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Welcome back to the deep dive.

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This is where we take those interesting sources you find and we'll we

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unpack them for you.

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And today we're tackling something.

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I think many of us struggle with digital clutter.

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This deep dive is supported by safe server.

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They're great for helping with digital transformation and hosting software,

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actually quite relevant to today's topic.

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Check them out at www.safeserver.de.

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Okay.

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So the internet, it's amazing, right?

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So much information.

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Oh, absolutely.

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A universe of knowledge.

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But let's be honest.

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It can also be messy.

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You find this great article.

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So you really want to focus on and suddenly pop ups ads, autoplay videos.

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Yeah.

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The signal gets lost in the noise.

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It's easy to lose track or just get overwhelmed before you even start reading.

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Exactly.

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Yeah.

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So for this deep dive, we looked at the source material, the GitHub repository,

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the official website for an app that aims to fix exactly this.

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That's right.

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We're going to unpack a tool called Wallabag.

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Our mission really is to understand what it is, how it works based on their

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own docs and site, and crucially, why you might find it valuable for

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managing online info.

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And we want to do this in a way that's, you know, easy to grasp, especially

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if you're new to this sort of thing.

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Perfect.

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So Wallabag, let's start there.

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What is it fundamentally?

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Okay.

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So the sources describe it pretty clearly as a self-hostable application

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for saving web pages.

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Their tagline sums it up nicely.

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Save and classify articles, read them later, freely.

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Read them later.

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That sounds simple, but.

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Yeah.

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Why not just use bookmarks or keep tabs open?

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What's the Wallabag advantage?

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Ah, well, this is where it gets interesting.

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And it ties right back to that clutter problem.

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Wallabag's big feature is what they call comfortable reading.

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So when you save an article, Wallabag doesn't just save the link.

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It actually processes the page.

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Processes it how?

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It strips out everything, but the main content, the text, the images that matter.

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So, you know, no ads, no pop-ups asking for your email, none of that extra stuff.

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You get this clean, minimal version, ready for you to read whenever you want.

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Totally distraction-free.

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It's about creating a space just for reading.

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Okay.

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That makes a huge difference.

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It's not just archiving, it's cleaning.

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Think about just trying to focus online.

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Wallabag seems designed to help with that.

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Now you said self-hostable right at the start.

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Yeah.

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That sounds potentially technical.

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Is that the only way?

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What about listeners who aren't server wizards?

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Yeah, that's a really important point.

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And the sources show they've thought about accessibility.

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There are basically two main ways to use Wallabag.

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Option one is self-hosting.

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That means you install it on your own server.

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Right.

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The documentation explains it.

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You need to check requirements, grab the code using something like Git clone.

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Okay.

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Like copying the project files.

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Exactly.

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Then run commands like make install, set up your web server.

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They call it a virtual host.

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It definitely gives you the most freedom, total control over your data.

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But yeah, it assumes you're okay with managing server stuff.

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So some technical comfort needed there.

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For sure.

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Option two is designed to be much easier, especially for beginners.

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It's the hosted service at wallabag.it.

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With this, they handle all the technical parts for a fee.

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The site mentions around 11 euros a year, which is pretty reasonable.

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They give you quality hosting support.

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They do all the updates automatically.

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So you always have the latest features and security fixes plus daily backups.

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They even have a 14 day free trial, no credit card needed and offers for companies

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too.

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It's basically the wallabag experience without the setup hassle.

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That flexibility is fantastic.

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So you can start easy with the hosted service, get the benefits right away.

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And maybe, maybe later, if you feel like it, explore self-hosting.

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It really lowers the barrier.

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Precisely.

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It lets you choose your path based on your comfort level and needs.

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Okay.

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So I've saved my articles.

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They're cleaned up.

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Where can I actually read them?

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Am I stuck on my computer?

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Nope, Wallabag aims to be accessible, as they say, everywhere.

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Your articles aren't locked into one place.

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So how does that work?

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Well, you've got the main web application accessible from any

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computer browser naturally, but then there are also dedicated mobile

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apps, Android and iOS, so you can read on your phone or tablet.

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Oh, convenient.

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And for saving articles easily while you're browsing, there are browser

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extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera.

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The really neat part is how it connects.

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You could say save an article from your work laptop using the extension and

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then read it later on your commute using the phone app, or even better for

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focused reading, send it to an e-reader, like a pocketbook, Kobo, or even a Kindle.

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E-readers too.

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That really covers all the bases for where you might want to read.

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Yeah.

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And also plays nice with lots of RSS readers.

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If you use something like MiniFlux, fresh RSS, tiny, tiny RSS, the

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sources list a bunch, you can often integrate Wallabag to save

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articles directly from your feed.

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That cross device and integration stuff sounds super useful for fitting

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a reading into a busy schedule.

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Okay.

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So we know what it does, why it's useful, how to get it running.

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Who actually makes Wallabag?

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Is it a company?

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This is another interesting aspect.

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Wallabag isn't run by a single company.

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It's an open source project.

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Open source.

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Yeah.

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Hosted on GitHub.

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The sources describe it as community driven.

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It's built and maintained by developers and users who volunteer

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their time and skills.

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It's explicitly free, as in freedom and open source under the MIT license,

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which is very permissive.

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You see names like Nicolas Louie, Thomas Sitheral mentioned as key

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contributors, highlighting that human element.

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So it's people passionate about the idea of building it.

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Exactly.

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And that community is active.

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They collaborate on GitHub.

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There's official documentation at doc.wallabag.org.

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You can even contribute to the docs via its own GitHub repository.

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And they have a matrix chat room for discussions.

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That open model often means it evolves based on what users actually need.

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That community angle is definitely appealing, feels more collaborative.

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Okay.

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Let's tie this all together for the listener.

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We've gone through what Wallabag is, the comfortable reading, the setup options,

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accessing articles, the open source nature.

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Why should someone listening right now really consider using it?

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Well, if you feel that sense of information overload online, if you find great

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stuff, but lose track of it, Wallabag offers a a practical solution for anyone

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using the web to learn or stay informed.

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It helps turn that passive finding of articles into active, focused reading.

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Right.

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Making it more intentional.

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Exactly.

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It gives you a dedicated place to save and sort things you decide are important.

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That comfortable reading feature.

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It's not just nice to have by cutting the clutter.

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It genuinely helps reduce cognitive load, letting you, you know, actually absorb

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what you're reading better.

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Better focus, better comprehension.

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And that choice, easy hosted service or full control, self hosting plus access

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everywhere that puts you in control, control of your data, how you read, and

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ultimately control over your attention online.

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It's about reclaiming some of that focus.

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So it's a tool for being more deliberate about online reading and managing your

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own knowledge stream, pushing back against the constant distractions.

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Well put.

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And maybe that leaves us with a thought to consider in this online world that's

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constantly trying to grab your attention, trying to optimize every second you

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spend for someone else's benefit.

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What's the real value, maybe an underestimated value of carving out your

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own private, quiet distraction, free space, just for learning and engaging

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with the things you choose.

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That's definitely something to think about a great place to wrap up.

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This deep dive into Wallabag was supported by safe server.

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Remember they help with digital transformation and hosting software.

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You can find more info at www.safeserver.de.

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Thanks for joining us on the Deep Dive.