On the Job by Anita Bruzzese LinkedIn Sparks Ongoing Debate

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese LinkedIn Sparks Ongoing Debate Thom Singer has a rant going about the problems with some people wanting to make a connection to him through LinkedIn when he really doesnt know them very well. It seems someone got a bit snippy at Singers connection rules, and fired off a less-than-professional e-mail to him.Thats got a lot of people discussing how social networking fits into the networking rules of the workplace. Singer has asked other bloggers to weigh in, and after giving it some consideration, here are some of my thoughts:1. Would I recommend you for a job? I dont link to you unless Ive worked with you in some way or know you personally and feel good about the experience. I dont want anyone calling me about your work and saying, What are this persons strengths? and I say, GeeI dunno. That makes me look bad, and thats not what networking is about. Its supposed to be a win-win for everyone. So, if I dont connect with you, its nothing personal its just that we need more time to get to know one another.2. Do I thin k youre headed in the right direction? If I see someone connecting to a lot of people really fast, throwing invitations out like confetti on New Years Eve in Times Square, I hang back. It makes me a bit nervous to see someone collecting connections like theyre Pokeman cards. Those links seem a bit too rushed, and the lack of solid foundation concerns me. Its sort of like social spamming.3. Are you doing your homework? If you have no real understanding of what I do and how I do it, then I ignore you. Again, nothing personal, but Im not into connecting with you if youre not willing to take the time to get to know me, and help me get to know you. Lazy linkers will always move on to the next person, and that's fine with me.Finally, I really consider myself a sort of gatekeeper for the other people in my network. They see me as someone they trust, and I don't want to betray that by trust by letting someone in that I really don't know. But, hey, once I get to know you and we connect in an honest way,then welcome to the party, pal.