Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response • Hacker News Board

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#61

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 10:48 PM UTC

russelluresti wrote: post #51

MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right , even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it. While that would have been a brusque response, it was still correct. I hate cold calls, because every single one (for me) i…

First, you're ignoring the fact that the woman specifically runs a listserv for people looking for work. That's what the woman DOES. She helps people find jobs (supposedly). If what you do is help people find jobs, do not be surprised when people without jobs come looking to you for help with finding a job. It's like running a soup kitchen and going "What's with all these homeless people asking me for food?!" Second,…

First, you're ignoring the fact that the woman specifically runs a listserv for people looking for work. That's what the woman DOES.

You're right I'm ignoring it. Because I don't take issue with how she responded, but rather with the "sticks and stones may break my bones, but if you hurt my feelings when you reject my request, I WILL DESTROY YOU IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION" approach the requestor went with, and how that approach has been supported by the bloodthirsty mob.

Second, what is it with people and the "almighty linkedin connections" thing?

It's their choice, is it not?

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#62

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 10:51 PM UTC

incision wrote: post #55

MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right , even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it. While that would have been a brusque response, it was still correct. I hate cold calls, because every single one (for me) i…

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - Generally attributed to Malcolm S. Forbes.

Were he alive today, Forbes would be condemned as a corrupt 1%er for his extravagant lifestyle and wealth.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#63

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 10:55 PM UTC

incision wrote: post #38

>"...if I shared my 960+ LinkedIn connections with you - a total stranger who has nothing to offer me." It never occurred to me that someone could have so much self-worth tied up in their LinkedIn connection list. Funny thing is, it's actually reassuring that this is notable enough to go viral and universally decried. Just swap jobseeking for technology help, 960 connections for 27,000 posts and you're looking at one…

Funny thing is, it's actually reassuring that this is notable enough to go viral and universally decried.

I believe the opposite.

Before online social networking trivialized human relationships, rude behavior in a private exchange would have resulted in the recipient of the rudeness evaluating the other as an a-hole and might share the story with a few friends.

Now it's a front-page story. It is a perfect example of how thin-skinned and polarized our society has become.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#64

Post by mcphage » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 10:59 PM UTC

MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right , even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it. While that would have been a brusque response, it was still correct. I hate cold calls, because every single one (for me) i…

> Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right, even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it.

Perhaps, but we're hearing about this because she very much didn't stop there.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#65

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 10:59 PM UTC

shock-value wrote: post #59

10feet wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The funny thing is, to me the 20 something does come of feeling entitled, after posting this personal message everywhere because she did not get here way. Now obviously the original lady was a rude, but so what? Somehow being rude to someone is grounds for public evisceration these days? Of course being publicly humiliated is way worse than being rude to someone.

All that happened is that her own words got posted publicly. Any humiliation that occurred was solely of her own doing.

Not quite. Her own words were copied and pasted by the offended party and willfully distributed.

This isn't the case of one person being an a-hole to another in public in front of witnesses who could repeat the affair and shame the offending party: it's a case where the offended person chose to make it personal and punish the other.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#66

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 11:03 PM UTC

mcphage wrote: post #64

MrZongle2 wrote: post #6

Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right , even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it. While that would have been a brusque response, it was still correct. I hate cold calls, because every single one (for me) i…

> Much ado about nothing. The individual who was on the receiving end of the LinkedIn request is right, even if her response to the 20-something went overboard. If she had stopped at "Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky" we wouldn't have even known about it. Perhaps, but we're hearing about this because she very much didn't stop there.

Perhaps, but we're hearing about this because she very much didn't stop there.

Yes, but let's not forget: we're also hearing about this because the offended party decided to make a spectacle out of this, with the sole intention of hurting the other.

Both parties are in the wrong, but I take issue with how the Internet mob is clamoring for blood after being intentionally riled up over hurting somebody's feelings.

You'd think it's on par with oil spills, drone strikes and Constitutional violations.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#67

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 11:08 PM UTC

ingsoc79 wrote: post #19

Typical Millennial response. You hurt my feelings so I'm going to shame you on social media! Good luck to anyone willing to step in the legal & PR minefield of employing this girl.

Gen X-er here. The downvoting your post is receiving makes me think that there might be some truth to it.

But in fairness to the Millennials, my generation also has more than its fair share of thin-skined entitlement children. As is the case with the Baby Boomers.

You could make the case that the offensive response in question might reflect her sense of entitlement.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#68

Post by MrZongle2 » Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 11:18 PM UTC

shock-value wrote: post #54

MrZongle2 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By default, I don't have a problem with anybody trying to find a job...especially in this economy. Networking can be a powerful tool, and I can respect that. But let's not lose sight of what a LinkedIn connection also entails: it means that all of your other connections are now visible to each other, and to some people that may imply a degree of exclusivity. To some, LinkedIn is not a contact-free-for-all like Facebo…

Whether you are aware of what a LinkedIn connection supposedly entails or not doesn't change the fact that her email (described as "venomous" in another article, and I don't disagree) was extremely unprofessional and just frankly out of place. But why should we assume that everyone is aware of how supposedly "exclusive" a LinkedIn connection is? I for one was not. (I stopped using LinkedIn shortly after their securit…

I for one don't tolerate rudeness or insensitivity in either my personal or business life (on either my part or that of others). I guess that's just me.

Despite our sparring in this thread, I don't think we're miles apart on this issue. As I've gotten older (I'm in my early 40s), I've become less and less tolerant of rudeness, drama, and insensitivity.

But what spurred me to post was not the original rude reply, but the witch hunt that has arisen around it. This macks of a temper tantrum by a hypersensitive person who has whipped the online mob (who simply want to see a good fight) into a frenzy.

If I would have received that kind of response, I likely would have responded with a few choice words of my own. Then again, I wouldn't have made the request in the first place without at least engaging the person in some other, more social manner.

I see the response as just as offensive as the original rejection. What could have been an interesting anecdote and useful starting point for a discussion on civility was quickly turned into a vendetta when anonymity was thrown out the window.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#69

Post by 10feet » Fri, Feb 28, 2014, 12:40 AM UTC

shock-value wrote: post #59

10feet wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The funny thing is, to me the 20 something does come of feeling entitled, after posting this personal message everywhere because she did not get here way. Now obviously the original lady was a rude, but so what? Somehow being rude to someone is grounds for public evisceration these days? Of course being publicly humiliated is way worse than being rude to someone.

All that happened is that her own words got posted publicly. Any humiliation that occurred was solely of her own doing.

I haven't seen the original post that the girl sent, so how can we even judge her?

And I don't expect my private message to become public, do you? Of course, messaging an unknown like that, you have to be more careful.

Maybe she just had a bad day, the message came at a bad time.

Re: Talk About An Unprofessional LinkedIn Response

#70

Post by darkarmani » Fri, Feb 28, 2014, 5:18 AM UTC

MrZongle2 wrote: post #65

shock-value wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All that happened is that her own words got posted publicly. Any humiliation that occurred was solely of her own doing.

Not quite. Her own words were copied and pasted by the offended party and willfully distributed. This isn't the case of one person being an a-hole to another in public in front of witnesses who could repeat the affair and shame the offending party: it's a case where the offended person chose to make it personal and punish the other.

> it's a case where the offended person chose to make it personal and punish the other.

How exactly did the offended person punish her? By revealing to the world the true nature of KB?