MaRcHiNg To A dIfFeReNt DrUmMeR

I've been thinking.  Maybe too much.  Each time I get an email from LinkedIn, it seems that there are many, many strangers, and some acquaintances, who want to link with me.  The list grows very rapidly.  Then LinkedIn sends ads: if you upgrade in the following ways, and pay such and such a fee, blah, blah, blah....  The etiology of LinkedIn resembles that of a tumor.  If I spent time responding to each contact, that's all I'd be doing.  I found myself being analyzed.  I began to wonder why I got on board in the first place.  I did the same thing with Facebook a while back, then dropped it, believing LinkedIn would be better.  Better in what way?  Not sure.  Seems to be full of inane crap.  Yes, some possibly useful professional exchanges, but mostly social drivel.
It's just that a lot of my colleagues and friends were doing it, so why not?  Then I saw LinkedIn's recent profit statement. Voila!  I even checked a book out of library titled "The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success."  Yuck.  I hate the phrase "power formula."  I want to thank colleagues and friends who recommended me for one thing or another, or stated that I had certain skills, etc., etc.  I really do appreciate that.  However, I get more than enough "networking" at coffee shops and at my places of work.  Beyond that, I'm really more interested in solitude and family time.  My email address is on this blog site.  My phone number is in the phone book.  The NSA knows where I am.  That should suffice for anyone who wants to find me.