Weasner's Editorial Page

WEASNER'S EDITORIAL PAGE

Last updated: 11 September 2009

Quotes, and Mis-Quotes

Recently, my comments about my SkyShed POD and the ETX-LS have been used by others to promote their own anti-POD and anti-Meade agendas. I was going to write a long editorial on this but rather than waste my time and yours on this old subject, I'd thought I'd just share a recent short email exchange.

Subject:	Your Review of the MEADE ETX-LS 6" ACF
Sent:	Monday, September 7, 2009 19:35:32
From:	Stan Gorodenski (stanlep@commspeed.net)
Some members in this discussion group I belong are using your post to
make statements like
"...it's marginal at best, hobby discouraging at worst.  A $1500
"department store telescope". "
and
"...it seems that Meade is true to form and has dropped the ball once
again."

I read your reviews and I do not get this kind of impression. I own a
16" LX200R and a 10" LXD75. Both are fine telescopes. Would you agree
with these other comments that Meade has dropped the ball true to form,
and, especially, that it is a "department store telescope" on the MEADE
ETX-LS 6" ACF?

I won't quote or paraphrase you unless I have your permission.

Sincerely,
Stan Gorodenski
http://users.commspeed.net/stanlep/homepagens.html

Mike here: I can only say what I've written about the ETX-LS in my review. I am waiting for a replacement since mine apparently had a bad leveling module. I'll update my comments after I get the replacement and get to use it. I should also note that some users have had problems and some have not had any problems. Hard to know whether it is a supplier problem or shipping damage or something else. Time will tell.

And:

As I mentioned, some members of this discussion group are using your
review to bash Meade. I think some of them personally hate Meade, as
bizzare as that sounds, and want Meade to fail. I personally do not see
anything in your review to warrant this bashing. It bothers me because
as an owner of Meade products I want to see the company survive because
if they fold where will I get my telescopes repaired if a circuit board
or something else goes? This bashing in discussion groups does nothing
more than drive potential customers away, hurting Meade, possibly being
the straw the broke the Camel's back. The bad part of this behaviour is
that Meade will never know this is happening so they can correct the
problems the company has. Might I suggest that in your reviews you
somehow get the point across that you are not saying the company has
inferior products or service and that no one should interpret your
reviews in that light. But how you handle your reviews is your call,
naturally.
Sincerely,
Stan Gorodenski

Mike here: Mis-quoting, or quoting out of context, is typical of the right and left political "media". But it is unfortunate that those who claim to be amateur astronomers feel compelled to do the same. Meade bashing is typical. Just as Apple and Microsoft bashing is typical. For example, given the disaster that Microsoft Vista was (according to some), you'd think that Microsoft would have failed and gone away. Of course, there are those who predicted (and hoped) that Apple would fail back in the 1990s. There are people who hope that Meade will fail, and so will "interpret" things to support their position. And these people are usually the loudest and most vocal in their negatively. I am used to being quoted, mis-quoted, and quoted out of context. I can only report the data from my "observations", just as any good scientist should do. I'm happy with my choices, be it Meade, SkyShed, or Apple.

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