“Nothing normal ever changed a damn thing.” Slush, 2017
Now that’s a slogan.
It resonates deeply with us here in Canada. While sisu may be a uniquely Finnish trait, we’re convinced we have some of that grit and determination in Canada too. Maybe it’s the shared northern climate; cold weather and short, dark days tend to do that to a nation. 
Regardless, it caught our eye. We like to go against the grain, too. And we’re certainly far from normal.
How could we resist?
On Thursday, November 30th and Friday, December 1st, we’re attending Slush 2017 in Helsinki, Finland. It’s our first time at Slush (and our first time visiting Finland), and we couldn’t be more excited.
It’s a chance to meet with gaming and social companies from all over the world — not to mention our Finnish friends at Sulake (you know them as Habbo) and Supercell.
At Two Hat Security, our goal is to empower social and gaming platforms to build healthy, engaged online communities, all while protecting their brand and their users from high-risk content. Slush’s goal is to empower innovative thinkers to create technology that changes the world.
So, it’s kind of a perfect match.
We’re loving the two themes of Slush 2017:
#1 – Technology will not shape our future — we do.
Technology is no different from any other tool. A hammer can be used to harm, but it can also be used to build a home. In the same way, online chat can be used to spread hate speech, but it can also be used to make connections that enrich and empower us. 
We have a chance to use technology as a force for change, not a weapon. This is our chance to embrace the fundamental values of fair play, sportsmanship, and digital citizenship and reshape gaming and social communities for the better.
The tide is turning in the industry. Companies realize that an old-fashioned, hands-off approach to in-game chat and community building just doesn’t work. That smart, purposeful moderation increases user retention. That a blend of artificial intelligence and human review can significantly reduce moderation costs. And that you can protect your brand and your community without sacrificing freedom of expressivity.
#2 – Entrepreneurs are problem-solvers.
Everyone says the internet is a mess.
So let’s clean it up.
Let’s use state-of-the-art technology and pair it with state-of-the-heart humanity to make digital communities better. Safer. Stronger. And hey, let’s be honest — more profitable. Better for business. (Profitable-er? That’s a word, right?)
Sharon and Mike will be hanging out at the Elisa booth, showing off our chat filter and moderation software tool Community Sift.
You can even test it out. This is your chance to type all the naughty words you can think of… for business reasons, of course.
We’ll see you there, in cold, slushy Helsinki, at the end of November. As Canadians, we’re not bothered by the cold. (The cold never bothered us anyway.)
(Sorry not sorry.)
Let’s solve some problems together.
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Two Hat empowers gaming and social platforms to foster healthy, engaged online communities. Want to see how we can protect your brand and your community from high-risk content? Get in touch today!