Twitter for the Office with Built-in Privacy

Nov 26th, 2008 | By Rex Gradeless | Category: Featured, Law Office Software, Lead Article, Social Media, Twitter

Present.ly Introduction from Intridea on Vimeo.

Present.ly is a new start-up company offering the power of twitter for the office. This seems to be a good product for co-workers to use. These twitter-type accounts would provide privacy limiting conversations to just those in the entire office or groups within the office. I would be concerned about the client confidentiality if communicating about client-related matters through a third party program. But, if the office used this program only for office-related matters (e.g. “the printer in the hallway is broken, use the one in the closet” or “I’m out for lunch, be back by one”) then it could easily increase office efficiency! Much faster than sending an email. What do you think?

Tags: attorney, co workers, law, law firm, lawyer, office, office efficiency, Twitter

4 comments
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Nina Yablok December 1st, 2008 11:54 pm :
I’ve been using regular IM (AIM & Yahoo via trillian) to talk with my semi-telecommuting staff for years. I even use it when they are in the office so we don’t have to yell. 2 of my clients have my AIM info and use it regularly. We don’t discuss confidential stuff, but the Best Use Ever is my client who will ping me on IM to see if I’m available for a phone call. I love it. It allows me to close up what I’m doing in an orderly manner, go for a nature break, grab a diet coke and thing ping back when I’m absolutely ready.

[Reply]
admin Reply:
December 25th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Thank you Nina. This is a cost-effective way for the office to communicate. Your method of pinging is precisely the appeal social media should have for both attorneys and their clients. Now we just need to get the word out!

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Julie December 15th, 2008 6:25 pm :
I think ANY way to handle such “regular” business other than via email is not only welcomed, but if I have any pull at my firm, will be required very soon. Not only is it more efficient, but it doesn’t muck up your email server with “running 10 mins late – will meet you there”, and “me too”, and “will do” email. As a records mgmt pro, I have my issues with IM, but honestly they aren’t really much different that the issues I have with email.

I worry about folks being diligent in avoiding discussing client-related info via [insert product name], especially support staff. Then again, I have the same concern about folks putting a piece of paper in the trash bin that should have done in the shred bin.

A huge benefit, from my perspective, is that it appears that attorneys aren’t as overly obsessed about having a copy of IMs around like they are about email. If I see one more email printed out and stuck in a client file rather than profiled in our DMS …

Keep up your enthusiasm Rex. It is attorneys (and soon-to-be attys) like you who give us law firm admin pros hope that our futures hold more than overly-traditional, cumbersome processes that exist merely to satisfy the argument “just in case”.

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admin Reply:
December 25th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Thank you Julie. Issues of client confidentiality pervade discussions of social media use. You are right on when you say most of the emerging social media technologies seem to have the similar risks as regular old email. Yammer may be a good tool for your office. This is similar to Twitter but confines the conversation to your office. Could lead to more efficacy saving money and, in the long run, jobs!

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