opt-in

In my social media etiquette handbook, which is easily my most referenced post of the past year, I allude to a problem that has become increasingly more prominent in social media circles and on social media networks and sites. In the post, I shared my don’ts of social networks, and to that point, I added the following rule for LinkedIn:

Gathering all the email addresses of users you are connected to — even locating email addresses of LinkedIn Group managers — and utilizing this mailing list to promote your own company or service off-site. In a specific case, I manage a few LinkedIn groups so my email address is far more visible on the site than I’d like. I’m not connected to the LinkedIn individual who spammed me, but he still took the liberty to use my email address for his personal gain in a completely unsolicited fashion. Perhaps this individual lost sight that LinkedIn is a professional network and not a spam facilitator. Even so, recipients should still be required to opt in.