http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html
Joe Smith's TEDx talk was more of a tutorial, of sorts. How to use less paper towels. If people use his method (shake and fold) then they can save over 5 million paper towels each year. That was just about the depth of his talk- it was only 5 minutes long, but he covered his point. There isn't much to discuss- such as why paper towels should be saved, but it was still interesting to listen to.
1. In this video I learned how easy it would be to save paper towels. If everyone uses this simple method, then tadaa! Five million paper towels are of a job. Not a great thing for the paper towels, but hey, it saves the trees!
2. Joe Smith must have been nervous, or something, because at the beginning of his talk he screwed up the numbers. Not very effective, in my opinion. But what he did do well was get the audience engaged by assigning them words, and keep them engaged by having them repeat the words. He also made his talk a little bit interesting with his demonstration. Although, when he reached for the fourth or fifth paper towel, I did roll my eyes. (We saw you the first time, Joe. Now we all know how to dry our hands, and stretching my vocal chords to shout 'shake' doesn't really count as exercise). I liked how he used all the different kinds of paper towels, though, because I could relate.
3. As I said before, Joe Smith's presentation was very technical, visual. He did a demonstration (like FIVE TIMES) and involved the audience. When he held up the paper towels at the beginning and told us how many people took for each one, I laughed (at least at the recycled paper towel. True dat, brother). His entire presentation was very to the point, as well. This is what you should do, and if you do, it will be good. There wasn't much 'why' (him telling us it will save paper towels doesn't really count. WHY should we save paper towels? (Well, I mean, I know we should save paper towels, but he just didn't go into it....) I guess he would have run out of time if he explained, though. But wait. If he cut out three of his five demonstrations, he could have explained! Problem solved!)
4. I think everyone should use this method to dry their hands. Wasting paper and paper towels actually is a big deal, and it affects everyone, everywhere. It is going to stink when there are no more trees. Hopefully, that never happens! SAVE THE TREES, PEOPLE! SHAKE AND FOLD!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Frank Warren's TED Talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/frank_warren_half_a_million_secrets.html
Frank Warren's TED Talk was different from the other talks that I have watched. It was less of a call to action and more him showing the world something that is important to him. While I think that having a purpose, a way to connect to the listeners is very important, I really liked his TED talk, mostly because of the topic. It intrigued me, the idea of all those secrets. I liked how he included a lot of different ones, different types. There were the funny ones, the cute ones, the serious ones. Every one made me feel something, and I connected with it.
However, his TED talk didn't really have a point to argue. I can't sit here and think about whether I agree with him or not, because he wasn't telling people to share their secrets (at least not as far as I could tell...) and he wasn't really saying anything against it either. He was just saying that people have many kinds of secrets and then giving examples. The examples were great and everything, but if they hadn't been there, well.... This wouldn't be a happy blog post. So now, instead of me saying whether he is right or wrong, I can only say that I think the idea of collecting secrets is cute.
1. The thing that I took away from this video is mainly that everybody has secrets. No matter how big they are, or how small, or how many people they affect, everyone has them. You may have them without even knowing it. And having secrets is okay. Other than that, I don't feel like I took much from this video in way of, say, what we are supposed to DO with those secrets. I guess his entire message was that everyone has them?
2. I loved the way Frank Warren used so many examples. Some were really profound, like the one about 9/11, and some were really funny like the one by the Starbucks employee. I also really liked how he used the audio, of the girl's grandmother's last message to her. Although using audio would not really be practical in a TED talk like ours, only five minutes long, I think it helped me connect more with the story he was trying to tell, and the point he was trying to get across. Although, now that I think about it, I'm not really sure what that point was.... (I wish he had included a call to action, or something....)
3. Frank Warren's style of speech is that he tells a lot of stories. He told the story about the man who proposed to his wife with the post card, and then about the granddaughter who saved her grandmother's last phone message to her. It helped me connect everything. It also kept me from losing interest. In a way, each post card that he showed had a story behind it.
4. I think the thing that is important from this video, for me and the world, is that everyone has secrets, and that it's okay to have them. Sometimes it helps to share them, even if you are only sharing them anonymously. This matters to education because teachers and students should remember that they never know everything about one another, and to never take anybody absolutely for granted.
Frank Warren's TED Talk was different from the other talks that I have watched. It was less of a call to action and more him showing the world something that is important to him. While I think that having a purpose, a way to connect to the listeners is very important, I really liked his TED talk, mostly because of the topic. It intrigued me, the idea of all those secrets. I liked how he included a lot of different ones, different types. There were the funny ones, the cute ones, the serious ones. Every one made me feel something, and I connected with it.
However, his TED talk didn't really have a point to argue. I can't sit here and think about whether I agree with him or not, because he wasn't telling people to share their secrets (at least not as far as I could tell...) and he wasn't really saying anything against it either. He was just saying that people have many kinds of secrets and then giving examples. The examples were great and everything, but if they hadn't been there, well.... This wouldn't be a happy blog post. So now, instead of me saying whether he is right or wrong, I can only say that I think the idea of collecting secrets is cute.
1. The thing that I took away from this video is mainly that everybody has secrets. No matter how big they are, or how small, or how many people they affect, everyone has them. You may have them without even knowing it. And having secrets is okay. Other than that, I don't feel like I took much from this video in way of, say, what we are supposed to DO with those secrets. I guess his entire message was that everyone has them?
2. I loved the way Frank Warren used so many examples. Some were really profound, like the one about 9/11, and some were really funny like the one by the Starbucks employee. I also really liked how he used the audio, of the girl's grandmother's last message to her. Although using audio would not really be practical in a TED talk like ours, only five minutes long, I think it helped me connect more with the story he was trying to tell, and the point he was trying to get across. Although, now that I think about it, I'm not really sure what that point was.... (I wish he had included a call to action, or something....)
3. Frank Warren's style of speech is that he tells a lot of stories. He told the story about the man who proposed to his wife with the post card, and then about the granddaughter who saved her grandmother's last phone message to her. It helped me connect everything. It also kept me from losing interest. In a way, each post card that he showed had a story behind it.
4. I think the thing that is important from this video, for me and the world, is that everyone has secrets, and that it's okay to have them. Sometimes it helps to share them, even if you are only sharing them anonymously. This matters to education because teachers and students should remember that they never know everything about one another, and to never take anybody absolutely for granted.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Clay Shirky's TED Talk
Clay Shirky's TED Talk is about cognitive surplus- according to the summary of it in the bar next to the video. I wouldn't be able to say what it is about, myself. The entire time he was talking, I felt like I could understand his words, but not his points. This may sound like I was not paying attention, but I swear, I was- but he never drew me in. He never made me care. He never mentioned anything that I thought involved me.
It's not that his ideas aren't interesting, because they are. I think it's so cool that people from all over the world can collaborate on things via the internet. If two heads are better than one, how about a billion? But that's one piece of information, not really something you can base an entire TED talk on (well, a good TED talk, at least....). If the world has so much potential, then what can we do with it? What can we look forward to? What should we be careful to avoid? There are so many things he could have talked about relating to this. And most of all, a thing that he's missing... A call to action. As far as I can tell, there wasn't one. I don't know, maybe I missed it. But at the end on the TED talk, I felt like saying to him, "Okay, Mr. Shirky, that's a very interesting theory that you have there, and I would like to hear more about it. But first of all, what do you want me to DO about it?" Because I honestly had no idea.
1. I honestly don't know. I think it is very interesting to think about the fact that everyone collaborates on the internet. We can do almost anything, together. I think it is probably something I will think about whenever I use Wikipedia from now on. But other than than, nothing left a big enough impression on me to say that I 'took it away' from the talk.
2. Clay Shirky's effective speaking techniques- hmmm. I am not sure what to say. He was very fluent, he had done his research, and I felt like he had some of the good elements that we saw in other TED talks. The visual aids- lol catz, and the interesting story about the woman at the very beginning of his talk. I felt like he intended the cat pictures to be funny, but they weren't- and they could have been had he presented them differently. I kind of felt like his presentation was monotone- nothing changed, the entire talk. He should have found ways to break it up, to make it more attention grabbing. And a final thing. I didn't know what he was trying to talk about until the very end. I kept waiting for him to announce it, but the announcement never came. At the end, i didn't know what he expected from me. His he want me to get out there and start collaborating, or something else entirely. I just wasn't sure about anything.
3. Very monotone, very fast. I felt like Clay Shirky almost rushed through his talk, and he didn't change his tone, or pause in talking ever. Like he was too nervous, and he thought no one would laugh. Like he just wanted to get everything over with. As far as presentation styles go, this is not one I would recommend.
4. I think the thing that matters that Clay Shirky talked about was that we can collaborate and do almost anything. I think that if enough people work together, we can solve all the world's problems. It is important for people to realize that we all can and should collaborate. Hopefully, when they do realize it, it will make the world a better place.
It's not that his ideas aren't interesting, because they are. I think it's so cool that people from all over the world can collaborate on things via the internet. If two heads are better than one, how about a billion? But that's one piece of information, not really something you can base an entire TED talk on (well, a good TED talk, at least....). If the world has so much potential, then what can we do with it? What can we look forward to? What should we be careful to avoid? There are so many things he could have talked about relating to this. And most of all, a thing that he's missing... A call to action. As far as I can tell, there wasn't one. I don't know, maybe I missed it. But at the end on the TED talk, I felt like saying to him, "Okay, Mr. Shirky, that's a very interesting theory that you have there, and I would like to hear more about it. But first of all, what do you want me to DO about it?" Because I honestly had no idea.
1. I honestly don't know. I think it is very interesting to think about the fact that everyone collaborates on the internet. We can do almost anything, together. I think it is probably something I will think about whenever I use Wikipedia from now on. But other than than, nothing left a big enough impression on me to say that I 'took it away' from the talk.
2. Clay Shirky's effective speaking techniques- hmmm. I am not sure what to say. He was very fluent, he had done his research, and I felt like he had some of the good elements that we saw in other TED talks. The visual aids- lol catz, and the interesting story about the woman at the very beginning of his talk. I felt like he intended the cat pictures to be funny, but they weren't- and they could have been had he presented them differently. I kind of felt like his presentation was monotone- nothing changed, the entire talk. He should have found ways to break it up, to make it more attention grabbing. And a final thing. I didn't know what he was trying to talk about until the very end. I kept waiting for him to announce it, but the announcement never came. At the end, i didn't know what he expected from me. His he want me to get out there and start collaborating, or something else entirely. I just wasn't sure about anything.
3. Very monotone, very fast. I felt like Clay Shirky almost rushed through his talk, and he didn't change his tone, or pause in talking ever. Like he was too nervous, and he thought no one would laugh. Like he just wanted to get everything over with. As far as presentation styles go, this is not one I would recommend.
4. I think the thing that matters that Clay Shirky talked about was that we can collaborate and do almost anything. I think that if enough people work together, we can solve all the world's problems. It is important for people to realize that we all can and should collaborate. Hopefully, when they do realize it, it will make the world a better place.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Daniel Pink's TED Talk
The right brained way is the way to go, says Daniel Pink in his TED Talk. It's not that the left brained way is bad- it's just that the right brained way should be used more. Daniel Pink's basic message was that the left brain is more narrow minded- it focuses on one solution, while it may not be the only solution or the best solution. However, the right brain is open minded. It analyzes all the solutions. It is more creative, less quick to judge. It is ideal for situations when people are under pressure. It works better in places that are less structured.
This is another part of Daniel Pink's talk. The right brain works better, and having free time, to do what they want, people unknowingly activate that part of the brain. In an unstructured work space, productivity often goes up. Another thing- if there is a reward for a person, for accomplishing a task, then (as weird as it may seem), it often takes them longer to finish the task. This is because in some way, the idea of a reward is connecting with the person's left brain.
1. Of the TED Talks I have watched so far, I liked this one the best. It may be the topic. This whole topic, about motivation, made me think. It's important to make the audience think, even if they aren't thinking good things. What stuck with me the most was his example of the candle problem- where the people have to take a candle and a box of thumb tacks and attach the candle to the wall so it doesn't drip on the table. It made me wonder what I would have done if I had been given the task- once he revealed the solution, it seemed so obvious, but it hadn't actually occurred yet. I also liked his talk about how productive an unstructured workspace could be. His wikipedia references stuck with me also.
2. Daniel Pink was very effective in having the audience connect with him- he talked about something so rudimentary, that applies to everyone. Motivation. Everyone has some, even if it's only motivation to get a reward. He put it in a way that people had to think about. He also referenced stuff that almost everyone has experience with- by that I mean wikipedia. He mentioned how successful it was, and it was easy to understand what he was saying because I could relate. When I want to see how many times Elizabeth Taylor has been married, I look it up on wikipedia, not encarta. (Oh, and she was married 8 times to 7 different guys, if you were wondering).
3. Daniel Pink's presentation style was hard thinking, broken up by humor. It also involves the audience- it makes them think, but about themselves. It makes them compare themselves with what he is saying. And then he breaks up the thinking with humor. However, he kept the humor intellectual, in my opinion, which fit with the rest of his presentation very well.
4. I think the things Daniel Pink talked about in his TED Talk are things everyone should think about. What motivates them? Should they try to change it? Also, how are they trying to motivate others? I think that the world (or at least some people) would be much happier if people followed a structure where people were required to motivate themselves. I can connect with it because, although I do not have a technical job yet, and I cannot change the structure of school, it makes me think about whether or not I would want an unstructured job when I get older.
This is another part of Daniel Pink's talk. The right brain works better, and having free time, to do what they want, people unknowingly activate that part of the brain. In an unstructured work space, productivity often goes up. Another thing- if there is a reward for a person, for accomplishing a task, then (as weird as it may seem), it often takes them longer to finish the task. This is because in some way, the idea of a reward is connecting with the person's left brain.
1. Of the TED Talks I have watched so far, I liked this one the best. It may be the topic. This whole topic, about motivation, made me think. It's important to make the audience think, even if they aren't thinking good things. What stuck with me the most was his example of the candle problem- where the people have to take a candle and a box of thumb tacks and attach the candle to the wall so it doesn't drip on the table. It made me wonder what I would have done if I had been given the task- once he revealed the solution, it seemed so obvious, but it hadn't actually occurred yet. I also liked his talk about how productive an unstructured workspace could be. His wikipedia references stuck with me also.
2. Daniel Pink was very effective in having the audience connect with him- he talked about something so rudimentary, that applies to everyone. Motivation. Everyone has some, even if it's only motivation to get a reward. He put it in a way that people had to think about. He also referenced stuff that almost everyone has experience with- by that I mean wikipedia. He mentioned how successful it was, and it was easy to understand what he was saying because I could relate. When I want to see how many times Elizabeth Taylor has been married, I look it up on wikipedia, not encarta. (Oh, and she was married 8 times to 7 different guys, if you were wondering).
3. Daniel Pink's presentation style was hard thinking, broken up by humor. It also involves the audience- it makes them think, but about themselves. It makes them compare themselves with what he is saying. And then he breaks up the thinking with humor. However, he kept the humor intellectual, in my opinion, which fit with the rest of his presentation very well.
4. I think the things Daniel Pink talked about in his TED Talk are things everyone should think about. What motivates them? Should they try to change it? Also, how are they trying to motivate others? I think that the world (or at least some people) would be much happier if people followed a structure where people were required to motivate themselves. I can connect with it because, although I do not have a technical job yet, and I cannot change the structure of school, it makes me think about whether or not I would want an unstructured job when I get older.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Jonathan Haidt's Ted Talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_humanity_s_stairway_to_self_transcendence.html
Religion is a thing that everyone has, reasons Jonathan Haidt in his TED Talk. Even the people who don't believe in a god, or a practice. Everyone follows something- self-transcendence. Self-transcendence is when a person tries to lose themselves in something, whether it be religion, nature, or dance. But most often, people lose themselves when the work in a group.
There is something about being a part of a group that makes people happy. It makes them give up their own selfish wants and needs, and lets them experience true happiness. People evolved through group selection, Jonathan Haidt says. It is one of Darwin's laws that groups are stronger than individual people. Jonathan Haidt points out that when people are on the same team, working for the same goals, they cooperate, even if they may have individual goals of their own. He uses the example of a rowing team- the individual members of the rowing team are competing, because the slowest rower might be replaced or kicked off the team. But when they are in a race, against another team in another boat they work together. Because "they are all in the same boat". While some people may ask if it is a good idea to lose yourself, to lose all your individual ambition and goals, Jonathan Haigt says that it isn't a bad idea. People are stronger in groups. People radiate naturally towards groups- nobody wants to be the odd man out. And in a way, that is their religion.
1. I agree with Jonathan Haidt that everyone is spiritual in some way, whether they are aware of it or not. The idea that working together in a group is spiritual is something that I never thought about before, but I can certainly agree with him. When people work together, there is really a sense of community, especially if it goes well. The idea that we evolved this way I followed a little less. I'm not particularly religious, but in my mind, science and spirituality don't exactly mix. I accept evolution as fact, but religion, and stories about how we humans came to be, seem to exist almost on a different plane. They are separate, even though they are talking about the same basic thing. This is why, when he talked about religion, but he also started talking about evolution, it was hard for me to connect the two. In my mind, there's a difference between having evolved into beings with morals, who want to achieve self-transcendence, and spiritual humans who want to achieve the same thing. I'm not really sure why my mind works this way.
2. Throughout his TED talk, Jonathan Haidt used a lot of visual aids. Pictures, videos, dioramas. He also used audio, when he was talking about excerpts from books. This kept it interesting, because you never knew when he would use and interesting diorama or picture. He also used a lot of facts and stories- not stories of his own personal experience, but of other's experiences. He talked about psychological things that people could relate to, but only if they thought about it. I think this made me pay more attention.
3. Jonathan Haidt's TED talk wasn't particularly funny, but it did keep me interested. This was mainly because he provided so many pictures for the audience to look at. It appealed to most styles of learning, because it was both visual and audio.
4. This topic, religion and why we have it, is important to me because I don't exactly have a religion- but I would like to. I currently am very interested in Buddhism. I think it's good to think about why we have religion, instead of just... having it. This is something I can apply to all religions, not just necessarily my own. I think that this is something the entire world should think about, because it kind of groups all religions together- religions may be different, but they all have the same basis. People shouldn't discriminate.
Religion is a thing that everyone has, reasons Jonathan Haidt in his TED Talk. Even the people who don't believe in a god, or a practice. Everyone follows something- self-transcendence. Self-transcendence is when a person tries to lose themselves in something, whether it be religion, nature, or dance. But most often, people lose themselves when the work in a group.
There is something about being a part of a group that makes people happy. It makes them give up their own selfish wants and needs, and lets them experience true happiness. People evolved through group selection, Jonathan Haidt says. It is one of Darwin's laws that groups are stronger than individual people. Jonathan Haidt points out that when people are on the same team, working for the same goals, they cooperate, even if they may have individual goals of their own. He uses the example of a rowing team- the individual members of the rowing team are competing, because the slowest rower might be replaced or kicked off the team. But when they are in a race, against another team in another boat they work together. Because "they are all in the same boat". While some people may ask if it is a good idea to lose yourself, to lose all your individual ambition and goals, Jonathan Haigt says that it isn't a bad idea. People are stronger in groups. People radiate naturally towards groups- nobody wants to be the odd man out. And in a way, that is their religion.
1. I agree with Jonathan Haidt that everyone is spiritual in some way, whether they are aware of it or not. The idea that working together in a group is spiritual is something that I never thought about before, but I can certainly agree with him. When people work together, there is really a sense of community, especially if it goes well. The idea that we evolved this way I followed a little less. I'm not particularly religious, but in my mind, science and spirituality don't exactly mix. I accept evolution as fact, but religion, and stories about how we humans came to be, seem to exist almost on a different plane. They are separate, even though they are talking about the same basic thing. This is why, when he talked about religion, but he also started talking about evolution, it was hard for me to connect the two. In my mind, there's a difference between having evolved into beings with morals, who want to achieve self-transcendence, and spiritual humans who want to achieve the same thing. I'm not really sure why my mind works this way.
2. Throughout his TED talk, Jonathan Haidt used a lot of visual aids. Pictures, videos, dioramas. He also used audio, when he was talking about excerpts from books. This kept it interesting, because you never knew when he would use and interesting diorama or picture. He also used a lot of facts and stories- not stories of his own personal experience, but of other's experiences. He talked about psychological things that people could relate to, but only if they thought about it. I think this made me pay more attention.
3. Jonathan Haidt's TED talk wasn't particularly funny, but it did keep me interested. This was mainly because he provided so many pictures for the audience to look at. It appealed to most styles of learning, because it was both visual and audio.
4. This topic, religion and why we have it, is important to me because I don't exactly have a religion- but I would like to. I currently am very interested in Buddhism. I think it's good to think about why we have religion, instead of just... having it. This is something I can apply to all religions, not just necessarily my own. I think that this is something the entire world should think about, because it kind of groups all religions together- religions may be different, but they all have the same basis. People shouldn't discriminate.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk
Education. Something that affects everyone. If you have one, you can get a job. If you don't, then you can't. If you don't, then you are looked down upon by those who do. But how much is an education really worth? Something, certainly, but Sir Ken Robinson's point of view is that it hurts kids, too. It kills a part of them that should be nourished. Their creativity.
Education is something that matters to everyone, he reasons. But it only encourages certain types of learning, certain types of people. When this is the way the system works, people try to adapt to the system, and it hurts them. Children need to be encouraged to use their creativity. The human imagination is something that should thrive, and is something we should be careful with.
1. I agree with everything Sir Ken Robinson said. As someone who enjoys theater and music, and using my imagination, it's hard knowing that the classes I take may not get me into the college I want. How to choose? The classes that I want to take, or the classes that will get me a good job when I grow up? That's no choice. Sir Robinson's talk also scared me a little- I'm not as willing to take chances and get answers wrong as I was when I was in elementary school. But I feel that I am still somewhat willing, and that's a good thing. But he says that we get less and less willing to be wrong as we grow older. That is what scares me. What if when I grow up I am not the creative person I want to be? What if I lose the sense of adventure, the curiosity that I have? If those things change about me, I'm afraid that I won't be... me.
2. Sir Ken Robinson started his speech with a joke and a smile. He broke the ice, and then he added in more jokes as he continued- he added comic relief to his topic, which altogether was pretty serious. He also told a couple stories, which the audience could relate to. He talked about himself, so we would know who HE was to be saying his beliefs on this subject. His language was also very easy to listen to.
3. The presentation style of Sir Robinson was very familiar. He wasn't acting as though he was someone there to give a speech- he was another member of the audience, a friend. He told stories, he told jokes. It wasn't as though it had been memorized and practiced over and over. It was simple, easy, and relatable.
4. This video is important to me because it applies to me, and to almost everyone getting some sort of education anywhere. It talks about how education has it's flaws, because children aren't necessarily be educated in the right areas. And this is a problem, this lack of education because it affects kids for the rest of their lives.
Education is something that matters to everyone, he reasons. But it only encourages certain types of learning, certain types of people. When this is the way the system works, people try to adapt to the system, and it hurts them. Children need to be encouraged to use their creativity. The human imagination is something that should thrive, and is something we should be careful with.
1. I agree with everything Sir Ken Robinson said. As someone who enjoys theater and music, and using my imagination, it's hard knowing that the classes I take may not get me into the college I want. How to choose? The classes that I want to take, or the classes that will get me a good job when I grow up? That's no choice. Sir Robinson's talk also scared me a little- I'm not as willing to take chances and get answers wrong as I was when I was in elementary school. But I feel that I am still somewhat willing, and that's a good thing. But he says that we get less and less willing to be wrong as we grow older. That is what scares me. What if when I grow up I am not the creative person I want to be? What if I lose the sense of adventure, the curiosity that I have? If those things change about me, I'm afraid that I won't be... me.
2. Sir Ken Robinson started his speech with a joke and a smile. He broke the ice, and then he added in more jokes as he continued- he added comic relief to his topic, which altogether was pretty serious. He also told a couple stories, which the audience could relate to. He talked about himself, so we would know who HE was to be saying his beliefs on this subject. His language was also very easy to listen to.
3. The presentation style of Sir Robinson was very familiar. He wasn't acting as though he was someone there to give a speech- he was another member of the audience, a friend. He told stories, he told jokes. It wasn't as though it had been memorized and practiced over and over. It was simple, easy, and relatable.
4. This video is important to me because it applies to me, and to almost everyone getting some sort of education anywhere. It talks about how education has it's flaws, because children aren't necessarily be educated in the right areas. And this is a problem, this lack of education because it affects kids for the rest of their lives.
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