youtube and myspace blocked for troops

redbull · 05-14-2007, 10:09 PM

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...9-2703,00.html

Pentagon bans troops from MySpace and YouTube

* Stephen Farrell in Baghdad and Tim Reid in Washington
* May 15, 2007

US soldiers in Iraq reacted with dismay yesterday after the Pentagon blocked their access to websites including YouTube and MySpace, used widely to send and receive messages and pictures to loved ones at home.

The Pentagon told The Times that the decision had been made for security issues – to protect sensitive information being seen by the enemy – and to reduce drag on the military’s bandwidth.

Soldiers said that the move would hit morale and cut off a crucial link to family and friends.

In a separate move the Pentagon also introduced regulations clamping down on blogs by soldiers. Troops must now have any blog site, and its content, previewed and approved.

The Pentagon said that soldiers were still permitted to use personal laptops and non-military computer servers to access sites including YouTube and MySpace, the social networking website of News Corporation, parent company of The Times, but Pentagon computers and networks are the only ones available to many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One sergeant from Arizona, speaking to The Times in Baghdad, said: “It will bring morale down. This is how a lot of people keep in touch with family and friends.

“Not every soldier has their own personal laptop, and not every FOB (forward operating base) has commercial access to the internet. It will affect them mostly.”

Since last year YouTube has been used by Iraqi insurgents and the US military as part of the wider propaganda battle. Insurgents have posted videos of attacks on US troops, while the Pentagon has posted videos showing US forces defeating insurgents and befriending Iraqi civilians.

Noah Shachtman, who runs a national security blog for Wired magazine, says that the restrictions on blogging and access to websites seem intended to stop soldiers circulating bad news but could also prevent them from providing positive reports from the field.

“This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets,” he said. “And they are muzzling their best voices.”

The announcement was made by General B. B. Bell, commander of US forces in South Korea, who said that the Pentagon was blocking world-wide access to the websites on military computers: “This recreational traffic impacts on our official DoD (Department of Defence) network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant security challenge.”

The US military conceded last night that three soldiers missing in Iraq were probably in the hands of an insurgent group linked to al-Qa'ida.

Cup O Mercury · 05-14-2007, 10:51 PM

It’s a liberal conspiracy to make the troops miserable and homesick. This will cause the troops to yearn for the end of the war which will help with the anti war effort at home. Democrats are as stupid as foxes.

talk show host · 05-14-2007, 10:56 PM

stuff like this just makes me laugh now

Cup O Mercury · 05-14-2007, 11:03 PM

I’m glad you enjoyed that. But be wary of the liberals, they want to control you and have you depend on them.

redbull · 05-14-2007, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cup O Mercury

It’s a liberal conspiracy to make the troops miserable and homesick. This will cause the troops to yearn for the end of the war which will help with the anti war effort at home. Democrats are as stupid as foxes.

you're aware that republicans are in charge over at the pentagon, non?

talk show host · 05-14-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cup O Mercury

I’m glad you enjoyed that. But be wary of the liberals, they want to control you and have you depend on them.

I actually meant redbull's post, just so we're clear. You're fairly easy to ignore thankfully.

jczeroman · 05-15-2007, 01:19 AM

Just add censorship, eminent domain abuse and a terrible constitution to the shining example of good government the US has given Iraq.

Nimrod's Son · 05-15-2007, 01:39 AM

I see no problem with this whatsoever. We're talking about sites that use a huge amount of bandwith - they aren't job related and don't prevent other means of communication. This is something that is being done across the entire DoD - but the media is spinning it to be simply about those "poor soldiers in Iraq."

Eric Blair · 05-15-2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

I see no problem with this whatsoever. We're talking about sites that use a huge amount of bandwith - they aren't job related and don't prevent other means of communication. This is something that is being done across the entire DoD - but the media is spinning it to be simply about those "poor soldiers in Iraq."

Assuming that this will lower the soldiers morale, I would say that should be more of a concern to the army than their bandwidth.

I mean, I'm not a military man or anything, so that's just a guess.

Nimrod's Son · 05-15-2007, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Blair

Assuming that this will lower the soldiers morale, I would say that should be more of a concern to the army than their bandwidth.

I mean, I'm not a military man or anything, so that's just a guess.

Short term they'll grumble a bit but it will pass.

TuralyonW3 · 05-15-2007, 07:34 AM

being in the army sounds awesome

Eric Blair · 05-15-2007, 07:50 AM

I hear people in the army eat people like you for breakfast turalyon

TuralyonW3 · 05-15-2007, 07:55 AM

that New Zealand army must be pretty fierce.

Eric Blair · 05-15-2007, 07:59 AM

I don't believe we were talking about the New Zealand army

gurr8 · 05-15-2007, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

I see no problem with this whatsoever. We're talking about sites that use a huge amount of bandwith - they aren't job related and don't prevent other means of communication.

Nobody was saying that it was job related activity. Do you think soldiers should be on duty 24/7?

GlasgowKiss · 05-15-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurr8

Do you think soldiers should be on duty 24/7?

Pretty sure thats what he thinks man. They're soldiers, in a warzone.

Andrew_Pakula · 05-15-2007, 11:46 AM

Here in Canada the government both provincial(Ontario) and federal have begun blocking sites like Facebook and Myspace as well. I think it is a good thing, government employees are lazy enough as it is, they don't need websites like that making them even more lazy and useless.

RopeyLopey · 05-15-2007, 01:07 PM

it makes one wonder how could the army make it through before youtube and myspace existed.

Corganist · 05-15-2007, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

I see no problem with this whatsoever. We're talking about sites that use a huge amount of bandwith - they aren't job related and don't prevent other means of communication. This is something that is being done across the entire DoD - but the media is spinning it to be simply about those "poor soldiers in Iraq."

I tend to agree. Its not like they've had their regular e-mail access removed. They can still send e-mails home, and attach all the pics and videos they want to them. They just won't be able to show off their cool new background or song on their site.

The stuff about the government having to approve the content of soldiers' blogging bothers me worse than blocking youtube.

TuralyonW3 · 05-15-2007, 04:07 PM

so it's a bandwith issue? they have billions and billions to throw at the war but not enough $$ to support myspace so the soldiers can keep up with friends they're never going to see again because they're gonna get shot tomorrow?

Corganist · 05-15-2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TuralyonW3

so it's a bandwith issue? they have billions and billions to throw at the war but not enough $$ to support myspace so the soldiers can keep up with friends they're never going to see again because they're gonna get shot tomorrow?

They can barely keep the lights on or water running in a lot of Iraq, but the government should be spending big bucks on reliable broadband internet for the middle of the fucking desert so that the troops can Myspace instead of sending a simple e-mail, or god forbid, a letter to the people they want to keep in touch with?

redbull · 05-15-2007, 06:51 PM

i agree. I don't see the issue with myspace/youtube blocked, BUT the blog thing is bullshit and rather disturbing.

Olivier · 05-15-2007, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbull

i agree. I don't see the issue with myspace/youtube blocked, BUT the blog thing is bullshit and rather disturbing.

agreed. i think that this isn't so much an issue of bandwith and time, as it is a matter of security. small details leaked can make a big difference if they're intercepted or something.

DeviousJ · 05-15-2007, 07:19 PM

This is a bit of a weird thing to get riled up over. It's not a holiday camp, and they're not guaranteed particular entertainment while they're over there, right? The blog thing's a little less obvious, but it's still not the same as sending personal emails to people - they're probably pretty restricted on what they can publish to the internet anyway.

Yeah I'm sure it sucks over there and morale is already low, but there are reasons for that other than a lack of myspace access. It'd be a bit better to address those, right?

ibepawpaw · 05-15-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olivier

agreed. i think that this isn't so much an issue of bandwith and time, as it is a matter of security. small details leaked can make a big difference if they're intercepted or something.

Yeah it's all about security. The Jihad is reading everything that the young soldiers talk about, best to cut off some of the bull shit communication that is not necessary and has nothing to do with the war effort

gurr8 · 05-15-2007, 10:56 PM

I guess it's just a clear example of how poorly this war has been managed, especially in regards to troop support.

gurr8 · 05-15-2007, 10:57 PM

This message is hidden because ibepawpaw is on your ignore list.

DeviousJ · 05-16-2007, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurr8

I guess it's just a clear example of how poorly this war has been managed, especially in regards to troop support.

This is what I'm talking about, there are more pressing concerns about the troops over there than their ability to watch hi-larious videos

homechicago · 05-16-2007, 03:24 PM

while i agree that the government shouldn't be allowing myspace and youtube surfing on their networks, i find it hard to believe that this is such a big deal yet the overspending and profiteering seem to matter very little. considering they DON'T sit at desks all day, i think that during downtime at the base it's acceptable, especially for those who have been called back sooner than the military promised or are serving more tours than the military usually allows. also, national guardsmen who probably NEVER counted on being dumped in an INTERNATIONAL location for months on end, i say it's petty to pretend that myspace and youtube are doing this immesurable harm to the state of things over there. nice distraction for the fact that there is no plan other than "keep this going til w gets out of the white house and then it's some other guy's problem"

05-14-2007, 10:09 PM	#1
redbull Immortal Location: like liutenant dan i'm rollin' Posts: 21,016	youtube and myspace blocked for troops http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...9-2703,00.html Pentagon bans troops from MySpace and YouTube * Stephen Farrell in Baghdad and Tim Reid in Washington * May 15, 2007 US soldiers in Iraq reacted with dismay yesterday after the Pentagon blocked their access to websites including YouTube and MySpace, used widely to send and receive messages and pictures to loved ones at home. The Pentagon told The Times that the decision had been made for security issues – to protect sensitive information being seen by the enemy – and to reduce drag on the military’s bandwidth. Soldiers said that the move would hit morale and cut off a crucial link to family and friends. In a separate move the Pentagon also introduced regulations clamping down on blogs by soldiers. Troops must now have any blog site, and its content, previewed and approved. The Pentagon said that soldiers were still permitted to use personal laptops and non-military computer servers to access sites including YouTube and MySpace, the social networking website of News Corporation, parent company of The Times, but Pentagon computers and networks are the only ones available to many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. One sergeant from Arizona, speaking to The Times in Baghdad, said: “It will bring morale down. This is how a lot of people keep in touch with family and friends. “Not every soldier has their own personal laptop, and not every FOB (forward operating base) has commercial access to the internet. It will affect them mostly.” Since last year YouTube has been used by Iraqi insurgents and the US military as part of the wider propaganda battle. Insurgents have posted videos of attacks on US troops, while the Pentagon has posted videos showing US forces defeating insurgents and befriending Iraqi civilians. Noah Shachtman, who runs a national security blog for Wired magazine, says that the restrictions on blogging and access to websites seem intended to stop soldiers circulating bad news but could also prevent them from providing positive reports from the field. “This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets,” he said. “And they are muzzling their best voices.” The announcement was made by General B. B. Bell, commander of US forces in South Korea, who said that the Pentagon was blocking world-wide access to the websites on military computers: “This recreational traffic impacts on our official DoD (Department of Defence) network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant security challenge.” The US military conceded last night that three soldiers missing in Iraq were probably in the hands of an insurgent group linked to al-Qa'ida.

05-15-2007, 11:46 AM	#17
Andrew_Pakula Fine! I'll go make my own web site. With Blackjack, and Hookers... Actually, forget the web site. Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,820	Here in Canada the government both provincial(Ontario) and federal have begun blocking sites like Facebook and Myspace as well. I think it is a good thing, government employees are lazy enough as it is, they don't need websites like that making them even more lazy and useless. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

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05-14-2007, 10:51 PM	#2
Cup O Mercury Ownz Location: Virginia Posts: 778	It’s a liberal conspiracy to make the troops miserable and homesick. This will cause the troops to yearn for the end of the war which will help with the anti war effort at home. Democrats are as stupid as foxes.

05-14-2007, 10:56 PM	#3
talk show host Apocalyptic Poster Location: I thought using a condom was assumed but like, even if you didn't use one how would putting a vegetable in your pussy cause some sort of infection? Like, you can fucking EAT IT, but you can't put it in your fucking vagina and move it around a little Posts: 2,790	stuff like this just makes me laugh now

05-14-2007, 11:03 PM	#4
Cup O Mercury Ownz Location: Virginia Posts: 778	I’m glad you enjoyed that. But be wary of the liberals, they want to control you and have you depend on them.

05-15-2007, 01:19 AM	#7
jczeroman Registered User Location: In my house. Posts: 14,464	Just add censorship, eminent domain abuse and a terrible constitution to the shining example of good government the US has given Iraq.

05-15-2007, 01:39 AM	#8
Nimrod's Son Master of Karate and Friendship Location: in your butt Posts: 72,975	I see no problem with this whatsoever. We're talking about sites that use a huge amount of bandwith - they aren't job related and don't prevent other means of communication. This is something that is being done across the entire DoD - but the media is spinning it to be simply about those "poor soldiers in Iraq."

05-15-2007, 07:34 AM	#11
TuralyonW3 Immortal Posts: 25,684	being in the army sounds awesome

05-15-2007, 07:50 AM	#12
Eric Blair Apocalyptic Poster Location: Let's hang ourselves immediately! Posts: 2,275	I hear people in the army eat people like you for breakfast turalyon

05-15-2007, 07:55 AM	#13
TuralyonW3 Immortal Posts: 25,684	that New Zealand army must be pretty fierce.

05-15-2007, 07:59 AM	#14
Eric Blair Apocalyptic Poster Location: Let's hang ourselves immediately! Posts: 2,275	I don't believe we were talking about the New Zealand army

05-15-2007, 01:07 PM	#18
RopeyLopey Braindead Posts: 15,490	it makes one wonder how could the army make it through before youtube and myspace existed.

05-15-2007, 04:07 PM	#20
TuralyonW3 Immortal Posts: 25,684	so it's a bandwith issue? they have billions and billions to throw at the war but not enough $$ to support myspace so the soldiers can keep up with friends they're never going to see again because they're gonna get shot tomorrow?

05-15-2007, 06:51 PM	#22
redbull Immortal Location: like liutenant dan i'm rollin' Posts: 21,016	i agree. I don't see the issue with myspace/youtube blocked, BUT the blog thing is bullshit and rather disturbing.

05-15-2007, 07:19 PM	#24
DeviousJ CORNFROST Location: GUREITO DESU YO Posts: 24,888	This is a bit of a weird thing to get riled up over. It's not a holiday camp, and they're not guaranteed particular entertainment while they're over there, right? The blog thing's a little less obvious, but it's still not the same as sending personal emails to people - they're probably pretty restricted on what they can publish to the internet anyway. Yeah I'm sure it sucks over there and morale is already low, but there are reasons for that other than a lack of myspace access. It'd be a bit better to address those, right?

05-15-2007, 10:56 PM	#26
gurr8 Ownz Location: Kingston, ON. Posts: 940	I guess it's just a clear example of how poorly this war has been managed, especially in regards to troop support.

05-15-2007, 10:57 PM	#27
gurr8 Ownz Location: Kingston, ON. Posts: 940	This message is hidden because ibepawpaw is on your ignore list.

05-16-2007, 03:24 PM	#29
homechicago Apocalyptic Poster Location: THIS IS IT! Posts: 2,921	while i agree that the government shouldn't be allowing myspace and youtube surfing on their networks, i find it hard to believe that this is such a big deal yet the overspending and profiteering seem to matter very little. considering they DON'T sit at desks all day, i think that during downtime at the base it's acceptable, especially for those who have been called back sooner than the military promised or are serving more tours than the military usually allows. also, national guardsmen who probably NEVER counted on being dumped in an INTERNATIONAL location for months on end, i say it's petty to pretend that myspace and youtube are doing this immesurable harm to the state of things over there. nice distraction for the fact that there is no plan other than "keep this going til w gets out of the white house and then it's some other guy's problem"