I love your insights, thanks for commenting. I’d just note that in some cases the word “nerd” has grown to mean just about anyone with competence or expertise due to their intrinsic interest & enthusiasm for the subject area. So maybe becoming an “equestrian nerd” or a “construction nerd” makes you immune to overbroad marketing claims in those areas!

I wonder what social media does.

This advice seems off-base to me. There is value in LinkedIn connections. But you have to make the connections outside of LinkedIn. Then it amplifies the value of those connections–you can discover that so-and-so knows so-and-so and then ask for introductions.

It also may be industry specific. I’m a software engineer, and I’ve had several employment opportunities come from these connections.