Social Networks: This subject/topic has such a wide range of components creating what is called ‘Social Networks” that its description will continue to evolve and hope to see its definition become more specific and less ambiguous. A question asked by Joe L. asks “To what extent do the designs / experiences / architectures of social networks determine the kinds of relationships that people can have in the future, on-line and offline?“
My response would be that the extent to which social networks determine the ‘kind’ of relationship has with others (online, or offline) will be dependent on truth. If individuals seek to boast and build-up SELF, then I would expect the relationships they create would be superficial and of little to no value. Why do I still have contact with those individuals that I went to school with from Kindergarten through undergrad? Because these relationships were established and have a foundation built upon truth, and face-to-face contact to prove those presumable untruths. As we continue to move into a cyberspace that allows reality to co-exist with virtual-reality we could see it becoming more and more difficult for those unaware and partially incapable of being discerning to hyperbole to distinguish the difference. Causing them to become consumed with the falsehood until the truth is revealed in the relationship they thought would be ‘forever’.
I would like to add to the previous comment. I think the relationship that someone has or does not have with someone else does have a great deal of relevance to the type of relationship they have with each other. I know many people that won't social network with friends from work on a more personal site like Facebook. The same people are also members of Linked in and try to link themselves to co-workers and individuals within company and professionals from other companies. Different people carry themselves differently on each site or maybe the same way. I think that's why I have read and heard about many articles talking about possible federal regulations on the sale of information to third parties and companies trying to keep tabs on employees through these networks. In extreme cases, I have read about some employees getting fired from work for statements or college pictures on social networking sites. I think both sites provide positive services to their users. It's always very important to network and create positive lasting relationships with other professionals.
I agree that it's a good idea to isolate your personal social network from professional network as it may help you avoid jeopardizing your employment just as in case of "Dawnmarie Souza", who got fired for criticizing her boss on her FaceBook page.
I agree with most of the comments out here and I suppose we all can agree that Social Networking comes with its pros and cons. I perceive Social Network as a Cyber being by that I mean it imbibes the behavior of the person using it. And in case of communication between two or more people it takes the form of the equation that they share. If a person missuses it he/she might end up loosing their job like the example in the last post("Dawnmarie Souza")or may end up fighting various legal battles considering the large number of privacy and copyright laws. But if you use it wisely you can reap the benefits.
While searching for an internship last semester I received many suggestion about online applications and the career center but I used to waist majority of my time networking on Facebook. But to my surprise the contacts that I had made over an internship community landed me a job in a reputed Airlines Co. Initially I found the work environment to be too stressful and taxing. But as soon I used Facebook to befriend my boss and a couple of colleagues things began to change. It was like an ice breaker. Then I understood that people are a little tough in person but are soft as a jelly on "Facebook". Well this pretty much sums up my view on Social Networks. Correct me if I might be wrong.
I find a small essay in Chapter13--Guanxi:social Networking in China.Guanxi refers to the interpersonal relationship.It exists in most Asia countries.To be honest, I don't like this system since it creates an unfair competitive surrounding.
Question. Do you believe that those living on this earth, due to Social Networks, will be of a benefit or detriment to their overall happiness?
Let us use an example to help imagine this question.
First, take your current social network usage into account and think about the time and effort invested into your creation of such profiles. Ask yourself, "What has happened to me, or my life because of this?"
Second, try to imagine your life 15 years from now. What will you be doing? How will technology change? What do you see yourself gaining/losing from continuing to move forward? Do you see everyone gaining, or everyone losing? Some gaining, some losing?
Finally, if you were to create a social network, what would be the most important thing to focus on now, versus 15 years from now? Would it still be the same focus; if not, why would it change?
I want to stay objective, but is it becoming more apparent to you as well that when most people ‘use’ Social Networking to ‘create relationships’ they forfeit a lot of control? Does one conclude this method is a preference versus a choice?
Why does one family have a socially awkward child, and the other family doesn't? What did they do differently?
If children today are exposed to the exact same fairness of opportunities in their lives, what is it that causes the difference in their abilities to socialize?
Things to think about: 1. What is equal opportunity? 2. Does access have anything to do with equality? 3. Is there a natural baseline and anything beyond this baseline is considered talent/skills to others?
I'd like to see some discussion about the anonymity phenomenon on the internet in general (ex. people voicing extreme viewpoints, using unprofessional language, or displaying high risk behavior) and how Social Networks - and our employer's access to our social persona - can serve as a control to this behavior.
The Social Networking sites have become a big rage in today’s internet world. Well, everybody knows through social networking sites socializing is easy, I mean, u can stay in touch with your friends, relatives, family, workplace friends etc. But apart from that sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, YouTube are far more ahead than just socializing.
I myself login to facebook everyday to just see the updates from people who are in my facebook. I do that because I get to know about different videos or articles which sometimes I don’t really know. I mean, social networking sites also provide us with lots of information than just what is going around us. The Social sites have something for everybody, not only kids and teenagers but also educationalists, highly qualified individuals are part of these networking sites providing great insights of knowledge.
It’s a fun way to post videos, songs, comments, individual’s personal views but at the same time educational too. And who can forget Farmville? Every 3rd person is playing Farmville. My point is, it depends on one’s personal interest to how they use the sites, as in, play games or reconnect with friends or share personal photographs etc. And of course the social networking sites started providing good security features which allows us to restrict some personal information because of which people can freely browse without hesitation. But again sometimes there are hazards of using these social sites too. This is just my viewpoint. My personal Favorites are Facebook, Orkut and Twitter. What about you?
@Karun - I'm glad you mentioned Farmville. I allowed my daughter - who is not old enough for her own Facebook page yet - to play Farmville and some Petville game on my account and I noticed that the moment she started playing them, my news feed was inundated with Farmville and Petville requests from my own peers. These are people that are supposed to be at work and all throughout the day, I kept getting requests to help someone's harvest, or to approve someone making me their farm neighbor. I asked myself, "Shouldn't you be working?" but then noticed with chagrin that I had to tab over from my fantasy football team roster to see my own Facebook page.
I wonder how many hours that employers have lost to their workforce's use of those social network sites.
This is an excellent point. At my previous job with Dallas County, there was a study done in our department about how many hours a week employees were on social networking sites such as Facebook. The data basically revealed that employees spent about 3 hours out of the work day on Facebook. The hours were not all spent in one continuous time span, but rather periodically throughout the day. When the work load would go down during the day, employees saw this as an opportunity to check Facebook, make comments on their friends walls as well as play Facebook games such as Farmville. This was time that they were getting paid for not working, but rather socializing. It came to the point were Dallas County began to not only block access to Facebook, but block access to the Internet altogether. This was done to hopefully raise efficiency within each department. They found that unless they blocked access to the Internet on everyone in the County, then the amount of time spent on Social Networking sites did not decline because people would move to use the computers of their colleagues in order to log on to these sites.
Internet Restricted in Bahrain as Protests Escalate
As protests continue in Bahrain, data suggests that access to many websites has been restricted there.
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Last month, Egypt blocked websites like Twitter and Facebook in response to unrest before blocking the Internet altogether. The success that Egyptian protesters had in ousting former president Hosni Mubarak despite these drastic digital measures is often cited as enhancing the confidence of protesters in Bahrain, Algeria and elsewhere in the Middle East.
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Is this what access should look like?
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How are 'Social Networks' responsible? Or, Are they?
In my experience with social networks and I am really only talking about Facebook I make lists of friends whether they are co-workers, school friends or family and make certain information private according to the different groups. I check Facebook a lot especially when I'm bored, which is when I need to study. I have left my page old school. I don’t join any of the games or take those random quizzes, or horoscope things. I just use it to keep in touch with friends. Even without Farmville and Mafia Wars the site has definitely made me procrastinate more than ever. At the same time it's good because I get to keep up with friends that I don't see as often or probably wouldn’t have kept in touch with after we separated ways. With everything that happened in Egypt, having a page like this is great to spread information to make everyone aware of what is happening. Obviously it worked since they banned it. There are good and bad things about the social network. I believe we just have to learn to balance them. Beverly was talking about Facebook being banned in Dallas County; even if they ban it can’t people just get on with their phones? A lot of people these days have internet on their phones. I have friends who I will be out with and they update their status or put where they are with that locator thing from their phones.
1. What would it looks like? 2. What options, gadgets, etc. would you include? 3. What would it's mission/purpose be? 4. Would it be private, public, invitation only? 5. Who would you want to be a part of it?
Although communication through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is one of the most frequent form of communication and many could argue as one of the most efficient, over taking the conventional telephone and e-mail, they are still often restricted or banned at workplaces. It seems the wide use of social networking is still deemed too much of an "informal" form of communication for most organizations to be used at the workplaces.
In addition to the concept being new, another big reason why such a popular and effective form of communication as social networking is still ousted rather than adapted by companies could be due to the social perception that words and pictures posted on social networking sites could often be very personal and even scandalous and such environment can not be welcomed at the workplace. This perception is not helped by stories of potential employers snooping around social networking pages of job candidates to find their wild life style. Because of this, most companies do not sought to integrate and take advantage of the potential benefits of social networking.
Social networks utility is ultimately what the user wishes to use it for. It not only makes for an interesting marketing experiment, but gives an entirely new meaning to the term "people watching" or "people shopping".
Those who wish to serve as information about a group, band, cause or ideal simply need to make a relevant account and send it out to those interested.
Those interested in people watching merely need to add those they wish to keep tabs on.
Those interested in dating can interact with people in a casual manner that is unrivaled in acceptance and non-complicity.
Social networking will only expand in the future, and the businesses that are able to market well, and harness these new venues for century old human behaviors.
I agree with Angie on the points of Facebook becoming the preferred form of personal online interaction over messenger clients and email.
I disagree with her on the business side where these businesses think harvesting a social networking marketing model would be counter productive for these customers and a form of intrusive advertising.
The companies that are taking advantage of these sites are using it by putting out incentives, and much like a pyramid scheme, using peoples friends to advertise their business, not the company directly. People are much more suspect to peer advertising than conventional adverts.
To address Travis: I agree that these sites are useful to those who know how to use them and will only continue to expand in the future, but a sizable portion of its user-base are novice computer users who are putting more personal information out there than they realize, nor do they grasp who can access and use this information.
As users become more experienced and knowledgable, I expect these personal profiles to take a more "avatar" route. These sites will no longer become virtual representations of a persons real life, but rather a persons life that they wish to display or possibly a life that is entirely fabricated.
Recently you might have heard in the news, “Anti-gay church's right to protest at military funerals is upheld.”
A brief overview of the article states: “A Kansas church that attracted nationwide attention for its angry, anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. military members has won its appeal at the Supreme Court, an issue testing the competing constitutional rights of free speech and privacy. The justices, by an 8-1 vote, said Wednesday that members of Westboro Baptist Church had a right to promote what they call a broad-based message on public matters such as wars. The father of a fallen Marine had sued the small church, saying those protests amounted to targeted harassment and an intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
The reason I bring this to your attention is due to your request for anonymity phenomenon discussion. As you might read in this article, the decision that was made could possibly strengthen the First Amendment. The reason I believe that these are related is due to the direct relationship that most individuals have with “Status Updates”.
For one reason or another, most who ‘update’ the social network as to their current location, mood, status, or even thought have a lot to worry about. This family that wanted to bury their child in peace was of no ‘public-office’. The question is now that if this decision were to ever be over turned that social networking sites MUST BE HIGHLY REGULATED. The possibilities of someone expressing their feelings in private and in public are, due to social networks, are getting closer and closer.
Now, to your point of control, and how these networks can give our employers access to what it is that we do when we’re not in the office. As we have learned recently in class, we might start to see biases being created by our peers and leadership that could cause more problems in the long run. Using social networks to ‘protest’ could create these biases even more influential in our own decisions within the workplace.
I say all of that to ask this; voicing a viewpoint outside in public, should this have the same controls/consequences as voicing a viewpoint online within a social network?
How does one prevent themselves from checking Facebook, knowing that they have responsibilities to uphold and studying to do?
What would be your suggestions to others if they asked you this question? What is ‘balanced’ in your mind?
Also, you mentioned that something worked and so it was banned. Should Government Authorities be allowed the right to BAN anything that is a freedom/right? Especially when talking about ‘access’.
What is informal, in your opinion, regarding the communication through Facebook? You said that social networking is “ousted” by companies, but the company that I work with is taking a Facebook Initiative to get out there and use it as much as possible. Why is that different than what you are experiencing?
Regarding the content on Facebook, there will always be immorality, immodesty and indecency, but how we project ourselves and the images that we insert on to the website is of our own choice, right? Facebook is not forcing anyone to add such content. First, for those who put photos on their profile pages with immoral, immodest and indecent content should be examining themselves first. As humans I believe we make judgments, creating biases about other individuals to remain discerning. Evidence and truth are hard to argue with, and when we communicate to our co-workers and leaders that they can count on us – but evidence points in the opposite direction – who is truly at fault, the company or the individual?
Some call it ‘snooping’ but we might all agree that not a single human being is REQUIRED to be on a social networking site, or the internet for that matter.
Today social networking is an integral part of our life. But technology has paved its path to such an extent that you can use social networking in a virtual world. I see some people discussed about Farmville in this discussion board. Farmville, mafia wars are all part of a virtual world which create a perception that we are living in it.
I came across a website secondlife.com. I want to discuss few words about it for those who are not aware of it. It is a next version of social networking to live your dream life. You can create your own avatar, meet new people, make friends, shop with them, arrange events, build your house, sell things, make money and much more. In short, you can do everything that you do in your day to day life and that you could not or can’t do in your life. I was amazed to learn about this. Company who created this concept benefited a lot from this. You can buy currency of this virtual world using real world currency to live your dream life. It is a good example of how social networking can be used in real world as well as in your dreams.
But these social networks sometimes make our life miserable. With 600 million people accessing, all it takes is one single person to ruin your privacy. We hear how some people become victims of privacy scams. And still there is a question “who is responsible for this?” Are these users who upload huge private photo albums open to public or companies who over-share user data? Problems plaguing social networks can be controlled by our careful approach. Social networking is always a fun and advantageous but first we need to understand its complexity and then step wisely.
I definitely agree with most of the comments above. Social networks have significantly impacted our lives today. As previously mentioned, it has both pros and cons just like any other technological innovations. From my experience as a Facebook user, I use this site to stay in touch with family living on the other side of the world and to keep connected with old and new friends. Like Prissyjan mentioned, I too find myself, at times, browsing Facebook when I have more important things to get done. However, if used properly, social networks can be a great medium for companies to stay connected with their consumers. For instance, many companies place promotional items on these networks to attract their consumer base. I have also seen companies that have a Facebook page where customers display pictures of items purchased from that company, and also, customers give feedbacks on their products. Generally, social networks are great way of communication and a way to build and keep relationships.
Nonetheless, I also agree that social networks are a big distraction that waste employee’s time. Rather than doing work, many employees are too busy socializing, and in most cases, it is too difficult for employers to control employee’s access to these networks as they are highly accessible. In some instances, these networks are dangerous since it is difficult to identify the true identity of the person on the other side. This case is true in all areas of digital communications.
Overall, social networks are great source of communication in today’s growing dependency on technology if ONLY used properly.
Though I agree with most comments posted here, I must say that I am often asked the question, 'are you on facebook, I dont think I've added you as a friend.' It is funny to see their expression when I say that I am not on facebook. Sometimetimes I actually wonder, am I the only one whose not a part of such a social networking site. Any thoughts from anyone?
As technology has transformed the world into an ever shrinking capacity, the ability and the desire of consumers to connect with individuals worldwide has grown exponential and there seems to be endless opportunities for advancement in this arena. The birth and evolution of social networking sites has been an incredible phenomenon, promoting the idea that everyone needs a facebook or twitter account to feel that they are part of this societal ritual. I believe these companies do provide valuable services for their customers and they personify what the true American entrepreneurial experience is all about. I admit, I am personally envious of individuals who think out of the box and create ideas and concepts that benefit the rest of us…while making themselves some good money! There is no doubt that the impact of social networking has altered our culture for good and bad. We are able to share knowledge, information, ideas, and interact with people as never imagined. It has revolutionized business, perpetuated globalization, and has been instrumental in societal integration. However, with all these advances and conveniences it has brought to our lives, it does come with some unintended consequences. Traditional norms of communication are compromised, subsequently leading to miscommunication and cultural misinterpretation. Additionally, there is a loss of control of the message and the agenda because of the enormity of net that these social networks cast. In whatever manner you utilize these services, make sure you conduct yourself professionally…you never know who is looking!!
I can confidently say that you are not the only one that is not on Facebook. There are plenty of individuals out there that are not a part of any social networking community, especially Facebook.
I would like to ask: Is your reasoning for not joining a social network community, like Facebook, a personal choice? Most individuals that I speak with that say ‘I am not on … “ their reason is a personal choice mixed together with a need to NOT be a part of something that so many others are.
I agree with most of the comments above. Social networking has become a huge part of communication. I personally use Facebook as a means to keep in touch with family and friends. Especially with most of them leading extremely busy lives, sometimes it is just easier to check their Facebook than to call or set up a lunch or dinner date with them.
Social networking has the pros of convenience, being that it is easy access and it is personalized for every person that uses it. On the other hand, it is difficult to be 100% sure that your privacy is as secure as you want it to be. Even if you make your profile completely private, people still find ways to see your information, which could be a major concern for many people.
On a different note, the topic of social networking and the workplace. Many professionals have a Facebook or Twitter that they use for personal use. Some companies don't look at employees Facebooks, but some companies actually require you to make your personal Facebook to make sure you are representing the company in a positive, respectful manner, even if it is during your personal time. Do you think that companies should be keep tabs on their employees by keeping up with their Facebook and other social networking pages?
In regards to the question in the last post, I believe that companies should keep tabs on their employees by looking at their social networking pages. Companies should be concerned with the type of people they are hiring or have working for them and these social networking pages offer insight into the personalities of people that may not have already been know. If someone is does not want a company knowing certain things about them, then do not put such things on the web. It is about branding yourself in a positive way, and whether you like it or not, social networks are an extension of the perception of your brand.
I, unlike most people, do not have a Facebook or Twitter partly because of for this reason. There are some aspects of these networks that you cannot control, like others tagging you in photos or commenting on your page. Uncontrollable factors can influence the way you are perceived, even if it is as simple as who you are friends with. The other reason I don't have a social network page is I believe that it is a false reality. Sure there is a connivence factor, but it is too difficult to truly get to know someone in digital communication or find underlying meaning to things. Personal or face to face communication is far more valuable and rewarding in my opinion.
Christopher Walken does not even own a cell phone, and he seems to be going just fine. Maybe his way is the right way?
@ Chase I agree with your premise on company background checks including online social networking sites. I would caution on making hiring decisions solely on these sites. I do believe that online social media will be the preferred form of communication in the future as more mobile electronic devices evolve to include advance networking capabilities.
I share the privacy concern and the limited amount of control you have on data that you or your friends post on the sites.In addition to company's and government agencies gathering data,cyber crime is likely to increase. There has already been several crimes linked to information posted on social networking sites.
At my work, social "intra"networks are increasingly becoming the norm. It started with email, then we started using IM, moved on to wiki-pages and now we have blogs, chartrooms, video chat, VOIP and twitter like application where anyone is the company can follow you.I can see a big potential for improved productivity and lowered communication costs for example when dealing with global teams and projects.
Chase I have to respectfully disagree with you about social networks being a false reality in my experience and with a lot of my friends, we tend to use Facebook as a way to stay connected with each others lives despite being in different countries and timezones. I wouldn't recommend Facebook as a way of getting to know someone but I know that it has helped me to stay in touch with people that otherwise I might not talk to anymore.
Allan my companie has also started group and individual wiki-pages where you can look and see what exactly a group's role in the company is and in most case what person in the group is the resident expert over what you might be looking for. Not everyone is doing it yet but it has become more prevelant and I know that it has helped narrow down who I needed to ask for some information related to my contracts.
Chase you CAN control certain things on these social networking sites like who can see your posts, if people can tag you in photos, etc.
As far as the idea that companies should troll social networking sites, some already do, to get information on a perspective employee...I believe laws will be enacted going forward that further protect people and their "brand" on the internet. There is not enough sentiment now but it will reach a boiling point with people complaining to government officials and imposing their will through lawsuits. Basically people will be able to block unwanted people from viewing their profiles or information and if a company was to go around that protection to get information on an employee without their permission, the company would then be liable. Believe me there is nothing a company is more afraid of then the word 'liable'.
Now I am not a liberal person but let me give you an analogy that may help you see my point. If the argument is put forth that companies should be able to do whatever they want on the internet and have the right to pry into their employees personal lives to try to find out "what kind of person they are"...unless you are the public face of the company or in a position of moral prestige such as a police officer, what business is it of your employer what you do in your private life as long as it is legal and does not impact your job? Now here is my analogy...you know the old saying that was used when gay and lesbian rights groups were pushing for protection from laws that made their lifestyle against the law? And to protect them from losing their job because of their lifestyle? The saying was, "Whatever a person does in the privacy of their bedroom (with another consenting adult) is no one's business!". I believe it is that sentiment that will grow as more people lose their jobs because of social networking sites and the internet. Legislation and litigation have a powerful affect on a company's policies and procedures. After all if a company is allowed to look deep into your personal life and determine, probably fairly inaccurately, "what kind of person you are"...where does it stop? Will Pandora's box be opened? Does a gay man not get hired after the person processing his application, who thinks it is immoral to be gay, determines, "he must be gay" by what he sees on his Facebook page?
Does a perspective employee not get a job because a hiring official sees that he/she lists their religion as Muslim or Jewish or Christian or Atheist on Facebook?
For some people, especially younger generations, social networks such as Facebook give a false impression of privacy and security. People may act in ways or unwittingly give information that they would never dream of in other situations. I was able to witness this type of event happen firsthand at my company. I have to be very vague with the details, but the summary of the story is that a young employee, recently out of college, disclosed sensitive information on their social network page. Upon discovery, the offending item was removed, but the damage was done. The information was compromised, and an overhaul was required to protect the company's interests. The most interesting part of the story is that during an interview about the incident the employee reveled that they did not understand why what they did was a breach of security since the informations was "only seen by friends."
I think that social networks are a little tricky. I personally joined Facebook about two months ago after my family and some friends had given up on me. To me, it was waste of time given what i had seen people do with it. I was waiting to join when I had something subtantial to gain from there.
When i finally joined, it was 'ok' during the first couple of days, but i eventually got tired of going there. I think this is because mosst of the people I know go there to show off with pictures. I would have loved it better if they used this time to put other meaningful things on there. A few pitures are good, but I cant stand those who change or upload pictures every single day.
My family think that i am weird but thats how i feel about it.
It's up the individuals to weigh the pros and cons of social networking in regards to how it impacts their professional life. Security settings alone aren't enough to successfully divide one's personal life and professional life. For instance, even though I may set my Facebook security settings to the highest levels, if a friend with much lower security settings posts a picture of me or says something involving me, I have no way of preventing that snippet of information from disseminating over the internet.
Companies need to develop concrete policies and processes that clearly outline how what an employee does in the social networking realm affects their position (and many companies have done so). Additionally, further government legislation will be necessary to clearly define what type of information employers can base hiring decisions on and what they can't use.
Over the past year, there have been countless news articles highlighting how an employee was terminated because of a Twitter post. In many cases, those employees end up challenging their termination in court, which is a drain on the bottom line of many organizations and the American taxpayer in some cases.
Is social media replacing the traditional means of how we do thing today? My opinion is yes. Social media has gone above and beyond its intended means. It has already changed the way modern day academia operates. Currently we are all using a blog for a classroom assignment rather than traditional reports. It is becoming more and more common to use Facebook for online discussions or online classes. When will this social media filter into the workplace environment? It has already become a large source of customer contact and advertising in the past 5 years. Facets such as LinkedIn are already quickly becoming an outlet for career networking and recruiting. Will social media ever be a platform for companies’ internal business processes needs? IT seems natural to think at some point it might; however, one must first consider the lack of actual security when it come to social networking sites. Not only would companies’ private information be at risk for loss- their reputation would be at greater risk. More and more firms are requiring mandatory training on responsible social media use. Some firms have even gone as far as to set specific restrictions, limitations, and requirements for their employees’ use of social networking activities. I firmly believe the role of social networking in the business world today won’t stretch beyond the use of reaching customers and personalized advertising.
I had an interesting comment to add. I believe social networking gave me an direct advantage when it came to a new job I recently interviewed for. I was able to look up information about the person interviewing me on linkedin. This gave me a direct advantage knowing the educational background as well as work history. When I went into the interview I felt I really know the person interviewing me and was able to relate and bring up talking points.
This being said I also got nervous that the employer might be trying to look at my Facebook account. I do have my security set on the highest level but it does make me wonder if it is wrong to seek out this information.
I did consult with several UTD faculty members who assured me that if people do not want you to see there Linkedin page they would not make it public so the information is ok to look at and use in preparation.
I was offered the position and really think that social networking helped me get the position. This was my personal experience and I believe social networking is good as long as it is done without invasion of privacy.
Social networks are a good tool to communicate with friends and co-worker.But we must be careful about our activities and that on the social networks as it can have serious consequences in our career.
I am often amazed at what I see and read on Facebook. I often have to remind people that they are giving people access to the most intimate details of their lives and often do not know who these people are. As part of my job I search the Facebook pages of those wanting to mentor youth and children. Why? Because it attests to their character. For example, I had an individual who wanted to mentor teen girls and when I visited her Facebook, picture after picture showed her with an alcoholic drink in her hand. There was even a picture of her in a public restroom holding a mixed drink. Pictures came with captions about how wasted she was and named multiple drinking games she was engaged in. When confronted and asked to explain she said she had no knowledge what was on her page because she had not accessed in months and those pictures were probably from years ago. Well, she was not exactly true. The pictures were posted just day before her post looking for a roommate. Needless to say she was not chosen to be a mentor.
In my line of work social networking helps make better, well informed choices, because people forget that they are exposing themselves. This was a volunteer opportunity, had I been a recruiter looking to employ someone, I would have made the same decision - now way!
For years I’ve avoided social networking sites. My reasons vary. One, I’m already hooked on things like Fantasy Baseball. The last thing I need is one more thing to check on for updates every ten minutes. It’s distracting, counter-productive, and I lack the discipline to stop. Two, I’m not that interesting. Nobody wants to read about what I made for dinner. Three, I just know I’ll put something stupid on there after having a few drinks. I know too many people that have done it. Sure, you can remove it, but as they say, once you post something, it’s out there, somewhere, forever.
That being said, I’ll probably have to cave eventually as these sites seem to be the way of things now. People look at me like a leper when I say I’m not on Facebook.
I honestly believe that Social Networks are one of the greatest inventions of the past decade. I agree with people who say that if not used properly they can be dangerous, but I also think that social networks are the source of different benefits for our society. I made an account on Facebook 3 years ago, and I did not use it that much at the beginning, but after I moved to the U.S. I started to use it really often. And this because it was the perfect tool to communicate with most of my friends or family members living far away from me. One thing that kinda bothers me is that lot of people treat social networks such as facebook just as a game or websites to kill boredom, but instead I think they should view them as important tools that promote and strengthen the communication between individuals.
I had a lot of craze about social networks initially,but I realized that I was nearly wasting 3-4 hours of my day on posting comments and updating which was affecting my academic performance and work productivity.Hence i view social networking website only once a week and stay in touch with my friends and colleagues
I also do not post a lot of personal information because I really doubt that these websites are secure.I have heard about software's that can hack Facebook passwords and hence am scared to reveal a lot of personal information on these websites
For me , social networking is a greatet technolgy which made possible to get back my kinder garden friends and other lost child hood friends. I use these sites as generally to wish my old friends on some occasions but am not very regular to these sites now days because they can make one addictive.
I agree with Pankaj in that online social networking should promote and strengthen the communication between individuals. In my experience I've noticed that many individuals who have difficulty expressing themselves vocally are able to express themselves better on online social network sites. Websites such as Facebook can be a great tool to share information. My employer, Raytheon, recognized the benefits of social networking and created a similar platform within the Raytheon intranet. Raytheon launched RSpace in 2010 to encourage employees to connect with coworkers in and out of their immediate work area. This social network allows users to upload a profile picture, post information about projects they are currently working on, describe a system glitch they are experiencing or provide links to interesting articles. With RSpace, Raytheon is able to integrate profiles, microblogs, communities, blogs, activities and bookmarks. Raytheon Co. took the concept of social networking and turned into a company advantage, encouraging its employees to engage with the company in new ways.
I agree with Pankaj's comment. I did not use my facebook page that much until I moved to Texas for college and now have settled down here. I feel that it is a great way to keep in touch with what friends and family are up to. THe only negative I have learned the hard way about social networks is when I have added people on a whim as friends because I have had oen firend in common. Only to find out that they were just a facebook or myspace friend of my real friend and they just were cyberstalking pretty girls and looking at our pictures. To me thats the most diturbing bit. However you can always block those people and be more selective of who you add as friends.
One of the other things that I learned about social networking is that its not a good idea to add and employer as a friend or coworkers because it just is not conducive for a healthy work environment.
‘Social networks’ are used to depict individual agents and communities as entangled in manifold sets of interdependent relations, or webs of attachments/connections.The aim of social network analysis is to explain the ties or patterns manifest in those configurations.
Social Networks: This subject/topic has such a wide range of components creating what is called ‘Social Networks” that its description will continue to evolve and hope to see its definition become more specific and less ambiguous. A question asked by Joe L. asks “To what extent do the designs / experiences / architectures of social networks determine the kinds of relationships that people can have in the future, on-line and offline?“
ReplyDeleteMy response would be that the extent to which social networks determine the ‘kind’ of relationship has with others (online, or offline) will be dependent on truth. If individuals seek to boast and build-up SELF, then I would expect the relationships they create would be superficial and of little to no value. Why do I still have contact with those individuals that I went to school with from Kindergarten through undergrad? Because these relationships were established and have a foundation built upon truth, and face-to-face contact to prove those presumable untruths.
As we continue to move into a cyberspace that allows reality to co-exist with virtual-reality we could see it becoming more and more difficult for those unaware and partially incapable of being discerning to hyperbole to distinguish the difference. Causing them to become consumed with the falsehood until the truth is revealed in the relationship they thought would be ‘forever’.
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ReplyDeleteI would like to add to the previous comment. I think the relationship that someone has or does not have with someone else does have a great deal of relevance to the type of relationship they have with each other. I know many people that won't social network with friends from work on a more personal site like Facebook. The same people are also members of Linked in and try to link themselves to co-workers and individuals within company and professionals from other companies. Different people carry themselves differently on each site or maybe the same way. I think that's why I have read and heard about many articles talking about possible federal regulations on the sale of information to third parties and companies trying to keep tabs on employees through these networks. In extreme cases, I have read about some employees getting fired from work for statements or college pictures on social networking sites. I think both sites provide positive services to their users. It's always very important to network and create positive lasting relationships with other professionals.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's a good idea to isolate your personal social network from professional network as it may help you avoid jeopardizing your employment just as in case of "Dawnmarie Souza", who got fired for criticizing her boss on her FaceBook page.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments out here and I suppose we all can agree that Social Networking comes with its pros and cons. I perceive Social Network as a Cyber being by that I mean it imbibes the behavior of the person using it. And in case of communication between two or more people it takes the form of the equation that they share. If a person missuses it he/she might end up loosing their job like the example in the last post("Dawnmarie Souza")or may end up fighting various legal battles considering the large number of privacy and copyright laws. But if you use it wisely you can reap the benefits.
ReplyDeleteWhile searching for an internship last semester
I received many suggestion about online applications and the career center but I used to waist majority of my time networking on Facebook. But to my surprise the contacts that I had made over an internship community landed me a job in a reputed Airlines Co.
Initially I found the work environment to be too stressful and taxing. But as soon I used Facebook to befriend my boss and a couple of colleagues things began to change. It was like an ice breaker. Then I understood that people are a little tough in person but are soft as a jelly on "Facebook". Well this pretty much sums up my view on Social Networks.
Correct me if I might be wrong.
I find a small essay in Chapter13--Guanxi:social Networking in China.Guanxi refers to the interpersonal relationship.It exists in most Asia countries.To be honest, I don't like this system since it creates an unfair competitive surrounding.
ReplyDeleteQuestion. Do you believe that those living on this earth, due to Social Networks, will be of a benefit or detriment to their overall happiness?
ReplyDeleteLet us use an example to help imagine this question.
First, take your current social network usage into account and think about the time and effort invested into your creation of such profiles. Ask yourself, "What has happened to me, or my life because of this?"
Second, try to imagine your life 15 years from now. What will you be doing? How will technology change? What do you see yourself gaining/losing from continuing to move forward? Do you see everyone gaining, or everyone losing? Some gaining, some losing?
Finally, if you were to create a social network, what would be the most important thing to focus on now, versus 15 years from now? Would it still be the same focus; if not, why would it change?
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Can one rationalize a social networking attitude?
2. Will this attitude show truth or falsehood?
3. Do you believe it can only be one or the other?
I want to stay objective, but is it becoming more apparent to you as well that when most people ‘use’ Social Networking to ‘create relationships’ they forfeit a lot of control? Does one conclude this method is a preference versus a choice?
ReplyDeleteIn the above post - let me clarify.
ReplyDeleteDoes one conclude this method is due to choice, or obligation?
Why does one family have a socially awkward child, and the other family doesn't? What did they do differently?
ReplyDeleteIf children today are exposed to the exact same fairness of opportunities in their lives, what is it that causes the difference in their abilities to socialize?
Things to think about:
1. What is equal opportunity?
2. Does access have anything to do with equality?
3. Is there a natural baseline and anything beyond this baseline is considered talent/skills to others?
Hrmm...
BELL CURVE!?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteI heard an incredible quote today from the president of the Google in Egypt.
ReplyDelete"If you want to set someone free today, give them access to the internet."
How profound when we use this to push a positive emotion towards social networks.
I'd like to see some discussion about the anonymity phenomenon on the internet in general (ex. people voicing extreme viewpoints, using unprofessional language, or displaying high risk behavior) and how Social Networks - and our employer's access to our social persona - can serve as a control to this behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe Social Networking sites have become a big rage in today’s internet world. Well, everybody knows through social networking sites socializing is easy, I mean, u can stay in touch with your friends, relatives, family, workplace friends etc. But apart from that sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, YouTube are far more ahead than just socializing.
ReplyDeleteI myself login to facebook everyday to just see the updates from people who are in my facebook. I do that because I get to know about different videos or articles which sometimes I don’t really know. I mean, social networking sites also provide us with lots of information than just what is going around us. The Social sites have something for everybody, not only kids and teenagers but also educationalists, highly qualified individuals are part of these networking sites providing great insights of knowledge.
It’s a fun way to post videos, songs, comments, individual’s personal views but at the same time educational too. And who can forget Farmville? Every 3rd person is playing Farmville. My point is, it depends on one’s personal interest to how they use the sites, as in, play games or reconnect with friends or share personal photographs etc. And of course the social networking sites started providing good security features which allows us to restrict some personal information because of which people can freely browse without hesitation. But again sometimes there are hazards of using these social sites too.
This is just my viewpoint. My personal Favorites are Facebook, Orkut and Twitter. What about you?
@Karun - I'm glad you mentioned Farmville. I allowed my daughter - who is not old enough for her own Facebook page yet - to play Farmville and some Petville game on my account and I noticed that the moment she started playing them, my news feed was inundated with Farmville and Petville requests from my own peers. These are people that are supposed to be at work and all throughout the day, I kept getting requests to help someone's harvest, or to approve someone making me their farm neighbor. I asked myself, "Shouldn't you be working?" but then noticed with chagrin that I had to tab over from my fantasy football team roster to see my own Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many hours that employers have lost to their workforce's use of those social network sites.
This is an excellent point. At my previous job with Dallas County, there was a study done in our department about how many hours a week employees were on social networking sites such as Facebook. The data basically revealed that employees spent about 3 hours out of the work day on Facebook. The hours were not all spent in one continuous time span, but rather periodically throughout the day. When the work load would go down during the day, employees saw this as an opportunity to check Facebook, make comments on their friends walls as well as play Facebook games such as Farmville. This was time that they were getting paid for not working, but rather socializing. It came to the point were Dallas County began to not only block access to Facebook, but block access to the Internet altogether. This was done to hopefully raise efficiency within each department. They found that unless they blocked access to the Internet on everyone in the County, then the amount of time spent on Social Networking sites did not decline because people would move to use the computers of their colleagues in order to log on to these sites.
ReplyDeleteInternet Restricted in Bahrain as Protests Escalate
ReplyDeleteAs protests continue in Bahrain, data suggests that access to many websites has been restricted there.
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Last month, Egypt blocked websites like Twitter and Facebook in response to unrest before blocking the Internet altogether. The success that Egyptian protesters had in ousting former president Hosni Mubarak despite these drastic digital measures is often cited as enhancing the confidence of protesters in Bahrain, Algeria and elsewhere in the Middle East.
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Is this what access should look like?
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How are 'Social Networks' responsible? Or, Are they?
In my experience with social networks and I am really only talking about Facebook I make lists of friends whether they are co-workers, school friends or family and make certain information private according to the different groups. I check Facebook a lot especially when I'm bored, which is when I need to study. I have left my page old school. I don’t join any of the games or take those random quizzes, or horoscope things. I just use it to keep in touch with friends. Even without Farmville and Mafia Wars the site has definitely made me procrastinate more than ever. At the same time it's good because I get to keep up with friends that I don't see as often or probably wouldn’t have kept in touch with after we separated ways. With everything that happened in Egypt, having a page like this is great to spread information to make everyone aware of what is happening. Obviously it worked since they banned it. There are good and bad things about the social network. I believe we just have to learn to balance them.
ReplyDeleteBeverly was talking about Facebook being banned in Dallas County; even if they ban it can’t people just get on with their phones? A lot of people these days have internet on their phones. I have friends who I will be out with and they update their status or put where they are with that locator thing from their phones.
If you could create a social netowrk website:
ReplyDelete1. What would it looks like?
2. What options, gadgets, etc. would you include?
3. What would it's mission/purpose be?
4. Would it be private, public, invitation only?
5. Who would you want to be a part of it?
Although communication through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is one of the most frequent form of communication and many could argue as one of the most efficient, over taking the conventional telephone and e-mail, they are still often restricted or banned at workplaces. It seems the wide use of social networking is still deemed too much of an "informal" form of communication for most organizations to be used at the workplaces.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the concept being new, another big reason why such a popular and effective form of communication as social networking is still ousted rather than adapted by companies could be due to the social perception that words and pictures posted on social networking sites could often be very personal and even scandalous and such environment can not be welcomed at the workplace. This perception is not helped by stories of potential employers snooping around social networking pages of job candidates to find their wild life style. Because of this, most companies do not sought to integrate and take advantage of the potential benefits of social networking.
Social networks utility is ultimately what the user wishes to use it for. It not only makes for an interesting marketing experiment, but gives an entirely new meaning to the term "people watching" or "people shopping".
ReplyDeleteThose who wish to serve as information about a group, band, cause or ideal simply need to make a relevant account and send it out to those interested.
Those interested in people watching merely need to add those they wish to keep tabs on.
Those interested in dating can interact with people in a casual manner that is unrivaled in acceptance and non-complicity.
Social networking will only expand in the future, and the businesses that are able to market well, and harness these new venues for century old human behaviors.
I agree with Angie on the points of Facebook becoming the preferred form of personal online interaction over messenger clients and email.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with her on the business side where these businesses think harvesting a social networking marketing model would be counter productive for these customers and a form of intrusive advertising.
The companies that are taking advantage of these sites are using it by putting out incentives, and much like a pyramid scheme, using peoples friends to advertise their business, not the company directly. People are much more suspect to peer advertising than conventional adverts.
To address Travis:
I agree that these sites are useful to those who know how to use them and will only continue to expand in the future, but a sizable portion of its user-base are novice computer users who are putting more personal information out there than they realize, nor do they grasp who can access and use this information.
As users become more experienced and knowledgable, I expect these personal profiles to take a more "avatar" route. These sites will no longer become virtual representations of a persons real life, but rather a persons life that they wish to display or possibly a life that is entirely fabricated.
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ReplyDelete:: @Tony ::
ReplyDeleteRecently you might have heard in the news, “Anti-gay church's right to protest at military funerals is upheld.”
A brief overview of the article states:
“A Kansas church that attracted nationwide attention for its angry, anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. military members has won its appeal at the Supreme Court, an issue testing the competing constitutional rights of free speech and privacy.
The justices, by an 8-1 vote, said Wednesday that members of Westboro Baptist Church had a right to promote what they call a broad-based message on public matters such as wars. The father of a fallen Marine had sued the small church, saying those protests amounted to targeted harassment and an intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-02/us/scotus.westboro.church_1_anti-gay-protests-albert-snyder-westboro-baptist-church?_s=PM:US
The reason I bring this to your attention is due to your request for anonymity phenomenon discussion. As you might read in this article, the decision that was made could possibly strengthen the First Amendment. The reason I believe that these are related is due to the direct relationship that most individuals have with “Status Updates”.
For one reason or another, most who ‘update’ the social network as to their current location, mood, status, or even thought have a lot to worry about. This family that wanted to bury their child in peace was of no ‘public-office’. The question is now that if this decision were to ever be over turned that social networking sites MUST BE HIGHLY REGULATED. The possibilities of someone expressing their feelings in private and in public are, due to social networks, are getting closer and closer.
Now, to your point of control, and how these networks can give our employers access to what it is that we do when we’re not in the office. As we have learned recently in class, we might start to see biases being created by our peers and leadership that could cause more problems in the long run. Using social networks to ‘protest’ could create these biases even more influential in our own decisions within the workplace.
I say all of that to ask this; voicing a viewpoint outside in public, should this have the same controls/consequences as voicing a viewpoint online within a social network?
:: @Prissyjan ::
ReplyDeleteHow does one prevent themselves from checking Facebook, knowing that they have responsibilities to uphold and studying to do?
What would be your suggestions to others if they asked you this question? What is ‘balanced’ in your mind?
Also, you mentioned that something worked and so it was banned. Should Government Authorities be allowed the right to BAN anything that is a freedom/right? Especially when talking about ‘access’.
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ReplyDelete:: @Angie ::
ReplyDeleteWhat is informal, in your opinion, regarding the communication through Facebook?
You said that social networking is “ousted” by companies, but the company that I work with is taking a Facebook Initiative to get out there and use it as much as possible. Why is that different than what you are experiencing?
Regarding the content on Facebook, there will always be immorality, immodesty and indecency, but how we project ourselves and the images that we insert on to the website is of our own choice, right? Facebook is not forcing anyone to add such content. First, for those who put photos on their profile pages with immoral, immodest and indecent content should be examining themselves first. As humans I believe we make judgments, creating biases about other individuals to remain discerning. Evidence and truth are hard to argue with, and when we communicate to our co-workers and leaders that they can count on us – but evidence points in the opposite direction – who is truly at fault, the company or the individual?
Some call it ‘snooping’ but we might all agree that not a single human being is REQUIRED to be on a social networking site, or the internet for that matter.
Today social networking is an integral part of our life. But technology has paved its path to such an extent that you can use social networking in a virtual world. I see some people discussed about Farmville in this discussion board. Farmville, mafia wars are all part of a virtual world which create a perception that we are living in it.
ReplyDeleteI came across a website secondlife.com. I want to discuss few words about it for those who are not aware of it. It is a next version of social networking to live your dream life. You can create your own avatar, meet new people, make friends, shop with them, arrange events, build your house, sell things, make money and much more. In short, you can do everything that you do in your day to day life and that you could not or can’t do in your life. I was amazed to learn about this. Company who created this concept benefited a lot from this. You can buy currency of this virtual world using real world currency to live your dream life. It is a good example of how social networking can be used in real world as well as in your dreams.
But these social networks sometimes make our life miserable. With 600 million people accessing, all it takes is one single person to ruin your privacy. We hear how some people become victims of privacy scams. And still there is a question “who is responsible for this?” Are these users who upload huge private photo albums open to public or companies who over-share user data? Problems plaguing social networks can be controlled by our careful approach. Social networking is always a fun and advantageous but first we need to understand its complexity and then step wisely.
I definitely agree with most of the comments above. Social networks have significantly impacted our lives today. As previously mentioned, it has both pros and cons just like any other technological innovations. From my experience as a Facebook user, I use this site to stay in touch with family living on the other side of the world and to keep connected with old and new friends. Like Prissyjan mentioned, I too find myself, at times, browsing Facebook when I have more important things to get done. However, if used properly, social networks can be a great medium for companies to stay connected with their consumers. For instance, many companies place promotional items on these networks to attract their consumer base. I have also seen companies that have a Facebook page where customers display pictures of items purchased from that company, and also, customers give feedbacks on their products. Generally, social networks are great way of communication and a way to build and keep relationships.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, I also agree that social networks are a big distraction that waste employee’s time. Rather than doing work, many employees are too busy socializing, and in most cases, it is too difficult for employers to control employee’s access to these networks as they are highly accessible. In some instances, these networks are dangerous since it is difficult to identify the true identity of the person on the other side. This case is true in all areas of digital communications.
Overall, social networks are great source of communication in today’s growing dependency on technology if ONLY used properly.
Though I agree with most comments posted here, I must say that I am often asked the question, 'are you on facebook, I dont think I've added you as a friend.'
ReplyDeleteIt is funny to see their expression when I say that I am not on facebook. Sometimetimes I actually wonder, am I the only one whose not a part of such a social networking site.
Any thoughts from anyone?
Social Networking -Blog Entry 1- Michael Rubbo
ReplyDeleteAs technology has transformed the world into an ever shrinking capacity, the ability and the desire of consumers to connect with individuals worldwide has grown exponential and there seems to be endless opportunities for advancement in this arena. The birth and evolution of social networking sites has been an incredible phenomenon, promoting the idea that everyone needs a facebook or twitter account to feel that they are part of this societal ritual. I believe these companies do provide valuable services for their customers and they personify what the true American entrepreneurial experience is all about. I admit, I am personally envious of individuals who think out of the box and create ideas and concepts that benefit the rest of us…while making themselves some good money! There is no doubt that the impact of social networking has altered our culture for good and bad. We are able to share knowledge, information, ideas, and interact with people as never imagined. It has revolutionized business, perpetuated globalization, and has been instrumental in societal integration. However, with all these advances and conveniences it has brought to our lives, it does come with some unintended consequences. Traditional norms of communication are compromised, subsequently leading to miscommunication and cultural misinterpretation. Additionally, there is a loss of control of the message and the agenda because of the enormity of net that these social networks cast. In whatever manner you utilize these services, make sure you conduct yourself professionally…you never know who is looking!!
@Lubna
ReplyDeleteI can confidently say that you are not the only one that is not on Facebook. There are plenty of individuals out there that are not a part of any social networking community, especially Facebook.
I would like to ask:
Is your reasoning for not joining a social network community, like Facebook, a personal choice? Most individuals that I speak with that say ‘I am not on … “ their reason is a personal choice mixed together with a need to NOT be a part of something that so many others are.
I agree with most of the comments above. Social networking has become a huge part of communication. I personally use Facebook as a means to keep in touch with family and friends. Especially with most of them leading extremely busy lives, sometimes it is just easier to check their Facebook than to call or set up a lunch or dinner date with them.
ReplyDeleteSocial networking has the pros of convenience, being that it is easy access and it is personalized for every person that uses it. On the other hand, it is difficult to be 100% sure that your privacy is as secure as you want it to be. Even if you make your profile completely private, people still find ways to see your information, which could be a major concern for many people.
On a different note, the topic of social networking and the workplace. Many professionals have a Facebook or Twitter that they use for personal use. Some companies don't look at employees Facebooks, but some companies actually require you to make your personal Facebook to make sure you are representing the company in a positive, respectful manner, even if it is during your personal time. Do you think that companies should be keep tabs on their employees by keeping up with their Facebook and other social networking pages?
In regards to the question in the last post, I believe that companies should keep tabs on their employees by looking at their social networking pages. Companies should be concerned with the type of people they are hiring or have working for them and these social networking pages offer insight into the personalities of people that may not have already been know. If someone is does not want a company knowing certain things about them, then do not put such things on the web. It is about branding yourself in a positive way, and whether you like it or not, social networks are an extension of the perception of your brand.
ReplyDeleteI, unlike most people, do not have a Facebook or Twitter partly because of for this reason. There are some aspects of these networks that you cannot control, like others tagging you in photos or commenting on your page. Uncontrollable factors can influence the way you are perceived, even if it is as simple as who you are friends with. The other reason I don't have a social network page is I believe that it is a false reality. Sure there is a connivence factor, but it is too difficult to truly get to know someone in digital communication or find underlying meaning to things. Personal or face to face communication is far more valuable and rewarding in my opinion.
Christopher Walken does not even own a cell phone, and he seems to be going just fine. Maybe his way is the right way?
Please could you take this survey on Online Social Networking
ReplyDeleteClick here to take survey
@ Chase I agree with your premise on company background checks including online social networking sites. I would caution on making hiring decisions solely on these sites.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that online social media will be the preferred form of communication in the future as more mobile electronic devices evolve to include advance networking capabilities.
I share the privacy concern and the limited amount of control you have on data that you or your friends post on the sites.In addition to company's and government agencies gathering data,cyber crime is likely to increase. There has already been several crimes linked to information posted on social networking sites.
At my work, social "intra"networks are increasingly becoming the norm. It started with email, then we started using IM, moved on to wiki-pages and now we have blogs, chartrooms, video chat, VOIP and twitter like application where anyone is the company can follow you.I can see a big potential for improved productivity and lowered communication costs for example when dealing with global teams and projects.
Chase I have to respectfully disagree with you about social networks being a false reality in my experience and with a lot of my friends, we tend to use Facebook as a way to stay connected with each others lives despite being in different countries and timezones. I wouldn't recommend Facebook as a way of getting to know someone but I know that it has helped me to stay in touch with people that otherwise I might not talk to anymore.
ReplyDeleteAllan my companie has also started group and individual wiki-pages where you can look and see what exactly a group's role in the company is and in most case what person in the group is the resident expert over what you might be looking for. Not everyone is doing it yet but it has become more prevelant and I know that it has helped narrow down who I needed to ask for some information related to my contracts.
Chase you CAN control certain things on these social networking sites like who can see your posts, if people can tag you in photos, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the idea that companies should troll social networking sites, some already do, to get information on a perspective employee...I believe laws will be enacted going forward that further protect people and their "brand" on the internet. There is not enough sentiment now but it will reach a boiling point with people complaining to government officials and imposing their will through lawsuits. Basically people will be able to block unwanted people from viewing their profiles or information and if a company was to go around that protection to get information on an employee without their permission, the company would then be liable. Believe me there is nothing a company is more afraid of then the word 'liable'.
Now I am not a liberal person but let me give you an analogy that may help you see my point. If the argument is put forth that companies should be able to do whatever they want on the internet and have the right to pry into their employees personal lives to try to find out "what kind of person they are"...unless you are the public face of the company or in a position of moral prestige such as a police officer, what business is it of your employer what you do in your private life as long as it is legal and does not impact your job? Now here is my analogy...you know the old saying that was used when gay and lesbian rights groups were pushing for protection from laws that made their lifestyle against the law? And to protect them from losing their job because of their lifestyle? The saying was, "Whatever a person does in the privacy of their bedroom (with another consenting adult) is no one's business!". I believe it is that sentiment that will grow as more people lose their jobs because of social networking sites and the internet. Legislation and litigation have a powerful affect on a company's policies and procedures. After all if a company is allowed to look deep into your personal life and determine, probably fairly inaccurately, "what kind of person you are"...where does it stop? Will Pandora's box be opened? Does a gay man not get hired after the person processing his application, who thinks it is immoral to be gay, determines, "he must be gay" by what he sees on his Facebook page?
Does a perspective employee not get a job because a hiring official sees that he/she lists their religion as Muslim or Jewish or Christian or Atheist on Facebook?
For some people, especially younger generations, social networks such as Facebook give a false impression of privacy and security. People may act in ways or unwittingly give information that they would never dream of in other situations.
ReplyDeleteI was able to witness this type of event happen firsthand at my company. I have to be very vague with the details, but the summary of the story is that a young employee, recently out of college, disclosed sensitive information on their social network page. Upon discovery, the offending item was removed, but the damage was done. The information was compromised, and an overhaul was required to protect the company's interests.
The most interesting part of the story is that during an interview about the incident the employee reveled that they did not understand why what they did was a breach of security since the informations was "only seen by friends."
I think that social networks are a little tricky. I personally joined Facebook about two months ago after my family and some friends had given up on me. To me, it was waste of time given what i had seen people do with it. I was waiting to join when I had something subtantial to gain from there.
ReplyDeleteWhen i finally joined, it was 'ok' during the first couple of days, but i eventually got tired of going there. I think this is because mosst of the people I know go there to show off with pictures. I would have loved it better if they used this time to put other meaningful things on there. A few pitures are good, but I cant stand those who change or upload pictures every single day.
My family think that i am weird but thats how i feel about it.
It's up the individuals to weigh the pros and cons of social networking in regards to how it impacts their professional life. Security settings alone aren't enough to successfully divide one's personal life and professional life. For instance, even though I may set my Facebook security settings to the highest levels, if a friend with much lower security settings posts a picture of me or says something involving me, I have no way of preventing that snippet of information from disseminating over the internet.
ReplyDeleteCompanies need to develop concrete policies and processes that clearly outline how what an employee does in the social networking realm affects their position (and many companies have done so). Additionally, further government legislation will be necessary to clearly define what type of information employers can base hiring decisions on and what they can't use.
Over the past year, there have been countless news articles highlighting how an employee was terminated because of a Twitter post. In many cases, those employees end up challenging their termination in court, which is a drain on the bottom line of many organizations and the American taxpayer in some cases.
Is social media replacing the traditional means of how we do thing today? My opinion is yes. Social media has gone above and beyond its intended means. It has already changed the way modern day academia operates. Currently we are all using a blog for a classroom assignment rather than traditional reports. It is becoming more and more common to use Facebook for online discussions or online classes. When will this social media filter into the workplace environment? It has already become a large source of customer contact and advertising in the past 5 years. Facets such as LinkedIn are already quickly becoming an outlet for career networking and recruiting. Will social media ever be a platform for companies’ internal business processes needs? IT seems natural to think at some point it might; however, one must first consider the lack of actual security when it come to social networking sites. Not only would companies’ private information be at risk for loss- their reputation would be at greater risk. More and more firms are requiring mandatory training on responsible social media use. Some firms have even gone as far as to set specific restrictions, limitations, and requirements for their employees’ use of social networking activities. I firmly believe the role of social networking in the business world today won’t stretch beyond the use of reaching customers and personalized advertising.
ReplyDeleteI had an interesting comment to add. I believe social networking gave me an direct advantage when it came to a new job I recently interviewed for. I was able to look up information about the person interviewing me on linkedin. This gave me a direct advantage knowing the educational background as well as work history. When I went into the interview I felt I really know the person interviewing me and was able to relate and bring up talking points.
ReplyDeleteThis being said I also got nervous that the employer might be trying to look at my Facebook account. I do have my security set on the highest level but it does make me wonder if it is wrong to seek out this information.
I did consult with several UTD faculty members who assured me that if people do not want you to see there Linkedin page they would not make it public so the information is ok to look at and use in preparation.
I was offered the position and really think that social networking helped me get the position. This was my personal experience and I believe social networking is good as long as it is done without invasion of privacy.
Social networks are a good tool to communicate with friends and co-worker.But we must be careful about our activities and that on the social networks as it can have serious consequences in our career.
ReplyDeleteI am often amazed at what I see and read on Facebook. I often have to remind people that they are giving people access to the most intimate details of their lives and often do not know who these people are. As part of my job I search the Facebook pages of those wanting to mentor youth and children. Why? Because it attests to their character. For example, I had an individual who wanted to mentor teen girls and when I visited her Facebook, picture after picture showed her with an alcoholic drink in her hand. There was even a picture of her in a public restroom holding a mixed drink. Pictures came with captions about how wasted she was and named multiple drinking games she was engaged in. When confronted and asked to explain she said she had no knowledge what was on her page because she had not accessed in months and those pictures were probably from years ago. Well, she was not exactly true. The pictures were posted just day before her post looking for a roommate. Needless to say she was not chosen to be a mentor.
ReplyDeleteIn my line of work social networking helps make better, well informed choices, because people forget that they are exposing themselves. This was a volunteer opportunity, had I been a recruiter looking to employ someone, I would have made the same decision - now way!
For years I’ve avoided social networking sites. My reasons vary. One, I’m already hooked on things like Fantasy Baseball. The last thing I need is one more thing to check on for updates every ten minutes. It’s distracting, counter-productive, and I lack the discipline to stop. Two, I’m not that interesting. Nobody wants to read about what I made for dinner. Three, I just know I’ll put something stupid on there after having a few drinks. I know too many people that have done it. Sure, you can remove it, but as they say, once you post something, it’s out there, somewhere, forever.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I’ll probably have to cave eventually as these sites seem to be the way of things now. People look at me like a leper when I say I’m not on Facebook.
I honestly believe that Social Networks are one of the greatest inventions of the past decade. I agree with people who say that if not used properly they can be dangerous, but I also think that social networks are the source of different benefits for our society.
ReplyDeleteI made an account on Facebook 3 years ago, and I did not use it that much at the beginning, but after I moved to the U.S. I started to use it really often. And this because it was the perfect tool to communicate with most of my friends or family members living far away from me.
One thing that kinda bothers me is that lot of people treat social networks such as facebook just as a game or websites to kill boredom, but instead I think they should view them as important tools that promote and strengthen the communication between individuals.
I had a lot of craze about social networks initially,but I realized that I was nearly wasting 3-4 hours of my day on posting comments and updating which was affecting my academic performance and work productivity.Hence i view social networking website only once a week and stay in touch with my friends and colleagues
ReplyDeleteI also do not post a lot of personal information because I really doubt that these websites are secure.I have heard about software's that can hack Facebook passwords and hence am scared to reveal a lot of personal information on these websites
For me , social networking is a greatet technolgy which made possible to get back my kinder garden friends and other lost child hood friends.
ReplyDeleteI use these sites as generally to wish my old friends on some occasions but am not very regular to these sites now days because they can make one addictive.
I agree with Pankaj in that online social networking should promote and strengthen the communication between individuals. In my experience I've noticed that many individuals who have difficulty expressing themselves vocally are able to express themselves better on online social network sites. Websites such as Facebook can be a great tool to share information. My employer, Raytheon, recognized the benefits of social networking and created a similar platform within the Raytheon intranet. Raytheon launched RSpace in 2010 to encourage employees to connect with coworkers in and out of their immediate work area. This social network allows users to upload a profile picture, post information about projects they are currently working on, describe a system glitch they are experiencing or provide links to interesting articles. With RSpace, Raytheon is able to integrate profiles, microblogs, communities, blogs, activities and bookmarks. Raytheon Co. took the concept of social networking and turned into a company advantage, encouraging its employees to engage with the company in new ways.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pankaj's comment. I did not use my facebook page that much until I moved to Texas for college and now have settled down here. I feel that it is a great way to keep in touch with what friends and family are up to.
ReplyDeleteTHe only negative I have learned the hard way about social networks is when I have added people on a whim as friends because I have had oen firend in common. Only to find out that they were just a facebook or myspace friend of my real friend and they just were cyberstalking pretty girls and looking at our pictures. To me thats the most diturbing bit. However you can always block those people and be more selective of who you add as friends.
One of the other things that I learned about social networking is that its not a good idea to add and employer as a friend or coworkers because it just is not conducive for a healthy work environment.
‘Social networks’ are used to depict individual agents and communities as entangled in manifold sets of interdependent relations, or webs of
ReplyDeleteattachments/connections.The aim of social network analysis is to explain the ties or patterns manifest in those configurations.