Social Times - Latest Comments in It’s the Connection, Stupid

Re: It’s the Connection, Stupid

Charles — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:46:44 -0000

The blogosphere is reacting to a rather distorted summary by a 3rd party. The Gartner report is actually more positive than negative about social networking, and its purpose is to point some pitfalls to avoid, for those organizations that have chosen to engage in enterprise social computing.

Some excerpts from the actual report:

Corporate social networking solutions are generally good products and offer some security advantages over Internet-based social networking sites. However, IT departments would do well in realizing that ultimately the value of social networking resides in content and not code.....

* IT departments should focus their primary attention not on products but on the human factors that affect the uptake of social networking technology. On that basis, Internet-based social networking solutions [such as Facebook and LinkedIn] offer IT departments a no-cost way to achieve that outcome.

* IT departments shouldn’t overplay the security risks of Internet-based social networking sites.

* IT departments should consider making social networking investment decisions on a component-by-component basis rather than as a suite.

Re: It’s the Connection, Stupid

Nan Shastry — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:09:29 -0000

I agree wholeheartedly. It was the whole reason for my leaving corporate america and building my platform.

Re: It’s the Connection, Stupid

daveambrose — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:23:06 -0000

Andrew,

Completely agree, especially with your last sentence:

"This will only continue, and those that embrace these tools early will have a real competitive advantage…those that don’t will be left behind."

Re: It’s the Connection, Stupid

Andrew Wright — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:58:56 -0000

Well, I haven't seen the report yet, but I agree that Gartner's overarching statement is shortsighted. The whole field of Knowledge Management in organizations has been stuck in the mud for decades, and social networking tools are the winch pulling KM out. SN apps and wikis are unlocking and unleashing both tacit and explicit knowledge within the enterprise in truly revolutionary ways where employed, if employed correctly. This will only continue, and those that embrace these tools early will have a real competitive advantage...those that don't will be left behind.

Re: It’s the Connection, Stupid

Amanda — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:18:14 -0000

Very well said.