Comments on: The Few, The Proud, The Marines Are Banned from Social Media Sites

By: British Using ‘Common Sense’ Strategy For Social Media In The Military | Google MSN Search

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:13:55 +0000

[...] we had a rather strong response to our coverage of the United States Marine Corps’ policy to not allow Marines to access social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter on the Marines’ [...]

By: British Using ‘Common Sense’ Strategy For Social Media In The Military - Google Live Search

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:00:58 +0000

[...] we had a rather strong response to our coverage of the United States Marine Corps’ policy to not allow Marines to access social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter on the Marines’ [...]

By: Bob Williams

Bob Williams — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:22:33 +0000

It's interesting to compare this type of approach with the one from the Air Force. http://www.webinknow.com/2009/04/free-social-media-ebook-and-video-new-media-and-the-air-force-.html .-= Bob Williams´s last blog ..Business decisions: customers, profits, and the golden rule =-.

By: Frank Reed

Frank Reed — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:43:40 +0000

@ Jason – Thanks for your input. I couldn’t agree more that we all probably need to be there to understand. I never have been so I never will truly be able to. Beyond all the ‘overhype’, however, is my sincere gratitude to those who serve and are there.
.-= Frank Reed´s last blog ..Good Sales Help is VERY Hard to Find =-.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:44:56 +0000

All service members are allowed to use any social networking site they choose. This article simply states that on government systems they will be blocked. It’s the same
as your office blocking access to chat or porn or any other site that is NSFW. Or that the deem a waste of company resources or a threat to the security of the business.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:40:56 +0000

While deployed there is plenty of access to morale systems that can be used when off duty. I suppose it is one of those things where you have to be there to understand. This is being overhyped.

By: Busted Keys

Busted Keys — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:05:07 +0000

my friend who had applied to the FBI was not banned from using the likes of Facebook however he was advised not to use his real name or picture for security reasons. this is all understandable. however the suggestion to him was made within 24 hours he had made an update in his Facebook account. that means Big Brother is out there! .-= Busted Keys´s last blog ..Twitter Rocket =-.

By: Frank Reed

Frank Reed — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:37:42 +0000

@Jason – I suspect that Marines in the field don’t have much access to the kind of ‘hot spots’ we Internet marketers refer to. Once again, this is not an indictment of what the USMC is doing because with national security issues at stake it makes sense. This just shows that while we think the Internet is free and open we have to be aware that there are those who use that openness to carry out their less than admirable objectives. It’s really a shame because there is no group in the world that I respect more and feel more passionate about than our armed forces. I wish they could have more ‘freedom’ to stay in touch but I suspect they understand the reasons for this policy better than we do.
.-= Frank Reed´s last blog ..Good Sales Help is VERY Hard to Find =-.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:38:39 +0000

This ban has slowly been implemented across all Department of Defense systems. This is not just a Marine ban. This is strictly for government systems and in no way affects the systems used for morale. They are not saying the Marines cannot access Facebook or MySpace or Twitter on their time. They are saying that Marines cannot access these Social Networking sites while at work.

By: NEWSFLASH Marines Banned from Social Networking Sites - Knee Deep in the Hooah!

NEWSFLASH Marines Banned from Social Networking Sites - Knee Deep in the Hooah! — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:19:40 +0000

[...] Before this may have been posted as bragging rights but as the years pass I think it probably just dates me as one of the old guys, that is my little claim to fame as having been the author of the first Internet Policy of the Marine Corps which was released as an ALMAR (All Marine Message) entitled as I recall “Prohibited and Permissive Use Of The Internet”. I’ll pull the resource tonight as I know exactly where I kept a hard copy of this little document. Anyway, the following caught me by complete surprise – thanks to a twitter from my social networking consultants LanfordSevier in reference to an post penned by Frank Reed [...]

By: Peter Davies

Peter Davies — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:00:18 +0000

The problem is it does not take the wrong people too long to build a profile of someone and what they using social media these days and given the state of the world and the operational aspects of what some of our men and ladies are doing can have grave security implications.

Also military people are by nature suspicious of new tech phenomina.

There are so many social engineering methods in use that this sledge hammer effect seems to be the easiest solution from their perspective.
.-= Peter Davies´s last blog ..Maria Andros – Video Marketing Tutorial =-.

By: Hank

Hank — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:37:40 +0000

As a retired Marine and business owner this is news to me that I’ll be checking into more thoroughly, quite the surprise as over the last few years I’ve been intimately involved in the maturation of social networking.

I actually authored the first Internet Policy of the Marine Corps that was released as an ALMAR (All Marine Message) entitled as I recall “Prohibited and Permissive Use Of The Internet”, I’ll be pulling the document tonight for reference. Fortunately, I will be in Quantico, Virginia (Crossroads of the Marine Corps) 12-16 of August 2009 for an annual reunion with the largest social networking group of Marines – TogetherWeServed – This 1 million member strong organization was originally founded by Marines (another mustang Major Wes Prater et. al.) and now includes members of all Armed Services to include the Coast Guard. Apropos to social networking OPSEC has been part and parcel of the development of TWS and coincidentally I found out about this post here from a twitter alert from one of my social networking consultants LangfordSevier.

Thanks again for bringing this to my attention, I look forward to posting an update in the near future.

With Utmost Respect ~ Semper Fi, Hank
Major – USMC (Retired)
Owner/Founder Devil Dog Brew & Sniper’s Brew
.-= Hank´s last blog ..SemperToons Retail Store NOW OPEN =-.

By: Jaan Kanellis

Jaan Kanellis — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:35:30 +0000

I can understand security to a point, but if it has to come at the cost of our military forces ability to communicate with loved ones then their has to be another option. This is terrible news for those in the military as most communicate through social networks and not by email any longer. Tell me there has to be a better way to secure the network while allowing them to use FB, Twitter whatever. Or at least come forward and admit it is not security issue, rather something else. This is like one big dumb dino-company simply blocking FB or Twitter company-wide without the proper analysis completed internally. .-= Jaan Kanellis´s last blog ..Bing = Yahoo: One Search Result…Finally =-.

By: Andy Beal

Andy Beal — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:30:41 +0000

Some food for thought, thanks for sharing.

You know, even if you look at this superficially, don’t we want our veterans to be able to enter civilian life with social media skills?