#vanity metric

[nichellegerman]

Tumblr Blog #2  #Vanity Metrics

It’s the vanity of it all.

In all businesses, whether they are corporate or non-profit, measuring success is defined by many diverse types of metrics. Metrics are used to assess, compare, and track progress towards employee or company goals. Freberg (2021) states metrics allow business to know what worked, what did not work and what to do differently next time. This information is needed so companies know how to  move towards success. While there are so many distinct types of metrics, we are going to focus on the pitfalls of utilizing vanity metrics in a non-profit.

Before we explain the pitfalls, what exactly are vanity metrics? Just like the definition  vanity, they give you false hope and they do not measure anything. According to Freberg (2021) vanity metrics are pretty to view and report but do not necessarily impact the business objectives or bottom financial line of organizations. In individuals, it equates to the number of likes, followers and comments on one’s Facebook or Instagram page. Most businesses like to have this quantitative information however it is for show and has nothing to do with achieving the company’s goals. 

And in the instance of the non-profit  JARCRI.org,  the vanity metric within Facebook is quite modest, however it doesn’t take away from the mission of ensuring that all who work do not live in poverty.  There are various reasons for the modest vanity metric, according to (Polaris MEP, 2023) they are new  to Rhode Island with  their grand opening just last year.  Nevertheless, their social media presence could be bigger. Forbes (2021) states that to gain followers, spread the word about company  mission, attract donors and keep existing donors engaged, non-profits should utilize social media. JARC-RI has social media for its three locations, but we are going to focus on the RI location.

Each of JARC- RI’s social media accounts have limited following. JARC-RI Instagram page has 157  posts; 157 followers and it is following 129. There are a few reels or videos that show daily life in the CNC world. JARC-RI ’s Twitter or X  is @JARC_RI, and it currently follows nine with twenty-two followers. The last post was 7/31/23 so it could benefit from daily updates. JARC-RI ’s YouTube currently boasts 109 views, twelve subscribers and the last post was over a year ago. JARC- RI frequently posts on Facebook, but it should post new material across all its social media boards. 

JARC-RI Facebook page has fifty-four likes; seventy-three followers and the last post was on August  5th. Very few or limited shares. The page details the success of its trainees and has the intro with the mission statement posted. They are following business appropriate contacts, however, there are only 6  listed. Rhode Island has an extensive manufacturing footprint, so it is wise that JARC actively seeks out those businesses to follow and engage with. There are photos leading up to the grand opening and since that day, posts are limited. 

My suggestion to improve JARC -RI’s Facebook page and to increase engagement is to add more videos of CNC machinist students interacting with trainers and pictures of completed projects. According to Later (2024), the addition of videos allow pages to receive more exposure and engagement because are videos are  popular and have a longer shelf life than pictures.  Videos are also a personable way to  appeal to Gen Z audience. And videos just make a plain page pop. It would also benefit the page to see who is engaging with the posts so it could be tailored. Facebook, (n.d.) uses Page Insights which allow you to track, adjust and increase your engagement from your audience. Page Insights is also a useful tool in understanding why posts generate more traffic than others. If JARC’s Facebook page had a feedback option, that could be used toward behavioral metrics. Lastly, they should post daily content, community giveaways, social engagements, milestones, latest trends, as frequently as possible. Our office is currently jumping on the TikTok trend to bring  community awareness to our mission statement after watching other videos go viral with over two million views. So, posting fun informational content could improve the vanity metric while also building up the company’s visibility. 

Other suggestions include increased hashtags and bringing current relationships to the forefront. JARC should increase their visibility by being  photographed at all Polaris events to ensure all see the cohesive collaboration between the two. This would increase views  and benefit the channel metric. Fifty-four people liked the last picture, and it would benefit the company to utilize a program that assists with analyzing and digging  deeper within the vanity metric. This would satisfy the advance metric by using tools like Facebook insights. Also, this tool could help JARC track engagement and grow their page with that data. Insights is especially useful as it can be used to review who interacted with the website and why they are engaging. This satisfies the behavioral metric. In conclusion, the addition of videos, increasing visibility and using analytical tools could help JARC have numbers more like Apple.

JARC-RI Instagram page is 157  posts; 157 followers and it is following 129 and like Facebook, by adding in a few tweaks here and there, they could increase engagement their tool. Strategies there would include adding hashtags, participating in current trends, and updating the page daily with current information about the CNC world and what is new in the community. Or hiring a resolute social media intern or someone who is proficient in social media would oversee increasing the companies social media page views and that person would satisfy channel metric by reviewing and updating strategies. By having constant eyes on social media, they can modify and revise tools that do not help them measure engagement. Much like Facebook, Instagram also provides companies with Insight.  According to Facebook( n.d.)this tool provides views and profile activity that company posts got. There are other engagement and post interaction metrics, such as accounts reached. This measurement tool satisfies the advanced metric and the behavioral method by detailing the accounts reached. If a particular business  is posting, it would be wise for the social media person to engage with them. How many of us have been contacted about a liked picture, comment or thumbs up? 

Forbes. (2021, March 6). How nonprofits can use social media to increase donations and boost visibility. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2021/03/06/how-nonprofits-can-use-social-media-to-increase-donations-and-boost-visibility/

Polaris MEP. (2023, August 15). Photo recap: Grand opening of JARC Rhode Island. Polaris MEP. https://polarismep.org/blog/photo-recap-grand-opening-of-jarc-rhode-island/

Later. (2024, September 10). The ultimate guide to video on social media. Later. https://later.com/blog/video-on-social-media/

Facebook. (n.d.). Getting the most from Page Insights. Facebook for Media. Retrieved September 10, 2024, from https://www.facebook.com/formedia/blog/getting-the-most-from-page-insights

Facebook. (n.d.). How do I get my account back if I’m locked out of it? Facebook Help Center. https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/553860108359435?helpref=faq_content

[not-poignant]

For t/f: I assume you’re a huge advocate for physical books over ebooks??

False!

~

Ebooks are hugely accessible, and as someone with massive RSI issues in my wrists (partly from writing), holding heavy books and the repetition of turning pages can be literally agonising, and can even lead to me needing surgery one day for tendon release.

I do love physical books, and I have a large collection that I'm very proud of, and weed on a yearly basis. But I absolutely am not an advocate for them over ebooks, let alone a huge one. Ebooks have been such a game-changer for anyone with accessibility issues.

Readers no longer have to rely on publishers being grudgingly generous enough to offer books in large fonts if they have visual processing issues. They can change the font (most of the time) on an e-reader. Readers no longer have to lug around extremely heavy nonfiction books, and can save their backs and wrists. Readers who live in very small or cramped spaces because of poverty or other reasons no longer have to deal with 'where do I keep all these books' because some of them (or all of them) can be ebooks. Also, almost always - with mostly the exception of some university texts - they're cheaper. What a win!

On an accessibility level, ebooks win every time, especially now that we have so many lighting options so that people don't have to put up with backlight etc. anymore. They highlight just how previously ableist the publishing industry has been around visual accessibility and joint strain accessibility.

So I'm mostly a hardcore advocate of people reading how they want to read. A hybrid mix. Only audio. Only ebook. Only paperbacks. Only hardbacks. Some combination of the four.

I love the smell of books, but I don't love the dust. I love having them organised in my library, but I don't love the eternal problem of never really having enough room. I love my ebook collection, but I sometimes forget to check into it. I love that I can get very large nonfiction tomes in ebook form, but sometimes I find them harder to highlight etc. because there's something visceral to me about dragging a highlighter or pencil across a page. Everything has its pros and cons.

But ebooks beat out literally everything else except audio for accessibility (though I can't do audio ironically because of accessibility, lmao, my auditory processing for language isn't great).

[impercre]

.

[icesiscouture]

Icesis Couture + other queens at DragCon UK (part 2)

[ameilaharper777]

BOOKS FOR FREE???

Who can say no to free books?  

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am always a sucker for free books. Books, whether they be physical, digital, or audiobooks are one of my biggest joys in life. In my personal opinion, books should be free and thankfully I am not the only person who thinks so! May I present Project Gutenberg! Named after Johannes Gutenberg, created as the inventor of the printing press, Project Gutenberg seeks to provide a free and extensive library of ePub, Kindle books, and audiobooks to anyone and everyone who visits their site! All of the books they host on their site are no longer under US copyright and therefore you can use them for anything you choose with no repercussions in the US.  It also allows users to upload their own works or audiobook recordings to the site. Michael Hart, who is credited with the invention of eBooks in 1971, founded the website with the belief that knowledge should be accessible to everyone. Another service this site provides is an offline catalog for those with slow connections, or for those who prefer to have things available entirely offline. The site is even backed up on to a bunch of mirror sites, all safely available from the main PG site itself.  

Despite being such an extensive resource, there are lots of people who have no idea that it exists. This is likely mainly due to their rather lackluster social media accounts. Their Facebook feed mainly consists of “interesting” fact posts. Their Youtube channel is virtually non-existent, holding only two videos and less than 100 subscribers. The only place their social media presence truly shines is on their Twitter. (Yes, I still call it Twitter, I think X is the worst name Musk could have picked and I outright refuse to use it) On the PG Twitter, they post seemingly every time new books are uploaded to the site, creating a wonderful way for followers to learn what’s new! Those who know of the site rave about it, especially on Reddit, with a post on r/books linking to PG having over 21k upvotes! r/books isn’t a small subreddit either, being ranked 19th in terms of size and containing over 25 million users! (https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/9kj4f4/project_gutenberg_is_the_worlds_largest_digital/) It even made it into the r/Piracy Megathread! (Not a small feat by any means considering how many useful sites fail to meet that community’s metric of excellence) PG makes a small but noisy name for itself and strives to keep its metaphorical doors open for as long as possible. I personally share the site with as many people I can as it is such a useful resource for everyone, but especially teachers and students! If you have eBooks, audiobooks, or ePub books no longer under US copyright you wish to archive, I beg you to donate to PG as soon as you possibly can!  

Overall, I love Project Gutenberg and its mission of free knowledge for all! It is accepting donations (both monetary and content) and I will link to both as well as the site itself here!  

https://www.gutenberg.org/ https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/ 

[aidanleary]

Blog #2: The Importance of Social Media to Nonprofits

Social media is an effective way for nonprofit organizations to reach out to people. Not only are there millions of people that use these social media platforms each day but it costs absolutely nothing for an organization to create an account and start postingThis means that any nonprofit, no matter how small, can take advantage of social media to grow and raise money. 

The nonprofit organization I have chosen is St. Jude which focuses on researching and curing childhood cancer as well as other life threatening diseases at no cost to the child's family so they can focus on helping their child. 

St. Jude is active on various social media websites. On their Facebook they have 6.6k followers and 6.5k total likes across all their posts. They post regularly with very little interaction on their posts. The large majority of their posts have single digit likes and shares with no recent posts going into the triple digits. Most of their posts have zero comments. Their most recent posts are about the Walk/Run fundraising campaign and childhood cancer awareness month.

On Their Instagram they have a total of 584k followers and a total of 3996 posts. They post regularly and on their more recent posts the likes per post vary from 300 to 34k with the majority having around 1000-2000 likes. The comments per post also vary widely as some have as little as 7 and some have as many as 804. Most posts have around 25 comments. Their most recent posts are about them partnering with Chilis, childhood cancer awareness month, the Walk/Run fundraising campaign, a cute baby that is a patient at St Jude, the Pathway to Progress event, and artwork from the patients of St Jude.

On their Twitter they have 421.6k followers. They post regularly and interaction on their posts varies widely. Some posts have only 2k views with likes and shares in the double digits and no comments while some posts have up to 80k views with likes reaching well into the triple digits but with only a few more shares and only around 12 comments. These recent posts with high interaction are about the Polaris program. Other posts that only have to do with St Jude have much less interaction. Their most recent posts are about childhood cancer awareness month, the Polaris program, and other partnering with people and organizations

On Their YouTube they have 109k subscribers and have posted 812 videos. They don’t seem to post super regularly with only a few videos posted every few months. Their most recent videos only have a few hundred to a few thousand views with the most viewed video in the past year having 5.9k views. All of their videos in the past year also have very little comments on them. Their videos over the past year have been about various departments at the hospital, cooking videos, a fundraiser stream trailer, and videos about various patients and their experiences being sick or at St Jude. 

While most of these statistics aren’t terrible they could definitely be improved and I believe the best way to see what St Jude is doing right and doing wrong is to look at their best platform, Instagram and their worst platform, Facebook. On Facebook St Jude mainly posts about volunteering opportunities and fundraising events. But these are really their only posts on Facebook. On instagram however they do post about volunteering opportunities and fundraising events but they have other types of posts as well that get far more engagement. These are funny or cute videos that people would want to share with others and posts that involve other popular people. A video of something funny is much more likely to be liked and shared by people than a post about an opportunity to volunteer and posts that involve other popular individuals are more likely to be seen by those people's audiences. This is why St Judes instagram is so much more successful than their Facebook. They create posts that are more likely to be shared by others or viewed by other communities which brings in more viewers to their profile which means that more people are likely to see their posts about fundraisers or volunteering opportunities and participate in them. If St Jude wishes to be more successful on their social media platforms they need to make these types of posts on all of their platforms. 

Fundraiser streams would be another way for St Jude to get more attention and raise money. If St Jude collaborated with established content creators and set up a streaming event that could be hosted on their YouTube or Facebook. These events would bring in the communities of these content creators and give St Jude much more visibility as well as bring in a lot of money. People are more likely to donate to a nonprofit if someone they look up to is also donating as well as participating in a fundraising event. 

[angelisse-melendez1]

Strengthening "Feeding America's" Social Media Presence for a Greater Impact

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, striving to end hunger in communities nationwide. This mission is resonating with me because hunger is a critical issue affecting millions of Americans and a lot of us are unaware of how problematic this issue is, including in our very own communities. Despite "Feeding America" having a strong social media presence, there’s still room for growth when it comes to interaction and engagement online. In this blog, I’ll go over their current social media metrics and also suggest strategies for improvement.

Feeding America is active on several social platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. After reviewing their metrics, here's what I found:

Facebook: With just a little over 600k followers, Feeding America’s posts received an average of about 144 likes in the last month. Also, the number of shares per post averages around 20 in the last month. This shows me that their reach is limiting beyond their primary followers.

Instagram: Feeding America has over 150,000 followers on Instagram, and recently in their last 12 posts, they averaged about 1,600 likes. Despite this, comments are relatively quieter, with most posts receiving less than 50 comments. This is also a signal that while content is seen and liked, they are lacking an equal level of engagement.

To increase these metrics and boost interaction and engagement, Feeding America can apply these following suggestions:

Increase Video Content: Short videos about the impact of donations, behind-the-scenes content, or day-in-the-life footage from food banks can garner more shares and comments. But more than that, they can gather more views and outreach even outside their followers. Videos often gain more activity and engagement then pictures and images does.

Engage with Comments: By actively responding to comments and also asking follow-up questions, Feeding America can develop a sense of community online. This can encourage more followers to post comments and also engage in discussions.

Include More Interactive Content: They could use polls, quizzes, and Instagram Stories with special features, like swipe-ups and Q&As, to activate more participation.

Show Content Created by Users: Showing stories from volunteers or donors can build a more personal connection. It will also increase likes and shares as people become more invested in the cause.

To measure the effectiveness of these strategies, Feeding America should focus on the following metrics:

Facebook

Advanced Metric: Track the percentage of likes, comments, and shares relative to total post reach to see how engaging the content is.

Channel Metric: Track the number of clicks on donation links to assess how well posts drive traffic to donation or volunteer pages. Donation page here.

Behavioral Metric: Analyze how many users watch videos until the end to help understand which content resonates most with the audience.

Instagram

Advanced Metric: Track the rate of how quick the followers grow over time, especially after specific posts and announcements, to see what attracts new followers.

Channel Metric: Instagram Stories offer real-time insights into how many viewers interact with content. This can show what types of content keep followers engaged.

Behavioral Metric: Analyze the ratio of likes, comments, and shares to total followers to understand engagement levels.

By focusing on these strategies and metrics, "Feeding America" can strengthen it's social media presence and impact. It will help the organization reach more people, receive more donations, and ultimately provide more meals to those in need. With a strategic approach to social media, "Feeding America" could its online platform to make a greater difference!

https://www.instagram.com/feedingamerica/

https://www.feedingamerica.org/

https://www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica/

[jenkawasaki]

A Place of second chances!

Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans, LA is a place for second chances not only for dogs but for parolees that want to change their lives around for the better. This facility's sole income depends 100% on donations and volunteering from the public as they go through over 4,000 pounds of dog food a week and the cost is approximately $10,000 a day to run the entire shelter as stated on their website. https://www.vrcpitbull.com/about/#:~:text=VRC%20works%20ceaselessly%20to%20give,they%20may%20eventually%20be%20adopted. Villalobos

In order to get these donations Villalobos Rescue Center has various social media accounts included Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get the word out for the need of donations and volunteer work. Although the shelter has aired on TV for over 14 years, social media has been a huge impact for them spreading the word on available adoptions and events going on in the facility weekly. I think this facility does a great job with the advertisement on all their current social media accounts. With over 5-6 posts a day on Facebook and 1.8 million followers following the page I believe this has helped this facility tremendously over the years. Every post that is posted on Facebook normally gets around 3,000 likes and over 300 comments making this a huge opportunity to get their name out in the public to help this cause and inform other people of the situation. From posts about available dogs up for a adoption to posts asking the public for volunteers I think they are super on top of every platform. The amount of video content posted is super effective in my eyes as a Facebook follower of them myself. I enjoy the videos and love seeing some of these dogs getting adopted and I believe this also brings joy to other followers as well. In this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOblgPhLrTY it shows how it is never too late for anyone or anything to get a second chance at life. Youtube has also been a huge benefit for this organization for other people to see just exactly the outcomes of non profit organizations and how you can also help and be a part of them.

In 2020 Villalobos Rescue Center partnered with Chewy.com and created wish lists so that customers can purchase things for the dogs and have them shipped directly to the shelter. I think this is genius and a very huge engagement for others to help that don't live in that area and want to be part of the cause. On the website https://www.chewy.com/g/villalobos-rescue-center-pets-in-the-hood_b73319877?fbclid=IwY2xjawFP05RleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcVN_aGJFbbvvP7YlcyI6Pr1F4Oepdic2sO4Z53GoFQJxbrcXqROoHH81Q_aem_P-49lL4PXgvmktbTNQwCKA you can choose items you would like to buy and have shipped for the dogs. This was probably the smartest thing I think any shelter could do as far as donations besides having all the social media platforms.

On the other hand I think the Instagram page Villalobos Rescue Center has could use a little more posting maybe as far as making more videos on their Instagram stories or making reels of the dogs or the adoption process so people could better understand how the facility manages things. Reels are 'short film' videos that are very popular with all ages of people that are Instagram users. Reels would help more engagement to their page to connect with different types of crowds around the world.

Now lets get to the website. The website is perfectly displayed with clear colorful pictures of the dogs and workers. It is professionally done and easily instructed for people to navigate through and understand clearly. There are many advanced metrics like network health and channel metrics like social referrals on their website but maybe there could be more behavioral metrics like customers experiences posted on the website for others to see. Having customers experiences posted on the website could really help more because people now a days like to see reviews about products before they buy them so I think this would kind of be the same sense. Some people may not know a lot about certain organizations and I think coming from previous customers it would help other people better understand non profit organizations. I really think Villalobos does a excellent job on advertising the need for help o all their platforms of media and I think they have a strong team behind them to monitor and keep all those platforms up and running.

Jennifer Diaz

[sonicziggy]

"Distorted Morning" by NEWSKI, BRETT NEWSKI, VANITY METRICS https://ift.tt/PraCi0y

[violet-jessica19]

Pathways to Family's Hearts

When having to choose a non-profit organization that was near and dear to my heart, I thought no other than Pathways Strategic Teaching Center, located in Coventry, RI. They are a private school that runs out of the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center, for students in elementary to high school age with autism or other severe disabilities. They are able to help with transportation for students throughout the state, from as far as Cumberland, to Newport, and with a year-long teaching program that is beneficial for the students and families to help develop continuous educational and social skills during their studies. Their program offers loads of enrichment and adaptive behavioral strategies to help with all and any of the student's needs, and even offers field trips and outings for the students to explore the community.

Even though Pathways is already a great facility, non-profit organizations need to boast their social media presence in the most marketable way possible to gain followers and donations from sponsors, so this post will look at some of their already present social media metrics.

With their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts linked directly to their Trudeau website, I first took a look at the Pathways Facebook page where I noticed that they have just over 700 followers and a similar amount of page likes. They have a very active feed with an average post at least once a week to update their followers of what students are up to in their lessons or adaptive classes. They also link several posts linking articles, such as one where their new CEO spoke with the local news agency, which you can see here: Five Questions With: Al Vario (pbn.com). Posts typically reach an average of 50 likes per post, which is pretty impressive in a metric standpoint, but could improve. Lastly, they also sponsor events that you can attend to help fundraise for their cause. These events are linked to local restaurants where you can easily donate a portion of your meal by mentioning the cause on that certain date. To help understand how well this page is doing the company could look into their sharing of content and audience growth (advanced metrics) to see if their news and word is spreading as quickly as they would like. Another way is through click through rates and video views (channel metrics) to see how fast their content is being viewed and how many times. Lastly, for a behavioral metric approach they could track their click-through link action to see if users are connecting to their home page or if there is a donate link to the Facebook page directly to help fundraise.

Next while looking at their LinkedIn account, the Pathways Strategic Teaching Center has a much smaller page with only 37 followers, but their main company, the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center has over 600 followers. This account has several updates on their profile feed and you can view several of their employees that work at the company. Here I notice more of a presence with tags and keywords, which helps with their online social media metrics, and to continue bringing people to their page I would keep adding tags to posts to help with brand awareness (advanced metrics). Another helpful tip, I would say is to include more social media presence in the special education world, such as by creating a twitter account, where they can provide more insight (channel metrics) and advocacy impact (behavioral metrics) to fellow followers that support the same cause.

Overall, I feel Pathways has a great starting point with their social media presence and with just the right push in the direction of advocates that are dedicated to supporting children in need, would help them continue raising awareness for this amazing center of education.

[younes-ben-amara]

دعك من المعايير الزائفة؛ إليك ما تُركِّز عليه من أرقامٍ بصفتك كاتب محتوى

[gardening--tools]

me while playing fo4 because i’m an opinionated bitch and i disagree with bethesda’s character design

anyway. presenting,

a detailed look at every companion’s appearance, according to me.

(these are all headcanons. they might not be yours, but they are mine. i wrote this as a fic-writing reference, but i don't mind sharing so long as we're all nice about it. also, spoilers ahead for companion quests, both in vanilla game and dlcs. you've been warned okay love you have fun. sorry in advance that you can clearly tell who my favorite character is.)

cw: heights represented by the united states customary system. sorry metric users :/

Ada. Modified RobCo Assaultron. 2074 model. SN has been sanded off and replaced with "ADA", painted carefully (lovingly) in blue script. It's clear that it has been reapplied multiple times, as many times as necessary. Post-Mechanist quest, she requests to have the names of her fallen friends painted on her body as well.

Cait. Pre-addiction recovery, scrawny-strong. Blood, muscle, bone and not much else. Very short. Like, south-side of 5'3". Has a very rectangular body shape. Hard angles. Was bright strawberry blonde when she was a kid, but it got darker as she got older. Hazel eyes. Freckles year-round and all over. She doesn't burn super easily, but she doesn't really tan either. Just freckles. Nose is crooked from being broken too many times. Post-addiction recovery she is a beef. cake. With Sole's help and resources she gains plenty of weight post recovery. Other than the normal weight gain that comes after recovering from addiction, she finds she enjoys exercise—especially weight lifting—and that it helps her manage her cravings. Her biceps are unfair. If I can be honest, I really only shared this so I can start proselytizing for my Fat Cait Agenda.

Codsworth. Standard GAI Mister Handy. 2076 Model. SN: 01HND-7619-0163. This is only visible because the 2076 Handys had their SN's embossed. All other markings that were printed or painted on have eroded away. A cute fact about Codsworth is that, despite his 200 years of wear and tear, he doesn't have a single dent on his exterior panels. Not. A. Dent. Scratches, yes. Scuffs, sure. No dents. He takes his structural integrity very seriously, thank you. He will brag about this if you let him.

Curie. Pre-companion quest, Modified GAI Miss Nanny. 2072 Model. SN has been scratched off and replaced with what is probably "CURIE", but the combination of chicken scratch writing and 200 year old marker makes it illegible. Post-personal quest, Generic Female Synth Body. Average body weight, brown hair, brown eyes. (I know she technically has "Hazel Blue" eyes but I disagree. It's my post and I get to make the rules here.) Her only deviation from "average" is her height. Generic Synth Height is 5'10", for both male and female synths. Takes time to look neat—neatly trimmed nails, trimmed hair, etc—and enjoys it.

Danse. M7-97 was a vanity design* so Danse looks a little different from the Generic Synth design. Still has the brown hair, brown eyes, but is a touch shorter than the standard. 5'8". Latino or Hispanic. His hair is insanely thick, but his beard always grows in a little patchy and with the odd blond patch just below his right ear. (This was not an intentional part of his “design.” Genetics, even synthesized genetics, get funky sometimes.) Carries weight like a strongman weightlifter. Thicker than average, even for the Brotherhood, so he's always had to have his flight suits and PA specially altered. (Thicker than average in regards to BODY TYPE you sickos– This is not that kind of post lmao.)

(This post from slocumjoe is a huge influence for my headcanon for Danse! Thank you for going through your archive to find it!)

Deacon. The Average Guy Ever™. Average height, average build. I'm firmly in the "Deacon is a Good Spy, actually" camp, so. Uncanny ability to adjust how he looks just by altering his posture. His weight has always easily fluctuated, so he can go from stick thin to bulked up in a matter of weeks. No matter how many surgeries he gets, he cannot hide the freckles. They always come back. He would have had piano hands if he hadn't been a chronic brawler in his youth. Knuckles are very crooked now. Eyes so blue they're nearly grey. Ginger. Has long eyelashes that are frankly illegal for someone who covers his eyes all the time.

Dogmeat. Dog. He has six toes on his back left foot.

Gage. 5'11". In an alternate universe, would tell people he was 5'9" just to fuck with them. Was a towheaded kid whose hair darkened significantly as he grew up. If he spends a lot of time out in the sun, though, it will turn a sandy blonde/light brown. He keeps his hair short because otherwise it gets very curly and floppy and it really kills his "bad-guy raider" vibe. Would be one of those white boys who tans super well but also thinks wearing sunscreen is for the weak. Scarred to shit. Holds onto muscle for a really long time. Underbite. Slutty little waist because I think that's funny.

Hancock. John Prime was already pretty wiry to begin with, and becoming a ghoul has only emphasized this. 5'7" but seems shorter because he's always leaning on something. Draping, even. He's like if a man was also a liquid, somehow. His remaining hair is incredibly thin, but is the most vibrant golden blonde anyone has ever seen. Eyes are dark due to discoloration, but sometimes—if he's taken in a ton of rads—the edges of his irises will glow subtly. Several piercings on his ears, but he used to have more. Lost them on account of his nose falling off. (You know how it is.) Replaced them with an astonishing collection of rings. Cheekbones that could slice a brahmin. Missing his fourth toe on his right foot.

MacCready. Definition of scrunkly. Not a lick of fat anywhere to be found. 5'5". Has a Gunner tattoo on the left side of his forehead and he hates it. It's why he wears his hat so low. Had an ear pierced once, but it got ripped out ages ago. His left earlobe is split now. He very clearly needed braces growing up but obviously didn't have access to that. Bottom teeth are crooked. His cuticles are picked to shit. Sandy brown hair. Cuts his own hair, but only cares about the hair around his face. Line of sight. Sniper. You get it. Is generally too lazy/uninterested in the rest, and will neglect it until it gets too long, so. Mullet (hot).

Nick. See, the problem with my synth grandpa is that this is the only character whose design Bethesda completely and utterly nailed. Like yeah, he does look like that. You got it. You did it. Perfect, no notes. Like all other Generic Synths, he's 5'10".

Old Longfellow. Exactly what you would expect an Old Hermit-Mariner Driven To Eldritch Madness By The Fog and The Sea would look like. The wildest eyebrows anybody has ever seen. Like you could take a comb through those bad boys. His hair is past his shoulders and fades into his beard. Stark white hair due to the stress of living alone on an island and from What He's Seen. You cannot convince me that there are not some Lovecraftian nasties living in the sea. They Know Longfellow, but Longfellow Knows Them. 6' until he stands up straight and then he's like. 6'5". Liver spots across his face and hands. Looks like he has cataracts in both eyes, but somehow can see better than you.

Piper. By far the companion whose Bethesda!verse appearance I disregard the most. In my heart she is a South Asian woman. On the taller side, between 5'8" and 5'9". Super thick, dark brown hair that in fact does just Look Like That (unfair). Her hair grows from fairly far down on her neck. Deep brown eyes. Spends lots of time on her makeup, even when she's out in the 'wealth chasing leads. Prefers red lips and dark liner close to her lid-lines. Her cupid's bow is super pronounced and she does her makeup to highlight it. On the softer side in regards to physique. Has a burn scar on her right forearm from a cooking mishap back when she was still trying to figure out how to live on her own and take care of Nat at the same time. Bites her nails.

Preston. Personification of someone telling you that everything is going to be all right. Tall, 6'. Pretty standard physique for someone who grew up on a farm and then became a soldier in a wasteland militia. Very square hands. Lets his hair grow out a little bit because he (forgets about it) likes it. Brown eyes that look like honey when the sun hits them. Other than the two scars on his face—one running down his left cheek, the other a small nick on his top lip—he has a scar from a bullet wound on his right shoulder. Has a stick and poke tattoo of the Minuteman coat of arms on his left arm, just where his shoulder meets his bicep. Top lip is bigger than his bottom lip. Dimples when he smiles. Huge smile, smiles with his whole mouth. Legs like an adonis. Someone get this man into some 4' inseam shorts, STAT.

Strong. Super mutant. He was a Butcher, so he's a little beefier than your average mutant. Of course, this is only known to other mutants, as the subtleties of mutant physiology tend to be lost on non-mutated humans.

X6-88. Generic Courser Build. While Generic Synths are designed to blend in with the everyman, Generic Coursers are designed to inspire fear in every man. (booo bad joke tomato tomato) 6'3" but stands so perfectly straight that he seems taller. Has the superhero build, but like naturally. Keeps his hair in a short fade. Bottom lip is lighter than the top lip. Has little lines around his mouth from all his frowning. Has one (1) singular scar on his chin. He won't tell you where he got it (it's from him eating it on concrete steps. That was the one mission he asked for an extension on, so the evidence of him beefing it would heal.) Also chronically wears sunglasses. Behind those aviators are grey eyes that are so pale and sharp, they almost look white.

[linkablewritingadvice]

How much should it cost to be a writer?

It depends what route you’re taking. If you are planning to go for traditional publishing, which looks like you finishing a manuscript and then querying agents who will then take your book to publishers, you should be paying for basically nothing. One exception would be if you decide to hire an editor to get a pass over your manuscript and/or query package before sending it off, but this is not required.

If you are in the process of trying to get your manuscript traditionally published, you may be approached by a “publisher” offering to publish your manuscript for a fee. THIS IS A SCAM! An author should never be paying for “publishing services.” Anyone asking you to pay for your own printing, marketing, etc. costs is taking advantage of you. These are called vanity publishers and they will not turn you a profit, help you attract readers, or provide you the prestige of being published. 

Always check on Writer Beware - search for the name of the person or company. You can also just google that name along with the word “scam” or “reviews.” In general, don’t let yourself be blinded by dreams, or let yourself be convinced that something is a good idea because you really want it to be true. Never, ever, ever pay a publisher.

If you are going the self-publishing route, you will be paying for certain things, but none of those should be payment to be published. You are the publisher. Uploading your manuscript to Amazon or other marketplaces is free. However, you will be paying for things that a publisher typically pays for. This could include:

-Cover art - you could do this yourself, though this isn't recommended. A good cover is key to a book's success, so budget to purchase a pre-made book cover, or hire a professional cover artist.

To find pre-made book covers, you can just Google "premade book covers," or check one of these sites: BookCoverZone RockingBookCovers Beetiful

And here's a list of places to buy both custom and pre-made cover designs that's a good start. You can also check Reedsy and Etsy for people listing cover design services. If there is a self-pubbed author whose covers you love, try asking them what artist they use.

-Formatting - you could do this yourself using a formatting program like Atticus, or you could hire someone who does professional e-book formatting.

Here's an article on the turbo-DIY route. Here's a list of formatting programs you can use. To hire someone, you can simply search for book formatting services or look at places where people list such services for hire, like Reedsy, Fiverr, or certain Reddit boards.

-Ad campaigns - you may want to pay for ad campaigns on platforms like Meta or Amazon. More niche, author-specific platforms like BookBub, Book Funnel, or Book Sirens also come with certain costs. 

-Author services - you may wish to hire an expert in things like marketing, blurb copy, social media metrics, newsletter management, etc. You can find information on that here.

Be aware that scam publishers might try to pitch themselves as "author services" - you should be paying someone to help you with specific aspects of your self publishing work, NOT paying to be published.

-Software and platforms - whether it's a subscription to Duotrope, a paid Scribophile account, access to pro Canva features, etc. you may decide to pay for tools that you will use to do your work well.

-Expert advice - some people offer courses, books, or other resources on how to do specific things like write a compelling blurb or run an effective ad campaign. You may notice that a lot of the links I shared here will include upsells from people doing exactly this!

Be very cautious about this, as most of these people claim that they make tons of money on their self published books, but really, they make their money selling this stuff to people like you. Always check out a person’s free resources first, and wait to invest in this sort of thing until you have a specific question you need answered or are trying to do a very particular thing that you need granular guidance on. 

One thing you should NOT pay for is a review, feature, or interview. Self-published authors will be approached by a lot of scammers who claim that, for a nominal fee, they will share information about your book to their huge audiences. These are completely useless and a waste of money. Never spend money on this.

Always keep track of what you are spending on all of this. You may be able to deduct it from taxes you pay on your income from writing, and you will want to really understand what your profit margins look like.

[yasmijn]

Why i tumblelog

Dari semua tipe online communication (atau socmed secara lebih sempit), aku paling suka format blog. Format teks yang panjang, dimana orang-orang bisa bercerita secara satu arah, dan di sisi lain orang-orang (baik asing dan juga yang kenal secara langsung di dunia nyata) bisa mengenal orang dengan lebih baik.

Aku suka baca cerita orang, itu aja sih. Aku gak terlalu suka IG yang penuh dengan vanity, TikTok yang penuh keriuhan dan bikin attention span makin pendek. Twitter adalah my go-to platform karena ya itu, media komunikasi utamanya adalah kata-kata. Nggak banyak mendistraksi dengan video dan foto seperti IG/TikTok. You can consume content at your own pace.

Dulu aku pernah bikin blogspot deh kekna tapi udah terlupakan, WordPress juga males aku update karena emang ceritanya isinya lebih serius, Substack juga udah kutelantarkan karena kok aku sulit berkomitmen nulis fiksi ya... ya yang paling awet kugunakan adalah Tumblr ini. Entah kenapa rasanya agak lebih tersembunyi aja karena kayanya website ini kurang SEO-friendly, terus isolated aja sama user lain jadi rasanya emang kaya lagi nulis di mading gitu. You know that your writings are out there, and people might be silently reading your writings as they pass, some might even be eagerly waiting for that one new post, but you are not fixated on the vanity metrics.

Kayanya cuma Tumblr doang deh yang bikin jumlah followers tuh private buat si owner... yang keliatan di website orang ya cuma siapa aja yang udah like dan komen. Dan menurutku setting ini bikin orang yang nulis di Tumblr ini lebih... tulus? Nulis ya karena pengen nulis, bukan karena pengen menjaring lebih banyak followers. Gabisa lomba banyak-banyakan followers juga karena ga keliatan sama publik.

Aku nulis Tumblr juga lebih buat diri sendiri sih, seneng aja kalo lagi gabut terus baca-baca entri lama... seru juga ya hidup q. Biarpun tentu nggak ke-capture semua karena ada hal-hal yang cuma bisa jadi konsumsi pribadi. Selain itu, jujur setelah sekolah di Eropa yang sangat menjunjung tinggi privacy, aku juga jadi mikir berulang kali untuk menulis tanpa mensensor aktor-aktor di dalam ceritaku. Emang kita lah yang harus secara proaktif dan hati-hati melindungi personal information kita, termasuk kisah-kisah keseharian.

Jujur 1-2 tahun ke belakang ini aku merasa jarang nulis Tumblr sih :( semoga setelah ini ke depannya aku bisa lebih rajin nulis lagi.

[journey-to-balance]

I wonder. When is it that a flower is most alive? Is it during the restful moments of winter, deep rooted moments beyond our comprehension? Or, is she most alive during the impermanent hours of spring, when worldly pleasures designate her appearance as a beautiful sight?

Oh, winter. You're a fascinating, quiet season that lulls me to sleep with your icy song, one that seems to linger incessantly. I confess, for many years you were hard to love with your cold breath that chilled me to the bone, and a bold presence that seemed to last so much longer than spring or summer ever did. But, that was then.

Now, I see you are a blessing in disguise, as you offer the opportunity for a reset - a time to slow down and reassess priorities. Sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is give ourselves time to rest. Because if we don't, there may come a day when we are forced to do so. Besides, without you, would I appreciate the fleeting moments of an Autumn afternoon? Or, would I tire, perhaps get bored of summer's length of days?

Dear friend, how lovely it is to write to you again. I took a break from sharing new posts and poetry with you, and while my time away was extremely rejuvenating, I am feeling ready to begin a new year and new routine.

Sometimes, even when we feel like we should continue onto the next big project, it is necessary to step away for a moment and reassess how we want to show up in the world.

While I was away, many days were spent cleaning, cleansing, clearing my home to welcome this year's new energy and purging what no longer serves me. Many days were also spent cooking, baking, trying my hand at new recipes, and of course, writing.

I tackled some long, overdo DIY projects with the goal to beautify and upkeep our old, but very loved home. I went on a self imposed social media detox, switched off apps, removed them from my home screen and really forced myself to watch for my unhealthy consumption habits.

Moreover, I focused on healing my body and on addressing bad habits that were mainly caused by too much desire over discipline, too much restlessness over patience, too much impulsivity over clarity and too much feeling over reason. As matter of fact, my journey to better health and healing continues by addressing ongoing and newly surfaced health concerns.

Going forward, I will have to figure it out, make time for me, for self care that I've neglected for years, detach from people, habits, and fears, in favor of living more fully, taking deeper breaths. I want to create more, at a slower pace, for the simple joy of creating, rather than for vanity metrics and for fear of falling behind. I want to travel more, not as a tourist, but as an explorer, exploring my own mind most of all.

At the moment, I'm dwelling with the high feeling that comes from new beginnings. I know it will subside. I also know it takes a while for the subconscious to convert a new habit into a routine.

So much can happen in a year - or in a day, if we really think about it. There is always a part of us which needs more love, more healing, more stillness. Maybe that alone is reason enough to celebrate winter.

Thank you, sweet friends, and with you I welcome the year of our Lord, 2024. Ah yes, the year of the Green Dragon, one of many changes, in which I will do my best to accept, and adapt... and learn, yes, there is still much to learn.

Respectfully, Maritza

[ariapmdeol]

tagged by @swabluhat !! thank you for tagging me! <33

shuffle your on repeat playlist and list the first 10 songs, then tag 10 people

Give It To Me - MIMI, Okiishi I love MIMI's music!! Their instrumentals are always really nice

晴る - Yorushika Apparently this is in Frieren? I feel like this and the previous song have very similar vibes,, I listen to a lot of things in this style. I really like music that can capture a kind of bittersweet nostalgia

Lost Kitten - Metric Vran sent me a line from this song, so i went and listened to it for a while. It's fun!!

Secret Diary (Demo) - Autoheart I love autoheart!! I found them through gavi a few years ago? So I keep up with whenever they release things; this was a song that showed up a bit ago

Language of the Lost - RIProducer DAEMON/DOLL TETO ALBUM!!!

真刀勝負 (English ver.) - FantasticYouth This was a surprise find through spotify's recommendations that i played a LOT over the summer

make your choice - ive i'm a big fan of this vocaloid producer! this is from their album of instrumentals

ゲンチアナ - LonePi gavi showed me a song from them and then i started keeping up with their work!

CURE - Alien Stage this song is great, ALNST songs are all really good! this made the yaoi fans go crazy

しあわせになんてならないで - Aiobahn i love their music a lot,, flap sent a song of theirs to me and i started keeping up with them and listening to their other songs!

bonus song bc yayyy cannibalism: Butcher Vanity - Vane Lily, Jamie Paige, ricedeity ^q^

Tagging: @kowore @gavinom123-main @minohatsu @sqqqrqqq @sobredunia @vikugnavikugna @yumehisa @ruruss @elsmysteryworld @kandrakelsier and anyone else who wants to do this!!