Search:

Custom Search

Readers' Comments

Total Comments: 24
Page 1 of 3

« Previous | Next »

How the Air Force Protects Its Employees from Harmful Opinions and Info

Big Brother

Quality Assurance Specialist
DoD
Thu Mar 6, 2008 9:19 AM

Post Reply

As always "isn't big brother wonderful" Bless their tiny little hearts. As a taxpayer I'm always heartened in the creative ways our guardian angels look for ways to protect me from the bad influences that surround me. See, you ask for a babysitter and the federal government in all it's guises will find ways to comply. Anyone up for a plastic bubble so we'll always have filtered air, bottled water, won't scrape our knees or have to deal with the ultimate ugly"competition". And my boss says there's no place for sarcasm....he's wrong again....bless his little heart.

Blocking web sites

E.E.
Army
Thu Mar 6, 2008 9:22 AM

Post Reply

The Army has at least some sense when blocking web sites. It blocks sites like youtube, flixxy, collegehumor, & others that really don't have much, if any, mission relation, but leaves most alone, including most blogs. But at one time it blocked Fedsmith! Luckily that's changed.

There are still blocks that make no sense, though. Last I checked there's still only one maker of key (or thumb) drives that meet FIPS140-2, the only DoD-approved encryption standard. And the Army blocks email from them! I can send, but they can't respond. Bureaucracy indeed.

Now, Now, Children!!

Fed Worker & Union Guy
DOD
Thu Mar 6, 2008 9:48 AM

Post Reply

It's paternalistic & condesending. It's demeaning & insulting. It's heavy handed & invites challenges. This censorship may work with GIs, under the hammer of UCMJ, but not civilians. An employee reading about an agency paying a fine from an EEO case could be forbidden. The DOD & Air Force telling us what we can read & who we should believe. I thought that Rumsfeld is gone now?? Who is dreaming up this BS, that reminds me of the old USSR police state??

Re: Now, Now, Children!!

Consultant
DVA
Fri Mar 7, 2008 10:00 AM
Did you ever work in the USSR under the police state???

Blocking crap so people will do their job they are being paid to do is not the same.

If one wants to gather information, or even make use of the "minimal use" clauses for non-business related matters while in a non-duty mode, that is okay, to a point. However, if they want to play all day on my tax dollar then they can spend the ill-gotten money they are earning under the pretense of working and buy their own computer for home and sit there after duty to their hearts content and play.

Otherwise, send them to Siberia, the most extreme region that can be found, and take away their vodka ration.

Are you wasting my time?

Air Force Manager
Air Force
Thu Mar 6, 2008 10:09 AM

Post Reply

I've learned a great deal from the links to information you provide as well as the articles written by your team. However, my management could rightly say that some of what I've read (as well as this response) doesn't fit within my job description. Hence, I waste taxpayers' money.

But, as a manager, I am also tasked with advising and leading, and "FedSmith" usually broadcasts information more quickly than the Air Force (if they send it at all).

In the end, I use every source I can to do a better job for my mission, myself and my people. I'm sure I can find someone who would disagree with my choices; I just hope the choices remain mine.

I do find it humorous--and sometimes frustrating--when the official AF "Aim Points" gives a teaser on a news item and then links to the source web site that has been blocked.

Re: Are you wasting my time?

Financial Analy$t $upervisor
Defen$e Agency
Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:32 AM
Maybe their AIM points are OTIS. Off Target Is Standard.

internet use

Peon
DoD
Thu Mar 6, 2008 12:10 PM

Post Reply

Do we circumvent the "rules" by reading Fedsmith? Too bad - I intend to keep on doing it. I, too, am frustrated by the numerous things our firewalls keep us from. But hey, it keeps somebody else employeed, and isn't that the whole purpose of Federal Government jobs?

(Did you notice my tongue firmly in cheek?)

Internet mischief

HR specialist
retired
Thu Mar 6, 2008 2:29 PM

Post Reply

Believe it or not, most taxpayers do care if they're paying people who surf inappropriate websites on government computers. FedSmith is not an issue...but I've seen some pretty graphic porn printed out on government computers. Sorry, FedSmith, but you're just not important enough for managers to be focusing their time and energy on! But whitehouse.com, that's another story. (BTW, for those of you who may not realize it, whitehouse.com is a porn site, so don't check it out from your government computer!)

Re: Internet mischief

Air Force Manager
Air Force
Thu Mar 6, 2008 4:57 PM
As discovered the poor young captain that once worked for me... he enters my office slightly pale and very upset; closes the door and confesses his sin; in his quest for a photograph of Air Force One (we provided Presidential communications support), he discovered "whitehouse.com"

This was before site blockers or any controls, but he was sure Big Brother has just recorded his crime, took his fingerprints, did a breath analysis, and locked his bank accounts.

I'm sure my laughter didn't help as I comforted this young man, but he lived to fight another day.

As opposed to my very proud (and prim and proper) computer specialist who sent an email to our whole group announcing the long-awaited upgrade to our aging computers. These machines contained the newest "Pentium Pro" chips. Too bad Microsoft's "automatic" spell checker changed "Pentium" to the name of the male organ. He never quite got over his announcement that Our ***** Pro Machines Have Finally Arrived!!

Humor helps

Re: Internet mischief

Former HR Specialist
Federal Agency
Fri Mar 7, 2008 7:31 AM
BTW, Whitehouse.com is no longer a porn site. The owner of that site had a change of heart about pornography and it's impact upon women when his daughter was born. Go figure.

Bureaucracy, Blogs and Boobs: How the Air Force Pr

IT Specialist / Program Manager
US Air Force
Thu Mar 6, 2008 9:33 PM

Post Reply

AMEN!!!!!! I work for the AF Engineering Squadron responsible for Software and Architectural Engineering efforts for all of the AF Combat Support Systems.

Our Network Nazis don’t even trust us. I have to specifically request them to unblock websites so I can do AF Research. It’s extremely ANAL!!!! Half the time they will not unblock the site I request, so I have to do the research at home on my own time. S T U P I D !!!!!!

It took me two weeks to get them to grant access to FEDSMITH.com and FEDERALNEWSRADIO.com

BTW: I write this from home…

Re: Bureaucracy, Blogs and Boobs: How the Air Force Pr

IT Drone
DoD
Fri Mar 7, 2008 11:24 PM
I'll go you one better. My agency blocks the download of Dell computer drivers. Guess where all our computers came from? We have to get permission every time we want to download a driver for any of our equipment after a crash.
Total Comments: 24
Page 1 of 3

« Previous | Next »

Add a Comment about this Article

** All fields are required.
Note: Your comments will not show up right away. FedSmith.com selects the most insightful comments from our readers for posting. If selected, your comments will show up in the comments section after they have been reviewed and approved. See our terms of use for more information.