What's the use?

[Doppler]

Am I alone thinking that the vast majority of threads that start with someone explaining in exquisite detail the ins and outs of their last dive at Peacock or Ginnie or Little River or any number of other tourist caves are in fact a waste of real-estate.

Do you get any useful information from them?
Do they help answer your questions about kit configuration?
Have you found them useful when you draw up your own dive plans?
Is your to-do list as full as it is because of ideas spawned by these stories?
Have you added someone to your list of dive buddies because of something you read in one of them?

Apologies for asking but I am just trying to figure it out... please help.

[john844]

I am still working on getting my training classes set up, so my interests will differ from yours. I love reading the Trip Reports, especially when they are written from a beginners perspective. Many times what is described from a beginners view varies widely from what an experienced diver might share. I don't see them as a needed as a primary part of the forums, but I do see them as great filler.

[Tegg]

What threads have you started lately to add value to the real estate of this site?

[jj1987]

Am I alone thinking that the vast majority of threads that start with someone explaining in exquisite detail the ins and outs of their last dive at Peacock or Ginnie or Little River or any number of other tourist caves are in fact a waste of real-estate.

Do you get any useful information from them?
Do they help answer your questions about kit configuration?
Have you found them useful when you draw up your own dive plans?
Is your to-do list as full as it is because of ideas spawned by these stories?
Have you added someone to your list of dive buddies because of something you read in one of them?

Apologies for asking but I am just trying to figure it out... please help.

I basically find them useless, but they don't bother me. Only times I click on them are when it's been raining (like Madison recently), or when the person who posted them is a good photographer and I expect photos.

[harmstrong]

Steve,

I think you are experiencing the same frustration many of us "old timers" have with boards in general. I almost never post anything, anywhere these days- nor do I read much, as it seems to be the same conversations rehashed ad infinitum. That isn't a criticism or a condemnation of anyone, it just seems to be "the way things are."

[OFG-1]

Have you added someone to your list of dive buddies because of something you read in one of them?

No, but I sure have eliminated a raft load of them.

[OFG-1]

I almost never post anything, anywhere these days- nor do I read much, as it seems to be the same conversations rehashed ad infinitum.

Heather, I think that you are a victim of cave diver churn, where a bunch of people get into the sport, hang out for a year or two, and then go away to be replaced by another group of victims, err, cave divers over, and over, and over again. The longer you stay at it, the more churn you see, and the more you see, the more it stays the same. Then, you get as old as Forrest, and start to forget everything you have seen and heard, and it is all fresh to you again.

Hang in there, senility is on the way! Embrace it!

[gschaut]

As a rookie apprentice cave diver, native of Buffalo NY who is currently enduring 66 degree air temps. And the only dive-able underwater passages are connected to sewage treatment plants...

I enjoy hearing about other people's dives down in cave country. And look forward to my next vacation down in those "boring tourist caves".

Oh, well... at least the ice is off Lake Erie early this year!

[Greenwood_60]

Do you get any useful information from them? Sometimes.
Do they help answer your questions about kit configuration? Generally, no.
Have you found them useful when you draw up your own dive plans? Yes, absolutely.
Is your to-do list as full as it is because of ideas spawned by these stories? Yes.
Have you added someone to your list of dive buddies because of something you read in one of them? Yes.

More specifically, all four of my dives this last trip were planned the way they were because of dive reports and discussions following them. I can't look at a map an go "oh cool, that looks like the jump to take for an awesome dive."

[TONY CHANEY]

Well, I changed my mind about doing the Dark Water tunnel after watching a video. I am not SM and it appeared too tight for BM. I learned some info about diving the Well also. Also I enjoyed learning about the push Agnes and James did from Peacock to Baptizing. I learned some valuable info pertaining to the Crypt. So yes I have gained some good info, as alot of the caves are new to me. So what do you consider a tourist cave? OBTW, since there seems to a drive to close down caves and make other accessable only with an AB award or guide (read Cow, Wayne's World, Diploder, etc.) chances are you will start to see more of them. Just my thoughts as new cave diver.