My boss keeps asking me to sign up. I refuse, for two reasons:

1) Like you, I can't see any worthwhile benefit, and
2) I already feel like I have too many channels of communication to keep track of as it is.

...its purpose is to generate a frankly jaw-dropping amount of spam. I was getting a spurious LinkedIn request every few hours at one point, until I quit for good. It's utterly pointless, as far as I can see. I wonder when the people who bought stock at its recent IPO will twig...

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think networking quite works this way. Like you say, F-C, Facebook simulates friendships with people you have no intention of ever seeing again; LinkedIn simulates business contacts with people you will never do any business with.

...someone I know recently moved to a new position within the same company, involving a change of location that he wasn't happy about. Since he's moved I've seen in his news feed that he's joined various job seeking networks on LinkedIn. So it could be a good way of indirectly informing your boss that you're looking for another job.

I keep track of ex colleagues, follow companies and get feedback on whether they are on the up or downward slide as indicated by their starts and leavers.

I use discussion forums for latest news/events and have got several job interviews by being linked in to recruitment consultants.

I work in construction.

and like you, I'm puzzled. There's an element of one-up-manship - look how many contacts I've got, and look who they are - but as to it's use, I'm not sure. I think I subscribe to the view of the Telegraph cartoon character, Alex, who views it as just a site for failed City types, desperately seeking employment. He may be right, judging by some of the personal profiles people have put up.

..............i'm currently a contractor (Project manager,) so for me its of use. Usually have recruitment consultants who deal with my specific industry contacting me/requests to link, so they can see when there's someone who potentially they can position a role too. I had contact via Linked in for one role yesterday.

Its not all great, I have many people who I dont know requesting to link with me. With Facebook i'm choosy but with Linked In it seems to be a way for recruitment consultants to find potential candidates more easily.

If you're a permanent employee who has no interest in changing jobs.........................then i'd suggest avoiding Linked In.

.....endless recommendations and rubbish like that. Very false.

in my experience. A failed attempt by the business community to create a Facebook type community. I joined to make it appear that I was a 'team player' *shudders*.
It's woeful and I never use it other than to accept people higher up the ladder than I.

Saying that, I don't use Facebook either anymore, found it too intrusive.

Wacko was right, just leave me alone.
Or call me.

for recruitment agents to source candidates

I've had quite a few contact me, which have led to some interesting opportunities and some offers/interviews

It's also how the GLW got her current job

So it is working at some level, for some people, particularly I think if you work in a niche profession or industry

I ignore a massive amount of spam daily, so a bit more doesn't really bother me

and, having just been made redundant, I'm finding it a great tool to get my change in circumstances out there. A couple of ex-colleagues have taken my details and I've already had contact with two prospective employers. Nothing concrete yet, but you never know.

If there's some uncertainty in your work or if you're a contractor I would strongly recommend its use.

having been welcomed by some ex-colleague but found it to be of bugger all use looking for work. As far as I can tell, ex-colleagues are too busy looking after their own hides to bother helping someone they probably didn't much like in the first place, can't say I blame them.

I was headhunted via Linkedin, and though I didn't take the job, it was a genuine and serious offer, so I can't honestly say it's a waste of time.

I'd also say that (rightly or wrongly) there are people out there who find it vaguely suspicious if you don't have a profile (I'm in the health sector if that makes a difference.)

Though there are people who do seem to live their lives on it (as some do with Facebook or Twitter), for me it's mostly a low-maintenance tool, that I'd imagine could give me quite a few leads if I ever had to start seriously looking for a job in some way.

Use it as your online professional profile. You can create a LinkedIn public profile with a short link which is easy to add to an e-mail signature. If people are likely to google you for professional reasons, and you don't have your own website, it's useful as a professional presence - better than the first link on a Google search for your name being some dodgy photos on a stag/hen night. And don't believe employers when they say they don't Google people who apply for jobs - of course they do (whatever HR policy says).

I asked a range of employers about its use in January this year - no-one was using it for graduate recruitment (my area) but several were trawling LinkedIn for "experienced hires" (using keyword searches - make sure your profile includes the keywords for jobs you'd like).

If you want a career change, or to get on in your current career, search for people in your ideal job and see how they got there. Joining relevant groups can often give you access to more detail of people in your preferred jobs.

There are some people who love all the online interaction - can't say I'm a great fan personally, though it's good for getting answers to questions if you're a member of some good professional groups.

If anyone wants to connect with me, I only respond to personalised requests, with a reminder of how they know me if I'm unlikely to recognise the name. The rest get ignored.

And you can turn off most of the LinkedIn spam under "Settings" - "E-mail preferences".

if you ask me - same as Facebook or Twitter. Dont need to know what my mates are having for dinner nor do I need to converse with a hooker from Moscow declaring undying love for me.

I use it to keep a list of business contacts and ex-colleagues. It is also how most of the job opportunities I have been contacted in the past few years seem to come about. I was talking to a recruitment company CEO yesterday and he said it really has changed how a lot of the middle to senior roles are sourced.

I haven't noticed spam from it and also I think that its quite a subtle way of keeping abreast of job opportunities. It seems to be for my profession anyway.

I work in IT and it was damn handy a couple of years ago when me and several colleagues were made redundant. One guy changed his LinkedIn status to say that he was looking for work, and within a few days, had a new job.
It was useful for the rest of us to share news about vacancies. I like it. I get a few friend requests from people I don't know from Adam, but I just ignore them.

pretty much as Leedsboy and Millymollymandy have said. Forward thinking recruiters and HR people have been using it for some time and I know quite a few people who have either found new jobs via it, or have been able to place work using it.

I don't do Facebook because I'm happy to keep my priavte life just that. But for work and professional interets LinkedIn isn't a bad shop window that you can set up pretty much as you want. The recommendation system is pretty pointless, but it's not that different from the written references that most employers still ask for. I get the occasional tap up from recruiters, but no spam, and it has put me in touch with all sorts of people I would otherwise not heard from. Which has mostly been a good thing.

It's a useful way of staying in touch with people who are work colleagues rather than mates. I get no spam as a result of it. Also it's a useful way of finding people with certain skills or in particular companies. I don't use the "I am in a traffic jam" features any more than I do on Twitter. I see no downside in something which helps stay in touch and with relatively civilised networking. In fact Handsome P and I linked up this very afternoon! It's a business tool rather than a social thing. As a freelancer it would be perverse not to be on it. I too have had business opportunities as a result of it. You do have to be selective about who you link up with or the whole concept breaks down.

But if I get one more voice mail from a lazy recruiter or head hunter saying "I was just researching your profile on LInkedIn and I think I may have an opportunity that could interest you...", I might even reply and get myself a new job :-)

I use my profile to get connected with colleagues, customers and recruiters. If a recruiter is after your CV - I just send them a link to my profile - its up to date unlike my CV.

The groups are quite useful though if you join too many or if they are too active - you do feel a bit spammed.

The one thing I don't do is the recommendation thing - there is to much back slapping going on with mutual recommendation.

Facebook is just dull and would quite happily do without my account.....

I've been headhunted through LinkedIn, which was very flattering.

Also use it to keep in touch with ex-colleagues.

Not actively job-hunting at the moment, but can see it being handy when I'm ready to return to work...

Maybe I'm just a bit secretive, but I don't want everyone and his mate to see my CV online. Linkedin seems to have a very high Google profile, and (from my experience googling old girlfriends and playground bullies) I'm amazed by how much personal detail some people are putting out there.