LinkedIn needs a moderator

When I'm on Facebook, I am bombarded with status updates that tell me what people had for dinner, when they're going to sleep, how much dirty laundry they have, and other fascinating insights to their personal lives. That's what Facebook is and I accept that. However, I am dismayed that a few bad eggs are starting to bring their Facebook mentality to LinkedIn.

Awhile ago, LinkedIn inserted a status update field so you could share professional news with your connections. Speaking at a conference? Tell your network! Looking for a candidate for a new position within your company? Tell your network! Have a new client or looking for a job? Tell your network! This handy feature allows you to tell your connections about your business needs, successes, and challenges. It's great.

What's not so great is that more and more people seem to be using this field for personal news. In the last few weeks, I have read about new grandchildren, plans to watch the Lakers game, weather patterns, and other random musings. I know LinkedIn doesn't have a Code of Conduct, but apparently it needs one. To me, it's just good common sense: LinkedIn is a professional networking site.

Am I being too harsh? Is it okay for the line to be blurry? Should I just accept people telling me they had bacon and eggs for breakfast as I'm shooting off a congratulatory note to a colleague acknowledging his big promotion?

Okay, well, enough of this rant. My dog just sat up and begged for a treat. I need to go log in to LinkedIn and tell my network...