Link To This: My LinkedIn Rant

I always thought LinkedIn was the rational, business-like internet company: Built an actual business with revenue from people who wanted what it was selling. Went public before anyone of the other new-generation internet companies at a reasonable valuation that allowed IPO buyers to make money. Established a reputation as a reliable, fast-growth company.

But increasingly I find myself pissed off at LinkedIn as a customer of its service. I am a customer, have been since first paying $60 for what was known as a Personal Plus Account in February, 2006 and then paying an annual fee of $199.50 in advance every year since November of that year (when I guess I was prorated and only paid $182.08).

Slow: The company does not appear to be paying attention to performance of its service on any platform. LinkedIn is slower than any other service I use and value. On my iPhone, when I search for a person and go to their LinkedIn profile, the web site uses the URL “touch.www.linked.com”. I know that because I can spend 60–180 seconds waiting for the URL to resolve itself and show me the profile, 2–3 times slower than any other service I use (Amazon, Google, etc.)

In the web browser on one of my computers on a fast, wired Internet connection, it takes longer for LinkedIn to resolve a URL than any other web app. I get the feeling that LinkedIn is messing around updating its databases and composing the page before it bothers to show me any results. Kind of like the fussy old lady in front of you in line at the store, who has…