Marketing Headhunter.com: Atlanta Recruiter Predicts Future of LinkedIn

ATLANTA, GA - One of my most popular posts from 2006 was called "The Future of LinkedIn." Back then, my post sounded pretty far out ...

"And don't forget that Gmail offers calendering functionality. Is it possible that Gmail and Linked-In could datamine joint users' accounts to advise users when they will be in the same geographic location? (ie, "You are scheduled to attend the National Auto Show in Orlando. Fellow Linked-In members Joe Jones, Mary Brown, and Phil DeGraves will also be there. Click here to see if they would like to meet you for coffee ...") What happens if Linked-In and Expedia form a "social travel site" (like AirTroductions.com or TripMates.com), allowing Linked-In members to meet one another on shared flights -- or in airport clubs like Delta's Crown Room? Dude!"

Well, kids, the future is now.

According to LinkedIn's applications page, "LinkedIn has teamed up with some of the Internet’s premier companies to bring you new applications that enable you to collaborate on projects, get key insights, and present your work to the world’s largest professional network. Getting started is fast and easy, as you’ll be able to install and use your new applications in just seconds."

And guess what??

One of those applications is "My Travel" by TripIt, which lets LI members see where and when their LI network is traveling. Moreover, it generates "closeness alerts" for LI colleagues so they can connect on the road (ie, in an airport lounge) or while they're attending the same industry event. Obviously. My Travel also displays a member's current location, upcoming trips and travel stats on their LinkedIn profile. Man.

I feel like Kosmo Kramer after Calvin Klein stole his idea for The Beach perfume!

Here's LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman explaining some new changes which might ultimately have the generalist, unspecialized, and soon-to-be-disintermediated third party recruiters of the world reaching for the Pepto ...