1. Time commitment. People who have succeeded on the SHRM certification exam report investing between 120 to 160 hours in their preparation. (That's a solid month: four weeks at 40 hours a week.) You might spend as little as 60 hours or as much as 180 hours—adjust as needed. But remember that hours alone aren't a guarantee of success; the time needs to be well-spent. Keep this in mind as you build your study plan. Look for moments you can steal—use your lunch break to work online in the SHRM Learning System, go out to your car and read a little, and never be without your flashcards (more on that below). It all adds up.
   
2. Practice questions. The more practice questions you answer, the better prepared you'll be. Some of my students have found non-SHRM resources like study apps Quizlet and Kahoot to be helpful in this area.
   
3. Explanations of answers. The online SHRM Learning System has many practice questions for both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP practice module exams and finals. After you answer the questions, you'll see explanations for why the correct answers are correct and why the others are wrong. This will help you refine your thinking.
   
4. No shortcuts. A word of warning: While practice exams are helpful, they're not a replacement for studying and learning. Some students become overconfident when they repeatedly take practice exams and see their scores improving—but they aren't learning the content, they're just memorizing those exams! Don't mislead yourself. You've got to do the reading, attend the classes, take notes and study them. On this exam (as in life!), there are no shortcuts to success.
   
5. Flashcards. Become best friends with your flashcards. Whether you choose to print them out and cut them up or download them to an e-reader, always have them with you. That way, you can make good use of small bits of unexpected available time—waiting for a meeting to begin, standing in line at the store, etc. Flashcards help you remember concepts and definitions. If you understand a concept and know a definition, you've got a shot at answering an exam question correctly. (Flashcards are not enough on their own. But if you don't know a concept or definition when you're taking the exam, your chances of answering a question correctly are low.)
   
6. Learning through stories. Throughout history, humanity has always learned through stories, whether sharing ancient lore around a fire or tales from a pulpit. People retain lessons when they can connect to them. Knowing the story behind SHRM exam content can be helpful as well. For example, there are stories behind key employment laws and court cases. What happened to Willie Griggs that made Griggs v. Duke Power a landmark decision? Why is what happened to the namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act relevant today? While the SHRM certification exams won't test you on such stories per se, you might encounter related questions. If knowing the stories helps you retain the knowledge, search online and read all about them.
   
7. Discussions and study groups.SHRM Connect is an online community for SHRM members to discuss all kinds of HR topics. Search for the "SHRM Certification Prep Group." For those of you who like to work in a study group, you might be able to find or start one in your area using this platform. Plus, it's a good networking opportunity—a double payoff.
   
8. Now that you've read some tips on test preparation, here are a few tips for test taking: Trial run. A tutorial available on Prometric's website allows you to try out the test-taking platform before you take the actual test. Do a generic mini-test to use the highlight, strikethrough and flag functions and more. Becoming familiar with the system before the day of the exam will improve your confidence greatly.
   
9. Long questions. It's easy to get distracted by all the information in situational judgment test items or long narrative questions on the exam. Stop to identify what the question truly is. Be sure to pick out the exact question you're being asked to answer.
   
10. Multipart questions. If you encounter a block of text on the exam followed by multiple questions relating to it, different parts of that text will be useful for answering different questions. Use the highlight function to mark what stands out to you—what is relevant to each question—one by one. Erase the highlight when you've answered the question, then highlight the new material that relates to the next question and so on.
    
    1. HR means action!In the modern era of HR, we are expected to get things done and make things happen, to be proactive partners and leaders in our organizations—not sit and wait to be told what to do. The exam reflects this. Look for answers in which you are expected to act.
    2. Use the strikethrough function and other tools that help you focus. Strike through "distractors," which are answers you believe to be incorrect. Eliminating incorrect options improves your focus on the remaining options, which may increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. Learn how to use strikethrough with the tutorial available on Prometric's website (requires Adobe Flash Player version 10.2.0 or later) and practice using the test-taking system before your exam date.
    3. Use the flag function. Not sure what the answer is? Mark the question with a flag so you can return to it later. As you warm up through the exam, you may pick up hints from other questions and answers, or some piece of critical knowledge may get knocked loose from your memory, and you'll be able to come back to the flagged item. (How to use flags is something else you'll learn on the Prometric tutorial.)
    4. Use the calculator. You don't have to do math in your head. There's a built-in calculator, so use it. (Practice using the calculator, too, on the Prometric tutorial.)
    5. Use scratch paper. Scratch paper is provided by the testing center, so use it. Capture things while they are still in your short-term memory. Writing things down helps you see what you're doing, so scratch paper can also be useful for completing math calculations even if you use the calculator.
    6. Know HR math processes. While we're discussing calculations, keep in mind that the four multiple-choice answers offered for a math question will often reflect how the numbers in the question itself are used. For example, if the question involves the numbers 4 and 3, the answers to choose from might be: 7 (4 plus 3); 1 (4 minus 3); 12 (4 multipliedby3); or 1.3 (4 dividedby 3). Learn the processes required for HR math.
    7. Look for differentiator words in the questions. When you see differentiators—"least," "best," "quickest," "most important" and so on—use them to guide your analysis. These words require you to distinguish between a pretty good answer and the best answer.
    8. Approach absolutes in the answers with caution. When you see absolutes—"all," "always," "only," "never" and the like—beware! Absolutes in HR are unlikely and are just as unlikely to be correct answers on the exam. After all, how many things have you encountered in your career that are always or never true?
    9. Answer every question. Not answering is a bad idea: Don't leave questions unanswered. There's no penalty if you answer incorrectly—points are not taken away—so take a guess. It can't hurt, and you might guess correctly. (Of course, if you think you can guess your way through the whole exam, guess again! Refer to the very first test tip in Part 1, which discusses how many hours of preparation time you should plan for.)
    10. Watch your time. Keep your eye on the timer at the top of your screen. Don't dwell on one question for too long; in doing so, you might run out of time, sacrificing your chances of answering other questions correctly later.

#shrm #shrmcp

Hi everyone. Been here since jan '21, rarely make posts, always offer reassurance because I've always been sure of the thesis. If there is still an outsized short position, I am in until it is resolved, because an open short is nothing but a promise to buy a share at some date in the future. I've never seen any indication that they closed and the ride has been fun as hell.
But now I've been struggling to understand the second offering of shares and have been thinking a lot on it. I've landed on something that kind of makes sense with all the hints from Ryan Cohen, Larry Cheng, etc.
We're not squeezing them, we're cooking them. Boiling them like a frog. Why?
Because squeezing them is hard and unreliable. They could and would possibly just turn off the buy button again -- same story, not enough collatoral, the clearing house would not sanction it without it, doubling down on their lame excuse all those years ago, all payment for order flow brokers just shutting down buying.
Moreover, if the squeeze is not powerful enough they wouldn't even have to do that, they could just close some shorts at the bottom, sell overpriced options premium, and when the squeeze runs out of steam short it near the top, try to scare new investors and kick the can, collecting the premium from options to offset short term losses.
Moreover the company would be under scrutiny to show they did not facilitate the squeeze.
I think Ryan Cohen is simply going to offer new shares every time the price jumps, raise the hard bottom price of the stock, buy shares and become a holding company like Berkshire Hathaway. He just wants the shorts off his back, out of the company, while using the periodic sneezes to bolster Gamestop's balance.
Currently at $27 Gamestop's market cap is at 8.5 billion. If Gamestop has 4.25 billion in the bank that means it can never go under $15 on brand value and cash on hand alone. The shares would probably do well over time as the stock market usually goes up. And every time the price sneezes he does it again, raising the floor of the stock.
If the short position is huge and multiple times the float this would cook them -- as when the floor of the stock rises to $30, then $40 eventually the entire short position would still be underwater with no means to ever go green again. Institutional money would flood in any time it dips below the floor.
If the short position is substantial but not multiple times the float -- this would give the shorts a potential way to get out while benefiting the company and long-term investors (not speculators, which technically we are hoping for moass).
Lastly, it would definitely clear the company of all suspicions of manipulation, since they gave the short side many outs.
I'm not a finance professional, and I don't know anything. I'm hoping to learn in the comments what smarter folk than I think about Ryan Cohen's intentions and what awaits us going forward.
Not meant to fud. Even while working this out, selling never crossed my mind, it is in all scenarios in my best interest to hold. Even in the "worse" scenario, all risk of losing is removed over time by the rising floor.
I'm still hoping for moass, but I'm not sure RC wants it. I feel that like chess-players we should objectively evaluate our position and not blindly hope. I'm interested in your thoughts -- especially from the people that are experts in finance or management, but feel free to weigh in with anything.

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Number	Question	Answer	Topics	Answer Link
1	Can we expect a collaboration with an Anime series or a cartoon ?	Is there any particular series you'd love to see us collaborate with?	Anime Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7demrc/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
2	When will u make more archer queen skins with the feet out	There's a wonderful deco we have coming out in July I think you'll love!	AQ Feet Decoration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqqd1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
3	I'm actually really curious about this one.. whats the reason behind the decision to implement such game changing balance changes in the middle of cwl?	We wanted to get the balance changes out before the June update but we ran late on getting them finished. It's unfortunate and we'll try and avoid this in future.	Balance Changes Timing	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dcap3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
4	What does the future of builder base look like?It seems we went silent yet again after rework. Also now that versus battle has been removed, is there any scope for clan based event for builder base?	Although we're proud of the work we did with the BB2.0 update and made its core gameplay much more fun, I think we still didn't answer the question of what is the Builder Base is for and why couldn't we just do the cool stuff there in the Home Village. And that's something we need to figure out still. In the meantime we felt the focus on Builder Base and Clan Capital in the last few years had come at the expense of long overdue improvements on the Home Village, so we decided to focus this year just on the Home Village.	Builder Base and Clan Capital	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnl9n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
5	Will there be something new in Builder Base or Clan Capital related to Main village that will urge players to play more Builder Base and Clan Capital. Currently we have - Builder Base - Gear Up,Gem Mine Clan Capital - Raid Medal for Reinforcement and Trader shop	We're not sure on the team if this is really the right way to proceed. We don't want players to play BB and CC just to get a benefit in the Home Village. That's not respectful of your time and it's unclear if it's better for the game. We're still thinking about how these three parts should relate in future.	Builder Base and Clan Capital Integration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpdyz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
6	Hey Stuart! Im a th15 strategic rusher and I was wondering: -are going to be ways to catch up with ores if you missed out on events in the past? I got back to playing clash about 3 month ago, just after fireball equipment so I used my saved up gems to buy gg fa and fb. -is it possible to add all epic equipment in new events so that people that missed out could get them without spending 1500 gems? Make them the same price as the new epic so that you can catch up by buying the pass or extra event resources.	Hey welcome back! For making equipment available, we have talked about having a selection of epic equipment for medals as you described. But the pricing and when we haven't decided yet.	Catching Up with Missed Events	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dc4qj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
7	Hi Stuart, Apologize if some of these have been already asked. Feel free to answer any or all: 1: Any plans to address that annoying "Clan name covering up inferno mode glitch"? There's workarounds for regular wars but in legends and when attacking you really need to zoom in and even then it's hard to tell. 2: Any possibility of changing replays so that they show the real time relative to the attacker? For example, if my clanmate clutched out an attack with 1 second left the replay won't really show that (unless you're counting the full 3 minutes from the start) 3: Continuing on with replays, is there any possibility of an updated UI to show which hero equipment are being used? This is moreso for when you're on youtube or some other media player and can't click on the hero to see. This would be a great addition for spectators of esports for clash 4: Will there be any more updates for the tutorial levels? Those could go a long way for some of the newer players. They could even teach "fundamentals" rather than full-on attacks. 5: Last question, more of a curiosity: What is the tiebreaker for war weight when 2 players are the exact same. Subsequently, what is the tiebreaker for when 2 clanmates both have 4,000 clan games points, and also when they both have the same number of stars/destruction for cwl? Cheers!	Not sure it exactly solves your problem but we have a feature coming up in the June update that maybe helps a bit with your annoyance with Clan names. It'll let you tap on anything to see its range, level and mode more clearly.	Clan Name Covering Glitch	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnyb7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
8	Will there be new Perks for Clan Levels? Like Level 20 Clan having Perks of donation level +3.	We're extremely unlikely to introduce new functional perks but possibly some cosmetic perks might come at some point.	Clans	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d3cwv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
9	Will there be any member space increase for Clans? May be 60/70?	Probably not.	Clans	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d8wne/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
10	Hi Stuart! More and more communities are growing around clash of clans, from clan families/alliances to community esports groups. Being heavily involved in both, are there any plans to help expand and support these types of communities? Recent QoL changes have been great on both fronts (updated chat, friendly wars during regular wars). Just curious if anything else is on the horizon. Very excited for an update on in-game recruitment as well. Current systems outside of the game are difficult to navigate as a large group.	On families/alliances. We still want to focus on the individual Clan experience with more changes and improvements before thinking about how families/alliances might work. On recruitment I answered that in another question.	Clans, Alliances	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d9nae/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
11	I just looked at the image you posted a bit closer and the posters in the background seem to be from the clash fest mini games :0. Is there any chance those games will return at some point? I personally really liked them, especially the kart one	Let's see what we do for our next big anniversary when we turn 15 in 2027!	Clash Fest Mini Games	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dlyka/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
12	Star Wars X Clash of Clans collab possible?	Which Star Wars character would you want to see each Hero skinned as?	Collaborations	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d548t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
13	Hey Stuart, how do you see the competitive scene shaping up in Clash this year at Worlds? Will we see similar 3 star rates?	In another post I talked about the Hard Mode we're introducing. We'll work with the competitive scene and others to tune the difficulty there so we have a Worlds as exciting as last year.	Competitive Scene	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddk9l/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
14	Are Supercell affiliated content creators with creator codes allowed to speak their mind about Supercell games? I've always wondered if they are allowed to cover certain issues and say negative things about Supercell games.	Yes, and lots of our creators do bring up issues they hear from their audiences and it's always super useful to us when they do.	Content Creator Freedom	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dm5q4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
15	Is there any consideration towards giving the Air Sweeper new levels that are either purely cosmetic to match the base, or perhaps have a very minor hit point upgrade and a new cosmetic design? It matches pretty well with TH16 currently, but not with multiple town halls before that and probably not with most future town halls.	Yeah we've had considered the cosmetic/HP only Air Sweeper levels a few times on the team but it always felt like an unsatisfying upgrade. We also briefly experimented with giving the Air Sweeper an extra damage effect BUT we didn't find something that was meaningful without killing certain air strategies.	Cosmetic Upgrades	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dlmdw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
16	What's the big update team is working on? Like Clan War League,Clan Capital was being worked on since long time.	Currently we're working on a mix of more medium sized things than another megaproject like Clan Capital. That's working better for us to bring y'all improvements and cool things steadily. Capital took about two years of development and that was a bit much, especially given how small the team was then.	Current Projects	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dd2t6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
17	Hello Stuart, I have 2 questions I want to ask you about CWL. Is there a reason why in CWL there can only be 15 people or 30 people at once participating in rounds? And is there plans to make options for 20 to 25 people participating in CWL (Below champions league), to be a thing in the future?	It basically comes down to making sure we have enough Clans at different sizes in each League for things to behave sensibly. That's the reason we didn't extend the 30 size group into Champions League. It's something we've talked about making more flexible but no concrete commitment yet sorry!	CWL	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d5mzz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
18	Hi Stuart, are there plans to add more leagues above Champions 1 to CWL, like Titan 3 etc? Also, any plans to add tiers on the Legend League based on trophies?	More CWL leagues and multiplayer leagues is something we've discussed doing but there's no concrete plan for when that might happen. With Legends League there's many different reasons people are there and it currently isn't so well serving all of those needs from folk seeking the best competition, to folk who are just very active ending up there. We need to think how this could work better for everyone.	CWL, Multiplayer	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d2mg4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
19	when will we get epic equipment for Royal Champion?	Soon!	Epic Equipment for Royal Champion	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dc6a3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
20	Hi! I believe this will be a great opportunity to ask this question! For the future of Clash of Clans, since there are now many event troops added to the game, will there be a possibility to add a barrack for those troops? As bases gets more and more complex throughout the updates, having a bigger variety for attacks would not only encourage players to play more, but also to have a crazier and more amazing attacks to watch in the pro scene! I do understand that some event troops may be OP, so some could be reworked/nerfed and it could work similar to the super troop barrack, where you can only activate a certain amount of those troops	One of the things we like about event troops is that they're only around for a short while. That lets us go a bit wilder and weirder sometimes than if something was gonna be in the game forever. Sorry to disappoint but it's very unlikely we'd let people use event troops "out of season". Maybe if we had the equivalent of a "creative" mode we could let players try out all the chaos though? Then there's no worries about balance.	Event Troops, Game Modes	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d8ry0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
21	yo nice to see you chatting with the public whats your fav hero?	Currently it's the AQ but I think some of the new hero concepts we've playtested have the potential to dethrone her.	Favorite Hero	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddxuw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
22	Can we have Final Fantasy theme including all heroes’ skins?	Which Final Fantasy characters would you want to see skins for each Hero as?	Final Fantasy Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dn5g5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
23	Is archer queen freaky?	Not as freaky as the way some of you out there talk about her feet 🙈	Freaky Archer Queen	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7depw3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
24	Hi Stewart! Few Q’s for you, appreciate whatever you’re able to get around to answering. State of the game: How do you envision the state of esports going forward & how do you plan to tackle the current state of balance - for example are there any plans to create a separate balance state for players competing in leagues / tournaments & how far would this extend to everyday areas of the game? i.e cwl / legends / war Both wars & legend league have remained largely unchanged since their inception & whilst they’re both still enjoyable cornerstones of the game, they’ve grown to become repetitive / stale in their current format at times - does the team have any plans to breathe new life into these modes? QoL: Obstacles that have been previously moved with a shovel but are not currently stashed are required to be re-placed every time you open a new layout through the link feature. Would it be possible to change this so that they remain fixed in position by default? Any plans to revamp donating to make it less awkward so that you’re not required to manually retrain & drag & delete your army every time you donate? i.e some sort of auto-queue feature Could we see more skin randomiser customisation options / presets in future? i.e a day / night scenery randomiser & a toggle for matching hero skins & sceneries? Any plans to finish pre-existing skin lines? eg. clockwork champ I’d love to have the option to listen to the ambient scenery background sounds unique to each scenery w/o the scenery music, is this something you’d consider implementing if feasible? Furthermore some of the older sceneries lack custom scenery music - is something you plan to extend to the rest of them?	So many questions. I'll answer the first one! We're planning to introduce an optional Hard Mode that can be used for Friendly Challenges and Friendly Wars. This will be introduced in our June update. The exact settings of what that mode will be are still TBD and the plan is to make further adjustments to it based on community feedback. It would be used for the world finals this year. We'll think about if and how we might use this in other areas of the game. The skill gap in our players is extremely wide. Some are wanting a really tough experience while others, who are still very loyal active players are looking for something more chill. It was clear from TH15 that we overshot the mark on what that more casual audience were looking for. We're hoping to give players more choice in difficulty and their experience in future.	Friendly Challenges, Competitive Play	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d4bwv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
25	Hello Stuart. How come your team has decided to nerf the defence at th10-th15 even when the game has already been made easier in December 2023? Surely with the new hero equipment which gave a massive boost to the heroes the game didn't need to get any easier right? I am asking since there was a big backlash after the first wave of defence nerfs so nerfing the defences for a second time wouldn't that make the game too easy for those who are looking for a challenge? Lastly, will there anything be added to clash of clans in the future to those who would like a challenge? Like a challenge mode to clan wars (one attack clan wars or clan wars that remain the same but with buffed defence or restricted cc etc). Thank you so much for hosting this AMA Stuart and I wish your team the best when it comes to developing clash of clans in the future.	We have set targets on the 3 star rates we'd like to see at different Town Halls. As we add more Town Halls and speed up the progression, what used to be the endgame hardest content ends up actually turning up pretty early in player's time with the game. Town Hall 12 actually had the 2nd lowest 3 star rate for a while recently. So we will always need to go make adjustments to get things back on track. Part of the long-term solution here is also to build better tools for players to learn better strategies. The game actually does a terrible job of making that discoverable right now without going outside of the game and watching creator videos. We'd definitely want to improve on this and happy to hear people's ideas on what might work here. I've posted elsewhere about our Hard Mode idea we're testing out for those looking for a harder challenge. Hopefully this lets players tune their experience better, and we hope in the long-run we can help more players level up their skills and enjoy the game's full challenges.	Game Balance, Competitive Play	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d7l83/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
26	Do you like the way the game is going?	Yes. I wish I could time travel a few years in the future to bring you back all the cool stuff we've been talking about on the team. But unfortunately that's not possible. More than doubling the size of the team last year was tough and it gave us a bunch of issues. Unfortunately some of those spilled out to you all in the form of more bugs/oversights than we would have wanted. But we've improved our processes and the bigger team is needed for us to improve the game. I think we are doing more at once than we've managed in the past so we can bring you that dream future version faster. Thanks for the patience bearing with us while we get there.	Game Direction	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dekep/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
27	Why isn't there a mechanic that incentives game time or time on app? As an active player, I am almost always ONLY waiting for builders and almost always with full storages (or close enough that there's zero point doing anything). It actually incentivizes me to play less or not at all. Why not a small builder boost per attack star earned (relative to league placement)? Eg. if you 3 star a base in Titan, you get a 10 minute builder boost or something. Seems counterintuitive to voluntarily limit play time and time on app. There should be some reward, even small, for wanting to play more.	Our timers are too long and we are working to bring them down. We agree too often active people get blocked with nothing to do by timers. But we also don't want those active players to run out of things to upgrade and are playing for. So we want to introduce more systems to the game that let us add more to do and play for. It'll take time to build those systems but as we have more of them our average timers will shrink. At the same time at Supercell we don't believe infinite play time is healthy for players in the long run either. So having timers and similar mechanics is needed somewhat. We don't want Clash to be a game where people feel they have to play X hours a day, as that discourages people from even trying it.	Game Timer Balance	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7doxrf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
28	How are you	I'm pretty good. Thanks for asking. It's been fun answering questions. How are you?	General Well-being	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnr1h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
29	Why did you remove the little grass overlay from th16 buildings? They look like they float now. This is what it looks like in buildings for th15 and below. Can you bring it back please?	The grass overlays looked really odd on those smoother floored sceneries (Shadow Scenery). But the floatiness on grass sceneries without em isn't ideal. We're trying to figure out a technical solution that won't involve having double the download size of all our buildings.	Grass Overlay Issue	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dddfg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
30	Can you colab with gundam please?	Maybe a mecha PEKKA?	Gundam Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dq1r4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
31	I just came to say hello.	👋	Hello	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqt2x/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
32	Are there or any plans at all to improve heroes? Like I wanna be able to still use heroes whilst they're upgrading. I think that speeds up or atleast makes the process feel just a bit better.	Yes. We've got a plan to try something out in the summer. Hope you like it!	Heroes, Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d7p0g/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
33	Why Archer Towers,Cannons are not getting new level in Th16?	We plan to eventually merge them all away into Multi-Archer Towers and Ricochet Cannons. But we didn't want to drop the number of buildings too much from TH15 to TH16. So it might take a bit. Apologies to those disturbed by the disharmony in the aesthetics!	Home Village	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d1ej0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
34	As per latest report, coc would be releasing new townhall level after every 12 month. Even though there are curs being made at cost or time for upgrades, for low level townhall catching up sure seems impossible. And walls after th14 is a nightmare unless the game has already been beaten. How would this be addressed? 2. Due to the limited size of home Village, with new Townhall levels, there will be limited building that can be added, there's not much fun in it, if new buildings or elements don't come in from time to time right? How will this be addressed	We will keep up with cost and time cuts to upgrades in order to help lower level folk catch up. We have quite a big set coming in our June update. I agree Wall costs are a bit silly and we should probably think again. Originally they were a bit of a stretch goal for loot to get sunk in. But maybe the game doesn't need that now there's more things to do. Our plan is to use merging more in future to keep the number of buildings in the Village reasonable. That gives us the space to introduce more new buildings with future Town Hall releases. Our current thinking is new defenses are exciting for a few Town Halls and then become less interesting. So your village should always be filled with relatively new and interesting defenses, even if that means sadly waving goodbye to that first Cannon you upgraded way back when you started.	Home Village	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d28ac/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
35	Hi Stuart, Any hints/clues you could give the community for TH17? And how is the progress going on with the TH17 project, have you decided a theme, signature defence, possible new hero etc...? Thank you!	We've decided on the theme. And we're maybe 80% sure we're gonna merge the Eagle Artillery into the Town Hall so we move on from infernoy beams after 4 Town Halls with that. But don't worry, we'll come up with something new and signaturey (though we don't know what is yet)	Home Village	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d4qi3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
36	Hi Stuart! Thanks for the Q+A, I had a few questions myself. Is merging required to upgrade to TH17? is this the plan from now on when creating new THs? That everything has to be merged to get new buildings? Clash thrives on a social battlefront, and I knew I have more fun in clans with my friends, it can make any grind less tedious. But it has always felt like it was lacking that little bit EXTRA you know? Some possible updates that my friends have made up were: Self Clan Wars: Start a quick war within your own clan to practice without the stress of needing a 3 star every time. It could be a separate tab, similar as to how you can see prep day for the following day in CWL. An auto-Donate replacement feature (can be toggled on and off), where the troop you donate is instantly remade and shuffled to the front, would be a nice QoL change This sounds really stupid, but like, maybe a friendly mode where you can attack with modifiers to spice it up. IE: Defenses do 1.5x damage BUT you have 10 xtra spell slots, or the defensive targeting is switched. just stupid crap like that can bring a little life into an attack. I'm so glad you are doing this Q+A and if you get around to reading mine, thank you so much. We all love your game and are excited to see what's to come!	Hey! Yes, merging all possible buildings will be an upgrade requirement for TH17 and beyond. So all of you out there, get upgrading those rushed archer towers and cannons. We have talked about letting players do more weird stuff with custom modifiers to create your own ridiculous scenarios to goof about with (or get super serious and keep cranking the difficulty higher and higher)	Home Village, Quality of Life	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d6ify/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
37	Where is ice wizard	[ Removed by Reddit ]	Ice wizard	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpty?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
38	I would like to be a part of clash of clans or to be precise, I would like to work for supercell. I am a product designer ( not UI ). Where should I start	Check out https://supercell.com/en/careers/ to see if there's anything that sounds like it matches your skillset and our company social media accounts share new job openings.	Job Opportunities	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dltmz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
39	When can we expect the june update ?	We're aiming for June 17th. The team's working on bug fixes at the moment and plans can always change. So if it's later please don't come by with pitch forks. The last time I think we confirmed a date we had to postpone, that was April 1st 2019 when we were planning to launch Season Challenges. But we found a last minute bug and had to re-submit for the next day. And of course nobody believed us that we were really postponing/really planning to release on April Fool's day.	June Update Timing	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dn0g3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
40	Hi Stuart, Could Legends League get a little love? E.g, first eight attacks count towards trophies but you could still attack after that for loot but no trophies are gained for those attacks. Legends League base are for the trophy attacks and home village base for the ’loot attacks’. This would make ’fake legends farming’ pointless. Thanks!	It would be pretty unbalanced since you couldn't lose any loot. Legends should be mostly about competitive trophy pushing but a whole ton of people are there for loot. It's more likely we will make multiplayer looting better throughout the game + split out Legends to be more focused on competition.	Legends League Changes	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dk3f9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
41	Is there a chance for a collaboration with lego? I would love to see clash sets and lego skins!	I own far, far too much Lego and would absolutely love to do a collab with them.	Lego Collaboration	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dpzgf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
42	What about the geared up archer tower and cannon? Will they get their own new levels?	Maybe we'll mash em together into a geared up monstrosity? Who knows what Builder will think of next.	New Defense Ideas	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddnr3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
43	Are you going to add new villages to the game? Develop the game in this direction?	We're pretty unlikely to add any more permanent villages. This is already a huge game and there's a lot already for players to do across Home Village, Builder Base and Clan Capital. And there's a ton for our team to do still in those three areas.	New Features	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7d6msj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
44	Hi Stuart! First off thank you for helping keep Clash of Clans alive for so long, it’s my favorite game personally. I wanted to know if at some point we could have customizable goblin maps to share with our clan mates to attack, or if anything like that might be in the works for the future?	Yeah we've talked about a creative mode/custom challenge level creator feature. It'd be cool to see what sort of wild things you'd all cook up with it.	New Features	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dafat/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
45	Do you think it is a good idea to do a new townhall every year.wont it be hard on the people in lower townhalls.	I think it's good for it to be something that players know when to expect, rather than being quite arcane speculation. I would like us to be much more transparent with our roadmap and timings in future, and we'll get there eventually. We are also in control of how quickly people can catch up. And we will keep making improvements so more and more of our players can enjoy the fun of being at the latest hall.	New Town Hall Frequency	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dqnqd/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
46	What do you have in mind for the general direction that the game is going in? Can we expect any new fundamental addition (i.e. another system like ores)?	We've got a few ideas in early stages of being thought about. My fave is troop mastery where by completing quests using a troop well you could unlock some extra abilities/buffs to that troop. It'd be a nice way to encourage players to try out different troops and let folk go deeper on the troops they really enjoyed. But important disclaimer it's not my decision and if the people doing the work think of something better they'll do that instead!	New Troop Mastery System	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dmkdj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
47	Which troop is getting the Super troop next?:9416:	It's maybe Yeti	Next Super Troop	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7ddzjz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
48	y u no wear clash merch ???? but seriously those posters look dope! what else do you have in your office which our eyes would probably never see !	We've been seriously negligent in ordering new team merch recently 😅 A ton of whiteboards with secret upcoming things, stats, dates, plans. Lots of cool statues. Our office is incredible and we're very lucky to work here. Every time people visit for the first time they're amazed and I hope I never get used to how cool it is.	Office Decorations	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dcjtx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
49	What should I eat for lunch today?	Something that makes you go "now that was a good lunch"	Other	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dajjj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
50	How has player numbers changed since you started implementing monthly events and equipment into the game?	⬆️	Player Numbers	https://www.reddit.com/ClashOfClans/comments/1d9ggko/comment/l7dnoc3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Hi there! I am desperately searching for more long term partners to roleplay with this summer. I have a few plot bunnies and pairings/moods already listed below, but if you have an idea send it my way! I’m down for almost anything.
*Me: * - 25+ F - 10+ years of roleplaying under my belt. - Looking for M/F and F// (M// is okay and appreciated for side characters and NPCs, though!) - I can write as little as a couple of paragraphs and as much as multiple pages depending on the situation. I will likely match your pace. - Third person past or present tense. - Active daily unless traveling. - Discord RP only please. - I usually main female and nonbinary characters, but I do like to play males as side characters and doubles. - OOC chatter. I like to plot a lot in OOC, share Pinterest boards and playlists, gush about our OCs and occasionally chat about life. - Plot comes first, but I definitely prefer to have some romance involved. Bonus points if there is slow burn/mutual pining/enemies to lovers/bad people making each other better (…or worse). All those fun tropes.
*You: * - 20+ - Interested in atmospheric, lore heavy world building. - Also down for a good laugh. I love the gritty stuff just as much as I love a good beach episode. - Semi-Lit to Literate. 2+ paragraphs, decent grammar, and give me something to respond to each post, not just responding to my character’s actions. - Willing to play side characters and NPCs - Can post every 1-3 days. Once a week if we are writing advanced lit. (If you can post multiple times a day on some days I will love you forever, but I know everyone has a life). - If you need to ditch for life/boredom/ other reasons that’s okay. Just let me know so I’m not waiting for a response. - The same goes for hiatus. If you need to take a break it’s cool, but if you wanna stay friends even better. I still love to talk, even if we’re not actively roleplaying on a daily basis.
craving* Bold = my character
Plot Bunnies: - The Hero You Created: A supervillain’s apprentice fakes her own death and moves to a city halfway across the world to become a hero. Years later, the Villain shows up in her new city and recognizes his former assistant in her new role.** - Gods and monsters: A world where gods make champions out of people, giving them powers and making them fight for influence. Gods open up dungeons (pockets in time-space) as arenas where champions compete in challenges based on the gods’ natures. My character is a champion who is trying to get stronger so she can ascend to the god realm and get revenge on a god that killed her sister. Your character is literally anyone you want. Demigods/other champions/anti-champions/cult leaders. Come build this world with me. ******** if you do this plot with me I will do anything you ask. Forever. - Ghost Adventures: A skeptic who is a ghost hunter by trade moves into a house and meets an actual bona-fide ghost. They must work together to set the ghost free. Alternatively, there is no mystery and they just go around solving other peoples’ mysteries. Or both. - Soulmates: A princess of dubious heritage forms a connection with an assassin who is targeting her. She finds them awfully familiar and for some reason they can’t find it in them to end her. - The King’s Maker: A faerie prince tricks a talented changeling into pretending to be a prophet for him. They go on a journey across Faerie to overthrow his father, the Faerie king. Along the way, they build a cult following. (Can be well-known faerie lore, but I have some Balkan inspired lore for this if you are interested) - Train: A human and some sort of supernatural train conductor (vampire, werewolf, fae, let your imagination run wild) investigate a string of attacks along a continental train route. They pretend to be a young, newly married couple to draw out the culprit, who is believed to be targeting young newly wedded women.
Pairings and word bank: - Witch x Demon - Witch x Witch Hunter* (message about plot for this) - Offering x Demon/God/Dragon/etc. - Reincarnated x Tyrant/Duke of the north/whoever (Bonus points if we can do doubles and play a “best friends/sisters/etc” get reincarnated together plot)* - Hero x Villain - Vampires - Various regional gothics - Mythology - Fake dating - Arranged marriage/contracts - Dragons - Cults - Cryptids - 70’s/80’s/90’s aesthetic - Retro-futurism - Solarpunk
This is getting long, so shoot me a DM if you don’t see a plot or pairing that you’re interested in playing and we can chat about it.

DAY JUNE 8 2024
6-8-2024

‘WE CANNOT SIMPLY GO, GO, GO.’ WHAT IS ‘GIRL MOSSING,’ THE WELLNESS TREND THAT REJECTS HUSTLE CULTURE?

On TikTok and Instagram, people are “girl mossing”: lying on a forest floor, staring up at a leafy canopy or caressing moss. The United States National Forest Foundation even borrowed the term to kick off its 2024 Instagram account. Girl mossing recognizes a need to step away from the pressures of modern, urban life, promoting spending time in nature as a restorative practice. The fast pace and pressure of neoliberal capitalism take an enormous toll on well-being: not just personal, but social and planetary.
6-8-2024

FIVE WAYS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN IMPROVE YOUR DATING LIFE

Artificial intelligence is going to transform how we date. The question is: will it be for better or worse? It’s already causing some real problems, especially related to “romance scams” and other fraud. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Used in the right way, AI can actually make dating better. It can help write profiles and find matches, provide dating advice and coaching and, if all else fails, become a date companion. I have spent the last few years studying the impact of technology, and especially AI, on our
6-8-2024

STUDY ASSESSES ‘THE DANCER PERSONALITY’

“Tell me if you dance and I will tell you who you are!” A study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, has shown that both amateur and professional dancers are less neurotic than people who do not dance. They are also more agreeable, more open, and more extraverted.
6-8-2024

ONLINE SHOPPERS BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY AFTER CHATTING WITH STAFF OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER, RESEARCH SHOWS

In a digital world where people are mere pixels on a screen, gender bias can show up in unexpected forms. When people are online, anonymity and physical detachment embolden them to behave in biased ways
6-8-2024

INVESTORS BET BIG ON SUNNY DAYS, STUDY FINDS

It’s often said we can’t control the weather. But what if the weather controls how and when we invest our money? More specifically, what if the skies control how much we’re willing to gamble in the stock market? New research by the University of South Australia has found a connection between pleasant weather conditions and higher investment in lottery-like stocks. Lottery-like stocks are cheap compared to other stocks and, like lottery tickets, they can be seen as an opportunity to make a substantial gain. However, the chance of a higher
6-8-2024

TEENS TREATED UNFAIRLY BY TEACHERS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE POPULIST ATTITUDES

Perceived unjust teacher behavior is strongly and positively associated with populist attitudes among children and adolescents. Populist attitudes consist of ideologies including anti-elitism, people-centrism, and a dualistic perception of good versus evil, and where the foundation of political decision-making should be based on the general will of the people. In contrast to the association with teacher behavior, the correlation between young people’s relationships with peers and the development of populist attitudes is less strong, and the correlation between young people’s relationships
6-8-2024

MICROINCLUSIONS IMPROVE WOMEN’S WORKPLACE BELONGING AND COMMITMENT

New research shows how “microinclusions”—brief instances of positive treatment, especially from members of the dominant group—help women feel valued at work. Imagine your first day at a new job. You probably feel nervous, wondering how you’ll fit in with the team. It’s natural to worry if your co-workers will be supportive, or if they’ll take your contributions seriously. This experience is amplified for women in technology companies, who often face underrepresentation and
6-8-2024

BURNT OUT? HOW YOUR EMPLOYER CAN HELP YOU RETURN TO WORK FOR THE BETTER

The working world can be a pitiless one, as competition in the marketplace can put significant pressures on employees. Relentless deadlines, shrinking resources and shifting priorities all take their toll on employees’ well-being and mental health. In my home country of Belgium, more than two thirds (66.4%) of individuals on disability for psychological reasons had cases related to depression or burn-out. These worrisome statistics reflect broader trends across OECD countries, where nearly half (47.6%) of workers with mental-health problems have been absent from the office in the past year, compared
6-8-2024

FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES BENEFIT EMPLOYEES, BUSINESSES

Paid leave and employee well-being are the focus of a three-part policy series on family-friendly business practices put together by the Brown School’s Clark-Fox Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis. “Creating a family-friendly workplace benefits both employees and businesses,” said Gary Parker, associate dean for external affairs and director of the institute. “For employees, it enhances work-life balance and job satisfaction,” he said. “For businesses, it leads to higher retention rates, reduced absenteeism and improved productivity. Policies such as paid leave, flexible work arrangements
6-8-2024

HOW TRUMP’S DEFINITION OF A ‘REAL’ AMERICAN HAS GRABBED HIS AUDIENCE—WHAT OUR RESEARCH SHOWS ABOUT WHY

Donald Trump has recently doubled down on his derogatory depictions of undocumented migrants in his bid to win the 2024 presidential election. In an interview with Time magazine, published on April 30 2024, Trump referred to migrants as “criminals,” who “come in and they steal our jobs, and steal our wealth, and they steal our country.” Trump was especially disparaging towards migrants from China, who he said are a “major force that’s forming in our country.” In short, according to Trump, undocumented migration is “an invasion of our country.” Trump’s
6-8-2024

NEW STUDY SHOWS MARKETING A BRAND’S SIMPLICITY CAN BACKFIRE

Irritability is a common side effect of heat. When companies tout the simplicity of their products, they may unknowingly invite customer dissatisfaction, new University of Oregon research finds. For decades, “simpler is better” has been accepted as a universal truth in marketing. Nick Light, assistant professor of marketing at the UO’ Lundquist College of Business, has tested that assumption. He found that most consumers prefer offerings that appear to be easy to use and understand. However, trumpeting simplicity can have a hidden, costly downside. “When marketing convinces consumers that things
6-8-2024

RESEARCHERS CREATE WINNING STRATEGY TO COMBAT VACCINE MISINFORMATION ON X

A new in-depth analysis shows that users who reply to misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a positive attitude, politeness, and strong evidence are more likely to encourage others to disbelieve the incorrect information. Researchers from three Georgia Tech schools found the most
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS DISENGAGED STUDENTS MORE LIKELY TO USE AI TOOLS FOR ASSIGNMENTS

A Swansea University psychology study has found that disengaged students are more likely to use AI tools—particularly ChatGPT—for academic assignments, raising questions about academic integrity and the need for proactive interventions. Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT is an AI program capable of answering questions in detailed, human-like ways. Researchers surveyed 160 undergraduate students, aged between 18 and 24, in March 2023 to assess their attitudes towards and past usage of AI tools such as ChatGPT in academic coursework. The study is published in The Internet and Higher Education journal. Thirty-two
6-8-2024

HUMAN CULTURE IS CHANGING TOO FAST FOR EVOLUTION TO CATCH UP—HERE’S HOW IT MAY AFFECT YOU

Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems, such as the rising prevalence of mental health issues, are emerging from rapid technological advancement and modernisation. A theory that can help explain why we respond poorly to modern conditions, despite the choices, safety and other benefits they bring, is evolutionary mismatch. Mismatch happens when an evolved adaptation, either physical or psychological, becomes misaligned with the environment. Take moths and some species of nocturnal flies, for example. Because they have to navigate in the dark, they evolved to use the moon
6-8-2024

YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UK SAY THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO VOTE IF THEIR PARENTS REPORT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

With a U.K. General Election approaching, new research has found that parental history of depression can predict whether a young person is likely to intend to vote. The research, led by the Department of Politics at the University of Liverpool, found that, at age 26, people were less likely to intend to vote if they had grown up with a parent experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms. Published in the journal Electoral Studies, the research used the British Cohort Study (BCS), which followed more than 16,000 babies born across a
6-8-2024

WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT COUNTS AS ‘DISORDER’?

As a scholar of urban governance and data policy, I viewed the responses to protests on U.S. campuses as about more than threats to academic freedom and freedom of speech. They are also threats to the fundamental rights of people in public spaces. The protesters’ tactics, particularly their use of tents in encampments, have brought debates around definitions of public order and disorder to the fore. Over the past couple of months, students in universities across the country, from the University of California, Los Angeles to the Massachusetts Institute of
6-8-2024

STUDYING VIOLENCE TOWARD WOMEN AND ANIMALS CAN HELP US DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO PREVENT BOTH

We live in a world where not everyone feels safe and respected, especially women. Sexual violence and abuse are significant global health issues. Intimate partner violence continues to be a problem in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, of the 117,093 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence in 2022, almost 80% were women and girls. More than half of women in the United States have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact. Given these high rates of sexual abuse, it is imperative that we improve upon what we currently know about violence
6-8-2024

WHY THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY COULD DEPEND ON YOUR GROUP CHATS

I became newly worried about the state of democracy when, a few years ago, my mother was elected president of her neighborhood garden club. Her election wasn’t my worry—far from it. At the time, I was trying to resolve a conflict on a large email group I had created. Someone, inevitably, was being a jerk on the internet. I had the power to remove them, but did I have the right? I realized that the garden club had in its bylaws something I had never seen in nearly all the
6-8-2024

NET ZERO IS NOT JUST GOOD SCIENCE—IT’S ALSO A GOOD DEAL FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE

As the UK moves into a general election, a misinformed debate over the country’s climate transition and legally binding net zero targets risks further dividing people. Much of this debate in the UK focuses on the “cost” of net zero. For instance, energy secretary Claire Coutinho recently stated the government did not want a “net zero leviathan” to crush the nation’s “brilliant enterprise economy,” while the Labor Party had to backtrack on its own headline climate investment pledge, citing “affordability” and “fiscal rules.” But the true “cost” is tricky to
6-8-2024

THE FASCINATING PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND ‘DINE AND DASH’ AND WHY IT’S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN A FREE MEAL

Sometimes when I read the newspapers, I think that going to a restaurant and leaving without paying has become something of an epidemic. My research into lying has taught me that the psychology behind acts of deception is often deeply complex. Let me start with a confession. I was guilty of dine and dash a very long time ago before it had a catchy name. I was in a group that hung about a chip shop at the turn-of-the-road in north Belfast, a poor and troubled area. I had a
6-8-2024

YOU CAN NOW BE FROZEN AFTER DEATH IN AUSTRALIA. IF YOU’RE REVIVED IN THE FUTURE, WILL YOU LEGALLY BE THE SAME PERSON?

In recent weeks, Southern Cryonics—the southern hemisphere’s only cryopreservation facility, located in rural New South Wales—announced it had successfully cryopreserved its first patient. There are only a handful of cryopreservation facilities across the globe—two in the United States, and one each in Russia, China, Australia and Switzerland. If the claims made on their websites and in the press are accurate, these facilities likely have no more than 600 patients in cryonic storage in total. Media reports however suggest interest in cryopreservation has risen since the onset of the COVID pandemic,
6-8-2024

ENGINEERS HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT PUBLIC WELL-BEING, BUT LESS THAN HALF LEARN HOW TO DO SO EFFECTIVELY

Engineers who received public welfare responsibility training in classes are more likely to consider the societal impact of technologies they design and to take action when concerns arise, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers published in The Journal of Engineering Education. While engineers are professionally obligated to protect the safety and well-being of those their technologies impact, the study found that nearly a third of U.S. practicing engineers have never received any training in public welfare
6-8-2024

HIRING PRESSURES TO DIVERSIFY ARE INFLUENCING PATTERNS OF DISCRIMINATION IN UNEXPECTED WAYS

In 2004, a pair of economists published a landmark study to measure discrimination in the labor market. In the study, the researchers applied to real job openings with fictitious applicants but changed the applicant names to reflect a different gender or race. They found clear evidence of discrimination: White men and women received 50% more callbacks than Black men and women. More recently, Berkeley
6-8-2024

STUDY FINDS RACIAL BIAS IN TRAFFIC STOPS BY CHICAGO POLICE

Black drivers in Chicago are significantly more likely than white drivers to be stopped by police regardless of where the drivers live or are going, according to a new study led by a Cornell city planning expert that maps the racial composition of roads by using mobile phone GPS data. The study confirms a racial bias
6-8-2024

DO WE HAVE MORE EMPATHY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SIMILAR TO US? NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE

How do people successfully interact with those who are completely different from them? And can these differences create social barriers? Social scientists are struggling with these questions because the mental processes underlying social interactions are not well understood. One recent concept that has become increasingly popular is the “double-empathy problem.” This draws on research looking at people who are known to experience social difficulties,
6-8-2024

HOW CAN WE MAKE GOOD DECISIONS BY OBSERVING OTHERS? A VIDEOGAME AND COMPUTATIONAL MODEL HAVE THE ANSWER

How can disaster response teams benefit from understanding how people most efficiently pick strawberries together, or how they choose the perfect ice cream shop with friends? All these scenarios are based on the very fundamental question of how and when human groups manage to adapt collectively to different circumstances. Two recent studies on collective dynamics by the Cluster of Excellence Science of Intelligence (SCIoI) in Berlin, Germany, lay the groundwork to promote better
6-8-2024

OTHERS’ WORDS, NOT FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, SHAPE SCIENTIFIC AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF FORMATION, STUDY FINDS

Three proposals explaining the differential confidence. (A) Intuitively, one might assume that confidence in scientific entities (e.g., germs) is higher than confidence in religious entities (e.g., angels) because scientific entities are observable in principle whereas religious entities are not. (B) The Dual- Pathway Model proposes separate information pathways for scientific versus religious beliefs; belief in scientific entities is primarily driven by direct experience of causal outcomes whereas belief in religious entities is primarily driven by testimony. (C) Contrary to these two models, the Unified Model proposes that belief in both
6-8-2024

TRYING TO SAVE MONEY? RESEARCH SUGGESTS PAYING IN CASH—WHILE YOU STILL CAN

Cash is in crisis. In Australia, it’s now only used for 16% of in-person transactions, down from about 70% in 2007. The situation is so dire that on Monday, independent federal MP Andrew Gee introduced a private member’s bill that would force businesses to accept cash or else face big fines. The reality is that over the past decade, technological advancements have utterly transformed the way we pay for goods and services. Phones and smartwatches can now easily be used to pay by card, and buy-now-pay-later
6-8-2024

MESSAGES CAN TRIGGER THE OPPOSITE OF THEIR DESIRED EFFECT—BUT YOU CAN AVOID COMMUNICATION THAT BACKFIRES

The best graduation speeches dispense wisdom you find yourself returning to long after the graduation tassels are turned. Take the feel-good life advice in Baz Luhrmann’s song to a class that graduated 25 years ago. Only on a recent relisten did I realize it also captures one of the research-based strategies I teach for avoiding communication that backfires. The tip is hiding in plain sight in the song’s title, “Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen).” Communication aimed at promoting a certain behavior can have the opposite
6-8-2024

DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATION, VALUES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN CAUSE MISMATCHES WHEN SEEKING A PARTNER, FINDS SPANISH STUDY

The educational expansion of women has led to changes in the differences in educational level of men and women when looking for a partner. Research conducted by the UAB Center for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA) has examined for the first time the role of discrepancies in gender role values and education among potential spouses. According to the study, about a third of women in favor of gender equality and with a higher education would not be able to find a homogamous male partner. The work is published in the journal Perspectives
6-8-2024

‘FUZZY’ MAPS OFFER INSIGHT INTO LOCAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERING

In the global South, volunteer programs are framed by policymakers and scholars as an effective vehicle for empowering women living in poverty. But this narrative often rests on scant knowledge of the perspectives and experiences of a key set of local stakeholders: the volunteers. A new study co-authored by Yale anthropologist Catherine Panter-Brick addresses this knowledge gap by engaging with Syrian refugees and Jordanian women from poor households in Amman, Jordan,
6-8-2024

EXPERTS SAY USE OF POLITICAL MEMES ARE A PREDICTOR OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE

In a study of social media activity prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, researchers at the University of Notre Dame say a sharp increase in politically salient imagery online—visual content designed to influence, dehumanize, manipulate and motivate audiences—was a predictor of the conflict. With collaborators at Colby College and Kennesaw State University, the researchers collected post history from a select group of 989 Russian milbloggers—a term used for “military bloggers”
6-8-2024

PROGRAMS TO PREVENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE SHOW NO EVIDENCE OF CURBING ASSAULTS, ANALYSIS FINDS

Sexual violence prevention programs effectively change ideas and beliefs that underscore assaults, but show no evidence of reducing their actual occurrence, a new comprehensive analysis shows. The findings are published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Researchers led by behavioral scientist Roni Porat of Hebrew University challenge the assumption that changing people’s thoughts about sexual violence will change their actual behavior. They call on scientists to study more behavior-centered approaches to reducing sexual
6-8-2024

DIVERSE FRIEND GROUPS PROMOTE BETTER SOCIAL COHESION AND WELL-BEING, STUDY FINDS

New research featuring more than 24,000 people has found that having diverse groups of friends improves well-being and social cohesion, despite people’s tendency to gravitate towards people more similar to them. Led by researchers at the University of Birmingham and published in Psychological Science, the study used data from 24,726 adults from over 10,000 English neighborhoods to examine the composition of people’s social networks according to age, ethnicity, income, and education to understand the implications of homophily (preference for similar people) on social cohesion subjective well-being. Dr. Miguel Ramos, lead
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS JUSTICE FACILITY DOGS BENEFIT WELL-BEING FOR CHILDREN FACING COURT

A new Edith Cowan University (ECU) study has revealed that having a four-legged friend at Children’s Court significantly reduces stress and anxiety for young victims, witnesses, and their caregivers. ECU criminology researchers Dr. Suz Rock and Associate Professor Natalie Gately have published the first Australian study to evaluate the impact of introducing a justice facility dog to a Children’s Court. The study “Kids, Courts and Canines: Evaluating the Justice Facility Dog Program through a Therapeutic Lens
6-8-2024

SEXUAL MINORITIES EXPERIENCE MORE EXCLUSION IN EVERYDAY SITUATIONS, FINDS STUDY

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience exclusion more frequently than heterosexual people. This is the finding of a recent study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by researchers from the University of Basel and the RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau. According to the study, people who are perceived as less gender-conforming are more frequently socially excluded. This could also affect heterosexual people if they deviate from traditional
6-8-2024

STILL RIDING LA’S METRO AFTER THE PANDEMIC? YOU PROBABLY THINK IT’S SAFER THAN THOSE WHO DON’T ANYMORE

As Jon Regardie wrote last year in Los Angeles Magazine, “Metro’s raison d’etre is to get hundreds of thousands of people each day across Southern California.” But the COVID-19 pandemic sent the numbers of riders plummeting to a low of 13%, and ridership still hasn’t fully rebounded. The reason may now be clear, thanks to the latest USC Dornsife LABarometer survey, conducted by the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The survey found that although public transportation ridership in
6-8-2024

CAN VAGUE GO VIRAL FOR GEN Y?

Generation Y, Gen Y, is commonly referred to as the millennial generation. It usually includes individuals born between the early 1980s and the mid-to-late 1990s or early 2000s. This generation follows Generation X and precedes Generation Z. The millennials, it is said, grew up during the transition to digital technology and the rise of the internet, and this has shaped their perspectives, behavior, and the way they use technology and media. They are often characterized as tech-savvy, adaptable, and socially conscious, with a strong affinity for social media and digital
6-8-2024

ITALIAN MOMS WITH 3+ KIDS WORK FAR FEWER YEARS THAN DADS, WHILE FINLAND SHOWS EQUALITY

Over the past century, the number of working women in Western countries has steadily increased. However, numerous studies show that it is still primarily women who have to manage the balancing act between parenthood and working life. Compared to fathers and childless women, mothers often have a less straightforward career path and face greater hurdles to career advancement. Little research has been done on what happens to women’s employment trajectories from midlife when childrearing efforts are
6-8-2024

TOP IT INDUSTRY MANAGERS ARE DIVIDED ON THE NEED FOR FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Many managers are currently seeking a balance between digital and face-to-face communication. A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland published in Information Technology & People shows that top IT industry managers have different views on when and for what purposes face-to-face communication in the workplace is needed. “Some top managers felt that all work tasks can be performed remotely with the help of digital communication. According to them, face-to-face communication is only necessary for maintaining interpersonal relationships and a sense of community,” says Doctoral Researcher Lotta Salin of
6-8-2024

STUDY FINDS SIMPLE HEADLINES ATTRACT MORE ONLINE NEWS READERS

The competition for online attention in today’s news environment is fierce. High-quality news from credible sources must compete for attention with misinformation and a rapidly increasing amount of partisan content. How can a news organization stand out as a reputable and trustworthy outlet while driving readers to its site? The answer is simple: literally. According to research from Michigan State University, news readers engage more with simple writing, suggesting journalists should write simply—clearly and without ambiguity—to attract attention online. The study was published in the journal Science Advances. “Newsrooms want
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS BANNING FALSE INFORMATION TRAFFICKERS ONLINE CAN IMPROVE PUBLIC DISCOURSE

When Twitter banned more than 70,000 traffickers of false information from its platform in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the impact went beyond the silencing of those users. A study co-authored by UC Riverside public policy and political science scholars published in the journal Nature on June 5, found that the crackdown by Twitter (now called X after it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk in late 2022) also significantly reduced the number of misinformation posts by users who stayed on the
6-8-2024

YOUNG ADULTS SAY STEADY SUPPORT FROM CARING ADULTS MADE DIFFERENCE IN TRANSITIONING FROM CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

Young people who have exited foster care generally fare better—in work, school and relationships—if they get consistent support from adults who care about them during their teen years. My research team reached these findings by interviewing 21 people, now in their late 20s, who had aged out of foster care when they turned 18, had spent time in foster care as children or grew up in families that had active child welfare cases. These young adults relayed the degree to which they received support from
6-8-2024

HOW THE 1901 DISCOVERY EXPEDITION’S POLAR EXPLORERS STAYED HEALTHY DURING THEIR ANTARCTIC JOURNEY

Antarctica is the most inhospitable continent on earth. It’s dry, cold, and completely dark for months of the year. Edwardian explorers were some of the first to brave the Antarctic winter, developing new knowledge still drawn upon by scientists today. The Discovery expedition (1901–4) played a key role in the history of polar exploration. It was led by the Royal Navy commander Robert Falcon Scott, a pioneering polar explorer who died in 1912 after attempting to reach the south pole. The expedition’s third lieutenant was Ernest Shackleton, who led three
6-8-2024

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS INFUSED WITH AGRI-INNOVATION SYSTEMS CAN REDUCE POST-HARVEST FOOD LOSS AND WASTE

developing sustainable business models that are multi-actor networked for integrating them with agricultural innovation systems initiatives can enable a systemic approach for reducing food loss and value loss at the post-harvest
6-8-2024

WILL THE 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES BECOME THE PLAYING FIELD FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS?

Yannick Kluch, a professor of recreation, sport and tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studies sport as a platform for promoting social justice. Kluch has worked with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, U.S. Diving and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He spoke with research editor Sharita Forrest about the history of Olympic athletes’ social justice protests and governing organizations’ efforts to avert them with Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.
6-8-2024

STUDY FINDS WE SPEND MORE WITH CASHLESS PAYMENTS

A study found support for the existence of a positive “cashless effect,” which is when consumers spend more when using cashless payment methods in comparison to cash. The study suggests the cashless effect leads people to spend more when purchasing products that are typically used to signal status, such as jewelry. However, the
6-8-2024

LAWS MEANT TO KEEP DIFFERENT RACES APART STILL INFLUENCE DATING PATTERNS, DECADES AFTER BEING INVALIDATED

If you are single and looking for a romantic partner, chances are that you have used a dating app. But the likelihood that others will like, or even see, your profile may depend on your race. Studies have found that all people on dating apps, regardless of their own race, are more likely to contact white people using the app. And all people using dating apps are least likely to contact African American women and Asian American men. Until recently, some popular apps, including OkCupid, Match, Hinge and Grindr, provided
6-8-2024

VIRTUAL LABS IN PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH BOOST DIVERSITY

University of Oregon psychologists are breaking down barriers to include underrepresented populations in research by bringing laboratories online. The researchers are trying to address a longstanding issue in psychology studies, which often rely on undergraduate students to volunteer as research subjects.
6-8-2024

ATTENDING LOCAL EVENTS STRENGTHENS NEIGHBORHOOD BONDS, SURVEY REVEALS

how often people visit and actively participate in local events and how this affects their sense of place or their connection to their community. A survey of almost 400 households in the state’s coastal council area of the City of Holdfast Bay found that people who frequently attend local events or participate as volunteers, organizers or exhibitors, have a stronger
6-8-2024

STUDY SHOWS ONLINE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION WORKS FOR COMPLEX TOPICS

“COVID-19 forced educators to adjust their educational best practices to an unfamiliar virtual classroom, and professional development was no different,” said Karen Jo Matsler, assistant professor in practice for UTeach at UTA
6-8-2024

EYE-TRACKING STUDY REVEALS THAT SIMPLY LOOKING AT THE NATURAL WORLD IN URBAN AREAS CAN REAP WELL-BEING BENEFITS

Integrating more natural features into city landscapes can play a crucial role in enhancing the mental well-being of residents. A study by Bangor University and Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, published in the scientific journal People and Nature, involved city dwellers and showed how paying visual attention to greenery, rather than human-made structures, can alleviate anxiety and enhance restorative feelings. The 117 urban residents who took part in the study, were guided on a
6-8-2024

ADVERTISERS MAY BE INADVERTENTLY FUNDING MISINFORMATION

Companies in industries such as health care, technology and insurance have been found to advertise on misinformation websites, according to an analysis published in Nature. In a related experiment, consumers who were made aware that a company advertised on a misinformation website were likely to reject an offer of a gift voucher to spend with that company. The majority of digital advertisement placement on the internet is done via an algorithm-based distribution
6-8-2024

STUDY SUGGESTS EVOLUTIONARY BASIS FOR MALE RISK-TAKING BEHAVIORS

why we associate risk-taking with males rather than females, from an evolutionary standpoint. Study author Hannah Goodman, from UWA’s School of Human Sciences, said researchers found men engaged in riskier behaviors when crossing a busy traffic intersection, supporting growing evidence that risk-taking is predominantly an androcentric behavior. “Males

Looking for love? It should come as no surprise that your dating profile photo can have a huge impact on your chances of finding love—or a hookup, no judgment here.
First impressions are almost always digital these days, and that kind of pressure can make it hard to choose the perfect pic. Of course you want to look good (don’t we all?) but you don’t want to oversell yourself, either.
So how can you look your best while still looking like … you? Try these 15 tips to do flattering dating photography that will get you more DMs.
Put some distance between you and the camera
I love a good selfie, but it may not be the most flattering option for your dating profile pic, especially if you’re using the front-facing camera. Who wants to see your arm off to the side in every photo?
Try to put some distance between yourself and the camera. Use a tripod if you have one, or prop your phone up using whatever objects you have available. That might mean using books, boxes, or a shelf to find a flattering angle.
Another option is to ask your friends to take a candid photo of you. You might be surprised at how good they come out! Ask them to take realistic, everyday shots. A candid shot is more unique and will stand out—plus it gives more insight into your personality.
Get the angle right
Your camera should be slightly above eye level—this is the most universally flattering angle. Too high, and it makes your head look small and weird. Too low, and you risk giving yourself the dreaded double chin.
You can also tilt your head forward and down just a little. This brings your forehead a bit closer to the camera and helps accentuate your jawline.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most of us have a “good” side. If you can’t figure out what yours is, it’s probably your left. Studies have shown that people tend to prefer the left side of someone’s face.
P.S. If you aren’t sure which angle looks best, try changing up your dating profile pic to see which image gets you the most matches. It sounds weird, but it will help you find the pics that potential dates love!
Use indirect lighting
I love ring lights, but sometimes their direct light can be a bit much. Go for soft, indirect lighting to do classier dating photography.
Natural lighting is best, so if the weather cooperates, then try heading outside to snap a few shots. The best time of day is either during sunrise or sunset (the “golden hour”), but you can also try taking your pictures on an overcast day or in the shadow of a building.
If you’re taking your photos inside, make sure the room has soft lighting. No one looks good under harsh fluorescent lights. Snap a pic in front of a sunny window covered by a curtain for a softer look.
And whatever you do, avoid using flash on your phone! Not only will it highlight imperfections, but it can also make you look older … and not in a good way.
Leave the sunglasses off
Sure, sunglasses are trendy, but people want to see what you really look like. In fact, a study by PhotoFeeler showed that people with sunglasses are perceived as less likable. Ouch.
Potential dates want to be able to see your eyes because it’s an indicator of how trustworthy you are. You might love the look of your Ray-Bans, but trust me: your gorgeous eyes will do all of the talking.
With that said, if you have a photo of yourself rocking sunglasses and you absolutely love it, you can add it to your picture gallery—just don’t use it as your main profile pic.
Relax your eyes
The eyes may be the window to the soul, but people do some crazy stuff with their eyes when they’re getting their picture taken!
The main thing here is to R-E-L-A-X. If you shut your eyes too tightly, it’s going to be hard to gauge your personality.
Some people take squinting too far. You might feel like it makes you look mysterious, but most of the time you just look angry, which is not the look you want for a dating profile pic! It also creates more creases around the eye, which probably isn’t what you’re going for.
Of course, you don’t want to open your eyes too much. The last thing you want is to become the next “Overly Attached Girlfriend” meme. Keep your eyes relaxed; you can squint a little by bringing your lower eyelids up slightly.
Show off those pearly whites
I know smiling for the camera can feel awkward, but a smile can do wonders for your dating life. Smiling makes you look more approachable and friendly, so if you want more folks to swipe right, whip out your 24 karat smile.
When you smile, make sure you show your teeth a bit. A tight-lipped smile just doesn’t look genuine. If you’re self-conscious about your teeth, you can always whiten your teeth in photos with just a click of the button.
Go for some color
Blacks, grays, and dark blue tones can come across as a bit gloomy or intense, especially if those are the only colors you’re wearing. Pick a few outfits in a variety of colors for your dating profile pics. Jewel tones and pastels can brighten a picture and make you look more lighthearted and fun.
Now, if you really want to catch people’s attention, wear red. Multiple studies have shown that both men and women find people wearing the color red more attractive.
Plus, you’ll stand out from all the other people wearing beige or gray—and there are a lot of them. Tinder analyzed 12,000 photos and found 56% of women and 72% of men wear neutral colors. So go ahead—throw on that cute red top and strut your stuff like the superstar you are.
Crop the photo correctly
Your face is gorgeous, but you probably don’t want your face to fill the entire frame. Ideally, you should take up only 60 - 70% of the frame in any dating profile pic. Try to get your shoulders in the frame and don’t be afraid to throw in one or two full-body pics in your gallery, too.
If you want to use a travel photo because it has some crazy, epic background, you can totally do that. Just make sure you’re still taking up about 20-40% of the picture. Yes, the Grand Canyon is spectacular, but people want to see you!
Be aware of your background
Speaking of backgrounds, you’ll need to pay close attention to that, too. I’m not going to judge your messy room, but potential dates on Tinder might. At the very least, try to pose in front of a clean spot in your apartment.
You can take this a step further and add a few things into the background to hint at your interests. A strategically-placed telescope or a framed painting can give potential dates insight into your personality.
(And for the love of all that is good in this world, avoid bathroom pics. They’re usually not as flattering as you think and they’re definitely cliché.)
Stick to current photos
No matter how much you love that picture of you at the beach from 2016, keep it out of your dating profile. Sure, we all wish we could rewind the clock every now and then, but it’s best to show off the real you. Try your best to stick with photos that are less than a year old.
And in case you need to be reminded: the “you” from today is just as amazing (if not more) than the “you” from years past. I promise.
Use casual pictures
I hate to be the one to say it, but if you’re super dressed up in all of your photos, it could raise your dates’ expectations a bit too much.
And I know what you’re going to say: “But I looked amaaaazing at my friend’s wedding!” I totally get it.
But when it comes to dating photography, you want to make sure you can recreate the look in the pictures that you post. These pics should look like the real, every day you. Save the fancy photos for your social media.
Skip the group photos
A lot of people like to include group photos in their dating profile pictures, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea. Sure, group photos can show your social side—and that’s important—but your profile pic isn’t the place to do it.
In the fast-paced dating world of swiping left and right, people simply don’t want to take the time to figure out who you are in the pic. You’ve only got about 1-3 seconds to capture their attention, and a group photo is just too confusing.
Get creative
Do you have any hobbies that define who you are? Don’t be afraid to feature them in your profile pic! If you’re a photographer, hold your camera or wear it slung around your neck. If you’re an artist, playfully wave a paintbrush toward the camera.
When you’re doing something that you truly enjoy, it shows. These fun, casual pictures give people a sneak peek at the real you that goes way beyond a simple headshot.
Just don’t fake it—if your profile pic shows you strumming a guitar, someone will probably ask you to play it at some point. Make sure you can follow through!
Have someone else choose your dating profile pic
Most of the time we’re pretty good at choosing pics for dating photography that showcase our best qualities. But hey, sometimes we get it wrong. We’re just too familiar with our own appearance and personality. This can lead to a bias that someone who’s never met you may not have.
Translation: a picture that you think is perfect might give off a different impression to someone who doesn’t know you. Remember, it only takes a few seconds for a stranger to determine whether they want to get to know you better.
You can always have a trusted friend choose your photo, but if you want honest feedback from someone’s first impression, try using a photo testing site like DATEnhance.
Up your dating game
Following these 15 photography tips for dating will give you plenty of flattering photos to choose from. And don’t be shy about taking lots of pictures—the more, the merrier. You’ll want to settle on 4 - 6 photos with different outfits, looks, and poses to feature in your dating photo gallery.
Remember that the goal isn’t to look perfect—it’s to look perfectly you. The Match Artist is here to help you add the perfect photo to any dating profile.

Hi,
I'm a relatively new jumper in the UK and I feel really stuck in my progression.
For context, I started jumping in the UK just over 12 months ago. I had a very long gap (~6 months) between groundschool and AFF level 1, but the weather finally improved and I got through my levels in June. However, the weather got shit again on weekends and I didn't jump for 2 months. I finally got my A licence in September but missed out on the summer season.
Since then I've been doing as much jumping as possible. I started by doing Flight 101 and 102 so that I could downsize safely onto my university club's gear (no hire fee) and I got my FS1+ to allow me to jump with others. I also did a couple of FF coached jumps straight after my B licence so I would be allowed to practice solo, but I've realised that tunnel is going to be far more efficient to learn HU properly. So at around 80 jumps I set my sights on tracking.
I messaged quite a few tracking coaches for about a month, but nobody was available. A lot don't jump over the winter at all, or don't coach because of the shorter days. I finally got a break in November when someone was free after tandems and we did 2 jumps (at the standard coached jump price of £45) where I got signed off on the navigaton element of TR1. Unfortunately there wasn't time to do more, but I was really stoked since it's such a great feeling.
Since then I have been trying to get TR1 finished so I can go tracking with others, but it's been impossible to find a coach, especially one that doesn't charge on top of their slot being covered. It seems you either need to pay £150/day or £25/jump extra at the very least, in addition to their slot and yours. A friend of mine ended up paying £40/jump extra to a coach and still didn't get his TR1 at the end of the day (£85/jump total, it's crazy).
Out of pure frustration, I started searching on the internet and found out about a Rookie Angle Camp in Sweden on the weekend. I booked a flight last minute (thank god for Ryanair) and it was probably the best jumping weekend I've had to date. They were so welcoming and weren't bothered that I was the only one there who didn't speak Swedish. They assigned 2 students per coach and did a comprehensive safety brief before (they happily translated parts for me). I learned so much and really refined my body position and exits. In the end I only payed £275 + £35 event fee for 10 coached jumps. Accomodation at the DZ was free and public transport is good. The mad part is that this still works out cheaper than doing the same number of jumps in the UK, and I get to visit a beautiful place with much nicer weather.
I understand why we have the structured learning paths in the UK. I'm all for safety, but it feels like British Skydiving are making the barrier to entry artificially high. In theory doing a few coached jumps @ £45 / jump is perfectly reasonable, but the reality is that you will probably end up paying double minimum. I just can't afford that and it's starting to suck the joy out of life when I'm not allowed to jump with some of the awesome people at the DZ because I don't have TR1 or FF1. In hindsight starting skydiving may not have been the financially sensible thing to do while still a student, but I don't regret it. I just regret that TR is only accessible to those who can drop the cash for a sticker (not knocking the value of coached jumps).
Does it really have to be this way? I read a post here by someone with 30 odd jumps in socal who got invited on a 6-way track. I think that's too far in the other direction, but the 3-ways I did in Sweden always felt very safe. Surely there has to be some middle ground?
When I listened to some veterans jumpers rant about the BPA ("Banning Parachuting Altogether", etc.), I thought they were being dramatic. But now I'm starting to understand that sentiment more and it makes me sad. I'm now curious about what it's like to jump in other countries like the US and I wonder if you're all having way more fun than we are.
Am I crazy for harbouring these feelings?
PS: In the meantime I have made a point not to skip belly progression by getting load organised, but I just don't get the same level of satisfaction from these jumps (90% of the time if just turns to shit and I feel like a spectator). Otherwise I've done around 5hrs of 4-way in the tunnel over the winter (mostly scrambles), which I have really enjoyed. I feel like the FS scene in the UK is really welcoming to beginners and they do their best to make it affordable, but I can't erase the desire to try other things too.

When I (21M) got into a relationship with my partner (20F), it was awesome. Then she involved her friends in the relationship. She came off as very codependent (“I’m very attached”) to her friends, even saying her friends (20F) are never wrong (you’re gonna see some red flags here that I was stupid to ignore). Met one of her friends - wonderful guy not a bad bone in his body, hope all of them could be Ike that. She expressed (I don’t even know jokingly) that her girl friends were jealous that she got a boyfriend - yet she wanted us to be friends.
I have never met such hypocritical people in my life on first meet. They would criticize my career (I earn decent money in school), my race (they continually called me a brown boy), the fact I didn’t drink underage, they would question my validity as a partner in earshot much to my partner’s silence. They would criticize my colloquialism after poking fun at me- I would say “shut the fuck up” when a funny story came up while laughing. They would tell my partner (not me) that they didn’t like it (happy to not say it if it makes them feel uncomfortable) but then they proceeded to tell me to shut the fuck up with impunity. The double standards sucked. The dishing out but not being able to take it sucked. I was always made to be the villain. When I brought these up to my partner - “Oh you feel that way because they have siblings, and you’re an only child”. They showed up to my apartment unannounced when I was on a date with my partner (I live on the 3rd story). After the date was over, they would make plans to go out and say “This is a friends only thing”.
I held my tongue for a lot of disrespect. The people were openly known in their friend group to be third wheels in the relationship. They used to call me a b-word and a groomer (because I had friends who were 2 years younger than me). I used to call the main instigator a horseface after she made fun of my forehead and looks. But then it was too far. They could say whatever to me but the moment I come back I’m in the wrong.
They would openly ask my partner “Did he even get girls before you” to which my partner felt she had to defend her “choice” in me. My partner had told me that we won’t talk about our sex life. I was like yeah ofc. Her friends then started to tease me with info from our sex life - and they didn’t hear it from me. I confronted her on this and she was like “Oh it was a wine night and we started talking”. It was all ok until she started downplaying my skills. Then when her friends made fun of me with this info - I would then make fun of myself and then they would go to her saying that THEY were feeling uncomfortable about ME making fun of MYSELF.
They would cause fights to the point where I’m crying and hoping I’m no more. I would dream they would make fun of me so much - I would get up and walk out (I actually did this once but chalked it up to having to take a phone call).
They would compare me to their brothers and fathers. Token me for my race but then ask me to set them up with someone from my race. They would make fun of my career, yet ask me to get them a job. I tried to play nice with these people. On my own birthday, one of these girls was stressing out over organizing a career fair, I walked 40 minutes to help her out. These people would cause fights between us and I would apologize to them about stuff they do to me all the time saying “I just want to be accepted by the group”.
Worst part came when her friends pulled switchblades out on a moving bus as a joke and were brandishing it. I was the only voice of reason telling these people to stop, protecting my partner, motioning others to sit down and telling them that the group can get in so much trouble because of their idiotic behavior. Yet all her friends laughed at the fact I was getting serious. One of her friends had come up to me afterwards and showed me her palm, laughing. It was blood- she had cut her hands on the blades trying to play with the knives. Laughing.
Whether it was them blacking out drunk, headbutting each other, and touching each other inappropriately- I need to make sure no one falls behind or gets in trouble. Her friends would smack me for sitting on their bed by accident just to charge my phone near the wall. Everyone would laugh.
Her friends dressed up during Halloween as red flags (can’t make this up) and they kept making racial remarks to my friend. “Dance white boy”, “bathroom’s over there white boy”, etc. He took it as a joke the first few times but then started to feel uncomfortable. He told me wayyyy too late that this is what he experienced.
One day, I had fallen through my chair and winced in pain to which they laughed. I had enough of their immaturity, their laughter at my pain, their double standards, and their unresolved hatred. I thought since these people frequently call me out for every small thing (albeit behind my back), I can confront them directly and fairly (never confronted them on their behavior before). I asked them to treat me with some respect and just apologize. My partner stood silent as they continue to make insulting and demeaning faces at me and avoid the issue. I had a freeze response. I could not get any more words out of my mouth. Then my hypervigilance took a toll on me 30 seconds later in the form of an extreme panic attack (first one ever) where I cried and clutched my chest on a train. They stared indifferently. I sat crying with the doctor hugging me, while they called an Uber to go to a bar. They called the paramedics- they were heroes. I had enough, went up and yelled some disgusting things at the main instigator, who was making disgusting invalidating faces at me while I was approaching her for accountability. Called her a horsefaced. Told her “Why should I die on the train? You go kill yourself!”
My partner threatened to break up with me if her friends had told her to and told me I wasn’t fit to meet her dad. The next day, her friends guilt tripped her “You made a choice to go home with him instead of come with us to the bar”. They talked about how it was “bizarre” why I was so kind to the doctors and the paramedics yet yelled at them.
Partner said “Oh they have panic attacks all the time”. “It must have been caused by something else”. “They make those faces even when their relative died”. “There was a girl who doesn’t like her because she didn’t apologize to her properly”. “She thinks you’re attacking her face - just like her dad and uncles”.
I had tried to apologize several times but they shut the door in my face and asked me to stand to the side or avoid any communication. A few days later, the pain in my chest was tough. I went to the doctor, got some tests and was diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia as a result of the panic attack. When she told her friends, they said “we don’t care he had a heart attack, we care more about what he yelled at us afterwards”.
Then blame was shifted. I was the scapegoat. They were the ultimate victim. The whole group - people who didn’t even have anything to do with the situation brought up 9 month old issues that I had apologized for. I was ready to apologize for it all again. I begged my partner if I could fight for my story since she was sweeping everything under the rug. She told me “They don’t want to hear your side of the story - they don’t want to see you ever again”. Ganged up. They said I brought too many bad memories to the group.
When I asked my partner why she lets such people run from accountability for their actions. She said how her father told her to never give up on her friends. How her father lets his friends insult him and his wife till she cries. And that was his takeaway.
I ended up breaking up with her and getting a CPTSD diagnosis. They got away…

Me and my boyfriend, 18 and 17, have been dating now for almost 2 months. He’s never seen me out of makeup, even though I don’t wear a lot. My go-to makeup is wearing a lot of concealer around my face — specifically on my undereyes, the area between my eyebrows/forehead, chin, under nostrils and just generally on my cheeks. I also wear dark mascara on my upper & lower lashes, and slightly darken my eyebrows before brushing them upward.
I truly want for him to sleep over at my place (or his for that matter) soon, and he wants the same. The thing is, I’d have to be show myself without makeup to him — something I’m pretty scared of doing.
My natural eyelashes are pretty light, like a blond/light brown color. I’ve been considering getting my eyelashes dyed at home someday before we’d be having a sleepover. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about my lack of mascara, were it to work. The lack of concealer would be fine, it’s nothing noticeable to other people if you’re wearing it or not.
My last two fears for having a sleepover would be my bedhead and potentially having him lose his feelings for me if he sees me without makeup & with messy hair. To me, I really don’t look too healthy before I’ve gotten myself put together in the morning. I’ve got pretty bad dark circles without concealer, and my hair becomes greasy unless washed before bed each time I sleep.
I’m writing this late at night so I don’t have the energy to double-check everything I’ve written. I hope it’s understandable regardless since I’d love some potential advice on this situation.
(P.S. My boyfriend knows I’m trans. I told him some time after we officially got into a relationship and he was extremely fine with it though super surprised (I was shocked at his surprise and reaction). It turned out he considers himself pansexual (though he’d rather not label himself, same as me). Very kind and understanding boyfriend and he was just happy that I was comfortable enough to come out to him, feeling like I was brave for telling him. For any people feeling like they’ll never be able to get a boyfriend because of their identity, it’s not true. There are people out there who will love you for what you consider your flaws, and who will embrace those parts of you so that you too will be able to. Please hold on to that hope. 💟)

Hello again! I'm back and re-opening my sale with some new items! I've lowered some prices and am open to reasonable offers. Thank you!
Payment via PayPal G&S. Shipping starts at $5 for a small item depending on zip and increases with weight (USPS). At least $7 for heavy items like palettes and heavy skincare. Shipping from the East Coast. $10 min before shipping preferred. All item conditions are noted and pictured best as I can.
Please don't ghost. It's okay if you change your mind. NIL based on timestamps. Note that I have some of these items listed on other platforms as well and will adjust the availability accordingly.
BN = Brand New; BNIB = Brand New In Box; BNIP = Brand New in Packaging; FS = full size; DS = deluxe size/travel size/mini; FWP = free with purchase
I'm very careful to keep my makeup clean and protected, keeping original packaging where I can. Smoke- and pet-free home. Always masking. See this wonderful feedback from previous buyer 1, 2 and 3 as references 😊
 
Swap for the following only. ISO: Sephora mother of pearl travel mirrors from the recent event giveaway. Try me on BN Florasis palettes.
 
Eyeshadow Palettes

• Chanel Les 4 Ombres quad in 354 Warm Memories, in original packaging with dust bag and plastic insert still clean, used 1-2x (applicators never used) - $40
• The Creme Shop x BT21 limited edition shimmery eyeshadow trio in Golden Lolly (RJ). In original box with plastic insert. Very gently swatched only - $11
• MAC Girls Smarty Pants palette, used or swatched 1x, in original packaging with plastic shade name insert - $18 $15
• MAC Connect in Colour eyeshadow palette in Rose Lens, used 1x, comes with box - $16
• Tarte Tarteist Pro To Go mini palette, swatched
• Tartelette Flirt travel palette, lightly swatched some shades, with box - $16
• Elf Bite Size Mini eyeshadow palette in Rose Water, light usage - FWP
• Elf Bite Size Mini eyeshadow palette in Mint to Be, light usage - FWP

 
Face Palettes

• Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow & Blush cheek palette (blush, highlighter and bronzer), BNIB - $38
• bareMinerals Invisible Light Translucent Powder Duo (matte & glow), BNIB - $20
• bareMinerals Gen Nude Northern Lights eye & cheek palette in Rose Golds. (limited edition with holiday sequin packaging), swatched - $4

 
Mascara, Eyeliner & Brows

• Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes waterproof mascara, full size, BNIB - $10
• Urban Decay Perversion Volumizing Mascara 3ml DS, BNIB - $3
• Benefit Roller Lash in black, mini 4g - $3
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Wow Wings mascara in 003 extreme black, FS, BN, can't remember purchase date - $1
• Urban Decay Glide-On Eye Pencil in shade Zero DS, BN - $3
• NARS Larger Than Life longwear eyeliner in Via Veneto, DS - $4 each, 3 available
• Cynthia Rowley eyeliner in black, DS, BN - $1
• Tarte Sex Kitten mini eyeliner, BN - $2
• LA Splash Art-Ki-Tekt Slim felt-tip liquid eyeliner pen, BN SOLD
• Laura Geller Inkcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Ultra Violet, FS - $5
• Pixi by Petra Endless Silky Eye Pen in black, FS, BN/sealed - $5
• Sigma Beauty Brow Powder Duo in Light, BNIB - $6
• Judydoll Shaping Eyebrow Pencil in shade 01, in box, used 1x - $4
• Melt Perfectionist Brow Ultra-precision Pencil in shade neutral blonde, in box, used 1x - $4

 
Eyes

• Laura Mercier caviar stick in Vanilla Kiss, travel size, BN - $8 each, 1 available
• Laura Mercier caviar stick in Rose Gold, travel size, BN - $8 each, 3 available
• Laura Mercier caviar stick in Sugar Frost, travel size, BN SOLD
• Laura Mercier caviar stick in Au Naturel, travel size, BN - $8
• bareMinerals loose eye color eyeshadow in Star Material, BN/sealed, 3 available - $5 each or 3 for $12
• Tarte Chrome Paint Shadow Pot in Martini (bronzed olive) 3g, BNIB - $9
• Tarte Chrome Paint Shadow Pot in Wild at Heart (pink with blue duochrome) 3g, BNIB - $9 (take both shadow pots for $16)
• Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Weenie, usage shown - $1
• Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Bae, BNIB. Arrived broken/dry as shown - $1
• Nabla Creme Shadow in Dusk, swatched - $8
• Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow, Pistachio, used 1-2x - $2
• KIKO Milano longlasting eyeshadow stick in 46 Multicolour Mauve (duochrome), discontinued shade, used 1-2x - $8
• Colourpop Colour Stix eyeshadow stick in Devotion, swatched & sharpened - $2
• Sephora Collection colorful metal effect eyeshadow in 07 Volcano Land (metallic brown), arrived broken, pushed back into the pan - FWP
• Sephora Collection colorful shimmer eyeshadow in 254 Diving In (blue), very delicately swatched - $2
• Phase Zero shimmer eyeshadow in Nude Newbie, usage shown - FWP
• Juvia's Place large pan single eyeshadow (36mm) in Empress, BNIP - $3
• Juvia's Place large pan single eyeshadow (36mm) in Zaira, BNIP - $3 each, 2 available
• Buxom Mink Magnet mini eyeshadow in compact, BN - $3 each, 2 available (one in packaging)
• KVD Metal Crush eyeshadow/highlighter in Thunderstruck, BNIB - $11
• Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow in Nude Glow, BN/sealed - $1
• Naked Cosmetics Loose Pigment in Naturally Nude, BN/sealed - $2

 
Face

• Laura Mercier foundation primer in Radiance, 15mL travel size - $8 $5 each, 2 available
• NYX Plump Right Back Electrolyte Plumping Serum + Primer, 8mL travel size, BN - $3
• NARS Pore & Shine Control Primer, DS 8mL, BNIB - $4 each, 2 available
• NYX Dewy Finish setting spray mini 18mL, BN - $2
• Colourpop Flexitarian Super Shock Cheek highlighter, gentle use shown - $2
• bareMinerals Original loose powder foundation SPF 15 in Golden Fair 04, full size, ~80% remaining - $5
• bareMinerals Original loose powder foundation SPF 15 in Fairly Light 03, full size, BN/sealed - $24
• bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil Setting Powder, full size 2g, BN/Sealed - $16 $12 each, 2 available
• bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil Setting Powder mini, BN/sealed - $3
• bareMinerals All Over Face Color loose powder trio, small size, all BN/sealed (Warmth, Soft Focus Bare, Soft Focus Romance) - $15
• bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Warmth (bronzer), small size, all BN/sealed - $5 each
• Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow minis, all BN/sealed - $5 each or 4 for $18
• Laura Mercier Rose Glow Blush Color Infusion in All That Sparkles (Limited Edition), used 1-2x - $13
• CoverFX travel size highlighter in Moonlight, usage shown - $5
• Florence by Mills Out Of This Whirled marbled bronzer in Warm Tones, usage shown - $5
• Covergirl Clean Fresh Radiant Loose Powder Bronzer, 002 Golden Hour, BNIP - $3
• Essence Pure Nude Spacelighter, discontinued - BN SOLD
• Essence Mermazing Hololighter, rare limited edition, BN - $9
• DLS Baked Highlighter in Bellini, swatched
• IBY Beauty Radiant Glow Highlighter in 24h Mirage, BN - FWP
• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, travel size, BN - $8 each, 2 1 available
• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Affogato, travel size, swatched 1x clean back of hand only - $7

 
Laura Mercier Radiance 6-pc Bundle - $38
Limited edition soft faux leather wristlet clutch containing 5 travel size items: Radiance primer, caviar eyeshadow sticks in Rose Gold & Vanilla Kiss, Matte Radiance baked powder in shade Bronze 03, mini translucent glow powder
 
Lips - New

• Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Amaretto, full size, BN - $12
• Roen Beauty Kiss My Liquid Lip Balm Shimmer in Cosmo (clear with gold shimmer), BNIB - $12
• NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy, deluxe size, BNIB - $4 each, 3 available
• Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Ruby, travel size, BNIB - $7
• Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color in Parisian red, travel size, BN - $6
• Becca Ultimate Lipstick Love in Cherry, FS, BNIB - $6
• Becca Glow Gloss in Rose Gold, mini, BN - $3
• L'Oreal x Elie Saab Le Brilliant Haute Couture Lip Gloss, Ambre Choc, limited edition, BN - $5
• Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Clair (Pinky Mauve With Golden Shimmer), 2mL travel size - BN - $5
• Buxom Va Va Plump liquid lipstick minis in Wine Me, BN - $3 each or 4 for $10
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lipgloss, full size, shade Popular, BNIB - $7
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lipgloss, full size, shade Totally, BNIB - $7
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor, travel size, all BN. Shades available: Undercover, Swag, Slay, Believer, Boss, Keeper and Cray - $3 each or 4 for $10
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Lip Lacquer in Pout, travel size, BN - $3
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lip Color, full size, shade XYZ, BNIB - $8
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lip Color, full size, shade OM, BNIB - $8
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick, mini size, shade Notorious (nude), BN - $2 each, 5 4 available
• BareMinerals barePro Longlasting Matte Lipstick, mini size, shade Petal, BN - $2
• BareMinerals Statement Luxe lipstick, mini size, shade Biba (barbie pink), BN - $2
• BareMinerals Statement Matte Liquid Lipstick, mini size (1mL), shade VIP, BN - .50/each, 4 2 available
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick, mini size (1mL), shade Boss, BN - .50/each, 6 available
• BareMinerals Gen Nude Lip Lacquer, mini size (1mL), shade Dahling, BN - .50/each, 10 6 available
• Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Baby Doll, travel size, BN - $3
• Laura Mercier Rouge Essential lipstick in A La Rose, travel size, BN/sealed - $4
• Laura Mercier Creme Smooth lipstick in Spiced Rose, travel size, BN/sealed - $4
• Tarte tarteist glossy lip paint in Goals, FS, BNIB - $9
• Hank & Henry matte liquid lipstick in Petal Pusher, FS, BN - $3
• Aurora Lipgloss in 10 Fairy, BN - FWP

 
Lips - Swatched or Gentle Use

• Dior Refillable Addict Shine Lipstick in 716 Cannage, in box, used 1x - $32
• Chanel Rouge Coco Baume in 920 - In Love, in box, lightly swatched - $36
• NYX Fat Oil Slick Click shiny lip balm in Trending Topic, swatched - $4
• Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip in Guava (OG formula) sheer pink with iridescent blue sparkle, used 2x, in box - $8
• Apieu Juicy Pang Water Tint in PK02, swatched - $3
• Juvia's Place Nubian Earth Lip Gloss in Oasis, swatched - $4
• Juvia's Place Garden of Juvia's Lip Wave Gloss in Flower Girl, swatched - $4
• Hourglass Confession lipstick in "If I Could", used 2x - $14
• Hourglass Confession lipstick in "When I'm With You", used 1x - $15
• Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Ruby, travel size, gentle use - $4
• Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Limited Edition Molly Wow (Melon Wow), full size, gentle usage shown - $13 $10
• Revlon The Gloss in Solar Coral, swatched - $2
• Essence Holo Balm shiny lipgloss (holographic blue), swatched - $1
• NYX Limited Edition Avatar Luminescent Lip Gloss, shade 01 Shimmering Waters, swatched - $3
• BareMinerals BarePro longwear lipstick deluxe mini, Petal, usage shown - FWP
• Tarte travel size busy gal gloss in Run This Town (watermelon with gold shimmer), swatched - $2
• Becca Ultimate Lipstick Love in Maroon, FS, very light usage shown - $4
• Catrice Loves PETA Limited Edition Demi Matt lipstick (similar to MAC powder kiss formula) in C01 Spread Empathy, gentle usage shown- $2
• Catrice Demi Matt Lipstick in 140 Breathless Berry, swatched only - $2
• Catrice Watermelon Shine Glow Lip Balm, usage shown - $2

 
Makeup Bags & Brushes

• NARS limited edition shiny silver keepsake bag with orange lining, 5.8" x 3.5" x 1", BNIP (original tissue paper on zip pulls) - $20
• bareMinerals blue and gold makeup bag, 7.5"x5.5" BN - $4
• bareMinerals Dual Finish Blush and Contour brush (these have dual fibecolor bristles). Work well with Invisible Light face powder duo (listed above under palettes) - $12 $10 each, 4 available
• bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Foundation Brush, limited edition gold handle, FS, BNIP - $20
• bareMinerals mini flawless application face brush, BNIP - $3
• bareMinerals travel size beautiful finish foundation brushes (small buffing brush), BNIP - $6 each, 2 available 1 remaining
• Elf Beautifully Bare blending brush, BNIP - $6 each, or 2 for $10, 3 available
• The Body Shop flat eyeshadow brush, BNIP - $4
• Real Techniques Blend & Blur eyeshadow brush, BN
• Royal and Langnickel Moda Eye Brush M27, BNIP
• It Cosmetics Limited Edition Your Must Have Kabuki Brush, Travel Size Holiday Confetti Popper, BN - $18

 
Skin & Hair Bundles

• 7-pc skincare sampler bundle. Contains: Good Molecules, Andalous Naturals, Strivectin, Dermalogica, Completely Bare, Sunday Riley & Dionis (see photos) - $16
• 7-pc haircare sampler bundle. Contains: Madison Reed, Biolage, Jack Black, Briogeo & Living Proof - $16

 
Skincare

• Cle de Peau Beaute Firming Serum Supreme 40ml (full size), BNIB, sealed, with dust bag - $185 (retail $350)
• StriVectin Multi-Action acne clearing treatment lotion, deluxe mini, never used - $2
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex II, 7ml, BNIB - $9 (one remaining)
• Bliss Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub, full size, BNIB - $10
• Clarins Double Serum 7-Day Supply sampler - $1
• iS Clinical Active Serum sample, BN - $1
• Tarte Mermaid Skin hyaluronic serum travel size, BN - $4
• Farmacy Honey Halo moisturizer, 15g travel size, BN - $7

 
Fragrance

• 6-pc sample bundle: Burberry Hero edp; Burberry Goddess edp; Gucci Flora Gorgeous Magnolia edp; Ralph Lauren Ralph's Club Elixir; YSL Libre L'Absolu Platine; YSL Myself edp - $6 or free with any order over $40

 
Thanks for looking!
   

Have you ever found someone that you connect with so much that you just know this rare connection is something you shouldn’t let go of easily?
Someone that doesn’t mind looking stupid in front of you and vice versa for the sake of giving your connection a fighting chance?
Someone you break dating norms with like double texting, triple texting, quadruple texting for good measure haha
Someone that pulls you out of your comfort zone and makes you uncomfortable enough to want to take the steps you never thought you even needed?
Someone that makes you wanna punch the air when they act rashly from a fight but also makes you wanna hold them close because you know even though they misunderstood your intentions, they must have been hurting.
Have you found someone that makes you rethink what you find cute? Like a mathematician and an idealist who can’t do basic math even if their lives depended on it.
Someone that will make you say…”this post was worth it”.
I never thought I would be using Reddit for this but how else would I find you?
If you’re 30+, live in MD, and you relate 100% to this post, ffs text me.

This thread will be posted by the automoderator every 48 hours at 6:00 PM PST.
Hi all,
This thread will attempt to limit the amount of low-effort posts we get in the subreddit. Yes, we all started somewhere at some point, and being new can be difficult and scary, but that is no excuse to not do any research and think that every question that pops into your head warrants a brand new post.
This post will initially be made by me, but will subsequently become a recurring automoderator thread.
Most questions can usually be answered with the following guides:
Basic, Commonly Used Replica Terms Defined (QC, GL, RL, Batch Names, Batch Tiering, etc)

Agent Basics

"I have never used an agent - how do I learn?"
In the current landscape, it is difficult to recommend any agents. Once an agent arises that seems trustworthy and efficient, a How-To Guide may be written. At this time, this group does not have a How-To Guide for agent purchases.
"How can I order this pair? The website (Weidian/Taobao) is in Chinese."
Web Browser's such as Apple's Safari or Google Chrome have built-in translation features that you can use to translate the page. Additionally, copy-pasting the link into an agent website translates the page for you.
"W2C?" "Do you have a link?"
I see these comments underneath posts at least daily, and I fear those of you commenting these things will not read this post either. All QC posts are mandated to have W2C links. All W2C links are either in the caption of the photos or in the comments section. Please check these two areas before posting "W2C?"
"I don't know what size to purchase"
If you've never ordered from an agent, you may not have ever referenced European sizing. Weidian listings are most commonly listed in EU sizing. I am a US 8.5, and that is an EU 42. Convert from your US or UK size to find the appropriate size! There are multiple size charts online, but the one I use myself is this one from N1k3.
In my experience, most shoes and batches are true to size, or at least fit like their retail counterparts. Order whatever size typically works for you in that silhouette. If it's your first time buying a certain silhouette, you can ask for insole measurements, though this isn't something I typically do.
"Wait - but X Middleman in another subreddit charges double the price for these! Am I being scammed by purchasing of Weidian?"
No, you are not being scammed. In short, middlemen do not produce pairs - they source them from the same places Weidian sellers do. Middlemen mark up the price as they are profiting off of user laziness and desire for maximum convenience, as well as providing usually faster UPS/FedEx shipping (a ~$55 value to the US). Some middlemen will lie and say Weidian is scamming you - this is not true. These sellers are simply trying to instill fear in ignorant, usually newer rep buyers in order to maintain business. These sellers also usually pay off other group moderators in order to be given the "trusted seller" status. This status was not earned, but bought. Keep this in mind when perusing other subreddits with weaker moderation.
As stated in my guide, batch is what matters, not seller. If you buy the same batch from a middleman as an agent, it will be the same exact quality. Please do not discuss overpriced middlemen from other groups here as that is against subreddit rules. Please try to do your own research on any outside information prior to bringing it into this subreddit as it may be unreliable. The only discussion regarding direct shipping allowed in the group is for Weidian sellers in the community as they offer the most competitive prices and have maintained a good reputation.
"I bought a pair in another subreddit from a middleman and want to know what they sent me! Can I post here asking for the batch identity?"
That is unfortunate that you purchased from a seller in another subreddit where sellers are not upheld to standards for transparency and putting the seller first. This group was not made to be a crutch to these other subreddits. We here encourage you to purchase from sellers who have gained their reputations organically, and who will be held to consequences if they breach that trust. You are welcome to post in other groups asking for batch identities, though that is not allowed here in order to maintain our ecosystem and not help maintain other, shadier subreddits.
"But middlemen said that if I use an agent, I can't get QC pictures or RL pairs?"
This is false and again, an attempt to keep your business and keep you from saving money. You can see all of the QC pictures in this group. Being able to GL or RL pairs depends on the listing. Certain sale listings or B-Grade listings are non-refundable, so you will get QC pictures, but you won't be able to return them except for severe circumstances (seller sent wrong shoe, seller sent wrong size).
"What is a B-Grade pair? How do they differ from regular products?"
B Grades or B Versions have imperfections that prevent the pairs from being sold at regular price - it’s impossible to know what imperfections will be present, though typically for top-tier batches, the imperfections are relatively minor. The flaws can range from scuffs to loose stitching, differences in tumbling to wrinkled leather. Sometimes, but not always, do the sellers state what types of flaws to expect on the pairs. I typically avoid any pairs where the sellers warn about mold, as that is not something I want to deal with or put on my feet.
"Well, do you recommend B-Grade products poncecatchemall?"
If you can’t tolerate minor flaws, do not purchase. These pairs are typically non-refundable. If you’re willing to compromise minor flaws that you’ll likely acquire rapidly anyway from wearing your shoe, pick the B-Grade pairs up and enjoy the discounted price - I personally recommend B products from top batches as I’m not bothered by imperfections that quickly come from wear.

QC Questions

"Which post flair should I use, Agent or DIRECT, and which price range should I select?"
Because the group will temporarily allow direct shipping from our Weidian sellers, QC Post Flairs were split for each price range into Agent Purchases and Direct Shipping Purchases. Please use the appropriate flair for how you purchased the item.

1. If you are purchasing through an agent, use the QC Post Flair that captures the price of the shoe on the Weidian Listing. For example, a 470¥ pair of GX Batch Jordan 4s would use the Agent QC 400¥ - 499¥ flair.
2. If you are purchasing the same GX Batch Jordan 4s pair directly from a Weidian seller, without an agent, you should use the DIRECT QC post flair that captures the total price (including direct shipping). If that GX Batch Jordan 4 pair comes out to $119 shipped, or 861¥ (470¥ + 390¥ Direct Shipping), you should use the DIRECT QC 800¥-899¥ post flair.

Using the appropriate flair helps keep the group organized (good for me) and more importantly, places prices in the direct view of all buyers in order to compare prices across sellers and ensure that no one seller is price gouging anybody (good for the community).
"Can I post screenshots of my QC pictures instead of downloading the pictures and posting the actual QC pictures?"
No. Posting screenshots of the QC photos reduces the picture resolution and makes actually providing any accurate QCs much more difficult. On your agent site, download the QC photos the agent has provided. Users should post the actual QC pictures with the appropriate title format.
"Wow, the pair I ordered using an agent looks like the colors are all off - why is that?"
Warehouse lighting is terrible and often distorts colors. You cannot QC color shades or saturations through warehouse lighting QC pics. Either 1) ask for natural lighting pictures (though not all agents do this) or 2) look up in-hand pictures of the batch you are purchasing, as in-hand pictures typically have better lighting. The latter tends to be easier unless it is a brand new batch on the market. Remember, colors typically do not vary within a batch. For example, all LJR TS1 Highs have a yellow midsole, and that does not change from pair to pair unless the batch is updated. The midsoles might picture differently among different agents or purchases, but they'll all look the same in person.
"I think I may have been bait and switched - what should I do?"
If you post asking if a pair you received is not what you purchased, your post must include specific reasoning as to why you believe that is so.
Acceptable reasoning includes specific characteristics of the shoe (leather cuts, wings logo placement, colors, etc) that differ from known pairs, different production dates from known pairs, sellers with confirmed recent history of bait and switch, etc. The most important part is to include some sort of reasoning. Posts without reasoning will be deleted, as these posts are typically made from newer members to the replica community, and the posts lead to unnecessary fearmongering and damage to seller reputations.
Please order a QC picture of the size tag so that we can see the production dates. Production dates on size tags can help rule out a batch identity. However, matching size tags does not guarantee a batch identity and requires some additional information. I order size tag pictures by asking my agent for additional "Detailed Photos" with the following statement in the request comment: "Complete picture of inner white size tag clearly showing both production dates."
"There are so many differing opinions! I don't know who to listen to. What do I do?
Being new in the rep game is hard - it is difficult to know who is a credible commenter, and who is not. For this reason, certain members in repweidiansneakers have been given User Flairs to distinguish them from the crowd as reputable, knowledgeable members of the community. They have earned their flairs, and if there are conflicting opinions on a QC, I personally would give their opinion more weight.
"What is the best batch for X shoe?"
Oftentimes, and especially for very popular shoes, these questions have already been asked and discussed in detail. Recommendations for navigating this are:

1. Check poncecatchemall's batch guide if available
2. If the shoe isn't listed on there, utilize the group's search bar to search for the shoe in question to look at QCs. You can also utilize the group's search bar to search by the Rep vs Retail Flair in order to see comparisons of batches on the market.
3. You can also check the comments history of any of the group experts to see if they've discussed these shoes in the past.

These 3 methods answer most questions. Please do some research prior to making a new post.

Shipping Questions

"How much will it be to ship X amount of shoes using an agent?"
There are often too many variables to give a blanket answer. Which agent? Shipping to which country? Using which shipping method? The most optimal way to use an agent in terms of cost is to make a haul of at least 4kg in my opinion, which is about 3-4 pairs of shoes. Previously, I myself typically shipped out 8kg-10kg hauls using my agent through GD-EMS, the haul typically arrives in 2 weeks, and the shipping cost per shoe is usually around $30.
"How much should I declare for the value of my package for Customs?"
This varies by country. For the US, I declare $12/kg. For 10kg hauls, I thus declare $120. Other countries have different guidelines. Hopefully members from different countries can state what they declare for their hauls per kg in the comments.
"Is my package seized?"
Does your tracking say your package has been seized? If yes, then yes, your package has been seized. If no, then no, your package has not been seized. Patience is a virtue and is the name of the game. Read your tracking information. Whatever it says is what the current status of the package is. That is the purpose of tracking information.
"But my tracking information hasn't updated in 3 days? Should I panic?"
No. Again, patience is key.
"Should I post a generic picture of my boxed haul about to ship out with a corny caption?"
No.

Miscellaneous

"Wow I saw a hilarious meme on another subreddit, can I post it here?"
No. Please keep the low-quality spam in other groups. Posting memes, "Fire up the rep machines" posts, or anything similar will result in a 14-day temporary ban from the group.
"I threw together a list of low-quality items in a spreadsheet and called it THE ULTIMATE FINDS LIST, just trying to get people to use my affiliate link for an agent - can I post it?"
Do not spam the group with low-quality "finds" spreadsheets. The majority of you doing this don't even know how to QC or make solid, informed recommendations. If you actually have good recommendations, I will make an exception. However, the majority of your "1:1 spreadsheets" are terrible, and thus are not allowed in this group.

Excuse the length, it's a lot.
My ex and I dated for 11 months. We started dating last January when we met on Tinder. He was super cute, experienced, and quickly became the most interesting part of my life. We only really fought about one thing and that was his lack of communication during breaks, like Spring break and Summer break. He lives 2 hours away from campus too, so whenever he visited family I just chalked it up to him being busy and stuff, but it got really annoying during the longer breaks. Summer we even almost broke up because it was like pulling teeth trying to get him to text me more than twice a day, let alone a weekly phone call.
Anyway, Fall semester comes and we’re golden, literally the perfect relationship I’ve ever had and I’m in love. That is, until Thanksgiving break, and the story gets convoluted from there.
He goes on his trip and I’m expecting the same ol’ radio silence. I’m like whatever, it’s fine, I know what to expect, I’m not bothered. Until he posts on instagram a “Happy Birthday” post about his high schooler sister, in which he includes a bunch of stuff from over the years of them together. One photo, the last one, is clearly taken from their Thanksgiving dinner with family and it's cropped to only be him and his little sister standing together and smiling. I can see, wrapped around his bicep, a young and pretty woman’s hand who has red, done up nails and it’s looking a little too-intimate for any family member. It’s cropped so all I see is her hand on his bicep, and I’m petty so I screenshot the post, circle the hand, and text it to him like “who’s that?” He tells me “My aunt.” And I totally call bullshit. But, like I said, I’m petty. So I play the waiting game.
He gets back and he sleeps in my dorm (my roommate had mono for a month so he practically lived with me for privacy from roommates lol). I wanted to get into his phone but didn’t know the password, but I prepared for this. I did a little research and found out that Android’s Face ID thing is able to be opened up with pictures of them sometimes, so I hold up a picture of him from my phone in front of the camera and it works. I end up finding out that Tinder is still on his phone, I look and BAM. He’s still chatting up other girls. I even look through his snapchat and find some of the names there lining up with the girls he’s talking to on Tinder and they have snap scores of UP TO 100 DAYS??? HOW. I wake him up right there, at 3am, and kick him out. I get my girlfriends to come with me to his apartment to exchange our things and block his ass, done and done.
Only… it isn’t done. Apparently one of my friends forgot to unfollow him on instagram and his next post is during Winter break where he POSTS AN ENGAGEMENT POST?! My friend obviously saw this, sent it to our group chat, and all my friends and I are freaking out. This guy didn’t even tag the girl either… So my friends go detective mode, find her, and it’s up to me to be like “hey girlie…”
Only… this girl… BLOCKED ME. Admittedly, I might be dumb. I sent the message “Hey girlie, I used to date [his name] and wanted to let you know” and I totally didn’t realize how unhelpful that is. A couple of my friends tried messaging her too to be like “your fiance is cheating on you” but she told them to stop harassing her and blocked them too. It genuinely sucked not being able to help the girl out, but all my friends and I decided like “we tried, she can figure it out the hard way.”
Fast forward to February. I’ve been on Tinder for awhile and have been wanting to get a date for Valentine’s season, so I’m working overtime trying to find someone who fits my standards, and lo and beyond I FIND HIM. He’s got a whole new profile from the one I saw last year and I asked my undercover friend who is still following him on instagram to see he STILL has the engagement post up. This man is a chronic serial cheater.
I’m like fuming at this point, totally feeling vengeful and bored with nothing else to do. So, I use my friend’s phone who doesn’t have a Tinder profile, and we create one together to catfish him. We even facetune my face and literally make his dream girl. I know he’s into platinum blonde girls with brown eyes, so we edit me with those features. We even make the profile catered to him, mentioning his favorite game using those Tinder prompts like “My biggest turn on is… The Death’s Poker in Elden Ring” (we thought this was really funny). We even put our favorite song as his favorite song too, trying to make us his perfect match.
After a couple days, my friend and I are hanging out and swiping on the catfishing profile until we see him. We swipe and MATCH.
Over the next couple of hangouts my friend and I are getting the rest of our group chat of 3 other girls to help us write the perfect messages. We’re acting cute and flirty, his perfect little dream girl.
The goal is to get evidence of his cheating and proof it's actually him texting because we’re all lowkey scared if we bring this up to his fiance she’s going to accuse us of harassing her again and making up this profile. So, after a couple girls nights of torturing his man on Tinder he asks to move to snap. I use my phone for this and make a new snap, my girlfriends and I are pre-making facetuned photos of me at my friend’s house so he doesn’t recognize the background of my dorm. At some point we ask him to send a snap of himself too, and he does like half of his face. I save it and text him like “Soooo cute” and he’s like “Not as cute as you”, and I screenshot the exchange. Snapchat alerts him and he starts being like “Why did you do that??” and I tell him “It’s a sweet message I wanna keep” and he’s like “you can just save the message to the chat… you don’t need to ss.” Which is very sus and tells us he’s guilty.
Anyway, I’m going on and on. Basically, my girlfriends and I continue texting him to drag him along. Eventually we kinda think we have enough evidence, but then one of my friends is like “what if we make him break up with his fiance for you and then you dump him?” At the time, to be fair, I’m with all my overly excited friends and they’re all like “yeah!!!” so I feel pressured to agree. It definitely feels weird, but I’m ngl I enjoy the extra drama in my life sometimes, as shitty as that is to say.
From mid February to all the way where he graduates, we’re texting pretty often. I try to keep an emotional distance so everything I tell him about myself are lies, avoiding any half truths. Eventually my girlfriends get kinda bored and move on to other things, but I’m stuck behind making the plan see an end. It gets a little intense eventually, I won’t lie, and a couple times I had to fake sickness to avoid whenever he’d ask me out on dates. It’s not really a fulfilling affair, tbh, so I think the only reason why he liked this catfishing profile is because it said everything he wanted to hear. Anyway, eventually he starts transitioning into being SUPER lovey dovey and he’s literally saying I’m his dream girl. Duh. And, literally, two weeks ago he confessed everything to me.
Guys, I invited all my girlfriends over the moment I got the text and totally cried in their arms over what he told me. This entire time, since Junior year of high school, he’s had a long term girlfriend. She goes to a local university in his hometown, so they only see each other when he visits, but he stopped loving her after meeting me. He left out the part where they’re engaged, but he told me he’s gonna break up with her once he moves out of his apartment and moves back home. He’s hoping to see me before he does though, and wants to make a plan for me to visit him over the summer.
I am absolutely heartbroken in the most selfish way. I really feel for his fiance as he’s definitely had over probably 20 affairs while being in college away from her and she has no idea, or at least chooses to ignore it. On top of this, finding out our previous relationship was a lie hurts me. He told me he loved me and we spent so many days of the week together, but thinking back he totally had other dates too. This is seriously crazy. And I feel crazy for contributing to his cheating streak knowingly. I didn’t think it would get this far to be honest, and the fact he’s willing to break up with this poor girl over a fake one he still hasn’t met is psycho.
When he told me, my friends helped me type up a message that boils down to “Wow, that’s a lot. I need some time to process this information.” and we’ve since been ignoring all his messages on snap.
Another aspect is that, while this has been happening, I’ve also been actually dating people and did meet this one guy I really like. It’s getting weird now living this double life. This guy and I are getting closer and I realized I feel ashamed at the thought of telling him what I’ve done, so I’ve been reflecting.
Ultimately, as lowkey guilty as I feel, I do believe he deserves it on some level. The fiance doesn’t, but deserves better. I’m breaking up a couple, but with good reason.
How do I get out of this situation? I’m so stuck.
TLDR: I posed as my cheating ex’s dreamgirl to break up him and his fiance, but things feel too intense. How do I get out of this situation? .