Glitter is a pay-what-you-can service that keeps litter and trash off your streets, sidewalks, and storm drains

Glitter

It is that time of the year. Web Summit has released its schedule, and as usual, for many people, feeling overwhelmed comes before feeling excited about the line up. There are just to many talks, happening at too many places, for someone to quickly grasp the ones that are more interesting looking at the schedule for the first time. In fact even for the second, third and fourth time. Unless there is a way to break down the schedule and devise a plan to attend the conference, you run the risk of running from stage to stage without arriving on time (or at all) to the talks you really should be watching. If you arrive without a plan, you will leave exhausted and with a blur of ideas and potential bruises — the area is massive and running hundreds of meters through people going in all directions has the potential for less pleasant interactions. The areas surrounding the stages will look like this, pick where you want to be wisely This post is here to help you (while the author helps herself), to navigate the meanders of Web Summit. Last year I shared the spreadsheet with the planning I had done for myself and people thanked me for it. So let’s see if this year this is also something helpful. Three strategies for navigating Web Summit: follow-the-glitter, cherry-picking, deep-diving In my attempts at taming the schedule, I found 3 strategies that could be help me spend the three days a little bit more relaxed and focused, without having to constantly look at the app to know what is next. These three strategies are highlighted in the : follow the glitter in yellow, cherry-picking in pink and deep-diving in blue. spreadsheet ✨ 1.Follow-the-glitter is all about leaving Web Summit with the feeling that you listened to the people you wanted to listen to the most It is all about selecting from the get go the celebrity (or less-celebrity) speakers that you want to see, and knowing where and at what time they are going to be. For this strategy you can indeed make use of the 2018 app. Install it, open it and scroll down the list of speakers. Select the ones that most inspire you. In my case I selected: Ev Williams from Medium, Helen Chiang from Minecraft, Greg Peters from Netflix, Emmett Shear from Twitch, Mitchell Baker from Mozilla, Tim Berners-Lee from Web Foundation, Jacquelline Fuller from .org, Paige VanZant from UFC, to name a few. Google For each one I clicked on the profile and selected the talks they would be giving, adding them to my schedule on the app. The follow-the-glitter track was done. If I opt for this strategy and I know where the speakers that I want to hear will be, I won’t be leaving the conference feeling sad for having missed one of them. 🍒 2. Cherry-picking is about selecting the talks that are most interesting to you in advance (really!) This may seem the most obvious, but believe me when I say that many people will leave it to chance. Chosing the talk that happens to be closest to the food court, if they had just lunch. I must say it is difficult to get a sense of the content of the talks just by looking at the titles. They made an effort to make them sound interesting, but sometimes they are too vague to actually select based on that. Just like the previous strategy this is highly subjective, what may sound interesting for you may not for me. But here are some of the titles that caught my attention (although not necessarily the most funny ones), and that I am considering in the schedule for the cherry-picking track. “Selling the brand inside”, “Punching above your weight: Diversity and small economics”, “There goes the neighbourhood; the future of hubs”, “Creativity in a world of algorithms”, “Do we need a declaration of digital human rights?”, “Is tech without emotion, just a function?”, to name a few. tech I couln’t find overarching themes for the conference, the topics of the talks seem quite scattered, so saving the time to look at the schedule and highlight the ones that make you excited, will make sure you don’t leave the conference just with what chance decided to give you. 🐡 3. Deep-diving is sbout choosing an area of expertise for the entire morning/afternoon that you would like to deepen your exposure to This one has the big plus of not having to run around from one stage to the other, since you will watch all the talks for that topic. If I opt for this strategy, my choices, for now, would be: 6th Nov: PandaConf for the entire morning, CentreStage for the afternoon 7th Nov: ContentMakers for the morninng, CentreStage for the afternoon 8th Nov: Forum for the morning, ContentMakers for the afternoon Having in the back of your mind mind, for each part of the day, a reference area you can go to and stay longer is always a good choice. In case the talks you cherry picked or followed the glitter to turn out to be not that great you can always go to your reference area and wait for some that gives you more inspiration. And this is it. Spend some time figuring out for yourself what are the speakers, talks, and areas of expertise that you are really interested in, and you feel a bit less overwhelmed and a bit more available to enjoy the exciting and vibrant athmosphere that is a characteristic of those days. Those who have been there know what I am talking about 😉 Print the and work on it on your own, maybe the plane or the train trip will be a good time to to this. Web Summit says is is still in flux, with speakers still being added, so the spreadsheet may require some updating over the next days. If you identify something that needs to be changed at any point and not yet reflected let me know. schedule I left the starting and ending times of each block (morning and afternoon), and not the times of each specific block, because they all take around 20 minutes, and making an exact representation to scale of all, would reveal itself an Herculaen effort without much added benefit. Sometimes there are interruptions between the blocks that are also not represented, opted instead for a showing a continuous list of the topics for that specific location. Of course there will also be Night Summit, a series of events happening during the nights of the Web Summit days, organised by multiple local organisations, that entail dinners, cocktail parties, and meetups. I trust the audience to be already quite savvy at prioritising this in order not to need a spreadsheet…🌙 Safe travels and see you there! PS: If you are interested in past editions of Web Summits in Portugal, you may find this one interesting The ideas I am taking home from Web Summit 2017 that not even Sophia can take away from me

Learn to navigate Web Summit 2018 — choose glitter, cherries or deep-diving

A non-technical look at Bitcoin’s value. If you are outside of the world of , you probably hear the word “ ” and think “why are a bunch of lines of code making people so much damn money?” But Bitcoin isn’t just lines of code. Bitcoin is a symbol, a doorway, a narrative, a resource, and a damn catchy name. cryptocurrency Bitcoin For bitcoin to have had this much success, it must have been the first ever cryptocurrency, right? Well, not exactly. Before Bitcoin Bitcoin may have been the first successful cryptocurrency but it was not the first attempt or the first thought of a digital currency. Science fiction novels and films gave us the “credit” and we all accepted that in a futuristic world, money had to be digital. Thousands of video games have had their own digital currencies, some like World of Warcraft’s gold have even been sold for traditional currency. Throughout the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s many a company rose and fell, hoping to create the digital currency of the future. With names like DigiCash, E-Gold, B-Money, Bitgold, the stage was set for the modern era of cryptocurrency. Our Lord and Savior, Satoshi Nakomoto So who is Satoshi Nakamoto? Well no-one knows for sure. In 2008 a paper was released to a mailing list for those interested in cryptography “Bitcoin — A Peer to Peer Electronic Cash System” by one “Satoshi Nakamoto.” But to this day no one knows who Satoshi is. Whoever he was, it was clear that he had been observing and learning from these other failed digital currencies. In January 2009 the bitcoin software was made available to the public as Nakamoto established the genesis block and so, people began mining bitcoin. Back then no one knew just how valuable bitcoin would become with a value of less than a tenth of a cent per coin. Wait 2008? January 2009? That was right after the worst financial crisis in the US since the Great Depression. Where almost every major financial institution betrayed the American people. Was it a coincidence that Satoshi released the software at this key historical moment? I do not. The Value of Belief If you’ve taken any intro to Economics class, you have probably had a conversation about money. I remember my own high school Econ class with Mr. Anderson. He held up a 20 or maybe even a 50 dollar bill and explained that it was functionally worthless. The only reason that we could use that piece of paper was because people believed it had value. People have referred to money as a belief system, and some have even called it a “shared delusion.” Take for example, a 50 ruble note and a 1 dollar bill. These are relatively close in value. But why? Why is it not 1 ruble to 1 dollar to 1 euro to 1 quai. The act of printing money does not earn money its value. These values are based on the belief associated with a history of complex geopolitical interactions, and in the governments that mint those currencies. Similarly, the blockchain and a network of miners does not earn Bitcoin its value. Bitcoin’s true value comes from the belief that Bitcoin has garnered around it since its inception. Because a digital currency is not (usually) tied to the physical world, belief is the only way it has to build value. It is the only thing keeping it from simply being lines of code. Once Upon a Bitcoin One of the reasons behind the belief in Bitcoin is its narrative. Bitcoin has always held a positive narrative. To go back to another intro class, if you have ever sat in a freshman communications class, your professor likely said something to the tune of, “human beings need narrative.” Not only do we need narrative, we are addicted to narrative. Narrative is what makes you binge four seasons of Game of Thrones in one night, it’s what gets politicians elected, what rallies a country behind a war, and what makes us believe in true love. In 2008 and 2009 the Financial Crisis created a narrative in which major financial institutions were the villain and there was seemingly no hero to save the day. For many, Satoshi Nakamoto completes this narrative by providing a hero that can defeat the evil that is traditional financial institutions. The Financial Crisis may be 10 years old but it is far from forgotten; for the cryptocurrency community this battle of Good v. Evil rages on. Bitcoin’s narrative is powerful to those on the internet in the way the resurrection is powerful to billions of Christian followers. The mysterious character of Satoshi Nakamoto demands a christ-like reverence. Was he a team? A secret Genius? Where has he gone? Will he emerge one day to tell of the One True Token? In reality, Satoshi was likely a team of developers, but that doesn’t play as well. Bitcoin’s central pillar is its decentralization and “currency for the people controlled by the people.” When you attach a specific face to that, you lose the power of the Satoshi narrative. When Bitcoin is the currency of a God, everyone else is simply a false-prophet. Look Good, Feel Good Bitcoin is also really smartly designed. The symbol, a B with two lines through it slightly rotated, challenges traditional symbols of currency. The orange is bright, eye-catching, and memorable. The overall design is very minimalist. It is a symbol that one could imagine diving into a pool of Scrooge-McDuck-style. Let’s pause for a second and talk about the power of good design. If you look at the top 10 cryptocurrencies you will find 10 aesthetically pleasing logos and 10 catchy names that are easy to remember. This is by no means the entire story of their value, but it is an interesting correlation. Bitcoin as a Doorway New alt coins emerge almost everyday. This does not mean that they are all competing with bitcoin for the coveted title of “Digital Gold.” Most coins don’t want to compete with bitcoin. Other cryptocurrencies are not simply stores of value but utility tokens, asset tokens, equity tokens, and of course, shitcoins. Very few of these have enough power on their own to enter the marketplace without Bitcoin as an intermediary and this is what makes bitcoin the doorway to the cryptocurrency market. Because the world of cryptocurrency has grown around Bitcoin’s journey to it’s now multi-thousand dollar value, you will be hard pressed to find a new coin that you don’t need to buy with Bitcoin.* Digital Gold Bitcoin is not only a powerful belief system, but in many ways it is a resource. This can be better understood if you think about it’s physical analogue, Gold. Both are in limited supply and both are “mined.” Bitcoin has a max supply of 21,000,000 coins. There will never be more Bitcoin and there cannot be more Bitcoin. This separates Bitcoin from money because if you look at the history of money, there have been numerous cases of hyperinflation when governments printed money to “fix” the economy. This will never happen with Bitcoin. Satoshi is not going to emerge from the darkness with another 20 million Bitcoin. and he couldn’t because of the nature of Bitcoin’s protocol and blockchain. Bitcoin, like gold is a store of value. If you have a vault of gold, that is counted in your overall wealth whether you sell it or not. Similarly, if you have a wallet with 300 Bitcoin in it, this is also part of your overall wealth. Some have said: “But bitcoin can be forked so it’s not actually like gold at all.” Hold on a minute. First, what is a fork? A hard fork is generated when a group of developers decide to change the protocol of a cryptocurrency, making it incompatible with the blockchain to that point. By changing the Bitcoin blockchain and changing the underlying protocol, developers make new coins with different rules. Examples of this are Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, etc. These forks do not affect Bitcoin’s value just as gold “forks” such as white gold and pink gold do not affect the value of pure gold. Gold and Bitcoin maintain their higher position as a store of value because of their status in their communities, and again, the belief in them. Bitcoin and Gold are not only stores of value but symbols of status. Nowadays, rappers and popstars earn far more clout by posting something they bought with their #bitcoin. The Bad News This brings me to an important point about Bitcoin’s value. It is dangerous. Yes, dangerous. In the early days, people could get into bitcoin for very little money and yes, there were some miraculous stories of lucky normal people becoming millionaires. However, these are not the people who have benefited most from Bitcoin. You’ve heard of the people who put 10 dollars into bitcoin and are now sitting pretty with huge returns. But imagine the wealthy people who were able to put 1000 dollars in at the same time. Imagine a Science Fiction world where there is an elite upper class whose wealth goes so far beyond your imagination to the point that they can quite literally do whatever they want without consequence. Now stop imagining, because that is the reality we are headed for. In a Forbes article it was estimated that 40% of the world’s bitcoin is owned by a mere thousand people. Let’s do some math. With a market cap of around 155 Billion right now, 40% of that would be around 62 Billion dollars. Banking the unbanked? Not so much. Beyond that, if any of these majority holders had Bitcoin before its many forks, they would own equivalent amounts of each fork currency. With an estimated 50 million total crypto users, this is .002% of the overall community. And if you think those thousand people are only invested in bitcoin, you’re nuts. In overall wealth, a study found that the richest 1% of the world owns half of the worlds overall wealth. That is a painful fact to be made aware of. But with .002% of the cryptocurrency community owning 40% of the Bitcoin, we are on a path towards the same exact wealth inequality problem that fiat currency has created, and worse. Bitcoin billionaires, and maybe someday Bitcoin trillionaires, will hold money beyond your imagination and they’ll do it anonymously. Is there Hope? Bitcoin is still in its early days. It’s price is still highly volatile and may not jump to the astronomical values people hope. If it’s going to, we need to start talking about how we are going to prevent the same problems we have faced in fiat currency. It is time that we are willing to step outside of our own wants for huge returns on our investment, and ask ourselves: Should Bitcoin be this valuable? ForkU Video on Bitcoin Value: *Yes, also Ethereum but this isn’t about Ethereum References for numbers: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/bitcoin/ https://www.quora.com/How-many-people-are-currently-investing-in-cryptocurrencies _Credit Suisse report highlights increasing gap between the super-rich and the remainder of the globe's population_www.theguardian.com Richest 1% own half the world's wealth, study finds https://upscri.be/hackernoon/

All That Glitters is not (Digital) Gold

Introduction Welcome back to part 2 of this series. If you are here, it’s most likely because you did enjoy reading part 1. However, if you haven’t read that article, I believe you should, as it forms a strong background for this article. Now that you know how we got to web3 and what it stands for, the lurking question would be, “How can I be part of it?” In this article, we will start by having an overview of the different blockchain networks and then look at the financial aspect of things, which I know is why most of you are here. More About Blockchains I know what I am about to tell you might feel like information overload, but it is a necessary thing to know in order to not make mistakes in the field. We both know that web3 is powered by blockchain technology; that is the face value difference between a web2 and a web3 product. Now, you may ask, “It’s just one blockchain, right?” Well, it’s not. There are over 1,000 blockchains that exist as of 2024. Each of them has its unique provision and distinction. Some are niched, some are general purpose, some have better technology infrastructure powering them, etc. Generally, blockchains are known as Layer 1s (L1s), but they come with an issue which is known as the blockchain trilemma. However, other blockchains exist that are built on top of existing blockchains (Layer 1s), which help solve the blockchain trilemma issue, and they are known as Layer 2 (L2s). More about it here. Now, hold that thought as we look at some examples of blockchain below. Ethereum: This is the leading platform for innovative apps and blockchain networks and is second only to Bitcoin in its market capitalization. It is a Layer 1, and if you are looking to enter an ecosystem that has an incredible number of talents in it, this is the right pick for you. Also, there are a huge number of Layer 2s building on Ethereum because of how much economic security the blockchain possesses. Base: This is a Layer 2 blockchain solution designed to enhance the Ethereum network by providing a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective environment for decentralized applications (dApps). Polkadot: Polkadot is a blockchain network that connects different blockchains, called parachains, so they can: Transfer data and assets seamlessly, build on a platform that provides validation and security, interact with each other through bridges, and communicate securely. Technically, it is a Layer 0. Stellar: This is a layer 1 blockchain that allows digital currency to fiat money low-cost transfers. It also allows cross-border financial transactions among any pair of currencies. Solana: This is a blockchain platform designed to host decentralized, scalable applications. Navigating Web3 You roughly have an idea of the blockchain that exists currently. The first step to interacting with any blockchain is having a wallet, no, not the one you put in your pocket. This wallet is basically your gateway to web3, and it will be in charge of holding the assets you have on any blockchain. There are things to consider when picking a wallet, such as whether it is a self-custodial wallet or not, blockchain compatibility, etc. It can be a lot, but you should have this in mind, so before proceeding, I recommend you read this educational article on the subject. Each blockchain has its native token, and this token is used to pay for transactions carried out on the blockchain. This is also known as gas fees. So, for you to carry out transactions on any blockchain, you have to hold its native token. Most Ethereum Layer 2s, like Base, Optimism, Arbirum, etc., make use of the native token of Ethereum, known as Ether, as the token for gas fees. Earning Opportunities The start of this series was inspired by a surge in questions about web3, which was motivated by the profit people were posting online. As you should know, not all that glitters online is actually gold. However, we would be discussing some earning opportunities someone can explore onchain. Roles: The way roles like Software Engineer, Product Manager, Product Designer, etc. exist in web2, is the same way they exist in web3. The difference is the tools and requirements that come with such roles. However, there are new roles in web3 that exist, which were formerly not in web2 (more like not popular). Roles like Research Analyst, Protocol Engineer, Governance Analyst etc. Bounties: Another earning opportunity onchain is through bounty systems. A good number of people thrive on the gig economy onchain. They offer skilled service in exchange for crypto. There are platforms that show you such opportunities, like OnlyDust and Superteam Earn. However, it is not just limited to them. Some projects list these opportunities on their forum, telegram, or discord, depending. Grants: This is money offered to builders to incentivize them to build. Most protocols have a grant system for people who are building a project on their blockchain or protocol. As there are a ton of blockchains out there, it is a strategy used by most to attract quality people to build long-term with them. However, there is still a debate on how effective grant programs are actually, in the ecosystem. I recommend you read the State of Web3 Grants report. Hackathons: A hackathon is a short period event where people are expected to build out a minimum viable product (MVP). Usually, protocols organize or support people who organize such activities as it serves as a way of onboarding talents into their ecosystem, and sometimes, those products end up becoming successful projects in the space. Conclusion It is pretty much evident that you need to have a skill that is valuable (in other words, add value to those who pay you) in order to earn a living or make money in the ecosystem. You will also need to do a lot of building in public, so you can get visibility and people can be aware of what you do. These life hacks are general hacks that work, even if you are on web 1, 2, or 3. Also, the earning opportunity is not limited to only what I discussed above. There are other things possible that I may not have an idea about. You will just have to be very resourceful and make use of the internet to do a lot of research on what is possible. If you are thinking long-term, you should look at some job descriptions and acquire the skills there if you want to land a role or gig in it. I hope you got to enjoy both parts of the series, and good luck on your onchain journey. Introduction Welcome back to part 2 of this series. If you are here, it’s most likely because you did enjoy reading part 1 . However, if you haven’t read that article, I believe you should, as it forms a strong background for this article. Now that you know how we got to web3 and what it stands for, the lurking question would be, “How can I be part of it?” part 1 In this article, we will start by having an overview of the different blockchain networks and then look at the financial aspect of things, which I know is why most of you are here. More About Blockchains I know what I am about to tell you might feel like information overload, but it is a necessary thing to know in order to not make mistakes in the field. We both know that web3 is powered by blockchain technology; that is the face value difference between a web2 and a web3 product. Now, you may ask, “It’s just one blockchain, right?” Well, it’s not. There are over 1,000 blockchains that exist as of 2024. Each of them has its unique provision and distinction. Some are niched, some are general purpose, some have better technology infrastructure powering them, etc. Generally, blockchains are known as Layer 1s (L1s), but they come with an issue which is known as the blockchain trilemma . However, other blockchains exist that are built on top of existing blockchains (Layer 1s), which help solve the blockchain trilemma issue, and they are known as Layer 2 (L2s). More about it here . Now, hold that thought as we look at some examples of blockchain below. blockchain trilemma blockchain trilemma here here Ethereum : This is the leading platform for innovative apps and blockchain networks and is second only to Bitcoin in its market capitalization . It is a Layer 1, and if you are looking to enter an ecosystem that has an incredible number of talents in it, this is the right pick for you. Also, there are a huge number of Layer 2s building on Ethereum because of how much economic security the blockchain possesses. Ethereum Ethereum Ethereum market capitalization market capitalization Base : This is a Layer 2 blockchain solution designed to enhance the Ethereum network by providing a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective environment for decentralized applications (dApps). Base Base Base Polkadot : Polkadot is a blockchain network that connects different blockchains, called parachains, so they can: Transfer data and assets seamlessly, build on a platform that provides validation and security, interact with each other through bridges, and communicate securely. Technically, it is a Layer 0. Polkadot Polkadot Polkadot Stellar : This is a layer 1 blockchain that allows digital currency to fiat money low-cost transfers. It also allows cross-border financial transactions among any pair of currencies. Stellar Stellar Stellar Solana : This is a blockchain platform designed to host decentralized, scalable applications. Solana Solana Solana Navigating Web3 You roughly have an idea of the blockchain that exists currently. The first step to interacting with any blockchain is having a wallet, no, not the one you put in your pocket. This wallet is basically your gateway to web3, and it will be in charge of holding the assets you have on any blockchain. There are things to consider when picking a wallet, such as whether it is a self-custodial wallet or not, blockchain compatibility, etc. It can be a lot, but you should have this in mind, so before proceeding, I recommend you read this educational article on the subject. educational article educational article Each blockchain has its native token, and this token is used to pay for transactions carried out on the blockchain. This is also known as gas fees. So, for you to carry out transactions on any blockchain, you have to hold its native token. Most Ethereum Layer 2s, like Base, Optimism, Arbirum, etc., make use of the native token of Ethereum, known as Ether, as the token for gas fees. Earning Opportunities The start of this series was inspired by a surge in questions about web3, which was motivated by the profit people were posting online. As you should know, not all that glitters online is actually gold. However, we would be discussing some earning opportunities someone can explore onchain. Roles : The way roles like Software Engineer, Product Manager, Product Designer, etc. exist in web2, is the same way they exist in web3. The difference is the tools and requirements that come with such roles. However, there are new roles in web3 that exist, which were formerly not in web2 (more like not popular). Roles like Research Analyst, Protocol Engineer, Governance Analyst etc. Roles Bounties : Another earning opportunity onchain is through bounty systems. A good number of people thrive on the gig economy onchain. They offer skilled service in exchange for crypto. There are platforms that show you such opportunities, like OnlyDust and Superteam Earn . However, it is not just limited to them. Some projects list these opportunities on their forum, telegram, or discord, depending. Bounties OnlyDust OnlyDust Superteam Earn Superteam Earn Grants : This is money offered to builders to incentivize them to build. Most protocols have a grant system for people who are building a project on their blockchain or protocol. As there are a ton of blockchains out there, it is a strategy used by most to attract quality people to build long-term with them. However, there is still a debate on how effective grant programs are actually, in the ecosystem. I recommend you read the State of Web3 Grants report . Grants State of Web3 Grants report State of Web3 Grants report Hackathons : A hackathon is a short period event where people are expected to build out a minimum viable product (MVP). Usually, protocols organize or support people who organize such activities as it serves as a way of onboarding talents into their ecosystem, and sometimes, those products end up becoming successful projects in the space. Hackathons Conclusion It is pretty much evident that you need to have a skill that is valuable (in other words, add value to those who pay you) in order to earn a living or make money in the ecosystem. You will also need to do a lot of building in public, so you can get visibility and people can be aware of what you do. These life hacks are general hacks that work, even if you are on web 1, 2, or 3. Also, the earning opportunity is not limited to only what I discussed above. There are other things possible that I may not have an idea about. You will just have to be very resourceful and make use of the internet to do a lot of research on what is possible. If you are thinking long-term, you should look at some job descriptions and acquire the skills there if you want to land a role or gig in it. I hope you got to enjoy both parts of the series, and good luck on your onchain journey.

Web3 Unveiled: A Beginner’s Guide to the Next Evolution of the Internet - Part 2

After years of trying and giving up, then trying and giving up again and again, I finally made it! I found a way out of the LinkedIn algorithm labyrinth. With only 250 followers, I got over 100K WEEKLY impressions and thousands of engagements with only a handful of LinkedIn posts! Since then, people have been DMing me with questions like: How did you do it? What’s the catch? Can you please show me how it’s done? What’s your secret? There’s no secret. What I did was legit. The answer has been hiding in plain sight all this time since I published 10 Quora Growth Marketing Commandments. Not so long story short, just one of my HackerNoon stories that passed almost unrecognized, it all boils down to this simple analogy: Quora Spaces = LinkedIn Groups So, if you want to make it and break it on LinkedIn, instead of posting into the void of LinkedIn, you should focus on specific groups. They’ll do all the work for you. So, I did my homework. My old Quora posts got a new life, and what’s even more interesting, performed even better as LinkedIn posts. But again, by being submitted to the most relevant and active LinkedIn groups. I couldn’t believe it. Almost 50K impressions from a single post in less than 24 hours. I could’ve had even more impressions, but I was struggling to honor all comments with my reply and keep track of all the discussions that followed. I did the math. In a week or two, at this growth rate, I’d hit 500+ LinkedIn connections. I don’t have to worry about the number of followers because all impressions and engagements are coming from groups. Case closed. You know how it goes, don’t you? You keep asking yourself, is there more I could do? How about becoming a Top Voice on LinkedIn? For that to happen I’d have to contribute. We’re unlocking community knowledge in an all new way. It starts with an article on a professional topic or skill, written with the help of AI — but it’s not complete without insights and advice from people with real-life experiences. We invited experts to contribute. You see, I missed that line “with the help of AI,” and that’s how I went down the rabbit hole of LinkedIn Top Voice badges. Why Oh Why, You AI Make Me Wanna Cry! “In a move that has surprised many LinkedIn users, the platform has announced that it will be retiring its "Top Voice" badges for those who contribute to Collaborative Articles. This badge symbolized authority and expertise, adding an extra layer of credibility to a user's LinkedIn profile.” Wait! Why? I just got warmed up to contribute around the clock. “Many users voiced concerns that the automatic awarding of these badges wasn't necessarily a reflection of true expertise, as the AI-based system did not account for the depth or quality of the insights shared.” Immediately, the good old Second Human Rule came to my mind: At HackerNoon every article goes through a second human (who didn’t write it) before publication. The only exception to this rule is those who publish under our verified writer accounts. I’m a verified contributor, but I don’t want to be an EXCEMT from the rules, I want to be EXCEPTIONAL at writing, period. “In response to community feedback, LinkedIn acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining high standards for its Top Voice badges under the current system. The automatic process did not include any manual review, leading to users being recognized as experts despite lacking the necessary knowledge or skills in their fields. This, coupled with reports that some contributors were using AI tools to generate their responses, led LinkedIn to question the validity of the badges. As a result, LinkedIn has decided to remove these badges entirely. Existing badge holders will see their badges expire within 60 days of being awarded, and by December 7th, 2024, all gold Top Voice badges will be removed from the platform.” All That Glitters on LinkedIn Is (Not) Created by AI “Writers” “Although the Top Voice badges for Collaborative Articles are being phased out, LinkedIn has clarified that its blue Top Voice badges, awarded through a manual selection process by its editorial team, will remain in place. These badges, which are highly coveted and awarded by invitation only, continue to hold weight as a mark of true expertise on the platform.” What is this supposed to mean? Well, let me show you. When you see a profile with this badge, you know he or she is a legit sheriff in the LinkedIn town. I’m not saying that this shiny badge isn’t legit or well-deserved, but take it with a grain of salt. Either way, all gold will be removed from LinkedIn, so don’t worry about it. If you want to follow my LinkedIn footsteps, then you have to be verified: To verify means that you have to submit your ID (USA) or the NFC passport for the rest of the world. This shouldn’t be an issue, if you don’t have any privacy concerns. For me, it’s all about time and money because my passport expired in 2020. I had the money back then, but I couldn’t travel because of the pandemic. So, I didn’t see a point in getting a new passport only to collect dust. And, there’s more… Thank you but no thank you LinkedIn, investing in my future is writing new HackerNoon stories and sharing them as posts. The best things in life are supposed to be free, or at least, this is how it used to be. Roll up your sleeves LinkedIn, and get back to a good old and trustworthy manual selection and invitation-only process for the next generation of Top Voices. After years of trying and giving up, then trying and giving up again and again, I finally made it! I found a way out of the LinkedIn algorithm labyrinth. With only 250 followers, I got over 100K WEEKLY impressions and thousands of engagements with only a handful of LinkedIn posts! With only 250 followers, I got over 100K WEEKLY impressions and thousands of engagements with only a handful of LinkedIn posts! With only 250 followers, I got over 100K WEEKLY impressions and thousands of engagements with only a handful of LinkedIn posts! Since then, people have been DMing me with questions like: How did you do it? What’s the catch? Can you please show me how it’s done? What’s your secret? There’s no secret. What I did was legit. The answer has been hiding in plain sight all this time since I published 10 Quora Growth Marketing Commandments. 10 Quora Growth Marketing Commandments . 10 Quora Growth Marketing Commandments Not so long story short, just one of my HackerNoon stories that passed almost unrecognized, it all boils down to this simple analogy: Quora Spaces = LinkedIn Groups Quora Spaces = LinkedIn Groups Quora Spaces = LinkedIn Groups So, if you want to make it and break it on LinkedIn, instead of posting into the void of LinkedIn, you should focus on specific groups. They’ll do all the work for you. So, I did my homework. My old Quora posts got a new life, and what’s even more interesting, performed even better as LinkedIn posts. But again, by being submitted to the most relevant and active LinkedIn groups. I couldn’t believe it. Almost 50K impressions from a single post in less than 24 hours. I could’ve had even more impressions, but I was struggling to honor all comments with my reply and keep track of all the discussions that followed. Almost 50K impressions from a single post in less than 24 hours. I did the math. In a week or two, at this growth rate, I’d hit 500+ LinkedIn connections. I don’t have to worry about the number of followers because all impressions and engagements are coming from groups. Case closed. You know how it goes, don’t you? You keep asking yourself, is there more I could do? How about becoming a Top Voice on LinkedIn? For that to happen I’d have to contribute. How about becoming a Top Voice on LinkedIn? We’re unlocking community knowledge in an all new way. It starts with an article on a professional topic or skill, written with the help of AI — but it’s not complete without insights and advice from people with real-life experiences. We invited experts to contribute. We’re unlocking community knowledge in an all new way. It starts with an article on a professional topic or skill, written with the help of AI — but it’s not complete without insights and advice from people with real-life experiences. We invited experts to contribute. with the help of AI You see, I missed that line “with the help of AI,” and that’s how I went down the rabbit hole of LinkedIn Top Voice badges. Why Oh Why, You AI Make Me Wanna Cry! “In a move that has surprised many LinkedIn users, the platform has announced that it will be retiring its "Top Voice" badges for those who contribute to Collaborative Articles. This badge symbolized authority and expertise , adding an extra layer of credibility to a user's LinkedIn profile.” This badge symbolized authority and expertise Wait! Why? I just got warmed up to contribute around the clock. “Many users voiced concerns that the automatic awarding of these badges wasn't necessarily a reflection of true expertise, as the AI-based system did not account for the depth or quality of the insights shared .” automatic awarding of these badges the AI-based system did not account for the depth or quality of the insights shared Immediately, the good old Second Human Rule came to my mind: At HackerNoon every article goes through a second human (who didn’t write it) before publication. The only exception to this rule is those who publish under our verified writer accounts. At HackerNoon every article goes through a second human (who didn’t write it) before publication. The only exception to this rule is those who publish under our verified writer accounts. I’m a verified contributor, but I don’t want to be an EXCEMT from the rules, I want to be EXCEPTIONAL at writing, period. “In response to community feedback, LinkedIn acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining high standards for its Top Voice badges under the current system. The automatic process did not include any manual review , leading to users being recognized as experts despite lacking the necessary knowledge or skills in their fields. This, coupled with reports that some contributors were using AI tools to generate their responses , led LinkedIn to question the validity of the badges. As a result, LinkedIn has decided to remove these badges entirely. Existing badge holders will see their badges expire within 60 days of being awarded, and by December 7th, 2024, all gold Top Voice badges will be removed from the platform. ” The automatic process did not include any manual review some contributors were using AI tools to generate their responses As a result, LinkedIn has decided to remove these badges entirely. Existing badge holders will see their badges expire within 60 days of being awarded, and by December 7th, 2024, all gold Top Voice badges will be removed from the platform. All That Glitters on LinkedIn Is (Not) Created by AI “Writers” “Although the Top Voice badges for Collaborative Articles are being phased out, LinkedIn has clarified that its blue Top Voice badges, awarded through a manual selection process by its editorial team, will remain in place. These badges, which are highly coveted and awarded by invitation only, continue to hold weight as a mark of true expertise on the platform .” LinkedIn has clarified that its blue Top Voice badges, awarded through a manual selection process by its editorial team, will remain in place. awarded by invitation only, continue to hold weight as a mark of true expertise on the platform What is this supposed to mean? Well, let me show you. When you see a profile with this badge, you know he or she is a legit sheriff in the LinkedIn town. I’m not saying that this shiny badge isn’t legit or well-deserved, but take it with a grain of salt. Either way, all gold will be removed from LinkedIn, so don’t worry about it. If you want to follow my LinkedIn footsteps, then you have to be verified: To verify means that you have to submit your ID (USA) or the NFC passport for the rest of the world. This shouldn’t be an issue, if you don’t have any privacy concerns. For me, it’s all about time and money because my passport expired in 2020. I had the money back then, but I couldn’t travel because of the pandemic. So, I didn’t see a point in getting a new passport only to collect dust. And, there’s more… Thank you but no thank you LinkedIn, investing in my future is writing new HackerNoon stories and sharing them as posts. The best things in life are supposed to be free, or at least, this is how it used to be. Roll up your sleeves LinkedIn, and get back to a good old and trustworthy manual selection and invitation-only process for the next generation of Top Voices.

How AI Killed LinkedIn's Top Voices Program

Cómo la IA acabó con el programa Top Voices de LinkedIn

Como AI matou o programa Top Voices de LinkedIn

कैसे AI ने लिंक्डइन के टॉप वॉयस प्रोग्राम को ख़त्म कर दिया

AIがLinkedInのトップボイスプログラムを破壊した経緯

AI LinkedIn-ийн шилдэг дуу хоолой хөтөлбөрийг хэрхэн устгасан бэ?

Bagaimana AI Membunuh Program Suara Teratas LinkedIn

कसरी AI ले LinkedIn को शीर्ष आवाज कार्यक्रम मारे

AI LinkedIn's Top Voices වැඩසටහන විනාශ කළ ආකාරය

Ako AI zabila program Top Voices LinkedIn

AI ฆ่าโปรแกรม Top Voices ของ LinkedIn ได้อย่างไร

Yapay Zeka LinkedIn'in En İyi Sesler Programını Nasıl Öldürdü

Indlela i-AI eyabulala ngayo iNkqubo ye-LinkedIn ye-Top Voices

The concept of trust has always been a somewhat fragile construction, akin to the finest silk cloth yet as strong as a knight's armor. It is that invisible glue that holds societies together, enabling human cooperation to scale from the family level right through to cities, nations, and global systems. But this eternal concept stands at a crossroads in the digital era. Its nature changing. With that come new complexities. Is trust the shining armor that fortifies the future or the scarlet stain marring our efforts to connect in a digitized world? The Old Guard: Relational Trust as Legacy For centuries, trust was relational; it was about building face-to-face. People shook hands with someone and looked someone in the eyes, and there was something physical about the trust given and received. This type of trust (let's call it "analog trust") represents a haptic experience. It requires personal investment, deep familiarity, and an echo of vulnerability. But even in its seeming purity, this trust was far from flawless. It was manipulable, as it was often a question of personal charisma or the level of hierarchy within the organizational structure that established someone's trustworthiness. The village elder, the priest, the banker—trust was usually intertwined with authority and sometimes to the harm of those least able to question it. This relational trust had, however, one indisputable strength: it could be resilient. It could be repaired, built anew, and enriched through shared experiences across time. The Dawn of Tech-Powered Trust: Armor With Cracks When digital trust as technology moved in, a model flipped on its head from the analog trust. In this case, trust wasn't culled through repeated, intimate human interactions but via algorithms, encryption, and smart contracts. Blockchain, DeFi, and decentralized technologies are promising a world of trust without intermediaries, one where code (not personal connective tissue) will ensure that everything remains fair. The shiny armor of digital trust is unbreakable transparency, immutability, and decentralization. This shining armor of promise also hides a great deal of flaws behind its glittering veneer. Tech-ensured trust is founded on a very flawed premise that systems cannot be corrupted and that technology is impartial. And as we have very well learned through faulty algorithms, hacking scandals, and the breakdown of decentralized governance, those cracks in the armor can be just as catastrophic as breaches in the analog world. The facelessness of the digital trust concept (where trustworthiness is only an equation) makes the failure feel more disillusioned when the system breaks. There is no one to blame; it is the very nature of trust in that context that becomes paradoxical because it can scale yet very well become increasingly brittle. Trust: Superpower or Weakness? One might say that trust, in its analog or digital forms, represents a weakness. It is the realization that we cannot control everything and, therefore, must rely on others or systems. In trusting, one opens oneself up to risk. It can be in the form of relational betrayal or technological breakdown within decentralized systems. Is trust, then, a vulnerability? Or is it, in fact, strength? Trust, in a decentralized world, is a superpower. Not because it makes us invincible but because it builds collective resilience. That's the beauty of this distributed system: it distributes the one thing needed - trust. No single entity can betray us because no single entity holds power. And it's this diffusion of trust that can make the collective stronger, the very act of trusting a form of empowerment. Equally, in relational trust, we often find strength, not in the moments when trust is upheld but in times when trust is broken and repaired. The real value of trust comes not from its perfection but from its ability to endure and adapt. Whether analog or digital, trust does not stand still. It is constantly in fluctuation, testing our judgment as to how far we want to trust the goodness of systems and people while simultaneously creating opportunities to rebuild an even stronger bond after such a moment of failure. Hybrid Trust: A Third Way? But maybe the most interesting evolution in trust is right at the crossroads of these two worlds: analog and digital. Hybrid trust, a blend of relational and tech-powered trust, is already a reality. Consider social media platforms where the trust is both relational (it's your network of friends and followers) and, at the same time, tech-driven, with algorithms curating what you see. Or consider decentralized finance, where trust in code and technology is complemented by trust in community governance and collaborative decision-making. This hybrid model might be a foreshadowing of what the future might hold in terms of moderating analogs open to manipulation and digitals to complete failure. Trust might be more like a multilayered construct, adaptive through a multiplicity of contexts fusing the personal with the technical. Conclusion: Armor Radiant, the Scarlet Stain Trusting, be it relational or powered with technology, is neither pure shining armor nor a scarlet stain. It is both, in a duality, that epitomizes the complication of human interconnectedness in the digital age. Though the methodology of building trust will change (evolving from handshake agreements to cryptographic signatures), the essence remains the same. I mean a delicate balance between risk and reward, vulnerability and strength. In this, I find the imperfections and possibilities of trust as a guiding force. One that even now shapes our actions in ways we're only beginning to understand. The concept of trust has always been a somewhat fragile construction, akin to the finest silk cloth yet as strong as a knight's armor. It is that invisible glue that holds societies together, enabling human cooperation to scale from the family level right through to cities, nations, and global systems. But this eternal concept stands at a crossroads in the digital era. Its nature changing. With that come new complexities. Is trust the shining armor that fortifies the future or the scarlet stain marring our efforts to connect in a digitized world? The Old Guard: Relational Trust as Legacy For centuries, trust was relational; it was about building face-to-face. People shook hands with someone and looked someone in the eyes, and there was something physical about the trust given and received. This type of trust (let's call it "analog trust") represents a haptic experience. It requires personal investment, deep familiarity, and an echo of vulnerability. But even in its seeming purity, this trust was far from flawless. It was manipulable, as it was often a question of personal charisma or the level of hierarchy within the organizational structure that established someone's trustworthiness. The village elder, the priest, the banker—trust was usually intertwined with authority and sometimes to the harm of those least able to question it. This relational trust had, however, one indisputable strength: it could be resilient. It could be repaired, built anew, and enriched through shared experiences across time. The Dawn of Tech-Powered Trust: Armor With Cracks When digital trust as technology moved in, a model flipped on its head from the analog trust. In this case, trust wasn't culled through repeated, intimate human interactions but via algorithms, encryption, and smart contracts. Blockchain, DeFi, and decentralized technologies are promising a world of trust without intermediaries, one where code (not personal connective tissue) will ensure that everything remains fair. The shiny armor of digital trust is unbreakable transparency, immutability, and decentralization. This shining armor of promise also hides a great deal of flaws behind its glittering veneer. Tech-ensured trust is founded on a very flawed premise that systems cannot be corrupted and that technology is impartial. And as we have very well learned through faulty algorithms, hacking scandals, and the breakdown of decentralized governance, those cracks in the armor can be just as catastrophic as breaches in the analog world. The facelessness of the digital trust concept (where trustworthiness is only an equation) makes the failure feel more disillusioned when the system breaks. There is no one to blame; it is the very nature of trust in that context that becomes paradoxical because it can scale yet very well become increasingly brittle. Trust: Superpower or Weakness? One might say that trust, in its analog or digital forms, represents a weakness. It is the realization that we cannot control everything and, therefore, must rely on others or systems. In trusting, one opens oneself up to risk. It can be in the form of relational betrayal or technological breakdown within decentralized systems. Is trust, then, a vulnerability? Or is it, in fact, strength? Trust, in a decentralized world, is a superpower. Not because it makes us invincible but because it builds collective resilience. That's the beauty of this distributed system: it distributes the one thing needed - trust. No single entity can betray us because no single entity holds power. And it's this diffusion of trust that can make the collective stronger, the very act of trusting a form of empowerment. Equally, in relational trust, we often find strength, not in the moments when trust is upheld but in times when trust is broken and repaired. The real value of trust comes not from its perfection but from its ability to endure and adapt. Whether analog or digital, trust does not stand still. It is constantly in fluctuation, testing our judgment as to how far we want to trust the goodness of systems and people while simultaneously creating opportunities to rebuild an even stronger bond after such a moment of failure. Hybrid Trust: A Third Way? But maybe the most interesting evolution in trust is right at the crossroads of these two worlds: analog and digital. Hybrid trust, a blend of relational and tech-powered trust, is already a reality. Consider social media platforms where the trust is both relational (it's your network of friends and followers) and, at the same time, tech-driven, with algorithms curating what you see. Or consider decentralized finance, where trust in code and technology is complemented by trust in community governance and collaborative decision-making. This hybrid model might be a foreshadowing of what the future might hold in terms of moderating analogs open to manipulation and digitals to complete failure. Trust might be more like a multilayered construct, adaptive through a multiplicity of contexts fusing the personal with the technical. Conclusion: Armor Radiant, the Scarlet Stain Trusting, be it relational or powered with technology, is neither pure shining armor nor a scarlet stain. It is both, in a duality, that epitomizes the complication of human interconnectedness in the digital age. Though the methodology of building trust will change (evolving from handshake agreements to cryptographic signatures), the essence remains the same. I mean a delicate balance between risk and reward, vulnerability and strength. In this, I find the imperfections and possibilities of trust as a guiding force. One that even now shapes our actions in ways we're only beginning to understand.

Trust in the Digital Age: The Shiny Armor and the Scarlet Stain

La confianza en la era digital: la armadura brillante y la mancha escarlata

Konfiantza Aro Digitalean: Armadura distiratsua eta Orban Escarlata

डिजिटल युग में भरोसा: चमकदार कवच और लाल रंग का दाग

Վստահություն թվային դարաշրջանում. փայլուն զրահը և կարմիր բիծը

デジタル時代の信頼：光り輝く鎧と緋色の染み

ជឿជាក់លើយុគសម័យឌីជីថល៖ គ្រឿងសឹកភ្លឺចាំង និងស្នាមប្រឡាក់ពណ៌ក្រហម

Дижитал эринд итгэх: Гялалзсан хуяг ба час улаан толбо

ඩිජිටල් යුගය කෙරෙහි විශ්වාසය: දිලිසෙන සන්නාහය සහ තද රතු පාට පැල්ලම

Sanly zamana ynam: Parlak ýaraglar we gyrmyzy tegmiller

Magtiwala sa Digital Age: The Shiny Armor and the Scarlet stain

Dijital Çağda Güven: Parlak Zırh ve Kızıl Leke

Niềm tin trong thời đại số: Bộ giáp sáng bóng và vết bẩn đỏ thẫm

The 10 Most Powerful AI Image Generators with 4 Sample Images Each

The Definitive Guide to Social Media’s Latest AI Updates: From Gimmicky To Genius

ByteDance Bets Big: A Strategic Exit From The Social Media Circus With AI Video?

ባይት ዳንስ ትልቅ፡ ከማህበራዊ ሚዲያ ሰርከስ በ AI ቪዲዮ ስልታዊ መውጣት?

ByteDance залага много: Стратегическо излизане от цирка на социалните медии с AI Video?

ByteDance se kladi na veliko: Strateški izlaz iz cirkusa društvenih medija sa AI videom?

ByteDance apuesta a lo grande: ¿una salida estratégica del circo de las redes sociales con vídeos de inteligencia artificial?

ByteDance mise gros : une sortie stratégique du cirque des médias sociaux avec la vidéo IA ?

ByteDance הימר בגדול: יציאה אסטרטגית מקרקס המדיה החברתית עם וידאו בינה מלאכותית?

ByteDance が大きな賭けに出る: AI ビデオでソーシャル メディア サーカスから戦略的に撤退か?

ByteDance Bets Big: Jalan Keluar Strategik Dari Circus Media Sosial Dengan Video AI?

ByteDance zet hoog in: een strategische uitweg uit het sociale mediacircus met AI-video?

ByteDance Hatun Apuestas: ¿Huk Estratégico Lluqsiy Circo de Medios Socialesmanta AI Videowan?

ByteDance katta tikish: AI video bilan ijtimoiy media sirkidan strategik chiqishmi?

I-ByteDance Ukubheja Okukhulu: Ukuphuma Okuyisu Kusuka Kusekisini Yezokuxhumana Ngevidiyo ye-AI?

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