March 30, 2009 at 7:37 am
I try to stay off that sort of thing as much as I can. Never at work, and at home sparingly. However, I have been on it quite a bit the last week updating my status, etc as we are in the middle of a record flood in Fargo, ND and it has been extremely useful to update distant family and friends with my situation. Also, the well wishes and thoughts from family and friends helped give strength while sandbagging.
March 30, 2009 at 7:51 am
I haven't got time for this.
March 30, 2009 at 8:05 am
I was also a late comer to socail networking. I have deliberatly limited myself to facebook for non-work and linked in for work. That has given me a pretty good balance.
I am not sure how business important these social networking tools really are but it is nice having the ability to stay in touch without having to manage it much.
March 30, 2009 at 8:41 am
I have tried to avoid the SN scene mainly because I know it takes a lot of time (as many of you have confirmed) to keep up with everything. I recently heard about LinkedIn, but I don't know much about it. If it truly is more about business relationships and less about what someone ate for dinner the other night that made them sick today, I may sign up for it.
March 30, 2009 at 8:49 am
I'm with Aaron on this. Moderation. A little for collaboration with projects at work, a little at home to keep in touch with friends. However, my best and most productive social networking takes place at dinner parties, out camping or on my surfboard :-).
In other words, keepin' it real, and not virtual.
March 30, 2009 at 8:53 am
I think I created a Facebook account once several years ago. Haven't logged in since.
I do have a LinkedIn account. I've signed in a few times in the last couple of years. Can't exactly call myself active.
I can see some value to these things, but they just aren't my style, I guess.
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March 30, 2009 at 9:21 am
I have avoided SN sites like Facebook and MySpace like the plague. I've received several invites to Facebook and simply can't bring myself to join. I'm a private person and while I realize I can restrict who can see my page, that's still not good enough for me. Also, in some cases, isn't there a certain amount of narcissism in these sites?? Like someone else stated - not my style. And once it's out there.... good heavens...it's OUT there. That said, I AM on LinkedIn. But I keep that strictly for professional contacts and I keep the information at a bare minimum. I prefer internet anonymity!
March 30, 2009 at 9:34 am
I have not used LinkedIn for almost 2 years - I stopped after I started getting 10+ emails a day - that alone took too much of my time. So needless to say FaceBook, Plaxo, Twitter or any other of these other 'social networking' tools are not in my daily schedule.
There are enough things left in the day to consume my time. Work life, home life, family life & friends - not to mention the needed balance between them all in maintaining a full and fulfilling life.
I do use SSC daily (and have for a number of years) as a part of continuing education.
RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."
March 30, 2009 at 9:55 am
I resent Twitter (looks like a good choice, ha)
Facebook - check 1~2 times daily
LinkedIn - don't check often but once in a while, usually just wait for emails
No MySpace at all, I am older than that 😛
March 30, 2009 at 10:10 am
True!
It's so bad that I'm having trouble finding time to play Xbox games during work hours...
March 30, 2009 at 10:38 am
Aaron N. Cutshall (3/30/2009)
My dad always told me that too much of anything, even a good thing, can be bad for you. I can't think of any example that is more applicable than social networking. As with everything, in moderation, there are certain benefits to social networking. Networks such as LinkedIn or SQLServerCentral.com are excellent examples of professional networks that are value-added. I certainly don't wish to waste my time on inane chatter or on social aspects that are complete time killers. I don't socialize enough with my family and friends face-to-face, so why should I spend that time on Twitter?Professional networking, with well-chosen contacts (not with everyone possible as I've seen many do) has measurable benefits to advance knowledge and career opportunities. Reading about the daily comings and goings of folks whom I really don't know does nothing to enrich my life or that of my family and friends. Time is a precious commodity of which I need to be judicious in spending.
You took the words right out of mouth. This is exactly my position. I especially agree with the first sentence of the second paragraph. Some link just to amass link counts on Linked-In. I only link people I directly work with face to face, and respect and would back any day on almost anything they did, as I believe they would not do contrary things.
The thing that I dislike about most social networking, is that one can see info about those to which one has no relationship at all... like with Facebook. I find little to no value in the pretty little bobbles of such an aspect of social networking, like hatching eggs and similar applications. If I want someone to see pictures, I will send them directly to that person, not the world at large. If someone wants me to see some picture, they'll send it directly to me. MyFamily.com is very limited exception to this, but only because they allow easier lock-down of personal information, and helps keep families closely knit, and is the only form of internet "social" networking I will spend (minimal) time on outside of some limited IM.
Linked In, on the other hand, allows me to give and receive personal recommendations that have real value in the employment market at interview time. It is a fairly decent way to build your personal portfolio. And an awesome way to document a resume. If one thinks another is "worth their salt", then it is really a responsibility to say so; we must all get a little help sometimes, and a little "Thank You" becomes a big "THANK YOU!" when in the form of a well-written recommendation. LinkedIn offers this ability in a relatively easy manner, that gives more than a company "kudos" or plastine statuette. It is a personal and thoughtful direct recommendation to others.
March 30, 2009 at 10:53 am
As long as they are done in moderation, I think the different social networking sites can offer various benefits.
For example,
LinkedIn = Ability to interact on a business level with associates. Their group feature can also be harnessed to better communicate with your company's contacts.
Facebook = A personal space to interact with people. With so many people spread out now a days, provides a benefit of getting to interact with people who live miles away from you.
Twitter = If done correctly, can bring all sorts of information to you that you would typically have to go out and search for.
Obviously, spending all day on any of these is going to be a waste of time, but so would be spending all day surfing the 'net (espn.com, etc). So, I think it really comes down to can the individual be responsible to using these services on responsible basis. If so (and they are your thing), they can have varying benefits.
March 30, 2009 at 11:10 am
I don't spend too much time at work on the SN sites, although they have made me late for work on occasion! We work flexible hours here, so it's not really an issue.
In the morning, during lunchbreak and in the evening - oh yes, I'm facebooking way too much probably, but with friends dispersed all over the country/continent, it's a great way to keep up.
March 30, 2009 at 11:26 am
I think SSC is kind of a social network!
A few things to keep in mind here. I'm experimenting a bit with Social Networking and I think it's like certifications. You can get things out of it if you want, it can be a waste of time, or it can be something you use casually.
Facebook - I'll blog a bit more on this, but Facebook doesn't put anything out to the world by default. You need to decide this. you can also limit things to your friends, which is kind of like MyFamily.com Facebook I think tends to be more like a friend network, lets you easily find people from college, high school, etc. I see some business people on there, but with all the little application distractions, I see this as less a business site. I rarely go to Facebook, but I have my account linked to Twitter.
To me LinkedIn and Plaxo are more business oriented. They're places to keep an address book, maybe discuss an issue, or find some news. I'm still wondering how useful they are. Recommendations are like letters of reference. How true are they? They're still as true as the person writing them wants to make them. Not sure if they are valuable, but they are available. I run the PASS group and the SSC group, adding some things in there every week, kind of giving me a touch that I don't get here.
Twitter is a series of hallway conversations. I think some people get caught up in it, but it's also a source of quick inspiration. I've had questions answered, gotten in touch with people that I don't have emails for, and heard some interesting news items. I follow some celebrities (John McCain, Obama, Claudia Imhoff) and a bunch of SQL people. It can be fun, and it's low impact. I have Twirl running, check it when I switch tasks. I rarely go back and look to see what I've missed. If I wasn't tuned in, it doesn't matter.
Note that if you're not social in the real world, you probably won't like these things. If you don't like to talk about your life with co-workers, alumni, etc. this might not fit.
March 30, 2009 at 11:30 am
Too much of a substitute for actually going out and doing something. Live your reality, don't pretend.
Quite some time ago, I was the philanthropic chair of my fraternity. I, and the majority of the brothers, despise the lame "fund-raising" efforts put out by some other fraternities. How long can I spend in this hot tub with the pretty co-ed... Pledge a dollar an hour, man...
Screw that. I organized labor patrols. We did such things as; clear and maintain miles of trails for the Adirondack trail association, we landscaped the town hall, supplied actors for a haunted hayride with proceeds going to a children's cancer hospice, etc. We put the brothers to work making a direct contribution.
Part of this attitude plays into my disdain for all social networks. I don't view LinkedIn as a social network, though I can see someone perverting it for such purposes.
Honor Super Omnia-
Jason Miller
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