Point – Counterpoint
The Ethics of Social Network Based Communications
Is It Ethical to Blog and Twitter?
Frank J Navran
- Navran Associates
Connie Rice - Creative Consulting
Point - Frank Navran
I just got back from a breakfast meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce. Our guest speakers were a successful young couple in our community. Their message was on the virtues of Internet-based marketing, blogging, and Twittering (tweeting?). Their company has managed my website for five years and I trust their expertise and opinions.
I was an “early adopter” of the internet using the web as a cornerstone of my corporate marketing strategy since early 1995. Back in those “dark ages” of 1200 and 2400 baud, dial-up modems, web sites needed to be simple and compact, yet interesting and valuable. Mine was and it won awards for design and content, thanks to two young grad students at Georgia Tech, who took it on as a “showcase project”.
As I sat and listened to our breakfast speakers I reflected on why I so readily embraced web-based marketing and have so assiduously avoided blogs and Twitter.
It was easy for me to come up with at least one good reason to shun social network-based marketing. What I know about these two forms of communication, from those colleagues who rely heavily on them for business interactions and visibility in the community, is that they are demanding. One of the caveats offered by our speakers was that one needs to be certain that what has been posted to one's blog is always current. That means, in an ideal situation, daily entries and updates to whatever blogs one was using to increase visibility in the marketplace. As I understand Twitter, it is even more demanding of timely entries and responses. I know technology has made it easy to stay connected. Even so, that sounds like an awful lot of work.
Strike One! I don’t really want to take on another time-laden responsibility.
Another thing I know about blogs, (and I suppose it applies equally to Twitter) is that, in many cases, they seem to be little more than a forum for the rants and ravings of people with strongly held opinions, independent of whether those opinions can be supported by data or logic. It seems that anyone with an opinion can use a blog as a means of expression. And we know what they say about opinions – they are like certain anatomical features – everybody has one!
That seems problematic, at least to me, since it presumes that those reading blogs and tweets have the capacity, the will and the time to filter through a lot of ranting and raving to get to the kernels of thoughtful, deliberative dialogue that may lie within. It comes across to me as analogous to amateur journalism without the benefit of professional editing.
I don't know all the protocols of blogging, but it seems that lots of people use pseudonyms. I see pseudonyms as an artifice and symptomatic, at least in my opinion, of some form of fear of having one's name or reputation associated with one's opinions. It lacks accountability and, at least according to my definition, courage. I am not inclined to believe or respect nonfiction authorship hidden behind a pseudonym. If I'm not willing to affix my name to my opinion, then I ought to keep my opinion to myself.
Whatever happened to accountability? The use of pseudonyms precludes accountability. Isn’t accountability one of the fundamental checks and balances in public debate? If I lack the courage to make myself known, if I am afraid of (or simply choosing to avoid) accountability, can I consider my action ethical?
As I understand Twitter, pseudonyms also apply, so this comment is not reserved just for blogs: whether it is courage, accountability or both that are lacking it seems that there is an ethical flaw in the practice and/or protocol of blogs and tweeting.
Strike Two! I don’t really want to engage in substantive debate on significant issues with people who are unwilling to identify themselves.
My first exposure to Twitter came about two years ago in the ethics workshop I was conducting for a regional newspaper. A reporter raised a question that I had never considered before: “Was it ethical for me to have been Twittering during a recent funeral for a highly visible member of our local community?"
I first had to find out what "Twitter" was. They explained it to me and what followed was a fascinating discussion of the ethics of Twitter. This particular organization has built an ethical culture around six fundamental values: compassion, courage, excellence, fairness, integrity and respect. In this organization compassion is defined to include being empathetic and caring for colleagues and members of the community. The definition of respect includes treating others with dignity. I suggested to the group that we could explore the question by examining whether Twittering at a funeral is consistent with those six values. Quickly the conversation began to center around compassion and respect: was it compassionate and respectful to Twitter graveside? A lively and informative conversation ensued.
So, back to the Chamber breakfast. I am now hearing from experts in my local community that blogs and Twitter ought to be integral components of my marketing strategy. Going back to my basic definitions, if ethics is the behavior of applying our values to our decisions and actions then what do I know about the ethics of blogs and Twitter?
Again, returning to my newspaper example, one of the values they embrace is excellence and what I've seen of Twitter is more an unfiltered stream of consciousness rather than deliberate, thoughtful and edited reflection. The standard of excellence seems to be at odds with the most prominent values embraced by Twitter – brevity and immediacy.
Brevity may be a virtue in certain instances, but some thoughts require a bit more depth. Complex ideas may not lend themselves to highly abbreviated, shorthand expression. Thus Twitter may discourage depth of thinking since it limits length of expression.
Immediacy, by definition, is neither unethical nor is it ethical. It merely suggests a sense of urgency. The practice of immediacy, however, as expressed on Twitter, appears to permit one's emotions to override one's intellect, to allow one's need to be heard to override ones need to be deliberative.
Are there fundamental ethics issues in blogging and Twittering? I would have to say that there are inherent ethical challenges in any social convention that values self-expression over respect, fairness and compassion, anonymity over courage and accountability, and in too many cases, a complete disregard for the excellence of one’s thought which may only be possible when one takes the time to deliberate, to consider, to reflect and only then to publish complete and complex ideas.
Strike Three! You’re out!
Counter Point – Connie Rice
I enjoy presenting information about social media and internet marketing topics to groups such as the Chamber of Commerce gathering that Frank attended. I have found there is never enough time to answer all the questions that arise from the audience. Everyone wants to know when, where, how, and most of all why should businesspeople engage in this evolving and dynamic method of communication?
The reasons to utilize social networking such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are basically:
To establish yourself as an expert in your industry - The internet is a place to showcase your knowledge, your abilities, your experience, and your accomplishments. Even if you are only socially connected, you will be in someone's mind when a need arises with which you can assist.
To build an audience locally, nationally, or worldwide - Social media enables you to communicate with interested individuals who opt in to receive your information. This is preferable to purchasing a direct mail list, or spamming random people. Your connections become viral and soon friends of friends of friends are getting your message.
To interact with potential and existing customers - Networking on the web enables you to quickly (and publicly) provide service or address concerns, as well as communicate one on one with those who are in the market for your offerings. Your integrity is on display here and you must rise to the occasion.
To increase your site's search engine rankings - It has been proven that the use of social media to post links to your web site will boost its popularity in Google and other search engines. Your statistics will also go up as visits to the site multiply due to promotion on a regular basis.
So, the reasons to use social media for marketing are fairly clear. Jumping in may seem a little confusing or scary at first, but the rewards outweigh the initial apprehension and ultimately these modes of communication become successful practices. On top of that, the results are highly measurable!
Frank brings up ethics and practical considerations that apply to the use of networking online: proper use of valuable time, interaction with anonymous individuals, lack of depth in an abbreviated medium, and the issue of accountability. After more than a decade of social media exploration and utilization online, I will address his points based on my own experience and understanding.
"Social media is a time waster."
If you are using it for personal reasons, that might be true if you have other more important responsibilities you are neglecting. The time used for professional use of a modality such as Facebook can be managed just like any other marketing device: simply set aside a small portion of each day, or a few times per week, dedicated to setting up and maintaining your online profile.
Once your page is set up, 15 minutes may be all you need to send and accept friend requests, post a link or other announcement, and catch up on the most recent postings relevant to you. Keep in mind that you do not have to use all the social media channels - it is perfectly acceptable and sometimes preferable to choose one or two and put your best effort into them. And of course, you can outsource your social networking needs to companies such as Creative Consulting and we will take care of the rest with as little or as much input as you care to give.
"Many people use pseudonyms on the web."
This is true but it was more of a problem before the dawn of popularized blogs and social media, believe it or not. As our culture progresses towards an age of transparency, denizens of the internet are less likely to hide behind secret identities simply because it is not generally possible to achieve fame and renown if you are unwilling to use your real name. Certainly there are still those that prefer pseudonyms but that should not scare businesses away from social media - if a company stands proudly behind their reputation and responds to comments with facts and integrity, they have nothing to fear from an anonymous individual.
"Nothing significant can be said in small doses."
It is up to you to make your message clear, interesting, and condensed when it comes to social media communication. Like it or not, many people get most of their knowledge and news from the web. They do so for a variety of reasons including convenience, ecofriendliness, and access to a range of topics and viewpoints. Although it is true that the most depth will still be found in carefully crafted and edited essay or book form, the internet appeals to a mind that is busy and accustomed to a constant stream of messages and images.
Brevity does not necessarily equal a degradation of content - some of us tended to scan all the headlines of a newspaper before reading a few articles of interest. On a medium such as Twitter you may breeze over a multitude of tweets until one catches your eye and you click on the link to the longer story. As for tweeting from a funeral, the ethics of this practice seem somewhat subjective to the circumstances. Is the journalist covering this public event and reporting live via Twitter regarding the proceedings, or was he being disrespectful and playing with his cell phone like a bored child might with a handheld video game?
"No one is accountable for what they say on the web."
It is actually the other way around because the internet is a permanent record of statements made. Just like an email is a better record of an agreement than a phone conversation, social media provides a solid resource for representing yourself. Once again the issue of anonymous opinions comes to the forefront, but in that battle it will always be the side demonstrating truth and legitimacy that holds sway.
In conclusion, social media communication gives life to your internet marketing strategy and should not be ignored. Aside from professional aspects, it is also a useful tool for networking and meeting likeminded people all over the world. Whether you are seeking answers, business, or just a laugh at the end of a hard day, you will most likely find it by logging in.