Phew - its OK to admit you use Linked In again

Thank heavens for Read/Write web.

Yes, we can come out the thickets again and admit we still use Linked In..(hmmm....has a Facebook fanboi story made Techmeme at all this week?)

LinkedIn links to Webmail services such as Gmail, Yahoo and AOL, which is a very effective way to increase their network scale. The Gmail link enabled me to see which contacts were already in LinkedIn and send them a request to connect via LinkedIn. Bearing in mind the 'connection pollution' problem, I was careful to only invite people who I have a real relationship with. I left out the weak connections.

......

Leaving out duplicates and non-business contacts, I estimate that close to 80% of my business contacts use LinkedIn. The people who were NOT in LinkedIn were either a) young or not in business, or b) older. The latter was interesting. Some of the people with the most clout and large networks accumulated over decades in business were not in LinkedIn; probably a mix of technophobia and lack of need. That’s OK, my phone still works fine

Its interesting....in the Great Convergence, in general my Media contacts are on Facebook, my Telco, Internet and IT contacts are on Linked In, and my lawyers have just got email

The one thing that I get fed up with on Linked In is recruiters trying to get me to get in touch with my contacts, without (i) telling me why I should pass on the message and (frankly) making it worth my while - its one thing the first few times, but after the Nth recruiter tries it you sort of want a "pay per click" model going!