Being watched....

Daily Orders for HMS EXCELLENT point out that taking part in unofficial Naval forums should be approached with care, and that common sense security rules should apply.

They then shoot themselves in the foot by nominating the 1st Lt and one other as "dead and dying bird" points of contact - and out of working hours, any spotting of a dead or dying bird should be reported to the OOD.....can YOU see what will be happening next?

"Sir, sir, there's a sparrow outside my window, and it looks kind of sick. Yes, I know it's 03:00, but it looks sick and cross, and I think it might be about to die. It's looking for an open window in the block Sir."

....cue rushing feet....

"It was there Sir, honest. I've only had a couple of pints Sir, and no, I'm not jerking you around, it was a sickly sparrow, and it flew off as you got here....."

 

I've been reliably informed that there are a LOT of senior naval officers out there very angry with this site. Be careful, people.

As a related aside, I've often heard it said that top pongo brass from CGS downwards tolerate/monitor and even informally encourage ARRSE. So why a different naval reaction? Compared to ARRSE, this is a positively charming little site (if you don't believe me, just look at some different headings in the NAAFI bar compared to Diamond Lils. An entire discussion about "Bum sex" vs the oh-so-rude "I wanna smoke" thread over here. Hmmmmmm.

So, Sirs, calm down. It's rather nice here.

 

Fellas, it dead easy. Just keep your username under wraps and the noshers up top won't know who you are.
Arrse has been good for the guys to have a winge and moan at the gezzers up top. Some have not kept there usernames very quiet and have been given a hard time by bosses, but the majority of the guys are totally untracable.
They deserve a hard time if they fu** you about, and lets face it you can't do it in public so underhanded tactics have the day.

 

Follow the rules of common sense.

Watch your personal security, PERSEC, - no names - no pack drill.

Even more so, watch your Operational Security, OPSEC, hopefully no explanation needed here.

Have your say - but don't expect everyone to have the same opinion!

Your senior bods will soon work out that this is a source of information for them about how the 'lower deck' feel, but also how the Wardroom feels also.

Use it as you feel proper, take from it what you want and need, don't abuse it (well not too much, espesh in Dimond Lil's).

If this site is half as successful as the ARRSE site has been (all hail to Good and Bad COs) then you have very little to worry about.

Happy sailing.

 

Perhaps a little more time reading and understanding is what the boys and girls at the top need to do. I haven't seen too much on any Daily Orders about avoiding PPRUNE, but of course that's mainly for oficers isn't it......?????

 

At the risk of exposing myself (but then again I doubt if they would remember) I was involved in officially hacking (sorry, read penetration testing) a website which was advertised in OALs! It was an ex-RNC site, with almost no security, to which people (officers) had posted photos, addresses, meetings of clubs, operational information, etc. The site was hosted in the US, and the officer who had requested my action was stunned when I walked in with full membership records on the Monday morning - from S/Lt up to full Admirals......

It's not so much those at the top, it's those that are bubbling under the top who want to make their name by rushing into their office with a "sir, sir, look what I've found, it's disgraceful" attitude.

 

Well, if they try and 'ban' the site you can bet every matelot is going to come and have a luck at what all the fuss is about. That was the way you could always ensure you had all the Ships Company in one part of a port-of-call - designate it off limits.

I'd say sites like Arrse are a great resource for the Forces. While it can encourage rumours etc, myths can be debunked by those in the know.

 

Just be careful, ensure PERSEC/OPSEC AT ALL TIMES, nothing that will cause harm to the security of the nation and don't denigrate the chain of command.

Don't let this site go the way of Mil Kit Review

Browny

 

Always remember my first foreign commish as an OD in the early '50's and seeing notices in Daily Orders about certain alcoholic beverages be detrimental to your health. So the first thing we did on going ashore was to try them.

So, by warning personnel not to visit this site will probably mean more will want to. Nothing like a curious matelot

 

Geoffrey :

You said...

I've been reliably informed that there are a LOT of senior naval officers out there very angry with this site. Be careful, people. ]........


Perhaps you might shed some light on why Senior Officers are angry with the site and how this is known ?

 

There is nothing much News of the Screws on this site, nothing to undermine the Service or the Realm and if it ever gets going in the same way that ARRSE has and is I'm sure senior officers will look in, post, absorb, ignore as it suits. They do on ARRSE. The Navy Board have nothing to fear and RR posters should have nothing to fear, especially those with years seniority in civvy street.

An 'old man' said to me once whilst I was in mid rant, 'you sound just like a poster called Seadog on ARRSE'. 'I do what Sir?' in my best poker voice and face. He doesn't suspect but at least he's reading.

 

In answer to your 2 questions: I have no idea, and I'm not going to tell you!

 

Geoffrey, its a reasonable enough question to the rather sweeping statement you made and it should be easy enough to answer without revealling your identity.

I would have though that Senior Officers would have been slightly more nuanced in their consideration of RR. It does, after all, provide a real time conduit for issues that would simply not get addressed through the Divisional System; it provides a very rough barometer for feelings over current topics and it provides people with a pressure oulet - to vent spleens. I understand that this is why ARRSE has flourished in the way that it does. It also allows both, even multiple, sides of an argument to be expressed - much more so that a 'leak' to The Sun newspaper for example.

So, I ask the question again in all seriousness. Why have senior officers become so anti RR or in your words ... ANGRY ?

I would have thought they, like their Army colleagues, would have taken a more pragmatic attitude.

 

I would have thought the Navy of all people , not hidebound in 19th Century thinking , would have seen exactly what this site sets out to do , and how in fact it is of benefit to the CoC.

RumRation , as Arrse , is here for individuals to express their opinion and ideas , in an environment of anonimity. Senior and VERY senior Officers read, and indeed contribute to Arrse. Politicians and VERY senior Politicians read and contribute also. Some have even launched debating topics that to my mind, ping their level of responsibility , but they want their feedback soonest, and they get it.

Though I sometimes wonder at the seniority of some contributors to the Naafi Bar , and imagine a Purple high-level conference, full of red-tabbed grownups giggling about skiffing. (Or sniffing their cups suspiciously when that lowly rating smiles a bit too much on presenting it)

The first shot across the bows from the Purple Puzzle Palace , is invariably "Remember OPSEC and PERSEC" Righty-ho Sir, as a Serviceman , I was totally unaware of the reality of geo-politics and the threat in the last 5 years :roll:

Senior Officers should in fact to my mind, look in, and contribute to discussions aboard. If you want the view 'tween decks you need to be here and sparking debate or asking questions. Or, you can rely on reports from people looking for a Gold star on their next CR, and not caring who they shaft to get it.

When The Lord Boyce (We're not worthy, we're not worthy) raked Hoon from stem to stern with an extremely well-timed broadside , did these same senior Officers say "Oh you shouldn't have done that Sir" Or did they say "He won't ever have to sign the Bar ticket in MY wardroom again"?

The NAVY leads the way in grown-up thinking, it always has. As much as it pains me to admit it.

Arrse has been of use in a great many things. Remember the unfrocking of Piers Morgan? That was Arrse that first alerted MoD to the photos being fake, and giving the reasons why.

Remeber the debacle of Forces voting? Once again , Arrse and it's members brought an inordinate amount of pressure to bear , to try and ensure that those who wanted to vote, could do so , AND continues to exert pressue to ensure we don't have a repeat performance.

These initatives do not operate contrary to what the CoC believes is conduct relevant to good order and discipline. These are issues we care about, and which make us happy.

The job of Moderators such as myself, is to ensure PERSEC and OPSEC are maintained at all times. Our job also includes deleting bone posts that are prejudicial, insulting or which give ammunition to the critics.

RumRation , and what it sets out to do , is an ASSET to the CoC. If the CoC want to ensure it remains an asset , and a useful reference point, then they need to be contributing, and sounding individuals and the wider service , instead of warning people off an informal reporting chain

 

Well said Sir !

 

Let me quote an old, old funny:

Now a smart President* would say, let me think about this for a while, log onto RumratioN (or ARRSE) (or both) and find out if it was a good plan or if it was a crock of shit. And then he would deal with it accordingly. I can hear the ratings now, "Feck me that Captain really knows what makes the boys tick..."

*delete President, insert Senior Officer.

 

PARANOID, PARANIOD, PARANDIO, PORANAID, PIRANAOD, WHO SAID THAT THE RN IS AFARAID OF A LITTLE BIT OF RUM RATION.

 

I have posted on similar websites in and out of uniform...if they don't know who you are, they can't touch you and if they do no and can't prove it, they can't either!

If you post from work, you deserve what you get! :twisted:

 

I don't think that anyone is guaranteed anonimity on websites anymore.

All PC's, every time t hey access the internet, send out a unique identification code in the form of digits xx.xx.xx.xxx in that format. Each PC works through an internet service provider (ISP). There is a piece of software available in the public domain that can capture and read this info from incoming posts, on a Forum for example and displays the information in the post on the screen in real time. It displays the PC number, The ISP, the name of the software you are using to access the net (IE5. Mozilla FireFox) and the OS that you're using (XP, Mac).

If that's possible and available to all, imagine what 'The Watchers' could have at their disposal.

George Orwell writ large? Click on the address below.

http://www.danasoft.com/sig/OdintheTerrible.jpg
Shiner

 

I've heard - also I believe reliably, that the 'seniors' are well aware of RR and are as interested in how it develops as the rest of us, and from what I was told are not angry about it at all. Suggest we give them the benefit of the doubt - the good ones are big enough to take RRs exsistance in their stride and use it as appropriate. The angry others (if they do exist) can be as angry as they like - we just need to be careful that we don't give them ammunition to criticise.