Restricted access

Linkedin annoys me every time I go to them because they're asking for my Google/Yahoo/Facebook/Whatever logins. Uh, no. I accept that some people find this kind of thing useful. But giving up my username and password? SRSLY? Uh uh.

There's a simple thing all these web sites can do. They can add restricted roles support. I should be able to log into Hotmail, create a restricted role called "Linkedin," give that role permission to look at my address book but not my mail, and then get a generated username/password combination to give to Linkedin. If Linkedin starts to annoy in some other way, say, by plaxo-ing everyone I know, then I can turn off their access. That's the basic level.

The even better level would be to be able to specify which information in which parts of the app the restricted role can see. Not just "Linkedin can see address book," but "Linkedin can see the first names and last names but not the email addresses." That way you can search for people you know en masse but avoid giving Linkedin the ability to spam.

Just thought of a social networking site for pigs: oinkedin(.com)