Today is my last day in SYEP for the summer, so this will be my final daily log. I've nearly finished the web development. But so far I've learned how to use Google websites to check how my website attracts people. I also learned how a lot of websites use things like python, Java, & more code languages. I also learned how to design a website.
It's been a great 6(?) weeks, I've learned a lot. From how to get a job to how to make money. Hopefully I'll be able to incorporate the information I learned in the future.
I graduated, somehow.
I'm trying to finish up the web development part. I learned about Wordpress, & how people use it to make websites. There are 2 options, the free one, & the paid one. If it's free, there's limited customization options, you don't own the website domain, & you can't advertise your site. That kinda stinks. But the paid one is the complete opposite.
There's all these different codes, & this thing called SQL. It's a domain language used for handling a database.
I thought I finished the selling digital arts thing, but I had to do one more thing.
Today I started the web development unit. I made my own website once. It had pages, & images & everything. But that was like a year ago, & now I have no idea how to code.
I learned how to make a basic page, with a heading, body paragraphs, & a background. As well as how to add different pages to a website. I also watched some of the videos from Joshua Fluke. He was right, his videos are more entertaining when he's goofing around. Ok, I'm outta work until 4:45 am tomorrow. Peace.
So for the next few days I’m in a different zone so I have to wake up early.
Anyways I learned how to sell stuff like technological designs and crafts. Or at least make them. There’s 3d printed objects. I don’t have a 3d printer and I don’t know how to use one. Nor do I know how to make a 3d model. There’s also laser cut objects, and wearables.
I did a little more stuff.
I watched a couple videos & read a couple of articles about selling digital stuff. I also got reminded of Arduino. I used to go to a summer camp. I kinda forgot what it's called, but I do remember doing a lot of coding & stuff. I even used a breadboard once. I forgot how to use it of course, but it brought back a lot of memories.
I did more life quality improvement stuff. I did things about health & stress. School stresses me a lot most of the time. Especially with homework. It's boring & I'm really not sure it's worth my time. But yeah, I have methods to relieve stress. I have help at school. I take breaks, deep breaths, that sorta stuff.
I passed the life quality finances quiz today, & that's good.
I finished up the financial awareness lesson. I learned about how to manage money properly. People use their money for all sorts of stuff. Like retirement funds, stocks, crypto & nfts (which I'd rather burn all my money than do).
Now I'm looking at time management. Oh don't look at me like that, like you were always good at time management. There's organization, prioritization, & more stuff like that. Which I have to improve on clearly. In the mean time...um...oh well wouldja look at that 1 o'clock pm. I gotta bounce.
I finally finished the lesson on advertising digital goods. I did the quiz, & I got subpar results. I tried redoing it multiple times & made sure the answers were correct. My efforts were futile & the results were constantly the same.
Then I started looking for stuff I haven't done yet. That took me to life quality. I started at finance, which means money. We live in a society (omgh Jokrre refrbenc?!?1/!?)
where you practically have to pay to live. People say money can't buy happiness, but it's clearly not true. Think about it; you have to pay for food, water (of all things, WATER), a house, clothes, leisure, everything. Even with the necessities, there's also unnecessary spending. To live, you gotta learn to limit unnecessary spending, which sounds way easier said than done. I've spent like $200 in one week once. Don't judge me. On the other hand, I have a lot more saved up for college (which is still in consideration) & other stuff. So yes, I am learning to be a bit more wise with money. What does this have to do with anything you may ask?
I have no idea.
I honestly just started typing & half of my brain went to sleep.
Hey, the article said it, I'm just the guy who finds it funny.
Anyway, I finished up on the Facebook ads. It's still pretty interesting how people use Facebook. I'm not gonna use Facebook of course, but it's still interesting nonetheless. Then I went onto Instagram ads. Ok, I actually use Instagram (I let my friend talk me into doing so), & I only use it for...actually I don't know. However I watched the videos & read the articles. Yes, I know the hashtags are annoying at times.
Then I look at Twitter. Golly, why did I get that app? I learned about different ad formats. There's videos, & photos, & lots of different stuff like that.
Alright so this morning, I simply reloaded the page, right? I didn't expect to still be logged in, because I'm normally logged out. So I ended up starting a little earlier than usual.
Anyway, I finally finished on the intangible lessons. I learned about how to sell other people's products for profit. Affiliate members, was it? Yes it was, & then there was the Amazon Bounty Program. So far, I'm finishing off with Facebook ads. Honestly, I probably won't need it seeing as I'm not gonna be using Facebook. It's still interesting to learn though.
I did a little more stuff on trading intangibles. Apparently there's virtual trading cards. Y'know, stuff like rpg cards, baseball cards, which by the way I never understood this. Like, what purpose do baseball cards actually serve? Anyway, I learned about a card game I've never heard of, called Magic: The Gathering. I also learned about Magic: The Gathering Online, which is pretty self explanatory. Also, I didn't know Steam did trading cards, That's cool.
I ain't doing crypto.
Lastly I learned about copyrights, trademarks, & patents. Copyright is when you own a product. Trademark is when you own an idea for a product. Patent is when you own the invention/concept of a product. You can also like sell websites. Which I never really knew you could do in the first place, but I suppose it makes sense.
I continued learning about entrepreneurship today. First I went onto business models. I learned about the different business models that companies used. Actually, the stuff I saw on that topic were familiar. I think I recognize them from profit models. Are they the same thing? Anyway, I tried doing the quiz, I mean it. Of course the site failed me.
Then I went onto trading intangibles. I learned how people use website domains to make money. I also learned about the different websites people use, like GoDaddy. That's one I've definitely heard of, taking into account all the ads I've seen on it. As well as others I've never heard of, like NameCheap, NameSilo, & HostGator.
It marked most of the websites I visited & videos I watched without a check, so I had to refresh on everything again. Don't ask me how that took me 5 1/2 hours because I don't know. So I basically redid everything in "How to sell digital assets." After that, I had a quiz to do. By my surprise I actually passed it. Why can't all the other quizzes be that easy?
So today I did a few more stuffs. I mixed up the tabs I had set up for this website (for efficiency), so I ended up doing stuff on entrepreneur-yness. I headed back to digital goods because I didn't know what else to do. I learned about how common subscription methods are. Well, I didn't really learn it, because it was kinda obvious to begin with. I also learned about sales funnels, buying ads, & more stuff. I also tried to redo a Snapchat quiz. Like the others, its kinda screwing me over. So far I'm at subpar results, But I don't think I'm gonna risk changing it so it marks as failing.
7/28/22
Funny, I could have sworn I already logged in for yesterday
Anyway, I think I finished the Social Themes unit. I passed most of the quizzes. Unfortunately I failed the Twitter & Pinterest, & have subpar results in Snapchat. So yeah, I can add that to the list of quizzes that I have to try & pass, but will give me headaches in the process. (whoo-hoo)
I'm no stranger to Twitter. I made an account over 2 years ago now. And that was one of the worst mistakes I've ever made. I've learned about Twitter lists, & stuff. Also, a feature that wasn't covered in the lesson that I think should've been covered was bookmarks. Bookmarks are incredibly useful for when you want to save something useful, or funny. Want to see an example of what I've bookmarked? No? Well Too bad, you're gonna see it anyway. https://twitter.com/Mrs_Foo_Cough/status/1252619497397194752?s=20&t=A74lAVOFd7-oxFXvCw5c6g
Then there's Pinterest. I also use Pinterest, but only to save pictures of trains & abandoned things. The only time my feed has been different than that is when I visited my friend's Pinterest account, & my feed (& emails) was overflown with teenage girls' outfit ideas.
Finally I learned about Snapchat. Unlike the last 2 social media platforms I mentioned earlier, I don't actually use it. Although I know a lot of people who do use it. A lot of my friends use it to message each other rather than using text messages (I'm more of a Discord person myself) I learned how people become friends via Snapcodes. They're basically QR codes where if you scan them, you get sent to someone's Snapchat, & you can follow/friend them.
So yeah, you can also use these platforms to make money. Like having a business ask you to promote their stuff for money. Or making accounts for a business for money. Or organizing a meet & greet for your followers for money. Ok that last one was a stretch, but it does make you money.
7/29/22
I found a glitch in the system. Certain links I can click, but when I refresh the page, it doesn't show up as read. So today I spent a lot of my time, clicking everything again to make sure the check mark appears in each & every link. Plus, I swear videos have been added because some of the links I haven't seen when I originally did the lessons.
I promise you that I'm doing the work as best as I can, though my performance & stats says otherwise. I actually want to graduate, but at this rate, I'm not sure if I'll be able too.
I tried learning more about social media. First I learned about WeChat, a large Chinese based social media platform that I've never heard of. It has over a billion users. It also has cool features like Red Packets, where you can send someone money. Kinda like ApplePay in iMessages. There's also like many apps within WeChat. However, there's a lot of safety regulations that the app fails to comply with. WeChat has access to a user's location, contacts, & more. Plus the things you post can be censored due the the app abiding by the law of the People's Republic of China. Yes, it was necessary to say the entire thing.
Then there's Facebook. Now that's an app I've definitely heard of. With also over a billion users. Facebook was originally the name of the parent company (that being Facebook), but they renamed it into Meta. Which woulda sounded way cooler have they not gained an interest in crypto & establish this 3d virtual reality thing where instead of living in real life, you live among 3d models. Anyway, Meta also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, & a bunch of other products.
Finally we have Twitter. I have a bit of background knowledge of Twitter, because I made a Twitter account 2 years ago. Which I would like to point out as one of the worst mistakes I've ever made in my life. Anyway, Twitter has a bunch of features. Like the retweet, where you can give a post more attention by sharing it with your followers. There's also lists, a way to optimize your feed. Finally, a feature that wasn't covered in the lesson, BOOKMARKS. This is a feature I have used a lot, to document a bunch of funny things that happened on Twitter. Whether someone getting clowned on (that's basically what my bookmarks consist of), or something I find relatable. Wanna see an example of what I bookmarked? No? Too bad. Look at it. https://twitter.com/greg16676935420/status/1389643326907891713?s=20&t=x8NMeho-C_fyr4vSOZcaiQ
I tried doing some of the quizzes at the end of the lessons. All of them I passed except the Twitter ones. Which I don't understand because I know for sure the answers I picked are right. I also discovered that If you submit an exam, then go back to a previous page to see the exam, your answers get all mixed up & some things you didn't even pick are selected.
I don't really remember what I did for, like, the first hour (remember what I said about having wonky memory?) However I did do more stuff on social networking. I started off on Instagram, because it was the 1st one that showed up. I already have Instagram (I still can't believe I let my friend talk me into getting one), & I just use it to post art I make. It doesn't get that much attention, but it's better than getting an average of 0-2 likes on Twitter.com. I learned how you can monetize on Instagram posts in many different ways.
Then there was Tiktok. I wasn't really thrilled about learning about this app. (To say I detest this app would be an understatement) However I did it anyway because I want my graduation certificate. Although by the way things are looking I'm not sure I'll even graduate. Anyway, I learned about how people have amassed millions of followers by posting anything & everything. I don't use Tiktok, & I never will, but I guess it was interesting to see people's perspective on it.
I've sorta kinda momentarily given up on the quizzes. Doing it was really frustrating. So I decided to do something else. I looked at the selling digital goods page. A lot of the things I've seen seemed relatively interesting. Like how to start a podcast, host a webinar, & make a video game. One of the assignments was to make a video game, but I don't know if I want to do that. I mean, I have experience in coding, but it's been a while so I'm a bit rusty. Plus I have no idea what to do. I'll admit today went rather fast.
These quizzes have really been giving me a headache. I don't know how I'm getting these wrong. Especially the selling art one. It specifically says it on the passages I've read (I even looked it up just to be sure) I JUST DON'T GET IT
I tried to redo all the quizzes I've failed. As of now I only have 5 to revise. But I'm still really confused. Especially for the Business models quiz. I think the problem is that I don't understand how they could be wrong. I wanna ask for help on the quiz but I also want to figure things out for myself. At this way I'm not really sure if I'll be able to graduate or make money.
Ok, things don't seem to be going so smoothly for me as of now. I have a couple quizzes I've done & failed. I'm actually confused about the answers. What am I doing wrong? Before that, I finished an assignment for selling art. Yesterday I set up a Redbubble account, & I put up a drawing I did for Techie Youth as stickers. Hopefully I'm able to draw a much better one (I did it on MS Paint).
After that I decided to study the writing topic. I'll be honest I'm not really big about writing stuff, I would only do it if I had to. However, after watching the videos & reading the articles I saw how relatively interesting the writing field is. After that I tried redoing my quizzes (& failing them). Yeah...I need help.
I did a little more art related things. First I learned how I can not only make art, but profit from it. I also learned how hard it is in the art industry. I mean, I already knew it's a tough business. but I didn't think the situation was that dire. Anyway, I also learned that artists can make money off of galleries. Unfortunately we live in Planet Earth, so some galleries are willing to relentlessly scam artists who work hard on things.
I also learned a little more about different types of websites. There called niche websites, & their purposes are to focus on a certain interest. They help make money too. I'll be honest & say I have no idea what a niche is, but it sure sounds interesting. I've had an interesting 1st week in Techie Youth & I sure can't wait for next week.
First I learned how to manage a remote job. A remote job is, as the title suggests, basically a job where you can work from home. Sure that would sound easy because it has a lot of upsides to it. Not having to wake up to early, not having to deal with commute. However there are downsides. Like not wanting to do work, or not wanting to stop doing work. Also, if you're like me you're a procrastinator with a short attention span.
I also learned how to stay digitally safe, as well as refreshed on topics I learned about previously. How to avoid scam calls. I am no stranger to scam calls, I get them a lot. If I get an unknown number, or a call from all the way in -oh I don't know- Houston, Texas or something, I usually ignore it. Besides, I have "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley as one of my ringtones, so it's an opportunity to Rick-Roll my classmates. (If I have to suffer from spam calls, so must they)
When I first logged in, I got a notification saying that I have an assignment that I'm assuming is way past due. I was momentarily struck with panic because I somehow no knowledge of it. So I went into the assignment & it stated how I want to improve on certain aspects of my life. Like my health, time management, & stress management. Along with a few other topics. While doing it, I learned that I have a lot to improve on. Like how I procrastinate a lot. But I can always improve on that later. Afterwards, I learned how to ace a job interview. I knew there were a lot of things one would need to do to secure a job offer, but yeesh.
It’s a super creative world. There are many creative people on this planet. Some people use creativity for good. Some use it to bring accursed things into existence. However, most capitalize off of it! Arts & crafts, while it seems like a subject you would go through in elementary school, it’s also a way of expressing yourself. What’s wrong with expressing yourself, & making a quick buck at the same time.
There are many forms of art that are sold. Some people use 3D printers to sculpt objects, & print three-dimensional versions of them. Or laser cut pieces, where a laser is used to cut pieces of wood (or other objects) & make art. Some people make jewelry & other wearable things. Not only this, but some people are able to combine creativity with technology. Dresses can be decorated with LEDs. Old technology components like circuit boards & wires can be salvaged & repurposed. I think what I learned today that impacted me the most…is that the word laser is actually an acronym.
Revenue, exit plans, marketing. In this day & age, managing a business sure isn't easy. Which is why a lot of businesses went poof. However, it's possible to learn from others' failures (& your own), as well as research, & learn how to work your way into business success. For starters I learned what entrepreneur means (& how to spell it). It's been used so many times & I never had a definition that's relatively easy to understand until now. Basically an entrepreneur is a person who has gained money from a business they started. To be an entrepreneur, you have to know your business' strengths & weaknesses, realize who your business is targeted toward (which is where the marketing comes in), & differentiate your businesses from others. Of course, owning a business has many challenges, like dealing with competition, finding the right people to hire, & deciding whether of not to join a corporation.
I also learned that in case anything happens, a good entrepreneur must have an equally good exit strategy. An exit strategy is a plan a business owner makes up when something happens to the company. An exit strategy can be anything, like selling your company to a bigger company for a large amount of money. Or go public, & enter your company into the stock market. Either way, if your company is going out, it’s best to go out with a bang. Then there’s financing. When managing a business, there’s much to spend money on. Property, materials, ad placement, it’ll cost a lot of money. It’s best to make sure that through your business, you end up making a profit that outweighs these costs. Finally there’s hiring, or employment if you want to sound fancy. You have to make sure that who you hire is actually suitable for the job. For example, they need to have the proper experience.