Hello Everyone 🙂
In LinkedIn case, it is said that LinkedIn opened its APIs to outsider developers in 2007, but unlike Facebook, they control the quality of all the apps that is going to be launched, if not approved by LinkedIn, developers cannot launch their widgets or apps. Thus the huge gap between number of apps in Facebook and LinkedIn.
I am going to introduce you a theory by Barry Schwartz –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Schwartz_(psychologist).
It is called the “paradox of choice”. But rather than explaining the theory and bore all of you with my long post, I think its better to watch him to explain what his theory is all about.
I really recommend you to watch this video in full, because its really interesting and funny too. You can also apply his theory in any subject, even in your life.
My understanding of Schwartz theory is that having too many choices makes us miserable, takes too much time come to a conclusion, eventually when we made our minds we regret it, and think that we are not good decision makers.
So how this theory is related to LinkedIn case issue I stated above?
I don’t know if you remember Steve Jobs was showing off about how many apps they had in the app store – the current number is around 700k. When Android introduced itself they criticize that many apps in Apple App store pretty much useless, and that what makes Android Store great is that every application has a purpose and is useful.
So is it really  terrible for LinkedIn to have a strict control over the apps and widgets, and having few apps and widgets compared to Facebook?
I believe the answer is no. Mainly because rather than being frustrated about the useless apps and their pop-up message bombs everyday in Facebook, I believe most people would chose to have less but sophisticated and working apps and widgets. Especially in LinkedIn, where people gather not for fun but for academic and/or work-related issues, subjects, and professional networking.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy my first entry.
