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Ask Slashdot: Companies That Force Employees To Join Social Networks?
First time accepted submitter rubeon writes "Companies can get a lot of mileage out of social networking services from the likes of Google or Facebook. Chat, document collaboration, and video conferencing using services like Google+ Hangouts or Facebook's Skype are seductive additions to an IT arsenal. But a lot of people have privacy concerns about these services, and there's no shortage of horror stories how these sites track and exploit their users' habits. Would you work for a company that forced its employees to join a social network?"
Yes, that. Sign up with a new account and compartmentalize your activities appropriately.
In other words, make your profile private and add only the co-workers that you have to. Discuss only work-related activities. If a co-worker mouths off about the party last night or tries to message you about stuff unrelated to work, don't respond to them online and walk to their cube with a "don't be a dumbass" warning.
Most importantly, if the above are not already rules in place, then ask that they be made rules. You can say it's for "security" reasons and they'll eat it right up.
However, I don't have to worry about any of that because I don't social network in private, I don't work for a company with such asinine policies, and I don't do any hanging out with coworkers after work(other than the occasional post-work happy hour with a 2-drink cutoff).
I think you're the one who's asleep. Skype is owned by Microsoft.