Hello Alpha is the virtual, on-demand women’s health platform offering inclusive, whole-person care for over 100 medical conditions related to primary and urgent care, women’s reproductive health, mental health, chronic condition management, and more. Through Hello Alpha’s digital platform, patients are quickly connected to a single, dedicated PCP who manages their care throughout their health journey. Our team of licensed primary care providers (PCPs) come from diverse backgrounds and are trained in women’s health, so every patient gets the care they need from an expert who understands the ways health conditions present—and need to be treated—differently in women. Employers can now partner with Hello Alpha to provide their employees with easy access to specialized, value-driven women’s health benefits. Hello Alpha’s full suite of women’s healthcare services helps improve validated health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and boost diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Founded in 2017 by CEO Gloria Lau, Hello Alpha has supported more than 150k women to date, saving them $27 million in healthcare costs. Hello Alpha has raised $35 million in funding from leading investors including GSR Ventures, Samsung NEXT, Spring Rock Ventures, and AV8 Ventures. To learn more about how Hello Alpha is rebuilding healthcare for women, visit us at helloalpha.com.

Alpha Medical

alphamedical

A is for because it’s traffic we cite, although I don’t know how accurate it is. We could google it. ALEXA.com ( ranking in parenthesis ) B is for because they power the majority of China’s 4b monthly search queries, and that’s just the beginning of their business. BAIDU.com (4th) C is for because the news is the news of the owner’s interest and seeing a site for what it is isn’t popular. CNN.com (89th) D is for because digital storage will forever be a challenge and starting a site with the “duh” sound isn’t popular. DROPBOX.com (72nd) E is for because they convinced the average citizen they could make money on the internet. They used to rank much higher. EBAY.com (32nd) F is for because it’s the back-hole that controls a billion identities on the internet. FACEBOOK.com (3rd) G is for because our clicks on it fund the Alphabet, and it’s now the verb we trust to end any argument. GOOGLE.com (1st) H is for because I am evaluating pros and cons to “likeminded sponsorship” in the age of internet journalism. HACKERNOON .com ( 6,358th ) I is for because it filters the mundane and they take no shame in the . INSTAGRAM.com (16th) stories of stealing digital products J is for because why not connect China with the world’s consumers. So few sites start with “j.” JD.com (337th) K is for because it’s a Russian movie site, and the only .club to be #1 ranked site for it’s letter. KINOGO.club (256th) L is for because we like to pretend that doesn’t have a monopoly on googling things. LIVE.com (12th) GOOGLE M is for because it ranks higher than it’s parent but lower than its brother MSN.com ( 42nd ) MICROSOFT (44th) (LIVE, 12th). N is for because they set the market rate for the cost of streaming . NETFLIX.com (50th) entertainment O is for because we mustn’t’ forget that eyeballs are made to let our fingers know which ads to click on. ONCLICKADS.com (31st) P is for because if there’s a better way to organize images, it’ll be acquired into this alphabetical world. PINTEREST.com (45th) Q is for because who doesn’t love consuming their Chinese news via endless rows of font 8 headlines with no pictures? QQ.com (10th) R is for because no site structure was ever more perfect for the specific nature of the internet than upvote/downvote. REDDIT.com (25th) S is for because wow another Chinese media site… No matter the government, traffic monetizes. SINA.com (19th) T is for because maybe someday I’ll write a letter home saying, “Hey Mom, you won’t believe it, they verified !!” TWITTER.com (8th) me U is for because Portuguese is a beautiful language and this is the largest internet portal for Portuguese speakers. UOL.com.br (126th) V is for because Facebook does not own Europe! This St. Petersburg based social network has 369,000,000+ users. VK.com (15th) W is for because it’s re-writing any term beyond the dictionary. It’s .com redirects to it’s .org, only one on the list! WIKIPEDIA.org (5th) X is for because porn is the driving factor behind much of the internet’s innovations. XVIDEOS.com(74th) Y is for because all video in the history of the world should be on one site owned by , right? YOUTUBE (2nd) GOOGLE Z is for because questions and answers are the light and dark of the internet. Other than the URL, this site is not in English. ZHIHU.com (135th) Editor’s Note: Each site is the top Alexa ranked for the letter it starts with, except for and because the internet! “A” “H” “AH,”

Alphabetical Internet Ownership

Mastering the Craft of Transforming Data into Engaging Visual Narratives in User Interfaces

Sylvia: 100 Days

A Hands-On Guide to Inverted Indexes: Accelerate Text Searches by 40

Picture this – you're , sitting in a futuristic spacecraft and tasked with managing a complex network of satellites. So would you rather handle it haphazardly, or do you prefer a well-labeled and meticulously organized system? thousands of miles above the earth Surely, you would choose the latter. Similarly, your and applications are that intricate network and application tagging is your to effortlessly navigate this galaxy of data. cloud infrastructure roadmap At its core, is the simple act of assigning labels – or "tags" – to your resources, offering a whole new level of clarity and control. tagging Whether you're a , enterprise decision-maker, or software engineer, your day revolves around managing and making sense of vast pools of data. With a solid tagging strategy, you enhance tech leader observability, robust decision-making, and seamless operations. From facilitating to and , good tagging is the silent champion that empowers your operations to be more agile, efficient, and effective. Let's look into the optimal strategies for effectively tagging your infrastructure and applications. maintenance optimizing costs security Understanding Tagging Source Tagging, at the basic level, is an to classify, define, and co-relate IT resources and assets within an infrastructure or an application. The purpose of tagging isn't merely regulatory, but rather much more compelling. It and improves transparency within your cloud infrastructure. And that is where the magic happens. organizational practice facilitates smarter resource management, enhances operational efficiency, Let's dive a little deeper. This is the lifeblood of effective tagging. Consistent formatting, naming conventions, and application are what make a tagging strategy truly powerful. It minimizes confusion across your teams. Consistency: Bonus point? When you're handling hundreds, or even thousands, of resources, manual tagging can be quite an arduous task. Incorporating automated tagging into your strategy is like having an invisible army at your disposal. Automation: The more detailed your tags, the better visibility you'll get into your resources. So, don't shy away from creating those detailed, granular tags. Comprehensiveness: Effective tagging isn't a one-and-done move. Revisit, refresh, and revamp - the mantra to add finesse to your tagging strategy in the long run. Review: A well-executed tagging strategy can be your knight in shining armor. It's like the ultimate roadmap to an organized, optimally functioning infrastructure. And who doesn't want that? Best Practices for Infrastructure Tagging Source Now, let's delve deeper into the nitty-gritty of organizing resources for efficient management, creating consistent, descriptive tags, and seamlessly implementing a standard tagging taxonomy. An Efficient Management of Resources Think of your cloud infrastructure as a massive library. Without organized sections and alphabetically arranged books, there is bound to be finding the information you need. The same applies here. chaos in terms of Group similar resources together. For instance, all resources related to your 'Payment Processing Solution' can be combined. This way, you're one search away from all relevant information about that particular application. Cluster wisely: Not everyone in your team needs access to everything. Restrict permissions based on roles to avoid accidental harm to important resources. Implement access controls: Creating Consistent and Descriptive Tags Each tag is a piece of metadata that adds context, making it easier to identify, organize, and search for resources. The key is to create yet tags. Here's how: descriptive consistent Your tags should be short, making them easier to remember and use. For example, instead of tagging a resource as 'PaymentProcessingProductionServer,' consider 'PP_Prod_Server.' Conciseness is key: Consistency across all tags will greatly pay off in the long run. Stick to a specific format so that any team member can understand the tag without much confusion. Stick to a naming convention: Implementing a Standardized Tagging Taxonomy Having a standardized tagging taxonomy means having a set tagging strategy that everyone sticks to. Let's illustrate with a simple example. One team in your organization may prefer the tag 'env=prod' while another may use 'environment=production' for the same thing. This inconsistency not only leads to confusion but also potential losses in resource management. Keep an up-to-date record of all tags and their descriptions for everyone to refer to. Maintain Documentation: Automation reduces human error. Using automated tagging solutions can allow for better accuracy and consistency. Automate the process: In conclusion, with these strategies, you're not just tagging your infrastructure and applications, you're adding a layer of efficiency and productivity that will greatly boost your overall operational success! Application Tagging Techniques Source Do you know what's great? Harnessing the right from the inception of any application. Can you guess why? It's because Yes, you heard that right! power of tagging tagging aligns perfectly with the different stages of an application's lifecycle! Aligning Tags with Application Lifecycle Stages Imagine for a moment that your application is in the development stage. Having , will make information retrieval a breeze during this phase. But, what happens when your application moves to the test stage? Simply tweak those tags from to ! It's like having a virtual assistant guiding your operations team throughout the application lifecycle. tags specific to "Development" "Development" "Testing" Let's have a look! "But how can tagging help in monitoring and troubleshooting?" Leveraging Tags for Enhanced Monitoring and Troubleshooting What's your first response when your application encounters an error? You investigate it, right? Now, imagine if your applications are neatly tagged per their roles, environment, and ownership. saves you from diving into the sea of code or sifting through log data, thus accelerating the troubleshooting process by a huge margin! Now that's what is called efficient monitoring! A simple filter on these tags Apply the tag "FrontEnd" to your application dealing with user-facing roles. When an error occurs, filter by this tag, and you'll instantly focus on resolving bugs that impact user experience! Example: Incorporating Security Measures Through Tagging Whoever thought that tagging could be your silent crusader in securing application infrastructure, right? As astonishing as it may sound, it's true! You can enforce security policies based on tags, thereby enhancing your application's overall security posture. For example, consider having a tag that says "PCI-DSS Compliant." Applying this tag to all relevant applications not only helps in but can also flag any application that isn't compliant! How's that for a guard dog protecting your application on the cloud? streamlining compliances So, isn't it interesting how effective tagging can streamline application lifecycle management, enhance monitoring and troubleshooting, and play a critical role in application security? Go ahead, and start tagging! Automation in Tagging Let's be honest here. As technology leaders and DevOps engineers, keeping track of the countless assets within our businesses may be just as daunting as herding cats. Believe it or not, we're all sailing in the same boat of massive infrastructures and applications. But have you ever wondered if this can be made any easier, smoother, or even automated? Well, here's the solution: automated tagging and streamlining processes that clinch the accuracy, consistency, and efficiency we all seek. Need some kind of for your tagging conundrums? Let's walk you through the game-changers. 'autopilot' With the ability to automatically tag infrastructure elements and applications, these tools can be monumental in minimizing manual intervention. They are, quite literally, lifesavers in AWS, Azure, and more. Some leading solutions include Middleware, AWS Auto Tagging, and Azure Policy. You won't believe the hours of toil they’re saving worldwide. Automated Tagging Tools: These have practically redefined automation. By providing comprehensive orchestration across different cloud environments, CMPs such as CloudCheckr and Flexera make tagging a breeze. They ensure you're not just tagging, but tagging right—with accuracy and consistency. Cloud Management Platforms (CMPs): Needless to say, any automated tagging discourse would be incomplete without acknowledging the role of DevOps tools such as Chef, Puppet, Ansible, and Kubernetes. They have rewritten the rules, enabling automated environment set-up, application deployment, scaling, and yes, even tagging. DevOps Tools: Now, these tools are not magic wands, and you surely can't just go . But if implemented correctly, they can offer , possibly saving you hours and a lot of stress. set it and forget it remarkable reliability and replicability in your tagging practices Case Studies Let's explore some where infrastructure and application tagging have been successfully implemented, and dive into the lessons learned and key takeaways. case studies Case Study 1 - Atlassian - Automating Infrastructure and Application Discovery with CloudSploit There was a time when the discovery of resources was a tedious, error-filled task. The limited insight into how cloud assets interacted elevated the risk of security vulnerabilities and non-compliance with regulations. Challenge: They integrated CloudSploit, which allows for seamless infrastructure and application discovery. It automatically assigns tags to your resources, providing you with crucial data and all the associated application dependencies. Strategy: Experienced a significant decrease in the time devoted to discovery and tagging and bolstered the security stance by promptly identifying and remedying any vulnerabilities. Outcome: Proper tagging, coupled with diligent oversight and automation, can lead to massive cost savings. Key Takeaway: Case Study 2 - Spotify - Streamlining Cloud Management with Tagging in OpenTelemetry Difficulty managing complex microservice architecture with diverse deployment environments. The lack of standardization and consistency in tagging made resource identification difficult. Challenge: Adopted OpenTelemetry, an open-source framework for distributed tracing and monitoring, and implemented a standardized tagging strategy across applications and infrastructure using labels. Strategy: Simplified cloud resource management with consistent and searchable tags. Achieved better observability and troubleshooting through granular tracing data. Outcome: Strategic application tagging can both elevate application performance and fortify security. Key Takeaway: Case Study 3 - Netflix - Scaling Cloud Operations with Tagging in CloudFormation and AWS Cost Tagging Difficulty managing large-scale infrastructure across multiple regions and accounts. The lack of granular costing insights hindered cost optimization efforts. Challenge: Utilized AWS CloudFormation for infrastructure provisioning and tagged resources with application names, environments, and ownership details. Enabled AWS Cost Tagging to track costs by application and team, facilitating granular cost allocation and optimization. Strategy: Improved operational efficiency by automating infrastructure provisioning and tagging. Gained detailed cost insights enabling informed resource allocation and budgeting decisions. Outcome: Effective infrastructure tagging can simplify compliance and create a more efficient audit system. Key Takeaway: These success stories underscore the . When properly implemented and managed, tagging starts to look less like a chore and more like a critical strategy for business success. transformative potential of effective tagging Future Trends in Tagging Practices Let's not beat around the bush here, folks. The breathless pace of technology's evolution has rippled through the world of tagging like a virtual tsunami. Take a minute to consider this. A staggering have adopted some form of cloud technology according to a . The explosion of cloud-native applications has shifted the focus to more effective and precise tagging. As a result, the old tag-and-hope methods just don't cut it anymore. 92% of organizations Faction report The Changing Winds of Tagging With the technological horizon constantly mutating, the ways we handle tagging our infrastructure and applications need to shift gears too. Consider these points: Emerging technologies like AI and ML are making a splash in the tagging world. AI/ML-powered automation can greatly reduce human errors in tagging, making your applications and infrastructure run more smoothly. Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning(ML): According to a , 94% of tech leaders emphasize the shift towards observability. This means adopting tagging strategies that highlight and communicate the right information, swiftly and accurately. Shift towards Observability: NewRelic 2020 report We all know that change can be challenging, especially in the volatile realm of technology. But when it comes to preparing for the future of infrastructure and application tagging, it's time to the change. Why merely adapt? Let's evolve, together. embrace Conclusion We can't stress enough how significant it is to have a good grip on your and what role effective tagging plays. Remember, - it's a performance game-changer that can fuel agility, efficiency, and scalability. Making in your IT team isn't just about diligent practice but fostering a better understanding and communication. IT operations tagging is not just a 'nice to have' tagging a culture Let's do a quick recap of best practices for tagging: Uniformity in your tagging approach ensures seamless identification of resources. Be Consistent: Tags should provide clear insights about the resource at a glance. Stay Descriptive: Crafting a classification system expedites resource management. Adopt a Standardized Taxonomy: Tagging is no longer an option; it is an essential tool in the modern IT Toolkit.

Optimal Strategies for Effectively Tagging Your Infrastructure and Applications

Microsoft Excel is an essential tool for processing data efficiently in many different areas of the business and data analysis domains. This article aims to equip you with the knowledge of seven fundamental Excel features that are critical for increasing productivity and progressing in your professional life. We're not only going to look at what Excel can do; we're going to take a closer look at how to use these features to make more informed decisions in your career. Come along as we break down these essential Excel skills that any modern worker needs to know. Sorting Techniques in Excel ⁤Any professional working with has to know how to use Excel's data sorting feature. ⁤⁤Putting order to your data is the main goal of this Excel capability, which allows you to arrange information chronologically, alphabetically, or by numerical value. ⁤ data organization Imagine you're working with a spreadsheet full of sales figures. ⁤⁤You may need to organize these numbers in ascending order or arrange the client names starting from A to Z. Excel simplifies this task: select the range of data, head over to the 'Data' tab, and choose either 'Sort A to Z' or 'Sort Z to A'. ⁤⁤For sorting by date, a handy feature for analyzing trends over time, Excel can systematically arrange the dates from the earliest to the most recent or vice versa. ⁤ ⁤A crucial piece of advice for sorting is to make sure you choose every column you wish to sort together. ⁤⁤It is a typical mistake to sort one column and accidentally leave the relevant information in other columns unsorted. ⁤⁤This step is essential to prevent the dissociation of similar data across columns. Effective data analysis depends on your data remaining correct and coherent after sorting, which is why paying attention to this aspect is important. ⁤ Efficient Data Filtering Excel's filtering feature is a very useful tool for anyone who works with large, complex spreadsheets on a regular basis. Large datasets may be more easily divided into smaller, more focused pieces with the help of this tool, a necessary step for doing the in-depth study. This tool's importance is further demonstrated when dealing with enormous volumes of data, such as complex customer databases or sophisticated project timetables when it's imperative to quickly discover certain data points. Imagine that you would like to narrow down a large sales report to just show transactions from a certain location. Here's options efficiently. This is when the filtering feature really comes in handy. You may further filter your data to match specific needs by sorting by text, numbers, or specific dates by utilizing the filter option found in the column headings. how to use Excel's data filtering Excel's filtering tools are robust since they enable the application of many filters simultaneously, hence enabling more comprehensive and precise analysis. In addition to helping you locate the precise data you want, this multi-filter method enables you to redirect your attention when your analytical requirements change. Excel becomes a helpful tool that makes it easy to search through large datasets and find important insights after you've mastered these data filtering strategies. Excel Shortcuts: Time Savers Using keyboard shortcuts in Excel may dramatically increase productivity. These shortcuts are not simply practical tools; they also greatly improve workflow, particularly when working with large amounts of data. Consider the widely used keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting data, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. These are only the first in a series of shortcuts that will help you work with Excel more quickly and efficiently. One cannot emphasize how like Ctrl+Z are. This key combination is quite helpful in Excel's dynamic environment, where data changes often since it reverses the previous action you took. Additionally, for effective management of complicated spreadsheets, shortcuts like Ctrl+PgUp and Ctrl+PgDn are necessary for fast navigating between several worksheet tabs. important keyboard shortcuts Promoting the practice of learning and applying these keyboard shortcuts to your regular Excel operations can result in a far more effective data management workflow. Your workflow will significantly improve as you become used to these shortcuts, freeing up more time for you to focus on the analytical parts of your work rather than being weighed down by manual data manipulation. The Power of Pivot Tables ⁤Pivot tables are a vital part of Excel for professionals who frequently work with enormous datasets. ⁤⁤These tables offer a productive approach to condense, organize, and illustrate intricate data in a form that is easy to understand. ⁤ ⁤Before , decide which data range to analyze. ⁤⁤Select the 'Pivot Table' option from the 'Insert' tab in Excel. ⁤⁤Excel then prompts you to select where to place the pivot table. ⁤⁤After the pivot table is built, you can quickly drag various componentsᅳlike rows, columns, and valuesᅳinto the designated sections to thoroughly analyze your data. ⁤ creating a pivot table ⁤One of pivot tables' greatest features is that it allows users to easily explore various summaries of their collection and rapidly arrange data. ⁤⁤Pivot tables simplify the process of measuring data, summing up totals, and calculating averages. The studies demonstrated how well they could draw important conclusions from large amounts of data, which made them perfect for use in inventory control, sales research, and financial reporting. ⁤ Utilizing SUMIF/SUMIFS Functions Among Excel's many features, stand out for their ability to do conditional sums. As shown in the publications you shared, this skill is critical for in-depth data analysis when certain circumstances are critical. the SUMIF and SUMIFS functions Consider SUMIF, for example. It is the method of choice for adding up numbers under a certain, predetermined circumstance. Imagine that you are scouring through a financial spreadsheet, and you just need to know the overall cost of one area of spending. Here, SUMIF enters the picture, deftly focusing on and adding values that satisfy your selected condition. Even though the formula =SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range]) is straightforward, it is effective in identifying and combining those particular values. But SUMIFS is the tool for managing several conditions at once. It excels in more complex data scenarios, such as when you have to figure out how much revenue from a certain location you can total within a given amount of time. Developed for multifaceted data investigation, its formula, =SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2],...), is more complicated. Mastering Conditional Formatting ⁤Acquiring expertise in may significantly improve one's abilities in data analysis and visualization. ⁤⁤This feature allows you to define formatting criteria for your cells according to the data they hold, so transforming a standard spreadsheet into an interactive, interpretive tool. ⁤ Excel's conditional formatting ⁤Select the cells you want to format before you start. ⁤⁤Proceed to the 'Home' page and choose 'Conditional Formatting.' ⁤⁤You have access to a variety of pre-defined options in Excel, or you may apply your creativity to design unique rules tailored to your data's requirements.For example, you could want to highlight cells that go over a certain amount, fulfill certain specifications, or even compare many cells. ⁤ ⁤This function is a fantastic way to rapidly identify interesting data points, trends, or abnormalities in large datasets. ⁤⁤Whether you're tracking project milestones, searching for irregularities in financial records, or noticing significant changes in sales data, it's useful. ⁤⁤As the papers you referenced highlight, conditional formatting enhances your ability to make well-informed decisions backed by facts while also making complex data analysis easier. ⁤ Once you've mastered these Excel functions and your data is neatly organized and visually compelling, you might find yourself needing to transfer this information into different formats, like a PDF, and for broader distribution or presentation purposes. edit the PDF file Conclusion In conclusion, anyone wishing to improve their data analysis and management abilities must become proficient in these fundamental Excel functions: data sorting, filtering, keyboard shortcuts, pivot tables, SUMIF/SUMIFS, and conditional formatting. These technologies enable users to efficiently obtain valuable insights while also streamlining the process of processing massive datasets. In today's data-driven professional world, being proficient in these Excel capabilities is crucial, whether you're using them for project management, sales monitoring, or financial analysis. Using these skills will surely increase productivity and enable you to make wise decisions in a variety of work settings.

7 Essential Things in Excel That You Definitely Need to Master

154 Stories To Learn About Computer Science

On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures by Charles Babbage is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Of Money as a Medium of Exchange here Chapter 14. Of Money as a Medium of Exchange In the earlier stages of societies the interchange of the few commodities required was conducted by barter, but as soon as their wants became more varied and extensive, the necessity of having some common measure of the value of all commodities— itself capable of subdivision—became apparent: thus money was introduced. In some countries shells have been employed for this purpose; but civilized nations have, by common consent, adopted the precious metals.(1*) The sovereign power has, in most countries, assumed the right of coining; or, in other words, the right of stamping with distinguishing marks, pieces of metal having certain forms and weights and a certain degree of fineness: the marks becoming a guarantee, to the people amongst whom the money circulates, that each piece is of the required weight and quality. The expense of manufacturing gold into coin, and that of the loss arising from wear, as well as of interest on the capital invested in it, must either be defrayed by the State, or be compensated by a small reduction in its weight, and is a far less cost to the nation than the loss of time and inconvenience which would arise from a system of exchange or barter. These coins are liable to two inconveniences: they may be manufactured privately by individuals, of the same quality, and similarly stamped; or imitations may be made of inferior metal, or of diminished weight. The first of these inconveniences would be easily remedied by making the current value of the coin nearly equal to that of the same weight of the metal; and the second would be obviated by the caution of individuals in examining the external characters of each coin, and partly by the punishment inflicted by the State on the perpetrators of such frauds. The subdivisions of money vary in different countries, and much time may be lost by an inconvenient system of division. The effect is felt in keeping extensive accounts, and particularly in calculating the interest on loans, or the discount upon bills of exchange. The decimal system is the best adapted to facilitate all such calculations; and it becomes an interesting question to consider whether our own currency might not be converted into one decimally divided. The great step, that of abolishing the guinea, has already been taken without any inconvenience, and but little is now required to render the change complete. If, whenever it becomes necessary to call in the half-crowns, a new coin of the value of two shillings were issued, which should be called by some name implying a unit (a prince, for instance), we should have the tenth part of a sovereign. A few years after, when the public were familiar with this coin, it might be divided into one hundred instead of ninety-six farthings; and it would then consist of twenty-five pence, each of which would be four per cent. less in value than the former penny. The shillings and six-pences being then withdrawn from circulation, their place might be supplied with silver coins each worth five of the new pence, and by others of ten-pence, and of twopence halfpenny; the latter coin, having a distinct name, would be the tenth part of a prince. The various manufactured commodities, and the various property possessed by the inhabitants of a country, all become measured by the standard thus introduced. But it must be observed that the value of gold is itself variable; and that, like all other commodities, its price depends on the extent of the demand compared with that of the supply. As transactions multiply, and the sums to be paid become large, the actual transfer of the precious metals from one individual to another is attended with inconvenience and difficulty, and it is found more convenient to substitute written promises to pay on demand specified quantities of gold. These promises are called bank-notes; and when the person or body issuing them is known to be able to fulfil the pledge, the note will circulate for a long time before it gets into the hands of any person who may wish to make use of the gold it represents. These paper representatives supply the place of a certain quantity of gold; and, being much cheaper, a large portion of the expense of a metallic circulation is saved by their employment. As commercial transactions increase, the transfer of bank-notes is, to a considerable extent, superseded by shorter processes. Banks are established, into which all monies are paid, and out of which all payments are made, through written orders called checks, drawn by those who keep accounts with them. In a large capital, each bank receives, through its numerous customers, checks payable by every other; and if clerks were sent round to receive the amount in banknotes due from each, it would occupy much time, and be attended with some risk and inconvenience. Clearing house. In London this is avoided, by making all checks paid in to bankers pass through what is technically called The Clearing House. In a large room in Lombard Street, about thirty clerks from the several London bankers take their stations, in alphabetical order, at desks placed round the room; each having a small open box by his side, and the name of the firm to which he belongs in large characters on the wall above his head. From time to time other clerks from every house enter the room, and, passing along, drop into the box the checks due by that firm to the house from which this distributor is sent. The clerk at the table enters the amount of the several checks in a book previously prepared, under the name of the bank to which they are respectively due. Four o'clock in the afternoon is the latest hour to which the boxes are open to receive checks; and at a few minutes before that time, some signs of increased activity begin to appear in this previously quiet and business-like scene. Numerous clerks then arrive, anxious to distribute, up to the latest possible moment, the checks which have been paid into the houses of their employers. At four o'clock all the boxes are removed, and each clerk adds up the amount of the checks put into his box and payable by his own to other houses. He also receives another book from his own house, containing the amounts of the checks which their distributing clerk has put into the box of every other banker. Having compared these, he writes out the balances due to or from his own house, opposite the name of each of the other banks; and having verified this statement by a comparison with the similar list made by the clerks of those houses, he sends to his own bank the general balance resulting from this sheet, the amount of which, if it is due from that to other houses, is sent back in bank-notes. At five o'clock the Inspector takes his seat; when each clerk, who has upon the result of all the transactions a balance to pay to various other houses, pays it to the inspector, who gives a ticket for the amount. The clerks of those houses to whom money is due, then receive the several sums from the inspector, who takes from them a ticket for the amount. Thus the whole of these payments are made by a double system of balance, a very small amount of bank-notes passing from hand to hand, and scarcely any coin. It is difficult to form a satisfactory estimate of the sums which daily pass through this operation: they fluctuate from two millions to perhaps fifteen. About two millions and a half may possibly be considered as something like an average, requiring for its adjustment, perhaps, L200,000 in bank notes and L20 in specie. By an agreement between the different bankers, all checks which have the name of any firm written across them must pass through the clearing house: consequently, if any such check should be lost, the firm on which it is drawn would refuse to pay it at the counter; a circumstance which adds greatly to the convenience of commerce. The advantage of this system is such, that two meetings a day have been recently established—one at twelve, the other at three o'clock; but the payment of balances takes place once only, at five o'clock. If all the private banks kept accounts with the Bank of England, it would be possible to carry on the whole of these transactions with a still smaller quantity of circulating medium. In reflecting on the facility with which these vast transactions are accomplished—supposing, for the sake of argument, that they form only the fourth part of the daily transactions of the whole community—it is impossible not to be struck with the importance of interfering as little as possible with their natural adjustment. Each payment indicates a transfer of property made for the benefit of both parties; and if it were possible, which it is not, to place, by legal or other means, some impediment in the way which only amounted to one-eighth per cent, such a species of friction would produce a useless expenditure of nearly four millions annually: a circumstance which is deserving the attention of those who doubt the good policy of the expense incurred by using the precious metals for one portion of the currency of the country. One of the most obvious differences between a metallic and a paper circulation is, that the coin can never, by any panic or national danger, be reduced below the value of bullion in other civilized countries; whilst a paper currency may, from the action of such causes, totally lose its value. Both metallic and paper money, it is true, may be depreciated, but with very different effects. Depreciation of coin. The state may issue coin of the same nominal value, but containing only half the original quantity of gold, mixed with some cheap alloy; but every piece so issued bears about with it internal evidence of the amount of the depreciation: it is not necessary that every successive proprietor should analyse the new coin; but a few having done so, its intrinsic worth becomes publicly known. Of course the coin previously in circulation is now more valuable as bullion, and quickly disappears. All future purchases adjust themselves to the new standard, and prices are quickly doubled; but all past contracts also are vitiated, and all persons to whom money is owing, if compelled to receive payment in the new coin, are robbed of one-half of their debt, which is confiscated for the benefit of the debtor. Depreciation of paper. The depreciation of paper money follows a different course. If, by any act of the Government paper is ordained to be a legal tender for debts, and, at the same time, ceases to be exchangeable for coin, those who have occasion to purchase of foreigners, who are not compelled to take the notes, will make some of their payments in gold; and if the issue of paper, unchecked by the power of demanding the gold it represents, be continued, the whole of the coin will soon disappear. But the public, who are obliged to take the notes, are unable, by any internal evidence, to detect the extent of their depreciation; it varies with the amount in circulation, and may go on till the notes shall be worth little more than the paper on which they are printed. During the whole of this time every creditor is suffering to an extent which he cannot measure; and every bargain is rendered uncertain in its advantage, by the continually changing value of the medium through which it is conducted. This calamitous course has actually been run in several countries: in France, it reached nearly its extreme limit during the existence of assignats. We have ourselves experienced some portion of the misery it creates; but by a return to sounder principles, have happily escaped the destruction and ruin which always attends the completion of that career. Every person in a civilized country requires, according to his station in life, the use of a certain quantity of money, to make the ordinary purchases of the articles which he consumes. The same individual pieces of coin, it is true, circulate again and again, in the same district: the identical piece of silver, received by the workman on Saturday night, passing through the hands of the butcher, the baker, and the small tradesman, is, perhaps, given by the latter to the manufacturer in exchange for his check, and is again paid into the hands of the workman at the end of the succeeding week. Any deficiency in this supply of money is attended with considerable inconvenience to all parties. If it be only in the smaller coins, the first effect is a difficulty in procuring small change; then a disposition in the shopkeepers to refuse change unless a purchase to a certain amount be made; and, finally, a premium in money will be given for changing the larger denominations of coin. Thus money itself varies in price, when measured by other money in larger masses: and this effect takes place whether the circulating medium is metallic or of paper. These effects have constantly occurred, and particularly during the late war; and, in order to relieve it, silver tokens for various sums were issued by the Bank of England. The inconvenience and loss arising from a deficiency of small money fall with greatest weight on the classes whose means are least; for the wealthier buyers can readily procure credit for their small purchases, until their bill amounts to one of the larger coins. As money, when kept in a drawer, produces nothing, few people, in any situation of life, will keep, either in coin or in notes, more than is immediately necessary for their use; when, therefore, there are no profitable modes of employing money, a superabundance of paper will return to the source from whence it issued, and an excess of coin will be converted into bullion and exported. Since the worth of all property is measured by money, it is obviously conducive to the general welfare of the community, that fluctuations in its value should be rendered as small and as gradual as possible. The evils which result from sudden changes in the value of money will perhaps become more sensible, if we trace their effects in particular instances. Assuming, as we are quite at liberty to do, an extreme case, let us suppose three persons, each possessing a hundred pounds: one of these, a widow advanced in years, and who, by the advice of her friends, purchases with that sum an annuity of twenty pounds a year during her life: and let the two others be workmen, who, by industry and economy, have each saved a hundred pounds out of their wages; both these latter persons proposing to procure machines for calendering, and to commence that business. One of these invests his money in a savings' bank; intending to make his own calendering machine, and calculating that he shall expend twenty pounds in materials, and the remaining eighty in supporting himself and in paying the workmen who assist him in constructing it. The other workman, meeting with a machine which he can buy for two hundred pounds, agrees to pay for it a hundred pounds immediately, and the remainder at the end of a twelvemonth. Let us now imagine some alteration to take place in the currency, by which it is depreciated one-half: prices soon adjust themselves to the new circumstances, and the annuity of the widow, though nominally of the same amount, will, in reality, purchase only half the quantity of the necessaries of life which it did before. The workman who had placed his money in the savings' bank, having perhaps purchased ten pounds' worth of materials, and expended ten pounds in labour applied to them, now finds himself, by this alteration in the currency, possessed nominally of eighty pounds, but in reality of a sum which will purchase only half the labour and materials required to finish his machine; and he can neither complete it, from want of capital, nor dispose of what he has already done in its unfinished state for the price it has cost him. In the meantime, the other workman, who had incurred a debt of a hundred pounds in order to complete the purchase of his calendering machine, finds that the payments he receives for calendering, have, like all other prices, doubled, in consequence of the depreciation of the currency; and he has therefore, in fact, obtained his machine for one hundred and fifty pounds. Thus, without any fault or imprudence, and owing to circumstances over which they have no control, the widow is reduced almost to starve; one workman is obliged to renounce, for several years, his hope of becoming a master; and another, without any superior industry or skill, but in fact, from having made, with reference to his circumstances, rather an imprudent bargain, finds himself unexpectedly relieved from half his debt, and the possessor of a valuable source of profit; whilst the former owner of the machine, if he also has invested the money arising from its sale in the savings' bank, finds his property suddenly reduced one-half. These evils, to a greater or less extent, attend every change in the value of the currency; and the importance of preserving it as far as possible unaltered in value, cannot be too strongly impressed upon all classes of the community. NOTES: In Russia platinum has been employed for coin; and it possesses a peculiarity which deserves notice. Platinum cannot be melted in our furnaces, and is chiefly valuable in commerce when in the shape of ingots, from which it may be forged into useful forms. But when a piece of platinum is cut into two parts, it cannot easily be reunited except by means of a chemical process, in which both parts are dissolved in an acid. Hence, when platinum coin is too abundant, it cannot, like gold, be reduced into masses by melting, but must pass through an expensive process to render it useful. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Charles Babbage (2003). On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4238/pg4238.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

Of Money as a Medium of Exchange

Inside the Meetings of Twitter Stockholders: The Rules and Regulations

How it Works by Archibald Williams is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. here Chapter VI. THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. Needle instruments—Influence of current on the magnetic needle—Method of reversing the current—Sounding instruments—Telegraphic relays—Recording telegraphs—High-speed telegraphy. TAKE a small pocket compass and wind several turns of fine insulated wire round the case, over the top and under the bottom. Now lay the compass on a table, and turn it about until the coil is on a line with the needle—in fact, covers it. Next touch the terminals of a battery with the ends of the wire. The needle at once shifts either to right or left, and remains in that position as long as the current flows. If you change the wires over, so reversing the direction of the current, the needle at once points in the other direction. It is to this conduct on the part of a magnetic needle when in a "magnetic field" that we owe the existence of the needle telegraph instrument. NEEDLE INSTRUMENTS. Probably the best-known needle instrument is the Cooke-Wheatstone, largely used in signal-boxes and in some post-offices. A vertical section of it is shown in Fig. 54. It consists of a base, b, and an upright front, a, to the back of which are attached two hollow coils on either side of a magnetic needle mounted on the same shaft as a second dial needle, n, outside the front. The wires w w are connected to the telegraph line and to the commutator, a device which, when the operator moves the handle h to right and left, keeps reversing the direction of the current. The needles on both receiving and transmitting instruments wag in accordance with the movements of the handle. One or more movements form an alphabetical letter of the Morse code. Thus, if the needle points first to left, and then to right, and comes to rest in a normal position for a moment, the letter A is signified; right-left-left-left in quick succession = B; right-left-right-left = C, and so on. Where a marking instrument is used, a dot signifies a "left," and a dash a right; and if a "sounder" is employed, the operator judges by the length of the intervals between the clicks. INFLUENCE OF CURRENT ON A MAGNETIC NEEDLE. igs. 55 and 56 are two views of the coils and magnetic needle of the Wheatstone instrument as they appear from behind. In Fig. 55 the current enters the left-hand coil from the left, and travels round and round it in a clockwise direction to the other end, whence it passes to the other coil and away to the battery. Now, a coil through which a current passes becomes a magnet. Its polarity depends on the direction in which the current flows. Suppose that you are looking through the coil, and that the current enters it from your end. If the wire is wound in a clockwise direction, the S. pole will be nearest you; if in an anti-clockwise direction, the N. pole. In Fig. 55 the N. poles are at the right end of the coils, the S. poles at the left end; so the N. pole of the needle is attracted to the right, and the S. pole to the left. When the current is reversed, as in Fig. 56, the needle moves over. If no current passes, it remains vertical. METHOD OF REVERSING THE CURRENT. A simple method of changing the direction of the current in a two-instrument circuit is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 57. The is used in the Wheatstone needle instrument. The battery terminals at each station are attached to two brass plates, a b, a1 b1. Crossing these at right angles (under a a1 and over b b1) are the flat brass springs, l r, l1 r1, having buttons at their lower ends, and fixed at their upper ends to baseboards. When at rest they all press upwards against the plates a and a1 respectively. r and l1 are connected with the line circuit, in which are the coils of dials 1 and 2, one at each station. l and r1 are connected with the earth-plates e e1. An operator at station 1 depresses r so as to touch b. Current now flows from the battery to b, thence through r to the line circuit, round the coils of both dials through l1 a1 and r to earth-plate e1, through the earth to e, and then back to the battery through l and a. The needles assume the position shown. To reverse the current the operator allows r to rise into contact with a, and depresses l to touch b. The course can be traced out easily. principle In the Wheatstone "drop-handle" instrument (Fig. 54) the commutator may be described as an insulated core on which are two short lengths of brass tubing. One of these has rubbing against it a spring connected with the + terminal of the battery; the other has similar communication with the – terminal. Projecting from each tube is a spike, and rising from the baseboard are four upright brass strips not quite touching the commutator. Those on one side lead to the line circuit, those on the other to the earth-plate. When the handle is turned one way, the spikes touch the forward line strip and the rear earth strip, and when moved in the opposite direction. vice versâ SOUNDING INSTRUMENTS. Sometimes little brass strips are attached to the dial plate of a needle instrument for the needle to strike against. As these give different notes, the operator can comprehend the message by ear alone. But the most widely used sounding instrument is the Morse sounder, named after its inventor. For this a reversible current is not needed. The receiver is merely an electro-magnet (connected with the line circuit and an earth-plate) which, when a current passes, attracts a little iron bar attached to the middle of a pivoted lever. The free end of the lever works between two stops. Every time the circuit is closed by the transmitting key at the sending station the lever flies down against the lower stop, to rise again when the circuit is broken. The duration of its stay decides whether a "long" or "short" is meant. TELEGRAPHIC RELAYS. When an electric current has travelled for a long distance through a wire its strength is much reduced on account of the resistance of the wire, and may be insufficient to cause the electro-magnet of the sounder to move the heavy lever. Instead, therefore, of the current acting directly on the sounder magnet, it is used to energize a small magnet, or , which pulls down a light bar and closes a second "local" circuit—that is, one at the receiver end—worked by a separate battery, which has sufficient power to operate the sounder. relay RECORDING TELEGRAPHS. By attaching a small wheel to the end of a Morse-sounder lever, by arranging an ink-well for the wheel to dip into when the end falls, and by moving a paper ribbon slowly along for the wheel to press against when it rises, a self-recording Morse inker is produced. The ribbon-feeding apparatus is set in motion automatically by the current, and continues to pull the ribbon along until the message is completed. The Hughes type-printer covers a sheet of paper with printed characters in bold Roman type. The transmitter has a keyboard, on which are marked letters, signs, and numbers; also a type-wheel, with the characters on its circumference, rotated by electricity. The receiver contains mechanisms for rotating another type-wheel synchronously—that is, in time—with the first; for shifting the wheel across the paper; for pressing the paper against the wheel; and for moving the paper when a fresh line is needed. These are too complicated to be described here in detail. By means of relays one transmitter may be made to work five hundred receivers. In London a single operator, controlling a keyboard in the central dispatching office, causes typewritten messages to spell themselves out simultaneously in machines distributed all over the metropolis. The tape machine resembles that just described in many details. The main difference is that it prints on a continuous ribbon instead of on sheets. Automatic electric printers of some kind or other are to be found in the vestibules of all the principal hotels and clubs of our large cities, and in the offices of bankers, stockbrokers, and newspaper editors. In London alone over 500 million words are printed by the receivers in a year. HIGH-SPEED TELEGRAPHY. At certain seasons, or when important political events are taking place, the telegraph service would become congested with news were there not some means of transmitting messages at a much greater speed than is possible by hand signalling. Fifty words a minute is about the limit speed that a good operator can maintain. By means of Wheatstone's the rate can be increased to 400 words per minute. Paper ribbons are punched in special machines by a number of clerks with a series of holes which by their position indicate a dot or a dash. The ribbons are passed through a special transmitter, over little electric brushes, which make contact through the holes with surfaces connected to the line circuit. At the receiver end the message is printed by a Morse inker. automatic transmitter It has been found possible to send several messages simultaneously over a single line. To effect this a is used to put a number of transmitters at one end of the line in communication with an equal number of receivers at the other end, fed by a second distributer keeping perfect time with the first. Instead of a signal coming as a whole to any one instrument it arrives in little bits, but these follow one another so closely as to be practically continuous. By working a number of automatic transmitters through a distributer, a thousand words or more per minute are easily dispatched over a single wire. distributer The Pollak Virag system employs a punched ribbon, and the receiver traces out the message in alphabetical characters on a moving strip of sensitized photographic paper. A mirror attached to a vibrating diaphragm reflects light from a lamp on to the strip, which is automatically developed and fixed in chemical baths. The method of moving the mirror so as to make the rays trace out words is extremely ingenious. Messages have been transmitted by this system at the rate of 180,000 words per hour. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Archibald Williams (2009). How it Works. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/28553/pg28553-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

The International Subversives.

Everyone’s favorite punching bag, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, made its way to the Supreme Court this week in . Gonzalez v. Google The case confronts the scope of Section 230, and in particular examines whether platforms are liable for algorithms that target users and recommend content. Gonzalez The stakes are high: Recommendation algorithms underpin much of our experience online (search! social media! online commerce!)—so the case spawned dozens of , hundreds of webinars and tweet threads, and new wrinkles for people who love the internet. So basically, it’s my idea of a good time. friend-of-the-court briefs Marie Kondo: "I'm so excited because I love mess" On that note: Hi! I’m Nabiha Syed, CEO of The Markup and a media lawyer by training. I like unanswered questions and moments where we confront the messiness of our lives as mediated by technology. The sprawling two hour and 41 minute oral argument in pulled a lot of threads, some of which were clarifying and others that were, well, about thumbnails and rice pilaf. ( .) My takeaway is that the court is unlikely to gut Section 230, but it might nibble at its scope in chaotic ways. Gonzalez Seriously To help make sense of it all, I turned to two of my favorite legal scholars and old colleagues of mine from the Yale Information Society Project: James Grimmelmann, professor at Cornell Law School and Cornell Tech, and Kate Klonick, law professor at St. John’s University and fellow at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard. Here’s what they had to share, edited for brevity and clarity. Nabiha: Let’s take a minute to revisit the history and legislative intent of Section 230: What was it meant to incentivize? : It seems paradoxical, but Section 230 was intended to internet platforms to moderate the content they carry. Several court decisions in the years before Section 230 was enacted had created a perverse legal regime in which the more effort a platform put into moderating harmful content, the stricter a standard it would be held to. James encourage By creating a blanket immunity, Section 230 ensured that platforms can remove the harmful content that they find without worrying that they will be held liable for the harmful content that they miss. In the years since then, the consensus about Section 230’s purpose has shifted a bit. The leading theory now is that Section 230 prevents “ .” Without some kind of immunity for user-posted content, platforms will overmoderate. Anytime content has even the slightest whiff of harmfulness or illegality, platforms will take it down to avoid legal risk. collateral censorship Lots of socially valuable content will be taken down along with the actually harmful stuff, throwing the baby out with the bathwater. On this theory, Section 230 reflects a belief that there is more good content out there than bad content, and that platforms will settle on moderation policies that keep their users happy even without the threat of liability. It is a constant surprise to me that Section 230 has become this black hole for big tech agita, and I think it’s most constructive to focus on its . Kate: history and legislative intent In the mid-1990s, there was a bit of a moral panic over the amount of pornography that was available on the internet, fueled by a (since debunked) article in the Georgetown Law Journal and things like this classic Time magazine cover: That caused Congress to start what would be called in modern-terms a “Make the Internet Decent Again” campaign. The result was the Communications Decency Act (CDA)—which was a very broad piece of legislation that tried to bring “decency” to the internet. At the same time, courts heard different types of tort claims against internet companies for speech posted on their sites—and the rulings are all over the place. essentially told online intermediaries that they were liable, and said that they weren’t. The result was a lot of confusion. One decision another one If platform providers were liable for people said on their platforms, they should just take down everything but the sweetest of cat photos. And if they liable for anything people said on their platforms, then why even bother spending resources taking down swastikas or other offensive content? anything weren’t Fast-forward a bit: The CDA is passed (including Section 230, which essentially makes online intermediaries immune from tort liability), and it is almost immediately challenged on First Amendment grounds. That case, , was heard by the Supreme Court in 1997, and it struck down all of the CDA for First Amendment reasons for Section 230, which survived. Reno v. ACLU except Shortly thereafter, in , the 4th Circuit broadly construed the immunity for platforms—which became precedent for courts all over the United States for the last 25 years. So that’s the story of how we got Section 230, kept Section 230, and then strengthened Section 230. Zeran v. AOL Nabiha: The argument revealed some confusion over what counts as publishing—namely, whether it includes recommending, endorsing, organizing, prioritizing, or presenting information. Why is it so important to get this scope right? And what does this mean for search? Gonzalez If I post a video to YouTube, where other people view it, it is obvious that is the kind of activity that Section 230 protects. But on Tuesday the justices went around in circles for two and a half hours trying to figure out what else fits in that category. James: They seemed to agree that a straightforward search engine, like Google or Bing, should also be covered: It provides a filtered list of websites that are relevant to the user’s query. They had a harder time with when a site makes recommendations, which also provide a filtered list of relevant content. The problem in both cases is that without giving some kind of immunity, it is not clear that the feature could exist. It might be possible to imagine a YouTube without recommendations; it is not possible to imagine a Google Search without search results. Even worse, there’s not a sharp dividing line between search and recommendation; Google and Bing use lots of signals besides the user’s query (e.g., geographic location and search history). I think the goal of legal policy in this area should be to , but the arguments on Tuesday focused more on what platforms do than on what users want. help users find what they want Without giving some kind of immunity, it is not clear that [filtering features] could exist. It might be possible to imagine a YouTube without recommendations; it is not possible to imagine a Google Search without search results. James Grimmelmann The plain meaning of Section 230’s publishing definition is already given in the statute, specifically, 47 USC § 230(f)(4)—and full disclosure, I was on an centered on this point. It literally includes the words “pick, choose, analyze, or digest content.” Did they know in 1996 that we’d be contemplating the scale of targeting that modern algorithms allow? Kate: amicus brief No, of course not. But they explicitly considered that would exist to play that curation role of picking, choosing, analyzing, or digesting content. And this isn’t a constitutional issue. If that meaning has changed, it’s not the court’s job to change it. That’s Congress’s job. something Nabiha: At various points, the justices danced with the idea of “neutral” algorithms and “neutrality” as a way to approach the question presented. I find the idea of a neutral algorithm slightly absurd, but you do see an analysis of “neutral tools” pop up in Section 230 jurisprudence. What’s going on here? There are definitely contexts in which strict neutrality is coherent and defensible. Offline, public accommodation laws require neutral, even-handed treatment: Madison Square Garden can’t kick you out of a Mariah Carey concert because of your race or because you . James: work for a law firm the owner doesn’t like Online, network neutrality laws (where they exist) require ISPs to treat traffic from different sites identically. These work because there’s a clear definition of what neutrality means: Anyone can buy a ticket and be seated. At the content layer, strict neutrality is often either incoherent or unimaginably awful. I happen to like a chronological feed, but if you follow thousands of people on Twitter, a strictly chronological feed is impossible to keep up with. A would have to rank every website the same, which is impossible, or use some kind of completely arbitrary criterion, like page size or alphabetical order. . truly neutral search engine That doesn’t work When people—including Supreme Court justices and tech billionaires who genuinely should know better—float this idea of “neutrality,” I think one of two things is going on. Sometimes they’re reasoning by analogy from offline contexts, without realizing how pervasive indispensable algorithmic ranking is online. And sometimes they have in mind a weaker notion of neutrality, one in which the platform doing the ranking is -neutral: It doesn’t try to press any particular agenda on its users. viewpoint Unfortunately, while viewpoint neutrality can be an appealing goal when it comes to First Amendment law and speech regulation by governments, it doesn’t work in the content-moderation space because there are viewpoints embedded in almost every widely used content moderation practice. “Death threats are bad” is a viewpoint. And even viewpoint-neutral moderation policies, like “don’t send unsolicited fundraising emails that users didn’t sign up for and don’t want” can look discriminatory in application if it turns out that one of the two major political parties disproportionately sends . spammy fundraising emails Your instinct is right, and I’m going to cheat and borrow from what , summarizing the oral arguments: “ and always discriminate.” Eric is exactly right here, and I hope these questions start to deconstruct some of the technology myths that we’ve been suffering under for the last 20 years: Kate: professor Eric Goldman wrote Gonzalez Algorithms are never neutral . “AI is biased”—no, humans who build it contain bias and the human data it trains on contains bias. The AI just reflects that back to us. Describing technology as the origin of intent “Neutral tools” is exactly this idea. Technology is objective or neutral. This reminds me a lot about the brief hope in the early 2000s as fMRIs came into regular use that we could “solve” questions of intent or culpability in the law by being able to see how a brain “worked”—of course we can’t, even seeing how a brain works or that a tumor “made” someone do something doesn’t mean we don’t have to ask the hard philosophical questions about what to about it. We can fix algorithms with transparency. do Nabiha: The magic (and the mayhem) of Section 230 is that it redirects liability to an individual speaker, rather than a third party who is amplifying that speech. In the absence of 230, do you foresee courts limiting third-party liability on First Amendment grounds? In the absence of Section 230, two things would happen. James: First, courts would have to ask whether the First Amendment does some of the same work that Section 230 does. While the full breadth of Section 230 probably isn’t constitutionally required, some degree of protection probably is. For the same reason that requires actual malice in defamation claims brought by public figures, it’s hard to see how strict liability against platforms could be constitutional. Unless they have some fair reason to know that particular content is illegal, it strains basic notions of justice to hold them liable for it. New York Times v. Sullivan Second, courts would also have to work through the details of specific crimes and torts. Defamation, invasion of privacy, wire fraud, promotion of unregistered securities, the practice of medicine without a license … you name it, the courts would have to figure out how it applies to platforms. The existence of Section 230 has prevented the development of substantive law of platform liability. If Section 230 goes away, the courts would have to invent it, in a hurry. In a lot of cases, they might well end up with rules that protect platforms much of the time. The same policy reasons that support Section 230 currently would still be good policy reasons not to hold platforms liable for every harmful piece of content users post. You can interpret that as meaning that Section 230 isn’t indispensable; it could be repealed without breaking the internet. But I think it would be more accurate to say that Section 230 is a load-bearing wall. If it’s demolished, something else will need to hold up that weight. Nabiha: It’s 2023, so of course AI has entered the chat. What are the implications of this case for generative AI? If the Supreme Court holds that algorithmic recommendations aren’t protected by Section 230, then generative AI is likely to be categorically ineligible for Section 230. That has to be a scary prospect for the companies currently giving users access to chatbots that meet the DSM-5 criteria for multiple serious mental disorders. James: If the Supreme Court rules for Google, matters will be more complicated. In some ways these AIs simply replicate patterns in their training data; in other ways, they synthesize outputs that can’t be traced back to specific third-party training data. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if the courts had to work this out, one case at a time, over the course of several years. Generative AI is really complicated, and we barely understand how it works and how it will be used. Taking time to work out the legal rules gives us more of a chance of getting them right. Nabiha: Predictions are a fool’s game, but what’s your gut say about the future of Section 230—in one emoji? Kate: 💬 James: 🤞 The fun doesn’t stop here. The Supreme Court will rule on the case by this summer. Gonzalez And if there’s one thing we can bet on, the coming months will see more twists and turns in the laws that affect the internet. If getting into the nerdy, legal bits of technology is something you’re interested in, and you have additional questions you’d like answered, send them to me at . newsletter@themarkup.org If we get enough questions, we’ll answer them in a future issue. And you can always reach out to me at . nabiha@themarkup.org Finally, if you’re interested in diving deeper into what Kate and James have worked on, Kate writes a newsletter called , which you can subscribe to if you like reading about free speech, law, and technology. And James literally wrote textbook on internet law, which . The Klonickles the you can get here Thanks for reading! Always, Nabiha Syed Chief Executive Officer The Markup By Nabiha Syed Also published here Photo by on Henry & Co. Unsplash

Section 230: What Is It and Does It Need to Change?

Hello folks, There is no doubt that Microsoft Excel is a popular tool. You can use this for quick data analysis, calculation, and reporting. Just knowing simple things like VLOOKUP and removing duplicates can help a lot. If you want to learn Microsoft Excel, a productivity tool for IT professionals, and looking for free online courses, then you have come to the right place. In the past, I have shared and for experienced programmers, which are very liked by you guys. some Microsoft Excel courses for beginners some advanced Excel courses Still, I also receive many requests to share some free resources to learn Microsoft Excel like free books, free online courses, and free tutorials, and that's why I am going to share the best free Microsoft Excel courses from sites like Udemy in this article which you can use to learn this helpful tool online. There is no doubt that Microsoft Excel is a handy tool for any IT professionals and Tech people like Software Developers, Data Scientists, Business Analysts, and Project managers. In fact, Excel is also very popular in other jobs where people need to work on computers. There are thousands of jobs you will find in the USA where Excel skills are required. It's one of those tools that is essential for every person in this increasingly digital world. That's the reason many people are learning Microsoft Excel every day. As a Java programmer and blogger, I use Microsoft Excel quite often. I use it to list tasks, analyze data, automate things, and much more. If you ask me to learn an essential tool or skill, I recommend you know Microsoft Excel as it will seriously help you in your day-to-day job and make you a more effective developer. If you have always wanted to learn Microsoft Excel and are looking for some excellent to kickstart your journey, you have come to the right place. In this article, I will share that will teach you the basics and master this valuable and ubiquitous tool for life. free online training courses 5 free Microsoft Excel courses If you can spend around $10 to learn a valuable tool like Microsoft Excel, I highly recommend you the Microsoft Excel - From Beginner to Expert course by Kyle Pew on Udemy. You can get this course for just $9.99 during Udemy sales. check out 5 Best Free Microsoft Excel Courses and Tutorials for Beginners to Learn in Without wasting any more of your time, here is a list of free online courses to learn Microsoft Excel. These are free courses and tutorials from Udemy, and these courses are taught by Microsoft Excel experts and made accessible for promotional and educational processes. You don't need to pay any money to join these courses; all you need is a free Udemy account to join this course. 1. Useful Excel for Beginners This is one of the best free courses to learn Microsoft Excel for beginners. With more than 9.5 hours of content, this course is way better than many paid Excel courses you will find on Udemy. Created by Ind Zara, this course will teach you the fundamentals of Excel and become a power user of Microsoft Excel. The good thing about this course is that it shares the data files in which you will be working with data related to a bookstore in the exercises. The files are available for download, and you can follow along with the videos while practicing. The course covers all the Excel topics you would need to know to become an effective user. Talking about social proof, this free course and tutorial is trusted by more than 275,915 students, and it has an average of 4.5 ratings from close to 28,445 participants. In short, one of the best courses to learn Microsoft Excel from scratch, particularly for beginners and new users. 2. Excel Basics for Data Analysis This is another excellent free course to learn Microsoft Excel quickly from Coursera, and it's offered by IBM, one of the top IT companies. As the title suggests, you will know most of the basic Excel features like rows, columns, workbooks, worksheets, formulas, sorting, filtering, and shortcuts in quick time. This course is also part of multiple Professional certificates in Coursera the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate and Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations Specialization. Completing this course counts towards that. like Here are the key things you will learn in this course: 1. How to enter and edit Excel data. Format numbers, fonts, and alignment. 2. How to make simple pivot tables and charts 3. How to create simple Excel formulas. 4. How to use standard Excel Functions like COUNTIF and VLOOKUP 5. Use a filter and sort lists of data like finding the "Top 10" values. 6. How to use Excel table functions to de-duplicate data and make totals. The course is also great for understanding how Excel is used in a business context to analyze data. It's also a very hands-on course, and there is a strong emphasis on practice and a learn-by-doing approach. It also has hands-on labs where you gain real experience working with spreadsheets with accurate data. 3. Microsoft Excel - Improve your skills quickly This is a short course to learn some exciting features of Microsoft Excel like Pivot Tables, Charts, Sparklines, functions, formulas, and more - in just a couple of hours. This course was created by Phillip Burton, and it's ultimately free to take on Udemy. Here are the things you will learn in this free course and tutorial. 1. How to create Tables, PivotTables, PivotCharts, and Sparklines 2. How to add Conditional Formatting, Filters 3. How to use Visual Basic for Applications 4. How to use standard Excel functions like SUM, SUMIF, VLOOKUP, OFFSET, and INDIRECT functions Do you need to know anything in advance? It would be good if you have used Microsoft Excel before, but even if you do not, you can join this course. All you need is MS Excel (or Office) 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, or 365 installed on your machine to try out the exercise. Talking about social proof, more than 37,000 people have benefitted from this free course and tutorial on Udemy, and it has an average 4.4 ratings from close to 3282 people. Overall an excellent little lesson to learn valuable features like Pivot tables, charts, and conditional formatting on Excel. 4. Easy Excel Basics for Beginners - Get Started with Excel This is another free online course on Udemy to learn about Excel basics for beginners from scratch. You will learn all critical Excel stuff from the beginning, like Spreadsheets, shortcuts, and formulas, in just 40 minutes. The course is also suitable for Excel 2010, 2013 & 2016. Here are the things you will learn in this course: 1. How to Navigate through Excel quickly and easily 2. How to create a simple, effective spreadsheet 3. How to use Excel formulas for automating repetitive math calculations How to format text and arrange it alphabetically 5. How to format numbers into the currency6. How to adjust column and row size quickly and easily 7. How to get your feet wet with the basics of Excel in an easy, stress-free way This course will teach you how to use Excel, create a basic spreadsheet, navigate quickly through a spreadsheet, make simple mathematical formulas, and some shortcuts and keystrokes to save you lots of time. Talking about social proof, this course is trusted by more than 35,771 students and has 4.4 ratings from close to 2,536 rating participants, which shows how useful this course is. If you are in a rush and want to learn Microsoft Excel quickly, try out this free course tutorial, You won't lose anything as it's free; in fact, you will discover a helpful tool for your life. 5. Microsoft Excel - Basic Data Visualization in Excel Recently, I have met many people who are learning Microsoft Excel or data visualization, which is quickly becoming more and more an important skill given the data-centric and increasingly digital world we live in. More and more businesses are making sense of their data and looking for insight to increase sales and profit, and that's why knowing Microsoft Excel can be handy. Here are things you will learn in this course: 1. How to create well-designed graphs in Excel 2. How to format graphs beyond the default settings in Excel 3. How to create "graph-worthy" data 4. How to use VLOOKUP and Pivot Tables to summarize data before graphing 5. How to Design graphs in Excel similar to the ones in today's most respected publications Created by Sean. J. Thompson, in just 1 hour, this course will help you to use the Excel skills you already have and take them to the next level. You will also get Excel spreadsheets used throughout the course. You can also use these spreadsheets and documents as a resource after you complete the course. Talking about social proof, this course is trusted by more than 15,000 students, and it has on average 4.1 ratings from close to 996 people, which is fantastic and talks a lot about the quality of the course. That's all about some of the . You can join these free Udemy courses, and then you can learn at your pace on your own schedule. Sometimes, a free course on Udemy can be changed to a paid one, so make sure you check the price before enrolling in the class. best free courses and tutorials to learn Microsoft Excel online for Beginners I also suggest you enroll now rather than later, even if you are not going to learn immediately. This way, you can keep the course accessible for life before it becomes paid and learn later when you have some free time or priority changes. Also published . here

My Favorite Free Tutorials to Learn Microsoft Excel in Depth

Let's learn about via these 55 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Digital /Learn Repo 1. A Closer Look at Online/Digital Fraud Digital fraud is a problem that has plagued the digital world for decades. Learn more about digital fraud and how to avoid it in this article. 2. The Place of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing social media influencers and issues related to that topic, fake influencers, bought followings, young generation following wrong pieces of advice. 3. The World's First 'Idea Currency' by UCROWDME UCROWDME is the world’s first idea currency and global ideas marketplace where people can sell their ideas to businesses, protected on the blockchain. 4. Digital Consumers: It's Time to Grow Up The recent release of Netflix's film “The Social Dilemma” has boosted existing questions and fears looming among consumers regarding their privacy on social media platforms. 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How Restaurants Can Adapt to the Digital Economy People are always amazed when they hear that I am also a restaurant owner. 20. A Tale of Two Cities: Economic vs Digital Democracy More than new laws and fines, we need to reconsider data ownership as a whole and discover new structures that place control back into the hands of the people. 21. How does an Experience Data Platform Help Tech Leaders Ace Innovation? Tech leaders make digital teams run faster and unburden their own backlog with an Experience Data Platform 22. What I Learned In My First Year As a Digital Student Exactly one year ago I have decided to heavily invest in myself starting with education, sport and healthy eating. While calculating the approximate cost of my new life plan I have realized that certain adjustments will have to be made. That’s when I remembered that we live in a world of free digital possibilities. So I made a pact with myself to learn as much as possible with 0 financial investments. Here’s what I got out of it. 23. Is It Too Late To Buy Cryptocurrencies, Or Is 2022 The Perfect Year To Invest? Cryptocurrencies are nearing hyper-adoption, both in terms of the retail and institutional parts of the market. 24. How Are Digital Talent Development Platforms Incentivizing Sports communities? Today, most projects are looking at the Metaverse or Web3 solutions as a means to attract users into their online community. 25. Waiting for Government to Solve Our Problems… Unprecedented. 26. Essential Programming: Sorting Algorithms The next task in your calendar, the ranking position of your favorite sport team in the league, the contact list in your cell phone, all of these have an order. Order matters when we process information. We use order to make sense of our lives and to optimize our decisions. Imagine looking for a word in a dictionary with a mixed alphabetical order, or trying to find the cheapest product in a disordered pricing list. We order stuff to make more sound decisions (which in reality is an illusion), and this makes us more confident on the results. 27. Will The Impact Of The Lockdown On Technological Advancement Be Positive Or Negative? As the years have progressed, there has been a big boost for technology and its capabilities. For many people, in one lifespan, they have seen significant changes in technology such as camera technology and the introduction of the internet. 28. These Password Essentials Will Keep Hackers At Bay One of the common ways hackers target online users is by cracking their passwords. In this article, I will share tips on how to ensure your passwords are secure to keep hackers at bay. 29. The Sacred Illusion If you told me two months ago that today would be the first day of quarantine that I would digitally get pen to paper, two-months-ago-me would have been outraged at quarantine-me. With no competition for my attention, I assumed that every creative pursuit that I’d put off for lack of time would come bursting out of me in a personal Renaissance like Bob Dylan producing The Basement Tapes. If Shakespeare wrote King Lear during plague quarantine, surely I could do something during my quarantine. 30. Are Digital Doppelgangers the Future of Digital Identities? In this slogging thread, our tech community discussed the possibility of having a digital doppelganger and how it can impact our lives. 31. 5 Marketing Techniques to Increase Sales For Your New Ecommerce Business in 2021 Starting an Ecommerce Business in 2021? Check out these top 5 ways to market your newly formed Ecommerce Business and get to your first 500 Customers. 32. A Whole New Digital World: Are Museums Dead? It allows art museums to thrive amidst the uncertainty of a digital future by embracing the technology changing it. 33. These Are The Secret Weapons of Fake News Modern fake news has evolved into a complex organism, carefully designed to hide its deceptive mechanisms from any potential victim. But although the fake news field has grown into every possible digital channel, the truth is that at its core, in order to be effective, it still relies on exploiting our most basic human characteristics. 34. Your Website Might Be Preventing Conversions: Here's Why You have just spent so much time and money on a brand new website, and you are now expecting the traffic to come flooding in, right? 35. Netflix and Lockdown: Why Netflix Is the Right Company for the New Normal Netflix is succeeding even as the COVID-19 pandemic sends the world into a recession. Why? The predictable answer is that the all-digital entertainment company is well suited to the needs of people sheltering in place. But the “right place at the right time” rationale is only part of the story. Netflix has also set itself up for success. 36. 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The Contactless Customer Experience I read with great interest Tim Wu's article published in The New York Times about the "touchless economy". The article focuses a lot on how to "defend" that part of the economic activities that they were able to continue to play an active role during the lockdown. Practically all those activities that continued anyway without the need for physical contact between the actors of the specific transactions. 39. Don't Let Them Fool You: Manipulative Strategies Used By Big Tech Companies To Sell You Stuff Do you know how your apps work? Are you aware of what tech companies are doing in the back with your data? And what’s more revealing: do you know which of your action are actually influenced by those apps? When you take a trip with Uber, buy stuff on Amazon, or watch a movie on Netflix: when are you consciously deciding and when are you being heavily influenced? 40. Clubhouse: Shelter from the Storm Read this post to understand how Clubhouse is helping people manage isolation during the pandemic. 41. How Instant Access To Information Affected Our Perception Ability The access to information we have thanks to the advance of technology is at a fascinating increase. This is how it affects our ability to perceive information. 42. The Importance of Digital Assets and their Valuation Well, this article provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of digital assets and how to value them. 43. How Metaverse Will Revamp the Healthcare Dynamics Metaverse for Healthcare will bring a disruptive revolution in diverse aspects of life and offers broad opportunities to transform the Healthcare sector in many 44. 24 Customer Retention Strategies One is better than two and is equal to six. At least, that’s how we (Dashly.io) think when it comes to comparing your regular customers with your potential customers. 45. Technology as Humankind’s Dark Mirror: The Perils and Promises of the Digital World Technology has given us more than any of us would have dared dream of decades ago. This cannot be stressed enough. However, we are becoming increasingly aware that such advancements also magnify both positive and negative sociological behaviours that were long the realm of the analogue world. So much so, in fact, that algorithms are now at the center of a digital world that’s changing the way experts think about human development. 46. Your Guide to Natural Language Processing (NLP) Everything we express (either verbally or in written) carries huge amounts of information. The topic we choose, our tone, our selection of words, everything adds some type of information that can be interpreted and value extracted from it. In theory, we can understand and even predict human behaviour using that information. 47. The Fall of a Video Rental Empire: How Blockbuster Grew too Big to Change What made Blockbuster different from Netflix; differences that ultimately led to its demise? 48. From Fortnite to Fashion: How Travis Scott Creates Cultural Relevance When hip-hip artist Travis Scott appeared on Fortnite for a 10-minute virtual concert in April, he created one of the culturally defining moments of 2020. At a time when a global pandemic has put a halt to the concert industry, Scott managed to attract an audience of millions without even technically showing up for a live show. 49. Essential Programming Versus Time Complexity In computer programming, as in other aspects of life, there are different ways of solving a problem. These different ways may imply different times, computational power, or any other metric you choose, so we need to compare the efficiency of different approaches to pick up the right one. 50. What About The Illusion Of Choice? Do you think your actions are the result of your own free choices? What if those actions are the inevitable and necessary consequence of antecedent states of affairs? What does this mean for your free will? 51. Amazon Advertising Is Unstoppable Read this post for insight into why Amazon Advertising is flourishing -- and how Apple and Google are playing into Amazon's hands. 52. On The (Failed) Digitization of Our Social Lives If you told me two months ago that today would be the first day of quarantine that I would digitally get pen to paper, two-months-ago-me would have been outraged at quarantine-me. With no competition for my attention, I assumed that every creative pursuit that I’d put off for lack of time would come bursting out of me in a personal Renaissance like Bob Dylan producing The Basement Tapes. If Shakespeare wrote King Lear during plague quarantine, surely I could do something during my quarantine. 53. What Does the Future Hold for the New Hollywood Streaming Industry? Where is the New Hollywood streaming industry headed after a wild and crazy 2022 thus far? Read this new post for insight into what to expect from this industry 54. The Ways in Which AI has Changed the Way We Move, Work, Search and Buy Here is a list of 5 examples of artificial intelligence that you’re likely to have come across daily that you are possibly not aware of. 55. Meet the Writer: David Deal This Slogging thread by David Deal and Mónica Freitas occurred in slogging's official #amas channel, and has been edited for readability. Thank you for checking out the 55 most read stories about Digital on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

55 Stories To Learn About Digital

Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Chapter I here CHAPTER FIRST. The End of a much-applauded Speech.—The Presentation of Dr. Samuel Ferguson.—Excelsior.—Full-length Portrait of the Doctor.—A Fatalist convinced.—A Dinner at the Travellers’ Club.—Several Toasts for the Occasion. There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London. The president, Sir Francis M——, made an important communication to his colleagues, in an address that was frequently interrupted by applause. This rare specimen of eloquence terminated with the following sonorous phrases bubbling over with patriotism: “England has always marched at the head of nations” (for, the reader will observe, the nations always march at the head of each other), “by the intrepidity of her explorers in the line of geographical discovery.” (General assent). “Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of her most glorious sons, will not reflect discredit on his origin.” (“No, indeed!” from all parts of the hall.) “This attempt, should it succeed” (“It will succeed!”), “will complete and link together the notions, as yet disjointed, which the world entertains of African cartology” (vehement applause); “and, should it fail, it will, at least, remain on record as one of the most daring conceptions of human genius!” (Tremendous cheering.) “Huzza! huzza!” shouted the immense audience, completely electrified by these inspiring words. “Huzza for the intrepid Ferguson!” cried one of the most excitable of the enthusiastic crowd. The wildest cheering resounded on all sides; the name of Ferguson was in every mouth, and we may safely believe that it lost nothing in passing through English throats. Indeed, the hall fairly shook with it. And there were present, also, those fearless travellers and explorers whose energetic temperaments had borne them through every quarter of the globe, many of them grown old and worn out in the service of science. All had, in some degree, physically or morally, undergone the sorest trials. They had escaped shipwreck; conflagration; Indian tomahawks and war-clubs; the fagot and the stake; nay, even the cannibal maws of the South Sea Islanders. But still their hearts beat high during Sir Francis M——‘s address, which certainly was the finest oratorical success that the Royal Geographical Society of London had yet achieved. But, in England, enthusiasm does not stop short with mere words. It strikes off money faster than the dies of the Royal Mint itself. So a subscription to encourage Dr. Ferguson was voted there and then, and it at once attained the handsome amount of two thousand five hundred pounds. The sum was made commensurate with the importance of the enterprise. A member of the Society then inquired of the president whether Dr. Ferguson was not to be officially introduced. “The doctor is at the disposition of the meeting,” replied Sir Francis. “Let him come in, then! Bring him in!” shouted the audience. “We’d like to see a man of such extraordinary daring, face to face!” “Perhaps this incredible proposition of his is only intended to mystify us,” growled an apoplectic old admiral. “Suppose that there should turn out to be no such person as Dr. Ferguson?” exclaimed another voice, with a malicious twang. “Why, then, we’d have to invent one!” replied a facetious member of this grave Society. “Ask Dr. Ferguson to come in,” was the quiet remark of Sir Francis M——. And come in the doctor did, and stood there, quite unmoved by the thunders of applause that greeted his appearance. He was a man of about forty years of age, of medium height and physique. His sanguine temperament was disclosed in the deep color of his cheeks. His countenance was coldly expressive, with regular features, and a large nose—one of those noses that resemble the prow of a ship, and stamp the faces of men predestined to accomplish great discoveries. His eyes, which were gentle and intelligent, rather than bold, lent a peculiar charm to his physiognomy. His arms were long, and his feet were planted with that solidity which indicates a great pedestrian. A calm gravity seemed to surround the doctor’s entire person, and no one would dream that he could become the agent of any mystification, however harmless. Hence, the applause that greeted him at the outset continued until he, with a friendly gesture, claimed silence on his own behalf. He stepped toward the seat that had been prepared for him on his presentation, and then, standing erect and motionless, he, with a determined glance, pointed his right forefinger upward, and pronounced aloud the single word— “Excelsior!” Never had one of Bright’s or Cobden’s sudden onslaughts, never had one of Palmerston’s abrupt demands for funds to plate the rocks of the English coast with iron, made such a sensation. Sir Francis M——‘s address was completely overshadowed. The doctor had shown himself moderate, sublime, and self-contained, in one; he had uttered the word of the situation— “Excelsior!” The gouty old admiral who had been finding fault, was completely won over by the singular man before him, and immediately moved the insertion of Dr. Ferguson’s speech in “The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London.” Who, then, was this person, and what was the enterprise that he proposed? Ferguson’s father, a brave and worthy captain in the English Navy, had associated his son with him, from the young man’s earliest years, in the perils and adventures of his profession. The fine little fellow, who seemed to have never known the meaning of fear, early revealed a keen and active mind, an investigating intelligence, and a remarkable turn for scientific study; moreover, he disclosed uncommon address in extricating himself from difficulty; he was never perplexed, not even in handling his fork for the first time—an exercise in which children generally have so little success. His fancy kindled early at the recitals he read of daring enterprise and maritime adventure, and he followed with enthusiasm the discoveries that signalized the first part of the nineteenth century. He mused over the glory of the Mungo Parks, the Bruces, the Caillies, the Levaillants, and to some extent, I verily believe, of Selkirk (Robinson Crusoe), whom he considered in no wise inferior to the rest. How many a well-employed hour he passed with that hero on his isle of Juan Fernandez! Often he criticised the ideas of the shipwrecked sailor, and sometimes discussed his plans and projects. He would have done differently, in such and such a case, or quite as well at least—of that he felt assured. But of one thing he was satisfied, that he never should have left that pleasant island, where he was as happy as a king without subjects—no, not if the inducement held out had been promotion to the first lordship in the admiralty! It may readily be conjectured whether these tendencies were developed during a youth of adventure, spent in every nook and corner of the Globe. Moreover, his father, who was a man of thorough instruction, omitted no opportunity to consolidate this keen intelligence by serious studies in hydrography, physics, and mechanics, along with a slight tincture of botany, medicine, and astronomy. Upon the death of the estimable captain, Samuel Ferguson, then twenty-two years of age, had already made his voyage around the world. He had enlisted in the Bengalese Corps of Engineers, and distinguished himself in several affairs; but this soldier’s life had not exactly suited him; caring but little for command, he had not been fond of obeying. He, therefore, sent in his resignation, and half botanizing, half playing the hunter, he made his way toward the north of the Indian Peninsula, and crossed it from Calcutta to Surat—a mere amateur trip for him. From Surat we see him going over to Australia, and in 1845 participating in Captain Sturt’s expedition, which had been sent out to explore the new Caspian Sea, supposed to exist in the centre of New Holland. Samuel Ferguson returned to England about 1850, and, more than ever possessed by the demon of discovery, he spent the intervening time, until 1853, in accompanying Captain McClure on the expedition that went around the American Continent from Behring’s Straits to Cape Farewell. Notwithstanding fatigues of every description, and in all climates, Ferguson’s constitution continued marvellously sound. He felt at ease in the midst of the most complete privations; in fine, he was the very type of the thoroughly accomplished explorer whose stomach expands or contracts at will; whose limbs grow longer or shorter according to the resting-place that each stage of a journey may bring; who can fall asleep at any hour of the day or awake at any hour of the night. Nothing, then, was less surprising, after that, than to find our traveller, in the period from 1855 to 1857, visiting the whole region west of the Thibet, in company with the brothers Schlagintweit, and bringing back some curious ethnographic observations from that expedition. During these different journeys, Ferguson had been the most active and interesting correspondent of the , the penny newspaper whose circulation amounts to 140,000 copies, and yet scarcely suffices for its many legions of readers. Thus, the doctor had become well known to the public, although he could not claim membership in either of the Royal Geographical Societies of London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or St. Petersburg, or yet with the Travellers’ Club, or even the Royal Polytechnic Institute, where his friend the statistician Cockburn ruled in state. Daily Telegraph The latter had, one day, gone so far as to propose to him the following problem: Given the number of miles travelled by the doctor in making the circuit of the Globe, how many more had his head described than his feet, by reason of the different lengths of the radii?—or, the number of miles traversed by the doctor’s head and feet respectively being given, required the exact height of that gentleman? savant This was done with the idea of complimenting him, but the doctor had held himself aloof from all the learned bodies—belonging, as he did, to the church militant and not to the church polemical. He found his time better employed in seeking than in discussing, in discovering rather than discoursing. There is a story told of an Englishman who came one day to Geneva, intending to visit the lake. He was placed in one of those odd vehicles in which the passengers sit side by side, as they do in an omnibus. Well, it so happened that the Englishman got a seat that left him with his back turned toward the lake. The vehicle completed its circular trip without his thinking to turn around once, and he went back to London delighted with the Lake of Geneva. Doctor Ferguson, however, had turned around to look about him on his journeyings, and turned to such good purpose that he had seen a great deal. In doing so, he had simply obeyed the laws of his nature, and we have good reason to believe that he was, to some extent, a fatalist, but of an orthodox school of fatalism withal, that led him to rely upon himself and even upon Providence. He claimed that he was impelled, rather than drawn by his own volition, to journey as he did, and that he traversed the world like the locomotive, which does not direct itself, but is guided and directed by the track it runs on. “I do not follow my route;” he often said, “it is my route that follows me.” The reader will not be surprised, then, at the calmness with which the doctor received the applause that welcomed him in the Royal Society. He was above all such trifles, having no pride, and less vanity. He looked upon the proposition addressed to him by Sir Francis M——as the simplest thing in the world, and scarcely noticed the immense effect that it produced. When the session closed, the doctor was escorted to the rooms of the Travellers’ Club, in Pall Mall. A superb entertainment had been prepared there in his honor. The dimensions of the dishes served were made to correspond with the importance of the personage entertained, and the boiled sturgeon that figured at this magnificent repast was not an inch shorter than Dr. Ferguson himself. Numerous toasts were offered and quaffed, in the wines of France, to the celebrated travellers who had made their names illustrious by their explorations of African territory. The guests drank to their health or to their memory, in alphabetical order, a good old English way of doing the thing. Among those remembered thus, were: Abbadie, Adams, Adamson, Anderson, Arnaud, Baikie, Baldwin, Barth, Batouda, Beke, Beltram, Du Berba, Bimbachi, Bolognesi, Bolwik, Belzoni, Bonnemain, Brisson, Browne, Bruce, Brun-Rollet, Burchell, Burckhardt, Burton, Cailland, Caillie, Campbell, Chapman, Clapperton, Clot-Bey, Colomieu, Courval, Cumming, Cuny, Debono, Decken, Denham, Desavanchers, Dicksen, Dickson, Dochard, Du Chaillu, Duncan, Durand, Duroule, Duveyrier, D’Escayrac, De Lauture, Erhardt, Ferret, Fresnel, Galinier, Galton, Geoffroy, Golberry, Hahn, Halm, Harnier, Hecquart, Heuglin, Hornemann, Houghton, Imbert, Kauffmann, Knoblecher, Krapf, Kummer, Lafargue, Laing, Lafaille, Lambert, Lamiral, Lampriere, John Lander, Richard Lander, Lefebvre, Lejean, Levaillant, Livingstone, MacCarthy, Maggiar, Maizan, Malzac, Moffat, Mollien, Monteiro, Morrison, Mungo Park, Neimans, Overweg, Panet, Partarrieau, Pascal, Pearse, Peddie, Penney, Petherick, Poncet, Prax, Raffenel, Rabh, Rebmann, Richardson, Riley, Ritchey, Rochet d’Hericourt, Rongawi, Roscher, Ruppel, Saugnier, Speke, Steidner, Thibaud, Thompson, Thornton, Toole, Tousny, Trotter, Tuckey, Tyrwhitt, Vaudey, Veyssière, Vincent, Vinco, Vogel, Wahlberg, Warrington, Washington, Werne, Wild, and last, but not least, Dr. Ferguson, who, by his incredible attempt, was to link together the achievements of all these explorers, and complete the series of African discovery. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2002). Five Weeks in a Balloon. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3526/pg3526-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The End of a much-applauded Speech

The displays folders at the top of a directory. This is a common hierarchy that I like in cases. VS Code explorer most But I hate it for content. For content sites — like — I prefer alphabetical order. I want to see my files and folders all up together. chan.dev mixed How to Change the Setting To change the default behavior, open Settings, and find the option for Explorer: Sort Order With this option enabled, files and folders are interwoven in the explorer. Why I Prefer Mixed-Sort Order On , I have lots of markdown files. Some of them have images. And I want to keep those images in a folder nearby. I ain’t tryna faff with Cloudinary or hunt down shared folder. chan.dev /assets/images I want them right next to my post. This makes it easy to keep my place on the file system. Take It Further With Workspaces As mentioned, I prefer the default sort order for most projects. So, I keep this setting stored in my . And only project is impacted by the setting. chan.dev workspace this {
"explorer.sortOrder": "mixed"
} https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RvYvyzsnFm8?feature=share&embedable=true

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