In most cases when sales of a product have plateaued, market saturation is often used. That suggests there is more supply than demand for a given product. Western marketplaces are bursting with work options and ways to make money. Today’s young people must act smart and move quick to locate new employment opportunities.In most cases when sales of a product have plateaued, market saturation is often used. That suggests there is more supply than demand for a given product. Western marketplaces are bursting with work options and ways to make money. Today’s young people must act smart and move quick to locate new employment opportunities.

Suppose one wants to be successful in this field, they should focus on expanding markets, developing innovative technology, and uncovering undiscovered company prospects in highly profitable niche industries, among other things (Agarwal et al, 6). Businesses in crowded markets may cut the price of their products to gain a larger market share. As a result, businesses are always undercutting each other to attract new customers. Cost-cutting is a common strategy for firms when profits are stagnant (Simonazzi et al., 17). Unnecessary or avoidable cost savings are welcome, but they don’t address the underlying issue.

Where do I pay my taxes if I am a digital nomad?

According to the recent reports, westerners already pay too many taxes in a number of business entities. Due to the high cost of living in their new home nation, one out of every five American ex-pats is contemplating renunciation of their citizenship. Senators are concerned about how to pay for the deficit, and Senate rules prohibit raising long-term deficits through reconciliation bills. Consequently, more money will be available to Congress if the budget reconciliation plan generates more revenue. The United States will not make significant investments unless Congress makes significant adjustments to the tax structure (Michel et al., 89). Increased budget deficits could slow the long-term growth of the economy. In addition private investment or borrowing from other countries is used to pay for government borrowing when the economy is close to capacity (Chen et al.440). When a person is experiencing difficulties, it might harm their future well-being. To put it another way, the long-term impacts of tax policy are influenced by its incentives and its budgetary implications.
Digital nomads have historically been seen as a threat in some places, but several countries around the world are now actively seeking to attract this growing digital population through new remote work visas.
All this converges into a superstorm, and more and more people will opt for digital nomad opportunities. While tax regulations can vary significantly depending on where you are in the world, general guidelines may be helpful to for those seeking information on paying taxes as a digital nomad. Naturally, tax filing is done with the country of tax residence as determined by the place of a principal residence. Digital nomads, however, may encounter a variety of additional layers of tax residence due to their physical presence in other countries during a tax year. In addition, state/province/territory and local taxes may also apply.

Cancel culture and family safety issues

The cancellation culture has a lot to do with social media and if it hadn’t been for social media, pop culture would not have gotten the attention it has in the previous decade. In most case the cultures are frequently canceled by unfollowing, blocking, and publicly criticizing an organization or individual on social media. Due to their large social media followings, celebrity cancellations often garner much media attention. As a result of using social media to communicate with celebrities, many teenagers desire to emulate their peers. Most adolescent cancel culture is carried out online, primarily via comments and unfollows (Yar et al., 80). This can happen in the real world, such as at school or in extracurricular activities. They are often rejected, mocked, and disregarded by their peers, who have had their activities canceled. Most Western workers are experiencing job instability due to the growth of a “cancel culture” in the workplace (Dąbrowska-Kłosińska, 30). This can be a terrific method for teenagers to learn and grow, as their peers may call them out for using insulting words or acting inappropriately.

Investment analysis and forecasting as part of the individual development strategy

To produce an accurate financial projection, one must consider both general macroeconomic trends and your organization’s specific circumstances. Predicting how much money a company will generate and spend in the future is known as financial forecasting. A full estimate contains both short-term and long-term revenue estimates and costs that aren’t anticipated at the time of the estimate (Poorter et al.120). People who know how to create models are critical to financial forecasting firms that do a good job. Some people have extensive knowledge of the organization, its sectors, and the communities it serves to support them along the way. Similarly, data collection and analysis are critical to the financial forecasting process and the use of the software.

Scenario planning and personal life choices

Global events like COVID 19, inflation, or food crisis can impact our life choices a lot. To avoid reacting to events, we need to think about what might happen in the future. Scenario planning helps us do this. Scenario planning allows business leaders to consider what might happen, reflect on past actions, and devise strategies for positive and poor outcomes. Scenario planning is more than just a means to think about the future when it comes to financial planning. It can assist one in determining how much money you’ll make, how much money you’ll have, and how to manage hazards. Early warning indications of difficulties can be spotted by leaders who make their organizations aware of potential issues (MacKenzie et al.900). One can use scenario planning papers to quickly run through numerous scenarios and figure out the best course of action in the event of a crisis. Making a strategy in the event of an emergency is essential. Having a strategy in place is critical in the event of a product going viral and seeing a threefold increase in demand in a single day.

Building the right skills for the jobs of the future

To be eligible for future employment, one must possess the abilities that will be most in demand. Coding has taken off swiftly as one of the most sought-after skills. Almost any industry can benefit from the versatility and scalability of computer languages. People believe that coding is so prevalent in the workplace that it will soon become an essential skill for everyone. Learning to code is a difficult task. Learning how to code and the language you choose impacts how long it takes to do so (Moldoveanu et al.40). Before you begin learning how to code, look at several computer languages and determine which ones are relevant to your industry. Many people begin by studying HTML or JavaScript when learning a new language. After you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you can move to more popular and widely used languages like Python. It is possible to store and manage corporate data in the cloud while allowing employees to work from home.

Riding on global trends of tomorrow

By adopting an agile culture, knowing how to cope with ambiguity, pushing outside our comfort zones, and quickly adjusting to new trends, among other things, we achieve success. We all agree that the weather has gotten more erratic in the last few decades. Crop failure, sea-level rise, and water scarcity are exacerbated by global warming. Malaria and dengue fever epidemics are also on the rise due to the influx of people from developing countries. According to the Kyoto Protocol, 175 countries have agreed to begin the long process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by signing it (Penalva et al., 340). According to business leaders worldwide, firms have a larger role in society and should do more than merely follow the law to reduce pollution. According to a McKinsey survey, this is the case. The “triple bottom line” refers to a company’s efforts to benefit its shareholders and its workers and the environment. Increasing numbers of businesses are waking up to the need to lower their carbon footprints, produce ecologically friendly products, and operate their operations for more than just quarterly profits.

References

Agarwal, Khushboo, and Veeraruna Kavitha. “Saturated total-population dependent branching process and viral markets.” arXiv preprint arXiv: 2203.16239 (2022).
Chen, Novia X., and Terry Shevlin. ““US worldwide taxation and domestic mergers and acquisitions” a discussion✰.” Journal of Accounting and Economics 66.2-3 (2018): 439-447.
Dąbrowska-Kłosińska, Patrycja. “The Protection of Human Rights in Pandemics—Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future.” German Law Journal 22.6 (2021): 28-38.
MacKenzie, Meredith A., et al. “Respecting choices and related models of advance care planning: a systematic review of published evidence.” American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® 35.6 (2018): 897-907.
Michel, Adam N. “When It Comes to Taxation, Borders Matter—Europe and the US Should Act Accordingly.” Heritage Foundation Issue Brief 4855 (2018).
Moldoveanu, Mihnea, and Das Narayandas. “The future of leadership development.” Harvard business review 97.2 (2019): 40-48.
Penalva, Jose. “Innovation, personalised education and Little Red Riding Hood.” International Journal of Lifelong Education 39.4 (2020): 339-355.
Poorter, Lourens, et al. “Can traits predict individual growth performance? A test in a hyperdiverse tropical forest.” New Phytologist 219.1 (2018): 109-121.
Simonazzi, Annamaria, Jorge Carreto Sanginés, and Margherita Russo. “The Future of the Automotive Industry: Dangerous Challenges or New Life for a Saturated Market?” Institute for New Economic Thinking Working Paper Series 141 (2020).
Yar, Sanam, and Jonah Engel Bromwich. “Tales From the teenage cancel culture.” The New York Times (2019).
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Tesha Teshanovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Hey, this is sort of a survey/post. I've been obsessed with experimenting with tools to get customers for my saas. I'm currently touching $10k and plan to reach 15 in the next 3 months. All of these have worked for me. Please let me know if you have some other tools to recommend. I might have gotten too carried away with getting the "perfect" stack and have probably spent more time on it than it's worth lol. But still, here it goes:

1. Getting cold leads/customers: apollo.io
2. Getting warm leads/customers: buzzgeniusai.com
3. Linkedin prospecting/automation: dripify.io
4. Digital sales rep for prospecting: ava from artisan.co

I have literally tried all the popular options in the market and my OCD brain has finally settled on this. If you have anything you'd like to share I'd be grateful if you do. Well, I'll try to make up for the lost family time now and try to live like a regular person. Adios

Hey everyone!
I have this program that I've done that gives the user a survey and saves their answers to different files for different political parties. The program is supposed to learn by using the previous answers from previous surveys to calculate the probability of the party the user belongs to before the user finishes the survey. I've got it working right now, but I have a sticky situation where some beliefs overlap between a couple of different parties. For example, Socialists and Democrats both believe in Climate Change. But there are also stark differences on some issues, for example Libertarians don't believe in paying taxes at all, and Republicans believe in lower taxes. I would like to improve my program by assigning numerical weights to the answer choices so that way the program can factor that into the probability calculations and make better guesses faster. Like in the Libertarian-Republican tax example, the Libertarian no tax answer would have a different weight that would tell the program that the user is more likely to be a Libertarian. I want the program to be able to figure out and adjust the weights for itself.
public class Main {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Map probabilityManagerMap = new HashMap<>();

probabilityManagerMap.put(PoliticalParty.REPUBLICAN, new ProbabilityManager(PoliticalParty.REPUBLICAN, 0.25));

probabilityManagerMap.put(PoliticalParty.DEMOCRAT, new ProbabilityManager(PoliticalParty.DEMOCRAT, 0.25));

probabilityManagerMap.put(PoliticalParty.SOCIALIST, new ProbabilityManager(PoliticalParty.SOCIALIST, 0.25));

probabilityManagerMap.put(PoliticalParty.LIBERTARIAN, new ProbabilityManager(PoliticalParty.LIBERTARIAN, 0.25));

Map answerNumbers = new HashMap<>();
answerNumbers.put("a", 1);
answerNumbers.put("b", 2);
answerNumbers.put("c", 3);

Survey survey = new Survey();
SurveyUserInput userInputCheck = new SurveyUserInput(answerNumbers);
String userInput = "";
Map answerIndices = new HashMap<>();
ProbabilityCalculator cal = new ProbabilityCalculator(probabilityManagerMap);
int answerNumber = 0;
String user = "";
Scanner s = new Scanner(System.in);
SurveyManager.printProb(probabilityManagerMap);
SurveyManager surv = new SurveyManager();

for(int i = 0; i SurveyManager.printProb(probabilityManagerMap);

System.out.println(surv.printGuess(probabilityManagerMap));
SurveyComponent c = survey.getQuestion(i);
answerNumber = userInputCheck.performSurvey(i, c);
answerIndices.put(i, answerNumber);
cal.recalculate(i, answerNumber);

}

PoliticalParty party = userInputCheck.askParty();
probabilityManagerMap.get(party).saveAnswerIndices(answerIndices);


}

}

public class SurveyUserInput {
Map mapKey;
public SurveyUserInput(Map mapKey) {
this.mapKey = mapKey;
}

Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);

Survey survey = new Survey();


public int performSurvey(int questionNumber, SurveyComponent com) {
String user = "";

int a;

System.out.println(com.question);
for(String answer : com.getAnswers()) {
System.out.println(answer);
}
do {
user = scanner.next().toLowerCase();
} while(!user.equals("a") && !user.equals("b") && !user.equals("c"));
a = mapKey.get(user);
return a;
}

public PoliticalParty askParty() {
String userInput = "";
System.out.println("What party? \nA) Republican \nB) Democrat \nC)Libertarian \nD) Socialist");

do {
userInput = scanner.next().toLowerCase();
} while(!userInput.equals("a") && !userInput.equals("b") && !userInput.equals("c") && !userInput.equals("d"));
int index = userInput.codePointAt(0) - 'a';
return PoliticalParty.values()[index];

}

}

public class SurveyFileIO {

public static void writeToFile(String fileName, Map answerList) {
try {
File file = new File(fileName + ".txt");
if(!file.exists()) {
file.createNewFile();

}
BufferedWriter fileWriter = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(file));
for(Map.Entry answer : answerList.entrySet()) {
int key = answer.getKey();
int value = answer.getValue();

fileWriter.append(key + "=" + value);
fileWriter.newLine();

}
fileWriter.close();

} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}




public static Map readFromFile(String fileName) {
Map fileContents = new HashMap<>();
try {
File file = new File(fileName + ".txt");
if(file.exists()) {
BufferedReader fileReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(fileName + ".txt"));
String line;
while((line = fileReader.readLine()) != null) {
String[] parts = line.split("=") ;
if(parts.length == 2) {
int key = Integer.parseInt(parts[0]);
int value = Integer.parseInt(parts[1]);
fileContents.put(key, value);
}

}

fileReader.close();
} else {
fileContents.put(0, 0);
}


} catch(IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return fileContents;
}


}

public class SurveyComponent {

String question;
String[] answers;

SurveyComponent(String question, String...answers) {
this.question = question;
this.answers = answers;

}

public String[] getAnswers() {
return answers;
}

}
public class Survey {

SurveyComponent[] surveyComponentArray;

public Survey() {

surveyComponentArray = new SurveyComponent[10];

surveyComponentArray[0] = new SurveyComponent("How do you feel about the issue of guns?",
"A) I believe in the 2nd Amendment completely.", "B) I believe in gun control",
"C) I don't care");

 `surveyComponentArray[1] = new SurveyComponent("How do you feel about the USA's involvement in with other nations?",` 

"A) I believe we should focus on America.", "B) I believe we need to be involved.",
"C) I don't even believe in foregin aid.");
//etc. for all questions and answers.

}
public SurveyComponent getQuestion(int index) {
return surveyComponentArray[index];

}

}


public class SurveyManager {
public PoliticalParty printGuess(Map proMap) {
double maxProb = Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;
PoliticalParty most = null;

for(Map.Entry entry : proMap.entrySet()) {
ProbabilityManager pro = entry.getValue();
double partyProbability = pro.getProbability();
if(partyProbability > maxProb) {
maxProb = partyProbability;
most = entry.getKey();
}
}
return most;
}


public static void printProb(Map proMap) {
for(PoliticalParty party : PoliticalParty.values()) {
System.out.println(party.name() + new DecimalFormat("0.00").format(proMap.get(party).getProbability()*100));
}
}
}

public class ProbabilityManager {

public PoliticalParty party;
private double partyProbability;
private String fileName;
private Map previousSurveyData;

public ProbabilityManager(PoliticalParty party, double partyProbability) {
this.party = party;
this.partyProbability = partyProbability;
this.fileName = party.name().toLowerCase();
previousSurveyData=SurveyFileIO.readFromFile(
fileName);
}
public void setProbability(double partyProbability) {
this.partyProbability = partyProbability;
}
public double getProbability() {
return partyProbability;
}

public double calculateProbOfAnswerGivenParty(int questionNumber, int answerNumber) {
int counter = 0;
if((previousSurveyData.containsKey(questionNumber)) && previousSurveyData.get(questionNumber) == answerNumber) {
counter++;

} else {
return (double)counter;
}
return (double)counter / previousSurveyData.size();

}

public void saveAnswerIndices(Map answerIndices) {
for(Map.Entry entry : answerIndices.entrySet()) {
int key = entry.getKey();
int value = entry.getValue();

this.previousSurveyData.put(key, value);

}
SurveyFileIO.writeToFile(fileName, previousSurveyData);
}
}

public class ProbabilityCalculator {
private final Map partyMap;

public ProbabilityCalculator(Map partyMap) {
this.partyMap = partyMap;
}

public void recalculate(int questionNumber, int answerNumber) {
double totalProb = 0;

Map probOfAnswerGivenParty = new HashMap<>();


for(PoliticalParty party : PoliticalParty.values()) {
ProbabilityManager probManager = partyMap.get(party);

if(probManager != null) {
double probOfAnsGivenP = probManager.calculateProbOfAnswerGivenParty(questionNumber, answerNumber);
totalProb += probManager.getProbability() * probOfAnsGivenP;

probOfAnswerGivenParty.put(party, probOfAnsGivenP);
} else {
System.out.println("no");
}
}

for(PoliticalParty party : PoliticalParty.values()) {

ProbabilityManager probManager = partyMap.get(party);

double probOfPartyGivenANS = probManager.getProbability() * probOfAnswerGivenParty.get(party) / totalProb;
probManager.setProbability(probOfPartyGivenANS);
}
}


}

public enum PoliticalParty {
REPUBLICAN,
DEMOCRAT,
LIBERTARIAN,
SOCIALIST

}
I was thinking about trying to set the weights up in the ProbabilityManager class. The thing I'm having the most trouble with is how to set up the weights for what I'm calling the "deciding answers". That is, the answers that ONLY a Libertarian or ONLY a Socialist would choose, like my tax example. I would really appreciate some help. Thanks! :)

Hi everyone, I am currently a game development masters UX research student at the University of Skovde in Sweden completing my thesis with the purpose of researching how player learning can be increased in cybersecurity education games. There are 2 different surveys available, one I have included a simple game to play (Group 2) using the screentop.gg platform as well as a separate survey for testing knowledge of cybersecurity topics with a simple test (Group 1) for comparison of those who played vs. didn't. Feel free to participate in either one (Choose one, don't do both). Your participation in this study would greatly contribute to my research in understanding how to effectively leverage gaming platforms for educational purposes. If you love games but don't have a lot of knowledge in cybersecurity then you are the right person for this study. I would also advise completing this on a PC but whatever can work for you would be fine.
Study Details:
Purpose: To investigate strategies for increasing player learning in cybersecurity education games.
Methodology: Participants will engage with a specially designed cybersecurity game and provide feedback through a survey.
Time Commitment: Unlimited time for game play followed by a short survey for feedback and data.
If you are interested in joining this study or would like more information, please click on either one of the links below to participate. Your participation will be kept confidential, and your privacy will be strictly protected throughout the study and may leave whenever you want:
Questionnaire without game (Group 1): https://forms.gle/AvVfN6AiRM4ETFba7
Questionnaire with game (Group 2): https://forms.gle/j1SZEBzoJvTqCqSK6

No, not THAT "baton"!! Here's the definition of "Sticky Baton" syndrome:

All the more significant in our survey of some 154 owners, leaders and top executives of mid to large U.S. family businesses from across industries, is that merely 27 percent of respondents possess a robust succession plan for transitioning senior roles at their companies. This leads to what I call the “sticky baton syndrome,” where the older generation hands off management of the firm in theory, while in practice they remain in control of what really matters. from here
March 16, 1958—The Passing of the Baton World Tribune
On March 16, 1958, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda entrusted the mission of kosen-rufu to the youth. World Tribune

Nothing got "passed", though, we can all see that - if Toda had, indeed, passed any "baton" to Icky, he wouldn't have had to wait over 2 YEARS to take the office of President of the Soka Gakkai, would he? But now Dickeda has embellished the account to make it all about HIMSELF (per usual):

And President Toda had in turn passed the baton to his disciple, a young Daisaku Ikeda, who later became the third president, “If I cannot do this during my lifetime, I ask you to do it in yours.” Source

Ikeda DIDN'T. Ikeda FAILED. Toda was obviously shit for picking "disciples".
Ikeda kept repeating that this whole "passing the baton" was GOING to happen - and it never did!
HOW many times did Icky tell everyone he was "turning the reins over to the youth"? Let's look at a few!
From 1966, Ikeda's self-glorifying fanfic of his own GREATNESS:

“I am determined to continue striving and opening the way for you. I will chant to the Gohonzon that I live long enough to see all of you develop into outstanding adults and take your places in society, at which time I will pass the baton of our movement to you. Everything I do is for you and for no one else. I will fight courageously for you. I will open the way for you. I will give my life for you! Source

Barf. Dickeata clung to that "baton" with every ounce of energy he could channel into those doughy plump hands of his. Are his "disciples" really so disappointing and incompetent? Then doesn't that mean he's a ROTTEN "Sensei"??
Here's some more:

"We must entrust everything to the youth." - Ikeda, 2007
This was slightly modified for 2009: "The future must be entrusted to the youth." Ikeda
...and recycled entirely for March 16, 2010, March 16, 2011, March 16, 2012, March 16, 2013, and March 16, 2014
Expect to see it repeated on March 16, 2015! (from here - it was written before March 16, 2015)
And for March 16, 2016; and for March 16, 2017; and for March 16, 2018... Source

Did anything get "turned over to the youth"? NO!

But you can't have "creative mimesis" where there is a narcissistic egomaniacal dictator like Ikeda making all the decisions. For all the decades of Ikedaspeak about "turning the reins over to the youth division", the SGI youth still have no power, no control, and no authority. It's been at least 50 years that Ikeda's been saying that, BTW. It's just noise. Source
Besides, if Scamsei REALLY wants "the youth" to "lead", WHY O WHY has he NEVER turned any power or control or money over to "the youth", despite saying for decades that he's "turning the reins over to the youth"?? Source
But even as we are all told by Ikeda that he is "turning the reins over to the youth", the youth NEVER have any decision-making power within SGI. Source

How many times could you hear that before you realized it was just manipulative LIES??

For over four decades I've been hearing the tired old yarn about how youth will be the successors of Soka, and about how youth will be leading the organization, blah blah blah. Well then, where are they? All those youth pioneers I practiced with would be somewhere between 60 and 75 now. Not only did they not lead as youth, but they never led period - not the cult.org or kosen rufu. Besides, the vast majority left das org long ago. Did anyone young or old ever succeed Ikeda? No! And they're still stuck with Ikeda, despite the fact that Ikeda repeatedly stated that he intended to hand the reigns of leadership over to the entire youth division. Riiight... when was that supposed to happen, just after he moved to the USA (as promised)? What a pack of lies! Source
Ikeda will never "turn the reins over to the youth division", despite promising to do exactly that for over 40 years. And if anyone ever tries to call SGI on it, they'll be told, "Oh, that's because we aren't ready! Sensei is protecting us by keeping all the power and control unto himself! We need to prove ourselves worthy to Sensei!!"

Barf.

And then they change the meaning of "successors" so it no longer means "running things"! Source

And HERE's how Die-suckin'a Dick-eata clarified - he never really meant actual YOUTH!

The real meaning of youth has nothing to do with physical age. In Buddhist terms, youth means to consistently maintain an open, flexible and tolerant mind. Ikeda

Discussing the theme for this year, the Year of Developing Youth in the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu, SGI President Ikeda says: “‘Developing youth’ is nothing other than revitalizing and developing our own youthful life state and limitlessly expanding the number of fellow Bodhisattvas of the Earth into the future” (November 18, 2016, World Tribune, p. 7).

Oh 😶

It really is. I didn't realize that "the youth" didn't actually mean the Youth Division until I ran across that source.
And then it all clicked. THAT's why Ikeda has been saying he's preparing to "turn the reins over to the youth" for 50 or 60 years now - he has no intention to EVER cede any control to any young person or group of young people. He and his fellow oldsters will tightly hold all the power, all the while patting themselves on the back for how "youthful" they are.
Just think how often SGI members or SGI articles describe Ikeda as "youthful"... Source
So when Ikeda says he's going to "turn the reins over to the youth" - like he's been saying for the past FIFTY YEARS AT LEAST - he simply means "We old Japanese men are going to stay in control until we die." Source

And isn't Crypt Keeper Harada youthful???

http://www.sndup.net/xks6
I got a ride and was on my way to pick him up. I got a call from the rider. It was a guy saying that the ride I was currently on was just a test ride, not a real rider, or something, and they were congratulating me for getting over 500 rides. I started recording once I realized what was happening. I trimmed my name out of the recording, and the number I gave him was made up.
I drove to the spot, waited, and got my cancel fee, then messaged Lyft that the ride was a scammer. No response yet.
Be careful out there. This happened once before to me, and I believed it and was just about to give him the code that would have let him steal about $200, when I realized what was happening.
Transcript:
Scammer: 25 dollars we're going to activate to your driver account, just for you driving safely for our rideshare company [my name] so congratulations, okay?
Me: Oh, okay.
Scammer: You're welcome. What I'm going to do now is I'm gonna activate the bonus, sir. It'll send you to a short survey, just to get the feedback [unintelligible].
Me: Okay, sure.
Scammer: Just to make sure I'm speaking to our correct driver, [my name], can you please repeat the telephone number [unintelligible].
Me: Yeah. 311-822-6422.
Scammer: That is correct. What I'm gonna do, for safety purposes, is I'm gonna disconnect and give a callback to make sure that number is in your possession, for safety purposes. To make sure we're speaking to our correct account holder before actually moving forward, okay?
Me: Okay, sounds good, thank you.
Scammer: You're welcome.

• Short descriptions of websites and apps to make a bit of extra cash. Most platforms listed below will be linked to honest reviews and real expectations of how much you can potentially earn based on my personal experience.
• PayPal is one of the most common ways to get paid, so if you don’t already have an account, I would advise you to create one here.
• The list will be regularly updated whenever I review new platforms.

The list will consist of 4 parts.

• Part 1: Passive income apps for Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android and iOS
• Part 2: Mobile apps only
• Part 3: Surveys, studies, watching videos, playing games etc.
• Part 4: Ireland only - Surveys and Scanning groceries for cashback

Part 1: Passive income apps for Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android and iOS
EarnApp Review (Payment Proof) - (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Raspberry PI)

• Payout options: PayPal, Amazon gift cards, Wise
• Install their app on your computer and/or mobile phone and leave it running in the background.
• This app basically shares some of your Internet traffic.
• 100% passive
  HoneyGain Review (Payment Proof) - (Windows, Mac OS and Android)
  
• Payout option: PayPal
  
• Install their app on your computer and/or mobile phone and leave it running in the background.
  
• This software basically shares some of your Internet traffic.
  
• 100% passive
  

PacketStream Review (Payment Proof) - (Windows, Linux and Mac OS)

• Payout option: PayPal
• Same concept as EarnApp and Honeygain
• 100% passive

SimCash Review (Payment Proof) - (Android only)

• Referral code (optional): T3XJZ
• Payout options: Crypto, Bank transfer
• App to download on your mobile that sends texts automatically. The earnings will depend on the demand and how many texts you set in the settings to be sent daily, weekly or monthly.
• 100% passive

Mobirich Review (Payment Proof) - (Android only)

• Referral code (to get 0.50€ bonus): moFYtQlW
• Payout option: PayPal, USDT (Crypto)
• App to download on your Android phone where you will earn by receiving texts automatically.
• 100% passive

Repays Me Review (Payment Proof) - (Android only)

• Invitation code (optional): 5e8rO
• Payout options: Crypto, gift cards, bank transfers.
• App to download on your Android phone where you will earn by sending and receiving texts automatically.
• 100% passive

Money SMS Review (Payment Proof) - (Android only)

• Sign up bonus: 0,25€ when using this code MZ2GLM24
• Payout option: PayPal
• Money SMS payment proof
• App to download on your Android phone where you will earn 0.02€ per text received.
• These are very random texts and you don't need to read them. There are days I don't receive any texts at all and times I receive a few texts at a time every day.
• 100% passive

McMoney Review (Payment Proof) - (Android only)

• Sign up bonus: $0,25 when using this code V6TM2KP5
• Payout option: PayPal
• Same concept as Money SMS
• They pay $0.05 per text (twice more than Money SMS but I personally run both on my mobile).
• 100% passive

LoadTeam Review (Payment Proof) - (Windows only)

• Payout option: PayPal
• Download their software on your computer and leave it running.
• This app basically "harvests" your computer's idle power.
• Note that your computer could run slow if you don't change the settings on their software.
• Tip: I would advise to use this only if you use your computer at the same time. Leaving this particular software running for the purpose of simply earning money might not be worth it.
• Once you install it, you can see how much money you could potentially make as it all depends on your computer's performance.
• 100% passive

Kryptex Review (Payment Proof) - (Windows)

• Payout options: Crypto, Visa gift cards etc.
• Download their software on your computer and leave it running.
• Tip: I would advise to use this only if you use your computer at the same time. Leaving this particular software running for the purpose of simply earning money might not be worth it.
• 100% passive

eBesucher Review (Payment Proof) - (Windows, Linux and Mac OS)

• Payout options: PayPal and bank transfer
• Autosurf that launches random advertised websites on your browser. You can also earn points by reading emails they send you but then it wouldn't be a passive income. I personally just let the Autosurf running.
• The main purpose of an Autosurf is for new websites to bring traffic.
• You will need to download their software on your computer and leave it running.
• Simply hit "Start" once the software is installed.
• 100% passive

Part 2: Mobile apps only
AttaPoll Review (Payment Proof) - (Android and iOS)

• Payout options: PayPal, Revolut, Ethereum
• AttaPoll payment proof
• Short surveys. Usually take between 1 to 10 minutes.

Poll Pay Review (Payment Proof) - (Android and iOS)

• Sign up bonus: 0.23€ when using this code N6D2DC84BB
• Payout options: PayPal, App Store/iTunes and Spotify Premium
• Short surveys. Usually take between 5 to 10 minutes.

Money App (Android and IOS) http://moneyapp.org/app

• Sign up bonus: 200 Credits when using this code 71YNBT
• Payout option: PayPal
• Surveys, installing/playing games, signing up to sites etc.

CashKarma Review (Payment Proof) - (Android and iOS)

• Sign up bonus: 300 Karma points. Go to the top right corner of the app and enter weaselbusters
• Payout options: PayPal, Google Play, Xbox Live and Steam
• Surveys, installing/playing, signing up to sites etc.

BeMyEye (Android and IOS) https://bemyeye.com/earn-money/

• Sign up bonus: 1€ when you enter this code j5z6pk and complete your first mission.
• Payout options: PayPal and Bank transfer
• This app allows you to earn money by completing missions. They include taking pictures at specific locations in your area, answering questions and following instructions given to you by the app.

StreetBees (Android and IOS) Android iPhone

• Sign up bonus: 1€ when you enter this code 8572TF
• Payout option: PayPal
• Stories (these are basically surveys, but they show as if someone was asking you questions on a messaging app)

Givvy App Review (Payment Proof) - (Android and iOS)

• Sign up bonus: 130 coins
• Payout options: PayPal, Revolut
• Earn Givvy points by playing games (Memory cards, Tic tac toe and Calculate).
• With those coins, you can enter entries to earn between 0.25€ to 50€.
• The other option is to keep your coins and convert them to cash, but this could take longer to earn.

BigCash Review (Payment Proof) - (Android and iOS)

• Sign up bonus: 70 coins when you enter this code nwzh7k5z after installing the app
• Payout options: PayPal, Amazon gift card etc.
• Earn points by watching videos, checking in every day, surveys etc.

Part 3: Surveys, studies, watching videos, playing games etc.
SwagBucks - Sign up here

• Sign up bonus: $3 (if you sign up through the link above and earn 300 SB points within 30 days)
• Payout options: PayPal, gift cards etc.
• Wide range of surveys & offers

OfferNation Review (Payment Proof)

• Sign up bonus: $0.25
• Payout options: PayPal and Skrill
• Points proof PayPal payment proof Email payment proof
• Wide range of surveys & offers
• You might need to send a utility bill or any document with your name on it. It is to prevent fraud. I had to do that myself, I just sent them my broadband utility bill.
• You get paid almost instantly as you can cash out from $1

Prolific Review (Payment Proof)

• Payout option: PayPal
• Payment proof 1 / Payment proof 2
• This website is one of my favorites. You basically get random "studies" depending on the questions you pre-filled when signing up (you can change them later on at any stage).
• It might help if you speak more than 1 language. I speak both English and French, so I get studies in both languages.
• Some examples of studies I've done:
• Decision-making in recruitment: They gave me different short CVs and I had to choose which applicants I would hire if I were a recruiter (there are no right or wrong answers, they just want to know whom I would choose depending on their degrees, experience etc.).
• Food items: Type the first 10 words that come to your mind with the word "Orange" (I don't actually remember the name of the food they gave me but basically, for this one, I'd enter "Vitamin C, sun etc." for example.
• Male grooming: In this one, I had to say whether I shave my body hair, which parts and whether I thought men should do it or not.

I've had many more studies but I'm not going to write them all down, it's just to let you know what kind of studies you can expect.
ySense Review (Payment Proof)

• Payout options: PayPal, Amazon gift cards and more.
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

InstaGC Review (Payment Proof)

• Sign up bonus: 10 points ($0.10)
• Payout options: PayPal and Bitcoin
• PayPal payment proof / Email payment proof
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

GG2U Click here to sign up

• Sign up bonus: $1
• Payout options: PayPal, Bitcoin
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

Gain.gg Review (Payment Proof)

• Sign up bonus: 100 coins ($0.10)
• Payout options: Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethererum, Litecoin and more).
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

TimeBucks Click here to sign up

• Sign up bonus: $1
• Payout options: PayPal, Payeer and Bitcoin
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

ZoomBucks Click here to sign up

• Sign up bonus: 500 points
• Payout options: PayPal, Amazon gift cards and more.
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

GrabPoints Review (Payment Proof)

• Sign up bonus: 500 points ($0.50)
• Payout options: PayPal, Amazon gift cards and more.
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

FeaturePoints Review (Payment Proof) - (Android and iOS)

• Sign up bonus: 50 points
• Payout options: PayPal, Visa gift card, Amazon gift cards, Bitcoin and more
• Enter the code 9BGX93 to get 50 points if you download the app directly from the Play Store or App Store.
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

PrizeRebel Review (Payment Proof)

• Payout options: PayPal, Amazon gift cards and more
• Wide range of Surveys & Offers

Market Agent Click here to sign up

• Payout options: PayPal, Skrill and Bank transfer
• Surveys

Testing Time Click here to sign up

• Payout options: PayPal, Direct deposit
• Test new products & services and earn up to €50 per hour.
• I haven’t had any luck yet with this site but maybe you’ll be lucky!
• They should send you an email whenever a product or service needs to be tested.

Part 4: Ireland only - Surveys and Scanning groceries for cashback
Mobrog Review (Payment Proof)

• Payout options: PayPal and SkrillMobrog payment proof
• Surveys. Note that your reward will usually show the next day.

Shop and Scan Click here to sign up

• Payout options: One4all, Amazon, Penneys, Zalando, Clarks and more.
• Shop and Scan payment proof Shop and Scan points earned proof (past 30 days)
• Earn cash back when scanning your groceries.
• Once you sign up, you will receive a barcode scanner by post with a book.
• Every time you go shopping (once a week), scan the items you bought, take a picture of your receipt and upload them to their site through their app.
• Uploading a receipt = 60 points
• Scanning and uploading your groceries = 140 points
• That's a total of 2€ every week. (Doesn't sound like much but that's a free 8€ per month spending no more than 5 minutes each time).
• Once they are in contact with you via email with the full application to join, I would really appreciate if you could enter the panel number 916062 into your application to confirm the referral.

Redclive Review (Payment Proof)

• Payout options: Virtual Card or cheques sent by post
• Redclive payment proof email Redclive payment proof
• This is my favorite Irish survey site. They pay 1€ for every 5 minutes spent (if you qualify).
• The only downside is that you need to reach 50€ to get your payment. Once you reach that amount, they will send you an email where you can choose to get a Virtual Card or a cheque.
  Irish Opinions Review (Payment Proof)
  
• Payout options: Amazon, Tesco, Penneys, TK Maxx and more.
  
• IrishOpinions payment proof email IrishOpinions payment proof Tesco gift card
  
• Same as Redclive. They don’t pay as well but you can cash out once you reach 10€
  Acumen Panel Review (Payment Proof)
  
• Payout options: AllGifts.ie voucher
  
• Acumen payment proof email Payment proof AllGifts.ie voucher
  
• Surveys. They pay as much as Redclive (1€ for every 5 minutes spent) but I don't get many surveys from them. I had one survey from them very recently that took me about 10 minutes for 250 points (2.5€).
  

Media Opinions Ireland Review (Payment Proof)

• Payout options: One4all and iTunes.
• Daily short survey. I don’t get many other surveys from them.

I use sender.net for email collection. I would like to add a popup with a multistep survey that ends in an email collection form.
Any idea what plugin/combo of plugins could do this? So far I've had no luck :/

Me and my girlfriend moved in to a new apartment together at the 1. March. As usual, I needed my Debt Collection Information (Betreibungsauskunft). I bought this on the website of die Post. Here I ordered the online DCI (Debt Collection Information) for CHF 22.90. It mentions that you will order this from their partner. The name of that company is Tilbago AG. So I ordered and as promised, I received my DCI in 1 day. Everything good, so I thought.
4 days ago I suddenly received an email from a Debt Collection Company (EOS Schweiz AG), informing me that I haven't payed a bill dating from 31.01.2024. This was from a company called CRIF AG. Since I did not order anything from that company, I gave them a call. They told me that I have ordered a Credit Certificate (Bonitätszertifikat) through them with a third party website credittrust.ch, which is not true. So I asked them, who gave them that order to do so, because clearly that wasn't me. The woman on the phone said the order came from a company called Emonitor, another company I have never heard of. I could tell, that the woman on the phone didn't believe, that I wasn't the one who ordered the Credit Certificate, because the only way to order the certificate is with your ID details (probably a copy). She told me if I scroll down on the website of Emonitor, I can see that they have a partnership with credittrust.ch, which leads to CRIF AG. I noticed that this woman wouldn’t be any further help to me, since she didn’t believe me + the fact that the company sold the bill to the Debt Collection Company (EOS Schweiz AG) and I have to deal with them. (yes, I know I'm not obliged to pay there bullshit fees, so I do not really care about them).
So, I'm still looking at the Emonitor website and click on the 'all partners & interface', and who do I see: Tilbago AG, the third party company of die Post, I ordered my DCI with. So I just went through the whole ordering proces again here. Since it has been a few months, I forgot what information I had to provide. On the third step, you have to upload the front- and backside of your ID. Can I conclude, that these people ordered a credit certificate, without my knowledge and without my approval, with a copy of my identity, that I have to pay? I looked at the General Terms and Conditions. I couldn't find anything them stating, that they would gain the authority to do such a thing, by me signing the contract.
I payed for there services of Tilbago AG by TWINT, the day I ordered the DCI.
Now, the thing is: I tried to call them, but nobody is answering the phone (of course). I looked at their google review rating, and I don't have the feeling they will ever reply by phone, nor will they be very helpful by e-mail. The company is based in Luzern. I am able to visit them in person and ask them what happened in this situation, but I'm not sure if a) they’ll let me in, or b) this will bring me in trouble.
So my question is, what can I do, other than hire a lawyer, which doesn't make sense for the original amount of CHF 27.90 I need to pay for the Credit Certificate? It’s not about me not having the money, it's about the principle. I didn't order, I shouldn't have to pay for it.
_________________________ Since I couldn't copy a link:

General Terms and Conditions

References to persons apply to both women and men as well as to more than one person.
The Subscriber Conditions for the use of tilbago credrep (hereinafter referred to as the “Product”) shall be deemed to have been accepted when the customer (hereinafter referred to as the “Subscriber”) uses the service.

1. Product

The Product enables the Subscriber to order creditworthiness information anywhere and at any time.

2. Service

The Product enables the Subscriber to procure creditworthiness information digitally. This information is produced by third parties and provided to the Subscriber via our Product, generally in electronic form. When payment is made successfully using the payment methods available in the Product, the order is completed. The Subscriber issues tilbago with a one-off order and authorization to obtain the creditworthiness information from the third party. The creditworthiness information is obtained from the third party directly through the Product and sent to the Subscriber or third party as soon as it is available if these were listed in the order. Orders are executed by the Product as quickly as possible. The Subscriber is not entitled to delivery of the creditworthiness information within a specific period of time.

3. Prices and conditions

The Product is subject to a fee. Price details can be found in the order process. tilbago reserves the right to change prices and conditions at any time.

4. Subscriber information

The Subscriber undertakes to enter the details required to order creditworthiness information truthfully. The Product helps the Subscriber to enter the data. The Product cannot guarantee the correctness of the information provided by the Subscriber, or the accuracy and completeness of the content. The Subscriber is obliged to report all breaches of these General Terms and Conditions to tilbago without delay. The Subscriber confirms that electronic communication is explicitly requested.

5. Right to withdraw

Orders which have been placed are binding and it is not possible to withdraw subsequently.

6. Refusal of creditworthiness information by the third party

If creditworthiness information is refused by the third party, we reserve the right to invoice the Subscriber for the associated additional costs; in addition, the Subscriber is not entitled to a refund of the payment already made.

7. Liability

tilbago provides no assurances, guarantees or warranties of any kind concerning the delivery of creditworthiness information, and in particular with regard to the content being accurate, complete and up to date, or with regard to the quality of the service or its availability at any time, and excludes all liability for direct and indirect damage or loss in this context to the extent permitted by law. The Subscriber uses the Product entirely at its own risk and under its own responsibility.
Technical access to the Product is the responsibility of the Subscriber. tilbago is not liable for the network provider and also disclaims, to the extent permitted by law, any liability for the hardware and software required to use the Product.
tilbago accepts no liability for losses suffered by the Subscriber or its authorized representatives caused by transmission errors, technical defects, malfunctions, unlawful interventions in telecommunication devices and networks, overloading of the network, wilful blockage of the electronic channels by third parties, interruptions or other problems to the extent permitted by law. In particular, tilbago also accepts no liability if a request for creditworthiness information may be sent with a delay due to technical interruptions affecting the Product. tilbago accepts no liability for consequential damage arising from incorrect allocation of the addresses of offices, and liability for third-party services is also excluded. tilbago endeavours to provide access to the Product with as few malfunctions and interruptions as possible. However, it cannot guarantee this at all times. tilbago reserves the right to interrupt access to the Product and/or the services offered by the Product at any time, particularly in the event that increased security risks or irregularities are identified, and also for maintenance work.

8. Data protection and security on the Internet

tilbago complies with the current legislation, especially regarding data protection law, to ensure the protection of personal data using suitable technical and organizational measures. The Product and the services it offers are used via the Internet, in other words across an open, publicly accessible network. tilbago uses encryption mechanisms for the transfer of data to the Subscriber that make it impossible in principle for unauthorized persons to access confidential data. Data is exchanged with the debt collection offices via sedex (secure data exchange from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, a provision of the eSchKG standard). tilbago shall treat all confidential data as strictly confidential, shall only make confidential information accessible to those people who need access to the confidential data and its analysis, shall instruct people to treat confidential data as confidential and shall refrain from making confidential data accessible to unauthorized third parties in any form without the written consent of the Subscriber. In all cases, the confidential data may be used for the agreed purpose in accordance with these General Terms and Conditions. The duty to maintain confidentiality begins on the day on which the relevant confidential data is disclosed and continues indefinitely.

9. Involvement of third parties

tilbago may involve third parties to fulfil the purpose of this agreement. The third party is subject to the same obligations with regard to guaranteeing data protection as tilbago itself and may not process the data for its own purposes, only on behalf and on the instruction of tilbago. tilbago undertakes to select, instruct and monitor such service providers in a prudent manner.

10. Market research and data analysis

To ensure continuous quality assurance and to optimize and develop its services, tilbago may carry out market research. This market research makes use of the Subscriber’s data made available or collected as part of the business relationship or created as the relationship continues. tilbago may involve third parties in conducting market research surveys, to which the provisions of the General Terms and Conditions in the paragraph “Data protection and security on the Internet” also apply. tilbago may analyse, evaluate and further use all historical data of a Subscriber in accordance with legal data protection provisions to identify errors and continuously improve and develop its services.

11. Other provisions

tilbago reserves the right to change the Product offered and these General Terms and Conditions at any time. Any changes shall be communicated in advance in an appropriate manner, indicating the date they come into effect. They shall be deemed to have been accepted when the Subscriber uses the Product.
Swiss law shall apply exclusively. The place of jurisdiction is the registered office of tilbago. This is subject to the proviso of a partially or fully mandatory place of jurisdiction.

Hi everyone, I am currently a game development masters UX research student at the University of Skovde in Sweden completing my thesis with the purpose of researching how player learning can be increased in cybersecurity education games. There are 2 different surveys available, one I have included a simple game to play (Group 2) using the screentop.gg platform as well as a separate survey for testing knowledge of cybersecurity topics with a simple test (Group 1) for comparison of those who played vs. didn't. Feel free to participate in either one (Choose one, don't do both). Your participation in this study would greatly contribute to my research in understanding how to effectively leverage gaming platforms for educational purposes. If you love games but don't have a lot of knowledge in cybersecurity then you are the right person for this study. I would also advise completing this on a PC but whatever can work for you would be fine.
Study Details:
Purpose: To investigate strategies for increasing player learning in cybersecurity education games.
Methodology: Participants will engage with a specially designed cybersecurity game and provide feedback through a survey.
Time Commitment: Unlimited time for game play followed by a short survey for feedback and data.
If you are interested in joining this study or would like more information, please click on either one of the links below to participate. Your participation will be kept confidential, and your privacy will be strictly protected throughout the study and may leave whenever you want:
Questionnaire without game (Group 1): https://forms.gle/AvVfN6AiRM4ETFba7
Questionnaire with game (Group 2): https://forms.gle/j1SZEBzoJvTqCqSK6

Payment proof: https://imgur.com/a/mtvngQg
Guide for Cointiply that goes more in-depth
Cointiply is a GPT website primarily focused around bitcoin. You can do surveys, take part in a faucet (once an hour you can claim free points from their free faucet) and more, but probably the best way to earn is to use their playtime offerwall. Basically you just choose a game to install, and after a certain time, it will reward you. On this one, you won't even need to do anything, it's 100% passive. Just keep the downloaded game running on your phone and points will start to accumulate. You can withdraw your earnings using BTC, DOGE, LTC or DASH

~NYC Opinion Study / Focus Group / Market Research - $200 (MIDTOWN NYC/MANHATTAN)~

**Please Note** We ~can use ANYONE~ – But are also offering $25 per qualified referral for 18–20-year-olds which we also NEED!
We have an exciting, new focus group coming to ~Midtown Manhattan (NYC~) that you may qualify for that involves ~testing new technologies, giving your opinion, and getting paid to do it!~
This study is taking ~thru June 2024~. So, there are plenty of opportunities to participate.
The overall length is 3hrs for which you will receive $200. There may be other opportunities for similar studies we have in the area to increase this amount as well!
Feel free to ~share~ this survey with any friends or family who may be interested in ~participating with you at the same time~. Thanks for your time!

Fill our pre-survey here - You can send the survey onto friends & Family as well!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/200NYSTUDY2
Thank you for your time today.
www.probemarket.com

Hi everyone, I am currently a game development masters UX research student at the University of Skovde in Sweden completing my thesis with the purpose of researching how player learning can be increased in cybersecurity education games. There are 2 different surveys available, one I have included a simple game to play (Group 2) using the screentop.gg platform as well as a separate survey for testing knowledge of cybersecurity topics with a simple test (Group 1) for comparison of those who played vs. didn't. Feel free to participate in either one (Choose one, don't do both). Your participation in this study would greatly contribute to my research in understanding how to effectively leverage gaming platforms for educational purposes. If you love games but don't have a lot of knowledge in cybersecurity then you are the right person for this study. I would also advise completing this on a PC but whatever can work for you would be fine.
Study Details:
Purpose: To investigate strategies for increasing player learning in cybersecurity education games.
Methodology: Participants will engage with a specially designed cybersecurity game and provide feedback through a survey.
Time Commitment: Unlimited time for game play followed by a short survey for feedback and data.
If you are interested in joining this study or would like more information, please click on either one of the links below to participate. Your participation will be kept confidential, and your privacy will be strictly protected throughout the study and may leave whenever you want:
Questionnaire without game (Group 1): https://forms.gle/AvVfN6AiRM4ETFba7
Questionnaire with game (Group 2): https://forms.gle/j1SZEBzoJvTqCqSK6

Hey all! I'm a student taking a proptech class and we're studying rental apartment fees, including junk fees. Since I live in on-campus housing (but planning to move out on my own after graduation), I wanted to survey the community to better understand:

1. What do you think proptech companies like Apartments.com, Zillow.com, Rent.com, etc. can do better about disclosing fees? It looks like a lot of listings don't include accurate fee details, which can be very misleading and confusing, especially for new renters.
2. If you don't use any websites like the ones mentioned above, how did you learn more about fees associated with your rental?

Thank you in advance!

One of the fascinating aspects of outsider reports and analysis is what they see. Given that at this point (1992) the internet was not yet widely available/accessible, this sort of thing would have been difficult to find. And of course SGI wasn't ever going to tell us the truth!
This will show you that SGI-USA (then called "NSA") was failing in recruiting far earlier than perhaps most of us in the US realized. SGI in the USA was basically a flash in the pan; it fizzled fast; and now it's just that rank stale smoke smell that lingers long after the fire's been put out.
This comes from Cults and Nonconventional Religious Groups: A Collection of Outstanding Dissertations and Monographs, "Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and the Soka Gakkai in America: The Ethos of a New Religious Movement", Jane Hurst, 1992, pp. 150-151. Jane Hurst has some interesting research out there; while she tends toward being uncritically supportive of SGI, anyone who is making statistics available is a big help.

NSA members in the 1960s and 1970s were young (52% below age 30), more than half female (59%), and from a variety of occupations and social classes.

The Baby Boom generation were at most age 19 in, say, 1965 and at most age 24 in 1970.
This youthfulness is largely reflected in the early organization's origins in the American servicemen who returned from being stationed in Japan with their Japanese war-brides - those servicemen tended to be young and from a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds, as the draft was still in effect during that time period (ended March 1975). In addition, the first General Director of the US organization, Masayasu Sadanaga, initially targeted college campuses for recruitment by offering lectures on Buddhism. Sadanaga changed his name to George M. Williams in 1972, in obedience to the (short-lived) direction back then of Japanese leaders adopting American-sounding names (first AND last) in order to appeal more broadly to non-Japanese Americans.

The percentage of Oriental members steadily decreased as more and more white and black Americans joined NSA as seen in Figure 10, above.

Figure 10 (I'll get to that line in another post.)
Ewps - Here's the REAL Figure 10.
Most of the original "Oriental members" were those Japanese war-brides, whose first efforts to recruit new SGI members were directed toward other Japanese individuals.

NSA members came from the major religious traditions of Protestantism (30%), Catholicism (30%), and Judaism (6%). At the time these 1971 statistics were compiled, all areas of American society. By 1983, the age span was even more broad, with 11% of the members age 50 and above, 62% ages 30-49, 24% ages 20-29, and 3% below age 19.

For reference, here are the age ranges for the existing generations in 1983:

• Greatest: Ages 59-82
• Silent: Ages 38-58
• Baby Boomers: Ages 19-37
• Generation X: Ages 4-18
• Generation Y (Millennials): Age 3 or younger.

While these 1983 statistics aren't broken down by generation, here's what is clear:

• 11% of the SGI-USA membership was MUCH OLDER than Baby Boomers
• 62% was either Baby Boom generation or older (though younger than that oldest group)
• 24% was Baby Boomers
• 3% was younger than Baby Boomers.

This means that 97% of the membership of SGI-USA was Baby Boom generation OR OLDER!

IN 1983!!

Notice how this affirms the demographic estimate from this other research: "Soka Gakkai in America": Little appeal/interest outside of Baby Boom generation

Take a look at Table 4.
Specifically, the Age cohort (%) category.
For the Converts, 26% are older than Baby Boomers; 61% are Baby Boomers. That makes 87% Boomer and older. Only 14% are younger than Boomers.
No wonder SGI-USA is aging and dying, with these kinds of numbers!
We are seeing, like, 90% Baby Boomers in the group photos we've looked at.
The pictures back this up.
Also, this comment by an SGI-USA leader a few years ago during Minoru Harada's visit (anyone know what year that was?):

They [top SGI-USA leaders] then went off on how when we create these big-ass meetings, we shouldn't have to look into the crowd and see, and I quote, "A bunch of old-ass motherfuckers" The words of my "superiors", not mine. I think this is when they brought up the idea of 50K to my co-leaders and me. Source

"Old-ass motherfuckers" is all they have. How 'bout showing a little of that appreciation and gratitude SGI bangs on about??
Worse, "old-ass motherfuckers" is all SGI-USA can get.
Further, again referring to Table 4, SGI-USA's membership is solidly 2/3 women. That means it's going to be very difficult for women in SGI-USA to find mates to marry, which means childlessness will be more of a norm than an exception. Child-free is a valid and respect-worthy decision, don't get me wrong, but a religion's most reliable source of younger members is its own membership's children. Since SGI-USA's female members don't feel any responsibility or obligation to bear multiple children (like those poor, stupid Mormon sheepwomen do), there won't be any next generation to take over.
There's a reason so many religions have traditionally exhorted their membership to have lots of babies, why they condemn birth control and abortion. A big part of it is to keep their own numbers up! Source

It's the same problem happening in Japan within the Soka Gakkai:

On the other hand, aging is relentless. In terms of the Soka Gakkai's membership demographics, the "volume zone" where most members fall is the baby boomer generation who joined by the 1960s. They are now late elderly. In the past, the management of centers in various places was handled by the "Gajokai" consisting of Young Men's Division members, but it is no longer possible to secure personnel. Instead, in 2009, the Soka Gakkai launched the "Ojokai'' consisting of "middle-aged divisions,'' scolding them as "young people in their 50s'' and rushing to mobilize them. Source

GOOD LUCK!

For perspective, note that SGI-USA was managing to recruit just "1,000 per YEAR" - including all ages - between 1991 and 1999. Eight years of only 1,000 members added per year, with no accounting for the deaths or defections. Were the years after that more successful, recruiting-wise? I doubt it.

[Then-SGI-USA's public-relations director for the East Coast Bill] Aiken says SGI-USA has attracted about 1000 new members per year for the past eight years. - from 1999. Only 1,000 new members - across the ENTIRE 360+ million-person strong USA - in an ENTIRE year. And this extremely low level of success for EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW!! Source

From 2018:

In recent years, the number of young Soka Gakkai members has been decreasing rapidly . Looking at the participants in the simultaneous broadcasts and roundtable discussions, the majority are of the grandparents' generation, with only a small number of young people in their 20s and 30s, and the number of teenage boys and girls is almost an endangered species .
Therefore, what I am interested in is the population of Soka Gakkai by age group. This time, I would like to estimate the current population of Soka Gakkai by age , based on information I have personally seen and heard and verification from others . Please note that this estimate is very rough.
First, the largest number of Soka Gakkai members are baby boomers (born between 1947 and 1949 [Japan's Baby Boom]). This seems almost certain considering the history of the development of Soka Gakkai .
Also, the total number of members has already been verified by many people, and is estimated to be around 3 to 5 million people. This time we assume about 4 million people .
And this is what I heard directly from a staff member at headquarters last year, who said , `` The number of activists decreases by about 1/3 with each generation.'' I think this is a reasonable rate of decline that can be felt by looking at participants in simultaneous broadcasts and roundtable discussions. It seems that members who have stopped being activists are less likely to have their children join, so this time we will use a value of 1/3 per generation as the member decline rate .
Also, regarding the number of years it takes for generational change, the average age for men and women to give birth to their first child is currently 30 years old. Considering that the average age of childbearing for both men and women when the baby boomer generation was born was 24 years old, and that there are cases where not only the first child but also the second and third children are born, the generational shift will take 30 years. Let's calculate it as if it would take a year . In that case, the annual membership attrition rate would be (1/3)^1/30 = 0.964, or 3.6% .
It is unclear when this trend of declining membership started, but this time we will assume that it started in the year following the baby boom generation (1950). Source

And "Soka Gakkai is like an old people's club":

Regarding the problem of a decline in Komeito votes, or in other words, a decline in active Soka Gakkai members, many people concerned point out that the primary cause is the aging of Soka Gakkai members. The enthusiastic members of the generation who supported the growth of the society along with charismatic Honorary President Daisaku Ikeda are now elderly across the board. Most of the current new members are second- or third-generation members who join because their parents are members of Soka Gakkai, and they are not very enthusiastic about Soka Gakkai's activities. Today, many of Soka Gakkai's daily events are even derided by insiders as "like an old people's party."

And a more recent report (this year):

Back about 20 years ago a good friend and good guy, now deceased, from ChiTown, was commissioned by SGI Central Command to survey every contactable member of SGI in every district in America. The number he came up with was 5% of the number of Gohonzon passed out since, I guess whenever Gohonzon started to be passed out. The total number was about a million give or take, 20 years ago. These were contactable people, not practicing members. I remember going through lists of people we had on the books and trying to see if they could be reached. So the number we came up with was reported. Hearing nothing about it, I happened to run into my friend at some event at Soka U. He mentioned that he did the survey, and gave me the results. I believe he told me the facts. (Not everyone who practiced was a lying asshole.) So about 20 years ago SGI had about 50,000 “contactable“ people who had received Gohonzon. My estimate that about half of that number had zero interest in SGI. Thus 20 years ago, SGI had about 25,000 members still interested in SGI in some capacity. I think it’s the same number today. (2500 districts x 10=25,000.) Like I said before I went to FNCC twice last year, and everyone, including me, were old zany seniors. Neither conference was for old people. Conclusion: SGI is a senior citizen support group. When I joined in1969, we were all hippie ish, rejecting all the old shit, looking for something new and hip. Now SGI looks like old shit. Source

And another (this year or last):

When I joined 50+ years ago the ratio of youth to MD and WD was about 80:20. Now it's the reverse. Our goal is to move steadily back to a youth focus again. Source

Except it's obvious that SGI-USA doesn't HAVE "20% youth":

Youth? They've got to be fooling themselves!!! When I was still with the SGI last February (2023), I went to the kosen-rufu gongyo meeting at the center in my area. Mind you, the state I live in closed its center in 2021 for undisclosed reasons. That aside, the one I went to was in another state, and at that meeting, they had no byakuren, Gajokai, or Soka Group in attendance. Additionally, the only youth at the meeting were a few small children. Source
I feel that SGI is out of touch with anyone who’s younger than 60. The leaders are retired, have a lot of time on their hands and completely disregard the fact that people may work or have families. For young people it’s the old people taking nonsense. Source

The PROBLEM was already evident in 1983 - and none of the SGI-USA's big "Recruit-Youth-A-Thons", like "Victory over Violence" and "Rock The Ego Era" and "50K Liars of Just-Us" (everybody wants to forget the epic fail that was the "Gandhi, King, Ikeda" exhibit), has made the slightest difference in this demographic disaster. In fact, preparing for the 2018 "50K" event, SGI-USA likely had only 2,451 members in the 12-35 (or perhaps 11-39) age group, just 9% of the most generous SGI-USA active membership total (~30,000).

Ikeda could have preserved a "youthful" Soka Gakkai by passing the Presidency to a younger candidate, but Ikeda refused, because Ikeda was too focused on and obsessed with HIMSELF - his power, his prestige, his wealth, his status, his fame, his renown, HIM becoming leader of the world, his PERMANENCY, and his legacy. He refused to let anyone else come anywhere CLOSE to the power and control - he greedily, selfishly clutched it all tightly to himself and refused to share.
THAT is why the Ikeda cult Soka Gakkai/SGI is aging and dying. It's ALL Ikeda's fault, Ikeda's responsibility. IKEDA DID THAT.
Some "mentor". Source

SGI-USA has never managed to recover from that demographic bottleneck that happened no later than 1983.

Hi everyone, I am currently a game development masters UX research student at the University of Skovde in Sweden completing my thesis with the purpose of researching how player learning can be increased in cybersecurity education games. There are 2 different surveys available, one I have included a simple game to play (Group 2) using the screentop.gg platform as well as a separate survey for testing knowledge of cybersecurity topics with a simple test (Group 1) for comparison of those who played vs. didn't. Feel free to participate in either one (Choose one, don't do both). Your participation in this study would greatly contribute to my research in understanding how to effectively leverage gaming platforms for educational purposes. If you love games but don't have a lot of knowledge in cybersecurity then you are the right person for this study. I would also advise completing this on a PC but whatever can work for you would be fine.
Study Details:
Purpose: To investigate strategies for increasing player learning in cybersecurity education games.
Methodology: Participants will engage with a specially designed cybersecurity game and provide feedback through a survey.
Time Commitment: Unlimited time for game play followed by a short survey for feedback and data.
If you are interested in joining this study or would like more information, please click on either one of the links below to participate. Your participation will be kept confidential, and your privacy will be strictly protected throughout the study and may leave whenever you want:
Questionnaire without game (Group 1): https://forms.gle/AvVfN6AiRM4ETFba7
Questionnaire with game (Group 2): https://forms.gle/j1SZEBzoJvTqCqSK6

https://wcyslbiy.forms.app/subreddit-survey-2

The General Social Survey (GSS) is a sociological survey created in 1972 by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and funded by the National Science Foundation. The GSS collects information biannually and keeps a historical record of the concerns, experiences, attitudes, and practices of residents.

Share amongst your friends to avoid sampling bias. The survey is not subreddit specific so it can be filled by anyone. Copied a template and slightly changed from - iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/47th-edition-spring-2024
It will be open until 18th May 2024. Results and CSV will be published if you want to do further analysis.

Hey fellow entrepreneurs!
My co-founder and I were recently successful in acquiring 50 people to the private beta of our new consumer fitness/gaming app FitHero.ai so I figured I'd share what worked for us in case it helps others.
First, a little background...
The idea for FitHero.ai was born out of a desire to apply gamified techniques to the health and fitness journey.
Fitness can often feel like a grind, with progress taking time to become visible. We wanted to create an app that helps users see and feel improvements, even when they’re not immediately noticeable in real life.
Additionally, we wanted to leverage AI to provide a unique, interactive experience that benefits users’ fitness journeys.
I remember one day at the gym, feeling frustrated with my progress, and thinking, "There has to be a way to make this more fun and engaging."
That's when the idea of battling AI-driven villains as part of a fitness routine really clicked for me.
Actionable Step: Define Your Inspiration and Goal

• Identify the core problem your app solves and how it can uniquely benefit users. Understand the emotional and practical needs of your target audience to ensure your app resonates with them.

Defining Our Target Audience
As someone deeply involved in health and fitness, with notable achievements in CrossFit and a lifelong passion for gaming, I built FitHero.ai for people like me.
This approach ensured that the app met the needs of our initial user base effectively. I figured if it was something I would use and enjoy, there would be others out there just like me.
For consumer-focused startups, especially those being bootstrapped, I believe it’s essential for the founders to be the target audience. It allows you to move MUCH quicker and not be overly concerned with market research.
I tested this assumption by talking to friends at the gym and fellow gamers, asking if they would find an app like this useful and fun.
Actionable Step: Know Your Target Audience

• Build an app that you would use yourself. Leverage your own experiences and preferences to define the initial target audience. Conduct informal research through conversations with friends, family, and community members who share similar interests.

Early Marketing and User Acquisition
Initially, we needed to validate that the primary engagement loop was, well engaging 🙂.
We started by reaching out to friends in various fitness communities who also had an interest in gaming - literally DMing them and asking them to give our alpha a shot. Here was one of the initial messages:

Yo D! Would love your help in Alpha testing FitHero.ai. Here's the link to download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fithero-ai/id6449763830
The invite code is "alpha" (all lower case)
The alpha will last 2 weeks and have two surveys to fill out. If you can hang with the app and fill out both surveys will hook you up with a free shirt
The alpha is SUPER limited in features. Basically we're testing:

• Do people "get it" (kind like D&D it's a little complicated)
  
• What bugs exist?
  
• Is the primary game-play loop enjoyable? (battling villains, influenced by your exercise)
  

This approach helped us secure the first 15 to 20 users.
To hit our goal of 50 for our beta, we capitalized on the timing by releasing it at the beginning of the year (new years resolutions and whatnot), leveraging my social media presence to invite more people to try the app.
The timing, coupled with the growing interest in AI, helped us reach our goal of 50 users.
I vividly remember posting about our private beta on Facebook, hoping for a few responses, and waking up to dozens of messages from people eager to try it out. It was a thrilling moment that showed me there was real interest in what we were building.
Actionable Step: Validate with Friends and Community

• Use your network to gather the first group of users. Reach out to friends, family, and community members even if they don't fit your target audience profile. Ensure that these early users are willing to provide feedback and engage with the app.
• Limit the length of time for the beta. It helps people feel like they don't have to commit for a long period of time

Effective Strategies and Platforms
One effective strategy was limiting the number of users who could join the private beta, creating a sense of urgency.
Facebook was the primary platform for user acquisition, given its algorithm and the personal connection it offers.
We also created a Facebook group for FitHero.ai, which allowed us to collect feedback, share updates, and engage with users in a private community. This approach fostered a sense of exclusivity and community among early adopters.
People love to feel like they're part of something exclusive, and this really drove engagement.
Actionable Step: Leverage Timing and Social Media

• Launch your app or a private beta at a strategic time. Use your social media presence to spread the word and invite users.
• Create a Sense of Urgency: Create a private beta with limited spots to drive urgency and make users feel special for being early adopters.

Engaging with Early Users
Engaging with early users primarily through the Facebook group was highly effective for us.
In particular, polls were excellent ways of gathering valuable feedback. Most posts to the group didn't get a ton of engagement, but when I posted a poll, it was easy for people to give feedback.
Actionable Step: Utilize Social Media Groups

• Create a Facebook group or similar community space for your app. Use this space to collect feedback, share updates, and build a sense of community. Engage users with polls to gather valuable insights.

Acquiring your first 50 users can definitely be challenging, but through a combination of timing, value-proposition and putting ourselves out there, we were able to do it and gather great feedback along the way.
Hopefully this helps some of you get your initial users!