FAQ and letters

Barry Meyers-Rice (barry@as.arizona.edu)
Thu, 26 Oct 1995 13:51:59 -0700

I have a question regarding the FAQ. I have written it for web access, where
it can be found at http://astro.as.arizona.edu/~barry/cps/faq/faq.html
Since I released it online, it has been accessed more than 1200 times
(pretty cool, I think). But is there much interest in a pure text version
for people without web access? The text mark-ups which make a file ready
for being a link on the web are pretty unobtrusive, so I've occasionally
just mailed the ascii file to those who wanted a copy. But are there
many people who would like a non-web copy?

A comment regarding the controlled burn on the group regarding eco-stuff..

>already once. IT SOLVES NOTHING. how about turning all of that energy
>towards your local and national representatives. After all they really
>want that title, make them represent some thing instead of sitting around

Ironically, my astronomy department has been involved in trying to put
telescopes on Mt. Graham in Arizona. There has been a classic clash with
eco-people for many years. This has given me a glimpse into how some of
the politics works, and I have been amazed to see how extremely important
letters *are* to politicians. Before this I thought that ``writing your
congressman'' was largely a symbolic waste of time. But these people actually
count the letters and notice them! Phone calls are useful but less potent
than snail-mail. In general, politicians are thin-skinned and when postal
projectiles start flying, they hide from the melee by capitulating.

Barry