Not mine – but words I hear often enough.
This phrase, or something like, is currently the number one comment or email topic I receive. It has been enough to push me into several articles about the subject – and apparently one more.
It isn’t advice I like to give out, but if you’ve had enough of LinkedIn, this is the article for you.
Say it ain’t so
One of my earlier attempts at describing how to get out of the site – “Leaving LinkedIn” came early in 2009.
This advice still stands.
And notice – I spend much of the post telling you how to arrange your notifications so that you won’t feel overpowered by LinkedIn communications…
What’s come before
After that first post in 2009, I spent time explaining, and explaining more…
- Receiving Unwelcome LinkedIn Mail
- Still Receiving Unwelcome LinkedIn Mail
- LinkedIn’s Top Issue For April – Unwelcome Email!
- Even More Unwelcome LinkedIn Email!
And just this month Dzeni has left a comment on the latest post – showing me that LinkedIn now has a “Do Not Contact” list – so let’s get to that!-)
Do Not Contact
So – in one email exchange with a (hopefully) former LinkedIn user, the individual talked about how they tried removing their account, but still received email from LinkedIn. (And this individual was extremely unhappy… sadly, most times when I hear about it, the individual is rather unhappy…)
I didn’t have this resource to point them to, but it can be of help to you.
Visit the LinkedIn “Adding or Removing Your Email from Do Not Contact List” page.
Just follow the link on that page and fill out their form – and hopefully that will be the end of it. (And I like how LinkedIn has thought ahead to people that wanted out, but later change their mind… I imagine that’s a different sort of help request…)
(Though someone that really wanted to slash and burn their former account would take all of the advice in my articles about stopping email notices with the account configuration, diverting email to a throw away account, and then deleting the account)
Change your email address to a personal one!
While getting out seems to be the top issue for people who want to quit the site, the top issue for those that want in is getting access to their account because they set the primary (and only) email account to be their now-unfortunately-former employer’s address. Don’t let this happen to you – if you have not already done so, add email addresses and change your primary email to a personal one today!
To your continued success,
steve
—
Steven Tylock
http://www.linkedinpersonaltrainer.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetylock
So Steve, maybe you could take a few minutes to explain why LinkedIn insists on sending “e-mail confirmation notices” to people who have never had LinkedIn accounts–and continues to do so for weeks after being told to add that address to the “do not contact” list.
Or why repeated requests to be put on the “do not contact” list are ignored and handwaved off with “lol w/veNOW HERE LET ME COPYPASTE YOU SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LINKEDIN INSTEAD OF ASKING TO BE PUT ON THE DO NOT CONTACT LIST”.
Or why LinkedIn would say “you have been added to the “do not contact” list and then weeks later continue to spam a person who has never had a LinkedIn account with “confirm your e-mail address” notices.
So I’ve added “linkedin.com”, “cs.linkedin.com”, and now “link.com” to my SpamAssassin blacklist, because there doesn’t seem to be any other way that actually WORKS to opt out of e-mails I shouldn’t be receiving in the first place. Maybe you should save folks some time and trouble and just make that your first suggestion, because clearly LinkedIn is lying about the existence of a “do not contact” list.
And if I were you, I’d find another company to shill for. Perhaps one that doesn’t engage in spam and harassment against people who have never even used their services.
Stump,
Don’t hold back now – let us know what you really think about LinkedIn, ‘eh?
You’ve got a whole bunch of rhetorical questions in there – in fact, I can’t see one that I can answer. You might as well have just said “LinkedIn Sucks”.
I do have to take exception to the one aspect that does pertain to me – your suggestion that I “shill” for LinkedIn.
In order for that to be true, I’d have to get money from LinkedIn – and that hasn’t happened. I mean I guess they could have bought a copy or two of my book, but they certainly haven’t paid me to speak well of them. (and if you actually read my articles, you’d see that much of the time I am in fact pointing out things about LinkedIn that they’d probably rather not have pointed out – like the whole “skills” feature…)
And since you appear to have taken my advice on how to avoid messages from LinkedIn, why is it still an issue for you?
Well – best of luck with whatever it is you’re doing now that you’re no longer bothered by LinkedIn.
steve
I believe Linked-In is criminally spamming on purpose.
I sent Linked-In a cease-and-desist letter over my attorney bar-license number on November 27. They have not yet responded. Below is the text (edited for internet anonymity and privacy) of the letter I sent them. I recommend that you send them something similar, edited for your personal circumstances:
Linked In Corporate Offices
2029 Stierlin Court
Mountain View, CA 94043
In Re: all email addresses at [edited], street address [edited], phone numbers [edited], any other addresses that I own or maintain or that refer to me
Dear Linked In Leadership:
Stop contacting me. You’ve been told to stop several times. You persist.
I believe you think you can get away with blaming someone else. “Hey,” you suggest, “We’re not emailing you. Our staff didn’t choose to contact you. Some stranger used our system to contact you.” Tough patooties. Fix your problems. Don’t contact me again. Here’s what happens: some human who happens to know my email address, or happens to have access to my friendship through, I don’t know, some other service, say, for example, Facebook or Gmail or something, this other human requests that your system communicate with me. My friend Joe, for example, he tells Linked-In, “Hey, Linked-In, I know this guy Cliff. You should contact him for me. Make your system say this: ‘Dear Cliff. Joe wants you to be part of his personal network on Linked-In.’ Thanks.” That’s what Joe does, or Fred or Janet or somebody. One or another of them uses a Linked-In web page to try to communicate with me. And what do you do? Do you listen to me, and do as you are legally obliged to do, by eschewing any contact with me? Or do you listen to them and do what they tell you to do?
You do what they tell you. Yup, you actually break the law in order to comply with a stranger’s request. I’ve told you umpteen times, don’t ever fracking email me you twerps. Or else, do what I tell you and mail me a zillion dollars. Hey, you did what Fred or Janet demanded, why not comply with my demands too? I look forward to the zillion dollars. You may send it to the address above. Otherwise, you must stop contacting me.
I might sign up for Linked-In some day, in which case I’ll “manage” my “settings” in some manner or other. But for now, I maintain no account with you and won’t sign up for one just to eliminate you from my life. It’s your responsibility for you to control your behavior and your system.
Reply with the following clear statements: 1. A confirmation that you will not communicate with any of my addresses for any purpose other than to eliminate all contact with me until such time as I personally enable it; 2. A statement of the jurisdiction in which you are incorporated; 3. Identification of your registered agent for service of process in that jurisdiction. Reply within three business days. Significant delay, or any other action aside from the three enumerated demands in this paragraph, will be taken as intent to continue your criminal behavior and will be communicated to Federal and local law enforcement authorities. Please respect my privacy; comply immediately.
Sincerely,
[name and attorney bar-license number]
C,
That’s quite a letter… I’d make a comment about windmills, but I’m not sure how it might go around.
I’m happy enough putting this comment up – feel free to give me an update if/when things start happening.
Best,
steve
May I please opt out of this network
David,
You may.
You understand that leaving a comment on the web site of an independent writer about LinkedIn will not make that happen though, right?
This article is a summary of advice I have given – including articles that could be of help.
Best of luck,
steve
Hi Steve, I have tried absolutely everything you and others have suggested to get out of LInkedIn and I absolutely can’t make it work. I am in Australia and my settings don’t seem to match what you propose. Please help. I am so sick of LinkedIn and the endless rubbish and I want OUT. I am also leaving my job soon and I have to discontinue it.
Louisa,
Sorry to hear that.
You end with the fact that you’re leaving your job soon and have to discontinue using LinkedIn. Why?
I write extensively that “between jobs” and “when new at a job” are great times to have LinkedIn connected to a personal email account. (not a business email account)
On the plus side, if you simply find the “Close your account >>” link on the Settings -> Account page, you can be rid of it.
And if you leave the primary email pointed at the work email, and leave work, you won’t get any more messages from the system…
Best,
steve
Hi, I joined linked in when I was working some years ago. I have retired many years ago but still receive hundreds if not thousands of unwanted LinkedIn emails and contacts. I have tried everything, unsubscribing, deleting the account, etc etc,,,, nothing seems to work. It seems to me that LinkedIn is actually designed as a virus, which is impossible to delete. I have to say it was pretty rubbish anyway, I so wish I hadn’t signed up. Surely there must be some form of law against companies like LinkedIn. It’s really awful that they can do this to so many thousands of people.
So create a new email account at a free site, sign into the LinkedIn account, setup the new email account to receive your LinkedIn email, and then abandon the email account.
Done.
steve