USMC bans Twitter, MySpace and Facebook

[msbae]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/08/marines-ban-twitter-myspace-facebook/

This makes me glad I joined the Army instead. They recently issued orders requiring all their bases worldwide to provide access to Facebook. I'm pretty sure that would mean MySpace is accessible as well. I don't care about Twitter.

 

[PurpleBuddha]

I think it is only prudent. I would take it a step further and say to allow access is extreme negligence for obvious reasons.

 

[msbae]

I think it is only prudent. I would take it a step further and say to allow access is extreme negligence for obvious reasons.

I think this ban is for work computers used while on duty. Military personnel should still be able to access these sites from home.

Article on the subject from Star and Stripes, complete with a graph showing which sites are banned by which service branch.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64044

Apparently, YouTube was banned because of bandwidth concerns. That's believable.

 

[Michael Chris]

I really hope that does NOT happen with the army. That's the only way I really talk to one of my buddies in South Korea is on MySpace (pretty much the only reason I actually use MySpace).

 

[Lior .B.]

The Israeli navy also blocks Facebook and other social networks.

 

[Rii]

I mentally completed the abridged thread title from the main page as "USMC bans Twitter, MySpace and other assorted faggotry".

 

[Michael Chris]

Facebook is great.

 

[Maurice]

I mentally completed the abridged thread title from the main page as "USMC bans Twitter, MySpace and other assorted faggotry".

And do you always go there?

 

[msbae]

The Israeli navy also blocks Facebook and other social networks.

The Israelis are also exceptionally paranoid.

 

[Rii]

I mentally completed the abridged thread title from the main page as "USMC bans Twitter, MySpace and other assorted faggotry".

And do you always go there?

I don't always get the mental image when reading partial headlines of a drill sergeant railing against services popularised by college students, no.

 

[msbae]

I mentally completed the abridged thread title from the main page as "USMC bans Twitter, MySpace and other assorted faggotry".

And do you always go there?

I don't always get the mental image when reading partial headlines of a drill sergeant railing against services popularised by college students, no.

D.I.'s had nothing to do with this decision. It came down from the Marine side of the DoD.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Given the need for operational security, and the KoobFace virus, this dosen't suprise me.

Loose lips sink tanks.

 

[hyzmarca]

There are some serious psychological advantages to the use of social networking tools. The soldier who can IM with his wife while being shelled by North Koreans (or by friendly fire) is much more likely to be sane and stable than the fellow who has only the wit and witticism of Captain Hawkeye Pierce to get him through the ordeal.

 

[Jester808]

I've had to move to Skype to communicate with my Brother-in-Law who is in Iraq now (USMC 3/3). It's not that big of a deal, we actually like using Skype now instead of MySpace or even AIM. We like to be able to do a Conference Video Call between myself here in Texas, My Sister (his Wife) in Hawaii, and him in Iraq.

Being able to communicate with us and see us has helped him a great deal in dealing with alot of the stuff he sees and interacts with everyday. I think if more soldiers are able to do this, or have someone outside of the warzone, it would greatly decrease the effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome they are likely to encounter.

 

[Deks]

I personally see 0 need to use Twitter, MySpace or Facebook.
Pointless.

 

[SilentP]

I personally see 0 need to use Twitter, MySpace or Facebook.
Pointless.

And your reasoning is?

 

[FordSVT]

And do you always go there?

I don't always get the mental image when reading partial headlines of a drill sergeant railing against services popularised by college students, no.

D.I.'s had nothing to do with this decision. It came down from the Marine side of the DoD.

Its like no one in this place can take a joke, Rii.