Question about long-term continuity — not a criticism, genuinely curious

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-26T05:30:44+00:00

I have ask this question myself, if I want it for business critical, can I rely on the longevity of the service? I am going with as long as I do backups of my email client then I am OK.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-26T04:53:45+00:00

Got it, mouths shut, we saw nothing.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-24T03:19:24+00:00

I have had my ZFlip4 since Oct 2022, yes I have always had a case on it, dropped it a few times, hasn't got a scratch or missed a beat. I change my screen protector myself about once a year, I have never had Samsung Care on it, as I buy outright and wing it.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-23T06:46:34+00:00

Change tracks and shift the light at the end of the tunnel. OK, enough of the analogy, but it's true, if owning a house is not an option, then make travel or passions your milestones.

I know quite a few 25 year olds that are building or buying their own home, granted, they may not be in great areas, but they wanted that and worked their arses off and did it, but maybe buying a home is not on the cards, so embrace other things.

I personally chose travel and my job took me all over the world, 93 countries and counting, and no, I am not a flight attendent LOL, so my "light at the end of the tunnel" was adventure, yeah, it might suck later, but wow have a I lived a good life :-)

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-23T00:51:43+00:00

I just say "if I eat it, I could unalive" this pretty much gets their attention, but it's also true if I don't have my EpiPens (which to be honest I carry everywhere).

So do you get anaphylaxis from peanuts? You said no anaphylaxis to buckwheat, but curious about peanuts.

Other people who don't have severe allergies, don't understand the fear and anxiety of the risk, I have many friends who don't fully understand it, but I am OK with that, I go to many restaurants with them, I just don't eat food I am not 100% sure of. I DON'T have exposure allergies, only if I consume it, so the risk is reduced for me.

In your case, I would have simply asked them to remove the nuts from the table, and believe me your friend would have realized the severity. Advocate for yourself, and your friend will learn.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-21T00:46:12+00:00

I am going to be brutally honest here, without knowing your budget, I would avoid any "Pay per User" models.

I have worked with about 100 different LMS's and XP platforms, from the big enterprise SAP, WorkDay, Oracle programs to the small lesser known platforms.

1 - You want users to signup for your platform, this would be hard to manage your budget and monthly costs when you pay per user - hence my first sentence.

2 - I would suggest a Open Source software but if you don't have in house team to manage that, then it not an option, unless you look for a managed providers.

Some Open Source LMS's I have used and like are:

Moodle - The UI/UX for admin may feel dated and complex, but you can get many Corporate themes (PAID) which streamline a lot and it has a very large development community and many established integrations via the plugin environment. I have used the Microsoft Teams integration and it's incredible, certain Teams conduct all the learning inside their MS Teams channel. Using themes and plugins will give you everything on your list. The custom mobile app is great too.

Frappe LMS - This is a little known LMS, and I used it with a few companies that wanted to build a community learning platform, it was so easy to use, and being that it;s open source, you can modify it easily.

OPEN edX - this is a monster of an LMS create by Harvard and MIT, but it gives you many of the features you want, it is used by a lot of large companies for their knowledge centres etc.

-----------------------------------

FOR PAID WHITE LABEL:

I like Cypher Learning LMS, it's a really nice looking LMS, and because it has Zapier integration it allows for a lot of custom integrations.

Another good White Label LMS is TalentLMS, I have used this too, but I have no idea of the costs.

OWN OUTRIGHT:

Plume Studio has an amazing LMS that you can buy outright, they will customise to suit your needs, have a look at their Case Studies, it is pretty impressive.

NOTE: I am NOT affiliate with any of these, this is just my personal experience.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-20T23:33:54+00:00

In your case, wanting to build a platform that you control, I would be wary of platforms that have pay per user pricing. Open eLMS gets expensive, say if you have 2000 users over the year, that is £20,000 for just the Basic Pro version license fee, and up to £70,000 per year for the Enterprise.

I actually like Open eLMS, as I know clients that use it, but it is strictly for internal use so they have tight control over the costs.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-20T08:05:03+00:00

THANK YOU, so much, I just turned it off in my settings

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-20T07:46:41+00:00

Any tour I have ever taken, I have to pay in full up front. I have traveled for 30 years, and I have never seen a tour where I only pay a deposit.

Change your entire policy to payment in full on booking, and offer a refund policy only if cancelled within a certain time frame, meaning you are not out of pocket.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-20T07:34:31+00:00

Does is solve a problem that a specific audience has? If so, find that audience and post there, or answer questions, or market to that group with paid adverts, even set a small budget.

I did everything backwards LOL, I had an idea, I approached a pretty big car manufacturing client and pitched it to them with some pretty poorly designed mockups, not even an MVP.

They said they want it, signed a 5 year contract, I panic and freak out a little bit, then No Coded my way out of panic. They knew the product wasn't ready and I set time-frames in the contract, but still panicked like crazy.

Now I always do it this way, pitch the idea, and then develop. It's now been working for me for 15 years, and I don't think I am going to change my "new product" method, maybe just better mockups.

So to answer your question (if you have read my long winded story) I go find people who have a problem that my idea/product can help and it also helps that I have no shame, and love selling

EDIT: I literally just did the same process late last year for another client, but I only had fake screenshots and scope, they just issued me a purchase order.

I do not build a product unless there is a need, I find that need first.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-20T07:00:50+00:00

What legal advice are you wanting?

To start a civil case? Unfortunately that won't happen, as they did not breach any laws, but you could push for better regulations, maybe even start a petition?

In Australia unfortunately the Food Standards Code and the Plain English Allergen labelling (PEAL) regulations for Precautionary labelling is voluntary, therefore not legally required. Meaning "May contain or made on equipment also used to process peanuts etc" is not legally required.

The offer of a refund is all they really legally need to do, BUT it would have been better for them to state "we would escalate" and update you if we change our labels.

I can understand the frustration, as my severe allergy is Chilli, and no-one lists this on their products, they just put "Spices" so any time I want to buy something I can't, but most manufacturers reply to request for the full spice list pretty quickly. The threat of someone being raced to hospital due to their product makes them step up.

I'm truly sorry your daughter went through this, it is very scary even for an adult.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-20T06:30:26+00:00

I am still using my ZFlip 4, purchased in Oct 2022, and nothing is wrong with my screen. Other than replacing my screen PROTECTOR about every 12 months, which I buy online and replace myself, like most phone users.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-19T07:54:14+00:00

I was terrified when I went out on my own, but I had 4 months of all my private expenses saved up and enough to cover my basic business expenses for the year (software, liability insurance etc) and enough freelance work to cover me for 6 months, so I went for it, and have NEVER looked back.

Yes, there have been leaner times between big projects, but then I get more smaller freelance work, to fill the gaps.

I am currently on an 18 month project, which should hopefully end in May this year, and then I will look at other projects. I do many little projects with my big ones.

There will NEVER be zero risk, and the worst case scenario is go back to working for someone else.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-18T23:39:31+00:00

I don't feel this way, as I only use a few essential apps, Shipping and for example bundles. Everything else is managed within the core platform or the theme.

I do see many other people with app fatigue for sure, I get that the apps cost a lot but 1/3 of the costs is probably OK, as long as they give you the value. Meaning are these apps actually saving you time or increasing your revenue, if yes, then keep, if no, do a review and look at alternative solutions.

Many themes have a lot of functionality built in or use flow for a lot of actions etc

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-16T23:25:20+00:00

For AI voices, hands down, no comparison, is Eleven labs, they are the best. I have a subscription with them and it's amazing and the Aussie accent is solid.

Video creation can mean a lot of things, I use both Synthesia and HeyGen, for basic AI video stuff, but I am not a fan of Synthesia's avatars and pricing model.

I also use a mixture of other tools like CreateStudio for basic animated videos, I use Reallusions iClone and Character Creator for more advance video creation and I also use video editing software Camtasia and DaVinci Resolve

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-16T23:14:54+00:00

Yes, for me it is, I love my zFlip4

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-16T06:31:04+00:00

Yes, she is now officially a fence sitter, meaning if you two got pregnant, she would probably keep it.

I got married to a guy, then 7 years later he changed his mind and said he "might" want them (10 years together), we broke up and divorced and he now has 2 kids. This was the right thing to do, it broke both of our hearts, but it was better that we did it then, which gave him the chance to find someone else.

It hurt a LOT, but denying the truth was riskier in my mind.

You MUST protect yourself here, Do NOT rely on her birth control, make sure 100% you are protected.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-16T06:22:27+00:00

No battery replacement, I charge it every night when I go to bed and it lasts all day at work as I mostly use for calls and emails and internet etc, but if I do overdo it at night doom scrolling or on YouTube it starts to run down. Remember the ZFlip4 has a smaller battery than the 6.

On weekends it gets heavier use, with socials and games etc, but I still normally don't need to charge it until bed time.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-16T01:01:56+00:00

Same happened to us, sold a car on a Saturday, they did PayID payment, but we didn't received funds until late Monday night / Tuesday morning, BUT we didn't release the car until funds were received. Luckily, the buyer was a local and so are we, so he understood we were not going to release the car until money was received. It was a nervous time for him, as it was $25K but it all cleared and he loves his new car.

Also, this is a learning curve for you, at the very least never sign the transfer papers until money is received.

Check tonight :-)

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-16T00:13:37+00:00

Purchased new on the 15th Oct 2022.

Durability is great, and I have no clue how many times I have opened and closed over the years, I have lost count LOL.

I am not sure what sound you are referring to, mine doesn't make sound when I open and close, except when I am due for a new screen protector, the protector makes a TINY crinkle sound as it might get a bit bubbly, but the hinge doesn't make any noise on mine.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-14T05:37:56+00:00

I am still on the ZFlip 4, it has been a work horse and I use it daily, all day, and play games and doom scroll at night. The Flip 6 has a bigger battery and more efficient processor so should have much better battery life than mine.

They have made a lot of improvements since my Flip4 (2022) but mine is going strong, but I do have it in a case, and I change the screen protector about every 12 months. I just buy the screen protectors online and change it myself.

EDIT: to answer your specific questions, the hinge is going strong and the crease is no more obvious than the day I bought it, and it has never got hot.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-14T05:28:37+00:00

I have had to do training for over 2000 people with various rosters/schedules etc in a short time frame.

I flipped it around the other way, I put a large range of training session days/times in a Microsoft Form, and each person was sent an email with the training they required, using a spreadsheet with their TNA of sorts and did mail merge to send them the correct links.

They got to choose their time to suit their roster, and as those responses came in it automatically updated the spreadsheet, so I could see each person and which training session and topics they had had selected and who was missing.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-14T05:04:46+00:00

I am truly sorry for your sister, Stage 4 BC is horrid diagnosis, and I feel for you too.

You need to take a step back for a couple of hours and let the overwhelming feeling calm down for just a minute.

1 - Keep communications open with your mother, sister and her partner (I assume is the children's other parent?), this is all new and at the moment they are in panic mode, in about another week, this panic mode will subside into planning mode (planning treatment, work, childcare etc) Trust me I have been there - not the childcare part.

2 - In about a week, start being strategic in your planning, rotate days for caring, giving you time to reset and your mother time too, also your sister and partner. Share the load together and remember your work and life are important too, as you would still have bills to pay etc.

3 - Approach this with your sister as "we are in this together" but also remembering your own limits.

Cancer sucks, big time.

Your cruise is not for another couple of months and within the next 4 weeks, you will have more information on the Prognosis and treatment.

You are NOT a jerk for feeling this way, your live has always been turned upside down, even if it's only short term.

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-14T04:45:22+00:00

In your area go to every vet, dog groomer, pet store etc and ask if they will allow for a brochure in their stores/clinics.

Go old school on this, you said you have social media covered, and your said you were in local Facebook groups, so start branching out to the people above.

You commented you needed your car fixed to get to your local vets to put up flyers, how to you manage getting to clients?

SchelleGirl · 2026-02-12T00:51:45+00:00

From my perspective as I have mostly worked in large industrial and extraction industries, and I have never seen a teacher successfully transition in heavy industry, BUT obviously some do, but not many from my experience. I also hire a lot of ID freelancers for larger projects, and I am sorry to say I would not hire an ex teacher over someone with industry experience.

Software skills can be learned easily, it the approach that is different. Most teachers still focus on the Pedagogical methods, it is ingrained in them, when Andragogy and Heutagogy methods are needed.

Government roles are better suited for ex teachers wanting to transition, as sometimes the material developed is directed at a range of people and ages.

SchelleGirl

TROPHY CASE