This is… well, I don't know.

LinkedIn just released the first version of its new 'Repost' feature in feed updates. This will make it easy to help amplify a post to your LinkedIn audience.
Could that be good for alerting your network to new job opportunities, industry-specific trend reports, great creators to follow, etc.?.

But as we stated in the previous point, this may be a challenge also because it will also permit fast amplification of criticisms and negative remarks.
LinkedIn is now taking its Repost option to a new level, by making it the default option, with its own icon along the lower function bar on each post.

In one sense, that makes sense. Right now, your post engagement options are 'Like', 'Comment', 'Share' and 'Send', with the latter having given you the option of sharing that post via LinkedIn message. The 'Share' option urges you to either repost the update, or 'Share with your thoughts', in other words compose a post with this update attached.

Updating that to 'Repost;' then does not change it much, and it could make it easier to amplify the content in the app and to ask your followers to amplify your posts by re-sharing to maximize reach.

The shift here probably means people are sharing posts anyway, and that is why LinkedIn wants it to be the default. Still, however, I have some reservations based on past experiences with the same.

In 2019, Chris Wetherell-a fellow who fashioned the 'retweet' option on Twitter-would have done otherwise, he told me, now seeing how it is being used to amplify criticisms and negative opinions.

Then there was Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who was also unsure about the functionality but again, within the same breath, muttered that:

"We're definitely thinking about the incentives and ramifications of all actions, including retweet. Retweet with comment for instance might encourage more consideration before spread."

So where other apps are looking at the problems caused by straight re-sharing, LinkedIn's actually looking to lean into it – which seems likely motivated by the push to maximize user engagement, as opposed to considering the potential impacts of such within the app.

I mean, you would expect that any re-sharing mechanic will be used differently on LinkedIn. The professional social network isn't as anonymous as Twitter, and the feed isn't as fast-paced, which probably diminishes the motivation to re-share and engage with the conversation.

But still, I don't see how much value it actually adds in real terms other than just juicing engagement.

At least LinkedIn is making some progress and it's going to be interesting to see how that changes user behavior within the app. I would be interested in what impact this has, and maybe LinkedIn will update sometime on the basis of the outcome.