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Getting social: ATO Commissioner Chris Jordan has given his staff access to Facebook and Twitter. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

Australia's tens of thousands of tax officials have been unleashed onto the internet's social networks.

ATO workers are now able to use social networking sites, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on their work computers for the first time, beginning Monday.

But the newfound freedom of the web for the ATO's 23,000 public servants has come with a warning from Commissioner of Taxation Chris Jordan, that it is to be used sensibly.

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Mr Jordan announced on Monday morning that staff at all sites around the nation would have access to the sites on their desktop computers, a workplace freedom that had previously been considered too dangerous for the ATO.

The move, part of the Commissioner's drive to modernise the Taxation Office, would allow officials to communicate with taxpayers "through their channels of choice".

"Increasingly, people are using these channels to communicate socially as well as professionally - to connect with people, share ideas and best practice, and build their networks," Mr Jordan wrote in his all-staff bulletin.

"If we are to deliver a contemporary client experience, it's important that we interact with our clients through channels of their choice."

Do you know more? Send your confidential tips to ps@canberratimes.com.au

Read more here:
The ATO's social (media) revolution begins

Washington: Women are more likely to use cellphones for texting or emails to build relationships and have deeper conversations, while men prefer using their devices for entertainment purposes and accessing social networking sites, a new US study has found.

Women college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their cellphones and men college students spend nearly eight, with excessive use posing potential risks for academic performance, researchers from Baylor University said.

"As cellphone functions increase, addictions to this seemingly indispensable piece of technology become an increasingly realistic possibility," said researcher James Roberts, The Ben H Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business.

The study noted that approximately 60 per cent of college students admit they may be addicted to their cellphone, and some indicated they get agitated when it is not in sight.

The study - based on an online survey of 164 college students - examined 24 cellphone activities and found that time spent on 11 of those activities differed significantly across the sexes.

Some functions - among them Pinterest and Instagram - are associated significantly with cellphone addiction. But others that might logically seem to be addictive - Internet use and gaming - were not.

Of the top activities, respondents overall reported spending the most time texting (an average of 94.6 minutes a day), followed by sending emails (48.5 minutes), checking Facebook (38.6 minutes), surfing the Internet (34.4 minutes) and listening to their iPods (26.9 minutes).

Men send about the same number of emails as women but spend less time on each.

"That may suggest that they're sending shorter, more utilitarian messages than their female counterparts," Roberts said.

Women may be more inclined to use cellphones for social reasons such as texting or emails to build relationships and have deeper conversations, the study suggested.

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Women more addicted to their cellphones than men

An interim report of the Justice (retd) Dharmadhikari Committee, set up to curb crimes against women, has asked Maharashtra government to control social networking sites as they can be used to harass women. It also wants the state to rehabilitate unwed young mothers from tribal communities.

The suggestions are contained in the fourth and the fifth interim reports of the committee, submitted to HC by government today.The state government also informed the court that the tenure of the Dharmadhikari Committee, which had submitted three interim reports in the past, had been extended till November 30.

Five days ago, a division bench had issued a contempt notice against principal home secretary for government's inaction in implementing the committee's recommendations.The interim report submitted on Monday said social networking sites such as Facebook had become a harassment for women and the government should take steps to stop violent tendencies against women displayed on such sites.

The report also pointed out that there were a number of incidents of unwed minor tribal girls becoming mothers, and suggested that the state look after their rehabilitation.

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Rehabilitate unwed tribal girls, control social networking sites, panel tells Maharashtra government

As the school year begins, local districts are updating their policies on social media communication.

These policies are modeled after a state statute signed into law by Governor Christie in April requiring school districts to develop rules concerning electronic communications between school employees and students.

According to the NJ Department of Education, the purpose of the law is to help prevent improper communication between school employees and students made through emails, texting, social networking websites, and other Internet social media avenues.

At its Aug. 12 meeting, the Pompton Lakes Board of Education introduced the new social media policy.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Amoroso said the policy allows staff to communicate with students by email only through the districts email account.

"They cant email or receive email from students on their personal email address," he said.

To contact a student with a cell phone, the teacher must receive permission from the principal.

"Its got to be for a specific activity and that goes for phone calls or texting," he said.

Also, there can be no communication between students and staff from the staffs personal social media accounts.

Amoroso said the policy does permit teachers to set up classroom accounts and that parents will be able to join the accounts.

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Districts targeting inappropriate teacher-student communication

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Leafit Review It App Demo - The Next Big Thing in Social Networking - Video