When it comes to life in the military, the word democracy does not come to mind. There are those who give orders, and those who take them, and often there is little room in between. There are those who make the decisions, and those who carry them out.

But it turns out that technology is helping to create a new dialogue between the two extremes, at least when it comes to revising the Army manuals that lay out the rules, procedures and doctrine. The Army has created a website using the same software as the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, and has been encouraging its personnel--from the privates to the generals--to collaboratively rewrite seven of the field manuals that give instructions on all aspects of Army life.

The goal, according to a report in The New York Times, is to tap more experience and advice from battle-tested soldiers rather than relying just on the specialists sitting on the sidelines and in academia.

Under a three-month pilot program, each guide can be edited by anyone around the world who has been issued the ID card that allows access to the Army Internet system. It's a big change in culture, and remains to be seen whether direction can come from the bottom up.

For more on the Army's Wiki:
- see this New York Times article