| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to CSNET |
|
Next to NSFNET
|
MILNET
(Military Network)
Intro
- The
name given to the part of the ARPANET internetwork designated for unclassified United States Department of Defense
traffic
- Split
off from the ARPANET in 1983
- ARPANET
remained in service for the academic research community, but direct
connectivity between the networks was severed for security
reasons
- BBN (Bolt
Beranek and Newman) Technologies built and managed both the MILNET
and the ARPANET and the two networks used very similar technology
The born of MILNET
- Begun
in early 1985
- To
provide a comprehensive authorial database, with its use mainly to aid the
author in compiling, learning, and eventually writing fictional accounts which
deal with the U.S.
military industrial complex
Project Goal
- To
compile open source information on the world's military and intelligence
apparatus
- The
information, while in places mostly complete and accurate, is nevertheless
comprised only of information made public, and therefore subject to
possible disinformation tactics
Chronology of Events
- 1985
- Work
began on a buzzword database in plain ASCII text file format
- Relevant
information is compiled and organized in several DOS directories for eventual
BBS publication
- 1986
- Research
began in earnest in the Spring of 1986
- compilation
20mb of information on Terrorism alone nearly kills the project
- 1987
- Buzzword
Database converted to HP Electronic Cardfile Manager (ECM) format
- Acronyms
create another 20mb of data and the project nearly comes to a standstill
- Creation
of multiple sections for acronyms was elected to better organize both the
lookup for the end user as well as the organization and tasking of input
workload for the author
- 1988
- Terrorism
data is growing so fast, author elects to go to quarterly updates
- First
Toolbook version of database was built
- ASCII
files were formatted onto the Connect Business Information Network and
CompuServe
- The
toolbook version will require the full year to transfer data from ASCII files
to Toolbook pages
- Fall
of 1988: more than 500 pages of notes on the U.S. intelligence agencies,
terrorism, and military weapons, as well has amassed a fine collection of
reference works on the topic of weapons were compiled
- 1989
- Short
hiatus on project
- Break
up of the former Soviet Union obsoletes at
least 50% of the database information
- 1990
- The
database undergoes a major new obsolescence
- During
the Gulf War, updates were made to the database by gleaning news reports in
various magazines and wire services
- Acronym
updates begin immediately upon leaving the Defense Contractor using public
sources discovered while working for the Defense Contractor
- Documentation
of C3I and SDI components begins in earnest, again using public sources used by
Defense Contractors
- 1991
- Work
begins on completing the Toolbook version of the database and by the end of the
summer of 1991
- 25%
of the obsolete data replaced
- Work
begins to update the database to reflect the changes to military structures
around the world due to change in "world order" realized during this
period
- Work
on updating the Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union
portions of the database began
- Despite
the obsolesce rate, MILNET continued with hope to provide a historical database
with current information
- 1992
- Terrorism
section remains the largest single entity in the database and continues to be
updated regularly making it the only section with little obsolete data
- The
ramp down in U.S.
military forces and procurement spells relieve for the data collection, but is
not welcomed
- 1993
- An
analysis of the current data shows only about 25% of the original obsolete data
remains
- Draw
down of U.S. forces
continues to make data obsolescence for U.S. military force and structure
difficult to track
- The
continuing black out on anti-terrorism organizations in the U.S. poses a
yet another new obsolescence threat
- Reductions
on major systems procurement and a shift of military projects into intelligence
arenas has dried up most of the publicly available information on military
spending
- 1994
- Updates
to version 1.5 of Toolbook, and moves to higher resolutions requiring subtle
changes to "hand built" pushbuttons on screen
- Continuing
crippling of the U.S.
military forces obsoletes most of the U.S. military organizational data
and force strengths
- Large
portions of the U.S.
military sections of the database have now become mostly of historical use
only. Terrorism data, however, is still accurate
- 1995
- Moves
to multimedia toolbook, but elects not to add multimedia clips at present due
to possible copyright issues
- Spring
1995: Terrorism data gets gleaned via Newshound (copyright Mercury News) (on
America Online) in addition to the previously used AP Wire and summarized
- HTML
version of database begins in the Spring of 1995, with goal to go online with
first five layers of database hierarchy by Summer of 1995
- Continues
to write and edit fiction, thus continuing the need for the database despite a
known 25% per year obsolescence rate
- Summer
1995: decided to add image map technology utilizing "button panels"
to allow users to navigate the database
- 1996
- Various
offers of help from the Open Source Intelligence Community and other interested
students of the topic matter flood in
- Major
rewrites of sections dealing with individual countries and organizations are in
progress
- 1997
- MILNET
focuses on the spread of International terrorism and predicts increases in
International Terrorism in U.S
- 2001
- Armed
Forces Intelligence (AFI) Research and MILNET begin a cooperative
exchange and hosting of up-to-the-minute and extremely insightful
analysis of world events on military, intelligence and terrorism topics
- 9
September, 2001:
- MILNET removes military database information
for two weeks following 9/11 attacks on U.S
- With
approval, data returned on 30 September
- Attacked
no less than four times by denial of service and complete site downloads from
routers via European to Middle East linkages
- 2002
- September
- Due
to shortage of operating funds, AFI ceases to distribute the AFI Research
reports
- December
- Due
to shortage of operating funds, MILNET site is no longer on the Internet
- 2004
- June
- MILNET
returns to the Internet with a new look
- July
- MILNET
exceeds 200,000 hits per month
- Alan
Simpson agrees to offering his writing to the Political Intelligence section
- August
- Dr.Mohamed
Ibn Guadi agrees to contribute his writing and compilation of events in the Middle East
- November
- Ryan
Mauro agrees to be interviewed for MILNET's new section, Those In The Know
- December
- MILNET
exceeds 500,000 hits per month
- Dr.Louis
Rene Beres allows MILNET to post his occasional writing on Israel and the Middle East
- 2005
- March
- MILNET
exceeds 750,000 hits per month
- April
- MILNET
adds first advertising banners and becomes fully financially self sufficient
yet still a non-profit organization
References
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to CSNET |
|
Next to NFSNET
|
|
|
