I agree that placement of a backup reg during OOG for Rec divers is poorly thought out. This is a different argument from the one mike presented that most rec divers have poor bouyancy, fin technique, and gas management.
However - look at the flip side: a PADI trained diver is OOG and comes up to you franticly looking for your "bright yellow octo" - where is it? ... A DIR diver is OOG and comes up to me and rips my primary out of my mouth. I have both hands full shooting a SMB and my octo is in the "golden triangle" instead of around my neck - what do I do?
You see, the arguments you make against the rec community can be made against DIR as well. I agree that there should be more uniformity, but someone could argue that PADI should make the uniform standard instead of GUE. (maybe it would be octo on the weight belt or something? - lol)
Don't get me wrong - I like the hog setup, and probably will use it when I buy my own equipment (I will even take the fundies if I have the funds to do so). Training and equipment are 2 separate arguments. The hog setup has been around a long time, but hasn't caught on in the rec diving community. It is a very well thought out and uniform system, but it has its downsides for a diver who is not willing to spend hours investing in air drills and the like. Training will undoubtedly make you a better diver because it makes you conscious of safety & proper technique no matter if it is DIR training or TDI.