I'm Looking Through You

Believe half of what you see on LinkedIn and none of what you hear. No wonder I don't use LinkedIn Audio. The algorithm benefits no one. Never has. I never heard the word "Algorithm" until Microsoft bought LinkedIn turning it into Permanent High School.

When I was your age, people posted and there were many comments. It can happen. Less is distributed now. One man does not have this problem. He has a large network.

While he has roughly the same followers and connections as John Kraski, his totals are unnaturally high in the first hour. What is the cause? What could it be? Oh, I don't know. Could it be...

Engagement Pods?!

Lest you thought the answer was "Satan". I liked the poster in question at first. Don't hate because someone is popular. At a certain point he stopped responding and the totals were inflated beyond the point of reason.

At no point do I see his posts and he has "Forty likes, twenty comments and ten shares." Early in the day it should be like that. No matter when I see the post (some networks are so large they come to you. Did that "Bell" ever have value?) the number are juiced.

I never was bothered by steroids in baseball. Lyle Alzado took steroids and paid with his life. Juicing on LinkedIn to create the illusion of "Growth"- what does that get you? Maybe speaking gigs. It is hard to trust someone who fakes their fandom.

Bringing me back to high school. LinkedIn is Permanent High School. Lest you thought we might graduate at some point. Guys, including some I trusted, suggesting getting women drunk so I could take advantage of them.

I don't drink. Occasionally I have been with inebriated women. It doesn't end well for me. There is a different purpose. If you can't get it on your own merits, you should not be there in the first place.

Any growth I have had on this site is organic. Who do I have to impress? Who really cares how many or how few connections I have? There are certain people who comment. At times it feels like Flight of the Conchords who had one passionate fan.

I would rather have one woman who is into me than vague pod people whom I shall never meet because they don't exist. Am I still talking about LinkedIn? If someone's impression numbers are high from the moment of publication, it's fishy.

What credibility would a person like that have? Shouldn't his imaginary friends speak highly of him? I am excused from saying how great he is because he says it about himself. That is not the gateway to a relationship. Connect with people who engage, not the ones who feel they are more important and brag about their followers.