LinkedIn Etiquette: On Soliciting Help

This post is the first of a series I'm hereby calling "LinkedIn Etiquette". Partially motivated by love of LinkedIn, and partially motivated by some of the truly horrifying and unprofessional habits I've witnessed among LinkedIn users, I hope someone finds this helpful.

Things that are a good idea to do when soliciting help from others on LinkedIn:

• Reaching out to specific folks on LinkedIn and explaining why you reached out to them and what you are hoping to gain from your interaction
• Asking for advice and industry/company specific information
• Including examples of the type of personalized questions you will ask this person
• Sending thank you notes

Things that are NOT a good idea to do when soliciting help from others on LinkedIn:

• Sending mass e-mails
• Including broad and/or generic statements such as "I'm looking for a job in Boston," or "I'd love to talk with you about finding a job in Boston," without any additionally details
• Asking for a job