Initially I thought a separate DIR forum was a good idea....but upon further reflection IMHO, more forums is NOT a good idea. This further separates debates/threads into an ever-increasing number of smaller forums, meaning that on average fewer people will see the debates.
In addition, who will decide what belongs in the DIR forum and what does not? The thread starter will make the initial decision, but as often happens around here, a regulator who probably has limited/no knowledge of DIR will make a judgment that a given thread should be moved in or out of the DIR forum. As has been discussed ad nauseum, most of the techniques and gear choices that are part of the DIR philosophy are "borrowed" and are not unique to DIR. So questions about hose length, back-up necklaces, backplates, frog kicks, etc., etc., etc. don't really belong in a segregated DIR forum since they are not unique to DIR. I guess you could create a separate DIR forum with the intention of starting DIR debates. Some threads will be useful and productive, some wont. Some folks will try and convince others that their position is right, some wont. But having this in a separate forum wont stop the heated and sometimes ugly debates, and I think they will continue to spill over into the mainstream forums.
I also feel strongly that a forum on a given topic should include data from multiple philosophies, including DIR. When a topic gets discussed, I like to hear these opinions in one place. Segregating DIR discussions discourages this. All divers (new and old, DIR and non-DIR) benefit from active discussions where a given technique or piece of gear is discussed from all angles. DIR should be included in this mix, allowing folks to see what choices are out there and what makes sense.
One idea would be to develop a strong DIR summary or FAQ thread with lots of links. This could be kept in an area of the board that is permanent, i.e., that wont keep getting pushed down into the archives by daily thread traffic. Folks can go and read about DIR and find out about DIR resources. If you are serious about producing this, why not ask Andrew Georgitsis or Jarrod Jablonski from GUE to put together the piece for you? This helps them by helping to publicize DIR and helps you by going to the source. This gives folks the resources to learn about DIR and to make their own decision about whether to pursue it.
Regarding the DIR-zealotry that goes on here and elsewhere I guess I wish folks would tone this down, but this is human nature. I will say however, that I think GUE also needs to be careful on this issue, since I think they themselves are somewhat guilty of bashing non-DIR divers and other certification agencies. I saw a fair amount of this during my DIRF course by at least one instructor and I felt like it was unnecessary (I gave them this feedback at the end of the course). Again, I am a DIR supporter, but I think wasting time and energy putting down the non-DIR world detracts from the message/training they are trying to convey.
My $0.02.
