According to a post by Margaret Rouse on WhatIs.com, “LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. The objective of the site is to allow members to establish and document networks of people they know and trust professionally.” However, as per the LinkedIn User Management it is nowhere mentioned that users can’t put social issues or something related to Political matters or related to issues in IT Sector.
Now a days if anybody posts something related to social issues be it for an employee, for sportsperson or some other issues, our educated LinkedIn users condemn the posts saying LinkedIn is not Facebook or Twitter adding that it’s a professional networking site. Now, the moot question arises here is that,
“What is professionalism and who all are professionals?”
First and foremost, as stated by Cambridge dictionary, Professional/Profession means – “having the qualities that you connect with trained and skilled people, such as effectiveness, skill, organization, and seriousness of manner”. So in that respect, everybody is professional if he/she is trained in their field be it Sport, IT Sector, Government, Academicians, scientist, writer, cartoonist, Politician and so on.
Image Courtesy: @SatishAcharya via Twitter
Almost every Politician, Academician of Political theory, Minister, head of the Govt, Prime Minister and President from different country and even Indian Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers have their account in LinkedIn then why people can’t accept anything related to their profession. Are they not professionals, those who think they are not professionals then, I must say change your mind-set as Politicians, Academicians of Political Theory, Political & Social Writer and Political Journalist all are Professionals too.
LinkedIn Is a Networking Platform for All the Professionals not just from the Corporate Sector
What if any Politician writes something and posts it on LinkedIn? Will the users associated with IT Sector condemn their post? What if an Activist posts or write an article on the ongoing social issues and share it on LinkedIn, will the users stop them to write it or post it on a Global Platform where it needs global attention? What if an academician from a Political science wants to post or write an article on Politics, will the LinkedIn users stop academicians to spread the knowledge about Politics in an actual sense? Are they not Professionals same as LinkedIn Users associated with IT Sector?
An open question to all the LinkedIn users as said correctly by Aristotle, Chapter 1, mentioned below:
- What are the defining features of politics as an activity?
- How has ‘politics’ been understood by various thinkers, stakeholders and traditions?
- What are the main approaches to the study of politics as an academic discipline?
- Can the study of politics be Scientific?
- What roles do concepts, models and theories play in political analysis?
- How have globalizing trends affected the relationship between politics and international relations?
Secondly, if most of the people do not wish to see anything related to social issues then why almost all the employees keep writing about Managers and HRs? Why don’t they stop criticising them on Global Platform, but, that is something much appreciated by the so called professional LinkedIn users.
There are many social evils present which people know very well happening in LinkedIn but knowing about it doesn’t make any sense, if you don’t raise your voice. Even LinkedIn as the platform doesn’t mentions that users cannot post about social issues and/or Political issues/Political theories.
In fact, according to user management, section “3.3. Other Content, Sites and apps” it is clearly mentioned that When you see or use others’ content and information posted on our Services, it’s at your own risk. Third parties may offer their own products and services through LinkedIn, and we aren’t responsible for those third-party activities. Not only that those who are not aware about dos and don’ts then please refer Section 8. LinkedIn “DOs” and “DON’Ts”.
I would request the entire class of professionals especially IT Professionals not to disgrace any other professionals who are not from the said background.
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