Mapping the Great Beyond: Identifying Meaningful Networks in

30 MAPPING THE GREAT BEYOND
continue to be of pressing concern, similar to the importance of
mapping the communities with which an organization engages in
the physical world. Empowered by easily accessible information,
public diplomats can begin to make decisions about engagement
on the basis of a richer understanding of the online environment in
which they interact.
The information and these tools are out there and for the most
part freely available. My hope is that many international actors are
already engaged with much if not all of these tools, but my fear is
that examples of genuine engagement, rather than micro-broadcast
systems, are the exception rather than the rule.
This is not an attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of
the available tools. It merely identifies a few examples of various
tools available to demonstrate the deeper point that they can explain
the nature of social networks with which a Public Diplomacy
organization engages. It equally is intended to suggest possibilities
for using the tools; these are not gadgets for gadgets’ sake but, as
the following sections further demonstrate, visualizing the available
data can be used in both strategy and evaluation. Individuals will
have their personal favorites. Different tools are more useful for
different purposes, and some approaches will suit some organizations
more than others. However, whichever gadget or tool is used, the
key element is that finding the appropriate method to understand
the networks with which an organization interacts can empower
practitioners to have greater impact at the level of practical day-today
engagement. Looking beyond the gadgets and focusing on the
networks will provide a means to understand ongoing interaction
as the technology continues to evolve. However, I’m afraid Public
Diplomacy organizations are still culturally, bureaucratically and
technologically limiting their staff. As MountainRunner put it: “It
would be great to be wrong. Prove me wrong.” 41