The National ArchivessparkedUFO maniaafter releasing previously
secretMinistry of
Defence files on suspected
sightings.
The
National Archives' files contained details of alleged alien
abductions, sightings of flying saucers and crop circles.
Global interest in UFOs peaked to an unprecedented level as
internet searches for UFOs tripled overnight following the release
of the UFO files by The National Archives.
According to figures from Hitwise,
internet searches for UFOs increased by 267% on the day the UFO
files were released.
The National Archives' UFO webpage attracted 264,285 visits on
the first day of the files' release, five times more than usual.
Over the next four days 1,348,054 files were downloaded.
David Thomas, chief information officer at The National
Archives, said, "It just shows the fascination in aliens is very
real. This launch exceeded our expectations and showcased our
ability to deliver large scale projects in the face of sustained
web traffic."
Released under the Freedom of Information Act, the eight UFO
files were the first batch transferred to The National Archives by
the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In anticipation of the demand, The National Archives web team
worked with UK managed hosting provider NetBenefit and their
content delivery network specialist Panther Express.
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