Why do we bash each other?

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I don't know if this needs to be in W&C. It's a reasonable question, why people get so heated and so personal about differences in diving style and procedures.

I think just about everybody here knows I'm a DIR diver, or at least the best approximation of what one would be if there were such a thing (OK, Jeff?) I'm deeply convinced that there are major benefits of the system of diving I've adopted, and I try to present them pleasantly and tactfully where it seems appropriate on the board. In general, I think the vast majority of people who come here to ask questions honestly want to learn something -- I remember being one of them. Presenting your opinion in a calm, rational, organized and readable fashion gets your message across, and beyond that, you can only clarify or expand, but not convince.

I think occasionally, there is someone who comes on the board who is proposing or contemplating something desperately unsafe, or who has come through some near miss and simply isn't demonstrating a good attitude or appropriate learning from the experience. Then, after tactful input has clearly failed, it may be necessary to be briefly somewhat harsh. But these cases are rare, and in general, I think we all end up in agreement that gentler means have failed, and that we don't want to read the accident report we fear is coming. (I'm talking new divers wanting to do 200 foot dives on single tanks, or cave dive without training -- things like that, that we can all agree are foolish, and dangerous.)

But when it comes to diving with or without a pony, or a snorkel, or split fins, or a long hose . . . there's really never any need to become unpleasant or insulting or personal about these things. I have seen some very good divers, in their environments, dive with all of these things. They may not be MY choices -- but I'd rather conduct my internet discussions as though I were sitting in the bar after a dive with the guy with the pony bottle, and having an honestly curious exchange of the reasons why each of us is doing what he is doing, rather than become dismissive or patronizing in my conviction that my way is better.

In the end, we are all divers. We all share a wonderful thing that not very many people ever get to do -- we get to see the whole world that stretches off the coasts, and under the lakes, and in the quarries, and in the caves. It makes us far more alike than different.
 
Because anyone who disagrees with me is a big doody-head, nyah nyah nyah.:kicknut:
 
Most of the bashing of members by members is, IMHO, due to a lack of typing eloquence and grammatical correctness. Some members seem to take the opinion that everything they type is an opinion so they NEVER type IMHO. Unfortunately, they then come off as an absolute authoritarian, and how many of us will put up with that (even in real life). :no:

Another pet peeve of mine is espousing your opinion of something you have absolutely no physical experience with. I try and keep my espousing to things I actually have experience with, and I really try to give particular examples. For example, when touchy subjects come up like Vest-BI-BP/W, I try to mention the rigs I have experience with; where as many others just lump every vest in one general group, every BI in one general group, every BP/W in one general group, even if they have only used one ill-fitting rig at most from said group. :shakehead:

Until we all start composing here the way our High School English Composition teacher taught us to compose there will be a lot of post bashing, but that is what most of it is, IMHO; post bashing not member bashing. You did all take English Composition in High School didn't you? :idk:

For those of you from non English speaking/typing regions, just use IMHO a lot! :cool2:
 
Psychology 101

Many people who are, at heart, insecure in their knowledge, will resort to any method available to inwardly and externally bolster acceptance of their personal decisions, beliefs and support systems.
 
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Because anyone who disagrees with me is a big doody-head, nyah nyah nyah.:kicknut:

Oh yeah?!?! Oh yeah?!?! Oh Yeah?!?! :wink:
 
As we lose all (or most - there are smileys) of the nonverbal communications, misunderstandings are easy. I'm not sure I buy into the idea that nonverbal communication makes up 90% of the exchange but it does add a lot.

Also we all have different expectations. I remember a thread I was reading and the OP was going on and on about all the abuse they received and expected nothing less. I went back and read the thread again, MY experience showed me something completely different, all I saw were very minor barbs. We each bring our personal history to our reading of a post.
 
Oh yeah?!?! Oh yeah?!?! Oh Yeah?!?! :wink:

I'm rubber and you're glue... :tongue2:
 

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