My company has a pretty decent approach to social networks. MySpace and Facebook are blocked, but LinkedIn is allowed, as it has a specific business application.
Something to consider: the Sarbanes Oxley Act requires all emails to be archived. Due to that, all email, other than my work email (which is through their servers) is blocked. That means the social networks that allow messaging are blocked, but more so due to their ability to circumvent the email requirement, and not necessarily the 'social' aspect of it.
August 27, 2008 1:24 pm
Mark W.
Ryan,
I agree with your arguments for access to social networking web sites but there's more to this issue which you don't discuss here.
I googled the Challenger, Gray & Christmas study you mention in this post and found the following article - http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/07/28/story9.html
This article explains the reasons why some law firms and other companies are banning or otherwise restricting the use of social network sites on their computers. Basically they want to avoid potentially embarrassing situations, they're concerned about privacy, and they are still trying to develop policies for their employees. I think they're just trying to get up to speed with social networking on the Internet and they're being cautious in the meantime.
@Ryan you're right: social networking is the evolution of networking and technology. However, that doesn't mean that my job, which requires a certain set of tasks and skills, is depended on it. After all, my employer isn't really interested in taking 'company' time to network with people on-line.
I worked for a company that had similar policies...most social networks were blocked except LinkedIn. I guess it wasn't too bad, but it was pretty annoying not being able to use Google Docs or social bookmarking sites like Digg or Delicious. Like most previous technologies, it's just a matter of companies figuring out how to keep things secure before they let people use them.
August 27, 2008 2:09 pm
Steve
Ryan,
You have to stop lumping the successes of legitimate business blogs, such as in your Marriott example, in with Facebook and MySpace as justification to have universal freedoms with social networking at work.
Remember that SOCIAL networking is just that - social. As in not work. The Marriott blog you refer to is just that - a corporate blog with a specific business focus. A sanctioned and company developed page - not a forum to post party pictures on.
Social networks are not the best place to recruit IMO because there are many more skilled and productive workers out there who don't even know what social networking is - likely due to their age. I am more likely to find high maintenance GenY folk trolling social cyberspace for employment prospects than nose to the grindstone seasoned workers. I'm sorry, but that has been my personal experience.
By definition, spending time on social networking sites at work does take away from time devoted to work - no matter how you frame it. We banned all of these sites as well as all of the workaround sites a short time ago and have seen a huge spike in productivity, as well as a few departures.
I think that the story yet to be told will be that the 22% of companies who ban it now may soon have data to support more companies moving in the same direction in the near future.
Work at work and play at home.
August 27, 2008 3:18 pm
jrandom42
Someone running complex machine tools does NOT need any kind of social networking during business hours. Facebook and MySpace have no place on the manufacturing floor.
Thanks for all the comments. I do understand arguments for banning some aspects of social networking sites that are completely inappropriate for work. Ning, for example, has a lot of social networking sites with nudity and pornography. Those should not be allowed in the office.
But I'm convinced that social networking is nothing more than the evolution of networking and technology. First it was computers, then the internet, now it's web 2.0 - social networking and social media. Companies will need to create some policies, just like they did with old technologies, but eventually social networks will be allowed in every office.
8 RESPONSES TO "WHY YOUR COMPANY CAN’T AFFORD TO BAN SOCIAL NETWORKING"
Atta boy, Healy!
Top notch post, my friend. The last 3 paragraphs sum it up perfectly!
I was talking to a group of nonprofits about Facebook and asked how many banned it at the office. I was shocked when I saw hands go up...
If you want to use it, you've got to jump in with both feet. You'll find out soon enough if you've got the right (or wrong) people on board.
My company has a pretty decent approach to social networks. MySpace and Facebook are blocked, but LinkedIn is allowed, as it has a specific business application.
Something to consider: the Sarbanes Oxley Act requires all emails to be archived. Due to that, all email, other than my work email (which is through their servers) is blocked. That means the social networks that allow messaging are blocked, but more so due to their ability to circumvent the email requirement, and not necessarily the 'social' aspect of it.
Ryan,
I agree with your arguments for access to social networking web sites but there's more to this issue which you don't discuss here.
I googled the Challenger, Gray & Christmas study you mention in this post and found the following article - http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/07/28/story9.html
This article explains the reasons why some law firms and other companies are banning or otherwise restricting the use of social network sites on their computers. Basically they want to avoid potentially embarrassing situations, they're concerned about privacy, and they are still trying to develop policies for their employees. I think they're just trying to get up to speed with social networking on the Internet and they're being cautious in the meantime.
Mark
@Ryan you're right: social networking is the evolution of networking and technology. However, that doesn't mean that my job, which requires a certain set of tasks and skills, is depended on it. After all, my employer isn't really interested in taking 'company' time to network with people on-line.
I worked for a company that had similar policies...most social networks were blocked except LinkedIn. I guess it wasn't too bad, but it was pretty annoying not being able to use Google Docs or social bookmarking sites like Digg or Delicious. Like most previous technologies, it's just a matter of companies figuring out how to keep things secure before they let people use them.
Ryan,
You have to stop lumping the successes of legitimate business blogs, such as in your Marriott example, in with Facebook and MySpace as justification to have universal freedoms with social networking at work.
Remember that SOCIAL networking is just that - social. As in not work. The Marriott blog you refer to is just that - a corporate blog with a specific business focus. A sanctioned and company developed page - not a forum to post party pictures on.
Social networks are not the best place to recruit IMO because there are many more skilled and productive workers out there who don't even know what social networking is - likely due to their age. I am more likely to find high maintenance GenY folk trolling social cyberspace for employment prospects than nose to the grindstone seasoned workers. I'm sorry, but that has been my personal experience.
By definition, spending time on social networking sites at work does take away from time devoted to work - no matter how you frame it. We banned all of these sites as well as all of the workaround sites a short time ago and have seen a huge spike in productivity, as well as a few departures.
I think that the story yet to be told will be that the 22% of companies who ban it now may soon have data to support more companies moving in the same direction in the near future.
Work at work and play at home.
Someone running complex machine tools does NOT need any kind of social networking during business hours. Facebook and MySpace have no place on the manufacturing floor.
Thanks for all the comments. I do understand arguments for banning some aspects of social networking sites that are completely inappropriate for work. Ning, for example, has a lot of social networking sites with nudity and pornography. Those should not be allowed in the office.
But I'm convinced that social networking is nothing more than the evolution of networking and technology. First it was computers, then the internet, now it's web 2.0 - social networking and social media. Companies will need to create some policies, just like they did with old technologies, but eventually social networks will be allowed in every office.
-Ryan
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