Star Gazers Lounge - Thank you

[Spile]

I’ve been participating in online forums since the dark ages. Usenet during the 90’s and bulletin boards before that.

In all that time I don’t think I have come across a forum as good as SGL. I don’t just mean Astronomy related either. Online forums full stop.

Friendly, polite, welcoming, non judgemental or patronising, respectful with excellent advice from contributors with a wide range of expertise.
I’ve not seen a moderator have to “step in”, which says it all.

The technical side is excellent too. A sensible non garish colour scheme and great support for images and links. A sensible navigation and sub forum structure.

Sorry if this sounds like an Oscar speech but I wanted to thank the people who set up and maintain SGL. And of course without you, the contributions, it would come to nothing. It is why I recommend this forum to others interested in the subject.

[Stu]

Glad you like it here 👍 I do too 😀

[Waddensky]

Wonderful, isn't it? 🙂 Great people over here. And it's not mentioned enough, but I agree: the theme of SGL is great and very easy to navigate. On mobile too. The last update made it even better.

[Mr Spock]

It's a great place isn't it. It's made that way by the members. With SGL it doesn't matter who you are or where you are from, we are all part of the same family 👍

[banjaxed]

This forum is without doubt the most friendly and helpful place I have ever had the pleasure of being a member of.

[barbulo]

Concur with all of the above. 👏👏👏

[RobertI]

Agreed, it’s brilliant, and the standard against which I judge other discussion sites (in fact I haven’t found another that comes close, astronomy or otherwise). Well done and thanks to all. Long may it continue. 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

The OP's blatant 'like' farming. Mods?! 😆

The forum is great, but don't believe all the nicey niceness. There's crackin' gang fights at the SGL star camps. Imagers vs observers, then the faction fights with the beanie wearing big dob lot armed with two inch cheshires and apo owners weilding Berlabach tripod legs. 'orrible! 

[Clarkey]

I have not been around long enough to get involved in star camps yet. (Newbie imager). But you have now really sold it too me. I thought it would all dull and talking about astronomy. Gang fights and dob cannons - sounds great. 🤣

[barbulo]

I thought the faction which brought more beer would win. Don't count on me for the next one. 😜

[Sunshine]

2 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

The OP's blatant 'like' farming. Mods?! 😆

The forum is great, but don't believe all the nicey niceness. There's crackin' gang fights at the SGL star camps. Imagers vs observers, then the faction fights with the beanie wearing big dob lot armed with two inch cheshires and apo owners weilding Berlabach tripod legs. 'orrible! 

Lol, don’t forget the elitist Tak owners running away from the ruck cradling their scopes with their noses in the air. 🤣🤣
 

innocent humor Asside, this is the greatest place for anything astronomy, if I lost it I would feel like I lost a good friend.

Edited March 13, 2021 by Sunshine

[vineyard]

Concur! I came back to amateur astronomy after decades in H2 2019, and stumbled across SGL.  There is NO way I would have been able to go through the learning curve involved with all the new stuff that has been developed without the help & advice of SGLers.  There are so many ppl here w so much expertise - all willing to share, and I haven't yet come across anyone who wears their skills on their sleeve.  It's a fantastic forum. 🙏🏾 all.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

2 hours ago, Clarkey said:

I have not been around long enough to get involved in star camps yet. (Newbie imager). But you have now really sold it too me. I thought it would all dull and talking about astronomy. Gang fights and dob cannons - sounds great. 🤣

I felt a bit intimidated being a relative newbie imager too going to star camps but planned my first one in 2019 but was flooded out, last year covied out and booked another one in March but again Covid put an end to that one.
So I am a Jonah, no doubt.
But I will try again, I think the things you could learn as a newbie being with some of the members on this forum with your own gear there and able to ask questions  would be invaluable, and the fact that people are just so friendly would be an absolute bonus.
So I will try again and urge anyone to do the same. I think this forum is so great that there are people with such knowledge and skill at either visual stuff or imaging yet they do not look down on people with little knowledge and like to help rather than sneer, and none of that my gear is so much better than your gear attitude it is so refreshing.
Not all forums (not necessarily asto related) are like this 🙂 

Steve

Edited March 13, 2021 by teoria_del_big_bang

[adyj1]

"So I am a Jonah, no doubt." 

@teoria_del_big_bangdon't be like that - we're all scientists and don't believe in any of that superstitious mumbo-jumbo.

"But I will try again" - actually, just to disprove the theory, would you mind not? I've got my fingers crossed that the next one goes ahead and I'd rather you didn't jinx it... 😁 😂 🤣 😂 

But more seriously, Star Parties are great - been to the SGL one and the Bwylch Astro Camp and they were a hoot. 

I think this forum is such a great place because we haven't fallen into that modern 'social media'-age trap, and we treat people like we could be talking to a real person face-to-face. (which I might with you at a star party one day* - the above really was a joke 😂) 

Ady

PS - *unless you're one of the observer fraternity, with your la-de-da massive light buckets... If you're one of those, it's Cheshires at dawn! 

😁) 

 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

7 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

"So I am a Jonah, no doubt." 

@teoria_del_big_bangdon't be like that - we're all scientists and don't believe in any of that superstitious mumbo-jumbo.

I too am scientific but without getting philosophical there are so many things we cant answer (yet) I hate to discount anything.

But no I don;t really think it is me, maybe that other so called "conspiracy theory" of global warming, or maybe it was just normal seasonal weather changes. 

7 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

But I will try again" - actually, just to disprove the theory, would you mind not? I've got my fingers crossed that the next one goes ahead and I'd rather you didn't jinx it

What about if I change my Profile name and try again 🙂 

Steve

Edited March 13, 2021 by teoria_del_big_bang

[adyj1]

1 minute ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

What about if I change my Profile name and try again 🙂 

Brilliant, Loretta!* That should do it 😁 

It's not you at all - it's all those people buying new equipment 😂 

Ady

(* obligatory Monty Python reference) 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1 minute ago, adyj1 said:

Brilliant, Loretta!* That should do it 😁 

It's not you at all - it's all those people buying new equipment 😂 

Ady

(* obligatory Monty Python reference) 

Oh no don't say that I have just bought - well what the hell do you do in lockdown with clouds galore 🙂 

Steve

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi there, they`re a good bunch on here aren`t they.

[Spile]

On 13/03/2021 at 18:58, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

The OP's blatant 'like' farming. Mods?! 😆

Hypocrite 😉 and I didn't say I wanted to "hang out" with you. Now what did Groucho say about clubs?

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Spile

[Tiny Clanger]

I saw it as a joke, especially given the rest of the post , I don't think offence was meant.

Heather

[Spile]

On 16/03/2021 at 16:01, Tiny Clanger said:

I saw it as a joke, especially given the rest of the post , I don't think offence was meant.

Me neither - but my attempt at a witty riposte (hence the smiley) didn't work either.

[Tiny Clanger]

2 hours ago, Spile said:

Me neither - but my attempt at a witty riposte (hence the smiley) didn't work either.

Yep, I didn't read that as a joke ... this written communication thing is a minefield isn't it ?! 🙂🙂🙂  *

 

* multiple smileys just to be sure the light hearted tone of my reply isn't misread .. and have you noticed the number of people who call it a 'mindfield' instead ? Weird.

[Sunshine]

2 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Yep, I didn't read that as a joke ... this written communication thing is a minefield isn't it ?! 🙂🙂🙂  *

 

* multiple smileys just to be sure the light hearted tone of my reply isn't misread .. and have you noticed the number of people who call it a 'mindfield' instead ? Weird.

In a way, I firmly believe that written communication as is so popular now either by text, email, forums and such has changed the manner in which I express myself. Growing up into my early teens I hadn't heard of Internet or smartphones (there were none) text message was far of still and, email was a fancy word on shows like "beyond 2000". When all this came about I found myself in a bit of trouble on occasion because what I was typing was so misinterpreted It left me beside myself.

 We were not designed to communicate this way, we are expressive creatures in our faces, hand gestures and who knows what other cues we give off that we may not even be aware of but, the receiver registers them subconsciously and can then understand exactly what we mean to convey. This is the part I hate about written conversation by text or the like, how many times have I been left glaring at my phone, mouth agape wondering what did they say? are they mad at me? how do I fix this situation? only to find out later that it was all in my mind. Sometimes I wish there was an audio communication tab we can click on when we’re  on a hot thread going back and forth, old fashioned lip smacking has gone the way of the dinosaur.

Edited March 19, 2021 by Sunshine

[Tiny Clanger]

2 hours ago, Sunshine said:

In a way, I firmly believe that written communication as is so popular now either by text, email, forums and such has changed the manner in which I express myself. Growing up into my early teens I hadn't heard of Internet or smartphones (there were none) text message was far of still and, email was a fancy word on shows like "beyond 2000". When all this came about I found myself in a bit of trouble on occasion because what I was typing was so misinterpreted It left me beside myself.

 We were not designed to communicate this way, we are expressive creatures in our faces, hand gestures and who knows what other cues we give off that we may not even be aware of but, the receiver registers them subconsciously and can then understand exactly what we mean to convey. This is the part I hate about written conversation by text or the like, how many times have I been left glaring at my phone, mouth agape wondering what did they say? are they mad at me? how do I fix this situation? only to find out later that it was all in my mind. Sometimes I wish there was an audio communication tab we can click on when we’re  on a hot thread going back and forth, old fashioned lip smacking has gone the way of the dinosaur.

Oi ! Don't disrespect the dinosaur 🙂  I could take offence

Dinosaurs were the dominant life form on Earth for over  130 million years, and became extinct due to no fault of their own . Homo sapiens have been around for less than 1 million years, and we do look rather likely to be the architects of our own extinction ...

[Clarkey]

22 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

and we do look rather likely to be the architects of our own extinction ...

I'm now depressed and NEED wine.😉