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My Dad, His Outdated Computer, and the Lesson for College CoachesMonday, April 22nd, 2013

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

This past weekend, I updated my fathers operating system on his computer.

It was a real pain because I couldn’t just install the operating system, I had to install a previous version of the operating system, update that version, and then install a new version after downloading it, and then update that…woah!

Do you know what my father learned from the experience? Absolutely nothing! Do you know what I learned from the experience? Absolutely nothing (I do this stuff all the time!)

So now the next time my father needs his computer fixed, he is going to call me and he is going to be inconvenienced because he has to wait for me and no comment on my my side because its never an inconvenience to do anything for my father…but you get the point.

So what can we all extract from this…?

Well let’s take the classic example of the older non-tech savvy coach and their younger more technically sophisticated assistant. How often is it that the assistant is doing all of the technical stuff and the head coach just looks on like either (a) it’s magic or (b) its beneath them or (c) too time consuming to learn. Well here is my request to you…

Assistant Coach: Make an attempt to teach whatever technical stuff you are doing. Make an attempt. You are use to teaching and coaching (you do this for a living) so try teaching and coaching your head coach. There might be resistance and awkwardness but if you teach them to fish, you can concentrate on bigger fish instead of spending time going after the little fish like “click on the icon with the big e on it”. Teach them to google. If there is an answer to any question, there is a good chance it exists in google. “How do I save a document”, “Where do I find the file I downloaded”, etc. Start off small and expand just like you would with anything.

Head Coach: Take the humble approach and ask questions, be open to learning new things. This ‘magic’ stuff is really impressive until you pull away the curtain and realize that all that it takes is to type in a search phrase into google to get an answer. Think about the productivity improvement that will occur on all ends when you free-up the reliance on your assistant. Think about the fear that you have now that your assistant will leave and in turn leave you with a wonderful system that you have no idea how to use. Think about the independence that you will have not to mention you might even wow them with a thing or two that you learn.

In high school, I spent many hot summer days swinging off a rope swing into the Delaware River. I was quite impressed with my ability to fly through the air and splash effortlessly into the river 30 feet beneath me. Then one day my 60 year old father shows up, without hesitation grabs the rope, does a perfect swan higher than any of us had reached prior, and leaves almost no splash beneath him. He got out of the water, strolled to his car and never said a word.*

*Note: He happened to be an all-america in the pool at Villanova and set several national records in High School…but the point still remains.

Front Rush is the #1 choice among college coaches who want to take an organized, intelligent approach to tracking and communicating with their recruits.  They are the go-to tech experts for the staff at Tudor Collegiate Strategies and coaches around the country.  What???  You aren’t one of them?  Find out what all the buzz is about…CLICK HERE

Review Of Windows 8: What You Need To KnowMonday, February 4th, 2013

By Justin Chud, Front Rush

With the release of Windows 8 last month, many consumers’ curiosity has piqued as to whether we can expect another Vista blunder by Microsoft or something spectacular. Microsoft’s new advertising campaign seems to suggest the latter, however, the reality falls somewhere in-between. All comparisons to previous versions of Windows will be made against the Windows 7 OS. I will attempt to break down the ins and outs of this new operating system as your average consumer would use it.

Disclaimer: I have been using Windows 8 for about 2 months now. This review is based on all updates released by Microsoft as of 1/20/2013. It is very possible that any function, performance, or usability that I discuss in the review will be altered, even drastically, in the future by Microsoft.

Installation/Update

Updating from Windows 7 did take quite some time. From the moment the update button was pushed until the system was fully functional again lasted about 3 hours. Beware however, as many applications you have may not be supported in Windows 8, so they will have to be reinstalled once the update is complete. To Window’s credit though, it did a very nice job of clearly and appropriately laying out which programs would need to be reinstalled and how to reinstall them once Windows 8 is live.

First Impression, Functionality, and Performance

Windows 8 does a great job with one of the first things any computer user will take note of: startup time. The startup time generally does not take more than a minute, which includes the standard “lag” time. Computers usually take a while to boot up, display the desktop, and get the system loaded and functional.

The amazing start up time gives the user a flavor of greatness, only to leave a sour taste when you really begin to use the operating system. The biggest gripe I have with Windows 8 is that many programs, including Microsoft’s in-house programs (Office), have a noticeable lag time when using them for even routine tasks. Many programs seem to run more smoothly and efficiently in Windows 7. At times Windows will freeze when doing the most basic tasks (i.e. opening the notepad) and will manually quit the program. These issues, however, should (and I can’t stress “should” enough) be addressed with updates in the future when Microsoft analyzes system reports from their users.

Another issue with Windows 8 is accessibility to the hard drive. Deciding to remove the start button, Microsoft has created an entire start screen with the purpose of taking over all functions previously accessed through the start button. The screen is set up “grid style” with different sized (and colored) boxes representing apps, programs, and folders. All the way to the right (and when you hover your mouse in the upper right hand corner of the screen) you can find the search and settings features. The search function is clunky and has a difficult time running searches across multiple areas of the computer. The settings section is set up very “idiot proof” with highly visible menus that have basic English names. This is an attempt to create a balance between ease of use and in-depth functionality.

Microsoft has swayed too far towards ease of use with the menus in this section only covering basic functionality and features. This may be ok for someone with very basic knowledge of computers but for anyone looking to customize or alter meaningful settings in Windows 8 you must take the back end route. This entails going to the desktop where you can right-click in the bottom left of the screen to bring up a menu with selections very similar to the Window’s 7 start menu (including the classic control panel and file explorer). One annoying morsel of this feature is that your mouse must be located in just the right spot when right-clicking to bring up the menu (as there is no longer a button there), otherwise you will get quickly switched over the start screen. This is a trivial issue, but nonetheless annoying when it happens (which can be quite often).

The Verdict

Overall it is obvious that Microsoft is trying to slow down consumers who are jumping ship from PC’s and joining the legions of Mac users. With Windows 8, Microsoft has tried to create an OS that maintains the strengths of PCs while mimicking the highly aesthetic features of OS X. This causes two issues right off the bat. First, this leads Microsoft to stray from their strengths in order to accommodate the characteristics of OS X. Second, both OSs are written mainly in different programming languages, with each one having inherent advantages and differences. Windows has always been very structured with a highly linear feel. This is great for things like word processing, working with spreadsheets and databases (which can be very beneficial to enterprises), and being more customized at the hardware level. OS X has always been far superior when dealing with tasks that require creativity, such as photo/video/music editing, having a very aesthetically pleasing layout, and greater customization at the consumer/software level. In order to keep up with Apple OS X, Microsoft needs to focus on their strengths and build wonderful features on top of them. Instead, they are trying to incorporate features and strengths from an OS that is built upon foundations inherently different from their own.

Grade (1-10): 6.0, not as good as Windows 7, but exponentially better than Windows Vista.

 

 

“Think Outside The Box” For Recruiting Strategies That Can Make A DifferenceMonday, January 7th, 2013

By Sean Devlin, Front Rush

This week, I digressed from technology…

“Love something besides magic, in the arts.  Get inspired by a particular poet, film-maker, sculptor, composer.  You will never be the first Brian Allen Brushwood of magic if you want to be Penn & Teller.  But if you want to be, say, the Salvador Dali of magic, we’ll THERE’S an opening.”

This excerpt is from an email between celebrity magician Teller (Penn & Teller) and a young up-and-coming magician Brian Bushwood.

I read the above in a blog post and my head exploded with the simplicity and obvious nature of it, yet we all practice this so little. It’s true. Think about how often you look to your peers or predecessors for inspiration but rarely look outside the coaching world. Or think about how often you emulate your competition instead of seeing how others in a different domain dealt with their challenges. We all fall into this trap of tunnel vision so let’s explore the idea of breaking away a bit.

Let’s start with an example that you are already using with this blog/newsletter. You are learning techniques that Dan Tudor has taken from a parallel industry (sales) and applying it to your own (recruiting). It’s a small chasm to cross to make the leap from recruiting to sales yet the lessons and strategy and passage are the same.

So let’s step further outside our comfort zone, and look at magic. Is your presentation style that of David Copperfield: very dramatic, very elegant, very artistic. Or more of a David Blaine: up close and personal, very raw, very simple. Or maybe you are the Chris Angel of the recruiting world? Where else? What about music? Could you learn from the calculation of Mozart or the business of KISS or maybe the intelligence of Tupac? What if you research business leaders? Are there lessons from Rockefeller and his outright declaration of war on his competition or Warren Buffett and his focus on the long term?

In the competitive world of college recruiting where so many coaches and schools are looking to “stand out” or find their niche, one great way to do so is look beyond your initial surroundings. Instead of looking at the person next to you, look to outside worlds…look to presidents and world leaders…look to artists and musicians…look to engineers…look to war heroes…look to ancient cultures. Expand your recruiting and coaching by incorporating ideas found far off of the playing surface.

 

Sean’s Favorite Things: Fabulous and Useful Tech Gifts For ChristmasMonday, December 10th, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

 

So I know this guy – he’s a real character. He makes a living teaching people how to “get rich”…seriously. This weekend there were pictures of him all over Facebook and the Lamborghini he bought himself for Hanukkah. It’s outrageous and ridiculous really but, it fits the image he is trying to get across.  Since it is the holidays I was thinking of making a list of the best technology gifts for you to get yourself…even if it is not a Lamborghini.

There are plenty of great technology gifts that can be extremely useful to you as a coach or recruiter. So, add some of these items to your own list for Santa or shop for yourself while you have the Christmas spirit and are buying gifts for others.

 

Apple MacBook Air ($1199)

It’s an ultra thin, portable, high performance, awesome laptop. Our head of training has one and it’s the only device left that people still take a double take when you are at the coffee shop.

http://www.apple.com/macbookair/

 

Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones ($299.95)

When you are on the plane and need to tune out the background noise so you can concentrate and get in the zone. There literally is nothing better on the market. The new version even comes in blue.

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/noise_cancelling_headphones/quietcomfort_15/index.jsp

 

Google Chrome (FREE)

Its time to move away from Internet Explorer. I can’t stress this enough. Unless you are on Windows 8, the most recent version of the browser that you are using is outdated. Not using the latest web technologies put you at a disadvantage.

https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/

 

iPad mini ($329)

It’s the latest greatest iPad. The big negative is that it does not have a retina display, but everything else about it is amazing. Feels great to carry, very portable…it’s essentially thinner then the iPhone 5.

http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/overview/

 

Getting Things Done Kindle Edition ($12.99)

This is the book that “they” all talk about. It’s THE book on productivity. Seriously, read this, it will kickstart a life (lifestyle really) of making things happen.

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Productivity-ebook/dp/B000WH7PKY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

 

Athletic Recruiting Software (prices vary)

Obviously our bias is toward Front Rush but we recommend moving away from Excel/Outlook, Pen/Paper, etc. and looking into a product that is built to help you manage your recruiting. The upside just keeps increasing.

 

Acorn Image Editor for Humans ($49.99 for Mac users)

Do you ever have to do any image manipulation but are scared off by the technical nature of Photoshop? Acorn is like a scaled back Photoshop (but not so scaled back that it lacks key functions) and it’s a bit more friendly than its much more expensive counterpart.

http://flyingmeat.com/acorn/

 

Dell UltraSharp U2311H-23″ Monitor ($249)

If you are using a laptop as your primary computer, it’s time to invest in an external monitor. Once you try two screens, the single screen lifestyle is almost unimaginable.

http://www.google.com/shopping/product/11629069938611818175?tbm=shop&source=mog&gl=us&tab=wf&q=Dell%20U2311H&sa=N&biw=320&bih=416&ei=La83UMb2NcLa0QHPqYFg&ved=0CFoQ8wIwAA#hsec:online

 

Apple TV ($99)

Yes – this is the 3rd Apple item but for $99 bucks it’s amazing. At the very least, it can replace your projector which can be a nightmare to get started. With Apple TV, you can project whatever is on your iPhone, iPad, MacBook directly onto your TV. It streams directly.

http://www.apple.com/appletv/

 

Makerbot 3D Printer ($2199)

So this is really what I want. It’s a printer that sits on your desk and prints in 3D. It’s the next wave of technology. If you get one, please let me know, I would love to see it.

http://www.makerbot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding the Recruiting Email Technology You UseMonday, August 13th, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

Many recruiting and email applications will tell coaches when recruits are opening their emails, what links they are clicking, how many times they opened the email, if the email bounced or the user unsubcribed, along with some other bells and whistles. We often get asked how this stuff works when people use Front Rush or some of the other recruiting management products on the market, so we decided to explain the magician’s trick and walk you through the magic of email tracking.

So how does it work? Well, when an email goes out, the recruiting application adds a hidden image inside the email. This hidden image is commonly known as a “web beacon” and it does exactly that. When the email is received, and opened the beacon sends signals to the recruiting application, letting it know when the email was openened, how many times, if any links were clicked etc. This beacon is the workhorse behind the whole thing.

So what are the shortcomings? The issue with the hidden image is that if the recipient does not allow for images, or does not turn images on when they receive the email, the beacon is not actived (if you’ve ever received an email and your email client was asked you to “click here to enable images”). If the beacon is not activated, it can’t let the recruiting application know what is going on with the email. This eliminates one of the major legs of email tracking.

So how do you get around it?  (This is important, Coach!) The recruiting application can do a couple of things. First off, they can still track if links are clicked even if the beacon is not activated (I’ll save the technical reasons for another time). They also can improve the probably that when a recipient receives the email, that the images are automatically shown (this is the secret sauce of the recruiting application).

What about bounces? When an email bounces, the recruiting application gets a note back from the recipients email provider. This note will say something like “hey, this email address doesn’t exits” or “hey, this person’s inbox is full” or “hey, we are having some problems today, please send to us again later”. Typically, this will all happen in the background (automatically) so you don’t have to deal with it. Instead, you’ll get a signal somehow that says the last email to this person bounced.

Now you know, Coach!

When it comes to recruiting emails, Front Rush is the king.  They run the most reliable web-based system in the country, and are the #1 choice among college coaches who need reliable service and cutting-edge technology.  For more information, visit www.frontrush.com

 

Google’s Nexus 7: A Good Tablet Choice for College Coaches?Monday, July 23rd, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

Another $200 tablet came out recently, this one by Google: The Google Nexus 7.

We decided to review it since we hear a lot of coaches being rejected by their respective university for the $499 iPad.  Since this one is a lot less, the question we wanted to answer was “is it worth the investment, or better to save up for the more popular iPad?

Well first and foremost, the device does not have cellular access so if that is a requirement, you can scratch this off of your list. If that is not a requirement, then read further.

The device is seven inches as opposed to the iPad’s 9.7 inches. Many have argued about this and it really comes down to feel. Walking around with the Nexus and consuming content seems very natural (arguably more natural then the larger iPad). This could definitely come into play while on the field or on the court, using your tablet to help you with note-taking or other scouting duties.

The Nexus 7 uses Google’s latest Android OS which is Jelly Bean, and let me tell you that Jelly Bean is much better than the OS most Android users are using which is Gingerbread. It is much cleaner, and much crisper than Gingerbread in the instances I personally have tested it. It’s almost like Google put in an effort to have a nice looking interface, which is going to be great for the coaches who use it. With that said, it is not as “silky” as the iPad. Putting the two devices side by side, the iPad is clearly much smoother with interactions.

The Nexus 7 uses the Chrome browser and for some reason, we have noticed that many pages don’t load properly. We even tested Chrome on the Nexus 7 vs Chrome on the iPad and iPhone and pages show up properly on the iPad and iPhone that don’t on the Nexus 7.  We found this kind of annoying.

We did find that many popular apps which are optimized for the Nexus 7 are quite nice, and great to use relative to their phone counterparts. Of course, we only have a small sample pool but apps like Instapaper, Flipboard, and Evernote work well. With that said, you do get full access to the Play Store.

So what is the overall impression? Well overall its a great device for he money. We will keep it around and use it to read articles and books from Amazon. But with all of the rumors an iPad mini about to be launched, keep in mind that you may have even more options to choose from in the ever-expanding tablet market.

Want more technical advice you can trust as you look for a recruiting contact manager that you can use for this next recruiting year?  Look no further than Front Rush.  Hands down, these guys are the best at what they do.  Take a look at who’s using them, and why they’re the #1 choice for college recruiters around the country.

 

“Retracting” an Email: A Fool’s GameMonday, July 9th, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

From time to time, we will get a question from a Coach asking how to “retract an email” that was already sent.

In other words, they sent an email and realized there was a typo, or it was sent to the wrong person, or it was sent too early. We will then explain that this is impossible because there is no central “email” location that handles all the email in the world. Instead, once an email is sent an email is sent*.

We typically get a counter argument like “My Microsoft Outlook allows me to recall an email” or “My Gmail allows me to pull back a sent email”. Because of this, we decided to set the record straight and explain what “recalling an email” really means and to assertively state not to rely on this “functionality” offered by some other email services out there.

First, lets start with Microsoft Outlook which many college coaches still rely on.  With Outlook, once an email is sent, there is an option to “recall this message”. PLEASE, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS. You see, when you click that button, Outlook doesn’t actually “recall” the message (again, its impossible). Instead, what it does is send another message to the recipient that states that you want to recall the original. Well being human, and having the curiosity that most of us humans have, most people who receive that message will specifically look at the original. That “recall this message” button is really like a “Hey I messed up the original email so please read it and see my mistake” button.

Secondly, lets look at Gmail. It has an “Undo” button (if you turn it on). This undo button gives the impression that once an email is sent, you can “Undo” and have it come back or cancel it. This also is misleading, although it is a little more functional than Outlook’s version. What actually happens is that when you hit “send” in Gmail, they delay sending for a couple of seconds so that you have an opportunity to click “Undo”. Its almost like a countdown before it actually gets sent. This is more functional because the email never gets to the recipient but it becomes a bit of a hazard if you start to rely on it. Especially when you make the mistake I have made before and used an email client that does not have “Undo” when I am used to the “Undo” and sent some poorly formatted emails.

So hopefully, that clears things up if you’re a coach who is an email warrior. There is no “recall this message” functionality that really works. When an email is received by the recipient, they own it. If you could retract an email, it would be the equivalent of going into their phone or computer and stealing it back.

*The one exception is that in an internal network where you are sending an email from one colleague to the next, the system admin could set up rules that would allow for the retraction of an email. This is only under very unique circumstances.

Effective Strategies for Bridging the Gap Between Admissions and AthleticsMonday, June 25th, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

* Full disclosure before I begin: Front Rush offers a product that handles the issues we’ll be talking about below, but this is not a sales pitch…rather a justification for why we have such a product that addresses this problem.

The future of recruiting – especially in Division II and Division III - is going to be much more integrated with admissions.

Here’s why:

Current recruiting applications and packages allow for coaches of the same staff to be on the same page by providing a solution that has all of the recruit data in a single place. These applications replaced the old model where coaches would have their own excel sheet or binder and would be limited in sharing information with other coaches on staff. The problem that we see today is not that coaches aren’t “on the same page”, but that they are completely separated from admissions even though the goals of the admissions department very close parallel the goals of athletics, at least from a recruiting perspective.

There is a tremendous overlap with the number of prospects being recruited by coaches and admissions yet very little information sharing. We have seen some schools attempt to solve this problem by using an admissions application that has some of the same tools that an athletic recruiting application offers. However, these software applications fall short on the coach side and leave coaches handcuffed and wishing for more. This is exactly why companies like Front Rush exist…admissions applications are built for admissions type users and lack any focus for coaches. With this in mind, its our thesis that there should be a bridge between coaches and admissions and this bridge should be automated and seamless.

Coaches are collecting highly qualified data on recruits that any admissions officer could use for their own recruiting initiatives. An athlete may fall short in their athletic ability and may not be a fit for their respective sport but at the same time that does not mean that they are not a fit for the university as a whole. The university could benefit greatly by having access to that vital recruit information. Similarly, if the recruit is a fit for the team and the university, the combined efforts of the coach and admissions officer could help improve the probability of actually recruiting that athlete. Then from a coaches perspective, they could leverage admissions data to help focus their efforts. For example, it would be great if a coach knew immediately when a recruit’s academic status changed from applied to accepted.

The tools that are being built now have this ideology as the focus. The fragmentation that currently exists between athletics and admissions is the problem that is being solved. These two departments share extremely similar goals and the historic barriers that have kept the two from communicating efficiently are being torn down. The future of recruiting is fully integrated from the bottom up. The software that the coaches use will speak directly with the software that the admissions departments has at their desks even if they are built by completely different companies.

If a recruit is added for a coach, admissions will be immediately alerted and the data can be pre-qualified to make sure it fits the caliber that the admissions department requires. Data will be passed back and forth so coaches can know the status of their top recruits in real time. This data passing is happening now and will only become more seamless and more detailed as time progresses.

That’s what coaches have been asking for, and now it’s ready to be delivered.  Click here for more details, or email me at sdevlin@frontrush.com so I can answer your questions one-on-one.

 

What Looks Like a Square Hockey Puck and Helps You Present Ideas to Recruits?Monday, May 21st, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

For a long time, when giving presentations, we used the whole projector+laptop+cords set-up.

Even internally when going over our own “playbook”, our conference room here at the Front Rush headquarters is outfitted with the same type of set-up. I’ve never been a big fan of projectors because they never seem to fit the screen right, they take forever to load up, you’ve got a bunch of wires, and you have to replace bulbs. Not to mention, unless you can afford the HD version, the image quality is really poor.

Well, like many times before, we found a solution in Apple.

Apple offers a hockey puck sized device for $99 bucks called “Apple TV” (http://www.apple.com/appletv/). Apple TV connects directly to your television and then you connect your iPhone, iPad, Laptop, etc to it wirelessly. All you have to do is be on the same wifi network.

So whats cool about it? Well there are a few things, and many of them could be great ideas for you as college recruiters:

1) If you are watching a video on your iPad, you can automatically stream it so that it appears on your television (through your Apple TV). This includes both video and sound which is great for watching recruits on YouTube, or showing a family your team highlight video on a television monitor.

2) If you want to show your staff something that exists only in an app, you can display it directly on Apple TV. So for example, we are currently working on a new Front Rush iPhone app. To get a full size version, we just stream it via Apple TV and everyone can see it.

3) If you are giving a presentation with Keynote (think Powerpoint for Apple) on your iPad, it can show up directly on the television.  It’s a great visual tool to use with your recruits.

4) Its completely wireless, so while you are displaying your presentation from your iPad or iPhone, you can be walking around.

5) Its more portable than a projector. It can fit in the front pocket of your book bag. Of course, this assumes that the location of the presentation has a television but still not a bad start.

Technology is providing more and more tools for smart recruiters to use in their coaching life.  Are you taking advantage of them?

Sean Devlin is our resident technical guru, and one of the brains behind the popular Front Rush recruiting management system.  Visit FrontRush.com to see the latest advances in recruiting organization, and consider joining your fellow coaches from around the country in using the most popular and most reliable recruiting management software available.

 

 

The Newest Cool Tool for Advanced College RecruitersMonday, April 23rd, 2012

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

Are you looking for a better way to show off your school’s facilities to recruits?

We found a really cool app that can help.

There is a new app out on the iPhone and iPad called TourWrist (tourwrist.com) that allows you to take full panoramic pictures of, well, anything and share them via email, on the web, facebook, twitter, or other social media sharing websites (or even your school’s website!)  All that you do is download the app (free) and follow the directions. Its as simple as spinning in a circle and taking a couple of pictures. After a few minor adjustments, your combined panoramic picture is uploaded to the web and available to be shared.

Here is a quick example of our office…
http://frontrush.com/web/landing/assortment/front_rush_office.html

So take the above example and apply it to your facilities. Do you have a great soccer stadium? TourWrist it. Your locker rooms just re-done? TourWrist it. Great engineering building? TourWrist it.

The social implications are cool too. All of the pictures that you take can be embedded directly into Facebook or shared via Twitter. By the time this article is released we will probably do the exact same thing and share our office picture on our social networks.

Sean Devlin, the technical genius behind the Front Rush recruiting management system, is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming National Collegiate Recruiting Conference.  He’ll have more to share at this must-attend event…don’t miss it!  Click here to register.

 

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