Telescope Reviews: The Cost of a Good Eyepiece Redux

Dave:

"Why don't you submit a review Jim? You can even post a short one in (horrors) the forums."

That's hardly fair. I frequently post lengthy, detailed reviews and other topics in the forums. I also have previously submitted reviews and currently I have several new reviews written and ready for submission (World Cup II, TMB vs. TMB, and two others, and a fifth collaborative piece in the works), but am holding on to them for now.

Here's why. I submitted an article last April on the importance of Dark Sky travel and it hasn't progressed through the queue at all in the intervening months. I can also see many other gear reviews similarly stalled in the submission queue that have been there as long or even longer than my piece. Why submit more work product only to see it sit for months and months? While historically CN has been the *best* place to publish due to its large membership, it is not the *only* place to publish such material.

It's the recurring observing report serials that see publication while true gear reviews or other non-serialized pieces are awaiting editorial review. The article out of Pakistan a couple of months ago was a godsend, but it's one interesting piece in a sea of sameness. It's not encouraging to put the effort in on a 20+ page, well illustrated piece and then have it sit gathering virtual dust while yet another seasonal observing report piece gets posted. Frankly, I read what could be seen in Ophiuchus this time last year in two different serialized pieces. Do I need to rehash Ophiuchus again this season? I appreciate that folks write these pieces, but it's a little like having pizza every single night for dinner. I love pizza, but even I have my limits on how much of it I want to eat.

I understand that it is volunteer administered and that folks are busy. That's fine. But perhaps we need a few more volunteers to help return the site's content to its original variety, update frequency and diverse focus. I no longer bother even checking the lead in page. It's always the next installment of "adventures in Delphinus and Sagitta".

In other words, I'd like to see CN sort this problem out, so my comment is intended as a constructive criticism. At least the forums remain active and informative. However, forum posts don't work well for comprehensive reviews due to the file size limits. They prohibit the inclusion of sufficiently detailed images and illustrations IMO.

- Jim

Edited by jrbarnett (08/25/11 12:36 AM)