Dive ops: pimping vs legitimate info

[ggunn]

I'll weigh in on this one....I like the idea of a sticky along the line of what Christi and Josh took the time and thought to propose...

Actually, Christi weighed in against the idea, as did I. Attempting to rank and rate dive ops inevitably produces rancor and argument (reference this thread); keeping such a contentious thread as a sticky is, IMO, a bad idea.

As Marg and other have pointed out, reviewing of dive ops in here is largely cheerleading, not that there is anything wrong with that; folks naturally form a relationship with the folks they dive with. They want to show their favorite op(s) in a good light and encourage others to hire them. Turning every post into a plug for a dive op wears a little thin at times, but I am firmly in favor of freedom of expression as long as it does not become abusive.

The good news is that most if not all the dive ops on Cozumel are very good; there is not much value in a ranking and rating of dive ops because it is very hard to go wrong. Virtually every dive op on the island will be the perfect choice for someone.

 

[geokr]

Actually, Christi weighed in against the idea, as did I.

I didn't get that. In fact, "Thanks Josh

I will work on an update regarding local info to the sticky. I'll post it as a new thread and if anyone has anything to add or correct, we can do so before getting a mod to make it a sticky...fair enough?

Good suggestin about breaking it up - I hadn't thought of that

" seems like support for the idea to me.

Regardless, I still think it's a good idea and am glad to see this discussion. The parts without all the rancor, that is.

 

[Zman96]

I think on an open forum as this is, you just need to let people post what they want. As a reader we can digest by what the writer writes, whether or not to heed their recommendations. As Marge said in the OP if there is meat and potatoes to the review, we can lend a little more credence to that opinion, versus the "greatest shop ever" post without any explanation. Most folks that read this forum can pick out most of the bogus reviews, like the one a few weeks ago with the guy "pimping" Pascual.

 

[ggunn]

I didn't get that. In fact, "Thanks Josh

I will work on an update regarding local info to the sticky. I'll post it as a new thread and if anyone has anything to add or correct, we can do so before getting a mod to make it a sticky...fair enough?

Good suggestin about breaking it up - I hadn't thought of that

" seems like support for the idea to me.

Regardless, I still think it's a good idea and am glad to see this discussion. The parts without all the rancor, that is.

Well, I'll let Christi speak for herself, but in post #50 she stated her agreement with me when I voted "no". As a dive op owner herself, having anything to do with a ranking and rating of dive ops might present her with a bit of conflict of interest.

 

[geokr]

I think a conflict of interest would be stretching it. A list of topics like Josh provided would be without any bias and a more organized forum than the casual posts that are without any structure and can lead to the kind of obvious bias, pimping or ax grinding you often see. Sure, it might still exist but to a lesser degree, I think. And, it would provide a single place for these opinions and observations rather than scattered all over the forum as they are now.

 

[ggunn]

I think a conflict of interest would be stretching it. A list of topics like Josh provided would be without any bias and a more organized forum than the casual posts that are without any structure and can lead to the kind of obvious bias, pimping or ax grinding you often see. Sure, it might still exist but to a lesser degree, I think. And, it would provide a single place for these opinions and observations rather than scattered all over the forum as they are now.

There's no such thing as opinion without bias, and I think that bias, pimping, and axe grinding is exactly what that thread would be made up of regardless of what form anyone would try to impose on it. We are going to have that sort of thing no matter what we do, but FWIW, I think that scattered all over the forum is precisely where it belongs.

 

[geokr]

So, do as you do at home - put all your garbage in one place.

 

[ggunn]

So, do as you do at home - put all your garbage in one place.

OK, but I don't stick all my garbage right inside the front door so that it's the first thing that anyone encounters when they visit.

 

[billindenver]

I know this isn't a voting kind of thing, but GG has a valid point in my estimation....and that sticky would turn into a large post filled with mud slinging and arguments anytime a review popped up that didn't pile the compliments onto someone's favorite op. Scattered all over the forum is far easier to stomach than heaped into one large helping.

 

[geokr]

I know this isn't a voting kind of thing, but GG has a valid point in my estimation....and that sticky would turn into a large post filled with mud slinging and arguments anytime a review popped up that didn't pile the compliments onto someone's favorite op. Scattered all over the forum is far easier to stomach than heaped into one large helping.

Then don't stick your nose in the trough if you don't want to get fed. If a sticky is where you expect that nastiness to be then why bother going there? When it's everywhere you can't get away from it.