I’m trying to remember, but I understand Harry took over his father’s division at Oscorp (which is actually pretty confusing to grasp as an adult given how the Board of Directors felt about his father), and in Spider-Man 2, following the events of the Fusion Reactor malfunction, Harry says “I’m ruined! I have nothing left, except Spider-Man…” His attendance at the Planetarium gives me the idea he was invited because of his status. However, I don’t remember any mention of Oscorp or Harry’s endeavors besides his vendetta against PeteSpider-Man. I would imagine after his freak accident due to Spidey’s web trip wire, news would spread about the son of Oscorp’s famed Norman Osborn but I don’t remember anything related to Harry’s tenure at said company being mentioned. I may thinking too hard but this has kept me up at night lol

(New account cause I’m not sure if people know my main account)
Alright, so I’m 18 ftm, been out for 3 years, 2 years on T, 4 months post op top surgery (yay!). Throughout my entire journey, I’ve always struggled with my name. Even before I came out, I hated my dead name, and it’s just gotten worse since coming out. For nearly a year after coming out, I struggled finding a name that I felt worked for me and I liked. I’ve tried a bunch, and my family kinda got sick of it. Eventually, my mom came up with the idea of “Sullivan” after her mother’s maiden name. I liked it enough at the time, I’ve gone by “Sully” for a bit now, but I just don’t like it enough to be stuck with it for my life (despite what my mom says, I refuse to be “stuck” with a name I don’t like enough). I feel like I struggle with finding a name because I never liked my name growing up and it’s put a lot of pressure on me to find the “perfect” name.
I’ve started working on legally changing my name, but the issue is, I don’t have a name I want to be my first. Sullivan would be my middle name, but I have yet to find a first name I like enough.
Recently I thought of the name Danvers. I know it’s more of a last name (guess that’s kinda my thing) and the name is more likely to out me, but I personally am not stealth, and I don’t plan to be stealth, I like to be open about my identity and who I am, in case it can help other people be who they are, cause you never know. The name Danvers comes from a show that end up being my first introduction into the LGBTQ community. Before seeing this couple get together, I knew nothing of it, I didn’t even know it was or could be a thing and it blew my mind and opened up so many doors for me that lead me to discovering myself.
I don’t have much of a sounding board when it comes to names, and trying to find one. My mom wants me to stick with Sully, my dad would be no help at all, and my sisters are helpful in a way that only sisters could be, and find ways to make fun of any potential name and ways I could be bullied for having that name (lol). So to my fellow guys, enbys and anyone else on this sub, what are your honest thoughts on the name Danvers? Or feel free to drop some name suggestions if you’re willing.
Thanks in advance for any advice :) (Also thanks for reading if you made it this far lol)

All through my 20's, during the 2010's, I noticed an increasing acceptance for people getting therapy to work on their issues and help with their problems. This was something I initially saw as a great thing. Too many people go their entire lives without getting the help that they need to deal with various real and serious traumas. PTSD, SA survivors, Survivors Guilt, Severe Depression, Anxiety, Agoraphobia, and a slew of other conditions that need real and tangible professional help. FINALLY we hit an era where you can get help.
Before the age of acceptance for therapy people either kept it inside OR they relied on their SO and closest friends/family. For many that was enough. I'd even argue for most people their SO and/or closest friends/family were enough to help them deal with most of their issues. Barring severe debilitating conditions that 100% require medication and/or treatments. These close bonds though led to people having long lasting friendships and relationships. Gen X and the Boomers are people who, statistically, have the longest lasting friendships and some of the longest lasting relationships. Millennials slack in the relationships but we also tend to have at least 1 life long best friend we can count on no matter what. I've been blessed with 3 I call brothers. We talk to each other about literally everything and anything. When one of us is depressed, suicidal, happy, ecstatic, anxious, etc, we can reach out to any one of the others and we KNOW they will listen and give genuine advice and resources to help us out. Add in the fact we can go to therapy now without shame and we're seeing even more happy and healthy people than ever before. It's great to see so many get the treatments they need.
But this come at a cost. The two younger generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, aren't forming long lasting bonds anymore. Study after study and statistic after statistic has show that these two generations are the WORST at either making OR keeping long term healthy relationships of ANY kind. Platonic, Romantic, and familial. The term Trauma Dumping has become increasingly common. These younger people don't WANT you to use them as a sounding board. They don't WANT you to come to them for help. They'd rather pawn you off on a therapist. They can't handle real emotions. People are now choosing to cut and run at the first sign of trouble in a relationship. The idea that if someone hurts you ONCE then you should ghost and block them immediately is the norm. This is wrong. This is why Gen Z has been labeled the "Loneliest Generation". They can't stick around long enough to form a real bond with someone. One of those 3 close friends I mentioned earlier is a teacher in a big city. He tells me that when he asks his students what their plans are for the weekend or breaks or summer they almost never mention going to a friends house. Kids today don't hangout with each other nearly as often as they used to. It's too hard to have to deal with someone directly because it may "trigger" you or them. No one wants to TALK anymore.
This leads me into my main point. Relationships. Specifically Romantic Relationships. How often do we see people on the various Subreddits alone immediately go to "divorce him/her!" at the slightest provocation? How many go to "Get him/her into therapy asap!" and/or "get yourself into therapy OP!" and/or "get your kids/family into therapy!" Why? Why bring in outsiders??? TALK TO YOUR SO! TALK TO YOUR KIDS! FORM THAT BOND.
Now it's common to see young people on tiktok and twitter talk about they don't even want to date at all. They don't want relationships. Situationships are all anyone seems to deal with if they even bother with human contact at all. We NEED to stop this trend of pawning people off to "professionals" at ever little thing. That's the first step to getting people to realize that life is meaningless without GENUINE human connection. We're pack animals. We NEED to bond to each other. Yes it's painful. Yes it sucks. But Yes it's ALSO rewarding. It's loving. It's GENUINE.
And before anyone comes at me saying Im not qualified because I don't know what it's like to have mental issues or deal with someone with severe issues: I dealt with a physically abusive bio dad until I was 5. I dealt with an emotionally abusive and manipulative, now EX, Step Dad till I was 19. (Not my mother's fault. He was VERY good at hiding shit and kept money hidden so she never had the resources to get out until much later) I have anxiety. I have SEVERE depression. I tried to commit Suicide 3x in my 20's. If not for my 3 close friends I'd be dead right now. I have anger issues. I have a sibling that was a drug addict for years until about 5 years ago when they finally got clean. I was their sponsor and was the main one to stand by them through it all despite how ugly and hateful it got. (We're closer than ever before and now that they're clean it's been wonderful to get my sibling back.)
And that's not getting into the situations I've helped my 3 best friends with.
But you know who helped me get through a lot of that? Those 3 best friends I've had for 20+ years. Why? Because we TALKED to each other. We "trauma dumped" on each other. We helped each other through the trenches.
That gave me the skills necessary so that when I met my wife, I'd be able to help her. My wife is the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate, most nurturing, wittiest, funniest, funnest, and all around best person I've ever known. She's literally perfect. But when we got together she had a tons of issues. She had body image issues. She had confidence issues. She had SEVERE anxiety to the point she had no backbone and couldn't handle the slightest negative reaction from ANYONE. She was fearful. She was a people pleaser. She had a rough relationship with her mother from deep seeded issues. Same with her sister. Now? After nearly a decade with me? She's a beacon of hope. She's confident. She has a working and healthy relationship with her mother and sister. She can handle criticism. She's open to trying new things. She's still anxious and has bad days where she has no confidence in herself. Days when she thinks she's hideous. Days when she thinks no one likes her. And that's okay. Anyone with Anxiety knows it's incurable. You live with it for life. But you CAN mitigate it. You CAN help handle it. And now she's thriving. I am so damn proud of her. A therapist didn't do that. *I* did. Her *Spouse*. Why? It's my *JOB*. When you love someone, TRULY love them, you WILL do anything and everything you can for them. You will make sacrifices. You will put yourself in harms way. You WILL do what must be done. When it's real, it's reciprocal. And when I say she and I have the perfect marriage, I mean it and that's in no small part thanks to her reciprocating all the love and help I gave her to me ten fold.
I had no confidence in myself when it came to women. I thought myself too short. Too ugly. Too angry. Too depressed. Too anxious. Too vengeful. Too confrontational. Too headstrong. Unworthy of anyone's love. SHE showed me how wrong I was. SHE helped shine light into my darkness. SHE was the one who helped me get my anxiety under control. Get my depression under control. Get my confidence back (which had been utterly shattered by my previous 2 year relationship where I was mentally and emotionally abused). Not a therapist. A SO. A WIFE. Someone who means it when she says she loves me through it all no matter what. There is literally nothing she could do that would make me not support or love her and vice versa for me.
THIS is what we need for our society. This is what we need to start going back to. If you LOVE someone and you are married to them or PLAN to marry them, then you ARE their therapist. It IS your responsibility to at the very least TRY to help them. If you try, and I mean REALLY try, and you just can't, then by all means PLEASE get a professional to help. Get that therapist set up. I'm not saying do away with therapy. I'm saying we need to STOP making that the default. The Default and first line of defense is EACH OTHER. LOVE each other. SUPPORT each other. Purge "trauma dump" from your vocabulary. There's no such thing.
Love each other.

HEIMLICHS AND BONE SPURS AND BURPS, OH MY!!!
Hello all! In passing, I mentioned to a friend that I've never been able to burp. She introduced me to RCPD and referred me to Craig Villari - the rest is history. I got surgery in March and I figured I would share my kinda crazy story! It's a long one.
In January, my friend mentioned that she suspected I have RCPD, which she had recently received treatment for after learning about it here on Reddit. I was stunned - I didn't realize this was a real thing! I had just thought all my life that I was a coward who couldn't burp
I was able to get an appointment with Dr Villari, an ENT, in early February, and he said he has been receiving lots of referrals and that he's starting to suspect that RCPD is more common than originally believed. It was a short appointment - he asked about my symptoms, explained the treatment, and then we scheduled a date for surgery. I was excitedly telling all my friends to pray for me and my 'burp surgery'
My symptoms for the last 24 years were pretty straightforward: I just couldn't burp. Anytime I tried to follow someone's advice, I felt like I was forcing myself to gag and vomit. I could never find the air or gas to make it happen. I was often bloated, I farted A LOT lmaooo and I always had emetophobia. That's about it, though - I didn't think it was anything that out of the ordinary.
My surgery was on Monday, March 25th, Dr. Villari said it went well and that my recovery should be smooth! I was surprised by how sore I was - I knew they'd be putting me under and invading my throat, but my friend had told me it was the easiest surgery of her life with no complications, so I think I just underestimated everything. My throat felt MASSIVE from the swelling and my inner gums had been nicked during the intubation, resulting in a small and swollen cut. I don't think I really processed the idea of 'slow swallowing', since it was mostly mentioned in passing as a part of the healing process - maybe I was hyperfocusing more on the 'microburps' and the excitement therein. This was also before I'd perused this subreddit.
I was back at work the following Wednesday after my surgery, feeling normal but a bit thick around the throat with a raspy voice and uncontrollable microburps. Optimistic about recovery!
Slow swallowing was really rough for me. I thought the 'soft food' was more of a tip as opposed to a prescription, and so I opted to eat somewhat normally but avoid crunchy/crumbly food. Dear reader, I should've been eating waaaayyy more applesauce and pudding. The swallowing was so slow that I constantly felt like I was being slowly suffocated by my food and throat. Along with slow swallowing, I felt a constant frog in my throat. When I'd lay down at night, my throat felt like a half full water bottle laid on its side. I don't know how else to describe the feeling of slightly drowning. I had to sleep with my head elevated for almost 3 weeks after surgery, which was mostly just a nuisance considering the otherwise simple recovery.
In the days following my surgery, I'd been making off-hand jokes to my brothers that I was slowly suffocating and being choked by my food every time I ate. Eating took FOREVER. I can usually eat a burger in 10 minutes tops LOL. That Friday, it took me the better part of an hour to eat 3/4 of the same burger. Eating was such a long winded chore that most days, I avoided food and went hungry - something I hadn't anticipated. That's not to say it was painful or truly challenging - more so just a psychological battle that I was not prepared for. I figured it would pass soon enough.
The Sunday following my surgery was Easter sunday, so my whole family would be spending the day together and having dinner. My dad made a prime rib ^.^ I was so excited. I ate everything on my plate, in small bites with lots of water. Everyone was mostly done eating after about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I was still chewing after an hour had passed at the dinner table. At one point, a small piece of steak took an especially long time to find its way down my throat, and I touched my brother's shoulder to say 'ok keep an eye on me here Im struggling to get this down' and by the time he acknowledged me, the moment had mostly passed. That is to say, just lots of moments where the slow swallowing would get too slow and I'd struggle to breathe. But I was mostly okay! Four hours after dinner, I offhandedly grabbed a rye chip from the trail mix bowl. Literally just one rye chip - and it became lodged in my throat and I immediately started choking, like, frantic no air turning blue choking. I had to get heimliched 4 times before I was able to dislodge the chip and start breathing again. I threw up after that : ( I've never been heimliched before. I think it was just a perfect storm that was mostly borne of my own carelessness - dry, crumbly food and a thick, slow throat. I literally thought I was going to die in that moment lmao I had a gooood loooong panic attack immediately afterwards. But its okay my slow swallowing got a lot better after that!
Dr. Villari called me for my post-op check-in on the following Monday, April 8, and I relayed the heimlich story, which he sounded genuinely shocked to hear. I know it had nothing to do with him, but it still shocked me that he hadn't heard of the slow swallowing affecting anyone else so strongly. I also mentioned to him that my gums had been cut during the intubation, but that my mouth was slowly healing from that. He told me to reach out if I had further concerns. He was really kind and professional!
After the heimlich, I was much more careful about what I ate, and my slow swallowing seemed to get better each day. However, my gums were not healing from the small cut I'd received during surgery. The left side of my inner gums was acutely painful and I became worried that the cut had become infected. So I figured that I was due for a teeth cleaning anyway, and scheduled an appointment with my dentist on the soonest day they could get me in, April 30th.
There was no infection in my gums, but the dentist did acknowledge that the cut seemed to be a result from trauma, and she said she could've sworn that she saw some bone sticking out. She told me to rinse with salt water twice a day, she prescribed me with chlorhexidine, and told me to come back in two weeks once I was more healed up. I was relieved that I wasn't infected.
I came back on May 13th with less pain and what I thought was a white scab over my cut. The hygienist noted that it was odd and took a photo for the doctor to review later. We cleaned my teeth no problem and I went home. I became increasingly curious about my gums and kept prodding that rough white spot with my tongue. Eventually, I got curious and reached in with my fingers and was able to pull it out of my gums - it turned out to be a bone spicule, likely resulting from trauma during intubation. I was super disturbed, but the cut was completely healed over and the pain was gone.
Now, it is May 23rd: nearly 2 months after burp surgery. It was a fuckin TRIP to get here, but here we are. The burps are lovely. Just monstrous. I had a 15 second long burp, which had to be over 20 years in the making. I've had many friends coach me on belch strategies and I feel like I am completely relearning my table manners. I have also since learned that heartburn is a beast all its own. I am so glad that my friend recommended Dr Villari, even though the recovery was nothing like what I had anticipated. I am so happy to be burping.
Even after the heimlich and the bone spicule, I have to assert that BY FAR the most traumatic part of all is the FLAVORS of my burps. My god. I don't know if I will ever get used to it.
Thank you for reading my behemoth post! Let me know if you have any questions!
TLDR; surgery went well, slow swallowing fucked me up and I had to get heimliched, intubation fucked me up and caused a bone spicule, and burps taste really bad but feel really good. Sláinte!

Navigating The Privacy Tightrope: User Concerns on Social Media Engagement

Name
Department
University
Email

Abstract
This study analyses consumer concerns about privacy in social media engagement, the factors influencing these concerns, and provides strategies for handling them. To achieve this objective, this paper provides feedback on two vital questions (What are the primary concerns of social media users regarding privacy? And What factors contribute to these concerns?) that guide this research. The paper uses qualitative analysis to obtain analyze data. Lastly, the paper provides suggestions for future research and solution
I. INTRODUCTION
In the current digitized world, many people are increasingly sharing their information with the public through social media. However, this act of sharing their details through electronic gadgets such as smartphones has and still increases the risk of privacy violations as people engage through social media. One of the events that significantly deepened consumer privacy concerns in the United States was the Cambridge Analytica data breach on Facebook half a decade ago, which affected many user accounts in the land. This data breach initiated the #deletefacebook movement across social networking sites culminating in many users reconsidering their connections with social media platforms about their trustworthiness, and potential for confidential issues. For one section of users, this meant signing out of these sites while the other section considered it as a chance to reset their confidential settings. According to Bright et al, user privacy concerns differ across sites in the user journey, and only a few sites are developed equally when it comes to user concerns as well as disclosures specifically in connection to social networking sites (1). Throughout this duration of redefining their connections with social networking sites, users find themselves coping with the "privacy paradox" and despite having privacy concerns, online users persist in disclosing their private details for distinct reasons, rather than safeguarding their details online. Therefore, this paper investigates [consumer concerns about privacy in social media engagement, and factors influencing these concerns, and provides strategies for handling them]().
A. Research problem
Social media plays a significant role in promoting interaction and sharing of information among users from all over the world. However, sharing of information over social media sites has and still increases the risk of privacy violations as people engage through social media. It's from this, that this paper settled on evaluating the consumer concerns about privacy in social media engagement, factors influencing these concerns, and providing strategies for tackling them.
B. Aim and Objectives
This study is determined to analyze the user concerns about privacy in social media engagement, highlight the primary factors influencing these concerns, and provide recommendations on desired approaches for handling them.
C. Research question
[1. What are the primary concerns of social media users regarding privacy?]()
2. What factors contribute to these concerns?
II. EXTENDED BACKGROUND
Social media has grown to become the modern-day routine. Currently, many social networking sites are continuing to integrate to offer distinct digital affordances as well as chances to enlarge individual networks, interactions, and information sharing. The availability of these sites has significantly culminated in to rise in user engagement. For instance, TikTok is among the most used sites with a massive following of more than 750 million accounts. Currently, people are becoming more open to sharing individual data and with the aid of the modern digital culture, this has been made possible by utilizing the availability of internet service. Although social media is considered to be of great significance in facilitating communication and entertainment among users, it also stores noticeable repositories of individual details that culminate to privacy concerns. This threat of privacy breaches has continuously increased as social media are frequently accessed through applications on cell phones, where a substantial number of identifiable data is stored, aggregated, and linked across various social networking sites.
Even as the issue of privacy threat has attained massive attention and recognition, especially among people who use these platforms, many studies have reported the concept of privacy paradox, which implies discrepancies involving persons' habits of disclosing individual details and their concern concerning privacy threat. Even though social media users have an increasing concern concerning privacy on media platforms, they are willing to proceed to disclose their data for various gratifications. According to Chen et al, some social media users always show or rather demonstrate reduced effort to offer safety on their confidentiality despite showing significant concern associated with social media (2). On the contrary, there is also a section of social media consumers who are not naive in their revel actions (2). This brings us to an analysis of the historical evolution of social media platforms, the emergence of privacy concerns, and important theoretical frameworks particularly privacy calculus.
Typically, the rise of privacy is significantly connected to the fast growth of technologies and the growing nature of the modern digital space. History shows that privacy was mainly linked with physical and individual interactions. During this time, people were interacting at their homes and with immediate families. However, this was significantly changed by the massive evolution in the digital world. The development of social media sites, and the level of connectivity they provide initiated a new era of unprecedented access to individual information. The new developments have made it simple for people to share their stories and even sensitive information with just one click significantly subjecting one to underlying privacy perils. The world is experiencing significant growth or cases in several data breaches leading to massive breaches of private data to the public. Hackers always target unsuspecting firms or companies to access important details such as the profile of clients or company records which could result in various forms of exploitations. When such a breach happens, it severely affects both the company and the individuals because while the person's data is compromised so is the deterioration of trust in the organization by the public.
Privacy calculus (shown in Figure 1 in the appendix section) refers to the comprehension of privacy as well as safety trade-offs of a certain innovation or firm. It assumes that individuals will divulge individual details whenever the perceived rewards or advantages outweigh the potential cost. Kehr et al. ascertain that the choice of sharing information is associated with privacy calculus as the equilibrium between the rewards and the hazards of revealing individual details or data. A person's privacy calculus can be impacted by several factors including but not limited to the perceived value of the details being revealed and the repercussions of the disclosure. Additionally, the cultures and factors within the society might considerably influence privacy caliculus These factors include but are not limited to societal norms associated with privacy in specific locations. Research has indicated that the threshold of diversity which is always accompanied by the growing society has some considerable effect on the withdrawal from the globe making people even more sensitive to what they share with the public.
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study used a qualitative approach in analyzing the user concerns on social networking site engagement. Primarily, this method was applied in this study because it offers a significant opportunity for the researcher to devolve deeply into but not limited to nuances of consumer experiences, viewpoints as well as emotions. Compared to a quantitative approach which only focuses on numerical as well as statistical evaluations, the selected approach here delves deeply into the underlying inspirations, feelings, and means that drive consumer connections online. Approaches such as but not limited to interviews and focus groups provided a substantial opportunity for the researcher to unveil the intricate web of norms and values that significantly impact how consumers interact and their perception of social media sites.
Additionally, the qualitative approach substantially enabled the researcher to attain different consumer concerns. According to Van der Vlist, and Helmond, social networking sites are characterized by a sophisticated structure that comprises different cultures and subcultures with distinct practices as well as concerns (3). By applying a qualitative approach, an investigator can therefore attain immediate information precisely on the experiences of consumers over different populations, and locations. This great understating is significant because it helps to design comprehensive as well as consumer-centric sites that cater to the different requirements as well as tests of the audiences across the world.
Moreover, the qualitative approach offered the researcher a flexible and adaptable experience especially when analyzing emerging issues within social media and user engagement. As indicated by, Reynolds, and Bennett, the qualitative approach allows the use of their analytical paradigms to suit the certain features of emerging issues encompassed in social media as well as consumer involvement (4).
When collecting data, the research applied the following types of qualitative methods:
A. Interviews
Interviews offered a significant platform for participants to articulate their concerns using their own words thus providing the researcher with the desired information on the experiences and viewpoints of people using the complex domain of social media. By applying the open-ended questions, the researcher was able to analyze the profound inspirations that significantly provided limelight to the intricacies of social media. Besides, interviews helped in contextualizing the user concerns in the wider brackets of social and cultural settings in which they take place. By involving the respondents in the study through discussion, the researcher was able to identify factors that significantly influence consumers'' viewpoints and habits including but not limited to peer pressure and cultural ideals. The contextual comprehension offered great support especially in deciphering the motive behind consumer concerns and coming up with solutions or rather strategies that perfectly resonate with the distinct array of consumers globally. Lastly, the interview helped to foster significant discourse that involved the researcher and respondents. This helped in cementing trust and the needed help that improved the credibility of the research.
B. Questionnaires
This study also used questionnaires to obtain relevant data that assisted in the completion of this research. Typically, questionnaires are valuable equipment issued when collecting data because they can gather a significant number of standardized information effectively. This study started by clarifying the objective of the questionnaires to participants. The researcher applied an open-ended type of questionnaire and crafted questions that aided in the collection of data from the respondents. The questionnaires were delivered to participants through email surveys that significantly aligned with the features of the sample group as well as the study aims. The clarity of the communication in the email and privacy substantially fostered participant involvement in the study. Besides, the researcher ensured that the information provided through this tool was secured and systematically organized to foster the analysis of information. In a nutshell, the study implemented effective usage of questionnaires in collecting vital data in the study. The researcher adhered to the best practices and embraced the spirit of iterative refinement thus harnessing the complete ability of the questionnaires and advanced knowledge concerning user concerns on social media engagement.
The sampling technique applied in this study was purposeful approach. This approach is broadly applied in qualitative studies to identify data-rich scenarios for the most efficient usage of scarce resources (5). The sampling techniques comprise of coming up and choosing people or groups that possess knowledge concerning or have experience with the topic under study (5). Through the use of emails, the researcher chose respondents who met certain qualifications and offered valuable information concerning consumer concerns on social media. Based on the participants’ selection criteria, a purposeful sample of (n=60) was selected to participate in the survey.
The research used thematic analysis (TA) in analyzing data. TA has enabled the research to unveil the profound concerns that prevail more across social media consumers. Through a systematic analysis specifically of the content that is common among consumers, the research was able to pinpoint reappearing subjects that show shared concerns, and frustrations. For example, factors including but not limited to privacy issues, and cyberbullying frequently arise in literature addressing the concept of consumer concerns within the context of social media. Nevertheless, TA offered a structured framework that greatly helped in organizing as well as interpreting qualitative information. Through conducting a thorough grouping of information or rather data into topics and sub-topics, the research was able to attain a fundamental insight into the diverse range of issues from the consumers. As argued by Thompson, TA promotes the rigor as well as reliability of the study outcomes, making sure that conclusions are based on empirical proof (6).
Additionally, TA offered significant support in facilitating comparisons as well as synthesis over distinct studies. Considering the idea that the use of social media keeps on growing, investigators always face various pieces of publications addressing the same subjects. TA gives these investigators to highlight the similarities and differences across datasets thus facilitating the enrichment of their comprehension concerning consumer concerns. Despite the above merits of TA in this study, this approach also significantly fails in various areas especially when applied to data analysis (7). For instance, the TA does not have strict directives for completing an analysis. This might easily culminate in variability, particularly in the manner in which this approach is used in different studies, thus rendering it difficult to draw a comparison in findings or replicate studies.
IV. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The consideration of ethics within studies is paramount since it ensures that the studies are completed by observing integrity, respect as well as fairness specifically on respondents involved. It's vital to uphold ethical consideration because morally right and also helps to maintain the credibility of the research. This research upheld the ethical standards before, during, and after the study in various ways. Firstly, the researcher ensured that the idea of informed consent was considered by significantly providing vivid information to respondents so that they could come up with independent choices about their involvement in the study. The researcher also ensured that there was room for withdrawal from the research by any respondent if they felt to do so. The research also ensured the concepts of confidentiality and privacy were considered during the interview process. Research has shown that it is vital to offer respect to the privacy of respondents to enhance or build confidence and trust (8). Enria et al. Emphasizes the need to maintain privacy during the study process from information gathering up to publication to lock out unauthorized personnel or disclosure of personal details (8). In this study, the researcher adopted the necessary measures to offer the needed protection or security for sensitive data or details gathered during the interview and the study at large.
Furthermore, the researcher also took the responsibility of reducing harm and at the same time raising the benefits for respondents. The researcher achieved this carefully by offering potential safety and eliminating threats associated with the research such as but not limited to physical harm. The researcher ensured that the relevant measures were executed to provide safety to vulnerable groups. In addition, the researcher ensured that there was respect for the respondent's independence as well as dignity. This was achieved by significantly treating respondents with respect and dignity. This entirely involved, honoring their choices concerning but not limited to their inclusion in the research.
Nonetheless, the researcher also ensured that fairness and equity were upheld during the study. The researcher observed the concept of diversity in recruiting participants and at the same time eliminating the prejudices grounded on aspects including but not limited to race or religion. Besides, the researcher took the necessary steps by considering the potential outcomes of the study for the most vulnerable respondents specifically people living with a disability. Lastly, the researcher guaranteed that ethical oversight, as well as responsibility, is observed throughout the research procedure. The researcher took the primary function of ensuring that the study adheres to the ethical standards designed by Institutional review boards.
V. RESULTS
The analysis focused on demographic examination by exploring aspects such as age, gender, education, job status, and social media platforms used. Based on gender, there 27 were female while 33 participants were men. The youngest participant was aged 21 years while the oldest was 57 years. The average age of the participants was 35.4 years, indicating that most were men. The minimum education level of the participant is a high school graduate and all participants were actively in employment or self-employed.
All the participants had registered an account with at least two social media platforms, although a majority (48), had multiple accounts. Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok were the most common social media platforms. However, most of the participants had registered an account with professional platforms like Linkedin, although most were not active participants on these platforms. Facebook emerged as the most popular for general networking while X was preferred for emerging news and trending online topics.
TA was adopted to explore the concerns of the users regarding privacy. Following the analytical approach proposed, there were five emerging themes on the most pressing privacy issues by users of social media networks; namely the scale and scope of data collection, potential misuse of user data, third-party app portability, behavioral tracking, and potential data breaches.
VI. ANALYSIS DISCUSSION
A. Discussion
To achieve the objective of the study, it was vital to provide substantial feedback on the two research questions that guided this study. The first question focused on understanding the primary concerns of social media about privacy. Social media networks have revolutionized and transformed communication, social networking, and bridging people's relationships. These mediums offer crucial benefits but also introduce noteworthy privacy concerns. The interviews revealed that the concerns delve around the process of data collection, use of information collected, security, control over private data, tracking behavioral patterns, and the association of third-party stakeholders. The interviews provided a comprehensive understanding by highlighting relevant concerns in detail, which will be explored further by applying the TA framework to ensure that each factor is understood well.
Scope and scale of Data Collection
The interviewees showed concerns about the scale and scope of data collection by social media networks. It emerged as one of the most pressing issues among social media users because of the intricacy of remaining private. Social media platforms obtain an enormous volume of information, including aspects like name, age, and residence and intimate details such as internet activities, hobbies, and text messages. The respondents indicated that the platforms can collect Personal Identifiable Information (PII) because account holders it is one of the requirements at the point of registration [10]. Crucial information like personal email addresses, contact numbers, and date of birth. The participants showed concerns because they suspected fraudulent actors could access the data and use it for malicious purposes.
The participants also showed concern for the ability of social media platforms to study behavioral patterns using the data collected. Participants argued that privacy is a crucial aspect of human dignity and should be guaranteed by social media platforms [11]. One participant noted that Facebook can track their interment activities, sites visited visit, content, preferences, and communication patterns. Therefore, it demonstrates that the use of collected data by social media is an issue that could pose privacy risks.
Misuse of Personal Data
The participants showed concerns about the use of information collected and stored in social media databases. Social media platforms can leverage the data collected to understand how to improve the experiences of users and other aspects that improve the quality. Based on the participants' responses, targeted advertising can be a vulnerability to users. Social media platforms can use the data to facilitate Ad Personalization [11]. The algorithms can be trained to analyze user data to enable personalized advertisements, which is an invasive antic. The platforms can be involved in the monetization of user data by selling the analyzed ta to third-party organizations.
The participants of the survey observed that social media platforms used the data beyond advertising purposes. The algorithms can be refined to understand social media consumption patterns to influence their purchase decisions. This is a form of manipulation by feeding users targeted information to influence their attitudes, behaviors, and choices [12]. Third-party organizations can leverage modern advances in AI and analytics to study the behavior of social media users and enable the system to make product recommendations and even product development.
Data Breaches
Data security emerged as a leading theme in during the interviews as recent news of frequent cyberattacks and monumental data breaches led to the exposure of personal information. Most participants noted that the high-profile incidents of data breaches by social media platforms like the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal led to the manipulation of voters' decisions in the US election and the Brexit vote. Millions of personal information data were mined without the users' consent. The exposure of the data led to adverse consequences including identity theft, financial fraud, and online vulnerabilities.
Similarly, users noted that user accounts frequently face security vulnerabilities. The accounts have weak password protocols. Some participants indicated that they have been victims of social media account hacks due to the weak security protocols. However, the participants were encouraged to indicate the password, implying that they used a common password including date of birth, name, and city [10]. Some users understood the two-factor authentication, which is crucial in minimizing hacking. The two-factor authentication protocols lead to problems by adding layers. Making it unpopular among most social media users.
Poor account security reduces the ability of users to control their personal information. However, most social media platforms recognize that there is a need to enhance the security of users' accounts. The security setting is complex and confusing to many ordinary social media users. A significant proportion of participants did not understand the process of setting the advanced security protocols [13]. Most users rely on the default security setting, which encourages sharing of personal information and social media activities. The users are expected to maneuver the complex process to ensure the security of their data. Shifting such an obligation to users with limited knowledge about the technicality of social media account security raises ethical and moral concerns.
Behavioral Tracking
Most users noted that social media platforms can perform behavioral tracking by analyzing social media activities, patterns, and content. Cookies Technologies provide the platforms with a tool to perform continuous tracking across different websites, retaining in-depth profiles of user's behavior [13]. The platforms can conduct behavioral tracking with informed consent: The Cambridge-Analytica incident reveals the vulnerability of social media platforms on individuals and society. The profiles created were used not only for marketing and advertising purposes but also to influence political campaigns.
Participants of the study indicated that the ability of social media platforms to collect data limitlessly can expose users to surveillance vulnerabilities. Collecting private and intimate data, such as personal health information and PII can enable third-party actors to perform surveillance since each aspect of social media interaction is documented. The Power held by social media companies leads to the loss of anonymity over personal information to some extent. The structure of social media communication makes it impossible to maintain anonymity because the data is augmented into a singular platform.
Third-Party Apps Data Portability
Portability and the right to delete information is also a concern among users. This stems from the concept of the "right to be forgotten." Users may opt for some content from their social media platforms. Users have limited control over the spread and distribution of the content they post. Deleting the content does not limit other account owners to post similar information [14]. This is a significant concern highlighted by the participants of the survey. deleting their data or controlling its spread once shared.
The growth of social media has coincided with an era of integration of online systems and solutions. Most social media platforms allow third-party apps and integrations. Third-party applications operate based on their practices, policies, and unique terms and conditions for service. There are more privacy issues when social media networks integrate third-party apps and services. Integration of third-party Apps into the social media application can facilitate the collection of data and potential for misuse [12]. There is a lack of clarity over the party responsible for the security of data. Besides, the more the data is available to employees of both organizations, it can be at risk of breaches.
The second question focused on examining the mediating factors contributing to the social media user’s privacy concerns. Based on the TA, the merging factors included inadequate regulatory protection, ineffective social media platform privacy policies, and ignorance of users on appropriate security settings.
Accessibility and Permission
Accessing the data held may require permission from the user or the social media platform. Some apps may be granted broad permissions that allow them unlimited access to the information. Third-party apps often request access to a wide range of user data, which may not be necessary for their functionality. There is a lack of appropriate oversight over data and usage by third-party organizations and apps. The platforms do not provide sufficient oversight and guidelines on how the third parties use and protect the data they access.
Therefore, there is potential for misuse and manipulation of user data by social media platforms and third parties who access the data. Social media platforms may have strict privacy but third-party organizations may have inconsistent privacy concerns. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is an illustration of such an incident, where Facebook data was accessed with crucial privacy breaches. Social media platforms pose a significant threat because they can lead to trust issues among users. Some of the participants noted that they had deleted their accounts because of fear of privacy breaches [14]. The constant privacy issues influence the attitudes and behaviors on social media and their level of trust in these platforms. Hence, the participants have adopted self-censorship due to the awareness of potential online tracking and data collection. This involves avoiding sharing some details or expressing views freely.
The risk of privacy breaches can minimize the levels of social engagement to conceal one's true personality and character. Privacy concerns can lead to reduced engagement, with users less likely to participate in activities that require personal information sharing. Users have also shown concerns for better data and information security practices by social media platforms. The participants of the survey indicated that transparency over the use of the data collected is necessary to protect their confidentiality [12][13]. The growth in awareness and understanding of the right to privacy has been a significant factor that has influenced the demand for better information security protocols.
Inadequate Regulatory and Policy Concerns
Privacy is a right recognized by the laws of different countries including the United States. There are specific legislations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU block or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), enacted to protect the privacy and confidentiality of users' data. However, it does not provide sufficient protection to users since there are several hurdles in its implementation. The lack of effectiveness and compliance with the law has contributed to the loopholes that are constantly utilized by the platforms to collect personal data [12]. The legislations impose legal and criminal liabilities on social media platforms, which can be a crucial method of deterring platforms from engaging in unauthorized sharing of users' data.
Ineffective Social Media Site Policies
Social media platforms have policies that guide the usage of data collected from account holders. Most of these terms are often complex and it is difficult for the users to comprehend. Users sometimes agree to conditions without fully understanding service and privacy rules since they are lengthy and complex [11]. The participants contented that they had never read through all the policies, terms, and conditions of using the site. These challenges lead to the acceptance of policies that allow the collection and usage of data.
Besides, social media platforms are constantly enhancing policy changes that could affect the security of users' data. Platforms regularly change their terms of service, sometimes making major adjustments to privacy provisions that users might not always see or comprehend [13]. The ignorance of users creates vulnerabilities in users and places social media platforms in a superior position. This enables the platforms to include policies that are pro-data collection.
B. Conclusion
Social media companies need to improve privacy controls, strengthen security, simplify privacy settings, and follow strict regulations to strike a balance between user interaction and privacy. Platforms can provide a safer and more reliable environment and encourage users to interact without jeopardizing their personal information by fully addressing these main concerns. This fine balance, where the advantages of connection and sharing are evaluated against the fundamental right to privacy, will determine the future of social media.
Dealing with a wide range of intricate issues is necessary when navigating the social media privacy tightrope. It makes sense that users are concerned about the scope of data gathering, the uses to which it is put, the security of their data, and their control over it. These issues become even more complicated when third-party apps are involved and behavioral tracking is used. These privacy concerns provide serious legal and policy hurdles in addition to affecting user behavior and confidence.
C. Future Research
Social media platforms need to reconsider the concept of user privacy to protect the confidentiality of user data. It is necessary to communicate clearly about the purpose for which the data collected is to be used. The current system is opaque and the users have limited knowledge about the terms and conditions of service. Organizations must protect the integrity of user data. Failure to comply with the regulatory requirement can lead to substantial financial and reputational damage to a social media platform. Facebook has been heavily fined for data breaches and scandals.
Policymakers and legislator should also understand the risk that social media platforms expose to their users and introduce stricter regulations and guidelines on how these platforms can use data collected. Currently, social media platforms are powerful and can influence users to accept terms that would allow the collection of personal information. The legislation should focus on introducing guidelines that compel the platforms to be transparent and use terms that are easily understandable to all users. The study focused on users that are educated but they were also not familiar with the terms on the use of personal data by the platforms. The government can provide better protection by introducing liabilities on platforms that mislead users to accept opaque terms and conditions with a loophole that will allow the collection of PII. Government involvement will be necessary as information and communication technologies continue to transform how organizations collect, analyze, and utilize online users and activities.






References

(1) Bright, Laura F., Hayoung Sally Lim, and Kelty Logan. "“Should I Post or Ghost?”: Examining how privacy concerns impact social media engagement in US consumers." Psychology & Marketing 38, no. 10 (2021): 1712-1722.
(2) Chen, Hsuan-Ting. "Revisiting the privacy paradox on social media with an extended privacy calculus model: The effect of privacy concerns, privacy self-efficacy, and social capital on privacy management." American behavioral scientist 62, no. 10 (2018): 1392-1412.
[(3) Kehr,]() Flavius, Tobias Kowatsch, Daniel Wentzel, and Elgar Fleisch. "Blissfully ignorant: the effects of general privacy concerns, general institutional trust, and affect in the privacy calculus." Information Systems Journal 25, no. 6 (2015): 607-635.
(4) Van der Vlist, Fernando N., and Anne Helmond. "How partners mediate platform power: Mapping business and data partnerships in the social media ecosystem." Big Data & Society 8, no. 1 (2021): 20539517211025061.
(5) Reynolds, Samantha, and Noah Bennett. "Dynamic Insights: Qualitative Explorations Across Diverse Sectors in the Evolving Socioeconomic Landscape." (2024).
(6) Palinkas, Lawrence A., Sarah M. Horwitz, Carla A. Green, Jennifer P. Wisdom, Naihua Duan, and Kimberly Hoagwood. "Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research." Administration and policy in mental health and mental health services research 42 (2015): 533-544.
(7) Thompson, Jamie. "A guide to abductive thematic analysis." (2022
(8) Peel, Karen L. "A beginner's guide to applied educational research using thematic analysis." Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation 25, no. 1 (2020): 2.
[(9) Enria, ]()Luisa, Naomi Waterlow, Nina Trivedy Rogers, Hannah Brindle, Sham Lal, Rosalind M. Eggo, Shelley Lees, and Chrissy H. Roberts. "Trust and transparency in times of crisis: Results from an online survey during the first wave (April 2020) of the COVID-19 epidemic in the UK." PloS one 16, no. 2 (2021): e0239247.
(10) L. Baker-Eveleth, R. Stone, and D. Eveleth, “Understanding social media users’ privacy-protection behaviors,” ICS, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 324–345, May 2022, doi: 10.1108/ICS-07-2021-0099.
(11) Z. Rózsa, L. Ferenčáková, D. Zámek, and J. Firstová, “Generation Z’s perception of privacy on social media: Examining the impact of personalized advertising, interpersonal relationships, reference group dynamics, social isolation, and anxiety on self-disclosure willingness,” oc, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 229–266, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.24136/oc.2956.
(12) N. Barrett-Maitland and J. Lynch, “Social Media, Ethics and the Privacy Paradox,” in Security and Privacy From a Legal, Ethical, and Technical Perspective, C. Kalloniatis and C. Travieso-Gonzalez, Eds., IntechOpen, 2020. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.90906.
(13) J. Suter, A. Irvine, and C. Howorth, “Juggling on a tightrope: Experiences of small and micro business managers responding to employees with mental health difficulties,” International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 3–34, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1177/02662426221084252.
(14) K. D. Martin and R. W. Palmatier, “Data Privacy in Retail: Navigating Tensions and Directing Future Research,” Journal of Retailing, vol. 96, no. 4, pp. 449–457, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jretai.2020.10.002.





































Appendix

Figure1: The conceptual model of extended privacy calculus

I’ve known I’m trans for at least six years (and probably more), but I’ve only recently felt ready to start taking concrete steps to transition. Still pre-HRT, but I’m working on it! I came out to my partner, who’s queer herself, pretty early in our relationship, and she’s been fully on-board for me to explore my gender identity more.
Last night, I decided to try dressing up for the first time around her, which I’ve only ever done in private before. Some really basic stuff, honestly early transgirl cliches. When she got home, I was cooking dinner in just an apron, a tank top, some black thigh high socks of hers, and my cutest underwear (Pair of Thieves briefs in a rainbow Pride print). After finishing cooking, I threw on a navy pleated skirt of hers that I can fit into, and later tried out both a button-up and a sweater on top, both in dark reds.
She had so many nice and loving and affirming things to say, but the absolute highlight of the evening was one point when she asked me to show-off my look. She said I looked like “a Cool Girl doing Basic Girl Fall,” like “someone with a distinct fashion taste” synthesizing styles.
Maybe it’s hard to express why that meant so much to me, but it really did. I do think I’ve developed a pretty identifiable style in boymode, but this was the first time I’ve ever really felt excitement, anticipation, joy at the idea of expressing myself through women’s fashion.
Building a new wardrobe is really intimidating – it’s so hard to know where to begin, what to prioritize, what will look good on me – but this was the first time it occurred to me “Oh, I’m gonna look great!”

MAY 23, TODAY -- Long journey, but I'll try to keep it as short as possible. Before I begin, I want to make it known that me and my ex were unofficially in a relationship. We did argue sometimes, but it only occurred over texting. In person it was a completely different relationship. It was LITERALLY PERFECT. However, It's very difficult to understand each other behind a screen as you can't physically or emotionally touch and feel one another, or depict what the other's emotions are. It's something I've explained to her but we'll reach that point later on. Anyways... I started talking to this beautiful and amazing female two days after Christmas 2023 (on Dec. 27) and we both fell in love with each other within a day of talking. We've had countless conversations about how we were going to plan our future together. We did all the lovebird talk and showered each other with compliments telling how perfect the other person is and hoping to spend the rest of our lives together. Hmph. Only one can dream, right?
Fast forward 32 days later (Jan 28, 2024), we plan to meet for the first time and go on our first date. It went well, but there were some nervous moments within the first 15 minutes. After that we got a lot more comfortable with one another and hooked up (no sex) for nearly an hour on a snowy afternoon. Due to circumstances out of our control in which I blame the god awful weather, we had to end the date early, which lasted about a good 3 hours. The very next day I receive devastating news as I was told she realized she still had feelings for he ex after he messaged her saying that he spotted us "kissing in the car". Mind you, this guy also cheated on her for six months during the time they've been together so what do you have to hold onto? Besides that, this fucker lives 30 minutes away, and you mean to tell me he came here to follow us everywhere we went ON THIS DAY SPECIFICALLY? I think not. Whatever.
Four days later, I decide to take a step back and not message her for 3 days (from February 1-4th) as I needed a couple days to collect my thoughts and think stuff over. We remained in contact and still talked everyday but it was a lot of crying on both ends. There was light flirting here and there, but we were not trying to do it on an obvious level. Think of it as breadcrumbing but not exact. The entire month was a rollercoaster of emotions and deep talks. We argued a few times here and there but they were never anything serious or harmful to our relationship. We did have a personal talk on the 20th and better understood our emotions, but nothing's improved much. Not much eventful stuff happened, so moving on to March...
March 1st was the day she confessed she never stopped loving me and still had strong feelings but was too afraid to show them. She tried pushing herself away after thinking I hated her and told me that she cried everyday and thought about me and how we handled the situation was taking a toll on her mentally and emotionally, stating she doesn't like showing anyone that side of her. She recommended we take a break from talking which only lasted exactly a week (until 3/7). She broke NC at 5 in the morning stating, "I thought you said we were on good terms." replying to a story I posted. Basically another girl was jealous of my relationship with my ex, but that's irrelevant here. Five days later (3/12), My ex's ex-boyfriend's FRIEND doxxed her. Early in the morning at around 3:30 AM (3/13), she explains the situation to me and sends me screenshots of their conversation and he happens to gets a hold of her message logs on Snapchat (some type of data breach he installed in his computer) and threatens to harm her and pull up to her house (which he did show up three days later that Friday and drove past her house at 2 in the morning with his lights off, yeah, weird motherfucker). I do all the comforting letting her know that I'll do whatever it takes to protect her from them and she suddenly grows a newfound love and appreciation for me, getting over him completely. March 16, early Saturday morning after midnight hours, we get on the phone and FaceTime from 1:01 AM to 9:33 AM (I have the logs, I know I keep track of a lot of our milestones) talking about life and what we'd expect moving forward together. It was honestly the happiest day of my life after reconciling with her. It marked the second time we started dating as we haven't ended on bad terms prior. A week later on March 23, we hung out for the first time in two months, marking the second time we've seen each other in person. It was a really bad snowstorm that day here in Upstate NY so we decide to drive back to her house canceling our plans of going on a date which would've been our second. We ended up getting stuck in the snow on the way up the hill, and it was pretty fun trying to get out. We ended up having great makeup sex and it was our first time being intimate on that level. A day later (3/24), I get a long wall of text of her pouring her heart out to me which made me tear up a bit. That moment made me realize she was the one for me (or that I thought of...). Five days pass by and on 3/29, we get to that second date and spent 11 and a half hours of our day together. We went to her favorite diner, went on a 40 minute drive for edibles up until watching the sunset until 7:47 before going home. On Easter two days later, we had our third date, which is personally a favorite of mine. We went to the movies, the arcade, to the pet store to pick out a snail for her tank, dinner, and so much more. I'll spare you the remaining details this time.
Come the month of April (2nd), she had asked me to come over to her house to hang out before she head to work. Two days after (April 4), we go on our fourth ever date, it was a relatively short one but we still were so obsessed with seeing each other that it didn't even matter if it was for twenty seconds (which literally happened March 30th haha). April 5th was our third time hanging out and for 4 and a half hours we basically had sex the entire time on six different occasions and cuddling watching a movie and a few YouTube videos. That very same day is when she started crying in my arms when we were cuddling and I asked her what's wrong and she would always tell me, "It's nothing, I'm fine." I knew that wasn't the case. It wasn't until I realized that our past arguments before we started dating again was taking a toll on her mentally, and she was having fears of being hurt again. She's had a lot of trauma in her past two relationships and I've done everything to reassure her that she'd have nothing to worry about because I really loved this girl. I never did anything to hurt her. Three days later (Apr 8), we were supposed to go see the Solar Eclipse together but she went with her friends instead and I kinda got upset over it so as a result, I didn't message her as much that day as I usually do and she sensed something was off about me. I didn't make it known so I played it off as nothing too serious. She did send me a message and as I was in the middle of sending a reply, I accidentally ended up leaving her on read and got back to her 52 minutes later after waking up. I knew she was pissed off at me because she began sending me 2-3 word replies and I instantly picked it up as she used to do this during the entire month of February and half of March after we ended things between us romantically. I decided to give her the rest of the night to herself regarding space and not text her back until early the next morning I get to work (Apr 9). I apologized to her and she tells me she thinks we need to end things for the better of her mental health and that we'd try again someday when she's ready and able to. I told her my reasonings and she tells me that I need to "man tf up and speak what's on your mind". Mind you, If I do that, it'll only hurt her feelings and she'll start crying. She's very sensitive so I try to be mindful of her feelings. That's that, and come four days later on a Saturday (Apr 13), we go on another "date" post-dating. we go to get some Taco Bell then camp out in a parking lot with sad music playing in the background. She stares at me but I can tell that she's fighting back tears. I do the same thing but for no more than 5 seconds then I turn my head to look away and out the window, letting out awkward giggles. Eventually my emotions overtake me and I throw myself towards her and hug her tightly while breaking down crying. I told her that I love her so much, and she then said she loves me as well. She immediately starts sobbing herself and I wiped every tear off her cheek as they rolled down her face and I kept my arm wrapped around her the entire time and even after we got done weeping. We spent the better part of 5 minutes with our foreheads pressed against one another's and I went in and kissed her and she let out a slight laugh after. After that, our post romance "date" lasted about an hour and a half as she would be busy the rest of the evening. We said our usual "byes" and gave each other a long, intimate hug after. Little did I know this would be the last time I'd see her in person as of this moment. The next day, we have a talk saying how much we appreciate each other, how I'll never neglect her and that I'll always be there for her when she needs it, and she says the same and thanks me for caring about her despite all she's put me through emotionally. The rest of April goes by and we're still doing everything we've done while we dated such as falling asleep on FaceTime together and talking for long hours (I'm talking 10-18 hour phone call sessions), or playing games together such as Call of Duty and Among Us for hours at a time. Apr 22 comes around, and I have suddenly entered a really dark place mentally. I get so upset that I'm brushing off friends, and even the girl I've come to love with all my heart. I haven't contacted her for three days after but once I did, I apologized and explained to her what I was going through at the time. She was obviously upset with me and thought I was over her and she spent every hour of the time she was alone crying and it made me feel like a complete asshole. I definitely had a reason because this is the second time I'm going through a heartbreak with her and it just happened so unexpectedly. April 28 comes and I tell her that I'm ready to just end talks completely, and I wished her a happy life. She promised me she was going to stop and try to fix things between us, and me feeling bad, I obliged because I felt terrible and I still loved her of course, but her actions of wanting to make things work didn't last a long time. I gave her an ultimatum that for the final few days of April, we'd try to work through our issues and go into May with a clean slate. Once again, she started to get distant with me shortly after and her long texts would become shorter and shorter to just one word replies, the phone calls would stop and I basically had to ask her more than once if she'd like to talk over the phone because it's a better way of communicating, and eventually we FaceTimed eight days later (May 4)...
May 4th we call each other at 2:57 AM and talk for a few minutes before falling asleep on call. We wake up at around 5 AM and talk about nonsense until 7 AM. It was her idea to hang up, she got emotional over something I must've said, I'm not sure...? She then says she would text me later, but the remainder of the day goes past and I get no message, no call, nothing. I'm upset and she caught wind of it and apologizes to me the next day at nearly 5 in the morning. We had an argument over texting and that was the final nail in the coffin for us. She suggested things to be over for us and it left me devastated because I just don't know what I've done to get treated like this. I did every nice thing for her, I never disrespected her, manipulate, act hostile or possessive at all. I was the complete opposite. I'm not one who likes to face adversity nor am I confrontational. I avoid any problems I may have to face. We go No Contact, but stupid me breaks that just 11 days later (May 16) sending a 1,259-word iMessage about all the shit we went through the last couple of months. I made sure to let her know my love and appreciation for her. I told her how we should've given space to each other before our situation got to the point that it got to. She replies three days later stating she didn't know what to say and apologizes for taking long to respond. She says she doesn't want to risk a relationship again because she's scared due to the way she used to talk to me disrespectfully when we tried being friends through all of our issues. four days later which is May 23 today, she goes OFF on me and cursed me out like I've never seen from the likes of her before. I did my best remaining calm with her throughout the entire encounter. I apologized multiple times for how I made her feel but it just wasn't enough I then get blocked.
I really found it hard to be "friends" with her through all of this until we can work ourselves up into a REAL relationship. I'm at a loss for words. I lost someone who meant so fucking much to me. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so torn. Haley, you were the best I've ever loved. I thought I finally found my soulmate after being done so wrong in the past. I'll always love you, forever and always. I'm gonna miss the late night calls, your beautiful smile, your gorgeous eyes, and your amazing presence around me. I'm even gonna miss that annoying ass dog of yours and that perverted cat that used to watch us make love on the same bed he laid on during it. I hope someday we can make our way back to each other. I hope this isn't goodbye, but see you later.

DANCING WITH THE STARS: MOST ICONIC QUOTES OF THE MAIN CAST ✨

Day	Cast Member	Quote
1	Tom Bergeron	"Can I not be a TV host for a minute and just be a dad?"
2	Lisa Canning	"Let's meet our competitors, because it all starts right now!"
3	Samantha Harris	"P, I know for you, you've said you'd give 150%. You've trained 20 hours total, since the show began, but everyone else on average has trained 130 hours. How much do you want to be here and stay in the competition?"
4	Brooke Burke	"How does that feel?"
5	Erin Andrews
6	Tyra Banks
7	Alfonso Ribeiro
8	Julianne Hough
9	Len Goodman
10	Carrie Ann Inaba
11	Bruno Tonioli
12	Derek Hough

Welcome to DANCING WITH THE STARS: MOST ICONIC QUOTES OF THE MAIN CAST ✨

A massive thank you to the wonderful u/CoffeeAndCurls76 who suggested this idea, and that I run this game here! 💕
How does it work?
Each day, I'll reshare this board. With each day is a new cast member. Similarly to past games I've done like Dances of the Seasons, The Dancing with the Stars Alphabet, Favourite Dances Per Style, and The Pros' Most Memorable Dances, for every day, you can all comment a response. This time, the response would be a quote from the respective pro for that day! As with previous games, the comment with the most upvotes wins. At the end, I'll put a video compilation together!
MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU WANT TO SUGGEST NUMEROUS QUOTES, DO THEM EACH IN A SEPERATE COMMENT. THE COMMENT WITH THE MOST UPVOTES WINS AND IS ADDED TO THE BOARD. IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE TRY AND ADD WHEN THE CAST MEMBER SAYS THE QUOTE (SO I CAN FIND THE CLIP TO ADD TO THE VIDEO COMPILATION).
Yesterday's round was won by u/StrictlySagittarius 's suggestion! 🏆

DAY 5: ERIN ANDREWS

Relevant photos
Home built in 1967 and shortly after a 10’x20’ deck is installed using 2”x6” joist hangers fastened directly through the siding to the rim of the house supporting 2”x10” joists, which span the 10’ and were supported by posts on the other side.
Very shortly after the deck was converted into a covered sun/reading room.
After that (at least 30-40 years ago) they opened the upstairs exterior wall of the house with a glue lam and incorporated the sunroom into the house by moving the west end of the kitchen onto the deck.
At that point they poured an approximately 6”x6” footing that runs the full 20’ length of the deck, and framed a wall on top of it to replace the posts that supported the west half of the deck. This created an enclosed 10’x20’ “shop” under the space.
My biggest concern is with the way the joists tie to the side of the house. Ideally these would be tied directly to either a ledger or (since this area isn’t exposed to elements) directly to the rim. But as it is, they’re through 1.5” board and batten siding into the rim.
I’ve thought of a few options, the first being to cut back the joists 1.5” so I can slide a 2’x10’ up and lag it to the house, then hang the joists from the 2’x10’. The reason I don’t like this is because there is ductwork, venting, gas lines etc through a portion of the rim, so I can’t easily get a 2’x10’ to span the whole area without doing a whole lot of work.
The second idea I have is to simply replace the hangers with 2”x10” hangers nailed with 16 penny nails through the siding.
The third idea I have is to cut 2”x10” down so they can fit between (as many of) the joists, lag them to the rim, and then use 2”x10” hangers attached to the 2”x10”.
Would love to hear any solutions or ideas you have.

Relevant photos
Home built in 1967 and shortly after a 10’x20’ deck is installed using 2”x6” joist hangers fastened directly through the siding to the rim of the house supporting 2”x10” joists, which span the 10’ and were supported by posts on the other side.
Very shortly after the deck was converted into a covered sun/reading room.
After that (at least 30-40 years ago) they opened the upstairs exterior wall of the house with a glue lam and incorporated the sunroom into the house by moving the west end of the kitchen onto the deck.
At that point they poured an approximately 6”x6” footing that runs the full 20’ length of the deck, and framed a wall on top of it to replace the posts that supported the west half of the deck. This created an enclosed 10’x20’ “shop” under the space.
My biggest concern is with the way the joists tie to the side of the house. Ideally these would be tied directly to either a ledger or (since this area isn’t exposed to elements) directly to the rim. But as it is, they’re through 1.5” board and batten siding into the rim.
I’ve thought of a few options, the first being to cut back the joists 1.5” so I can slide a 2’x10’ up and lag it to the house, then hang the joists from the 2’x10’. The reason I don’t like this is because there is ductwork, venting, gas lines etc through a portion of the rim, so I can’t easily get a 2’x10’ to span the whole area without doing a whole lot of work.
The second idea I have is to simply replace the hangers with 2”x10” hangers nailed with 16 penny nails through the siding.
The third idea I have is to cut 2”x10” down so they can fit between (as many of) the joists, lag them to the rim, and then use 2”x10” hangers attached to the 2”x10”.
Would love to hear any solutions or ideas you have.

Relevant photos
Home built in 1967 and shortly after a 10’x20’ deck is installed using 2”x6” joist hangers fastened directly through the siding to the rim of the house supporting 2”x10” joists, which span the 10’ and were supported by posts on the other side.
Very shortly after the deck was converted into a covered sun/reading room.
After that (at least 30-40 years ago) they opened the upstairs exterior wall of the house with a glue lam and incorporated the sunroom into the house by moving the west end of the kitchen onto the deck.
At that point they poured an approximately 6”x6” footing that runs the full 20’ length of the deck, and framed a wall on top of it to replace the posts that supported the west half of the deck. This created an enclosed 10’x20’ “shop” under the space.
My biggest concern is with the way the joists tie to the side of the house. Ideally these would be tied directly to either a ledger or (since this area isn’t exposed to elements) directly to the rim. But as it is, they’re through 1.5” board and batten siding into the rim.
I’ve thought of a few options, the first being to cut back the joists 1.5” so I can slide a 2’x10’ up and lag it to the house, then hang the joists from the 2’x10’. The reason I don’t like this is because there is ductwork, venting, gas lines etc through a portion of the rim, so I can’t easily get a 2’x10’ to span the whole area without doing a whole lot of work.
The second idea I have is to simply replace the hangers with 2”x10” hangers nailed with 16 penny nails through the siding.
The third idea I have is to cut 2”x10” down so they can fit between (as many of) the joists, lag them to the rim, and then use 2”x10” hangers attached to the 2”x10”.
Would love to hear any solutions or ideas you have.

Relevant photos
Home built in 1967 and shortly after a 10’x20’ deck is installed using 2”x6” joist hangers fastened directly through the siding to the rim of the house supporting 2”x10” joists, which span the 10’ and were supported by posts on the other side.
Very shortly after the deck was converted into a covered sun/reading room.
After that (at least 30-40 years ago) they opened the upstairs exterior wall of the house with a glue lam and incorporated the sunroom into the house by moving the west end of the kitchen onto the deck.
At that point they poured an approximately 6”x6” footing that runs the full 20’ length of the deck, and framed a wall on top of it to replace the posts that supported the west half of the deck. This created an enclosed 10’x20’ “shop” under the space.
My biggest concern is with the way the joists tie to the side of the house. Ideally these would be tied directly to either a ledger or (since this area isn’t exposed to elements) directly to the rim. But as it is, they’re through 1.5” board and batten siding into the rim.
I’ve thought of a few options, the first being to cut back the joists 1.5” so I can slide a 2’x10’ up and lag it to the house, then hang the joists from the 2’x10’. The reason I don’t like this is because there is ductwork, venting, gas lines etc through a portion of the rim, so I can’t easily get a 2’x10’ to span the whole area without doing a whole lot of work.
The second idea I have is to simply replace the hangers with 2”x10” hangers nailed with 16 penny nails through the siding.
The third idea I have is to cut 2”x10” down so they can fit between (as many of) the joists, lag them to the rim, and then use 2”x10” hangers attached to the 2”x10”.
Would love to hear any solutions or ideas you have.

https://preview.redd.it/aruqub7ou82d1.jpg?width=2518&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98f56d01892929d297ce28f48e8c3710bc4b5a32
Hi everyone, my name is Devin (misspelled on the episode as "Devon"). I appeared on KN back in 2007 in Season 1 Episode 10, The Secret Garden.
I was 24 at the time of the filming. I'm 41 now. When I was 21 I lived in Moorpark, California. I moved to Las Vegas for a year and went to culinary school. I had waited tables before, but I had no experience working in kitchens at the time. I just knew I liked to cook and thought it would be a fun career. At the end of my schooling, I was required to do a three month externship at a restaurant of my choosing. I moved back to Moorpark and lined up a position at The Secret Garden. I had never eaten there, I just knew it was a fine dining French restaurant. The restaurant already had a reputation in town for the owner's wife being kind of crazy (there was an incident at the restaurant where she punched Frankie Valley in the face for some reason). It was the only fine dining place in town so that's where people would go for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, etc. The majority of the place's income, however, came from the weddings that took place in the garden behind the restaurant. It was a pretty beautiful garden.
The owner and head chef was a character. He was a French man, about 5'4", and definitely had a Napoleon Complex Going on. Although his ego was insufferable at times, he wasn't all bad. He was generally a pretty nice guy, and I actually learned quite a bit about cooking French cuisine from working under him.
The kitchen was super tiny, and since the chef and the three Mexican guys that I worked alongside of were all short, all the pots and other things were hung at shoulder level for me (I'm 6'4") so I was constantly bobbing and weaving and smacking my head. The Mexican guys were illegals and had no culinary training, but they were pretty good.
There were some questionable things that went on there in terms of food safety. Sometimes there would be mouse shit all over the counters and cutting boards when I'd come in. It wasn't uncommon to find rotten food in the walk-in and dry storage. One time I pulled some chicken out of the fridge that was starting to turn, it was slimy and just starting to turn green. I went to throw it away but I was told to just rinse it off and cook it. I did as I was told. Miraculously nobody got sick, or if they did, I didn't hear about it. The menu was dishonest as well. It was full of terms like "organic", "grass fed", and "free range". All false. We used the same meat and produce from Cisco that Applebees uses. There were some questionable things that went on there in terms of food safety. Sometimes there would be mouse shit all over the counters and cutting boards when I'd come in. It wasn't uncommon to find rotten food in the walk-in and dry storage. One time I pulled some chicken out of the fridge that was starting to turn, it was slimy and just starting to turn green. I went to throw it away but I was told to just rinse it off and cook it. I did as I was told. Miraculously nobody got sick, or if they did, I didn't hear about it. The menu was dishonest as well. It was full of terms like "organic", "grass fed", and "free range". All false. We used the same meat and produce from Cisco that Applebees uses.
At the end of my three months, I moved on. I landed a job as a pantry chef at a newly opened restaurant in L.A. that was super trendy. The executive chef was a Korean guy who never went to culinary school, but man, that dude could *cook*. He was a prodigy. He wrote the menu himself and it was fantastic. So creative. And it actually was what it said it was, organic, fresh, and all that. I learned a ton from him. The place was pretty expensive but totally worth it.
After service was finished the place became a night club. When I was off work I'd go out to my car and change into my regular clothes and head right back in. The place was an absolute den of debauchery. People openly doing cocaine, having sex in the bathrooms, it was insane. I walked in on one of the managers fucking someone in the shed out back we used for storage. There was a full on lesbian threesome in a booth on the patio. And the staff was even crazier than the guests. There was a 17 year old hostess who ended up being a dancer in the DJ booth in a thong bikini. One of the managers was having sex with her. Just mayhem. And when the place closed at 2:00 AM, the guests would leave and the staff would keep the party going for another four or six hours. I was no Boy Scout myself; I was 24 at the time and into partying. It was a very fun and crazy time in my life. I made a bunch of good friends there that I'm still close with almost 25 years later.
Anyway, one day I get a call from the owner of The Secret Garden. Fox was filming a TV show there, did I want to come back and be on the show. I said yeah, that sounds cool. Looking back, it was definitely because the producers needed a face for the kitchen; someone who spoke English and could do interviews. I guess they didn't want to feature the Mexican guys because they were illegals and only one spoke English. You see them in the background of the episode a little bit. It's a shame because those guys were really the heart and soul of that kitchen.
I had no idea what I was walking into. I knew who Gordon Ramsey was from Hell's Kitchen, but that's about it. I worked there for five days while they filmed. The show had me as the sous chef, but I was never the sous chef there. I didn't even work there at the time of filming. That's why when the producers sat me down in front of the camera for an interview, I just said whatever the hell I wanted. I was completely honest because I wasn't worried about getting fired. I was a pretty big stoner at the time, and was also into some other stuff that I shouldn't have been into. To tell you the truth, the whole thing was a blur. I remember during the scene where Gordon called the staff meeting on the patio, I piped up and said something (I forget what) and must of sounded high. Gordon said, "Whatever you're on, I want some!" and we all laughed. Thankfully that part was not used in the show.
Another thing that happened that wasn't used was the broccoli soup competition. I walked in on the second or third day of filming and they sprung it on me that I had twenty minutes to make a broccoli soup. Gordon, the executive chef, and one of the Mexican guys would also make their own. I had never made a broccoli soup but I figured it couldn't be that hard so I just winged it. I used a mirepoix and vegetable stock as the base, and added the broccoli. I was using an immersion blender to make it smooth when they called time. I wasn't done blending it, so it was still a little chunky when I had to plate it. The other guys plated theirs, and we set them out for a blind tasting. They brought in the front of house staff and didn't tell them which soup was whose, and had them taste them and pick their favorite. Almost all of them picked mine. Now, this was insane, because Gordon's blew mine out of the water. It was delicious. He used nothing but broccoli, water, and salt. It was a bright neon green color and looked beautiful as well. I have no idea why they chose mine. Just dumb luck, I guess. Obviously Gordon losing a soup competition to a 24 year old stoner kid fresh out of culinary school didn't make it into to the final cut, haha.
During the filming, Gordon was really cool to me. He did make one comment when I was plating a French onion soup. I guess I was lagging because he said "Fucking hell, are you always this slow?" That's the only time he really has anything negative to say to me. I think that a big part of it was due to the narrative they wanted to present to the audience. Evil French chef, young sous chef who saves the day. That's one of I learned about TV from that experience: they can cut it any way they want to. I was a little apprehensive before the episode aired of how I was going to look, since not only were all my friends and family going to see it, but millions of people all over the world. When it aired and they made me the hero of the kitchen instead of cocky kid who was high for the entire filming. It could have just as easily gone that way. I felt a little disingenuous when I saw the episode though, because I knew I wasn't the savior of the kitchen as much as the Mexican guys were.
I worked at several places as a chef for the next five years. Some good, some bad. After a while though, I realized that this wasn't something I wanted to spend my life doing. Kitchen work is *hard*, stressfull, and the hours are long. And unless you're an executive chef, it doesn't pay all that well. I'm talking a buck or two over minimum wage to start. I saw the servers and bartenders working half as hard as me for half the hours, and making three times the money. I eventually moved back into serving and bartending while I figured out what I wanted to do. By this point I was in my late 20's. The drugs and alcohol had become a problem for me and I was struggling with addiction, but I gave it all up and made some changes. I became obsessed with boxing. While I was competing as an amateur boxer I was offered a coaching position at my gym. I ended up being the head coach for about eight years. I was a natural coach and absolutely loved it.
A few years ago, in my late 30's, I moved out of California and made a career change. I began working with people with developmental disabilities. My youngest brother was autistic (he passed away three years ago) so I am very comfortable around people with autism. Now I run a group home for young men on the autism spectrum, and coach boxing on the side. Unmarried, no ex wives or baby mamas, and no kids. Life is good. I fill my time with boxing, wilderness backpacking, playing guitar, and making art.
I haven't re-watched my episode of Kitchen Nightmares in a very long time. To tell you the truth, I don't really want to. I was just a dumb kid and it's a little embarrassing. Even now they still play the episode and once in a while I'll get a text from someone, "Is that *you*?". Yeah, it's me.
Thanks for reading. Hit me with any questions!

https://archive.is/jzdkb
Sita Bird and her husband have always loved vintage trailers. So after 15 years of self-taught baking and running an at-home special order baking business, Bird decided to renovate a 1963 camper and fill it with her homemade goods.
The result is a new bakery stand to fulfill customers’ weekend cravings for sweet treats. Le Petit Oiseau Bakery, which is French for “The Little Bird Bakery,” is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 48 Meadow Lane.
The bakery is stocked with all types of baked goods such as cookies, cupcakes, French pastries, breads and muffins.
“I kind of love a challenge and I like making things that are unique, and so I just try stuff out,” Bird said.
The idea for the bakery drew inspiration from all the farm stands that pop up in the Pioneer Valley during the harvesting seasons, Bird said. “At the same time I didn’t want to be out in the elements with the humidity and the insects and all that,” Bird said, hence the idea for a bakery inside of a trailer.
However, the restoration process was a longer process than expected, Bird explained. This, combined with personal circumstances, set back the plans for opening by a year. The bakery saw its first day in business on Saturday, May 4.
Bird, who initially came before the Planning Board seeking a special permit in late 2022, noted the process for getting the bakery approved by the town’s health officials, as well as securing all the necessary documentation, was more complex than she had anticipated.
“It was a lot more complicated than I was expecting … but, you know, it kind of drives you to push you to follow your dreams,” she said. In the end, Bird said, “I really had the community supporting me and that was great.”
“I got teary-eyed because, you know, to have someone I never met before speak on behalf of how this would be so great for the community, was really great,” she said.
Bird also runs a business on weekdays through her home, filling custom orders for cakes, decorated sugar cookies or bulk pastries. The property, located on a dead-end street, has five parking spots available. Next to the trailer there is a seating area for customers. Bird can be reached on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063910955847&mibextid=kFxxJD
or by email at sitabirdbakery@gmail.com.

I was told for a demo I had the option of using a smart board - in addition to a flip chart/markers. I love the idea of using a smart board - but I’m worried about potential tech issues 😅 anyone have experience using technology for demos with no issue?
Side note - my current school doesn’t have Smart boards so it’s definitely been a few years, but I’m sure I remember it was pretty simple to figure out

So just like the title says I'm 30M from the east coast of the US, in NJ specifically and I'm looking for friends! You can see some of my other posts to get an idea of me.
A little about me: I'm pretty average appearance-wise (like just literally, not a self-own lol) brown hair, white, average height/weight etc. Politically I'm a socialist, people deserve homes, money and the ability to live happy and fulfilling lives without having to grind away at a job for a majority of their lives. I'm married to my wife and have been for several years.
I'm a history nerd, mainly towards ancient history but in general, I can enjoy pretty much any historical period. I also love animals, I watch The Zoo, and my favorite season is spring because of all of the new babies. It makes my day seeing the gaggle of baby geese walking along with their parents, all puffed up and awkward. Steve Irwin was my hero growing up.
Otherwise I've been on a binge of rewatching old shows (Simpsons and Scrubs), and going through Netflix zombie shows/movies as well as some other quality shows. Just about to start Shogun! Started Fallout too and its awesome!
I also like playing games, both board games and video games, I have a range so feel free to ask and maybe we can play something together! I've been getting into wargaming lately (Star Wars Legion stuff like that) and miniature painting. I've just recently finished a new batch of them I'd be happy to show or play with!
Hope to talk! Ideally, you'll provide a picture/description when you first message just to establish you're a real person and not a bot because it feels like there are a lot around these days. I'll happily reciprocate so you know I am also not a robot or someone trying to get you to buy something.

The Monaco Grand Prix is sometimes referred to as the Crown Jewel of the Formula 1 calendar, and (with the exception of the 2020 season due to, ahem, "operating restrictions") has been on the calendar each year without fail since 1955. Held in the streets of Monte Carlo, this event is one of the most prestigious races in all of motorsport, held amongst all the glitz and glamour of the fabulous wealth of the Cote d'Azur. It also happens to be the site of one of Formula 1's more unusual (and light-hearted) mysteries: the missing Monaco diamond. With the Monaco Grand Prix being held this weekend, I thought it would be nice to discuss this little legend of Formula 1 history.
In 2004, the Jaguar F1 team ran a special promotional livery at Monaco, advertising the newly released film "Ocean's Twelve". As part of the livery, in addition to the usual excessively garish (even by Formula 1 standards...) paintjob, a pair of $200,000 Steinmetz diamonds were installed in the nosecones of both cars. Due to the nature of the stunt, no sane insurance company (for reasons that are about to become clear) was willing to insure the diamonds. Perhaps this should have been the first clue to Jaguar that what they were doing was not a good idea. Regardless, they pressed on with their stunt.
In the seat of one Jaguar was Mark Webber, on his 3rd year of driving in Formula 1, while the other seat was taken by Christian Klien, a rookie in his breakout season.
A little bit of context here. The nosecone of a Formula 1 car is... not a very strong piece, all truth be told. It's also one of the easier pieces for a driver to break if they have a crash, being, y'know, right at the front of the car. There is a reason why Formula 1 teams carry multiple sets of front wings to each race.
Bearing that in mind...
Monaco itself is known for being a real challenge of a track. Unlike most modern tracks, Monaco gives drivers minimal, if any, room for error. In motorsport parlance, Monaco is a "street circuit", which is exactly what the name suggests; the circuit is built out of existing streets around the principality. Being residential streets with normal speed limits in place for about 361 days of the year, the streets of Monaco are, by F1 standards, notoriously narrow. Few, if any, of the turns have any "run-off" space if a driver makes a mistake in a corner and goes off. As a result, if a driver screws up here, they are very likely to end up hitting the Armco barriers around the track nose-first, and face a very lonely walk back to the team garage.
Remember what I said about the nosecone being quite a fragile piece... yeah...
I think you can see where this is going.
An uninsured $200,000 dollar diamond, placed on the most fragile part of a Formula 1 car, driven by a rookie, at the one circuit most likely to see the destruction of the aforementioned most fragile part of a Formula 1 car; it sounds like something out of a slapstick comedy.
It took all of, ooohhh, about 5 corners before the inevitable happened.
Coming out of Turn 5 (Mirabeau Haute), Christian Klein crashed nose first into the Armco barrier, putting him out of the race.
The car was quickly taken off the track by the marshals, the wreckage swept up, and the race resumed. But Jaguar's mechanics could not get to the stricken R5 until the race had finished. Lo and behold, when they finally recovered their car, much to the horror (but probably not the surprise) of all involved, the $200,000 Steinmetz diamond had gone missing.
2 full decades later, the diamond has never resurfaced, sparking endless debates on the ultimate fate of the gem. Did an opportunistic marshal or fan steal it? Could it have been simply swept into a Monegasque storm drain and washed out to sea? Might it still be somewhere around Sector 1 of the Circuit de Monte Carlo? There are even rumours that, at the last minute, Jaguar swapped the real diamonds on the nosecones for replicas.
The idea of the diamond becoming dislodged and promptly "acquired" by an opportunistic marshal or fan in the grandstands is a very real possibility. Fans have been known for their "creative acquisition" of "souvenirs" in the past, up to and including things as small as marbles (motorsport parlance for bits of rubber shed from tyres) after a race. A $200,000 diamond would likely make for the ultimate souvenir from a race.
Alternatively, there is also a good chance that the diamond was swept into the drains. If that is the case, it's almost certainly somewhere out in the harbour by now, never to be seen again until erosion and/or continental subduction consume it once and for all, barring some freak occurrence with a random diver who spots a weird glinting object on the seafloor.
Perhaps the diamond ended up being carried off with the tyre barrier and dropped far away from Sector 1, or it might even be somewhere around there.
As for the rumours of the whole thing being a sham, well, there's some merit to this idea as well. Seeing as most F1 engineers and marketing people aren't exactly idiots, it doesn't seem that farfetched for a quick swap to have been done on the nosecone, perhaps changing out the diamond for a piece of Cubic Zirconia or even just some clear glass/plastic. Not as if you'd notice the difference from 40 feet away on a blur moving at around 150mph anyway. Though, it's worth noting that Jaguar's Head of Communications and Public Affairs, one Nav Sidhu, has bluntly denied these allegations. Sidhu, incidentally, remains firmly of the belief that someone, somewhere out there has his $200,000 diamond. Equally, Klien saw the real diamond in his car before he got in, and it certainly didn't leave his sight until he crashed at Turn 5!
All's well that ends well, however, and Jaguar ultimately got exactly what they wanted from the stunt: publicity. For several weeks, the story of the disappearing diamond was in the news all over the world. The team's name was all over the headlines, with flashy pictures of their car. And while yes, some people called them out as reckless for putting on such an insane stunt, the old saying "There's no such thing as bad publicity" certainly applies. There is some merit to the idea that the publicity was a major factor in convincing another buyer to take Jaguar out of Ford Motors' hands. Incidentally, that buyer happened to be one Red Bull GmBH, the current reigning F1 World Constructors Champions!
The Monaco mystery of the disappearing diamond remains one of the most unusual and perhaps more light-hearted mysteries of the great sport. One thing is for certain, the idea of putting multi-thousand dollar gemstones on the most vulnerable parts of racing cars was not revisited again to my knowledge in motorsport!
Further reading and listening:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/listen-to-the-incredible-true-story-of-monacos-lost-diamond-in-first-of-a.7HGzmXmLsKpSYaKsBPk92d
https://www.thedrive.com/news/44733/an-f1-team-lost-a-250000-diamond-at-the-monaco-gp-and-its-still-missing-today

Hello guys, I'm new to this PC building universe but i decided its time to venture myself in it.
The core idea is to have a nice PC to play games reaching QuadHD around 120+ fps and maybe even 4k with ~ 60 fps, both on ultra settings. This PC is a gaming PC with minor day-to-day work on the PC (i'm not a video editor nor do renders, so it's not for productivity just mainly gaming and day-to-day normal person PC usage).
I did some research and acording to them, this setup would be viable for my pocket now. If you say why i won't go for 4070 Ti, it's because that would blow my wallet where i live. And according to the research, the 4070 super will handle what i want (but correct me if I'm wrong).
I just want overall advice if this setup is a good one for what i want from it (as mentioned above), If it is a compatible one overall and if there is anything i should tweak here and there. Thanks in advance.
GPU[MSI GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB VENTUS 3X]
CPU[AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core]
Memory[Corsair Vengeance RGB (RGB) 32 GB (2x16 GB) DDR5-6200]
Storage[Corsair SSD MP700 2 TB M.2-2280 ]
Mother board[MSI PRO B650-P WIFI ATX AM5]
Cooler[Deepcool Castle 240RGB V2 240mm Hydraulic]
Power[MSI MAG A650BN 650W 650 W Certificado 80+ Bronze Full-Modular ATX12V]
Case[Rise Mode Galaxy Glass (Preto) ATX Mid Tower]

Hi all 👋 I’m a bi cis woman from Canada, in the eastern time zone. Looking for people to chat with (and maybe send tiktoks and memes to). I would love to find someone for a romantic relationship but also open to making new friends!
About me: - 30, bisexual, cis - plus size/bbw/fat and body positive - work in the heritage sector - animal lover, have a dog and a cat - somewhat nerdy - fan of Star Wars, video games, board games - artist - I do digital art and acrylic painting mostly, but love learning new crafts and skills - read (and sometimes write) fan fiction - introverted; most of the time staying in watching a movie or playing a game is my idea of a good night, but I also love to go out to concerts, the theatre, museums, etc - love to travel, learn about other cultures and languages, open to trying new things - recently listening to a lot of Hozier, Noah Kahan, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Mitski. Some of my favourite bands/artists overall: The Smiths, Bikini Kill, The Cranberries, Sonic Youth, Amy Winehouse, The Killers. I’m always interested in expanding my music taste, give me recs! - not a constant texter. I reply when able, but usually too busy to text back and forth during work. I try to communicate about when I’m free to text or call - prefer to chat on discord or another app, reddit chats are glitchy for me
What I’m looking for: - single lesbian/bi/pan woman; not looking for couples - around 25-40 years old; not a strict requirement if you think we would connect anyway, within a few years - interested in deeper conversations - like receiving memes/tiktoks/random things from the internet - not looking for nsfw chat/pics - open to eventually traveling to meet if we’re long distance

My coworker was telling me she’d heard of a site you can freelance with. You have to test and if you pass you get access to a job board where you can pick what you want to do. She couldn’t remember the name though. Anyone have any idea what it might be?