Why are we so mean?

[Scott L]

Where were y'all when he was doing gear selection?

Well, it looks like Tortuga68 was on the scene then. Some chap named Criso at the Divetub looks to have sold him most of the gear it seems...

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/australia/373075-where-buy-regulator-aus.html#post5779940

http://www.divetub.com.au/

 

[DiverLaura]

Metaphorically speaking. You know what i meant.

A favorite pass time on many forums is to hash on peoples already made purchases. Indeed other folks can learn by reading the threads "..hm... never buy X, Y or Z, for this or that reason, and if i still choose to buy it, for the love of Dog, DON'T post about it here!"

Well, it looks like Tortuga68 was on the scene then. Some chap named Cristo at the Divetub sold him most of the gear it seems...

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/australia/373075-where-buy-regulator-aus.html#post5779940

The DiveTub @ the Dive Tub

 

[beautybelow]

I took the combination of pictures and remarks as a bit snarky and arrogant. Even if they weren't meant to be, that's how they came across to me. Especially for someone wearing a "staff badge".

By the way...do you guys have like a special folder set aside for pictures to be posted on here? Maybe cataloged and tagged with key-words so you can do a quick search on "make someone look stupid and me look good, but seem like humor" so these things pop up for easy insertion?

Just curious.

 

[The Chairman]

Are you guys for real?

I can vouch for most of them!

Its not their fault the industry sold them that stuff....

Its not even bad stuff for the most part. Gear rarely makes the diver. Most people can only see gear how THEY would dive. Few people dive like me, so why would they use my gear? Those who want to dive like me will take a closer look at what I dive with. To what end? They don't need my gear to dive like me.

When I worked for the College of Architecture at the UF teaching students how to weld and machine, I was pretty careful with my instruction. One of the commonly used machines was the band saw where the trick was to feed the material into the blade operating at the right speed with the right blade. Being Archi-torture students, they rarely had enough time and would get pushier and pushier. Whenever I heard the pitch change, I would remind them "Its not the tool!". If it continued, I would follow up with some remedial instruction. In any event, it was never ever the tool's fault.

To this day, whenever I see a great or not so great diver I think to myself: "Its not the tool!" This applies to me as well.

 

[Jax]

A bit of the pot calling the kettle black, eh, beauty?


Seriously, I think TSandM started this to bring out the public image problem with DIR folks, not to beat the "twins" thread horse.

The difference in approach between DIR and sidemount, for example, is WAY different. Some people dive with two long hoses. Others say, not a good idea, and this is why. No one says, "you're going to die" if you - as a newb - say you are going to try the two long hose approach. In fact, the common answer is, "come tell us how that worked for you", and not in a snarky way.

The main difference is that acceptance of different ways can be okay. The DIR approach seems way too quick to go on the "you're going to die" bandwagon, or the "you are not DIR because you don't do it the way I do."

Seriously - what do you think? Are the vocal minority painting the majority with the tarred brush?

 

[beautybelow]

A bit of the pot calling the kettle black, eh, beauty?


Seriously, I think TSandM started this to bring out the public image problem with DIR folks, not to beat the "twins" thread horse.

The difference in approach between DIR and sidemount, for example, is WAY different. Some people dive with two long hoses. Others say, not a good idea, and this is why. No one says, "you're going to die" if you - as a newb - say you are going to try the two long hose approach. In fact, the common answer is, "come tell us how that worked for you", and not in a snarky way.

The main difference is that acceptance of different ways can be okay. The DIR approach seems way too quick to go on the "you're going to die" bandwagon, or the "you are not DIR because you don't do it the way I do."

Seriously - what do you think? Are the vocal minority painting the majority with the tarred brush?

Who me?? I was just having fun! haha...anyway, maybe. But at least I admit it.

 

[Dan G]

Cunning! I see what you did there!

"Tell me about that inflator hose. Have you found it to get in the way of being a competent diver?"

"I notice that your inflator hose is a disgraceful mess. When will you get your sh1t together and become a proper diver?"


Excellent!.... and not one member will take offence, you say?

Nothing like getting flamed by SB Staff on a thread that is questioning all the flaming going on.


:blinking:

 

[DiverLaura]

Seriously, I think TSandM started this to bring out the public image problem with DIR folks, not to beat the "twins" thread horse.

Actually I think that it is all part of the same thing... If you go poll divers on on a random beach or quarry, they tend to associate what we are calling here "DIR" with Tech diving. So unless their interest is already leaning a bit that way, discussions regarding gear configuration fall on less receptive ears.

For the issues being discussed to really go away, i feel that the style of diving needs to be seen as simply a way to make diving, ALL diving, be it single tank, double tank, side mount, sCCR, CCR more comfortable and fun. I don't believe tech diving will ever be or should ever be mainstream, but i'd like GUE training to be seen as an option for ALL divers. Not as a replacement for the big recreational agencies, but as an overlay for the divers wanting 'more' out of their water based experience at EVERY level.

if that is to happen, then we as a 'group' must work to change a perception. Remember, it may or may not be our intent to be elitist and holier than thou, but perception is perception. Indeed great progress has been made towards making it more approachable, but the bottom line is, the perception is still there, alive and well, and it only takes a minority to keep it going.... the folks who gravitate towards this style of diving are often high achievers, type A personalities, and without intending to, they come across strong about whatever they believe in, be it political or diving

There are folks who love the fact that they are part of an elite cadre, a step above the rest, it is human nature to take pride in accomplishments.. It is also human nature to want to share what some find an epiphany, a near religious experience when they are suddenly more comfortable in the water than they have ever been... They can and do still become overzealous in that desire to share. Anymore i don't really think that 'in general' folks have intent to be mean, but perceptions are perceptions.

 

[Jax]

Well said, Laura!

What people need to remember when perception becomes reality -- it is when people act / respond as if their perception were reality.

If someone perceived as "DIR" is [ mean | arrogant | short | brusque ] with someone, and that becomes the perception, then that person will naysay the same to many others. Your "vocal minority" hurts the entire community.

 

[lamont]

Perhaps we should move away from the thread in question and stop making DevonDiver be defensive . . . TSandM brought up a good point about meaness.

Yeah, as far as the thread that lynne posted about, I'm puzzled by that as well since most of the posters don't really seem to be self-identified DIR/GUE types...

I still do see the problem that lynne is talking about in the community, though, so I thought I'd respond to that...