Do you use Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn for personal or professional reasons? What value do you see in these electronic social networks?
TLT Sounding Board May 2009
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TLT readers are not entirely sold on the value of these electronic networking sites, according to the 170 responses to this month’s questions. Nearly two-thirds do not participate in any of them. Those that do report mixed results, many stating that while these sites are easy to use and offer great convenience, they are relatively new and still finding their niche in the professional networking structure. Readers who do use the sites effectively say they use them to make new business contacts, seek others with similar problems, conduct background checks and search for employment. “These networks offer a convenient platform to stay connected with friends, colleagues and professional acquaintances,” one reader stated. Elsewhere on the electronic scene, 62% of TLT readers receive at least two digital magazines, and 56% have participated in a Webinar in the last 12 months.
They’re good for meeting business associates and seeking possible employment.
I use for background checks.
Friends and co-workers from previous associations.
I keep in touch with former fellow students.
I work on a contract basis and use LinkedIn for keeping in touch with potential employers/agents.
Maintain/establish networking with professional contacts. I have posted questions for general input.
Just personal use, friends and such. Nothing professional at all. My profile is restricted and can only be viewed by those whom I give permission.
I don’t use it much. I am not sure how I’d fit that extra play time into my schedule.
I use Facebook to connect with friends and family and LinkedIn to network with business acquaintances. I offer help to people via LinkedIn in the hope that they will return the favor by introducing me to new people and new business opportunities.
I only have Internet at work for now (if I get a big raise then I will get it at home along with cable). My employer would be upset if I spent my day on these types of sites.
Old colleagues and new colleagues.
Through such a forum, I can remain in touch with people even if they have moved from their job or locations. This otherwise would not always be possible with conventional methods of correspondence. However, I do occasionally receive unsolicited mails from such sites, requesting me to sign up or provide references on others or join someone else’s network (which I may not like to do). Except for this irritant, I think overall the good of these sites outweigh the bad.
I moved away from my hometown, so I occasionally use these Web sites to keep in touch.
Family only.
I connect with friends and family through Facebook and MySpace. I use LinkedIn and
onedegree.com for professional networking.
I got listed as a contact for several people for LinkedIn. I don’t really understand it but hope to.
For either personal or professional reasons, do you participate in:
Facebook
16%
MySpace
23%
LinkedIn
6%
None
62%
Based on results from 170 respondents. Readers were allowed to choose all that apply.
Keep in touch with friends. No professional use.
I send a few e-mails.
Not a lot—still trying to understand the model.
I connect with my friends and family. Post pictures and news.
I do not use them. All they do can be done by more professional means.
I meet professional associates. I was introduced to this media though friends and co-workers.
Establishing contacts.
Personal conversations.
I do not use these networks for business reasons.
Contact with co-workers and related industry personnel.
I connect with former co-workers and people whom I might need to work with in the future. I e-mail them and introduce myself.
I keep in contact with past and present peers.
Networking pertaining to new career opportunities.
I prefer not to use impersonal methods. I prefer to keep face-to-face networks active.
I mostly use LinkedIn for staying connected with professional colleagues. I have so far not used this for any personal interactions.
I keep in touch with friends and also build contacts with people in related fields who have similar affiliations and interests. I use it to send messages and get updates on how people are dealing with different issues and job-related aspects.
Facebook for friends and family, LinkedIn for business networking. Some quite surprising connections do appear, and it is easy to use.
I’ve agreed to participate in LinkedIn with several current/former colleagues. This is mainly so I can help those out of work in their job searches, as well as myself should I become unemployed.
Found it useless so far. In many cases I had other ways to find the people.
I connect directly with many organizations and persons with the right experiences.
It’s a nice way to keep in touch with friends and plan large events. See what they are all up to. It’s easier and cheaper than calling, texting, e-mailing or snail-mailing—and more effective when applied to large groups of people.
I see value in keeping business contacts together and using other contacts to connect to people I have lost touch with.
I’m disappointed they change formats and screen pages.
How many professional digital magazines do you subscribe to or read?
0
25%
1
13%
2
30%
3
12%
More than 3
20%
Based on results from 170 respondents.
Facebook is good for staying in touch with people I don’t get to see so often. I think LinkedIn has a way to go to achieving its full potential but ultimately will become a very useful business tool.
It’s very easy to organize social events using Facebook, as well as talking to friends I haven’t seen in a while.
It’s never occurred to me to use these for professional networking, and I’m reluctant to use them for personal reasons because (a.) I want to be able to keep my personal and professional lives separate, and (b.) I spend so much time at work using a computer that it’s not something on which I want to spend much of my own time. A lot of this may have to do with my age (51).
They get your name out there.
I would think that these are very useful in networking in the same way that forums and chat rooms are for asking others if they have similar problems.
They are still new and not everyone is on yet. They’ll never replace e-mail because they might be too public for some people.
It’s nice that you can choose who you are friends with (Facebook/MySpace) and to whom you share information with.
I connect with people outside my firm.
It is a great way to communicate and keep in touch in this very busy world.
Not a lot of value noted to date. I am too busy to use these sites most of the time.
I do not fully appreciate the values of this type of network. It seems too impersonal, too dehumanizing.
Only motivation is our children.
I’m disappointed because these services don’t add more than a way for contacting people. On the other side, they expose personal information to unwanted solicitors.
The advantages are naturally and conveniently building your contact network at my own convenience.
Good exchange of communication and video/audio.
Ease of use, free of charge, new aspects of people. If I wanted to find someone or something, I could always start in one of these networks.
Have you participated in a Webinar in the last 12 months?
Yes
56%
No
44%
Based on results from 170 respondents.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an e-mail survey of 7,200 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.