Well, it finally happened. I had a good 18-month run as "CEO of LinkedIn" on LinkedIn. Just when I allowed myself to start planning a 2 year work anniversary party, I received an email from Faith at LinkedIn's "Trust & Safety" team.
Faith said they "had concerns about the authenticity of my account" and asked me to "provide documentation." So I took a photo of my license and sent it in to prove my real name is, indeed, Chris Duffy.
She wrote back and said "No, the issue is that your profile contains language that could imply you're affiliated with or employed by LinkedIn. This violates the 'Don'ts' section of the User Agreement." I wrote back and said, "That's a good joke, Faith, because I am the CEO and owner of LinkedIn. I wrote the 'Don'ts' section by hand." 30 seconds later, she deleted my account.
After several unsuccessful efforts at re-contacting Faith, I had to give up on recovering my account. But I will never give up on professional networking! I took some time off to travel and find myself, and I'm happy to announce that I am starting a new chapter in my career, one that I believe solidly falls under the "Do's" section of the User Agreement.
I'm now the owner of a business-networking-themed bed and breakfast called Lincd Inn. Please connect with me here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-duffy/
