Comments on: Why is there an impostor in my company in LinkedIn? http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/ the blog behind the book Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:04:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Shane Clifford http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-2774 Shane Clifford Mon, 25 Apr 2011 06:43:27 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-2774 Hi All... Unfortunately the problem is still current. As a sole proprietor (owner operator)with no employees, I was suprised (pissed off) to find 158 fraudulent claims of employment by various people on my Linked In company page. When I asked LI how to rectify this they asked me to send a screen shot / URL for each offending claim. This is totally impractical. Unfortunately this annoying recurrence is devaluing my endeavours to establish brand quality, and it leaves a pretty sour taste in my mouth re Linked-In as well. Hi All…

Unfortunately the problem is still current. As a sole proprietor (owner operator)with no employees, I was suprised (pissed off) to find 158 fraudulent claims of employment by various people on my Linked In company page. When I asked LI how to rectify this they asked me to send a screen shot / URL for each offending claim. This is totally impractical. Unfortunately this annoying recurrence is devaluing my endeavours to establish brand quality, and it leaves a pretty sour taste in my mouth re Linked-In as well.

]]> By: LinkedIn: You Can Follow Companies | I'm On LinkedIn - Now What??? http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-2005 LinkedIn: You Can Follow Companies | I'm On LinkedIn - Now What??? Mon, 03 May 2010 12:15:57 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-2005 [...] as well as many comments from post titled Why is there an impostor in my company in LinkedIn? (like this comment from Susan Baird), is that Companies is still somewhat messed up since it is difficult to verify the truthfulness of [...] [...] as well as many comments from post titled Why is there an impostor in my company in LinkedIn? (like this comment from Susan Baird), is that Companies is still somewhat messed up since it is difficult to verify the truthfulness of [...]

]]> By: Jason Alba http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-2004 Jason Alba Sat, 01 May 2010 21:33:18 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-2004 @David - anyone from LinkedIn (including you) is welcome here anytime... that is not thread hijacking, it's an honor to have you weigh in... unfortunately LI has done a crappy job making us (the users) feel like anyone is listening, so I applaud your comment here. I would, however, advise you to say something like "I work at LinkedIn" or something like that... just to let us know where you are coming from :) thanks for the link. It's a weak bandaid solution for now, but it works. Will be anxious to see a more comprehensive solution. - jason @David – anyone from LinkedIn (including you) is welcome here anytime… that is not thread hijacking, it’s an honor to have you weigh in… unfortunately LI has done a crappy job making us (the users) feel like anyone is listening, so I applaud your comment here.

I would, however, advise you to say something like “I work at LinkedIn” or something like that… just to let us know where you are coming from :)

thanks for the link. It’s a weak bandaid solution for now, but it works. Will be anxious to see a more comprehensive solution.

- jason

]]> By: David O'Ryan http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-2003 David O'Ryan Sat, 01 May 2010 16:50:36 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-2003 Good Morning, Great conversation and feedback from you all, please keep it coming! Not to hijack the thread but I would like offer assistance getting your company pages sorted out on LinkedIn. Here are 2 links for a)info on the company pages and b)to facilitate the fix! http://tinyurl.com/LinkedInCompanyPageHelp http://tinyurl.com/SupportForLI My best to you all! Dave Good Morning,

Great conversation and feedback from you all, please keep it coming! Not to hijack the thread but I would like offer assistance getting your company pages sorted out on LinkedIn.

Here are 2 links for a)info on the company pages and b)to facilitate the fix!

http://tinyurl.com/LinkedInCompanyPageHelp
http://tinyurl.com/SupportForLI

My best to you all!
Dave

]]> By: Susan Baird http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-2002 Susan Baird Sat, 01 May 2010 12:12:45 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-2002 Thanks, Jason, for emphasizing that this is a problem, because I'm sure the developers at LinkedIn can figure something out. I'm a sole-proprietor (freelancer) and my profile says I have 20 employees, and lists five who only have one connection each. Now that the "follow company" option exists, this discrepancy becomes even more troubling, especially for micro-companies. For me, the names listed appear to be of Middle-Eastern origin, which may imply that I outsource my clients' writing projects overseas, which I absolutely do not. I believe the five who are listed are spammers, so one suggestion I got through LinkedIn's Q&A forum is to include in my company profile a disclaimer that I have no employees, and anyone other than me that is listed as an employee is an error. (or glitch or something) Obviously that solution doesn't work for companies with more than 5-10 employees (who could be listed in the written profile), but it's all we could think of for now. What do you think? Thanks, Jason, for emphasizing that this is a problem, because I’m sure the developers at LinkedIn can figure something out.

I’m a sole-proprietor (freelancer) and my profile says I have 20 employees, and lists five who only have one connection each. Now that the “follow company” option exists, this discrepancy becomes even more troubling, especially for micro-companies. For me, the names listed appear to be of Middle-Eastern origin, which may imply that I outsource my clients’ writing projects overseas, which I absolutely do not.

I believe the five who are listed are spammers, so one suggestion I got through LinkedIn’s Q&A forum is to include in my company profile a disclaimer that I have no employees, and anyone other than me that is listed as an employee is an error. (or glitch or something) Obviously that solution doesn’t work for companies with more than 5-10 employees (who could be listed in the written profile), but it’s all we could think of for now.

What do you think?

]]> By: Ash http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-2000 Ash Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:56:56 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-2000 Once I interviewed for a job in which the interviewer had checked out my Linkedin profile quite carefully (in fact, Linkedin is how I got the interview). On my profile was listed a small company in Japan I had worked for that had no employees (or listing) on Linkedin at all. What I didn't know is that there is another small company here in the States that has the same name . During the interview while questioning me about this company the interviewer had an odd look on this face as if he thought I was lying. Later when I went back to Linkedin I discovered why I didn't get the job: it looked as if I had falsely claimed to have worked at this company with an identical name. I was forced to modify the name of this Japanese company so it wouldn't happen again. Don't let this happen to you. Once I interviewed for a job in which the interviewer had checked out my Linkedin profile quite carefully (in fact, Linkedin is how I got the interview). On my profile was listed a small company in Japan I had worked for that had no employees (or listing) on Linkedin at all. What I didn’t know is that there is another small company here in the States that has the same name . During the interview while questioning me about this company the interviewer had an odd look on this face as if he thought I was lying. Later when I went back to Linkedin I discovered why I didn’t get the job: it looked as if I had falsely claimed to have worked at this company with an identical name. I was forced to modify the name of this Japanese company so it wouldn’t happen again.

Don’t let this happen to you.

]]> By: Adrian Chira http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-1999 Adrian Chira Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:35:49 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-1999 Interesting discussion is going on here. Since Will Knott raised the issue of 2 or more companies having the same name, I would suggest LinkedIn to ask the person that claims the job at one company where is the HQ located (the address). In this way if the address matches with the one from the record then that person will be considered as working in that company. If the address does not match, then the user should be asked to record the new company in LI database. On the other hand I realize that any type of policing will not make our lives better. It is like getunvarnished.com. I somebody will want you to get banned from the site he/she can do this just by reporting that you didn't tell the truth regarding your employment history. Since most of us are doing the right thing and the others sooner or later get caught, I think it is not feasible to start policing. Instead I would go for solutions that can limit the number of mistakes, like the ones presented above. Interesting discussion is going on here. Since Will Knott raised the issue of 2 or more companies having the same name, I would suggest LinkedIn to ask the person that claims the job at one company where is the HQ located (the address). In this way if the address matches with the one from the record then that person will be considered as working in that company. If the address does not match, then the user should be asked to record the new company in LI database.
On the other hand I realize that any type of policing will not make our lives better. It is like getunvarnished.com. I somebody will want you to get banned from the site he/she can do this just by reporting that you didn’t tell the truth regarding your employment history. Since most of us are doing the right thing and the others sooner or later get caught, I think it is not feasible to start policing. Instead I would go for solutions that can limit the number of mistakes, like the ones presented above.

]]> By: Will Knott http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-1998 Will Knott Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:17:04 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-1998 I have seemingly caused this myself. I worked for a small company in Ireland, there is another company with the same name in the US, and LinkedIn thought I was part of that US based company. I couldn't see a way to "unlink" it. To put it another way, McDonald's is a major brand. Of soup. All laws allow for two companies in different jurisdictions with different logos have the same name. I suspect anyone working for the soup McDonald's will be mixed up with the burger McDonald's. The catch? If a "does not work here" is implemented, there is a problem unless there is some way to remedy the shared company name problem. I have seemingly caused this myself. I worked for a small company in Ireland, there is another company with the same name in the US, and LinkedIn thought I was part of that US based company. I couldn’t see a way to “unlink” it.

To put it another way, McDonald’s is a major brand. Of soup. All laws allow for two companies in different jurisdictions with different logos have the same name. I suspect anyone working for the soup McDonald’s will be mixed up with the burger McDonald’s.

The catch? If a “does not work here” is implemented, there is a problem unless there is some way to remedy the shared company name problem.

]]> By: John E. Bredehoft http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-1997 John E. Bredehoft Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:26:13 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-1997 It's a difficult question, since these types of things can happen by accident (mistyping, two firms with the same name), or it could be deliberate. And company policing isn't necessarily the solution - how is General Motors going to police their company page? I haven't seen the message that Adam Brock cited, but if that feature is still in LinkedIn, perhaps it could be made permanent. But even that isn't a solution, since (a) people could be maliciously reported even though they are legitimately associated with the company in question, and (b) this would have no effect for companies that no longer exist (EVERYONE can claim that they worked for Enron, should they desire to do so). It’s a difficult question, since these types of things can happen by accident (mistyping, two firms with the same name), or it could be deliberate. And company policing isn’t necessarily the solution – how is General Motors going to police their company page?

I haven’t seen the message that Adam Brock cited, but if that feature is still in LinkedIn, perhaps it could be made permanent. But even that isn’t a solution, since (a) people could be maliciously reported even though they are legitimately associated with the company in question, and (b) this would have no effect for companies that no longer exist (EVERYONE can claim that they worked for Enron, should they desire to do so).

]]> By: Arthur Germain http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2010/04/15/why-is-there-an-impostor-in-my-company-in-linkedin/#comment-1996 Arthur Germain Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:58:21 +0000 http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/?p=709#comment-1996 The problems with company pages are legion. As you've noted, anyone can associate themselves with a company simply by adding the company to their profile. On the positive side, this helps when a former company has been acquired and you can now associated yourself with the new company. It can help freelancers as well. But, the posers have to go. Another issue is the maintenance of the company page itself. Do you know who can edit a company page? Anyone with the same company email address. So, the person who has just been laid off can take out your company page on her way out as well. Oh, and since your current job title places you in the current employee section, people who leave your organization without updating their profiles will remain as current employees for some time. ahg3 The problems with company pages are legion. As you’ve noted, anyone can associate themselves with a company simply by adding the company to their profile. On the positive side, this helps when a former company has been acquired and you can now associated yourself with the new company. It can help freelancers as well. But, the posers have to go.

Another issue is the maintenance of the company page itself. Do you know who can edit a company page? Anyone with the same company email address. So, the person who has just been laid off can take out your company page on her way out as well. Oh, and since your current job title places you in the current employee section, people who leave your organization without updating their profiles will remain as current employees for some time.

ahg3

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