Linked In Braces for Lock Out, But Does It Really Matter?

Linked In, the social networking site for yuppies, is warning that it could potentially follow in the footsteps of its hipper younger Facebook brother and be blocked out of China by Beijing’s Great Firewall. (English article) The question to me is: Should anyone, including those considering buying into Linked In’s upcoming IPO, really care? The answer is a resounding “no”. Whereas Facebook’s lockout has allowed a bumper crop of social networking knock-offs to blossom in China, the same can’t be said for Linked In, which is still available but virtually unknown in this country. I’m sure there are plenty of guesses as to why, but the fact that the median age of a Chinese Internet user is somewhere in the teens is probably one of the main reasons. So those considering buying into Linked In should relax: this company’s future isn’t tied at all to China, nor is it likely to be anytime soon.

Bottom line: A China lock-out for Linked in would pose little or no threat to the company’s bottom line or near-term growth prospects