Social networking (e.g., Facebook or MySpace) is the rage. Can it support knowledge management efforts?
The Water Cooler Is Now On The Web (Business Week, 10/1/07) reports that the software “turns out to be an efficient way to mine for in-house expertise, discover new recruits, and share information within their own walls.” Ok, I admit it. I don’t have much hands-on experience with social networking. And therein lies a problem. I’m more techie and adventurous than the typical BigLaw lawyer. I have a hard time imagining lawyers creating profiles and using social networking (whether public or behind the firewall) to describe their experience. So I am skeptical that social networking will solve any KM problems in the near term. Granted many lawyers are on Linkedin, but I would hardly call that a serious experience location system. Am I missing something?