Two years ago on a weekend, I built a tool to make it easier to evaluate Twitter accounts. Since then 36590 people used it to analyze 55390 different Twitter accounts.

Over the last months @mmkaradeniz and I made a new version. We launched it last night:

@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis doesn't use machine learning or AI „magic“. Instead of telling users if an account is authentic or not, it helps them to evaluate the accounts themselves.

It visualizes the different features (date, time, type, app, etc.) of Tweets to make them interpretable. /1
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis The core concept is still the same, but it looks much better and is easier to operate. Not only for the users, but us developers as well. Enabling us to continuously roll out new features in the future.

Side-by-side screenshots of the old and new version. /2
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis Some people had questions what different charts displayed and how they could be interpreted. There are now explanations for all charts, that can be toggled on and off at any time. /3
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis The selected/retrieved Tweet count moved to the top to make it clear that not all Tweets of an account are analyzed. 3200 is the API limit by Twitter. It's possible to get more through the Premium API, but I don't think people would pay $100+ for the analysis of one account. /4
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis There is now an account card at the top of the analysis with basic info about the account. Mostly the same as you get when visiting a profile but with less clicks.

Additionally it shows the account ID. Useful when making screenshots and accounts change their screen name. /5
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis Next is the daily rhythm heatmap, the most loved feature of the tool. It aggregates the Tweets per hour per weekday to show daily patterns.

It gives a quick overview when an account is active and at the same time allows to drill deeper into the data. /6
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis Sometimes you are only interested in the Tweets of a specific time frame. The Tweetvolume by Date chart allows you to select the time you want to analyze and all other charts will only show that data. Very useful to understand spikes. /7
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis All charts are cross-filtered. By switching the selection between Twitter for Android and Twitter Web App, you can see how they supplement each other. My Tweets through a computer are more irregular with many volume spikes. Probably threads (see self-replies). /8
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis Hashtags and Hostnames help with understanding the primary topics of an account. If it is a single issue account or has a bigger variety.

It seems like I don't link out of Twitter often any more. /9
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis With whom does the account interact most often? Let's look into Replied Users, Retweeted Users and Quoted Users.

I love to reply to myself (threads!). But I also retweet myself often (Look at this awesome Tweet I made!). Finally, I mostly quote myself (Well.). /10
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis Finally, one of the biggest improvements over the old version: Most recent Tweets in the current selection. With the ability to load more (that wasn't possible in the past). Each Tweet has a type tag and a button to load the full Tweet.

Much easier to understand things. /11
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis Pro accounts existed in the old version, but they were neither advertised nor accessible. People had to send me a message to get price and payment details. After receiving the payment, I manually upgraded them in the database. Now it's self-service. /12
https://t.co/9CycLTc85m
@mmkaradeniz @accountanalysis To celebrate the launch of @accountanalysis on @ProductHunt, you can upgrade to Pro for 5,25€/month. (65% off). Coupon code in my comment: https://t.co/vKDtmqxAQ1

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The 12 most important pieces of information and concepts I wish I knew about equity, as a software engineer.

A thread.

1. Equity is something Big Tech and high-growth companies award to software engineers at all levels. The more senior you are, the bigger the ratio can be:


2. Vesting, cliffs, refreshers, and sign-on clawbacks.

If you get awarded equity, you'll want to understand vesting and cliffs. A 1-year cliff is pretty common in most places that award equity.

Read more in this blog post I wrote:
https://t.co/WxQ9pQh2mY


3. Stock options / ESOPs.

The most common form of equity compensation at early-stage startups that are high-growth.

And there are *so* many pitfalls you'll want to be aware of. You need to do your research on this: I can't do justice in a tweet.

https://t.co/cudLn3ngqi


4. RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)

A common form of equity compensation for publicly traded companies and Big Tech. One of the easier types of equity to understand: https://t.co/a5xU1H9IHP

5. Double-trigger RSUs. Typically RSUs for pre-IPO companies. I got these at Uber.


6. ESPP: a (typically) amazing employee perk at publicly traded companies. There's always risk, but this plan can typically offer good upsides.

7. Phantom shares. An interesting setup similar to RSUs... but you don't own stocks. Not frequent, but e.g. Adyen goes with this plan.

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"I lied about my basic beliefs in order to keep a prestigious job. Now that it will be zero-cost to me, I have a few things to say."


We know that elite institutions like the one Flier was in (partial) charge of rely on irrelevant status markers like private school education, whiteness, legacy, and ability to charm an old white guy at an interview.

Harvard's discriminatory policies are becoming increasingly well known, across the political spectrum (see, e.g., the recent lawsuit on discrimination against East Asian applications.)

It's refreshing to hear a senior administrator admits to personally opposing policies that attempt to remedy these basic flaws. These are flaws that harm his institution's ability to do cutting-edge research and to serve the public.

Harvard is being eclipsed by institutions that have different ideas about how to run a 21st Century institution. Stanford, for one; the UC system; the "public Ivys".