Re: ATMA Walks The Plank

[Atmj1@aol.com]

The ATMA walks the plank

With three out of the last four threads started, I have unintentionally raised
both eyebrows and Eire. Just today I figured out why. As Einstein once put it,
"There's no such thing as dirt. It's just misplaced matter." And, it would
seem that I have naively misplaced many of my efforts and messages on the ATM
List.    

I have one final long boring message that I really need to get through to
members of the ATMA (and INTERESTED LIST members), and I ask the indulgence of
List members who do not support the ATMA in allowing me to do so.

************* 

It would seem that I have unwittingly taken advantage of the List and have
been duly called to repentance. Please accept my sincere apology. I have been
so focused on trying to get folks to join the ATMA and expand our ranks that I
have carelessly made the mistake of believing the ATM List was the appropriate
vehicle for doing so. 

It would also seem that certain members of the ATM LIST get huffy if I try to
promote ATM Journal or the ATMA on the List. To me, this is UNBELIEVABLE. I
guess I was stupid enough to think that ATM Journal and the ATM List were two
branches of the same tree. I have no one to blame but myself for that
miscalculation. I always thought the ATM List was to provide service for ALL
telescope makers and that it would be a logical conduit for ATMA members to
keep in touch and promote the work. That's what I thought when I was the first
to promote the List in print. That's what I thought when I was using my
personal time getting the rights to reprint TM articles when I really thought
it was unnecessary, and that's what I believed until today when I a fellow
(who shall remain nameless at his request) wrote:

>>I FOR ONE AM GETTING A LITTLE TIRED OF YOUR PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS ON THE
LIST. NOBODY ELSE DOES AND MANY OF THE MEMBERS ARE BUSINESSMAN AS INTIMATELY
INVOLVED IN OUR HOBBY AS YOU. IF YOU HEADED A NOT-FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS. I WOULD
BE MORE UNDERSTANDING.<<

I understand that the List is not to be used for profiteering and I really do
support that. However, it would seem that there are some who give the ATMA or
ATM Journal no more thought than to see me as just another "vendor" and all my
efforts as just a ploy to get rich off of poor unwary List members. 

I know there might be some vendors who would like to advertise on the List who
may never have looked through a telescope, but please consider where my
allegiance has been from the start. I can show a powerful and sustained
interest in telescope Making, Optics, Optical instrument repair, and lens
design for 33 years before I ever started the Journal. From where I stand,
anyone who could look at my track record (which through mercy I spare you),
and come away thinking of me as another opportunist businessman would probably
describe Atila the Hun as just another testy individual.

Yes, Elvira Gultch did have children. And, some of them seem to sit up nights
worrying about how suddenly and horribly the world will come to an end if
Captain's Nautical Supplies were ever to actually turn a profit in its effort
to support me, you, and others in the ATM community. And, for what it is
worth, since Captain's has taken over the Journal they have spent a GREAT deal
more on the Journal than it has generated. (please read: the ATMA has ALWAYS
been a "non-profit" organization.) 

Therefore, I am publicly asking for Mel's help in creating a list server
exclusively for ATMA members, where we can talk about telescope making, ATM
Journal, the ATMA, and ways to create a greater awareness of telescope making
in the sense of brotherhood - that I thought we had on the List -- without
offending anyone.   

Do not think by this that I mean to fracture our small community because of
one or two "loose cannon" non-members who think our efforts are
inconsequential or opportunistic. It's just that with our own List we would be
able to really promote the cause without being muzzled (and placed in
situations where we could not defend ourselves from unfounded criticism) by
those whose agenda differs from our own. I would not even think of asking our
members not to support the Original List. But it would be nice to know there
could be a safe haven (available through a membership "key" number) for those
who wanted to discuss aspects of trying to promote the hobby as well as the
nuts and bolts of the matter.

I have even thought of offering members perks of various kinds, possibly
starting to produce the Journal in full-color and offering it exclusively
through CD ROM or as a downloadable set of files. (For those who have not yet
heard, we will be giving a year's membership to anyone who has an article
published in future issues of ATMJ.) 

Well, there you have it. Mel (ATMA member) has been asked for advice and / or
help, and I have asked for your input. I would, however, ask that you send
your replies directly to me to keep even more folks from getting bent out of
shape.

Finally: If I am being a fool trying to support folks who really do not want
my help, just let me know. I certainly have enough going on to keep myself
busy. 

Regards,

Bill Cook, 

PS Yes, I know that I have come across as being grumpy. I'm sorry. It's very
frustrating when one is on the front line doing the best he can for his
platoon only to have "friendly fire" whizzing past his ears and bouncing off
the back of his helmet. Having our own server could solve that problem.