Database Reference
In-Depth Information
The Secret version predominantly serves Department of Defense and
Department of State personnel, many of whom do not use the Top Secret
network on a day-to-day basis. Users on unclassified networks can access
Intellipedia from remote terminals outside their workspaces via a VPN
(virtual private network), in addition to their normal workstations. Open
Source Intelligence (OSINT) users share information on the unclassified
network.
Intellipedia was created to share information on some of the most dif-
ficult subjects facing US intelligence and to bring cutting-edge technol-
ogy into its ever-more-youthful workforce. It also allows information to
be assembled and reviewed by a wide variety of sources and agencies to
address concerns that pre-Iraq War intelligence did not, including robust
dissenting opinions on Iraq's alleged weapons programs.
Some view Intellipedia as risky because it allows more information to
be viewed and shared, but most agree that it is worth the risk. The project
was greeted initially with a lot of resistance because it runs counter to past
practice, which sought to limit the pooling of information. Some encour-
agement has been necessary to spur contributions from the traditional
intelligence community. However, the system appeals to the new genera-
tion of intelligence analysts because this is how they like to work, and it's
a new way of thinking.
The wiki provides so much flexibility that several offices throughout
the community are using it to maintain and transfer knowledge on daily
operations and events. Anyone with access to read it has permission to
create and edit articles. Because Intellipedia is intended to be a platform
for harmonizing the various points of view of the agencies and analysts
of the intelligence community, Intellipedia does not enforce a neutral
point-of-view policy. Instead, viewpoints are attributed to the agencies,
offices, and individuals participating, with the hope that a consensus
view will emerge.
During 2006-2007, Intellipedia editors awarded shovels to users to reward
exemplary wiki “gardening” and to encourage others in the community to
contribute. A template with a picture of the limited-edition shovel (actu-
ally a trowel) was created to place on user pages for Intellipedians to show
their gardening status. The handle bears the imprint: “I dig Intellipedia!
It's wiki wiki, Baby.” The shovels have since been replaced with a mug bear-
ing the tag line “Intellipedia: It's what we know.” Different agencies have
experimented with other ways of encouraging participation. For example,
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