LinkedIN - how many folks use it?
 

I recently discovered linkedIN (actually, through a fellow FTer). Just wondering how many of us are listed and use this great service.

I'm there. So far no FTers, but I got an invite from one a few days ago and will accept.

Wirelessly posted (Palm TX: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D050; Blazer/4.3) 16;320x320)

Wow... nobody else?

I'm listed because a friend encouraged me to do so, but don't actually use it. Occasionally I get an email inviting me to join someone's network, but I've never initiated contact with anyone.

Gaucho100K, what do you use linkedIN for?

Wirelessly posted (Palm TX: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D050; Blazer/4.3) 16;320x320)

lm using it to get back in touch with former colleagues. lt may also be a way to get some business referrals, I have to see how that works out.

I use linked in. If you want to join my network im me...:-)

That's what I use it for. I've had what I would consider pretty good luck -- usually about half the time, I'm able to find the person I'm looking for.

I'm there - and quite a few of my colleagues and former colleagues. Happy to connect with FTers.

I am not yet convinced about its value in networking.

I'm on it but don't really use it. If anybody wants to build their link numbers, invite me, I'll accept.

I did find some co-workers I lost touch of last week without even looking for them on linked in, it was kind of weird, it suggested several people I worked with.

I'm on it and think it's useful as sort of a professional version of MySpace.

(BTW: there is a big thread in OMNI about LinkedIn with all the usual opinions.)

I'm in because my company uses it, but personally I don't really like it. I much prefer www.xing.com , where there is a considerable group of FTers (search for Flyertalk in interests).

I use Linkedin.

And I have absolutely no clue what it is...:o

I'm there, but only have a dozen or so links. I don't use it for much, but I periodically look for folks I worked with in the past. I found one a couple months ago that I hadn't communicated with in over 15 years and I heard last week from a former co-worker that I had lost touch with at least 5 years ago.

I use it, primarily to keep up with what former colleagues are doing and do a bit of business networking, but I've also linked-in with a few FTers.

Ive now been reading that there are a couple of militant detractors of this site because some folks have been using it to SPAM and make "unsolicited" sales calls....

I guess that the bottom line is that, as many things out there, LinkedIN is not perfect, but from what Ive been experiencing so far, if you are cautious about who you add and, (more importantly) which others you allow to add youself to their network, it can be a powerful resource.

I'm there because someone invited me to join their network but don't visit the site much.

A caution...
 

I just got a PM from an FTer asking for an invitation. I checked this FTer out and found that s/he has 1,300+ posts, some of them in "junk" threads like OMNI counting threads, but enough with real content to convince me that this was a legitimate request from a legitimate person who would in all likelihood use LinkedIn as intended.

(I declined anyhow, for reasons that are off-topic here, but that's not the point.)

However - I urge everyone here to check out requests carefully. FT is a public bulletin board. Anyone can register. Anyone can read this thread. Anyone can PM a poster in it. If you send an invitation to whoever does, you're connecting them to your network, potentially exposing your friends and (ex-)colleagues to unwanted electronic intrusions, etc. - for which they'll blame you.

You don't have to be as picky as I am about who you invite, but do a bit of "due diligence" checking of anyone who requests from here.

Good point. My rule of thumb on adds is that I will only add individuals who I have met personally and (beyond that) who I know a bit about as far as their business/professional life. LinkedIN is definitely a business (not social) networking site and its important to remember that our own reputations are affected by the company we supposedly keep. ;)

I know of a few FTers who use LinkedIn.. I use it too.

Note: I do not put my current company name.. just a general description to keep recruiters from calling me.
If you have your company name and location in there.. its easy for them to guess your company's main line and ask
for you.

Have been on it since 2004 but I do choose my connections- thus I am only in the low double digits instead of 500+ that I see sometimes. It is mainly to stay in touch with old colleagues and members in my industry.

That's how I treat it. I've received requests from people that used to work for the same company I did, but if I don't remember them, I've asked them to clarify exactly how they know me. If they don't respond, then they're just looking for numbers (or my contacts), and I won't add them.

Is there some sort of tangible benefit in getting these increased numbers on LinkedIN...? Or is it just a post count thing like here on FT...? :D

LinkIn
 

I use infrequently

It's probably the latter. It seems that the folks with 500+ links are recruiters. :)

I use it as I was able to find a lost friend from college (it came up on a web search of his name), but on a very limited basis. A few current coworkers, a few ex-coworkers, a couple of friends from college.

I'm signed up, but I've never used it for any sort of actual business reason. All of my contacts (all of a dozen or so) are either former co-workers/friends from school that I'd fallen out of touch with and used this to get back in contact, or current co-workers who must have sent invites to everyone they knew in the company (why do I need to have you as a contact if I sit across the hall from you?).

I've been using it for close to 3 years. But I've been in the same industry since 1978, so networking is important.

I signed up for Xing but don't find "interests." Where is it?

I use facebook and got my entire family and friends on it... My former two employers have a huge network on it (over 50000 people each) so I was able to find lots of former colleagues.

Use it every once in a while.

LinkedIN is a little to viral for me. I can't stand the fact that I get 3-4 invites a week from suckers who downloaded their "outlook integration tool".

I use it quite a bit. Have helped some colleagues find new positions, keep in touch with others, etc.

I'm on everything (and am conflicted on how I handle friends requests). Linkedin is a bit too dependent on the actions of others within your social network. I'm not convinced that it's going to take off a ton more, but of course that changes with any fad social networking site.

This month's hotness: Facebook.

I use LinkedIn pretty heavily. It is a great way to check on job candidates to match up what is and is not on their resume and find references on them. I have friends who have used it as part of their job search. I've also used it to reconnect with old colleagues. For one old colleague this has led to a very interesting M&A opportunity due to newly mutual connections.

LinkedIN is quite popular in my industry. I have only issued maybe two or three invites, but I have well over 100 connections. I am two degrees separated from over 44,000 people and three degrees from over 2 million. I'd say it is pretty cool.

I have a friend who is an attorney, and she pushed me to sign up for Linked-in about 3 years ago. Until recently, she was the only contact in my network. I finally created a profile and have been using it for about 3 months now, however I still have not gone "deep" into the tools to develop clients. So far, I've just been using it as a tool to get in touch with old co-workers, and a few of them are somewhat heavy users.

I just signed up for it last week, and am very cautious with sending and receiving invites. I downloaded the Outlook tool and wound up uninstalling it because I realized that anyone that I really wanted to invite was already top of mind.

If anyone wants to add me, I better know them and know why!

I joined it pretty randomly, and ended up getting a new job in a new city I am really enjoying as a result of it. Having said that, I hardly use it, and I don't get many problems with spam or recruiters that some friends have. I'm in a very specialist industry, so not of interest to most recruiters :)

Maybe you can tell a bit more about how you ended up with the new job. It might help people understand how best to make use of it and what the possibilities are.