Missed Connections

Last night I checked out TripConnect.com   In theory, a useful service: travel recommendations are a popular thing to share, as other folks like Tripadvisor have demonstrated.  Presumably, they would be even more popular to share within groups of folks you know and whose opinions you trust, which is TripConnect's premise.

Problem is, as far as I can tell, you have to manually enter / invite the network of folks you'd like to share trip reviews with.  No thanks.  Within the circle of folks whose names I'd have the patience to  put into the system manually, I'm better off calling or emailing them.

TripConnect's UI looked eerily like LinkedIn's (the usual Web-two-oh pastels and rounded buttons).  So I thought, "TripConnect is a useful focus for collaboration in search of pre-existing networks of folks to use it.  LinkedIn is a network of folks looking for useful things people could share.  Why don't they partner?"  I'm sure someone has thought of this of course. 

I'm more interested in the general case -- what other networks and other service ideas, existing or envisioned, should get together like this?  Where's the LinkedIn API so folks like TripConnect could build mutually beneficial services onto it?

Referrals to stuff like this appreciated!

Comments

[Ikesacolick]

You can actually import your contacts from Outlook. Visit the Invitations page: http://www.tripconnect.com/tripconnect/EmailInvitation.do and you'll see this option in the upper right hand corner.

Once your contacts are imported, you have the option to select which contacts that you want to invite.

This option is only available after you register and confirm your email address. Other email systems will be options soon.

As for a linkedin api - I too would love to see this!

[Cesar Brea]

Isaac,

Thanks for this feedback. That's helpful. I use Outlook and LinkedIn differently, so I'm not sure I would do this wholesale of course.

Best,

Cesar

PS Nice blog: http://ctotodevelopers.blogspot.com/

[Greg]

Cesar -

Thanks for the link! I definitely would love to see that API roll out by LinkedIn. There is no doubt that it will happen soon. I have no doubt that some interesting apps, and services will come out of leveraging the power of these networks.

- Greg