On 3 Sep 2006 12:20:14 -0700, in rec.boats.paddle
wrote:

If you do a search back on google you can see the posting history of
this guy and it isn't pretty. Usually he posted the same sort of sqawk
over and over like some sort of automatic robot. He destroys the
legitimacy of his own argument by being overly windy and overly
dramatic and failing to disclose his own vested financial interest in
the matter.

Trolling a newsgroup is a little like pulling a cat's tail... you soon
learn that all you need to do is to *hold* the cat's tail and let the
cat do the rest of the work.

I haven't had time to troll in a while (and really don't now);
however, when I do, I'm looking for a group wherein there exists an
attitude of elitism... I just glance through the current postings for
that. Then I post some dumb question (bait) and count the replies it
draws paying particular attention to the more self-righteous, derisive
answers I get. If I see a few, I'd subsequently look for a nice "hot
button" topic as a stick to drag along the picket fence. The worst
possible thing you can do is to snarl and froth at me because there
are entire newsgroups dedicated ad hoc to trolling other groups...
you'd quickly have five or ten trolls if anyone wanted to join the
fun.

Bottom line... don't be too quick to jump all over the newbies! It
might be reconnaissance!

Methinks that the "sponson" (or what the **** ever they are) isn't a
bad idea in concept... for *some* people, mind you. My wife is
handicapped, so, if we roll, then she probably won't be able to
remount the boat; the ama might help therein (we have a SOT tandem).
Moreover, I do photography and, while my gear will resist some water,
if we go completely over, then we have a serious issue. We're not of
the white water crowd whose idea of a good time is rolling sideways
down the rapids (however, we have neither objection nor advice if it's
yours).

I think I'd opt for one of the solid foam devices on adjustable arms
such that may be raised & lowered as well as moved in and out. Maybe
something like these: http://www.castlecraft.com/stabilizers.htm That
same device is marketed under various names; I'm certain that there's
a single manufacturer.

Yeah, they're obviously not for everyone. WW crowd might sooner eat a
bug as even consider such an abomination... but for flat-water
paddlers... well, what are my trade-offs? I tend to think of safety
in terms of *gear*... I mean, left to my own tendencies. I know that
the ocean is bigger than anything I can go out and buy... didn't the
Titanic prove that? Given the type of use I describe, do you think
they'd be worth the investment?

Jones