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LinkedIn invitation emails keep coming with no opt out link? That's a well known phenomenon.
Regardless of how fancy or useful LinkedIn is, I just do not want to join it right now, period. And I don't owe an explanation to anybody why that's the case.
So how do you stop LinkedIn from sending you invitations, and then invitation reminders if you don't even have an account with them? Apart from configuring your spam filter to trash any and all messages from [email protected], or better yet - from any mailbox at linkedin.com.
Normally, if you receive an invitation to join some network, there is a small link somewhere in the email that says 'unsubscribe' or 'block future emails' or something of the kind. But not with LinkedIn. The only 2 options you are presented with in their emails is to either login (or sign up) and accept/reject an invitation, or ... to go f**k yourself, because there is no freaking second option. They give you a link that you can use if you have or are going to create an account with them, but 'forget' to grant you the same convenience if you want nothing to do with their network.
The most ridiculous thing, however, are not the invitations themselves, but 'invitation reminders' that keep coming. No kidding, they must think every other person has an Alzheimer's! Surely, there can be no other explanation for why someone would just ignore the first invitation. They never said they didn't want to accept it! Oh wait, we didn't give them an option of letting us know about it... But anyway, why not remind them about the invite 2 more times?
The reminder I got today looked like this (some personal detailes hidden)
I run several websites. Have several emails. Once in a while someone decides to 'invite' one of my emails to their circle, or group, or orgy - whatever the hell they're doing up there - and the whole reminder bombardment starts again! I'm just amazed at how company can continue such practices and be considered legal? What is this a 'Spammers Limited' corporation? Thats really no different from spam. They too send you shit u never asked for with no unsubscribe link (even if its there it doesn't work). How's LinkedIn different? That their stalking is initiated by real people who might know you? So what? Are they explicitely asked 'do you want us to invite this person and keep inviting them after they've ignored the first invitation'? No. The overwhelming majority of people who make the mistake of inviting some acquaintants to linkedin through their website have no idea it will keep imposing itself on the victim over and over should the receiver decide not to sign up.
Actually, here is a good illustration on how LinkedIn tricks it's users into spamming their entire address book
So... maybe LinkedIn provides people with some great opportunities, but some of its practices are simply deceptive and disgusting!
Just to compare, I've recently received an invitation to join Google+. And guess what? Two clicks of a mouse - and your email is in their 'do not contact list'.
And if you click that link this page appears:
In just a second you're free again!
Now with LinkedIn, since there is no opt out link in the mail they send, and you want to stop receiving their junk, you have to dedicate some of your own time to find the way to do it. You may go to their website, find a small link in the footer with FAQ, start browsing through the pile of shit you never wanted to read because all you want is a freaking 'get off my back' section and not the 'exciting' read on how the network you want to forget about is organized.
Finally, you locate the 'Advanced Answers Search' tab on the page. At last, you think, Ill just type in 'stop virtual harassment', i mean 'block email' or 'do not contact' or smth and find the much desired instruction.
Hehe
Nope. You click the tab and you see this:
So in order to waste 5 to 15 minutes of your time searching through LinkedIn FAQ trying to find a way to stop receiveing LinkedIn emails that you've never asked for, you have to create an account with LinkedIn! You notice how many LinkedIns there are in the equation? They don't ask your permission to start sending you emails, never provide you with an unsubscribe link, and yet you can not even access their FAQ search!
So you turn to Google. And its great that there are people who write about their problems and solutions. Here are just a few links I've found on the topic:
http://getsatisfaction.com/linkedin/topics/unwanted_emails_from_linkedin_with_no_unsubscribe_option
http://www.computing.net/answers/security/linkedin-is-spamming-my-business-email/33503.html
http://www.benbarden.com/linkedin-needs-to-let-us-opt-out-of-invitation-emails/
and finally, a post that seems to offer a solution http://asiteaboutnothing.net/blog/?p=66
I am not sure if the recipe works because some time has to pass to see if no more mail is coming. All I know is after submitting a form, you get the page that says "Your question has been submitted to LinkedIn
We will get back to you soon. You will receive a confirmation email which you can use to update your ticket with additional information."
Great. To simply unsubscribe (from what u've never subscribed to) you have to 'submit a ticket'! Ha! Does that mean the ticket will be carefully reviewed and then a board of elders will decide whether to let you go or leave your request unsatisfied? There should be a simple form 'block this email? - yes - submit - done!' Just like with Google+ and any other organization with minimal self-respect.
As you see, Im not good with tolerating people (or corporations that are NOT people, no matter what USA court rules ) who steal my time. This is an equivalent of steeling money. Because I could have been spending it on my business, or on drinking beer with friends getting the necessary relaxation in order to be ready to continie with my money-making! No matter what I would have spent this time on, itd be the time that'd be benefiting me, and thats the way it should be, unless I willingly sacrifice it for some cause.
And as long as Im forced to waste my time trying to get rid of the annoying spam being sent through the well-known network, I may as well invest some more of it into ranting about the fact and making a small input into possibly putting an end to the obnoxious practice. There! Feel much better!
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Update. September 5. The third invitations reminders kicked in, including to the email I've submitted to this form. So that didn't really work.
But the emails came with an unsubscribe link! And when clicked, it loads this page:
Big progress, LinkedIn! (I hope there's an unsub link in every reminder, not only in the third ones?)
Update. September 9. Got a reply from LinkedIn reading "I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. Per your request, the email provided has been added to our "do not contact" list."
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