I keep poking away at this issue. I published a newsletter on February 25, 2021 about Fact, Fiction, and Opinion. Then on June 12, I wrote about Prejudice, Discrimination, and Hate.
Over the past two years, I have watched the unfortunate politicization of LinkedIn. Probably! Any forum that allows open comment becomes vulnerable to the propagation of false narratives, twisted statistics, and bombastic positioning.
The last two years have tried everyone’s patience. As a result, the business community has been brutalized. Individual freedom of movement has been restricted. Government authorities have struggled to deliver consistent messages. Around the world, various jurisdictions have taken different approaches to managing the pandemic. And, the grass is always greener somewhere else!
I do not adhere to the Facebook or its Metaverse; I do have an inactive Twitter account. There are other popular social media platforms that I have missed naming but I wouldn’t know where to start. After all, I am getting old! It would appear that the noise and extremism on all of those platforms is deafening.
I have used LinkedIn for the past ten years. In theory, adherents are business people typically careful and thoughtful in their commentary. I would think that most joined for the same reasons that I did, to:
These days I am struggling with the way some conversations are going. Some subscriber posts and comments brutalize the poster’s own image. They are no longer attractive employees or business associates.
Now, the venom, lack of perspective, and just pure bull in some of the posts and comments leave me drained. I find myself blocking many contributors. What happened to careful, analytical thoughtfulness? Why do an increasing number seem to think that it is ok to be angry all the time? Or just fine to quote incomplete information and statistics, without context or analysis?
To counter the above I:
The unfortunate politicization of LinkedIn has almost driven me to disconnect. Despite politicization, much of the content remains fair and relevant. I will stick around for now.
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Vienna had been a poor city even before the First World War. “Normal” housing arrangements meant six to eight people sharing one room and a kitchen. Then, in early 1919, just after the Armistice, the cost of living tripled in two months. Bed lodgers could no longer afford their 8-hours a day in a shared […]