For all of you who enjoy logging into your LinkedIn accounts and interacting with other professionals, the business-focused social media platform has some new rules that could vastly increase actual engagement.
These rules, which go into effect May 12, will cut down access to LinkedIn by application program interfaces (APIs) – outside apps and websites that autofeed as a way to grow a profile or membership.
According to Wired, LinkedIn will shut down some access by these APIs to its data. Though these apps and site can still be used to log users in to the platform, after May 12 users will no longer have full access to everything offered by your profile – that includes sending connection invites.
The article states companies and developers will have to apply for inclusion if they still want the access they previously enjoyed.
Twitter did the same thing in 2012 and Netflix recently shut these APIs down completely. These are examples of a shift by major social media sites to restrict outside applications’ ability to interact with their services.
LinkedIn made this decision because it is trying to limit apps that don’t really benefit actual users. For example, a site spokesperson said spammy profiles and sites are cropping up as a way to grow memberships through LinkedIn.
While the Wired article states the end result is an online world that “is not quite as fluid … an internet that’s divided into pieces,” there is no doubt these changes greatly benefit the individual platforms. When Twitter made this move it helped increase its overall engagement a great deal.
More than likely, LinkedIn should reap similar rewards.
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