I'm back on LinkedIn after a well-deserved holiday, and I must say I'm appalled at the level of aggressivity posts and comments are reaching here.
I admit almost everything I read on social media is not to my taste and I disagree at least partly with the vast majority of the opinions posted on this platform.
Too dichotomic, too simplistic, too demagogic. Not nuanced enough.
Sometimes I surprise myself by commenting on a post here and there, which I almost always regret as soon as I click on send.
Participating in any kind of discussion on social media has become a risk of falling into a downward spiral of violent arguments, mean remarks and never-ending hurtful polemic.
I refrain from commenting, not to "wake the beast", or I disable notifications on posts I've just commented on, as not to ruin my day.
This morning, I noticed a comment from a language industry professional telling another one to "tear into" a colleague just because he had posted something about rates that wasn't seen as consensual enough to pass the non-aggression rule test.
That person, who has since deleted his post and even apologised publicly for voicing something that wasn't thought well enough or formulated with enough care not to stir controversy, was told his company, one of the few translation agencies providing freelancers with properly paid work and interesting projects on the market, was just a joke with "sweatshop rates".
I'm appalled at the ability of people to judge without knowing or not to take the time to get information about what and who they intend to "tear into".
That company owner has been battling burn-out for months and addiction for years. His company is one of the few true gems on the language market, where freelancers of all levels of experience can find a haven to work in an inclusive safe space, with carefully chosen PMs who always understand and never judge.
Please stop trying to buzz on social media by destroying other people's reputation and character online.
We're all just human beings after all.