Why is there so much LinkedIn misuse, and what can we do about it?

LinkedIn - the modern professional's playground, where the pursuit of networking nirvana meets the relentless barrage of unsolicited sales pitches. Why, you might ask, do people flock to this digital network? One might nostalgically reminisce about the golden days when LinkedIn was a sanctuary for cultivating a professional network, staying in touch with colleagues, and occasionally boasting about one’s latest corporate triumphs.

Alas, in the twilight of July 2024, my inbox has been overrun by a veritable flood of connection requests that swiftly morph into a deluge of tedious messages. Imagine my bewilderment when, over the 20 working days this month, I've been besieged by 482 such missives - that's roughly 24 per day. These messages are often verbose, yet transparently self-serving, and though their intentions are glaringly obvious within the first few lines, they nonetheless siphon away my precious time. And since my time has already been audaciously commandeered, I find myself bereft of the will to respond with my usual patience and tact.

Let take a look at the primary reasons for these interruptions, having meticulously sifted out the genuine communications that do not contribute to the aforementioned 482 nuisances. Here are the rounded percentages of the offending categories:

Selling Offshore Salesforce Resource Services: 25%?Apparently, they’ve missed the memo that after 14 years in the Salesforce universe, I might prefer vendors I actually know.

Recruiters Sending Unsolicited Candidate Profiles: 5%?Refer to above. Repeat as necessary.

Offering Professional Help with Salesforce and Business Transformation: 10%?Nothing quite says "I have no faith in your abilities" like offering unsolicited advice on the very expertise you’ve honed over a decade and a half in the Salesforce world, and a further twenty years elsewhere.

Recruiters Pitching Their Services: 15%?Seriously, did I accidentally publish a secret code that recruiters everywhere are deciphering as “I need more recruitment services”?

Asking for a Call Without Specifying the Topic: 5%?Wtf? Am I supposed to be clairvoyant?

Miscellaneous Non-Relevant Services: 30%?Pro tip: Perusing my profile might spare you the indignity of proposing services utterly irrelevant to my professional sphere.

Amusingly, the average frequency of messages from the same person stands at 3.6, with the extremes being a solitary plea and an impressive 9 persistent attempts from the same person within these four weeks!

This incessant stream of what is essentially spam does nothing but complicate the reception of genuine, relevant messages. I am left to ponder - what strategies might one employ in the face of such an onslaught? Should one block, delete, ignore, or perhaps devise a more cunning approach? I eagerly await the counsel of my fellow professionals, who may have navigated these treacherous waters with greater efficacy. Any Ideas?