Showing posts with label social networks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networks. Show all posts

Friday, October 18, 2013

Find Out Which of Your Neighbors Are Giving Halloween Candy With Nextdoor's Treat Map


Nextdoor, the private network for your neighborhood, just announced a Halloween Treat Map that provides an "insider's guide to the best streets for treats in your neighborhood."

How Does It Work?


Step 1: Members sign into Nextdoor

For those who are currently members, it's as simple as signing into your Nextdoor neighborhood. If you don't yet have an account, visit http://www.nextdoor.com and create one.

Step 2: View your neighborhood map

Once you've signed in, click on Map to view your neighborhood map. At this point, you should see your plot of land with a box asking, "Are you giving out treats for Halloween?"

Step 3: Select Yes or No

Once you've decided on whether you're going to give candy or not, click on the Save button. If you select "Yes," then a candy corn icon will hover over your house on the map.

Why Is This A Great Idea?


Easy To Use

I am actually very excited about this option. For one, it's something that our neighborhood can immediately put to use.

Encourage Interaction Between Neighbors

While my neighborhood is pretty technology savvy, we often need a reminder to interact and have fun together. While Nextdoor already provides a ton of neat features, like: A safe way to communicate with just your neighbors, a neighborhood directory, map, classified ads, photo gallary, document library, and a message wall, this will surely invite a little more engagement online. 

Your Kids Will Thank You 

I was always taught that if the house light is on then it's fair game for treats. Wouldn't it be nice to pre-plan your evening so you spend less time walking or driving and more time collecting the loot? With this feature you can.

Mobile Friendly 

Not only can you pre-plan your trick or treat activities, you can take the map with you via the mobile app for iOS and Android.

Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoy the upgrade as much as I will. If you need help setting up your Nextdoor neighborhood, let me know.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Empire Avenue To Unveil New Design And Seeks To Become Your Social Media Rocket Fuel


Tonight, the folks at Empire Avenue are planning to announce their new and improved website design and user interface LIVE at SXSW. The event will be available online starting at 7 pm CST.

In an effort to whet your whistle, Mr. Michael Grills developed this teaser video (see below). It doesn't give you many details on what's to come, but it continues to push the Social Media Rocket Fuel: Expand, Engage, and Evaluate message.

If you're unable to view the video, click here.

What's New With Empire Avenue?

Many people have been asking, "What's going on with Empire Avenue (EA) tonight?" I admit, the details have been a little vague, but I think you will enjoy what the team has been working tirelessly to provide. In the following sections, I'd like to give you a quick look at what's behind the curtain. Are you ready?



Engage: Talk To Your Followers

Once you log into the website, the first place you end up is under a tab called, Engage.

The page immediately reminds me of the trendy service we call Pinterest. Built with square boxes, users can find their friend's latest updates from networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WordPress, Instagram, Flickr, and more. 

Not only can users read updates, but they can also interact with them. As an example, Twitter users can retweet or reply directly within Empire Avenue. Replying is also available for Facebook updates.

What I do not see is a way to like or share; although, I imagine that feature is probably in the works.

Other notable features on the Engage tab include:
  • Recent mentions
  • Recent shareholders
  • Recent arrivals
  • Post shouts to Empire Avenue, Twitter, and Facebook

Expand: Get More Followers

The next tab, Expand, serves as a place to find new people. From this single page, you can see Recommended, Recent Arrivals, Site Wide Leaders (based on Share Price, Wealth, Portfolio Wealth, Dividend/Share, and more), Social Network Leaders, and EA Communities. 


Evaluate: Measure Your Success

The third tab, Evaluate, is where you can follow your social media score across the Internet. From Facebook to LinkedIn, users will see all of their pertinent information on a single page. In addition, it's easy to move from one network to the other.


Other Enhancements: Scoring Google+ and Missions

Another exciting enhancement in the new release involves the scoring of Google+. Yes, many of you have been asking for it, but now it will become a reality. In the image below, you can see the option available. Reports should start rolling out as early as next week.


One of the most popular additions to Empire Avenue was the Missions feature. Missions provide users with creative options to earn extra Eaves (e). Today, the company wants to actively encourage meaningful engagement through content and user-built missions. 


Final Thought and Free Gift

As I look back over the number of enhancements and features listed above, it's clear to me that the EA team is looking to be apart of our everyday lives. The company is working diligently to build an ecosystem where people can engage, follow, and evaluate their social media effort.

Is the new Empire Avenue an all-in-one solution? Not yet. Does it give influence-based sites like Klout a run for its money? You better believe it. Will it cause you to spend more time following and engaging with your friends? Absolutely!

In closing, I would like to congratulate the hard work and dedication the whole team invested into this new product. I think they did a fabulous job and even deserve a few hours of sleep before storming off toward the next big project.

When can users expect the new changes to roll out? According to my source within the company, new members can expect immediate access AFTER the announcement tonight. For existing users, the ability to "Opt-In" begins next week.

Finally, as a gift to my valued readers, I have been authorized to give the first 10 people to retweet this article FREE (and early) access to the new web site. Make sure you include @damondnollan in your message to get credit. 

In the comment section below, let me know what you think about the new Empire Avenue.

Other Stories On Empire Avenue You May Like

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Empire Avenue: How To Increase Your Wealth [Image]

Empire Avenue: How To Increase Your Share Price [Image]

Friday, June 10, 2011

Understanding Your Empire Avenue Share Price


Yesterday, I wrote an article on "How To Increase Your Empire Avenue Activity Score." As a result of the article, I received a number of comments about my strategy. Some, like Berrie Pelser and Dr. Ron Capps, adopt the fewer purchases but in larger amounts methodology. Others, like Alan Jobe, believe that buying and selling does nothing for the activity score. Alan explained in the comment section that "it is the shouting and not the buying that is EAv activity."

The welcomed feedback caused me to dig a little deeper into the gaming platform. More specifically, I wanted to understand the activity score and its relationship to the share price.

To begin, I clicked on my share price and found the following explanation (as seen in the image above):
(DLN) Share Price Breakdown
Social Media Component: 60%
Shares Component: 40%
The social media component of your share price, and especially your Influence Scores, are based on your long-term activity trends on up to 5 of your most active social networks, including Empire Avenue. Heightened or depressed activity on any given day will likely not have an immediate effect on your Share Price or Influence Scores, but sustained activity and sustained engagement with your networks will see steady gains.
As I understand it, 60% of my share price is determined by the "long-term activity trends" of my social networks. The other 40% of my share price is then determined by the investments in me. Is that a far assessment?

On a related note, Marieke Hensel noticed that her share price breakdown had different percentages. She posted in the comment section a split of "Social Media Component 70%, Shares Component 30%." Why was it different?

To answer, I turned to Chris Pirillo and Anabel Barbosa.



As seen in the examples above, Chris' breakdown puts the split at 39/61 while Anabel maintains an 88/12 split. Why are they different?

Based upon my cursory review of both accounts, Chris has way more outstanding shares than Anabel. According to their profiles, Chris has sold 394,135 shares, while Anabel has only moved 571 shares. To me, it makes sense that an Empire Avenue (EA) newbie hasn't convinced enough investors to count. Therefore, while Anabel sells her stock, EA will place more weight on her social media activity. On the flip side, Chris has a huge number of stock sold. It makes sense that his share price is largely determined by his outstanding shares over his activity.

NOTE: Both social media activity and shares outstanding make up the total price. One will not do as well if they ONLY focus on a single component.

With that written, let us examine the Activity Score. To better understand our activity, we only have to turn to our index ratings. In the "Leadership" Index, where I have been demoted to a Vice-President, my current activity score is a whopping 273.9 (Unfortunately, it fell while I was away camping).

How is the Index Activity Score calculated? Check the screenshot below:


In summary, the Empire Avenue share price is determined by the social media activity (output and engagement) as well as investments in us by others.

So, what do you think? Does this make sense? Does this help explain how to increase both activity scores and share price? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Update: A special thanks goes out to Ryan J. Zeigler for helping me better understand the "Share Component." Thank you, sir!


Other Stories On Empire Avenue You May Like

Thursday, June 9, 2011

How To Increase Your Empire Avenue Activity Score


Over a week ago, the family and I took a camping trip during the memorial day weekend. It was a great opportunity to bond and simply relax. Unfortunately, upon my return my Empire Avenue share price started to fall. As seen in the image above, it dropped for 9 straight days. It wasn't until this week that I was able to stop the bleeding and turn it all around.

By clicking on my share price, I see the following graph:


To me, this graph tells an interesting story. As of this article, my share is 80.25e, that price is comprised of 60% Social Media activity and 40% Share purchases. To increase my score, I need to be more active with my social networks (including Empire Avenue) and invest wisely.

One question I have received numerous times is about increasing activity. Earlier today, Gabriel Flores asked me how I secured 124 actions in one day. My answer is by understanding what Empire Avenue, and its advisers, are measuring. 

In the chart below, Louie (my Empire Avenue Adviser) looks at the following activities: Shareholders, portfolio, recommended, share price, and buying history. Therefore, to increase the share price, one needs to do what it takes to keep these areas in the green (positive numbers). This goes for Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Fan Pages, Flickr, YouTube, and LinkedIn, too.


What I have found effective for engaging others on Empire Avenue is to buy shares in them. I know, it sounds simple, right? For me, getting 100+ actions on Empire Avenue is achieved through controlled purchases in others. If I have 100,000e to spend, I'll spend 1,000e on 100 people. 

Note: That example uses simplified math to express my point. In the real world, one has to take commission into the equation.

That's it! To increase your activity score, and its related share price, understand what the advisers are  measuring and do more of it. However, don't forget that some things are only achieved through others (Facebook Likes, Twitter Retweets, YouTube Views, etc). Get good at engaging your network and your score will reflect it.

So, what do you think? Is it doable? Do you have another strategy? Let me know in the comment section below.

P.S. I would like to thank the many investors who helped me turn the falling stock around. Kudos!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Twitter Releases Automatic URL Shortener


On the Twitter blog, developers announced the long awaited release of its automatic URL shortener. To use, simply copy and paste the URL you would like to share and click the "Shorten" button (as seen above). According to Twitter, the service will shorten any link down to 19 characters.

Personally, I am extremely happy to learn this is available. Now, if they can only make it easier to mention my friends in a tweet. You know, something similar to what Facebook is now doing.

What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below.

Facebook Tattoo?

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by things people do, but this video made laugh. As hinted by the title, a woman tattoos the Facebook avatars of 152 friends. I really have no words for this; however, I'm curious to know what you think?


If you cannot see the video, click here.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Aaron K. White, Digital Alchemist from Empire Avenue, Talks With Room 3026 Live


On today's episode of Room 3026 Live, we talked with Aaron K. White, Director of Digital Alchemy at Empire Avenue. We discussed the history of this wildly popular game, talked about future plans, and even got a hint on a secret achievement.

What is Empire Avenue? It is a game that allows players to buy and sell shares of stock in people. The game board is set online in a social media exchange. To play, you use digital currency, known as Eaves, to invest in friends and other connections. Using activity on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, Blogs, and Empire Avenue, players can increase their share price and provide dividends to investors.

If you cannot see the player, click here.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

What Empire Avenue Taught Me About Generosity


Over the past few weeks, I have been pretty active on a new social networking site. The site is called, Empire Avenue.

If you have been following my tweets, updates, blog, and radio show, you probably know something about it. However, did you know that Empire Avenue is much more than a game? It's true, the site encourages "players" to do more on other networks. In case you missed it, I highly recommend that you check out Room 3026 Live: Episode 265 for a wonderful conversation I had with Chris Pirillo, Adriel Hampton, and Laurie DesAutels regarding Empire Avenue's benefit.

It was during this past weekend that something interesting happened. I decided to engage in two events: [X]pendapalooza! and #SocialEmpire Speed Dating (Special thanks to John Gushue, Adriel Hampton, Ryan J. Zeigler, and others for making these events a reality).

In both cases, the idea was to give freely to someone else. With [X]pendapalooza!, players were encouraged to spend eaves (virtual currency) on others in a pay it forward kind of way. Any investments made in you were to be spent on someone else.

With #SocialEmpire Speed Dating, which isn't about dating at all, we were asked to "Like Bomb" someone's Facebook wall. To "Like Bomb" simply means to go down a wall and "Like" everything. It makes for an explosive time!

"You don't have to do a lot, 
you just have to do the right things."

At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to participate, but after a few "Likes" and purchases, it really felt good. At that moment, it dawned on me. How much did it cost me to shed some light to others? A few "Likes," comments, and virtual purchases? Really?

What would happen if I took this concept of giving and made that an ongoing strategy across all my networks? What if I really made an effort to "Like," comment, and acknowledge the updates offered by others? How much goodwill would that create? I know, it's only Facebook or Twitter, right? Seriously, what would be the outcome of that effort?

As I bring this article to a close, my guess is that by being generous with others online, we learn how to be generous offline as well. If we learn to think of others before we think of ourselves, we are generating a lot of goodwill and positive impressions. 

Sure, Empire Avenue is just a game, but over the past few weeks, it has taught me a lot about generosity and targeted effort. You don't have to do a lot, you just have to do the right things.

Feedback
What do you think? What have you learned from the game? What other ways can you be more generous online? Let me know in the comment section below.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Empire Avenue: Should I Stop Upgrading Shares To Increase Dividends?


Playing Empire Avenue these past few weeks has been incredibly fun. Each day, I learn something new about the game's mechanics and how to increase value for my shareholders. Today, I'm playing around with an option to automatically upgrade shares as I run out. What will happen to my dividends when I run out of shares? Will it increase, decrease, or stay the same?

In a Facebook discussion, Omar Habayeb shared the following information regarding my strategy.
The whole premise of Empire Avenue revolves alot around the buying and selling of stock....if you don't have stock for sale...people move on. Capping your shares "to increase dividend value" has not been something you needed to do since December
On the Empire Avenue blog, they state:
Dividends will now be based on your activity earnings and your network values. If you are active and have high network value, your dividends will be larger, and the amount paid per share will not decrease as you add more shares. If you wish to pay greater dividends, you can either be more active or increase your network value.
Knowing me the way I do, I have to test everything. With only nine shares remaining, what will happen when there is nothing left to buy?

One thought is that by controlling when I upgrade, I can give existing shareholders notice before I start selling again. This would give them first dibs on buying shares that will increase their portfolio value. The more expensive my shares become, the more time some will need to save up. Why not bring value to those early investors by offering them privileged information?

I'll keep you updated on my findings, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this idea. Is it good, bad, or somewhere in between. Let's talk in the comment section below.


Other Stories On Empire Avenue You May Like

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Buy Shares Of Stock In Friends Using Empire Avenue


A few weeks back, I was introduced to a new game based entirely on social networking. The game, "Empire Avenue," allows players to buy and sell shares of stock in people. As you can see in the image above, my current value is set at 40.79 eaves (or "e" for short).

Each day, the system determines the share value for each person based upon their activity online. Individuals that seek to increase their value need only to increase their social networking activity. More specifically, players should continue to write blogs, tweet, post updates on Facebook, comment on YouTube videos, and engage with connections on LinkedIn, to name a few. With each interaction, Empire Avenue determines your ever changing score.

Like the ebb and flow of the real life stock market, an individual's share value can go up and down based upon their online activity and overall reputation. The more people buy shares, the more valuable those shares become.

One benefit of playing Empire Avenue is the immediate desire to do better within your social networks. By interacting more often, as well as posting quality content, users are rewarded with comments, re-tweets, likes, and shares. The more this happens, the higher the score. It's really a win-win situation.

Additional benefits of playing the game include connecting with other active socialites and networking both in and out of your industry.

Parting Tips
Before I end this article, let me leave you with a few tips on how to increase your share price and net wealth.

  • Be Active: Clearly, the name of the game is increasing value by being valuable. As with earning followers and friends, post good content and engage often with connections.
  • Buy Active Users: Active users increase wealth by the very nature of their behavior. Therefore, do a little research and find out which of your friends are posting on Twitter, writing blogs, sharing pictures, and updating Facebook. These individuals are good candidates for purchase.
  • Engage Online Friends: As with any good game, playing with friends is always a plus. In Empire Avenue, the more friends who buy your stock, the more valuable you become. Let's not forget, you also earn eaves for the referral.
  • Connect All Social Networks: Empire Avenue is a game based on social networks. As a result, get the maximum credit for your activity by connecting all the sites you can. As of this article, you can connect Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook pages, and blogs.  
So far, these few tips have served me well. Over the past few weeks, I have moved from 21 eaves to over 40. If I can do it, so can you. 

If you're interested in playing, come check me out at http://www.empireavenue.com/DLN or sign-up now. While you're there, why not buy a few shares and leave me a shout!

Until next time...

Feedback
Are you playing Empire Avenue? If so, what are some tips that are serving you well? If you're new to the game, what questions do you have? Wherever you are in the game, leave me a comment in the section below.


Other Stories On Empire Avenue You May Like

Sunday, January 16, 2011

eBook: Embracing Twitter...So It'll Embrace You Back



Today, I learned that the e-book Embracing Twitter has just been released. "What is Embracing Twitter?" you ask. Well, for starters, it is a wonderful book that shares insight related to Twitter from thirty-five experienced users (including me!). The contributors shed light on how to maximize Twitter for business needs but also offers advice on how to simply enjoy the experience.

Is This FREE Book For You?
You’ll know that this book is right for you if you find yourself answering yes to any of the following questions:
  • Are you not sure what Twitter can do for you?
  • Are you concerned about Twitter’s reliability? 
  • Are you avoiding Twitter because it requires too much time?
  • Concerned that you aren’t the sort of person who would be on Twitter? 
  • Do you feel discouraged or out of touch because of all of the “buzz” about Twitter?
  • Are you already on Twitter, but not getting much out of it?
  • Do you think Twitter is a hipster toy and nothing more than a distraction?
  • Are people telling you that you must join Twitter?
  • Do you want more traffic for your website, videos, or other online content?
  • Do you want to know when someone is talking about you or your business?
  • Do you want to be where your customers are?
Let me stress that there is something in this book for everyone. Consider reading one article per day for the next 36 days and tell me if you're not moved, changed, or better in some way.

Please Share It!
This book was created with YOU in mind, so enjoy it. While you're at it, why not share the link with your friends, family, coworkers, church family, and fraternity/sorority members. Go ahead, it's FREE!

Download the free ebook HERE

Acknowledgements
Once again, I would like to thank Justin McCullough (@mccjustin) for inviting me on the project. While this may be a surprise to some, this is my first (and hopefully not my last) ebook, so it has a special place in my heart. In addition to Justin, I would like to thank Ben Henick (@bhenick) for his editing skills, Liz Strauss (@lizstrauss) for her contribution, and to the other 31 authors who helped make this project come to life.

Thank you:
  1. Mohammed Al-Taee (@maltaee)
  2. John Antonios (@johnantonios)
  3. Dave Barger (@lalunablanca)
  4. Bernie Borges (@berniebay)
  5. Mark Brimm (@MarkBrimm
  6. Amy Domestico (@AmyBlogTalk
  7. Antony Francis (@Antony511)
  8. Chris Garrett (@chrisgarrett)
  9. Phil Gerbyshak (@PhilGerb
  10. Nathan Hangen (@nhangen)
  11. Erno Hannink (@ernohannink)
  12. Jen Knoedl (@JenChicago
  13. Alexis Lamster (@postling)
  14. Misako Lauritzen (@mlauritzen)
  15. Kneale Mann (@knealemann)
  16. Michelle Mangen (@mmangen
  17. Becky McCray (@BeckyMcCray
  18. Mike Merrill (@mikedmerrill)
  19. Stephanie Molina (@beaumartian)
  20. David Murray (@DaveMurr
  21. Kelly Olexa (@KellyOlexa
  22. Amber Osborne (@missdestructo)
  23. Trey Pennington (@treypennington)
  24. Pieter van Osch (@pyotr)
  25. Michael Procopio (@MichaelProcopio
  26. William C. Reichard (@wreichard)
  27. Sheila Scarborough (@SheilaS)
  28. Jeff Shuey (@jshuey)
  29. Stephen P. Smith (@hdbbstephen)
  30. John Stone (@JohnJStone
  31. Brendan Wenzel (@BrendanWenzel)

eBook: Embracing Twitter...So It'll Embrace You Back



Today, I learned that the e-book Embracing Twitter has just been released. "What is Embracing Twitter?" you ask. Well, for starters, it is a wonderful book that shares insight related to Twitter from thirty-five experienced users (including me!). The contributors shed light on how to maximize Twitter for business needs but also offers advice on how to simply enjoy the experience.

Is This FREE Book For You?
You’ll know that this book is right for you if you find yourself answering yes to any of the following questions:
  • Are you not sure what Twitter can do for you?
  • Are you concerned about Twitter’s reliability? 
  • Are you avoiding Twitter because it requires too much time?
  • Concerned that you aren’t the sort of person who would be on Twitter? 
  • Do you feel discouraged or out of touch because of all of the “buzz” about Twitter?
  • Are you already on Twitter, but not getting much out of it?
  • Do you think Twitter is a hipster toy and nothing more than a distraction?
  • Are people telling you that you must join Twitter?
  • Do you want more traffic for your website, videos, or other online content?
  • Do you want to know when someone is talking about you or your business?
  • Do you want to be where your customers are?
Let me stress that there is something in this book for everyone. Consider reading one article per day for the next 36 days and tell me if you're not moved, changed, or better in some way.

Please Share It!
This book was created with YOU in mind, so enjoy it. While you're at it, why not share the link with your friends, family, coworkers, church family, and fraternity/sorority members. Go ahead, it's FREE!

Download the free ebook HERE

Acknowledgements
Once again, I would like to thank Justin McCullough (@mccjustin) for inviting me on the project. While this may be a surprise to some, this is my first (and hopefully not my last) ebook, so it has a special place in my heart. In addition to Justin, I would like to thank Ben Henick (@bhenick) for his editing skills, Liz Strauss (@lizstrauss) for her contribution, and to the other 31 authors who helped make this project come to life.

Thank you:
  1. Mohammed Al-Taee (@maltaee)
  2. John Antonios (@johnantonios)
  3. Dave Barger (@lalunablanca)
  4. Bernie Borges (@berniebay)
  5. Mark Brimm (@MarkBrimm
  6. Amy Domestico (@AmyBlogTalk
  7. Antony Francis (@Antony511)
  8. Chris Garrett (@chrisgarrett)
  9. Phil Gerbyshak (@PhilGerb
  10. Nathan Hangen (@nhangen)
  11. Erno Hannink (@ernohannink)
  12. Jen Knoedl (@JenChicago
  13. Alexis Lamster (@postling)
  14. Misako Lauritzen (@mlauritzen)
  15. Kneale Mann (@knealemann)
  16. Michelle Mangen (@mmangen
  17. Becky McCray (@BeckyMcCray
  18. Mike Merrill (@mikedmerrill)
  19. Stephanie Molina (@beaumartian)
  20. David Murray (@DaveMurr
  21. Kelly Olexa (@KellyOlexa
  22. Amber Osborne (@missdestructo)
  23. Trey Pennington (@treypennington)
  24. Pieter van Osch (@pyotr)
  25. Michael Procopio (@MichaelProcopio
  26. William C. Reichard (@wreichard)
  27. Sheila Scarborough (@SheilaS)
  28. Jeff Shuey (@jshuey)
  29. Stephen P. Smith (@hdbbstephen)
  30. John Stone (@JohnJStone
  31. Brendan Wenzel (@BrendanWenzel)
If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed and Newsletter.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, Dailybooth, CinchCast, YouTube, or Friendfeed.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

All I See Is Damond Nollan On My Wall

A friend on Facebook recently informed me that all he sees on his wall is my face. He says that my regular posting to the site is too much and it hinders him from viewing other updates. This audio clip talks more about that issue and how I handled it.



If you cannot see the Cinch player, click here.

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed and Newsletter.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, or Friendfeed.

Damond L. Nollan, M.B.A.

Toll-free: (919) 912-9121
E-mail: Contact Me

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