The Industry and Social Software

This National Defense Magazine article is interesting. Social software, including blogs (and hopefully this blog) is intended to perform a function of collaboration regarding maritime services discussions. Sometimes it is successful, and other times not so much. While I recommend reading the entire National Defense article as an analysis of where social software and the defense industry may be heading, I want to engage on these specific points.

The best part of social media is the way they foster engagement and dialogue. Though the audience may be varied, it consists of people with strong interests. They, in turn, can influence others whose attention to defense issues is more casual. Social networks tend to take an informal and sometimes downright irreverent tone. Defense communicators must be prepared to join the conversation.

Blogs over time will become ever more influential. Beyond the independent blogs that have developed their own followings, established newspapers and magazines are adding blogs to their websites because readers want a continuous flow of news and ideas. Communicators must pay attention to what is being said, and be ready to offer comments, facts and rebuttals. The better blogs are self-correcting. They will amend a post, for example, when a mistake is pointed out.

I want to say a few things. The Navy is outstanding about correcting the record of inaccuracies, and when it is highlighted I will always correct the record (and should get beat silly when I don't). For the record though, the industry is not part of that conversation.

The industry is an enormous part of this audience, and often the most knowledgeable and experienced, but to suggest the industry is engaged on the blog would be an overstatement. Well over 3000 industry folks read this blog every day, and probably more from IPs I simply have not identified yet, but in my experience the Navy (specifically CHINFO) is the best at insuring the quality of information by pointing out mistakes I make, or simply disputing points I may make. Federal civilians and House/Senate aides are second in terms of engagement, and then the smaller group is typically think tank folks (which is a smaller group anyway).

Industry?

Not so much. I don't know if it is an internal Corporate policy issue, or perhaps a legal issue, or simply a matter of not really caring but I almost never get contacted by anyone in industry about anything written on the blog. In that regard I'm not sure I completely agree wtih article in regards to industry engagement. I would love to, for example, understand more about the way industry views specific programs or technologies discussed here, but that kind of information has not been forthcoming.

I don't dismiss that engagement in the blogosphere is happening somewhere, but if the author believes public affairs or even technical experts in industry are engaged, I would suggest it is on the initiative of the individuals, certainly not representitive of the companies themselves.

That's my perception anyway.