Corporate Revolts against social networks

This one made me laugh (i’m getting to be quite a fan of half geek):

Social Networking is better than smoking

It’s happening here in New Zealand now- the corporate revolt against employees using social networks on employer owned hardware and networks. The calls of ‘productivity’ cry from the huge offices.Just the other day I lost access to a variety of website’s at my job due to a network upgrade- and I’m employed as an online strategist! Bizarre…….

Corporations are going to need to start seeing the we are in the midst of a cultural revolution. If they do not, they risk providing a balanced atmosphere for their employees. Going onto facebook and networking with your friends in the modern day equivalent of going outside for smoke and chatting with your friends. Or if we go even further back, sitting at your desk and having a smoke to relax.

Social networking online provides a certain amount of relief in what has become a longer and more boring day in front of a computer (for those of us with office based jobs). I compare my going on facebook to old schoolers having a smoke at their desk 30 years ago to take time to reflect on the massive pile of paperwork that they had left to get through.

Obviously, the difference’ between social networking online and smoking cigarettes are numerous. I mean to say, social networking is not going to kill me.

Hang on, maybe it is? They haven’t banned smoking at work yet? People go outside to smoke all the time. That’ not productive. My company say that their policies have our best interests at heart. Holy shit, is there something major that I’m missing here? I knew facebook was addictive but……

Before I give a presentation, I pop in and make sure I can get to MySpace, Facebook, Second Life and so on, through the firewall. It’s a bit hard to explain to marketing staff (and directors and executives) what content is being created around their products and services, and how to connect with those conversations, when the corporate employees are forbidden from mixing and conversing with said customers. 😛

Reminds me of the good ol’ days when companies said that they didn’t want emails because they wanted their people talking face-to-face or on the phone. *reminisces* I feel old…