Link'd In / FaceBook: Do you?

[dr wogz]

Curious as to others:

I'm on Facebook, although I find it a waste of time & really not entertaining or constructive.. Some groups have talent & respect. others... not so much (and the endless repeated questions) And the ads that have absolutely no relevance to me!!

But I'm more interested if you use Link'd In? Do you? I'm on it, but never use use it. So, I have really no idea what its intent is, except for head hunters & possible job searches.. Its some 'professional' type social media platform, or so I'm told.. And no one I know is uses it either, but they are on it.. It seem to be just some collecting of 'people you've worked with'.. Is there any benefit to keeping a profile on it?

I kinda feel it was M$'s attempt to compete with FB, but making it "professional" to try & gain a more corporate / seriousness to it..

Google had a social platform, but that was short-lived..

 

[NateB]

No, I don't use LinkedIn. I'm locked in with a career I enjoy and an decent employer, so I'm not looking. I have also never heard of it being used in my industry. Everyone knows each other, if you want to move just go to conference and meet the right people before sending a resume and your credentials in. Even then, people call offering jobs from time to time without the social network.

 

[OverTheTop]

LinkedIn used to be for professional people, but now ever man and his dog are on it. Never bothered with it myself.

I use my cat's account when I need to look at FB. Don't have an account myself.

 

[Nytrunner]

I like facebook as a means of keeping up with people I care about (and that care about me). I don't connect with people I haven't met in person.
I started with the usual "friend everyone you know/have met!" phase which people my age went through, but over time I've been pruning out the contacts who I really only knew superficially.

[Linkedin] Is there any benefit to keeping a profile on it?

Its the modern day equivalent of keeping a notebook full of good business contacts. A more professional social network. Another tool in the toolbox if you will
People you'd give a good reference too, people who would give you a reference, you can endorse people's skills with software/equipment, and people can endorse you for the same.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

I only have a Facebook account because my local club (rocketrysouthcarolina) went there after getting hacked too many times. I got a LinkedIN account when I was looking for a job in 2005. Turned off notifications but STILL get them.

 

[neil_w]

I have an account on each, and rarely use either. On neither system do I accept link or friend requests from people I don't have an active interest in keeping in touch with. I do not subscribe to the "he who dies with the most contacts wins".

I really should delete my FB account, because I believe they are a gross company and I try to avoid supporting them. I only keep it because I have the idea that *once* in a while I need to use it, which is probably a dumb reason.

I use my LinkedIn account only *slightly* more, mainly to keep in touch occasionally with ex-coworkers. In fact today I had a nice chat session with an old boss of mine whom I haven't spoken to in years. But that's about it. Of course, I've been extremely fortunate not to need to be job hunting in a long time, so I haven't needed it for that purpose.

 

[Funkworks]

I have both accounts but I have a hard time figuring and remembering what’s private and what’s public so I mostly use email instead.

 

[Steven]

Never touched either.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Never had a Twitter account. Glad I missed all the Trump tweet storms. I use Adblock+. NEVER saw ads on these sites.

 

[dhbarr]

I try to remember to update LI about once a year, just in case I have to get a real job at some point.

 

[Not Quite Nominal]

Neither. Facebook is evil. Linkedin might be a necessary evil for some, but I'm probably on my last job.
Big Tech in general is evil. I limit my use of them (except Amazon), and use adblockers, script blockers, and firewalls.

 

[Funkworks]

... Big Tech in general is evil ...

I think I know what you mean, but I'm in tech, big and small, new and old, in part because I find it to be more reliable and less evil than a lot of other things. But this could be a discussion in itself. Just had to drop that.

 

[JoePfeiffer]

I'm on Facebook (probably too much), and it's a very mixed blessing. I'm back in touch with many people I knew in high school (oddly, almost no one from college). When people are talking about life and hobbies, it's great. When people are having left-wing political tantrums, it becomes very tedious. Some of the groups are well policed and helpful (all the rocketry groups I'm on are like this), some are inhabited by jerks who take great pleasure in tearing down anyone who asks a question (most of the ham radio groups are like this, very sadly).

I created a LinkedIn account many years ago, for reasons that were unclear to me even then. It seemed even then that its primary purpose was to get job seekers in touch with headhunters (not even employers); I think I eventually deleted my account, though I don't really remember. Regardless, I don't seem to get notifications from them.

Several of my friends seem to be migrating to MeWe. Thinking about it...

 

[Joekeyo]

Lightly used LI in the past. I found out I was someone's mentor. It's good to know that you had a positive effect on someone. I would have preferred she told me instead of finding out on LI; oh well. I am retired now, don't need Linked in. I agree with the "contacts notebook" comment above.

 

[Joekeyo]

left-wing political tantrums

Political tantrums are unacceptable with or without a party affiliation. I quit FB a while back. Too much hate.

 

[Not Quite Nominal]

I think I know what you mean, but I'm in tech, big and small, new and old, in part because I find it to be more reliable and less evil than a lot of other things. But this could be a discussion in itself. Just had to drop that.

Technology itself is morally neutral.
The big tech companies are obviously evil. In America, they put their thumb on the scale in the elections, and once their desired candidates get elected, they make sure cabinet and staff positions are filled with their employee, who then create and enforce anti-competitive laws that shut down their competitors.
Overseas, they're even worse. They derive an enormous amount of their revenue designing surveillance and control technologies for dictatorships.

 

[JoePfeiffer]

I have both accounts but I have a hard time figuring and remembering what’s private and what’s public so I mostly use email instead.

Regard everything you put on a site as public and you'll be fine. Also, never put anything in an email you wouldn't want to explain in court.

 

[Funkworks]

Technology itself is morally neutral.
The big tech companies are obviously evil. In America, they put their thumb on the scale in the elections, and once their desired candidates get elected, they make sure cabinet and staff positions are filled with their employee, who then create and enforce anti-competitive laws that shut down their competitors.
Overseas, they're even worse. They derive an enormous amount of their revenue designing surveillance and control technologies for dictatorships.

Oh the political aspect, I go on other websites for that.

 

[Marc_G]

I held off on Facebook for a long time, but had to go to it once the Yahoo Group that hosted our rocketry club sort of imploded (due to Yahoo implosion), so I got a facebook account to be used only for rocketry and nothing else. Well, that lasted about two months, then I needed it to connect with people I was going to a college reunion with... then one thing led to another and I check it a few times a day. Lots of fun "building a walnut and resin table" type videos show up, so it's not so bad.

LinkedIn is a professional tool I use if not daily, certainly weekly or more. It's not just a "I want a job, here's my profile" website at all. I am connected with colleagues there and use it to announce events and other professional things that I want my network to see. It's a primary way I get folks to come to webinars I do for work and such. I don't do anything "social" (meaning, chatting with friends) there. And, it is the only social network I'm on where I am identifiable as an employee of my company. I keep it 100% professional.

 

[GlennW]

I'm on LinkedIn for work although I rarely go on it. Never been on FB. Someone once described it to me as a high school reunion that never ends, and that pretty much cured me of any desire to ever be on it. Twitter seems to be a place where foolish celebrities and politicians say stupid things that they inevitably get in trouble for, so I don't see the attraction.