The question that really annoys me is the neighbors one. Every time someone asks me if I've been spying on my neighbors, or to spy on them, it really gets under my skin and i feel like shouting, But my all time favorite is when someone sees my cousin's Celestron C8 and tell him that it was a waste of money because the tube is too short to "see far"He gets annoyed and tries to hide his annoyance, and I just laugh (hahahaha...cough Noobs...cough).
The funniest was when my mum's friend came over and was asking if i could see the sun at night
This has been a real eye-opener for me. I was aware that some people are a bit thick but not that thick. Its a shock to hear that so many people are so unaware of the environs. To know so little about their surrounds presents the reason that creationists are so successful.
Steady on Marty, might start a fundamentalist riot!
Matt
i haven't read all 7 pages so sorry if this ones been covered.
ppl who answer posts in begginers forum completely ignoring the origional post. e.g. "i'm looking at getting onto ap and was wondering what mount you would recomend?" this alost always ends up with an answer like " get a 300mm dob. you get more bang for your buck"
yeah, that really annoys me.
Scott
footnote.
I have nothing against dobs and have one myself. it's just the total disreguard for the origional post that gets up my nose
Scott, I can answer that one.
We get quite a few join the forum, with no experience in either photography or astronomy, saying, "I have $5000 and want to take astro pics".
While we don't mind buying their gear off them cheap, 3 months down the track when they find that the learning curve is quite long and slow, we usually try the more ethical method. Get them to dip their toes in the hobby first, see if it's for them, before splashing out all of their hard earned dosh.
It's the rare bird indeed who can pick up both sides of the hobby quickly and successfully.
Scott, I can answer that one.
We get quite a few join the forum, with no experience in either photography or astronomy, saying, "I have $5000 and want to take astro pics".
While we don't mind buying their gear off them cheap, 3 months down the track when they find that the learning curve is quite long and slow, we usually try the more ethical method. Get them to dip their toes in the hobby first, see if it's for them, before splashing out all of their hard earned dosh.
It's the rare bird indeed who can pick up both sides of the hobby quickly and successfully.
i take your point jjjnettie. that was just an example. there is also the " i have x amount to spend on an ep and someone will always sugest an ep for xxx amount. please don't think i'm having a shot at iis. its a ery helpful forum. sorry if i've caused any offence
Scott
Oh no offence taken at all.
We all have our pet peeves don't we.
I'm with you on your last point. If you say you have $200 to spend on an ep, it's pointless giving them links to something that costs $800. It's demeaning.
I'd considered that, but the probability of the particular gentleman being familiar with any form of Arthur C Clarke's story was extremely low. It probably came from an earlier 'factoid' of the evening that if Jupiter had been somewhat larger, it might have become a star.
It wasn't a stupid question - it was the context in which it was asked that made it stand out as a very strange one...
I've been asked in the past by some people "Can you see the girl next door getting changed?"
My standard reply is "My telescope is so powerful I can see her changing her mind!!"
I was going to go with the "Moon Landing Conspiracy", but I can deal with conspiracy nut-cases by just ignoring them.
However, for some reason, I feel compelled to reply to educate everyone who sends me the email about "Mars looking bigger than the full Moon". It staggers me that I get these emails forwarded from people who are normally smart enough to know better - and in many cases, I have to remind them again that I already corrected them 2 years ago!
("Well, yes, I now know it was a hoax last time, but this time it comes from NASA!")
[I was going to go with the "Moon Landing Conspiracy", but I can deal with conspiracy nut-cases by just ignoring them.]
The "Moon Landing Conspiracy" Ha! I just smash them with......
"What are you saying?. Are you telling me that the generation that stopped the Nazis, invented nuclear power, the jet engine, the Laser, the silicon chip, the computer, sent men into orbit, built rockets, ICBMs, satellites, eradicated Polio and Smallpox, went to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, started the green revolution,.... that mighty generation couldn't if they put their minds to it, send fearless men 250 thousand miles through space, land them on the moon and get them back?. C'mon mate!".
As an Astronomer, what stupid comments or uninformed questions peeve you off the most?
I'm not in any way putting people down who ask so they can be informed, that is GOOD. But there are times when you know certain people are leading you on so they can discuss the latest conspiracy theory.
Actually... when people use the term(s) conspiracy theory or conspiracy theorist in the pejorative tense, it peeves me off.
The argument reduces to the logical fallacy; argumentum ad hominem (which is the converse of appeals to authority)
Actually... when people use the term(s) conspiracy theory or conspiracy theorist in the pejorative tense, it peeves me off.
The argument reduces to the logical fallacy; argumentum ad hominem (which is the converse of appeals to authority)
I hear what you are saying, but I think they bring it on themselves by their belief that there IS in fact some sort of "Global Conspiracy" which tries to keep the population in the dark on what they are really up to, by offering all sorts of "diversions", including (but not limited to) the supposed faking of the Moon landings, imminent doomsday from a close encounter with Planet X, the Roswell Incident, 9-11 and the "controlled demolition" of the WTC towers, the GFC, and so on, all often alleged to be master-minded by some shadowy group of Zionist bankers!.
What else are we supposed to call this sort of collective self-delusion?
I think it is helpful to recognise that group of people who live in their own distorted reality field, who reject evidence because it doesn't correlate with their chosen bizarre theories, and with whom reasoned debate is just futile. When you realise you have encountered one, don't waste any time trying to correct them - just walk away. They're pretty easy to spot on the whole, because the "knowledge" that they are privy to is just too important to not pass on. It usually takes just a couple of minutes before they will quietly take you aside and say something like " Not many people know this, but..."
, But my all time favorite is when someone sees my cousin's Celestron C8 and tell him that it was a waste of money because the tube is too short to "see far"
He gets annoyed and tries to hide his annoyance, and I just laugh (hahahaha...cough Noobs...cough).
