Sicherman dice with pencil and paper

Sicherman dice with pencil and paper
Originally uploaded by thane

LinkedIn

Aaron and Olya told me that LinkedIn had some capability to show me how I'm "connected" to various people inside their network.

So, I created an account and typed in my information for fun. While still messing with it, I inadvertently invited everyone in my gmail address book who was already a LinkedIn member to become my "Contact."

I checked my email an hour later and over thirty people have already returned the favor.

I had no idea so many people were using this thing! It's interesting think of someone I know, and type their name in. I'm usually connected to them, somehow, through this thing.

I've always been fascinated with the idea that most people I run into on the street (or maybe anywhere in the US?) are a friend of friend of a ... for some surprsingly small number of "friend of a"'s. LinkedIn doesn't quite completely satisfy my curiosity in this phenomenon because it appears to obscure the links in the chain between people who aren't my immediate contact.

Anyway, it's a fascinating thing to play with.