Army Times has an ongoing request for feedback about Army Knowledge Online, and we’re getting quite an earful about its various faults.
The main criticisms we hear are that AKO’s outdated and not as user friendly as commercial email, like Gmail. One user wrote us and said, “AKO is an antiquated dinosaur that is difficult to access and navigate with much ease. Get rid of it.” And that’s not all.
Horror stories abound about the password procedures that users find too cumbersome, particularly near the fight. “I’ve given up on AKO,” one reader wrote. “It’s so wonderfully secure that customers can’t get in anymore.”
Last month, we reported the Army plans to pursue a cloud-based system for email and software applications, emulating Gmail and Sharepoint. Does this mean relief for all those aggrieved AKO users?
Not so fast. Defense Systems reports that their readers are not confident the new system — hosted by the Defense Information Systems Agency — will get it right either. They quoted a reader named “Keeg.”
I am sorry, but having DISA involved only means more layers of useless self-serving management which will foul the complete system up.
What do you think? Email us.
