Computer pioneer Alan Kay says computers in schools are largely a waste of time. What he says applies to the way many businesses and nonprofits try to use social networks.

Computers have been in schools for the last 30 years, but with few exceptions, they haven’t been used to their full potential.

Kay says the education system has squandered 30 years of technology in classrooms. He likens the modern factory educatory system to a monkey with a microscope. The monkey looks at its reflection in the microscope’s barrel but doesn’t look through the eyepiece — it utterly misses the point.

Computers have become tools of distraction, Kay said, instead of education. He singles out Guitar Hero as the best example of this — players get the fantasy of virtuoso guitar playing without learning a single note.

Now re-read the passage above, but replace the word “computers” with “social media,” and the word “schools” with “organizations.” If your organization has a Facebook page or a Twitter account or a blog, but no schedule for posting content, and no guidelines for what kind of content you’re posting, you’re like a monkey with a microscope. So take at least an hour, sit down with other people in the office, and answer a few key questions:

Who are you trying to communicate with online?
Where online are those people hanging out?
What information do they want to get from you?
How, and how often, do they want you to communicate with them?

Once you’ve answered those four questions, you’re on your way to using social media effectively.