Social Networking Discussion

Panel discussion on social networking - some questions were raised about the uses of social networking tools, the disinformation that exists (kids using fake names and ages, etc.) and the sheer overload of data that we face, not only as IT professionals, but as consumers of that data in general.

Shaun Robinson, who is currently a college student, spoke a bit about how he uses collaborative workspaces for projects, and the fact that this new generation of online apps is crucial to the college population.

Not much talk about how social networking and Web 2.0 relate to NGOs.

My feeling is that NGOs need to approach any social networking presence as a marketing tool; it's best to establish an approved profile and dedicate people to carefully manage relationships and content on these sites.

Another point that would have escaped me (note to self: think globally) is that the culture of social networking varies as widely as the culture of the country where it's being used. What's appropriate in the US might not be acceptable in Singapore, for example.

Hey, David has the mike. Good question, and refocusing on topic: is anyone here using any collaboration tools or peer-type technologies? Some answers: Skype, SharePoint, SecondLife spaces, IM as team communication tool.