Kenneth, and others:

I don't know how long you've been around theis and the previous list, but
take it from me, you are not the first person to get it wrong WRT Bob, nor
will you be the last. You are in fine company, myself included, but some of
us moved on, and I hope you will, too, some day.

As so often before, Strike said it better than I can when he wrote

> I can only say that I'm fucking well sick and fed up with the whingeing,
> whining, smart-arsed, lying, back-stabbing attempts to score points in
> futile exercises that have no seeming purpose.

In point of fact, I almost wrote the same thing yesterday, except I would
have used the F-word a lot more.

To my way of thinking, the way you are currently behaving, there is NO
difference between you and Bob, so be careful about throwing stones. Come to
think of it, maybe that is unfair - to Bob. At least he contributes
diving-related information and insights that - in many cases - virtually
nobody else on this list would be able to provide (and many would not
understand, myself included sometimes).

I, too, was a crusader once, until I realized, a) that some of the people I
crusaded against were pretty nice in real life, and b) that nobody actually
asked me to take up the crusade! Another important part of that
transformation was the slow realization that maybe I was the one who had it
wrong from the get-go. One person's writing style may not sit well with
another, but since we are all adults (at least I would like to think we
are), it behooves us to read carefully and make allowances for differences
in background, culture, education and language, before making a call.

Some of the people whose opinion I value the most are (ar are at least
capable of being) offensive in the extreme, especially when you push their
buttons. Bob springs to mind, so does George Irvine, and a whole lot of
instructors I have learned from, in the Army, business, and diving. The
message is what counts, and whether you are able to read that message is a
reflection on you, not on the messenger!

And I do disagree with you when you say that noone earns anything. The
primary function of this list is to discuss diving. It serves other purposes
as well, such as the arrangement of trips and meets, friendly banter, and
the occasional pissing contest. But whether it's at the water cooler, in the
living room or on a list, those who often give constructive input get to
bitch with a higher tolerance threshhold than those who ONLY bitch.

No more from me on this thread, I just wanted everyone to know where I
stand.

Bjorn