So after months of scratching my head when people sent me computer-generated emails asking me to link to them, I finally joined LinkedIn the other day. So far I haven't really figured out what the point is, or if there is a point, but for the moment it's just a fun new toy. But like many fun new toys, not to mention social networking sites, it can also be dangerous. I'm sure I don't know close to the full range of ways that putting my personal information on there is going to come back to haunt me, but in poking around the site I did come across one tip I thought I'd share.
On your Home page, toward the bottom right, you can click on a link to "Who's viewed my profile?" That can be interesting from your own voyeuristic point of view, but the voyeuring goes both ways. If you don't want people to know that you've peeked at their profiles, you need to tell LinkedIn not to show that information.
If you don't do this, I believe the default setting is "Only show my anonymous profile characteristics, such as industry and title." Anonymous my arse! Someone viewed my profile today and it said it was "Someone in the Entertainment function in the Non-Profit Organization Management industry from Greater New York City Area," which might sound kinda vague, except when I clicked on the link it was easy enough for me to see who it was. (This wasn't a big revelation -- this was a friend I'd invited to link to me. But still. I'm making a point here.) You can also choose the most revealing setting, "Show my name and headline." But if you don't want the kid you were sweet on who sat in front of you in European Civ. II to take out a restraining order against you (again), best to go with the "don't show" option.
Thanks for the Linkedin tip....just changed my preferences....
Posted by: ColumbusBedhead | August 12, 2008 at 10:02 PM