東京　夜景

Nice pictures there, looks like you've gotten better over the years =)
Sure look better than my own photos

me too i do ask and network alot all through asia. I moved from US to taiwan to hong kong and singapore and made tons of friends just by asking people around my work or through the net.
it is also how i got my job and be able to move to so many different places. also some hot girl friends from eng exchange.

Love the nice pictures.

Really nice indeed.

And Tokyo is real nice during the night, it really comes alive ^_^

nice pictures... It's tough asking in the first place.......after one or two.. you'll know how to start off a conversation out of the blue........that's how i got some opportunities to work in my industry..

This is very useful encouragement, Danny - I've mentioned many times on this site that the industry I intend to go into relies heavily on networking. I'm not usually very proactive about it, even if I'm aware of that. I'm also one of those people who do not like to offend - I get very polite, which is a good thing. I also know how to put things in a way that people like them, and usually am aware of what's asking for too much - also a good thing. The problem is that I usually don't ask until it's necessary. The things you mentioned will be helpful to keep in mind. ^^

And those pictures are beautiful. The tilt focus shot...does need a bit of practice, but otherwise, that's an awesome spot you've found.

I think it depends on my mood. Usually I'm just too lazy to meet and talk to new people. But I have made friends by actively introducing myself.

Pics are looking great!
They look kinda funny... I guess it's because they are clearer than our own natural vision, which is the opposite one would expect from pics.

Also: That's a great tip.
I should take that more often, but unfortunately, I'm not very proactive.

When I was younger I was kinda afraid to be judged, ignored and turned down.
It happened some times. From other posts, I think you know how that is, right Danny? Tough childhood, being bullied, being mocked, being the invisible kid.

But it's not an issue anymore. But I'm still kinda shy...
I dunno how to explain, but I'm kinda bad at starting conversations.
I have no social skills... dunno how to be funny, have no interesting stories to tell. I'm too serious sometimes, or just plain boring/irritating.

Usually, I don't know how to start a conversation, and to maintain it, mainly because I have a... hmm... slow brain? XD

I do write a lot and know how to express myself online, mainly because I have the time to think what I'm writing about.

Trying to work on it though.

You know, these obstacles are only there so we can force ourselves to face them, and eventually overcome them. ^^

Guessing you did the tilt-shift in post? Either way looks kinda neat.

Really nice post Danny! ^^
I'm known at school to ask too many questions, and i'm very confronting about things. In fact, i got in trouble during ToK today for asking too many questions again. ^^; But overall, i believe it's helped me a ton in school. I know all of the teachers well and have gotten priceless recommendation letters so far. x3

Two things that i'm not confronting about are my abilities and looks. I never mention Carnegie Hall to my teachers and i never talk about my looks. Other people may, but i tend to awkwardly shrug it off. It's definitely not helped me at all. Thanks for helping me realize that. xD

Anyway, revealing to my class that i'm a otaku has yielded a great turnout! I've made more friends irl and have a wonderful anime club at school. :]

inspiring entry once again. I try to ask in moderation and sometimes, yes, it does not go well, and when it doesn't go well, I'm thinking, maybe I should just listen. Listening is good...but me being me, I feelz better to ask, have an opinion, give a statement, because I find it more relieving to share your end of ideas.

I dare say I still have a fear of asking to a certain extent! Last year, I should have asked if you had sometime to meet up when I was in Japan with my husband! lol We just assumed you were busy or would say no or think we were creepy! :P Now we know better lol I must train myself to be a bit more proactive too I guess, I agree that to ask can have very satisfying and fruitful results! I hope I'll continue to ask in moderation and do more with it in future :)

nice pics. ^^ what time was it when you took those photos?

Sometimes, it takes a bit for me to ask something. Some questions need a bit more courage than others, although I suppose the only thing that you could lose is your pride. This post inspired me to go ahead and voice out a few things I've always wanted to know but was afraid to ask. :)

Nice inspiring pictures.

I used to be very afraid of asking about anything. From what I want to asking a girl out. ahaha. You're right, Danny. The anticipation/thought of being rejected/turned down is very strong.

Over the years, I've learned to accept rejection. There really is nothing to lose and all to gain. You don't learn if you don't ask- This mostly applies to school. If you don't understand something in class, then ask! I've also got myself to be confident in asking girls out... usually, if I sound laid back, not nervous, and off-handed and ask... I actually succeed! Failed back then because I never approached the person. Just keep in mind: Nothing to lose and all to gain.

Amazing night shots!!!!!!
I also send emails introducing myself or something in a similar fashion when meeting other bloggers online...
When meeting them in person, it's always exciting to meet them...

Great article on asking! I noticed you focused mainly on the business/career end of interaction. However, your advice is good in personal relationships with friends, family, and loved ones.

Many of these types of relationships become strained or broken due to a lack of communication, especially earnest, tactful asking. Asking if everything is alright, if something is wrong, or if there is something you can improve are important parts of a healthy relationship. It also shows the other person you actually care about what's going on with her or him.

So, once again, great article. And the pics look great. I especially like image ID#22541, where you can see the girl undressing in the window... (嘘) ^^;

Great pictures!

I recently discovered the tilt shift. Have to investigate how to do that kind of pictures ;) Is it necesary any special lens?

I think many people shy away from asking questions because they're afraid of getting a response that not only turns them down, but maybe is too "smart" for them so they then don't know how to respond to that. Intimidation is the word I'm trying to get at.

If you continually push at this fear eventually you'll see its benefits. Nice shots by the way Danny.

Great article, i enjoyed reading it.

It's also good to just DO things for others too, not just always ask. E.G Danny putting together the Japan Bloggers Dinner was a selfless act that got others involved and connected, there was more to benefit from others than Danny, just by way of 60+ people were affected not just 1. In turn the good will comes back and everyone's a winner.

Great Stuff Danny, i like the motivational posts.

@Danny: LOL, intriguing stuff! Actually, not just the "fear of failure", but I think everyone's overlooking the equally-intimidating "fear of success and its greater responsibility" because the unknown is naturally more terrifying than the known. So when a pretty girl says yes or a high-level manager trusts u to give u an urgent task, your mind naturally spins into a frenzy, hehe. "Oh my god. What do I do? I've never done this before. How do I do it?" Etc. Some folks can't deal with that easily. Others love that. But you're right, "No guts, no glory," eh? >_<

Depending on the situation, I generally have no problems conversing and asking people things. I'm actually quite keen at reading people, and adjusting my mannerisms to coax a more positive response. I've also learned to be more tactful and professional, but in turn ask less if the situation doesn't seem in my favor. Unlike when I was younger, where I would just demand everything.
Same goes for personal relationships and women. Although women can be hard to read at times. ^^;

For me it's not only the fear of asking, but losing my train of thought when I ask and not knowing what to say next or how to respond...it's always been a challenge for me to ask face to face and I can't help think of what the other person thinks about me...

Lovely article and pics Danny ^^
Most of the time, I'll be able to approach a situation properly but, there are still times when I can be meek >.<

great pics as always!

so, Danny, can I ask you something? what lens and camera settings did you use for the pics above? ^^

tnx!

I have a confession to make, remember the time we met, wanted to ask for one of your lovely Mirai name card. was shy to ask because I forgot to bring mine during my trip to Japan.
btw nice tiltshift image, did you rent a lens or use photoshop? makes me want to pick up that red car with my fingers. ^^

Very nice pictures and an interesting article, sometime I can find it hard to ask for things for the same reasons you say but I've gotten much better lately especially since I'm now more determined than ever to get to were I want to be.

i used to have a manger who taught us,

"It is always better to over communicate rather than under communicate".

I find this to be very true. By asking questions, not only are you getting the answers to your doubts, the other party will also know how much you really understand through the questions you ask. ^^;

since we are on the topic on asking, here's one for u danny which has been on my mind for a long time. how do you get flickr to resize your pics to 400x267? i believe the default for medium is 500x334.

First of - very nice pics - you hit my weak spot... city lights at night and then Tokyo, nothing could be better. :) Ahh, guess i said that already on a few Tokyo night pics you posted i think lol.

About the slice-of-life wisdom you spread there, yea i wish some people would actually think so much about it like you do... maybe next time i just hand some people the link to this article.

As for myself, i don't mind being asked anything, totaly. However, i hate to ask others, mainly because i am afraid to be a bother - guess i was a bit raised like that and now it's stuck, a pain.
But when i really hit a total dead end and nothing helps anymore (google, friends, whatever...) then i usualy break up and do ask, but never unless i tried everything else i could do on my own first.

This is why I'm afraid of asking
http://xkcd.com/439/

Excellent article as always, Danny. Something you did not mention that I think is very important to the art of asking is knowing exactly what you can bring to the table. If there is a way that you can benefit the other party, they will be much more willing to help out, and it doesn't necessarily "cost" you anything. Not that every interaction requires compensation, it's just a whole lot easier when there is. Even something simple as being there to listen to them could be a benefit to the other person. I think most people underestimate what they can offer to others, and that limits what they ask for.

Nice pictures of Tokyo at night. And a good article. I used to have problems with asking stuff from other people, but there are less problems with that now. I think that being a student in an university has thought me how to communicate and work with other people better.

Stunning pictures!!
Details look sharp and the lighting makes it looks different.
Very nice!!

Nice post Danny! Very true words and good advice. Asking, inquiring, being pro-active will yield more and better results.
If you ask something, you can get a 'yes' reply, if you do not ask however it's always a 'no'. (A rather poor translation of a saying we have in Dutch, I hope the gist of it comes across.)

mmmm, i liked this article.
I agree with Danny, alot of people are really scared of opening themselves up to others.
I was raised in a home that believes in asking when you dont know.
even if its common knowlegde and your just not sure.

MM,thanks for the inspiration, Danny!

The city of my dreams
How it will be a party night ??
Only Karaoke ? There is clubs ??

Woah I love the last picture, makes everything looks like tiny toys.

As for opening my mouth to ask for things, I'm 50% on that. On some day I get really brave and would go about asking people for what I intend to do. On other days, even though I have some great ideas, I just keep the idea to myself and don't do anything about it.

Felt more motivated after reading this article. I shall take a more proactive stance and will not "wait for things to happen". Thanks!

Another article to bookmark ^_^
Really inspiring and informative. I've always been a quiet person and talking to other people, especially strangers isn't something I did often... Until I moved to Canada.

Things are pretty different here and back at home in the Philippines. I could get by in the Phils without asking but in Canada, I had to learn pretty fast. I moved to a new country and to a new school and had to ask a number of people how to go about doing things. It got easier over time and it really helps that people here are really friendly ^_^

Another thing that forced me to learn to ask was my jobs. Most of my part-time jobs had to do with customer service and now my job as a Network Operations Support Analyst gets me asking the upper level people what to do about errors that come up when I'm monitoring servers.

You're right though, what used to stop me is thinking too much about what the other party would say, rejection and being ignored. Nowadays, its mostly not knowing who to ask or how to exactly go about networking.

All in all though, great article ^_^b

The roads seem empty. Aren't they usually bustling?

I had been business networking in seminars, expo & public functions etc since the age of 17, gone through lots of trial & error via real-life experience had granted me to know what & when to ask for something.
Assumption (Assume-tion) is a killer for fearing to speak out of what one wants in life.
Totally agreed to Danny's statement, no one will know what you want unless you speak out.

Of cause when we speak, we need to strategically plan what we wanted to ask, in moderation but not all out, you will only be taking calculated-risk should you fail in demanding what you wanted as compare to if you didn't think through your brain & just speak it out loud. Pratice it well & it'll increase your negotiation skill with people that you'll encounter in life.

As for my most recent "emotionally" turn down was, I confessed my love to a sweetest girl I met this year & got rejected. Well I sort of expected it (calculated-risk) as she was with another guy at that time, but she wanted to broke up with him, so I took this opportunity to told her how I felt about her. In return the reason she rejected my connfession was because she wanted to take a break from her relationship commitment, so I respect her decision & happy to still continue to be friend.

While on the contrary, I was originally work as an employee for a company, but was very unsatisfied with my hourly salary & labour rules, so I proposed to my employer that I'll continue to provide my intellectual works for his businesses, but deal with my own company instead of individually as thier employee. So we drafted a new agreement under business contract whereby his company will apply my company to provide services to their company, so in the end I'm no longer an employee & they had become my client instead ^_^

If I didn't voice out my unsatisfaction, I would be the one losing the most. So don't be afraid to ask/request & make sure you planned strategically before you propose anything, then hope for the best ^_^

All the best to Dc.com readers.

JUST DO IT! - NIKE

I'm afarid to ask questions but my teachers always say that there's no right or wrong answers and that always gives me the courage to speak up...

Very insightful article Danny, it made me think... Not that I don't think LOL

So everyone, starting today we will actively ask questions! Starting with lovely McDee girl...
"What are your three sizes..."
*Ends up in jail for sexual harassment*

I can rarely find any open rooftop here, only knew a nearby shopping mall which has one but the scenery is... filled with wondeful view of only the high rise HDB flats ^^;

There is something about pictures of cities during night time that I find interesting x_x

I'm a pretty shy person. I let the people around me do the talking and I just usually listen. But I'm more open when I'm on the Internet though.

Your article has made me think though. I will consider opening up a little more to people x_x

Well, intopic, I'm verty carefully with the words y say, I don't talk very much, and less than ever, don't ask a lot. A legend say: "Might be better to shut up and apeareance an idiot, than talk and demostrare it"

Offtopic:

I love tokyo, and the pics you take makes my love bigger, want to live there one day ><!! x'DD
Thanks for the info danny =D

im always: You got something to say, say it. Otherwise you're just wasting time mulling

i hate mulling, and i actually do it quite ofen unfortunately

it looks like a place i often see on movie.
im just imagining what it looks like when there's 2 big robots fighting in the middle of that place...or ultraman instead

yea have to agree with the crowd, nice pictures
and fantastic article again, got lost half way looking at pictures due to interest article (had to finish article and scroll back to view pictures)

well i guess for started, let me intro myself... ^^'

me being reading dc.com for close to 1 year.
attracted to dc.com due to good figure coverage and wacky articles
me in 20's. majored in Information Engineering during college years.
working at an IT company as a Application Analyst (yes all my programming skills that i learned in college are wasted - cause my job does no programming)
i am fairly young, being working for only 3 years
me from Penang island, danny's parent's hometown.
me interest are websurfing...watching animes, jdorama, kdrama, hkdrama, and lately being trying to study for JLPT lvl4.
used to play lotsa football during school and college years, i am a fairly good left/right winger.

well i guess thats all.
yoroshiku onegaishimasu

I'm doing better when it comes to asking or generally starting a conversation with others I don't know. Still, I talk to them but I don't completely open up until I get to know them.

Nice pics... some are so nice that they look like CG.... ^^;

It depends on the situation. Usually I am ok with asking questions, and people who are not city people are quite willing to help. On the other hand, it's not easy to ask questions on the streets in Hong Kong, as a lot of people find it a nuisance, so I often end up asking for directions or other stuff from policemen or security officers.

It's annoying sometimes when you are repeatedly turned down for same thing from various sources, or when the answers don't get you very far to what you need, even when you've prepared for it. This doesn't happen very often, but it happens in stressful environments.

i too have this phobia of opening my mouth to ask ppl sometimes. Especialy opposite sex. I must try and practise more already. Thanks danny

i always ask questions and make suggestions. its true the worst thing what will happen as you get turned down. most people think they will appear to be ignorant or stupid in some cases depends on the question, so many tend to be silent. i remember when in high school at History. we where talking about the Third Reich and one of the things shown on the projector was a picture of a Swastika. the lesson didn't start yet since the teacher had a phone call and one of the girls in my class asked her neighbor what does that sign mean. mind you this was in the third year... almost everyone was either laughing or just saying that she is dumb but no one amongst those bothered to tell her what it means. i was bold and ask them then tell her what it is. in the end non of them knew could answer to the fullest. the only thing they actually knew was that it was a sign invented by the Nazis in the time of the Third Reich. non of them knew of its original origin, its usage/meaning in other cultures and why did the Nazis use it in the first place. i asked them if they want to know? they said yes. and i started to laugh at THEM repeating the same words they used against the girl who asked the question the first place.
so i to all the people out there who are afraid of asking questions here is a saying. ''There are not stupid questions. Only stupid answers''.

Tokyo at night looks like toys XD I don't know why but they really look like toy cities to me.

As for asking, I'm not really that good at it : gets turned down everytime. Perhaps my choice of words is lousy.

wow been a long time since I posted and had a glad welcome of seeing such a nice post from danny :D

even if I'm busy studying for my last exam for the semester on philosophy, I'd be happy to answer on your question danny :)

As a philosophy major, it really changed my view of the questions like "who am I?" and "what am I here for?" (LOL not in the emo way ok?). And when I read yours deeper posts, I still find answers about life coming to me. Like, for example, the post on "Destination" is one of those full of insights. It makes one reconsider their own lives and appreciate it even more.

Good job danny ^o^ and I am greatly enjoying people here who comment on your posts about life, the thing that matters most :D

nice article. did you use a tilt lens to take the last pic?

my teachers always say "there is no stupid question" so you should always ask questions

Very thoughtful article, great job on the photos! The thing is, most things are easier said than done for those who haven't done it. That first step is what needs to be convinced of, like a baby learning to walk or jump...

I also think its important to ask, i am really shy and always think twice before i am going to say something, but then its too late to answer^^;
So for most of the people out there i am not really talkative. But i think i changed a bit because of some people i met in a new school. They are all really open mind and sometimes it really goes on my nerves^^;
but i think they changed me to a different self, i speak often and am not that scared of anymore.
Never proposed but did ask somebody to goes out with me. She didnt reject me but she wants to meet again, but through some stupid actions of me(not something ero^^;) i got turn down.
But in the end i was happy that i asked, but it was really hard ><, still remembered how my heart was beating

Asking questions is important especially when you seriously need to get things done. The Fear of asking or proposing ideas is a very common thing among everyone, they fear they lack the charisma and initiative or even intellect; so one word the lack of confidence. I admit that I have lack of confidence in various scenarios but in the end you just have to do it, you will never get passed your fears without even attempting.

Great Pictures! I simply love pictures at night wth their dark/light contrast.

You wrote up a nice motivational there but people these days are afraid to be turned down and / or hurt these days.
Im one of those people myself and i tend to avoid asking questions especially if they could be a bother (atleast in my imagination) for the person standing infront of me.I really have to kick myself to ask the question.

Ill try to be more aware of the fact that you wont get anywhere but its sometimes quite hard to overcome lifelong habits ^^;;

My parents always tell me to "follow up" on a job application, but I don't understand this... if they already have my resume why should I bug them any further?

I managed to overcome my fear of asking since I was in my secondary school. A good example would be to clarify a topic that you don't understand with a teacher.

I used to be shy then, but since I made the first attempt to open up and ask, I not only gain knowledge through the process, but also recognition by my teachers along the way as well.

Maybe plucking up the courage and ask has got something to do with maturity, I wonder? Since I know that I only begin to ask questions and clarify doubts when I realize at a point of time time in my life that its time to buck up and make the right decisions.

I was so engrossed in reading and forgot to even look at the pics. Nice post btw. Now its back to the photos ^^

Next time I go to Tokyo (which hopefully will be next year) I'll "ask" to find out when you will be doing another one of your Dance Trooper shoots. I'd love to see that live!

hey, those are great shots!!! I was just wondering what kind of post you do and your general workflow for photography is??

No, asking is how an understanding is reached, statuses are learned and how life (projects, etc) progress. I go with the philosophy that the only dumb question is the one not asked. My professor and I are open at every stage of academic research; I am free to ask questions to gain a greater understanding of the research- along with some tutoring. If you have an idea, need to know something, or NEED HELP with something, you've gotta speak up. I did when I needed a little extra help- and four professors, two of which are doctors, are willing to help and get me to where I want to go.

Sometimes I tend not to ask enough because I'm concerned the other party will think I'm too demanding. >.< This problem was worse when I was younger but it's gotten better over the years.

Danny's point is like one of the greatest WW2 general. I think General Patton said it is better to take the offense than defense.

I envy your nightly views of Tokyo!! I want to live there soooo bad.

In retrospect of the topic, I'm such an introverted (and probably more insecure than I actually realize) that I find myself afraid to ask even the simpliest of questions in fear of an unpleasent out come. Now this doesn't mean I never ask a question but sometimes I just can't. This leads me into reaching out to the various people in my life to, in a sense, "live it for me" I have since gotten better in taking more control. I'm teaching myself japanese, working more diligently on my blog and learning more about this world called Anime where I feel my most comfortable.

A year back, I stepped into my current Junior College's School festival (equivalent) to soak in the festivities. (I hadn't enrolled in there at that tiime yet). Looking around, I realized that the sailing club in school hadn't done anything extravagant at all. I was interested in sailing since I had been doing so during my primary school days and stopping in secondary school, and the idea suddenly hit me.

A year later, I'm vice-captain of the school's sailing team, and I finally decided to implement my plan for this year's cultural festival. I asked my sailing peers and teachers if I could bring in a full, rigged laser sailing boat into the school to display. It was to be fitted onto a simulator so that it can turn around as though it were moving in different directions to the wind. I was slightly apprehensive at first, and so were the others, but I just pushed on with my rallying, and soon enough, it came to be, and what a wonderful festival it was.

Las Vagas Tokyo Style XD !

I just realized something... this looks like west-central Guadalajara! O_O

I've never been afraid to ask when it comes to my job. I am good at it (without meaning to sound arrogant). I was never afraid to ask in my relationships until now. I guess my recent break-up experience has shaken my confidence. I asked why, I asked what next, I asked if there was another chance... and got contradictory answers which elated me, and caused me to crash at different times of the day. Is this the time to stop asking and walk away?

Two question for danny (to follow your phlosophy about ask):
1 where is that place where u took picture?
2 why japanese love roof? In anime-manga-jdrama and you too! Japanese always go on the roof of school, of building where they work....

very nice pictures, looks really ambient sort of stuff. i guess i have a slight fear of asking, u noe i think its such as long progression of influences that mold our characters - parents, schools, relationships etc.. that its sometimes just really hard to force urself out of habit. my personal philosphy though is more based on preventing myself from feeling forms of regret, so i try doing everthing possible to prevent from regretting not doing it. - iguess its a pretty pessimistic view, some of that half empty glass crap.
but yeh i try to take on the advice and take up the initiative of asking- prob going to need it, got an interview this wed.

Lovely pictures! They're going to make a great reference for this drawing I'm working on. Thanks for taking them!

It's weird, but I sometimes totally freeze up when I originally intended to ask something. Part of it is this bizarre fear that I'll ask the wrong person, and part of it is that, usually when asking, it's sort of acknowledging that the other person has something you don't. If you say nothing, you probably don't make a mark on their radar, but once you ask, it's like you're giving them power--power over the resolution of your request. I know in a way asking is taking power, but that implication scares the crap out of me. In fact, it scares me so bad that I used to find it hard to call a business and ask a simple question on the phone; it was almost paralyzing.

Nice pictures! Man, I wish I didn't suck at night shots.

For me, I've always been super shy and have no social skills at all (unless I'm online). I also have a negative mentality (everyone in my family does). Meaning, I always think the answer will be no so I don't try. And when I do try, the answer usually is no, further pushing me into the belief. The older I get though, the less I care about regection, and that has helped me be more open to asking.

Pretty pictures.
I'm usually afraid to ask for things for fear of being rejected and subsequently ridiculed. It seems to happen a lot with people around my age... >_<

i am a stout believer of that too danny ,having always believed that if you do not take that first step, you are getting the short end of the stick. however, i do admit that i sometimes do get cold feet at the last second and bail out, only to regret minutes later.

Ever since I graduated from high school that kind of thinking has always been beneficial for me. I've always been afraid before I got into college and really didn't like it so I vowed to change all that. heheh!

Here's a question: do you generally do any post processing (other than watermarking) to your photos before you post them up? if so, what do you usually do to them?

My first comment (I joined Today ;)

'm still looking for mine best Assets . because I had many questions about my job at HP
I received a recommendation from my boss for a higher function :). am not saying that this will always work, This is s better than waiting and not knowing. because if you do not demand or ask you'll miss a lott ( i know this , it happend to mee too)

dang, those are some decent photos
tokyo looks pretty beautiful at nite xD
makes me wanna go more now

I just noticed that this article is very similar to one of the things that Randy Pausch said in his book "The Last Lecture".
Not to say that you copied him or anything but I've noticed that there are certain things that a lot of successful people tend to agree on.

I just love Tokyo at night! Great pictures.

Au contraire, I am not afraid of asking others for their information, but am petrified by the fact that I never follow up.

awesome scenary

Sometimes if feels like the world is such a cold and uncaring place. I would love to just ask for someone to bring me to Japan forever. But now that I got that just by asking a friend of mine if he could help me fulfill my dream, I can see where your coming from. I hope he comes through or Ill just be stuck again.

Beautiful pics of Tokyo and a great lesson on life ^_^;

Really nice pictures and some good pointers about things in general.