Off-Topic Linked in- I feel like a stalker

[FitBoop]

Originally Posted by LynnO

Just ugh. I didn't realize that each person you looked at on linked in could see you looked. I was curious and feel like a stalker. I even got a message from someone I looked at but would never want to talk to again (nothing bad, just an old boyfriend who is more - ewww, than bad.) Why didn't I realize this beforehand. Just ugh.

My annual warning about something that surprised me.

ETA I closed my account as I realized that it was an opening for contact for someone I never want to talk to again- in fact they came up on my - do you know this person and i have no idea how they were linked with me. The whole thing is getting ridiculous and I thought facebook was bad!!!!!

I can't believe how creeped out I am.

Lynn, you can make yourself anonymous so that if you look at a profile, they won't know you looked. The trade-off is that you cannot see who looked at your profile, but the way around that is to go anonymous when you look at other profiles, and then change back to visible afterwards.

I am another one who values privacy. I have been diligent and persistent about getting information removed from the internet, but it is not easy to get rid of everything. Some sites find people's info and will not remove it.

My problem was with Facebook. I finally joined a couple of months ago. After a month, I started seeing suggestions of "people you may know" and it included people with whom I had brief contacts in business years ago, who would not even remember me or have looked for me on Facebook. So I realized that Facebook is like a spy agency that acquires data on people from sources unbeknownst to us. That's when I deleted my account permanently.

[pcdoctor01]

I think Facebook taints your email address.

[Laura S.]

Lynn - I had the same concern about updating my network that I was updating my profile. LinkedIn gives you the option of turning off those automatic updates. You can click here to see how to turn them off. Once I turned them off, I just left them off. With every job I seem to be linked to people in my organization and I don't want them knowing when I'm updating my profile.

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by Laura S.

Lynn - I had the same concern about updating my network that I was updating my profile. LinkedIn gives you the option of turning off those automatic updates. You can click here to see how to turn them off. Once I turned them off, I just left them off. With every job I seem to be linked to people in my organization and I don't want them knowing when I'm updating my profile.

I did this as well. And for the same reason. Plus I work a part time job and I don't really want my full time job know I am working at another library. I just keep my updates turned off.

I think Linkedin can be a valuable in terms of finding jobs, making career changes and connections and exploring career options. Many of the groups I joined have job boards and they use this rather than posting positions on career builder, monster etc. This way they get candidates that are serious about this career direction. Joining groups in your field is very helpful because when folks ask questions and get responses these are all excellent learning tools. Also recommendations and endorsements can be very helpful. Occasionally, I will have someone I am not familiar with look at my profile. But often that is because they are doing a search and they entered a general word like "lawyers" and thousands of hits come up. I just ignore these request. You can tell if someone is in your network when you look to the right of your screen and see if they are connected to someone you are connected to. Example, if I see a name that doesn't ring a bell to me I will look at this little picture and it might show me this person is connected to my daughter thus we are a #2 connections. I am not on any other form of social media. I have never had an issue with Linkedin other than occasional people looking at my profile who are not familiar to me.

[LynnO]

Originally Posted by beyond.omega

Y

I have never used LinkedIn to randomly meet strangers in my industry, and I'm not sure that is it's primary intent. It is a business communication tool, not a dating site. Usually I do other things (go to conferences, recruiting events) to meet people and then connect on LinkedIn to people I met that way. I don't connect with everyone I meet or talk to, although currently I do accept almost all invites from recruiters, since I'm looking for a job. I have used LinkedIn to reconnect with old colleagues, but only those I was "connected to" in a previous job. That is people I knew/worked with in some capacity...not random co-workers at old jobs, or strangers I don't know who are in connections of people in my network. Admittedly, I am an engineer and introverted, so that may be why I'm a little more conservative in how I use LinkedIn. But since we are still human beings as we know it, LinkedIn has not replaced the other ways we have of networking (yet.) Only enhances them.

Wow, did I fall asleep and wake up at work. Thanks for your concern about my lack of acumen with technology- but uh, actually I am an engineer and I love technology. However, I like it to work for me. I spend a big part of my job teaching people about our industry and how our data goes into it. I often struggle with our young people taking short cuts with computer programs that they don't totally understand. I get this same kind of attitude, - your just too old to understand. And of course, who is there with them at the deadline trying to help them because they programmed calculations they don't know how to fix if they don't work right. Some of the responses to this thread really make me think I need to be a whole lot blunter about this issue.

Some of us enjoy our privacy, even if we don't "need" it.

Networking generally means meeting people in your industry. You know, like discussion groups, training programs, industry groups that meet in person. Learn more about the industry in this state and the local industries which are a bit different than where I am from. The comment about the dating site was really beyond condescending.

Anyway from all the comment here- other than the job listings which are amazin, linkedin is basically a yellow pages with resumes and people don't use it for much else. So people don't actually network, which by my definition is sharing info with others in your industry.

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by LynnO

Anyway from all the comment here- other than the job listings which are amazin, linkedin is basically a yellow pages with resumes and people don't use it for much else. So people don't actually network, which by my definition is sharing info with others in your industry.

I wouldn't say people don't network. I don't use it for that purpose because I don't need to network for the type of work I do, but I know plenty of people who use it for that purpose. I use it mainly to keep up with what's going on in my industry, but that's about it. I keep my profile private, but if I was looking for a job, I'd be networking and using the job listings. It all depends on what your purpose for being on the site is.

[andtckrtoo]

Originally Posted by LynnO

Wow, did I fall asleep and wake up at work. Thanks for your concern about my lack of acumen with technology- but uh, actually I am an engineer and I love technology. However, I like it to work for me. I spend a big part of my job teaching people about our industry and how our data goes into it. I often struggle with our young people taking short cuts with computer programs that they don't totally understand. I get this same kind of attitude, - your just too old to understand. And of course, who is there with them at the deadline trying to help them because they programmed calculations they don't know how to fix if they don't work right. Some of the responses to this thread really make me think I need to be a whole lot blunter about this issue.

I just wanted to chime in here - I didn't read Omega's comment that way. I read it more as if she were saying that technology will never replace people for networking, which is something I agree with. Just because I like Linked In and have used it to grow my professional network, doesn't mean I think it's the end all be all. There's a reason I like to meet my customers face to face - there is nothing quite like meeting someone in person.

And considering that I'm 51, I don't think you're too old to understand. I think there are differences in the way millennials look at technology and they way we older people do. I live in the Valley, and have sold and worked with technology since 1987. I'm probably a bit freer in my thinking than most people my age. It's the way it is. If you chose not to have a presence on the web, that's fine. My Linked In Account, to me, is not full of personal information. It's just my resume that I would send to anyone who asked. I.e - I'm not bothered by people knowing where I work and what I've done. My Facebook page is much more private, and I'm a lot more careful who I friend. I'm also very direct and I have no problems with telling someone to bugger off if they are bothering me. So while exes and others reaching out to me doesn't bother me, I can see that someone who feels less comfortable would be bothered.

[Izzy]

I don't use LinkedIn just for job searching. The groups I joined are very valuable when there are changes in that field. One of my roles is HR. And right now there is serious talk of changes in FLSA standards. There is a lot of discussions going on in my groups about how this will affect the work place and how to handle these changes. Folks throw out questions and others respond.

When I was job searching I attended classes at a local CC on how to get a job in today's market. There was a class on LinkedIn and a class on Networking. Both said face to face Networking is very valuable but how to find these Networking groups is through LinkedIn. I joined two. And where I learned a lot in theses LinkedIn discussions I also attended face to face meetings met people and expanded my network.

There is also much workplace and career articles on the site. All valuable career tools.

[leigh1673]

Originally Posted by wishiwasinhawaii

I wouldn't say people don't network. I don't use it for that purpose because I don't need to network for the type of work I do, but I know plenty of people who use it for that purpose. I use it mainly to keep up with what's going on in my industry, but that's about it. I keep my profile private, but if I was looking for a job, I'd be networking and using the job listings. It all depends on what your purpose for being on the site is.

Agreed. Although you (general you) might not use social media for professional networking, it doesn't mean that it isn't part of the overall networking landscape nowadays.

I'm in the field of marketing and I belong to a number of marketing groups on LinkedIn. Yeah there's a lot that gets posted that doesn't pertain to me, but every so often, I find something relevant. Like an article or an online seminar. So, I think it's as useful of a tool as you (again general you) want it or make it out to be.

And hey, I did use LinkedIn as a dating site --although inadvertently!

[videofit]

You can read most profiles on LinkedIn without joining. Perhaps not as detailed though. I don't have a resume on LinkedIn since I don't need another stalker.