Where to post trips? (Split from Diving East Side of Island)

[The Chairman]

Set a standard and enforce it equally.

That has been done and we are asking YOUR cooperation to make things fair.

Please review these simple rules:

• Talk about your PAST dives in the main Cozumel Forum.
• Ask questions about ops, resorts in the main Cozumel forum.
• ANSWER those questions within those threads.
• All offers, specific trips and specials within an OP (Opening Post) belong in the Trips and Marketplace.
• If you see an exception to these, PLEASE report them and staff will sort them out quickly.I don't get in here very often.
• These rules apply to ALL of our regional travel forums: not just Cozumel.

It would behoove all of the dive ops to post here on ScubaBoard. Please don't hold it against someone if they take the opportunity to avail themselves of these opportunities within the letter and the spirit of the ToS.

Thanks.

 

[firstdive2005]

No. The OP makes all the difference in the world. The thrust of this as well as the other thread was to promote a dive op. Kev just doesn't feel the rules should apply to him as it should to everyone. Sad that.

Well Pete you still skirted my questions in 26.
Promote a dive op, nearly every single thread in the Coz. has a promotion of some sort for a dive op. I was telling about a future dive I bought and I asked if anyone else had done it. What part of that dont you get Pet. I'm a team player man. If I want to dive with Scuba Mau and I do, am I allowed to ask if anyone uses them or not just to create advertisement? Even though everyone that is a vet in the Cozumel forum knows I use them. Or would that be trolling. It would be trolling. Simple as that and a person should get called to the carpet on that kind of crap. So Pete this is not an easy issue to clear. It's not about whether I conform or not. You are not reading what I am posting in these last remarks as you are not answering my questions.
No one goes into the business sector. Is this the reason for this charade youve put up about me being the little person here. You need a way to get that site open and this is your chance. Pete again I looked at nearly all the destination site forums and they all look and sound like the posts I posted, why are you busting me? That's what I've been upset about. My post is no different than any of the others! Regards kevin

 

[Prop Joe]

Ya know...I'm not really sure what is going on here.
From what I had been reading in the Cozumel main forum over the weekend, people on the island were looking to go over to the east side, because of weather issues.
Someone asked about diving on the East side. I responded with pictures and some text describing my experiences along with a couple other board members. There are very few options to dive the East side. People asked questions and those questions were answered. I thought people liked my post with pictures, as 9 other board members said "thanks" before that option was locked out. The post was a "past dive" I/myself completed. What was the reason for locking out the "thanks" feature from my posting?

I mentioned the op's name twice. Once was for clairification.
Was it because I highlighted the ops name? I would go back and edit but I cannot now. Locked out. If that was an issue just PM me and I'll fix it.

I thought I could go and edit the post and move my pictures to another post that I started so it would be more like a "trip report"... Locked out.
Why?

 

[billindenver]

Because your post takes business away from a dive op that has for some time had this board and some of of its mods bought and paid for. Post something that will take business away from BXTS and your thread will either be locked, deleted completely or moved to oblivion.

 

[The Chairman]

Let's look at the ORIGINAL post that started this whole brouhaha. It should be opbvious that I am not Simon Legree picking on the little people:

Aldora is getting ready for the Nortes.
For those of us that have had days of diving cut you know how nasty that feels regardless of the other cool things you can do on the island. So Aldora has put together a plan that is great. Dave will make sure that he has 3 boats over on the east side; Aldora V, Hurricane and Gaviota. This will give 18 divers a shot at keeping their vacation great. Diving the east side is not marginal it is every bit as exciting as the west side.
Here is a great offer- Book the dive with a deposit, if the norte show up dive the east side. If the norte stays down a full deposit is given back. That is a very cool deal.
I have set aside a dive for the east so this is how I know. Not too often have I had the diving close for weather as I usually go in Feb. but ya never know. I want to be in line in case it does come. Thats what the deposit is for-first come first served. I have nothing to lose. If the port is closed just get to the other side. It's a little more expensive but....... dont know what to say about that.

Tell me how this is a Dive report, a review, ANYTHING but an offer. It even admits to being an "offer" which is just another way of saying advertising. You just can't start a thread in the basic Coz section with an offer (advertising). Those belong in the Trips and Marketplace areas. If you have a specific trip that you want peeps to join you on, please use the Marketplace. Peeps don't look into the main Coz forum for opportunities and it is anything but dead.

That being said, I am having the mod squad look at this thread and determine if parts of it should be split into site support. Without some semblance of orginization we would only have chaos. However, since I am in this thread, I won't be participating in the discussion about that.

 

[The Chairman]

Bill,

I find your post personally offensive on so many levels, that it's hard to begin. It's simply cowardly to try to prove your point by descending into these personal attacks with absolutely NO supporting evidence. All it really does is show a lack of character on your part. I will stop here before I tell you what I really think about such lame attacks.

For reasonable people: there is no favoritism shown to any user or resort, though a few people here feel that they are above the rules. There is no collusion by our volunteers to steer business one way or another. There IS an apparent amount of jealousy and billigerance towards someone who has used this forum successfully.

Because your post takes business away from a dive op that has for some time had this board and some of of its mods bought and paid for. Post something that will take business away from BXTS and your thread will either be locked, deleted completely or moved to oblivion.

 

[firstdive2005]

Let's look at the ORIGINAL post that started this whole brouhaha. It should be opbvious that I am not Simon Legree picking on the little people: Tell me how this is a Dive report, a review, ANYTHING but an offer. It even admits to being an "offer" which is just another way of saying advertising. You just can't start a thread in the basic Coz section with an offer (advertising). Those belong in the Trips and Marketplace areas. If you have a specific trip that you want peeps to join you on, please use the Marketplace. Peeps don't look into the main Coz forum for opportunities and it is anything but dead.

That being said, I am having the mod squad look at this thread and determine if parts of it should be split into site support. Without some semblance of orginization we would only have chaos. However, since I am in this thread, I won't be participating in the discussion about that.

Pete this is the 3rd time I have asked you to read my questions and answer them.
If we where face to face would you not answer them, I dont ever say or ask things when I post that I would not say to someone personally, I take it personally when someone evades me upfront and close, so.... answer them please.
Again you called me a person that thinks I'm above the law, very narrow.
In one of my replies I said that I opened the thread differently, I did say there is an offer out there, every dive op has offers therefore every dive report tells of these opportunities. I just happened to change the way I normally write to give myself a breather in writing style, my bad or what? If you would read the original thread again get to the part thats says' I know this because I bought the package.' That is my report which is the same as every other report we do.
What your insisting on is be mundane and just clinically specific with our posts dont add any ad jargon or semblance of business savy. I asked you to read the other thread in the other forum sites, tell me the ones that dont do what I did. I read the Bahama site, better move that one on Stuarts Cove, I can go on, and on. Man you shredded my thread because I got flowery with my writing, sorry for putting some difference in my writing Pete.
Also your summation or assertion that people dont lurk the Coz forum is rediculous and sounds quite condescending to our intelligence and knowlegde of how the view tab works. Just like people check their post counts I'm sure posters check how many peeps have been done on their threads they are in and moreso on the thread they start.
You also removed the thank-you button on prop-joe, why? And why did you not answer him either.
From what I gather on your idea of posting properly one cannot say the words, 'hey I found a great deal for us divers that I did not know existed before, and this is what it is........ so and so is offering this......... I bought the package to do it and I want to know what it is like anyone ever been there?.........'
You cant even post what your paying for the deal you get and cant post the hotels name and dive shop your diving with and their dive package prices or business method/how to access.
You tried to say this is what you can or cannot post but it makes no sense. To be as rudimentary in structure as these rules you in place and then start saying well after all these years posting like this you cant any more is not right.
EVERY poster that uses a dive op on Coz is advertising when they post. What your saying is I'm trying to abuse the system. So if that's true, you have opened up a mess for us in the forums to try and perfect ways to write our post so they dont offend you; as in advertising offence.
Now Pete, I know your busy, this is important, answer my questions specifically in my post please. Thanks for your time. kevin

 

[The Chairman]

Pete this is the 3rd time I have asked you to read my questions and answer them.

I have answered your questions: at least three times now. You're just not accepting the answers.

If it's about a future dive or current offer (in the initial post), it belongs in Trips and Marketplace. That is the place for sharing UPCOMING trips and offers, whether they are commercial or not.

because I got flowery with my writing, sorry for putting some difference in my writing Pete.

You strained the fly to swallow the camel here. Your initial thread was moved. You took that personally as if we were trying to spoil your fun and rewrote the same offer in a way to circumvent the ToS. You even admitted to such in your opening paragraph while you were complaining about the move.

Also your summation or assertion that people dont lurk the Coz forum is rediculous and sounds quite condescending to our intelligence and knowlegde of how the view tab works.

I never made such a contention, at least not intentionally. Please point out the verbiage so I can see it and correct any misunderstanding.

You also removed the thank-you button on prop-joe, why? And why did you not answer him either.

I did not remove the thanks button on any post in here. You can never thank your own post: only others. I am sure no mod has singled Joe, you or anyone else on here despite the protestations otherwise. Joe also complained about not being able to edit his posts and that was probably attempted after the 24 hour limit. The false accusations are flying so fast it's freaking hard to keep up. While Joe's concerns were not in this group, some questions are so out in left field as to merit no reply.

From what I gather on your idea of posting properly one cannot say the words, 'hey I found a great deal for us divers that I did not know existed before, and this is what it is........ so and so is offering this......... I bought the package to do it and I want to know what it is like anyone ever been there?.........'

Sure you can! Just put it in the proper section: Trips and Marketplace. That's where most sane people will be looking for them. Go figure.
You cant even post what your paying for the deal you get and cant post the hotels name and dive shop your diving with and their dive package prices or business method/how to access.

So if that's true, you have opened up a mess for us in the forums to try and perfect ways to write our post so they dont offend you; as in advertising offence.

It's been this way, more or less for at least 8 years. Somehow we continue to grow and to be the favorite place for most people seeking dive information world wide. Rather than force the entire Board to adopt your rules, why don't you conform instead.

Now Pete, I know your busy, this is important, answer my questions specifically in my post please. Thanks for your time. kevin

I am busy. I am fairly certain that I won't be able to address this thread again today. I have taken the time to answer your concerns several times. No, they aren't the answers you were looking for, but they were answers to your questions. You and others have been fairly combative about something so stinking simple and many of us are perplexed as to why. One has even been abusive and there is just no need for that. If it's OK with you, I am taking the rest of the day off. I think I deserve it. Have a great day.

 

[Wookie]

I came to this thread because Kevin asked me to. I read the original post. I think it constitutes an offer, even if the OP doesn't receive any commission, gratuity or anything besides a good deed well done for for his buddy Dave at Aldora.

I am surprised that Billindenver thinks that Pete plays favorites with the advertisers. Obviously Billindenver hasn't advertised on ScubaBoard, or he'd know how Pete makes us all adhere to the TOC, even though it's us advertisers that keep Pete in Champagne and truffles. Besides that I count myself a friend of Christi. After hurricane Wilma, I helped Christi with engine parts and cash to carry her through tough times. For anyone to insinuate that Christi is anything but what she says she is is insulting, at best.

When I'm in Cozumel, I dive with Aldora. I like Dave I like his condo, and he does the kind of diving I like to do. If I was leading a trip there, I would list it in trips and marketplace.

Just because someone advertises on SB doesn't cut any mustard regarding the TOS with Pete or his staff. I've been waiting 2 weeks for him to open a trips and marketplace thread under tech diving. I'm still being patient

 

[diversteve]

Ya know...I'm not really sure what is going on here.
From what I had been reading in the Cozumel main forum over the weekend, people on the island were looking to go over to the east side, because of weather issues.
Someone asked about diving on the East side. I responded with pictures and some text describing my experiences along with a couple other board members. There are very few options to dive the East side. People asked questions and those questions were answered. I thought people liked my post with pictures, as 9 other board members said "thanks" before that option was locked out. The post was a "past dive" I/myself completed. What was the reason for locking out the "thanks" feature from my posting?

I mentioned the op's name twice. Once was for clairification.
Was it because I highlighted the ops name? I would go back and edit but I cannot now. Locked out. If that was an issue just PM me and I'll fix it.

I thought I could go and edit the post and move my pictures to another post that I started so it would be more like a "trip report"... Locked out.
Why?

First of all, we can't lock out Thanks from a given post - it's a forum-wide only option. Not that anyone ever would.

Second of all, after 24 hours all users are "locked out" from further editing their posts. This was done several years ago to prevent members from posting something inflammatory as a troll and then later editing and removing their remarks and claiming innocence. Which used to happen a lot.