Rohit ChatterjeeDec 29, 2022
SwiftOnSecurity

I really truly think a social media hack is enthusiasm.

People (maybe a majority) follow me on Twitter who have no career focus on computer security.
I follow farmers on YouTube just talking about their tractor repair tribulations with perseverance. I will absolutely never drive a tractor or put any direct tractor knowledge they give me into practice. But I care because they communicate larger fundamental insights into finding solutions.

This is a magic ingredient. You can't really fake it. And people know when they see it. It's one of those inescapably human manifestations the brain recognizes micro-signals from.

Dec 29, 2022 at 4:49amWeb
Show threadSwiftOnSecurityDec 29, 2022

As someone with 375k followers on Twitter:
Being fluent in social media is important, but effusing genuine enthusiasm is more.

I post computer security thoughts, random shitposts, 30-tweet threads of a short story. People do not fucking care as long as they sense true authentic effort towards what you produce.

Due to turnover I can lose more followers in 1 month than most gain in their entire life. I track the statistics. Or, I did. You have to believe in your message because doubt when turned into unqualified denigration will ruin you.

Show threadHazel WeaklyDec 29, 2022

@SwiftOnSecurity It really is remarkable how well humans can detect actual enthusiasm in others and how much of a difference it makes.

I'm super glad about that, for what it's worth; I think being enthusiastic about life is one of the coolest parts about being a human and hope everyone gets to feel how awesome that is and share it with others who appreciate it 

Show threadTiffany LiDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity Your posts about the art/science of social media have been really helpful for me. I remember when you broke down why dog_rates was so successful, and that was the first time it clicked for me that people didn’t just become popular online for no reason.
Show threadJuriDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity I came for the interesting info sec and I stayed for the corn and plane shitposting
Show threadJuriDec 29, 2022

@SwiftOnSecurity I guess I’m saying I’m not gonna cornplane

…I’ll see myself out

Show threadEmma IrwinDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity you are the best account on Twitter.
Show thread0ne.ca11ed.patDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity yes, but those who are still here will continue. I sense a shift in more open and direct communication that was missing or being manipulated in algorithm or manner that seem to fit the narrative. More and more the dialogue seems to be opening. This is for now the continuation and always will be moving forward.
Show threadAphrodite (recharging)Dec 29, 2022

@SwiftOnSecurity

i’m trying :)

though admittedly things are supremely weird in my life and trying to share that absurdity is a challenge :/

Show threadMatt SickerDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity there’s no point in having that many followers. I bet a huge part of your follower attrition was people who’d follow you, try to interact, but get ignored while you only interact with blue checks and huge accounts. Sounds a bit like celebrities. Or like an RSS feed.
Show threadJérémie GavenDec 29, 2022

@SwiftOnSecurity thanks for this inspirational though.

We have to be kind and honest with ourselfs so that when we send a message to the community, it will be perceived as just.
Truly believe most people can perceive instinctively this ...

Show threadMatt Linton Dec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity
Show threadPsycodepathDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity never Stop being you and corn facts. Never stop those.
Show threadCory FoyDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity And, you don’t make it all about you. You engage with others, retweet or boost others, share approaches from other people - and share when things work or don’t work for you. That’s what I appreciate most about following you.
Show threadelle mundyDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity i am so excited about tps reports though
Show threadOliver Dec 29, 2022
@exchgr @SwiftOnSecurity if you are honestly and truly excited about tps reports, and can communicate that excitement, I will happily sit here and listen to you talk about them for an hour.
Show threadelle mundyDec 29, 2022
@ojensen @SwiftOnSecurity i had to know this was coming
Show threadhannahDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity When I did social media as a job toward the end there were contractors involved and I remember trying to explain that over and over again when people were like, why don't these ~campaigns~ do anything can you just help them do what you do?!. If they don't know or care about the subject matter, they aren't going to write anything anybody wants to read. That is step 0, before doing anything else
Show threadKevin P. FlemingDec 29, 2022

@h_thoreson @SwiftOnSecurity Only partially related, but this made me remember:

Recently I had to 'handle' a couple of email accounts for a relative who passed away. She'd subscribed to 'sale/deals/etc.' lists for a bunch of online stores, mostly clothing and home decorations.

Since she didn't ever delete any messages, I got see what that looks like after years of neglect, and let me tell you it was shocking. Some of those sites sent an average of *more than one email per day * for YEARS to a person who never opened any of them.

Worse, every single email had been crafted to create a sense of urgency (must buy today) or exclusivity (deal just for you) or some combination. While the actual cost of sending and deleting the emails is low, it made me feel quite bad for the humans on the other end who are employed to produce this 'content'; they have to know that 99% of what they produce and send will be ignored, or even hated, and yet the 1% produces sufficient revenue to keep the machine running.

Show threadhannahDec 29, 2022
@kevin @SwiftOnSecurity I have one email that several other people with my last name that I don't know at all have been using for their junk mail and embarrassing purchases for YEARS. This has been going on for so long I replied to SwiftOnSecurity on the old site about it too at some point. Convenient for them, but my utility bills, HOA stuff, job paperwork, blah ends up buried under ads and politics spam.
Show threadLAURENDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity
So energizing and positive!
Show threadOlavDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity I'm hooked on pressure washing videos. Some of the English guys really, really love their job (some of them also do roofs). And they've built up channels enough the bulk of them can take a day out of the week and do charity work for some pensioner or whatever.
It's gardening season in Australia now tho :P
Show threadAlison MeeksDec 29, 2022
@olavf @SwiftOnSecurity Sid. Catch Sean from Blade Mate down under. 😊
Show threadOlavDec 29, 2022
@alison Already do. Quick Cuts does some disasters as well down there.
Show threadAlison MeeksDec 29, 2022
@olavf The care Sean takes has put me off some of the sloppy work of others. Will have a check of Quick Cuts.
Love a storm water clear check out Gavin at Penetrator.
Show threadOlavDec 29, 2022
@alison Acres Lawn Care in England as well. They do a lot of actual gardening.
Ben from Flawless Cleaning
Sid from Prestige Exterior
post10 does culverts. Big ones
Below the Plains digs up old outhouse pit in the Midwest
Watch for my upcoming channel, "I have no life"
Show threadAlison MeeksDec 29, 2022
@olavf Yup know Post and Sid (in my original comment). Not familiar with Acres but will check them out. Loved my gardens in the before life. LOL got watching this stuff to step down before sleep with the insanity of the 45 administration and aftermath.
Show threadOlavDec 29, 2022
@alison when I'm having a bad mental health day sometimes I just need to withdraw from the world. Binge watching is one distraction
Show threadAlison MeeksDec 30, 2022
@olavf I so get that.
Show threadrahlzle dazle (Richard)Dec 29, 2022

@SwiftOnSecurity you're probably right. When I was struggling to find work and it's struggling to survive at Amazon I was able to maintain a much more positive outlook externally even though 90% of it was acting. It generated what for me is a large crowd. After I found my current dream job I didn't have a lot of negativity to attack with positivity so the facade slipped away.

And so did probably 75% of the social interaction I'd been enjoying on the bird site.

🤷‍♂️

Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity 1000% this. I've literally watched a guy clean trash from a drain for 20 minutes on YouTube. It was compelling to watch because he was enthusiastic about doing a public service.
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity also might have been watching that exact same repair video series - the boom lift with cold start issues?
Show thread🍑 gwen 🍑Dec 29, 2022
@gsuberland post10? i was literally going to mention watching his videos lol (if it's not post10, i highly recommend his channel-- and what channel do you watch?)
@SwiftOnSecurity
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialDec 29, 2022
@Lustyjustice @SwiftOnSecurity yup, post 10.
Show threadAltytwo Altryness, BS Dec 29, 2022
@gsuberland @SwiftOnSecurity yep. Post 10 and Drain Addict do stuff that’s incredibly boring to actually do but they make it interesting.
Show threadStephen ShanklandDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity You're right, but it applies to more than social media. Enthusiasm adds a huge amount of spice, interest, etc. to any sort of social interaction IMO. It adds some authenticity and energy and often expertise, a winning combination.
Show threadTim SmithDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity I watch videos on HVAC repair because the troubleshooting process is amazing. I don't even have an air conditioner. They're just great to watch
Show threadtelnetephantDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity This observation is perfectly correct.
Show threadJoe UchillDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity
People didn't like Click and Clack for the car talk.
Show threadPaulDec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity I didn't mind the talk about cars, but you're spot on that their brotherly love was a huge draw for me
Show threadColin RosenthalDec 29, 2022
@planzi @JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity yes, but even when they were talking about cars it was interesting even if you weren’t interested in cars. They had a very special talent.
Show threadSherri DavidoffDec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity Their Good News Garage was the best!!
Show threadSherri DavidoffDec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity (I lived right around the corner from their auto shop in college and took my car there)
Show threadSherri DavidoffDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity @JoeUchill Oh man. You just got me thinking about those guys. What a blast from the past- check this out: “These were the days of car DIY so we thought, let’s open a garage where folks could do their own work and we’ll rent them the space and tools. Was it the brilliant million dollar Swiss bank account-worthy idea that we promised our parents it would be? Not so much.” https://goodnewsgaragecambridge.com/about-us
About Us - Good News Garage

GOOD NEWS GARAGE ABOUT US In 1973, Tom and Ray (Hey, that’s us!) Magliozzi of “Car Talk” started a do-it-yourself shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts called Hacker’s Haven. These were the days of car DIY so we thought, let’s open a garage where folks could do their own work and we’ll rent them the space and…

Good News Garage
Show threadChrisDec 29, 2022
@sherridavidoff @SwiftOnSecurity @JoeUchill RPI had something like that for students. I replaced a clutch on an 82 Tercel there. No idea if it’s still around 3 decades later.
Show threadIpstenu (Mika E.) 🏳️‍🌈Dec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity Truth. I didn’t drive until after the show was over, and I barely drive now. I hate cars. But those guys? Love ‘em.
Show threadunixsh.itDec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity those guy were the shit
Show threadtippenringDec 29, 2022

@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity did you hear the episode where the kid wants that Chevy S10 extreme? Mom wasn't sure so the kid calls in to get them to assure Mom that it's a good choice for a freshly-licensed teen. It goes about how you would expect.

I remember hearing it in the later 80s if those shows are archived. Maybe early 90s. Certainly my favorite episode.

Show thread2xfoDec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity
These guys taught me to park a stick shift backwards against a wall in reverse gear so you can't get towed
Show thread2xfoDec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity err, more accurately, they won't tow your car if they understand this situation because they will destroy its engine if they do, so, not sure how useful that advice is, but those guys love their work!
Show threadDennis Faucher  Dec 29, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity Perfect
Show threadMartha_PriceDec 30, 2022
@JoeUchill @SwiftOnSecurity
Anyone that mentions Cartalk gets a follow!
Show threadJohn BreenDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity It is good that we meet here - I'm focused on computer security as one of my professional domains, and also have learned to operate, own, and maintain small tractors and excavators, build roads and culverts - balance, I say.
Show threadSwiftOnSecurityDec 29, 2022
@jab01701mid 🫡
Show threadQuestDec 29, 2022

@SwiftOnSecurity

That is what I thought and then I downloaded Farming Simulator 22.

Show threadDavid M PierceDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity You linked to a Mentour Pilot video once and I watched him and was hooked. His expertise and enthusiasm for the subject matter shows.
Show threadZaxxonDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity Spot-on. Imagine if Bob Ross were around today. He'd be the king of YouTube.
Show threadJuriDec 29, 2022
@SwiftOnSecurity so far my biggest post on Mastodon has been my thread going into minute derail on the construction of a scarf, so: can confirm
Show threadContextSansDec 29, 2022
@jurijuri @SwiftOnSecurity I think my historical gelatin post wins among mine so far? (Idk it seems like people like boosting intro posts, maybe as a masto culture thing? So I’m discounting that one)
Show thread💡𝚂𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝙰𝗉𝗉𝗌📱Dec 29, 2022
@jurijuri @SwiftOnSecurity Ok, but did you also point out that the expression is "scoff it down" not "scarf it down"? 😉 People who say "scarf it down", what do they even think that means?