364 Copyright © 2014, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 15 Social Media for Knowledge Workers ABSTRACT This chapter explores social media for knowledge workers. Social media enables people to connect with others beyond their physical social circle. Constraints of space and time, as well as class boundaries, can easily be overcome by the use of social media. Socializing through social media is not merely the virtual version of physical socialization. It allows for diferent kinds of social interactions. The preserva- tion of expression allows asynchronous communication and learning what others have written, which in turn shows one their interests and identities. The mostly simple and short messages cannot, however, accommodate the sophisticated information, which knowledge workers usually create and exchange at work. Social media is designed to be simple to use so that anyone with access to the Internet can use it. Many users become addicted to social media such that they cannot resist wasting their productive time. However, despite its limitations and potential for distraction, social media can be beneicial for knowledge workers. It may not be a good source of Know-What and Know-Why, but it can provide us with abundant and rich information of Know-Who. The uniqueness and specialty of Know-Who gained from social media is that it contains personal information, which in physical company only close friends possess. It allows us to develop social bonds with people who are diicult to reach through conventional media. It also enables us to develop our identity and makes us more easily discoverable by potential partners or employers. INTRODUCTION The Internet has developed to be the second fa- miliar world to its users. People use the Internet for daily routines: reading newspapers, searching for information, shopping, buying tickets for the movies or a concert, collaborating on a project, and even socializing. New possibilities of uses are continuously explored by ICT industries. The Internet has developed to be very user friendly which makes us forget that in the past using the Internet “was like belonging to a cult, with its own Ikbal Maulana Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-5174-6.ch015