I find it ironic that Strategic Command is cutting off it’s nose to spite its face.
Not much of a strategy.
From Stars and Stripes:
Starting Monday, the Defense Department will block access to MySpace, YouTube and a host of other sites on official department computers worldwide, in an effort to boost its network efficiency.
Troops and families living on U.S. bases will still be able to view the sites through private Internet networks, but the move leaves servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan who use the popular picture- and video-sharing sites with little or no access to them.
[…]
“We’re not passing any judgment on these sites, we’re just saying you shouldn’t be accessing them at work,” said Julie Ziegenhorn, spokeswoman for U.S. Strategic Command. “This is a bandwidth and network management issue. We’ve got to have the networks open to do our mission. They have to be reliable, timely and secure.”
What a dumb, dumb idea.
First, access to these web sites are good for morale.
More importantly, these sites are about connecting people. They are about social networks, sharing videos and images and stories. In an age where the civil-military divide is a growing problem, you don’t want to eliminate online outlets for social connectivity.
A better understanding of the military = more support for the military. Is Is Strategic Command saying that Internet bandwidth is more valuable than public support?
Update: AFIS is reporting that the blocked social networking sites have yet to cause problems — the decision to block the sites was a “preventative step.” From the article:
The popularity of the sites has not affected operations yet, but blocking them prevents them from causing such a problem, officials said.
“It is a proactive measure. We do not want a problem with demand for these sites clogging the networks,” a U.S. Strategic Command official said.
FYI: Your blog is now blocked from my gov’t computer at Hickam AFB.
They’re really cracking down.
Youtube and Myspace have long been blocked at my installation. As are most humor/video/mp3 type sites.
In a case like this, it really is a bandwidth issue more than anything.
AL,
I don’t deny that blocking these sites will ease bandwidth demands; MySpace and YouTube are among the most trafficked sites on the Internet.
My point is two-fold:
1) Military officials have already said that there has yet to be a situation where use of these blocked social networking sites has hindered mission.
2) By blocking these sites, the military has made a value judgment that the potential threat to online communications posed by these sites is outweighed by the communication value they provide to the military. I find fault in this position.
[…] Admiral Elizabeth Hight, a Pentagon flag officer in charge of global network operations, repeatedly referred to the blocked sites as “recreational” in nature, while only casually admitting that public affairs offices […]
[…] military banned 12 sites at the time — including MySpace and YouTube. I have written about this before, and I can can tell you for certain that the ban had nothing to do with class. […]
[…] had maintained MySpace blogs migrated to other platforms like Blogger after U.S. Strategic Command decided to ban MySpace. If one by one, the military starts blocking blogging platforms, it will eventually leave Soldiers […]
Exactly, how I feel Steven Field. Being that the government censors everything coming into the country, it makes it harder for us to imagine the violent images our soldiers have seen. Thus, causing more soldeirs (I believe) to commit suicide. You’re also, making life a lot harder for them as well, not fun.