The U.S. Government is jumping on the blogging bandwagon. The Transportation Safety Administration has just launched a new blog that will keep travelers informed on safety regulations and changes and will feature posts on hot topics in the TSA.
The blog’s tagline “Terrorists Evolve. Threats Evolve. Security Must Stay Ahead. You Play A Part,” giving rise to the TSA hope that the new blog will give passengers a stake in the ownership of rules and regulations as well as the rationale behind them. The blog is written by multiple people, but none of the bloggers give their full name or position in their posts.
The TSA blog has garnered a lot of attention in the press and blogosphere, both positive and negative. The most common negative remarks are aimed at the use of TSA resources for a blog when there are national security concerns that could be addressed by TSA employees who are spending time blogging.
Others point out that the TSA has been notoriously uncommunicative with passengers and that the new TSA blog is a step in the right direction. The blog has given passengers the ability to give feedback to the agency and there has been a lot of it– most in the form of complaints. Most of the complaints deal with security screening and confiscation of “hazardous” items like toothpaste and shampoo. Items that are seized are left in a bin just outside of the airplane loading area. Passengers on the TSA blog have pointed out that if the materials are truly hazardous, they shouldn’t be left in a public area. One passenger recounted having an unopened bottle of water seized, only to watch the screening employee drink it in front of her.
A few of the complaints have already resulted in policy changes. One such change concerned the removal of all electronics, including cell phones, mp3 players and charging cables, from carry on bags at some airports. Visitors to the site maintained that there was no national policy in place and that local TSA offices had set up those requirements. The practice was discontinued shortly after it was brought to attention on the blog.
TSA Administrator Kip Hawley said that the TSA blog is aimed at providing an interactive experience for passengers, so that they can understand the “why” of the security screening process. “We need to do a better job of explaining the ‘why.’ This blog is aimed at providing an interactive forum where people can share feedback and get answers,” he said.
The blog will continue to address new security concerns and policies, including whole body imaging, multi view x-ray machines and pull out screening for passengers exhibiting suspicious behaviors. The blog drew more than 700 comments the first day and traffic is expected to continually increase as more passengers learn of its presence.
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February 13th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Providing an online blog is a really great idea. As word gets around, they can expect to get alot more traffic and feedback! This definitely a move in the right direction.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
This is a leap forward for the government. In a country where almost every citizen has become a netizen, providing information through online blogs is very good. People would become more aware of the new rules. It will be good if they stick to the rule, rather than just reading it.