We've also heard reports that other elements of ISAF can no longer access SWJ. Anyone have any intel on this? Thanks.
Update: While we are on the subject (also see jcustis comment below), we have also gotten reports that the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) has, at least at times and at certain locations, blocked Small Wars Journal and the Small Wars Council discussion board. This includes CONUS and OCONUS locations. Intel on this would also be appreciated.
Update 2: When it rains it pours. From the comment section below from Andy: "My Air Force Network blocks SWJ as well. They use, IIRC, Blue coat. Like jcustis, no joy getting the site removed from the blacklist. It looks like what they do is categorize websites and then block specific categories. So if the category includes "blog" or "forum" then it gets blocked." Anyone else out there?
Comments
I stand corrected. I can access the Blog as well as the Journal Main page from my NMCI seat. I cannot, however, touch the other valuable material that makes up some 75% of my situational awareness, and that is the ream of article, abstracts, and journal entries found embedded in solid members' posts in the Small Wars Council.
I suppose it might be relevant to get a Facebook account and see what goes on in that portal.
Comment via Facebook:
"It was blocked here too (IJC) for a few weeks, until I complained. The filters are broad, and random at times. And it's not always apparent if the block is coming with a software filter locally, or at some higher big-brother level. I think SWJ got blocked here randomly, as it contains an element that says, "blog" (all of which are blocked)."
Okinawa III MEF, NMCI and MCNOSC also block "forum" participation. I beleive we can thank wiki-leaks for this type of paranoia. SWJ should move the forums to facebook, twitter or youtube since all of those are wide open. This makes so much sense since they are much safer and are far better at protecting information...
I would opine, with a pretty high degree of confidence and some data points, that this is absolutely not a case of deliberate targeting. SWJ is generally available on NMCI and other Marine Corps nets, although the comment functionality usually doesn't work. Forward, things change frequently, based on issues other than editorial content or censorship.
I think it depends on where you are and who runs your systems- and things seem to change all the time. I never had a problem with SWJ, but every now and then we couldn't access the Combined Arms Center's blog site. The reason given: "a military website"!
What made me laugh were the times a commander would send out a video or a youtube or facebook link and we couldn't access it. I don't necessarily think facebook and youtube should be accessible for all in theater- but likewise commanders shouldn't communicate with their units via those channels either!
We cannot access SWJ/SWC with regularity on CONUS NMCI networks either. I've bothered to submit information about the sites, looking for a relevant exemption to be granted, but no joy.
I can whittle the day away on Facebook or Youtube though, without a single restriction.
Back to the screencapture, that is no mistake. The filters are so narrow that just about nothing gets by unless a specific exemption has been set in place, or it is one of the major online media outlets. I do not recall that Youtube worked over there, but things may have changed since November. SgtMaj Kent was upset that Facebook couldn't be accessed by deployed Marines and Sailors across the official unclassified networks. I don't think that anyone deployed forward needs to be Facebooking. Shooting bad guys in the face? absolutely. Keeping up with friends? Nah, that's what email can be used for.
At long last the subversive Small Wars Journal, a subservient minion website of the Great Satan and purveyor of superlative and utilitarian civil / military / anti-Jihadist information, has been blocked by the very minions it claims to serve. Allah be praised.
LT Nawrocki (USN) maintains the RC(SW) website, he might have some insight or a POC.