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Why can’t you say YES, when you want to buy a learning system?

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Why can’t you say YES, when you want to buy a learning system?

Remember Lotus 1-2-3? For those of us, who experienced the late 80s when Floppy Discs ruled, and then used Lotus in the 90’s, the memory of such a solution, is easily forgotten (although I did take an online course using only Lotus Notes, in 1998).

I mention Lotus Notes because I went on LinkedIn Learning and found a video covering Lotus Notes 6.5, 7, 8.5 (suggestion for support). I would love to know who is still using Lotus Notes 6.5. Did I mention this online video in LL, is from 2014? Clearly, LL who has told me they clean up and remove courses that nobody is taking (something I found difficult to believe, just because the Lotus Notes video isn’t the only old-school software product out there on the platform); nevertheless, if you believe LL, then someone, is still using Lotus Notes 6.5. I suspect they would have either a CPU with a floppy disk capability or the smaller disk, 3.5. I searched to see if Lotus Notes 6.5 was ever offered in a CD-ROM. The results? Yes. Did you know the latest update was in 2003? If not, now you do.

Since the newest computers, okay, for the last several years, lack a CD-ROM (you would have to purchase it as separate hardware with a USB connection – oh joy), there must be someone out there because you can download 6.5. exe on some sites – with one person noting it’s the best. No date stamp is listed. The file is from 2003.

I bring all of this up because under the assumption someone cannot seem to move on from Lotus Notes 6.5, there must be a tangible reason – beyond the “best” on the .EXE file. Technology has far advanced, and the thought somebody can’t just junk this into the memories of so long, seems implausible, and yet, here we are.

You may have a sweatshirt that has holes in it, ragged, no sentimental value, and yet, you still own it, even after 22 years, and have no issue wearing it in public (wait, that’s me). Regardless, you can’t toss it away. I suspect something in your residence has zero sentimental value right now, and yet you just can’t let go.

Why?

Psychologists call it the “endowment effect.” It begins at a young age, and once we own it, we see it as highly valuable. This is not the same as hoarding, by the way.

The Endowment effect.

I wonder whether or not, the endowment effect comes into play when you recognize you dislike the system you have purchased, and despite going thru the entire process, you just can’t let go.

You can’t move forward

When it comes to owning a learning system, I believe the ‘you just can’t let go’ exists. You despise it. You think it is a clunker. Your end-users hate it and tell you so. Nobody wants to use it. You land a budget, so you can go out and buy a new one, that has all the functionality you want (or is close to it), and is within your budget.

The possibilities enthrall you. You conduct your research or blast out an ROI to many vendors (and yes, this happens way too much). You schedule a demo, ask more questions, and request a proposal. Maybe you request a second demo with a few more folks in the room, to get their feedback. Then, you review the proposal, and…

Do nothing. You stay with the clunker. After, spending time to create your ROI and what you want, your use case, then months searching and conducting all types of whatever, you can’t do it. You can’t move forward.

Why?

Is the endowment effect in play, or do other factors influence that decision?

Some people will say procurement, but this is before you sign off for selection.

I believe there are such factors.

  • You believe that some new system is just around the corner and will be available soon.
  • You believe the new “brand name” system you have heard of will be better because it has that brand name. I saw this when Microsoft launched Learn, and people going into the final process of buying a system stopped. They noted that Learn might be a better fit, even though they did zero fact-finding or due diligence.
  • You hear from others that have zero decision-making authority, tell you, they didn’t like the system, because of X; even though they are not going to be using the system, compared to the larger audience.
  • You are owned by a larger company that owns a different learning system, and even though your audience doesn’t use it, or gripes about it, when you are ready to move forward, the other company says no; you must keep the same system as we have, regardless of if their user base likes it (often they don’t)
  • Your budget gets slashed or scaled back at the last minute (this happens). And rather than telling the vendor what has occurred, you stay silent and ghost them (the new term for never responding, following through, and disappearing from the scene).
  • Timeline is pushed back
  • Personal and Professional reasons that go beyond your control (you get laid off, you quit, you win the lotto, etc.) – The laid-off part happens – and nobody will reach out to the vendor. This factor is not common, as a reason – but is not common.
  • They are not the decision maker, but they never mention that
  • They are the decision maker, but unbeknownst to you, there is a power struggle within the company, whereas the decision-maker loses out
  • They can’t make a decision
  • You just can’t let go – you can’t do it – you hum or haa about it, wait, wait, wait, and then wait more – is endowment effect playing a role?

The ones I hear the most from folks (readers, and others)

I never heard of the endowment effect, until researching for the blog, but now that I think about it, I can see it as a factor for some folks (who themselves are unaware of it).

Regardless, what I often hear or see myself (representing others), is the most common.

  • Something new is going to come out – and they are holding until it does – a big mistake IMO
  • Big brand name rolls out a system or solution, and they read or hear about it – and decide this is going to be a better fit, or might be, so they go into hold – even though they may never buy it either
  • They just can’t decide – I call this pulling the trigger.

I have experienced this, okay a tiny bit, when making a purchase, regardless of whether it is inexpensive or pricey. I will find the right product, then rather than just buying it, I will spend countless hours, days, and humm and haah about it. I might ask my partner, but she, in turn, tells me to buy it, and even then, I can’t decide. So I debate more and more.

  • You hear from others that have zero decision-making authority, tell you, they didn’t like the system because of X; even though they are not going to be using the system compared to the larger audience. – Often, it is from other committee members – the worst. This is why I always went in with a plan, let them see the system, listen to their feedback, thank them, and then select the system, they saw. After all, I’m the final decision maker, not them.
  • Owed by the larger company, who may or may not be aware of what you are doing but requires sign-off, and then after a complete presentation to whomever, they say no, because we already have a system, and connecting to the other is time-consuming and may not work (a fallacy BTW)

I have seen this with the association on the committee angle, BTW, where you must present to the membership committee. Or someone on the committee has heard of another system and won’t budge. The latter is the worst, especially if this person can sway others.

  • Budget gets scaled back, company freezes any purchases (the latter does happen more than you think, and the decision marker, or the person you are dealing with, never tells you – they ghost).
  • They are not the decision maker, think more of a proxy, and the decision maker doesn’t get involved until the proxy presents the results to them. It may be multiple folks involved. I’ve seen this both ways, where it is successful and where it is not. In the latter case, I’ve heard of follow-up and equally ghosted.
  • Timeline is pushed back. This happens a lot. First, the prospect says 6 months, or 3 months; then they hear within the company, push back until next year, so they decide to hold. Oh, and forget to tell you. Or they tell you, they will follow-up when the process gets started again, and never do (some do of course).

As a vendor, what can you do?

Well, besides sending flowers, a PlayStation, puppy or fruit; there are a few options. Not all of them, will be successful – based on the factors of course.

This is just my perspective, of what I see as options (you may disagree and feel silence on your part is the best way to go or GRIPING within the company is a solid choice – although I have seen some vendors do the griping and I mean serious griping on LinkedIn. Nothing says, no sales, like furious griping).

  • Find out whether the person who is conducting the search is the decision-maker, i.e. the person who has the authority to say yes or no. If the person conducting the search isn’t the decision-maker, you still treat them with respect, honesty and so on. This does play into the decision. However, get the name and e-mail address of the decision-maker and ask them if they would like to see a demo (short or long), and if they have any questions. Note to them, they can contact you at anytime. BTW, you do the same for the person or people conducting the search – because they may have the power to push it thru.
  • Timeline pushed back – hopefully the prospect tells you this – if so, ask them if you can follow-up every few months? Most folks say yes. Then reach out – just to see how they are doing, if they need anything, etc. You want them to feel very important – that you care deeply about them or whomever, and just a nice touch base. You do not push the “would you like to move forward,” or any sales angle. Nor do you contact them every couple of months. Spread it out, say three months initially, then five months later type of thing. Always remember to ask people what the best way is to contact them – via e-mail, phone, WhatsApp for example. Honestly, you should do this piece early on in the process.
  • Budget is scaled back – You can work with them – maybe cut them a deal for year one, then increase up in year two, and three. Frozen – Not much you can do here, but just tell them, when they are ready, you are here, and because you would like them to be a client (and why that is), you are happy to work with them.
  • Owned by another entity, whose system in the end, they have to use. This one is tough, because the prospect wants you, but the mean entity above them, won’t budge. Find out what system the large entity is using – surprisingly I see this issue come up with SuccessFactors – as in the large entity has it, the one reaching out, hates it. Next find out, why they will not support or accept your choice? If it is the fear of connection issues, resolve them – with a plan to ensure that won’t happen – i.e. issues. Then make sure you deliver. Oh, and don’t charge a fee for the integration or API. You want the entity looking at you, and who knows, maybe the large company overlord, will go with you, when said contract of whomever they are using expires.
  • New system perception or big brand rolls out angle – OR BTW, a new system rolls out, that looks slick, and maybe that is better, OR the CEO saw X at a show, and you should look at them. Unless the CEO is saying they have to buy it; and then they can explain why they shouldn’t based, on this, because they have conducted an extensive analysis and the CEO doesn’t care – not much you can. For the new fresh system, find out who they are, conduct your own research (get a demo, don’t mention you work for another learning system – and BTW this was very common during the dot com days. You are trying to win a deal here, not become buddies with the other vendor. And who knows, maybe they are doing it too), and push the narrative that X new system doesn’t have the features they need (once you find out). If you can’t or won’t spend the time and move fast on it – which is needed; then always note that just because they are brand new doesn’t mean they have everything they want. Secondly, offer them a special deal, toss in some usual cost items and let them know, that this offer is good for 60 days – which gives them enough time to look at the newbie. You can even state that you are happy to wait, while they look at the other system, and if they are still interested in you, please let us know.
  • If it is Big Brand Name – do the same as above. Do not get antagonistic, or irritated – just be polite, follow similar approach as noted earlier.

For those who just ghost you or can’t make the decision; let’s look at the second reason first. Find out why they are holding back? Is it Price? Is it the system itself – dig deeper here. If price, you can go lower, if it is the system – maybe you didn’t show them what they needed; and if they need something you don’t have, well, thank them for letting you know, you would love to have them as a client, and the feature may be in a future release or not, but at this time you understand. If they change their mind, you are more than willing to re-connect or assist them. Basically, this is referred to as pain points.

For the ghosting – just chalk it up, to a loss and move on. This is business. It happens to everyone, in every sector that sells products, services and so on. You might ghost the car salesperson, or the fridge salesperson, or the real estate person you have been talking to. You see nothing wrong with this, and that I believe is universal – people see nothing wrong with that behavior. I wish they didn’t and perhaps you are someone who will follow-up and let them know, that you are not going forward with that purchase, and so forth. They may ask you why not or just say, okay, thank you.

Trade show leads land in the heavy ghost range. Just ask any vendor who attends these shows. It’s reality.

You may not like it, but that’s business. It’s happened to me and so many others out there.

Move on – life is too short to get irked about it. Especially since there is bird who just dumped on your car.

Bottom Line

Saying yes, isn’t the easy thing to do – there are always something that the vendor is unaware of. It could be as simple as the endowment effect or as extensive as multiple factors listed above. It could be you don’t like the salesperson or something they said, and you are too polite to say what it is – to someone above that individual.

Saying no, face to face online via a web conferencing solution is hard to do.

Ghosting is easy.

Not as easy as Lotus Notes 6.5

But,

More relevant, and often

In 2023, and years to come.

E-Learning 24/7

6 Steps You Can Take to Enter the Job Market With Confidence

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6 Steps You Can Take to Enter the Job Market With Confidence

Whether you’re a new grad soaking up the pomp and circumstance of graduation season, or you recently earned a Codecademy professional certificate in a career path — congrats! Every step that takes you closer to your goal of working in tech is worth celebrating. 

Entering the job market at any stage of your life is exciting, and also a little intimidating. The thing is, job seekers have a lot to be hopeful about right now: the AI boom is creating new opportunities, all types of industries are looking for people with technical expertise, and more organizations are hiring candidates based on their skills. 

If it’s your first time applying for tech jobs, there are a few solid steps you can take now so that you’re prepared to enter the workforce confidently. We have all the resources you need to land a job and show up prepared to contribute on your first day of work. Be sure to check out this blog about what hiring managers look for in an entry-level candidate, browse personalized job listings, and practice answering technical interview questions. Read on for even more tips for new grads and first-time job seekers in tech.

Build a portfolio

In addition to your resume, hiring managers typically ask to see a portfolio of coding projects that you’ve completed. Your portfolio is supposed to showcase your technical abilities and illustrate that you have practical experience. If you don’t have any professional experience coding, don’t sweat it — you can include projects that you build for practice or for fun in your portfolio. 

The projects that you include in your portfolio should be relevant to the role that you’re applying to. The types of projects in a Junior Web Developer portfolio would be very different from a portfolio for a Data Analyst position, for instance. Want some inspiration? We have lots of projects in our library that you can use in your portfolio. 

Refine your technical skills

We know, we know: If you just finished school, you probably need (and deserve!) a break from homework and studying. But if your goal is to work in tech, it’s important to continuously improve your technical skills and stay up to date with the latest technologies and programming languages. Programmers are constantly learning — even professionals who’ve been at it for decades. With a Codecademy Plus membership, you get access to all the resources you need to continuously grow your technical skills, like projects and personalized practice.

Learn something new for free

No shade to your professors and teachers, but learning outside of a classroom can be much more rewarding (and fun, TBH) because you get to decide what to learn and how often you’ll study. For example, you might want to take our free Intro to ChatGPT course to learn about generative AI. Or maybe you keep hearing about Rust and want to pick up a new language. Perhaps you want to focus on learning the specific skills you need to launch a career in data science.

Whatever your passions are, check out our whole catalog of coding courses and paths to find a subject that interests you. Beyond our interactive courses — which are totally self-paced — you can also complete coding projects to reinforce what you’re learning in the courses and paths. 

Reach out to your contacts

The idea of networking might make you cringe, but connections are often how people get in the door or hear about job leads. Start networking with professionals in the industry whose careers interest you; ask people for an informal call or meeting and learn about how they got to their position today. (Most of the time, people are happy to share their personal experiences and advice.) 

There are plenty of ways to build a professional network online, like using LinkedIn, joining one of our local chapters, or attending virtual meetups. You can also apply to be in our Code Crew, a new super user program that connects you to other like-minded coding pros in our community. 

If you recently graduated from college, see if your school has an alumni network that you can tap into as a way to meet folks in the industry. They might also offer career services for alumni that can support your job search. 

Prepare for technical interviews

Job interviews for tech roles typically involve a technical interview portion, where you’ll be asked to complete code challenges and talk through your work. This is so that hiring managers can vet your technical skills and understand your problem-solving approach. It can be nerve-wracking, but with the right preparation you’ll be well-equipped to nail the technical interview. 

Our interview prep courses are designed to get you ready to answer and explain real-world technical interview questions. On the blog, we have lots of examples of interview questions for specific languages or jobs that are worth reviewing.

Get involved with open-source projects

Be proactive and get hands-on experience contributing to open-source projects and collaborating with other developers on platforms like GitHub. It’s a way to get your work seen and establish yourself in the coding world, and it shows potential employers that you know how to work with a team. Not to mention, the open-source developer community is vibrant, and the relationships you make could connect you to job or mentorship opportunities down the line. 

Not sure where to start? Contribute to Docs, our community-driven code documentation. New devs and established programmers use Docs to reference various concepts and tools. Having technical content like Docs to add to your GitHub and portfolio is yet another way you can demonstrate your skills. 

Build your personal brand

It’s a good idea to polish your online presence, like your LinkedIn profile and your resume website, in case hiring managers need to reference them during the application process. As a recent grad or career switcher, think about how you’re establishing your personal brand as a tech professional. For starters, you may want to use the “Open to Work” feature on LinkedIn to boost your chances of getting seen by a recruiter. Writing a programmer bio is another easy exercise that can help you reflect and summarize what you want to do next. 

Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the tech field and build on your reputation. For example, you may want to consider starting a coding blog or vlog to chronicle what you’re learning. 

Learn on the Go with the New & Improved Codecademy Mobile App

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Learn on the Go with the New & Improved Codecademy Mobile App

You’ve been asking, and we’ve been listening. Now, you have even more opportunities to practice and review coding concepts on the go with the new and improved Codecademy mobile app.

We know learners like you want to build your coding skills, discover new ways of thinking, and launch your tech career while also living a fulfilling life. We’ve updated Codecademy Go to give you another way to supplement your coursework so you can learn to code faster at any time. (Don’t have the app yet? Download it on the App Store or Google Play.)

With these new features, you’ll be able to practice your coding and complete your courses whenever, wherever — which is a game-changer when you’re adding learning to code to an already busy schedule. 

Introducing Smart Flashcards

Our new Smart Flashcards are designed to make your practice sessions more effective and time-efficient. As you progress through your courses, we’ll automatically give you AI-generated personalized flashcard decks tailored to your learning needs, saving you the hassle of creating your own deck or searching for relevant pre-made ones online. 

Instead of reading through a bunch of concepts, you can flip through these flashcards while waiting in line for your morning coffee or watching TV. Flashcards also align with our cheatsheets, so your study experience is cohesive and organized across devices. You’ll be able to study smarter and more tactically with materials that are specifically tailored to your learning journey.

Access practice packs from our full catalog

We’ve expanded the Codecademy Go app with almost 10 times as much content! Now, you can access practice packs from our full catalog — including all of our courses and paths — right from your smartphone (or tablet). Whether you’re working through the Back-End Engineer career path or crushing our new Intro to ChatGPT course, you can practice your coding skills right on your mobile device — anytime, anywhere. 

Learn something new for free

Personalized practice

We use AI to figure out what you need to practice and when, and create practice packs for you based on your specific needs. Personalized practice uses the science of spaced repetition, a studied technique that’s proven to help you retain more of what you’re learning. The basic gist: Study sessions are more effective when they’re spaced out over time. We’ve built this concept into the app, so specific concepts will surface at strategic points in time. You’ll see the skills that you need the most work on more often. This was previously only available on the desktop app, but it is now part of Codecademy Go.

Synchronized practice recommendations

If you’re someone who’s diligent about meeting your weekly learning target, this new feature will help you keep your streak going. The app now syncs practice recommendations with your progress on the desktop app, so your progress will automatically update no matter what device you’re using. The practice recommendations are also personalized based on your performance. The app will also suggest course content that’s relevant to the topics you’re learning, to help you practice and review the areas you’ve already worked through.

Improved onboarding for new app users

First impressions matter, and we’ve updated our mobile onboarding experience to ensure that everyone from new learners to seasoned devs feel welcome and can easily understand the app. When you first open Codecademy Go, we’ll explain how to fit practicing on the app into your current coding routine. And if you’re curious how much time you should be spending each week learning and practicing, read this blog for some pointers.

Single Sign-On with Apple on iOS devices

For our iOS users, we’ve added support for Single Sign-On (SSO) with Apple. This feature streamlines the login process, allowing you to quickly and securely access the app.

Fresh home page look

In order to deliver these improvements, you’ll notice the home page looks a little different. When you open the app, you’ll see your course and path practice systems right away, just like when you use the desktop app. That way you know exactly where to start and can quickly jump back into what you’re learning without having to search the whole catalog. But don’t worry — you can still navigate to specific modules within the app.

Compatibility with latest Android and iOS versions

We want to ensure that our app is always up to date, so we’ve made it compatible with the latest versions of Android and iOS. Enjoy a seamless and optimized learning experience on your device.

With these updates, the Codecademy Go mobile app is now better equipped than ever to support you on your coding journey. Whether you’re a new programmer or a seasoned developer, these updates will help keep you engaged and motivated to learn.

Ready to start coding on the Go? Download the updated app today and take your coding skills to new heights!

GUEST POST: Enhancing Employee Onboarding Through Dual Coding and Spacing

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GUEST POST: Enhancing Employee Onboarding Through Dual Coding and Spacing

One of the simplest methods to bring dual coding to the onboarding learning environment is by introducing computer-based learning modules with robust imagery accompanying language (2). For organizations, this would seem to be an obvious implementation where laptops are issued. Further, personal mobile devices are basically ubiquitous and there are a number of low cost, off-the-shelf applications that can be easily customized to create educational assets in conjunction with the Human Resources team for a highly cost-effective solution.

Nearly all learning requires an individual to process language. To that end, concrete language, opposed to abstract language, has been associated with dual coding and suggested to elicit dual coding by evoking mental imagery in the learner. For example, consider the following two statements. 1) To ensure all attendees have clear visibility of the presentation, the first row of chairs should be set at least 10 feet from the screen (concrete language). 2) To ensure all attendees have clear visibility of the presentation the aspect ratio must be considered when setting the seating area (abstract language). When reading the first statement, did you form a mental image of a screen and row of chairs set back ten feet? When reading or hearing information as the first code, using concrete language helps learners create mental images which act as the second code, thereby enhancing the information intake process and resulting in greater comprehensibility and recall (3).

Since many organizations hire employees who have prior experience, another learning theory worth mentioning is schema theory. Schema theory suggests that familiarity with material promotes comprehensibility and recall. However, a study by Sadoksi et al. (3) found that dual coding theory was better than schema theory in contributing to comprehensibility and recall. The study extended prior findings by Paivio (4) and Anderson et al. (5) and looked at the impact of concrete language used in educational texts to elicit a dual code learning situation. Based on the findings in support of dual coding, enterprises should not assume a new employee’s experience will contribute to their learning of the organization’s proprietary processes and should examine the materials provided to new employees. By increasing the amount of concrete language over abstract language, another cost-effective method of dual coding for enhanced comprehension and recall may be achieved.

One final, but important, point on dual coding is the distinction between DCT and the concept of learning styles. A somewhat largely accepted hypothesis on learning is that individuals have a singular learning style, such that a visual learner should be presented materials visually, or an auditory learner should be presented materials audibly to increase their learning. This assumption is considered a neuromyth. DCT predicts that people will learn more efficiently when presented layered, visual and non-visual, information. Unlike learning styles theory, DCT is supported by a significant amount of empirical research (1, 6).

Spacing Effect

Another way to enhance the effectiveness of the employee onboarding process is by incorporating spacing. Spacing, just as the word suggests, is intentional structuring of learning sessions in a temporal manner. An abundance of literature on spacing establishes the practice as an effective method of long-term retention of information (7, 8, 9).

One of the original studies on long-term learning, by Karpicke and Roediger (10), examined a series of study-test (ST) cycles of Swahili/English word pairs. Subjects were asked to study the word pairs then recall them on a test. The ST cycles were manipulated by removing correctly recalled words from either subsequent study sessions or testing attempts. The researchers concluded that when a person can recall newly learned information, repeated testing, opposed to repeated studying, enhances their learning. A more recent study by Soderstrom et al. (9) questioned whether the suggested ineffectiveness of re-studying could be improved by spacing. The researchers replicated the Karpicke and Roediger experiment adding a spacing element to the ST patterns. They concluded that re-studying of previously recalled information is effective when properly spaced.

Word of the Day: forum

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Word of the Day: forum

The word forum has appeared in 1,140 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 2 in “How the Arts Can Help Us Face the World’s Most Pressing Challenges” by Farah Nayeri:

These sobering statistics were cited last week at the three-day Art for Tomorrow conference, an annual event organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation featuring panels moderated by journalists from The New York Times. This year, the event was held in Florence, Italy. Three years after the coronavirus outbreak, the gathering was a chance for arts professionals, collectors, curators and artists to take stock and to ask: Can the arts help meet the challenges that the world faces today?

… Speakers at the Florence forum seized the opportunity to highlight the enduring gender and income inequalities in the world of arts, and the actions needed to head off a climate catastrophe. Also on the agenda: a detailed discussion on the crash of the market for nonfungible tokens, or NFTs.

Can you correctly use the word forum in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how forum can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

Why AI Needs Queer Technologists & How To Get Involved

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Why AI Needs Queer Technologists & How To Get Involved

A big part of being a responsible developer and machine learning practitioner in the “age of AI” is understanding the dangers of biased datasets and AI systems. From the planning stage to well after deployment, it’s on developers to design equitable algorithms that protect people from discrimination. 

The LGBTQ+ community, for example, faces unique risks when it comes to AI. People in the LGBTQ+ community have largely been left out of research on biased algorithms for a variety of logistical, ethical, and philosophical reasons, explains Kevin McKee, a Senior Researcher Scientist at Google DeepMind. Sexual orientation and gender identity are examples of traits that we can’t observe, and as a result, they’re often missing, unknown, or hard to measure in data. When queer people, perspectives, and issues are excluded from conversations around bias in AI systems, it can perpetuate inequities and open the door for algorithmic discrimination.

The good news? AI can also be used to dismantle the existing power structures that have historically marginalized communities. “AI, as a concept, is a radical reimagining. It is a reconceptualization of our traditional concept of intelligence, from a property just of biological brains to other forms and possibilities,” Kevin says. “True equity could similarly involve rethinking traditional concepts.” 

Learn something new for free

As a programmer or person learning to code, you have the opportunity to build equitable AI systems and tools that are inclusive and uplifting for the LGBTQ+ community. Ahead, Kevin answers some key questions you might have about how to use AI to promote algorithmic justice for the queer community and beyond. 

What do you do at Google DeepMind?

“I’m a Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind. My job is to conduct research studies to advance and help us understand our AI systems. I spend my time on a mix of AI development work and social psychology research, with a particular focus on designing more inclusive and cooperative AI systems.

My primary research interest lies in the social and ethical aspects of AI. Plenty of psychology research explores the various factors that lead humans to cooperate with each other. Similarly, social science offers us insights on how we can build fair approaches to distributing resources, developing consensus, and other related decisions. The key question I spend my time on is: How can we draw from these traditions to build AI that makes prosocial, cooperative, and fair decisions?”

Can you explain what “algorithmic fairness” means? 

“Discussing algorithmic fairness is always a bit complicated. Different people define it in different ways, and each definition tends to carry its own advantages and disadvantages. To me, algorithmic fairness means ensuring that we do not develop AI systems that maintain or exacerbate social inequalities. Auditing existing algorithms for bias, developing new systems to help ensure equitable outcomes, and talking with marginalized communities to understand their needs are all examples of work that falls under algorithmic fairness.”

Why has research historically excluded LGBTQ+ people from this area of research?

“A combination of logistical, ethical, and philosophical factors has historically excluded queer communities from algorithmic fairness research. LGBTQ+ people are often logistically excluded from fairness work when datasets fail to include information on sexual orientation and gender identity — often because data collectors do not realize that this can be important information to record. Collection of data on sexual orientation and gender identity, often considered ‘sensitive information’ in legal frameworks, can also be ethically and legally precluded when knowledge of this sort of personal information threatens an individual’s safety or wellbeing. 

In many parts of the world, queer people continue to face very real risks of discrimination and violence, and it’s important that researchers avoid contributing to those risks. Finally, collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity raises some thorny philosophical questions. Queerness is a fluid cultural construct that changes over time and across social contexts. How effectively can we measure a concept that often defies measurement? Given this set of challenges for collecting data, it’s not surprising that progress on algorithmic fairness has been slow for queer communities.”

What are the most serious risks that AI poses to the LGBTQ+ community? 

“Modern AI systems are increasingly used in important domains including hiring, healthcare, and education. One of the primary risks posed by these systems is reinforcing existing patterns of bias and discrimination. Systems applied directly ‘out of the box,’ without any modifications, learn from prior decisions and their effects. That can include learning biases that affect minority communities. It doesn’t matter if those biases were originally introduced consciously or unconsciously: if they show up in the data used to train AI, then AI systems can end up recreating the same patterns in their decisions. Unfortunately, it’s well established that queer communities face discrimination in many of the domains to which AI is now applied. We’ll need to put in additional work to avoid ‘locking in’ bias and discrimination in these areas.

Queerness is a fluid cultural construct that changes over time and across social contexts. How effectively can we measure a concept that often defies measurement?

Kevin McKee

Senior Researcher Scientist at Google DeepMind

Another risk on my mind comes from the recent popularity of large language models. These models demonstrate really impressive abilities to generate language, including as chatbots, and can be helpful to users in a number of ways. They also introduce some new risks that deserve attention as we continue model development. For example, I think we’ll increasingly see language models in online spaces and social platforms. Young queer people and trans people of all ages often seek solace, inclusion, and guidance through online spaces and resources. That makes it likely that they’ll encounter chatbots powered by language models. These chatbots may come across as supportive and friendly, but they can also produce messages that are emotionally harmful or that reinforce toxic stereotypes. That would be potentially damaging for individuals in vulnerable situations.”

On the flip side, how can AI be used to empower and support the queer community? Are there any exciting applications of AI that you’ve come across?

“I’ll mention two possibilities here. The first is a very careful approach: it involves identifying opportunities that minimize the risks of modern AI systems, while still leveraging their advantages. The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides crisis support services to LGBTQ+ young people, is working on particularly thoughtful projects in this area. For example, they use large language models to run practice conversations between their crisis helpline workers and simulated callers. This allows the helpline team to practice their skills, while also ensuring that the AI interactions can be closely monitored and stopped if the model starts to produce content in unpredicted ways.

The second possibility is more theoretical and creative: can AI help us explore queer identity in new and inventive ways? For instance, in one project, several engineers and I proposed using a type of AI called a ‘generative adversarial network’ to learn traditional gender characteristics and boundaries. The network could then use what it had learned to generate combinations of characteristics that defy categorization. Our intent was to playfully demonstrate the social construction of our perceptions of different identities. This type of project can help us imagine queerness in ways that we hadn’t even thought of.”

What can aspiring developers and machine learning practitioners do to address the algorithmic biases that impact the queer community? 

“The first step that we need is to engage and talk with these communities. Improving representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the tech industry is one way of achieving that. We frequently see situations where including team members who are queer (and who belong to other marginalized communities) helps to identify issues that would not have been caught otherwise.

A goal to better representation is community participation. More research and better techniques can help define and mitigate risks that new AI systems may introduce for queer people. But how do we know what risks we should prioritize, or what goals we should aim for? Scientists and experts likely have good ideas, but a key source during the research process should be those in the affected groups themselves. How can we know what queer communities need if we don’t talk with them? Engaging with the marginalized folks who might be affected by new AI systems can help us recognize what real-world harms look like and what technical solutions to develop.”

Want to dig into the ethics of AI and large language models? Start with our free course Intro to ChatGPT. Take your knowledge further with our machine learning courses like Build Chatbots with Python and Intro to Machine Learning. Then read more about the types of careers you can have in generative AI and explore our career paths to start working towards your new career. And if you’re looking for fun ways to use code to give back to the causes and communities you care about, try these Pride-themed Python code challenges.

Word of the Day: veritable

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Word of the Day: veritable

The word veritable has appeared in 58 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 4 in “Springsteen Comes Alive” by Lindsay Zoladz:

An E Street Band show is an ensemble performance, a veritable rock ’n’ roll circus of eclectic personalities — at its most crowded, there were 18 musicians onstage — each receiving a solo moment in the spotlight. I would personally like to shout out Curtis King for his angelic falsetto vocals on the cover of the Commodores’ “Nightshift,” Max Weinberg for — still! at 71! — being a drummer of exceptional steadiness and flair; and Little Steven, for the continued glory of just being Little Steven, day in and day out.

Can you correctly use the word veritable in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how veritable can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

The Best shop options for WordPress – Free & Easy to Use

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The Best shop options for WordPress – Free & Easy to Use

If you’re searching for the top shop options for WordPress, I’m pleased to share some fantastic recommendations with you. These options are free and cater to both beginners and experienced users. Whether you’re starting out with your online store or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll find the perfect fit for your WordPress site. Let’s explore the best shop options for WordPress and find the ideal one for you!

The Best shop options for WordPress

Setting up an online shop with WordPress is a great idea, as many fantastic options are available. You can easily customize your shop to suit your needs and preferences, and there are many plugins and themes to make the process as easy as possible.

Below you will find the three shop extensions I recommend.

Don’t forget that whatever choice you make, we’re here to assist you in getting it set up! Feel free to get in touch with us to learn more.

WooCommerce

Let’s start with the most common one – WooCommerce. This plugin lets you create a fully functional e-commerce store within your WordPress website. Using it is a breeze, but the setup process can prove to be challenging due to the extensive range of options available.

If you are familiar with running an online store, this platform will prove to be an excellent asset. However, if you are a beginner, the sheer number of features may make you feel overwhelmed and confused.

As a WordPress user with WooCommerce, it’s important to remember that you are responsible for maintaining the shop and ensuring its technical aspects are secure. This includes payment security and other maintenance tasks.

WooCommerce is free; however, you may need to pay extra for extensions that will add more payment options to your shop or enable additional features. You may also need to adjust your WordPress design to ensure your new shop looks great. Our WordPress themes are already prepared to work with WooCommerce. However, it is not something you should expect from every theme.

I recommend WooCommerce only if you feel comfortable with more advanced plugins and you sell mainly physical products.

Easy Digital Downloads

Another option to consider is Easy Digital Downloads (also called EDD), specifically designed to sell digital products like software, music, or e-books. With this plugin, you can offer flexible pricing options and track sales and earnings. If you’re exclusively selling digital products, then you’ll find that this platform has everything you need. Although it may not have as many options as WooCommerce, it’s well-equipped to handle the unique requirements of digital sales. You can rest assured that this platform will meet your needs and make your selling experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible.

EDD is a WordPress plugin like WooCommerce. Because of that, you will also need to take care of payment security and perform other maintenance tasks independently.

This shop option is free (you can get it from the Plugins tab in your Dashboard); however, similar to WooCommerce, you may want to invest in extensions that will add additional payment options or additional features to your shop.

Shopify

While Shopify is not a plugin for WordPress, it integrates seamlessly with your WordPress website to provide a professional-looking online store. It is user-friendly and can save business owners a lot of time and effort. With Shopify handling all the technical aspects, you can focus on creating products and driving traffic to your site.

However, since they are taking care of the technical aspect of your shop, you will need to pay a monthly/yearly fee for having a Shopify shop.

All in all, having a Shopify shop on WordPress can be an excellent option for those who want to get started quickly and easily. Nevertheless, it may not be the best choice for those who want complete control over their shop and its operations.

Which option is the best for you?

If you’re still unsure, refer to the image below. It summarizes this post and is in perfect Pinterest format if you want to save it later.

The Best shop options for WordPress - Free & Easy to Use

Ultimately, the best shop option for your WordPress website will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Whether you choose WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, or Shopify, you can feel confident that you’re providing your customers with a seamless and secure shopping experience.

Don’t forget that whatever choice you make, we’re here to assist you in getting it set up! Feel free to get in touch with us to learn more.

How To Convince Your Employer to Invest In A Training Budget

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How To Convince Your Employer to Invest In A Training Budget

Employees are the core of any business. They need tools, and resources, and be up to date with the latest skills and training necessary to execute their roles, improve output and increase performance for an organisation’s success. Establishing a budget for employee learning and development is a must for any business. But economies are in recession and budgets are tight. Here are a few things you can do to convince your employer to invest in a training budget for you and your team.

What is a training budget?

A training budget refers to all the direct and indirect (travel, accommodation, materials, resources, training plans, facilitator fees, courses, and contingencies) costs related to training personnel in an organisation. It is a guide for how allocated funds will be used over the duration of the fiscal year. It also ensures that the company receives a good return on investment (ROI) and that there is no overspending or misuse of the budget on other unrelated and unnecessary activities.

Benefits of investing in a training budget

Many companies are trimming costs across departments and for many activities. Therefore, you need to highlight the benefits that setting money aside for training will have on both the staff and the company. Here are a few advantages of having a training budget:

  • Prevents a learning plateau. When employees feel like they have reached their peak, they will explore external opportunities.
  • Increases company loyalty. Staff who feel a company invests in their development won’t be moved to leave.
  • Helps business achieve goals. Well-trained personnel have better performance and increased productivity, helping a business meet its targets.
  • Time saver. Skilled workers need less supervision on tasks thereby saving time on solving issues and redoing tasks.
  • Boosts morale. Teams have better cohesion and improve the work environment and company stability.

Things to consider when requesting a training budget

  1.     The objectives

Having money to spend is great. But what are the objectives and goals of this spending? You need to communicate how skills training aligns with the company’s business strategies. You need to know what the business hopes to achieve and how investing in the programme will bring them closer to meeting the goals.

  1.     Employee feedback

It’s important that you extract valuable information from employees that provide feedback on their current experiences within the company. This survey should answer key questions like what their needs are, which areas they feel are lacking, tasks that are challenging and take up time to do, which skills they believe they need to perform better, what work processes need improvement, and what they think competitors are doing.

This information will help HR decide on the most appropriate training for employees and if necessary, space out the training and who can go for these sessions and come back and train the rest of their team.

  1.     Explore scenarios

Fluctuating economies and unforeseen circumstances like the coronavirus pandemic taught us that anything can happen. Demonstrate how as a business, your employer needs to be prepared for changing and challenging situations. Investing in skills development and training can help them prepare for such eventualities because you are equipped with and know how to maximise the features and use communication tools as one example.

6 ways to convince your employer on having a training budget

Before walking through the doors of your Human Resources department to state your case, you need a plan and to be prepared to answer questions you’ll undoubtedly receive after your pitch.

  1.     Make it about the business

Businesses are about money as much as they are about people. Be clear on how the training will benefit the business. The certifications will be in your name but what effect and ROI will it have on your employer? What is the value added for your business? How else, besides the bottom line, will your undergoing training benefit them?

  1.     Highlight the need

Some employers may be under the impression that their employees are okay and have everything they need to do their job. You need to highlight from your research, the trends in your field, how the market is changing, and how you need to improve your skills to keep up with the changes and developments. Explain the pressure points you are experiencing in your day-to-day to help you build a stronger case.

  1.     Time sensitivity

Technology is advancing quicker than most of us can keep up with. Let your employer know of the different tools, features, and technologies that are coming up, how these affect your job, and how having the training to use these will make you perform better and faster. Using version 2.0 of a tool when the rest of the world is on version 7.0 will leave you behind.

  1.     Actions after training

What will you do once you’ve completed your training? What impact will the training have on you and your team and department? Come with backup research on the link between skills development sessions and the changes your evolved skillset will bring. Reinforce your loyalty to the company.

  1.     Adopt a SMART approach

It would help to approach your training budget request as a business case. Set your proposal up in a way that covers Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals. Go one step further and have previous successful case studies of the positive outcomes training has had on teams and the organisation as an example to support your request.

  1.     Anticipate pushback

Pushback is not necessarily your company saying they don’t want to provide training, but they don’t have the funds. Have answers, solutions, examples, and compromises to share with your employer if their first answer is no. if your employer simply can’t afford for your entire team to undergo training through an Ivy-League university like Harvard, Alison offers a world-renowned FREE Learning Management System (LMS) that ticks all the right boxes.

  • Create your Free LMS. Create your own individualised learning paths for your staff based on the needs of your organisation.
  • They can keep track. Your employer can monitor your team’s progress with daily, weekly, or monthly reports.

There are essential skills every employee of every organization should have. As a business, investing funds geared to employee training is a must for any organisation that wants to keep up with a competitive and evolving market, retain staff, and position itself as an attractive employer for high-quality candidates.

When you’re ready, prepare a presentation and schedule a meeting. Good luck!

Word of the Day: abeyance

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Word of the Day: abeyance

The word abeyance has appeared in four articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 4 in “Chess’s Governing Body Delays Report on Cheating Scandal” by David Segal and Dylan Loeb McClain:

As the controversy at the prestigious Sinquefield Cup became international news, the International Chess Federation, known as FIDE, which is the governing body for the game, promised a full investigation. The report, which was completed in February, was originally supposed to be published in April, according to a post on the organization’s blog.

Now, the wait for answers just got a lot longer.

On Wednesday, a federation official, Dana Reizniece-Ozola, said the report was delayed because the organization “has decided to hold the matter in abeyance until at least October of this year pending possible further developments in the civil suit between the parties.”

Can you correctly use the word abeyance in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how abeyance can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

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