[vsnet-alert 4815] (fwd) re VS-Alert 4807 (Greaves)

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

(fwd) re VS-Alert 4807 (Greaves)

   (Also posted to vsnet-alert just for notification.  As Greaves suggests,
please continue this issue in vsnet-chat).


Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 20:36:56 +0000
From: JG <jgts@jgws.totalserve.co.uk>
Subject: re VS-Alert 4807 : please FWD to VS-Chat

I would like to comment on the remarks made in VSNET-Alert 4807.  I hope
the writers of VSNET-Alerts 4805 and 4806 get to see this.

FIRST: The mails 4805 & 4806 contained full details of their contents in
their subject headings: no one was forced to open and read them.  If this
formula is adhered to the receivers can easily pick and choose the mails
that they are interested in.

Further, the mails were short, to the point, and business like. I cannot
see them making any significant difference in practical terms re extended
download times etc.

SECOND: Cancer is getting to the end of it's season at the moment. Some
people observe from near the meridian towards rising objects.  Notification
of probably the last swan-song of YZ Cnc for this season brings it to the
attention of people who are not necessarily looking to the West anymore,
who may be interested.

FO Aql I know little about, but it must be a morning object around now, and
maybe people need to stay up just that little bit longer to observe it,
which they may not bother to do if they do not know it is in outburst.
There are lots of CVs out there that need checking on, and time is precious

Neither YZ Cnc nor FO Aql are exactly SS Cygni...

THIRD: Who decides what is and isn't important?  Are VSNET-Alerts to be
retained purely for the chosen few, a no doubt self-appointed clique of
large fishes in a small pond?

Granted, Patrick Schmeer has found many rare and even unique objects in
outburst, sometimes for the first time, or at least for the first time in
decades.

Yet if I was cynical I could note that his homilies encouraging time series
photometry and spectroscopy on these occasions could be a means of ensuring
that the object is scientifically studied and written up, and thereby
further ensuring that he is duly noted in the literature, for all time, as
the discoverer of this important event... ...if I was cynical.

As an aside, I note that Taichi Kato will often use VSNET-OBS data to
create a timely alert notice, for fear that an event or situation becomes
lost in the morasse of observations.

And should Mr Novak be castigated for announcing his excellent software on
Alert instead of Chat?

FOURTH: Astronomers in general have a difficult enough time of it, with
variable star observers even getting stick from their fellow observers.
Last thing we need is variable star observers getting ticking offs from
variable star observers.

This sort of thing can leave people feeling unnecessarily chastened, and
may even put them off altogether.

I say congratulations to the Ball University team, and may they find many
more CVs in outburst over many more years!

There is no room for self-appointed cliques in obserational astronomy.  The
observational astronomer has to start somewhere, and newcomers should be
encouraged, not ticked off.

[I still remember feeling almost physically struck after observing U Gem at
around mag 14 for weeks and weeks, only to first catch it at full outburst
as soon as my eyeball got to the eyepiece on one particular night. Any
subsequent ticking off from anybody would have spoilt the sensation].

FIFTH: If subscribers to VSNET-Alert want a worthwhile topic to debate, try
the following.  CBAT style criteria should be adopted with respect to
attribution of discovery when a rare or suspected CV is caught going into
outburst. That is, the person who firsts correctly notifies VSNET should be
the duly noted discoverer, no matter who saw it first when observations are
finally logged.

In that way, and probably only in that way, Patrick Schmeer may be
prevented from posting in pre-discovery details of such an event after the
original notifier has made his announcement.  You all know he's done it,
and you all know he's done it more than once.

FINALLY: Astronomy for all!  Let's hope D Overbeek & the Ball University
gang enjoyed their observing, and are in no way disinclined to continue.

And if any you feel some of the above is possibly a tad harsh, let me state
that it is somewhat toned down from the original sodding anger I first felt
when I read on the webpages the self important bloody twaddle that is
VSNET-Alert 4807!

Yours

John

John Greaves
UK sh*tst*rrer extraordinaire

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