The Foreign Service Journal, June 2011

J U N E 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 45 creased ability to influence the public discourse. A wide va- riety of people now read FS blogs. Current FS personnel read each others’ blogs both for networking opportunities and to learn more about prospective posts during the bidding process. Some blogs, like Best Regards from Baghdad (www.baghdadanne.com), are designed specifically as guides to postings in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the FS blogosphere has an impact beyond its own community, raising the profile of the work of the Foreign Service among the public. The blogs of FS members draw an honest picture of life as a U.S. diplomat and can provide on- the-ground perspectives on issues that are absent frommedia coverage. Students and Foreign Service aspirants use the blogo- sphere as a resource for information on life as a U.S. diplo- mat. FS family members use the blogosphere as a way to net- work and share their experiences of living abroad with friends and family back home. And news junkies see commentary by FS employees as a unique opportunity to gain an insider’s per- spective on foreign affairs. The ability to present the work and perspectives of our For- eign Service directly to both foreign and domestic audiences is a tremendous opportunity to tell the story of U.S. diplomacy — before the history books are written. The following is a sampling of the FS blogosphere at this writing. However, blogs come and go, so the FSJ cannot vouch for the continued existence of these sites. In addition, the opinions expressed in each blog are solely those of its writer. For a complete list of FS blogs, visit: www.afsa.org, an d go to “Publications and Resources.” We are providing the following key to quickly identify some characteristics of the blogs: Outstanding photography Good resource on raising children in the Foreign Service Long-established blog Blog is new to this compilation The Journal The most common form of blog is the personal journal. These sites are chronicles of the life and musings of the blog- ger. For the FS blogger, this usually entails frequent updates pertaining to life at post, observations on the local culture and miscellaneous thoughts on life, family and foreign policy. Readers leave comments, creating a forum for discussion of the blogger’s experiences. The Afghan Plan http://theafghanplan.blogspot.com Following his former blog Face the Sun: Let There Be Light , this FSO has started a new blog for his assignment with a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. The site is well designed, with helpful bars on the left and right showing frequently used acronyms, favorite Meals Ready to Eat and brief descriptions of the “cast of characters” whose nicknames appear in the blog. The posts are witty and entertaining. Hick/Hitchhiker/…Diplomat (!? ) http://4brianhall.blogspot.com Brian, a former hitchhiker and current FSO, is now serv- ing in Ecuador. Brian’s blog contains his musings on every- thing from his current post and his native Nebraska, to the etiquette of kissing cheeks as a greeting and the process of joining the Foreign Service. The Guatemala Holla: Kabul, Afghanistan Edition http://guatemalaholla.blogspot.com This blog started as a chronicle of the life of Matt, “a low- level American diplomat” serving in Guatemala. Matt went to Latvia after Guatemala and is now in Afghanistan. He posts regularly about his life in Afghanistan, his travels and the local culture — often including at least one stunning photograph per post. Worldwide Available http://worldwideavailable.posterous.com Carrie is a USAID Foreign Service officer in Ukraine. In a Dec. 29 post titled “Humbled,” she discussed giving a speech on volunteerism in a rural town. She found her impact as an American diplomat humbling and reflected on her role: “As ‘an American,’ I find that I’mmore an idea than an actual per- son. I have to think of a way to reconcile that idea of America The State Department Weekly Blog RoundUp T he State Department Weekly Blog RoundUp ties together the posts of different FS blogs from the week. Kolbi at A Daring Ad- venture started this weekly summary as part of her own blog. Today, FS bloggers rotate responsibility for hosting the RoundUp on their blogs, and the blogger responsible for writing it often chooses a theme for the week. Recent themes include household help—“(Before the FS) I never knew…” — and overseas housing. FS bloggers send in submis- sions from their blog posts for the theme, and the blogger hosting the RoundUp searches through the community’s blogs for updates that fit the theme. For example, the RoundUp for Jan. 28 was on the topic of children and languages. Ogles and Observations (http://oglesand observations.wordpress.com) wa s the host and provided commen- tary on the topic as well as a summary of posts from nine blogs that dealt with children learning languages. The RoundUp strengthens the online community by bringing to- gether its disparate elements and generating discussion on the week’s blog posts. It also provides opportunities to learn how dif- ferent FS bloggers address common issues and to catch up on the recent goings-on in the FS blogosphere, without reading through every blog. To read recent RoundUps, visit A Daring Adventure’s RoundUp Calendar: http://adaringadventure.typepad.com/blog/weekly-state- department-blog-roundup-calendar.html. — Danielle Derbes