John Brown, huffingtonpost.com (2011). [JB Comment (10/15/2015): Could the below be a possible -- but perhaps underused -- "weapon" in "the information countermessaging" being undertaken by the Department of State's Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs?]
It has always seemed to me the real art in this business is not so much moving information or guidance or policy five or 10,000 miles. That is an electronic problem. The real art is to move it the last three feet in face to face conversation.
--Edward R. Murrow, director of the United States Information Agency (USIA), which handled outreach to foreign audiences during the Kennedy administration and the Cold War, on ABC TV's "Issues and Answers," August 4, 1963.
[JB addition 10/26/05: "What does convince young men and women to fight for IS, according to Stengel is not so much social media in general but highly focused social media such as e mail and phone calls – personal contact. Combating that, he says, is the job of intelligence services and law enforcement." -- VOA account of its interview with Under Secretary of State Richard Stengel]
John Brown's Body Enterprises, the USA's leading producer of Awesome Communications Software (TM), is proud to announce its latest Killer App, the result of literally thousands of years of development. This unique product, which Computerworld has predicted will be the craze of Generation-Beyond-the-I, has the following unique features: [JB addition 10/26/05: "What does convince young men and women to fight for IS, according to Stengel is not so much social media in general but highly focused social media such as e mail and phone calls – personal contact. Combating that, he says, is the job of intelligence services and law enforcement." -- VOA account of its interview with Under Secretary of State Richard Stengel]
- It requires no factory-produced hardware;
- It automatically reinvents itself, reacting to changes in social situations, spontaneously improving communications to meet evolving human needs;
- Its grid -- called vocalcords -- are 99.9999% glitch-free and are more reliable than today's bug-infested software;
- It cannot be accused of reflecting American capitalistic cultural imperialism, as it is a universally-conceived consumer item;
- Unlike electronic products, it poses no danger to the environment;
- Its use, not only in childhood but beyond, leads to improved brain development and (according to social scientists) higher IQ;
- To get started, its users need no instruction books or specialized training;
- It's a life-long product, unlike other communications tools that last only a few years;
- To function, it requires no awkward "thumbing" or time-consuming pressing of keys;
- Anyone in the world, no matter his/her background, social status, education, or income, can use this product;
- Far more effectively than Twitter, Facebook, or other social media, it brings people together, leading to significant exchanges of ideas and in-depth relationships, including love;
- And last but not least this remarkable communications creation is... TOTALLY FREE
Face-to-face conversation!
No, no need to buy it online -- you already have it in you if you use it!
Note: While this product can be used by every human being on the face of the earth, it can be especially useful for diplomats, including those involved in public diplomacy.
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