Comments on: Red Hot Optics http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:31:31 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: harold http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25515 harold Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:43:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25515 Oh my god. What an amazing find: People use sex appeal to sell things (even geeky optical things! ) I'm shocked and amazed. Most of the comments seem to be about people condescending to people who don't hold their beliefs about what a horrible, terrible, ATROCIOUS thing the aforementioned ad was. AND trying to educate people about just WHY they are so wrong (stupid, misinformed, etc, depending on the poster). Folks, you have basically two choices here: a) would you want to live in a society where people are free to offend your delicate sensibilities with such an ad. or b) would you prefer to live in a society where everyone agrees with your point of view and there can be no dissent (because, after all, you ARE right about this, and it's oh so stupid of others to disagree with you. AND if they do, they must be re-educated to the TRUE PATH). I choose a) obviously, and if people sometimes piss me off about how to advertise their products, I think I will live with that until the BIG RIP rather than go down the path to choosing b). Geez, it's no wonder this country elected Shrub, twice! Us TRUE THINKERS make such easy targets of ourselves. h. Oh my god. What an amazing find: People use sex appeal to sell things (even geeky optical things! ) I’m shocked and amazed.
Most of the comments seem to be about people condescending to people who don’t hold their beliefs about what a horrible, terrible, ATROCIOUS thing the aforementioned ad was. AND trying to educate people about just WHY they are so wrong (stupid, misinformed, etc, depending on the poster).
Folks, you have basically two choices here: a) would you want to live in a society where people are free to offend your delicate sensibilities with such an ad. or
b) would you prefer to live in a society where everyone agrees with your point of view and there can be no dissent (because, after all, you ARE right about this, and it’s oh so stupid of others to disagree with you. AND if they do, they must be re-educated to the TRUE PATH).
I choose a) obviously, and if people sometimes piss me off about how to advertise their products, I think I will live with that until the BIG RIP rather than go down the path to choosing b).
Geez, it’s no wonder this country elected Shrub, twice! Us TRUE THINKERS make such easy targets of ourselves.
h.

]]> By: Norman Axelrod http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25514 Norman Axelrod Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:44:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25514 Edmund Scientific used to have a reputation as selling cheap products. I thought that it had been redeeming itself as a source of professional level equipment for serious professionals until I saw its tasteless selling of its products. Does the lovely lady's qualities imply seriously better technical products? What kind of positive inference can I draw from your recent cover? Edmund apparently does not have a professional attitude that professionals can respect. There are obviously better sources of cheesecake on the Web - - - unless of course that Edmund continues to pursue its quest for the bottom. I have been buying from Edmund and suggesting it to others. I am, however, embarrassed to send folks to your cheesecake. Please do better. Dr. Norman N. Axelrod, President Norman N. Axelrod Associates Edmund Scientific used to have a reputation as selling cheap products.

I thought that it had been redeeming itself as a source of professional level equipment for serious professionals until I saw its tasteless selling of its products. Does the lovely lady’s qualities imply seriously better technical products? What kind of positive inference can I draw from your recent cover?

Edmund apparently does not have a professional attitude that professionals can respect. There are obviously better sources of cheesecake on the Web – - – unless of course that Edmund continues to pursue its quest for the bottom.

I have been buying from Edmund and suggesting it to others. I am, however, embarrassed to send folks to your cheesecake.

Please do better.

Dr. Norman N. Axelrod, President

Norman N. Axelrod Associates

]]> By: WOW WhataStir http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25363 WOW WhataStir Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:57:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25363 WOW! Insteresting group here! She has been on the cover numerous times over the last 4-5 years. She has been in their print ads for magazines multiple times (full body shot wearing jeans + yellow button down shirt). It appears the cover did exactly what ALL the other covers have NEVER done in Edmunds past (make people take notice). I'm betting they sell more product :) Which is the bottom line. WOW!

Insteresting group here! She has been on the cover numerous times over the last 4-5 years. She has been in their print ads for magazines multiple times (full body shot wearing jeans + yellow button down shirt). It appears the cover did exactly what ALL the other covers have NEVER done in Edmunds past (make people take notice). I’m betting they sell more product :) Which is the bottom line.

]]> By: Sean http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25468 Sean Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:35:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25468 That's great news, Hiranya. Thanks for the update. That’s great news, Hiranya. Thanks for the update.

]]> By: Hiranya http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25469 Hiranya Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:27:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25469 I just had a very positive phone conversation with Robert Edmund, the CEO of the company who put out this ad. He was very open to the criticism, and he understood what people were upset about, that putting out an advert targeting a male audience would continue to propagate stereotypes about gender in the technical fields. They will be changing their advertising strategy to portray women in a more professional light on their ad campaigns. They already have a new catalogue out which should arrive soon, and said that the change in their strategy should be evident there. He also recognised that women form a significant fraction of their customer base, and that they have alienated them with this campaign. He promised to change things in the future, and insisted that they recognise women scientists as valuable customers, and women optical engineers form 33% of their workforce with a technnical degree (and they value them highly also). He also said that he valued the feedback he got from the community, as without it they would have gone on making the same mistake. So sometimes, working to change things does bring about change for the better! I just had a very positive phone conversation with Robert Edmund, the CEO of the company who put out this ad. He was very open to the criticism, and he understood what people were upset about, that putting out an advert targeting a male audience would continue to propagate stereotypes about gender in the technical fields. They will be changing their advertising strategy to portray women in a more professional light on their ad campaigns. They already have a new catalogue out which should arrive soon, and said that the change in their strategy should be evident there.

He also recognised that women form a significant fraction of their customer base, and that they have alienated them with this campaign. He promised to change things in the future, and insisted that they recognise women scientists as valuable customers, and women optical engineers form 33% of their workforce with a technnical degree (and they value them highly also).

He also said that he valued the feedback he got from the community, as without it they would have gone on making the same mistake. So sometimes, working to change things does bring about change for the better!

]]> By: Lab Lemming http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25362 Lab Lemming Sat, 03 Mar 2007 20:37:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25362 Has anyone considered the possibility that this ad is simply an oblique statement that their telescopes are incapable of handling any eyepiece with a magnification other than three? While eye-rolling, this advert certainly shows such a product in better light than a line of text that says "XXX objectification only". Has anyone considered the possibility that this ad is simply an oblique statement that their telescopes are incapable of handling any eyepiece with a magnification other than three?

While eye-rolling, this advert certainly shows such a product in better light than a line of text that says “XXX objectification only”.

]]> By: Belated Carnival Post http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25361 Belated Carnival Post Sat, 03 Mar 2007 18:52:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25361 [...] Finally, Sean Carroll posts on sexual objectification in telescope ads. The telescope manufacturer in question defended his decision to show an attractive woman in a short skirt curled coyly beside the equipment as follows: No need to be embarrassed for the many female science students coming along. Rather, encourage them to celebrate that another smart, young, and attractive female has joined the ranks of women in a technical field, which breaks the pattern of discrimination you describe. [...] [...] Finally, Sean Carroll posts on sexual objectification in telescope ads. The telescope manufacturer in question defended his decision to show an attractive woman in a short skirt curled coyly beside the equipment as follows: No need to be embarrassed for the many female science students coming along. Rather, encourage them to celebrate that another smart, young, and attractive female has joined the ranks of women in a technical field, which breaks the pattern of discrimination you describe. [...]

]]> By: Role of Women in Science? at Nonoscience http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25508 Role of Women in Science? at Nonoscience Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:22:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25508 [...] The above advertisement for the optical device (there is no confusion there for all of us, I hope),  appeared in the recent Physics Today. Enraged by the title of the post and the picture? Wait. Take a look at the reply/stance from Bill Dover, the higher-up at the edmund optics to one such disturbed professor (see here for what he wrote) and decide what to think. [...] [...] The above advertisement for the optical device (there is no confusion there for all of us, I hope),  appeared in the recent Physics Today. Enraged by the title of the post and the picture? Wait. Take a look at the reply/stance from Bill Dover, the higher-up at the edmund optics to one such disturbed professor (see here for what he wrote) and decide what to think. [...]

]]> By: Thomas Larsson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25425 Thomas Larsson Thu, 01 Mar 2007 07:24:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25425 <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2007/02/unitary_evolution_in_tight_sho.php" rel="nofollow">Red hot unitary evolution</a> Red hot unitary evolution

]]> By: Allyson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/comment-page-2/#comment-25466 Allyson Tue, 27 Feb 2007 18:03:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2007/02/21/red-hot-optics/#comment-25466 This complainer would let you know that the whistling sound you hear is the point, flying past your head. I'm not a scientist, so I have no idea what sort of room exists for satire, but I always have extra sarcasm to contribute when needed. This complainer would let you know that the whistling sound you hear is the point, flying past your head.

I’m not a scientist, so I have no idea what sort of room exists for satire, but I always have extra sarcasm to contribute when needed.

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