Ep.1 - A website and blog, how indulgent
That's what I keep thinking to myself. "Wow, Charlie - you want to set up your own site? You think people will care about your thoughts, musings and ideas?"
Well... maybe, maybe not. But hear me out.
A few years ago, I scrapped all of my social media accounts. Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter/X. I didn't dare venture into TikTok, instead choosing to get off the social media bandwagon. The only online presence I have maintained is my LinkedIn account, which has always seemed like a necessity given the increasingly important role it plays in your career prospects.
This social media cold turkey hasn't always been easy, or entirely successful.
Facebook has proven particularly difficult to get rid of, mostly because the two cycling clubs I'm a member of host the club community groups on there. Facebook Marketplace has also come through a few times when I've wanted to sell odd and ends. Until the communities I'm a part of shift to a different platform, it seems I'm resigned to having a friendless, locked-down profile that feeds the algorithm minimal data.
Friends still send me the occasional Instagram post via text, which Zuck sometimes lets me watch without an account, or more frequently says, "install the app, log in, I dare you".
Elon's antics made scrapping Twitter/X pretty straightforward, and the more I read, the more certain I am that it was the right decision to hit delete. Here is just one example of many...
Tim Biggs
Elon doing Elon things...
I regressed with Reddit for a few months, until I wondered why I was spending so much time reading about whether or not people might be the asshole (click at your peril), and how to get more Qantas frequent flyer points that I can ever seem to use.
Lately, I’ve been wondering about the downsides of having a limited online presence. With AI on the rise, could this make it even more significant?
Shane Parrish, author and owner of the popular Farnam Street blog (named after Berkshire Hathaway's address in honour of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger), made a tweak to the way he branded his newsletter this week, switching from FS (Farnam Street) to Shane Parrish (FS). Why? He explained:
If you're wondering why these emails come from my name now, and not FS, I think things are changing. I've never wanted to be well known or to be recognized when I walk down the street. So hiding behind FS worked. The content was enough. However with AI generated content coming quickly, it's important we develop a bit of a relationship and you know there is a real person on the other side of this email. That's me.
It got me thinking about the bigger picture: in a world increasingly shaped by AI, what does it mean to have little or no online presence? The big brains at BCG also tell me that AI is increasingly used for recruitment and screening candidates based on their digital footprints. Is no footprint still better than a limited one?
Lately, I’ve started to wonder if I’ve gone too far - maybe I should have some kind of online presence? But I want it on my terms, without an algorithm vying for my attention and monetising data about me. So here we are: I’ve decided to start a website/blog - a space to share for my own enjoyment, and, on the off chance, to resonate with others too.
Thanks for reading,
Charlie
