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NASA Watch's Keith Cowing Is the Agency's Biggest Critic and Most Obsessive Fan
https://www.inverse.com/article/11517-nasa-watch-s-keith-cowing-is-the-agency-s-biggest-critic-and-most-obsessive-fan
NASA Watch's Keith Cowing Is the Agency's Biggest Critic and Most Obsessive Fan
Meet the former NASA employee who specializes in being a "cyber-pest."
JoAnna Klein
February 16, 2016
<snip>
Cowing, 60, long ago a NASA employee, brings an authority to his coverage that’s decidedly outsider in its approach: At the slightest whiff of bullshit, he’ll post about it. He’s a thorn in the side of not only NASA, but also any agency — like, for instance, the National Science Foundation, he sees as screwing up. It’s great.
<snip>
As impolite as it may be, NASA Watch is a place frequented by space geeks, respected scientists, science journalists, and even NASA officials for authentic information, or some part of it. Its aggressive mission statement is right there at the top of every page, yelling at you a little, to pay attention:
“This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It’s YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work — for YOU.”
<snip>
The website isn’t pretty, and it’s not meant to be. “Its primary purpose is functionality,” Marc Boucher, co-founder of SpaceRef, tells Inverse. “The actual look and feel has been slightly modified over time, but it’s similar to Day 1.”
It looks pretty 1990s, which makes sense, because Cowing started NASA Watch 20 years ago this April.
Back then, he was obsessed with the emerging internet and pissed off at NASA. He coded the site by hand when HTML was something considered far more sophisticated than today, when it’s taught in elementary school. Cowing was revealing insider information about NASA live online before most people knew what online meant. What started as just a hobby has grown into a company that includes its, let’s say, more refined sister publication, Spaceref.com.
<snip>
NASA Watch's Keith Cowing Is the Agency's Biggest Critic and Most Obsessive Fan
Meet the former NASA employee who specializes in being a "cyber-pest."
JoAnna Klein
February 16, 2016
<snip>
Cowing, 60, long ago a NASA employee, brings an authority to his coverage that’s decidedly outsider in its approach: At the slightest whiff of bullshit, he’ll post about it. He’s a thorn in the side of not only NASA, but also any agency — like, for instance, the National Science Foundation, he sees as screwing up. It’s great.
<snip>
As impolite as it may be, NASA Watch is a place frequented by space geeks, respected scientists, science journalists, and even NASA officials for authentic information, or some part of it. Its aggressive mission statement is right there at the top of every page, yelling at you a little, to pay attention:
“This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It’s YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work — for YOU.”
<snip>
The website isn’t pretty, and it’s not meant to be. “Its primary purpose is functionality,” Marc Boucher, co-founder of SpaceRef, tells Inverse. “The actual look and feel has been slightly modified over time, but it’s similar to Day 1.”
It looks pretty 1990s, which makes sense, because Cowing started NASA Watch 20 years ago this April.
Back then, he was obsessed with the emerging internet and pissed off at NASA. He coded the site by hand when HTML was something considered far more sophisticated than today, when it’s taught in elementary school. Cowing was revealing insider information about NASA live online before most people knew what online meant. What started as just a hobby has grown into a company that includes its, let’s say, more refined sister publication, Spaceref.com.
<snip>
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
I didn't know that.
Cowing is a character. Glad you posted so others will hear about the site.
