Last week I reached 30,000 connections and found out that LinkedIn users are now limited to having no more than 30,000 first degree connections. I found this out because now when I try to accept an invitation I am told by the system that I cannot because I have exceeded the limit, and so I would have to remove connections in order to add them.
So for those of you that are approaching or would like to approach a network of that size, you may want to be far more careful in accepting invites from now on because once you reach that limit you will be unable to make any additional first degree connections even if you are the one receiving and not sending the invitation.
There are great points on both sides of the argument of having a high quality network versus a large connection quantity, but today I write about neither. I believe that individuals should have the freedom to utilize their profile however they see best fit their online networking strategy. Suffice it to say that some people wish to have large numbers of first degree connections even if a majority of those are barely even acquaintances, and others prefer only to connect with people they already know.
Passing no judgment on where anyone decides to place themselves along that spectrum, this new limitation is significant and should be openly discussed. Certainly LinkedIn�??s management has made this decision after carefully calculating that a network without boundaries would make it such that geometric growth would significantly impair the user experience for the majority, to the detriment of all.
I assume that is why such a limitation is in place, therefore people who seek large networks must employ a different tactic other than pure growth of first degree connections.
After contacting LinkedIn Management about my concerns regarding being �??limited�?? in my first degree, they confirmed that this indeed was a newly effective limitation, and I was offered the alternative of utilizing my Group as a connectivity conduit.
And you know what? That makes quite a bit of sense! Particularly after I just finished evangelizing on my other blog about �??Top 10 Reasons Why Recruiters Need Their Own LinkedIn Group�??
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: Due to LinkedIn's limit of 30k first degree connections I am unable to accept new connections at this time. However I can share my network with you via the CyberSleuths Group so please join: https://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/742/47ED820E8D6B/
I even added that in my contact settings. Under Account Settings in LinkedIn I also opted in to receive individual emails when someone invites me to connect so I can have an automatic reply to stating the above as well.
Beyond the benefits I listed in my other post, there are a few advantages in having people connect to your group instead of connecting to you directly:
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There is no limit, therefore you won�??t run into the same situation I ran into with topping out at 30k
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You still get to enjoy the benefits of being connected with those people even if they are not in your 1st degree
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Once they join your group you then have their email address, so you can communicate with them either via the group or externally as well
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If you are connected to someone via a group you can send them InMail at no cost
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The network of members in your group is searchable
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Your group can be found in the Group Directory and when people search for your group�??s topic
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You can �??Share�?? your group - instead of sending out direct invitations to connect with you personally you can invite people to join your group. If the invitation is rejected there�??s no negative consequence like there is when someone clicks �??I don�??t know�?? on you.
OK so that is my position on this new limit, but I�??d also like to hear from others about how the feel, particularly anyone who is or will be directly affected by this.
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