fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
How to Use ‘Feel to Reel’ to Make Your Headlines Sparkle and Shine
By: J.J. Pryor
Tags: Blogging, Content Marketing, Headlines, Writing Tips, Writing

“Change happens in the boiler room of our emotions. So find out how to light their fires.” — Jeff Dewar

Headlines are the beginning of the reading journey.

No matter how you cut it, your title determines how many people read your subtitle. Your subtitle determines how many people glance at your header image. Your header image reinforces the ideas of the headlines.

Then someone clicks, or more likely, moves on to another piece.

These three things combined paint a five-second picture in your readers’ mind of whether or not your work is worth their next five minutes of free time.

And damn it if our free time isn’t precious these days.

Or, more importantly, your readers’ free time.

Let’s find the best of both worlds and improve our headlines’ effectiveness by adding emotion and feeling.

If your writing is truly great, it needs a title to match.
Reading Data with Python’s Pandas
By: Thiago Carvalho
Tags: Database, Pandas, Data Science, Dataframes, Python

JSON

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is another common way of sharing data, especially on the web, and as the name states, this format holds data in the form of JavaScript objects.

They’re also straightforward to import, but there’s a catch with JSON, any value can be an array of values, and they’re not necessarily symmetrical — That is to say, JSON is not a table.

If we want to see JSON as a table, we need to normalize it, and pandas have a handy method for that, called .json_normalize.

We can pass our data to the method, and set the max depth we want to unpack, and Pandas will return a normalized Dataframe.

* If we don’t set the max_level, it’ll normalize all levels of our data.

Ok, but there are two notes to be taken here.

The first note is .json_normalize only accepts the data as JSON or as a string, so we can’t load a JSON to Pandas and then use .json_normalize on the Dataframe.

Let’s try reading the file with Python’s JSON, and then passing the data to be normalized in Pandas, defining the max depth as one.

The second note is, sometimes it just doesn’t work as we intended…

In this case, it’s because the ‘location’ is an array with JSON in it.

Instead of this → {location:{city:xxx, country:xxx}} It’s this → {location:[{city:xxx, country:xxx}]}

Let’s try rereading the file, but this time, let’s tell Pandas we want it to normalize the ‘location’ field.

Cool, now all we got to do is drop the location in the Dataframe, and add these new columns to it.

Alright, we did it.

We can conclude that getting a JSON to Pandas is very easy; normalizing a JSON, on the other hand, can be very tricky depending a lot on the number of levels in your data and their arrangement.
Coinster Thoughts: Together We Rise
By: Dom Garrett
Tags: Digital Currency, Crypto, Bitcoin, Startup, Coinme

When you enter our headquarters in downtown Seattle, you will see a phrase on a poster next to the door. These three words carry a world of importance and are the driving factor behind everything we have done and will continue to do as a company.

Together We Rise.

Three simple words. Not only do they hang on the walls of our office but for myself and our entire staff that is working hard every day, these words also hang on the walls of our hearts.

Far too often in the world of technology and finance, the ones benefiting from the system are those at the top. Just take a look at the fees on a bank account. They penalize people for being late when so many of those working in this country are living within their means and yet still often paycheck to paycheck. Maybe you want to send money to a friend or family member, but fees eat into the final amount, and unless you are willing to lose more of your hard earned money to expedite the transaction, it could be days until the money is received.

Those that have access to money will never complain about issues like this because it doesn’t affect them. In some cases, they will be the ones profiting from the current system and will not want that to change.

We at Coinme understand that for a system like digital currencies to thrive there is one aspect of the process that needs to be addressed first and foremost: Accessibility.

That is why we are thrilled for the collaboration we announced two weeks ago with Coinstar, and we are proud to share that we are now the largest bitcoin kiosk network in the United States with over 1,500 locations live and more being added in the coming weeks.

“[Bitcoin’s] biggest step towards the mainstream world.” -Fortune Magazine

Neil said it best to our staff on the day of the launch: When the world has access, we will even the playing field so that everyone has a fair chance for financial prosperity. That was true in 2014 when Coinme was founded, and it is even more valid today.

Together We Rise.
What Is a Good Read Ratio on Medium?
By: Thomas Smith
Tags: Passive Income, Read Ratio, Medium, Metrics, Writing

What Is a Good Read Ratio on Medium?

And why a high read ratio can be a bad thing

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

A good Medium read ratio is generally between 20 and 50%.

It depends, though, on the length of your article and the audience you’re trying to engage. Very short articles (3 minutes or less) tend to have a higher read ratio, because it takes less time for a reader to complete the article.

Likewise, long articles tend to have lower read ratios — but not always. I have a 23 minute article that still has a 30% read ratio because its content is very engaging. But in general, if your article takes longer to read, it will tend to have a lower ratio. Seven minutes is usually the sweet spot in terms of article length to get an optimal read ratio.

If your read ratio is too high, that can indicate a problem, too. If everyone finishes reading your piece, that can be an indication that it was too short. Readers may be left wanting more, and you may have had the opportunity to go into more detail on a specific topic.

If you write a 5–8 minute piece and it has a very high read ratio, congratulate yourself on writing something really engaging, but also immediately start to think of follow-ups.

Can you write another article (or several) building on the same topic, or exploring aspects of it in more depth? If people loved your shorter article about the topic and were really engaged, it’s likely that they’ll want to engage with your follow-up pieces too.

If your ratio is really low, there can be reasons for that, too — so don’t immediately despair. It could be that your article is getting a lot of traffic from external sources (Flipboard, social media, etc.) and these readers (who often aren’t Medium members) tend to spend less time reading stories on average. Over time, it’s likely that your ratio will increase as more members read your piece.

Also keep in mind that read ratio is a lagging number. It’s only updated periodically, and Medium waits a while before assuming that a reader has stopped reading an article. So for newly published pieces, your read ratio might appear very low at first, but over time it will go up as more people who are in the middle of reading the piece finish it, and as Medium updates the numbers.

Here are some more tips on improving read ratio and other Medium metrics: This Formula Determines Your Medium Earnings — Thrive on Medium
Losing it in Illinois
By: Sherry Mcguinn
Tags: Current Events, Mental Health, Community, Quarantine, Medium Writers

O kay. I think I’m officially f*cked-up. (Notice how I used the asterisk so as not to hurt my chances of curation?)

I realize I’m not being very helpful here, but I’m going through a bit of a “thing,” and I hope my wonderful Medium friends can give me an assist, mainly by letting me know that I’m not the only one who is feeling shaky.

Yesterday, I was in “We can do this” mode. Today, I feel my brain spinning out of control. I wanted to take this one day at a time, but, the thought of our having to deal with the Cornovirus and its horrific fallout for months, is kicking my ass, emotionally and mentally.

Of course, the most impactful thing we can do is to stay home and stay well, but that is not without its own set of challenges. (Addendum: I just found out that we may be FORCED to stay home. They’re already doing this in San Francisco and the mayor of New York is “considering it.”)

As I wrote in my most recent story, this is a powerful community and given that, I know we can help one another through the storm. I’m going to need that help and, if you do, too, I implore you to speak up.

Admittedly, as I suffer from OCD and anxiety, I have to work harder to maintain my sanity. That’s not high drama, merely the truth. And I know many of you get this.

In a little while, I will get my ass out of this seat and exercise. And then, I will start cleaning our basement, a task that I committed to, yet haven’t started, weeks ago. Now’s my chance, right?

I’ve started a newsletter on Substack. Why? Who the hell knows. Just one more place to share my thoughts on a myriad of topics. When I figure out how to use the platform, I will link to my stories here in the unlikely event that someone will want to subscribe.

This latest endeavor might turn out to be a total bust, but it’s just one more distraction to keep me busy and engaged. And relatively sane. And hell knows, I have the time.

An aside: Who the hell is Ira Bowman and why do I keep getting Twitter alerts that he’s “live?” Am I supposed to give a damn?

So. “Strange Days,” indeed.

Oddly, I can’t say why I’m having such a tough time today, as opposed to yesterday. Perhaps it’s due to “information overload.”

That, or I’m definitely overdue for an orgasm.

Because I want to walk the walk and not wimp out on you people, I’m going to take a break here to see what I can do to calm myself down. I’ll come back and report what I think is working the best.
You Can’t Be A Writer By Writing All The Time
By: Stark Raving
Tags: Advice, Writing Tips, Writing

This weekend, I took two days off.

It would never have happened if I hadn’t been forced to slow down by the flu. My brain was like a huge piece of fluff and I couldn’t have coherent conversations, let alone trick my brain into thinking and writing. And so after scribbling down a few paragraphs of babble, I gave up, and had two days off. I had long conversations with my boyfriend, I went to a new part of town with a market and concert held by charities, I drank too much beer with a friend and had long discussions about love and sex and our messed-up world. I spent a lot of time in bed, too, catching up on some reading, doing macramé, and watching some arty French films that I never usually feel up for.

On Monday morning, something amazing happened. My articles wrote themselves. It was like they had been bubbling in my brain throughout the two days, and when I finally got around to writing them down, they slid off my fingers with ease. I don’t know about you guys, but I usually find writing more like trying to get water out of a stone. It is a long, painful process. So when it feels like the words already lined up by the door, with their shoes and their coats on, ready to walk outside docilely, I was pleasantly taken aback.

It came as a useful reminder to me about the importance of breaks in general, whatever your line of work. Working every hour of the day isn’t productive, it just leads to a lower quality of work and, more importantly, to your heart and soul growing weary. It has been calculated that people coming to work when they aren’t fit for it actually cost companies a lot in terms of productivity — more than people pulling sickies.

A year-long telephone survey of 29,000 working adults dubbed the “American Productivity Audit” calculated the cost of presenteeism in the U.S. to be more than $150 billion a year. Most studies confirm that presenteeism is far more costly than illness-related absenteeism or disability. Two Journal of the American Medical Association studies found that on-the-job productivity lost resulting from depression and pain was roughly three times greater than the absence-related productivity loss attributed to these conditions. — Forbes

The reason people continue to come is, of course, not because they really want to be at work feeling like crap, but because the culture around work still tells us that more is better, when it isn’t. Not for workers, not for society.

It is important to bear this in mind as a freelancer because the person ultimately suffering from you not taking breaks is you — twice over — as the person having to work when they need rest and the person who suffers from the lack of productivity. The problem is the burden of guilt which any freelancer has to deal with. Working for yourself does require a lot of discipline. It is hard not to go to far, and to set healthy limits.
How Morality Influences Consumers’ Personal Choice
By: Jean-Marc Buchert
Tags: Morality, Marketing, Branding, Advertising, Politics

Consumers Have Strong Intuitive Preferences

When Patagonia supported Democratic candidates for the Senate, they tried to use consumer moral tendencies to keep and draw them to their side. Even though they polarized the attachment to their brand, taking a stand on a political side strengthened their identity.

This case shows the power of intuitive thinking when it comes to morality. And it has been supported by a lot of recent studies.

Jonathan Haidt is a researcher who has studied the moral preferences of individuals extensively. His research has challenged the accepted idea in social psychology that the moral opinions of individuals are not innate, but acquired in culture.

To support his convictions, he conducted a rather ingenious experiment. He used the hypnosis skills of one of his students, who suggested unconscious preferences to a group of participants. The student asked the hypnotized group to feel disgusted when they heard the word “take” or “often.”

After the session, they were asked to give their opinion on situations such as “the story of a congressman who wants to fight corruption but takes bribes from the tobacco industry,” as well as other instances where the word “take” or “often” was added. When individuals heard those words, they were all the more in moral disagreement with the described behavior and inclined to condemn it.

These results show how moral certainties consist of intuitive preferences we have very little control over. Individuals express culture-based likes and dislike about moral behaviors that guide their choices and fuel their judgment.

Back at Patagonia, the marketing team believed that their common consumers are strong advocates for environmental and social causes. So they used a political vision to tap into deep convictions and reinforce their brand identity.
The Disturbing Movie That’s Taken Tik Tok By Storm
By: Nicole Kenney
Tags: Lifestyle, Mental Health, Self, Social Media, Film

There is no denying that the popular video app TikTok has taken the world by storm. Almost every Gen Z that owns a smart phone probably has the app downloaded and use it frequently. From the way the app is formatted, certain messages can spread really, really fast. And that includes movie and show recommendations.

One of these recent movie recommendations that has taken over TikTok is a low budget independent thriller called Meghan is Missing. This film was made in the style where all of the scenes are “found footage” and consist of video chat calls, media reports, and other digital recordings. The film was directed, written, and edited all by Michael Goi, and although was made in 2007, it wasn’t distributed until 2011 when Anchor Bay Films picked it up.

The film centers around a 14-year-old girl named Meghan Stewart, a popular teenager and honor student and the days leading up to her inevitable disappearance. The film starts on January 2, 2007 and the footage continues until February 6, 2007.

In the days before her disappearance, Megan starts talking to a guy online through video chat named “Josh” who she is flirting with. The audience never sees what Josh looks like when Megan and her best friend Amy to talk because he makes the claim that is webcam is “broken”. The film is directed to be a warning to minors to watch out for internet predators.

Around mid-November, the film started getting more attention on TikTok where many users shared their own thoughts and experiences watching it. Many people talked about being disturbed, traumatized, and anxious. Despite the film’s budget of less than $35,000, it still paints a raw and accurate depiction of child abduction. But not before doing this, the script is filled to the brim with raunchy and uncomfortably sexual dialogue for 14-year-old actors.
CORRECTION(S)
By: R.J. Kushner
Tags: Humor, Comedy, News, Satire, Storytelling

CORRECTION(S)

We egret the error(s).

A story that ran on August 23 titled “Flaming Cat Saved From Tree” incorrectly reported that the cat rescued had been on fire at the time of saving. In fact, there was no fire associated with the rescue, though the fire department was involved. Also, it was not a cat that was rescued, it was Mr. Michael Aiken of Carrollton. Mr. Aiken was not rescued from a tree, he was saved from choking.

*

Due to a printing error, a September 2 story titled “A New Ice Cream Stand On The Block” incorrectly described Mr. Harris Lowes as “undateable.”

*

There were several incorrectly reported quotes in an October 18 story titled “Councilman Blake Criticizes Procedure.” Councilman Randall Blake did not state “we deserve so much butter.” He said “we deserve so much better.” Councilman Blake also never stated “I am Hitler incarnate, but fatter.” He said “I am sorry I’m irate, but this matters.” The story also incorrectly described Councilman Bob Tucker as “smoking a bong” at the meeting. Councilman Tucker was using an inhaler.

*

A November 11 story titled “Carrsville Senior Charlotte McGinty Pursues Dream, Majors in Theater” incorrectly spelled the subject’s name. Her name is Florence Peterson. Ms. Peterson is also not pursuing a degree in theater, as stated in the article; she is planning to major in Biochemistry. She is not interested in theater. Carrsville High School Drama Coach Patty Taylor should also not have been described as “butch.”

*

A December 30 story titled “Actor Bill Murry Arrested For Larceny” incorrectly implied that the suspect arrested was the comedic film actor, Bill Murray. The suspect is in no way related to or affiliated with the actor. The suspect’s name was also spelled incorrectly in the article. His name is Kyle Epstein. The article also incorrectly stated that Lt. Mark Thompson “had a tear in his eye” as he made the arrest. Lt. Thompson did not have a tear in his eye. Mr. Harris Lowes should once again not have been described as “undateable.”
Smart ways to lead design teams in a radically changing world
By: Susie Hall
Tags: Design Leadership, Leadership, Change Management, Aquentinsideout, Design

Though the concept of leading through change is not new, no one can argue that 2020 has brought about tremendous challenges for design leaders that require drastic transformation. From economic uncertainty to a global pandemic to concerted efforts for social justice, major forces have disrupted every aspect of our lives.

For most companies, design is at the center of this disruption as leaders search for effective ways to stand out in an increasingly crowded communication stream. Meanwhile remote workers continue to struggle with the intersection of work life and home life, and simply keeping staff connected is difficult enough. In this chaotic climate, shifting to new processes and business strategies — across dispersed and distracted employees — can seem like an unsurmountable goal.

Our InsideOut Design Leader Community met in June to share insights, real-world issues and best practices on leading through radical change. Below are actionable learnings gathered from 6 roundtables with senior leaders from high profile brands to help you lead through recent events and beyond.

Start With Why

Made famous by Simon Sinek’s book and TED talk, the idea of engaging teams by tapping into the reason why a pivot is necessary is fundamental to lasting transformation. Leaders in several of our roundtables pointed to getting buy-in as a first step to connecting staff to a vision they can get behind.
Why you should buy an iPhone in 2021- Years of Software Support.
By: Umar Usman
Tags: Iphone12, Apple, iOS, Tech, iPhone

This is one of the strengths of Apple that users adopt new software very quickly and how many devices are currently running on the latest iOS software. Usually, the numbers Apple shared related to software running on their devices are typically very good. Apple launched its latest software iOS 14 for iPhones in September 2020 and now according to Apple, iOS 14 is now installed on 81% of devices launched in the last four years. For iOS 14 Apple released these details first time after 3 months of software release.

Source: Apple

According to the graph, iOS 14 is already installed on 81% of devices launch in the last four years. While only 17% of devices are running on last year's iOS 13 and 2% of the last four years' devices are running earlier iOS probably iOS 12.

While if we talk about all the iPhones in the world. The iOS 14 is installed on 72% of iPhones, which is really impressive. Only 18% of devices are running the last year iOS 13 and 10% of older devices are running iOS 12 and older iOS.
Classify Job Descriptions with Watson Natural Language Classifier
By: Yalon Gordon
Tags: Machine Learning, Watson Nlc, Code Spotlight, NLP, Artificial Intelligence

Remember the last time you applied for a job online? With countless applications, job descriptions, and departments to navigate, it can be overwhelming to find an ideal fit.

Considering how important hiring great talent can be, my team tried to envision an HR solution that would allow companies or applicants to filter roles by job description. After some quick brainstorming, IBM’s Watson Natural Language Classifier service seemed to be an optimal solution for this proof of concept.

70% of HR departments at top-performing companies believe that AI can add significant value by enhancing their talent acquisition process.

The sample app, below, addresses this problem of matching job descriptions and candidates to certain roles. An applicant can input qualifications or a job description and be matched with a category that suits their ideal role. On the back end, Watson Natural Language Classifier matches them to roles with similar qualifications.

The Classifier

Using my GitHub Repo as a template, you too can create this app with relative ease.

This proof of concept, uses the NYC Open Data’s Job Category data set, an open-source data set that contains the various job titles and descriptions of jobs from the City of New York.

Prepare your classifier in 2 steps:

Prepare your data by removing irrelevant columns and making sure text falls within the character limit. Your first column will be the job description while the other columns will be corresponding classes.

Simply train Watson Natural Language Classifier API via a .csv file.

While the Natural Language Classifier has a beta tooling available at the moment, you can call the API directly using the cURL command (yes, just one!) found on the getting started tutorial.

After training is complete, all that is left is to include your newly created classifier’s credentials in the sample app’s source code and deploy.

Try out the sample app here or Fork the GitHub repo

Before you go, here are some quick tips:
Visualization Techniques
By: Alok Tyagi
Tags: Blogging, Usability, Visualization

If you ever need to know any kind of charting/visualization technique — look no further. Check out the periodic table of Visualization methods. It is interactive — so give it a try and hover over.
Ill-Conceived
By: J.D. Harms
Tags: Poetry, Image, Musings, Writing

Ill-Conceived

A Poem

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

Lost, I abandoned my earlier

strategies that would

have had me leaning back with

the book; but now

I keep reaching into a progressively

drained mind

trying to infiltrate the drafting

propensities, open to flood

this screen

I had a modicum of success

and people wrote in

about it; whispered, more like

but it was sound and there

was drinking involved, I imagine

Hanging as we were

from the lights of the patio

hooting for the bats flying over us

that were there

but we had no chance to see

It’s just an ill-conceived phenomenon

to keep going at that point

Best to drain the bottle

check out the ashtray

and make your way home
Astronomers Spot Potentially Artificial Radio Signal From Nearby Star
Tags: Science, Astronomy, Aliens, Space

Astronomers Spot Potentially Artificial Radio Signal From Nearby Star ExtremeTech Follow Dec 23 · 3 min read

by Ryan Whitwam

Credit: sharply_done/Getty Images

In 2015, Billionaire Yuri Milner launched the Breakthrough Listen project, an effort to scan the million closest stars for radio signals that could indicate intelligent life. Astronomers working on the project have announced the discovery of just such a signal from Proxima Centauri, which is just 4.2 light years away. We don’t yet know what this signal is, but there’s a (very) small chance it could have alien origins.

Breakthrough Listen uses radio telescopes like the Parkes telescope in Australia or the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. These instruments regularly record what look like signals from space but are actually due to local interference from Earth. In April and May of 2019, the team caught something different — a narrow beam transmission around 980MHz that lasted 30 hours. The signal, dubbed BLC1, also appeared to shift in such a way that it could have been coming from a planet orbiting the star.

The team is still preparing a paper that the scientific community can scrutinize, but there are a few reasons to be excited here. Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system, and in 2016, researchers announced the discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone. Later, astronomers spotted a second, larger planet farther out in the solar system. So, it’s theoretically possible there’s life on one of those planets, particularly the one in the habitable zone.

The Green Bank Telescope used by Breakthrough Listen.

However, it’s still far too early to start celebrating the discovery of alien life. BLC1 is a candidate signal that needs to be analyzed, and if we’re being realistic, it’s doubtful that intelligent aliens live in the next solar system over. The Milky Way galaxy has an estimated 300 million exoplanets and is almost 14 billion years old. To find another intelligent species existing at the same time as us just a few light years away would be exceedingly improbable. If said aliens are also using radio frequency technology at the same time as we are, that’s an even bigger coincidence.

This is not the first signal that could be interpreted as having artificial origins. The famous “Wow” signal detected in 1977 by SETI researchers is another example. That one didn’t pan out, but BLC1 could be the first serious contender in decades. If this isn’t it, well, there are a lot more stars out there. The only way we’re going to find them is to keep looking.

Now read:
3 Mistakes Writers Make in Their Writing
By: Kristina Segarra
Tags: Self Improvement, Self, Writing Tips, Writing Advice, Writing

As a writer, your job is to impress the reader. Just as a manufacturer designs a product in a such way as to appeal to the buyer, you as a writer should write in a way that appeals to the reader. That means your writing needs to be clear, spotless, and easy to read.

Here are three mistakes to avoid.

Write in a complicated language

If your writing style is too flowery or technical, you need to simplify it a little to attract a broader readership. Writing that is too complicated will turn off the reader, and they won’t read your work.

Think of ways you can get your message across in a simple way. Aim for clear and concise language and eliminate unnecessary words from your text.

To check if your writing falls within those parameters, copy and paste your text in Hemingway editor — it’s free and easy to use.

Skip editing

Before you hit publish or submit your piece to any publication, edit your work thoroughly. If you do it right, it will transform your writing from good to great.

Check for redundant words, phrases, spelling, and grammar mistakes. See if you can cut out unnecessary sections from your paragraphs. You can use Grammarly’s free features to help you.

It’s also best to put your work aside and let it sit for a day or a few hours and get back to it later. This way, you can look at it with a fresh pair of eyes and spot errors you may have missed the first time.

Quote too much

If you decide to quote text, don’t overdo it. First, it takes away originality from you as a writer; second, reading paragraphs full of quotations is tiring for eyes. I’d say do it within a 25% limit.

Also, follow a quoted section with enough text before you quote another section. This way you balance out quotes with text.
Medium Curation
By: Casey Botticello
Tags: Curation, Articles, Curator, Medium, Writing

Below are some of the most frequently asked question about Medium curation.

General Medium Curation Questions with In-Depth Article Responses

Quick Answers to Questions About Curation

What do the following messages about my article’s curation status mean?

If your story is not curated, and you mouse over the question-mark icon, next to the text “Not distributed in topics” you will see one of two messages:

The first message means you were not selected for curation after an actual human read your article. Some people on Medium would say this means you are not in “curation jail.”

Curators did not select this story for distribution, but it will be shared with followers. Read our curation guidelines to see what curators look for.

The second message means your story was automatically passed over, and is what many on Medium refer to as being in curation jail:

Our curators were not able to review this story for distribution in topics due to high volume. This story will still be shared with followers.

How do I know if my article was selected for curation?

You can find your story’s curation and distribution status on the story stats page. You will see at the top of the page whether your story has been reviewed and selected for distribution (and in what topics). To visit your story stats page, go to your writer stats page and click “Details” for a particular story. You should also receive an email letting you know your story has been distributed to various topics.

Do I have to tag my articles in specific topics to ensure curation?

No, you do not. Regardless of what you tag your articles, Medium curators will distribute them to readers of curation eligible topics, as they see fit.

My article was curated but did not receive many views — why is this?

Curation does not guarantee a large amount of views. While it is generally helpful, sometimes curation is just the catalyst for something bigger. For instance, your article on your tech company may get curated in technology, which by itself only gives it a couple hundred views, but then your article is notice by editors in The Startup, you become an approved writer and add your article, and it receives thousands of views.

Can my article be curated in multiple categories?

Yes, your article can be curated in multiple topics.

If I submit to a publication can my story still be curated? Or better, will submitting to a publication lower my odds of curation?

No, submitting your article to a Medium publication does not harm your chances of curation at all. Anecdotally, it might even help.

Does an article always need to be posted behind the paywall in order to be eligible for any payment at all?

Yes, in order to receive payment, and article must be in the Partner Program which places it behind the paywall.

Will including a Call-To-Action (CTA) at the end of my article destroy my chances of being curated?
Genuine Expressions of Thanks — #26
By: J M Jackson
Tags: Work Life Balance, Work, 100 Naked Words, Life, Writing

On the web side of things, the last week or so hasn’t been too bad. Things have calmed down from the recent flurry of critical website issues that flooded my consciousness with angst. Things tend to come in waves. I don’t like waves. I like a calm, still ocean of tranquillity. I don’t think life is geared up for fulfilling that kind of desire, though. I’ll wait for the next wave to hit and just hope it isn’t a tsunami.

I had a pleasant comment from a client last week in relation to a project that we’ve been working on for about three months now. We recently had a long skype call, in which I demonstrated the website we have been building for them. It is still in progress, but they are pleased with how the work is advancing. I followed up with a summary of everything we discussed and amidst the reply that came back, I was pleasantly surprised to see the following comment:

“Very much enjoying working with you on this — thanks for everything.”

Having somebody express their appreciation for your efforts and showing that they value what you’re doing is important. I’m not after awards or fame. The occasional genuine expression of thanks is worth much more than a lot of empty pomp and ceremony.
Nectar
By: Scott Smith
Tags: This Happened To Me, Poetry, Mental Health, Poetry On Medium

Nectar

A struggle for existence

Brick by brick they ascend the tower,

each gust doesn’t shake their core but strengthens it.

The ruthless entanglement is softly beautiful,

against the smoke stained edge of the storied edifice.

Gale forces rip their tendrils from the grout,

tormented day in and day out,

But they inch up and over,

as the gust flutters to oblivion,

struck by its own invisibility.

Ritual, is autumn’s last breath,

as streams flow to a glacial halt

and the summering bird flies south again.

The ivy’s climb is no longer, its leaves crumbling to a fertile detritus,

At last, at last, a winter slumber,

sleep tight,

because soon, it will all begin again.
Why should your company give a sh*t about circular economy?
By: Liz Miller
Tags: Business Models, Innovation, Sustainability, Circulareconomy

Products don’t have to be 100% shiny and new for customers to love them.

It’s not a secret that circular economy is hot right now. Sustainability trends come and go, but circular economy makes sense for both your company and the planet. Here are a few reasons why you should care:

Market leadership

If you sell physical goods, chances are your customers have gotten more and more concerned about what they’re made of. Having a clear — and more importantly, not greenwashed — sustainability value proposition mean that your customers can feel good about buying from you. The circular economy framework offers tangible ways to be sustainable, from implementing a rental program like Rent the Runway (which, as of last year, had an $800 million valuation), selling durable goods like BuyMeOnce, or offering repair services like Patagonia.

Access to new financing tools

New funds are springing up to invest in circular businesses. In 2015, Luxembourg, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank opened €24 billion in financing for ‘higher-risk, yet innovative sustainable business models and plans’, including ones that enable the transition to circular economy. At the national level, the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has set aside €2 million for discretionary government transfers to fund company circular economy initiatives in 2019.

Preparation for resource scarcity

The Guardian calls it a ‘ticking time bomb’: access to critical resources that make up the products we all rely on everyday. Down the road, companies won’t have a choice but to figure out how to do more with less. Circular economy can keep your materials circulating for longer, mitigating your risk if the well runs dry.

Compliance and accreditation

Customers have gotten wise to greenwashing, so accreditation under a national, supranational or industry framework can be an important way to show your sustainability creds. Circular practices can help you get sustainability certifications. For example, LEED certification gives points for using recycled materials. Not only can this help you, but if your market is B2B, you can also help your commercial customers comply with regulations or receive accreditation.

High-quality products that customers love

Just because products aren’t 100% shiny and new doesn’t mean customers won’t love them. At the end of the day, even though customers care more and more about the impacts of their products, they still want things that look and feel good. One example of a company doing this well is Finland’s Lovia, which makes beautiful designer bags from leather cutting scraps from the furniture industry, food industry and more.

Learn how to get started with one aspect of circular economy in Pure Growth’s guide Expand your circles: Rethinking relationships to create value from waste.
Tonight’s comic is about books.
Tags: Comics, Books, Assholes

More from rstevens Follow

I make cartoons and t-shirts at www.dieselsweeties.com & @rstevens. Send me coffee beans.
Connecting with Your Ancestors
By: Katherine Grace
Tags: Halloween, Self-awareness, Journaling, Samhain, Ancestors

Every person is a quotation from all their ancestors. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Autumn is built to honor the places within yourself where are you drawn to connect with those who’ve come before. It is a time well suited for reaching back across time and space in search of connecting with your ancestors, whether blood relatives or cultural ones.

We, women, have unique cultural and ancestral lineages.

Some are far-reaching — like those brave women who fought and suffered to get American women the right to vote.

Some are closer to heart and home — like a great-grandmother who left everything behind seeking a better, safer life in a new country.

As women, much of our cultural lineage is weighed down by suffering and pain, and by the oppression of our rights and the suppression of our voices. One way to honor all the women who’ve suffered before us is to use our voices, as we are able, to speak up for justice.

Some questions you can explore in your journal are:

What lessons have your ancestors taught you?

In what ways have they let you down?

In what ways do you benefit from their hard work?

In what ways might you have let your ancestors down?

And in what ways might you be a blessing to those that have passed before?

You can, of course, free-write in whatever ways feel best and most natural to you. You can also simply sit or lay still while you ponder these questions one at a time, listening for your inner knowingness to bubble up as it is ready.

This post is an excerpt from the Complete Self-Care for Autumn System Guidebook. You can learn more about this offering by clicking here.
Sometimes Equanimous Observations During 10 Days of Silence or Notes From a Midlife Crisis
By: David Cohen
Tags: Vipassana, Narrative, Honesty, Wellness, Meditation

DAY 3

Today we focus on the touch of the air as it goes in and out of the nostrils and eventually, any sensation felt in the nose or below the nose on the upper lip. My concentration is getting much better. My head is quiet and my mind feels sharp. When I’m outside, I am aware of an entire world I’ve never noticed before.

I can feel the hairs bristle in my nose as I breathe. It’s gross. But cool. And gross.

I ask the teacher if I can send just one message to my family. He asks me what is going on. I tell him that this is a long time away from my wife and kids with no communication and it will make me feel less uneasy if I can tell them I’m fine. He says yes. The course manager can send it. No replies allowed.

The course manager is an older, bald, bearded Indian gentlemen with an infectious smile. He is our only point of communication. His job is to try and make sure we are completely without distractions and he takes it very seriously. Everything is yes sah!(sir) I tell him that the repellent is running low. Yes sah! I will get you the STRONGEST one I can find, sah! He calls me King David. I like him and he likes me. We chat too much considering that I am supposed be in noble silence.

I write a message for the course manager to send.

Read it to me, sah. I don’t want to make any mistakes. Your handwriting is terrible.

I read the message to him.

Very good thing you read it to me, sah. You wrote I feel fine and I would have typed I feel fire.

I begin to enjoy the course. Everything is so methodical and organized.

I walk around outside a lot during breaks and there are tons of bugs. All of a sudden, the side of my lip begins swelling, and it feels like a golf ball is growing there. I go inside the bathroom, take a look in the mirror, and see a bite. I find the course manager and ask him if there is Benadryl, in case it gets worse. He tells me that he’d need to ask the teacher. I tell him to hold off for now. If it gets worse, I’ll let him know.

The course manager finds me.

Your wife responded, sah. She was very pleased. Here, take this, sah. He shows me a tube of ointment.

What is that?

Just put it on the bite, sah. It’s very good. Made in Russia!

I reach for him to squeeze some on my finger and he refuses. You do it, sah. It’s made in Russia. I don’t want to be involved.

The medicine works. The swelling goes down. I ask the course manager what it was.

It was just Russian toothpaste, sah. It was all in your mind.

Really?

No sah. I’m just joking you.
4 Rumi Quotes That Will Boost Your Confidence
By: Clément Bourcart
Tags: Personal Development, Personal Growth, Motivation, Self Improvement, Inspiration

“You are searching the world for treasure, but the real treasure is Yourself.”

What it means:

We so often seek rewards and satisfaction in the outside world and its distractions. Whether it be chasing fame, fortune or possessions, we seem to be frantically running on our hedonic treadmill.

Yet, this is no source of lasting satisfaction or sense of purpose in life. This, the real treasure, the real aim — to feel content, on purpose and aligned with the world — comes from within.

How you can apply it:

Cultivate the inner confidence that all you really need in this life, is yourself. You can trust and rely on yourself. You are capable of achieving the things you want, but it has to come from a deep-seated sense that you can. That you have a right to.

And equally, do not get lost in the world but rather remind yourself that the real treasure is none but your own self!

Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, deep yogic breathing and others can help you on that path. Build those habits into your daily life, and you will soon gain a new sense of calm and self-reliance.

Which will help you deal with uncertainty and life’s hardships more gracefully.

It comes from not being afraid to spend time with yourself. To seek a deeper understanding of your own emotional triggers and responses; to “know thyself” better, as the Ancient Greeks would have it!
Woo-Hoo! We Did It!
By: Debbie Walker
Tags: Life Lessons, Women, Self, Middle Pause, Writing

Woo-Hoo! We Did It!

We accomplished everything we set out to do.

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

In the middle of a year of chaos, conflict, and Coronavirus, Middle-Pause has reached and surpassed all her goals. I mean all of them!

Before we talk about that, I think a brief history of the Journey of Middle-Pause is in order.

In November 2019, I had a conversation with Shaunta Grimes about to whom I wanted to write— my audience. She planted a seed and two days later Middle-Pause was born.

I created a mission statement:

To encourage, inspire, and empower women to lead lives of meaning and purpose.

Soon, I realized I needed help editing and publishing. I was a new writer and did not have any editing experience other than my own articles.

I invited Meg Stewart, Marilyn Flower, & Margie Pearl to help me in those capacities. As a result, the publication grew. (We already reached my vision of 500 followers by the end of the year!)

Then, I had a vision of creating a podcast. An offshoot of Middle-Pause. We had a meeting and boom! STOMP! was born. The acronym that Marilyn Flower came up with — Stronger Together on Middle-Pause!

Thanks, sis!

Meanwhile, Margie Pearl floored us with her skills as a Sound Engineer for STOMP! She produced the podcast with music and editing out all the hems and haws. The new podcast is due out on Jan. 1, 2021.

You go, girl!

Our next goal is to publish an anthology of Middle-Pause articles available as an e-book Kindle, Amazon, or who knows. The sky is the limit.

We, also, rebranded ourselves with the help of our technological Queen Meg Stewart.

Marilyn Flower, our Resident Spiller of Wisdom, has prompted us with Writing Prompts and bestowed upon us her elegant, funny, and prolific literary skills. She also co-authors the newsletter with her delightful Thursday Edition.

There you have it. The journey of Middle-Pause. It is all for you.

This pub has created a place for the woman in the middle of her life to read, dream, and discover her purpose. It has grown into a tight-knit community.

I like to think of the Women of Middle-Pause as a Sisterhood. That’s right! You are the sisters I never had.

Well, It’s time to read! Drum roll please…

Wrapping Up the Old, Ringing in the New! — Marilyn Flower

Leaving on a Jet Plane — Alison Acheson

The Reason ‘Exercise More and Eat Less’ Isn’t Working for You — Mary Gallagher

How One Word Can Change Your Life — @Debbie Walker

That’s it for now. See you in the New Year!

Leave any comments, suggestions, or just send us virtual words of love and support (We sure need it!) at middlepause51@gmail.com, follow us on https://twitter.com/MiddlePause; https://www.pinterest; STOMP!

Remember, To engage is to empower!

Also, if you are in a crisis of managing work, family, parenting, caregiving, disability, racism, or menopause; check out how I created an oasis of peace in my life.

Until next time…

Peace & Blessings!

Your Superheroes!

From Debbie, Margie, Marilyn, and Meg
Designing for Globalization
By: Luciano Arruda
Tags: Localization, Design, Product, Internationalization, Globalization

Designing for a global audience can feel daunting. Do you localize your product? Or, do you internationalize your product? And what does that even entail?

Let’s demystify localization (L10n) and internationalization (I18n) to understand how designers might leverage both approaches to create truly global products.

Simply put, localization is translation plus cultural adaptation. International users are sensitive to cultural differences and are likely to distrust or overlook a product that poorly adapts to their market.

Internationalization is about building features and experiences to programmatically adapt to the localized content and local market. If you aren’t coding and testing for internationalization, you risk giving your users a broken experience (E.g. the product may not be able to process payment correctly if the number format is not adapted to the country).

Here are some examples of how a designer might use these different approaches.
Streaming starts soon
By: Live Stars
Tags: Development, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin

Dear Community!

We are glad to announce that models will start to stream on our platform on the second of January starting at 6 PM UTC time. That means that you will be able to see them live and have a chat with them really soon.

Thank you for staying with us and stay tuned for more updates!