Originally Posted by
chollie
But isn't that the point of a moderated blog? If TSA wasn't going to commit adequate resouces to the blog or if Bob simply isn't up to the task, perhaps it would be better to shut it down and end the charade.
I get the point about folks at small/slow airports having limited experience. I don't quite get why they automatically assume that if they haven't personally seen it, the pax must be lying. But what is wrong with Bob stepping in when an alleged TSO makes an incorrect post? If he steps in and adds/corrects the post, both the pax and the errant TSO can benefit. He does occasionally step in to 'correct' a pax, but I never see him do it with posts by alleged TSOs that are clearly incorrect. That lapse on his part just increases the 'us vs them' tone of the blog. It encourages the view that Bob thinks TSA and alleged TSOs are always righter than pax. It certainly doesn't come across as anything remotely 'fair and balanced'.
(I make a point of referring to 'alleged' TSOs because I don't know if Bob always knows if someone professing to be a TSO really is one or not. Whether it's a non-TSO masquerading as a TSO to stir up trouble or an actual TSO with limited experience and an assumption that pax make things up, if Bob steps in and corrects the information, everyone benefits).
I believe I've seen you express awareness of the limitations of the blog. I believe someone (you or someone using your screenname posts there from time to time). Just curious...improving the blog doesn't seem so difficult to me - doesn't require Congressional hearings, extensive and costly 'training programs', etc. It's been years now - why don't we see any sign of improvement?
Too bad they can't hire Randy Peterson or some of the mods here. The blog would be vastly improved in short order. Not necessarily from the point of view of TSOs who don't know what they are talking about and expect unconditional support, but overall it would be better for all of us, pax and TSA.
I have seen Bob jump in on TSOs, and I have corrected one before, but I am merely a cog in the wheel. I think one problem is that the agency does not devote a great deal of resources to the TSA blog - please do not quote me on that, as I am not in HQ, I do not have printouts on manhours and such, so I can't comment intelligently on that, it is just the way it feels at this point. For the situation he is in, Bob does a fairly good job of keeping most of the balls he has to juggle in the air. Many .gov blogs have a dedicated staff of 4-5 persons - TSA, not so much. Interesting you should mention the "alleged TSOs", they show up all the time and some of them are certainly not TSOs. No member of an organization like this should expect unconditional support - you have to be in the right before support can be given by the agency, and if you are in the wrong, then there should be steps taken to correct that. I will send Bob a note indicating that correcting more "TSOs" and TSOs would be mroe forthcoming to the public. Another problem that the blog team runs into is they are given SOP or how it is interpreted at HQ (i.e. the spirit of the SOP), and sometimes by the time that SOP reaches the user end, the interpretation is different. This is the same with any large organization in many cases. I feel we should be doing a better job of getting the same interpretation of the SOP at all end users, so when Bob posts a thread about something going on, the TSO you meet in LAX, or DCA or even here should be at the least pretty close to each other. Communication is one of our biggest challenges as an agency (of course, that seems to be the biggest challenge for ANY agency).
Originally Posted by
N965VJ
Let's not blame the travelling public for the TSA not being able to put in place a mechanism for the dissemination of suggestions. Your own colleagues have said that
IdeaFactory, the TSA's internal program for employees, has the same issues.
I was not blaming the public for anything, I was merely pointing out that it is difficult to read through 300 posts where maybe 10-15 of them have constructive information you could actually use or forward up the chain for consideration, and the others are simply something along the lines of "Nazi this, fascist that, I hate you, fondle this, grope that, hope you all die, no one has ever used children for anything evil, no one has ever used the elderly for anything evil, sexual abuse, sexual assault, pervert, porno purveyors" et cetera. When you dig through the comments, and a majority of them are non-constructive, it makes missing the constructive ones easy. I think that the Idea Factory has challenges (come on, what program DOESN'T?), but some good changes and programs have come from it despite those challenges.
Originally Posted by
gojirasan
I think it is important to understand that there is a war going on here. The TSA and DHS declared a war against "terror" whatever that means. Although they seem to cause quite a bit of it themselves at checkpoints. I know I am scared by them. Even though my fear is of missing my plane.
The real war is between the TSA and the flying public and especially between the TSA and "Domestic Extremists" like the majority of the posters here. When a TSO posts here it is like someone from the National Socialist party of WWII Germany posting in a Jewish forum. Our views of the world and of right and wrong are just so different that it takes extra effort on both sides to have a peaceful discussion.
I for one am very glad that some TSOs have thick enough skin to even consider posting in a forum like this. It is the only way for us to get information directly from the horses mouth. But not to expect hatred on both sides is unrealistic. We are enemies. While I don't think it is warranted at the moment, I would eventually be willing to pick up a gun and participate in an armed rebellion to defend our freedom to travel. That means that the TSOs and I would be on opposite sides in a very real war.
Despite your commentary to the contrary, I do not consider the folks that post things of a different opinion to be enemies. We are all in the same boat here, we just have different points of view on certain subjects. I disagree with your analogy above, it is a challenge to post here as a TSO because of the level of vitriol from some of the regulars. It is a joy to post here when one of the regulars makes a point for me (which happens from time to time). I come here to try and have constructive dialogue, sometimes I am happy because I get it, sometimes not so much. The only way for me to foster positive change is to learn as much as I can and forward it to those that may get it to someone that can make those changes. That is why I come here, and I hope that TB will do the same, as an LEO they have a completely different viewpoint, and it is nice to see them post it here (regardles of the sometimes crappy responses they get).