Rants on "Social Media Hackers"

Disclaimer: Could this post be social suicide? Sure, that's a distinct possibility, given that I typically refrain from sharing opinions to steer clear of associated stigma. However, there is an elephant spraying everywhere and we've just been contentedly sitting in a muddy space grinning at its aftermath for a while now.

While this is entirely subjective and likely to draw disagreements, these are some observations I've made from within the social media community for some time now and I feel it should be brought up.

The idea of a ROCKSTAR needs to burn in the back of the corporate building it came from like the plague infestation it is.

Keep in mind the term isn't used as much currently (thank fuck), but the premise still remains. WHY do people give credence to some and not others? Let me be frank: Follower counts are irrelevant, we all have opinions and I promise you they really are shit at the end of the day (mine included).

Following someone for the popularity of THEIR opinions/memes/thought leading takes will not help you form your own. We have created a system of worship and we are not a religion. EVERYONE has and can bring value.

People will gain more reading, experimenting, trying and failing at their own pace, then trying to rub elbows for bonus points with people whose feeds are so full they could feed a small village.

This is not to say there aren't people in the community who aren't amazing and don't deserve every ounce of respect they've earned for their efforts, contributions and selflessness. These people absolutely deserve to be recognized, but at the end of the day we are human and need to also place faith and respect in our own opinions, abilities and even failures.

We should strive to interact and listen to the opinions, thoughts and takes of those who have barely any people in their feeds too. Often I see some incredible work being done that the community BLATANTLY disregards in lieu of stuff like manic spam posts of things like fake toothbrush botnets.

If this community is about giving credit where it's due, why are we ignoring so many contributions outright?

Let's talk more recent issues:

That is the micromanagement of defining what 'hackers' and 'security' are. Some things I'm seeing hit the mainstream of late are definitions through CORPORATE lenses, and not through the community that preceded it. Companies want to hold the narrative because this tames and defangs perceived threats. The same problems of years ago still exist today for a reason.

They want to rid the community of anyone with a dirty history in exchange for a fresh graduate with the right certifications who has been told what to do because people in this category are impressionable. Remember to do what you're told or go to the corner.

Remember hacktivism? Remember when companies losing money was an issue of relevance, that in turn allowed people to have their voices heard? We may not have always agreed, but that whole essence seems to have removed itself somehow.

Companies have found ways to use the community that objected to its practices in response. Now we wonder why people are being dumped by the wayside and why the greed and disingenuous attitudes are so in our faces.

We have taught the beast our weaknesses to a point where we are perceived as less threatening. It's akin to being the frog on the scorpion's back, questioning why we were stung, despite the scorpion's promise not to do so as it led us across the river.

We are the frog, not the scorpion.

What is the next move?

We Have Allowed Ourselves to Become a Product:

By the same hand, we are being fed the promise of knowledge in exchange for purchasing X certifications in a community that believes knowledge should be free.

Remember that? Do you see the irony in it like I do?

Certifications are a tool, never an expectation of how people should be defined, or a promise of credibility. WE are the product.

While I love CTF, learning and grabbing every resource possible (which does in fact include certification material), some of these resources are also subconsciously instructing the next generation that hacking has/is a very specific process that must be followed within the strict confines of particular contexts.

This is fundamentally untrue in some respects and I feel it could potentially stifle growth in its own right. Embracing unconventional tin foil hat ideas, has historically led to remarkable outcomes. It's in these unexpected paths that people sometimes stumble upon groundbreaking discoveries.

Closing this out with a TLDR; Recognize the worth of every individual within the community, irrespective of visibility and find new ways to approach the impact we have.

Question, adapt, and preserve in the true spirit of things without succumbing to external influences.

Do what you need to do, but challenge everything while you're burning it down.