New forum for divers

[tue]

I have just come across this site. It is new forum for upto date vis reports from your region. The more members that join and take part, better the service will become.

Lets all try to support it as I'm sure it will take some of the gambles out of planning a trip out of your diving area.

[Nigel Hewitt]

I have just come across this site.

And what a surprise it must have been to you to discover that after there only being 3 posts you were put down as a moderator.

Thank you for your independent recommendation.

[Finless]

Hmmm - not a bad idea in theory which will only work if lots of people contribute information.

Given the variablilty of conditions off the South East Coast I would take any reports with a pinch of salt.

I guess it would be OK for spotting a general trend in the vis and knowing when the May weed/bloom has started in March.

Also, I always take the view that I know I will be able to see far as the plastic at the front of my mask and anything else is bonus. I am rarely disappointed this way.

[matt]

Lets all try to support it as I'm sure it will take some of the gambles out of planning a trip out of your diving area.

Personally I think you would be better to let it die and concentrate your efforts on this more established site;
<a href="http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3" >http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3</a>

Regards
MattS

[Andy Nye]

I have just come across this site. It is new forum for upto date vis reports from your region. The more members that join and take part, better the service will become.

Lets all try to support it as I'm sure it will take some of the gambles out of planning a trip out of your diving area.



Can see this site taking off very well........ Well done TUE

Always did wonder why BSAC never had a forum for VIZ / Temp reports

[tue]

:=I have just come across this site.

And what a surprise it must have been to you to discover that after there only being 3 posts you were put down as a moderator.

Thank you for your independent recommendation.

I'm only set as moderator to allow me access to post on the vis report section. If you read the "So what is it page" you will see

[David Walker]

Can see this site taking off very well........ Well done TUE

Is that a sarcastic comment or serious? Coz I can't see it happening... its just yet another website wanting everyone to visit it and fill in information. Nice idea in practice, but there are already so many things wanting our attention, so many different forums, logbook sites, temperature sites, viz reports, etc etc etc, that I don't expect this one will be any different to the rest. Possibly some useful information, but generally not enough and with too much variation to be a lot of practical use.

If there was a single source, that was easy to use, well publicised, quick, and vaguely reliable then it may be useful, but with so many it just won't happen. For divers to benefit we need fewer sites, not more - the best new website would be a link to one of the existing viz-report websites. If this one is genuinely easier to use (i haven't looked yet) then try working with other people's sites to get their information shared and possibly get them all to link to the one site - again, get all the information in one place, not spread around 5 different websites.

Not meaning to be so negative without looking at it (i'm supposed to be revising for an exam on Monday, but have spent the whole day teaching Dive Leader theory), but divers would benefit more if everyone with such a website worked together, decided which was the 'best' (difficult I know...) and to all link to a single site, single database, etc... or at least a standard data format (look into XML) that each site can read off each other so they all get each other's information and present in in whatever format they like - that'd be a far more useful project.

David

[Andy Nye]

:=Can see this site taking off very well........ Well done TUE

Is that a sarcastic comment or serious? Coz I can't see it happening... its just yet another website wanting everyone to visit it and fill in information. Nice idea in practice, but there are already so many things wanting our attention, so many different forums, logbook sites, temperature sites, viz reports, etc etc etc, that I don't expect this one will be any different to the rest. Possibly some useful information, but generally not enough and with too much variation to be a lot of practical use.

If there was a single source, that was easy to use, well publicised, quick, and vaguely reliable then it may be useful, but with so many it just won't happen. For divers to benefit we need fewer sites, not more - the best new website would be a link to one of the existing viz-report websites. If this one is genuinely easier to use (i haven't looked yet) then try working with other people's sites to get their information shared and possibly get them all to link to the one site - again, get all the information in one place, not spread around 5 different websites.

Not meaning to be so negative without looking at it (i'm supposed to be revising for an exam on Monday, but have spent the whole day teaching Dive Leader theory), but divers would benefit more if everyone with such a website worked together, decided which was the 'best' (difficult I know...) and to all link to a single site, single database, etc... or at least a standard data format (look into XML) that each site can read off each other so they all get each other's information and present in in whatever format they like - that'd be a far more useful project.

David

My comment was VERY serious.

As a charter skipper, i get endless amounts of calls each day " Whats the Viz like in the channel " , " is the VIZ getting any better " , " Whats the water temp ".

So , YES , if the site can work and divers can look , then it will be successful.

When i first went and had a look, i added a post " is this site just for Cornwall & Devon " and after a reply back from the webmaster ,, KENT was soon added.

ALSO this site is not like the SCUBA ADDICT one, which i get really P'ed off with by trawling though all the sites to get to the one i want.

Nope , This new site will take off and personally think that alot of divers will be viewing it thoughtout next season.

Andy

[David Walker]

ALSO this site is not like the SCUBA ADDICT one, which i get really P'ed off with by trawling though all the sites to get to the one i want.

Nope , This new site will take off and personally think that alot of divers will be viewing it thoughtout next season.

I seriously hope so - but I still think that it will take something special to get people to contribute to it regularly, which is where the 'working with others' comes in. If they all could share the data then it can be presented whichever format then we get all advantages.
We'll see what happens to it - but more and regular promotion of it will be needed to really take off.

David

[Ken Twat]

:=Lets all try to support it as I'm sure it will take some of the gambles out of planning a trip out of your diving area.

Personally I think you would be better to let it die and concentrate your efforts on this more established site;
http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3

Regards
MattS


Matt
http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3"

The site you refer to may be longer established but is it really effective as the most recent contribution is over 2 weeks old and there are only 7 since September.
People do not seem to be contributing to this one do they lets hope the site TUE has highlighted proves more successful.
Why do you want people to discard it anyway ?

[matt]

Why do you want people to discard it anyway ?

David Walker has covered it well. Over the course of a year I get numerous requests to join scuba related forums and web sites which have no content. They are asking for my e-mail address and in reward I get to provide the content for them. That does not sound like good value.

Andy Nye is onto something though. Information services, such as viz, water temp, boat spaces or whatever, are a useful addition to a site which already has worthwhile content and an established subscriber base - like this one.