Using the Internet to combat Al Qaeda
In a NYTimes Op-Ed, Daniel Kimmage writes about how we can use the Internet to combat Al Qaeda at their own game. Kimmage goes on to list how Al Qaeda uses the Internet and new media to distribute articles, videos, audio streaming and such to convey their message to sympathetic people around the globe and how we as a country haven't been too good at combating this form of communication that allows Bin Laden and his cronies to continue to stoke the fire that they created on 9/11 and prior.
Kimmage's thesis is something I think is very important and something that we could be focusing on... namely, expanding the access of the Internet into the countries with the most sympathetic people to Al Qaeda. Initially, I didn't follow what he was saying since I thought that if we increase the reach of the Internet in those areas, that will increase the number of people who could be recruited by Al Qaeda. But as he explains, most of Al Qaeda's online message is so extreme that in these areas where there are people who are in line with that kind of thinking and philosophy, there are many more people who don't have access to the Internet who would reject their philosophies if they came across them. In that sense, by opening the Internet more widely, we would see more dissenting voices written by people in those lands who are against Al Qaeda. Kimmage also goes on to note how Al Qaeda operates in a web 1.0 mentality instead of a web 2.0 mentality. Since they are always on the run, they can't constantly update and promote their message... they do it sporadically in a web 1.0 fashion. Whereas if more dissenting voices were heard in the web 2.0 fashion of social networking, that mass of people against Al Qaeda could grow and have a counter influence rather quickly. Now, this isn't something that our military or CIA could pull off but if we take a risk and try to increase access to the Internet in areas that are susceptible to Al Qaeda's message, we might see an online counter weight grow and rise up against them. The more I think about it, the more I believe it's worth the risk.
Kimmage's thesis is something I think is very important and something that we could be focusing on... namely, expanding the access of the Internet into the countries with the most sympathetic people to Al Qaeda. Initially, I didn't follow what he was saying since I thought that if we increase the reach of the Internet in those areas, that will increase the number of people who could be recruited by Al Qaeda. But as he explains, most of Al Qaeda's online message is so extreme that in these areas where there are people who are in line with that kind of thinking and philosophy, there are many more people who don't have access to the Internet who would reject their philosophies if they came across them. In that sense, by opening the Internet more widely, we would see more dissenting voices written by people in those lands who are against Al Qaeda. Kimmage also goes on to note how Al Qaeda operates in a web 1.0 mentality instead of a web 2.0 mentality. Since they are always on the run, they can't constantly update and promote their message... they do it sporadically in a web 1.0 fashion. Whereas if more dissenting voices were heard in the web 2.0 fashion of social networking, that mass of people against Al Qaeda could grow and have a counter influence rather quickly. Now, this isn't something that our military or CIA could pull off but if we take a risk and try to increase access to the Internet in areas that are susceptible to Al Qaeda's message, we might see an online counter weight grow and rise up against them. The more I think about it, the more I believe it's worth the risk.
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