Don’t ban social media in the workplace

Please wake up corporate security, privacy officers, and Luddite CEO’s and CIO’s and DON’T ban social media in the workplace.  What’s the point?  You’re improving productivity, saving people from themselves or saving the organization from some boogeyman?

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/Gartner-Analysts-Decry-Facebook-Twitter-Bans-at-Work/?kc=EWKNLCSM081208STR1

As this eweek article points out social media tools may not be ready for prime time enterprise deployments but they can add value.

Based on experience I’d say blocking access to social tools just makes your staff mad.  So why spread ill will.  I do believe that organizations should develop reasonable usage policies that provide staffs with an understanding of the boundaries of usage.