Rita Ashley, Career Coach. Field tested advice for executives.

LINKEDIN ADDRESS BOOK, YOURS, MINE AND THEIRS

Last week I asked four people if they gathered their LinkedIn email addresses into their main address book.  Not one knew that was an option.

In case you have not stumbled on the tool to accomplish the export, take a look at this:

Go to the contacts page and find the export tool in the lower left corner.  Simple instructions pop up and the deed is done.  Because it duplicates what may already be in your address book you may want to create a new category before you import.

This is a nice feature that makes it easy for you to contact your LinkedIn connections directly; no longer do you have to depend on LinkedIn to deliver messages or respond using their services.  It is especially nice if you want to broadcast a message to a subset of your connections.

LIONs, those LinkedIn members with as many as 30,000 connections can also use this tool.  (LinkedIn limits connections to 30,000.) One wonders at the avaricious behavior of those determined to be “open networkers” and who acquire names like children acquire baseball cards and my little ponies.    Is this a game?  Is someone keeping score about who has the most names? It certainly isn’t a real network because it is impossible truly to connect to so many people.  Why do they do it?

I asked a few connections with a large network to notify job seekers about companies that are hiring.  I created a blog and a website with listings.  I don’t make money from either and there is no downside.  The lists are simply my way of giving back.  Not one of the large network connections even responded to my request.  They will be removed from my contact list.

Removing them will be a minor blip on their numbers.  They no longer have access to my first and second and third degree network which is only about six million or so.  But at least I know I am no longer facilitating those who do not understand quid pro quo.

Not all highly networked entries will be removed.  There are certain employment based individuals who have a large network because they interact in some way with their connections.   But their presence begs the question, why do people want to acquire random names?

One reason may be is that they sell those easy to export email addresses.  Yes, LinkedIn users, you may have volunteered your contact information and other important data to multi-level marketers, phishing scams and all manner of International not-so-nice Internet scams.  Let’s hope you used your free email account rather than your personal one.  Gmail and Hotmail, for example, have terrific spam catchers and you certainly will need one if you connect to LIONs whom you don’t know.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites