Comments on: Pay Yammer or Else http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/ with John Bordeaux Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:00:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2281 hourly 1 By: srxdba http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-53 srxdba Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:00:09 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-53 Two more questions: - what if an employee has just always lurked (you know who you are!!)...never posted, just read posts...now they're an ex-employee, still lurking and reading. How would any employee notice that was happening so that they would suspend the account? - how 'persistent' is the storage of messages on the Yammer server? (didn't see that in their FAQ) Two more questions:
– what if an employee has just always lurked (you know who you are!!)…never posted, just read posts…now they’re an ex-employee, still lurking and reading. How would any employee notice that was happening so that they would suspend the account?
- how ‘persistent’ is the storage of messages on the Yammer server? (didn’t see that in their FAQ)

]]> By: srxdba http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-52 srxdba Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:43:58 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-52 Nice write up, John...I started wondering about the security model used by Yammer because of discussion of business sensitive information as well as the e-discovery concern. I was (along with you) in the thick of the e-discovery discussions...interesting how something started 'in the field' vice by infrastructure has grown so large w/o anyone (apparently) noticing from an official viewpoint. Nice write up, John…I started wondering about the security model used by Yammer because of discussion of business sensitive information as well as the e-discovery concern. I was (along with you) in the thick of the e-discovery discussions…interesting how something started ‘in the field’ vice by infrastructure has grown so large w/o anyone (apparently) noticing from an official viewpoint.

]]> By: John http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-47 John Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:42:17 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-47 I would think Present.ly avoids some of the issues I outline in this post, but chiefly because, unlike Yammer, Present.ly is only free for up to five users. My post is a caution against using the free version of Yammer - Present.ly is not targeting this market the same way, they don't offer a free service for any but the tiniest of companies. This TechCrunch article has more: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/18/presently-takes-on-tc50-winner-yammer/ I would think Present.ly avoids some of the issues I outline in this post, but chiefly because, unlike Yammer, Present.ly is only free for up to five users. My post is a caution against using the free version of Yammer – Present.ly is not targeting this market the same way, they don’t offer a free service for any but the tiniest of companies. This TechCrunch article has more: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/18/presently-takes-on-tc50-winner-yammer/

]]> By: Korayem http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Korayem Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:04:58 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-46 I am looking for a twitter-like service and found Yammer and presently. What about the latter? I am looking for a twitter-like service and found Yammer and presently. What about the latter?

]]> By: John http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-45 John Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:43:07 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-45 Adam, Yes, I too liked the idea of using Yammer for non-sensitive information. However, as an old intel analyst, I can tell you that fragments of non-sensitive information can add up to sensitive information. Even if employees are as disciplined as you are, and that expectation is heroic, it is an easy art to piece together sensitive information from "harmless" chatter. Thanks for adding to the conversation! jb Adam,
Yes, I too liked the idea of using Yammer for non-sensitive information. However, as an old intel analyst, I can tell you that fragments of non-sensitive information can add up to sensitive information. Even if employees are as disciplined as you are, and that expectation is heroic, it is an easy art to piece together sensitive information from “harmless” chatter.
Thanks for adding to the conversation!
jb

]]> By: John http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-44 John Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:40:39 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-44 Thank you Keith, that is a good point for clarification - I wasn't aware anyone can suspend anyone else's account, that is good to know. However, my larger point remains intact - as the company is not protected by relying on the "greater community or network." While I'm a big fan of crowdsourcing, this is a matter of firm preservation, and the risk tolerance should be much lower. This *should* be an administrative burden for the firm, as it is their responsibility to provide for secured conversations regarding their intellectual property. Allowing use of an unpaid Yammer account still requires a firm to patrol and monitor usage to ensure ex-employee accounts are suspended. My former company's CEO sent a New Year's greeting, but I wonder if his managers are aware of this administrative need or how to go about managing it. Thank you Keith, that is a good point for clarification – I wasn’t aware anyone can suspend anyone else’s account, that is good to know.

However, my larger point remains intact – as the company is not protected by relying on the “greater community or network.” While I’m a big fan of crowdsourcing, this is a matter of firm preservation, and the risk tolerance should be much lower. This *should* be an administrative burden for the firm, as it is their responsibility to provide for secured conversations regarding their intellectual property.

Allowing use of an unpaid Yammer account still requires a firm to patrol and monitor usage to ensure ex-employee accounts are suspended. My former company’s CEO sent a New Year’s greeting, but I wonder if his managers are aware of this administrative need or how to go about managing it.

]]> By: Adam Roades http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Adam Roades Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:55:23 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-43 Good points you make, especially the potential legal ramifications concerning discovery. And I agree that conversations ("yams") on Yammer should be at the not-so-sensitive level. But that doesn't mean it offers no benefit over Twitter. On the contrary, I consider Twitter as my "outward facing" network, whereas I use Yammer to ask (non-sensitive) inquiries or seek (non-sensitive) resources from within my company. On the other hand, if Twitter offered groups (like other similar platforms), then yes, I might see a non-paid Yammer account as redundant. Good points you make, especially the potential legal ramifications concerning discovery. And I agree that conversations (“yams”) on Yammer should be at the not-so-sensitive level. But that doesn’t mean it offers no benefit over Twitter. On the contrary, I consider Twitter as my “outward facing” network, whereas I use Yammer to ask (non-sensitive) inquiries or seek (non-sensitive) resources from within my company. On the other hand, if Twitter offered groups (like other similar platforms), then yes, I might see a non-paid Yammer account as redundant.

]]> By: Keith http://jbordeaux.com/pay-yammer-or-else/comment-page-1/#comment-42 Keith Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:01:55 +0000 http://jbordeaux.com/?p=150#comment-42 John, Thank you for the mention of Yammer. We just wanted to clarify that non paying networks can restrict ex employees from accessing their network. At any time, any person can suspend another persons account within their network. This forces the suspended person to reconfirm their email address. If the suspended person is not a current employee, they shouldn't have access to their email account, and thus wouldn't be able to confirm resulting in no access to the Yammer network. The FAQ that explains this can be found in our knowledgebase here: http://help.yammer.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=311 Since anybody in the network can suspend another person's account, having to manually remove ex employees is less of a burden because the burden is not on a select set of admins but rather a greater community or network. However, we are looking into other ways, such as LDAP integration, to make this process automated. If you have any additional questions, suggestions, or feedback please let us know. Once again, thank you for the mention. Thank you, Keith McCarty The Yammer Team John,

Thank you for the mention of Yammer. We just wanted to clarify that non paying networks can restrict ex employees from accessing their network. At any time, any person can suspend another persons account within their network. This forces the suspended person to reconfirm their email address. If the suspended person is not a current employee, they shouldn’t have access to their email account, and thus wouldn’t be able to confirm resulting in no access to the Yammer network.

The FAQ that explains this can be found in our knowledgebase here:

http://help.yammer.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=311

Since anybody in the network can suspend another person’s account, having to manually remove ex employees is less of a burden because the burden is not on a select set of admins but rather a greater community or network. However, we are looking into other ways, such as LDAP integration, to make this process automated.

If you have any additional questions, suggestions, or feedback please let us know. Once again, thank you for the mention.

Thank you,

Keith McCarty
The Yammer Team

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