Networked
Apparently, the State Department is working on building the infrastructure to help scientists in North and South America communicate with each other. The Department's providing space for conversations on the Western Hemisphere Affairs bureau's website, hosting webchats, and looking at setting up a social network. This strikes me as smart and potentially valuable. It provides a resource for universities and research institutions without explicitly setting an agenda. Providing pipelines for communication is useful, it's not always something universities have the resources to set up and maintain themselves, it provides a venue other than conferences for scientists to talk to each other, and it provides a somewhat low-stakes forum for the State Department to test out its ability to build this kind of network.
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Government Executive Staff Correspondent Alyssa Rosenberg takes a look at news affecting the management and operations of the massive federal bureaucracy.
Thanks for your comments on our efforts, Alyssa! Yes, in contrast to very targeted research efforts by, for example, NIH or NOAA, our goal is to help scientists connect without determining what their focus should be. Those whom I've met in South America are excited about this additional medium of communication. We're eager to hear from more scientists on the webchat forum about features that we should include.
Tim DeVoogd Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 12:55 PMTim
what is all the attention to social networking. these folks are paid a great salary to WORK, if they want to play do it on their own time
dan m ketter Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 10:41 PM