Reddit has blossomed into one of the largest website destinations in the world and through its use may social issues have been addressed, friendships have been formed and problems have been solved. It’s the latter outcome of Reddit that has led the Pentagon into building a Defense Department-approved version of Reddit called “Eureka.”
The new website according to Defense News will launch next month and instead of sharing strange stories from Gawker and naked photos inside sub-reddits, the website will focus on solving real-time issues brought forth by military members who will each be given access to the platform via a personal account.
The goal is to have military members post and vote on problems hindering military efficiency. The more upvotes a problem gets the faster it will be looked at and suggestions will be considered.
According to one military official:
“Sometimes we need that infusion of great ideas coming in from an external source.”
To keep military members active on the website the Pentagon is taking the idea of Reddit one step further, offering competition and even compensation for troop members who come up with good ideas and post on a regular basis.
One skeptic of the program is Reddit’s general manager who tells Wired :
“It could be powerful if done right, but getting the critical mass of active engagement necessary to make something like this work is tough.”
Whether or not the program will be a success doesn’t really matter, what does matter is that the military after years of overspending and inefficiency is finally trying to find 21st century solutions for 19th century problems.
