Nathan Griffiths - New Social Media Writer

My name is Nathan Griffiths. I have been an IT consultant & technology writer for several years so I am very excited about the opportunity to write on Social Media issues for Justmeans. In my work as an IT consultant I dealt mostly with educational & non-profit organizations, helping them create IT environments built around the ways in which people worked, by strengthening communication and collaboration. While I am currently based out of Vancouver, I will soon be travelling to Hong Kong to formally study journalism at the University of Hong Kong.

I have over a decade's experience working in the field of IT, so I know technology well. What excites me most about it, however, is not necessarily the newest tech, or the latest toy, but rather the innovative and unexpected uses people find for it. With experience working in a wide range of roles, I have seen technology put to a striking variety of uses - some of them brilliantly innovative, others simply bizarre. What has been consistent, however, is the recognition that organizations are often slow to recognize the values inherent in social media, hesitant to acknowledge their benefits and often fearful of the changes that these technologies might bring.

The ways in which social media is being harnessed to connect people and drive change all over the world is fascinating to me and I'm excited about the opportunity to chart these developments with the Justmeans community. The rapidly increasing adoption of social networking and user generated content by NGOs, business, governments and others will only lead to greater integration of these tools and further recognition of their value. Justmeans already has a well-established editorial section tracking & analyzing these trends, working to build a solid narrative of community development and public involvement on social media trends. As these technologies come of age, they will grow from powerful tools into increasingly influential and integrated mediums in their own right. It is my hope that in writing with Justmeans, I can help to overcome some of these barriers & bring about a clearer understanding of the benefits, limitations & risks associated with social media & the role that these techs will play in society as we move forward.