The new FB for work, is anyone planning to use it?
I wanted to get peoples opinion on this: do any of you plan to use Workplace, the new social media tool for business FB plans to role out next month? For those not in the know, Facebook announced last week that they are releasing a tool for business that is to compete with other similar products Slack and Hipchat and the thought behind their product is they claim can boost it's communication and thus make it a tool essential to production. The idea behind this is it would cut down on the insane volume of email and create a destination for more meaningful and relevant information. They go on to state that if you can learn Facebook, you can learn Workplace. It's also a paid service and I'm curious to see who signs up and whether or not there is any real value in getting in on the latest trend in social media.
I think the idea behind this is great. Email has become something that used to be a godsend, being able to instantaneously communicate electronically made stationary a thing of the past. It allowed for Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to appear in a movie (which also served as a huge AOL add) with "You've got Mail." The problem is the massive amount of data we get in our inboxes and how to manage them. I'm sure you've been CC'd on an email in the past and wondered to yourself, why am I reading this? Heck, maybe you are doing that now reading this post!
One article I read on the subject pointed out how much time we collectively spend on Facebook and how adding another tool will not necessarily help us get more work done. Really what it does is create a space to talk about work, which as we all are keenly aware of, isn't actual work. In looking at Facebook alone it's a huge distraction and a problem at a lot of companies. Many employers have banned it from their workplace altogether and for good reason, according to Linkedin employers have lost billions (possibly trillions) in lost productivity since it's launch. However you can make the same argument on cellphones due it's massive effect on keeping our attention at the task at hand.
It's hard to say if Facebook really cares to make companies more productive. In looking at their track record I am under the impression that thought hasn't really crossed their minds. After all, they are a massive data mining operation disguised as a social media tool. It also seems fair to ask do we really need another distraction at the workplace? It's become increasingly important to have a social media presence nowadays, if you aren't using it you're missing out on an important channel to connect with colleagues and your customers. However there is a fine line between it becoming an important tool or a huge distraction. Also the fact that it's a pay service has me wondering who is going to be signing up. The beauty of Facebook, Twitter and other platforms is it's free to everyone. Well it's not completely free because essentially you are paying with your personal information and constantly advertised to while on the site.
I think the idea behind this is great. Email has become something that used to be a godsend, being able to instantaneously communicate electronically made stationary a thing of the past. It allowed for Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to appear in a movie (which also served as a huge AOL add) with "You've got Mail." The problem is the massive amount of data we get in our inboxes and how to manage them. I'm sure you've been CC'd on an email in the past and wondered to yourself, why am I reading this? Heck, maybe you are doing that now reading this post!
One article I read on the subject pointed out how much time we collectively spend on Facebook and how adding another tool will not necessarily help us get more work done. Really what it does is create a space to talk about work, which as we all are keenly aware of, isn't actual work. In looking at Facebook alone it's a huge distraction and a problem at a lot of companies. Many employers have banned it from their workplace altogether and for good reason, according to Linkedin employers have lost billions (possibly trillions) in lost productivity since it's launch. However you can make the same argument on cellphones due it's massive effect on keeping our attention at the task at hand.
It's hard to say if Facebook really cares to make companies more productive. In looking at their track record I am under the impression that thought hasn't really crossed their minds. After all, they are a massive data mining operation disguised as a social media tool. It also seems fair to ask do we really need another distraction at the workplace? It's become increasingly important to have a social media presence nowadays, if you aren't using it you're missing out on an important channel to connect with colleagues and your customers. However there is a fine line between it becoming an important tool or a huge distraction. Also the fact that it's a pay service has me wondering who is going to be signing up. The beauty of Facebook, Twitter and other platforms is it's free to everyone. Well it's not completely free because essentially you are paying with your personal information and constantly advertised to while on the site.