#Attrition rate control

[c-suitebrain]

Find out ways to control High Attrition Rate.

Attrition rate of an organization is often referred to “Churn Rate”. It is rate at which how quickly employee is switching Job. “Low Attrition rate” indicates that people are staying with your organization for a longer period of time. “High Attrition Rate” indicates that employees are switching job very quickly..

20% or higher attrition rate is considered to be High Attrition rate which a bad sign for an company. Any thing lower than 20% is considered to be fair rate.

Calculation:

Attrition Rate (%) =No. of employees that left workspace / Avg. number of employees

Let us understand what causes HIGH Attrition Rate in a company.

There are various factors that causes high attrition rate in an organization. This can include unfriendly work environment, Unhappiness about employee benefits and Remuneration, Low Pay scale, Less career growth opportunities, Work and personal life disbalance, poor job fit ment, Poor learning opportunities, Micro managing etc. Any reason where employee is unhappy results “Job Switching”. Which ultimately increases Attrition Rate of a Company. There are various external factors which causes turnover of employee such as accidental events like War, Natural calamities, International Trade restrictions, etc.

Can Attrition rate be more than 100% ?

Yes definitely!! you can absolutely get attrition rates of more than 100%. But remember that turnover numbers can vary substantially month to month.

Average Attrition rate in IT industry in 2021 was 16.3%

Source — statista.com

In recent events in India, Top IT companies like TCS, Wipro, Infosys have reported average of 25% + of attrition rate which is much of a concern for an organization.

What can reduce Employee Attrition Rate?

Improve Employee training programs

Apart from recruitment process, you company must focus on how you train employee, especially newly hired. Your motive for training employee is to enhance their knowledge of the products or services that you r company offer and be able to understand work process. See to it that your training programs are very interesting and focused to help prepare your employees to do their jobs efficiently and confidently.

Set up great work environment for everyone

Employees love the company when the culture around their desk is fun. 9 hours of their day they spend near that desk and if that is something they are unhappy with, there are high chances they will find better place to work.

Reward and recognition

Everyone likes when they are rewarded for their work. Appreciate your employee when they do some great things for company apart from regular assigned work. Believe me they will love it.

Corporate Politics

Either higher authorities are unaware or they pretend to be blind but this is “Dark Truth” which causes most employee to switch their job. Either it is senior, Old employee or so called “Favorite Employee”. These are the best reason an “New Employee” doesn't get credited for their work. Which eventually demotivates them to showcase their creativity.

“Right to Speak” -Proper Communication

Set up a right communication channel where employees can provide their inputs and share their views. 90% of time, in big companies this is ignored. Employees can hardly reach to right authority directly, which makes them feel unheard. Even there are various seniors in to carry message to high authority it is highly possible word are changed and sometimes their meaning too. Improving this communication flaw you can make feel employee important and happy.

Great Learning and Growth Opportunity

According to survey, 63 out of 100 employee leave their job because of low career growth opportunity. A real life example of my friend, she works in a big company “XYZ” but being a Gold Medalist in software engineering she is working on same part of project where she just need to provide support or some updates. Which in result made her skills limited and in highly competitive market she is still considered to be fresher because of lack of knowledge.

“Never do that to any employee”. Give them opportunity to learn new skills, enhance their skills.

Work life Balance

“Personal life is as important as professional life” This is way too hard for any organization to understand. Build a work culture where employee can manage their personal and professional like together.

Pay Scale

If not you someone else will, Your organization must be updated with market and Avg. pay scale of employee. Salary is as important as benefits, employee’s work money and actually they are sometimes bound too. So when you do not give what they deserve you will definitely loose them. You can call it hypocrisy of Employer, during yearly increment they become stingy and when that same employee resigns they offer better PayScale in order to change mind of employee and stay with organization. Wouldn't it be helpful for employer to offer better increment and prevent this circumstances in first place. 7 out of 10 employee refuses pay hike when that is offered after resignation.

These are some ways how your company or organization can prevent Attrition.

What is Safe Attrition Rate?

Rate below 10% is considered to be safe. whereas anywhere between 10%-20% is considered to be fair rate. And anything above 20% is considered very High and it is an indicator there is something wrong with organization.

Top 5 Consequences of High Attrition rate.

Loss of valuable resources, Knowledge, and experience

Loss of belief in the team’s competence

Increase in Hiring Cost, Training cost, and employment cost

Loss of Annual Gross Profits Margins

Loss of brand Value.

Due to recent world event’s like Russia — Ukraine War, Global inflation in Western countries, Supply chain disruption etc. IT sector companies are very much affected. One of the reason for high attrition rate is “Layoffs” as well. Due to these events companies are forced to switch their mode to cost cutting, eventually “Layoffs”

Apart from Internal changes the best way to control attrition rate is “C2C Hiring”

Although majority of big organization do some C2C contract hiring, but there is right way to do it.

What is C2C Contract Hiring?

C2C -Corporation to Corporation Contract. Where Company “A” hires Company “B” as their extended team or talent partner. Benefit of C2C is it is cost efficient compared to in-house hiring. It usually cost 40% less than in-house hiring.

Top 4 Benefits of C2C contract.

Hire as per need for limited duration (it is very efficient for any organization especially startup to limit their overhead costs)

0% Attrition as company “B” is entitled to replace left employee with similar experience and training.

Cost Efficient — Avg. rate of Software Engineer with 4+ years of experience is USD55/Hr. Where as if you hire employee with same experience on C2C contract it would cost you anywhere in between USD30 to USD40. (*Only if you hire outside United states). One of the best company to provide dedicated resources on C2C is Techforce Global.

Hire as many as resources in limited time frame.

Below are some references where you can find c2c contract resources.

Hire dedicated Java Developer on C2C

Hire dedicated Mobile App Developer on C2C

Hire Dedicated Developer Team for Project

Conclusion

Identifying issues within an organization must be first step toward improvement of Attrition rate of company. Accept and Improve the area where your organization is lacking behind and causing employee to switch their jobs. Finally improve your Attrition rate with Extended Teams and several C2C contracts.

Source - Marktech Media Medium

#attrition rate #attrition in it sector in india #Attrition rate control #Tips for C-Suite #C2C Contract #Hire Dedicated Developers #Extended Technical Teams'

[anzyglobal]

ATTRITION CONTROL: 7 EMPLOYEE RETENTION STRATEGIES - ANZY GLOBAL

Companies, during and after Covid-19, have had to deal with countless predicaments. Sadly, things will not get better any time soon, as the reports of an oncoming recession have already clouded the various sectors.

Taking notes from the Great Depression (1920) and Great Recession (2008), necessary measures are being adopted by organisations across the world.

Terms like layoffs, furloughs, mass firings, et. al headlined every 3 in 5 news articles published in the last year. The most recent example could be Unacademy layoffs, where the company let go ~600 employees. What could be the reason behind this? Do companies really not need human capital anymore?

There could be many reasons behind this but organisations at this point should be focused on only one thing i.e. Making every penny count, and making every bet a winner. In other words, deploying a unique combination of attrition and retention.

Familiarising with Attrition and Retention

Attrition:

Attrition, in simple terms, refers to a deliberate but gradual reduction of human capital. This normally happens due to resignations or retirements without replacements. The ‘Attrition Rate’ or ‘Churn Rate’ defines the number of employees leaving or being let go by organisations during a given period.

While dealing with major issues, organisations have tried every spell in the book to maintain a healthy Churn Rate. This is to prevent the impact an unhealthy churn rate can have on future hiring and growth of the organisation.

Retention:

Companies are not bothered about the churn rate as much as they are about the organisation’s future. But, there’s one important thing, they need to consider viz. Retaining the right people.

A large chunk of the Indian working population has exited the workforce. In the last quarter of FY2022, IT service companies reported 20% attrition, whereas, an organisation like Wipro reported an attrition rate of 23.8%.

Even when firms are offering high salaries, it’s becoming difficult to retain employees. Let’s take a look at why employees are quitting their jobs.

Read more:- https://blog.anzyglobal.com/blog/7-effective-employee-retention-strategies/

#attrition control #how to reduce attrition rate #how to control attrition #anzy global

[mariacallous]

More than two-thirds of the Russian tanks that Ukraine’s military has destroyed in recent months have been taken out using first-person-view (FPV) drones, a NATO official told Foreign Policy, an increasing sign of Kyiv’s reliance on the unpiloted aircraft as it awaits more artillery ammunition from the United States and other Western countries. 

With much-needed funding and artillery rounds held up in Washington, the Ukrainian military has largely turned to FPV drones to carry out anti-tank attacks. Ukrainian troops operate the drones via a controller and are able to watch the machines’ “suicide” attacks on Russian vehicles through video feeds, which now play on a loop on Ukrainian social media channels on Telegram and other platforms.

In the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, FPV drones have become nearly ubiquitous on the Ukrainian battlefield. Many of them can carry 10 pounds of explosives or more, and after nearly 780 days of nonstop war, drone pilots on both sides have gotten plenty of practice. 

“I used to shoot such ‘cinematic’ videos with the help of FPV-drones before the war,” Ukrainian documentary filmmaker Anton Ptushkin posted on X (formerly Twitter) last November. “Now we use FPV to defend our land.” 

But for every success, there are nearly as many blooper reel-worthy incidents. These aren’t the $20 million-a-piece Predator drones that the United States uses to hunt terrorist targets in the Middle East. These are inexpensive off-the-shelf drones that go for $400. They have cheap cameras, making them more difficult to aim at night or in cloudy weather, and they often carry improvised munitions such as grenades or homebuilt bombs, which sometimes detonate midflight. Some are duds. In one video shared on Telegram, a Ukrainian FPV drone gets stuck in the front window of a Russian minivan and doesn’t explode. Others hit Russian quadcopters and tanks that have already been abandoned. “What we’re seeing probably is a fraction of what’s actually happening,” said Samuel Bendett, an advisor at CNA and a member of the think tank’s Russia studies program. “FPV drones have a short range. So even if the Ukrainians lack enough long-range artillery, they can only use a few drones up to 10 kilometers [about 6 miles] because that’s the normal range.”

Analysts tracking the Ukrainian military believe the attacks are having mixed results. Rob Lee, a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia program who last traveled to Ukraine to embed last November, said the overall accuracy of FPV drones is less than 50 percent. It’s an experienced pilot who is going to score a “kill” of a tank—and the soldiers inside—with an FPV drone, not a newbie.

Even those drones that get through Russia’s increasingly sophisticated, if unchic, countermeasures—boxes of signals equipment strapped to tanks—might not deal a fatal blow. “You usually don’t kill a tank the first few times,” Lee said. “It can take 10 or more [FPV drones] to kill a tank.” 

Still, Russia has a good reason to cover up its tanks with camouflage and jamming equipment, Lee said. It is running low on armored vehicles and tanks. If Ukraine keeps attriting at this rate and Russia keeps sending in more tanks to replace the destroyed ones at the rate it has been, the Kremlin could lose its numerical edge in tanks, which could make it more difficult for the Russians to carry out offensive operations in the future. 

But Russia still has more troops. “The issue is that Russia’s getting a lot of manpower,” Lee added.

The all-out use of cheap drones indicates that the Ukrainians are turning to increasingly desperate measures to improvise weapons to fight back the Russian assault, which has moved farther west into the contested areas of Donetsk. Ukraine is using a network of microphones—similar to the one you might find on your iPhone—to sense incoming targets. The microphones are good enough to classify what type of munition is coming in, what direction it’s going, and what trajectory it’s on just by using acoustics. 

And with limited air defense munitions, Ukrainian troops have rigged heavy machines with sensors to shoot down most of the Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones that are overflying their positions. The NATO official, speaking anonymously based on conditions set by the alliance, said Ukraine’s hit rate against Shahed drones with simple machine guns and small caliber weapons is about 80 percent. It’s not a complete fix, though: Ukrainian officials have spent recent days urging the United States to send more Patriot air defense systems. 

And the FPV drones are not a match for artillery ammunition when it comes to keeping up a high rate of fire or for creating explosive effects. They can also be more expensive. “You cannot replace a 155 [mm] shell,” one Ukrainian official said. “It’s like replacing a Kalashnikov with a small gun.” And artillery is immune to electronic warfare. It’s just a bombshell that’s flying through the air. 

The rapid pace of innovation for drones has made U.S. military leaders second-guess big, expensive drone programs. The future, officials think, will be cheap and attritable. 

“I don’t think we could buy a drone and say it’s going to be in our formation for the next 20 years,” U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said. “We can’t do that.”

It’s not clear how effective they will be in the long term. But like improvised explosive devices in the Iraq War, cheap drones have revolutionized the battlefield—for now.

“It’s possible that any vehicle, any system, any soldier that moves on the Ukrainian battlefield right now can be seen, observed, and ultimately hit with a [unmanned aerial vehicle],” said Bendett, the CNA advisor. “There’s no such thing as just moving around uncontested anymore.”

[spinningbuster98]

I sometimes see people give Samus Returns and Dread shit for being too action oriented than actual Metroid games, as they’re too linear and rely too heavily on their combat mechanics.

And to be fair, that is a legitimate criticism to make, but that’s not my issue. What bothers me is that I often see said people then turn around and say “unlike past games”, which usually includes Fusion and....

shouldn’t Fusion be the first game to be thrown into the garbage bin in that case?

I love Fusion don’t get me wrong, and it’s entirely possible to like it over Dread or viceversa as they’re certainly not the same, but Dread absolutely takes plenty of design elements from the game, to the point that most of the things people complain about with Dread originated from that game

A more linear structure that aggressively funnels you in a direction, preventing backtracking by blocking the path you used to get into a room? Check

A gimped wall jump? Check

A strict order you have to get items in? Well Dread actually allows for some sequence breaking here and there so that’s actually a point in its favor

A greater emphasis on action elements to supplement the more limited exploration? Surprisingly also check!

Because yes, the greater focus on action over sheer exploration is not something that started when Mercurysteam came on board, it’s not something that started with Other M, it started all the way back in Fusion

Just think about Samus’ movement and how it’s used

In Super Metroid Samus is very floaty, and has a run button allowing you to have greater control over your speed and momentum when jumping. This, alongside stuff like the wall jump, allowed you to traverse the world in unique and inventive ways. On the flipside her rate of fire is very low, even lower than previous games’, her movement isn’t very snappy, you have to cycle through items with a button etc

Fighting enemies in SM is usually a non-event, most of them can be dispatched in a shot or two and don’t require much effort. Bosses can be irritating because Samus’ floatiness, while great for world traversal, is not ideal for dodging attacks, meaning that boss fights usually amount to little more than wars of attrition: you can’t dodge reliably often and so have to tank hits and hope the boss dies before you do. Phantoon is my favorite example

In general Super’s movement is very exploration-centric, but not ideal for combat

Fusion is the opposite

You have one static speed and the floatiness is gone, along with the infinite wall jump and all sequence breaking tools, meaning that, for thye most part, the exploratory aspects of Samus’ movement have been stripped down

On the other hand she is much easier to control, her movement is far snappier, you don’t have to cycle through items, Super Missiles replace normal ones, your Charge Beam is not only more powerful but also charges faster, your rate of fire is far faster etc

And you know how Fusion uses this new movement style?

By placing a greater emphasis on fighting enemies

While in Super enemies were generally a bother, in Fusion enemies are more aggressive, they take more hits, there are more enemies that need to be dispatched with missiles, and they hurt way more. If you approach enemies in Fusion the way you did in Super you will die. But it’s no biggie, because Fusion’s snappier movement allows you to attack enemies and dodge them much more reliably. This is particularily noticable with bosses. You can’t just tank hits here, you gotta memorize attacks and dodge them and know when and how to go on the offensive, you can’t fight Yakuza and BOX round 2 the same way you did Phantoon or Draygon. Bosses hit harder, have more attacks, even more phases often, and there are more of them in general!

Essentially Fusion’s movement sacrifices exploratory elements in favor of making the game’s action flow much better, and the game knows this because it ramps up said action when compared to the previous game

Yeah sure Fusion may not have a counter mechanic or cool cinematics to show you how badass Samus is, but the general gameplay loop of mostly following a linear path the game lays out for you while fighting tough enemies that require you to stay on your toes is fundementally the same, it’s just more explicit in games like Dread (hell even Prime 3 did more or less the same thing)

#metroid #metroid fusion #metroid dread

[workersolidarity]

💥[A Russian self-guided Motiv-3M is used for the first time in central Avdiivka to target a Ukrainian stronghold]💥

🇷🇺🇺🇦 🚨 💥RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR UPDATE DAY 621💥

In the Zelensky direction:

A reminder that Ukrainian drug addict President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed an extension of the Martial Law and General Mobilization for a period of an additional 90 days. This will bring the next period of Martial law and mobilization to set to expire on February 14th, 2024 according to People's Deputy Zheleznyak.

Ukrainian drug addict President Zelensky's Presidential term is set to expire on the 31st of March, 2024. However, under Ukrainian Law, the Presidential elections cannot take place during a period of Martial Law, according to the Ukrainian Election's Commission. This means that no matter when the current President's term expires, he will remain in the position until the period of Martial Law ends.

However, it is expected that, come February, drug addict President Zelensky will sign another extension of the Martial Law and General Mobilization, extending the life of his Presidency further.

This would place the next Martial Law experation in the month of May, 2024, well after the experation of his Presidential term. Affectively, this will require Zelensky to sign an extension of the Martial Law before it expires each time, and if he does not, he will automatically lose his position. This of course will require the full cooperation of the Ukrainian Parliament, passing extensions of the Martial Law well in advance of its experation, and any delay could mean chaos for the Ukrainian political system.

In the Kherson direction:

According to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian Forces lost 55 soldiers, two armored vehicles, and two artillery pieces.

According to video evidence geolocated to the Ukrainian foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper on the eastern outskirts of Pidstepne, two Ukrainian armored vehicles were damaged or destroyed by Russian artillery.

On the Ukrainian foothold in Krynky, Russian Forces were targeting Ukrainian vehicles along the islands between the village and the Dnieper, suggesting Ukrainian Forces have in fact managed to bring some vehicles into the village.

Russian Forces also launched a powerful missile strike on Ukrainian positions on the western outskirts of Krynky, suggesting Ukrainian Forces have managed to expand their zone of control in this area.

However, it is important to keep in mind that Ukrainian losses increased tremendously in this area after the development of the two footholds, and many observers see this as a purposeful strategy Russian Forces use to increase the attritional rate on the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

By allowing them to extend their zone of control without the proper cover, fortifications and logistics, the rate of attrition on their forces increases multifold.

Russian Forces were also using modern Lancet drones to target Ukrainian artillery, with several successful strikes along the Dnieper, and at least one successful FPV drone strike by Ukrainian Forces targeted a Russian radar battery south of Kairy, also along the Dnieper.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction:

Ukrainian Forces targeted a Russian air defense system along the Russian Defense belt north of Burchak using HIMARS missiles. However, the strike missed its target narrowly, though shrapnel from the explosion successfully damaged the battery, forcing Russian Forces to remove the battery from the battlefield.

In Robotyne, Russian Forces continue successfully bombing and shelling Ukrainian armored vehicles, concentrations of soldiers, and artillery batteries along the western and southwestern flanks of the city. The attrition rate here is especially high. Both tactically, and strategically, with the offensive now essentially over, it doesn't make much sense for Ukrainian Forces to hold this area. Russian Forces seem satisfied with the status quo, choosing not to launch ground operations in this area in exchange for a successful grinding operation, similar to the Artemovsk area before the storming operation by Wagner PMC began.

It would make more sense for Ukrainian Forces to pull back to a more defendable position with natural barriers and dig in and fortify there. One wonders if it isn't simply political concerns keeping Ukrainian Forces dying here?

Similarly, on the west of Verbove, Russian Forces were heavily bombing and shelling Ukrainian troop rotations and attempts to bring in reserves. With video evidence in recent days showing the destruction of an armored personnel carrier filled with Ukrainian soldiers using ATGM rockets.

According the Russian MoD, Ukrainian Forces lost 60 soldiers, three armored vehicles and two artillery systems in this area as a result of the heavy bombing, shelling and drone usage in the Zaporizhzhia area.

It should also be mentioned that Ukrainian Forces in this area have been relying heavily on FPV drone operations, successfully targeting Russian radar and air defense batteries far south of the frontlines. With video published by Ukrainian Forces showing the destruction of Russian military assets in the fields southwest of Verbove and west of Romanivsky, a considerable distance from Ukrainian positions to the north.

In the Vremivka tactical salient direction:

No updates from the Vremivka tactical salient itself whatsoever at this time.

East of the Vremivka tactical salient, in the fields between Novoukrainka and Prechystivka, Russian Forces were using Lancet drones to successfully target Ukrainian artillery batteries in this area, dealing significant damage to the Ukrainians ability to slow Russian operations in this area.

Southeast of Ughledar:

Russian Forces continue offensive operations in the area northeast of Mykilske, with Russian sources claiming RU Forces have penetrated the Ukrainian trench networks and fortifications along the treelines and in the fields northeast of the village.

Meanwhile, to keep Ukrainian reserves from arriving in this area, the Russian Forces operating in the village of Pavlivka have been keeping Ukrainian Forces in Ughledar busy with heavy bombing raids and constant shelling, using a variety of bombs and missiles including FAB500s, TOS Flamethrower systems and other multiple launch rocket systems, howitzers, mortars and, of course, a non-stop barrage of FPV drone assaults and Lancet strikes.

In the South Donetsk area:

Russian Forces continue offensive operations along the treelines and fields south of Novomykhailivka, with Russian Forces constantly working to demine the fields here. Video published show Russian de-mining equipment striking powerful mines in this area, with crews surviving to continue their work in another vehicle quickly brought to the front. There is simply is no substitute for solid logistical supply chains, and Russian work in the South Donetsk region exemplifies this.

Of course, none of this comes without cost, and Ukrainian video evidence gives examples of this again and again as they successfully use FPV drones to kill Russian soldiers in the trenches in the fields. Losses are no doubt heavy for the Russian Forces here.

In the north of Novomykhailivka, in the area south of Marinka, Ukrainian Forces successfully targeted a Russian tank headed to the frontline in Novomykhailivka, taking one armored vehicle off the road for a time, and perhaps slowing de-mining operations north of the city.

A lot of the fighting in this area is not clear, but what is clear is that fighting in this area is very intense, and we expect more solid updates to come from this area in the coming days.

In the territory west of Marinka, Russian Forces successfully targeting a Ukrainian Streta air defense system in the fields north of Antonivka, while also striking a Multiple launch rocket system in the fields west of Pobieda. These strikes do considerable damage to the ability of Ukrainian Forces to provide cover for their troops defending Marinka and other towns and villages in the region. According to the Russian MoD, Ukrainians Forces have lost 70 soldiers in the South Donetsk territory.

In the Avdiivka direction:

Russian Forces continue offensive operations in the south of Avdiivka, aiming to expand their zone of control over the territory of the fields stretching from the north of Vodiane to the north of Opytne, expanding the base of the southern pincer as Russian Forces hope to encircle Avdiivka, or at least establish fire control over all the entrances to the city.

But first, Russian Forces aim to broaden the base of the southern pincer to support the troops they intend on pushing further to north eventually, as they have currently established control over most, if not all of the fields south of the village of Sieverne.

On the northern Avdiivka pincer:

Russian Forces continue offensive operations aiming to push northwest of Kransohorivka, advancing along the railways by hammering the Ukrainians positions using tanks and self-propelled artillery.

Currently, Russian Forces use these weapons from the fields west of Kransohorivka to target the rail lines and soften these positions for further ground operations advancing to the west and northwest.

No evidence has yet been published to show Russian Forces inside Stepove at this time, however some sources say an assault has already begun, others do not mention it.

In the southern forest fortifications and trench networks south of Avdiivka, Russian Forces pulled back slightly from positions they had recently taken north of the M30 highway here due to the difficulty of resupplying the positions under heavy fire.

In central Avdiivka, Russian Forces used a completely new weapon, using their Motiv-3M in the field for the first time in Avidiivka. A self-targeting cluster munition, the Motiv-3M is loaded with infrared sensors that can be launched by rocket, missile or guided bomb. It can recognize and target new assets in-flight and correct for navigation to new targets, a significant improvement to prior munitions of this kind.

Similarly, the new self-guided Lancets being deployed across the frontline is dealing significant damage to Ukrainian assets in the field.

For example, Russian Forces successfully targeted a Ukrainian Bradley in the area northeast of Novokalynove as Ukrainian Forces attempt to bring strategic reserves into this area in order to launch offensive operations to add pressure to the Russian Forces pushing north from the vacinity of Novobakhmutovka make the Avidiivka offensive more difficult.

Another Lancet drone was used to strike a Ukrainian radar battery hidden in the treelines running north to south in between Stepanivka and Ivanopillia, south of Kostiantynivka.

In the Artemovsk Direction:

Heavy fighting continues in Andriivka as Ukrainian Forces launch offensive operations pushing south into Kurdiumivka and Zelenopillia.

However, Russian Forces launched a counter operation to north of Artemovsk, in the area south of the Bohdanivka Reservoir while using Lancet and FPV drones to hammer Ukrainian manpower north of Khromove. This added pressure is intended to pull Ukrainian reserves out of the Andriivka offensive, while the Ukrainian offensive seems intended to divert Russian reserves from the Bohdanivka Reservoir offensive. And so, it's not particularly clear who's gaining the upper hand here. However, this thinking is short-term, because unless Ukrainian Forces get a significant influx of manpower and equipment soon, they are likely to find themselves losing ground rapidly before long.

In the Kupiansk-Lyman direction:

According to Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian Forces lost 160 soldiers in this area and another 170 in Lyman.

In the area south of Pershotravneve, Russian Forces expanded their zone of control over Ukrainian positions in this area, and now have fire control over large areas occupied by Ukrainian Forces in this area.

@WorkerSolidarityNews

#russo ukrainian war #russia ukraine war #russian smo #russia ukraine conflict #ukraine war #ukraine #ukraine news #russia #russia news #special military operation #news #war #war news #war update #ukraine war update #politics #geopolitics #world news #global news #international news #international affairs #breaking news #current events #smo update #wars #WorkerSolidarityNews

[mrsgabby-vtuber]

Alan Wake II: 8/10

Gabby G. Ghoulligan

A masterclass in narrative presentation, held back by technical follies and a lackluster combat system

Cultural Context

The early lead up to, and ultimate the entirety of, the 2010s represented a shift in the horror game genre. Resident Evil 5 (2009) had just been released, completely transitioning the beloved survival horror franchise into a coop action shooter. And although the premiere of Dead Space in 2008 proved that intense survival horror was still desirable, that franchise too would find itself following its parentage into the action genre under E.A.'s demand. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2009) would be the last well-received Silent Hill project, sandwiched between Silent Hill: Homecoming (2008) and Silent Hill: Downpour (2012) , until Hideo Kojima's P.T. would stealthily drop onto PSN in 2014. In the wake of the loss of Silent Hill, survival horror fans had slim pickings for equally mind-itching narratives. Many likely found themselves attracted to the upcoming Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010) , whose popularity with early Youtube personalities would kickoff the Era of the Lets Play. But before this would happen, one last scratch came from Finland to remedy their burning itch.

Alan Wake (2010) presented itself as a novel come to life, cribbing much of its aesthetic and themes from the likes of Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The game sets itself in Washington State, a lakehouse settled on a cliff occupied by the titular Alan Wake and his wife Alice. Alan is, for all intents and purposes, a Stephen King stand-in. He's a highly successful author, plagued by his success and subsequent writer's block. His wife arranges for their lodgings, secretly hoping this will provide him with some miraculous inspiration. Throughout this game, Wake finds himself fighting away shadows, known as "Taken", and collecting scraps of a manuscript he doesn't remember writing.

All in all, the game's combat sequences are satisfying, but leave little room for diverse play. Enemies have a shroud of darkness that serves as a damage sponge. Wake can use his flashlight, limited by the number of batteries he has collected, to remove this shroud. There's also a variety of throwables, but their differences are minimal. Explosion range, whether or not they stun enemies, and how long their light lasts are the main variables at play. Wake can also pick up a set of weapons outside of the starting revolver: a shotgun, a hunting rifle, and a flare-gun. Again, these are your standard fare of weapon options: fire rate, spread, average shot power. Once you've reached the halfway point, these combat encounters are all but solved, and it turns into a battle of attrition. What ammo are you willing to part with in the short term versus the long-term potential of restocking your supplies? In 2010, this was serviceable, but the Dead Space franchise would provide its players with a more nuanced flow to combat. Outside of combat, however, Alan Wake's gameplay is incredibly dry. Basic, exploration-based puzzle solving requiring you to interact with an object or pick up an item. This, combined with the lackluster gameplay, made for a middling action game at best and a barebones survival-horror at worst.

Where Remedy shined brilliantly, however, the game's atmosphere and world-building. The collectible manuscripts from Alan's novel "Departure" are littered across the game's maps. Each one read and voice-acted by the competent Matthew Porretta, these pages provide a kind of "preview" to what's to come. The prose is very similar to that we'd find in Remedy's earlier Max Payne titles, which is later used as a plot thread to imply that the titular Max Payne is an invention of Alan Wake's fictional writing. Of course, by the time of Control (2019)'s re-introduction of Wake's character, the studio had loss the rights to the name "Max Payne". This makes for a very interesting plot line later in the sequel. Outside of the in-universe writing, there were also a series of live action productions for the fictitious show "Night Springs" - a clear facsimile of The Twilight Zone. Players could find certain television sets airing individual episodes, which were later canonized to be Alan Wake's first step on his path to becoming an acclaimed novelist. There were also a number of radio and music broadcasts found throughout the world, which provided texture to the history and culture of the small Washington town, Bright Falls. Players could find themselves engaged with this world and its background radiation of a greater space beyond the rustic mountains.

This multimedia approach to narrative and game design led to its partnership with Microsoft to develop a new IP, Quantum Break (2016), whose success ultimately allowed Remedy to buy back its rights to Alan Wake. From there, they've since partnered with Epic Games, and developed Control (2019) and a remaster of the original Alan Wake in their new "Northlight" engine. Their focus on creating engaging, cinematic experiences has influenced the visual design of their most recent titles, particularly Control and Alan Wake II.

Presentation

The creation of Northlight paved the way for Control (2019)'s fantastical "projection" character profiles. These are the most stand-out feature of Control's gripping atmosphere, where live-action film sequences of a given character is played over the 3D game space. This is an impressive implementation of the all-too-typical "collectible audio logs" that has plagued games for decades now. From Bioshock (2007) to Horizon Zero Dawn (2017), characters can't seem to stop recording themselves for the most mundane things. Control and later, Alan Wake II, are not unique in how they re-contextualize these recordings as remnants of a person's thoughts. However, the addition of the environment influencing their presentation gives them much more weight. These are not just a series of lines voice acted, and scattered. They are intentional, they provide greater context to the environment, and their visual design feels hand-crafted on an individual level. This design element alone helps drive home the sense that we are engaging in not just a piece of media, but a material thing with some sort of importance to the grander tapestry of Remedy's body of work. An object of power, if you will.

This is all available through the game's impressive lighting engine, something Remedy has been trying to perfect since back when Alan Wake (2010) was initially going to have a day/night cycle. Atmospheric lighting, ray-tracing, and an enhanced physics-suite are additional technical features that allow Remedy's latest titles to feel hefty. Unique to Alan Wake II is of Bright Falls' ever-encroaching darkness. This is most felt during Saga's segments. Players are oft surrounded by dense forest that stretches upward to hide the sun. Only the minimal light of dusk manages to peek through the slim breaks in the tree-line. Curated, subtle brushes of the grass tickle at the edges of earshot, an owl hoots, and something in the woods stirs unexpectedly. I found myself using my flashlight even during segments in the late afternoon, so my own light could burn away the heavy shadows that would fall across rocks and buildings. Alan's waking nightmare of a fantastically-morbid New York is much darker, both literally and figuratively. Tasked with finding his way out of The Dark Place, Alan often finds himself at the remains of a cult's ritual sacrifices. Scenes of bloodied halls, charred train passengers, and flooded TV studios are his only means of getting out. Swirling veils of dark aura will often blur a path in the game's intuitive attempt to direct a player's intended path. The silhouettes of the Taken intermingle with non-hostile, but equally creepy, shadows constantly whispering slurred ramblings of "the writer" and "my story". Saga and Alan's respective environments mirror each other. Nature surrounds the player as Saga, a deer being preyed upon as it treks through the dark woods. Players as Alan are left isolated, a lone survivor in a pitch city with nothing but remains.

The game's soundtrack is a whiplash of what should be tonal dissonance. Instead, I've developed a fondness for Finnish folk music and Scandinavian power metal. Chapters are divided by songs which astute players may notice are either summaries of what they've just played, or what is to come. Not all of these are hits, unfortunately. I remember distinctly a very lacking horrorcore rap track towards the end of the game. That being said, I have been listening to Yötön Yö (Nightless Night) as performed by Ahti and the Janitors on repeat for several days. I don't have a masterful ear, so I won't focus too much on the soundtrack. There's probably something for everybody in this game, and the soundtrack is freely available online via streaming services and fan-rips.

I will say, however, that Alan Wake II 's use of "jump scares" is somewhat outdated at this point. There are several moments throughout the game where a scary visual, along with a loud roaring type sound, are flashed in front of the player. There's not a setting to turn this off, and many of them serve the narrative purpose of announcing the presence of "Mr. Scratch" - the villainous embodiment of the Dark Presence using Alan Wake as a template. I would have preferred some other way of conveying this information, perhaps like flickering lights or simply the absence of light itself. With that being said, the game's overall presentation was stunning, outside of some technical issues.

Technical

For context, I played the game on PC, where it is being hosted on the Epic Game Store. The game was marred with technical issues on release, and the development team requested players use EGS' bug reporting functionality to contact them. Unfortunately, the steps necessary to do this are incredibly unclear. Moderators on r/AlanWake found it necessary to detail these steps in a pinned thread dedicated to bug reporting. Many issues included dialogue not syncing with mouth animations, items not being interactive, and a soft-lock that occurred in Chapter 5. Thankfully, most of these issues were resolved in the 1.0.13 update, which added NG+ alongside various bug fixes. Unfortunately, I still dealt with VRAM issues forcing the game to reduce the game's textures (including your in-game map) to mush. I have a pretty good PC, decked out with an Ryzen 5800_x3D and an RTX 3070, which meets the game's recommended specs. The lack of a built-in measurement of VRAM usage led me to constant experimenting with my settings, which only served to pull me away from the atmosphere of this game. I also found a well-reported bug where one of Saga's final inventory upgrades cannot be interacted with . Thankfully, the game's balance didn't make this too much of an issue, but it's very frustrating to solve a puzzle for no reward. Despite Remedy's technical proficiency with their engine, I was also disappointed by what I felt were only standard options. Unlike the game's contemporaries, the RE Franchise, none of these settings have a visual component to them. Players with less technical know-how may find themselves in similar "test and repeat" scenarios as myself. The aforementioned lacked of a VRAM usage graphic also means that players will have no idea how much certain settings will affect their system. There's also the matter of DLSS frame generation seemingly not working at all . You can, technically, go into an .ini file and change the setting manually. However, I did not notice a difference during gameplay, and cannot confirm if the feature worked as intended. All in all, the game was functional, but I found myself fiddling with it far more than I would expect from the title.

Gameplay

People introduced to Remedy by Control (2019) will feel an immediate difference from general movement to gunplay. Actions like changing equipment or aiming your weapon are far slower, movement speed is significantly slower, and the camera is much tighter even compared to the original Alan Wake. While different than what some folks are used to, this is a tried and true game-feel for us survival-horror girlies. This game takes much more pages from the Resident Evil remakes specifically, down to the d-pad being your weapon selection interface. Fans of the more recent Resident Evil titles will also find themselves engaging with a much clunkier, less tactile inventory management system. This game is very conservative with how many items it allows per stack, and that serves the purpose of forcing the player to leave some things in the magical shoe box. Unfortunately, the shoe box is also not infinite, and more resourceful players (like myself) will find themselves having to needlessly toss aside several items to fit a shotgun into a shoe box. This and the lack of responsiveness in the controls lead to a damp, mushy feeling to the whole menu. If the shoe box was changed to be an infinite storage device, as it already is in the narrative, then my gripes would be mostly dissuaded.

As Saga Anderson, the FBI Agent in charge of investigating a recent string of disappearances in Bright Falls, you can explore three main areas. In each, you can find a variety of nursery rhyme riddles scattered around the map. These rhymes aren't particularly difficult themselves, but completing them all will require some heavy exploration, retreading old steps, and some themed combat challenges. These reward you with additional charms for your bracelet, which give Saga various bonuses such as: increased maximum health, greater healing from items, better resources from pick-ups, etc. However, half of these rhymes will reward you with the "coffee mug" charm, which serves as an instant revive. Playing on normal difficulty, and having some proficiency in the genre, I didn't find combat so difficult as to use up one of my 3 charm slots for what is essentially a worse restart button. As such, half of my shoe box's inventory was entirely charms . The second most prominent item I'd found were full-heal items like the first aid kit. The reward for completing all of the nursery rhymes? Some lore about the Federal Bureau of Control, and an extra slot on your charm bracelet. Maybe then someone will find a use for those coffee mugs.

The game does a great job of maintaining its dynamic difficulty, and some of it seems tied to your pistol ammo. Midway through the game, I noticed that sometimes, fallen enemies will drop ammo. And I noticed that it was primarily ammo for my starting firearm or my flashlight. The game seems to want players to always have at least 12 pistol bullets, with a maximum of ~ 30 (assuming you don't have any ammo in your other guns). More spreadsheet-inclined players have probably mapped out the ideal inventory setup by now, but my results after ~ 20 hours of play involved me stashing several high-damage throwables and full heals away in my item box. During the end game, I received one last weapon to my arsenal, which directly replaced my current shotgun. I recall having to walk up and down a flight of stairs in the police precinct to get to the nearest safe one, so I could drop off enough resources to grab it. Unfortunately, the game doesn't tell you how many slots a given item takes up in your inventory, so this took more trips than I'd care to admit. For the record, it's 4 horizontal lines.

The gameplay loop between Alan Wake (2010) and this sequel are very similar, but AW2 manages to win out its predecessor's shortfalls by giving Saga Anderson some mentally-stimulating criminal investigation abilities. Without diving too deep into it, Saga has the ability to intuit her subject's inner thoughts. She also projects her Mind Palace, henceforth called "The Mind Place", around her to help keep track of her lines of questioning, clues, and collectibles. Players will find themselves investigating scenes, picking up documents and evidence, and gaining "clues" to answer "questions" on Saga's cork board. While it's not as complex as the infamous "Pepe Silvia" corkboard from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , it provides a clear through-line for key plot elements. You can tell the writers had a very fun time designing this mechanic, because they play around with it often. Late into the game, the Mind Place serves as a moment for self-reflection, and Saga's methods are used against her by the Dark Presence. Other characters interact within this Mind Place as well, and its real-world counterpart ties into another series of collectibles - the Deer Heads.

Finding all of the stuffed Deer Heads in Bright Falls is a much more relaxed task, and mostly only serves to provide some extra texture to Saga's inductive reasoning abilities. There are ten total, and the reward for finding them all is sufficient for a simple matter. Don't worry too much if you don't find them, because they aren't critical to the story or combat. Much of the same can be said of the various "cult stashes", which are boxes filled with ammo that require puzzle-solving and key-finding to open. Many of these were pattern recognition puzzles, but I did have to solve more than two math problems - even some pre-algebra, which was a fun surprise.

Most importantly, there are the Alex Casey lunch-boxes. Collecting these serves as your method of upgrading your offensive capabilities. You find a lunch box, you get some scraps of a manuscript, and you use a sum of those scraps to unlock an upgrade. The game gives you three choices per type of weapon, and some upgrades have multiple tiers; (25% healing to 50% healing, for example).

Alan Wake's portion of the game is much more streamlined. Unlike Saga, Alan doesn't have much in the way of collectibles. There are some "Words of Power" which serve as his form of the lunchboxes, and operate much the same. Likewise, he has a number of stashes he can find, which again only have some excess resources that can be used in combat. Wake's main addition to his previous game's loop is the introduction of "The Plot Board" - a narrative device that allows him to change the context of the story he's been trapped in while occupying the Dark Place. As Alan, players will explore the map to locate the next "murder site", where they'll find hints as to how to drive the plot forward and change the scene. His powers have their limits, however, and do not allow him to change the story's genre - it must remain a horror story. As such, Alan has to navigate horrifying sequences of events that have an affect on the reality of Bright Falls and Saga's investigation. I never felt that either character's respective parts overstayed their welcome. The freedom to switch between each playable character at a whim was a very good choice, and I think that'll help keep this game from getting stale on further replays.

While I functionally 100%-ed the game (all deer heads, all charms, fully-upgraded Alan, etc.), the need for backtracking through mostly-empty sections of the map were dull. Unlike cult stashes, there's no map markers for uncompleted rhymes and discovered but untouched Deer Heads. I ended up needing a guide to breakdown which ones I was missing. Areas you revisit after their stories are settled will repopulate with a small amount of enemies, but I was never leaving these areas with less than I walked in with. Perhaps the game's balance was a bit too lenient on normal difficulty, or maybe Sam Lake's team valued the story they were telling over resource management.

Story

Sam Lake is Sam Lake is Alex Casey is Alex Casey is Alex Casey is James McCaffrey and Sam Lake is Max Payne. Who exists inside of Alan Wake's books. Who is a character in the Control universe.

I can best describe this game's narrative as a Finnish version of the kind of overly-genuine auteur we find in Hideo Kojima. Sam Lake and his writing team have a clear appreciation for their influences and their heritage, and they've used their last few titles to really sell that as a visual identity for themselves. They've been using the same ring of Finnish body actors and American voice actors for the same gang of characters in all of their stories. Even Quantum Break (2016)'s Shawn Ashmore comes back as a character name Tim(e) Breaker . They're not afraid to be on the nose, but it never comes off as pretentious. Self-love for a world this team has been developing since at least 2011 is on remarkable display, and ultimately culminates in a story that is, if sometimes predictable, at least fun to participate in. Many of Remedy's inside-jokes with their characters may go over the heads of people not in the know, but some of them will land by the time the player is reaching the big end game.

The plot itself revolves around Saga Anderson, whose investigation of Bright Falls quickly develops into a horror mystery as residents hint at a time in her life she doesn't recall. A jaded ex-husband, a flooded trailer park, and a family she's never known. The Cult of the Woods leads her to find Alan Wake, the author that went missing in Bright Falls 13 years ago, washed up on the shores of Cauldron Lake. He's involved somehow, the Cult using his manuscript Return as a blueprint for their ritualistic murder, but she's unsure how. Meanwhile, Alan Wake finds himself caught again in the nightmare, unable to cut away from an insidious loop within his writer's room. Pages and pages of a manuscript he doesn't remember writing, his name scratched out on the title page - the door slams. Mr. Scratch, delirious, seething with primordial darkness attacks him. A gunshot rings, and Alan finds himself back again.

I was an avid Stephen King reader as a teenager, and this game's story brings me back to the place where I could engage with horror at face value. There's no jaded, inversive tongue-in-cheek at play here. The game takes its horror elements seriously, but isn't afraid to use levity either. And when it does have levity, it indulges itself to its fullest extent. Likewise with the darker elements of the plot. Players should be aware that there are some intense scenes that, while not always violent and gruesome, can be just as impactful and effective. Things like a burning train car filled with the screams of a few dozen people, anxiety disorder, and suicide. These aren't the only examples, but these did stick out to me personally.

As usual, Remedy's background story-telling is excellent. Radio broadcasts, Night Springs clips, and manuscript pages all return as collectibles that serve to provide a greater scope to the story as a whole. There's also the addition of choice characters from Control found in select television displays, live action advertisements from Bright Falls' local Finnish population , and plenty of interactable elements in the environment that add more to the setting. My personal favorite was the Ahma Beer TV commercial.

Conclusion

By the end of Alan Wake's New Game+, titled "Final Draft", we receive a conclusive end to Alan Wake's journey. However, that's not to say there isn't a promise for more. With an upcoming Control 2 in the works, alongside Max Payne remakes, I can only hope this isn't the last we'll see of Saga Anderson or Alan Wake.

Rest in Peace James McCaffrey.

#video game essay #game review #alan wake 2 #remedy studios #video game review #video games

[sophieinwonderland]

my favorite argument against the possibility of "endogenic" DID is "it only says 'associated' because in order to prove it you'd need to traumatize children and that's unethical" bc it's a literal admission that their stance fundamentally cant be proven, but this is somehow still an argument to them. hilariously i Agree, i also think it's trauma based, but whenever I see that argument i laugh bc its like... what youre saying is "we have no way of knowing this for sure but i definitely know just trust me dude"

That argument also just... doesn't make sense to me. Like, nobody here is debating that the disorder is often caused by childhood trauma. But they're saying it can potentially form other ways.

DID itself has a prevalence of about 1%-3%

Putting aside ethical considerations, you would need to setup a longitudinal study of children's entire lives. If we assumed a flat rate, going by the low estimate, your control group would need to have 100 children to have about a 63% of getting a child with DID under normal odds. Bump this up to 200 children, and you only have an 86% chance of getting at least one child with DID. (If I'm mathing correctly.)

And the majority of participants in longitudinal studies drop off. For a study this long, the attrition rate may be around 70%. So keeping 200 people in the control group the whole way means starting with about 600.

To get truly meaningful data on DID, you would likely need upwards of a thousand families in the control group.

This proposed study isn't just obscenely unethical, it's completely unrealistic and useless for gathering the data they think it would help with.

I always see this presented as "how dare you suggest we need more research? Why do you want to traumatize children?" And it's just so absurd in every way. First because they're the ones bringing up traumatizing children for science, and second because the type of studies they're talking about can't prove what they think it would in the first place.

It might prove that trauma is one cause, but it can't prove that it's the only cause possible.

#syscourse #psychology #psychiatry #systems #multiplicity #science #studies #research #plural #plurality #pro endo #pro endogenic

[hmslusitania]

I’m just being maudlin about the passage of time

I turn 28 on Monday, which means I spent a solid chunk of my summer actively avoiding my ten year high school reunion, but

My graduating class was fucking cursed man. Like, we started freshman year with 330 people or something, and we had 200 walk. This at a school with normally an 89% graduation rate. We had 33% attrition.

Freshman year, one of the popular cheerleader girls got cancer and everyone rallied around her and freaked out because getting cancer when you’re 14 is fucking abominable right.

Sophomore year, another guy got a different type of cancer. He tried to keep it quiet because the girl in our freshman year had been so exuberant about making sure Everyone Knew, but as soon as people found out, the entire boys’ varsity soccer team showed up to school with shaved heads in solidarity.

Junior year, hey, no one got cancer! Because turns out I’d just been like half dead from an illness that wasn’t cancer, that, sure, was actively trying to kill me and had been for three years at that point, but it wasn’t cancer and just made me seem crazy so it didn’t count.

And I got medical attention (sort of) junior year and so I graduated high school only a quarter dead, and did three years of college only a quarter dead, and then had to drop out for a semester because I was too sick to function, but like! I got actual medical attention. And I’m fine now, health wise!

But I was disruptively sick for eight years. And I was technically present in high school and in college but I didn’t… experience any of it? I was sick enough I don’t actually remember large portions of it, and I just basically skipped all that social development you’re supposed to do between the ages of 13 and 21. And I was kinda making up for it, but then we’ve spent two years in this global pandemic and I’ve spent two years locked in a studio apartment with my cat, and over the course of the pandemic the last remaining friends I had here moved away.

And I’m moving, and going somewhere I know people, but I just… that’s ten years. That’s ten entire fucking years of just. Negligible growth in any meaningful way. Socially, at best, I’m like. Eighteen years old. But I’m almost thirty, I have a 9-5 and my own health insurance and a master’s degree, and… no useable social skills. Professional social skills, sure! I can small talk bullshit my way through a meeting. But I can’t, like, date. I’m not even equipped to tell if I’m actually demiromantic or aro because I don’t even know what a normal goddamn romantic emotion is supposed to feel like when you’re in your late twenties.

And like, yeah, sure I’ll catch up eventually, probably. Do things at your own pace or whatever, I know. But it isn’t my own fucking pace it’s the pace of “an impairment I had no control over hamstrung my social development when I was 13” and I want those ten years back, but not going forward, I want those ten years back woven into my life where they were supposed to be and I want to feel like I’m just one age instead of an emotionless adult dragging a confused teenager who doesn’t know what debt is yet but feels everything acutely along for the ride.

Anyway. Time. Illness. Curses. Fuck it. Whatever

#the ghost ship babbles to herself in the night #things to bring up when I actually find a therapist lol

[wh40kbigbang]

Hey, just popping in to ask a couple questions! First- why change the dates? And second and more importantly, why up the word count so drastically? I was under the impression we had a lot of dropouts last year who just couldn't finish, so it seems like it would make a lot more sense to lower the word count instead of raising it. Just a bit confused. Thanks for your time!

The reasons for these two things are linked!

We wanted to provide more time for artists and writers to work, especially by extending the Big Bang over what is, for most people, a ‘quieter’ part of the year without holiday obligations. But, with the extension, this would have been around ~2k words a month, which is very slow and would have required people to sit on their fic for a while before posting.

We also raised the word count because a Big Bang is traditionally at least 50k words. We won’t ever go that high, we’re aiming for 40k (as previously mentioned, we’ll gradually increase the word count to get there) but 10k was never going to be the floor. Anything lower gets into the territory of ‘not actually longfic’ (which is the goal for the Big Bangs).

We also raised it by as high of a jump as we did because we want people to be more accurately able to gauge if they can participate as writers. 20k does seem like a lot in comparison, and will help people more accurately assess if they have the time. (Our attrition rates for last year actually weren’t that bad, and the majority of them were due to circumstances out of our writer’s control related to sudden conflicts, the sort of thing that would have made them unable to finish 10k fics as well as 20k ones).

#asks

[ukrainenews]

Daily Wrap Up September 26, 2022

(Updates this week may get interrupted. I’m in Florida and there’s a hurricane coming, so I won’t be able update if I lose power.)

Under the cut:

Ukraine’s armed forces general staff has claimed some Russian conscripts from the Kremlin’s mass mobilisation are being sent directly to the frontlines in Ukraine without training

Russian artillery and missile attacks have left at least one person dead and several injured in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, according to Ukrainian officials

The Netherlands will increase its support to Ukraine and will back new sanctions against Russia, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said

Negotiators to a stop-gap spending bill in the U.S. Congress have agreed to include about $12 billion in new aid to Ukraine in response to a request from the Biden administration

The Japanese government has banned the export of materials that could be used for chemical weapons production to 21 Russian organizations, including science laboratories

“Ukraine’s armed forces general staff has claimed some Russian conscripts from the Kremlin’s mass mobilisation are being sent directly to the frontlines in Ukraine without training.

Amid warnings from the UK’s Ministry of Defence and other experts that many of those conscripted were likely to get little meaningful training – and faced the risk of “high rates of attrition” when deployed – men recently mobilised by pro-Russian occupation officials in Ukraine were also being readied for the frontline.

Those included newly drafted personnel in Crimea as well as conscripts in the Luhansk region who have received draft summonses in recent days.

The latest moves came as it was reported that Russia has also closed its border to occupied areas of Ukraine with the neighbouring Rostov region for entry and exit ordering locals to appear at military enlistment offices within three days

The first wave of Russian conscripts have begun arriving for training in Russia amid widespread scepticism among outside western analysts over what impact the call up was likely to have on Russian capabilities in Ukraine.

Following Ukraine’s success in retaking thousands of square kilometres of territory in the Kharkiv region, heavy fighting was reported on Monday morning including in the area of Lyman in the Donetsk region.

Unconfirmed reports in the past 24 hours described Russian lines collapsing in some areas while video posted on social media was described as showing Ukrainian armour moving through at least one former Russian position littered with burned out vehicles.”-via The Guardian

~

“Russian artillery and missile attacks have left at least one person dead and several injured in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, according to Ukrainian officials.

Oleg Synehubov, head of the regional military administration in Kharkiv, said a missile attack on the city of Pervomaiske had killed a teenage girl and injured others. Two houses were destroyed.

Mykola Baksheev, the mayor of Pervomaiske, said there were several victims in the attack, and some Ukrainian media are reporting a higher number of fatalities.

In Donetsk, the middle of the city of Kramatorsk was hit, causing damage to an apartment block, according to images from the city council.

The city of Sloviansk was also struck, according to the mayor Vadym Lyakh.

Despite recent progress by Ukrainian forces in the east, many cities and towns in those parts of Donetsk and Kharkiv under Ukrainian control are still within reach of Russian weapons.”-via CNN

~

“The Netherlands will increase its support to Ukraine and will back new sanctions against Russia, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday.

"More weapons, more sanctions, more isolation of Russia. Due to the mobilisation and sham referendums by Russia," Rutte wrote on Twitter without providing further details.”-via Reuters

~

“Negotiators to a stop-gap spending bill in the U.S. Congress have agreed to include about $12 billion in new aid to Ukraine in response to a request from the Biden administration, a source familiar with the talks said on Monday.

The source, who asked not to be identified, said the measure will also include resettlement funding for Afghan refugees.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to provide $11.7 billion in new emergency military and economic aid for Ukraine.

Congress is facing a midnight Friday deadline to pass the spending bill that also would temporarily fund a wide range of U.S. government programs.”-via Reuters

~

“The Japanese government has banned the export of materials that could be used for chemical weapons production to 21 Russian organizations, including science laboratories, Associated Press reported on Sept. 26, citing Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

"As the world's only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, we strongly demand that the threat or use of nuclear weapons by Russia should never happen," said Matsuno.

In a video address on Sept. 21, declaring mobilization in Russia, Vladimir Putin once again called Kyiv "fascist" and said that using nuclear arms remains an option for the Kremlin.”-via Kyiv Independent

#Daily Update #Ukraine #Russia #War in Ukraine #kharkiv #donetsk #Netherlands #US #Japan

[mariacallous]

Using a randomized control trial on 1,612 employees at a multinational technology firm, Nicholas Bloom and Ruobing Han of Stanford and James Liang of Peking University find that work from home increases employee satisfaction and alters their work structure without impacting performance. The authors find that employees who were randomly assigned the option to work from home twice a week had a 35% lower attrition rate than those required to work in person full time. In addition, workers with the hybrid-work option worked fewer hours on days from home but worked longer in the office and over the weekend. While hybrid employees reported higher levels of productivity on self-assessments, the authors find no significant difference in performance reports or promotions between the two groups. The results imply that work-from-home policies yield benefits to employees as well as the firms they work for, the authors conclude.

[theprissythumbelina]

Hi, I'm back!!!

Hit me with a piece of Military Hardware, which doesn't necessarily have to be a weapon, that caused a massive change in tactics and doctrine across militaries when it was released?

Hello! I do love your asks, somehow they always managed to hit on something I was trying to work out already.

I have two actually, the aeroplane and the expulsor. Both are used in conjunction with a witch's natural talents.

The aeroplane is a construction of metal and magic, more of a vehicle than a weapon. These planes are capable of powered flight, with a tiny pair of jets and limited fuel supply. Originally developed as recreation, the Ritanian military quickly realized that the barely-useful aeroplanes became swift, agile, long-ranged tools when paired with a wind mage. The witch sits in the second seat, manipulating currents and drafts in conjunction with the pilot's control of the plane. The distance and speed of an aeroplane depends on the strength of the witch inside, with some rumored to have flown over the capital city of Bresia. Unfortunately, aeroplane pairs have high attrition rates, since most any impact with the ground tends to be fatal.

The aeroplane is responsible for major advancements in intelligence, as pilots are able to scout behind enemy lines, directing the field of battle and cutting off supply lines with precision. Areoplane squadrons are usually the first to enter an area, and the resulting dogfights are fierce, brief, and bloody. Since wind witches can sense another manipulating the winds currents, they hunt down each other, sending other planes crashing to the ground with a sudden downdraft. By the time ground troops move in, the field of battle may be littered with remains of both sides, slowing movement, but giving the air victor a huge advantage.

The expulsor is a weapon, through and through. Fire mages are outfitted with these packs of fuel and combustible gases for disastrous effect in close combat situations. The pack is worn on the witch's back, with a heat-resistant tubing linked to their dominant arm below the elbow, ending just past the wrist. In the non-dominant hand, the witch wears a button that pushes fuel out from the pack, and literally into the witch's waiting hand. Depending on the mixtures used, fire from this weapon can soften metal, or spark the explosion of an entire building. Witches with a touch of finess can control the blast as if it were a part of them, directing fire around allies and into the barrels of rapidguns, but only so long as the fuel burns.

Fire witches and their expulsors are exterminators on the battlefield. Expulsors took a dangerous type of witch and made them nearly atomic. Entire trench lines can be pumped full of oderless fuel, only to light with a snap of the fire witch's fingers. In urban warfare a fire mage can roast entire platoons without ever being seen. As the war rages on and supplies back home begin to dwindle, fire witches are used more and more to decimate urban battlefields, with high civilian casualties and the leveling of cities. The use of the expulsor has given new meaning to the term "scorched earth". However, this power comes at a high cost. Fire witches are second only to air mages in casualty rates, but by far the leader in combat fatigue. The power generated from the expulsor can easily overwhelm a witch. When a fire witch loses control, everything and everyone nearby burns. There are rumors on all sides of witches being used as walking explosives, but platoon commanders squash these whenever they are heard.

Incidentally, Alyss is a fire witch, and was outfitted with an expulsor during her service. She will tell you that, while sitting in a metal cockpit in the sky seems like torture, air mages have the luxury of never seeing their enemies' faces; fire witches do not.

#tw: war #tw: weapons #worldbuilding wednesday #although technically its 1 am now #nicolette wip #i need to come up with a better name #magical warfare #magical military #writeblr #my wip #asks

[workersolidarity]

🇷🇺🇺🇦 RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR UPDATE ON OVERNIGHT OPERATIONS, DAY 620/621

In the Odessa area:

Russian Forces launched a series of Geran-2 drone attacks on the port city of Odessa in four waves of attacks that produced spectacular explosions along Odessa's coastal warehouses and storage facilities, destroying ammunition depots, concentrations of forces, critical infrastructure and air defense systems in the coastal city.

Ukrainian air defenses were launched in defense of Odessa, though Ukrainian Forces were unable to intercept the drones. Video footage shows Ukrainian air defenses activated, launching interceptors, however at least one of the interceptors was expired, as it flew towards the drone before sputtering out and falling to the ground, exploding on contact.

There were no casualties among civilians, though a number of Ukrainians Forces were lost in the attack.

In the coastal town of Siedove:

A large explosion, followed by secondary explosions was recorded in the coastal Eastern Ukrainian village of Siedove, initial reports claimed the strike was a result of a Ukrainian Storm-shadow strike on an ammunition depot of the Russian Armed Forces, however, subsequent reporting revealed the explosion was the result of faulty electrical wiring in an ammunition storage depot where a fire broke out, detonating up to 20 missiles and other ammunition stored inside the warehouse.

In the Kherson direction:

Ukrainian Forces continue to hold their positions on the footholds on the Left bank of the Dnieper. Russian Forces continue bombing and shelling Ukrainian positions both on the footholds, and also north of them, in supporting villages like Baryslav, Kozatske and Mykolaivka where reserves and ammunition is being concentrated.

In the Vremivka salient direction:

Russians continue heavy bombing and shelling of Ukrainian positions on the outskirts of Urazhainoye in preparation for offensive operations in this area.

In the Donetsk direction:

North of Avdiivka, Russian Forces were very heavily bombing and shelling Ukrainian positions on the flanks of Avdiivka, especially to the northeast where Russian Forces were concentrating firepower on Ukrainian positions east and north of Stepove while expanding their zone of control north of Kransohorivka.

By the Artemovsk direction:

Russian Forces continued offensive operations to expand their zone of control south of the Berkhivka Reservoir and along the rail lines traveling from Yahidne to Bohdanivka.

According to the Russian sources, Russian Forces were able to take control over further trench networks in the fields and treelines south of the reservoir. This allows Russian Forces to establish fire control from the north by the reservoir over the positions along the rail lines where Russian Forces are advancing.

South of Bakhmut:

Ukrainian Forces managed to cross the rail lines between Russian-controlled territory south of Artemovsk and Ukrainian positions in the fields west of Klischiivka. Ukrainian Forces continue bombing and shelling Russian positions here using FPV drones and HIMARS and are conducting small ground operations to broaden the gray zone and increase the Ukrainian zone of control in the Klischiivka area.

But, unlike Ukrainian Forces, Russian troops are not wedded to holding the territory and they typically step back, allowing Ukrainian troops to hold territories while heavily bombing and shelling the lost positions using a variety of drones, bombs and missiles. This increases the attrition rate on Ukrainian Forces, degrading their logistics and manpower, and making it easier on Russian Forces whenever they decide to launch their own offensive operations here.

In the Soledar direction:

In the vicinity of Vasiukivka and Sekovka, after operations over the previous two weeks where Russian Forces launched a ground operation towards Vasiukivka and established control over the village.

Since then, Ukrainian Forces have been bombing and shelling Russian positions, making it difficult to dig in and taking out multiple pieces of Russian armor and artillery in this area.

It is difficult to understand the level of control Russian Forces have over the village of Vasiukivka, what is clear is that they have unquestionably entered the village, however it is unclear if they managed to dig in and set up artillery batteries in this area for further assaults. They likely have.

In the Lymanske/Kupiansk direction:

No major updates overnight from this area. Continued positional fighting and heavy artillery usage continue along the entire frontline in this area with no news of successful ground operations or major strikes by either side in the northern territory.

@WorkerSolidarityNews

#russo ukrainian war #ukraine war #ukraine war update #special military operation #russia #ukraine #russia news #ukraine news #war #news #politics #geopolitics #war news #war update #world news #global news #international news #international affairs #breaking news #current events #ukraine proxy war #proxy war #us wars #us proxy war #us imperialism #imperialism #russia ukraine war #russia ukraine conflict #eurasia #eastern europe

[dikshithseo13]

Achieving Educational Quality with ISO 29990 Standards

ISO 29990 Certification in Lebanon - In September 2010, a new standard called ISO 29990 was created. The goal of ISO 29990 was to uphold and regulate quality control in non-formal education. The goal of ISO 29990 is to provide an international standard for quality in the classroom and informal education systems. 

The platform for a first-rate learning services management system is provided by ISO 29990 certification, guaranteeing that training and educational initiatives adhere to uniform global standards. Through process standardization and improvement, this accreditation raises company credibility and improves learner satisfaction.

What are the Benefits of ISO 29990 Certification?

Improved Educational Quality: Cambodian training providers can raise the standard of their courses by following ISO 29990 guidelines. This guarantees that students receive services that are up to par with international standards, which improves learning outcomes.

Enhanced Competitiveness: ISO 29990 Registration in Cambodia can help Cambodian trainers compete more successfully both domestically and abroad. By showcasing a dedication to excellence, it can draw in international students and partnerships, increasing business prospects.

Enhanced Credibility with Stakeholders: The ISO 29990 certification from a respectable certifier such as B2BCERT can greatly increase an organization's credibility with stakeholders, which includes government agencies, employers, and students. Gaining this trust is essential to enhancing brand recognition and reaching a wider audience.

Streamlined Procedures: By encouraging companies to simplify their operating procedures, the certification process boosts productivity. Retaining competitiveness in the education industry requires both cost savings and better service delivery, which can be achieved through this approach.

Professional Growth and Staff Engagement: ISO 29990 promotes staff members' ongoing growth as professionals. Organizations may improve job satisfaction and employee motivation by cultivating a culture of continuous learning and quality improvement. This will reduce attrition and increase output.

How much may the ISO 29990 Certification Cost?

The type of service, the size of the business, the intricacy of the operations, and the certifying body selected can all affect the ISO 29990 cost in Oman. Industry norms may also have an impact on the cost. The certification body of choice and the range of services it provides have an impact on the total cost of certification for Quality Management in Learning Services.

How Does the ISO 29990 Certification Audit Work?

Pre-Audit Preparation: To get ready for the audit, companies collaborate with B2BCERT to create policies, processes, and documentation about their learning services management system. This stage guarantees that the audit procedure is prepared.

On-Site Audit: The auditors from B2BCERT evaluate the organization's adherence to ISO 29990 standards while they are there. To ensure compliance with the specifications, they examine procedures, speak with staff members, and survey establishments.

Audit Report: B2BCERT creates an audit report with the help of ISO 29990 Audit in Brazil, outlining the findings, non-conformities, and opportunities for improvement following the on-site audit. Remedial measures and enhancements are based on this report.

Corrective Actions: By B2BCERT's recommendations, organizations resolve any non-conformities that are found and put corrective measures in place. By taking this step, the ISO 29990 standards are met by the learning services management system.

Certification Decision: B2BCERT evaluates the audit report and makes a certification decision when the audit and corrective actions are completed. The company gets ISO 29990 certification if all requirements are satisfied, proving its dedication to high-caliber learning services management. 

How and Where to Obtain the ISO 29990 Certification Services? When looking for ISO 29990 certification services in Algeria, it's best to work with a recognized consulting company like B2BCERT that has a solid international reputation. You can trust B2BCERT to help you with the ISO 29990 certification process and its related procedures because of their extensive experience in audits, consultancy, and validation services. If you have any questions or need help with ISO 29990 certification, you can get in touch with the experts at [email protected].

#ISO 29990 Certification in Lebanon #ISO 29990 Certification in Cambodia #ISO 29990 Certification in Oman #ISO 29990 Certification in Brazil #ISO 29990 Certification in Algeria

[unogeeks234]

List Of Features In SAP HR

Essential Features of SAP HR (Human Resources)

SAP HR, also known as SAP HCM (Human Capital Management), is a robust software suite designed to streamline and automate essential HR processes for businesses. It assists companies in efficiently managing their most valuable asset: their employees. Let’s delve into the key features of SAP HR:

Core Features

Organizational Management: This feature allows you to represent and manage your company’s complex organizational structure. Create hierarchical relationships, departments, positions, and jobs for clarity and effective management.

Personnel Administration: Centrally store and manage all employee-related master data, including personal information, contracts, salary details, working hours, etc. The structured storage ensures efficient employee data handling.

Time Management: Monitor employee attendance, absences, overtime, and leave with ease. Integration with time-recording hardware or software enables accurate and streamlined time tracking.

Payroll: Accurately calculate salaries, wages, taxes, and other deductions based on complex pay structures and country-specific regulations. SAP HR’s payroll engine ensures compliant and timely employee compensation.

Additional Essential Features

Recruitment and Talent Management: SAP HR provides tools for finding, attracting, recruiting, and onboarding top talent. Features include applicant tracking, talent pools, succession planning, and performance management.

Learning and Development: This module enhances employee skills and knowledge by creating and delivering training programs, managing course catalogs, and tracking employee development.

Benefits Administration: Centrally manage employee benefits plans, including enrollment, eligibility, deductions, and reporting.

Employee Self-Service (ESS) and Manager Self-Service (MSS): Empower employees and managers with self-service portals. ESS allows employees to view their information, request time off, and more. MSS provides managers with tools to manage their team’s information.

Reporting and Analytics: Generate detailed reports and dashboards using HR data for strategic decision-making. SAP HR’s analytics tools reveal insights into workforce demographics, attrition rates, etc.

Benefits of Using SAP HR

Streamlined HR Processes: Automates tedious administrative tasks, saving HR teams time and resources.

Improved Data Accuracy: A centralized data repository reduces errors and redundancy, ensuring the reliability of HR information.

Compliance: SAP HR stays up-to-date with local and global HR regulations, reducing risk for your organization.

Enhanced Decision-Making: HR analytics provide valuable insights into your workforce, enabling data-driven HR strategies.

Employee Satisfaction: Self-service features give employees more control over their information and offer convenient ways to manage their HR-related needs.

Tailoring SAP to Your Needs

SAP HR’s modular nature allows companies to implement only the modules that align with their specific requirements. This flexibility helps businesses create tailored HR solutions optimized for their industry and size.

Looking Forward with SAP SuccessFactors

Many organizations are transitioning from SAP’s on-premises HR to SAP SuccessFactors, a cloud-based HR solution. SuccessFactors brings a more modern user experience, advanced analytics, and seamless integration with other SAP solutions.

You can find more information about SAP  GRC in this  SAP GRC Link

 

Conclusion:

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[vjinstruments426]

Exploring the Ball Mill in Pharmaceutics, Fluid Bed Dryer, and Coating Tablet Machine

In the realm of pharmaceutical manufacturing, certain equipment plays a pivotal role in ensuring the efficiency and quality of the final product. Among these, the Ball Mill in Pharmaceutics, Fluid Bed Dryer, and Coating Tablet Machine are particularly noteworthy.

The Ball Mill in Pharmaceutics is a grinding device that is used to reduce the size of pharmaceutical ingredients or compounds. This mill consists of a hollow cylindrical shell rotating about its axis. The shell is filled with balls made of stainless steel or rubber. These balls grind the material by impact and attrition, thereby reducing the size of the particles. The use of a Ball Mill in Pharmaceutics enhances the rate of drug dissolution, improves drug absorption, and aids in the manufacturing of quality pharmaceutical products.

Next, we delve into the Fluid Bed Dryer, a key piece of equipment in the pharmaceutical industry. It is used for drying materials by fluidization with hot or dehumidified air, which creates a turbulence in the wet product (not totally liquid) while flowing through it. The Fluid Bed Dryer offers an efficient and practical method to dry granules, crystalline, coarse, or fine powders, and similar materials in the pharmaceutical industry. It ensures rapid drying along with a uniform and quick heat transfer, making it an indispensable tool in the production of pharmaceuticals.

Lastly, the Coating Tablet Machine is a device used in the pharmaceutical industry to apply coatings to tablets. The coating serves several purposes: it can mask the taste of the drug, make the tablet easier to swallow, control the release of the drug, and protect the drug from the environment. The Coating Tablet Machine ensures that the coating process is uniform and efficient, resulting in high-quality, coated tablets that meet the required pharmaceutical standards.

In conclusion, the Ball Mill in Pharmaceutics, Fluid Bed Dryer, and Coating Tablet Machine each play a crucial role in pharmaceutical manufacturing. They contribute to the production of high-quality pharmaceutical products, highlighting the importance of specialized equipment in the industry.

#pharmaceutical #pharmaindustry #manufacturer #machine #technology