I recently joined LinkedIn at the request of someone in my Linux users group and am quite impressed.
The first time I dismissed it as being a sort of MySpace for adults, but playing around with it this weekend, I have come to really like the following features:
- privacy: you can make your profile available for everyone (or no one) to see
- Outlook integration: while I personally don't really care for Outlook, I often use it at work and appreciate how plug-ins make this integration easier. This integration is far less annoying than Plaxto (ugh).
- Cool exporting features: you can slice and dice your exported list all sorts of ways or easily bring it in to applications like ACT!.
- question / answer: posting a question seems to be a cool way to get a response from your network (up to 3 degrees, I believe).
- cross platform: I often switch between Mac, Linux, and Windows. It's nice to have web-based tools like this and not have to be locked in to one vendor.
I'd be interested to know what others in the nonprofit world think about LinkedIn. Does it have nice "nonprofit" features? Or is it something that you use (just b/c everyone else is using it) and then have to supplement it with some other nonprofit-friendly online tool?
(If anyone would like an invite, please email me @ this trashmail address: oqwqkmyk@trashmail.net )