The Internet breeds transparency – of actions, intentions, resolutions, and purpose. Why? Information, news, and opinions, naturally want to be freely distributed, not repressed. This is also a pillar of democracy upheld by freedom of speech. Leaders, most notably in China and Iran, have had difficulty in filtering the decentralized nature of the Internet.
Companies, who do not like transparency and openness, will struggle with the the same technologies that allowed the Iranian public to have an organized voice in their recent elections. (related article)
After the election in Iran, cries of protest from supporters of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi arose in all possible media, but the loudest cries were heard in a medium [Twitter] that didn’t even exist the last time Iran had an election. – Lev Grossman, Time
Today the technologies are Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and although the technology will change, the need to have a voice will not.
When it comes to social media, what’s right for your business – open or closed?
Below are some thoughts on the topic from Jeffrey Hayzlett, CMO at Kodak.
Why Social Media?
The Social Media Line
(starts at the 2:00 mark)
