A couple weeks ago, I posted De-Inviting Zayo Colleagues.   I reacted to a reader’s comment about how he felt pressured to accept a friend request from a co-worker.  It would have been awkward to ignore, but then he regretted giving a peephole into his personal life.  In a moment of uncharacteristic weakness, I reacted by de-inviting those Zayo employees that I don’t know very well.   I figured those who discovered that I de-invited them would re-invite me if they so desired.

A reader named Mark posted the following comment:

Why de-invite all the Zayo ites? Certainly, if they aren’t comfortable with this level of interaction; it will abate. I remember your early exuberance with Facebook. You became a social Prometheus and that is you.  You’re not the Bear because you deplore gregarious behavior.  Facebook association is not friendship. It is a network of friends and folks intent on networking distant Kevin Bacon alliances. Hold your ground Bear. Keep your Facebook contacts intact.

If anyone knows what a social Prometheus is, please let me know if I was insulted or complimented.

I guess I feel better for having de-invited.  I also get friends-suggestions of other Zayo employees and I mostly ignore.  But here is the problem.  What if all Zayo employees react likewise?  That is, what if they follow my example and don’t invite other Zayo-ites?  After all, the original reader’s comment was about a co-worker, not someone who worked for him.  Doesn’t the hesitation to extend the network offset the advantage of Facebook?  I think so.

So Zayo-ites–in this regard, don’t follow my lead!!! It takes two to tango.  If someone doesn’t want to be a friend, that is easy–they just shouldn’t accept an invite.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (4 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

De-Inviting Zayo Colleagues
Screening Potential Employees on the Internet
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Outgunning Alfred E Einstein
Dr. Mike Jekyll and Dr. Mike Hyde

Yesterday’s post was about about comments on my recent Facebook series.  Jeff B. told of a dilemma he faced when a fellow employee invited him to be a Facebook friend.  He did not consider this person a Friend and found the invite intrusive.  Out of politeness, he accepted his request and later regretted it.  His message for me:  do not invite Zayo employees to be friends.  If they want to be your friend, they will invite you.

Jeff was persuasive.   I cannot recall which Zayo employees invited me versus which ones I invited.  So I am going to De-Invite them.   Not all of them, as some I am pretty certain are comfortable.  But most of them.  So, Zayo-ites who are on Facebook–please feel free to invite me and I will accept.  But don’t feel pressured to do so.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (1 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Did De-Inviting set a Bad Example?
Screening Potential Employees on the Internet
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Facebook: Getting a Step Ahead of Dan at Zayo
Outgunning Alfred E Einstein

Several excellent comments came in regarding the Facebook series. I will share them with readers during the course of this week and next. This is the sixth of several posts:

I have invited several people to be friends simply because they listed Zayo as their employer. Thanks to Jeff B, I will not do this anymore.

” I recently joined Facebook… and had a business colleague send me a Friend request. It posed an interesting dilemma. I do not consider this person a Friend nor a Friendly (nod to Seth G) and found it rather intrusive for him to do so. I have a LinkedIn and Plaxo account for that kind of connection. Out of politeness, I accepted his request. I’m not sure I should have and will probably think more carefully in the future.”

As for ’strongly encouraging’ your employees to create accounts, I think that might be pushing it. As the head of your company, you set the tone, mood and demeanor for your organization. I’m sure you are well aware of the influence your opinion will have on your organization and and I’m sure many employees will willingly open accounts and create a Zayo community. But I think that will in some way intrude upon the Facebook community of ‘personal’ by forcing business networking into the environment.”

In fact, I am considering de-inviting Zayo employees. If they ask me to be their friend, that is fine. However, me asking them might not be as good of an idea as it once seemed. Thanks Jeff B.

Mark, at least, made me feel a little better:

“I joined Facebook at your prompting.”

Mark, hopefully you didn’t feel coerced. Facebook-do I get a commission?

So Now What?

  Leave a response (0 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

De-Inviting Zayo Colleagues
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Did De-Inviting set a Bad Example?
Retort to Scott
Outgunning Alfred E Einstein

Several excellent comments came in regarding the Facebook series. I will share them with readers during the course of this week and next. This is the fifth of several posts:

Alfred E Einstein stuck to his guns:

“The point of this quote from a previous post was that social networking for social reasons is not really social. It is closer to social than having NO communication (Iran) but not really social. If someone said they were “social” wit me because I have access to pictures of their vacation, I would disagree. Facebook is social polyester. It will do until the real thing comes along (Iran) but it isn’t the real deal. A better word would have been “Cyber-social”. Cyber-socialization, like most words preceded in hyphen by ‘cyber’ (cyber-sex?) fail in comparison to the right thing and are largely popular in Iran.”

Alfred, are you concerned at all that the world will pass you by?

Mel uses his personal experience to show the linkage between traditional social world and social media.

“And in comment to the anti-social and cyber-social remarks, my retort is one that I think many would have: I am now personally and socially connected to people in a way I wouldn’t have been. Those friends who I lost touch with 12 years ago are now people I have dinner with on weekends and who call to see how an important life event turned out. Yes, I also know when they’re having a bad day and what their toddler looks like eating dog food, but I am not less real-life-social because of Facebook. I am MORE social and I am not the exception to the rule.

I fully agree that it may not be a good idea to share your personal life at all levels with your coworkers. You have to be careful what you put out there. While I was job searching, I made sure that nothing about me could be seen by anyone I hadn’t chosen. My profile picture was not controversial and not even of me in order to avoid judgment during the process based on gender, race, etc. And I will likely choose to not join Zayo’s group on Facebook until I decide if who I am outside of work will enhance how I am at work. That’s where the decision has to be made and it’s everyone’s own. (I did not feel negatively pressured to join the group by Dan’s original post.)”

What you say to that, Alfred E Einstein?

Jeremy sided with Mel:

“I am thoroughly enjoying watching you defend the idea Dan. I mostly agree with you that Facebook is a great tool and should be embraced. I disagree with [those] who say that it is somehow anti-social or that the younger generations are less intelligent because of things like Facebook. I actually believe it creates a culture and society that is more compassionate as to what is going on around them and spawns a ’social intelligence’…”

I agree Jeremy. I do think the collective intelligence of society is being advanced by social media.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (2 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Rebutting Facebook Naysayers
Not Prone to Prolonged Reflection
Dr. Mike Jekyll and Dr. Mike Hyde
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Retort to Scott

Several excellent comments came in regarding the Facebook series. I will share them with readers during the course of this week and next. This is the fourth of several posts:

Scott got off on a tangent. When I first read it, I felt a little irritated because it came off as a typical “glass half empty” comment. However, when I read it a second time, Scott’s point hit home a bit.

Scott:

“What happens when you are forced to put your medical records on the grid to “reduce” medical costs? …We see identity theft [of] personal finances… what happens when the laptop/server with your complete medical profile on it is hacked or information stolen?

It won’t be long before someone is blackmailed by “electronically-stolen medical profile information.”

Scott also warns about:

“a possible employer [checking] facebook, myspace, twitter, and other social networking sites to determine character, ethics, personality, etc. … What do you do when in the heat of a moment post thoughts, feelings or something you might regret later on the grid, and someone that may have an interest in hiring, promoting, or referring you see it, before you regain composure and pull it? What if there is something about you that just rubs a recruiter the wrong way, because they do not believe in your beliefs or share in your values? Think discrimination is large now? just wait.”

Is it illegal to scan Facebook for information on a prospective employee? Is it unethical? I have not heard this discussed in any forum. Regardless, every individual will need to consider this possibility when using social media. Perhaps this will serve as a good “check and balance” on behavior.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (1 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Retort to Scott
Outgunning Alfred E Einstein
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Scott Beck beckons Envysion
Rebutting Facebook Naysayers

Several excellent comments came in regarding the Facebook series. I will share them with readers during the course of this week and next. This is the third of several posts:

Mike Hart CXO started out with encouraging words:

“Full disclosure, I’m not a Zayo employee nor a telecomm guy, just someone who reads Dan’s blog for kicks. And I happen to personally know him too. I’m completely on board with social media and my own digital footprint is growing. In its present form I think the use of Facebook as a company tool is a slippery slope. That is unless you want everyone to know everything about you, which few people do. Do you really want to see the banter from my 16-year old niece and her friends? No, even I don’t most of the time, but I want to stay connected with her just the same. As Facebook improves its functionality (i.e. being able to set up a group of people who can view only specific posts) it’s functional usage may also improve, but as Alfred E Einstein notes above, it needs to be organic and shouldn’t be forced.”

But then Mike put a little chill in me:

“Ponder the possibility that one day Zayo will become a public company. Can you imagine the implication for SEC disclosures in public documents given the existence of a “public” Zayo group on Facebook? At the moment I can’t either, but some court case is bound to test it. Or, from an HR perspective when an employee posts a comment to the wall of another employee who takes offense. How would that be handled? For confidential discussion groups within a company there are many ways to handle this electronically without Facebook.”

Your points are valid Mike. Even bearonbusiness will be impacted if Zayo was to go public.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (2 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Zayo Group Facebook Community
Rebutting Facebook Naysayers
Mike Hampton’s Twin
Robert Nardelli, Mike Hampton’s Twin
Warnings from Scott

Several excellent comments came in regarding the Facebook series. I will share them with readers during the course of this week and next. This is the second of several posts:

Jamie is my hero:

“My concern with your facebook-community post Dan is that it may lead to a reduction of your blog postings; in frequency and/or in depth of content. Not being a Zayo employee, I would miss your insight. (You should consider creating a ‘page’ so that we could follow your musings on facebook). (Disappointed not to find you on twitter also).

Persona control is important to everyone Mr. Caruso. This is a function of self-esteem, self-confidence, a desire to avoid persecution, a desire to protect corporate confidentiality, and frequently, an individual’s intent not to accidently offend or persecute with one’s posts… The facebook service offers its users features to manage these concerns, and facebook continues to evolve towards this goal (reference http://bit.ly/fJIQW).

My response to the “naysayers” is to “manage the technology,” don’t let it “manage you.” We all need to understand when, and when not, to use facebook, SMS, a phone call, a face-to-face meeting, twitter, myspace, linkedin, etc… Manage the technology; every device has an “off” button… most of all, choose the most effective medium for your communications…
In order to “choose the most effective medium,” I would encourage Zayo employees to embrace your idea. Learn and understand the technologies to collaborate, and build depth and clarity into their ideas and understanding. Manage your persona. Communicate and learn through interaction with your social-networking connections.

Our control over information is unprecedented today. RSS/Atom feeds, podcasts, blogs, social-networking… I sometimes sit with folks at the Denver Press Club as they wonder why the Rocky Mountain News went out of business. Today, if you read six newspapers every morning at breakfast, you are not well informed. All these technologies provide us with an unprecedented power to filter and manage information. Teach yourself, experiment, take a little risk, but most of all, teach your children – its required for their survival in the new world.

I read this article and thought of you today Mr. Caruso – http://bit.ly/ro3LK – all the points enumerated apply to how you have leveraged your blog. I’ll pick two in particular; transformation, and culture. You lead the transformation of Zayo’s culture by choosing these mechanisms of communication. You don’t sit quietly in the office assuming that your staff understands your vision. You also permit those of us on the outside to ‘kibitz,’ and that builds trust in your business. When Zayo goes public, I’m buying in.

Jamie, I am on twitter but haven’t yet twitted. I don’t think Facebook will interfere with by blog postings, but it might creep that direction. I agree with all your points regarding the need for individuals to “manage the technology” to their benefit. Imagine those who resisted automobiles because it would separate families. I haven’t yet read the article you referenced but will. I appreciate the kinds words.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (2 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Zayo Group Facebook Community
Inalienable Rights’ Staunchest Ally
Dr. Mike Jekyll and Dr. Mike Hyde
Warnings from Scott
The Rest of Alan J. Liddel’s 2007 Restaurant Technology List

Several excellent comments came in regarding the Facebook series. I will share them with readers during the course of this week and next. This is the first of several posts:

Brad Bernthal provided an intellectually stimulating perspective:

Whether people like it or not, Facebook and social networking is emerging as the television of this generation: an engrossing connective social tissue that cannibalizes other media. Co opting it is sound strategy.

I’m a big fan of Niel Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death” which carefully considers the social impacts of moving from a print/oral culture (defined by the written word and radio) to a visual one (defined by TV). Postman builds on Marshall McLuhan’s work (McLuhan’s “the medium is the message” becomes Postman’s “the medium is the metaphor”).

I don’t think we have a full handle as to what the move from a visual culture (TV) to a mobile Internet culture (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, social networking) means. What does this metaphor result in? But it is the critical question. Some thoughts: It is instantaneous and ubiquitous. But it is not transitory, either — it has a long digital memory. It is not prone to prolonged reflection. But what it lacks in depth it compensates for in broad reach. As a start, as a CEO, I’d see it as a tool to keep a team focused on a common mission. It is not the full explanation of the vision, but it is the connective tissue for a company.

I agree we cannot foresee the changes that will result from the mobile Internet culture. Love the descriptors: instantaneous; ubiquitous; not transitory, long digital memory; not prone to prolonged reflection; what it lacks in depth it compensates for in broad reach. The acceleration of change will continue.

A couple readers were less deep in their reflections.

John: “Facebook is addicting; do you really want your employees sending Mafia Wars invites during work hours?”

An Anonymous Troll felt permitted: “Permission to check out Facebook at work: Granted!”

Some companies ban web surfing at work. In particular social media sites and YouTube are frowned upon. These two comments pertained to the irony of a CEO encouraging Facebook usage. Maybe I should reconsider. Nah.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (1 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Outgunning Alfred E Einstein
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Dr. Mike Jekyll and Dr. Mike Hyde
Manage the Technology
Warnings from Scott

Wow.   The comments are a-flowing, and opinions are varying widely.   A couple days ago I posted Rebutting Facebook Naysayers.  I encourage readers to take a look at the comments to this post.   A lot of great thoughts are being shared.   And chime in–as I think additional perspective will be helpful.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (1 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Rebutting Facebook Naysayers
Zayo Group Facebook Community
Facebook: Getting a Step Ahead of Dan at Zayo
Not Prone to Prolonged Reflection
Dr. Mike Jekyll and Dr. Mike Hyde

Businessweek published an article titled Twitter Diplomacy.   For the bearonbusiness crowd, it is timely.  It feeds into the debate as to whether social networking is good for society.

The tag line on the Businessweek article is:  “The U.S. State Dept. is enlisting Silicon Valley companies such as Google and Twitter to help bring high tech to Iraq and Afghanistan.”   Then it provides the first ever Twitter post of Barham Salih, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister:

“Sorry, my first tweet not pleasant; dust storm in Baghdad today & yet another suicide bomb. awful reminder that it is not yet all fine here.”

Salih, with encouragement  from Silicon Valley missionary’s, began using microblogging to publicize the inner workings of the Iraqi government.   Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey explained: “A technology like Twitter can bring access and transparency to government.”  Salih now has nearly 1,500 people following his posts, and he tweets about twice a day.

The Iran turmoil is an incredible illustration of the power of social network.   Twitter was the primary vehicle for protesters to communicate with one another and to reveal to the rest of the world what was transpiring.

To me, it is near certain that social networking will profoundly change the world.   The Inalienable Rights that are so eloquently laid out in the U.S. Constitution will find its staunchest ally in Social Networking.  The Right to Free Speech; the Right to Pursue Happiness; Democracy and Capitalism will be harder to contain.

Will the world be better off?  You’re damn right it will.

So Now What?

  Leave a response (3 so far)
  Subscribe via RSS
  Subscribe via by Email
Share

Related posts:

Outgunning Alfred E Einstein
Manage the Technology
Retort to Scott
Rebutting Facebook Naysayers
Business Week updates article on Blogs