Spreading corporate FUD

20 August, Herald Sun

Facebook time-wasters could cost $5 billion a year

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22273758-2,00.html

This is a typical negative and cynical corporate perspective of a new social phenomenon from the unbiased perspective by SurfControl Chairman, Richard Cullen. As if there is no vested interested preaching FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) to sell more licenses. The article actually ends with a more objective and realistic view from Tammy Tucker of Haystac.
Rather than fear social networking, corporates need to understand why so many people are joining these networks and using them to express themselves and to connect with other like-minded people. Platforms, like facebook, provide people with a new way to communicate to narrow segments of a very wide audience. This is personally empowering. Banning facebook is a similar reaction that many organisations had 10 years ago - banning the Internet and world wide web. Today, no company can survive without Internet/Web connectivity.
If your employees are not engaged, not motivated, not productive, or if you haven't tapped into their real potential and inspired them to contribute to your organisation; don't blame facebook or myspace or other social networking platforms. Blame your board and executive leadership for not creating and inspiring vision and blame your middle managers for being job holding, initiative blocking, f--k wits.
People want to do something worthwhile. Employers need to make the time people spend at work worth being there.