Peer Review #3: MindfulNous

For my last peer review of the semester, I had the pleasure of taking a look at Maren’s site MindfulNous, which you can find here: https://mindfulnous.com definitely go and check it out! Through this review, I will be analyzing the content and design of Maren’s website, as well as the intended audience and marketability of the site. Let’s get started! 

Marketability and Intended Audience Group

Just by reading the name “MindfulNous”, I was inclined to believe that the overall theme of this website was going to be around mindfulness, well-being, and self-awareness. I also could infer that the intended audience was anyone who was looking for clarity within themselves, as well as guidance and practices that will help them become more mindful and present. After reading through the content and becoming familiar with the site, my first impression was pretty much spot on! The overall look of the site is very fun as it includes lots of colour and a creative signature logo, so it welcomes a wide age range audience. Based on the content, I would say that more specifically all stages of adults, ranging from younger to older, could resonate with this site and fully understand  and appreciate the context of the content the most. As discussed in the early weeks of our class in Micheal Warner’s journal article, Publics and Counterpublics, Maren has created her own public with MindfulNous within the broader public of meditation/mindfulness, and she has done a great job at doing so! 

A feature that Maren has incorporated into her site that I haven’t even touched on for my website personally, is advertising. When you are on MindfulNous, you can find advertisements located on the sidebar of the website, along the bottom of the page, and in the occasional pop-up. As we read On Advertising – Maria Popova, by Tom Bleymair, opinions on advertisements being a part of websites are both negative and positive (2013). As a visitor of a website, it can be annoying to be bombarded with various pop-up ads when you are trying to read an article or navigate the site. This is not the case for MindfulNous I will note, as the advertisements on the site do not disrupt the users visit/experience!  On the other hand from the perspective of an author/blogger, ads on their websites can be used to aid and drive traffic to their affiliate marketing links, which have the ability to be highly profitable. Overall, I think the incorporation of advertisements onto Maren’s site has definitely increased MindfulNous’ marketability, and I admire her for taking this step in advancing her website! 

Design

MindfulNous appears as if it has been around for a long time (and I mean that in the best way possible!). From plenty of well thought out and interesting content, to a design layout that incorporates every feature you would expect to see on a long-time professional blog/website, Maren has done an excellent job developing her website throughout the semester and I very much admire her for that! What I like the most about the design aspect of Maren’s website is the use of colour throughout the entire home page and in each of her pages as well as posts. As we learned earlier in the semester from a guest speaker we had in class, Mauvé Page, sometimes the use of too much colour can be overwhelming and distracting for viewers. However, MindfulNous uses a balanced and effective colour scheme that enhances the overall design of the website. For instance, Instead of having a white background like most websites do, Maren decided to have a very light beige, almost pale yellow background that distinguishes the navigation bar/menu from the content of the page, and makes the entirety of the site visually easy to comprehend and follow.

On the theme of colour, integrating coloured text into blog post titles was also a very effective design technique as it ties back to the blog’s logo that we see at the top of the page. I also noticed that each category uses a certain colour for the related post titles, which I thought was a really nice touch! One thing that I noticed however, is that the yellow titles in the “Mindfulness” category bring out the background colour of the page, which slightly reduces the immediate visibility of the post titles as they do not stick out quite like the green titles under the “Philosophy” category do for example. A suggestion for this may be to make the post titles a darker shade of yellow if possible, but overall if that is not an option the current yellow text should not have much of an impact on viewers. Like I stated earlier, Maren has done a fantastic job developing her site, so in order to try and provide any constructive feedback I’ll have to get into the very specific, minor details! 

Content

Each content post on MindfulNous is well thought out, informative, easy to read, and inspiring. Maren has done a great job keeping up with both her original posts and PUB 101 assignments, which has kept a steady flow of content throughout the site. One of my favourite sections on Maren’s blog is her “About” page. Here, I gained an idea of Maren’s inspiration behind MindfulNous as well as who she is as a person, which allowed for me as a visitor of her site to see the website from a more personal and meaningful perspective. I especially like the four pictures and categories at the end of her “About Me” introduction, that enlightened me that Maren’s favourite activity is swimming, her favourite food is a smoothie bowl (good choice!), and that one day she would like to visit Costa Rica! This short list of personal facts was a really nice touch! 

What I really like about Maren’s posts is that almost all of them have a feature image or some visual to go along with the content. After reading through all of the posts on this website, I felt inspired and reminded to stop and take the time to relax and look after myself. I felt this way especially after reading the Mindfulness vs Mindlessness post. This post reminded me the importance of appreciating and living in the moment, and how much peace doing so can bring you. As a student it is so easy to become hyper fixated on school work and the various stresses that come along with doing so, so this was a good reminder for me to practice being more present amongst all the chaos. Something that I also really like in regards to content, is that Maren has incorporated her studies into her website by adding a “Philosophy” category. The posts in this category differ from the rest of the content and main themes of mindfulness and well-being, but still fit nicely within the website not only because Maren is studying philosophy, but because philosophy itself often explores reason, wonder, and awareness; which appears to align with some of the characteristics and values of the site. 

One recommendation I would make is not so much directed to the posts themselves, but to include a short blurb at the top of each category’s page that describes what the main goal of the category is, as well as what type of content you can expect to find there. I have been working on incorporating this into the category pages on my site as well, and find that it adds a lot of clarity and enhances navigation for users! 

Overall, I am a huge fan of MindfulNous! I very much admire how much Maren has been able to develop her website throughout the semester, and was definitely inspired to incorporate some more features onto my own site! As far as the content, I think that MindfulNous can act as a good reminder for us all to incorporate more mindfulness into our lives, and I highly recommend that you check it out! Here is a link to the mindfulness content!: https://mindfulnous.com/category/mindfulness/

References

Bleymaier, T. (2013). On Advertising – Maria Popvova. 

Page, M. (2023). Design. Lecture 6. The Publication of Self in Everyday Life. Simon Fraser University. 

Warner, M. (2002). Publics and Counterpublics. Quarterly Journal of Speech. 88.4. http://knowledgepublic.pbworks.com/f/warnerPubCounterP.pdf

Publics and counter-publics – process post #11

n the article called “Where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind”: Networked counter-publics in a polymedia environment” by Bryce J Renninger. It goes on about how the public can be formed by social media. Publics are a group of people who are interested in a specific topic or idea, and on social networking sites (SNSs) publics and counter-publics could be formed very easily. The article goes on about how the public has been forming on SNSs, and one example of a public is the Asexual community. The Asexual community has been online for a while, and “…it was not until then that an asexual identity, named as such, came to be defined and codified.” (Renninger, 2014). The internet is a great place to grow, expand, and jumpstart ideas and communities since it can be accessed from most devices in the modern world.
Since the internet, there have been many social sites and chatting sites, one site that has grown greatly is a site called “Discord”. “Discord is a voice, video, and text chat app that’s used by tens of millions of people ages 13+ to talk and hang out with their communities and friends.” (Citron, 2015). Discord is a chatting platform, much like WhatsApp and telegram. Though notice how it is marketed towards a younger audience, which means the trends and topics which will be more popular will be different from other popular platforms. In the “discover” tab where people can join public open server chatrooms, Gaming servers such as Minecraft, and Roblox is one of the most joined. Offline vs online communities have very different properties, online is more accessible and anonymous, while in-person can be more engaging. Though everyone has their own opinion of which is a more effective one for engagement or accessibility

References:

Renninger, B. J. (2014). “where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind” : Networked counterpublics in a polymedia environment. New Media & Society, 17(9), 1513–1529. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814530095

Citron, J. (2015). What is discord: A guide for parents and educators. What is Discord | A Guide for Parents and Educators. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://discord.com/safety/360044149331-what-is-discord

art of a time

in our time

we were art

 

bold brushstrokes

on pulled canvas

awaiting paint

and the artist’s practice

 

vermillion, scarlet, and blood-red hues

i was fire and flame

unset embers

to your ocean eye, seafoam

night sky blues

 

and as mixed as the palette did become

acrylic and oil

are not symbiotic mediums

 

brushes grew brittle

and water clouded grey

and the paintings of us began to fade

 

i like to think of us now

in monet

brighter colors and blurrier lines

a prettier picture from a step away

 

see our faults in van gogh

with little detail

and more swirls

 

if our flaws are picasso

it’s all straight cut

 

our pastels never mixed

and pigments never touched

 

we will always be

art of a time

on a dusty top shelf

that’s a favorite of mine

-ammarah siddiqui

 

 

The post art of a time appeared first on ammarah.

Using ChatGPT Code…

Today I was getting frustrated with the lack of accessibility that I had with customizing my website’s appearance. There was no way I could edit the colours of some parts of my website, so I decided to use ChatGBT to help with the CSS code to edit the appearance.

It took some playing around with but eventually, this made it possible for me to edit the colour and the opacity of my menu colour:

This was so useful and helpful, and I will definitely use it more to play around with the appearance of my blog so that I can have exactly what I want even with the limitations that the themes place.

Here is the colour of my new menu:

How Weightlifting Can Improve Your Health

You might ask, why weightlifting? I’m here to tell you the mental and physical health benefits of weightlifting, and why you should try it, just in time for the summer!

Builds Confidence

Weightlifting feels good! If you’re consistent, you’ll see results fairly quickly, and it is a good confidence booster. When you find something you’re passionate about and good at, it builds confidence. When you work on yourself, and it pays off, that also builds confidence.

Improves Physical Strength

As you lift consistently heavy, you will build physical strength. It allows you to perform other daily tasks as well, while also pushing yourself every time you’re in the gym. When you apply progressive overload, whether it be increasing the reps or weights, this improves your physical strength.

Improves Heart Health and Bone Strength

Studies show that weightlifting has many health benefits such as improving your heart health and bone strength. A study from Harvard demonstrated that 30-60 minutes of weightlifting had a 10-20% lower risk of dying from cancer and heart disease. It can also decrease your blood pressure, and cholesterol, and improve blood circulation, according to Healthline.

Additionally, weightlifting is great for bone development, as it tells your body to essentially rebuild your bones to be stronger when you lift. It also reduces the risk of fractures and whatnot.

Long-Term Benefits

When you consistently lift weights, some long-term benefits include:

  • Improve glucose metabolism
  • Enhance maintenance of healthy body weight
  • Improve cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure

Ultimately, weightlifting has many positive outcomes, and speaking from personal experience, everyone should try weightlifting. Other forms of exercise however include jogging, hiking, pilates, yoga, or cycling. Until next time, contact me for more!

The post How Weightlifting Can Improve Your Health first appeared on Lifting With Lita.

Peer Review #3 – Jellylift

For this peer review, I was delighted to find out I would be looking at Antalya’s blog, cleverly called Jellylift, for a couple reasons: 1) I’ve worked with Antalya in previous courses– she’s lovely!, and 2) I am also a hardcore Jellycat fanatic. I mean, what better way to spend (way too much of) your adult money on stuffed animals? (See my prized possession on the Indigo website.) So, when prompted about how Jellylift markets to their intended audience, I immediately think “well… that’s me!” Before getting into the marketability portion of this peer review, I’m first going to dig further into Antalya’s intended audience.

Who (else) Is the Intended Audience?

From the name “Jellylift” and also the About page, it is very clear that this blog is dedicated to two things and two things only: weightlifting and Jellycats. Side note: I have to add to the pre-existing compliment pile for this super awesome juxtaposition– it’s super awesome. Individually, both weightlifting and Jellycats have their own passionate counterpublics, a term discussed by Michael Warner. So, it seems that these groups make up Antalya’s intended audience. 

I know that the gym community, both online and in real life spheres, is quite a tight-knit and supportive counterpublic, usually circulating discourse around tips on form, advice on the best pre-workouts, flexing their personal bests, etc. (Is it painfully obvious that I’m absolutely NOT a member of this counterpublic?) On the other hand, the Jellycat counterpublic is bonded through obsessing over and collecting the cutest, softest plushes on the planet. Check out the Jellycat website to see for yourself.

So, Jellylift is clearly a hub for members of both of these counterpublics to enjoy. However, by combining the two comically different interests, Antalya may be single-handedly creating a whole third counterpublic through Jellylift– a counterpublic consisting of those who love to sweat and pump major iron AND embrace their inner child with cuddly toys. 

I’ve talked a lot about these people who surely would love Jellylift, but how exactly does Jellylift market to them to solidify this love?

Marketability Through Content and Design

I have determined that both the weightlifting and Jellycat counterpublics are part of Antalya’s intended audience, but this is not to say that you have to be a part of both / Antalya’s up-and-coming third counterpublic to be a Jellylift enjoyer. Take me, for example, who a) would rather die than step into a public gym, but b) has no problem dropping $40 on a hand-sized stuffed cauliflower with legs, and c) loves Jellylift. Antalya does a great job of balancing content about both interests– check out her content categories for Lifting and Jellycats– while keeping them separate enough for pure lifters and Jellycat lovers to enjoy one and not the other. This is important as it opens the door for more (regular) site visitors– I’m not sure the same effect would be achieved if Antalya’s content posts each featured an integration of both interests. 

Additionally, the overall ironic and casual tone used across Jellylift makes the content clearly suitable for Antalya’s audience, or at least a subsection of them. She talks about how Jellycat lovers and weightlifters could be generalized into a “youth” demographic in her process post Knock Knock… Who’s There? Antalya’s style of writing definitely sells to this demographic perfectly, as the language she uses is very Gen-Z-friendly, with dry humour, lowercase titles, and expletives used (tastefully and quirkily) in every post.

Jellylift’s blog design also contributes to supporting its marketability to these intended audiences. At first glance, the pastel text against the rich chocolate brown background is definitely not a conventional website colour palette, but it is undeniably aesthetically pleasing to the youthful eye. Jellylift is also very easy to navigate with the clearly-labelled menu, systematically organized and categorized posts, and use of tags. Although Antalya loves to use a fun title for her posts– such as “What the F**k is Content?”– all her posts can easily be located, and are additionally very readable and scannable due to her use of headers and links. All of these elements, according to our PUB 101 Week 10 lecture material, are ingredients for good SEO. And, according to Sam Hollingsworth, having a good SEO is extremely beneficial for marketability. He further explains how site performance suffers if these elements are missing, but Antalya’s got it covered.

Summing Up

Overall, Antalya’s content and design of Jellylift is all noticeably intentional and carefully executed, which evidently pays off in its marketability as well as user-satisfaction (cite: me). I can’t wait to keep up with Jellylift and see what Antalya has up her sleeve for the rest of the semester!

Bonus Content: A Short Response to Antalya’s Peer Review

If you aren’t Antalya, this peer review post ends here. Thanks for reading! If you ARE Antalya, keep scrolling.

Hi Antalya! I enjoyed your peer review for my blog so much I just had to respond to it here. Thank you for the kind words, I truly am so flattered that someone I admire so much academically and personally likes melatonin gone missing! I am obsessed with the justgirlythings posts you pulled for me, truly thank you so much. melatonin gone missing feels so seen. Keep your eyes peeled for when those make their appearance on the blog.

Me and you after our peer reviews:

Two buff guys, with their arms around each other, flexing for the camera at the gym.
Source: https://becomingajock.tumblr.com/post/145458793098/roided-as-fuck-bros-posing-for-a-gym-pic-yeah

References:

Hollingsworth, S. (2021, August 9). 15 reasons why your business absolutely needs seo. Search Engine Journal. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-seo-is-important-for-business/248101/#close

Norman, S. (2023). Data and SEO [PowerPoint Slides]. Department of Publishing, Simon Fraser University.

Warner, M. (2002). Publics and Counterpublics (abbreviated version). Quarterly Journal of Speech, 88(4), 413-425. 

EXPANDING SIDE BUSINESS

I’m really an avid lover of phone cases.

However, I only have one phone.

But I do want to start a side business, which is to sell phone cases.

I admit to having a little selfishness here, I want to have all the styles I like!

(Actually, these styles I like are not practical.)

# POSIEL

The post EXPANDING SIDE BUSINESS first appeared on My blog.

16+8

I am recently losing weight and have been doing so for some time now.


After my tests, I want to recommend a very good way to lose weight! (Healthy)


I don’t know if you’ve heard of the 16+8 diet, meaning three meals a day within 8 hours. 16 hours of fasting, during which time you have to drink 2000ml a day!!!


But need to control the calorie intake of three meals!


We can pair it with exercise, and I recommend a YouTube blogger. So far I can’t even keep up with her, so you can take the challenge!😁

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv-WitXbW3M

# POSIEL

The post 16+8 first appeared on My blog.

PROCESS POST——Revisiting Analytics , SEO

Following the previous discussion post, this week’s reading by Hollingsworth (2021) focused on the need for business brands to incorporate the marketing aspect: SEO (search engine optimization). Hollingsworth uses visuals and statistical data to defend why the use of SEO works to benefit businesses. As a tool for marketing, SEO works to improve the position and market awareness about the presence of the brand. Hollingsworth (2021) exemplifies this when he mentions that SEO improves the visibility and the searchability of a brand’s website.

Previously we also discussed Gen Z apps, which are popular with the masses and I do use popular apps on a regular basis. For example, Tik Tok, Spotify, Instagramd, etc.

Hollingsworth (2021) reading also reveals to its readers that Google owns the biggest share in the search engine market with 92.26%, followed by Bing (2.29%), Yahoo (1.52%), and Baidu (1.47%); not that these other companies do not provide visibility but Google owns a bigger share. One of the factors responsible for this trend is Google’s ability to provide the most positive user experience.

As a digital platform user, I agree with this report that Google remains the largest search engine market shareholder. Whenever I am searching for information, even if it’s to make a purchase or for academic studies, I prefer to use the Google platform. In addition, I agree about SEO because anytime I am searching for information, even if it’s about buying an item, I focus on the list of businesses whose information is provided at the top of the engine. I have realized about local optimization is terms of brands targeting its market because I find myself seeing ads for businesses that are close to where I live.

Speaking of SEO, Data.ai. (2022) introduces the concept of App Store Optimization (ASO) where the study examines the most searched for keywords in the iOS App stores. In looking at the keywords searched most, Zoom stands at the top, followed by Google meet, and LinkedIn as per the nations examined (Data.ai., 2022). That spells to the reason why Zoom is the most downloaded online meeting platform followed by Google meet. As per the SEO concept, the iOS App store is more likely to suggest Zoom (at the top) to searchers as more preferable compared to the other online meeting platforms.

I have previously heard of the word SEO but I had not looked at it in terms of the local optimization as well as app optimization, which means this module has expanded my knowledge in the field.

Reference:

data.ai. 2022. State of Mobile 2022

Hollingsworth, Sam. April 13, 2018. “12 Reasons Why You Business Absolutely Needs SEO.” https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-seo-is-important-for-business/248101/#close

The post PROCESS POST——Revisiting Analytics , SEO first appeared on My blog.

PEER REVIEW #3

Shannon’s blog : https://littlefeatheradventures.com/

For my third peer review, I was assigned to review Shannon’s website.

When I clicked on Shannon’s website, I was captivated by her theme. “Little Feather Adventures” made me think that her life was full of stories. I guessed correctly that Shannon mentioned in her profile that she is a traveler and loves to explore. I was driven by Shannon’s description to explore the beauty of nature.

Shannon’s website as a whole looks clean and neat. In particular, I think the logo designed by Shannon is very interesting. And the site has a pleasant color scheme and an easy-to-navigate layout. The header image is compelling and gives visitors an idea of what the blog is about.

I noticed that Shannon has a back to home button in the middle or top left of each post, which provides a lot of convenience for readers.

I saw the video of Shannon’s design with DALL-E in Mini Assignment #4. It made me marvel again at how powerful it is and how great the color scheme is.

But as I clicked on Shannon’s post, I saw text filling the screen, and I suggested trying to change the font, or the layout structure of the text.

But Shannon’s content is more worthy of my attention, as mentioned in the article “How to Survive the Digital Apocalypse”, “The content should speak to the few The content should speak to the few people who can identify with this personality because this is the only audience that matters.” I agree with this statement, and Shannon does the same thing in her content posts. For example, by doing her research and then popularizing some of the knowledge and things that we don’t commonly see. I think that’s great content.

In Shannon’s process post 5, she says, “In my own digital garden, I want a sense of “daring to wonder about nature” and “finding joy in the wonder that surrounds you. ” I’d say you’ve done a great job of creating your own garden and keeping it all in order. The article “digital garden” says everyone is doing their own weird thing, and yes, we don’t follow the rules, we just want to focus on what we want to cultivate.

All in all, I love what Shannons has done with the site and I hope to see more of her content.

This review is for content posted before March 28, 2023.

References:

Gertz, T. (2015, July 10). How to Survive the Digital Apocalypse. Louder Than Ten. https://louderthanten.com/coax/design-machines

# POSIEL

The post PEER REVIEW #3 first appeared on My blog.

Analytics and SEO: The Real Stuff

This week in PUB 101, we got to revisit Google Analytics. I installed this plugin for my blog in the first or second week of this course, but had yet to look at the data, so I was intrigued to see what kind of activity had been tracked on melatonin gone missing so I know what’s working and what could be improved in regards to my site’s SEO.

Google Analytics

The first thing I looked at, purely out of my own curiosity, is my audience overview. I wanted to see exactly how many people have checked out my blog.

Audience overview graphs from Google Analytics.

From this graphic, I can see that melatonin gone missing has been visited by 151 new users and accumulated 640 total page views. Seeing this data and knowing that my blog has only existed for a few months is honestly quite amazing… I feel like a real website owner! The number of users on my site regularly fluctuate, and I could guess this is because I usually only post once a week, attracting the most traffic which then decreases until my next posts are up the following week.

I also was curious about user acquisition, because after all, this is only a blog for an SFU course… who’s finding it besides my TA, professor, and classmates? And how are they finding it?

User acquisition data from Google Analytics.

It’s interesting to see how users have come from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, considering I have personally not linked my blog to either of those sites. The direct and google channels are probably mostly me, and the Posiel channel appears because my posts are connected to the Posiel feed, so these are unsurprising. Users have come from Jellylift as well, thanks to Antalya’s links in her peer review of melatonin gone missing (go check it out!).

Seeing that visitors really do come from social media and external links demonstrates how important a good and continuously improving SEO is for site traffic. Sam Hollingsworth explains this further, saying how having a good SEO is “the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter”. For melatonin gone missing, this means being accessible and easily usable for my target audiences, which I identify in my Imaginary Audiences post. I want my audience to find my blog in a pinch!

Growing my SEO

To improve my site’s SEO, as it is evidently quite important, I will aim to do things that Dr. Norman calls “ingredients for a good SEO”. Some of these things include effective use of keywords, including strong headers in your posts, and having outbound links to reliable sources. Although I strive to include all of these elements in my weekly posts, there are always ways to aim higher and ensure my SEO is being considered in every aspect of my blog design/content.

Stay tuned to see melatonin gone missing skyrocket in SEO success!

References:

Hollingsworth, S. (2021, August 9). 15 reasons why your business absolutely needs seo. Search Engine Journal. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-seo-is-important-for-business/248101/#close

Norman, N. (2023). Data and SEO [PowerPoint Slides]. Department of Publishing, Simon Fraser University.

Photo:

Joyce, J. (2021, February 20). 10 great google analytics alternatives. Search Engine Journal. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-analytics-alternatives/347638/

four walls

one day

we’ll have an apartment.

 

i’d pick out too many cushions

and want mirrors on every wall

you’d pretend to be bothered

but wouldn’t mind at all

 

we’d hold up paint chips

at Benjamin’s

like movie couples do

and i would re-realize

how much i love

blue

 

we’d squeege windows

and mop paint off floors

i’d smear a drop across your cheek

and you’d seek redemption

in another hue

 

i’d bet i could build a couch

and end up with a chair

because when it came to mistakes

you wouldn’t care

 

we’d karoake in the kitchen

and close cabinets for a beat

put mixed berries in pancakes

spill the syrup

and complain they’re too sweet

 

you’d rearrange my mixing bowls

and i’d eat your special snacks

we’d watch the same amount ahead

of the episode we paused at

 

one day

we’ll have an apartment

 

and i will never love

any four walls

or any one person

more.

The post four walls appeared first on ammarah.

window – chatgpt 

This poem was written by ChatGPT with the provided prompt:
"Write a poem about a window"

A window, a portal to another world

A gateway to beauty, yet to unfold

It frames a picture, a moment in time

A place to sit, and watch life unwind

 

The glass is cold, to the touch

But it warms with the sun’s gentle clutch

A reflection of all that surrounds

The skies, the trees, the sights and sounds

 

Through the window, we see a view

A world that is both old and new

The hustle and bustle of daily life

Or the peaceful calmness of the night

 

In the morning, the light streams in

As a new day is about to begin

And in the evening, it casts a glow

As the world outside starts to slow

 

A window is a lens to the soul

A glimpse of life, beyond our control

It reminds us of what’s outside our door

And inspires us to explore even more

 

So open the window, let in the air

Feel the breeze, let down your hair

For a window is more than just a pane

It’s a reminder of life’s beauty, once again.

This poem was written by ChatGPT with the provided prompt:
"Write a poem about a window that doesn't rhyme"
A window stands before my eyes
Its pane of glass a clear disguise
For on the other side I see
A world that’s waiting just for me

Through it comes the light of day

And nighttime shadows dance and play

It shows me rain and summer sun

And all the beauty yet undone

 

Sometimes I’ll stand and watch awhile

At people passing with a smile

Or gaze into the starry night

And feel as though I’m taking flight

 

But though it seems just like a screen

This window is more than it seems

For in it I can see a dream

And all the hope that it can bring

 

So though it doesn’t rhyme or sing

This window is a wondrous thing

A gateway to the world beyond

And all the stories yet unwritten and untold.

The post window – chatgpt appeared first on ammarah.

Caffeinated Tammy: A Moodboard

Every site should have a mood board. What is the aesthetic of CaffeinatedTammy? What does it mean to be a part of the CaffeinatedTammy community?

Speaking up about disparity in social media and its different communities, especially TikTok and the makeup and lifestyle worlds. This is a visual representation of how I imagine CaffeinatedTammy’s aesthetic to be. Real, raw, women of colour and those from historically marginalized communities speaking up, having conversations, getting upset, reacting accordingly, and having their moment. 

A mood board for Caffeinated Tammy's site.
A mood board for Caffeinated Tammy.

Can You Trust Influencers?

TikTok is big. We know that.

The controversies that come out of it, however, are even bigger.

Some of the most prominent controversies that threaten the credibility of influencers include makeup. Makeup TikTok is huge on the app, with influencers gaining millions of followers simply by posting their favourite makeup products and tutorials. Influencers also gain following and funds through paid reviews, makeup hauls, and brand-funded trips. 

Amongst so many controversies, Stephanie Valentine aka @Glamzilla has been in hot water over the years. So to make this a little fun, I asked AI CHATGPT to tell me about a particular controversy Stephanie was involved in earlier this year in January. While discussing this controversy, I also wanted to test the AI’s accuracy, and see how much it can dig up in social media, and how it interprets data based on videos. Stephanie Valentine asked her followers whether they trust makeup influencers, in light of recent TikTokers lying about editing and paid reviews of products. She received some backlash for it, because someone called her out for her own videos, and she was not very nice to the small creator, and people called her out for it. 

@glamzilla aka Stephanie Valentine's TikTok page.
Redditter page "Beauty Guru Chatter" discusses the controversy.
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On the other hand, this is what CHATGPT said —”

In late 2021, TikTok user @glamzilla stirred up controversy when she posted a video asking her followers if they trusted makeup influencers. The responses to her question were mixed, with many people expressing skepticism about the beauty industry and the influencers who promote its products.

The video quickly went viral, sparking a debate about the role of influencers in the beauty industry and whether they can be trusted to provide honest recommendations to their followers. Some viewers argued that influencers are simply marketing tools for beauty brands, and that their opinions are biased and unreliable. Others pointed out that many influencers have partnerships with beauty companies and receive free products, which could influence their recommendations.

The controversy surrounding @glamzilla’s video highlighted the growing importance of authenticity and transparency in the beauty industry. Many consumers are becoming more skeptical of traditional advertising methods and are turning to influencers for advice and recommendations. However, this trust can quickly erode if influencers are seen as being dishonest or disingenuous.” 

Interestingly, there are multiple things that CHATGPT got wrong. The article says the controversy took place in 2021, but it took place in January of 2023. While the AI is correct about the skepticism that surrounded @Glamzilla’s video, it did not mention anything about her calling a small creator “weird” for criticizing her video. The AI missed important details, and it’s interesting to note how it works in real-life scenarios that occurred recently. 

So, back to trusting influencers. Considering the responses from Glamzilla’s videos, and the responses on Reddit, it seems like people are more skeptical of influencers than we realize. In the era of cancel culture, it’s easy to get caught up in controversies, which is why it’s important to own our mistakes and figure out where you went wrong. 

Do you trust influencers? Why/Why not?

Top 3 Bubble Tea Restaurants 🧋

Unfortunately, this week, I did not eat out. Yes, this means less money spent and saving money, BUT I like going and eating out. The whole vibe and aroma of the restaurant, and then the company you have as well can make everything seem perfect. But, as I said, no eating out 😞. Because of this, I have thought of the idea to create my TOP 3 BUBBLE TEA RESTAURANTS!!!

I admit it. Hi, my name is Tara, and I am a bubble tea addict. Maybe addict is not even enough. I am a connoisseur, a world-class taste tester, an expert, or maybe just a girl who loves her sugar. Also, quick fact, I recently (in the past year and a half) found out that I am lactose intolerant. Does this stop me from drinking my amazing “Original Milk Tea with Pearls”? No, of course not, why would it?

Now, we are going to go backwards from third to the ultimate first choice. And then, at the end, we are going to talk a little about what places I didn’t necessarily like.

3. Chase Tea

I had Chase Tea for the first time 3 years ago. Of course, I ordered my milk tea with pearls, and when I drank it I was filled with this unexpected taste. The tea tasted creamy and strong, I’m not sure if that makes sense but the specific taste of the drink is forever ingrained in my tastebuds. While some people don’t like it, I would say the uniqueness of the drink is excellent enough to have it on my top 3 list.

2. Bubble Queen

I remembered the day I was told about Bubble Queen, my parents had just come back from a night out and waited in line for this bubble tea drink at Bubble Queen. They had talked about how amazing it tasted and how it had with real mango chunks on top of it. They wanted to bring us there, so the four of us went. I, of course even then, got a milk tea with pearls while my parents got the “Fresh Mango Cubed slush” and Aidan had an “Oreo Slush”. The milk tea wasn’t that special, the flavour of the tea is very strong and less milky and the pearls are harder but of course, it’s still good. What puts Bubble Queen as number 2 on my list is their mango drinks. As I had mentioned before, they put real chunks of mango at the top of their drink which emphasizes not only the sweetness & presentation but also its uniqueness. If anyone is wanting to try new and original bubble tea, go to Bubble Queen.

1. CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice

My number one choice is CoCo. Everything is right, the taste of the tea and the freshness of the pearls (sometimes). The most defining factor for all bubble teas is how the tea actually tastes. You don’t want it to be too watery or the tea to taste too strong or even be too milky, but rather an equal balance of all. Unlike what most may think, I’m not too adventurous with my bubble tea flavours, but luckily when I did try something new, I did it with CoCo. I usually order the “Pearl Milk Tea with 70% sugar and less ice” but my second favourite drink is a “Mango Green Tea with pearls and 70% sugar less ice”. If I were to recommend anyone to have bubble tea for the first time somewhere, it would be CoCo.

As I mentioned, I’ll talk quickly about what places I don’t necessarily LOVE.

  • Chatime → Milk tea is too watery BUT their “Red Pocket” discounts last longer than CoCo’s
  • Xing Fu Tang → Only have brown sugar, too much sugar for me
  • Ben Gong’s Tea → Only have brown sugar, too much sugar for me
  • Milksha → Pearls are different, not tapioca which takes it away from my list
  • Fair Bee → Used to be great, but their tea is too watery (cheapest from what I can remember)

Of course, there are more places but I cannot go on forever otherwise this post will never end!

Press Release: Caffeinated Tammy

Tammy is proud to announce the launch of the new blogging website, www.caffeinatedtammy.com. Our platform is designed to promote social justice by providing a space for discussion on racial disparity, discrimination, and the rise of creators in the social media industry.

The world is facing an ongoing struggle with racial discrimination and social inequality. As social media becomes a significant platform for communication and information sharing, it is critical to address the impact of racism on this industry. With the rightful rise of BIPOC creators, we have noted how social media can be used to amplify their voices and bring attention to important social issues.

Caffeinated Tammy aims to be a safe space where individuals can share their thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on the intersectionality of race, and discrimination in social media. We strive to promote inclusivity, diversity, and representation in the digital world. Our platform will cover topics such as the impact of social media on marginalized communities, the power of representation in media, and the role of social media in activism.

At Caffeinated Tammy, we empower individuals to use their voices and make a difference. This platform welcomes diverse opinions and encourages respectful discourse. We hope to create a community that supports and uplifts one another, all the while advocating for social justice and equality.

We invite everyone to join us on this journey toward a more just future. Visit www.caffeinatedtammy.com to read our latest blog posts and join the conversation. Together, we can make a difference. Remember, every drop in the ocean counts: your voice and opinions matter.

(This post was created with the help of chatgpt.ai)

10 Self-Care Ideas

Self-Care

Self-care is an important part of one’s well-being. These are little things that you can do for yourself and yourself only. It could be something productive or simply a meaningless activity that makes you happy. This blog post will you give some self-care ideas.

10 Ideas:

1. Listen to music

  • Drown out life for a bit.

2. Read a book

  • Escape from the stresses of the real world and enter a fictional one.

3. Retail therapy

  • You don’t necessarily have to buy anything, window shopping is also fun.

4. Move your body

  • Go to the gym, walk around your neighbourhood, go on a hike, dance, etc.

5. Have an “everything” shower

  • Put on a good playlist and have a shower where you do everything (hair mask, exfoliate, shave, etc.). You’ll feel like a new person when you’re done.

6. Journal

  • Release your thoughts onto paper.

7. Touch grass

  • Go outside and get some fresh air.

8. Go to sleep early

  • Get a good night’s sleep so you feel energized in the morning.

9. Drink lots of water

  • Stay hydrated!

10. Engage in those little things that make YOU happy.

  • Whether it’s going down a rabbit hole of cast interviews for a show you just finished or crocheting a cardigan, make sure you take part in hobbies and interests that you enjoy doing!

PROCESS POST—— Our breadcrumbs

Almost everything in our lives can be done digitally. This is especially true with the use of social media and shopping sites, which leads us to leave things behind that we may need to pay more attention to.

After reading “Digital breadcrumbs: the data trail we leave behind us”, I realized that I leave a lot of information on the Internet, both intentionally and unintentionally. This includes my search history, online purchases, social media activity, location data, and more.

As mentioned in the article, especially with Google’s search history, our information is transmitted to various Internet service providers and then stored in Google servers and can be located in various parts of the world. These digital breadcrumbs can be very valuable to some companies. By analyzing this data, they can provide insight into our behavior, preferences and interests, which can inform a number of aspects of product development.

However, I think the collection and use of digital breadcrumbs also raises some issues. For example, there is the potential for this data to be used to invade people’s privacy and track their whereabouts. Just a short time ago, my friend told me that her photo and some other information had been maliciously stolen, leading to the theft of her WeChat identity.

As far as I am concerned now, every time I hit the keyboard and post, we are leaving evidence of our time online. I think we should take some precautions that can reduce some of the risks that digital footprints may leave behind.

We can use Google Analytics to bundle our website. Google Analytics can help me monitor many suspicious activities on my website. It can also help me identify vulnerabilities on the site and take steps to improve the security of the site. By analyzing user behavior on my website, potential security risks are identified and steps are taken to address them before they become a problem.

#POSIEL

The post PROCESS POST—— Our breadcrumbs first appeared on My blog.

Peer Review 3: The Fashion Daily

The Fashion Daily is run by Megan, who passionately creates content about finding her personal style, curating a wardrobe, and being inspired by recent events in the fashion industry. On her About page, she expresses hope that The Fashion Daily becomes a place where readers might be interested or find out new things in fashion.

Assumed Audience

After combing through her content and About page, I made the assumption that Megan’s intended audience members include both fashion newbies who might be interested in finding their personal style and fashion hobbyists who enjoy staying up-to-date on the world of fashion. This assumption is founded on the type of content she has put out, as well as what I have found that she hopes her blog space will serve as.

Content & Design

The Fashion Daily has 4 main content categories: Weekly Inspiration, Exploring Style, What’s New?, and Just For Fun. The first three categories are centred around a mix of personal style inspiration and tips, while the last category allows Megan to express other interests in her life.

Through her blog posts, I find a sense of care and enthusiasm in the tone of voice. For example, in the post “Enhancing Your Eye Color Through Clothing Choices,” Megan is both encouraging and informative by providing a personal anecdote surrounding her curiosity of which colours wear well on her, before outlining the conventionally best-suited colours by eye colour. By starting with a personal experience, she is also able to transition to informative content by framing eye colour as a fun way to experiment, instead of making it seem like necessary rules to follow.

In “How to Survive the Digital Apocalypse,” it is mentioned that blogs are maintained by businesses to sell ads instead of providing real, genuine value to consumers (Gertz, 2015). I think that the written content reflected on the blog, as well as Megan’s Just For Fun category, bring her personality into The Fashion Daily, which makes the content she publishes feel genuine. As well, she only links out to other websites to provide further reading on the topic she is focused on, rather than trying to sell particular products or services.

In terms of the website’s visual design choices, the colourful images used throughout add pops of colour to what otherwise would be a bland website. Additionally, I like how the serif typeface used for headings and the website title make me think of newspapers, which might be why the blog is named as is: The Fashion Daily might come across as a source of fashion news and information by name alone. To juxtapose this, I think the rounded sans-serif typeface matches the tone Megan chooses to write in, which overall creates a welcoming feeling across the blog for her audience.

I think the tone of voice used, as well as style experimentation tips, are the strongest variables in capturing the attention of Megan’s assumed audience. I believe these factors, in combination with the website’s visual design choices, are what can build trust with her audience and make her blog a safe, encouraging space to go to when one’s spark is set off to experiment with style.

References

Gertz, T. (2015, July 10). How to Survive the Digital Apocalypse. Louder Than Ten. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://louderthanten.com/coax/design-machines

No Queer Representation Without Queer Voices: Trans Discourse Surrounding Jagged Little Pill (2019)

Lauren Patten as Jo in Jagged Little Pill (ph. Matthew Murphy)

Theatre has long since prided itself on its acceptance and advocacy for queer people and the LGBT+ community, marking the industry with a number of queer individuals both in executive and creative positions. This acceptance has defined many aspects of the medium and the people who partake in it, however, like any industry, it is far from perfect. One of the most recent controversies surrounding the portrayal of trans characters and trans actors, specifically, is the 2019 jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill, a show constructed around songs from Alanis Morissette’s album of the same name. The character Jo, originated by Lauren Patten on Broadway, was the source of this controversy, particularly in regards to the apparent erasure of their trans identity through the process of the production’s move from Atlanta to Broadway. (For the purposes of this article, Jo will be referred to with they/them pronouns, however current productions of the show do insist that she is a female character who has “always been” female, despite this being empirically false.)

Indeed, scripts of previous iterations of the play as well as clips from its off-broadway run always and exclusively present Jo’s gender dysphoria as an overt aspect of their identity, having their climatic and emotional fallout with their best friend be based around this best friend misgendering them. In the Broadway version, this fallout has nothing to do with their gender identity, instead shifting the conflict to their interpersonal troubles rather than transphobic ones, and furthermore redirecting all of Jo’s struggles throughout the play away from their gender and leaning into their sexuality. 

But why? Why create a trans character whose transness is intrinsic to their story and then erase this massive aspect of their identity? This is a question many trans theatre fans have been asking, demanding a kind of explanation to the erasure and silencing of trans stories. The accepted answer is simply this: to keep a cis actor employed.

I don’t want to contribute to any hateful rhetoric directed at the actors themselves, but I think the executive team saw the work that the cis female actor put into originating the role of Jo, and made the decision to make Jo cis in order to remove the responsibility they would have to re-cast the character as a trans actor. It is incredibly baffling that a production that seems to so strongly stand for justice for marginalized individuals would willfully remove a trans storyline in order to benefit cis narratives, but the executive team has not presented any alternative to this reasoning, instead evading answering the question or addressing the issue by purporting Jo to have always been intended to be a cis woman. 

More than this, though, for a show that ostensibly takes pride in depicting marginalized people and disengaging with harmful rhetoric such as rape culture and addiction stigma, its treatment of other LGBT+ characters is also incredibly problematic. Not only are trans narratives being overshadowed by cis means, but the only bisexual character in the play is presented, of course, as the stereotypical cheater, one who engages in sexual relations with multiple people (of different genders) at the same time. These harmful biphobic and transphobic rhetorics that this play leans into for plot purposes directly contradicts the show’s message of inclusivity and amplification of marginalized voices. No longer are they stories about young people making mistakes, but stories that echo harmful rhetoric for the communities involved. 

As such, Jagged Little Pill becomes the topic of discourse surrounding portrayals of LGBT+ narratives on stage, an unfortunate and unforgiving misgiving that contradicts the industry marker of inclusivity. My opinion on the inherent transphobia of the Jagged Little Pill transfer from Atlanta to Broadway is that it is something that necessitates a response from the creative and productive teams. The show’s transphobia and minimization of trans voices is the result of intentional actions to peddle cis success, brought to light by many trans voices, and it demands acknowledgement at the very least.