I only just started using LinkedIn. One of the major problems I've always had with the service was the fact that it would notify you that someone from some area had viewed your profile. This is a major intrusion into the seclusion of my visitors' browsing activities for several reasons, but most of all because you have no control over what might be inferred by this view.

I think this is an alarming trend on social networking sites. As saturdaysaint already pointed out, this is okay for dating web sites, because the point of them is to encourage pairings between members. Social networks, like facebook, and professional networks, like LinkedIn, have grown to the point where they are virtual address books containing more than just information about your contacts, but up to date information about the activities and interests that they choose to disclose.

Product management teams need to tread carefully when introducing features that go against the grain of real-life interaction. To me, page view notifications are the virtual equivalent of a little voice alerting you whenever someone has mentioned your name in conversation. Absent of context, what could you rationally infer from this notification? Context is key, and without delivering that, the notice is at best worthless and at worst dangerous.