LinkedIn makes me sooo Angry

I rarely get angry when using websites.  But I abhor LinkedIn.

Here's one simple example.  In hopes of increasing engagement with LinkedIn and better capturing the professional social graph, LinkedIn now prominently displays "People You May Know".  I often see people I know and think "wow, I'm not connected to Bill Nye the Science Guy, connect!".  I then click "Connect" and then select "Friend" as how I know that person.  LinkedIn then prompts me for that person's email address.  Doh!  Damn you LinkedIn.  You thought I knew that person and now you want me to give your their email address?

While this is a simple example, it's symptomatic of the product design at LinkedIn.  It makes me furious.  LinkedIn has the potential to be the people marketplace.  That's incredible!  They could singlehandedly make the world a better place by getting people where they should be.  Efficiently and quickly and passively.

If any current Harvard student is reading this and wants to Friendster their ass, I'm behind you 100%.

Of course, LinkedIn is not all bad.  Here are two things I love:

• You can follow companies and track new hires and recent departures for companies
• When you post a job on LinkedIn, LinkedIn presents candidates to contact that fit the requirements you defined in your job posting

I'm going to be unhappy for days when LinkedIn IPOs.

Comments

[Prem]

Haha I totally agree, that always makes me so mad.

[karen rands]

Thank you for finally expressing the frustration that every person that first used linked in and then began using facebook experiences when the want to go back to linked in to make connections. I may have that persons email address but the very act of having to go to what ever system to look up that email address just to connect to someone I actually know kills me.... just connect and let that person decide to accept or not D&&)it. And of course Facebook is the exact opposite... people of no apparent connection, no common friends and now explanation as to why they want to connect just say --- Friend me. I must confess I have 79 requests right now on facebook I haven't responded to... most of which are for that reason. The two sides of the coin...each have their joys and frustrations.