FBI plans large hiring blitz of agents, experts

Mon Jan 5, 2009 5:15pm EST

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wanted by the FBI: agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts.

The FBI said on Monday it had launched one of the largest hiring blitzes in its 100-year history involving 2,100 professional staff vacancies and 850 special agents aimed at filling its most critical vacancies.

The agency, which seeks to protect the United States from terrorist attack, fight crime and catch spies, among other duties, said it currently has more than 12,800 agents and about 18,400 other employees.

Since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the FBI has been criticized for not having enough employees fluent in foreign languages and for not moving fast enough to upgrade its computer system.

FBI Assistant Director John Raucci of the Human Resources division said the federal law enforcement agency is seeking to bring more people on board with skills in critical areas, especially language fluency and computer science.

“We’re also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies, and others who wish us harm,” Raucci said.

He said the FBI, which has been investigating corporate wrongdoing in connection with the current financial crisis, also needs finance and accounting experts, along with those skilled in physical surveillance and various other employees.

The hiring initiative for FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and for its field offices would replace departed staff and add some employees, officials said. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Jackie Frank)

Story Here

Start Here to Apply at the FBI

    Another new technology that is being used in this current war is Ushahidi Mapping Software.  All this does is map what is going on in a conflict, based on various reports from the field from anyone with a SMS enabled phone or computer or using news aggregates.  The problem I have with this system is verification.  Hamas or the IDF could easily tap into this and contribute false reports, to paint a picture of what they want the public to see.  If there was an accurate way to verify, like only accepting reports that have multiple photo or video showing the same thing from different angles, along with a time/date/description stamp system, then maybe this might be somewhat useful.  Until then, I only see this being used more as a propaganda tool.  As you can see below, Al Jazeera is playing around with it, and it is kind of cool to flip through the various info and reports. But who are these folks making the reports, and how do I know they are telling the truth?  The truth after all is the first casualty of a war. 

   Now what I see as a good use for this tool, is for disaster relief.  Mobile phones and text messaging are often the only survivors amongst the rubble of disasters, and you always see these being used to a great extent during and after a disaster.  Sometimes only text messages can make it through, and something like this might be a great way for aid agencies to tap into the needs and emergencies of the victims.  

   Although, the key component of this technology is a population that have mobile phones, and having plenty of working towers to reach these folks.  I do think a mobile cell tower system is a vital component of today’s disaster relief, and should be one of the top priorities of a disaster.  Then once that tower is up, to implement a SMS plan, of reaching out to everyone via their phones, and giving them the preferred method of reporting–using text messages.  

    Could this work in places like Iraq and Afghanistan?  Maybe.  It all depends upon the usage of cellphones in an area, and wether the Ushahidi could be used by an enemy to hinder the effort.  In basic disasters, I wouldn’t be too worried, but in war zones, I am somewhat skeptical.  Although in disasters, countries like Myanmar used aid manipulation in their efforts to control the people or hurt enemies during their disaster.

   Politics is another area where this could be used, just to track potential voters and identify weak areas of a campaign.  It could also be abused, unless verification can be initiated and everyone trusts that process. 

   I definitely like the crowd sourcing aspect of this, and we can learn a lot from this kind of thing.  But to me, the crucial part is the verification process.  I am sure the guys at Ushahidi are working on it and we will see how it goes.  -Matt 

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Al Jazeera Labs is Testing Ushahidi

By Erik Hersman

January 2, 2009

It made sense that Al Jazeera’s new media team got in touch with us via Twitter - email and Skype came later. A week ago they asked us for the alpha code to see what they could do with it around the recent activity in Gaza. This was the first time a non-Ushahidi team had deployed the alpha-level software. You can see it at http://labs.aljazeera.net/warongaza.

Instructions from Riyaad on the Al Jazeera team:

“If you’re anywhere in the world and an event is taking place to do with #gaza #israel send a text to: +45609910303 - Start it with GAZA.” You can also, SMS 37191 / +45609910303 - Twitter: @ajgaza

Al Jazeera testing out the Ushahidi Engine in Gaza

Al Jazeera is estimated to be the second largest international news/media house, reaching 100 million households. That kind of organization testing Ushahidi gives us a lot of insight into what we need to do in the future for enterprise-level deployments. This is our first Arabic language deployment, which the Al Jazeera new media team has been working on in the last week - more to come on that soon.

Benjamin Doherty has also played a role in helping get the site up. He also brought up an interesting point that he’s helping us figure out how to work into the system. How do you deal with synonymous names of locations? That’s an especially good question to ask in Gaza, as there are multiple names for the same place used by different groups.

Lastly, this is also the first time that Google Maps was not chosen as the default map, but Microsoft Virtual Earth Maps were instead. We can already see some areas there where we need to fine tune the clustering at the higher elevation levels (as you drill down closer you see that the reports are in the right spot on the map).

So, a big thanks to Riyaad at Al Jazeera New Media Labs for giving it a try. We’ve already learned a great deal from just one week on this, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they do in the future.

StoryHere

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AlJazeera Ushahidi 

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About Ushahidi

By admin

January 21, 2008

Ushahidi, which means ”testimony” in Swahili, is a website that was developed to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election fallout at the beginning of 2008. We’re working to build a new platform that can be used anywhere in the world, and this blog tells some of that story.

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     President-Elect Obama has just announced that he has picked Democrat Leon Panetta for Director of the CIA. Leon served as White House Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, and before that was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1976 to 1993. He has no experience in the intelligence field, but did take part in the 2006 Iraq Study Group. -Matt

Wikipedia for Leon Panetta here.

 This really grabbed my attention, because it touched upon a technological reality of today’s work force, to include even our workforce.  This is an idea that seeks to work with the mindset of today’s younger generation, and certainly enhances a learning organization capabilities.  Did you hear that?  Yes, learning organizations is the theme for any company and it’s culture or even today’s military and it’s culture if they want to be successful.  And constant feedback is essential for the health of that learning organization.  It is not good enough to do a yearly review, or a monthly review.  Today’s youth, and I would argue even our older work force (once familiar) would want more feedback about how they are doing, if there was a technology available to them to make that an easy process.  Emails and forums are ok, but they are not specifically designed for feedback generation, so what next?

   Enter Rypple.  This is still in the Beta, and only a handful of companies are using this, but it is some radical stuff.  It is a evolving program, that is free to sign up with, that has created a tool for the free flow of feedback, back and forth between bosses, mentors, and employees.  I challenge today’s security contracting community to take a hard look at this kind of thing, and see if this is something they could use.  Your older workers might be intimidated by this, but your younger workers might really appreciate this tool.

   Imagine, you feel really bad about your performance at the range or on a mission, and you want to get some feedback about how you did or what you could have done differently from some of your cherished mentors or instructors or team leaders.  But scheduling time or circumstance just couldn’t allow that to happen.  Using a system like Rypple, where you ask the question of your network, and they answer back(or at least a few of them) so that you can get that feedback could be the answer.  I guess you could use an email or forum, or you could use something that is actually designed to facilitate this feedback network. And for bosses and employees that hate doing evaluations every year or every month, something like this would be cheap and easy to do as a form of evaluations.  Every company should be using evaluations, so that everyone knows where they stand in the company and how they are doing.  Rypple would be a very easy program to initiate. 

    Although, this was mostly designed for the office environment, I think there is a use for other areas of employee/management relations in other industries.  It is so new though, that no one has really played around with it.  I guess for me, the part of this that really gets me, is the concept of reverse feedback generation-the employee connecting with mentors and bosses to see how they are doing.  It is using your network to get a feel for how you are doing, so you can perform better or even learn something new.  That is cool.  Rypple allows you to work this network, not based on a yearly review or monthly sit down meeting, but at each other’s leisure.

    Managers out there should also pay attention to the age and mindset of their workforce, to see if this kind of thing might work.  It is just a tool, and still somewhat experimental, but still worth looking at and exploring.  I think Boyd or companies like Toyota would have liked something like this because it reinforces the concept that we are constantly learning and constantly trying to make a better product or provide a better service. -Matt 

Rypple Website 

The Company FAQ

How does Rypple work?

What is Rypple?

Rypple is simply the best way to get useful feedback. It’s quick, direct, and easy.

Successful people have friends, mentors, managers, and clients they view as trusted advisers. These people can give real, useful feedback. But, it’s hard to give helpful advice. Why??

    * It can be awkward

    * People are busy. Face-to-face reviews and emails take too long

    * Annual reviews are linked to your pay or promotion

Rypple fixes this by giving you control. You choose:

    * Your advisers

    * Questions relevant to you

    * When and how often you ask for feedback

    * And, most important: you choose what to do with the feedback

Why did you create Rypple?

Traditional performance management systems don’t help people get the quick, specific and frequent feedback they need. Rypple fixes this. Rypple feedback makes people more productive, self-aware, and less anxious.

Why is Rypple better than email or face-to-face feedback?

Email and face-to-face meetings are good. But they take too long or are not anonymous. Rypple lets you ask, and lets your advisers answer when it’s convenient. Rypple gives you and your advisers privacy: comments are not linked to the names of your advisers; and others (including your boss) don’t see what people are saying about you. Best of all, Rypple keeps all your feedback in one place so you know how you’re doing over time.

How do I use Rypple?

Use Rypple in three easy steps:

   1. Go to Get Feedback to ask your mentors, co-workers, managers, friends, or clients a single question. Rypple lets them know you’re looking for feedback or advice, and gives them a quick way to tell you what they really think (since their identity is kept secret). It only takes them a minute to respond and they don’t even need a Rypple account.

   2. Head to Review Results to see the responses as they come in. Only you see the responses.

   3. Help people by visiting Give Feedback to privately respond to questions that others ask you. Your identity is not linked to your feedback.

The best way to learn about Rypple is to use it. It’s fast, easy to use, and it’s free!

How long does it take to ask for feedback?

It usually takes about a minute to ask a question and select the people you want to ask. It’s quick because you can only ask one question.

Is it easy to give feedback? Can I do it quickly?

Yes and yes. It takes a couple of minutes to give clear, short, and direct feedback. Anything more, and you’re wasting your (and your adviser’s) time. It’s quick because you only respond to one question, and because there is limited space to respond (just 200 characters).

Can I ask people for feedback if they’re not on Rypple?

Absolutely. You can ask anyone for feedback if they have a valid email address. They do not have to be a Rypple user to give you feedback. However, people who are not registered Rypple users cannot give you unsolicited feedback. They can only respond to the questions you’ve asked them.

How do I get the most out of Rypple?

Who should I ask for feedback?

Ask people who can provide specific insight on you and your work. The best feedback comes from people you respect: mentors, co-workers, managers, friends, clients, or teammates. Don’t restrict yourself to people you work with. Lot’s of people you interact with will be happy to help you.

How often should I ask for feedback?

Ask often! The best approach is to regularly ask specific questions about things you’re working on or just completed. Because your questions will be direct and relevant, and the responses are limited, you’ll only take a moment of your adviser’s time. Do remember to be respectful and avoid flooding people with questions.

How will I be perceived if I ask for feedback?

When you ask for feedback, you let people know that you care about your performance and want to get even better. Your managers and those who work for you will love this! Some call it continuous improvement, others call it Kaizen. All would agree that you become stronger by continuously improving. And it’s hard to improve without knowing what to improve! Rypple helps you find out.

Is Rypple private and confidential?

Can other people see the feedback I get?

No. You, and only you, see the feedback that you get.

Can my adviser give me truly honest feedback?

Yes. The feedback you get is aggregated so you only see the comments and not who wrote them. This lowers the barriers to people telling you what you really need to know to improve.

Will you ever reveal the name of the advisers?

No. We will never reveal who sent you feedback on Rypple unless, in our judgement, the content of a message violates our Terms of Use and/or Privacy Policy.

How exactly do I know the person I am giving feedback to will not know it’s me?

We will never show your name to the person you send feedback to. We also let you know when you’re the only person (or one of two) being asked the question. This lets you choose to respond if you’re comfortable having your identity revealed (or less secret).

Anything else?

Is this the final version of Rypple?

No, not at all. We’re currently in a private beta. This means that stuff will change and that stuff will break (occasionally). We’re using this approach to learn how to build something that really suits your needs. Please, let us know if you have ideas.

I have more questions

And we’d love to hear them. Drop us a line. 

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The Rypple effect

Dec 30th 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO

From The Economist print edition

A novel way to satisfy feedback junkies

ONE defining characteristic of the Net Generation is that it thrives on feedback. Just as they are used to checking their progress on leader boards when playing video games, so Net Geners want to keep close tabs on their performance at work, too. This can be a problem for managers who may be badgered weekly—even daily—for appraisal by eager young members of staff.

The creators of a new, web-based service called Rypple claim that it can satisfy Net Geners’ desire for frequent assessments while easing the burden on their supervisors. The service requires employees to establish a network of trusted peers, mentors and managers whose opinions they value. They can then send out short questions, such as “What did you think of my presentation today?”, to which their network’s members can respond online. The responses are kept anonymous so that, at least in theory, employees cannot tell who has made them.

Among other things, Rypple lets users ask members of their networks to measure their performance against a scale, so they can track how they are doing over time. It also lets employers see what “tags”, or overarching themes, are being used most often in questions. If, say, creativity is key to a firm’s success but there are few requests for feedback on employees’ creativity, then bosses can tell they have not done enough to communicate their priorities.

Daniel Debow, one of Rypple’s co-founders, says the system “reverses the onus on the demand for more feedback” by getting employees to build and manage their own coaching networks. Perhaps, but by making it easier for users to solicit assessments, managers could end up spending even more time fielding requests. And to older workers, Rypple may look like a Big Brotherish way to track what is going on in the workplace.

But firms that have road-tested Rypple claim that such concerns evaporate once it is up and running. (The basic service is free, but a premium version costs $2-5 per user per month.) Tony Chapman, the boss of Capital C, a Canadian marketing agency, says both young and older workers at his company have embraced the system eagerly. He is even using it to solicit feedback from clients.

Rypple may not be perfect, but it is certainly better than antediluvian annual or semi-annual performance reviews. At a time when results are under pressure almost everywhere, anything that helps improve employees’ performance quickly can be a source of useful competitive advantage. Thanks to the rise of the Net Generation, services such as Rypple may well make a splash in the workplace.

Story Here

    Well, here we go.  Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of Techno War. This is the reality of today’s wars, and I think it is smart to take a serious look at what is being used.  Just like with politics, and how instrumental social networking was for Obama in his fundraising and campaign endeavors, the internet and social networking will be used for information war.

   Below I have posted all of the stories I could find about how Israel is using these technologies.  Wired’s Danger Room has done a great job in reporting on these technologies, and I will try to expand on that a little.  So let me touch on a few of the interesting ones for the sake of conversation.

   First and foremost, the one tactic that has helped Israel the most in this war, is informants.  And specifically, informants that hate Hamas, which would mean Fatah party members.  Or they get informants through money or leverage, but either way, informants are the ones that help the most in this war. Informants identify leaders and munitions, and report on any actions of the enemy–all extremely useful for the war.  Hamas knows this too, and they are extremely paranoid about informants.  They are so paranoid, that they use torture and murder to find out who the informants are, and this is a little reported fact of life in Gaza.  Fox News did a great story about how Hamas dealt with informants using torture and murder, and how that only helped to drive Palestinians away. (please see the Escape from Hamas story)

    So how do you reach these future informants and give them the tools necessary to communicate back? Well you use Israelis, who speak arabic(with a palestinian accent), and get them into Gaza to do their thing.  They also use technology.  You drop leaflets with email and phone contacts, you set up Facebook pages or Youtube accounts or Twitter accounts, all with the idea of empowering those that support you or at least want to talk with you. You also use these technologies to control the message and information being thrown around out there. 

   The SMS or Text messaging game is what is really interesting to me, because this technology is quick to use and can be very discreet for all involved.  Hamas is onto the game as well, but the Israelis have more of a chance of reaching out to Fatah supporters who would love to see Hamas destroyed.  So the Israelis send out agents, and they also send out text messages and use the phone networks to their advantage.  And because towers can be protected in Israel, and reach Gaza, then there is no chance for that to be blocked.  The only way to block it, is for Hamas to seek out phones and take them–then check who they have been talking with. 

   The other thing I am seeing is the use of the phone to warn the populations of impending attacks.  Israel will text message people and sound a Red Alert, as soon as a rocket is detected.  But it also works the other way, for when Israel attacks Hamas targets in Gaza. Can you imagine the psychological impact of such a thing?  Some dude calls you on the phone, tells you to leave because they will be bombing your building in two minutes, and then it happens.  Perhaps people knew there were bombs in their apartment complex or house, or maybe not, but still the enemy has shown mercy by warning them and personally contacting them.      Also, Israel has been using munitions that are smaller than the typical 500 pounders or 1000 pounders that they normally use, so the damage is smaller and more controlled.  I am sure there would be way more deaths if it wasn’t for the calls and smarter use of munitions.

   Finally, the other aspect of the techno war that I am seeing, is the embracing of these technologies to reach out and find support or to communicate calls to action.  Through all of these networks, people are getting informed, they are talking with one another, and they bring in other friends.  And like Obama did with his social networking sites, the Israelis are able to communicate and interact with their supporters.  That means fund raising, but most importantly, intelligence.  

   The bigger your network, the greater the chance that you will rope in those that know things of importance.  Much like all the Jihadist websites that spread information about how to build bombs or how to operate, the Israeli support networks will be doing the same for finding new uses of technology or for new tactics or better yet, new informants.  The Israeli networks will also give calls out to their supporters to help in combating the propaganda war.  Just look at Israel’s reaction to youtube pulling down videos?  The IDF wanted those videos up, so people know that there were actually bombs being stored in a Mosque, or that the destruction is very specific and not some careless slaughter.  Hamas depends on the propaganda war exclusively, and all of these technologies are ways for Israel to combat that. -Matt   

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Israeli Consulate on Twitter

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IDF Youtube Page

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IDF Facebook Support Page

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Israel on Second Life

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IDF Myspace 

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IDF on Wikipedia

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IDF official Webpage

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Facebook Group Supporting IDF Action Against Gaza Terrorism Gathers Over 1,000 Members

December 30, 2008

Israelis, Jews and Christians from around the world are joining a Facebook community forum to express their support for the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces in their fight to counter terrorism against innocent civilians in Israel from Gaza.

The Facebook group is located here 

Facebook is the largest Web 2.0 social networking Website on the Net, ranking as the fifth largest Website in the world with over 140 million active users.

The pro-Israel, pro-democracy and anti-terrorism site named: “I Support the Israel Defense Forces In Preventing Terror Attacks From Gaza” was created by Internet journalist, marketing, PR and SEO pioneer Joel Leyden.

The site states: “Responding to unprovoked terror rocket attacks from Hamas terrorists in Gaza against Israeli civilian populations, the Israel Defense Forces has launched a massive counter attack. This Facebook forum supports the brave men and women in the Israel Defense Forces who by air, water and ground protect Israel’s democracy and sovereign borders.

The Hamas government leaders and operatives, which activate terror from within civilian population centers, are the sole bearers of responsibility for Israel’s military response. This response is crucial for preserving Israel’s security interests.

The IDF Spokesperson states that anyone sponsoring terror, hosting terror in his house, housing terror in his basement and sending his wives and children to serve as human shields - is considered a terrorist.

The IDF will continue its activity against terror activities according to operational assessments held by the Chief of the General Staff. The IDF is ready to widen and deepen its activity against all terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, as long as it is necessary.

In addition, the Israel IDF Homefront Command and emergency authorities, have taken all necessary measures for preparing the civilian population.

The group is open 24/7 as public opinion directly affects life on the ground. Please forward this Facebook room to your family, friends and the media. Let them know that Israel wants peace but will defend herself when attacked.”

Story Here

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SEO Guru Taps Facebook To Support Israel

by Laurie Sullivan, 

Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 7:00

 AMMarketing and SEO Guru Joel Leyden is reaching out through search engine optimization and social media to help Jews and Christians express their support for the Israel Defense Force and Israeli civilians.The Facebook forum, “I Support the Israel Defense Forces In Preventing Terror Attacks From Gaza”–created about three hours after the first strikes were made in Gaza–explains Israel’s position to the world, Leyden said. “The stickiness makes it a medium that lets people feel, rather than remain passive,” he said. “You can put messages in MySpace or Facebook, but it goes nowhere until you drive the content through search engines like Google News. Now you’re reaching 60 million people instantly.”The combination of social media and SEO creates the “most powerful voice” to which most people are completely oblivious, Leyden said. Although efforts are still somewhat disorganized, Leyden said he has been approached by the U.S. State Department to educate government officials on how to reach wide audiences with SEO and social media, which he refers to as “Web 2.0.”Crossing international boundaries in a world where the Internet has become a tool to reach people globally also requires marketers to remain sensitive to other cultures and how people respond to campaigns.For marketers, the key benefit of social media marketing is connecting with as many people as possible, which is Leyden’s approach. Citing a survey from Marketing Executives Networking Group, research firm eMarketer said that 85.4% of survey participants noted customer engagement as the main benefit of social media marketing, followed by direct customer communications, at 65%; speedy feedback/ results, at 59.9%; and learning customer preferences, at 59.1%. Brand-building and reach fell much lower on the list, at 48.2% and 37.2% of respondents, respectively.Leyden, which owns the Israel News Agency, said his Facebook page pledges support for brave men and women in the Israel Defense Forces who by air, water and ground protect Israel’s democracy and sovereign borders. The site’s friend count quickly climbed from 3,232 members on Dec. 28 at 9 P.M. EST to nearly 17,000 members on midday on Dec. 30. A link to a video on Google’s YouTube also provides insight as to why the Israel Defense Forces confront Islamic terrorists in Gaza.It’s not “hasbara,” which means “to explain or PR spin,” Leyden said. “It’s about using social media and SEO to get the facts out. Israel lacks professional manpower and the budget. We put the money into weapons to defend ourselves, but public opinion has an influence on many lives.” 

Story Here

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Text messages and phone calls add psychological aspect to warfare in Gaza

Hamas fires threatening text messages at Israeli mobile phones while Israel bombards Palestinians with menacing phone calls

Hazem Balousha in Gaza City and Toni O’Loughlin in Jerusalem

Saturday 3 January 2009 

Israel and Hamas have mounted psychological warfare on each others’ civilian populations. Hamas says it is firing threatening text messages at Israeli mobile phones and jamming radio stations while Israel is bombarding Palestinians with menacing phone calls and leaflets.

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