LinkedIn - Advertsing

[DaddyHoggy]

http://brandimpact.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... -linkedin/

Gives LinkedIn Advertisers the automatic right to use details from your profile to support adverts from products/companies you have already supported.

Theoretically I'm not that bothered but...

They didn't announce it
It's opt-out rather than opt-in
They give themselves a get out of jail free card by using the phrase "and related..."
It's the thin edge of the wedge I think - implied acquiescence here is taken as implied consent to something else later on (i.e. advertising of these companies outside of LinkedIn).

Anyway, I've unticked the box - because I don't think being sneaky should be rewarded.

EDIT: There was an update/response by LinkedIn, but I do wonder what would happen if this info hadn't got out...

http://brandimpact.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... considers/

[Cmdr James]

Dont take this the wrong way, but thats pretty much the business model of social networking. Anyone who uses Xing, LinkedIn, Facebook, google etc is selling their privacy for the "free" service.

I use all of them, so dont think Im a tin foil hat wearing loony, but I hope we all understand that on a free service like linkedIn, the users (ie us) are the product being sold to advertisers. Anyone who cares about such things as privacy, targetted advertising and so on should not use any of these services.

[DaddyHoggy]

Dont take this the wrong way, but thats pretty much the business model of social networking. Anyone who uses Xing, LinkedIn, Facebook, google etc is selling their privacy for the "free" service.

I use all of them, so dont think Im a tin foil hat wearing loony, but I hope we all understand that on a free service like linkedIn, the users (ie us) are the product being sold to advertisers. Anyone who cares about such things as privacy, targetted advertising and so on should not use any of these services.

True, but this "bonus functionality" was added after I carefully read the T&Cs as issued by LinkedIn when I joined and agreed to what they said they would do with my info at the time. This change wasn't announced - yes, it was put in the T&Cs but there was no notification that the T&Cs had changed. Credit Card companies, even supermarket loyalty cards can't change T&Cs without telling their users that they're doing so, so why would LinkedIn do it? (and think they could?)

[Cmdr James]

They are all at it, remember http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook_Beacon remember phorm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorm

I dont like what LinkedIn did, but to be honest, it is exactly how they make their money, so expect more of the same from all these guys in the future.

[DaddyHoggy]

They are all at it, remember http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook_Beacon remember phorm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorm

I dont like what LinkedIn did, but to be honest, it is exactly how they make their money, so expect more of the same from all these guys in the future.

Yup. But I joined LinkedIn for work related reasons. LinkedIn is full of companies and high flying individuals paying for the premier service, while the rest of us are forever offered and teased with the benefits of said membership as well as a stream of advertising based on presumed interests based on my own profile and those I'm linked to. I expect to be abused on Facebook, I don't expect to be abused on LinkedIn. Which means the issue (i.e. the naivety lays with me - because I believed that LinkedIn was simply a mechanism for connecting professional people together)

[Cmdr James]

LinkedIn is a recruitment website.

[DaddyHoggy]

LinkedIn is a recruitment website.

If you say so, it's not how I use it, nor most of the people I'm connected to, but I guess things work slightly differently in Academia - we're not looking for a new job, we're looking for the next research grant...

[Cmdr James]

Sorry, that wasnt a very helpful message from me. I meant that the business model of linked in is to collect an online cv, work history qualifications etc and then sell premium access to that information to recruiters.

It does many things well, but at its heart it is about recruitment in the same way that google is only really an advertising platform dressed up as search.

[DaddyHoggy]

Sorry, that wasnt a very helpful message from me. I meant that the business model of linked in is to collect an online cv, work history qualifications etc and then sell premium access to that information to recruiters.

It does many things well, but at its heart it is about recruitment in the same way that google is only really an advertising platform dressed up as search.

Ah, got you - now I understand - and yes, in that sense you're right, both about LinkedIn and indeed Google.

[Selezen]

I have to agree in principle with James there. LinkedIn is becoming a recruitment site, but I don't know if the people behind LinkedIn are fully behind that movement. All I know is that a LOT of employment agencies are asking to "connect". I've allowed two on, and none of them have communicated since. I'm starting to think that the agencies are maybe building up a connection database for some reason.

I won't be adding any more anyway, and the ones who have connected will be deleted soon enough anyway. I didn't sign up to LinkedIn to get a job, I joined it as a way to communicate with former work colleagues.

[Cmdr James]

There is a database of people, their education, work history and recomendations (short references).
The main revenue stream is paid for membership which provides the ability to contact users that you like the details of, but do not know.
This is so clearly a recruitment site.
It is also used extensivly by salesmen to analyse leads - salesforce.com adds a link to all contacts direct to a profile search.
But the true beauty of it is getting people to keep an up to date resume available. With premium access you can search through, research and contact almost anyone in the us and europe in a way monster or jobserve could never dream of.
None of this is accidental, this is a master stroke of stealth business model.

[Disembodied]

But the true beauty of it is getting people to keep an up to date resume available. With premium access you can search through, research and contact almost anyone in the us and europe in a way monster or jobserve could never dream of.
None of this is accidental, this is a master stroke of stealth business model.

... always assuming that people don't lie like a rug in their CVs.