Insider Quote: "empowering the edge of the network"

March 18, 2011 By in Digital Diplomacy, People, Quotes, Social Media

Alec Ross (innovator)Image via Wikipedia

“We’re not checking off what people tweet.”

“We’re empowering the edge of the network.”

“A lot of the time, the intelligence in networks lives in the edge of the network.” […] “People who are in a foreign post may very well have better real-time optics into facts on the ground than people in an office in DC.”

Senior Adviser on Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (since April 2009)

Hey! That’s great to know!

Um … did you see that recent review of social media use in embassies?  That’s the one where the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General recommended that the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (also known as “R”) encourage embassies to develop post-specific guidelines about clearance requirements for social media site postings and responses to users’ comments and questions.


If its not on yet, the 140-character diplomacy clearance requirement is coming soon to a desk near you. Expect a lag time between tweet drafting and posting ‘cuz tweets must be punchy, witty and also informative. Of course, there will be Skillcraft editing for security reasons, style and may I just add, atmospherics? And just pray that your editor/clearance officer at post actually knows that tweets have nothing to do with those birds.  

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