> if the data is being made publicly available ... anyone should be able to take and use that data
It isn't being made publicly available in that sense. LinkedIn only offers the data to site visitors (unregistered users) under the guise of a license.
> we are choosing to make our own data publicly available
This isn't true. Putting data on LinkedIn is not making it publicly available, it's sharing a copy of your data with LinkedIn, and allowing them to do whatever they want with it. Those are the terms you agree to when you register.
> Our data shouldn't be what a corporation's profit (or loss of profit) is based on to begin with.
I agree, in an ideal world, but LinkedIn does profit on your data (as do Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc.). And we are willingly sharing our data with them and allowing this to happen. There are all kinds of crappy trends with data and privacy happening, and lots of people raising red flags. Your choice is to not use those services. If you don't want LinkedIn to use your data for their profit, then don't share your data with LinkedIn. If you share your data with LinkedIn, then LinkedIn now has the right to use your data to their own advantage.
It isn't being made publicly available in that sense. LinkedIn only offers the data to site visitors (unregistered users) under the guise of a license.
> we are choosing to make our own data publicly available
This isn't true. Putting data on LinkedIn is not making it publicly available, it's sharing a copy of your data with LinkedIn, and allowing them to do whatever they want with it. Those are the terms you agree to when you register.
> Our data shouldn't be what a corporation's profit (or loss of profit) is based on to begin with.
I agree, in an ideal world, but LinkedIn does profit on your data (as do Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc.). And we are willingly sharing our data with them and allowing this to happen. There are all kinds of crappy trends with data and privacy happening, and lots of people raising red flags. Your choice is to not use those services. If you don't want LinkedIn to use your data for their profit, then don't share your data with LinkedIn. If you share your data with LinkedIn, then LinkedIn now has the right to use your data to their own advantage.