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Real talk time:

"Just asking questions" is a weapon. We know full-well that some people exploit it to feign innocence when deliberately throwing noise into discussions. And it works in large part because it encourages otherwise earnest discussions which then contribute to the noise.

So be careful.

@TechConnectify "Sealioning". It is so well abused, it's been given a name.

@larsmb I am not talking about sealioning. That person knows what they're doing and doesn't need anyone to tell them to be careful.

I'm talking about people engaging in conversations about things which are technically true but don't actually matter. We need to get better at recognizing when things are irrelevant and let them drop out of the conversation, because earnest people who don't do this unwittingly bring fodder to the disinformers of the world.

Let me give you an example:

@TechConnectify @larsmb
One of the things I've learned to look for is whether someone is searching for problems or solutions. People who are focused exclusively on problems are usually looking for an excuse for inaction. People who are focused on solutions want the project to succeed. They may still see obstacles, but they'll at least try to find solutions. If they can't find one, they'll be happy to hear someone else has.

Mike J👹🐀 🤘🏻

@VATVSLPR @TechConnectify @larsmb I was trying to write this post and couldn't explain what I meant but you did and now I don't have to.