Forget YouTube—if you're a member of the US Military deployed overseas, you're about to become intimately familiar with TroopTube.

By Jacqui Cheng | Published: November 12, 2008 - 11:30AM

The Military has launched TroopTube as an alternative to other video sharing sites, which have been banned from being accessed from bases overseas. The idea is to offer members of the armed forces a way to share videos with friends and family that is Pentagon-approved, without having to resort to the bandwidth-sucking (and less secure) YouTube.

When you visit TroopTube, you're greeted with a somewhat familiar interface—a search box at the top, a listing of the videos of the day on the front page, and a big "upload" button in the corner; however, you can't (technically) be just anyone in order to upload a video. You must first register with the site as an active duty or reserve member of the US Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Coast Guard, or National Guard. There are also ways to register as a civilian family member or civilian friend, however, and there appear to be no restrictions—at least if you're registering as a friend—since that's what I did.    [ARS Technica.... ]  [Comments...]