An email from one of our boys in Iraq posted on a blog:

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.)

http://wonkette.com/politics/iraq/were-bri...home-157660.php

 

 

 

His update of the blocking then raises some flags as apparently certain liberal sites are blocked. Probably would require more actual research, but this is coming from within.

 

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 (www.billoreilly.com) ? OK
  
• Air America (www.airamericaradio.com) ? "Forbidden, this page (http://www.airamericaradio.com/) is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion."
  
• Rush Limbaugh (www.rushlimbaugh.com) ? OK
  
• ABC News "The Note" ? OK
  
• Website of the Al Franken Show (www.alfrankenshow.com) ? "Forbidden, this page (http://www.airamericaradio.com/) is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion."
  
• G. Gordon Liddy Show (www.liddyshow.us) ? OK
  
• Don & Mike Show (www.donandmikewebsite.com) ? "Forbidden, this page (http://www.donandmikewebsite.com/) is categorized as: Profanity, Entertainment/Recreation/Hobbies."
  
• http://wonkette.com/politics/wonkette/our-boys-need-gossip-158687.php
  

 

Here's the deal:

 

http://www.ioerror.us/2006/03/01/this-is-secure-computing/

 

Explains it pretty well.

 

Main points:

 

Secure Computing?s SmartFilter technology classifies millions of Web sites into 73 different categories, such as Business, General News, Politics/Opinion, Dating/Social, Criminal Skills, Humor, Profanity, Nudity, and many more. A Web site can be listed in more than one category.

 

The key here is that the end user who purchases the proxy server decides which categories to allow and which to block when setting up and maintaining the equipment. Blocked sites can also be added to a local whitelist for that proxy server, in case users actually do need access to a blocked site.

 

...But in related news, today Wonkette found itself reclassified, added to the Profanity category. And who blocks profanity? Among many others, the U.S. Navy.

 

Read the full article. It's quick and actually quite interesting.

Ah.

 

Raises the question, when you're a solider fighting in a war when are you off-duty? If you're a soldier, 24/7 and that's your job, as much as it sucks to say, they have every right, I guess. Doesn't seem very democratic, though, does it?

 

Also you don't want morale issues because of something they read from the biased liberal media that you happen to think is absolutely true.

 

I mean, we think business have a right to make sure their employees aren't looking at porn and myspace while they're at work, but then again they aren't soldiers who havbe no contact with family either.

 

When to draw the line. I think they might be overstepping their bounds a little bit, but as long as it's personal stuff that they CAN check, I'm not sure I'm as against it (for morale reasons only).

Ah.

 

Raises the question, when you're a solider fighting in a war when are you off-duty? If you're a soldier, 24/7 and that's your job, as much as it sucks to say, they have every right, I guess. Doesn't seem very democratic, though, does it?

 

Also you don't want morale issues because of something they read from the biased liberal media that you happen to think is absolutely true.

 

I mean, we think business have a right to make sure their employees aren't looking at porn and myspace while they're at work, but then again they aren't soldiers who havbe no contact with family either.

 

When to draw the line. I think they might be overstepping their bounds a little bit, but as long as it's personal stuff that they CAN check, I'm not sure I'm as against it (for morale reasons only).

 

 

A good, logical, well thought out post by Buckeye.

 

Hell has frozen over :o .