#web collaboration tools

[laxmankodadala]

The Role of Online Collaboration Tools in Remote Work Growth

Troop messenger

Troop Messenger is a frontrunner when it comes to more dynamic team collboration. Because of how easy it is to use in an entrepreneurial setting, it is one of the few online collaboration tools that can meet the needs of any team.

Troop Messenger acts as a complete online collaboration tool and provides you with immediate access to a wide range of features, including:

Instant messaging

Making video calls

Conducting video conferences

Sharing files

Desktop sharing

Creating complex schedules

Efficient Project Management with Troop Messenger Troop Messenger empowers teams to organize and secure project data by offering structured work scheduling. This powerful business collaboration tool enhances communication and streamlines workflows, making it an excellent choice for startups, large corporations, and remote teams alike. Its innovative features and intuitive design establish it as one of the top online collaboration platforms available today.

Key Features of Troop Messenger

Instant Messaging for Real-Time Collaboration Troop Messenger supports seamless communication with real-time messaging, ensuring enhanced efficiency in remote collaboration and online team engagement.

Comprehensive File Sharing Share and manage documents, multimedia, and other files effortlessly to facilitate smooth business collaboration within your team.

High-Quality Audio and Video Calls Conduct virtual meetings with superior audio and video capabilities, bridging communication gaps in remote work environments.

Centralized Collaborative Workspace Serving as a central hub for projects, Troop Messenger stands out as one of the best apps for teamwork and collaboration, helping teams stay organized and aligned.

Advanced Security Features With robust encryption and secure data storage, this collaboration software safeguards your sensitive business information against threats.

Why Troop Messenger is Perfect for Businesses Troop Messenger’s adaptability makes it suitable for teams of all sizes. Its intuitive interface and versatile features set it apart from other collaboration platforms, offering unmatched flexibility for both remote and in-office teams.

Advantages of Troop Messenger

Unified Communication: Minimize email overload by bringing your team onto a single collaboration platform.

Boosted Productivity: Make faster decisions with real-time updates, eliminating delays in project execution.

Enhanced Teamwork: Strengthen team connections through tools like group chats, file sharing, and project tracking.

Budget-Friendly Solution: Access enterprise-grade features without overspending.

Optimized for Remote Collaboration As remote work continues to rise, tools like Troop Messenger have become essential. With advanced features like screen sharing and remote access, it serves as the ultimate online collaboration tool for dispersed teams, ensuring smooth communication and productivity.

Why Troop Messenger Outshines Other Platforms Troop Messenger’s rich feature set and user-friendly design make it an exceptional choice for businesses. Unlike many other tools, it caters specifically to the needs of dynamic and entrepreneurial teams. This makes it one of the most versatile online collaboration tools, suitable for a wide range of industries and work environments.

[public-cloud-computing]

Experience the convergence of human intuition and AI ingenuity in web development. Catapult your digital presence with an impeccable blend of creativity and technology.

[k9advertisement]

The Essential Tools for Web Developers

Discover the tools you need to succeed in your web development journey. Find the tools that will help you transform your ideas into digital masterpieces, from code editors to debugging aids. Maintain a high level of efficiency and innovation.

[ranajaydeo]

Transforming Creativity with BeGenieUs – AI Integration for 2024 Success

As technology undergoes constant evolution, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of creative processes and digital collaboration in unprecedented ways.

As 2023 fades into the rear view mirror, BeGenieUs is revving up for 2024!

Approaching the year 2024, one of the most thrilling advancements in the creative domain is the emergence of Generative AI. Now step into the forefront of the AI revolution with BeGenieUs leading the way.

Introducing BeGenieUs — Powered by Open AI chatGPT, Google Bard, h2oGPT. Your all-in-one AI playground where ideas become reality in a snap. To read more…

To explore more Agami blogs

To know more about Agami Technologies

[maduraimart]

Top 10 Website Design Tools

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital design, staying ahead of the curve is essential for creating stunning websites. As we step into 2024, the world of website design has seen a surge in innovative tools that streamline the creation process and elevate the overall user experience. Here, we present the top 10 website design tools that are revolutionizing the industry in 2024. Top 10…

[ancientcharm]

Digital model of Ancient Rome released

Image Credit: FLYOVERZONE

Rome Reborn 4.0, a digital model of Ancient Rome has just been released by archaeologist, Dr Bernard Frischer. Published by Flyover Zone, the model is a reconstruction of the entire city of Ancient Rome for academic study and virtual tourism. Rome Reborn provides a birds-eye perspective of the complete digital model, enabling users to glide above the historic landmarks while listening to expert narrations about 43 monuments, temples, structures, and locations.

Dr Frischer said, “Rome Reborn 4.0 is the culmination of more than twenty-seven years of collaborative international work in using digital tools to research cultural history and bring it to life.” According to the project leaders, the virtual tour can be used by teachers on Yorescape, a mobile and web app that takes their students on virtual field trips, or by armchair travellers to explore the heritage sites of the ancient capital of the Roman Empire.

Rome Reborn 4.0 represents the most recent iteration of an urban model that Dr Frischer has led since 1996. Rome Reborn has been a globally collaborative project from its inception, uniting specialists in Roman archaeology, computer graphics, and Virtual Reality design. The project’s earlier versions include 1.0 (2007), 2.0 (2008), and 3.0 (2018). Video fly-throughs of these previous versions have been viewed by millions of people worldwide. Similar to its earlier versions, Rome Reborn 4.0 portrays the city as it might have appeared at its zenith in the year AD 320, just before the capital’s relocation to Constantinople. According to Flyover Zone, “This reconstruction of ancient Rome’s urban landscape adheres to scientific accuracy based on the available but fragmentary historical evidence. As new findings and interpretations of this evidence emerge, the Flyover Zone team continuously updates Rome Reborn to ensure it remains a dependable and comprehensive visualization of the city.”

BY :Mark Milligan

[aasen56780]

Useful Tools & Utilities — Advancetoolsnetwork

Advancetoolsnetwork are online utilities designed to help with various tasks related to web development, website maintenance, and online communication. These tools can be used by web developers, website owners, bloggers, and anyone who needs to work with web technologies. From HTML and CSS formatters to domain name generators, from SEO analysis tools to privacy policy generators, and from text utilities to network diagnostics, there are many different types of web tools available. These online utilities are often free and easy to use, allowing users to complete tasks quickly and efficiently.

Empower Your Web Endeavors with Advanced Online Tools and Utilities

Introduction:

In today's fast-paced digital world, having the right tools and utilities at your disposal is essential for optimizing web development, design, SEO, marketing, and overall website performance. With over four years of experience, Advancetoolsnetwork Online has emerged as a leading provider of a comprehensive range of online tools and utilities, catering to diverse web needs. From SEO analysis and keyword research to website monitoring and collaboration, their extensive collection of tools empowers individuals and businesses alike to achieve their online goals.

Streamlined Web Development and Design: Advancetoolsnetwork Online offers a suite of web development and design tools that simplify the creation and enhancement of websites. With HTML, CSS, and JavaScript tools, developers can write, validate, and optimize their code for efficiency and compatibility. Designers can leverage various design tools to enhance visual appeal and user experience, ensuring their websites stand out from the competition.

Effective SEO and Website Optimization: Achieving higher search engine rankings and improving website performance are crucial for online success. Advancetoolsnetwork Online provides a range of SEO tools, including analysis, keyword research, and backlink analysis tools, to help businesses optimize their websites and improve their online visibility. Additionally, their website analysis, speed test, security, and performance tools enable users to identify and rectify issues that may hinder website performance and user experience.

Comprehensive Marketing Solutions: To bolster marketing efforts, Advancetoolsnetwork Online offers a suite of tools for content marketing, email marketing, online advertising, and social media management. These tools assist in creating engaging content, managing social media campaigns, analyzing website traffic, and optimizing marketing strategies, ultimately driving greater brand awareness and customer engagement.

Seamless Website Management and Maintenance: Advancetoolsnetwork Online understands the importance of website management and maintenance. Their tools cover various aspects such as website accessibility, usability, testing, monitoring, backup, migration, and localization. These tools enable website owners to ensure their sites are accessible to all users, functioning optimally, and safeguarded against potential threats or data loss.

Conclusion:

With their extensive expertise in web tools and utilities, Advancetoolsnetwork Online is a trusted partner for individuals and businesses seeking to enhance their online presence. By offering a comprehensive range of tools for web development, design, SEO, marketing, and website management, they empower users to streamline their processes, optimize their websites, and achieve their online goals. Whether you are a web developer, designer, marketer, or website owner, Advancetoolsnetwork Online's tools and utilities are invaluable resources that drive efficiency, effectiveness, and success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

[reality-detective]

Obama’s Global Spy Network Targeted Trump: Explosive New Evidence Revealed!

Barack Obama’s shadowy betrayal has surfaced, shaking the very core of America. He orchestrated a treasonous conspiracy, weaponizing global intelligence networks to attack Donald Trump—a man who dared to challenge the globalist cabal.

Project Fulsome: A Web of Treason

Obama, in collaboration with Britain’s GCHQ, bypassed U.S. laws to spy on Trump, his family, and his campaign. Trump Tower wasn’t just wiretapped—it was a surveillance fortress. Tools designed for counter-terrorism were turned against an American citizen. Financial records, emails, and private conversations were infiltrated, with the Deep State feeding this intel to fabricate scandals.

This was no ordinary operation; it was a globalist vendetta to preserve their crumbling grip on power. Secret satellites even tracked Trump’s movements during the 2016 campaign. Every action, every word—monitored.

The Russia Hoax: Manufactured Lies

The infamous Russia hoax wasn’t an accident. Phony dossiers, funded by Clinton’s allies and legitimized by Obama’s corrupted agencies, were part of this operation. The Steele dossier? Pure disinformation. Whistleblowers reveal it was a long-planned strategy to discredit any outsider who challenged their rule. Trump just happened to win, making him target #1.

Black Sites and Secret Courts: Deep State Tools

Beyond spying, Obama’s network used secret courts and black sites to crush Trump’s allies. FISA warrants based on lies enabled illegal surveillance. Black sites deployed rogue operatives to infiltrate Trump’s inner circle, feeding intel back to the cabal.

Why They Had to Stop Trump

Trump’s presidency represented a direct threat to their empire. He promised to end endless wars, dismantle corrupt trade deals, and expose their hidden agendas. The globalist pipeline funding their machine was at risk. Trump wasn’t a puppet—he was their worst nightmare.

The Awakening: Deep State on the Brink

The Deep State is collapsing. Whistleblowers are stepping forward. Leaks are surfacing. Patriots within the intelligence community are exposing the truth. Platforms like X and Telegram bypass Big Tech’s censorship, spreading revelations far and wide.

The Fight Isn’t Over

Obama’s betrayal exposed the elites’ desperation. Now is the time to act. Share the truth. Demand accountability. Stand with Trump. The Deep State is crumbling, but the battle for freedom continues.

You would think ALL that 👆 would be something you'd see in a spy/espionage movie like "Enemy of the State" with Gene Hackman and Will Smith.

Stay vigilant. History will remember those who fought for truth. 🤔

[codingquill]

Essentials You Need to Become a Web Developer

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Mastery

Text Editor/Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Popular choices include Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text.

Version Control/Git: Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket allow you to track changes, collaborate with others, and contribute to open-source projects.

Responsive Web Design Skills: Learn CSS frameworks like Bootstrap or Flexbox and master media queries

Understanding of Web Browsers: Familiarize yourself with browser developer tools for debugging and testing your code.

Front-End Frameworks: for example : React, Angular, or Vue.js are powerful tools for building dynamic and interactive web applications.

Back-End Development Skills: Understanding server-side programming languages (e.g., Node.js, Python, Ruby , php) and databases (e.g., MySQL, MongoDB)

Web Hosting and Deployment Knowledge: Platforms like Heroku, Vercel , Netlify, or AWS can help simplify this process.

Basic DevOps and CI/CD Understanding

Soft Skills and Problem-Solving: Effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills

Confidence in Yourself: Confidence is a powerful asset. Believe in your abilities, and don't be afraid to take on challenging projects. The more you trust yourself, the more you'll be able to tackle complex coding tasks and overcome obstacles with determination.

[laxmankodadala]

Troop Messenger: Collaboration Simplified for Businesses of All Sizes

Troop Messenger is at the vanguard of more dynamic team collaboration. Because of its simplicity of use in an entrepreneurial situation, it is one of the few online collaboration tools that can meet the needs of any team.

Troop Messenger acts as a complete online collaboration tool and provides you with immediate access to a wide range of features, including:

Instant messaging

Making video calls

Conducting video conferences

Sharing files

Desktop sharing

Creating complex schedules

Efficient Project Management with Troop Messenger Teams may better arrange and safeguard project data with Troop Messenger's planned work scheduling. Because it enhances communication and speeds up procedures, this powerful business collaboration tool is a great choice for startups, large corporations, and remote teams alike. It is among the greatest online collaboration tools available right now because of its innovative features and intuitive design.

Key Features of Troop Messenger

Instant Messaging for Real-Time Collaboration Troop Messenger supports seamless communication with real-time messaging, ensuring enhanced efficiency in remote collaboration and online team engagement.

Comprehensive File Sharing Share and manage documents, multimedia, and other files effortlessly to facilitate smooth business collaboration within your team.

High-Quality Audio and Video Calls Conduct virtual meetings with superior audio and video capabilities, bridging communication gaps in remote work environments.

Centralized Collaborative Workspace Serving as a central hub for projects, Troop Messenger stands out as one of the best apps for teamwork and collaboration, helping teams stay organized and aligned.

Advanced Security Features With robust encryption and secure data storage, this collaboration software safeguards your sensitive business information against threats.

Why Troop Messenger is Perfect for Businesses Teams of any size can use Troop Messenger because to its adaptability. Its broad feature set and user-friendly interface which offer unmatched flexibility for both in-person and remote teams—put it apart from competing collaboration platforms.

Advantages of Troop Messenger

Unified Communication: Minimize email overload by bringing your team onto a single collaboration platform.

Boosted Productivity: Make faster decisions with real-time updates, eliminating delays in project execution.

Enhanced Teamwork: Strengthen team connections through tools like group chats, file sharing, and project tracking.

Budget-Friendly Solution: Access enterprise-grade features without overspending.

Optimized for Remote Collaboration: Troop Messenger

Strong communication tools are now a crucial component of everyday operations due to the change in corporate operations brought about by the emergence of remote workers. Because of its cutting-edge features, Troop Messenger is a great choice for meeting the demands of remote teams. Regardless of team members' locations, it helps firms maintain efficiency and clear communication through seamless screen sharing and remote access.

Key Features for Remote Collaboration

Troop Messenger is more than just a communication platform; it is a comprehensive online collaboration tool built to address the unique challenges of remote work. Here’s what sets it apart:

Screen Sharing and Remote Access Effortlessly conduct virtual meetings, training sessions, and collaborative problem-solving with Troop Messenger’s screen-sharing feature. Remote access allows team members to support one another or troubleshoot issues from afar, ensuring uninterrupted workflow.

Real-Time Messaging and File Sharing Keep the conversation flowing with instant messaging, and enhance productivity by sharing files, documents, and multimedia with ease. This real-time interaction bridges the gap between remote workers and ensures projects stay on track.

Video Conferencing High-quality video calls enable remote teams to maintain face-to-face connections, fostering collaboration and camaraderie. Whether brainstorming sessions or team catch-ups, Troop Messenger provides the tools to make virtual meetings feel personal and engaging.

Integrated Collaboration Tools With features like task management and shared workspaces, Troop Messenger centralizes your team’s activities, making it easy to coordinate, collaborate, and monitor progress from anywhere.

Why Troop Messenger Stands Out

Troop Messenger goes beyond the basic functionality of traditional communication platforms. Its rich feature set and intuitive design cater specifically to the dynamic needs of entrepreneurial and fast-paced teams. Here’s why it outshines the competition:

Versatility Across Industries From startups to large enterprises, Troop Messenger adapts seamlessly to diverse industries and work environments. Its flexible features make it suitable for tech firms, creative agencies, and everything in between.

User-Friendly Interface The platform’s simple, intuitive design ensures that team members of all technical levels can use it effectively. This ease of use minimizes onboarding time and maximizes efficiency.

Enhanced Security In a remote work setting, safeguarding sensitive data is crucial. Troop Messenger employs end-to-end encryption and strict privacy protocols, giving businesses peace of mind that their information is secure.

Cost-Effectiveness Troop Messenger provides enterprise-grade features at an affordable price, making it an excellent investment for businesses looking to optimize their remote collaboration without overspending.

A Solution for the Future of Work

Businesses demand technology that can adapt to the growing trend of remote and hybrid work arrangements. Troop Messenger is designed to do just that, with features that facilitate seamless communication, efficient procedures, and strong team bonds in spite of geographical constraints.

Troop Messenger can help businesses manage the difficulties of working remotely with a partner. It is a terrific choice for companies striving for success in the modern world because of its remarkable combination of cutting-edge functionality, security, and affordability.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Book Cover

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!” We’ve all heard the phrase and we all know that’s impossible. Because the cover of a book is the first thing a potential reader sees—it should stop them in their tracks. It’s a very powerful marketing tool; having a well-designed book cover is crucial.

Tips for Making a Great Book Cover Design

Using more than two to three typefaces on a cover is discouraged, as it can look really messy.

Keep things simple. Your cover will be in a sea of other covers so try to keep your design from getting muddy and make sure it stands out.

Show your designs to people who have a design eye and/or you trust. It’s great to get feedback.

If you hire a professional designer, write a brief and send them info. Be really clear on what you want. Designers usually do a certain number of design rounds included in the agreed upon fee and any extra rounds of design will be extra.

If you hire a professional designer, they will likely have ideas about printing and may have connections to printers. They are a resource so don’t forget to ask questions.

Don’t forget: a book cover is an important part of selling any book. Whether you decide to do it yourself or collaborate with a professional, pay special attention to this part of the process, as a great cover goes a long way.

6-Step Guide: Professional Book Cover

STEP ONE Generate Ideas. Look around at book covers you like. Go to a bookshop and peruse what’s currently happening in book cover design. Take notes of what elements you like on the cover image. A certain typeface? Color? Do you prefer an image or an illustration or something purely typographic on the cover? Another option is to create a mood board. You can use a platform like Pinterest or Evernote, or create a folder on your desktop, and pull book cover inspiration from the web. While you’re gathering inspiration, keep in mind what genre your book is and what kind of book design feels appropriate.

STEP TWO Find a Designer (Who Could Be You!). Do you have design skills? If so, your next step is to begin layouts and mock-ups of the covers. You should use whatever software program you are comfortable with. Most professional book cover designers use a program from the Adobe Creative Suite:

InDesign. InDesign is a multi-page design platform but can also be used for single page design.

Photoshop. Used to manipulate and experiment with photography.

Illustrator. Illustrator is a vector-based program, which means you can create graphic art that can be scaled up or down without loss of quality.

Photoshop and Illustrator. These can also be used together as you can bring your Photoshop file into Illustrator to set the type after you have worked with your cover image.

If you don’t have design skills, now is a great time to hire a book cover designer. The first step is to figure out what kind of budget you have for this. A designer’s fee will range depending on their expertise. Get a figure in mind and then write a design brief which should include the book specs:

Size

Print-run

Intended audience

Where and how the book will be published

Anticipated publish date

You should also include a summary of what the book is about and what you are looking for in a cover. Also share the inspiration you’ve gathered with the designer.

If you don’t have design skills but want to create the cover without the help of a professional, there are a few software programs you can use, such as Canva or 100 Covers, design tools that allow you to DIY the cover (for free or a fee).

STEP THREE Decide on the Dimensions. If you’re self-publishing and printing with a local printer you can work with them to make sure your book dimensions will fit on their printer (remember a book prints front, back, and spine in one sheet of paper). It’s also a good idea to find examples of books whose size you like and feels good to hold. Use that as a jumping off point for your book.

Book Cover Dimensions List. If you are printing for a specific market, from print to ebook, here is a handy list:

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing File Format: JPEG or TIFF Cover Size (Recommended): 2560x1600 pixels Cover Size Requirements: between 1000x625 pixels and 10,000x10,000 pixels (one side must be at least 1000)

Apple iBooks File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): 1400x1873 or 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: at least 1400 pixels wide

Barnes & Noble File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): Rectangle height and width, at least 1400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Min. 750 pixels height and width

Kobo Books File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Min. 1400 pixels width

Smashwords File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Min. 1400 pixels width Draft2Digital

File Format: JPEG Cover Size (Recommended): 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Tall rectangle

STEP FOUR Choose Your Style

Photo-based cover. If you’re creating an photo-based book cover, you’ll need to source stock imagery. There are lots of great resources online to find stock imagery including ShutterStock, Getty Images, and Adobe Stock. (Keep in mind: most photography archives require payment to use their images. Always investigate the copyright of images you’re interested in using.) Look for images that convey or allude to your book’s genre. You can use programs like Photoshop to manipulate your image, making it black and white instead of color or cropping it in a certain way.

Illustration-based cover. If you’re considering a more graphic approach to your cover, Illustrator is the tool to use. You can bring hand-drawn drawings into it and outline them to create scale-able, high-res illustrations which you can manipulate within the program. You can also create shapes, patterns, experiment with typography within illustrator and play with color, transparency, size and much more.

Typography-based cover. Finally, many successful book covers use typography as the main graphic device. This takes some skill and knowledge of typefaces, the historical context of a typeface, and how to manipulate it thoughtfully. That said, using type as a graphic can be very impactful.

STEP FIVE Pick a Typeface (Font). No matter what kind of cover you are designing, you are going to need the title of the book and the author’s name on the cover. As mentioned above, picking an appropriate typeface is very important. You want to pick something that feels right for your book—is it a sans serif or serif? A heavy weight or lighter weight? You want to make sure it’s not something with a lot of baggage, like Comic Sans or Papyrus. It is a good idea to actually do a little research on when, where, and who your typeface was designed by to give you context and feel out if it will be right for your book. You might also consider using up to two different typefaces, one for the title and one for your name. A serif and sans-serif mix can give a bit of contrast and visual interest. There are some typefaces that pair really well together. Check out the website TypeWolf to get ideas of what fonts pair well together.

STEP SIX Test, Tweak, and Repeat. Once you have a few versions of your cover, print them out on your home printer and take a look with a critical eye. Does the type size feel chunky? Too bold? Too small? How does your image look? Is it cropped right? Are the lines of your illustrations too thin and not showing up? Go back and refine your design and then repeat! Don’t forget to look at your book cover as a small thumbnail as well. People are on their mobile phones and you want to make sure your cover still stands out and is impactful.

Book Cover - serves as your first impression with potential readers—and though book covers don’t always look the same, they do tend to contain the same essential elements.

Design standards may be different in the world of traditional publishing than they are in self publishing, and book cover templates for physical paper books may differ from those of ebooks—but they all serve the same purpose.

Some Functions of a Book Cover

A book’s cover provides essential information. At its most elemental, a good cover includes a book’s title, the author’s name, the publisher, and the price.

A good cover offers clues about your book’s content and tone. Your cover design indicates whether your book is a work of high-minded literary fiction, a pulpy page turner, or a compelling work of non-fiction.

A front cover reveals a book’s genre. You can usually tell if you’re holding a thriller, a memoir, a sci-fi epic, or a nineteenth century classic just by looking at a book’s cover art and typography.

A back cover offers broader context. It may feature quotes from reviewers and fellow authors. Softcover books may contain a plot summary or author biography on the back; those summaries and bios are typically moved to the inner flaps of a hardcover book.

How to Hire a Professional Book Cover Designer

Book covers are marketing materials, and a well-designed professional cover can make your book stand out among the competition. If you want someone with expertise in the realm of cover design to work on your book, you may want to hire a professional book cover designer. Here are some steps to consider when hiring creatives to design your book cover:

Hire a cover artist. A cover artist produces the cover art and imagery that will appear on your book cover, either on their own or with heavy input from an author or publisher.

Hire a graphic designer. Certain graphic designers specialize in layout; they incorporate cover art that you provide them—whether that’s an original illustration, photograph, or even a stock image—into the overall design of the cover.

Find a cover designer online. Reedsy is one of a number of online resources for independent authors, self-publishers, and anyone connected to the world of books. Many professional book designers list their services on Reedsy.

Use your personal network. Seek out writers’ groups, either locally or on Facebook. In these groups, people share professional referrals and help support one another when a member has a new book in the works. A group of like-minded individuals can be an invaluable resource when creating your own book cover for the first time.

When to Call a Pro:

You have a budget (a designer’s fee will vary depending on experience and location).

You have enough time to work with the designer.

You have a clear idea of what you want or at least what you don’t want.

You don’t have any design skills.

You don’t want to invest in the design software.

Your book isn’t selling.

How to Design a Book Cover Yourself

If you don’t have the budget for a pro designer or just have a DIY itch you want to scratch, it is easier than ever to design your own book cover. While it may not be quite as rudimentary as when you covered your textbooks in a brown paper bag back in fifth grade, modern technology has made cover image design accessible to anyone with a computer. Here are some tips:

Use a template. There are numerous websites that offer book cover templates and step-by-step tutorials covering basic cover design skills. Some even have a free book cover creator tool, along with cover ideas, design tips, pre-made design templates, and digital cover image tools.

Use standard design software. Book covers can also be made using standard home computing software including Photoshop, Microsoft Word, and even (with a little sweat equity) Google Docs. This is particularly easy if you are importing a pre-made cover image from another source.

Make a prototype. The process for assembling a book is straightforward and satisfying. If you want to test out how your book will appear in print, you can learn to bind a copy yourself.

When to DIY:

You don’t have any budget for design.

You have design skills to do it yourself.

You have the design software.

You have a template and know exactly what you want.

You have people with an eye for design that can guide you.

How to Make a Hardcover Book

So you’re ready to bind your own book. Here’s what you’ll need:

Content, of course.

Uncoated printer paper for book pages

Decorative paper for endpapers, such as wrapping paper or cardstock

Davey board (aka bookbinder’s board), thin chipboard, or cardboard for the book covers

Craft knife

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue such as Elmer’s glue

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Ruler or straight edge

A long stapler

Thin fabric or book cloth for cover

Binder clips

Thick decorative paper (optional, for dust jacket)

Paper trimmer (optional, for trimming book pages)

Paintbrush (optional, for spreading glue)

There’s more than one way to bind a book, and you’ll find tons of great tutorials online for making homemade books, including Japanese bookbinding and perfect bound softcover books. The most popular style of hardcover book binding is called case binding, which is traditionally done by stitching pages together with thread. Here is how to make a hardcover book step-by-step—no sewing or special materials required:

Assemble the content. The number of pages and the type of paper you work with depends on whether you’re binding a novel, a full-color photo book, or a sketchbook. Familiarize yourself with the format by taking some hardcover books down from your bookshelf and observing how they were made.

Format your pages. If you’re creating a blank book, you can skip this step. If you’re printing a book with text, you'll need to format the text so that you can print it into a book. You can get help with this at a copy shop, or you can download book design software and print at home. Eventually, you’ll end up with a PDF with a page count. This page count has to be divisible by four so that your book can be bound as folios made up of eight sheets of paper (32 pages) each. You may need to add some blank pages at the end of the book to keep your page count correct for the folios.

Print and fold. Once all of your pages are printed, fold pages in half and stack eight within each other, making sure the pages are in the correct order. Staple the folios together in the folds, alternating the location of the staples so that you don’t end up with a bulge in the spine.

Bind your folios together. Arrange all of the folios in the correct order and flatten them between heavy books. Once your folios are flat, it’s time to glue them together. Hold the folios together with binder clips and use a glue gun to glue the folios together along the stapled edge. This will become your book’s spine. Be careful not to overdo it on the glue: Use just enough to keep the folios together. Before the glue cools, use a thin piece of fabric to cover the spine only.

Even out the pages. Carefully trim the edges of the pages with a paper trimmer or craft knife, if needed.

Make the hardcovers. Cut two pieces of cardboard for the front and back covers of your book. For the spine, cut a piece of cardboard that is the same height as the front and back covers, with a width equal to the thickness of the spine plus the front and back covers.

Attach the hardcovers. Paint the cardboard (both covers and the spine piece) with a thin layer of PVA glue and attach to the cloth you’ll use to cover your book, leaving a space between the covers and the spine equal to one and a half times the thickness of the cardboard. Let dry.

Assemble the book. Use PVA glue to attach the fabric-lined spine of your bound folios to the cardboard spine. Keep the book propped up between other books while you wait for it to dry.

Attach the endpapers. Trim the paper lining so that it’s twice the size of the first page and fold it in half. Paint glue onto the inside of the front cover and the front page, and attach paper lining. Repeat with the back cover.

Make the dust jacket. If you’d like to cover your book with a dust jacket, measure a piece of thick decorative paper as tall as your book and as wide as the entire book, plus a few extra inches to fold over the edge of the cover. Fold the dust jacket over the bound book. Lay another heavy book on top of it to help the dust jacket keep its shape. This is the place to add a cover design, if you’d like.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[fujocoded]

It’s April 1st! You know what that means: time to do things that are both real AND ridiculous, just to keep your followers on their toes.

Introducing.... a company. A whole new company.

✨🍋FujoCoded, LLC✨

Last year, we took a bold step by fundraising for a fan-friendly guide to modern web development. Today, it’s time for our next step: establishing a sustainable way forward by formalizing our ongoing work under a real company with an official mission!

FujoCoded LLC's mission is to build a kinder, more diverse, more collaborative–and unapologetically weirder–internet.

Our main focuses:

Education, which gives people the skills to be the change they want to see on the web.

Software, which gives people the tools to make such changes.

Community, which gives people the strength, structure, and support to see those changes through.

...but just like last year, to get this new company started right we need your help. You could even say we NEED YOUR SEED….

💦💦💦🌱💦💦💦🌱💦💦💦🌱

…money 😉

Check out and donate to our campaign on BackerKit and learn even more about us here on our website.

[overandundertarot]

Future Spouse; Now vs When you meet them.

A quick pick a card to find out how your future spouse is doing now vs what they'll be feeling/how they'll be doing when you meet them.

Pick a card( 1-5)

Pile One

Cards; Page of Swords, Temperance.

Right now your future spouse may have a very playful attitude towards life. They don't take things too seriously, especially their relationships. It's like a game to them. I'm picturing this kind of sarcastic/witty person who repeats after people in a mocking tone and doesn't like 'serious' topics because they are too boring. When you meet them they will have for sure grown out of this attitude and adopted a more balanced approach to life. They'll be more mature and have a greater sense of inner purpose and appreciation for the quieter things in life. They may be more into slow living. They may live near a beach as well.

Pile Two

Cards; 4 of wands, Knight of swords.

The changes in your future spouse from now till when you meet them are quite subtle. Right now, they have this happy, stable and optimistic outlook on life. I'm getting that its overall very good for them right now and they are trying to branch out and do something of their own. They have a lot of support, especially from their family and friends. (they may be from a wealthy family) This sense of love and support is definitely reflected in their personality; they're a bright, joyful and loving person. When you meet them, they will have matured a bit, so that their youthful optimism has turned into ambition. Things kind of come easy to this person, I'm not sure if they're just naturally lucky or again, it could be their family. I'm also getting that they could have used networking/connections to further their career since they are so friendly/outgoing.

Pile Three

Cards; The magician reversed, 5 of pentacles reversed.

Right now your future spouse may be feeling blocked. I'm getting the image of someone who has dreams and ambitions they want to accomplish but they just can't seem to get it right, they may also be falling into depression. There is something about their potential that's unrealised. To be honest, they may be a bit lazy right now; not using the tools at their disposal. When you meet your future spouse they could be at rock bottom. They would have finally started to work towards what they want but their recent projects could have failed. I'm seeing that it could be something artistic/unconventional. Despite their recent failures they still don't give up because they don't want to have any more regrets. Which is good because around the time you'll meet they'll be getting the opportunity for a major collaboration that will bring them alot of support. Its like meeting you was their good luck charm.

Pile Four

Cards; 7 of swords, The Empress.

Right now your future spouse is independent. They prefer to work alone and could be quite crafty as well. They've built a web of protection around themselves, and this was in repsonse to them trying to navigate through life. It's just the natural approach they've picked up, Im getting that they may not even be aware that they have a tendency to self isolate. Could be the type of person to end up doing things by themselves because no one else is doing it right by their standards. It's like they're kind of in their own world. This person could be neurodivergent. When you'll meet them they will have flourished. They'll be much more open and emotionally developed and aware, but they'll still be very introverted and it may not be apparent at first glance that they could be this amazing person with a rich inner world. I'm seeing that they will have leaned more into their eccentricities. People may overlook this person a lot because they're so quiet. Despite them going through all that emotional development, they may not be so open to love when you two meet and it could take some time before you can reach their heart.

Pile Five

Cards; 8 of swords, 7 of wands, 10 of wand reversed.

Right now your future spouse is in a mentally confusing situation. They feel they are trapped but they actually have a way out. I'm getting that they are failing to see the bigger picture. They may also have very narrow world view and could be bogged down by what they were taught to do? What's coming forward is someone who was told from childhood that things were a certain way and a certain way only so that its ingrained in them to only believe in that way of life/those values. Like someone who was told since chilhood to follow a certain career path or someone who was raised with conservative views. These values are causing them distress first of all because they are interacting with the outside world and people who won't tolerate their bullshit.(💀) And second of all because they're starting to understand that they were conditioned as a child and could have just been following a mold that they don't even really believe in. So, right now they're in denial of all this and are trying to go back to what they knew as a child but its not providing the safety it used to, because their perspective is unknowingly changing. They have a lot of work to do to heal their inner child. When you meet them they will have come to a decision and may be actively fighting against these values that they grew up with. They will have become much more reckless and ambitous and will be seeking to explore the world and especially themselves. They'll be questioning everything and trying to find the deeper meaning and reasons behind actions and concepts because they don't want other people and them to ever be conditioned into someone they're not. They dont ever want to be caged or manipulated again. They'll also be following their own path in life; this could be career/ personal friendships/ travelling. They may be a lawyer as well( for a few of you).

***

That's it! Thanks for participating in this pick a card, if anything resonated, please don't hesitate to tell me. It helps me grow as a reader :)

*The pictures are not mine I found them on pinterest.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hi folks, it’s Mint.

I’m on a mini-vacation this week so I’m going to be releasing some recommendation posts for things that aren’t related to requests (easy to queue), and I’ll be back to doing regular rec posts when I get back!

THEME: Mysteries.

I love love love mysteries. I think mysteries might be one of my favourite things to do in a TTRPG; presenting players with a problem and watching them piece together a solution is so fun! There’s a number of different ways to run mystery games - maybe you will find a helpful new tool in the list below! You can also look at the folder of mystery games that I’ve compiled on Itch, if you want more.

The Lurking Fear, by Lyme.

The Lurking Fear is a free, lightweight, simulationist investigative horror ttrpg in the style of classic horror tabletop games. You can use it to run most systemless horror adventures or, with a little work, most adventures for popular horror games.

The Lurking Fear is an exercise in running investigative games through an OSR framework, complete with rolling randomly for your stats, weapons that have dice attached for damage, and a roll-under mechanic to determine whether or not you succeed at any given task. Characters have a Stability track and an Energy track: Stability is lost when they fail to bolster themselves in a stressful situation, while Energy can be lost when you are subjected to paranormal consequences. The game has rules for magic (spells found in tomes), but no spell list, so you’ll likely need to write your own spells or get inspiration from other OSR-style games. Spells are costly, time-consuming, and cost Energy to cast, which I think will make successes feel hard-won and satisfying.

If you want a challenging game that has just the bare bones so that you can scaffold over it, you might want to take a look at The Lurking Fear.

Public Access, by The Gauntlet.

A roleplaying game of analog horror, based on the Brindlewood Bay mystery system!

Public Access is a tabletop roleplaying game about a group of people in 2004—the Deep Lake Latchkeys—who find themselves investigating strange mysteries in and around the town of Deep Lake, New Mexico. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, Deep Lake was the home of a notorious public access television station called TV Odyssey, the history and fate of which—the station literally disappeared—is the source of much speculation in certain corners of the internet. As the Latchkeys conduct their investigations in Deep Lake, they will become increasingly aware of the central role TV Odyssey plays in everything that’s going on, and will have to face whatever terrible truth lies at the heart of the infamous station...

This one is for the horror fans, especially if you like found footage-style horror. You’ll be playing a bunch of adults returning to their hometown to try and find answers about the disappearance of a television station. Similar to other Carved from Brindlewood games, Public Access uses a day/night cycle, will give you certain moves and repercussions unique to the mode of play you’re currently in. If you like collaboratively creating a mystery as a table, you might want to check out this game.

Suspect 2e, by Arcane Atlas Games.

SUSPECT is a catch-em out game of character creation, memory and mystery. A crime has been committed, and you have to work together to create and then solve it. In Suspect the players take it in turns to play as the investigator and the suspects. The investigator asks questions and the suspects answer, building an ever more complicated web of events. As the suspects slip up and make mistakes the investigator challenges them until they finally accuse the culprit.

This is a great option if you want to try out a duet mystery game, with one person playing the Investigator, and the other playing the Suspects. Each role has special abilities and rules. For example, the Investigator is the only one who has access to the timeline of events, allowing them to sort through the clues and rule out false leads. The Suspects player can use a special ability to shift the Investigator’s suspicion onto a different character, introducing new facts to complicate the case. The game feels like it would be great at replicating Columbo-type stories, with the Investigator slowly going over the facts until they find the only solution that makes sense.

The creator is also collecting different mystery cases that you can play through for this game, which can be found in the Suspect Cases collection. If you love procedural detective fiction, (or maybe if you want to create a mystery for people to play) you might want to check out Suspect 2e!

Junk Noir, by JadeRavens.

You are a malfunctioning robot detective solving mysteries in a noir retro-future.

Junk Noir is a cooperative, zero-prep, GM-less mystery game for 2 or more players.  Players share control of Tracer as the titular robo-sleuth investigates mysteries, visits Locations, meets Characters, finds Clues, and triggers Events. In Junk Noir, you'll dramatize scenes, form connections, make moves, and play to see what happens! 

When you reach a consensus, roll the dice to test your theory. Maybe your theory is correct and you have one last scene to prove it and risk it all! Or maybe your theory is just that, and things are more complicated than you thought. It's time to challenge your assumptions and continue your investigation…

Junk Noir uses similar mechanics to Brindlewood Bay or Paranormal Inc, allowing the players to generate the mystery as they play. However, the game is meant to be run without a GM, all the players embodying the persona of a single robot detective. If you like the noir genre and you want to add a little bit of robot flair, you might want to check out Junk Noir.

Let Justice Be Done, by Mynar Lenahan.

Let Justice Be Done is a one-shot murder mystery game inspired by Brindlewood Bay, Eat The Reich, and Blades in the Dark.

In it, you play ingenious Consultant Detectives who use their skills of deduction to discover (and invent) Clues to frame the wealthy for crimes they absolutely didn't commit. But be careful: If your suspects start to figure out exactly what you're up to, you could find yourself in a world of trouble that they absolutely will not let you escape…

This is a delightful twist on the typical murder mystery, allowing you to construct a false crime as a form of revenge. Pull from a variety of colourful backgrounds to add dice to your roll, using a resolution system similar to Forged in the Dark games to achieve success. This is a great homage to the Benoit Blanc movies, especially Glass Onion. If you bought the TTRPGs for Palestine bundle, you already own this game!

BubbleGumshoe, by Evil Hat.

Someone stole my kid brother’s bike…Someone sabotaged the pep rally…Someone destroyed the Homecoming queen’s reputation…

The world is full of mysteries. It’s up to your group of intrepid teen sleuths to solve them. In BubbleGumshoe, players step into the shoes of high-schoolers solving mysteries in a modern American small town. Discover clues, solve problems, and throw down with enemies in this streamlined RPG based on the GUMSHOE system.

BubbleGumshoe is for the Nancy Drew lovers, mixing the drama of teenage social life with (typically) mundane mysteries. It is built off of the GUMSHOE system, which ensures that players will always find the clues necessary to figuring out the mystery, but rewards successes with more specific or helpful information.

In BubbleGumshoe, your relationships are an integral resource, which you can leverage to get access to locations you might not typically be able to go, knowledge from various experts, and favours from people who like you, or at the very least, owe you one. If you like tropes that involve leveraging social capital in order to bring local troublemakers to justice, you might like BubbleGumshoe.

Myths & Mysteries, by CrlBox.

This is a diceless and rules-light ttrpg.  Encounters receive a difficulty number, which will be determined by cards. Skills are used to reach the difficulty number, without rolling dice. It is just a matter of how much you will exhaust yourself to succeed…

The system doesn't rely on stats, which makes it very conversion friendly.

This is a genre-agnostic ttrpg, allowing you to explore eldritch horror, fantasy intrigue, or Scooby-Doo style adventures. Using a deck of cards, you build your hand and use your cards to determine whether your not you can succeed. Your character has a few things to make certain actions easier: an occupation, which gives you a +1 for any task related to it, and skills, which can be used and/or discarded to give you a temporary bonus.

The entire game can be printed on a brochure, which makes this game easy to travel with and probably also easy to pull out and teach for a one-shot or pick-up game. If you want simple mysteries that you alter to fit whatever genre you like, you might want to check out Myths & Mysteries.

Other Mystery Games I’ve Recommended

Eureka: Urban Investigative TTRPG, by ANIM.

Brindlewood Bay and The Between, by The Gauntlet.

Unlikely Investigators, by Luciano Correa

EYE: A Murder Mystery Generator, by Zak Makes Games.

Fedora Noir, by lessthanthreegames.

[magz]

Mullvad VPN and TOR collaborated, made a privacy-focused open-source browser that use alongside VPN instead of TOR network.

One more option to protect against surveillance. (example of growing surveillance attempts: "Restrict Act" for U.S.)

Is based on Firefox source-code, but "hardened" for security and privacy.

Read link above for more information.

Both Mullvad browser and TOR browser for normal anonymization and "being indistinguishable from anyone else".

Mullvad browser not ideal use case for identifiable information like account logins, but better for everything else on the "clear web" if find it necessary. (Meaning: can use for clear web browsing like watching TikTok and Youtube videos and Twitter browsing, for example, but not as effective for logged in activity while using those and other accounts.)

--

Download link.

Github.

Get Mullvad VPN for €5 a month

--

Optional:

Privacy Guide's introduction to "Threat modeling" and digital privacy (site with article and tool reccomendation)

Techlore's Youtube playlist "Go Incognito: A guide to security, privacy, and anonymity" (video. free version of digital privacy course)