The Army has released their 2011 guidance for Soldiers interested in participating in social media. In this day and age most military personnel know that they need to watch what they say around unauthorized personnel as well as the press. One of the biggest dangers of social media is that it draws the participant in and eventually he feels a sense of intimacy with fellow members, who often share a common background or bond. Unfortunately, not everyone in the social media world is a good guy. Whether actively pretending to be someone they are not or just sitting back and taking it all in, some of the folks online are bad guys and I was glad to see the reminder early on in the document that the enemy is listening.
And oh yeah, all of that stuff about “you are representing the Army” is pretty good advice too. I have seen some guys lose their minds online. For those of you who are curious, check it out here. You might want to take a look at the “Army Twitter Strategy” as well.