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LinkedIn reportedly jumping on the platform bandwagon

Founder and chairman tells ZDNet's Dan Farber that in the next nine months, the site will be doing the API thing.

Caroline McCarthy Former Staff writer, CNET News
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos.
Caroline McCarthy

You've probably heard it by now--LinkedIn founder and chairman Reid Hoffman hinted to Dan Farber at our sister site ZDNet that within the next nine months, his site will be opening itself up to developers, Facebook-style. There's not a whole lot else to report now aside from speculation--and the speculation thus far has indeed been rampant.

This is especially interesting, because over the past few months I've seen a few trends: first, a more professional crowd gravitating toward Facebook; and second, that recent college graduates entering the work force haven't pounced on LinkedIn the way I would have expected them to. Some of the expressions I've heard have included "not functional enough," "glorified address book," and the ilk. We all know APIs are trendy, but in the case of LinkedIn, they might be necessary for the professional social network to survive in a world that increasingly places emphasis on the all-in-one factor. (Case in point: iPhone.)

I've contacted LinkedIn and they have not responded to my request for comment. Keep an eye on this one.