Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Scuttle valves & Divorce Court

[Jonathan Wallace <jon@psubs.org>]

My fellow psubbers, I am sorry for the following note, however I feel
the following statement is necessary.  If you are only interested in
submersible talk, please delete this note now.










An OPEN letter to Pat Regan and Gail Paleka

>I don't understand what you mean by that.

Gail,

Suffice it to say it was a response based upon the numerous notes on Regan's
web site between you and he, bad mouthing PSUBS.ORG and the people on this
list.  In particular, your note to Regan stating "But I need an outside
opinion from an experienced submariner, and you fit that description.  Will
you help me, please?"  Hence, my question, "Have you cleared this with Pat
Regan?"

I gave you the benefit of the doubt the last couple of days, but no longer.
After visiting Regan's web site it is clear to me that your intent is not to
offer constructive criticism, but to bad mouth PSUBS.ORG for reasons known
only to you.  Regan's remarks on his web site regarding PSUBS.ORG can be
summed up in two words...ENVY and JEALOUSY.

Before Regan deletes things on his website, let's do a comparison so it's
locked in perpetuity on this website.  We'll leave it to readers to       
determine for themselves whether some of the criticisms you have made are
true.

1) PSUBS.ORG was created to further the discussion of personal submersibles.
Vulcaniasubmarine.com was created to sell a book, entitled "How to build
a mini-submarine" or "How to build your own submarine" depending upon where
you look on the website.

2) PSUBS.ORG values open discussion of designs and construction techniques.
On vulcaniasubmarine.com you can ONLY get advice from Pat Regan.  Refer
to note "Sub Sketches Posted for Your Critique" and the response from Pat
Regan "The only guy who is authorized to post technical advice on this
message board is me."

Furthermore, on vulcanismsubmarine.com you are advised "If you really
want to open your design up to a free-for-all, you can take it to other
websites, but as Gail has pointed out, much of the information you will
receive there may be questionable. Be careful."

Gail's qualifications for classifying submersible information she finds
on the web as "good" or "bad" can be found under topic "Please help!",
where she describes herself as a 20 year old female student, with a
part time job in a dive shop, and has helped "the guys at the shop work
on Scuba-Tows".  

3) PSUBS.ORG offers technical discussion 24/7.  On vulcaniasubmarine.com
technical discussions occur when Pat Regan has time for them.  Refer to
note "Tech Talk suspended" which states "Starting March 01, 2004 and
until further notice, I will no longer be answering technical questions
about homebuilt submarines."  You will recall that under item 2 above,
ONLY Pat Regan can provide technical talk.

4) PSUBS.ORG is an open forum where ideas are passed between interested
parties who want to develop a dialog.  Vulcaniasubmarine.com is not an
open forum as evidenced by the topic "PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING HERE"
in which Regan states "This is not an open forum: it is a place where I
pass information on to others, and that's all it is."


Regan to Paleka, taken from the vulcaniasubmarine website:
"A fundamental aspect of discussion groups is that they are mostly about
socializing, and people go there to have a good time. Considering your
background, I think you went there looking for something PSUBS is not."

Wallace response:
A 100% technical only web site is BORING.  Humans are social by
definition and have a desire to form friendships with others that share
the same interests.  Through those friendships, faithful bonds are
created that lead to desimination of even more information.  PSUBS.ORG
has more technical information on it today than vulcaniasubmarine will
have on it five years from now.  PSUBS.ORG is successful because of the
DIVERSE information it obtains from a DIVERSE group of people, some who
share and move on, others who share and stay long term.  Regardless of
the time they spend with us, they share and we benefit.
Vulcaniasubmarine is a web site obsessed with a Disney movie.
Seventy-five percent of the content is either about 20,000 leagues under
the sea or a link to a another web site about 20,000 leagues under the
sea.  Twenty percent of the web site are links to other submersible
web sites.  Vulcania has seven, PSUBS.ORG has nearly 200!  The remaining
5 percent of vulcaniasubmarine.com that is supposedly "content", lacks
any appreciable "content" at all.  This "technological" section of the
website includes what appear to be pictures from a 1970's rebreather
"project" made from clorox bottles, and a pictorial history of building
a minisub based upon the Nautilus.  No details, no construction
information, and no dive logs are provided.  Pictures of "test trials"
are provided, but no information on actual diving operations. 

To both Pat Regan and Gail Paleka:
Your criticism upon the participants that frequent PSUBS.ORG are
unjustified and unsubstantiated given even a cursory review of what either
of you have, or can, provide to those seeking solid, accountable technical
advice on how to build a personal submersible.  Your criticism is based
upon envy, jealousy, and a heavy egotistical attitude; not upon superior
knowledge or capability of those who contribute to PSUBS.  You'll have to
forgive me if I don't recognize the value of PSUBS being criticized by a
20 year old dive shop employee who's primary experience with submarines
has been helping "the guys at the shop work on Scuba-Tows".  A cursory
look at the PSUBS picture gallery or the MOKI picture exchange shows the
level of experience that this young lady is attempting to lecture.