Undercurrent is Temporarily Suspending Publication

[kelemvor]

Despite what Ben writes above, the main undercurrent articles have always seemed hyper political to me.

I subscribe because I want reviews of resorts before I traveled to a destination. However, I didn't get to do any dive travel this year. Covid happened and my traveling window for the year ended two weeks ago.

When I really think about it, I've used scubaboard ,divebuddy, and tripadvisor a lot more than undercurrent for destination info. If Ben hadn't extended our memberships so far into the future I might be tempted to let it go. Mine doesn't expire until March 2022, maybe I'll get some use out of it next year. I'll surely have long forgotten about this latest bit of political theater by then.

 

[Scraps]

I fail to see the problem.

It looks like Undercurrent is managing its interruption exactly the same way my gym and a lot of other small businesses did. I pay my gym membership once per year in advance to get their best rate. When they closed, they didn't give me any money back, and they didn't know when they'd re-open. When they did re-open, they extended my membership to make up for the time lost. I see nothing dishonorable or unreasonable in that approach.

I suppose that technically they did hold on to a couple hundred of my dollars during a time when I might have earned 15 or 20 cents interest at today's historically low interest rates. But so what? Small businesses are hurting everywhere. Should we be squeezing their cash flow even tighter during a time when they have no revenue? That's not neighborly.

Regarding the political views of the Undercurrent editor, I again say, so what? If his publication gives you information you seek at a price that seems fair to you, you're only hurting yourself if you start a personal boycott.

If I'm buying a cake for a big occasion (big hypothetical since I don't like cake or big parties), I'd want to get it from the best baker. I don't care who the baker votes for, whether or how the baker worships, or what kind of people turn the baker on. If I get to the bakery and there is evidence of those things, I'll look past it and maintain my focus on getting a good cake. It would strike me as self-centered, divisive, and contrary to my own interests to attempt to do business only with bakers who share my opinions on non-cake issues or to expect bakers who disagree with me on non-cake issue to feel obliged to conceal their opinions in order to earn my trade.

People need to start realizing that life is bigger than politics. The Chairman expresses his political opinions on this site from time to time, and I generally do not find his political commentary persuasive. But it doesn't matter--because I come here to learn about and discuss diving, and this site provides an opportunity to do both. Thus, even though he seems to be a member in good standing of one of the political teams, and I have good reasons for disapproving of both the major parties, I'm happy to support his scuba site, and I'd welcome the chance to dive with him some day as long as we spend the surface intervals talking about stuff other than politics.

These are hard times. We should all be looking for ways to cut each other more slack, and we should especially avoid escalating trivial inconveniences into causes.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I suppose that technically they did hold on to a couple hundred of my dollars during a time when I might have earned 15 or 20 cents interest at today's historically low interest rates. But so what?

So what? SO WHAT?!? 40 years ago, 15 cents got me 3 comic books. This is robbery! Oh wait, today that would get me half a page, but not the cover.

Nevermind.....

I have no skin in this game. I don't subscribe to Undercurrent, but suspending publication and extending people's subscriptions seems like a reasonable thing to do.

 

[Cert1967]

Hardrock's charge that we are keeping the money is something he has made up<<>>
the money is safe and whenever we start up again everyone will get what issues they have left.

Trust me your money is safe, you say?

Where is the escrow account? Details, please.

Which pocket is the money safely resting in - your left or right?

Why not give the money back and let it rest in the pockets of those that paid you for a service you are not delivering? Folks would appreciate this - their money, their pocket. Why not?

By what right do you feel you should hold other folks' money?

You could easily ask your subscribers and offer them a choice as to where they want their money to rest - your pocket or theirs?

Maybe, you are worried that the folks who's money you hold wouldn't renew if you made them whole?

Maybe, maybe just maybe, you won't survive?

 

[scubadada]

Trust me your money is safe, you say?

Where is the escrow account? Details, please.

Which pocket is the money safely resting in - your left or right?

Why not give the money back and let it rest in the pockets of those that paid you for a service you are not delivering? Folks would appreciate this - their money, their pocket. Why not?

By what right do you feel you should hold other folks' money?

You could easily ask your subscribers and offer them a choice as to where they want their money to rest - your pocket or theirs?

Maybe, you are worried that the folks who's money you hold wouldn't renew if you made them whole?

Maybe, maybe just maybe, you won't survive?

It's a relatively small amount of money, don't renew if you feel so strongly after they make good on their extended membership. Why did you subscribe in the first place?

 

[tursiops]

Undercurrent info already kept me from wasting far more money once than the subscription costs me for the rest of my diving career.
It is like DAN insurance; maybe you won't need it, but at the cost is it worth taking that risk?

 

[Cert1967]

It's a relatively small amount of money, don't renew if you feel so strongly after they make good on their extended membership. Why did you subscribe in the first place?

Who said I was a subscriber? You?

So, you are the SB defender of Undercurrent? You are doing OK, but it could become a tough job. Let's see ... four posts today in defensive of UC or political views. Probably start moderating this thread soon? Heady stuff for a 'staff member' ?

My issue is consumer rights. Real simple for you - consumer should get what is paid for or get a refund. I don't like being a creditor. If UC needs charity - they might start a GoFindMe campaign.

I don't like credits at all - flight credits, hotel credits, LAB credits, resort credits, and on and on.

UC tries to be the Consumer Reports of the dive industry. Too bad they don't hold themselves to a higher standard.

Just ask the folks with $5-10k sunk on LAB credits how they feel. Bet they would like to have cash in hand.

 

[Protondecay123]

Who said I was a subscriber? You?

So, you are the SB defender of Undercurrent? You are doing OK, but it could become a tough job. Let's see ... four posts today in defensive of UC or political views. Probably start moderating this thread soon? Heady stuff for a 'staff member' ?

My issue is consumer rights. Real simple for you - consumer should get what is paid for or get a refund. I don't like being a creditor. If UC needs charity - they might start a GoFindMe campaign.

I don't like credits at all - flight credits, hotel credits, LAB credits, resort credits, and on and on.

UC tries to be the Consumer Reports of the dive industry. Too bad they don't hold themselves to a higher standard.

Just ask the folks with $5-10k sunk on LAB credits how they feel. Bet they would like to have cash in hand.

I will say as a subscriber, I have no problems with how things are being done regarding my Undercurrent subscription at all.

 

[scubadada]

Who said I was a subscriber? You?

So, you are the SB defender of Undercurrent? You are doing OK, but it could become a tough job. Let's see ... four posts today in defensive of UC or political views. Probably start moderating this thread soon? Heady stuff for a 'staff member' ?

My issue is consumer rights. Real simple for you - consumer should get what is paid for or get a refund. I don't like being a creditor. If UC needs charity - they might start a GoFindMe campaign.

I don't like credits at all - flight credits, hotel credits, LAB credits, resort credits, and on and on.

UC tries to be the Consumer Reports of the dive industry. Too bad they don't hold themselves to a higher standard.

Just ask the folks with $5-10k sunk on LAB credits how they feel. Bet they would like to have cash in hand.

So, why do you care about Undercurrent? Subscribers seem to be OK with their policy and value the information.

Unless I say I'm posting as a staff member, I'm posting as an individual, similar to you. I've been a member of SB for nearly 16 years, a staff member for a small portion of that. I'm a diver.

 

[RayfromTX]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread already had a modpost asking to cease with the political bickering. The pub is an appropriate place to argue about these topics and several threads exist there on these very issues. Have at it but not here. This is the last request. Thread bans are next. Thanks for your understanding. Happy diving.

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