911 REPAIR: Tweets, IM's, text ... it's hard not to be a bit overwhelmed trying to stay on top of today's technology. It's tough individually. It's even tougher for corporations to sort out. Which reminds me of my parent's first VCR. OK, I'm dating myself a bit here. But I'll always remember how my parents' VCR had a blinking "12:00" because they had no idea how to program the timer. It was the same with all my friend's folks (and many of my friends).

Here we were, smugly making fun of other people's challenges staying on top of new technology, and yet how many of us currently have a plan for Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin? Heck, how many of us even know how to use half the features on our computers or phones? Staying up on current technology often seems like a full-time job. That's why I've listed three Do's and one Don't below to help you and your organization get more engaged in "cyberspace" (remember when we used to call it that?). For more, check out "Groundswell: Winning in a world transformed by social technologies" (Harvard Business Press, 2008).

DO post a viral video. I've posted a bunch of videos on YouTube, a speaker's video, TV segments, etc. After all, what good do those videos do sitting on a shelf? However, there are a lot of videos out there, so be happy if you can create something that can get a few thousand people to view. Forget that wedding dance video and its millions of views. After all, the worst that can happen is that more people will discover you or your company.

DO engage in social networks. It was weird to learn that companies were creating Facebook and MySpace pages, how something created for kids could be co-opted by the corporate crowd. But that misses the point. Whoever builds something that people want to see, whether it's a corporation or an individual, will gather the eyeballs they're looking for. The cool part is that a lot of people are giving the big-money folks a run for their money.

DO join the blogosphere. Blogs used to be reserved for exhibitionists and weirdoes. They may still have a high percentage of both, but the blogosphere is also full of information and opinions about products. You don't want to be a passive participant here.

DON'T try to control. I can remember a vice president of a company going crazy because I didn't replicate the logo exactly on a press release many years ago. The chance for a corporation to control today's online zoo is practically nonexistent. Foster a dialogue realizing that you won't like some of it. But the more you get heavy-handed about disagreements, the less people will feel like it's a community worth participating in.

The only thing worse than a blinking "12:00" on your VCR, is to be totally invisible in today's very visible online universe.

WORKPLACE911 EXECUTIVE POINTS

Being visible online:

-- DO post a viral video.

-- DO engage in social networks. Continued...