Let me tell you about my buddy Joey!! My buddy Joey is a super smart guy. He went to med school for many many long hard years. He graduated at the top of his class. He spent years practicing medicine during his residency at several hospitals across the state of PA. He now has his own practice and is a vascular surgeon affiliated with 4 local hospitals. He's got over 15 years of performing surgeries. My good buddy isn't a thought leader or an influencer. He's a fucking medical professional! A Dr!! A Surgeon!!
Terms like thought leader and influencer can do 1 of 2 things. It can quickly and painfully wreck the impact and reputation of a professional; someone who's experiences, years of practice, professional insights, research, connections, and studies have made them eligible to be a sought after resource for information or advice OR terms like thought leader and influencer can make grandiose the opinions of a hobbyist.
I appreciate the efforts and contributions of both groups. It's the terms used and the cult of personality nonsense that makes information dangerous. I'll use an example...
Let me tell you about my buddy Rick!! My buddy Rick is a super smart guy! He went to school for high level mathematics, computer science, information security and since then he has worked tirelessly making a name for him self by presenting research at highly esteemed events on very prestigious stages. Rick went to school but finds his time is best spent pursuing studies and practice on his own. Rick loves to educate and doesn't like the idea of celebrity, often foregoing introductions for his talks, when possible. Rick isn't a thought leader or an influencer. He is a highly skilled security researcher/analyst.
So far we have Joey (lots of formal education) and Rick ( some formal education as necessary and self taught since). These guys are both brilliant. Let's take a look at some of my other buddies!!
Let me tell you about my buddy Kenn!!My buddy Kenn is an insanely committed worker!! He attends as many events as he can engages as many people as possible. Kenn's work ethic is remarkable, which many may disregard because it may seem like he's just a party boy. He's a great strategist and shares all of his experiences on social media, making him a public figure.
Kenn is no less of an asset to his community than Joey or Rick is to theirs. Kenn is a different kind of asset.
Kenn responded to a tweet on this subject stating "It's offensive to me... I kinda hate being called an influencer... I'ma class clown on the internet. Problem is, the real fucks don't / won't get in front of a camera and do the marketing. Leaving Only us, enthusiasts, non experts to pick up the mass adoption roll."
The problem should now be a bit clearer now. The problem is people burdening individuals like Kenn with being end all-be all authorities on subjects without seeking proper info from seasoned professionals. I enjoy Kenn's material for what it is and I don't expect Rick to bring me mayhem. They're both great at what they do. It's the individuals consuming this material that need to reflect on why they're supporting which things.
I'm going to be posting a lot of articles like this to try to help sort out some of the mayhem in the space. Please share them or resteem them. Please help me work through these issues that I believe are important to the space.
Let's have fun and let's be fucking smart about it.
