One small step
Sometimes even the smallest changes can reinvent an object. For example, try to use a television without a remote. The following LinkedIn idea is a small change, that could strengthen the community that uses it.

Currently LinkedIn is a professional community to function alongside Facebook. The main uses for LinkedIn are the following: posting employee recommendations , Facebook type friends or “connections”, the ability to chat, and job postingings within the LinkedIn Community.

Let’s take these new changes, one step at a time.

Step 1 — The ability to add contacts to your list, without having to ask them to join LinkedIn.

Currently to gain a connection:
1. You have to ask them to be your connection
2. They must already be on Linked in, or must then make the decision to join instantly
3. They need to accept your invitation

Imagine not being able to add someone to you address book because, they didn’t have the same type of address book as you. Perhaps the pen that you are writing with doesn’t allow you to write down a persons phone number because you are not in the same club. The exclusivity of the service is holding LinkedIn back.

Step 2 — The ability to email using any email address

Instead of having software that tethers your information to one computer like Outlook. The LinkedIn website would be the black book or rolodex that could be used exclusively for your business contacts.

• With these steps
• Your entire business rolodex will be in one place.
• The messages sent will be emails, in a form that works for you.
• Your contact list is separate from your other accounts.
• Your rolodex doesn’t have to be a set of business cards in a desk drawer, or a cumbersome rolodex wheel. It can have all the advantages of digital content management. Deleting making categories would be simple and quick.
• Your list of contacts will be stored in the internet accessible by any computer with an internet connection.
• LinkedIn smartphone application will could be your go to rolodex for everything business.

What this could mean longterm
“We want to create a broad and critical business tool that is used by tens of millions of business professionals every day to make them better at what they do,” Mr. Nye (Chief executive or LinkedIn) said. -NY Times

With these changes LinkedIn can be used as a tool more than a community. “Roughly 1% of the LinkedIn addicts are responsible for a staggering 34% of all visits! 62% are passers-by and responsible for 18% of visits.” -Global Recruiting Roundtable There are not many casual users, because there is not a really casual use for it. Basically it is used for people who really need to look for work or people who are building their status within the community.

LinkedIn is commonly referred to as an online rolodex. Instead of trying to run from this title they should embrace it. No matter what computer you are on you will be able to access your business contacts, and business lists, even a set of editable web bookmarks could be added in this rolodex of yours. Everything else can be said and stored through email within their LinkedIn account more privately. The way it should be.

If this plan is executed tactfully, and they master privacy settings keeping the information in it’s place. These changes can help to gain the marketshare of the global competition. This includes Viadeo (similar site based in Paris 30 million members may 2010 including China) -Tech Crunch and Xing (based in Germany) -Tech Crunch. If these changes were part of the free service it could expand how much it is used, and in turn expand the amount of people using it.