Military Taps Social Networking To Hunt Insurgents 69
Hugh Pickens writes "The New York Times has an interesting article about the thousands of analysts based in the United States for the Central Intelligence Agency and the US military who are showing how the Facebook generation's skills are being exploited — and paying dividends — in America's wars. Analysts monitor enemy communications and scan still images from drones in Afghanistan, then log the information into chatrooms, carrying on a running dialogue with drone crews and commanders and intelligence specialists in the field, who receive the information on computers and then radio the most urgent bits to troops on patrol. Marine intelligence officers say that during an offensive in February, the analysts managed to stay a step ahead of the advance, sending alerts about 300 or so possible roadside bombs, paving the way for soldiers to roll into Marja in southern Afghanistan with minimal casualties. 'To be that tapped into the tactical fight from 7,000 to 8,000 miles away was pretty much unheard of before,' said Gunnery Sgt. Sean N. Smothers, a Marine who stationed as a liaison to the analysts. New analysts, who were practically weaned on computers and interactive video games, have been crucial to hunting insurgents and saving American lives in Afghanistan. The Air Force, which has 4,000 analysts, is hiring 2,100 more. For the most part, the networking has been so productive that senior commanders are sidestepping some of the traditional military hierarchy and giving the analysts leeway in deciding how to use some spy planes."
I Don't See the Connection Here (Score:5, Insightful)
Facebook generation
Please don't call us that. I thought 'Generation X' and 'Generation Y' were stupid names but now I long for alphabetic naming. I still fail to see the connection between their "social networking skills" (whatever the hell that is) and the increase in effective military intelligence. It looks to me like good communication and a drastic increase in surveilance technology is what the military is tapping. Just because social networking is rising to ~95% popularity in the younger generations doesn't mean that it's the reason for everything that generation does right.
How is this any different from World War II where several analysts received reports and images from war zones, discussed the new information, got on the radio to send new intelligence to forces and gave feedback to the collection unit of that intelligence? It sounds like the same process to me with just the next logical step up in all of these actions. Now they're using hardware to look at live video feeds. Now they're discussing it over a computer with people around the world. Now they're piloting the drone in real time. It's the advancement of technology, not Facebook that is driving this. The only stipulation is that you are familiar with a computer and the software on the computer -- which I would buy the younger generation are more comfortable around. But again, not a whole lot to do with posting on your friends wall that you got so plastered last night. And I don't really feel like social networking increases communications skills.
For all I know this could be the equivalent of LeBron James having a Facebook page and the New York Times saying, "Look at how well the NBA utilizes the skills of the Facebook generation."
The freedom fighters that survive (Score:3, Insightful)
Sooner or later they will attempt a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Fortitude [wikipedia.org] with some web traffic and some leaks.
Todays cyber nerds are good with forums, chat and real time info, but do they have the feel for been played?
settings (Score:1, Insightful)
Yeah, I noticed facebook added a new privacy setting.
Let the someone water board you? friends & US government only -> Friends Only.
you have to watch that shit.
Re:Let's summarize the summary a bit (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, right on, dude. Because when we build roads, and schools, and hospitals, those
useful, capable and potentially produtive members of the human community
won't come in behind and blow them up and then beat the women for the audacity of accepting medical care or an education. Those potentially fine, upstanding members of the human race won't shoot old men for accepting food for their starving tribe or allowing tribe members to be educated on ways to better grow food crops. Nothing like that ever happens...potentially.