Response from: Konstantin Guericke

I know you mean being like Jigsaw is a compliment, but I think there is a big difference between an opt-out sales lead database like Jigsaw and a relationship management tool like LinkedIn.

Unlike Jigsaw, LinkedIn provides:
1) People who show up in search results have all opted in
2) You get not just a name and a title, but generally fairly full biographical data
3) It's not a cold call. You can get introduction--InMail is not about sending an email; it is designed, so that members will look forward to reading InMail and that people using InMail to reach job candidates, experts or clients will have every incentive to be targeted and tailor their proposal to our member.

At LinkedIn, we believe that non-members have rights, too. At the minimum, they should be notified once someone puts them into a searchable database, they should receive the contact information of the person who added their information to a searchable database and they should have a choice not only to remove their personal information uploaded about them by someone else, but also they should have the choice to prevent anyone else from every adding them to the database again.

While opt-out systems are undesirable and untenable, I think any opt-out system should at the minimum include the items above to provide at least a minimum nod to privacy concerns.

-Konstantin
https://www.linkedin.com/p/kguericke

Response from: TJ

Konstantin,

Thanks a lot for your thoughtful feedback. I admire the network LinkedIn has
created and the brand value the company gained in such a short amount of
time.

I respect your approach to Social Networking and your strong philosophy has
created a new site of copycats who could not reach even close to you.

However I feel the powerful network you have created is running on low steam
in terms of generating user value. Many social networking sites have failed
because their appeal got lost as people realized there is not enough to do
with all that information generated by network over networks.

I feel Jigsaw is straight forward and gives a real reason to be out there as
it generates value. I would love to see LinkedIn generating more use with all the information in the system.