In Reply to: Re: Elaine... posted by tleemay on June 23, 2006 at 22:49:52:

It would be a lot easier to just put up photos. Actually, maybe not. Most of the 20 hours or so that it often takes to put a trip report together is spent scanning, organizing, selecting, and editing them into web format. If I just post the photos, observers can write the own stories from their imaginations which probably would have nothing to do with what reality was for me. Most of the time diving is a whole lot of fun for me and I try to weave some of that into the trip report. That is what makes the time and spent on the projects worthwhile for me.

There are a couple of problems with writing the trip reports. Writing takes some time. Making it past the spell checker with a high resolution monitor and tiny type. There are any noumber of other things that make doing them less than a breeze.

On the BBS I've had a few really crappy "neightbors" posting signs for thier own causes in my front lawn - ie. the spaces under my posts. As some people regard a "free and open forum" to mean that I have to put up with stalkers (Dave), thieves (people who steal photos without respecting a ©, etc. etc. etc.. No, I don't have to put up with it. No one is going to protect my personal rights but me - It has come to a time when I need to take care of myself. Some people don't even realize that I need to do that.

My trip reports are what make the experience fun for me. I only put the time and effort into any of this because it is fun for me. If I have to just post a photo with a "species" caption, hey, I can do that just organizing them on m bookshelves and my life is a whole lot easier.