When LinkedIn Has A Problem With Your Name

My name is RamPrasad Moudgalya. Readers of this blog and people in my professional circle know me mostly as RamP!. No one had any problem with my name or nickname if you will. Or so I thought. But LinkedIn has a problem. They have problem with my putting professional nickname also in my LinkedIn page. They said it is not professional - "(RamP!) undermines the professional nature of our site and services" . They have threatened to delete my LinkedIn account if I don't comply.

I've two problems with this.

First, the interaction from their customer care center was one that of an intimidation. I had (free) premium account with them and wanted them to "downgrade" me back to the basic account (I was not willing to $20 just to see a bigger list of people "who saw my profile"). I requested them to do this change and in response they said "Once these changes have been made, please reply so I can assist you with canceling your subscription". Afraid that it was one of their tricks to make me pay for the premium account, by delaying the downgrading,  I tried removing my credit card details and realized you cannot do that.

I wrote a lengthy mail saying:
- That my name has got nothing to do with canceling premium services
- That their mail amounts almost to blackmail
- That I have name like that ever since I opened my account, 6 years ago
- That I'm indeed known as "RamP"  (people recommending me on LinkedIn have called me RamP, my twitter ID is @ramp, my gmail is ramp.ramp@gmail.com etc.,)
- That I'm trying to build my personal brand around this word.
- That I should be allowed to talk to someone higher up and get a waiver

I got a response that they had a discussion about my name and they can allow RamP, but not RamP!. Currently my name in LinkedIn appears as RamPrasad "RamP!" Moudgalya and they want it to be changed to RamPrasad (RamP) Moudgalya. Thank god they seem to be OK with the name my parents choose and my surname. Surely, Reid Hoffman has some brilliant set of people in his staff (I wonder how he'd react to someone in his team strictly going by the rulebook and not using an iota of discretion and being a little polite in their communication).

I do see a bigger problem. I just realized that in the absence of another similar network, we have given complete control to LinkedIn. LinkedIn is so vital in getting connected to world professionals, remain competitive and be up-to-date. I've no option but to comply with their dictat, unless someone helps me connect with Hoffman.

BTW, I added the humble exclamation mark infront of my name after being inspired by managment uber guru Tom Peters. The red exclamation mark stands for the "Spirit of WOW" - for the people who understand what "WoW" is and can be and NOT for the "spirit of bureaucracy" - sorry LinkedIn you disappoint.

Thank you very much,


RamP!
ramp.ramp@gmail.com

Reading list for Nov-2011

October was good. Loads of holidays, bit of travel and all that ensured that I had no trouble reading the books I wanted to read. November promises to be normal month.

Steve Jobs
Flavor of the month definitely. Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.


Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins: How to Use Your Stories to Communicate With Power and Impact
Story telling is a powerful communications tool that is becoming more and more recognized in the business community. These stories are not the usual speech openers or ice breakers, but stories that will influence others to trust the storyteller and shape decisions and actions that are important to both individuals and organizations.  You need to show up when you communicate - the real you, not the idealized you.The missing ingredient in most failed communication is humanity. This is an easy fix. In order to blend humanity into every communication you send, all you have to do is tell more stories and bingo - you just showed up." This book teaches readers how to tell six kinds of stories.


The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life's Most Difficult Problems
From the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—hailed as the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century—The 3rd Alternative introduces a breakthrough approach to conflict resolution and creative problem solving. One of Time magazine’s 25 most influential Americans, Dr. Stephen R. Covey has helped millions transform their lives. In The 3rd Alternative, Covey turns his formidable insight to a powerful new way to resolve professional and personal difficulties and create solutions to great challenges in organizations and society.

In any conflict, the 1st Alternative is my way and the 2nd Alternative is your way. The fight usually boils down to a question of whose way is better. There are many methods of “conflict resolution,” but most involve compromise, a low-level accommodation that stops the fight without breaking through to amazing new results. The 3rd Alternative is about more than just an armistice—it’s about creating a new and improved reality. A departure from the usual approaches to conflict resolution, negotiation, and innovation, this book reveals a new way of thinking that will be embraced not only by the many fans who have flocked to Covey’s prior books, but also by anyone who is seeking solutions in their professional or personal lives.