Hacker News Reader

This quote made me laugh -

"LinkedIn creates friction by preventing users from communicating with distant connections. This ensures that users do not receive unsolicited messages. This also allows LinkedIn to offer frictionless access (OpenMail) as a premium value proposition."

I'd say my inmail is 95% unsolicited messages from people who have bought access.

View on HN

Then it's working as intended. The only unsolicited messages you get are ones that were paid for.

Wasn't that one of the suggestions for removing spam, by having every email sent cost something (proof of work, receipt of payment, etc?)

I read that phrase as meaning the degrees of connection feature is a way to stop users receiving unsolicited messages, something which contributes to the reverse network effects the author talks about.

Having the paid, 'message indiscriminately' feature undermines that. So if the intention is to reduce unsolicited messages to reduce spam then it doesn't work.

I think the intention actually is to reduce spam from those who don't pay for it. So yes, working as intended.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com