Get the Ricochet app
Ricochet will work fine in a browser on your mobile devices, but for the best experience please download our app.
I did on LinkedIn something I haven’t done on Facebook: I un-followed people (that’s LinkedIn talk for “un-friending” someone). To flip things around, I might look at Facebook once a year - or less; I stopped doing anything with Facebook in 2019 as too many of my friends turned out to be, how does one say… idiots? But they all did (and still do) really cool things, and I’m interested in reading about what they’re up to, so once a year I check. Some are in bands, some have died, and everyone, even the dying ones, is creating art, so I tolerate the Trump hatred and the, ah, idiots writing to themselves how much America is worse than Germany in the 1930s. I made the “mistake” once of challenging a long-time acquaintance - more than 30 years - regarding her ignorance of the Bible in light of her blinding hatred of Christianity and how believers are the stupid ones, etc. I didn’t expect the blinding hatred to be directed at me… So I gave up, folks who are my friends have absolutely convinced themselves that the US is a total dictatorship under Trump and if it’s in the NYTimes or anywhere else, it’s true. And how dare I not be a critical thinker… Despite that I speak favorably of Cornell West (the man knows Russian literature, he does). Sadly, most of my friends would say, “Who?” Anyway…
So I’m still with Facebook friends; if they are looking for me, they know where to find me.
Not the case with LinkedIn. LinkedIn is about, or so I’ve always thought, advertising oneself professionally, posting relevant content (I’m in the construction/engineering/science “space” and that’s what I’m interested in professionally), staying in touch with ADULT colleagues and peers and grown-up schoolmates, and networking with professional societies/organizations and the like. In other words, not that I presume it’s not well-known to the Ricochet family, LinkedIn expresses my professional resume, and I enjoy “connecting” and “following” with people and organizations I’m interested in and who are interested in me - but we don’t need to bond over vintage SF paperbacks or punk rock shows we remembered from 40 years ago. And we don’t need to bond over politics, either.
Today I had to - out of disgust - unfollow two work colleagues, both of whom have retired (and, I think, are several years my senior). And both of whom are veterans - I am not a veteran. And both of whom should know better, or perhaps not. I had to because I’m actually not interested in anything they are doing or have to say. See, LinkedIn pushes me posts that my connections like and/or comment on - even if the commenter is not the origin of the post (that’s not Facebook style). They both affirmed communist organizations, one had a “like” and a positive comment (meaning anti-Trump) explicitly associated with Occupy Democrats - it’s the graphic of the Illinois governor apparently directing the citizens of his state to surveil their neighborhoods, keeping video records, to somehow thwart Trump's ICE thugs, or, I guess the National Guard working to address criminal activity. The other colleague also affirmed a communist organization (Citizens for Democratic Action, or some similar crap). What ticked me off is that they seemed to be convinced that Trump IS a dictator, the US is either already there as a fascist nation or getting close, and everyone who voted for Trump is a complete moron. Shame on us. In both cases, wow, the comments were overwhelmingly anti-Trump, anti-America (Trump’s America, that is), and oddly pro-Britain, as it is presently. These are professionals - I guess, good party members and people who believe, for example, gaslighters like Jamie Raskin, though I’d figure they’d know better. You don’t get put in jail for making a joke in the US of A (I know, tell Lenny Bruce, but I digress).
Of course, it didn’t appear to them that a governor asking citizens to film “whatever” in case “something happens” is actually a precursor to a genuine police state - everyone spying on everyone else. Or, maybe they’d catch criminals in the act and it could be used to send them to jail… Wait, that might be a good idea… It would not be hard to point that out in a comment on LinkedIn, but… a) I’m not taking the bait, and b) a whole lot of dangerous people I don’t know might get upset, and who knows what would happen?
I remain, nevertheless, a regular user of LinkedIn, though I am actually considering “quiet quitting” it. If any of my connections need to send me a message, I’ll get it.
Discussion (11)
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
I quit both Facebook and LinkedIn several years ago. On Facebook I had people that I’ve known since you could count my age in single digits being totally hateful to people I’ve known just as long. I don’t want the pain.
As far as LinkedIn is concerned, I got tired of being linked to people who had marginal overlap with me and my interest. Retiring also dimmed my appetite for connections.
To be honest, I’ve been on Ricochet for over 10 years and have watched entertaining individuals (David Sussman, DocJay, BallDiamomdBall) drift away. It saddens me.
Fortunately the wife and dogs are still friends.
CONTRIBUTOR
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
I use LinkedIn professionally. I do not use it for political messages, or really much of anything outside promoting my writing or seeking freelance work.
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
I have pretty much quiet quit everything other than Ricochet. I quit Facebook when Windows caused too much trouble and I went to Linux. I decided there was far too much drama there to bother logging in again.
MODERATOR
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
When unemployed, I use LinkedIn , Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor. My sole goal is to secure employment, either immediately or in the future. Companies and recruiters use LinkedIn both to find new employees & to improve and manage their reputation. Recruiters also market themselves to companies.
On. LinkedIn, there are many posts. whining about how brutal and unfair the job market is currently, While this may well be true, I can not imagine complaining about this on LinkedIn makes you more desirable to potential employers. People also spend a fair amount of time ranting about their previous employer and how they were laid off. Likewise, there are a fair number of posts on LinkedIn commenting on political, foreign policy, and social issues. I generally wonder -"why post this here? what does this have to do with hiring or being hired?" - although I am interested in foreigners comments on their countries internal politics. These comments also probably lower your chances of getting hired. In general, I think anything you post on LinkedIn , Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor should be focused on improving your chances of getting a job that suits you.
Facebook, Ricochet, X, Truth Social, and other social media sites are good at what they do - connecting people socially. I do not understand why people use career and job search sites for social networking.
CONTRIBUTOR
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
The whining posts amuse me. My attitude is the job market has always been brutal and unfair. Has been as long as I have been in the labor market (1969, including high school jobs). No one owes you a living.
Even more amusing is when I post job seeking advice that includes not whining, I get all these "well, you've never been there" responses. Foolish child, do you know how many different jobs I had between 2011 and 2021, most of which ended through no fault of my own (or usually) of my employer. I sucked it up and got a new one. Generally within a few months, usually within weeks.
And no employer should know my politics. Damn few of my colleagues, either unless I trust them. So, no. that does not belong on LinkedIn or discussed at work.
You're seeing five of eleven comments. Sign in, or join for just $5 per month, to read them all and add your own.