Re: ATM Thirteen-inch "Travel Scope" Webpage

[Mel Bartels <mbartels@efn.org>]

Ray, my comment back to you wasn't the best.

I regularly get private email complaining that the list didn't do this, or
didn't help someone design that, or couldn't solve someone's problem.

Well, we are only a collection of people with a common interest.  We try to be
helpful, but lately I must say that I've become perhaps oversentive to those who
without lifting a finger want us to 'do it all' for them.  I expect people to do
some personal research and checking out and reading up or surfing up before
asking for help.

I made an assumption that you hadn't and that you were knocking us for not
helping you more.  That was a bad move on my part.

Really I am very unhappy this weekend with Sky and Telescope's editorial.  First
they knock comet seekers, and now atm'ing.  The editorial offered no
suggestions, nothing positive, just doom and gloom.  Well, I am quite unsure of
how to respond to the editorial, but this I do know: (and by the way, I am glad
that Gary is actively posting from Sky and Tel's vantage - we need this and I
think we all appreciate it even if we give him a bit of a hard time occasionally
<smile>) people will do what they want to do.  And (some) people want to build
scopes.  Sky and Tel can choose to be a part of it or choose to be irrelevant.
The word I hear the past several years at star parties is that S&T is
irrelevant.  Perhaps S&T intends this, perhaps not, but the sad fact is that
this is how they are now regarded.  If S&T wants to be considered part of
atm'ing, then they have some serious work to do.

--
Clear skies, Mel Bartels
http://www.efn.org/~mbartels