[AJames]

Originally Posted by AJames

Are these others who make profit from other amateurs really "amateur astronomers" or should they be called vendors - for want of a better word - or something else? Ferengi?

Just some food for additional thought, where the truth lies in some of the aphorisms of the "Ferengi Rules of Acquisition"

Rule 47 : "Never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own."

Rule 208: "Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer."

Rule 285 : "No good deed ever goes unpunished."

Rule 299 : "After you've exploited someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them next time."

Rule : ? : "When the messenger comes to appropriate your profits... kill the messenger."

But the best by far here is Rule 75:

"Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum." *

Andrew

Note See [ http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Fere...of_Acquisition ]
For those who don't know, latinum is a rare silver liquid used as currency of the Ferengi