Blog Social Networking

Technology has many implications on our lives. On the corporate level, it can be used for recruiting and scouting talent, connecting with customers, increasing brand awareness, data mining, and more. On the personal level, it can be used to connect with others or make new connections, keep up with news and current events, share personal moments, and even conduct businesses. The first benefit that comes to mind in regards to technology is a wider network. People are able to get in touch with others from around the world, in the blink of an eye. In the article, "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting", professional recruiters such as Maureen Crawford-Hentz are able to scout talent from across the world. With an increased network of contacts, finding employers or employees has become significantly easier. There is no need to call someone, inquire if they have any contacts, and then call those contacts.

Other benefits are mentioned in "How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks' Power". The Obama campaign was able to use social media to encourage people to get out and vote. Using a database with millions of names of supporters, they were able to use e-mail to their advantage. Compared to the Bush campaign that used traditional phone banks and direct mail, the Obama campaign was a lot more effective. They were able to directly reach the masses instead of relying on television networks.

A major dark side would be an invasion/loss of privacy. Even though there are many privacy settings that users can adjust, they are often confusing and some people do not understand them at all. "Lance Hoffman, a George Washington University computer science professor who spoke at the Wharton conference, noted that by giving up such information as their name, birth date, and a list of their network of friends, users are revealing far more than they know." Combining this data with data from other sources can be pieced together by identity thieves.

In the future, I think that these technologies would be further used for data mining. Automatic collection and assessment of data is extremely valuable for any business or corporation. Large scale data mining is already being used by facebook, snapchat, and such. When users take a photo of themselves, they do not think much of it, except that they are sending a picture to friends. However, features such as facial recognition, location, and time of use can reveal a lot more information than we think. This is why cyber-security and privacy are currently controversial topics. As technology evolves, policies must also be adapted to account for these changes.



Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/leaving-friendprints-how-online-social-networks-are-redefining-privacy-and-personal-security/