업카지노 【보증업체】 가입코드 이벤트 쿠폰

카지노사이트

Tanya Agarwal — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:57:14 GMT

WORK | CORPORATE

“If your application looks like a good fit — ” but are they a good fit for you?

I understand with a cost of living crisis, inflation and under-qualified policymakers, very few people care about employers beyond the fact that they can give you money to hang in there, but let’s just — for a while — forget that bit.

I also understand job descriptions don’t always tell stuff about the employer — sometimes, it’s just HR, and HR can be HR.

In early June, I completed a 6-month software documentation internship. I was in IT. Finance sat right behind us, never missed a chance to roast. The HOD’s cabin was the first one in the aisle to our right, and you were welcome if you felt rather “sleepy” or “unmotivated” post the afternoon lunch. It was fun; pretty nice being in a traditional workplace for the first time.I’ve been sending in applications for a full-time Technical Writer role for the past two weeks. Unless you’ve got a millionaire uncle who’ll get you one just by making a few calls, you might know it’s not easy to get a well-paying job today based on your work interest, especially if you’re just starting out.If you’re someone like me, who judges potential employers based on job descriptions, you’re — well, you’re like me, and if you’re not — I’ve got warnings for you.

The tone

The overall tone of the posting is the very first impression.Is it written in the kind of friendly, enthusiastic language you’d use with your friends to motivate them? “Join our passionate team and make a real difference!”Or does it sound like a military recruitment ad? “Only the most hardcore hustlers need apply.”If it’s overly casual like “we’re a fun, tight-knit team who loves to work hard and play harder,” it’s probably a sign that there’s camaraderie and the company has a relaxed office culture. It might be a great fit for you if

you’re looking for a workplace that doesn’t make you want to disappear
you’d like to make friends with your colleagues.

However, if you prefer a formal, professional environment, it might not be the best choice.On the flip side, if a posting reads like “we expect 110% commitment, weekend shifts and 24/7/365 availability,” (I might’ve exaggerated here) you might be looking at a high-pressure environment where quarterly profit targets matter more than human life.If you enjoy working under pressure, this could be fine for you. But if you want work-life balance, it’s a big red flag.

The length and detail

“Looking for a web developer. Must know HTML. Apply now.”If anything, this job posting just tells me that

the employer is either incredibly disorganized, or
has no idea what they really need.

At the same time, a novel-length description with unnecessary points may indicate a company that is extremely demanding.During my Technical Writer application spree, I came across a posting where the description was several paragraphs long. Honestly, I didn’t even want to read it till the end. But curious, I did, and found that it listed every single task— obvious, essential or toxic — an employee is expected to perform, like “responding to emails promptly” and “being strictly active on MS Teams during office hours.” Seriously?That level of detail screams micromanagement. I’m sorry, but I’ll pass.

The requirements

I promise no one expects you to meet every single qualification listed. Most companies list 100 qualifications in hopes of finding someone who meets every single one, which is very rare, and makes candidates want to lie on their resumes to save themselves from being rejected by .But what does this tell you about the employer? I mean if an entry-level position requires

5–7 years of experience
three different expert certifications
expertise in a laundry list of software,

Either the HR person who wrote the description made a mistake, or the company has very unrealistic expectations.On the opposite, if the posting lists only a few key skill requirements and qualities like “willingness to learn,” it suggests they’re more about potential than perfection. They’re looking for someone who is eager to grow with them, and they’re willing to invest in training and development of their employee.

Red flags

Buzzwords like “rockstar,” and “ninja,” signal a possibly younger company where employees sign off emails with Lukewarm Regards.

One to watch out for is “fast-paced environment.”I know it sounds exciting, but sometimes it‘s code for “we’re understaffed and overworked.” Similarly, “wear many hats” might mean you’ll be juggling multiple roles with no additional pay, let alone recognition.

Company values and culture

If a company talks about “innovation,” “diversity,” and “collaboration,” it’s likely that these values are genuinely important to them.However, if the values section feels like a generic AI-generated template with vague, overused phrases like “we value excellence,” it’s better to dig a little deeper. Here’s what you can do:

read employee reviews on Glassdoor or Indeed (they’re anonymous, so you may as well leave some yourself)
check the employer’s official website
search “employee benefits” + “company name”

You’ll find feedback from people who’re either currently working at the company, or have worked there in the past.If it’s a multinational organization, culture might depend on specific locations and people you’re going to work with, so you might want to filter for the place where you’ll be working.

The application process

A streamlined process suggests that the company respects your time.They’ll let you know in advance about the

total number of assessment and interview rounds
date, time and venue details, and
everything else that you need to know.

You won’t have to ask basic things they should’ve told you on their own.This week, I underwent the process of a company I’d applied to.The HR lady shared all the details with me over our first call. There were going to be three rounds in the process: i) a proctored test; ii) an interview with the Principal Technical Writer; and iii) an interview with the reporting manager. Her emails were timely, including everything from Zoom links to test documents.The third round, initially scheduled at 2 p.m., was moved to 4 since previous candidates’ interviews wound up late, but I didn’t have to send emails or make calls or sit idle in the Zoom meeting waiting for someone to tell me what went wrong. The manager himself gave me a quick call to ask if 4 worked for me, and I couldn’t have been more impressed.We have the final HR round next week. I’d be glad if things go in my favor. Let’s see. I don’t wanna jinx the result by talking too much about it.

In contrast, a weird process like being asked to apply on their website after filling out the entire application on Indeed, and emailing them once done!? (when they could’ve just shared their website’s application link in the first place), people not showing up, and confusion shows an organization where people aren’t professional, and things are unnecessarily complicated.

Please think twice before choosing such a place.

Takeaways

A job posting is a two-way street. Just as employers are evaluating you, you should be evaluating them.

Are they clear about what they want?
Is their culture a good fit for you?
What’s the experience of their past and present employees?
How is their selection process?

If you pay attention to details that matter to you, you might just save yourself from the trauma of a bad work experience.

카지노 가이드；온라인카지노, 카지노사이트 |

Tanya Agarwal — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 13:12:35 GMT

MENTAL HEALTH

Who knew it would take 455 journal entries to learn self-acceptance?

Photo by on

Here’s what’s been bothering me:My acne is worsening. It’s so fucking frustrating. I hate looking at my face in the mirror. I hate when people watch me with questioning eyes wondering why I’m always wearing a face mask.It’s embarrassing when I have to lie to them, saying it’s the doctor’s advice to cover up so as to protect my skin from dust and dirt. Or sunlight. Or whatever the fuck.It’s not their fault. I understand it’s only natural for people to ask because it’s easier for everyone to communicate when no one’s wearing an uncomfortable, thick, black cloth face mask.Maybe it’s just easier to lie about it than tell the truth.

The truth is I hate wearing a mask. COVID or not, it makes breathing so hard? Breathing. Anyone would prefer breathing in fresh air, not in the warm carbon dioxide they exhale. Plus, it’s healthier to give our bodies access to enough oxygen.

The difficult breathing pattern I follow inside the mask is playing in my head now. I loathe it. My skin does more than me.

I’m going to see a dermatologist soon. I looked up online and found a few nearby. I’ll try to take recommendations, if possible. I’m going to get the treatment started tomorrow.I want to recover. I really do. Acne or skin disease or whatever the fuck this is — it’s inexplicably painful.As disgusting as it looks, I just don’t want to have it. I want it to go away. I don’t want this bad thing on my skin. I want my face back. I want to look like before.I’ve had terrible acne in past, but it never went this bad. It was painful and looked similarly ugly, but it never covered the entirety of my face. Maybe that was of a different type. I vividly remember how it looked but when I compare it to the picture (and the pain and severity) today, the previous one was nothing.This has destroyed my confidence. I didn’t have a lot of it in the first place, but now I don’t have any left.There isn’t a moment when I’m talking to someone in person and images of the dozen pimples, dark spots and redness on my face veiled beneath the mask don’t cross my mind.

I can’t stop thinking about everything I’m working so terribly hard to hide. I’m suddenly insecure: If people see it or come to know about it, would they hate to look at me and start to pity me? Would they even like me anymore?

I’ve lost the will to look people in the eye and talk. Or talk at all.This is silently sabotaging my relationship with everyone.Knowingly or unknowingly, I start to ignore people, convinced that they wouldn’t want to talk to an unpleasant-looking face. I’m sure it comes off as rude and arrogant for no reason because nothing ever happened between us for me to behave this way all of a sudden?I always give these explanations to myself, never to the people. I make it complicated.

“All the people over there
they don’t seem to have a care
I’m so fucking self-aware, it’s exhausting.”

— Unknown

I’m unintentionally creating this space of negative energy, where I’m this uncomfortably quiet person who gives off the “something’s wrong” vibe, who is awfully conscious of her surroundings, of the people around her, and who isn’t okay with whatever she isn’t okay with. Who’s never okay. Because of something nobody has a fucking idea about.I don’t want anybody to know. Not because it’s better to stay private since I’m so insecure about it. Not at all.I know it’s just acne. I’m just another human who has just another medical condition that needs just another treatment to get cured.The problem is I think people wouldn’t understand the seriousness of it if I share how dangerously it’s affecting me. Regardless of how close they are to me or how well they know me, I think they’re going to see me as just another adult with skin problem. No big deal.I don’t want that. I don’t want anybody to look at me like what I’m going through is normal. It’s anything but normal.

Two years.

It will soon be two years to my first official journal entry.

I call it ‘official’ because I didn’t write it on my phone’s notes app in lowercase and broken sentences, or on the back of a random notebook in a language nobody would understand. Just in case mom finds out.

I wrote it in a Google doc called ‘life’. I’m not sure if that’s what I called it initially (Version History doesn’t have a record), but that’s where it began.I don’t know what, but there’s something about putting words down on a digital page that makes them feel more permanent, more real. Maybe it’s because I can go back and see the exact date and time (and phase) I wrote something, or because I don’t have the worries that I do with a pen and paper.I remember when I finally went to see the dermatologist my roommate recommended.I sat in the waiting room. When one of the clinic staff called my name, a wave of panic washed over me. But I stood up, took a deep breath, and walked into the examination room.I think with 30+ years in practice, just a look at the pimples and the doctor should have gotten what’s wrong.

But he was kind. He didn’t make me feel like just another patient with just another skin problem. He listened to me. Really listened. He asked questions about my life, my stress levels and my diet. He didn’t just look at my skin, he looked at me.

My new skincare routine paired with three oral drugs started the afternoon I returned home from the visit. I changed my diet, cutting out foods that could potentially worsen my acne. YouTube introduced me to meditating as a means to manage stress.I could see changes, but at a pace slower than I’d ever known.

I didn’t get the chance to study dermatology, but for a layman, I’d learned enough about my acne from sources I trust like Healthline and Cleveland Clinic.

On one of the subsequent visits where I wasn’t quite happy because the acne was flaring up once again, I said to my dermat, “I don’t get why it’s coming back. I mean except for not exercising regularly, I don’t have any bad habits. Forget about drinking and smoking, I don’t even consume sugars and packaged foods.”

He said, “It’s just your age.”

The journal.

Weeks passed. I spent countless mornings, afternoons and evenings typing away, trying to make sense of my feelings, my frustrations and my fears.I wrote about everything that was happening — the moments when I felt like the treatment wasn’t working fast enough or when a new pimple would pop up just as the old ones were healing. I wrote at nights — through tears because it was too painful to sleep with my face against the pillow.I wanted to give up when the sight of my face in the mirror made me want to crawl back into bed and hide from the world.But slowly, ever so slowly, I started seeing improvement.The redness began to fade, the painful cysts started to shrink, and the dark spots became less noticeable.There were also days I’d never forget — like when I wrote in embarrassing detail about the first time I noticed my skin clearing up.This one’s from December 2022:

Oh my holy mother of beauty and sexiness. I have this kettle right next to me and I look so sexy typing away in its mirror. My skin is literally glowing and I look so damn pretty in this sexy black top. Nothing feels better than waxing. These glasses sitting on my nose are glowing from my laptop’s blue light and I haven’t felt sexier. I just had my roommate wax my arms and stomach and holy mother of sexy smoothness on my skin.

I feel so sexy and appealing. Can I feel like this all the time? I have freshly washed hair on my head, a moisturized glow on my face, plump lips, sexy glasses, waxed arms and legs, I have eaten and I don’t feel like killing myself. I haven’t felt more goddess-y before. I look so beautiful when I smile. My face looks and feels plush and I love myself. I fucking lOvE myself. I haven’t loved myself like this before. So I love myself when I look pretty. Yeah. It’s sad but yeah.

It started so, but journaling, eventually, wasn’t just about documenting my acne — it was about understanding myself.I began to see patterns in my entries — how my skin would flare up during stressful periods, how certain foods would trigger breakouts, how my mood would affect my perception of my appearance.It was a conversation with myself, where I could be completely honest about my feelings.I found clarity and comfort. I realized my worth wasn’t defined by the look of my skin, my value as a person went beyond my appearance.I learned to be kinder to myself. I stopped blaming myself for my acne.With each small victory, I felt a little more confident. I started to leave the house without my mask more often. It wasn’t easy, there were still moments of insecurity, but I was learning to accept myself, imperfections and all.

Today.

‘life’ is still the one I use the most (150K+ words!), but I have three other journals now. ‘life’ looked a little cluttered, so I separated ‘love’, ‘writing’ and ‘tech’. I’m aware they need updates.My skin today is everything I’ve ever wanted it to look like. I’m grateful. I don’t close my eyes when I walk past a mirror. I don’t hate talking to people. At least not because I have acne.In certain areas of my life, I’m still the quiet one who gives off “something’s wrong”, but I think it isn’t a big deal.I think it’ll get better.

Read next:

was originally published in on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

바카라 확률；온라인카지노, 카지노사이트；카지노사이트킴

Tanya Agarwal — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 15:28:31 GMT

DATA PRIVACY

Does anyone still care about data privacy?

Photo by on

Hi there, internet explorer. No wait, that guy’s dead. Let’s try this again. Hi there, tech bros! And non-tech bros!

It’s me, Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode. I think you best know me as the “private window” in dark mode that opens when you hit Ctrl + Shift + N (or Command + Shift + N for you fancy Mac bros).I’ve got some secrets to spill today, but let’s get my basics right first.

What am I?

No, we’re not playing the clues and word guessing game. Kids.

I’m not some tech wizard with the power to make you invisible online. I’m more like that cheap Halloween mask you wore last year — looks cool, but doesn’t fool anyone.

When you search in my window, I don’t save anything you do on your device. That’s it, alright? Your roommate, parents, partner, siblings, friends or family don’t see your questionable corn preferences.

I keep your browsing history clean — at least on your device, but…

Cookies, cookies, cookies

Cookies are small data files stored on your device by the websites you visit.When you go to YouTube and watch videos, YouTube sends text files (cookies) to your device containing information like —

keywords from what you watched
how long you watched it
where you left off in a video (so you can resume watching from that point)
your login credentials like emails and passwords (so you don’t have to login every time you visit).

The next time you visit, your browser sends those cookies back, so the site your past activity and personalizes what you see. Meaning, if you watch a lot of self-help videos, YouTube suggests more self-help the next time you visit.

How? Cookies remember everything.

Regular browsing

In regular browsing, cookies can stay on your device until they expire or you manually delete them.

Incognito mode

When you open an incognito window, I start fresh — no cookies from anywhere.

But as you browse, websites still send cookies to your browser, but they are temporary, stored only for the incognito session. The moment you close that window, all the cookies from your session are wiped out.

Pro tip: Closing incognito tabs does not clear cookies, only closing the entire browser window does.

I know I’m great, but you’re during your incognito session, in real-time, so websites can create a profile based on your behavior within that session. I can’t stop them while you’re actively browsing.

My dad, Google, already tells you that:

Screenshot of Google Chrome’s Incognito Window

ISP

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is the company you pay to get internet like AT&T.In incognito mode, ISPs do not see encrypted contents like the exact videos you watch, but they still collect metadata — data about data, such as

the websites you visit (like Netflix or YouTube)
the duration of your visits, and if you’re visiting most during certain times of the day
demographic data (your age, gender, income level, location, etc.)

While ISPs do not sell personally identifiable information (PII) — your name or address, they still sell aggregated data, which is gathered from multiple sources. Advertisers can still target you, even if your name isn’t attached to the data.

Extensions can betray you

Yep, they can still collect your data unless you tell them not to.

Did you know tracking in private windows is a required permission to use some extensions?

So if you wouldn’t like that, check if your extensions are incognito-friendly, or better yet, disable them before going incognito. Here’s a .

DNS still knows

When you type in a web address like batxh.com into your browser, your computer doesn’t understand it. It needs to find the website on the internet.

It uses a DNS (Domain Name System) service to translate batxh.com into an IP address (like 162.159.153.6), which is a unique identifier for Medium on the internet.Even in Incognito mode, your DNS requests are not hidden. These are sent to your DNS provider, usually your ISP, but can also be a third-party DNS service. Meaning,

your DNS provider (ISP) can see the websites you visit
if you’re using a public service like Google Public DNS or Cloudflare, your DNS requests are visible to them, too.

Even if your ISP isn’t logging your DNS requests, the DNS service you use might be, which can be sold to marketers, and if there’s mishandling or data breaches, your privacy can be compromised.

Is there anything you can do to protect yourself better?

If you really want to protect your online privacy, you need more than just me.

Use a VPN + Incognito

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, so your ISP, employer, and nosy websites won’t have a clue what you’re up to.What happens with a VPN + Incognito?

ISP doesn’t track your IP address, or sees your online activities
your browsing history, cookies, and site data aren’t saved locally
you get access to blocked content.

Switch browsers and search engines

Tor is a browser designed to protect you against tracking.
The search engine DuckDuckGo your search history.

Clear browsing history and cookies

Do it regularly.

Finally…

Your data is the modern-day equivalent of gold.Companies are tripping over themselves to collect, analyze, and sell it. Every click, every search, every online purchase is like a is a five-course meal for these starving companies.There you have it. I’m great for keeping your local browsing secrets safe, but don’t mistake me for a complete privacy solution.See you.

I’m Chrome’s Incognito Mode, and Here’s What I Do. Honestly. was originally published in Women in Technology on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

UFO 조작；바카라 게임- 온라인 카지노 사이트 먹튀검증

Tanya Agarwal — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:08:03 GMT

IDEAS | WRITING

What’s the likelihood that your idea is actually someone else’s idea, too? (and not plagiarism)

Photo by on

You get a new idea.
You think it’s unique — no one’s ever written about it before.

But then you type it into your search bar and press “Enter.”

And then? You discover not just one, but multiple articles, blog posts, and essays on the same topic, some even articulated more beautifully than you would have.

The results can be disheartening. I think all writers and creators have been there.I once had an idea for a technical article on Google Docs features that aren’t present in Word. I thought I had a fresh take, was intimately familiar with both writing tools, and had value to offer. But a quick search revealed hundreds of Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word articles. Each piece seemed to cover every angle I had in mind, leaving me feeling that neither was my idea unique, nor did I offer a unique perspective.

The nature of ideas

Let’s start with a bit of context.We live in a world of over 8 billion people, each with their own thoughts, experiences, and creativity. What does this volume of human cognition mean statistically? The probability of two people having similar ideas isn’t just possible — it’s highly likely!This isn’t plagiarism. It’s a consequence of:

Shared experiences
Collective knowledge

Ideas are born from our interactions with the world.

We read books, watch movies, have conversations, and consume a huge amount of information daily. These inputs are the raw material for our thoughts.

As James Webb Young puts in , A Technique for Producing Ideas:

An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.

‘Parallel thinking,’ a concept introduced by Edward de Bono, means that when people are exposed to similar stimuli or problems, they arrive at similar conclusions independently. Meaning, somewhere in the world, your solution is someone else’s solution, too. Not because one of you copied the other, but because you both have the same problem to solve!

The by Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray in the 19th century is a classic example. Both inventors filed patents for their telephone designs on the same day, completely unaware of each other’s work.

The fear of unoriginality

As a writer, this can be paralyzing. But the value of an idea isn’t solely in its novelty. Execution, perspective, and personal touch play way more important roles.

Take, for example, the fantasy novels Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan. Both stories follow young main characters who learn about their magical backgrounds and go to special schools, all while fighting against evil forces. Despite the similarities, each series has a unique mythology, character growth, and storytelling style.

When I first started writing, I was terrified of my work being seen as derivative. I knew I didn’t plagiarize, but I was afraid my readers and fellow writers in the community would think so.

And what if I did it unconsciously?

But over time, I realized that my voice brought something new to the table, even if the core idea wasn’t entirely ‘original’.

The collective ecosystem

Photo by on

Instead of worrying that your ideas aren’t new, try to understand that everyone contributes to a big pool of “shared knowledge.” This pool grows as people add new thoughts and build on what others have already said.Imagine a social media platform where people share tips on gardening. One user posts about a new way to grow tomatoes, and others add their own methods or hacks. Each contribution makes the original idea richer and more useful. Also, when different people come up with the same idea on their own (like inventing the telephone), it shows that the idea is strong and fits the current needs.So, instead of feeling discouraged if your ideas aren’t completely new, you should celebrate how our collective thinking can make them even better.

There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.

— Mark Twain

Imposter syndrome and writers

is an issue for many writers, especially when they find that their “unique” ideas aren’t as unique as they thought.Here are some strategies I have used to overcome it:

Your unique voice: Even if an idea has been written about before, your personal experience and perspective can provide a fresh take. No one else has your exact voice.
Focus on execution: Two people can write about the same topic, but the approach and style can make all the difference.
Iterate and innovate: Use the existing work on your idea as a foundation. Adding your unique spin or exploring a niche aspect that hasn’t been covered yet can set your work apart.
Self-compassion: Every writer — even the most successful ones — experiences doubt and the fear of unoriginality. Be kind to yourself and acknowledge your efforts.

Wrap-up

It’s natural for different human ideas to overlap. If your idea resembles someone else’s or vice versa, it doesn’t mean humanity has failed. It actually shows how connected we are as humans.We all draw from the same pool, so even if ideas look alike, each one adds some value. So, the next time you find that your brilliant idea has a doppelgänger, don’t despair. Instead, focus on what you can bring to it that no one else can:

Your unique perspective
Passion
Creativity

That’s what matters!

How Unique Are Your ‘Unique’ Ideas? was originally published in Free Factor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

17벳 【보증업체】 가입코드 이벤트 쿠폰

Tanya Agarwal — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 17:18:42 GMT

PIRACY | TECHNOLOGY | MONEY

By advertising, of course — but there are some nefarious means, too

Photo by on

When you visit a pirate site to stream the latest blockbuster or download your favorite artist’s new album, it feels like you’re getting what you’re supposed to pay for at no cost.For media and entertainment consumers with an inability, inaccessibility or refusal to pay for legal, paywalled content, pirate sites are a savior.

Maybe you’re allowed to not want to pay for “convenience” when it’s available at a few inconvenient clicks for free.

However, users pay in ways that aren’t immediately apparent, and we’re talking about them today.

How Pirates Sites Work

Pirate sites rarely host content themselves.Instead, they rely on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks like BitTorrent.Users download a torrent file, which directs them to the content stored on individual computers (peers) across the globe.

A pirate site is like a library without any books. They don’t actually own the books (movies, music, games), but they have a giant list (torrent file) that tells you where to borrow them from other people’s shelves (computers).

So the site doesn’t need to buy any books, but can still make money by charging you an entry fee (ads or data) to use their list.

How Pirate Sites Make Money

By advertising, of course— but there are some nefarious means, too.

Advertising

Photo by Jose Francisco Fernandez Saura:

Anyone who’s ever visited a pirate site has seen the barrage of ads that flood your screen.Pop-up ads, banner ads, embedded video ads, what not. 8/10 pirate sites and apps even refuse to work if it “looks like you’re using an adblocker.”In 2014, the Digital Citizens Alliance that the top 30 pirate sites generate an average annual ad revenue of $4.4 million, while high-traffic torrent and P2P portals make $6m.These ads might seem harmless — offering discounts, miracle cures or flashy gambling sites, but here’s what really happens:

Type 1 — The Game Ad

You click on an ad for a fun-looking game.Instead of taking you to the game, it silently downloads malware on your device, which can record everything you type from usernames to passwords, and sell it to hackers.

Type 2 — The Shopping Ad

You see a great deal on shoes (it’s likely an item you’ve recently searched for).Click that. You’re redirected to a legitimate-looking store. You enter your payment info to buy the shoes, but money is deducted, you receive no shoes, and your bank account details are stolen.

Type 3 — The Virus Warning

An ad claims your computer is infected and you need to download an antivirus to fix it. Panicked, you download the software, which is actually a virus.

Type 4 — The Fake Survey

An ad offering a reward for completing a simple survey.After filling out the survey, you’re asked to enter your email and phone number, which is sold to spammers, who annoy you with unwanted messages and calls.

Premium Subscriptions

Image source:

“If you want to legally watch and rewatch The Crown, Game of Thrones, and The Handmaid’s Tale, you’ll have to pay for three separate streaming services: Netflix, HBO, and Hulu.” writes Damjan Jugovic Spajic in his Piracy Statistics for 2024 .

Some pirate sites offer “premium” memberships with the promise of

faster downloads
no ads, and
exclusive content access.

This can lure in users who are tired of interruptions but still want free content.Premium access for price a fraction of 3–4 platforms (like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime) combined, might seem like a great deal, however —

There’s no guarantee the site will honor the premium services. You could end up paying for a service that remains as unreliable and ad-ridden as the free version.

Paying could also lead to

financial loss from unauthorized charges on your bank account from sharing payment info
identity theft from sharing personal info like name, address, and phone number
the site disappearing later (yes, it happens!)

Data Mining

Photo by on

You’re at a shopping mall, casually browsing different stores.Each store you enter secretly notes down what you looked at, what you showed interest in, and which sections you spent the most time in.They share this information with other stores and businesses. By the time you leave the mall, you’re bombarded with ads and special offers oddly tailored to your tastes.That happens on pirate sites.

Trackers

Website trackers track every video you watch, how long you watch it, the genres you prefer, and anything that tells something about you, which can be sold to businesses.

Location Leaks

If you use a pirate site without a VPN, it collects your location data through your IP address.

Most sites, therefore, do not let users in if a VPN connection is detected.

If you’re in New York, you might suddenly start seeing ads for local events, restaurants, or stores near you, even if you never shared your location explicitly.

But I don’t click on ads, or share personal info, and I can understand when they’ve collected my activity data?

There is more.

Downloaded content itself can contain malware.
Your IP address reveals your location and device info (OS, browser, etc), which can be used not only for online, but real-life scams, too.
Cookies, tracking scripts, and third-party trackers collect your searches, link hovers, clicks and mouse movements, and aggregate it from multiple sources to build a detailed profile of your interests.

The Piracy Business Isn’t New

Historically, too, piracy has always found a way to profit.Think back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Pirates didn’t just steal goods — they ransomed captives, sold stolen merchandise, and even formed networks of black-market trade.Today’s pirates operate similarly, using the internet to turn digital “loot” into money.

Read next:

How Free Pirate Sites Profit from Your Streams and Downloads was originally published in Women in Technology on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

슬롯머신；안전한 슬롯 이용 방법과 게임 가이드

Tanya Agarwal — Sun, 16 Jun 2024 16:22:56 GMT

META-MEDIUM | RECOMMENDATIONS

So the algorithm feeds you more of the high-quality, relevant content

Screenshot of batxh.com’s homepage without an account logged in

Medium offers something for everyone.But with a huge amount of new and old content published on the platform, it’s easy to find your feed cluttered with low-quality, irrelevant stories.As it turns out, scrolling away doesn’t solve the problem.

So, if you wish to see less crap*, and more of the content you’re looking for, and just in case, have paid for, below are some simple steps.

*By ‘crap’ I mean anything that wastes your time, provides no value, and is a barrier between a reader and the stories they actually want to read.For me, it’s verbose 100% AI-generated articles; uninformative, preachy, clickbaity, general stuff; and stories that don’t suit my interest.Let’s begin!

How Medium’s Algorithm Works

Let’s briefly look at the basics of Medium’s algorithm.Medium uses a few factors to determine what appears in your feed:

Reading history: What you read influences what you see.
Claps, comments and highlights: The articles you engage with.

Have you noticed Medium has recently started recommending stories that writers you engage with have engaged with?

Meaning, if a story on your feed has 👏 Tanya Agarwal clapped written above the title, you’re seeing it because you have engaged with my stories. It might also have to do with following the writer.

Screenshot of a story recommendation in my Medium feed that a writer I follow clapped for

3. Followed topics: The topics you follow.

Screenshot of a story recommendation in my Medium feed about a topic I follow

4. Following: The writers and publications you follow.

Basically, like most online platforms, your activity determines what you see.

How to Improve Your Medium Feed

Now, let’s look at what you can do to better your feed.

1. Refine Recommendations

The ‘better internet’ that it is, Medium has a whole section on their platform just so users can curate their feeds on their own!i. On the top left of your Medium home page, click on the ‘+’ icon.

‘+’ icon on Medium home page

ii. Clicking on the ‘+’ icon takes to you the Refine recommendations page as shown in the image below. Here, you will find 4 tabs — Following, Reading history, Muted and Suggestions.

I. Following

This tab shows lists of all writers, publications and topics you are currently following.You can periodically review what/who you follow and update it based on your changing interests.

Pro tip: Choose specific topics. Instead of broad topics like “Technology” or “Health”, go for more specific ones like “Artificial Intelligence” or “Mental Health”.

Refine recommendations page

II. Reading history

Your reading history shows the stories you have spent at least 10 seconds on.

Clearing your reading history may be especially helpful after

doomscrolling on Medium
browsing random, clickbait content.

That way, Medium won’t think you like those types of stories and start serving you more of them.

Reading history

III. Muted

If a certain writer or publication won’t stop appearing in your feed even after unfollowing or clearing your reading history, you can just mute them by clicking on the 3 dots icon below the article.

Click on Mute author or Mute publication from the options list.

You will see all muted authors and publications in the Muted tab.

Muted authors and publications

IV. Suggestions

Based on your past and present activity, Medium shows you suggestions for writers and topics you might want to follow.Here, you can discover new writers and topics.

Suggestions

Under Topics to follow in the same tab, you can click on the arrow at the top right to explore a wide range of topics.

Topics to follow

You will be taken to an entire Explore topics page where you can click on a topic of your choice, choose to follow/unfollow it and read stories added to the topic.

Explore topics page

2. Cut the Crap. Literally.

Click on the minus (-) icon when you come across story titles that are crappy to you. Simple!

Minus (-) icon

You will get the notification below.

Notification after clicking on (-) icon

Personally, I cut all crap along the lines of:

Unlocking Resilience: Creativity for Increased Productivity.

Titles with grammar errors, clickbait and generic titles are a huge turn off for me. I know I’m never going to click on that stuff, so I just remove it to not get more of it. To be honest, it doesn’t work by removing a single article of the type, so try doing it often.

3. Engage Wisely

Your engagement on Medium significantly shapes your feed.

Clap for quality: Use the clap feature to show appreciation for articles you like.
Highlight key points: Highlighting not only helps you remember important points, but also indicates to Medium the kind of content you value.
Follow quality writers and publications: Before hitting the follow button, read a few articles by the author or from the publication to gauge their quality and see if it clicks with you.

Basically, avoid engaging with what you think is the crappiest crap.

The platform will eventually give you less and less of it, and develop an understanding of what you want. (Unless it’s only the crap that everyone’s consuming and the algorithm must put it on your feed.)

Read next:

How to Get Less of the Crappiest Crap in Your Medium Feed was originally published in How To Diaries on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

카지노 리뷰 카지노리뷰

Tanya Agarwal — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:46:03 GMT

TECH PRODUCT FAILURES

3 tech flop stories that teach great lessons

Photo by on

Ever wondered why some cool ideas just don’t take off?Tech giant Google is known for creating some amazing products that changed the way we live and work on the internet. But not every idea they come up with turns out to be a hit.

Below we’re looking at three Google products that weren’t all bad, but didn’t quite make it and why.

1. Google Glass

Image source:

It’s 2013, a world where people are starting to wear computers on their faces.Enter Google Glass, a pair of smart glasses that promised to be the next big thing in tech.Google Glass let you take pictures, get directions, and read messages without using your hands. You could control it with voice commands like “OK Glass, take a picture.”

Image source: Google

Google Glass was equipped with a head-up display, bone conduction transducers for sound, and a touchpad for control. It had a camera for taking photos and recording videos, and it could connect to the internet via Wi-Fi.Sounds like a wonderful thing, right?Not so much.

Why Google Glass Failed

Despite the excitement, Google Glass faced several issues.

The built-in camera led the glasses to bans in public places. It was seen as an intrusive technology that let people (strangers) record you without your consent. The term “Glasshole” was coined for people who wore them in public.
Priced at $1,500, the glasses were prohibitively expensive for most people.
Although the device soon found use cases in and fields, it had limited practical uses for the average consumer.

More criticism poured in for the product’s awkward design and short battery life, and by 2015, Google stopped selling the prototype version.While it found a niche market in industries like logistics and manufacturing, leading to the release of Google Glass Enterprise Edition in 2017, as of March 15, 2023, it.

2. Google Wave

Image source:

Launched in 2009, Google Wave was an ambitious project that combined email, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking into a single communication platform.Wave allowed users to create “waves,” which were rich multimedia messages that could be edited by multiple users simultaneously.You could add videos, photos, extensions like maps and polls to your waves.

Why Google Wave Failed

While it sounded great, Google Wave was problematic.

Google Wave was highly complex and difficult for new users to understand, which significantly hindered its adoption.
Users found the interface overwhelming and the concept confusing.
With no clear use case defined, users didn’t know when to use Wave instead of email or chat. And because it was so complicated, not many people used it.

By 2010, Google announced they would stop developing Google Wave as a standalone product.It was officially shut down in 2012.

3. Google Plus

Image source:

Google Plus (Google+) was launched in 2011 as Google’s fourth attempt to create a social network of its own.Plus’ predecessors — Google Wave, and , had all failed.Google+ had features like “Circles” for organizing your contacts, “Hangouts” for video chats, and “Sparks” for finding new content.“Streams” was the main feed where users could see updates, posts, and shares from their Circles. It was similar to the news feed on Facebook or the timeline on Twitter.Google+ was also integrated with other Google services like Gmail and YouTube.

Why Google+ Failed

It was late to the party. The features, while innovative, didn’t offer enough of a compelling reason for people to switch from Facebook and Twitter. It turned out that people were quite content with their existing social networks and didn’t see a need to migrate to a new platform.
Google initially forced integration with other services like YouTube, which annoyed users and led to backlash.
In 2018, it was revealed that a software glitch the private information of up to 500,000 users, leading to concerns about privacy.

In December 2018, Google announced they would shut down Google Plus for consumers.The service was officially closed in April 2019.

The Lessons Learned

From these stories, we learn a few key lessons:

Timing matters. Glass and Wave were ahead of their time. Sometimes, the world isn’t ready for a new technology, or just doesn’t need it.
Simplicity is key. Tech products, however innovative, need to be easy to use if they are intended for the general consumer. Google Wave’s complexity scared off users.
User needs. Even great technology won’t succeed if it doesn’t meet users’ needs or fit into their lives. Google Plus didn’t offer enough to make people switch from its competitors.

Failures are part of the process — they teach us what doesn’t work.So, here’s to Google Glass, Google Wave, and Google Plus — three ambitious projects that didn’t make it, but taught us great lessons.

Read next:

What Was Behind the Failure of Google Glass, Google Wave and Google Plus? was originally published in Women in Technology on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

바카라사이트；카지노사이트,온라인카지노사이트

Tanya Agarwal — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 09:32:22 GMT

POETRY ON MEDIUM

Just quietly wanting

Photo by Tom Swinnen on Unsplash

The one where I have to admire from afar,
That one is a piece of cake.
Less worrisome, much less exhausting,
Reduced dread of making it obvious,
No pulling up acts of pretence,
No dwelling on the unrequited,
No insecurity detected,
I’m happy. I’m happy, infatuated.

The one where I have to be around him,
That one’s a task, for Christ’s sake.
We’re new to this.
We’ve been there, though.

Oh, where do I start?
To feign being okay with being a friend,
To fake not wishing for him to be my lover,
To try not giving a fuck,
To get all the butterflies,
To redden from the heat,
To get jealous ‘cause why not?
To become a child wanting full attention,
To think, yes, kids are possessive,
Isn’t what’s mine supposed to be mine?

Nothing wrong with wanting,
Wanting my boy to be just mine.

Thank you for reading and supporting The Scriber’s Nook. We publish five days a week — Monday to Friday inclusively 🖋️🌟📚

Wanting was originally published in The Scriber’s Nook on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

클락 앙헬레스 바카라 에이스

Tanya Agarwal — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 15:24:42 GMT

MENTAL HEALTH FOR INTROVERTS

A quiet one’s not-so-quiet mind

Photo by on

“The text sounds like he hates me. I’m sure he hates me. He’s probably always hated me.”“They’ll think I’m problematic. I should just keep it to myself. Better not to trouble.”“I don’t bring anything to the table. Nobody enjoys my presence. I think I’m better off alone.”It’s me, hi.

My mind. Is programmed. To always. Think.

I’ve become habituated to constantly pondering over something — an interaction from the day (or days ago), how I look and be, my productivity, decisions, relationships, the future, anything.

Whether or not the thoughts I’m having are really significant to something in my life, I can’t help their presence inside my head.

Is it funny that I’ve become so used to having something on my mind that it’s weird when there’s nothing?

An awful drawback of being an overthinker is that I start to believe everything my overthinker mind tells me.If a thought encourages self-loathing, or if it’s cursing me for mistakes I made centuries ago, or it’s just me assuming other people’s side of the story (it villainizes me, of course), I will not shy before embracing it with open arms.

These are .

Persistent, repetitive, and unproductive thoughts that tend to focus on the negative aspects of a situation or experience.

Common negative overthinking patterns:

Catastrophizing: You assume the worst-case scenario when you don’t know what may really be happening.
Negative filtering: You focus only on the negative parts of a situation, disregarding any positives.
All-or-nothing thinking: You think in extremes. Like, if you’re not perfect, then you’re a disaster.
Mind reading: You assume you know what someone else is thinking or feeling without any evidence or communication.
Personalization: You take things personally and blame yourself for things that are not actually your fault.

From the damage doing ALL of this has caused in my life for years, I’ve learned lessons and kiiind of stopped believing every thought that crosses my mind.

1. Our minds hurry to come to conclusions.

Our introverted minds don’t settle without getting detailed answers to “what happened” or “what did it really mean” in matters we care about. (We pretend to be okay with not knowing, but sometimes, we just want to know!)

I tend to ruminate so excessively over conversations only to wonder if the person’s words had a different, hidden meaning.

On a quiet night, under a sky full of stars, my boyfriend and I were cuddling on the terrace of our apartment building when he asked me, “What do you think our breakup would look like?”My heartbeat paused for a second. Although I laughed it off saying that I hadn’t pictured a breakup so I did not have an idea, there was complete pandemonium inside my head for the next couple of days —“Was that foreshadowing? Did I do or say something hurtful for him to bring up a breakup? Maybe he’s been considering it for a while ’cause he realized I’m too much to be with and he would rather find someone else. Deep down, I knew no one would ever want to be with me. He was just being nice all this time.”I was breaking my own heart.Later, when I talked to my partner about the insecurity monster his curiosity turned me into, he couldn’t believe it for a second. But he assured me that it was just a random question, no hidden meaning or intention attached.

I was glaaad, but, upset. Although my rational mind did try to knock sense into me to focus on the element of randomness, it was overpowered by the irrational one.

Now, instead of catastrophizing, I try to reframe my thoughts.A better thinking approach in the above situation could be:“He’s probably asking randomly because nothing really happened between us for it to mean that he wants to break up with me. I think it’s self-doubt and the inherent dating anxiety in my head making a big deal out of nothing. (If not the unsatiated need to introduce a little fictional angst in my own love story.)”

2. As much as we overthinkers may think we do, we do not know everything.

Although not true of every introvert, many of us think we are know-it-alls. We often have more faith in our interpretation of the situation than what the situation really is.

A downside of being an overthinker is sometimes, we give too much weight to our thoughts. And unfortunately, our mind is drawn to the most negative ones.But not everything we think is accurate or based on fact. Our thoughts are influenced by a lot of things — emotions, past experiences, biases, personal beliefs and limited information.So, try to reassess your thoughts. To i) ensure they align with reality, and ii) avoid assumptions and misunderstandings.For example, when I find myself dwelling on other people’s opinions of me or my work, I ask myself, “Is it for me to decide what they think?”If I think there’s gossip and rumors about me, “Did I see it happening?” and if it is, “Can I do something about it?”

3. You may just be overthinking.

It comes back to the good ol’ overthinking.Repetitive analysis paralysis puts our brains under the impression that we’ve analyzed a situation completely and we “just know” the result of every possibility: What is going to happen if we do something or do it a certain way.We’re doing nothing but overthinking.

On days I mess up and my worries become too much to deal with on my own and I absolutely need someone to talk to, the first thing that comes to my mind before reaching out is, “What if I come off as exhausting? I should just deal with it myself.”

My mind believes I’d be troubling my partner or a friend I trust (or basically anyone on the planet) if I take some of their time. Waste it on me.

But I’ve learned that isn’t the case.Sometimes, it’s literally all just in my head.Reaching out scares me because I pre-care too much about the response I would receive. But 95% of the time, I’m only relaxed after doing it. I then choose a person I’m comfortable with and pour my heart out to them.Oh, to confide in a person you trust, who provides you with a non-judgmental ear and can offer support.

4. It doesn’t matter in the end.

Trust me, it doesn’t.

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had an aha moment about this personally, but thinking, thinking and thinking before everything just doesn’t do much.

I remember when I was thinking about confessing my feelings to my crush and how painfully my mind was consumed by everything that could go wrong if I did it —

“What if he doesn’t feel anything like that? I guess he’s only ever seen me as a friend because if there was something more, I would’ve gotten a hint. He may already be into someone else. What if I lose him as a friend? What would everyone else think of me?”If I had given into the spiral, I never would’ve taken the plunge to confess. I’d have stayed in my room, cried to bed every night and been sad about my life in general.

I would’ve missed out on a million learnings and once-in-a-lifetime experiences just because I cared more about what would happen if.

We’re together now, but the world wouldn’t have ended in the case otherwise. I might feel like it had for a while, but really, no.

Strange to believe, but I’m glad about at least letting him know. Despite being so damn scared of what didn’t ensue.

Alright, But What If I Still Do?

Brain dumping. Obsessing over minor details and losing sight of the bigger picture is a classic overthinker trait. But what is bothering you in the moment may not even matter in the long run. So, “brain-dumping” (writing down your current thoughts) may help you get things out of your system and eventually let them go.
Your thoughts and feelings are not a reflection of the factual reality. Some may be, but not all of them always are. We often drown in our rumination spirals and let rationality go down the drain. Differentiate the two.

You may not be able to fight the urge to think things through before acting (which is essential, too), but recognize when your thinking turns into a negative overthinking pattern.

Remember, just because you think something, doesn’t necessarily make it true.

Hi, I’m Tanya, and I don’t like the idea of putting people into ‘introvert’, ‘extrovert’, or any-vert categories and saying “this category does this”.

I used ‘introvert’ here because the story is about people who believe they are ‘introverts’ and associate certain characteristics with introverts in the general sense.

Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything You Think as an Introvert was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

안전하고 자본력 업계 1위 카지노 토즈(TOZ)

Tanya Agarwal — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 19:35:07 GMT

PERSONAL ESSAY

An entry from a girl’s journal

Photo by on

September 4, 2022

Yesterday, I went on a walk with a friend.Actually, it was the night before yesterday that he’d texted asking if I wanted to go, but even though I did, it wasn’t easy for me to go out at 1:30 in the morning, so we couldn’t.Well, if there wasn’t the whole security guard drama to deal with, I would certainly have gone. I was awake and saw his text the moment it came, but my willingness to go would have been more so because, honestly, I am crazy about this boy right now.It seems I’ve lost the ability to refuse him, regardless of how big or small the request is. Besides, it was the first time he’d asked me to go somewhere with him, just the two of us.

I was freaking out once we confirmed a time and place to meet up the next day. My gut was in knots, the lump in my throat seemed to grow as 9:00 PM on the clock neared, and let’s not mention what was happening with my heart. I adore night walks for the relaxing weather and the tranquility of the dark, quiet streets. It’s also nice to have company, but never had I anticipated being that anxious when the person would be the guy who’s been messing with my head for months now.

The monsoon is crazy right now. A part of me wished for rain to become a convenient excuse to cancel, but the romance-deprived heart in my chest was yearning — I just wanted to spend alone time with Mon amour, even if it was a random walk that probably wouldn’t last more than an hour or two.

My imagination couldn’t help but picture a series of cute, rom-com stuff that could happen while we were alone together:Hand-holding while walking? Long, honest conversations while enjoying the pleasant night breeze? Silly jokes? A spontaneous confession of my feelings in the heat of the moment? A goodbye hug or kiss?

I was mushy already.

With every ounce of courage I could gather in the moments I had to myself, I left my place at 8:50. I headed towards our meet-up spot — a 5-minute walk from each of our places — with a heart pounding at breakneck speed and feet moving at a snail’s pace.I had never done this before. It was only in fantasies I had the courage to be alone with a boy who was a fantasy. I called a friend. She knew everything. I was hoping she would help me calm down a bit, but the network had chosen the very moment to not work.

I don’t know if I arrived a few seconds late, or we arrived together, but just as I was about to text him I’m here, I saw him walking towards me on the same sidewalk, and oh heavens above.

I was knocked off my frigging pants. He looked so gorgeous — so delicious. I’d say he always does, but something was particularly irresistible in that moment —

I was meeting a friend — one who had recently transitioned to an unhealthy, obsessive crush; and was also the guy who activated all these romantic, admittedly, lascivious desires — at a late hour, and it was going to be just the two of us, that gave me all the butterflies.

He walked towards me until we reached each other. Mischief in his eyes and a small, flirtatious curve on his lips, he attempted to walk past me like I was a passerby, while both his hands were tucked nonchalantly into the pockets of his black hoodie, the sleeves of which were creased up to his elbows.

My boy never gets tired of pulling mischief.

He’s beautiful, always up to mischief, and he always makes eye contact.

An unintended smile on my lips and he turned to walk in the same direction as mine.He was here. We were together, walking side by side. Deep down, I hadn’t stopped freaking out, but it might have been the reality of his presence next to me that— I don’t know.

He began the conversation in his usual, slightly cringe-inducing, manner. I think I managed without succumbing to the pressure of trying to come off a certain way:

“You’re just another friend. I don’t feel anything else about you.”

It has happened so many times — I try to safeguard what I need to, but in doing so, I become a different person with him, which makes me feel bad later. So, I had decided two things: i) no chickening out, and ii) no resorting to fake responses.

I swear the teeny tiny confidence wasn’t one hundred percent genuine (courtesy: my analysis paralysis), but it wasn’t a total façade either. This, I take pride in not screwing up that night. I’m glad I could be myself, nice and kind, without letting the secret crush dictate how I treated him.

“Without even realizing it, you taught me a lot of things. Not only about life, but how it’s okay to feel something extraordinary about someone.”

- Unknown

It was only yesterday that I learned how fast he naturally walks. Long and bouncy steps.

I loved listening to his stories of random buildings, the streets, the people, anything that passed by us. It was super adorable every time while sharing a story, he went on to demonstrate exactly how something had happened in the past. He wasn’t reluctant in talking about trivial and serious aspects of his life. He was an open book. No half-heartedness, all his thoughts laid out bare.

His authenticity was seductive. His body language said that he was comfortable around me. Relaxed, unburdened, and completely at ease. Like a baby.He’s a good talker but whether all of it was a natural disposition or the sheer enjoyment of our walk, that night revealed a side of him I’d only seen glimpses of.There was a new feeling inside me. The French poems I’d written in May — they were entirely about our bodies together. All this time, I’d been wearing a fangirl’s glasses that blurred everything behind the handsomeness of the actor. Everything that had initially led to this puppy love seemed so small now.Following that night, I just wanted to be needed. I wanted to be the girl he chooses over his boys. I wanted to be his special sanctuary, the person who comforts him on bad days. He was so precious. Other girls could be reckless with his heart.

At that moment, I didn’t think I could ever be, if given the chance.

“Before I die, I want to be somebody’s favorite hiding place, the place they can put everything they know they need to survive, every secret, every solitude, every nervous prayer, and be absolutely certain I will keep it safe. I will keep it safe.”

- Andrea Gibson