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At an ACEC Oregon event yesterday titled “Risks and Rewards of Using Social Media,” I’m afraid most in the room focused on the risks.

What if we get sued?
Shouldn’t we have a policy first?
What’s the ROI?
Won’t this waste time? Decrease productivity?
What about CYBER ATTACKS?!?!?!

Though I remained measured, it took almost everything in me not to stand up and shout. Their reactions were a result of colossal overthink. The general fear was that Twitter and other social media are inherently “corrupt.” Someone on the panel actually used that word.

Just to be clear, you can spread trouble in all other media – blogs, email, the telephone … a telegram – just like in Twitter. It’s not the medium, it’s the message.

But as media, social media is great way to get information and meet people (Twitter) and expose people to your brand (Facebook). Many in the room had no problem with LinkedIn, because well, it’s safe. It’s also boring. That’s why it’s not used as heavily as Twitter and Facebook.

I’ve sat on social media panels like this before, and the tone is usually a lot different. Judging by the general apprehension and curmudgeon-ness I saw displayed there, I’m not surprised I can’t find any Portland industry people on Twitter.

I won’t call out those who were trying to what-if social media to death. But not everyone on the panel did. Chris Tiesler admitted to using Facebook during his lunch break (Rebel!). Renee Godwin ( on Twitter) tried several times to illustrate the benefits of social media. Gregg Scholz ( on Twitter) also fell in social media’s corner.

Most of those who advocated not using social media – or were too ambivalent about it to have an opinion – do not use social media. Frustrating, because I’m sure if they took one minute to set up a Twitter account, they’d realize it’s not the perilous monster they think it is.

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