But I also have some concerns. It seems really light on some key operational issues, such as how do I integrate social media monitoring into my emergency response organization? How do I verify content? It does address verification and validation, but in a way that's a bit too academic and less than helpful for the folks on the ground who need to know how to determine fact from fiction.
My main concern is this: It's not that complicated. Ultimately, like so many government-sponsored reports, this one ends with the expected conclusion: more study is needed. Sure, more study is needed, and it will be done. But for folks looking to get going with social media monitoring and start figuring out how to make it work in their emergency response operation, I'm not sure how helpful this will be.
I do encourage you to read it and learn from it, but don't be put off by all the terminology and lists of additional questions. You want to get started? Just get on social media and start discovering for yourself what amazing things can be found.
