Some things are obvious... some less so. When a poster puts a specific thread in a specific forum, they do that for a reason. It might be ignorance, it might be they like the no flame rules of a particular forum. To each their own.
Pete, I think that Jax's initial point was that
ignorance was the issue... in which case might Mods tighten up on the forums? As you've explained, there are reasons why we (mods) don't act unilaterally or immediately to shift posts; because we don't know if an OP has a particular strategy or reason for placing the post where it first appears.
Personally, I think that laziness is an issue also. It takes a few seconds to scroll through the forums list and identify the most suitable forum. It doesn't take a few seconds to slap a thread into the Basic or Advanced forums...
Where thread placement is deliberate/considered, the perspective of a diver often guides their choice.
The relative experience and qualification of a diver can determine that perspective. To an OW diver, nitrox and rescue seem 'advanced'. To a divemaster, the same topics might seem quite basic.
So might agency affilation. Some agencies have a definition/level for
Advanced Diving, such as the BSAC 'Advanced Diver' qualification - which encompasses expeditionary dive planning, non-accelerated deco, wreck diving etc. Other agencies have a definition/level for '
Advanced Entry-Level', such as the PADI 'Advanced Open Water' qualification - which goes beyond the basic entry-level curriculum, but does not provide any proficiency in typically acknowledged 'higher-risk diving activities'.
Personally, I think a lot of posts that go into the Advanced forum might be better placed elsewhere. For instance, we could debate all day about whether AIRII, BP&W, Splits vs Paddles should be
Basic or
Advanced... or we could just guide members to put those discussions into the relevant
Equipment Forum.
The use of 'green zones' to tailor the tone of debates is also an issue. Some members enjoy the cut-and-thrust of a lively (sometimes critical) debate. Others just want some good advice without getting embroiled in a multi-page arguement. It's absolutely fair that forums exist with more strict posting rules, to cater for those members who do not seek constructive criticism or wish to see their thread devolve into a POV clash. Again,
personally, I don't see why the green zones have been necessarily aligned with
New and
Basic divers. I think that
new members of the board might seek that protection, regardless of their level... as it were, 'a place to find your feet' as a forum member. Thus, some divers (of varied experience levels) do post more advanced topics into the Basic Scuba forum.
I think it would be relatively easy (at the expense of more Mod man-hours!) to institute a more precise forum posting policy. But that would lead to a much more heavily moderated forum. From what I see and read here, I don't envisage that many SB members would actually
want a more heavily moderated forum though.... especially...and ironically.... not the OP who raised this issue in the first place.
But seriously, what IS the SV tag for? :headscratch:
as you behaved earlier in your SB career.
