Apology
Without Prejudice.
Fellow Amateur Astronomers,
The posting of this statement on this forum does not confer a right to publish or distribute it elsewhere. It may not be published elsewhere without express permission.
On or about 4th September 2007 I made two posts on this thread which is attached to a poll "Which magazine(s) do you prefer or subscribe to?". I removed and deleted both of those posts from this thread on or about the 10th or the 11th of September 2007. I made both of those two postings on my own behalf. In those postings I clearly identified myself as the author. As the author, I take responsibility for those postings. The posts were not made on behalf of, at the behest of or at the suggestion of another.
Both of my posts were made with the intention of supporting the owners and editor of Australian Sky & Telescope. They were intended to rebut and defend what appeared to be a suggestion raised by inference that the magazine Australian Sky & Telescope and/or its publishers were in some form of difficulty and that that magazine might soon cease to be published. In at least one of those posts if not both, I also questioned the motive(s) of those who appeared to be making that suggestion.
At least one if not both of my posts also directly referred the reader to another thread -- "Australian Sky & Telescope Troubles?" where I had made a post that I later removed and deleted on 10th September. On 11th September, I posted a retraction and apology for that post. That retraction and apology can be found here:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=23293&page=3
I deleted that post I made on that other thread -- "Australian Sky & Telescope Troubles?" at about 10.45pm on 10th September. An hour or so later as I recall, late on the 10th or the early hours of the 11th September I also removed and deleted the two posts on this thread. Next evening, on the 11th September I made a full retraction and apology for the post on the thread "Australian Sky & Telescope Troubles?" as referred to above.
I ought to have, but failed to post a similar apology about that time on this thread. That oversight/omission occurred contemporaneously with a very sudden life-threatening illness to a member of my immediate family that I was notified of on the 11th September 2007.
The two posts I made on this thread were inappropriate. In addition to having already deleted those posts and in light of my retraction and apology posted on that other thread, for completeness, for the purposes of showing my bona-fides and to make good, I similarly retract and withdraw their entire content.
I offer on my own behalf a sincere apology for those two posts on this thread to the members of this forum "Bisqueboy" and "Cydonia". I also offer a further sincere apology to any and all competitor publications that sell, distribute or publish popular level science/astronomy publications to Australian Sky & Telescope in Australia for those posts. For abundant clarity, that should be taken to include (though it is not limited to) any and all persons and legal entities who produce Sky & Space magazine.
I also sincerely apologise for the delay in making this apology.
Lastly and without lessening the force of the above, in recognition of the fact that the post could be seen to injure the fabric of amateur astronomy, I also offer to you the readers of those posts and to the community of amateur astronomers a sincere apology. I also offer that apology to Mike Salway the host of the forum.
The posting of the above material on this forum does not confer a right to publish or distribute it elsewhere. It may not be published elsewhere without express permission.
Yours Sincerely
Les Dalrymple
Contributing Editor
Australian Sky & Telescope
