The last thing I expected from a new connection was to receive a message asking to connect in a romantic way. Like most users, I treat LinkedIn as a professional networking site where I can share information others might find helpful in their job search and to gain helpful insights for my mine. While it is considered a social media site, it is not an online dating site like OKCupid.com.

Was it my mistake for accepting an invite that didn’t have a “personalized message?”  Maybe.  But I doubt that turning down every “generic” request to connect is the answer.  While I would rather accept invites from people who have put some thought into why they want to connect with me, I also understand that not everyone is familiar with online networking etiquette.

Here are some suggestions for how to connect with someone you want to network with but don’t know:

As for the poor soul who sent me the message, I planned to respond to him with a gentle reminder of what LinkedIn networking is all about but I must not have been the only person he reached out to in this way. He must have been flagged as a suspicious user because his message and connection have since disappeared. Despite this, I still feel that it is a topic worthy of discussion. While there are plenty of online dating sites to choose from, LinkedIn isn’t one of them.  Its sole purpose is as a professional networking site and it should be respected and treated as such.