Is this really acceptable?

[Cavemn]

Do you find it acceptable for a loosely defined set of divers to subvert the normal process for obtaining a research permit for a cave where they are knowingly interfering with a current and ongoing research project by another team?

Does it make a difference to your answer if the offenders were offered to join the current project and opted out?

What if they have told their prospective members it is not OK with their "board" for their members to also participate in the other project?

Is this approach really acceptable?

[jlillest]

Can we add a third option that says "I don't have enough information to form an opinion"

Not everything is black and white. I'd like to answer yes, but there's probably more to the story and I would like to be open to changing my opinion based on the facts.

-Jon

[Sludge]

Sure. All's fair in love, war, and cave diving.

Seriously, though, what are you talking about?

[hunabku]

Did you get scoop'd?

[darkdiver211]

It's ok to be vague, we all know what you are talking about. Crap, what are we talking about?

[graepaep]

My guess is it has something to do with this http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...eeded-in-Texas

The ASA has some research/exploration projects going on in Texas. Some of which I believe require a permit (probably Jacobs Well). A call was put out for any interested diver provided they joined the ASA.

Pure speculation would be that some group of diver (possibly part of a competing agency) wanted to dive the hole without being a part of the project. Just a pure guess though.

[ARY]

Was that written in English?

[Cavemn]

My guess is it has something to do with this http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...eeded-in-Texas

The ASA has some research/exploration projects going on in Texas. Some of which I believe require a permit (probably Jacobs Well). A call was put out for any interested diver provided they joined the ASA.

Pure speculation would be that some group of diver (possibly part of a competing agency) wanted to dive the hole without being a part of the project. Just a pure guess though.

Wow, you're good. People can't get along. So, they create another organization and push through a project in the same hole with at least one significant overlapping deliverable. This would have been so easy to avoid if the board members on this new team didn't have a personal issue with on of ours. So, now we have twice the traffic in a sensitive cave.

Yes, there's venting here on my behalf, guilty as charged. This is not my personal issue. I just want to dive.

[Kelly Jessop]

I hear your frustration,but this theme isn't unique. How about Wakulla 2 vs WKPP in the mid 90s-wow what a hail storm of rants on the old tech list.

[MORGAN]

I don't know anything about this particular situation, but in general it's considered bad form to poach on someone else's exploration project, as long as the project is actively being pursued.

In a situation where little or no active exploration is going on, and a permit process is just being used to keep other people out, application for permits should be accessible to everyone.

Mike