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> Your disclaimer statement is a "buyer beware" of sorts. But 
> our society doesn't allow that anymore, I'm afraid.  Once people 
> either allow,  or are made to, let others take responsibility for 
> their safety, then it's really hard to reverse the unfortunate 
> process and the irresponsible mind-set that we are all living 
> under.

Well I think part of what Rich was driving at is that there is
(likely) to be a lack of legal precedents currently dealing with
"technical" diving, and that the community as a whole may (should IMO) 
want to help steer them back toward self-repsonsibility.  A backlog
of legal precedents protecting companies from the stupidity
of divers could go a long way to getting new toys (rebreathers, etc)
to market faster and cheaper.  A huge win-win situation for
company and consumer.

When Joe-tech-diver does something stupid, gets bent, crippled
or dies, who will be called to testify at the enSUEing trial when
the relatives try to blame his gear or computer?  *Hopefully*
someone familiar with technical diving, and not the editor of Skin
Diver.  As an "expert" in the trial, that person may be asked
what are the normal accepted practices.  The "expert" can now explain
what the "accepted" practices are.  The standard is something
like "what a reasonable and prudent peer would have done" (I believe
it refers to PEERs which is important).  If the peers have self-reliant
Darwin-esque views of diving then perhaps that standard will be
applied instead of the I'm-not-responsible-for-my-own-idiot-actions
standard that is too often the norm in the US.  I mean hey,
I believe in saving anyone you can, but ultimately Darwin had a point...

>  Pessimistic? Perhaps -- but it's not my fault! :-)  

Maybe, but can you afford to be passive about that?   

Mike
-- 
Mike Zimmerman       [\] I'd rather be diving [\]    zimmmt@au*.al*.co*  
Alcatel Network Sytems, Raleigh, NC           Minds are like parachutes....
My opinions, not Alcatel's                    they only function when open.

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