On 1/31/07, Scott Allen <scott@...> wrote:
<snip> Again, I'm not saying I agree with what he's doing – I'm just not willing to make it as black-and-white as everyone else appears to want to make it.<snip>

Why not?

Why not make it a "black and white" issue?

Why not take a definitive stand, Scott?

If Linkedin is built on the premise that we can reach vast numbers of people for our businesses and careers, why should we have to pay an individual who decides to put up a "toll booth" in the middle of the Linkedin highway?  (I still think it's an apt metaphor for the purpose of our current discussion.)

And think about this:  As with other professionals, Recruiters like to congregate with other Recruiters.   If our hypothetical "toll booth" Recruiter is linked to another Recruiter who also wants/deserves a toll for letting us go forward and that Recruiter, in turn, is linked to yet another "toll booth operatin'" Recruiter then the Linkedin system becomes prohibitively expensive - aka "useless".

Let's look at it a bit more closely:

Step 1. (Link 1)  "Hmm, Link 4 sure does look like someone I want to meet.  Help me out Link 2!"

Step 2. (Link 2) "Link 1, I'd be happy to help you meet Link 4 but I charge $100 for that.   Pay me $100 and I'll forward your request". - Link 2 receives $100 payment and as agreed, in a professionally written note forwards the request to Link 3 .)

Step 3. (Link 3) "Thanks for forwarding this request to me Link 2.   Please let Link 1 know that I would be happy to forward his request to Link 4 upon receiving a small stipend of $100.  Link 1 decides not to pay two tolls so cancels the requests and demands a refund from Link 2.  (I sure hope Link 2 will give him a refund but THAT'S another issue!)

Step 4. (Link 4) "Why don't I ever get any opportunities out of this doggone Linkedin thing?  You'd think that with 9 Million members, I'd be getting more business and/or career opportunities.  But, day after day after live-long day, I get nothing out of this so-called "linked in" system!   I'd better keep looking, elsewhere..."

While I may not know exactly how I'm going to become a millionaire, I know that toll boothing definitely is not on my list for becoming richer.

And so, even as a Recruiter, with the above in mind, I'll take a stand:  I say, "NO to toll boothing!"   (See?  That wasn't so hard, was it?)

--
Thanks!
Vincent Wright
Chief Encouragement Officer
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"Encouraging You.  Encouraging The World"