Posted by CarolB on June 06, 2001 at 22:11:32:
In Reply to: Re: "Obfuscation"? posted by seahunt on June 06, 2001 at 12:28:37:
Since you wished me to respond, I will do so. I am usually just a reader of this list, but I guess it's time for me to come out and make a point. I just spent the better part of an hour thinking how I was going to repsond, so here goes.
Whoever the people are who want to read whatever you write shouldn't be any concern until it's critiqed or commented on. That's free speech. You offer up a statement or thought in public, be prepared to back it up with either experience or accepted fact to back up you point. Until that happens, it's best for you to follow through on what you appear to have promised. Let us the readers of this list decide if the Seahunt way of diving novel it's acceptable or not. The serious challenges for MHK to put his thought's on the line have not gone unfounded. This is something that MHK has been more than forthright in the past in his actions. You either agree with it, dismiss it, or generally laugh at it and move on. Dragging stuff up from the past and trying to wave it in front of everyone as a point of "see, I told you so" is down right insulting to most of us. I have coffee every other day with another diver who reads this list and we both are ashamed of what has happened in the past year or so. Most of us are more educated in the practice of scuba and many other things. After reading what MHK has written about his education I can easily say I have much more and extensive education than he has. This is the new millineum, an M.B.A. education can be bought and sold on ebay. His education or anyone else's perception of it does not mean he does not have any un-dismissable point to make. The common agreed upon fact is by this list, is he is right on in most accounts when it comes to diving, particularly the D.I.R. mindset and practice and how it can be used by the everyday scuba diver in California, Florida, New York, or Kansas for that matter. I have never interacted with the man, but I can tell he relates his point with a great passion, something most of you are willing to generally dismiss as an asinine attitude. The problem is from my point of view is that you all are just as assinine as he is when you attack him. Most of his antagonists have admitted his expertise in the field and the message he is trying to get across. The problem is they just don't like the way he delivers the message. Get over it. The problem lies at the reception points. Baiting and insulting on both sides never accomplishes anything but animosity, and he is just a guilty as everyone else. I have read where he admits he may not be the most tactful person on this group, but he is only getting his point across in the best way he knows relative to the amount of personal counter attack he receives regularly. Solution? Be bigger than that and get on with exchanging ideas and promoting the sport. Look at it that way if you need to feel you won whatever argument in the past. Take the rift out of the situstion. Another option is to look to someone else to possibly promote the D.I.R. message. At this point, the best you could do is go ahead and post the Diving According to Seahunt novel and let everyone else fire away at it, just as people have tried to do with what MHK has posted.
You are all acting childish, plain and simple and there is no justificatioon for it other than egos have been hurt on both side of whatever argument exists. The human ego is the most fragile of all personal posessions, and the most easily repaired.
As to the statement about selectively editing profanity on this BBS, I was referring to where you stated something to the point of answering the MHK post before where you say something like "don't use profanity beacuse I, or one of the other editors, will have to delete your post. What I was referring to, was the original MHK post where I picked out whatever swear words I could possibly find from that post that could have been considered profane. I compared that to another recent post where someone else who claims to be less twisted in what MHK and in another earlier post, used the phrase "No Sh*t". That phrase wasn't deleted even after someone else directly pointed it out to you in public. That is where I believe the double standard exists. It is either that, or the editors of the list are not doing their job and other editors need to be found.
I suppose I must slip back into the abyss now. It's just too sad your egos have to get in the way of an otherwise brilliant series of discussions. I not only fault you Mr. Seahunt, but Mr. MHK, Ms. Kephead, and Ms. Eins, Mr. Walker, and the rest of the regular cast. My reference to the one line robotic responses was aimed at the Artificial Intelligence Chris person who is the reported ringleader of this mess. I must say you all put on a show even though it's a comedic tradegy. You are all much better than that.