P3D Re: verbal pummeling of bogus 3-D

[Duncan Waldron <J.Waldron@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 26 Feb 1998, Gavin Stokes wrote:

> I sent that "3D4Free" guy a message too, telling him that 3-D requires two
> images.  I asked him not to contribute to the massive array of products out
> there claiming to be 3-D when they're not.

This is one of those deplorable situations where the guy is doing nothing
illegal, and although it makes the likes of us fume and shout, the public
still beat a path to his door. 

We have a similar situation in astronomy, where you have, for example, the
"International Star Registry", and possibly other groups, who for a fee
will send you a small sky chart, plus a photograph of a star, and a
certificate proclaiming that you have had a star named after you (or your
dog, or whatever). Not illegal, just infuriatingly economical with the
truth. (The International Astronomical Union is the only body that can
name celestial objects, or approve names suggested by others.) We had a
run-in with them a while back, but it did no good. They continue to do
business, and the public love it. I had the opportunity to speak to
someone who was intending to buy the service, and despite my careful
explanation, she was still happy to go ahead and part with the readies. I
might as well have sold her a certificate proclaiming title to pebbles on
the beach. Maybe that's not such a bad idea... 

Duncan Waldron
Royal Observatory
Edinburgh



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