Tires on the ground ...

Maybe NASA doesn't know what you want. A while back I inquired about the data from the probe that NASA used on Jupiter and got nothing for my effort. Does anyone know if the data from that probe ever got posted anywhere? I often ask NASA for data and never have gotten any in a friendly form but maybe data has never been translated into a language anyone can understand. That could be the old "keep the yahoos out" way of thinking that is the coin of those in the know.

you know jim i read that a group had to sue to get data because nasa wouldnt release it.if this is true do you thik these guys were just yahoos.

The yahoo reference I made was about the way people who have stuff make it very hard for outsider to get it. Newton made information very hard to grasp and that was his reasoning although he used a different term than yahoo.

LOL
I see what your saying.

<b>[RobRatliff] "i for one would love for a country to get boots on the ground that would share in the excitment with everyone all that they find insted of picking what they whant you to have."</b>

Then you would want the USA (via NASA) to be leading the charge. They have a fine track record, and always do things like this live. It is pretty hard to share much faster or more completely than that. As other countries develop the ability to do things like this, I hope they follow America's example.

True, there have been a few times when a processed version of specific data has been presented to the general public with some spin to fit a particular group's view of things. Surprise, the USA / NASA is not perfect.

But the raw data is always available. If you suspect that spin has been applied, process the raw data yourself.

Perhaps other countries will follow the <u>good</u> parts of America's example, and avoid the bad parts. But I doubt it. Other countries are not perfect, either. (People are people.)

LB

<b>[Jim] "I often ask NASA for data and never have gotten any in a friendly form but maybe data has never been translated into a language anyone can understand."</b>

All of the data NASA collects is in the public domain and available on the Net (with an occasional brief delay for contractual reasons). It is presented as raw data rather than being translated into a friendly form for several reasons:

* What constitutes a "friendly form" depends entirely on what the user plans to do with the data.
* Before it can be translated into a particular "friendly form", the user would have to define, in detail and using words that NASA understands, what that friendly form is.

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<b>[Jim] "Maybe NASA doesn't know what &lt;we&gt; want."</b>
This is actually a good summary of my first two bullet points. Thank you.
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* It is expensive to do each translation. The user, of course, would have to pay.
* Keeping people around to do translations would be a more expensive plan than having the user hire someone, or doing the translation themselves.
* Since doing a translation like this is usually an iterative process (your model will probably need to be adjusted several times as you dig into the raw data), doing it yourself is by far the least expensive method. And probably the only way you can be sure of the results.

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<b>[Jim] 'That could be the old "keep the yahoos out" way of thinking that is the coin of those in the know.'</b>

You can only be a yahoo by choice. As long as you insist on remaining a yahoo you will be prevented from using the data[1]. As soon as you transform yourself from a yahoo into one of those “in the know”, the data will be available to you[2].

Regards,
LB

[1] Not by NASA, but by your lack of knowledge.
[2] Not because you are then given a secret password, but because the data that has always been there is now understandable to you (once you translate it into a form that is friendly to your specific purpose).