I’ve met several in my profession who dip their toes in social media, evaluate its usefulness for their profession based only on that superficial experience, and refuse – often out of an understandable but incompatible fear of exposure – to dive in head-first or to give it another go. I have long felt that any judgment of social media based on such light engagement is uninformed and baseless.

As for Jason’s analogy, I’ll revise it this way: Journalists who use what others put on social media networks but refuse to put up much info themselves are less like local snoopers than like reclusive, mysterious residents in a tightly knit neighborhood. When everyone is sharing, the ones who don’t stand out. So while many in this neighborhood might open up wholeheartedly to those they know are as engaged in the community as they are, you can bet that when the reclusive neighbor comes a-knocking, they’ll be less willing, less open and less friendly.

As a journalist, I have often found good potential sources on Facebook or Twitter I would not have found anywhere else. When I see these people’s information on these sites and send them a request for more, I feel better knowing that upon receipt of my message they are free to click through my tweets, see my Facebook status updates, view my profile pictures and read my self-definitions. In other words, they are as free to learn as much about me as I am about them. I believe my high level of engagement ensures at least a level playing field, making it far more likely that the people I contact will be open with me, knowing that I not only use but participate in the community in which I found them.

Of course, motive is important, too. I was on social media before I was a journalist. I am engaged in it because I like it, because it holds many personal rewards, not because a fellow journalist told me I should join to do better work. So I sympathize with journalists who are being pressured into joining these networks but lack a personal, organic connection to them. That’s not ideal. And I’ve also long thought that if you don’t personally enjoy participating in social networks, you shouldn’t – period.

Tracy – thanks for your input as always! My spidey sense tells me that you’re approaching it all very sensibly. I think it’s actually better that you are going in and leaving your input on things. That’s smart outreach and community building, and it makes it far less awkward if you ever want to reach out to these people. Plus I think they appreciate that you’re listening and not just a bland marketing presence.

Andrew – you’re exactly right, social media tools are interactive in nature, and you’re not going to develop and understand of them or an appreciation of their value unless you are actively participating.

Dana – I don’t think it’s a malicious practice in most cases, I think that people are just hesitant to dive in, so they sit on the edge and think “I’ll just watch for a bit.”

The problem is that sitting on the sidelines is a good way to miss important value from the service and one of the best ways to engender ill-will from the snoopees.

david – I think you’re missing the point. People don’t get upset that their info is seen/read/noticed; you’re right that in many cases that is exactly the point of putting it up there. What annoys people is when they feel spied upon.

It is literally the difference between announcing yourself and NOT announcing yourself. Call it hypocritical, dumb, annoying, or whatever you like, but it IS the existing etiquette, and I’m here to warn you that snooping WILL backfire on you, whether you think it’s justified or not.

I think your claim that looking at people’s info is the “digital equivalent of wandering around in people’s back yards and looking through the windows” is way off base. I think a better analogy for the situation you’re describing would be someone who posts their info on their front fence and then gets mad that people look at it because “isn’t it obvious that it’s only for my friends to look at?!”

The idea that we can or should post private information in a publicly accessible space, and then just trust that people wont look, is unrealistic, and also kind of creepy.