Fabuloris in the Enterprise Collaboration Industry

Fabulor

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SECURES A CURIOUS MEANS OF CONVEYANCE AT A FABULOUS PRICE here CHAPTER XI. IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SECURES A CURIOUS MEANS OF CONVEYANCE AT A FABULOUS PRICE The train had started punctually. Among the passengers were a number of officers, Government officials, and opium and indigo merchants, whose business called them to the eastern coast. Passepartout rode in the same carriage with his master, and a third passenger occupied a seat opposite to them. This was Sir Francis Cromarty, one of Mr. Fogg’s whist partners on the “Mongolia,” now on his way to join his corps at Benares. Sir Francis was a tall, fair man of fifty, who had greatly distinguished himself in the last Sepoy revolt. He made India his home, only paying brief visits to England at rare intervals; and was almost as familiar as a native with the customs, history, and character of India and its people. But Phileas Fogg, who was not travelling, but only describing a circumference, took no pains to inquire into these subjects; he was a solid body, traversing an orbit around the terrestrial globe, according to the laws of rational mechanics. He was at this moment calculating in his mind the number of hours spent since his departure from London, and, had it been in his nature to make a useless demonstration, would have rubbed his hands for satisfaction. Sir Francis Cromarty had observed the oddity of his travelling companion—although the only opportunity he had for studying him had been while he was dealing the cards, and between two rubbers—and questioned himself whether a human heart really beat beneath this cold exterior, and whether Phileas Fogg had any sense of the beauties of nature. The brigadier-general was free to mentally confess that, of all the eccentric persons he had ever met, none was comparable to this product of the exact sciences. Phileas Fogg had not concealed from Sir Francis his design of going round the world, nor the circumstances under which he set out; and the general only saw in the wager a useless eccentricity and a lack of sound common sense. In the way this strange gentleman was going on, he would leave the world without having done any good to himself or anybody else. An hour after leaving Bombay the train had passed the viaducts and the Island of Salcette, and had got into the open country. At Callyan they reached the junction of the branch line which descends towards south-eastern India by Kandallah and Pounah; and, passing Pauwell, they entered the defiles of the mountains, with their basalt bases, and their summits crowned with thick and verdant forests. Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty exchanged a few words from time to time, and now Sir Francis, reviving the conversation, observed, “Some years ago, Mr. Fogg, you would have met with a delay at this point which would probably have lost you your wager.” “How so, Sir Francis?” “Because the railway stopped at the base of these mountains, which the passengers were obliged to cross in palanquins or on ponies to Kandallah, on the other side.” “Such a delay would not have deranged my plans in the least,” said Mr. Fogg. “I have constantly foreseen the likelihood of certain obstacles.” “But, Mr. Fogg,” pursued Sir Francis, “you run the risk of having some difficulty about this worthy fellow’s adventure at the pagoda.” Passepartout, his feet comfortably wrapped in his travelling-blanket, was sound asleep and did not dream that anybody was talking about him. “The Government is very severe upon that kind of offence. It takes particular care that the religious customs of the Indians should be respected, and if your servant were caught—” “Very well, Sir Francis,” replied Mr. Fogg; “if he had been caught he would have been condemned and punished, and then would have quietly returned to Europe. I don’t see how this affair could have delayed his master.” The conversation fell again. During the night the train left the mountains behind, and passed Nassik, and the next day proceeded over the flat, well-cultivated country of the Khandeish, with its straggling villages, above which rose the minarets of the pagodas. This fertile territory is watered by numerous small rivers and limpid streams, mostly tributaries of the Godavery. Passepartout, on waking and looking out, could not realise that he was actually crossing India in a railway train. The locomotive, guided by an English engineer and fed with English coal, threw out its smoke upon cotton, coffee, nutmeg, clove, and pepper plantations, while the steam curled in spirals around groups of palm-trees, in the midst of which were seen picturesque bungalows, viharis (sort of abandoned monasteries), and marvellous temples enriched by the exhaustless ornamentation of Indian architecture. Then they came upon vast tracts extending to the horizon, with jungles inhabited by snakes and tigers, which fled at the noise of the train; succeeded by forests penetrated by the railway, and still haunted by elephants which, with pensive eyes, gazed at the train as it passed. The travellers crossed, beyond Milligaum, the fatal country so often stained with blood by the sectaries of the goddess Kali. Not far off rose Ellora, with its graceful pagodas, and the famous Aurungabad, capital of the ferocious Aureng-Zeb, now the chief town of one of the detached provinces of the kingdom of the Nizam. It was thereabouts that Feringhea, the Thuggee chief, king of the stranglers, held his sway. These ruffians, united by a secret bond, strangled victims of every age in honour of the goddess Death, without ever shedding blood; there was a period when this part of the country could scarcely be travelled over without corpses being found in every direction. The English Government has succeeded in greatly diminishing these murders, though the Thuggees still exist, and pursue the exercise of their horrible rites. At half-past twelve the train stopped at Burhampoor where Passepartout was able to purchase some Indian slippers, ornamented with false pearls, in which, with evident vanity, he proceeded to encase his feet. The travellers made a hasty breakfast and started off for Assurghur, after skirting for a little the banks of the small river Tapty, which empties into the Gulf of Cambray, near Surat. Passepartout was now plunged into absorbing reverie. Up to his arrival at Bombay, he had entertained hopes that their journey would end there; but, now that they were plainly whirling across India at full speed, a sudden change had come over the spirit of his dreams. His old vagabond nature returned to him; the fantastic ideas of his youth once more took possession of him. He came to regard his master’s project as intended in good earnest, believed in the reality of the bet, and therefore in the tour of the world and the necessity of making it without fail within the designated period. Already he began to worry about possible delays, and accidents which might happen on the way. He recognised himself as being personally interested in the wager, and trembled at the thought that he might have been the means of losing it by his unpardonable folly of the night before. Being much less cool-headed than Mr. Fogg, he was much more restless, counting and recounting the days passed over, uttering maledictions when the train stopped, and accusing it of sluggishness, and mentally blaming Mr. Fogg for not having bribed the engineer. The worthy fellow was ignorant that, while it was possible by such means to hasten the rate of a steamer, it could not be done on the railway. The train entered the defiles of the Sutpour Mountains, which separate the Khandeish from Bundelcund, towards evening. The next day Sir Francis Cromarty asked Passepartout what time it was; to which, on consulting his watch, he replied that it was three in the morning. This famous timepiece, always regulated on the Greenwich meridian, which was now some seventy-seven degrees westward, was at least four hours slow. Sir Francis corrected Passepartout’s time, whereupon the latter made the same remark that he had done to Fix; and upon the general insisting that the watch should be regulated in each new meridian, since he was constantly going eastward, that is in the face of the sun, and therefore the days were shorter by four minutes for each degree gone over, Passepartout obstinately refused to alter his watch, which he kept at London time. It was an innocent delusion which could harm no one. The train stopped, at eight o’clock, in the midst of a glade some fifteen miles beyond Rothal, where there were several bungalows, and workmen’s cabins. The conductor, passing along the carriages, shouted, “Passengers will get out here!” Phileas Fogg looked at Sir Francis Cromarty for an explanation; but the general could not tell what meant a halt in the midst of this forest of dates and acacias. Passepartout, not less surprised, rushed out and speedily returned, crying: “Monsieur, no more railway!” “What do you mean?” asked Sir Francis. “I mean to say that the train isn’t going on.” The general at once stepped out, while Phileas Fogg calmly followed him, and they proceeded together to the conductor. “Where are we?” asked Sir Francis. “At the hamlet of Kholby.” “Do we stop here?” “Certainly. The railway isn’t finished.” “What! not finished?” “No. There’s still a matter of fifty miles to be laid from here to Allahabad, where the line begins again.” “But the papers announced the opening of the railway throughout.” “What would you have, officer? The papers were mistaken.” “Yet you sell tickets from Bombay to Calcutta,” retorted Sir Francis, who was growing warm. “No doubt,” replied the conductor; “but the passengers know that they must provide means of transportation for themselves from Kholby to Allahabad.” Sir Francis was furious. Passepartout would willingly have knocked the conductor down, and did not dare to look at his master. “Sir Francis,” said Mr. Fogg quietly, “we will, if you please, look about for some means of conveyance to Allahabad.” “Mr. Fogg, this is a delay greatly to your disadvantage.” “No, Sir Francis; it was foreseen.” “What! You knew that the way—” “Not at all; but I knew that some obstacle or other would sooner or later arise on my route. Nothing, therefore, is lost. I have two days, which I have already gained, to sacrifice. A steamer leaves Calcutta for Hong Kong at noon, on the 25th. This is the 22nd, and we shall reach Calcutta in time.” There was nothing to say to so confident a response. It was but too true that the railway came to a termination at this point. The papers were like some watches, which have a way of getting too fast, and had been premature in their announcement of the completion of the line. The greater part of the travellers were aware of this interruption, and, leaving the train, they began to engage such vehicles as the village could provide four-wheeled palkigharis, waggons drawn by zebus, carriages that looked like perambulating pagodas, palanquins, ponies, and what not. Mr. Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, after searching the village from end to end, came back without having found anything. “I shall go afoot,” said Phileas Fogg. Passepartout, who had now rejoined his master, made a wry grimace, as he thought of his magnificent, but too frail Indian shoes. Happily he too had been looking about him, and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Monsieur, I think I have found a means of conveyance.” “What?” “An elephant! An elephant that belongs to an Indian who lives but a hundred steps from here.” “Let’s go and see the elephant,” replied Mr. Fogg. They soon reached a small hut, near which, enclosed within some high palings, was the animal in question. An Indian came out of the hut, and, at their request, conducted them within the enclosure. The elephant, which its owner had reared, not for a beast of burden, but for warlike purposes, was half domesticated. The Indian had begun already, by often irritating him, and feeding him every three months on sugar and butter, to impart to him a ferocity not in his nature, this method being often employed by those who train the Indian elephants for battle. Happily, however, for Mr. Fogg, the animal’s instruction in this direction had not gone far, and the elephant still preserved his natural gentleness. Kiouni—this was the name of the beast—could doubtless travel rapidly for a long time, and, in default of any other means of conveyance, Mr. Fogg resolved to hire him. But elephants are far from cheap in India, where they are becoming scarce, the males, which alone are suitable for circus shows, are much sought, especially as but few of them are domesticated. When therefore Mr. Fogg proposed to the Indian to hire Kiouni, he refused point-blank. Mr. Fogg persisted, offering the excessive sum of ten pounds an hour for the loan of the beast to Allahabad. Refused. Twenty pounds? Refused also. Forty pounds? Still refused. Passepartout jumped at each advance; but the Indian declined to be tempted. Yet the offer was an alluring one, for, supposing it took the elephant fifteen hours to reach Allahabad, his owner would receive no less than six hundred pounds sterling. Phileas Fogg, without getting in the least flurried, then proposed to purchase the animal outright, and at first offered a thousand pounds for him. The Indian, perhaps thinking he was going to make a great bargain, still refused. Sir Francis Cromarty took Mr. Fogg aside, and begged him to reflect before he went any further; to which that gentleman replied that he was not in the habit of acting rashly, that a bet of twenty thousand pounds was at stake, that the elephant was absolutely necessary to him, and that he would secure him if he had to pay twenty times his value. Returning to the Indian, whose small, sharp eyes, glistening with avarice, betrayed that with him it was only a question of how great a price he could obtain. Mr. Fogg offered first twelve hundred, then fifteen hundred, eighteen hundred, two thousand pounds. Passepartout, usually so rubicund, was fairly white with suspense. At two thousand pounds the Indian yielded. “What a price, good heavens!” cried Passepartout, “for an elephant.” It only remained now to find a guide, which was comparatively easy. A young Parsee, with an intelligent face, offered his services, which Mr. Fogg accepted, promising so generous a reward as to materially stimulate his zeal. The elephant was led out and equipped. The Parsee, who was an accomplished elephant driver, covered his back with a sort of saddle-cloth, and attached to each of his flanks some curiously uncomfortable howdahs. Phileas Fogg paid the Indian with some banknotes which he extracted from the famous carpet-bag, a proceeding that seemed to deprive poor Passepartout of his vitals. Then he offered to carry Sir Francis to Allahabad, which the brigadier gratefully accepted, as one traveller the more would not be likely to fatigue the gigantic beast. Provisions were purchased at Kholby, and, while Sir Francis and Mr. Fogg took the howdahs on either side, Passepartout got astride the saddle-cloth between them. The Parsee perched himself on the elephant’s neck, and at nine o’clock they set out from the village, the animal marching off through the dense forest of palms by the shortest cut. 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 (1994).Around the World in Eighty Days. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/103/103-h/103-h.htm 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

IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SECURES A CURIOUS MEANS OF CONVEYANCE AT A FABULOUS PRICE

Long lines and long wait times frustrate guests and discourage them from returning to your restaurant. World-famous restaurants have come up with innovative ideas to eliminate these sources of frustration. Take McDonald’s as an example: In 2015, they started adopting self-service ordering kiosks that let customers select items, customize orders, and pay. Another good example is Stabucks. They built an app that lets customers order and pay in advance, then pick up their orders at their convenience. Those are just two examples, but there are many more. Today, we aren’t going to talk about all the possible ways to shorten lines in your restaurant. But we’ll focus on self-service kiosks and how they can be used to improve the customer experience, shorten lines, enhance order accuracy, and reduce labor costs. We’ll then talk about the main considerations when building a self-ordering kiosk system based on our team’s experience working on a recent project called . Can Tho Source: fastcasual.com How to create value with your restaurant self-ordering kiosk: The story of Can Tho The story of the Can Tho kiosk began when Damien Toulouse, the CEO of Can Tho, faced two problems: customers were waiting in long lines and the labor costs at his restaurant were high. Damien started looking for a solution. Meanwhile, he paid attention to how McDonald’s was adopting touchscreen ordering kiosks and wondered whether such kiosks could help him serve customers faster and help his employees use their time more efficiently. To get started, Damien and his team defined customers’ needs and the core value kiosks could provide. To build a self-service solution that creates real value for your guests, you should begin with discovering the needs and pain points of your target customers so you can find out how to best serve them with a restaurant ordering kiosk. Once you clearly define your value proposition, you can decide on your UX strategy, UI design, and features. You can use a value proposition canvas to visualize the value your product will offer. This canvas has two parts: a value proposition map and a customer profile, each comprising three blocks. Source: steelkiwi.com Start with the customer. Once you’re finished with the customer profile, switch to the value proposition. Remember that these two parts of the canvas should complement each other: What are your guests trying to do? ⟶ What products or services help them do this? What annoys your guests while they’re trying to get things done? ⟶ How can your product ease their pain points? What are your guests’ desired outcomes? ⟶ How can your product create gains? Here’s what Can Tho’s value proposition canvas looks like: Source: steelkiwi.com Essentials of building self-order kiosk software You have to make a lot of decisions when creating a self-ordering kiosk system, from the UI/UX design to payment gateway integrations. Below, we outline key milestones in the development of custom self-ordering kiosk software, including designing the UI and UX, creating a kiosk API, integrating third-party tools, adding support for a payment terminal, and implementing an admin dashboard. User experience To create a user journey that matches your customers’ needs, you need to know your target customers. Below, you can see the user journey in the Can Tho kiosk app. You’ll also find some of the functionality of the Can Tho kiosk software with explanations of why we created the UX the way we did. Source: steelkiwi.com Choose a language There are three languages available in Can Tho: French, Dutch, and English. Our client included French and Dutch because they’re the official languages of Belgium. English, on the other hand, is simply widely used. We thought that those who know neither French nor Dutch would appreciate having the app in English. Eat in or take away According to the by Off-Premise Insights, 60% of customers surveyed order takeout. The states that the availability of delivery and takeout influences the restaurant choices of 61% of millennials and 46% of older adults. Therefore, if you want to increase your business without expanding and increasing operating costs, allow your customers to order takeaway. Takeout, Delivery & Catering Study National Restaurant Association For Can Tho, we included three options: eat in, order takeaway, and eat in and order takeaway. Order and customize dishes Customers can order menu items and customize them by adding or removing ingredients. Can Tho states that “while our chefs are in charge of making authentic and tasty dishes, our customers should be in charge of the finishing touch.” Pay Once customers have made their selections, they move to checkout and payment. Can Tho has fully integrated credit card processing so customers can pay using a standard credit card terminal. Customers can also make contactless payments through NFC. Get help If Can Tho guests find it difficult to interact with the kiosk, they can always ask for help by clicking the Get Help button displayed on every screen. There’s also an app tutorial so guests can learn how to use the kiosks on their own. The tutorial can be accessed by clicking the How It Works button. User interface Choose color schemes, fonts, and icon shapes and create screen elements, animations, and screen transitions that are appealing to your customers. If the user interface of your app makes a positive impression, customers will love your app and use it. Here’s what the UI design for Can Tho looks like: Source: steelkiwi.com API for kiosks Your application will be connected to a server that handles customers’ requests and keeps all menu information. To enable communication between the server and the app, you’ll need an API. Source: steelkiwi.com Let’s look at a real-life use case for Can Tho to explain this. When a customer wants to order something to eat, they click the Main Dishes button to browse the menu. The application then sends a request to the server asking something along the lines of What main dishes are on the menu? The server handles the customer’s request and answers by sending a list of main dishes with their prices and descriptions. Whenever a customer makes a request, the server processes it and sends a response. To make communication between the server and the application possible, you need an API. Source: steelkiwi.com Integrations To streamline the workflow, automate some processes, and deliver better customer service, you’ll need integrations. You can integrate different types of hardware and software, but the most important is a point of sale (PoS) system. By connecting your kiosk with your PoS system, you’ll enable an easy payment flow. If you don’t have a PoS system, we suggest you choose from existing solutions rather than create a system from scratch, since developing a custom PoS would be quite expensive and time-consuming. Your choice of PoS should be based on the features available, setup costs, and compatibility with your current hardware. In addition to integrating a PoS system, you may consider other integrations. These might be integrations with third-party delivery service providers such as Postmates, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. For Can Tho, we integrated the Lightspeed PoS. It allows the system to process payments and calculate prices with taxes included. We also integrated Uber Eats and Deliveroo so customers can order from Can Tho using these marketplaces. Additionally, there’s a Xiaomi light bulb over every kiosk that lights up when a customer clicks the Get Help button. These lights allow wait staff to see who needs their help and react fast. Payment terminal To process a sale, you’ll need a payment terminal. Your decision of payment terminal should depend on the type of payments you want to provide (contactless, EMV, magstripe), whether you want a wireless or standard terminal, and the terminal price. When developing Can Tho, we chose a Valina terminal so we could meet the needs of the majority of customers: the Valina terminal allows for both card and contactless payments. Admin dashboard To customize the contents of your application and create new content, manage the menu, get insights into user behavior, and keep track of your business metrics without writing code, consider adding an admin dashboard. An admin dashboard is a necessity for a restaurant self-ordering kiosk system. You can include as many features as you need. For Can Tho, we enabled the administrator to manage the menu, confirm orders, resolve returns, and set VAT and prices. Choosing the technology stack for your self-ordering kiosk system The technology stack is one of the most important things to consider when developing an application. When developing kiosk software, you should choose technologies for mobile and backend development, your server, and your database. Your choice of technology for mobile development greatly depends on the hardware you select. Will your kiosks be iOS-powered or Android-powered? Lots of restaurants decide to go with Android, since Android tablets are cheaper and have bigger screens. Also, large touchscreen TVs run Android. Additionally, you need to choose technologies for backend development. There are lots of backend programming languages available, so examine their benefits and limitations to choose the right one for your project. We suggest that you also use frameworks, since they provide handy tools to code faster and easier. Your application will also need a database to store data, a caching system to increase the performance of your system and reduce the load on the database, and a server to process customers’ requests. Here are the most commonly used technologies: Android: Kotlin, Java iOS: Swift Backend Python (Django, Flask), PHP (Laravel), Ruby (Ruby on Rails) Server: Nginx, Apache Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL Caching system: Redis, Memcached The technology stack behind Can Tho In the table below, you can find the technologies we used to build Can Tho. Summing up: Lessons learned from building Can Tho Self-service kiosk development can be quite challenging, yet a self-service kiosk can bring great value to your restaurant. Kiosks can shorten lines, reduce labor costs, and give you the potential to stay competitive in the fast-changing market. To help you craft successful kiosk software, here are three tips based on what we’ve learned from Can Tho. #1 Clearly define your target audience and their pain points to understand how your kiosks can create meaningful value. #2 Your decisions on functionality, designs, and a payment terminal should depend on your target users and the core value your kiosks should provide. #3 Test your app with real users and gather feedback. This will help you design an app that’s appealing and easy to interact with.

How To Develop A Fabulous Self-Service Ordering Kiosk For Your Fast Food Chain

runs regular meetups in Berlin aimed at those working in tech who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LBGTI), but with an overarching message of providing a space for speakers who you might not always see at more mainstream events. I personally don’t identify as any of these, but I always enjoy the diverse messages and fun atmosphere I hear at the meetups, and this was my second time attending the yearly conference. #UNIT This time around the venue was a cavernous nightclub that meant I was constantly paranoid I was going to trip over in the half-light, and each room was fairly isolating, meaning the conference lacked the fun feeling that it had last year; still the quality of the talks more than made up for this, and here are my highlights. Lynn Conway ’s talk, “An Invisible Woman: The Inside Story Behind the Microelectronic Computing Revolution in Silicon Valley,” was a fascinating story. Not only into the pioneering history of integrated circuit design ( ), but also an insight into how people’s legacy in history can so easily be erased and has to be fought for to reclaim it. Lynn VLSI The Mead and Conway revolution She ended her talk wondering if people are often blind to innovation. That they don’t realize at the time that an event or idea is important, and can often switch to becoming something normal without realizing what it might have been part of. People follow a good idea without questioning where it came from, and that it was a deliberate idea from a particular person. If you have an idea you feel is worthwhile, you have to ensure that you take the credit, knowingly or unknowingly. Klaus Jäger, Matthias Bremer Klaus and Matthias’s talk, “How Semiconductor Physics Revolutionized Sustainable Electricity And Lighting,” was a good follow up to Lynn’s talk, covering a brief introduction to developments of semiconductors since the gradual mainstream phasing out of valves. They covered the basic functioning of and the role of the ‘ ’ and how it is affected by energy and heat. They covered cells, that are often found in solar panels, that work in a similar way, but are instead affected by levels of light. They covered , and the fascinating fact that mostly . Finally, they covered more recent developments with (which despite standing for ‘organic’, is not comprised of living matter) and the cutting edge world of ‘ ’, which promise to cut the cost of solar significantly. semiconductors band gap optoelectric LEDs only blue LEDs are manufactured, and then manipulated to make other colors OLED organic solar Martin Wezowski Looking like a rock star who’d stepped off his Harley Davidson, Martin’s talk, “Let’s Design a Future We All Want to Live In” was an inspiring end to the day, covering optimistic future thinking and the role we can play in it. The presentation was full of blue sky thinking and great quotes such as: “We will spend the rest of our lives in the future.” And. “Do you want to be meaningless?” His basic message was that the future (and innovations of the future) won’t all make sense and that you need to learn how to articulate and show them to other people.

Feeling Fabulous With Queer Tech at #UNIT Berlin

For the last couple of years, instability has been the most stable thing in the world. This has been affecting almost every aspect of our well-being — mental health in particular. Talks about burnout, anxiety, panic, and the ways to deal with them have become more frequent in our professional and personal lives. Keeping our heads clear and our mental health minty fresh (as opposed to being on fire) is one of the keys to going through these times intact. Here are the steps that I take to remain focused and keep my mental health… well, healthy. Setting goals I am a firm believer that there should be a clear goal for every action. For a long time, I have been writing down and tracking almost every task I have. And I have passed this approach to the entire SupportYourApp team. For years, we have been using Kanban-style systems and boards like Asana and Jira. They allow us to track every little detail and progress on any major project and minute task. It is also a good tool to assess the productivity of every team member and adjust their schedule. This allows them to have enough time to be productive and successful at everything they do without burning or rusting out. I am also a big advocate of creating timelines and roadmaps. Our team uses them to assess the amount of steps and time required to complete complex tasks. We know exactly who we need to cooperate and collaborate with to achieve a desired result in a timely manner and what to do in case of roadblocks. Talking, talking, talking The culture of all-embracing communication came to SupportYourApp together with the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, we had meetings before that, but they were nowhere nearly as numerous as they are now. The fact that SupportYourApp started looking for new teammates all over the world only served as a catalyst. We needed to constantly be connected with new members of our team, especially during the first several months when they were only getting started. We utilized the same approach after Russia launched its unjustified attack against our country. When our teammates were scattered all over, we constantly remained in touch. We wanted to make informed decisions and make sure everyone stayed in the loop. In the most uncertain of times, open and frequent communication was the key to staying stable. Today, my team and I discuss every step SupportYourApp needs to take to keep on growing and remain successful. We talk about every idea and brainstorm whenever we have the opportunity. We do everything we can to support each other, which helps us remain calm even in the most uncertain situations. Making sport a part of life Sport and physical activities have been my companions for a long time. Playing squash, running, wakeboarding (whenever I can), going to the gym, and even walking are all part of my regular schedule. Sport grounds me and gives me time and opportunity to be with my thoughts, come up with new ideas, and relax after a long day. It is a long-proven fact that sport plays a crucial part in relieving stress. It helps with the release of endorphins and helps the mind switch from our daily routines to something completely different. Regular exercise is also a good way to improve the mood. And I am not even going to say anything about the feeling of accomplishment people have after a workout. It’s just fabulous. For me, physical activity is a near-perfect way to put my mind at ease when it is going a hundred miles an hour. As ironic as it may seem, a treadmill that is going fast seems to be the best way to feel as if the world stops spinning and gives you time to unwind. Maintaining work-life balance This may seem like a cliché that has been talked about one too many times. But this doesn’t take away from the fact that maintaining a work-life balance is one of the most important things to support one’s mental well-being. It took me some time to realize — staying connected and available 24/7 is not the recipe for success. It only promotes burnout and can make professionals irritated and annoyed with their jobs. This can happen even to those who love what they do. Right now, my favorite way to maintain my work-life balance is to put my phone somewhere away from me, unplug from all my devices, and relax with a book or in the gym (something I have already covered). This gives me time to come up with new ideas and dedicate my free time to myself, which helps me maintain my mental health. For the last couple of years, instability has been the most stable thing in the world. This has been affecting almost every aspect of our well-being — mental health in particular. Talks about burnout, anxiety, panic, and the ways to deal with them have become more frequent in our professional and personal lives. Keeping our heads clear and our mental health minty fresh (as opposed to being on fire) is one of the keys to going through these times intact. Here are the steps that I take to remain focused and keep my mental health… well, healthy. Setting goals I am a firm believer that there should be a clear goal for every action. For a long time, I have been writing down and tracking almost every task I have. And I have passed this approach to the entire SupportYourApp team. For years, we have been using Kanban-style systems and boards like Asana and Jira . They allow us to track every little detail and progress on any major project and minute task. It is also a good tool to assess the productivity of every team member and adjust their schedule. This allows them to have enough time to be productive and successful at everything they do without burning or rusting out . Asana Asana Jira Jira rusting out rusting out I am also a big advocate of creating timelines and roadmaps. Our team uses them to assess the amount of steps and time required to complete complex tasks. We know exactly who we need to cooperate and collaborate with to achieve a desired result in a timely manner and what to do in case of roadblocks. Talking, talking, talking The culture of all-embracing communication came to SupportYourApp together with the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, we had meetings before that, but they were nowhere nearly as numerous as they are now. The fact that SupportYourApp started looking for new teammates all over the world only served as a catalyst. We needed to constantly be connected with new members of our team, especially during the first several months when they were only getting started. We utilized the same approach after Russia launched its unjustified attack against our country. When our teammates were scattered all over, we constantly remained in touch. We wanted to make informed decisions and make sure everyone stayed in the loop. In the most uncertain of times, open and frequent communication was the key to staying stable. Today, my team and I discuss every step SupportYourApp needs to take to keep on growing and remain successful. We talk about every idea and brainstorm whenever we have the opportunity. We do everything we can to support each other, which helps us remain calm even in the most uncertain situations. Making sport a part of life Sport and physical activities have been my companions for a long time. Playing squash, running, wakeboarding (whenever I can), going to the gym, and even walking are all part of my regular schedule. Sport grounds me and gives me time and opportunity to be with my thoughts, come up with new ideas, and relax after a long day. It is a long-proven fact that sport plays a crucial part in relieving stress . It helps with the release of endorphins and helps the mind switch from our daily routines to something completely different. Regular exercise is also a good way to improve the mood. And I am not even going to say anything about the feeling of accomplishment people have after a workout. It’s just fabulous. relieving stress relieving stress For me, physical activity is a near-perfect way to put my mind at ease when it is going a hundred miles an hour. As ironic as it may seem, a treadmill that is going fast seems to be the best way to feel as if the world stops spinning and gives you time to unwind. Maintaining work-life balance This may seem like a cliché that has been talked about one too many times. But this doesn’t take away from the fact that maintaining a work-life balance is one of the most important things to support one’s mental well-being. It took me some time to realize — staying connected and available 24/7 is not the recipe for success. It only promotes burnout and can make professionals irritated and annoyed with their jobs. This can happen even to those who love what they do. Right now, my favorite way to maintain my work-life balance is to put my phone somewhere away from me, unplug from all my devices, and relax with a book or in the gym (something I have already covered). This gives me time to come up with new ideas and dedicate my free time to myself, which helps me maintain my mental health.

Mental Health (Just Like The World) Is On Fire: Here's How It Can Be Put Out

I want to tell you about a fabulous community for working on goals! For the past year I have been working with an accountability and productivity community based in Slack and Notion called https://www.puddlepod.com/.  Puddle Pod is the creation of entrepreneur Michael Batko. When I signed up for the Australian group in 2023, it was primarily a productivity course, but a course on AI has been added as well. Per the website, “5-week virtual productivity course to simplify your life, spend time on what’s important and make you more effective at work.” I am based in the United States and found out about the group from an off hand mention by a business coach. Puddle Pod Even though I was in the United States and Puddle Pod is based a world away in Australia, I was still able to participate in the community to a good degree. I was able to participate in some group meetings and meet people primarily in Sydney and Melbourne. The group meetings were called Pods. We went through the productivity information on Notion and tried to apply these concepts and we met in our pod groups once a week to talk over our progress and homework. I found these meetings to be particularly helpful.  I tried to choose a group time at noon or in the morning Sydney time because I am in the Eastern standard time zone. I learned a lot from others in the group and I learned a lot from the Notion education materials. Everyone was friendly to me and I was very happy to be part of the group. Another aspect of the group that I particularly liked was Habit Pod. When I participated, Habit Pod was a Slack channel that you could post your habit goals in. Then in this channel, you could update your progress on your habit goals daily. There was another Puddle Pod classmate who posted daily so I was able to see how the Habit Pod worked. When you posted in the Habit Pod, you were supposed to post your goal and then a picture as sort of proof you had done that action.  Others might be able to support your habit progress through posting emojis for encouragement.  Using Habit Pod was particularly addictive for me because I had always wanted to work on my goals and I really enjoyed the accountability and the community. I initially posted inconsistently in Habit Pod, but sometime in the summer of 2023, I started posting my goals and habit progress regularly. The goals changed over time, but I posted everyday for about 1 year. What I noticed when I posted my goals in an accountability group was that I was very dedicated to completing them or at least getting them partially done. There were times when I would have to post that I had done nothing on my goal or that I was taking a break that day, but for the most part I felt very engaged in Habit Pod. I also could do Habit Pod more easily because I am in a different time zone than many of the others. Many people were really kind and put an encouraging emoji next to my progress. I found it joyful to help others and encourage them in the goals as well. The accountability group helped me and consistently posting my goals allowed me to reevaluate what my goals were.  It was like an evolution of goals!  I learned my values more clearly by doing this. I decided to change my goals after reading Celeste Headlee’s book entitled, “Do Nothing” to be goals that were more forgiving, self-compassionate, and more open.  For example, Instead of reading 20 pages of a book, my goal might be to “Learn Something New."  That allowed for more creative expression and I ended up learning more. I posted everyday for about 1 year. In the process, I learned a lot about myself because I took detours, changed goals and even failed a lot. I had the opportunity to visit Australia and meet Puddle Pod Founder Michael Batko during my experiences. This Puddle Pod experience was tremendous for me and I want to ensure you know about it. It can really help with your goal setting success! The next pod sign up is May 2024, but if that time does not work for you, they have a new start every quarter. Puddle Pod is recognized as a school on Linkedin.com so that means that your educational allowance from your workplace might cover it. Puddle Pod and its offerings are continually changing so I might not have the most up to date information. What I do know is that it's a tremendous educational experience.  You will get out what you put in and maybe even a ton more. Since I stopped posting in Habit Pod, I found an accountability solution in the United States, I am still consistently posting my habits and working on them! I found out something I did not know about myself and I feel I have been changed by the experience of meeting others in Puddle Pod and learning about myself through working on my goals.

A Year Long Adventure Working on Goals and Productivity

The World Wide Web, thank you Sir Tim, was conceived as a technology designed to be “ ” It has devolved from that into a (cyber)space of moated castles, Disneylandish . a powerful source for social change and individual creativity. cathedrals, not bazaars While very entertaining and very useful in many ways the hegemonic Web platforms present as artificial rather than organic, hierarchical rather than egalitarian. The Big Platforms are owned and managed by a handful of dominant, supervalued, companies. Prominent are Alphabet (Google’s parent) and Meta (Facebook’s parent). Low cost and high profit, they are great at informing and entertaining us. Meanwhile, however, in consequential ways they are beggaring those who provide the content and the users who consume that content. The top platforms are richly paid to channel advertising. To us. The Web has evolved into a massive, and massively profitable, advertising engine. As such, the Web now might be (and is becoming) seen as a form of de facto feudalism, digital imperialism, and digerati aristocracy. The attention of us billions of serfs is the product sold to advertisers. No coercion there. More like… seduction. Note, this critique does not imply a call for legislation or government regulation. Both tend to be blunt instruments that land much harder on startups than on the hegemons of the digital megaverse. It calls for transformation. Which will come, as always, , as Microsoft dethroned IBM, Google (partially) dethroned Microsoft, Facebook (partially) dethroned Google, Apple (partially) dethroned Facebook, and so forth. from more innovation How did we get here? Can we, and if so how can we, once again unleash the imprisoned lighting ( ) of the colonized Web to create a new golden age of innovation and equitable prosperity? h/t Emma Lazarus Enter the blockchain. First, though, who am I to judge? I am one of the few surviving Original Gangsters of the Supply Side/Reaganomics revolution. We, relentlessly mocked by the right (“voodoo economics”) and the left (“trickle-down economics”), got policies enacted that, over time , pushed the Dow from 814 (on that day in November 1979 that Reagan officially declared his candidacy for the presidency) to its current flirtation with 40,000. Our voodoo doubled real per capita GDP (from $30,000 to $60,000). It raised nominal American and world GDP by a factor of ten. Pretty good voodoo. That said, what’s the next act? The juice from the original equitable prosperity policy formula -- of stabilizing the dollar (slaying the inflation dragon for two generations and cutting the top marginal income tax rate from 70% to, initially, 28%) -- got wrung out around the time Bill Clinton left the building. I was and am enthusiastic about reducing counterproductively high marginal tax rates across-the-board. Yet much of what ensued in the name of supply-side during the 21st century is a cargo-cult version of supply-side’s successes of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The post-Reagan/Clinton grotesque caricature of authentic supply-side economics has left the economy limping for a generation. Cumulatively, over 20+ years, sub-par growth rates are crippling. They leave us with an economy, both national and personal, far lower than what consistent 3+% supply-side growth rates would have delivered over time. As , compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.  A one or two percent differential compounded over 20 years makes a huge difference. Einstein probably never said Is there a new, plausible, way to re-ignite vibrant, widely shared, rising living standards? As Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer has pointed out, the secret sauce is innovation. Tech. Enter A16z’s , “a General Partner and has been at Andreessen Horowitz since 2012. He founded and leads a16z crypto, which invests in web3 technologies through four dedicated funds with more than $7 billion under management.” Chris Dixon Dixon has delivered a splendid new book . It lays out in clear, practical terms how the wild wild Web was lost. And how to set it right in such a way that everyone, including us serfs, can prosper. Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet As , prosperity is too important to be left to the economists. Enter Dixon. war is too important to be left to the generals How to restore sizzling, equitable, prosperity? The blockchain. The blockchain is a revolutionary form of software which, when more fully developed, portends to allow most of the value created by the community and by its cultural creatives to be enjoyed by the full community and its cultural creatives. Not (as now) exclusively, or at least primarily, by the corporate royalty and tech aristocracy. At long last, Dixon gives us a presentation of the blockchain and its properties imbued with an enthusiasm leavened with shrewd practical insight devoid of hype. Dixon is one of the Masters of the Digital Universe (as coder, entrepreneur, and investor). He knows whereof he writes and has written the first really great, comprehensive, book on the blockchain, . Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet Eureka! Dixon provides an overview in his introduction. He there provides us a World-Wide-Webb-telescopic-eye view of the three eras of the internet, of a new movement, of seeing the truth and determining the internet’s future. Part One, “Read Write”—treats the early internet, which was effectively read only, and Web2, allowing us surfers to write and post through websites, blogs, podcasts, social media and so forth. He explains why networks matter and lays out a trenchant taxonomy of the two dominant incumbent networks (protocol, like the internet and email, and corporate, such as Google and Facebook) and their properties. In Part Two, “Own,” Dixon then goes on to explain what blockchains are, what “tokens” are, and what the – radically great – properties of blockchain networks are… or could and can be. “Own” is a short word with huge implications. Ownership is what has been lost, and which can be restored via a (better) blockchain. In Part Three, “A New Era,” Dixon explains and explores the fundamentals of the business model, community-created software, and take rates (meaning the vigorish that the corporate network proprietors extract from their communities, a process he aptly calls “attract and extract”). He lays out how building networks with token incentives can dramatically change the way the world works for the better, making it more prosperous, cultured, and equitable. He presents vividly the attendant “tokenomics” … and how to restore popular, rather than corporate-autocratic, governance. In Part Four, “Here and Now”, he contrasts the culture of the computer (blockchain as compute platform) with the casino (cryptocurrency), concluding with “What’s Next” … showing how mobile computing, starting with the iPhone, changed everything. He then lays out “some promising applications.” Dixon concludes with a pragmatic vision of the reinvention of the internet… and what grounds his cause for optimism. Until Dixon, in many years of my searching, like Diogenes with his lantern, I had encountered not one single really good, comprehensive, book on the blockchain. (I may have missed one, admittedly, for instance, not yet having gotten to Alex Tapscott’s critically acclaimed .) Web3 There I rested, baffled. So much sizzle. So little steak. So, together with a brilliant acquaintance, I helped write one: . That said, it mainly was focused on the potential finance applications of the blockchain, not the Big Picture. Redefining the Future of the Economy: Governance Blocks and Economic Architecture I thereafter co-authored a second book on this subject, , a compilation of ten superior policies designed to let the sector thrive while protecting the public. Blockchain With American Character It took a long odyssey to arrive at Dixon. I wandered around for years asking people vastly smarter than me what the blockchain was good for and seeking examples of killer applications (“use cases” in the prevailing jargon). In response, I got oodles of hype. And almost no satisfying answers … with one exception, though a largely unpublished one. noteworthy Cometh now Chris Dixon. I am not the only one impressed. Sam Altman, the godfather of ChatGPT, blurbs Read Write Own: “Read this book to understand a compelling vision of where the Internet should go and how to get there.” Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban: “Chris Dixon succeeds at explaining how crypto technology is vital to our technological future and how we all can benefit much as we have from the internet.” And many more captains of industry, tech titans, and nouveau billionaires discovered Dixon’s writings before I did. My own modest credentials? I have been working within and with the Blockchain ecosystem for, well, eons. One of my LinkedIn verticals is aggregating some of the most interesting stories about NFTs. Ralph Benko’s Cryptozoic Eon Geology nerds will recognize the original to be the pre-Cambrian era … before the trilobites and dinosaurs... comprising 80% of Earth’s geo-history. Are we trembling at the verge of the blockchain’s equivalent of the ? Cryptozoic Eon Cambrian explosion Dixon thinks so. So do I. Call me yet my odyssey through the blockchain ecosystem has brought me into contact with creatures and cultures as exotically beautiful and, sometimes, as weird as those encountered by Odysseus during his long return to Ithaka. Nobody My own pilgrimage: Senior advisor to the fabulous Perianne Boring’s Chamber of Digital Commerce, one of the sector’s earliest and most distinguished cheerleaders. Long-time active member of the Federal Blockchain Working Group. Privileged to present more than once at the conferences of the , the preeminent association of officials and international career civil servants. Government Blockchain Association Serving, for two years, as the senior counselor to the American Blockchain PAC, with its advisory board chaired by who generously contributed the introduction to . The breakthrough nature of Stornetta and Haber’s discovery is decisively evidenced by the fact that three of Satoshi’s eight footnotes referenced his and Stuart Haber’s . blockchain-co-inventor Dr. W. Scott Stornetta Blockchain With American Character seminal paper The high privilege of working with one of Satoshi’s earliest Bitcoin core devs (and major contributor to the Android OS) in establishing a DC think tank devoted to smart energy policy, . Jeff Garzik Washington Power and Light Voted Contributor of the Year in 2022 at for my blockchain writings in six categories: politics, economics, science, art, philosophy, and (with Greg Meredith) scaling. HackerNoon My blockchain-related efforts have migrated primarily to the , rather than policy, side. enterprise My primary focus is on the use of rho calculus (a refinement of Robin Milner’s Turing Award-winning pi-calculus) to deploy a blockchain that, unlike the dominant platforms, scales. Bitcoin does a mere 7 transactions per second, Ethereum, 70 transactions per second. Inadequate for practical utility. And expensive to operate. And storable. (Currently it costs almost half a million dollars to store one iTune on the dominant incumbent chains, hence the referenced data are mostly stashed behind someone else’s firewall, not at all optimal.) And searchable. (Currently the dominant blockchains are largely opaque, like the Web before search engines.) And secure. So … now what? Dixon is a true Master of the Blockchain Universe. Not (like me) a practiced propagandist. Thus he buries his lede on page 179: “The stakes are high. As I’ve argued here, blockchain networks are the only known technology that can re-establish an open, democratic internet.” Hello Congress my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again…. This re-establishment is a very big deal indeed. What’s next? For the tantalizing promise of the blockchain to be realized we need smart policy that protects the public while not stifling innovation or exporting this cutting-edge tech, and the potentially trillions of associated dollars, to Berlin, Singapore or Zug. Imagine how worse off America would be today if Congress and our regulators had effectively deported the headquarters of the big Web success stories, like Google, to Europe or the Pacific? The need for a savvy legal and regulatory environment is something that legislators, regulators, and the ethical actors within the industry (like Dixon) all agree upon. Yet Washington has thus far proved mostly thrown, acting like the primates upon encountering the monolith at the beginning of . 2001: a Space Odyssey We’re at the precipice of deporting Web3 and its associated power, prestige and wealth. That may be about to change. The blockchain’s thought leaders are at long last gearing up to help guide the footsteps of the Washington elite back onto the Paths of Righteousness via smart policy, smart legislation, and smart regulation. Some very smart leaders of the blockchain ecosystem are now promising to , a modest investment in support a multi-billion dollar sector. invest $78M in lobbying and advocacy in 2024 The open question? Will they deploy their resources effectively? Or be taken in by the wily Beltway Bandits? What to do? Those of us who remember C.P. Snow’s seminal understand that the “physical scientists” (which would include software engineers, notwithstanding that software is, so to speak, metaphysical) among whom I count myself as a very lesser figure do not really understand the “literary intellectuals” (among whom I also count myself in a very minor way). The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution This misunderstanding causes a terrible disconnect. As Snow reported, in 1959: “They have a curious distorted image of each other. Their attitudes are so different that, even at the level of emotion, they can’t find much common ground.” This can be countered… if the blockchain thought leaders know how to adopt an effective approach. There is abundant potential common ground. Dixon’s book offers a “ ” – the brain’s bridge connecting the left (logical, dominating the physical scientists) and right (narrative-based, dominating the literary intellectuals) hemispheres – to enable both sides to understand each other. corpus callosum To their mutual, and our, great benefit. There’s a simple way to expedite this process, one with a high ROI. Were the thought leaders of the $78M blockchain advocacy effort to allocate an absurdly small fraction (less than 1%) of their dedicated resources to distributing two copies (one for the Congressperson or Senator, one for his or her most relevant legislative aide) of Read Write Own, the impact almost surely will be disproportionately valuable compared to the low cost of such an operation. How do I know? I’ve pretty much single-handedly gotten (non-blockchain related) legislation passed through the House. Twice. There are a lot of smart, idealistic, people working on Capitol Hill, many actively interested in the blockchain and in its tantalizing potential. Put Read Write Own in front of them! The power of can hardly be overestimated: Joseph Pulitzer’s principles “…put it before them briefly so that they will read it, clearly so that they will understand it, forcibly so that they will appreciate it, picturesquely so that they will remember it, and, above all, accurately so that they may be wisely guided by its light.” The late supply-side chief propagandist Jude Wanniski’s book “The Way the World Works” played an outsized role in igniting the worldwide wave of unprecedented equitable prosperity driven by supply-side economics. This arcane fact is mostly long forgotten. That said, I was there and remember. In the , “And I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” words of Ishmael Read Write Own, properly deployed, very well could catalyze a comparably magnificent equitable prosperity transformation. Putting Dixon’s Read Write Own in front of the right eyeballs in the right way on Capitol Hill, could very well release the djinn of “the only known technology that can re-establish an open, democratic internet” from its lamp. Which eyeballs? Don’t try to guess. Simply trust the process known as “ as described by James Surowiecki. the wisdom of crowds” Flood the zone and let the implicate order take it from there. And then … let a new golden age of equitable prosperity, via the road thereto so ably mapped out by Dixon, foment well-designed policy and thereby foster the next great manifestation of equitable prosperity for America. And the world. Read. Write. Own.

Here Comes Web3: Chris Dixon’s Read Write Own

এখানে আসে ওয়েব 3: ক্রিস ডিক্সনের পড়া লেখা নিজস্ব

Hier kommt Web3: Chris Dixons Read Write Own

Aquí viene Web3: Lectura y escritura propia de Chris Dixon

Voici le Web3 : Lire, écrire et posséder de Chris Dixon

यहाँ आता है वेब3: क्रिस डिक्सन का पढ़ें लिखें अपना

Web3 の登場: Chris Dixon の Read Write Own

Web3 출시: Chris Dixon의 읽기 쓰기

Aí vem a Web3: Read Write Own de Chris Dixon

А вот и Web3: книга Криса Диксона «Читайте, пишите сами»

İşte Web3 Geliyor: Chris Dixon'ın Oku Yaz Kendin Yaz

Đây là Web3: Tự đọc và viết của Chris Dixon

Web3 来了：Chris Dixon 的 Read Write Own

The quest for love can often feel like navigating a labyrinth of endless options and fleeting connections. The rise of dating apps has transformed the modern dating scene, offering both unprecedented opportunities and daunting challenges. Online dating is riddled with pitfalls that can impact users' mental health and overall well-being. , the company behind over 70 online dating and social discovery sites and apps, conducted a curious survey shedding light on the evolving dynamics of digital romance. Their findings reveal a deep-seated desire among users for mindfulness, healthier connections, and personal growth. Social Discovery Group Data speaks volumes, indicating a notable shift in the behavior of Gen Z, the vanguards of digital innovation. A staggering 46% of Gen Zers utilize apps to combat loneliness, compared to just 15% of millennials and 9% of Gen X. But what drives this shift towards prioritizing mental health on dating apps? The answer lies in the profound impact of technology on our social lives. As users grapple with the complexities of modern dating, they seek solace in platforms that offer more than just superficial connections. They yearn for healing tips and strategies for healthy communication, recognizing that mental health is paramount in fostering meaningful relationships. “Technology was supposed to connect people, but, in fact, it has increased our loneliness. Screens, in some way, have separated us from each other because connection doesn't necessarily mean attention, empathy, or love,” said Dmitry Volkov, Ph.D, Founder of Social Discovery Group. “However, I would like to argue that technology can indeed be beneficial and make our social lives different and better. I believe AI is one of those significant ideas that can serve as a cure for loneliness, providing support and companionship, and enhancing the overall well-being of people in an increasingly digitized world.” Challenges Users Face in Modern Dating and Their Impact on Mental Health Navigating the modern dating scene can be a minefield of challenges, often leading to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and diminished self-esteem. Ghosting, a common occurrence where communication abruptly ceases without explanation, leaves individuals feeling rejected and questioning their worth. Similarly, breadcrumbing, characterized by sporadic flirtatious messages or attention, fosters confusion and insecurity instead of genuine connections. These behaviors often leave users emotionally drained and unsatisfied, exacerbating mental health struggles. Online dating is not without its darker side, with nearly of women experiencing harassment, ranging from offensive name-calling to unsolicited explicit images. Such pervasive harassment not only threatens women's safety but also worsens mental health, contributing to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. 75% By embracing platforms that prioritize mindfulness, healthier connections, and personal growth, we can cultivate a more compassionate and supportive online dating community. Why People Are Motivated to Prioritize Mental Health Amidst the trials of modern dating, users are increasingly recognizing the importance of prioritizing mental health and wellbeing. In a world of superficiality and instant gratification, they crave deeper, more meaningful connections that nourish the soul. Kate Kubrick, a marketing expert from SDG, notes, Users seek genuine connections that resonate on a deeper level, transcending surface-level interactions. "Today's dating trends reflect a societal shift towards mindfulness and authenticity." How Dating Apps Enhance Features to Safeguard Mental Health Dating apps have come a long way from simply connecting people based on interests. Nowadays, they're evolving to meet users' changing needs, with a strong emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. Modern users demand more than just basic matchmaking. They seek features that cater to specific needs, ensuring that every individual finds their ideal space for communication and meeting new people while prioritizing mental health. Social Discovery Group recognizes this demand and is constantly innovating to meet it. Let’s explore some notable examples. Niche applications like , an SDG app for individuals aged 45 and above, gather similar audiences in a safe space free from ageism. These communities offer a sense of belonging and understanding, fostering genuine connections. Building Communities. DateMyAge SDG incorporates game mechanics into its apps to make the experience more engaging and enjoyable. Features like interactive games help users stay distracted while waiting for a response from a match. For instance, introduces a team-centric game revolving around Haikus--Japanese-style poems--allowing users to showcase their creativity and personality. Gamification. Dil Mil SDG leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the user experience. By incorporating AI into algorithms, the apps create personalized search feeds tailored to each user's preferences. This ensures that users are presented with relevant matches, increasing the likelihood of meaningful connections. AI Integration. To maintain a safe and positive environment, SDG verifies users and implements AI moderation to prevent unwanted content. This proactive approach helps to create a respectful and welcoming community where users can interact without fear of harassment or abuse. User Verification and AI Moderation. Mental Health and Queer Community For queer individuals, dating apps can be a vital resource in a world that may not always be accepting or inclusive. These platforms provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals to explore their identity, connect with others, and form supportive communities. However, queer individuals also face unique challenges in the dating world, including discrimination, fetishization, and erasure. It is crucial for dating apps to prioritize inclusivity and diversity to ensure that all users feel seen, heard, and valued. One of the examples of how SDG works within the queer community is the app. Designed to bring new joy and freedom into users' lives, this fabulous gay dating app offers a vibrant platform where like-minded individuals can easily strike up conversations and forge meaningful connections in a welcoming and inclusive environment. GuysOnly Mental Health and AI Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer in the realm of online dating, offering users personalized support and guidance. AI-driven features, such as chatbots and behavior analysis algorithms, are revolutionizing how we approach dating and relationships. By leveraging AI technologies, dating apps can better understand users' preferences, anticipate their needs, and facilitate meaningful connections. Whether it's boosting confidence, providing validation, or offering coping strategies for loneliness, AI has the potential to transform the online dating experience for the better. Take, for example, conversational AI apps. These platforms assist users in increasing confidence, navigating complex relationships, and reducing anxiety around sexuality. A significant 38% of men have used AI to verbalize their needs and desires, while 42% credit AI with helping them navigate arguments or disagreements in their real-life relationships. Moreover, the benefits of AI extend beyond individual users to society as a whole. By providing a sense of companionship and decreasing feelings of loneliness, AI has become a powerful tool in combating the loneliness epidemic. In fact, 71% of singles who choose not to meet their matches in person report that virtual messaging alone has alleviated feelings of isolation. As dating apps continue to evolve, so too do our expectations and aspirations. No longer satisfied with mere "matching," users are demanding platforms that prioritize their mental health and well-being. By embracing mindfulness, authenticity, and inclusivity, dating apps have the power to foster meaningful connections that enrich our lives and nourish our souls. actively works to prioritize our mental health and embrace the transformative potential of technology to create a world where love and well-being go hand in hand. Social Discovery Group

How Dating Apps Shift Focus from Simple “Matching” to Mental Health

কীভাবে ডেটিং অ্যাপগুলি সাধারণ "ম্যাচিং" থেকে মানসিক স্বাস্থ্যের দিকে মনোনিবেশ করে

Wie Dating-Apps den Fokus vom einfachen „Matching“ auf die psychische Gesundheit verlagern

Cómo las aplicaciones de citas cambian el enfoque de la simple "combinación" a la salud mental

Comment les applications de rencontres déplacent l’attention du simple « matching » vers la santé mentale

कैसे डेटिंग ऐप्स फोकस को साधारण "मैचिंग" से हटाकर मानसिक स्वास्थ्य पर केंद्रित करते हैं

マッチングアプリはいかにして単純な「マッチング」からメンタルヘルスに焦点を移すか

데이트 앱이 단순한 "매칭"에서 정신 건강으로 초점을 전환하는 방법

Como os aplicativos de namoro mudam o foco da simples “combinação” para a saúde mental

Как приложения для знакомств смещают фокус с простого «совпадения» на психическое здоровье

Flört Uygulamaları Odağı Basit "Eşleştirmeden" Akıl Sağlığına Nasıl Kaydırıyor?

Cách các ứng dụng hẹn hò chuyển trọng tâm từ “kết hợp” đơn giản sang sức khỏe tâm thần

约会应用程序如何将焦点从简单的“匹配”转移到心理健康

367 Stories To Learn About Web Design

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FABULOR

fabulor.eu

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FABULOR

EVERGREEN INDEX #3913

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