LinkedIn's Upcoming Changes to Groups

I just got this email from LinkedIn:

Dear Bill,

As an active member of LinkedIn Groups, we wanted to let you know about some changes we're putting in place in the coming weeks.

We are in the process of adding new functionality to enhance the experience of Groups, including the recent release of a searchable directory. We are also working with our development teams to bring new tools and widgets to this collaborative space throughout the rest of 2008.

We are also at this time making some changes to the user-created groups we host. These changes include adding a limit to the number of user-created groups any LinkedIn member may be part of at one time. Currently we are setting that limit at membership in 50 (fifty) user-created groups.

You are currently a member of 280 groups. Please take the time before this limit goes into place on August 14, 2008, to choose which groups you would like to maintain. To remove yourself from a group, go to the My Groups page and click the word "Settings" next to the group you wish to leave. At the bottom of the settings page click the text "Leave this group."

We would appreciate it if you would please take this action within the next 10 days. If you would prefer, after 30 days we will automatically keep the first 50 groups that you joined and remove the rest.

If you would like assistance removing yourself from groups, or if you have any other questions, please contact us at http://linkedin.custhelp.com or groups@linkedin.com.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you, but we hope you will continue to find value in LinkedIn and especially enjoy the new functionality of LinkedIn Groups that is coming soon.

Regards,
The LinkedIn team

While I am excited about the long overdue functionality for groups, the limit at 50 is rather infuriating. I largely use groups for the ability to contact fellow group members without burning a precious inmail. The process of removing myself from 230 groups will certainly be tedious, but my heart really goes out for those who spent countless hours joining thousands of groups.

LinkedIn, I'm sure, has observed countless off-site groups being set up on Ning and CollectiveX and are missing the revenues that they could be bringing in by keeping people on their site. I have personally set up seven sites for my LinkedIn groups (www.usarmynetwork and www.itcontract.ning.com, for example), so I can only imagine how many of the other groups have done the same. This won't stop people from creating the sites off of LinkedIn, but it will reduce the incentive for group members to join yet another site.

Truth be told, this goes back to my conspiracy theory about LinkedIn's attempt to restrict the open networker (see this post).