David Strike wrote:

> Now if I understand things correctly, it's permissable to say something
> like, "XYZ dive operator is a greedy, money grubbbing moron, whose safety
> procedures are non-existent, whose rental equipment is faulty; whose boat
> leaks and who should be avoided by every diver who doesn't want to wind up
> as yet another diving fatality statistic." IF that dive operator is NOT
> subscribed to Scuba-L?

Hmmm, is it OK to say the operator caters to and is appreciated only by
idiots?  Even if another list member subsequently states a preference for
the operator?  How about if another list members has already made such a
statement.  My, how things get complicated when one tries to dictate rules
for the behavior of others.

> All that this succeeds in doing is to encourage still more of the 'private
> postings'  - particularly those made by one or two non-divers with limited
> knowledge of the activity - that only serve to stifle debate and the
airing
> of a variety of views and opinions.  The very thing, in fact, that caused
> the Scuba-L spill.

Sometimes, the best thing those non divers (now I'm name calling too) can do
is post in private.  It tends to limit the damage they, in their ignorance,
can do.

ly I've been wrong all of these years, "Diving IS safe!  Diving IS
> safe!  Diving Is ...."  I'm going to keep repeating that until I believe
it!
> :-)

You're going to have to say it for a long, long time.  I'm going to remind
you that, even though it can be done safely, it's not safe, every time you
say it is.  Us old guys need to be reminded of what we once knew much more
often than used to be necessary.

You know, I'm getting a bit tired of the lack of newer divers, those that
can use and appreciate advice by those of us who've been there and done
that, you know, those of us who had to learn from our own mistakes.  Damn
near everyone here has been around long enough to serve as the sage old
timers in just about any forum except, perhaps, the tech forums.  I think
I'll drop in on Rec.Scuba, where I'm still active, and see what the
dangerous ideas the novices have been bandying about recently.

Nah, I'll just go to bed.  I've got a serious load of work to get done
tomorrow.  I've got a 4 day weekend starting day after tomorrow and I don't
want to carrying work over into it.

Lee