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Stop the Web 2.0 Flood

by Chris Curran on April 30, 2009 [email] [twitter]

I recently spent a few days with several CIOs and IT leaders at an MIT Center for Information Systems Research briefing.  Prof. Wanda Orlikowski led a discussion around some early work exploring the uses and value of Web 2.o technologies in the enterprise.  For purposes of our conversation, we defined Web 2.0 technologies as those that enrich connections between people (a much simpler, but consistent take on Tim O’Reilly’s version).  Specifically, we discussed the use of things like wikis, blogs, micro-blogging, social networks and virtual worlds.

During the discussion, two kinds of corporate cases emerged:

  1. IT is getting hammered by a flood of Web 2.0 requests from all over the business
  2. IT has prohibited all use of Web 2.0 technologies

The first case is the one that we spent the majority of our time talking about.  What we decided is that in order to stop the flooding, some kind of prioritization is needed.  Since Web 2.0 is about improving connections and interactivity, it makes sense to think about prioritizing based on the major communication channels for an organization.

With a communication channel map, each of the links could be prioritized using factors such as the quality of the current communication for the channel and how important the channel is to the business.  This kind of analysis would form a simple Web 2.0 strategy that could be used to prioritize the incoming requests.

An additional consideration is the exposure an enterprise might have if its employees, acting in their role as “person,” expose sensitive company data on their personal Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn pages. (Sorry, I couldn’t come up with a better name for the personal hat someone wears.  Maybe you’d like “human” better?)  While it is difficult to tell an employee what they can or cannot do at home, it may be wise to create a set of guidelines for personal Web 2.o use.

So, if you are suffering from the Web 2.0 flood, do yourself a favor and get a life raft.

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  • http://www.awebguy.com Mark Aaron Murnahan

    “Too much communication” is nearly always a mask for something much worse, which is being ineffective about managing the communication.

    The life raft mentioned, although full of holes, has traditionally come in the form of an employee policy manual. There have been many instances of employees releasing valuable data via Web 2.0, but then, information leaks have been an issue far longer than the Internet’s existence. Perhaps the best answer is to the matter is to hire the right people and manage them well.

    The Internet has a reach well beyond that of past methods of communication. This provides a greater challenge in managing communication than ever before. All the same, people still ask me every day how they can reach more people online, and open and manage even more communication channels. As long as I have a job, I will joyfully fight this battle. :-)

  • http://www.awebguy.com Mark Aaron Murnahan

    “Too much communication” is nearly always a mask for something much worse, which is being ineffective about managing the communication.

    The life raft mentioned, although full of holes, has traditionally come in the form of an employee policy manual. There have been many instances of employees releasing valuable data via Web 2.0, but then, information leaks have been an issue far longer than the Internet’s existence. Perhaps the best answer is to the matter is to hire the right people and manage them well.

    The Internet has a reach well beyond that of past methods of communication. This provides a greater challenge in managing communication than ever before. All the same, people still ask me every day how they can reach more people online, and open and manage even more communication channels. As long as I have a job, I will joyfully fight this battle. :-)

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  • http://twitter.com/CHopeMurray Colin Hope-Murray

    The channel map is a good way to start the dialogue at the conceptual level within an enterprise.  Prioritizing channels is a logical approach, however it is also important to realize that the behavioral aspects of web 2.0 communications mean that dialogues are more social, that is more personalized.  Therefore to focus on just business value and priorities can risk diminishing the level and quality of communications. 

    Addressing the challenge does mean opening up those channels, both internally and externally.  The more open the channel the better the exchange and sharing of information.  This does not suggest an absence of control,  as a strong employee policy should provide the guidelines on what can and cannot be shared.  For those looking to secure confidential information the technology exists to monitor and track content, but this should be considered before opening the gates as the cost/resource may exceed the benefit being sought.

    Sharing ideas and information is nearly always beneficial in most cases, and its the best implementation of those ideas that provides competitive edge.

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