Mashable - The Social Media Guide - Latest Comments in More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

bigtimerok — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:49:19 -0000

Doesn't matter much, people can still check the social net sites through their cell phone.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Debbie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:12:30 -0000

I work in a public library that has public use computers. Facebook is blocked on the kid's computers so they cannot use it under age, although lots of them have FB accounts underage. Wikipedia was blocked on all computers for a while while management freaked out about its authenticity! It's now allowed on adult use machines only, but staff are instructed not only to not recommend the use of Wiki, but to actively warn all PC users against it - we need to tell people how "dangerous" it is.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

aaa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:54:04 -0000

prefix with "employ"

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

troop1028 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:15:17 -0000

Companies are blocking myspace but most of them are supporting the use of facebook and twitter, where do work today?

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Sean R. Nicholson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:38:29 -0000

Unfortunately, employees are getting mixed messages. Do more with less, but don't leverage every resource you can. Social Media can be a new opportunity for many businesses, they just haven't figured out, yet, that the power is in their employees. I refer to companies that block sites like Twitter and Facebook as "social media ostriches". More here http://bit.ly/smostriches

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

CO Staff — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:08:44 -0000

My company blocked myspace and facebook, but not youtube (not yet at least) and it never bothered meuntill I realized that they only blocked certain people... all the Managers and some of the Scientist all have complete acess... our scientist are on Facebook constantly,... I know this becaus I am facebook friends with them and get updates on my phone from them... at work.. saying stuff like "should be working but dont feel like it so I'll just screw around on facebook"... yeah that makes me want to do my job!

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

jodete — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:37:35 -0000

http://www.taringa.net/post...

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Malin Gron — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:01:18 -0000

We just hired a person who I found through my private twitter network. If a company blocks out social media networks also for people who are within marketing or HR then they are limiting their use of their employees. Plain and simple.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

ra23h — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:00:20 -0000

very funny :)

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Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

mashable information — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:41:41 -0000

Not only in workplace but also in school. Some schools block it because students are doing facebook even during classes in the laboratory. :(

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Ed Horch — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:04:39 -0000

Hurm. My employer issues my BlackBerry, and runs its Internet connection through the same blocking software as the desktops.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Robert Merrill — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:35:44 -0000

Awesome. :-)

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

David Spinks — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:01:33 -0000

That study, or at least the article about it, seems to be very unreliable. Doesn't seem to take into account any sort of extent or context and it doesn't explain how they found these results. I think that depending on the industry, you'll see this percentage very greatly.

Either way...it's certainly something that will change, whether or not companies want it to.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Francois — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:36:21 -0000

Actually, I took the initiative to promote our company through various social medias so I do not get any negative comments from my employer who does not mind if at the same time I use the medias for personal use.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Lucy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:09:49 -0000

I think it is silly. They should block fantasy sports pages. Now THAT'S a time sucker.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

AJ — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:06:10 -0000

Our focus is bringing more transparency to the workplace, so it was great to read your post, Adam, along with all of the comments. We're actually in the 10% that allows full use of social networks. This, of course comes with an expectation -- social network usage integration with efficient completion of all of our work. That combination has allowed for each of us to have a personal and/or business voice in social media (we're all on FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.), and productivity hasn't suffered within our company (it's actually improved, but that's merely my observation as we continue to execute above target on our roadmap).

@ki2mylife

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Gerald Hand — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:44:19 -0000

This example you used, at the risk of making a rash generalization, is a prime example of why it may not be in the businesses' best interest in letting people use the platforms at work. If someone is so inane as to make comments like this AFTER adding her boss as a contact, (never mind the fact emails and other correspondence may be scrutinized), they probably need to put their toys away and concentrate on work.

Not every job benefits from Social Networking. One must ask themselves if what they are doing will benefit their business and enhance their job. If the answer is no, well, the rest is obvious,

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

פורומים — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:56:54 -0000

pretty smart. where i work i see people browsing the web and using fdacebook at least 50% of the time, not to mention the farmville addicted users :-)

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Herb — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:27:50 -0000

I feel like I'm being treated like a child having everything so blocked at work. I bought my own laptop and USB modem.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

colingilchrist — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:10:46 -0000

If you are in business development or in a customer service role access to social media sites is an essential element of the job. Both role's should be targetted by the company and it would soon become clear whether access to these sites is effecting your performance and that of the company profile.

Otherwise it's an element of trust - do you trust your staff not to bunk off? If you don't why have they been hired? If you allow staff access equivalent to that of a cigarette break would that be an equivalent? - Could the IT departments put timers on access...?

Hell with phones the way they are now, if you want to play around there is nothing stopping you.

Oh and by the way if you are company worried about what is being said about you - get on those social sites and paint a positive picture - get fans, make friends - look after your brand!

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Bob Evans — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:24:30 -0000

I would have retweeted this but I have a badge of my tweets on work sites and the language in the sample Facebook exchange might get me in trouble.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Name — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:28:09 -0000

Banning these sites is in the best interest of the employees. Employees just end up blogging about things they shouldn't and then, when push comes to shove and a firm like Twitter has to make a decision between a free speech tweeter and potential paying customer with a lawyer, Twitter will throw your free speech tweeting employee under the bus.

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Kees Romkes — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:35:59 -0000

That's the only way to use it in my opinion, although that's just a small change in the mindset of employers. Stop creating boxes (e.g. private/work) and let that balance slip a little. No knowledge worker is productive 8 hours a day and when you let a little private life into work, some work will move into private life as well (creating a better name for your business as result for example)

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

Mike Schnoor — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:53:01 -0000

If you don't know it, don't let it get you and block it forever. Aha. Nice approach by these employers.

I seriously believe you need specific guidelines to give employees a good start into the world of social media - and for the company a first approach to integrate social media into their communications and corporate culture. If they've got a problem with Social Media, they should better cut off the internet for their employees instead of blocking twitter.

In my situation, for PR, I can't even think of a time without that amazing realtime info about our company (sevenload) or business related news coming from the twittersphere. On the other hand, we're a social media company... might be the reason why there's not this kind of direct blocking in our minds. :)

Re: More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace

BHMediaMarty — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:08:54 -0000

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la. I can't hear you.