9 Overrated Technologies For Growing Companies

A number of years ago, Friendster was a big deal. Then it was MySpace. Now Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are attracting not just college kids but also business professionals. But who has time to create and maintain a new profile every time The Next Big Thing in social networking comes along? So while it can cost you nothing to use a social media site or tool, you could be spending a lot in time and resources.

A bigger cost can be a loss of security. While some say these concerns are "overblown," social-networking sites are notoriously easy to hack, and because these sites come and go, there's a good chance someone like Rupert Murdoch will buy them up -- and the contacts therein. Concerns about security are so strong that many employers ban the use of Facebook.

Then there's the issue of most social media sites' platforms. Log on to MySpace, and you're likely going to be greeted with a blast of music or an unintelligible mish-mash of graphics by someone whose sole purpose is to generate templates. On the flip side is LinkedIn, which allows you only a photo, a status line, and resume-like entries -- there's no room for your personal touch.

Besides, do you really want your company's profile alongside some drunken college gal?

See More

• Seven Social Networking Strategies For Smaller Businesses
• Socialtext Takes On Twitter, Talks About Social Networking For Your Business

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