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I know someone with more 5,000 Linkedin connections. Otherwise known as LIONs or “LinkedIn Open Networkers,” this group of people  opens the floodgates to their online network and allows anyone to connect with them on LinkedIn. The friend is a talent recruiter, so it makes more sense to her than other people. But what do you do with all of those people?

Know Who Your Friends Are

I asked my friend that question and she told me that she believes in open networking because it works for her. Whenever someone needs someone in her profession, there are people who go to LinkedIn to find them. She actively works her network too sending messages and posting on groups including LIONs. But I don’t think it’s for everyone and perhaps that’s just my personality.

Online Behavior = Personal Behavior

I’ve always been friendly with a lot of people, but have few true friends. I would rather spend more time with fewer friends, than less time with more friends. Quality over quantity I suppose. And I think that translates into my online behavior.

I have more than 400 Facebook friends. If someone hacks into my account, I’m going to be on the phone a long time. I have almost 300 LinkedIn Connections. I can honestly say that I know or have met more than 90% of the people I’m connected to on both of these sites. Admittedly, the other 10% are people who know other friends, people who I admire professionally or people who are just interesting.  I probably post on the walls of maybe 20 of them. That’s not a lot. My Twitters automatically post to my Facebook. With LinkedIn, I get the email alerts on the status of my connections and when someone posts on the boards of one of my groups. I may post something on LinkedIn once a month.

Who Are You?

But what if I had 5,000 Connections? That’s just too many. Even if you were trying to find, say, a graphic designer, it just seems overwhelming to search your LinkedIn Address Book for someone. And even if you find them, how well do you really know them? I’m still Old School in that I like to meet face-to-face the people I work with–especially if I’m looking to hire them full time.

A Guy Walks Into a Luncheon…

I think Open Networking like going to a professional luncheon and just throwing your cards at everyone: “Here … call me if you need anything! Who gives a shit who I am, ’cause I can throw cards REALLY well.” There no qualifying or interviewing–just “I have a card–here!”  To these annoying people, you’re merely a “connection,” and another business card in their physical and virtual Rolodex. They normally forget about you in the morning (Ah, I feel so used).

LIONs Are Not Real Networkers

Real networkers truly care about you and your business. They are more givers than takers. They are looking for the next opportunity and it may or may not involve them. I consider myself a pretty decent networker because I want as many people around me to be successful (successful people typically hang out with other successful people). If I can bring two people together who make something happen–whether it’s business or personal– that’s nirvana. Need a restaurant for a business dinner? In Houston, go to The Strip House.  Need an accountant? You should call Karen Love at PKF. I’ve been to the Strip House and I know Karen Love. I’m not sure how you can make that kind of confident referral on a LIONs network.

The Circle of Life

How do you know what everyone wants? It’s overly simple to assume that everyone in your network is looking for a job (they may be) or more work (okay, we all are), but isn’t that just too limiting? Aren’t we missing something? What about the human connection of learning about someone’s life and giving them the opportunity to give back to networking ecosystem in the future? How can you have time for that with 5,000 virtual friends? Jeeze, I barely have time for it with the few hundreds of “friends” I have now let alone if it were thousands.

I guess that just makes me a Mouse.

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