What's the point of LinkedIn

22 Sep, 2025

I genuinely don't understand the point of LinkedIn.

Over the years I have embraced a number of social media style services. I've joined and left many platforms -- Remember Friends Reunited (2000), Bebo (2005), Google Wave/Buzz/+ (Changed its name many times), FaceBook, Twitter. I watched them start from nothing, boom, and collapse (in some cases).

LinkedIn has me baffled

It started in 2002 by one of the founders of PayPal. Gradually going through a number of venture capital firms, before being swallowed up by Microsoft. I've often wondered why? What do Microsoft want from it?

I've dabbled in LinkedIn for many years. I'd estimate from around 2010 when we were encouraged at work to get a LinkedIn Profile; it was the "Social Media Platform for Professionals". We were encouraged to share stories from the business and build connections. Basically a marketing device.

I've never seen LinkedIn as anything other than a fake marketing toy.

It's truly awful. It has become a place where people project a façade of professionalism and everyone must aspire to be perfect.

People feel obliged to celebrate everything: first day on the job, first week, 1 year with the company, new job. If you don't comment, will you be judged?

Endless bragging for the sake of bragging. Twats telling you how to get a job, or be better at your current job. There's no real social interaction.

No one stands up and proclaims, "We had a crap day at the office today".

It has actually just become Facebook/Instagram, where everyone and everything is amazing. You feel awful because your own career/life is clearly not fabulous, like everyone else. For want of a better phrase, it's a mindfuck.

Jobs

The Job section on LinkedIn is a minefield. There are so many fake accounts, preying on 'professionals' desperate for a job. Happy to share their work/life history with an unknown, sometimes fake, agency. Was there ever a job there?

I'm closing the door

I'm bowing out of LinkedIn. The final straw was being automatically enrolled for Microsoft's AI sausage machine.

Update to our terms and data use

Starting November 3, 2025, we’ll use some of your LinkedIn data to improve the content-generating AI that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your settings.

Ehm, No!

Curious

Have you ever had anything positive out of LinkedIn.

#AI #rant