Documents
Drowning In Information
May 28, 2015
(U) Op-ed: Leave Bright Pebbles, Net Breadcrumbs, fer These Ceming After
Yeu
FROM:
Chinese VeicefGraphic Language Analyst
Run Date: D9f24f2?l?
(UKKFDUD) Editer's nete: In this ep-ed piece, _prevides seme theughts en the need
te decument and share what we knew.
(U) emeunt efsignel-te-neise that peeple have te sift.
(UKKFDUD) This quete appeared en Tapieca recently. It caught my attentien because we are
drewning in infermatien. And yet we knew nething. Fer sure.
(U) Anyene knew just hew many teels are available at the Agency, alene? Weuld yeu knew where
te ge te find eut?
(U) Anyene ever start a new target er a new language er IA [Intelligence Analysis] teurfinternship
witheut the first clue where te begin? Did yeu ever start a preject wendering if yeu were the sele
persen in the Intelligence Cemmunity te werk this preject? Hew weuld yeu find eut?
(UKKFDUD) Hew abeut vecabulary er target knewledge? What if yeur management feels that
linguists are fungible assets te be meved areund where necessary, target eap ertise and
ef knewledge be damned?
(UKKFDUCI) Let us assume that yeu might knew a few places te leek: Werdscape, er a
relevant Classified wiki page en the Agency's netwerks er even -- gasp -- the Target Knewledge
Base (TKB).
(UHFCIUD) Here is where the nightmare begins: What if the infermatien yeu se desperately seek is
net there? De yeu keep turning te yeur pedmates (whe might alse be new te the jeb) er te yeur
menter er te the "target guru" in yeur Preduct Line (whe might net be willing te help yeu after the
2?th time)?
Let us centinue with the nightmare: The infermatien is net available because ne ene
put it there. wiki, ne Werdscape entry, nething in TKB.
Why?
(UKKFDUCI) Here are seme "reasens":
1. "Our branch Chief leeked at it and determined it was net user-friendly. Se we'll
centinue te use eur Excel spreadsheets."
2. have way tee much werk te de te feed TKB all day. I might send areund mass emails,
hewever."
3. keep my vecab en a flat file."
(U) Op-ed: Leave Bright Pebbles, Net Breadcrumbs, fer These Ceming After
Yeu
FROM:
Chinese VeicefGraphic Language Analyst
Run Date: D9f24f2?l?
(UKKFDUD) Editer's nete: In this ep-ed piece, _prevides seme theughts en the need
te decument and share what we knew.
(U) emeunt efsignel-te-neise that peeple have te sift.
(UKKFDUD) This quete appeared en Tapieca recently. It caught my attentien because we are
drewning in infermatien. And yet we knew nething. Fer sure.
(U) Anyene knew just hew many teels are available at the Agency, alene? Weuld yeu knew where
te ge te find eut?
(U) Anyene ever start a new target er a new language er IA [Intelligence Analysis] teurfinternship
witheut the first clue where te begin? Did yeu ever start a preject wendering if yeu were the sele
persen in the Intelligence Cemmunity te werk this preject? Hew weuld yeu find eut?
(UKKFDUD) Hew abeut vecabulary er target knewledge? What if yeur management feels that
linguists are fungible assets te be meved areund where necessary, target eap ertise and
ef knewledge be damned?
(UKKFDUCI) Let us assume that yeu might knew a few places te leek: Werdscape, er a
relevant Classified wiki page en the Agency's netwerks er even -- gasp -- the Target Knewledge
Base (TKB).
(UHFCIUD) Here is where the nightmare begins: What if the infermatien yeu se desperately seek is
net there? De yeu keep turning te yeur pedmates (whe might alse be new te the jeb) er te yeur
menter er te the "target guru" in yeur Preduct Line (whe might net be willing te help yeu after the
2?th time)?
Let us centinue with the nightmare: The infermatien is net available because ne ene
put it there. wiki, ne Werdscape entry, nething in TKB.
Why?
(UKKFDUCI) Here are seme "reasens":
1. "Our branch Chief leeked at it and determined it was net user-friendly. Se we'll
centinue te use eur Excel spreadsheets."
2. have way tee much werk te de te feed TKB all day. I might send areund mass emails,
hewever."
3. keep my vecab en a flat file."
4. "We're allnwed tn gn tn nr anything nn let-Space."
WREL) Result: Ynu're nut nf luck:
1. The phnne number nr name ynu're lnnking is in TKB. Never mind the lack nf any
attachments nr extra even if the phnne number dnes happen tn return as
"entered."
2. The vneabulary item [English nr target language) is in e. And ynu
sweet-fanny- all abnut nuelear pnwer.
3. Ynu never find nut that, nn A-Spaee, there are grnups nf target experts ehamping at the bit
tn share their expertise. And have pnsted answered questinns, set up and
even "tagged" key items.
I is imperative we begin sharing -- permanently -- what we knnw. The days nf
shnwing up at NSA, np ening ynur desk drawer, and then lneking up that very drawer years later
-- are gnne. The days nf tnurs, internships, "fungible asset" are the new rule.
Ema?, sn new tn snme nf us nver 2U years agn -- is viewed as quaint.
What can ynu dn, right nnw, nn ynur nwn, tn leave bright pebbles rather than
breaderumbs thnse
Simple:
- Start pnpulating a database near ynu: TKB,
- Dnn't anything abnut "Gn Firefly" and the TKB penple are willing tn
enme right tn ynur desk.
- e: type "wi [takes ynu tn the wiki page
- There are links tn varinus language dietinnaries ynu can start pnpulating! Tnday!
- Start a .TnurnalNSA blng: Share ynur expertise. Engage with nther
- Create a wiki page ynur area nf expertise.
- Visit a way tn dump ynur sites and tag them sn nthers can
just click tn find the that has been helpful tn ynu.
- Start visiting A-Spaee. Jnin snme grnups. Answer questinns ynur IE partners
In Dnn't let thnse enming behind ynu suffer the way ynu have.
Have thnughts nn this tnpie? them nn the Blng. Cnmments nn the
article itself can be submitted using the abnut this article" buttnn belnw.
4. "We're allnwed tn gn tn nr anything nn let-Space."
WREL) Result: Ynu're nut nf luck:
1. The phnne number nr name ynu're lnnking is in TKB. Never mind the lack nf any
attachments nr extra even if the phnne number dnes happen tn return as
"entered."
2. The vneabulary item [English nr target language) is in e. And ynu
sweet-fanny- all abnut nuelear pnwer.
3. Ynu never find nut that, nn A-Spaee, there are grnups nf target experts ehamping at the bit
tn share their expertise. And have pnsted answered questinns, set up and
even "tagged" key items.
I is imperative we begin sharing -- permanently -- what we knnw. The days nf
shnwing up at NSA, np ening ynur desk drawer, and then lneking up that very drawer years later
-- are gnne. The days nf tnurs, internships, "fungible asset" are the new rule.
Ema?, sn new tn snme nf us nver 2U years agn -- is viewed as quaint.
What can ynu dn, right nnw, nn ynur nwn, tn leave bright pebbles rather than
breaderumbs thnse
Simple:
- Start pnpulating a database near ynu: TKB,
- Dnn't anything abnut "Gn Firefly" and the TKB penple are willing tn
enme right tn ynur desk.
- e: type "wi [takes ynu tn the wiki page
- There are links tn varinus language dietinnaries ynu can start pnpulating! Tnday!
- Start a .TnurnalNSA blng: Share ynur expertise. Engage with nther
- Create a wiki page ynur area nf expertise.
- Visit a way tn dump ynur sites and tag them sn nthers can
just click tn find the that has been helpful tn ynu.
- Start visiting A-Spaee. Jnin snme grnups. Answer questinns ynur IE partners
In Dnn't let thnse enming behind ynu suffer the way ynu have.
Have thnughts nn this tnpie? them nn the Blng. Cnmments nn the
article itself can be submitted using the abnut this article" buttnn belnw.