Read, Research, and Think Before Commenting
When you're about to comment on a post on LinkedIn, it can help to read as many as possible of the comments already there.
Some posts are examples of how not doing that can lead to looking a little, shall we say, out-of-touch.
Case I – An individual had mentioned a family bereavement in his post and the first few comments from other members offered messages of sympathy. After those, the posts turned to pure self-promotion—saying things like “Hey, let’s network, I’ve got thousands of connections and will connect with anyone, no ‘I Don’t Knows,’ email in profile.” It looked like a crowd of drunk convention-goers had crashed the graveside ceremony and started stuffing the pockets of the mourners with their advertising flyers and business cards.
Case II – Someone fell for a fake Willie Nelson death notice from a site mimicking MSNBC.com and posted it. Dozens added their comments of sadness, respect, sympathy, “RIP”, and the like. Many others noted that it was all a hoax. More victims of the hoax continued to comment as if he’d died, apparently failing to read any prior comments or checking reliable internet news sources before deciding to type and click.
Case III- A member self-identifying as a veteran posted a photo of eleven well-dressed young adult women, each wearing one or two prosthetic lower limbs. They were hailed as brave female veterans of the US armed forces, presumably with war injuries. Most comments offered tributes to their courage, determination, and self-sacrifice. However, a Google image search of the photo found two separate hoax-detection sites indicating that the photo was done to support the raising of funds for amputees in Brazil. It had first hit the internet six months earlier. The women, however brave, resilient, and deserving of recognition they were, were not US veterans.
What do we see in these three instances?
- Failing to read enough prior comments to see what’s going on
- Failing to do any independent fact-checking
- Believing it is OK to “troll for connections” on a post seen as getting lots of views
Do these behaviors serve a person well on LinkedIn?
How many of the offending commenters’ profiles do you suppose describe their owners as “detail oriented” and “thought leaders”?
From these behaviors, one could say the people were thought followers and completely oblivious to detail.
#TheStoryfinder | Freelance Writer & Editor & Photographer | Social Marketer | Instagram Specialist | Author Platforms I AI Writer/Editor
7 年As someone who has done a small number of Pulse articles and gotten quite a few comments I'd like to add that the reason I post my stories is to get engagement. I read every comment and try to reply or thank those who took the trouble to write beyond a like. So a fifth point I'd like to add is if you are making a comment please be clear with your intent or the part of the post you are referring to. I've had a few mind-boggling comments that I can't interpret as either positive or negative because I am not sure what external reference they are making, or what sentiment they are trying to convey. Clarity people! Then the comments become a valuable adjunct to the article, and worthy of reading for further insights. Great post Sid.
Executive Coach empowering, connecting and supporting women Professionals demonstrate Executive Presence, Emotional Intelligence and Confidence to turn their boring jobs into fulfilling Careers | Bestselling Author |
7 年Valid points, Sid. I think twice before liking a post and if I am commenting, I double check for facts and read a few comments preceding the one I'm going to post. When it comes to death announcements, a simple Google check works well. Fake news seems to know no barriers - whether Facebook or LinkedIn. :)
Thought provoking article. I agree that some people respond before reading the full details including others comments.
* Enabling people to Move and Handle with Dignity and Respect *
8 年Hopefully Sid it will get people thinking. Great comment Leena Tamminen-Peter
??PhD OH Ergonomist, Researcher, Author, ?? Consultant, Lecturer, Educator Health- Home-Care, EESPHMadvocat easing care
8 年You got people to think Sid and write real comments instead of the usual "great, WOW, beautiful etc." which are actually 'LIKES' and do not belong into 'COMMENTS'.