Social media vs. associations

Ben cites a blog post by Shel Holtz on the threat to professional associations posed by the rise of social media:

The point is that, given the social network that allows individuals to self-organize for networking and professional development, these benefits of association membership—at a cost of several hundred dollars per year—may lose their appeal.

Be sure to read the whole thing -- I don't want to take Holtz out of context; he does point out that associations can and do provide genuine value above and beyond what social media (currently) can offer. In analyzing the potential "threat" of social media (and please, please don't make me do another SWOT), social media as currently envisioned holds promise for professional networking and development, to a degree.

One thing I haven't seen covered when associations and social media are mentioned -- isn't this a great way to get in antitrust trouble? If we give members free reign to discuss anything at all, are we going to need constant monitoring by legal counsel?

UPDATE: Nick Senzee has some good thoughts on this topic. (I added a comment to his post -- I want to make it clear that what I'm most concerned about is members getting themselves in antitrust hot water, not so much about the association's own liability.)

Tagged: Associations, Social Media.