BlogDISS!

Comprehensive Blog Measurement Tool. How big is your blog? :o)

"Habla Blog?" Dell now blogs in Spanish, Chinese AND English ... oooooooooooooo!!

BlogDISS is boycotting any blogs/stories/etc. pertaining to the U.S. Army's recent release of (old / common-sense-but-never-officially-in-print) their (no-big-deal) policy on Milbloggers ... it's not news; only being hyped by left-wing-liberal-tree-hugger-commie-pinko-whiny-butts in order to sell newspapers or advertising time ... or possibly in connection with some political crap but I'm not the most politically savvy of the litter ... anyway, this whole "The Army is censoring Soldiers' blogs and violating their right to free speech" is a buncha crrrrrrrrrap!

Ciao.

HOOAH! Like we said ... horse hockey! NOTHING'S DIFFERENT!!!

We respect every Soldier’s First Amendment rights, while also adhering to Operations Security, known as OPSEC, considerations to ensure their safety on the battlefield. That said, we feel the need to clarify a few points made in the May 2 story titled, “Army Squeezes Soldier Blogs, Maybe to Death.”

The story stated Soldiers could not post blogs or send personal e-mail messages without first clearing the content with a superior officer. Simply put, personal e-mails don’t need approval by a superior officer prior to sending since they are private communication. Only an e-mail containing sensitive information that is later posted in a public forum would be of concern.

In addition, it is not the regulation’s intent for every blog entry to be approved by an immediate supervisor and operations security officer, but Army personnel do need to consult with an immediate supervisor and OPSEC officer when initially establishing their blogs so they are aware of OPSEC concerns.

It also mentioned, "Even soldiers' families -- are all subject to the directive as well." To be clear, commanders cannot order Family Members to practice OPSEC. The intent is to ensure Family Members are aware of OPSEC to help safeguard critical and sensitive information. This helps to ensure Soldiers’ safety, technologies and current and future operations are not compromised.

Soldiers, Civilians, contractors and Family Members all play crucial roles to protect critical and sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. At stake is not a Soldier’s First Amendment rights, but rather his or her life as well as the lives of fellow Soldiers. I’m confident many Americans, if not all Americans, can understand that sentiment.

-- Paul Boyce
U.S. Army, The Pentagon

News & Notes by the Google Earth and Maps team. So, guys? When are you going to fix the overlapped imagery that makes it reeeeeeally hard to see my house in Casale di Principe in southern Italy? You can see what I mean by going, via 'Google Earth,' to: 41 00 45.06N and 14 06 40.70E ... See the diagonal "upper left to lower right" overlap of the road & treeline?

What's UP with that? The shot is also at least 5 years old, can we update that while you're at it? Thanks to all of you Google people for everything you do every day, whatever it is! :o)

From the "Brandon Sun Online" ...

BLOG TIP #2: Remember the arsonist who posted pictures of her work on her blog?

Okay, so it's not a blog, but it deserves to be re-posted SOMEwhere!

It's not EVERYbody who can do this!

... and have a judge approve of your plan. Judge dismisses lawsuit against ex-blog editor sued for contents of sexy Washington blog - International Herald Tribune

NEWSFLASH: If you do stuff around other people, especially dangerous stuff that could hurt other people it's not "private."

For example, if you're a teacher and you go to work drunk and trip over an Honor Society student, people can and will talk about you, whether you like it or not. KOLO-TV story on Nevada blogger who wrote about a local teacher.

Would it be any different were the blogger to sit at a table and verbally tell anyone who'd listen about it in the local mom 'n' pop 'Yummee's Ice Cream Shop?' It seems to me that, with his personal (keyword = personal) blog, he's just able to reach more people without having to literally talk so much and getting on people's nerves.

Can you imagine trying to have a peaceful moment at Yummee's and, thanks to blabbermouth blogger guy, you have to endure listening to 237 customers all talking about the local high school teacher coming to work drunk and setting the Chem. lab on fire over 15 minutes during which you were only trying to enjoy your rootbeer float?

Maybe this all has to do with the fact that the blogger guy is a local school board trustee? Nah ... the superintendent thinks he's violating teacher rights and privacy ... hmmmm ... I'm sure Susie's parents would agree with that, especially as they're sitting by their daughter's hospital bed because she had her legs broken as the drunk drama teacher guy backed over her with his Volvo in the school parking lot while he was trying to park and take a nap until 3rd period.

Nope, let's protect that drunk teacher guy. Let's protect the drunk teacher guy's rights and make sure he feels all warm, snuggly and comfortable (because he's obviously got a problema and we should help him to feel better). But dammit, let's publicly crucify the guy who writes about him on his blog and violates his rights!! String that bastard up for his brazen warning to other parents of high school students that one of the local teachers has a penchant for coming to work and using his Biology students for personal breathalyzers ... I guess maybe I have one final thought: Is the teacher who is entrusted with the moral and scholastic education of my child violating my child's rights to that same education by coming to work drunk and doing less than their sober best? Or is education a privilege in America rather than a right? (Hey! Psssst ... Hey! Quick: before the English teacher looks at it, did I spell "snuggly" right?!)