Venice - $168 fine for no flag..

[dive4funOften]

I couldn't agree more Pete. Very well put!!! Have you considered running for office?

I think Pete is the President isn't he?

 

[dive4funOften]

No, but with that new back plate, you can hover on issues all day long! :lol:

And if you are under the water somehow our focus changes!

 

[Nomaster]

Truly amazing, isn't it?? :11:
Originally Posted by RonDawg
In fact while people have no problem with doctors judging doctors, and lawyers judging lawyers, they think it's perfectly logical for cops to be judged by people who have absolutely no idea what it's like to be a cop.

I'm happy that police are pulling back from the attempt to cover for the memebers who bring problems to their ranks, I do hope that other professions will also.
I have known of instances of people in the medical profession attempting to do the same and running into trouble.
I am sure there are folks in every profession who want to be proud of their peers without exception, and really, no one except those within their groups are really qualified to do the job of cleaning their ranks. Still, I believe it's helpful to have people from the outside willing to report their experiences.

Ohhh... I don't think it crashed and burned. In fact I think that quite a few people came away with a different respect and attitude towards each other. Criticism is tough for many to take, especially if they don't know the source. Sometimes it has a grain of truth and sometimes it is spot on. Sometimes the criticizer also learns something (as I think the case here) and sometimes the viewers learn something, as I surely have.

Personally, I read and try to apply every piece of criticism that comes my way. This can be voluminous and quite harsh at times. Do I get upset? Of course I do, and I have even learned to go ahead and express that as I feel it. No need to keep it in. Am I a better sysadmin because of it? Undoubtedly! There are many on this board who are far more qualified to run than I am. I'm OK with that. Are there many untruths told about me and this board? Yep, and I am not afraid to stand up and say so when they print it out.

Criticism is NOT bashing. Bashing is referring to them using expletives all of the time, or continually making inflammatory statements about their birth origins. Saying a particular agency is not doing their job is not bashing that agency. Saying that their priorities need to change is also not bashing. You may not like that others have a negative opinion of a particular agency, but railing against them will probably not change their outlook. Some have taken the time to point out some incredible deficiencies that we have placed upon their job. That was an eye-opener.

Both sides got really close and probably put their toes over "the line" a time or two. The crack about the donut shops was low and definitely stereotypical, but it was not far enough over the line to censor especially since those who were "pro-police" (I am one of them) quickly showed them the error of their ways. That was probably the biggest flame that I saw, and when you put it into perspective of the whole thread, it wasn't much of a flame, now was it? While we want to eliminate flaming as much as possible, we do not want to eliminate all controversy! That would make ScubaBoard pathetic and not very relevant.

This needed saying and you said it well.
I had been concerned at what people were calling bashing. Although some things were said that were over the top generalizations, I think that happens when emotions run high (I hope it's occassionally permissible since I've been guilty of it all to often) I have yet to see true bashing.
I haven't noticed on this thread, but I have noticed in others where posts disappear, so I assume you exercise that option as well as closing down threads that become too heated. Thanks,

Run for office???

Does it really look like I lie that much???

Oh my! And just when I said such nice things about you.

Tom

 

[CBulla]

And if you are under the water somehow our focus changes!

Isn't it though..

 

[RonDawg]

I had been concerned at what people were calling bashing. Although some things were said that were over the top generalizations, I think that happens when emotions run high (I hope it's occassionally permissible since I've been guilty of it all to often) I have yet to see true bashing.

I haven't noticed on this thread, but I have noticed in others where posts disappear, so I assume you exercise that option as well as closing down threads that become too heated.

I've put my issues with Scubaguy to rest (I can hear that big sigh of relief). But I will firmly stand by my earlier statements that it had come to the point of bashing; after all it did cause a longtime member to leave.

I pointed out the offense passages, and just for reference and comparison I found and put a link to a similar thread. That was called "bashing" and was locked down even though what was said there paled in comparison to what was said here, but for reasons I have yet to figure out this thread is being called "venting" and "over the top generalizations."

And since this thread was originally started over the perception of uneven enforcement of the laws, I still haven't gotten an answer to my question about uneven enforcement of the TOS. Again I will mention I was once a board moderator myself, so I am aware of what it's like to do the job.

 

[The Chairman]

Sometimes you are too close to the situation to see the disimilarities of the two threads in question.

Your "question" seemed to be more of a "point" than a question. I took the criticism without calling it "bashing".

The person who "left" has asserted that it was NOT this thread in particular, but many other factors which caused her to leave. She has been negative about ScubaBoard for some time, and has said "goodbye" at least twice before. While we never like to see people leave we can not base our forum on only one person... not even me. I do believe her biggest beef was our introduction of the "Solo Diver" forum, but there have been other issues as well.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Maybe we should just leave this be and not make false statements about people that are not around to defend themselves, regardless of the reason.

 

[CBulla]

There are a few more reasons than just what this thread was blown out of proportion about.

 

[bdrannik]

And since this thread was originally started over the perception of uneven enforcement of the laws, I still haven't gotten an answer to my question about uneven enforcement of the TOS.

Well, not exactly.. As I pointed out again in post #13 of this thread:

"Some people seem to think that this initial thread was a "complaint" about the officers giving the gals a ticket.. Quite the opposite.. Anybody who dives with me (Taildragger has more dives with me than anyone else on SB) knows that I don't get near the water without a flag. The purpose of the initial thread was to remind people as to the importance of having a flag with you, not just for safety but also the risk to the pocketbook.."

Although the thread was not started as such nor intended to be in any way "pro or against" law enforcement, it quickly headed in that direction unfortunately.

On another note: Anybody up for a Venice dive tomorrow morning 11/6/04 say 9:15am at the public beach area? And yes, I'll be dragging a flag like always.. hehe..

 

[CBulla]

If my shoulder didn't look like I was attacked by a rabid animal and still strapped to my body to heal, I'd jump on the chance to dive.