Social Networking

Dear Corporate America,

If you have not woken up already, the time has finally time to conform. Social media can actually help, more than hinder, you.....for real!

Sincerely,

New Media

Ok business-owners, I am going to list a FEW benefits of New Media, and you tell me which ones you oppose:

*Saving paper (are you not trying to help the environment and go green?)*

**Ability to update content without any lag (do we really have extra time for delays these days?)**

***Centralization of data (c'mon, filing cabinet were so last season)***

****CHEAP (did I miss the economy boom?)****

*****No, or very little, user learning curve (yes, your Grandma could use it too)*****

(Goonoe, 2005)

So you are obviously convinced by now, so now I will tell you how you can implement these technologies to help your business run more efficiently:

1. Create a company INTRANET. All of the benefits above are combined in one Web-based application that anyone within the company will be able to access. This will allow for idea and data sharing, which in turn will provide an atmosphere of efficiency and equality, where everyone is constantly up-to-date on the company.

2. Allow social media to be a part of EDUCATION. Enabling students to have access to a central location where they can inquire about and answer concerns about their course work will provide both higher simplicity, as well as efficiency, inside and outside the classroom.

"The Dark Side"

Before you freak out, let's be serious, what technology or media doesn't have the potential of monstrosity? So what is different about New Media?

Yes, these new technologies can be very susceptible to Internet predators, but that is why someone needs to be put in charge; anything that has public access needs to be monitored. (Ex: a public swimming pool.)

As long as your choice of New Media (blog, wiki, social network, etc...) is under adequate supervision, there are endless windows of opportunity of improving the communication of your company.

Lesson to be learned: Don't be scared, just be aware.

~*tHe FuTuRe*~

Without my trusty crystal ball, I must rely on my psychic abilities....

With that, I believe that New Media and convergence are going to spread like wildfire. Somehow, "they" (the brains of these innovations) are going to find ways to connect everything.

The C's of this Convergence: Cars, Computers, Cameras, Cell-phones, Cable, Credit Cards, Clothes.....and who knows what else???

To continue the "C" trend, the future will provide CENTRAL CONTROL. Imagine, everything is one place. How? Well, that is up to the brains of this operation....

References

Goodnoe, Ezra. "How To Use Wikis For Business." InformationWeek. 8 Aug. 2005. InternetWeek. 10 June 2009 .