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NASA Watch Turns 19 Today (seriously)

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
April 1, 2015
Filed under
NASA Watch Turns 19 Today (seriously)

Keith’s note: NASAWatch turns 19 on 1 Apr 2015. It started as “NASA RIFWatch” on 1 Apr 1996 and was first hosted on a Mac Classic II on an ISDN line. Here a few things from those early days that are still online:
Rogue Webmasters, Government Executive, 1 Oct 1996
“A committee of headquarters employees nominated Cowing for an agency award for running the RIF Watch site. But NASA Associate Administrator for Headquarters Operations Michael Christensen, rejected the idea. “The tone of the page is unacceptable,” says Christensen. “None of us dispute his right to run the Web site. My own personal decision was that it would be inappropriate to honor him for it.”
NASA’s Most Important Asset, Gerry Griffin, 31 December 1996
Dan Goldin Comments to the Space Science Advisory Committee (SSAC) Meeting, 6/17/96
Changes in Thinking At NASA November 29, 1996, PBS News Hour

Just to show you how things have changed, this photo should shock a few of you … (well worth a click) – and no, it is not an April Fool’s joke. Today, some up and coming bloggers and Twitterati throw snark at me just like I threw it at Dan Goldin back in the day. Life is funny like that.
And those of you who have followed my ‘other’ exploits will know that I have had a certain interest in doing websites from distant and extreme locations (Devon Island, Everest Base Camp, etc.). This website (still online), “The McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Research Project – Life in Extreme Environments; An Antarctic Field Journal“, done with my friend Dale Andersen, was one of the very earliest websites actually updated from Antarctica.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

15 responses to “NASA Watch Turns 19 Today (seriously)”

  1. John C Mankins says:
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    Happy Birthday…! Two more years and you be able to buy a round of drinks to celebrate. 😉

    • kcowing says:
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      Thanks. Hopefully NASAWatch will have moved out of the house to get a real job by then …

  2. JR says:
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    Happy Birthday, Nasa Watch!

  3. drakesfortune says:
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    I hate to say it, but I often find the tone here depressing too. I’ve thought that since the first time I came here. It’s not that criticism isn’t needed, especially where NASA is concerned. But reading this website, you get the feeling that nobody is doing anything right, and only the author of the website knows the correct path. I do feel like you get more in depth news here than you get elsewhere, but it’s filtered through a layer of snark. That’s my impression anyways, and always has been, and I’ve been coming here for a long time.

  4. mfwright says:
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    I’ve been following the gossip on this site since the 20th century.

  5. Wendy Yang says:
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    Happy birthday! From someone that is 3-4 years younger. Too bad I will not be able to drink to celebrate 2 years from now.

    Thanks for all the hard work, this site was what inspired me to pay more attention to politics and improve my English skills. It also made my desire to work for NASA stronger, for some reason 😉

  6. PsiSquared says:
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    Congrats, Señor Cowing. I’ve been a dedicated follower for 14 years and hope to follow you for many more.

  7. Homer Hickam says:
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    I recall the RIF Watch days. Congrats & may there be many more anniversaries.

  8. Jafafa Hots says:
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    So there was an IRS RIF Zone site also… what, was that a thing for a bit back there, people naming blogs RIFs (before the word blog was coined?)

    • Michael Spencer says:
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      As one who sometimes struggles in an acronym-rich environment, some help: I believe it’s Reduction in Force.

  9. Odyssey2020 says:
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    I discovered this site while listening to some space show podcast about ten years ago. They mentioned some crazy astronaut who went around yelling and screaming at everybody below her and sucking up to anybody that could help her career–they linked it to NASAWATCH.

    Insider gossip. I was hooked!

  10. DTARS says:
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    I would suggest a mountain.

  11. numbers_guy101 says:
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    Congratulations KC. That said, maybe RIF in the website name may still be useful? NASA demographics being what they are, maybe the RIF was just delayed?

  12. DTARS says:
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    Thinking about years reading NASA watch. Of course
    STEVE WHITFIELD comes to mind!

    Keith, Mark, anyone,

    Do you know what happened to him?

    One day he just disappeared, after posting here on a regular basis for years.

    I miss his patient informed comments very much!