Tiriosis in the Property Management Tech Industry

Tirios

tirios

is a blockchain technology that enables users to replace their traditional blockchain accounts with smart contracts. This is an ERC Standard, and it therefore applies to Ethereum and all EVM-based blockchains like Artirbum, Avalanche, Polygon, and several more. Account abstraction Two types of accounts exist on EVM-based blockchain platforms: EOMs or Externally Owned Accounts and Smart Contract Accounts, also referred to by some people as ‘Smart Accounts.’ Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) Users on most current blockchains and EVM-based systems have externally owned accounts. They access and transact from their accounts using an external private key paired with their public key. There are multiple ways to store these private keys: hardware, software, and paper wallets. Using the wallets to store the keys safely can often confuse some new users. When these accounts are set up, a private key is generated for the user to keep secret, and so are “seed phrases” to help users recover their accounts if they misplace their private key. Users should also be storing these seed phrases securely. An EOA must initiate all blockchain activity. All activities on a blockchain platform, such as conducting transactions or calling smart contracts to perform their logic, must be initiated from an EOA. And every transaction costs money in the form of Gas fees. Limitations of Traditional Accounts (EOAs) Every action on the blockchain requires gas fees. EOAs can’t do anything until some ETH is transferred into them to make transactions. Funding new accounts to start transacting is one of the biggest hurdles first-time users must overcome. Some experts believe this is the primary impediment stopping the large-scale adoption of Web3-based solutions. Additionally, if you lose or forget your private key and seed phrases, there is no way of recovering the account – all the money in it is inaccessible for good. There are several painful of this. examples How many accounts would you have lost till now if you couldn’t click forgot password and follow a backup mechanism? Smart Contracts Accounts Smart contract accounts are the second type of account on Ethereum. Smart contracts are one of the most powerful features of blockchain technology. A smart contract is a digital contract where the terms of the agreement between users or program logic are set in code. A smart contract can also be programmed to self-execute when a set of predefined conditions are fulfilled. Smart contracts can be programmed to trigger other smart contracts or create new events when executed. Smart contracts can also hold assets, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies within them. These assets can be distributed upon execution when a set of conditions are met based on the code defined in the contract. With smart contracts, developers can implement ‘access’ rules of their choice. Meaning that they can use a range of custom mechanisms through which a user can access their account. Account Abstraction Account abstraction allows users to use smart contracts as their primary accounts. It essentially turns EOAs into smart contract-enabled accounts. Smart contracts can hold complex logic pertaining to various aspects of the user experience, such as the user accessing the account, conducting transactions on the platform and much more. It has the potential to completely change the user experience on the blockchain for the better because it will make accessing and using Web3 apps much more straightforward. There have been several previous attempts to create account abstraction, but it was finally made possible by ERC 4337. ERC 4337 ERC 4337 first started as an EIP (ethereum improvement proposal). It was co-authored by , Yoav Weiss, Kristof Gazso, Dror Tirosh, Shahaf Nacson, and Tjaden Hess. Four key benefits to the Ethereum network that the co-authors observed are: Vitalik Buterin It preserves the ethos of the ecosystem – decentralization It requires no hard fork and can be adopted without any consensus protocol changes It supports signature schemes that are user-friendly, more efficient, and quantum-safe It removes user experience friction by creating gas abstraction, i.e., allowing users to pay network fees by tokens or request third parties to cover their fees altogether. ERC-20 More details about the team, participating members, and the protocol can be found . here Readers interested in more technically advanced details about this protocol and the abstraction process can learn more . here ERC 4337’s primary benefit is that it simplifies the creation and use of wallets. Benefits of Account Abstraction Account abstraction does away with the need to remember seed phrases and private keys. Developers can define their own safety rules with smart contract wallets. For example, account recovery can be done through external biometric verification solutions or social mechanisms with a trusted group of friends. These new accounts can allow for gas fees to be paid with any token or even to pay for someone else’s gas fees. Projects eager to onboard new users can subsidize or even completely offset the initial gas fees required by new users. A range of logic varying in complexity can be implemented through smart contracts. This can enable things like batch payments – where several complex or lengthy actions can be batched together, signed, and paid for all at once. It can also enable automatic payments, which weren’t previously possible on blockchain platforms due to the requirement of user signatures for each action. Overall, the primary benefit of account abstraction is that it simplifies things and enables the development of very user-friendly apps, especially for beginners. It also helps prevent the loss of crypto wallet access and the loss of crypto itself. Conclusion By moving users from Externally Owned Accounts to Smart Contract Accounts, account abstraction will enable much friendlier user experiences, avoid all the pitfalls and unrecoverable accounts of the past, and may pave the way to large-scale adoption of web3-based applications.

ERC 4337: Understanding Account Abstraction

Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . KAR KOMAK, THE BOWMAN KAR KOMAK, THE BOWMAN As Carthoris moved through the forest toward the distant cliffs with Thuvia’s hand still tight pressed in his, he wondered a little at the girl’s continued silence, yet the contact of her cool palm against his was so pleasant that he feared to break the spell of her new-found reliance in him by speaking. Onward through the dim wood they passed until the shadows of the quick coming Martian night commenced to close down upon them. Then it was that Carthoris turned to speak to the girl at his side. They must plan together for the future. It was his idea to pass through the cliffs at once if they could locate the passage, and he was quite positive that they were now close to it; but he wanted her assent to the proposition. As his eyes rested upon her, he was struck by her strangely ethereal appearance. She seemed suddenly to have dissolved into the tenuous substance of a dream, and as he continued to gaze upon her, she faded slowly from his sight. For an instant he was dumbfounded, and then the whole truth flashed suddenly upon him. Jav had caused him to believe that Thuvia was accompanying him through the wood while, as a matter of fact, he had detained the girl for himself! Carthoris was horrified. He cursed himself for his stupidity, and yet he knew that the fiendish power which the Lotharian had invoked to confuse him might have deceived any. Scarce had he realized the truth than he had started to retrace his steps toward Lothar, but now he moved at a trot, the Earthly thews that he had inherited from his father carrying him swiftly over the soft carpet of fallen leaves and rank grass. Thuria’s brilliant light flooded the plain before the walled city of Lothar as Carthoris broke from the wood opposite the great gate that had given the fugitives egress from the city earlier in the day. At first he saw no indication that there was another than himself anywhere about. The plain was deserted. No myriad bowmen camped now beneath the overhanging verdure of the giant trees. No gory heaps of tortured dead defaced the beauty of the scarlet sward. All was silence. All was peace. The Heliumite, scarce pausing at the forest’s verge, pushed on across the plain toward the city, when presently he descried a huddled form in the grass at his feet. It was the body of a man, lying prone. Carthoris turned the figure over upon its back. It was Jav, but torn and mangled almost beyond recognition. The prince bent low to note if any spark of life remained, and as he did so the lids raised and dull, suffering eyes looked up into his. “The Princess of Ptarth!” cried Carthoris. “Where is she? Answer me, man, or I complete the work that another has so well begun.” “Komal,” muttered Jav. “He sprang upon me . . . and would have devoured me but for the girl. Then they went away together into the wood—the girl and the great banth . . . her fingers twined in his tawny mane.” “Which way went they?” asked Carthoris. “There,” replied Jav faintly, “toward the passage through the cliffs.” The Prince of Helium waited to hear no more, but springing to his feet, raced back again into the forest. It was dawn when he reached the mouth of the dark tunnel that would lead him to the other world beyond this valley of ghostly memories and strange hypnotic influences and menaces. Within the long, dark passages he met with no accident or obstacle, coming at last into the light of day beyond the mountains, and no great distance from the southern verge of the domains of the Torquasians, not more than one hundred and fifty haad at the most. From the boundary of Torquas to the city of Aaanthor is a distance of some two hundred haads, so that the Heliumite had before him a journey of more than one hundred and fifty Earth miles between him and Aaanthor. He could at best but hazard a chance guess that toward Aaanthor Thuvia would take her flight. There lay the nearest water, and there might be expected some day a rescuing party from her father’s empire; for Carthoris knew Thuvan Dihn well enough to know that he would leave no stone unturned until he had tracked down the truth as to his daughter’s abduction, and learned all that there might be to learn of her whereabouts. He realized, of course, that the trick which had laid suspicion upon him would greatly delay the discovery of the truth, but little did he guess to what vast proportions had the results of the villainy of Astok of Dusar already grown. Even as he emerged from the mouth of the passage to look across the foothills in the direction of Aaanthor, a Ptarth battle fleet was winging its majestic way slowly toward the twin cities of Helium, while from far distant Kaol raced another mighty armada to join forces with its ally. He did not know that in the face of the circumstantial evidence against him even his own people had commenced to entertain suspicions that he might have stolen the Ptarthian princess. He did not know of the lengths to which the Dusarians had gone to disrupt the friendship and alliance which existed between the three great powers of the eastern hemisphere—Helium, Ptarth and Kaol. How Dusarian emissaries had found employment in important posts in the foreign offices of the three great nations, and how, through these men, messages from one jeddak to another were altered and garbled until the patience and pride of the three rulers and former friends could no longer endure the humiliations and insults contained in these falsified papers—not any of this he knew. Nor did he know how even to the last John Carter, Warlord of Mars, had refused to permit the jeddak of Helium to declare war against either Ptarth or Kaol, because of his implicit belief in his son, and that eventually all would be satisfactorily explained. And now two great fleets were moving upon Helium, while the Dusarian spies at the court of Tardos Mors saw to it that the twin cities remained in ignorance of their danger. War had been declared by Thuvan Dihn, but the messenger who had been dispatched with the proclamation had been a Dusarian who had seen to it that no word of warning reached the twin cities of the approach of a hostile fleet. For several days diplomatic relations had been severed between Helium and her two most powerful neighbors, and with the departure of the ministers had come a total cessation of wireless communication between the disputants, as is usual upon Barsoom. But of all this Carthoris was ignorant. All that interested him at present was the finding of Thuvia of Ptarth. Her trail beside that of the huge banth had been well marked to the tunnel, and was once more visible leading southward into the foothills. As he followed rapidly downward toward the dead sea-bottom, where he knew he must lose the spoor in the resilient ochre vegetation, he was suddenly surprised to see a naked man approaching him from the north-east. As the fellow drew closer, Carthoris halted to await his coming. He knew that the man was unarmed, and that he was apparently a Lotharian, for his skin was white and his hair auburn. He approached the Heliumite without sign of fear, and when quite close called out the cheery Barsoomian “kaor” of greeting. “Who are you?” asked Carthoris. “I am Kar Komak, odwar of the bowmen,” replied the other. “A strange thing has happened to me. For ages Tario has been bringing me into existence as he needed the services of the army of his mind. Of all the bowmen it has been Kar Komak who has been oftenest materialized. “For a long time Tario has been concentrating his mind upon my permanent materialization. It has been an obsession with him that some day this thing could be accomplished and the future of Lothar assured. He asserted that matter was nonexistent except in the imagination of man—that all was mental, and so he believed that by persisting in his suggestion he could eventually make of me a permanent suggestion in the minds of all creatures. “Yesterday he succeeded, but at such a time! It must have come all unknown to him, as it came to me without my knowledge, as, with my horde of yelling bowmen, I pursued the fleeing Torquasians back to their ochre plains. “As darkness settled and the time came for us to fade once more into thin air, I suddenly found myself alone upon the edge of the great plain which lies yonder at the foot of the low hills. “My men were gone back to the nothingness from which they had sprung, but I remained—naked and unarmed. “At first I could not understand, but at last came a realization of what had occurred. Tario’s long suggestions had at last prevailed, and Kar Komak had become a reality in the world of men; but my harness and my weapons had faded away with my fellows, leaving me naked and unarmed in a hostile country far from Lothar.” “You wish to return to Lothar?” asked Carthoris. “No!” replied Kar Komak quickly. “I have no love for Tario. Being a creature of his mind, I know him too well. He is cruel and tyrannical—a master I have no desire to serve. Now that he has succeeded in accomplishing my permanent materialization, he will be unbearable, and he will go on until he has filled Lothar with his creatures. I wonder if he has succeeded as well with the maid of Lothar.” “I thought there were no women there,” said Carthoris. “In a hidden apartment in the palace of Tario,” replied Kar Komak, “the jeddak has maintained the suggestion of a beautiful girl, hoping that some day she would become permanent. I have seen her there. She is wonderful! But for her sake I hope that Tario succeeds not so well with her as he has with me. “Now, red man, I have told you of myself—what of you?” Carthoris liked the face and manner of the bowman. There had been no sign of doubt or fear in his expression as he had approached the heavily-armed Heliumite, and he had spoken directly and to the point. So the Prince of Helium told the bowman of Lothar who he was and what adventure had brought him to this far country. “Good!” exclaimed the other, when he had done. “Kar Komak will accompany you. Together we shall find the Princess of Ptarth and with you Kar Komak will return to the world of men—such a world as he knew in the long-gone past when the ships of mighty Lothar ploughed angry Throxus, and the roaring surf beat against the barrier of these parched and dreary hills.” “What mean you?” asked Carthoris. “Had you really a former actual existence?” “Most assuredly,” replied Kar Komak. “In my day I commanded the fleets of Lothar—mightiest of all the fleets that sailed the five salt seas. “Wherever men lived upon Barsoom there was the name of Kar Komak known and respected. Peaceful were the land races in those distant days—only the seafarers were warriors; but now has the glory of the past faded, nor did I think until I met you that there remained upon Barsoom a single person of our own mould who lived and loved and fought as did the ancient seafarers of my time. “Ah, but it will seem good to see men once again—real men! Never had I much respect for the landsmen of my day. They remained in their walled cities wasting their time in play, depending for their protection entirely upon the sea race. And the poor creatures who remain, the Tarios and Javs of Lothar, are even worse than their ancient forbears.” Carthoris was a trifle skeptical as to the wisdom of permitting the stranger to attach himself to him. There was always the chance that he was but the essence of some hypnotic treachery which Tario or Jav was attempting to exert upon the Heliumite; and yet, so sincere had been the manner and the words of the bowman, so much the fighting man did he seem, but Carthoris could not find it in his heart to doubt him. The outcome of the matter was that he gave the naked odwar leave to accompany him, and together they set out upon the spoor of Thuvia and Komal. Down to the ochre sea-bottom the trail led. There it disappeared, as Carthoris had known that it would; but where it entered the plain its direction had been toward Aaanthor and so toward Aaanthor the two turned their faces. It was a long and tedious journey, fraught with many dangers. The bowman could not travel at the pace set by Carthoris, whose muscles carried him with great rapidity over the face of the small planet, the force of gravity of which exerts so much less retarding power than that of the Earth. Fifty miles a day is a fair average for a Barsoomian, but the son of John Carter might easily have covered a hundred or more miles had he cared to desert his new-found comrade. All the way they were in constant danger of discovery by roving bands of Torquasians, and especially was this true before they reached the boundary of Torquas. Good fortune was with them, however, and although they sighted two detachments of the savage green men, they were not themselves seen. And so they came, upon the morning of the third day, within sight of the glistening domes of distant Aaanthor. Throughout the journey Carthoris had ever strained his eyes ahead in search of Thuvia and the great banth; but not till now had he seen aught to give him hope. This morning, far ahead, half-way between themselves and Aaanthor, the men saw two tiny figures moving toward the city. For a moment they watched them intently. Then Carthoris, convinced, leaped forward at a rapid run, Kar Komak following as swiftly as he could. The Heliumite shouted to attract the girl’s attention, and presently he was rewarded by seeing her turn and stand looking toward him. At her side the great banth stood with up-pricked ears, watching the approaching man. Not yet could Thuvia of Ptarth have recognized Carthoris, though that it was he she must have been convinced, for she waited there for him without sign of fear. Presently he saw her point toward the northwest, beyond him. Without slackening his pace, he turned his eyes in the direction she indicated. Racing silently over the thick vegetation, not half a mile behind, came a score of fierce green warriors, charging him upon their mighty thoats. To their right was Kar Komak, naked and unarmed, yet running valiantly toward Carthoris and shouting warning as though he, too, had but just discovered the silent, menacing company that moved so swiftly forward with couched spears and ready long-swords. Carthoris shouted to the Lotharian, warning him back, for he knew that he could but uselessly sacrifice his life by placing himself, all unarmed, in the path of the cruel and relentless savages. But Kar Komak never hesitated. With shouts of encouragement to his new friend, he hurried onward toward the Prince of Helium. The red man’s heart leaped in response to this exhibition of courage and self-sacrifice. He regretted now that he had not thought to give Kar Komak one of his swords; but it was too late to attempt it, for should he wait for the Lotharian to overtake him or return to meet him, the Torquasians would reach Thuvia of Ptarth before he could do so. Even as it was, it would be nip and tuck as to who came first to her side. Again he turned his face in her direction, and now, from Aaanthor way, he saw a new force hastening toward them—two medium-sized war craft—and even at the distance they still were from him he discerned the device of Dusar upon their bows. Now, indeed, seemed little hope for Thuvia of Ptarth. With savage warriors of the hordes of Torquas charging toward her from one direction, and no less implacable enemies, in the form of the creatures of Astok, Prince of Dusar, bearing down upon her from another, while only a banth, a red warrior, and an unarmed bowman were near to defend her, her plight was quite hopeless and her cause already lost ere ever it was contested. As Thuvia saw Carthoris approaching, she felt again that unaccountable sensation of entire relief from responsibility and fear that she had experienced upon a former occasion. Nor could she account for it while her mind still tried to convince her heart that the Prince of Helium had been instrumental in her abduction from her father’s court. She only knew that she was glad when he was by her side, and that with him there all things seemed possible—even such impossible things as escape from her present predicament. Now had he stopped, panting, before her. A brave smile of encouragement lit his face. “Courage, my princess,” he whispered. To the girl’s memory flashed the occasion upon which he had used those same words—in the throne-room of Tario of Lothar as they had commenced to slip down the sinking marble floor toward an unknown fate. Then she had not chidden him for the use of that familiar salutation, nor did she chide him now, though she was promised to another. She wondered at herself—flushing at her own turpitude; for upon Barsoom it is a shameful thing for a woman to listen to those two words from another than her husband or her betrothed. Carthoris saw her flush of mortification, and in an instant regretted his words. There was but a moment before the green warriors would be upon them. “Forgive me!” said the man in a low voice. “Let my great love be my excuse—that, and the belief that I have but a moment more of life,” and with the words he turned to meet the foremost of the green warriors. The fellow was charging with couched spear, but Carthoris leaped to one side, and as the great thoat and its rider hurtled harmlessly past him he swung his long-sword in a mighty cut that clove the green carcass in twain. At the same moment Kar Komak leaped with bare hands clawing at the leg of another of the huge riders; the balance of the horde raced in to close quarters, dismounting the better to wield their favourite long-swords; the Dusarian fliers touched the soft carpet of the ochre-clad sea-bottom, disgorging fifty fighting men from their bowels; and into the swirling sea of cutting, slashing swords sprang Komal, the great banth. 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. Edgar Rice Burroughs (1993). Thuvia, Maid of Mars. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/72/pg72-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 www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

KAR KOMAK, THE BOWMAN

Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . THE BATTLE IN THE PLAIN THE BATTLE IN THE PLAIN The distance from the bottom of the funnel to the floor of the chamber beneath it could not have been great, for all three of the victims of Tario’s wrath alighted unscathed. Carthoris, still clasping Thuvia tightly to his breast, came to the ground catlike, upon his feet, breaking the shock for the girl. Scarce had his feet touched the rough stone flagging of this new chamber than his sword flashed out ready for instant use. But though the room was lighted, there was no sign of enemy about. Carthoris looked toward Jav. The man was pasty white with fear. “What is to be our fate?” asked the Heliumite. “Tell me, man! Shake off your terror long enough to tell me, so I may be prepared to sell my life and that of the Princess of Ptarth as dearly as possible.” “Komal!” whispered Jav. “We are to be devoured by Komal!” “Your deity?” asked Carthoris. The Lotharian nodded his head. Then he pointed toward a low doorway at one end of the chamber. “From thence will he come upon us. Lay aside your puny sword, fool. It will but enrage him the more and make our sufferings the worse.” Carthoris smiled, gripping his long-sword the more firmly. Presently Jav gave a horrified moan, at the same time pointing toward the door. “He has come,” he whimpered. Carthoris and Thuvia looked in the direction the Lotharian had indicated, expecting to see some strange and fearful creature in human form; but to their astonishment they saw the broad head and great-maned shoulders of a huge banth, the largest that either ever had seen. Slowly and with dignity the mighty beast advanced into the room. Jav had fallen to the floor, and was wriggling his body in the same servile manner that he had adopted toward Tario. He spoke to the fierce beast as he would have spoken to a human being, pleading with it for mercy. Carthoris stepped between Thuvia and the banth, his sword ready to contest the beast’s victory over them. Thuvia turned toward Jav. “Is this Komal, your god?” she asked. Jav nodded affirmatively. The girl smiled, and then, brushing past Carthoris, she stepped swiftly toward the growling carnivore. In low, firm tones she spoke to it as she had spoken to the banths of the Golden Cliffs and the scavengers before the walls of Lothar. The beast ceased its growling. With lowered head and catlike purr, it came slinking to the girl’s feet. Thuvia turned toward Carthoris. “It is but a banth,” she said. “We have nothing to fear from it.” Carthoris smiled. “I did not fear it,” he replied, “for I, too, believed it to be only a banth, and I have my long-sword.” Jav sat up and gazed at the spectacle before him—the slender girl weaving her fingers in the tawny mane of the huge creature that he had thought divine, while Komal rubbed his hideous snout against her side. “So this is your god!” laughed Thuvia. Jav looked bewildered. He scarce knew whether he dare chance offending Komal or not, for so strong is the power of superstition that even though we know that we have been reverencing a sham, yet still we hesitate to admit the validity of our new-found convictions. “Yes,” he said, “this is Komal. For ages the enemies of Tario have been hurled to this pit to fill his maw, for Komal must be fed.” “Is there any way out of this chamber to the avenues of the city?” asked Carthoris. Jav shrugged. “I do not know,” he replied. “Never have I been here before, nor ever have I cared to do so.” “Come,” suggested Thuvia, “let us explore. There must be a way out.” Together the three approached the doorway through which Komal had entered the apartment that was to have witnessed their deaths. Beyond was a low-roofed lair, with a small door at the far end. This, to their delight, opened to the lifting of an ordinary latch, letting them into a circular arena, surrounded by tiers of seats. “Here is where Komal is fed in public,” explained Jav. “Had Tario dared it would have been here that our fates had been sealed; but he feared too much thy keen blade, red man, and so he hurled us all downward to the pit. I did not know how closely connected were the two chambers. Now we may easily reach the avenues and the city gates. Only the bowmen may dispute the right of way, and, knowing their secret, I doubt that they have power to harm us.” Another door led to a flight of steps that rose from the arena level upward through the seats to an exit at the back of the hall. Beyond this was a straight, broad corridor, running directly through the palace to the gardens at the side. No one appeared to question them as they advanced, mighty Komal pacing by the girl’s side. “Where are the people of the palace—the jeddak’s retinue?” asked Carthoris. “Even in the city streets as we came through I scarce saw sign of a human being, yet all about are evidences of a mighty population.” Jav sighed. “Poor Lothar,” he said. “It is indeed a city of ghosts. There are scarce a thousand of us left, who once were numbered in the millions. Our great city is peopled by the creatures of our own imaginings. For our own needs we do not take the trouble to materialize these peoples of our brain, yet they are apparent to us. “Even now I see great throngs lining the avenue, hastening to and fro in the round of their duties. I see women and children laughing on the balconies—these we are forbidden to materialize; but yet I see them—they are here. . . . But why not?” he mused. “No longer need I fear Tario—he has done his worst, and failed. Why not indeed? “Stay, friends,” he continued. “Would you see Lothar in all her glory?” Carthoris and Thuvia nodded their assent, more out of courtesy than because they fully grasped the import of his mutterings. Jav gazed at them penetratingly for an instant, then, with a wave of his hand, cried: “Look!” The sight that met them was awe-inspiring. Where before there had been naught but deserted pavements and scarlet swards, yawning windows and tenantless doors, now swarmed a countless multitude of happy, laughing people. “It is the past,” said Jav in a low voice. “They do not see us—they but live the old dead past of ancient Lothar—the dead and crumbled Lothar of antiquity, which stood upon the shore of Throxus, mightiest of the five oceans. “See those fine, upstanding men swinging along the broad avenue? See the young girls and the women smile upon them? See the men greet them with love and respect? Those be seafarers coming up from their ships which lie at the quays at the city’s edge. “Brave men, they—ah, but the glory of Lothar has faded! See their weapons. They alone bore arms, for they crossed the five seas to strange places where dangers were. With their passing passed the martial spirit of the Lotharians, leaving, as the ages rolled by, a race of spineless cowards. “We hated war, and so we trained not our youth in warlike ways. Thus followed our undoing, for when the seas dried and the green hordes encroached upon us we could do naught but flee. But we remembered the seafaring bowmen of the days of our glory—it is the memory of these which we hurl upon our enemies.” As Jav ceased speaking, the picture faded, and once more, the three took up their way toward the distant gates, along deserted avenues. Twice they sighted Lotharians of flesh and blood. At sight of them and the huge banth which they must have recognized as Komal, the citizens turned and fled. “They will carry word of our flight to Tario,” cried Jav, “and soon he will send his bowmen after us. Let us hope that our theory is correct, and that their shafts are powerless against minds cognizant of their unreality. Otherwise we are doomed. “Explain, red man, to the woman the truths that I have explained to you, that she may meet the arrows with a stronger counter-suggestion of immunity.” Carthoris did as Jav bid him; but they came to the great gates without sign of pursuit developing. Here Jav set in motion the mechanism that rolled the huge, wheel-like gate aside, and a moment later the three, accompanied by the banth, stepped out into the plain before Lothar. Scarce had they covered a hundred yards when the sound of many men shouting arose behind them. As they turned they saw a company of bowmen debouching upon the plain from the gate through which they had but just passed. Upon the wall above the gate were a number of Lotharians, among whom Jav recognized Tario. The jeddak stood glaring at them, evidently concentrating all the forces of his trained mind upon them. That he was making a supreme effort to render his imaginary creatures deadly was apparent. Jav turned white, and commenced to tremble. At the crucial moment he appeared to lose the courage of his conviction. The great banth turned back toward the advancing bowmen and growled. Carthoris placed himself between Thuvia and the enemy and, facing them, awaited the outcome of their charge. Suddenly an inspiration came to Carthoris. “Hurl your own bowmen against Tario’s!” he cried to Jav. “Let us see a materialized battle between two mentalities.” The suggestion seemed to hearten the Lotharian, and in another moment the three stood behind solid ranks of huge bowmen who hurled taunts and menaces at the advancing company emerging from the walled city. Jav was a new man the moment his battalions stood between him and Tario. One could almost have sworn the man believed these creatures of his strange hypnotic power to be real flesh and blood. With hoarse battle cries they charged the bowmen of Tario. Barbed shafts flew thick and fast. Men fell, and the ground was red with gore. Carthoris and Thuvia had difficulty in reconciling the reality of it all with their knowledge of the truth. They saw utan after utan march from the gate in perfect step to reinforce the outnumbered company which Tario had first sent forth to arrest them. They saw Jav’s forces grow correspondingly until all about them rolled a sea of fighting, cursing warriors, and the dead lay in heaps about the field. Jav and Tario seemed to have forgotten all else beside the struggling bowmen that surged to and fro, filling the broad field between the forest and the city. The wood loomed close behind Thuvia and Carthoris. The latter cast a glance toward Jav. “Come!” he whispered to the girl. “Let them fight out their empty battle—neither, evidently, has power to harm the other. They are like two controversialists hurling words at one another. While they are engaged we may as well be devoting our energies to an attempt to find the passage through the cliffs to the plain beyond.” As he spoke, Jav, turning from the battle for an instant, caught his words. He saw the girl move to accompany the Heliumite. A cunning look leaped to the Lotharian’s eyes. The thing that lay beyond that look had been deep in his heart since first he had laid eyes upon Thuvia of Ptarth. He had not recognized it, however, until now that she seemed about to pass out of his existence. He centred his mind upon the Heliumite and the girl for an instant. Carthoris saw Thuvia of Ptarth step forward with outstretched hand. He was surprised at this sudden softening toward him, and it was with a full heart that he let his fingers close upon hers, as together they turned away from forgotten Lothar, into the woods, and bent their steps toward the distant mountains. As the Lotharian had turned toward them, Thuvia had been surprised to hear Carthoris suddenly voice a new plan. “Remain here with Jav,” she had heard him say, “while I go to search for the passage through the cliffs.” She had dropped back in surprise and disappointment, for she knew that there was no reason why she should not have accompanied him. Certainly she should have been safer with him than left here alone with the Lotharian. And Jav watched the two and smiled his cunning smile. When Carthoris had disappeared within the wood, Thuvia seated herself apathetically upon the scarlet sward to watch the seemingly interminable struggles of the bowmen. The long afternoon dragged its weary way toward darkness, and still the imaginary legions charged and retreated. The sun was about to set when Tario commenced to withdraw his troops slowly toward the city. His plan for cessation of hostilities through the night evidently met with Jav’s entire approval, for he caused his forces to form themselves in orderly utans and march just within the edge of the wood, where they were soon busily engaged in preparing their evening meal, and spreading down their sleeping silks and furs for the night. Thuvia could scarce repress a smile as she noted the scrupulous care with which Jav’s imaginary men attended to each tiny detail of deportment as truly as if they had been real flesh and blood. Sentries were posted between the camp and the city. Officers clanked hither and thither issuing commands and seeing to it that they were properly carried out. Thuvia turned toward Jav. “Why is it,” she asked, “that you observe such careful nicety in the regulation of your creatures when Tario knows quite as well as you that they are but figments of your brain? Why not permit them simply to dissolve into thin air until you again require their futile service?” “You do not understand them,” replied Jav. “While they exist they are real. I do but call them into being now, and in a way direct their general actions. But thereafter, until I dissolve them, they are as actual as you or I. Their officers command them, under my guidance. I am the general—that is all. And the psychological effect upon the enemy is far greater than were I to treat them merely as substanceless vagaries. “Then, too,” continued the Lotharian, “there is always the hope, which with us is little short of belief, that some day these materializations will merge into the real—that they will remain, some of them, after we have dissolved their fellows, and that thus we shall have discovered a means for perpetuating our dying race. “Some there are who claim already to have accomplished the thing. It is generally supposed that the etherealists have quite a few among their number who are permanent materializations. It is even said that such is Tario, but that cannot be, for he existed before we had discovered the full possibilities of suggestion. “There are others among us who insist that none of us is real. That we could not have existed all these ages without material food and water had we ourselves been material. Although I am a realist, I rather incline toward this belief myself. “It seems well and sensibly based upon the belief that our ancient forbears developed before their extinction such wondrous mentalities that some of the stronger minds among them lived after the death of their bodies—that we are but the deathless minds of individuals long dead. “It would appear possible, and yet in so far as I am concerned I have all the attributes of corporeal existence. I eat, I sleep”—he paused, casting a meaning look upon the girl—“I love!” Thuvia could not mistake the palpable meaning of his words and expression. She turned away with a little shrug of disgust that was not lost upon the Lotharian. He came close to her and seized her arm. “Why not Jav?” he cried. “Who more honourable than the second of the world’s most ancient race? Your Heliumite? He has gone. He has deserted you to your fate to save himself. Come, be Jav’s!” Thuvia of Ptarth rose to her full height, her lifted shoulder turned toward the man, her haughty chin upraised, a scornful twist to her lips. “You lie!” she said quietly, “the Heliumite knows less of disloyalty than he knows of fear, and of fear he is as ignorant as the unhatched young.” “Then where is he?” taunted the Lotharian. “I tell you he has fled the valley. He has left you to your fate. But Jav will see that it is a pleasant one. To-morrow we shall return into Lothar at the head of my victorious army, and I shall be jeddak and you shall be my consort. Come!” And he attempted to crush her to his breast. The girl struggled to free herself, striking at the man with her metal armlets. Yet still he drew her toward him, until both were suddenly startled by a hideous growl that rumbled from the dark wood close behind them. 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. Edgar Rice Burroughs (1993). Thuvia, Maid of Mars. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/72/pg72-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 www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

THE BATTLE IN THE PLAIN

Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . THE PHANTOM BOWMEN THE PHANTOM BOWMEN As Jav leaped toward him Carthoris laid his hand upon the hilt of his long-sword. The Lotharian halted. The great apartment was empty save for the four at the dais, yet as Jav stepped back from the menace of the Heliumite’s threatening attitude the latter found himself surrounded by a score of bowmen. From whence had they sprung? Both Carthoris and Thuvia looked their astonishment. Now the former’s sword leaped from its scabbard, and at the same instant the bowmen drew back their slim shafts. Tario had half raised himself upon one elbow. For the first time he saw the full figure of Thuvia, who had been concealed behind the person of Carthoris. “Enough!” cried the jeddak, raising a protesting hand, but at that very instant the sword of the Heliumite cut viciously at its nearest antagonist. As the keen edge reached its goal Carthoris let the point fall to the floor, as with wide eyes he stepped backward in consternation, throwing the back of his left hand across his brow. His steel had cut but empty air—his antagonist had vanished—there were no bowmen in the room! “It is evident that these are strangers,” said Tario to Jav. “Let us first determine that they knowingly affronted us before we take measures for punishment.” Then he turned to Carthoris, but ever his gaze wandered to the perfect lines of Thuvia’s glorious figure, which the harness of a Barsoomian princess accentuated rather than concealed. “Who are you,” he asked, “who knows not the etiquette of the court of the last of jeddaks?” “I am Carthoris, Prince of Helium,” replied the Heliumite. “And this is Thuvia, Princess of Ptarth. In the courts of our fathers men do not prostrate themselves before royalty. Not since the First Born tore their immortal goddess limb from limb have men crawled upon their bellies to any throne upon Barsoom. Now think you that the daughter of one mighty jeddak and the son of another would so humiliate themselves?” Tario looked at Carthoris for a long time. At last he spoke. “There is no other jeddak upon Barsoom than Tario,” he said. “There is no other race than that of Lothar, unless the hordes of Torquas may be dignified by such an appellation. Lotharians are white; your skins are red. There are no women left upon Barsoom. Your companion is a woman.” He half rose from the couch, leaning far forward and pointing an accusing finger at Carthoris. “You are a lie!” he shrieked. “You are both lies, and you dare to come before Tario, last and mightiest of the jeddaks of Barsoom, and assert your reality. Some one shall pay well for this, Jav, and unless I mistake it is yourself who has dared thus flippantly to trifle with the good nature of your jeddak. “Remove the man. Leave the woman. We shall see if both be lies. And later, Jav, you shall suffer for your temerity. There be few of us left, but—Komal must be fed. Go!” Carthoris could see that Jav trembled as he prostrated himself once more before his ruler, and then, rising, turned toward the Prince of Helium. “Come!” he said. “And leave the Princess of Ptarth here alone?” cried Carthoris. Jav brushed closely past him, whispering: “Follow me—he cannot harm her, except to kill; and that he can do whether you remain or not. We had best go now—trust me.” Carthoris did not understand, but something in the urgency of the other’s tone assured him, and so he turned away, but not without a glance toward Thuvia in which he attempted to make her understand that it was in her own interest that he left her. For answer she turned her back full upon him, but not without first throwing him such a look of contempt that brought the scarlet to his cheek. Then he hesitated, but Jav seized him by the wrist. “Come!” he whispered. “Or he will have the bowmen upon you, and this time there will be no escape. Did you not see how futile is your steel against thin air!” Carthoris turned unwillingly to follow. As the two left the room he turned to his companion. “If I may not kill thin air,” he asked, “how, then, shall I fear that thin air may kill me?” “You saw the Torquasians fall before the bowmen?” asked Jav. Carthoris nodded. “So would you fall before them, and without one single chance for self-defence or revenge.” As they talked Jav led Carthoris to a small room in one of the numerous towers of the palace. Here were couches, and Jav bid the Heliumite be seated. For several minutes the Lotharian eyed his prisoner, for such Carthoris now realized himself to be. “I am half convinced that you are real,” he said at last. Carthoris laughed. “Of course I am real,” he said. “What caused you to doubt it? Can you not see me, feel me?” “So may I see and feel the bowmen,” replied Jav, “and yet we all know that they, at least, are not real.” Carthoris showed by the expression of his face his puzzlement at each new reference to the mysterious bowmen—the vanishing soldiery of Lothar. “What, then, may they be?” he asked. “You really do not know?” asked Jav. Carthoris shook his head negatively. “I can almost believe that you have told us the truth and that you are really from another part of Barsoom, or from another world. But tell me, in your own country have you no bowmen to strike terror to the hearts of the green hordesmen as they slay in company with the fierce banths of war?” “We have soldiers,” replied Carthoris. “We of the red race are all soldiers, but we have no bowmen to defend us, such as yours. We defend ourselves.” “You go out and get killed by your enemies!” cried Jav incredulously. “Certainly,” replied Carthoris. “How do the Lotharians?” “You have seen,” replied the other. “We send out our deathless archers—deathless because they are lifeless, existing only in the imaginations of our enemies. It is really our giant minds that defend us, sending out legions of imaginary warriors to materialize before the mind’s eye of the foe. “They see them—they see their bows drawn back—they see their slender arrows speed with unerring precision toward their hearts. And they die—killed by the power of suggestion.” “But the archers that are slain?” exclaimed Carthoris. “You call them deathless, and yet I saw their dead bodies piled high upon the battlefield. How may that be?” “It is but to lend reality to the scene,” replied Jav. “We picture many of our own defenders killed that the Torquasians may not guess that there are really no flesh and blood creatures opposing them. “Once that truth became implanted in their minds, it is the theory of many of us, no longer would they fall prey to the suggestion of the deadly arrows, for greater would be the suggestion of the truth, and the more powerful suggestion would prevail—it is law.” “And the banths?” questioned Carthoris. “They, too, were but creatures of suggestion?” “Some of them were real,” replied Jav. “Those that accompanied the archers in pursuit of the Torquasians were unreal. Like the archers, they never returned, but, having served their purpose, vanished with the bowmen when the rout of the enemy was assured. “Those that remained about the field were real. Those we loosed as scavengers to devour the bodies of the dead of Torquas. This thing is demanded by the realists among us. I am a realist. Tario is an etherealist. “The etherealists maintain that there is no such thing as matter—that all is mind. They say that none of us exists, except in the imagination of his fellows, other than as an intangible, invisible mentality. “According to Tario, it is but necessary that we all unite in imagining that there are no dead Torquasians beneath our walls, and there will be none, nor any need of scavenging banths.” “You, then, do not hold Tario’s beliefs?” asked Carthoris. “In part only,” replied the Lotharian. “I believe, in fact I know, that there are some truly ethereal creatures. Tario is one, I am convinced. He has no existence except in the imaginations of his people. “Of course, it is the contention of all us realists that all etherealists are but figments of the imagination. They contend that no food is necessary, nor do they eat; but any one of the most rudimentary intelligence must realize that food is a necessity to creatures having actual existence.” “Yes,” agreed Carthoris, “not having eaten to-day I can readily agree with you.” “Ah, pardon me,” exclaimed Jav. “Pray be seated and satisfy your hunger,” and with a wave of his hand he indicated a bountifully laden table that had not been there an instant before he spoke. Of that Carthoris was positive, for he had searched the room diligently with his eyes several times. “It is well,” continued Jav, “that you did not fall into the hands of an etherealist. Then, indeed, would you have gone hungry.” “But,” exclaimed Carthoris, “this is not real food—it was not here an instant since, and real food does not materialize out of thin air.” Jav looked hurt. “There is no real food or water in Lothar,” he said; “nor has there been for countless ages. Upon such as you now see before you have we existed since the dawn of history. Upon such, then, may you exist.” “But I thought you were a realist,” exclaimed Carthoris. “Indeed,” cried Jav, “what more realistic than this bounteous feast? It is just here that we differ most from the etherealists. They claim that it is unnecessary to imagine food; but we have found that for the maintenance of life we must thrice daily sit down to hearty meals. “The food that one eats is supposed to undergo certain chemical changes during the process of digestion and assimilation, the result, of course, being the rebuilding of wasted tissue. “Now we all know that mind is all, though we may differ in the interpretation of its various manifestations. Tario maintains that there is no such thing as substance, all being created from the substanceless matter of the brain. “We realists, however, know better. We know that mind has the power to maintain substance even though it may not be able to create substance—the latter is still an open question. And so we know that in order to maintain our physical bodies we must cause all our organs properly to function. “This we accomplish by materializing food-thoughts, and by partaking of the food thus created. We chew, we swallow, we digest. All our organs function precisely as if we had partaken of material food. And what is the result? What must be the result? The chemical changes take place through both direct and indirect suggestion, and we live and thrive.” Carthoris eyed the food before him. It seemed real enough. He lifted a morsel to his lips. There was substance indeed. And flavour as well. Yes, even his palate was deceived. Jav watched him, smiling, as he ate. “Is it not entirely satisfying?” he asked. “I must admit that it is,” replied Carthoris. “But tell me, how does Tario live, and the other etherealists who maintain that food is unnecessary?” Jav scratched his head. “That is a question we often discuss,” he replied. “It is the strongest evidence we have of the non-existence of the etherealists; but who may know other than Komal?” “Who is Komal?” asked Carthoris. “I heard your jeddak speak of him.” Jav bent low toward the ear of the Heliumite, looking fearfully about before he spoke. “Komal is the essence,” he whispered. “Even the etherealists admit that mind itself must have substance in order to transmit to imaginings the appearance of substance. For if there really was no such thing as substance it could not be suggested—what never has been cannot be imagined. Do you follow me?” “I am groping,” replied Carthoris dryly. “So the essence must be substance,” continued Jav. “Komal is the essence of the All, as it were. He is maintained by substance. He eats. He eats the real. To be explicit, he eats the realists. That is Tario’s work. “He says that inasmuch as we maintain that we alone are real we should, to be consistent, admit that we alone are proper food for Komal. Sometimes, as to-day, we find other food for him. He is very fond of Torquasians.” “And Komal is a man?” asked Carthoris. “He is All, I told you,” replied Jav. “I know not how to explain him in words that you will understand. He is the beginning and the end. All life emanates from Komal, since the substance which feeds the brain with imaginings radiates from the body of Komal. “Should Komal cease to eat, all life upon Barsoom would cease to be. He cannot die, but he might cease to eat, and, thus, to radiate.” “And he feeds upon the men and women of your belief?” cried Carthoris. “Women!” exclaimed Jav. “There are no women in Lothar. The last of the Lotharian females perished ages since, upon that cruel and terrible journey across the muddy plains that fringed the half-dried seas, when the green hordes scourged us across the world to this our last hiding-place—our impregnable fortress of Lothar. “Scarce twenty thousand men of all the countless millions of our race lived to reach Lothar. Among us were no women and no children. All these had perished by the way. “As time went on, we, too, were dying and the race fast approaching extinction, when the Great Truth was revealed to us, that mind is all. Many more died before we perfected our powers, but at last we were able to defy death when we fully understood that death was merely a state of mind. “Then came the creation of mind-people, or rather the materialization of imaginings. We first put these to practical use when the Torquasians discovered our retreat, and fortunate for us it was that it required ages of search upon their part before they found the single tiny entrance to the valley of Lothar. “That day we threw our first bowmen against them. The intention was purely to frighten them away by the vast numbers of bowmen which we could muster upon our walls. All Lothar bristled with the bows and arrows of our ethereal host. “But the Torquasians did not frighten. They are lower than the beasts—they know no fear. They rushed upon our walls, and standing upon the shoulders of others they built human approaches to the wall tops, and were on the very point of surging in upon us and overwhelming us. “Not an arrow had been discharged by our bowmen—we did but cause them to run to and fro along the wall top, screaming taunts and threats at the enemy. “Presently I thought to attempt the thing—the great thing. I centred all my mighty intellect upon the bowmen of my own creation—each of us produces and directs as many bowmen as his mentality and imagination is capable of. “I caused them to fit arrows to their bows for the first time. I made them take aim at the hearts of the green men. I made the green men see all this, and then I made them see the arrows fly, and I made them think that the points pierced their hearts. “It was all that was necessary. By hundreds they toppled from our walls, and when my fellows saw what I had done they were quick to follow my example, so that presently the hordes of Torquas had retreated beyond the range of our arrows. “We might have killed them at any distance, but one rule of war we have maintained from the first—the rule of realism. We do nothing, or rather we cause our bowmen to do nothing within sight of the enemy that is beyond the understanding of the foe. Otherwise they might guess the truth, and that would be the end of us. “But after the Torquasians had retreated beyond bowshot, they turned upon us with their terrible rifles, and by constant popping at us made life miserable within our walls. “So then I bethought the scheme to hurl our bowmen through the gates upon them. You have seen this day how well it works. For ages they have come down upon us at intervals, but always with the same results.” “And all this is due to your intellect, Jav?” asked Carthoris. “I should think that you would be high in the councils of your people.” “I am,” replied Jav, proudly. “I am next to Tario.” “But why, then, your cringing manner of approaching the throne?” “Tario demands it. He is jealous of me. He only awaits the slightest excuse to feed me to Komal. He fears that I may some day usurp his power.” Carthoris suddenly sprang from the table. “Jav!” he exclaimed. “I am a beast! Here I have been eating my fill, while the Princess of Ptarth may perchance be still without food. Let us return and find some means of furnishing her with nourishment.” The Lotharian shook his head. “Tario would not permit it,” he said. “He will, doubtless, make an etherealist of her.” “But I must go to her,” insisted Carthoris. “You say that there are no women in Lothar. Then she must be among men, and if this be so I intend to be near where I may defend her if the need arises.” “Tario will have his way,” insisted Jav. “He sent you away and you may not return until he sends for you.” “Then I shall go without waiting to be sent for.” “Do not forget the bowmen,” cautioned Jav. “I do not forget them,” replied Carthoris, but he did not tell Jav that he remembered something else that the Lotharian had let drop—something that was but a conjecture, possibly, and yet one well worth pinning a forlorn hope to, should necessity arise. Carthoris started to leave the room. Jav stepped before him, barring his way. “I have learned to like you, red man,” he said; “but do not forget that Tario is still my jeddak, and that Tario has commanded that you remain here.” Carthoris was about to reply, when there came faintly to the ears of both a woman’s cry for help. With a sweep of his arm the Prince of Helium brushed the Lotharian aside, and with drawn sword sprang into the corridor without. 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. Edgar Rice Burroughs (1993). Thuvia, Maid of Mars. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/72/pg72-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 www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

THE PHANTOM BOWMEN

Intentions and the Lady Mary Christian

It's not wrong to infer that we're yet to experience the full range of artificial intelligence (AI) and its capabilities. After all, its impact, fears, and prospects still dominate research endeavors; as scientists are keen on finding new use cases for this innovation. We're likely to have encountered the application of AI in various situations. This is because many companies whom we patronize have increased their adoption of the technology. Consider the interactive personal assistant Siri which enables customers to access relevant information from various apps, dictate emails, and perform many other tasks from their iOS-enabled phones, smartwatches, computers, and televisions. Apple Brands are also leveraging chatbots to deliver impeccable customer experience in a manner that not only boosts sales but eliminates the need for repetitive tasks, thereby increasing human employees’ engagement. Just as the adoption of AI-led tools rose, so did investments in the enterprise soar. According to McKinsey’s “ ” report, 52% of respondents confirmed that over 5% of their digital budget was channeled to AI. In 2018, the percentage stood at 40. The State of AI in 2022 This is a striking improvement. In human resources, AI plays a critical role in helping corporations enhance employees’ satisfaction with their current roles and rapidly complete tasks, thus saving the indispensable duo of time and money. Aside from this, companies can refine recruitment by using AI-powered software to sift through thousands of applications and shortlist a handful of experienced candidates. However, there have been situations when the system favors a specific group or gender over others. This is a risky trend that, if unchecked, could greatly tarnish a firm’s image and negate the good this technology symbolizes. To help you effectively handle AI-sponsored prejudice, this article provides some pointers. AI in Recruitment: What You Need To Know Previously, individuals found job postings in the classifieds portion of newspapers and responded via handwritten letters. Nowadays, anyone can access job postings on the internet across a plethora of channels. Recruitment is a delicate task that companies prioritize. It explains the growing use of talent acquisition agencies. Using AI not only simplifies the process but broadens the possibilities of automation in other areas. From into the impact of AI on HR, it's discovered that nearly 67% of HR professionals admit that the innovation has positively impacted the recruitment phase. Tidio's inquisition But then, how does bias enter the scene? In 2014, e-commerce giant opted to integrate AI into its hiring system. And while this was largely celebrated as a step in the right direction since Amazon is a staunch automation advocate, the effort was discontinued following an awful discovery. The system preferred male candidates to their female counterparts. Amazon Why did this happen? A report revealed that... Reuters “...Amazon’s computer models were trained to vet applicants by observing patterns in resumes submitted to the company over a 10-year period. Most came from men, a reflection of male dominance across the tech industry.” AI bias can manifest in several ways, with certain genders, groups, religions, and other affiliations always being the victim. — which spewed many hateful messages before earning a Twitter account suspension — is another instance of how anomalies in the machine-learning process can yield great consequences. Microsoft’s Tay Three Best Practices for Mitigating AI Bias in Recruitment Although it may not be possible to completely eradicate bias in AI models, there are strategies capable of reducing the odds of a future incident. Below are three must-have methods. 1. Always Keep Humans in the Know While there's a growing fear that smart tools will replace human workers, we should see this as more of a partnership and less of a dystopian takeover. And also, the notion that AI-led tools should function without human supervision because they exhibit considerably more efficiency needs to be modified. Interestingly, human-machine collaborations have been proven to be more rewarding. A discovered that 1,075 companies across 12 industries recorded increased speed, cost savings, and profit. Harvard Business Review study Given this undeniable fact, firms should ensure that a human team consistently oversees the software used in recruitment. Together, they can reduce the risk of favoritism. Also, the employees should be drawn from a diverse pool so that every group is represented in the responsibility of reducing discrimination. 2. Conduct Regular Audits on the AI Models When AI algorithms aren't frequently checked for the probability of delivering partial outcomes, this could deal a company’s anti-bias effort a serious blow. By organizing periodic checks on the algorithms, corporations can find problems that may hinder the model from conveying fair results. Incomplete or inaccurate data should be rectified immediately upon discovery to protect ethics. 3. Patronize AI Recruitment Software Vendors with an Aversion to Bias Just like a car dealership, you will find various recruitment software options. To make the right decision, endeavor to learn more about how the mechanisms set by vendors to tackle the various kinds of bias. You should request to see the system get tested in various situations and see how it performs. Aside from bias, check the software for scalability, pricing, and cost savings.  The one that ticks all or most of the boxes is the winner. A Candid Take on AI’s Future The advancement of AI and its subsets is a good thing for all of us. From enabling cars to steer and park themselves (with active driver supervision) to sourcing and hiring qualified candidates in lesser time, AI offers several benefits that transcend recruitment. But then, we should purposefully manage this technology to avert the blunders associated with manual effort. Dr. Lisa Palmer shares in a thoughtful that the American state of Oklahoma should throw its weight behind the enactment of Perhaps, we can learn from that and as she recommends to navigate this technological revolution toward the good side. article “legislative and regulatory action that both support innovation and ensure that this critical technology serves humanity well.” “do more"

Three Best Practices for Tackling AI Bias in Recruitment

THE HARDINGHAM HOTEL, AND HOW WE BECAME BIG PEOPLE

Since time immemorial, the digital world has offered permanent solutions to humanity's livelihood. It has either proffered solutions to many problematic endeavors or paved a better and easier way. This perpetual savior of the digital world has made economic researchers project the theory of "computers taking over human jobs," which has been peddled for some time now. According to a report published by the in 2020, about 85 million jobs will be replaced by AI machines by 2025, and at the same pace, another 95 million new jobs will be created the same year. As weird as this sounds, it's still good news. World Economic Forum DeFi is a major financial breakthrough that validates the opinion that computers and technology are taking over and might even take over quicker than projected. How? Have you ever imagined you could conduct financial transactions without banks and allied financial institutions in the last two decades or even in the last decade? Have you ever thought of the possibility of sending a sizeable amount of money without being flagged? Have these and many more been made possible through DeFi? What is DeFi? DeFi— a blended word from Decentralized Finance and pronounced as de-fiy ( as in fibre)— is a blockchain-based financial solution to the odds and limitations posed by the centralized financial entities- such as banks and the central banks. I used the word "solution" because DeFi simplifies financial transactions in opposition to the conventional method of financial transactions. Still not getting it? For simplicity, let's inversely assess DeFi through centralized finance. What is Centralized Finance—TradFi? Traditional Finance—TradFi— or Centralized Finance, is a financial ecosystem managed by a central authority. A notable example of such a financial system is conventional banking and other related financial institutions. The centralized feature of the financial system is the inclusion of central authorities—governments—and third parties in the financial ecosystem. Central authority in this form of financial system limits what you can do with your and how easily you can access your asset 24/7-365. You'll understand this better as we discuss it further. So, what is DeFi? DeFi is a decentralized financial ecosystem built on distributed ledger technology, otherwise known as blockchain technology to promote seamless financial transactions and make financial services accessible to all and sundry. It is a P2P—peer-to-peer—model of a financial system that shuts out centralization by granting governance to anyone that has access to a computer or a smartphone and the internet. Yes, you read it right! The P2P model basically shuts out mediators like bankers and brokers just the way decentralization etched out central governance. Mediators in centralized finance were replaced with a string of self-enforcing codes that integrated predefined and self-executing terms of the agreement, known as "Smart Contract." The smart contract made DeFi automated and trustless. Wait up, does that mean you can't trust DeFi? No! Since DeFi is a P2P ecosystem, you don't have to be worried if the other party you're transacting with can be trusted. All you have to do is rely on the smart contract to act unbiasedly on your behalf. Can you see how DeFi is becoming a solution to centralized finance? Not yet or not enough? Please wait and read further! Imagine saving your money with an online savings account where you're to earn an interest rate of 0.80%. After saving your money, the bank lends your money to another customer at a 5.5% interest rate. The bank just made a 4.7% profit on your money, and you get just 0.80%. But with DeFi, you deal directly with the borrower and claim the full 5.5% profit. How does DeFi relate to Fiat Money? All transactions on DeFi are done in crypto as a means of exchange since DeFi represents another form of digital solution to our financial ecosystem. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is a means of exchange in the blockchain ecosystem. There are various kinds of crypto, as each crypto is a native coin of each blockchain. Bitcoin is the native coin of the Bitcoin blockchain; ETH is the native coin of the Ethereum blockchain, and so on. To be part of DeFi, one has to exchange fiat money for digital currencies, which can be done on centralized and decentralized crypto exchange platforms. Some countries support buying crypto with credit and debit cards, while some don't. However, you can purchase Cryptocurrency via P2P transactions in almost all countries. How DeFi Outshines Conventional Banking Systems and other Financial Institutions DeFi offers all financial products and services provided by centralized banks in a flexible version. You can loan or take a loan on DeFi, apply for insurance, and trade assets, among others. So, how does DeFi outsmart Centralized Finance? 1.  Flexibility There are limits to what you can do in centralized finance and the time you can also make transactions. It is widely known that Thursdays and Fridays are usually the worst banking days of the week. Banks are consistently unable to complete financial transactions during weekends and holidays. With DeFi, you can send or receive digital currencies and tokenized assets anytime, anywhere. There is no limit to what you can send or receive, and there's neither downtime nor paperwork. You don't have to wait for any third party's approval. Day and night, you're in control of your assets, 24/7-365. 2. Transparency DeFi is not opaque as conventional banks. Everyone involved can monitor transactions in real-time. This is possible due to the decentralized framework of blockchain technology, a public ledger of transactions. No centralized financial institution will/can make their ledger public, and they will never give you absolute control over your assets. 3. Openness DeFi is open to all and sundry with internet access. There is no restriction on who can use or access DeFi products and services. Unlike banks where you have to enroll for some services or even open an account, all you have to do in DeFi is create a wallet and start transacting in crypto. 4. Cheaper and Faster DeFi, unlike TradFi, is cheaper to use with less transaction fee or gas fee. Say you buy groceries with your credit card; you pay a transaction fee to the following mediators: i.  Acquisition bank that offers merchant accounts to the grocery store ii. Credit Card Provider iii. Your bank Each of these trios—a third party—will charge you for whatever services are rendered. By cutting them off, you pay a small transactional fee; this is what DeFi offers. Imagine if there was internet lag where these third parties couldn't transact. Your payment will loiter. But for DeFi, your transaction is seamless without downtime. Except that you have to wait for a few seconds for the transactions to be validated. 5. Anonymity Unlike banks that attach your name to your bank account, DeFi protects your identity. You don't need your name or personal information to transact on DeFi. In case you're worried about trust, trust the smart contract. DeFi can be accessed via Dapps—decentralized applications. Dapp is a web service developed on blockchain technology. Dapps are not only built for DeFi alone; they also offer web services like social media platforms, gaming, marketplaces, and so on. Conclusion DeFi uses blockchain and cryptocurrencies alongside the smart contract to offer financial services and products without third-party interference. With DeFi, you can Access stable currencies / Stablecoin issuance Instantly send and receive money from anywhere in the world Lend money with or without collateral. Access flash loans Trade tokens and derivatives Save your crypto and earn interest. All of these anytime and anywhere in the world.

DeFi— the Solution to Centralized Finance

Machine translation has come a long way since the application of neural networks to this task in the middle of the last decade. At the same time, the science of localizing websites to extend coverage to additional markets has grown by leaps and bounds. Localization is by now “settled science” with hundreds of service providers and dozens of decent tools designed to simplify the process of creating multilingual websites. We’ll take a look at your options to achieve this result and focus on how to achieve this goal with a minimum of coding. The Main Approaches to Website and App Translation and Localization If you are an old school, hands-off website owner, the safe way to go is to entrust the task of translation and localization to outside experts. The terms “translation” and “localization” are often interchangeable, so most agencies that provide translation can also deliver localization and vice-versa. Larger, more established translation companies such as Transperfect, SDL, Lionbridge
 and Tomedes use machine translation for larger, high-volume projects usually required
 by multinational tech companies. from Tomedes translation services
 provides a closer look at the top translation companies and how they are helping their
 customers through different translation approaches. This article According to Tomedes CEO Ofer Tirosh, many projects in 2020 from big tech firms
 necessitated a high use of machine translation coupled with post-editing work from
 professional linguists to ensure the quality and accuracy of translations. If you’re inclined to take this route, google a short-list of the recommended agencies, describe your localization task, get free quotes, and make your selection based on the responses. Working via agencies is the easy way to get a job done, effectively outsourcing this task and therefore avoiding doing the work yourself. You will pay a premium for this privilege: the cost of an agency is significantly higher than that of a freelance translation or localization resource. If you want to outsource to a freelancer, you can go to freelance marketplaces like Upwork and Freelancer and collect bids for your project, then select the one that looks capable of delivering the best bang for the buck. For the full-stack hacker, there’s the API route. Google is one of the leaders in the machine translation game, and the company has invested heavily both in the core algorithms needed for translating among more than 100 languages to one extent or another. The latter qualification reflects the fact that Google does not support some of the more advanced functionalities, like voice interpretation and camera translation, in all languages, but only among several dozen. If you are dealing with an exotic language or have highly customized translation needs, you will probably need to go the API route and resort to “training” the “auto ML” engine to recognize and execute the translation pair you require. If you are a hard-core hacker, this may be satisfying if challenging approach.  But this is overkill for many developers, and clients, who simply want to deliver a working translation application for a commonly used language. Hacker-Friendly Shortcuts using Off-the-Shelf Web Services For Hackers who seek the middle ground of plug and play web services, there are a few attractive options. Integromat, Automate, and IFTTT offer highly integrated collections of tools and services which make it easier to connect one web module to another. Yahoo’s Pipes has years ago been retired, but the metaphor of plumbing lives on to illustrate the essential nature of the task. Microsoft also remains in the automated web services with its flow product. But for our time and money, the way to go is with Zapier. Based in Sunnyvale, but with a global footprint, the company has grown dramatically since its first release in 2012. Its collection of “Zaps” makes it a snap to complete a wide variety of web tasks without programming, and one of those tasks is automated translation. Let’s take a medium deep-dive and get our hands wet to demonstrate this feat. Let’s Take a Shallow Dive into Zapier’s Translation Zap Zapier offers an automated translator for your apps. Simply insert a translation step into any Zap and transform content, comments, messaging, and news into web pages into the language preferred by the individual user. Whether it's French or Mandarin or dozens of other languages, the solution delivers seamless translation without forcing users to resort to that annoying copy/paste experience on Google Translate or another external site or app. Zapier’s solution is a SaaS webservice that connect other webservices, without programming. Essentially it is a workflow editor with thousands of potential paths among such services, each designed to achieve a specific task. In the translation fields, Zapier offers two core translation functionalities, each supporting more than 100 languages. (Optionally) Auto-detect the language Translate from one language to another With those two functions, there is a plethora of tasks which you can suddenly execute, without programming. For example, you can: Translate local weather into the user’s Slack channel Translate an RSS feed and then generate a new RSS in the translated language Translate new Twilio SMS messages and archive them on Google Sheets Create comments on non-English Zendesk support tickets with their translations Since web services like these have taken over our digital world in the last decade, the possible permutations are virtually endless. Zapier provide an army of agents (Zaps) to connect them. The common value is translating an input in one language to output in another. The benefit is bridging language gaps: customers and staff each sends and receives messages in the language with which they are most comfortable. Let’s take a step-by-step look at a simple sample to give you an idea of the simplicity of the concept and its execution. Simply log in to the source web service, in this case a WordPress account you control. Zapier has trusted relationships with hundreds of software service providers, so there the inter-app connections are secure and there are no OAuth problems. When a new WordPress post is published, it triggers the Translate Zap, which can be set either to autodetect the post language, or you can skip this step and enter default source and destination languages. When the translation is completed, that triggers the creation of an outgoing email in a webservice of your choice, such as Gmail or Office365. Zapier gives you two weeks to try the product on a small for free, then charges you according to the volume of your activity. are consistently excellent. Product reviews The product is metered according to tasks, like the sample above, and according to the diversity of “Zaps” you employ. Pricing starts at $19.99 monthly on an annual basis up to mid-hundreds for   enterprise deployment. Webhooks, templates, formatters and filters are included. Zap update speed reduces with the costlier packages. The author of this article works as a content manager for Tomedes, an international professional services provider specializing in language services such as translation, localization and transcreation.

How To Auto-Translate Websites Without Writing Code

I presented at On 20.9 Reversim Summit (one of the biggest conference for developers in Israel) about building Android apps. This was my first time talking in a conference at this scale. It wasn’t easy but I survived and I’m here to talk about my journey. One day, something like 3 months ago, I stumble upon a post in one of my Facebook groups about a conference for developers going to take place in September: Hi all, The Reversim Summit is probably one of the best (if not the best) independent software engineering (at large) conference in Israel, and it will be held this year at Sep. 19–20 at the Weizmann institute. As an event 100% based on community generated content, the conference is as good as the quality of the submissions. The call for papers is *now* open... This was the first time I heard about the Reversim Summit. I was familiar with the and knew it was good, so I knew the conference should worth something. So I decided to give it a try. podcast Picking the right content Ok, so I decided that I want to talk in the conference, but about what? One of the great tips that I’ve got (from the great about ) is to take one of your blog posts and create a talk. That’s, I thought, is a great way to give the reviewers a more compelling way instead of just 1–2 paragraphs when trying to describe what I’m going to talk about. Chiu-Ki Chan how to be an Android expert Luckily I wrote couple of technical posts, but most of them were some kind of tutorials on how to do all kind of things in Android. Also- most of them not gained too much tractions, what made me think that people won’t be too interested. Moreover, knowing that this conference going to get lots of submissions, I knew that my talk should be different. Given that I don’t have enough reputation, and because people are interested more on technical problems in larger scale than mobile- If I will go head to head with other technical talks I’ll loose. So, I decided to choose my series blog posts about How to build a bad app ( , , ). This is great because: part 1 part 2 part 3 This will cover also other aspects of mobile developing, like design and product. The talk will be about my experience and things that I’ve done. I think those are the best talks. I don’t like talks which are too technical- I don’t believe that we can read too much code from slides or understand deep technical concept without actually playing with it. So this will be great for high level review with lots of small things that everyone can get. It’s light, it’s funny, it’s a lecture that is fun to deliver. Call for Papers This is always a tricky part (although there’s couple of good resources about how to that can help). write a good abstract for CFP How do I make my abstract highlight my talk and make it unique? How do I describe what I’m talking about (how to build a bad app) without confusing the audience? How to say that it’s a bit technical but not too much? How to let others know that it’s for developers, designers and products managers just in a single paragraph? Tried my best and got this: Building a decent app is easy this days, there are plenty of tutorials, videos and blog post about it. In this session I’ll try to go over some of the top mistakes that everyone of us is doing while building his app. This will cover all the aspects of building bad app- technical, UI & UX, and product. So each one of you will be able to adapt his own favorite bad pattern and ruin his app. I think it’s great because it’s clear, but still leave the reader curious. People might afraid that it’s not technical enough but they know they can get out with action items from the talk. The review started a week after, it was combined from crowd voting and team of moderators that process all requests and choose the best ones. There were around 300 propose sessions and only 30 will be approved, I was in the mobile track, were there 30 submissions and only 3 will be chosen. 10% chance, not so high as you can understand. After couple of mails and phone calls with my moderator (thanks !), I got this email: Adir Amsalem Shit just got real. Warming up Now it’s time to do the actual work. I immediately schedule a talk in my work place as part of our bi-weekly company talking program. I decided to chose 5 rules for each list: technical, UI/UX and product. I wanted find for most of the 15 rules an example from a real world app, aiming for big apps that everyone knows. Building a minimal slides, with the rules and a picture or two for visualisation (screenshots when possible, gifs for others) and couple of more slides for intro and background. It was great for first run, but there were some problems: It was too long, it took me around 50 minutes and I only have 35 (plus 5 minutes for questions). Solution- cut the rules list to 11. The audience was able to see the rule in the slide’s title when I moved to the slide and before I started to talk about. That killed the surprise affect. Solution- Change the order of the fade in animation, so the text will shown in the end. Gifs were keep playing and steel the audience (and my) attention. Solution- put a static image of the gif on top of the gif to “stop” the gif, and show in on click (great tip that I’m going to apply on all my presentation from now on). After some tweaks, one of the mentors from the summit schedules another dry run on offices. Kind of an intimate rehearsal (presenting it to him and another college) to gather final feedbacks. Wix Again, we found things that can be improved: The intro is too long and not very clear. Solution- instead of talking about why I’m giving this lecture on 4 different slides, I’m going to tell my story on the first slide, tell about motivation on another slide, and remove the other 2. Videos on Google slides not working without internet connection. Solution- keeping a local copy of the video, and use it. The talk is finished kind of out of nowhere. Solution- add a summary slide with the list of all rules that we talked about. I also changed the theme to more cleaner one and came out with this final slides: Show time September 19- the first day of the summit, register and gathering into the keynote (by the amazing ), entering a huge auditorium with around 500 people. Luckily (and actually with some disappointment) my session was scheduled to a much smaller room, so I didn’t need to freak out from having to talk in front of so many people. Iris Shoor During the summit I got into some great talks (by , , , and ) and a amazing lighting talks (especially the ones by and ) and even a song! (by ). This is another nice benefit when you talk in a conference- you get a free ticket =) Eyal Yavor Lior Bar-On Yuval Samet Boaz Gaon Oren Ellenbogen Hagai Levin Michal Tirosh Yoni Tsafir My talk was on the morning of the second day, I was a bit nervous but not too much. The Reversim team was great and everything was taken care for me. I just needed to memorize the order of the rules (because as you remember, I changed it and I don’t have the text in slide when I start talking about it) but beside of this I felt really confident. Everything went very well, the hall wasn’t big so I didn’t need a microphone, what made it more natural. I also got some friends in the audience, what made me less stressed. I even nailed some jokes that I thought about right before I started. It’s all finished very quickly. It’s funny how you prepare yourself for very long time just to build a 40 minute talk. On the stage it even feel shorter. I got very good feedbacks, they said that the talk was very good and they learn one thing or two about mistakes that they didn’t thought about before. What’s next Since then I gave the talk on another conference- and I plan to do it one or maybe two more times. Droidcon Tel-Aviv I feel very comfortable talking in Hebrew, even in front of a big audience. My next milestone is to bring this kind confident to when I’m talking in English, and to give a talk in a conference abroad. I might need to prepare more than what I’m used to, but I think that I will able to do it very soon. Conclusions Pick your talk wisely. Think what is your relative advantage and how your talk can stand out from all the others. Don’t be shy. Don’t think that you’re not interesting enough and you have nothing that others can learn from. With any rehearsal you will get you more feedback, doing it more- the better your talk and slides will be. BUT: Don’t overthink it. You’ll never get perfect. Learn where it’s good enough and stop you feel confident with what you got. Photos by: Reversim Summit 2016 photo album If you enjoyed this post, please hit the “recommend” button below and share this story. I also love reading all comments. Thanks! Originally published at shem8.github.io on October 3, 2016.

Stories, News & Mentions about TIRIOS

Tirios’s Stories on HackerNoon