How the United States Air Force uses social media and responds to online comments

The United States Air Force (USAF) has a clearly defined strategy for responding to online comments, as blogged by leadership and viral marketing strategist David Meerman Scott at Web Ink Now.

After being followed by the United States Air Force on Twitter, David interviewed Captain David Faggard, Chief of Emerging Technology at the Air Force Public Affairs Agency in the Pentagon, about how the United States Air Force uses social media.

Captain Faggard writes the official United States Air Force blog, Air Force Live,as well as running a video mashup contest for American high schools. He also maintains the USAF's web presence on Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Second Life, iReport (user name USAFPA); and is on Friendfeed, Digg, Delicious, Slashdot,Newsvine, Reddit.

Impressive. Here is the blog assessment flowchart. Note: this link will cause your browser to resize, but will not harm your computer or your work in any way. Just click at the top to resize it back.

As you can see from clicking the link, the first fork is between "positive or balanced", such as this post, and "not positive or balanced".

The latter is subdivided into "Trolls", "Rager", "Misguided" and having had a negative experience with the Air Force.

The former two require monitoring and notifying HQ (I'm not sure why if the sites or postings are so clearly rants or trolling, while the latter two require response with factual information.

There is a guide to "Response Considerations" at the bottom of the flowchart.

Interesting stuff and good to see that the USAF has someone with a good social media understanding.

The BBC's Panorama reveals the problem of sexual bullying in schools (with Daily Mail article)

A shocking Panorama on the problems of sexual harassment in schools.

In one year, there were 3,500 exclusions for sexual misconduct, including some five year olds.

Paula Telford of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says "It is an issue, it is happening, we need to acknowledge it and resolve it."

Neil Duncan, from the University of Wolverhampton's School of Education, says "The range of actions of bullying of that type...is very,very widespread."

A fifteen year old girl was assaulted in a London school, and her father told Panorama about the attack.

The girl did not want to go back to school, but the council told her father that they only arranged tuition for children excluded, meaning the victim had to change schools.

Panorama worked with Young Voice to find out more. 28 children said they were forced to do something sexual, one said she had been forced to perform a sex act and one said she had been raped.

Monique, 15,said that "sexual bullying was all around you." during a workgroup at Mossley Hollins High School in Manchester.

One 13 year old girl had a boy place his hands between her legs and stroke her leg during assembly and lessons.

All that happened was that the boy was "spoken to" and a letter was sent to his parents.

The boy was kept in the same class, and was only moved when it was reported to the police.

Her friends then turned against her,

It was also sad to see how children in a the filmed workgroup started giggling when the word "gay" was used. Homophobic bullying is also a huge problem.

I have to say, though, that the workgroup was a useful task, and should take place in all schools.

One five year old was sexually assaulted at her infants school, and the family say the school asked them not to go to the police.

The police could not act due to the boy's age, no doubt meaning he'll be free to attack someone again and again. She's now been moved to another school.


Calls to the Kidscape helpline regarding sexual bullying have risen from one a year to three a week.

Gang culture is also a problem. Many boys carry out sexual attacks to join a gang, as one headteacher told the programme.

I don't like the way that Jeremy Vine highlighted that it wasn't just an inner city problem, as if that would make it less worrying.

He also blames parts of modern life for this problem, such as earlier sexual knowledge, obscene words on Bebo and sexual images sent via phones in class.

However, good sex education at an early age would combat this problem, something the Daily Mail opposes and Vine does not mention.

The children blame music and magazines for teenagers with sexual content also.

One parent made the point that children are able to record television programmes with sexual content and watch them later, thereby avoiding the 9pm watershed.

Another said that paedophilia and rape were discussed after the watershed, saying "they show all sorts of things."

When it came to fashion, one parent said that his eight year old wanted to put lipstick on.

The Panorama is on the iplayer until Jan 12th.

Jeremy Vine also comments on this in the Daily Mail.

I feel that Labour party mouthpieces such as Alistair Campbell attack private schools because they want to limit discussion about the problems in state schools such as sexual bullying (although sexual bullying no doubt happens in private schools also).

Scammers on Twitter and Facebook: Celebrity account hacks and impersonations

Twitter celebrity accounts hacked:

The Register reports that the popular microblogging service Twitter had to suspend accounts belonging to celebrities such as Barack Obama and Britney Spears after they were hacked and used to spread lies, as well as some accounts belonging to news outlets such as Fox News and The Huffington Post.

On the Twitter Blog, the company blames "an individual who hacked into some of the tools our support team uses to help people do things like edit the email address associated with their Twitter account".

The blog post also mentions OAuth, an open authentication protocol that will be launched in closed beta this month, but makes the point that it would not have stopped the hacks.

Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo impersonated on Facebook:

Earlier this year, Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo asked police to investigate who was impersonating him on Facebook.

It appears that the fake profile has now been removed by Facebook.

A screenshot that I've seen shows that photos of the Berbice Bridge and Jagdeo with heads of state including Putin were uploaded to the Facebook profile, which allowed people to become supporters.

The screenshot shows 151 supporters next to a nice photo of Bharrat Jagdeo.

I think the President should be more concerned about corruption than arresting someone impersonating him on Facebook.

He also issued a statement saying that he has never been a member of any social networking site, as if having no web presence is something a political leader should be proud of.

All English and Welsh police forces have crime maps: Examination of three

The BBC reports that every single police force in England and Wales now has crime maps on the website, although Wiltshire Police' crime map is currently suffering technical difficulties.

Thames Valley Police crime map:

Looking at the Thames Valley Police website, which covers my (current) home county of Oxfordshire, I'm quite impressed by their crime map, which uses InstantAtlas, although it takes longer to load than the Welsh crime maps I examined a few weeks back.

The map is clearly labelled, and it is easy to zoom out and in. You can also print and print preview the map and the surrounding tables.

From the map, I can discover that Kidlington has below average crime and that Oxford City Centre and Barton (near Sandhills where I used to live) has above average crime.

However, the map is not promoted on the main site. There should be a clear link to the map and a summary.

Greater Manchester Police crime map:

The map is much better promoted on the site, and has visually pleasing data . Clicking on a division does make the screen flash white for a quarter of a second or so.

The maps also have messages from senior police officers in charge of each area, multimedia and news from the region. However, the statistics themselves are too low down the page.

Cleveland Police crime map:

The map is linked at the top of the Cleveland Police website front page.

Data is plotted on a geographical map of the area, unlike the Greater Manchester crime map. The map itself does not seem to give much data other than a graph of how crime has increased or decreased, and it is difficult to get the map to respond to clicks. It is far better to use the left hand key for navigation.

Like the Welsh crime maps, you can also use the Cleveland Police crime map to find police stations, but the Cleveland Police map also allows you to find fire stations and hospitals. This is useful.

I find it very interesting to compare how different forces present their crime map.

Hopefully Scottish police forces and the Police Service of Northern Ireland will bring in crime maps.

Mussolini's Island: The untold story of the invasion of Sicily by John Follain

Mussolini's Island tells the story of eight protagonists in the summer 1943 invasion of Sicily,as well as providing detail on the ebbing power of Mussolini and his relationship with Hitler and the rivalry between Patton and Montgomery, the Allied generals.

At times, the switch of focus from person to person can be confusing, so it is best to refer to the list of people at the front of the book.

On the Allied side, we hear the stories of Durham Light Infantry officer David Fenner, Royal Navy Sub-Lieutenant David Repard, Flying Officer Tony Snell, army sergeant Alfred Johnson and Patton's private secretary Sergeant Joseph Rosevich.

On the Axis side, we here the stories of Second Lieutenant Livio Messina, refugee Rita Francardo, and Lance-Corporal Werner Hahn.

The book details the fear felt by both those taking part in the battles and those living on Sicily who had to suffer food shortages, bombardments and Fascist rule.

Fascinating pictures are created of the arrogant yet pathetic Mussolini, relying on Hitler for much of his power in an unequal relationship, as well as the rivalry between the bombastic Patton and Montgomery, which at times infects their men as well.

Roosevelt disagreed with Winston Churchill's desire to invade Sicily, wishing to prepare to invade France instead.

Operation Husky, the codename for the invasion, was a compromise where an attack on France was planned after the invasion of Sicily.

The mistakes made by both sides are well detailed in Mussolini's Island, and the horrors of war are well detailed.

Follain makes a clear distinction between the Axis commanders Mussolini and Hitler, and the German and Italian troops who he makes clear are only doing their job: indeed, there are several scenes of camaraderie between Allied and Axis soliders.

Many Axis soliders, such as Werner Hahn, are now bitter about those who ordered them to battle.

I strongly recommend Mussolini's Island.

News of The World leaves Celebrity Big Brother contestant Tommy Sheridan out of poll

I'm not sure if it was a simple mistake, or deliberate, but the News Of The World has only included ten of the eleven Celebrity Big Brother contestants in an online poll.

The contestant left out is Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Tommy Sheridan, who won a libel action against the News of The World in 2006, which the paper described as a "perverse verdict, according to The Times.

I mean no offence to the News of the World here - I just thought it was quite funny that Sheridan had been left out of the poll.

Maybe they are nervous their readers will post defamatory comments about him.

The paper did break the news of Sheridan's decision to appear on the reality show.

No doubt some people will be more concerned with finding naked pictures of Lucy Pinder anyway.

I don't usually watch reality TV shows, but the launch night of Celebrity Big Brother was on while I was reading.

I was surprised Tommy Sheridan went on after what happened to George Galloway in 2006.

Coolio will provide the comedy, while Terry Christian will no doubt provide cynical quips.

Winning the Middle East propaganda war

Interesting article here fromthe BBC on how Israel's release of a video alleged to show rockets being loaded onto a lorry, which were destroyed by a missile, were challenged by Ahmed Sanur, a resident of Samur, Gaza, who claims the rockets were oxygen cylinders from his workshop.

Meanwhile Hamas has accused Israel of interrupting its radio and television broadcasts in Gaza, according to Medianetwork, while Press TV, an English language international news channel funded by the Iranian government, reported earlier this week that Palestinian activists jammed Israel Army Radio signals in southern areas of Palestine.

New media and the Gaza conflict:

Wired also reports on the creating of a Youtube channel by the Israeli miliary, as well as the Israeli consulate in New York hosting a press conference on Twitter.

Guido Fawkes is showing support for the Israeli Defence Force by linking to a site organising delivery of Kosher pizzas and Pepsi to troops,while Harry's Place continues to argue the pro-Israeli cause.

Hamas (short for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya) appear to be losing the new media war. O'Connall Street reports that: "Youtube has over 800 clips posted mainly by Palestinian supporters but only a few uploaded from inside Gaza."

However, Indymedia, the activist website, has a number of pro-Palestinian posts on the conflict, including coverage of demonstrations at the Israeli embassy in London, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Brighton in the UK, as well as Nablus in the northern West Bank. There are video links, pictures and many comments.

There is also a first hand account by the journalist Ewa Jasiewicz,project co-ordinator for the Free Gaza Movement.

You can also see photos from the Nablus demonstration on the "It's me fuming rights init!" blog.

The Stop The War Coalition website, by contrast, fails to make any use of new media on its rather drab site.

Many Facebook groups have been set up supporting the Palestinians and Israel.

Judging from a photo taken by a Harry's Place poster, Peter Tatchell has joined Oxfam as highlighting the actions of both sides.

Mashable reports Twitter phishing attack

The popular technology website Mashable reports that phishing attacks are now being carried out on microblogging site Twitter.

Pete Cashmore reports that any direct messages with the text "check out this funny blog about you" have a link leading to a fake Twitter login page, which tries to steal your details.

If you Twitter, subscribe to the topic phishingalert and get further details.

Oxfam is an impartial and valuable voice on the Gaza conflict

I mentioned in a previous post that it was difficult to find a voice on the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine that did not support one side or the other.

The international aid agency Oxfam has been blogging on the crisis for the past two years, and unlike the Stop the War Coalition, it is prepared to campaign for the rights of both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

Although it would be better if all content relating to Gaza was collated on the blog, rather than placed around the site, a search for Gaza throws up a number of articles, including a balanced and powerful piece by Oxfam's director Barbara Stocking, highlighting the dangers that Israeli children face from rocket attacks as well as the poverty in Gaza.

The piece is old, but then aside from variations in the scale of the attacks launched by each side, little has changed for those living in or near the Gaza Strip.

The current piece on Gaza is calling for the high level European Union delegation to end the "onslaught" on Gaza.

Once again, it highlights the damange that both Hamas and the Israeli military are doing.

Oxfam has had to suspend an aid programme helping at least 65,000 people.

Its workers in Gaza are restricted to their houses and in fear of their and their families’ lives. Raw sewage pours into the streets and food is scarce.

There is also a valuable series of blog posts by Mohammed Ali, Oxfam’s Advocacy and Media Researcher, from his Gaza home on the Israeli military operation.

Day 1, December 27th , Day 2, December 28th, Day 3, December 29th, Day 4, December 30th, Day 5th, December 31st.

Hopefully Oxfam's call for the EU to become involved will forge a path forward. Otherwise, we will see more violence by either side.

Donating to Oxfam will ensure that innocent Palestinians get basic supplies. Hopefully, they will do more work with Israelis the next time rocket attacks destroy a school or medical building.

South Florida demonstration adds to hate:

Sadly, some people are not so even-handed as Oxfam. A recent demonstration in South Florida included a number of people on both sides with vile slogans such as "“Nuke Gaza, then Iran" and "Did Israel take notes during the Holocaust? Happy Hannukah. 400 dead and counting".

If this crisis is ever solved, it will not be solved by those who call for the destruction of one side or by those who use mocking references to the Holocaust.

It will be solved by those such as Oxfam who call for an end to all violence so that everyone can live without fear of death.

Live debate with David Cameron on Tuesday 6 January 2009 in Manchester

The Manchester Evening News is inviting applications from those who would like to question Leader of the Opposition David Cameron on the economy.

To take part in the debate, email debatesATmen-news.co.uk* with your name, address, job, contact details and your question regarding the economy. Replace AT with @ before emailing. If I published the address here with @ it would be used by spammers.

The debate will start at noon in a Manchester city centre location, as yet undisclosed, although successful applicants will be given details of where to attend.

Manchester's local TV Station, Channel M, will broadcast the debate lie between noon and 1 pm on Tuesday 6 January 2009.

You can access Channel M if you live within the coverage area on Sky channel number 203, Virgin Media channel number 873, or terrestrial channel 39.

*Replace AT with @ before emailing.

China dairy firms text apologies for tainted milk scandal

Dairy firms in China have texted apologies to mobile phone users across the country saying sorry for last year's tainted milk scandal, where industrial compound melamine was present to fool protein testing, Al Jazeera reports.

"We are deeply sorry for the harm caused to the children and the society. We sincerely apologise for that and we beg your forgiveness" the message said.

Maybe some British companies could learn from that.

I wonder if any of the banks will send messages to people apologising for having to be bailed out by the government.

People would probably text back saying "You're part owned by Gordon Brown LOL".

California leads the way in protecting student journalists

Walter Yost in the Sacramento Bee writes on Senate Bill 1370, which goes into effect today.

The bill prevents teachers from being punished for defending a student's freedom of speech.

Students themselves are already protected under a bill introduced by Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco in 2006.

A fine bill, and I wish Britain had something like it. However, this is still a country with crazy libel laws that favour the rich.

Via Buzzmachine, Jeff Jarvis' blog.