I've just tried to log into LinkedIn. After LogIn, I got this message:

We've restricted your account temporarily

We noticed unusual activity from your account. This includes an unusually large number of profile views and/or viewing patterns that indicate the use of an automated tool.

To help guard against abuse and to protect Member privacy, we don’t permit the use of software tools that automate activity on LinkedIn. We also limit accounts from viewing an unusually large number of Member profiles.

We showed you a warning about this previously, so for now, we have restricted your account until September 08, 2022 9:52 PM PDT. Please try signing in again after this time, and note that engaging further in such activity may result in permanent restriction of your account.

First, let's deal with the dodgy wording: "We showed you a warning about this previously". Well, kind of. What actually happened was that a notice came up on screen, told me that I mustn't use a bot (I don't) and must not view "an unusually large number of Member [sic] profiles." It required me to tick a box to continue. I did. Then I was dumped out of the system and could not log back in. So did I see a warning? Yes. Did I continue to act in breach of whatever LinkedIn alleges I'd done? No.

What was I doing? I was being efficient. And I was using facilities provided by LinkedIn. "You may know" it says. True, I don't. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to. So I sent connection requests.

Now I have no idea what is happening to those requests. If someone accepts it, does the acceptance disappear? Have those requests been suspended and therefore are they in some kind of limbo until the account comes back to life? Or have they been deleted.

Nowhere does LinkedIn say what it means by "an unusually large number." So I don't know how to ensure that I don't breach whatever rule it has in place. Tell me if I can only view ten profiles an hour, if that's what you want. Given the efficiency with which I work, that's going to mean five minutes per hour for me. Is LinkedIn then going to decide that, because I work so quickly, I'm going to be falsely accused of using some kind of bot?

What happens to all of my posts and comments on other people's posts? Have they disappeared and if so is that temporary or permanent?

What happens if one of my tens of thousands of connections wants to send me a message. Can he or she find me to send a message?

Here's the even more bizarre thing. The account, says the message, was suspended until September 08, 2022 9:52 PM PDT

It's already 9th September and now it's 12:10 hrs where I am which is 02:10 hours GMT. I have no idea what PDT means. Why does a company that pretends to global coverage insist on using a little local time zone instead of one that the vast majority of its customers can relate to?

I know that the USA's East Coast is 12 hours behind me and I know that Americans call that something like "Eastern Time," conveniently forgetting that there's a whole world beyond their beaches. So maybe instead of "Western Time" (John Wayne looks at a shadow cast by a cactus and says "Ah reckon it's tahm to get to gettin'") they refer to Pacific time. What does the D stand for? Dunno. Guess daylight. if that's the case then there are variables to be looked at, which I would not need to think about if it were to refer to GMT.

So I looked it up and the time there is 21:17.

I'll just have to do some other work, then.