These are the people in your neighborhood: 5 posters you will definitely meet on LinkedIn in 2018.

I was commenting to my partner that I can just about predict what the first 10 or so posts will be in any given LinkedIn news feed. His response, “You should write about that”. Ummm...ok!

I’ve been on LinkedIn since 2006. I’ve kept a relatively smallish (2,500) network, and follow a whole slew of companies and pages. In the last 18 months, though, a predictive cadence has emerged. Call it personal branding, call it narrative psychology, a whole damn lot of us have become predictable LI personalities. 

For giggles, for clarity, or for word count , here’s the five posters you will (or have) met here.

DISCLAIMER: A lot of this is in fun, so don't get your britches in a bunch. :-P

1. The self-appointed journalist. 

• This person bombs articles that someone else wrote. All. The. Time. They don't add perspective in their status, rather they repeat a line from the article. While, handy at times for "discovery", I'm not sure how I'm supposed to engage with them. "Good job for reading"? In particularly good ones, I like to thank them for the share, but the reason I would call them for work remains unclear. What value do they provide, specifically? Dunno. Thanks for all the news updates. I really needed another CNN/TechCrunch/Buzzfeed in my face. :-P

2. The over-sharer. 

• You know this isn't Facebook, right? Long, detailed personal information comes off as a little odd here. I love the business-related stories of triumph, that fits. Your baby pics (and I do love me some babies), personal health information and other things I should not know unless you and I are in regular text communication erodes the professionalism of your intent.

3. The model. 

• If this is your job, I get it. Possibly choose less provocative pictures for a professional network? Trust this attracts unwanted attention. Darling, Instagram. Get all of your like fix on the proper platform, and swerve the thirsty guys in your professional DM.

4. The “self-appointed” disruptor. 

• Dude, I get it. You are Jobs reincarnated. You're hacking everything and changing the industry. But, if you really were, you wouldn't humble-brag about it, because you'd be busy DOING it.

5. The 50’s manager. 

• The individual that likes to comment on new ideas or new ways of working as "not professional". It's not 1950. Hopefully, you've evolved into answering your own email. Pontificating stodgy, old, outdated"Of course the only way to succeed is with a degree!" Oh yeah? Stuff it.