Synopsis:
A short essay on how an early adopter of open network LinkedIn has become a bit skeptical. Is it truly a fear that is founded in truth or is it influence from fear-mongering and how can we combat the trend that has headed us back to a closed society.
4 Key Takeaways:
- Trust – Who?
- Community – The World
- Fear and Hate vs Love and Peace
- Communication is the Key! Hands Across the Divide!
About Ginger Aarons:
Ginger is the founder of Time Travel, LLC … often called Time Travel Tours. She offers bespoke travel to Ireland & The British Isles. Also offering personal, bespoke requests for family genealogies. Passionate about what she does by offering a way to learn while you travel, introducing the best of the best in Ireland in what they do, offer and teach with common philosophies, ethics and goals for the world. She is also a travel and foodie writer for several magazines and online magazines. Often referred to as the one that knows everyone, she is a connector and one that is always making a connection for someone, because to her, that is what it’s all about.
Originally from South of the Mason Dixon Line, and after 30 years, she has become an all-around Portland girl that loves the fact that she gets to live and work in two of the best places in the world, the Pacific Northwest and Ireland … what could possibly be better?
Lover of music (it DOES make the world go ’round.. not money), a supporter of the arts, do-gooder, Masterpiece Theater watcher since the age of 12, a supporter of the historic house, genealogy nut and avid antique collector.
Contacting Ginger Aarons:
By Ginger Aarons
International Community and the Phenomenon of LinkedIn.
Being an early adopter of LinkedIn back in 2004 I was excited to be able to network and communicate with the wider travel community that also seemed to be early adopters to the service. Because I had already established myself in the wider community abroad, I quickly connected and took on the attitude that I would have an open-door policy accepting anyone in the tourism sector, no matter how long they had been established. And certainly, to lend a helping hand to those in third world countries, just trying to show the beauty of their home countries that weren’t necessarily on the mainstream radar. I have a core community that I have now known since 2004 online and those I have known much longer offline. Unwavering, always there to bounce ideas off and to help spread the word about whatever product we all happened to be selling. Some have moved around to different companies during their careers, some have made complete changes out of tourism and some are still leading their own companies like myself into the great and uncertain world we have now. Some I have helped get a new job or promotion by helping with the recommendations and some I have had to report for serious breaches in trust in our community.
About 6 years ago, I started noticing that people were using LinkedIn as a dating site. Trolling became a common phenomenon that I was very cautious of as well, using Google to identify someone’s picture as theirs to make sure an imposter using the site as a means to gain access to your professional life wasn’t lurking behind the stellar professional photo and accomplishments.
Now, in the current time, if someone isn’t in my direct community, I find myself questioning their motives to connect and wondering what brought them to connect with me in the first place. Where did my trust in the community go? My trust in humanity? My happy go lucky self that accepted everyone for who and what they were and indeed who they said they were?
Is it me that has changed to be more untrusting? Is it my age and the fact that you actually can’t trust everyone carte blanche and I now have healthy boundaries? Or is it a true view on our world today and I’m justified in my fear or worse, everyone feels the same and we are all unjustified in our fears!
The current geopolitical climate has changed us. Where there were no boundaries to me in 2004 and the understanding that everyone was just trying to make a living and show their love for their product and country, I now am afraid. What?! Did I say that? I have fear of my fellow human beings on the planet? Where is the community in this scenario? Are we back to the age of closed societies, instead of open ones where we can all benefit no matter the socioeconomic status one lives in? That term, socioeconomic has only been used since the 1950s. But, in that short space of time, we are really no better off given our current climate of hate, war and all for me, not all for one.
It’s worth the discussion with your own communities about what drives these fears, because communication and knowledge of each other erases fear, hate and I believe, also the boundaries of status. We gain reality on each other’s lives in a way that makes you want to have a wider community than your own back garden. But, in the words of Steely Dan, Only a Fool Would Say That …. I’m willing to be that fool. Are you?
Linked In Member since 2004 – Connections 12,000 Plus
Only a Fool Would Say That
by Steely Dan
A world become one
Of salads and sun
Only a fool would say that
A boy with a plan
A natural man
Wearing a white Stetson hat
Unhand that gun begone
There’s no one to fire upon
If he’s holding it high
He’s telling a lie
I heard it was you
Talkin’ ’bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that
The man in the street
Draggin’ his feet
Don’t want to hear the bad news
Imagine your face
There is his place
Standing inside his brown shoes
You do his nine to five
Drag yourself home half alive
And there on the screen
A man with a dream
I heard it was you
Talkin’ ’bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that
Anybody on the street
Has murder in his eyes
You feel no pain
And you’re younger
Then you realize
I heard it was you
Talkin’ ’bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that