Yeats wrote that Byzantium was no country for old men. He was right, according to the Daily Express, we are all on linked in leering at young girl’s profiles. It looks like the poem should get re-written for young women profiling themselves and those who think it a place to flirt.

I refer of course to the furore over a young woman and an old man who connect and row and are now nationwide celebrities. They have never met, or spoken and all they know of each other is that they are connected on linked in.

The old man slinks back to the ignominy he has brought upon himself, the young women is now a media superstar. So what lessons can we learn?

For old men.

The internet does do funny things to middle aged guys, it makes us feel we can behave as if the people on the other side of the profiles had no feelings.  But is Linked In the place to get your kicks?

It’s true that Linked In is full of fake profiles of young girls designed to tempt us into such lecherous connectivity. Young girls who end up selling us leads to vulnerable numpties – ripe for internet fraud -typically of the pension liberation flavour. But it’s hardly a hotbed of desire!

Because somebody connects with you, it doesn’t mean they find you sexually exciting. If you want to be found sexually exciting, you can make your advances on www.adultwork.com where you will be sure of a quick response, especially if you put cash upfront!

And if you think that people in real life look like their profiles, you should get out more. I’m afraid that photoshop , make-up and a professional photographer can do more for someone’s profile than 1000 endorsements! If you don’t believe me, check those people who have the most profile views amongst your connections!

The vanity of Linked in photos

And in case you think that it’s just about photoshopped kids, take a look at your own picture.

Indeed lying about your age or your sex or your beauty is all pretty much part of the game, whether you are a young lass or an old man, we may pretend that looks don’t matter, but the vast majority of my connections seem to have gone to a lot of trouble with their gravatars.

We all are guilty of profile deception and our vanity drives us to excesses – we believe our own lies and they can get us into trouble!

Kindness and tolerance required!

But there but for the grace of God go I , and many like me. I have been tempted to do the same and – I’m quite sure that in the tens of thousands of interactions I have had on linked in – I have behaved every bit as badly from time to time – as the flirtatious solicitor (whose name I can’t be bothered to remember).

Indeed ,only this morning i was able to openly slag off a fellow pensions professional on an Edinburgh tram without knowing that the women was sitting within earshot.

If I were her – and she is probably reading this- I’d have made a fuss. She had the presence of mind to smile demurely and leave me to my own embarrassment. This was a bizarre chance meeting, but they’re happening all the time on Linked In – we never know who may be listening/watching,

In such an inter-connected world – mistakes will be made. We are all crap from time to time and the best we can hope for is the kindness of our internet connections in tolerating us. I sympathise with the young lady but I hope that she doesn’t feel the need to assassinate every inane idiot who approaches her.

She’d have me on toast I’m sure!

Linked In is a professional meeting place and all parties need to learn manners- and that includes kindness and tolerance!