[meteorite-list] Collector ethics... Apology

From: Mr EMan <mstreman53_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 02:43:34 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <971345.67359.qm_at_web55203.mail.re4.yahoo.com>

This is a public retraction to my insinuation that Steve was acting unethically regarding his collection as listed on the Encyclopedia of Meteorites website. Steve, I apologize for all the appearance of challenging your ethics. Please accept my apology for doing so. Crow was on my menu tonight.

Steve wrote me privately and if I may summarize since it was private he is probably a little frustrated with the situation but had no intention of deceiving anyone. The meteorwongs/meteorsuspects were inadvertently uploaded a long time ago and Steve realized they shouldn't be there but each time he removed them they reappeared. This could have been when the EOM was transfered and used backed up files, whatever. He has tried once again to remove them from the data base of confirmed meteorites.

I have also written the IMCA raising a suggestion that they consider a section in the future EOM expansion for suspected meteorites needing an opinion of ID and perhaps an archive section for meteorwrongs retained as a learning tool.

 I know many of us look at photos of other people's material when we are trying to see what others think of a particular "strange" specimen. Heck, for years that (e.g. eBay) was the only resource most of us had for knowing what "real" meteorites looked like. Going by written descriptions alone, as published as late as 15 years ago, I could make the case for classifying my '68 VW Beetle as an IAB silicated iron!

Again sorry for the tempest but the goal pushed forward, I hope, in keeping the EOM limited to confirmed meteorites.

Elton
Received on Thu 06 Aug 2009 05:43:34 AM PDT