[meteorite-list] hematie and magnetite IDs... was(no subject) Facbook Meteorite content

From: MEM <mstreman53_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:33:57 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <477274.49807.qm_at_web161914.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>

I love meteorite-related presence on Facebook BUT moving this thread off on a
tangent ... I am often disappointed with the frequency of meteorite enthusiasts
that automatically offer "hematite or magnetite" IDs to anything they think is
not a meteorite. Please do the community a favor and spend at least 10-20 hours
reading up on mineralogy so that you understand the differences and make more
informed answers to such requests for IDs. For the record: everything NOT
meteorite is NOT automatically hematite/magnetite. There are many pyroxenes and
other silicates and smelting artifacts out there and one should acquaint
themselves with the rest of the world of minerals if they are going to offer
opinions. You would not want to get uninformed answers to your questions, so
show a little restraint, please?. Do become an informed participant. Strive to
both answer an ID question and give justification to your answer. . Above all,
"do no harm"-- try to refrain from answering just to give an answer. Thanks
I've 30+ years in mineralogy and I am still only a serious amateur when compared
to those mineralogist I look up to.

I and 2 other "learned" mineralogists were just outvoted on "yahoo answers"
regarding a cracked glass marble being "tanzanite". Even when the seller,
themselves, said it was a cracked marble. Everyone is done a disservice when
uninformed "ID by photo" is casually answered by those who don't have any
subject matter expertise but do have equal access to offering an opinion. Your
answer no matter how right or how wrong stays on the Internet forever. Soapbox
: reboot: set to off again

 I long resisted joining Facebook but now find the daily post of meteorite
photos indispensable in improving my own knowledge.

Elton



----- Original Message ----
> From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
> To: MIke Antonelli <mfrancis66 at verizon.net>
> Cc: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Fri, March 11, 2011 10:35:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] (no subject)
>
> Hi Mike and Gang,
>
> Facebook is quickly turning into a nexus of meteorite activity.
> Collectors, dealers, hunters, scientists, and curious onlookers.
> It's also ripe for virtual outreach. I get questions almost every day
> from people who know nothing about meteorites, and they are keen to
> learn more. I try to answer the majority of them. Of course, there
> are also more of the types who send messages like - "here is my new
> lunar meteorite that I found in Utah, what is it worth and do you want
> to buy it?" , and the message is accompanied by the obligatory
> blurry-photo of a lump of hematite or a terrestrial conglomerate.
> But all in all, it's a very good place to network and "meet" new
> people who may later turn into collectors or hunters. And from a
> dealer standpoint, Facebook is now mandatory. If you are a dealer,
> and you do not have an active FB presence, then you are surely losing
> potential sales. Used correctly, FB can be a lucrative marketplace
> and it charges zero fees. :)
>
> Best regards,
>
> MikeG
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
>
> Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
> Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
> News Feed - http://www.galactic-stone.com/rss/126516
> Twitter - http://twitter.com/galacticstone
> EOM - http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/collection.aspx?id=1564
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> On 3/11/11, MIke Antonelli <mfrancis66 at verizon.net> wrote:
> > Lots of meteorite folks on Facebook! Heres one page I'm familiar with!
> > https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meteorite-Hunting/211197901280?ref=ts
> > ______________________________________________
Received on Fri 11 Mar 2011 07:33:57 PM PST