This blog has the potential to be very upsetting to some people but I believe it is an important topic that needs to be discussed in the public domain. I am particularly interested in hearing from MSP's and vendors out there who use social networking for either their personal or business lives. While my own views on the subject have been relatively settled, I do welcome ideas from others to inform my own opinions, not to mention the countless thousands who are part of the MSPAlliance.
The role of social networking sites and technologies has changed rapidly in the last few years. Just the other day I was watching a major network news broadcast and they displayed two social networking sites prominently on the screen. Social networking has become an accepted way of interacting with friends, family, and business colleagues in an era where virtual communication is now the norm. The purpose of this blog is to ask the crucial question: does social networking risk long term harm to your personal or professional reputation? Let's consider some specific issues that are of particular interest to individuals and companies engaged in the practice of managed IT services.
Professional Appearance: most social networking sites do not specify between work and personal life. Speaking personally, I have had numerous colleagues tell me that they would rather connect with me (yes I use some social networking sites) on one site versus another site. To me this says there are some sites that are less useful for business networking than others. Some of you might say that the blend of personal and business is inevitable and actually useful for business networking. The question all MSP's must ask themselves is what professional appearance do you have to your clients and colleagues when you appear on personal social networking sites?
Security: For those of you in the IT security sector you will no doubt know that social engineering has been and continues to be a major threat to companies and individuals everywhere. MSP's who advise their clients on matters related to IT security should be aware of the potential dangers of allowing social networking sites to be used by employees (both working for MSP's and clients). Just as MSP's advise clients to have HR policies prohibiting online day trading and shopping, so are social networking sites potential hazards for employees. Too much information can be disclosed about a person or their business through such sites. Daily habits, friends and relatives, common hangouts, favorite watering holes, all represent potential information that can be used against individuals or their employers. If your clients do not have IT usage policies for social networking you should have that discussion with them.
Benefits versus Costs: There is no doubt that social networking can get your name and brand out there very quickly. Think of it as marketing at the speed of light. But does this instant exposure come at too high a price? To use many social networking sites effectively requires a fair amount of time. Speaking personally, I tried social networking and found that there were some very fast benefits coming chiefly in the form of exposure to a wide base of potential colleagues. I did find myself spending way too much time on these sites and my productivity suffered. If your clients don't want their employees playing around on the Internet during work hours, social networking sites should be high on your list of items that should be prohibited.
Privacy: Social networking sites, by their nature, expose a great deal about you and your life. Unfortunately, this can include information about your work as well. While getting your personal name or business exposure, make sure it is the right kind of exposure. Think about how many clients are seeing you and what types of opinions they are forming when they see al the information you post. Your privacy may not be worth the trade off.
In the end you must decide what these types of technologies get you and what they cost. More importantly, if you are an employer you should probably know what your employees are saying about your company on social networking sites. For MSP's, the implications could be even more grave. Clients look to their MSP's to be advisors and trusted confidants. Before you make that next posting on a social network site, think about what benefits you receive and what the costs are. You may find that the scale isn't that even.
