#668 Remove all Astrology projects from the Astronomy category, and the Science & Engineering category

[Alexander Wessel]

I just filed an "inappropriate" message regarding "Smart KP Horary Astrology" for being categorized under Science & Engineering/Astronomy, only to find out, a good number of projects have the same problem.

Astrology is not the same as Astronomy. The first concerns itself with creating Horoscopes, or as wikipedia puts it: Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial objects as a means of divining information about human affairs and terrestrial events. Wikipedia actually warns right below the article header: Not to be confused with astronomy, the scientific study of celestial objects. In reverse, the Astronomy page states: Not to be confused with astrology, the pseudoscience.

So, if you don't believe me, I hope by citing wikipedia, a credible source, which allows it's definitions to be contested and discussed, I can make the point that astrology is considered, at least by most (that aren't astrologers), a pseudoscience.

In any event, astrology is not the same as astronomy. And as it pertains to software and it's features, astrology software does something completely different and unrelated to anything astronomy software does. Astrology software is completely useless to astronomers. With the exception of moon phase and sunrise/sunset applets, there is no crossover either. If a moon calendar has a function telling me to cut the grass this week or rather next week, it's not astronomy software, but ratheran astrological/esotheric moon calendar. Same goes for ephemeris software. Astrological ephemerides are entirely useless for astronomy and vice-versa (not going into details on this, the resources are out there, or just trust my word on it).

As a hobby astronomer, I can assure you with certainty, no astronomer wants astrology software to show up in an "astronomy" listing. Also, no serious astrologer wants to (have to) go to the astronomy section to find astrology software because there is no separete category for astrology software. which often happens in databases / category catalogs if the database / catalog autor is ignorant to the fact that astrology and astronomy are (in modern times) distinct, often putting both into the "astro" drawer, because they would otherwise confuse the -logy and -nomy suffixes routinely, or call both by either name.

15 (of 57) "astrology" projects are currently listed under the "Astronomy" category. and thus under the "Science & Engineering" category. The rest spread out over various other categories, like "Education", "Religion" and even "Games & Entertainment". While either of these (maybe not eduction unless the software educated about astrology) is more acceptable than "Astronomy" or "Science &Engineering", I think it'd be best to create it's own category "Astrology" (there are enough fine projects that would fill the category nicely, I think). As for the main category, if I could only use the existing ones, it'd probably fit best under "Religion & Philosophy", as both are based more on belief and approximation rather than proof and exactness.

Now, to all astrologers and fans of astrology out there: I am NOT trying to bring the "Is astrology a science or not?" jihad here, that's why I cited wikipedia above. Let's fight that out where the definitions are made, not here. I am looking at this from a practical standpoint. Astronomers don't look for astrology software, and vice versa, so I want you out of "my" list, and you to have your own list, consequently.

That said, it is a pet peve for astronomers to be constantly confused with astrologers (and I assume that goes vice versa).

I know this is not a world-moving subject to most, but on the other hand, the fix would be fairly easy, too. I should know, I am also a softare engineer. ;)