How do YOU feel about this LinkedIn controversy?

Dave - I don't believe our views are as divergent as you might think. I'm selective about my connections, but I don't feel I'm overly restrictive.

If I know you, I'll probably accept your invitation.

If I don't know you - but you've given me a reason for you're interest - there's a good chance I'll also accept your request.

If I don't know you - and all you've sent is the standard "I'd like to be part of your network" message, I probably will NOT accept your request.

LinkedIn is a tool, and like any tool it's up to the user how to use it. It may have been developed with a particular function in mind, put people are going to use it however they best see fit. For you, it's a professional necessity given the nature of the work you do. For me, not so much.

In both cases, we are sharing ourselves only to the extent that we are comfortable doing so. You just have a broader 'comfort zone' than I.

Hi Dave,

I do Keep my LinkedIn Profile up to date and I admit there are times I don't see the value of LinkedIn beyond what I deem at most times to be Connections of non-value.

And then...just when thougths of killing my Profile intensify, a recruiter reaches out with an opporunity worth considering and low and behold i'm in an interview process. My Prior Position Prior to my current role worked like that, a recruiter found me and at the Moment i'm in an late stage interview process (I'm one of 2 candidates in the final round) all from a recruiter who found me on LinkedIn a month ago!.
(whether I want I fully want the Job remaines to be determined if I get an offer).

The reality is that LinkedIn for worse or for better is in fact a great Networking tool. There is some murkey stuff out there and yes I do get some reaching out to me with odd Jobs but I can ignore them right?

And the reality is that, I am also reminded that this IS is small world! After a while, your existance on LinkedIn sorta validates you be the connects you have and the funny part is you get to see how you're connected. I think until i'm retired or win Lotto and as so Long sites like LinkedIn exists, I think it would be near suicide not to have a LinkedIn Profile and not to Network while keeping a vested interested in it. We all have a choice of who we let in - i personally lke the to have worked with a Person before I connect but i'm ok if we haven' met and say have a mutual interest, such as an alumni from a Prior Company, or a recruiter from a well established and reputable firm or someone with an interesting offer.

The reality is that in pharma, its a small world and basically not being on LinkedIn and keeping your activities sufficiently warm is like nearly not existing - all my Senior Managers (i.e. members of varied governance boards such as executive commitee) all have Linkedin Profiles that are up to date and many are very active (i.e. liking Posts or even making Posts and comments themselves). So yeah, as much as at times I don't like it, it has given me more benefit, than harm.

Best,

Dx

I used to be more open to accepting links from people I don't actually know, but I find that these days, I usually don't accept them. I've recently seen a big up-tick in requests from people where I can't really see any reason to link with them -- for example, I live on the west coast, and I recently received a link request from a shoe store in North Carolina. A lot of times, linkedin requests are basically spam -- link requests from audiovisual vendors, for example.

Also, as linkedin has become more like Facebook, the main page is more and more cluttered with posts and comments on posts from people I don't know. I would still accept requests from recruiters, probably, but otherwise, I'm not really taking new requests from people I don't know.

Now, no one suggested you link up with a shoe store on the other coast. But let's say you're a neuroscientist who does work with a certain cell line. There's a person on the other coast who sends you an invitation, and she has similar interests, publications, and contacts. You can see that you have a dozen or so mutual connections to that person and the same area of interest. And just because you don't "know her," you wouldn't accept her invitation? I think that's a real crime. The link only helps her job search, and yours at the same time. It brings you both a world of new prospects. It's a potential collaborator, a potential hiring manager, and so on.

You should be able to weed out the shoe stores and audiovisual sales people. I do. If there's no area of mutual interest, they get zip out of me. The home page of LinkedIn is going to be filled with all kinds of posts and articles, no matter whether you have 10 connections or a thousand, so that's not going to change no matter who you connect with. Some of those are stupid "Facebook like" comments, and others are worthy of some attention. But the page is set up to be filled with content, so taking it out on people who want to connect with you isn't going to do a thing to its appearance.

Dave