It’s not what you know, but who you know. For years the Internet helped with what you can know – but suddenly it seems to also help with who you know.

There are several Internet services that focus on expanding your circle of friends and experts. These web sites help you track the people you know and help you grow that list by tapping into friends of friends. It’s like a giant cocktail party where guests wear résumés instead of name tags.

I am a member of one of these services, Linked In. Someone invited me to join, so I did. Basically I clicked on “OK” and entered a brief biography. (The service is free.) Now I can see and be seen by many people online. It can be a great place to find a new job, a new employee, or just find folks who share your interests.

I haven’t taken great advantage of the network yet, but I see its potential. More importantly, I’ve been a member for several months and have not received unwanted email from them – so I think this is a service worth trying.

I thought about using the Linked In service to send out the Byte this week and then invite all of you directly to try out the service but out of respect for your privacy I decided against it. That being said – I’d be happy to send you an invitation to join via Linked In. I think it expedites the sign in process. If you are interested, let me know and I’ll invite you.