AF Counter-Blogs with Trolls

The Air Force, which has not been the most enthusiastic of the services in its support of the blogosphere, has developed a counter-blogging model to help those in the Air Force respond to negative blog posts. The step-by-step, binary process leads a possible Air Force commenter on how to categorize posts -- is it a "troll," a "rager," "misguided," or an "unhappy customer" -- and how to respond.

Wired's Noah Shachtman, who contributes to Danger Room blog, wrote that Capt. David Faggard, "the Air Force Public Affairs Agency's designated social media guru," said the service created the model to "counter the people out there in the blogosphere who have negative opinions about the U.S. government and the Air Force," as quoted by blogger David Meerman.

According to the model, if an Air Force member wants to respond, the model suggests he or she consider five things, which are always good advice to follow:

1. Be transparent. (Disclose that you are a member of the Air Force.)

2. Site sources. (Use links to video, documents and images.)

3. Take your time to create meaningful responses.

4. Be aware of your tone. (Respond in a way that "reflects the rich heritage of the Air Force.)

5. Influence. ("Focus on the most used sites related to the Air Force."

Danger Room points out it may be helpful to lift the ban on blogs so airmen can actually read them.