Australian Facebookers cost employers plenty

[Vincent]

This article is based on the Australian experience, but that could well be repeated here in South Africa – if it's not already being repeated, that is...

If just one person at every company in Australia spent an hour a day on Facebook instead of work, it would cost the Australian economy US$5 billion in lost productivity, according to an estimate by the Australian security firm SurfControl. Workers admit the social networking site has an addictive quality, and they can't stop using it.

What is the first port of call as soon as the computer is booted? Facebook - the latest online social networking craze.
Each day, the e-mail inboxes of Facebook members are inundated with messages and updates from friends at work or overseas. It's addictive...

Read the full article here: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/58913.html

Although I'm registered on Facebook, I unfortunately (fortunately) spend more time on forums such as this. I'm not a great fan of social networking sites.

How do you feel about Facebook?

[Dave A]

When it comes to personal online time on company time, Facebook isn't the only problem. Even before social networking sites (or even forums), companies such as SurfControl were pointing to the potential evils and loss of time presented by emails. I'm sure being a corporate electronic minder must have commercial potential.

Spinning social networking online as a business networking tool (with potential upside for business) was perhaps a stroke of genius, but I still don't get it.

Well actually, I do now a little bit. I've got a mate who has built an amazing Facebook profile page and I can now understand why the social networking platforms are there.

But ultimately how much of it is a fad? Is it really that different from having a blog? And just how many excited people are going to burn out as they discover that maintaining that enthusiastic online persona is actually hard work?

[duncan drennan]

But ultimately how much of it is a fad? Is it really that different from having a blog? And just how many excited people are going to burn out as they discover that maintaining that enthusiastic online persona is actually hard work?

And to the point of time spent on non-work activities, will people spend any more time working once the fad has passed? (and did they before?)

Before Facebook, was the internet, and before the internet, was the water cooler. I don't think people spend more or less time working (in general) the internet has just made it easier to monitor (think about that for a moment).

[Dave A]

And to the point of time spent on non-work activities, will people spend any more time working once the fad has passed? (and did they before?)

Just nail filing with a difference, huh