Linked in; what is it and why should I accept requests to join it?

[theperfessor]

Have gotten several requests to join Linked In. Since I cordially detest most social media (Facebook, etc.) why should I join this? What does it do beside get you on another list? What benefit does it have? Anybody else a member? Has it done anything positive for you?

I checked their site and it looks like its just Facebook for business.

[Olevern]

I believe you're right, this is a facebook for career orientated people; I get request to join all the time and just ignore them.
I have no more need to network with business people (retired)

[nicholst55]

I got suckered into joining by a friend/former co-worker. It's really just a social media site that talks about different career fields. You can supposedly network, and get leads on new jobs. I'm not impressed so far.

[tonyjones]

Linked in can be a useful tool to maintain or re-establish contact with professional associates and to make new ones. Many companies use it in their recruiting efforts. I deleted my profile and cancelled all connection to Linked in when I retired.

Regards,

Tony

[theperfessor]

At one point a few years ago an administrative twit wanted to set up some kind of a group thing on Facebook that we were to join in on as part of our jobs. Of course we had to have a Facebook account to participate. I refused to set up an account. When I raised objections I told them to put in writing that they would indemnify me for any losses that might occur to me from having a Facebook account, i.e. identity theft etc. They refused and the idea was quietly dropped.

I might note that I am also one of about a dozen faculty members that still gets a paper check instead of direct deposit. Same principle, they wanted all of us to go electronic, I asked them if they would stand for any losses to my bank account if their system ever got hacked (it has). They refused to put anything in writing and quietly stopped demanding we all go direct deposit.

Edit to add: The amazement on some of the Facebook fanboy's faces when you tell them you neither have nor want a Facebook account is something to behold, I mean after all social media is the FUTURE!

[USAFrox]

Jeez, Perfessor, you dinosaur! ;-)

I get the linked in requests all the time, also. I went ahead and joined it, and accept the requests, but for things like that, or any other online accounts, I always put the minimum amount of info required to have an account, and put fake birthdates and things, so that if it ever DOES get hacked, they won't have my real info anyways. And I accept those linked in requests just to be nice, but I never actually go on the site, or even open it anymore. I really have no idea what it's for, and have no use for it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

just my 2¢ here.

I find that Facebook is a great way to stay connected with family and friends.

I get the Linken In invitations all the time [and I refuse them]. I honestly have no desire to be "more" connected with business associates and potential business contacts. YMMV. I bet it's great for real estate agents and other salespeople.

Good luck,
Jon

[LUBEDUDE]

I'm with the professor, no social media for me either.

[gnoahhh]

My sentiments match JonB's. I use Facebook to stay connected with my hip young family members and far-flung friends. I have also used it to re-connect with long lost friends. LinkedIn requests get ignored.

[Sensai]

Wasn't all of this predicted in Star Trek ? I remember something about "The Borg" and "resistance is futile". If I could do it without collecting any data or making any lists I'd start something like "Unlinked" or "Farcebook Anonymous". Does anyone remember when we actually had some modicum of privacy? My grandkids think I'm an old curmudgen, I think they're right and I'm proud of it! Don't tell anybody, but I've actually turned my cell phone OFF before!

[montana_charlie]

Have gotten several requests to join Linked In.
Do you actually know any of the people who have sent those requests?

I have gotten a few ... from entities who are strangers to me ... and I simply delete them without opening them.

CM

[Four-Sixty]

My Wife built a facebook account for me. I logged on a couple of times, about 3-4 years ago. It was really annoying because almost a couple of times a week there for a while, she would alsk me 'who is this?" as people from my past would 'friend me'. I have no interest in it.

When I hear people at work talk about facebook, I like to say "I need to check out this facebook people keep talking about, what is the website for facebook?" I get some of the greatest responses!

[theperfessor]

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with folks that choose to use Facebook or any other social media. My wife has an account. But I have heard of too many instances where information on Facebook has been used to cause problems. I simply choose not to use it. I have and use other "modern" tools, there are just a few things I have problems with.

I'll put up a website soon for my stuff, probably better than using LinkedIn anyway.

[snuffy]

Perfesser, I'm just like you, except I DO have a facebook account. I got talked into it by several family members, but most importantly by my son. I keep in touch with my relatives, but ignore the "friend requests" unless I actually know them. There's some interesting links from my son, we think alike politically, (conservative-christian, with a shade of independent), so his links are good reading.

I also got stupid and created a twitter account, but I have yet to use it for the first time!

As for my cell phone, it's normally off! Only 3 people have the number, my son, my brother, and my nephew. The only time it's on is when I'm in the car, and sometimes not even then. It's a trac-phone, 100 bucks a year comes with 400 minutes, my minutes are now at 1000 rolled over from 3 years that I've had it. I can't drive and talk. I'm lucky I can walk and chew gum,(at the same time)! I have a heart condition, I can't walk more than ¼ mile, so it's for emergencies.

[joesig]

LinkedIn is nice if you are looking for a job or are trying to help others look. Otherwise there's no need for it.

Facebook was (past tense) nice to find old friends but I didn't like how you were tracked all over the Internet with it. My account is now deleted. Google etc. track us enough without helping them.

[gbrown]

Linkedin, Facebook, and other social media has it's place, I guess. I have no use for it. Great for networking and keeping up with family and friends, grandmas getting to see pics of grandkids, finding out what everyone is doing, etc. But, it's just like the emails "They walk among us and vote". I can't tell you how many people hae gotten into trouble posting inappropriate photos and remarks on those things. It also seems, IMHO, that there are a lot of ego maniacs on there as they really think we care about all the drama in their life. Really? LOL You want me to know? Call me and we will talk, or come have a cup of coffee and we'll talk.

[searcher4851]

NO Linked in here. I've had a few requests and declined them. They were from people I knew and I emailed them and told them I had no interest in it. No facebook here either, or twitter or any of that stuff. I have a telephone if I need to contact anyone, and since pretty much everyone nowdays besides me and snuffy have a cell phone, it's no problem. Like snuffy, I have a tracfone that remains off most of the time, and I only use it for emergency or expediency. I have more kids and siblings so more people have the number, but they know chances of me answering it are pretty slim. (never even set up the voicemail on it) I guess the closest I get to this social networking stuff is Skype, if that even counts. The only reason I have that was so I could talk to my oldest boy when he was in Iraq, and it worked fine. I now still use it on occasion to talk to his daughter (my one and only grandchild so far) and she's too young to actually talk on the phone but she's such a cutie that it's fun to get to see her while we gibberish back and forth.

[Gar]

Cast Boolits is all the social media I need.
I find keeping in touch with friends and family best done face to face or at worst, by a phone call or email.
No one needs to know my whereabouts 24/7 or what I had for lunch on given day.
The Engineering firm I work for started the with the Linked-in junk about 6 months ago. Looks like a lot of self serving back slapping. As I'm retiring in 90 days, don't see any need to get into the 'good-ol-boy' system.
Ya, I do get cranky sometime.

[PS Paul]

As an employer, the very FIRST thing I did when screening a potential applicant is to look at their Facebook account. It's remarkable how many folk looking for a job (with firearms where we did background screening and drug screening) will post pics of themselves using drugs or have marijuana leaves all over their page.

After years of seeing the foolishness I've seen on FB and having no real desire to be contacted from people I've not much interest in contacting, I have no FB account. Nor will I.

[bangerjim]

Basically it is someone either looking for a job or thinking about changing jobs. Used by professionals like me. I do NOT participate at all.

I do no social media.

If you are hooked on Facebook or Twitter, you will enjoy it. Otherwise, ignore it.

I always email the people wanting to contact me on it and just tell them to use email!!!!!!

bangerjim

[MrWolf]

I am with theperfessor - no facebook, linked-in, twitter, etc. If you want to talk to me, call. If I answer or call you back great, if not... I do have an iphone and ipad which I use all the time.

[theperfessor]

I guess it comes down to which of the current technologies best suits my needs and personality. I love my iPhone and iPad, I use email, voice mail, text, etc. I just don't want to spend all my life updating my FB page and getting bogus friend requests to have to deal with. Not to mention the uptick in spam. To each their own.

[waksupi]

I do Facebook for the friends and family thing. I have buckskinner buddies around the world, and it is the only contact I have with most of them. Between that, and friends here, that pretty much covers it.
I absolutely detest talking on a telephone, and avoid it as much as possible. That is why when people here ask me for my #, I don't give it!
I do own a cell phone. It's in a basket on top of the ice box. I think I charged it up last spring once.

[BD]

LinkedIn started as a professional reference data base. You could "recommend" people you had worked with for their skills and expertise. It was very useful in my line of work. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line about a year ago the LinkedIn site started self generating meaningless references for "your approval", and linking them to everyone you've ever dealt with. The "click to approve" of these site generated references has watered down the database until it's only real use today is to find references you know to contact about someones skills or experience. A year ago, what I found on LinkedIn was enough. Today, it's only a list of possibilities to call for an old fashioned reference conversation.
BD

[41 mag fan]

Wife says I'm anti social....I got a cell phone....I like texting, not talking on it!

[Dean D.]

Your not alone Keith. I guess I'd be considered anti-social now days. No social media accounts, no cell phone and no desire to have either one.

[USAFrox]

Perfesser, I'm just like you, except I DO have a facebook account. I got talked into it by several family members, but most importantly by my son. I keep in touch with my relatives, but ignore the "friend requests" unless I actually know them. There's some interesting links from my son, we think alike politically, (conservative-christian, with a shade of independent), so his links are good reading.

I also got stupid and created a twitter account, but I have yet to use it for the first time!

As for my cell phone, it's normally off! Only 3 people have the number, my son, my brother, and my nephew. The only time it's on is when I'm in the car, and sometimes not even then. It's a trac-phone, 100 bucks a year comes with 400 minutes, my minutes are now at 1000 rolled over from 3 years that I've had it. I can't drive and talk. I'm lucky I can walk and chew gum,(at the same time)! I have a heart condition, I can't walk more than ¼ mile, so it's for emergencies.

I do the cell phone, the same as you! I use a Walmart tracfone. Mostly it sits forgotten on some horizontal surface in my house, as I have never developed the "cellphone habit". I hate talking on the phone, and can't have a phone at work, even if I wanted one, so I don't ever remember to carry it, unless I'm going on a long road trip - and oftentimes I forget it even then.

[Adam10mm]

At one point a few years ago an administrative twit wanted to set up some kind of a group thing on Facebook that we were to join in on as part of our jobs. Of course we had to have a Facebook account to participate. I refused to set up an account. When I raised objections I told them to put in writing that they would indemnify me for any losses that might occur to me from having a Facebook account, i.e. identity theft etc. They refused and the idea was quietly dropped.

I might note that I am also one of about a dozen faculty members that still gets a paper check instead of direct deposit. Same principle, they wanted all of us to go electronic, I asked them if they would stand for any losses to my bank account if their system ever got hacked (it has). They refused to put anything in writing and quietly stopped demanding we all go direct deposit.

Edit to add: The amazement on some of the Facebook fanboy's faces when you tell them you neither have nor want a Facebook account is something to behold, I mean after all social media is the FUTURE!
I'm considered "young" still but old school. I get a paper check, pay for gas with cash inside not pay at the pump, don't have a credit or debit card, mail order purchases are done with cashier checks or money orders. I just like that personal interaction and security.


Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with folks that choose to use Facebook or any other social media. My wife has an account. But I have heard of too many instances where information on Facebook has been used to cause problems. I simply choose not to use it. I have and use other "modern" tools, there are just a few things I have problems with.

I'll put up a website soon for my stuff, probably better than using LinkedIn anyway.
I have a Facebook account (and for the business-separately). There are rules I have with a personal account: Don't use your real name. Don't get into the gaming sub-community. If you do anything on Facebook involving money, like the gift feature they have, don't use your normal debit card, get a pre-paid one at Walmart or your local bank and use that instead. If there is fraud, just get a new one after settling the issue. If you had used your normal card, your bank account is compromised and you might be late on a bill or two. No way I will tolerate that.

I have a pre-paid debit card with my bank and pay bills using that. First transfer the money to the card, then use the call in feature to pay over the phone. Extra insurance keeping that money segregated from your main account.

[Whiterabbit]

I don't "do" facebook, myspace, text messaging, cellphone data, or any of that ****. I have to remind my friends every year that I pay 20 cents per text message, that's why I call them back when they text me.

I DO do linked in. Why?

I got my current job thorugh linked in. I'd still be unemployed over 3 years if not for linked in. good way to get a job.

[Whiterabbit]

I do Facebook for the friends and family thing. I have buckskinner buddies around the world, and it is the only contact I have with most of them.

I'm only 30, but the way I figure it is this: If my friends will ONLY contact me through facebook (which I don't have), and not bother to call, write, or email (yes I have a pen pal in the netherlands), then I don't need them as friends any more.

I've lost friends that way, but a "facebook friend" is not a friend I need.

I'll take a cast boolits forum friend over a facebook friend any day!

[ozo]

I'm with the professor, no social media for me either.

Me either......no social media....
I am too old, don't understand computers, am too private in my life, and will never register on any forum.

[ozo]

You know they can watch you when you sit in your underwear at your desk, right ?
That's why I don't have a Droid either, they can listen to everything you say......in your home.

[Whiterabbit]

till now, mr 7 posts on cast boolits. For what it is wrth, you picked (imo) the best forum on the internet to break your rule on. No need t break it again.

That's just my opinion of course. And welcome. Glad that if you don't do any social media but break that just once, you broke it here. It's worth it. Haven't been many places it was. good community here.

[Adam10mm]

I'm only 30, but the way I figure it is this: If my friends will ONLY contact me through facebook (which I don't have), and not bother to call, write, or email (yes I have a pen pal in the netherlands), then I don't need them as friends any more.

I've lost friends that way, but a "facebook friend" is not a friend I need.
I don't have "real" friends in person. My Facebook list is family out of state, former HS classmates, and a couple coworkers. Everything is set to be as private as possible.

Me either......no social media....
I am too old, don't understand computers, am too private in my life, and will never register on any forum.
Except this forum?

[Blacksmith]

No social media.
Cell phone for family and emergencies only (helpful if you have a problem at the barn and are trying to find the Vet).
Email, PM, phone, or write (I can read cursive).
Most transactions cash or money order.
If you don't like my rules call me and we will negotiate and if it's worth it we will both bend a little.

Curmudgeon in training.

P.S. - Waksupi, I'll telephone you with my loob groove order.[smilie=s:

[uscra112]

If the allegations Denninger is making here: http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=224507

are even half the story, I'd avoid it like the plague.