Week 3

What uses might a collaborative wiki or blog have in your chosen (current or desired) work environment? How would they support learning and/or performance? What would be the design and implementation challenges if management tried to do this? What would be the design and implementation challenges of a user-initiated effort?

As has been noted elsewhere, my online work environment exists behind firewalls and within strict policy. For the sake of argument, I will presume that hosting an internal wiki is achievable.

First, I see this of significant benefit to the organization - particularly the enlisted crew members who spend a significant amount of time pursuing knowledge to support their technical certifications. Currently, these endeavors are done via email and web sites. As such, the information one finds may not reflect current policy and procedures. Further, there are aspects of the mission which are sensitive and not consistent with a policy of transparency (e.g. law enforcement tactics and procedures, etc.).

With an internal wiki system, the study guides, discussion forums, and other information that currently resides on external web sites such as FredsPlace.org, CoastieChicks.net, and BoatswainsMate.net could be managed by everyone in the organization, with less concern about releasing For Official Use Only (FOUO) information. An additional benefit of having an internal system would be the ability to ensure wiki branding is politically correct.

I believe the design and implementation challenges would be relatively minor as there are current initiatives underway to re-design our intranet and internet. In light of senior leadership's commitment to embrace "social media" as one way to be more effective and more transparent to the American Public, the chief difficulty would be in not necessarily selling the idea, but getting it through the approval process.

The current initiative is being driven from the top. Many in the organization are embracing this - particularly the junior (e.g. younger) personnel. Fortunately, this initiative comes at a time when the current intranet is so unbelievably confusing and slow that even the skeptics are looking forward to the new system. In short, the environment is ripe for adoption from all levels of the organization. I am confident that if the design elements are in place, people would flock to use and contribute to an internal wiki.