Lets Make a Private Forum

[JPPLAY]

I think we should have this forum private except for a part for new people to introduce themselves so that they can get access. I have become friends with many of the people here and I would like to keep our diving, trips ideas and information separate from the main forum. If someone wants to post in the main forum that is their choice but some privacy for our group would be nice. We have had many cases of people that aren't even remotely in our area commenting on our threads.

[feign]

James,

This is one of the issues that we all discussed when we moved over from the forums James D had set up and from the Msn group. Coming here meant that we were more exposed to a larger group. Our decision was that we were happy with the group of peope at deeperblue, in that they were non-confrontational, willing to share info and aligned with our ethical ideals of spearfishing and freediving. I don't see a problem having people from other areas add their input and opinions. If you need to send something private, we can use the private message system or email.

lee

[deep thinker]

Reading this is kinda disturbing to me, isnt the whole point of DB getting input and views from people in different regions than yourself. Isnt the whole idea sharing experiences opinions and tips with people from all over the world and uising their experiences and tecniques to improve and fine tune your own?? But hey use dont use it rite...

[island_sands]

My 2cents...

Stephan Whelan pays for the software of this website, which is not cheap. He also puts in a lot of time and effort to keep it upgraded etc. We are fortunate to have free access to all the facilities, (like uploading to gallery, free email address etc) and also having a clean forum - i am not so sure that I would ask for anything private. If you like, you could become a Support (9.95$ a year) and use the Supporters forum where only Supporters can post

Just my opinion.

[Pastor]

There is another option!

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by JPPLAY

I think we should have this forum private. We have had many cases of people that aren't even remotely in our area commenting on our threads.

I've been one of them, but I'd never imagine it could be disturbing for you.
Sounds like I should apologize now, and I respect your point of view...but anyway I suscribe what Deepthinker said about sharing different experience.
http://forums.deeperblue.net/altasub...petitions.html

[ynoga]

If privacy is needed amongst 'your group' I would say just use email between yourselves. That way the only people who have access to it are the ones you email your stories, comments, et cetera............

Anyway, what do I know.......but it does seem odd though to be asking for privacy in such a public place as a forum on the internet?!?!?!

[JPPLAY]

Originally Posted by spaghetti

I've been one of them, but I'd never imagine it could be disturbing for you.
Sounds like I should apologize now, and I respect your point of view...but anyway I suscribe what Deepthinker said about sharing different experience.
http://forums.deeperblue.net/altasub...petitions.html

I like the good information like you posted spaghetti in that post. I go all over and ask people from all around the world about spearfishing so that I can learn.
The reason that I asked for a private forum is that every so often we get people posting in here just seeming to want to increase their post count.
I also like the friendships I have build with the members of Altasub and deeperblue has helped me meet these people and people in other cities that I have dove with. It just erks me when we get people posting for no real reason on threads that don't affect them. With the people in Altasub they are responsibly for what they post as we all know each other in real life. It not some internet cowboys getting their kicks by posting online.
I enjoy meeting new people but I wish that if anyone posts in the Altasub forum that they please post productively.

[JPPLAY]

Originally Posted by Pastor

There is another option!

I hate to point this out. This post seems unproductive and just a post for the sake of posting. I like that ynoga, spaghetti and island_sands posted their opinions and reasons behind it. All three of their posts are why I like this forum. Your posting style in this thread is an example of why I asked for a private forum.
This is not meant to be a personal attack just please post with reasoning and an explanation behind your statement.

[tylerz]

I can think of many reasons why making private threads or sub-forums is beneficial and desirable. Deeperblue is a service that is backed by a technological infrastructure. That infrastructure is reusable. So, just because it has been created for the express purpose of public discussion, I don't see any philosophical or technical assault towards DB's current form to extend it for private discussion. It is simply a useful function. Why somebody would choose to use such a function could be for many fair and purposeful reasons. Alas that is why tons of newsgroups/mailing lists exist that are private, such as yahoo groups. The most obvious benefit of enabling private group discussion, is to utilize the same user accounts and infrastructure so that DB is your one-stop portal for diving.

The point can maybe be emphasized by another example. I wish to create some software to assist in managing diving meets, so I create the web tools and then I have to host it somewhere. If I do it on my own server, new users need a new account, need to learn a totally different interface to their account management, need to wait for all the same friends from DB to join, and the product can't integrate with cross-functionality between the systems such as, a meet requires management, but it also requires discussion. So, hopefully that clarifies the reason to reuse an environment for extended functionality, so all we are left with is whether there is a "good" use of the extended functionality of private discussion, and James obviously feels he has a good use, and I am certain many others would too.

I am not asking for it, but responding to emphasize that I think negating James' interest for such functionality is counter-productive. Instead actually trying to identify how much use would come from it and how desirable it is would assist to compare against how much work it would take to extend the functionality. If there is no interest in the community then so be it. But it is a useful piece of functionality.

[spaghetti]

I'm here bothering again just to give a constructive advice.
To avoid further misunderstandings with DB members, since this thread is being seen by all the DB community, you should specify that AltaSub is a hosted forum: not a section of DeeperBlue, but the external forum of the Alberta Club hosted inside Deeperblue. Correct?
If you specify this, much of the bias will steam off.
PS-Jpplay, I think Pastor's post was just a humour thing rather than a flame. Peace.

[Pastor]

Originally Posted by JPPLAY

This is not meant to be a personal attack just please post with reasoning and an explanation behind your statement.

Deeper blue is a community that thrives on the free sharing of knowledge, chat and resources. It just strikes me that if you want to exclude the rest of the community from your discussions that you invest in your own small piece of the internet and start your own little private community, or in other words if you don't like it here ........... Or am I just being anti social?

I do apologize for my earlier post, I though the meaning would have been obvious.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by Pastor

Deeper blue is a community that thrives on the free sharing of knowledge, chat and resources. It just strikes me that if you want to exclude the rest of the community from your discussions that you invest in your own small piece of the internet and start your own little private community, or in other words if you don't like it here ........... Or am I just being anti social?
.

+1. There is a PM function and we all have each other's phone numbers and emails in Alberta. DB is a public forum. Who cares if someone's trying to up their post count? What's the real and definitive impact in my life if someone posts something I'm not interested in... nothing.
Elitism has to be avoided, not bred.
Actually I feel quite elite when someone who dives in prime conditions from other parts of the world sees the sloughs and generally undiveable conditions we get into just to hunt for 1/2lb fish lol.

[JPPLAY]

Originally Posted by Pastor

It just strikes me that if you want to exclude the rest of the community from your discussions that you invest in your own small piece of the internet and start your own little private community, or in other words if you don't like it here ........... Or am I just being anti social?

Please read my above post why I am here. I have been here for around two years and have met many people off here. And a community just like anything needs to keep growing. That are what suggestions and proposals are for. We should be trying to make it better not remain the same.

Originally Posted by Pastor

I do apologize for my earlier post, I though the meaning would have been obvious.

The meaning was obvious but the way you presented was not helpful. I had already talked to Amphibious last night why that didn't make sense. For many reasons including what Tyler said.
I appreciate good humour but this is a serious thread. It like saying, "You got lung squeeze well you went too deep."

Originally Posted by Erik

+1. There is a PM function and we all have each other's phone numbers and emails in Alberta. DB is a public forum. Who cares if someone's trying to up their post count? What's the real and definitive impact in my life if someone posts something I'm not interested in... nothing.
Elitism has to be avoided, not bred.

I just like constructive threads where it full of good information. I don't enjoy wading through posts. I don't think having a private forum is Elite or is the moderators forum Elite? It serves a purpose and that what the idea is here. Someplace where we can all post together and bounce off ideas.

[Pastor]

All I can say is, if you don't like what deeper blue has to offer then start your own forum! Hell I'll even help you!