Enter Sanctum Wonderland. This platform is shaking things up and might just be the game-changer we've been waiting for. But what exactly is Sanctum Wonderland, and how does it stand out from the crowd? Let's dive into the details and see what makes it so special.

Unveiling the Enigma: What is Sanctum Wonderland?

So, what is Sanctum Wonderland all about? In a nutshell, it's a platform on the Solana blockchain that takes liquid staking to the next level. Unlike the old-school staking methods where you had to lock up your SOL with validators, Sanctum Wonderland offers a much more flexible approach.

Instead of locking up your SOL, you stake it through smart contracts or stake pools and receive Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) in return. These LSTs can still earn staking rewards but can also be traded, used in DeFi applications, or transferred. Essentially, it gives you the best of both worlds: earning rewards while keeping your assets liquid.

Sanctum Wonderland builds on the foundations laid by other players in the Solana ecosystem. For instance, Marinade was Solana’s first native liquid staking solution. Users stake SOL with Marinade and receive mSOL, which can be used in various DeFi applications. Other notable providers include Jito, which focuses on maximizing MEV (maximal extractable value) rewards, and Blaze, which boasts the largest validator set and uses Solana Labs' official stake pool smart contracts.

But that's not all—Sanctum Wonderland introduces a fun twist with digital pets. Each pet represents a different LST, and you can collect and nurture these pets as you stake your SOL. It's like turning staking into a fun and rewarding game.

Powering Progress through Gamification:

What really sets Sanctum Wonderland apart is how it uses gamification to make staking more engaging. They’ve added some really cool features like Experience Points (EXP), EXP Multipliers, and Community Quests, which make the whole process a lot more interactive.

EXP (Experience Points)

In Sanctum Wonderland, you earn Experience Points (EXP) for your Pets by holding their corresponding Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs). Each Pet earns 10 EXP per minute for every 1 SOL worth of its LST that you hold. It’s like raising digital pets—your tokens aren't just sitting there, they’re helping your Pets grow!

EXP Multipliers

Now, let’s talk about EXP Multipliers. These are temporary boosts that increase the rate at which your Pets earn EXP. Think of them as turbo boosts in a video game. You get these multipliers by completing Community Quests. When you have an active multiplier, your Pet’s growth rate can skyrocket, making things much more exciting.

Example: Jane has an Infinitie Pet and holds 3.5 SOL worth of INF. After the community completes a quest, her Infinitie Pet gets a 2x Multiplier. This means her Infinitie earns (3.5 10) 2 = 70 EXP per minute for 30 minutes. That’s a huge boost, right?

Community Quests

Community Quests are tasks and puzzles that you and other Wonderers complete together. These quests are like treasure hunts and are released weekly in batches of 2-3. Completing these quests not only gives you and the community rewards but also builds a sense of teamwork and shared achievement.

Example: Quests 1, 2, and 3 are released on Monday. If the community completes Quest 1 on Wednesday and Quest 2 on Thursday but doesn’t finish Quest 3 by Friday, only the rewards for Quests 1 and 2 will be given out on Friday. The uncompleted Quest 3 will roll over to the next week, so there’s always something to look forward to.

By adding these fun elements, Sanctum Wonderland turns the usual staking process into an exciting adventure. It’s not just about earning rewards—it’s about enjoying the journey with your Pets and fellow Wonderers. Plus, with the digital pets evolving at certain levels, it’s like watching your Pokémon evolve, bringing that nostalgic thrill to the world of decentralized finance.

Embracing the Future: Suggestions for Improvement

Sanctum Wonderland is already doing a lot right, but there’s always room for improvement. Here are a few suggestions that could make the platform even better:

Enhanced User Onboarding

The onboarding process could be a bit smoother. Simplifying it and adding more tutorials would help new users get the hang of things quicker. Short video tutorials could be especially helpful.

Improve the LST Pets Purchasing Experience

Right now, there’s a bit of a lag when you buy an LST Pet, which can be confusing. You’re left wondering if your transaction went through. It would be great to have an immediate animation or notification that confirms the transaction. Maybe something like a visual animation or a pop-up notification directing users to check the Solana FM Explorer for confirmation.

Diversification of Gameplay Mechanics

Adding more gameplay elements could make the platform even more engaging. Things like mini-games or interactive challenges would give users more ways to interact with the platform and keep them coming back for more.

Conclusion

Sanctum Wonderland isn’t just another staking platform. It’s a fresh, innovative blend of DeFi and gamification that makes staking fun and rewarding. By addressing the liquidity constraints of traditional staking and adding a playful twist with digital pets, Sanctum Wonderland is creating a whole new way to interact with staked assets.

If you want to try this out, here's the link to join and get your first digital pet today!

Introduction

Cryptocurrencies have revolutionized the financial landscape, introducing digital assets that transcend geographical boundaries. At the forefront of this digital revolution are stablecoins, providing a stable bridge between traditional currencies and the dynamic realm of cryptocurrencies. One stablecoin that has stood tall in this space is USDC by Circle, firmly tethered to the mighty US dollar. Yet, as we sail through the seas of volatility, it's time to question whether USDC alone can chart the entire course of the stablecoin universe. Circle, the company behind USDC, has introduced Euro Coin (EURC), the first stablecoin backed by the euro. This article delves into the limitations of relying solely on USDC, explores the unique features of EURC, and envisions the future possibilities and challenges for stablecoins.

The Limits of Relying on USDC

USDC, like a sturdy ship, has successfully navigated the unpredictable waters of the cryptocurrency market. Backed by the reliable US dollar, it has offered a safe heaven for investors seeking stability amidst the turbulent swings of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. However, with its dominance, certain limitations become apparent. This section unravels the complexities associated with a single dominant stablecoin, emphasizing the risks and challenges that arise. Diversification within the stablecoin ecosystem becomes paramount, and this sets the stage for exploring alternatives like EURC.

• Limited Reach: USDC primarily caters to the American market, leaving vast regions such as the eurozone and India yearning for a stablecoin that resonates with their local currencies.

• Hedging Opportunities: While stability is a commendable trait, the absence of a diversified stablecoin landscape limits investors' ability to hedge against US dollar fluctuations, potentially hindering their risk management strategies.

• Financial Inclusion: In economies where the US dollar holds less influence, the reliance on USDC may impede financial inclusion. Local stablecoins could act as bridges, facilitating cashless transactions for the underbanked.

Enter EURC - Tailoring Stability for the Euro

As we venture across the Atlantic, the euro tells its own economic story. Here, EURC steps onto the stage as a stablecoin meticulously designed to dance to the rhythm of the eurozone. Euro Coin, introduced by Circle, marks a significant shift in the stablecoin landscape by specifically catering to the euro. EURC operates on the full-reserve model, meaning its stability is directly tied to the strength of its reserves, maintaining a 1:1 peg with the euro.

This section explores the intricacies of designing stablecoins for specific currencies, understanding how EURC provides stability and facilitates seamless transactions within the eurozone. The full-reserve model adds an extra layer of security and transparency, addressing concerns raised by the recent challenges faced by other stablecoins.

• Wider Reach: EURC opens doors for the 340 million residents of the eurozone, enabling seamless cross-border transactions and fostering economic integration within the region.

• Hedging against the Dollar: For investors cautious of US dollar dominance, EURC offers a safe haven, allowing them to hedge against potential fluctuations and diversify their portfolios.

• Boosting European Fintech: EURC has the potential to fuel the engine of European fintech innovation. It can drive cashless adoption, paving the way for new financial products and services tailored to the needs of the European market.

Challenges and Considerations for EURC

However, EURC's journey is not without hurdles. Compared to the well-established USDC, EURC is a young entrant in the stablecoin forest. Establishing its track record of stability and garnering widespread adoption will require time, effort, and a commitment to navigating the evolving cryptocurrency landscape, this section explores the hurdles faced by stablecoins.

The regulatory landscape, still in its nascent stages for cryptocurrencies, adds a layer of complexity. As regulations evolve, they could significantly impact EURC's growth and operational dynamics. Additionally, the inherent vulnerabilities of any digital asset, including potential hacking and technical glitches, necessitate robust security measures and contingency plans.

INRC: A Dream for India?

Looking ahead, the exploration extends to the possibility of witnessing the emergence of stablecoins backed by other currencies. One intriguing possibility discussed is the introduction of an INR-backed stablecoin, potentially named INRC, for India. This forward-looking section delves into the potential benefits such a digital currency could bring to India's financial ecosystem. It addresses regulatory landscapes, technological requirements, and broader implications for financial inclusion, sparking curiosity about the role stablecoins might play in shaping the future of global finance.

• Financial Inclusion: An INR stablecoin could empower millions of unbanked Indians, providing access to financial services like microloans and savings through a digitized ecosystem.

• Boosting Fintech Innovation: The introduction of an INR stablecoin has the potential to fuel the Indian fintech revolution, driving cashless adoption, fostering cross-border trade, and promoting financial literacy.

• Hedging against the Dollar: For Indian investors and businesses, INRC could offer a hedge against the US dollar, mitigating currency fluctuations and safeguarding their financial interests.

Challenges and Considerations for INRC

While the dream of an INR stablecoin is alluring, the road ahead is paved with challenges. India's regulatory stance towards cryptocurrencies remains uncertain, and obtaining approvals while navigating regulatory complexities could pose significant delays or obstacles to the launch of INRC. Due to compliance issues, India has recently imposed a ban on several leading exchanges, including Binance, OKX, Kucoin, and others.

Building a robust technical infrastructure for an INR stablecoin, including secure exchanges and wallets, requires substantial investment and expertise. Gaining the trust of Indian consumers, many of whom remain wary of cryptocurrencies, is crucial for the success of any INR-based stablecoin.

Conclusion: Embracing Diversity in Stablecoins

In conclusion, this article serves as a guide to understanding the limitations of relying solely on USDC and the importance of diversifying stablecoin options. From the euro-centric perspective with EURC to the potential expansion into the Indian market with INRC, the dynamics explored underscore the crucial role stablecoins play in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. As the world of digital assets continues to evolve, embracing a variety of stablecoins tailored to specific currencies emerges as a pivotal strategy for unlocking new possibilities and ensuring a robust and inclusive financial future.

The introduction of EURC signals a new era in stablecoins, one that goes beyond the limitations of existing options and opens doors to a more diversified and resilient ecosystem. As technology advances and regulatory landscapes evolve, the future of stablecoins promises exciting possibilities, fostering financial inclusion, regional integration, and innovative financial products across the globe. Circle's foray into the euro-backed stablecoin realm with EURC is a testament to the continuous evolution and adaptability of the cryptocurrency market.

I was intrigued by the idea of an AI-powered writing assistant that could help me improve my writing and research process. I wanted to see how Hashnode AI could help me streamline my workflow and enhance my creativity. In this blog, I will share my experiences of using Hashnode AI as a technical writer, including its features, benefits, and limitations.

Hashnode AI Features

Hashnode AI has a range of features that make it an ideal tool for technical writers. Some of the key features that I found particularly useful are:

• AI-powered writing assistant: The writing assistant in Hashnode AI uses GPT-4 to suggest improvements to my writing, check my grammar and spelling, provide content suggestions, and optimize my documentation for search engines. It includes features such as rewrite, modify, tone and transform, allowing you to sharpen your writing, better articulate your ideas, switch between casual and professional tone, and turn long paragraphs into easy-to-read bullet points.

• Code Highlighter: The Code Highlighter in Hashnode AI automatically detects code blocks in my documentation and highlights them for better readability. It supports multiple programming languages and can be customized to match the style of my documentation.

• Research Assistance: Hashnode AI can help streamline the research process by offering suggestions for relevant topics, summarizing articles, and generating citations.

• SEO Recommendations: Hashnode AI provides recommendations for optimizing your content for search engines, including suggestions for keywords, meta descriptions, and titles. This can help ensure that your content ranks well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

My Experience with Hashnode AI

Using Hashnode AI has been a game-changer for me as a technical writer or any digital creator. The GPT-4 powered writing assistant has significantly improved my writing by providing suggestions for grammar, tone, and readability. I've also found the ability to transform long paragraphs into bullet points to be a huge time-saver when creating documentation.

In addition to the writing assistant, I've also found the Code Highlighter feature to be incredibly useful. It has made it much easier for me to present error-free code blocks in a clear and organized way, and the customization options have allowed me to match the style of my documentation.

Comparisons to Other Writing Tools

Compared to traditional writing software, Hashnode AI offers a range of advanced features that are specifically designed for digital creators. While other AI-based writing tools offer similar features, I found Hashnode AI to be more intuitive and user-friendly.

Challenges and Limitations

One of the challenges of using AI-powered writing tools is the risk of overreliance on AI. While Hashnode AI provides helpful suggestions, it is important for me as a technical writer to use my own judgment and expertise when writing documentation. Additionally, ethical concerns such as the potential for plagiarism should be taken into account.

Conclusion

I found Hashnode AI to be an excellent tool for technical writers. Its AI-powered features helped me streamline my writing process, improve the readability and accuracy of my documentation, and optimize it for search engines. While there are limitations to AI-powered writing tools, I believe that they have great potential for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of content writing. As a technical writer, I look forward to seeing how AI technology develops in the future and how it can be used to enhance the field of technical or content writing.

About the program

The GitHub Campus Expert program is an amazing opportunity to help your local community. The program focuses on your local community and helps you to build and grow your local community. This is not an ambassador program unlike others, the program focuses on supporting you to help you grow your community. By becoming a GitHub Campus Expert you don't represent GitHub nor you can be called a GitHub Employee.

If you’re a student growing your campus community or starting from scratch, the GitHub Campus Experts Program has everything you need to engage your community and create valuable events for your campus. As a Campus Expert, you’ll have access to GitHub Campus Experts training, resources, and support to excel in the activities you organize on your campus. You’ll also get opportunities to attend GitHub’s first-party events and join a global community of student leaders.

What They Want to Learn About You

The first thing we want to do is get to know our applicants better, focusing on four key pillars.

• Motivation: What makes you tick? What drives you?
• Interest: Why do you want to be part of the program?
• Growth and potential: What kind of skills do you want to learn, and how will they help you grow personally and professionally?
• Contribution: What kind of an impact do you want to make on your campus?

Eligibility

To apply for the program, you must:

• Have the GitHub Student Developer Pack
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be enrolled in a formal higher education institution
• Have at least one year before graduating
• Have had a GitHub Account for at least six months

Perks of the GitHub Campus Expert Program

Before moving to the application process here GitHub offers a lot of perks to its Campus Experts and I think the best way to go about this would be to mention them in a list form, so here goes:

• Sponsorships to support the events you organize for your local community
• Travel and accommodation expenses; if you are invited to give a talk outside your city Prizes for winning teams if you are organizing a competition (when it's offline])
• GitHub Swags for the participants of all events you put up a request for
• A community of 250+ Campus Experts spreads out across the globe to help you out wherever you get stuck
• A personal space on the GitHub Campus Expert website to boost your profile. Here's mine.
• Lastly, some cool GitHub Campus Expert personalize swags (below is an unboxing video of what I got)

Excited to Apply:

Application Phase:

The application process consists of two sections: first an application form and then a video resume. In the form, they’re looking for students to tell them about the challenges their student community faces, what opportunities they want to build for their peers, as well as the potential they see for growth you have to explain as much as you can. In the video resume, we’re hoping to get to know you better as a person, including your motivations and interests.

Applications to the program open twice a year—in February and August—and you’ll have a full month to submit. Once applications to the program close, the GitHub Education team will review them. This review period can take up to two weeks. If the team would like to move forward with you, they’ll reach out with instructions about how to submit your video resume. You will then have two weeks to do so.

For video submission: A video using your webcam and computer microphone is more than enough! We understand this process might not be accessible for all students. If you require an alternative method to make your submission, you can reach out to the GitHub Education team, and they’ll arrange some help. Here's my video application you can take this as reference:

DISCLAIMER: This is the screening video I submitted as a part of my application. If you are willing to apply for GitHub Campus Experts and try to copy this video will auto-reject your application. GitHub Education team is aware of the plagiarism cases. You can take some point of reference but you can't copy word to word.

After your video has been submitted, we’ll take about a week to review it. If the program is the right fit for you, you’ll be accepted and receive an invitation to go through the GitHub Campus Experts Training.

Training Phase:

If your video submission was approved, Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to the program. You’ll go through the GitHub Campus Experts Training. The training has six modules and takes 12 hours to complete in 6 weeks. Here you’ll be able to analyze your community and learn community leadership skills, —like public speaking, technical writing, and software development. At the end of your training, you’ll submit a community proposal that will serve as a guideline for your community and you’ll become a GitHub Campus Expert.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am listing some frequently asked questions below which I usually receive. Hopefully, they would help you out in some part of your process.

1. What should I write in my application?

A: So, it's totally up to you just need to be honest with your answers and should not copy them from anywhere. Your answers will reflect how much you know about your community.

2. What prerequisites to become a GitHub Campus Expert?

A: There are no such defined prerequisites, but you should be a student leader and motivated enough to nurture your community. Also, refer to the eligibility section.

3. My application for the GitHub Campus Expert program got rejected, what do I do?

A: If your application got rejected you can reapply in the next semester i.e after 6 months. But please don't let this stop you to contribute to the community. Use this time to build and grow your community, you'll get a great experience before joining the program and will know the roles and responsibilities of a community lead. Also, brainstorm the answers again while you're applying next time. I was also selected for 2nd time.

4. I am not sure what I should write in my application, may you please give me some points?

A: It's a suggestion if you're not sure what to write in the application it means you're not having much community experience so it's suggested that you apply in the next cohort and gain some experience from your community.

5. I am in the training phase and working on the modules. Could you please share your submissions?

A: No, sorry. The training modules are designed to help you learn things that are essential for becoming an effective Community Lead and GitHub Campus Expert. I will not help you skip through the learning process, it’d be unethical to do so. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited if you are caught doing something like that you might be removed from the program.

Thanks for being with me till here. You don't need to think twice to apply for this program if you love to share your knowledge like me. Go ahead and Apply. I tried to cover all the possible points, if I missed anything or you want to know something else apart from this you can reach out to me on my LinkedIn or Twitter.

All the very best!!

Application Process

It started this summer; being an open-source enthusiast, I looked for a mentorship program or Summer of code. One of the community members told me about the LFX Mentorship Programme. I was just excited about this program, as we had an opportunity to work under the umbrella of The Linux Foundation and experienced mentor. Then I started browsing all the available projects on the list and shortlisted a few of them according to my tech stacks. After shortlisting, we need to create our profile on the portal, which is crucial. And judging criteria, I can say. Once you complete your form fill up, you need to apply for your shortlisted organisation. Then will ask you to do specific tasks which depend on the organisation to organisation. They may ask you for a resume, cover letter, college ID Card, etc. You receive an email like this.

Note: You can apply for a maximum of 3 Organisations at a time.

And then if the organisation shortlist your candidature, they might take your interview as I had also faced an interview for my organisation which was good, my mentor was beneficial with the whole onboarding process, there I was also given an option to choose part-time (24-weeks) or full-time (12 weeks) work. And then, one lucky day, I had received an email from Linux Foundation Engineering Team that I am accepted for the mentorship program.

Program Timelines

It usually happens three times a year, so you can plan and apply accordingly,

• Spring Term: March 1st - May 31st
• Summer Term: June 1st - August 31st
• Fall Term: September 1st - Nov 30th

For more information, you can check the LFX Mentorship documentation.

After selection

My journey started on the 1st of June, and I was clueless literally how should I start and all. Then my mentor Casey Cain scheduled a meeting on the next day. He was very helpful; he showed me how to get started, gave me some minor tasks, and asked me to get familiar & comfortable with the platform. We used Slack for communication.

My task is to The OpenDaylight Project no longer uses the MediaWiki platform for its Developer wiki. However, there is still a large amount of content like Project Details, Project Proposals, Release Plans, Release Notes, Release Reviews, etc., that live on the archived page that is still relevant to the community. So my role was to collaborate with all the projects and their leads within the OpenDaylight community to determine what content needs to be migrated to the new platform that is Confluence and Jira.

To complete my tasks, I had to learn and use Confluence, Jira, Gerrit, GitHub, and mailing lists. These are corporate tools used by big organisations; it was a great experience to use them.

About OpenDaylight

OpenDaylight (ODL) is a modular open platform for customising and automating networks of any size and scale. The OpenDaylight Project arose out of the SDN movement, with a clear focus on network programmability. It was designed from the outset as a foundation for commercial solutions that address various use cases in existing network environments.

OpenDaylight is the most widely deployed open source SDN controller platform, and in just 8 years, OpenDaylight boasts 13 releases, 1000+ authors/submitters, 100K+ commits, and powers networks of 1B+ global subscribers.

My key takeaways:

• I learned to use Confluence, worked with pre-defined templates.
• Used Jira to migrate Release plans and integrated with confluence, i.e., Developer wiki.
• Build custom filters and Kanban Board on Jira for Release Milestones.
• Learned to use a mailing list which is something new to me.
• After working with lots of Project Proposals, I got to understand how a should exactly look.
• Learned about Release Plans, Release Notes, Release Reviews, how it is made once coding gets over.
• I got to learn how these Opensource organisations like Linux Foundation work and build these projects which are impacting billions of lives.

Also, every week I used to join Technical Steering Committee (TSC) Meeting where I showcase my work and ask for feedback. Then improve it according to feedbacks.

Graduation & Conclusion

Wowww!! Finally, after 12 weeks, the time really flies. I didn’t want this program to end. But every good thing comes to an end. I successfully graduated from the program, thanks to my mentor Casey Cain and his guidance, because without him, this wouldn’t have been possible. He's a wonderful and very kind person. His journey was also inspiring; on the last day of my internship, I had an opportunity to talk with him about his journey, which was adventurous and inspiring. I wish I could meet him in person sometime. :)

I had a fantastic time with the OpenDaylight community, with the fantastic members supporting and helping me throughout the journey. I look forward to contributing more to this project and being more active in the community. This is a lifetime opportunity, as once you get selected, you will not be eligible to apply again. So I recommend every open-source enthusiast to give it a try.

My LFX Mentee Profile: https://mentorship.lfx.linuxfoundation.org/mentee/919814e1-c480-42d1-8004-193f0ff176a4

Thanks for reading till here. Let me know if you still have some questions or doubts about this program or, in general, you can reach out to me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Website: https://covidoff.live

Database Portal: https://covidoff.herokuapp.com

So many people are dying or suffering in this Pandemic due to failure at lead generation. We are not able to view and solve our doubts and get confused under certain compelling circumstances in this Covid Pandemic. We need to get a portal that helps and manages all these things in the easiest way possible.

Our Target Audience:

Any family or leads who are being affected by the curse of Covid-19 and want to take help of medical resources or want to add their data to generate leads to increase the chances of getting connected to a donor or helper.

Review of present systems:

All the present systems use a system that is hard to break further to analyze and shows filtered data only. Due to the availability of filtered data systems only, any supplier or NGO is unable to see the whole data that is supplied in the portal. And most importantly if anyone wants to volunteer to add any sort of data then it's quite challenging for them so that we take care of that thing properly. We have created a portal that not only serves as a resource collector and data finder but also attaches all the necessary resources that decrease the stress of connecting to too many websites to handle their problem.

Status of the Data:

We collect data from the user only. And for building the website resources, we collected data from MHRD, Indian Govt. Covid Helpline and WHO. For State, District, and City dynamic dropdown data, we collected the data from the Local Directory Website for the Indian States.

How cost-effective your system will be My system is cost-effective as it still doesn't have any payment system or paid server as its datasheet is being managed in the Backend with Rest API, Google Drive API, and Google Sheets API. In the future, if we need to host a backend with a paid server, it will still be less costly than other systems. In terms of users, the website will always be open source following GitHub Apache License 2.0.

I also rebuild my Twitter Bot to share covid related resources. You learn more about this bot from one of my existing blogs.

Tech Stacks Used:

• FrontEnd: HTML, CSS, JS, Bootstrap, SCSS, Streamlit, JQuery
• Backend: Streamlit, Python, PHP, Heroku-CLI, Ajax
• Database: JSON, Gspread-dataframe, Openpyxl, Gspread
• Tools: Git, GitHub, VSCode
• API: Google Drive API, Google Sheet API, Twitter API
• Skills: Software Development, Web Scraping, Python Web Scripting, FrontEnd, Responsive Design Building

Want to contribute? 🤝

We need few web developers to work with us to develop this even further, fix some existing issues, or create new ones and then fix them. Let's together make something great and help the world in this panicking situation. So if you are interested to work on it here is the link to the repository you can check the code and all. Do read the Contribution Guidelines to progress further.

We build this project in very little time so maybe the code might seem a bit messy to you, but you can easily understand after a few trials and errors.

Here is the repository Link: https://github.com/covidoff/covidoff (Make sure to 🌟 the repo to get updates)

To get help with the Code Base or Project Related discussions, we have the GitHub Discussions forum open, you may join us there.

Conclusion:

This is the Portal for all the Data Resources. These resources are filled by general people. Verification at the utmost level is not guaranteed. So, we are constantly trying to improve the data system and gather more knowledge in Data Mining.

Today, I would like to share my experiences with the Hacker Community during MLH Local Hack Day: Build and the activities I were being part of. Awesome kinds of stuff I made during the event and a lot more.

What is MLH?

So first let me tell you what is MLH (Major League Hacking) if you're hearing the term for the first time. MLH is the official student hackathon league. Each year, they power over 200 weekend-long invention competitions that inspire innovation, cultivate communities and teach computer science skills to more than 65,000 students around the world. MLH is an engaged and passionate maker community, consisting of the next generation of technology leaders and entrepreneurs. MLH is an organization for hackers, by hackers. Whether you're a complete beginner or a returning veteran, you'll feel right at home at MLH powered events.

What is Local Hack Day?

Major League Hacking's Local Hack Day is a series of simultaneous global events designed to spark a passion for technology in your local community. Spend the day getting hands-on experience and collaborating in an open and welcoming environment at a local event. Whether you are learning to code or are an expert hacker, Local Hack Day is the perfect opportunity for you and your community. Learn new skills, build new projects, and share your creations at a Local Hack Day near you. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Local Hack Day has moved to an online-only format.)

And Local Hack Day: Build is a week-long celebration of creating hacks both big and small. Choose between daily and week-long challenges that vary in difficulty, so whether this is your first time coding or you’re a seasoned expert, Build has something for you. The more challenges you conquer, the more points you’ll earn. Tune in each day to check out the leaderboard and show off all that you’ve built.

So, if you want to check the kind of tasks they gave, you can head over to their official website the tasks are included with lots of fun activities, live sessions, games, mini-projects, expert talks and whatnot.

Their we had made a guild named Tech Bubble Right from the opening ceremony to share our meals with our guildmates. Also together with the small guild, we were pushing ourself to be in Top in the leaderboards. Here are a few fun moments we captured during the live stream.

Here are all of the projects I made during this event, you can find them on my GitHub. Wait for the more updates picture is still going on. This is also a part of the task to write a blog post. Thanks for being with me till here.

Basically in this blog, I would like to share my experience from applying for the program to get selected. If you're reading this blog then I hope you already know about this program but still let me explain.

What is Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors program?

The Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors program is a global group of on-campus ambassadors who are eager to help students and their communities, lead in their local tech circles, and develop technical and career skills for the future. As a Student Ambassador, you might find yourself organizing a campus or community hackathon, mentoring other students, or volunteering with an elementary school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) class.

Eligibility for the program:

• To apply, you must be at least 16 years old, have valid identification and be actively enrolled in an accredited, higher education academic institution.
• We encourage students from all academic backgrounds who want to grow their career and tech skills while making a difference in their communities to apply. Some experience in coding or technology is helpful, but we have tools and resources to help you learn in the program.
• U.S. F-1 students should check with the Designated School Official at the International Student Office of their school (or their own personal immigration legal counsel) to see if participation in this Program would constitute a violation of their F-1 status. A violation may not only impact a student’s ability to continue with their F-1 studies but may also affect his or her eligibility for future U.S. immigration-related benefits.
• Students in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and the Region of Crimea are not eligible for the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors program. U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to these countries/regions and therefore students of these countries/regions are not eligible to participate.

Benefits to being an MLSA:

• Access to Microsoft 365, plus TechSmith Snagit and Camtasia screen capture and recording software
• Visual Studio Enterprise subscription and $150 monthly Azure credits
• Exam certification vouchers
• LinkedIn Learning
• Free Name.com domain name
• Event support
• Engagement with Cloud Advocates and Microsoft MVPs
• Student Ambassador Milestone badges to highlight program accomplishments on your LinkedIn profile
• Swags and many more.

Application Procedure

Step 1:

Visit the website https://studentambassadors.microsoft.com and sign in to your Microsoft account.

Step 2:

Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button.

Step 3:

As soon as you click on apply, the below window appears showing different sections of the form. In the ‘Privacy and Terms’ section, agree to the Privacy Statement and click ‘Next’ in order to proceed with your application.

Step 4:

In the ‘Personal Info’ section, fill in the personal details like name, contact email, gender, phone number, and get it verified by means of a one-time password. Click ‘Next’ to proceed.

Step 5:

Similarly, fill the School info, i.e., your college details and the degree you are currently pursuing and click on ‘Next’.

Step 6:

Now, comes the main step. This section ‘Written sample’ is where you need to give your major efforts and consideration while filling the application. This is the most important section of the application as it will display your enthusiasm and passion as well as your communication and technical skills to the reviewers of the application. Fill it very carefully.

It contains 3 parts where you have to answer 3 questions, you can answer these questions either with a video or a written sample but at least one video must be provided (under 2 minutes) recorded with your phone or webcam so long as your voice can be clearly heard. You have to provide the URL to the video.

Inspire - What excites you about technology and why you want to help other students explore and learn?

Here I had submitted this video you can check it for your reference.

Teach - How would you take a technical concept and teach it to a friend or peer that has never heard of it?

Here also I submitted a video and explained Machine Learning in Layman's Term you can check it for your reference.

Promote - If you were hosting an event at your school, how would you get students to attend?

This is the last question which I submitted in a text format.

Step 7:

In this, you have to fill the Additional info, like LinkedIn Profile URL, technical blog post URL, etc. This section is optional, but I will recommend you to fill as many fields as possible.

Take your time to fill these details if you don't have all the links or profiles handy just made and then apply it will increase the chances of acceptance. Here they will ask you for your projects, technical blogs, any tutorial video, social media profiles, resume etc. Try to give as much as possible.

Step 8:

This is the last step for getting one step closer to your destination of becoming a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador. In this section of ‘Technical Skills’, you have to tell which technologies interest you. Besides this, you can also share anything else if something is left.

After filling the essential details, click on the ‘Submit’ button. you’re done. You can edit anytime till it gone for the review period. Take your time and fill it carefully.

Deadline For the Application

The application is open all the time, you can start filling your application form anytime, according to your convenience. New students are accepted into the program quarterly and the results are also announced on a quarterly basis.

Thanks for being with me till here. You don't need to think twice to apply for this program if you love to share your knowledge like me. Go ahead and Apply. If you have any doubt or wants to connect with me, you can find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

All the very best!!

This will be a Python built Twitter retweet bot using Tweepy. It can be used for automation and marketing purposes.

Here's my live Twitter bot (mlb0t) by the end of the article you will also have the same.

This Twitter bot can do many tasks by its own such as:

• Retweets the tweets with particular #hastags.
• Favourites/Likes the tweets with particular #hashtags.
• Follows the users who tweet with particular #hashtags.
• Can also DM the users if granted with permission.

Requirements

• Install Tweepy using pip- An easy-to-use Python library for accessing the Twitter API.

  pip install tweepy

• Make a Twitter Developer Account.
  1. Sign up for a separate account for your Twitter Bot and then apply for Twitter Developer Account.
  2. Enter the necessary details and wait for your mail confirmation. Once confirmed, click on Create an App option.
  3. Enter the necessary details to generate the secret key and access tokens.
  4. Copy the keys and keep them safe.
  5. Make sure you fully understand Twitter's Rules on Automation. Play nice. Don't spam!
• And you also need to have a Heroku Account.

Development

• Create a new directory to contain all of your retweet bot files.

  mkdir retweet-bot

• Follow all the steps as shown in this Youtube Video

• Create a new Twitter Application. This is where you'll generate your keys, tokens, and secrets.

• Fill in your keys, tokens, and secrets in the credentials.py file.
• Check comments in bot.py to tweak the retweet bot to your liking.

• The example demonstrates a single hashtag value, but you can tweak the code to search for multiple hashtags. Example:

  q= #MachineLearning OR #ai

• Run your bot.py file from your Command Prompt/Terminal with this command.

  python bot.py

• If it runs without any errors on the terminal, now it can be deployed on Heroku.
• Once the deployment is done you're good to go you! Sit back and relax have successfully created a Twitter bot.

• Note: Make sure that your bot.py and credentials.py files are, obviously, in the same directory.

  https://youtu.be/lJdH9WWkd24

For deployment on Heroku

You need to make three different files

• runtime.txt (Includes Python Version python-3.8.1)
• requirements.txt (pip freeze > requirements.txt)
• Procfile (worker: python bot.py)

You can find the whole code here: https://github.com/imanishbarnwal/twitter-bot

Additional Information

• If you are stuck anywhere you can contact me via Twitter or LinkedIn I will be glad to help you.

This project is inspired by this art. This is an example of a perceptual art by the artist Michael Murphy.

In this following project, I had added a black sphere one by one to create the perceptual art piece to. Each of the spheres represents a life that once was. In total there are 99 spheres means 99 lives were. This is a non-comprehensive list of victims at the hands of police or racial profiling in the U.S. in the last few years.

3D sculpture. When you view the 99 spheres from six meters away, you see an image of a raised fist that represents unity and solidarity in the ongoing fight against racism.

Click Me

To check the project… After opening this URL, if you zoom in or zoom out this project on your window you will find all 99 spheres like this which represents 99 black lives.

Zoom in or Zoom out to get a view of 99 spheres

I also added a footprint here for the viewer to stand on if they are using a VR Headset. This way, they will know exactly which location will have the perfect 2D view of the art piece.

To conclude this project, I am leaving you with a poem written by Langston Huges in 1936:

Let America be America again, The land that never has been yet, And yet must be, The land where every man is free.

Anyone can watch this in AR or VR mode. In this project basically, I used an external library called A-Frame. A web framework used for building 3D/AR/VR experiences. Make 3D worlds with HTML and Entity-ComponentFor Quest, Rift, WMR, SteamVR, mobile, desktop.

<head>
    <script src="https://aframe.io/releases/1.1.0/aframe.min.js"></script>
</head>

You can find whole code link here: https://github.com/imanishbarnwal/VR-projects/blob/master/blm/blm.html