CNN iReport

            Date:   October 19, 2009

            To:      CNN MORNING NEWS/ROBIN MEADE

            From: <BOB MUDD> bobmudd@swbell.net  (New CNN Registration #ae8a72841943)

Re:      SARAH PALIN ON LINKEDIN

LinkedIn

SARAH PALIN IS NOT ALONE

            THE FOLLOWING ALL HAVELinkedInPROFILES:

• Barack Obama
  President of the United States of America
• John McCain
  Candidate for President of the United States
• Hillary Clinton
  Candidate for President
• Kevin Bacon
  Independent Entertainment Professional
• Bill Gates
  Technologist, Philanthropist
• Rudy Giuliani
  Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee
• Jan Peter Balkenende
  Prime Minister at Netherlands
• Ron Paul
  GOP Congressman
• Matt Damon
  Actor at Self-Employed

THIS LIST IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF THE WELL- KNOWN POLITICIANS, CELEBRITIES, AND SUCCESFUL BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROFILES AND HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF LINKEDIN. SINCE ITS BEGINNING JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, MEMBERS HAVE PRIMARILY BEEN BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS IN MID TO TOP MANAGEMENT. THEY ARE OUT TO MAKE “CONNECTIONS” FOR A NEW BUSINESS DEAL OR A BETTER JOB. THEY REALLY HAVE NO TIME TO “PLAY” ON THE INTERNET. IN TERMS OF POLITICIANS, OBVIOUSLY NEED THE SUPPORT OF BUSINESS, AND CELEBRITIES ARE COMFORTABLE WITH GENERATING INVESTMENTS VIA THE WEALTH AND CLOUT OF PEOPLE LIKE THOSE LISTED ABOVE.

The problem is created by those who consider LinkedIn to be just another social website. ON THE CONTRARY.  Certainly there is a social element to building one’s base of win-win business contacts. But the 45 million worldwide members of LinkedIn are an entirely different breed, and have an entirely different agenda, than the 300 million members who have profiles on FACEBOOK.

FACEBOOK IS PRIMARILY where those who are friends can interact, and through one another, they have a chance to possibly make some new internet friends.

TWITTER? Those friends who want the option of being anonymous and don’t want to create a profile can simply create a screen name that only a few friends recognize, and they can “track” each other’s activities and comments.

SHOPPERS? VISIT AMAZON, EBAY, CRAIG’S LIST & OTHERS. And I’m sure you know there are sites for: Classmates, Alumni, Fraternities & Sororities, sites geared toward teenagers, several sites for every sport or hobby. Some sites are used only in certain areas of the world

BUT LET ME GET BACK TO BUSINESS AND LINKEDIN:

There are hundreds of other business sites. The CONSULTANTS NETWORK, and its 70,000 worldwide members, is excellent in terms of exchanging consulting ideas and techniques. In fact, there are many sites for every discipline of business. LINKEDIN just happens to be the largest worldwide business networking media, NOT A SOCIAL MEDIA. It has the broadest scope and the most respect of any site I know.