Nick Child

Guide for Students: How to improve architecture Design skills

Architecture studies demand the students always to stay sharp, as the workload slowly increases year after year. Staying on top of all the assignments can be difficult, especially since they mean having a very structured approach to the matter and a creative one. Besides these issues, there is also the

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The Most Popular Translation Apps for 2022

Translation has been on a steady rise ever since the first migrations started. Bi or multilingual people have helped cross countless bridges and those that have facilitated much of the international efforts that we have today. In the past two decades, this trend seems to have been diminishing, at least

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The Biggest Reasons to Opt for MEP Expertise

Whether you are a contractor, an architect or a landowner, consulting and working with the right M&E Consultants Mechanical and Electrical Engineers can ensure that your construction project will optimize the performance of your building while operating costs are minimized MEP consultants work along with the architects and building owners

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6 Ways An Employment Lawyer In Toronto Can Help You

Employers don’t always do things right when hiring and terminating employees. If you work in Toronto and have been fired or laid off, your employer should issue you a reasonable termination notice. In Canada, proper notice is based on various factors. These include seniority of the position, duration of tenure,

Read More »

How To Plan And Build A Sustainable Home

Designing and building an eco-friendly home improves the environment while saving energy, water, and noise. But you also save on maintenance and other costs associated with running your home. Sustainable home building can reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and reduce water utilization throughout the lifetime of the home. Additionally, building

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How To Improve Communication In Construction Sites

Poor communication must be avoided in construction sites because it is one of the main reasons for project delays. This may take various forms like unclear communication resulting in wrong interpretation or confusion, delays in the flow of information, and pointing communication to the wrong area or people.  These components

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What are the Alternatives to CAPTCHA?

Bots traffic continues to increase day after day, thanks to their various uses. There are two types of bots, the malicious bots and the god bots. Bots can be used in communication, indexing websites, scraping content from a website, or even launching attacks on the online infrastructure. With the bad

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Malta Becomes the First EU Country to Legalize Cannabis

European Union’s smallest member state is on the verge of becoming the first on the continent to allow adults to grow and possess small quantities of cannabis for personal use. On Tuesday, members of the parliament voted on the proposal, and the president is expected to sign it into law

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Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

Nick Child

Guide for Students: How to improve architecture Design skills

Architecture studies demand the students always to stay sharp, as the workload slowly increases year after year. Staying on top of all the assignments can be difficult, especially since they mean having a very structured approach to the matter and a creative one. Besides these issues, there is also the issue of constantly improving the design, so here is a guide on how to improve your architecture design skills. Improve Your Design Skills 1.   Reduce Your Workload Staying atop all the responsibilities and still finding time to work on your hard skills can be challenging, so being effective with your time is of paramount importance if you want to find a balance that suits you professionally. You can reduce your workload using Writing Universe and then divert a part of your assignments to them and have professional writers take care of a portion of your workload. Use the time you’ve freed up to work on your design skills. 2.   Start With Architecture Around You As you have a stroll on your way to the lecture hall or when you travel, ensure you check out and absorb as much of the architecture around you as you can. We are not only talking about the Sistine Chappel or the Pantheon – rather, pay attention to modern buildings as well. For example, Zaha Hadid is known for using natural forms in her work, but seeing all the intricacies of her buildings in person is a whole different story. 3.   Use Short Form to Prepare for the Exams Preparing for any exam takes much longer than it should. The books are too long, and it can be hard finding scripts for all your exams. In that case, you should check out custom essay writing service reviews and choose a writing service that can shorten your textbook for you. This will save you days in the long run and can even save you time during the semester: instead of reading 30-40-page chapters, you can read 5, make notes and rush to the class as prepared as ever. 4.   Use Social Media for Inspiration Instagram and Pinterest have a very graphic focus that enables any photo to stand up. Use this to your advantage, as you can easily find architecture boards and feeds to follow and always stay informed of the developments in the area. Modern architecture also comes with modern exposure solutions. 5.   Use Online Courses It is widely known that just doing schoolwork is not enough to enable you to be the best that you can be. For this reason, it is suggested you also take up some online design courses during the semester or even during the summer if the semester is too busy. This will ensure you get to hear different approaches to the same topic and enable you to develop your critical skills when it comes to design. 6.   Take up a Summer Internship If you want to gain more practical experience in design and see how things are done in the real world, take up an internship program in your city and use the summer the best you can. Summer is a relatively relaxed time, and with little to no schoolwork to do in this period, it is best used to do some practical work and learn from those who work in the field. Final Considerations While it is true that architecture studies leave little time for anything else, being smart with your time and resources can help you free up some of that time. Use writing services to help you rather than take over 100% of your work. This way, you can work on your creative skills and ensure your practical design work is noticed. Ashley Carter Ashley Carter loves art in any form: from Dali to Beatles. She’s seen it all. In her free time, she loves reading about form and shape theory. She would love to work as a landscape designer in Europe one day.

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The Most Popular Translation Apps for 2022

Translation has been on a steady rise ever since the first migrations started. Bi or multilingual people have helped cross countless bridges and those that have facilitated much of the international efforts that we have today. In the past two decades, this trend seems to have been diminishing, at least to an extent. The rise of translator apps seems to have started what the early Chinese translator-gadgets started years back – the gradual shift from human to machine translation, at least for the least demanding translation. Here is a list of the most popular translation apps for 2022. Best Translation Apps in 2022 1.   Google Translate Google Translate is probably the most widely used translation tool there is. The app and the web-based service both allow for the translation of a text, and entire web pages, voice translation, and the app even supports direct translation from the camera itself.  However, if you’re into translating more demanding texts, such as dissertations, you may consider a translator service, the most professional form of translation. Human translators are the only way to translate all the intricacies and avoid sounding too robotic. 2.   iTranslate The iOS equivalent of Google Translate, the iTranslate app packs a powerful punch for all those needing instant voice-to-voice translation. The app itself is lightweight and has many positive reviews – a testimony of Apple’s efforts into its development. The app also enables text-to-text translation, and while some say that this is the best translation app out there, others sweat by other translation solutions. 3.   VoiceTra VoiceTra, a shortened form of Voice Translation, is exactly what its name promises it would be. This free app lets you translate individual words, phrases, and sentences into dozens of languages. It uses advanced algorithms to detect the intended meaning of every word in a sentence and presents you with a translation very close to what it would sound like in the language itself. 4.   Microsoft Translator Microsoft Translator is another translation app on our list. The app itself aims to be a very professional solution – a signature mark of Microsoft Corporation. While the app may do very good work, it still lacks localization capabilities, so if this is what you need, you may want to hire professional localization services online. Human translation, after all, is the best when it comes to all the hues of language expression. 5.   Dict.cc Dict. cc is the most popular translation option for students. As its name suggests, it enables the translation of individual words besides strings of words, such as sentences. The app itself is simple to use, and unlike other translation apps, it offers additional info on the term you’re searching for, such as the grammatical gender and the kind of the word. 6.   SayHi SayHi is a voice-to-voice translation service. Unlike other services, it enables you to modify the voice narrating the translation. This makes it unique and perfect for those with special translation requirements, such as the speed of talk for those trying to communicate via lingua franca. 7.   Trip Lingo Trip Lingo is an expanded translation app. While it offers a simple translation solution, the traveler aspect truly sets it apart. The app is available for Android and iOS, along with other translation apps for iPhone.  The app offers guides on cultural norms, among other useful facts about the countries you may be traveling to. Final Considerations Translation is necessary for everyday life, especially when you travel. Translation has accommodated many of the changes in the contemporary society that we see: from globalization to education. However, hiring a professional translator becomes a thing of the past, as translation apps take over the market of immediate, simple style translation. Ashley Carter Ashley Carries loves the arts and loves tech solutions to everyday problems. Dishwashers, washers, and the Roomba are the top inventions as this art lover does not have all the time in the world for these chores. ‘Tech making life easy’ is her mantra, and she tries to live by that daily.

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The Biggest Reasons to Opt for MEP Expertise

Whether you are a contractor, an architect or a landowner, consulting and working with the right M&E Consultants Mechanical and Electrical Engineers can ensure that your construction project will optimize the performance of your building while operating costs are minimized MEP consultants work along with the architects and building owners throughout the process of designing, analysing and constructing. They evaluate various system options by ascertaining the needs of the entire project. This allows the engineers to use the necessary systems that work and perform them as designed. There are several technologies and systems that go into an operational modern building. An MEP engineer can help to coordinate the systems of the building to ensure that a sustainable design is reached and the owner’s investments are optimized. Here are some of the major reasons why working along with an MEP engineer will considerably impact your renovation or construction proposal: Efficient Energy Conservation HVAC, plumbing designs and electrical help in reducing the amount of energy used in the building. However, an MEP engineer can further implement numerous energy management solutions that will potentially make the building more sustainable. By using environmental-friendly products, MEP engineers can improve the operations and design to minimize energy consumed Building Automation Centralized automated networks composed of software and hardware can control the building’s lighting, HVAC systems, security features and other things of utility. Automation systems ensure that the building works on an optimal performance while maintaining the safety and comfort of people in the building. MEP engineers will effectively design efficient systems that will help in monitoring the building’s performance and energy utilized. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems An MEP engineer will design and install an efficient system to deliver maximum outputs while maintaining standards that are healthy for the environment. Whether it is deciding upon UFAD systems or weighing the advantages of automation techniques to effectively help HVAC systems to conserve maximum energy. Efficient Designing for Long Term Benefits It doesn’t matter if you are simply renovating an existing building or are constructing a new one, an MEP engineer can help. They ensure that only the most cost-efficient methods and designs are used for the construction process. These methods will not only ensure modernity and advanced technology but will give your building a great chance of lasting long. MEP consulting engineers may also follow up every couple of years to make sure if your building is functioning at the desired level. This is called retro-commissioning. It is aimed to identify changes in your building’s operational needs to make sure that new systems are still operating as designed. Environment Quality of the Building The building’s indoor and outdoor quality has a serious impact on the occupant’s comfort and productivity levels. In the context of commercial buildings such as offices, it means that there will be lesser sick days, increased productivity and uplifted moods the majority of the time. This quality can be enhanced in several ways, whether it is utilizing natural sunlight or improving the ventilation system to eliminate odour and other pathogens. An MEP consultant will help you by making you recognize the best methods to improve the environmental quality of your building. Plumbing Plumbing includes the sewer, natural gas, fire suppression, drinking water and other waste systems. Consulting MEP engineers will ensure that the plumbing designs and machinery used are well-suited for your building. This will further result in integration of water conservation methods that will make your building more environment-friendly and cost effective in the long run. Water Conservation Continuing with plumbing, water conservation is of extreme importance to any building. The occupants of any building require water for a lot of tasks, ranging from drinking to washing. Efficient plumbing systems can help to lower the volume of water that your building consumes. MEP engineers can help you by incorporating designs such as insulated piping, improved HVAC systems and low-flow fixtures. Conserving and a healthy distribution of water will result in satisfied occupants as well as a reduced water bill. Safety and Protection from Fire Safety measures such as sprinklers and fire suppression equipment require expertly coordinated implementation. These systems need to ensure that the building meets any safety requirements set. Also, these systems need to fulfil the various areas of the building. MEP consultants can synchronize fire and plumbing apparatuses, to increase the building’s effectiveness and preparedness during a fire. Conclusion An MEP engineer can help you during the process of construction or renovation of a building. By taking various measures to improve the overall utility and sustainability of the building, they can ensure that both the occupants and the owners are satisfied in the long run.

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What to look for when hiring Pest control for mice in Manchester

Pests can be a problem to anyones home or office. This menace can cause untold suffering to people who get affected by this problem. Sometimes it can be easy for one to control pests on their own. There are other times when one has to hire a pest control company to help them out. However, before you hire a company specialising in pest control manchester, there are several things you need to consider. Here are factors to consider when choosing a pest control for mice in Manchester: 1.    Experience There are many pests control companies out there ready to work with you. Some can promise to do the work at very low costs. However, you may not have to consider just that. Get to know if the company you want to choose has the right experience in mice control. Does the company boast of sufficient experience in dealing with the kind of pests that are bothering you? Well, consider the number of years the company has been in business for you to be sure of their services. 2.    Consider licensing and insurance A reputable company should be properly insured and licensed to carry out its roles. This is one of the best ways to know that a company is legitimate and that they are ready to be liable for all their actions. This also gives you, the customer, adequate protection if something goes wrong in the process of pest control. 3.    What kind of services do they offer; or which pests do they control? Some of the best pest control companies can kill most of the pests found at home. Apart from mice control, you need to know what other pests the company can control. If a company offers the services that you require and other extras, you should consider them. Do they offer this pest control on an all-year-round basis? Be sure to ask and determine all these facts. 4.    What equipment do they use? The kind of equipment the company uses to control pests is also of concern. How effective is such equipment? Is it friendly to the environment? What effects will such use of equipment have on the effectiveness of pest control? You may also want to know the kind of chemicals the company uses to control pests. 5.    Enquire on the cost of pest control This is yet another factor you may want to consider before you contract a pest control company. The cost will be determined by such issues as the number of personnel to be used, the kind of equipment employed in the procedure, and how long the process takes. Get quotes from as many pest control companies as possible. This gives you the leeway to choose an affordable company. As long as you are sure of your budget, it will be easy for you to make a decision based on this issue. 6.    Availability Your urgency to deal with the pests is another factor you have to consider. The mice and other pests may have caused havoc on your property for a long period. If you need to exterminate these pests urgently, then go for the pest control companies that are willing to move in in the shortest time possible.

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6 Ways An Employment Lawyer In Toronto Can Help You

Employers don’t always do things right when hiring and terminating employees. If you work in Toronto and have been fired or laid off, your employer should issue you a reasonable termination notice. In Canada, proper notice is based on various factors. These include seniority of the position, duration of tenure, similar employment, and salary range.   If you have an issue at the workplace, hiring an employment lawyer is the best way to protect your rights as a team member. You also get the right advice on the notice you’re entitled to and protect your legal rights to ensure you’re not exploited.   An employment lawyer in Toronto has the experience and knowledge required to handle workplace issues and help employees when they need legal assistance.   Here are five ways such a lawyer can help you:   1. Reviewing Any Job Offers You Receive  An employment lawyer in Toronto doesn’t only come in handy when you get fired. An attorney can help you when you’re getting started with a new career by reviewing your job offers and employment contracts before you sign them.    In doing so, the legal expert can check termination clauses carefully to ensure there are no loopholes. An experienced employment attorney like Stacey Ball and other similar firms review all the details in an employment contract and ensures you sign a document that places you in a good place even before starting the new job. 2. Filing Lawsuits For Wrongful Dismissal  Team member rights are stipulated in employment laws. If your employer violates those laws in the workplace, you need to talk to an employment lawyer in Toronto to get the legal counsel you need if you get fired illegally.   As a legal expert, your attorney can analyze the conditions surrounding your dismissal and review your employment contract and the law to establish whether there are grounds for filing a lawsuit against your employer.   Further, the lawyer can provide you with the legal representation you need if you decide to file a lawsuit for wrongful dismissal and ensure that you receive just compensation for illegal termination.   3. Pursuing Compensation For Workplace Injuries  Compensation for workplace injuries is among the many cases that employment lawyers in Toronto handle. If you get sick or injured at the workplace, an employment attorney can help you file a claim against your employer. The lawyer can pursue the matter to ensure that you’re compensated fairly for the sickness or injuries, including claiming payment for all initial medical costs, long-term recovery costs, and lost wages.   4. Negotiating Severance Package   If your employer fires you illegally, there will likely be attempts to offer you a low severance package to save money. An employment lawyer in Toronto can advise you with legal advice if the severance package your employer offers you is inappropriate based on the current law and context.   For employees who opt to retire early, consulting an employment attorney can help them prepare a gradual exit plan that meets their needs and those of their employers. Working with a lawyer also addresses any legal issues that can arise from a speedy exit.  5. Classifying Employees Correctly  When dismissing employees illegally, some employers try to limit liability by classifying full-time employees as independent contractors intentionally. Most do this because full-time, regular employees are entitled to more benefits than independent contractors.   Some benefits that employers want to avoid include statutory holiday pay, vacation pay, dental, and other medical benefits. An employment lawyer in Toronto can help you ensure you’re appropriately classified by your employer and enforce your rights in case you’re not.  6. Protecting You Against Harassment And Discrimination   Discrimination and sexual harassment are unfortunate incidents that frequently occur in the workplace. Employment laws protect workers from all forms of harassment or discrimination. Getting an employment attorney ensures that you get legal advice on how to handle these situations in the workplace.    If you’ve been discriminated against or become a victim of sexual harassment at the workplace, getting a good employment lawyer allows you to get the legal guidance you need to pursue justice. Employment lawyers can help you navigate a harassment or discrimination lawsuit since they’re conversant with the law.    Final Thoughts   If you work in Toronto, hiring an employment lawyer can help you safeguard your rights in many ways. The lawyer can help you get a fair severance package if you get laid off or fired unlawfully. The attorney can also negotiate a suitable early retirement package and ensure that you are compensated adequately if you get injured at work or fall ill.  

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How To Plan And Build A Sustainable Home

Designing and building an eco-friendly home improves the environment while saving energy, water, and noise. But you also save on maintenance and other costs associated with running your home. Sustainable home building can reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and reduce water utilization throughout the lifetime of the home. Additionally, building with a long-term mindset will extend the house’s lifespan. Durable, quality construction materials and green features will ensure that your sustainable home is built to last. Considerations For A Sustainable Design And Building A sustainable home should have a positive physical and psychological impact on its inhabitants while having the least negative impact on the environment. When planning and building a sustainable home, there are some things to consider, including residential renewable energy solutions, minimizing energy use, avoiding environmental toxins, and using raw materials and resources responsibly. The planning stages of new construction should consider features such as location, size, and orientation. To minimize a home’s carbon footprint, a building’s location must be close to public transportation, shopping, recreation, and schools. It must also be level with unobstructed sunlight. Sustainable housing enhances the quality of life, reduces the impact on the environment, requires less maintenance regarding sustainable materials, and is built with non-toxic materials. Here are some things to take note of in the planning and building of an eco-friendly home: 1. Orientation The orientation of the building should optimize passive heating and cooling as well as the production of solar energy and for maximum sun exposure. Specifically, a northern roof orientation is ideal for solar panels. In cold climates, draft-free, double-glazed windows are the best choice. In contrast, triple-glazed windows and insulated frames with no gaps are best for warmer temperatures in using new technologies such as double glazing, special coatings, and non-conductive frames as you build a sustainable home. A thermally-passive design, which incorporates insulation and orientation, is essential for energy-efficient homes. You should consider the site condition and orientation before designing your house. Choose an area that inspires you and meets your privacy, lighting, air, and water needs. Align your house along the east-west axis with north or south-facing windows. 2. Reusing Materials In this day and age, it makes sense to reduce the number of purchased materials when you can get reclaimed ones that are still in good condition. In addition, most materials such as reclaimed wood can be decked out using environmentally-friendly decorating ideas to look fresh and new. Also, reusing will save you the money, time, and energy necessary to produce a new product. 3. Energy-Efficient Appliances Consider purchasing energy-efficient appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers when you have a budget for new appliances. Check for Energy Star logos on each device for detailed information about its energy efficiency. Talk to your energy supplier about renewable energy solutions. Rooftop solar panels could have enormous benefits for your home and lifestyle. Your home could entirely or partially operate off clean, renewable energy, which is positive for the planet and your power bill. 4. Eco-Friendly Materials In contrast, conventional and ordinary building materials have a substantial impact on people’s health and the environment. On the other hand, eco-friendly materials are in tune with the environment and don’t harm the ecosystem. What type of materials are you considering for your new house? Choose those that can absorb solar heat such as sand, cement, and lime bricks. These are fire-resistant and scarcely absorb water. You can use other alternative building materials such as rammed earth, green concrete, plastic bricks, bamboo, rice husk ash concrete, timbercrete, straw bales, sheep’s wool insulation, and reclaimed or recycled metal. 5. Smart Meters  Putting a smart meter in your home can ensure that you save energy by automating tasks such as turning off your appliances at specific times. In addition, smart meters can connect to your devices and control them, allowing you to conserve energy. The most immediate benefit of smart meters is that the consumers won’t receive any erroneous electrical bills. In addition, smart meters will help reduce energy usage and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. A green product, therefore, is the outcome of its installation. 6. Solar Power Installing solar panels on your roof is the best way to ensure you get enough energy and reduce your heating bills. They protect from fires and short circuits while lowering your heating bills. If you haven’t set up solar panels yet, do so when building your roof. A significant portion of solar energy’s appeal is its many benefits, including decreased greenhouse gas emissions and increased home value. In addition, solar energy is one of the most accessible forms of renewable energy currently available. 7. Living Walls  Living walls such as virtual gardens can be attached to the interior or exterior walls. Some vertical gardens are extensive greenery displays while others are potted plants mounted to the wall vertically. A living wall can appear in any shape or size and enhance the aesthetics of any home or office. Having a living house combines the harmony of nature with human comfort. Grass-covered walls and vegetation-covered roofs keep the air clean and fresh, and vegetation cools the entire building in the heat of summer. A vertical garden or green wall can provide a lot of natural beauty and offer some surprising health benefits. Plants act as natural air purifiers, filtering pollution and chemicals from the air and metabolizing them to release new oxygen. As a result, you’ll breathe fresh, clean air that’s refreshing and relaxing after installing a green wall. Conclusion Sustainable design elements are easy to incorporate into your new build and can put you on the path to living a greener lifestyle. A common misconception is that greener homes are also more costly to run and maintain. On the contrary, eco-friendly houses benefit the environment and your finances, which applies to both the construction process and the future. With the popularity of green homes growing rapidly, designing and building an eco-friendly home has never been easier. You can

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How To Improve Communication In Construction Sites

Poor communication must be avoided in construction sites because it is one of the main reasons for project delays. This may take various forms like unclear communication resulting in wrong interpretation or confusion, delays in the flow of information, and pointing communication to the wrong area or people.  These components of poor or ineffective communication may lead to mistakes and delays. Ordering the wrong materials and mislaid steps in the construction processes may also lead to project delays. In worst-case scenarios, disputes may arise. This is because a lack of proper communication could lead to misunderstandings in a construction project. Thus, it’s crucial to keep everyone updated on the project to prevent miscommunication.  Fortunately, these problems can be avoided by improving communication in the construction sites. With proper communication, all information will be delivered and received, and thus, miscommunication is less likely to happen. The question is, how can communication be improved in these areas? Here are some of the ways to do it:  1. Allow Field And Office Workers To Communicate With One Another In construction sites, communication breakdowns often take place between field and office teams. Thus, it can form a conflict as well as delay production. To reduce problems that may come up during the construction project, consider fixing the gap between these two teams.  When everyone in your company works together, blunders are restricted and morale remains high. In this case, you need to look for the right technology. This will help in centralizing the communication as well as facilitating collaboration. As a result, you’ll have a real-time view of a project’s progress, while allowing the teams to connect across the construction site and office.  For instance, you can invest in wave communications to have a reliable internet connection in the area. With poor connection, there is a tendency for some workers not to receive the information coming from the office and vice versa, which may lead to project delays.  2. Build Trust With One Another  Keep in mind that the construction industry deeply depends on a relationship. One major part of that includes trusting all workers to get the job done and communicate your messages properly and effectively.  While improving trust in this industry may involve a culture shift, know that there are ways you can do to improve communication with your employees. For instance, build trust, lessen doubt, simplify collaborations, and take responsibility from the top management to the bottom-rung workers in every aspect of construction projects.  3. Make Communication Simple Proper communication may boost productivity in construction as there will be no room for confusion. Better communication is possible by relaying concise and clear messages across all employees. The importance of understanding a message completely the first time it was sent is immeasurable, most especially in construction sites. Avoid using jargon and other terms that others may not understand. Keep messages simple, direct to the point, and brief. In addition, you need to focus on the most important and relevant details every team member needs to know. Meanwhile, you must give as much information as possible so confusion may less likely to transpire. 4. Offer Training Make sure to allow workers to improve their skills and obtain new ones. You can do this by training your employees on the use of new software, apps, equipment, regulation, and safety features. In a way, this will benefit your business as well as your workers.  Through training, you keep the relationship between the employees and company strong and improve the communication in all teams. This will also lessen the possibility of your employees leaving because they’ll feel wanted and valued by their employer. Investing in employee training can give an advantage to employers as this will lead to more skilled employees. Remember that workers are more attracted to companies offering the right training as they feel these are where they’d love to stay until their retirement.  Thus, if your employees matter to you, do everything you can to keep them in your care. Conclusion Clear lines of communication should be one of the top priorities to achieve a successful construction project. When proper and effective communication is practised consistently, the involved parties can serve the clients better while keeping in line with company and industry standards. This will result in an enhanced quality of collaboration, so unclear instructions and misunderstandings will be avoided. Furthermore, projects will flow smoothly if the teams communicate well with one another. Hopefully, the tips mentioned here will be beneficial in improving communication in construction sites. 

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What are the Alternatives to CAPTCHA?

Bots traffic continues to increase day after day, thanks to their various uses. There are two types of bots, the malicious bots and the god bots. Bots can be used in communication, indexing websites, scraping content from a website, or even launching attacks on the online infrastructure. With the bad bot traffic at about 40% of all the internet traffic, it is only necessary to have various bot protection mechanisms. A Completely Automated Public Test to tell Computers and Human Apart (CAPTCHA) is one such mechanism for protecting your site against bad bots. What is a CAPTCHA Many internet users are asked to tick some boxes to prove they are not robots at one point. You may also have seen a set of images and asked to select one that contains a fire hydrant, chimney, or streetlights. All these are to prove that you are not a computer or a bot. A CAPTCHA is a test, a Turing test, to be specific. It is simple enough for any human to solve but complex for a computer to solve. Bots are automated scripts or computers. Therefore, they cannot be able to solve the test. Of all the internet security measures, CAPTCHA is the most loathed. In theory, CAPTCHAs are a good idea. Their objective is to keep the bot at bay and spam comments away. They are common online, with over 200 million of them completed daily. However, captchas pose a problem to the user experience. They do this in the following ways: CAPTCHA’s User experience issues Interrupting a user’s workflow CAPTCHA adds an extra irritating step between users and the task they seek to accomplish. Even the recent versions of CAPTCHA can be hard to read. For instance, although Re-Captcha is among the oldest CAPTCHA generators, it forces users to decipher text images from old books. The advantage here is that the text comprises actual words and not random strings of letters and numbers. This is an excellent idea, although the words can be hard to make out regardless of how good your vision is. Because of their hardness to read, they slow down your browsing experience. Accessibility issue For people e having visual difficulties, solving the CAPTCHA can be excessively hard. This is a critical usability issue. Some CAPTCHAS have audio alternatives but are, in most cases, even harder to decipher and sound scary. CAPTCHA puts a burden on legit users Beyond the accessibility and the usability concerns, at the core of CAPTCHA, there is a flaw. The fundamental issue is that CAPTCHAs force legitimate e users to complete undesirable tests because of issues that are far beyond their reach. That is not their fault. With CAPTCHAs, all the users are presumed guilty. Because of these reasons, there are many alternatives to CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA. These measures put bad bots away without affecting the user experience. Alternatives to CAPTCHA More enjoyable and more accessible tests As we have established above, completing a CAPTCHA is unpalatable. There are several user-friendly alternatives to CAPTCHA that have popped up. Some like Sweet CAPTCHA and PlayThru gamify the entire process of proving that you are a human being. However, while playing a game is better than entering an obscured string of text, the issue of accessibility remains for these processes. Visually impaired users cannot play the game. Furthermore, because people are accustomed to filling the traditional CAPTCHA, gamified alternatives to CAPTCHA are seen as juvenile or even annoying. Other alternatives to CAPTCHA like Egglue and Text CAPTCHA ask a series of simple questions that a human being can answer using intuition or logic. NuCAPTCHA employs behavioral analysis to assess the risk levels for each visitor. Based on how the user is likely to be a bot, the solution assigns CAPTCHAs of varying Difficulty levels. The downside of this alternative to CAPTCHA is that it still affects a user’s workflow. Honeypots These are traps set to catch bots without the human being noticing they were there. Honeypots are not visible to a human being. Hidden form fields are one of the most common forms of honeypots. An extra entry field is added to the webform. It is then hidden from human users using CSS or JavaScript. However, bots will still see the entry field and fill the entry. Reject the form automatically, and take measures to mitigate against the bot if the above happens. However, honeypots still are not perfect. Website visitors using screen reader software still encounter the field. This creates confusion and increases the chances of failing the test. Verified sign-in The other option that you can use to confirm the visitors is by requiring them to log in to your website using accounts like Facebook, Disqus, Gmail account, or Twitter. This solution is vital as it removes the anonymity that malicious users rely on when posting abusive or rude comments. By tying comments to a verified account, you add an extra layer of responsibility while discouraging trolls. The issue here is that not all the users have the required verified account. They may not be able to access the service. To solve this, you can use a tool like Gigya or Janrain that allows the user to select from various accounts to log in with. However, many users do not like the idea of using their social accounts to log into unfamiliar websites. It is because of privacy issues and spamming of the account with messages without their permission. Timestamps The next alternative to CAPTCHA is using timestamps. Bots are faster compared to human beings. When users come across a form, they take time to read the instructions, decide what they will key in, and enter the text. On the other hand, the bot populates the form instantly. You can use time stamps on our form to reject the forms that are filled too quickly. However, this method is not secure enough to be used alone. There are sneaker bots that are programmed to fill out the form slowly to

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How To Make Direct Marketing Work For Your Construction Business

Is your construction business slowing down because of many reasons? If you think that marketing strategy is not up to par And it is failing your business big-time, it is time to go back to the basics. The truth is that direct marketing can still work wonders in this age where people depend on the internet for almost everything. How Direct Marketing Can Work? Using an envelope supplier, you can start with direct marketing for your construction business. Email addresses are flooded with spam and most people do not read all the emails they get. But direct mailing can work a lot when it is done properly. Sending your business materials by mail can do a lot for your business. Ways To Make It Work For Construction Businesses People Want Quality When it comes to construction work they want to get done, most people want quality every step of the way. And it all starts with how you reach out to customers for the first time. With quality customized envelopes you can get your company logo embossed and then use it to send the marketing materials by direct mail. This will ensure that customers understand that your business is all about quality. It also is important that customers who want to buy luxury homes see the quality you offer them. Remain Local Another reason why direct marketing works so well for construction businesses is that it helps you stay as local as possible. Emails and online methods of marketing may be effective, but they can take away that ‘’local;’’ feeling that most people want when they are dealing with a service provider. Make sure that your construction company gets the best of the local market by remaining local. Address your customers by direct mail so that they know that you are an essentially local company. Use High-Quality Envelopes Direct mail does not always work. However, if you do it correctly, it can work very well. Use high-quality envelopes that are customized for your construction business. Hire a reputed envelope printing agency for the job so that you get envelopes that will speak up for your business. Strong Promotional Material For your marketing to work, the promotional material that your company writes up should be strong, clear and concise. This is super essential because unless the material is good, it is not going to show your business in a positive light. So make the effort to come up with great promotional material. Get Involved In Community Affairs To promote your construction business, it is a good idea to become involved in community matters. Whether you are a business owner that builds houses or does renovation work for existing houses, getting involved in local affairs will help people get to notice you. For this, you may have to spend some money making donations to local charities but it will be money well spent. To Conclude Choose your marketing strategy well and make sure you keep in mind that what people want most is the feeling of connection. Your business should be able to provide just that.

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Malta Becomes the First EU Country to Legalize Cannabis

European Union’s smallest member state is on the verge of becoming the first on the continent to allow adults to grow and possess small quantities of cannabis for personal use. On Tuesday, members of the parliament voted on the proposal, and the president is expected to sign it into law by weekend. Not For Profit The language of the bill allows anyone aged 18 years or older to grow up to 4 plants from cannabis seeds at their place of residence. It will be also legal to store at home up to 50 grams of finished product. As for public possession, the rules are going to be much stricter—you’ll be allowed to carry only 7 grams of dried flowers on your person. Personal cultivation will not be the only legal way to obtain the substance. The proponents of the initiative did their best to come up with a working system of legal distribution. It will be similar to that of Spain where there are numerous associations of smokers providing their members with cannabis. It should be noted that in Spain these associations, also known as cannabis social clubs, have quickly morphed into a kind of cafes, virtually open to everybody, including tourists. The Maltese government obviously hopes to maintain stricter control and not let social clubs turn into for-profit businesses. According to the law, the members of a club will have a right to obtain up to 7 grams at a time but no more than 50 grams per month. Some members of the club will be charged with growing the needed amount of cannabis for other members. Opposition Was Fierce While in many other countries and states that have legalized marijuana or only think about it the economic incentives play major role, authors of the legalization bill in Malta have always stressed that it wasn’t about the money. Instead, they have been touting the harm-reduction argument. Owen Bonnici, the country’s minister for equality, research, and innovation, said in an op-ed in the Sunday Times of Malta that the initiative is not meant to promote cannabis culture or the recreational use of the substance. The government is still committed to helping adults make healthier choices. However, legalizing the drug may resolve some issues associated with illegal trafficking. But the opposition wasn’t convinced. Malta’s Nationalist Party voted against the move, drawing on support from medical associations and the church. They complained that their requests to water down the proposal were ignored. Despite the strong opposition, the bill passed in the Parliament with 36 votes in favor and 27 against. Playing Into the Hands of Albanian Mafia? The critics of the new law also express doubts that it will help curb illegal trafficking. If anything, they insist, it can make life easier for organized crime. It is doubtful that any substantial percentage of cannabis users will decide to grow their own supply. On the one hand, it’s relatively simple, and a modern strain of cannabis grown from Gorilla Glue seeds for example can easily bring the 50 grams permitted by the law. On the other, it’s even easier to buy from someone else, and with laxer possession standards, the police will find it much harder to control illegal trafficking. Currently, the black market in Malta is dominated by Albanian gangs that smuggle cannabis through Sicily. They cultivate the plant in remote mountainous regions from Tropoje to Nivica, but have also created a network of grow operations in warehouses throughout Europe. Despite many high-profile busts of drug-trafficking rings in recent years, the police in Malta admit that the majority of illegal shipments find their way into the country. It remains to be seen whether criminal organizations find their place in the cracks of the new legal system or lose their profits and move elsewhere. More Legalization Efforts Expected in EU Next Year With its legalization initiative, Malta has beaten Luxemburg at the post, another tiny European state that wanted to be the first to enact reform. Now, Luxemburg will probably do it in 2022. And, more importantly, the new ruling coalition in Germany has announced its plans to legalize the adult use of cannabis and regulate and tax its sales in the nearest future. When enacted, the proposed law will create the largest legal market in the world, surpassing in size both Canada and California. Switzerland has also announced similar plans for 2022.

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