In the search engine marketing industry, when it comes to social networking and social media marketing, there are a few things that really fire folks up. The first is being banned for being branded an "SEO".

The second source of lighter fluid is a social site that promises something like privacy and ethical practices when it launches. When it becomes a mainstream darling, it bites you in the butt with an "Oh, and by the way. We have all your personal information and we gave it to all our third party buddies."

It boils a search marketer's blood but hey, they have 346 friends in Facebook now, are addicted to changing their "status" every few hours and for them, "The Wall" is absolutely NOT a Pink Floyd song.

Which leads me to the next, and not final, reason for the recent grumblings about social media sites. And that's employers. They hate email, the Internet and now, social media. Since talking to friends and sending them pictures of Kamikazi drinks is far more fun than working, companies around the world are blocking sites like Facebook from being accessed by their employees.

Fortunately, most marketers have convinced themselves, their clients and if in-house SEO's, their employer, they can't live without social networking sites. Since they "need" them to perform their jobs properly, this last hurdle isn't such a scandal. However, it does make one wonder.

Are we addicted to Facebook?

A little fun for Friday (but don't tell your boss) discussion at Cre8asiteforums: Facebook - Is It Really As Addictive As The Media Makes Out?

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