R 061324Z JAN 10 

ALCOAST 008/10
COMDTNOTE 5700
SUBJ: SOCIAL MEDIA - USE OF COMMERCIAL BLOG TECHNOLOGY FOR
OFFICIAL DUTIES
A. PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANUAL, COMDTINST M5728.2 (SERIES)
1. PER REF A, THIS ALCOAST PROVIDES INTERIM DIRECTION FOR THE
OFFICIAL COAST GUARD USE OF COMMERCIAL BLOG SITES AS AN EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS TOOL. THIS ALCOAST PERTAINS TO UNIT/OFFICE
MANAGED BLOGS HOSTED ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB (WWW) THAT ARE
MAINTAINED BY ON-DUTY COAST GUARD PERSONNEL TO INCLUDE ACTIVE
DUTY, RESERVE, CIVILIAN, AND AUXILIARY PERSONNEL, AND PRIMARILY
INCLUDES COAST GUARD CONTENT THAT HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY APPROVED
FOR RELEASE. THIS ALCOAST DOES NOT APPLY TO BLOGS HOSTED ON CG
PORTAL OR INTELLIPEDIA FOR INTERNAL INFORMATION AND COLLABORATION.
2. A BLOG IS AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATIONS TOOL AND IS SUPERIOR
TO MANY CURRENT METHODS OF COLLABORATION ON SPECIFIC SUBJECTS.
A WELL MAINTAINED BLOG CAN ENABLE OUTREACH WITH A WIDE AUDIENCE,
AND THROUGH THE POWER OF NETWORKING, THE AUDIENCE CAN BE
EXPANDED EXPONENTIALLY. BLOGS ARE ALSO A KEY COMPONENT OF THE
ADMINISTRATIONS FOCUS ON TRANSPARENCY.
3. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE OFFICIAL SERVICE BLOG, THE
COAST GUARD COMPASS, HAS BEEN ONLINE AND IS GENERATING A
SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC FOLLOWING. THIS BLOG, AND SIMILAR
UNIT/OFFICE BLOGS, PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT MEANS OF REPORTING
ON THE COAST GUARD, ITS PEOPLE AND ITS MISSIONS AND ENGAGING
THE PUBLIC IN DIALOGUE. TO FOLLOW THE COMPASS, GO TO
HTTP://COASTGUARD.DODLIVE.MIL.
4. IN DECIDING WHETHER TO START A BLOG, CONSIDER:
  A. BLOGS ARE RESOURCE INTENSIVE AND NO NEW FTE HAVE BEEN
CENTRALLY IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.
  B. BLOGS ARE GREAT COLLABORATION TOOLS AND CAN BE DESIGNED
AROUND A SPECIFIC UNIT, TOPIC, GEOGRAPHIC REGION, AND SO ON.
UNITS SHOULD CONSIDER COLLABORATING WITH THEIR CHAIN OF
COMMAND AND OTHER UNITS TO POPULATE CONTENT TO A BLOG. MANY
DIFFERENT AUTHORS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EASE THE BURDEN ON ANY
ONE UNIT OR PERSON. UNITS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT POST
IDEAS AND CONTENT TO THE COAST GUARD COMPASS BLOG.
  C. CONTENT ON BLOGS SHOULD BE UPDATED REGULARLY TO BE
RELEVANT AND USEFUL. UNITS THAT DESIRE TO SET UP A BLOG ARE
ENCOURAGED TO EVALUATE THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE
BLOG, THEIR CONTENT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THEIR AUDIENCE. THE
BLOG COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR THE COAST GUARD COMPASS MAY
SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA FOLDER
IN THE LIBRARY OF THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS PUBLIC PLACE IN
THE CG PORTAL.
  D. ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA SITES REQUIRES DHS OFFICE
OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA) CONCURRENCE. BEFORE ESTABLISHING ANY
NEW SITE ON THE INTERNET, UNITS MUST FIRST PROVIDE THE POC
IN PARA 8 THE FOLLOWING IN A BRIEF EMAIL: PURPOSE AND
DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE, INTENDED SCOPE AND AUDIENCE,
CONTENT/COMMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND IF ANY COLLABORATION
POTENTIAL EXISTS. COMDT (CG-0922) STAFF WILL CONSULT WITH THE
REQUESTING UNIT TO DETERMINE IF THE SITE MEETS REQUIREMENTS
AND IS THE BEST TOOL TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES.
COMDT (CG-0922) WILL INFORM THE UNIT IF ANY OTHER DOCUMENTATION
IS REQUIRED.
  E. ALL OFFICIAL BLOGS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES SHALL
COMPLY WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA CHECKLIST PROVIDED IN THE SOCIAL
MEDIA FOLDER IN THE LIBRARY ON THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS PUBLIC PLACE
IN THE CG PORTAL. INCLUDED IN THIS CHECKLIST IS THE MANDATORY
USE OF BLOGGER.COM, A STANDARD COAST GUARD BLOGGER TEMPLATE,
AN AUTHORSHIP POLICY, LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS, AND AN OFFICIAL
COMMENT POLICY THAT HAS BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED.
5. ALL WEB LINKS TO BLOGS OR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES MUST BE
SENT TO THE COMDT (CG-0922) POC IN PARA 8 IN ORDER TO POPULATE
AND DISTRIBUTE THE SITES ON VARIOUS OTHER OFFICIAL SITES AS WELL
AS ON WWW.DHS.GOV/SOCIALMEDIA.
6. THIS AUTHORIZATION SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS A REQUIREMENT.
THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE ANOTHER PIECE OF THE LARGER SOCIAL MEDIA
FRAMEWORK THAT THE COAST GUARD WILL MOVE INTO OVER THE NEXT FEW
YEARS, SOME NOW AND OTHERS LATER AS REQUIREMENTS, RESOURCES AND
EXPERTISE ALLOW.
7. GUIDANCE CONTAINED IN THIS ALCOAST AND ON THE PORTAL SHALL BE
INCORPORATED INTO THE NEXT CHANGE OF REF A.
8. COMDT (CG-0922) POC IS LT CONNIE BRAESCH AT 202.372.4645 OR
CONNIE.L.BRAESCH(AT)USCG.MIL.
9. CAPT KARL L SCHULTZ, ACTING DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AND CAPT MARSHALL B. LYTLE, ACTING ASSISTANT
COMMANDANT FOR COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS, AND
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SEND.
10. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.