LinkedIn may be all business, but the social network continues to let its hair down as it works to remain competitive with the big boys. According to a report in The New York Times, the social network has opened itself up to outside developers.

According to LinkedIn, the idea behind opening its network is to turn the social network into a more functional space for its members.

"When we look forward to 2008, we see people and professionals more and more going beyond the connections and actually using LinkedIn to make themselves more productive on a daily basis," said Adam Nash, senior product director, in a video on LinkedIn's blog.

Already, LinkedIn has inked a deal with BusinessWeek to provide content.

Earlier this month, LinkedIn took a page from Facebook, announcing that it would launch its "news feed" updates.