my_qualifications: ignore
Does it affect college application, visa etc or online or test centre both are fine?

So it seems like every other week, someone posts on this sub asking something along the lines of "I'm a beginning composer, and I want a free software, what can I use?" And there's quite a few of these posts, so I'd like to throw out an overview from my experience. For context, I am an intermediate-advanced flute player (been playing for 6 years) and I have tried out quite a few notation programs. So here you go, an explanation of free music software from a beginner's POV. Some of these softwares have paid versions; I am ONLY talking about the free version's capabilities.
Musescore

• PROS: It has fantastic engraving, incredible playback (I would buy it if it was paid), and almost all the features you'll ever need. It's super intuitive and user-friendly, and I got the hang of it quickly even though it wasn't my first software. It's open source, which means you can suggest bug requests and get responses and workarounds really fast. There are no watermarks (there's no paid version to begin with).
• CONS: The places where Musescore lacks are how it crashes (in v4) and that it doesn't have many advanced features, which are usually required in contemporary composing. You're probably going to have a tough time with advanced techniques. Advanced techniques in general are tough, but that honestly goes for any of the softwares here. As for crashing, I haven't had any issues at all, but that may just be my hardware. It's also not good for collaboration, as it's a software you download, so sharing .xml or .mcsz files is the only way to do it.

Noteflight

• PROS: There are no watermarks on your scores, even in the free version of Noteflight. It has a fair selection of instruments, and you can change the octave of an instrument if they don't have one (ex. changing the octave of a trombone lower to make it a bass trombone). The engraving is decent. It is a lot more possible to collaborate than Musescore (it's not the best, but it's good). You are able to format your scores for free (change sizes, etc.).
• CONS: Noteflight is NOT a software you download, and it gets incredibly laggy and uses a lot of data if you're trying to write an orchestral piece. It is limited to a lot less than what Musescore can do, but it can do almost all of the things I need it to other than having multimeasure rests. One minor inconvenience is that you only get one font, but it's decent and you can at least change the size. You also have a score limit of 10, but you can easily get around this with multiple accounts.

Flat.io

• PROS: Out of these three options (even compared to Sibelius and Finale), Flat has the best software for collaboration. Like Noteflight, it is web-based. This does come with problems, but this allows it to be essentially Google Docs for composition. You have live edits, which aren't in any other software I've seen, and in my experience, it's not as laggy as Noteflight.
• CONS: To start off, Flat is the least feature-packed out of the three (with Musescore being the most). It has all the same free features as Noteflight, except for formatting, which I find a really major inconvenience. You can't change staff sizes, spacing, or fonts, which sucks for large arrangements. As for the engraving, as a musician, I find it unnatural-looking at best. The slurs are horrible, the tuplets seem off, and crescendos and decrescendos are way too wide. That's just me, feel free to disagree with me. The score also has a watermark in the free version, which none of the others have for free.

What are the outputs of each software?
I decided to make a kind of "blind test" for anyone who wants to see the capabilities of each program. Have a look here.
This is one of my earlier compositions (VERY basic, but feel free to give me feedback!), and I plugged it into these three programs. Try to guess which score is from which! The audio numbers DO NOT CORRESPOND with the score numbers.
Some guidelines I decided to put in place:

• The PDF scores use only the default font as that's what most (beginning) composers will care about and use.
  
• I got rid of Flat's watermark (with a PDF editor) because it's not really a blind test with it, is it?
  
• All of the Audio samples used only the free sounds that come with the software (no VSTs or plugins allowed).
  

Answers:
Audio: S1 was Noteflight, S2 was Flat, S3 was Musescore (with free Muse Sounds)
Score PDFs: S1 was Flat, S2 was Musescore, S3 was Noteflight
You probably were able to guess some of them based off of what I mentioned earlier, but the point is, you can start with any of these softwares and get at the very least, a functional score!
Okay, what software should I use then?
Use Musescore if: You're okay with downloading software, you have moderately good hardware, and you want as many features as possible.
Use Noteflight if: You want an online platform with as much features as possible without overwhelming you, but don't want to download any programs.
Use Flat.io if: You're okay sometimes having bad output, you need to get something done really quick and the quality doesn't matter, or if you're writing something with one or more partners.
Finally, a note about the free versions of industry standards (Dorico SE, Sibelius First, Finale Notepad): The features of these softwares are extremely limited, and to some extent are only trying to get you to buy their paid software. If you're only going to use free software and don't plan on buying any of the paid programs, I would stick with Musescore, Noteflight, or Flat. These three have more features than the "dumbed down" versions of the industry standards. Keep in mind you can always make professional-looking scores with almost any free software.
Please let me know if there are any important points I missed! I've been using these programs for 2 years, but I could have definitely missed something. I am NOT sponsored by any of these.
Cheers!

Hello everyone !
I am pregnant with my second daughter and took my glucose test yesterday. The results appeared in my chart this morning but it is Sunday and I cannot talk to my doctor until tomorrow and I am stressing.
Fasting - 76 1 hour - 146 2 hour -54
I am so confused. I have no idea what my range should be? Online said one hour should be under 140. I’ve also ready one hour should be under 180. I also see that 54 is considered hypoglycemia ?? Does anyone know what this means.
To add to this, my first pregnancy had oddly similar results. Fasting 70, one hour 99, two hour 33. They told me that the 33 must have been a lab error and instead of repeating the test I just checked my own numbers at home with the finger prick. Now I’m wondering if that was not a lab error but my body responding to the test with extremely low readings.
Thank you to anyone that takes the time to respond to this. I’m anxious

Are the test questions the same as the questions used in their online learning platform?
If not, how are the similar and how are they different?
Any suggestions for additional study materials?

Hi everyone, i've worn glasses since around year 5 but i'm wanting to get some prescription sunglasses as i'm going on holiday this summer and also if last summer is anything to go by it should hopefully be quite sunny, although UK weather is quite unpredictable. Anyways, the only local opticians to me are Asda, Vision Express and Specsavers. I've looked into getting some online but with how terrible my eyesight is (-7.25 in both eyes) I don't think that would be a safe option. I've seen Asda include sunglasses and thin lenses in their standard price but have also read that the eye test quality may not be the best. My current optician for normal glasses is Vision Express however for sunglasses they seem to be a bit pricey. I haven't looked into specsavers yet. Who would you guys recommend out of my 3 local ones?

Hey, i need some real help right now.
I created this website as my first wordpress since i didnt have any previous experience with it and wanted to test some things, which i have been doing for the last few weeks, and i ended up pretty Happy with the result. I had obviously purchased my domain, hosted it on a Linode VPS and used Hestia Control Panel for some administration (and from where i downloaded wordpress). Since i didnt know how to set up properly a domain, i ended up using a subdomain (sr1.mydomain.online) because doing some trials i ended up using mydomain.online, didnt want to break anything or to take too much time with any setup so i went on with that. However, after i finished everything i decided it would be better if i could use the no subdomain option. I didnt give it too much thought, saw the option on the first page, and went on and changed the address to mydomain.online. and now, both urls stopped working. And i got the image on the second slide after doing so. I tried changing it manually by Hestia going to wpconfig.php and adding manually the following configuration, but that didnt work either.
define( 'WP_HOME', 'http://yoursiteurl.com' ); define( 'WP_SITEURL', ‘http://yoursiteurl.com' );
What can i do? I can see on Hestia that the space for the website is still being used, and i also had some backups created on Wordpress. I just want to access to my site. I dont really care if i cant change the subdomain thing, but please, i want to find a solution to this. Thanks

Hi, I’m taking an summer class at utd that I need as a pre requisite for a lot of my classes for senior year and I need to to grad, Opre 3333 but my professor is making us go to the testing center for in person exams? I don’t understand how that’s a thing and I’m going to be out of country for the whole summer. Who do I talk to regarding this issue? My professor is saying is go to a different testing center but in my village I don’t think that’s a thing 😭. Should I email my counselor? Because I need this class literally in order to take any classes in the fall and to graduate on time.

OK so I started my trt journey via an online clinic and prescribed test c via a pharmacy and then recently went ugl to save on money as the costs were super high. I was on 160mg a week of test c. Everything has been going good since December 2023. Last month I switched to a trusted source from a friend and now I'm on basically the dose but from ugl. My issue is insomnia. Like bad, no sleep for 2 days at a time. I did add hgh and thought that was the cause but now I've been off hgh for over a week and still having insomnia. Could it be the ugl test vs pharmacy test? Or could it still be the hgh causing the insomnia?
BTW both test c was 200mg/gso

For sunni muslims qadr (predestination) is an article of faith for their religion, but this idea leads to very obvious contradictions and issues. We only place moral judgements on decisions or actions because of the idea that we could have chosen otherwise. If I design and program a robot to steal and murder, I would incur the moral burden of every stolen possession and death it caused. Not only that, but if I had the ability to simply switch it off at any point, I would be morally obligated to do so.
So why isn't Allah held to the same standard? We're meant to believe that he created us knowing that we'd sin, but by virtue of his omnipotence, omniscience, and all the other attributes he has which pertain to the scope of his power and influence, we can only conclude that he purposefully designed us to sin. Why else do we choose or have the ability to sin? Because we have free will? If you want to appeal to the idea of free will, I can just ask the following question—why did Allah create us in such a way that we would misuse our free will? Is it not within his power to create humanity in such a way that we would choose never to sin? The only conclusion you can come to is that it's by Allah's will that we sin. But this is an obvious absurdity, and it glosses over the main issue I'm trying to raise. Does free will even have any meaning if all our choices were set in stone before the universe even existed?
Some muslims misunderstand or refuse to engage with the issue. For example, they'll just cite the quran and various hadiths and simply assert the free will-predestination contradiction without recognising or addressing the inherent issue with it—they treat the truth of Islam as axiomatic. In other cases they claim that human beings will never understand this, and this issue is a test from Allah, or it's evidence of his superiority. So they appeal to Islam in order to fix a contradiction in Islam. I really want to know how they would try and convince someone non-religious to accept an explanation like that. Why would Allah decide to create a religion that has a logical contradiction that can't be explained rationally? Some muslims literally just tell you to stay away from the topic.
Obviously this question has been troubling muslim scholars for hundreds of years, but I never really see it brought up that often as a refutation of the religion. As someone that used to be a pretty devout christian, realising that we don't really have free will was such a substantial blow to my religious convictions that it led to my apostasy. Up to that point, I had found a way to rationalise or dismiss every other argument against christianity. Islam seems to be a lot more explicit in its assertion of a deterministic reality than christianity does, so I was curious to know how many ex-muslims here left the religion due to this issue. I think it's probably the strongest argument against islam in that it strikes at the very foundation of the religion, and many muslims have admitted online that the issue causes them to doubt their faith more so than any other issue.

I passed the F24 attorneys’ exam on first try. I wanted to share how I studied just to show that there are many effective ways, and I don’t think I’ve seen anything on here yet that reflects what I did. Note - I took the UBE four years ago, and so I had already learned how to take a bar exam, which involved a lot of condensing the material from three years of law school. I'm not sure this advice is as relevant for someone who has never taken a bar exam because you still have to go through that process.
I took two months off work (one month paid leave by my employer and one month PTO). Step one was to create an outline. I created the base of my outline from scratch and almost exclusively through the rules I learned from practice essays. First I read Mary Basick’s book almost cover to cover. I would do an essay from that book, read the sample answer, and put the rules I learned onto my outline. (Contrary to what many people on here have said, Mary Basick's book was not enough for me - it was only the starting point.) Next I printed out a chart I found online that listed the date and topic of every former California bar exam essay (https://jdadvising.com/california-bar-exam-essay-frequency-chart/). Each day I randomly selected at least a few essays from that chart, aiming for an equal distribution of topics and making sure I did a PR essay every day, and then crossed off the ones I completed. I am a visual learner, and so crossing off the essays on the chart helped me see the progress I was making. I would also add the rules I learned to my outline. Once I got through a bunch of essays, I got an idea of the universe of topics and rules that were out there. Then I started focusing on making sure I knew the concepts well. If I did an essay and didn’t understand the rule that was being tested, I would consult a bunch of different resources I collected to learn it, and I didn’t rely on any individual one. For example, if I didn’t like how smartbar prep wrote a rule, I would see if there was a video of someone explaining it on youtube or if someone on baressays.com explained it well in their answer. During this process, I would write down every variation of a rule I came across. So, on my outline, I would have like several variations of many of the rules. Over time, I would delete the versions that I liked the least. It was this process of constantly adding to and narrowing down my outline that I started to memorize the rules, even though it didn’t feel like memorization. I did very little actual memorization with flashcards because when you work with the material enough, you start to memorize it without realizing it. I started out with a strict 9-5 schedule to not burn out, but in the last few weeks, I started studying a couple hours more per day because I was convinced that the time I put in now was worth it if I didn’t have to take it again. I also only did about 3 to 4 PTs. I think the most important thing with PTs is to get an idea of how much time you can spend reading the cases (which is very little!) and then to know you are always going to be doing certain things. For example, I knew that if there was a case that went against my argument, I would have to distinguish it. So when I saw that on exam day, I did it almost without thinking, which helps speed things up. Overall, I was lucky to have access to study materials from several major companies, but I did not use any of their plans. I just consulted their materials here and there to find alternative explanations for rules I was having trouble understanding, usually using control F. Understanding how a rule works is more important that memorizing the rule statement word for word. Also I know the material feels like it's endless at first, but it really is a closed universe. If you study long enough, you will start to see subjects repeat. That is when you’ve hit a sweet spot. I didn’t end up being able to read all of the CA bar former essays, but I also felt like I didn’t need to because things were getting so repetitive by the very end. My biggest advice is that if something feels like it’s not working, it’s not. And the flip side is also true. I also think it's crucial to have a methodology, which can look like a lot of different things, rather than blindly attacking the material. Goodluck!

As the title states, I'm testing on Friday. If anyone has any last second advice feel free to drop it.
I completed JITL's entire course, a small portion of David Bombal's Udemy course, I have ~4-5 years of experience working with Cisco, Dell, and Juniper routing and switching in an enterprise environment, and have taken CCNA courses/bootcamps in the past with no intent to test (I'm in the military and the courses were free).
My current study routine leading up to the exam is as follows:
1) 5+ daily subnetting/hex conversion exams 2) Review online memorization cheat sheet daily provided by an individual on this sub 3) Rewrite my own cheat sheet down on paper daily to prepare to quickly write it down on my whiteboard before the exam 4) Daily Boson: 1 study mode exam and 1 simulation mode exam daily (Choose A or B, save C for day before exam) 5) Review JITL flashcards during downtime 6) Configure 2-3 random JITL labs daily (I usually pick with a random number generator on Google) 7) Revisit lecture material for difficult topics on simulation mode exam
Anything else I should do?
My strongest attribute is probably labbing. I rarely mess up on labs and have been able to configure nearly every single one of JITL's labs without watching his videos or Googling. ? go brrrrr. I do usually both run tests (ping, trace route, show commands, etc) and watch his videos to confirm my results though.
My weakest points are probably memorizing certain tid bit information (MAC addresses formats for certain protocols, distances of certain fiber optic cables, etc), anything wireless, and automation. I am utilizing the flashcards heavily in an effort to supplement this.
The cheat sheet I've been writing down daily looks like this:
/17 /18 /19 /20 /21 /22 /23 /24 /25 /26 /27 /28 /29/ 30 /31 /32 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 R# (rotating number)
And that's pretty much all I need to subnet efficiently. If anyone recommends adding anything to this, feel free to let me know what I should add and why.
That's all. I feel confident leading up to the test, but no matter how confident I am, I know that there are gaps in my understanding. My biggest concern is ensuring I don't run out of time.

I don't even know if I should be writing this. I am an 18 year old male living in India. Idk where to start with this. So I belong to a middle class family consisting of me, my parents and my younger brother. My life was fairly average till I was in 10th grade. I was academically good. Although I was not a bookworm but my classmates and my teachers considered me one. I was never athletic or took a lot of interest in co-curricular activities. I had lots of friends in school but now that I think of it, I never had any close friend with whom I can share anything. That is probably why I have to vent it out here. I was an ideal student (academically) who any parent would give an example of to their child. I was very conscious about my impression on the teachers because that was what was ingrained in me by my parents. My parents especially my mother was quite strict about my academics all through my school life. So I never got myself into any trouble or mischief and was a very well behaved boy. I was never bullied my by classmates. As I said I was never a bookworm and mostly studied a few days before the exams and got really good grades. I was not someone who would go to play after school. I just stayed in my home. My whole life was just school and home. From 5th grade, my mode of transport to and from the school was a private van. And there used to be two of those vans which commuted daily. I used to go in Van-1 from 5th to 7th grade. In 8th grade, my van was changed to Van-2. There I met a girl. I'll call her 'Chandni' for this post. She was not from my school. Since it was a private van, students of different schools used to be there. She was one year elder than me but was in same grade. We became really good friends over time. And I gradually fell in love with her. I obviously was never able to confess it. But I really enjoyed the time I spent with her. Then 8th grade ended and 9th grade started. And summer vacations came. After summer vacations when the school reopened, I was waiting for the van and Chandni was not there. I came to know her van was changed. I was devastated. I never knew I was meeting her for the last time before the summer vacations. I remember the last time I met her before the vacations, she playfully gave me a light tap on my head. I then knew she was active on social media. I joined Instagram and found her account. We chatted but not much. I remember I wished her on her birthday and now that I think of it, it was actually very embarassing how I wished her. Then gradually our conversations got less and finally stopped. They were very casual conversations. She definitely had a lot more friends and I was not as important as I thought I was. I was not upset over this. Then I think she changed her account or something and I didn't knew what her new account was. So our communication stopped. Then came 10th grade and COVID. I got busy in online classes and stopped thinking about her. Then came 2021 and my life took quite a turn. In April 2021, I randomly found Chandni's Instagram account. I sent her the request and she accepted it, even though my profile didn't have my photo and had a random name. I saw her profile, and again my suppressed feelings for her reemerged even more intensely than before. I left my old school which I studied in till 10th grade, and joined a new one. This is something I regret a lot. Actually the new school was a non-attending school. I joined it because I wanted more time to prepare for my medical entrance exam. So this way I just had to attend the coaching classes for the entrance exam and not go to school. Any Indian reading this would understand this situation better. Then my 11th grade classes started few days later which were also online because of lockdown. Initially I was very regular with the studies as I genuinely had passion for the subjects I had chosen. But this regularity lasted only 1.5-2 months. Then I started feeling very lonely as I started to lose contact with my friends from my old school. And also around this time my overthinking started. Initially it started with the fake scenarios I made in my mind involving Chandni. Now I am a vegetarian and Chandni is a non vegetarian. I know this seems very random. But this is from where my overthinking started. I started overthinking whether eating meat is ethical or not. I know this seems very silly. But trust me it was a very heavy thought for me and I just couldn't stop overthinking about it. Gradually I started overthinking about various things, if they were ethical or not, I started overthinking about religious things, god, philosophy, spirituality etc. These are some very heavy topics. Combine that with my loneliness and fake scenarios. This is where my downfall started. I didn't used to pay attention in the class and just used to lie on the bed and keep screenshot-ing whatever was displayed on the screen by the teachers. During the class I used to keep overthinking about above mentioned things, creating fake scenarios or just brood in my loneliness. I remember during the New year 2022, I was constantly watching different videos on youtube, where the spiritual gurus used to talk about masturbation and they obviously advocated against it. And watching them just made feel like I am doing something terribly wrong. And I remember how it made me so upset for few days. Chandni was in my mind 24x7. I never messaged her since I found her account in April. I just didn't had the courage. Or maybe I just wanted to get over with the entrance exam before confessing. I still used to talk to some my old friends on DM but they were very short conversations and quite rare. There was this one friend, we used to send each other funny reels quite often. Apart from that I barely had any conversation with anyone except for my family. All through the year I felt very guilty of not focussing on the studies but I just couldn't do it. My mind was constantly overthinking something or the other. Then came final exams of 11th grade. I was shit scared because I didn't study anything. All through my life uptil then I had passed just studying few days before the exams. But atleast I used to pay attention in previous classes which I didn't do this time. I still remember that anxiety. When you have been academically great from the start, your parents have high expectations from you. What would I tell them? It was one of the worst time of my life. But somehow I studied from Internet and passed the exams. Then came 12th grade. My parents had always been overprotective of me. They had never let me out of the house on my own. At that time, I didn't even know my own neighbourhood properly. This was something which always embarassed me. People my age were travelling here and there with my friends and I couldn't even get out of the house. In 12th grade, offline classes were started and COVID was pretty much over. It took a lot of pleading to convince my mother to let me go to the coaching on my own even though it is just 15-20 minutes walking distance. So I was in a room full of new faces and I was feeling very uncomfortable because I am not a very social person. And my height and physique were already an insecurity then (I will get to this later). Gradually I made some friends (Again not close friends whom I can share all this with). And honestly had a good time with them in the coaching. But apart from the 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM coaching, my life was pretty fucked up. The overthinking was still there. The fake scenarios were still there. At this point my behaviour started to change. I started to study on the 2nd floor in my home, so my conversations with my own family became very less. I used to come down only for food and sleep. Otherwise I used to stay on the 2nd floor. So I started to become distant from my own family. Add on the fact, that whenever there were mock tests in the coaching and if a test didn't go good, I used to get a scolding at home as I previously stated that my mother is quite strict about my academics. And she wanted me to clear the entrance in the 1st attempt. Also add in this the habit of my mother to constantly shout at small things. She doesn't particularly shout at me but in general. So yeah I started becoming distant from my own family. It's like I didn't have anything to talk about with them even if I wanted to. Uptil then I was like any other elder brother. I used to tease my brother, fight with him, but now I became distant with him aswell. It's not like I wanted it. But I just didn't have anything to talk about. Writing all this is just making me so sad right now. I had just become pretty silent at this point. Only little fun I had was in coaching with my friends. Chandni was still in my mind 24x7. Studies were again initially good but then I started procrastinating. I had become tired of life. Then as 12th grade started coming to an end I became more and more insecure about my height. I gave 12th exams. Passed it. Then I gave the entrance exam and failed to clear it. So I decided to take a drop (prepare another year for the entrance). This year (2023-24) has been the worst phase of my life. I was still distant from my family. The only thing we talked about was my study. All my previous year friends had now joined different coaching so I was very alone. My school friend who used to send me reels also stopped conversing because he got busy in his college life. So I had literally no friends. I didn't even tried to make any new friends this year because I was just tired. I didn't had any energy. My insecurities were killing me. I used to study on the second floor and the voice of my mother shouting and my parents arguing used to reach there and drive me mad. I was again not able to focus on the studies. Overthinking was still there. Fake scenarios were out of control. I just couldn't stop thinking about Chandni. At the same time I kept blaming myself for never being good enough for her and not deserving of her. I just used to sit in the class staring at the walls while everyone else is talking to their friends and enjoying. Seeing Chandni with other boys made my heart sank. I know they are much better than me but I feel fucking jealous. I don't have anyone to share all this with. I then somehow gave the medical entrance exam again a few days ago and I cleared it. I should be happy right? I am not able to feel that happiness for fuck sake. I always used to console myself that somehow clearing the entrance will fix everything in my life. But nothing changed. Here I am hating myself. Still my insecurities are killing me. My short height (5'4), my very thin wrists, my skinny body, make me feel so fucking insecure. I am tired of my parents constantly arguing about finances, I am tired of my mother shouting at small issues. I don't feel like going out. Sometimes even if I think to go out just to challenge my parents authority, I procrastinate that thought because I don't have any energy left to argue with them. It is not like my parents are bad. Maybe they won't stop me from going out, and I am just assuming they would. The thing is I don't have any excitement left for anything. The guilt of not being a good son, a good brother, a good friend is killing me. The guilty of not being good enough for the girl I have been secretly loving for 6 years is killing me. I still don't have the courage to confess to her because of my insecurities. I always feel weak, inferior to others and worthless. And the fake scenarios are still here. I don't know if they will ever stop. Earlier I had studies to distract me but now I have nothing, and whole day I am just thinking about my insecurities. Just before I started writing this, I was using Instagram and saw Chandni's likes on reels suggesting she likes tall men with manly hands. I don't even know if I am supposed to laugh or cry at myself. I don't know how to express myself. I still feel distant from my family even though we live in the same house. I feel extremely bad for sometimes shouting at them but I am just tired of this fucking life. The loneliness I feel, I just can't describe it.

As a small business owner and marketer, I know how important it is to maximize your online visibility.
But let's face it, premium SEO tools can get pricey.
The good news is, there are plenty of completely free resources to help you get started:

1. Google Search Console: Monitor website performance in Google search.
   
2. Google Analytics: Track website traffic and user behavior.
   
3. Google Keyword Planner: Research keywords and search volume.
   
4. Google Trends: Explore keyword popularity over time.
   
5. Google PageSpeed Insights: Analyze website speed and performance.
   
6. Google Mobile-Friendly Test: Check website mobile-friendliness.
   
7. Google Search Console URL Inspection Tool: Test how Google sees specific pages.
   
8. Bing Webmaster Tools: Monitor website performance in Bing search.
   
9. Yoast SEO: Optimize WordPress website content and technical SEO.
   
10. AnswerThePublic: Discover questions related to your niche.
    
11. Ubersuggest: Get keyword suggestions and competitor analysis.
    
12. Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Limited): Crawl website for technical SEO issues.
    
13. Keyword Surfer: See keyword data directly in Google search results.
    
14. MozBar: Get instant SEO metrics for any website.
    
15. SimilarWeb: Analyze website traffic and engagement metrics.
    
16. SEOquake: See SEO parameters in search results.
    
17. Hunter (Limited): Find email addresses associated with websites.
    
18. Broken Link Checker: Identify broken links on your website.
    
19. GTmetrix: Analyze website loading speed and performance.
    
20. XML Sitemaps Generator: Create XML sitemaps for search engine indexing.
    
21. W3C Markup Validation Service: Check website code for errors.
    
22. SERP Simulator: Preview page title and meta description in search results.
    
23. Google Structured Data Testing Tool: Test structured data implementation.
    
24. Small SEO Tools: Various tools like plagiarism checker and backlink checker.
    
25. SEO Review Tools: Free website analysis for various SEO factors.
    
26. Siteliner: Find duplicate content on your website.
    
27. Keywords Everywhere: See keyword data on various websites.
    
28. LinkMiner: Check if links on a webpage are broken.
    
29. Redirect Path: Track redirects and potential issues.
    
30. CanIRank: SEO analysis and keyword suggestions.
    

I'd love to hear which tools you find most helpful for your SEO efforts. Drop a comment below and let's chat.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for driving organic traffic to your website and improving your online visibility.
However, with a plethora of SEO tools available in the market, selecting the right ones can be overwhelming.
In this article, we’ll explore the key factors to consider when choosing SEO tools and provide actionable tips to help you make informed decisions.

1. Understand Your Goals

Before diving into the world of SEO tools, define your objectives. Are you looking to improve keyword rankings, track backlinks, analyze competitor data, or enhance site speed? Knowing your goals will guide your tool selection process.

2. Evaluate Tool Types

SEO tools fall into several categories:

a. Keyword Research Tools

These tools help you discover relevant keywords, search volume, and competition. Look for tools that provide accurate data and offer keyword suggestions based on user intent.

b. On-Page Optimization Tools

On-page SEO tools analyze your website’s content, meta tags, and internal linking structure. They highlight areas for improvement and suggest optimizations.

c. Backlink Analysis Tools

Backlinks play a crucial role in SEO. Choose tools that identify high-quality backlinks, monitor link health, and assess anchor text diversity.

d. Rank Tracking Tools

Track your keyword rankings over time. Reliable rank tracking tools provide accurate data and allow you to monitor progress.

e. Technical SEO Tools

These tools audit your website for technical issues like broken links, crawl errors, and page speed. Prioritize tools that offer actionable recommendations.

3. Consider Budget and Scalability

Evaluate the cost of each tool. Some offer free versions with limited features, while others require a subscription. Consider scalability—will the tool accommodate your needs as your website grows?

4. Read Reviews and Compare Features

Research user reviews and compare features. Look for tools with positive feedback, excellent customer support, and regular updates. Consider factors like ease of use, data accuracy, and integration options.

5. Trial Periods and Demos

Take advantage of trial periods or demos. Test the tool’s interface, functionality, and compatibility with your existing workflow. Ensure it aligns with your team’s requirements.

6. Check Data Accuracy

Accurate data is essential for effective decision-making. Verify the tool’s data sources and methodology. Avoid tools with outdated or unreliable information.

7. Look for Integration Capabilities

Choose tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing software stack. Integration with Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other platforms enhances efficiency.

8. Support and Training

Consider the availability of customer support and training resources. A responsive support team and comprehensive documentation can save you time and frustration.

9. Stay Updated

SEO tools evolve, so stay informed about new features and updates. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, and participate in SEO communities.

Conclusion

Selecting the best SEO tools requires thoughtful consideration. Define your goals, explore different tool types, and prioritize accuracy, usability, and support. With the right tools, you’ll optimize your website effectively and achieve better search engine rankings.
Feel free to expand on these points and dive deeper into specific tools, case studies, and real-world examples.

I've been preparing for school geology Olympiad and it includes a variety of skills(both practical and theoretical), which can really be mastered only through a lot of practicing, but I couldn't find any tasks online, unfortunately. I don't need too complex tasks, just basic ones from first years of college or university.
Here is the list of things I need: 1) Oil and gas geology. Some drill logs and isolones drawing practices would be super helpful. 2) Paleontology tests and tasks. 3) Mineralogy tests and tasks. 4) Stratigraphic section. Drawing them. 5) Maybe something magnetography related, like analyzing profiles, but thats not too important. 6) General geology tests and tasks.
Thanks, everyone. Sorry if I misnamed something, not my first language.

I am early on in my first game. I decided I would test out my version control to make sure I could restore the project:

1. I had already pushed to a remote Git repo
2. Deleted folder locally (and backed up to another location just in case...)
3. Cloned the remote repo locally
4. Mild panic ensued after opening the project in Unity as the Heirarchy pane had nothing but a main camera, complaints of classes and scripts missing, etc.

I poked around online where someone suggested Assets -> Reimport All and that seems to have fixed it. But that feels super hacky and gross.
What are you supposed to do when cloning to a new machine? What's best practice for restoring all your layouts/panes/script linkages etc.?
Thanks for reading! I'm very new to Unity.

I commented on a post about some questions a poster had about UMHS. They have since deleted the post but I felt that the information I provided might help others so I'm making those comments into their own post for prospective UMHS students.
Here's their most recent Prospective Student presentation. Really informative if you're looking into UMHS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu9wUIgNPBg

I also plan to apply to UMHS, and its very hard to find any info from the school from other students.
What are the cons of the school? I can only find the pros.
What is the average cost of groceries? Would it be less, equal or more expensive than the US?
I saw that class is 80% mandatory, what about the other 20%? Would I take a few lectures online?
Also saw that we need to download an app to do our test, would that be all of our test? Would we take the test in class or wherever we want?
This may be a very silly question for most but I have a very bad phobia of spiders and I saw there are 10 species on the island, have you ever encountered one before in your house/apartment? If they are pretty small I can kinda manage but not if their big lol.

​

1. Cons, no federal student loans. The school was established in 2008 and a requirement for federal financial aid requires offshore schools to have had an established clinical curriculum in the US prior to 2008. So until thats appealed, private loans only (Sallie Mae). Thats the honest only con I can think of. A pertinent pro I'll add is that in my 4 semesters here so far, I do not know a single student who has been dismissed. There's usually 10-20 transfers from other carib schools every semester.
2. Cost of living is pretty high. I would say 20% higher than the US for groceries. Rent for a 1bba apt is ~$800 utilities included.
3. Actually class attendance changed to 70% 3 semesters ago. If you miss class you can either watch the lecture live on the LMS or when they post the recording that evening.
4. They use Examsoft for block exams and NBME secure browser for final exams. These are apps installed on your personal computer and you take the exams in a classroom thats proctored.
5. Havent seen many spiders. There's monkeys on the island though lol. I definitely haven't seen any in my apartment and I live on ground floor.

​

How’s the courses? A friend of mine is planning to transfer there after hearing their attrition rate and how rare its to fail out there

One thing I like about UMHS specifically is how the classes are individual classes (not a single module for an entire semester). If you fail a class, you just have to retake that class. (2-8 credit hours). I don’t know any one who has been dismissed here for failing classes and about 75% pass each class. I’d say about 70% haven’t failed any class at all.
I’m sure that part of this is due to the fact that some of the larger schools have an endless supply of new students wanting in. Class sizes here are 50-80 new students a semester. We get like 10 students every semester who are restarting or transferring because they failed out of the big 3.
Honestly most of the people on here are going to say SGU, AUC or Ross because those schools have the most students but they are really cut throat. Most of them are set up where if you fail "a class", you fail the whole semester (10+ credit hours) because the curriculum is in module format. You don’t want to be in a situation where you fail 2 semesters and your only option is dismissal.
If you fail here, sure it sucks you have to retake a class and take a loan for it but at least you get to continue. It's something that stood out to me when applying. Personally, I'm in semester 4 and haven't failed anything (thankfully).
​

Thanks for the response! Good to hear you been doing well over there. I was definitely curious about it after hearing how barely anyone fails out and it looks like they just got a good helpful system built in. And i didnt know about the whole passing and retaking thing. My friend was in SABA and he failed a major course while on probation and was dismissed even after appealing twice. He is trying to transfer to other schools like MUA AUA and definitely UMHS (He has a meeting with someone soon).
What would you recommend him to do?

No problem! If he has a history of failing, UMHS is the best bet just for the assurance of not getting kicked out again. I’m sure he’ll thrive here as most of the transfers do. They really go out of their way here to keep their retention rate high.

I’m like 99% sure I’m autistic
The first time I brung it up to my fiancé This was his response was something along the lines of
“No way , you don’t look like that”
It took him a bit but I convinced him to hear me out and took a test online it’s was RAADS I believe . Anyways this was 3ish years ago since then I did more research and just watch other people experience on being autistic and some people I can relate with and other I don’t.
I’m gonna name things on why I believe I am
1.every since I was young loud noises affected me I had to cover my ears and would get very upset even now as an adult with loud high pitch noises ,loud tv , babies crying (even my own 😔 ) car horns etc.

1. As a child and still now I always feel different then everyone , I feel like things that should be easy for me bc they are normal things that others have no issue with . Like driving , cooking , making a dr app, talking otp . As a child things things others could do was so difficult for me and I would breakdown/shutdown when I was unable .

If I want to do something I feel like I can’t do it around people like a hobby or even being on the phone it’s very difficult for me to be otp with anyone while others are around me (idk if that has anything to do with it but that’s what I noticed )

1. I either didn’t talk loud enough or I talked to loud . I either talked too much or didn’t talk enough.

When I was very young everyone would always say speak up speak up I can’t hear you
As I got older I thought that what I was suppose to do then it was your to loud Quiet down
I also was a very active child I was told I moved to much and I believe that what made my grandmother take me to the doctor to check me for adhd although the doc brushed my gma off bc I was able to sit still in front of the doctor ( I believe I was masking bc I didn’t wanna get in trouble for moving to much)
I’m not sure if I have adhd though.
i’m really passionate about a subject. I will. I guess what it’s called as info dump and I do this a lot with my partner and I feel like sometimes it might be too much for him because I’ll talk a lot.

1. I didn’t like to pretend play Like if I was with my cousin who did pretend play like mermaids I never understood how Like I love mermaids but how do you pretend? We don’t have a tail idk I tried with her but she was always the one coming up with the scene/scenarios .

My form of playing was getting set up . All my “littlest pet shops” “play horses “ etc . I would essentially line them up and after I got them all lined up in their correct spots the fun was over.

1. I have special interest and when I get in them I hyper focus on those things but I can’t keep them for long before I’m onto the next . That’s not to say I won’t go back to those things though . They still all interest me but I’ve noticed with a lot of things I leave unfinished. It’s hard for me to start on something if I know I will not have time to complete it bc I hate getting interrupted so it usually lead to depression bc a lot of my interest are crafts/creative things /art etc.
   
2. I tend to over explain myself I don’t know if that has anything to do with maybe being autistic and when I get really into a subject (talking wise) I talk really fast and with emphasis in my voice
   
3. I feel emotions deeply . TOO MUCH. I get upset over things other find crazy to get upset about and I look as if I’m just wanting attention or being dramatic but I can’t help what I feel . I’m trying my best to have a control of my emotions . I can understand others very well if they are being up front with me about what’s going on to truly understand I have to ask questions .
   
4. Eating has always been a struggle Textures and taste
   

I can’t help if I don’t like something if it’s got a texture like mashed potato I can eat them if they are MASHED If they have chuck in them still no way.
Ice cream has to be a certain texture frozen if to melted then no and not with any chunks of chocolate There more but you get the gist.
Now as adult I have a struggle with food bc I would get in trouble for not eating something I didn’t like as a child .
My fiancé still struggles to understand this one with me Everyone calls me picky …

1. Ido have a hard time in social settings I don’t know how to make small talk . It’s boring and I wanna get to know you at the same time with anxiety I’m scared to talk . As an adult I have no friends and it sucks.
   
2. I have trouble with relating to much. So if someone says something about a struggle I sometimes (I’m working on it ) can get wrapped up in my own experience and like yeah this happens to me and this is what I did When really the other person might not want advice but just to be heard.
   
3. Being in large groups is exhausting Being in public in a mall or a large area with tones of energy I will get overwhelmed very easily . Esp bc I have kids now .
   
4. When I was in 9th grade my teacher told us about jobs and how to be in a interview and to keep eye contact to show your interested well that’s all I toook from it and used it to any social interaction and I think I used eye contact to much for years and prolly made a lot of people uncomfortable. I know for me it’s was uncomfortable.
   
5. I feel like I do stem but in different ways . I don’t really have a fidget toy I will tap my fingers or roll my hoodie string around , music is a form for me like listening to the same song over and over. Rubbing my feet together.
   
6. I’m not in school anymore but focusing on subject that didn’t interests me was hard and I failed test a lot bc I couldn’t stay focused and my brain would be in other places . Now I have to work very hard to stay focused while listening to someone in my head if it’s boring . If it’s interesting I don’t have an issue .
   
7. I love learning about psychology Body language, the mind all of it. I guess that. Might go with hyper fixation.
   

13.I can’t watch a movie without either applying it to my life in some way or studying the characters and trying to understand them.
It’s a movie is slow I will skip it or ifs it’s very emotional I willl be feeling the same emotions whether it’s happy ,sad,angry etc.
I could prolly go on but what’s the point Do yall think this is me just having high functioning anxiety. When I bring it up again to my partner yesterday. He told me that we could get it checked out by the doctor and see to make sure it’s not just high functioning anxiety which makes me feel like he doesn’t support me in think it autism.
I’m starting to overthink again and maybe I’m wrong to think I might be autistic.
What do y’all think?
I told him I’m willing to get myself checked out when I go to the doctor because I have appointment tomorrow. I just don’t know if I want him in there with me because I’ve been talking about this for the past three years and it’s like he still doesn’t believe me and like he hasn’t did no research on autism.
He does have ADHD himself and diagnosed with that. I’m just like why like I don’t understand since he is someone with a diagnosis of some kind why he can’t be understanding of me and just assumes It’s high functioning, anxiety .
Like for example, with my whole driving issue, he’s like oh well I dealt with that when I was a teenager and I got over it so like you, I believe you can too . And like I don’t know if I can I’ve tried to drive many of times and yes, I’ve driven successfully but every time I’ve gotten into the driver seat it was very overwhelming for me and I almost have hit car and like I don’t know if I can I’ve tried to drive many of times and yes, I’ve driven successfully but every time I’ve gotten into the driver seat it was very overwhelming for me and I almost have hit vehicle before before because I was so overwhelmed and I didn’t know if I could change the lanes on the interstate and it was super busy. I was looking out of my mirrors, but I couldn’t do it like I tried to go over and then they honk the horn and I was like oh my God I just freaked out like oh my God almost almost hit them because I thought I could go over, but I couldn’t.
Anyways I got that off my chest .