It is as Bad as an Ugly Remodel?

I don't know if you watch Nicole Curtis on Rehab Addict (it is one of my guilty pleasures) but the premise behind the reality show is that Nicole rescues houses that are in bad repair but still have potential to be wonderful homes.  She restores them using materials that would have been used in the homes during the time they were built.  Many times she discovers beautiful woodwork that has been covered in a later, very ugly, remodel attempt.  She can always be heard saying, "What the heck?!?  Why would anyone do this?!?"

That is the very way I have been feeling about some people on Linkedin recently.  The premise behind this application is for people who know each other to stay in touch.  If there is someone listed that you want to meet, an introduction is encouraged by another known person in your Linkedin network.

So with that all being said, when someone in my personal network asks for help in connecting with someone I don't know, the first place I research is Linkedin to see if that target person is listed and then if so, who in my Linkedin network is connected to him or her.  I then ask for help in making the connection.  Good strategy, right?  Wrong!  Five times, yep, count em', five times within the last couple months, when I have requested help being connected, my acquaintances have said something like, "I am only connected to that person on Linkedin, I don't really know them."

So channeling Nicole Curtis, "What the h......?"

Do you think people have forgotten what Linkedin is about?  Or am I all wet?

Is it Just Me?????

I use Linkedin to help me to help my networking contacts.

If someone asks to be introduced to another person and I don't know that new person, I immediately turn to Linkedin to see if there is some other friend in my network who may be connected and willing to help.

Here's where the frustration and challenge come about.

Even though I thought you were only supposed to link to people you know on Linkedin, that doesn't seem to be the norm.  Can you hear my teeth gnashing?

In the past couple weeks I have asked for this type of help about ten times.  Eight of the ten times, the people I asked replied with a comment like,  "I don't know that person."  or "I only know of that person."  I think you get the picture.

So my questions is...........

Why the heck do you link with people you don't know?????

Please help me to understand.

Linkedin Etiquette

Alright, I must admit that I'm only just getting to understand LinkedIn. For the longest time I just thought it would open my whole address book to the chance a being spammed, but now I understand that is not true. LinkedIn seems that it could be a very nice tool for helping to develop new relationships.

But here's the question. Or I guess I'm asking if my understanding is correct.

The way I understand is that if someone removed from my immediate network wants to communicate with me, they have to ask the person who knows both of us to make an introduction first. Is that right?

The reason I ask, is today I received a second Linkedin email from someone I don't know asking me to request a link with them so they can pick my brain to help them recruit workers. The first email was similar in that he wanted to connect to do business and then in the very long email proceeded to sell me on his services.

Is that the way it's supposed to happen?

If so, I don't think I like LinkedIn.

Who can help me to understand this whole concept?