Online platforms: the dynamics of change

24 February 2016

Online platforms: the dynamics of change

I received an email from Linkedin with the latest changes on the platform.

LinkedIn is always looking for improvements to the social platform. LinkedIn says itself that this is done in the ' continuous effort to users and their data safe '. This is not new but is always.

Author pages Linkedin Pulse
The Author page is the place where all your posts are posted which are written via Linkedin Pulse. For the author and for the reader this, according to Linkedin, is easier to share articles. Below is an example of an author page.

The difference between the current link, and the new link is one word: Author instead of Posts. The new link to all my articles posted on Pulse on Linkedin is https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/martijnrijk.

If you use the original link, this one for example https://www.linkedin.com/today/posts/martijnrijk, in your email signature, on your blog or any other Web site have mentioned, this work than to your personal new link. The new link to your author page is effective per 8 March 2016.

LinkedIn Connected app
In July 2014, Linkedin launched the LinkedIn-Connected app. With This app, you can keep in touch with your professional network in a good way. Linkedin has yet again decided to withdraw the Connected app on March 21st. According To Linkedin, user feedback about the functionality of the connected app is integrated into the general Linkedin App.

You will find all your network updates via the "My network" tab in the Linkedin app on this tab you can read information about people in your network with a new job, with and work anniversary and new connections.

You can continue to use the app on your mobile to 21 March, erna, you can remove the app. When you have linked to the calendar app to receive information about the participants in your meetings then you will in the Linkedin app you need to link to the same agenda to continue to receive information.

Linkedin calendar connection

Why change it?
What is striking is that apps or applications of platforms with many Baker are launched and withdrawn fairly quickly. This is not only true for Linkedin. Do you Remember Linkedin Inmaps yet? The tool with which you could map your network visually. Dropbox also recently announced that the Carousel app is withdrawn.

Another change with great impact is the shut down the Linkedin API for developers. An API is a connector between different platforms that makes it possible to exchange data. You could previously use the Linkedin API to automatically export your connections to your CRM environment. For example, you could already analyse the new connections of your first-line contacts.

Social Media Monitoring tools brands also the limitation of the closure of the Linkedin API. Post an article via an external tool is still possible, however you may of Linkedin no sending pictures. To do this, you will need to place your article directly on Linkedin.

Also publishing parts of your Linkedin profile on your website was possible. Since May 12, 2015 is this for the masses is no longer possible and you only get access to certain functionality through Linkedin developed tools.

There are only two crm suppliers which still have access to the Linkedin API. Together with a very limited selection of other suppliers, Linkedin allows them to build apps and gives them access to the API.

On the other hand will shut down apps are to the fact that the number of users and the activity in the app too low to allow the app to make profitable and its investment to the app to keep up to date.

On the other hand, I suspect that also platforms ever new way to attract users to the main platform. When you only have a few suppliers access to your resources, you can ask a specific rate on an exclusive basis for access to functionality and data.

In addition, platforms on the own website more insight into the use and makes it easier for users to show ads to advertisers and, on the other, a possible upsell in subscriptions.

It is unfortunate for the user and for developers. They put a lot of time, energy and resources to develop applications to do more with Linkedin data. In addition, stimulates it to my idea is not the use of the platforms in the long term.