rdp@teddy.UUCP (07/15/85)
Is there any interest out there in exchanging software for astronomical use? Might there be enough interest to start a new news group (such as "net.astro.software") ? Also, how about software for such things as optical ray-tracing?
GMS@psuvm.BITNET (07/18/85)
I heartily endorse the idea of sharing astronomical software, and also the
idea of a net.astro.software. Even if there is no interest in a newsgroup
let us still form an informal net of people with the intent of sharing
this stuff.
I would be willing to help the process by gathering (1) a mailing list (email
on uucp, arpa, csnet, berkleynet or bitnet hopefully) of people with a
possible interest in the software, and (2) an initial list of the available
software.
What are the thoughts of the people on the net? Reply either to the net or
to me personally.
Another thought - how about a "net.astro.observer" to be used to correlate
observations of certain phenomona among amateur astronomers (such as the
upcoming Comet Halley).
Gerry Santoro -- Penn State University
. . . !psuvax1!santoro (uucp)
. . . !psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!gms (uucp --> bitnet)
sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) (07/19/85)
I'm also in favor of astrological software appearing in net.astro.software, being a superset of that required for astronomy, and in days of old, the two sciences being indistinguishable. Sunny > I heartily endorse the idea of sharing astronomical software, and also the > idea of a net.astro.software. Even if there is no interest in a newsgroup > let us still form an informal net of people with the intent of sharing > this stuff. -- {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)
schrei@faust.UUCP (07/22/85)
>/**** faust:net.astro / sun!> / 1:01 pm Jul 19, 1985 ****/ >I'm also in favor of astrological software appearing in net.astro.software, >being a superset of that required for astronomy, and in days of old, the >two sciences being indistinguishable. Astronomy is a science. Astrology is a parlor game. Anyone who takes astrology seriously is just spending most of their time swapped out.
cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (07/25/85)
> I'm also in favor of astrological software appearing in net.astro.software, > being a superset of that required for astronomy, and in days of old, the > two sciences being indistinguishable. > > Sunny > *Two* sciences? I only see one listed above --- astronomy. Remember Tycho Brahe's remark about the relationship between the two: "Astronomy is the bastard child of the whore astrology."
mjs@eagle.UUCP (M.J.Shannon) (07/25/85)
> >/**** faust:net.astro / sun!> / 1:01 pm Jul 19, 1985 ****/ > >I'm also in favor of astrological software appearing in net.astro.software, > >being a superset of that required for astronomy, and in days of old, the > >two sciences being indistinguishable. > > Astronomy is a science. Astrology is a parlor game. Anyone who takes > astrology seriously is just spending most of their time swapped out. That doesn't make the algorithms, or even the programs used by astrologers any less useful. I don't think much of astrology, either, but I respect the folks who wrote the programs and did the research and math to get them right, whatever their end. I respect the folks who do those calculations without the aid of computers even more. I don't respect them for their beliefs, I respect them for their abilities, and refuse to denigrate them for their beliefs, no matter what my opinion of those beliefs is. How about a little common courtesy? -- Marty Shannon UUCP: ihnp4!eagle!mjs Phone: +1 201 522 6063
ayers@convexs.UUCP (07/29/85)
************************************************************************* > Astronomy is a science. Astrology is a parlor game. Anyone who takes > astrology seriously is just spending most of their time swapped out. ...I don't respect them for their beliefs, I respect them for their abilities, and refuse to denigrate them for their beliefs, no matter what my opinion of those beliefs is. How about a little common courtesy? ************************************************************************* If courtesy were "common", there wouldn't be a problem here... blues, II world's leading exopsychologist (If Carl can do it, I can do it)
sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) (07/31/85)
> > I'm also in favor of astrological software appearing in net.astro.software, > > being a superset of that required for astronomy, and in days of old, the > > two sciences being indistinguishable. > > > > Sunny > > > *Two* sciences? I only see one listed above --- astronomy. Remember > Tycho Brahe's remark about the relationship between the two: "Astronomy > is the bastard child of the whore astrology." Listen you self righteous bozos... I'm not knocking your beliefs, and this is not the forum for you to knock mine. We're all looking for some free public domain software having to do with the movements of the planets of Sol, and I for one, also need to track the movements of the constellations with respect to an earth-centric point of view, so just cool it. as.tron.o.my 1 the science of the celestial bodies and of their magnitudes, motions, and constitution 2 a treatise on astronomy as.trol.o.gy 1 obs: astronomy <-------------------------------------------* 2 the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects sci.ence 1a possession of knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding 1b knowledge attained through study or practice 2a a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study < the science of theology> 2b something (as a sport or technique) that may be studied or learned like systematized knowledge 2c one of the natural sciences 3a knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method 3b such knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena : natural science 4 a system or method based or purporting to be based on scientific principles 5 Christian Science courtesy of, and Copyright 1977 the G&C Merriam Co's Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary as I said before, in the old days astronomy and astrology were indistinguishable, and astrology is a superset of astronomy. Sunny -- {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)
gnome@oliveb.UUCP (Gary Traveis) (08/02/85)
> > ************************************************************************* > > Astronomy is a science. Astrology is a parlor game. Anyone who takes > > astrology seriously is just spending most of their time swapped out. > > ...I don't respect them for their beliefs, I respect > them for their abilities, and refuse to denigrate them for their beliefs, no > matter what my opinion of those beliefs is. How about a little common > courtesy? > ************************************************************************* > > If courtesy were "common", there wouldn't be a problem here... > > > blues, II > > world's leading exopsychologist ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I think it's a fun to see all of these flames from so-called "scientists" about astrology. Where else could a request for software bring about a borderline- psychopathic reaction! Time for your Lithium boys!
gml@ssc-vax.UUCP (Gregory M Lobdell) (08/05/85)
Sidestepping all the astro<log,nom>ical flaming, I too would like to see some software here or in another related list, say net.astro.sw. How about the software for phase of the moon and sunrise/sunset mentioned by jad for starters. > > -- jad -- > > John A. Dilley, FSD > > UUCP: {ihnp4}! hpfcla!jad > > ARPA: terrapin@Purdue.EDU > > PHONE: (303)226-3800 x4166 I would also like to see software (or formulas and I'll write my own program in my favorite language) for morning and evening stars and the positions of the moons of Jupiter. Anyway, let's stop flaming and just do it. Gregg Lobdell
demillo@uwmacc.UUCP (Rob DeMillo) (08/08/85)
> I'm also in favor of astrological software appearing in net.astro.software, > being a superset of that required for astronomy, and in days of old, the > two sciences being indistinguishable. > > Sunny > {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) I have to go along with objections to this. Although it is true that astronomy's roots are religous in nature, the concept should remain historical, and the distinction clear. net.astrologic.software would be a different matter. (Admittedly, this also stems from a bias against astrology, and from conversations like this: a person: "...in grad school, eh? What are you studying?" me : "astronomy" a person: "...oh, you mean like you can tell me my future?" -- --- Rob DeMillo Madison Academic Computer Center ...seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!demillo "...That's enough, that's enough! Television's takin' its toll. Turn it off, turn it off! Give me the remote control! I've been nice! I've been good! Please don't do this to me! I've been nice, turn it off, I don't wanna hav'ta see... ...'The Brady Bunch!'"
bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) (08/09/85)
It is evident to me that net.astro is the wrong place to post *any*
software. All software should be posted to net.sources, since net.sources
is archived at many sites. Besides, this will have the beneficial
effect of avoiding further religious arguments in net.astro.
--
"Men never do evil so cheerfully and so completely as when they do so from
religious conviction." -- Blaise Pascal
Bill Jefferys 8-%
Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712 (USnail)
{allegra,ihnp4}!{ut-sally,noao}!utastro!bill (uucp)
bill%utastro.UTEXAS@ut-sally.ARPA (ARPANET)