Electronic Social Networks Thrive in the Workplace

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

14 May 2008 10:29 AM

You have heard of Wikipedia, haven't you? Well how about Pfizerpedia or Hershypedia? It seems that many large companies are taking a page, almost literally, from booming social network sites to create their own versions, where employees can share ideas, get personal and even post resumes.

I remember way back when, when the corporate world was just starting to dedicate resources to IT (Information Technology) as it related to the internal office community. I was hired, in part, at a good-sized firm in order to create an Intranet, in which employees could share information about their departments, pick up news memos and more. I saw this as an opportunity for employees to network, although not everyone shared my vision. Fortunately, it was the boom time when someone who knew HTML and information architecture could get away with a lot. So, we put in some rudimentary networking pieces, such as employee classifieds, staff photos and features, etc. But, wow, what a long way things have come.

In Pfizer, for example, there exists its own electronic encyclopedia, maintained by employees and organic and dynamic, the way the original Wikipedia is. RSS feeds, tags, bookmarks and more are all part of everyday electronic life on these internal sites. Employees are encouraged to blog on their own blog sites.

The Hershey Center for Applied Research sees this networking as a wonderful way to bring scientists together to better the industry. HCAR KnowledgeMesh was created for the company to foster research and development and stimulate the advancement of not only that scientific (and technical) research, but also to leverage business development for research. One of the neat things about KnowledgeMesh is its ability to support profiles that have a "linked-in" feel. With tags and bookmarks, this could make searching for projects pretty easy to do. Scientists can then connect and mutually contribute to scientific advancement.

What do you think?

Quick, somebody help me. I'm getting flashbacks of the dancing baby in Ally McBeal.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

Related Articles:

Create a Ticker

Friday Funny: You Know You're a Technology Hound When...

GodTube and Other Christian Versions of Online Websites

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger