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NEGATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

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NEGATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

Criticism has always been regarded as a negative word because it is associated with expressing disapproval, passing judgment, pointing out flaws, and expressing a negative opinion.

 

“Criticism is the construction of a judgment about the positive and negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written detailed response.”- Wikipedia

 

Most people dislike being criticized because it exposes their flaws, errors, or mistakes, but this does not justify why criticism is classified negatively.

No one is infallible; everyone makes mistakes from time to time, and if mistakes are not corrected, there is no need for improvement.

Everyone has played the critic at some point in their lives, and everyone has been criticized fairly and unfairly at times. While some criticism leads to improvement and development, others can be detrimental to one’s self-esteem.

 

Criticism can be constructive or negative, depending on the critic’s intention, how it is presented, and how the person being criticized perceives it. Criticism can take the form of a reprimand, a correction, or simply a remark, and it can be spoken or written.

Negative criticism is usually delivered from a place of jealousy, spite, or anger, and it usually focuses on the obvious flaw or error without offering suggestions on how to improve or correct the flaw. Knowing what is wrong does not always imply knowing what is right.

Constructive Criticism, on the other hand, usually comes from a place of love and concern for the person or situation being criticized; on most occasions, the critic has a suggestion or correction to make the person or situation better.

Criticism exists in all aspects of life, from literature to politics to religion, and especially on social media platforms where anonymity is possible. People take advantage of their anonymity to criticize every comment or post on social media. If you’re looking for constructive criticism on a particular issue, social media platforms might not be the best place to look.

 

Because we all handle criticism differently, it is usually not very pleasant to be told ‘you are wrong,’ especially after giving it your all. It is always best to ask yourself ‘how can this criticism help me get better?’ or ‘how can this criticism be used to my advantage?’ If you take the time to ask these two questions every time you are criticized, your reaction to criticism will improve over time.

 

Consider the following if you are the one being criticized:

 

Criticism can be thought of as a form of communication. If you put a product up for sale and receive criticism about it, it simply means that the buyer or user is attempting to communicate how they feel about the product, which is critical for the health of your business.

 

You should be aware that not everyone has to think the same way, which is why criticism is necessary. Every idea has flaws; the creator of the idea may not have noticed these flaws, so when they are pointed out by another person in the form of criticism, it should be viewed as a positive rather than a negative. So, the next time you receive feedback on an idea or a product, be patient and view the feedback as a form of communication.

 

Because no one criticizes an idea that has not been considered or a product that has not been used, it is always critical to obtain feedback from the consumer of the product or idea in order to improve. Those who do not provide feedback may have found an alternative elsewhere, or they may not have considered the idea or used the product. Criticism could be their way of communicating what improvements they would like to see made to the product or idea. This also demonstrates patronage, as you can only comment on something you have seen, used, or heard.

 

Many factors come into play when developing an idea, but these factors are usually from the perspective of the idea generator; similarly, products produced are not always consumed entirely by the producer. If you can recognize that the products are made for people other than you and the ideas are made for people other than you, you will be able to recognize that constructive criticism from users is intended to help you see things from their perspective, which allows you to do some thinking in order to do better.

 

Never take criticism personally, as this will make it difficult to distinguish between negative and constructive criticism. When criticized, the proper attitude is to keep a clear head and remain calm; don’t take it personally, and think before responding.

 

There is a way to criticize constructively so that the goal of bringing correction is met while the self-esteem of the one being criticized is not harmed.

 

Before criticizing someone’s idea or product, consider what the problem is and what the solution might be, then begin by explaining the problem and end with a suggestion for a solution.

 

It is incorrect to criticize what you do not understand; therefore, it is best to always ask when you do not understand, pointing to the exact point you do not understand before making a suggestion that may work.

 

It is not enough to know that an idea is incorrect; it is also necessary to understand why the idea is incorrect and why the product fails in that area. This allows you to criticize in a constructive manner.

 

Even if an idea or product meets your standards, you may wish to constructively criticize it in order to improve the idea or product. In this case, you should look for ways to improve the idea or product before submitting it to the originator or producer.

 

You can choose how and why you criticize, as well as how you respond to criticism, and it is entirely up to you. Critique, depending on how you look at it, can be a form of encouragement.

 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.

 

So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

 

 

 

 

 

Sources 

https://www.theborneopost.com/2009/10/18/criticism-%E2%80%93-good-or-bad/

https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/feb/09/reasons-tips-criticism-arts

https://hbr.org/2019/07/why-criticism-is-good-for-creativity

COMPULSIVE AND IMPULSIVE BUYING

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COMPULSIVE AND IMPULSIVE BUYING

I once saw a program about compulsive buying disorder (CBD). When I first saw the environment in which one of the people lived at the beginning of the program, I wondered what could make anyone want to buy and keep buying things they will probably never use to the point where they have an entire section of their house full of stuff with barely any space to set a foot. Later on, I discovered that it is a mental illness, and these people require assistance.

“Compulsive buying disorder (CBD), or oniomania (from Greek ?νιος ?nios “for sale” and μαν?α manía “insanity”, is characterized by an obsession with shopping and buying behavior that causes adverse consequences”–  Wikipedia

 

The scenario above scared me because I thought I might have bought something on impulse, and many people do. You go to the store to buy a mop stick, but then you see a wine you think you need and have been looking for a while, and then you see a book your child asked you to buy the week before, and before you know it, you have two carts full of items you never intended to buy. Is this where it all begins and then degenerates into CBD?

 

What is the difference between compulsive buying and Impulsive buying?

 

IMPULSIVE BUYING

The Cambridge Dictionary defines impulsive buying as “the act of purchasing something that you did not intend to buy because you suddenly want it when you see it“:

“Impulsive buying is the tendency of a customer to buy goods and services without planning in advance. When a customer takes such buying decisions at the spur of the moment, it is usually triggered by emotions and feelings.” – The Economic Times

 

You may be an impulsive buyer if you are spending more than you intend, if you are moved by the sight of things on display and feel compelled to buy them, if you feel happy each time you make an unplanned purchase but later have regrets.

 

“Cut the habit of buying on impulse, especially with high ticket items. Think twice before making any major purchase. If possible, sleep on it overnight before deciding to make the purchase.”- Erick Walk

 

To add to Eric Walk’s advice on how to overcome impulsive buying, I recommend that you make a list of what you want to buy and bring just enough cash with you to cover the purchase or a little extra in case the price changes, then stick to your list, first buying all the items on your list before looking for others if you still have some change from your purchase. This is the advice I gave myself, and it has helped me well ever since.

 

COMPULSIVE BUYING

Compulsive buying is more of an addiction than a spending problem; it extends beyond simply wanting to buy what is on display. Like any other addiction, it is usually beyond the control of the person in question and may necessitate the assistance of a third party to overcome because it has a negative impact on the addict.

 

If you have an uncontrollable desire to shop and some of the reasons you shop are because you are bored or unhappy, you buy things you don’t need, you prefer to shop alone so you are not advised, you tend to hide some of the things you have bought so you are not criticized, you feel guilty about shopping but still cannot stop, you feel stressed out when you don’t shop, you eventually have financial problems and you know it is as a result of your unnecessary spending.

 

In this case, the first step toward resolving the problem is admitting that you have a serious addiction problem and that you require help. Then begin by making the smallest efforts possible while seeking professional help, discussing this with a friend, joining a self-help group, making a list before shopping and ensuring you go shopping with a friend, avoiding the use of debit cards or having your bank set a limit on your card, looking for alternative ways of dealing with your mood, and avoiding shopping sites.

 

While impulsive and compulsive buying is beneficial to shop owners, as they must display their items in such a way that it draws the attention of the buyers in order to make more sales, it is actually detrimental to buyers who suffer from such behavioral and mental issues.

 

Impulsive buying is not an addiction, but if not controlled, it can lead to compulsive buying; after all, the drug addict was once clean until he tried a small amount of drug, loved it, and became addicted over time!

 

The old saying “prevention is better than cure” certainly applies here. It is preferable and easier to treat impulsive buying than compulsive buying.

 

For the wise, a single word is enough!

 

               

Sources 

https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/how-i-stopped-compulsive-shopping.aspx

Impulsive vs. Compulsive Shopping: What Are the Differences? (verywellmind.com)

Compulsive Vs Impulsive Shopping: How To Tackle Both (clevergirlfinance.com)

Creative Juices

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Creative Juices

Are you a creative person? Where do your ideas come from? How do you express your creativity? Do you have creative friends or family members? What creative works of art or pop culture spur your imagination?

And if you don’t consider yourself creative, maybe you just need to expand your definition of what creativity is. Think about ways in which you have used your imagination, solved problems or come up with new ideas — in any area of your life. Then tell us what creativity means in your life.

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more about the pros (and cons) of human creativity.

Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Are You Concerned About Violence in America?

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Are You Concerned About Violence in America?

Have you followed news of recent shootings in Brooklyn, South Carolina, Sacramento and elsewhere? How have you reacted to these stories?

Are you concerned about what The Morning newsletter recently described as a growing crisis of violence in the United States? What do you think is contributing to it?

A gunman opened fire in a Brooklyn subway, wounding 10 people on Tuesday and injuring others. A mall shooting in South Carolina yesterday wounded 10. A gang shootout this month in Sacramento killed six and wounded 12 more. New Orleans reported its bloodiest weekend in 10 years. Road rage shootings appear to be up in some states.

These are examples of America’s recent violent turn. Murders have spiked nearly 40 percent since 2019, and violent crimes, including shootings and other assaults, have increased overall. More tragedies, from mass shootings to smaller acts of violence, are likely to make headlines as long as higher levels of violent crime persist.

Three explanations help explain the increase in violence. The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns disrupted all aspects of life, including the social services that can tame crime and violence. The high-profile police killings of 2020 and the protests that followed strained police-community relations. And Americans bought a record number of guns in recent years.

Another explanation, covered in this newsletter before, ties these issues together: a growing sense of social discord and distrust. As Americans lose faith in their institutions and each other, they are more likely to lash out — sometimes in violent ways, Randolph Roth, a crime historian at Ohio State University, told me.

Besides Covid and police brutality, the country’s increasingly polarized politics and poor economic conditions have also fueled this discord. That helps explain the murder spike, as well as recent increases in drug addiction and overdoses, mental health problems, car crashes and even confrontations over masks on airplanes.

Word of the Day: pro forma

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Word of the Day: pro forma

The term pro forma has appeared in 17 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 2 in “Dua Lipa Brings Her Lockdown Anthems to the Arena” by Jon Caramanica:

The songs are very tightly wound, though. Lipa is a lightly regal singer who often sounds removed from the hiss and purr of her production, as if she’s performing to the track and not with it. Great dance-floor-oriented music often connotes abandon, but Lipa exudes control. She’s a pop superstar, but not quite a full pop personality.

Maybe that’s why on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, she, like the other 20,000 or so people in attendance, came to sing along to Dua Lipa songs.

… Given the sheer popularity of Lipa’s music, the show was modest, a concept-less, box-checking production that severely underplayed Lipa’s stadium-size goals. A meager arrangement of balloons dropped from the rafters during “One Kiss.” Lipa and her dancers oozed through a pro forma umbrella routine during “New Rules.” Later, a handful of orbs and stars limply dangled from the ceiling. During “We’re Good,” Lipa sat on the stage singing, while nearby, an inflatable lobster hovered … menacingly? Not quite that. More woozily. (The accompanying animation on the big screen at the back of the stage recalled Perry’s cheekiness, which is not generally part of Lipa’s arsenal.)

Can you correctly use the term pro forma 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 pro forma can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

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.

Best Learning Systems for 500 or fewer learners

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Best Learning Systems for 500 or fewer learners

The magic number.

Some people would say it is eight, after all, the future of civilization is eight with that magic 8 ball. Who denies this? I recall some Schoolhouse Rock cartoon that identified the magic number. I can’t recall what it was, perhaps two? Seven seems to be a popular magic number. A lot of people think it is lucky. A lot of people also thought the pet rock was a worthwhile investment back in the ’70s.

1,000 is the magic number for a lot of vendors. It is the cut-off if you will. There are vendors that unless you have a minimum of 1,000 end-users (regardless if they are employees, customers, etc.) are not interested.

I know of vendors who will go below 1,000, but their “sweet spot”, the number they really would prefer is a minimum of 1,000.

Vendors (as a whole) go all over the map with the term “Enterprise”. As I always say it is whatever the vendor wants that number to be. In just the past six months, the magic number has risen. The days of at least 301, are fading. Now, 1,000 to 5,000 (a percentage goes 2,500 to 10,000) or the second most popular 5,000 to 10,000. Larger numbers, are Enterprise, this way, if you, fall in the range, congrats – Enterprise. Perhaps then, the magic number is 2,500. That is another “sweet spot” for quite a few vendors.

What about the less than 1,000?

Is 500 to 999 an option? Yes. 1 to 999? Yes, although to be honest, 1 is sort of a non-starter although there are some vendors that will say it.

The bigger question is what is “small business”? If a vendor believes the magic number to be 1,000, they tend to equally believe that 500 to 2,500 is a small business. How can you be a small business at the same time, as a mid-market (the usual is 1,000 to 2,500)? You can’t, which is why there are vendors who say SMB – Small and medium-size business.

This whole backstory is relevant to understanding, the magic number. The number that a vast majority of vendors see as the minimum.

The list presented before you drops down below 1,000. It drops below 999 or 850 or 625 or 505.

500.

500 end-uses. When you say to a vendor, “I want a quote for 500 end-users”, and they go into the whole active end-user, remember that the quote will be based on that total number, not active per se. I mean, if you pay upfront, where exactly do the active users come in?

At 500 or less, you pay upfront. Actually, to be honest, the majority of vendors require payment upfront, even at 2,500 or 5,000 or 10,000.

To identify the top 10 learning systems, the data is based on the following (it includes UI/UX)

  • 50 to 500. The range for this segment. If it is less than 50, yeah it slides under the 500, however, I considered vendors with a minimum of 50.
  • Features matching the 500. In other words, what functionality do these systems provide that aligns well with the smaller size audience. Knowing that if you go with customer education, the smaller number should increase in time, as you acquire more customers/clients/partners/members. There are systems that believe 50 to 500 should be simplistic because nobody in that range wants a robust system. I surmise that these same systems (i.e. vendors) have Chia Pets sitting on their desks.
  • The vendor is committed to taking its system on a forward journey. Nobody wants dated. Every vendor says modern UI, because if they said, “Lycos anyone?” – after learning that was a popular browser in the late 90’s, you would bolt. You want a system that says, “Okay, we want this audience of end-users”, and “we still are going to add this or that, still going to push to go here”.
  • They know the market. 50 to 500 is not the same as 1,000 to 5,000 or 10,000 or higher. Totally different audiences – not so on functionality per se – just approach, process, fully understanding the use cases far more than a vendor who has the majority of their client base at 5,000 or more. Heck, even 2,500 or more.
  • If I know that the vendor’s ideal minimum is at least 1,000 they are not in this list. If I wasn’t sure, but I knew the system inside and out, I could easily figure it out. For example, anyone who has ever hired a speaker can see within the first 30 seconds whether they might be a fit. Within two minutes, either a go or no go. The same logic applies – you know. It’s not about being famous either, I rejected some NY Times Best Selling Authors, because I wasn’t airing an episode of insomnia cures.
  • There were a couple of vendors whose pricing lists the “most popular” as 1,000, but they have plenty of clients below that. This is a marketing angle, like saying the most popular dish is “Scorched peanuts on a stick.” In reality, it isn’t, but they have a lot of peanuts to unload.
  • Support to meet the target size audience. Not all support is equal – as we all know. Support for this segment should go beyond a few “videos” and a knowledge base.
  • Pricing – look the price per seat per month (ignore the whole active end-user spin), is going to be high for this size of the audience. It just looks low when you multiple by 12.
  • Match the system. There are plenty of people who compare a system that is ideal at 500 with a system that is targeting 5,000. It is not a fair comparison. Nobody is going to compare a Ferrari to a corolla and say to themselves, “this is a fair comparison”.

Best for 50 to 500 end-users

As you can see, I didn’t go with a top 10 or top 425, because “best” doesn’t mean the best system on the planet, what it means is that above all other criteria, I’ve covered in the past, the system has to hit the above items. Pricing was a bit wonky because vendors change pricing all the time, and their bands (i.e. range behind the scenes) change too. There is price it to the hills and there is a fair price. I looked at the latter.

  • Biz Skills – I love this system. From the UI/UX to the whole skill mapping to content ahead of time – a massive time saver. This system is perfect for folks who have limited knowledge around skill mapping to specific courses/content. Biz Library knows the 50 to 500 audience quite well. They sell Biz Library LMS too, which is a fit for the segment, but I think that Biz Skills is just better. They are the first system to do 100% skill mapping to each piece of content ahead of time. That’s impressive.
  • LearnUpon – While the whole 500 plus (means 500 or higher they see as Enterprise) says one story, the majority pricing makeup is under 500 – and knowing their pricing I found it to be fair value. The system is quite good, with lots of features to offer, but if you are eyeing skills strength, look elsewhere. Worthy of consideration for customer education, albeit, the system below, is a tad better.
  • Knowledge Anywhere – Really a wonderful system for the customer education segment. Lots of functionality and capabilities. Fair value for pricing. They know the audience size and market and excel at many levels.
  • The Brainier LMS – Employee system, brings a lot of nice elements. While I wish their metrics were better, the system as a whole offers key functionality you want/need, plus has an element of “we want to move forward” and is not afraid to do it.
  • Talent LMS – Strong player in this segment. A lot of capabilities and functionality and they definitely know the market. This isn’t a system that screams skills for all, but it does offer enough variance that it just clicks for me. Pricing is slightly above fair market value, but it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for you – it is still quite affordable – very affordable at this market size.
  • KREDO – I know they will disagree in some aspects, because yes, they have larger audience sizes (the vast majority of systems do too, i.e. they target 5,000, but have clients at 25,000), but to me, though the 50 to 500 is a good niche for them. I like the system. There I said it. Employee angle here. Readily admit though that the system won’t be for everyone. A slight difference between UX (user experience) and many systems.
  • Nimble LMS – If you can get up and running in less than 10 minutes, then yeah, you are focusing on a specific segment. I like the inclusion of a built-in authoring tool here, and while quick turnkey (aka as self-service) may skimp on some capabilities, they do meet other criteria.
  • Kokm – I looked at them from the corporate standpoint (employees), but they play in the customer ed segment too. Functionality-wise this system offers a lot. E-commerce comes with the system, which is nice, they offer a lot of integrations, and mobile-friendly too. Pricing is fair value. Nice UI/UX. Another vendor who, again, lands big clients, but they do quite well in the 50-500 (albeit, more at the 250-500).
  • Eurekos – A customer education system that bills monthly for your active user base. This is why I slide them here. The usual mantra of active users – is to pay upfront. Eurekos doesn’t do that. Do they have clients that exceed 100,000 active users? Absolutely (and they do quite well here) – but again, they fit quite well in the 250 to 500 segment. Support is very good. Moving forward system is an understatement. Runner-up to the best learning system for the customer education segment 2022. The price value is very good. Be aware the website is in need of an overhaul – i.e. don’t judge the system because of the website.
  • NetEx Learning Cloud – Ignore the whole micro-learning pitch (every system does this, and has since 2000). Feature-wise – strong. Ideal in the 100 to 500 route. UI/UX for the most part is slick, but they fall into the “this is cool UI/UX”, but over here we just uh, look, a shiny penny. Metrics I wish were better. Still, a worthy value for employees.
  • iSpring Learn LMS – UI/UX is quite nice. Gamification, integrations, URL masking (aka alias) is a win – I wish every learning system offered this for custom domains, rather than shoving their name in the “custom domain”. iSpring is known for its authoring tool, which still plays a big role here – a factor I did weigh. However, the system aligns well in the 50 to 500 segment. Mobile too.
  • Rise – Another learning system that falls into the same “authoring tool” first then an LMS wrapped around it angle. 50 to 500 is essential here, IMO. Offers some good functionality, and I do like the level of integrations they offer. They are one of many vendors who think “lessons” as a term is applicable to the corporate learning market – it is definitely NOT. Anyway, minus that, the metrics are another so-so. The vendor behind Rise is Articulate. They have money – invest in better metrics.

Who Missed The Cut

  • Docebo – I know their “sweet spot” and ideal minimum. That pushed them out.
  • Totara – All over the map – sure you can go at 50, or 10, but their approach of direct to consumer (here in the states), and preference to blast more than 1,000 end-users, just couldn’t get me there. Plenty will disagree. I’m okay with that.
  • Learning Pool – Ditto. To be honest, go with Stream LXP – it has many of the LP features in it anyway. Sunset Learning Pool the LMS already.
  • Systems that come in cheap or say they are free or look like they just learned java and HTML. There are a lot of these systems out there. Sometimes cheap means, well, cheap. Let’s not forget, that your learners are going to access these systems. Let alone perhaps customers.
  • Moodle – Yes, it is free – but that is before you need to host it, or resources to build it, and support when your end-users need help, or someone who can maintain and update it – they aren’t free. Plus, I’ve never seen a WOWOW Moodle system built by clients. The slick ones tend to be by folks whose whole market is Moodle mass customization.

Borderline

Udutu LMS – Their price point is fair value – actually it is very inexpensive. . Offers a wide set of features. . UI is okay – UX the same. The system has been around for more than a decade, and I would hope they would have done way more with the UI/UX since then, which played a role. Definitely plays in the 50 to 500 segment and there are some nice components here. But there were misses too. I debated about them, multiple times – and slide them here. Confident they won’t like that. I’m equally confident, that the recycle pickup truck driver gets a kick out of waiting until the afternoon to pick up the recycles, just to irk me.

Bottom Line

The magic number.

Did you know the Ancient Greeks thought the magic number was three? Yeah me neither, it is amazing what a five-minute web search can show. Nine is another number by some other folks, don’t ask me who, no clue.

Schoolhouse rock?

It’s three. Then again, explaining e-learning to Schoolhouse Rock would be the same as them

explaining what is a bill to me,

when I was five years old.

E-Learning 24/7

8 Green Apps That Help You Live A More Sustainable Life

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8 Green Apps That Help You Live A More Sustainable Life
8 Green Apps That Help You Live A More Sustainable Life

One of the best ways to get an idea for a new mobile app is to think about a problem you’d like to solve. For lots of developers, that problem is climate change.

Of course, apps alone can’t fix climate change. But there are tons of innovative apps that make it easy for anyone with a mobile device to make simple changes that positively impact our environment, from supporting green initiatives to reducing carbon emissions.

Here’s a list of apps to download if you want to start leading a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. Who knows? Exploring how mobile developers are using code to solve the world’s biggest problems might even empower you to build your own app.

1. Ecosia

Think about how many times a day you use a search engine to look up something for work or quickly find an answer to a question. Feels countless, right? A single Google search takes less than a second to complete, but produces 0.2 grams of carbon dioxide. With billions (or even trillions) of searches every year, that adds up.

Ecosia is a free search engine alternative (based on Bing) that devotes 80% of its ad revenue to planting trees around the world. (If you use Google Chrome, Ecosia offers an extension that makes it your default search engine.) Trees play a crucial role in the fight against climate change by helping absorb the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere — and since its launch in 2009, Ecosia’s planted over 147 million.

Planting trees is about more than just improving our air quality: “Water and food scarcity, not enough availability of good nutrition, income for people in low-income countries — all of that can be solved through tree planting,” explained Christian Kroll, the founder of Ecosia, in an interview with Impact Podcast.

Download on Android and iOS.

2. PaperKarma

Most of us barely have time to click “unsubscribe” from the barrage of promotional emails that end up in our inbox, let alone address the mountains of physical junk mail that we receive. Research shows that 10 million trees are destroyed each year to make junk mail.

PaperKarma is an app that lets you unsubscribe from magazines, catalogs, credit card and insurance offers that you get in the mail. Once you download the app, all you have to do is take a picture of your unwanted mail, and PaperKarma will opt out of the mailers for you.

You have to pay to use PaperKarma (packages start at $3.99 a month), but it’s a small price to pay for a cleaner mailbox and smaller carbon footprint.

Download on Android and iOS.

3. Loss Of The Night

Little compares to the beauty of a moonlit sky with stars twinkling overhead (just ask van Gogh), but light pollution in metropolitan areas makes it harder to experience the natural wonder.

Light pollution, excessive artificial light, does more than just steal our stars and ruin our sleep cycles — it can also harm nocturnal wildlife that relies on the dark.

You can lend a hand with the Loss Of The Night app, which measures light pollution in cities around the world. Head to an open area unobscured by tall buildings or trees to use the app, and record whether or not you can see certain stars. This app is kind of like an open-source science project: Your results are used to help scientists create better, more sustainable lighting concepts and technology — and you’ll also learn a little about astronomy in the process.

Download on Android and iOS.

4. Litterati

The app Literatti is like a virtual trash clean-up that you can participate in at any time. Users take a picture of every piece of litter they come across (before throwing it away), then the app analyzes the picture, identifies what kind of litter it is and where it came from, and adds geotags and timestamps.

This data is used to back eco-friendly initiatives, from improving waste management systems to increasing legislative and corporate efforts toward sustainability. For example, Litterati data on the amount of discarded cigarette butts in San Francisco was used to implement a 40-cent tax on cigarette sales.

Download on Android and iOS.

5. JouleBug

JouleBug is a free app that makes it easy (and fun) to build sustainable habits by turning it into a social game.

Download and scroll through the app to find eco-friendly tasks and tips, like composting or turning off the light when you leave a room. When you find one that sounds doable, click “Buzz” after completing it to earn points. Then, connect the app to your social platforms to showcase your commitment to sustainability to your followers. “What we’re trying to do is get friends to encourage friends to do good things,” said Grant Willard, founder of JouleBug, at a Splunk conference.

Your completed actions are stored on your profile, which also provides a summary of your impact, like the amount of water you’ve preserved through your collective actions and how much CO2 emissions you’ve reduced. You can also participate in challenges where groups of people take on the same tasks.

Download on Android and iOS.

6. Good on You

In today’s fast-fashion obsessed world, the app Good on You makes it easy to become a more ethical consumer by rating clothing brands’ sustainability efforts.

Good on You vets thousands of popular brands based on public information about their sustainable policies, including resource management, waste practices, carbon emissions, and chemical disposal, as well as humanitarian and animal-rights issues. As a shopper, Good on You can help you make more informed decisions about the brands that you choose to support, while also introducing you to more ethical alternatives with similar styles and price points.

Download on Android and iOS.

7. Too Good To Go

If you’ve ever worked in food service, you’ve probably seen first-hand how much perfectly good food goes to waste at the end of a shift. Research shows that over a third of the world’s food gets tossed, often ending up in landfills where harmful byproducts seep into the land, water, and sky.

Too Good To Go helps connect you to various eateries in your area that offer “surprise bags” filled with discounted food that would otherwise get thrown away. “By connecting app users to delicious surplus food at restaurants, eateries, cafes, and grocery stores at the end of each business day, Too Good To Go presents our partners and users with an easy, fun, and accessible way to fight food waste on a daily basis,” Lucie Basch, co-founder of Too Good To Go, told Fortune.

Too Good To Go is currently available in cities across the U.S., including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Try it now to see what’s in your area.

Download on Android and iOS.

8. NatureHub

NatureHub helps you become a more ethical consumer by connecting you to green and sustainable businesses in your area. You can search for restaurants and grocery stores near you, and filter by green criteria like ethically sourced, fair trade, and sustainably farmed. You can also use it to find eco-friendly household, medicinal, and pet products.

Not only will NatureHub introduce you to small businesses in your community, but it also lets you earn points that you can use for discounts.

Download on Android and iOS.

Feeling inspired to build your own app that helps people live more sustainable lives? Check out our courses on mobile development.

Mobile Development Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

Every year more and more people rely on mobile devices to meet their needs. Where websites used to be the gold-standard, people now rely on mobile apps. The technologies used to create these apps are expanding and improving quickly, so it’s an exciting time to start learning Mobile Development!

Color Love | Soft Neutrals

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Color Love | Soft Neutrals

Soft Neutrals Color palette is all about soft but warm colors used all year round. Color schemes such as khaki, brown, taupe, white, ivory, beige, and gray can produce a calming and comfortable atmosphere. In the context of design, neutral means without color however, our color palette is colorful even though it uses shades of the same color.

Soft Neutrals Color Palette

Using different shades of the same neutral color in design creates a classy and sophisticated look. Below I have created a simple mood board featuring today’s color combination. It is in perfect Pinterest format, so feel free to pin it for later.

Soft Neutrals Color Palette - khaki, brown, taupe, white, ivory, beige, and gray

See our collection of other gorgeous color palettes by visiting our color palette section.

What do you think about soft neutral shades? Where would you use them? I think it will look great both for interior design and digital arts. There are really no limits here. We would love to hear your thoughts, so make sure to share them in the comments below.

Lastly, learn about the power of color in blog design in our blog post to see how important colors are in all the projects you create.

If you are looking for something more vibrant than our soft neutrals color palette, make sure to check our Blogger Templates where you will find pre-made templates like the Clementine below.

If you prefer softer shades, make sure to check our planners!

Life Planner

(pastel green)

Blog Planner

(pastel brown)

If you create something using today’s color palette don’t forget to share it with us!

Word of the Day: multitude

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Word of the Day: multitude

The word multitude has appeared in 153 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 4 in “Meteor Showers That Will Peak in Night Skies in 2022” by Adam Mann:

On any given night, far from bright city lights, there’s a chance you’ll see a beautiful streak shoot across the sky as a meteor flies overhead. But on special dates scattered throughout the year, skywatchers can catch a multitude of flares as meteor showers burst in the darkness.

Meteor showers occur when our planet runs into the debris field left behind by icy comets or rocky asteroids going around the sun. These small particles burn up in the atmosphere, leading to blazing trails of light. The regularity of orbital mechanics means that any given meteor shower happens at roughly the same time each year, with the changing phases of the bright moon being the main variable affecting their visibility …

Can you correctly use the word multitude 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 multitude can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

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.

Best Learning Systems for 500 or less learners

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Best Learning Systems for 500 or less learners

The magic number.

Some people would say it is eight, after all, the future of civilization is eight with that magic 8 ball. Who denies this? I recall some Schoolhouse Rock cartoon that identified the magic number. I can’t recall what it was, perhaps two? Seven seems to be a popular magic number. A lot of people think it is lucky. A lot people also thought the pet rock was a worthwhile investment back in the 70’s.

1,000 is the magic number for a lot of vendors. It is the cut-off if you will. There are vendors that unless you have a minimum of 1,000 end-users (regardless if they are employees, customers, etc.) they are not interested.

I know of vendors who will go below 1,000, but their “sweet spot”, the number they really would prefer is a minimum of 1,000.

Vendors (as a whole) go all over the map with the term “Enterprise”. As I always say it is whatever the vendor wants that number to be. In just the past six months, the magic number has risen. The days of at least 301, are fading. Now, 1,000 to 5,000 (a percentage goes 2,500 to 10,000) or the second most popular 5,000 to 10,000. Larger numbers, are Enterprise, this way, if you, fall in the range, congrats – Enterprise. Perhaps then, the magic number is 2,500. That is another “sweet spot” for quite a few vendors.

What about the less than 1,000?

Is 500 to 999 an option? Yes. 1 to 999? Yes, although to be honest, 1 is sort of a non-starter although there are some vendors that will say it.

The bigger question is what is “small business”? If a vendor believes the magic number to be 1,000, they tend to equally believe that 500 to 2,500 is small business. How can you be small business at the same time, as mid-market (the usual is 1,000 to 2,500)? You can’t, which is why there are vendors who say SMB – Small and medium-size business.

This whole backstory is relevant to understand, the magic number. The number that a vast majority of vendors see as the minimum.

The list presented before you, drops down below 1,000. It drops below 999 or 850 or 625 or 505.

500.

500 end-uses. When you say to a vendor, “I want a quote for 500 end-users”, and they go into the whole active end-user, remember that the quote will be based on that total number, not active per-se. I mean, if you pay upfront, where exactly does active user come in?

At 500 or less, you pay upfront. Actually to be honest, the majority of vendors require payment upfront, even at 2,500 or 5,000 or 10,000.

To identify the top 10 learning systems, the data is based on the following (it includes UI/UX)

  • 50 to 500. The range for this segment. If it is less than 50, yeah it slides under the 500, however, I considered vendors with the minimum of 50.
  • Features matching the 500. In other words, what functionality do these systems provide that aligns well with the smaller size audience. Knowing that if you go with customer education, the smaller number should increase in time, as you acquire more customers/clients/partners/members. There are systems who believe 50 to 500 should be simplistic, because nobody in that range wants a robust system. I surmise that these same systems (i.e. vendors) have Chia Pets sitting on their desk.
  • The vendor is committed to taking their system on a forward journey. Nobody wants dated. Every vendor says modern UI, because if they said, “Lycos anyone?” – after learning that was a popular browser in the late 90’s, you would bolt. You want a system that says, “Okay, we want this audience of end-users”, and “we still are going to add this or that, still going to push to go here”.
  • They know the market. 50 to 500 is not the same as 1,000 to 5,000 or 10,000 or higher. Totally different audiences – not so on functionality per se – just approach, process, fully understanding the use cases far more than a vendor who has the majority of their client base at 5,000 or more. Heck, even 2,500 or more.
  • If I know that the vendor’s ideal minimum is at least 1,000 they are not in this list. If I wasn’t sure, but I knew the system inside and out, I could easily figure it out. For example, anyone who has ever hired a speaker, can see within the first 30 seconds whether they might be a fit. Within two minutes, either a go or no go. Same logic applies – you know. It’s not about being famous either, I rejected some NY Times Best Selling Authors, because I wasn’t airing an episode of insomnia cures.
  • There were a couple of vendors whose pricing lists the “most popular” as 1,000, but they have plenty of clients below that. This is a marketing angle, like saying the most popular dish is “Scorched peanuts on a stick.” In reality it isn’t, but they have a lot of peanuts to unload.
  • Support to meet the target size audience. Not all support is equal – as we all know. Support for this segment should go beyond a few “videos” and knowledge base.
  • Pricing – look the price per seat per month (ignore the whole active end-user spin), is going to be high for this size of audience. It just looks low when you multiple by 12.
  • Match the system. There are plenty of people who compare a system that is ideal at 500 with a system that is targeting 5,000. It is not a fair comparison. Nobody is going to compare a Ferrari to a corolla and say to themselves, “this is a fair comparison”.

Best for 50 to 500 end-users

As you can see, I didn’t go with a top 10 or top 425, because “best” doesn’t mean the best system on the planet, what it means is that above all other criteria, I’ve covered in the past, the system has to hit the above items. Pricing was a bit wonky because vendors change pricing all the time, and their bands (i.e. range behind the scenes) change too. There is price it to the hills and there is fair price. I looked at the later.

  • Biz Skills – I love this system. From the UI/UX to the whole skill mapping to content ahead of time – a massive time saver. This system is perfect for folks who have limited knowledge around skill mapping to specific courses/content. Biz Library knows the 50 to 500 audience quite well. They sell Biz Library LMS too, which is a fit for the segment, but I think that Biz Skills is just better. They are the first system to do 100% skill mapping to each piece of content ahead of time. That’s impressive.
  • LearnUpon – While the whole 500 plus (means 500 or higher they see as Enterprise) says one story, the majority pricing makeup is under 500 – and knowing their pricing I found it to be fair value. The system is quite good, lots of features to offer, but if you are eyeing skills strength, look elsewhere. Worthy of consideration for customer education, albeit, the system below, is a tad better.
  • Knowledge Anywhere – Really a wonderful system for the customer education segment. Lots of functionality and capabilities. Fair value for pricing. They know the audience size and market, and excel at many levels.
  • The Brainier LMS – Employee system, that brings a lot of nice elements. While I wish their metrics were better, the system as a whole offers key functionality you want/need, plus has an element of “we want to move forward” and are not afraid to do it.
  • Talent LMS – Strong player in this segment. A lot of capabilities and functionality and they definitely know the market. This isn’t a system that screams skills for all, but it does offer enough variance that it just clicks for me. Pricing is slightly above fair market value, but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker for you – it is still quite affordable – very affordable at this market size.
  • KREDO – I know they will disagree in some aspect, because yes, they have larger audience sizes (the vast majority of systems do too, i.e. they target 5,000, but have clients at 25,000), but to me though the 50 to 500 is a good niche for them. I like the system. There I said it. Employee angle here. Readily admit though that the system won’t be for everyone. A slight difference from UX (user-experience) that many systems.
  • Nimble LMS – If you can get up and running in less than 10 minutes, then yeah, you are focusing on a specific segment. I like the inclusion of a built-in authoring tool here, and while quick turnkey (aka as self-service) may skimp on some capabilities, they do meet other criteria.
  • Kokm – I looked at them from the corporate standpoint (employees), but they play in the customer ed segment too. Functionality wise this system offers a lot. E-commerce comes with the system, which is nice, they offer a lot of integrations, and mobile friendly too. Pricing is fair value. Nice UI/UX. Another vendor who, again, lands big clients, but they do quite well in the 50-500 (albeit, more at the 250-500).
  • Eurekos – Customer education system that bills monthly for your active user base. This is why I slide them here. The usual mantra of active users – is pay upfront. Eurekos doesn’t do that. Do they have clients that exceed 100,000 active users? Absolutely (and they do quite well here) – but again, they fit quite well in the 250 to 500 segment. Support is very good. Moving forward system is an understatement. Runner-up to the best learning system for the customer education segment 2022. Price value is very good. Be aware the web site is in need of an overhaul – i.e. don’t judge the system because of the web site.
  • NetEx Learning Cloud – Ignore the whole micro-learning pitch (every system does this, and has since 2000). Feature wise – strong. Ideal in the 100 to 500 route. UI/UX for the most part is slick, but they fall into the “this is cool UI/UX”, but over here we just uh, look, a shiny penny. Metrics I wish were better. Still, a worthy value for employees.
  • iSpring Learn LMS – UI/UX is quite nice. Gamification, integrations, URL masking (aka alias) is a win – I wish every learning system offered this for custom domains, rather than shoving their name in the “custom domain”. iSpring is known for their authoring tool, which still plays a big role here – a factor I did weigh. However the system aligns well in the 50 to 500 segment. Mobile too.
  • Rise – Another learning system that falls into the same “authoring tool” first then an LMS wrapped around it angle. 50 to 500 is the essential here, IMO. Offers some good functionality, and I do like the level of integrations they offer. They are one of many vendors who think “lessons” as a term is applicable to the corporate learning market – it is definitely NOT. Anyway, minus that, the metrics are another so-so. The vendor behind Rise is Articulate. They have money – invest in better metrics.

Who Missed The Cut

  • Docebo – I know their “sweet spot” and ideal minimum. That pushed them out.
  • Totara – All over the map – sure you can go at 50, or 10, but their approach of direct to consumer (here in the states), and preference to blast more than 1,000 end-users, just couldn’t get me there. Plenty will disagree. I’m okay with that.
  • Learning Pool – Ditto. To be honest, go with Stream LXP – it has many of the LP features in it anyway. Sunset Learning Pool the LMS already.
  • Systems that come in cheap or say they are free or look like they just learned java and HTML. There are a lot of these systems out there. Sometimes cheap means, well, cheap. Let’s not forget, your learners are going to access these systems. Let alone perhaps customers.
  • Moodle – Yes, it is free – but that is before you need to host it, or resources to build it, and support when your end-users need help, or someone who can maintain and update it – they aren’t free. Plus, I’ve never seen a WOWOW Moodle system built by clients. They slick ones tend to be by folks whose whole market is Moodle mass customization.

Borderline

Udutu LMS – Their price point is fair value – actually it is very inexpensive. . Offers a wide set of features. . UI is okay – UX the same. The system has been around for more than a decade, and I would hope they would have done way more with the UI/UX since then, which played a role. Definitely plays in the 50 to 500 segment and there are some nice components here. But there were misses too. I debated about them, multiple times – and slide them here. Confident they won’t like that. I’m equally confident, that the recycle pickup truck driver gets a kick out of waiting until the afternoon to pick up the recycles, just to irk me.

Bottom Line

The magic number.

Did you know the Ancient Greeks thought the magic number was three? Yeah me neither, it is amazing what a five minute web search can show. Nine is another number by some other folks, don’t ask me who, no clue.

Neither though, ever considered 50 to 500.

I would call that a travesty.

Schoolhouse rock though?

It’s three.

Just showing what do they know, after all,

Explaining e-learning to them, would be like them,

explaining a bill to

me

At age five.

E-Learning 24/7

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