<p><strong>So finally you're <ahref="http://fakehost/code/2013/testing-frontend-javascript-code-using-mocha-chai-and-sinon/">testing your frontend JavaScript code</a>? Great! The more you
write tests, the more confident you are with your code… but how much precisely?
That's where <ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_coverage">code coverage</a> might
help.</strong>
</p>
<p>The idea behind code coverage is to record which parts of your code (functions,
statements, conditionals and so on) have been executed by your test suite,
to compute metrics out of these data and usually to provide tools for navigating
and inspecting them.</p>
<p>Not a lot of frontend developers I know actually test their frontend code,
and I can barely imagine how many of them have ever setup code coverage…
Mostly because there are not many frontend-oriented tools in this area
I guess.</p>
<p>Actually I've only found one which provides an adapter for <ahref="http://visionmedia.github.io/mocha/">Mocha</a> and
actually works…</p>
help.</strong></p>
<p>The idea behind code coverage is to record which parts of your code (functions, statements, conditionals and so on) have been executed by your test suite, to compute metrics out of these data and usually to provide tools for navigating and inspecting them.</p>
<p>Not a lot of frontend developers I know actually test their frontend code, and I can barely imagine how many of them have ever setup code coverage… Mostly because there are not many frontend-oriented tools in this area I guess.</p>
<p>Actually I've only found one which provides an adapter for <ahref="http://visionmedia.github.io/mocha/">Mocha</a> and actually works…</p>
<blockquoteclass="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<p>Drinking game for web devs:
<br>(1) Think of a noun
<br>(2) Google "<noun>.js"
<br>(3) If a library with that name exists - drink</p>— Shay Friedman (@ironshay)
<br>(3) If a library with that name exists - drink</p>— Shay Friedman (@ironshay) <ahref="https://twitter.com/ironshay/statuses/370525864523743232">August 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<p><strong><ahref="http://blanketjs.org/">Blanket.js</a></strong> is an <em>easy to install, easy to configure,
and easy to use JavaScript code coverage library that works both in-browser and
with nodejs.</em>
</p>
<p>Its use is dead easy, adding Blanket support to your Mocha test suite
is just matter of adding this simple line to your HTML test file:</p>
<pre><code><script src="vendor/blanket.js"
with nodejs.</em></p>
<p>Its use is dead easy, adding Blanket support to your Mocha test suite is just matter of adding this simple line to your HTML test file:</p><pre><code><script src="vendor/blanket.js"
<p>As an example, let's reuse the silly <code>Cow</code> example we used <ahref="http://fakehost/code/2013/testing-frontend-javascript-code-using-mocha-chai-and-sinon/">in a previous episode</a>:</p><pre><code>// cow.js
(function(exports) {
"use strict";
@ -60,9 +37,7 @@ with nodejs.</em>
};
})(this);
</code></pre>
<p>And its test suite, powered by Mocha and <ahref="http://chaijs.com/">Chai</a>:</p>
<pre><code>var expect = chai.expect;
<p>And its test suite, powered by Mocha and <ahref="http://chaijs.com/">Chai</a>:</p><pre><code>var expect = chai.expect;
describe("Cow", function() {
describe("constructor", function() {
@ -85,10 +60,7 @@ describe("Cow", function() {
});
});
</code></pre>
<p>Let's create the HTML test file for it, featuring Blanket and its adapter
for Mocha:</p>
<pre><code><!DOCTYPE html>
<p>Let's create the HTML test file for it, featuring Blanket and its adapter for Mocha:</p><pre><code><!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
@ -110,31 +82,15 @@ describe("Cow", function() {
</body>
</html>
</code></pre>
<p><strong>Notes</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Notice the <code>data-cover</code> attribute we added to the script tag
loading the source of our library;</li>
<li>The HTML test file <em>must</em> be served over HTTP for the adapter to
be loaded.</li>
<li>Notice the <code>data-cover</code> attribute we added to the script tag loading the source of our library;</li>
<li>The HTML test file <em>must</em> be served over HTTP for the adapter to be loaded.</li>
</ul>
<p>Running the tests now gives us something like this:</p>
<p>As you can see, the report at the bottom highlights that we haven't actually
tested the case where an error is raised in case a target name is missing.
We've been informed of that, nothing more, nothing less. We simply know
we're missing a test here. Isn't this cool? I think so!</p>
<p>Just remember that code coverage will only <ahref="http://codebetter.com/karlseguin/2008/12/09/code-coverage-use-it-wisely/">bring you numbers</a> and
raw information, not actual proofs that the whole of your <em>code logic</em> has
been actually covered. If you ask me, the best inputs you can get about
your code logic and implementation ever are the ones issued out of <ahref="http://www.extremeprogramming.org/rules/pair.html">pair programming</a>
sessions
and <ahref="http://alexgaynor.net/2013/sep/26/effective-code-review/">code reviews</a> —
but that's another story.</p>
<p><strong>So is code coverage silver bullet? No. Is it useful? Definitely. Happy testing!</strong>
<p>As you can see, the report at the bottom highlights that we haven't actually tested the case where an error is raised in case a target name is missing. We've been informed of that, nothing more, nothing less. We simply know we're missing a test here. Isn't this cool? I think so!</p>
<p>Just remember that code coverage will only <ahref="http://codebetter.com/karlseguin/2008/12/09/code-coverage-use-it-wisely/">bring you numbers</a> and raw information, not actual proofs that the whole of your <em>code logic</em> has been actually covered. If you ask me, the best inputs you can get about your code logic and implementation ever are the ones issued out of <ahref="http://www.extremeprogramming.org/rules/pair.html">pair programming</a> sessions and <ahref="http://alexgaynor.net/2013/sep/26/effective-code-review/">code reviews</a> — but that's another story.</p>
<p><strong>So is code coverage silver bullet? No. Is it useful? Definitely. Happy testing!</strong></p>
to fix most of these problems. It does this by introducing the same primitives
to JS that are used in the HTTP protocol. In addition, it introduces a
utility function <code>fetch()</code> that succinctly captures the intention
of retrieving a resource from the network.</p>
<p>The <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org">Fetch specification</a>, which
defines the API, nails down the semantics of a user agent fetching a resource.
This, combined with ServiceWorkers, is an attempt to:</p>
<p>For more than a decade the Web has used XMLHttpRequest (XHR) to achieve asynchronous requests in JavaScript. While very useful, XHR is not a very nice API. It suffers from lack of separation of concerns. The input, output and state are all managed by interacting with one object, and state is tracked using events. Also, the event-based model doesn’t play well with JavaScript’s recent focus on Promise- and generator-based asynchronous programming.</p>
<p>The <ahref="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Fetch_API">Fetch API</a> intends to fix most of these problems. It does this by introducing the same primitives to JS that are used in the HTTP protocol. In addition, it introduces a utility function <code>fetch()</code> that succinctly captures the intention of retrieving a resource from the network.</p>
<p>The <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org">Fetch specification</a>, which defines the API, nails down the semantics of a user agent fetching a resource. This, combined with ServiceWorkers, is an attempt to:</p>
<ol>
<li>Improve the offline experience.</li>
<li>Expose the building blocks of the Web to the platform as part of the
<a
href="https://extensiblewebmanifesto.org/">extensible web movement</a>.</li>
<li>Expose the building blocks of the Web to the platform as part of the <ahref="https://extensiblewebmanifesto.org/">extensible web movement</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p>As of this writing, the Fetch API is available in Firefox 39 (currently
Nightly) and Chrome 42 (currently dev). Github has a <ahref="https://github.com/github/fetch">Fetch polyfill</a>.</p>
<h2>Feature detection</h2>
<p>Fetch API support can be detected by checking for <code>Headers</code>,<code>Request</code>, <code>Response</code> or <code>fetch</code> on
the <code>window</code> or <code>worker</code> scope.</p>
<h2>Simple fetching</h2>
<p>The most useful, high-level part of the Fetch API is the <code>fetch()</code> function.
In its simplest form it takes a URL and returns a promise that resolves
to the response. The response is captured as a <code>Response</code> object.</p>
<div
class="wp_syntax">
<p>As of this writing, the Fetch API is available in Firefox 39 (currently Nightly) and Chrome 42 (currently dev). Github has a <ahref="https://github.com/github/fetch">Fetch polyfill</a>.</p>
<h2>Feature detection</h2>
<p>Fetch API support can be detected by checking for <code>Headers</code>,<code>Request</code>, <code>Response</code> or <code>fetch</code> on the <code>window</code> or <code>worker</code> scope.</p>
<h2>Simple fetching</h2>
<p>The most useful, high-level part of the Fetch API is the <code>fetch()</code> function. In its simplest form it takes a URL and returns a promise that resolves to the response. The response is captured as a <code>Response</code> object.</p>
<p>Some of these operations are only useful in ServiceWorkers, but they provide
<br>a much nicer API to Headers.</p>
<p>Since Headers can be sent in requests, or received in responses, and have various limitations about what information can and should be mutable, <code>Headers</code> objects have a <strong>guard</strong> property. This is not exposed to the Web, but it affects which mutation operations are allowed on the Headers object.
<br>Possible values are:</p>
<ul>
<li>“none”: default.</li>
<li>“request”: guard for a Headers object obtained from a Request (<code>Request.headers</code>).</li>
<li>“request-no-cors”: guard for a Headers object obtained from a Request created
<br>with mode “no-cors”.</li>
<li>“response”: naturally, for Headers obtained from Response (<code>Response.headers</code>).</li>
<li>“immutable”: Mostly used for ServiceWorkers, renders a Headers object
<br>read-only.</li>
</ul>
<p>The details of how each guard affects the behaviors of the Headers object are
<br>in the <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org">specification</a>. For example, you may not append or set a “request” guarded Headers’ “Content-Length” header. Similarly, inserting “Set-Cookie” into a Response header is not allowed so that ServiceWorkers may not set cookies via synthesized Responses.</p>
<p>All of the Headers methods throw TypeError if <code>name</code> is not a <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-header-name">valid HTTP Header name</a>. The mutation operations will throw TypeError if there is an immutable guard. Otherwise they fail silently. For example:</p>
<divclass="wp_syntax">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<tdclass="code"><preclass="javascript"><span>var</span> res <span>=</span> Response.<span>error</span><span>(</span><span>)</span><span>;</span>
<p>The Request interface defines a request to fetch a resource over HTTP. URL, method and headers are expected, but the Request also allows specifying a body, a request mode, credentials and cache hints.</p>
<p>The simplest Request is of course, just a URL, as you may do to GET a resource.</p>
<p>The Request’s mode is used to determine if cross-origin requests lead
to valid responses, and which properties on the response are readable.
Legal mode values are <code>"same-origin"</code>, <code>"no-cors"</code> (default)
and <code>"cors"</code>.</p>
<p>The <code>"same-origin"</code> mode is simple, if a request is made to another
origin with this mode set, the result is simply an error. You could use
this to ensure that
<p>The Request’s mode is used to determine if cross-origin requests lead to valid responses, and which properties on the response are readable. Legal mode values are <code>"same-origin"</code>, <code>"no-cors"</code> (default) and <code>"cors"</code>.</p>
<p>The <code>"same-origin"</code> mode is simple, if a request is made to another origin with this mode set, the result is simply an error. You could use this to ensure that
<br>a request is always being made to your origin.</p>
Only a <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-filtered-response-cors">limited set</a> of
headers is exposed in the Response, but the body is readable. For example,
you could get a list of Flickr’s <ahref="https://www.flickr.com/services/api/flickr.interestingness.getList.html">most interesting</a> photos
today like this:</p>
<p>The <code>"no-cors"</code> mode captures what the web platform does by default for scripts you import from CDNs, images hosted on other domains, and so on. First, it prevents the method from being anything other than “HEAD”, “GET” or “POST”. Second, if any ServiceWorkers intercept these requests, they may not add or override any headers except for <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#simple-header">these</a>. Third, JavaScript may not access any properties of the resulting Response. This ensures that ServiceWorkers do not affect the semantics of the Web and prevents security and privacy issues that could arise from leaking data across domains.</p>
<p><code>"cors"</code> mode is what you’ll usually use to make known cross-origin requests to access various APIs offered by other vendors. These are expected to adhere to
<br>the <ahref="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Access_control_CORS">CORS protocol</a>. Only a <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-filtered-response-cors">limited set</a> of headers is exposed in the Response, but the body is readable. For example, you could get a list of Flickr’s <ahref="https://www.flickr.com/services/api/flickr.interestingness.getList.html">most interesting</a> photos today like this:</p>
<p>The <code>credentials</code> enumeration determines if cookies for the other
domain are
<p>The <code>credentials</code> enumeration determines if cookies for the other domain are
<br>sent to cross-origin requests. This is similar to XHR’s <code>withCredentials</code>
<br>flag, but tri-valued as <code>"omit"</code> (default), <code>"same-origin"</code> and <code>"include"</code>.</p>
<p>The Request object will also give the ability to offer caching hints to
the user-agent. This is currently undergoing some <ahref="https://github.com/slightlyoff/ServiceWorker/issues/585">security review</a>.
Firefox exposes the attribute, but it has no effect.</p>
<p>The Request object will also give the ability to offer caching hints to the user-agent. This is currently undergoing some <ahref="https://github.com/slightlyoff/ServiceWorker/issues/585">security review</a>. Firefox exposes the attribute, but it has no effect.</p>
<p>Requests have two read-only attributes that are relevant to ServiceWorkers
<br>intercepting them. There is the string <code>referrer</code>, which is
set by the UA to be
<br>intercepting them. There is the string <code>referrer</code>, which is set by the UA to be
<br>the referrer of the Request. This may be an empty string. The other is
<br>
<code>context</code> which is a rather <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#requestcredentials">large enumeration</a> defining
what sort of resource is being fetched. This could be “image” if the request
is from an
<img>tag in the controlled document, “worker” if it is an attempt to load a
worker script, and so on. When used with the <code>fetch()</code> function,
it is “fetch”.</p>
<h2>Response</h2>
<p><code>Response</code> instances are returned by calls to <code>fetch()</code>.
They can also be created by JS, but this is only useful in ServiceWorkers.</p>
<p>We have already seen some attributes of Response when we looked at <code>fetch()</code>.
The most obvious candidates are <code>status</code>, an integer (default
value 200) and <code>statusText</code> (default value “OK”), which correspond
to the HTTP status code and reason. The <code>ok</code> attribute is just
a shorthand for checking that <code>status</code> is in the range 200-299
inclusive.</p>
<p><code>headers</code> is the Response’s Headers object, with guard “response”.
The <code>url</code> attribute reflects the URL of the corresponding request.</p>
<p>Response also has a <code>type</code>, which is “basic”, “cors”, “default”,
“error” or
<br><code>context</code> which is a rather <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#requestcredentials">large enumeration</a> defining what sort of resource is being fetched. This could be “image” if the request is from an <img>tag in the controlled document, “worker” if it is an attempt to load a worker script, and so on. When used with the <code>fetch()</code> function, it is “fetch”.</p>
<h2>Response</h2>
<p><code>Response</code> instances are returned by calls to <code>fetch()</code>. They can also be created by JS, but this is only useful in ServiceWorkers.</p>
<p>We have already seen some attributes of Response when we looked at <code>fetch()</code>. The most obvious candidates are <code>status</code>, an integer (default value 200) and <code>statusText</code> (default value “OK”), which correspond to the HTTP status code and reason. The <code>ok</code> attribute is just a shorthand for checking that <code>status</code> is in the range 200-299 inclusive.</p>
<p><code>headers</code> is the Response’s Headers object, with guard “response”. The <code>url</code> attribute reflects the URL of the corresponding request.</p>
<p>Response also has a <code>type</code>, which is “basic”, “cors”, “default”, “error” or
<br>“opaque”.</p>
<ul>
<li><code>"basic"</code>: normal, same origin response, with all headers exposed
except
<li><code>"basic"</code>: normal, same origin response, with all headers exposed except
<br>“Set-Cookie” and “Set-Cookie2″.</li>
<li><code>"cors"</code>: response was received from a valid cross-origin request.
<a
href="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-filtered-response-cors">Certain headers and the body</a>may be accessed.</li>
<li><code>"error"</code>: network error. No useful information describing
the error is available. The Response’s status is 0, headers are empty and
immutable. This is the type for a Response obtained from <code>Response.error()</code>.</li>
<li><code>"opaque"</code>: response for “no-cors” request to cross-origin
<li><code>"cors"</code>: response was received from a valid cross-origin request. <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-filtered-response-cors">Certain headers and the body</a>may be accessed.</li>
<li><code>"error"</code>: network error. No useful information describing the error is available. The Response’s status is 0, headers are empty and immutable. This is the type for a Response obtained from <code>Response.error()</code>.</li>
<li><code>"opaque"</code>: response for “no-cors” request to cross-origin resource. <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-filtered-response-opaque">Severely<br>
restricted</a></li>
</ul>
<p>The “error” type results in the <code>fetch()</code> Promise rejecting with
TypeError.</p>
<p>There are certain attributes that are useful only in a ServiceWorker scope.
The
<br>idiomatic way to return a Response to an intercepted request in ServiceWorkers
is:</p>
<p>The “error” type results in the <code>fetch()</code> Promise rejecting with TypeError.</p>
<p>There are certain attributes that are useful only in a ServiceWorker scope. The
<br>idiomatic way to return a Response to an intercepted request in ServiceWorkers is:</p>
<p>As you can see, Response has a two argument constructor, where both arguments are optional. The first argument is a body initializer, and the second is a dictionary to set the <code>status</code>, <code>statusText</code> and <code>headers</code>.</p>
<p>The static method <code>Response.error()</code> simply returns an error response. Similarly, <code>Response.redirect(url, status)</code> returns a Response resulting in
<br>a redirect to <code>url</code>.</p>
<h2>Dealing with bodies</h2>
<p>Both Requests and Responses may contain body data. We’ve been glossing
over it because of the various data types body may contain, but we will
cover it in detail now.</p>
<h2>Dealing with bodies</h2>
<p>Both Requests and Responses may contain body data. We’ve been glossing over it because of the various data types body may contain, but we will cover it in detail now.</p>
<p>A body is an instance of any of the following types.</p>
<p>In addition, Request and Response both offer the following methods to
extract their body. These all return a Promise that is eventually resolved
with the actual content.</p>
<p>In addition, Request and Response both offer the following methods to extract their body. These all return a Promise that is eventually resolved with the actual content.</p>
<ul>
<li><code>arrayBuffer()</code>
</li>
<li><code>blob()</code>
</li>
<li><code>json()</code>
</li>
<li><code>text()</code>
</li>
<li><code>formData()</code>
</li>
<li><code>arrayBuffer()</code></li>
<li><code>blob()</code></li>
<li><code>json()</code></li>
<li><code>text()</code></li>
<li><code>formData()</code></li>
</ul>
<p>This is a significant improvement over XHR in terms of ease of use of
non-text data!</p>
<p>This is a significant improvement over XHR in terms of ease of use of non-text data!</p>
<p>Request bodies can be set by passing <code>body</code> parameters:</p>
<p>Responses take the first argument as the body.</p>
<divclass="wp_syntax">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<tdclass="code"><preclass="javascript"><span>var</span> res <span>=</span><span>new</span> Response<span>(</span><span>new</span> File<span>(</span><span>[</span><span>"chunk"</span><span>,</span><span>"chunk"</span><span>]</span><span>,</span><span>"archive.zip"</span><span>,</span>
<p>Responses take the first argument as the body.</p>
<divclass="wp_syntax">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<tdclass="code"><preclass="javascript"><span>var</span> res <span>=</span><span>new</span> Response<span>(</span><span>new</span> File<span>(</span><span>[</span><span>"chunk"</span><span>,</span><span>"chunk"</span><span>]</span><span>,</span><span>"archive.zip"</span><span>,</span>
<p>Both Request and Response (and by extension the <code>fetch()</code> function),
will try to intelligently <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-bodyinit-extract">determine the content type</a>.
Request will also automatically set a “Content-Type” header if none is
set in the dictionary.</p>
<h3>Streams and cloning</h3>
<p>It is important to realise that Request and Response bodies can only be
read once! Both interfaces have a boolean attribute <code>bodyUsed</code> to
determine if it is safe to read or not.</p>
<divclass="wp_syntax">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<tdclass="code"><preclass="javascript"><span>var</span> res <span>=</span><span>new</span> Response<span>(</span><span>"one time use"</span><span>)</span><span>;</span>
</div>
<p>Both Request and Response (and by extension the <code>fetch()</code> function), will try to intelligently <ahref="https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/#concept-bodyinit-extract">determine the content type</a>. Request will also automatically set a “Content-Type” header if none is set in the dictionary.</p>
<h3>Streams and cloning</h3>
<p>It is important to realise that Request and Response bodies can only be read once! Both interfaces have a boolean attribute <code>bodyUsed</code> to determine if it is safe to read or not.</p>
<divclass="wp_syntax">
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<tdclass="code"><preclass="javascript"><span>var</span> res <span>=</span><span>new</span> Response<span>(</span><span>"one time use"</span><span>)</span><span>;</span>
<p>This decision allows easing the transition to an eventual <ahref="https://streams.spec.whatwg.org/">stream-based</a> Fetch API. The intention is to let applications consume data as it arrives, allowing for JavaScript to deal with larger files like videos, and perform things like compression and editing on the fly.</p>
<p>Often, you’ll want access to the body multiple times. For example, you can use the upcoming <ahref="http://slightlyoff.github.io/ServiceWorker/spec/service_worker/index.html#cache-objects">Cache API</a> to store Requests and Responses for offline use, and Cache requires bodies to be available for reading.</p>
<p>So how do you read out the body multiple times within such constraints? The API provides a <code>clone()</code> method on the two interfaces. This will return a clone of the object, with a ‘new’ body. <code>clone()</code> MUST be called before the body of the corresponding object has been used. That is, <code>clone()</code> first, read later.</p>
<p>Along with the transition to streams, Fetch will eventually have the ability to abort running <code>fetch()</code>es and some way to report the progress of a fetch. These are provided by XHR, but are a little tricky to fit in the Promise-based nature of the Fetch API.</p>
<p>You can contribute to the evolution of this API by participating in discussions on the <ahref="https://whatwg.org/mailing-list">WHATWG mailing list</a> and in the issues in the <ahref="https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/buglist.cgi?product=WHATWG&component=Fetch&resolution=---">Fetch</a> and <ahref="https://github.com/slightlyoff/ServiceWorker/issues">ServiceWorker</a>specifications.</p>
<p>For a better web!</p>
<p><em>The author would like to thank Andrea Marchesini, Anne van Kesteren and Ben<br>
Kelly for helping with the specification and implementation.</em></p>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,
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consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat
non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
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<p> Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. </p>
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tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.</p>
<p>Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi
ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum
dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non
proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.</p>
<p>Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,
quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo
consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum
dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non
proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.</p>
<p>Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi
ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum
dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non
proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.</p>
<p>Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,
quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo
consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum
dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non
proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
<p>Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,
quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo
consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat
non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<h2>Videos</h2>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<p>Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,
quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo
consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat
non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
<h2>Foo</h2>
<p> Tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. </p>
<pclass="caption">1Password scannt auch QR-Codes.</p>
<pclass="source">(Bild: Hersteller)</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<pclass="meldung_anrisstext"><strong>Das in der iOS-Version bereits enthaltene TOTP-Feature ist nun auch für OS X 10.10 verfügbar. Zudem gibt es neue Zusatzfelder in der Datenbank und weitere Verbesserungen.</strong>
</p>
<p><arel="external"target="_blank"href="https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/1password-password-manager/id443987910">AgileBits hat Version 5.3 seines bekannten Passwortmanagers 1Password für OS X freigegeben.</a> Mit
dem Update wird eine praktische Funktion nachgereicht, die <ahref="http://fakehost/mac-and-i/meldung/Passwortmanager-1Password-mit-groesseren-Updates-fuer-OS-X-und-iOS-2529204.html">die iOS-Version der Anwendung bereits seit längerem beherrscht</a>:
Das direkte Erstellen von Einmal-Passwörtern. Unterstützt wird dabei der
<a
rel="external" target="_blank" href="https://blog.agilebits.com/2015/01/26/totp-for-1password-users/">TOTP-Standard</a>(Time-Based One-Time Passwords), den unter anderem Firmen
wie Evernote, Dropbox oder Google einsetzen, um ihre Zugänge besser abzusichern.
Neben Account und regulärem Passwort wird dabei dann ein Zusatzcode verlangt,
der nur kurze Zeit gilt.</p>
<p>Zur TOTP-Nutzung muss zunächst ein Startwert an 1Password übergeben werden.
Das geht unter anderem per QR-Code, den die App über ein neues Scanfenster
selbst einlesen kann – etwa aus dem Webbrowser. Eine Einführung in die
Technik gibt <arel="external"target="_blank"href="http://1pw.ca/TOTPvideoMac">ein kurzes Video</a>.
Die TOTP-Unterstützung in 1Password erlaubt es, auf ein zusätzliches Gerät
(z.B. ein iPhone) neben dem Mac zu verzichten, das den Code liefert – was
allerdings auch die Sicherheit verringert, weil es keinen "echten" zweiten
Faktor mehr gibt.</p>
<p>Update 5.3 des Passwortmanagers liefert auch noch weitere Verbesserungen.
So gibt es die Möglichkeit, FaceTime-Audio- oder Skype-Anrufe aus 1Password
zu starten, die Zahl der Zusatzfelder in der Datenbank wurde erweitert
und der Umgang mit unterschiedlichen Zeitzonen klappt besser. Die Engine
zur Passworteingabe im Browser soll beschleunigt worden sein.</p>
<p>1Password kostet aktuell knapp 50 Euro im Mac App Store und setzt in seiner
<pclass="meldung_anrisstext"><strong>Das in der iOS-Version bereits enthaltene TOTP-Feature ist nun auch für OS X 10.10 verfügbar. Zudem gibt es neue Zusatzfelder in der Datenbank und weitere Verbesserungen.</strong></p>
<p><arel="external"target="_blank"href="https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/1password-password-manager/id443987910">AgileBits hat Version 5.3 seines bekannten Passwortmanagers 1Password für OS X freigegeben.</a> Mit dem Update wird eine praktische Funktion nachgereicht, die <ahref="http://fakehost/mac-and-i/meldung/Passwortmanager-1Password-mit-groesseren-Updates-fuer-OS-X-und-iOS-2529204.html">die iOS-Version der Anwendung bereits seit längerem beherrscht</a>: Das direkte Erstellen von Einmal-Passwörtern. Unterstützt wird dabei der <arel="external"target="_blank"href="https://blog.agilebits.com/2015/01/26/totp-for-1password-users/">TOTP-Standard</a> (Time-Based One-Time Passwords), den unter anderem Firmen wie Evernote, Dropbox oder Google einsetzen, um ihre Zugänge besser abzusichern. Neben Account und regulärem Passwort wird dabei dann ein Zusatzcode verlangt, der nur kurze Zeit gilt.</p>
<p>Zur TOTP-Nutzung muss zunächst ein Startwert an 1Password übergeben werden. Das geht unter anderem per QR-Code, den die App über ein neues Scanfenster selbst einlesen kann – etwa aus dem Webbrowser. Eine Einführung in die Technik gibt <arel="external"target="_blank"href="http://1pw.ca/TOTPvideoMac">ein kurzes Video</a>. Die TOTP-Unterstützung in 1Password erlaubt es, auf ein zusätzliches Gerät (z.B. ein iPhone) neben dem Mac zu verzichten, das den Code liefert – was allerdings auch die Sicherheit verringert, weil es keinen "echten" zweiten Faktor mehr gibt.</p>
<p>Update 5.3 des Passwortmanagers liefert auch noch weitere Verbesserungen. So gibt es die Möglichkeit, FaceTime-Audio- oder Skype-Anrufe aus 1Password zu starten, die Zahl der Zusatzfelder in der Datenbank wurde erweitert und der Umgang mit unterschiedlichen Zeitzonen klappt besser. Die Engine zur Passworteingabe im Browser soll beschleunigt worden sein.</p>
<p>1Password kostet aktuell knapp 50 Euro im Mac App Store und setzt in seiner aktuellen Version mindestens OS X 10.10 voraus. <spanclass="ISI_IGNORE">(<atitle="Ben Schwan"href="mailto:bsc@heise.de">bsc</a>)</span>
alt="A new Bill would require telecommunications service providers to store so-called ‘metadat">
</div>
<pclass="caption"><spanid="imgCaption"class="caption-text">A new Bill would require telecommunications service providers to store so-called ‘metadata’ for two years.</span>
<span
class="image-source"><em>Source:</em>
Supplied</span>
</p>
<divclass="image-frame"><imgdata-src="http://api.news.com.au/content/1.0/heraldsun/images/1227261885862?format=jpg&group=iphone&size=medium"alt="A new Bill would require telecommunications service providers to store so-called ‘metadat"></div>
<pclass="caption"><spanid="imgCaption"class="caption-text">A new Bill would require telecommunications service providers to store so-called ‘metadata’ for two years.</span><spanclass="image-source"><em>Source:</em>
Supplied</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>
A HIGH-powered federal government team has been doing the rounds of media organisations in the past few days in an attempt to allay concerns about the impact of new surveillance legislation on press freedom. It failed.
</strong>
</p>
<p>The roadshow featured the Prime Minister’s national security adviser,
Andrew Shearer, Justin Bassi, who advises Attorney-General George Brandis
on crime and security matters, and Australian Federal Police Commissioner
Andrew Colvin. Staffers from the office of Communications Minister Malcolm
Turnbull also took part.</p>
<p>They held meetings with executives from News Corporation and Fairfax,
representatives of the TV networks, the ABC top brass and a group from
the media union and the Walkley journalism foundation. I was involved as
a member of the Walkley board.</p>
<p>The initiative, from Tony Abbott’s office, is evidence that the Government
has been alarmed by the strength of criticism from media of the Data Retention
Bill it wants passed before Parliament rises in a fortnight. Bosses, journalists,
even the Press Council, are up in arms, not only over this measure, but
also over aspects of two earlier pieces of national security legislation
that interfere with the ability of the media to hold government to account.</p>
<div
id="read-more">
</strong></p>
<p>The roadshow featured the Prime Minister’s national security adviser, Andrew Shearer, Justin Bassi, who advises Attorney-General George Brandis on crime and security matters, and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin. Staffers from the office of Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull also took part.</p>
<p>They held meetings with executives from News Corporation and Fairfax, representatives of the TV networks, the ABC top brass and a group from the media union and the Walkley journalism foundation. I was involved as a member of the Walkley board.</p>
<p>The initiative, from Tony Abbott’s office, is evidence that the Government has been alarmed by the strength of criticism from media of the Data Retention Bill it wants passed before Parliament rises in a fortnight. Bosses, journalists, even the Press Council, are up in arms, not only over this measure, but also over aspects of two earlier pieces of national security legislation that interfere with the ability of the media to hold government to account.</p>
<divid="read-more">
<divid="read-more-content">
<p>The Bill would require telecommunications service providers to store so-called
“metadata” — the who, where, when and how of a communication, but not its
content — for two years so security and law enforcement agencies can access
it without warrant. Few would argue against the use of such material to
catch criminals or terrorists. But, as Parliament’s Joint Committee on
Intelligence and Security has pointed out, it would also be used “for the
purpose of determining the identity of a journalist’s sources”.</p>
<p>And that should ring warning bells for anyone genuinely concerned with
the health of our democracy. Without the ability to protect the identity
of sources, journalists would be greatly handicapped in exposing corruption,
dishonesty, waste, incompetence and misbehaviour by public officials.</p>
<p>The Bill would require telecommunications service providers to store so-called “metadata” — the who, where, when and how of a communication, but not its content — for two years so security and law enforcement agencies can access it without warrant. Few would argue against the use of such material to catch criminals or terrorists. But, as Parliament’s Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has pointed out, it would also be used “for the purpose of determining the identity of a journalist’s sources”.</p>
<p>And that should ring warning bells for anyone genuinely concerned with the health of our democracy. Without the ability to protect the identity of sources, journalists would be greatly handicapped in exposing corruption, dishonesty, waste, incompetence and misbehaviour by public officials.</p>
<p>The Press Council is concerned the laws would crush investigative journalism.</p>
<p>“These legitimate concerns cannot be addressed effectively short of exempting
journalists and media organisations,” says president David Weisbrot.</p>
<p>The media union is adamant journalists’ metadata must be exempted from
the law. That’s what media bosses want, too, though they have a fallback
position based on new safeguards being implemented in Britain.</p>
<p>That would prevent access to the metadata of journalists or media organisations
without a judicial warrant. There would be a code including — according
to the explanatory notes of the British Bill — “provision to protect the
public interest in the confidentiality of journalistic sources”.</p>
<p>In their meetings this week, the government team boasted of concessions
in the new Data Retention Bill. The number of agencies able to access metadata
will be reduced by excluding such organisations as the RSPCA and local
councils. And whenever an authorisation is issued for access to information
about a journalist’s sources, the Ombudsman (or, where ASIO is involved,
the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security) will receive a copy.</p>
<p>That does nothing to solve the problem. The Government has effectively
admitted as much by agreeing that the parliamentary committee should conduct
a separate review of how to deal with the issue of journalists’ sources.</p>
<p>But another inquiry would be a waste of time — the committee has already
received and considered dozens of submissions on the subject. The bottom
line is that the Government does not deny that the legislation is flawed,
but is demanding it be passed anyway with the possibility left open of
a repair job down the track. That is a ridiculous approach.</p>
<p>Claims that immediate action is imperative do not stand up. These are
measures that won’t come into full effect for two years. Anyway, amending
the Bill to either exempt journalists or adopt the UK model could be done
quickly, without any risk to national security.</p>
<p>AS Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said in a letter to Abbott last month:
“Press freedom concerns about mandatory data retention would ideally be
addressed in this Bill to avoid the need for future additional amendments
or procedures to be put in place in the future.”</p>
<p>The Data Retention Bill will be debated in the House of Representatives
this week. Then, on Friday, CEOs from leading media organisations will
front the parliamentary committee to air their concerns before the legislation
goes to the Senate.</p>
<p>Those CEOs should make it clear they are just as angry about this as they
were about Stephen Conroy’s attempt to impinge on press freedom through
media regulation under the previous Labor government.</p>
<p>Memories of the grief Conroy brought down on his head would undoubtedly
make Abbott sit up and take notice.</p>
<p><b>LAURIE OAKES IS THE NINE NETWORK POLITICAL EDITOR </b>
</p>
<p>“These legitimate concerns cannot be addressed effectively short of exempting journalists and media organisations,” says president David Weisbrot.</p>
<p>The media union is adamant journalists’ metadata must be exempted from the law. That’s what media bosses want, too, though they have a fallback position based on new safeguards being implemented in Britain.</p>
<p>That would prevent access to the metadata of journalists or media organisations without a judicial warrant. There would be a code including — according to the explanatory notes of the British Bill — “provision to protect the public interest in the confidentiality of journalistic sources”.</p>
<p>In their meetings this week, the government team boasted of concessions in the new Data Retention Bill. The number of agencies able to access metadata will be reduced by excluding such organisations as the RSPCA and local councils. And whenever an authorisation is issued for access to information about a journalist’s sources, the Ombudsman (or, where ASIO is involved, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security) will receive a copy.</p>
<p>That does nothing to solve the problem. The Government has effectively admitted as much by agreeing that the parliamentary committee should conduct a separate review of how to deal with the issue of journalists’ sources.</p>
<p>But another inquiry would be a waste of time — the committee has already received and considered dozens of submissions on the subject. The bottom line is that the Government does not deny that the legislation is flawed, but is demanding it be passed anyway with the possibility left open of a repair job down the track. That is a ridiculous approach.</p>
<p>Claims that immediate action is imperative do not stand up. These are measures that won’t come into full effect for two years. Anyway, amending the Bill to either exempt journalists or adopt the UK model could be done quickly, without any risk to national security.</p>
<p>AS Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said in a letter to Abbott last month: “Press freedom concerns about mandatory data retention would ideally be addressed in this Bill to avoid the need for future additional amendments or procedures to be put in place in the future.”</p>
<p>The Data Retention Bill will be debated in the House of Representatives this week. Then, on Friday, CEOs from leading media organisations will front the parliamentary committee to air their concerns before the legislation goes to the Senate.</p>
<p>Those CEOs should make it clear they are just as angry about this as they were about Stephen Conroy’s attempt to impinge on press freedom through media regulation under the previous Labor government.</p>
<p>Memories of the grief Conroy brought down on his head would undoubtedly make Abbott sit up and take notice.</p>
<p><b>LAURIE OAKES IS THE NINE NETWORK POLITICAL EDITOR </b></p>
<h4name="9736"id="9736"data-align="center"class="graf--h4">Welcome to DoctorX’s Barcelona lab, where the drugs you bought online are tested for safety and purity. No questions asked.</h4>
<pname="8a83"id="8a83"class="graf--p">Standing at a table in a chemistry lab in Barcelona, Cristina Gil Lladanosa
tears open a silver, smell-proof protective envelope. She slides out a
transparent bag full of crystals. Around her, machines whir and hum, and
other researchers mill around in long, white coats.</p>
<pname="b675"id="b675"
class="graf--p">She is holding the lab’s latest delivery of a drug bought from the “deep
web,” the clandestine corner of the internet that isn’t reachable by normal
search engines, and is home to some sites that require special software
to access. Labeled as <ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA"data-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA"
class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="nofollow">MDMA</a> (the street
term is ecstasy), this sample has been shipped from Canada. Lladanosa and
her colleague Iván Fornís Espinosa have also received drugs, anonymously,
from people in China, Australia, Europe and the United States.</p>
<pname="3c0b"
id="3c0b" class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“Here we have speed, MDMA, cocaine, pills,” Lladanosa says, pointing to
vials full of red, green, blue and clear solutions sitting in labeled boxes.</p>
<pname="8a83"id="8a83"class="graf--p">Standing at a table in a chemistry lab in Barcelona, Cristina Gil Lladanosa tears open a silver, smell-proof protective envelope. She slides out a transparent bag full of crystals. Around her, machines whir and hum, and other researchers mill around in long, white coats.</p>
<pname="b675"id="b675"class="graf--p">She is holding the lab’s latest delivery of a drug bought from the “deep web,” the clandestine corner of the internet that isn’t reachable by normal search engines, and is home to some sites that require special software to access. Labeled as <ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA"data-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">MDMA</a> (the street term is ecstasy), this sample has been shipped from Canada. Lladanosa and her colleague Iván Fornís Espinosa have also received drugs, anonymously, from people in China, Australia, Europe and the United States.</p>
<pname="3c0b"id="3c0b"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“Here we have speed, MDMA, cocaine, pills,” Lladanosa says, pointing to vials full of red, green, blue and clear solutions sitting in labeled boxes.</p>
which has being running “harm reduction” programs since 1999, is the first
to run a testing service explicitly geared towards verifying those purchases
from the deep web.</p>
<pname="4395"id="4395"class="graf--p">Before joining Energy Control, Lladanosa briefly worked at a pharmacy,
whereas Espinosa spent 14 years doing drug analysis. Working at Energy
Control is “more gratifying,” and “rewarding” than her previous jobs, Lladanosa
told me. They also receive help from a group of volunteers, made up of
a mixture of “squatters,” as Espinosa put it, and medical students, who
prepare the samples for testing.</p>
<pname="0c18"id="0c18"class="graf--p">After weighing out the crystals, aggressively mixing it with methanol
until dissolved, and delicately pouring the liquid into a tiny brown bottle,
Lladanosa, a petite woman who is nearly engulfed by her lab coat, is now
ready to test the sample. She loads a series of three trays on top of a
large white appliance sitting on a table, called a gas chromatograph (GC).
A jungle of thick pipes hang from the lab’s ceiling behind it.</p>
<pname="7a54"id="7a54"class="graf--p">Since 2011, with the launch of <ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road_%28marketplace%29"data-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road_%28marketplace%29"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Silk Road</a>, anybody has been able to safely buy illegal drugs from the deep web and have them delivered to their door. Though the FBI shut down that black market in October 2013, other outlets have emerged to fill its role. For the last 10 months the lab at which Lladanosa and Espinosa work has offered a paid testing service of those drugs. By sending in samples for analysis, users can know exactly what it is they are buying, and make a more informed decision about whether to ingest the substance. The group, called <ahref="http://energycontrol.org/"data-href="http://energycontrol.org/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Energy Control</a>, which has being running “harm reduction” programs since 1999, is the first to run a testing service explicitly geared towards verifying those purchases from the deep web.</p>
<pname="4395"id="4395"class="graf--p">Before joining Energy Control, Lladanosa briefly worked at a pharmacy, whereas Espinosa spent 14 years doing drug analysis. Working at Energy Control is “more gratifying,” and “rewarding” than her previous jobs, Lladanosa told me. They also receive help from a group of volunteers, made up of a mixture of “squatters,” as Espinosa put it, and medical students, who prepare the samples for testing.</p>
<pname="0c18"id="0c18"class="graf--p">After weighing out the crystals, aggressively mixing it with methanol until dissolved, and delicately pouring the liquid into a tiny brown bottle, Lladanosa, a petite woman who is nearly engulfed by her lab coat, is now ready to test the sample. She loads a series of three trays on top of a large white appliance sitting on a table, called a gas chromatograph (GC). A jungle of thick pipes hang from the lab’s ceiling behind it.</p>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption">Photo by Joan Bardeletti</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<divclass="section-inner layoutSingleColumn">
<pname="1549"id="1549"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“Chromatography separates all the substances,” Lladanosa says as she loads
the machine with an array of drugs sent from the deep web and local Spanish
users. It can tell whether a sample is pure or contaminated, and if the
latter, with what.</p>
<pname="5d0f"id="5d0f"class="graf--p">Rushes of hot air blow across the desk as the gas chromatograph blasts
the sample at 280 degrees Celsius. Thirty minutes later the machine’s robotic
arm automatically moves over to grip another bottle. The machine will continue
cranking through the 150 samples in the trays for most of the work week.</p>
<pname="1549"id="1549"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“Chromatography separates all the substances,” Lladanosa says as she loads the machine with an array of drugs sent from the deep web and local Spanish users. It can tell whether a sample is pure or contaminated, and if the latter, with what.</p>
<pname="5d0f"id="5d0f"class="graf--p">Rushes of hot air blow across the desk as the gas chromatograph blasts the sample at 280 degrees Celsius. Thirty minutes later the machine’s robotic arm automatically moves over to grip another bottle. The machine will continue cranking through the 150 samples in the trays for most of the work week.</p>
<pname="15e0"id="15e0"class="graf--p">To get the drugs to Barcelona, a user mails at least 10 milligrams of a substance to the offices of the Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo, the non-government organization that oversees Energy Control. The sample then gets delivered to the testing service’s laboratory, at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, a futuristic, seven story building sitting metres away from the beach. Energy Control borrows its lab space from a biomedical research group for free.</p>
<pname="2574"id="2574"class="graf--p">The tests cost 50 Euro per sample. Users pay, not surprisingly, with Bitcoin. In the post announcing Energy Control’s service on the deep web, the group promised that “All profits of this service are set aside of maintenance of this project.”</p>
<pname="2644"id="2644"class="graf--p">About a week after testing, those results are sent in a PDF to an email address provided by the anonymous client.</p>
<pname="9f91"id="9f91"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“The process is quite boring, because you are in a routine,” Lladanosa says. But one part of the process is consistently surprising: that moment when the results pop up on the screen. “Every time it’s something different.” For instance, one cocaine sample she had tested also contained phenacetin, a painkiller added to increase the product’s weight; lidocaine, an anesthetic that numbs the gums, giving the impression that the user is taking higher quality cocaine; and common caffeine.</p>
<pname="39a6"id="39a6"class="graf--p">The deep web drug lab is the brainchild of Fernando Caudevilla, a Spanish
physician who is better known as “DoctorX” on the deep web, a nickname
given to him by his Energy Control co-workers because of his earlier writing
about the history, risks and recreational culture of MDMA. In the physical
world, Caudevilla has worked for over a decade with Energy Control on various
harm reduction focused projects, most of which have involved giving Spanish
illegal drug users medical guidance, and often writing leaflets about the
harms of certain substances.</p>
<pname="39a6"id="39a6"class="graf--p">The deep web drug lab is the brainchild of Fernando Caudevilla, a Spanish physician who is better known as “DoctorX” on the deep web, a nickname given to him by his Energy Control co-workers because of his earlier writing about the history, risks and recreational culture of MDMA. In the physical world, Caudevilla has worked for over a decade with Energy Control on various harm reduction focused projects, most of which have involved giving Spanish illegal drug users medical guidance, and often writing leaflets about the harms of certain substances.</p>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption">Fernando Caudevilla, AKA DoctorX. Photo: Joseph Cox</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<divclass="section-inner layoutSingleColumn">
<pname="c099"id="c099"class="graf--p">Caudevilla first ventured into Silk Road forums in April 2013. “I would
like to contribute to this forum offering professional advice in topics
related to drug use and health,” he wrote in an <ahref="http://web.archive.org/web/20131015051405/https://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion.to/index.php?topic=147607.0"
using his DoctorX alias. Caudevilla offered to provide answers to questions
that a typical doctor is not prepared, or willing, to respond to, at least
not without a lecture or a judgment. “This advice cannot replace a complete
face-to-face medical evaluation,” he wrote, “but I know how difficult it
can be to talk frankly about these things.”</p>
<pname="ff1d"id="ff1d"
class="graf--p">The requests flooded in. A diabetic asked what effect MDMA has on blood
sugar; another what the risks of frequent psychedelic use were for a young
person. Someone wanted to know whether amphetamine use should be avoided
during lactation. In all, Fernando’s thread received over 50,000 visits
and 300 questions before the FBI shut down Silk Road.</p>
<pname="1f35"
id="1f35" class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“He’s amazing. A gift to this community,” one user wrote on the Silk Road
2.0 forum, a site that sprang up after the original. “His knowledge is
invaluable, and never comes with any judgment.” Up until recently, Caudevilla
answered questions on the marketplace “Evolution.” Last week, however,
the administrators of that site <ahref="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/one-of-the-darknets-biggest-markets-may-have-just-stole-all-its-users-bitcoin"
class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="nofollow">pulled a scam</a>,
shutting the market down and escaping with an estimated $12 million worth
of Bitcoin.</p>
<pname="b20f"id="b20f"class="graf--p">Caudevilla’s transition from dispensing advice to starting up a no-questions-asked
drug testing service came as a consequence of his experience on the deep
web. He’d wondered whether he could help bring more harm reduction services
to a marketplace without controls. The Energy Control project, as part
of its mandate of educating drug users and preventing harm, had already
been carrying out drug testing for local Spanish users since 2001, at music
festivals, night clubs, or through a drop-in service at a lab in Madrid.</p>
<p
name="f739" id="f739" class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I thought, we are doing this in Spain, why don’t we do an international
drug testing service?” Caudevilla told me when I visited the other Energy
Control lab, in Madrid. Caudevilla, a stocky character with ear piercings
and short, shaved hair, has eyes that light up whenever he discusses the
world of the deep web. Later, via email, he elaborated that it was not
a hard sell. “It was not too hard to convince them,” he wrote me. Clearly,
Energy Control believed that the reputation he had earned as an unbiased
medical professional on the deep web might carry over to the drug analysis
service, where one needs to establish “credibility, trustworthiness, [and]
transparency,” Caudevilla said. “We could not make mistakes,” he added.</p>
<pname="c099"id="c099"class="graf--p">Caudevilla first ventured into Silk Road forums in April 2013. “I would like to contribute to this forum offering professional advice in topics related to drug use and health,” he wrote in an <ahref="http://web.archive.org/web/20131015051405/https://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion.to/index.php?topic=147607.0"data-href="http://web.archive.org/web/20131015051405/https://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion.to/index.php?topic=147607.0"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">introductory post</a>, using his DoctorX alias. Caudevilla offered to provide answers to questions that a typical doctor is not prepared, or willing, to respond to, at least not without a lecture or a judgment. “This advice cannot replace a complete face-to-face medical evaluation,” he wrote, “but I know how difficult it can be to talk frankly about these things.”</p>
<pname="ff1d"id="ff1d"class="graf--p">The requests flooded in. A diabetic asked what effect MDMA has on blood sugar; another what the risks of frequent psychedelic use were for a young person. Someone wanted to know whether amphetamine use should be avoided during lactation. In all, Fernando’s thread received over 50,000 visits and 300 questions before the FBI shut down Silk Road.</p>
<pname="1f35"id="1f35"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“He’s amazing. A gift to this community,” one user wrote on the Silk Road 2.0 forum, a site that sprang up after the original. “His knowledge is invaluable, and never comes with any judgment.” Up until recently, Caudevilla answered questions on the marketplace “Evolution.” Last week, however, the administrators of that site <ahref="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/one-of-the-darknets-biggest-markets-may-have-just-stole-all-its-users-bitcoin"data-href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/one-of-the-darknets-biggest-markets-may-have-just-stole-all-its-users-bitcoin"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">pulled a scam</a>, shutting the market down and escaping with an estimated $12 million worth of Bitcoin.</p>
<pname="b20f"id="b20f"class="graf--p">Caudevilla’s transition from dispensing advice to starting up a no-questions-asked drug testing service came as a consequence of his experience on the deep web. He’d wondered whether he could help bring more harm reduction services to a marketplace without controls. The Energy Control project, as part of its mandate of educating drug users and preventing harm, had already been carrying out drug testing for local Spanish users since 2001, at music festivals, night clubs, or through a drop-in service at a lab in Madrid.</p>
<pname="f739"id="f739"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I thought, we are doing this in Spain, why don’t we do an international drug testing service?” Caudevilla told me when I visited the other Energy Control lab, in Madrid. Caudevilla, a stocky character with ear piercings and short, shaved hair, has eyes that light up whenever he discusses the world of the deep web. Later, via email, he elaborated that it was not a hard sell. “It was not too hard to convince them,” he wrote me. Clearly, Energy Control believed that the reputation he had earned as an unbiased medical professional on the deep web might carry over to the drug analysis service, where one needs to establish “credibility, trustworthiness, [and] transparency,” Caudevilla said. “We could not make mistakes,” he added.</p>
<pname="7b5e"id="7b5e"class="graf--p">While the Energy Control lab in Madrid lab only tests Spanish drugs from
various sources, it is the Barcelona location which vets the substances
bought in the shadowy recesses of of the deep web. Caudevilla no longer
runs it, having handed it over to his colleague Ana Muñoz. She maintains
a presence on the deep web forums, answers questions from potential users,
and sends back reports when they are ready.</p>
<pname="0f0e"id="0f0e"
class="graf--p">The testing program exists in a legal grey area. The people who own the
Barcelona lab are accredited to experiment with and handle drugs, but Energy
Control doesn’t have this permission itself, at least not in writing.</p>
<p
name="e002" id="e002" class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“We have a verbal agreement with the police and other authorities. They
already know what we are doing,” Lladanosa tells me. It is a pact of mutual
benefit. Energy Control provides the police with information on batches
of drugs in Spain, whether they’re from the deep web or not, Espinosa says.
They also contribute to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction’s early warning system, a collaboration that attempts to spread
information about dangerous drugs as quickly as possible.</p>
<pname="db1b"
id="db1b" class="graf--p">By the time of my visit in February, Energy Control had received over
150 samples from the deep web and have been receiving more at a rate of
between 4 and 8 a week. Traditional drugs, such as cocaine and MDMA, make
up about 70 percent of the samples tested, but the Barcelona lab has also
received samples of the prescription pill codeine, research chemicals and
synthetic cannabinoids, and even pills of Viagra.</p>
<pname="7b5e"id="7b5e"class="graf--p">While the Energy Control lab in Madrid lab only tests Spanish drugs from various sources, it is the Barcelona location which vets the substances bought in the shadowy recesses of of the deep web. Caudevilla no longer runs it, having handed it over to his colleague Ana Muñoz. She maintains a presence on the deep web forums, answers questions from potential users, and sends back reports when they are ready.</p>
<pname="0f0e"id="0f0e"class="graf--p">The testing program exists in a legal grey area. The people who own the Barcelona lab are accredited to experiment with and handle drugs, but Energy Control doesn’t have this permission itself, at least not in writing.</p>
<pname="e002"id="e002"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“We have a verbal agreement with the police and other authorities. They already know what we are doing,” Lladanosa tells me. It is a pact of mutual benefit. Energy Control provides the police with information on batches of drugs in Spain, whether they’re from the deep web or not, Espinosa says. They also contribute to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction’s early warning system, a collaboration that attempts to spread information about dangerous drugs as quickly as possible.</p>
<pname="db1b"id="db1b"class="graf--p">By the time of my visit in February, Energy Control had received over 150 samples from the deep web and have been receiving more at a rate of between 4 and 8 a week. Traditional drugs, such as cocaine and MDMA, make up about 70 percent of the samples tested, but the Barcelona lab has also received samples of the prescription pill codeine, research chemicals and synthetic cannabinoids, and even pills of Viagra.</p>
class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="nofollow">United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2014</a>,
which reports that the average quality of street cocaine in Spain is just
over 40 percent, while in the United Kingdom it is closer to 30 percent.“We
have found 100 percent [pure] cocaine,” he adds. “That’s really, really
strange. That means that, technically, this cocaine has been purified,
with clandestine methods.”</p>
<pname="a71c"id="a71c"class="graf--p">Naturally, identifying vendors who sell this top-of-the-range stuff is
one of the reasons that people have sent samples to Energy Control. Caudevilla
was keen to stress that, officially, Energy Control’s service “is not intended
to be a control of drug quality,” meaning a vetting process for identifying
the best sellers, but that is exactly how some people have been using it.</p>
<p
name="cb5b" id="cb5b" class="graf--p">As one buyer on the Evolution market, elmo666, wrote to me over the site’s
messaging system, “My initial motivations were selfish. My primary motivation
was to ensure that I was receiving and continue to receive a high quality
product, essentially to keep the vendor honest as far as my interactions
with them went.”</p>
<pname="d80d"id="d80d"class="graf--p">Vendors on deep web markets advertise their product just like any other
outlet does, using flash sales, gimmicky giveaways and promises of drugs
that are superior to those of their competitors. The claims, however, can
turn out to be empty: despite the test results that show that deep web
cocaine vendors typically sell product that is of a better quality than
that found on the street, in plenty of cases, the drugs are nowhere near
as pure as advertised.</p>
<pname="36de"id="36de"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“You won’t be getting anything CLOSE to what you paid for,” one user complained
about the cocaine from ‘Mirkov’, a vendor on Evolution. “He sells 65% not
95%.”</p>
<pname="e76f"id="e76f"class="graf--p">So it’s fair to make a tentative judgement on what people are paying for on the deep web. The verdict thus far? Overall, drugs on the deep web appear to be of much higher quality than those found on the street.</p>
<pname="5352"id="5352"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“In general, the cocaine is amazing,” says Caudevilla, saying that the samples they’ve seen have purities climbing towards 80 or 90 percent, and some even higher. To get an idea of how unusual this is, take a look at the <ahref="http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2014/Cocaine_2014_web.pdf"data-href="http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2014/Cocaine_2014_web.pdf"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2014</a>, which reports that the average quality of street cocaine in Spain is just over 40 percent, while in the United Kingdom it is closer to 30 percent.“We have found 100 percent [pure] cocaine,” he adds. “That’s really, really strange. That means that, technically, this cocaine has been purified, with clandestine methods.”</p>
<pname="a71c"id="a71c"class="graf--p">Naturally, identifying vendors who sell this top-of-the-range stuff is one of the reasons that people have sent samples to Energy Control. Caudevilla was keen to stress that, officially, Energy Control’s service “is not intended to be a control of drug quality,” meaning a vetting process for identifying the best sellers, but that is exactly how some people have been using it.</p>
<pname="cb5b"id="cb5b"class="graf--p">As one buyer on the Evolution market, elmo666, wrote to me over the site’s messaging system, “My initial motivations were selfish. My primary motivation was to ensure that I was receiving and continue to receive a high quality product, essentially to keep the vendor honest as far as my interactions with them went.”</p>
<pname="d80d"id="d80d"class="graf--p">Vendors on deep web markets advertise their product just like any other outlet does, using flash sales, gimmicky giveaways and promises of drugs that are superior to those of their competitors. The claims, however, can turn out to be empty: despite the test results that show that deep web cocaine vendors typically sell product that is of a better quality than that found on the street, in plenty of cases, the drugs are nowhere near as pure as advertised.</p>
<pname="36de"id="36de"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“You won’t be getting anything CLOSE to what you paid for,” one user complained about the cocaine from ‘Mirkov’, a vendor on Evolution. “He sells 65% not 95%.”</p>
<pname="126b"id="126b"class="graf--p">Despite the prevalence of people using the service to gauge the quality
of what goes up their nose, many users send samples to Energy Control in
the spirit of its original mission: keeping themselves alive and healthy.
The worst case scenario from drugs purchased on the deep web is, well the
worst case. That was the outcome when <ahref="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/teenager-patrick-mcmullen-who-died-while-on-skype-had-bought-drugs-from-silk-road-8942329.html"
rel="nofollow">documented in a study</a> from researchers at the University
of California, San Francisco. But Lladanosa has found Levamisole in cocaine
samples; dealers use it to increase the product weight, allowing them to
stretch their batch further for greater profit—and also, she says, because
Levamisole has a strong stimulant effect.</p>
<pname="7886"id="7886"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“It got me sick as fuck,” Dr. Feel, an Evolution user, wrote on the site’s
forums after consuming cocaine that had been cut with 23 percent Levamisole,
and later tested by Energy Control. “I was laid up in bed for several days
because of that shit. The first night I did it, I thought I was going to
die. I nearly drove myself to the ER.”</p>
<pname="18d3"id="18d3"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“More people die because of tainted drugs than the drugs themselves,”
Dr. Feel added. “It’s the cuts and adulterants that are making people sick
and killing them.”</p>
<pname="126b"id="126b"class="graf--p">Despite the prevalence of people using the service to gauge the quality of what goes up their nose, many users send samples to Energy Control in the spirit of its original mission: keeping themselves alive and healthy. The worst case scenario from drugs purchased on the deep web is, well the worst case. That was the outcome when <ahref="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/teenager-patrick-mcmullen-who-died-while-on-skype-had-bought-drugs-from-silk-road-8942329.html"data-href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/teenager-patrick-mcmullen-who-died-while-on-skype-had-bought-drugs-from-silk-road-8942329.html"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Patrick McMullen,</a> a 17-year-old Scottish student, ingested half a gram of MDMA and three tabs of LSD, reportedly purchased from the Silk Road. While talking to his friends on Skype, his words became slurred and he passed out. Paramedics could not revive him. The coroner for that case, Sherrif Payne, who deemed the cause of death ecstasy toxicity, told <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">The Independent</em> “You never know the purity of what you are taking and you can easily come unstuck.”</p>
<pname="5e9e"id="5e9e"class="graf--p">ScreamMyName, a deep web user who has been active since the original Silk Road, wants to alert users to the dangerous chemicals that are often mixed with drugs, and is using Energy Control as a means to do so.</p>
<pname="19a6"id="19a6"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“We’re at a time where some vendors are outright sending people poison. Some do it unknowingly,” ScreamMyName told me in an encrypted message. “Cocaine production in South America is often tainted with either levamisole or phenacetine. Both poison to humans and both with severe side effects.”</p>
<pname="9fef"id="9fef"class="graf--p">In the case of Levamisole, those prescribing it are often not doctors but veterinarians, as Levamisole is commonly used on animals, primarily for the treatment of worms. If ingested by humans it can lead to cases of extreme eruptions of the skin, as <ahref="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22127712"data-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22127712"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">documented in a study</a> from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. But Lladanosa has found Levamisole in cocaine samples; dealers use it to increase the product weight, allowing them to stretch their batch further for greater profit—and also, she says, because Levamisole has a strong stimulant effect.</p>
<pname="7886"id="7886"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“It got me sick as fuck,” Dr. Feel, an Evolution user, wrote on the site’s forums after consuming cocaine that had been cut with 23 percent Levamisole, and later tested by Energy Control. “I was laid up in bed for several days because of that shit. The first night I did it, I thought I was going to die. I nearly drove myself to the ER.”</p>
<pname="18d3"id="18d3"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“More people die because of tainted drugs than the drugs themselves,” Dr. Feel added. “It’s the cuts and adulterants that are making people sick and killing them.”</p>
class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="nofollow">He set up a Bitcoin wallet</a>, with the hope that users might chip in
to fund further tests. At the time of writing, the wallet has received
a total of 1.81 bitcoins; around $430 at today’s exchange rates.</p>
<p
name="dcbd" id="dcbd" class="graf--p">In posts to the Evolution community, ScreamMyName pitched this project
as something that will benefit users and keep drug dealer honest. “When
the funds build up to a point where we can purchase an [Energy Control]
test fee, we’ll do a US thread poll for a few days and try to cohesively
decide on what vendor to test,” he continued.</p>
<pname="839a"id="839a"class="graf--p">The particular case of cocaine cut with Levamisole is one of the reasons that ScreamMyName has been pushing for more drug testing on the deep web markets. “I recognize that drug use isn’t exactly healthy, but why exacerbate the problem?” he told me when I contacted him after his post. “[Energy Control] provides a way for users to test the drugs they’ll use and for these very users to know what it is they’re putting in their bodies. Such services are in very short supply.”</p>
<pname="18dc"id="18dc"class="graf--p">After sending a number of Energy Control tests himself, ScreamMyName started a de facto crowd-sourcing campaign to get more drugs sent to the lab, and then shared the results, after throwing in some cash to get the ball rolling. <ahref="https://blockchain.info/address/1Mi6VjMFqjcD48FPV7cnPB24MAtQQenRy3"data-href="https://blockchain.info/address/1Mi6VjMFqjcD48FPV7cnPB24MAtQQenRy3"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">He set up a Bitcoin wallet</a>, with the hope that users might chip in to fund further tests. At the time of writing, the wallet has received a total of 1.81 bitcoins; around $430 at today’s exchange rates.</p>
<pname="dcbd"id="dcbd"class="graf--p">In posts to the Evolution community, ScreamMyName pitched this project as something that will benefit users and keep drug dealer honest. “When the funds build up to a point where we can purchase an [Energy Control] test fee, we’ll do a US thread poll for a few days and try to cohesively decide on what vendor to test,” he continued.</p>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption">Photo by Joan Bardeletti</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<divclass="section-inner layoutSingleColumn">
<pname="bff6"id="bff6"class="graf--p">Other members of the community have been helping out, too. PlutoPete,
a vendor from the original Silk Road who sold cannabis seeds and other
legal items, has provided ScreamMyName with packaging to safely send the
samples to Barcelona. “A box of baggies, and a load of different moisture
barrier bags,” PlutoPete told me over the phone. “That’s what all the vendors
use.”</p>
<pname="bb78"id="bb78"class="graf--p">It’s a modest program so far. ScreamMyName told me that so far he had
gotten enough public funding to purchase five different Energy Control
tests, in addition to the ten or so he’s sent himself so far. “The program
created is still in its infancy and it is growing and changing as we go
along but I have a lot of faith in what we’re doing,” he says.</p>
<pname="5638"
id="5638" class="graf--p">But the spirit is contagious: elmo666, the other deep web user testing
cocaine, originally kept the results of the drug tests to himself, but
he, too, saw a benefit to distributing the data. “It is clear that it is
a useful service to other users, keeping vendors honest and drugs (and
their users) safe,” he told me. He started to report his findings to others
on the forums, and then created a thread with summaries of the test results,
as well as comments from the vendors if they provided it. Other users were
soon basing their decisions on what to buy on elmo666‘s tests.</p>
<pname="de75"
id="de75" class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I’m defo trying the cola based on the incredibly helpful elmo and his
energy control results and recommendations,” wrote user jayk1984. On top
of this, elmo666 plans to launch an independent site on the deep web that
will collate all of these results, which should act as a resource for users
of all the marketplaces.</p>
<pname="6b72"id="6b72"class="graf--p">As word of elmo666's efforts spread, he began getting requests from drug
dealers who wanted him to use their wares for testing. Clearly, they figured
that a positive result from Energy Control would be a fantastic marketing
tool to draw more customers. They even offered elmo666 free samples. (He
passed.)</p>
<pname="b008"id="b008"class="graf--p">Meanwhile, some in the purchasing community are arguing that those running
markets on the deep web should be providing quality control themselves.
PlutoPete told me over the phone that he had been in discussions about
this with Dread Pirate Roberts, the pseudonymous owner of the original
Silk Road site. “We [had been] talking about that on a more organized basis
on Silk Road 1, doing lots of anonymous buys to police each category. But
of course they took the thing [Silk Road] down before we got it properly
off the ground,” he lamented.</p>
<pname="49c8"id="49c8"class="graf--p">But perhaps it is best that the users, those who are actually consuming
the drugs, remain in charge of shaming dealers and warning each other.
“It’s our responsibility to police the market based on reviews and feedback,”
elmo666 wrote in an Evolution forum post. It seems that in the lawless
space of the deep web, where everything from child porn to weapons are
sold openly, users have cooperated in an organic display of self-regulation
to stamp out those particular batches of drugs that are more likely to
harm users.</p>
<pname="386d"id="386d"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“That’s always been the case with the deep web,” PlutoPete told me. Indeed,
ever since Silk Road, a stable of the drug markets has been the review
system, where buyers can leave a rating and feedback for vendors, letting
others know about the reliability of the seller. But DoctorX’s lab, rigorously
testing the products with scientific instruments, takes it a step further.</p>
<pname="bff6"id="bff6"class="graf--p">Other members of the community have been helping out, too. PlutoPete, a vendor from the original Silk Road who sold cannabis seeds and other legal items, has provided ScreamMyName with packaging to safely send the samples to Barcelona. “A box of baggies, and a load of different moisture barrier bags,” PlutoPete told me over the phone. “That’s what all the vendors use.”</p>
<pname="bb78"id="bb78"class="graf--p">It’s a modest program so far. ScreamMyName told me that so far he had gotten enough public funding to purchase five different Energy Control tests, in addition to the ten or so he’s sent himself so far. “The program created is still in its infancy and it is growing and changing as we go along but I have a lot of faith in what we’re doing,” he says.</p>
<pname="5638"id="5638"class="graf--p">But the spirit is contagious: elmo666, the other deep web user testing cocaine, originally kept the results of the drug tests to himself, but he, too, saw a benefit to distributing the data. “It is clear that it is a useful service to other users, keeping vendors honest and drugs (and their users) safe,” he told me. He started to report his findings to others on the forums, and then created a thread with summaries of the test results, as well as comments from the vendors if they provided it. Other users were soon basing their decisions on what to buy on elmo666‘s tests.</p>
<pname="de75"id="de75"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I’m defo trying the cola based on the incredibly helpful elmo and his energy control results and recommendations,” wrote user jayk1984. On top of this, elmo666 plans to launch an independent site on the deep web that will collate all of these results, which should act as a resource for users of all the marketplaces.</p>
<pname="6b72"id="6b72"class="graf--p">As word of elmo666's efforts spread, he began getting requests from drug dealers who wanted him to use their wares for testing. Clearly, they figured that a positive result from Energy Control would be a fantastic marketing tool to draw more customers. They even offered elmo666 free samples. (He passed.)</p>
<pname="b008"id="b008"class="graf--p">Meanwhile, some in the purchasing community are arguing that those running markets on the deep web should be providing quality control themselves. PlutoPete told me over the phone that he had been in discussions about this with Dread Pirate Roberts, the pseudonymous owner of the original Silk Road site. “We [had been] talking about that on a more organized basis on Silk Road 1, doing lots of anonymous buys to police each category. But of course they took the thing [Silk Road] down before we got it properly off the ground,” he lamented.</p>
<pname="49c8"id="49c8"class="graf--p">But perhaps it is best that the users, those who are actually consuming the drugs, remain in charge of shaming dealers and warning each other. “It’s our responsibility to police the market based on reviews and feedback,” elmo666 wrote in an Evolution forum post. It seems that in the lawless space of the deep web, where everything from child porn to weapons are sold openly, users have cooperated in an organic display of self-regulation to stamp out those particular batches of drugs that are more likely to harm users.</p>
<pname="386d"id="386d"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“That’s always been the case with the deep web,” PlutoPete told me. Indeed, ever since Silk Road, a stable of the drug markets has been the review system, where buyers can leave a rating and feedback for vendors, letting others know about the reliability of the seller. But DoctorX’s lab, rigorously testing the products with scientific instruments, takes it a step further.</p>
<pname="b109"id="b109"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“In the white market, they have quality control. In the dark market, it should be the same,” Cristina Gil Lladanosa says to me before I leave the Barcelona lab.</p>
<pname="e3a4"id="e3a4"class="graf--p">A week after I visit the lab, the results of the MDMA arrive in my inbox: it is 85 percent pure, with no indications of other active ingredients. Whoever ordered that sample from the digital shelves of the deep web, and had it shipped to their doorstep in Canada, got hold of some seriously good, and relatively safe drugs. And now they know it.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="58a492029dca5e6a6e481d21b6b2933a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"data-chomp-id="n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a043044f9b3e31fd85568b17e3b1b5f3"class="first-text"><span>We all buy things from time to time that we don't really need. It's okay to appeal to your wants every once in a while, as long as you're in control. If you struggle with clutter, impulse buys, and buyer's remorse, here's how to put your mind in the right place before you even set foot in a store.</span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="58a492029dca5e6a6e481d21b6b2933a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"data-chomp-id="n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a043044f9b3e31fd85568b17e3b1b5f3"class="first-text"><span>We all buy things from time to time that we don't really need. It's okay to appeal to your wants every once in a while, as long as you're in control. If you struggle with clutter, impulse buys, and buyer's remorse, here's how to put your mind in the right place before you even set foot in a store.</span></p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="e51cbbc52eb8c3b33571908351076cf7"><strong>Understand How Your Own Brain Works Against You</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="268f7702467d33e3b0972dd09f1cf0a6"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"data-chomp-id="o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="32604538f84919efff270e87b61191a1">It may come as no surprise to learn that stores employ all kinds of tricks
to get you to part ways with your cash, and your brain plays right along.
Through psychological tricks, product placement, and even color, stores
are designed from the ground up to increase spending. We've talked about
the biggest things stores do to manipulate your senses, but here are some
of the biggest things to look out for:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="268f7702467d33e3b0972dd09f1cf0a6"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"data-chomp-id="o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="32604538f84919efff270e87b61191a1">It may come as no surprise to learn that stores employ all kinds of tricks to get you to part ways with your cash, and your brain plays right along. Through psychological tricks, product placement, and even color, stores are designed from the ground up to increase spending. We've talked about the biggest things stores do to manipulate your senses, but here are some of the biggest things to look out for:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="cd748c8b681c781cdd728c5e17b5e05f"><strong>Color:</strong> Stores use color to make products attractive and
eye-catching, but they also use color on price labels. Red stands out and
can encourage taking action, that's why it's commonly associated with sale
signage and advertising. When you see red, remember what they're trying
to do to your brain with that color. You don't to buy something just because
it's on sale.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="29c11c0aec305293be282aa91f8fbc3d"><strong>Navigation Roadblocks:</strong> Stores force you to walk around
stuff you don't need to find the stuff you are really after. Have a list
of what you need before you go in, go straight to it, and imagine it's
the only item in the store.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="252dc7e4a924d12c2d913861ab118bf5"><strong>The Touch Factor:</strong> Stores place items they want to sell
in easy to reach locations and encourage you to touch them. Don't do it!
As soon as you pick something up, you're more likely to buy it because
your mind suddenly takes ownership of the object. Don't pick anything up
and don't play with display items.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="05dde4d44056798acff5890759134a64"><strong>Scents and Sounds:</strong> You'll probably hear classic, upbeat
tunes when you walk into a store. The upbeat music makes you happy and
excited, while playing familiar songs makes you feel comfortable. They
also use pleasant smells to put your mind at ease. A happy, comfortable
mind at ease is a dangerous combination for your brain when shopping. There's
not much you can do to avoid this unless you shop online, but it's good
to be aware of it.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="cd748c8b681c781cdd728c5e17b5e05f"><strong>Color:</strong> Stores use color to make products attractive and eye-catching, but they also use color on price labels. Red stands out and can encourage taking action, that's why it's commonly associated with sale signage and advertising. When you see red, remember what they're trying to do to your brain with that color. You don't to buy something just because it's on sale.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="29c11c0aec305293be282aa91f8fbc3d"><strong>Navigation Roadblocks:</strong> Stores force you to walk around stuff you don't need to find the stuff you are really after. Have a list of what you need before you go in, go straight to it, and imagine it's the only item in the store.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="252dc7e4a924d12c2d913861ab118bf5"><strong>The Touch Factor:</strong> Stores place items they want to sell in easy to reach locations and encourage you to touch them. Don't do it! As soon as you pick something up, you're more likely to buy it because your mind suddenly takes ownership of the object. Don't pick anything up and don't play with display items.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="05dde4d44056798acff5890759134a64"><strong>Scents and Sounds:</strong> You'll probably hear classic, upbeat tunes when you walk into a store. The upbeat music makes you happy and excited, while playing familiar songs makes you feel comfortable. They also use pleasant smells to put your mind at ease. A happy, comfortable mind at ease is a dangerous combination for your brain when shopping. There's not much you can do to avoid this unless you shop online, but it's good to be aware of it.</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1eb4a4df2a670927c5d9e9641ebf9d40">And sure, we can blame the stores all we want, but you won't change how
they operate—you can only be aware of how your <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-stores-manipulate-your-senses-so-you-spend-more-mon-475987594"
x-inset="1">brain is falling for their tricks</a>. Even without the stores,
<pdata-textannotation-id="89992f1ca493b248eea6ed1772326c46">For example, confirmation bias makes you only believe the information
that conforms to your prior beliefs, while you discount everything else.
Advertisers appeal to this bias directly by convincing you one item is
better than another with imagery and other tricks, regardless of what hard
facts might say. Keep your mind open, do your own research, and accept
when you're wrong about a product. The Decoy effect is also a commonly
used tactic. You think one product is a deal because it's next to a similar
product that's priced way higher. Even if it's a product you need, it's
probably not as good of a deal as it looks right then and there. Again,
always research beforehand and be on the lookout for this common trick
to avoid impulse buys.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1eb4a4df2a670927c5d9e9641ebf9d40">And sure, we can blame the stores all we want, but you won't change how they operate—you can only be aware of how your <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-stores-manipulate-your-senses-so-you-spend-more-mon-475987594"x-inset="1">brain is falling for their tricks</a>. Even without the stores, <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5968125/how-your-brain-corrupts-your-shopping-choices"x-inset="1">your brain is working against you on its own</a>, thanks to some simple cognitive biases.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="89992f1ca493b248eea6ed1772326c46">For example, confirmation bias makes you only believe the information that conforms to your prior beliefs, while you discount everything else. Advertisers appeal to this bias directly by convincing you one item is better than another with imagery and other tricks, regardless of what hard facts might say. Keep your mind open, do your own research, and accept when you're wrong about a product. The Decoy effect is also a commonly used tactic. You think one product is a deal because it's next to a similar product that's priced way higher. Even if it's a product you need, it's probably not as good of a deal as it looks right then and there. Again, always research beforehand and be on the lookout for this common trick to avoid impulse buys.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="eedde8c384145f2593efc2a15a4d79de"><strong>Make a List of </strong><em><strong>Everything</strong></em><strong> You Own and Do Some Decluttering</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="8044cf9aab698fd28931acd90ba96f7a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"data-chomp-id="xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a2a886d841e5aed848cdf7088edde4ea">Now that you know what you're up against, it's time to start changing
the way you think. Before you can stop buying crap you don't need, you
need to identify what that crap is. The first step is to make a list of
<pdata-textannotation-id="bbe57b7aa20b48550e5f66b7c530822c">The purpose of this exercise is twofold: you see what you already have
and don't need to ever buy again, and you get to see what you shouldn't
have bought in the first place. As you list everything out, separate items
into categories. It's extremely important that you are as honest with yourself
as possible while you do this. It's also important you actually write this
all down or type it all out. Here is the first set of categories to separate
everything into:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="8044cf9aab698fd28931acd90ba96f7a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"data-chomp-id="xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a2a886d841e5aed848cdf7088edde4ea">Now that you know what you're up against, it's time to start changing the way you think. Before you can stop buying crap you don't need, you need to identify what that crap is. The first step is to make a list of <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-defeat-the-urge-to-binge-shop-1468216943"x-inset="1">every single thing you own</a>. <strong>Every. Single. Thing</strong>. This might sound extreme, but you need to gather your data so you can start reprogramming your mind.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bbe57b7aa20b48550e5f66b7c530822c">The purpose of this exercise is twofold: you see what you already have and don't need to ever buy again, and you get to see what you shouldn't have bought in the first place. As you list everything out, separate items into categories. It's extremely important that you are as honest with yourself as possible while you do this. It's also important you actually write this all down or type it all out. Here is the first set of categories to separate everything into:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8d7dc912152eddd0e3d56e28ad79e6f2"><strong>Need:</strong> You absolutely need this item to get by on a day
to day basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="6f60a79627f0746d1f611999251e9f1b"><strong>Sometimes Need:</strong> You don't need this item every day, but
you use it on a somewhat regular basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54e10b108f95548966b657bd90fdbed4"><strong>Want:</strong> You bought this item because you wanted it, not
because you needed it.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="26c461a85fbc78651be442e205cac58b"><strong>Crap:</strong> You don't have a good reason why you have it and
you already know it needs to go (there's probably a few of these items,
at least).</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8d7dc912152eddd0e3d56e28ad79e6f2"><strong>Need:</strong> You absolutely need this item to get by on a day to day basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="6f60a79627f0746d1f611999251e9f1b"><strong>Sometimes Need:</strong> You don't need this item every day, but you use it on a somewhat regular basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54e10b108f95548966b657bd90fdbed4"><strong>Want:</strong> You bought this item because you wanted it, not because you needed it.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="26c461a85fbc78651be442e205cac58b"><strong>Crap:</strong> You don't have a good reason why you have it and you already know it needs to go (there's probably a few of these items, at least).</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="5743cf753f68fd8ee3443cc0f8e815dd">Leave the things you listed as "needs" alone, put your stuff listed as
"crap" in a pile or box to go bye-bye, and move your attention back to
your "sometimes need" and "want" lists. You need to go back over both of
those lists because you probably fudged some of the listings, either subconsciously
or intentionally. Now ask yourself these three questions as you go through
both the "sometimes need" and "want" lists:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="5743cf753f68fd8ee3443cc0f8e815dd">Leave the things you listed as "needs" alone, put your stuff listed as "crap" in a pile or box to go bye-bye, and move your attention back to your "sometimes need" and "want" lists. You need to go back over both of those lists because you probably fudged some of the listings, either subconsciously or intentionally. Now ask yourself these three questions as you go through both the "sometimes need" and "want" lists:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="2048d6c0436bd34811442d6df32989a4">When was the last time I used this?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="3f4b3686d822171b35e27bf1afde530b">When will I use this again?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="63728605cc4fa66f5b225f674d12bbff">Does this item <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/declutter-by-asking-one-question-does-this-spark-joy-1651256422">bring you joy</a>?</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="816cd504161fecc6f3e173779b33d5db">Remember to be honest and adjust your lists accordingly. There's nothing
wrong with keeping things you wanted. Material items can <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-buy-happiness-the-purchases-most-likely-to-brin-1681780686">bring happiness to many people</a>,
but make sure the items on your "want" list actively provide you joy and
are being used. If an item doesn't get much use or doesn't make you happy,
add it to the "crap" list.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="675103d9c0da55e95f93c53bb019f864">Once you have everything organized, it's time to do some serious decluttering.
This listing exercise should get you started, but there are <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5957609/how-to-kick-your-clutter-habit-and-live-in-a-clean-house-once-and-for-all">a lot of other great ideas</a> when
it comes to ditching the junk you don't need. Regardless, everything on
your "crap" list needs to go. You can donate it, sell it at a yard sale,
give it away to people know, whatever you like. Before you get rid of everything,
though, take a picture of all your stuff together. Print out or save the
picture somewhere. Some of it was probably gifts, but in general, this
is all the crap you bought that you don't need. Take a good look and remember
it.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="816cd504161fecc6f3e173779b33d5db">Remember to be honest and adjust your lists accordingly. There's nothing wrong with keeping things you wanted. Material items can <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-buy-happiness-the-purchases-most-likely-to-brin-1681780686">bring happiness to many people</a>, but make sure the items on your "want" list actively provide you joy and are being used. If an item doesn't get much use or doesn't make you happy, add it to the "crap" list.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="675103d9c0da55e95f93c53bb019f864">Once you have everything organized, it's time to do some serious decluttering. This listing exercise should get you started, but there are <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5957609/how-to-kick-your-clutter-habit-and-live-in-a-clean-house-once-and-for-all">a lot of other great ideas</a> when it comes to ditching the junk you don't need. Regardless, everything on your "crap" list needs to go. You can donate it, sell it at a yard sale, give it away to people know, whatever you like. Before you get rid of everything, though, take a picture of all your stuff together. Print out or save the picture somewhere. Some of it was probably gifts, but in general, this is all the crap you bought that you don't need. Take a good look and remember it.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="f15ab0a628b159459f095f04fef851ba"><strong>See How Much Money and Time You Spent on the Stuff You Threw Out</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bc2f55587bf4ab07a1852a8d26217233"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"data-chomp-id="qodag11euf2npkawkn9v"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="95ab4fe30c3ade42a8011966ea54aa0b">Now take a look at your "crap" list again and start calculating how much
you spent on all of it. If it was a gift, mark it as $0. Otherwise, figure
out the price of the item at the time you bought it. If you got a deal
or bought it on sale it's okay to factor that in, but try to be as accurate
as possible. Once you have the price for each item, add it all together.
Depending on your spending habits this could possibly be in the hundreds
to thousands of dollars. Remember the picture you took of all this stuff?
Attach the total cost to the picture so you can see both at the same time.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="f654efec679064b15826d8ee20bc94e4">With the money cost figured out, you should take a look at the other costs
too. Time is a resource just like any other, and it's a finite one. What
kind of time did you pour into these things? Consider the time you spent
acquiring and using these items, then write it all down. These can be rough
estimations, but go ahead and add it all up when you think you've got it.
Now attach the total time to same picture as before and think of the other
ways you could have spent all that time. This isn't to make you feel bad
about yourself, just to deliver information to your brain in an easy-to-understand
form. When you look at it all like this, it can open your eyes a little
more, and help you think about purchases in the future. You'll look at
an item and ask yourself, "Will this just end up in the picture?"</p>
<h3
data-textannotation-id="6342bf7f15d9eddd21489c23e51ca434"><strong>List Every Non-Material Thing In Your Life that Makes You Happy</strong>
</h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bafeac1c3808e0d2900190979f058b2c"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"data-chomp-id="imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4bd8fbaabb33ff1cb5dc93c16e1f83cc">Now it's time to make a different list. While material items may bring
plenty of joy, the things in your life that make you happiest probably
can't be bought. Get a separate piece of paper or create a new document
and list out everything in your life that makes you happy. If you can't
buy it, it's eligible for the list. It doesn't matter if it only makes
you crack a smile or makes you jump for joy, list it out.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="104a646a62ad7a0cfb4e3ff086185fdc"><span>These are probably the things that actually make you want to get out of bed in the morning and keep on keepin' on. Once you have it all down, put it in your purse or wallet. The next time you feel the urge to buy something, whip this list out first and remind yourself why you probably don't need it.</span>
</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="532cf992ff45d52de501c1a8f80fc152"><strong>Spend Some Time Away from Material Things to Gain Perspective</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="64f5c7155ad89bd2835399d33c1ae28a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"data-chomp-id="afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="84554492c487779e921b98fb64222177">If you're having a really hard time with your spending, it can help to
get away from material objects completely. When you're constantly surrounded
by stuff and have access to buying things at all times, it can be really
tough to break the habit. Spend a day in the park enjoying the sights and
sounds of the outdoors, go camping with some friends, or hike a trail you
haven't been on before.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="b44add1c7b690705d672186e3a9604b6">Essentially, you want to show yourself that you don't need your "things"
to have a good time. When you realize how much fun you can have without
all the trinkets and trivets, you'll start to shut down your desire to
buy them. If you can't get really get away right now, just go for a walk
without your purse or wallet (but carry your ID). If you can't buy anything,
you'll be forced to experience things a different way.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="98c11bebae0bbcdbe8411df0186d6465"><strong>Develop a Personal "Should I Buy This?" Test</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="ff438b878771354bb7f6d065ff50dbb2"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"data-chomp-id="s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4af04ae83f18d9c37da21527bcd4a290">If you don't have a personal "should I buy this?" test, now's the perfect
time to make one. When you find an item you think you need or want, it
has to pass all of the questions you have on your test before you can buy
it. Here's where you can use all of the data you've gathered so far and
put it to really good use. The test should be personalized to your own
buying habits, but here are some example questions:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="fcfd78b1619bdf0b7330f4b40efb899d">Is this a planned purchase?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="c16e7d5feae7cc2c3c6a8dd312ea206f">Will it end up in the "crap" list picture one day?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54d877fdee56080c87508fc9e6402889"><ahref="http://lifehacker.com/prevent-clutter-by-asking-yourself-where-items-will-go-1649480461">Where am I going to put it</a>?</li>
<li
data-textannotation-id="59d5245217c84e6b2b2969b3492f2f2d">Have I included this in my budget?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8fe1582808b4d89f5c88c2708744d27d"><em>Why</em> do I want/need it?</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="0162d779382cdc7de908fc1488af3940">Custom build your test to hit all of your weaknesses. If you make a lot
of impulse buys, include questions that address that. If you experience
a lot of buyer's remorse, include a lot of questions that make you think
about the use of item after you buy it. If buying the latest and greatest
technology is your weakness, Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist suggests
you ask yourself <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/marriage-hacks/">what problem the piece of tech solves</a>.
If you can't think of anything it solves or if you already have something
that solves it, you don't need it. Be thorough and build a test that you
can run through your mind every time you consider buying something.</p>
<h3
data-textannotation-id="c0ed0882675acc340dcd88e13ca514b3"><strong>Learn to Delay Gratification and Destroy the Urge to Impulse Buy</strong>
</h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1d43712fc5ce8f156e4661cca5750575"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"data-chomp-id="y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="3d8086719c5da749f877629d498ccab9">When it comes to the unnecessary crap we buy, impulse purchases probably
make up a good deal of them. We love to feel gratification instantly and
impulse buys appeal to that with a rush of excitement with each new purchase.
We like to believe that we have control over our impulses all the time,
but we really don't, and that's a major problem for the ol' wallet.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="620ca9836425e09ec7fa50bfad204665">The key is teaching your brain that it's okay to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/overcome-the-need-for-instant-gratification-by-delaying-1636938356">wait for gratification</a>.
You can do this with a simple time out every time you want something. Look
at whatever you're thinking of buying, go through your personal "should
I buy this?" test, and then walk away for a little while. Planning your
purchases ahead is ideal, so the longer you can hold off, the better. Set
yourself a reminder to check on the item <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5859632/buyers-remorse-is-inevitable-how-to-make-purchases-you-really-wont-regret">a week or month down the line</a>.
When you come back to it, you may find that you don't even want it, just
the gratification that would come with it. If you're shopping online, you
can do the same thing. Walk away from your desk or put your phone in your
pocket and do something else for a little while.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a85d9eb501c898234ac5df2a56c50a13">You can also avoid online impulse purchases by <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5919833/how-to-avoid-impulse-purchases-in-the-internet-shopping-age"
x-inset="1">making it harder to do</a>. Block shopping web sites during
time periods you know you're at your weakest, or remove all of your saved
credit card or Paypal information. You can also <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5569035/practice-the-halt-method-to-curb-impulse-purchases"
x-inset="1">practice the "HALT" method</a> when you're shopping online or
in a store. Try not to buy things when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or
Tired because you're at your weakest state mentally. Last, but not least,
the "<ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5320196/use-the-stranger-test-to-reduce-impulse-purchases"
x-inset="1">stranger test</a>" can help you weed out bad purchases too.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="27385752c06848647540ad931892b21e">The last thing you should consider when it comes to impulse buys is "artificial
replacement." As Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar explains, artificial replacement
can happen when you start to <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/balancing-spending-and-time-how-time-frugality-can-save-you-lots-of-cash/">reduce the time</a> you
<pdata-textannotation-id="7b98c5809df24dd04bb65285878c0335">Whenever I consistently cut quality time for my main interests out of
my life, I start to long for them. As you saw in that "typical" day, I
do make room for spending time with my family, but my other two main interests
are absent. If that happens too many days in a row, I start to really miss
reading. I start to really miss playing thoughtful board games with friends.
What happens after that? <strong>I start to substitute.</strong> When I don't
have the opportunity to sit down for an hour or even for half an hour and
really get lost in a book, I start looking for an alternative way to fill
in the tiny slices of time that I do have. I'll spend money.</p>
</blockquote>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4b6cc2900ffacd3daef54b13b4caceac">You probably have things in your life that provide plenty of gratification,
so don't get caught substituting it with impulse buys. Always make sure
you keep yourself happy with plenty of time doing the things you like to
do and you won't be subconsciously trying to fill that void with useless
crap.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="aed9b435c4ed23e573c453ceeb34ed18"><strong>Turn the Money You Save Into More Money</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="21154394d63f1943d01f2b717aa31115"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"data-chomp-id="atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="6141942e977cc058fd7a0fa06a3f7389">Once you've programmed your mind to stop buying crap you don't need, you'll
have some extra cash to play with. Take all that money and start putting
it toward your future and things you <em>will</em> need further down the
road. You might need <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-start-saving-for-a-home-down-payment-1541254056">a home</a>,
a vehicle, or a way to retire, but none of that can happen until you start
planning for it.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="90f08afddc08e2c3b45c266f2e6965ec">Start by paying off any debts you already have. Credit cards, student
loans, and even car payments can force you to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-break-the-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-cycle-1445330680">live paycheck to paycheck</a>.
Use the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5940989/pay-off-small-balances-first-for-better-odds-of-eliminating-all-your-debt">snowball method</a> and
pay off some small balances to make you feel motivated, then start taking
out your debt in full force with the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-pay-off-your-debt-using-the-stack-method-576070292">stacking method</a>:
stop creating new debt, determine which balances have the highest interest
rates, and create a payment schedule to pay them off efficiently.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="1106cb837deb2b6fc8e28ba98f078c27">With your debts whittled down, you should start an emergency fund. No
matter how well you plan things, accidents and health emergencies can still
happen. An emergency fund is designed to make those kinds of events more
manageable. This type of savings account is strictly for when life throws
you a curveball, but you can grow one pretty easily <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-grow-an-emergency-fund-from-modest-savings-1638409351">with only modest savings</a>.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="347c2a36f114a794d559d929da1b15b7">When you've paid off your debt and prepared yourself for troubled times,
you can start saving for the big stuff. All that money you're not spending
on crap anymore can be saved, invested, and compounded to let you buy comfort
and security. If you don't know where to start, talk to a financial planner.
Or create a simple, yet effective <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-build-an-easy-beginner-set-and-forget-investm-1686878594"
x-inset="1">"set and forget" investment portfolio</a>. You've worked hard
to reprogram your mind, so make sure you reap the benefits for many years
<pdata-textannotation-id="bc2f55587bf4ab07a1852a8d26217233"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"data-chomp-id="qodag11euf2npkawkn9v"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="95ab4fe30c3ade42a8011966ea54aa0b">Now take a look at your "crap" list again and start calculating how much you spent on all of it. If it was a gift, mark it as $0. Otherwise, figure out the price of the item at the time you bought it. If you got a deal or bought it on sale it's okay to factor that in, but try to be as accurate as possible. Once you have the price for each item, add it all together. Depending on your spending habits this could possibly be in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Remember the picture you took of all this stuff? Attach the total cost to the picture so you can see both at the same time.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="f654efec679064b15826d8ee20bc94e4">With the money cost figured out, you should take a look at the other costs too. Time is a resource just like any other, and it's a finite one. What kind of time did you pour into these things? Consider the time you spent acquiring and using these items, then write it all down. These can be rough estimations, but go ahead and add it all up when you think you've got it. Now attach the total time to same picture as before and think of the other ways you could have spent all that time. This isn't to make you feel bad about yourself, just to deliver information to your brain in an easy-to-understand form. When you look at it all like this, it can open your eyes a little more, and help you think about purchases in the future. You'll look at an item and ask yourself, "Will this just end up in the picture?"</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="6342bf7f15d9eddd21489c23e51ca434"><strong>List Every Non-Material Thing In Your Life that Makes You Happy</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bafeac1c3808e0d2900190979f058b2c"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"data-chomp-id="imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4bd8fbaabb33ff1cb5dc93c16e1f83cc">Now it's time to make a different list. While material items may bring plenty of joy, the things in your life that make you happiest probably can't be bought. Get a separate piece of paper or create a new document and list out everything in your life that makes you happy. If you can't buy it, it's eligible for the list. It doesn't matter if it only makes you crack a smile or makes you jump for joy, list it out. </p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="104a646a62ad7a0cfb4e3ff086185fdc"><span>These are probably the things that actually make you want to get out of bed in the morning and keep on keepin' on. Once you have it all down, put it in your purse or wallet. The next time you feel the urge to buy something, whip this list out first and remind yourself why you probably don't need it.</span></p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="532cf992ff45d52de501c1a8f80fc152"><strong>Spend Some Time Away from Material Things to Gain Perspective</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="64f5c7155ad89bd2835399d33c1ae28a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"data-chomp-id="afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="84554492c487779e921b98fb64222177">If you're having a really hard time with your spending, it can help to get away from material objects completely. When you're constantly surrounded by stuff and have access to buying things at all times, it can be really tough to break the habit. Spend a day in the park enjoying the sights and sounds of the outdoors, go camping with some friends, or hike a trail you haven't been on before. </p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="b44add1c7b690705d672186e3a9604b6">Essentially, you want to show yourself that you don't need your "things" to have a good time. When you realize how much fun you can have without all the trinkets and trivets, you'll start to shut down your desire to buy them. If you can't get really get away right now, just go for a walk without your purse or wallet (but carry your ID). If you can't buy anything, you'll be forced to experience things a different way.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="98c11bebae0bbcdbe8411df0186d6465"><strong>Develop a Personal "Should I Buy This?" Test</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="ff438b878771354bb7f6d065ff50dbb2"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"data-chomp-id="s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4af04ae83f18d9c37da21527bcd4a290">If you don't have a personal "should I buy this?" test, now's the perfect time to make one. When you find an item you think you need or want, it has to pass all of the questions you have on your test before you can buy it. Here's where you can use all of the data you've gathered so far and put it to really good use. The test should be personalized to your own buying habits, but here are some example questions:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="fcfd78b1619bdf0b7330f4b40efb899d">Is this a planned purchase?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="c16e7d5feae7cc2c3c6a8dd312ea206f">Will it end up in the "crap" list picture one day?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54d877fdee56080c87508fc9e6402889"><ahref="http://lifehacker.com/prevent-clutter-by-asking-yourself-where-items-will-go-1649480461">Where am I going to put it</a>?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="59d5245217c84e6b2b2969b3492f2f2d">Have I included this in my budget?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8fe1582808b4d89f5c88c2708744d27d"><em>Why</em> do I want/need it?</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="0162d779382cdc7de908fc1488af3940">Custom build your test to hit all of your weaknesses. If you make a lot of impulse buys, include questions that address that. If you experience a lot of buyer's remorse, include a lot of questions that make you think about the use of item after you buy it. If buying the latest and greatest technology is your weakness, Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist suggests you ask yourself <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/marriage-hacks/">what problem the piece of tech solves</a>. If you can't think of anything it solves or if you already have something that solves it, you don't need it. Be thorough and build a test that you can run through your mind every time you consider buying something.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="c0ed0882675acc340dcd88e13ca514b3"><strong>Learn to Delay Gratification and Destroy the Urge to Impulse Buy</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1d43712fc5ce8f156e4661cca5750575"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"data-chomp-id="y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="3d8086719c5da749f877629d498ccab9">When it comes to the unnecessary crap we buy, impulse purchases probably make up a good deal of them. We love to feel gratification instantly and impulse buys appeal to that with a rush of excitement with each new purchase. We like to believe that we have control over our impulses all the time, but we really don't, and that's a major problem for the ol' wallet.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="620ca9836425e09ec7fa50bfad204665">The key is teaching your brain that it's okay to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/overcome-the-need-for-instant-gratification-by-delaying-1636938356">wait for gratification</a>. You can do this with a simple time out every time you want something. Look at whatever you're thinking of buying, go through your personal "should I buy this?" test, and then walk away for a little while. Planning your purchases ahead is ideal, so the longer you can hold off, the better. Set yourself a reminder to check on the item <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5859632/buyers-remorse-is-inevitable-how-to-make-purchases-you-really-wont-regret">a week or month down the line</a>. When you come back to it, you may find that you don't even want it, just the gratification that would come with it. If you're shopping online, you can do the same thing. Walk away from your desk or put your phone in your pocket and do something else for a little while.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a85d9eb501c898234ac5df2a56c50a13">You can also avoid online impulse purchases by <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5919833/how-to-avoid-impulse-purchases-in-the-internet-shopping-age"x-inset="1">making it harder to do</a>. Block shopping web sites during time periods you know you're at your weakest, or remove all of your saved credit card or Paypal information. You can also <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5569035/practice-the-halt-method-to-curb-impulse-purchases"x-inset="1">practice the "HALT" method</a> when you're shopping online or in a store. Try not to buy things when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired because you're at your weakest state mentally. Last, but not least, the "<ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5320196/use-the-stranger-test-to-reduce-impulse-purchases"x-inset="1">stranger test</a>" can help you weed out bad purchases too.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="27385752c06848647540ad931892b21e">The last thing you should consider when it comes to impulse buys is "artificial replacement." As Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar explains, artificial replacement can happen when you start to <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/balancing-spending-and-time-how-time-frugality-can-save-you-lots-of-cash/">reduce the time</a> you get with your main interests:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="7b98c5809df24dd04bb65285878c0335">Whenever I consistently cut quality time for my main interests out of my life, I start to long for them. As you saw in that "typical" day, I do make room for spending time with my family, but my other two main interests are absent. If that happens too many days in a row, I start to really miss reading. I start to really miss playing thoughtful board games with friends. What happens after that? <strong>I start to substitute.</strong> When I don't have the opportunity to sit down for an hour or even for half an hour and really get lost in a book, I start looking for an alternative way to fill in the tiny slices of time that I do have. I'll spend money.</p>
</blockquote>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4b6cc2900ffacd3daef54b13b4caceac">You probably have things in your life that provide plenty of gratification, so don't get caught substituting it with impulse buys. Always make sure you keep yourself happy with plenty of time doing the things you like to do and you won't be subconsciously trying to fill that void with useless crap.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="aed9b435c4ed23e573c453ceeb34ed18"><strong>Turn the Money You Save Into More Money</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="21154394d63f1943d01f2b717aa31115"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"data-chomp-id="atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="6141942e977cc058fd7a0fa06a3f7389">Once you've programmed your mind to stop buying crap you don't need, you'll have some extra cash to play with. Take all that money and start putting it toward your future and things you <em>will</em> need further down the road. You might need <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-start-saving-for-a-home-down-payment-1541254056">a home</a>, a vehicle, or a way to retire, but none of that can happen until you start planning for it. </p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="90f08afddc08e2c3b45c266f2e6965ec">Start by paying off any debts you already have. Credit cards, student loans, and even car payments can force you to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-break-the-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-cycle-1445330680">live paycheck to paycheck</a>. Use the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5940989/pay-off-small-balances-first-for-better-odds-of-eliminating-all-your-debt">snowball method</a> and pay off some small balances to make you feel motivated, then start taking out your debt in full force with the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-pay-off-your-debt-using-the-stack-method-576070292">stacking method</a>: stop creating new debt, determine which balances have the highest interest rates, and create a payment schedule to pay them off efficiently.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1106cb837deb2b6fc8e28ba98f078c27">With your debts whittled down, you should start an emergency fund. No matter how well you plan things, accidents and health emergencies can still happen. An emergency fund is designed to make those kinds of events more manageable. This type of savings account is strictly for when life throws you a curveball, but you can grow one pretty easily <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-grow-an-emergency-fund-from-modest-savings-1638409351">with only modest savings</a>.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="347c2a36f114a794d559d929da1b15b7">When you've paid off your debt and prepared yourself for troubled times, you can start saving for the big stuff. All that money you're not spending on crap anymore can be saved, invested, and compounded to let you buy comfort and security. If you don't know where to start, talk to a financial planner. Or create a simple, yet effective <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-build-an-easy-beginner-set-and-forget-investm-1686878594"x-inset="1">"set and forget" investment portfolio</a>. You've worked hard to reprogram your mind, so make sure you reap the benefits for many years to come.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="58a492029dca5e6a6e481d21b6b2933a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"data-chomp-id="n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a043044f9b3e31fd85568b17e3b1b5f3"class="first-text"><span>We all buy things from time to time that we don't really need. It's okay to appeal to your wants every once in a while, as long as you're in control. If you struggle with clutter, impulse buys, and buyer's remorse, here's how to put your mind in the right place before you even set foot in a store.</span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="58a492029dca5e6a6e481d21b6b2933a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"data-chomp-id="n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hqqO9fze--/n1s6c2m6kc07iqdyllj6.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a043044f9b3e31fd85568b17e3b1b5f3"class="first-text"><span>We all buy things from time to time that we don't really need. It's okay to appeal to your wants every once in a while, as long as you're in control. If you struggle with clutter, impulse buys, and buyer's remorse, here's how to put your mind in the right place before you even set foot in a store.</span></p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="e51cbbc52eb8c3b33571908351076cf7"><strong>Understand How Your Own Brain Works Against You</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="268f7702467d33e3b0972dd09f1cf0a6"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"data-chomp-id="o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="32604538f84919efff270e87b61191a1">It may come as no surprise to learn that stores employ all kinds of tricks
to get you to part ways with your cash, and your brain plays right along.
Through psychological tricks, product placement, and even color, stores
are designed from the ground up to increase spending. We've talked about
the biggest things stores do to manipulate your senses, but here are some
of the biggest things to look out for:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="268f7702467d33e3b0972dd09f1cf0a6"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"data-chomp-id="o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QeUTCiuW--/o4dpyrcbiqyfrc3bxx6p.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="32604538f84919efff270e87b61191a1">It may come as no surprise to learn that stores employ all kinds of tricks to get you to part ways with your cash, and your brain plays right along. Through psychological tricks, product placement, and even color, stores are designed from the ground up to increase spending. We've talked about the biggest things stores do to manipulate your senses, but here are some of the biggest things to look out for:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="cd748c8b681c781cdd728c5e17b5e05f"><strong>Color:</strong> Stores use color to make products attractive and
eye-catching, but they also use color on price labels. Red stands out and
can encourage taking action, that's why it's commonly associated with sale
signage and advertising. When you see red, remember what they're trying
to do to your brain with that color. You don't to buy something just because
it's on sale.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="29c11c0aec305293be282aa91f8fbc3d"><strong>Navigation Roadblocks:</strong> Stores force you to walk around
stuff you don't need to find the stuff you are really after. Have a list
of what you need before you go in, go straight to it, and imagine it's
the only item in the store.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="252dc7e4a924d12c2d913861ab118bf5"><strong>The Touch Factor:</strong> Stores place items they want to sell
in easy to reach locations and encourage you to touch them. Don't do it!
As soon as you pick something up, you're more likely to buy it because
your mind suddenly takes ownership of the object. Don't pick anything up
and don't play with display items.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="05dde4d44056798acff5890759134a64"><strong>Scents and Sounds:</strong> You'll probably hear classic, upbeat
tunes when you walk into a store. The upbeat music makes you happy and
excited, while playing familiar songs makes you feel comfortable. They
also use pleasant smells to put your mind at ease. A happy, comfortable
mind at ease is a dangerous combination for your brain when shopping. There's
not much you can do to avoid this unless you shop online, but it's good
to be aware of it.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="cd748c8b681c781cdd728c5e17b5e05f"><strong>Color:</strong> Stores use color to make products attractive and eye-catching, but they also use color on price labels. Red stands out and can encourage taking action, that's why it's commonly associated with sale signage and advertising. When you see red, remember what they're trying to do to your brain with that color. You don't to buy something just because it's on sale.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="29c11c0aec305293be282aa91f8fbc3d"><strong>Navigation Roadblocks:</strong> Stores force you to walk around stuff you don't need to find the stuff you are really after. Have a list of what you need before you go in, go straight to it, and imagine it's the only item in the store.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="252dc7e4a924d12c2d913861ab118bf5"><strong>The Touch Factor:</strong> Stores place items they want to sell in easy to reach locations and encourage you to touch them. Don't do it! As soon as you pick something up, you're more likely to buy it because your mind suddenly takes ownership of the object. Don't pick anything up and don't play with display items.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="05dde4d44056798acff5890759134a64"><strong>Scents and Sounds:</strong> You'll probably hear classic, upbeat tunes when you walk into a store. The upbeat music makes you happy and excited, while playing familiar songs makes you feel comfortable. They also use pleasant smells to put your mind at ease. A happy, comfortable mind at ease is a dangerous combination for your brain when shopping. There's not much you can do to avoid this unless you shop online, but it's good to be aware of it.</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1eb4a4df2a670927c5d9e9641ebf9d40">And sure, we can blame the stores all we want, but you won't change how
they operate—you can only be aware of how your <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-stores-manipulate-your-senses-so-you-spend-more-mon-475987594"
x-inset="1">brain is falling for their tricks</a>. Even without the stores,
<pdata-textannotation-id="89992f1ca493b248eea6ed1772326c46">For example, confirmation bias makes you only believe the information
that conforms to your prior beliefs, while you discount everything else.
Advertisers appeal to this bias directly by convincing you one item is
better than another with imagery and other tricks, regardless of what hard
facts might say. Keep your mind open, do your own research, and accept
when you're wrong about a product. The Decoy effect is also a commonly
used tactic. You think one product is a deal because it's next to a similar
product that's priced way higher. Even if it's a product you need, it's
probably not as good of a deal as it looks right then and there. Again,
always research beforehand and be on the lookout for this common trick
to avoid impulse buys.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1eb4a4df2a670927c5d9e9641ebf9d40">And sure, we can blame the stores all we want, but you won't change how they operate—you can only be aware of how your <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-stores-manipulate-your-senses-so-you-spend-more-mon-475987594"x-inset="1">brain is falling for their tricks</a>. Even without the stores, <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5968125/how-your-brain-corrupts-your-shopping-choices"x-inset="1">your brain is working against you on its own</a>, thanks to some simple cognitive biases.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="89992f1ca493b248eea6ed1772326c46">For example, confirmation bias makes you only believe the information that conforms to your prior beliefs, while you discount everything else. Advertisers appeal to this bias directly by convincing you one item is better than another with imagery and other tricks, regardless of what hard facts might say. Keep your mind open, do your own research, and accept when you're wrong about a product. The Decoy effect is also a commonly used tactic. You think one product is a deal because it's next to a similar product that's priced way higher. Even if it's a product you need, it's probably not as good of a deal as it looks right then and there. Again, always research beforehand and be on the lookout for this common trick to avoid impulse buys.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="eedde8c384145f2593efc2a15a4d79de"><strong>Make a List of </strong><em><strong>Everything</strong></em><strong> You Own and Do Some Decluttering</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="8044cf9aab698fd28931acd90ba96f7a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"data-chomp-id="xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a2a886d841e5aed848cdf7088edde4ea">Now that you know what you're up against, it's time to start changing
the way you think. Before you can stop buying crap you don't need, you
need to identify what that crap is. The first step is to make a list of
<pdata-textannotation-id="bbe57b7aa20b48550e5f66b7c530822c">The purpose of this exercise is twofold: you see what you already have
and don't need to ever buy again, and you get to see what you shouldn't
have bought in the first place. As you list everything out, separate items
into categories. It's extremely important that you are as honest with yourself
as possible while you do this. It's also important you actually write this
all down or type it all out. Here is the first set of categories to separate
everything into:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="8044cf9aab698fd28931acd90ba96f7a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"data-chomp-id="xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mlR3Ku0_--/xrhkwleyurcizy4akiae.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a2a886d841e5aed848cdf7088edde4ea">Now that you know what you're up against, it's time to start changing the way you think. Before you can stop buying crap you don't need, you need to identify what that crap is. The first step is to make a list of <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-defeat-the-urge-to-binge-shop-1468216943"x-inset="1">every single thing you own</a>. <strong>Every. Single. Thing</strong>. This might sound extreme, but you need to gather your data so you can start reprogramming your mind.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bbe57b7aa20b48550e5f66b7c530822c">The purpose of this exercise is twofold: you see what you already have and don't need to ever buy again, and you get to see what you shouldn't have bought in the first place. As you list everything out, separate items into categories. It's extremely important that you are as honest with yourself as possible while you do this. It's also important you actually write this all down or type it all out. Here is the first set of categories to separate everything into:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8d7dc912152eddd0e3d56e28ad79e6f2"><strong>Need:</strong> You absolutely need this item to get by on a day
to day basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="6f60a79627f0746d1f611999251e9f1b"><strong>Sometimes Need:</strong> You don't need this item every day, but
you use it on a somewhat regular basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54e10b108f95548966b657bd90fdbed4"><strong>Want:</strong> You bought this item because you wanted it, not
because you needed it.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="26c461a85fbc78651be442e205cac58b"><strong>Crap:</strong> You don't have a good reason why you have it and
you already know it needs to go (there's probably a few of these items,
at least).</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8d7dc912152eddd0e3d56e28ad79e6f2"><strong>Need:</strong> You absolutely need this item to get by on a day to day basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="6f60a79627f0746d1f611999251e9f1b"><strong>Sometimes Need:</strong> You don't need this item every day, but you use it on a somewhat regular basis.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54e10b108f95548966b657bd90fdbed4"><strong>Want:</strong> You bought this item because you wanted it, not because you needed it.</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="26c461a85fbc78651be442e205cac58b"><strong>Crap:</strong> You don't have a good reason why you have it and you already know it needs to go (there's probably a few of these items, at least).</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="5743cf753f68fd8ee3443cc0f8e815dd">Leave the things you listed as "needs" alone, put your stuff listed as
"crap" in a pile or box to go bye-bye, and move your attention back to
your "sometimes need" and "want" lists. You need to go back over both of
those lists because you probably fudged some of the listings, either subconsciously
or intentionally. Now ask yourself these three questions as you go through
both the "sometimes need" and "want" lists:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="5743cf753f68fd8ee3443cc0f8e815dd">Leave the things you listed as "needs" alone, put your stuff listed as "crap" in a pile or box to go bye-bye, and move your attention back to your "sometimes need" and "want" lists. You need to go back over both of those lists because you probably fudged some of the listings, either subconsciously or intentionally. Now ask yourself these three questions as you go through both the "sometimes need" and "want" lists:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="2048d6c0436bd34811442d6df32989a4">When was the last time I used this?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="3f4b3686d822171b35e27bf1afde530b">When will I use this again?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="63728605cc4fa66f5b225f674d12bbff">Does this item <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/declutter-by-asking-one-question-does-this-spark-joy-1651256422">bring you joy</a>?</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="816cd504161fecc6f3e173779b33d5db">Remember to be honest and adjust your lists accordingly. There's nothing
wrong with keeping things you wanted. Material items can <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-buy-happiness-the-purchases-most-likely-to-brin-1681780686">bring happiness to many people</a>,
but make sure the items on your "want" list actively provide you joy and
are being used. If an item doesn't get much use or doesn't make you happy,
add it to the "crap" list.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="675103d9c0da55e95f93c53bb019f864">Once you have everything organized, it's time to do some serious decluttering.
This listing exercise should get you started, but there are <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5957609/how-to-kick-your-clutter-habit-and-live-in-a-clean-house-once-and-for-all">a lot of other great ideas</a> when
it comes to ditching the junk you don't need. Regardless, everything on
your "crap" list needs to go. You can donate it, sell it at a yard sale,
give it away to people know, whatever you like. Before you get rid of everything,
though, take a picture of all your stuff together. Print out or save the
picture somewhere. Some of it was probably gifts, but in general, this
is all the crap you bought that you don't need. Take a good look and remember
it.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="816cd504161fecc6f3e173779b33d5db">Remember to be honest and adjust your lists accordingly. There's nothing wrong with keeping things you wanted. Material items can <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-buy-happiness-the-purchases-most-likely-to-brin-1681780686">bring happiness to many people</a>, but make sure the items on your "want" list actively provide you joy and are being used. If an item doesn't get much use or doesn't make you happy, add it to the "crap" list.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="675103d9c0da55e95f93c53bb019f864">Once you have everything organized, it's time to do some serious decluttering. This listing exercise should get you started, but there are <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5957609/how-to-kick-your-clutter-habit-and-live-in-a-clean-house-once-and-for-all">a lot of other great ideas</a> when it comes to ditching the junk you don't need. Regardless, everything on your "crap" list needs to go. You can donate it, sell it at a yard sale, give it away to people know, whatever you like. Before you get rid of everything, though, take a picture of all your stuff together. Print out or save the picture somewhere. Some of it was probably gifts, but in general, this is all the crap you bought that you don't need. Take a good look and remember it.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="f15ab0a628b159459f095f04fef851ba"><strong>See How Much Money and Time You Spent on the Stuff You Threw Out</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bc2f55587bf4ab07a1852a8d26217233"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"data-chomp-id="qodag11euf2npkawkn9v"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="95ab4fe30c3ade42a8011966ea54aa0b">Now take a look at your "crap" list again and start calculating how much
you spent on all of it. If it was a gift, mark it as $0. Otherwise, figure
out the price of the item at the time you bought it. If you got a deal
or bought it on sale it's okay to factor that in, but try to be as accurate
as possible. Once you have the price for each item, add it all together.
Depending on your spending habits this could possibly be in the hundreds
to thousands of dollars. Remember the picture you took of all this stuff?
Attach the total cost to the picture so you can see both at the same time.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="f654efec679064b15826d8ee20bc94e4">With the money cost figured out, you should take a look at the other costs
too. Time is a resource just like any other, and it's a finite one. What
kind of time did you pour into these things? Consider the time you spent
acquiring and using these items, then write it all down. These can be rough
estimations, but go ahead and add it all up when you think you've got it.
Now attach the total time to same picture as before and think of the other
ways you could have spent all that time. This isn't to make you feel bad
about yourself, just to deliver information to your brain in an easy-to-understand
form. When you look at it all like this, it can open your eyes a little
more, and help you think about purchases in the future. You'll look at
an item and ask yourself, "Will this just end up in the picture?"</p>
<h3
data-textannotation-id="6342bf7f15d9eddd21489c23e51ca434"><strong>List Every Non-Material Thing In Your Life that Makes You Happy</strong>
</h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bafeac1c3808e0d2900190979f058b2c"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"data-chomp-id="imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4bd8fbaabb33ff1cb5dc93c16e1f83cc">Now it's time to make a different list. While material items may bring
plenty of joy, the things in your life that make you happiest probably
can't be bought. Get a separate piece of paper or create a new document
and list out everything in your life that makes you happy. If you can't
buy it, it's eligible for the list. It doesn't matter if it only makes
you crack a smile or makes you jump for joy, list it out.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="104a646a62ad7a0cfb4e3ff086185fdc"><span>These are probably the things that actually make you want to get out of bed in the morning and keep on keepin' on. Once you have it all down, put it in your purse or wallet. The next time you feel the urge to buy something, whip this list out first and remind yourself why you probably don't need it.</span>
</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="532cf992ff45d52de501c1a8f80fc152"><strong>Spend Some Time Away from Material Things to Gain Perspective</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="64f5c7155ad89bd2835399d33c1ae28a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"data-chomp-id="afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="84554492c487779e921b98fb64222177">If you're having a really hard time with your spending, it can help to
get away from material objects completely. When you're constantly surrounded
by stuff and have access to buying things at all times, it can be really
tough to break the habit. Spend a day in the park enjoying the sights and
sounds of the outdoors, go camping with some friends, or hike a trail you
haven't been on before.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="b44add1c7b690705d672186e3a9604b6">Essentially, you want to show yourself that you don't need your "things"
to have a good time. When you realize how much fun you can have without
all the trinkets and trivets, you'll start to shut down your desire to
buy them. If you can't get really get away right now, just go for a walk
without your purse or wallet (but carry your ID). If you can't buy anything,
you'll be forced to experience things a different way.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="98c11bebae0bbcdbe8411df0186d6465"><strong>Develop a Personal "Should I Buy This?" Test</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="ff438b878771354bb7f6d065ff50dbb2"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"data-chomp-id="s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4af04ae83f18d9c37da21527bcd4a290">If you don't have a personal "should I buy this?" test, now's the perfect
time to make one. When you find an item you think you need or want, it
has to pass all of the questions you have on your test before you can buy
it. Here's where you can use all of the data you've gathered so far and
put it to really good use. The test should be personalized to your own
buying habits, but here are some example questions:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="fcfd78b1619bdf0b7330f4b40efb899d">Is this a planned purchase?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="c16e7d5feae7cc2c3c6a8dd312ea206f">Will it end up in the "crap" list picture one day?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54d877fdee56080c87508fc9e6402889"><ahref="http://lifehacker.com/prevent-clutter-by-asking-yourself-where-items-will-go-1649480461">Where am I going to put it</a>?</li>
<li
data-textannotation-id="59d5245217c84e6b2b2969b3492f2f2d">Have I included this in my budget?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8fe1582808b4d89f5c88c2708744d27d"><em>Why</em> do I want/need it?</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="0162d779382cdc7de908fc1488af3940">Custom build your test to hit all of your weaknesses. If you make a lot
of impulse buys, include questions that address that. If you experience
a lot of buyer's remorse, include a lot of questions that make you think
about the use of item after you buy it. If buying the latest and greatest
technology is your weakness, Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist suggests
you ask yourself <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/marriage-hacks/">what problem the piece of tech solves</a>.
If you can't think of anything it solves or if you already have something
that solves it, you don't need it. Be thorough and build a test that you
can run through your mind every time you consider buying something.</p>
<h3
data-textannotation-id="c0ed0882675acc340dcd88e13ca514b3"><strong>Learn to Delay Gratification and Destroy the Urge to Impulse Buy</strong>
</h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1d43712fc5ce8f156e4661cca5750575"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"data-chomp-id="y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="3d8086719c5da749f877629d498ccab9">When it comes to the unnecessary crap we buy, impulse purchases probably
make up a good deal of them. We love to feel gratification instantly and
impulse buys appeal to that with a rush of excitement with each new purchase.
We like to believe that we have control over our impulses all the time,
but we really don't, and that's a major problem for the ol' wallet.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="620ca9836425e09ec7fa50bfad204665">The key is teaching your brain that it's okay to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/overcome-the-need-for-instant-gratification-by-delaying-1636938356">wait for gratification</a>.
You can do this with a simple time out every time you want something. Look
at whatever you're thinking of buying, go through your personal "should
I buy this?" test, and then walk away for a little while. Planning your
purchases ahead is ideal, so the longer you can hold off, the better. Set
yourself a reminder to check on the item <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5859632/buyers-remorse-is-inevitable-how-to-make-purchases-you-really-wont-regret">a week or month down the line</a>.
When you come back to it, you may find that you don't even want it, just
the gratification that would come with it. If you're shopping online, you
can do the same thing. Walk away from your desk or put your phone in your
pocket and do something else for a little while.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a85d9eb501c898234ac5df2a56c50a13">You can also avoid online impulse purchases by <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5919833/how-to-avoid-impulse-purchases-in-the-internet-shopping-age"
x-inset="1">making it harder to do</a>. Block shopping web sites during
time periods you know you're at your weakest, or remove all of your saved
credit card or Paypal information. You can also <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5569035/practice-the-halt-method-to-curb-impulse-purchases"
x-inset="1">practice the "HALT" method</a> when you're shopping online or
in a store. Try not to buy things when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or
Tired because you're at your weakest state mentally. Last, but not least,
the "<ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5320196/use-the-stranger-test-to-reduce-impulse-purchases"
x-inset="1">stranger test</a>" can help you weed out bad purchases too.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="27385752c06848647540ad931892b21e">The last thing you should consider when it comes to impulse buys is "artificial
replacement." As Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar explains, artificial replacement
can happen when you start to <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/balancing-spending-and-time-how-time-frugality-can-save-you-lots-of-cash/">reduce the time</a> you
<pdata-textannotation-id="7b98c5809df24dd04bb65285878c0335">Whenever I consistently cut quality time for my main interests out of
my life, I start to long for them. As you saw in that "typical" day, I
do make room for spending time with my family, but my other two main interests
are absent. If that happens too many days in a row, I start to really miss
reading. I start to really miss playing thoughtful board games with friends.
What happens after that? <strong>I start to substitute.</strong> When I don't
have the opportunity to sit down for an hour or even for half an hour and
really get lost in a book, I start looking for an alternative way to fill
in the tiny slices of time that I do have. I'll spend money.</p>
</blockquote>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4b6cc2900ffacd3daef54b13b4caceac">You probably have things in your life that provide plenty of gratification,
so don't get caught substituting it with impulse buys. Always make sure
you keep yourself happy with plenty of time doing the things you like to
do and you won't be subconsciously trying to fill that void with useless
crap.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="aed9b435c4ed23e573c453ceeb34ed18"><strong>Turn the Money You Save Into More Money</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="21154394d63f1943d01f2b717aa31115"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"data-chomp-id="atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"></span>
</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="6141942e977cc058fd7a0fa06a3f7389">Once you've programmed your mind to stop buying crap you don't need, you'll
have some extra cash to play with. Take all that money and start putting
it toward your future and things you <em>will</em> need further down the
road. You might need <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-start-saving-for-a-home-down-payment-1541254056">a home</a>,
a vehicle, or a way to retire, but none of that can happen until you start
planning for it.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="90f08afddc08e2c3b45c266f2e6965ec">Start by paying off any debts you already have. Credit cards, student
loans, and even car payments can force you to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-break-the-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-cycle-1445330680">live paycheck to paycheck</a>.
Use the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5940989/pay-off-small-balances-first-for-better-odds-of-eliminating-all-your-debt">snowball method</a> and
pay off some small balances to make you feel motivated, then start taking
out your debt in full force with the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-pay-off-your-debt-using-the-stack-method-576070292">stacking method</a>:
stop creating new debt, determine which balances have the highest interest
rates, and create a payment schedule to pay them off efficiently.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="1106cb837deb2b6fc8e28ba98f078c27">With your debts whittled down, you should start an emergency fund. No
matter how well you plan things, accidents and health emergencies can still
happen. An emergency fund is designed to make those kinds of events more
manageable. This type of savings account is strictly for when life throws
you a curveball, but you can grow one pretty easily <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-grow-an-emergency-fund-from-modest-savings-1638409351">with only modest savings</a>.</p>
<p
data-textannotation-id="347c2a36f114a794d559d929da1b15b7">When you've paid off your debt and prepared yourself for troubled times,
you can start saving for the big stuff. All that money you're not spending
on crap anymore can be saved, invested, and compounded to let you buy comfort
and security. If you don't know where to start, talk to a financial planner.
Or create a simple, yet effective <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-build-an-easy-beginner-set-and-forget-investm-1686878594"
x-inset="1">"set and forget" investment portfolio</a>. You've worked hard
to reprogram your mind, so make sure you reap the benefits for many years
<pdata-textannotation-id="bc2f55587bf4ab07a1852a8d26217233"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"data-chomp-id="qodag11euf2npkawkn9v"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Tacb0tyW--/qodag11euf2npkawkn9v.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="95ab4fe30c3ade42a8011966ea54aa0b">Now take a look at your "crap" list again and start calculating how much you spent on all of it. If it was a gift, mark it as $0. Otherwise, figure out the price of the item at the time you bought it. If you got a deal or bought it on sale it's okay to factor that in, but try to be as accurate as possible. Once you have the price for each item, add it all together. Depending on your spending habits this could possibly be in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Remember the picture you took of all this stuff? Attach the total cost to the picture so you can see both at the same time.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="f654efec679064b15826d8ee20bc94e4">With the money cost figured out, you should take a look at the other costs too. Time is a resource just like any other, and it's a finite one. What kind of time did you pour into these things? Consider the time you spent acquiring and using these items, then write it all down. These can be rough estimations, but go ahead and add it all up when you think you've got it. Now attach the total time to same picture as before and think of the other ways you could have spent all that time. This isn't to make you feel bad about yourself, just to deliver information to your brain in an easy-to-understand form. When you look at it all like this, it can open your eyes a little more, and help you think about purchases in the future. You'll look at an item and ask yourself, "Will this just end up in the picture?"</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="6342bf7f15d9eddd21489c23e51ca434"><strong>List Every Non-Material Thing In Your Life that Makes You Happy</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="bafeac1c3808e0d2900190979f058b2c"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"data-chomp-id="imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--x9hLbIKJ--/imfc9ybqfw0jmztbhfrh.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4bd8fbaabb33ff1cb5dc93c16e1f83cc">Now it's time to make a different list. While material items may bring plenty of joy, the things in your life that make you happiest probably can't be bought. Get a separate piece of paper or create a new document and list out everything in your life that makes you happy. If you can't buy it, it's eligible for the list. It doesn't matter if it only makes you crack a smile or makes you jump for joy, list it out. </p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="104a646a62ad7a0cfb4e3ff086185fdc"><span>These are probably the things that actually make you want to get out of bed in the morning and keep on keepin' on. Once you have it all down, put it in your purse or wallet. The next time you feel the urge to buy something, whip this list out first and remind yourself why you probably don't need it.</span></p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="532cf992ff45d52de501c1a8f80fc152"><strong>Spend Some Time Away from Material Things to Gain Perspective</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="64f5c7155ad89bd2835399d33c1ae28a"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"data-chomp-id="afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6NwBgQLy--/afy7n45jfvsjdmmhonct.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="84554492c487779e921b98fb64222177">If you're having a really hard time with your spending, it can help to get away from material objects completely. When you're constantly surrounded by stuff and have access to buying things at all times, it can be really tough to break the habit. Spend a day in the park enjoying the sights and sounds of the outdoors, go camping with some friends, or hike a trail you haven't been on before. </p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="b44add1c7b690705d672186e3a9604b6">Essentially, you want to show yourself that you don't need your "things" to have a good time. When you realize how much fun you can have without all the trinkets and trivets, you'll start to shut down your desire to buy them. If you can't get really get away right now, just go for a walk without your purse or wallet (but carry your ID). If you can't buy anything, you'll be forced to experience things a different way.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="98c11bebae0bbcdbe8411df0186d6465"><strong>Develop a Personal "Should I Buy This?" Test</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="ff438b878771354bb7f6d065ff50dbb2"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"data-chomp-id="s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ciqk42G0--/s3pq8vjrvyjgne4lfsod.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4af04ae83f18d9c37da21527bcd4a290">If you don't have a personal "should I buy this?" test, now's the perfect time to make one. When you find an item you think you need or want, it has to pass all of the questions you have on your test before you can buy it. Here's where you can use all of the data you've gathered so far and put it to really good use. The test should be personalized to your own buying habits, but here are some example questions:</p>
<ul>
<lidata-textannotation-id="fcfd78b1619bdf0b7330f4b40efb899d">Is this a planned purchase?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="c16e7d5feae7cc2c3c6a8dd312ea206f">Will it end up in the "crap" list picture one day?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="54d877fdee56080c87508fc9e6402889"><ahref="http://lifehacker.com/prevent-clutter-by-asking-yourself-where-items-will-go-1649480461">Where am I going to put it</a>?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="59d5245217c84e6b2b2969b3492f2f2d">Have I included this in my budget?</li>
<lidata-textannotation-id="8fe1582808b4d89f5c88c2708744d27d"><em>Why</em> do I want/need it?</li>
</ul>
<pdata-textannotation-id="0162d779382cdc7de908fc1488af3940">Custom build your test to hit all of your weaknesses. If you make a lot of impulse buys, include questions that address that. If you experience a lot of buyer's remorse, include a lot of questions that make you think about the use of item after you buy it. If buying the latest and greatest technology is your weakness, Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist suggests you ask yourself <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/marriage-hacks/">what problem the piece of tech solves</a>. If you can't think of anything it solves or if you already have something that solves it, you don't need it. Be thorough and build a test that you can run through your mind every time you consider buying something.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="c0ed0882675acc340dcd88e13ca514b3"><strong>Learn to Delay Gratification and Destroy the Urge to Impulse Buy</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1d43712fc5ce8f156e4661cca5750575"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"data-chomp-id="y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mtob1sjR--/y2ldv5eufb3jcrtfouye.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="3d8086719c5da749f877629d498ccab9">When it comes to the unnecessary crap we buy, impulse purchases probably make up a good deal of them. We love to feel gratification instantly and impulse buys appeal to that with a rush of excitement with each new purchase. We like to believe that we have control over our impulses all the time, but we really don't, and that's a major problem for the ol' wallet.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="620ca9836425e09ec7fa50bfad204665">The key is teaching your brain that it's okay to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/overcome-the-need-for-instant-gratification-by-delaying-1636938356">wait for gratification</a>. You can do this with a simple time out every time you want something. Look at whatever you're thinking of buying, go through your personal "should I buy this?" test, and then walk away for a little while. Planning your purchases ahead is ideal, so the longer you can hold off, the better. Set yourself a reminder to check on the item <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5859632/buyers-remorse-is-inevitable-how-to-make-purchases-you-really-wont-regret">a week or month down the line</a>. When you come back to it, you may find that you don't even want it, just the gratification that would come with it. If you're shopping online, you can do the same thing. Walk away from your desk or put your phone in your pocket and do something else for a little while.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="a85d9eb501c898234ac5df2a56c50a13">You can also avoid online impulse purchases by <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5919833/how-to-avoid-impulse-purchases-in-the-internet-shopping-age"x-inset="1">making it harder to do</a>. Block shopping web sites during time periods you know you're at your weakest, or remove all of your saved credit card or Paypal information. You can also <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5569035/practice-the-halt-method-to-curb-impulse-purchases"x-inset="1">practice the "HALT" method</a> when you're shopping online or in a store. Try not to buy things when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired because you're at your weakest state mentally. Last, but not least, the "<ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5320196/use-the-stranger-test-to-reduce-impulse-purchases"x-inset="1">stranger test</a>" can help you weed out bad purchases too.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="27385752c06848647540ad931892b21e">The last thing you should consider when it comes to impulse buys is "artificial replacement." As Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar explains, artificial replacement can happen when you start to <atarget="_blank"href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/balancing-spending-and-time-how-time-frugality-can-save-you-lots-of-cash/">reduce the time</a> you get with your main interests:</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="7b98c5809df24dd04bb65285878c0335">Whenever I consistently cut quality time for my main interests out of my life, I start to long for them. As you saw in that "typical" day, I do make room for spending time with my family, but my other two main interests are absent. If that happens too many days in a row, I start to really miss reading. I start to really miss playing thoughtful board games with friends. What happens after that? <strong>I start to substitute.</strong> When I don't have the opportunity to sit down for an hour or even for half an hour and really get lost in a book, I start looking for an alternative way to fill in the tiny slices of time that I do have. I'll spend money.</p>
</blockquote>
<pdata-textannotation-id="4b6cc2900ffacd3daef54b13b4caceac">You probably have things in your life that provide plenty of gratification, so don't get caught substituting it with impulse buys. Always make sure you keep yourself happy with plenty of time doing the things you like to do and you won't be subconsciously trying to fill that void with useless crap.</p>
<h3data-textannotation-id="aed9b435c4ed23e573c453ceeb34ed18"><strong>Turn the Money You Save Into More Money</strong></h3>
<pdata-textannotation-id="21154394d63f1943d01f2b717aa31115"class="has-media media-640"><spanclass="img-border"><imgwidth="636"height="358"data-format="jpg"data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"data-chomp-id="atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw"alt="How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need"src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4Ajak63w--/atb9qm07fvvg7hqkumkw.jpg"></span></p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="6141942e977cc058fd7a0fa06a3f7389">Once you've programmed your mind to stop buying crap you don't need, you'll have some extra cash to play with. Take all that money and start putting it toward your future and things you <em>will</em> need further down the road. You might need <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-start-saving-for-a-home-down-payment-1541254056">a home</a>, a vehicle, or a way to retire, but none of that can happen until you start planning for it. </p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="90f08afddc08e2c3b45c266f2e6965ec">Start by paying off any debts you already have. Credit cards, student loans, and even car payments can force you to <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-break-the-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-cycle-1445330680">live paycheck to paycheck</a>. Use the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/5940989/pay-off-small-balances-first-for-better-odds-of-eliminating-all-your-debt">snowball method</a> and pay off some small balances to make you feel motivated, then start taking out your debt in full force with the <ahref="http://lifehacker.com/how-to-pay-off-your-debt-using-the-stack-method-576070292">stacking method</a>: stop creating new debt, determine which balances have the highest interest rates, and create a payment schedule to pay them off efficiently.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="1106cb837deb2b6fc8e28ba98f078c27">With your debts whittled down, you should start an emergency fund. No matter how well you plan things, accidents and health emergencies can still happen. An emergency fund is designed to make those kinds of events more manageable. This type of savings account is strictly for when life throws you a curveball, but you can grow one pretty easily <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-grow-an-emergency-fund-from-modest-savings-1638409351">with only modest savings</a>.</p>
<pdata-textannotation-id="347c2a36f114a794d559d929da1b15b7">When you've paid off your debt and prepared yourself for troubled times, you can start saving for the big stuff. All that money you're not spending on crap anymore can be saved, invested, and compounded to let you buy comfort and security. If you don't know where to start, talk to a financial planner. Or create a simple, yet effective <atarget="_blank"href="http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-build-an-easy-beginner-set-and-forget-investm-1686878594"x-inset="1">"set and forget" investment portfolio</a>. You've worked hard to reprogram your mind, so make sure you reap the benefits for many years to come.</p>
<pname="930f"id="930f"class="graf--p">I started discovering beautiful things the <ahref="http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/13/02/06/timelapse-strips-homewood.htm"
<h3name="8d0c"id="8d0c"class="graf--h3">Common problems in student newsrooms (2013)</h3>
<pname="3ef6"id="3ef6"class="graf--p">Two years later, we went back and looked at what had changed. We talked
to a dozen more newsrooms and weren’t surprised by our findings.</p>
<ul
class="postList">
<liname="abb1"id="abb1"class="graf--li">Still no mentorship or link to professional newsrooms building stories
for the web</li>
<liname="9250"id="9250"class="graf--li">Very little control of website and technology</li>
<liname="d822"id="d822"
class="graf--li">The lack of exposure that student journalists have to interactive storytelling.
While some newsrooms are in touch with what’s happening with the web and
journalism, there still exists a huge gap between the student newsroom
and its professional counterpart</li>
<liname="6bf2"id="6bf2"class="graf--li">No time in the current news development cycle for student newsrooms to
experiment with the web</li>
<liname="e62f"id="e62f"class="graf--li">Lack of skill diversity (specifically coding, interaction design, and
statistics)</li>
<liname="f4f0"id="f4f0"class="graf--li">Overly restricted access to student website technology. Changes are primarily
visual rather than functional.</li>
<liname="8b8d"id="8b8d"class="graf--li">Significantly reduced print production of many papers</li>
<liname="dfe0"
id="dfe0" class="graf--li">Computers aren’t set up for experimenting with software and code, and
often locked down</li>
</ul>
<pname="52cd"id="52cd"class="graf--p">Newsrooms have traditionally been covered in copies of The New York Times
or Globe and Mail. Instead newsrooms should try spend at 20 minutes each
week going over the coolest/weirdest online storytelling in an effort to
expose each other to what is possible. “<ahref="http://nytlabs.com/"data-href="http://nytlabs.com/"
class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="nofollow">Hey, what has the New York Times R&D lab been up to this week?</a>”</p>
<p
name="0142" id="0142" class="graf--p">Instead of having computers that are locked down, try setting aside a
few office computers that allow students to play and “break”, or encourage
editors to buy their own Macbooks so they’re always able to practice with
code and new tools on their own.</p>
<pname="5d29"id="5d29"class="graf--p">From all this we realized that changing a student newsroom is difficult.
It takes patience. It requires that the business and editorial departments
of the student newsroom be on the same (web)page. The shoes of the future
must be different from the shoes we were given.</p>
<pname="1ffc"id="1ffc"
class="graf--p">We need to rethink how long the new shoe design will be valid. It’s more
important that we focus on the process behind making footwear than on actually
creating a specific shoe. We shouldn’t be building a shoe to last 40 years.
Our footwear design process will allow us to change and adapt as technology
evolves. The media landscape will change, so having a newsroom that can
change with it will be critical.</p>
<pname="2888"id="2888"class="graf--p"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">We are building a shoe machine, not a shoe.</strong>
</p>
<h3name="9c30"id="9c30"class="graf--h3">A train or light at the end of the tunnel: are student newsrooms changing for the better?</h3>
<pname="4634"id="4634"class="graf--p">In our 2013 research we found that almost 50% of student newsrooms had
created roles specifically for the web. <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">This sounds great, but is still problematic in its current state.</strong>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--figure-strong">We designed many of these slides to help explain to ourselves what we were doing</strong>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<pname="39e6"id="39e6"class="graf--p">When a newsroom decides to create a position for the web, it’s often with
the intent of having content flow steadily from writers onto the web. This
is a big improvement from just uploading stories to the web whenever there
is a print issue. <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">However…</em>
<br>We don’t know what journalism or the web will be like in 10 years, but
we can start encouraging students to keep an open mind about the skills
they’ll need. We’re less interested in preparing students for the current
newsroom climate, than we are in teaching students to have the ability
to learn new tools quickly as they come and go.</li>
</ul>
<pname="d178"id="d178"class="graf--p">We pushed out the first version of the <ahref="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/"data-href="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Open Journalism site</a> in January. Our goal is for the site to be a place to teach students what they should know about journalism on the web. It should be fun too.</p>
<pname="01ed"id="01ed"class="graf--p">Topics like <ahref="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/Mapping/"data-href="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/Mapping/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">mapping</a>, <ahref="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/Security/"data-href="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/Security/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">security</a>, command line tools, and <ahref="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/Open-source/"data-href="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/Open-source/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">open source</a> are all concepts that should be made more accessible, and should be easily understood at a basic level by all journalists. We’re focusing on students because we know student journalism well, and we believe that teaching maturing journalists about the web will provide them with an important lens to view the world with. This is how we got to where we are now.</p>
<pname="f923"id="f923"class="graf--p">In late 2011 I sat in the design room of our university’s student newsroom with some of the other editors: Kate Hudson, Brent Rose, and Nicholas Maronese. I was working as the photo editor then—something I loved doing. I was very happy travelling and photographing people while listening to their stories.</p>
<pname="c9d4"id="c9d4"class="graf--p">Photography was my lucky way of experiencing the many types of people my generation seemed to avoid, as well as many the public spends too much time discussing. One of my habits as a photographer was scouring sites like Flickr to see how others could frame the world in ways I hadn’t previously considered.</p>
<pname="930f"id="930f"class="graf--p">I started discovering beautiful things the <ahref="http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/13/02/06/timelapse-strips-homewood.htm"data-href="http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/13/02/06/timelapse-strips-homewood.htm"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">web could do with images</a>: things not possible with print. Just as every generation revolts against walking in the previous generations shoes, I found myself questioning the expectations that I came up against as a photo editor. In our newsroom the expectations were built from an outdated information world. We were expected to fill old shoes.</p>
<pname="2674"id="2674"class="graf--p">So we sat in our student newsroom—not very happy with what we were doing. Our weekly newspaper had remained essentially unchanged for 40+ years. Each editorial position had the same requirement every year. The <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">big</em> change happened in the 80s when the paper started using colour. We’d also stumbled into having a website, but it was updated just once a week with the release of the newspaper.</p>
<pname="e498"id="e498"class="graf--p">Information had changed form, but the student newsroom hadn’t, and it was becoming harder to romanticize the dusty newsprint smell coming from the shoes we were handed down from previous generations of editors. It was, we were told, all part of “becoming a journalist.”</p>
<h3name="e2f0"id="e2f0"class="graf--h3">We don’t know what we don’t know</h3>
<pname="8263"id="8263"class="graf--p">We spent much of the rest of the school year asking “what should we be doing in the newsroom?”, which mainly led us to ask “how do we use the web to tell stories?” It was a straightforward question that led to many more questions about the web: something we knew little about. Out in the real world, traditional journalists were struggling to keep their jobs in a dying print world. They wore the same design of shoes that we were supposed to fill. Being pushed to repeat old, failing strategies and blocked from trying something new scared us.</p>
<pname="231e"id="231e"class="graf--p">We had questions, so we started doing some research. We talked with student newsrooms in Canada and the United States, and filled too many Google Doc files with notes. Looking at the notes now, they scream of fear. We annotated our notes with naive solutions, often involving scrambled and immature odysseys into the future of online journalism.</p>
<pname="6ec3"id="6ec3"class="graf--p">There was a lot we didn’t know. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">how to build a mobile app</strong>. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">if we should build a mobile app</strong>. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">how to run a server</strong>. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">where to go to find a server</strong>. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">how the web worked</strong>. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">how people used the web to read news</strong>. We didn’t know <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">what news should be on the web</strong>. If news is just information, what does that even look like?</p>
<pname="f373"id="f373"class="graf--p">We asked these questions to many students at other papers to get a consensus of what had worked and what hadn’t. They reported similar questions and fears about the web but followed with “print advertising is keeping us afloat so we can’t abandon it”.</p>
<pname="034b"id="034b"class="graf--p">In other words, we knew that we should be building a newer pair of shoes, but we didn’t know what the function of the shoes should be.</p>
<h3name="ea15"id="ea15"class="graf--h3">Common problems in student newsrooms (2011)</h3>
<pname="a90b"id="a90b"class="graf--p">Our questioning of other student journalists in 15 student newsrooms brought up a few repeating issues.</p>
<ulclass="postList">
<liname="a586"id="a586"class="graf--li">Lack of mentorship</li>
<liname="a953"id="a953"class="graf--li">A news process that lacked consideration of the web</li>
<liname="6286"id="6286"class="graf--li">No editor/position specific to the web</li>
<liname="04c1"id="04c1"class="graf--li">Little exposure to many of the cool projects being put together by professional newsrooms</li>
<liname="a1fb"id="a1fb"class="graf--li">Lack of diverse skills within the newsroom. Writers made up 95% of the personnel. Students with other skills were not sought because journalism was seen as “a career with words.” The other 5% were designers, designing words on computers, for print.</li>
<liname="0be9"id="0be9"class="graf--li">Not enough discussion between the business side and web efforts</li>
<h3name="8d0c"id="8d0c"class="graf--h3">Common problems in student newsrooms (2013)</h3>
<pname="3ef6"id="3ef6"class="graf--p">Two years later, we went back and looked at what had changed. We talked to a dozen more newsrooms and weren’t surprised by our findings.</p>
<ulclass="postList">
<liname="abb1"id="abb1"class="graf--li">Still no mentorship or link to professional newsrooms building stories for the web</li>
<liname="9250"id="9250"class="graf--li">Very little control of website and technology</li>
<liname="d822"id="d822"class="graf--li">The lack of exposure that student journalists have to interactive storytelling. While some newsrooms are in touch with what’s happening with the web and journalism, there still exists a huge gap between the student newsroom and its professional counterpart</li>
<liname="6bf2"id="6bf2"class="graf--li">No time in the current news development cycle for student newsrooms to experiment with the web</li>
<liname="e62f"id="e62f"class="graf--li">Lack of skill diversity (specifically coding, interaction design, and statistics)</li>
<liname="f4f0"id="f4f0"class="graf--li">Overly restricted access to student website technology. Changes are primarily visual rather than functional.</li>
<liname="8b8d"id="8b8d"class="graf--li">Significantly reduced print production of many papers</li>
<liname="dfe0"id="dfe0"class="graf--li">Computers aren’t set up for experimenting with software and code, and often locked down</li>
</ul>
<pname="52cd"id="52cd"class="graf--p">Newsrooms have traditionally been covered in copies of The New York Times or Globe and Mail. Instead newsrooms should try spend at 20 minutes each week going over the coolest/weirdest online storytelling in an effort to expose each other to what is possible. “<ahref="http://nytlabs.com/"data-href="http://nytlabs.com/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Hey, what has the New York Times R&D lab been up to this week?</a>”</p>
<pname="0142"id="0142"class="graf--p">Instead of having computers that are locked down, try setting aside a few office computers that allow students to play and “break”, or encourage editors to buy their own Macbooks so they’re always able to practice with code and new tools on their own.</p>
<pname="5d29"id="5d29"class="graf--p">From all this we realized that changing a student newsroom is difficult. It takes patience. It requires that the business and editorial departments of the student newsroom be on the same (web)page. The shoes of the future must be different from the shoes we were given.</p>
<pname="1ffc"id="1ffc"class="graf--p">We need to rethink how long the new shoe design will be valid. It’s more important that we focus on the process behind making footwear than on actually creating a specific shoe. We shouldn’t be building a shoe to last 40 years. Our footwear design process will allow us to change and adapt as technology evolves. The media landscape will change, so having a newsroom that can change with it will be critical.</p>
<pname="2888"id="2888"class="graf--p"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">We are building a shoe machine, not a shoe.</strong></p>
<h3name="9c30"id="9c30"class="graf--h3">A train or light at the end of the tunnel: are student newsrooms changing for the better?</h3>
<pname="4634"id="4634"class="graf--p">In our 2013 research we found that almost 50% of student newsrooms had created roles specifically for the web. <strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">This sounds great, but is still problematic in its current state.</strong></p>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--figure-strong">We designed many of these slides to help explain to ourselves what we were doing</strong></figcaption>
</figure>
<pname="39e6"id="39e6"class="graf--p">When a newsroom decides to create a position for the web, it’s often with the intent of having content flow steadily from writers onto the web. This is a big improvement from just uploading stories to the web whenever there is a print issue. <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">However…</em></p>
<br>Problems arise because web editors are given roles that absolve the rest of the editors from thinking about the web. All editors should be involved in the process of story development for the web. While it’s a good idea to have one specific editor manage the website, contributors and editors should all play with and learn about the web. Instead of “can you make a computer do XYZ for me?”, we should be saying “can you show me how to make a computer do XYZ?”</li>
<liname="6448"id="6448"class="graf--li"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--li-strong">Not just social media<br></strong>A web editor could do much more than simply being in charge of the social media accounts for the student paper. Their responsibility could include teaching all other editors to be listening to what’s happening online. The web editor can take advantage of live information to change how the student newsroom reports news in real time.</li>
<liname="ab30"id="ab30"class="graf--li"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--li-strong">Web (interactive) editor<br></strong>The goal of having a web editor should be for someone to build and tell stories that take full advantage of the web as their medium. Too often the web’s interactivity is not considered when developing the story. The web then ends up as a resting place for print words.</li>
</ol>
<pname="e983"id="e983"class="graf--p">Editors at newsrooms are still figuring out how to convince writers of the benefit to having their content online. There’s still a stronger draw to writers seeing their name in print than on the web. Showing writers that their stories can be told in new ways to larger audiences is a convincing argument that the web is a starting point for telling a story, not its graveyard.</p>
<pname="5c11"id="5c11"class="graf--p">When everyone in the newsroom approaches their website with the intention of using it to explore the web as a medium, they all start to ask “what is possible?” and “what can be done?” You can’t expect students to think in terms of the web if it’s treated as a place for print words to hang out on a web page.</p>
<pname="4eb1"id="4eb1"class="graf--p">We’re OK with this problem, if we see newsrooms continue to take small steps towards having all their editors involved in the stories for the web.</p>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption">The current Open Journalism site was a few years in the making. This was an original launch page we use in 2012</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3name="08f5"id="08f5"class="graf--h3">What we know</h3>
<br>Our rough research has told us newsrooms need to be reorganized. This includes every part of the newsroom’s workflow: from where a story and its information comes from, to thinking of every word, pixel, and interaction the reader will have with your stories. If I was a photo editor that wanted to re-think my process with digital tools in mind, I’d start by asking “how are photo assignments processed and sent out?”, “how do we receive images?”, “what formats do images need to be exported in?”, “what type of screens will the images be viewed on?”, and “how are the designers getting these images?” Making a student newsroom digital isn’t about producing “digital manifestos”, it’s about being curious enough that you’ll want to to continue experimenting with your process until you’ve found one that fits your newsroom’s needs.</li>
<br>Lack of mentorship is still a big problem. <ahref="http://www.google.com/get/journalismfellowship/"data-href="http://www.google.com/get/journalismfellowship/"class="markup--anchor markup--li-anchor"rel="nofollow">Google’s fellowship program</a> is great. The fact that it only caters to United States students isn’t. There are only a handful of internships in Canada where students interested in journalism can get experience writing code and building interactive stories. We’re OK with this for now, as we expect internships and mentorship over the next 5 years between professional newsrooms and student newsrooms will only increase. It’s worth noting that some of that mentorship will likely be done remotely.</li>
<liname="a9b8"id="a9b8"class="graf--li"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--li-strong">Changing a newsroom culture</strong>
<br>Skill diversity needs to change. We encourage every student newsroom we talk to, to start building a partnership with their school’s Computer Science department. It will take some work, but you’ll find there are many CS undergrads that love playing with web technologies, and using data to tell stories. Changing who is in the newsroom should be one of the first steps newsrooms take to changing how they tell stories. The same goes with getting designers who understand the wonderful interactive elements of the web and students who love statistics and exploring data. Getting students who are amazing at design, data, code, words, and images into one room is one of the coolest experience I’ve had. Everyone benefits from a more diverse newsroom.</li>
</ul>
<h3name="a67e"id="a67e"class="graf--h3">What we don’t know</h3>
<ulclass="postList">
<liname="7320"id="7320"class="graf--li"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--li-strong">Sharing curiosity for the web</strong>
<br>We don’t know how to best teach students about the web. It’s not efficient for us to teach coding classes. We do go into newsrooms and get them running their first code exercises, but if someone wants to learn to program, we can only provide the initial push and curiosity. We will be trying out “labs” with a few schools next school year to hopefully get a better idea of how to teach students about the web.</li>
<br>We don’t know how to convince the business side of student papers that they should invest in the web. At the very least we’re able to explain that having students graduate with their current skill set is painful in the current job market.</li>
<br>We don’t know what journalism or the web will be like in 10 years, but we can start encouraging students to keep an open mind about the skills they’ll need. We’re less interested in preparing students for the current newsroom climate, than we are in teaching students to have the ability to learn new tools quickly as they come and go.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<h3name="009a"id="009a"class="graf--h3">What we’re trying to share with others</h3>
<ulclass="postList">
<liname="8bfa"id="8bfa"class="graf--li"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--li-strong">A concise guide to building stories for the web</strong>
<br>There are too many options to get started. We hope to provide an opinionated
guide that follows both our experiences, research, and observations from
trying to teach our peers.</li>
<br>There are too many options to get started. We hope to provide an opinionated guide that follows both our experiences, research, and observations from trying to teach our peers.</li>
</ul>
<pname="8196"id="8196"class="graf--p">Student newsrooms don’t have investors to please. Student newsrooms can
change their website every week if they want to try a new design or interaction.
As long as students start treating the web as a different medium, and start
building stories around that idea, then we’ll know we’re moving forward.</p>
<h3
name="f6c6" id="f6c6" class="graf--h3">A note to professional news orgs</h3>
<pname="d8f5"id="d8f5"class="graf--p">We’re also asking professional newsrooms to be more open about their process
of developing stories for the web. You play a big part in this. This means
writing about it, and sharing code. We need to start building a bridge
between student journalism and professional newsrooms.</p>
<pname="63ec"id="63ec"class="graf--p"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">We’re still in the early stages of what this project will look like, so if you want to help or have thoughts, let’s talk.</strong>
</strong><emclass="markup--em markup--p-em"> we just think it’s pretty cool to share what we’ve learned so far, and hope you’ll do the same. We’re all in this together.</em>
</p>
<pname="8196"id="8196"class="graf--p">Student newsrooms don’t have investors to please. Student newsrooms can change their website every week if they want to try a new design or interaction. As long as students start treating the web as a different medium, and start building stories around that idea, then we’ll know we’re moving forward.</p>
<h3name="f6c6"id="f6c6"class="graf--h3">A note to professional news orgs</h3>
<pname="d8f5"id="d8f5"class="graf--p">We’re also asking professional newsrooms to be more open about their process of developing stories for the web. You play a big part in this. This means writing about it, and sharing code. We need to start building a bridge between student journalism and professional newsrooms.</p>
<h3name="ee1b"id="ee1b"class="graf--h3">This is a start</h3>
<pname="ebf9"id="ebf9"class="graf--p">We going to continue slowly growing the content on <ahref="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/"data-href="http://pippinlee.github.io/open-journalism-project/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Open Journalism</a>. We still consider this the beta version, but expect to polish it, and beef up the content for a real launch at the beginning of the summer.</p>
<pname="bd44"id="bd44"class="graf--p">We expect to have more original tutorials as well as the beginnings of what a curriculum may look like that a student newsroom can adopt to start guiding their transition to become a web first newsroom. We’re also going to be working with the <ahref="http://queensjournal.ca/"data-href="http://queensjournal.ca/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Queen’s Journal</a> and <ahref="http://ubyssey.ca/"data-href="http://ubyssey.ca/"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">The Ubyssey</a>next school year to better understand how to make the student newsroom a place for experimenting with telling stories on the web. If this sound like a good idea in your newsroom, we’re still looking to add 1 more school.</p>
<pname="abd5"id="abd5"class="graf--p">We’re trying out some new shoes. And while they’re not self-lacing, and smell a bit different, we feel lacing up a new pair of kicks can change a lot.</p>
<pname="63ec"id="63ec"class="graf--p"><strongclass="markup--strong markup--p-strong">We’re still in the early stages of what this project will look like, so if you want to help or have thoughts, let’s talk.</strong></p>
</strong><emclass="markup--em markup--p-em"> we just think it’s pretty cool to share what we’ve learned so far, and hope you’ll do the same. We’re all in this together.</em></p>
<figcaptionclass="imageCaption">Words need defenders.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3name="b098"id="b098"class="graf--h3">On Behalf of “Literally”</h3>
<pname="1a73"id="1a73"class="graf--p">You either are a “literally” abuser or know of one. If you’re anything
like me, hearing the word “literally” used incorrectly causes a little
piece of your soul to whither and die. Of course I do not mean that literally,
I mean that figuratively. An abuser would have said: “Every time a person
uses that word, a piece of my soul literally withers and dies.” Which is
terribly, horribly wrong.</p>
<pname="104a"id="104a"class="graf--p">For whatever bizarre reason, people feel the need to use literally as
a sort of verbal crutch. They use it to emphasize a point, which is silly
because they’re already using an analogy or a metaphor to illustrate said
point. For example: “Ugh, I literally tore the house apart looking for
my remote control!” No, you literally did not tear apart your house, because
it’s still standing. If you’d just told me you “tore your house apart”
searching for your remote, I would’ve understood what you meant. No need
to add “literally” to the sentence.</p>
<pname="1a73"id="1a73"class="graf--p">You either are a “literally” abuser or know of one. If you’re anything like me, hearing the word “literally” used incorrectly causes a little piece of your soul to whither and die. Of course I do not mean that literally, I mean that figuratively. An abuser would have said: “Every time a person uses that word, a piece of my soul literally withers and dies.” Which is terribly, horribly wrong.</p>
<pname="104a"id="104a"class="graf--p">For whatever bizarre reason, people feel the need to use literally as a sort of verbal crutch. They use it to emphasize a point, which is silly because they’re already using an analogy or a metaphor to illustrate said point. For example: “Ugh, I literally tore the house apart looking for my remote control!” No, you literally did not tear apart your house, because it’s still standing. If you’d just told me you “tore your house apart” searching for your remote, I would’ve understood what you meant. No need to add “literally” to the sentence.</p>
<pname="c2c0"id="c2c0"class="graf--p">Maybe I should define literally.</p>
<blockquotename="b239"id="b239"
class="graf--pullquote pullquote">Literally means actually. When you say something literally happened, you’re
describing the scene or situation as it actually happened.</blockquote>
<p
name="a8fd" id="a8fd" class="graf--p">So you should only use literally when you mean it. It should not be used
in hyperbole. Example: “That was so funny I literally cried.” Which is
possible. Some things are funny enough to elicit tears. Note the example
stops with “literally cried.” You cannot <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">literally cry your eyes out</em>.
The joke wasn’t so funny your eyes popped out of their sockets.</p>
<h4
name="165a" id="165a" class="graf--h4">When in Doubt, Leave it Out</h4>
<pname="e434"id="e434"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” means you’re hungry. You don’t need
to say “I’m so hungry I could literally eat a horse.” Because you can’t
do that in one sitting, I don’t care how big your stomach is.</p>
<pname="d88f"
id="d88f" class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“That play was so funny I laughed my head off,” illustrates the play was
amusing. You don’t need to say you literally laughed your head off, because
then your head would be on the ground and you wouldn’t be able to speak,
much less laugh.</p>
<pname="4bab"id="4bab"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I drove so fast my car was flying,” we get your point: you were speeding.
But your car is never going fast enough to fly, so don’t say your car was
<pname="b57e"id="b57e"class="graf--p graf--last">Matthew Inman of “The Oatmeal” wrote a comic about literally. Abusers
and defenders alike <ahref="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally"data-href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally"
class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" rel="nofollow">should check it out</a>.
It’s clear this whole craze about literally is driving a lot of us nuts.
You literally abusers are killing off pieces of our souls. You must be
stopped, or the world will be lost to meaninglessness forever. Figuratively
speaking.</p>
<blockquotename="b239"id="b239"class="graf--pullquote pullquote">Literally means actually. When you say something literally happened, you’re describing the scene or situation as it actually happened.</blockquote>
<pname="a8fd"id="a8fd"class="graf--p">So you should only use literally when you mean it. It should not be used in hyperbole. Example: “That was so funny I literally cried.” Which is possible. Some things are funny enough to elicit tears. Note the example stops with “literally cried.” You cannot <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">literally cry your eyes out</em>. The joke wasn’t so funny your eyes popped out of their sockets.</p>
<h4name="165a"id="165a"class="graf--h4">When in Doubt, Leave it Out</h4>
<pname="e434"id="e434"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” means you’re hungry. You don’t need to say “I’m so hungry I could literally eat a horse.” Because you can’t do that in one sitting, I don’t care how big your stomach is.</p>
<pname="d88f"id="d88f"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“That play was so funny I laughed my head off,” illustrates the play was amusing. You don’t need to say you literally laughed your head off, because then your head would be on the ground and you wouldn’t be able to speak, much less laugh.</p>
<pname="4bab"id="4bab"class="graf--p graf--startsWithDoubleQuote">“I drove so fast my car was flying,” we get your point: you were speeding. But your car is never going fast enough to fly, so don’t say your car was literally flying.</p>
<pname="1bd7"id="1bd7"class="graf--p">Maybe no one believed a story you told as a child, and you felt the need to prove that it actually happened. <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">No really, mom, I literally climbed the tree. </em>In efforts to prove truth, you used literally to describe something real, however outlandish it seemed. Whatever the reason, now your overuse of literally has become a habit.</p>
<h4name="d7c1"id="d7c1"class="graf--h4">Hard Habit to Break?</h4>
<pname="714b"id="714b"class="graf--p">Abusing literally isn’t as bad a smoking, but it’s still an unhealthy habit (I mean that figuratively). Help is required in order to break it.</p>
<pname="f929"id="f929"class="graf--p">This is my version of an intervention for literally abusers. I’m not sure how else to do it other than in writing. I know this makes me sound like a know-it-all, and I accept that. But there’s no excuse other than blatant ignorance to misuse the word “literally.” So just stop it.</p>
<pname="fd19"id="fd19"class="graf--p">Don’t say “Courtney, this post is so snobbish it literally burned up my computer.” Because nothing is that snobbish that it causes computers to combust. Or: “Courtney, your head is so big it literally cannot get through the door.” Because it can, unless it’s one of those tiny doors from <emclass="markup--em markup--p-em">Alice in Wonderland</em> and I need to eat a mushroom to make my whole body smaller.</p>
<pname="7ff8"id="7ff8"class="graf--p">And I’m not saying I am. I’m trying to restore meaning to a word that’s lost meaning. I’m standing up for literally. It’s a good word when used correctly. People are butchering it and destroying it every day (figuratively speaking) and the massacre needs to stop. Just as there’s a coalition of people against the use of certain fonts (like <ahref="http://bancomicsans.com/main/?page_id=2"data-href="http://bancomicsans.com/main/?page_id=2"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Comic Sans</a> and <ahref="https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14448723154"data-href="https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14448723154"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">Papyrus</a>), so should there be a coalition of people against the abuse of literally.</p>
<h4name="049e"id="049e"class="graf--h4">Saying it to Irritate?</h4>
<pname="9381"id="9381"class="graf--p">Do you misuse the word “literally” just to annoy your know-it-all or grammar police friends/acquaintances/total strangers? If so, why? Doing so would be like me going outside when it’s freezing, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and t-shirt in hopes of making you cold by just looking at me. Who suffers more?</p>
<pname="b57e"id="b57e"class="graf--p graf--last">Matthew Inman of “The Oatmeal” wrote a comic about literally. Abusers and defenders alike <ahref="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally"data-href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally"class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor"rel="nofollow">should check it out</a>. It’s clear this whole craze about literally is driving a lot of us nuts. You literally abusers are killing off pieces of our souls. You must be stopped, or the world will be lost to meaninglessness forever. Figuratively speaking.</p>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
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voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet
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amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam
nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat,
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sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum.
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sit amet.</p>
<h2>Secondary header</h2>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam
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amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam
nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat,
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sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed
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sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum.
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sit amet.</p>
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amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam
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sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum.
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<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.</p>
<h2>Secondary header</h2>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.</p>
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<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.</p>
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id est laborum.</p>
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quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo
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proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
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proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
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proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.</p>
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<pid="first">Regarding item# 11111, under sufficiently extreme conditions, quarks may
become deconfined and exist as free particles. In the course of asymptotic
freedom, the strong interaction becomes weaker at higher temperatures.
Eventually, color confinement would be lost and an extremely hot plasma
of freely moving quarks and gluons would be formed. This theoretical phase
of matter is called quark-gluon plasma.[81] The exact conditions needed
to give rise to this state are unknown and have been the subject of a great
deal of speculation and experimentation.</p>
<pid="second">Regarding item# 22222, under sufficiently extreme conditions, quarks may
become deconfined and exist as free particles. In the course of asymptotic
freedom, the strong interaction becomes weaker at higher temperatures.
Eventually, color confinement would be lost and an extremely hot plasma
of freely moving quarks and gluons would be formed. This theoretical phase
of matter is called quark-gluon plasma.[81] The exact conditions needed
to give rise to this state are unknown and have been the subject of a great
deal of speculation and experimentation.</p>
<pid="third">Regarding item# 33333, under sufficiently extreme conditions, quarks may
become deconfined and exist as free particles. In the course of asymptotic
freedom, the strong interaction becomes weaker at higher temperatures.
Eventually, color confinement would be lost and an extremely hot plasma
of freely moving quarks and gluons would be formed. This theoretical phase
of matter is called quark-gluon plasma.[81] The exact conditions needed
to give rise to this state are unknown and have been the subject of a great
deal of speculation and experimentation.</p>
<brid="br2">
</div>
<pid="first">Regarding item# 11111, under sufficiently extreme conditions, quarks may become deconfined and exist as free particles. In the course of asymptotic freedom, the strong interaction becomes weaker at higher temperatures. Eventually, color confinement would be lost and an extremely hot plasma of freely moving quarks and gluons would be formed. This theoretical phase of matter is called quark-gluon plasma.[81] The exact conditions needed to give rise to this state are unknown and have been the subject of a great deal of speculation and experimentation.</p>
<pid="second">Regarding item# 22222, under sufficiently extreme conditions, quarks may become deconfined and exist as free particles. In the course of asymptotic freedom, the strong interaction becomes weaker at higher temperatures. Eventually, color confinement would be lost and an extremely hot plasma of freely moving quarks and gluons would be formed. This theoretical phase of matter is called quark-gluon plasma.[81] The exact conditions needed to give rise to this state are unknown and have been the subject of a great deal of speculation and experimentation.</p>
<pid="third">Regarding item# 33333, under sufficiently extreme conditions, quarks may become deconfined and exist as free particles. In the course of asymptotic freedom, the strong interaction becomes weaker at higher temperatures. Eventually, color confinement would be lost and an extremely hot plasma of freely moving quarks and gluons would be formed. This theoretical phase of matter is called quark-gluon plasma.[81] The exact conditions needed to give rise to this state are unknown and have been the subject of a great deal of speculation and experimentation.</p>
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<p>Horror stories about the increasingly unpopular taxi service Uber have
been commonplace in recent months, but there is still much to be learned
from its handling of the recent hostage drama in downtown Sydney, Australia.
We’re told that we reveal our true character in moments of crisis, and
apparently that’s as true for companies as it is for individuals.</p>
<p>A number of experts have challenged the idea that the horrific explosion
of violence in a Sydney café was “terrorism,” since the attacker was mentally
unbalanced and acted alone. But, terror or not, the ordeal was certainly
terrifying. Amid the chaos and uncertainty, the city believed itself to
be under a coordinated and deadly attack.</p>
<p>Uber had an interesting, if predictable, response to the panic and mayhem:
It raised prices. A lot.</p>
<p>In case you missed the story, the facts are these: Someone named Man Haron
Monis, who was considered mentally unstable and had been investigated for
murdering his ex-wife, seized hostages in a café that was located in Sydney’s
Central Business District or “CBD.” In the process he put up an Islamic
flag – “igniting,” as <ahref="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/15/us-australia-security-idUSKBN0JS0WX20141215">Reuters</a> reported,
“fears of a jihadist attack in the heart of the country’s biggest city.”</p>
<p>Horror stories about the increasingly unpopular taxi service Uber have been commonplace in recent months, but there is still much to be learned from its handling of the recent hostage drama in downtown Sydney, Australia. We’re told that we reveal our true character in moments of crisis, and apparently that’s as true for companies as it is for individuals.</p>
<p>A number of experts have challenged the idea that the horrific explosion of violence in a Sydney café was “terrorism,” since the attacker was mentally unbalanced and acted alone. But, terror or not, the ordeal was certainly terrifying. Amid the chaos and uncertainty, the city believed itself to be under a coordinated and deadly attack.</p>
<p>Uber had an interesting, if predictable, response to the panic and mayhem: It raised prices. A lot.</p>
<p>In case you missed the story, the facts are these: Someone named Man Haron Monis, who was considered mentally unstable and had been investigated for murdering his ex-wife, seized hostages in a café that was located in Sydney’s Central Business District or “CBD.” In the process he put up an Islamic flag – “igniting,” as <ahref="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/15/us-australia-security-idUSKBN0JS0WX20141215">Reuters</a> reported, “fears of a jihadist attack in the heart of the country’s biggest city.”</p>
<p>In the midst of the fear, Uber stepped in and tweeted this announcement: <span>“We are all concerned with events in CBD. Fares have increased to encourage
more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.”</span>
the company announced that it would charge a minimum of $100 Australian
to take passengers from the area immediately surrounding the ongoing crisis,
and prices increased by as much as four times the standard amount. A firestorm
of criticism quickly erupted – “<ahref="https://twitter.com/Uber_Sydney">@Uber_Sydney</a> stop
being assholes,” one Twitter response began – and Uber soon found itself
offering free rides out of the troubled area instead.</p>
<p>That opener suggests that Uber, as part of a community under siege, is
preparing to respond in a civic manner.<em></em>
</p>
<p><em>“… Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.”</em>
</p>
more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.”</span></p>
<p>As <ahref="http://mashable.com/2014/12/14/uber-sydney-surge-pricing/">Mashable </a>reports, the company announced that it would charge a minimum of $100 Australian to take passengers from the area immediately surrounding the ongoing crisis, and prices increased by as much as four times the standard amount. A firestorm of criticism quickly erupted – “<ahref="https://twitter.com/Uber_Sydney">@Uber_Sydney</a> stop being assholes,” one Twitter response began – and Uber soon found itself offering free rides out of the troubled area instead.</p>
<p>That opener suggests that Uber, as part of a community under siege, is preparing to respond in a civic manner.<em></em></p>
<p><em>“… Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.”</em></p>
<divdata-toggle-group="story-13850779">
<p>But, despite the expression of shared concern, there is no sense of <em>civitas</em> to
be found in the statement that follows. There is only a transaction, executed
at what the corporation believes to be market value. Lesson #1 about Uber
is, therefore, that in its view there is no heroism, only self-interest.
This is Ayn Rand’s brutal, irrational and primitive philosophy in its purest
form: altruism is evil, and self-interest is the only true heroism.<em></em>
</p>
<p>There was once a time when we might have read of “hero cabdrivers” or
“hero bus drivers” placing themselves in harm’s way to rescue their fellow
citizens. For its part, Uber might have suggested that it would use its
network of drivers and its scheduling software to recruit volunteer drivers
for a rescue mission.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Instead, we are told that Uber’s pricing surge <em>was</em> its expression
of concern. Uber’s way to address a human crisis is apparently by letting
the market govern human behavior, as if there were (in libertarian economist
Tyler Cowen’s phrase) “markets in everything” – including the lives of
a city’s beleaguered citizens (and its Uber drivers). <em></em>
</p>
<p>Where would this kind of market-driven practice leave poor or middle-income
citizens in a time of crisis? If they can’t afford the “surged” price,
apparently it would leave them squarely in the line of fire. And come to
think of it, why would Uber drivers value their lives so cheaply, unless
they’re underpaid? <em></em>
</p>
<p>One of the lessons of Sydney is this: Uber’s philosophy, whether consciously
expressed or not, is that life belongs to the highest bidder – and therefore,
by implication, the highest bidder’s life has the greatest value. Society,
on the other hand, may choose to believe that every life has equal value
– or that lifesaving services should be available at affordable prices. <em></em>
</p>
<p>If nothing else, the Sydney experience should prove once and for all that
there is no such thing as “the sharing economy.” Uber is a taxi company,
albeit an under-regulated one, and nothing more. It’s certainly not a “ride
sharing” service, where someone who happens to be going in the same direction
is willing to take along an extra passenger and split gas costs. A ride-sharing
service wouldn’t find itself “increasing fares to encourage more drivers”
to come into Sydney’s terrorized Central Business District. <em></em>
</p>
<p>A “sharing economy,” by definition, is lateral in structure. It is a peer-to-peer
economy. But Uber, as its name suggests, is hierarchical in structure.
It monitors and controls its drivers, demanding that they purchase services
from it while guiding their movements and determining their level of earnings.
And its pricing mechanisms impose unpredictable costs on its customers,
extracting greater amounts whenever the data suggests customers can be
compelled to pay them.<em></em>
</p>
<p>This is a top-down economy, not a “shared” one.<em></em>
</p>
<p>A number of Uber’s fans and supporters defended the company on the grounds
that its “surge prices,” including those seen during the Sydney crisis,
are determined by an algorithm. But an algorithm can be an ideological
statement, and is always a cultural artifact. As human creations, algorithms
reflect their creators. <em></em>
</p>
<p>Uber’s tweet during the Sydney crisis made it sound as if human intervention,
rather than algorithmic processes, caused prices to soar that day. But
it doesn’t really matter if that surge was manually or algorithmically
driven. Either way the prices were Uber’s doing – and its moral choice.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Uber has been strenuously defending its surge pricing in the wake of accusations
that the company enjoyed windfall profits during Hurricane Sandy. It has
now promised the state of New York that it will cap its surge prices (at
three times the highest rate on two non-emergency days). But if Uber has
its way, it will soon enjoy a monopolistic stranglehold on car service
rates in most major markets. And it has demonstrated its willingness to
ignore rules and regulations. That means<em></em>predictable and affordable
taxi fares could become a thing of the past. <em></em>
</p>
<p>In practice, surge pricing could become a new, privatized form of taxation
on middle-class taxi customers.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Even without surge pricing, Uber and its supporters are hiding its full
costs. When middle-class workers are underpaid or deprived of benefits
and full working rights, as Uber’s <ahref="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-say-theyre-making-less-than-minimum-wage-2014-10">reportedly are</a>,
the entire middle-class economy suffers. Overall wages and benefits are
suppressed for the majority, while the wealthy few are made even richer.
The invisible costs of ventures like Uber are extracted over time, far
surpassing whatever short-term savings they may occasionally offer.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Like Walmart, Uber underpays its employees – many of its drivers <em>are</em> employees,
in everything but name – and then drains the social safety net to make
up the difference. While Uber preaches libertarianism, it practices a form
of corporate welfare. It’s reportedly <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/17/why-uber-loves-obamacare/">celebrating Obamacare</a>,
for example, since the Affordable Care Act allows it to avoid providing
health insurance to its workforce. But the ACA’s subsidies, together with
Uber’s often woefully insufficient wages, mean that the rest of us are
paying its tab instead. And the lack of income security among Uber’s drivers
creates another social cost for Americans – in lost tax revenue, and possibly
in increased use of social services. <em></em>
</p>
<p>The company’s war on regulation will also carry a social price. Uber and
its supporters don’t seem to understand that<em></em>regulations exist
for a reason. It’s true that nobody likes excessive bureaucracy, but not
all regulations are excessive or onerous. And when they are, it’s a flaw
in execution rather than principle. <em></em>
</p>
<p>Regulations were created because they serve a social purpose, ensuring
the free and fair exchange of services and resources among all segments
of society. Some services, such as transportation, are of such importance
that the public has a vested interest in ensuring they will be readily
available at reasonably affordable prices. That’s not unreasonable for
taxi services, especially given the fact that they profit from publicly
maintained roads and bridges.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Uber has presented itself as a modernized, efficient alternative to government
oversight. But it’s an evasion of regulation, not its replacement. As
<a
href="http://fusion.net/story/33680/the-inside-story-of-how-the-uber-portland-negotiations-broke-down/">Alexis Madrigal</a>reports, Uber has deliberately ignored city regulators
and used customer demand to force its model of inadequate self-governance
(my conclusion, not his) onto one city after another.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Uber presented itself as a refreshing alternative to the over-bureaucratized
world of urban transportation. But that’s a false choice. We can streamline
sclerotic city regulators, upgrade taxi fleets and even provide users with
fancy apps that make it easier to call a cab. The company’s binary presentation
– us, or City Hall – frames the debate in artificial terms.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Uber claims that its driver rating system is a more efficient way to monitor
drivers, but that’s an entirely unproven assumption. While taxi drivers
have been known to misbehave, the worldwide litany of complaints against
Uber drivers – for everything from dirty cars and <ahref="http://consumerist.com/2014/07/30/uber-passenger-complains-of-spider-bite-in-filthy-car/">spider bites</a> to
<a
href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/09/30/uber-driver-hammer-attack-liability/">assault with a hammer</a>, <ahref="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-nikki-williams-2014-12">fondling</a> and
<a
href="http://www.businessinsider.com/an-uber-driver-allegedly-raped-a-female-passenger-in-boston-2014-12">rape</a>– suggest that Uber’s system may not work as well as old-fashioned
regulation. It’s certainly not noticeably superior.<em></em>
</p>
<p>In fact, <ahref="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/09/uber-california-lawsuit_n_6298206.html">prosecutors in San Francisco and Los Angeles</a> say
Uber has been lying to its customers about the level and quality of its
background checks. The company now promises it will do a better job at
screening drivers. But it <ahref="http://consumerist.com/2014/12/18/uber-reportedly-revamping-security-wont-say-exactly-what-its-doing/">won’t tell us</a> what
measures its taking to improve its safety record, and it’s <ahref="http://consumerist.com/2014/12/18/uber-reportedly-revamping-security-wont-say-exactly-what-its-doing/">fighting the kind of driver scrutiny</a> that
taxicab companies have been required to enforce for many decades. <em></em>
</p>
<p>Many reports suggest that beleaguered drivers don’t feel much better about
the company than victimized passengers do. They tell <ahref="http://qz.com/299655/why-your-uber-driver-hates-uber/">horror stories</a> about
the company’s hiring and management practices. Uber <ahref="http://www.salon.com/2014/09/03/uber_unrest_drivers_in_los_angeles_protest_the_slashing_of_rates/">unilaterally slashes drivers’ rates</a>,
while claiming they don’t need to unionize. (The <ahref="http://www.fastcompany.com/3037371/the-teamsters-of-the-21st-century-how-uber-lyft-and-facebook-drivers-are-organizing">Teamsters</a> disagree.) <em></em>
</p>
<p>The company also pushes<ahref="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/06/3589715/uber-lending-investigation/"> sketchy, substandard loans</a> onto
its drivers – but hey, what could go wrong?<em></em>
</p>
<p>Uber has many libertarian defenders. And yet, it <ahref="http://pando.com/2014/10/29/uber-prs-latest-trick-impersonating-its-drivers-and-trying-to-scam-journalists/">deceives the press</a> and
<a
href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/11/17/uber_exec_suggests_using_personal_info_against_journalists.html">threatens to spy on journalists</a>, <ahref="http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/04/technology/uber-lyft/">lies to its own employees</a>,
keeps its practices a secret and routinely invades the privacy of civilians
– sometimes merely for entertainment. (It has a tool, with the Orwellian
name the “<ahref="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/10/03/god-view-uber-allegedly-stalked-users-for-party-goers-viewing-pleasure/">God View</a>,”
that it can use for monitoring customers’ personal movements.) <em></em>
</p>
<p>Aren’t those the kinds of things libertarians say they hate about <em>government</em>?<em></em>
</p>
<p>This isn’t a “gotcha” exercise. It matters. Uber is the poster child for
the pro-privatization, anti-regulatory ideology that ascribes magical powers
to technology and the private sector. It is deeply a political entity,
from its Nietzschean name to its recent hiring of White House veteran David
Plouffe. Uber is built around a relatively simple app (which relies on
government-created technology), but it’s not really a tech company. Above
all else Uber is an ideological campaign, a neoliberal project whose real
products are deregulation and the dismantling of the social contract.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Or maybe, as that tweeter in Sydney suggested, they’re just assholes.<em></em>
</p>
<p>Either way, it’s important that Uber’s worldview and business practices
not be allowed to “disrupt” our economy or our social fabric. People who
work hard deserve to make a decent living. Society at large deserves access
to safe and affordable transportation. And government, as the collective
expression of a democratic society, has a role to play in protecting its
citizens. <em></em>
</p>
<p>And then there’s the matter of our collective psyche. In her book “A Paradise
Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster,” Rebecca
Solnit wrote of the purpose, meaning and deep satisfaction people find
when they pull together to help one another in the face of adversity.
But in the world Uber seeks to create, those surges of the spirit would
be replaced by surge pricing.<em></em>
</p>
<p>You don’t need a “God view” to see what happens next. When heroism is
reduced to a transaction, the soul of a society is sold cheap. <em></em>
</p>
<p>But, despite the expression of shared concern, there is no sense of <em>civitas</em> to be found in the statement that follows. There is only a transaction, executed at what the corporation believes to be market value. Lesson #1 about Uber is, therefore, that in its view there is no heroism, only self-interest. This is Ayn Rand’s brutal, irrational and primitive philosophy in its purest form: altruism is evil, and self-interest is the only true heroism.<em></em></p>
<p>There was once a time when we might have read of “hero cabdrivers” or “hero bus drivers” placing themselves in harm’s way to rescue their fellow citizens. For its part, Uber might have suggested that it would use its network of drivers and its scheduling software to recruit volunteer drivers for a rescue mission.<em></em></p>
<p>Instead, we are told that Uber’s pricing surge <em>was</em> its expression of concern. Uber’s way to address a human crisis is apparently by letting the market govern human behavior, as if there were (in libertarian economist Tyler Cowen’s phrase) “markets in everything” – including the lives of a city’s beleaguered citizens (and its Uber drivers). <em></em></p>
<p>Where would this kind of market-driven practice leave poor or middle-income citizens in a time of crisis? If they can’t afford the “surged” price, apparently it would leave them squarely in the line of fire. And come to think of it, why would Uber drivers value their lives so cheaply, unless they’re underpaid? <em></em></p>
<p>One of the lessons of Sydney is this: Uber’s philosophy, whether consciously expressed or not, is that life belongs to the highest bidder – and therefore, by implication, the highest bidder’s life has the greatest value. Society, on the other hand, may choose to believe that every life has equal value – or that lifesaving services should be available at affordable prices. <em></em></p>
<p>If nothing else, the Sydney experience should prove once and for all that there is no such thing as “the sharing economy.” Uber is a taxi company, albeit an under-regulated one, and nothing more. It’s certainly not a “ride sharing” service, where someone who happens to be going in the same direction is willing to take along an extra passenger and split gas costs. A ride-sharing service wouldn’t find itself “increasing fares to encourage more drivers” to come into Sydney’s terrorized Central Business District. <em></em></p>
<p>A “sharing economy,” by definition, is lateral in structure. It is a peer-to-peer economy. But Uber, as its name suggests, is hierarchical in structure. It monitors and controls its drivers, demanding that they purchase services from it while guiding their movements and determining their level of earnings. And its pricing mechanisms impose unpredictable costs on its customers, extracting greater amounts whenever the data suggests customers can be compelled to pay them.<em></em></p>
<p>This is a top-down economy, not a “shared” one.<em></em></p>
<p>A number of Uber’s fans and supporters defended the company on the grounds that its “surge prices,” including those seen during the Sydney crisis, are determined by an algorithm. But an algorithm can be an ideological statement, and is always a cultural artifact. As human creations, algorithms reflect their creators. <em></em></p>
<p>Uber’s tweet during the Sydney crisis made it sound as if human intervention, rather than algorithmic processes, caused prices to soar that day. But it doesn’t really matter if that surge was manually or algorithmically driven. Either way the prices were Uber’s doing – and its moral choice.<em></em></p>
<p>Uber has been strenuously defending its surge pricing in the wake of accusations (apparently <ahref="http://gothamist.com/2012/11/04/uber.php">justified</a>) that the company enjoyed windfall profits during Hurricane Sandy. It has now promised the state of New York that it will cap its surge prices (at three times the highest rate on two non-emergency days). But if Uber has its way, it will soon enjoy a monopolistic stranglehold on car service rates in most major markets. And it has demonstrated its willingness to ignore rules and regulations. That means<em></em>predictable and affordable taxi fares could become a thing of the past. <em></em></p>
<p>In practice, surge pricing could become a new, privatized form of taxation on middle-class taxi customers.<em></em></p>
<p>Even without surge pricing, Uber and its supporters are hiding its full costs. When middle-class workers are underpaid or deprived of benefits and full working rights, as Uber’s <ahref="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-say-theyre-making-less-than-minimum-wage-2014-10">reportedly are</a>, the entire middle-class economy suffers. Overall wages and benefits are suppressed for the majority, while the wealthy few are made even richer. The invisible costs of ventures like Uber are extracted over time, far surpassing whatever short-term savings they may occasionally offer.<em></em></p>
<p>Like Walmart, Uber underpays its employees – many of its drivers <em>are</em> employees, in everything but name – and then drains the social safety net to make up the difference. While Uber preaches libertarianism, it practices a form of corporate welfare. It’s reportedly <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/17/why-uber-loves-obamacare/">celebrating Obamacare</a>, for example, since the Affordable Care Act allows it to avoid providing health insurance to its workforce. But the ACA’s subsidies, together with Uber’s often woefully insufficient wages, mean that the rest of us are paying its tab instead. And the lack of income security among Uber’s drivers creates another social cost for Americans – in lost tax revenue, and possibly in increased use of social services. <em></em></p>
<p>The company’s war on regulation will also carry a social price. Uber and its supporters don’t seem to understand that<em></em>regulations exist for a reason. It’s true that nobody likes excessive bureaucracy, but not all regulations are excessive or onerous. And when they are, it’s a flaw in execution rather than principle. <em></em></p>
<p>Regulations were created because they serve a social purpose, ensuring the free and fair exchange of services and resources among all segments of society. Some services, such as transportation, are of such importance that the public has a vested interest in ensuring they will be readily available at reasonably affordable prices. That’s not unreasonable for taxi services, especially given the fact that they profit from publicly maintained roads and bridges.<em></em></p>
<p>Uber has presented itself as a modernized, efficient alternative to government oversight. But it’s an evasion of regulation, not its replacement. As <ahref="http://fusion.net/story/33680/the-inside-story-of-how-the-uber-portland-negotiations-broke-down/">Alexis Madrigal</a>reports, Uber has deliberately ignored city regulators and used customer demand to force its model of inadequate self-governance (my conclusion, not his) onto one city after another.<em></em></p>
<p>Uber presented itself as a refreshing alternative to the over-bureaucratized world of urban transportation. But that’s a false choice. We can streamline sclerotic city regulators, upgrade taxi fleets and even provide users with fancy apps that make it easier to call a cab. The company’s binary presentation – us, or City Hall – frames the debate in artificial terms.<em></em></p>
<p>Uber claims that its driver rating system is a more efficient way to monitor drivers, but that’s an entirely unproven assumption. While taxi drivers have been known to misbehave, the worldwide litany of complaints against Uber drivers – for everything from dirty cars and <ahref="http://consumerist.com/2014/07/30/uber-passenger-complains-of-spider-bite-in-filthy-car/">spider bites</a> to <ahref="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/09/30/uber-driver-hammer-attack-liability/">assault with a hammer</a>, <ahref="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-nikki-williams-2014-12">fondling</a> and <ahref="http://www.businessinsider.com/an-uber-driver-allegedly-raped-a-female-passenger-in-boston-2014-12">rape</a>– suggest that Uber’s system may not work as well as old-fashioned regulation. It’s certainly not noticeably superior.<em></em></p>
<p>In fact, <ahref="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/09/uber-california-lawsuit_n_6298206.html">prosecutors in San Francisco and Los Angeles</a> say Uber has been lying to its customers about the level and quality of its background checks. The company now promises it will do a better job at screening drivers. But it <ahref="http://consumerist.com/2014/12/18/uber-reportedly-revamping-security-wont-say-exactly-what-its-doing/">won’t tell us</a> what measures its taking to improve its safety record, and it’s <ahref="http://consumerist.com/2014/12/18/uber-reportedly-revamping-security-wont-say-exactly-what-its-doing/">fighting the kind of driver scrutiny</a> that taxicab companies have been required to enforce for many decades. <em></em></p>
<p>Many reports suggest that beleaguered drivers don’t feel much better about the company than victimized passengers do. They tell <ahref="http://qz.com/299655/why-your-uber-driver-hates-uber/">horror stories</a> about the company’s hiring and management practices. Uber <ahref="http://www.salon.com/2014/09/03/uber_unrest_drivers_in_los_angeles_protest_the_slashing_of_rates/">unilaterally slashes drivers’ rates</a>, while claiming they don’t need to unionize. (The <ahref="http://www.fastcompany.com/3037371/the-teamsters-of-the-21st-century-how-uber-lyft-and-facebook-drivers-are-organizing">Teamsters</a> disagree.) <em></em></p>
<p>The company also pushes<ahref="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/06/3589715/uber-lending-investigation/"> sketchy, substandard loans</a> onto its drivers – but hey, what could go wrong?<em></em></p>
<p>Uber has many libertarian defenders. And yet, it <ahref="http://pando.com/2014/10/29/uber-prs-latest-trick-impersonating-its-drivers-and-trying-to-scam-journalists/">deceives the press</a> and <ahref="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/11/17/uber_exec_suggests_using_personal_info_against_journalists.html">threatens to spy on journalists</a>, <ahref="http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/04/technology/uber-lyft/">lies to its own employees</a>, keeps its practices a secret and routinely invades the privacy of civilians – sometimes merely for entertainment. (It has a tool, with the Orwellian name the “<ahref="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/10/03/god-view-uber-allegedly-stalked-users-for-party-goers-viewing-pleasure/">God View</a>,” that it can use for monitoring customers’ personal movements.) <em></em></p>
<p>Aren’t those the kinds of things libertarians say they hate about <em>government</em>?<em></em></p>
<p>This isn’t a “gotcha” exercise. It matters. Uber is the poster child for the pro-privatization, anti-regulatory ideology that ascribes magical powers to technology and the private sector. It is deeply a political entity, from its Nietzschean name to its recent hiring of White House veteran David Plouffe. Uber is built around a relatively simple app (which relies on government-created technology), but it’s not really a tech company. Above all else Uber is an ideological campaign, a neoliberal project whose real products are deregulation and the dismantling of the social contract.<em></em></p>
<p>Or maybe, as that tweeter in Sydney suggested, they’re just assholes.<em></em></p>
<p>Either way, it’s important that Uber’s worldview and business practices not be allowed to “disrupt” our economy or our social fabric. People who work hard deserve to make a decent living. Society at large deserves access to safe and affordable transportation. And government, as the collective expression of a democratic society, has a role to play in protecting its citizens. <em></em></p>
<p>And then there’s the matter of our collective psyche. In her book “A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster,” Rebecca Solnit wrote of the purpose, meaning and deep satisfaction people find when they pull together to help one another in the face of adversity. But in the world Uber seeks to create, those surges of the spirit would be replaced by surge pricing.<em></em></p>
<p>You don’t need a “God view” to see what happens next. When heroism is reduced to a transaction, the soul of a society is sold cheap. <em></em></p>
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<imgalt="0225-lupita-nyongo-getty-01"src="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2015/02/26/0225-lupita-nyongo-getty-4.jpg"><strong>Lupita Nyong</strong>'<strong>o</strong>'s now-famous Oscar dress
-- adorned in pearls -- was stolen right out of her hotel room ... TMZ
has learned.</p>
<p>Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the dress was taken out of Lupita's
room at The London West Hollywood. The dress is made of pearls ... 6,000
white Akoya pearls. It's valued at $150,000.</p>
<p>Our sources say Lupita told cops it was taken from her room sometime between
8 AM and 9 PM Wednesday ... while she was gone. </p>
<p>We're told there is security footage that cops are looking at that could
catch the culprit right in the act. </p>
<p>
<imgalt="update_graphic_red_bar"src="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2013/11/20/update-graphic-red-bar.jpg"><strong>12:00 PM PT</strong> -- Sheriff's deputies were at The London Thursday
morning. We know they were in the manager's office and we're told
they have looked at security footage to determine if they can ID the culprit.</p>
<p><imgalt="0225-lupita-nyongo-getty-01"src="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2015/02/26/0225-lupita-nyongo-getty-4.jpg"><strong>Lupita Nyong</strong>'<strong>o</strong>'s now-famous Oscar dress -- adorned in pearls -- was stolen right out of her hotel room ... TMZ has learned.</p>
<p>Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the dress was taken out of Lupita's room at The London West Hollywood. The dress is made of pearls ... 6,000 white Akoya pearls. It's valued at $150,000.</p>
<p>Our sources say Lupita told cops it was taken from her room sometime between 8 AM and 9 PM Wednesday ... while she was gone. </p>
<p>We're told there is security footage that cops are looking at that could catch the culprit right in the act. </p>
<p><imgalt="update_graphic_red_bar"src="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2013/11/20/update-graphic-red-bar.jpg"><strong>12:00 PM PT</strong> -- Sheriff's deputies were at The London Thursday morning. We know they were in the manager's office and we're told they have looked at security footage to determine if they can ID the culprit.</p>
<p><spanclass="dateline">CAIRO —</span> Gunmen opened fire on visitors at
Tunisia’s most renowned museum on Wednesday, killing at least 19 people,
including 17 foreigners, in an assault that threatened to upset the fragile
stability of a country seen as the lone success of the Arab Spring.</p>
<p>It was the most deadly terrorist attack in the North African nation in
more than a decade. Although no group claimed responsibility, the bloodshed
raised fears that militants linked to the Islamic State were expanding
their operations.</p>
<p>The attackers, clad in military uniforms, <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gunmen-storm-museum-in-tunisia-killing-at-least-8/2015/03/18/00202e76-cd73-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html">stormed the Bardo National Museum</a> on
Wednesday afternoon, seizing and gunning down foreign tourists before security
forces raided the building to end the siege. The museum is a major tourist
draw and is near the heavily guarded national parliament in downtown Tunis.</p>
<p>Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid said that in addition to the slain
foreigners — from Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain — a local museum worker
and a security official were killed. Two gunmen died, and three others
may have escaped, officials said. About 50 other people were wounded, according
to local news reports.</p>
<p>“Our nation is in danger,” Essid declared in a televised address Wednesday
evening. He vowed that the country would be “merciless” in defending itself.</p>
<p
channel="wp.com" class="interstitial-link"> <i><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/why-tunisia-the-arab-springs-sole-success-story-suffers-from-islamist-violence/">[Read: Why Tunisia, Arab Spring’s sole success story, suffers from Islamist violence]</a></i>
</p>
<p>Tunisia, a mostly Muslim nation of about 11 million people, was governed
for decades by autocrats who imposed secularism. Its sun-drenched Mediterranean
beaches drew thousands of bikini-clad tourists, and its governments promoted
education and other rights for women. But the country has grappled with
rising Islamist militancy since a popular uprising overthrew its dictator
four years ago, setting the stage for the Arab Spring revolts across the
region.</p>
<p>Thousands of Tunisians have flocked to join jihadist groups in Syria,
including the Islamic State, making the country one of the major sources
of foreign fighters in the conflict. Tunisian security forces have also
fought increasing gunbattles with jihadists at home.</p>
<p>Despite this, the country has been hailed as a model of democratic transition
as other governments that came to power after the Arab Spring collapsed,
often in bloody confrontations. But the attack Wednesday — on a national
landmark that showcases Tunisia’s rich heritage — could heighten tensions
in a nation that has become deeply divided between pro- and anti-Islamist
political factions.</p>
<p>Many Tunisians accuse the country’s political Islamists, who held power
from 2011 to 2013, of having been slow to respond to the growing danger
of terrorism. Islamist politicians have acknowledged that they did not
realize the threat that would develop when radical Muslims, who had been
repressed under authoritarian regimes, won the freedom to preach freely
in mosques.</p>
<p>In Washington, White House press secretary Josh Earnest <ahref="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2015-03-18-ML--Tunisia-Attack-The%20Latest/id-653822d829b24cef993c5bd6a7ce44b5">condemned the attack </a>and
said the U.S. government was willing to assist Tunisian authorities in
the investigation.</p>
<divclass="inline-content inline-video">
<pclass="inline-video-caption"><spanclass="pb-caption">Gunmen in military uniforms stormed Tunisia's national museum, killing at least 19 people, most of them foreign tourists. (Reuters)</span>
</p>
</div>
<p>“This attack today is meant to threaten authorities, to frighten tourists
and to negatively affect the economy,” said Lotfi Azzouz, Tunisia country
director for Amnesty International, a London-based rights group.</p>
<p>Tourism is critical to Tunisia’s economy, accounting for 15 percent of
its gross domestic product in 2013, according to the World Travel and Tourism
Council, an industry body. The Bardo museum hosts one of the world’s most
outstanding collections of Roman mosaics and is popular with tourists and
Tunisians alike.</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"class="interstitial-link"><i>[<ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/tunisias-bardo-museum-attacked-by-terrorists-is-home-to-amazing-roman-treasures/">Bardo museum houses amazing Roman treasures</a>]</i>
</p>
<p>The attack is “also aimed at the country’s security and stability during
the transition period,” Azzouz said. “And it could have political repercussions
— like the curtailing of human rights, or even less government transparency
if there’s fear of further attacks.”</p>
<p>The attack raised concerns that the government, led by secularists, would
be pressured to stage a wider crackdown on Islamists of all stripes. Lawmakers
are drafting an anti-terrorism bill to give security forces additional
tools to fight militants.</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"class="interstitial-link"><i><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/tunisia-after-igniting-arab-spring-sends-the-most-fighters-to-islamic-state-in-syria/2014/10/28/b5db4faa-5971-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html">[Read: Tunisia sends most foreign fighters to Islamic State in Syria]</a></i>
</p>
<p>“We must pay attention to what is written” in that law, Azzouz said. “There
is worry the government will use the attack to justify some draconian measures.”</p>
<p>Tunisian Islamists and secular forces have worked together — often reluctantly
— to defuse the country’s political crises in the years since the revolt.</p>
<p>Last fall, Tunisians elected a secular-minded president and parliament
dominated by liberal forces after <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/tunisias-islamists-get-sobering-lesson-in-governing/2014/11/20/b6fc8988-65ad-11e4-ab86-46000e1d0035_story.html">souring on Islamist-led rule</a>.
In 2011, voters had elected a government led by the Ennahda party — a movement
similar to Egypt’s Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. But a political stalemate
developed as the party and others tried to draft the country’s new constitution.
The Islamists failed to improve a slumping economy. And Ennahda came under
fire for what many Tunisians saw as a failure to crack down on Islamist
extremists.</p>
<divclass="inline-content inline-graphic-linked"><spanclass="pb-caption">Map: Flow of foreign fighters to Syria</span>
</div>
<p>After the collapse of the authoritarian system in 2011, hard-line Muslims
known as Salafists attacked bars and art galleries. Then, in 2012, hundreds
of Islamists <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-tunisia-embassy-attack-tests-fledgling-democracy/2012/09/20/19f3986a-0273-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.html">assaulted the U.S. Embassy </a>in
Tunis, shattering windows and hurling gasoline bombs, after the release
of a crude online video about the prophet Muhammad. <ahref="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-23452979"></a>The
government outlawed the group behind the attack — Ansar al-Sharia, an al-Qaeda-linked
organization — and began a crackdown. But the killing <ahref="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-23452979">of two leftist politicians</a> in
2013 prompted a fresh political crisis, and Ennahda stepped down, replaced
by a technocratic government.</p>
<p>Tunisia’s <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/02/03/tunisia-opts-for-an-inclusive-new-government/">current coalition government</a> includes
an Ennahda minister in the cabinet. Still, many leftist figures openly
oppose collaboration with the movement’s leaders.</p>
<p>“Ennahda is responsible for the current deterioration of the situation,
because they were careless with the extremists” while they were in power,
Azzouz said.</p>
<p>The leader of Ennahda, Rachid Ghannouchi, condemned Wednesday’s attack,
saying in a statement that it “will not break our people’s will and will
not undermine our revolution and our democracy.”</p>
<p>Security officials are particularly concerned by the collapse of Libya,
where various armed groups are vying for influence and jihadist militants
have entrenched themselves in major cities. Tunisians worry that extremists
can easily get arms and training in the neighboring country.</p>
<p>In January, Libyan militants loyal to the Islamic State <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/video-shows-purported-beheading-of-egyptian-christians-in-libya/2015/02/15/b8d0f092-b548-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html">beheaded 21 Christians</a> —
20 of them Egyptian Copts — along the country’s coast. They later seized
title="www.washingtonpost.com">Tunisia’s Islamists get a sobering lesson in governing</a>
</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/tunisia-after-igniting-arab-spring-sends-the-most-fighters-to-islamic-state-in-syria/2014/10/28/b5db4faa-5971-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html">Tunisia sends most foreign fighters to Islamic State in Syria</a>
</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/tunisias-bardo-museum-attacked-by-terrorists-is-home-to-amazing-roman-treasures/">Tunisia’s Bardo museum is home to amazing Roman treasures</a>
</p>
<p><spanclass="dateline">CAIRO —</span> Gunmen opened fire on visitors at Tunisia’s most renowned museum on Wednesday, killing at least 19 people, including 17 foreigners, in an assault that threatened to upset the fragile stability of a country seen as the lone success of the Arab Spring.</p>
<p>It was the most deadly terrorist attack in the North African nation in more than a decade. Although no group claimed responsibility, the bloodshed raised fears that militants linked to the Islamic State were expanding their operations.</p>
<p>The attackers, clad in military uniforms, <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gunmen-storm-museum-in-tunisia-killing-at-least-8/2015/03/18/00202e76-cd73-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html">stormed the Bardo National Museum</a> on Wednesday afternoon, seizing and gunning down foreign tourists before security forces raided the building to end the siege. The museum is a major tourist draw and is near the heavily guarded national parliament in downtown Tunis.</p>
<p>Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid said that in addition to the slain foreigners — from Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain — a local museum worker and a security official were killed. Two gunmen died, and three others may have escaped, officials said. About 50 other people were wounded, according to local news reports.</p>
<p>“Our nation is in danger,” Essid declared in a televised address Wednesday evening. He vowed that the country would be “merciless” in defending itself.</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"class="interstitial-link"><i><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/why-tunisia-the-arab-springs-sole-success-story-suffers-from-islamist-violence/">[Read: Why Tunisia, Arab Spring’s sole success story, suffers from Islamist violence]</a></i></p>
<p>Tunisia, a mostly Muslim nation of about 11 million people, was governed for decades by autocrats who imposed secularism. Its sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches drew thousands of bikini-clad tourists, and its governments promoted education and other rights for women. But the country has grappled with rising Islamist militancy since a popular uprising overthrew its dictator four years ago, setting the stage for the Arab Spring revolts across the region.</p>
<p>Thousands of Tunisians have flocked to join jihadist groups in Syria, including the Islamic State, making the country one of the major sources of foreign fighters in the conflict. Tunisian security forces have also fought increasing gunbattles with jihadists at home.</p>
<p>Despite this, the country has been hailed as a model of democratic transition as other governments that came to power after the Arab Spring collapsed, often in bloody confrontations. But the attack Wednesday — on a national landmark that showcases Tunisia’s rich heritage — could heighten tensions in a nation that has become deeply divided between pro- and anti-Islamist political factions.</p>
<p>Many Tunisians accuse the country’s political Islamists, who held power from 2011 to 2013, of having been slow to respond to the growing danger of terrorism. Islamist politicians have acknowledged that they did not realize the threat that would develop when radical Muslims, who had been repressed under authoritarian regimes, won the freedom to preach freely in mosques.</p>
<p>In Washington, White House press secretary Josh Earnest <ahref="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2015-03-18-ML--Tunisia-Attack-The%20Latest/id-653822d829b24cef993c5bd6a7ce44b5">condemned the attack </a>and said the U.S. government was willing to assist Tunisian authorities in the investigation.</p>
<divclass="inline-content inline-video">
<pclass="inline-video-caption"><spanclass="pb-caption">Gunmen in military uniforms stormed Tunisia's national museum, killing at least 19 people, most of them foreign tourists. (Reuters)</span></p>
</div>
<p>“This attack today is meant to threaten authorities, to frighten tourists and to negatively affect the economy,” said Lotfi Azzouz, Tunisia country director for Amnesty International, a London-based rights group.</p>
<p>Tourism is critical to Tunisia’s economy, accounting for 15 percent of its gross domestic product in 2013, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, an industry body. The Bardo museum hosts one of the world’s most outstanding collections of Roman mosaics and is popular with tourists and Tunisians alike.</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"class="interstitial-link"><i>[<ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/tunisias-bardo-museum-attacked-by-terrorists-is-home-to-amazing-roman-treasures/">Bardo museum houses amazing Roman treasures</a>]</i></p>
<p>The attack is “also aimed at the country’s security and stability during the transition period,” Azzouz said. “And it could have political repercussions — like the curtailing of human rights, or even less government transparency if there’s fear of further attacks.”</p>
<p>The attack raised concerns that the government, led by secularists, would be pressured to stage a wider crackdown on Islamists of all stripes. Lawmakers are drafting an anti-terrorism bill to give security forces additional tools to fight militants.</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"class="interstitial-link"><i><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/tunisia-after-igniting-arab-spring-sends-the-most-fighters-to-islamic-state-in-syria/2014/10/28/b5db4faa-5971-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html">[Read: Tunisia sends most foreign fighters to Islamic State in Syria]</a></i></p>
<p>“We must pay attention to what is written” in that law, Azzouz said. “There is worry the government will use the attack to justify some draconian measures.”</p>
<p>Tunisian Islamists and secular forces have worked together — often reluctantly — to defuse the country’s political crises in the years since the revolt.</p>
<p>Last fall, Tunisians elected a secular-minded president and parliament dominated by liberal forces after <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/tunisias-islamists-get-sobering-lesson-in-governing/2014/11/20/b6fc8988-65ad-11e4-ab86-46000e1d0035_story.html">souring on Islamist-led rule</a>. In 2011, voters had elected a government led by the Ennahda party — a movement similar to Egypt’s Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. But a political stalemate developed as the party and others tried to draft the country’s new constitution. The Islamists failed to improve a slumping economy. And Ennahda came under fire for what many Tunisians saw as a failure to crack down on Islamist extremists.</p>
<divclass="inline-content inline-graphic-linked"><spanclass="pb-caption">Map: Flow of foreign fighters to Syria</span></div>
<p>After the collapse of the authoritarian system in 2011, hard-line Muslims known as Salafists attacked bars and art galleries. Then, in 2012, hundreds of Islamists <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-tunisia-embassy-attack-tests-fledgling-democracy/2012/09/20/19f3986a-0273-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.html">assaulted the U.S. Embassy </a>in Tunis, shattering windows and hurling gasoline bombs, after the release of a crude online video about the prophet Muhammad.
<ahref="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-23452979"></a>The government outlawed the group behind the attack — Ansar al-Sharia, an al-Qaeda-linked organization — and began a crackdown. But the killing <ahref="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-23452979">of two leftist politicians</a> in 2013 prompted a fresh political crisis, and Ennahda stepped down, replaced by a technocratic government.</p>
<p>Tunisia’s <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/02/03/tunisia-opts-for-an-inclusive-new-government/">current coalition government</a> includes an Ennahda minister in the cabinet. Still, many leftist figures openly oppose collaboration with the movement’s leaders.</p>
<p>“Ennahda is responsible for the current deterioration of the situation, because they were careless with the extremists” while they were in power, Azzouz said.</p>
<p>The leader of Ennahda, Rachid Ghannouchi, condemned Wednesday’s attack, saying in a statement that it “will not break our people’s will and will not undermine our revolution and our democracy.”</p>
<p>Security officials are particularly concerned by the collapse of Libya, where various armed groups are vying for influence and jihadist militants have entrenched themselves in major cities. Tunisians worry that extremists can easily get arms and training in the neighboring country.</p>
<p>In January, Libyan militants loyal to the Islamic State <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/video-shows-purported-beheading-of-egyptian-christians-in-libya/2015/02/15/b8d0f092-b548-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html">beheaded 21 Christians</a> — 20 of them Egyptian Copts — along the country’s coast. They later seized the Libyan city of Sirte.</p>
<p>Officials are worried about the number of Tunisian militants who may have joined the jihadists in Libya — with the goal of returning home to fight the Tunis government.</p>
<p>Ajmi Lourimi, a member of Ennahda’s general secretariat, said he believed the attack would unite Tunisians in the face of terrorism.</p>
<p>“There is a consensus here that this [attack] is alien to our culture, to our way of life. We want to unify against this danger,” Lourimi said. He said he did not expect a wider government campaign against Islamists.</p>
<p>“We have nothing to fear,” he said of himself and fellow Ennahda members. “We believe the Interior Ministry should be trained and equipped to fight and counter this militancy.”</p>
<p>The last major attack on a civilian target in Tunisia was in 2002, when al-Qaeda militants killed more than 20 people in a car bombing outside a synagogue in the city of Djerba.</p>
<p>Heba Habib contributed to this report.</p>
<pchannel="wp.com"><b>Read more:</b></p>
<pchannel="wp.com"><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/tunisias-islamists-get-sobering-lesson-in-governing/2014/11/20/b6fc8988-65ad-11e4-ab86-46000e1d0035_story.html"title="www.washingtonpost.com">Tunisia’s Islamists get a sobering lesson in governing</a></p>
<pchannel="wp.com"><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/tunisia-after-igniting-arab-spring-sends-the-most-fighters-to-islamic-state-in-syria/2014/10/28/b5db4faa-5971-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html">Tunisia sends most foreign fighters to Islamic State in Syria</a></p>
<pchannel="wp.com"><ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/tunisias-bardo-museum-attacked-by-terrorists-is-home-to-amazing-roman-treasures/">Tunisia’s Bardo museum is home to amazing Roman treasures</a></p>
title="www.washingtonpost.com">Benjamin Netanyahu’s triumph</a> in Tuesday’s
parliamentary elections keeps in place an Israeli prime minister who has
declared his intention to resist Obama on both of these fronts, guaranteeing
two more years of difficult diplomacy between leaders who barely conceal
their personal distaste for each other.</p>
<p>The Israeli election results also suggest that most voters there support
Netanyahu’s tough stance on U.S.-led negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear
program and his vow on Monday that there would be <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/on-final-day-of-campaign-netanyahu-says-no-palestinian-state-if-he-wins/2015/03/16/4f4468e8-cbdc-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html"
title="www.washingtonpost.com">no independent Palestinian state</a> as long
as he is prime minister.</p>
<p>“On the way to his election victory, Netanyahu broke a lot of crockery
in the relationship,” said Martin Indyk, executive vice president of the
Brookings Institution and a former U.S. ambassador to Israel. “It can’t
be repaired unless both sides have an interest and desire to do so.”</p>
<p>Aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin, few foreign leaders so brazenly
stand up to Obama and even fewer among longtime allies.</p>
<p>President Obama told the U.N. General Assembly 18 months ago that he would seek “real breakthroughs on these two issues — Iran’s nuclear program and Israeli-Palestinian peace.”</p>
<p>But <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/netanyahu-sweeps-to-victory-in-israeli-election/2015/03/18/af4e50ca-ccf2-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html"title="www.washingtonpost.com">Benjamin Netanyahu’s triumph</a> in Tuesday’s parliamentary elections keeps in place an Israeli prime minister who has declared his intention to resist Obama on both of these fronts, guaranteeing two more years of difficult diplomacy between leaders who barely conceal their personal distaste for each other.</p>
<p>The Israeli election results also suggest that most voters there support Netanyahu’s tough stance on U.S.-led negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear program and his vow on Monday that there would be <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/on-final-day-of-campaign-netanyahu-says-no-palestinian-state-if-he-wins/2015/03/16/4f4468e8-cbdc-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html"title="www.washingtonpost.com">no independent Palestinian state</a> as long as he is prime minister.</p>
<p>“On the way to his election victory, Netanyahu broke a lot of crockery in the relationship,” said Martin Indyk, executive vice president of the Brookings Institution and a former U.S. ambassador to Israel. “It can’t be repaired unless both sides have an interest and desire to do so.”</p>
<p>Aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin, few foreign leaders so brazenly stand up to Obama and even fewer among longtime allies.</p>
<divclass="inline-content inline-video">
<pclass="inline-video-caption"><spanclass="pb-caption">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to form a new governing coalition quickly after an upset election victory that was built on a shift to the right. (Reuters)</span>
</p>
<pclass="inline-video-caption"><spanclass="pb-caption">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to form a new governing coalition quickly after an upset election victory that was built on a shift to the right. (Reuters)</span></p>
</div>
<p>In the past, Israeli leaders who risked damaging the country’s most important
relationship, that with Washington, tended to pay a price. In 1991, when
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir opposed the Madrid peace talks, President
George H.W. Bush held back loan guarantees to help absorb immigrants from
the former Soviet Union. Shamir gave in, but his government soon collapsed.</p>
<p>But this time, Netanyahu was not hurt by his personal and substantive
conflicts with the U.S. president.</p>
<p>“While the United States is loved and beloved in Israel, President Obama
is not,” said Robert M. Danin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign
Relations. “So the perceived enmity didn’t hurt the way it did with Shamir
when he ran afoul of Bush in ’91.”</p>
<p>In the past, Israeli leaders who risked damaging the country’s most important relationship, that with Washington, tended to pay a price. In 1991, when Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir opposed the Madrid peace talks, President George H.W. Bush held back loan guarantees to help absorb immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Shamir gave in, but his government soon collapsed.</p>
<p>But this time, Netanyahu was not hurt by his personal and substantive conflicts with the U.S. president.</p>
<p>“While the United States is loved and beloved in Israel, President Obama is not,” said Robert M. Danin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “So the perceived enmity didn’t hurt the way it did with Shamir when he ran afoul of Bush in ’91.”</p>
<p>Where do U.S.-Israeli relations go from here?</p>
<p>In the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s elections, tensions between the
two sides continued to run hot. The Obama administration’s first comments
on the Israeli election came with a tough warning about some of the pre-election
rhetoric from Netanyahu’s Likud party, which tried to rally right-wing
support by saying that Arab Israeli voters were “coming out in droves.”</p>
<p>“The United States and this administration is deeply concerned about rhetoric
that seeks to marginalize Arab Israeli citizens,” White House press secretary
Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It undermines the values
and democratic ideals that have been important to our democracy and an
important part of what binds the United States and Israel together.”</p>
<p>Earnest added that Netanyahu’s election-eve disavowal of a two-state
solution for Israelis and Palestinians would force the administration to
reconsider its approach to peace in the region.</p>
<p>Over the longer term, a number of analysts say that Obama and Netanyahu
will seek to play down the friction between them and point to areas of
continuing cooperation on military and economic issues.</p>
<p>“Both sides are going to want to turn down the rhetoric,” Danin said.
“But it is also a structural problem. They have six years of accumulated
history. That’s going to put limits on how far they can go together.”</p>
<p>The first substantive test could come as early as this month, when the
United States hopes that it can finish hammering out the framework of an
agreement with Iran.</p>
<p>Netanyahu strongly warned against making a “bad deal” during his March
3 address to a joint meeting of Congress, an appearance arranged by Republican
congressional leaders and criticized by the Obama administration for making
U.S.-Israeli relations partisan on both sides so close to the Israeli election.</p>
<p>If a deal is reached and does not pass muster with Netanyahu, he is likely
to work with congressional Republicans to try to scuttle the accord.</p>
<p>“The Republicans have said they will do what they can to block a deal,
and the prime minister has already made clear that he will work with the
Republicans against the president,” Indyk said. “That’s where a clash could
come, and it’s coming very quickly.”</p>
<p>The second test — talks with Palestinians — could be even more difficult.
In his September 2013 address to the United Nations, Obama hailed signs
of hope.</p>
<p>“Already, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have demonstrated a willingness
to take significant political risks,” Obama said in his speech. Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “has put aside efforts to shortcut the
pursuit of peace and come to the negotiating table. Prime Minister Netanyahu
has released Palestinian prisoners and reaffirmed his commitment to a Palestinian
title="www.washingtonpost.com">the signals could not differ more</a>. The
Palestinian Authority has said that after it joins the International Criminal
Court at The Hague on April 1, it will press war crimes charges against
Israel for the bloody Gaza conflict during the summer. Israel, which controls
tax receipts, has pledged to punish the Palestinian Authority by freezing
its tax revenue.</p>
<p>The United States, which gives hundreds of millions of dollars of economic
aid to the Palestinian Authority, would be caught in the middle. It has
been trying to persuade both sides to stand down, but Netanyahu’s declaration
that there would be no Palestinian state on his watch makes that more difficult.</p>
<p>“Now it’s hard to see what could persuade the Palestinians” to hold up
on their ICC plans, Indyk said. “That has nothing to do with negotiations,
but if both sides can’t be persuaded to back down, then they will be on
a trajectory that could lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority
because it can’t pay wages anymore.</p>
<p>“That could be an issue forced onto the agenda about the same time as
a potential nuclear deal.”</p>
<p>In the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s elections, tensions between the two sides continued to run hot. The Obama administration’s first comments on the Israeli election came with a tough warning about some of the pre-election rhetoric from Netanyahu’s Likud party, which tried to rally right-wing support by saying that Arab Israeli voters were “coming out in droves.”</p>
<p>“The United States and this administration is deeply concerned about rhetoric that seeks to marginalize Arab Israeli citizens,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It undermines the values and democratic ideals that have been important to our democracy and an important part of what binds the United States and Israel together.”</p>
<p>Earnest added that Netanyahu’s election-eve disavowal of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians would force the administration to reconsider its approach to peace in the region.</p>
<p>Over the longer term, a number of analysts say that Obama and Netanyahu will seek to play down the friction between them and point to areas of continuing cooperation on military and economic issues.</p>
<p>“Both sides are going to want to turn down the rhetoric,” Danin said. “But it is also a structural problem. They have six years of accumulated history. That’s going to put limits on how far they can go together.”</p>
<p>The first substantive test could come as early as this month, when the United States hopes that it can finish hammering out the framework of an agreement with Iran.</p>
<p>Netanyahu strongly warned against making a “bad deal” during his March 3 address to a joint meeting of Congress, an appearance arranged by Republican congressional leaders and criticized by the Obama administration for making U.S.-Israeli relations partisan on both sides so close to the Israeli election.</p>
<p>If a deal is reached and does not pass muster with Netanyahu, he is likely to work with congressional Republicans to try to scuttle the accord.</p>
<p>“The Republicans have said they will do what they can to block a deal, and the prime minister has already made clear that he will work with the Republicans against the president,” Indyk said. “That’s where a clash could come, and it’s coming very quickly.”</p>
<p>The second test — talks with Palestinians — could be even more difficult. In his September 2013 address to the United Nations, Obama hailed signs of hope.</p>
<p>“Already, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have demonstrated a willingness to take significant political risks,” Obama said in his speech. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “has put aside efforts to shortcut the pursuit of peace and come to the negotiating table. Prime Minister Netanyahu has released Palestinian prisoners and reaffirmed his commitment to a Palestinian state.”</p>
<p>Today, <ahref="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/18/what-netanyahus-election-victory-means-for-the-palestinians/"title="www.washingtonpost.com">the signals could not differ more</a>. The Palestinian Authority has said that after it joins the International Criminal Court at The Hague on April 1, it will press war crimes charges against Israel for the bloody Gaza conflict during the summer. Israel, which controls tax receipts, has pledged to punish the Palestinian Authority by freezing its tax revenue.</p>
<p>The United States, which gives hundreds of millions of dollars of economic aid to the Palestinian Authority, would be caught in the middle. It has been trying to persuade both sides to stand down, but Netanyahu’s declaration that there would be no Palestinian state on his watch makes that more difficult.</p>
<p>“Now it’s hard to see what could persuade the Palestinians” to hold up on their ICC plans, Indyk said. “That has nothing to do with negotiations, but if both sides can’t be persuaded to back down, then they will be on a trajectory that could lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority because it can’t pay wages anymore.</p>
<p>“That could be an issue forced onto the agenda about the same time as a potential nuclear deal.”</p>
<pclass="post-body-bio has-photo">Steven Mufson covers the White House. Since joining The Post, he has covered economics, China, foreign policy and energy.</p>
class="Article">food allergies</a>, and it should change the guidance doctors give to
parents.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, for children and adults who are already <ahref="http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/nut-allergy"
onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');" class="Article">allergic to peanuts</a>,
another study presented at the same meeting held out hope of a treatment.</p>
<p>A new skin patch called Viaskin allowed people with peanut allergies to
eat tiny amounts of peanuts after they wore it for a year.</p><aname="1"></a>
<p>Feb. 23, 2015 -- Life-threatening peanut allergies have mysteriously been on the rise in the past decade, with little hope for a cure.</p>
<pxmlns:xalan="http://xml.apache.org/xalan">But a groundbreaking new study may offer a way to stem that rise, while another may offer some hope for those who are already allergic.</p>
<p>Parents have been told for years to avoid giving foods containing peanuts to babies for fear of triggering an allergy. Now research shows the opposite is true: Feeding babies snacks made with peanuts before their first birthday appears to prevent that from happening.</p>
<p>The study is published in the <i>New England Journal of Medicine,</i> and it was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Houston. It found that among children at high risk for getting peanut allergies, eating peanut snacks by 11 months of age and continuing to eat them at least three times a week until age 5 cut their chances of becoming allergic by more than 80% compared to kids who avoided peanuts. Those at high risk were already allergic to egg, they had the skin condition <ahref="http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/default.htm"onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');"class="Article">eczema</a>, or both.</p>
<p>Overall, about 3% of kids who ate peanut butter or peanut snacks before their first birthday got an allergy, compared to about 17% of kids who didn’t eat them.</p>
<p>“I think this study is an astounding and groundbreaking study, really,” says Katie Allen, MD, PhD. She's the director of the Center for Food and Allergy Research at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. Allen was not involved in the research.</p>
<p>Experts say the research should shift thinking about how kids develop <ahref="http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/food-allergy-intolerances"onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');"class="Article">food allergies</a>, and it should change the guidance doctors give to parents.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, for children and adults who are already <ahref="http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/nut-allergy"onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');"class="Article">allergic to peanuts</a>, another study presented at the same meeting held out hope of a treatment.</p>
<p>A new skin patch called Viaskin allowed people with peanut allergies to eat tiny amounts of peanuts after they wore it for a year.</p>
<aname="1"></a>
<h3>A Change in Guidelines?</h3>
<p>Allergies to peanuts and other foods are on the rise. In the U.S., more
than 2% of people react to peanuts, a 400% increase since 1997. And reactions
to peanuts and other tree nuts can be especially severe. Nuts are the main
reason people get a life-threatening problem called <ahref="http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/anaphylaxis"
<p>Allergies to peanuts and other foods are on the rise. In the U.S., more than 2% of people react to peanuts, a 400% increase since 1997. And reactions to peanuts and other tree nuts can be especially severe. Nuts are the main reason people get a life-threatening problem called <ahref="http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/anaphylaxis"onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');"class="Article">anaphylaxis</a>.</p>
Nicolas Perriault
9 years ago