Have you ever joined a book club? What about a business association for networking or training? Whether business or personal, we all have our activities and social circles that we belong to. But what if these activities weren’t limited by who you know? What if everyone in the world with your particular interests could participate in them alongside you? Thanks to today’s technologies, they can.

These technologies are all part of a central concept known as social software. Wikipedia states that social software “enables people to rendezvous, connect, or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and form online communities.” And who better to provide that definition than Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia whose content is written collaboratively by people from all around the world. That’s right — anyone with access to the Internet can edit, correct, or improve information throughout the encyclopedia. This is a perfect example of social software.

Really, What Are We Talking About?

Social software is all about technology bringing people together online, whether through discussion forums, online chats, and blogs, or lesser-known tools like wiki, social bookmarking, social shopping, and virtual worlds. These tools provide interaction with people across the world, so it’s no wonder why organizations throughout the world of business are standing up and taking notice.

Why’s This Important to Business?

Social software concepts like discussion forums and blogs can be key business tools. As these tools become more visible, new terms arise. Terms like “Business Blogs,” which take what people have been doing for years — like publishing an online journal (a simplistic blog definition) — and merging that with business communications.

In fact, many companies are beginning to provide a business blog to create awareness and enhance communication. A blog is very public and, if done correctly, can lend credibility to an organization and help build a more interactive communication mechanism with customers and potential customers. It can also be a source of information cataloged by search engines, making it easier for people to find your company online.

It’s just one more communication tool in the marketing toolbox. However, the benefits don’t have to be externally focused. Companies are increasingly using blogs to communicate about projects or other news within a company. They also provide mechanisms for employees to contribute to a topic, regardless if they’re in the same office or halfway around the world.

Forward-thinking organizations are looking at these online technologies and finding appropriate ways to leverage them to their advantage. Whether or not you choose to leverage the social tools for business, a greater concern is how these social software tools may affect your business in other ways.

The Downside of Social Software

Whether or not your organization has embraced social software technology, it’s a sure bet that staff within your organization have. This may prove detrimental. For example, let’s say a staff member set up a personal blog to discuss the details of her new job with the world. In the course of sharing personal experiences, specific business practices are discussed. What started as informal, fun, and personal has led to the sharing of company information. And this really happens — as companies like Microsoft, Starbucks, Delta, and Google can attest.

Of course, there are plenty of other concerns as well. Social software can affect a person’s productivity if it’s available and used during working hours. These tools can quickly perpetuate rumors or other inaccurate information inside and outside an organization. Additionally, because communications occur via computer, people often say and do more than they would ever say and do in a face-to-face situation — loose lips may sink ships, but so do loose fingertips.

Is It Here to Stay?

Although some consider social software a fad, many felt similarly about the Internet at its inception. Social software concepts have been around for years; it’s just that more computers, faster Internet connections, and more options are raising its visibility. The impact on your company may vary, but rest assured, there will be an impact. Why not take advantage of how technology has opened the doors to the world and use these tools to further your message to your worldwide audience? At no other point in history have so many people been ready to hear what you have to say.