Social networks and the need for restraint

I've been musing a lot recently on the implications of organisations and institutions embracing social networking as a comms tool. There has been a lot of murmering among libraries, publishers, and academics about all these 'Web 2.0' thingy's and how to leverage them.

A slide show from CILIP's ‘Oi! Get off our train’ – Web 2:0 our future, their space event earlier in the year reminded me why I'm cautious. Luke Burton (a student) gave a presentation spelling out his usage of social networks and other social web tools (like wikis and discussion boards) and how he demarcates them.

Essentially it boils down to:

- Keep out of private social spaces if uninvited.

Facebook, MySpace and other social media are private channels of communication in a sense, and should be respected as such.

- 'Web 2.0' is not a new medium, just a new bunch of techniques for using an old one.

Before deciding to adopt a new way of doing things online, like a wiki, we should think about why it is better than other methods and the potential costs of adoption.

Another key issue reinforced by the presentation was the limited scope of the tools he engaged with. This came up in a usability test recently too. While we as practitioners might get really excited about the latest tagging service or feed system, it doesn't mean that they are familiar to the users. Luke used only Facebook, MySpace, and little else. Another student I met recently in his early twenties had no understanding of Connatea or Del.icio.us bookmarking. Best to ask I suppose.

So where does this leave us? Should we incorporate social media methods and 'Web 2.0' at all for our clients? Or should we leave these spaces as private environments?

I think the answer is to think first. Continue to design the most appropriate solutions to meet the goals for the audience using the technology that suits each individual circumstance.