Smart Editor

Here's a rather interesting application: Smart Editor. The website is not as flashy as most Web 2.0 applications, but its concept is something that I have not seen before and something that could be extremely helpful. You start to write about anything you want in the text box, and to your right appear links and pictures that are relevant to what you are writing about. I played with it for a while, and found some websites that I would not have come across with a simple google search. It's definitely worth checking out: SmartEditor

Twitter and Outlook

Heres a neat little program that allows you to get Twitter updates right in Outlook, called OutTwit. Just another way to stay up to date on your friend's status, especially if your outlook is open all the time.

Mike Wertheimer is the assistant deputy director of national intelligence for analytic transformation and technology. This position was created as a direct result of the 9/11 Commission's finding.

"Wertheimer's job is to prevent any more such failures and to make sure that the intelligence agencies can accurately predict a host of catastrophic events, including terrorist attacks and disease outbreaks."

The article below is a great read, as it talks about the struggles and challenges Mr. Wertheimer is facing as he tries to bring the theories of Web 2.0 into the Intelligence Community.

Intelligence veteran aims to motivate young analysts
By Shane Harris National Journal September 24, 2007

Twitter

While at first glance Twitter may appear to be a simple blog engine, it has a number of features that gives it the potential to be a powerful tool. It's purpose is simple - keeping a group of friends or associates up to date on what you're doing. You can write a simple sentence, or an elaborate paragraph. Part of it's appeal is that you can do it from anywhere - the twitter website, via email, via instant message, or with your cell phone.

Twitter will allow you to keep your status up to date, and you can configure it to text you when your friends change their status - all from the comfort of your cell phone. It is extremely easy to use, and takes only a minute to sign up and make your first post.

One feature of Twitter that truly stands out is the Twitter Tracker. This feature allows you to specify a specific term, and every time someone mentions that term in their updates, it is sent to you. From there, you can find out more information about that user, and follow their future or review their past updates.

It was when reading about this feature that I began to see its potential in the Intel Community. Picture an internal version of Twitter. Every analyst has a profile, and every day posts what they are working on. Other analysts working on similar projects will receive an alert. The analysts can then, if they choose, communicate with others working in that specific area to share their findings. Its a simple idea, but one that could have major effects on the way that information gathering and analysis is done.

Do you have a Twitter account? What are your favorite features, and can you see its principles implemented in the IC? Like always, I love receiving your comments and ideas.