Social Networking Sites In The Business Environment.

Yes this sort of does smell like old people but I believe that in today's business environment social networking sites have no place.  This might be "old people" thinking but it is true.

A few years ago I thought it would be really neat and kind of fun to join MySpace even though I am not a typical "joiner" of anything let alone any social networking site.  Friends told me it was a dumb move on my part and after about two years I know what they were talking about.

To make matters worse I joined Facebook which opened the floodgates of disaster.  The problem with both sites is all the so called "friend" requests that you have to muddle through.  The other problem is that people simply just can't leave you alone.  So I decided to close my MySpace account.  MySpace is all or none.  If you close it everything your friends posted for you and all of your cute little comments will vanish into the black hole of cyberspace.

Facebook is a little better.  If you close your Facebook account they save it for you just in case you decide that you were really drunk or something and made the wrong choice about ending it all.

But my point is this.  You are better off directing your efforts to your own company web site where you have total control over your content and you don't have to worry about the so-called privacy settings of MySpace and Facebook.  The other benefit is the fact that YOU and only YOU control the ads that appear on your own web site.  With MySpace and Facebook if you enter any information about your business and what your business does, then the next day you see nothing but advertisements from your competitors.  Really nice huh?  In effect you may be cutting your own business' throat.

So my humble suggestion to you is that you eliminate any connection with MySpace and Facebook.  There are much better places to post quick content and information.  For example Twitter is very good for this.  Instant updates that customers can view.  The downside of Twitter are all the spammers and all the girls with their porn sites.  You really have to police your Twitter accounts and promptly block these offenders.  If you don't, some people might think you are "following" some porn site.

The other thing with Twitter is that many people think it is the new age Pog and all they do is "collect" "followers."  I avoid following many people.  To me I pick the ones that have like interests such as antique collectors or watch collectors.  I also avoid the users that post worthless information every 30 minutes.  Afterall it is a proven fact that about 50 percent of all Twitter posting are worthless pieces of junk and useless information.

So for me it is Good Bye to MySpace and Facebook.  Let the kids play on them so that some unknown person can guide and direct your child.  In my opinion both sites should be shut down as both places represent the best of human error.