LinkedIn?, An Essay (Updated 11/19)
Elliot Grossbard ???
I take a Growth?listic approach to building sustainable growth. I work with startups - scaling founder-led sales and SMBs ? A growth mindset isn't just for individuals; it's the driving force behind successful companies.
TL;DR:
LinkedIn? has strayed from its original mission of fostering authentic professional networking. Users are frustrated by the platform's failure to enforce its policies against fake profiles and manipulative practices, while those who violate the rules are often rewarded with recognition like the Top Voice Blue Badge. This essay highlights the disconnect between LinkedIn?'s stated values and its actions, emphasizing the need for genuine accountability and transparency on the platform.
1.0 Introduction
LinkedIn ? has been investing more in journalism and news, even as other social networks have scaled back in these areas. While LinkedIn? alone may not offset the significant drop in traffic referrals from social media sites to news publishers, it provides outlets and journalists with a platform to meaningfully expand their audiences amid a broader tech shift away from news content.
The image above is from an Axios article in March, "LinkedIn? doubles down on news as social rivals retreat ". The chart is desktop news traffic referrals from Facebook, X, and LinkedIn?.
The article in which Daniel Roth , LinkedIn's? VP and Editor in Chief of LinkedIn's? News, shared that LinkedIn? works with over 400 news publishers globally, Roth said, after expanding to 12 new markets in the previous six months.
More from the article:
Professional-grade content from journalists and publishers is often used as a starting point for everyday LinkedIn? members to engage more, Roth said. Because of the company's professional focus, political and polarizing content is not intentionally elevated the way business content is.
Unlike its rivals, LinkedIn? is constantly looking for ways to drive traffic to relevant news content with things like publisher notifications and featured posts from LinkedIn? News that draw from the published content on its site.
Context: Over the years, LinkedIn? has shifted from providing mostly text-based support and links to now providing newsletter, podcast, and video opportunities for publishers, journalists, and creators on its platform.
"We believe that when members and professionals come to LinkedIn?, they should be getting insights that help them be better at the job they have or the job they want to have," Roth said, noting that the firm is "very guarded" about the kind of content that we know members want to see.
2.0 LinkedIn? Vanity Metrics
There’s a clear disconnect between what LinkedIn? claims to know about members' content preferences and what members want to see. This ‘knowledge’ likely stems from data LinkedIn? collects based solely on our activity. I haven’t encountered a single person in my network who’s been directly asked by LinkedIn? for feedback on what they’d like to see. Yet, somehow, LinkedIn? appears confident in this understanding. If LinkedIn? does indeed consult members, I’d be very interested to know who’s involved in these user feedback sessions or customer town halls, supposedly conducted to listen to users.
The silo of working in a company that relies heavily on its user base will have leadership start to think they know what their customers want more than the customer themselves. As a company grows this becomes more deeply rooted.
This phenomenon is often referred to as the "ivory tower syndrome" or "corporate myopia", thinking you know better than your customers, what they enjoy about your product, what they want to see more of, and what improvements are needed or added.
Leaders can lose touch with their customers' needs for several reasons:
In “Think Again,” Adam Grant recognized as 美国宾夕法尼亚大学 - 沃顿商学院 's top-rated professor for seven straight years and a well-respected organizational psychologist, discusses how things might improve in our work and personal lives if we keep an open mind. (Adam is one of the few authors that when asked what book I'd recommend, I answer with the author's, name and any of his books depending on what connects with you most. I've never not gotten a thank you upon the reader finishing it. I consider Adam, a mentor of mine, and very grateful for his contributions )
There are three key tools we cling to, says Grant, and those are evenly distributed between our assumptions, habits, and instincts, leaving out the most valuable, ‘having an open mind.’ Success rests in the power of knowing what we don’t know, says Grant, and releasing ourselves from our tunnel vision.
Success rests in the power of knowing what we don’t know, says Grant, and releasing ourselves from our tunnel vision.
The article concludes:
In addition to engagement, Linkedin? is also pushing to help publishers monetize their content better through advertising partnerships. LinkedIn? offers newsrooms an outlet to grow their followings amid a broader news retrenchment by social media firms.
That was March.
Let's bring you up to speed.
It's been 3 weeks since Roth revealed LinkedIn? was going to be rolling out ?? "?????? ???????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????????????????? ????????. ?????? ???????????? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????????????????? ??????????, ?????????????? ???? ?????? ??????????-?????????????? ?????????????????? ????????. ???????? ?????????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ????????????, ????????'???? ?????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????????????? ??????????????, ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????? ??????????????????????."???? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????, ???? ???????? ???? ???????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ??????????, ?????????????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ???????????????????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????? ???????????????????????? ??????????. ?????????? ???????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????? ???????????? ?????????????????!"
But this has yet to be seen as Kevin D. Turner says, "in the wild".
The LinkedIn? News side panel (also accessible by clicking the search bar and scrolling down to view trending topics) leverages LinkedIn’s 250+ editors to keep content fresh. However, the timing of these updates is unclear and inconsistent. In the evening, the panel is largely inactive, while on weekends and weekdays, it can vary wildly—at times updating so quickly that topics are replaced before you have a chance to read them, and at other times going hours without any changes. This unpredictability leaves users guessing. ??
3.0 Monthly Active Users (MAU)
LinkedIn? has a history of being mysterious and less than forthcoming compared to other social media networks. Last week 微软 shared its latest insights on LinkedIn’s? performance as part of its quarterly market update, revealing that LinkedIn? has achieved ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ??????????. Since 2018, the platform has set a new level for “???????????? ????????????????????” every quarter, with just one exception.
I posted that despite LinkedIn? hitting 1 billion members, members and ???????????? ?????????? are distinctly different, and most social platforms focus on the latter as an accurate gauge of engagement and activity. Read the full post here.
LinkedIn? only shares its monthly active users (MAU) metric in the EU, where it is legally required. Under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), ‘Very Large Online Platforms’ (VLOPs) must meet transparency and accountability standards, including publishing the number of Monthly Active Users, or 'Recipients of the Service.' This metric offers insights into engagement and reach by indicating the number of unique users who interact with the platform at least once every 30 days.
Since Microsoft acquired LinkedIn? in 2016, members have observed shifts in the platform’s focus and behavior, affecting user experience in both positive and negative ways. Previously, LinkedIn? reported comprehensive engagement metrics, but this ceased until the DSA reintroduced transparency requirements—though only for the EU.
With just 28% of EU users considered active, we can estimate that LinkedIn? has around 280 million monthly active users globally (28% of its 1 billion members), with about 52 million active users outside the EU. Let that sink in: only 28% of LinkedIn? members log in at least once a month. The number would be even lower for ‘real’ active users who engage beyond mere logins.
That's transparency? ??
Let's go deeper...... ????
The DSA's definition of an active recipient is broader than that of a registered user (or member). An active recipient can include anyone who passively consumes information on a platform, such as by simply viewing or listening to content. However, the methodology for calculating the number of active recipients remains unclear. Without a clear definition from the European Commission on what constitutes an ‘active recipient’ or from LinkedIn? on what it considers ‘monthly active recipients,’ as reported in metrics like monthly average logged-in active users and logged-out site visits in LinkedIn’s DSA Transparency Report, I’m left scratching my head.
Mysterious, indeed.
Member State totals may not sum to the EU total because of rounding. Given how LinkedIn? measures guest user traffic, the above logged-out site visit data has not been fully "deduplicated".
Deduplication is a method of eliminating redundant data within a dataset. In a deduplicated dataset, all duplicate entries are removed, leaving only the actual, factual data. i.e. the figures in the transparency report may include duplicate data.
However, the real concern lies in 'how LinkedIn? measures guest user traffic,' which raises serious questions about transparency. Even when companies are legally required to disclose accurate metrics, LinkedIn? appears to have found ways to keep certain data practices opaque. So, let’s work with the information we do have...
3.1 Where does that leave us in the U.S.?
Based on previous calculations, there are approximately 228 million active users outside the EU. Given LinkedIn’s?’s recent milestone of reaching 1 billion members, including over 230 million in the U.S., this suggests there are around 64 million monthly active users in the U.S. alone (28% of 230 million). Consultants, agencies, companies, and firms like mine rely on solid data to make informed decisions when advertising on social networks. However, since LinkedIn? doesn’t publicly share this data, and based on insights from LinkedIn’s? DSA transparency report, I believe that the actual number of monthly active users—by industry standards—could be lower than 28% of registered accounts, or fewer than 64 million."
After consulting with industry experts on what is considered the industry standard to determine monthly active users (MAU) on social networks, there isn't a single universal standard. Each platform tends to define and measure MAU slightly differently based on its specific product and business model. However, there are some common elements that most major social networks consider when calculating MAU:
3.2 Key Components of MAU Metrics
User Uniqueness: MAU typically counts unique users, not just total logins or visits. This means each user is only counted once per month, regardless of how many times they access the platform.
Time Frame: The standard measurement period is a rolling 30-day window, though some platforms may use calendar months.
Meaningful Engagement: Simply opening an app or visiting a website usually isn't enough to be counted as an "active" user. Platforms look for specific actions that indicate genuine engagement.
While the exact definitions vary, most social networks consider users "active" if they perform actions such as:
3.3 Platform-Specific Approaches
Facebook:
This user must have interacted with Facebook through the company's website or a mobile device or used its Messenger application (and is also a registered user) in the last 30 days. In 2015 Facebook expunged “third-party pings” from its system. Such a rapid response from one of the social media giants begs the question of whether other social media websites also followed suit regarding MAU calculations. Third-party pings are interactions that users have with Facebook's platform through external websites or applications, rather than directly on Facebook's site or app. Specifically:
One may hypothesize BOTS, Fake Profiles, and POD Engagements are LinkedIn's? versions of third-party pings. LinkedIn's?'s failure in preventing fake profiles, finding fake profiles already created, and using a [in] themed fly swatter and get rid of these annoying insects (as it exists in the LinkedIn current and updated user agreement as of November 20.), instead of relying on users / CUSTOMERS to experience:
X (Twitter):
X claims to have approximately 550 million monthly active users. This figure represents an increase from the 500 million MAU reported in March and October 2023. But there are several issues with these numbers:
Unlike LinkedIn?, X's EU DSA Transparency Report focused on moderation and reporting or abuse and accuracy, leaving the chart below until the end almost as if they were hiding it.
There are approximately 540-600 million (compared to the 1 billion members of LinkedIn ) total user accounts on X in 2024 based on statistics the company released in September. It's important to note that this figure includes all registered accounts, active and inactive/dormant.
Digital Information World 's estimated user base in the European Union of around 111 million people. Of these, approximately 61.8 million users actively log in, while another 49.6 million access the platform without logging in.
- Conclusion of Monthly Active User Section -
4.0 LinkedIn And What I Discovered
You might want to revisit the Introduction Section of this essay to fully understand the impact of this section and the final section "LinkedIn? Collusion - Raw facts of LinkedIn? manipulation and its users."
Authenticity is a frequently used buzzword on LinkedIn?. Users post about it, LinkedIn? News shares tips on how to be authentic, and LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies outline do's and don'ts around authentic behavior. LinkedIn? even highlights users they have deemed 'authentic.'" And since we can trust what LinkedIn? tells us and recommends I think a clear understanding of the words authenticity is needed.
The word authentic has multiple definitions in different dictionaries, including:
Let's look at some authenticity on the LinkedIn? Platform.
4.1 But first a confession.
I joined LinkedIn in 2007 as Member No. 12,727,831 which gets me closer to the thrilling first 1% of members on the platform (estimated currently in the first 1.27%) and I have a great amount of gratitude and appreciation for LinkedIn?. I publicly thanked Reid Hoffman , Allen Blue , Konstantin Guericke , Eric Ly , and Jean-Luc Vaillant (LinkedIn's lesser-known other co-founders), four years ago as current CEO @Ryan Roslansky (can't tag him because he blocked me. You can read about it in my fireside chat with LinkedIn's leader. ) was taking the reins from the big blue professional networking site (back then it still was one not a social network that it is now) from Jeff Weiner and Melissa Selcher .
See original post and full article "LinkedIn is a platform. LinkedInLocal is a community. Here's what I and others have learned from both."
Here is a short excerpt.
LinkedIn? has become a part of me and I've become a part of LinkedIn? thanks to the people I've connected with, learned from, helped, and received help from. I've seen the changes over the years (I still had an aol.com email when I joined). No platform is perfect, which is a good thing, because it gives the company reasons to continue to work and get it better and try harder. LinkedIn? has not only helped people grow their business but created businesses from scratch based on this platform. Without LinkedIn, how would I know when Mark Cuban's birthday was? Or the work anniversary of Michael Johnson in Boise, Idaho?
Old classmates have reconnected with me through this professional network, and some have gone on to do business with me. I hired people directly from LinkedIn? with and without posting a job listing. There's a lot I've learned over the 13 years.
One of the things I would share from my years on LinkedIn? is that unless your goal is to build a business based on how many people see you, share you, or buy what you are preaching, it's not quantity, it's quality. You can get lost fast in this world, influenced by those with unethical intentions, and end up following the advice of people with large followings who have found ways to beat the system algorithms or have only been on LinkedIn for a year or two. My advice is to be observant and choose who you follow and emulate carefully. If it's on LinkedIn it is a direct reflection of who you are despite you thinking you're not like "that".
There also are plenty of wonderful, successful (and can back it up), and genuine people on LinkedIn? who only want to help you succeed. Some of them offer their advice for free and others rightfully so, offer more detailed training for a fee. Some of them you'll want to check out are Dorie Clark , Adam Bryant , Adam Grant, and LinkedIn? News in general.
When speaking to a connection of mine, I asked, "What are some of the things you've gained from LinkedIn??" He replied, "Where do I begin?" I found my job through my network here, brought over 1 million in business to the company through LinkedIn?, and made some incredible and lifelong relationships.
Another told me she has learned new skills through LinkedIn? Learning that has helped her cope with working from home and joined a LinkedIn? group supporting mothers working remotely that has been her support system during the pandemic.
In June this year, I celebrated turning 50 and my LinkedIn anniversary. I publicly thanked LinkedIn? again sharing some meaningful highlights over the past 17 years. Those tagged are below:
(silent shout out to Daniel Roth , Ryan Roslansky (blocked), Jeff Weiner , and the lesser known but just as impactful Callie Schweitzer , Riva Gold , Monica Fike , Alexander Besant , and Capucine Yeomans who all have been welcoming my engagement with them. Real People.)
It's important that you understand how I've felt and supported the leadership of LinkedIn? until the past 4 - 5 months. Everyone I was connected with knew I was a LinkedIn man and plenty of people over the years tell me they get all the important stuff from following me and have no reason to go online to the site or in the app. My activity and focus on LinkedIn? have evolved over the years and provide content and news that I feel clients, companies, connections, and users may find helpful, of interest, and consider of value.
Building my professional network started long before I joined LinkedIn?. It began on the blacktop playing pick-up basketball with working professionals 5-10 years older than me. It helped being part of a Jewish community (Miami) and as I got married and entered the workplace my network grew and helped me tremendously. When LinkedIn? launched in 2003 this took my network to much higher and deeper levels.
As some of you reading this may have read in my posts, Live Audio events, and newsletters, my children have come of age they are entering the workforce at different stages, looking for employment, and I will never forget one of my children said to me, "This is what you have spending time on? This is how you have made sales, led sales teams, and built a following and a network?"
In the short amount of time during the summer and following months my children encountered spam, gurus, applied to fake jobs, and were bombarded by fake profiles asking to connect with them. Both of them left Linkedin? and for the most part, all that is left of their experience here is their profile.
To say I was embarrassed was an understatement. After I intentionally spent time doing my research to show them they were wrong, I then became utterly ashamed. And then I got angry as I began to learn of the state of searching and applying for jobs on LinkedIn?. I learned of one user who applied, interviewed, and left their previous job and accepted the offer for the new position in the hiring company. Upon completion of the direct deposit form, her bank account was wiped clean, and the company disappeared. When she returned to her previous employer explaining what happened I imagine begging even for her old position back, understandably they did not hire her back. Broke my heart. This is only one instance of many terrible experiences I've heard about, read about, and seen with my own eyes. It is why I was determined to help where I can and it manifested in the Hiring Heroes of LinkedIn (search #HiringHeroes or check out the featured post on my profile)
4.2 The lack of authenticity on LinkedIn?
Let us begin with the lack of protection premium users receive as part of their monthly membership fees. Seriously speaking; I could name a handful of people who could develop a way for LinkedIn to not only identify fake profiles, and comments but also delete them instead of asking me and you, their users to report them.
Have you ever walked into a Whole Foods location and noticed a wet area on an aisle while shopping, pointing it out to an employee to avoid someone hurting themselves, and the employee points to where you can find the mop and bucket? When your jaw drops to the floor, then take out their user guide and help manual and read to them how to find them.
That's what many users are feeling right now. The below is just from the past week.
4.3 LinkedIn? News - Is it about the revenue or the readers?
My most recent frustration is unfortunately with LinkedIn? News. With the information I began this essay with, I am not surprised that it has come to this. What is even more unfortunate is the talent being wasted on the LinkedIn News team, i.e. the editors. Some of these people are uber-talented and are some of the reasons I still smile while using LinkedIn?. Editors like Jessica Hartogs , Riva Gold , Melissa Cantor , Jake Perez James Callan , Monica Fike, Tequia Burt , Emma Hudson , Capucine Yeomans, and Sarah McGrath whom I have connected with over the years and have appreciated not only the time they have given me but the quality of work and content they put out and curate.
But by far I appreciate Callie Schweitzer who was the first editor I connected with before the pandemic, authored the "Marketers Read" newsletter but has now moved on to Head of Scaled Programs, which even after reading her profile's summary do not understand what you do Callie. The users at large miss you and so do I.
What made these connections dear I say relationships different than others that I have either not engaged with, have been ghosted by my request to connect, or engagement attempts are met with ??silence. They acted like human beings They showed me respect and appreciated that I reached out to them. "They made me feel, seen, and heard" - source D A N I E L H. .
Here are the stories and topics that were included in LinkedIn? News headlines between the hours of 2 pm - 4 pm ET:
Click on the main link to the story and you are sent to the Times article with a paywall pop-up.
Keep going...
Bloomberg
Keep scrolling...
NY Times
Financial Times
Bloomberg
What prompted me to see how many links that are promoted by LinkedIn? News by being featured in a trending topic include links to content that is met with a paywall. Between the hours of 2-4 pm yesterday, 50% had links that sent users to a paywall.
I posted my disgust earlier in the week after a Wall Street Journal (by my measure has the most articles featured that take you to paywalled content) article that I found intriguing, pay-walled me. Instead, I posted a copy of the article in a document form so users could read it without helping LinkedIn make more money at the cost of its users.
I strongly suspect that LinkedIn? benefits financially from each affiliate link that users click, leading them to paywalled sites. When a user subscribes to one of these legacy media companies, I imagine LinkedIn? receives a significant commission. If they were transparent and candid about this practice, I'd have less of an issue. While I might still disagree with it, I would at least respect their honesty.
As a storyteller (which all salespeople are), I ask you to bear with me.
Imagine you're paying a monthly membership fee of $29.99 to LA Fitness the same cost as a LinkedIn? Premium account. While you're on the treadmill, you watch the gym's monitor, which occasionally shows videos of people working with their trainers. These short interviews feature clients explaining how their trainers have significantly improved their lives, all starting from reading magazines available at the front desk about how trainers can help people live better.
These magazines aren't owned by the gym but are supplied by another company. Intrigued, you approach the front desk, where a friendly employee greets you and points out some fascinating interviews and articles in the magazine. However, when you ask to read it, you're told, "It's not our magazine. Yes, it's the great content you saw on TV upstairs that brought you here, and yes, I've further piqued your interest in reading it... but you'll have to go down the street and pay another company to read it. to read it.
That is what is now happening on LinkedIn?. What's next? Will we see videos on LinkedIn? that, when clicked to continue watching, redirect us to other platforms requiring pro subscriptions? The trajectory is concerning.
As I reflect on my investment in LinkedIn? – over $10,000 spent on various membership tiers over 17 years – I feel a pit in my stomach. This isn't just about money; it's about trust, value, and the changing nature of professional networking.
The platform that once seemed indispensable now feels like it's prioritizing additional revenue streams over user experience and safety. I've always believed in the power of genuine connections and valuable content. Now, I find myself questioning whether LinkedIn? still aligns with these values.
This essay isn't just a critique; it's a call for transparency, user safety, and a return to the core principles of professional networking. We must demand better from the platforms we entrust with our professional identities and connections. The LinkedIn? I championed for years has faded. As users and professionals, we must be vigilant, critical, and unafraid to demand more from the tools we use to build our careers and networks.
5.0 Lack of rule enforcement, awarding, and rewarding rulebreakers
Being selected as a Top Voice may have meant something in the past but upon research and assistance from Daniel Hall I uncovered some very disturbing findings
5.1 Top Voices Badging (Blue Badge)
Members on the platform can earn a blue LinkedIn Top Voice badge by invitation only, featuring senior-level experts and leaders.
Top Voices is an invitation-only program featuring a global group of experts on LinkedIn? covering a range of topics across the professional world, helping members uncover valuable knowledge relevant to them. Top Voices was previously known as the Influencer program before October 2022.?
Top Voices are vetted to ensure that they meet high trust standards, are consistently active on the platform, and share valuable expertise through content that demonstrates their unique, original contributions to a topic.?
Note: We regularly evaluate existing LinkedIn? Top Voices to include only the most engaged, prolific, and thoughtful contributors. This is to ensure that their expertise matches our members' interests. LinkedIn may remove a member without notice from the Top Voices program, which includes removal of the profile badge, at its sole discretion.?Removal from the program and/or removal of the badge may also occur due to a violation of our Professional Community Policies .
(Italicized not LinkedIn ) You read this on the LinkedIn site here.
Last year's 2023 Top Voices in AI included this at the ending:
Who is eligible to be a Top Voice
LinkedIn? members who meet high trust standards, are consistently active on the platform, and share valuable expertise are eligible to be a Top Voice , except LinkedIn and Microsoft employees, members who have violated LinkedIn’s User Agreement — including our Professional Community Policies — or individuals currently running in a political election for an executive, legislative or judicial position.
I've posted while doing my research and sharing what I've found, tagging executives of LinkedIn?.
Imagine if actors, producers, and musicians were awarded Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, or Grammys without oversight from firms like 安永 . It wouldn't happen because the rules are strictly enforced. Yet, several "Top Voices" have gamed the system—using bots, growing followers unethically, profiting from their Blue Badge—and selling courses as "experts"—all while keeping their Blue Badge, despite violating guidelines and being inactive for months. (have that proof too)
But what I discovered this past weekend, what was uncovered by the SPOTAPOD Daniel Hall, and the silence that follows from LinkedIn?, enough is enough.
5.2 LinkedIn? Collusion?
Melissa Rosenthal was recently interviewed for the LinkedIn? series Catalyst, with her segment posted by LinkedIn? News and reshared the following day. At first glance, everything seemed normal until I noticed her designation as a Blue Badge Top Voice. It was then revealed (thanks again to Dan that Melissa is currently involved in 17 engagement pods and utilizes tools like Lempod, which violates the Top Voice guidelines LinkedIn's? user agreement and professional community policies.
While her interview was leveraged as a promotional tool to amplify her message, it became apparent that the virality of her post was not solely due to its content but rather the momentum gained from being featured and promoted by LinkedIn? itself. This manipulation felt disingenuous, leaving me insulted as it undermines the integrity of the platform and raises serious questions about fairness and transparency in how success is achieved on LinkedIn?.
The comment above was deleted by default when you block someone I think.
This isn't about Melissa. I mean no direct harm to her, her true colors by cheating have lost my respect but I don't mean her harm. Justice? Yes.
This is about LinkedIn? leadership. LinkedIn?'s leadership has not only failed to enforce their own rules and policies as outlined in their User Agreement (TOS), but they've also turned a blind eye to those who expose fake jobs, profiles, and bots—issues that users like JAY JONES regularly highlights (You must check The LinkedIn? Profiler). Even more troubling is their tendency to reward rule-breakers with coveted Top Voice Blue Badges, featuring, and promoting their profile and content.
This is in stark contrast between rule-abiding premium users and those who game the system. Imagine paying $29.99 monthly, diligently following guidelines, and striving to grow your network professionally, only to watch others flout these same rules and reap rewards. These violators not only gain followers through manipulative tactics but are then elevated by LinkedIn? itself, opening doors to monetization opportunities like exclusive classes and speaking engagements.
This disparity is deeply frustrating for those who play by the rules, essentially penalizing integrity while rewarding manipulation. The irony deepens when we hear of users unaware of their Top Voice status or those receiving special treatment from LinkedIn? to further their growth.
This selective enforcement and reward system not only undermines the platform's credibility but also demoralizes genuine users who invest time, effort, and money into maintaining professional standards. The question looms: Why should one adhere to a TOS that LinkedIn? itself seems to disregard?
You pay premium, they pay premium. You abide by the TOS, they violate the TOS. You are ignored by LinkedIn?, they are awarded and rewarded by LinkedIn?.
Any questions?
6.0 In Conclusion
LinkedIn? users, the very foundation of the platform's success and the reason for its $26.2 billion acquisition by Microsoft are yearning for a return to professional networking in its purest form. They long for the LinkedIn? of old—a platform that was unequivocally customer-centric and laser-focused on connecting professionals and propelling their success. This was, after all, the essence of LinkedIn's?'s original mission statement, now outdated and untrue.
What they want is authenticity.
This morning obtained a new certification: LinkedIn? Fundamentals Course. Overall, I thought it was well done with a solid mix of text-based learning and video. I've shared this with my kids and I think they will benefit from it, as will less experienced and new users.
Reinforcing the sentiment that LinkedIn? says things by text, video, and legally in their user agreements, their actions or lack thereof, was this to conclude an otherwise helpful video.
LinkedIn? is a professional community built on the foundation of trust and integrity. So as a member, you come first.
After consuming this essay in totality, how does it feel to read that?
I am hoping that this LinkedIn? Essay brings change, whether on this platform or if not, the creation of a new professional networking site. My passion and frustration should not be taken as a grumpy old man, angry at the world. This work, comments, and posts regarding the fakeness, dishonesty, untrustworthiness, and lack of credibility are altruistic on some level. However, I have not seen any positive changes from the customer feedback openly being shared with LinkedIn?, feedback that was never sought out from us until very recently and sparingly.
I look forward to the comments and your own experiences for others to learn about and the glimmer of light still lit in the hope of LinkedIn? doing something about this before someone else does.
7.0 What to look forward to
In the interim, I am launching a Slack channel for authentic professionals who use LinkedIn. This will be invite-only and highly vetted. There will be subchannels but not limited to:
Each channel will have a moderator. Comment if you would like to be considered and tag a user that can vouch for you.
Account Manager - DGTH | Business Development & Sales Strategist | Customer Loyalty Program Management
1 周Elliot Grossbard ??? A fantastic journey and too much negative information. I'm not even certain if I understood it all, but I don't have 17 years of LinkedIn nor have I spent thousands of dollars in premium account features. What I read in your insightful article is concerning and shows that there is a lot that the common user ignores, but I certainly share the concerns you described. I joined LinkedIn to network with like-minded professionals, not to read the news, I can do that elsewhere.