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What is the point, in LinkedIn's view, of groups?
If there is no functionality, and now group owners can't even see their members or email them, then what is the purpose of groups on LinkedIn? What is LinkedIn's intent in creating them?
Is it simply to add logos to your profile, like LIONs collect connections, without any real benefit? If, so, then I think all group owners should delete their groups - we've all put too much time and work into this to only have LinkedIn remove any ability to DO anything with or in the group.
Any LinkedIn employee have a REAL response, that actually ADDRESSES THE ISSUES WE ARE HAVING????
Is it simply to add logos to your profile, like LIONs collect connections, without any real benefit? If, so, then I think all group owners should delete their groups - we've all put too much time and work into this to only have LinkedIn remove any ability to DO anything with or in the group.
Any LinkedIn employee have a REAL response, that actually ADDRESSES THE ISSUES WE ARE HAVING????
I’m disgusted that LI is WRECKING a once great product
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Inappropriate?Okay, I sit next to the PM for groups, and he is working insanely hard right now, so I'd drop a quick note until he can swing by.
In the past, groups had one important role, which was to allow users to add a group affiliation to your profile, to improve our professional reputation. This also enhanced the group's reputation by having a lot of smart people publicly announcing an association.
But, as you point out, that is leaving a lot of value in groups behind-- namely communication and knowledge sharing. Don't think we having noticed, and heard your calls. In a couple weeks, you will begin to see new, richer functionality.
Unfortunately, to get that new functionality in, we had to do some infrastructure changes, and we did have to scale back functionality in order to get it out there. We did get many design improvements out, and personally I really like the direction we're going. Your mileage may vary.
Can I ask group owners to keep the faith until labor day? When the first nifty feature arrives? LinkedIn believes strongly in the power of groups, is investing in it, and I'd hate to see all the hard work that goes into making an maintaining groups thrown away. I'm a group moderator too, and believe me, I sympathize. But I can see things in the works, and want to share with you that it's worth keeping the flame of hope afire!
I’m just waiting for the end of august!!!
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I really understand your point of view, Christina. I have read through this topic and I see what you are saying, understand your powerlessness, and appreciate your affirmations. As a person, you care and I do so much appreciate it.
The situation sucks for us on both sides. -
Inappropriate?Christina-
Thank you for taking the time to reply, but as to your point of "we did have to scale back functionality in order to get it out there" = Wrong Answer.
Unless you have the most incompetent engineering team of all time, there is absolutely no reason why you had to kill simple functional things like being able to sort your group's member list by name or when someone joined the group (click here for the full GetSatisfaction thread on all of this).
As to your point of "In the past, groups had one important role, which was to allow users to add a group affiliation to your profile, to improve our professional reputation. This also enhanced the group's reputation by having a lot of smart people publicly announcing an association" = Wrong Answer.
Many group managers built vibrant and valuable communities with the limited group tools that were available - tools that you have now removed because of your preconceived bias that groups were only an "affiliation badge." Nice of you to so callously kill something that you couldn't even bother first informing yourself about.
As to your point of "In a couple weeks, you will begin to see new, richer functionality" = Wrong Answer.
If the new version is so great, tell us why it is so great and why you needed to have a few weeks of totally crippling the old groups system before you finally get around to putting the new system in place.
And after the utter fiasco of what has already been done to groups (stuff that has clearly been done with no thought to or consultation with actual group managers - and which is ridden with bugs), why exactly should we "keep the faith until labor day"?!
As to the "PM for groups... working insanely hard right now" = Wrong Answer.
The "insanely hard work" should have come BEFORE changes were made that effect 25 million people and the tens of thousands of group managers (aka the people who have worked hard to provide extra value to LinkedIn users).
If y'all had actually done the work to talk to group managers BEFORE you made these inane and unnecessary changes, if y'all had actually done usability testing BEFORE you made these inane and unnecessary changes, if y'all had actually tested for bugs before inflicting these inane and unnecessary changes on 25 million people, then your PM should have instead been able to be on vacation right now, knowing that the groups system rollout wasn't going to be a complete travesty that required insanely hard work AFTER things were messed up because the "insanely hard work" that should have been put in BEFORE the rollout was not done.
I’m annoyed
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One word: Microsoft. It's not about enhancing usability or even improving existing features. It is about making Microsoft indispensible within the LI environment. It's about OS not CS.
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That is why the crisis now. From where I sit and read about this whole fiasco, the whole Groups feature was scrapped probably because it was incompatible with Microsoft's objectives. We are looking at a whole new program being rolled out piece by piece with great big glaring gaps in between, not improvements. The sort by date function wasn't cut; the new program does not have it. Uploads of contacts were not simplified but rationalized to fit a Microsoft platform objective. LinkedIn will sell Microsoft as the platform of choice. At least that is how I read LinkedIn's posture, interpret the losses to functionality.
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Inappropriate?I'm sorry that my answer wasn't helpful to you.
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Inappropriate?Christina - thank you for your apology for your answer - but it would be much more helpful if you instead actually answered the points I and others have raised on this and other related threads. Thank you.
I’m hopeful?
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Inappropriate?Hi Christina,
I like LinkedIn, I really do. But you do things that so aggrevate your users!!! I realize you must have huge growing pains - so let your users help - how about ASKING what they'd like to see, what changes/new featrues are most needed? I'm sure you all mean well, but it comes off as really arrogant to assume you all know best and we have no meaningful input and should just shut up - I don't mean your reply here, though you are basically telling us to just wait, there's no request for our expertise - but that is how customer service most often comes across when responding, if they even bother, to issues. Case in point, I've heard that CS is downright snotty about people having their ability to invite others revoked if they get 5 "I don't knows", even if they prove some IDKs were in error and the person connected, and wihout any regard to how many successful invites they've sent.
In the case of groups, why didn't LInkedIn ASK for group manager input into new features, deleted features, and other changes? I even posted a Q&A before all this happened asking for ideas on how to make groups better, and sent the link to CS - no one's bothered to look at it or even acknowledge my email.
Unless you stop alienating and frustrating your members, LinkedIn is setting itself up for a competing product to take the market. It's just a matter of time, probably less than more. Don't want that to happen? Engage and respect the opinions of your members!!2 Comments Add a comment
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Written like a true public relations expert! Excellent post. Great point. This would solve the problem is you were able to affect policy at LinkedIn.
My heart goes out to the kind hearted and sincere employees (like Christina) caught in the cross fire of this issue. -
This comment was removed on 10/22/08.
see the change log -
Inappropriate?I've worked for and with product developers in the past. It's criticaly important for the input on new features to be collected from the USER COMMUNITY, and not just to be what the DEVELOPERS think would be cool to do.
Just because you can do something doesn't mean that it's a good idea or that it's something that the user community actually wants.
And ANY time you do any thing that even slightly restricts an existing feature, you really need the up front buy-in from the user community. And to break so many critical features when rolling out an "upgrade" that adds nothing is absolutely inexcusable.
The way this whole groups situation has been handled shows that those developing new features are out of touch with your user community. Perhaps you need to hire a user group liaison or ombudsman, do some focus groups with users worldwide, increase your beta testing before rollouts, and the like.
Let me know if you're hiring :-)1 Comment Add a comment
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Ditto. We do public relations. Relationships matter. It's not a marketing issue. It's a relationship problem. It's about control.
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This reply was removed on 10/22/08.
see the change log
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