[not1ofU]

LinkedIn is dead (basically facebook), but I digress. There are 2 ways that I look at this problem. 1. Only connect with someone that you have worked with, and are happy to vouch for (good work ethic). Sometimes I add recruiters to see what they are slinging, but give them just a few days to sling, and then remove them if they are just collecting (pokemon style).

2. With colleagues its a bit harder, but you can add people and then remove them, and linkedin will not notify them that you have done so (or so it says).

For the first colleague, try not to get too wound up about it, in future you may start to see things from his POV. The second guy sounds like someone that would really bother me, so I would remove the connection probably immediatly.

I also do a mass culling of connections when I change jobs. Staying connected to people whos work ethic I repsect.