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Noteleaf Now Shows Full LinkedIn Info for 2nd & 3rd Degree Connections

35 points by jakek 15y ago

djb_hackernews 15y ago
Why would I need to know someone before I meet them? Also, what if I don't want 2nd or 3rd degree connections to know my extended profile information. Is there anyway to tell LinkedIn to not provide this data to 3rd parties?
- jeremymims 15y ago
  Clearly you don't do much business development. Since the goal is to build a relationship, this information can come in handy. Maybe you both worked with the same person, attended the same school, enjoy the same activities, or perhaps you learn of a few pieces of information that it makes sense to steer clear of. It's incredibly useful.
  - veyron 15y ago
    "Also, what if I don't want 2nd or 3rd degree connections to know my extended profile information. Is there anyway to tell LinkedIn to not provide this data to 3rd parties?" Not everyone uses linkedin because they want to do business development. If anything, I find that the service is counterproductive. My info is there merely so that business acquaintances can contact me without having to give my real email address.
    - veyron 15y ago
      To the person who downvoted this and the grand-parent reply: why?
  - pkamb 15y ago
    Kinda like this: http://xkcd.com/300/ http://xkcd.com/300/
- anonymous246 15y ago
  AFAIK, no. Anybody can pay LinkedIn to see any profile's extended data. They have rate limits and things like that to maximize revenue and prevent abuse. This startup somehow convinced LinkedIn to let its users get at a subset of this data without a separate charge for it users.
  - anonymous246 15y ago
    Sorry about the wrong info.
- iamwil 15y ago
  The increased capability is for the API lookup, since we use Linkedin's API to display mobile profiles. We can't access anything you couldn't already see by visiting a 2nd/3rd degree's profile page through your web browser. We are still bound by the limits set by Linkedin, and the privacy settings of their users. In addition, we do not look up anyone for you as some other user, ever. Linkedin explicitly forbids it, and we don't think it's ethical either. The three things our users can see now are education, work history, and related connections of 2nd and 3rd degree connections, which as I mentioned before you can already see by visiting their linkedin profile website. Things such as your email address, phone, etc. are not revealed. Beyond 3rd degree is unavailable to us.
ApolloRising 15y ago
Sadly, I can see recruiters abusing the hell out of this. I hope they have an opt out.
- iamwil 15y ago
  The control still lies within your linkedin account. Information about 2nd and 3rd degree contacts through the API is more limited than what you can see by visiting someone's linkedin profile page. We were able to have our API access come to the same level as web access.
iamelgringo 15y ago
Jake, Wil, you're crushing it. I still want you to fix my email problems, though... :)
- iamwil 15y ago
  I think email will be an eternal well of problems to solve, and hence, startup ideas. :)

35 points by jakek 15y ago

Why would I need to know someone before I meet them? Also, what if I don't want 2nd or 3rd degree connections to know my extended profile information. Is there anyway to tell LinkedIn to not provide this data to 3rd parties?

jeremymims 15y ago
Clearly you don't do much business development. Since the goal is to build a relationship, this information can come in handy. Maybe you both worked with the same person, attended the same school, enjoy the same activities, or perhaps you learn of a few pieces of information that it makes sense to steer clear of. It's incredibly useful.
- veyron 15y ago
  "Also, what if I don't want 2nd or 3rd degree connections to know my extended profile information. Is there anyway to tell LinkedIn to not provide this data to 3rd parties?" Not everyone uses linkedin because they want to do business development. If anything, I find that the service is counterproductive. My info is there merely so that business acquaintances can contact me without having to give my real email address.
  - veyron 15y ago
    To the person who downvoted this and the grand-parent reply: why?
- pkamb 15y ago
  Kinda like this: http://xkcd.com/300/ http://xkcd.com/300/
anonymous246 15y ago
AFAIK, no. Anybody can pay LinkedIn to see any profile's extended data. They have rate limits and things like that to maximize revenue and prevent abuse. This startup somehow convinced LinkedIn to let its users get at a subset of this data without a separate charge for it users.
- anonymous246 15y ago
  Sorry about the wrong info.
iamwil 15y ago
The increased capability is for the API lookup, since we use Linkedin's API to display mobile profiles. We can't access anything you couldn't already see by visiting a 2nd/3rd degree's profile page through your web browser. We are still bound by the limits set by Linkedin, and the privacy settings of their users. In addition, we do not look up anyone for you as some other user, ever. Linkedin explicitly forbids it, and we don't think it's ethical either. The three things our users can see now are education, work history, and related connections of 2nd and 3rd degree connections, which as I mentioned before you can already see by visiting their linkedin profile website. Things such as your email address, phone, etc. are not revealed. Beyond 3rd degree is unavailable to us.

ApolloRising 15y ago

Sadly, I can see recruiters abusing the hell out of this. I hope they have an opt out.

iamwil 15y ago
The control still lies within your linkedin account. Information about 2nd and 3rd degree contacts through the API is more limited than what you can see by visiting someone's linkedin profile page. We were able to have our API access come to the same level as web access.

iamelgringo 15y ago

Jake, Wil, you're crushing it. I still want you to fix my email problems, though... :)

iamwil 15y ago
I think email will be an eternal well of problems to solve, and hence, startup ideas. :)