LinkedIn Network Spammers

A few days ago, Ari Herzog offered some important advice for those people who hope to use LinkedIn just like any ordinary online networking tool, Facebook, Bebo, or MySpace, say. The main message is that if you want to network on LinkedIn, you’d better know the people you’re inviting or else you’ll just look like another spammer.

The key to understanding the LinkedIn mentality is that officially you are supposed to actually know in person the people with whom you connect. In other words, they’re not just virtual “friends” like many of your fellow Twitterers and Plurkers will be. Li is meant for those contacts, colleagues and friends you’ve actually met face to face, spoken to regularly on the phone perhaps, or at the very least have built up a good virtual relationship via instant messaging, email or other interactions.

If you receive a generic LinkedIn invite from someone you don’t know, even if they ask you not to mark them as “unknown”, you’re not supposedly to accept them (officially.

The generic Linkedin invite says this example I received this morning:

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
From: Vinay K
Date: September 3, 2008
To: David Bradley Science Writer
Status: Pending
I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- Vinay

Why would you send a generic message to someone. It’s impersonal, it’s impertinent, and it’s impossible to get me to accept, unless I really do already know you. So, Vinay, I’m sorry but you’ve been tagged as “I don’t know Vinay”.

I had thought about doing a full name and shame post of all the LinkedIn spammers who’ve sent me generic invites, but I thought better of it (the cloud of litigation hung low). But, I am going to list first names and last initial, so here’s the hall of shame: Umeshkumar S, Konrad K, Alexander S, Mariano E, Srinath N, Raghuvir R, Rohit W,Gurbachan C,Vikkrant P, Kumar B, Sandeepti B, Steven T, Sally B, Shruti S, Mark C, Tod B, Joao S, Darren B, David S, Chandan G, Rebecca C, Carl J, Sagar J, Howard L, Shashank B, Cristina P, Rakesh S, Christina F, Ryan G, etc etc etc.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m very keen on online networking, I’m no lonely saddo and only to happy to connect via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and every other site (you’ll find me on most as sciencebase or David Bradley). But Li is a little different, I’m not quite the social media tart when it comes to that system, I’m a little more selective, send me an intellectual bribe, rather than a generic invite, though and I may just let you into the inner circle!