Proof of life.

It’s rare to find anything useful on LinkedIn these days. I can’t think of a more apt description than “LinkedIn has become a cesspool of business-themed shit-posting.” In response to my thread on this article, Rob Ford of FWA fame replied, “It’s social media. All channels are the same. In fact, the entire internet is this now.”

Indeed, LinkedIn feels and smells like a Springfield-sized tire fire as does much of social media, but I would argue that not all creators or writers or whatever you want to call them are to blame. I think some part of the blame is the lack of engagement. Whereas just a few years ago people clicked and tapped or joined and subscribed, engagement is a fraction of what it used to be.

Yesterday Brett told me about his conversation with a long-time but out-of-touch acquaintance who said he was following him on social channels. He even referenced a post that Brett made the day before but didn’t tap an emoji and leave a reply. Even a few years ago, that would not have been the case.

While it’s fundamental to posting or publishing on the Internet that you should never expect to receive any type of response, for those of us who have been at this for decades it feels off. It feels like the sphere of the Internet we are in is dying and it’s time to explore. However, I don’t think that’s exactly the case. I believe the very people out there who used to engage—contributing with a reply or endorsing with an emoji—have taken a step back to simply observing. They, you, me, we, are still out there but for whatever reason we’re mostly silent now.

I don’t expect, nor do I want, the world to go back to the way it was, but I do hope that something—anything—will change to give more folks the strength, energy, and humanity to engage again. Whether it's here or somewhere else, I don't care, but we can’t expect a better planet if we’re not interacting in one form or another.