smiling. "But you see.. We kinda need a moment to talk to you, if that's OK" Maria asked, practically whispering to Maggy.

Maggy nodded, and leaded them to another area of the convention center which was emptier, so they could have some privacy. Once they got there, Maria explained as basicly as she could about her and Future Hope, the wishing fountain, their new powers, their intentions.. Maggy listened quietly, but intriguied as anyone would be.

"Woahh.." Maggy said, finally hearing the end of the story. "You guys really are gonna be super heroes?" She asked with a spark of excitement. "And I get to help?"

Maria nodded with a smile. "We need you to make outfits for us, whenever you have the time of course. None of can sew but we have the designs here for you. That is, if you-"

"Yes!!!" . Suddenly being cut off, Maggy got up with smiled with pride, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I'd be honoured to help! This'll be so cool!! I'll have those made for you as soon as I can!" She said taking the designs from Maria.

Maria smiled and pulled her in for a hug. "I knew I could count on you.." She said softly. "Of course" Maggy responded. "After all: Nós portuguesas têm que contar uma na outra né?"

"Haha! Falou e disse amiga!" Maria responded in portuguese, both laughing together while leaving the others clueless, but nonetheless happy for them.

"Well." Maggy said. "I should head back, the con will start soon". Maria nodded and looked at the others, who agreed it was time to go home and wait, with a final hug, they said their goodbyes and headed back to Maria's house.

They werent simply gonna stand around and wait for the costumes to be ready, until then, they decided to fix up the one thing every SuperHero group needed: An HQ. A place to reunite, plan, organize and discuss strategies whie also knowing about whatever recent crime could be going on.

But of course, they were only a couple of young and very, very broke adults. Griff's Youtube Channel was starting to blow up but nothing too extreme yet, but he will get there soon. Same for Maria and her animation channel, they were started to get discovered but they had a long way to go. But it'll happen.

In the meantime, Maria does have a big and very spacious basement, they decided they would settle there for now. Blink and Kip started brooming the floor, Muffin and Spooks were dusting the walls, Muffin used her wings to reach the roof and corners, and Spooks enjoyed the darkness of the basement to summon her Dark Hands to help the job go quicker. Rooko and Rooki decided to go to a hardware store and get some new materials and give the basement a better fixer upper, install some new lights, maybe install a window...

Spike and Togekiss were out looking for things to decorate the HQ, a table, a rug, some chairs, a new wallpaper perhaps.. Meanwhile Maria and Griff were online shopping for some cool props to decorate the HQ as well, using Maria's laptop, they scowered the internet.

"Oo!" Exclaimed Griff, pointing at the screen. "This life-size Master Chief would really spice up the place!" He said excitedly, Maria shook her head with a soft smile. "Griffy we're only looking for small decorations, not turning my basement into nerdvana" She answered.

"Oh.. Right.. Sorry.." He sort of mumbled out, Maria raised a brow in concern and set the laptop next to her, placing a hand on his arm. "Is something wrong..?" She softly asked..

".. It's just.." Griff started to answer. "You know how overly-excited I get. You know how hyped and impacient I get for these things.. Im just worried that... That.."

"Yes..?" Maria asked.

"... What if I blow it?" He asked, with a tone of sadness. "What if my powers arent as good as I thought? What if instead of helping everyone, I just make everything worse..?!" His voice tone got louder as he started to slightly panic. "Im a big, musculent WereRabbit, that HAS to be scary in a way isnt it? Im practically a Mons-"

"Dont you dare finish that word!!!" Maria shouted at him, gripping his shoulders hard, looking at him straight in the eye, her black eyes glimmering like a starry night without the moon.. Glimmering with worry.

"Listen to me very, carefully. No matter what you are, or what you do. You.. will never, be a Monster.." "Monsters arent the big unknown creatures we see in movies, they're out there, looking like us, gaining people's trust just so they can take advantage of them, taking or ruining innocent lives, people who have their heads so far up their asses they've become blind and see nothing but themselves. THOSE ARE MONSTERS!!!" She raised her voice, shaking a little bit. Griff only stared at her, shaking a bit as well, until suddenly Maria placed her head on his chest, pulling him in for a hug..

"You're not even close to being like them, and your physical appearance doesnt define your heart.. Please, never doubt yourself like that again.. Because you are better then this, and you know it.." She quietly spoke, waiting for a reply.. Which she didnt receive. Griff embrace the hug back, and that was all that needed to be said, without words whatsoever. Between those two, the message was clear:

Monsters are the ones who cause darkness around them, and not them, or their friends are even close to being them, they are the opposite. They will be the light, a new beginning, a new..

Future Hope..

[notafrogblog]

Who wants to read an entire fucking essay I’ve been writing over the last few months it’s about viddy games wooooooo

Video Games's Popularity

16% of entertainment hours in 2018 were spent playing video games, according to a study by The NPD Group, an American market research company (Stych). Video games have become more and more popular as they have become easier and easier to access through consoles, computers, tablets, and phones. Video games and gaming have become some of the most popular topics to watch on youtube, twitch, and other platforms, which is shown by the fact that youtube has a trending section just for video game content. I myself watch video game content whenever I get the chance. Merriam Webster defines video games as "an electronic game in which players control images on a video screen." If you use that definition for video games, it means gaming is a lot more widespread and prevalent than you'd first think. It would be a struggle to find anyone below the age of twenty who's never played a video game in some form. There are thousands of people in online communities who discuss video games and the people who play them, on sites like Reddit, Twitch, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, and more. Video game music, posters, clothing, and general merchandise is popular and lucrative for the companies that make and sell the products. People continue to invest their time, money, and energy into playing and enjoying video games. Video games are such a big part of the online community and my life that I decided to take this opportunity to learn more about them.

While researching this paper, I found different types of sources than I was expecting. Many articles on video games are outdated, poorly written, or simply didn't contain much information. Most possible sources were game reviews, tabloid-esque gossip, or talked about events occurring recently in the gaming community. These weren't very helpful for the type of topics I wanted to discuss. When I set out to write this, I expected to find more analyses of video games or game genres as a whole, or perhaps more in-depth writing. Although I did find articles that were in-depth, they were often very niche, scholarly, or outdated. Video games as a culture moves indescribably quickly, with new games always being released. The vast amount of content and places to share said content on the internet makes video games so widespread, it's near impossible to categorize and talk about video games a whole, rather than individual games or franchises. I suppose that's why there are so many game reviews. People are always looking for new games to play, new content to view. I did my best to find articles and sources I could use to talk about video games a whole, as a culture, and as a complex and nuanced form of entertainment. Part of my own interest in video games is due to the large variety of games and game content available. I would consider myself fairly knowledgeable about video games, especially after researching this essay. But I don't know much about games as a whole, or why people play them. As much as I love to talk about and watch video games, I don't play them often myself. I wanted to know what made other people love playing video games so much. Both my brothers are very engrossed in their respective games and consoles, and I found myself wondering what compels them to put their time and energy into something that doesn't give me that same satisfaction. Which begs the question, why do people play video games? What keeps them coming back? What makes video games so enjoyable?

I started by looking in the school databases, and on credible sites like the Washington Post and the New York Times. Video games is such a broad topic, but many articles focused on specific games or events. While I researched, I wondered what is so compelling about video games. I had some hypotheses. Video games often have a plot, a list of tasks to complete, or some sort of storyline. I found an article about the stories and plotlines of first-person shooter games, one of the most popular genres of games. In the article, David M. Leeson explains what differs between a multiplayer and a single-player shooter: "Most multiplayer shooters are gameplay-driven: play sessions consist of one or more matches, in which players compete with each other (either individually or as teams) to win the game, either by scoring points or capturing objectives. Most single-player shooters, by contrast, are story-driven: play sessions consist of one or more levels, in which the player is told the story so far and then must overcome a series of obstacles to find out what happens next." Already this provides some insight into what compels people to play video games. Multiplayer shooters, such as Fortnite, some Call of Duty games, Battlefield games, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, depend on other players to keep you interested. Winning a match is the main objective. In single-player games, the goal isn't to win a round, it's to complete the story. In a way, this makes a single-player shooter similar to a book or a movie. The difference between them is that the player takes an active part in moving the plotline forward, which keeps the player interested and motivated to find out what happens next.

A storyline isn't the only thing that can be necessary to keep a player motivated. The gameplay plays a big role in keeping the player interested in continuing the game. Games have two main parts, speed and strategy. Speed-based games rely on fast reflexes, immediate feedback, and quick thinking to be enjoyable. Games like these require you to be in the moment the whole time, ready to react to whatever is thrown at you. Games that are more speed-based include titles such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and endless runner games such as Temple Run or Subway Surfers. Despite being very different games in style, aesthetic, plot, and goals, these all rely on speed as a main mechanic. Another aspect of games is strategy. Strategy-based games take a slower route, and are more based on planning and thinking before you act. Strategy games often have some sort of back-and-forth mechanic between the player and some sort of other entity, usually a non-player character (npc) or the game itself. This includes games such as battling games such as Pokemon, storyline games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, and many mobile games. Strategy games require the player to think about what they want to do before they do it, and often have multiple storylines or options for how to play the game or what to do when. All games have elements of both strategy and speed, but usually one takes precedence over the other. Each category of game has its pros and cons and its own problems.

There are a few problems with speed-based games that the developers must remedy for the game to be enjoyable. Firstly, games with speed-based mechanics are often very easy to pick up and learn. Many Super Smash Bros. players will mash buttons or spam attacks rather than use combination attacks or the full variety of moves available. Speed-based games must introduce a learning curve for players to learn new skills, become better at the skills they already have, and some sort of challenge that requires those skills to be used. Another problem with speed-based games is the lack of variety. One character with only one set of moves can quickly become boring to play. Most games don't have this problem, with many games having multiple characters. Breath of the Wild, however, only has one playable character, Link. Nintendo keeps BotW from becoming boring by having Link have many weapons and clothing to collect and choose from to use, food items to temporarily boost stats, and a way to upgrade Link's health points as the game grows more difficult. Many endless runner games (i.e. Subway Surfers or Temple Run) lack this attribute, which causes players to become bored of them after playing for a while. While they may include customizable or lots of character choices, the changes are purely cosmetic and don't impact the gameplay.

Strategy games have issues as well, most notably those to do with speed. Strategy games often have a slower pace, and making the pace too slow can cause players to become bored. This was an issue with the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII, a 1997 turn-based rpg by Square Enix. Final Fantasy VII is set to have a remake by Square Enix, the first part of which was released on April 10, 2020. An article I discovered addressed some flaws in the original game as well as what the remake should have to make the game better. The article reads: "Modern releases of Final Fantasy VII include an option to speed up combat by a factor of three, and after turning it on, you quickly learn that you almost never need to turn it off to more carefully manage the flow of battle, such is the monotony of just attacking and healing over and over. This speed boost is greeted by latter-day players as a crucial "quality of life" improvement. It doesn't matter how many oakleaves you've acquired in 22 years; when letting the player essentially skip the gameplay is treated as a godsend, you don't have a very good game." (Vogt) As said in the quote, the ability to speed up gameplay shouldn't be necessary. The gameplay is also described as monotonous. Games must be interesting to keep players motivated to continue playing. Keeping players interested in the game is a big part of video game making.

Game designers and developers must put player enjoyment first when making a game. Even if the ultimate goal is to make money or gain popularity in the community, player enjoyment is what leads to a game's success. If a player isn't having fun playing a game, they won't recommend it to others, or join an online community about it, or even continue playing it. For this reason, I decided to find information about the process of game design and development, where ideas came from, and how enjoyment of the game came into the mix. I found an academic study of a game jam in 2013. A game jam is an event where multiple groups of game makers come together to make games in an allotted time using a given prompt. The study discusses multiple aspects of the game jam, including initial ideas, prototyping, and game development and testing, the latter of which is shown in the quote here: "Participants [in the game jam] removed systems within the game (e.g. attacks requiring combinations of buttons rather than single buttons) or reduced the total number of components used (e.g. fewer game levels or types of enemies). Swapping mechanics occurred when already implemented systems were buggy or dysfunctional or when playtesting (personally or with others) showed them to be overly complex or unintuitive." (Zook) This quote shows how game developers must think about how the players will interact with mechanics, especially mechanics they aren't used to. Mechanics are how you do things in the game, whether it be with certain buttons, an item, movement, interaction with the environment, or a combination of these. Mechanics must be easy to pick up on and learn for beginning players, but difficult to master so as to keep players entertained. The quote shows how initially complex mechanisms such as button combinations or buggy systems can be unintuitive for the players, and therefore need to be fixed. If a player has difficulties with the game's function, it won't be fun to play. Games must be fun if they want to keep players interested.

For this paper, I interviewed one of my friend's younger brothers, an avid player of video games. Ian plays video games for a few hours every day, he says, on xbox, nintendo switch, and mobile devices. In the interview, he says that what he thinks makes video games enjoyable is having fun. Although he plays video games more suited to younger users, there were a few things he had to say about games he disliked. The main things he didn't like about games were the difficulty (too hard, too easy) bad graphics, or he "wasn't as interested as he thought he was." His viewpoint as someone who plays a lot of video games is very useful for the question I'm asking. Difficulty of games is something that is hard to balance for game developers. As discussed earlier, the mechanics must be intuitive so the player can pick up on them easily. However, if the entire game is easy, the player will get bored, just like Ian did.

"What makes video games enjoyable?" is the question I've tried to answer. So, what does make video games enjoyable? I'd say it's a variety of things. Video games are so complex, and what makes them entertaining is even more complex. There's such a huge variety of video games available to play, on dozens of platforms and consoles, and in many different ways. Expecting to find just one answer for such a broad question would be unjustifiable. So, I've determined a couple things that make video games enjoyable. As Ian said, games should be fun. Fun means different things to each person, so different games will be better for different people. Different difficulties and styles of games will be different for different people. A more casual game style, like mobile games or kid's games, might be more enjoyable for a gamer like Ian. However, strategy based games such as Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, or shooting games such as CS:GO might be more suited to older players. In short, what makes video games enjoyable is the variety of games there are to play. Games are for everyone, and each type of video game has people who enjoy it, and people who don't. There is no one clear answer to this question. Unfortunately, this means that if I want to be more involved in playing video games, I'm going to have to try some games and find out what I like. If you're interested in video games, I suggest you do the same.

Works Cited

Jabr, Ferris. “Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games?” New York Times, 22 October 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/magazine/can-you-really-be-addicted-to-video-games.html. Accessed 2 November 2020.

Leeson, David M. "Northrop Frye and the story structure of the single-player shooter." English Studies in Canada, vol. 37, no. 2, 2011, p. 137+. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A294194389/SUIC?u=midd34407&sid=SUIC&xid=e5b85bc6. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/video%20game. Accessed 5 November 2020.

S., Ian. Personal interview. December 2020.

Stych, Anne. “Americans' favorite forms of entertainment are digital.” bizjournals, 28 March 2019, https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2019/03/americans-favorite-forms-of-entertainment-are.html?page=all#:~:text=The%20shift%20to%20digital%20is,research%20by%20The%20NPD%20Group. Accessed 2 November 2020.

Vogt, Ryan. "For all its greatness, Final Fantasy VII wasn't a good game. Let's remember why." Washingtonpost.com, 7 Apr. 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A619723232/SUIC?u=midd34407&sid=SUIC&xid=0b17c660. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

Zook, Alexander and Mark O. Riedl. "Game Conceptualization and Development Processes in the Global Game Jam." School of Interactive Computing, College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, http://www.fdg2013.org/program/workshops/papers/GGJ2013/ggj13_submission_4.pdf. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

[abrar-aslam]

GetResponse Details,Overview, Unique Features, Pros and Cons

Introduction/Details

GetResponse is basically an online marketing software which is used by many business owners. It helps us in creation of newsletter for subscribers and appeal. 

It was initiated in 1999 by Simon Grabowski who is an online marketing expert. It helps business traders to create content ,increase their sales, send marketing emails and perform vigorous tasks online.

GetResponse is functioning worldwide that is why we can see its offices in the Poland and many other countries. GetResponse has been growing rapidly because it is helping entrepreneurs regarding marketing issues. So, after knowing that marketing is the most important aspect of any business it forces you to research on GetResponse.  GetResponse review 2020 shows that more than 350000 businesses are working with GetResponse from 185 different countries. 

Overview

GetResponse was basically originated to help business persons to increase their sales volume. It is also helping to increase the number of subscribers and how to engage with them. This can only be done by the marketing campaigns. GetResponse has an awesome feature called email editor which allows the users to download the letters. It is beneficial for the user as there is no need of any kind of coding while conscripting the newsletter. There are predefined amazing templates to create emails and images. This feature will also help you to reduce cost as there is no need of graphic designer for this process. 

GetResponse also provides you with a great feature of making landing pages. It allows its users to create landing pages and customize their web forms. It also allows users to create amazing custom templates which can be used later. The most amazing thing about GetResponse is that users can make large amount of money by creating websites without any code.

There are also a lot of features related to GetResponse which includes automation segmentation, tracking ,least scoring and a lot more. GetResponse encourage beginners by providing them tiers when it comes to pricing. GetResponse has four main modes which are pro, max, email and enterprise. It is important to remember that these four modes operates different on basis of marketing features.

Features of GetResponse

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is one of the key features of GetResponse which allows to create workflow that allows a user to send many segments of data at once. Due to this great feature of GetResponse we cannot compare it with others. With the segmentation tool a user can also subdivide the contacts of his/her subscribers as you sent the emails. It is much easier for user to reply to customers because it works automatically. If you divide your mails into segments now you only have to click the checkbox and click your preferred sections as you send the mails. It in each segment also allows you to opt to send mails to a few individuals. 

Free Landing Page Builder

This great feature of GetResponse provides the tools to design SEO-optimized and revenue-generating pages. This feature enables us to build unlimited landing pages to land our new subscribers and sales. GetResponse provides over 200 landing page templates. It provides dozens of ready-made, mobile-responsive templates designed to convert visitors into contacts. GetResponse also provides creativity with drag-and-drop editor which builds your page in minutes. It also has amazing features like move, resize, crop, group, color, reshape elements, enhance your design with GIFs and free stock photos, Tweak and optimize your page for mobile devices.

Conversion Funnel

GetResponse provides you with ultimate sales funnel software machine. It provides you the Ready-made, automated sales funnel creator, build your landing pages, automate your emails, sell your products, recover abandoned orders, and convert your customers. GetResponse also has Simple opt-in funnels, Lead magnet funnels, Sales funnels and Webinar funnels.

SMS marketing

GetResponse provides trigger-based SMS Marketing automation. It allows to create automated SMS campaigns inside your marketing automation platform. You don’t need extra tools or services to communicate with customers more effectively. The most effective ways of reaching your recipients are just around the corner in one GetResponse MAX account. It sends SMS messages automatically based on selected conditions, user behavior or contact information.

Pros

The visual campaign builder is excellent in GetResponse. It makes building out even very complex campaigns quite     easy. We believe it is one of the best on the market. It has everything     that you would expect to see in a high level email platform. This is the     core of GetResponse and it does it quite well.

The Funnel Builder which is a feature released last     year, is also an excellent tool. You can create a good customer journey     with the GetResponse funnel builder. It’s great for lead magnets, list     building, etc. but it also has enough features that can be used to lead a     customer all the way to the checkout.

The updated email builder is also great. This was an     area that needed some attention and it got it. The revised builder allows     for content-rich emails that are up to today’s best practices.

GetResponse offers original templates and you can play with the     themes of any particular campaign.

You can get a quantified and detailed report of the     processes You are working on.

GetResponse has very detailed and accurate statistics system.

The interface of GetResponse is elegant and extremely easy to use.

You can do everything quickly, productively, and     efficiently.

Cons

The one area that I have found that could be more     robust is the API. I had a situation where we were using Easy Digital     Downloads and had moved from a different platform to GetResponse. We ended up having to hack the API a bit to get the     functions we needed. It was not a major issue but it could have been     avoided with a more robust API.

The other area where GetResponse could be stronger is in the products that it     integrates with. They have been working to grow the list but we feel there     is still some work needed in this area. Beyond these two areas, I have no     complaints.

[jasonnylaura]

How can I get my money back from a binary options scam?

A binary option is similar to a normal (“vanilla”) option, where you pay a premium for the option to buy or sell an instrument at a fixed price (the exercise price – see box below for a detailed explanation). Profits or losses on vanilla options can be small or large, depending on the difference between the “exercise” price and the price of the underlying asset.

Unlike normal options, however, binary options do not fluctuate in value. Either the option is “in the money” on expiry – in which case it pays out – or it isn’t, in which case it expires worthless. Because of this binary nature, many shysters see an opportunity in selling binary options that are highly unlikely to end up in the money. They get to collect the hefty premiums, but never have to pay out.

Don’t be suckered by wild success stories

The media is part of the problem. Journalists, particularly those working at online content mills, are so desperate for content that might “go viral” and garner lots of hits that they’re quite willing to run a story with a click-bait headline without doing much (if any) background research. Take the recent tale of a 16-year-old “self-taught currency trader”, who apparently turned £150 into £60,000 in less than a year. This dubious success story was widely shared on social media without many questions being asked. Yet if we take those returns and calculate them on an annual basis, this 16-year-old’s return for the year would be 39,900%. That would literally make him the best trader of all time. So how did a 16-year-old school kid learn how to outsmart the best minds and machines on the planet, just by watching YouTube videos? As nobody asked him, sadly we’ll never know.

There was also the very recent example of Giovani , a 20-year-old medical student in Plymouth who claimed to be making six figures a month from foreign exchange trading. One major newspaper reported this month that more than 1,000 investors were sucked in by Singh’s Instagram account, which showed him posing in designer clothes with expensive cars at plush holiday resorts. Those who signed up for his services found that their trading accounts were emptied on Christmas Eve and the FCA has added him to its warning list of unauthorised traders (after the fact, unfortunately). But what the paper doesn’t mention in this particular piece is that Singh’s “success” was first reported on its own website in breathless, no-questions-asked fashion, in November, just a month before it all went horribly wrong.

This aggravates me because, as a genuine trader, I work hard to make profits and I know what it takes. I also don’t like to see people being conned. So I want to unpack this story for you, so that you don’t end up falling for one of these scams or something similar.

How does the binary-options scam work?

There is a reason why so many gentlemen (it’s usually men) in their early 20s now apparently own private jets, luxury cars and slick watches. It just may not be because they’ve cracked the financial markets as they claim. As Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s business partner, puts it: “Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome”. There are many reputable financial-trading firms and brokerages out there. However, many – ones that I would describe as “bucket shops” – are not so reputable. Spread-betting firms typically make their money on the spread (the gap between the buying price and the selling price) and the commission paid by their clients. So their business model does not benefit from losing traders.

However, many brokers know that a losing trader can be very profitable – for them. If you know that 90% of traders will lose all of their money within six months, what do you do? Simply take the other side of the trade. When Johnny Punter buys, the broker sells. And when Johnny Punter wishes to cover his losses, the broker buys and collects the profit.

Unprofitable traders are so profitable for many a bucket shop that they will pay handsome introduction fees for new traders. Therein lies the incentive. It doesn’t matter if you’re actually making any money from your trading – if you can get even a £20 incentive for every trader who signs up with the minimum deposit of a few hundred pounds, then you only need to sign up 1,000 people a month to make £20,000. And the reality is that these brokers aren’t offering just £20 for new clients – they’re offering hundreds. I know they do, because I’ve been offered it.

The Pied Pipers of foreign exchange

If you’re not a successful trader, the next best thing is to fake it. A quick Google search reveals that you can rent a Lamborghini Huracan for four days at a price of £2,500. This is fairly steep – but you can rent a Lamborghini Gallardo for two days for £1,590. Two days is more than enough for a wannabe forex guru to take hundreds of snaps in different outfits, parking in fancy residential estates that they don’t live in and overall giving the impression over several months that they really do own a six-figure supercar. And of course, there are plenty of places to hunt down a cheap, out-of-season stay at a luxurious five-star hotel, where they can do exactly the same. Then they just pop it all on social media and wait for eager punters to line up to sign up with their “exclusive broker”.

Many brokers offer demo accounts, in which case the “guru” can just repeatedly put on ten trades in a row, come out with winners, then screenshot it and post it on Instagram. If even that is too difficult a task, then it’s a simple matter to fake the picture instead using image manipulation software and post that. With “evidence” of their success sorted out, the trader then promotes their wares with promises of “signals” that have 90% success rates, alongside key phrases such as “no risk” and “guaranteed profit”. Most informed investors realize that if a magic money-making machine did exist it would be owned by a private hedge fund, never to see the light of day. So anyone who actually believes that a 20-year-old student could pull this off is ideal bait – inexperienced, naive and potentially desperate.

The scam also succeeds because of how victims feel when they finally realize they’ve been suckered. Most don’t tell anyone because they feel foolish and want to save face. But also, they know (or rapidly learn) that there is very little the police can do. The banning of the sale of binary options was a step in the right direction. But now the traders of Instagram simply give away their “signals” to trade these options for free. And many bucket-shop brokers are overseas – often they’re not even doing anything illegal in the country in which they operate (although equally often the traders in question will imply that the bucket shop is a reputable UK-based and regulated institution, or lie flat out).

There are even operators who will manipulate the punter’s account in order to make them believe they are winning and then call on them to deposit more money. Then, when the client finally wishes to withdraw, the company goes cold and refers them to the small print, in which it says that the client must trade through an impossible amount of money just to be allowed to withdraw. Other brokers allow the affiliate to widen the spread to maximize their own commission and increase losses for their clients. We look at ways to avoid being scammed in the box below, but in short, as always – if it looks too good to be true, it is.

Can I trust Binary option scam reviews?

Is there a scam behind "Forex Binary Options" trading?

How do I go about recovering money from a Forex scam?

What is the best way to get my money back from an internet scam?

How can I recover my funds on binary options?

How can I get back my lost money from a scammer?

Alienmanhackers.xyz assists individuals and corporates around the world. They are able to use tools which are available in both UK and foreign jurisdictions to secure the best outcome for clients. With the help of a friend was able to recover the sum of 42,000GBP which was stolen under the pretense of investment.

[jewelrystoresnearme]

What is Tungsten Jewelry?

What Is Tungsten Jewelry? And What Is Tungsten Carbide Jewelry?

Tungsten, also known as wolfram, refers to the chemical element, the metal itself. On the periodic table, tungsten is numbered 74 and is known for its hardness, durability, high melting point, high density and is somewhat rare. It is dark gray in color and known for being very difficult to work with. Tungsten is very brittle and not very malleable, making it hard to form into rings or other jewelry designs. As a result, it is often compounded into alloys. Tungsten carbide jewelry is created from an alloy of 80% elemental Tungsten and 20% Carbon alloyed with other metals. Tungsten is exceptionally strong, hypoallergenic, highly scratch-resistant, and tarnish-resistant with a substantial feel in weight.

Tungsten Carbide Jewelry Vs Tungsten Jewelry

The biggest and most important difference between them is that tungsten refers to the individual metal, whereas tungsten carbide is an alloy of tungsten and predominantly carbon, although nickel and titanium are among the other metals that might be used. Some websites and jewelers will use the two interchangeably. In general, Tungsten jewelry is just tungsten carbide jewelry.

Tungsten Jewelry Pros and Cons

Advantages Of Tungsten Jewelry

Tungsten carbide is the most scratch-resistant metal known to man.

Tungsten carbide jewelry is affordable and has a nice weight to it, similar to gold and platinum.

Tungsten rings are quick and easy to remove from your finger in case of a medical emergency — easier than gold.

Tungsten does not bend out of shape due to its hardness, so in an accident, the ring will not become deformed and injure your finger further.

People with allergies to gold jewelry can wear tungsten jewelry because it is naturally hypoallergenic.

Tungsten wedding bands come in a natural gunmetal grey color, but they can be plated in black, white, or even gold colors.

Disadvantages Of Tungsten Jewelry

Just like a diamond, tungsten is very scratch resistant and will not bend out of shape, but it will break if enough shock or pressure is applied to it.

Reputable jewelers and manufacturers will offer a lifetime warranty that covers this by providing a replacement ring in case of accidental breakage.

Due to their hardness, tungsten rings cannot be resized.

Reputable jewelers and manufacturers should provide a lifetime sizing policy to provide for ring size exchanges when your finger size changes.

Tungsten carbide is not easily turned back into cash. Gold is traded on the world’s commodities markets and is very liquid. This means anyone can change gold into cash or gold is just like cash.

Tungsten is not traded and easily valued, so if you want to pawn it someday, that will be difficult.

Tungsten RingsWhat Is A Tungsten Ring？

Tungsten carbide rings are made from the chemical compound tungsten and carbon atoms. Tungsten rings have become a popular ring of choice because of their hardness. It is much harder than diamonds and solid gold rings. It also is 10 times less likely to scratch than any other ring.

Mens Wedding Bands

Black Tungsten Wedding Rings For Men

Tungsten Wedding Bands come in many different colors and styles. Some unique styles include; comfort fit rings, two-toned rings, channel set Diamond Tungsten Bands. They also can be found in three different finishes; satin, matted or brushed finish.

Among them, Black is an excellent color choice for a Men’s Wedding Band. Black Tungsten Carbide results from Tungsten Carbides’ extreme hardness, which is the perfect base metal for physical vapor deposition.

This is the special process from which the exterior of the ring can be permanently changed. This creates a rich, luxurious Black color.

Black Tungsten rings are bold and symbolize strength, courage, and conviction. Black Wedding Bands, along with any other type of Wedding Bands symbolizes a married couple’s commitment to each other a strong bond, and everlasting love for each other.

Tungsten Rings Price And Value

How Much Do Tungsten Carbide Rings Cost?

For retailers or individual consumers, most quality tungsten rings are priced at over $50 dollars — if you are looking for a ring that is priced under $50 dollars then stainless steel or titanium bands may be a better option.

How Much Is A Tungsten Carbide Ring Worth?

Different price of the tungsten ring value introduction

Tungsten Rings Price (Dollars)Suitable Crowd/Application ScenesTungsten Rings Quality$5WholesalerThe best China jewelry manufacturer will provide you with tungsten rings of high quality and low price within your budget.$20 — $30for a daily outfit/for daily useMost of the tungsten rings are made with jewelry grade tungsten (not industrial grade), so, you got no problem with the tungsten rings. The rings will not tarnish or blacken your fingers.$50-$60As a gift or an important ceremony giftThe seller provides a lifetime warranty for size exchange and any. If your tungsten ring is broken( the chance is slim, but it could happen) or the wrong size, you can get a free replacement. You just can contact the seller at any time.$190-$600As a wedding bandVery unique and exclusive design; Better craftsmanship; 45-day Customer Satisfaction Money-back Guarantee; Lifetime Ring Replacement Warranty; Lifetime Ring Sizing Warranty.Different prices of the tungsten ring value introduction

Why Do Tungsten Rings Vary in Price?

Main Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Tungsten Rings

Cheap tungsten rings made with Cobalt ( Industrial Grade)-Bad; Expensive Tungsten rings Made with Nickel ( Jewelry Grade)-Good

Cheaper tungsten rings made with cobalt, cobalt is a cheaper filler some ring factories use that to make tungsten rings. So, the tungsten is not jewelry grade, only reaches the industrial grade. Cheaper tungsten rings with cobalt( industrial grade) will tarnish. It will make your finger gray or black. Expensive Tungsten rings Made with Nickel( jewelry grade) Jewelry grade tungsten will NEVER tarnish or haze. So you can enjoy your rings for a long time The tungsten rings with cobalt or nickles may look the same you saw at a ring store or online. But, industrial tungsten rings would take on a dark cast and might have discolored in places after 3–6 months. Industrial tungsten is awesome for other applications, but for fashion jewelry? It isn’t a good choice. Jewelry-grade tungsten carbide rings with nickel will retain their original look and luster for a long time. Nickel might irritate your skin, but the amount of nickel in tungsten alloy is less than 1%. This means that unless you have a severe allergy to it, you wouldn’t even know that it was in there. Cobalt is the only aspect that makes it tarnish. You need something that is jewelry grade, not industrial grade. Jewelry-grade tungsten will NEVER tarnish or haze. Tungsten HAS to be an alloy, as it is far too brittle by itself. Find one with no cobalt, and you should enjoy the piece forever.

The Cost of Selling Tungsten Rings

As far as I know, 80% of tungsten rings on the market are manufactured in China. The tungsten carbide rings manufactured in the USA would cost more than rings made in China, in other words, manufacturing costs are much higher in the USA. They sell for a higher price due to the cost, such a store location, advertising cost, and other costs.

Short Time Warranty/Guarantee VS Lifetime Warranty

Suppose that you purchase a cheaper tungsten ring, but your ring breaks( the chance is slim, but could happen), the time could be a month or a year, or the plating wears off( it could happen), or any bad things that may happen, even you get the best quality of the ring. Can you return the ring? Is there someone you can call for help? Is there some warranty or guarantee? But, if you buy an expensive tungsten ring, you will get a lifetime warranty, you can replace a new one if you break it or your finger grows bigger. You have the right to replace a new tungsten ring for free.

Conclusion: The true value of a tungsten ring depends on how you use it or depends on what kind of services you want to get.

How to Tell if a Ring is a Real Tungsten?

Density Identification Method-Judge from Weight

Today Churinga will tell you some great ways to test the ring. Tungsten is a dense metal and its density is much higher than titanium, stainless steel, or other alloy rings. The very texture when wearing, also in heaving metal feeling. The weight of men’s tungsten bands is about 14g-22g. But, if you feel your tungsten ring is quite lightweight, it might be a fake tungsten ring. We used 3 same-size rings made with different metals. Here are the results.

The first one is made of stainless steel. The weight is: 4.78g

The second one is made of alloy. It is the biggest. The weight is 6.71

The third one is made of jewelry grade-tungsten. The weight is 17.24g

As you can see, rings made of tungsten carbide are much heavier than rings made of other metals. This is a very great way.

Judge from Hardness

The hardness of tungsten is between 8 and 9M( This is the international Mohs hardness standard), close to Natural diamonds( it is10 M).3 times harder than gold, 4 times harder than titanium, and 5 times harder than stainless steel.

Because of their hardness, so the tungsten rings are hardly be scratched. Only the diamond can scratch the tungsten.

Judge from Appearance

In this part, I am going to teach you how to buy a real tungsten ring by its appearance. The real tungsten carbide ring is cold silver in color. ( like a mirror, the effect of the polished surface) But after the polishing process, the tungsten ring has amazing luster and gloss, which shines as a natural diamond does. Moreover, the real tungsten ring is very smooth and flawless.

If the ring surface is a little bit dim or dark, it must not be a real tungsten ring.

Judge by Time

A real tungsten ring will not tarnish or fade and it maintains as polished as new for a long time. (The polish of a real tungsten ring is supposed to last 30 years or more, if you start to notice scratches on it then it is likely not tungsten carbide.)

Why? The tungsten carbide ring is very resistant to wear and corrosion. Daily wearing will not produce oxidation, fading, or skin allergy. If your tungsten rings blacken your finger, you probably get a fake tungsten ring or you might get a tungsten ring made with cobalt.

GradeFsss （μm）O (%) does not exceedWC101.01～1.400.15WC141.41~1.800.10WC181.81~2.400.10WC242.41~3.000.08WC303.01~4.000.08WC404.01~5.000.08WC505.01~7.000.05WC707.01~10.000.05WC10010.01~14.000.05WC14014.01~20.000.05WC20020.01~26.000.05The particle size of tungsten carbide powder

How To Clean Tungsten Rings?

To clean tungsten carbide jewelry, use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap with a soft cloth. When not worn, store your tungsten pieces in soft cloth bags or the original box to protect them from the elements of daily exposure.

[mail-our-lists-worth]

Mail Our Lists REVIEWS 2021 — ⚠️ Alert Or Scam?⚠️

Introduction:

Everyone who works in the field of marketing must understand clearly the importance of an email list. Although it is the one of oldest methods, email marketing has stood the test of time and has proven as a primary way to build stronger customer relationships and grow your income effectively.

So have you ever been required to build an email list and met a lot of difficulties? Actually, creating a high-converting list is not an easy task with most beginner marketers as it would require tons of time to learn and do it. And the hard works seem never to end since you need to find low-cost advertising that definitely brings you commissions.

Here is the good news. I have just found a unique evergreen product that eliminates all of the “email marketing” barriers and helps you succeed right away. And that is Mail Our Lists – the ultimate super solo ad package that lets you tap into targeted buyer traffic from very prominent websites in the field of MMO.

So if you need something that makes a job-replacing income on autopilot, Let’s quickly check out my review now!

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WHAT IS Mail Our Lists?

Mail Our Lists enables you to send a solo ad email to exactly 31,574 members across 43 websites involved in many niches, especially making money online.

It also includes details of how to set up the solo ad that you can easily follow and do the same. Once you get access to this method, you can enjoy massive results without hard works at low payment.

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MAIL OUR LISTS REVIEW – WHAT DOES IT OFFER?

Here is exactly you can get inside this product:

  ♦   Send An Email Now To The Members Of 43 Websites

Here are all of the 43 websites that you can send email to its members. So you don’t have to reach each of them individually, everything is available for you to start from scratch.

♦   Directly Sent To The Email Addresses Of 31,574 Members

A lot of these members are proven buyers who have purchased both upgrades and affiliate products from the creators.

  ♦   Send An Offer To Any URL In Any Niche

All the members of the sites are interested in the MMO niche, but many of them are very interested in other niches as well. So if you are promoting a product in the health, weight loss, or self-development niches then you should still get a response as well.

  ♦   Purchase More Super Solos Whenever You Like

You can buy another Mail Our Lists solo ad at any time and send it to these members again – with no limit to the number you can purchase.

  ♦   You Don’t Need Your Own Email List

That’s right. Everything is done for you. There is no list building or hard works required. Let this product do the heavy lifting things for you.

  ♦   Perfect For Beginners

Whether you’re just a beginner marketer or if you already have some experience with email marketing, this product is suitable for you and works effectively.

Also, you should act now to lock in the free bonus package as followed: (I’m also throwing in various handy bonuses at the end of this Mail Our Lists review. Don’t forget to check it out)

MAIL OUR LISTS REVIEW – PROS & CONS

PROS:

  ♥   Send an email to 31,574 members

  ♥   Mail 43 websites in the MMO niche

  ♥   All members double opted-in

  ♥   Send any offer in any niche

  ♥   It will even write the email for you!

  ♥   Crazy value for under $10

  ♥   Absolutely no bot traffic clicks

  ♥   Evergreen offer – buy again, send again

  ♥   Includes 1000’s of proven buyers

  ♥   Free squeeze pages included

CONS:

  X   There is none

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Mail Our Lists REVIEW – PRICE AND EVALUATION:

FRONT END — Mail Our Lists: ($9.95) (50% Commissions)

Your customers can send a solo ad to the 31,574 members across the 43 MMO websites owned by Dawud Islam and Terry Till

(full details of the sites on the sales page).

OTO 1: PRO BUNDLE X 5 ($27 – $47)

You will get 5 x more solo ads to send out, making 6 in total.

OTO 2: TOTAL TRAFFIC FIX ($97 – $197)

Inside this package, you will get a VIP upgrade at all 43 of their websites in this never offered before upgrade (Would cost $2,752 if purchased individually) plus place your banner permanently on their 43 sites.

OTO 3: RESELLER RIGHTS ($17 – $37)

This upsell offers you Reseller rights to Mail Our Lists – Sell it as if it was your own product and keep 100% commissions across the entire funnel.

OTO 4: DFY WEEKLY CAMPAIGNS ($47 – $97)

You will get sent 3 x DFY campaigns each and every week. It includes DFY bonus page with review video, product demo and ten custom bonuses delivered for you (requires Commission Gorilla).

OTO 5:THE ELITE ACADEMY BETA TESTER – $997 OR 3 X PAYMENTS OF $497

For a limited time this exclusive offer will include beta access to dawud’s new high ticket programme ‘the elite academy’ launching later this month. Be one of the very first to join. You can check out the sales page for full details.

Mail Our Lists Reviews:- Is it worth buying?

This product offers you at an incredible price. Honestly speaking, it is super affordable in comparison with the massive resource inside this package. Meanwhile, you only pay the fee for your breakfast to get access to it. I think you should not hesitate anymore as this is your lucrative chance to save you expensive time, money and get you more passive income.

Please remember that this special offer is very limited. So make sure you take your action before the boat has gone forever. This product also comes with a 30 days money-back guarantee policy. But take note that refunds cannot be made after your solo ad has been sent out.

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