Gender in online business networking

January 22nd, 2006

While we would want to know whether we are addressing a lady or a gentlemen while networking online and using online business networking portals like LinkedIn [ openBC is discounted here because they carry photographs ], in my opinon, it does not make sense to include identifying characteristics.

While we would want to address a lady with added respect and politeness, I don’t see how that affects online business networking communication.

 

Wouldn’t we want to be courteous with “everyone”?

Wouldn’t we want to use the same language with everyone?

How would it matter if the person we were writing to was male/female?

If we did interact with someone with a generic e-mail, by the second or third e-mail we would have already been to their website and would have found out whether they are male of female anyway – so why bother with “features” that will tell you whether a particular member is male/female?

Entry Filed under: LinkedIn,openBC,other portals