Comments on: I Don’t Know You (OUCH!)

By: Jason Alba

Jason Alba — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:26:00 +0000

@Salem, I agree, that would be cool – and another feature that takes LI closer to looking like Facebook (with their network grouping (lists)).

This is why I recommend you export your LinkedIn contacts to a CRM and do that stuff there (I use JibberJobber.com – a tool I developed while in a job search).

By: Salem Honey

Salem Honey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:16:42 +0000

It would be interesting to have a grouping of different connections, such as “acquaintance” or (semantically) “network potential” as people who you 1) barely know, or 2) don’t really know, but could see in the future where a connection would be amenable.

I am not sure if this is a bug, but with a number of different invitations I only get the option to Archive, while never being able to add someone to a network. I have also had the same thing occur when others have attempted to add me.

Cheers.

By: Jason Alba

Jason Alba — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:26:24 +0000

@Jerome – You can email customer support and they will reset it if you agree to their terms and conditions (TOC) and apologize

By: Jerome

Jerome — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:19:26 +0000

Do they ever reset the IDK count (Say every year)or is it over the lifetime of the account?

Thanks

Jerome

By: Bill B

Bill B — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:06:38 +0000

I can’t believe I was IDK’s by someone I knew reasonably well. Its really made me look on the person with disdain. What I don’t know is how does one seek revenge?

By: JA Martinez

JA Martinez — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:44:16 +0000

I think that this is a networking site that is placing a limitation on networking. If I go to a networking event I expect to introduce myself to strangers, and I expect strangers to come up to me and introduce themselves. So if I am at a conference for CPA’s I expect software people, insurance people, and various others to want to network with me. If I review a profile in a group I belong to, and it seems like a person that I might want to contact within the context of my profession and theirs, then let the person decline or accept. There are people in my network that are LIONS. They have THOUSANDS of contacts that are all over the world. Not possible that they know all of those people. Linkedin is supposed to be better because instead of having someone come over to me and interrupt my conversation at a conference only to find out there is no real upside to accepting his business card. I can politely decline or set my self only to accept invites from people who really know me by requiring a PHONE NUMBER or ADDRESS!!!

By: Peter Dunkley

Peter Dunkley — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:33:50 +0000

This is very interesting. I just got a request from someone that I really don’t wish to connect with, but having read this don’t want to IDK… It was really only a passing thought that had me googling to check the impact of IDKing.

This needs sorting – they have to give us an ‘ignore’ button. There is a real issue with social networking sites where they are forcing connections – it’s not in their long term interests.

By: Diane Crompton

Diane Crompton — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:03:42 +0000

Jason,

Thanks for addressing this issue. We do a lot of coaching with job seekers on using LinkedIn to grow their network and visibility. I agree with the significance of the problem of selecting IDK. We recommend people use customized language when making new connections which includes some phrasing to encourage the end recipient not to select IDK and instead to archive the request.

“Five times and you’re out” seems a little heavy handed, especially with some of the stories we have heard. One colleague sent out a batch of invites to other colleagues who did not “know” her personally and innocently selected the IDK button. The end result was a frozen account.

Thanks for creating awareness of this issue.

Diane Crompton

By: Jason Alba

Jason Alba — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:08:05 +0000

@Joe Goss – yep, that seems to be the one that leaves most of us scratching our heads.

I’ve even heard of people who say they would connect on LinkedIn, only to turn around and IDK. There really is no bullet-proof solution.

By: Joe Goss

Joe Goss — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:58:00 +0000

The worst ones are the IDKs of people you actually know. The 3 I have are people I have worked with (but obviously I didn’t imprint on them very well).