Tom H. C. Anderson - Next Gen Market Research

29 responses so far ↓

• 1 MikeyB63 // Aug 13, 2009 at 11:08 am

  Whoever flagged your image as inappropriate needs to get a life. Surely there are better things to do?

  That being said I can see LinkedIn - as a business orientated site - errs on the side of ‘professional’ rather than casual in a number of ways. As far as I’m concerned that’s ok. It seems to be part of the LinkedIn brand identity and part of what you buy into when you become a member/user.

• 2 Ben Smithee // Aug 13, 2009 at 11:13 am

  Tom - Sorry to hear about the LinkedIn Fail.

  Though I do see their “reasoning” and I guess a character avatar is against their rules, I in now way personally think yours was deceptive or out of line.

  I think LinkedIn being a business platform should recognize the value and essence of branding. For some, avatars are a means of personal branding and for you it was no different. They should recognize it as nothing different than a companies brand/identity mark.

  Thoughts?

• 3 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 13, 2009 at 11:20 am

  Thanks Ben, I agree, it’s about branding, theirs as well as mine. Part of the problem is, as a group moderator you are more visible, and naturally some user, perhaps someone who is denied entry into the group may do something like flag you.

  I’ve been an early user of LinkedIn and one of their biggest fans/proponents. It seems odd that this is how you are thanked for your efforts…

  I really like your site by the way, nice Avatars!

• 4 Frank // Aug 13, 2009 at 12:28 pm

  Some may say that my image is offensive, and its just a recent picture of me!

• 5 Rebekah // Aug 13, 2009 at 12:46 pm

  In my experience, people looove to exert their “power” and “control” on other people, with bonus points for their self-esteem if they can do it to a stranger. People can be such losers.

• 6 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 13, 2009 at 12:57 pm

  Your LinkedIn profile, perhaps more so than anything else is your cv/resume. I’m sure LinkedIn would like it to become the defacto resume going forward. However, your resume is very much a personal branding tool. Here in the US, unlike in Europe, and for various reasons, we have long had the custom of not including any pictures. Now there is tacit pressure to include an image on your LinkedIn profile.

  Shouldn’t we at least be able to choose what that image is? The resume/cv is after all our most personal and important branding tool.

• 7 Ana Lissansky // Aug 13, 2009 at 3:09 pm

  Hi Tom,
  I agree that the Linkedin Profile is pretty much your CV, and maybe soon employers will say, send me your profile link instead of send me your CV!

  And, for the same reason that we do not include photos on our actual CV (in North America) I don’t think there should be a “tacit” or any kind of pressure to put your photo there - it should always be optional. In fact there are probably many people who do not include their photos due to a variety of legitimate concerns (privacy, stereotyping, racism, avoiding someone/stalker, and probably others I haven’t thought of). There are probably people out there who wanted to have a 100% complete profile but would rather include a caricature to avoid some of the issues I listed.

  My two cents.

  A.

• 8 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 13, 2009 at 5:01 pm

  Good Point Ana,

  There are tacit and even explicit pressure to include an image. It starts with the LinkedIn tool itself noting that your profile is only “95% complete” if you do not have the picture uploaded. After that it continues with other LinkedIn members wondering or outright asking why you don’t have an image. Our research has shown that women are far more likely not to have a picture than men on LinkedIn probably due to higher privacy concerns. But yes, it is pretty much expected that you should have a picture on your profile among LinkedIn and most LinkedIn users.

  Several studies conducted in both the US and in Europe have shown discrimination on resumes/cv’s based on names (ethnic names get far lower call back even if resume is identical). Case in point see whole chapter devoted to this in the popular book Freakonomics.

  It will be very interesting to see what implications this will have in the Human Resources and Legal field going forward.

• 9 Paul // Aug 13, 2009 at 5:14 pm

  Tom,

  I don’t believe your image was as offensive as it was a movement toward what LinkedIn does not want to become. If they start to accept a cartoon of your face then before you know it they have to accept a cartoon of Mickey Mouse. It was most likely just a judgment call for their Board to make regarding the future of their site.
  I am personally torn between agreeing and disagreeing on this subject. On one hand, I enjoy this social network for its “safe” professional character. I like that there are no games, or virtual smiles/drinks handed out - just professionals interested in networking globally. I don’t want my profession to be considered a joke or a game. In other words, I believe in some separation between how I make a living and my recreation.
  However on the other hand, I do believe in creative freedom. I just don’t know if this site is the best place to wield your creativity. Some may view a caricature as “unprofessional”.
  I wouldn’t expend too much effort in trying to “change” their mind, you could always go to another website.

• 10 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 13, 2009 at 6:30 pm

  Thanks Paul,

  Yes I agree, and no not expending effort or taking this too seriously. But as I do study and work with social media for a living (as part of market research), I do find it interesting from a business as well as cultural point of view.

  I’ve heard your argument before and believe you are referring to Facebook. They have cleaned themselves up quite a bit though from the wild wild west of application developers using viral techniques unchecked to drive traffic to their apps. The demographic on Facebook now is much older than most people think.

  I think it’s rather easy to build in filters etc. for Facebook, just as Plaxo.com has/had from the outset (Business/Personal address/info).

  The point is that both Facebook and Twitter give most of their users a reason to visit the site every single day, multiple times a day. This is key. By taking all the fun out of it, while it does have a certain appeal to be “professional”, I wonder what affect it will have long term on conversions/traffic and growth etc. for Linkedin.

  Why not offer resumes on Facebook for instance? Wouldn’t need too much more info than they already collect. I’m already doing a whole new kind of networking for Business on Facebook. I get the feeling the business relationships I develop on Facebook are more personal, stronger than those I’ve developed on LinkedIn. Obviously this is because clients see your personal side as well.

  This may all be moot a couple of years from now. Who knows what networks will be around then? It may be none of these.

• 11 Mimo // Aug 14, 2009 at 4:55 am

  Hello Tom,

  Well reading your article I felt myself compelled to reply.
  I initially joined on this site perhaps 3 months ago, and wanted to initially find out how things worked.
  Due to being reluctant to post an image of me partly from a privacy issue, and also not having any pictures of myself, I admittedly chose an avatar.
  Then wanting to get involved with the community I started off by asking and answering questions, wanting to help other people and hopefully figure out how to navigate myself around the various features of LinkedIn.
  In asking questions I also set myself up for a person who flagged my photo as ‘inappropriate’ and I am now left with no image, which I think is considered worse than having a avatar.
  Just my thoughts.
  Nice new photo though
  Mi

• 12 Robert B // Aug 14, 2009 at 5:25 am

  The comments about racial profiling are interesting. My advice: upload your photo and see it as a handy way of filtering out the kind of losers who would judge you on it.

• 13 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 14, 2009 at 7:39 am

  If looking at what people post as their facebook images is any indication, I’m guessing some people would probably prefer pictures of their children as their profile pic.

• 14 Linda Gold // Aug 14, 2009 at 9:58 am

  Well, I am probably setting myself up for trouble but I am using something similar to what Tom had up and if forced to remove it I will simply have no picture up. I hate every picture ever taken of myself and unprofessional as it may sound after 35 years in market research if I can’t be judged on my work record instead of being treated like a wayword child I am not sure I really need this site.

• 15 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 14, 2009 at 11:06 am

  Interesting article today on All Facebook about creating the ultimate Facebook photo:

  http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/08/irresistible-facebook-photo/

• 16 Andy Kerr // Aug 14, 2009 at 3:24 pm

  Hi Tom,
  I thought your cartoon image was far better than many of the really bad photographs I’ve seen in people’s profiles in LI. (Bad lighting is usually the problem - makes the image almost useless.)
  Not sure why anyone would flag it as offensive. Must be one of those folks who needs something in their life to keep them busy. I wish I could get someone to draw a cartoon image of me that was that good. I guess I wouldn’t dwell on it too much.

• 17 Eric Marschall // Aug 14, 2009 at 5:57 pm

  Tom,
  I’m actually quite surprised by both the flagger and the Linkedin policy. My avatar was a mod of my logo for months before I updated it to a photo of myself.

  I can understand Linkedin’s intent and would compound it with the fact that in today’s “social media leads to social networking leads to work/jobs/contracts” market we live in, the more accurate the photo, the better. A smile and a handshake are worth a thousand tweets, and your face is your brand anymore.

  Thanks for the insight!

• 18 Will Jeansonne // Aug 14, 2009 at 8:24 pm

  Tom,

  I think Linkedin is trying to maintain a business like atmosphere with its social networking site, which has helped establish it as the defacto site for corporate or organizational networking. As a owner/operator of one of the largest technology groups on Linkedin, I can attest to the fact that frown on members who use cartoons instead of photos to represent themselves. To me, it’s as if they are trying to hide something. Call me old fashioned, but there are other venues on the Web for expressing yourself in a such a manner, Facebook being one of them.

  Will

• 19 Duncan Stuart // Aug 14, 2009 at 11:17 pm

  Well - we live in strange world when that previous illustration is deemed inappropriate - Tom, the photo is fine but it removes some of the mystery.

  The only thing offensive in the whole process is that anyone’s chosen photo/avatar/logo should have next to it a button so that anyone can complain. How about extending that logic? let’s vote off the island anybody with a name like “Storm” or “Moon Unit”for instance. And surnames - I mean my name Stuart is a French typo for Stewart. That’s got to be fixed surely.

• 20 Paul in CT // Aug 15, 2009 at 8:53 am

  Interesting, I have a logo on my LinkedIn page, guess I may be breaking the rules? I too am of the old school that objects to the necessity of having everyone’s picture (especially mine!) on everything. This used to be limited to realtors in their newspaper ads (remember those?) but now with social networking is everywhere. I understand that partof social networking is developing an identity and a following, and your picture is part of that. I guess I have a problem with being essentially judged by people who do not really know me on the basis of my picture. So although I am getting ready to make the move to a picture I am still fighting it, and I thought that your old ‘caricature’ or whatever you want to call it was fine, kind of a cross between a picture and logo. And there are sites now on the net that will turn your picture into a caricature or avatar.

• 21 Catharine Allen // Aug 18, 2009 at 4:29 pm

  Well folks, my picture is a tad “older”. About 10 years I think but its all I have. Perhaps photos should be no older than 18 months! Think what could happen if you go grey or change your hair colour in the meantime! Should this be allowed!
  But I can see their point in wanting to present a most professional image for Linkedin. However, sometimes its the only fun we have!
  Again seriously, if you are looking to link up with a firm or person, you, as an educated, informed member can choose to associate with the cartoon character or the photographed member - depending on your own preferences. Personally, I want to associate with the member, not their picture - so its not an issue for me. For someone else it may be.
  Sometimes we also micro focus just tooo much. Its like being politically correct ALL THE TIME!
  Thats why we are allowed to make choices in life…

• 22 Jan Martin // Aug 19, 2009 at 2:09 pm

  I thought the original “picture” of you was fine. It was in good taste, and looks like you. Not everyone wants to fit into a cookie cutter mold, nor should they.

  Creativity also says a lot about you and what you bring to the table. Now..you’re just like everybody else.

• 23 Neal Schaffer // Aug 20, 2009 at 2:27 am

  Tom,

  I have been blogging constantly on my Windmill Networking site about the restrictions that LinkedIn places on its users. But yours is a unique one, in that you were flagged by other users, which is similar to having your questions from the Answer board be removed if three people flag it as “inappropriate.”

  I find it quite hypocritical that fake profiles are allowed to run rampant on LinkedIn while real and credible people like you get flagged by someone (can I flag the person that flagged you?) and have to pay the price. At least you had an icon…what about all of the users who have no image? I would personally like to flag all of them.

  I agree 100% with your comment on users being in control in Social Media. However, LinkedIn is Web 2.0 within the bounds that LinkedIn sets. As you use it more, you will get frustrated with these boundaries. All we can do is to develop relationships with other LinkedIn users that transcend any one social networking site and hope that the restrictions get loosened or go away over time.

  Looking forward to your future blog posts!

  - Neal

• 24 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 20, 2009 at 3:14 pm

  A legal blogger posted this today on California Labor and Employment Law:

  http://www.calaborlaw.com/2009/08/20/employers-are-now-screening-employee-facebook-and-myspace-pages/

  “Employers Are Now Screening Employee Facebook and MySpace Pages” I’ve heard more and more about this, how some people have gotten fired for their posts.

• 25 Fingal // Aug 22, 2009 at 5:19 am

  I put a hand-drawn face in the place where my photo was supposed to go on my European CV, and it received not one single comment. And it wasn’t just that they roundfiled it, I’m talking about job brokers and friends of friends in recruiting arms of big companies, etc. — not a single comment. I don’t think I’m particularly bad-looking or anything, I am just neurotic about this “face” business.

  As for avatars and cartoons, I note that face-recognition software doesn’t yield useful info from these images. Making it more difficult for those in the back room who want to be able to automate the correlation of your LinkedIn presence with, say, whether or not you were at the Super Bowl, or at a political event.

  And, you know, just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean I’m wrong. The calaborlaw comment demonstrates employers’ sense of entitlement to regulate private behavior. Face recognition is just one more technology in the toolbox.

• 26 Tom H C Anderson // Aug 23, 2009 at 2:12 pm

  Here’s an idea for a profile icon a la MadMen if you don’t have one:

  http://www.tomhcanderson.com/2009/08/23/what-if-you-were-a-madman-or-madwoman/

• 27 Social media, branding and control // Aug 23, 2009 at 10:59 pm

  [...] control should social media brands give up to their own users? This interesting question ignited a lively debate in Tom Anderson’s blog  . Tom had uploaded a caricature of himself on his LinkedIn profile, after which LinkedIn [...]

• 28 Reward of Being the Top Market Researcher on Twitter // Feb 3, 2010 at 5:46 pm

  [...] punishment. (you may recall the LinkedIn incident when my account was frozen for having an “inappropriate” [...]

• 29 Vincent Granville // Feb 14, 2010 at 12:09 pm

  Maybe the orange aura around one’s face is a neo-nazi symbol or from some very dangerous cult.

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