Posted by MHK on February 22, 2001 at 10:13:52:
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:
Wayne,
I've said often that you are one of the more sensible guys on this list, and even though you and I have never met IRL, my sense is your probably a guy a would want to share a beer with. I appreciate your efforts at getting this board back on track but I would only add a thought for you to consider with respect to your post.
I'll offer that for my part of the childishness I regret it but if you were to read your post one could leave with the impression that it's a one way street and in my view that is disingenious.
It's a fair statement to make that DIR is a emotional hot button and we are expected to defend every syllable to the umptenth degree, we face never ending games of verbal gymnastics and at some point, give the historical events, it doesn't make sense to attempt to explain something that it better off demonstrated.
I thought long and hard about putting out a post about the lack of computers, and in the final analysis I was concerned that given that it is an inexact science and the level that I am held to with respect to the written word I was reluctant to leave myself open. We are held to a much higher standard and are pushed to ridiculous levels of defense to every syllable we utter. I attempted to point out the hypocrcy when I pushed Ken on his inconsistency with respect to Nitrox -v- Solo. What I noticed from a select few on this list is that by any reasonable standards Ken's position is inconsistent but the select few that I'm refering to is all too willing to allow that inconsistency to pass but yet feel we need to justify every syllable. Then when we spend an extraordinary amount of time defending our positions we are peppered with the endless games of semantics. Solo diving isn't solo diving anymore, it's *buddyless*, diver's with 3000+ plus dives aren't experienced diver's because if they were they wouldn't have made the errors that cost them their life, etc. etc. etc.
We would much rather stick to the issues but the misdirection game on this list is mind boggling.
With respect to the computer issue it isn't a badge of honor at all, it's simply trying to get diver's out of the habit of blind reliance on pixals when in point of fact most diver's never take the time to understand what is involved at getting the last pixal into the *yellow*. It's designed to encourage diver's to learn about deco theory.
Given the verbal gymnastics on this list rather than get bogged down in it, I decided that I would pay out of my own pocket for Seahunt to join me on a day a diving and I would walk him through how it's done. I would spend time pre-dive, during dive and post dive analyzing what is involved. It seems to me that as diver's the best way to prove something is to actually do it.. I was disappointed that as a group of diver's this olive branch was seen as an act of avoidance as opposed to an act of conciliation..
Perhaps if you did see it through the other side, as MSBLUECOW suggests, you would understand the level of frustration. On this list we are diver's, there is nothing more in life that I enjoy than diving, and it is a great deal of fun being on a boat and showing someone a new skill, it is infinately less fun sitting behind a keyboard debating semantics and being told what we do week in and week out is *impossible* and then when we offer to show it we're told we are ducking the issue. Each side neeeds to bear a proportionate share of the responsibility and I didn't see that notion come through on your post, although I agree with the tone and spirit of your observations.
Finally I would also add that a great deal of time and attention has been advanced in trying to educate local diver's about the benefits of DIR and it's applicability to the local environment. We do demo's all the time, we speak at local clubs and shops and most importantly we dive it every weekend right here in our local waters, so when we hear that it isn't applicable and the logic advanced in support of this position is, IMHO, ludicrous then the anxiety level raises.
For example, with respect to the sawtooth issue that is getting a fair amount of attention, even after numerous posts it still seems as though my position get's distorted. So let me try to clear up the record. I could very well compute the NDL's for a sawtooth profile, and have offered to do that with Seahunt, but what I was trying to promote is that it is safer to plan the dive ahead of time and avoid sawtooth profiles, but to the extent an *unplanned* sawtooth happened we would still be in a position to compute. Terry put out a good post yesterday about varying 10' or 20', but what I wold prefer people leave this issue with is that we are trying to fix the problem BEFORE it occurs, we aren't trying to say engage in sawtooth profiles and then be in a position to be able to compute the NDL. DIR is very much about solving the problem before it occurs and not as much into putting yourself in less than ideal situations and knowing how to get out of them.. And it's frustrating to see that message get lost in the rhetoric.
I would invite you to take a look from the other side before you lay all the blame on thi side of the aisle. And as I stated yesterday, I will no longer look at Seahunts, Eins and Kelphead's posts so hopefully that will lower the tempature on the list..
Later