Should Facebook Be Banned from Work? Gardner’s Nikos Drakos versus Ray Valdes

Facebook has taken over from blogs to become the poster child for consumer social media with over 68 million users. Many of the consumer web 2.0 tools, including blogs, have successfully migrated to the workplace. At the same a huge industry have emerged to create business versions of these consumer tools. Many of these business tools have taken features of the consumer tools and combined them for greater business effectiveness. This is our strategy at Connectbeam, combining social bookmarking with social networking and adding business focused features.

Where does Facebook fit into this picture? A recent debate at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2008 on April 7 was summarized on eWeek. Gartner analyst Nikos Drakos took the position that Facebook should be banned, while Gartner's Ray Valdes defended the social network, saying it should be regulated. Drakos essentially said that Facebook is a distraction from company business and increases the liability for disclosure of inappropriate and inconsistent company information. Valdes counters that company regulations can govern these inappropriate uses.

This debate can take emotional turns given the high loyalty to Facebook. However, we have to remember the question, Should Facebook Be Banned from Work? It is not should social media be banned from work. Facebook is a consumer tool designed to maximize its marketing revenue. Facebook has opened up its APIs for third party developers and unleashed a gold rush in widget development. However, these widgets are not generally designed for business and they often broadcast information without the user’s realization.

Let’s look at Facebook's Beacon experiment as an example the business implications of Facebook’s goal of maximize its marketing revenue. Here is a nice summary of the transitions and back pedaling, The Evolution of Facebook’s Beacon, from the New York times Bits blog. The problem comes from the tracking of your actions on sites other than Facebook and then putting what happens in your news feed that goes out to all your Facebook friends. Like many people I am not excited for this information to be distributed without my control. While I have nothing to hide, I see this as just clutter that can be spam to my Facebook friends.

The problem and outcry occurred because Facebook made it very hard to control this feature. Despite numerous protests, Facebook refused for a while to allow for a universal opt off capability. You had to disallow each broadcast separately. It was also unclear how to do this nor did you have much time to make the stop before it went out. The reason for this initial disregard of user’s wishes lies in Facebook’s desire for the increased ad revenue that could come through this feature. This unattended broadcast can occur with many of the other Facebook widgets. They can be worse that the email “reply all” button.

Why would you want to give a tool designed to generate consumer eyeballs and increase its marketing revenue room to operate freely in your business? I am a Facebook fan and a user but I would rather have social media tools that are designed for business use operating within my enterprise. I think that regulation is the wrong approach. Why pick a tool that requires such regulation? Regulation is the exact antithesis of Web 2.0. I do not think we should confuse Facebook with all of social media. To ban Facebook in your business is not to ban social media. There are many social media tools that offer the networking capabilities similar to those within Facebook. I have to side with Nikos on this one.

I added a more on the topic in this post, The Role of Facebook in the Enterprise: A Post Script, where I did say there could be a role for Facebook in an enterprise and we do not ban it here at Connectbeam. The post explains why.

Comments

[Air Jordan shoes]

It is nice one, the pic is very cool, i just wonder if the real matter also cool enough. I have got a watch which have nice photo but do not really good before, it is so bad...

[Impotence causes]

I work my whole life has been overwhelming, I would like to share with readers my experience over the years I learned that all jobs are important to get to form the society in which we live, from the person collecting the trash even the president of a country are essential. thank you very much for allowing me to express myself .. I commend you for the article.

[Cheap viagra]

For me it is a pleasure to comment on a blog like this, to me personally I liked very much reading, I agree with everything they say the above comments, I think if every day items like these appear in the network, I would sit at my computer reading these articles.

[搜索引擎营销]

It's so lucky for me to find your blog! So shocking and great!

[chanel bags]

We often hear of people breaking down from overwork, but in nine cases out of ten they are really suffering from worry or anxiety.

----------- by John Lubbock , British banker

[air max 90]

Tomorrow is an other day!@

[coach outlet]

It is not enough to have a good mind; one must use it well.*

[moncler jackets]

Wow, it is really great.I am very pleased that that i'm standing at an excellent blog of my life, i'm really glad to get my comment here in very decent topic. Thanks to you

[Air Jordan 13]

He has made his weapons his gods.
When his weapons win he is defeated himself. O(∩_∩)O~

[air max shoes]

A look at things from other people's ideas, the activity of mind to know other people who never have to worry for their future.

[new jordans 2010]

Les amis sont le navire est à voile, l'espace, de réseau, telles que la Banque comme port. Laver ZhengChen, zhankai visages souriants, utilisant le réseau, d'expédier des souhaits. Wake est en riant, le sommeil est doux, le cœur doux, toujours avec bonheur. Donc, nous devons faire beaucoup d'amis et amical pour eux. J'espère que vous tous les jours et avoir une vie heureuse. Merci .....

[Cheap Ugg Boots]

If you fail, don't forget to learn your lesson.O(∩_∩)O~

[Cheap Jordan Shoes]

Dans l'ombre de votre vie est très heureux, j'ai vos empreintes dans le blog, je suis convaincu, les amis vous le nom, je suis fier. Montagnes, mais peut couper l'autre pas coupé de ses amis, vous pouvez tirer ouvert à moi, mais pas le vrai amour, le temps peut oublier le passé, mais jamais oublier ami!

[Fundraising Consulting Firms]

Oh my gosh how have you guys been? Great article.

[mbt lami]

so would avoid large numbers of unwanted pregnancies. Thanks!

[Careprost]

Hola,
Ha hecho un trabajo muy bueno. Hay muchas personas en busca de eso ahora van a encontrar suficientes fuentes por tus consejos.
espera para obtener más consejos acerca de que

[ズファジラン]

grea post i like it

[more]

It is nice one, the pic is very cool, i just wonder if the real matter also cool enough. I have got a watch which have nice photo but do not really good before, it is so bad...

[shoes]

It is nice one, the pic is very cool, i just wonder if the real matter also cool enough. I have got a watch which have nice photo but do not really good before, it is so bad...

[mouth]

It is nice one, the pic is very cool, i just wonder if the real matter also cool enough. I have got a watch which have nice photo but do not really good before, it is so bad...

[Generic Cordarone]

Hola,Ha hecho un trabajo muy bueno. Hay muchas personas en busca de eso ahora van a encontrar suficientes fuentes por tus consejos.espera para obtener más consejos acerca de que

[Networking solutions]

There are may person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post,

[sildenafil citrate]

Its very nice to read such a fantastic post like this. I am very much happy that I found this blog. I enjoyed reading every little bit of it.Some interesting and well researched information on cameras. I’ll put a link to this site on my blog. Thanks for sharing.

[sildenafil citrate]

Wonderful information, valuable and excellent design, as share good stuff with good ideas and concepts, lots of great information and inspiration, both of which I need, thanks for all the enthusiasm to offer such helpful information here.

[Seo Services India]

Wow, Great post,Nice work, I would like to read your blog every day Thanks