On my profile I am really clear about who I would like to connect with and also the fact that I am really happy to connect people and connect them in turn to my network - but please take the time to introduce yourself to me.

Probably 80 percent of the invitations I receive are the standard LinkedIn message:

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

I always then check out the person's profile and if they are someone I know then I'll probably accept the invitation. If I don't know them then I usually write a message back to ask for more information about why they would like to connect - as I mention on my LinkedIn profile:

If we haven't met, I am open to connecting but please send an introductory note providing a little information about your background and how we would both benefit from connecting - a standard LinkedIn request to connect won't be responded to.

Today however like many of us using social networking for business, I was feeling time starved and I was ready to hit the 'I do not know this person' button. If someone has a number of people do this to them then their privileges on LinkedIn will be reduced and ultimately you might be banned from LinkedIn.

But instead of hitting the button, I wrote a note to my Twitter network to see if it was just me who is frustrated by the impersonal approach of the standard invitation. I was interested to see that most people are also frustrated by the lack of time and attention people pay to connecting on LinkedIn.

Social networking is free and increasingly more of us are joining social networks. And while there may not be a 400 page rule book, it does not mean that should jump in and forget all the good manners we were taught as children.

After all at an offline networking event don't you take the the time to introduce yourself and say who you are and what you do when meeting someone, then look for shared interests and common ground from where to nurture your relationships?

What I've come to realise is that no one (or very few) people read our profiles and connection preferences before connecting to us. I am not sure hitting the 'I don't know this person' button is the right answer either.

Perhaps it's up to us all who have been using LinkedIn for business for some time to continue to help our new connections there - perhaps sharing articles and tips about best practice or by demonstrating good practice when we reach out and connect to others.

How do you respond when someone you don't know sends you the standard invitation to connect on LinkedIn?

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog