Networking on steroids: LinkedIn growing in popularity

Have you noticed the explosion in the number of people who want to get LinkedIn with you lately? Although I've used the service since shortly after it made its debut a few years ago, I can't help but notice that lately everybody wants in on the act. Perhaps they have seen some of the great media coverage the site has gotten recently.

I get several LinkedIn requests a week. I don't always accept them. It strikes me as irrelevant to connect to someone I've never heard of who happened to find me using a keyword search. The way I see it, my connections aren't relevant to me - or others - if I can't personally speak to why I'm connected to them.

I suppose it's possible that some people actually know - and can credibly introduce - hundreds or even thousands of people, but frankly, when I see people with so many connections, I automatically raise an eyebrow. "Link Hos" I call them. Seems they may be more interested in collecting links than in making true connections.

Perhaps it's fallout from the MySpace and Facebook generation. I've heard several college students comment that they have "983 friends on Facebook." Never mind that they haven't even met 971 of them.

LinkedIn can be a very powerful networking tool if used properly. I've been able to use my  genuine connections to meet people I want to know, either for personal or professional reasons. I've also reconnected to people I worked with in past jobs, as well as rekindled college friendships. And I take some pride in the fact that I can provide relevant information about every one of my connections, even without looking at their online profile. That's the very essence of networking, in my humble opinion.

What's your take? Am I being too dismissive?

Comments

[bill]

Hi, came over from the Georgia Carnival. I understand your reluctance and suspicion. I registered with Linkedin, but I am not sure how to leverage it and whether it will be all that helpful. I take a wait and see approach to these new things.

[Travis Northcutt]

As a college student, and occasional, non-prolific user of Facebook, I completely agree. I've avoided adding "friends" haphazardly on Facebook, and have even deleted people that I don't have real-life contact with (and don't plan on having in the future).

[Technobility]

You're not being too dismissive. Like you I get dozens of requests to both link AND recommend people. I turn most of them down.

I'll link to someone if they know me. As a speaker a LOT of people know me and can speak knowledgeably about what I can offer. Unfortunately, that's not true in reverse. I don't know every audience member.

I've created my own 'rules' for Linkedin. I'll accept a link request from almost anyone (some rare exceptions)

BUT I'll only recommend someone if I've actually worked with them on some project for some reasonable length of time. At least a month.

Even that has some complexities. There are people I've interacted with for a dozen or more years, but we've never met face to face. Based on that type of relationship there's only so much I can offer about them, but it's sufficient to met my own rules.

And yes... saying no to a request is a delicate operation.

Enjoy the day.