How LinkedIn stops InMail harassment

Last week, LinkedIn announced a new process for blocking unwanted messages on its InMail platform. Targeting harassing messages has become a big concern for LinkedIn officials in recent years.

Even with this new initiative, it’s frustrating to hear that some professionals (particularly women) are dealing with this kind of behavior, of all places, on LinkedIn.

We used to liken LinkedIn to other social media platforms by calling it the “Facebook for professionals.” While this was true in the early days, the platform has morphed into much more, including the ability to research, build your skill set (LinkedIn Learning) and connect directly with other like-minded professionals (InMail).

InMail works similar to Facebook’s Messenger and other platforms with services that allow users to send messages, share files and do most of the same things we can do with traditional email. For LinkedIn users, this service is particularly useful for connecting job seekers and employers, but it’s also an important tool for building our professional networks — not just social networks.

Unfortunately, just like other social platforms, some users harass others on LinkedIn’s public feed. Unlike InMail, there’s a way to combat the public harassment. Because of the businesslike culture of the platform, posts that sink below civilized debate often violate LinkedIn’s unwritten social norms.

Read more at https://www.vindy.com/life/lifestyles/2020/08/how-linkedin-stops-inmail-harassment/ (may encounter paywall).