Twitter Updates for 2010-03-02

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT

I was thinking that I would get back to normal after the bar exam and my trip to Palm Springs, but I just realized there is no normal now. # I was looking up leaseback transactions when I noticed Arizona estimated the legislature building would fetch $36m http://bit.ly/aLGscN # Powered by Twitter Tools Share on Facebook var button = [...]

I was thinking that I would get back to normal after the bar exam and my trip to Palm Springs, but I just realized there is no normal now. #
I was looking up leaseback transactions when I noticed Arizona estimated the legislature building would fetch $36m http://bit.ly/aLGscN #

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Goodbye, Process of the Past; Hello, Trust and Engagement

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:00:45 GMT

by Jodi Petrich, Senior Director at Fast Horse

More brands are turning to social media to engage consumers. Social media are a great tool for launching new products or services, sharing promotional offers, hosting contests or simply connecting with loyal fans.

One big challenge is that the approval process in many companies doesn’t lend itself well to social media. For example, consider the process involved in the development of a print or TV ad. A strategy is created and a creative brief is written; creative teams develop concepts; concepts and copy are routed to clients and legal; clients and legal provide input; and the concepts are revised and approved.

It’s a process that (perhaps) works when creating an ad, but it lessens the opportunity for impact when applied to social media. The intent of social media is to be interactive, to share news in a timely fashion, to be authentic and relevant, and to allow for instantaneous or even spontaneous connectivity. Processes of the past simply aren’t nimble enough to allow companies to take full advantage of all that social media offers.

But what is the right process for new media? Take this tale of two brands on Facebook.

Brand A is mired in heavy process. Anyone who wishes to post content on the page must fill out and submit a request form a minimum of five days in advance of when the post will run. There are only five posts allowed per day, and only one per region, which can post on select days. The brand has a great following, but users are the recipients of very calculated messages.
Brand B has no process. In turn, many of its individual properties have created their own Facebook pages and post content freely. There isn’t a consistent brand presence, there are no standards in place to guide postings, and postings are often completely irrelevant to the business (actual Tweet example from a franchisee: “I got to work today and have on two different shoes. LOL!”).

On the one end, the five-day process ensures that messages are appropriate and approved by everyone, but it doesn’t allow the opportunity to react or respond to news or announcements that might help the brand be more relevant.

On the other end, the lack of process allows freedom and flexibility but creates the risk of ultimately hurting the brand’s reputation.

Social media can be a powerful tool for brands when used appropriately and timely. Doing so requires a level of flexibility and the ability to let go of processes of the past. Should brands have a social media strategy? Absolutely. Should there be a process in place to ensure messages and content are brand appropriate? 100% yes. Should the social media content that brands produce be held to the same standards as traditional marketing? Even more so. Should every Tweet and Facebook post be routed for approval? That’s where things get sticky.

Every brand needs to develop its own comfort level, and the keys are trust and education. You trust your employees to represent your brand everyday, why shouldn’t you when it comes to social media? Consider taking the time to educate your team on the essential brand messages and character you wish to convey. Draft up some key brand attributes and circulate them widely. Let people know how you want your company or brand to be perceived. Then trust them to deliver the messages, just as they do every day in the off-line world.

A Few Tips for Drafting Social Networking Policies

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:45:50 GMT

Social networking and blogging sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, continue to grow in popularity. The number of participants is staggering. Facebook alone recently reported that it now has more than 400 million active users.

Given the rise in use of social networking sites, employers should consider implementing a policy governing employee use of such sites. A well-drafted social networking policy is essential because an employer’s existing policies, such as those governing confidentiality or the use of the employer’s computer systems, may not be broad enough to protect against employee misuse of these sites. This post covers some of the issues to consider in drafting an effective social networking policy, and also discusses the practicalities of investigating alleged violations of such a policy.

One of the first things to consider in drafting a social networking policy is whether to allow employees to access the sites through the use of the employer’s technology, such as computer and email systems or handheld devices, and whether access will be permitted during work time. The answer to these questions may depend upon the nature of the employer’s business and whether there are business-related reasons for employees to use the sites.

A social networking policy should also prohibit inappropriate postings on, or the inappropriate use of the sites, and should advise employees what is considered inappropriate. Defining the line between appropriate and inappropriate, however, may be the most difficult challenge, particularly for those employers employing a relatively young workforce. Examples of inappropriate postings include comments and complaints that are disparaging to the employer, or the disclosure of an employer’s proprietary or confidential information or of any information that is protected by law. Employers should also consider whether to forbid employees from posting any information about the employer, or if certain information would be permissible with the employer’s prior approval. Employees should generally not be allowed to speak on behalf of their employer, unless specifically authorized to do so. See our January 27, 2010 post.

In defining what constitutes impermissible conduct under the policy, employers must use caution to avoid infringing on employees’ rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. The policy cannot be drafted in a way that employees would reasonably construe as prohibiting discussion of wages, hours, and working conditions. A policy which prohibits and specifically describes a broad range of inappropriate communication is less likely to run afoul of the National Labor Relations Act.

Because enforcing a social networking policy can be difficult, the policy should require employees to report known violations to the human resources office or a member of management. As with other key policies, employees should be told that it is their “responsibility” to help the employer ensure compliance with the policy. The potential consequences of a violation of the policy should also be described. This can be as simple as a warning that an employee may be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge.

Once developed, the policy should be distributed to all employees, who should be required to acknowledge in writing that they have received it. The policy should be redistributed to employees periodically.

A social networking policy is most effective when developed in conjunction with a policy governing employee use of technology belonging to the employer. A policy of this kind should be designed to lower employees’ expectations of privacy when using the employer’s technology by including language stating that the employer reserves the right to access, intercept and monitor all information accessed, sent, or received through the employer’s systems. Employers should also obtain the express consent of employees both to monitor communications and to access stored communications. This is best accomplished by requiring employees to sign written consent forms. Alternatively, an employer can establish that employees have consented to the monitoring and accessing of communications by requiring them to click on a pop-up screen acknowledging consent to the employer’s policies before access is granted to the employer’s computer systems.

Even with a well-drafted social networking policy in place, investigating potential violations, such as an allegation that an employee has posted something inappropriate on a site, can be challenging. It may be difficult to verify that the alleged misconduct occurred because the information may be posted on a secured site not accessible to the public or it may be deleted before the investigation has been completed. If the posting was prepared or accessed using technology belonging to the employer, an employee’s consent to access that information could be obtained through the type of technology use policy discussed above.

If the employer’s technology was not used, it may be impossible to view the posting without the employee’s consent. In that scenario, an employer may have no recourse other than to simply question the employee about the posting, and to speak to any co-workers who may have seen it. Employers should hesitate before asking employees for their personal log-in information. Aliases or similar surreptitious means to access a secured site should not be used, and an employer should take steps to protect an employee’s privacy in the investigation.

If an investigation concludes that an employee has violated the social networking policy, appropriate discipline should be considered, but an employer should use caution when meting out discipline. Public employers should also be aware that the First Amendment may protect an employee who speaks on what is considered to be a matter of public concern.

Critical Mistake: Are You Blogging/Tweeting for You or Your Clients?

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:20:13 GMT

Just today, I read an interesting Copyblogger blog post: The Critical Mistake that Keeps Bloggers Broke. I could have easily written it for lawyers. I would have titled it: "The Critical Mistake that Keeps Blogging/Tweeting Lawyers from Connecting with Clients."

I know many law firms that have blogging lawyers. I know many lawyers who are tweeting. Several of those firms and lawyers make one big mistake. Their blogs/tweets are focused on what the lawyer bloggers/tweeters do rather than what their clients do. In that way the blogs and tweets are more about the lawyer than about the client.

The dirty secret is your clients and potential clients do not care about what you do. They only care about how you can help them solve their problems and achieve their business goals.

I recently wrote about this in the context of websites. Your Firm Website: Is It for You or Your Clients? Are your firm’s blog posts for you or your clients? If I was the partner in charge of marketing in my old law firm and could choose the firm’s blogs they would be:

Financial Services Law Blog
Construction Law Blog
Real Estate Development Law Blog
Healthcare Law Blog
Hospitality Law Blog
Energy Law Blog
Manufacturer’s law blog
Franchise Law Blog
Information Technology Law Blog

Those were the main industries for our clients. I would want our litigators, corporate lawyers, environmental lawyers, IP lawyers, and labor and employment law lawyers to stay on top of what was happening in their legal field that was impacting any of our clients’ industries.

What are your clients’ industries? Are your blogs and tweets about what you do or about what your clients do?

Facebook Secures Patent

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:26:30 GMT

Facebook’s most popular feature, News Feed, has been patented thus locking in the Intellectual Property Rights. This popular feature shows a member’s activities, to those allowed to view it, across the site.

Kenneth Corbin reports in his Internetnews.com article entitled Facebook Lands Patent for News Feed that facebook described the feature in its patent application as follows:

“The method includes generating news items regarding activities associated with a user of a social network environment and attaching an informational link associated with at least one of the activities, to at least one of the news items, as well as limiting access to the news items to a predetermined set of viewers and assigning an order to the news items. The method may further include displaying the news items in the assigned order to at least one viewing user of the predetermined set of viewers and dynamically limiting the number of news items displayed.”

There have been numerous privacy concerns and protests from members regarding how much of one’s activities could be broadcast on the site. However, these privacy protests have waned as other social networking sites such as MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn have imitated the feature.

So what are the ramifications? With the granting of the patent, Facebook may now sue any social networking site that includes an algorithm-driven mechanism for sharing and distributing information.

In a related Reuters’ story Military Allows Twitter, Other Social Media:

The Pentagon announced on Friday it has authorized the use Twitter, Facebook and other so-called "Web 2.0" sites across the U.S. military, saying the benefits of social media outweighed security concerns.

The decision, which comes at a time of growing concern over cyber-security, applies only to the military's non-classified network.

"The purpose of the policy is to recognize that we need to take advantage of these Internet-based capabilities. These Web 2.0 tools need to be part of what we use," David Wennergren, a deputy assistant secretary of defense, told Reuters.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 66, has said that he wants to use social networking to help the Pentagon interact with U.S. military members, many of whom are in their early 20s.

But opponents have cited the risks of information leaks, of opening gateways to hackers, along with a potential overload of precious bandwidth on the Defense Department's network.

Training people so they know what can and cannot be disclosed on the Internet is a more effective policy than simply banning use of social media on work computers, he said.

"So part of this is about having a trained workforce that is savvy in how you operate in the information age."

CruiseLaw Meets LexBlog

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:27:24 GMT

Last week I met Kevin O'Keefe. Kevin is the genius behind LexBlog which designs and creates law blogs and supports legal bloggers like myself. If you like the design and functionality of this blog, thank Kevin. His team designed it.

Kevin's company also runs LexMonitor, the best round-up of legal blogs around, as well as LexTweet which tracks lawyers who use Twitter. Kevin also has an award winning blog "Real Lawyers Have Blogs" which is something every ahead-of-the-curve-lawyer should read.

Kevin was in Miami speaking at a convention and announced an-after-hours "beer for bloggers" get together at Tobacco Road via his blog and Twitter page. For those of you not familiar with Miami, Tobacco Road is the oldest bar in Miami, with liquor license no. 001, and a relaxing place to hang out.

It was a nice time. Some of the lawyers drove for a couple of hours to Miami to make it.

Legal marketing expert Paula Black, virtual law firm DirectLaw entrepreneur Richard Granat, international business lawyer Santiago Cuerto, estate planning lawyer David Shulman, and criminal defense lawyer and super-blogger Brian Tannenbaum all showed up.

Kevin is an inspiring story. He was a real life lawyer and trial attorney in Minnesota and then created Praire Law (which he sold to Lexis). He hit his stride by moving to Seattle to create his LexBlog success. His company supports something like 3,000 law firms, from blogging law students to solo lawyers to the Am Law 200 big law firms. LexBlog is an impressive network and helps small law firms like mine be the proverbial big fish in the small pond.

I remember last year when I was searching for a company to host my blog. I emailed and then spoke to the people at LexBlog. I thought that I was interviewing them to see if they were going to meet my blog requirements. Half-way through the 30 minute conversation, I realized that they were interviewing me to see if I met their criteria.

There are a lot of top notch blogs and lawyers on the LexBlog platform - like Bill Marler's Blog which has expanded to include the NoroBlog and the Food Poison Journal which have touched upon cruise ship norovirus outbreaks.

My first blog on Lexblog was on September 10th last year. Things started slowly. Maybe only 20 or 30 people a day stumbled on to my blog, probably by accident. But I'm now 171 days and 173 blogs down the road (who's counting?) Last week alone, over 14,000 different people viewed over 25,000 pages on this little blog. Not bad.

Thanks LexBlog. And next time I'll buy the beer at Tobacco Road.

To see what other lawyers are saying about Kevin and LexBlog, consider reading "God Bless Mrs. O'Keefe" (pretty funny) by a South Carolina trial lawyer, David Swanner.

Credits:

Tobacco Road Kevin O'Keefe

Twitter Updates for 2010-02-27

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

You are back in Southern California when you have to turn on the air conditioner on Thursday and the heater on Friday. Or maybe I'm a wuss. # I'm going to assume I did not pass the bar exam and keep working on a bubble chart or two per night until (at least) the Calif. bar. [...]

You are back in Southern California when you have to turn on the air conditioner on Thursday and the heater on Friday. Or maybe I'm a wuss. #
I'm going to assume I did not pass the bar exam and keep working on a bubble chart or two per night until (at least) the Calif. bar. #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-25

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Day two #barexam # Here I go again (@ Bar Exam) http://4sq.com/9vycuM # Cool. I am the mayor of the bar exam. http://flic.kr/p/7FuAXy # Powered by Twitter Tools Share on Facebook var button = document.getElementById('facebook_share_link_878') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_icon_878') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_both_878') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_button_878'); if (button) { button.onclick = function(e) { var url = this.href.replace(/share\.php/, 'sharer.php'); window.open(url,'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436'); return false; } if (button.id === 'facebook_share_button_878') { button.onmouseover = function(){ this.style.color='#fff'; this.style.borderColor = [...]

Day two #barexam #
Here I go again (@ Bar Exam) http://4sq.com/9vycuM #
Cool. I am the mayor of the bar exam. http://flic.kr/p/7FuAXy #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-24

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The exam will be hard, I'm sure, but I'm also sure it's not the last time I'll be tested #barexam # See you on the other side (@ Bar Exam) http://4sq.com/9vycuM # To all those going to law school to try to earn more money, take it from this bar examinee: there are easier ways to make [...]

The exam will be hard, I'm sure, but I'm also sure it's not the last time I'll be tested #barexam #
See you on the other side (@ Bar Exam) http://4sq.com/9vycuM #
To all those going to law school to try to earn more money, take it from this bar examinee: there are easier ways to make money than this! #
Back to the rehearsing bubbles for tomorrow's round two #barexam #

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Microblog posts to 2/24/2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:28:19 GMT

There were lots of newsy condo-related stories in the past month that we tweeted on our microblog. Here are some of them:

ONCA: City was grossly negligent to wait 34 hrs before salting icy sidewalks; ordered to pay $280K in slip and fall - http://url4.eu/1FAAq

BC Strata Property Act amendments now in force - http://bit.ly/aKYYyy

Way to go, #Toronto! City goes to bat for neighbours of cement plant (via Saxe Envirolaw blog) - http://bit.ly/aBEE48

OEB: Toronto Hydro breached Electricity Act by refusing to connect service to the bulk meters at new condos - http://bit.ly/akzGYV

OEB issues compliance order against Toronto Hydro to ensure new condos have choice of smart meter suppliers - http://bit.ly/b145eU

Daily Commercial News: CCDC 2-1994 contract seals being recalled, will be replaced free of charge - http://bit.ly/btTnIP

Maryland human rights body orders condo corp to halt reconversion of Shabbat elevator installed only a year before - http://bit.ly/btSFJ6

NY Times: California seaside condos and “condotels” with hefty occupancy restrictions may be hard to unload - http://bit.ly/aOfGvH

From homes-extra.ca: How to deal with noisy condo neighbours - http://bit.ly/aFJt90

From Yorkregion.com: Habitat for Humanity seeking land to build higher-density housing (condos) in Newmarket - http://bit.ly/dC9P9T

From @nydailynews: Condo coughs up $1M for victim of hushed-up crime spree - http://bit.ly/9geyw9

OHRT: Unit owner’s human rights complaint deferred until after condo’s enforcement application is heard by Court – http://bit.ly/aq2lLt

Boston Globe: Lady buys a condo unit, suffers from neighbour's 2nd hand smoke, then sues her realtor - http://shar.es/aLe8B

The Boston Globe: Jury rejects condo owner's claim that broker misled her about smoker downstairs - http://shar.es/m1yok

Obese woman in Quebec wins human rights fight with her condo for a closer parking spot - http://tgam.ca/IHc (via @globeandmail)

Blawg Review #251 by @CanadianTMBlog in Vancouver has a special Olympic theme. Go Canada! - http://bit.ly/bZpKPw

City of London (ON) considering new application/approval process for vacant land condo developments - http://bit.ly/a28dnk

RT @utahcondolaw: Park City roofing contractor's article on ice dam solutions: "Scraping by" - SNIPS: http://bit.ly/9UChiY

Connecticut Attorney General recommends creating state condo ombud & suggests funding plan (via Hartford Guardian) - http://bit.ly/9xad2Z

Charges laid after debris falls from towers, including a condo corp - http://bit.ly/byZZdu (via CBC Calgary)

If you prefer not to wait for the best next "best of" post, you can follow me on Twitter and get these updates as they happen.

Staten Island Councilmen Warn Residents of Dangers of Social Networking

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:52:31 GMT

The Staten Island Advance is reporting that Council Members James Oddo and Vincent Ignazio are warning Staten Island residents of the dangers of social networking sites, such as facebook and Twitter. The pols are warning that frequently updating your status to reflect your travel plans can lead to your home being robbed upon your return.

In people's rush to grab as many "followers" as possible, they sometimes do not know who these "followers" or "friends" really are. While not everyone has malicious intentions, it's important that you know who is able to view your status. Numerous stories are floating around the Internet of "tweeters" who posted daily live updates of their vacation. Some of their followers were not well intentioned and broke into the tweeters home, taking the time to rummage through their personal belongings and rob them. They knew that the tweeter would not be home so they could take their time in searching and even make return trips to finish.

I have written a report about the Dangers of Social Networking during a pending lawsuit which I give to all my clients. I have also discussed with them the dangers that continually updating your status brings. Many people don't realize just how easy it is to find dangerous or damaging information about themselves through a few clicks of a mouse. People need to use common sense and to understand what information they are making public. Just like we used to do when we went on vacation and asked the neighbors to bring in the mail, we need to do the same with our facebook and Twitter accounts by not sharing personal information for all to see. Apart from identity theft or robbery, your physical safety may be put in danger.

Twitter Updates for 2010-02-23

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Tucking in for the #barexam (@ Fairfield Inn & Suites) http://4sq.com/b2837j # The law student at Starbucks said I looked nervous, but I think that has more to do with spending too much time in Seattle than the #barexam # Still getting used to negotiating contracts. It's kind of nerve wracking sometimes, but it can be really [...]

Tucking in for the #barexam (@ Fairfield Inn & Suites) http://4sq.com/b2837j #
The law student at Starbucks said I looked nervous, but I think that has more to do with spending too much time in Seattle than the #barexam #
Still getting used to negotiating contracts. It's kind of nerve wracking sometimes, but it can be really satisfying when it works. #
Ok, contract negotiation over. Back to studying. #barexam #
Am I ready for the bar exam? Who knows. How could I know? Skiers know how to ski, but slalom? Moguls? Super G? #barexam #
This looks like it would be on my bar exam http://bit.ly/bB5QI7 (I was looking up felony murder in Ariz. and this popped right up.) #
I set eleven alarms for myself: 9 on the iPhone, the room alarm, and a wake up call. Hope that will do it. #

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The Long and Short of Name Development

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:16 GMT

by Mark Prus of NameFlash^SM

Some of my name development clients are fans of long, keyword-rich names. Obviously the appeal of a search engine spotting your website is driving this approach.

Some of my naming clients are fans of short names that can be easily shared on Twitter.

Which approach is better?

I will confess I am a fan of short, memorable names. Steve Baird would agree. As Steve so eloquently puts it, “we live in a sound bite world.”

But I strongly believe that picking a name because it would be more attractive to search engines or because it is short enough to Tweet is a huge mistake. Any time you allow tactics to drive your strategy, you are heading down the road to ruin.

A far better approach is to hone your brand’s strategy and test it with consumers until you find the positioning that is going to make all the difference in your business, then develop a name. David Ogilvy once said "The results of your campaign depend less on how we write your advertising than on how your product is positioned." The same is true for your name. Spend time developing a positioning that rings the bell with consumers and then go find the perfect name that brings that positioning to life.

Sound like a difficult thing to do? Not really. I know I am biased by my 25+ years of experience in building great consumer brands, but this task is not difficult. Time consuming? Yes. At times painful? Yes. Expensive? Could be. But in the end, the process of honing the brand positioning and using that as a basis for name development will pay dividends for years to come.

If the name you choose ends up short enough to Twitter, then you may wish to include that tactic in your arsenal. If your name includes relevant keywords, so much the better! But please, don’t pick names because they work better with tactic A or Tactic B!

Your thoughts?

Social Media Guidelines and Policies: Do Your Employees Know the Ground Rules Too?

dschwartz@pullcom.com (Daniel Schwartz) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:02:52 GMT

Early on when writing the blog, I came across an issue that was so exciting to write about that I spent an evening crafting it up. It had links, pictures, and was well-sourced.

But then I discovered that the issue involved a client of the law firm. Uh-oh. It was then that I decided it was time to set up my own set of internal rules that I would try to run the blog by.

I summarized that process in an entry entitled -- "The Blog Post I Didn't Publish -- Will Your Employees Do the Same?" nearly 30 months ago.

In the past three years, I've worked hard to play by those parameters. Those include:

No discussions of cases I'm working on or that others from the firm are working on, without explicit client approval.
No references to clients, again, without approval from the client first
No use of confidential or "private" (i.e. not protected by privilege but still not public) information.

There are other informal guidelines that I also try to follow including the concepts outlined in IBM's Social Media policy about adding value and being respectful.

Why do I bring this up again now? Because there have been two stories that I've been asked to write about by some readers in recent weeks. They've made national headlines and it would be natural to write about those issues. But I've had to explain that those matters fall within the guidelines I've established for myself and, as a result, I would not be writing about it.

A few people seemed a bit surprised by that. As one said, "You have RULES for your blog?" Well, yes I do. Or try to.

Which leads me to this: Do your employees know the rules or guidelines that they are to play by when it comes to using Twitter, Facebook, or other types of social media? If you're not confident about the answer to that question, perhaps it's time to think about some guidelines to share with them. Otherwise, you leave it to their own discretion, which may -- or may not -- be the same as your level of discretion.

Need a place to start? Compliance Building has a wonderful list of 150+ guidelines for your consideration.

More social media stats for law firms

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:03:27 GMT

When it comes to the latest developments in social media usage, Kevin O'Keefe of LexBlog is one of the best resources around. Go to his blog and subcribe to his feed! Just this weekend, he added two posts that are must-reads for anyone in the legal marketing profession.

And he's not afraid to evolve with the times and trends. Last year, O'Keefe advised his lawyer/clients to stick with the "big three" of blogging, Twitter and LinkedIn. On Saturday, based on the latest stats on the meteoric growth of Facebook, he noted that "more people are hanging out on Facebook than any other place on the net" and added Facebook to this list. "With the world going to Facebook, how can I ignore it and survive as a successul business leader?"

Today, O'Keefe reported on a recently released social media study from the Nielsen Company, which states that the time spent by Americans on social media sites increased 210 percent in 2009 (the increase was 82 percent for global users). The top U.S. social media sites are Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Classmates and LinkedIn.

O'Keefe concludes his post by questioning the fact that -- in spite of these statistics -- 45 percent of US law firms continue to block the use of social media and social networking sites.

I agree completely. Law firms need to trust their lawyers to act appropriately in "public." You don't ask them to stay home from "real world" business networking opportunities on the off chance that they'll say something inappropriate. Social networking sites are no different.

Twitter Updates for 2010-02-22

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

I can spot the Seattleites, even here in Arizona (@ Starbucks) http://4sq.com/6WdvsN # Heh… Seattle Espresso… The 'tude is spot on anyway (@ Seattle Espresso) http://4sq.com/4FXcJU # Pulling another late bar exam night at ASU's law library, Dutch Bros in hand (@ ASU Ross-Blakley Law Library) http://4sq.com/aE6bK9 # Rediscovering Cousteau's Last Good Day of the Year. Rehearsing bubbles. [...]

I can spot the Seattleites, even here in Arizona (@ Starbucks) http://4sq.com/6WdvsN #
Heh… Seattle Espresso… The 'tude is spot on anyway (@ Seattle Espresso) http://4sq.com/4FXcJU #
Pulling another late bar exam night at ASU's law library, Dutch Bros in hand (@ ASU Ross-Blakley Law Library) http://4sq.com/aE6bK9 #
Rediscovering Cousteau's Last Good Day of the Year. Rehearsing bubbles. #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-21

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Little by little I'm hitting all the places I totally took for granted, but really missed (@ Rubio's fresh mexican grill) # Powered by Twitter Tools Share on Facebook var button = document.getElementById('facebook_share_link_865') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_icon_865') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_both_865') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_button_865'); if (button) { button.onclick = function(e) { var url = this.href.replace(/share\.php/, 'sharer.php'); window.open(url,'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436'); return false; } if (button.id === 'facebook_share_button_865') { button.onmouseover = function(){ this.style.color='#fff'; this.style.borderColor = '#295582'; this.style.backgroundColor = [...]

Little by little I'm hitting all the places I totally took for granted, but really missed (@ Rubio's fresh mexican grill) #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-20

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

I have no business eating eggs at Waffle House, but this might be the happiest place on earth to study at (@ Waffle House) # I don't care how rich and successful I become after the bar, I never want to eat anywhere but here http://flic.kr/p/7EmSfA # You know how too much caffeine can sometimes backfire [...]

I have no business eating eggs at Waffle House, but this might be the happiest place on earth to study at (@ Waffle House) #
I don't care how rich and successful I become after the bar, I never want to eat anywhere but here http://flic.kr/p/7EmSfA #
You know how too much caffeine can sometimes backfire on you… #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-19

michael@michaelricelaw.com (Michael Rice) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Leaving the office for the day means that nothing stands between now and bar exam. Hard to believe it's finally in front of me. # Powered by Twitter Tools Share on Facebook var button = document.getElementById('facebook_share_link_839') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_icon_839') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_both_839') || document.getElementById('facebook_share_button_839'); if (button) { button.onclick = function(e) { var url = this.href.replace(/share\.php/, 'sharer.php'); window.open(url,'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436'); return false; } if (button.id === 'facebook_share_button_839') { button.onmouseover = function(){ this.style.color='#fff'; this.style.borderColor [...]

Leaving the office for the day means that nothing stands between now and bar exam. Hard to believe it's finally in front of me. #

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Social Media and the Flu

gwise@wiselaw.net (gwise@wiselaw.net) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:00:56 GMT

Best lament of the day (from one of our assistants who's been down with a nasty flu):

I was too sick to tweet.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net

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