Like many of you, i'm just starting my journey on attempting the transition to Linux Gaming. Steam really has made it insanely easy. My biggest struggle recently was just getting F13+ keys to function, and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan aparently they are a weird concept for long time Linux users. I attempted to paste over the keys in the inet file as commonly recommended as a solution, but no luck. I finally found the answer hidden in a forgotten post by a champion of the deleted.
I really don't know what i'm doing just yet, so forgive me if this is common knowledge to many of you, but my god google has not been very helpfull, and it has been the most frustrating problem. If i understand correctly this primarily became an issue/change when Wayland was release, and X11 no longer used? No idea what those are, but this may be the solution for multiple Fedora/wayland distros. By all means, feel free to explain these like i'm 5.
Keep in mind, i still had to figure out how to map the keys to my Logitech gear via Piper, the guide i followed for that is here. The hard to find fix i'm discussing, is essentially extending the computers understanding of what to do with these inputs. You still need to use piper or some other program to get a key to provide the input.
Copy past of the heros instructions below, and you're out there, bless you.
I finally figured it out, and got some solutions too. I’ll try to explain first and then tell you what you can do, although you can skip the explanation.

The problem

Basically there are 4 main parts in the Linux input stack relevant in this discussion:
1. At the very low level, the kernel gives keycodes to the keyboard keys and mouse buttons. Defined in /usinclude/linux/input-event-codes.h:

#define KEY_F13183 

2. At a higher level, XKB then assigns names to those keycodes (/usshare/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev) …and proceeds to assign them X11 symbols (/usinclude/X11/keysymdef.h) …in file /usshare/X11/xkb/symbols/inet:

key  { [ XF86Tools ] }; 

3. Your desktop environment (GNOME in this case) assigns global shortcuts to a combination of symbols, common ones configurable via GNOME settings and some hidden in gsettings schemas by GNOME settings daemon.
4. Finally at the top level you got the applications receiving the keysyms that weren’t designated for global shortcuts.
Here I’m using key-mapper for example, and if it resembles the key remapping utility you’re using, likely assigns the kernel keycodes to your mouse buttons (level 1), but XKB is assigning the “wrong” symbols to those keycodes (level 2). In turn GNOME (level 3) already defines an action for some of those keys to perform an action (toggle microphone and trackpad), and maybe some don’t even reach the application (level 4).
The culprit seems to be exactly in file /usshare/X11/xkb/symbols/inet:

key  { [ XF86TouchpadToggle ] }; key  { [ XF86TouchpadOn ] }; key  { [ XF86TouchpadOff ] }; … key  { [ XF86AudioMicMute ] }; … key  { [ XF86Tools ] }; key  { [ XF86Launch5 ] }; key  { [ XF86Launch6 ] }; key  { [ XF86Launch7 ] }; key  { [ XF86Launch8 ] }; key  { [ XF86Launch9 ] }; 

Notice how the F19 key is not used though.
We can, of course, assign the keys to their original symbol:

key  { [ F13 ] }; 

But to do it in /usshare/X11/xkb/symbols/inet is not recommended, as an update to XKB will restore the original definitions. Besides, it’s a pretty important file and if it’s badly configured you could crash your session and prevent you from login. I tried it and it even kept crashing my login manager (gdm), ttys (Ctrl+Alt+Fk) wouldn’t work too, so I had to chroot in a live usb and restore the original file.
What we could do instead is to create a custom XKB option. I believe it’s important that it’s an XKB option in /usshare/X11/xkb/symbols, because I think setxkbmap adds the “inet(evdev)” layout on top of whatever layout we have, so creating a new XKB layout won‘t help here. An option instead is added on top of every layout, even “inet(evdev)”.
I also tried to do it with XKB user-configurable options in Wayland (via ~/.config/xkb) but it seems the user options are added before the ones located in /usshare, so “inet(evdev)” ends up setting the symbols of the function keys.
We have to fix this the old fashioned way.

The solution

1. Create a new file under /usshare/X11/xkb/symbols/ called "myoptions". Paste this in there:

default partial function_keys xkb_symbols "restore_fk" { key { [ F13 ] }; key { [ F14 ] }; key { [ F15 ] }; key { [ F16 ] }; key { [ F17 ] }; key { [ F18 ] }; key { [ F19 ] }; key { [ F20 ] }; key { [ F21 ] }; key { [ F22 ] }; key { [ F23 ] }; key { [ F24 ] }; }; 

2. Edit the /usshare/X11/xkb/rules/evdev file, find the !option = symbols line and add your symbols filename and option name, like so:

! option = symbols myopts:re_fk = +myoptions(restore_fk) 

3. (Optional \*) Edit the rules/evdev.xml (this one is with .xml), find the opening tag and paste this immediately below the tag

  myopts My custom options    myopts:re_fk Restore original keysyms of the function keys from 13 to 24    

Note:
\* Do this if you want GNOME Tweaks to pick up the config file and display it under “Keyboard & Mouse > Additional Layout Options”. If you don’t you can still set the new option via dconf Editor, edit /org/gnome/desktop/input-sources/xkb-options, then add the option as you did in step 2, so ['myopts:re_fk'].
The old method of defining custom options still has its flaws though. As said above, an update to XKB will undo the changes to evdev and evdev.xml files, so you’ll have to redo step 2 and 3 after some time. You could automatize the process with a script file using sed, or apply a patch file, or something else, but since it’s infrequent that XKB updates I think it’s better to just manually edit it yourself.

Aftermath

After enabling the option GNOME settings correctly identified all F13-F24 keys when trying to assign them to global shortcuts. If not used for global shortcuts, the keys function will depend on the app/game that receives the keystrokes, e. g. I can set all SuperTuxKart keybindings to F13-F24 keys and it works perfectly fine, however the settings menu displays an ? for F16-F24, as it didn’t expect users to actually have a keyboard with function keys beyond F15.

It doesn't make sense to me intuitively that the kinetic energy follows the square of the velocity when I consider an example like this in a vacuum.
If you consider a 100kg rocket in space moving at 10m/s, and it does a 100N burn for 10s in the direction its already moving, basic math tells us it will end up at 20m/s. Similarly, if we were to start at some other velocity, say 80m/s, the same math tells us that the final velocity will be 90m/s. This makes sense, except the change in kinetic energy from 10-20m/s is 15kJ, and the change in KE for 80-90m/s is 85kJ. I know the mathematical particulars with regards to calculating the KE for each speed with mV^2 /2, but intuitively this makes no sense to me.
The rocket is doing the same 100N burn for ten seconds in each scenario. Doesn't that mean its using the same amount of energy in each situation? However, this can't be true, because the energies of the final velocities are wildly different. I know the math comes out because W = Fd, and more distance is being covered in the scenario with higher velocities, but the rocket is doing the same burn in both situations so wtf.
I'd greatly appreciate an intuitive explanation that can help me explain this. Don't be afraid to get into the math if that's helpful to the explanation. Thank you for your time.

1. Amazon Store Rent
First, let's talk about the monthly rent for an Amazon store. Registering an Amazon store is free, but using a company registration instead of a personal one is recommended. This approach is safer and has a higher approval rate. After registering, you can choose between an Individual account and a Professional account.
Individual Account: This account has no monthly fee, but you'll pay Amazon $0.99 for each item you sell. It’s suitable for sellers who are just starting out and have lower sales volumes.
Professional Account: This account costs $39.99 per month, but you won’t pay a fee per sale. This option is more cost-effective if you sell more than 40 items per month.
Recommendation: If you’re just starting and your sales are low, opt for the Individual account. As your sales increase and you consistently sell more than 40 items per month, switch to the Professional account to save on per-item fees.

1. Product Selection Tools

Choosing the right products to sell is crucial for the success of your e-commerce business. Fortunately, there are several tools available to assist with this process, each offering unique features to help you make informed decisions.
Popular Paid Tools: JungleScout and Helium10
JungleScout: Priced at $49/month, JungleScout is widely recognized for its comprehensive suite of tools designed to help sellers identify profitable products, estimate sales, and analyze competition. Its features include:
Product Database: Allows you to filter products based on various criteria like price, sales, and competition.
Product Tracker: Helps track the performance of potential products over time.
Keyword Scout: Provides keyword research and optimization suggestions to enhance product listings.
Sales Analytics: Offers insights into sales trends and revenue estimates.
Helium10: At $79/month, Helium10 is another powerful tool that provides a wide range of functionalities for Amazon sellers. Key features include:
Black Box: A product research tool that allows you to find profitable niches.
Xray: A Chrome extension that gives you a quick overview of product performance metrics directly on Amazon.
Keyword Research: Tools like Cerebro and Magnet help you discover and optimize for high-ranking keywords.
Listing Optimization: Features like Scribbles and Index Checker ensure your product listings are optimized for maximum visibility.
Free Tool: 4SELLER
4SELLER: For those who are looking for a budget-friendly option, 4SELLER is a free tool that offers a robust set of features to aid in product selection and management. It includes:
Product Selection: Assists in identifying profitable products by analyzing market trends and competition.
Inventory Management: Helps track inventory levels, forecast demand, and manage stock efficiently to prevent overstocking or stockouts.
Supplier Finder: Aids in locating reliable suppliers, which is essential for maintaining product quality and consistency.
Why Product Selection Tools are Essential
Using product selection tools is vital because they provide data-driven insights that help you make informed decisions. These tools can save you time and reduce the risk of choosing products that may not sell well. They offer features that allow you to:
Identify Trends: By analyzing market data, these tools help you stay ahead of trends and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Evaluate Competition: Understanding your competition is crucial. These tools provide detailed analysis of competitors' products, pricing strategies, and sales performance.
Optimize Listings: Well-optimized product listings are more likely to attract buyers. These tools offer keyword research and listing optimization features that improve your product's visibility on e-commerce platforms.
Manage Inventory: Efficient inventory management ensures you have the right products available at the right time, which is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction and maximizing sales.
Whether you opt for a paid tool like JungleScout or Helium10, or a free option like 4SELLER, leveraging these tools can significantly enhance your ability to select profitable products, manage inventory effectively, and optimize your listings for better performance.
3. Initial Stock Costs
Purchasing your first batch of products involves a significant initial investment, and the amount required can vary widely depending on the type of products you choose to sell. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what to consider when estimating your initial stock costs:
Factors Influencing Initial Stock Costs
Product Type and Price: The nature of the products you choose to sell will greatly influence your initial costs. Higher-priced items tend to have less competition but require a larger upfront investment. Conversely, cheaper products are more budget-friendly but often come with higher competition.
Quantity: The number of units you decide to purchase initially is another major factor. A common recommendation for new sellers is to start with 200-500 units. This range allows you to test the market demand without overcommitting financially.
Calculating Initial Costs
To estimate your initial stock costs, you need to multiply the quantity of units by the purchase price per unit. Here’s a simplified formula:
Initial Stock Cost=Quantity×Purchase Price per UnitInitial Stock Cost=Quantity×Purchase Price per Unit
For instance, if you decide to buy 300 units of a product that costs $5 per unit, your initial stock cost would be:
300 units×$5/unit=$1,500300 units×$5/unit=$1,500
Typical Budget Ranges for New Sellers
Low Budget: If you’re starting with a tighter budget, you might opt for products with a lower purchase price. For example, if you choose items costing around $2 per unit and purchase 200 units, your initial cost would be $400.
Moderate Budget: A more common range for new sellers is between $1,000 and $3,000. This allows for a balance between purchasing a reasonable quantity of units and managing the risk of unsold inventory. For example, buying 400 units at $5 per unit would total $2,000.
Higher Budget: With a larger budget, you can consider higher-priced items that might have less competition. For instance, purchasing 300 units at $10 per unit would result in an initial cost of $3,000.
Why Initial Stock Costs are Important
Understanding and planning for initial stock costs is critical because it ensures you are adequately prepared for the financial outlay required to launch your business. Here are a few reasons why this is essential:
Market Testing: Buying an appropriate number of units allows you to test market demand without over-investing. This way, you can gauge the product's popularity and adjust future orders accordingly.
Cash Flow Management: Proper planning helps manage your cash flow effectively. Ensuring you have enough funds to cover initial stock costs, along with other expenses like marketing and shipping, is crucial for maintaining business operations.
Risk Mitigation: Starting with a moderate quantity of units helps minimize the risk of unsold inventory, which can tie up capital and lead to losses. It’s better to start small, analyze performance, and scale up gradually.
Carefully estimating and planning for your initial stock costs is a vital step in setting up your e-commerce business. By understanding the factors that influence these costs and budgeting accordingly, you can make informed decisions that set the foundation for a successful venture. Whether you have a limited budget or can invest more significantly, strategic planning will help you manage risks and maximize your chances of success.
4. UPC Codes
UPC stands for Universal Product Code, a standardized barcode used by retailers, including Amazon, to track products. Obtaining UPC codes is a critical step in setting up your products for sale. Here’s a detailed explanation of why you need them, where to get them, and the associated costs.
What are UPC Codes?
Definition: UPC codes are unique identifiers assigned to products. Each code consists of a series of black bars and a corresponding 12-digit number that can be scanned by barcode readers.
Purpose: These codes help retailers manage inventory, streamline the checkout process, and track sales. For e-commerce platforms like Amazon, UPC codes ensure each product is uniquely identifiable, reducing errors and simplifying logistics.
Where to Buy UPC Codes
Official Source: GS1: The Global Standards 1 (GS1) organization is the official provider of UPC codes. Purchasing from GS1 ensures the authenticity and uniqueness of your codes, which is crucial for compliance with Amazon’s policies.
Why GS1?: While there are third-party sellers offering UPC codes at lower prices, these codes might not always be unique or compliant with GS1 standards. Using GS1 guarantees that your UPCs are globally recognized and legitimate, preventing potential issues with listing products on Amazon.
Cost of UPC Codes
Initial Purchase: GS1 sells UPC codes in packs. A pack of 10 UPCs costs $250 initially. This upfront cost covers the registration and issuance of the codes.
Annual Renewal Fee: In addition to the initial purchase cost, there is a $50 annual renewal fee. This fee ensures your codes remain active and your registration with GS1 stays current.
Breakdown of Costs
Initial Cost: For a pack of 10 UPC codes, the initial cost is $250.
Annual Renewal: The $50 annual renewal fee applies every year to maintain your codes.
Example Calculation:
If you purchase a pack of 10 UPCs, your total cost for the first year would be:
$250 (initial cost)+$50 (annual renewal fee)=$300$250 (initial cost)+$50 (annual renewal fee)=$300
In subsequent years, you will only pay the $50 renewal fee to keep your UPCs active.
Why UPC Codes are Important
Inventory Management: UPC codes play a crucial role in inventory management, allowing you to track stock levels accurately. This helps prevent stockouts and overstock situations.
Product Identification: Each UPC code is unique to a specific product, ensuring that Amazon and other retailers can correctly identify and catalog your items. This reduces the risk of listing errors and mix-ups.
Compliance and Credibility: Using GS1-issued UPC codes ensures compliance with Amazon’s listing requirements. This adds credibility to your listings and prevents potential issues that might arise from using unauthorized codes.
Efficiency and Automation: UPC codes facilitate the automation of various processes, including checkout, shipping, and inventory updates. This enhances operational efficiency and reduces manual workload.
Investing in UPC codes from GS1 is an essential step for any e-commerce business aiming to sell on platforms like Amazon. The initial cost of $250 for a pack of 10 UPCs, along with the $50 annual renewal fee, ensures that your products are uniquely identifiable and compliant with global standards. This investment not only helps in effective inventory management but also enhances the credibility and efficiency of your business operations.
5. Shipping and Distribution Costs
Shipping and distribution costs are critical components of your overall budget when selling on Amazon. These costs encompass various fees and charges that ensure your products reach Amazon’s warehouses and, ultimately, your customers. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what to consider and how these costs can impact your business.
Components of Shipping and Distribution Costs
Shipping to Amazon’s Warehouse: This involves the costs of transporting your products from your supplier to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Factors influencing these costs include the size and weight of your products, the shipping method, and the distance between the supplier and the warehouse.
Packaging: Proper packaging is essential to protect your products during transit. This includes boxes, cushioning materials, and labeling.
Inspection Fees: To ensure quality and compliance with Amazon’s standards, you might need to pay for product inspections before they are shipped.
Import Duties and Taxes: If you are importing products from another country, customs duties and taxes will apply. These costs vary based on the product category and the country of origin.
Estimated Shipping Costs by Product Size
Small Items: For smaller products, shipping costs are generally lower. On average, you can expect to pay around $4 per unit for shipping.
Mid-sized Products: For larger or heavier items, shipping costs increase. These costs can range from $8 to $12 per unit, depending on the specific dimensions and weight of the products.
Amazon FBA Fees
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Fees: Once your products are in Amazon’s warehouse, the company handles storage, packaging, and shipping to customers. Amazon charges FBA fees for these services, which are based on the size and weight of the product.
Small and Light Items: FBA fees for smaller items typically range from $2.92 to $6.13 per unit.
Larger Items: For bigger or heavier products, FBA fees can be higher, reflecting the additional handling and shipping costs.
Breakdown of Costs
Shipping Costs to Amazon’s Warehouse:
Small items: $4 per unit
Mid-sized items: $8-$12 per unit
Amazon FBA Fees:
Small items: $2.92-$6.13 per unit
Larger items: Higher fees depending on size and weight
Example Calculation
If you are shipping 300 small items to Amazon’s warehouse, with each unit costing $4 to ship and an average FBA fee of $4.50, your total costs would be:
Shipping to Warehouse: 300 units×$4/unit=$1,200300 units×$4/unit=$1,200
FBA Fees: 300 units×$4.50/unit=$1,350300 units×$4.50/unit=$1,350
Total Shipping and Distribution Costs:
$1,200 (shipping)+$1,350 (FBA fees)=$2,550$1,200 (shipping)+$1,350 (FBA fees)=$2,550
Why Shipping and Distribution Costs are Important
Budget Planning: Understanding and accurately estimating these costs is crucial for budgeting and financial planning. Unexpected expenses can significantly impact your profitability.
Pricing Strategy: These costs need to be factored into your pricing strategy to ensure you maintain healthy profit margins. Underestimating shipping and distribution costs can erode your margins and affect your competitiveness.
Customer Satisfaction: Efficient shipping and distribution are key to timely delivery and customer satisfaction. Using Amazon FBA ensures reliable and fast shipping, which can enhance your seller ratings and lead to repeat business.
Operational Efficiency: Managing these costs effectively can streamline your operations and improve cash flow. By optimizing packaging, negotiating better shipping rates, and accurately forecasting demand, you can reduce expenses and improve efficiency.
Shipping and distribution costs are a significant part of your overall expenses when selling on Amazon. By carefully estimating these costs, including packaging, inspection fees, import duties, and Amazon FBA fees, you can better manage your budget and pricing strategy. Understanding these costs helps ensure smooth operations, enhances customer satisfaction, and supports your business's profitability and growth.
6. Inventory Storage Costs
Inventory storage costs are a critical consideration when using Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service. These fees are based on the size and quantity of your inventory stored in Amazon’s warehouses and vary throughout the year. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these costs and their implications for your business.
Amazon’s Storage Fees
Amazon charges monthly storage fees that depend on the size category of your products (standard-size or oversized) and the time of year. The fees are higher during the holiday season (October to December) due to increased demand for warehouse space.
Standard-Size Storage Fees
January to September: $0.83 per cubic foot
October to December: $2.40 per cubic foot
Oversized Storage Fees
January to September: $0.53 per cubic foot
October to December: $1.20 per cubic foot
Calculating Storage Costs
To estimate your storage costs, you need to know the cubic footage of your inventory. Here’s how you can calculate it:
Cubic Footage=Length×Width×HeightCubic Footage=Length×Width×Height
Once you have the cubic footage, multiply it by the applicable storage fee rate.
Example Calculation for Standard-Size Products
Let’s say you have 500 units of a product, each measuring 1 cubic foot. Your storage costs would be:
January to September: 500 cubic feet×$0.83/cubic foot=$415500 cubic feet×$0.83/cubic foot=$415
October to December: 500 cubic feet×$2.40/cubic foot=$1,200500 cubic feet×$2.40/cubic foot=$1,200
Example Calculation for Oversized Products
If you have 200 units of an oversized product, each measuring 3 cubic feet, your storage costs would be:
January to September: 600 cubic feet×$0.53/cubic foot=$318600 cubic feet×$0.53/cubic foot=$318
October to December: 600 cubic feet×$1.20/cubic foot=$720600 cubic feet×$1.20/cubic foot=$720
Why Inventory Storage Costs Matter
Budget Management: Accurately estimating storage costs is crucial for budgeting and financial planning. These costs can add up, especially during peak seasons, impacting your overall profitability.
Inventory Turnover: High storage costs can incentivize better inventory management practices, such as maintaining optimal stock levels and ensuring a higher inventory turnover rate. This helps in reducing long-term storage fees and minimizing the risk of overstocking.
Seasonal Planning: Knowing that storage fees increase during the holiday season can help you plan your inventory levels more effectively. You might choose to stock up on faster-moving items or reduce slower-moving inventory before the fees increase.
Cost Control: By understanding these fees, you can implement strategies to minimize them, such as reducing the size of your packaging, negotiating better storage terms, or using other fulfillment centers if necessary.
Strategies to Manage Storage Costs
Optimize Inventory Levels: Maintain a balance between having enough stock to meet demand and avoiding excess inventory that incurs high storage costs.
Seasonal Adjustments: Plan your inventory levels based on seasonal fluctuations in storage fees, ensuring you minimize costs during peak periods.
Efficient Packaging: Use packaging that minimizes space without compromising product safety. Smaller packaging reduces the cubic footage and, consequently, storage fees.
FBA Inventory Management: Use Amazon’s inventory management tools to monitor and adjust your stock levels based on sales data and forecasts.
Inventory storage costs are an important aspect of selling on Amazon using FBA. These costs, varying by product size and season, can significantly impact your business’s profitability. By accurately estimating these fees and implementing strategies to manage and reduce them, you can optimize your inventory management and control expenses effectively. Understanding and planning for these costs will help ensure a smoother and more profitable operation.

1. Platform Commission

When selling on Amazon, it’s essential to account for the platform commission, known as the referral fee. This fee is a percentage of each sale and varies by product category. Understanding these fees is crucial for pricing your products and calculating your profit margins.
Amazon’s Referral Fees
Amazon charges a referral fee on each sale made through its platform. The percentage varies depending on the product category. Here are some common examples:
Electronics: 8%
Beauty Products: 15%
Books: 15%
Clothing and Accessories: 17%
Home and Kitchen: 15%
How Referral Fees Are Calculated
The referral fee is calculated as a percentage of the total sales price, which includes the item price and any shipping or gift wrap charges.
Referral Fee=Sales Price×Referral Fee PercentageReferral Fee=Sales Price×Referral Fee Percentage
Example Calculations
Electronics: If you sell a gadget for $100, the referral fee would be: $100×8%=$8$100×8%=$8
Beauty Products: If you sell a skincare product for $50, the referral fee would be: $50×15%=$7.50$50×15%=$7.50
Why Platform Commission is Important
Pricing Strategy: Knowing the referral fee helps you set your product prices appropriately to ensure you cover costs and achieve desired profit margins.
Profit Margin Calculation: Understanding the commission allows you to accurately calculate your net profit after deducting all fees.
Category Selection: The commission rate can influence your decision on which product categories to focus on. Lower commission rates in certain categories might lead to higher profitability.
Competitive Pricing: Factoring in the referral fee ensures your prices remain competitive while still being profitable.
Impact on Different Product Categories
High-Commission Categories: Categories like beauty products and clothing with higher referral fees require careful pricing to maintain profitability. High fees can significantly impact margins, especially for low-cost items.
Low-Commission Categories: Categories like electronics with lower referral fees can offer better profit margins, but these categories might also have higher competition.
Strategies to Manage Referral Fees
Optimize Pricing: Adjust your pricing to ensure it covers all costs, including the referral fee, while remaining attractive to customers.
Product Selection: Consider the referral fee when selecting products to sell. Products in categories with lower fees might be more profitable.
Bundle Products: Creating product bundles can help increase the average sales price, potentially offsetting the impact of the referral fee.
Platform commission is a significant cost factor when selling on Amazon. By understanding the referral fee structure and calculating these fees accurately, you can make informed decisions about pricing, product selection, and profitability. Properly managing and accounting for these fees ensures your business remains competitive and financially sustainable on the Amazon platform.
8. Advertising Costs
Advertising is a crucial component of your e-commerce strategy, driving visibility and sales for your products on Amazon. Effective advertising can help you reach potential customers quickly, but it requires a financial investment. Here’s a detailed breakdown of advertising costs, strategies, and their impact on your business.
Types of Advertising
Amazon Advertising: The primary form of advertising on Amazon is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads. These ads appear in search results and on product detail pages, allowing you to target specific keywords and audiences.
Sponsored Products: These ads promote individual product listings and appear in search results and product pages.
Sponsored Brands: These ads feature your brand logo, a custom headline, and multiple products.
Sponsored Display: These ads target audiences both on and off Amazon, helping to re-engage shoppers who have viewed your products.
Off-Amazon Advertising: To broaden your reach, you can also advertise on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. These platforms allow for targeted advertising based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Budgeting for Advertising
A typical budget for new sellers on Amazon ranges from $700 to $1,000. This budget should cover various advertising strategies, including PPC campaigns and social media ads.
Cost Breakdown
Amazon PPC Ads:
Sponsored Products: These are the most common and can cost anywhere from $0.10 to $2.00 per click, depending on the competitiveness of your keywords.
Sponsored Brands: These ads generally cost more per click due to their higher visibility and brand promotion capabilities.
Sponsored Display: Costs vary but can be effective for retargeting potential customers.
Social Media Advertising:
Facebook Ads: Costs typically range from $0.50 to $2.00 per click, depending on targeting options and competition.
Instagram Ads: Similar to Facebook, Instagram ad costs range from $0.50 to $2.00 per click, with the advantage of visual storytelling through images and videos.
Example Budget Allocation
Let’s allocate a $1,000 advertising budget across different platforms:
Amazon PPC Ads: $600
Sponsored Products: $400
Sponsored Brands: $150
Sponsored Display: $50
Social Media Ads: $400
Facebook Ads: $200
Instagram Ads: $200
Why Advertising is Important
Increased Visibility: Advertising ensures your products appear in front of potential buyers, increasing the likelihood of sales.
Competitive Edge: With many sellers on Amazon, advertising helps you stand out and reach customers who might otherwise not find your products.
Sales Velocity: Effective advertising can boost your sales velocity, improving your product rankings and increasing organic visibility over time.
Strategies for Effective Advertising
Keyword Research: Use tools like Amazon’s Keyword Planner or third-party tools to identify high-performing keywords for your PPC campaigns.
A/B Testing: Continuously test different ad creatives, headlines, and targeting options to find the most effective combinations.
Monitor and Optimize: Regularly review your ad performance data to optimize your campaigns. Adjust bids, pause underperforming keywords, and allocate more budget to high-performing ads.
Leverage Social Media: Use Facebook and Instagram to build brand awareness and drive traffic to your Amazon listings. Engaging content, such as videos and customer testimonials, can enhance ad performance.
Advertising is a vital part of your e-commerce strategy on Amazon and beyond. Allocating a budget of $700 to $1,000 for advertising can significantly enhance your product visibility and drive sales. By utilizing Amazon PPC ads and leveraging social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can reach a broader audience and increase your chances of success. Effective advertising requires continuous monitoring and optimization, but the investment can lead to substantial returns in terms of sales growth and brand recognition.
9. Returns and Refunds
Managing returns and refunds is an inevitable part of selling on Amazon. While they can impact your profitability, understanding the associated costs and implementing effective management strategies can help mitigate their effects. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the costs and considerations involved in handling returns and refunds.
Amazon Return Processing Fees
Amazon charges a return processing fee that varies depending on the product’s size and weight. This fee is applied when a customer returns a product, and it covers the cost of handling and processing the return.
Standard-Size Products: Fees for standard-size products are typically lower due to their smaller dimensions and weight.
Oversized Products: Fees for oversized products are higher because of the additional handling and storage space required.
Example Fee Structure
Standard-Size Product Return Fee: Approximately $2 to $5 per unit, depending on the specific dimensions and weight.
Oversized Product Return Fee: Approximately $5 to $20 per unit, depending on the specific dimensions and weight.
Additional Costs of Returns and Refunds
Restocking Fees: Amazon may charge a restocking fee for certain returned items. This fee is deducted from the refund amount and can range from 10% to 20% of the item’s price.
Return Shipping Costs: In some cases, you may be responsible for covering the cost of return shipping, especially if the return is due to a defect or error on your part.
Product Condition: Returned items that are not in resellable condition may need to be disposed of or liquidated, leading to additional losses.
Why Returns and Refunds Matter
Customer Satisfaction: Efficient handling of returns and refunds is crucial for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and positive reviews. Poor management can lead to negative feedback and damage your seller reputation.
Cost Management: Understanding and anticipating the costs associated with returns can help you better manage your budget and pricing strategy, ensuring you account for these potential expenses.
Inventory Control: Effective return management helps maintain accurate inventory levels and reduces the risk of overstocking or stockouts.
Strategies to Manage Returns and Refunds
Clear Product Descriptions: Provide detailed and accurate product descriptions to reduce the likelihood of returns due to customer dissatisfaction or misunderstandings.
Quality Control: Implement rigorous quality control measures to minimize defects and errors that could lead to returns.
Customer Service: Offer excellent customer service to address issues promptly and potentially resolve problems without necessitating a return.
Return Policies: Establish clear and fair return policies that balance customer satisfaction with protecting your business from excessive costs.
Example Calculation
Let’s consider you sell 100 units of a product, with an average return rate of 5%. Here’s how you can calculate the potential costs:
Product Price: $50 per unit
Return Rate: 5% (5 units)
Return Processing Fee: $3 per unit
Restocking Fee: 15% of the product price ($7.50 per unit)
Return Shipping Cost: $5 per unit
Total Return and Refund Costs:
Return Processing Fee=5 units×$3=$15Return Processing Fee=5 units×$3=$15 Restocking Fee=5 units×$7.50=$37.50Restocking Fee=5 units×$7.50=$37.50 Return Shipping Cost=5 units×$5=$25Return Shipping Cost=5 units×$5=$25
Total Costs:
$15+$37.50+$25=$77.50$15+$37.50+$25=$77.50
Handling returns and refunds is a necessary aspect of selling on Amazon, and the associated costs can add up quickly. By understanding the fees and implementing strategies to manage returns effectively, you can minimize their impact on your profitability. Clear product descriptions, stringent quality control, excellent customer service, and well-defined return policies can all contribute to reducing return rates and associated costs. Efficient return management not only helps maintain customer satisfaction but also supports better cost control and inventory management.

1. Miscellaneous Expenses

In addition to the primary costs associated with setting up and running your Amazon business, there are several miscellaneous expenses that can significantly impact your budget. These costs, while often overlooked, are crucial for creating a professional and efficient operation. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these potential expenses and their importance.
Graphic Design for Product Listings
Importance: High-quality graphics and well-designed product listings are essential for attracting customers and conveying professionalism. Poorly designed listings can deter potential buyers.
Costs: Hiring a freelance graphic designer can cost between $50 and $200 per listing, depending on the complexity and the designer's experience.
Services: Graphic design services might include creating product images, infographics, and enhanced brand content (EBC) that highlights your product's features and benefits.
Professional Photography
Importance: Professional photos can make a significant difference in how your product is perceived. High-quality images help build trust with customers and increase conversion rates.
Costs: Professional product photography can range from $100 to $500 per product, depending on the number of images and the photographer’s expertise.
Services: This may include standard product shots, lifestyle images showing the product in use, and detailed close-ups of key features.
Virtual Assistant (VA) Services
Importance: Hiring a virtual assistant can help manage various tasks, such as customer service, inventory management, and order processing. This can free up your time to focus on strategic growth.
Costs: VAs typically charge between $10 and $30 per hour, depending on their skill level and the tasks they perform.
Services: Tasks handled by VAs can include responding to customer inquiries, updating product listings, managing social media accounts, and handling administrative duties.
Other Potential Miscellaneous Expenses
Subscription Services: Tools and software subscriptions for keyword research, inventory management, and sales analytics can cost anywhere from $20 to $200 per month.
Legal and Accounting Services: Professional advice for legal and tax matters is crucial. This can include incorporating your business, trademark registration, and tax preparation, costing several hundred dollars annually.
Packaging Design: Custom packaging design can enhance your brand image and customer experience. Costs can range from $100 to $500, depending on the complexity of the design.
Marketing and Promotional Materials: Additional marketing efforts, such as email campaigns, social media ads, and promotional giveaways, can also add to your expenses.
Example Budget Allocation
Let’s break down a potential budget for these miscellaneous expenses:
Graphic Design: $150 per listing for 5 listings = $750
Professional Photography: $300 per product for 3 products = $900
Virtual Assistant: $20 per hour for 10 hours per month = $200 per month
Subscription Services: $100 per month
Legal and Accounting Services: $500 annually
Packaging Design: $300
Marketing and Promotional Materials: $200 per month
Annual Costs:
Graphic Design=$750Graphic Design=$750 Professional Photography=$900Professional Photography=$900 Virtual Assistant=$200×12=$2,400Virtual Assistant=$200×12=$2,400 Subscription Services=$100×12=$1,200Subscription Services=$100×12=$1,200 Legal and Accounting Services=$500Legal and Accounting Services=$500 Packaging Design=$300Packaging Design=$300 Marketing and Promotional Materials=$200×12=$2,400Marketing and Promotional Materials=$200×12=$2,400
Total Annual Miscellaneous Expenses:
$750+$900+$2,400+$1,200+$500+$300+$2,400=$8,450$750+$900+$2,400+$1,200+$500+$300+$2,400=$8,450
Why Miscellaneous Expenses Matter
Professionalism and Trust: Investing in professional services like graphic design and photography enhances your product listings and builds trust with potential customers.
Efficiency and Focus: Hiring a virtual assistant allows you to delegate time-consuming tasks, enabling you to focus on growing your business.
Operational Smoothness: Subscriptions to essential tools and professional legal and accounting services ensure your business operates smoothly and compliantly.
Brand Building: Custom packaging and marketing materials contribute to a strong brand identity, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat business.
Miscellaneous expenses, while sometimes overlooked, play a vital role in the success of your Amazon business. By budgeting for high-quality graphic design, professional photography, virtual assistant services, and other essential tools and services, you can create a professional and efficient operation. These investments not only enhance your product listings and customer experience but also free up your time to focus on strategic growth, ultimately contributing to your business's long-term success.
Summary
Setting up and running an Amazon business involves various costs that need careful consideration to ensure profitability and efficiency. Here’s a summary of the key cost components:
Product Selection Tools: Essential for choosing profitable products, with popular tools like JungleScout ($49/month) and Helium10 ($79/month). Free alternatives like 4SELLER also provide valuable features for product selection and inventory management.
Initial Stock Costs: Depending on the product type and quantity, initial stock costs can range from $1,000 to $3,000. Starting with 200-500 units is recommended to test the market without overcommitting financially.
UPC Codes: Necessary for product tracking, these should be purchased from GS1. A pack of 10 UPC codes costs $250 initially, plus a $50 annual renewal fee.
Shipping and Distribution Costs: Includes fees for shipping products to Amazon’s warehouse and Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees, which range from $2.92 to $6.13 per unit. Shipping small items might cost around $4 per unit, while mid-sized products could cost $8-$12 per unit.
Inventory Storage Costs: Monthly fees for storing products in Amazon’s warehouse vary by size and season. Standard-size storage costs $0.83 per cubic foot from January to September and $2.40 per cubic foot from October to December. Oversized storage costs $0.53 per cubic foot and $1.20 per cubic foot during these periods, respectively.
Platform Commission: Amazon takes a commission on each sale, typically between 8% and 15%, depending on the product category. For instance, electronics have a referral fee of 8%, while beauty products have a fee of 15%.
Advertising Costs: To drive visibility and sales, set aside $700-$1,000 for advertising. This includes Amazon PPC ads and potentially social media ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Returns and Refunds: Handling returns incurs costs, including Amazon’s return processing fee, restocking fees, and return shipping costs. These fees vary based on product size and weight.
Miscellaneous Expenses: Other costs include graphic design for product listings ($50-$200 per listing), professional photography ($100-$500 per product), and virtual assistant services ($10-$30 per hour). Additional expenses may include subscription services, legal and accounting services, packaging design, and marketing materials.
In total, you'll need at least $5,000 to start an Amazon FBA business today. Plus, you'll need to spend a lot of time managing your store and optimizing your product listings. This includes continuously monitoring your sales performance, tweaking your advertising strategies, and keeping an eye on competitors to stay ahead in the market.
By understanding and planning for these costs, you can effectively manage your Amazon business, ensuring it remains profitable and efficient while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.

Hello, whoever you are on your side of this screen.
Predictability and ordinarity bore me. The idea of casual sex makes me more asleep than a Snorlax. I also don't want to be asked "How are you?" for the millionth time. And photos - well, one is always more than enough.
I'm sure I'm not everyone's cup of tea, but I don't seek anything ordinary, either. I'm just an author and researcher currently living in Portugal, and looking for someone new and truly unique to inspire me. We can talk about pretty much anything, plus you can learn a ton of super unusual but cool stuff if you're also into culture, literature, legends, stories, etc. What else can I tell you about me? Well, I'm often told I'm the most interesting person people have ever met, but let's go here for ten groups of facts about me and my life:
1- I've travelled to over 100 countries in search of knowledge, my favourite place being the streams of water and forests in the north of the Pyrenées, where I once placed my feet in the water and meditated for days.
2- I do not have a favourite book, but I do feel many marked my life. For example, Ovid's "Ars Amatoria" (as a teen), Cicero's "De Senectute" (as an adult), the "Ramayana" (as someone eager to explore other cultures), the "Nag Hammadi Library" (as a person interested in almost-lost religious texts), etc.
3- I once met a really amazing woman, we were together for 10+ years, we never married but we both knew neither of us was going anywhere else, I lost her in 2014 (and I don't want to talk about it), and I'm perfectly comfortable being single.
4- I've published over 80 books, between my real name and various pseudonyms, with the most sold having been top 100 on Amazon, and the least sold still stuck at under 10 copies (and it's intentionally supposed to sell very little).
5- In college I studied Computer Science, Psychology, French "LLCs" and Classical + Medieval Studies, but among my many passions you can also count Theology, Philosophy, Art, Mythology, Classical Music, Western Mysticism, Languages, etc.
6- I dislike social media and photos of people. I hardly ever take photos of myself or others, but I do have an enormous collection of photos I've taken around the globe, where I mostly tried to eternalize places and moments.
7- Apart from writing, I spend most of my free time as a volunteer for projects related to Culture, Children, and Mental Welfare. I also tend to donate to charity on a monthly basis, because I feel we should try to spread to others the good things we have in our lives.
8- Although I'm 39, I'm perfectly okay talking to much younger, or much older, people, because I feel they can also teach me a lot of things that I'm not necessarily familiarized with. And, in fact, one of my biggest pleasures in "real" life is talking to random people and learning new stuff from them.
9- I survived cancer and meningitis. I'm 99% okay, with the exception of a small physical problem most people never even notice.
10- I was recently "rejected" from a buddhist monastery for health reasons, since it seems my constant need for medication for an auto-immune disease would contrast with the simple life their monks need to have. So, yeah, that's mostly why I'm back online and posting this message.
So... if you are indeed tired of the usual messages and conversations, write me. Maybe you are indeed what I seek.

I'm contemplating using an alternative to tools/function-calling feature of LLM APIs, and instead use Python code blocking.
EXAMPLE: (tested)
System prompt:

To call a function, respond to a user message with a code block like this: ```python tool_calls value1 = function1_to_call('arg1') value2 = function2_to_call('arg2', value1) return value2 ``` The user will reply with a user message containing Python data: ```python tool_call_content "value2's value" ``` Here are some functions that can be called: ```python tools def get_location() -> str: """Returns user's location""" def get_timezone(location: str) -> str: """Returns the timezone code for a given location""" ``` 

User message. The agent's input prompt.

What is the current timezone? 

Assistant message response:

```python tool_calls location = get_location() timezone = get_timezone(location) timezone ``` 

User message as tool output. The agent would detect the code block and inject the output.

```python tool_call_content "EST" ``` 

Assistant message. This would be known to be the final message as there are no python tool_calls code blocks. It is the agent's answer to the input prompt.

The current timezone is EST. 

Pros

• Can be used with models that don't have support for function-calling
• Responses can be more robust and powerful, similar to code-interpreter. Functions can feed values into other functions.
• Possibly fewer round trips, due to prior point.
• Everything is text, so it's easier to work with and easier to debug.
• You can experiment with it in OpenAI's playground
• User messages could call functions (maybe)

Cons

• Might be more prone to hallucination
• Less secure as it's generating and running Python code. Requires sandboxing.

Other

• I've tested the above example with gpt-4o, gpt-3.5-turbo, gemma-7b, llama3-8b, llama-70b.
• If encapsulated well, this could be easily swapped out for a proper function-calling implementation.

Thoughts? Any other pros/cons?

I'm contemplating using an alternative to tools/function-calling feature of LLM APIs, and instead use Python code blocking.
Seeking feedback.
EXAMPLE: (tested)
System prompt:

To call a function, respond to a user message with a code block like this: ```python tool_calls value1 = function1_to_call('arg1') value2 = function2_to_call('arg2', value1) return value2 ``` The user will reply with a user message containing Python data: ```python tool_call_content "value2's value" ``` Here are some functions that can be called: ```python tools def get_location() -> str: """Returns user's location""" def get_timezone(location: str) -> str: """Returns the timezone code for a given location""" ``` 

User message. The agent's input prompt.

What is the current timezone? 

Assistant message response:

```python tool_calls location = get_location() timezone = get_timezone(location) timezone ``` 

User message as tool output. The agent would detect the code block and inject the output.

```python tool_call_content "EST" ``` 

Assistant message. This would be known to be the final message as there are no python tool_calls code blocks. It is the agent's answer to the input prompt.

The current timezone is EST. 

Pros

• Can be used with models that don't support function-calling
• Responses can be more robust and powerful, similar to code-interpreter Functions can feed values into other functions
• Possibly fewer round trips, due to prior point
• Everything is text, so it's easier to work with and easier to debug
• You can experiment with it in OpenAI's playground
• users messages could also call functions (maybe)

Cons

• Might be more prone to hallucination
• Less secure as it's generating and running Python code. Requires sandboxing.

Other

• I've tested the above example with gpt-4o, gpt-3.5-turbo, gemma-7b, llama3-8b, llama-70b.
• If encapsulated well, this could be easily swapped out for a proper function-calling implementation.

Thoughts? Any other pros/cons?

Warning this story contains sexual assault, i wil not be describing this, there is also mention of mental abuse (i don't really know what to call it, i'm sorry)
My ex-boyfriend(27m) Jason and i (26f) have been broken up for 4 years, yes, we broke up during the pandemic however it was a long time coming. We stayed friends, as we have a lot of friends in common and frequently meet up. Over time i have come to a conclusion that i don't want to be near him anymore and need help or advice on what to do with our mutual friends.
I''l give you a bit of history. We were together for 4 years, so when we were about 17-18. Both of us have a tumultuous history and when we met, we bonded over that. It is important to the story i share a bit of my history, i was sexually assaulted when i was a child and had kept it to myself until i was about 17, my healing proces started around the same time(i have ptsd). Jason went throug an abusive relationship, this is all i'm going to say as it is not mine to share. Both of us needed help, we held on to eachother, i became what he needed. He tried to help but i guess he got lost. He manipulated, sexually assaulted, raped me and made me believe i was at fault for it. He compared me to his ex, who was always compared to a contolling monster, it made me feel like i was one. He counted the amount of days we didn't have sex to say that he was great for not cheating, reiterating that he is a great person for putting up with my trauma and problems. I don't want to say i was a perfect person, i can only imagine it is difficult to have a partner with my baggage. I'm also not saying it was all bad or that i think he is a monster but he left me with more trauma than i started with. Even though i only came to this realisation after we broke up.
When we broke up we decided that we would stay friends, after al we never fought. I've know my friends since i was about 12 years old, Jason became a part of that friendgroep when we started dating. My friends are my family, they are amasing people, who i never want to lose. Jason is a guy that will let you feel if he thinks you of lesser intelligence. He has people in our group where he thinks himself better because he is more intelligent. In my opinion he takes whatever he reads and accepts it as his own opinion, he often does not speak in nuance or his own expirience, or with enough reliable sources. For example he thought it was not hard to get a vasectomy for woman, or at least just as hard for men with just as much consequenses. (idiot) Please don't take this as fully true, i might just have short sight where he is concerned.
Let's get to where i need help. Around Christmass this year a couple in our friendgroup broke up, it was a rough time for them and they leaned on their friends for help, obviously. It got heated cause one of them was moving on with a different person from our group while the other wanted to hold on to their relationship. At one point jason needed to take a step back, because he cound't handle being in between the two camp, which i understand, one of them was going throug heavy mental struggles.
When he decided to take a step back from the situation i reached out to him, to check up on him, cause i knew he sometimes struggled with this kind of stuff. In the last couple of years we never really talked, i really stuggled with being "nice" , this is in quotation cause i can be quit passive agressive towards him. i see his red flags more than others maybe?
We started talking about how we handled our break up and how it was easier for us cause of the pandemic, we didn't need to see eachother. He started to talkabout maybe dating again soon and i playfully, not really playfully give him advice. I quote 'Maybe don't count the days you don't have sex, comparing them to you're horrible ex, just some advice haha' he immidiatly confirmed the dick move. This started a conversation where he admitted and apologized for raping me and abusing me, his words. He admitted to being abusive! I cound't believ it, i never thought he would realise what he did let alone admit this to me. I can't tell you how relieved i was, i never talked to anybody exept my psycholigist. I din't feel like i had the right to tell our friends cause WE decided we were friends, i didn't want to come off as a scorned ex, i didn't think they would believe me. Maybe they would think i was just seeing the bad things and exagerating. After the converstation we decided to meet and have a face to face conversation. A lot of crying and me saying it to his face that he raped me during our 4 year relationship i felt drained. He also gave me 'permission' to talk to our friends about it.
Before i wanted to share with them i needed to breath again, in my life i go though shit and i need moment to just be able to really relatavize things. Just two days after our conversation he texted to meet up again, he needed tot talk to me... I panicked and immidiently said yes, i thought he was going to take everything back and say i overeacted, that i was at fault, which i was definetly not. We met, he wanted to know what i meant by guilt.... WTF, what do you mean? Guilt, yes you are guilty, you did this, maybe not with violence but i said no, you did it anyways, dickhead. No, he wanted me to tell him i don't think he is a rapist now, or i don't think he is a monster. And while yes, i don't think he is a bad guy or a monster, he was to me in that time. He might have changed. I think he did, he's admittance is prove of that. Let me tell you tho i yelled at this man, why do you need me to help you deal with this, you did this to me and now you want to play victim to me. Poor you, you raped me? I told him to leave me alone, that i needed him to not involve me in this cause i can't. Again he is making me feel bad because something that happened between us harms him.
It has been a month and last week was the first time i told my girlfriends, who are part of this friendgroup, what a relieve. They told me in no uncertain terms that they believed me and that i get to make decision in if i'm comfertable with him around me, i love them. They both have reached out to me if i need totalk about it they are here for me. They have also expressed disgust haha.
I'm not planning on not sharing what happened between us with my friends, i always felt like a burden by sharing but i need support and i'm learning that they want to be there for me. A couple of others know and they are also there for me, whatever i need.
Now here is where i need your advice. I don't want my friends to feel like they need to not be friends with him. I decided that i don't want him near me anymore, the way that second conversation went really striked me the wrong way, i'm done with him. Now i know he is not a monster, he is a different Jason to me than he is for the others. He was a best man at the wedding of my bestfriends, he was there for them when they have had a difficult time, i don't want them to feel ike i want them out of their lives for me. A lot of us view our friendship as family, i don't want them to lose that. What do i do? How do i handle this? I need help, i need any advice you can give me.
Thank you for reading, also English is not my first language, i appoligize for any weird mistakes.
Again thank you.

I'm contemplating using an alternative to tools/function-calling feature of LLM APIs, and instead use Python code blocking.
Seeking feedback.
EXAMPLE: (tested)
System prompt:

To call a function, respond to a user message with a code block like this: ```python tool_calls value1 = function1_to_call('arg1') value2 = function2_to_call('arg2', value1) return value2 ``` The user will reply with a user message containing Python data: ```python tool_call_content "value2's value" ``` Here are some functions that can be called: ```python tools def get_location() -> str: """Returns user's location""" def get_timezone(location: str) -> str: """Returns the timezone code for a given location""" ``` 

User message. The agent's input prompt.

What is the current timezone? 

Assistant message response:

```python tool_calls location = get_location() timezone = get_timezone(location) timezone ``` 

User message as tool output. The agent would detect the code block and inject the output.

```python tool_call_content "EST" ``` 

Assistant message. This would be known to be the final message as there are no python tool_calls code blocks. It is the agent's answer to the input prompt.

The current timezone is EST. 

Pros

• Can be used with models that don't support function-calling
• Responses can be more robust and powerful, similar to code-interpreter Functions can feed values into other functions
• Possibly fewer round trips, due to prior point
• Everything is text, so it's easier to work with and easier to debug
• You can experiment with it in OpenAI's playground
• users messages could also call functions (maybe)

Cons

• Might be more prone to hallucination
• Less secure as it's generating and running Python code. Requires sandboxing.

Other

• I've tested the above example with gpt-4o, gpt-3.5-turbo, gemma-7b, llama3-8b, llama-70b.
• If encapsulated well, this could be easily swapped out for a proper function-calling implementation.

Thoughts? Any other pros/cons?

We are in a LDR. He made a friend in the gym that I go to, and this friend thought he saw me in the gym with another guy, cheating on him. This so called “friend” texted him saying that he saw me in the gym so he started asking asking me if I went to the gym that day what did I do etc. etc. Basically I didn’t go to the gym that day so it was quite easy to figure out that it wasn’t me. Obviously I got super upset and I told him that I was gonna talk to this guy because it was an enormous breach of privacy and I felt really uncomfortable, because going to the gym is something that is very socially awkward for me, so I wanted to talk to him and tell him that if he wants to make accusations like that, he need to be absolutely sure because he could’ve created such an uncomfortable situation and for example, if I was in a more toxic relationship, it could’ve been really hurtful and it could’ve ruined the relationship in a situation that it wasn’t even me. When I told him that I was going to speak to him he basically got super defensive and told me that he was just being a good guy and he wanted to protect him and that he did the right thing because that’s what guys do and stuff like that. My anger escalated because I did not feel protected at all so yeah, I was going to text him. I found this guy socials and I was going to text him an angry message basically saying for him to mind his business. when he realized that I was going to do this he basically said that it was all a joke, which is awful and obviously I didn’t believe it so I made him swear and for us, at least I thought so, when we swear on something its a word that we really value in our relationship and whenever we say, I swear that this didn’t happen, we believe it. he made up that it was an April fools joke and stuff like that because he swore on it, I believed it. today I went to the gym and I saw the guy and my intuition kicked in because I just knew that the story wasn’t adding up, so I went to speak to him jokingly and I told him how it wasn’t so funny when you mistaken me for someone else and his friend basically told me the entire story.. yes he did text him, and my boyfriend went to the extent of sending him a picture of me for him to actually be sure if it was me or not, which means he never trusted me. Never trusted my word and he straight up lied to me. I called him and basically asked how did you lie to me so easily and he basically said that it wasn’t a lie he just forgot to tell me the truth.
How am I supposed to ever trust his word again? Should I break up over this. We’ve been together for 3 years, I’m completely at a loss.

Just a heads up for any singles here, there will be speed dating events in June throughout Vegas!
You can find tickets and details here: shuffle.dating/lasvegas
Super low key, very casual – 6-9 dates, ~10-minutes each. Event take about 2 hours max.
Prompts are given for each date and the event is moderated via your phone. We text you what time your date is, who you're dating, and give you a prompt (i.e. "Would you rather be a master of every language, or a master of every musical instrument?". You find them, have a fun conversation, and input Match or Pass. That's the essence of the entire event.
Age-ranges are "soft" so for example, if you're 38, you can attend the group for 41-51. Likewise, if you're 43, you can attend the 31-41 group.
If you're single (and/or know anyone else who is single), please give this a try! At the very least, you get to talk with a few people and you never know who you'll meet. And I want to reiterate – these are extremely casual and low-key. Let me know if you have any questions :)

Hi guys, I've created an open-source solution for a better styling experience in Flutter. I would be happy if you could give a try in your hobby project and share your insights with me.
The package helps you to add all your styles in one block without using extra widgets.

Style textStyles() { return Style(opacity: 0.5, p: 12, isCenter: true); } ggbutton(style: textStyles(), text:"test", onTap: () {print("tapped");}); 

Here are the key issues I've solved with this package.

• Modular styling
  
• Simplifying complex layouts that often involve many widgets in Flutter. ( Coding everything in one gg block as we do in web. )
  
• Reducing the time required to learn widgets and to adapt the framework for new Flutter developers.
  

You can read the article I wrote on Medium before you start using it.
https://medium.com/@karahan.harunn/utility-package-for-web-developers-in-flutter-2fb04e04a5c3
Link to package https://github.com/karahanharunn/flutter_gg
Link to the example project https://github.com/karahanharunn/flutter_gg_card
I am excited to hear your comments and feedback.
You are welcome to add me to your LinkedIn network for contact. https://www.linkedin.com/in/karahanharunn/

my boyfriend and i have been together for three months. we had six dates before he even came over to my house where we didn’t kiss or do anything like that. he showed signs of insecurity when we were exploring being in a relationship like when i wouldn’t text back fast enough, he’d say “if you don’t like me anymore you can just tell me straight up” and i always reassured him. we got past that. we started hanging out at my house and have been hanging out every weekend. we haven’t had one good weekend where we didn’t argue. it’s normally over small stuff. for example, yesterday he dropped me off at work and took my keys back to my place so he could get back in. then fell asleep and when i came home i couldn’t get into the house and was standing outside for 30 minutes. i was pissed and we were arguing and he said he was leaving so i said bye. he sat in the car and we argued over text for about an hour. that is always how it goes. he threatens to leave but doesn’t really want to and will just kinda say he’s leaving and expect me to chase him and when i don’t he says that “i don’t care about him or the relationship”. he says i always blame him and never take responsibility for what i do. i genuinely love him and don’t want to end our relationship but our arguments always go that way. pls give me advice😭😭😭

From RegexOne i.e. https://www.regexone.com/lesson/capturing_groups
Why doesn't this work?
My answer:
(file_)\S+(.pdf)
match sets:
Exercise 11: Matching groups
TaskTextCapture Groups capturefile_record_transcript.pdffile_record_transcript capturefile_07241999.pdffile_07241999 skipfile_fake.pdftest .tmp
The question:
Lesson 11: Match groups
Regular expressions allow us to not just match text but also to extract information for further processing. This is done by defining groups of characters and capturing them using the special parentheses ( and ) metacharacters. Any subpattern inside a pair of parentheses will be captured as a group. In practice, this can be used to extract information like phone numbers or emails from all sorts of data.
Imagine for example that you had a command line tool to list all the image files you have in the cloud. You could then use a pattern such as ^(IMG\d+\.png)$ to capture and extract the full filename, but if you only wanted to capture the filename without the extension, you could use the pattern ^(IMG\d+)\.png$ which only captures the part before the period.
Go ahead and try to use this to write a regular expression that matches only the filenames (not including extension) of the PDF files below.
Exercise 11: Matching groups

I’m worried this may not exist, but I’m looking for a registry website that will let me:

1. Include items from multiple websites (including big brands like Crate & Barrel as well as one-off items directly from the item’s website)
   
2. Has custom categories to organize items into instead of putting them in random order. For example, I was hoping to have a category specifically for items related to traditions we have as a couple.
   
3. Not a deal breaker, but it would be amazing if it allowed blurbs like WithJoy where you can write details about the item (instructions, explanation of why it’s meaningful, etc.)
   

Does a registry website like this exist?

Since as long as I could remember I have never really had a close friend that I could talk to. I don't enjoy not talking to people, I just don't know what to say. Everyone says just tell them about your day and what you did but how am I supposed to tell people about my life when there is nothing going on. For example: I went to my school friends house for a sleepover and we barely talked. I understand that she was trying to create conversation but I never had anything to say. I don't even know how to text people online because it just always feels like I'm forcing them to message me

This encoding simply consists of a Caesar Cipher, however the Shift isn't the same for the entire text, but rather different for each letteword.
For example: Sgghnz would translate to Reddit with a shift of 1 to the first letter, 2 to the second and so on.
I would appreciate if I would be given further information on what the name of the code is, whether and how it is possible to break it.

Is anyone part of an alliance that is actually active?
Even though I get help to speed up buildings and research, it seems those are automated help generated by the game instead of real ones.
The social aspect of this game is rather frustrating. there isn't another logical explanation for me. I upgrade something and right away get tons of help. I text on the chat, nothing. I request multiple times if someone can help me with Eliana rally, no one replies, reacts or joins.
I haven't even been able to recruit Eliana because I can't do rallies for her event because no ne exists in my alliance even though it is almost full.
sigh.

I was very excited for GPT-4o, I wanted it to be great, but after a few days I'll be honest and share my personal experience - it makes so many incoherent mistakes that I have to go back to older GPT-4 versions
To the people who get upset and don't believe me, or think I'm a paid hate bot, I usually don't complain about GPT updates, actually I've defended them in the past
There's a theory that maybe OpenAI is A/B testing us, because I've spent some time reading other people's comments, and it looks like ~50/50 have a better or worse experience with GPT-4o for coding - and IMO there's no way that the other 50% of you guys have the same GPT-4o version that we have. It's simply impossible, that's how bad our version is
I'm a software engineer and GPT-4o unfortunately can't write a relatively simple Rust QUIC serveclient project without compilation errors (including some basic logging and config modules). I've pasted in plenty of documentation from the relevant GitHub QUIC project, into the chat, and it just keeps making incoherent code that fails and generates 5-10 compiler errors every single time. It deviates away from the documentation randomly. I've spent multiple hours trying and trying to make it write just a functioning project now, and after a long time I just have to give up. It can't fix its own compiler errors no matter how many times I feed the terminal output back to GPT-4o. I can just keep feeding it back error messages 100 times, and then it changes some code (seemingly randomly) and makes other errors or even more errors (or sometimes the exact same errors)
It also often ignores my instructions, for example I was showing GPT-4o 6 compilation errors from my terminal. Then in the same text bubble as the error lines, at the end of the message, I wrote:

I don't understand how we can get these errors when we follow the example files relatively close Q1) Does that mean that their code is wrong, or is something else going on? Q2) I'm developing on Mac right now by the way, but I don't think that should break anything here? Please answer these 2 questions comprehensively before you do anything else 

I'm very clearly telling it to answer these 2 questions, but it ignores the questions completely, and it just immediately starts talking about the error messages, and then it starts writing more incorrect "solutions" that just generate more errors. This is concerning compared to GPT-4, which always understands when you tell it to "do X before you do anything else"
Please share your own experiences in this poll and by leaving a comment if you want to
View Poll

I was very excited for GPT-4o, I wanted it to be great, but after a few days I'll be honest and share my personal experience - it makes so many incoherent mistakes that I have to go back to older GPT-4 versions
To the people who get upset and don't believe me, or think I'm a paid hate bot, I usually don't complain about GPT updates, actually I've defended them in the past
There's a theory that maybe OpenAI is A/B testing us, because I've spent some time reading other people's comments, and it looks like ~50/50 have a better or worse experience with GPT-4o for coding - and IMO there's no way that the other 50% of you guys have the same GPT-4o version that we have. It's simply impossible, that's how bad our version is
I'm a software engineer and GPT-4o unfortunately can't write a relatively simple Rust QUIC serveclient project without compilation errors (including some basic logging and config modules). I've pasted in plenty of documentation from the relevant GitHub QUIC project, into the chat, and it just keeps making incoherent code that fails and generates 5-10 compiler errors every single time. It deviates away from the documentation randomly. I've spent multiple hours trying and trying to make it write just a functioning project now, and after a long time I just have to give up. It can't fix its own compiler errors no matter how many times I feed the terminal output back to GPT-4o. I can just keep feeding it back error messages 100 times, and then it changes some code (seemingly randomly) and makes other errors or even more errors (or sometimes the exact same errors)
It also often ignores my instructions, for example I was showing GPT-4o 6 compilation errors from my terminal. Then in the same text bubble as the error lines, at the end of the message, I wrote:

I don't understand how we can get these errors when we follow the example files relatively close Q1) Does that mean that their code is wrong, or is something else going on? Q2) I'm developing on Mac right now by the way, but I don't think that should break anything here? Please answer these 2 questions comprehensively before you do anything else 

I'm very clearly telling it to answer these 2 questions, but it ignores the questions completely, and it just immediately starts talking about the error messages, and then it starts writing more incorrect "solutions" that just generate more errors. This is concerning compared to GPT-4, which always understands when you tell it to "do X before you do anything else"
Please share your own experiences in this poll and by leaving a comment if you want to
View Poll

I want to write the date vertically, but with each individual character rotated 90° to the left, not the text as a whole. I'll add an image in the first post as an example.

Title as reads. I (26F) have been depressed for the last 4 years and cut off all my friends from college with no explanation. I didn’t do it to hurt anybody, but i basically had a psychotic break after a brain injury and latched onto my boyfriend and immediate family for support. I wasn’t thinking straight and some days my mind still isn’t a safe place to be, but I’ve gotten much better.
I’m sorry for what I did and how selfish it was. I owe so many former friends an apology I just haven’t figured out how or if it’s worth giving at this point . My reality seems distorted because it’s hard to differentiate between what was really done, what really happened, and what I told myself while in psychosis. Sometimes I text them happy birthday if I remember (they don’t respond). my brain tells me that they’re so much better off not having heard from me and never need to, because I’m just a different person from who they knew.
I fear that rekindling is too late. I would like advice on moving forward when you’re the bad guy. I don’t want to be consumed by the shame cycle any further, nor do I want the past to affect my future anymore.

Hi M20 here
Me and my Mother have always had a very unstable relationship throughout my childhood and teenage years.
When I was very young me and my mother had a good relationship until I turned around 8 years old and then something changed, I am not sure what but she become this increasingly volatile individual.
As a kid, my mother would never let me leave her side, and this sounds like goof parenting but my mother took this to the extreme, she never let me have a sleepover and never let me go to a friends for tea. In the same way she never let me invite anyone around as she didn't want to let people into our house.
This continued throughout my teenage years also, I never had friends around was never allowed to go and meet up with friends and so I become a recluse during my secondary school years. My mother would control who I was friends with and so when I finally made some friends she forced me to drop them when she suspected that some of them were gay and that they might be influencing me (which is absolutely bizarre as I am not sure why she was bothered about 13/14 year old's sexualities ). I didn't drop them as they were amazing friends and she eventually found out about this at parents evening as one of my teachers mentioned one of the students names and she was ranting and raving about how they were a bad influence on me and I disrespected her.
Then I had struggles with my sexuality around this age regardless of my friendship with these people and then she made disgusting accusations against me which permanently effected my relationship with her, when I told my dad, he was absolutely disgusted and shouted at her and then she cried and said she was a terrible mother, I don't want to go to into depth on this part of the matter due to the fact that It is very upsetting for me to talk about. However wanted it to be mentioned as I felt that it was relevant to my mothers actions
She kind of chilled out for a few years and then she ramped it back up again when I went into sixth form, mainly as when I was in sixth form I was allowed to leave the school site during free periods and lunch and break time, I called her one time and told her that I was on my way down to meet my friend in a town by my school (like a five minute walk give or take) and she lost her shit down the phone saying that I was disrespectful and 'naughty' for not telling her that I was walking down to the park with my friend and that I could be kidnapped and killed and she would never know where I was if the school went on fire.
I then one evening went down to the beach with my friends at the end of the summer term and she then forced me to put my location on my phone so she knows where I was - she knew where I was as she dropped me there ? and she then forced me to keep it on but then she started getting far to controlling with it, for example when I was sat in a classroom examination she started repeatedly activating the lost mode on the phone and playing sounds on it as my location was not updating, and she was texting me saying put your location on now where are you? IN A LESSON ? ? ?
This then chilled out until I was applying for Universities and she wanted me to apply for the universities within a 30 minute drive to where we live, however due to me feeling so depressed at this time and wanting to leave home I applied for a University 1hr 20 min away and she blew her lid at me and said why would I do this when I can stay at home with her and that she didn't want me to move away and that she did not want to let me move away as I never asked her if this was something that I would be allowed to do, bear in mind I was 18 years old at this point and she was still treating me as if I was 8 years old.
She then forced me to transfer to one of the universities closer home due to manipulating me over the summer, I was diagnosed with a long term health condition and due to pain I gained some weight and a few years earlier I had started vaping (bad I know however I was trying to fit in, weak mindset core I just wanted some friends) she was also being very strict with what I was allowed to eat during this time and not allowing me to leave the house in an attempt to not let me vape - I was 19 at this point and yet again I can make my own decisions. This carried on for a while and due to her constant comments about my weight (she made comments like 'you are developing a shelf and a pouch) and the fact that I was s*xually assaulted at University I developed Bulimia as I felt inadequate due to her constant comments as as I was already mentally so low I coped in an unhealthy way and still to this day have an extremely unhealthy relationship with food (bingeing, purging ect ect) and this took a toll on my mental health as I found myself becoming dysregulated emotionally quite frequently and so I was trying to go on medication but she tried to convince me to not take them
My mother now is equally just as nasty, she comments about my weight frequently (I am not overweight for one and two I have told her I have a eating disorder but she said to my face that she doesn't believe me or in them). I got given money for support with my condition and have student finance for money and she keeps forcing me to pay off her overdraft amounts I have given her around 6k this year as she is not financially stable, she has paid me part back so that not an issue but I feel like its so inappropriate to be asking your child for so much money and being nasty and abusive as a means to get it (throwing me out screaming in my face ect ect )
Can anyone give advice on what to do because I am at the end of my tether with this woman, I say woman as I no longer see her as a parent but purely someone who lives in my house who likes to have an extreme amount of control over me
Thanks