So, LinkedIn, then

[Femme Folle]

What's it for? Our marketing director at work requested that we all sign up for it, but I really don't get it. It seems to be like Facebook for boring* people.

Does it serve any useful purpose?

* that's an adjective, not a verb

[caja-dglh]

So, LinkedIn, then

Not sure quite why the marketing director would be so excited by it. The most use I have found from it are job approaches. It is treading a difficult line on just being a recruitment database. I do prefer that to keep track of things over facebook somewhat.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

I do too. I have several clients I keep in touch with via Facebook, and I think it has definitely strengthened our working relationships.

ETA: I misread your last sentence. I'll have to let our guy know that he's just invited us all to look for another job. haha

[Bored Of Education]

So, LinkedIn, then

It's for people who call going for a drink "networking" and have to have lessons in it.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

That pretty much sums up our "marketing" efforts.

[Ek weet nie]

So, LinkedIn, then

It can be used as marketing and sales contacts tool as well as a recruitment tool. I can't think of a single fun thing about it though.

[MsD]

So, LinkedIn, then

My gentleman friend (who is never boring) really likes it and persuaded me to join, but I haven't used it. He sees it as a way to make useful connections with people with "real" jobs, as opposed to the made-up roles and identities people often assume on Facebook.I don't mind Facebook, it has its place, but wouldn't dream of using it for "proper" work.

[Twilight Johnny Atom]

So, LinkedIn, then

Although LinkedIn had been going for ages I think it's only just finding its feet in the 'social media marketing' field. Twitter has exploded as a business tool and that is now rubbing off on Facebook who are improving business page capabilities. I think it will find its place but I'm also not entirely sure what that is at the moment.

LinkedIn seems to be aimed at much more serious business connections, people who don't care that you may have woken up with a sore throat or that your cat's gone missing. This is a good thing.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

It's a good thing if that's what you're using it for. I just don't see the point of having all of us on there if we aren't going to do whatever it is you're supposed to do on it. There is an important personal connection that you can cultivate on FB that I feel has definitely brought in work for me. I'm not a hard core 'marketing' person (I hate that aspect of business, if I am being honest), so sharing pics of my dog or making nice comments about a client's daughter's wedding photos or their children or whatever works for me and the clients who matter to me.

MsD, I'm not sure if I'm reading your post the wrong way or not, but you seem to push my buttons. I am going to assume you were not trying to wind me up.

[Incandenza]

So, LinkedIn, then

All this talk makes me glad I don't have a job in the private sector, and that there is little networking that I need to do. I'm reminded of the part in Trainspotting where Renton talks about Sick Boy's transformation and his constant talk of making "contacts."

[Amor de Cosmos]

So, LinkedIn, then

I know exactly what you mean. But perhaps paradoxically I've never come across anywhere in the corporate sector that seems as reliant on networking as academia.

[EIM]

So, LinkedIn, then

Incandenza wrote:

All this talk makes me glad I don't have a job in the private sector, and that there is little networking that I need to do. I'm reminded of the part in Trainspotting where Renton talks about Sick Boy's transformation and his constant talk of making "contacts."

It turns out I know the real Mark Renton. Really nice guy. Drinks in my pub.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

All the 'marketing' activities that we are mandated to do at work go against my personality. I hate smiling and being cordial when I don't feel like it and I hate going out outside of regular working hours to eat dinner with people I don't necessarily even like as people. I can tolerate them during the 9-5, but don't ask me to give up my own time to pretend that I enjoy their company.

The only upside to all of that is that I do occasionally get free meals at some of NYC's finest restaurants.

It's why I often refer to myself and my colleagues as corporate whores.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

EIM wrote:

It turns out I know the real Mark Renton. Really nice guy. Drinks in my pub.

This does not surprise me at all.

[MsD]

So, LinkedIn, then

Femme Folle wrote:

It's a good thing if that's what you're using it for. I just don't see the point of having all of us on there if we aren't going to do whatever it is you're supposed to do on it. There is an important personal connection that you can cultivate on FB that I feel has definitely brought in work for me. I'm not a hard core 'marketing' person (I hate that aspect of business, if I am being honest), so sharing pics of my dog or making nice comments about a client's daughter's wedding photos or their children or whatever works for me and the clients who matter to me.

MsD, I'm not sure if I'm reading your post the wrong way or not, but you seem to push my buttons. I am going to assume you were not trying to wind me up.

Uh? I wasn't actually personally engaging with you at all. I was making a general point about LinkdIn. The same kind of point others have made without being accused of anything.

FFS.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

@MsD: It was your "(who is never boring)" comment that spoke directly to my opening post about boring people using LinkedIn, and also the fact that you seemed to be dismissing Facebook as a place where people pretend to be what they are not, which is not what I've found to be true at all. People are much more likely to be themselves on Facebook than on a forum like this one.

It's not so much what you said as how you worded it that made it stand out from the other comments. That and the fact that I have known the other posters for a lot longer and vice versa and I know exactly how to interpret their posts.

FFS

[MsD]

So, LinkedIn, then

Well, just try ignoring mine, and I'll avoid engaging with you, I'm on here less and less so should be easy enough.

[Incandenza]

So, LinkedIn, then

Amor de Cosmos wrote:

I know exactly what you mean. But perhaps paradoxically I've never come across anywhere in the corporate sector that seems as reliant on networking as academia.

That's true, but the impression that I get is that it's a different kind of networking. I didn't like the networking part of grad school, but you would meet interesting people and sometimes someone who was researching or thinking about the same kind of things that you were. Now that I'm on the administrative side of things, it's mainly comparing stories and how we do things at our university.

Then again, I've never worked in the private sector so I could just be operating under a misguided impression of what it's like.

[danielmak]

So, LinkedIn, then

Linkedin is really the only social networking site I use but I would say "use" is as loose as it gets. I have an account. Current or former students and colleagues at other universities or friends request to network with me and I accept and that's that. If a students asks for a recommendation and they did well in a class, then I write a paragraph about them. It's really a low maintenance commitment, which, from what I hear from friends who are on facebook is not often the case with the time suck that is facebook.

Per FF's original post, I would just sign up, populate your account with as much information as you think you should list, and then just let it be. The amount of time it will take to do this is far less than it would take to have a marketing manager explain why it should be done.

[Incandenza]

So, LinkedIn, then

danielmak's and FF's posts makes me think of something that I've both read about, and seen people actually--signing up for every major social networking/personal profile site there is to maintain your "online presence." I don't know anyone personally who has done this, but I've seen people have their own personal website, which simply has links to their profiles on other sites--Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare, etc. Anyone on here do that?

[MsD]

So, LinkedIn, then

It's sometimes necessary to do that just to stop people posting fake profiles etc. I had to grab Facebook and Twitter accounts for my "stage" name as several (malicious) bogus profiles had been created on MySpace and I didn't want a repeat of that. There is someone with the same name, which is a bit annoying, but I now mostly find it amusing and it's unlikely anyone would genuinely confuse the two of us.

What I mean is, as with Wikipedia, what looks like rampant egomania can simply be protecting your "brand" or exercising damage limitation, depending on how much of your living is made online, or how high profile you are generally. If I was doing PR for someone, I'd make sure everything was covered, first thing.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

@danielmak: That's basically what I have done (put in my name and the company and accept whatever connection requests anyone sends me). I was curious to know if I was missing something. If they sent me a friend request on FB, I'd accept it there too. And I would immediately add them to my restricted "Work" group.

I have FB, Flickr and Facebook, but it's not because of work. I've never had a MySpace page because I've never felt the need for one. I'm not in a band and I can't carry a tune in a bucket.

I was glad when Twitter began verifying the accounts of celebrities. It has definitely cut down on the amount of bogus-ness on there.

[Twilight Johnny Atom]

So, LinkedIn, then

A bit off topic but my new business, run from a desk in my bedroom, has just been chosen as one of six to have their details retweeted by Theo Paphitis (BBC Dragon's Den) to his 90 odd thousand followers on his weekly 'Small Business Sunday' Twitter event.

It's not much, just a bit of exposure, but I'm slightly chuffed!

[Incandenza]

So, LinkedIn, then

MsD wrote:

It's sometimes necessary to do that just to stop people posting fake profiles etc. I had to grab Facebook and Twitter accounts for my "stage" name as several (malicious) bogus profiles had been created on MySpace and I didn't want a repeat of that. There is someone with the same name, which is a bit annoying, but I now mostly find it amusing and it's unlikely anyone would genuinely confuse the two of us.

What I mean is, as with Wikipedia, what looks like rampant egomania can simply be protecting your "brand" or exercising damage limitation, depending on how much of your living is made online, or how high profile you are generally. If I was doing PR for someone, I'd make sure everything was covered, first thing.

It's not something that a lot of us have to worry about.

[Femme Folle]

So, LinkedIn, then

TJA: Congrats! I hope it generates more business for you.