LinkedIn

Linkedin is a valuable tool to to use when you’re job hunting. It allows you to form networks; it’s an excellent source of current news and information, and it lets you get “out there” and shows people you’re available and looking for a job.

But it’s bloody horrible to use.

The user front end is messy, over-complicated and intimidating. Information, messages, adverts, notifications and “promoted” items (whatever they are) throw themselves at you while the website loads in a slurry of emboldened words, icons and differently sized text.

Then once you look under the hood, things get worse. Trying to find a particular setting or piece of information is like platting fog. And I hate the way it always “suggests” I should do something. It nags to, “like this”, “follow this”, or “do this”.

It also rivals Facebook for bragging and showing off. It’s as if the first user posted “Look at me. I’m great. I’ve got a great job, shiny white teeth, an expensive suit and frankly, I’m the best thing to happen to the world since a caveman carved a wheel out of stone,” and then every other person who has posted afterwards has felt the need to go one better.

Oh, and also write a white paper that’s only relevant to 5% of the audience, but gives you an enormous sense of smugness and self-importance. You can tell by the amount of teeth on show.

And then there’s the daily spam! Don’t start me.

But it’s got a role to play. I need to understand it, so over the next few weeks I’ll learn how it it works, and how best to use it.

Watch this space, and I’ll get back to you.

I just wish it wasn’t so damn horrible.