Re: About TASS

[Michael Koppelman <lolife@bitstream.net>]

Let me just say, Tom, that sucks. None of us live forever but your  
attitude is admirable.

I think there are a few options for continuation. In regards to data  
preservation, although an informal arrangement may work for a while,  
in order for the data to be useful in a century, we have to:

1. Work on the data and publish it all.
or
2. Make the data available via NVO or VizieR or whatever in perpetuity.

We should really do both.

In regards to future operations, I think you'll have many volunteers  
to take a system. How data acquisition is performed in the future is  
unlikely to be cohesive, though, unless someone "takes the reigns". I  
think a distributed northern-sky multi-color survey is a grand idea.  
You run identical systems and programs at 3 or 4 locations and  
integrate the data into a single on-going survey. It could work but  
its a lot of work (as you know!).

Michael Koppelman
http://www.lolife.com/astronomy/

On Apr 14, 2006, at 4:25 PM, Thomas F. Droege wrote:

> I have had cancer since 1998.  It has now progressed to the point  
> that I
> don't have the energy to climb up on the roof and run the survey.  One
> does not get a straight answer when one asks "when" but I think it is
> months not years now.  The last PSA was 1035 and the previous month it
> was 700.  Those of a computational bent can compute when I will be  
> 100%
> tumor.
>
> Death is a natural progression of life and I don't see this as  
> anything
> special.  I have had a full life and lots of fun.  There are no  
> regrets
> and I am at peace about it.
>
> This brings up some questions.
>
> What to do with TASS?
>
> What to do with the data?
>
> What to do with all this stuff that will go in the ash can if I don't
> give it directly to someone?
>
> Possibly we can discuss this here over the next few weeks.
> -- 
>   Thomas F. Droege
>   droege@fastmail.fm
>