Posted by Wayne on December 29, 2000 at 21:58:37:
In Reply to: Re: Self-Promotion posted by Eins on December 29, 2000 at 20:50:03:
I think you are right on the money for most of the posts here. I have been thinking about my posts and the reason I have typed in on some threads. Usually I find an area where I have a different perspective and want to air my thinking for critical review. Of course I hope everybody thinks I am right, but it is pretty much assured that I will not find agreement. If folks agree they stay silent.
Do I like seeing my posts answered? Yes. I am interested in the responses. Do they anger me? Yes sometimes. But more often than not, I try to see if I am off base or if there is some extenuating circumstance that makes what I said right. The beginning of this thread got me in a discussion with my 21 year old daughter. She is a good diver (almost done becoming a divemaster) and very much opposed to solo diving. But she admits to solo diving in Hawaii 2 years ago. She said it was OK because she was in 25 FSW and comfortable with all the normal stuff that might go wrong at that depth. So she is against solo diving and has done it under certain circumstances -- after careful evaluation. This board stimulated a good conversation and helped to increase dive safety awareness in my family. So the board is very useful to me.
But even as we discussed it, we both agreed that buddy divers were better, safer and all that. We advocate buddy diving, but had a nice discussion about the risks and things to consider if in that situation. I think that the BBS atmosphere is harder to do this in than a home. At home we know each oter well. On the BBS we do not know each other very well. Some here are friends and some of us have never met a soul in person. Maybe that is the problem!
Somehow we all need to get together and visit. Diving is hard since we never listen with our hoods on! But the boat rides can lead to fun mixers. On Rodale's they started doing some BBS dive trips (they are in Florida) and the response seems to be good. Maybe we need something like that. Maybe we could have a meet & greet at things like Chamber Day, the Scuba Show, Avalon Cleanup, etc. I for one think it would be fun to put a face to the names. So you will know me, I am the fat guy in the aloha shirt with a loud laugh and a sick sense of humor.
I say we all become friends then we can follow the Rodney King admonition and "...all just get along."
Wayne