What does social networking and music have in common? Quite a lot. Consider the meteoric rise of MySpace. Music is entwined with popular culture, interests, and friends, the stuff of networking.

There also are similarities in the leaders of these industries. Monopolies and success, separate and together, protect archaic business models and breed arrogance, which alienate customers, which impacts the bottom line.

We've seen it in the music business. RIAA, representing the top 4 music labels, continues its campaign of terror (oops, education) to sue people who share files. These are their best fans, and many are artists themselves - people who explore, experience, and collect tens of thousands of songs to fill their PCs and iPods.

RIAA intentionally confuses cause and effect to influence public policy. They say such users don't respect artists and and hurt label revenues. In truth it is the consumer who is talking. It is the labels they don't respect. The consumer is saying the industry is not being competitive and serving their interests. And in a digital open market economy, the consumer is king.

In the world of online business networking linkedin is the heavy, having grown now almost to 5 million members. Many people are seeing ongoing LinkedIn changes as arrogant and alienating their best fans, the top networkers.

Consider this response from one LinkedIn user, similar to many I have received.

"Linkedin has really pissed me off. I will not renew my paid subscription.
They have not kept a single promise - esp the with 24 hour tech support
promised. I can't say enough how angry I am with them and their nuisance
emails to spank me about widening my network. We are their base and made
them grow as thay have and they owe us some minimal respect "

Substitute a few words and that's the same sentiment of a typical P2P file sharer.

Marc
Your LinkedIn DaddyFeel free to connect to me at IamYour(at)LinkedInDaddy.com