Quote :

"Just to let you know, the US Marines have blocked access to “Wonkette” along with numerous other sites such as personal email (i.e. Yahoo, AT&T, Hotmail, etc), blogs that don’t agree with the government point of view, personal websites, and some news organizatons. This has taken effect as of the beginning of February. I have no problem with them blocking porn sites (after all it is a government network), but cutting off access to our email and possibly-not-toeing-the-government-line websites is a bit much. Initially all web blocking was done locally at the hub sites in Iraq. If you wanted a site “unblocked” you just had to email the local administrator with a reason (like, “I’d like to read my email, please.”), and if it wasn’t porn or offensive, they’d allow it. Now, all blocking is done by desk-weenies at the USMC Network Operations Center in Quantico, VA, who really don’t care if we get our email (or gossip) out here, as they get to go to happy hour after working 9 to 5 and go home to a nice clean, warm home with a real bed! (Sorry, I’m a little peeved.)"

Posted to http://www.wonkette.com by a marine in Iraq.

3/1/2006 1:23:23 PM

FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH

3/1/2006 1:24:54 PM

DAMN CHINESE

3/1/2006 1:27:28 PM

DAMN CHINEESE

3/1/2006 1:50:41 PM

3/1/2006 1:52:53 PM

If the g0vt didn't brainwash and "re-educate" the troops, and didn't "reward" their service with college tuition money, I'd suspect that less than half of them would actually serve.

The only ones left would be "blind nationalists" with bloodlust.....

I guess it's a good thing that robots will someday replace 90%+ of troops......

3/1/2006 1:53:51 PM

But you know that robots will insist on being able to view robot porn.

3/1/2006 1:56:57 PM

Quote :

"Just to let you know, the US Marines have blocked access to “Wonkette"

Quote :

"Posted to http://www.wonkette.com by a marine in Iraq."

3/1/2006 1:57:14 PM

I'm sure he probably emailed it to her.

3/1/2006 1:58:46 PM

Quote :

"They also block The Onion, Comedy Central, and all computer gaming sites. We were told it is done to save bandwidth and to prevent people from loafing off at work. […] I also think it might be based on what people are reading. If a site gets a lot of traffic and it’s not considered necessary for Marine Corps business it gets shut down. Well, except for ESPN and other sports sites. They’d have bloody riots on their hands if they did that."

3/1/2006 1:59:27 PM

probably...i just thought it was funny.

3/1/2006 1:59:38 PM

Wonkette is a political blog that occasionally posts emails from readers in the military. I'm not sure what's funny about it. He was like "Yo, your site is blocked now."

Quote :

"If the g0vt didn't brainwash and "re-educate" the troops, and didn't "reward" their service with college tuition money, I'd suspect that less than half of them would actually serve."

Please explain how free college isn't a reward.

3/1/2006 2:22:58 PM

Welcome to the rest of the world. Most employers... block access to sites they want to.

Just thought I'd get that out of the way before the conspiracy theorists out there get warmed up.

3/1/2006 2:27:48 PM

It's a little different when you live at the office for months or years at a time.

Also you're being shot at.

3/1/2006 2:29:03 PM

^ exactly. it's not like anyone thinks it should be illegal. Well, someone probably does, but I don't.

3/1/2006 2:30:24 PM

^^Something tells me the sites employers block would still be blocked if they could make you work in the office for months and years at a time.

3/1/2006 2:31:51 PM

dude, DoD computers here at the Navy base I'm currently stationed at have tons of stuff blocked. I know I couldn't access Gmail one time when I was standing duty.

It's probably a network security thing. at any rate, who cares if Marines can't screw off on gov't computers? if they did, people would bitch about that, too.

and i've definitely never seen any indication that websites are restricted based on whether or not they conform to Uncle's stances.

[Edited on March 1, 2006 at 6:07 PM. Reason : asdf]

3/1/2006 6:07:00 PM

My friend in zee navy told me to use his navy email instead of gmail because GWB wants to read all of his email for seditious things.

3/1/2006 6:15:57 PM

The army used to cut the whiney parts out of soldiers' letters to their moms with scissors. We're not talking national secrets here, just people griping. If you join the military you should know you no longer have any rights.

3/1/2006 7:55:35 PM

shit, the navy has been blocking it's civilian employee's access to certain sites (like gmail and yahoo) for years now, this is nothing new...

3/1/2006 8:00:22 PM

this cant be real

3/1/2006 8:31:28 PM

^^ yup doing it here in DC


no ebay, no yahoo email sometimes, no gmail

block instant messengers


after 3 months they finally unblocked espn lot of angry people

3/1/2006 9:11:43 PM

I find it funny that most responses are indicative of who has a job or not...

3/2/2006 8:30:12 PM

"Unfortunately anonomizers don't work out here (never have). Anyway, I had a few minutes today and thought I'd look and see what else was banned on the Marine web here. I think the results speak for themselves:

* Wonkette – “Forbidden, this page (http://www.wonkette.com/) is categorized as: Forum/Bulletin Boards, Politics/Opinion.”
* Bill O’Reilly (http://www.billoreilly.com) – OK
* Air America (http://www.airamericaradio.com) – “Forbidden, this page (http://www.airamericaradio.com/) is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion.”
* Rush Limbaugh (http://www.rushlimbaugh.com) – OK
* ABC News “The Note” – OK
* Website of the Al Franken Show (http://www.alfrankenshow.com) – “Forbidden, this page (http://www.airamericaradio.com/) is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion.”
* G. Gordon Liddy Show (http://www.liddyshow.us) – OK
* Don & Mike Show (http://www.donandmikewebsite.com) – “Forbidden, this page (http://www.donandmikewebsite.com/) is categorized as: Profanity, Entertainment/Recreation/Hobbies.”

3/7/2006 1:12:43 AM

what's that movie about a submarine with nukes, where Gene Hackman tells Denzel Washington something like "we're here to protect democracy, not practice it"?

3/7/2006 10:34:20 AM

crimson tide

3/7/2006 10:42:19 AM

Quote :

"I find it funny that most responses are indicative of who has a job or not..."

hahah so true

3/7/2006 1:15:39 PM

side tangent:

my wife does clinical research on heart patients. she was reading up on the federal regs recently, when she came across something that basically says that all of the regulatory protections in place to protect patients, do not apply to medical research done by the military on military personnel.

also:

when i was in the military, a guy i knew got a tattoo, which became infected and he got sick. not real bad, but was like laid up for about a week or so. then he was charged and found guilty of "destruction of government property". was reduced in rank, lost several months pay, was restricted to base, and had to do a bunch of extra duty.

point:

"your soul might belong to Jesus, but your ass belongs to Uncle Sam"



[Edited on March 8, 2006 at 12:02 AM. Reason : full metal jacket]

3/7/2006 11:58:16 PM

Quote :

"destruction of government property"

This is actually an urban legend going around. I find it amusing that so many people still think this one is true. It IS illegal under UCMJ to Deliberately Injure ones' self, but it's not "Destructon of Government Property", it's "Self-Injury Without Intent to Avoid Service", under everyones' favorite article (Art. 134).

3/9/2006 4:42:36 PM

^ hmmph.

the dude was in my barracks and everyone was saying he was charged with destruction of govt. property. of course, no one was actally at his Captain's Mast... but he did get hammered for it for sure. losing a stripe was pretty damn excessive any in any event.

(OTOH, he was also generally a fuck up, so maybe it was a culmination of things)



[Edited on March 9, 2006 at 9:55 PM. Reason : ]

3/9/2006 9:54:38 PM

Maybe soldiers aren't interested in Al Franken or The Onion. Maybe they tried to block rushlimbaugh.com, but all the soldiers were like, "FUCK NO, YOU CAN TAKE AL FRANKEN, BUT WE WANT OUR LIMBAUGH!!!"

3/9/2006 10:04:28 PM

Well, it was pointed out by a soldier who was pissed they were blocking the sites.

3/9/2006 10:05:13 PM

Quote :

"^ hmmph. the dude was in my barracks and everyone was saying he was charged with destruction of govt. property. of course, no one was actally at his Captain's Mast... but he did get hammered for it for sure. losing a stripe was pretty damn excessive any in any event."

And the E-4 Legal Mafia strikes once again...



[Edited on March 10, 2006 at 7:56 AM. Reason : .]

3/10/2006 7:30:54 AM

A lot of employers are opening up to personal web use on the job, in jobs that don't have a "normal" workweek. The premise is if you require employees to run their errands on their own time, they'll work less. If they can do stuff on the web and make phone calls during their off time at work, they will stay longer and do more work.

3/10/2006 10:20:44 AM

i worked at a naval hospital IT department between 1999-2002 and they were already blocking personal email. its not anything new.

3/19/2006 11:40:44 PM

yes the sites are blocked in iraq. yes they are blocked on government computers, no they are not blocked on civilian e-mail lines which you have access to pretty anything that doesn't violate general order #1. yes I know for certain because I'm there.

3/23/2006 10:23:03 AM

Hey Maverick, what's the "E-4 Legal Mafia"? Are they the NCO's and below who think they know everything about the inner workings of the UCMJ and offer their unrequested advice?

3/23/2006 11:06:24 AM

it's mav's way of talking down to people of lower rank

3/23/2006 11:42:31 AM

^^yes, pretty much...there is a lot of truth to it. young guys get screwed over sometimes b/c they take the advice of their buddies who don't know any more than they do, instead of going to the proper source and finding out the real deal.

it's not really meant to be a disparaging remark in reference to junior enlisted...it's more along the lines of "don't get an engine swap from a surgeon, and don't get a liver transplant from a mechanic". Talk to the right people if you really need to know the right answer (for example, a JAG).

[Edited on March 23, 2006 at 6:45 PM. Reason : asfd]

3/23/2006 6:41:13 PM

It's a lot like listening to that guy on your floor in your dorm about legal advice such as how to get away with underage drinking and/or driving. It's not founded so much on legal research or knowledge of a regulation like you'd get from a lawyer, but rather based on what SEEMS right, or what they HEARD was right or what they heard someone get in trouble for before (through third or fourth hand information). Or, and this is quite often the case, they've been in trouble themselves enough that they think they know what can get them in trouble (although, if they really knew the law as well as they did, they wouldn't be in trouble, would they? ) There's enough loopholes in any legal system to either keep you out of trouble or get you in trouble. I know

The E-4 (as per the "E-4 Legal Mafia") is in a sophomoric position, since they've been in long enough that they're smarter than the average private, but they don't have the experience or responsibility of a non-commissioned officer. Therefore you get somewhat misguided advice from them. For an example of this phenomenon (non-military, but valid nonetheless), just look at the threads made in the lounge and chit chat where TWWers act like amateur speeding/DUI lawyers.

I used to use the term "barracks lawyer" until I actually heard someone on here use the term "E-4 Legal Mafia" (I think Shrapnel), and it stuck.

[Edited on March 23, 2006 at 9:33 PM. Reason : .]

3/23/2006 9:28:38 PM

DEAR GUBMENT

PLEASE BLOCK THE SPAM

3/23/2006 9:45:31 PM

^^yeah, in the Corps, they're known as "sea lawyers".

3/23/2006 11:41:46 PM