Initial thoughts

 After this week's readings, I have a somewhat better idea on the topic of Web 2.0 and Social Media. Immediately, I tried to link these concepts to my own profession and organization. For those who do not  know me, I am working in the Singapore military as a Training Development Officer (the main reason why I was able to take up grad school in this field).

A little bit of background information about my organization, the Singapore military works largely on a conscript service and it is mandatory for all 18 - 19 year old Singaporean males to be conscripted into the Singapore military for two years. This have proved to be a point of contention among the Singaporean public for many years. Due to a sustained period of peace, as well as a changing, highly educated  population, people have grown rather resentful of the fact that they have to sacrifice two years to serve the nation, where the time could be employed elsewhere. In fact, this perennial issue became such a thorny problem that in the 2000s, the Singapore Army pivoted its vision statement to recognize its need for greater Relevance, becoming a force that is "Ready, Relevant, Decisive".

Thinking about this issue, I felt that one of the channels that have been (in some cases) and could be exploited to gain greater relevance is in harnessing the power of social media and Web 2.0. Where previously, the Army's covert nature meant that people outside the organization could never truly understand the going-ons within the organization. However, as mentioned in Dr. Dennen's opening, social media and Web 2.0 has made interaction between the Singapore Army and the public possible. This has increased transparency, accountability and relatability of the organization to the Singaporean public.

At the Army and SAF-level, key non-classified events managed by the Army (such as the organization of large scale bilateral exercises or national level events, or even as a COVID Response Force) have been released to the public to allow them a glimpse into what the Army is doing. The speed of information that can be presented to the public also holds them to higher levels of accountability. At the Unit level, social media and Web 2.0 have been exploited to build Unit identity, creating closed Facebook groups where highlights of the Unit can be posted for the servicemen to remember and appreciate their time together, as well as to recognize them for their good performances. In the social media space, meme pages about life in the Army have also serve as a source of laughter, motivation and more importantly common identity for the different generations of servicemen who are able to easily identify with life in the Army.

Social Media and Web 2.0 could prove to be an integral part of the SAF's continued relevance in the minds of the Singaporean public and I am keen to learn more about this and how we can better harness these mediums to achieve this outcome.