Starship Asterisk*

This Facebook / APOD page looks very nice! Is there any way to find out who created it and continues to update it? Please send me an email if this is you or you know who it is. - RJN

There is also a very nice Facebook app, The APOD, built and maintained by the folks at Astrofiles.

OK, I just put a link from one of the main APOD pages to the Facebook APOD page listed above. Before the link, 8 people were listed as "Liking" it. I am curious to see if there is a significant Facebook crowd that would access a Facebook APOD page like this. The Facebook APOD page currently contains only links and thumbnails.

I do note that NASA has its own Facebook page and this page appears to me to have no advertising. Does anyone know if there is a special page category that allows that? If possible, I would like the Facebook APOD page to also have no advertising.

- RJN

Hi,

From a year ago I have in mind a Facebook group of APOD Catalan mirror, but I have a couple of doubts/questions:

Is there any copyright problem, especially on non English APOD mirrors?

Is the word “official” suitable to an APOD mirror?

Thanks.

Joan Girones wrote:Hi,

From a year ago I have in mind a Facebook group of APOD Catalan mirror, but I have a couple of doubts/questions:

Is there any copyright problem, especially on non English APOD mirrors?

Is the word “official” suitable to an APOD mirror?

Thanks.

A Facebook group for the Catalan APOD mirror would be great! I think image copyrights would not be broken so long as only thumbnail images are used, like in the English APOD Facebook site. As for the word "official", so long as no advertising is used and nothing strange is going on, I think it would be OK to list any mirror as "official" as soon as it appears on the APOD mirror list at NASA.

- RJN

As I'm sure some of you have surmised, I am the originator of the Facebook page Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). I am new to FB an I'm still learning my way around. I want to automate the posting of the APOD links and perhaps add a discussion tab to the page. Any pointers on how to accomplish either or both of these objectives would be appreciated. Any other suggestions on how to improve the page are also welcome.

adTHANKSvance

With some minor trouble and the valuable help from bystander, it’s running the Facebook page from Catalan APOD mirror.

Because it still doesn’t have URL, you can found it on Facebook searching “Imatge Astronòmica del Dia (APOD)”

I do little "human experiments" on facebook:) Today I am speaking in capitalistic language and it works. I mean people give their "likes" and all this facebook feedback like "lets be friends propositions".

"From tomorrow people you have more sun every day! And it is worth to mention that it is for free! These days you have very few valuable things everyday more and just free! Yes!This is a solstice day ad, It is good news for everyone. Simply you dont have to pay. Enough for everyone."

I have my humble opinion about this creature which facebook is. I'll talk about it later as I have more time. Now I'm on the run. I wonder at this moment whether it is okay if I attach APOD to my small experiments?

My last post was enigmatic, now I have time to explain what I had in mind.
My personal goal is to encourage people around me to gaze the sky. Second goal is to check whether and how human behavior is changing, when I post info about actual sky events using different methods. Message content is always about current sky events but way to tell is modified.
I use my personal facebook profile as a little lab. I “test” my friends. They don't know that, they just use facebook in ways they like and that is cool. Is that ethical to “test” own friends without their knowledge? Before answer this question, I will follow my first thought.

HOW DOES IT WORK AND
When event is coming up, I give info in my “status box”, and I wait for response. I can measure facebook feedback in two ways: quantitatively (number of “likes” , comments, clicks on the link) and qualitatively (content of comments). There are not statistics on personal profile, but it can be organized. I use other tools to count clicks e.g. platform SoundCloud. I can publish image with music track which is specially selected to the sky event. Tracks are made by my friends, who create music. I can also chose one of the music tracks which is already public ownership like music of classical composers. My soundcloud profile show number of downloaded links. I also use YouTube, there is number of views. I am working on kind of visualization matched with music, it is a process extended in time, because I need more my own images. Third thing I am working on is a website. I want it to be ready in summer (I am only one person, brother helps me sometimes). Goal of this website is to popularize watching the sky. It is for everyone, those who don't know astronomic terms too. I don't care, we learn all life. New raised heads, looking at the sky with own reflexion, will be a great success for me. Message is simple. Stop and think for a while. Relax.

WHY I NEED APOD
I see my idea as a kind of antechamber to places related with astronomy. APOD is one of it. People use APOD depending of their needs from low to high involvment. It looks like: just watching the images -> watching images and reading explanations -> use the archive just to view images -> use the archive for watching images and reading explanations -> passive participation in the discussion -> active participation in the disscussion -> APOD addiction (joke)
I realize that active discussion followers make APOD stronger. My facebook activities and website will guide people to APOD. Selection will take place naturally. I see my activities, as a local incubator of needs and curiosity. If you want learn more - go there.

Facebook fansite which is already run is a good global idea, my is local, based on activities among people around me with the use of global media.

Hello, lenka!

I'm not sure what it is you are requesting. I run the (unofficial) FB page, Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). There is certainly no problem with you using NASA images for non-commercial purposes, as long as the proper credit for the image is given. However, many images used on APOD are copyrighted and you may need to contact the copyright holder directly before using such images. Image credits and copyrights with links are provided on each APOD page immediately below the image title.

[b]APOD[/b] wrote:
About image permissions:

All the images on the APOD page are credited to the owner or institution where they originated. Some of the images are copyrighted and to use these pictures publicly or commercially one must write to the owners for permission. For the copyrighted images, the copyright owner is identified in the APOD credit line (please see the caption under the image), along with a hyperlink to the owner's location. NASA images are in the public domain, official guidelines for their use can be found here. For images credited to other owners/institutions, please contact them directly for copyright and permissions questions.

Neither NASA nor APOD can grant permission to use copyrighted images. For use of these images, please write to the copyright owners.

Hello bystender!

I rather thought about some kind of support like constructive criticism, thoughts etc:) I just wanted to ask, what do you think:) I feel linked to the APOD and it is important to me what do people here think about my actions.
More or less I understand the copyright issues. Thanks for that anyway. It is helpful, therefore, that confirmed my previous notion of copyrights on the APOD.

I think anything that generates an interest in astronomy, astrophotography, and APOD is a great idea. If you could also generate an interest in this discussion forum, even better. There are many examples of astronomical image videos accompanied by many different kinds of music on YouTube. I think I would have to see what you are doing before I could make any comment on it, but good luck with it.

lenka wrote:Hello bystender!

I rather thought about some kind of support like constructive criticism, thoughts etc:) I just wanted to ask, what do you think:) I feel linked to the APOD and it is important to me what do people here think about my actions.
More or less I understand the copyright issues. Thanks for that anyway. It is helpful, therefore, that confirmed my previous notion of copyrights on the APOD.

Basically, you're trying different things to market a site that you like to your friends. The best measures of your success in this endeavor are going to be 1.) comments on your Facebook page; 2.) whether anyone you know "likes" the APOD Facebook page; 3.) whether anyone you know joins Asterisk.

You're no different from most others who uses Facebook: you share what you like so that others who know you will know you better and so they might like it, too. You're much more likely than anyone else here to know whether your friends comment about what you post on your Facebook page, whether they "like" the APOD Facebook page, and whether they are inspired to join Asterisk. If you can generate interest in astronomy among your friends, you'll have more friends who are interested in something you're interested in. Nothing wrong with that!

Finally the Catalan APOD mirror Facebook page has its own URL: http://www.facebook.com/apodcatala

Today I was searching APOD facebook site and I noticed that my friend who lives next street is there:) I didn't know that before. Cool surprise. Joan Girones good luck there in Spain! You wrote few posts earlier that english level in your country is rather low,so is in Poland. Making news more readable or more visible is cool. We have partial solar eclipse in 1 day so I asked friends about attending, I sent an invitations for everyone like an invitation for a good party (free entry, star show guaranteed, no door selection hahaha ) and now there are 22 guests so far. The idea is take a x ray photo or old photografic film and to look at the sky during breakfast brake for those at work. Friends with day off I invited to accompany me. So we will see.