Suggestion Splitting the BCD Forum

[Jarrett]

The BCD section has become consumed with discussion about BP/W's. It is to the point that you can't get advice on non BP/W questions there anymore. Any request for information about non-BP/W BCDs is met with 10 responses of "you should get a BP/W."

Most of the non-BP/W users have quit posting in that forum due to the beating that they take when they mention anything but a BP/W. While the BP/W may be a great option for some, the majority of divers out there are not in BP/W setups and still need advice there as well.

My suggestion is to split this forum.

How about subsections like:

Traditional BCDs (Jacket/Back-inflate)
Backplates & Wings

That way posters interested in each could inquire and receive non combative discussions on each type of platform. I believe this would also bring more traditional BCD owners back to the forum for discussions who may otherwise be reluctant to post these days due to the current bias.

 

[*Floater*]

HERE the poster asks a Zeagle question, and specifically asks NOT to get BP/W responses. Nine responses out of 22 end up bringing up a BP/W (some in jest) but at some point the post becomes a "Advantage of BP/W" response... Hmmm.

Here's the OP from that thread:

Zeagle Brigade v. Ranger

I thought I was all set to buy a Ranger, until I read all the posts here about the Brigade. Now my head hurts, and I am confused all over again. Seems the advantage with the Brigade is packability. Anything else? What do I give up with the Brigade? If the Brigade is all that, when, if ever, would I ever consider the Ranger? And don't even get me started on the BP/W line. My head will surely explode! Any experience with these BDs is greatly appreciated.

(emphasis mine)

He's asking for opinions about the Zeagles, but indicates that he's also considered a backplate. When people say "don't get me started" on X they often mean the opposite; let me tell you about X or let's talk about X. A bp/w check box would have cleared any ambiguity in this post.

 

[jeffrey-c]

Again, I would strongly encourage NOT splitting the forum and starting a direction for the BC forum and other potential forums that would be difficult to return from (potentially driving all passionate topics such as split fins, integrated alt air sources, etc. into microforums). I would submit that this whole thread has probably served the purpose that the OP was trying to get across. With the more than 100 posts here, the strong BP/W advocates should be appropriately sensitized to the concerns raised by the jacket BC aficionados, and will likely do a better job of moderating their passion. Please keep the forum the way it is and give self-policing a chance.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

HERE the poster asks a Zeagle question, and specifically asks NOT to get BP/W responses.

That's not how I read the OP.

Nine responses out of 22 end up bringing up a BP/W ...

Including one from the fella that started this thread. Wierd!

The vocal minority is the only thing I can think of, and the BP/W crowd is adamant enough to intimidate or at least discourage others from posting.

Crapolla!

 

[MSilvia]

I would submit that this whole thread has probably served the purpose that the OP was trying to get across. With the more than 100 posts here, the strong BP/W advocates should be appropriately sensitized to the concerns raised by the jacket BC aficionados, and will likely do a better job of moderating their passion. Please keep the forum the way it is and give self-policing a chance.

Well said jeffrey-c. Let's hope the thread helped.

 

[H2Andy]

With the more than 100 posts here, the strong BP/W advocates should be appropriately sensitized to the concerns raised by the jacket BC aficionados, and will likely do a better job of moderating their passion.

i think that's an excellent point

likewise, the strong BCD advocates should be appropriately sensitized to their apparent over-sensitivity to people bringing up bp/wings and should have learned to just roll with it.

debate is healthy. silencing the other side is not.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I dont understand what this argument is, if they say specifically they don't wnat something don't bring it up for any reason unless you didnt even read their post, and if they dont specifically mention that they don't want something than feel free to bring it up. Whats the argument here.

 

[The Chairman]

Hijacking threads...

What the real issue here is the propensity of some to hijack a thread to suit their own purpose. Many who dive BP&Wings are extremely committed to them and how they work in the water. As someone who owns quite a few, I can agree! They are wonderful. But they won't make you a better diver, now will they?

This might come as a surprise, but the Diving world rarely uses the BP& Wing. I would even suggest that our seeming preoccupation with the BP&Wings is way out of step with how the world dives. To that end, I am sure that we have SQUASHED a lot of discussion due to our addiction to the BP&Wings.

What's going to happen? We aren't sure yet. We are still discussing it. I thought the link that Ron pointed out is telling. I agree with him that the poster DID NOT want to discuss the BP&Wing and yet the very first response is just that. Amazing.

 

[mase]

i think that's an excellent point

likewise, the strong BCD advocates should be appropriately sensitized to their apparent over-sensitivity to people bringing up bp/wings and should have learned to just roll with it.

debate is healthy. silencing the other side is not.

Amen to that!

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I can see a seperate forum making people more likely to ask questions about regular BC's, but I can't see them getting any more useful or helpful information given back to them then they do now.

 

[H2Andy]

What the real issue here is the propensity of some to hijack a thread to suit their own purpose.

then deal with the wrong-doers, don't issue a blanket ban on a subject in a forum designed to discuss that subject

there are tools in place already to deal with hijackers. use them.

no new rules are needed. just enforce the current ones.