As an avid user of Facebook, a newbie to Twitter, lover of wikis, and librarian, I could not help but sign myself up for a course on social media for information professionals. I will keep you posted (no pun intended), on all that is happening in the social media, web 2.0, and library 2.0 world.

So to start things off…

I am one of those people who does not mind openly admitting I use Facebook. When posed with the question I am sure most of us have been asked, “Do you have Facebook”, I don’t really understand those people who shyly and slightly ashamed, admit “yes”. Whereas, when someone asks me I say, “oh yes!”.

I think it is a great tool that allows people to remain in contact with so many people. I can easily admit that if I were required to only use my phone for socializing, my friend pool would be greatly diminished.  I love that anyone can share information they have learned or come across, and it puts me at ease knowing if my computer crashes my pictures are safely stored online.

As I was reading my iGoogle page recently, I was looking at the topics offered through the RSS feed for NetEffect. Being a Facebook fan, the headline that read ‘Facebook theory of economic development‘, obviously caught my eye. It is an interesting read touching on how web 2.0 is infiltrating governments worldwide,  and the different effects it has on different countries. For example, in countries where Facebook is interrupting the work of employees, some  “bureacrats are so addicted to Facebook that some contractors are beginning to complain about the slow processing of tender applications”. Whereas in other countries, Facebook means that “if public servants spend too much time on social networking, they also have less time to botch things up  during their working hours”.

I worked at an engineering office and Facebook was definitely not blocked in our work place. Many employees spent their breaks surfing the net, Facebook included. Other people I know are not so lucky. I know someone who works in a mining office and any outside internet site, including email, is blocked. Maybe they should read the numerous studies out that say the use of social media at work, and the use of ‘personal’ computer time actually can increase productivity and efficiency? Also see this blog for further information and a video on the U of M study.