Interview in the ABA Journal

I was interviewed in the ABA Journal!

It’s an article about lawyers being out at work, and I’m in some amazing company. Go read about this great group of attorneys around the country.

Speaking at Blissdom

I’ll be speaking at Blissdom, in Nashville, Tennessee on February 5, 2010!

The panel is called “You Should Know Better: A Blogger’s Guide to Legal, Accounting and FTC Guidelines.” And I will be appearing with the very talented Susan Getgood, one of the founders of the Blog With Integrity project.

I can hardly wait!

New: The Social Media Forum Video Blog

I’m doing a great new project with Kyle Blades of Time for a Rebel and and Paul Hager of IT Pro USA.

Together, we’ve launched The Social Media Forum, and are rolling out a series of video blog discussions on hot topics in the art, science, and law of social media.

Check them out, and if there are issues you would like to see us discuss — or potentially, discuss with us — please let us know by leaving a comment on the blog!

2 Interesting Articles on Businesses & Social Media

Today was apparently a big day for discussion of businesses using social media technology!

First, Search Engine Journal announced a series of forthcoming articles on Social Media for Business Operations. They have a group of experts who will be writing about everything from using social media to recruit talent to network security issues to legal implications for small businesses. I recommend adding this to your feed reader!

Second, the Minnesota business publication Finance & Commerce published an article succinctly describing the tension that businesses feel when trying to balance their need to participate in social media venues like Facebook and Twitter, with the potential legal exposure of having many employees “officially” communicating with the outside world. In fact:

By opening up communications, multiple employees can use their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts or personal blogs to comment on their jobs. One errant tweet or Facebook post can spell a public relations nightmare – a danger not lost on executives. In a study conducted by Minneapolis-based Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law in July, 81 percent of 438 respondents described social media as a corporate security risk.

Still, 73 percent said they would increase the use of social media over the next 12 months.

Another interesting fact from that article — true to the spirit of social media, and probably also an effective legal choice — is that Best Buy’s Legal Terms for employee participation in Twelpforce is publicaly available online.

Not only is it available, it is a clear, strong, well-written policy that serves as a strong model for other companies considering a social media policy that allows a wide range of employees to use social media as employees.

What makes it such a good policy?

• It is short and clear. It may not fit on a single screen, but it fits on a single, page that is easy to read. It doesn’t look like a text-dense, microscopic font, click through use agreement. It looks readable, and is in plain language. For example: “Never share personal information regarding other employees or customers.” And “If you talk about work related matters that are within your area of job responsibility you must disclose your affiliation with Best Buy.”
• It includes bot “do” and “don’t” rules. Sometimes lawyers have a tendency to write all the restricted rules, and providing people with the positive guidance is a great service, especially as we navigate this new communications landscape.
• It has clear consequences. Not only for the employee — you could get fired — but also for the company. You could get us into legal trouble, and cost us customers.
• AND, last but not least, It reminds employees that they are still bound by all of the same internal policies that have always applied, outlining the most important ones specifically — Securities Trading, Information Security, Anti-Harassment/Anti Sexual Harassment, and Code of Business Ethics, among others.  Those policies don’t seem to be publicly available, but I’ll bet that employees looking at the Twelpforce policy at work can link right to them.

Good job, Best Buy! I think it will pay off in spades!