Here's Another Thing I Discovered...

Well, I'm sure someone else discovered it first, considering it's been around since 2006.

I'm talking about Twitter.

If you're asking what the heck is Twitter, obviously you didn't click the link, but I'll give you this: Twitter has grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. In countries all around the world, people follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happens—from breaking world news to updates from friends. You'll just have to visit the link for the rest...

A little background into Navy life and internet connections...

The ability to use the internet onboard a Navy ship is relatively new, well, new to a guy like me who's served for 20+ years. Way back when I joined in 1987, when a ship pulled away from the pier, the only regular communication with family and friends came in the form of letters. Some of you may be asking yourself what that is, I won't explain it, I feel old enough as it is...

In 1996, we had the ability to send e-mail to our loved ones through a system called SALTS, Streamlined Alternative Logistics Transmission System, chosen as the system to expand the Navy's capacity to transmit logistics information and administrative data from deployed units to existing Department of Defense communications networks.

The way this would work, I would type a letter in Notepad, save it to a 3.5" floppy, hand carry it to our Radio room and they would transmit my letter (e-mail), along with everyone else's to the command Ombudsman, who would in turn print them all out, call the families and friends and they would have to come pick them up. Not exactly the best system but it's what we had and we were happy to have something like this to keep in more immediate touch with everyone.

Where it used to take weeks to mail letters back and forth, now took days, depending on how often your loved one could make it to the Ombudsman's house.

1997-1998 I experienced the same system for passing letters back and forth with my wife, but by this time we had a shipboard LAN system available to us. Just another step in the long journey.

2000 found us with LAN systems installed, e-mail clients available (Outlook) and the ability to send e-mails at our leisure. If you planned it right, you could trade e-mails back and forth within minutes, sort of like instant messaging, except without the instant part.

I had the privilege of a few years of shore duty and really didn't think of it until 2004 when I arrived to my next ship. By this time the internet was a part of everyday life for me.

I can back up to 1998 because that's when I created my first Hotmail account. Fast forward again to 2004...

Everyone had a Hotmail account, or Yahoo, or Google, or whatever e-mail client of preference. It became common for Sailors to have access to the internet and the ability to check personal e-mails, staying in touch with whoever they wanted to stay in touch with through the internet.

That is, until 2006, when the Navy decided that personal internet e-mail accounts were a drain on bandwidth for ships at sea and decided to prohibit all internet e-mail, as well as sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Photobucket, and the list goes on.

The uproar was heard fleet-wide, but you can't really argue with the decision because the battlespace is all about bandwidth and have the resources to keep the information flowing. In the days of video teleconferencing and satellite phone calls, every bit of bandwidth counts.

Another reason for this prohibition is computer security. Personal e-mail through a public system does not go through our network filters, creating an opportunity for intrusion through viruses or trojans.

Needless to say, I agree with the principles behind the banning, it just chaps my ass I can't check my Hotmail every now and then...

Alright, got that out of the way. Long and boring, I almost fell asleep typing it, can't see how you made it this far. It's not the whole story, and doesn't paint a completely clear picture, but I think you get my drift of "how it used to be."

Thanks to Out of Mana, I saw this Twitter thing on her blog but never had the inclination to look it up, then I saw that the Lich King had his own twitter account and I decided to finally figure out what I was looking at.

Sign up was a breeze. The best part is the Navy hasn't banned it yet so I can use it at will. I'm following several people now and even have 7 followers myself! Probably because I'm following them...

I'm kicking myself in the butt because I didn't sign up for this long ago, like back in May when I left home. I'll be back home soon though so it's probably too late to get Jeanine and the kids to sign up. Me and my laziness...