Re: TM & ATMJ #4

[Atmj1@aol.com]

Telescope Making Reprints - Revisited 2 (page 4 of 4)

In the last few posts, we see a number of people rallying behind ideas like,
we'll just get the authors to recreate their material for us. 

That sounds great at first. But let's take a second look. Are 15 you going to
send letters to Rutten and van Venrooij, or Dick Suiter, or Dave Kreige, or
David Levy, or Robert Sigler, or others and ask them to redo their articles?

If you do, what will you offer these busy people: 15 cents a word; $50 per
article; a kindly mention on a CD cover? And if it is a monetary reward, who
will pay for it? By committee? And if by committee, how will the funds be
raised? Who will take the responsibility for them?

Now as to content: who will decide the length needed or wanted? Who will
determine whether a particular illustration is best made with a photo or line
drawing? And what if there is a disagreement? And with most experienced
authors (usually the ones with the best knowledge and command of the
language), wanting to have their work published where it can be seen and
respected over the greatest amount of time, how will you convince these
authors that your site is better than any number of other similar sites? How
will you convince them that their work will be available on demand as
respected reference material at dozens and dozens of noted universities and
observatories in dozens of counties?

Some say that the authors responsible for most of TMs important articles are
list members. Perhaps. But then, when was the last time you saw a post by
Dobson, Shaffer, Sigler, Rutten, Buchroeder, Stoltzman, Suiter, Woods, etc.?
Humm?

Methinks positive thinking may have overshadowed thorough cogitation. It would
seem to me that what we need is a focal point for ideas, a rallying point for
efforts, and organization with ONE VOICE to bring some of these things to pass
for us as A GROUP.

"…WHEN RIGHT THERE IN THEY'RE HANDS IS A DYING ROMANCE AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN
TRYING TO KEEP IT ALIVE."

The Amateur Telescope Makers Association!!


I'm off my soapbox now and would like to hear from as many as wish to comment.

Kindest Regards,


Bill Cook

P.S. If you wish to respond, please do so soon. If I have shamed myself into
suicide, I want to do it this weekend….Mondays are the pits.