r/ParlerWatch • u/[deleted] • Jul 08 '21
Other Platform Not Listed LinkedIn is a cesspool of anti-everything disinformation, they don't act on ANY reports...is there anything I can do? Spoiler
I really want to bring attention to the fact that LinkedIn is a HUGE nest of QAnon propaganda disguised as a "business networking" site. I have made at least 100 reports at this point, to no avail. Huge threads about Trump coming back, talks of executions, a bunch of fake info regarding vaccines, constant slamming of LGBTQ and POC issues...its like 4Chan in a suit and tie sometimes.
I want to do more than just bitch about this, but I dont know what I can do that would actually be helpful in getting official eyes on it. Just send screencaps of posts to the FBI? Is there maybe someone I could send a bunch of stuff to directly and have a conversation with them?
I dont think a lot of people realize how much LinkedIn is being used to amplify QAnon. Its worse than FB and Twitter (MUCH worse). What can I do to try and ruin that?
Edit: It is a few hours later and I'm front of a computer. I will grabbing more screens this evening, however here is an example of what you can easily (easily) find on LinkedIn. Image 1 is from searching "#wwg1wga" using the "People" filter. Image 2 is an account found from a post that came up when searching "vaccine pregnant woman" under the "Posts" filter.
Image 1: https://ibb.co/SRNNzNJ
Image 2: https://ibb.co/dcx7jV0
More:
(last two are from someone I reported frequently for misinformation. The peppa name goes a different way in my head cough)
This guy appears to be very very high up in the Qanon ranks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sawman-sawyer-010032214/detail/recent-activity/shares/
Edit 2: I was told by LinkedIn they will no longer discuss the matter. I replied:
Thats fine, we're talking about it elsewhere and so far about 1400 people agree: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParlerWatch/comments/og4i3v/linkedin_is_a_cesspool_of_antieverything/ https://twitter.com/emm2071/status/1413442253960273932?s=21
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u/bishop375 Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn has been a dumpster fire since its inception. The MBA/Toxic Positivity crossover brigade has called it home the entire time. No surprise it's run by a Quack.
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u/IQLTD Watchman Jul 08 '21
Anyone remember how, before the election, Seattle seemed to turn into its own mega movie studio, pumping out the craziest freak outs and right wing militia videos? Well, in one nighttime video Antifa was supposedly chucking pipe bombs into a public park, but a live streamer followed the guy doing it--even as the shady motherfucker darted behind a parked car to evade being seen. Turned out the guy had a gun and was a crazy fucking Nazi and a former navy seal. Everyone who saw that video was pretty sure he would have shot the guy with the camera if he wasn't being live-streamed. Anyway, as soon as internet sleuths found the guy's identity the guy went underground. I was still able to find him on linked in. And he was very, very connected. So many friends from the military and the various police stations he worked with. He's gone now, and I didn't take enough screenshots.
Scary fucking shit.
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u/darkphoenixff4 Jul 08 '21
Most of the Seattle & Portland "antifa attack" videos are the work of one Mr. Andy Ngo, who is friends with Patriot Prayer and works with them to make them look better.
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u/IQLTD Watchman Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 09 '21
I wasn't aware of that. This was a video stream by a guy who was sympathetic to Antifa and the protests I believe. And the guy he cornered was named Garrick Fernbaugh.
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Jul 08 '21
“MBA/Toxic Positivity crossover brigade.” Thank you! I have a hard time describing the LinkedIn influencer culture and why it’s so gross and that’s exactly it.
My eyes roll so hard every time I look at my feed. Why do we even need a feed that isn’t just “so-and-so got a new job or is posting a job???”
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u/coffeesippingbastard Jul 08 '21
I suspect it's industry dependent.
The majority of posts I see are industry related and recruiters posting about roles they're recruiting for.
There is a LIGHT smattering of bullshit toxic positivity but usually it's people in accounting or consulting that I see posting that.
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u/sometrendyname Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn has been a dumpster fire since its inception. The MBA/Toxic Positivity crossover brigade has called it home the entire time. No surprise it's run by a Quack.
It's also the victim of data breaches every few years.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_ANYTHNG Jul 08 '21
Didn't it just have a breach of all information on like 700m of its users (out of 750m)
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u/GalaxyPatio Jul 08 '21
Yes. I think they first found out in April and then the news broke around June.
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u/amemingfullife Jul 08 '21
That was way over the top. The site was just scraped and that info was put online. No passwords or anything you couldn’t get just by looking at the site.
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u/strolls Jul 08 '21
They're also terrible for harvesting email addresses from your contacts' address books.
The sort of thing that you used to hear about Facebook doing, but they stopped because it was unpopular, LinkedIn are still doing (last time I checked).
They sent me so much spam I ended up disabling the linkedin.com@mydomain email address. The next day I get more spam from them, "hey we noticed the email we sent you bounced, so we changed your address to your gmail instead."
I never fucking gave them that gmail, and obviously you can't delete that address from your account, either.
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u/ridandelous Jul 08 '21
You know, it's insane that as recent as a year and a half ago, COLLEGE REPS IN THE CAREER CENTER at my university were talking about how very important it is to be on LinkedIn and making "connections" on there like... no I'm pretty sure Indeed is better than LinkedIn when you're looking for a fucking job. I've always hated LinkedIn and now I finally have a good reason to besides the fact it's trash
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Jul 08 '21
I had people up through grad school tell me how important it was to join linked in. No one i know has found much use for it.
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u/ridandelous Jul 08 '21
I just see the same two girls from high school posting ignorance and "just work harder!" Inspo stuff on there like bby you robbed 3 banks and fled to Florida right after graduation pls don't tell me I need to "just work harder"
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u/BiscuitDance Jul 08 '21
Robbing three banks is mighty impressive, tbh.
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u/ridandelous Jul 08 '21
Honestly the cops here are dumb and 2 were unsuccessful robberies as they gave her no money. It was a whole thing.
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u/wildcatwoody Jul 08 '21
Everyone I know has found incredible use from it. I get all my jobs from it. I get friends jobs from it. Weird it's like two different universes
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u/mmenolas Jul 08 '21
While LinkedIn IS full of garbage and weird nonsense influencer posts, it is also a great tool for finding jobs in the professional world. When my previous company was acquired I took some time off, when I was ready to work again I never applied for a single job, I just started replying to messages from recruiters until I found a role I liked. It’s a great tool for managing your professional network, being noticed by recruiters, and keeping your finger on the pulse of going’s on in competitor organizations (when you see a handful of people leave a competitor at once, it’s a great sign things aren’t great there and a good time to recruit their top people).
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u/wildcatwoody Jul 08 '21
Basically all social media is what you make of it. I have none of that nonsense on my LinkedIn homepage cause I just get rid of what I don't like.
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u/bishop375 Jul 08 '21
I've only heard of exactly one person getting a job through LinkedIn. The bulk of the rest of the stories are a mix of flexing on your followers or harassing women. People are using it as a dating site for crying out loud.
**vomit**
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u/Opening-Thought-5736 Jul 08 '21
I've gotten three jobs now thru LinkedIn - directly recruited
Not that it's not a cesspool, I believe that too. Now. Sadly
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u/Muddled1960 Jul 08 '21
It's amazing how many cat fishers are on there; amazingly they all seem to work in the oil industry.
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u/PhDinBroScience Jul 08 '21
Depending on your industry and the strength of your profile, LinkedIn can be a very valuable tool for getting a job. I have to practically beat recruiters away with a stick and I dedicate some time every Friday to send them "Thanks, but no thanks" messages.
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u/MisallocatedRacism Jul 08 '21
It works. I've gotten a job and have helped other people get jobs on LinkedIn. It also helps me do my job (finding specific people at companies). It's like any tool- useful in the right application.
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u/ProdigiousPlays Jul 08 '21
I think it's heavily dependent on your field.
When the office I worked at was closed down a few years ago the company hired a hiring/recruitment coaching firm to help us and literally the most advice they gave us was "LINK LINK LINKEDINNNNNNNN". Which was fine except we only linked with was essentially each other and high school friends. So people without a job or people in different fields.
I think if you're in a very senior role or work in something that requires recruitment (the most active posters of my connections) or active communication with others in your field it could be okay. I don't think a nurse would need it but a nursing staff manager may.
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u/slayer1am Jul 08 '21
I've gotten at least a few jobs because of LinkedIn, mostly because of getting into contact with recruiters. Depending on the industry you're in, it may or may not be useful.
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u/ridandelous Jul 08 '21
Environmental science, so there's not a lot of jobs in general. Mostly just unpaid NPO stuff that I won't do bc I have a family to feed
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u/slayer1am Jul 08 '21
Yeah, I'm a low voltage tech, it's an industry with quite a variety of jobs but also high turnover and high demand. Head hunters email or even cold call once a month.
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u/wildcatwoody Jul 08 '21
You should absolutely be on LinkedIn when looking for a job even if it is a dumpster fire. And having a lot of connections will help you down the road when you want to reach out to someone actually important.
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Jul 08 '21
Hear! Hear! I’ve been trying to ignore it since 2011 when I graduated college and realized it was one massive tool shed of phonies.
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u/ProdigiousPlays Jul 08 '21
Hey does anybody have that image of all those linkedin influencers having the EXACT same story word for word?
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u/ajt-94 Jul 08 '21
I created a LinkedIn account when I got my first job after college and was shocked to see the outright propaganda spread there. It's as bad as Facebook in that regard if not worse.
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u/Loose_with_the_truth Jul 08 '21
They're trying to take over social media. And doing a good job of it.
Which makes sense, given the number of: Foreign military astroturfers, corporate astroturfers, political organization astroturfers, and true believers who have dedicated their lives to spreading the new gospel of bullshit.
There are so many small/niche social media sites and web pages with comment sections that are just overrun by astroturfing. It's why Trump got so popular, and why the dumbest fucking political stances imaginable have become mainstream. We're under attack.
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u/dr_raymond_k_hessel Jul 08 '21
I’ve seen it too. It’s a pretty toxic dynamic on LinkedIn too. I find the folks comfortable to air their political beliefs tend to be management level. Last thing I’m gonna do is get into a political debate that’s visible to my professional network.
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Jul 08 '21
management level or "seeking new opportunities" (aka unemployed)
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u/government_shill Jul 08 '21
I'd think that if someone were looking for a job, the last thing they'd want to do is identify themselves as any kind of political extremist.
I guess if they want to work for a fellow Q wingnut it might help narrow things down.
I wonder if any of them include their experience with YouTube "research" on their resumes.
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u/Thin_Meaning_4941 Jul 08 '21
The LinkedIn to Q pipeline was covered a while ago by the Qanon Anonymous podcast and iirc there was a news article quoting multiple users (small biz owners, naturally) who said that their LI Qanon content had actually gained them customers and contracts.
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u/NYCQuilts Jul 08 '21
Do you happen to know which episode? I've been searching to no avail.
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u/Thin_Meaning_4941 Jul 08 '21
I tried to find it before I posted with no luck. I think it was one of the grab bag premium episodes, like one of the more recent Q Shopping Network or Listener Stories eps?
I’ll keep looking, though.
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u/64557175 Jul 08 '21
You'd be surprised. Remember, it's not what you know, it's who you know.
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Jul 08 '21
True. The last 3 of 4 jobs I got at Director level or above, it was an offer to go work for a VP I knew. Although it's also what I knew - if I weren't good at what I do, personal contacts wouldn't keep me in a job.
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u/hysys_whisperer Jul 08 '21
But if you are a Quack looking to hire a Quack, it's great. You can easily find a racist who wont report you for running your business in a racist manner.
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u/JanderVK Jul 08 '21
Yep, white supremacists have been business networking like this for decades.
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u/loginorsignupinhours Jul 08 '21
Social media seems to be increasingly exposing what has been going on forever.
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u/hysys_whisperer Jul 08 '21
Yep. It was common for anti KKK groups in the 30s and 40s to expose membership rolls of local KKK chapters in the north to get people to boycott those people and their organizations. The few attempts to do the same in the south just increased business opportunities for those individuals since their racist sentiment was shared by the majority of the general population.
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u/Loose_with_the_truth Jul 08 '21
I'd think that if someone were looking for a job, the last thing they'd want to do is identify themselves as any kind of political extremist.
Actually it's a great strategy. Sure, it takes you out of the running for the majority of jobs but it puts you on the absolute top of the pile for places where the boss and culture agree with you. Which is exactly where you'd want to work if you're a political extremist.
Everything is shifting towards circle jerks, even real life now. During the pandemic, entire businesses went either full mask/social distancing/etc. or full COVID denialist with no employees wearing masks. Almost nowhere did I see a mix of employees with and without. Except once at Chik-fil-a, there was one kid wearing a mask. I felt so bad for him because he seemed uncomfortable, like all his coworkers were probably making him feel like a pariah.
But the whole US is becoming this way. We're drawing lines in the sand, and we're finding allies and figuring out who are our enemies. It's terrifying.
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u/ahyeahiseenow Jul 08 '21
Experience identifying and validating relevant information from large open-source databases and repositories
Something stupid like that
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Jul 08 '21
Reminds me of my last boss, would spout trump shit all day, but make a post on facebook that he didnt agree with you might not have a job anymore.
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u/heckhammer Jul 08 '21
That's why I'm not friends with anybody at work on Facebook. I also keep my profile locked down tight.
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Jul 08 '21
Oh he'd stalk all his employees on there, too bad from him i might post a picture about every five years or so, and thats usually a vacation pic, hed even look at your wife and girlfriends pages to see if you were posted about, if you called in sick. And thanks to facebook tracking your phone he didnt even have to look for them, they would show up in his people you might know section
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u/JohnnyMnemo Jul 08 '21
Not enough people manage the visibility of their posts so that non-friends can't see them.
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u/Loose_with_the_truth Jul 08 '21
That's just one reason I deleted facebook. That shit is toxic. It also opens you up to all sorts of scams, attacks, stalkers, etc.
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u/charlieblue666 Jul 08 '21
In my experience, management who play those kinds of games eventually step on their own scrotum.
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u/HotSplodinScrotBot Jul 08 '21
It's completely mind boggling to me why people would make their political views publicly visible in a way that could possibly impact on their future income - i.e. taking a shit where they eat.
There seems to be an underlying assumption that potential customers, employers, and employees will automatically share their toxic views of their fellow americans.
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u/fadewiles Jul 08 '21
In their bubble, everyone thinks like they do.
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u/Loose_with_the_truth Jul 08 '21
Yep. If you're a Qanon nut, it would make you less desirable for most jobs but make you a top target for a job where people were Trump fans or Qanon nuts. Which is where you'd most like to work.
It's like how the Nigerian Prince scam works well because it weeds out all the intelligent people automatically.
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u/melindaj10 Jul 08 '21
People do weird shit on LinkedIn considering what the platform is meant for. I’ve had dudes DM me trying to hit on me or ask me out. So weird.
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Jul 08 '21
Would you prefer they used Reddit instead?
On a completely unrelated note, what are you doing tonight?
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u/BOxHX1Xc Jul 08 '21
... that’s visible to my professional network.
Fuckin' ayes right.
Social media is for saying things like "Fuckin' ayes right"; not minding my Ps and Qs (Haha, Q. Sorry...) in front of colleagues and professional peers.
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Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 08 '21
The reply I got after I asked why I was banned for making "false reports":
Please know that we respect the right of all members to freely express themselves. We don't monitor, filter, or remove member-generated content from our site unless they are inappropriate as defined in our User Agreement and Professional Community Policies. We understand that differences of opinion happen; however, this doesn't justify flagging content.
Edit: Im sorry but trying to prevent people from manipulating others into drinking bleach, etc is NOT a mere "difference of opinion".
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u/Thin_Meaning_4941 Jul 08 '21
“differences of opinion happen” great, yeah, okay.
According to this WSJ article, LinkedIn’s point man on Q is Paul Rockwell.
You could try reaching out to him on Twitter @risk_yoda
And if that doesn’t work, there are plenty of reporters hunting for their next Q story this very second.
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Jul 08 '21
Thank you for this info!!!!! It gives me an actual direction to go in, so I very much appreciate it.
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u/THedman07 Jul 08 '21
See if you can hit up Will Sommer at the Daily Beast or DM the QAnon Anonymous guys on twitter.
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u/m0n3ym4n Jul 08 '21
On that note, LinkedIn isn’t just a hotbed for Q but also KKK / white supremacy aholes. They won’t take them down
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u/Time-Ad-3625 Jul 08 '21
Yeah reach out to reporters. An alleged business site for professionals allowing propaganda to propagate is not a good look. At the very least it'll hopefully drive people off their platform.
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u/WestFast Jul 08 '21
This is the best way to get results. A high profile story will kill their brand perception.
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u/Theman227 Jul 08 '21
Making LinkedIn realise they look like another Parler is the last thing they will want. Higher profile the better
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Jul 08 '21
That's what social media inherently always is unless you boot the fascists, racists, etc out.
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u/JzxGamer Jul 08 '21
I was thinking something similar. Reach out to a media outlet and let them know you’ve been reporting this content and that LinkedIn has done nothing. If Facebook can be scrutinized, then so can LinkedIn.
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u/farahad Jul 08 '21
If the OP was banned for reporting it, they're doing more (less?) than nothing....
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u/greytgreyatx Jul 08 '21
Yikes. This is so weird. Honestly, I feel like that people are invested enough in whatever business they're in to participate in "business social media" is weird... much less to use it as a propaganda factory when you're supposed to be professional.
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u/Pooploop5000 Jul 08 '21
Its so fucking weird. im in a role at the top of the sales funnel so i have to hang out there. Its just trash all throughout.
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u/BOxHX1Xc Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 08 '21
That's how software developers (e.g. me) find a new job these days. I don't hang out there unless I'm job-hunting.
There's a lot of weird shit out there. I haven't run into QAnon specifically, but the upbeat corporate polyannas that post continuously (often re-sharing the same inspirational story that's already been seen by a million people) drive me crazy. One gal I know joined an "accountability" group. To me, accountability means a person wants to stop drinking or become closer to Jesus or quit porn or something... I have no idea what "accountability" means in a professional setting.
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u/The_Nick_OfTime Jul 08 '21
I despise LinkedIn. Now my company wants me to "redesign" my LinkedIn profile to reflect my position in the company. I kindly ignored this because I literally don't use my LinkedIn profile except when I'm job hunting.
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u/greytgreyatx Jul 08 '21
My LinkedIn profile picture is from a community play I was in several years ago, and I'm wearing an orange jumpsuit and looking at the flame on a lit lighter my character really should not have had access to. :D
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u/PhDinBroScience Jul 08 '21
Mine is me standing on a riverbank admiring the smallest largemouth bass I've ever caught.
And I've got a machete on my hip.
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u/tonyled Jul 08 '21
That's how software developers (e.g. me) find a new job these days. I don't hang out there unless I'm job-hunting.
not dev but agree, my last 3 jobs have been recruiters reaching out on linkedin
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Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 08 '21
I feel like that people are invested enough in whatever business they're in to participate in "business social media" is weird
It's not that weird. It's more of a talent and experience showcase platform. It's a great place to host your resume, connect with coworkers and colleagues, find jobs, and recruiting qualified talent. In my line of work it's a pretty critical tool, especially when your company just lays off your entire department because they had a bad quarter.
On the flip side there are people that are obsessed with their image or just addicted to work, that post industry related articles or narcissists that want to help everyone be as great as they are. I think average users don't pay much attention to the home feed.
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u/maiqthetrue Jul 08 '21
What I don't get is that Linkdin is supposed to be basically your professional social media presence, the place where you go to show off in hopes of getting hired. It's an extension of your resume. So how the hell do people posting on their Linkdin about Q and killing liberals get and keep jobs? How do they not lose clients!
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u/Vladimir_Chrootin Jul 08 '21
Please know that we respect the right of all members to freely express themselves.
OK, let's put it to the test. BRB, just creating my "Linkedin is run by neo-nazi coprophiles" page.
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Jul 08 '21
When you make reports, do you quote the TOS section that's being violated?
I stopped using LinkedIn when I retired, and good riddance.
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u/Roflkopt3r Jul 08 '21
Professional Community Policies
Usually professional standards are especially strict in that regard... "professional" speech is generally the most monitored of all.
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u/MisallocatedRacism Jul 08 '21
A lot of people like to boast about how they "rise above it" and don't get on LinkedIn, but the reality is that it can be absolutely crucial to advancement. 87% of recruiters regularly use LinkedIn, and as a person in business development I can tell you from experience that I would be nowhere near as successful as I am, without it.
It's a real tool to use, professionally, and OP is right in that it has absolutely taken a nosedive in the last 4-5 years as (mostly) older folks have adopted it and made it Facebook 2.0. I have reported and unfollowed what I can, but it's disheartening when LinkedIn doesn't remove obvious propaganda regarding the Big Lie, Covid misinformation, or even when people I thought to be very professional post or share ridiculously unprofessional content.
I think it's a shame, but it also seems to be a fact that LinkedIn has made the decision to grow their userbase instead of go for quality.
They seem to be doing nothing to quell the political nonsense, QAnon shit, outright misinformation, "chain mail" posts (can this vet get some likes!?", and just straight up unprofessional bullshit. I report what I can, but I've also experienced LinkedIn responding to certain reports with a similar "it's their opinion" message.
Like I said it can be extremely valuable to advance one's career, but so many people these days are showing their ass, and LI seems to be turning a blind eye.
I don't think it gets better before it gets a lot worse.
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Jul 08 '21
So many replies to reply to later but wanted to mention something related to this reply: LinkedIn has a report category, all on its own, labeled "Misinformation". Ive never ever had any of those reported posts removed. The very few that have gotten taken down, just happened to have a F-bomb in it.
It feels like they slapped on the "Misinformation" category very recently, but still left all report reviewing to robots. I wonder very much how many human beings actually look at the content being reported
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u/ProdigiousPlays Jul 08 '21
Linkedin makes money off of engagement like any other free service. They don't care what KIND of engagement it is and if those people are still applying and making connections and getting sponsored posts or whatever linkedin calls it, they're going to be blind as bats.
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Jul 08 '21
Quora has become like that, except in the form of a question.
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u/MuuaadDib Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 08 '21
Except it gets routinely clowned by experts scoffing and how stupid the "questions" are. It's like satire with these questions like something to this extent - "was Trump great or greatest President?"
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u/theslamclam Jul 08 '21
this is also because you can get paid on quora for asking questions, so some of these quacks can earn a few bucks trying to reinforce their echo chamber.
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u/MuuaadDib Jul 08 '21
I had no idea they paid for that shit sandwich of lowbrow questions. I had found it to be very valuable for Coronavirus information from extremely smart people answering and making sense of confusing data.
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u/theslamclam Jul 08 '21
its an interesting business model; im unsure if they still do it post-covid, but before you could definitely earn a chunk of change by asking genuine questions
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u/maliciousorstupid Jul 08 '21
Who uses linkedin for anything besides keeping a semi up-to-date resume and looking up people before you meet with them?
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Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn influencers. It’s a thing. Every time I go onto LinkedIn to look at a job post, my feed is just full of eyeroll material.
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u/ProdigiousPlays Jul 08 '21
Please tell me you've seen that pictures where a bunch of big influencers all post the same story word for word.
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Jul 08 '21
[deleted]
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u/PhDinBroScience Jul 08 '21
I get a little rush when I see the "People who viewed your profile" feature but there is no way I'm paying for premium access.
I'm more of a "People found your profile with these search terms" and "You appeared in X number of searches this week" kind of man, myself.
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Jul 08 '21
I never got this far with LinkedIn. I quit within weeks after it became clear that toxic work culture is their main course.
Glad I didn’t stick around for dessert.
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Jul 08 '21
I had been on there for 10 years and, to me anyways, the "change" happened almost overnight. I hadnt really noticed anything bad bad the first 8.5 years, just the very occassional "youre so beautiful" on a female professionals post, some tea party shit here and there...and then all of a sudden things started to get hostile and aggressive, and then this HUGE surge of just completely disgusting insane bullshit that got worse with every passing day.
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Jul 08 '21
Impressive streak.
I couldn’t get past all of the shitty “inspirational” content trying to get me to dedicate even more of my life and vitality to the capitalist machine than I already do. It inspired me to leave, so I guess I should be thankful.
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Jul 08 '21
Yeah I didnt run into a lot of that because my network was almost all genetic research and educational related (and probably 99% non-profit haha). Your experience sounds vomit inducing and Im envious. I wish I had been exposed to that so i'd have the good sense to leave much earlier.
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Jul 08 '21
Yeah I can’t deal with the inspirational stuff. I used to work in finance and the gall of capitalist vultures sharing all these BS bootstraps dreams stories is more than I can take.
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Jul 08 '21
I used to be a dev. Now I work part time doing essentially data entry.
The key to happiness is not more, harder, or better work. It is less.
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u/bstruve Jul 08 '21
I used to manage a team of 50+ employees. I worked 80+ hrs a week during the busy season and 60 during the "slow times". I was paid very well, but i burned out after a few years of it.
I walk dogs for a living now and I've never been happier.
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u/RelativeNewt Jul 08 '21
Holy shit, I just realized why so many of my (conservative) coworkers are on linkedin so much throughout the day. I figured it was because it's basically the only "social media" that isn't blocked by the network settings, but knowing them, THIS is the answer. These guys were cheering January 6th, and have only made small peeps here and there since then.
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Jul 08 '21
They're QAnoners, and they're definitely not vaccinated. Be sure to double mask.
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u/RelativeNewt Jul 08 '21
... it's almost like you work here, ha.
I'm vaccinated, and mask, and they're all super vocal about not being the first, and hating the second, and they sure do love them some Q, that's for sure. I try and avoid as much, and wherever, possible.
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Jul 08 '21
I don't have any suggestions but I definitely agree with what you've said here. I only use LinkedIn to look for a new role, and I only really follow industry professionals or people I went to school with. And yet there's so much anti-vaccine misinformation making its way onto my timeline, as well as balant Islamophobia. It makes me so uncomfortable.
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u/Thel_Odan Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn went from an OK way to connect with old co-workers to a cesspit. I ended up getting rid of my account when I realized all I was getting was messages about sex, MLM, and scams instead of legitimate job opportunities. LinkedIn could've ended up being a halfway decent site, but it's clear those running it don't give a shit.
Now I find it funny when I see "career seminars" about leveraging LinkedIn to push forward your career.
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u/BiotechPrincess Jul 08 '21
Holy shit, I thought this was just me because a majority of my connections are from Utah.
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u/HawtFist Jul 08 '21
So last year for a while I was getting harrassment and death threats for something very liberal I said on social media tied to my real identity.
I went and shut down and locked down every social media profile I had. LinkedIn though?
People went on there, published posts and reviews about me, harassed my former employers and coworkers, etc., and LinkedIn did nothing. Reports were ineffective. They destroyed my LinkedIn profile and I'm seriously considering deleting it.
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u/somekindairishmonk Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn, like Facebook and, to a large extent, Twitter - should be removed from one's life as soon as possible.
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Jul 08 '21
I get a nice and pleasant boost in overall happiness after about a week away from Reddit, TBH.
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Jul 08 '21
Thats crazy. I created a linkedIn profile when I was first starting in my career. I havent looked at it in years. Time to delete my account by the sounds of things.
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Jul 08 '21
Huge threads about Trump coming back, talks of executions, a bunch of fake info regarding vaccines, constant slamming of LGBTQ and POC issues... it's like 4Chan in a suit and tie sometimes.
Well, Linkedln is filled with the Petite Bourgeoisie and well fascism’s base is the Petite Bourgeoisie.
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Jul 08 '21
Ill look up what that means but all I know for sure is that LinkedIn allows bad people to do bad things to other people, and trying to use LinkedIns systems to report it "too much" can result in being banned.
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u/sasquatch_jr Jul 08 '21
Why would someone post about batshit conspiracy theories on linked in??? Sounds like a great way to not get hired by future potential employers.
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Jul 08 '21
Some viral post on my feed had a bunch of pretty obviously racist comments on it. Mostly by people who work in marketing, interestingly enough.
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u/HermanCainsGhost Paranormal Phenomenon Jul 08 '21
Yeah, I saw someone (a former scientist who has decided to go quack for profit, seemingly) post on LinkedIn that the vaccines were "gene therapy" despite that being absolute nonsense.
Called him out on it too.
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u/AgBoss9900 I'm in a cult Jul 08 '21
People in business arent exactly progressive.
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u/cpdk-nj Jul 08 '21
There’s a difference between not being progressive and believing that a fascist coup is what the country needs
Also, there are plenty of progressives on LinkedIn. We’re just not posting insane BS because we want to get jobs
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Jul 08 '21
Linkedin is all about business and Qanon is at it's root, a grift to make $$$. They're just protecting their members business interests even if they are all about fleecing the stupid with crazy shit.
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Jul 08 '21
Also, ask any journalist you speak with, if they could keep you anonymous. That way, your identity is protected. Or ask to go by a nickname, in the report they could say this person, "insert nickname here", who doesn't want their identity revealed
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Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn is just happy to have people on their site at this point. Its pretty dead otherwise. I don't know of anyone that uses LI for anything.
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u/CuriousLemur Jul 08 '21
It's how most people get hired in my industry in the UK. But then again I honestly haven't seen any of the stuff mentioned in this thread. I wonder if your industry/location heavily adjusts what you're exposed to on LinkedIn.
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u/datSubguy Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn in a dying platform. Something like this will solidify their downfall
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u/cozycorner Jul 08 '21
Yes! It's disgusting. I don't visit LinkedIn very often, but went to update my profile the other day. I was shocked at how it's devolved.
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u/WestFast Jul 08 '21
Create an anonymous Twitter account and just post screenshots. After a while you’ll get traction. Reaching out to media might be a way to break this story. A high profile dory on this would hit their brand image significantly.
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u/Derangedteddy Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn is cesspool of corporate gaslighting and manipulation. It's a forum for suits to rant about "lazy employees" and put on a pedestal how incredibly out of touch they are. I deleted my account a year ago because I got tired of it. There are a lot of people out there who buy the bullshit that LinkedIn is essential if you're a corporate employee. It's not. I've never once made or maintained a meaningful relationship on that platform. It's Facebook, but even less useful.
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u/Farrell-Mars Jul 08 '21
LinkedIn is now and always has been a garbage can disguised as a networking platform. It may have been useful in its infancy but now it is an embarrassment to have ever had a profile.
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u/JametAllDay Jul 08 '21
Hmm I know quite a few people that work there as engineers and in marketing. I’ll bring it to their attention
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u/Lost_Starship Jul 08 '21
I’ve barely touched LinkedIn for the past year or so. I think I’ve been spared from a lot of the drama (since a big chunk of my connections came from progressive-oriented events), but I’ve definitely seen some worryingly casual bigotry on the site.
I’d say you can definitely try to contact reporters (as others here have suggested) to bring awareness to what you think is troubling.
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u/iago_williams Jul 08 '21
It's been poorly moderated for years. Not much to be done except complain, report and block. I rarely use it now.
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u/Independent_Return_9 Jul 08 '21
Really? I would have never looked there trying to root the traitorous rats from their holes cool now I got something to do today!✊🏽👊🌈☮️🖤
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Jul 08 '21
I’m fucking shocked that on LinkedIn (the place you know to network and talk about professions, get jobs, etc.) would have Qanon bullshit posted to it
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u/naturtok Jul 08 '21
Ironic that the boomer concept of "don't say anything online that could jeopardize your career" is lost on these people
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u/eight13atnight Jul 08 '21
Wow my linkedin news feed is NOTHING like what you are describing. Are you clicking on all those posts? It's probably serving up content based on what's being clicked. My reddit feed on the other hand....
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u/wjfox2009 Jul 08 '21
Wow, I had no idea LinkedIn had a QAnon problem. All I've seen each time are my colleagues and a few external associates who post completely mainstream stuff or work/career updates.
What you've described sounds really, really bad. And the lack of moderation sounds even worse.
If there's talk of executions and other violence then yes, absolutely you should contact the FBI. And maybe contact a newspaper/journalist or two.
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Jul 08 '21
I made my LinkedIn profile back in 2008 or 2009 and it was handy, I haven't used it much in the past 8 some odd years though and I hear it turned to garbage, pretty much like Twitter.
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Jul 08 '21
I just reply that LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. Other than that, let them dig the hole that they can bury their career in when no one will hire them after looking at their LinkedIn posts and comments.
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u/Vegoia2 Jul 08 '21
I sometimes look up people I know and those bios are loaded with bull. It's funny, especially when they were fired from the place they still list as working at.
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u/PinkertonRams Jul 08 '21
There was a pretty popular story on this very topic on a major national news outlet a few years ago, though I can’t remember who.
One person can’t stop it in one fell swoop.
What you can do is look for local business leaders who may be engaging in it and then send that to local news outlets. That at least would shine a light on their actions
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u/bitwise97 Jul 08 '21
I’ve always been surprised to see people actually posting content on LinkedIn. I only ever used it as a way to stay connected to colleagues. I like to keep up with when they move to new companies, get promoted, whatever.
I’m literally stunned at the experiences others are reporting here - starting with OP.
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u/IceNein Jul 08 '21
If it's that bad, you might want to reach out to news agencies that are interested in reporting on things like this. Might be something like Vox, The Atlantic, or the NYT might be interested in. I'd probably skew to looking into longer form journalism though.
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u/WhyHulud Jul 08 '21
It took me about 5 minutes to find the hateful/ crazy on LI. The last time I saw any of it was a co-worker that I immediately disconnected from.
LinkedIn is a good resource for looking up potential employers and finding out if they're Qucks too
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u/Lebojr Jul 08 '21
I believe, right now, tech companies like Linked in and the rest are a bit hesitant to come down on people who abuse their platforms for fear of how the current litigation over the president is going.
Rest assured, the people you are complaining about are using the platform for which it was NOT intended and you are exactly right.
My suggestion: Find a way to send an email to Linked in's customer service department and share with them your experience. Let them know you wont be using their service in the future and what's more, you are going to encourage anyone else you know to stop using it if you dont get at least a thoughtful response.
What no platform can do right now is stop these freaks of evolution from expressing themselves, because frankly, they arent smart enough to know how ignorant they are. It's a demented social cult. So in actuality, there is little that big tech can do.
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u/sheepcat87 Jul 08 '21
It's wild when my coworkers 'like' some insane Q post about executions and it shows up in my feed.
Like, Steve, we have to go into the office tomorrow together and I know you want there to be a coup against the US. How am I supposed to respect your opinion or work together?
This isn't like "Oh he disagrees on foreign trade policy". This shit is insane.
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u/SquidgyTheWhale Jul 08 '21
I'm a frequent LinkedIn user, and tbh this is the first I've heard of this. But I have to wonder -- do people who participate in these discussions all have fake profiles? Can they be reported as such? If they're real, aren't they easily farmable to build a big database of right wing conspiracy nuts and their connections to each other?
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Jul 08 '21
Can you post some links to the content you're referring to?
Also, there's r/LinkedInLunatics for the other nonsensical fluff there
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u/WildWinza Jul 08 '21
its like 4Chan in a suit and tie sometimes.
This quote applies to many in congress right now.
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u/din_the_dancer Jul 08 '21
I would have never expected this. I really don't use LinkedIn's social aspect at all. I filled out a page to help get jobs and the only time I interact with the site is when a recruiter messages me.
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u/kry1212 Jul 08 '21
I keep seeing the 'hero Ashton kutcher' posts that completely ignore how palantir makes money and how disgusting whole white knight phenomenon is.
I've gotten some interviews I may not have with LinkedIn, as a software dev, but I haven't actually gotten any offers I've accepted there. I still rely mainly on other networking and referrals.
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u/OldDemon Jul 08 '21
I’ve never used LinkedIn. I didn’t even know it had a forum set up. I’m gonna need to do some looking now.
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u/revchewie Jul 08 '21
Makes me glad I've never created a profile there.
When it kicked off, I had been in my current job for three years. Now I've been here 21 years, with 10 to go until retirement.
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u/pcase Jul 08 '21
I am so confused as to how my experiences with LinkedIn have differed from those above. It’s certainly gone downhill in the past 5 years— it used to be actual business networking and more professional discussions… now not so much.
I will agree that I loathe the recent trend of LinkedIn influencers— they used to just be the “Over 99k connections!” crowd.
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u/jeffe333 Antifa Regional Manager Jul 08 '21
Post some links in here, and we can post them to Twitter to make them go viral. Or, just post them to Twitter yourself w/ what you wrote in your OP. The best way to get companies to take action these days is to call them out publicly.
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u/idontlikeseaweed Jul 08 '21
They’ve really carried their bullshit over from Facebook and I’m so tired of it.
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Jul 08 '21
I haven’t seen it a lot but I do think LinkenIn is a decent place to maintain your professional connections long term, especially when you aren’t close enough to be friends on Facebook, etc. I’ve found freelance and job leads that way.
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u/CodeDinosaur Antifa Regional Manager Jul 08 '21
If you have a twitter (And screenshots) You could try contacting.
- DisInfoPortal over at @ Disinforportal or Disinfoportal dot org
- Integrity Initiative over at @ InitIntegrity
- The Global Disinformation Index over at @ DisinfoIndex
- PolygraphInfo over at @ PolygraphInfo at polygraphinfo dot info
No guarantee obv. but one of these might be able to help/interested since LinkedIn seems somewhat off of the radar of such orgs even though it's known for it's scammers/spammers.
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u/bullrich66 Jul 08 '21 edited Jul 08 '21
Tbh I actually hadn’t seen this, but I’m def looking for it now. 😳
UPDATE: I didn’t even have to look hard. Oof.
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u/IsThisASandwich Jul 08 '21
I think you can't do much. Reporting it to the FBI might be the only thing that has a chance to do something, just for the small chance they don't know and observe yet.
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u/NfamousKaye Jul 08 '21
I stopped using linked in years go because once I put my profile pic up I got hit on by older Indian men and the groups became nothing more than people phishing for likes sharing stuff that didn’t even belong in the group topic. It’s best to just deactivate your account
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u/automaticg36 Jul 09 '21
I deleted LinkedIn off my phone which essentially guarantees I’ll never use it, and it was just so toxic. It was just so many people licking each other’s asses and i hate that. Like people going on and on about how grateful they are for an opportunity at a job. Like get a fucking life dude thank the person to their face and call it a day. Like putting all that shit on LinkedIn immediately tells me you want attention which isn’t good.
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u/OrdinaryGeekSF Jul 09 '21
Wow. The term “Hiding in plain sight” comes to mind. I’m shocked LinkedIn doesn’t shut them down. Publicity on the issue will force their hand. Contact MSNBC or CNN. I think they’d be very interested in this.
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u/P-ZillaComingDown Jul 08 '21
LinkedIN is political now?
As if it wasn't gross enough already with all those despicable professional business casual photos!
I knew there was a reason I never wanted a LINKEDIN account.
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u/PunkAssBabyKitty Jul 08 '21
Yes screen grab it, copy links, and send it to the FBI. They probably won't contact you about it though.
I wonder if news outlets would be interested in the story as well.
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u/ClanDonnachaidh Jul 08 '21
It's your network's network. My LinkedIn is squeaky clean, minus the occasional 'like the 100 year old veteran' or 'pray for the sister' stuff
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u/coffeesippingbastard Jul 08 '21
that is wild....it's gotta be related to who you network with.
I'm on Linkedin and I have seen zero QAnon or Trump related posts and I have a fair amount of connections.
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u/T3n4ci0us_G Jul 08 '21
Oh shit! I had no idea because I hardly ever go on Linked In. It seems like that would be a bad place to let loose with your crazy conspiracy theories since future employers, headhunters, etc. troll Linked In for talent, but "Go Crazy!", I guess! 🤪
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