Skip to main content

LinkedIn hits 100 million members

LinkedIn logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

LinkedIn has always been a social networking service with a bit of a twist: instead of encouraging people to play games, amass as many “friends” as possible, and encourage outrageous online behavior, LinkedIn has targeted professionals and job-seekers, enabling folks to make connections with their professions and industries. And while Facebook is the dominant player in the social networking market, LinkedIn is still experiencing extraordinary growth: the site now claims to have more than 100 million users, more than half of whom are outside the United States.

Recommended Videos

“This isn’t just a big milestone for us—it’s also an important one for all of you, our members, who’ve helped build the LinkedIn network,” wrote LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner. “We’re most inspired that by connecting talent with opportunity at massive scale, we’re changing people’s lives in meaningful and sustainable ways. Each of our 100 million members has a unique story — from finding a job, to recruiting talent, to sourcing new deals, and even starting a business.”

LInkedIn notes that its service is used in more than 200 countries around the world, and that more than half LinkedIn’s members come from outside the United States. The company also notes that execs from all Fortune 500 companies are members of LinkedIn, and the service is showing very strong growth in Mexico and Brazil—Brazil’s membership growth was 428 percent in the last year. The site claims more than 1.3 billion connections have been made amongst its members, and education, facilities services, and ranching (of all things) are among the industries with the fastest year-on-year growth. And, lest one think LinkedIn is all button-down and business-like, there are 74 profiles that list “Elvis impersonator” as a position—and one who claims to be a “martini whisperer.”

Social networking services like Twitter, Facebook, and Groupon are hot in the investment community, and LinkedIn is currently seeking to raise about $175 million in an initial public offering. However, despite significant growth in subscriber numbers and its international representation, LinkedIn does face problems with “stickiness,” or how often its members use the service. In a regulatory filing in January, the company indicated a “substantial” majority of its users visit the side less than once a month. LinkedIn is hoping to combat that trend with new services aimed at job-seekers and recent grads, as well as news feeds tailored to users’ industries and interests.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Your politeness toward ChatGPT is increasing OpenAI’s energy costs 
ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode on a smartphone.

Everyone’s heard the expression, “Politeness costs nothing,” but with the advent of AI chatbots, it may have to be revised.

Just recently, someone on X wondered how much OpenAI spends on electricity at its data centers to process polite terms like “please” and “thank you” when people engage with its ChatGPT chatbot.

Read more
Intel Nova Lake CPUs may require new motherboards with LGA 1954 socket
A render for an Intel Arrow Lake CPU.

Intel’s upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop CPUs, rumored to launch in 2026, could introduce a brand-new LGA 1954 socket, marking yet another socket change for the company's consumer platform. According to leaked shipping manifests and documentation from NBD.ltd shared by VideoCardz, Intel has begun distributing early test kits labeled "NVL-S" — a strong indication that motherboard vendors and partners are already preparing for the next generation of CPUs.

The LGA 1954 socket would feature 1,954 electrically active contact pins, which is a notable jump from the current LGA 1851 socket used with Arrow Lake desktop CPUs. The total pin count could exceed 2,000 when debugging or non-functional pins are considered, and the larger socket may support new I/O features, increased power delivery, and more advanced chiplet designs.

Read more
LG’s latest smart monitor can roll on wheels, but needs a power plug
LG Smart Monitor Swing press image

LG has come up with the Smart Monitor Swing, a unique mobile display that combines a 31.5-inch 4K UHD IPS touchscreen with a stand featuring built-in wheels. Designed for users who prioritize portability, the Swing is said to be a follow-up for LG’s StanbyME portable screen. 

Unlike the StanbyME, there is no built-in battery as the monitor comes with a dedicated power adapter, a questionable choice since one would be restricted by the length of the power cord itself.

Read more