The sites covered by the ban are the video-sharing sites YouTube, Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos, and FileCabi, the social networking sites MySpace, BlackPlanet and Hi5, music sites Pandora, MTV, and 1.fm, and live365, and the photo-sharing site Photobucket.The policy is being implemented to protect information and reduce drag on the department's networks, according to Bell.
And that makes sense, except those surely aren't the only sites a soldier can access that would put a drag on the networks. So, protect what information is the question, isn't it?
CNN changed the article at this link since I looked at it this morning. At that time, it said that soldiers could use their own computers to access those sites - assuming they had their own computers - they just couldn't use military computers to do it, which didn't make any sense at all, because it's not the use of a particular computer that puts a drag on the bandwidth, it's the use of the server, which even a personal computer would have to access to get on the internet. The article also said that another reason given for the shutdown of those sites was the loss of productivity while soldiers were accessing them. That didn't make much more sense, since they can waste their time on other sites. Both of those references are missing from the current article as it stands this afternoon.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
When your official duties are criminal and disastrous, downloading videos, music and porn is the BEST use of your time.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it will get through to a lot more of the troops that whatever it is they're fighting for, freedom has nothing to do with it.
you have to wonder how long that might take. in fact, i suspect they already know that. they've had plenty of exposure to the reality.
ReplyDeletewhat i'm wondering is how much personal deprivation they will be willing to tolerate. how many extended tours. how many seriously wounded. how many captured and tortured.
thanks for your comments.