Re: Fighting Buy a Star Scams

From: Larry Stedman (stedman_at_binghamton.edu)
Date: 12/04/04 

Date: Sat, 04 Dec 2004 22:18:56 GMT

I don't doubt the understanding and good intentions of many buyers...
but there's also widespread ignorance in which many people fall for all
sorts of things and many who are all too ready to take advantage of
their naivete ...

Whether that's actually going on here is the question...

There's the issue in the abstract, but then there's the actual concrete
reality of what's being promoted and how that's being understood.

Have you all looked closely at the statements that are featured on some
of the web sites? I just checked for the first time. Here's what I
found.

"Your star name will be officially registered in the ... database
featuring hundreds of thousands of stars numerically designated by the
world renowned Smithsonian Astrophysical Institute. Each star is
copyrighted with its precise stellar coordinates allowing the star
recipient, friends, family or anyone including future generations to
identify the star name and locate the star in the sky using a telescope."

or

"Name a Star, that's right, an actual star! "

"parchment certificate"

"Because these star names are copyrighted with their telescopic
coordinates in the book... future generations may identify the star name
in the directory and, using a telescope, locate the actual star in the
sky."

I'd like to know what *most* or many buyers of these names actually
believe is going on. Do many think they're getting something official,
something permanent, something unique?

(Yes, I've read Rod's piece, and I was sympathetic, but the very next
day I heard, for the first time, a 1-800 radio ad for one of these
companies, and it raised all the old issues.)

How would many buyers feel if they knew the full story?

And I would second the call for donations to the IDA (or even star party
organizing committees) in people's names to actually bring back the
stars rather than support what strikes many as a rather silly endeavor,
and others as a money-making gimmick, however well meaning. Or, as
another alternative, giving a gift of a membership to a planetarium,
space science center, etc. Or a subscription to Sky & Telescope...

Official, legal disclaimer: I am in no way impugning the motives or
integrity of those running those companies or sites, but joining in a
specialized newsgroup discussion of issues raised by what they sell. I
have deliberately not mentioned them by names so as not to call any
particular company or individual or their actions into question.

Larry Stedman
Vestal

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