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View Full Version : Pentagon Blocks Troop Access To YouTube, MySpace


Richard Tafoya
May 14th, 2007, 03:03 PM
AP:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070514/military-sites-blocked

Lt. Daniel Zimmerman, an infantry platoon leader in Iraq, puts a blog on the Internet every now and then "to basically keep my friends and family up to date" back home.

It just got tougher to do that for Zimmerman and a lot of other U.S. soldiers. No more using the military's computer system to socialize and trade videos on MySpace, YouTube and nine other Web sites, the Pentagon says.

Citing security concerns and technological limits, the Pentagon has cut off access to those sites for personnel using the Defense Department's computer network. The change limits use of the popular outlets for service members on the front lines, who regularly post videos and journals.

"I put my blog on there and my family reads it," said Zimmerman, 29, a platoon leader with B Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment.

"It scares the crap out of them sometimes," he said.

"I keep it as vague as possible," he said. "I'm pretty responsible about it. It's just basically to tell a little bit about my life over here" he said.

He's regularly at a base where he doesn't have Defense Department access to the Internet, but he has used it when he goes to bigger bases. He'll have to rely on a private account all the time now.

ConnieB
May 15th, 2007, 11:57 PM
I agree with this. The defense department's network should not be used for personal use such as blogging and sending videos in the first place. Just like many school's have blocked these same webpages for security concerns, and I know some employers have banned using these sites during work hours. If they want to blog, then do it on their own time with their own account.

SparkleHugs
May 16th, 2007, 12:05 AM
Can they still use them on on their own time and their own personal laptops??

pinky
May 16th, 2007, 07:23 AM
I have mixed feelings about this. I can see the DoD's position and concern about what's being blogged. I also see Connie's point about how private corporations and schools have also blocked access.

But our military personnel in Iraq can't go home from work or school and talk with their families, vent their feelings, and share their concerns. They are the first generation of combatants who have had the opportunity to communicate instantly with home. Considering all they've been giving up, and for so many deployments in some cases, they ought to be able to continue to do that.

DoubleEdgeSword
May 16th, 2007, 02:46 PM
MySpace and YouTube have replaced letter writing. Unfortunately, the world can now "read" your letters. I can understand the DOD wanting to control the flow of information made public.

Richard Tafoya
May 16th, 2007, 03:07 PM
Most companies and schools that block these sites do so primarily to minimize wasted desk time. Security concerns rank as a secondary issue.

DoubleEdgeSword
May 16th, 2007, 06:26 PM
True, but the DOD's stated primary concern is security, and I see the point. Not sure what "technological limits" are all about, possibly server issues?