Myspace & Facebook for Recruiting at local level

[JAFO78]

The main reason I was asking this question was to see if by using these tools, We (CAP as a whole) could "get the word out" to many more cadets and adults.

If anyone as a better idea let us know. I like NIN's approach to holding a open house/ recruiting once or twice a year for established units. But for units just starting out new or rebuilding We need to let people know who we are and were we are located.

C.A.P. is the "Best Kept Secret" of the U.S.A.F. 

You know what they say.....Telephone, Telegraph, tell somebody use so the whole world KNOWS!!!

[Eclipse]

Hank Hill and Company sum up just about every issue with MySpace in this episode this week,
and I am definitely Hank in this one.

The ultimate resolution is also what I think is the only real way to use this for CAP.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/42068/king-of-the-hill-lost-in-my-space#s-p1-so-i0

[afgeo4]

The main reason I was asking this question was to see if by using these tools, We (CAP as a whole) could "get the word out" to many more cadets and adults.

If anyone as a better idea let us know. I like NIN's approach to holding a open house/ recruiting once or twice a year for established units. But for units just starting out new or rebuilding We need to let people know who we are and were we are located.

C.A.P. is the "Best Kept Secret" of the U.S.A.F. 

You know what they say.....Telephone, Telegraph, tell somebody use so the whole world KNOWS!!!

You're right, but it's often better not to send a message than send the wrong one to everyone.

Yes, spread the word, but... DO be mindful of how you're doing it and what image it portrays to others.

[afgeo4]

This is a valid concern. There is no way for us to control this media and no way for us to control what information is being released or shared.

Look, the military tried this and it backfired on them. It tarnished their image. It can happen to us as well. A privately owned corporation can take chances with its image. A public one, a government one, one that represents the Air Force, cannot.

As a social exchange of ideas it's fine, just like this discussion board. As an OFFICIAL tool of the Civil Air Patrol, it isn't.

No, it's not a valid concern if you ask anybody who works with new media.  Get your information from better sources and better educate yourself.

There is no inherent risk of being unable to control flow of information or some such nonsense.  And your assertion that private corporations are able to chances with their image?  They're a LOT less likely to risk image than public entities.  If a private company tarnishes their image, sales can drop and they can lose big time.  If a government entity has some bad press - guess what?  Congress still funds them.

Like I said before, I don't buy your reasoning at all.  Not one bit, not even slightly, not over green eggs and ham, and certainly not for Civil Air Patrol purposes.  I'd worry a lot more about our myriad of squadron websites out there "tarnishing the image of CAP" moreso than anything else.

So your solution is to add a myriad of facebook/myspace/whatever else pages into the mix? That's going to make something better?

Hey, PAO's exist to control the information that flows out of our members' sometimes vivid imaginations and mouths. Remember, we represent the military, the government, the ones who are strong even when others are weak. We have to do our best to control how we are portrayed in the media, even if sometimes unsuccessful. New media or old, it doesn't matter. WE must have control over our image.

You don't have to "buy" my ideas. It's a free country. I'd just rather you didn't contradict yourself.

[Hoorah]

I believe its a good way to recruit cadets on my  space and face book because of how big the networks are.

[afgeo4]

I believe its a good way to recruit cadets on my  space and face book because of how big the networks are.

You can do so without creating pages for your unit or the organization. You have full right to recruit people in your own name as you are a member of the organization.

What I'm saying is that pages shouldn't be set up to represent the organization. Especially not without higher up authorization. Just CYA procedures.

[JAFO78]

OK now that sometime has past on this I can add...

I just got sucked into the black hole of FACE BOOK. As a friend of mine sent me an invite to join Face Book.

So now I have another web site to suck my time on the net. 

My internet time is now spent on CAP TALK, Airliners.net and Face Book. I have a My Space but I just have no interest in it.

Now I search for more of my old CAP friends......

[Timbo]

I hate Facebook and Myspace, and all the other social whatevers.  People do not need to know what you are doing or how you feel every minute of the day. 

I heard a kid tell his mother "but mom, I do have friends.....230 of them on myspace".  The mother replied, "you need to get away from the computer for a few minutes everyday".  I totally agree.

You may have 230 friends on line, but how many of them do you actually socialize with in real life. 

[jeders]

I hate Facebook and Myspace, and all the other social whatevers.  People do not need to know what you are doing or how you feel every minute of the day. 

I heard a kid tell his mother "but mom, I do have friends.....230 of them on myspace".  The mother replied, "you need to get away from the computer for a few minutes everyday".  I totally agree.

You may have 230 friends on line, but how many of them do you actually socialize with in real life. 

It's true that some people get caught up in having hundreds of online friends, but that doesn't mean that Facebook and MySpace aren't useful tools. I regularly use Facebook to stay in contact with old friends from high school and college as well as staying in contact with people I do business with. Just the other day I was able to find a friend, actually she was my arch nemesis but still, who I haven't seen since I moved away in the 4th grade. As a recruitment tool, these and other social networking sites can be useful, it's just a matter of how it is used.

[Chappie]

I hate Facebook and Myspace, and all the other social whatevers.  People do not need to know what you are doing or how you feel every minute of the day. 

I heard a kid tell his mother "but mom, I do have friends.....230 of them on myspace".  The mother replied, "you need to get away from the computer for a few minutes everyday".  I totally agree.

You may have 230 friends on line, but how many of them do you actually socialize with in real life. 

As with anything, Facebook or MySpace can be good or bad.  I prefer to look at as a good way of keeping in contact with long-distance friends (I am more of a Facebook fan than MySpace).   

On Christmas Day I opened Facebook, after a few minutes of posting some items (and playing Plane Crazy) an instant message popped up with a greeting: "Merry Christmas...how are you doing?"    Recognizing the name, I responded and asked if the person initiating the conversation was home.  He replied that he wasn't home yet...but still in Iraq.   For the next 32 minutes I got the privilege of chatting with one of our former Cadets -- now a senior member...who is serving our country as an AD infantryman.   Talk about a great Christmas memory that I will keep for a long time.

Both these social networks can be utilized for recruiting and keeping a flow of communication between CAP members (even the CAP Chaplain Service has a group on Facebook  )

[JAFO78]

I am using Face Book to find old friends from high school and college, Seniors and Cadets from my old MN squadron.

[Capt Rivera]

So what is the military up to these days in reference to the virtual world?

MyBase offers Air Force perspective in virtual world
http://www.aetc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123126415

12/3/2008 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The first virtual Air Force base opened its doors to the world Dec. 2, heralded by Maj. Gen. Erwin Lessel III, the Director of Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments at Air Education and Training Command.

Dubbed "MyBase," the entirely digital creation is meant to represent the Air Force to the general public, and was built from scratch in the popular digital online "world," Second Life. Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world where users can socialize and create a pseudo-existence using virtual characters who chat by voice and text.

[Capt Rivera]

http://www.webinknow.com/2008/12/the-us-air-force-armed-with-social-media.html

blog interview with a AF Capt with an interesting mission....