Huge fan of Linkedin. It’s the primary way I stay in touch my friends and work colleagues from the last 20 years. Barely use Facebook, but use Linkedin daily. So, when I was trying to filter some of my connections – frustrated, and not working well – I decided to simply download a CSV list of my contacts. Find the details.
- Click on Network (Top menu bar)
- Click on See all connections (top left)
- Click on Manage synched and imported contacts (top right)
- Click on Export contact (bottom right)
This creates a download of all your contacts, their basic information, and when you first connected. Was curious, so I graphed a histogram of when I got my contacts. No surprise, when you change jobs, there are lots of people to get to know. 
All the data? If you want to get all your linkedin data (including all your messages you have sent) follow this path:
- Click one Me (top right), then Settings and Privacy
- Click on the middle Privacy tab (blue color, in the middle)
- Scroll down to Download your Data (middle of the page)
- Select The works
So what? This gives you a download of everything from your contacts, your profiles, your recommendations, skills, saved searches and your messages. Yes, every Linkedin message you’ve sent. Is it good to have your contacts in excel format for sort, find, and filter? Yes. Is it a little spooky that Linkedin (Facebook, Skype etc) have a digital trail of every message you’ve done. Yes.
I remember in your FoMo post that you werent that much fan of adding new people in linkedin. 😛
Great catch, yes, I have changed my perspective a little. 1) I want to share this content more broadly 2) Consultantmind readers are people I consider closer than most of my “oh hey” in the hallway people 3) I still right click unfollow everyone.
I have tried to follow you once in the linkedin, before, when you were anonymous. I guess you dindnt know it was me.
Now I can’t find you anymore in so many Jonh Kims in the World.
Will send you a linkedin.