Now, I entirely understand that the LinkedIn business model is to sell my CV to recruiters, not give me useful tools to manage my network. I also understand that all the mediocre me-too news-aggregation is a way to try to get me to spend more time on the site, rather than visiting every month or two. But really, it needs to get the basics right. It needs to give me useful tools. Right now it’s a not-very-good CV database with an interface that would be second-rate a decade ago, that I have no reason to stick with if something remotely, you know, useful came along.
So, Reid Hoffman is a genius, with a great vision. I just wish he’d join LinkedIn, and implement some of it.
Looks like Ben and I have a very similar stand on linkedin. I do share his annoyances as well.But i have another point to add. Interesting thing here to notice is that I am a recruiter and he is not. But none the less we both have a very similar thought at where linkedin is heading. Simply put they are loosing focus in terms of what they intented to do and where they are headed.
When I joined, Linkedin was a professional netowrking site, now it seems more of a job portal targeted towards recruiters, As a premium user (yeah my company pays for it), I defninetely get benefits out of the way Linkedin is heading, but i doubt whether on the long run i would get much benefit at all. Professionals signed up on linkedin for the want/need of newtorking with similar like minded people and have conversations and discussions with industry experts in their industry of choice, not looking for a job or a career move. Jobs and career opportunities were not the core reason why they joined.
Linkedin is slowly pushing for more of Job Opportunities and less of networking on their site because recruiters are willing to pay to get connections/one to one interactions with professionals. That is where the money lies for them. Very valid, but what happens to professionals who are not seeking opportunities? The constant emails and connection requests are going to annoy other industry professionals. Soon either they will disable their accounts or delete them and move else where. Over the past couple of years i see a lot more recruiters joining LinkedIn than other industry professionals, which in my opinion isn’t good for recruiters in the long term.