The future of this forum

[MXGratefulDiver]

Actually, I will have to strongly disagree about what the fundemental problem is.

In all my life's endeavors, and diving is no different, the maximum effectiveness and fun came when the participants did not bow to an "authority" on how to do things. Instead they used information from their Instructors, their experience and their fellow participants. In diving terms they were "Thinking Divers".

Nothing wrong with that ... but in this case, it's not the purpose of this forum.

From the first post in the first thread in this forum ...

Just a few guidelines...
1) No trolling! This is not the place for agency bashing! This is especially not a place for bashing DIR divers. Refer to What is Trolling for any questions about what constitutes a troll.
2) This forum is for a free exchange of ideas concerning DIR, but it is NOT intended to limit any mention of DIR to only this forum. There are many things pertaining to DIR that will be discussed in other forums as well.
3) All the rules of the board still apply here. You don't get to harrass or call people names. Civility should rule.
4) Most of all, have fun and learn something at the same time. Read our Mission statement and TOS for clarification.
5) This forum is NOT intended to replace or reduce the need for training with a qualified instructor. You might get more out of this forum if you have at least completed a DIR-f course.
6) The answers in this forum are member's best attempts to answer questions within, and according the DIR diving philosophy. If you wish to give a non-DIR answer, please do not post it in this forum. If you do not wish your question to be limited to DIR answer, please ask it in another applicable forum.

If your "thinking diver" process involves non-DIR answers, then it doesn't belong in this forum.

Simple as that ... there's no place here for endless arguments about the merits of pony bottles, split fins, Air II's, and other non-DIR solutions. That's not to say they're not legitimate ... it IS to say that they're not appropriate to discuss here, by virtue of the rules that were established when this forum was created.

The problem is not with this forum. It is with people who do not want to be Thinking Divers. They want someone to use a Command Structure to pass down the diving equivalent of military orders. For, those people this forum has been, is now and will, I suspect, always be frustrating.

My best advise for those folks is to either revise their expectations, or find a place where they can get The Word directly from The Authority, if they can find such a place that is.

Where do you suppose all the experienced people who used to contribute to this forum went? You don't see Brando, MHK, or JoeT posting here anymore ... they used to contribute here regularly.

For the rest of us who see a good thing, like its' key points and have a passion for diving, being able to discuss the pertinent factors of this style diving is very valuable. A person does not need to be a master of all to be a valuable source of information. All they need is an opportunity to explain their view so it can be understood and evaluated by others. This is that place for me.

That's all well and good ... as I said earlier, the demographic for this forum has changed ... therefore the emphasis on what is considered valuable information also changed. Maybe not such a bad thing ... but pretty much a waste of time for anyone who's well into the DIR program to come here seeking advice or specific information. Which is pretty much why most of those people who left ... left ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I would be very cautious about any suggestions about closing or 'the future" of any SB forum made by members who are now very active on other "new" sites.

I keep seeing a lot of comments about how much more serious/ better other sites are
by people that are spending time to post here.

not meaning you specifically Kim, but in general.

I haven't seen any promoting of "new" sites here ... either in this forum or on ScubaBoard in general.

And I seriously don't think it's pertinent to this discussion ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[nadwidny]

Let's face it. This is a site where noobs learn about DIR. I am willing to occasionally give back and contribute to their understanding. Its not a site where there are enough "upper level" DIR divers (training+experience beyond Tech/Cave1) so that I can post my own questions and get legit DIR discussion about the pros and cons of the potentially several "DIR" ways of doing something.

Maybe we only see the DIRF level questions and the DIRF crowd answering those questions because those are the only type being asked. Perhaps if more questions of a higher level are asked, more lurkers that are able to answer them will pop up. Of course the problem arises that when Tech 1/2 level questions are asked there is the odd DIRF that thinks they are qualified to answer and will wade in with their 2 cents.

 

[nadwidny]

I love my X-Scooter. Very light weight, so that I could actually carry 2 of them at once. And 5 variable speeds on the fly!

It surprises me that a rift would develop over a topic like a DPV. I am wondering if this was not more like the proverbial final straw instead.

Rifts are inevitable, in any association. I would have sooner expected that a drysuit brand issue would have caused a rift sooner. But I am very surprised that a rift could develop over a DPV.

The rift developed over many years over many different things.

 

[nereas]

I would be very cautious about any suggestions about closing or 'the future" of any SB forum made by members who are now very active on other "new" sites.

I keep seeing a lot of comments about how much more serious/ better other sites are
by people that are spending time to post here.

not meaning you specifically Kim, but in general.

Catherina, mein beliebte, not "very active" just 'mentioning.'

Lynn/TS&M and I are guilty of 'mentioning.'

Is that a crime?

If I say TDS stinks, is that "very active"?

If I say, 5th-DX is friendly, is that a violation?

 

[nereas]

The rift developed over many years over many different things.

Yup, just as I thought, the straw then ... .

 

[nadwidny]

Yup, just as I thought, the straw then ... .

No. "A" straw. Not "the" straw.

 

[rjack321]

That is a GOOD thing.

Just like on the non-DIR side, where both Scubaboard and TheDecoStop have their place. The exposure of new divers to DIR is one reason it would be, IMO, a big mistake to make this forum opt in only.

Oh I don't disagree with you at all. Its just that many of the more senior divers got frustrated rehashing the same ol' questions and left. There wasn't much if anything coming back to them, at the Cave2/Tech2+ level. Some weeks I'm doing the same thing. The most frustrating element is having nonDIR people wade into discussions with "DIR" answers and then having those of us with (at least some of) the training and experience spend umpteen posts trying to correct all the misconceptions. Too many "I signed up for DIRF next month" divers (and the trolls) can't just lurk for a few posts. Combine this with the fact that nobody uses the search function here, they just repeat all the questions over again. Its all enough to drive most folks away, can't say I blame them. If you hadn't let JeffG and the cat back in I wouldn't be here either.

 

[grazie42]

But if only "the moderately experienced" can ask those kinds of questions (which makes sense), and you don´t ask those questions here, then if those kinds of questions are asked here so infrequently it makes sense that those with "more than moderate experience" stop monitoring the forum.

If you don´t ask your questions here, then you are part of the problem (aren´t you?)

 

[Kevrumbo]

Maybe we only see the DIRF level questions and the DIRF crowd answering those questions because those are the only type being asked. Perhaps if more questions of a higher level are asked, more lurkers that are able to answer them will pop up. Of course the problem arises that when Tech 1/2 level questions are asked there is the odd DIRF that thinks they are qualified to answer and will wade in with their 2 cents.

Ah . . .but sometimes an odd DIR-F'er can have much wisdom to offer !

"Refusal to believe until proof is given is a rational position; denial of all outside of our own limited experience is absurd." ~ Annie Besant
"Only the foolish learn from experience - the wise learn from the experience of others." ~Rumanian folk wisdom
"We begin by being foolish and we become wise by experience." ~ Anonymous