> But the question for everyone else is, why are employers > (who pay to access the database) and job seekers (who > pay for database positioning) playing

> But the question for everyone else is, why are employers > (who pay to access the database) and job seekers (who > pay for database positioning) playing along while > LinkedIn sells everyone out with this game of payola? > > And where does it leave LinkedIn users who just want to > meet one another to do business? While some of us are > working to help job seekers form appropriate, > substantive relationships that they can cultivate -- > and benefit from -- over time, LinkedIn keeps coming up > with silly products that cheapen the meaning of > networking and connecting with other people. I'm curious about this myself... Both employers and potential employees seem extremely hesitant to change their behavior. I can't help but feel that each side doesn't really want to deal with the other, and everyone is hiding behind websites and resumes, and sites like LinkedIn reap the rewards. There's probably some interesting social science here. If anyone can enlighten me, I'd love to hear about it. (edit: by "change behavior" I mean relying on the old system of: "you send me your resume, I'll put it in the trash." Supposedly 80-90% of jobs go unadvertised, and yet the vast majority "job search" by hurling resumes at the remaining 10-20%.)