Why are we so mean?

[ucfdiver]

Kev's post is a treat as always.

Wish they'd ban computers in hospital chambers.

 

[DevonDiver]

...and now for something completely different:

 

[k ellis]

I was reflecting on this the other day, after going back to check a thread where someone had put up a picture of the shiny new kit he had bought, and he got a bunch of fairly short, critical, and not very friendly responses, a number of them from people I know are "us".

I'm a pretty solidly committed DIR diver, myself, and I think there are a lot of good reasons why we use the equipment we do, and the procedures we do. I like the system, and I think everybody on this board knows that I push it (hopefully not too obnoxiously) wherever I see the opportunity to do so, here and IRL.

But my mother always taught me that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. And i we want to try to communicate a message, it seems to me it would work far better if we were pleasant about it. What's wrong with congratulating someone on their new equipment? And if you must, making a couple of pleasant and constructive observations about long inflators or quick releases, pointing out the reasons why the person might eventually rethink his setup? He's already bought it, anyway; jumping on him about it is much more likely to elicit a defensive reaction and a dislike for "us" than to change what he's bought.

I see this over and over again. Where it comes to things which relate to true safety (like air at 200 feet) I can understand getting short, critical or even just plain unpleasant. But for the simple stuff like wearing a snorkel, having quick releases, and other things relating to recreational diving or even the beginner techie who's doing his first doubles dives, do people really think it's necessary to be so rude? I don't think it makes us any friends.

Im going to reply to this one directly. Its been to my observation that there are those who think they are Scuba Gods on the board. They have an opinion different then ours and in that mind that justifies it as being right. I am no fan of snorkles but I do use one under certain conditions. People always assume I am a newbie because I do but hey its ok. Then there are those who have a difference of opinion then I do on Nitrox. In their mind their opinion means they are right becase they feel so. Despite no evidence proving or disproving ANYTHING about Nitrox the battle lines clearly are drawn and it does attract heated and rude debates.

There are times I observe even those who are supposed to regulate and keep scubaboard pleasant and welcoming. Instead they will occasionally choose to pop rude comments themselves and not remain the way a role model should and thats positive and welcoming. In this light can we expect any member to think they have to be regulated when those who regulate show low refrain?

Yes divers can be rude to each other but for the most part what they show little respect online for I am pleased to say in person most divers I have met have excellent character.

 

[The Chairman]

There are times I observe even those who are supposed to regulate and keep scubaboard pleasant and welcoming.

It's a shame when people just won't listen to reason and will continue to harass a company or individual on ScubaBoard. Some people feel it's their right to be mean spirited and often describe their meanness with eloquent terms in order to justify it. When people are called on it, they often cite the mod as being less than civil. Why? Why do they overlook their incivility and focus on the other? It's blameshifting at it's finest. It's easier to find fault with others than to deal with your own.

 

[k ellis]

It's a shame when people just won't listen to reason and will continue to harass a company or individual on ScubaBoard. Some people feel it's their right to be mean spirited and often describe their meanness with eloquent terms in order to justify it. When people are called on it, they often cite the mod as being less than civil. Why? Why do they overlook their incivility and focus on the other? It's blameshifting at it's finest. It's easier to find fault with others than to deal with your own.

its true. Its a fact of life I guess. When a police officer arrest a person for murder he is hailed as a hero yet when he arrest someone for murder thats someone son the mother calls him evil. This is true that life has double standards. But blameshifting is why the united states is in the mess its in now. When people stop shifting blame and recognize they themselves have a problem then and only then can people trully start to fix the wrongs in this country.

Now to keep this civil which I feel is best I will not go into where you are going with this but the matter was not that I was upset with the mod being out of line. He had a job to do and was doing it well. My concern was that he was just not being professional about it. But I am not here to hijack this thread. Nor do I want to turn anything away from what it was addressed as. A concern.

Anyway I am sorry that this turned in to a discussion it did not have to be.

 

[The Chairman]

He had a job to do and was doing it well. My concern was that he was just not being professional about it.

He was just ratcheting up the force he needed to get his point across. The first few times fell on deaf ears. Hey, none of us is perfect. I am more flawed than most people I know. Or possibly, I am just humble enough to simply recognize my flaws. Not that I claim humility as a character trait, but I strive for it. In reality I honor it above most other character traits. Few are blessed with it and in reality you seem to be one of the few.

 

[k ellis]

Few are blessed with it and in reality you seem to be one of the few.

Well thank you. Id have to say I have been on Scubaboard since 2008 and thats the best compliment I have ever received. You too are not a bad guy yourself

 

[VooDooGasMan]

k, I know what you mean sometimes, getting all ganged up on my Deep Air Threads, just the other day I came to the surface with a 50 Cal pointing at me from the coast guard, and a warrant for my arrest from the state police, I was treated like a common criminal, when I asked what I was being charged for they said they got an anonymous call from DIR saying I was diving past 250' on air, they looked and the gauge read 252', so they booked me. My attorney told me that they made a mistake when they analyzed the tanks ther was helium in them(and I thought my scubapro regs was the reason for no narcosis). I said so I can get out of this cell, my attorney said there releasing me now and that he told them he was going to sue them for ten million dollars, they countered with a million as long as I did not mention any of this on an online forum, he made the deal.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

we all can act differently and do things that bite us in the ass, even losing a million dollars, DAMMIT JIM!!!!

 

[k ellis]

k, I know what you mean sometimes, getting all ganged up on my Deep Air Threads, just the other day I came to the surface with a 50 Cal pointing at me from the coast guard, and a warrant for my arrest from the state police, I was treated like a common criminal, when I asked what I was being charged for they said they got an anonymous call from DIR saying I was diving past 250' on air, they looked and the gauge read 252', so they booked me. My attorney told me that they made a mistake when they analyzed the tanks ther was helium in them(and I thought my scubapro regs was the reason for no narcosis). I said so I can get out of this cell, my attorney said there releasing me now and that he told them he was going to sue them for ten million dollars, they countered with a million as long as I did not mention any of this on an online forum, he made the deal.

Yea but I got my reward from the tip line.