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ShnickyShnack wrote:

Keeping an eye on the rank 'n' file

A Virginia-based operation, the Army Web Risk Assessment Cell, monitors official and unofficial blogs and other Web sites for anything that may compromise security. The team scans for official documents, personal contact information and pictures of weapons or entrances to camps.

In some cases, that information can be detrimental, said Lt. Col. Stephen Warnock, team leader and battalion commander of a Manassas-based Virginia National Guard unit working on the operation.

In one incident, a blogger was describing his duties as a guard, providing pictures of his post and discussing how to exploit its vulnerabilities. Other soldiers posted photos of an Army weapons system that was damaged by enemy attack, and another showed personal information that could have endangered his family.

"We are a nation at war," Warnock said by e-mail. "The less the enemy knows, the better it is for our soldiers."

Actually I think this is quite interesting. Imagine if previous wars like Vietnam had had blogging and email, eh? Imagine if the guys on Iwo Jima had had access to this technology. Or the guys at Stalingrad or Pusan or wherever. Think about it, this smurf allows direct, unfiltered broadcasting of the impressions and experiences of guys in the field. What are the implications for the future?

Well since Im over here and I have to deal with this Id like to clear it up a bit.  First yeah all of our stuff is watched and read.  But its not for censorship.  Hell we can say anything bad about the Army or Goverment that we want (well within reason about the Goverment).  I mean we cant go saying we want to kill the Prez or anything.  But we can keep anti war blogs and such if thats hour our opinions tilt. 

The only reason they do it is to keep sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. 

Now I can only speak from waht Ive seen but since Ive been here I havent seen a soldier get in trouble for a blog.  When something like that comes up the soldier is just made to remove it and counseled on what they did wrong. 

Just thought I would clear up any misconceptions on this.