Safe/Responsible Online Networking Practices

As much as I am a fan of networking, Its targeted networking, not networking at RANDOM. I'm seeing a lot of these lion (Linkedin open networker posts today) & I feel this only leads to adding people en mass, & not targeting who you should network with. What good is having 10,000 people on your network, if you can't work with anyone of those? Also, I need not spell out the dangers of openly sharing your email addresses on these open forums! Pls be careful. Network selectively & wisely. 

Pls find some quick tips on how to network for optimal use of your time:

1> Decide on categories of connections or type of connections you will accept requests from or add them to your network: [Eg: Work colleagues from various companies you have worked at, Prospective employers or consultants, people from your industry..to hear of best practices & trends, People from another industry if you plan to switch to that industry, If you run a business, then..prospective customers, suppliers, vendors, etc]

2> Ensure credibility:
Many fake accounts, dormant accounts or bot accounts exist on networks, ensure you see a steady stream of credible, useful information flowing from them on a regular basis or check with a mutual contact to ensure the person is credible.

3> Privacy:
Pls do not share your private information like email addresses, salary information, addresses, pictures, etc on public forums or chat threads. People/Hackers are using this information to hack your accounts & steal data, etc. Also, you may become the target for unnecessary spam.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

Neha Asthana