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pepperochau · 1 year ago

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Dunsparce 2: The ReDunsing

so this is the follow-up post i wanted to make as a sort of coda to the post about dudunsparce, just to kinda go over why i feel that "dunce" is a bit of a generous misreading among english-speaking pokemon fans, mostly using bulbapedia as my example here given how popular it is to use. i'll put a break here like the last post, mostly because there's a good handful of images to go over lol.

so to start: the original version of bulbapedia's dunsparce article was created on March 6th 2005. with a then much smaller userbase, it took until March 29th for a "Name Origin" subsection to be created and populated, a screenshot of which should be below:

this was the state the article persisted for over 2 years. mostly. some changes were made to move/remove the line about flying snakes, but the focus of this post is about the name origin so i'm keeping our focus on that. anyway, that was how the article looked until October 30th 2007, where the article was then amended as follows:

to be fair, I can't fault them for providing a thorough entry. those are indeed many definitions of the word dunce. but note the language used: could be. again , to be fair to the user, it's difficult to suss out the components of a complex pun without knowing the author's intentions, but "could be" is a lot less certain and authoritative than "may be" or "can" are. the extra definition of sparse as "meager" also suggests to me a level of personal umbrage with dunsparce, but that's just my onion. although, a later editor would also agree that the new definitions were a bit much, and after another two years, the article was later pared down and edited to fit the bulbapedia style on November 29th 2009. they still maintained "dunce", however:

because history loves patterns, not much would happen within the dunsparce article for yet another two years where two edits were fired off in relatively hyperspeed succession. the first: a claim that "spear" may be a potential name origin, on account of its drilling tail. the second, not even twenty minutes later: a reversion of the prior edit, along with...the additional removal of "dunce"!

oh yes, much rejoicement all around! finally, the goofy fat snake has been removed from the burden of-

damnit.

Five years. Five whole years. that's how long it took for someone, anyone, to notice that "dunce" was no longer within the article. and then, with what i can only assume was the same rationale that added it to the article some nine years prior, it was readded once more.

for the sake of conciseness, i've condensed the next few major events into this image block:

and this has how the article has remained, until August 30th 2023, where in the wee hours of the morning i created a personal bulbapedia account to remove the "dunce", and provided what I feel is a reasonable rationale for doing so. i do also plan to spruce up the dudunsparce page at some point, but i want to avoid looking like a kooky fatsnake evangelist and i also want to do some more research on spanish folklore to make sure i have a solid basis for adding anything before i get started.

now you may be wondering why i care so much about a name origin. well firstly, i like dunsparce—it's one of my favorites of gen 2, so im a bit biased. secondly, i'm pretty sure i have an undiagnosed something or other so this is how my brain is telling me to spend my time this week: dunsparce and dudunsparce. thirdly, after actually looking through the article's edit history, i feel like the users of bulbapedia, and the wider pokemon fandom, deserve to have higher standards for the curation of information. would it be fair to scolipede, for example, if someone were to add "lip" as a potential name origin because it just happens to be in scolipede's name? what about cofagrigus? perhaps drednaw takes inspiration from the color "red"? should moe syzlak of the simpsons be considered the namesake of cosmoem???

all i'm saying is: dunsparce has been an article for over ~18 years now. ~8 of those years (2+5+1) were spent dunceless while ~10 (4+3+3) were spent dunced. it's not like these gaps were from a lack of research either, but rather from a lack of care about sourcing information. i mean, five whole years before someone even stopped to think "hey where did the dunce go".

and you know what, maybe i'm the one in the wrong here. maybe there's a yet-undiscovered translator interview out there which can explain what the naming process was for dunsparce, and i'll be proven wrong. i'd be fine with that. but until such a source is found, i think it's safer to err on the side of caution with names.

edit: also, i know i said i'd contact a bulbapedia mod to ask their process, but honestly i don't think they have a process so mid-research i felt it would be a bit pointless to ask

#dunsparce #dudunsparce #blog post #bulbapedia #long essay no one cares about lol #reblog this version please

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cryoculus · 5 years ago

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Hello! I love the blog, was wondering of you can do a soulmate au for akaashi or bokuto? Maybe one about sharing the same tattoo? Thanks even if you reject!

» Word Count: 2,650 wordsCross-posted on AO3

This ask was sent literally a year ago, and I am so sorry for not filling this (and all the other requests dumped into my inbox) any sooner! This is part one for a reincarnation/soulmate AU for Bokuto because I’ve already done the matching tattoos one with Daichi, whoops.

—

“And here we have the Crimson Dream, as depicted on a white canvas with red paint by none other than Sakurauchi Hide-san.”

Awed whispers resonated in your little tour group as your guide spared you a few minutes to observe the beautiful yet macabre painting among many others hung on the walls of the museum. Photographs and the like were strictly prohibited, and you’ve been giving your best friend, Kinuye, the cold shoulder when she opted not to tell you.

“What am I supposed to do with this, then?” you muttered, gesturing vaguely at the disposable camera hung around your neck. “You could’ve stopped me when I got it at the gift shop.”

Kinuye giggled, tucking a tuft of loose, brown hair behind her ear. “Well, for one, you looked so excited to document our first date in forever. What kind of friend would I be to take that away from you?”

You scoffed. “A practical one.”

“Hm. While you do have a point, you could always use that for other things, right?” She grinned, and dear god, you still rued the day the universe had decided that she would be the pretty friend. “Tetsurou will come pick us up a little later. Is there anywhere you’d like to go to next?”

Frowning, you asked, “This Tetsurou guy—he’s your boyfriend, right?”

She nodded gingerly. “Yup. Total sweetheart, I tell you. You’ll love him!”

You hummed in contemplation, wondering if you really will love the guy, as Kinuye had insisted. She’d started sending you photos of herself doing weird poses with her old Organic Chemistry professor only a few months ago. While he didn’t look like someone that would deliberately break your best friend’s heart, there was something off-putting about him that you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

It’s not because he was older, really. Dating older people was normal in college. It was more because you convinced yourself that you knew him from somewhere, but couldn’t recall how.

“Now, moving on to the next work of art…”

The two of you shuffled along as the tour guide prattled on about the origins behind the next piece over. As a painting major, your heart practically melted when Kinuye texted you the previous week, saying that she’d scored the two of you tickets for the new art museum that opened a few blocks from your university. It’s been the talk of your department for weeks, and the tickets had sold out on the first day of the pre-sale. You weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on them, yourself, but life had apparently decided that you shall also be bestowed with your pretty friend’s blessings.

“Hey, that one reminds me of the painting you have in your living room,” Kinuye whispered, pointing somewhere behind you. With one eyebrow raised, you craned your head to sneak a glance at what she was pertaining to—only to be met with the sight of a massive tapestry framed at the other side of the hall.

As most tapestries were, the fabric that depicted a vast, orange sky with spires of land jutting from the clouds was being displayed behind a stretch of conservation glass. A few visitors were standing in front of it, murmuring among themselves while sharing contemplative stares. There was even a golden plaque placed underneath, but you were too far away to read the inscription.

But Kinuye was right. It did look eerily similar to the twilight painting you once did for your scenery final.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but did you get your reference off the Internet or did you see it with your own eyes?” your best friend wondered, genuine curiosity brimming in her gaze. “It practically looked like a screenshot, you know. One of my favorites for sure.”

“Is that your way of telling me that you didn’t like the portrait I gave you for your birthday?” You pouted.

Kinuye gasped, appalled at your accusation. “I adore every single piece you make, and you know it! It’s just that…there’s something about that painting in particular, you know? I remember you holing yourself up in your apartment for days just so you could finish it before finals week ended. Now, the fan art for your original is being displayed at a museum—”

“That tapestry is not fan art, Kinuye,” you said in-between chuckles as your gaze wandered back to the twilight sky just a few feet away. “I guess we just happened to witness the same thing.”

One side of her mouth quirked upward. “Eh? So you did see it with your own eyes. Where is it? Were you on a hiking trip? Is it back in Hokkaido? You’re going to take me there, right?”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair with playful exasperation. “You’re so demanding.”

“If some person made the effort to make a damn tapestry of the same scenery you painted for a final requirement, then it just means that it’s that amazing, right?” Kinuye folded her arms across her chest, declaring, “You will take me there.”

She was practically the first friend you’ve made when you moved to Tokyo, so of course you’d want to take Kinuye to places you knew she would like. But how were you supposed to bring her somewhere you’ve only seen in the plane of your dreams?

“I’ll think about it,” you told her, not really meaning the words.

“And that concludes our guided itinerary,” the guide up front said, almost sounding relieved. “You may now take a look at the rest of the artworks displayed in this wing on your own accord. But do refrain from going beyond as the other wings are still under construction. Thank you for visiting the Akaashi Museum for Fine Arts, and we do hope you’ll support the institution as time flows on.”

As time flows on. Those are some strange parting words.

Once your group dissolved into pairs and individuals, Kinuye seized your wrist so she could drag you off to the tapestry that she’d suddenly went crazy about. There were more people viewing the frame than earlier, but the two of you managed to get a decent spot, nonetheless. There, you could read the words etched onto the plaque much more clearly.

The Dawn of Our Ruinby Akaashi Keiji, 2014

“Says here that the guy who made this finished it on his third year of high school. So you’re the one who did the fan art after all, huh, (Name)-chan,” teased Kinuye as she carefully went over the rest of the details. “Oh, and he’s also the son of the museum’s director! Really runs in the family, huh?”

Her words, however, were a bit muted in your ears, given that your attention was ensnared by the artist’s interpretation of his own work.

“When heavenly fire swathes the clouds with reds and oranges, the rage of the gods cannot be fathomed by mortal minds. Those who oppose their justice will be struck down to the earth, where they will perish with their dying eyes transfixed on the fading daylight.”

You saw a beautiful sky at the dregs of twilight. Akaashi Keiji saw clouds on fire.

“You ladies seem pretty into that piece, huh?”

Startled, you whip your head back to face whoever addressed you and Kinuye so abruptly. There, a man who seemed no older than the two of you stood with his pockets shoved into his sleek black overcoat. He stood tall above the both of you, his grin blindingly bright. But the most peculiar thing about him, aside from his streaked, bouffant hair, was definitely the molten gold of his eyes—so mesmerizing that you’d almost forgotten he’d asked you a question.

“Y-Yes,” you stuttered. “I—”

“She painted something that looks exactly the same as this one!” Kinuye interrupted, patting your shoulder proudly. “She won’t tell me where it is, but she did promise to take me there someday.”

You shot her an incredulous look. “I did not make any promises, Kinuye.”

“I’m Yoshitaka Kiyune, and that’s (Surname) (Name),” she introduced. Your friend merely smiled at you like a Cheshire cat, before balking off at the stranger about your supposed skill with the canvas and brush. You could only shrink to the side when said stranger responded with the same extroverted eagerness that Kinuye practically exuded on the daily.

“Whoa! You got the highest mark for your version of this? I haven’t seen it, but I already know you deserve it,” he said, eyes glittering with awe. The wonder in his voice wasn’t staged. You’ve been on the receiving end of half-meant compliments all your life, and you could tell that his words were nothing but genuine.

Kinuye perked up from beside you. “Oh, if you don’t mind, can we ask for your name…?”

The golden-eyed man’s smile softened. “Koutarou. Bokuto Koutarou. I’m one of the curators for the museum.”

“You’re a curator?” you repeated, disbelief lining your features.

Bokuto hollered out loud, earning a few looks from the nearby visitors. “Ah, I get that a lot. I don’t look the part, but I know good pieces when I see them. I’m the one who’s in charge of this wing after all.”

You blinked at him, at a loss for words. “So, you know the person who made this, then?”

“Of course!” He nodded vigorously. “The Akaashis are a family friend of mine, and the dude who put this gigantic thing together is practically my best friend. Like hell I’ll leave out his best work to gather dust in their basement.”

“I see…” Your voice trailed off when your gaze latched back onto the tapestry. The details were breathtaking, each thread carefully placed where they could bring the depicted image to life. This close, you could see that, indeed, it wasn’t the sky that’s orange. The puffy white clouds were covered in a thin blanket of fire, as if the rage of the gods Akaashi had spoken of hasn’t boiled over yet.

“You know, I could sign your pieces up to be displayed on here, too.”

Your body reacted before your mind could even process the words. You felt your hands grow cold within a second, the chill spreading to the rest of your skin. Did you hear him right? Did the curator for the museum you thought you’d never be able to visit within the month just offer to display your art in the newly opened wing?

“You can refuse if you don’t want to though,” Bokuto supplied, a sheepish look twisting his face. “It’s just that I’m friends with Professor Konoha, and he’s been telling me about a certain student that had her own rendition of Akaashi’s Dawn, and that her pieces were, quote, out of this world.”

Feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up on your face, you turned your head a little to the side. “K-Konoha-sensei is a little superfluous with his compliments sometimes…”

He shook his head. “Konoha is the most honest guy I know! When he’s playing favorites, that just means your stuff is worth something.” Bokuto then reached into his coat before handing you a small, rectangular card. He grinned once more, and you could feel your blush worsen by the second.

“If you’re interested, just give me a call, and we can talk about it over lunch! Or coffee. Or—I dunno. Whatever you’d like.” The look in his eyes was so hopeful, you thought it would be a crime to turn him down.

You gulped, studying his business card for a few seconds before keeping it inside your bag. “T-Thank you, Bokuto-san—”

“Oh, don’t be so formal with me.” He pouted. “Back then you told me—ah, I mean… I’d prefer it if my future clients didn’t address me so stiffly.”

“Alright…Bokuto.” You spoke his name carefully, feeling how the syllables fit in your tongue. “I’ll call you once I’ve made up my mind.”

The curator clapped his hands together, like a child promised with a toy. He just wouldn’t stop smiling, and you felt as though he won’t do so any time soon. Beside you, you could feel Kinuye giving you one of her Looks, and you weren’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

“Alright, thanks a lot, (Name)—uh, (Surname). You, too, Yoshitaka. It was nice meeting the two of you, but I’ll be going now,” he sighed wistfully, like he didn’t want to leave. “I have a meeting with the directors in a few minutes, and Keiji might just yell at me for being late. Again.”

You let out a soft laugh. “It’s okay, Bokuto. Thank you again for the opportunity.”

With a single nod of the head, Bokuto strode off to the restricted area of the museum, possibly where the offices were located. You were about to ask Kinuye what time her boyfriend would come pick the two of you up, but the Look she was sending your way only intensified once Bokuto was out of sight.

“He’s into you,” she spoke flatly. “He is so into you.”

Your eyes widened and you could feel yourself flush at her words. “W-What do you mean?”

“(Name), don’t act dense. You’ve had boyfriends in the past. I’m sure you can tell if a guy likes you or not.”

“He was just being nice!” you reasoned. “He’s friends with Konoha-sensei, so he must’ve seen some of my work. It’s purely professional—”

“With the way he was looking at you like you’re his next mistake?” Kinuye chuckled, patting your shoulder affectionately. “As if.”

Your bottom lip quivered with the itch to have the last word. “H-He’s older!”

“Tetsurou is a good six years older than me, and we’re doing mighty fine,” she argued with a smirk. “Come on, just admit that the pretty curator is into you and we can have lunch.”

“B-But—”

Your protest was interrupted by the sound of Kinuye’s ringtone, and she immediately fumbled around her bag for her phone. Her sea green eyes lit up when she checked the caller ID. “Just in time. Tetsurou’s already waiting for us out front.” Stuffing her phone back, she flashed you a faux-angelic smile. “(Name)-chan, you can continue wallowing in your denial later, but I would really prefer if you just owned up to it.”

“Whatever,” you sighed in defeat. “Let’s go. I’m starved.”

As the two of you made your way down the marble steps that led outside, you felt the sun practically glaring down on the both of you. Summer in Tokyo was excruciating in its own right, and you looked up to the sky just to give the big ball of fire a glare of your own.

However, in the distance, just a few buildings away, you spotted a bird—no, a creature in flight. It was too far away for you to decipher what it really was, but you could somehow make out the shape of massive wings jutting out from its back. Too big to be a bird, too alive to be a plane.

Remembering that you had a camera at your disposal, you raised it to your face so that one eye was posed on the viewfinder. It was one of those newer models that had a decent zoom in feature, but identity of the figure in the sky remained unknown when it promptly disappeared up into the heavens, high enough where no human could hope to reach.

“(Name)-chan, are you taking a picture of something?”

You let the camera fall, the strap straining against the back of your neck. Kinuye was looking at you expectantly from where she’s waiting beside an unfamiliar car.

Exhaling a deep breath, you shook your head. “No. Sorry,” you told her, before jogging down the rest of the steps.

#haikyuu!!#bokuto koutarou #fukurodani #bokuto koutarou x reader #haikyuu hc #soulmates #man i should really fix my tagging system #lol-life101 #hqscenario

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atakportal · 6 years ago

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Facebook was never ephemeral, and now its Stories won’t have to be – TechCrunch

New Post has been published on https://idealz.cloud/2018/07/09/facebook-was-never-ephemeral-and-now-its-stories-wont-have-to-be-techcrunch/

Facebook was never ephemeral, and now its Stories won’t have to be – TechCrunch

Before Snapchat made social media about just today, Facebook made it about forever. The 2011 “Timeline” redesign of the profile and keyword search unlocked your past, encouraging you to curate colorful posts about your life’s top moments. That was actually an inspiration for Snapchat, as its CEO Evan Spiegel wrote in its IPO announcement that “We learned that creativity can be suppressed by the fear of permanence.”

Now Facebook is finding a middle ground by optionally unlocking the history of your Stories that otherwise disappear after 24 hours. Facebook will soon begin testing Stories Highlights, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. Similar to Instagram Stories Highlights, it will let you pick your favorite expired photos and videos, compile them into themed collections with titles and cover images, and display them on your profile.

The change further differentiates Facebook Stories from the Snapchat Stories feature it copied. It’s smart for Facebook, because highly compelling content was disintegrating each day, dragging potential ad views to the grave with it. And for its 150 million daily users, it could make the time we spend obsessing over social media Stories a wiser investment. If you’re going to interrupt special moments to capture them with your phone, the best ones should still pay dividends of self-expresson and community connection beyond a day later.

Facebook Stories Highlights was first spotted by frequent TechCrunch tipster Jane Manchun Wong, who specializes in generating screenshots of unreleased features out of the APK files of Android apps. TechCrunch inquired about the feature, and a Facebook spokesperson provided this statement: “People have told us they want a way to highlight and save the Stories that matter most to them. We’ll soon start testing highlights on Facebook – a way to choose Stories to stay on your profile, making it easier to express who you are through memories.”

These Highlights will appear on a horizontal scroll bar on your profile, and you’ll be able to see how many people viewed them just like with your Stories. They’ll default to being viewable by all your friends, but you can also restrict Highlights to certain people or make them public. The latter could be useful for public figures trying to build an audience, or anyone who thinks their identity is better revealed through their commentary on the world that Stories’ creative tools offer, opposed to some canned selfies and profile pics.

Facebook paved the way for Highlights by launching the Stories Archive in May. This automatically backs up your Stories privately to your profile so you don’t have to keep the saved versions on your phone, wasting storage space. That Archive is the basis for being able to choose dead Stories to show off in your Highlights. Together, they’ll encourage users to shoot silly, off-the-cuff content without that “fear of permanence”, but instead with the opportunity. If you want to spend a half hour decorating a Facebook Story with stickers and drawing and captions and augmented reality, you know it won’t be in vain.

Facebook Stories constantly adds new features, like this Blur effect I spotted today

While many relentlessly criticize Facebook for stealing the Stories from Snapchat, its rapid iteration and innovation on the format means the two companies’ versions are sharply diverging. Snapchat still lacks Highlights-esque feature despite launching its Archive-style Memories back in July 2016. Instead of enhancing the core Stories product that made the app a teen phenomenon, it’s concentrated on Maps, gaming, Search, professional Discover content, and a disastrously needless redesign.

Facebook’s family of apps seized on the stagnation of Snapchat Stories and its neglect of the international market. It copied whatever was working while developing new features like Instagram’s Superzoom and Focus portrait mode, the ability to reshare public feed posts as quote tweet-style Stories, and the addition of licensed music soundtracks. While writing this article, I even discovered a new Facebook Stories option called Blur that lets you shroud a moving subject with a dream-like haze, as demonstrated with my dumb face here.

The relentless drive to add new options and smooth out performance has paid off. Now Instagram has 400 million daily Stories users, WhatsApp has 450 million, and Facebook has 150 million, while Snapchat’s whole app has just 191 million. As Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom admitted about Snapchat, “They deserve all the credit.” Still, it hasn’t had megahit since Stories and AR puppy masks. The company’s zeal for inventing new ways to socialize is admirable, though not always a sound business strategy.

At first, the Stories war was a race, to copy functionality and invade new markets. Instagram and now Facebook making ephemerality optional for their Stories signals a second phase of the war. The core idea of broadcasting content that disappears after a day has become commoditized and institutionalized. Now the winner will be declared not as who invented Stories, but who perfected them.

Source link

#ephemeral #facebook #never #stories #techcrunch

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sheminecrafts · 6 years ago

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Facebook was never ephemeral, and now its Stories won’t have to be

Facebook paved the way for Highlights by launching the Stories Archive in May. This automatically backs up your Stories privately to your profile so you don’t have to keep the saved versions on your phone, wasting storage space. That Archive is the basis for being able to choose dead Stories to show off in your Highlights. Together, they’ll encourage users to shoot silly, off-the-cuff content without that “fear of permanence,” but instead with the opportunity. If you want to spend a half hour decorating a Facebook Story with stickers and drawing and captions and augmented reality, you know it won’t be in vain.

Facebook Stories constantly adds new features, like this Blur effect I spotted today

While many relentlessly criticize Facebook for stealing the Stories from Snapchat, its rapid iteration and innovation on the format means the two companies’ versions are sharply diverging. Snapchat still lacks a Highlights-esque feature despite launching its Archive-style Memories back in July 2016. Instead of enhancing the core Stories product that made the app a teen phenomenon, it’s concentrated on Maps, gaming, Search, professional Discover content, and a disastrously needless redesign.

Facebook’s family of apps seized on the stagnation of Snapchat Stories and its neglect of the international market. It copied whatever was working while developing new features like Instagram’s Superzoom and Focus portrait mode, the ability to reshare public feed posts as quote tweet-style Stories and the addition of licensed music soundtracks. While writing this article, I even discovered a new Facebook Stories option called Blur that lets you shroud a moving subject with a dream-like haze, as demonstrated with my dumb face here.

The relentless drive to add new options and smooth out performance has paid off. Now Instagram has 400 million daily Stories users, WhatsApp has 450 million and Facebook has 150 million, while Snapchat’s whole app has just 191 million. As Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom admitted about Snapchat, “They deserve all the credit.” Still, it hasn’t had a megahit since Stories and AR puppy masks. The company’s zeal for inventing new ways to socialize is admirable, though not always a sound business strategy.

from iraidajzsmmwtv https://ift.tt/2N2m0Y1 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #iraidajzsmmwtv

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thehowtostuff-blog · 6 years ago

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Facebook Stories constantly adds new features, like this Blur effect I spotted today

from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2N2m0Y1

#How To Stuff #Blogger

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technicalsolutions88 · 6 years ago

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Facebook Stories constantly adds new features, like this Blur effect I spotted today

from Mobile – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2N2m0Y1 ORIGINAL CONTENT FROM: https://techcrunch.com/

#Technical Solutions #SEO #Online Earning #Youtube Marketing #Android Developer

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victoriagloverstuff · 6 years ago

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Facebook was never ephemeral, and now its Stories won’t have to be – TechCrunch

Facebook Stories constantly adds new features, like this Blur effect I spotted today

Cool read from TC Source Link

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 6 years ago

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EliteSingles review: A dating site with curated matches, meant for a more mature crowd

There are a *lot* of online dating options these days, particularly dating apps. They all try to stand out in their own way, whether it be catering to a certain niche or type of person, or offering a special feature or service. But the one thing they all have in common: the promise to up your chances of finding that special someone.

SEE ALSO: The best hookup apps for casual daters

EliteSingles is one of those options that claims to have found the online formula for love, particularly for working professionals looking for real relationships. We'll see about that.

EliteSingles is pretty easy to operate. The site matches singles mainly based on a personality assessment modeled after the Five Factor Model theory. Based on your personality and other factors (like age, occupation, and location), the site then sets you up with 3-7 compatible matches per day. This means that unlike sites like OkCupid and Match, you can't peruse the pool for potential love interests but instead have to wait until EliteSingles delivers matches to you.

Once you've matched with people, browse through their profiles. Your options for reaching out are diverse yet simple. You can send a smile (basically an emoji) that lets someone know you're interested, a message, or simply save them to your "favorites" in case you're not ready to reach out quite yet. You get variety in a simple, easy-to-use format.

While this could be good for those who don't have the time to constantly scroll through a dating site and are looking for more of a matchmaker service, those who have grown accustomed to filling the time with swiping through an app in search of a date may become a bit antsy.

Key Features:

Personality profile based on Five Factor Model

Verified profiles (to eliminate frauds and scammers)

Partner suggestions (3-7 matches per day)

Upload/view photos

Send and receive messages to other members

EliteSingles Magazine: A blog that offers tips and tricks for dating

Pricing:

Free basic account: $0

3-month membership: $89.85 / month

6-month membership: $69.95 / month (40% savings)

12-month membership: $49.95 / month (50% savings)

Not for millennials

EliteSingles seems to constantly brag that 82% of their members are college grads. Most of its members are 33-50 years old, so it's definitely geared less toward the Tinder-using generation and more toward those in the "working professional" category. Sorry college kids. This ain't for you.

I originally planned to scroll through the EliteSingles app (because it's 2018), but upon looking for EliteSingles on the app store (I have an iPhone, like the other 45% of cellphone users in America), I noticed it was nowhere to be found.

After some quick research (aka a search in the iTunes store), I couldn't find the app anywhere, and was disappointed. [EDITOR'S NOTE: We've been told that the app is down at the moment for some editing, but it'll be back soon.]

I resorted to using the desktop version on my laptop in the mean time, which made me feel like I was taking part in the early days of online dating before apps made it more socially acceptable for young people to do this stuff. Although since the clientele for this dating site seems to skew older, perhaps the lack of an app isn't the worst thing.

Image: elitesingles / screenshot

Making a profile

As if there were any doubt in my mind before, the profile setup process convinced me that we are far from the instant gratification world of Tinder. The EliteSingles profile building process — which includes filling in your basic info plus taking the personality test — is lengthy. But I can get behind a lengthy questionnaire. Its purpose seems logical: the more the site knows about me, the more likely it'll be able to find me a good match, right?

However, filling out the personality test definitely raised some questions for me as far as accuracy goes. Not to mention, some were also repetitive — or just downright awkward to answer.

Image: EliteSIngles

Image: elitesingles

In one of the first sections, EliteSingles asks you to rate your own appearance in specific categories, asking how the following attributes apply to you: trendy, attractive, overweight, sexy, and plain. Since questions like these are entirely subjective (beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all), it seems as though uploading picture should suffice. Shouldn't my potential love interests be able to decide these things on their own?

Getting past the initial awkwardness, some categories raised an eyebrow in a different way. Questions that asked me to determine how "rational," "opinionated," and "selfish" I am seem difficult to answer.

Signing up for a dating site is all about trying to put your best self forward. I hardly believe that anyone — even those who are aware that they're selfish — are going to put their bad traits on display if they can help it. It's the equivalent of choosing the unflattering double-chin photo as your main profile picture.

I filled out the survey to the best of my ability, although it became especially tedious when they started repeating questions. The questions covered everything from my satisfaction with myself, to how I behave in social situations, to how important certain character traits are to me in a partner. All-in-all the whole thing probably took me 30-45 minutes.

At the end, I received a detailed character analysis, which admittedly was kinda cool. It also explained the context behind the analysis and how each of the five categories applies to my life.

One of the drawbacks for the EliteSingles personality test though is that once it's done, you can't go back and tweak it or adjust your answers. All is not lost though, because following the personality test you have an opportunity to showcase your personality through a series of (even more) questions — these ones you fill out so that others can see what you've said in your profile.

Choose from 11 different prompts and put however many you want on your profile, or you can hit "random question" and have the site pick one for you.

Image: elitesingles / Screenshot

Aside from uploading some pictures — you can add up to 24 and connect to Facebook to pull pictures from there if you'd like — your profile is pretty much done.

What we love about EliteSingles

One word: Options.

Although the dating site doesn't allow you to search willy nilly through all of its users, EliteSingles provides multiple ways to find you a match. The dating site provides you with three main ways to find someone:

Matches: Every day, EliteSingles recommends 3-7 matches that it feels are compatible with your personality. It'll even show you how compatible you are (a score of 100 being a 100% match), as well as show you what things you have in common. We really like the fact that you can filter and narrow your matches based on height, distance, age, etc. So if you only want to see matches over 5'10" who live within 30 miles and have common interests, there's a filter for that.

Visitors: EliteSingles let's you know who's been creepin' on your profile. Hey, it's like the online version of catching the cute guy at work checking you out as you walk by his desk. Something about you caught their eye and made them pay your profile a visit, which can help you feel a bit more confident making the move to say hello. It's a lot easier to make the first move when you already know they're interested.

The Have you Met... feature: We really like this feature. "Have you met..." is basically a pool of candidates that fall slightly outside of your pre-chosen match filters, but still might be a good match for you in the eyes of EliteSingles. Why is this feature so great? Simple. Because sometimes we just don't know what the hell we want or need until it hits us in the face. You can make a checklist of traits that the perfect partner will possess, but do you really want to miss out on Mr. or Mrs. Right just because they're a couple years younger than your selected age range? This feature gives that person a second shot at catching your eye.

Room for improvement

While we did appreciate the detailed personality analysis, we're not completely sold on the accuracy of the results. This is mainly because people bend the truth when they need to look good. Perhaps we'd feel differently if someone were taking the Five Factor on their own out of curiosity, but setting up a dating profile is the time to put together your most impressive resume — not identify your personality flaws and tattoo them across your dating profile. People are filing this out knowing their answers are meant to make them appear attractive, so chances are you're not going to risk sharing something off-putting before you even get out of the gate.

While we love the fact that you can filter your matches based on distance, we think EliteSingles could've done a little better than setting 30 miles as the lowest option. For some, a 30-mile difference is a considerable commitment — especially for a first date. The ability to narrow this down to a smaller area would be especially helpful for people who live in cites. Cities that are filled with professionals. We'd at least like the option to narrow it down further, to 5 miles. (Hey, the entire island of Manhattan is only 13.4 miles long.)

EliteSingles claims to manually verify their profiles to avoid fake accounts, using SSL encryption and fraud detection technology. While this may help them identify scammers, it isn't stopping people from being dishonest on their profiles. I lied about my income and was never flagged, which makes me feel like I probably could've lied about other things, including my educational background, in order to seem more appealing.

While the EliteSingles personality test may be able to find out who you're compatible with, it doesn't focus much on who you're attracted to. The heart wants what it wants, but EliteSingles limits you to seeing only profiles that could be potential matches. So if you have a "type" that EliteSingles doesn't think you're compatible with, you may be out of luck. The flip side to this, of course, is that if you've been unlucky in love, perhaps you could use some help with selecting potential dates whom you may not have considered previously.

What are other people saying about EliteSingles

After reading through scores of reviews, we definitely saw a lot of complaints. Many people claimed that their matches were way off from the criteria they set, with a significant portion of that relating to distance. Others complained of difficulties cancelling their membership and poor customer service.

Datingsitesreviews.com user Jjm wrote:

However, among the dissatisfied users were some glimmers of hope. For example, user Deb from datingsitesreviews.com wrote:

Final thoughts

EliteSingles is far from a perfect dating site. On the plus side, it's focused primarily on professionals who are looking for something real, instead of a lot of other dating apps that cater to younger, hookup-minded audiences. The site was easy to navigate and the personality assessment was a cool feature that helps you learn a little bit about yourself.

On the downside, the sign-up process takes a while. The fact that you have to fill out the entire test before you're able to see what the site's all about could easily be a deterrent for some eager or impatient singles. Requiring users to invest time in the personality investment though can help to weed out people who aren't taking this whole online dating thing seriously. If they've carefully filled out a profile, then you know they're serious about finding a good match.

Also worthy of noting: the free version doesn't really get you anywhere. Without subscribing, you're basically only able to see the fact that you have matches and/or messages. User pictures are blurred and messaging is super limited. Also, from what we can tell from reviews and from our own list of matches, EliteSingles doesn't do the best job of abiding by your set criteria.

EliteSingles boasts over 13 million members worldwide, claiming that an average 2,000 couples pair off every month. Neither of those are small numbers, so if you're willing to put in the time to fill out a profile and risk weeding through some less-than-ideal matches or an annoying customer service experience, who knows, you may land on a gem.

Image: EliteSingles

#_author:Dorothy Pitti #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_uuid:00749bf4-d709-369d-ba2c-f5900d48a583 #_revsp:news.mashable

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touristguidebuzz · 7 years ago

Text

What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet?

When I decided to quit my job and travel the world, I walked into a bookstore and bought Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. I was in Thailand and was eager to get started. Buying that guidebook made my impulsive decision seem real. Thumbing through its pages on my flight home, I was hooked. I loved its emphasis on budget travel and backpacking, the offbeat destinations, and its quirky and funny writing. As I planned my trip, LP’s “shoestring” guides were stacked high on my desk — and I became a permanent customer of Lonely Planet guides. Their personality matched mine and I was hooked.

Dubbed “the backpacker’s blue bible,” Lonely Planet’s guidebooks focused on unique destinations and budget travel, which made them a staple of travelers worldwide. For good or ill, Lonely Planet often made destinations, hostels, and restaurants.

Sure, its guides became synonymous with mass tourism, but for me, they were a great resource to thumb over while on a bus or train, or in a hostel. I navigated with LP maps and used LP guides for basic activity information and to figure out transportation.

But, lately, their quality seems to have gone down a lot. The last couple of times I’ve used their website and guides ended in frustration and disappointment and made me ask myself:

“What the heck is the matter with Lonely Planet?”

While it’s still the largest guidebook company in the world with 25% of the market, it’s fallen from its perch as “the bible” for budget travelers. After being sold to BBC in 2007 and then sold again to a reclusive billionaire named Brad Kelley in 2013, Lonely Planet is a shell of what it used to be. Kelley hired a 25-year-old photographer named Daniel Houghton, who came on board and “invested heavily in a digital revamp and laid off nearly one-fifth of the workforce.”

To further quote that Outside article, “I [the author] ask what the market research says about all that. ‘I didn’t really look at it,’ [Houghton] says, lowering his voice conspiratorially. ‘I don’t really go with market research. I kinda go with my gut.’”

And that’s where much of the blame lies.

What the market really says

As I sat down to write this article, I asked readers on social media what they thought of Lonely Planet. While most people still used Lonely Planet (and guidebooks in general) for preplanning, they reiterated what I kept hearing on the road: the books seem to get more out of date, the writing has lost its edge, the guides have gotten more upscale and less about offbeat and budget destinations, the website is hard to use, and blogs are often better. Here’s some examples of common responses (click here to see them all):

Over the years, travelers I’ve met in person have echoed the same complaint: that LP’s special je ne sais quoi is long gone. In fact, I’ve had some good bonding sessions over the topic!

Clearly, the market has a different opinion about the guides than management. Travelers, while still using the guide, don’t like it as much. I still see people using guidebooks on the road so the problem isn’t that people don’t use guidebooks.

The problem is Lonely Planet itself.

Last year, the CEO was interviewed in Amuse and talked about how he was making LP an uncurated (my word) travel content company: “We’ve never looked at Lonely Planet just as a book company, or a guidebook publisher — in fact my first interaction with Lonely Planet actually was on our website, probably when I was in college — we’ve always looked at it as a content company.”

But guidebooks are not content companies, they are curated resources from experts. We buy them because we don’t want a TripAdvisor or a generic source of information — we want someone who has been there and done that to help us do the same. Whether app, e-book, or paperback, consumers want a trusted source of information. We want someone to cut through the noise for us. If LP is just another generic content company that lists everything and exists to generate ad revenue, then what makes them unique? Are they just a bigger version Condé Nast Traveler or Afar?

It’s true Lonely Planet had problems long before the current management. Tony and Maureen Wheeler, the company’s founders, will be to the first to tell you they failed in the digital space. This is part of the reason they sold LP to the BBC. The BBC in turn just didn’t do much with the company and let Thorn Tree — LP’s forum and the best part of the site — struggle, as there were many mishaps and closings, as well as poor management.

Yet that was in 2013. The current problems are owned by the current management. Their desire to turn Lonely Planet into a content company is a terrible decision that is out of touch with what travelers want.

A rapid decline in quality

The decision to ignore market research and go with their gut explains much of the decline and why the books are a shell of what they used to be. When the company was last bought, most of the old execs were fired, bought out, or driven out. In their place was installed a management team with little knowledge of the industry they were now in.

Multiple sources reached out to me for this article to describe their experiences with Lonely Planet since the buyout. Authors complained about LP’s lack of communication, respect, and input, and about policy changes that communicated to their contributing experts “please go away.”

It’s something I’ve been hearing for years from my LP friends. (When you’re a travel writer, many of your travel-writing friends will be LP writers.)

I’ve long heard rumors and whispers about LP’s recycled content and desk updates (i.e., information written in the office, not from research at the destination), and that seemed to be corroborated by current employees. Often, I’ve heard, Lonely Planet contributors are told to use Google and TripAdvisor to create content.

LP has this giant content management system, where the author submits their research and, from that, they make the guidebook. But I’ve been told that now, after writers enter information into the database, another person — who may have no knowledge of the destination — comes along and assembles a book. So, in the end, you get this disorganized — and often wrong — book.

Because of these changes, writers seem to have developed a disdain for the company and merely deliver what’s “just good enough.” They aren’t paid a lot, work under tighter and tighter deadlines, and don’t feel part of the company anymore.

How much of this is “sour grapes,” I don’t know, but I’ve heard this complaint for enough years by enough sources that I believe it. I don’t blame the writers. I’ve seen my friends on assignment. They have a lot to do and little time to do it in – plus, the pay is terrible. So, it’s no surprise that if you treat the content creators poorly, you’re going to get poor content.

I – and many others – see that reflected in the quality of the guides.

A terrible website

And this decline can be very clearly seen on the LP website. After Houghton first took over, the website looked like this:

I mean, what is this? It’s a bunch of squares (for ants!*). Who thought this was good? It would take me ages to find the square I needed. Often I gave up and simply found a blog instead.

Now, while I like many things about the new Lonely Planet website — the larger pictures and bigger font — the content sections are hard to follow, and navigating the website is just as difficult as ever. I was trying to find information when I was in Lyon recently — and it was just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. Why? They list like every place in the city – every church, attraction, park, or restaurant. (They do it for all their destinations.) I don’t want every restaurant or attraction — I want guidebooks and experts to give me the best. Distill the information down for me! If I wanted an endless list, I’d go to TripAdvisor or Yelp!

Plus, the information is so hard to find now. Here’s an example of LP’s California page in 2010 and now:

2010:

Now:

(Well, the page is so long and empty that I can’t take an accurate screenshot so here’s a link to see for yourself.)

In the old version, all the essential information is on the page (and if you go to the link for the page, you’ll see that essential information is just below the fold). It was easy to get to where you wanted to go, there were no endless lists, and they gave you the facts you needed. It had what you wanted. In the new version, you scroll, scroll, and keep scrolling. There’s a lot of space, not a lot of curated information, and it’s really hard to find what you are looking for.

It’s not just the California page. One just has to go to Paris to find that Lonely Planet’s “top list” is never-ending. And the descriptions of attractions, restaurants, and bars are even less useful than what Google or Yelp offers. Here’s a description of the Prescription Cocktail Club in Paris (one of my favorites):

With bowler and flat-top hats as lampshades and a 1930s speakeasy New York air to the place, this cocktail club — run by the same mega-successful team as Experimental Cocktail Club (ECC) — is very Parisian-cool. Getting past the doorman can be tough, but once in, it’s friendliness and old-fashioned cocktails all round.

That basic information doesn’t really tell me much about the décor, ambiance, or incredible drinks: the cucumber water you get when you sit down, exposed brick walls and dark wood bar, the jazz music, or the inventive cocktails. (Also, there’s no doorman. That’s simply wrong.) I’d take a Yelp review over the above any day.

When I was searching for things to do in Lyon, it was so difficult to find basic information (again, it’s just endless lists) and suggestions that I just gave up and consulted Yelp and blogs. These sites were better organized, gave me a curated list of places, and provided more detailed descriptions.

So what is the matter with Lonely Planet?

LP’s desire to be a “content company” is clear: the increased articles on the site that seem to exist to only drive page views, the sponsored content from the places (and companies) it reviews, the funneling of people from content to booking sites, the TripAdvisor–style listing of everything (more page views), and the plethora of ads that now litter the site. Additionally, the heavy emphasis on selling tours to destinations seems to go against the grain of independent travel that the company was founded on. You can tell the company has changed simply by what they focus their online content on.

We consumers go to travel blogs and guidebook companies because we want an expert to tell them what’s best. We want someone to distill it all down for them so we don’t have to do the work. It’s why we carry LP guides and not Condé Nast Traveler or Outside magazines on the road. Those are great for inspiration, but not on-the-ground information.

By losing that focus, trying (in my opinion) to appeal to everyone, and attempting to compete with sites like TripAdvisor (and even blogs to an extent), LP has lost what made it great.

I believe companies are better off when they have one thing they focus on. Andrew Carnegie once said, “ ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ is all wrong. I tell you, ‘Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.’ ”

Lonely Planet should be a guidebook company. Being a guidebook company doesn’t mean you have to focus on physical books, but it means you focus on your one thing. Its shift from its singular mission to becoming a “digital content hub” means that it’s no longer unique — and when you are no longer unique, consumers have no reason to stay loyal. As Simon Sinek once said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

You used to know what the Lonely Planet brand meant and what they stood for. Now, I don’t know what the company stands for.

LP still is king because of its sheer size. It is the Microsoft of guidebook companies. Not one person I talked to had any loyalty to the brand anymore. They often bought the guides simply because there was no one else selling one to their destination.

I’ve been a loyal LP customer since 2005. Their guidebooks are all over this website. I still buy them. They are often the only game in town to where I want to go. But, lately, I’m not so sure about them anymore. I haven’t given up on them – but I’m getting closer to doing so. It’s hard to watch them morph into something so….forgettable.

So what’s the matter with Lonely Planet?

In short, just about everything.

* Zoolander reference: “What is this? A center for ants!” Ahhh, never gets old!

P.S. – Ever wondered how you can stay around the world for free? Find out how our upcoming Q&A with TrustedHousesitters! Housesitting is one of the best ways to stay long term in the places you’re visiting!

The post What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years ago

Text

What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet?

But, lately, their quality seems to have gone down a lot. The last couple of times I’ve used their website and guides ended in frustration and disappointment and made me ask myself:

“What the heck is the matter with Lonely Planet?”

And that’s where much of the blame lies.

What the market really says

Over the years, travelers I’ve met in person have echoed the same complaint: that LP’s special je ne sais quoi is long gone. In fact, I’ve had some good bonding sessions over the topic!

The problem is Lonely Planet itself.

A rapid decline in quality

It’s something I’ve been hearing for years from my LP friends. (When you’re a travel writer, many of your travel-writing friends will be LP writers.)

I – and many others – see that reflected in the quality of the guides.

A terrible website

And this decline can be very clearly seen on the LP website. After Houghton first took over, the website looked like this:

I mean, what is this? It’s a bunch of squares (for ants!*). Who thought this was good? It would take me ages to find the square I needed. Often I gave up and simply found a blog instead.

Plus, the information is so hard to find now. Here’s an example of LP’s California page in 2010 and now:

2010:

Now:

(Well, the page is so long and empty that I can’t take an accurate screenshot so here’s a link to see for yourself.)

So what is the matter with Lonely Planet?

By losing that focus, trying (in my opinion) to appeal to everyone, and attempting to compete with sites like TripAdvisor (and even blogs to an extent), LP has lost what made it great.

You used to know what the Lonely Planet brand meant and what they stood for. Now, I don’t know what the company stands for.

So what’s the matter with Lonely Planet?

In short, just about everything.

* Zoolander reference: “What is this? A center for ants!” Ahhh, never gets old!

The post What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2fbqobC

#IFTTT #Travel Blogs

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tamboradventure · 7 years ago

Text

What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet?

But, lately, their quality seems to have gone down a lot. The last couple of times I’ve used their website and guides ended in frustration and disappointment and made me ask myself:

“What the heck is the matter with Lonely Planet?”

And that’s where much of the blame lies.

What the market really says

As I sat to write down this article, I asked readers on social media what they thought of Lonely Planet. While most people still used Lonely Planet (and guidebooks in general) for preplanning, they reiterated what I kept hearing on the road: the books seem to get more out of date, the writing has lost its edge, the guides have gotten more upscale and less about offbeat and budget destinations, the website is hard to use, and blogs are often better. Here’s some examples of common responses (you here to see them all):

Over the years, travelers I’ve met in person have echoed the same complaint: that LP’s special je ne sais quoi is long gone. In fact, I’ve had some good bonding sessions over the topic!

The problem is Lonely Planet itself.

But guidebooks are not content companies. They are curated resources from experts. We buy them because we don’t want a TripAdvisor or a generic source of information — we want someone who has been there and done that to help us do the same. Whether app, e-book, or paperback, consumers want a trusted source of information. We want someone to cut through the noise of us. If LP is just another generic content company that lists everything and exists to generate ad revenue, then what makes them unique? Are they just a bigger version Condé Nast Traveler or Afar?

A rapid decline in quality

The decision to ignore market research and go with their gut explains much of the decline and why the books a shell of what they used to be. When the company was last bought, most of the old execs were fired, bought out, or driven out. In their place was installed a management team with little knowledge of the industry they were now in.

It’s something I’ve been hearing for years from my LP friends. (When you’re a travel writer, many of your travel-writing friends will be LP writers.)

I’ve long heard rumors and whispers about LP’s recycled content and desk updates (i.e., information written in the office, not from research at the destination), and that seemed to be corroborated current employees. Often, LP contributors are told to use Google and TripAdvisor to create content.

LP has this giant content management system, where the author submits their research and, from that, then make the guidebook. But I’ve been told that now, after writers enter information into the database, another person — who may have virtually no knowledge of the destination — comes along and assembles a book. So, in the end, you get this disorganized — and often wrong — book.

How much of this is “sour grapes” I don’t know, but I’ve heard this complaint for enough years by enough sources that I believe it. I don’t blame the writers. I’ve seen my friends on assignment. They have a lot to do and little time to do it in – plus, the pay is terrible. So, it’s no surprise that if you treat the content creators poorly, you’re going to get poor content.

I – and many others – see that reflected in the quality of the guides.

A terrible website

And this decline can be very clearly seen on the LP website. After Houghton first took over, the website looked like this:

I mean, what is this? It’s a bunch of squares (for ants!*). Who thought this was a good? It would take me ages to find the square I needed. Often I gave up and simply found a blog instead.

Plus, the information is so hard to find now. Here’s an example of LP’s California page in 2010 and now:

2010:

Now:

(Well, the page is so long and empty that I can’t take an accurate screenshot so here’s a link to see for yourself.)

It’s not just the California page. One just has to go to Paris to find that LP’s “top list” is never-ending. And the descriptions of attractions, restaurants, and bars are even less useful than what Google or Yelp offers. Here’s a description of the Prescription Cocktail Club in Paris (one of my favorites):

So what is the matter with Lonely Planet?

By losing that focus, trying (in my opinion) to appeal to everyone, and attempting to compete with sites like TripAdvisor (and even blogs to an extent), LP has lost what made it great.

You used to know what LP meant. Now I don’t know what the company stands for.

So what’s the matter with Lonely Planet?

In short, just about everything.

* Zoolander reference: “What is this? A school for ants!” Ahhh, never gets old!

The post What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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#IFTTT #Travel Blog – Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

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theladyjstyle · 7 years ago

Photo

But, lately, their quality seems to have gone down a lot. The last couple of times I’ve used their website and guides ended in frustration and disappointment and made me ask myself:

“What the heck is the matter with Lonely Planet?”

And that’s where much of the blame lies.

What the market really says

Over the years, travelers I’ve met in person have echoed the same complaint: that LP’s special je ne sais quoi is long gone. In fact, I’ve had some good bonding sessions over the topic!

The problem is Lonely Planet itself.

A rapid decline in quality

It’s something I’ve been hearing for years from my LP friends. (When you’re a travel writer, many of your travel-writing friends will be LP writers.)

I’ve long heard rumors and whispers about LP’s recycled content and desk updates (i.e., information written in the office, not from research at the destination), and that seemed to be corroborated current employees. Often, LP contributors are told to use Google and TripAdvisor to create content.

I – and many others – see that reflected in the quality of the guides.

A terrible website

And this decline can be very clearly seen on the LP website. After Houghton first took over, the website looked like this:

I mean, what is this? It’s a bunch of squares (for ants!*). Who thought this was a good? It would take me ages to find the square I needed. Often I gave up and simply found a blog instead.

Plus, the information is so hard to find now. Here’s an example of LP’s California page in 2010 and now:

2010:

Now:

(Well, the page is so long and empty that I can’t take an accurate screenshot so here’s a link to see for yourself.)

So what is the matter with Lonely Planet?

By losing that focus, trying (in my opinion) to appeal to everyone, and attempting to compete with sites like TripAdvisor (and even blogs to an extent), LP has lost what made it great.

You used to know what LP meant. Now I don’t know what the company stands for.

So what’s the matter with Lonely Planet?

In short, just about everything.

* Zoolander reference: “What is this? A school for ants!” Ahhh, never gets old!

The post What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

What’s the Matter With Lonely Planet? http://ift.tt/2fbqobC

#Travel Blog – Nomadic Matt's Travel Site digital nomad

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timbdesign · 7 years ago

Text

40 of the Best Digital Marketing Tools for 2017

If you like tools as much as I do, you are going to love ’40 of the Best Digital Marketing Tools for 2017‘ – I’m just hoping you’ll take 30 seconds and leave any of your favorite tools you didn’t see in this list so that other digital marketers can have the pleasure of using your favorites as well!

Best Social Media Tools of 2017

1.Sprout Social – This tool is amazing for getting an idea about what your social media marketing is doing for your business, what the trends are in likes and follows – and most importantly: engagement.

2. Buffer + Buffer Chrome Extension – Schedule out your posts on social media like a boss. Buffer even gives you ideal times to post, and has a really color logo overlay tool Pablo, and the Buffer chrome extension allows you to add content on the fly whenever your reading a post and want to Buffer it out.

3. Canva – For non-designers, if you want a tool that really help you do some featured images for your blog posts, or quotes and what not for social media, Canva is the way to go.

4. Quuu, Quuu Promote – I love this tool – even though it helps people fill up their social media with curated content, it also is a nice way to promote content that you need to give an extra visibility boost to because you worked hard on it.

5. Social Quant – My friend Clayton Johnson swears by this tool for getting more engaged followers on Twitter. I haven’t tried it, but after him waxing poetic about it, I might have to give it a try.

6. Promote Hour – If you want to get your new content in front of a ton of audience’s from Reddit, ProductHunt, HackerNews, and Cnet, Promote Hour will handle the dirty work for you.

7. Linkeddeep – This tool is kind of incredible, connecting you with an insane amount of people on LinkedIn just by putting in parameters of the types of titles you want to connect with. For instance search “roofer” and create a custom connection message and let the thing run – intensely useful.

8. Instamacro – Once again a auto-connection and liking tool for Instagram. Instagram keeps on banishing these tools but this one is alive and well for the time being, and works like a charm.

Best P.R. / Outreach / Influencer Tools of 2017

9. Pitchbox – A really amazing tool for creating templates and doing outreach to people for guest posting or whatever your heart desires.

10. Ninja Outreach – Similar to Pitchbox, but with it’s own set of drawbacks and benefits. Probably a little easier to pick up and go than Pitchbox, but definitely doesn’t seem to have as much tools within the program.

11. PressAdvisors – Get a press release created for you with none of the work, and get it distributed to 350+ websites. Great for any new site to get some linking diversity and get on some well-respected sites.

Best Website Speed tools of 2017

12. GT Metrix Page Speed Tester – Great way to see what you can improve about your website to make sure it’s going as fast as it can. A fast website is huge to getting a decent ranking and providing a great user experience.

13. Pingdom Website Speed Test – Another excellent tool for this kind of work, I like how Pingdom lays out possible improvements and gives a quick and visual reference to what you can focus on.

Best SEO tools of 2017

14. Press Release Jet – If you’ve already gotten a press release made, this is a great option just for distribution. Press releases are one part of an initial SEO strategies, and I generally deploy at least one for every site I do SEO on for clients.

15. SEO Crawler – SEO Crawler is an all in one SEO tool that has rank tracker, competitor inspector, site auditor, backlink explorer, link manager, and website analytics.

16. Google Analytics – Hey, if you’re not using Google Analytics are you even a digital marketer? Great way to monitor traffic and conversions, based on source, device and there are numerous other ways to filter.

17. Google Search Console – Such an amazing resource for finding what’s getting the most impressions, clicks, and where your keywords are at as far as what number – find correlations and make changes on what you find.

18. Ahrefs – This is my number one SEO tool, and probably my number one tool altogether, just because it is such a great way to flesh out your strategy for keywords based on analyzing competitors, search traffic, ‘keyword difficulty’ and monitoring your rankings over time.

19. Keywords Everywhere – Allows you to see what ‘cost per click’ and search volume are for certain keywords. Works great with Google search console to enhance the information you’re getting in the tool.

20. Google Data Studio – Great for reporting, and creating dynamic dashboards with feeds from Google search console and Google Analytics, as well as intermixing screenshots or text in a Microsoft Word (or Google Doc) like environment.

21. Answer the Public – Allows you to see commonly searched questions for a particular keyword or topic. Great for researching what you could write about when you’re trying to brainstorm topics for your blog.

Best Conversion Rate Optimization Tools of 2017

22. CallRail – If you want to track your phone-call’s from your website into Google Analytics and beyond, this tool will allow you to do this relatively easily. It also will whisper the source at the beginning of the call if you’d like and record phone-calls if you select that option.

23. Optimizely – A/B Test on the fly without having to code two different versions of the site. Make changes and see what converts better. Delightful way to show the difference in revenue design changes can make on sites with a higher volume of traffic.

24. Inspectlet – Record the visitors on your site. Sounds creepy, but really great for figuring out why people aren’t converting, or what path they’re taking through the site and where they are ‘falling off,’ in a way that gives more context than analytics.

25. CacheKiller – ever make a bunch of changes on your website and then can’t see them because your browser has ‘cached’ the changes – this allows you to turn off that feature easily and quickly without a bunch of poking around in your browser settings with the press of one button that’s always there in the top right of your browser.

25. Wappalyzer – This browser plugin also sits in the top right and gives a dropdown to show any tech on a particular website that is being used by the site. Kind of fun to spy on competitors quickly without having to dive into the code and know if they are on WordPress or what JS frameworks if you’re into that sort of thing, or using any analytics tools and what.

Best Sales tools of 2017

26. Calend.ly – Allow people to really quickly schedule time with you without all the back and forth in email about what day, what time, and timezone etc.

27. Hubspot – This set of tools keeps getting better and better. The free aspects of Hubspot sales and Hubspot marketing give you analytics about which pages a lead visited, and allows you a very visual interface for your sales funnel and options for cataloguing information about sales and it’s nice to have a place to go look for who to follow up with. Hubspot makes it simple.

Best WordPress Plugins of 2017

28. Jetpack – Lots of things to say about this one, a couple easy ones to pinpoint are the related posts part of this plugin and quick stats from your WordPress dashboard.

29. Gravity Forms – Love this plugin, makes any kind of form easy, and with a bit of CSS customization, can be branded to any website.

30. Better Click to Tweet – Great for getting more people to tweet about your website. Here’s an example: (Share the value from this post with your friends, and they’ll be happy

Check out these amazing tools – '40 of the Best Digital Marketing Tools for 2017' Click To Tweet

31. All in One WP Migration – Unless you enjoy the manual migration of databases you’ll love this tool that makes moving WordPress instances so much less painless (if they aren’t massive – then you’ve got to do it the old school way.)

32. Broken Link Checker – Helps you stay on top of broken links on your site.

33. Search & Filter Pro – A bit more for programmers, or front end developers that want to search and sort things on the front end of the website without coding it all by hand.

34. SEO Autolinker – Kind of an old school plugin, but one that I love. Allows you to get a lot more internal links to your main pages by setting up an autolinker for each term separated by a comma that you want to link to that page. Internal links are huge for ‘crawlability’ – a very helpful thing in search engine optimization, and internal links are very underrated.

35. Advanced Custom Fields Pro – Also a front-end developers friend, this tool allows you to very easily create ‘fields’ that make it easy for clients to add content to their site without having to sort through code.

36. Super Socializer – This tool allows you to add share buttons anywhere and everywhere on your site, as well as social logins and other social tools.

37. WordPress Fastest Cache – Make your site faster with the click of a few buttons. Best caching plugin I’ve found, and yes you should be caching your WordPress site. For SEO and for the experience of your visitors.

38. WordPress Smush – Get your images as small as they can be without making them look bad.

39. Duplicate Post – Give yourself or your clients an option to duplicate any kind of post on the backend of WordPress. Invaluable.

40. Yoast SEO – The best for last, an awesome SEO plugin that helps you add meta titles and descriptions and de-index certain kinds of content if you want. Warning: this alone will not make your entire website ‘Search Engine Optimized’ so don’t be silly about what any one tool is capable of.

If you want someone is crazy passionate about helping businesses succeed online, send me a message, and I’d love to help your business kill it. Thanks for reading – this has been 40 of the Best Digital Marketing Tools for 2017.

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