LinkedIn Etiquette: Don’t Be A Whiner Or Baby

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LinkedIn is a business network.

It is not Facebook, nor is it kindergarten. But there are a growing number of people on LinkedIn who seem to want to ban people from doing business on LinkedIn, and just have nice, non-business discussions.

Well, here are a few etiquette tips people should know when dealing with LinkedIn:

1. LinkedIn is a business site, NOT a personal one. This is why we  don’t have pictures of people drunk, in bathing suits, or hanging with friends, but pictures of people in suits and ties and the like. We do business on this site. If you don’t want to do business, go to Facebook or some other site. Those of us who are serious are here to do business.

2. You do not have the right to not be offended by what you don’t want to see in your inbox. If you don’t want to get notifications from your groups, turn off that option. Go to your group. Go to the second tier bounce bar. Select “More.” Select “Settings.” Turn off group notifications. It is that simple. Then when you want to look at the group, go there. See? No more pesky email clogging up your inboxes.

3. Just because you don’t want it doesn’t mean it’s SPAM. Many people enjoy seeing posts about employment or events. Those looking for jobs especially enjoy seeing posts about employment and networking events. Just because you don’t want to see it doesn’t make it SPAM. If you’re interested in a discussion or article, read it. If not, click past it. You don’t have the right to deny someone who might be unemployed help through an article about employment, or event unless you’re the group owner.

4. Unless you’re the group owner, don’t move a discussion. It is both unethical and immoral to do so. Don’t. Let people decide for themselves if something is useful or not.

5. People are going to utilize you if you’re connected to them. Sending out an update to your 1^st degree network is not SPAM, nor is it a “mass e-mail list.” If you don’t want to know about the people you’re connected with, don’t connect with them. If you’re going to be connected to someone, you’ve gotta help them.

6. Stop being a photo baby. Put up a photo. If you’re a woman and scared of stalkers — get over yourself. There has not been even one case of a stalker on LinkedIn. If there is, report it as a TOS violation. But don’t hold your breath waiting for one.

7. Don’t take offense if someone “hits” on you personally. Someone may like you personally, especially if you have your marital status up as “single,” and ask you out. If interested, go! If not, a simple “no thank you” will  suffice. If the person is persistent and won’t take “no” for an answer, see above about the TOS violations. Don’t get all whiney and offended because someone gives you the compliment of liking you for heaven’s sake!

8. Your opinion is not the only one. All of us can be wrong. Believing differently doesn’t make one wrong nor a demon.

9. If you’re nasty, expect nasty responses. Although I usually reply to nastiness pretty mildly, many people don’t and you aren’t in your rights to expect them to.

10. Don’t deliberately anger someone well-known and well-connected unless you’re willing to take the consequences. If you are stupid enough to torque off someone who has loads of connections in your city and is very well-respected you probably deserve the closing of doors that will happen to you. Just a few words from someone well-connected can ruin your career before it gets started. A word to the wise.

LinkedIn is the real world.

It isn’t Facebook. It isn’t Twitter. It is a live ammo game, and the game is business. If you aren’t ready to follow proper LinkedIn etiquette, run home to mommy before you get hurt. If you want to play, put on your big boy or girl pants and play by the rules.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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5 Comments

1. 

   Ryan

   May 5, 2013 at 9:07 AM

   10. Don’t deliberately anger someone well-known and well-connected unless you’re willing to take the consequences. If you are stupid enough to torque off someone who has loads of connections in your city and is very well-respected you probably deserve the closing of doors that will happen to you. Just a few words from someone well-connected can ruin your career before it gets started. A word to the wise.

   wow…so according to you John, if i lived in your city and upset you (not sure HOW upset, but by your general stance i would assume if i made a joke about your hair or weight, that would be enough)

   so, basically, if someone offends you, you think you have the right to ruin their life…well, seeing as I don’t live in your city, and I’ve never been one to hold back on the truth, I say this for every person in your city whose life you have f—— over for speaking their mind/opinion

   you sir, are a rancid human being, a maggoty no moral having inbred hermaphrodite f— who should be taken out back and shot…allow me to paraphrase number 10 on your list into more basic english so it is easier for readers to understand

   #10 – if someone is higher then you on the ladder, don’t question anything, don’t try and climb the ladder by outperforming someone and showing them up, you sit in your cubicle, you pound those keys and take your 9 bucks an hour and shut your mouth, and if you don’t keep your mouth shut, I’ll fire your a– and threaten to make life hard on anyone that hires you

   it’s not even about whining or a “baby” its about the truth…no one wants to work in a place where someone makes a big deal out of something that isn’t, a decrease in bulls— in the workplace will lead to an increase in production, its that simple.

   Reply
2. 

   Deb Pagel

   January 13, 2013 at 9:29 PM

   Well articulated, John! What great rules for engagement–simple & to the point! Thanks for taking time to be this posting out there.

   Reply
3. 

   Roe Melnicove

   January 2, 2013 at 10:02 PM

   Great post. I hope lots of people read this!!!

   Reply
4. 

   Bert

   January 1, 2013 at 7:45 AM

   LinkedIn is employment-centric social networking. People are going to act the same way on this website as they do on Facebook, with the exception of drunken self-portraits with undesirable people edited out of the picture, and desirable ones Photoshopped in. Hey, keep it professional. Maybe that would be a good LinkedIn discussion topic: “What does it mean, to be a professional?”

   Reply
5. 

   Paula Cohen

   December 31, 2012 at 11:00 PM

   John, a super-duper posting! Thanks for being cogent, highly rational, intelligent, and for posting something that needed to be said… and which should be read by everyone either on LinkedIn already, or thinking of joining.

   Hope to see more of your postings in the future!

   Reply