Starship Asterisk*

The most disappointing thing here is all these stupid posts. What’s wrong with you idiots? Just for once they didn’t put a magnificent astronomic image on and you dorks freak out. Shameful. Really shameful.

a computer generated bar code wins out over every image submitted in the last month from all over the world, wow? maybe I should try using a CGI program rather than a CCD?

I liked it, in the context of universal communications.
Thanks for hosting such a great website!

This is likely a subtle hint that they would like dedicated fans of APoD to help promote the site through these codes and other methods. But if you'd rather show your dedication through complaining...

I also thought it was interesting - both the picture and the posts we see here. The post piques my curiosity about QR codes. The posts in the forum here make me think it's probably a good thing that we're unlikely to make contact with aliens any time soon. It would be deeply embarrassing. Any race that has been able to conquer the spaces between the stars is likely to be deeply uninterested in us while we have so many mean and cramped mental spaces on display. I like APOD. I like the mad, unpredictable variety of the subject material. I like that one day we're peering through the cold mist toward the earliest moments of the universe, and the next we're looking at a rock that dropped into somebody's back yard. I wonder what we'll have tomorrow...

Well Well Well
Lighten up all you folks....
dont take things so seriously.

Allow the APODIANS a small bit of fun every now and again.

Keep up the good work
and
Thanks for the ride...

Gripers.....Geez guys! - Get a life... if APOD ( a free service!!!) don't do a real astronomy image one in a while, and that causes you such great angst, you would be stupid to not have a backlog of your faves to fall back on, as security blue blanket.
What happened to your sense of humour. I have a growing stable of the best of the best which serve as my screen saver slide show. I grow way more tired of seeing M101 in its 200 flavours on APOD that I do of an occasional change of pace.

Keep up the great work "APOD control".

Hartful wrote:This is the worst image in a long line of bad images posted over this past year. Just about every day's picture has been a disappointment.

That seems like pretty severe hyperbole to me.

Just yesterday we had a really amazing simulation of how dark matter may have shaped the evolution of the universe.

Sunday was a visceral reminder of the biggest asteroid impact in human history.

Saturday an estimation of the asteroid environment in our local space.

Friday an absolutely stunning Aurora photo.

Thursday the immensely crowded starfield around the Cocoon nebula.

Wednesday a current event - a solar prominence that had just recently formed, with its size compared to the earth.

And a week ago, a mind-blowing video of what it looks like to fly over the earth at night. Did you see the lightning storms?

I understand people finding an explanation of the QR code unexciting. I wasn't much a fan of it myself. But to dismiss the entire site that way is absurd.

Infan tile

I frequent APOD, and I enjoy the diversity of the posts. Although I don't own a smartphone, and I really don't care about QR codes, I appreciate the many different things I find and learn about. The links are especially helpful. So despite all the negative comments, I love what you do, I support it, and I will continue to visit for as long as possible.

No love for today's APOD? I think it's quite thoughtful, and relevant enough. APOD has in the past highlighted less blatantly astronomical images. What's new and amazing in imagery within the framework of science and human understanding; incredible new views and advancements in technology; these are the things APOD has come to reflect. A new form of visual communication, one that is invisible to human eyes yet incorporates advanced hardware and software technologies, one which would have impressed the old timers in sci-fi writing, is pertinent enough. Then to juxtapose it with our other visual codes aimed at alien eyes, or more likely, alien technologies. Neat!

QR code is a unique cultural artifact, tied directly to the most current and totally groundbreaking communication tech. While today's image may represent a reflection on embracing such new communication technology, a thing APOD was literally born out of, it could also be an attempt at spreading the word about one of the coolest sites on the internet. The third-to-last sentence is an encouragement to actually print out the image and hang it up somewhere, thus linking other mobile computers and computees to the amazing APOD. This would be a fun thing to do indeed.

I have to agree with these people. I go to this website to see astronomy pictures, read explanations and learn something from the experts. This is not at all about astronomy no matter where the QR code sends you. I have seen APOD do stuff like this on occasion but this is the worst of them all. Maybe you need others to approve your ideas before you actually post them.

As for the guy who claims we should be happy because this is free, you are a moron.

Holy Moly, what a bunch of grinchy grouses! This is a Martin Gardner type question, posed to us because we are supposed to be sharp - and of course, as with so many Martin Gardner questions, it's beyond my reach - but I don't mind being asked to think outside my Box! However, what is pretty "wacky" is that there is a real photo showing up on MY home page, and I had to go to my Mozilla program to find the "true" APOD picture... and what shows on my Home Page today is a wild B&W picture of a steam locomotive (numero 721) which has crashed out of the station of the Chemin de Fer de l'Est - 19th century? Some massive wreck... Now, how did THAT sneak in, instead of that cell phone image? Aliens....? Anyway, APOD, forget all these grousy louses, you are doing a great job. gfwt

I'm happy enough to find a clever QR code at APOD... I certainly don't want to die ignorant. I don't recall outrage at the memorable APOD April's Fool "Water on Mars" (a beaker of water on a Mars Bar), which certainly wasn't a pic showing a glamorous star.

Even Homer posted some poor copy now and then.
I'm relieved to read some less apoplectic posts after the first few, so maybe all Apodistas aren't so intense.

Perhaps get on over to the EarthPod site for a changehttp:( //epod.usra.edu/ ) . I posted a query on another forum here about the current (3rd Oct) picture, which is of a Green Flash.http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25466
That astronomical enough for you?

John

I'd like to add my voice to those who are expressing appreciation for the marvelous variety and thoughtfulness on view at this site. Keep up the great work. And to the negative voices: just keep trying.

Well, I liked it. I'm surprised at how negative most of the comments are. I found it very informative. It answered a couple of questions that I had but hadn't taken the time to do the research. I'm a big believer in serendipity and consider this an example of learning from an unexpected source.

Btw, I follow APOD on Twitter.

JD Williams
San Francisco

Seen every image since the first, I can accept some repetition but this is without a doubt proof that NASA's budget needs to be redirected into education or at least shouting us all pizza & beer!

noodlekebab wrote:No love for today's APOD? I think it's quite thoughtful, and relevant enough. APOD has in the past highlighted less blatantly astronomical images. What's new and amazing in imagery within the framework of science and human understanding; incredible new views and advancements in technology; these are the things APOD has come to reflect. A new form of visual communication, one that is invisible to human eyes yet incorporates advanced hardware and software technologies, one which would have impressed the old timers in sci-fi writing, is pertinent enough. Then to juxtapose it with our other visual codes aimed at alien eyes, or more likely, alien technologies. Neat!

QR code is a unique cultural artifact, tied directly to the most current and totally groundbreaking communication tech. While today's image may represent a reflection on embracing such new communication technology, a thing APOD was literally born out of, it could also be an attempt at spreading the word about one of the coolest sites on the internet. The third-to-last sentence is an encouragement to actually print out the image and hang it up somewhere, thus linking other mobile computers and computees to the amazing APOD. This would be a fun thing to do indeed.

bar codes are not ground breaking tech. My mother who worked for IBM 20+ years ago worked with the first bar code technology way way back. hardly cultural.. and if all it does s link you to this picture...why would you return?

People seem to get pretty pissy when they don't get their expected dose of free stuff.

I'm over it. Qool QR qode!

Just me wrote:People seem to get pretty pissy when they don't get their expected dose of free stuff.

I'm over it. Qool QR qode!

Aint nothing free in this world, who do you think covers the cost of the servers? There isn't any advertising space on here. Your tax dollars at work..or not?

I heard that the largest radio telescope came online today. It's in South America. In the Andes. In Chile.

Swing.... and a miss!

Awfully disappointing. At least have the QR Code link to something cool.

Mala tempora currunt.
I agree with Ann and Anon, why all this belligerence for an innocuous image? I am also not interested to, and appreciative of, this particular APOD, but that does not warrant insulting the people who post it for free (and, after all, science must also explore unconventional paths, not always stay on the beaten track).
It tells me that there is a dreadful lot of repressed aggressiveness around, ready to vent out for little reason to any target in sight. Troublesome.