Re: paleonet SFO fossil exhibit

["Jere H. Lipps" <jlipps@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I hate to see this issue deteriorate into name calling.  It is too important.  We need as much paleontology outreach as we can get.  CAS should fix the exhibit.   That's pretty much it.  

CAS has been and continues to be a major deliverer of paleontology and other things to the general public.   Problems, especially off site, are always likely.   We should be aware of these things, and we should strive to make our info no matter how it is delivered into positive public relations.  While I think CAS or whoever assembled the displays, should be as accurate as possible, I do not believe that the general public will pay much attention to the details, so, as they said, any advertising is good advertising.   Professionals should not worry too much about the details of public paleontology because the public does not know in general and do not care too much about the details anyway.  Nevertheless, we should strive for perfection but we and CAS are only human.

Jere

 At 02:52 AM 9/26/2005, you wrote:

Peter,
  Your comments on the CAS exhibit at SFO, on Paleonet, were just
brought to my attention. Thank you for pointing out the errors.
Installation of the exhibit was delayed by more than 6 months after it
left CAS because of unscheduled construction at the airport, and I have
not even seen it myself. A little astute observation on your part will
alert you to the fact that unless you are a ticketed domestic passenger
flying into or out of SFO, you cannot view the exhibit. And that
includes CAS personnel. I personally use SFO only for international
flights.
  I will not thank you for airing your comments publicly on Paleonet.
There was nothing constructive in that action. Frankly, coming from you,
someone who has had very little experience with assembly of major
exhibits from a larger natural history museum, I find your confidence in
your right to be critical to be a bit, well, baseless. I will address
the issues with the exhibit, but your approach is precisely what is
troubling about the future of paleontology: ill-conceived and
ill-natured commentaries posted to the Paleonet listserver.
  Best wishes,
  Peter Roopnarine

--
Peter D. Roopnarine, Assoc. Curator
Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology
California Academy of Sciences
875 Howard St.
San Francisco CA 94103
Tel. (415)321-8271
FAX: (415)321-8615