I don’t know why, but I like LinkedIn.
Even though its only major achievement has been ensuring I have an endless stream of emails from people wanting a job, I think it’s great.
OK, so I know there are many people who say it’s been extremely beneficial for them and/or their business … plus I know it received a ridiculous [and I mean ridiculous] high stock market evaluation … but in my personal experience, I’ve not had a huge amounts of benefits and yet I like it.
Or should I say I did.
You see earlier today I saw a person on there that I really wanted to connect with.
I didn’t know him. None of the people I know, know him and none of the people I know, know people who know him.
Now normally that doesn’t matter because you just choose the “FRIEND” option on the invite, and your request can zoom off without any issue.
Except they’ve changed that option.
Now you have to enter their email address to prove you’re their friend.
In some respects, I agree and understand that – however they should have made that the rule from the start but because they didn’t, it means my expectations are – in the true sense of networking – that I can connect with whoever I choose and then it’s down to them whether they want to respond.
So with my usual avenue thwarted, I looked for another option.
To see it clearer, click here
There it is … right at the bottom … the “I don’t know them” option.
Perfect and fair enough.
So after writing my introduction to this person I wanted to connect with, I clicked on that option only to get this …
To see it clearer, click here
“INVITATIONS SHOULD ONLY BE SENT TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW PERSONALLY???
What the fuck?
LinkedIn is a networking site … the whole fucking point is that you can connect to people you don’t know personally. If I did know them, don’t you think I’d either have them as a facebook friend or know their fucking email address in the first place.
What a pile of absolute shit.
Seriously, LinkedIn have turned me from a passive fan into an active critic all because of a feature that shouldn’t be there in the first place.
By all means they can change their rules, but they should articulate that to people and explain why they have chosen to do that … however as I said previously, the whole point of a professional networking site is to have the ability to connect to people you don’t know and if they have now decided to put in place a rule where you can only connect to people you know – not even who your friends know – then they have just wiped out their whole reason for being and I fully expect their shareprice to plummet like it’s the last internet bubble bursting into oblivion.