Online Applications now on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is getting on the online apps bandwagon. The company is starting with ten applications from eight companies, such as Huddle and Google, which use the OpenSocial platform. LinkedIn walks a fine line. OpenSocial-based applications could mean more spam and more cluttered interface. The site needs to remain appealing to its professional user base, which prefers a sparse presentation with a focus on status and network ties. For one, Google docs is a natural fit with the professional orientation of LinkedIn. Members of this site are likely to want to share their documents with professional contacts that they aren’t yet ready to release to the public. The integration of apps on LinkedIn will likely increase the amount of time spent on-site, and the relevance that people see with their own lives. Maybe this will help LinkedIn, which I still see as a west coast/LA thing. I’m still surprised when professionals and academics I meet don’t have LinkedIn profiles. It just doesn’t pay to hide yourself online these days!

For videos of apps in use, see techcrunch.