From: blockedofcourse@foo.invalid   
      
   On 1/30/2026 7:24 AM, legg wrote:   
   >   
   >> I can't comment on LinkedIn as no one that I know uses it.   
   >> My understanding (?) is that it is a networking site -- a   
   >> way to "get jobs".   
   >   
   > You may be thinking of InDeed.   
      
   No, LinkedIn.  AFAICT, it just lets folks advertise other people   
   that they know/endorse.   The practical effect of that is referrals   
   (which is another way of saying "get jobs").   
      
   >> Most of my colleagues have more than enough work without   
   >> any sort of "advertising" or "job mining".  Makes you wonder   
   >> what the folks using it are lacking...  (REAL contacts??)   
   >   
   > Networking is just keeping track of co-workers and professional   
   > acquaintances - but there's no real controls on spam.   
      
   And, you need a third-party "site" to do that?  Don't you   
   *personally* interact with your colleagues -- even if only   
   sporadically?   
      
   If I'm contacted about a potential job, I think about the   
   people that I know who might be appropriate (because anyone   
   that I *refer* for a position is a reflection on me!).   
   Who (if anyone) I contact is based on my knowledge of where   
   their interests lie and what they might be doing, presently.   
      
   I know those things because of communications with them   
   *directly* -- not by "reading about them" on a site.  They   
   are more than "business relationships" but, rather, *personal*   
   relationships (e.g., knowing when someone is in ill health,   
   having a baby, planning a vacation, etc.)   
      
   It also lets you share things in the strictest of confidence;   
   things that you (or a business relationship of yours) may   
   not want discussed or disclosed "publicly".   
      
   > It has groups, similar to Facebook, where an administrator can   
   > keep things relatively clean. The longer running of these usually   
   > has some commercial incentive for the admin.   
   >   
   > 20yrs ago it was pretty useful. These days ~ 'Power Electronic   
   > Management' is a style of managment. Most groups are heavily   
   > burdened with 'user-posted' advertizing.   
      
   Interacting directly with colleagues doesn't suffer from these   
   sorts of problems.  No one is going to "pitch" anything to me   
   or expect me to pitch something to them.  Because "contact" is   
   an intrusion (of sorts) and should be worth that "burden".   
      
   > Tapping into 20 year old threads (where all the good references   
   > and articles were being discussed)in such a group is well-night   
   > impossible.   
   >   
   > Like Facebook, it is heavily dependent on your machines' RAM and   
   > is unfriendly to non-google, non-chrome browsers. This may be   
   > why Edge is having issues: it would serve MS right.   
      
   Another way to waste resources (in this case, your time!).   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)