The responses fell into two distinct groups (as one would imagine) of being for the use and for being against the use.

I call this schism a generational gap.

I’m 29 years old and I have the job I have because I’m in tune with all things technology and because I have a deep passion and need to make all things organized. This suits me perfectly to the role of Director of Information Management here at Sullivan, Morgan & Chronic. It also puts me in a vast minority in this field being an under-35 professional in charge of all things Records and Information for a law firm.

Where I’m getting with all this is that I come of a very different generation than my peers, many of whom are at least ten years older than me and most of whom did not grow up with computers, cell phones, etc. My generation is simply different. We view work and play almost as the same thing.* Being of my generation also means that I’ve grown up a natural multi-tasker. I simply never sit doing just one thing. It’s almost impossible for me to do so.

*Achievement based incentives is an idea that’s been around in the workplace for several years now and is similar to unlocking achievements while playing video games or checking into locations through FourSquare. Quite simply the employer is giving almost worthless “badges” for meeting certain benchmarks, but employees of my generation love this as we look at it as we’re “beating the game.”

Being a natural mutli-tasker means that while it may appear I’m not focusing on one certain thing, I really am. I have the ability to send email, talk with a co-worker and see what’s coming across my computer instant messaging all at the same time. Frequently during meetings and seminars I am listening to the speaker, taking notes on a laptop or iPad and monitoring office email with my phone. Almost everyone of my age does this, especially if they are in an information driven industry as I am.

Most people will view this behavior as rude or off-putting. While I’ll disagree completely, I will say that there are certain guidelines that everyone should follow, including notorious multi-taskers as myself:

• If at the beginning of a meeting the host asks everyone to turn off cell phones, you do so and respect their wishes.
• Doing non-essential work while multi-tasking during a presentation (for example, browsing personal Facebook & Twitter accounts) is generally a no-no.
• While multi-tasking be observant of the people around you. If it seems that people are distracted or bothered by your activities, scale it back or simply move to a more discrete location.

What all this boils down to is that my generation doesn’t want to waste time. Why sit there and do only one thing at a time when I can accomplish three tasks in the same span? At this moment while I’m writing this blog post I’m also migrating data for an upcoming case, sending emails between co-workers, and finalizing an update to our Retention Schedule.

So there you have it. My side of this great story and one that hopefully makes sense to everyone out there. With all this in mind, please remember the next time you are getting irritated at someone for “playing on their phone” during a presentation, understand that they might be doing actual work at that time. However, all multi-taskers should keep general etiquette and respect of the speaker and audience in mind. It’s just good business.

The first problem is simply a matter of persistence and understanding I have to do what I have to do. The second is much more complicated as it’s difficult to weed out good sources from the bad. Additionally, since this is such a niche market I usually have to look to more generalized forums and then find the specific information I’m looking for.

In the spirit of transparency I’m going to share with you some of my most favorite resources. Note, these aren’t all Records and Information Management specific, but at some point in time they have all given me insight or help with a particular problem or post. With this list in mind, what are some of your go-to resources? What are your favorite blogs, news sources, Twitter users and LinkedIn groups to be a part of? Feel free to comment below and help create a larger network of information for everyone out there!

• Mashable
• io9
• Legal Technology News
• CMS Wire
• TechCrunch
• Cult of Mac
• SharePoint Records Management
• Small Business Trends
• ARMA
• AIIM
• ILTA

Courtesy of Prism Casino

Backups go without saying. Essentially you should never travel with a unique set of documents or information. Being the only one with that information is a recipe for disaster, especially when air travel is concerned since you’re laptop will be run through the ringer in the name of security. What’s that you say? Backups don’t track information you edit on the go? Well, then maybe you should be using a cloud syncing service such as Dropbox, SkyDrive or Amazon Cloud Drive.

Dropbox

Personally I love using Dropbox. It’s a spectacular tool that allows you to sync files across a large variety of devices and also has several enterprise level options that introduce collaborative features as well as redundant backups and enhanced security. What’s really nice about using Dropbox is that most of the time you don’t even know you’re using it. The service essentially creates a folder on your system that looks just like any other folder. You can create, edit and save any file in that folder just like you would anywhere else. Automatically that file is synced across the cloud and is accessible through either the Dropbox website, mobile apps or any other system you’ve installed Dropbox too.

Have an enterprise account? Well, that option allows you to automatically share documents with other users and has real-time updating of collaboration on documents. It’s a tool that no business should be without.

Find My iPhone

The second piece to this puzzle is remote wiping of devices. If you have an iPhone, you can already do it. Simply activate the “Find my iPhone” service when you activate your iPhone. This allows you to not only find where your iPhone currently is, but also allows you to remotely wipe the device deleting all information on the phone. The information can only be restored when the owner of the device syncs back up to iTunes with proper account information. What’s nice is that this service works across all Apple devices so your iPhone, iPod and iPad are all automatically protected.

Similarly, there are several options for Android phones to perform the same features. If you’re a Google Apps customer you can wipe your device remotely from the Control Panel. If not, you can use a wide variety of apps, but one I particularly like is Android Lost which not only wipes your device clean, but also any memory card installed in the device.

Lastly, you need to protect your laptop. There are several options out there that perform similar functions to the two apps listed above. For enterprise customers there is Druva’s inSync. This platform can be cloud based or onsite server based and allows for a full host of services from mobile backups to remote device wiping. Additionally this service can deploy to mobile devices as well giving you double security on your smartphone. What’s amazing about the software is that it additionally provides a Dropbox like service as well as remote wiping and location services. A great all-in-one tool. (Also, for Enterprises using Microsoft Exhcnage, ActiveSync provides a way to remotely wipe information off all mobile devices.)

For individual plans, look to CompuTrace offered by Absolute. Dell actually already includes it on any laptops sold through their Small Business store, and it essentially provides a great solution for locating and deleting information remotely.

While the above solutions certainly all there is, it’s a good place to start your own research as to what works for you and your company. However, always make sure to protect yourself and your information whether you’re out and about or even just sitting in the office. Preventative steps can go a long way in making sure you don’t have a massive headache (or unwanted negative publicity) down the road.

Even though I started LAWYEROLOGY! for non-business reasons, I quickly realized that it could also serve a marketing function for my law firm. The only problem was that I had a law office to run, a full load of cases in fifteen different states, a wonderful wife, two active kids and an adamant opposition to having someone else post as me or for me on the blog or any other social media platform. In other words, I had very little time to dedicate to an effort that appeared to be very time consuming. On the other hand, if I was going to speak at seminars around the country about being a tech savvy lawyer and evolving with the times, I simply had to find a way to get involved without sacrificing my principles by simply hiring someone to do it for me.

After some quick trial and error, I found the two tools that have allowed me to successfully jump into social media and hit the ground running. The first tool is Bundle Post. Bundle Post is the creation of a very successful social media consultant by the name of Robert Caruso (@fondalo). With Bundlpost, I can package all of the content I want to publish without adding much time at all to my workday. I am already a voracious reader and Bundlepost provides a means to quickly and efficiently publish the content I am already reading each day to followers, friends and blog visitors.

This is how it works. Bundle Post allows the user to create multiple feeds from different content sources that automatically update periodically. It also allows the user to create unique content that can be saved and stored within the program. I have feeds coming in from all of my favorite online sources – the things I read everyday. Bundle Post allows me to quickly scan those feeds for items that interest me, or that I have already read, and easily review them for publication. It also automatically hashtags whatever items I choose with a click of the mouse. Bundle Post is user-friendly so I was able to set up Bundlepost in short order. In about thirty minutes each morning, I can prepare all of the content I want to publish for the entire day.

Now, a word about scheduling. There is a world of difference between scheduling content personally selected and/or written by you and having a robot blast RSS feeds and spam twenty-four hours a day. The later is not what Bundle Post allows me to do and not what it was designed to do. If you are looking for full social media automation, something I would discourage you from doing if you are interested in true engagement, then look somewhere else. All of the content I publish is read, selected and/or drafted by me. Being a lawyer, I am highly opinionated and there is simply no way that I am going to allow random content that may or may not reflect my beliefs to be blasted into cyberspace. At the same time, I cannot manually post everything I want to share at random times throughout the day. Bundle Post allows me to package everything, articles, original content, links, etc., in a neat CSV file that can simply be loaded into Hootsuite and scheduled. Of course that does not prevent me from also engaging spontaneously, something I will do frequently throughout the day depending on my schedule. For more infomation on Bundle Post, visit Robert’s website Bundlepost.com, check out his YouTube video here, or this great infographic.

So Bundle Post allowed me to eliminate the time consuming task of manually retrieving and posting the content I want to publish, but I also needed the ability to actively engage with friends and followers. After all, social media is not about chopping down traditional news to 140 characters and just blasting it out to the world. Social media is about being social. It is about engagement and spontaneity and you cannot schedule or package engagement. Enter HootSuite.

HootSuite is a social media dashboard that allows the user to monitor and manage multiple social media profiles. The CSV file of content from Bundle Post is easily loaded into HootSuite and published according to whatever custom parameters the user sets. With HootSuite, I can also easily monitor reactions and responses to the content I publish and respond throughout the day. I have a firm belief that if a person takes the time to engage with me personally, that it is my obligation to do the same. Rest assured that if a response of mine is posted on Twitter or Facebook, I am the one writing it. This is something I simply refused to sacrifice throughout this process.

What HootSuite allows me to do is view all of my profiles and engagement in one place, making the time investment required to monitor and engage a fraction of what it would be using separate social media interfaces. Please check out HootSuite.com as well for more information. In the end, I am a trial lawyer and certainly not a tech writer so I recommend reading what the experts have to say to get a better picture of how these tools can work for you.

So at the end of the day, what am I left with? No net increase in time dedicated to creating content. I was already a writer, just not a blogger. No net increase in time dedicated to selecting content. I was already reading the content I now publish on a daily basis before my foray into social media. If there is one thing law school does teach you, it’s speed reading. A minimal thirty minute time investment dedicated to packaging and scheduling my content with Bundlepost and Hootsuite. Finally, a thirty to sixty minute time investment spread throughout the day engaging, commenting and responding. Total time investment – sixty to ninety minutes a day. Result – over four thousand Twitter followers, numerous regular visitors to lawyerology.com and smctriallawyers.com, a respectable 58 Klout score on klout.com, the number one +K influencer on Klout.com in numerous topics including Law and even leads on a couple of potential cases. Gotta get that ROI (return on investment). Most importantly, I have gotten what I think social media is all about, engagement with great friends and followers all over the world that share the same interests, professions, likes, dislikes and, at times, the same opinions as me. That ROI is priceless.