Ten.

That’s the total number of views this little Degrassi blog I created had in its very first month.  Ten views…and I’m guessing all of them were from me.  I technically started DegrassiBlog.com in the summer of 2008.

You’re old if you remember the days of calling Stephen Stohn “The Exec,” and him posting news on his Myspace and Degrassi.tv.

I made a few posts, got bored and gave up.  Blogging/vlogging, etc isn’t difficult, but it’s difficult to keep doing because to get any traction you have to do it regularly.  And once you get out of the habit of doing it, it’s basically game over (i.e. every defunct fansite that tried to make a comeback after going on a hiatus).

In the summer of 2009, I decided to fire up this blog again and put a little more commitment into it.  The rest is pretty much history.

I never would’ve expected this site to hit 1 million views, let alone 10 million and the plethora of unique opportunities that have come with it.  Thank you to all of you who’ve bothered to come to this site for whatever reason.  Degrassi has been a daily part of my existence for over a decade now, and I can tell you that the Degrassi fandom is the reason this site exists.

There were two driving factors behind the creation DegrassiBlog:

1) To have a place where people can find Degrassi info in one place.  Boy did I get lucky, because I started this site at a time where there weren’t as many places to discuss Degrassi as there had been during the golden fandom years of 2004-2007.  We have it so easy these days; Degrassi news is basically handed to us on a silver platter.  Back in the day, you had to actually research the web to find stuff (Degrassi Online knows what I’m talking about).

2) To pay homage to the Degrassi fansites that came before me.  You’re an ancient fan if you remember any of these.

Degrassi-tng.com was one of the first fansites I ever stumbled across.

Run by a girl named Ashley, they posted news and media.  There were so many fans who tried to emulate this site, but this one was always one of the biggest.

Degrassi The Next Generation Hangout (Degrassi TNGHO) was 10000000% crucial to my Degrassi fan experience.

I started watching Degrassi in 2004, during the middle of season 3.  After becoming obsessed and discovering the online fandom, I heard somewhere about some episode that was so controversial The-N refused to air it (Accidents Will Happen).  My search took me to the Degrassi TNGHO Yahoo group, where they made episode downloads available through a program called Soulseek.  Degrassi fans these days have been spoiled by Epitome’s desire to make sure the episodes are aired in Canada and the U.S. at the same time.  Back then, episodes were airing in Canada MONTHS before they’d air in the U.S., and Degrassi TNGHO made it so that us Americans could keep up with Canada’s broadcast schedule.

The Degrassi forums over at TV.com is where I spent a majority of my time in the early years.

There’s so many other sites that have come and gone over the years:  Lauren-Collins.net, Degrassi Junkie, Boycott The Caf, The Degrassi Boards, Degrassi Nation, the Degrassi.tv “Shooting Season 3″ thread and The Degrassi Experience.  The same goes for fans of the show.  People enter and leave the fandom for various reasons, whether it’s because they get tired of the show or the grind of real life and entering adulthood sweeps them away.  Even I don’t post as much as I used to…I have no desire to quit watching the show, but because of real-world responsibilities I can’t obsess over it 24/7.

I remember thinking back during season 11 (2011) that the fandom at the time would naturally be completely different five years down the road (2016) regardless of what happens, and that’s well on its way to being true.

The only constants are that these sites and the multiple generations of fans have had an impact on me, and the fact that this notorious school manages to stick around through every high and low.  “Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through.”  That’s a phrase Degrassi seems to take to heart, even as its characters and fans grow up and move on.  Thank you for stopping by DegrassiBlog during your trip, no matter how long it may be, through this Degrassi universe.

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Well it’s about freakin’ time, Degrassi!! ;)

Degrassi is taking “Degrassi TV” and turning it into an interactive web series.  Based on the above promo, it looks like fans will essentially be brought into the Degrassi universe as the series involves the show’s characters discussing various topics instead of the actors themselves.  Here’s complete details on the show and how you can be involved:

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First up, we’re talking about Body Image. High school can be hard enough, but in the age of selfies, social media and celebrity culture, we’re spending an awful lot of time worrying about the way others see us. What are your thoughts on body image? Is there a pressure to look perfect? Do you care how others see you?

Send us your video and it may be included in an online episode of the web series Degrassi TV.

To submit: Email your video with your thoughts on Body Image to dtvsubmissions@gmail.com

Please ensure videos are under one minute in length.

The submission period begins April 17th, 2015 and ends April 27th, 2015.

If you are under the age of 13, please include a note in your email stating you have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to submit this video and participate in Degrassi TV.

Video selection will be at the producer’s discretion.

*Please note that by submitting your video you consent to your likeness being used for the purposes of Degrassi TV.
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On a side note….

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Yes, the Degrassi universe is unfolding in mysterious ways.

Season 15 presents an opportunity for Degrassi to hit the reset button again.  Based on DTV and some other things I’ll hopefully get to tell you about soon, the show’s looking to get its fanbase more actively involved in the Degrassi universe itself.

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An important skill to learn in life is the ability to say “No,” and not feel guilty about it.  Pressure comes in all forms, and for the most part, it’s never ending.  When you’re my age it’s things like feeling the pressure to have the perfect job and own a house, or your family pressuring you to get married and have kids.  But when you’re young, the pressure usually revolves around trying to fit in and find acceptance among your peers.

This episode of DTV reminds me of my college days.  I don’t drink.  I’ve tried alcoholic drinks (no more than a few sips), but I’ve never consumed alcohol with the intention of getting buzzed or drunk, and I never will.  At that age when you tell people you don’t drink, strangers in particular take it as a challenge to try and get you to drink.  Never once have I felt guilty about turning down alcohol, because this is something I refuse to budge on.  I was lucky because my friends who drank were cool with it and never tried to force me into doing it.

While I didn’t succumb to peer pressure when it came to alcohol, I did often go out to parties when I didn’t really want to.  I’m not really the party type, but at the same time how would it look if you constantly kept turning down invitations to hang out with your friends?  As a teenager/young adult the party scene was one of those things I felt like I had to do whether I wanted to or not, but as an adult I don’t bother hiding my lack of interest in going to bars or things like that (social drinking is by far the most popular adult activity).  Personally, it feels weird sometimes because nondrinkers aren’t exactly viewed as “cool” or whatever, and it’s easy to feel left out when you’re not interested in something so many people take part in regularly.  But nowadays I simply can’t imagine being bored or miserable doing something I don’t want to do just for the sake of impressing everyone else.

It’s okay to say “No,” and it’s okay to do your own thing, even if you’re the only one doing it.

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So it’s official: the Degrassi season 13 DVD is happening.  “When will it be released?” has been the million-dollar question that’s eluded all of us for nearly a year now, and there’s still no clear-cut answer to it.  Stephen Stohn tweeted an explanation as to why season 13 hasn’t been released yet:

Here’s the scoop on the Season 13 DVD: it’s confusing. We delivered all the elements a long long time ago, but then our distributor changed and there is misunderstanding whether the old or new distributor is responsible for the S13 DVD. They are working it out, please stand by!

If you’ll remember, Echo Bridge Entertainment was the distributor for seasons 7 through 12.  Last year when DHX Media came in and purchased Epitome, they also took over the duties of creating and distributing the DVDs (I guess it’s safe to believe the creation of the DVD set was under way at Echo Bridge when the DHX deal went through last year).  So someone has all of the stuff to produce the DVDs, they just need to hurry up and figure out who’s doing it.

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Hangout with Lyle and Olivia on May 21st

It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a Degrassi Hangout, so it’s nice to see they’re returning!

If you didn’t already know, Adamo works at Epitome as part of their digital team.  He’ll be hosting the google+ hangout with Lyle and Olivia on Thursday, May 21st at 4pm EST.

Want to be a part of the hangout? They always choose a handful of fans to be in the hangout and video chat with the cast members, so follow the instructions below to submit your entry.

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Official Link to Degrassi hangout information: https://plus.google.com/+Degrassi/posts/Eye7eLJdJMM

On Thursday, May 21st at 4:00 pm ET, cast members Lyle Lettau and Olivia Scriven will be answering your questions live on YouTube. PLUS the hangout will be hosted by Degrassi alum Adamo Ruggiero!

A few lucky winners will be selected to join the Google+ Hangout and participate in the live conversation.

Here’s how to join in the fun!! Please read the below instructions very carefully.

1. You must be at least 13 years old to participate.

2. Visit google.com/+Degrassi and add our page to your circles. If you haven’t we unfortunately have no way to contact you if you win and later invite you into the broadcast.

3. Comment in this post with the following information:
First Name: ___
Age:
Country: __________
2 questions I’d like to ask Lyle and Olivia…  ______________________

4. The lucky winners will be notified this Tuesday, May 19th. So be sure to check your Google+ account and Gmail that day for a potential message and confirmation!

5. Everyone else can participate by watching the chat live on YouTube! Tune in at 4:00 pm ET on Thursday, May 21st on our channel youtube.com/Degrassi – Comment on the YouTube video during the live-stream interview and Lyle and Olivia will answer the selected questions live!

6. You can see an example of our last Google+ Hangout right here: https://youtu.be/_BFQl4WjCso

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There really isn’t much to say after watching this episode of DTV.  Nearly everything I could’ve said was mentioned in the video by the Degrassi characters and Degrassi fans.  I’ll reiterate that it’s really, really hard to ignore the nonsensical white noise that comes from the world…everyone will tell you to “be yourself” and then beat you down for doing exactly that, and they’re loud about it. But if you can tune out that crap and accept and love yourself, you’re golden.

I’m a straight guy with asexual tendencies sprinkled in, even though I know people have assumed I’m gay because I do things like watch “girly” shows, and you’re not going to see me dating a different girl every week (TRUE STORY: My roommate is gay, and even *HE* thought I was gay).

I never really knew anything about the LGBTQ community growing up as a kid.  I think I knew of maybe one lesbian couple at my high school and that was it, and there was no discussion about it with my parents.  In college, I met a few people who were gay or lesbian.  It wasn’t until I jumped into the Degrassi online community (especially in the last 5 years or so) that I experienced a BROAD spectrum in terms of sexual identity from bi, pan, to even asexual.  My logic toward people who are different has always been the same: I’m black, and if my race has experienced hatred and discrimination based on something as silly as the color of our skin, why in the world would I project such hatred on other groups?

And while it’s important to strong, confident and love yourself, it’s really cool when you’re able to find a group that doesn’t bat an eye at anyone’s sexuality.  For me it’s the Degrassi fandom (which can also serve as a support group), but I also play tons of rec softball.  People in general may make the stereotypical jokes about softball and sexuality, but when you’re out there no one cares about race/age/gender/sexuality because we’re all out there with the same goal: to have fun doing an activity we love.

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While the return date for Degrassi 14B hasn’t been officially announced (as of now it’s July 20th), TeenNick has begun its summer promo campaign.  This all feels so weird because the network has become so mundane with its repetitive programming there’s almost no reason to watch it, except for when Degrassi or Friday Night Lights is on.  I’m glad to see they’re trying to inject some life into this network by adding something, ANYTHING, to the rotation this summer, and it looks like they’ll have something different programmed every weeknight at 9pm.  They’re also trying to interact with viewers by having them submit selfies that will be shown on TV, a network-centric version of their #WeAreDegrassi campaign from 2013.

The above promo features several clips from 14B, including prom, graduation and Frankie’s birthday party.  We still have several weeks until an official announcement will be made about 14B:

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Society as a whole is plugged in digitally now more than ever, but not much has changed in terms of the types of people inhabiting the online universe.  Social media dominates web, but back when I was a teenager and in college message boards and chat apps (AOL Instant Messenger) were where it’s at.

Like me, there’s a lot of people who have and do rely on the online world to fill a void in our real lives, whether it’s a lack of activities or feeling as if you have no close relationships (outside of maybe family, etc).  Just tracking my own behavior over the years, I used to be able to hang out online and chat the night away with others every day.  Now, with a life schedule that takes up more time than ever, I don’t really talk to anyone online outside of generic interactions on twitter, and I no longer have that pressing desire in my head that’s screaming “I need to be online every chance I can get to see what’s going on.”

Everyone is using something as some kind of escape from their real world woes.  But like everything else in life, there has to be some kind of balance so you don’t allow yourself to be so consumed by it.

One thing that sort of got brushed over in the video is how people behave online.  There can be a HUGE difference in how people behave on social media as opposed to real life.  For me, I’m way more outgoing on twitter than I am in person; anyone who’s ever met me knows I don’t talk very much.  But there’s a lot of people out there who see the internet as a place with zero consequences, and will say/do the most ignorant and hateful things simply because they can.  It used to be where anyone could say anything they want anonymously, but go to any media outlet’s Facebook page; people, grown-ass adults, have no shame in being hateful and ignorant even with their name and picture attached to their comments!

This will probably go through one ear and out the other of this generation, but it’s kind of important to think before you post online; hell, it’s important to think before you speak in life, period.  It doesn’t matter how many privacy settings you have or whether it’s your “fandom” account and not your “personal” one, we’re living in times where none of that matters and your behavior, even in real life, can go viral in the blink of an eye. Do you really want your past foolishness coming back to bite you in the ass?

I’m not sure what happened with the I don’t know about you, but I enjoy being employed and earning this green stuff they call money.  Here’s a few examples of people losing their jobs because of something they did online or behavior that went viral and lead to them getting fired:

*Food Worker Fired After Praising Death of Two Cops

*Ohio Sheriff’s Deputy Fired Over Racist Tweets Comparing Baltimore Protestors to “Planet of the Apes”

*Former Rockets social media manager who was fired over tweet just wanted to ‘agitage Mavs fans’

*Reynoldsburg Officer Fired Over Racists Facebook Posts

*Daycare Teacher Fired Over Facebook Post About Children

*Toronto FC Fan Fired From Job After Heckling Reporter Over “F*** her right in the p****” Prank

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UPDATE #5, 6/4/15 (4:48pm EST): DHX Media, owner of Epitome Pictures, released a statement about Degrassi’s future. Several cast members have posted this statement on social media:

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UPDATE #4, 6/4/15 (4:19pm EST): Earlier today, Degrassi’s Music Supervisor tweeted that Degrassi isn’t canceled (you can read that in UPDATE #1 below).  Now actor Tom Melissis, who plays Mr. Perino posted a status on Facebook about what he knows about Degrassi season 15:

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UPDATE #3, 6/4/15 (2:31pm EST): Entertainment Weekly says that Degrassi will find a new broadcaster. Quote:

The show is not leaving the air altogether; it will continue to be produced, and later episodes will air on a yet-to-be-named US broadcaster.

Also,

Remember, though: Degrassi is only leaving TeenNick, not our screens. So while we prepare ourselves for the beginning of the end before a new beginning, let us remember the words of Degrassi’s theme song: Whatever it take, we know we can make it through.

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UPDATE #2, 6/4/15 (2:15pm EST): MTV Canada confirms they will no longer air Degrassi after season 14.  If Dondrea’s tweet about Degrassi (see Update #1 below) holds up, then the guess is new networks will take over, or we could possible see the show still live online.

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UPDATE #1, 6/4/15 (1:54pm EST): Epitome’s Music Supervisor posted a tweet saying that Degrassi ISN’T canceled, and that the American articles are misleading. For me that confirms my belief that while TeenNick may no longer air the show, it doesn’t mean the series itself has been canceled (because we’ve heard nothing about the Canadian networks’ plans).

You can read my original story below.

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I said I wouldn’t believe it until it was confirmed.  For many years, Degrassi has been renewed on a yearly basis, having to proceed with plans for the upcoming season regardless of whether or not they knew the networks were ordering a new season.

This time, TeenNick didn’t.

Degrassi will end its run on the network after 14 seasons, according to TVLine.

TeenNick on Thursday announced that Degrassi: The Next Generation will close its doors after 14 seasons.

An hour-long special, titled “It Goes There: Degrassi‘s Most Talked-About Moments,” will air Friday, July 31 at 8/7c, followed by the hour-long series finale at 9 pm.

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Variety confirms that 14B will premiere on July 20th, with quote, “new episodes each day of the week, ending on July 31 with the final episode.”

As of right now, keep in mind that TeenNick choosing to cancel Degrassi doesn’t necessarily mean the show itself has officially been canceled.  Degrassi is still funded by the Canadian government, and more importantly, nothing yet has been mentioned about whether or not MTV Canada has renewed the show.

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Degrassi’s social media accounts have been silent since Thursday’s news about TeenNick and MTV no longer airing Degrassi, and I’m assuming it’ll stay pretty quiet until an official announcement about the show’s broadcast future is made.  However, the digital team dropped a video about the history of the franchise currently in its 35th year.  A couple of 14B spoilers made their way into the video:

The end of Frankie/Winston?

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Connor Is Valedictorian (we already knew that…this just doubles the confirmation)

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The fate of Eclare’s baby. From the look of this scene, it doesn’t look good.  Been saying it since the beginning that based simply on the timing of when Clare is supposed to leave the show, it makes no sense for her character to be written off while still pregnant.

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The final episodes of 14B (excluding that 4-part movie that hasn’t been mentioned during this whirlwind week of Degrassi news) will air Monday – Friday at 9pm EST starting July 20th.

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FANDOM: DEGRASSI IS CANCELED!!! :((((((
KEVIN SMITH: Here guys, let me save you from yourselves.

If you’ve read my blog post about Degrassi’s cancellation on TeenNick and MTV Canada, then you already know season 15 is happening.  In the endless sea of entertainment articles that were written by people who either don’t watch Degrassi or don’t know what the hell is going on behind the scenes, Entertainment Weekly was the first to definitively state Degrassi is proceeding with season 15.  Despite the Epitome team’s silence throughout this ordeal, there’s been mounds of information over the past several days to confirm Degrassi isn’t dead, down to the exact date production for season 15 is scheduled to start (June 15th).

Kevin Smith is the latest person to again confirm that Degrassi’s cancellation on TeenNick and MTV Canada doesn’t mean the show  is leaving TV forever:

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We don’t need to #SaveDegrassi because, for at least another season, it’s not going anywhere.

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Degrassi is officially preparing to reboot itself again as it’s been announced the show is moving to Netflix in early 2016.

According to a press release, “The deal will see Netflix become the worldwide home for Degrassi: Next Class, excluding Canada, Australia and France, where the series will appear on Netflix at later dates.”

The series’ name has changed, but just like the reboot in season 10 it’s still the same show refreshed for another go-round; it will still feature the non-graduating characters from season 14, plus the new characters you’ve seen the show audition info for.  Season 15 will contain 20 episodes, which is pretty much on par with the episode counts for seasons 5 and 6.

Stephen Stohn also confirmed Degrassi will air on Family Channel in Canada.  As far as the fate of the 2-hour movie that was produced at the end of season 14? No one seems to know yet:

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With the end of Degrassi at Bell Media comes the end of an era in their parking lot in downtown Toronto.  MTV Canada’s twitter account announced there will be no parking lot party held for any of Degrassi season 14’s final episodes:

The news is disappointing, but not shocking given the sheer amount of uncertainty surrounding Degrassi over the past several months.  It sucks for those who were planning or have already planned their trips to Toronto this summer (especially fans from the U.S.), but at the same time a parking lot party this year was never a guaranteed thing to begin with.  The networks (MUCH included) also had a habit of waiting until within only a few weeks of the party to announce it, putting American fans traveling abroad at a planning disadvantage.

There’s a push from fans for Epitome to do some kind of party on their own, with the idea of a screening on set even being thrown around, but I’m not sure if that’s something Epitome/DHX would even consider given the amount of activity already happening on that set this summer.

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This week’s video is all about what it’s like to be a man in today’s world.  While things aren’t as rigid as they used to be, there still exists this idea that in order to be “manly” you need to behave a certain way or avoid doing certain things.

I’m telling you…it’s all nonsense.  A running theme with these DTV videos seems to be that society as a whole tends to view the world in black and white; you are either X or Y, and there’s nothing in between…and that’s bullcrap.  Learning to tune out the white noise (aka society spewing stupidity at every turn because it can) is a key asset in growing as a person.  It doesn’t matter what they’re saying, if you do it, and enjoy it (and it’s not hurting anyone), that’s all that matters. Naturally we’re looking for acceptance in this world, especially when we’re younger.  But the older I get (I’m about to turn 32 in a few months), the less I care about what others think about my lifestyle in any regard.  If I wanna blog about a teen soap opera primarily geared toward young girls, I’mma blog about it dammit!

I rarely think about my masculinity because I’ve never perceived myself as being a “manly” guy anyway.  I grew up in a female-dominated household, so playing Barbie with my sisters and listening to boy bands as a kid has made totally comfortable with being a straight guy who does stuff that’s considered “girly.”

I don’t have much else to say, because I submitted a video for this episode and they used it.  The key points I made can be watched below.

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TeenNick has released another promo for the Degrassi 2-week event.  TeenNick is in overdrive for this finale event and we can expect at least a couple more promos from them over the next week, but we’re still waiting on MTV to at least pretend like they know the show is coming back in 10 days.

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http://www.teennick.com/videos/clip/prime-degrassi-music-video-i-lived.html

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TeenNick continues to celebrate the end of Degrassi’s run on the network with a video set to One Republic’s “I Lived.”

The video uses footage from their special shoot a few weeks ago.  We’ll see more from former Degrassi cast members during the special that’ll airing on July 31st, but for now you can check out stills below.

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I’ve enjoyed Degrassi taking an element from the show (DTV) and bringing it to life during this long hiatus.  This final episode of DTV involves the characters, as well as fans of the show, showing off their special talents.

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In case you forgot, this promo covers all of the major ships going into 14B.  Shoutout to TeenNick for their tremendous effort to promote this final block, with much more to come during these final two weeks!

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Alli’s Promo

Clare’s Promo

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