Social Networking Goes Professional

Listed below is a link to an article called “Social Networking Goes Professional“ written by: Jessica E. Vascellaro for the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118825239984310205.html

This is a particularly interesting article that focuses on social networking and the advantages that it can provide to professionals in the business world. Although social networking has been slow to take off in the business setting, some of the advantages of utilizing this technology are tremendous. One example that they provide in the article is the social networking site “Sermo.com.” Sermo.com is a social-networking site for licensed physicians where they can go to consult with colleagues specializing in areas from dermatology to psychiatry. This ability for physicians to effectively communicate with other physicians will result in tremendous benefits for society. This ability to effectively consult through a social networking website will result in more correct diagnoses by physicians and more breakthroughs in regards to illnesses. As is the case in the article, Michael Tomblyn a radiation oncologist recently saw a 21-year-old patient whose eye was protruding from its socket. Unable to diagnosis the condition, Tomblyn turned to Sermo.com for help. There he was able to enlist the help of other physicians for help and through this he was about to make the correct diagnosis of a condition called rhabdomyosarcoma, a fast-growing cancer most often observed in young children. The use of internet networks for discovery, communication and collaboration of information can prove to be successful for many different companies across different industries. These decision/publishing portals, such as Sermo.com, should continue to be developed and strive for acquiring as many users as possible. All industries can find a way to improve from utilizing networks which provide an efficient and bountiful source of information.