So did any other cutter types fantasy football season go down in flames now that the Coast Guard is banning Fantasy sports sites from workstations?
Our ship had multiple morale leagues, that will have to be abandoned once we get underway. Not to mention all the people who play in leagues outside the guard,that are stationed aboard ship, will no longer be able to manage their teams while U/W.
And to those who don't know what I'm talking about, the message is readily available.
I fully understand, and support not wasting time during the workday on non CG related internet stuff, and that's all well and good for shore types, who can do this stuff from home.
I also realize to most people it will may seem like a small issue, but any new policy that erodes unit morale, when we bust our rears week after week underway really gets me going!

I certainly feel your point.

I am now a desk jockey but have 8 years of sea time. I remember playing fantasy football underway before it was computerized. We had to purchase the Monday paper to see each individual's stats from Sunday. I remember this experience as being one of the great morale boosters of underway time. I'm surprised the CG cannot find a way to accomodate sailors who bust their hump while U/W. Saturdays underway are normally holliday routine after 12pm and there's no reason why fantasy owners cannot manage their on-line teams on Saturday afternoons.

I'm sad to see this is happening, but don't let it discourage morale. Fantasy ball can still be played with a little innovation, even if it brings you back to prehistoric times. Have your live draft on the fantail, make you a moch fantasy board, get together with yor buds and buy the Monday paper to catch up on scores. Don't let "the man" keep you down from having morale underway!!!!

quote:

I also realize to most people it will may seem like a small issue, but any new policy that erodes unit morale, when we bust our rears week after week underway really gets me going!

What unit has morale? Anyone... Anyone...

T

The policy isn't anything new really it's just that the CG now has a way of actively blocking sites where as they didn't before.

And the flogging will continue until the crew’s moral improves!

Too bad you there are no public libraries available to you while underway. Computers in public libraries purchased using tax dollars can be used by the general public to complete fantasy league deals. I guess that active duty military people don’t deserve the same perks as the general public receive.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Wish I could help but you wouldn’t want me running your team while away!

quote:

Saturdays underway are normally holliday routine after 12pm

Not in the Coast Guard I served in! Of course there was no such thing as the internet, fantasy leagues or underway connectivity then, and THAT wasn't that long ago! What ever happened to using down time underway for studying for advancement, working on additional quals or just watching a movie or having a cigar on the fantail with the guys? JEEBUS......I'm starting to sound like I'm 100 years old. Belay my last.....anything that improves unit morale can't be all that bad. -Jeff

BTW we used to pull into St Ignace, MI. when the crew needed a morale boost, a couple shots of Dr. McGillicuddys and a few hours in the company of an "Iggy Piggy" and most were good to go! -Jeff

Gosh, what a concept! Blocking URL's from an official mil.com computer.

In another decade, we'll catch up to the OTHER armed forces with our security.

Times sure have changed. I remember the ole letter writing by red light on the messdeck, holiday phone calls courtesy of the HAM radio operators and just plain boredom.

Thank goodness for satellite TV, u/w email and other pleasures that improved quality of life.

Still, managing a fantasy football league while u/w seems a little too excessive to be complaining about.

Of course, nothing beats sitting on the fantail, smoking a pack of cigs and shooting the bull with your buddies.

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:

quote:

I also realize to most people it will may seem like a small issue, but any new policy that erodes unit morale, when we bust our rears week after week underway really gets me going!

What unit has morale? Anyone... Anyone...

T

I'm sure the new station the CG want's established near the northwest passage will have plenty.

quote:

Originally posted by CgShipmate:
Times sure have changed. I remember the ole letter writing by red light on the messdeck, holiday phone calls courtesy of the HAM radio operators and just plain boredom.

Thank goodness for satellite TV, u/w email and other pleasures that improved quality of life.

Still, managing a fantasy football league while u/w seems a little too excessive to be complaining about.

Of course, nothing beats sitting on the fantail, smoking a pack of cigs and shooting the bull with your buddies.

You guys got to shoot a bull? We only got to shoot at seagulls.

This isn't about morale or anything else. It is about BANDWIDTH and BANDWIDTH only. Same reason streeming audio and othe like bandwidth hoggin issues are forbotten! U/W connectivity is a huge issue and we simply do not have the pipeline to accomadate everything. It is not even a single unit bandwith issue. The limited number of "pipes" that all U/W bandwidth must reside on is the limiting issue.

quote:

Originally posted by B_12:
Gosh, what a concept! Blocking URL's from an official mil.com computer.

In another decade, we'll catch up to the OTHER armed forces with our security.

Just so noone feels like the Coast Guard is the only one going this way....If I were to use the CBP computers for fantasy sports, I'd be answering to someone up the chain.

It does seem like something could be done for the crews u/w for long patrols but I don't have any good suggestions on that.

Don

quote:

Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:

quote:

Originally posted by B_12:
Gosh, what a concept! Blocking URL's from an official mil.com computer.

In another decade, we'll catch up to the OTHER armed forces with our security.

Just so noone feels like the Coast Guard is the only one going this way....If I were to use the CBP computers for fantasy sports, I'd be answering to someone up the chain.

It does seem like something could be done for the crews u/w for long patrols but I don't have any good suggestions on that.

Don

Many, many civilian corporations have followed suit to conserve bandwidth...particularly since many large corporations (comparable to the CG) use more large, bandwidth-intensive database systems than we do. They use IP blockers to prevent their employees from visiting certain sites during the workday. DOD computers have been secured in this manner for years. UW connectivity should be reserved for email and mission-critical IP traffic.

quote:

Originally posted by Mightyz90_93:
This isn't about morale or anything else. It is about BANDWIDTH and BANDWIDTH only. Same reason streeming audio and othe like bandwidth hoggin issues are forbotten! U/W connectivity is a huge issue and we simply do not have the pipeline to accomadate everything. It is not even a single unit bandwith issue. The limited number of "pipes" that all U/W bandwidth must reside on is the limiting issue.

Actually the way the message reads, it is all about the fact that they consider it gambling...

I was on seven ships during my time in. Here's some old throwback ideas you can explore to fill in that time that is no longer spent on the computer.

Card games. Pinochle and poker were big favorites. We used to hold pinochle tournaments.

Volleyball. String a net across the fantail or flight deck, put the ball into a net bag and secure the bag to the net with a long length of shot line.

Books......reading actually can be fun.

Obviously studying for the service wide, or studying for ANYTHING is a good use of time.

We used to try to outdo each other in knot tying. An Ashley Book of Knots and a fathom of small stuff can not only teach you knots but also get a bit cometitive.

Fancywork. All seadogs need some kind of fancy work on something they own.

Use your imagination, there are plenty of ways to stave off boredom that do not include computers. Chess matches, Monopoly, Risk and a variety of other board games.

quote:

Originally posted by eccgguy:

quote:

Originally posted by Mightyz90_93:
This isn't about morale or anything else. It is about BANDWIDTH and BANDWIDTH only. Same reason streeming audio and othe like bandwidth hoggin issues are forbotten! U/W connectivity is a huge issue and we simply do not have the pipeline to accomadate everything. It is not even a single unit bandwith issue. The limited number of "pipes" that all U/W bandwidth must reside on is the limiting issue.

Actually the way the message reads, it is all about the fact that they consider it gambling...

Actually.....I would tend to agree with MC Rolfe above. The message is CIO BULLETIN 008-07. This was talked about up here in HQ a couple of weeks back. The first paragraph or two on the bandwith problem is the initial driver of the message. It then morphs over to personal use of the govt 'puters, gaming, COMDINST's, etc.

Just speculating.....if the bandwith/slowdown issues didn't pop up, I don't think anyone would be talking about this. But seeing as how it did......

quote:

Originally posted by TVCJohn:

quote:

Originally posted by eccgguy:

quote:

Originally posted by Mightyz90_93:
This isn't about morale or anything else. It is about BANDWIDTH and BANDWIDTH only. Same reason streeming audio and othe like bandwidth hoggin issues are forbotten! U/W connectivity is a huge issue and we simply do not have the pipeline to accomadate everything. It is not even a single unit bandwith issue. The limited number of "pipes" that all U/W bandwidth must reside on is the limiting issue.

Actually the way the message reads, it is all about the fact that they consider it gambling...

Actually.....I would tend to agree with MC Rolfe above. The message is CIO BULLETIN 008-07. This was talked about up here in HQ a couple of weeks back. The first paragraph or two on the bandwith problem is the initial driver of the message. It then morphs over to personal use of the govt 'puters, gaming, COMDINST's, etc.

Just speculating.....if the bandwith/slowdown issues didn't pop up, I don't think anyone would be talking about this. But seeing as how it did......

A couple more arguments before I let this die.


BANDWIDTH... That's utterly ridiculous. Visiting a fantasy site during your alloted 30 minutes of daily personal use internet time is IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM more BANDWIDTH intensive than any other web browsing one could conceivably do.
The real issue is that people are abusing their internet privileges, and spending way more than the alloted time on the internet. The fantasy sports thing hit the spotlight because a group of people were using a chat feature on a certain sports site. Chat has been specifically prohibited on CG networks as long as I remember. So, as usual instead of punishing the people abusing the system they punish everyone.

I know there are many other ways to amuse oneself during free time underway, that's not the point I was trying to make. The point is that I, like millions of others in this country, and thousands in the Coast Guard, happen to enjoy fantasy football. Unfortunately it requires around 30 minutes a week online to substitute for injured, and bye week players, and to replace players who aren't performing well. Because of this policy, people assigned to large cutters can no longer do this, and therefore cannot participate AT ALL, (including away from work.) during their tour aboard the ship, since they are guaranteed to be underway for a good portion of each season.

Bandwidth shouldn't be an issue because our workstations can't handle the bandwidth to begin with. If we actually had workstations that could handle the amount of bandwidth that is available, then I could see the arguement.

But the fact remains that this is the policy, morale or not, like it or not. It doesn't make much sense to me, but I certainly will be following it.

Whatever side you are on for this issue, what it comes down to is rules. Do people follow them or not. Bandwidth issues can be fixed easily by installing cable modems through a commercial carrier outside the CGDN at land units and wireless satelite service for cutters u/w. Set up a few morale PC's, let people use their own laptops to pick up the network, whatever. That solves the bandwidth problem and provided personal computers are not used in a secure space, there is not problem with OPSEC and COMSEC. As to what people do with their own time, I enjoyed the movies, card games, time on the fantail, and all of the other things we used to do. Fantasy football? My personal thoughts are get a life and go out and play a little flag football. But that is only my personal thought. Times change, so does what people do to entertain themselves. What should never change over time is adherence to our rules and regulations. If the CG says don't do it, then don't do it. Now for those of you who just cannot live without your fantasy football while u/w; get over it, get a laptop with satelite access, get a life, or get out of the CG. Congrats to all you fantasy folks who chose Tom Brady as your QB. Of course the Fantasy Football folks may point the finger at us Fred's Place Commandos and suggest it is we who need to get a life! Whatever.

quote:

I know there are many other ways to amuse oneself during free time underway, that's not the point I was trying to make. The point is that I, like millions of others in this country, and thousands in the Coast Guard, happen to enjoy fantasy football. Unfortunately it requires around 30 minutes a week online to substitute for injured, and bye week players, and to replace players who aren't performing well. Because of this policy, people assigned to large cutters can no longer do this, and therefore cannot participate AT ALL, (including away from work.) during their tour aboard the ship, since they are guaranteed to be underway for a good portion of each season.

The same could be said for those that enjoy golf, tennis, billiards, etc., etc. That's part of the price one pays for joining a seagoing service.