ive been thinking about this for a while and y'know. there isn't actually a big difference between someone asking you not to refer to them as human and someone asking you to use gender neutral language for them. ive seen fellow queer people (mostly on twitter) whine and scream and shit their pants over being asked to not call someone human, as if that is somehow different from a transphobe throwing a fit about being asked to use singular they for someone? how often does that even come up? do you seriously refer to others often enough with the word "human" that being asked not to is a major inconvenience? I don't know how to finish this post but you get the idea it's hypocritical and annoying

about Gojo, Geto, Shoko, loneliness and love

spoilers for 220

written by my local monkey friend that i got permission to translate! don't take it as actual fact though, this is from our overall perspective from reading the latest chapter.

===========

In Shoko's memory, there's an image of Gojo with the loosed white bandages, who said "I won't let anyone be alone (独り/hitori) anymore" so you can see, the memory is around a year before the main events of jjk (~2017), and the time when vol 0 occured.

Speaking of vol 0, there was a scene at the beginning when Gojo was talking to Yuuta when he received death sentence by the higher ups, he said something similar: "But being alone (一人/hitori) is very lonely?"

They (独り/一人) have they same pronounciation (hitori), but 一人 is to count the number, and 独り is the state of being lonely. For example, you are in a room with 10 people => you're not alone (一人), but you can still feel lonely (独り). Basically, you can be surrounded by many and can still feel lonely. And in chap 220, what Gojo doesn't want his students to go through anymore, is being lonely (独り). on top of that, he used もう誰も (no other (person) anymore) which means Gojo himself had to go through that state, or he witnessed someone else going through it.

What Gojo wanted is "I won't let any other person be lonely anymore", not "I won't let anyone be lonely", meaning he doesn't want the PAST to reoccurred, so it's not him just being kind out of goodwill or anything. The reason for it is to make up for the past he went through.

Back to the subject individual of "being alone" state, Shoko, as one of the 2 people in Gojo's beautiful 3 years of youth, has given the right answer: "Truthfully, being in love (愛/ai) with either of you guys (オマエら/omaera) is something that will never happen even if the world falls down. But I was there (with you) too, what do you mean alone, you idiot. There's this bunch of monsters waiting for you to come back".

Gojo himself never mentions who is the individual behind that "loneliness", himself or someone else, but Shoko can immediately realize what he means. And that is because she links "being alone" with "you guys" (オマエら) (Gojo and Geto), and at the same time thinking about them during school. A Geto Suguru who felt alone with his spiral, with the insane ideals that he thinks no one could understand; and a Gojo who felt alone even though he stood among many peers and comrades because he lost the feeling of standing side by side with someone equal during his "first and last blue spring".

Next, we need to pay attention to the word "love" (愛) that Shoko uses.

Shoko uses 愛 (ai) when talking about her relationship (or lack thereof) between her and her two friends. In most cases, this word means romantic love, and it is heavier than the use of like (好き/suki). She is denying to hell and back that never ever in this life that she has feelings for them ("even if the world falls down"), but she "was there" too. It means she admits that she cannot provide (romantic) love for either of them, but she is still there for them as a friend. So, it would be stupid that you can't escape the feeling of loneliness, cannot escape the past.

The above sentence is suspicious, I must say. If you wanna show that Gojo's not going to be lonely with friends and students by his side, then this whole panel and confession of NOT being in love with either of Gojo or Geto are completely unneccessary if you really think about it. And if you want to show that you understand no one can replace a "bestfriend" for Gojo like Geto, then the word "love" is also not neccessary. Not to mention she uses 愛. Yuta uses that word for Rika in the battle. Yorozu said she will give Sukuna this bc she truly loves him.

So why does Shoko use such a term in the negative tone? Why does she want Gojo to know that friendship can also erase loneliness, not just "love"? Isn't it because in Shoko's eyes, Gojo feels that he has lost his "love"? During that 3 years of youth, Gojo never felt lonely because Geto was by his side. So when Geto left, no other person could help Gojo escape that feeling of loneliness anymore. In other words, there's no reason to bring up the idea of love if it's not to underline that it is what Shoko sees in them. Hence the panel is from her POV: it is only Gojo and Geto in that panel, after all.

Shoko confirmed herself. That even though she was "still there", even though "a bunch of monsters" were there surrounding Gojo, he still can't let go of the past, he still thinks that he's "lonely" all this time. "What do you mean alone, you idiot. I was there too". Yes she was there too. Even though she was there. Gojo cannot escape loneliness because Geto has gone. That is the reason why Geto is, and still is Gojo's "bestfriend, the only one he has".

In conclusion (tl/dr):

1. Gojo has not moved on

2. Gojo's current dream/ideal (not letting anyone alone, not letting anyone take away the youth of the young children) is because he wants to make up for the past

3. Shoko knows she can't provide them what they yearn for to truly feel happy when they were together (愛/love), but her and the students can give him care and support and companionship, so he shouldn't said that he's lonely

4. Gojo with Geto by his side is a Gojo who is not lonely

==========

I didn't expect to get more insight into Shoko's POV of the whole ordeal, but I'm glad we did. Shoko's denial of being in love with them isn't just there for no reason. There is no reason for her, of all people, to bring such a topic up under such circumstances: the children are going to fight to the death to save him and others. Shoko is also calling him out for thinking he's been alone, even though her and others are there for him. Which is... very sad to me. Geto is such a huge loss to Gojo, such an irreplacable existence, that when he's gone from this world, he made a huge void, and Gojo keeps gazing into that void, thinking he's lonely. He doesn't want anyone to be lonely like that, when Shoko calls his bullshit out because he has friends!!! He losed his love, and Shoko can't bring his love back, but she and the kids are there to support him in other ways too!!

I'm not saying this perspective is correct and canon, but it just makes so much sense that way for me. Gege has been playing the vague game about Gojo and Geto's relationship since v0, what with the mysterious last words, and now this mysterious love from Shoko's POV. I just love Satosugu and how Gege builds their relationship.

Thoughts on "Loser, Baby" Song

From what I’ve seen, viewers are extremely divided on the impact of the song “Loser, Baby” in the fourth episode of Hazbin Hotel. I’ve decided to share my own thoughts on the sequence below. Warning that this is a long post, and if you are triggered and upset by the song and/or episode, I encourage you not to read. I understand and respect any individual analysis, and if you were hurt by the song in any way, you are 100% valid. Others who feel differently are also valid. All I ask for is that same respect.

I don’t believe the only people qualified to speak on media are those who can relate to it, but I feel, given the conversation surrounding the episode, I should briefly mention my own background, so people don’t assume I am trying to speak on behalf of other survivors here. As a preface, I was in a severely abusive long-term relationship, so I can understand multiple perspectives here.

First, since Husk is a gambler, it’s safe to read the song as an extended metaphor for gambling too, in which case “loser” takes on the literal meaning– someone who has lost the game. Husk reminds Angel that many of us are dealt the shitty hand in life, and that the best way to get through the game is simply to go together. That’s probably the simplest positive analysis, but I think it's important to keep in mind throughout the whole song so that we don't read "loser" only as "failure" or "scum of society."

The most understandable criticism, though, is that the piece is blaming victims by attacking them and trivializing their experiences. I’m the most on the side of this argument at the words “whiny bitch,” which feel like an odd choice considering Husk has been nudging Angel to open up throughout the entire episode. It’s not my favorite line, but I can handle it only if we read the song as Husk actually singing to himself and calling himself these names as a means for Angel to see that he feels the same.

I do have some fondness for the song’s language as it continues, though. Excuse me for referencing my own personal experience here, but it’s relevant to my understanding.

Eventually in my healing journey, I realized writing and speaking affirmations to myself like “you’ll get better soon!” and “time heals everything!” were making me feel worse and frustrated. I felt like I was just waiting around for this magical deadline when I would “improve” or “recover,” and when that didn’t happen, I felt terrible about myself because I felt like a failure on top of damaged goods. I was letting myself down.

I reached a cathartic moment one day when I admitted to myself, “Maybe things are never going to get better, and I am always going to feel ruined by this.” Confessing this possibility allowed me to realize that, despite the fact that I am a “loser” in that I lost time, innocence, my old sense of security, and my carefree nature from before, I can still experience meaningful and even joyful moments in this new, altered condition.

At one point in the sequence, lots of flashing signs point terrible, degrading names at Husk and Angel. I can see why this might be upsetting to some viewers who are adamant that the characters do NOT represent those labels, but there is an obvious alternate reading that these are just the names both have assigned themselves over the years. By putting them bright and on display, they can face their self-hatred directly and reclaim their honest selves. (Let me pause here to say it's also crucial to remember Husk is not directly calling Angel any of these names). The solo lights then disappear and are replaced first with the soft blue raindrops moment where Husk shields Angel with the umbrella, and finally with the single LOSER where they both can dance together.

Most importantly, the lyrics gesture toward surprisingly affirmative by the song’s conclusion: “Eat shit together, things will turn out differently / It’s time to lose your self-loathing / Excuse yourself, let hope in, baby / Play your card, be who you are.”

Husk isn’t disregarding the possibility of hope, even in the gutter for the losers. In fact, he directly welcomes the possibility that the game can change with company, and self-hatred won’t be beneficial toward supporting that change. Even if we are dealt the losing hand, he reminds us the game is still worth playing. He reminds Angel again and again that it's okay to be who he is. And now "loser" assumes a new connotation - losing the negativity, the hatred, the things that are holding them back.

Significantly, after this point, no more self-negatives are even spoken, not even "loser" again because Husk and Angel are interrupted before the crucial word “me” when they sing that final line “loser just like—” Any connection to the self now has been effectively erased, reminding us that Angel and Husk may have made poor choices, may have been given crappy cards, but they are not losers in the sense that they are not less of people.

Last, it’s important to remember that the song is not meant to speak for everyone. It can't. If we’re going to be strict about it, it’s not for any survivors except Angel, and as we can see by his shifting mood, it certainly helps him feel better in the moment. The whole episode has been about Husk trying to encourage him to “break down his walls” and stop feigning the super inflated ego act he typically puts on, so, in one way, it becomes a “let’s get Angel past the self-loathing that’s preventing him from being his real self so we can move on to something more genuine and happier together" tactic.

I know it’s hard to separate our lived experiences from media. Judging from the disparity in opinions I’ve read from survivors on the song, I’d say it’s been therapeutic for just as many as it’s been damaging.

Before I conclude, it's worth mentioning I also have my own critiques of the song. I mentioned one with the word “whiny.” Another potential issue is the difference between Angel and Husk’s problems. I’m not trying to minimize gambling addictions by any means, but I know many of us feel that Husk’s loss of a cushy social position because of gambling pales against the extreme bodily violence Angel faces. I think it would be odd for Husk not to attempt to comfort Angel in some way, and trying to relate is one of the most common ways of doing so, but I admit that the discrepancy in their situations bugged me throughout the number. Husk reminds Angel he's "not unique" in his problems, which is important for survivors to remember (to know they are not alone), but it might mean a little more coming from someone on a similar playing field. The one redemptive thing I can say here though is that both characters sold their souls to someone with a tyrannical hold over them, and even though we know Alastor isn’t abusing Husk in the same way Val hurts Angel, we have yet to see the connotations of his power within that specific dynamic.

When push comes to shove, the song overall works for me, and I admit I felt seen while watching/listening, which isn't even something I really care about in media, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless. If you felt otherwise, I am sorry, and I encourage you to do your best to separate yourself from the media you consume and remember that every story, every song, is written by flawed people for flawed people. I mean it as fondly as possible, but we're all just losers "living in the same shit sandwich." Nothing will ever perfectly represent or encompass your own experience and healing. Analyze art respectfully for what it is, what it isn't, and what it can be.

What else can you do?

TLoZ fandom and ableism - Link's mutism

I recently had a discussion with a user here on Tumblr about the subject of the title, and I felt like doing a dedicated post about it.

To clarify: I will NOT provide the user's profile link, because I don't want to create unnecessary drama or discussions for no reason. If this post were to reach the person concerned, know that it is absolutely not against you, but it is a generalized speech.

I've often seen a lot of headcanons regarding Link's mutism, for example, that he may have autism, selective mutism, complete mutism, and many others. I find it really amazing that everyone can make their own headcanons, and I love sharing mine or reading and commenting on other people's.

What I don't tolerate is saying that certain headcanons are wrong from the start. Unless they completely destroy the character's morality, personality, and defining characteristics, no headcanon should be considered wrong because it isn't. What also bothers me is to take one's headcanon for canonical facts and accuse others of "canceling disability" just because they think differently.

For example, I headcanon Link to have aphasia, but that doesn't mean I am canceling a disability and replacing it with another because Link was NEVER confirmed to be either autistic, selectively mute, or completely mute. I am not erasing anything just because I don't headcanon him as autistic or selectively mute. I just have a different opinion from yours, I am not being ableist.

Saying "headcanoning Link as completely mute is wrong, stop trying so hard" IS ableist, exactly how saying "headcanoning him as completely mute is just an easier and less deep way to justify his mutism, it means not taking autism seriously" is too.

There's not even any need to justify your headcanons and support them with misinformation. But if you really want to do that, at least PLEASE do your research right.

Let's take a closer look at what mutism is:

"Muteness or mutism (from Latin mutus 'silent') is defined as an absence of speech while conserving or maintaining the ability to hear the speech of others. Mutism is typically understood as a person's inability to speak, and is commonly observed by family members, caregivers, teachers, doctors, or speech and language pathologists. It may not be a permanent condition, as muteness can be caused or manifest due to several different phenomena, such as physiological injury, illness, medical side effects, psychological trauma, developmental disorders, or neurological disorders." [Wikipedia]

There are 4 main causes for mutism:

Physiological causes of mutism may stem from several different sources, for example, problems with the physiology involved in speech like the mouth or tongue, or apraxia, involving problems with the coordination of muscles and body parts involved in the action of talking. Other causes may be the complete loss of the voice because of illnesses, deformations of the larynx, injuries, or paralysis. The latter does NOT seem to be Link's case, as he can still emit other sounds that aren't words, meaning that his larynx and verbal organs are just fine.

Neurological causes such as strokes, brain damage, degenerative illnesses, brain tumors, or severe injury could cause aphasia, which I headcanon Link to have: - In aphasia, a person is unable to comprehend or unable to formulate language because of damage to specific brain regions. The difficulties of people with aphasia can range from occasional trouble finding words to losing the ability to speak, read, or write; intelligence, however, is unaffected. In my case, it's related to a severe injury Link got during a fight, so it was something sudden. resulting in Broca's aphasia, where individuals understand language and know what they want to say, but are unable to produce isolated words and sentences or write correctly. This form of aphasia most frequently associates with damage in the frontal area of the left hemisphere. In this case, the patient is able to say small phrases and can STILL use his voice like in every other case. It doesn't contradict Link's canon behavior, as it is shown through dialogue boxes that he can say small phrases, and doesn't erase anything else.

When children do not speak, psychological problems or emotional stress, such as anxiety, may be involved. Children may not speak due to selective mutism. Selective mutism is a condition in which the child speaks only in certain situations or with certain people. Selective mutism should not be confused with a child who does not speak and cannot speak due to physical disabilities. Selective mutism may occur in conjunction with an autism spectrum disorder or other diagnoses. Differential diagnosis between selective mutism and language delay associated with autism or other disorders is needed to determine the appropriate treatment. All of these could be extremely valid headcanons.

Absence of speech in children may involve communication disorders or language delays. Communication disorders or developmental language delays may occur for several different reasons. Language delays may be associated with other developmental delays. For example, children with Down syndrome often have impaired language and speech. Children with autism, categorized as a neurodevelopmental disorder in the DSM-V, often demonstrate language delays.

So no, not all mute people can't emit other sounds, and not all mute people are completely unable to speak even small phrases or words.

The point is: NOTHING entitles you to invalidate people's headcanons and spread misinformation just because they're different from yours, and NOTHING gives you the right to call other ableists for the same reason.

@alovelyhealing thanks for the info regarding the SAM on my other post—I want to move this discussion off of there, I think.

I'm not super concerned, I don't think, with the origin of the term "split-attraction model" in itself. The words themselves aren't as pertinent as what those words refer to, which is more of the issue in my opinion.

I'm hesitant to involve myself in this conversation since this is the first I'm really immersing myself in it, but I do want to say that while I don't think the SAM is inherently problematic or needs replacing (and is, in fact, very useful and crucial for a lot ot people), I do agree with some of the points others have raised on WordPress in particular, namely that orientation and attraction aren't necessarily interchangeable and that the SAM often presents a false binary.

I've spoken before about how it often frustrates me that my identity as aroace is typically viewed as inherently predicated on the idea of split attraction, when I don't even really think of my orientation that way. I label both a romantic and sexual orientation, mostly for ease of community and conversation, but I don't necessarily view those two things as being distinct or "split", and I think that's something that often gets lost when we expect every aspec person to conform to a SAM vs non-SAM binary.

So I don't think the split-attraction model is bad in any way or shouldn't be used, but I do think it's worth reiterating, in light of my other recent posts, that it isn't a perfect model. It can be very useful, but it can also obscure nuance for some people, and should not be cast as the default. Even opting out of it, and calling yourself non-SAM (or having that label thrust upon you, as is often the case) feels like it's still a declaration in relation to that model, as in "I don't split/label my orientation for different types of attraction" (which is valid) instead of "this way of thinking about orientation and attraction doesn't work for me at all."

The solution imo, as it often is, is just to let people use the language that most works for them, and to let them tell you what identifying a certain way means to them, rather than prescribing rigid definitions/binaries/terminology to every individual.

How can I ungender religious words like monk or nun? I have those in my story but for a made up religion though. Can I just make up a totally new word?

Tex: Catholicism has really done a number on Western culture, in that “monk” didn’t originate as a gendered word in Greek (Wikipedia). Nuns are gendered, however, for various cultural reasons (Wikipedia). Something something patriarchy, is what it ends up being in a lot of cases for why gendering exists in the first place.

If you’re wanting to ungender a word that currently has a gendered context, I as an audience member would assume you’re either extrapolating current events and culture (e.g. Star Trek), or wanting to take a crack at writing an opinion into your narrative (i.e. issue!fic).

You can always, one hundred percent make up your own words at any point. Phrases like “holy person” or “person of the cloth” (latter to indicate the vow of poverty most people in the religious profession take) already exist, so are malleable to your uses and a good springboard. If you have source cultures in hand that you’re referencing, then you can see how their history has named religious individuals and see what sticks best for you.

Licorice: Seconding what Tex said: you can always make up your own words. 

It’s difficult but not impossible to remove the gendered associations from words with a long history of being gendered  - for example, “nurse”. This is your story, so if you decide that the people of your world will use either “monk” or “nun” to refer to all cloistered religious people regardless of gender, that’s your call; your readers will find it a little unusual at first, but they’ll get it. 

One way of making up your own words is to take the word you want to replace, track its etymology back in time, and coin your neologism from an earlier version. For example, the original source of “monk” is the Greek “monos” meaning alone; there was an old English version “munuc” that applied to all genders. 

If you don’t want to do that, English luckily has a wealth of other, non-gendered words with similar meanings that you could use. In Roget’s Thesaurus at Project Gutenberg, the list of words you need is at #996. 

REALLY COOL ASK GAME DUDE HERE'S. 11 AND 2 for Archer!! And 55 + 56 for Maria :) (Mary)

UEEHEHEHEEEEE HIIII ELVISSSS <233 !!! AND LETS GET IT !

[-> Archer ]

[ 2 -> How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’? ]

In his younger years, Archer probably would've described a friend as someone who doesn't shoot at you without good reason. Anyone who is willing to watch your back if you're willing to warch theirs, and will make sure your body goes back home if its ever found cold. In that case, he had plenty of friends back in Pandora: Salt, Radha, Jonah, so many others... all of them there for him whenever he needed them. They were a team, maybe not as professionally as Archer acted like it was.

...Nowadays, by that definition, he does not have quite as many. People in Maliwan aren't there to make friends, they're there to meet quota. If the quota requires stabbing someone in the back for a leg up, then that's the way to go. The closest people he has in the corporation are probably assistants like Ferris and *maybe* Hansuke. But he's...complicated. so maybe not.

[ 11 -> If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference? ]

Archer is way too specific for anyone who knows him to fall for an imposter. They'd ask him about his night-time routine and all the individual steps in which he falls asleep and the doppelganger would simply fold. No matter how well you think you're copying him, there's always some part you're missing out on due to how deeply, horribly detailed this man is. Even in a company like Maliwan his quirks stand out, and that's saying something... though, I'm sure that if they were to replace him as an employee, it wouldn't be noticed. Or rather, it would, but no one would truly care for the loss.

[-> Maria/Mary ]

[ 55 -> What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate? ]

Maria always thought she'd enjoy being a seamstress— after all the reshaping and mending clothes in her old clan, it only felt natural that she'd take to sewing and weaving... she did not. It was horrible on the hands, making them cramp wih all the repetitive motions, which made it hard for her proper profession (farming) to be enjoyable when all you can think about is "my hand has muscles I never knew about hurting. Badly". Plus, it just never scratched the itch she hoped it would in her ventures into it. Plushies were fun to have, yeah, but making them is a whole different beast and she ended up only ever grateful that it was over by the end of it. At least the boys had toys growing up :]

[ 56 -> If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear? ]

The person Mary feels safest* when it comes down to it is, ironically, Lucio. Lucio, who in his violent nature and generally hateful demeanor, was never around meaningfully and always made her doubt if she made the right choice, would still protect her with his life and more if she told him she was afraid. He wasn't good with emotional dingadings, but what he was was very strong, and maybe that was enough for when the paranoia for invasions and other such woes might've crossed Mary's mind. And for that much she was thankful for... but otherwise ? When the fear was not being good enough, not having what it takes to keep going ? He was useless pretty much.

So that's why the two other people she trusts most are her own sons. They are very tightly knit, and have connections Maria is sure would transcend lifetimes, so of course she feels her least afraid whenever they're around. The boys were there for her whenever she would cry– they'd guard her bed every night whenever she was sick to make sure everything was alright, go out of their way to make sure any of her fears were dealt with, and if they couldn't do that, they'd come up with a different solution. Maria was all they had in terms of (positive) rolemodels, so of course they would do their damnest to appease her, but it was all a duty of love too. Love that she carried with her when they couldn't be around, and Love that ached their minds whenever they couldn't give it to her.

So it turns out that the presence of "AI art" enthusiasts is increasing on tumblr so I'd like to make my stance extremely clear by explaining what AI art is. I'm going to get rid of a lot of the anthropomorphic terminology used because it obfuscates a lot of how this system actually works. I'll use Midjourney as our example since it's the system I'm seeing most often mentioned in posts. With full disclosure I've written this explanation before and am crossposting it into an actual post because I hope it can be helpful to explain what is going on here.

What we know as AI art is an image generated from a program like Midjourney, which has been "trained" to reproduce individual images associated with certain key words. Training in this context is not the same as a person being taught how to draw because Midjourney is not and will never be a person. That isn't how these systems work. Training refers to the source pool Midjourney pulls from as it is generating images. If you only sourced a program with the Mona Lisa, it would at all times attempt to reproduce the Mona Lisa. It is attempting to find a middle ground of the key words you gave it. When people say AI art cannot innovate, this is what they mean. It cannot reproduce that which it cannot directly source. When AI enthusiasts use terms like emulation, what they mean is reproduction of the median. This is why it doesn't really work as an aid either. It wouldn't correct your proportions for example, it would generate an approximation of the average proportions used by the source pool an then maybe skin a semblance of your style overtop of that.

You may have seen this tweet floating around:

In this case OP wanted to find a way to basically skin the artist's line and colour style over someone else's poses and composition. Whose poses and composition? Impossible to say, because Midjourney's sources are pulling from thousands at once as a way to circumvent the art theft argument. One individual image is a gestalt of so many source images that it makes it basically impossible for every person involved in its generation to band together to litigate.

This is also why so much AI art is that sleek airbrushed anime style, it is incredibly common and variation within is subtle so it's easy to blend it all together and come out the other side with something recognizable. This is also why using artists with extremely distinct styles as a key word often comes out with stylistically recognizable but generally incomprehensible visual slurry.

On the left is the work of the late Kim Jung Gi, who died October 3 2022. On the right is a Stablediffusion AI image generated four days later in "homage." Prior to his death, he did not consent to allowing his work to be used in this way.

Confirmed source pools have been places like Artstation and DeviantART. We actually know this to be the case because so many Artstation artists changed their images to the words "no AI art" that it clogged up the system enough that for a time programs like Midjourney could only reproduce Artstation's very distinctive No AI Art thumbnail image.

It couldn't "remember" previous Artstation Trending prompt sources and use them instead because Midjourney as previously mentioned is not a person and never will be so it does not have a memory or skill, it is reproducing from source pools. The term AI is in itself kind of a smokescreen to create this confusion and defend its legitimacy.

Unfortunately if you're saying "the problem is capitalism" this is true, in the sense that this exists as a cost-cutting measure because the average person would not know and may not care about the distinction. We have seen examples of AI art being used in the backgrounds of anime, D&D sourcebooks, etc. The AI prompters and "trainers" might get paid, but remember that this is a replacement for the work of artists. The artists and photographers from whom these images draw, on the other hand, are not compensated for their part.

(One last note- I'd like to make a distinction between so-called AI art and Algorithmic Art. Algorithmic art is, in florid terms, an expression of its coder. It generally is working within programs and sources all worked on by the artist, often an artist with experience in coding. This is why it's within the purview of abstract art, visually it tends to be abstract in concept and philosophically the code used to generate it is itself part of the piece. Whether or not you LIKE algorithmic art is another question entirely, but it is my personal opinion this is an important distinction.)

In Pursuit of Intellectualism

While I'm no longer a teacher, I still hear from some of my former students from time-to-time informing me about their studies, asking questions, or with words of gratitude. This one in particular hit my inbox with an intriguing question today.

Would love to hear YOUR opinions on the topic, too!

STUDENT'S QUESTION: Do you think America is more anti or pro intellectual today ?

"Short answer: Yes. America is INCREASINGLY anti-intellectual.

Long answer: Kind of.  There are a lot of nuances that don't allow the matter to be so easily defined.  Like most issues (racial, social, sexuality, etc) there are things that are better and things that are worse when it comes to intellectualism.  

On the  side, our country is increasingly MORE educated as post-secondary education is kind of a requirement for most job fields but education isn’t necessarily intellectualism.  While college used to be all about intellectualism it has now devolved into glorified job training.  University used to be about pursuing knowledge for the sake of knowledge, gaining a broad understanding of a wide array of specialized concepts, and a free-discussion of differences in opinion; that is simply not the case in the modern day.  Most students are forced to go there by parents, have a fear of future debt (and therefore don't want to spend extra time there), and face a VERY polarized world which doesn't truly value critical discussion. 

We also have the wealth of human knowledge at our fingertips and searchable within a few keystrokes, but fewer use this in an intellectual way than use it purely for self-gratifying entertainment.  While there is nothing wrong with people choosing to use their time in the way they see fit, echo chambers, social media bubbles, and disinformation make the average person ill-equipped to advance their own intellectualism unless they have been trained to do so which education/society are not great at possible because a pacified populace is easier to rule than a thinking one.

Education is NOT interested in intellectualism in the modern day.  While individual teachers take up this mantle and do the best they can, the system wants docile test-takers who think in a formulaic fashion so that their thoughts are equally formulaic which, unfortunately, turns those interested in furthering intellectualism off.  In my 12 years in education, I witnessed the degradation of the public education system at the expense of quality education, meaningful discourse, and student growth.  There are a million reasons for this (most political, sadly) but at the end of the day, education is a business that employs many people and is focused on public image and metrics rather than actually promotion intellectualism and therefore will be maintained no matter the cost to society.

Finally, it’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of any body that seeks to tell people “truths” about “myth” in order to control their behaviors and thought.  And while religious ideas (“God”, order to the universe, rules of decency) are a wonderful concept, the pushing of them at global and governmental levels is damaging in my opinion. Organized religion is, at its root, anti-intellectual (believe the text, what the “teacher” of it says, or bad things will happen) and since we indoctrinate youth regularly to it (against their will) it is one of the leading factors of our anti-intellectual society.  If you are taught that every answer goes back to “because God” that IS anti-intellectual.  

So, yes.  A LOT has changed since the 80s, some good, some not-so-much.  But isn’t that human history?  We tend to think of the world as a steady progression from “dark ages” to enlightenment but I look at it as more of a dense fog that becomes a little less thick over time yet never fully lifts.  While old problems have improved, new ones have stepped in to replace them and none of them ebb or flow at consistent rates."  

I like Macaque as a character because im a sucker for edgy bastards but sometimes i feel like the fandom does 90% of the lifting and forgets whats canon and whats fanon.

And the LMK crew feels like they wanted to do the classic sonic-shadow rivality without realizing what made the rivalty/shadow a good character

aaaaaaa yeah @hoshihime98 edgy basturds can be neat! And in all honesty I feel like Macaque's character could go in some really cool directions but as is I really wish there was more acknowledgment of Journey to the West in people's fandom stuff with the lego show version of the Six Eared Macaque because it makes his whole deal extremely funny in a pathetic & tragic way. Like dude it seems that you've spent centuries ruining your life & trying to ruin the lives of everyone even slightly connected to Sun Wukong because the monkey you tried to murder-replace doesn't want to be your friend.

Also I don't know that much about speedy hedgehog lore so I feel I can't comment too much on what defines the Sonic-Shadow Rivalry or say that much about what makes Shadow a good character...so correct me if I'm wrong, but Shadow's whole thing is that he starts off with a hatred of humanity and a massive sense of violent pride in himself as "The Ultimate Life Form," but then he starts interacting with the world he once only sneered at and recalling memories of a human who literally gave up everything to save his life, and from then on he's still standoffish & prideful but does become willing and even happy to live in the world of what he once considered "lesser" beings, yes?

But tbh if that's the case I feel like that's almost the exact opposite of Macaque's whole deal. As I've said before, the thing that makes Macaque potentially so interesting and tragic in a pretty scary way is that his entire existence--which in JTTW is about the monkey king having to confront the the worst aspects of himself and overcome them--isn't really about him, but only ever about Sun Wukong. Heck, even in the 90% of the lifting for this character that you mention that often gives him super angsty backstories to explain his atrocious behavior a lot of the ones I've encountered don't really seem to be interested in him a unique individual, but mainly about what his relationship to the monkey king was like & how it shaped him & what it could be in this au or the other. In other words, even now and even in fandom he's basically not an independent entity, but only ever a monkey who's very identity is fundamentally tied to the monkey king. And this is for me the potentially most frightening and fascinating thing about the Six Eared Macaque; that in so completely tying his identity to that of Sun Wukong's--especially with the JTTW background of him literally fighting to BE Sun Wukong--he was left with functionally no independent identity of his own. So tbh even if the monkie crew wanted to recreate a Sonic & Shadow rivalry I personally feel like what we have is the somewhat humorously tragic case of a violently obsessed Macaque & a Sun Wukong who doesn't really care unless the shadow simian is deliberately going after people the monkey king loves.

As such, I am once again asking the fandom & the crew to acknowledge & work with this more unique relationship rather than drive their dynamic more into ye olde cliche of "wah you were my friend but then you weren't & now I'm going to be horrifically awful to everyone you care about until a bigger bad comes along & beats me up so that the plot can decide we have an excuse to instantly reconcile & so I can immediately become part of team good guy & we can be fwiends :3"

The relevancy of blogging- in an era like “this”

The description of a “blog” is defined as a regularly updated website based on information about a person, a community or any general thing. It consists of articles and can be used for business or for personal use (Website Rating 2020). As someone who was very much interested in the writing community many years ago, I ran a blog of my own using Blogger to post my short stories and poems. However, in an era like this, where applications such as Instagram and Tiktok dominate the media, it is rare to see people use or consume blogs as their prime source of information.

Unfortunately, the relevancy of blogs have dropped over the years although admitting it would be pretty sad. Blogs were used to gain information especially at an individual’s peak interest. In my case, it was writing. Blogs can be easily replaced with these applications stated above because of how popular they are and their accessibility. In terms of popularity, individuals are highly likely to be navigated towards an app which most people are currently using. In other words, ‘trending’. To be able to keep up with friends’ and family’s lives is what most people desire to do online. Instagram makes it easy because pictures can be posted, and you know what they say, ‘a picture tells a thousand words’, probably more than my word count right now, even. As for the recent rising star, Tiktok, most people would prefer doing ‘daily vlogs’ (yes, vlog, it a blog but replace the B with a V, so you’ll have video blogging) and watching them. I do believe that our generation, and probably the upcoming ones are embedded with a short-term span, hence to why vlogging is ‘the in thing’ at the moment. A 15-second clip of someone’s day could already sum up what most people used to write on blogs. Alas, individuals are much more attracted to graphics and visuals, thus the heavy usage of Instagram, a photography app, and Tiktok, a video app.

While the relevancy of blogs have gradually decreased, I do believe that the usage of blogs still exist. It hasn’t gone completely extinct, as there are still some individuals that consume it daily. Just because something isn’t popular doesn’t mean it isn’t being used. Blogs are still used amongst fandom communities, that gather to discuss about their favourite celebrity or fictional character. With fandom being a thing in modern society, blogs are still bound to be somewhat the centre of it all. Another great example would be food bloggers. Cooks use blogs to post their food recipes and to engage with those who have the same interest in cooking. Sharing recipes online have been going on for a decade, ever since the word ‘blog’ came to existence. In some cases, blogs and vlogs (what a mouthful, really) can go hand in hand together especially with food. I’ve seen Tiktokers link their blogs to their accounts so that people watching their short cooking videos who want to try it out can go check the full recipe. Alas, it all comes down to interest. If an individual is interested, they’ll go looking for it, thus the usage of vlog and blog at once.

Blogs have been around ever since Internet Explorer was heavily used, and with fast paced ever changing media, I believe that even Tiktok and Instagram will ‘go out of style’. Or perhaps, make a huge 360 cycle back to blogging being in trend again. Regardless, it is certain that every single media outlet has its relevancy, just depending on how relevant it can be in the appropriate time frame of society.

#MDA20009 #Week4

Jules: “How can you simultaneously dissent from a system but still maintain its central presumption, which is that gender is a fundamentally important facet of the self? That seems like a really complex tangle that, technically, is not unique to being nonbinary. Even cis women have this problem to some extent, but there’s something really interesting in the nobinary case that is not being unleashed.

How can we understand the phenomenologies attached to different trans identities of this moment and what their claims are on the relationship between the self and the social? It seems like the contemporary taxonomy of gender identity and expression suggests that every identity position is valid so long as it is articulated and can therefore be respected, and in that sense it becomes devoid of content. How do you give an account of yourself in this situation?”

Kadji: “I think that transition is often a practical decision and I think what puzzles me in contemporary discourse is that it does away with that phenomenology of what it means to be in the world with other people by replacing it with a notion of the sovereign self: I decide who I am, I know who I am inside and then I tell people. I say I’m nonbinary, or trans, and I go by they/them, and that’s supposed to be the final word. People call me they/them and that’s the end, as far as the public story goes. Maybe that’s a political way of disturbing the gender binary, or of changing people’s minds about the inevitability of binary sex and gender, but it’s unclear to me what that means on a phenomenological level.

[In the early 2000s,] there was a large body of phenomenological discourse about what it meant to occupy a differently gendered social position, and what it meant to decide to transition for somebody who was already living a life that was not female in my case. It was understood at the time that there were multiple ways to live that were not female or feminine. What it meant to take one path and not the other was very important.”

J: “Part of what we’re interested in is de-exceptionalizing the distinction between nonbinary and transsexual, or nonbinary and binary, because what we’re approaching here is the difficulty of giving an account of oneself as differently gendered regardless of the particular configuration of your transness. For the transsexual like you or I, it may be just as uncertain as it is for a nonbinary person, but the truth status accorded to different gendered positions is unequal and the social possibility for legible trans masculinity is very different than for trans femininity. […]

One of the questions I’m most interested in is how commonplace it has become to take individual declarations of identity to have truth value with little to no context—and that’s what I find confusing, not just as a historian but as a femme and a faggot. […]

All the critiques of nonbinary’s mainstream uptake as overly aesthetic, as a category largely consumed around white androgynous, masculine images are great, but then look also at trans femmes and see how hard it is to give that positive account of the self and desire, too. Transsexual womanhood is so powerful and reviled not just because it involves proclaiming a real desire to be a woman—and who the fuck in this world is allowed to desire to be a woman?—but because it also brings up the incredible abjection of trying to get from a body read as male to a body read as a woman when there is no permissible cultural intermediary.”

K: “I think that gay male culture in the West put up a barrier between itself and trans femmes and said “we are men, we deserve rights! We are only different when it comes to our sexuality and it’s none of your business!” So, I think we could easily imagine an alternate history or an alternate world where there had been a central place for trans femininity within gay male culture and in which there could have been all these positions in between gay male and trans woman that people could occupy, that would have been legible and even desired or sexualized by gay men. I had longed for that position to exist and when I transitioned that was what I imagined myself transitioning into—the faggot, not the man. And then I was very disappointed to become a faggot and to see that gay male culture was not that interested in faggots.”

J: “[P]erhaps part of the issue at hand for us is not just the persistence of trans misogyny, not just the persistence of a sexological taxonomy that separates gender and sexuality, or even the hegemony of a certain American insistence on possessive individualism and self-sovereignty, but the serious lag between trans life, which is infinitely richer, and the weak concepts that for some reason we are told to accept as descriptively efficient. And a sort of beautiful call for a trans feminist future where the femme equivalent to the butch becomes a celebrated, lionized possibility.”

K: “This is a hypothesis, but I do think today’s taxonomies seem more confusing than ever […]. [When I was coming up,] there were bois, there were genderqueers in some urban centers and there were trans men and there were butches. And so, I had to navigate all these possibilities. How do I know which one I am? I had to refer to what other people were online and try to fit myself into one of those categories. The way the categories were spoken of were as if there were ontological distinctions of personhood. Was my true self a transsexual? Who was I inside? Which is a ridiculous thing to make someone figure out.

And so, I imagine that today, when there is a huge proliferation of options and the options often overlap or are synonymous without substantial phenomenological accounts to differentiate them, and the pressure to come into a true self has never been greater than it used to be—it seems just flabbergasting and impossible. 

What I’ve realized is that I believe that the matter of gender is practical and relational. It’s not about who you are inside, it’s more about how you would feel most comfortable in the world. It’s not Who are you? but How do you want to live?”

— Excerpts from Two Transsexuals Talk Nonbinary: Kadji Amin joins Jules to talk the category nonbinary, the asymmetry of trans masculinity and trans femininity, and a shared love of f*gottry.

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The Plural of Hero: Heroes

The word 'hero' holds a significant place in both language and culture. It evokes images of bravery, sacrifice, and exceptional achievements. Commonly used in everyday conversations, literature, and media, 'hero' is a term that resonates with people of all ages. This article delves into the plural of 'hero', exploring its grammatical nuances, usage, and the contexts in which it is employed. The Singular and Plural of Hero SingularPluralHeroHeroes The singular form of the word is 'hero'. When referring to more than one individual who embodies heroism, the plural form 'heroes' is used. This transformation involves a slight spelling change, where the addition of 'es' replaces the singular 'o'. Understanding Hero Definition of Hero A 'hero' is defined as a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. This term can be applied in various contexts, from fictional characters in stories to real-life individuals who perform extraordinary acts. Usage of Hero The usage of 'hero' varies. It can describe a central character in a story, especially one who faces challenges with courage. In real life, it is often used to refer to individuals who show great bravery, like firefighters, soldiers, or anyone who performs a heroic deed. Use of Hero in Sentences - Fictional Context: "In the novel, the hero embarked on a perilous journey to save his kingdom." - Real-Life Bravery: "The firefighters who saved the children from the burning building are true heroes." - Everyday Heroism: "My dad is my hero because of the way he takes care of our family." - Historical Reference: "Joan of Arc is remembered as a hero for her role in the Hundred Years' War." - Metaphorical Use: "In this story of survival, the hero is not a person but the human spirit." Common Mistakes and Confusions - Heroes vs. Hero's: 'Heroes' is the plural form of 'hero', whereas 'hero's' is the possessive form of the singular 'hero', as in "the hero's journey". - Overuse in Popular Culture: The term 'hero' can sometimes be overused in popular culture, diluting its impact and significance. - Gender-Specific Usage: Traditionally, 'hero' was often male-centric, but it is important to recognize that heroism transcends gender, and 'hero' can refer to any individual, regardless of gender. Commonly Asked Questions Q: Can 'hero' refer to a female? A: Yes, 'hero' is gender-neutral and can refer to any individual who demonstrates heroic qualities. Q: Is it correct to use 'heros' as the plural form? A: No, the correct plural form is 'heroes', not 'heros. Q: How do you pronounce 'heroes'? A: 'Heroes' is pronounced as 'hee-rohz'. Conclusion In summary, the plural of 'hero' is 'heroes', reflecting the word's adaptability to denote more than one individual who exemplifies heroism. The use of 'hero' in various contexts, from literature to real-life scenarios, underscores its universal appeal. Understanding the correct pluralization and application of 'hero' enhances our appreciation of language and the values it conveys, reminding us of the importance of recognizing heroism in all its forms. FAQ What is the plural form of the word "hero"? The correct plural form of "hero" is "heroes." Why is spelling the plural of hero so tricky? The spelling of the plural of "hero" can be confusing due to certain grammatical rules in American English. What is the difference between "heroes" and "heros"? "Heroes" is the correct plural form of "hero" in English, while "heros" is not correct and would be considered a grammatical error in most cases. Read the full article

I finished my adventure with Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver...maybe finished isn't the right word to use. The chasm between Zeke and Tig's outlook on the world has been following me around ever since.

I was watching those carpet cleaning videos-- the ones labeled ASMR where a person takes discarded rugs, ones which seem so filthy that there the only place they belong is a landfill. After a great amount of labor they are restored. Some people in the comments mention that the water use and chemicals might be awful for the environment. The person cleaning the rugs says he uses biodegradable cleaning agents and recycled water. For the moment, at least, I'm going to proceed with a line of thinking that believes him. Another 'genre' of the comments section asks why even bother with that labor? They can find the same rug online for a pretty cheap price. Why not just replace the rug-- it would cost less. And they're not wrong in some ways. For the modern economy, unsustainable growth is treated like a necessity-- as a corporate boss I had liked to say: if you're not growing, you're failing. (It didn't matter that the growth he wanted far outstripped the abilities of his staff to handle more cases)

Tig's mentality feels like hope but like her, it's tiny.

In this model where most people are living in financial insecurity it makes sense that they can't afford to get a rug properly cleaned, that when faced with a price in the hundreds to restore something, they will need to choose replacing it. But that's what drives me bananas. That model places all the burden on the individual and forces them to ignore the people who are making that cheap item, the finite resources needed to make a copy of something that already exists. It's the fast fashion problem. It's planned obsolescence and I feel so trapped in it! Say that you want to make things for yourself-- you have to have enough money and knowledge to do so, to front the cost for the supplies and even then where are the supplies coming from?

(Libraries of Things are a fucking godsend)

This fierce devotion to individualism is killing us, is killing the planet and so many people are run ragged just trying to make rent. They don't have the energy to organize.

Tips for Hiring and Retaining the Best Remote Talent for Your Company

Hiring remote talent can bring multiple benefits to your business. For instance, you can tap a global talent pool and bring in skills unavailable in your location. This is especially the case with remote software developers. There are countries like India where talented IT professionals are located and can be utilized by companies globally. But the process to hire and retain the best remote talent is a bit tricky and involves a lot of tasks.

In this blog, we will discuss the tips and strategies you can implement to hire and retain the best remote talent for your company.

Table of Contents

How to Attract Remote Talent for Your Company?

Create a credible employer brand online:

1. Describe your method of operation:

2. Provide testimonials of employees:

3. Describe the principles that influence your culture:

Ask the appropriate interview questions to verify that remote work fits all:

Choose the best platforms to promote your remote jobs:

Replace the traditional audio call interviews with virtual interviews and onboarding:

How to Retain Remote Talent for Your Company?

Create compensation plans that are enticing and equitable:

Offer benefits that are meaningful and of use:

Adopt a welcoming and inclusive culture:

Remote workers should be considered when scheduling meetings:

Final Words:

How to Attract Remote Talent for Your Company?

Every company wants to hire the best people and keep them, but this is frequently easier said than done. While a 10% turnover rate and a 90% retention rate are regarded as “good,” the Bureau of Labour Statistics found that the average annual turnover rate was more like 57%. This implies that competition for talent is fiercer than ever.

Offering a high salary alone is no longer sufficient. Job seekers are looking for inclusive companies with competitive pay and benefits, inclusive company cultures, and many opportunities for career advancement.

Employees in the culture of remote work seek out environments where they can also concentrate on their personal lives. This is something that employers should bear in mind as they consider the best methods for luring and retaining top remote talent.

Here are 4 important ways to attract the top remote talent for your business:

Create a credible employer brand online:

A positive employer reputation will assist you in luring and keeping talented individuals. Local candidates may be simpler to reach because they are more likely to have heard of your business, know a member of your staff, or have visited your offices personally while being interviewed. However, candidates will have to rely on your online presence to learn about your business if you’re hiring remotely.

Ensure that your online presence conveys your credibility, demonstrates your culture in detail, and aids candidates in envisioning themselves as a part of your team. Create attractive social media profiles and educational careers pages.

1. Describe your method of operation:

Even though remote workers frequently set their own schedules, they still want to be aware of the duties and responsibilities of the position. Describe the degree of flexibility you provide and, if you can, give an example of a day in the life of the majority of your employees.

2. Provide testimonials of employees:

Ask your remote workers why they chose to work from home and what keeps them with your business. People who are thinking about applying will find inspiration in these tales.

3. Describe the principles that influence your culture:

Every business seeks to employ and collaborate with individuals who hold similar values. Be honest about the traits you value most on your team and what you look for in coworkers.

Ask the appropriate interview questions to verify that remote work fits all:

If you’re in charge of a hybrid team, it’s possible that more than half of your workers do remote work. In fact, it’s possible that you’ll hire someone without ever having met them.

Even though remote employment opportunities can be appealing to some people, not everyone is a good fit. While some workers perform better in remote settings, others perform better in a more conventional office environment. To determine whether a remote position will be a good fit for the company and the new hire, it’s critical to ask the right questions when hiring a remote employee.

For instance, understanding how candidates maintain their energy and motivation is crucial. You could ask them, “What energizes you?” What action do you take first when starting a new project or assignment? “Describe a time when you were really fired up at work.”

Choose the best platforms to promote your remote jobs:

Consider posting job openings on social media platforms and job boards specifically for remote workers. As long as you make it clear in the job title that you’re hiring remotely, major, international job boards like Indeed and Monster can also be useful. Advertise your open positions on regional job boards if you want to find candidates in a particular city or nation.

Replace the traditional audio call interviews with virtual interviews and onboarding:

By switching to video calls from the standard audio call format, you can establish more intimate connections with candidates right away. Similar to an in-person interview, video calls give applicants the chance to speak with several team members over the course of a predetermined amount of time.

Recruiters can observe a candidate’s work style and how he or she would handle collaboration when working with a virtual team by giving the candidate a project after the initial interview stage.

How to Retain Remote Talent for Your Company?

After attracting and hiring the best remote IT professionals, the next step is to retain them in your company.

Create compensation plans that are enticing and equitable:

Ping-pong tables and free snacks won’t attract remote workers, and they probably won’t attract your office staff either. When hiring remote software developers, you are up against businesses from around the globe. This implies that you should work harder to create equally competitive compensation plans. If you are unable to raise salaries, think about providing benefits like stock option plans or mobile plans.

Build benefits and compensation plans that take into account your employees’ needs while avoiding widening the pay gaps between team members. Be open and honest to potential candidates so they know what to anticipate and promote equity among current workers.

Offer benefits that are meaningful and of use:

Think about the perks that are important to all employees. Ask your remote software developers what kinds of benefits they would find useful when managing them.

Include remote workers when creating career paths or training programs because, like most employees, they want to advance their professional careers. You could purchase their conference tickets, sign them up for online courses, and have a conversation about how they can advance within your business by taking on more difficult projects.

Since they don’t have to commute, remote workers frequently work longer hours than their office counterparts. They will therefore value a generous vacation schedule or even an unlimited number of days off.

Remote job applicants frequently state that they want to be nearer to their families. As part of their benefits package, think about providing health and life insurance plans for your employees and their families.

Adopt a welcoming and inclusive culture:

Compared to their coworkers who work on-site, remote employees are more likely to feel excluded or powerless to resolve conflicts at work. If you consciously cultivate a culture and workplace that welcomes remote workers, this needn’t be the case.

Leaders must make it simple for remote workers to develop relationships with their onsite counterparts. For instance, to increase communication and forge new relationships, pair remote employees with local mentors. To make their voices heard and have an impact on the company as whole, remote employees must interact with coworkers who aren’t on their direct teams.

Remote workers should be considered when scheduling meetings:

You’ll need the technology, procedures, and inclusive meeting formats that ensure everyone can connect and be heard if you want to keep your remote employees engaged during meetings. What is good in this? It doesn’t need to be difficult.

Things to keep in mind:

• A minimum of one day before the meeting, share the agenda.

• Before beginning meetings, check internet connections.

• Ensure that any reference materials (whiteboards, slide decks, etc.) are visible to remote workers.

• Introduce new meeting attendees to remote workers.

• Be sure to ask participants who are participating remotely if they have anything to add to the discussion.

Final Words:

Compared to traditional in-office work, recruiting and retaining the best remote talent requires a different set of skills and approaches. You can create a strong remote workforce that will support your business in thriving in the modern digital era by adhering to these best practices and advice.

And if you’re looking for the best platform to hire remote software developers for your company, BookMyTalent is the answer. You can easily schedule meetings, use the stack filters, and hire remote IT specialists by going to the official website. Visit our contact page and send us a message if you need any assistance. You can always turn to our technical consultants for assistance with your project’s resource needs.