What's ScubaBoard worth to you?

[DandyDon]

Yeah, Don. If the new members couldn't post, then we wouldn't get to see so many of these messages:

Gosh, that was so funny I forgot to laugh.

 

[El Orans]

OK gents, let's keep it civil here...

 

[miketsp]

Yeah, I don't give anything a 10. The directions were spelled out well, but maybe those low voters didn't read them?
..snip..

Well I voted low because I rated it low, but maybe that's just my frustration kicking in.
I lose interest when I see new members jumping in with questions that have already been asked 20 or more times and flogged to death. By the time I made my first post on SB I'd already read a significant number of the threads and learned how to use the search function.
I lose interest when I see posters answering an OP without reading the thread in its entirety.
I lose interest when a major topic of discussion is a 15 character message limit.
I lose interest when I see cyber divers with a handful of dives pontificating on dive techniques.
There was a time when I would have given it a higher vote; SB did introduce me to a series of concepts that I would have have taken some time to discover just by talking to real dive buddies. It pushed me up the initial learning curve faster. However as my dive experience accumulated I also saw that much of what I learned on SB is inducive to over-confidence. You may think you know something because you read about it on SB but when the s**t hits the fan you still fall back on real training and real live experience.

..snip..
Still, I have been thinking about an idea - not allowing any NEW members to post unless they join as paying members - perhaps at a lower rate than Supporting member. Over 20% voted 5 or less. Leave SB open to their reading, but not for their posting.

This seems to assume that only NEW members voted 5 or less and that who voted 5 or less have nothing useful to contribute.

Although I voted 5 or less, I believe I've made some useful contributions to SB over the last few years.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Gosh, that was so funny I forgot to laugh.

Notice the smilies, Don. It was a joke. I think your welcome message is one of the better ones, actually. :shakehead

 

[D_B]

I asked a question when I first joined, that although you would think would have had a simple answer, ran into so many different ones, that it was part of the ScubaBoard News Letter ... "How do you signal air remaining?" ... http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=107343

That question has probably come up before but it generated quite a thread on it, and I found very informative .. new people do not know about, or know how to use the search (I did not) .. Are we going to withhold them from commenting? or asking a question? .. I hope not

 

[TSandM]

It's a characteristic of message boards (at least in my experience) that people will come on and ask the same questions. On the other hand, sometimes those questions either elicit new answers, or just serve to bring the topic to the attention of someone else who will benefit from reading about it but wouldn't have thought to ask. And as Bob would say, this is a discussion board, if and if you stifled any talk about something that had already been covered, there wouldn't be much discussion!

Answering without reading and pontificating without credentials are both hazards of all internet discussions. One simply has to learn to evaluate the probable credibility of the answer, and do some cross-checking.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, I don't give anything a 10. The directions were spelled out well, but maybe those low voters didn't read them?

Still, I have been thinking about an idea - not allowing any NEW members to post unless they join as paying members - perhaps at a lower rate than Supporting member. Over 20% voted 5 or less. Leave SB open to their reading, but not for their posting.

I think if you really look at it, you'll see that the newer divers are the ones who are giving the board consistently high marks.

The 5 and less votes are mostly coming from those of us who have been here a long time and spend most of our time here providing the information that the newer divers come here looking for. In effect, we're giving more to the board than we're getting out of it ... hence, the lower scores ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Diver Dennis]

I've gotten a lot from SB from just the people I've met here. I started diving in Asia, and I'm back here for 3 months, through the Philippine Paradise divers on the board. In fact all the PPD met here and have a large group that get together regularly to dive and socialize. I've been diving 3 time in the Philippines this year because of them.

I started to take photos underwater last year when I met Mike Veitch , Photo Pro and fellow Canadian living in Yap, online here last year. I did a tour of Yap, Palau and Chuuk and always dive with my camera now.

Diving tips and information? Quite a bit actually, some bad impressions but mostly good. The worst thing about SB is that it's addicting. It's 10:30 at night and I'm in Bali... need I say more?

 

[Hank49]

I think if you really look at it, you'll see that the newer divers are the ones who are giving the board consistently high marks.

The 5 and less votes are mostly coming from those of us who have been here a long time and spend most of our time here providing the information that the newer divers come here looking for. In effect, we're giving more to the board than we're getting out of it ... hence, the lower scores ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Ingrate. (just kidding Bob, I agree with you)

 

[Cacia]

What fails to meet expectations:
The occasional inability to see the world without borders.

(Rotourner)

I aspire to this. Actually there are a few people on here that really help me move in the right direction down a path.

I give it a 9...I need it. I wish is was a wee bit more open-minded.

The myriad of responses fascinates me and I am always curious about regional perspectives on diving, risk assessment, etc.

I agree with Becky (Sea NMF). I LOVE hearing different views. Some days I fear that it could be snuffed out to the degree it could get reduced to mere mechanics of diving. I like to see views evolve...that is the most satisfying element here, for me. That means we are all benefiting from each other. I am a sap.