Rules of Engagement for LinkedIn

Some Assembly Required, a blog I found tonight over at JibberJobber. Jason Alba suggested his readers read Thom Singer’s blog post, so I clicked the link, LinkedIn Rant – And A Challenge to Bloggers.

Here is a portion of Thom’s rant: “My point is that I want my connections on LinkedIn to actually be people I know personally. I want to feel I can freely call on them to make a legitimate introduction to another person in my network should the need arise. I do not want to have some arbitrary link to a stranger. I feel these links undermine the legitimacy of the network.”

Here is Thom’s Challenge to Bloggers: “I challenge every blogger who reads this to chime in with his two cents on my dilemma on his or her blog. Come on, you know you were hoping to find a subject to blog about today anyway…make this your topic…leave the chorus and sing your solo about how you link, or don’t link. Scream from the hilltops.”

Here is my response to the challenge:
I was not a huge supporter of LinkedIn or any of the other popular social networks. My biggest issue with Myspace.com is the lack of restraint that young people used on that social network. Which leads me to Facebook.com.

Facebook, seems to be a little more sophisticated than Myspace.com. I like Facebook. It allows me to connect with lots of people I know. I like the fact that the community is a mix of generations. I am not on Facebook very often, but when I am, I can see my daughter’s profile. She is doing much better with Facebook. She understands now the value of representing herself well on this social network site.

LinkedIn from my perspective is a professional social network. I was VERY resistant to creating a profile on LinkedIn. Mostly because I didn’t understand why we needed yet another site. I didn’t understand the value of LinkedIn and I didn’t want another place I felt I had to visit on a regular basis. And then, Jason wrote his book, “I’m On LinkedIn, Now What?” I read a pre-release copy of the book and I was convinced before I was out of chapter one, that as a professional, I needed to create a profile on LinkedIn.

Over the last month, September, I have been evaluating and learning about LinkedIn. I want to connect with others, not just people I know, but people I develop a new relationship with. Unfortunately, it takes time to build relationships. So I don’t see my First Degree connections increasing very quickly. I am however looking for creative ways to get to know people that are LinkedIn. I find it fascinating that you can develop new relationships with people you have never met in person on the internet. I have had people ask to connect with me since September 1st. I have turned them all down because I didn’t know them.

Thom, I believe you can establish your “Rules of Engagement” on LinkedIn as you see fit. I don’t believe there is one way to approach it. Everyone is different and most people on LinkedIn probably haven’t spent any length of time thinking about why they are actually in the community. I also believe that we should respect the “Rules of Engagement” of others. Your reader has missed the mark. I don’t think you should choose to be offended. I rather believe that it is a better investment of your energies to ignore his lack of respect for you and the way you choose to connect on LinkedIn.”

To my readers, it is up to you to establish your “Rules of Engagement” and how you wish to connect with others you meet through your time on LinkedIn.

My Additional Posts regarding LinkedIn:
LinkedIn Review