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In this issue:

• New LinkedIn Contacts Layout
• Webinar tomorrow for Philippines Relief
• Link to a select post from my blog

New LinkedIn Contacts Layout and a Tip to Save Needless Embarrassment

For anyone using LinkedIn as part of their social business strategy, I recommend spending some time looking at the new layout for Contacts. Actually, it would be less confusing if they listed it as Contacts and Connections. 

One of the new(ish) features is a prominent display of names and pictures of people having birthdays, or who have a new job or position, or have some other news. It's set up with a prepared message of congratulations.

I'm finding it a nice, and easy, way to refresh connections and be a bit more engaged with my network. Especially the birthday one.

However, while I find the birthday congratulations one works well - and I get thank you notes back - I've found that the new job or new position notices can refer (in my experience mostly refer) to positions that are by no means new, some going back years. Just that people have been editing their profile. I always check the profile and the start date for the position, before sending any message, so I don't have the embarrassment of congratulating someone for a "new" position they'v had for months or years.

Webinar Tomorrow for Philippines Relief

It's been heart-breakingly beyond belief, hasn't it, seeing the devastation people in the Philippines have suffered from the typhoon and its aftermath?

So when I had a message from Janette Toral asking me if I would help by providing a free webinar for her One Internet Day for Philippines relief - #PHrelief - I took a nano second to reply in the affirmative.

It's on tomorrow - actually in less than 24 hours. Just click on this link to get details and register. Hope to see you there. 

And please pass the link on: here it is again  http://bit.ly/HTWcLH

Select Blog Post

It's a bit of a risk, agreeing to do a book review. What if you don't like it, and especially if it is by a friend or colleague?

But knowing how good a writer Shel Israel is and what a formidable combination he and Robert Scoble are, I was happy to have the opportunity to review their new book Age of Context . Verdict: a must-read, and a good read, for anyone interested in what is happening with convergence of mobile and cloud technology. And when I say "good read" I mean for us non-techies too!.

Here is the link: Age of Context: New Book by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel 

More soon

I don't want to be tantalising for the sake of it, but I'm working with some colleagues on an exciting project for the first quarter of 2014 and will tell you something more intelligible about it as soon as I can!

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the US (including the expat horde!). 

And in the immortal phrase of Sgt Phil Esterhaus (I know, you may have to ask someone - or there's Google of course) - Let's be careful out there (and especially drive safely and take rests).

Des

PS: as always, I love feedback on these updates - requests for more of..., less of..., etc. Drop me a line at deswalsh@webartsco.com

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