While I might say it differently I get where you are coming from. There is a sort of prospective "I told you so" tone to some posts that makes it all that less likely that the underlying message, which is a good one (e.g. be safe, make smart choices, if you don't, you put not only yourself or others at risk) will be heard.
An interesting thing I have observed at least anecodotally -- it doesn't seem like stupid and/or risky decisions are only made by newbies. Indeed, if you think back on the recent deaths (an extreme case, I know), the folks were, for the most part, highly experienced and highly prepared. Not excusing bad decisionmaking ... just noting that the least experienced among the readers here do not have a monopoly on it.
I wonder if newbies may make more, but qualitatively different, bad decisions. For example, how many of the worst SAR rescue scenarios -- those that involve the most risk to SAR folks, or extractions -- involve newbies vs. novices vs. advanced vs. experts.
