Saturday, July 16, 2011

9013: Sundry Thoughts On Social Media.


Social media like LinkedIn can be a pain in the ass, particularly with the “People You May Know” functions. The overwhelming majority of selections tend to fall into three categories:

1) People you don’t know
2) People you don’t want to know
3) People you wish you didn’t know

And it gets somewhat uncomfortable when receiving an “invite” from people within the above silos. However, it’s a pleasure to “un-friend” the weasels who turn out to simply be using connections to sell themselves or their services.


Another annoyance involves the people who do not update their information. The “People You May Know “ queue is filled with people you damn well know are no longer holding the positions stated in their profiles. For example, the LinkedIn profile above keeps popping up for Mark Modesto, identifying him as a President at Draftfcb. Um, the man was ousted about a year ago.

On the flip side, there are instances of folks who cannot update their information. For example, the “People You May Know” listing occasionally includes the deceased. It’s really bizarre to view these profiles—still featuring contact information, indicating years in a “current” position and displaying recommendations that now read like online tributes.

Thanks to LinkedIn, you don’t have to be Cole Sear to see dead people.

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