The DoD and Social Networking

SOCIAL NETWORKING/DOD: "Pentagon Uses Facebook, Twitter to Spread Message," by Sagar Meghani, Associated Press, 1 May 2009

But for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley and other Army brass, a new era has brought a new language - and new tools like online social networks Twitter and Facebook - for seeking out young recruits and spreading the military's message.

I found this article encouraging because it highlights the fact that at least some DoD entities are beginning to exploit the powerful nature of social networking tools. I'm okay with the fact that it's the recruiters that have initially jumped on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. It's only natural because these tools are second nature for the candidates the recruiters are targeting -- the 18-24 year-old crowd who know nothing else. But, I would like to see social networking incorporated into the operational aspects of the DoD. In other words, the daiily interaction of DoD employees.

From an operational standpoint, I think we are falling behind the power curve in the implementation of these tools. There are many recent examples of social networking tools playing a significant role in global events -- the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008 and the recent election protests in Moldova are two of the more high profile examples.

The sad fact of this story is that these tools are blocked on most DoD networks. There are many reasons for this, but I would lump them all under a lack of understanding of the tools and a fear of losing control. Many decisionmakers see these tools as time-wasters, or purely social in nature. Failing to recognize that there is much more to them than just organizing happy hours. While the social aspect is definitely one of the key aspects of social networking tools -- hence, the name "social" networking -- it's very difficult to separate the social nature of work and the social nature of play in today's workforce. The line between work and play has significantly blurred because we are constantly connected to the network, and arguably both working and playing.

Security also factors in to the equation. The DoD network is under constant attack from foreign governments trying to steal American secrets. And there is no doubt that this is a serious threat. But, if we have deemed network connectivity to be a mission essential task, than we must educate the force about the threat and ultimately assume some risk.

Again, it's encouraging to see entities of the DoD utilizing social networking tools, but as an organization, the DoD is moving too slowly to adopt this technology, while those that would do us harm continue to improvise and adapt methodologies around these tools.

Also see:
Cyber Attacks on Government Networks and Web 2.0
Thinking About Gov 2.0