Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations is straightforward: it has jurisdiction over the appropriation of the revenue for the support of the Government, rescission of appropriations contained in appropriation Acts, all concurrent resolutions on the budget, and such other measures as the committee may be required to consider under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Broadly this means that the Appropriations Committee has authority over:

• all appropriations bills, which set the discretionary budget of the government;

• all appropriations within bills - if a bill appropriates money and does not just authorize appropriations, it must blessed by the committee;

• all rescissions of appropriations, requested by the President under the Congressional Budget Act;

• all continuing resolutions for the support of government;

• the reconciliation process, as established by the Congressional Budget Act; and

• such other matters as fall under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations or the Committee on the Budget.

The scope of the Committee on Appropriations' jurisdiction makes it, arguably, the most powerful committee in the Senate.

Membership

At this time, the Committee on Appropriations will have two members: the Chair (appointed by the Majority Leader) and the Ranking Member (appointed by the Minority Leader). If there is demand, we will consider growing the committee. We understand that the budget is not for everybody - therefore, it is our hope that we can localize much of the specific number work on the budget to this committee.

Appropriators are a special breed within Congress - they are dealmakers by default. Historically the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee have had a very functional relationship. For this purpose, most legislation is reported out of the Committee on Appropriations - whether an appropriations bill, an appropriations section, or a continuing resolution - by agreement of the Chair and Ranking Member. Without both agreeing, it cannot pass out. That exceptions to this rule are a budget resolution that tees up reconciliation or a rescission bill requested by the President - those are assumed to pass on a party line vote.

Consideration of Legislation: Appropriations Bills

The Chair and Ranking Member will be given access to the appropriations pack - a simplified Google Sheet that contains the information necessary for them to make appropriations. This will be the core of the appropriations bill. Central to this process is the appropriations tally, in which the committee will decide what to appropriate for all of the programs that Congress is creating - if anything. The Chair and Ranking Member will have joint access to a crack team of CBO analysts to ask questions to, who will give them nonpartisan advice about what the consequences of their actions might be. Moreover, they may seek written answers from agency heads about specific spending programs to guide their decision-making.

Finally, the Chair and Ranking Member may choose to include riders on the appropriations bills. These are instructions for how federal agencies may spend money. Appropriators can say that they must spend on X and can not spend on Y. They may block rules and regulations by saying that no money may be spent to finalize Rule A or that Rule B must be reverted to its prior state. They may say that money for a federal law enforcement agency shall be used to equip agents with body-worn cameras that shall be turned on during all times of activity. These riders must be directly related to the spending of money or the machinery of government. Superfluous riders (i.e., raising the minimum wage) can not be added by the committee.

Once the final text is drafted, the Chair and Ranking Member just have to note that they approve of it and it will make its way to the Senate Majority Leader's desk for consideration on the docket.

Consideration of Legislation: Continuing Resolutions

For our purposes, continuing resolutions may only continue previous spending. They may not enact new or rescind existing budget authority. They may, however, contain riders that control how the executive branch spends money. Once drafted, the Chair and Ranking Member just have to note that they approve of it and it will make its way to the Senate Majority Leader's desk for consideration on the docket.

I wonder if anyone is going to continue working on this? I know the original devs abandoned it but at least they offered the source code for others to mess around with.

Looks like I have another chat client to test out! It's got a good number of features that many people have been looking for in Discord alternatives, so I am surprised I haven't heard about this one before.

On Jul 20, 2026, ishta said:

PDFGear on Windows

and PDFGear Scan are much better than Adobe and completely free.

I am trying to get my employers to make the switch

Thanks for sharing this alternative, I never knew it existed. Unfortunately lots of companies tend to go with popular platforms and programs, so it might be very difficult to get them to switch from Adobe to PDFGear.

On Jul 22, 2026, ishta said:

I've cancelled my MS365 and am now trying Libreoffice. Thank you for the recommendation

Good call, Microsoft is charging way too much for their products. You used to be able to get a license to use their Office Suite and then you'd be good to go, now they want to keep charging you fees to use it every year.

On Jul 23, 2026, ishta said:

Have you had any issues here?

Nope I haven't had any issues with spam bots here. Forum Spark is definitely the best forum host IMO. I think it's perfect for those who don't want to deal with self hosting.

Welcome to the forum! :)

Sorry i hated MSN, but preferred Windows Messenger. Plain and no ads..

Those were simpler times

Anything with a guitar

I'm not sure about the 80s, but it definitely was the king in the 90s. My high school even offered two special elective courses focusing on Word Perfect. I got my first job as a result of taking those courses, because product I supported was built around Word Perfect.

And yeah, I'll agree. It's way more powerful than Word is, especially when it comes to formatting control. I'm going to see if I can save up some pennies and try out the GUI version of the application. The last time I used Word Perfect was back in the days of DOS.

As for me, I wouldn't do it. It automatically creates mistrust (e.g. a poorly designed chat (web)app with a weak and vulnerable backend that leads to a data breach).

Honestly, I don't think vibecoding is bad if you use it for personal and small projects as long as you have at least some knowledge in programming and web design (to avoid creating the same boring and generic ass plain design I always see on all these attempts of projects).

I just discovered this old IRC client from Microsoft today. This software is now open source, so if you wanted to mess around with it you can now! I've never really been big into IRC, and seeing how this came out in the mid 90's when I started elementary school it's no wonder I didn't know it existed. :V It also brought the best font to the world, Comic Sans. (Yes I said what I said, CS is the best font!)

https://microsoft.github.io/comic-chat/

On Jul 14, 2026, NeoMetallix said:

Yeah they lost me. I thought they would capitalize on Xbox going digital and still offer an option but it looks like they colluded with all of the publishers to push this.

Here's a classic!

xD I remember that! It's sad to think now they're ditching discs. I remember I got a PS4 over the Xbox One originally for that dumb "always online" nonsense that didn't last long. Though I was disappointed that the PS4 wasn't backwards compatible. I eventually got a Xbox One and I mainly game on Xbox now. My wife plays the PS5 more than I do.

Well, I should have mentioned this before, but since October 2025 I was thinking about making my own OSCAR server as I really love classic AIM (mostly because of how simple it was on design) and for people using retro computers out there, but because there isn't a way to people to signup except the server owner using API commands through cURL (just as how mentioned in that video), I would have had to create a web frontend for the API for managing accounts, and honestly I never felt like doing it and I ended up scrapping that idea.
I nowadays host my own XMPP server for myself, I wonder if there's a way to implement a "bridge" between OSCAR and XMPP.

This one looks pretty promising, I signed up for the demo and had a look at it a little bit. I don't have a VPS to try and deploy my own instance but maybe one day when I do get a VPS again I'll test this out further, thanks for sharing it with us!

On Jul 13, 2026, NeoMetallix said:

Ubuntu was the first one I ever used around 2017-18. I got it on a disc from a linux magazine. Lol Zorin looks great though, it's modern out of the box.

Dang you got a disc that's cool lol. I remember watching a Michael MJD video where he used the first version of Ubuntu and how you used to have to request the disc in order to install it. Zorin does look great for sure and I think that's why lots of people who are ditching Windows are using it now.

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Thanks!

This chat client has been around since 2004, so it makes me wonder if anyone here ever used it before. I feel like it was mainly used in a professional setting, I just discovered it since I've been doing research on Discord alternatives for the forum. The latest stable releases were released at the end of last year it looks like. TechRadar mentioned it as a Skype alternative after the platform shut down.

https://jami.net/

On Jun 25, 2026, Alien Hominid said:

Is there any demo screenshots of it? The official website is just text, animations and more text.

I guess I didn't even notice that the devs didn't bother sharing screenshots of the UI, that's odd. Here's a screenshot I took, honestly it seems pretty dead. The Admin doesn't seem to be that active. :\ Looks pretty similar to Discord's UI. I haven't made a server yet to fully test things out though.

Not really, there are however bands that have grown on me as I have aged.

Customer Retention vs Customer Acquisition: Where Should You Focus?

Every business faces the same challenge: attracting new customers while keeping existing ones happy. The question is where to invest more time, effort, and resources.

Some business owners believe growth depends primarily on customer acquisition, constantly bringing new people into the sales funnel. Others argue that customer retention is the real driver of long-term profitability because loyal customers tend to buy more, refer others, and cost less to serve over time.

In reality, both strategies matter—but which deserves the greater focus?

This discussion explores the advantages of customer acquisition and customer retention, and invites members to share their experiences and perspectives.

What Is Customer Acquisition?

Customer acquisition refers to the process of attracting and converting new customers.

Common acquisition channels include:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Social media marketing

• Paid advertising

• Content marketing

• Partnerships

• Referral programs

• Email campaigns

Without acquisition, businesses eventually run out of new customers and growth slows.

Benefits of Customer Acquisition

• Expands market reach

• Increases brand awareness

• Creates new revenue opportunities

• Helps businesses enter new markets

• Supports long-term growth

For startups and newer businesses, acquisition is often the primary focus because they need to build an initial customer base.

What Is Customer Retention?

Customer retention focuses on keeping existing customers engaged and encouraging repeat business.

Retention strategies may include:

• Excellent customer service

• Loyalty programs

• Personalized communication

• Regular follow-ups

• Exclusive offers

• Community building

The goal is to increase customer satisfaction and strengthen long-term relationships.

Benefits of Customer Retention

• Lower marketing costs

• Higher customer lifetime value

• Increased repeat purchases

• Stronger brand loyalty

• More referrals and word-of-mouth marketing

Many established businesses discover that retaining customers can be more profitable than constantly chasing new ones.

The Cost Factor

One of the biggest arguments in favor of retention is efficiency.

Acquiring new customers often requires:

• Advertising expenses

• Sales efforts

• Lead generation costs

• Promotional campaigns

Retaining existing customers usually requires fewer resources because trust has already been established.

A satisfied customer is often easier to sell to than someone who has never interacted with your business before.

Revenue and Profitability

Customer retention can significantly impact profitability.

Returning customers often:

• Purchase more frequently

• Spend more over time

• Require less persuasion

• Leave positive reviews

• Refer new customers

At the same time, acquisition remains essential because no business can rely entirely on existing customers forever.

The strongest companies usually maintain a healthy balance between both strategies.

When Acquisition Should Be the Priority

Customer acquisition may deserve more attention when:

• Launching a new business

• Entering a new market

• Expanding product lines

• Experiencing stagnant growth

• Building brand awareness

In these situations, attracting new customers is necessary to increase market share and create momentum.

When Retention Should Be the Priority

Customer retention may be more important when:

• Customer churn is high

• Acquisition costs are increasing

• Repeat purchases drive revenue

• Competition is intense

• Long-term profitability is the goal

Businesses with strong retention often enjoy more predictable revenue and greater stability.

Finding the Right Balance

The debate is not always about choosing one over the other.

Many successful businesses follow a strategy that looks something like this:

Acquisition Generates Growth

• New leads

• New customers

• Expanded reach

Retention Maximizes Value

• Repeat purchases

• Customer loyalty

• Referrals

• Higher lifetime value

A business that excels at acquisition but struggles with retention may constantly lose customers. Likewise, a business with excellent retention but poor acquisition may eventually stop growing.

Metrics Worth Tracking

To evaluate both strategies, monitor:

Acquisition Metrics

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

• Lead conversion rate

• Traffic sources

• Cost per lead

Retention Metrics

• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

• Repeat purchase rate

• Customer churn rate

• Referral rate

• Customer satisfaction

These metrics often reveal where improvements can have the biggest impact.

Final Thoughts

Customer acquisition fuels growth, while customer retention drives long-term profitability. Neither strategy can be ignored, but the right balance depends on your business model, growth stage, and goals.

For many businesses, the most sustainable approach is attracting new customers while simultaneously creating experiences that encourage those customers to stay, buy again, and recommend the brand to others.

The businesses that master both acquisition and retention often achieve the strongest and most consistent growth.

Discussion Question

If you could invest more resources into only one area, would you choose customer acquisition or customer retention?

• Which has generated better results for your business?

• Have rising acquisition costs changed your strategy?

• How important are repeat customers in your industry?

• What retention tactics have worked best for you?

Share your experiences, data, case studies, and lessons learned to help other business owners make smarter growth decisions.

One of the biggest challenges for new entrepreneurs and small business owners is attracting customers without spending thousands of dollars on advertising. While large companies often have substantial marketing budgets, many successful businesses have grown by using low-cost and even free marketing strategies.

The good news is that effective marketing is not always about spending more money. In many cases, creativity, consistency, and relationship-building can generate better results than expensive advertising campaigns.

This discussion explores affordable ways to grow a business and invites members to share the strategies that have worked best for them.

Focus on Referrals and Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Referrals remain one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing channels available.

Happy customers are often willing to recommend businesses to friends, family members, and colleagues.

Ways to Encourage Referrals

• Deliver exceptional customer service

• Ask satisfied customers for referrals

• Create referral rewards or incentives

• Follow up after purchases

• Make sharing easy

Referral-based growth often produces highly qualified leads with strong conversion rates.

Build a Strong Social Media Presence

Social media allows businesses to reach large audiences without major financial investment.

Popular approaches include:

• Sharing educational content

• Posting customer success stories

• Publishing behind-the-scenes updates

• Answering audience questions

• Engaging with comments and messages

Consistency and genuine interaction often matter more than follower count.

Invest Time in SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can generate long-term organic traffic without ongoing advertising costs.

Effective SEO strategies include:

• Targeting specific customer questions

• Creating helpful content

• Optimizing local business listings

• Publishing guides and tutorials

• Improving website user experience

Although SEO takes time, it can become one of the most sustainable customer acquisition channels.

Join Online Communities

Many businesses find customers by actively participating in communities where their audience already spends time.

Examples include:

• Industry forums

• Professional groups

• Online communities

• Discussion platforms

• Local business networks

The goal should be to provide value and build credibility rather than immediately promote products or services.

Use Email Marketing

Email marketing continues to offer one of the highest returns on investment.

Benefits include:

• Direct communication with customers

• Increased repeat business

• Audience ownership

• Low operating costs

Businesses can build email lists through:

• Newsletters

• Free resources

• Promotions

• Educational content

A small but engaged email list can often outperform larger social media audiences.

Create Valuable Content

Content marketing helps businesses attract potential customers by solving problems and answering questions.

Popular content formats include:

• Blog posts

• Videos

• Tutorials

• Case studies

• Checklists

• Guides

Quality content can continue generating traffic and leads long after it is published.

Partner with Other Businesses

Strategic partnerships can help businesses expand their reach without large marketing expenses.

Examples include:

• Cross-promotions

• Joint webinars

• Co-branded campaigns

• Referral partnerships

• Local collaborations

Partnerships often allow businesses to access audiences they may not reach on their own.

Leverage Customer Testimonials

People trust real customer experiences.

Collecting and sharing testimonials can help:

• Build credibility

• Increase conversions

• Reduce buyer hesitation

• Strengthen brand reputation

Even a handful of authentic reviews can significantly influence purchasing decisions.

Optimize Existing Customers

Many businesses focus entirely on acquiring new customers while overlooking existing ones.

Opportunities include:

• Upselling

• Cross-selling

• Loyalty programs

• Repeat purchase incentives

• Personalized follow-up communication

Increasing customer retention is often more affordable than finding new customers.

Network Consistently

Networking remains one of the most underrated growth strategies.

Potential opportunities include:

• Industry events

• Local business groups

• Entrepreneur meetups

• Online networking communities

• Professional associations

Relationships frequently lead to referrals, partnerships, and business opportunities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Spending money before validating marketing channels

• Trying every platform at once

• Ignoring customer feedback

• Failing to track results

• Inconsistent marketing efforts

• Focusing only on short-term growth

Businesses with limited budgets often succeed by focusing on a few proven channels rather than spreading resources too thin.

Final Thoughts

Growing a business does not require a massive marketing budget. Many successful companies started with limited resources and relied on referrals, SEO, content marketing, email marketing, networking, and partnerships to build momentum.

The key is consistency, delivering value, and investing in strategies that create long-term relationships with customers rather than chasing quick wins.

Discussion Question

How have you grown your business with a small marketing budget?

• Which low-cost strategy produced the best results?

• Have referrals helped your growth?

• How effective has SEO been?

• What role has social media played?

• What advice would you give to entrepreneurs with limited marketing funds?

Share your experiences, success stories, lessons learned, and budget-friendly marketing tactics that have helped your business grow.

Marketing continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Strategies that generated excellent results a few years ago may now produce little engagement, poor conversions, or even damage a brand's reputation.

Consumer behavior has changed, search engines have become smarter, social media algorithms have evolved, and audiences have become more selective about the content they consume. As a result, many marketers have had to abandon outdated tactics and adopt more customer-focused approaches.

This discussion explores marketing techniques that are losing effectiveness in 2026 and the strategies replacing them.

Mass Posting Without Value

There was a time when simply publishing large amounts of content could generate traffic and visibility.

Today, audiences are overwhelmed with information.

Why It No Longer Works

• Low engagement rates

• Poor audience retention

• Reduced trust

• Increased competition

• Search engines prioritize quality over quantity

What Has Replaced It?

• In-depth content

• Original insights

• Problem-solving resources

• Experience-based content

• Audience-focused publishing

Quality and relevance now matter far more than sheer volume.

Generic Social Media Posting

Many businesses still post promotional content every day without a clear strategy.

Common examples include:

• Constant sales posts

• Repetitive promotional graphics

• Automated content with little engagement

Why It Struggles

Modern social platforms reward engagement and audience interaction rather than simple broadcasting.

What Works Better?

• Educational content

• Storytelling

• Community engagement

• User-generated content

• Behind-the-scenes updates

• Short-form videos

Businesses that build relationships often outperform those focused solely on promotion.

Buying Followers and Fake Engagement

Some marketers continue to purchase followers, likes, comments, and views.

Problems With This Approach

• Low-quality audiences

• Poor engagement rates

• Reduced credibility

• Misleading performance metrics

A large audience means very little if that audience has no genuine interest in the business.

Better Alternative

Focus on:

• Organic audience growth

• Community building

• Authentic engagement

• Consistent value creation

Keyword Stuffing for SEO

Years ago, repeating keywords excessively could help pages rank.

Today, search engines are much better at understanding content quality and user intent.

Why It Fails

• Poor user experience

• Lower content quality

• Potential ranking issues

• Reduced readability

What Replaced It?

• Search intent optimization

• Topic authority

• Helpful content

• Natural keyword usage

• User-focused writing

The goal is to answer questions better than competing content.

Cold Outreach Without Personalization

Mass emails and generic direct messages have become increasingly ineffective.

Common Problems

• Low response rates

• Spam complaints

• Damaged brand perception

Better Approach

• Personalized outreach

• Research-driven communication

• Relationship building

• Value-first conversations

People respond more positively when they feel understood rather than targeted.

Overreliance on Paid Ads

Paid advertising can still be highly effective, but relying on it exclusively creates risks.

Potential Issues

• Rising acquisition costs

• Platform dependency

• Reduced profitability

• Increased competition

What Smart Businesses Are Doing

Combining paid ads with:

• SEO

• Email marketing

• Referrals

• Content marketing

• Partnerships

• Community building

Diversification reduces risk and improves long-term stability.

Clickbait Headlines

Misleading headlines may generate clicks, but they often damage trust.

Consequences

• High bounce rates

• Lower engagement

• Reduced repeat visits

• Brand credibility issues

Better Alternative

Create compelling headlines that accurately reflect the content and deliver genuine value.

Ignoring Customer Experience

Many businesses focus heavily on acquisition while neglecting customer retention.

Why This Is a Mistake

Acquiring a new customer is often more expensive than retaining an existing one.

What Works Better?

• Excellent customer service

• Follow-up communication

• Loyalty programs

• Community building

• Consistent customer support

Retention has become a major competitive advantage.

Posting on Every Platform

A common mistake is trying to be active everywhere at once.

Problems

• Inconsistent quality

• Burnout

• Scattered resources

• Weak brand presence

Better Strategy

Master one or two channels where your audience spends the most time before expanding.

Marketing Trends That Are Growing in 2026

Many businesses are seeing success with:

• AI-assisted workflows

• Short-form video content

• Email newsletters

• Community-led growth

• Personal branding

• Strategic partnerships

• Search-focused content

• Customer retention programs

The strongest marketing strategies today focus on trust, relationships, and delivering value.

Final Thoughts

Marketing in 2026 is less about shortcuts and more about building genuine connections with audiences. Many tactics that once delivered quick wins have become ineffective as platforms, algorithms, and consumer expectations have evolved.

Businesses that focus on quality content, authentic engagement, customer experience, and long-term relationship building are often achieving better results than those relying on outdated growth hacks.

Discussion Question

Which marketing tactic do you think has become ineffective in 2026?

• What stopped working for your business?

• What strategy replaced it?

• Which marketing channel is producing the best results today?

• What lessons have you learned from changing your approach?

Share your experiences, successes, failures, and predictions for the future of marketing.