Reinke Faces Life

Arghh! This is annoying. I have ten discrepancies between what I show and what LinkedIn has. And, I didn’t even start reconciling what Outlook has.

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(1) Not easy to do.

(2) I watch my LinkedIn-ites pretty carefully, I have an excel spreadsheet that use to track. However many adjustments are needed to reconcile.

(3) In my spreadsheet, I have a column that takes the first character of the last name with the formula =UPPER(LEFT(celladdr,1)). That establishes what I call a panel.

(4) A separate sheet in the workbook creates a 1 in the A column if the panel cell is an “A”. B column tests B. and so on until Z. Row and column summaries look for errors.

(5) I hate when on LinkedIn people silently leave. I don’t want to keep them if they don’t want to be linked, but I would like to know that they have left. This is one of my gripes with LinkedIn. How do you handle the “leavers”?

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FROM AN LINKEDIN CONTACT’S EMAIL

>the connections you made from that MySQL blast that put the recipients in the cc field instead of the bcc field

Sure, while I haven’t chatted with him yet this year, I know he had two LinkedIn accounts at one time. Wonder if he ever had them merged?

That’s a interesting question.

I don’t know how many contacts I picked up that way. I do know that my “average days outstanding is 231. And my target for LinkedIn contacts is 180.

So I’m glad you asked.

I feel that I have identified about 5% of my contacts that are “dead”. It probably makes sense to prune the deadwood.

Maybe I should have a “census” of biblical proportions? Unlike Herord’s, contacts wouldn’t have to return to their birth city. Just reply to an email. Seems like a good idea.

How do you manage your LinkedIn connections?

Or, any connections?

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November 1, 2007

180 pings out, 6 dead, 50 live

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Vincent Wright
Staffing Manager, Quoin, Inc.

*** begin quote ***

What Would A Multi-Billion Dollar Linkedin Look Like?

I dare you to repeat that title three times, fast! ?

What would a multi-billion dollar Linkedin look like?
What would a multi-billion dollar Linkedin look like?
What would a multi-billion dollar Linkedin look like?

All kidding aside: In looking at the profile of Linkedin CEO, Dan Nye, there is an ultra-compact but highly powerful one sentence statement describing his current mission: “Leading LinkedIn to become a multi-billion dollar company and the most customer driven company in the world.” ( http://www.linkedin.com/in/danielnye )

SO???…

“a multi-billion dollar company”?

Does it borrow from Facebook? MySpace? Google? Yahoo? eBay? Amazon? Neither?

What do you think a multi-billion dollar Linkedin would look like?

*** end quote ***

It might be able to tell me the last time a person was “active” and it might let me keep some notes about my contacts (i.e., like how I know them — my memory isn’t so good — what was the question?). And, I’ll go way out on a limb here, it might allow me to measure “days outstanding” (i.e., how long since I last interacted with you) and sort by who I need to “freshen up” with.

Now back to reality. Jury is still out -imho- if LinkedIn, Facebook, or even MySpace is anything more than an activity trap!

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http://www.happyabout.info/linkedinhelp.php

Book: I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???: A Guide to Getting the Most OUT of LinkedIn

*** begin quote ***

This book is designed to help you get the most out this popular business networking site. With over 12 million members there is a lot of potential to find and develop relationships to help in your business and personal life, but many professionals find themselves wondering what to do once they signup. This book explains the different benefits of the system and recommends best practices so that you can get the most out of LinkedIn.

*** end quote ***

{Disclaimer: I know Jason and have collaborated with him on various topics in the past, and would expect to do so in the future. This is MY opinion. And, anyone who knows me knows it’s not for sale. I have received no consideration for this review. I was given a proof copy to review and sent my feedback to Jason. If my suggestions made it in to the final, that was up to him. Unlike some bloggers, I have my own set of ethics about what I allow to influence my opinion. Now if he wants to send me a stack of hundreds, I can revisit that policy. Till then, nothing you read here is sullied by anything so mundane as money.}

Jason has written a book. Now that it’s out, I can take notice of it. These are my thoughts about it.

A good one, imho!

He gets kudos for turning out a “hit the ground running” tome. I think it’s more useful than the average self-help book.

About the only suggestion I’d make is to create a workbook to help the reader “fill out” forms before getting to the computer. I see people building profiles in “real time”; not realizing that their mistakes are live when they hit save. Beginners need to be a little cautious about creating “future digital dirt”. I know one beginner who was, horsing around, putting in lame entries as place holders. Google came through and swept up the profile and it was enshrined as “him” in their search space. By virtue of his unusual name, he’s having a devil of a time pushing the “lame entries” down in the search results. (Although I did share a secret about back dating content and having the bot believe it. You need a friend with an “old” web site, site map with a Google date stamp on it, and a willingness to do a little forgery. Don’t trust anything on the net completely. Even Google’s bot has some blind spots.)

If the new owners of LinkedIn have any horse sense, they’d offer it with each paid subscription.

And, the LinkedIn Executive Leadership should read it to figure out their value proposition. (The Intelligent Designer knows they have no clue! LinkedIn has some of the characteristics of a schizophrenic. And their changing policies reflect that lack of insight and shifting values.) Then, they should have their employees read it. They all might have some sense of what people are trying to use the site to do.

I have several quibbles about LinkedIn, not the least of which is “12M members”. Which Jason repeats. Some of the others, Jason covers in “shady practices”. Perhaps, in his next book about LinkedIn, he can expose some of the “nuances” of those flaws. Not the least of which is the “shifting sands” of LinkedIn’s policies. But after all, this is intended to be an “entry level” book, and some of these flaws don’t become apparent until you spent a lot of time “shaking the monitor and pounding on the keyboard”. His next book can cover the effects of “pounding”. :-)

A new user can use Jason guidance to use Linkedin. Maybe some understanding will come from that guidance. The book is also useful in finding high quality people, who are open to helping. That’s different from being an “open networker” or a “mega-connector”. Big difference! Using endorsements, the newbie can quickly establish credibility. And, one you are “endorsed”, you have in effect enlisted the endorser in your continued success. Often the leads to non-Linkedin content is, per se, a window into someone’s thinking. When that is your boss, new boss, hiring manager, or even a networking jewel it’s like found gold. Identifying an influential blogger — No, not me, I only have six (3 relatives and 2 friends whim I quiz) faithful readers — from the LinkedIn profiles is like getting a seat in an advanced seminar in a graduate class.

I recommend Jason’s book to every turkey (i.e., FOWG jobseeker) that wanders into my turkey farm (http://tinyurl.com/lxu93) as a fast way to come up to speed on a potentially valuable resource. I say potentially because I think the jury is still out on LinkedIn. Link MySpace, Facebook, Ryze, and the 999 other social networking sites out there, it is hard to say who will “win” in the marketplace, or how stuff will morph.

Until that’s decided, use Jason’s book to get into the current leader in the “business social networking” genre.

You have to be quick because in the technology space change happens quickly. You can stand on Jason’s shoulders and get a leg up in the coopetition (i.e., cooperative competition) that is “networking”.

So, after all these words, for those that need a conclusion, I’ve stamped his book:

RECOMMENDED

Can I be any clearer? From the fellow who recommends very very few things a (job)seeker should pay for, this is one of them.

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Vincent Wright has received a “trademark infringement” letter from LinkedIn.

Now that is hubris on the part of LinkedIn.

Vincent is the “godfather” of a ton of groups LinkedIn_XXXXX (i.e., power users, bloggers, moderators, plaxo, vets). And, has single handly been LinkedIn’s cheerleader.

This is not the first time that LinkedIn has bitten it’s users with its psycho change in policy. When they were first pandering for users, they wanted you to spread the word and link to everyone you knew. Then after a year or eighteen months, they wanted “exclusivity” so they, with zero notice, imposed the “five i don’t knows and you’re suspended” policy. Vincent single handedly calmed a revolt.

When they blew their service about groups, Vincent was a calming influence.

Eventually Vincent decided to deploy his considerable energy to more worthwhile pursuits. And, I don’t blame him.

Now, LinkedIn is worried about its trademark? They get my “that sucks” award. Trademark that!

(I’m waiting for my trademark letter as well for LinkedInJaspers.)

Guess they don’t think they need that buzz from all those local groups like LinkedIn_State, like my LinkedIn_NewJersey. Makes those folks, who decided to compete by going to LinkTo_NewYork, look like geniuses.

Well, if I was the VCs buying LinkedIn, I’d look at this tired old whore’s teeth. I’ll be deemphasizing LinkedIn.

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My attempts to upload my pic keep timing out.

YMMV!

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UPDATE:  As of about 1100 edt on 28Sep07, the feature is now working.

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http://linkedinbusinessdiscussionindex.blogspot.com/2007/08/facebook-is-completely-different-than.html

From a posting on Execunet (http://www.execunet.com) that was tuned up and reposted at the “LinkedIn Discussion Index” blog honchoed by Vincent Wright. Vincent created the genre of LinkedIn spin off groups that allowed an interesting segmentation of the LinkedIn community. Here’s my posting about the differences in different social networking site.

*** begin quote ***

Facebook IS completely different than LinkedIn

I was much amused by all the Facebook versus LinkedIn discussion recently. As I was with the “religious” quality vs quality qauziness (sic craziness). All courtesy of Vincent’s various creations. Of course, as a big fat old turkey, I have lots of DIKW and a few opinions. I wrote this on a pay site for the networking group there and, as a lazy turkey too, I will repurpose it for my blog. But first I’ll drop it here as my inaugural post. I don’t want to reignite religious wars, but I am trying to make the point that just as there are different tools like a hammer, screw driver, and wrench, that start out with different design goals, humans can use their tools in unexpected ways. I personally have used a hammer to keep a reference book open to a certain page, poke a hole clear with a screw driver, and used a wrench to bang a nail. The hammer was holding the book open that said “put nail here”. (Don’t ask it was a bad day!) But seriously, it all starts with the user’s individual goal, then proceeds thru any number of tools, and finally to the results. If the proverbial nail goes in the right spot, who’s to say that the user was wrong.

So with that caveat, let’s dive into the mind of a big fat old turkey thinking about Facebook, as compared to LinkedIn. Bear in mind, that Facebook here is really a specific instance of other social networking sites such as Friendster, MySpace, and all the what I call “near social networking sites”. You know those sites, where they too are bolting on, after the fact, some aspect of social networking.

Here goes. Jumping into a conversation about Facebook as compared to LinkedIn:

I think you have to approach “networking” on Facebook completely differently than LinkedIn. More social! And much more passively. More timeless. And unstructured.

For example, I’m using it to collect as many “alma mater” networking contacts as I can. By that I mean fellow graduates of “my” school, people from past employers, current fellow employees, industry colleagues, and work / home regional granfalloon type contacts. You then proceed to “infiltrate” the target companies where your target position is likely to exists.

Since Facebook aims at a younger demographic, old far … fogeys like me, need to swim gently, being helpful and very non judgmental.

(Posting one sexuality in their profile was the biggest thing I had to “overlook”. Talk about digital dirt! Who knew that all the “hot chicks” from my stogy Catholic College were gay? Or is that defense mechanism. But some of the pictures are borderline NSFW! Can you believe any of the nonsense posted there? Recommend sunglasses and a large supply of NaCl!)

OK, I’m swimming in that “pool”, and remember I have no specific “networking agenda” in mind. I have helped about a dozen people with job leads and resume help. (Seek first to help, then be helped.) And, for example, in the process have acquired one networking contact at a very low level, who is giving me organization announcements for a company in my geography where I’d have a trivial commute. (I could go home for lunch.) Will any thing come of it? Who knows. I have about 100+ new “friends” and bunch of new “fellow alums”. Does it matter? Too soon to tell.

Remember I measure things in decades. My lesson from the Universe on that was a trivial good deed done to an IBM sales engineer 15 years prior snagged me a great job with him as my boss when I needed it. It taught me the value of timeless chronologies. Not everything you plant gives you veggies in 15 minutes. Americans with the “now” mentality have to learn everything comes to fruition in its own time.

Bottom line, that contact had never heard of LinkedIn, and really doesn’t “do the networking thing”.

So you have to become a chameleon. Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom is where you can find it. Here’s some of my whiz-dumb about Facebook, its difference from LinkedIn, and the need to be “flexible” in each social networking instance.

Do I think that I have the pearls of wisdom about LinkedIn, Facebook, or anything else? Sure I do. Even the big fat old turkey has a big fat ego.

I appreciate a new venue to pontificate from, and that VW is an all “right” fellow. Even though he has too much time on his hands to be creating all these genre busting concepts. Due to him, I personally have had to go to the new paradigm store several times for a meme clean out and reload. Maybe he’s a Microsoft Executive in disguise. You know spend lots of time – money – attention to upgrade a perfectly good operating system, just so you can have a new ribbon and lots of old problems. Yup, Vincent, is one of those good kind of trouble makers. The kind that make you think and act differently.

Now if he could just transform me into one of those kids on Facebook, then he’d be impressive. (I wonder if Frau Reinke, my wife, would approve?)

You are, all, of course, welcome to peruse my various and sundry DIKW entries at my various sites. Or, not as you see fit. I don’t have as many as VW has domain names, but then I’m just a poor turkey. Not one of them there domain en-tray-pren-you-ers.

fwiw ymmv faiwwypfi,
fjohn
the big fat old turkey hisself

*** end quote ***

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http://segala.com/blog/please-no-more-linkedin-invites/

Please, no more LinkedIn invites
on July 16, 2007 at 10:47 am | By Paul Walsh

*** begin quote ***

LinkedIn Out and Facebook In logo

Ok, for the last time and to put an end to some speculation, I’m no longer updating my LinkedIn profile (full stop).

The reason is simple. I use Facebook as my shop window, into which you can see who I am, who I know, what I stand for, what I’m working on, where I am and anything else I’d like you to know. If I write a blog post, send a twitter or have pictures taken of me talking at an event, you’ll see them via my RSS feeds which are pulled in from various Web sites.

*** end quote ***

Is the bloom off the rose with LinkedIn? I’m not so sure one way or the other, I continue to use both, fwiw.

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