Sky & Telescope June 2002 [antikvár]

Bad-Guy Editor'm an idiot. I don't know any astronomy. I pander to advertisers. I don't care what readers think. I'm interested only in money. I'm closed-minded. I'm a bigot.Yes, I'm bad. At least, that's what I'd think if I were to believe everything that's been said to me, or about me, on the Internet during my first 18 monthsas editor in chief of Sky Telescope.Of course, not every e-mail message I receive, or every comment I see on the astronomy newsgroups, contains a personal attack. But some do, and these stand out from the spam and legitimate correspondence (in that order, I'm afraid) that fills my in box. I suppose it's because they're so unexpected. I never see such nastiness in letters I get in the mail, and when I travel to astronomical gatherings people treat me as if I'm an OK guy which I think I am.As I wrote in my first Spectrum in January 2001, this is your magazine, and its editors value your feedback. We want to know what you like and dislike about Sky Telescope so we can continually strive to make it better. The same goes for our Web site, SkyandTelescope.com. We get so much correspondence that we can t possibly answer it all, but we do aim to read it all. Still, not all feedback is created equal. Electronic communications, in particular, bring out the worst in some people. Here are some tips to ensure that your voice is heard rather than ignored.First, tell us who you are. I see too many e-mails with return addresses like "[email protected]" and no hint as to who is behind that alias.Second, be specific. Saying a recent article "sucks" is not very helpful. Does it contain factual errors? Point them out. Does the article support a theory with which you disagree? Explain your objections concisely and reasonably, and we'll consider them carefully.Third, if you want us to read your comments, send them to us. We don't monitor all the astronomical newsgroups and mailing lists; there are just too many. Much of the message traffic generates more heat than light anyway, so why bother? We publish our e-mail address ([email protected]) in every issue; use it!Finally, please be nice. I'll gladly read a polite, well-reasoned e-mail message, especially a critical one that gives me ideas about how to improve what we do around here. As for hastily written, angry missives filled with typographical errors and questioning my intelligence or motives, I've begun simply deleting them rather than reading them or dignifying them with a response.Don't like it? Tough! What do you expect from a jerk like me?