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Date: 18 Jul 2006 23:36:03
From: Harshad
Subject: Wiki for ATM
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I have created a wiki for Amateur Telescope Making here,
http://atm.schtuff.com
It is still in it's formative stages :) Please feel free to add/update
content.
The motivation behind starting the wiki is to reduce the time that a
beginner telescope maker has to spend in hunting the web or running
around groups before getting the required info. There are many websites
with good information, but the information is scattered across websites
and thus is not presented in a uniform fashion. Wikipedia has some good
articles, but like any encyclopedia, it can only give introductory
information. Perhaps, when the wiki reaches a mature stage, the
information can be poured out into a Wikibook (http://wikibooks.org).
Another motivation is to bring theoretical concepts and actual
experiences together. This, I believe, is best achieved through a wiki,
rather than a static web page.
So, feel invited and spread the word!
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Date: 05 Aug 2006 00:22:03
From: Harshad
Subject: Re: Wiki for ATM
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Harshad wrote:
> I have created a wiki for Amateur Telescope Making here,
> http://atm.schtuff.com
I am replying to myself, and it feels so sorry. Wonder if there is any
life out there.
:(
Why is that nobody wants to contribute to an ATM wiki? Is a wiki not a
good idea? Is Schtuff.com not a suitable host? Are there any other
wiki's out there for the same purpose (I searched but I didn't find
any)?
I don't mind the idea being bashed.. but let me have some feedback. I
don't post frequently here cause I am just beginning out; I don't have
a telescope yet. Have just started making my own 8" Newtonian now.
right ho,
Harshad
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Date: 05 Aug 2006 19:06:06
From: Sjouke Burry
Subject: Re: Wiki for ATM
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Harshad wrote:
> Harshad wrote:
>
>>I have created a wiki for Amateur Telescope Making here,
>>http://atm.schtuff.com
>
>
> I am replying to myself, and it feels so sorry. Wonder if there is any
> life out there.
> :(
>
> Why is that nobody wants to contribute to an ATM wiki? Is a wiki not a
> good idea? Is Schtuff.com not a suitable host? Are there any other
> wiki's out there for the same purpose (I searched but I didn't find
> any)?
>
> I don't mind the idea being bashed.. but let me have some feedback. I
> don't post frequently here cause I am just beginning out; I don't have
> a telescope yet. Have just started making my own 8" Newtonian now.
>
> right ho,
> Harshad
>
Are you willing to put in a lot of work, only to have
it spoiled by Bradguth and colleges, to promote a
lot of nonsense? No, thank you.
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Date: 05 Aug 2006 14:06:31
From: Chris L Peterson
Subject: Re: Wiki for ATM
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On 5 Aug 2006 00:22:03 -0700, "Harshad" <harshad.rj@gmail.com > wrote:
>Why is that nobody wants to contribute to an ATM wiki? Is a wiki not a
>good idea? Is Schtuff.com not a suitable host? Are there any other
>wiki's out there for the same purpose (I searched but I didn't find
>any)?
>
>I don't mind the idea being bashed.. but let me have some feedback. I
>don't post frequently here cause I am just beginning out; I don't have
>a telescope yet. Have just started making my own 8" Newtonian now.
Just a few thoughts- there are not many ATMs anymore. Most amateur
astronomers buy their optics, and those that are into building things
usually do so with other parts of the system than the telescope. The
information database underlying telescope making (presumably, what your
wiki seeks to provide) is not very complex, and is well covered by just
a few classic publications. The few people I know who still build optics
tend to be fairly non-technical in a modern sense: they build the
optics, but their mounts tend to be dobs or otherwise fairly simple, and
are more about craftsmanship than high technology. As such, I suspect
these folks are more into spending their time actually doing the work
than they are writing about it online.
None of this is should be taken as bashing, just observations about why
your response may be low. Then again, your reply to yourself is the
first time I ever heard of your wiki- I either missed an earlier post,
or if fell into some Internet black hole. Maybe you just need more time
and more exposure. Participating here, on Starry Nights, and maybe a few
other serious amateur astronomy forums should help get the word out.
_________________________________________________
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
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Date: 05 Aug 2006 11:47:30
From: Harshad
Subject: Re: Wiki for ATM
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Sjouke Burry wrote:
> Are you willing to put in a lot of work, only to have
> it spoiled by Bradguth and colleges, to promote a
> lot of nonsense? No, thank you.
Nor me, thank you. But I don't think vandalism on wikis is frequent or
serious; wikis have
* versioning of pages for quick revertion.
* notification of changes by email, RSS, etc
* support for multiple site-administrators
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Date: 05 Aug 2006 11:40:55
From: Harshad
Subject: Re: Wiki for ATM
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Chris L Peterson wrote:
> Just a few thoughts- there are not many ATMs anymore. Most amateur
> astronomers buy their optics, and those that are into building things
> usually do so with other parts of the system than the telescope. The
> information database underlying telescope making (presumably, what your
> wiki seeks to provide) is not very complex, and is well covered by just
> a few classic publications. The few people I know who still build optics
> tend to be fairly non-technical in a modern sense: they build the
> optics, but their mounts tend to be dobs or otherwise fairly simple, and
> are more about craftsmanship than high technology. As such, I suspect
> these folks are more into spending their time actually doing the work
> than they are writing about it online.
The class of people the wiki is targetting is a bit different. For
example, my own group of friends here in India, are all building their
own telescopes, primarily to save costs. We are a group of about 10-20
people, and almost all of us have built their own scopes (in the recent
past). Right now, some 3 of us are building our respective scopes.
Most of us are college students who can't afford to buy equipment. Or
even good books for that matter (mostly because they are not easily
available here). We have two books (by Sam Brown and by Richard Berry),
but they are a bit vague in some areas, especially in mirror making.
There is a lot of material on the net, but it is all scattered around.
So, I thought a wiki would help bring it all together.
> None of this is should be taken as bashing, just observations about why
> your response may be low. Then again, your reply to yourself is the
> first time I ever heard of your wiki- I either missed an earlier post,
> or if fell into some Internet black hole.
The entire thread can be viewed here:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.astro.amateur/browse_thread/thread/dd7adc97686058ab
Thanks,
Harshad
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