How does LinkedIn generate "People You May Know"?

[HappyCamper]

A question for you IT buffs out there. LinkedIn has just sent me an e-mail with a list of people I might know and I'm blown away by how they could have known I know these people. These are people I would almost classify as "off the street random people I met" and they only contact me via another e-mail address that I have not registered with LinkedIn (although my full name is on both e-mail addresses). They are not connected to anyone else I am connected to on LinkedIn and I have not uploaded my own contact list / address book.

First example: girl in my office that I used to play basketball with but only ever contacted via my work e-mail (which LinkedIn does not know about).

Second example: bunch of guys I play basketball with that work for various other companies. I also e-mail these people via my work address only (which LinkedIn does not know about).

Could it be that these people had my work address listed in their address books and uploaded it to LinkedIn? Then LinkedIn matched me by name as well as city?

 

[brrmm]

I'm by NO means an IT buff, but have been told that these social websites "contact" you thru a web of email addresses.
That is, your email addy could be in somebodys contact list that signs on to LinkedIn etc.

 

[Strannik]

email addresses that your computer is storing, and other people storing your email

 

[paulzag]

Your friends upload their address books. Once a couple of them do it, your name (linked to your work email address) shows up more than once. Assuming your addresses are in the .au TLD LinkedIn's statistical confidence increases.

Have you told LI where you work? e.g. I still get "do you know...?" emails suggesting IBMers from other countries.

It's not that LI "knows" your email addresses and everything. It's more that given enough discrete pieces of information, a pattern emerges

Regards

Paul
I'm not here.

 

[HappyCamper]

Your friends upload their address books. Once a couple of them do it, your name (linked to your work email address) shows up more than once. Assuming your addresses are in the .au TLD LinkedIn's statistical confidence increases.

Have you told LI where you work? e.g. I still get "do you know...?" emails suggesting IBMers from other countries.

It's not that LI "knows" your email addresses and everything. It's more that given enough discrete pieces of information, a pattern emerges

Regards

Paul
I'm not here.

Actually, I think you're on to something here. I have told LinkedIn where I currently work, and the people I know may well have uploaded their address books which included my work e-mail.

 

[Delilah]

Yep and facebook does it too. I've had suggestions of friends on FB and the only way it could have known is by email webs.