Social media has become a vital communication avenue for nearly everyone. Architects aren’t going to be left behind.

“I would say it’s important,” said James Lee, marketing director at Scott | Edwards Architecture. “It’s a link, a bit of connection to the public. Architecture is very public as far as what people see, but the process is less public.”

ZGF Architects has 5,909 Twitter followers and nearly 21,000 Facebook followers; Ankrom Moisan Architects has 1,077 Twitter followers and 989 Facebook followers. These firms and others in the Portland-metro area are taking advantage of online platforms to promote their vision and show present and future clients what they are working on. Firms work hard to find the right message for the right channel.

“We create a personality for each of our social media channels,” Lee said. “We have a message for specific kinds of people on that platform.”

For instance, Scott | Edwards Architecture’s 189 Facebook followers see a steady diet of information about the firm and its employees geared for people who already know about the company. The firm uses LinkedIn to reach potential employees and business contacts by sharing major news, white papers and advertising job posts. Its 1,287 Twitter followers generally see reposts of information from other sites or general information from the firm.

Mahlum Architects shares with its 336 Instagram followers photos from its employees’ personal accounts.

“Instagram is about the visual effect and how we see the world,” said Mahlum Architects’ Niki Lesko, an associate principal and director of marketing and business development. “There are photos of things that people have taken on their vacations or trips. We mine them and then we ask them if we can use it.”

The unique strategy provides followers more insight into the firm’s employees.

“Our tagline is how we see the world,” Lesko said. “We didn’t want it to be curated just by a director of design. Our 80 or 90 architects see things in different ways. We thought Instagram could be a channel to do something different.”

Other firms take a more conventional approach. Ankrom Moisan uses its social media channels to show off everything from the buildings it designs to the kinds of fabric samples they use in a building.

“We are still establishing our social media strategy,” said Liz Wasson Coleman, associate marketing manager with Ankrom Moisan. “On LinkedIn, we’ll have some job openings. On Facebook, it’s a look at how much fun we have. We tailor our voice and our angle to the channel we are using.”

But the public can always respond, and controversial projects can spark heated comments.

“We are in an industry where demolitions have been a hot topic,” Lee said. “We see both sides of that. Sometimes an active neighborhood is opposed to a project. Every once in a while, they feel they have a voice they want to share. Occasionally our social media serves as a place for that.”

Though Scott | Edwards Architecture hasn’t had to block anyone, Lee said some followers can become agitated.

“People don’t tend to start from a receptive place on social media,” he said. “We would rather have a dialogue with that individual rather than one instance.”

Mahlum Architects saw firsthand how hot-button political issues can stir up the social media universe.

“We, in particular, have done non-gender-specific bathrooms for the University of Oregon residence hall and Grant High School,” Lesko said. “We have gotten some comments on the subject. That is the kind of stuff that we open ourselves up to on social media.”

The best policy, Lesko said, has been to let people have their say and try to stay out of the specifics of a particular argument. Mahlum Architects generally allows comments to stay on the site, even if they seem derogatory in nature.

“It is best not to engage when we feel that conversation is not very productive,” Lesko said. “We may talk about it, but in general we let a comment lie. We have had comments that were definitely derogatory, but it was that person’s voice. If it was really bad, we would remove it, but it hasn’t been to that level. It was nothing that was in a hurtful manner. If there was profanity or something like that, we would have removed it.

“We do monitor it and we have had some cases where we had some (constructive) dialogue.”

Another concern regarding social media is making sure that everyone knows exactly what can be posted to a site and when. In the world of social media, posting an early or incorrect version of a project rendering can hurt a project’s perception for a long time.

“I have seen some firms’ early schematic images get released, and they start putting it out there,” Coleman said. “The blogs pick it up. I have seen that go terribly wrong in Seattle. It’s not a great way to engage.”

Some blogs devote their entire existence to critiquing, often negatively, specific kinds of architecture. For instance, a blog called McMansion Hell is devoted to mostly criticizing designs of large, expensive houses on real estate websites.

Skyscraper.com provides a series of forum pages for people to comment on projects in cities around the world. It has numerous pages devoted to comments on buildings throughout Portland.

With the constant stream of blogs and websites dedicated to critiquing every image posted, only a single mouse click can do serious damage to a project’s prospects. To combat that, firms stress to employees the importance of following social media policies. Posts are vetted through marketing departments. Staffers in those departments then check with project principals to make sure that posts are accurate and able to be released.

“It has not been an issue for us,” Lesko said. “Everyone knows what our company’s policy is. We have told them that it is a priority issue.”

The biggest ally a firm has in making its social media strategy work is the desire of those working at the firm to help projects succeed.

“People understand the sensitivities of the projects,” Coleman said. “The teams all don’t want to be the ones to mess up a chance for a project.”

The post Social media broadens architects’ reach appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

While many other AEC companies were slower to join, a growing number now see the value of , and other social media as marketing, business development and recruiting tools. Its use can be problematic from a legal standpoint, however, and some basic guidelines can help employers avoid getting into trouble.

Just over a year ago, Yorke & Curtis and Degenkolb began exploring how they could benefit from using social media.

Yorke & Curtis started by converting its website to Word Press, a more user friendly, open-source format that allows employees to post blogs and other new information on the site.

Soon after, the company became more active on Twitter and Facebook, where it can post project photos and updates, promote opportunities within the company and celebrate industry accomplishments.

“Our website is more like the formal front end of our firm, and Facebook is kind of like the company picnic,” said Milo Curtis, marketing director for Yorke & Curtis.

Degenkolb launched its social media strategy about 18 months ago with some very specific goals in mind. Among them, the company wanted to increase its visibility and brand awareness among potential clients and job candidates, better reflect its corporate culture and become a leader in the use of social media within the AEC sector, said Karla Richards, business development manager.

The company dedicates eight hours a week strictly to the social media strategy, which includes a blog on its website and Facebook, Twitter and profiles. The blog and Twitter account have been mostly widely used by clients, and Degenkolb got more than 1,000 hits on its Facebook and Twitter pages within a 13-month period. It has more than 500 followers on its Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts combined, Richards said.

“New hires have commented about how helpful Facebook was in learning about the firm, and the media has used Twitter to access the company’s press releases,” she said.

While Degenkolb already has seen the benefits of its social media strategy, there are some challenges that go along with it as well.

“It is something you have to devote continual time to. You don’t ever want to drop the ball, so when things get busy that can be a challenge,” Richards said.

While the benefits are a little more nebulous for Yorke & Curtis, the necessity of a social media strategy is clear cut.

“We’ve been doing it for about a year now and I have no statistics to show that we got this project or that client because of it, so the return on investment isn’t clear yet,” Curtis said.

“What it has done is shown us as a thought leader in this arena. We want to be aggressive in finding fresh ways to communicate not only with fans of Yorke & Curtis or our regular partners, but with clients who may have yet to work with us,” he added.

Both Curtis and Richards acknowledge that the AEC sector has been slower to adapt to social media than other industries. Curtis said many companies question whether the investment – both money and time – are worth it. And Richards, president of SMPS Oregon, said a generational divide exists when it comes to social media.

“I don’t like to stereotype, but in general I would say the phobias come from folks who maybe aren’t quite comfortable with it on a personal level, so they aren’t able to see the value on a professional level,” she said.

Despite coming to the social media party a little later than other industries, Curtis and Richards said, more AEC companies are recognizing its value as a marketing, business development and recruiting tool. There are, however, some potential legal landmines these companies want to avoid. A pair of Portland employment and labor law attorneys shared some of the advice they give their clients when it comes to social media.

Employee rants: Prohibited or protected?

Brandy Cody, a partner with Portland’s Fisher & Phillips, said the leading issue she encounters with AEC clients who use social media relates to employee complaints about the company. From griping about a co-worker or supervisor to their pay or work conditions, the employee may actually be protected in their right to rant.

“If they are disciplined or terminated it turns into a labor issue,” Cody said. “The National Labor Relations Board has taken the position that when employees complain about working conditions, that is protected activity and employees can’t be disciplined for it, even if the company is not a union member.”

Barbara Bloom, a shareholder with Portland’s Bullard Smith Jernstedt Wilson, noted that employees are not protected in their right to harass or cyber bully co-workers via Facebook, Twitter or other online venues.

“Even it it’s off duty, if the employer is aware of it, they have to do something about it,” Bloom said.

The cream of the crop

Many employers already know that screening potential job applicants using social media can be problematic. Candidates’ Facebook and MySpace pages may include information that employers are not supposed to know – such as age, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities and medical background – because that knowledge could be the basis for a discrimination claim if the candidate does not get the job.

What employers may not yet realize is that certain popular sites, such as LinkedIn, contain profiles of predominately white, middle-class professionals. At a time when many companies are seeking to build a more diverse workforce, it’s important to remember that social media sites may not necessarily reflect the entire pool of the best and the brightest, Bloom said.

In addition, Bloom and Cody noted, employers cannot legally make hiring decisions based on party pics or other photos they see posted on an applicant’s Facebook or MySpace page. While an employer may shy away from hiring an applicant who is smoking or drinking in a photo, those are lawful activities and cannot be considered in their hiring decision.

Will you be my friend?

The old cliché is that an supervisor can’t be a boss and a friend to employees. But when it comes to Facebook, that tenet may ring truer that most people realize. Cody and Bloom not only caution employers, supervisors and other managers against “friending” employees, they recommended that employers implement a policy that clearly prohibits it.

Supervisors and managers also should be notified that anything inappropriate they post on a site can be used in a discrimination or harassment claim, Cody and Bloomm both added.

The attorneys advised employers to avoid viewing employees’ personal pages, especially if they are set to “private.” Along with violating employees’ privacy rights, it may expose the employer to information they would rather not know or that could legally implicate them if it involves illegal activity.

Cody said the federal Stored Communication Act prevents employers from viewing any employee material that is protected by a password, including personal email, even if the employee is using a company computer for personal business and that is prohibited by company policy.

In a bit of a legal twist, information and photos from employees’ personal pages can be used as evidence against workers’ comp claims or as proof that employees have violated company policies in some way, such as having a romantic relationship with a subordinate or a co-worker. However, the employer cannot personally access the photos or information or ask an employee to do it. The evidence only stands if it was voluntarily given to the employer by a third party.

To discipline or not to discipline?

Most employers would do well to avoid disciplining employees who use the social network to complain about their job or co-workers, share political or religious views, or post pictures of themselves attempting stunts from “Jackass.”

If an employee’s action truly does merit a response, however, it is essential that the employer be consistent in meting out discipline, Bloom and Cody said.

“I really encourage employers to have an up-to-date social media policy, especially regarding the use of computer equipment at work,” Bloom said. “This is rapidly evolving, so I tell employers just to be very cautious because they don’t want to become a test case.”

Cody emphasized that AEC employers should not avoid social media simply because they fear it’s a bubbling cauldron of legal trouble waiting to happen.

“I definitely think social media has a place in every business to promote your industry, your company and to learn about prospective candidates. There are a lot of upsides to using social media,” she said. “I’ve not yet met a business owner who wishes they had avoided the social networking storm and just stayed out of it.”

Curtis said that while AEC company owners are wise to consider their social media strategy carefully before embarking on that journey, Yorke & Curtis quickly realized it was a move well worth making.

“I don’t know if Twitter or Facebook will be around in five years, but I know this kind of communication will be,” he said. “We want to position ourselves so that when this type of communication hits the mainstream, we’re already in stride.”

The post Lawyers warn AEC companies of social media pitfalls appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Social media is a buzzword in almost any industry these days. Twitter and Facebook use is seemingly everywhere – except to a lesser extent among architecture, engineering and construction firms.

“Our industry is a late adopter,” said Penny Williams, marketing coordinator for Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. “We will finally be on board by the time something new comes along.”

Williams has been working for more than a year on a social media plan for HHPR. The plan is the most important part of the process, she said, because then expectations can be established and concerns can be addressed.

“The number one question is return on investment,” Williams said.

But that can be difficult to measure. Use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media services can boost a firm’s relationships with clients and show that it is relevant in the information age. Social media’s moneymaking potential is tougher to demonstrate, however.

Williams suggested that success could be measured by the amount of interaction on a firm’s Facebook page, or the amount of in-person feedback to a firm’s online posts.

“The ultimate goal, of course, is to win a project,” said Alison Stiven, senior marketing coordinator with transportation engineering firm Kittelson & Associates Inc. But that can be difficult if only social media is used.

A year ago, Kittelson & Associates launched its , a site it updates regularly with news, trends and research about the transportation industry. The goal of the blog, and the related , is to develop relationships in the industry, Stiven said. The blog often features work being performed by present or former clients.

Kittelson & Associates’ blog has helped recruitment. Many of the firm’s interns learned about it through social media pages, Stiven said.

Stiven and her colleagues also are watching closely as their Twitter posts are passed along through other accounts. One message could reach thousands of followers if it were re-tweeted by certain clients or partners, and that is a much bigger audience than a standard mailing or networking event.

Williams added that a good social media plan should establish how different forms of interaction will be used. This can help reduce the amount of time marketing staffers will need to use social media, when they might otherwise be writing proposals to win projects.

“The good news is that it can take only minutes,” Williams said. “And it’s the quickest way to get information out.”

A social media plan also should address issues that may come up when personality – particularly from executives – is expressed, Williams said.

“People respect when firms have a little personality,” she said. “We’re seeing that principals that tweet will look like experts to a certain demographic.”

But issues can arise when staffers are given too much freedom. Williams recommends at least establishing guidelines prohibiting individuals from bringing negative attention to a company on social media. The degree of personality may vary significantly among companies.

Kittelson & Associates, for example, includes a lot of personality in its marketing. Every staffer’s photo is published on the company’s website, and its focuses on people.

Some firms use Facebook to post project pictures and keep communities abreast of ongoing work, but Kittelson & Associates uses the service as a way for staffers’ family and friends to participate. New employees are welcomed, award winners are congratulated, and new babies are celebrated.

“We’re pretty open, and we like to share our information,” Stiven said. “It makes us more accessible.”

The post For social media success, firms say planning is critical appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Social media research: playing with fire?

One controversial use of social media in the workplace is when employers do so to gather information about potential employees.

Over the past several years, Google has become a tool for gaining personal knowledge of others. A quick search of a name can turn up social media profiles, criminal histories, affiliations and other personal information.

But employment attorney Rich Meneghello believes employers should be cautious about how they use the information.

“By actively searching someone you are giving yourself information that otherwise wouldn’t have been provided to you,” he said. “Even if the information you find isn’t the reason you didn’t hire them, the person could make a case that it was.”

Meneghello suggests checking only a person’s information on Linked In, a social media website dedicated to building business relationships. He recommends avoiding websites like Facebook and MySpace unless the subject grants permission for it to be viewed.

At a climactic point in the 2010 film “The Social Network,” the Sean Parker character remarks, “We lived on farms. We lived in cities. And now we live on the Internet.”

As social media has increasingly gained popularity among real estate brokers in particular, local firms are moving quickly to craft policies for appropriate professional use. But while local employment lawyers agree that companies should have written rules on how social media is used, they also say excessively strict rules can lead to legal battles alleging wrongful termination and First Amendment violations.

On Monday, in fact, the National Labor Relations Board approved a settlement in favor of Dawnmarie Souza, formerly an employee of American Medical Response of Connecticut, an ambulance company. Souza was fired after posting an expletive-laden comment critical of her employer and her supervisor, on her personal computer after work hours.

The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed; however, the ruling was a vote in favor of protecting speech, even when it’s critical of an employer, on social media websites.

“Social media is new, and everyone is still getting used to it, but it’s real and it’s not going away,” said Rich Meneghello, an employment lawyer and managing partner of the Portland office of Fisher & Phillips. “The lines will be drawn and the laws will be fleshed out, but everything is so fluid right now that these types of legal battles are rife with danger for both sides.”

Meneghello suggests crafting a policy around respectfulness and positive portrayal of the company, with mention of social media whenever pertinent. This gives a written policy to point to in case something happens, he said, but doesn’t restrict an employee’s right to free speech.

If a policy limits an employee’s ability to vent, it may violate a portion of the National Labor Relations Act, which protects concerted activity. According to the act, “Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.”

Basically, two or more employees are allowed to act together to improve their terms or conditions of employment, even they do so via complaints.

“If you push your policy too far you’re going to run into this,” Meneghello said. “It’s a hidden land mine.”

Last year, Bluestone & Hockley Real Estate Services updated its computer policy to include references to social media, but left out any reference to what takes place on personal computers after work hours. The policy strictly states that work computers should be used only for work-related activities and not for visiting websites like Facebook, or .

The firm also has a policy that states harassment will not be tolerated, even if it is via an anonymous post on a forum or social media site.

New employees must acknowledge in writing that they have read the entire company policy.

“We worked hard to update this with the most current Internet-related issues just last year,” said Cliff Hockley, a principal broker with the firm. “What we realized was that you can control what happens at work, but what a person does in their off time is much harder to make policies around.”

Jim Mark, CEO of Melvin Mark Cos., said a clause in the firm’s policy addresses disrespect and rudeness, but not social media specifically.

“It’s something we’re looking into, but we view issues more from a personal behavior and personal conduct matter, and try to leave the social media aspect out of it,” he said.

Meneghello also said that even if an employer believes it has ample reason to fire someone for an offensive comment posted on Facebook, such action may not be worth potential trouble.

“The lines haven’t been drawn, so going into a case the outcome is in no way predetermined,” he said. “I always ask an employer: Why put yourself out there in the forefront of an issue that is so popular right now?”

He cited the first legal case arising from a Facebook comment: An employee at Brixx Pizza in North Carolina last year won a suit against the pizza business after she was fired for posting a comment about a small tip she had received.

“If you hear someone say Brixx Pizza, you think about the legal case, not their pizza,” he said. “That’s not good publicity.”

The post Rules on social media can lead to lawsuits appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Like it or not, technology is changing the commercial real estate industry.

Young professionals say technology lets them provide more accurate information more quickly, and reach more potential clients. But experienced brokers say technology is eroding the industry’s foundation: face-to-face relationships.

“The core of what we do, adding value, is no different than it has ever been,” said Don Ossey, a managing principal at Capacity Commercial. “But the delivery has changed significantly.”

According to Ossey, young professionals care more about the number of their client relationships than the substance of those relationships.

But Gerry Mildner, director of Portland State University’s Center for Real Estate, said the structure of the industry and the importance of relationships will never change.

“Developers keep small staffs because of the fluctuation of the industry, so they require relationships with brokers, bankers, consultants and other people that help make their projects happen,” Mildner said. “But young people do tend to be shy about building those relationships, and social media is definitely playing a role in it.”

Mildner said every graduate-level real estate student at PSU is required to join a commercial real estate organization’s group of young leaders. Then they can start building those relationships face to face, he said.

David Squire, managing director at Grubb & Ellis, said social media could become a helpful tool if young professionals learn how to develop those relationships fully.

“Social media will make a bigger impact on the personal services sector of the economy than the microchip did 30 years ago,” he said. “It builds connections, which if used right, lead to relationships.”

The post Professionals worry Twitter, Facebook limit real-life relationships appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

You’d better check to make sure you aren’t spamming your Twitter followers with links to info on the miracle acai berry. Twitter accounts everywhere have been hacked and are sending out the spammy tweets at a rapid pace, and everyone else. It’s being called the fastest spreading attack on Twitter ever. (That’s, like, three years!)

The attacks are apparently linked to an attack at recently in which user commenter accounts were compromised, . The Twitter spammers were able to creep into the Twitter accounts of people who use the same email and password they use on Gawker. So word to the wise: use different passwords.

If your account has been compromised, just change your Twitter password. That should fix it.

The post Heads up: Acai berry Twitter attack appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

You’d better check to make sure you aren’t spamming your Twitter followers with links to info on the miracle acai berry. Twitter accounts everywhere have been hacked and are sending out the spammy tweets at a rapid pace, and everyone else. It’s being called the fastest spreading attack on Twitter ever. (That’s, like, three years!)

The attacks are apparently linked to an attack at recently in which user commenter accounts were compromised, . The Twitter spammers were able to creep into the Twitter accounts of people who use the same email and password they use on Gawker. So word to the wise: use different passwords.

If your account has been compromised, just change your Twitter password. That should fix it.

The post Heads up: Acai berry Twitter attack appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Oregon workers on Twitter

Marketers and salespersons:	1,421
Contractors, engineers and architects:	434
Teachers:	394
Web designers:	273
Doctors and nurses:	243
Lawyers:	148
Accountants:	24
Bartenders:	24

Source: An unscientific survey of twellow.com. Results are based on Twitter profiles that include keywords associated with Oregon and professions.

The Portland built industry has been pretty slow to adopt social media. That’s the common perception, anyway.

Truth is, the industry isn’t as far behind as you may think.

While professional brands for construction, engineering and architecture firms are sorely underrepresented on Twitter, the employees who work in those firms are active on their personal Twitter accounts (See table).

What’s more, the professional brands for firms are widely represented on Facebook and LinkedIn, sites that help businesses more with branding than communication.

This suggests the Portland built industry isn’t what many think it is – the curmudgeon thicket of Silicon Forest. Employees in those firms know how to use social media, but they don’t communicate with it in a professional capacity. Management recognizes that it could use social media to find clients, but the firms don’t know what to say.

What to say:

Typically, social media in the Portland built industry is left to the marketers. Industry professionals are generally afraid to broadcast messages to the masses, said Renee Godwin with marketing consulting firm Godwin Olson (follow her on Twitter ).

But the key to social media is the ability to build relationships, Godwin said. If you can do that, and the technology works for you, then you can use social media.

“It’s a new fashioned tool for an old fashioned concept,” Godwin said. “You have to answer: ‘How can I get in front of my client?’ ”

In other words, if you can go out for a beer at a networking event, you can manage a Twitter account.

Let’s start small. Here are some tips:

No. 1: Talk about the weather. Seriously, people in Portland love talking about the weather. It affects everyone, especially in the built industry. And as a conversation topic, it’s low risk because it’s out of anyone’s control.

No. 2: You don’t have to talk about work all the time. In fact, please, do not. When you’re at a networking event, do you talk about work all the time? No. So don’t do it online. This can also be a relief to some of you – you don’t have to worry about tipping off the competition if you don’t talk about work.

No. 3: Find other commonalities. Do you have kids? Pets? Did they do something cute? The Internet loves that. You could also talk about traffic, or you could share news stories. These messages may not all be work-related, but they will help people to like you.

No. 4: Don’t spam. When you sit down with a table of professionals, do you open with, “Are you in need of a qualified roofing contractor? We offer the best service in the metro area!” I hope not. Remember, social media should be social.

What others are doing:

Some in the Portland built industry have taken to social media more than others. These people could help you wade into the waters of social media, and I’m sure they’d be happy to have more people on their team.

General contractor Yorke & Curtis has an active branded Twitter account, , and two active professional employee accounts: project manager Erik Timmons, , and marketing director Milo Curtis, .

Benelli Construction has a branded Twitter account, , run by general manager Nick Benelli.

Kittelson & Associates, whose corporate headquarters is in Portland, maintains a blog called Streetwise and a Twitter account, .

You can also use Twellow, the so-called Twitter yellow pages, to find people to follow on Twitter. The website is .

Aaron Spencer is the Web editor for the 91��Ƶ. Contact him at 503-702-4607 or aaron.spencer@djcOregon.com. Follow him on Twitter .

The post Twitter, social media gaining popularity in Portland built industry appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

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.

You can follow me on Twitter at .

The post Engineers are cautious about Twitter appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

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.

You can follow me on Twitter at .

The post Engineers are cautious about Twitter appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.