Best Scubaboard Posters

[D_B]

Uncle Pug
Mike Ferrara
TSandM
RJP
DocVikingo
DA Aquamaster
Jim Lapenta
Walter
ONESPEED
Cave Diver
NWGratefulDiver
Joe Diver
Crowley
TraceMalin

That's a great list!

I'll add Thalassamania and cool hardware52 and scubanimal to it

And there are others that belong here but I cant think right now .. sick
.. I think I may have Avian H1N1 virus ... flying pig flue

 

[boulderjohn]

You know, I really hate to name anyone because there are so many I respect. Many have been named here already. I could name perhaps a couple of dozen and easily leave out some I value equally because they did not pop into my mind at the moment. I would then feel bad about having left them out.

Knotical (who would certainly make my list) did something of value by dividing his response by category. When I saw that I thought about some of the accident threads or other threads that involve legal matters, and I look forward to seeing the posts from several of our attorney members who write very clear explanations of complex issues in contradiction to posts that repeat hysterical misinformation.

Seeing how that last sentence paired two opposing forces, I thought I might post a generic response that describes what I like and don't like in posters.

Posters I do not value

• People who push a personal point of view at every opportunity, even if it only vaguely relates to a thread's topic.
• Bullies who push a point of view by steamrolling others and making their controversial opinions sound like incontrovertible fact with which only a fool would disagree.
• People who think the way they dive, which is not the way the majority of divers dive, is actually the only way to do it, so all others must be mocked for diving the way they do.
• People who think the equipment they use, which is not the equipment used by the majority of dives, is actually the only equipment a sane person would ever use, and so all others must be mocked for using the equipment they do.
• People who read the first post or two of a long thread several days after it has started and then post a strongly held opinion which was already thoroughly dealt with in the intervening posts.
• People who latch onto a certain hero poster and join threads to repeat that hero poster's point of view without really having given the specific matter personal thought.
• People who latch onto a certain unfavored poster and join threads to pile on with personal attacks.

Posters I value

• People who patiently provide new divers with valuable information in response to their posts, even though that question has been asked 100 times before.
• People who recognize that different people can dive differently and with different equipment and still be safe and happy divers. They themselves may dive differently, but that does not mean the others are either fools or the antichrist.
• People who pause halfway through writing a post and then say, "Will this thread really benefit by this, or am I just opening a can of worms?" They then click out of their response and leave it unposted.
• People who can disagree without attacking.

 

[Cave Diver]

Great post John!

Another person I'd add to the list that isn't around much anymore is Mo2vation. His posts, while wordy, always seemed to convey such a passion.

 

[D_B]

and HBDiveGirl


...looks like it's gonna be a long thread

 

[laguna230diver]

2nd for da aquamaster
also valhalla

Ive seen great responses from these two
a bunch of others...

anyone who buys the stuff I sell on here...

 

[laguna230diver]

netdoc anyone?

 

[wrybosome]

2nds on DA Aquamaster, TS&M, CoolHardware52, and NWGD.

I also always enjoy reading Dumpster Diver, fnfalman, and zendiver.3D to name I few I haven't seen mentioned yet.

 

[Diver0001]

I have a few favorites whose posts I usually read with interest. Like BoulderJohn I won't name them for fear of forgetting someone, but I will say he's on my list.

The people I like to read are the ones who have something pertinent to say but who are open to respectful discussion and willing to accept that their own point of view is just that, a point of view....one of many!

I also especially like posters who draw people out in a way that makes them think about their own thinking by asking "why" and "how" questions (sincere ones, not the cynical rhetorical ones). These people are trying to first understand before being understood (Covey's 5th Habit) and I really like reading people who have the maturity to stand back and observe the thinking non-judgementally without becoming wrapped up, sometimes emotionally, in it. It is possible to discuss something, even when points of view differ, without having a need to "win" the discussion. You can see it when people do this. These discussions are useful, informative and full of mutual respect.

People who start to believe that their point of view is the *only* point of view are closing their minds and when this happens it becomes difficult to discuss things with them. The ones who take it to the point of becoming closed minded and angry/cynical I don't like much at all. If they also become rude and/or belligerent if you don't agree with them then there is really no point in discussion. Nobody likes to wrestle with a pig. You can see these people coming a mile away too because their posts usually boil down in essence to saying "I am better than you because...." and threads where they participate heavily usually end up with an edgy, argumentative and disrespectful tone.

I like the real jokers too but not because of their scuba content. All work and no play makes Jack a (proverbial) dull boy and it's nice to have a generous sprinkling comic relief in the discussions too. Diving is fun so why shouldn't discussions about diving be fun too?

R..

 

[Scott L]

TSandM #1. Cave Diver, Boulder John close behind and many others with signifcant contributions...

 

[Snapping Turtle]

dont post a lot but read a lot.

i'm not suckin up or anything but I like the krakens posts

ts&m's pretty good too

i like roturerns posts too

Walter really cuts to the freakin chase , ireally likehis posts