Since I’m nothing if not eternally optimistic, I admit to being a tad perplexed by the fact that, as a species, we remain almost impregnably naive about all matters related to electronic communications. After all, it’s been at least 35 years since Al Gore invented the Internet. And it was only a year or two later that Big Al adapted the encoding standards developed for ARPANET’s electronic mail to the Internet’s email standards. So, it fairly beggars credibility that we retain a degree of gullibility such that we still require cautionary missives about LinkedIn spam in 2015. But require them, apparently, we do.
It’s also incredible to realize the so-called Nigerian Scam pre-dates electronic communication. In fact it even pre-dates Al Gore (born 1948) and other inveterate and incorrigible swindlers of the 20th and 21st centuries. That revelation compelled me to try to find out if Al has a LinkedIn account. It seemed to stand to reason, right? You’d have to imagine a seasoned skinner like Big Al would use the very medium he invented to maximize his chicanery, no?
While I’m not sure I found the real Al Gore, my LinkedIn search did turn up some notable possibilities:
- Al Gore: Independent Government Administration Professional. I’m not sure Big Al has anything to do with government administration anymore. But it’s certainly not for lack of trying.
- Al Gore: Seller at Momma’s Old-Fashioned Applesauce. I doubt it. Even a mother’s love has reasonable limits.
- Al Gore: President. A severe case of wishful thinking.
- Al Gore: Owner, Energy Efficient Builder. Not a chance.
- Albert Gore: Independent Biotechnology Professional. This might be a title Big Al’s adopted to lend credibility to his next film project, a documentary about the effects of global warming on dental health — An Inconvenient Tooth.
- Al Gore: Fake Profile. My money’s on this one.
I’m not well-versed on LinkedIn’s security or anti-spam protocols. But a couple of measures should ensure even the most susceptible among us retain a scam-free LinkedIn experience:
- If you receive a business proposition, via email, that appears to come from LinkedIn, presume it’s a scam of the Nigerian type.
- If you receive anything at all from Al Gore, via any medium, presume it’s a scam of any conceivable type.
And one more thing: If you see Al Gore dressed as a Nigerian Prince, on LinkedIn or anywhere else, run like hell.
—
Image by tiffanytlcbm, courtesy of pixabay.com.