Have you joined the YouTube revolution? It is hard to believe that this video-sharing sensation didn’t take off until 2005, but now it seems like everyone has a YouTube channel. But going beyond all of those selfie videos and YouTube fails compilations, it’s time for business owners to consider video as a service, starting by uploading their own ‘how-to’ instructional videos as a part of their website marketing strategy. People love watching someone teach them something!
YouTube is the second most popular search engine. It attracts a user’s attention 83% of the time. It’s considered to be one of the fourth most valuable social platforms for B2B marketers and advertisers. YouTube users consist of a third of all internet users worldwide, making it the most popular video streaming service in existence.
As of 2016, twice as many small and medium-sized businesses began using YouTube to advertise channels or videos. So, it comes as no surprise that over two-third of all YouTube viewers are more likely to watch a video in order to help them make decisions about all kinds of purchases. This could be what to eat at a restaurant, which restaurant to visit, the best hotel to stay at or the most suitable car to buy. The list is endless. Hence making video marketing an integral part of every business.
Create value
In any B2B content marketing strategy, the object of your content should be to educate your users, address specific challenges, and ultimately provide them with solutions to simplify life. Your platforms should be geared towards creating value, so your customers can continue to come back to content on your site, especially when they think of you as a subject-matter expert.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget why we started a business or launched a certain service. It’s so hard to keep our minds off the money because at the end of the day, all that matters is turning a profit, right? However, as with any content marketing strategy for B2B businesses, the reason we create this content has everything to do with generating value and addressing gaps for our customers! So, whatever you choose to create (be it blog posts, podcasts, videos, ebooks, conferences – the list goes on) the main focus should be to solve problems in an effective and efficient way! You can take help of professional video production in Seattle to create valuable vidoes for your business.
End goal
When creating video on a video editor, it’s important to establish what your end goal is. Why do you want to create a video? Is it really to attract people to your site or are you trying to keep their attention on your social media platforms? Video production can be expensive. We want to help remind you that if the purpose of creating video is just for entertaining an audience, then, there is a chance that people will become bored and walk away from their screens without interacting with the content or subscribing to your feeds. That’s why we like to stress on the importance of knowing how much detail / content should go into which product/content platform/video channel.
Create a timeline: In your video calendar, schedule content on a regular basis so your audience keeps coming back for more, for example on a weekly or monthly basis. After determining the type of content that fits with your target audience’s lifestyle, create outlines for what will be included in each of your videos. Some popular video content formats include: DIY tutorials, testimonials or FAQs.
You can optimize your video easily to make it more marketable
Simply write a few sentences and then write them again and again – hundreds of times. You can play around with the words as you go. This process might take several days and you’ll need a lot of paper, but if you stick to this plan you’ll have written enough text for your video description by the end of week one! By the time week two rolls around, all that’s left is to craft a title and tags that are special enough they’ll make people click on Play. Remember, videos on YouTube get over 50 times more views than text-based posts so don’t worry if your video doesn’t meet all traditional marketing goals right out of the gate!
Spell out your calls-to-action
Your viewers want to do something with the information you shared, so be sure to include a very clear calls-to-action (CTA) within your video that tells them what you want them to do. The best way to accomplish this is to direct them to an engaging landing page on your website where you can capture their contact information in exchange for a free resource (eBook, tutorial, etc.) Just remember to reinforce your CTA and display it in the video – various studies have found that including both is even more effective than either one by itself!
Start the chatter about your videos
Don’t just rely on search. Start creating some buzz about your new video! When applicable, ask for retweets from your other social channels with fellow channel followers. You can embed the content on your website or blog. Don’t forget to get your loyal fans involved. Feel free to ask them to post your videos across their social media to get even more exposure, especially if they are relevant influencers in your niche, industry or market!
Standardize the look and feel
There is a lot of power in building a strong brand. This means retaining the same look throughout your product experience. You want your customers to know exactly who you are every time they see your company. For example, if you have the same logo or the same color scheme, it doesn’t matter which platform you’re on. That shows how effective branding can be when people instantly recognize who you are, even though many of them only follow you on a single channel.
Video can help your audience learn from the comfort of their own home. The great thing about this type of media is that you don’t need to be perfect, and it isn’t live! This makes it easier to edit out the parts you aren’t comfortable with, without people watching in person. InVideo can help you edit your content to make it as user-friendly as possible.
The Tokyo Olympic Games, just concluded, were a spectacular success and grateful thanks are owed to our Japanese hosts to make this event so, at a time when we were in the middle of a global pandemic. There were many doubts expressed beforehand by many people over the Games going ahead during the pandemic, but the precautionary measures put in place were well handled and not obtrusive.
For anyone who had the opportunity to watch the Games via TV they must have been struck by the wonderful sportsmanship and friendship shown by the competitors of all nations taking part, whatever race and ethnicity. It prompted me to think and ask why the countries of the world cannot exercise some of the same degree of friendship when dealing with one another rather than push forward with agendas that are antagonistic. The world holds a number of dysfunctional states as well as oppressive dictatorships where the resident population is subjected to mental as well as physical torture. Belarus is a typical example, where the leader of the country stole the election to give himself yet another term, and quashes any dissent, with some paying the ultimate price. He has the arrogance to divert a commercial flight so that he can arrest someone who opposes him and then beats him up, before parading him in front of the cameras to say an apology, which everyone can see was forced out of him.
The Middle East is a complex problem and has been for centuries, the home of some of the oldest civilisations and the divergent monotheistic religions, which add a complicating factor. It surprisingly has been relatively quiet for the last period. Until the next flare up.
Myanmar has also been quiet, or so it seems. The military patrols across the country, particularly in states that offer some resistance and tough guerrilla opposition. The military behave badly, continuing the practice of killing, rape and pillage if not total destruction of small communities which cannot offer any resistance. Corruption is thriving. The military government have ‘promised’ fresh elections next February, 6 months hence, but it is most unlikely that these will be ‘fair and free’. The troubled conditions will continue. It will be an issue of continuing concern for ASEAN and more widely. A recent visit for a documentary had to be carried out illegally in case the military had discovered that the local people had been welcoming and helpful. The repercussions would have been appalling.
The latest situation that has arisen is the Afghanistan blitz takeover by the Taliban, a medieval group promoting the fundamental sharia doctrine, which is out of date and treats women as ‘non-persons’. They have also harboured terrorists, one group pulling off the infamous 2001, 9/11 strike on the NY Twin Towers, which awakened the US to take strong retaliatory action in Afghanistan, and forcing the Taliban out for 20 years. Their 5-year, 1996-2001, rule of Afghanistan was brought to a close after the NY happening, when the US with Allied forces took charge and ousted them.
But now the Taliban are back following a direct meeting with the then president Trump in 2017, no Afghan government present, and they saw him coming! Shades of North Korea. He said he would withdraw completely without proper assurances, leaving the country’s development less than half finished. President Joseph Biden completed the task of withdrawal, somewhat hasty, upsetting nearly all Americans in the process. The British were caught flat-footed and there is considerable anger expressed by MPs, not least because they realise that they no longer have the ability to resolve such issues themselves. They feel embarrassed and rightly so.
As one of the Afghan luminaries and most quoted intellectuals, prof. Djawed Sangdel, reminds us: “Afghanistan is a graveyard of empires. Even Alexander the Macedonian realised – 2,300 years ago – ‘it is easy to enter the country, but lethal when exiting it’. This especially if you do not respect domestic realities.” Indeed, the situation on the ground is chaotic.
The leader, Ashraf Ghani, of the weak ‘legal’ government has fled, not without rumours about bags full of cash, and that is one reason that the country has not progressed as well as it should, endemic corruption. Women, quite rightly, are fearful, as to what lies in store, as the Taliban’s record on treatment of them is brutal. They have promised to give emancipation within sharia law – which in their case was the combination of twisted and oversimplified Islamic teachings with the tribal nomadic pre-Islamic culture of the central Asian hights.
Looking at the country as a whole, one worries about its future; the Taliban have no track record of governing a country, particularly not one as complex as Afghanistan. They would have to greatly modify their approach to life, separate religion from state (affairs). However, there are credible doubts; once more the Northern Alliance will get together and the country will lapse into civil war. Will the Chinese see an opportunity and risk what others have failed to do? My heart goes out to the people of Afghanistan.
In reviewing the past few decades, it would seem that western led democracies, when they have engaged with a country, which is in trouble, have only entered it without full humanitarian understanding of the problems and not sought a proper sustainable solution. Inevitably it takes longer than one thinks, and there are not strong enough safeguards put in to avoid financial losses to development projects, sometimes major.
The UN has a major part to play, but one must ask if today’s remit is fit for purpose, or should they be reviewed, and the countries that make up the UN should look at and ask themselves if they are fair in what they give and expect, not just monetarily.
Prof. J. Scott Younger, OBE is International Chancellor of the President University, He spent 42 years in the Asia and its Far East undertaking assignment in 10 countries for the World Bank, Asia Development Bank, UN Development Program, etc. He serves as the IFIMES Advisory Board member.
Code obfuscation is the process of changing executable code such that it is no longer understandable, interpretable, or executable. The source code is obfuscated to the point where it is unreadable and impossible to understand, let alone execute, by a third party.
Obfuscation of code does not affect the application’s end-user interface or the code’s intended outcome. It’s only a preventative measure to make the code worthless for a possible hacker who gets their hands on an application’s executable code.
Why is it necessary to obfuscate code?
Obfuscation of code is especially important for open-source systems, which have a significant disadvantage in code hackability for personal gain. Obfuscation is especially important for source code that is distributed insecurely.
Developers ensure that their product’s intellectual property is protected against security threats, unauthorised access, and the discovery of application flaws by making a program challenging to reverse engineer. This procedure limits malicious access to source code and ensures varying levels of code protection depending on the type of obfuscation technique used.
If the code is obfuscated, the most critical deciding factor against carrying out a reverse-engineering assault increases significantly. Because the decompiled code is rendered unreadable, the time, cost, and resource factors all weigh in favor of discarding the code when it is obfuscated.
The advantages of code obfuscation
The security team performs code obfuscation in the apps, especially those hosted on open-source platforms, which has numerous benefits. In an untrustworthy environment, it is always preferable to deploy an obfuscated application, which makes it more difficult for attackers to inspect and analyze the code.
This procedure assures no loopholes for debugging, manipulating, or disseminating the fictitious application for illicit benefit. This layer of security is essential for apps that deal with business-critical consumer personal information.
Most obfuscators also clean up the code by deleting unnecessary metadata, dead codes, and duplicates. As a result of this minification, the compilation process is sped up, resulting in faster code execution and faster outputs, upping the ante on code performance.
Another significant benefit of code obfuscation is that it makes it difficult to reverse-engineer a program, meaning code distribution on open-source platforms is no longer a concern. If numerous levels of security are to be implemented, iterative code obfuscation is especially well-known.
The security team uses one or more obfuscation algorithms in this technique, with the output of the previous algorithm serving as an input to the next in line, and so on. As a result, the attacker may become confused about the program’s original goal and what is visible to them, resulting in deobfuscation attempts failing.
Because cracking an obfuscated code demands real effort, talent, money, and time, code obfuscation is a practical approach to dealing with threats and weeding out fun-attackers out of the way. Even if the hackers succeed, the deobfuscated code may not resemble the original code very closely. Though true effectiveness measures are difficult to come by, most companies obfuscate code for security and privacy reasons.
The negative effects of code obfuscation
All obfuscation techniques have some impact on code performance, even if it is minor. Depending on the amount of code obfuscated and the complexity of the methods obfuscated, deobfuscating the code may take a significant amount of time.
The majority of automatic obfuscators can decode an obfuscated program. Obfuscation slows down the process of reverse engineering; it does not prevent it. Some anti-virus software will warn users if they visit a website that uses obfuscated code, as obfuscation can be used to hide malicious code. This could prevent people from using genuine apps and drive them away from reputable businesses.
Conclusion
To tackle complicated security threats, all of this code obfuscation is insufficient. The availability of automated tools and hackers’ expertise make it harder to deobfuscate code, but it is not impossible to reverse-engineer.
As a result, code obfuscation is not a one-stop shop for all applicable security requirements. The development team could use various code obfuscation approaches to secure their code in an untrusted environment, depending on the security need, nature of the application, and performance benchmark.
These should be carried out while taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. Other AppSec initiatives, such as encryption, RASP, data retention policies, and so on, should be supported by this strategy. When combined with RASP solutions like AppSealing, it becomes a potent antidote to today’s security concerns.
Vala Flynn is a Full Stack Developer with over 8 years of development, object-oriented, and user-centered design expertise. Able to analyze system flows and data consumption in order to design and maintain software that meets production and quality standards. She created desktop and mobile app products that adhered to the highest web and mobile design standards, user experience, best practices, and speed.
Bitcoin sparked the birth of the cryptocurrency industry and was designed to replace paper-based currencies and gain worldwide recognition. Over the past few months, the price of Bitcoin has fallen greatly after reaching a value of $65,000 in April 2021.
Cryptocurrency experts predict that Bitcoin will be a more powerful global currency than the US dollar by the end of 2050. Investors and experts are struggling to predict the expected value of this currency in 2025. You can visit https://bitcoinprime.io/ for more details.
Understanding Bitcoin and the reasons for price rise
Bitcoin was founded by Satoshi Nakamoto as a peer-to-peer digital cash system aimed at replacing paper-based fiat currency. Since it is peer-to-peer, Bitcoin is decentralized, meaning it does not need third-party control such as the government or bank to monitor transactions.
Bitcoin transactions are approved by miners who receive BTC for any verified block and these are included in the blockchain. The BTC reward prompts miners to confirm more transactions and promote the Bitcoin network.
The supply of Bitcoin is capped at 21 million and together with halving, this makes the asset as scarce as gold. It is for that reason that it is referred to as digital gold. The unique characteristics of Bitcoin make this currency a store of value as well as a global transactional currency.
The currency is considered safe even during the season of economic crisis. As such, the economy in 2021 does not influence Bitcoin’s performance or its prices thereof. Bitcoin is, therefore, a powerful financial technology that is subject to price rise and capable of transforming the world. The projected growth of Bitcoin may be substantial and represent its actual value as an internationally recognized currency.
The price action of Bitcoin
According to a finance assignment help UK, the value of Bitcoin today is around $48,000 but because of its volatility, the asset has the potential to fluctuate fast. The currency started with a very small value after the release of the core client code into the market.
A few years later, its value rose to over $1,000 after which it started being recognized as a potential financial asset. In 2017, Bitcoin’s potential shook the world with many investors gaining tremendous wealth when the asset hit $20,000. That is when many people started learning about Bitcoin with many of the retail investors running to buy it.
In 2018, the price started declining, causing the market to retrace by a low of 80% t0 $3,000. This trend left many investors wondering whether Bitcoin will ever regain its momentum.
The currency’s growth started returning at the beginning of 2019 which created some hope among retail investors. The value went up to $14,000 before falling to $6,500 and further $4,000 in 2020.
The global effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the money supply upwards, raising concerns about Bitcoin’s strength.
The cryptocurrency assumed a new trend in 2021, hitting a high of $65,000 before falling to $30,000 in July 2021.
The future of Bitcoin
Several cryptocurrency experts have expressed their short-term and long-term views about Bitcoin’s price expectations. Max Keiser, an expert, and investor predict a value of $100,000 in the short-term and $ 400,000 in the long term.
Robert Kiyosaki, an investor and the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” has been advising people to buy Bitcoin. He predicts the price of Bitcoin to rise from the current $47,000 to $75,000 by 2025.
Plan B uses Bitcoin’s scarcity to predict future prices, which is the rationale behind the Sock-to Flow model. Based on this model, Bitcoin could reach $288,000 when it reaches the next high in a few years.
Bitcoin developer Adam Back estimates the currency’s price at $300,000 in the next few years. According to Adam, the currency may not need another institutional adoption to assume price change because many investors are considering hedging their investments.
Previous successful price predictions
Making Bitcoin’s price predictions is not an easy task, although some industry experts have made accurate predictions in the past. For instance, Daniel Masters, a financial analyst, predicted that Bitcoin price would break out in 2017 to reach a $4,400 mark. Bitcoin reached that price and later rose to $20,000
Another successful price prediction was done by Vinny Lingham, who said that Bitcoin would be valued at between $2,000 and $3,000 by 2017. Peter Brandt predicted that Bitcoin value could drop by at least 80% in 2018. At the close of the year, the target was realized and the currency dropped to $3,200.
According to Bloomberg Research 2020, Bitcoin was expected to reach the $20,000 mark by December 2020, the prediction of which was accurate. Tim Draper, a venture capitalist and a heavy investor in cryptocurrency, has also made accurate Bitcoin price predictions. In 2014, Draper estimated the price to reach $10,000 by the end of 2018. His projection was right because, in 2017, the price of the currency doubled the projection.
Bitcoin cycles every four years through the process of halving, with the next having coming in 2024. The currency’s price will go up again as a result of a reduction in the supply. Technical analysts predict Bitcoin price to reach a high of $500,000 by the beginning of 2025.
Conclusion
Based on the massive forecasts and price projections, the currency could replace other global currencies in the future. The use of prediction models or technical analysis does not guarantee the accuracy of results, so the experts could get it right or wrong. The Bitcoin prices are so volatile and it is never too late to invest in the currency for short-term and long-term gains.
Thomas Jackson is a college paper writer who provides assignment help to students. He’s considered to be the best assignment helper online. He is an active member of some very good writing clubs in New York. Besides academic writing, he loves to pen down songs, something he has been doing since his childhood. He gets his inspiration from his family and live music shows.
As a college graduate, the sooner you start budgeting and planning for your financial future, the more financially stable you will be in the years to come. On the other hand, if you don’t think about your finances, you could end up making mistakes that could seriously impact your finances. Here are four mistakes you need to avoid.
1. Buying a Home Without Understanding How Interest Rates Work
Once you’re out of college and have secured a great job, your thoughts will probably turn to buying a home. But too many college grads make the mistake of proceeding with getting a mortgage without knowing how interest rates work. If you want to stay in control of your finances and not run into potential serious repercussions, it’s vital you have a good understanding of mortgage interest rate basics. If you don’t, your monthly payment could change and you wouldn’t be prepared.
Without understanding your interest rate, it could also take you a lot longer to pay off your loan. For instance, you wouldn’t know how best to make additional principal payments. You could also lose out on the opportunity to refinance your mortgage later on. When you understand interest rates, you can then use a mortgage rate comparison site to compare your rate with all the current rates. At the end of the day, if you’re getting a mortgage, understanding the interest rate is pivotal for making the most of your money.
2. Overlooking Student Loans When Calculating Your Monthly Living Expenses
As a college grad, you probably have student loans to pay off. Having debt can have a major impact on your finances. For instance, you may have to settle for a low-rent property when you first come out of college because you will need to spend a proportion of your income on paying off your student debt.
While most student loans have grace periods, it’s a mistake to not worry about your student loan during that grace period. Otherwise, you could find yourself living beyond your means when it comes time to start paying off your debt. Furthermore, having debt can lessen your chances of qualifying for loans like mortgages. So, the sooner you address any debt you have, the better.
3. Not Considering Loan Forgiveness Options
Whether you start paying off your student loan after the grace period or immediately, it will take time to pay off. But there is one option known as loan forgiveness that many grads don’t even consider. If you’re not familiar yourself, loan forgiveness is basically an opportunity to not pay all or some of your student loan.
There are various types of programs that you can engage with to become eligible for loan forgiveness. For instance, you can get loan forgiveness for choosing a job in a specific field or location, volunteering, or serving in the military.
4. Not Saving Early for Retirement
Sure, you’re young. So, retirement is probably the last thing on your mind. However, if you don’t plan ahead, in a few years’ time, you will wish you had. You only have to do the math to see how advantageous it is to start saving for retirement early. For example, basing the annual rate of return on 7%, a person who starts saving at the age of twenty-five will more than double their retirement fund by the time he or she retires compared to someone who starts saving at the age of thirty-five.
Even college grads who do start saving straight away can make mistakes, though. One of the most common is not taking advantage of your employer’s match. If you work for a company that matches retirement contributions, you basically get free money for your retirement fund.
Employee illness and injuries cost American businesses a massive $225.8 billion in 2019. When you’re running a company, ensuring that your staff is healthy should be a major priority. Chad Price, the CEO and co-founder of MAKO Medical Laboratories, knows the value of supporting the wider team and making wellness a priority. Over the last year and a half, his business has more than doubled in staff size, putting this into keen focus. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of his advice on how to encourage employee wellness.
Offer Health Education Opportunities
One of the biggest challenges that individuals face when it comes to their health is a matter of education. When you’re running a company, offering your staff members educational opportunities could significantly improve their lifestyles. For example, you might want to offer optional workshops to your employees that provide them with information on how to live well, exercise as much as they need, and eat a balanced diet.
The amount of support and education you can offer will depend largely on the size of your business. However, it’s worth considering how you can support your team and what initiatives you can provide. You don’t have to organize this benefit in-house. There are plenty of third-party operators you can contract to offer it. The more research you do, the more likely you are to find a system that works for you.
Focus on Mental Well-Being
While physical wellness is important, it would be a mistake to overlook mental health. More than half of USA employees experienced burnout this year, according to a study from Indeed. With stress levels and workloads always on the rise, taking care of your employees’ mental health is vital. While you need your team to be productive, take the time to consider how to alleviate some of the pressure they are under.
You can do this in a couple of ways. For instance, you may find that it’s useful to have a well-being officer within your business. This professional folds into the HR team and offers support to any of the staff members who may need it. When an employee has an issue—mental or otherwise—they can report to this professional and share their experiences with them. Additionally, you may want to look at your policies on mental health, including how you offer sick days and the benefits you provide for your team.
Strengthen Bonds with the Community
Building strong social bonds—especially with the wider community—can help to improve people’s mental and physical health. This approach has the added bonus of solidifying your position within the local community and helping those who need it the most. At MAKO Medical Laboratories, we encourage all of our team members to immerse themselves in projects and programs that support residents in the area. Many of these are highly active pursuits and allow the team members to enhance their own levels of physical fitness.
Whatever your business offers, there are certainly ways you can reach out to the community. You may want to start hosting charitable events that raise funds for causes. On the other hand, if your business offers a service or product that could be of use to the community, there may be ways to harness that power. For instance, the team MAKO Medical Laboratories has previously offered free PCR testing and COVID-19 vaccines to organizations and individuals within the wider area. Decide what works for your business.
Help Out with the Cost of Medications
The average American spends $1200 on prescription drugs every year, according to a report from Bloomberg. Not only is the cost of medication high, but it can put stress on the shoulders of your staff members. One way you can support your team’s wellness is by helping them with this financial burden. You may offer to cover some of the costs via your health benefit or even subsidize the cost in some other way. Ensuring that your staff has access to the medication that they need when they need it could make a huge difference.
Additionally, you may find third-party companies you can use for this service. Do some research into the local companies in your area and see what works for your business. Making sure that you have a proper policy in place ahead of time means that your team members will never need to worry about this aspect of their health. For that reason, it’s worth taking the time to consider the approach you can take here.
The Takeaway!
Prioritizing staff wellness is a business-savvy move. When you have a healthy team, you can be sure that your business will thrive and grow. While we’ve covered some of the initial steps you may take, there’s a myriad of ways to offer your staff members the support that they need. You may start with these examples and then delve deeper into the initiatives you can embark upon within your business.
About MAKO Medical Laboratories
Supported by an expert team of nationally recognized doctors and PhDs, MAKO Medical Laboratories specializes in methodology development and pathological services. The game-changing testing company and labs prioritize patients by offering transparency.
Started in 2014 by Chad Price, Adam Price, and Josh Arant, it aims to disrupt the sector. Additionally, MAKO Medical offers support to veterans. The company combines a wealth of new technology including robotics, app platforms, and cloud-based tech. In response to the pandemic, the laboratories have adapted their services to offer accurate testing.
Chad Price is the CEO of MAKO Medical Laboratories. He has had a long entrepreneurial career previously co-founding BrideGenie and founding Element Services Group Mechanical LLC. He has played a major role in starting Cary Reconstruction and is a board member for Trill A.I. Moreover, he currently offers tailored consulting services to companies embarking on new mergers or primed for growth.
The short version of events in Afghanistan is that Pakistan won and the international alliance led by the United States lost. Of course the story is not over and things could change – Iraq, for example, is a case of an intervention going very wrong but then returning to a more hopeful state of play.
The same could happen in Afghanistan too, but it is very unlikely. The scale of the loss and the degree of political exhaustion at home have left the key western players rethinking their position. They will now ponder the fact that Afghanistan offers them very little in terms of economic interests and also the fact that a wider strategic competition between China and the US will increasingly dominate the global chessboard.
Pakistan, which nourished the Taliban and played for time to maintain its sphere of influence, will thus durably “own” Afghanistan. It has the largest political and economic stakes in Afghanistan, it has more sway over the Taliban movement than any other outside player, and its longstanding ally, China, has already indicated its willingness to be of help.
Now, western partners, including Nato and the EU, must build on this reality. Their chief priority should be to support stability. It will not be the type of stability or political order for which they have fought for two decades, but a Pakistan-sponsored Taliban Afghanistan is what is on offer. The immediate goal should be to provide the Taliban and Pakistan a degree of support for their rule in return for a de-radicalised order: that is, an order that does not breed or sponsor international terrorism and engage in human atrocity.
Obviously, the US and Europe want neither the terrorism nor the refugees that stem from radicalism. Nor does Pakistan, which has borne a heavy cost from the radicalisation of its own society during the war, evidenced by domestic terrorism, political unrest and refugees.
Perhaps the Taliban regime will arrive at the same conclusion. If it is to govern, it needs resources and support, and it risks being at war not only with international society but also large segments of Afghanistan’s own society, which, of course, has changed in the 20 years since 2001. The population is more urban and better educated, and while the trend is not overwhelming, it is sufficiently strong to be a factor of restraint on the Taliban.
A continued low-intensity war with the Taliban might be tempting as a vindication of human rights values. And there will be political determination to redefine failure as a temporary setback. The Taliban could be squeezed financially, its domestic opponents could be armed, special operations forces could occasionally wrongfoot it and Pakistan could be prodded to lie low. But denial of failure is poor strategy. A protracted conflict on these terms would not and could not change the basic parameters that brought defeat in the first place.
Recognition and acceptance
A forward-looking policy must begin with an overt recognition that the Taliban and Pakistan have been victorious. It should then spell out the terms of western engagement. Having lost the war, the west must offer the Taliban development potential: diplomatic recognition and, with it, opportunities for finance and trade. The west should also offer to channel humanitarian aid into Afghanistan on terms that suit both sides. Pakistan, meanwhile, should be convinced that this recognition of its political sphere of influence is real and durable.
The first step should be to do everything possible – and for the losing side, that may not be a lot – to promote a Taliban-led government of transition that includes as many Afghan parties as possible. Power sharing eluded the republic erected in 2002-2004, and the international community never put this missing piece of the puzzle front and centre of its policy. But it is also worth reminding the Taliban and Pakistan that the alternative to power sharing is a very real risk of civil war. Ethnic groups in Afghanistan’s west and north have the capacity to organise armed resistance with the backing of outside powers. The west must, in this regard, appeal to the Taliban’s sense of history and buttress the reminder with a policy of recognition and development.
Evacuees board planes at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. EPA
For its part, the west cannot accept international terrorism emanating from Afghanistan – and Europe, especially, cannot accept a continued flow of refugees for fear of further inflaming domestic politics. Western states would be right to signal that financial sanctions, covert military operations and other means of coercion could come into play if they are pushed.
The key, though, is to recognise these instruments for what they are: instruments of a (hopefully) orderly retreat, not means of continued war. The west cannot choose to oppose Taliban rule. That game is over. The real choice is between a retreat that furthers the hope of moderate Taliban rule and a retreat that, by opposing this rule, stokes further misery.
Facing facts
Time is of the essence. Afghanistan could be on the precipice of civil war while bewildered western governments seem to be mostly concerned with their public image in the face of human suffering. One can all too easily imagine that nothing much will happen in terms of western response – and certainly not a coordinated one.
Leading governments should defy lethargy and come together to define a policy of recognition and engagement. This would allow common institutions such as Nato and the EU to do what they do best: corral western interests and empower the voice of lead nations.
As tempting as it is to let go, or to grandstand and continue the war by other means, the right thing to do is to refashion policy and stay engaged, albeit on narrower and greatly reduced terms. This turnaround will ultimately define the parameters by which we will judge the high cost of Afghan policy post-2001.
Sten Rynninghas been a professor in the field of international security and war studies since 2008. He established the Centre for War Studies at my university in 2012 and continue to head it, and they have a masters program in International Security and Law connected to the research centre. He continues to research war and strategy, especially as related to NATO and Western diplomacy.
Support for the withdrawal is widespread in the United States, with the majority of Americans – regardless of political affiliation – in favor of ending American military operations in Afghanistan. The war has been, and would continue to be, costly, both in financial terms and in terms of American lives.
There are significant moral costs at stake in either remaining in or withdrawing from Afghanistan. As a political philosopher whose work focuses on international affairs, I have tried to understand how ethical reasoning might be applied to such cases.
The first, and most important, ethical question might be: Is the United States justified in withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan?
A second question might involve asking about how the moral wrongs that are likely to emerge in Afghanistan should weigh upon the American conscience. Should American political leaders regard these wrongs as, in some fashion, their responsibility?
More broadly, is it sometimes possible that, in doing the best available thing, we are nonetheless guilty of doing something morally wrong?
Power and moral tragedy
Many philosophers have disliked the idea that someone might make the best choice available and nonetheless be thought to have committed a moral wrong. Immanuel Kant, for one, thought this vision was fundamentally in conflict with the purposes of morality – which is to tell people what it is they ought to do.
If a moral theory told us that, sometimes, there is no option open to us that does not involve doing wrong, then that theory would sometimes imply that even a perfect moral agent might end up having to become a wrongdoer.
That sort of theory would mean that there might be situations in which we could not escape from doing wrong. If we were unlucky enough to end up in those situations, we would become liable for wrongdoing because of this bad luck. Kant thought this sort of “moral luck” was simply implausible. For Kant, if we do what is best, we can regard ourselves as having avoided doing wrong.
Other philosophers, however, have been more willing to entertain the possibility of moral tragedy, which is understood as a state of affairs in which all options open to us involve serious moral wrongdoing.
Michael Walzer, a political philosopher at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, argues that those who exercise power over others may frequently find themselves unable to do good for some without doing serious wrong to others. Instead of thinking that the good they do outweighs the wrong, Walzer argues, individuals ought to accept that the wrong continues to be a genuine wrong.
For example, the politician who must make a deal with a corrupt colleague in order to help protect vulnerable children does wrong in the name of a greater good. This individual does their best but nonetheless stains their soul in the doing.
On this view, politicians who do wrong while trying to do what is right may do the best thing, but they should also be understood as having done wrong, and having stained their consciences in the doing. For Walzer, it is difficult for a person to be both good at politics and a genuinely good person.
Afghanistan and moral responsibility
If Walzer is right about politicians, his analysis might also help in understanding the morality of international relations – and the morality of withdrawing from Afghanistan.
There are fears that the Taliban might once again impose restrictions on girls once U.S. troops withdraw from the country. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
Taken in this context, the benefits of withdrawal may be sufficient to make it the right act. However, the rights violations that are likely to follow in the aftermath of this withdrawal are genuinely wrong, and they are rightly attributed to the United States. The women and girls of Afghanistan are likely to face human rights abuses, and the inhabitants of Afghanistan will likely face significant violence as the Taliban seek to reassert their rule. This ought to trouble the politicians who defend the withdrawal, and those voters who gave power to those politicians.
This vision of international politics is echoed in former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s advice to then-President George W. Bush about the invasion of Iraq – codified as the “Pottery Barn rule” after the perceived store policy: If you break it, you bought it. That is: If you make yourself the ruler over others, you are responsible for them, and what happens to them should be on your conscience.
There are at least two things that might follow this moral vision. The first is that, even if the withdrawal entails taking ownership of some moral wrongs, the United States has an obligation to ensure that such wrong is minimized.
It might therefore acquire, for instance, an obligation to provide refuge to those people who have borne particular risks in the name of the United States, such as the translators who worked on the military bases within Afghan territory and have been targeted by the Taliban for their work.
The second is, more broadly, that the United States works to ensure that it avoids entering into such morally tragic situations in the future. If Walzer’s analysis is correct, it might be impossible to avoid situations in which the United States is responsible for serious moral wrongs. Having power over others always involves the risk of moral bad luck, and the United States has exceptional power in the global community.
But it might at least be expected that the United States, in future conflicts, take account of what philosopher Brian Orend calls justice after war and enters into such conflicts only with some clarity about how and when to end them well.
The article has been updated to clarify that Michael Walzer is a scholar at Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
Michael Blake is a Professor of Philosophy, Public Policy, and Governance at the University of Washington. Until 2016, he was the Director of the UW’s Program on Values in Society. He received his bachelor degree in Philosophy and Economics from the University of Toronto, and a PhD from Stanford University. He obtained some legal training at Yale Law School, before running away to become a philosopher.
He is jointly appointed to the Department of Philosophy and to the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs.
While you may think you understand volatility in the financial marketplace, you should note that this is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the fiscal realm.
OK, we hear you ask, but what exactly does volatility mean in the context of the financial market? In simple terms, this refers to how quickly the price of a security or market index changes within a predetermined period of time, with this relating directly to increased risk and more seismic price shifts.
However, without volatility it would be hard for traders to make a profit in the near-term, so it’s a fascinating concept that offers both benefits and disadvantages. But what causes volatility and how does this impact fiat money and cryptocurrencies differently?
What Causes Volatility?
Volatility is inherent to both fiat money and cryptocurrency, while there are various triggers that cause rapid price movements depending on which assets you trade.
In the crypto market, however, it’s fair to surmise that a host of different and unusual factors are central to the volatility of assets such as Bitcoin (BTC).
For example, it’s fair to say that BTC and similar tokens are digital assets that don’t provide a tangible or secure store of wealth, which means that their value is heavily reliant on market sentiment and the opinion of strategic investors.
We saw BTC embark on a significant bull run during Q1 of this year, with this primarily driven by Elon Musk’s endorsement and a $1.5 billion investment by Tesla.
However, Musk’s subsequent criticism of Bitcoin’s mining practices and their sustainability quickly triggered a bear run, during which the asset shelved nearly 50% of its value.
Similarly, there’s also an underlying structural issue with crypto assets, with much of the volatility in this market driven by the forced closure of long and short positions in crypto derivatives.
Leverage also plays a key role here, although this may play a part in fiat money volatility in the forex marketplace.
Can BTC Ever Replace the US Dollar (USD)?
These elements have prevented the widespread adoption of Bitcoin and similar crypto assets throughout the financial marketplace, although these entities have made their mark in sectors such as iGaming.
The question that remains, of course, is can BTC ever replace the dollar? This seems unlikely in the current climate, especially when you consider that BTC has peaked above $60,000 this year and plunged below the $35,000 mark barely four weeks later.
This highlights immense volatility within the marketplace, and while this may offer value for investors, the USD and similar fiat currencies are far more stable and better suited to everyday currency exchanges and purchases.
However, there’s no doubt that major banks are looking to integrate crypto assets and blockchain technology into their existing models, especially as third-generation blockchains (which are far more scalable) begin to enter the marketplace.
The Last Word – Do Stablecoins Offer an Alternative?
The reason for this is simple; as stablecoins are pegged to the value of a fiat currency (typically the USD), creating a unique sense of stability while affording users access to the numerous benefits of cryptocurrency (including accessibility, transparency and anonymity).
This could create a gateway for stablecoins to enter the mainstream in the near-term, particularly by providing greater financial inclusion for those who are unbanked across the globe.
In general terms, digital drawing, digital art or digital illustration is what is done in digital drawing programs (software), such as Illustrator or Photoshop. But when we talk about digital illustration itself, we are referring to more elaborate work, since it includes more graphic elements and editing effects.
From digital drawing software and applications, both paid and free, to online platforms that can be accessed by anyone in the world. In contrast to AI art generation, digital drawing requires hands-on input from artists. Digital drawing is a wide universe that you need to know step by step before you start drawing.
What are the advantages of drawing digitally? What equipment or devices do I need? Or what are the most recommended programs for digital drawing? If you are asking all these questions (and more), don’t stop reading this article until the end.
Digital drawing or digital art is an artistic technique that has its origin in traditional drawing. The latter is done with specific materials, such as pencil, eraser or brush; digital drawing uses digital tools and programs.
In other words, digital drawing or digital art uses software that emulates the traditional techniques of conventional drawing, such as charcoal, watercolor, ink, oil, etc.
If, in essence, drawing is a linear representation made with a pencil or brush; digital drawing is a vectorial linear representation, such as clips or infographics.
Digital drawing usually uses vector programs, such as Illustrator, but can also be done in bitmap editing programs, such as Photoshop.
If you want to get started in the vast world of digital drawing, you will need to have the right drawing device and software. But we will get to that later.
What is vector drawing?
Vector drawing, also known as vector illustration, is a digital drawing technique that consists of drawing geometric objects (lines, curves, circles, etc.) to create a graphic image out of them. For example: drawings, logos or fonts.
Vector Girls Drawing/freevector.com
Vector images
Consequently, the resolution of vector images is practically infinite. That is, they can be maximized or reduced without affecting their color and shape.
For example: to create a vector illustration of a pet, you can use a photograph as a base. The photo is “traced” by lines and other geometric elements. These elements together are what will form a vector image.
Bitmap Images
Unlike vector images, these types of images are composed of a series of pixels or points. This means that the greater the number of pixels, the higher the quality of the image. This is known as resolution. Therefore bitmap images depend on a permanent number of points.
Source: helpx.adobe.com
What do you need for digital art?
Remember that most digital paintings software is paid software. And you don’t necessarily have to start using expensive software. So before you buy, we recommend that you try it out. Most of them have free trial periods. Take your time.
Another aspect you should take into consideration before starting digital art is the monitor. Monitors below 20 inches are not the most recommended. Although, if this is the case with your current monitor, don’t worry too much, you can replace it later.
Drawing with a drawing tablet is much better than drawing with a mouse. If you are thinking about buying one, we say that there are several drawing tablets ideal for beginners. For example, the Wacom brand is one of the most recognized in the industry, the company has devices with differentiated prices.
If you draw by hand, don’t stop doing it. Getting started in digital art does not mean abandoning your traditional drawing skills. Instead, they will help you understand digital drawing more easily.
What does it take to make a digital drawing?
First of all, you will have to define what devices and tools you will use to make digital painting.
These are the tools and devices you need to start creating digital art:
PC / laptop and mouse: these are the devices widely used by artists making vector illustrations. The mouse will function as a pencil or paintbrush.
PC, tablet and digital pen: Drawing on a tablet is the closest thing to drawing with a real pencil. This device is connected to your PC or laptop and includes a pen.
Graphic tablet and digital pen: But there are also graphic tablets that do not need to be connected to a PC. They have touch screens and allow you to draw directly on them with a digital pen.
Tablet and digital pen: tablets are not like graphics tablets, made for digital drawing; however, due to the size of their screens, they are also a good option for drawing. To do this, you will need to download a drawing application and buy a pen.
Cell Phone / Smartphone and digital pen: Nowadays there are cell phones that allow you to make elaborate drawings, thanks to the many drawing apps that are on Google Play or the Apple Store. However, the screen size of these computers can be a limiting factor when drawing. Also, remember that you will need a digital pen.
Digital art Software
Without a doubt, the most popular option on the market is Photoshop. Adobe’s program is a sophisticated software, with endless features such as brushes, layers, cutting and editing tools, color and text editing. Not to mention that the software can be used not only for digital drawing, but is also an image editor and a favorite of designers for assembling graphic pieces.
Using a tablet and photoshop for the first time may seem daunting at first glance, but don’t despair! One advantage of using such a widespread program is the numerous tutorials you can find to learn how to use it, or to ask questions. You will also find many resources such as brushes and presets to download to enrich your work.
Unfortunately, such an amazing tool comes at a price. Photoshop costs from $9.99 per month, but if you are on a budget, there are other programs like Paint Tool SAI and Krita that are free! Both have tools like brushes and layers, but are a bit simpler, not least because they are not image editing programs.
Procreate: If you are willing to make a larger investment, a tool that many artists are adopting is Procreate, available only for iPad Pro. Like Photoshop, it offers a good variety of features that mimic other drawing and painting techniques. The app itself costs $9.99 to download, but the iPad Pro with the pen costs a lot more than a tablet. However, besides the convenience of drawing directly on the screen, it has one big advantage which is that it is a complete device. If you use a tablet you need a computer, the iPad is already a computer. In other words, besides being able to be used for other purposes, it is super portable and easy to take wherever you want.
What software do digital artists use?
Once you have analyzed what equipment you have to start drawing, it is time to choose the digital drawing program that you will use to make your creations. The offer is quite wide.
What if you are wondering, “what is the best tool”? Actually, the answer depends on your goals as an artist, your budget, and the condition and performance of your devices.
These are the most popular digital art software and applications:
Adobe Illustrator
If you decide on a vector style, Illustrator is considered by many professional artists to be the best illustration software because it has advanced features. It also has good typographical functions. It is a paid software, although it offers a free 7-day trial period.
Adobe Photoshop
It is the world’s most popular graphic design software. But it is not only made for illustration, it also has editing, 3D, digital painting and even animation functions. Photoshop is an ideal tool in creating digital art, and the best thing is, it’s compatible with almost all devices! If you think you need to learn more about this amazing software, you can always enroll in a Photoshop training course to expand your knowledge and improve your skills.
Paint Tool SAI
It is a light, fast and user-friendly drawing program. One of its strong points are the color and blending tools. If you are just starting to draw or illustrate digitally, Paint Tool SAI is a great program. Although it only works on the PC. Its free trial period is 30 days.
GIMP
Although it is a graphics editing and retouching program, GIMP also allows you to draw and paint digitally. The best part? It’s free. It is compatible with JPG, GIF, PNG, and TIFF formats, and also with Photoshop. Perhaps this is why, over time, it has become the best free alternative to Photoshop.
GIMP has a catalog of effects and selection tools such as brushes, textures, scale modification, cloning, etc. In fact, its interface is very similar to the Adobe program. In addition, it is possible to install plug-ins.
Adobe Fresco
This is Adobe’s drawing application that invites you to “discover (or rediscover) the joy of drawing and painting.” Fresco is available for Windows tablets and iPad. Fresco features vector tools, brushes similar to traditional tools, an eyedropper that allows you to sample multiple colors simultaneously, etc.
Procreate pocket
If you have an iPad and prefer portability, Procreate is a good alternative for you. Although it is an app, it is very complete in functions. With it you can create professional sketches, paintings and illustrations. It will be like having a portable drawing studio. For best results, the use of the Apple Pencil will be fundamental.
Autodesk SketchBook
This is a drawing app available for free on Google Play, iTunes Store or Mac App Store. It also has desktop versions for Mac and Windows. Autodesk SketchBook is a powerful tool for sketching and illustrations. In addition, it has an interface designed to maximize drawing space on all devices.
Other apps you can find on Google Play are Ibis Paint X, Medibang Paint, and Artflow.
Clip studio paint pro
Clip Studio Paint is the digital drawing and painting tool that many believe is the best Program for digital art.
Many people think that because it is Japanese, the software is only good for concept art (or for manga artists and comic artists) and anime (Animations). But on the contrary – the tools, functions and the powerful Brush Engine are absolutely essential and make it the perfect alternative for any kind of digital art creation on the computer.
How do you make a digital drawing?
Source: helpx.adobe.com
There are many different ways to paint. Here is just one example of how you might start if you are a beginning artist, as the process of making digital art can seem complex at first.
Open your drawing program or application and create a new file, after that set the length and width of your sheet.
Create a new transparent layer and call it “sketch”.
Make a sketch of your drawing. Create a new transparent layer and call it “sketch”.
Now reduce the opacity of your sketch or lines, to serve as a guide when drawing.
Divide your drawing into parts and create a layer for each of them. For example, if your drawing is a character, create a new layer called “hair” to draw just that part. Don’t forget to name each layer you create.
Set the “pencil” size and start drawing on the new layer. After the custom brushes, and after you have drawn, make sure that the “hair” layer is above the “sketch” layer.
Don’t forget to create multiple layers, i.e. create a new layer for each part of your drawing
Sketch the parts of your character, orienting it from the sketch.
After you have finished outlining all the parts of your character, save the sketch. This way you’ll be able to better visualize your drawing.
To color your drawing, make sure everything is closed. That is, there are no open lines.
Some suggested resources for you to use while creating your first digital arts and also throughout your career as an illustrator or digital artist.
Free images and references: Unsplash, FreePik, and Pinterest.
Platforms and communities for digital artists: ArtStation, DevianArt and Behance.
How to make digital art online?
There are several programs and applications for drawing online. Although many of them also have a downloadable desktop version. These apps work in a web browser, without the need to install them on your computer or device.
SumoPaint
This is an easy app to learn and teach. Of course, to use it in your browser, you will need to install a Flash plugin. Otherwise, it offers the option to go to the website and use the app in its free version. Sumo Paint offers more than 300 different brushes and many unique tools and effects.
Sketchpad
This is a drawing application that you can use for free online. It also has its downloadable desktop version that costs $4.99. With Sketchpad you can draw, sketch, edit photos, or design. It offers 18 brushes and more than 5,000 cliparts.
In addition, it supports JPEG, PNG, PDF and SVG formats.
DeviantArt Muro
This is a free digital drawing program created by the DeviantArt community on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. This platform has 21 brushes, basic and professional modes, an intuitive layout, and supports all HTML5-enabled browsers, including the iPad.
Which app is best for digital art?
There are a few contenders for the title of best digital art software for beginners, all options have a learning curve. Once you learn one, all the tools are similar enough that it is not difficult to switch to another. You just need to learn what layers are, what effects you can do with them, and learn color palettes, opacity and flow.
If you want to start with no investment, we suggest Krita, which is free software with many options.
Other popular options are: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fresco, Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, GIMP, Corel Painter, ArtRage, Affinity Photo, Clip studio paint pro, Medibang paint pro, Paint Tool SAI, MyPaint, and Autodesk SketchBook.
By Terence Tse
CFOs are evolving into AI-driven transformation orchestrators, balancing finance, technology, and strategy while upskilling teams, managing risks, and driving measurable business value.
A key insight from this year’s AI for CFOs event, organized...
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