If you live in a town or village and you meet someone, you introduce yourselves to each other.

WSJ: The Debate Over Online Anonymity

The website enables them to identify mutual contacts who can introduce would-be employees and employers to each other.

ECONOMIST: How individuals can survive in the new world of work

They will probably also like a new feature ResearchGate is planning to introduce in April: a feedback system which lets users rate each other's contributions.

ECONOMIST: More connective tissue may make academia more efficient