Feral Jundi

Saturday, December 12, 2009

PMC 2.0: Social Networks as Foreign Policy, The Onion Router, and Humari Awaz

Filed under: Iran,Pakistan,PMC 2.0,Technology — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 5:59 AM

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has written about the efficacy of samizdat in undermining the Soviet Union, sees a similar dynamic at work here. “The freedom of communication and the nature of it,” he has said, “is a huge strategic asset for the United States.” 

*****

    These three stories are all inter-related and based on this first one below.  The more I read this, the more I keep thinking that someone is reading Feral Jundi and taking the hint.  lol.  There are all sorts of things we could be doing with these technologies, and it is great to see some innovation in that department.  I especially like the Humari project, because that is flipping cool.  Facebook is already accessible on a mobile platform, but to actually create a social network for mobile for the Pakistani market?  That is neat.

   Why are these stories in PMC 2.0? Because not only is the freedom of communication and the nature of it an excellent strategic asset for the US, it is an excellent strategic asset for companies.  I recommend the reader to go back through all of the PMC 2.0 and social networking related posts that I have made in the past, and evaluate for yourself on the validity of this concept.  The future is coming and everyone will have mobile smart phones and everyone will be using social networking sites.  Is your company ready for that?-Matt

Edit: 12/14/2009- Check out this paper written at the Heritage Foundation about Public Diplomacy 2.0.

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Social Networks as Foreign Policy

12/12/2009

From the 9th Annual Year in Ideas

In August, after the suppression of Iran’s pro-democracy protests, officials in Tehran accused Western governments of using online social networks like Twitter and Facebook to help execute a “soft coup.” The accusation wasn’t entirely off-base. In Iran and elsewhere, this year showed the growing importance of social networks to U.S. foreign policy.

Long before the protests in Iran started, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees U.S. civilian international broadcasting, had in place software to counter censorship in countries like Iran, so people could better access the blogosphere. And the State Department financially supports agencies that make it easier for Iranians and others to surf the Web. After the protests began, the State Department asked Twitter to reschedule a maintenance outage so the activists could continue to spread the word about their movement.

The United States has long disseminated information to people living under repressive regimes — think of Radio Free Europe. The difference here is that the content of the information isn’t the important thing; the emphasis is on supporting the technical infrastructure and then letting the people decide for themselves what to say. Communication itself erodes despots’ authority. “The very existence of social networks is a net good,” says Alec Ross, a senior adviser on innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

(more…)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Media News: Sergeant Moore’s Social Coup

Filed under: Afghanistan,Media News,Military News — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:58 PM

This is actually pretty interesting if you take a step back and see what has really happened here. The back story is that a Marine named Sgt. Moore originally posted a youtube video to ask actress Mila Kunis to be his date for the Marine Corps Ball. This ball is a celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday that is held every year, and she accepted! Good for Sgt. Moore and Semper Fi.

Now how is this a ‘social coup d’etat’? In reality, Mila Kunis and this Marine would never purposely seek one another out, just because of the vastly different social circumstances of each party. Mila is a celebrity in Hollywood, and Sgt. Moore is serving in Afghanistan. Actresses typically do not go to Afghanistan to specifically date military men. They might go there for a USO tour, but not to find dates.  And socially and even economically, both the celebrity and soldier live in some very different worlds. Now of course this date does not mean that they are now connected at the hip and actually interested in one another. But they both are certainly going to be hanging out for one night together at this ball, and that is pretty cool. I could even see Hollywood making some show about the whole thing. Who knows?….

But it is this collision of two very different worlds that grabs my interest, and it is cool to check out the dynamics of how it happened and snowballed. Youtube is a tool that anyone can use, and the potential for a video to go viral or be passed around and seen by a lot of people, is open to anyone with a good idea. I first learned about this video on Facebook, because someone watched it, and passed it around on FB.  Guess what, I passed it around as well. The thought of a celebrity going to the Marine Ball with this Marine, was a cool idea and everyone was very supportive of this Marine’s gumption to post such a thing. It is that image of a actress and Marine, going to the ball together, which has created the viral effect of the idea itself.

Once this idea came out, and people agreed with it and celebrated the idea, then guess what? People support what they help to create, and Facebook/Twitter/blogs etc. all allows people to pass around the idea and show their support for it.  They also know that the more people they pass around this idea too, will equate to them being rewarded with a ‘thanks’ and a ‘like’ out there in the world of cyber democracies. Passing around a good idea, makes you a ‘good idea’ within your online community.  That is the incentive, and everyone wants to be the purveyor of good ideas within their social networks. That is why I passed it around on my Facebook account, and that is why my friends passed it around as well.

It get’s better, because now you have this massive viral video explosion going on in the social networks of the world, and meanwhile, little ol’ Mila Kunis has no idea what is about to hit her. When you watch the video where she found out about this video and invitation, she was shocked and had no idea how to respond until her co-host Justin Timberlake clued into the big picture and said ‘this needs to happen’ wink, wink. She said she would go, and that is what sealed it.

I am sure afterwards she was contacting her PR guy and trying to figure out what happened.  They have also clued into the fact that if she does not go, that it would be extremely negative publicity for her. But the main point here is that Sgt. Moore performed a social coup, and was able to get this celebrity elite to go on a date with him to the Marine Ball! A celebrity that would have never had connected with this Marine within the normal societal rules and structures we live in today. Hell, for all we know, Kunis might be an anti-war, thumb her nose at soldiers, Hollywood liberal. But that doesn’t matter if true, because she will be the bad guy now if she doesn’t go.

Finally, this little incident has inspired others (mimicry strategy), because another female Marine named Corporal De Santis has asked Justin Timberlake to accompany her on a date via youtube to the Marine Ball. lol I speculate that he will go, just because if he doesn’t, he will look like a hypocrite for telling Kunis to go and not going himself. Plus, it is all good PR for the movie that Kunis and Timberlake are promoting called Friends With Benefits. The Marines benefit from this PR as well. Stuff like this makes Hollywood happy too if these leads to more revenue and an increase in star power for these two actors. The power of viral videos and social media, continues to amaze me. –Matt

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

PMC 2.0: Social Media Benefits Trump Security Fears

Filed under: PMC 2.0,Technology — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 11:52 AM

“Social media is here to stay,” says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. “Online social networks are more than just a fad among the younger generation. They’ve become an integral part of our personal and professional lives. They’re an effective way to keep in touch with people, connect with friends and family, and network with colleagues. Social media will also transform marketing as we know it. They’re powerful communication tools, and are becoming an essential part of successful marketing strategies.” 

   This is a new category (Private Military Company 2.0 or PMC 2.0-thanks to David Isenberg), which I think is essential.  Social media, new media, blogging, social networking–all of it, must be studied and looked at in regards to how it will impact our industry. I have delved into the concepts before, with my My.PMC and MySomalia.com post, and figured it was time to give it some more focus.

     And as I watch the news unfold about Iran, and how Twitter and social media is completely driving a mini-revolution there, I have to think that there are some really interesting and powerful tools that the PMC and PSC could use in their efforts.

     This blog is PMC 2.0, as is the other blogs about this industry.  I have found numerous Myspace and Facebook pages completely dedicated to security contracting.  Most of my friends use Facebook and similar sites to communicate back home with friends and family. Even Youtube, with it’s numerous training videos and combat videos, is fueling the social media movement. And because this industry will continue to be staffed with Millennials who understand and like these technologies, or even depend upon them, then the PMC and PSC industry must find ways to work with these folks and take advantage.

   For inspiration, I will continue to highlight companies and government agencies that utilize social media, and how their lessons and methods could be applied to our industry.  In essence, my focus will be to find technologies that will enhance a company’s Jundism. –Matt

(for example, check out NASA’s Spacebook, a social network site for employees)

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Social media benefits trump security fears

by HOLLIS TEMPLETONJun 10, 2009

WASHINGTON—With a growing number of military personnel, reporters and elected officials using Twitter, Facebook and MySpace while deployed to the Middle East, experts agree that the government’s ability to understand and harness these applications is crucial to protecting national security.

When 26-year-old Spc. Michael Williams left for the Middle East in 2006 as part of the 233rd Transportation Company during Operation Iraqi Freedom, his MySpace blog became a place to chronicle missions between Iraq and Camp Arifjan, a U.S. military base in Kuwait.

Because social media can easily lend itself to a breach of security, Williams said he has learned to practice self-censorship in order to protect the operational context of what he and his fellow soldiers are doing.

“I know others want to know what I do or what I have done,” he said. “I appreciate that…However, it has been proven since recorded history began, that some things just should not be divulged.”

(more…)

Friday, May 22, 2009

Publications: Social Networking and National Security: How to Harness Web 2.0 to Protect the Country, by James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.

Filed under: Publications — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 12:32 AM

   Wow, maybe Dr. Carafano is reading FJ?  Because I read through this thing and thought that this was right up there with all the MyPMC.com stuff that I have been talking about.  So bravo for building that snowmobile!

   A couple of things I want to add to this thing, just to put a sprinkling of salt on this dish. Millennials (Generation Y), smart phones, and Boyd’s good ol’ Destruction and Creation paper to be more specific.

    Gen Y will have a huge impact on this country and the way we do business, and they already have had a big impact with the election of President Obama.  They are also one of this country’s main brains and braun in today’s work force. 

    According to this article, there are three (suggested) core elements that drive the ambitions of Generation Y in the workplace : 

Impact–Making a difference is a strong motivational force behind Gen Y’s efforts. Though salary and benefits continue to dominate the no. 1 and 2 on the importance list, making an impact ranks no 3.

Communication–The instant communication framework Gen Y developed through extensive computer usage has lead to a need for more professional feedback than that of past generations. Communication platforms such as SMS, e-mail, video chat, microblogging and blogging have engendered a mindset that necessitates constant communication with others. That mindset has carried over into the workplace.

Flexibility–The divide between work and life is continually growing narrower as more people shift from the bricks-and-mortar to a remote workplace. The rate of remote office workers has increased significantly in the past two years, according to WorldWideWeb.  

   In order to answer the needs of this kind of workforce, you must embrace the tools in which they depend upon.  The benefit will be incredible, if these Network Scientists and social networking engineers can come up with the right framework for this crowd. 

   I have already made my case for how PMC’s/Countries could use this technology, and guess what, today’s contractor workforce are all Millennial Combat vets with iPods and laptops and Myspace/Facebook accounts.  Embrace this stuff, or be left in it’s wake.

   Next, smart phones.  I mention this, because most everyone will have a smart phone here where they will be able to access their social networks, and they already do.  And because each person is like a walking sensor in whatever environment they are in, to not take advantage of this is stupid.  Emails, SMS, word processing, GPS, pictures and film, etc. are all possible on today’s smart phone.  Language software, internet surfing, youtube, you name it, and it is on a smart phone.  The more smart phones that flood the telecom market, the cheaper they get, and the impact of such a thing is that the Millennials will be even more connected and inspired by their environments.  I say inspired, because if that individual wants to make a difference, it will require stimulus that is outside of their bubble or system.  Closed systems suck, and smart phones are a way for people to maintain their connection online.  It allows them to venture out into the world and not worry about missing communications, and if you take the time to watch today’s society in let’s say a mall, you will soon see what I am talking about.  Everyone has smart phones or is wanting to get one, and it will have an impact.  

   Wait until the smart phone wave hits places like Afghanistan and Iraq.  These phones are like a internet cafe in your pocket, and that is a very powerful tool for anyone out there.  From the insurgent learning to make rockets from a Youtube video on a iPhone, to the English student trying to learn the language through a class on the phone, to a doctor looking up crucial information about a procedure–smart phones and all the open source applications that come with, will catch like fire in these countries and have an impact. 

   Finally, the wonderful paper called Destruction and Creation, written by Col. John Boyd, should get more mention when we talk about social networks.  The concepts define exactly why closed systems are not good, and to me, a social network is an excellent tool to open up a system and get external influence.  Think about it a little, and you start to understand why social networks are so powerful.  If I was to take this to a grand strategy level, social networks will help us to not be isolated mentally compared to our enemies. –Matt

Edit:  Dr. Carafano has just visited the site. (see comments section below) 

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Social Networking and National Security: How to Harness Web 2.0 to Protect the Country

May 18, 2009

by James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.

Backgrounder #2273

Computers have changed how Americans do almost everything. Soon they may alter national security. There is much more on the information superhighway these days than information. There is a traffic jam of conversation facilitated by e-mail, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Digg, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networking tools (often collectively called Web 2.0) that facilitate discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas on a global scale.[1] This unprecedented capacity to listen and respond is inexorably restructuring the ways in which information is created and used.

(more…)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Building Snowmobiles: Social Networking and War–MySomalia.com and MyPMC.com

Filed under: Building Snowmobiles,Kaizen,Somalia,Technology — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 5:10 PM

   This is a two part article with one focused on using social networking for Somalia state and nation building.  Part 2 is dedicated to using social networking as a tool for business and Kaizen for PMC’s and PSC’s. This was probably my most challenging and thought provocative topic, and it’s hard to say if I really hit on something of value or not.  So to me, this is pure building snowmobiles, and certainly unexplored territory. I also want to warn you, that some of these concepts are kind of out there, but still something to chew on around the water cooler. Let me know what you think. –Matt 

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(Part 1) 

MySomalia.com

     I have been thinking about Somalia for a bit after my discussion with Eeben Barlow and after a little research, I have stumbled upon a concept that I think should be looked at. It is a combination of social networking and private military, all with the goal of building the state and a nation.

     I think the Somalia government, with it’s new President, should create a MySomalia.com and attract the millions of Somalis world wide, that give money to their families in Somalia anyways.  This diaspora of Somalis, could be tapped into as a funding source, and an activist force for the country. The model for such a thing would be MyBO.com (President Obama’s campaign social network site, that made him 200 million dollars in funding, and rallied millions of supporters)

     And to take advantage of the power of tribes in Somalia, you could put an option in the profile building pages of MySomalia.com on what tribe you came from.  That way other Somalis could identify their tribes or groups, but do it all under the mechanism of the main group of MySomalia.com.  That actually would help enforce the idea of nation, but still allow the freedom to express what tribe you came from. The key to success with a site like this is a strong architecture and a strong brand, and letting your supporters do the rest. It would be really interesting to watch how Somalis and friends of Somalis would help that country, if given this kind of social networking tool.    

     I point to Noah Shactman’s comment he made on Wired about Obama’s social networking site, and why it worked so well. I think PMCs and Governments would be wise to look hard at the potential of social networks.  I know NASA, FBI, CIA, and numerous other private firms are all using social networking sites to exchange ideas and rally the people within those organizations.

(more…)

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