Antisocial Media

You may have noticed that I’ve recently quit LinkedIn. That, combined with my prior involuntary, but unregretted ejection from Twitter (it’s a long story), means that my long-running blog here on Think Different is now my primary online presence. Please enjoy the 640+ posts you can find here. Your considered comments are always welcome.

(Falling Blossoms has been without a web site for some years now. And I’m not missing it).

ICYMI, here’s the LinkedIn post announcing my exit:

I guess from the supportive responses to the above post, many feel the same way.

Reasons

In case you’re wondering, here’s the main reasons I’ve given up on the whole social media thing:

Lack of conversations

I need conversations. During the COVID lockdowns more than ever. I’m pretty sure it’s a near-universal need, especially amongst people trying to push the envelope on their favourite themes. Social media has become ever-more unsuited to meaningful conversations and shared exploration of ideas. I have something in mind to address that, but that’s news for another day.

Low signal-to-noise ratio

The final straw for my presence on LinkedIn has been the stellar rise in trivia, irrelevancies, ego-buffing, self-promotion and general twaddle. It seems like LinkedIn has been moving in that direction for years. Enough is enough, AFAIC.

Ineffective sharing

My main reason for joining Twitter, many years ago, was to share things I found interesting. Articles, links, topics, experiences, reflections and the like. In the hope that others too might find interest and utility in those things. Over the years, the experience of sharing – the uptake – has become less and less satisfying.

Misinformation

As XKCD so marvellously put it, “There’s someone wrong on the internet”.

I’m mostly inured to it these days, yet regularly find myself suppressing the urge to call out egregious examples from people in positions of influence.

Snark and Boojum

I’ve been finding more and more unpleasant and downright insulting responses to my social media posting over the past year or two. I don’t need that kind of thing, even though I accept my emotional responses to such provocations are entirely within my own remit and control. Better just to remove myself from contact with those people.

Welcome Again

As a current reader of my blog, may I welcome you once again, and express my hopes for meaningful conversations and productive sharing of things.

Semper Mirabilis.

– Bob