Recent issues of Lawyers Alert, including this one, have featured articles by Jay Jaffe highlighting the requirements and benefits of PR for lawyers in the Web 2.0 – or high-tech – world. Whether you like it or not, high-tech is here to stay. Though it certainly has its flaws (those 50 spam e-mails you receive every day, for example), there's no denying the business advantages it can provide.
And if there was any doubt about the depth of technological penetration, it was erased recently by the "revelation" that newly-inaugurated President Barack Obama intended to hold on to his trusty BlackBerry during his term in office. This makes him the first President to use e-mail on a regular basis, let alone have his own personal digital assistant (PDA). It required a significant shift in White House security policy, and signalled a general relaxation of "technophobia" in all levels of U.S. and Canadian governments. Many politicians now maintain Facebook pages, post campaign videos to YouTube, and "Twitter" regularly as a way of staying in touch with their constituents. And PDA's are everywhere – the BlackBerry alone has about 21 million subscribers, using it primarily for business purposes. Some critics are concerned with privacy and security issues with this trend. Certainly, careless use of this technology can be dangerous. But there is no denying the communication benefits. Â
So, if you're not already on the technological bandwagon, consider at least taking a look to see what "baby steps" you might take to start catching up. Complete technological immersion is not necessarily the answer. But a little effort can provide great rewards. Given the current economic climate, you can't really afford to miss out on any competitive edge.
See Jay's article "Web 2.0 and the Recession: Little Guys Can Finish First" for more information and tips.