The Hollow Crown: Why Vanity Metrics Are Eroding Professional Discourse
I posted about a preprint on algorithmic innovation. Original theoretical synthesis. A new mathematical equation. Actual contributions to the field.
Three months later: 24 interactions, 2 comments, and 3 reposts.
Today, someone posted:
"You become your best self when you work on things people can't take from you..."
Eight hours later: 520 interactions, 156 comments, 40 reposts.
This disconnect between value and visibility? It's a problem we need to talk about.
TL;DR: Visual Edition (AKA the Shorter Answer)
The Longer Answer
The Great Engagement Illusion
I've been in tech for over two decades. I've seen platforms come and go. But this current obsession with vanity metrics is different. It's not just about the numbers anymore. It's about what those numbers are rewarding.
We're seeing professionals with genuine expertise getting drowned out by what I call "engagement optimizers." These aren't bad people. They've just learned that the algorithm rewards certain behaviors over others. Quick dopamine hits over deep dives. Familiar comfort over challenging growth.
The issue isn't the sunrise posts themselves. It's that we're training an entire generation of professionals to value virality over value. To chase reactions instead of results. To mistake popularity for influence.
The Copy-Paste Industrial Complex
Here's something that genuinely concerns me. The recycling of ideas without attribution or depth.
How many times have you seen the same "10 AI trends for 2025" post, slightly tweaked, making the rounds? The original researcher who spent months analyzing data and trends watches their work get diluted into bite-sized content snacks.
This isn't knowledge sharing. It's knowledge dilution. And it's particularly frustrating in fields like cybersecurity and AI where precision matters. Where context is everything. Where a misunderstood concept can lead to real vulnerabilities.
The Quiet Revolution of Substance
But here's what gives me hope.
In my mentorship work, I see it every day. Professionals who post detailed troubleshooting guides that save someone's weekend. Engineers who share their failure stories so others can avoid the same pitfalls. Researchers who break down complex papers into accessible insights.
These folks aren't optimizing for the algorithm. They're optimizing for impact. Their audience might be smaller, but it's engaged in ways that matter. They're building communities of practice, not just follower counts.
I once posted an article—something technical, probably about IT/OT convergence in critical infrastructure. Niche topic. Low reach. Maybe 30 views total. But one of those views came from an aspiring cybersecurity professional. They reached out, asked thoughtful questions, and we kept the conversation going. That person eventually became a mentee. Today, they’re a cybersecurity specialist at a major organization. That single connection made the post worth writing.
When They Go Low, We Go High
Michelle Obama's wisdom applies perfectly to professional networking. When faced with the temptation to chase easy engagement, we have a choice.
We can maintain our standards. We can continue sharing substantive content even when it doesn't go viral. We can model the behavior we want to see in our professional communities.
This isn't about being elitist or looking down on anyone. It's about recognizing that our fields deserve better. That the next generation of professionals deserves better examples. That we all benefit when expertise is valued over entertainment.
The Metrics That Matter
What if we redefined success? What if instead of counting reactions, we counted:
Problems solved through shared knowledge
Connections that led to meaningful collaborations
Careers influenced through authentic mentorship
Innovations sparked by thoughtful discussion
I've been tracking these "invisible metrics" in my own work. The DM from someone who implemented your security framework. The comment thread that becomes a masterclass in troubleshooting. The connection request that turns into a career-changing opportunity.
These are the wins that matter. These are the impacts that last.
A Call for Authentic Contribution
So here's my challenge to all of us, myself included.
Before your next post, ask yourself: Who is this really for? Your ego? The algorithm? Or someone out there who might genuinely benefit from what you know?
Think about your audience. Not the thousands who might scroll past, but the dozens who might stop and learn. The junior developer debugging their first API. The security analyst facing their first incident. The entrepreneur trying to understand AI ethics.
These are your people. Serve them well.
To those already doing this work: Keep going. Your Docker deep dives, your lessons learned, your honest takes on emerging tech. You're preserving knowledge, building community, and raising standards. You're the reason these platforms still have value.
To those caught in the metrics game: I get it. The validation feels good. The numbers are addictive. But consider this. What legacy do you want to leave? What do you want to be known for?
The Path Forward
The platforms won't save us. They're designed for engagement, not enlightenment. But we don't need them to change. We need to change how we use them.
Share your real experiences. Your actual expertise. Your genuine questions. Be vulnerable about what you don't know. Be generous with what you do know. Build in public, fail in public, learn in public.
Most importantly, be authentic. Not "authentic" as a buzzword, but actually, genuinely yourself. Your unique perspective, your hard-won insights, your specific expertise. That's what the world needs. Not another recycled list or motivational platitude.
The future of professional discourse isn't in the hands of algorithms or platform designers. It's in our hands. Every post, every comment, every connection is a choice. A choice to elevate or entertain. To inform or impress. To build or boost.
Choose wisely. Our fields are counting on it.
About the Author
Junior Williams is a cybersecurity architect and independent AI researcher who champions substance over spectacle, leveraging original thought, mentorship, and hard-won expertise to challenge the engagement-driven distortion of professional discourse.
