Social Networking

Social networking from a business standpoint is a marketing guru. It allows them to reach a very large population, or client without spending tons of money on production. Many businesses have facebook pages to give its clients or customers information on which they are, their location, the types of services they offer and even allow others to give feedback on the services they were provided.

Twitter is also a helpful tool. Many companies have twitter accounts to inform customers and clients of specials and other promotions. “Other companies are taking their designs and putting them on the Web for people to explore. They are using these global collaboration tools for product design and software development (Social Networking at IBM: Maclean's Feb 4, 2008 "What's Next? Your Future in Social Networking" vol 121, p. 42).”

These technologies are benefiting the public whether we choose to believe it or not. Although we all know there is a privacy issue and concern that comes into play; all of us that choose to “overlook” these concerns think that the good out weight the bad. Not to necessarily say we give up that right when we choose to participate in these forms of social networking but we should be aware of the issues that could follow. This in my opinion would be considered the “Dark side” of these new technologies. In come cases and for some of us, we are smart and decide to join these networking groups for our benefits only. We use creative names, and don’t include too much personal information while still being able to get access to the benefits of being apart of the group. “Unlike Facebook, where friends mutually agree to let one another into their online lives, twitter lets people share updates and links with anyone who cares to read them.

“That has turned Twitter into a tool for people to peer into the collective mind and see what people are talking about in real time. It is also a tool for businesses to reach customers and monitor what their customers are saying about them ("Facebook Is Going for Some Twitter Sensibility" by Claire Cain Miller, The New York Times, Sept 13, 2009). ”

I can see all social media as being advancements for any business that is interested in finding new customers. Businesses are all about making a profit, and reaching as many customers as possible to increase and stabilize their revenues; this would include social media. Outside of facebook, and twitter, companies are using instagram, google, bing etc. these are all examples of how technologies are benefiting business to reach consumers and from the looks of it, its going to continue for quite some time.