The Marine Corps has set forth new guidelines for personal use of computers. According to MARADMIN 181/10, issued March 29, Marines can use the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) to gain access to visit Web sites, send and receive e-mail, and take part in discussion forums on YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Google Apps. Personal use must be kept to a minimum, of “reasonable duration and frequency that has been approved by supervisors and does not adversely affect performance of official duties, overburden systems, or reflect adversely on the Marine Corps, Department of the Navy, or Department of Defense,” the guidelines state. As always, users are forbidden from visiting sexually explicit, gambling, politically extreme, or hate-mongering sites. And Marines are not allowed to use any official emblems, such as the globe, anchor, and eagle, in any manner that could imply commercial endorsement of a product or service or discredit the Marine Corps. Marines should expect to see more specific guidelines emerge from individual commands as the process of relaxing Internet access continues.
