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James MillsJames Mills is a web developer in the North East of England and founder of Refresh Teesside »

Mike HughesMike Hughes is the Head of Business for the Evening Gazette. He will be blogging on all matters of importance to Teesside businesses - and some that are just worth knowing »

Jez DavisonJez Davison, business writer at the Evening Gazette, is a regular blogger on all things business - particularly finance, entrepreneurship and the state of the Teesside economy »

Karen McLauchlanKaren McLauchlan is the Evening Gazette's deputy business and features editor - with special interest in all things industry, property and arts related »

Jeremy MiddletonJeremy Middleton is a venture capitalist and the co-founder of FTSE-200 company HomeServe »

DeloitteDeloitte, which has 23 offices across the UK including Newcastle, is among the country's leading professional services firms »

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Should employers block social networking sites?

Posted by Jonathan Wheatley on May 16, 2008 2:16 PM | 

Can you prevent time wasting on the internet?

I am asked more and more as an IT Consultant with MC Ware to block and monitor websites due to managements concerns about time wasting but I am not sure if this is always the answer.

One week the panic will be related to Facebook, the next week Bebo and who knows what will be next. I am sometimes of the opinion that people who are committed to wasting time on the web have probably always found other ways of avoiding work.

I’m sure we have all walked into an office that on the surface looks frantic but as you see the Solitaire program minimized with the fastest bit of typing that the keyboard is likely to see all may not be as it seems.

Spending time and money trying to monitor and limit social networking activity or whatever site is flavor of the month may be a waste of recourses that could be better invested in systems that could assist the business and these may include social networking sites.


Comments (3)

Stephen Davies wrote...

"I am sometimes of the opinion that people who are committed to wasting time on the web have probably always found other ways of avoiding work."

Absolutely spot on.

A social network for me is not just a platform where I can send my mates funny jokes or the latest Britney video, but one where I communicate with my peers, colleagues and clients about work-related matters.

I think the sooner businesses and, more specifically, IT managers realise this the better.

Posted by: Stephen Davies  | May 16, 2008 3:07 PM

Seared Seabass wrote...

It is unrealisted and outdated for any business to operate without leniancy on such matters.

Most people despise work and that is the simple reality. Allowing one to social network and have time out is crucial. We already work the longest hours in Europe and productivity levels are not any better than our counterparts.

Younger, more amiable characters in more senior managerial positions is essential and a genuine relaxation of surveillance can only lead to better and fairer working practice.

Surely we should be moving away from the archaic practice's of the 20th century?

Posted by: Seared Seabass  | June 3, 2008 10:34 AM

Pssssst wrote...

The problem is that with social networking sites, there is also a risk of virus attacks and most of all data leaks. Some employees (if not all) give their work e-mail on these sites. This opens the door for spam. Also what a person writes on the sites may damage the name of the company or worse the credibility.

Posted by: Pssssst  | August 4, 2008 12:50 PM

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