You–a person with a job, looking for a job or who once held a job–are probably familiar with the website LinkedIn as a place where you go to submit resumes and make connections. For a while now, however, it has also become a place where a particular type of person posts. And thrives.
By virtue of the fact it has a news feed, and one driven by an algorithm to boot, LinkedIn's main page has become a carousel of horrors that highlights not just the latest job openings in your chosen field, but bonafide social media posts that glorify the grind, ignore basic principles of human society and kindness and just generally reveal that the people with money and influence in your corner of the business world are even dumber, and crueller, than you may have previously imagined.
For some examples, you could always try logging into LinkedIn yourself. Or, for a more concentrated dose, scroll through some highlights on the subreddit LinkedIn Cringe. Good Work's video on the phenomenon, called “Why Is LinkedIn So Weird?", explains all this very well (and is only five minutes long, in case you think I'm about to make you watch a 97-minute video just to understand LinkedIn a little better):
To bring all this back to video games, let's meet Mr. Gamedev Snowflakes, author of a post I had the grave misfortune of being served by said algorithm over the weekend. This man--who I will not name, because I'm here to talk about the posts, not the man--has surveyed the brutal layoffs currently sweeping the video game industry at the moment and decided that what the world needs, rather than support for those affected and calls for change, is a slap to the face and some perspective:
Dear gamedev snowflakes,
We are not heroes. We don’t risk our lives or save others.
We make entertainment, that's all it is.
Yeah, the way firings are handled sucks, and they could definitely be nicer.
But you're not special. You don’t deserve better.
Welcome to reality – everyone gets their share of shit.
If you've lost your job, that's a tough luck and I'm sorry.
But it's not the end of the world.
It's just a fucking job. You'll find another one. Move on.
And to the despicable attention seekers who still have jobs yet cry survivor's guilt. There are people in this world who endured real hell, wars, and concentration camps. And here you are, you pathetic, entitled pieces of shit, claiming survivor's guilt because you can't sip lattes with your friends no more in your luxury hotel offices?
Get the fuck out of here.
Nice guy! Must be fun at parties! To the rest of LinkedIn's credit, his post has been ratio'd to hell and back, the first time I've ever seen that happen outside a more traditional social media site. In response, rather than apologise or take stock of his actions, the man in question simply posted again, saying stuff like “Raging narcissism and portraying oneself as a victim have somehow become competitive sports”, and that “We're living in a world of exaggeration” before urging everyone to read the memoirs of a concentration camp survivor.
I've been thinking about this man all weekend. As a shining example of a "LinkedIn Guy", sure, but also more specifically about his place in game development. I tried to imagine sharing an office with him, or even just working alongside him. I tried to imagine what it must be like to be him, to look at the spectre of layoffs hanging over every single job in games development--even his--and deciding that the problem isn't inept CEOs and the rotting beams propping up Late Stage Capitalism, the problem is...people being snowflakes.
Every scenario just bummed me out. Yet these dudes are out there, numerous and comfortable enough that they can just post this shit on LinkedIn and think it's normal and fine and cool, so all I was left with at the end of this thought experiment was two things. First, I just felt bad for anyone and everyone who has ever worked with someone like this. And second, I hoped that the blowback would, in some small part, show this dude that the video game industry is a place made up of human beings, and that economy-wide issues facing everyone should be cause for support and concern, not dismissal and name-calling.
Then, literally as I was submitting this blog for editing, he posted a third time:
Dear Community,
I'm writing to apologize for the way I recently communicated my thoughts to you all. In expressing my views, I let frustration cloud my judgment and used language that was inappropriate and overly harsh. I regret it and I am truly sorry for any pain my posts have caused.
I believe in the importance of resilience and perspective, especially in challenging times. However, I understand now that my attempt to convey this message came across as dismissive and insensitive. It was never my intention to belittle or invalidate anyone's experiences.
While I still stand by the essence of my message – the need for a balanced perspective – I realize that the way I expressed it was flawed. Moving forward, I am committed to sharing my views in a more respectful and constructive manner.
To those who provided constructive feedback on my posts, thank you. It has been a humbling experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from this.
What getting ratio'd on LinkedIn, of all places, will do to a guy.
