Would you share your PDC data?

[Kern]

V planer live on my X1 downloads actual dives done to Dan & the V planer live database, via the dive log manager. It's my choice to download or not. Anyone is able to interrogate the V planer live database.

V-Planner Live dive database

I'm amazed at the garbage some of you screaming paranoids have come out with.

 

[I Dive]

V planer live on my X1 downloads actual dives done to Dan & the V planer live database. Anyone is able to interrogate the V planer live database.

It's my choice to download or not.

V-Planner Live dive database

I'm amazed at the garbage some of you screaming paranoids have come out with.

What I find most hysterical is people who participate in an Internet message board being concerned about data that can be electronically gathered about them...

 

[TSandM]

A very sad thing, to me, is that there is very little research being done on diving, because there is very little money behind doing such research. Recruiting subjects and collecting data costs money. If I can volunteer my (harmless) data to someone who is willing to put the time and effort into collecting, analyzing, and reporting the results of that type of data, I will gladly do it. As I have downloaded my dives to the DAN database, and to Ross's.

Honestly, people -- unless you're in the habit of doing 200 foot bounce dives, what do you think somebody is going to find on your computer that they can hurt you with? AND what makes anybody think they are important enough to make it worth someone's while to try to find out WHO uploaded that particular dive, in order to do something about it? Fish school because being one individual in a huge group is protective. If enough people upload data, it just isn't worth anyone's time to try to identify an individual in the herd.

 

[Madacub]

I don't want my software bloated with extra functions that don't directly serve me!
If we allow these extras on all the different software packages we use on our PC then both the bandwidth of our internet connection and the CPU resources suffer.
These little add ons by themselves seem innocent and benign but if everyone all around the world uses them the internet starts to get log jammed with these little vampires.

Baloney on the bloatware comment! (And I can't believe you keep on defending it!) Little vampires?!!? Come on, it won't compare to even one youtube video!

They can and have in the past but now they want it automatic and in a specific form that makes it easier for them. DAN sold this idea to some manufacturers as a feature to sell and it hasn't had that effect so they haven't been able to market it to all manufacturers, thank goodness!

But I agree with you on the automated feature. That's a strict "hell no". I usually disable all these little automated updates, "Shall I send report to Microsoft" nonsense. I'll do it when I want to, if I want to. Totally agree with the posters on that.

*dave*: I did not answer the poll, not an easy yes/no. I would like to say yes, but I see 3 problems. Anonymity has already been pointed out. The second is bogus data. The internet being what it is, how would you control for that? (Maybe that is one reason DAN wanted the computer manufacturers onside? For authentication?) The third is usefulness of data without information on age, gender, obesity, diving conditions, exertion level, hydration level, etc.

But the idea is sound. When I look at my dive profile graph, it is usually ugly and jagged. But I wonder how many real world dives show a nice quick descent and then a smooth continuous liesurely ascent? It would be interesting to see. Also I monitor how often I come to within 1 minute fo NDL on my computer. That would also be interesting to see, even allowing for computer differences. And I totally agree that done properly, it would be invaluable. All the naysayers need to remember that the sense of safety with which we dive comes from empirical studies. We need valid data for all this.

 

[Sas]

I'd share my PDC data no worries. For those who are paranoid about people getting data out of them, if you have a bank account, social security number, mortgage, ever had a utility bill, a telephone, used the internet without hiding your identity (every day people have no chance of being able to do this), been on an electoral roll, bought something with a credit card, etc etc then there is FAR FAR more data out there in the world about you than your dive logs will ever show. Come on, really, privacy does NOT exist. Anyone who thinks that they have any measure of privacy is severely deluded.

 

[Madacub]

Odds are that you have provided more info in your SB profile about yourself and your diving than the OP's idea could ever gather...

What I find most hysterical is people who participate in an Internet message board being concerned about data that can be electronically gathered about them...

I Dive, the thing is that I hope most people realize that scubaboard is (part of) the internet. I hope people take it with a pinch of salt when my profile says I am a dive instructor with 5,000+ dives and regularly dive in the Antarctice with my 3 mm wetsuit. Scuboard is mostly harmless stuff. Usually entertaining. Often informative. On life saving stuff, I use info I get here as tips, and seek corroboration.

What *dave* is talking about is a little more serious than average scubaboard posts. What is DAN or PADI came up with a statement, "Based on the data we have recently collected, even though we know that data is imperfect, given that it is all that we have, we are now going to require a 5 minute safety stop at 30 feet and a 10 minute safety stop at 15 feet. This is for your own good"? On the other hand what if they came up with some truly useful help for deep decompression stops?

I'm just saying this is an interesting question from *dave* and deserves thought.

 

[fisheater]

I send my data to DAN and wish more divers did.

 

[AfterDark]

I send my data to DAN and wish more divers did.

Keep wishing! I know at least one diver who never will. Especially since I don't own or dive with a PDC, I use the US navy tables, have since 1970 and will continue to until my last dive.

 

[geokr]

what do you think somebody is going to find on your computer that they can hurt you with? AND what makes anybody think they are important enough to make it worth someone's while to try to find out WHO uploaded that particular dive, in order to do something about it?

Let me introduce you to a species called "Lawyers", closely related to the shark family. If, God forbid, you were involved in an accident while diving the data on your dive computer or in some database could be used against you. A court could order that the entire database be provided and examined by anyone for their purposes. Any transgression, breach of rules or "trends" noted in that data would be brought out, probably exagerated and you could have to defend yourself to an uninformed jury of non-divers. Paranoid, you say? People are now being convicted on evidence found in their automobile computers. Look, I'm all for improving the safety of divers, improving practices and equipment but my points were this...First, you can't be assured of how the data you provide is going to be used, second, you can't be assured of your anonymity. Assure me that that data will only be used for worthwhile purposes and that my personally identifiable information is protected and you can have it all. Until then, don't be so niave as to the purpose it may be put.

 

[I Dive]

Let me introduce you to a species called "Lawyers", closely related to the shark family. If, God forbid, you were involved in an accident while diving the data on your dive computer or in some database could be used against you. A court could order that the entire database be provided and examined by anyone for their purposes. Any transgression, breach of rules or "trends" noted in that data would be brought out, probably exagerated and you could have to defend yourself to an uninformed jury of non-divers.

Why exactly is a person being dragged into court and having to defend themselves for having a diving accident? I don't follow the news any longer. Is DCS now illegal?