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Leslie Cannold has had enough of being even-handed and presenting Both Sides Now. So she’s cutting to the chase: what’s the right way to go? In Everyday Dilemmas, Dr Cannold brings her ethical training to your problems. Send your questions to letters@crikey.com.au with “Dear Leslie” in the subject line. She might even reply…

Dear Leslie,

Should I quit Facebook? Besides getting stuff into my calendar, I can’t see the use of it and Zuckerberg is a dick.

Anti-Social from San Souci

Hi Anti-Social,

I’m inclined to say yes, everyone should quit Facebook (or is that Meta?) because it’s a determinedly monopolistic and rabidly self-interested company that does little good and a whole lot of terrible in the world. This includes commodifying our personal information, allowing misinformation to flourish and algorithmically encouraging the political radicalisation of users, all of which is like rat poison to democracy.

Why give your time, attention or custom to that?

Having said that, I confess that while I despise Facebook, I’m still on it. Why? Because in the same way you are attached to the events page, I am served by being able to promote my writing to followers that right now I can’t reach anywhere else.

In part, that’s the fault of Facebook and the other big tech monoliths too, who have done all they can to gobble up competitors who did or might have provided something better like Instagram and WhatsApp while monopoly regulators did — and continue to do — nothing.

LinkedIn offers the best alternative to date. A different business model but the same gender breakdown of users and an events feature, though the average user age is older. However, if that’s not an issue for you and those you plan events will come with you, maybe give that a try?

I’d also like to have provided you with a link to a petition you could sign supporting Facebook being broken up, which is what US Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren, the best thinker on this problem, says is the way forward. But no such petition exists, so perhaps as a first step to both our liberation you could start one?

Leslie.

Dear Leslie,

I work with an older man who is just hopeless. He should have retired years ago. He’s over 70, but for reasons I don’t understand just keeps pushing on. He’s deaf, a technology tragic and just plain bad at his job. My wife says I need take it up with management, but come on, surely they know? And I don’t want to look ageist or be responsible for someone losing their job.

Guilty in Greensborough

Dear Guilty,

The World Health Organization defines ageism as stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.

From what I can tell from your letter, the problem you have with your colleague is his performance, not his age. While you are speculating that some or all of his performance issues are related to age, you can’t know that. For this reason — and because his age isn’t the problem — you should refrain in any complaint you make from mentioning his age.

Instead you should focus exclusively on how your colleague’s hearing issues, difficulty with technology and other ways he goes about doing his job is negatively affecting his work performance, stakeholders and/or you.

Should you notify management? It depends on the workplace. The risks entailed in allowing an incompetent co-worker to do a poor job protecting victims of domestic violence are significantly higher than allowing him to staff the screwdriver section of Bunnings in a less than stellar fashion. If the risks at your workplace of his performance issues are significant, I’d advise speaking up, in case no one else has.

Otherwise I’d go with what feels more important to you: protecting yourself and the stakeholders of your business, or the security of your co-worker’s employment.

Leslie.

Send your dilemmas to letters@crikey.com.au with “Dear Leslie” in the subject line and you could get a reply from Dr Cannold in this column. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity.