LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service. Founded in December 2002 and launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. In 2006, LinkedIn increased to 20 million viewers. Wikipedia
Supposedly, it is the most useful social media site for business. An online source to manage your professional identity and build and engage with your professional network. A way to access knowledge, insights and opportunities. The first entry on my search results tells me that LinkedIn has 300 million+ members!
Why am I a retired old lady writing about this topic?
Last week I received yet another email with the following invitation:
I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
This came from someone long retired and even older than I am. So I emailed back:
Sorry XXXX
a) I am not a professional anything these days and..
b) I do not use LinkedIn.
The correspondence continued:
Sorry about that Marie. The request to link has gone automatically to all my contacts once I became an unwilling member to oblige someone. I am really sorry that I have troubled you.
Regards,
XXXX
I smiled at that one. Had this person joined because of a spammy invitation like the one above that I received?
I replied:
XXXX, from past experience, LinkedIn seems to send several invitations from the same person over a number of weeks. I find it humorous that a website supposed to be for professionals, seems to enjoy spamming non users. Maybe you should point that out to the powers that be!
I also found it rather ironic, since you have cut contact with me, from almost all other channels. Stay well,
Do you use this social media site?
Does it help manage your professional identity and aid you to engage with your professional network?
Or, like me, find LinkedIn a nuisance?
I also received the invitation. I declined to join as I already have more than enough social media and didn’t need any more. I didn’t know about the spammy aspect to it. That’s reason enough to stay far, far away from it.
Interestingly, I just received a reminder on the invitation. I had trashed it, so, after reading this post, I went back and found it with the intention of marking it as spam. When I reopened it, I saw that there was on option to unsubscribe from the invitation.
What the?!?
LinkedIn won’t be seeing me as a member….. ever!
Exactly, Mike. Why should the spammed have to unsubscribe? Modern social media may open many doors for us, but assuming we want something is wrong. VERY WRONG!
I’ve received about 15 invites to LinkedIn from different friends/associates who have joined. LinkedIn sends the invites if the person who joined gives LinkedIn access to their e-mail address book.
I don’t find the invites a problem. I don’t plan to accept the invitation to join.
I do have a problem with the companies unsolicited invitations. All the invitations that I have received have come from people who are no longer in touch with me and they know I am retired. LinkedIn needs to be stopped and not by me having to unsubscribe!
My daughter swears by it. I swear at it.
Al, I am in the latter camp.
I’ve been spammed so many times by this, however younger working in business people swear by it and use it for promoting, etc.
Anything that spams I’m totally against.
XO
WWW
I am against all forms of spamming.
I have never been invited. Lol.
Lucky you!
Funny you should mention it, Grannymar. I have received two ‘invitation’s in recent weeks – by people known to both of us (via blogging). Trusting soul that I am I thought to myself: “How sweet. Those guys really care about me and my earning powers.” Anyway, haven’t got round to looking into it. So thanks for the warning.
I know a number of business people who keep mentioning that they use Linkedin. What it could for me I have no idea. And anyway – whilst I use the internet for my work, obviously email and blogging/commenting – I am overwhelmed with notifications of apps and daps and craps and what-nots. I don’t want to know. Leave me alone! All I wish for is a hut in the middle of a tranquil nowhere.
Most likely I shouldn’t admit to this in public: I don’t even have a mobile/cell phone. People will, habitually, ask you for your mobile number. And when I say that I haven’t got one it makes them look up, incredulous. “But how will we text you to confirm an appointment?” they ask. I don’t know. Try my landline. Send a carrier pigeon.
Funny world. To think how we once survived and were happy without so much …
Other than that: Your recent post has inspired me to get back to knitting. Or maybe crotcheting. You are clearly very accomplished in either ‘art’ as you suggested to WWW to call it (clever!). I don’t think I was ever ‘accomplished’ as such. I am just a good technician. Following instructions, executing them with precision. Your post made me wonder whether I can pick up (!) where I left off after a long interval. And – your advice appreciated – last time I looked wool has become so expensive. Let’s forget the joy we get out of creating a unique piece but there was a time when sewing, knitting, etc. were also a means of saving money. No more. Or so it appears.
Ursula
Ursula, if you are a good technician, then you should be a great knitter, after all, it is just following instructions, executing them with precision!
Let me know if you get unlinked. I am still trying to get them to let go. Like tar paper.
All the links on Google lead to the registration page. I have linked to the company in the post above and hope they check it out and stop the spamming.
I don’t think it is technically spamming…it has to do with the way you accept the invitation…on the other hand I have no idea how it works, let how Twitter works. I just stick with blogs I know and facebook.
I use to facebook to connect with family and friends, students I know (many finished their degrees), interest groups and a few add-on people I acquire through other friends…and I don’t have 100s of friends either….
I have tried to go to their site and the ONLY option available is to register and join! I never asked or want to join, I have no need of them, so unsolicited invitations over time, are spamming in my book.
Why must I go to the trouble of unsubscribing?
I have been spammed by them, and am trying to unsubscribe. It is so frustrating!
They certainly know how to annoy us!