I very much agree with Tom and Matt's comments on this. When I first saw that beginner's comments a week or so ago (?), and especially the reference to 'neat' (I think), I winced, knowing that her enthusiasm might be shot down because she had been unscientific and inexact in her post. She could very well be put off due to off-list negative responses, or overwhelmed by the seemingly impenetrable records of the keenest and most professional posters here. I certainly have nothing against the precision and exactitude, but I strongly believe that there is also room for the enthusiasm and delight.I posted a very general note about the aurora back in April, which added nothing scientifically, but gave me the opportunity to share an experience that I probably didn't share with friends. Blank looks and rolled eyes all round! Although I could pretty well exactly tell you what key a song is being played in from bar to bar, I would be equally happy if you told me that you liked 'this bit' in the same song, or found it 'neat'. The enjoyment and delight are the same, it's only the technical understanding that is different. The analogy is not watertight, but makes the point. We should all remember, and I certainly do, that we probably started our interest because we had seen something 'neat' and wanted to find out more. I first posted back in March after seeing two sats crossing in Leo very early one morning. I had seen sats many times before, having been an very enthusiastic amateur astronomer for more than thirty years since Apollo captured my imagination. I was especially enthused because I had found SeeSat and Heavens Above, and later CyberSky, SatSpy and Starry Night, and was simply delighted that there were other people on the planet as interested as me. My first post was vague in the extreme (time, magnitude and position nowhere to be seen), but I was thrilled to receive a significant number of responses off-list from people trying to help. Many thanks to them. Could I then ask that any first post, no matter how vague or uninformed, is treated with respect, especially if the poster refers to it as their first post. I was nervous the first time I posted, and it was really only after receiving replies that I learned how exact this interest can be, despite my acute awareness about the exactitude that astronomy demands. So let's not put off those newbies, but encourage them to find out more so that they can share their obvious delight and interest even more. Newbies soon become old hands with time and encouragement. Thanks, Charlie. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Charlie Eltham 9 Princes Road Tivoli Cheltenham GL50 2TX Tel.: 01242 577860 Fax.: 01242 528410 ----- Original Message ----- From: <Matthew.Fawcett@eastriding.gov.uk <mailto:Matthew.Fawcett@eastriding.gov.uk>> To: <SeeSat-L@blackadder.lmsal.com <mailto:SeeSat-L@blackadder.lmsal.com>> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 15:33 Subject: Beginners.... ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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