I've received a number of emails as of late with subject headings along the lines of, "join my trust network." Although in a sense I'm implying I trust someone when I connect with them on LinkedIn or friend someone in Facebook, I have to admit I was taken aback by the idea of becoming part of something veiled in language reminiscent of the Masons.
I don't mean to mock here, mind you. I appreciate that friends think I'm worthy to be trusted and in that regard look forward to accepting such invitations. But I still haven't discovered the outer layers of my social sphere of influence online, and by that I mean people I genuinely connect with versus someone I met at a conference once I connect to because they have a cool avatar.
There are nefarious aspects to line identity as well that are interesting. I interviewed the CEO of an intriguing firm called, www.beenverified.com that offers a way of proving things you say about yourself are true via third-party resources. The service also lets you reveal facts about your identity without posting your name, so you could say something in a chat with authority and accountability while retaining a level of anonymity. Josh (the CEO) tried an experiment where he created a LinkedIn profile of a Harvard Graduate and ended up connecting with eight other Harvard Grads who apparently thought she was a real person. I wonder if she's gotten any job offers?
I'd welcome any thoughts on this subject as I'm still working on the book: [email protected]. Thanks.