Linked in - A rather complicated Business Card exchange?

At the outset let me say this is not yet another guide to getting the most out of Linkedin - you know the ones....


"first find a picture that reflects you. It mustn't be too serious but also not too frivolous. This is a serious business networking tool after all".....hmm.....yes well I guess the site has to cater for all sorts of people and on that note I've noticed that they seem to be divided into certain types.




The Eager Beaver

Not to be confused with 'The Collector' (see further down)  this 'Linkediner' (?) is just so enthusiastic about networking that they cant stop themselves from trying to connect with you at any given opportunity. They send you entirely inappropriate messages desperate to connect because of the potential that exists between you even though they are a systems analyst working exclusively in food processing and you're a lawyer. No amount of polite rebuttal will work. I had an Eager Beaver on my case the other day.....


Can we get in touch;as we are in same profession.
Here is my email XXXXXXX@gmail.com
Thanks
XXXX


Having looked at his profile I realised that there was no real value for either of us to be connected. I politely replied that I was a little confused as to our suitability. he replied.....


Hello,Mr.Oliver,
Thanks for your reply.As I am doing little bit of search engine marketing and you at the top level of hard core marketing, that way I can expect.
I would love to get connected with you.
Thanks 


I'm not sure what was going on here!


The Mad Professor


This Linkediner (It's growing on me) generally spends their life answering questions in the Q&A section of the site - and I mean they must do.


 I try to answer a few but even with a whole day a week set aside for social networking activity I struggle to get more than a few out. Mainly because I don't feel qualified to answer every question asked in my chosen categories - but some people are answering hundreds of questions a week. 


They have an opinion about everything. They are of course in search of the holy grail of being recommended as the best answer that the questioner has received to their question. 


Hold on a minute! The expert being graded by the person who needs the information?? Anyone else think that's slightly skewed. 


It seems to be a numbers game - like those people who always seem to be a the top of gaming charts having scored over a billion points while you're chuffed to get 3000.


This leads to a sub category of answerer....


The inappropriate


Answers questions by quoting how wonderful their company is at finding the solution to the problem presented. Well I'm taking this advice!




The Collector

Connects with anyone and everyone in the pursuit of more and more contacts to increase their network. What's the value here? Fair enough if your building a genuine network. Of course lots of people can lay claim to useful contacts in their thousands but if you're just collecting others who are only interested in touting their wares isn't it like a market square but with everyone shouting and offering things that most other people in the square don't need?


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Then it occurred to me that Linkedin is just like any other work based meeting place because you cant choose who you have to take notice of. You are exposed to the people you want to mix with and those you don't. The nakedly ambitious, the quietly efficient and every other defined 'type' you can think of and you learn to cope in order to get the job done.


Me? I'm the cool guy in special projects who everyone wants to speak to......obviously! So can we get in touch as were in the same profession?

Come on, you know you want to.....