In a ruling that broke new legal ground Monday, a state appeals panel found that connecting with a former colleague on a social media platform is not enough to violate a noncompete agreement.The 1st District Appellate Court upheld the summary judgment granted to Gregory P. Gelineau, who was sued by Bankers Life and Casualty Co. for allegedly trying to recruit other Bankers Life employees from the Warwick, R.I., area.This makes legal precedent out of an unpublished Rule 23 order issued in the case on June 26. Catherine A …