Blog Social Networking

          Social Media networking can be and has proven to be especially revolutionary in corporate and political situations. Social Media for example has made recruiting much easier in terms of finding potential employees and also being able to communicate with business professionals easier. As stated in Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting, "Such sites also help job hunters market themselves online by setting up profiles, listing work history and specific skills." Using a social media career website such as LinkedIn gives users the opportunity to upload their resume and advertise how they can be the most qualified candidates. This had become an extremely valuable tool for recruiters and job hunters. Finding potential employees or even just people to network with has been expanded by the number of social media users around the world.
"But what really makes Linkedin helpful is that it allows users to share their online Rolodexes. Shally Steckerl used to hunt talent for Microsoft and is a leader in online recruiting. With Linkedin, he can find people faster using a vastly increased network of contacts."
               People in different time zones can communicate and reach out about work which before hand would seem like a hassle. Not only is this helpful for people in the work place but for elections as well. In the article How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks' Power, it is described how Obama migrated away from the classic snail mail and phone calling in order to reach out to potential voters and donors. Obama used social media to not only find out about voter information but also to reach out to them personally and keep them constantly updated on his agenda, "Mr. Obama will have not just a political base, but a database, millions of names of supporters who can be engaged almost instantly." Obama was the first president to do this and it helped him win his election against McCain. This method of using social media was not only easier but it was cheaper, more effective, and a much quicker way to get in contact with contingents.
"The Bush campaign arrived at the White House with a conviction that it would continue a conservative revolution with the help of Karl Rove’s voter lists, phone banks and direct mail. But those tools were crude and expensive compared with what the Obama camp is bringing to the Oval Office."
      Social media has revolutionized the way candidates can reach potential voters and how recruiters can reach out to potential employees. This tool of social media has benefited those seeking out new employees or votes but for those looking to be informed as well. Think about how much more transparent social media has made it for those seeking new jobs or for those voting in an election where they've never been able to receive personalized information from a candidate or recruiter. These are just two examples of how society can benefit from society but it certainly goes beyond job hunting and politics. Social networking has created such a vast community that connects people from all over the world in a way that has never been possible before. It has made our need for communication that much easier and interesting. For example, instead of having to play phone tag or waiting for mailed letters, people who are especially busy can connect at anytime by simply just leaving a message. A message in the form of social networking is much different than a phone message in the way that one can respond at anytime without having to wait for another person to pick up to really have a conversation.
There can certainly be a "dark side" to social networking however. For starters it has made people much more reliant on communication on a device than face to face contact. Social networking is very distracting and can cause a person from performing their "real time" obligations. Privacy and status updates also posses a huge threat. People can post a status update any time of the day. But when is  status update too much or inappropriate. Although social networking has improved transparency, it can also become dangerous when something is TMI.
"You shouldn’t do it at work, you shouldn’t do it in the middle of a conversation, you shouldn’t do it on the street, you shouldn’t turn to a stranger on the bus, you shouldn’t leave it on someone’s cellphone."
For example if one is posting at work and mentions something that is related to what one is currently doing on the job- there are major repercussions for posting about confidential information. Even if someone posts a negative comment about something related to their job on their private page, it can get passed on to someone in their company very easy. Or if someone posts something inappropriate about themselves outside of working hours, employers and voters let's see can say can now either see for themselves or hear about this. In turn any one of these situations would have a very negative impact on one's self (online) image.
I think that social networking will continue to evolve to keep people more openly contacted in terms of corporate and political life. For example: live videos, video chats, and continued instant posting. Being able to continue to market one self will continue to grow with advances in new media. I think the traditional ways of recruiting, network, and campaigning will all be replaced by current social networking tactics.