I recently began a foray into using LinkedIn with a view to getting some scientific English editing work. The “try for free” premium services made it difficult to cancel without paying after the first month. This is a part of a “stealth” subscription model which is internet wide. I personally don’t like it. By mistake I paid one month. It is a bit sneaky. Alongside WordPress is forever suggesting purchase of add-ons and upgrades. It is a sign of the times and being an old fart I am not happy with it. This hard-sell is ubiquitous. My pet hate is airlines who offer a low price ticket only to charge you for luggage and seat reservation meaning the headline ticket price is a smokescreen. I can remember on BOAC getting food served in economy on a china plate and having my unaccompanied minors flight miles log signed by the captain using a fountain pen. I had 150,000 airmiles by the time I was 13!
The good old days are no longer here.
Seems everyone one is ultra cautious about who they are seen to associate with in public on the internet on things like LinkedIn. A fair percentage of my invitations to join my network have been turned down. My leper’s bell can clearly be heard in some quarters. People whose career was aided and even jump started by their interactions with me do not want to network with me now I am no longer any use to them. I don’t add kudos. It makes you wonder how real the interactions were in the first place all those years ago. They don’t want to associate with me, not even with a bargepole.
I have learned a few things one of which is the strength of feeling in the Israeli community concerning the rise of antisemitism. I guessed the concern was there but to see it first hand is interesting and educational.
I have also learned that you can get various forms of personal services from coaching, through security experts, dream trainers, shamanic soul recovery right the way through to cartomancy and exorcism. I had thought LinkedIn was just for conservative business. My assumptions were wrong.
A lot of people are pushing services. Logic says that the quality must be variable, many perhaps are over hyped.
Some of my posts on quantum computing etc. get several hundred reads. I have toyed with idea of launching “Man in His Shed PLC” or “Homme dans son grenier SARL”.
I get more reads on LinkedIn than on any of the other blogs I have written.
At the moment it looks like my time on LinkedIn is limited and I am getting the urge to pull the account and vanish in a puff of smoke. I joined it with a burner email address so that I had an exit if needed.
It looks as though the science editing thing is a no-go perhaps due to AI and Skynet…
I need a plan b, it seems…
hmnn
Dreamyoga 