[meteorite-list] Orientation, the 1000th re-hash

From: Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 09:02:35 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <725303.11063.qm_at_web33106.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Dave, no problem, I think the attack on you was not
justified, I know that the photo did not show any hint
of orientation, and perhaps more photos would have
been good but a request for more photos or explanation
would have been better. I got a call from Morocco
today at 5 am about a large oriented meteorite, I
yawned and told them to email me photos, oriented and
morrocan-oriented are two very different things. They
now describe everything as oriented. I applaud your
outreach work, I wish I had more time to do some of
those things. The important part of that photo was the
look on that kids face! He was clearly thrilled at
holding a huge meteorite. I never saw a meteorite when
I was a kid.
Michael Farmer
--- Dave Gheesling <dave at fallingrocks.com> wrote:

> Mike and List,
> Mike, thanks for getting this debate -- which
> emerged for all of the wrong
> reasons -- onto some quality ground. There is
> absolutely no doubt that the
> term "oriented" is abused and that this is a
> problem. It's great to have
> watch dogs out there, but rabid and presumptive dogs
> are not much help. I'd
> be curious to hear what you think about the piece in
> question when you see
> the images I sent you off line (those on my site
> were taken quickly and with
> bad lighting, as it's a pain to move that piece
> around). There are
> certainly degrees of orientation, but -- and this is
> important -- a few
> seconds of oriented flight is modifying a
> pre-existing shape (and these are
> obviously not all consistent, thus Lafayette is not
> always the result). Had
> I known in advance that this would be such a
> sensitive matter, I'd have
> either changed the caption (again, the photo had
> little at all to do with
> the stone itself) or included other images to show
> orientation. Have a
> great day, everybody...
> Dave
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com]
> On Behalf Of Michael
> Farmer
> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:27 AM
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Orientation, the 1000th
> re-hash
>
> Come on people, this has been a pet peeve of mine
> for
> many years. I go on eBay, or I see the Rocks from
> Space photos all the time, with meteorites claimed
> to
> be oriented. Half of these people would not know
> what
> oriented was if it fell an embedded in their heads!
> Dave's stone is nice, not highly oriented, but
> oriented with the photos on his website. The photo
> in
> Rocks from Space showed nothing to suggest
> orientation.
>
>
> So, let's see some examples on eBay right now!
> A fine flight-oriented Sikhote-Alin that belongs to
> me, you can clearly see the hundreds of flow lines
> emanating from the bullet-nose, flowing back, all in
> the same direction, which proves the direction of
> flight to all but the dimmest of collectors. Notice
> how I take the time and pay for the extra photos?
> This
> shows the attributes I want to show on the stone.
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140211035108
>
>
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/Oriented-Sikhote-Alin-METEORITE-with-Rollover-Line_W0QQi
> temZ180217699381
> Take this one for example, small rollover rim, but
> not
> the slightest hint of orientation, NOT ORIENTED.
>
> Here is an oriented Gao stone, note the nice cone
> shape, and the massive rollover lip and bubbles on
> the
> back to prove it! Lipping alone does not make
> orientation. I have see blocky meteorites with a lip
> on one side.
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350030529345
>
> And then there is this one, not the slightest hint
> of
> orientation, just a typical rounded complete Gao
> stone.
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ORIENTED-Gao-Guenie-Meteorite-Burkina-Faso-3-6-Grams_W0Q
> QitemZ200203882988
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/UNCLASSIFIED-Meteorite-Oriented-Individual-84-40g_W0QQit
> emZ120214504213
> Here is another one, old chondrite, just becuase it
> is
> rounded, does not make it in any way oriented!
> Please
> people, this is pitiful.
>
> If you are selling a meteorite, you have the duty to
> properly photograph it to present the stone as it
> is.
> Saying it is oriented, and then being too cheap to
> pay
> for multiple photographs shows that you do not care
> about the piece, do not care about your product, and
> are likely lying about the orientation part.
> Every time I sell an oriented meteorite on ebay, you
> will get 6-15 photos showing all sides, aspects,
> flow
> lines, lipping, nosecone etc.
> Buyer beware, if the seller does not show you these
> things, then do you really think you are going to
> get
> them?
> Michael Farmer
> ______________________________________________
> http://www.meteoritecentral.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
> ______________________________________________
> http://www.meteoritecentral.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
Received on Tue 04 Mar 2008 12:02:35 PM PST