The Super Connector - Online Hype or Hero?

LinkedIn unveiled it's newest product, InMaps. When connected to your account, it shows a visual impression of your connections. When I linked mine, this response appeared: Sorry, but your network is too large to be computed, we are working to increase the limit, stay tuned! To be fair, I have over 22,000 1st level connections. No matter what size network you have; you can create meaningful relationships.

Here are four ways to be an online super hero rather than just an ego:
1. When connecting for the first time online, share something that you genuinely have in common with that person. Start a relationship built on similiar characteristics, values, life/work experiences, hobbies or even the ideas that you share.

2. Never spam new connections. When I accept someone's invitation on LinkedIn, it frustrates me when I immediately get emailed a newsletter from him or her. Be respectful. I may have checked out your blog and already signed up to get your updates through my RSS feed.

3. Have a goal to eventually take the discussion offline. At some point, you may want to extend an invite to a group/event, meet for coffee or even provide a referral to another colleague. I have a list of folks that I can't wait to meet face-to-face this year.

4. Don't forget who brought you to the dance. I learned this from my Grandpa. Remember those trusted friends who have helped you get this far. Be sure to set up monthly collaborative meetings with those colleagues. My family in Iowa reminds me of where I'm from and where I want to be in life.

As I learned from Kat Cole at a recent conference, when you choose to communicate or not, you are always communicating. Be a super connector to those in your network and do much more than just accept their invitation on LinkedIn.

Like Google Instant? Try LinkedIn Instant Search Now

Today, LinkedIn announced on its blog that it was opening four projects from the LinkedIn Labs to the public. According Adam Nash, the initial version of LinkedIn Labs features the following cool technology tools, two of which you may have heard of, and two more you’ll be able to access for the first time today:

• NewIn 2.0. Anyone who has visited LinkedIn headquarters in Mountain View has been treated to a large plasma screen that runs our very first Hackday winner – a real time view of members joining LinkedIn from around the globe. We’ve upgraded the technology to support Google Earth, and are now making it available to the public.
  
  
• ChromeIn. Google Chrome continues to grow in popularity, and this Hackday winner built by one of the members of our founding team presents a view of your LinkedIn network updates integrated in the Chrome browser itself.
  
  
• Instant Search. Our first Hackday winner to leverage our new Javascript API, this project represents sample code on how to build super-fast people search with simple HTML and Javascript.
  
  
• Signal. LinkedIn Signal is technology that we recently unveiled at TechCrunch Disrupt 2010. Discover the power of faceted search over both the LinkedIn stream and tweets shared by our users, and find insights you won’t find anywhere else. John Wang, one of the lead engineers, shares some details about the technology behind Signal that includes JRuby, Scala, Voldemort, Zoie & Bobo.

As a special bonus, the LinkedIn Signal team is providing 500 special invitations to celebrate the launch of LinkedIn Labs.  Follow this link and sign up, because once they’re gone, they’re gone.