May 25, 2010 43 Comments

Your Network News

LinkedIn Network Updates

I’ve been going on and on about LinkedIn lately. I promise that I’ll stop after this little discovery. In looking at my network activity for a while yesterday, I noted a few things. You’re working to keep LinkedIn clean per my post (so thanks). You’re using LinkedIn effectively per my post (thanks again).

So NOW, I really want to read that ultra-tidy wonderful stream of my network’s activities and information. But I don’t want to hover around on the site and press refresh.

That’s when I noticed the RSS button. You can click here to subscribe to YOUR LinkedIn network feed. Then, you can throw that into your RSS reader of choice (mine’s Google Reader) and suddenly have a lot of network action information at your fingertips.

If you’re prospecting or networking or looking for a job, or helping others find work, this is gold. It’s like a news stream for your network, but one that’s a lot less noisy than Twitter and a lot more business-minded.

Tasty.

Thoughts?

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  • http://twitter.com/mhillaert Michelle Hillaert

    Just signed up for the feed. Thanks for the heads-up. You can also have it show on your igoogle homepage.

  • http://www.adelemcalear.com adelemcalear

    I just discovered LinkedIn2Twitter – an app that sifts through your LinkedIn contacts and gives you the opportunity to follow them on Twitter, if you aren't already. This is a useful way to deepen connections to people where you are cultivating relationships.
    http://oneforty.com/item/linkedin2twitter?utm_s…

  • http://twitter.com/be3d Ian Greenleigh

    The follow feature offers tidier functionality that can get more specific. Theoretically, you value everyone in your network equally…but in practice, you might want to follow just some of that activity. You can now do so by company or individual and receive updates. You can also–and this is really cool–subscribe via RSS to any search results within LI.

  • http://www.pickingdaisiesinpurgatory.com Colleen Clifford

    Wow – just spent a good chunk of time on LinkedIn this morning updating contacts, and never even noticed that. Thanks for the tip!

  • http://barthox.tumblr.com/ Barthox

    I've been following my network activity through RSS since I can't remember how long …. ;o)

    But actually, it leads me to the consideration you wrote about in your article on keeping it clean!

    I'm interested in who is now connected to whom, who has made changes to his profile, …. but those tend to get drowned in the Twitter status from many of my connections!

    LinkedIn should not only do as you suggested (take the twitter updates out of the linkedin updates), but they should also not include their status in the RSS stream ….

  • http://www.scribnia.com/author/show/473/david-spinks/ David Spinks

    Great find. Now if people will listen to your cleaning up linked in advice, that feed won't just be another stream of noise!

    The biggest value linkedin has given me is in showing me to who'm I'm connected, and who it is that connects me to those people. Actively seeking out introductions in this manner can really open up some opportunities.

    David, Scribnia

  • http://twitter.com/mark_copeman Mark Copeman

    Hi Chris,
    I've been using this RSS for a couple of years now and it WAS brilliant to get a real brief snapshot of who's joining and who's connecting to who. I tweeted Linkedin about a week ago to say I've now stopped using it – because the stream is now contaminated with updates/tweets from folks I've no interest in hearing from!!

    Surely there's a way to provide JUST the new arrivals and who's linked to who piece? Then, it would be useful again.

    Cmon Linkedin – you know it makes sense.

    Cheers,
    Mark

    • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

      Mark

      If LI for the RSS would allow filtering so that you would not receive the tweets and actually receive what you would want it would be a fantastic tool. As it does not, it is falling short (as you also have said). I am not understanding why they would try and go so mainstream and be twitter like as it is such a different platform. I mean the person who is desperately looking for a job does not really so much care about what I had for lunch and where. They may care more about with who as they may need an intro to that person. I just think that they are losing focus on how people use linkedin and maybe even more so how they value the connections that they make. Maybe they will hear us all and try and at least filter it so that we can enjoy the RSS feed and use it.

      @SuzanneVara

    • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

      Mark

      If LI for the RSS would allow filtering so that you would not receive the tweets and actually receive what you would want it would be a fantastic tool. As it does not, it is falling short (as you also have said). I am not understanding why they would try and go so mainstream and be twitter like as it is such a different platform. I mean the person who is desperately looking for a job does not really so much care about what I had for lunch and where. They may care more about with who as they may need an intro to that person. I just think that they are losing focus on how people use linkedin and maybe even more so how they value the connections that they make. Maybe they will hear us all and try and at least filter it so that we can enjoy the RSS feed and use it.

      @SuzanneVara

  • http://www.netwitsthinktank.com frank barry

    Hey Chris … so how do you then work with Google Reader … I'm curious as to what it would do for you at that point? Is it more informational or interaction focused?

    Thanks for elaborating if you have a minute.

    http://twitter.com/franswaa

  • http://wadeonbirmingham.com Wade Kwon

    Thanks to Tweetdeck, I can follow AND respond to updates in my LinkedIn news feed.

  • http://mydarabell.com/ Dara Bell

    Watched Jerry Maguire recently. Must be some 90s revivalism, anyway he cuts his client base down from 12 or so pro atheletes to just only one. He actually makes more money with focused attention on the each client. Close personal attention, he has no choice as he gets fired and his clients taken from him.

    It gets me thinking of the RSS. If you have focused attention on business minded people with this stream, rather than just Linked or Wallflowers, you can use it as networking channel of wealthy (Nelson Demography) people.

    I am trying to run my Twitter this was too. I am saying look I like having head of UK Myspace and well known software companies follow me more than the loads of white niose. I seemed to have lucked out with the directories I used. The networking I feel has to be drilled down to have a healthy network.

    • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

      This is like having some wiring. It doesn’t count for anything unless you use it. : ) Still requires human juice.

    • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

      This is like having some wiring. It doesn’t count for anything unless you use it. : ) Still requires human juice.

  • dancingbaglady

    I'm chucking that you turned off comments on the last post. It was a really good conversation starting. That's the point. Yep!

    I am looking at LinkedIn a bit differently. Timing for me maybe has something to do with it, but insight needed none the less.

  • http://mydarabell.com/ Dara Bell

    The Afterthought
    Wondering how the film would have been different if Jerry Maguire had had Linked In and cultivated his network.

  • http://keithstoeckeler.tumblr.com/ keithstoeckeler

    I think it's a great feature, but I have been slow to adopt it because it's not very customizable. Wish it could be filtered so you're receiving the news you want and deem most important.

  • John Rosa

    You know, reading your blog about the RSS Button on LinkedIn was like getting smacked in the back of the head (kind of like a Gibbs on NCIS thing), major DUH! All this time I've been using LinkedIn and never really noticed the button, or rather ignored it because I've never bothered to look into was an RSS Feed would do for me on a personal/professional level. Major mis-understanding on the use of RSS Feeds, mostly because I never had anyone point it out or taken the time to check it out and what it can really do or be used for.
    Thanks for the wake up on that one!

  • John Rosa

    You can use Tweetdeck to follow AND respond to news feeds? Wow, have I got some re-education to go through.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    You're not dumb, John. You're working so fast and in so many directions, that someone like me just points out the bits here and there. You're working hard. This was just something new for the list.

  • http://writelife.net/ Bill Wren – Writelife

    Nice tip. Now it's in my Reader. LinkedIn is the network I always neglect. I think because when all the social networks got going it was the one that seem pretty static, even stodgy, for so long (while the others kept adding this and that and etc.).

  • Rachel Vincent

    Have never really used LinkedIn as an active network before. This is really helpful. What would be even better is if I could filter that RSS feed by how I know the person or by creating a group. Hopefully that's the next step….unless of course you already know how to do that and would like to share you secret…

  • John Rosa

    Thanks for the kind words Chris, gave me a little ego pump.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    You can filter it, but it requires you to get into Yahoo! Pipes, and that takes a bit of learning.

  • http://twitter.com/TMRDirect Wes Powell

    Wow, that's a great tool. Thanks for this post. I just added it to my Google reader as well.

    John, I feel the same way sometimes, but everything changes so fast, sometimes we miss a few things here and there.

  • http://themickmorris.com/ Mick Morris

    Thanks Chris the Linked In tips have been useful, and you have really made me think about the more effective use of each of the social platforms I use.

  • http://mydarabell.com/ Dara Bell

    Thanks for your comment and contributing to my 10,000 hours of learning. You are right in one way but you are mining for people as well as gold. I guess that was what you meant by human juice in a network.

    If you use your people like the oil or gas or even gold (will be worth pretty little in a year). Your only as strong as your network. I looked at the button too and “said only as good as my motives”. Thanks for your input.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    People are my gold. : )

    Money isn't a good investment these days. Humans? Pretty much always.

  • GabrielleNYC

    Chris, I've been doing this since the button appeared, it really helps focus info.

  • http://mydarabell.com/ Dara Bell

    Dave Weiner said in a chat, all the networks have RSS. He was not so sure about Tumblr but I found it there too. This n awesome chat.

    Dara

  • http://ariwriter.com Ari Herzog

    You can subscribe to the RSS feed of Facebook pages, too, btw.

  • http://www.memorybits.co.uk/ memory stick

    If you're looking for, or network, or looking for work or help others to find work, this is gold. It 's like a stream of network news, but is much less nervous noise, and much more reasoned.

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  • http://twitter.com/nigellegg Nigel Legg

    I know someone who does this, but is getting increasingly pissed off with the twitter posts coming through. One solution would be just to break the connection with the people who do that – but my friend relies on many of them for business, and the relationships are such that she is not in a position to tell them to stop…. so has a Google Reader chock full of twitter messages.
    Another example of social media use throwing up ethical and relationship dilemmas.

  • http://twitter.com/jbjcanfield Jennifer J. Canfield

    I have LinkedIn feeds through my Google Reader and find it's a great way to keep up/build my network during Saturday morning cartoons with my kids.

  • Michael

    Useful.
    I find tweetdeck a great way of monitoring and managing the stream of material from all the social sources – twitter, facebook and LinkedIn. The pop up that fades away after a couple of seconds is just enough to go in almost subliminally without distracting from the task at hand.
    Thanks for your columns.

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