Business networking site LinkedIn today launched a redesigned homepage that incorporates news about the user’s company, customizable widgets (they call them “modules”), and a refined network updates section. None of these changes are particularly revolutionary, especially because they don’t allow users to incorporate data elsewhere (How about an RSS feed for that company news, LinkedIn? And, while you’re at it, an RSS feed for network updates?). Discussion generated by the changes hones in on the lack of risks taken by the company, with Marshall Kirkpatrick of Read/Write Web noting that, not surprisingly, even in its announcement, LinkedIn operates as the business world does, avoiding risk and protecting its brand:
Business-focused readers don’t leave comments and business sites are slow to embrace discussion and other social interaction meaningfully. It’s part of a larger pattern for businesses to be grounded in a posture of protection more than risk taking. LinkedIn doesn’t seem aimed to change this.
LinkedIn has been rolling out changes slowly, so it’s really too soon to tell how limited their thinking is as far as social interaction, but thus far the network is less about interacting and more about research. New widgets created after the launch of LinkedIn’s API, called the LinkedIn Intelligent Application platform, will likely change user behavior and possibly increase user demand for more interactivity. The API has not yet been revealed, but LinkedIn has partnered with BusinessWeek to provide news; the relevant tie-in is that users can mouse-over company names in stories to see how they’re connected to those companies.
Further reading: VentureBeat has an excellent breakdown of the LinkedIn changes and their ramifications.
