" I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn"

[WETWRKS]

I signed on to find out info about someone who was an a** towards a group I am a part of. Then I started receiving the requests from him. I mailed him warning that I did not desire to receive any more messages from him and they would be considered harassment. They stopped in short order.

[roberth]

LinkedIn is crap...I was on it years ago...I was spammed mercilessly.

All the social networking sites have a common goal, to create a profile on the user and share it with the government.

[electronman1729]

I'd say that's not true.

There are currently 485 jobs listed on LinkedIn (across the country) for a Pipefitter. (just the first thing that popped into my head to search for).

4,197 Welder positions (64 in the Greater Denver area)

No its facebook for grown ups.

[Sawin]

No its facebook for grown ups.

That's my opinion of it as well. I don't use any other social media aside from this forum and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is legitimately helpful for professional networking.

[Zundfolge]

When you open an account, it asks if you would like to import your contact list from whatever your email provider is. It then auto invites all your contacts.
I do not use that option

Thinking people agree with 00tec here ... if I don't have actual business dealings with you (and afterward have a positive thought about you), or you don't look like someone that would forward my career I just ignore these requests.

[Gman]

So I was right: It's facebook for people who wear ties to work.

It's not Facebook. It's networking for professionals. If you're looking for a job, it gives the employer the ability to possibly find other people in their org. that may have worked with you in the past.

I also get requests from headhunters all the time. I just don't pay attention to the ones I don't know or do know that have a poor record of doing a good job or are ethically challenged.

In case you missed the news, LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft.

[TheGrey]

I use LinkedIn quite a bit, both to increase my networking, as well as to stalk profiles for OSINT. I've got a lot of friends/acquaintances in different industries that are connected; you never know when you're going to need a specialist in XYZ or need someone on the inside that may know an expert in their field to testify as a witness.

The again, I'm one that believes in the adage "A bird in the hand..."

[ClangClang]

LinkedIn is an excellent tool for just about every industry I can think of, including blue collar jobs. By ignoring LinkedIn, you are literally throwing away opportunities. LinkedIn doesn't have your comings and goings, family photos, or any other information you don't wish to upload. All mine has is a single headshot photo and the companies I've worked for over the past ~10 years, along with a brief paragraph of what I did at each job. I accept just about every single "connection request" I receive. There's no downside.

I have gotten inside connections to jobs, found new potential clients, and helped friends find jobs all 100% due to LinkedIn.

And for what it's worth, when you join LinkedIn, they ask for your email address AND password so they can automatically contact every single person in your person in your address book. I most certainly did NOT hand over my email password. It's actually astonishing how many people do.

[kidicarus13]

The more information you provide, the more spam you will receive.

[Zundfolge]

The one thing that annoys the crap out of me is LinkedIn telling me that my profile is incomplete because it doesn't include my education ... I'm sorry but I fail to see how an unfinished degree in Psychology would have even the slightest positive impact on how I (a professional Graphic Designer with more than 20 years experience) am seen.

And for what it's worth, when you join LinkedIn, they ask for your email address AND password so they can automatically contact every single person in your person in your address book. I most certainly did NOT hand over my email password. It's actually astonishing how many people do.

Technically handing your email password over is a violation of the terms of service you agree to with your email provider ... and technically a violation of a TOS is a crime under the DMCA.