— gathered in the field, North America —

Field Notes & Sketches
upon Four Networks Professionalis

being a careful survey, made in the year 2026

Vol. III · Spring Quarter

Each of the four specimens cataloged below has been observed in its native habitat over many seasons. Notes are descriptive rather than evaluative; the careful reader will draw their own conclusions as to which best suits their purposes.

I.Specimen

Networkus generalis

— commonly: LinkedIn —

Fig. 1 — typical branching, observed at scale

First record:2003

Population:1B+ users

Range:200+ countries

Steward:Microsoft (2016–)

Diet:Free + Premium $29.99/mo+

Habits:Diurnal, social, persistent

The most widely distributed of the four. Combines profile-keeping, job listings, recruiter outreach, learning courses, and content publishing within a single ecosystem. Adaptable to nearly any career environment.

Observed across all observed industries; tends to flourish where formal résumé-keeping is the norm.

II.Specimen

Indicium & Speculum vitreum

— commonly: Indeed paired with Glassdoor —

Fig. 2 — paired specimen; one rarely seen without the other

First record:2004 / 2007

Population:~350M visitors/mo

Range:60+ countries

Steward:Recruit Holdings

Diet:Free for seekers; employer-funded

Habits:Direct, transactional

A complementary pair under a single steward. Indeed presents a search-engine of listings; Glassdoor surfaces employee reviews and disclosed salary data. No social or networking layer is offered.

Most useful when the seeker already knows what they want and seeks corroborating information.

III.Specimen

Wellfound parvulus

— commonly: Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent) —

Fig. 3 — narrow habitat, high metabolic rate

First record:2010

Population:8M+ candidates

Range:~150K startups

Steward:AngelList

Diet:Free for candidates

Habits:Specialized to startup biome

A narrower-niche specimen. Salary and equity ranges are disclosed on listings as a matter of practice; founders often initiate first contact rather than recruiters. Best observed within the early-stage company habitat.

Rarely encountered far from venture-funded environments; not a substitute for general job platforms.

IV.Specimen

Conventus localis & Lunchclub matching

— commonly: Meetup paired with Lunchclub —

Fig. 4 — nodal habit, often gathering in small flocks

First record:2002 / 2017

Population:52M+ members

Range:190+ countries

Steward:Bending Spoons (Meetup)

Diet:Free attendance · organizer ~$20/mo+

Habits:Episodic, place-based, social

A community-oriented pair: Meetup gathers groups of common interest in person and online; Lunchclub matches individuals one-to-one through algorithmic pairing. Neither is built for direct hiring.

Most active where local density and shared curiosity overlap; rarer in remote or scattered habitats.

Comparative Survey

— a side-by-side glance at the four —

Specimen	Primary use	Population	Habitat	Cost to candidate	First seen
LinkedIn	Networking · jobs · learning · content	1B+	200+ countries	Free + Premium $29.99/mo+	2003
Indeed + Glassdoor	Search & review	~350M visitors/mo	60+ countries	Free	2004 / 2007
Wellfound	Startup hiring · founder DM	8M+ · 150K startups	Startup ecosystems	Free	2010
Meetup + Lunchclub	Community · 1:1 introductions	52M+	190+ countries	Free attend · ~$20/mo organize	2002 / 2017