Perhaps you read my earlier post about applying for API use with LinkedIn’s developer program, or the followup post, or Ed’s erudite comment on that second post.  In any case, I decided to try it again, just in case something got lost in translation the first time.

Usually, doing the same thing and expecting different results is considered crazy, but we all push the elevator button harder if it doesn’t come, and sure enough, I got something different this time:

linkedinthankyou

So I figure there are two main possibilities:

  1. Something didn’t work right the first time – I failed to properly submit the form, LinkedIn’s database burped, the email wasn’t sent or wasn’t received, etc.
  2. LinkedIn has changed their system since I first tried it – they added the auto-responder email or changed something else, either in response to my commentary or despite it.

Either way, good on LinkedIn for sending this small bit of humanity to applicants.  This message is friendly enough, and it gives them coverage for never replying – or more to the point, never explaining their decision – to the applicant.  This is pretty standard stuff and is quite reasonable.  If they ever respond after this, only time will tell.