How to succeed on Twitter without really trying

Plus, ice skating robots, flying microchips, pill-size Game Boys and more!

Sep 25, 2021

We’ve all heard the complaints about Twitter. It’s full of haters, racists, bigots, bots, disinformation, fake news, hate speech, dumb memes and cat photos.

Or, it’s a tool for cancel culture, social justice warriors, public shaming and Twitter mobs who attack and destroy anyone who is perceived to have made a mistake, even as teenagers.

Or, it’s too small compared with Facebook. The people I know don’t use it. It’s a ghost town. It’s a waste of time.

Or, it’s impossible to get a large following. And you can’t get verified anymore.

Or, it’s dominated by phony influencers, self-appointed “experts,” and annoying journalists.

That’s where I come in.

I’m here to tell you that the only thing that’s really bad about Twitter is that it’s a powerful drug that causes delusions.

To succeed on Twitter, in my opinion, is to profit from its many benefits without being sidetracked by its many delusions.

The benefits on Twitter come from the ability to engage with and learn from a highly diverse group of people from all over the world who may share your interests and also want to learn from you and your experiences. It’s also a great place to network, professionally.

The delusions of Twitter are that you have to be exposed to horrible people, that a Twitter mob actually constitutes “everybody” — or even a relevant fraction of the world at large — that you will ever encounter more than 1% of the people on any major social network, that blocking people is an aggressive act that you commit against other people and that your tweets can “make a difference” and change the thinking of others.

Here’s how to really succeed on Twitter.

Read the rest

Mike’s List of Brilliantly Bad Ideas

1. In Silicon Valley, nothing says “winter wonderland” like ice-skating robots

How do you promote ice skating in Silicon Valley? There’s no ice. There’s hardly any water. But if there’s one thing Silicon Valley does have, it’s…. robots! The Silicon Valley Ice Skating Association promotes the sport with an event called “Robots on Ice.” Robot makers (which outnumber ice skaters here in the valley) are invited to bring their robots to the event, which this year takes place December 11.

2. Tiny microchips get their wings

Northwestern University brainiacs are giving tiny microchips the power of flight. Their so called “microfliers” are being given wings or propellers that are similar to “wings” on a maple seed, to be caught by the wind. So they’re really gliders, and the wing slows down their fall to earth. The idea is to disperse them into the atmosphere where they’ll function as sensors that detect pollution, temperature and other factors and wirelessly convey that data back to researchers on the ground. Once the microchips land, they’ll dissolve in water, thanks to “degradable polymers, compostable conductors and dissolvable integrated circuit chips,” according to the plan (I wrote about dissolving electronics in this article on Fast Company).

3. How small is too small for a game console?

This tiny Game Boy is called “Thumby,” and it’s so small you basically can’t play it, even though it’s fully functional and comes with five pre-loaded games. (They’re actually going to sell this thing.)

Mike’s List of Shameless Self Promotion

1. Why cyber security demands that nothing and nobody is trusted. Ever.

The zero trust model is going mainstream, and for good reason. The rise in advanced attacks, plus IT trends that include the move to hybrid cloud and remote work, demand more exacting and granular defenses. Here’s what you need to know about zero trust, and why in today’s cybersecurity threat landscape, it’s really the only way to go.

2. How to build a winning cyber security resume

Career advancement is an art form with many facets. One vital tool is your cybersecurity resume, the quality of which can mean the difference between getting an interview for your dream job and not being considered at all. Here’s how to put together a killer resume.

3. 12 reasons why you should hire a hacker

You’ve probably heard the phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know.” It’s a stage of learning most people find themselves in at one time or another. When it comes to cybersecurity, hackers succeed by finding the security gaps and vulnerabilities you missed. That’s true of malicious attackers. But it’s also true of their equivalent on your side: a certified ethical hacker. A certified ethical hacker can be one of your best specialists for protecting against threat actors. Here’s why.