Is this email really from Erica? Or is it some sleazy LinkedIn thing?

Factual Questions
1

I’m fairly new to LinkedIn, and it seems to generate lots of automatic stuff masquerading as real messages. Is this email one?
The subject line says “Napier, please add me to your LinkedIn network”.
It was sent by “messages-noreply@bounce.linkedin.com”.
The body of the email says:
“Hi Napier,
I’d like to connect with you on LinkedIn.
Erica
Talent Acquisition Leader”
The body of the email is some kind of graphic construction, not just text, and it has “Accept” and “View Profile” buttons embedded in it.

I am acquainted with Erica but don’t know her well enough to know if she’d want to do some kind of networking here versus sending me an ordinary email using our employer’s email addresses. If this is really her I’d feel rude ignoring it.

I do know that LinkedIn seems to be constantly churning and spamming and plotting to gain access to my address book. Every time I deal with it I feel like I need a shower. If this isn’t something Erica thought about sending me I don’t want to encourage them or get in any deeper. I’m only on LinkedIn because an industry group I’m in (unrelated to Erica) has a discussion forum there.

Thanks!

And, BTW, yes, I figured out my security settings well enough at the beginning to avoid spamming my friends with LinkedIn ads.

2

That’s the standard email you receive when you request a connection to someone on LinkedIn.

3

Yeah, what Telemark said. It’s considered good form to change the generic message to something more appropriate & personal, but most people are too lazy.

4

My impression is that many people will send a LinkedIn “connect” request to any name they recognize. They may or may not have specific intent to network further.