Recently in LinkedIn Category

Question: Are you finding that as more people join social networks that the value goes down due to noise and difficulty adding quality contacts?

My Answer:

I find that it's the exact opposite, the more people who join social networks increases the odds that I'll find more quality contacts. The pool of "early adopters" for any new networking site is going to be small and narrow. When a site breaks out from being just early adopters, they pick up a wider range of people with more diverse careers and interests.

There are a lot of folks whom I consider professional colleagues that wouldn't consider joining a social networking site unless it offered them more than just professional connections. Colleagues who have secure, full-time jobs often don't come to an on-line forum with the notion of expanding their business. Unless there's a wider range of people on that site, say others from their city, folks who share outside interests, school alumni, etc., they'll just take a pass.

I'm all for as many of those folks being here as possible! There may come a time when I'll want to tap their expertise on a subject, or hire them for a consulting project.

To address the notion of pay-based social networking sites, That's certainly the best way to narrow the universe of members quickly. I don't see where that would benefit me all that much, however.

A common concept on the LinkedIn business networking site is that of "Open Networking." LinkedIn Open Networkers, or "LiONs" work towards amassing huge lists of connections, usually in the thousands. Given how LinkedIn is supposed to work, I don't see the value in such a huge list.

Because I'm on the "My Linked In Power Forum" list, I often get connection requests from other members of that list, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a post or reply I've made there. While I appreciate the fact that someone related to or enjoyed what I wrote, that doesn't mean we're automatically a good business networking "connection."

I want something more before I "connect."

I've got a fairly diverse group of contacts on LinkedIn, but most of them have a common thread. For example, I got an "join my network" request over the weekend from a gentleman from India I did not know, but he works for the national railway company and has an interest in street railways. Even though we don't have any common connections, I'm good with the request. That's what I'm looking for on LinkedIn, that certain something beyond merely being users of the same site.

Does "open networking" work for others? Sure, if your goal is to develop what is essentially a huge mailing list. Beyond that, it has little practical value. Of the thousands of people in a LiON's network, how many can truly write a proper recommendation for the individual? If I join one of these huge networks, just now much credibility does that individual have enough credibility to "introduce" me properly? If they can't, the the overall value of LinkedIn diminishes dramatically.

So, I'll stick with my approx. 100-person network and grow it out as I really "meet" others.