SEC blinks on social media

So, a couple of days ago, I wrote that the SEC had a somewhat backasswards approach to social media, as evidenced in their revised media policy. Well, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief, since the conference has blinked bowed to pressure clarified their policy. Again, sez the SEC:

“No Bearer may produce or disseminate in any form a “real-time” description or transmission of the Event (i) for commercial or business use, or (ii) in any manner that constitutes, or is intended to provide or is promoted or marketed as, a substitute for radio, television or video coverage of such Event. Personal messages and updates of scores or other brief descriptions of the competition throughout the Event are acceptable.

Whew. Or something. Politics coming soon. I promise.
[Again, Mashable]

Bizarroworld, in which the new guy is pleased with Lynn Westmoreland and peeved at the SEC.

So, as JMac mentioned on Friday, I'm the new guy, picking up some of his slack as he gets the Cover Two rolling. And, in true JMac style, I've got a "couple of things" on my mind. Let's get right to it, kids.

An SEC letdown that doesn't involve Vanderbilt's O-line:

I'm an SEC fan through and through, which is why this gets under my skin. The SEC is expected to release its updated media policy pretty soon, and if they have their way, don't even think about using Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or any other social media outlet to talk about their football games. Earlier this month, the SEC informed its member schools about the policy. Sez the Conference:

“Ticketed fans can’t produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.”

Hrmph. So, let's break this down briefly. Following the terms of this agreement, if I'm at a Georgia game, I can't take pictures, shoot video, or even change my Facebook status to "Martin Matheny just watched Caleb King make Tennessee's defense look dumb."

You'd think that after so many examples (here's one) of big organizations who think they can control social media, the aforementioned big organizations would learn a thing or two. Apparently, not so much.

SEC FAIL.

(Got this from Mashable)

Signs of the apocalypse, or at least that the health insurance reform debate has jumped the shark:

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland is being rational.

Sorry if you just spit coffee all over your keyboard. I'll wait while you grab a paper towel.

Lynn Westmoreland is being rational. No, seriously. Here's the La Grange News over the weekend:

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, one of President Obama’s most vocal critics, said he does not believe the health-care bill being debated in Congress includes provisions for a “death panel,” where a group would decide whether the elderly and infirm are worth the cost of medical expenses.

The second-term Republican congressman from Grantville said he is opposed to the plan, but doesn’t believe the nation’s elderly would be in danger.

He also is not, apparently, a birther:

Westmoreland said that unlike the “birther” movement, he’s taking the president’s word that he was born in the United States.

“All I can do is take him at his word,” Westmoreland said. “I think if he wasn’t a U.S. citizen, the McCain campaign would have more than looked into it.”

Congratulations, Lynn Westmoreland, on being noticeably less crazy than most of your colleagues, not to mention your party's most recent Vice-Presidential candidate.

("Westmoreland: No 'death panel' in healthcare bill" La Grange News)