Just a simple request

[jonnythan]

We've had a large amount of.. well, trash in the DIR forum as of late.

I would personally appreciate it if the users of SB made an effort keep the trolling and totally off-topic posts to a minimum so as to maintain the intent of the forum.

Even if you've been here for a while, please go and re-read the stickies at the top of the DIR forum.

This is not an official ScubaBoard staff announcement, just a reuqest from a poster.

Thanks

 

[CALI68]

We've had a large amount of.. well, trash in the DIR forum as of late.

I would personally appreciate it if the users of SB made an effort keep the trolling and totally off-topic posts to a minimum so as to maintain the intent of the forum.

Even if you've been here for a while, please go and re-read the stickies at the top of the DIR forum.

This is not an official ScubaBoard staff announcement, just a reuqest from a poster.

Thanks

Thank God someone is stepping up to ask this!

Please please please read the DIR stickie:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=45143

If you’re not into DIR then just please go elsewhere. We are trying to establish a DIR forum that consists of intelligent, educational and helpful resources. The questions should be DIR related and the answers should be based in DIR/GUE fact. Please don't offer non DIR suggestions because that is simply not the purpose of this sub forum. Just like you wouldn't post questions about fins in the Photography forum please don't post non DIR questions or answers here.

Seriously we would all appreciate it and it would avoid a bunch of un needed arguments.

There's already enough hassles in life why start ***** here too?

-Chris

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Food for thought ... and not aimed at any poster in particular ...

Like it or not, the majority of the people who read this forum are not "DIR" ... they are divers who are curious about DIR, have heard something about it (often conflicting things), and are genuinely interested in learning more. They come here to ask questions ... and all too often end up having to read something like what got posted in another thread yesterday ... "Don't dive with s*****s".

FWIW - I've got some DIR training. And I currently instruct at a shop that offers GUE courses to most of the DIR-trained divers in the Pacific Northwest (Fifth Dimension). As I teach my NAUI OW and AOW classes, I look at how my students are progressing and encourage those who seem to be serious about their diving to consider the benefits of DIR training. I even encourage them to come to ScubaBoard and read about it here. Comments like the one above ... and the attitude that leads someone to make the comment ... just make my job more difficult. Frankly, I don't think that sort of rhetoric has a place in this or any other ScubaBoard forum.

As DIR-trained divers, if we don't want the crap in this forum, we need to avoid using divisive slogans ... they don't answer the questions, and only give the impression that DIR is nothing but a private club for folks with egos the size of Texas. That sort of thing is best left on Quest, or other boards that are exclusively DIR.

Yes, this board was set up for the discussion of DIR diving techniques ... but it is not set up to exclude anyone who is not DIR from reading and participating. We want people ... especially newer divers ... to come here, read this forum, and learn enough to determine if the DIR approach to diving is right for them. Some of the responses are counterproductive, because as soon as the name-calling starts, people stop listening ... and the real information gets buried underneath the rhetoric.

Try to remember that there was a time when we were new divers, didn't know much, and were asking questions ... how would you have responded back then to the "stroke" term?

Personally, I think the slogan I quoted above is THE REASON for about 98% of the conficts and misunderstandings that exist between those who dive DIR and those who don't. We owe it to ourselves and to the rest of the people reading this forum, to post more responsibly than that. If you absolutely must cop an attitude, please do so on someone else's forum ... we'd prefer to engender an atmosphere on this one that encourages people to ask, and learn, without the insulting language.

Yes, I would like to see the responses on this forum be exclusive to the DIR way of doing things. But there's some difference of opinion about what that means ... even, apparently, among the GUE instructors. Those differences can, and should, be discussed without the use of insulting language ... because as soon as the name-calling starts, it's almost impossible to keep it from turning into a free-for-all. If you want the trolls to stay away, don't feed them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mer]

I too feel that DIR/GUE has gotten a bad wrap due to some of the slogans... I hope that this forum gives people information and access to actual trained DIR divers to dispell some of the bad joojoo.

My biggest complaint here is people without DIR training are answering questions on what is and is not DIR; often without explaining WHY. I was guilty of this before I did alot of training with GUE, and I am repenting for my sins. There is so much about DIR on the internet, you can do a lot of reading and think you get it. But after my experience in 4 fundies classes, and 1 tech 1 class, and witnessing dozens of fundies classes, it's amazing how much is lost in just text.

Also, I ask that those DIR trained and giving out advice please be current. If you were trained a few years ago, some things have evolved. Please make sure that you are in contact with an instructor and/or current with the Quest list.

After getting my father into DIR-style diving as a new diver, I am completely sold on DIR being a great system. People coming here for answers (esp. on recreational stuff) need to hear the why and not just the what.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

My biggest complaint here is people without DIR training are answering questions on what is and is not DIR; often without explaining WHY.

Excellent point, mer.

One of the reasons this occurs is because people reading the threads using the "New Posts" function are often not cognizant of the forum they are in. What we can do when this occurs is (a) politely point out that this is not a DIR response and remind the user that this forum is set up for DIR information, and (b) report the post so that a moderator can determine whether or not it should remain in the forum.

Remember that not every user who posts non-DIR information here is doing so intentionally ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mer]

Excellent point, mer.

One of the reasons this occurs is because people reading the threads using the "New Posts" function are often not cognizant of the forum they are in. What we can do when this occurs is (a) politely point out that this is not a DIR response and remind the user that this forum is set up for DIR information, and (b) report the post so that a moderator can determine whether or not it should remain in the forum.

Remember that not every user who posts non-DIR information here is doing so intentionally ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

True, I understand the New Posts thing.

However, my concern is with the "internet DIR crowd" providing what they think are DIR answers.

 

[CALI68]

Yes, I would like to see the responses on this forum be exclusive to the DIR way of doing things. But there's some difference of opinion about what that means ... even, apparently, among the GUE instructors. Those differences can, and should, be discussed without the use of insulting language ... because as soon as the name-calling starts, it's almost impossible to keep it from turning into a free-for-all. If you want the trolls to stay away, don't feed them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I for one am just as digusted with DIR people using stupid slurs. I'd just like to see intelligent dialog like you would read on 5thDX for example.

Innocent questions from people genuinly trying to learn are the heart of this sub forum. People should NEVER be afraid to ask a questions here.

 

[CALI68]

Like it or not, the majority of the people who read this forum are not "DIR" ... they are divers who are curious about DIR, have heard something about it (often conflicting things), and are genuinely interested in learning more.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Exactally my point. It's the people who are not interested in DIR but rather interested in stirring up the pot (trolling) for no good reason that should stay away.

Again, new people interested in learning are the MOST welcome IMO.

You should NEVER be afraid to ask any DIR related questions here. That's what I did over a year ago and with help of great board members like Mo2Vation, Uncle Pug and Darkpup I was pointed in the right direction, passed DIRF and Triox and my diving has improved 100%. It all started here in this sub forum.

-Chris

 

[Rick Inman]

As DIR-trained divers, if we don't want the crap in this forum, we need to avoid using divisive slogans ... they don't answer the questions, and only give the impression that DIR is nothing but a private club for folks with egos the size of Texas. That sort of thing is best left on Quest, or other boards that are exclusively DIR.(Grateful Diver)

Thank you Bob!

When time + money + DIR class converge, I'll take the DIRF class.

Thank goodness I have been blessed to dive with some wonderful DIR divers, and my assessment of DIR is not based simply on what I've read on line, but what I've actually seen.

 

[headhunter]

While trolling is not allowed anywhere on the board, the DIR forum has been declared a "no trolling zone". This means that this forum will be held to an even higher standard or more strict interpretation of trolling.

Although it is linked in the sticky thread at the top of the forum, please read this thread if you have any doubt what trolling is:

http://members.aol.com/intwg/trolls.htm

Please use the report button when you think that someone is trolling in the DIR forum. We moderate for the benefit of the members and when the members clearly send a message via the report button that someone is trolling, then it makes it very easy to know what best serves the members. No one (besides the moderators) knows that you have reported a post and this is an anonymous way to help keep the trolls out of the DIR forum. Do not respond to a troll! Just give us time to get rid of it.

On a related note, since I have not yet been formally trained as a DIR diver (I do plan on it), I am not the best judge of whether or not an answer is an acceptable DIR answer. However, if I see many people saying that an answer is not DIR, then I will most likely delete it and the subsequent posts that point this out. This will keep this forum funtioning properly as a place for both DIR and non-DIR divers to find information about DIR. If you think I've deleted something in error, let me know this via PM and I'll investigate it. If I'm wrong, I'll undelete it. Don't flame me for trying to help keep the DIR forum orderly, it does not help the forum and simply creates animosity.

Honest questions about why something is done in the DIR philosophy are always allowed, but arguments that it's the wrong way to do things are not allowed in this forum and those arguments will be moved out of the DIR forum to a more appropriate forum.

Let's all work together to keep the DIR forum what it was intended to be - a place for people to learn about and discuss DIR.

Christian