Scott Stratten posted on his famous business blog, UnMarketing, about the 5 worst practices one could exercise on LinkedIn. From what he says in his blog post, LinkedIn does not sound like the best way to connect with others – that is, if not used properly as exemplified in the article.

According to Stratten, one could “stink” on LinkedIn through:

1. spamming (or “warm spam,” as he put it),
2. blank-requesting,
3. being everywhere (that is, posting the same status on five different social media websites),
4. posting “drive-by group articles”
5.  and endorsing strangers.

While there seems to exist a craze about LinkedIn among businesspeople, one should always keep in mind that misusing this social media channel could seriously harm one’s reputation online which directly connects to the offline status. While the list above may sound rather funny, there have been numerous reports by the HR department of today’s world of business on misuses of LinkedIn which led to more serious grounds.

What one should really keep in mind while using LinkedIn is that in today’s society anything one does online holds direct connections with how one is viewed offline. I think there tends to be a tendency where people think of themselves online apart from who they are in real life, which is no longer the truth in a world like today where everything – whether it be on the Internet or just with a group of friends at a local Starbucks – is literally “linked-in” together.

So be aware not to “stink” at LinkedIn! You never know what consequences you are bringing about with a post of a stinky status.