I love this article, Graeme, and I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for articulating some things my team and I have been struggling to articulate!

We run a small business network and our policy is for members to share their experience — not advice. We also ask that members ask for the experiences of others instead of advice.

It’s not always a policy that’s heeded, of course, since the culture of the internet — and especially small business — is so centered around advice. When the policy is not followed, we often struggle to put a finger on why certain responses rub us the wrong way. I think you’ve really nailed it! There’s a lack of consent and a lack of context at play. I’ll be sharing this article with our community soon! Thank you again!