ATM Re: Msg. to Michael 2

[Atmj1@aol.com]

An Open Response to Michael Lindner (TM Reprints thread) Part 2
The Never Ending Story Continues …or
How to Blow a Saturday Without Really Trying

5) "….so I don't see how wishing TM reprints takes away from the ATMJ. In
fact, you posted that YOU'D like to get publishing rights to TM back issues."
Michael, how could you have read the post you are criticizing and come away
with any other idea than that I had been working toward that goal for years?
Yes, I said I wanted to reprint them. And based on some of your other
comments, I feel that you think I wanted to do so to get rich. 

You should be aware of two things. First that no one doing anything for the
ATM community is going to get rich by doing it, and second, that it was my
intention to have the ATMA be non-profit organization from the beginning! I
only made it a for-profit venture because my tax advisor felt there were many
fewer hoops to jump through by running a for-profit business and not turn a
profit right away than to declare the business to be non-profit and have the
"bureaucrats" breathing down my neck to be sure I wasn't cheating Uncle Sam. 

Long before I turned the business over to Captain's, I had decided to go for
the profit. To get rich? How about to re-coop some of the losses that DRAINED
my family in the first two years of operation?!  

Now then, I'll bear my wicked soul one last time. Yes, I get very concerned
when anything on the horizon looks like it could pose a threat to the size of
our membership. The HTML crowd can just put this thing on the web, pay a fee,
and life is good. That's not how it is in printing. The more members you have,
the more copies you have printed. The more you have printed, the less it costs
and the more vendors want to advertise with you. The more companies
advertising with you, the more money you make and the more you can afford to
better the product and processes. With that, the cycle starts anew. Do you
realize that if our membership was just 500 larger that the processes would
change and printing costs could be reduced by 80%? And do you realize how we
could improve the Journal with that? For what, to make Bill Cook or Captain's
rich? Ask Richard Berry, he knows Captain's and he knows me. I will support
anything he tells you.

I will say that I am just human. With all the talk of ATM web sites springing
up, I do worry about just how much I have sacrificed for nothing. We got
people talking to me about starting web sites who weren't even TM's when the
Journal started! It is like I have slashed my way through 1,000 miles of
jungle, have been hot, thirsty, attacked by bandits, and bitten by snakes;.
and, now that I am about ready to reach my goal (read OUR goal), I get run
down by half a dozen air-conditioned stretch limos full of guys wishing to
take PERSONAL advantage of the prize I sought and paid for for ALL OF US! Five
years ago, Carl Zambuto was a guy from Oregon who worked at making a few
mirrors and who tagged along with everyone who could even remotely give him
any info about telescopes and mirror making. Today, Carl is one of the best
mirror makers in the country! Would I be opposed to seeing him put up a site
on mirror making?? Absolutely not! Why? Because I know that he knows what he
is talking about. 

I can see how you would think that I am over-reacting. I assume that you would
base that feeling on what you have seen on the LIST. However, you must
understand that as editor of ATMJ, I have received many phone calls and email
messages from individuals indicating that they too are planning another feel-
good "ATM" site.  

The more the merrier...right? Some time back, I received a manuscript from a
fellow who is very well known in astronomy and telescope making circles. It
was several pages in length with good line drawings and text on diskette.
Knowing that the material was "top drawer," I filed to be the last article of
the issue I was working on at the time. When it came time to get it ready for
publishing, I was blown away by the mistake I had made. The concept was
totally faulty, his research was based on urban legend and wishful thinking,
and he stated his case as if everyone was foolish not to embrace his work at
the mere mention of it. When I KINDLY told him that I would not be able to
publish his material in its "current form," the prospective author had a
hissy, put me on his black list, and withdrew his manuscript. THIS MAN HAD A
WEB SITE!

I hope this has cleared the air and I hope that if you have further need to
chastise me personally, you will do so off the Llist so that I can respond in
kind as a courtesy to others. 

Now, after all of that, if you have come to the conclusion that I am only a
money grubbing jerk on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I would be very
pleased to continue our discussions concerning a tie-in between ATM Journal
and your quality web site. I do not have the time, inclination, or ego
required to get unduly upset or hold a grudge.

Kindest Regards,

Bill Cook

P.S. Just to illustrate that your view of me and my motives are not shared by
everyone else, I would like to offer snips from 6 other memos that came at the
same time as yours:

>>That sounds really good to me Bill!  A real Win-Win if I ever saw one!
Thanks for all the time and effort you devote to ATM!!
Dennis Hoofnagle<<

 >>Sorry, I missed the soapbox. Everything you said on the ATM List made good
sense…
-- Art Russell<<

>>Bill,  All points considered, I feel your proposal to Kalmbach is not
only reasonable, but probably the only course with any chance of
success.  My congratulations and thanks for your initiative.

Looking forward to ATMJ #12;  I just received the back issues I requested
and I'm as happy as a lark!!!
-- Dan F.<<

>>So, the hassle of printing and distributing ideas by [] printing on paper
and sending by snail mail should have an advantage to be worth the bother. 

In spite of Michael Lindner's comments, I can't believe there is any
money worth mentioning in it - for all your efforts with the issues so
far, you may well be on the minus side. 

What can make a journal attractive is quality - many web pages out
there are of a quality well worth publishing, others are not….
-- Nils Olof<<

>>For better or worse, I started this most recent thread of e-mails regarding
TM on the list. I read your four part post and I must admit you've raised
many valid points and you've come up with a better alternative. Rather than
waste my energy trying to get a corporation to do something which for
various reasons (lack of profit being foremost) it isn't likely to do, I'm
willing to volunteer my energies toward making the ATMA stronger. What do
you need?
-- John A. Graves<<

Ric Rokozs shared a concern that needs to be addressed. However, I will do 
so next week. I'm worn out for today.