OK, I haven't quite figured out why I want to be in all these social networking sites, but I actually have accumulated quite a few contacts in Linked In. But twice now, when I tried to add someone as a "Friend," I get a message, in big red letters, that "We're sorry, but you must provide an email address to send an invitation to a friend."

Fine. I know their email address.

The problem is, the geniuses (<VOICE="Homer Simpson">I'm being sarcastic</VOICE>) who designed the web site don't provide any text box in which to put it. Am I missing something?

[Update a few minutes later]

I did figure out, that if I check "Other" instead of "Friend," I do get a text box for the email address. This seems like a bug to me.

In addition, there is a problem. Apparently, someone I invited disinclined the invitation, or said they didn't know me, which is why I'm required to enter email addresses for friends, even if they won't provide a means to actually do that. It seems like this is too harsh a punishment for a one-time occurrence of this. I've no idea how it happened, but inviting people you don't know, or who don't (for whatever reason) want to admit that they know you, doesn't seem like such a horrible thing that it's one strike and you're out. Another bug, in my opinion.

I don't think it is a bug. I've just started navigating LinkedIn myself, and I figure it is a way to block people from bothering others -- that you know the name, but you don't have a real relationship.

I find that annoying. First, if I'm trying to connect with someone I knew a long time ago -- or someone I only tangentially know -- I don't necessarily know their e-mail (why I'm using LinkedIn to begin with!). I may not be a former colleague -- and I think it is a bit presumptuous to label yourself as a "friend" to someone who might just be an acquaintance.

Second, you've designed it to make me feel like a chump or a stalker for trying.

You can be my "friend" Rand. I'll make up a glowing recommendation for you if you do likewise! :)

They are trying to minimize the number of people who just want to build a big rolodex for job spamming. Think of the middle-man cut people get for connecting employer and employee and you'll see the financial motivation.

The trick is to find a way to make that unattractive without doing it to the rest of the site too. I haven't found it to be too bothersome, but I've built my network slowly.

You guys are missing my point. Why tell someone that you need to know and provide the email address in order to invite a "Friend," but provide no means to do so? Why is there a text box for the email address if you select "Other" but not one for "Friend"? They tell you that there's a problem, but provide no means with which to solve it. Very frustrating, and pointless.

Rand, if you are on the cutting edge of internet empowered people who tend towards the Right in terms of politics, then we Lefties have great cause for optimism.

All your Web2.0 are belong to us.

Bill, are you saying that Linked In is a "right wing" site, or that I'm too stupid to use it?

Either way, your comment seems gratuitously and stupidly political and off topic. Hardly a surprise, of course, considering the source.

I'm not sure what's going on. When I try to add Rand Simberg as a friend, I get the "Rand's email address" textbox. I would guess that some sort of bug is preventing it from appearing for Rand. I too have been building my network fairly slowly over the past six months, now having 65 connections. Several of my connections have 500+ connections though. That seems a bit excessive, but perhaps I am misunderstanding the purpose of LinkedIn as well

I am sure that LinkedIn may have tons of bugs, it seems rather an ad-hoc web service, and one chaning faster than Facebook. It's quite possible that it fails to provide a textarea for Rand due to a bug.

Re. a comment above, a couple of years ago it was their policy not to interfere with people who amass rolodexes. The rule of thumb was that links cost nothing, it's the recommendations that are precious. This is why you see people with 10 or 15 thousand links there. So I don't think that's a good explanation.

They might not have a formal policy, but I listened in on a podcast with the founder and I could hear he wasn't enthusiastic about enabling the rolodexes. They are still in an early stage, though, so I don't think they will drive people away from their door yet.

Rand's issue probably is a bug though. I imagine they have a procedure for submitting them if one wants to go through the trouble. It would be a very 2.0 thing to do and just might produce a quick fix.