Social Media as a professional tool: Gimmick, Godsend or Risk?

A panel debate on the value of being a ‘connected professional’. Modelled on the successful ‘CIO Sound Off’ session  at Educause 2014:

http://www.educause.edu/annual-conference/2014/cios-sound-be-or-not-be-social

Does spending time on social media provide information professionals and technology professionals with real benefits, or is it just a distraction and waste of time? In this point-counterpoint session, four panelists will share their views on the virtues—or lack thereof—of being a “social” professional.

OUTCOMES: Hear compelling arguments for and against using social media in your professional life and decide whether there are more risks or rewards associated with being “social”

• Review the relative merits of the major social platforms
• Learn ways to become more “social” and strategies for managing a professional social media presence
• Understand the risks and possible trade-offs associated with using social media in a high-level professional role.
• Take away a simple ‘quick start’ guide to Twitter as a professional tool

It is intended to use real time twitter polling to generate and then share a data set of survey responses with session participants.

David Gunsberg and Kim Tairi
Griffith University and Swinburne University of Technology