Joel Spolsky’s Amusing Note on LinkedIn – Sad but true story of someone who had scammed Joel on eBay a few years ago inviting him to connect on LinkedIn. Hopefully you’ve never done anything like this to anyone, but even so, it’s a good reminder that you really should go through the list of contacts one by one before you invite them and make sure you actually want to.
Lucas McDonnell Asks If LinkedIn Actually Matters – His answer: a definite maybe.
LinkedIn sure seems to be the thing to do for anyone in any job that involves information, networking, collaboration or knowledge sharing (yes, which is potentially any job).
And while LinkedIn is certainly making a profit, are they providing real tangible value? I mean, when was the last time you got a job or hired someone through LinkedIn?
Based on the rest of the post, I think he means the question to be rhetorical, but the fact of the matter is that a lot of people are getting hired via LinkedIn. That’s why it keeps getting picked in various polls and editorial selections as one of the best job-oriented sites. Of course, it’s so much more than just jobs…
LinkedIn Reaches Out – Aaron Ricadela, writing for BusinessWeek, has some good insights on how LinkedIn is expanding its offering to attract new customers without alienating its existing client base:
Even as upstarts crowLd the online hangout field, and youth-focused sites like Facebook pursue a more professional clientele, social network LinkedIn is swiftly adding customers—and profit—by sticking by its well-heeled user base.
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LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman tries to keep those influential members around as much with restraint as with the services the site offers. He has shied away from annoying messages meant to increase traffic, says Bessemer Managing Partner David Cowan. “He doesn’t send you an e-mail every time something happens,” Cowan said. “He’s not just trying to aggregate clicks.”
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So far, the formula has worked.
The article goes on to talk about new LinkedIn features, expansion in Europe and Asia, and their competition. Good read – right on the money.
[...] under Business, Collaboration, Technology by Lucas McDonnell | 0 comments In response to my open query about whether LinkedIn actually matters, Scott Allen over atLinkedIntelligence points out that there are many people who are getting hired through LinkedIn. [...]