From: legg@nospam.magma.ca   
      
   On Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:56:54 -0700, Don Y   
    wrote:   
      
      
   >> 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?   
   >   
   It used to be a discussion of work-related issues and news   
   between people you knew, or were introduced to on-site.   
   Jobs or contracts seldom came up, as I recall. Participants   
   were just too disparate in specialized fields.   
      
   There was some potential conflict with confidentiality at   
   times.   
      
   Supplying references to articles and publications was the   
   primary benefit, as well as keeping in touch.   
      
   Mind you, a considerable number of old connections are   
   more than just retired - living on as 'contacts' from   
   beyond the grave. . . . . LinkIn don't care . . .   
   . . . and just try to close your account . . . .   
      
      
   >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"   
      
   A great many issues that are in the public domain may be   
   considered as confidential, by employers or clients.   
   It's the sort of thing only a few are willing even to discuss.   
   So: there were obvious restrictions to even opening an account -   
   employability and limitations on likely clients for those who   
   did participate.   
      
   This is true of most 'public' participation, in some fields and   
   and some 'private' participation in all of them. Just the way   
   things are.   
      
   >   
   >> 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)