<p>I've never been shy regarding my position on enterprise social networking tools: I don't like them. And my readers have not been shy about beating me up about it. I consider most of these tools to be time-wasters, not collaboration enhancers. I say that with all sincerity because I've seen the ugly side of tools like Yammer where folks post all sorts of foolish junk rather than using these tools for business. In many industries, the addition of Facebook-like enterprise social networking tools adds to the lack of productivity.</p><p>I know, I know -- how dare I want employees to go to work and be productive?! The reader comments for this story will no doubt crush me for that last statement. Of course everyone reading this post enjoys going to work and being productive, so my skepticism over enterprise social doesn't apply to you, just everyone else.</p><p>[ InfoWorld's Galen Gruman says that business social tech fails precisely because it tries to be social. | Stay atop key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. ]</p><p>I recognize that many people disagree with me. For example, Microsoft recently released a report entitled "Bring your own service: Employees want social tools at work, despite company restrictions and hesitation" that shows half of all employees say "social tools at work help increase their productivity." The survey was done for Microsoft by a third-party research firm Ipsos, which polled nearly 10,000 information workers in 32 different countries. The highlights: 46 percent say, "My productivity has greatly or somewhat increased because of my use of social tools."34 percent say, "My management underestimates the benefits of social tools in the workplace."37 percent say, "I could do my job better if my organization's management was more supportive of the use of social tools."</p><p><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/message-old-guard-accept-social-business-219464">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.cmswire.com/cms/social-business/microsoft-report-enterprise-social-tools-now-a-worldwide-movement-021076.php">Microsoft Report: Enterprise Social Tools Now a Worldwide Movement</a> (CMSWire)</p><p><a href="http://www.fierceenterprisecommunications.com/story/close-half-employees-believe-social-tools-increase-productivity-survey-find/2013-05-28">Close to half of employees believe social tools increase productivity, survey ...</a> (FierceEnterpriseCommunications)</p><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2013/05/28/microsoft-study-employees-more-productive-with-social-tools-yet-companies-still-block-them-infographic/">Microsoft Study: Employees More Productive With Social Tools Yet Companies ...</a> (Forbes)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dOxZks6B23AYjVMgWjTQaeIQp-3vM&ned=us">21 additional articles.</a></p>