Jeff Elder

I've been a columnist at The Observer since 2002, and today is my last day as I move on to pursue social media entrepreneurship. I've had many great experiences, from making friends with a hit man to meeting a president and Nobel Prize winner.

Social media are best when they pull people together for face-to-face events. Charlotte has a good one - and a free one - coming up this weekend: BarCamp Charlotte 2.

Time was, the only thing tweeting during football season was the ref's whistle.

More than half of employers say they completely prohibit social media use by workers, according to a new survey of about 1,400 large U.S. companies.

More than half of surveyed companies say they ban social media use at work. But is it really that simple?

There are five free seminars (wait, I like that word, so I'm gonna repeat it), free seminars coming up in Charlotte showing small businesses how to best use social media. Thank the folks at Kirtsy, the do-gooder online platform; and Microsoft Office Live.

Quarterback controversies used to be played out on sports-talk radio and at the water cooler. But Panthers fans have been bashing Jake Delhomme all over Facebook and other social media.

Wouldn't you like your company to have self-identified fans who post their photos and rave about you on the world's most popular Web site?

Buzz and money don't necessarily go together, especially during a recession, and especially when it comes to social media.

Social media is this era's rock 'n' roll. It's very cool, and it's filled with irritating noise. Some people are doing it like crazy, and other people think they're crazy.