Is “Linked In” in trouble? Probably not… (And what is “Spock?”)
Hoovers’ assault on LinkedIn � We recently mentioned Spock, the people search engine that is challenging LinkedIn to become the largest provider of profile pages. Now LinkedIn is getting charged from its rear. Hoovers is going after its contacts business. Joining with Silicon Valley start-up, Visible Path, Hoovers is providing something (see NYT) called Hoovers Connect. It lets users mine their personal networks to find people who might help them while researching a topic. You download the Connect software, and its searches your email contacts for people you’ve emailed, along with frequency. So when you search for say, Microsoft, you’re greeted with a box saying: “Connect to Microsoft through someone you know.�
“Spock, a start-up that wants to make it easier to find personal information about people on the web, has launched its private beta.
Type in a name, and Spock says it can serve up a picture, address, occupation, interests and other information. Conversely, you can type in an occupation and location (”Rodeo Clown, Lubbock”) and it will spit up people that fit that category.”
“Spock’s public beta hasn’t started, but the founders told VentureBeat that it will have 100 million profiles.”
100 million profiles?!! Umm.. seeing is believing and I ain’t seen nothing yet.
I signed up to be on their beta list and will give my impressions as soon as I am granted a peek. Let me tell you that it will take a lot (a whole lot) to displace the value that Linked In has to recruiters, but I have to admit to some curiosity. Stay tuned…
