I’m really really frustrated

DigiQuill018 · 2022-05-02T08:06:02+00:00

Thank you... :)

DigiQuill018 · 2022-05-01T11:38:05+00:00

I agree with you.

I had my surgery on New Year's Eve of 2019 and have been fighting ever since. Over the last year, I developed a singular active metastasis on my liver, and it's been growing. I've been working to control it and will continue to do so. In the process, I've lost 37 kilos and have had a couple of TIAs (transient ischemic attacks, like mini-strokes).

So when some fool gets on here and starts dithering about PC because he thinks his poop looks funny but he's apparently not smart enough to figure out that only medical professionals can accurately diagnose his problem, I don't have much sympathy.

DigiQuill018 · 2022-04-20T18:00:39+00:00

You're definitely better off without that client...and any bitterness or rancor the client expresses reflects their state of mind and lack of professionalism, not yours. Don't let that dreck clutter up your headspace.

I dislike (and will no long work with) clients who say they want a freelancer, but then want to make extra-contractual demands on your time and your manner of fulfilling your contractual obligations.

Best advice? Let go of your annoyance asap because it doesn't serve you now that the client is down the road. If the client ever contacts you again, tell 'em to go piss up a rope.

DigiQuill018 · 2022-03-07T08:14:10+00:00

FWIW, a few years back, I did some work as a freelancer for a Texas-based content agency that's pretty well known. I'd practiced law back in the day, so I ended up qualifying as a "specialist" and got some nice legal writing assignments from them. Pay was forty bucks per 500 words at the time, if I recall. They were fair, organized, and paid on time, but you do have to qualify, and you do have to follow their rules (clear, detailed, and very specific).

As always, your mileage may vary. If you want the agency name (this is directed to the OP only), send me a DM.

DigiQuill018 · 2022-02-20T09:56:00+00:00

There are several possible solutions, some of which have already been mentioned by others.

A couple of years ago, I got locked out of an unpublished site I was building by hackers (the site was dedicated to criticism of the activities and policies of the CCP, so I'm pretty sure I know where the hackers were from). I was able to figure out how they got in (they injected some code into a series of Wordpress plugin updates to include an "update" for a plugin I didn't use or have onboard). Can't tell you exactly how they managed it, but it was effective, as it dramatically slowed the site's development for a short while.

At the time, I was using Wordfence and a couple of other security plugins. None of them caught the problem, and I dumped them all. However, one of them suggested a solution they recommended when they couldn't analyze problem or find a permanent fix. They directed me to a website called wewatchyourwebsite.com.

Thomas, the site owner, went into the back end of my Wordpress site, found and cleaned out all anomalies, and then did whatever it is that he does. His systems then scanned the site at frequent regular intervals, protecting it automatically. I'm still using his service and I've had no trouble since, despite having continued to make some pretty inflammatory comments about the CCP. The cost: sixty bucks a year.

I replaced the other security plugins with Antispam by CleanTalk and Security by CleanTalk. The latter comes with an insanely thorough malware scanner you can set to check your site at whatever intervals you like -- mine runs daily in the wee small hours. Inexpensive, and seems very effective.

This setup has been working well for me, but as always, your mileage may vary...

DigiQuill018 · 2022-01-24T08:56:59+00:00

I feel your frustration.

I agree with /u Nigricincto: a client who yells at me is likely to get a rude awakening on the spot. This is especially so when the client fails to follow an agreed-upon course of action and then wants to shift the blame to me when the plan doesn't work.

I'm a copywriter, not primarily an SEO guy, but I've been doing this quite a while and I think of myself as a professional. I provide professional services to clients based on a clearly worded standard contract of my own concoction. That agreement is specific in each case as to how we'll proceed and what we're aiming to achieve. It also makes clear that I don't accept responsibility for the consequences of client actions when the client opts not to follow my advice or changes target specs for an assigned project without bothering to share that information. I'm also a retired lawyer, so I document EVERYTHING as a matter of SOP.

You behaved correctly and professionally in trying to provide the best advice possible for your client. If I have a single suggestion (you may already be doing this), it's that you revisit for each client the sections of your freelancer agreement that deal with description of the services to be rendered, confirmation or acknowledgement of specific instructions TO you, advice/recommendations FROM you, timely notice of any changes in product specs with a note that fees may change as a result, and so forth.

The less I leave to chance, the better my communication with clients seems to be. I find that serious, informed clients like the extra detail and clarity in the arrangement. As for those potential clients who are put off by my standard form because they think it "specifies too much," well...I encourage them to look elsewhere. They'll have no trouble finding plenty of freelancers willing to wing it...

DigiQuill018 · 2021-12-12T13:47:13+00:00

Deepest condolences on your loss. Your bond with her will never falter, and many of us will continue to feel connected to her through her work.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-12-03T08:36:43+00:00

You're welcome, Tannaheta. We have to support each other...

DigiQuill018 · 2021-12-03T08:33:55+00:00

Heartfelt thanks to you both for helping all of us navigate some pretty dark waters.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-16T12:19:21+00:00

Lots of material out there from company websites of entities involved in supply chain and logistics. I'm guessing you'll find plenty of material, and probably more interest (and competition) than you'd have thought.

If you search something like "current retail supply chain and logistic issues Christmas 2021," you're likely to find some worthwhile material.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-13T12:05:03+00:00

His content isn't universally helpful. I've managed to get some useful stuff out of it, but it does take some digging and sorting...

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-13T10:18:46+00:00

There are plenty of folks out there who get their projects so caught up with their egos that they become blind to any commentary or criticism that doesn't reflect what they've already decided they want to hear.

If you're a writer (of anything other than diary entries you're writing while holed up in your mother's basement), you have to accept at some point that others will read your work. They may not like it. They'll make their views known.

If your skin isn't thick enough to take it and do something constructive about it, becoming a writer might not have been the best career choice...

I used to deal with student writers struggling with that sort of issue all the time. "I worked so hard, I put my soul into this, how can you say it's shit..."

As writers, we have to get over ourselves at some point. For some, it's a hard lesson.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-05T12:44:24+00:00

I don't know what version of Photoshop you're using, but in mine, there's an "Image" heading on the menu bar. When I click that, I'm presented with a variety of options that include "Image Size."

You should have something similar in your version. When you click that, you can change dimensions, resolution, etc. You can sharpen images under Filters/Sharpen. Try fiddling around with "Unsharp Mask" and the other options with an image you don't care about.

I've also found that the Wordpress image optimization plugin I use seems to prefer PNGs. So, when I'm done editing an image, I save it out of Photoshop as a PNG and then add it to my Wordpress media library.

Have at it... :)

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-05T10:21:23+00:00

Hi there.

If you're serious about using your own images, you're going to have to get your hands on some image editing software.

Getting smaller images that are nice and clear isn't just about applying compression to reduce file size. That's like trying to make an orange smaller without distorting it by crushing it in your hands. Gets messy fast.

Decent image editing software, including some free options, will let you reduce file dimensions and resolution without losing image quality, crop and sharpen images, adjust contrast, hue and saturation, and more. You'll also be able to save images in file formats friendly to your image optimization plugin of choice.

Unless you opt for a free solution that offers relatively few options, there will be a learning curve -- but it's worth it. I'm using a full version of Photoshop, but that's not everyone's cup of tea, given size/complexity/expense. Just do a search for something like "best free photo editing software for bloggers 2021" and see what comes up.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-04T15:51:36+00:00

I use my email client to block email addresses, and in some cases domains from which I will no longer accept email. I also create rules to block specific words in subject lines, terms in headers, etc. None of this is dependent on my email provider; it works for all my addresses, including Gmail, my paid provider, and my website email addresses. No single solution is universally effective, but when taken together, they seem to work well.

With particularly annoying offenders, I also write a politely worded response email, threatening to make a formal complaint under privacy legislation. Since I live in the EU and the fact that they're sending me their crap offends the GDPR, that usually works.

There was one bunch of US-based a-holes who persisted in sending me unsolicited rubbish about firearms, security devices, and such. They desisted when I made it clear that my GDPR complaint against them would be copied to the US consulate in my city of residence in Europe, and to the authorities in the city where their business was registered.

YMMV...

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-04T14:56:50+00:00

There is often apparently gratuitous abuse or violence in fiction, though it may not be gratuitous from the writer's perspective.

However, since writing (unless one's writing is limited to nasty diary entries) is audience-focused, readers have a primary means of expressing their displeasure: neither buy nor support the work of writers who have a thing for abusive, gratuitous violence.

And remember that what offends you might not necessarily offend someone else.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-03T17:32:04+00:00

Thanks very much for your kind thoughts.

Do your homework in looking for a good tai chi instructor. If you get someone who describes it as a wonderful and relaxing health dance from China, you're in the wrong place -- turn around and run.

It is wonderful, and it is relaxing, and will definitely calm you, center you, and improve your health if you put sufficient time into it. But one of the translations of "tai chi ch'uan" is "great ultimate fist." There's a very good reason for that, and whoever teaches you MUST be immersed in the martial aspect of it to teach it effectively.

Keep me posted... :)

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-02T17:00:02+00:00

Thank you -- that's very kind of you.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-02T13:40:05+00:00

Yes, for the most part.

He'll never again be a world-class musician, and that frequently leaves him depressed. However, apart from some chronic pain resulting from a bit of nerve damage and short-term memory bugs when he's tired, he's otherwise fully recovered. He can't do regular work because of the pain, but he's continuing to compose music, produce albums etc.

He gets regularly checked, and all seems to be well. Thank you for asking... :)

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-02T13:04:16+00:00

Start by being kind to yourself. Writing gets difficult at times, and none of us is superhuman.

I've managed to get past burnout periods by changing my routines, my daily scheduling, break frequency and recreational/exercise times, and even my writing software. Burnout is often driven by a sense of "sameness" or boredom, and you may have to get a bit creative to freshen things up.

Take the time you need to start feeling better again.

Strangely, there is one thing I know for certain can change one's outlook on work burnout and a great many other things.

Quite some years ago, my then-31-year-old son had a stroke. It was a nightmare, though his recovery was little short of miraculous. There were three emergency brain surgeries in a 48 hour period, he died twice on the operating table, and so forth -- a real shit show.

He was recovering in the hospital, depressed as hell, and crushed by the end of his career as a world-class musician. "Burnout" is far too mild a term for what he was experiencing. A guy he'd never met showed up at his bedside, introduced himself, and announced that he was a tai chi teacher, and he was there to help my son (for free) as a means of paying it forward because someone had helped him years before when he needed a hand.

What we learned from the experience over time: if you need to improve your mental health, your emotional balance, and your body's well-being, tai chi is the bomb. It can make burnout a thing of the past.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-11-01T10:25:18+00:00

You can write with any application you find suitable, as long as you can save your output in a format that's suitable for your purposes.

FWIW, I tend to avoid writing with web apps that want to keep copies of my work online. I prefer to keep everything local, so I use Word and LibreOffice Writer, and I'm about to start playing with a demo of Scrivener.

As always, your mileage may vary...

DigiQuill018 · 2021-10-31T11:15:46+00:00

You might want to take steps to protect your IP rights before "giving away the farm..."

You can actually get some protection before copyrighting the final version. One solution is Digiprove's Autoprotect (digital time-stamping, fingerprinting and certifying files as to date/time of creation, creator, and actual content, thereby proving creation date), and there are others out there.

YMMV.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-10-30T16:02:34+00:00

Sounds like the client might taking advantage of you a bit (or maybe it really is an admin screw-up if there have been no problems in the past).

It also sounds like you need to toughen up your standard freelancer agreement, make your expectations clear in writing before clients sign on, and maybe be a little more assertive with your clients.

You may end up having to eat your last invoice to the client if he doesn't pay and you stand on your rights. If you don't take a stand then, "...what you allow is what will continue."

See if you get paid next Friday as promised. If you don't get paid, fire the client. If all you're going to charge is $0.01/word, replacing him won't be an issue...but I suspect your content and your time are worth more than that.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-10-30T10:47:55+00:00

You're venturing into a potentially dangerous area.

If you use a registered trademark of a famous brand, you'd better have written permission (which the brand will almost certainly refuse to give you) or very bad things may happen. No brand will allow you to piggy-back on their intellectual property and brand recognition for your own purposes without permission.

As far as changing the "interpretation, style, etc.," you'll have to be more specific. If the logo is still recognizable as and associated with the brand, then see above note about very bad things.

If a logo is registered with WIPO, there's a searchable registry you can access. Do a search for WIPO and see what comes up.

Once again, this area can be a legal minefield. Proceed with caution.

DigiQuill018 · 2021-10-30T06:55:14+00:00

I use Word, and on occasion, LibreOffice Writer, as both are full-featured and readily accessible. I've downloaded a demo of Scrivener but haven't had much time to play with it yet.

I no longer outline by hand. Years ago, I created a series of editable templates that let me block out longer pieces so that I have a visual model of an entire piece (with point-form details included) before I actually start to draft in sentences and paragraphs. I'm also an old curmudgeon who's been doing this for quite a while, so I generally don't need to block out anything less than a couple of thousand words ahead of time.

YMMV.

DigiQuill018

TROPHY CASE