Slashdot had an article Air Force Wants Hundreds of Fake Online Identities but I think this is a misnomer. In light of recent frauds committed by Facebook criminals abusing Air Force officers’ identifies I think this is a good move on the part of the Air Force and I believe we’ll see several government organizations and corporations follow suit.
Persona management will allow an organization to create Facebook accounts for users who may not wish to maintain a Facebook presence. I’ve spoken with several people in leadership positions who are uncomfortable with a Facebook account that is related to their work. Several questions arise: Do I friend my subordinates? Do I have to friend my subordinates? How much work info should I share? If I share too little does that reflect poorly on the company? Do I friend non-work friends? Etc. Etc.
If a company/organization builds a proper manager Facebook standard practice guide and employs a persona management system then those managers don’t have to worry. They don’t have to build and maintain a Facebook profile, especially if they have no desire to be on Facebook. This also protects the organization and manager from the manager’s identity being used for fraudulent purposes.
I really doubt the Air Force is trying to use a legion of Facebook sock puppets to gain intel or bolster recruiting efforts. It’s more likely they have a whole legion of 50-somethings middle managers who don’t want to have to use Facebook.
