Linking Out…

I may have had the final straw last week.

 Although I’ve never liked having ads run on my LinkedIn profile, I have always been understanding they had to be there - until the ad for the massage parlor showed up on my sidebar.  There I was, scrolling my profile, which displays titles and images for all the companies I represent - and up pops a very inappropriate ad.  Why?  Maybe because my consulting has produced happy endings - but not the type the parlor likely promises.  It is getting to be a very red ocean - that social/business networking space.  The leaders would be smart to think twice about the idea of slapping every ad possible on each profile.

This isn’t to say there are many that are better.  All of them require you to join up to see crucial parts of profiles.  Sure, signing up is free, but that isn’t the point, really, is it?  I don’t need 12 profiles out there.  I need one.  I need to be found at the top of search engines.  I need to control what the web says about me.  I don’t want to login and register to be able to find others. 

Somehow I don’t think I’m alone in any of this.  More and more people I speak with feel the same way.  They are tired of how hard to internet is to navigate on name search and optimization.  They want something different and new, yet professional and clean….and it’s out there - Google Me - Andy Greider - check it out.

I still will belong to LinkedIn - they got me to drink the KoolAid and I have built a sizeable network - and I will continue with FastPitch, as I love what they offer and the events they hold.  But I have to admit, the amount of requests to join the newest, best and undoubtedly soon to be overrun social/business network only increase - when will we see the demise begin?  Or have we?