Networks - ReseauLu Results
The debate over the future of humanity’s extraterrestrial activities takes on a unique form in the blogosphere, where experts and non-experts alike can access global audiences. Well-known groups such as the Planetary Society and the National Space Society have a blog presence, but what blogs bring uniquely to this controversy is the ability of the individual to express his own opinion without having to attain any requisite threshold of education or experience in space exploration science or policy.
The variety of blog types is apparent in the map of general blog results, which was created in the network analysis software ReseauLu with results from a Google Blogs search. This search used the terms ‘‘space+exploration+policy’’ and ‘‘space+policy+exploration.’’ Personal blogs which surfaced in the search exhibited a tendency to put forth controversial opinions while using official sources to substantiate their claims. For example, The Billion Year Plan links to NASA near-earth asteroid discovery statistics in support of its portension that, ‘‘Unless mankind leaves the Earth, it will surely die there.’’
Other blogs attest to their credibility by citing the knowledge of their own human capital. One of the blogs which advertises trustworthiness in this manner is OpenNASA, which is maintained by NASA employees and contractors in an unofficial manner on their free time. In its disclaimer, the site claims: ‘‘The authors and initiators of this blog have only the highest intention and are committed to contributing to an open and honest workplace and allowing greater personal insight into the the U.S. space program.’’ Here the website authors appeal to little more than the trust of their readership in defending their credibility. The individual analog to blogs like OpenNASA are sites like To the Moon, Mars, and Beyond, on which former space agency or contractor employees wave their experience as a badge of authority in commenting on plans for future exploration initiatives.