Posted by msblucow on February 21, 2001 at 22:43:46:
In Reply to: Of computers and soap boxes. What I think. And it is long. posted by Wayne on February 21, 2001 at 21:32:55:
The exchanges on this board in the last few weeks have really gotten out of hand. I wish everyone would just take a deep breath (pun intended) and slow down. I've met and dove with a number of people on this board - MHK, Terry, John Walker, Frank Farmer, Eins, Ken Kurtis and Kelphead to name just a few. What I've learned about these folks is that their internet personas are just that - personas. They're not the whole person. If they all met in a room (and a lot of them have), you'd find that they'd have a lot more in common than not.
MHK, Terry, John Walker and others have donated countless hours to education - teaching not only what they know about DIR, but about safer dive practices in general. Ken Kurtis owns one of the few shops in the LA area that carries Halcyon gear and he's even invited MHK, Terry, and Troy to give a DIR seminar in his shop. Frank Farmer has destroyed the myth that an old dog can't learn new tricks. Eins and Kelphead have proven to be reliable and safe dive buddies. Seahunt I've never met, although I'm sure he a has a long and distinguished diving history (even if his views on sea otters are a little weird ;-)
Do I agree with everything MHK has said on this board, or the way he's said it? Not always, but it's impossible for me to fault his logic. I've learned a lot from him, Terry and John Walker by actually diving with them and attending their free seminars.
Everyone here ought to try to go to one of these DIR seminars. You'll learn so much more there than by debating semantics here on the board. Just go with an open mind and lots of questions and you won't regret it.