Below are various things I have learned about social media via Engaged Learning.
I learned about RSS feeds, which I had previously ignored. Yammer and Digsby (wish I could add WordPress and Windows Live) are great. I like the idea of a wiki, but I need to learn more about how I can use it. It has been awhile since I researched bookmarks online and now I have a place to store them (Delicious).
The idea of having a blog for work, in my opinion is wonderful. The advantage as a new person is it can be used as a resource. Learning about a new environment can be difficult at times and the blog provides history. Unfortunately, not everyone will participate. It does not seem to matter how easy or beneficial a blog is because some will refuse to use it. Maybe I can become a dictator and force them to use it and then they will see how great a blog can be.
Using a blog, as a seasoned employee, is great because knowledge is passed on to others. Also, if I forget something it is so easy to search for it on the blog.
I have learned that seeing my grammar mistakes is unsettling when I cannot fix them. Sometimes, I really want to be able edit or delete my post on someone else’s blog.
I work with so many people and sometimes I forget their names. If they post their photo on the blog, that makes it so much easier to remember them.
I have learned the most important aspect of posting on a blog is to remember the tone of the communication. Hopefully opening up communication with others will foster positive team morale and build good working relationships, instead of tearing them down. Tone is hard to determine sometimes. Reprimanding someone on e-mail or a blog is not a good thing (i.e. the use of “complaint” vs. “concern”). We all have our opinions, but when we are trying to form a team I believe it is better to be considerate instead of hateful (even though I am not always good at this myself).
Ladybug Dreams 