Now that we are back home (and out of warp), our communication channels have been reestablished. I apologize for the silence over these past three weeks, however, we didn’t have much of a choice. Our ship communications array wasn’t capable of maintaining contact with the Facebook network over the vast distance of space. Our current trans-spatial antennae is woefully inadequate for the task, and has been scheduled for an upgrade and realignment before we head back out into deep space.
In fact, you may not know this, but the USS Enterprise-D is actually the first Starfleet ship capable of broadcasting through the Facebook network. This is why we are also the first vessel to have a functioning Facebook page. Before being assigned to the Public Affairs Office here on the Enterprise, I spent a year working with scientists and engineers at Starfleet Command on a new broadcast system that allowed us broad-range access to this network. The Enterprise-D is a testbed for that system. Unfortunately, the hardware we activated last month failed. However, the planned upgrade, before we embark on our next mission, should fix the problems.
So, again, my apologies for the silence. We’re a new ship, and we’re still testing new technology. Our Facebook communications platform failed, and that shut down our office’s capabilities for most of the recent mission.
Now, it’s worth noting, this Facebook network doesn’t operate like normal communication. Normal communication provides a nexus between a transmitter and a receiver, resulting in direct-connection messages. For example, I send a message directed to another ship, and that other ship – if in range – receives my message via their comm receiver. This Facebook network is different. It works from a booster-assisted transmitter here on the Enterprise, but is broadcast without a specific destination. In a way, it is more like a distress call, or digital radio signals on Earth in the 21st century. Without directed communication, this system is not reliable for sending standard messages, but it is perfectly suited for public-access updates, like the posts I share from the Public Affairs Office here on the Enterprise.
This is certainly a fascinating system, and a promising technology. We’re still working out a few kinks, but we’ll have this system working smoothly before long. I wouldn’t be surprised if Starfleet starts installing this platform on other ships within the next five years. And, if they do, you might be able to start receiving Facebook transmissions from other ships across the Federation, thereby opening up the mysteries of space on a whole new level.
We certainly live in a fascinating era!
Enterprise Status: We will be re-docking at McKinley Station, above Earth, within the hour -- to undergo the upgrades to our communications array. We are likely to remain at Earth for the next week or two. Short-term leave has been authorized for all non-essential personnel.
-Lieutenant Sam Archer
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April 15, 2363 -- (Original Devron Timeline // Devron Timeline w/ Temporal War Reset)
(Devron Timeline 3.0)