Jim Murray

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · 0 ·

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Why Quitting LinkedIn Was Like Quitting Smoking

Why Quitting LinkedIn Was Like Quitting Smoking

m Jim Murray anc my company 1s called Onworcs 8 Upwords SEE RCTs ES Rae] communications in all 01 & offline media ERE CE] (RE:

This will be a relatively short late night post to express an insight I just had.
I came here to beBee at John White's invitation about three months or so ago. I came from The Lumpy Kingdom of the Mighty Hamsters aka LinkedIn.
John did not have to twist my arm. Just knowing that he was an Ambassador was good enough for me, and probably quite a few other people, especially bloggers, on LI. Because John is a well respected dude.
Over the course of the last three months, my involvement with LinkedIn has diminished to the point where I sometimes have to remind myself to go there and check things out.
This gradual weaning of myself off LinkedIn reminded me of when I quit smoking.
My wife is asthmatic and one of the things she is violently allergic to is cigarette smoke. When we were first married it wasn't so bad, but I knew I would have to quit.
But I did not do it cold turkey, because I thought that would be too difficult to manage. So gradually over about 6 months I made a conscious effort to reduce the number of cigarettes I smoked each day.
So on the day I quit, I was only smoking maybe one a day. This meant that quitting was no big deal. And fortunately for my marriage, it stuck.
Well that's where I am with LinkedIn right now, but with one significant difference and that is that there are still a huge number of people left to bring over to beBee.
So my official position on LinkedIn is that of a sniper.
I have no interest in being an active participant there any longer. It hasn't really been worthwhile in more than a year now.
In fact, I created a special note that I send to everyone who wants to join my network there. It basically tells people that if they want to read my stuff they should do it on beBee.
But I will still share my beBee posts there, because there are still a lot of people there who know who I am, and who I can hopefully bring over into the light.
The reason I want to do this is simple.
Javier and Juan have created what I consider to be an amazing web site. A place that's open and inclusive and encourages real freedom of expression. There are no assholes here getting all offended by expletives or 'facebooky' posts. There are no pedants, or at least if there are they are keeping it well under control.
What beBee is, quite honestly, is everything we all wanted LinkedIn to be in terms of community, but never became.
This is definitely LinkedIn's loss and beBee's gain.
Almost everyone I know who has come here has expressed the same sentiment, more or less, as I just did.
They have found an online home here...the kind of community that brings out the best in them.
These days, when the world seems like one big shitstorm, it's really nice to have a place like beBee.
I look at sites like LinkedIn and Facebook and all I see is people selling stuff, products, books, services, religions, ideologies etc.
But when I cruise through here most of what I see is people expressing themselves creatively and constructively.
This is very much how the site makes you feel.
So here I am...free of my LinkedIn habit, buzzing with the other bees.
And what do you know...social media is fun again.

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#Quitting LinkedIn #John #LinkedIn #John White #Quitting Smoking
Comments

Milos Djukic

7 years ago #42

#55
Javier C\u00e1mara-Rica, It seems to me that there are four key aspects which are based on the experiences from LI business: 1. Establishing a balance between personal and professional. 2. Preserving the integrity and prosperity of the strictly professional hives (initial LI Groups model is not bad). 3. Avoiding of an aggressive influncer marketing. 4. Establishment of a model that provides a sustainable development and income Just my two cents :)

Milos Djukic

7 years ago #41

#55
It seems to me that there are three key aspects: 1. Establishing a balance between personal and professional, 2. Preserving the integrity of the strictly professional hives.. 3. Avoiding of an aggressive influncer marketing.

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #40

#50
John Vaughan we would like to know exactly which things you think LI does better to see if we can improve then for you. Thanks !!

Jim Murray

7 years ago #39

#45
Praveen...please follow me so I can tag you. Your comment was absolutely brilliant.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #38

#48
You are absolutely right about 'freer' Kevin Pashuk. I came here to try and revive that feeling that I had in my writing which was severely compromised and repressed by a year of bitching at LinkedIn.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #37

#49
Thanks Graham Edwards. Most appreciated.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #36

#50
I'm not so optimistic, because from my experience their management seems fairly apathetic if not incompetent.

Graham🐝 Edwards

7 years ago #35

Thanks for the post Jim Jim Murray... I couldn't agree more.

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #34

Perhaps Wayne Yoshida it is the syndrome where you are never famous in your home town until you leave (even though you are doing the same thing in the new place)? I have noticed my writing style is much freer now that I primarily post on beBee. The level of interaction is perhaps improving my own engagement and quality, which is recognized when I post the link to the articles on LI?

Wayne Yoshida

7 years ago #33

#35
Kevin Pashuk, I also noticed my LI stats for views have gone up. I suspect having a presence over here creates curiosity over there - which is a good thing in my mind. This is why I like cross-pollinating the two platforms.

Mohammed Abdul Jawad

7 years ago #32

With the discovery of beBee I have, indeed, lost interest in LinkedIn. But then, LinkedIn too lost its charismatic content, clear truthfulness and just approach.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #31

#41
Agree Jim Murray!

Jim Murray

7 years ago #30

#37
Lisa Gallagher...I don't thing anybody should be telling people to leave LI. I think they should talk about their experience here as compared to what their experience has become on LI and let them decide. Most of the people I know haven't disconnected from LinkedIn, nor will they. There's still some validity to the site and the network people have built there. It just sucks for writers.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #29

#38
Thanks Megan LucasI was kind of hard to pull out of Linkedin. I'm still getting a couple of Link requests every day. The way I see that now is as a recruiting tool for beBee.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #28

#38
Thanks Megan Lucas. I was kind of hard to pull out of Linkedin. I'm still getting a couple of Link requests every day. The way I see that now is as a recruiting tool of beBee.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #27

#27
Agree David Grinberg, I chose to not write on Linkedin anymore. I do use the platform to check in and repost other's material. It's ok to share our personal experiences but that's where I draw the line. If I share this platform with others, I don't try to persuade them to stop using the platform they are on. I like to tell them to come on over, sign up and just give it a try. I remind them they don't have to stop using Linkedin for example. Both can complement one another if a person desires to stay with Linkedin. Agree with all of your suggestions.

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #26

#35
Kevin Pashuk, LI loves beBee stories :)

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #25

I share a similar path. I haven't put a new post on LI for a while. Interestingly enough, the links to beBee posts on LI is getting way more activity than my original Producer posts did. Best of both worlds, since posting a beBee link on LI seems to bypass the algorithm.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #24

#30
Thanks Wayne Yoshida

Jim Murray

7 years ago #23

#13
Javier Javier C\u00e1mara-Rica. Thanks Javier. I appreciate the position of anyone in management here on beBee. As with all my posts, they really express only my opinion. People are free to agree or disagree. But my choice to stop posting on LI was made long before I even knew about beBee. Many of us have been battling with LI for more than 18 months now. I was just very happy that you guys came along when you did. But make no mistake, I was already halfway back to simply reposting my WordPress posts, with the intention of no longer posting in Pulse. Cheers, jim.

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #22

Thanks Jim Murray . You can always write on beBee and share through all social networks. beBee will not disappoint you ;)

Jim Murray

7 years ago #21

#27
I agree with you David Grinberg. My choice to stop posting on LI was something I made consciously based the simple logic. I have also been very much a disgruntled postal worker over there for the past year as my effective reach was being limited through no fault of my own. LinkedIn's publishing platform was badly designed and badly managed. We all know this, and we all have been victimized by it. I simply made the choice to end what I saw as a one sided relationship. I have not closed my account there. I still know a lot of people there. But I am not giving them any more of my long format content, because they simply don't appreciate it.

Wayne Yoshida

7 years ago #20

#27
Jim Murray's comments. I would like to add the concept of cross-pollination -- sharing from over here to over there, and vice-versa - when applicable. I am still on both platforms - I teach LinkedIn classes for career management / career seekers - and do mention beBee as an alternative to consider and join. I hope to add beBee to my sessions as I gain more experience over here. And I love this "send" button. Helps format comments so they are easier to read.

Milos Djukic

7 years ago #19

#20
You are welcome Javier C\u00e1mara-Rica and thank you!

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #18

#27
Since you asked and tagged me in the question, David Grinberg, with all due respect, although I agree that choice of platform need not be all or nothing, I suggest that voluntary recruitment on behalf on beBee will proceed according to each individual "recruiter's" conscience and personal agenda. It's pretty much like political action, what you don't pay for, you can't control. Which is not to say that you cannot have recommended guidelines. Cheers!

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #17

Also, per Javier C\u00e1mara-Rica's comments below (#10). I think it's important to note when recruiting folks to beBee from LI and other platforms that it's not an "either, or" proposition. We are not encouraging social media users to abandon any sites they are on and may enjoy (unless they so choose), but instead to become a bee in order to: 1) Expand your networking experience, 2) Further amplify your message, 3) Enhance your job search or recruiting, 4) Meet "like minded" bees who share YOUR personal AND professional interests, 5) Increase engagement and audience for your blogging/writing, and 6) Try a new and exciting social startup with a high rate of "active users" and positive "user experience" with exemplary customer service. THOUGHTS? cc: Juan Imaz

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #16

What an amazing read, Jim Murray. You've done it again. Let's all share this far and wide!

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #15

Thanks everybody!!! Hopefully beBee will be huge thanks to all of you !!

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #14

#9
thanks Milos Djukic !

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #13

#10
Anders Liu-Lindberg you should stay on LI. I don't see why not ! beBee's purpose is totally different! : The only platform to enjoy your entire personal/passions and professional brand.

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #12

#11
Rob McNaughton I fully understand. BB will not replace any other. It is simply different. The only one to enjoy your entire personal and professional experiences. Here you will always find the share button through the rest of platforms !

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #11

#12
exactly Lisa Gallagher that is great ! Writing on beBee and sharing it through the other media platforms ! :)

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #10

#14
thanks Irene Hackett

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #9

By the way, it is very important to share your buzzes on beBee through FB, LI and Twitter ! It is a good way to attack new bees !

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #8

Thanks Jim Murray ! Your comments help us to work hard.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #7

Congrats on quitting smoking, I quit 3.5 years ago and there is no going back for me either Jim Murray. I completely understand your analogy. Like you I will continue to promote other buzzes to linkedin but I'm done writing there. Nice writeup Jim

Milos Djukic

7 years ago #6

I'm not so resourceful in expressing admiration for any social media. Maybe because I believe that social media per se is not what is admirable, but people in social media. Perhaps it is enough to say that this place is rather unique and also extremely worthwhile. The reason is simple and at the same time very complex (chaotic and of the fractal characters).This is the forerunner of the modern social media which highlights users and not only profit or owners. And that is the reason why this place is fruitful for all C-Butterflies. They are all ambassadors until eventual introduction of an aggressive influencer marketing. And I also love bebee.com, even more. Can you guess why? I call it virtual synchronicity or fractal alignment. It is the principle of how we lead each other. Future leadership is about social complexity with a growing trend of social encounters and exchanges. That's what it's worth here Javier C\u00e1mara-Rica.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #5

#4
Randy That shit will take years off your life...But as George Carlin pointed out, those are the crappy years anyway.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #4

#5
Thanks Chas Wyatt. There's a lot of us here. Nick Dachris, who I'm friends with on FB, thinks we just transported the Unfluencer group here. I told him it was a lot better than that.

Randy Keho

7 years ago #3

It is definitely fun here, in part, due to your involvement. But, I'm not ready to quit smoking, yet. I did toast to your sustained health and intellectual vigor at happy hour yesterday - a few times. Now, I'm heading outside for a smoke. You know where I blow the smoke out of - my 6. I, too, often forget to check my UnLinked account.

Bill Stankiewicz

7 years ago #2

A great post & I really enjoy what Javier C\u00e1mara-Rica & his partner have created here on bebee.com. It is very refreshing to be here! regards, Bill Stankiewicz, PS: Did I tell you I love bebee.com :)

Mohammed Abdul Jawad

7 years ago #1

Away from LinkedIn and its boredom, be jubilant with beBee bees and rejoice your liberty!

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