Wow. I just signed on to Facebook to enjoy a momentary distraction from the three speeches I’m writing that are due this week and my friend Lisa from Grey Healthcare had posted quite a story on her facebook feed. Apparently a couple in Australia has been notified via Facebook that their home is about to be repossessed. According to the story on money.co.uk the attorney for the bank requested permission to use social media to deliver this legal message. What I found surprising is that the attorney did research to find them online as they weren’t already linked.
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand social media is replacing traditional correspondence, especially phone and snail mail, for all other communications. Why not bill collection?
On the other hand, will this cause people to limit their presence online? Will fear of repercussions limit their willingness to actually be transparent online?
I guess at the end of the day I prefer social media to be just that – social. Or at least pleasant. I conduct business via email, and have made great business contacts via social media, and there is usually a friendly component to it as well. I’d like to keep it that way. In the meantime it will be interesting to see how other entities use this example for similiar purposes.
December 17th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I disagree with the attorney’s decision to “notify” the Australian couple about the repossession of their home. While social media has allowed us to be more open and share our world with others, whether they be friends, co-workers, strangers, or professional contacts, there are still some things that should NOT be entered into the online world. Specifically, being told that the bank is going to seize your home, would be a fine example.
I advocate for people to continue to have a presence online, but just because you’re online and the tools are there to interact doesn’t give you permission to through common sense and human decency out the window. If you were waiting for the results of a blood test or perhaps notified that a loved one had been injured or died, would you be happy receiving that via a social network instead of being called or visited by someone? It’s the same thing if you’re providing a service.
Facebook can be used for professional interaction, but let’s use some common sense when sharing information.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:26 am
I got a death notification on Facebook earlier this month.
Some got much more: http://occamsrazr.com/2008/12/05/absolution
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I’m sorry for your loss Ike. I had the unfortunate task earlier this year of using Facebook and unintentionally this blog to let people know of a friend’s passing. It helped and it hurt. And it is just the way things are now. Still, somehow sharing a loss seems more humane then bill collecting.
Thanks for visiting. I enjoy your blog and am glad to see that you pop by here.
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I agree with Ken, but we have no control over a loan officer who has no integrity and lacks character. You would think that common sense would outweigh the laziness of a phone call or letter.
Of course what we don’t know is that the Loan Officer may have tried multiple ways and times to notify a non-responsive and/or non-responsible borrower, and this was a last effort to get a reply.
At any rate, the users of social networks will eventually impose etticate just like we did with email, fancy dinners, weddings, funerals, etc…
There will always be someone going against the grain, but I don’t think it will be the end of social networks nor will it be the end of Facebook.
I am currently working with Facebook and there are some amazing things to come.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Thanks Doug. I agree with you that the users will impose etiquette like happens in other domains. Keep us posted about what you have going with Facebook. Sounds exciting.