Originally Posted by
First_Principal
Hello David, I must confess to being slightly bemused by your response - why wouldn't you say where the area is?
My comment re location was mostly in passing and by way of discussion and enquiry regarding what resource was, or might be, available for this area, I didn't realise it was a secret.
I can understand that you've spent a lot of your life researching this, that you're passionate about it, and that you would be devastated if someone else were to get there before you, so to speak. However I suspect it could make it much easier for people to assist if they did have a clear knowledge of the location, and any other relevant detail. Innuendo is all very well but it can be time consuming, off-putting, and the interpretation could be wrong. Could it also be why some people choose not to contribute, as I've seen you comment on?
Personally I've no particular desire to go there, I'm a lot further away than you are in any event and it would be unlikely to be helpful, but I am prepared to put up some professional time, expertise, and IP into the public domain where this might assist you or anyone else in searching for a downed 'plane. Whilst this is a individual philosophy I think it behooves us to consider that in the matter of another's life and property we should do the best we can to restore these things as much as is possible. If this means that a collegial or public effort could make a difference then why wouldn't one make all information available?
FP.
Based on the experiences of other explorers, D. B. is well within his rights to keep the search area secret. If he finds the wreck, the film, book and TV rights to the discovery are astronomically valuable. James Cameron parlayed Emory Christpohs filming of Titanic into a movie and the discovery of Earhart sets the stage for a sequel. I cant post now, but I'm aware of the shenanigans that went on when Ballard found Titanic. This could end up similarly.