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In a recent post, consulting guru Alan Weiss stated that, in his opinion, LinkedIn is a waste of time. He was writing specifically of its utility for consultants, but it was apparent in reading his words that his feelings apply to other disciplines as well. His conclusion?

This is a mild diversion with limited utility for serious entrepreneurs and consultants in a world where time is a non-renewable resource. Worse, it has created a cultish behavior among many of its adherents who see the leaf and not the tree or the forest. I’m still awaiting my secret decoder ring.

Contrarian consulting advice: Use your time to network qualitatively, and don’t rely on technological shortcuts which don’t immediately involve you with real buyers. I know some people will write in ignoring the fact that I am writing about consultants, because the cult blinds them. They need to spend less time staring at Linkedin on their computer screens and go taste the coffee.

Now, before you go deleting your LinkedIn account (or Facebook, or FriendFeed, or what ever other social networking tools you use) I would challenge you to consider a conclusion that's different from Alan's. While I agree completely that we shouldn't rely on technological shortcuts, to abandon them out of hand - without first considering how they may support our overall business strategy - is a needlessly limiting approach. Better to determine what tools would have the most utility in the market you work in and then develop the discipline to use them appropriately in the pursuit of your business goals. Doing so can convert a tool such as LinkedIn from a "mild diversions with limited utility" to an effective component of a complete business development plan.