LinkedIn Buys Rapportive

redletterdave writes "Business networking site LinkedIn acquired Rapportive on Wednesday, which is a Gmail add-on that provides information about your social contacts as you e-mail them. The deal was reportedly already in place by Dec. 8, but Rapportive confirmed the acquisition on Wednesday in its company blog. Rapportive, which is still available over Gmail, adds an e-mailer's social networking accounts, including their Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, and overlays the information over open messages and e-mail drafts. Neither Rapportive nor LinkedIn would release the financial details of the acquisition, but sources close to the situation say the deal closed in the 'low teens' of millions of dollars."

Comments

Y'know, not sure about LinkedIn

[Kittenman]

I'm on it, but it already struck me as a social network, with a thin layer of "business-ness" on the top of it. The submissions on people aren't authenticated in anyway, there's an awful lot of clutter and constant nagging to get you to upgrade (and pay some, or more $$$). So now with Rapportive (a bit more of the Social network) is it finally out of the closet? And oh yeah, first post...

Ethicality of LinkedIn

[NoisySplatter]

I have a profile on LinkedIn which has done me zero good so far, but one thing about the site has always bothered me.

Is it truly ethical to gain an upper hand with regards to employment prospects because of who you know instead of your individual performance or merits?

To me the site just seems like a blatant promoter of cronyism, promoting the hiring of friends or aquaintences over those who may be more qualified.

Re:Ethicality of LinkedIn

[Nursie]

Qualified does not equal good worker.

Nepotism and cronyism can be pretty bad. BUT we are human, you know, and we'll always like personal recommendations. Not to mention that there are good reasons for this -

If you can get info/recommendations on someone via a trusted channel, and that info says they're reliable and hard working, that's worth a lot. There's no way to get this sort of information just out of the usual two or three hour interview process.

Re:Ethicality of LinkedIn

[MightyYar]

Ethical or no, I'll hire someone whose history I know over a total stranger any day.

Re:Ethicality of LinkedIn

[ColdWetDog]

And LinkedIn helps you in what way?

I'm curious. It seems that it would be as useful as hiring someone on the basis of their Slashdot posts.

just like the dot com era

[ub3r n3u7r4l1st]

Inflate the share price, and buy out companies by swapping shares. No cash needed.

With a PE ratio of 1000+ LNKD does not worth the current valuation.

Coupled with my experience that only 1 out of 10 of my friends have account there, on average.

"It's not what you know, it's who you know"

[linatux]

- always been true. At least LinkedIn is an easy way for a geek to 'network'.

Re:No careers

[GNious]

I looked at LinkedIn, to see if it would be worth using for finding jobs - concluded that, no, it wasn't really.

I'm in IT; I'm a Project Manager with a fairly wide experience-set, and specific training and skills. Most things it would propose are far outside of my skillset or level, e.g. mandatory languages that I do not speak, or experience in fields that I have not worked. Searching gave me nothing that was better.
Looking to links from me to the suggested companies were useless, as it would show links via people that live in other countries and have never met me nor the recruiter.

Meanwhile, I can still network, I can still look at job-postings on real job-boards, and I can still write actual letters (instead of clicking on "apply" button on LinkedIn).

Jobs are found by who you know - not which 200 links on linkedin you might have.

Re:No careers

[AlecC]

Jobs are found by who you know - not which 200 links on linkedin you might have.

Which is how LinkedIn works for me. Everybody in my office is on LinkedIn, but it is not used much. Its main function is a contact point for ex-colleagues after you go your separate ways. I don't keep in email contact with them all, but I know that if I want to contact someone I have worked with in the past, I can do so via LinkedIn. Possibly not directly, but via another ex-colleague. The links will lie latent for years, and most will never be used. But the few that are will be very valuable.