… to be continued
Posted by Jack Holt in Web 2.0 Guidance Forum Process on September 4th, 2009
Thank you all for the comments; they have been very helpful in guiding our way ahead. When we began this effort we expected this blog to last until the end of August but since we are still receiving valuable comments we are going to keep this open for a while longer.
It’s all about the learning …
Value of Web 2.0 Capabilities to DoD Operations
Posted by noel.dickover in Military use, Web 2.0 on August 13th, 2009
In examining how the Department of Defense should take maximal advantage of Web 2.0 capabilities (including social networking services, social media, wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, etc.), we are looking at how Web 2.0 capabilities can be used to improve current and future Department operations. Operations in this sense include both broad business and warfighting processes. Specifically, we are looking for insight from various Defense interest groups and think tanks, including Veterans groups, industry groups and individuals who have insights they can share regarding how Web 2.0 capabilities can be used to transform how the Defense Department operates.
Q. Are there specific research, studies or other resources you can point to that address ways that Web 2.0 capabilities can lead to transformational affects in operations?
Q. What recommendations would you have in applying Web 2.0 capabilities towards organizational learning and culture change? We would be interested in strategies, best practices and change management approaches.
Use of Web 2.0 Capabilities by Military Families in Summary
Posted by Jack Holt in Military use, Web 2.0 on August 12th, 2009
What a great tool this blog is and what great responses we have from you. Thank you very much. We have always understood morale issues are critical but what we didn’t understand was the extent to which these tools have been able to help address morale issues. We now understand that the significant pressures brought on by multiple deployments of 12-18 months are significantly mitigated by social networking systems. Very good to know, also, are the various ways these systems are being used not only among families but also among Family Readiness Groups and associations. We also now see the extent of the confusion concerning the disparity of ability to access such sites which is perceived to be arbitrary decisions.
However, I think our biggest take-away is the blinding flash-of-the-obvious need for training as a primary risk mitigation technique for which many of you are asking.
We hear you, so please keep the comments coming while we also post on other issues.
Use of Web 2.0 Capabilities by Military Families
Posted by noel.dickover in Military use, Web 2.0 on August 6th, 2009
Having to be deployed for months even years is very difficult for our troops and their families. Often times the only relief is the sound of a loved one’s voice, or the smile on their face, or the funniest moments captured on video. Web 2.0 capabilities/social media has enabled relationships to flourish in a new and exciting way. Many of our troops have come to rely on the emotional support provided through the use of these tools. The birth of a child is shared with a father in Iraq through YouTube; family and friends keep in touch with an 18yr old new recruit fresh out of high school through Face book; and the Wounded Warrior Diaries provides an opportunity for American service members wounded in combat to share stories of their experiences, including their hard-won battles on the road to recovery. Web 2.0 tools appear to be an amazing aid which provides relief, assists in healing, maintains connections in relationships, and promotes a sense of community even in the midst of the desert.
We want to examine the importance and relevance of Web 2.0 capabilities to Military families and get your view of its impact. We have three questions we would like to pose for discussion:
Q. How valuable and what are the benefits of Web 2.0/social media tools to military families with love ones who are deployed? Is this a critical necessity, or merely a useful addition to your options?
Q. What impact would there be to families, with loves ones who are deployed, if Web 2.0/social media tools were NOT available to military members serving over seas?
Q. When communicating with your love ones who are deployed, which social medium do you use most frequently?
~ Tamie Lyles-Santiago (posted by Noel Dickover)
The Responsible Way Ahead
We’ve seen some discussion in this forum concerning the press reports of banning social networking (towards the end of the transcript) and Web 2.0 sites from DoD systems and I want to reiterate a couple of points.
There are ongoing efforts across DoD to use social networking sites and Web 2.0 capabilities in an effort to inform interested communities of people about operations of the Department of Defense and the Uniformed Services. These have become integral tools in some day to day operations and have become commonplace to many people changing the way they communicate not only with friends and families, but with organizations and businesses. These tools have also facilitated a change in the way people inform themselves and gather news.
As with any new technology, there are vulnerabilities that arise as they are adopted and threats that emerge as they are adapted to operations. We have a responsibility to find the balance between the value and the vulnerabilities and to train for the threats we perceive. This blog is part of a larger effort to inform the policies and processes to ensure the responsible and effective use of emerging Internet-based capabilities.
Please share with us here your thoughts, experiences, research, and links as we work to find a responsible way to keep people informed and safe.
Understanding Web 2.0: Impacts and Future Direction
Posted by noel.dickover in Web 2.0 on August 2nd, 2009
Web 2.0 technologies have democratized publishing and led to significant changes in the way people communicate. Looking at the internet as a platform, with user-generated content in wikis, blogs, social networking and social media sites, we are in a period of significant innovation and change. In developing guidance for the use of Web 2.0 technologies both internally to DoD operations and externally in communicating and interacting with the public, we are investigating the current state and trend in Web 2.0 technologies.
In line with this, we have a number of areas to investigate and we would like input via use of the comments function on the following topics:
Social Networking Services Portability: Looking at social networking services, there seem to be a number of efforts under way to make an individual’s social network portable. We are looking for thoughts on where social networking services portability is today, and where you expect this idea to be in the next three to five years.
Impact on Web 2.0 Technologies to Critical Business Processes: Web 2.0 technologies have led to direct impacts on how businesses have organized. What business processes do you think have been most directly affected, and more importantly, what type of environment must exist for these technologies to make the most impact? The environment in this case refers both to cultural concerns and the key technology issues that need to be addressed.
Succinct Web 2.0 Definition: There have been a number of different definitions proposed for Web 2.0 technologies. Part of the challenge involves communicating this Web 2.0 concept to those who have not used Web 2.0 technologies, and are not involved in the technology field. If you were to pair down Web 2.0 to its essence, what would be your very succinct definition (no longer than one sentence)?
Best Web 2.0 Reference: There has been a lot written about Web 2.0 technologies and their impact on society. Some discuss Web 2.0 technologies in terms of generational issues, some refer to the technology shift in the way applications are built. If you were going to pick one reference (video, article, book, etc) that best discusses this shift in a way that a non-technical laymen could understand, which would you recommend?
Welcome to the DoD Web 2.0 Guidance Forum
Posted by noel.dickover in Web 2.0 Guidance Forum Process on July 31st, 2009
The Department of Defense (DoD) Web 2.0 Guidance Forum is a new initiative to solicit input from the public that has been undertaken in the spirit of President Obama’s Open Government Directive. President Obama issued a memorandum on 21 January 2009 entitled, “Transparency and Open Government,” which emphasized the need to ensure public trust and to establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. We are using this blog as an approach to engage the public in Department of Defense (DoD) considerations of web 2.0 capabilities, and are excited to participate in this new facet to the President’s openness and transparency efforts.
The Web 2.0 Guidance Forum will allow the public to comment and make suggestions to key DoD decision makers regarding useage of Web 2.0 capabilities. Involving the public and allowing for suggestions serves two purposes. First, it will act as a “gut” check to ensure public buy-in on possible decisions as they are being discussed. Second, it will provide an opportunity for the public to aid in sensemaking around Web 2.0 definitions and use, and to contribute creative solutions and ideas that may inform our overall approach towards Web 2.0.
The Web 2.0 Guidance Forum is open to the general public for comments. That said, the public stakeholder groups we are most interested in hearing from include the following:
- Families of military serving overseas
- DoD interest groups, including veterans groups, think tanks, academia and others
- The Web 2.0 technology community
- Government-Industry groups focused on how government and industry collaborate, and most importantly
- Soldiers and sailors and civilians currently using Web 2.0 tools
Logistics: The associated topics for discussion will be introduced by a DoD Web 2.0 Forum team member, one at a time. After the third day, there will be a summary entry before moving onto the next topic. Commenting by the public on each topic will be available for the entire duration of the Web 2.0 Forum input process. At the conclusion, the Web 2.0 team will draft a final entry summarizing the conversations and comments and will then notify the Web 2.0 Development Team of the results.
The set of topics we intend to cover, as well as the proposed schedule of events are listed below (there may be minor shifts in the order the questions are asked).
- Friday, Jul 31: (Entry 1) Initial Blog Entry by Tamie Lyles-Santiago, introducing DoD Web 2.0 Forum
- Sunday Aug 2: (Entry 2) Scope of Web 2.0, and near-future direction and impacts
- Thusday, Aug 6: (Entry 3) Summary Entry
- Thursday Aug 6: (Entry 4) Use of Web 2.0 by military families and friends to connect with loved ones overseas
- Monday, Aug 10: (Entry 5) Summary Entry
- Monday Aug 10: (Entry 6) Value that Web 2.0 capabilities can provide to current and future DoD operations
- Wednesday, Aug 12: (Entry 7) Summary Entry
- Thursday, Aug 13: (Entry 8 ) How broadly should SNS and other commercial Web 2.0 services be used by DoD service members and employees and for what purpose?
- Monday, Aug 17: (Entry 9) Summary Entry
- Monday, Aug17: (Entry 10) Use of Web 2.0 for government-industry connectivity to improve innovation and situational awareness of DoD capability needs and industry options
- Thursday, Aug 20: (Entry 11) Summary Entry
We plan on keeping the Web forum available and open for comments through the end of August. At that time, the comment feature for the existing entries will be turned off. We expect additional posts to provide updates on the status of our progress will be added periodic intervals. And most importantly, we are interested in your thoughts.
~Tamie Lyles-Santiago, Office of the DoD CIO (Posted for Ms. Santiago by Noel Dickover)
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