By: alin wagner-lahmy

alin wagner-lahmy — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:30:36 +0000

Hi Constance, it is good to see you joining Connected! The main differentiator between Connected and other networking sites is, as you pointed out, that it is centralizes around a very specific industry vertical. So if we compare online networking to a parallel ‘real life’ networking activity, such as conferences and events, while other ‘conferences’ are general and wide, the ‘Connected’ one is very much focused on a specific topic – legal world. Doesn’t mean you need to attend either/or, only that your expectations, experience and interaction will differ from place to place.

More and more people see the value of being present on several networks, not only because it would be boring to ‘attend the same conference’ over and over again, but also because different networks serve different purposes, fosters different relationships, brings out different interactions and community qualities. Why limit yourself to just one? As you point out – different needs call for different actions and ‘places’.

Connected is legally focused, and that’s not the only thing differentiating it from other networks – it is not just a network. It is a network that is layered on top of, and growing beside, huge repositories of legal content on martindale.com. For example, if someone writes a legal article that shows on martindale.com (which is a hefty amount per month) it is piped into their Connected profile so you can connect with those who write on your topic of choice. The way the two sit together now may not be optimal but we’re working hard on making this integration stronger. Connected is not a ‘separate’ site – it is an extension of martindale.com

I do hope you enjoy Connected and am recommending a tour around Groups, where you can find hundreds of different groups to join, depending on interest and goals. Enjoy and do let me know if you have any questions, comments and/or suggestions.

Comments on: Martindale-Hubbell Connected

By: alin wagner-lahmy