Should one accept practically any old Linkedin contact request?

[OwlHoot]

Every now and then I receive Linkedin requests to accept someone as a contact/link or whatever they call it.

Until now if I haven't recognized the name, or if they look like pimps, I have ignored the request. But I wonder if a larger circle of contacts might not be somehow beneficial, and consequently I am thinking of accepting any that come my way, especially if the requestor looks as if they are in an interesting company.

So what do the congregation think? What are the pros and cons of a restrictive v "promiscuous" approach?

[BrilloPad]

I love being a total tart. So far no agent has hassled me about jobs unless I asked them first.

Its not facebook!

[BA to the Stars]

Recently I seem to have been getting a lot of requests from Bob's that I have never met or worked with

[bobspud]

You should look at LinkedIn from a sales & marketing point of view. Do you want 10 guys that already know you are good to see your adept comment on database design or do you want lots of potential customers? I have started to post links to what I think is appropriate news stories and I am starting to see more people traffic through my profile I also comment on a few EA / TA type forums and its the feedback I tend to get is very positive. I know some people that are very against pimps and the link trawling, but at the end of the day they are always the guys that come sniffing when they are out of work.

[TestMangler]

Brillo, agents don't link with you to hassle you about jobs. They link with you to get to hassle your contacts, particularly ones with titles like Project Manager or Programme Manager. You've forgotten the first rule of contracting ! All agents are c**ts !!

[bobspud]

Brillo, agents don't link with you to hassle you about jobs. They link with you to get to hassle your contacts, particularly ones with titles like Project Manager or Programme Manager. You've forgotten the first rule of contracting ! All agents are c**ts !!

So all your jobs have magically appeared out of fairy dust have they?

[The Spartan]

Recently I seem to have been getting a lot of requests from Bob's that I have never met or worked with

Me too it's really annoying even worse is the questions they ask in the groups I am part of it's cringeworthy

[bobspud]

Me too it's really annoying even worse is the questions they ask in the groups I am part of it's cringeworthy

No they are fantastic, I keep a few handy to show clients why they should be outsourcing their business...

[DS23]

Brillo, agents don't link with you to hassle you about jobs. They link with you to get to hassle your contacts, particularly ones with titles like Project Manager or Programme Manager. You've forgotten the first rule of contracting ! All agents are c**ts !!

you can hide your contacts.

[bobspud]

you can hide your contacts.

But then whats the point?