Why are you a member of this forum?

The Mekon (John Briggs) · #1 12-03-2016, 08:31 PM

I pose this question as recently I noted a wanted ad for a piece of equipment that I had. Now I am not a "churner" of astro gear, but I thought yes, I have one of these I could either give away or sell at nominal price. So I checked the poster of the wanted ads statistics. Found that 95% of posts were in the classifieds section, only a small post count but a huge overall number of posts. So I thought no, buying and selling is not why I am on this forum, my main purpose is to share astro experiences, help others where I can, and hopefully learn more about the hobby in areas where my knowledge is limited (hi-tech computer stuff for example).
So the poster of the wanted ad is not getting my ......................, as I really have little time for those who use this great site mainly to shift equipment.
Sorry if I have upset anyone, but these are my thoughts and I believe that those who are here just to buy & sell really should be elsewhere.
So why are you on this forum?

LewisM · #2 12-03-2016, 11:44 PM

To look at pretty pictures.

And to buy and sell

Somnium (Aidan) · #3 13-03-2016, 12:03 AM

to give me something to do while the sun is out and the sky is cloudy

janoskiss (Steve H) · #4 13-03-2016, 12:25 AM

There are a few members who are only here to sell stuff. It's easy to spot them if you look at their "threads started by" stats.

I'm here because the site with ~100 or fewer (?) members looked good back in 2004/5 and they gave me excellent advice when I was starting out.

AEAJR (Ed) · #5 13-03-2016, 05:27 AM

I enjoy reading about other people's experience with astronomy.

I am a life long learner and am always looking to learn new things. There are many smart people and long experienced people here who know much more than I do about astronomy. They are my teachers.

I enjoy helping others, especially those who are new who are struggeling with the basics. I may not be a "wise one" but I may be able to help them on their path to the stars.

Finally I get to learn about new equipment or new fields of exploration. I read about events I did not know about and get ideas about what I might enjoy viewing.

I am in NY so the buy/sell here is not likely to be very productive for me.

Kunama · #6 13-03-2016, 09:54 AM

I am here for the whole lot, I enjoy the hobby and all aspects of it.
When I started getting back into the hobby, after a long absence, I found that there was a LOT of conflicting information being bandied about especially in relation to equipment and what it was capable of. I felt that either my eyesight was very poor or that many overstated the capabilities of gear.

I am a self-confessed gear freak, so I decided rather than take other people's opinions as gospel, I would buy equipment and see for myself. This has meant that I have bought a lot of equipment, some just for the pleasure of owning it, much just to see if the hype had a basis in fact, and some just because it was cheap. I have also spent countless hours restoring, researching and building scopes, visiting observatories and even managed to take a look through Galileo Galilei's refractor in 2007.

This approach has allowed me to experience many fine telescopes, some have stayed with me since the early days, some have moved on to others.
In the process I have learned a lot about the hobby.

Most of my viewing is done on a rather less sociable scale, I like to view the heavens in silence with very little interruption once at the eyepiece, so I tend to go out solo. Unfortunately often the skies just don't cooperate leaving me with withdrawal symptoms....... that's where the forums come in.

I have met some genuinely friendly and knowledgeable people through this forum and been able to share my scope and its view with visitors from the northern hemisphere, showing them the southern gems for the first time.

I especially like reading posts by newcomers that show their excitement at seeing the moons of old Jove for the first time or the rings of Saturn or simply individual craters on Luna.

There is a lot of banter on the forum that really ought not be here, some threads are started purely to raise the ire of others, some threads seem to be very personal rants but all in all I find the IIS forum to be the best on the web at the moment.

Clear skies (and Taks Rule)
Matt

casstony · #7 13-03-2016, 11:00 AM

I think everyone should be welcome on IIS provided they're not a scammer. If someone only ever posts in the classifieds that has no negative impact on me. You know what they say about judging people.....

Tropo-Bob (Bob) · #8 13-03-2016, 12:12 PM

I am member, because this Forum helps me with my hobby. To take a recent example, I found Sirius B, after reading the helpful hints given in another post.

Also, when I buy new equipment, I now often seek opinions on expensive items first. In the pre-forum days, buying items was a bit of a lottery. I normally knew nobody who had the equipment and was it really what I wanted?

I notice that some people do churn equipment. I can relate to those who love their equipment, want to buy and see for themselves and then are prepare to cop a bit of a loss when they sell. It is almost like they just rented the equipment for a year or two while they tried it out.

The more professional buyers and sellers: Kinda OK, except I sometimes suspect they give opinions about equipment in Forums, which may be intended to praise the items that they wish to buy & sell. I normally check out the buy & sell stats on people offering interesting commentary on equipment and then disregard those made the few with a high sell records and few other posts.

Yeah, I do sometimes feel that the semi-professional buyers and sellers are disrupting the quality and authenticity of opinions given in equipment posts.

simmo · #9 13-03-2016, 12:27 PM

We are a community made up of all sorts being of different interests but at the same time with one common and as a whole entity we all add to the forum.

Atmos (Colin) · #10 13-03-2016, 01:04 PM

I originally signed up to buy/sell some stuff.... And then hung around

Now it is all about learning and helping others, looking at pretty pictures that I wish I'd taken myself.

There are so many aspect to this hobby, whether it be on the visual side or on the photographic side, or even both; it'll keep me going and learning for a life time. In the many years to come I would like to build my own telescope, don't know what yet but I've still got a long time to make that decision. Thinking of a long retirement project, so, maybe another 50 years to wait!

LewisM · #11 13-03-2016, 01:32 PM

What Matt said

I too am a purely solo imager and viewer. It's my personal escape into silence and sanctity. I dislike the club/social aspect very much.

Pradeep (Pleiadian) · #12 13-03-2016, 02:19 PM

I'm from northern hemisphere. Joined IIS to enhance my knowledge about southern hemisphere's sky.

grimsay (Iain) · #13 13-03-2016, 02:39 PM

As a beginner I used IIS for equipment research before joining to ask more specific questions. Since then I've logged in daily to keep up-to-date on astronomical events and local meet ups whilst continuing to research equipment, objects, techniques etc.

I've just purchased my first item (and first additional eyepiece) form the classifieds. But find the information and collective experience available on IIS far more useful.

el_draco (Rom) · #14 13-03-2016, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

What Matt said

I too am a purely solo imager and viewer. It's my personal escape into silence and sanctity. I dislike the club/social aspect very much.

Spot on..

Neutronstar (T) · #15 14-03-2016, 10:19 AM

I joined here for the camaraderie within the astro community, but I find unless you are in the "in crowd" your posts will be ignored like this one.

Kunama · #16 14-03-2016, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neutronstar

I joined here for the camaraderie within the astro community, but I find unless you are in the "in crowd" your posts will be ignored like this one.

Hello Tim, saw your post and thought I would say hello

(PM sent)

Neutronstar (T) · #17 14-03-2016, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kunama

Hello Tim, saw your post and thought I would say hello

Whats this? a reply.

We can always reply on you Matt.

Hi, the Tak is still working gets quite some use and kept as pristine as possible.

AEAJR (Ed) · #18 14-03-2016, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neutronstar

I joined here for the camaraderie within the astro community, but I find unless you are in the "in crowd" your posts will be ignored like this one.

There's an "in crowd". Where are they? I want to ask them a question.

What are they "in"?

OzStarGazer · #19 14-03-2016, 10:46 AM

Because I am interested in astronomy and this is a board for amateur astronomers.

Neutronstar (T) · #20 14-03-2016, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AEAJR

There's an "in crowd". Where are they? I want to ask them a question.

What are they "in"?

Ha, you have me there. I apologize to all for my rash dig.

I guess I used this post to remind that its nice to include everyone here.. We all know it often takes a bit to type a question or other comment and I often see them go unanswered or un-commented.

Please again accept my apology.
On the bright side, it did get a reply.