In my opinion it is alright to use social media for both the personal as well as professional purpose. but there should be some wall between the two. Even as a professional , what you do for your company and what you do individually as a professional should be two different things.
The solution may lie in having different identities for the same person playing different roles - a friend, a relative, a professional , an employee , a citizen. By classifying your communication either by way of different identity or by way of some filters one should be able to manage how his information , his views and opinions etc become visible to only the desired target. This will also solve the problem of companies claiming their right on what you do on these social networks.
I think LinkedIn is a good networking source for professionals over Facebook. Specifically because of the profile orientation and style associated with conducting business.
"Rather than deal with all that, my solution is just to use LinkedIn and not deal with Facebook."
For many companies and their employees, Facebook is as useful as LinkedIn and it would be difficult to choose one social medium over others. To avoid messing up profession and personal life, there should be way to separate social media contacts into different categories (the Google+ "cercle" concept for instance might be one of options). It may not solve all the problems, but it will reduce some of the issues mentioned in the blog post.
"The lines between personal and business are becoming fuzzier."
In the case of the law suit, the twitter following list was built in the company's name and I agree that the employee should not go away with it. This could set a precedent and companies will now work on better social media accounts management policies.
@DennisQ: I follow just like you narrated and it looks like very effective way. Also, Monday to Friday are too busy. You get some spare time on weekend. I use 1 to 2 hours on weekend for this.
Very timely article. Here is a news story today, "Man sued for keeping company Twitter followers", about a lawsuit related to a person who worked for a company and built a Twitter following and later left and took his followers with him.Now his former employer is suing him claiming those Twitter followers are company property.The lines between personal and business are becoming fuzzier.
DennisQ, I signed on to LinkedIn well before getting on Facebook for the same reasons you highlighted; it was great for professional contacts. However, the universe of people on Facebook and other social media sites dwarfs connections on LinkedIn and that's why businesses are interested in these. Facebook is used in a personal way by most people but it can be mined by businesses for contact information. Like you, I am interested in how people are using these services both for professional and personal purposes.
I have a feeling the discussion on this topic will be pretty interesting, because it's a complicated issues and you pose a lot of good questions.
I think one common approach people have is that they use Facebook for their personal life and LinkedIn for their professional life. It's not a bad idea, but there's always some sort of cross-over as surely some of the people you meet in your professional life become friends (and sometimes vice-versa, but that's not as common).
Rather than deal with all that, my solution is just to use LinkedIn and not deal with Facebook. It really does eliminate a lot of the issues you mention, plus it cuts way down on any online drama-related problems in my personal life. Plus, I can do more productive things in the time I don't waste on Facebook.
Despite the fact I don't really get into Social Media as much as the average person my age, I will say that LinkedIn can be a very useful tool if used properly: I've been contacted through it regarding a number of interesting job opportunities and even found my latest job due to a LinkedIn automatic "Jobs You May Like" suggestion, I believe.
Anyhow, looking forward to seeing what other people's tactics are!
Social media can be a great boon for business and may be as indispensable as the telephone when it comes to doing business. Like the telephone, it may take some skill and planning in developing contacts in order to be of real value.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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