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It is great that LinkedIn just reports 500+ connections. It truly is an unimpressive stat. It's been a valuable platform for me, so I keep it around. The only

by dade_ 8y ago

It is great that LinkedIn just reports 500+ connections. It truly is an unimpressive stat. It's been a valuable platform for me, so I keep it around. The only things to remember: don't install the mobile app and get used to ignoring requests from unfamiliar people and irrelevant recruiters. Never connect it to Outlook or any other app.

AznHisoka 8y ago
When i see someone with less than 500 connections I am more likely to interact with them. Its a signal that they don’t blindly accept all connections.
- kostarelo 8y ago
  Or a signal that they actually have many connections...
  - mmt 8y ago
    True, but there can still exist a presumption that a large proportion of those connections aren't meaningful. I have no qualms connecting with a vendor or recruiter I just worked with, even if briefly on a single project, but after 6 years of no contact and 2-3 employers later, that connection isn't going to be useful for something like an introduction, if we even remember each other. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
- technofiend 8y ago
  One of our CIOs literally accepts any connection request and then quickly deletes anyone he doesn't know or care to stay connected with. Then again my employer has twigged on to the fact it's both a good recruitment tool and a good way for bad actors to find targets so everyone is mandated to put boilerplate language on their profile instead of any detail with regard to their job.
- airpmb 8y ago
  Or that they are not old enough to have built up a larger legitimate network. Imagine the LinkedIn’s-dream-case of someone starting to use LI as soon as they are old enough to type (or hell, to say ‘hey cortana’) and sticking with it nearly from cradle to grave. How many years until even connecting with only legit other people gets them over 500? I have over 500, am pretty selective about connecting and I’m also over 40. Really what is needed is some kind of better metric than the number of connections anyway. Though one might ask better for who; it seems likely that it’s to LinkedIn’s advantage to hold the true graph connectivity closely so only they can profit thereby. I’ve also been thinking for awhile lately that I’m just part of the problem here and that it’d be not a bad idea to rather be part of the solution by getting off LinkedIn, to try and recapture some of the value that they’ve been deriving from the data I and my connections have been feeding them. Again, another example of the old “if you’re not paying for the service you’re probably the product being sold” corollary to the more familiar proverb concerning the price of lunches. Returning to the prospect of things like the ideal scenario for LI, I feel like the minimum age for joining any of these “free” services should be something like 30, so one has enough life experience to figure out that it may not actually be a bargain they are willing to make. Hmm, I just realized that the shorthand I’ve been using for LinkedIn could be pronounced like “lie”. I think I’ll start using that when talking about LI verbally.
yeukhon 8y ago
I was looking for a way to send one single invite. The FAQ gives the direction, but it turns out you have to let LinkedIn access to your email account. Also, when I first started using LinkedIn about 7-8 years ago, I gave LinkedIn access to my Gmail account and I clicked "invite everyone" by accident. LinkedIn spammed everyone, including mailing lists, which was very embarrassing.
- joatmon-snoo 8y ago
  There was a class action lawsuit about something similar to this. I vaguely remember getting a 20$ check for it.
abledon 8y ago
Why no mobile app?
- dade_ 8y ago
  Another comment spelled it out: LinkedIn's mobile app has several dark patterns, but the worst is the one that spams everyone in your Gmail. This is particularly a problem for Gmail because it makes a contact for everyone you ever emailed, so this includes personal relationships and it is a mortifying professional embarrassment. Over a dozen people I know have been fooled by it over the years. Then there is the data collection, but my phone is used for work and personal. All of the data they collect and analysis of that data is up for sale. No thank you.
  - abledon 8y ago
    Wouldn’t it have to ask permission to access that data on installation though?
    - dade_ 8y ago
      It does ask permission to access your contacts, but it doesn't say, "then, at some point in the future we will pop an unfamiliar screen in our mobile app that is deliberately designed to confuse you into agreeing to send an invitation to all of your email contacts, multiple times." https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/13/linkedin-lawsuit-email-contacts/ https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/13/linkedin-lawsuit-email-c...
- dorfsmay 8y ago
  A better question is what value (to you, not to LinkedIn!) does the linked mobile apps has that the browser interface doesn't have?
KKKKkkkk1 8y ago
What's wrong with responding to unfamiliar people? When a friendly person approaches me on the street, I will usually say hi and hear what they have to say. Even if they're trying to sell me something, I feel it's better to be polite and waste a minute of my time than not to.
- cannonedhamster 8y ago
  It's not one person. People with sought after skills get inundated with requests, often completely irrelevant. I get so many help desk job offers that I'm significantly overqualified for and dramatically over salary for. I usually just start any conversation there to end it quickly. People who are looking for my level of skills pay well.
  - SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
    > People with sought after skills get inundated with requests, often completely irrelevant. Indeed, I know it's a very old cliche but I'm still not convinced there's such a thing as a recruiter who knows the difference between Java and JavaScript...
- ozim 8y ago
  Responding maybe not, but accepting them as connections is. Sometimes recruiters will try to call someone in your network and you are stepping stone. Just like guy in article mentioned when you will have some degree of connection people will accept your connection. Bad part is when person attacked by recruiter/business hunter gets mad at you because you were supposed to be connected with this guy.

by dade_ 8y ago

AznHisoka 8y ago

When i see someone with less than 500 connections I am more likely to interact with them. Its a signal that they don’t blindly accept all connections.

kostarelo 8y ago
Or a signal that they actually have many connections...
- mmt 8y ago
  True, but there can still exist a presumption that a large proportion of those connections aren't meaningful. I have no qualms connecting with a vendor or recruiter I just worked with, even if briefly on a single project, but after 6 years of no contact and 2-3 employers later, that connection isn't going to be useful for something like an introduction, if we even remember each other. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
technofiend 8y ago
One of our CIOs literally accepts any connection request and then quickly deletes anyone he doesn't know or care to stay connected with. Then again my employer has twigged on to the fact it's both a good recruitment tool and a good way for bad actors to find targets so everyone is mandated to put boilerplate language on their profile instead of any detail with regard to their job.
airpmb 8y ago
Or that they are not old enough to have built up a larger legitimate network. Imagine the LinkedIn’s-dream-case of someone starting to use LI as soon as they are old enough to type (or hell, to say ‘hey cortana’) and sticking with it nearly from cradle to grave. How many years until even connecting with only legit other people gets them over 500? I have over 500, am pretty selective about connecting and I’m also over 40. Really what is needed is some kind of better metric than the number of connections anyway. Though one might ask better for who; it seems likely that it’s to LinkedIn’s advantage to hold the true graph connectivity closely so only they can profit thereby. I’ve also been thinking for awhile lately that I’m just part of the problem here and that it’d be not a bad idea to rather be part of the solution by getting off LinkedIn, to try and recapture some of the value that they’ve been deriving from the data I and my connections have been feeding them. Again, another example of the old “if you’re not paying for the service you’re probably the product being sold” corollary to the more familiar proverb concerning the price of lunches. Returning to the prospect of things like the ideal scenario for LI, I feel like the minimum age for joining any of these “free” services should be something like 30, so one has enough life experience to figure out that it may not actually be a bargain they are willing to make. Hmm, I just realized that the shorthand I’ve been using for LinkedIn could be pronounced like “lie”. I think I’ll start using that when talking about LI verbally.

yeukhon 8y ago

I was looking for a way to send one single invite. The FAQ gives the direction, but it turns out you have to let LinkedIn access to your email account. Also, when I first started using LinkedIn about 7-8 years ago, I gave LinkedIn access to my Gmail account and I clicked "invite everyone" by accident. LinkedIn spammed everyone, including mailing lists, which was very embarrassing.

joatmon-snoo 8y ago
There was a class action lawsuit about something similar to this. I vaguely remember getting a 20$ check for it.

abledon 8y ago

Why no mobile app?

dade_ 8y ago
Another comment spelled it out: LinkedIn's mobile app has several dark patterns, but the worst is the one that spams everyone in your Gmail. This is particularly a problem for Gmail because it makes a contact for everyone you ever emailed, so this includes personal relationships and it is a mortifying professional embarrassment. Over a dozen people I know have been fooled by it over the years. Then there is the data collection, but my phone is used for work and personal. All of the data they collect and analysis of that data is up for sale. No thank you.
- abledon 8y ago
  Wouldn’t it have to ask permission to access that data on installation though?
  - dade_ 8y ago
    It does ask permission to access your contacts, but it doesn't say, "then, at some point in the future we will pop an unfamiliar screen in our mobile app that is deliberately designed to confuse you into agreeing to send an invitation to all of your email contacts, multiple times." https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/13/linkedin-lawsuit-email-contacts/ https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/13/linkedin-lawsuit-email-c...
dorfsmay 8y ago
A better question is what value (to you, not to LinkedIn!) does the linked mobile apps has that the browser interface doesn't have?

KKKKkkkk1 8y ago

What's wrong with responding to unfamiliar people? When a friendly person approaches me on the street, I will usually say hi and hear what they have to say. Even if they're trying to sell me something, I feel it's better to be polite and waste a minute of my time than not to.

cannonedhamster 8y ago
It's not one person. People with sought after skills get inundated with requests, often completely irrelevant. I get so many help desk job offers that I'm significantly overqualified for and dramatically over salary for. I usually just start any conversation there to end it quickly. People who are looking for my level of skills pay well.
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
  > People with sought after skills get inundated with requests, often completely irrelevant. Indeed, I know it's a very old cliche but I'm still not convinced there's such a thing as a recruiter who knows the difference between Java and JavaScript...
ozim 8y ago
Responding maybe not, but accepting them as connections is. Sometimes recruiters will try to call someone in your network and you are stepping stone. Just like guy in article mentioned when you will have some degree of connection people will accept your connection. Bad part is when person attacked by recruiter/business hunter gets mad at you because you were supposed to be connected with this guy.