Thursday, October 1, 2009

Putting a Human Face on LinkedIn

I am gradually gaining an understanding of LinkedIn. I joined but two weeks ago and am somewhat leery of becoming a member of a vast amorphous group with little in common with most of them.
This morning I received my third "Invitation to Join My Group", this time from another close friend and associate. I called her and expressed my fears, while confirming our friendship and association.
I now think that joining Cathy Nesbitt's LinkedIn group is the equivalent of giving her one of my business cards and asking her to pin it on the front of her shirt, along with the 31 other business cards.
When Cathy meets someone (for coffee, for work, at church, on the subway etc), my business card is visible, so if that person happens to need a Grey water system , or jam made, or a computer programmed, they have an opportunity to point to my business card and ask Cathy about me, or even just to note my name and phone and call me later.
I still live in a village of about 200 people – about the maximum that any human brain can accommodate.
I still have 200 names I could call up as acquaintances, or better, but one of those better-or-better names is now carrying around my business card on display.

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