Quote:
Originally Posted by ardeegee
"Agenda" might not be the right word. But there isn't a word (that I know of) for "weird obsession about something that nobody else cares about that you will without doubt fail at but that you go on and on and on about oblivious to the fact that people at best think you are oddly eccentric and at worst think you are a nut."
I propose that we coin for that the word "Laureling," in honor of Laurel Kornfeld, who quickly shows up in every forum on the web that mentions "Pluto" and "planet" to give long rants about how no longer calling Pluto a planet is one of the worst crimes in the history of history.
Hi, Laurel! (She'll likely be posting in this thread as soon as this shows up in Google searches.)
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Hello, ardeegee. Considering the accuracy of your crystal ball regarding my showing up here, you might want to consider a career as a psychic!
You've coined a verb in my name! If I go down in history, it will be due to your efforts. I'm genuinely flattered.
Most people post on Internet forums anonymously. I post under my own name when I write on something about which I feel strongly. Why hide behind anonymity? If a person believes strongly enough in his or her convictions, he or she should be willing to put his or her name behind them.
If you consider me a "nut," then you have to say the same thing about Mike Brown, who calls himself "Plutokiller" and posts all over the Internet about how he "killed" Pluto, drove the nails into its coffin, etc. You also have to say the same thing about the leadership of the IAU, that, in an age of rapid astronomical discoveries, is obsessed with suppressing all debate on what a planet is and clings to a controversial definition with which no one is happy.
I am an amateur astronomer and astronomy student with a special interest in the solar system, so yes, this is a concern for me. The fact that some people have become this annoyed by my opposition to the IAU planet definition, which makes no linguistic or scientific sense, says to me that my arguments are being heard and are making some people (supporters of the IAU demotion) very unhappy. To that extent, I am proud to be making a difference ("undoubtedly fail" to get the planet debate reopened? Given the many positive responses to my efforts and similar efforts by many professional astronomers, I think NOT)!
And if no one else cares about Pluto, why are so many people discussing it on the Internet? Why are books about Pluto making the bestseller lists?