Chatrooms, Telescopes & Egos

No matter what the vocation, people are people. We want to think that those involved in fields that are noble and worthwhile don't stoop to the petty politics that the rest of us face. While they may be more professional, they still tend to be human. And that's the way it is in amateur astronomy.
If you're brave, you can, on any night, venture into the "Beyond Earth" chatrooms in Yahoo Messenger. The number of people who inhabit these rooms can range from three to fifty on most nights, even more on weekends. While "Beyond Earth" isn't limited strictly to amateur astronomers, many who haunt that digital domain are. I figured that this would be a nice enough room to enter one night a couple of years ago. My initial moments went like this -

Welcome to Beyond Earth II...
Rob: Hello
Other Person: Hi...
Rob: What's the topic this evening?
Other Person: It says in your profile that you're an astronomy educator...
Rob: Well, yes
Other Person: Define blackbody radiation
Rob: What?
Other Person: Thought so

Of course, I could have defined blackbody radiation. Instead, I left the room. It angered me that the first thing I encountered was a "prove it" mentality. If I was aware the chatroom had a test requirement, then surely I would have boned up. That incident was pretty much standard fare whenever I tried to go into these rooms and say anything. As for discussions, most of them bordered on pseudo and junk science. The few amateur astronomers I knew there eventually left them as well. Chances are great that the perpetuators of this angst are good people, and I have to admit that I'm still a bit of a neophyte in the newer chatrooms and am not accustomed to the mores within this latest generation of cyberculture. Still, civil discourse in those rooms was muffled by the flame wars.
Not that some amateur astronomers behave any better in person. Just like any other human endeavor, there are people in it bent on trying to impress everyone with their skills and equipment. Forget actually trying to help anyone; for them, it's all about the toys and the knowledge they possess. This is particularly sad when it comes to public viewings. Initially, some of these amateurs seem fairly pleasant, but soon, their talk turns to how much you should spend and what sort of mental acrobatics you need to be a "fair" amateur astronomer. Even amongst themselves there exist a certain degree of derision.
The biggest problem that some amateur astronomers have is "aperture fever". For them, it's not the type of telescope, it's the size of the optics, obviously the bigger the better. Anything less than 254mm (10 inches) is a "toy". One can't help but feel that they're making up for other aspects of their lives (beyond the innuendo).
Still, it is human to do these things. We all want the biggest, fastest, greatest of anything. In doing so, though, we may be pushing others away from those interest that we hold so dear. In astronomy and the sciences, that's a particularly troubling aspect. If ever there was a time for the general public to have an interest in science, this is it, since it effects so many parts of our lives. In trying to reach others, we must not let our egos get in the way.