There is a good article geared towards scientists titled “Social Networking Grows Up” by Lucas Laursen which is worth a read. Below is an excerpt that librarians can relate to, at least I can-especially the first paragraph.
My experience with the attitude and perception of recent management–and even our IT Department–regarding social software is similar to my past executive administrative experience in the 1990’s when we moved from a mini-mainframe computer system to a LAN and I sought additional funding to acquire the newly released Windows 95 operating system software. Board members of our non-profit organization questioned why I was recommending the purchase of software for employees “to play games” on computers. Anyway, take a look:
“Have you ever minimized your Facebook browser window when your supervisor walked past your desk, afraid you might appear unprofessional? Social-networking guilt may soon be a thing of the past as a new breed of social networking sites for scientists clamor to be the next great timesaver in the lab–for you and your supervisor. These science-specific, Web-based networks combine handy library and document-sharing tools with a social twist. Such sites permit scientists to ‘help out each other with protocols, discuss topics, prepare for scientific meetings, maybe even show off your research a little bit,’says social network user Erika Gyengesi, a neuroscience postdoc at Yale University…
The convenience of the information available on social networks may outweigh the risks…
Although the research tools are handy, the real appeal of science-specific social networking sites comes mostly from the social dimension: Scientists want to feel connected to their peers. Wilkinson points out that the sites offer ‘a way of making you feel like you’re part of a community and [the opportunity] to link to other people who have similar interests.’
You can read the whole article here:
