I like LinkedIn. I can say that now that I have some people listed as connections. I guess that means I'm plugged in and I count somehow. Online validation. There's a new spring in my step and my fingers are positively flying across this keyboard.
LinkedIn is social networking with more of a genuine purpose, in my mind. I've touched base with former colleagues and former classmates, which was fun in a professional sort of way. It's made me think about my resume and my profile, which I believe is always helpful as an exercise for stepping back and considering where you are, where you've been, and where you might fit in in the greater scheme of things.
And there is always this about LinkedIn: I don't feel creepy using it, which I sometimes do when poking around in myspace.
I'll be presenting at a Case conference in a few weeks and one topic of our session will be using LinkedIn as a way to get faculty out into the wider world and get them, and the university, wider exposure.
Checking in with LinkedIn also led me to this fascinating list on Seth Godin's blog. It shows some of the top ranked Web 2.0 sites and their traffic rank, as figured by Alexa. See it here.
Comments (2)
Hi Tim,
I'd be interested in your strategy that helps academics use LinkedIn to wade into the mainstream. As a college PR professor, I'm linked to many PR and marketing folks on LinkedIn, but have yet to see how it truly gets me 'out into the wider world'. I've found far more success joining conversations in the PR blogging and podcasting communities (although I acknowledge this limits me to the social media stalwarts).
Posted by Gary Schlee | April 11, 2007 11:00 AM
Posted on April 11, 2007 11:00
Gary: Thanks for commenting. Part of this requires getting Linkedin profiles in front of journalists looking for experts on various topics. And will Linkedin become another avenue for a university or institution conducting job searches and a means of collecting more information on applicants for human resources offices? I'll let you know what was discussed at the conference.
Posted by Tim | April 12, 2007 9:32 AM
Posted on April 12, 2007 09:32