Shel Holtz has launched a campaign to resist the blocking of employee access to online content such as blogs and social networking sites like Facebook. As an internal communications professional who recently had to deal with IT’s blocking of the MyRagan social networking site (but, interestingly, not Melcrum’s The Communicators’ Network site), I sympathize with the stop blocking campaign.

I work in the financial services subsidiary of a global automotive manufacturer, where the issue of access to external sites isn’t as clear-cut as Shel and some others might suggest. Federal auditors come regularly to inspect the company’s procedures, processes and information security. My company is serious about maintaining the privacy of its customers, and it leans toward measures that improve data security rather than increasing unfettered employee access to information.

Many times, I’ve gotten upset or shaken my head when I learned about the latest decision regarding what access to block within the company. For the most part, I have access to anything that I need to do my job well. It sometimes required me to jump through a hoop or two, to get IT to restore access to something. For example, next month, most people within my company will not be able to use the USB ports on their computers to transfer data.

That decision was based on an audit finding. When the new policy was announced via broadcast email, I started to “see red”–until I read a portion of the email that provided information on how to retain access to the USB drives.

It took a couple of conversations with our information security team, but I was able to easily and calmly explain why I need to be able to transfer digital camera images, graphic files and audio/video files. It helps that I don’t have access to sensitive customer data, so my PC and network connections are not the same security risk as a customer service representative or someone in our Credit and Funding Department.

Anyone in my company who wants to retain access to the USB ports on their PCs must follow an agreement that spells out what is proper and improper use of the USB ports. I’ve summarized the main points below to show that they are common-sense, and not draconian.

Removable Media Agreement
• Use only company approved and supplied devices for writing to removable media.
• Take all reasonable steps to assure the security of removable media and all data on removable media.
• Under no circumstances transfer ANY customer or employee private information to removable media.
• Do not put confidential information on any form of removable media without manager’s approval.
• Do not use removable media to introduce or remove any software from any company system.
• You will be responsible for the introduction or removal of data from any company system via removable media.
• Do not use any company data for personal or commercial use or gain.

Violating this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

What do you think about limiting access to the USB ports of employee PCs? Is that done in your company?

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People who have spent years criticizing the mannerisms and speech of President George Bush, but who now cry “foul” over video of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s laugh, are hypocrites.

Both Bush and Clinton are highly intelligent, politically savvy professionals who have been groomed and prepped for political success. Only the young and innocent, and old and dense don’t see how both Bush and Clinton has made their mannerisms part of their strategic design.

Watching the Clinton video just now, I see examples of her forced laughter used for political gain. I expect that we will see more of it, unless she and her politicos no longer obtain political hay from it.

As usual, the last laugh will be on the American people.

Whenever long periods of time go by between posts on blogs which I regularly read, I wonder what’s behind the silence. Is the blogger overworked, overtired, waylaid, apathetic or ill? In my case, I needed to step back from this blog when the number of people and tasks facing me combined with a cold/sinus infection that decreased my stamina.

The result: cobwebs on the blog.

This probably has some well-known, prolific bloggers laughing. You know, the guys who Twitter that they’re blogging about a new social media report while recording a podcast about their new wiki that is changing the face of public relations as we know it. But many of those types (at least the ones I’m picturing) are consultants who:

• Use social media to advance their practice, by enhancing their reputation and reach, and by becoming known as “gurus” in their field,
• Are constantly traveling, where the long flights, delays and stays in hotels provide time for blog posts and tweets, and/or
• Are young and unattached, giving them fuller control over their schedules and priorities.

I started blogging and podcasting to get experience with these tools and techniques so that I could make informed recommendations when discussing social media with management at my employer. Don’t get me wrong: If, along the way, I had the opportunity to launch my own consultancy that provided endless professional opportunities, along with bags of cash, I’m sure that, today, I would be one of those consultants described above. I’m not knocking consultants. The fact is, many communications consultants have, directly or indirectly, taught me a lot about social media–and I remain grateful to them all.

My point is that when you look “behind the scenes” in many organizations, the reasons why so many employees are NOT blogging, podcasting or tweeting include the fact that we ARE NOT CONSULTANTS.

If my company hired a consultant to provide guidance on the possible introduction of social media within the company, management and staff would expect the consultant to tactfully, but accurately, present the facts regarding the value of social media tools and techniques–and the opportunities that would exist within the company for employing those tools and techniques.

But I’d love to hear from any internal communicators who have experienced something like this next scenario: You spend a lot of time developing a strategy for introducing social media tools and techniques within your organization–only to get pooh-poohed or outright denied the chance to make your case.

A second difference between consultants and in-house employees: free speech. Some of the most interesting blog posts that I’ve read have been written by consultants who start with the phrase, “At a company where I worked (or consulted)…” In the case of an internal communicator, every post that mentions the company has the potential to bring heat upon the author–up to and including termination. In my case, why would I jeopardize my job to write a post about a struggle that I might be having with management over social media tools or policies? The people in the trenches have a great position to gather “real-world” tales of trials and errors. But many of those tales never make it onto a blog.

So some of my silence has been caused by my decision to keep some things in my life “behind the scenes.” But that won’t stop me from writing about the rest!