Can I get a “network graph” of my LinkedIn connections?

Question

I've just got back in touch with an old friend via LinkedIn.

Prior to accepting the connection I saw that he was already a 3rd degree connection of mine and some of the connections were unexpected. So when I first clicked on his profile I saw:

       you
        |
        V
    John Smith
    Peter Jones
       ...
        |
        V
My friend's connections
        |
        V
    My friend

So, just to repeat, some of the people who are 2nd degree contacts of my friend were completely unexpected. For example I worked with "John Smith" in the last couple of years and can't see how he's connected to my friend who I haven't seen in at least 10.

So I need a way of seeing "John Smith's" and my friends common connections.

Answer 1

If he was your 3rd degree connection, this does not mean you now have 'friends in common'. That would have made him a 2nd degree (you->common friend -> him). What you are looking for is a person whom he and another one of your friends have now in common.

Or to put it in different words - a 2nd degree connection which at least two of your friends share.

I don't know of a way to get this through to the interface. The nearest is to go to Advanced Search, chose 2nd connection and sort by connections. This should show at the bottom how many connections you have to that person. You are looking for two or more. But that's still thousands of people in the 2nd degree network. And you have to expand the connection list every time to check whether your new friend is one of those two+ connections.

Otherwise, you have to use LinkedIn API but that does not seem to be a very friendly interface.

Answer 2

This tool from LinkedInLabs might be just what you are looking for:

LinkedIn Maps

Answer 3

If all you are trying to do is see the connections you share with that person, go to his/her profile and click on the number of connections they have (example below).

That will take you to a page with all their connections. If you look carefully, you'll see a tab that says: Shared Connections followed by a number in parenthesis (see the pic below).

Click on Shared Connections and you'll see the contacts that you share with him/her.

Answer 4

When you are viewing a users profile it shows the path that connests you to them in the right hand column. You can only view someones connections if you are in the same network, and they have granted this right to their connections.

For example I have granted that right to people in my network, so you shouldhave an "All Connections" link on the right.

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/martinhinshelwood

On top of that, a person will only show in my connections if they have given the right for you to view their profile, or if you and they are connected. For all others it will only show their job title in place of a name.