Is this different from the cop out of not responding to acute questions asked of your postings?
Why are you trying to make this about me? There are multiple people with good things to say about what is wrong with the CDS or how to make it better, but they all run away using specious excuses about not being a member.
I'll try and clarify my points and expand on them. I apologize in advance for the length of the post.
I agree that the CDS is outmoded and uncommunicative, and that life would go on without the CDS, or the NACD for that matter. I have cards from both organizations, and Abe Davis and Wakulla Bronze, so I'd be sad if they both went away, but not surprised or upset.
However, the problem with both organizations (IMHO, which you keep asking for) is their lack of adult, thoughtful leadership that is not wedded to N FL as the center of the universe. NFSA has taken over a lot of that mantle anyway. I would like to see more meaningful focus on additional cave-diving regions (Mexico?), but primarily a serious attention to instructor quality, not quantity. New cave divers, and those thinking of becoming such, should not have to play Russian roulette when they choose an instructor. GUE manages to make it work. But a choice of training agencies is good...so I don't really care if it is CDS or NAUI or whomever that becomes the agency with a first-rate instructor qc process for cave diving, but someone needs to. I doubt if it can be ANY N FL-centric agency, because of the conflict of interest when your neighbor's livelihood is involved.
My hope was that the valid criticisms and good suggestions in this thread could be incorporated in the CDS, because (1) the NACD is irrelevant, (2) starting a new training agency is
really hard, and (3) the narrow focus of a cave-training agency is easier to deal with than the broad focus of a NAUI or TDI.
My complaints about some of the posts have been on two points: (1) complaining is not good enough; one needs to offer some solutions too. (2) Any improvements in the CDS will come from people on the Board, so it is kind of selfish to complain or give good ideas without also offering to help. The NFSA works because people offer to help. Investing time to make something better is how things get better.