is big brother watching us

[Gosia & Tito 199]

this is why i think it's unfair we can't delete our own posts, as far as i know.

That would not matter at all. Whatever servers this forum is running on will have backups to say the least, which is a standard practice; among other ways these posts will never go away.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

i wonder if anyone from uscis, nvc and such keeps track of forms such as vj? not sure where to post this sorry

Yes they do. DHS has whole departments that monitor websites in general. Though not specifically VJ. VJ was checked out prior to the person I interviewed at USCIS granting permission to interview him. In most cases they are not "doing anything" but it was his concern that VJ is "not one of those sites that just tells people how to break the law" It is not. I think he mentions in the interview that VJ was checked out also. Incidentally VJs policy of not permitting content that suggests violating immigration law is STRICTLY enforced as far as I have seen, and it is a good thing.

It is frequently reported here that US consulates check people's Facebook pages and visas have been denied for things they found on people's facebook pages...such as photos of weddings for people applying for Fiancee visas.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

But we are all operating under pseudonyms,

:-)

Not all of us. They brought in an officer from another office to do Alla's citizenship interview as they felt using one from the Vermont office could be construed as a "conflict"

[EmelyNJoel 43]

this is why i think it's unfair we can't delete our own posts, as far as i know.

THIS is why many of the younger users, maybe I mean newer users ( and I mean computer user, not forum users), need to get the concepts of what forever REALLY means. There is no privacy if you post anything on ANY public forum or website. Anything you say can, and will, be held against you at some point in your life.

Ps this is also true with people. Everyone should remember you can NEVER unsay anything. So choose your words carefully. You may have to eat them someday.

[max+patricia 24]

I'm sure they don't read everything, but if there is a case that is of interest to them, I have no doubt that they can locate and read pertinent information that was posted about it here. It's better to imagine that you are saying everything you say here directly to them. (And I will never understand why some people use their first and last names in their usernames, signatures, etc.)

Names as usernames? I'm sure they could match a VJ member's country to a NOA1 and NOA2 date listed on their timeline (or better yet match profile pictures to pictures on petitions) and figure out who's who if wanted.

[kittylondon 47]

THIS is why many of the younger users, maybe I mean newer users ( and I mean computer user, not forum users), need to get the concepts of what forever REALLY means. There is no privacy if you post anything on ANY public forum or website. Anything you say can, and will, be held against you at some point in your life.

Ps this is also true with people. Everyone should remember you can NEVER unsay anything. So choose your words carefully. You may have to eat them someday.

patronising much?! i'm 25 and i'm giving up my entire life to move across the world to get married, i have a pretty good concept of "what forever REALLY means" i understand the idea that people (young AND old) shouldn't be allowed to write disrespectful things and delete them willy-nilly (although to be honest, if it is awful, isn't it better off gone? why do we want to preserve nastiness?), and i FULLY understand that you can never truly delete anything you write on the internet, but this is a confusing and emotional process, and people are going to have confusing and emotional questions/conversations. i really don't feel THAT strongly about this, and i personally don't have anything i'm ashamed of writing, i just can see an argument for being able to correct your own mistakes! also we're assuming everyone wants to take back malicious comments, which is a cynical representation of users.. i think most posts people would want to take back are just thoughts they've moved on from, or questions they cringe at having asked!

i don't think there's any need for this to be a young vs old thing. like i say, this isn't something i'm emphatic about, and i have had nothing but positive experiences on here, so please don't use me as an example of a naive youth that is shaming themselves on the internet

[MyJourney1 15]

I think it would be quite naive to assume they aren't watching forums such as this one. Of course I can't be sure but YES I believe the USCIS do monitor this forum and others like this one.

Doesn't bother me. I have nothing to hide. Can't say the same for many of the posts I read here though.

You're right; there are many who may have something to hide. But many of us, such as yourself, have "nothing" to hide. But I sometimes fear what I say and do "can" and "will" be used against me. See, a lot of us on here are new at this and ask various questions on tips, (what to do and what not to do). For "outsiders" it may appear sneaky, but in reality, it's just anxiousness and nervousness of having to face a Gov't who is used to dealing with (on a regular bases), people full of lies, deceit and corruption; so they assume everyone is guilty until proven innocent, which is not always easy to prove to an Agency who does not know you and your fiance/spouse. And I understand why they do that, but it just makes it difficult for the sincere (bona-fide) ones.

Edited April 15, 2012 by MyJourney1

[marie_yahya 11]

You're right; there are many who may have something to hide. But many of us, such as yourself, have "nothing" to hide. But I sometimes fear what I say and do "can" and "will" be used against me. See, a lot of us on here are new at this and ask various questions on tips, (what to do and what not to do). For "outsiders" it may appear sneaky, but in reality, it's just anxiousness and nervousness of having to face a Gov't who is used to dealing with (on a regular bases), people full of lies, deceit and corruption; so they assume everyone is guilty until proven innocent, which is not always easy to prove to an Agency who does not know you and your fiance/spouse. And I understand why they do that, but it just makes it difficult for the sincere (bona-fide) ones.

Well sometimes I did think that some post on here with no time lines or even a good profile could have been any one of the services watching for the real bona fide relationships but being denied on the fiance and still waiting on the reafirm as many of us have i would think they never came to this site because if they had they would have approved many of us the first time we filed because we are or have true love and a relationship.....I see so many who have been approved and they are not real omg how many times they get on after 3-7 days after the spouses arrival in the U.S and either the petitioner or beneficiary have left or something else and in my opinion if you are in love and have a relationship your spouse would not wait all that time to either come or bring you to them and then just leave or go with someone else i would think you would know everything about your spouse that you would be working it out or making it better...me and my husband have been together since 2006 and still waiting and we truely have more then a bona fide marriage, he is my best friend and my kids call him dad and his mother and brothers and sisters we love them and they love us so much...even though over the internet we are a family...like i said if they had come on this site they would be able to see who is real and who is not.... this is my opinion, but i feel it is so true....anyways have a great day to everyone

[Olomi_811 130]

I was once ONE person sitting in a small local office reading food stamp records for math errors while two people went around the city investigating what casemanagers thought were fraud cases. There may be some that got by, but many were caught and we'd chuckle about the stupid things people would pull (like turning in pay stubs from the same month, but a different year to show you weren't making enough or saying your man doesn't live with you, but he has shoes under the bed, clothes in the closet, and your child's drawing of a family portrait includes him.)

Yes in a larger system like immigration the task would be overwhelming, but it would not be ridiculous to think it couldn't happen. I don't know everyone who walks through my neighborhood. Your computer keeps track of your searches (ie. the ads you see later) and ip addresses are traceable. Is it possible? YES.

[Olomi_811 130]

Ps this is also true with people. Everyone should remember you can NEVER unsay anything. So choose your words carefully. You may have to eat them someday.

LOL...my husband is like a tape recorder!! I can't paraphrase a conversation, because he will calmly tell me "no that is not what was said."

[N M 96]

Even if they do monitor VJ - it would only be useful in a tiny percentage of the applications they receive.

Take K1 alone - USCIS grants over 2,000 visas every month.

Yet for my most recent step (ROC), just 48 other VJ users applied in the same month as me.

Edited April 15, 2012 by N M

[unlockingsky 94]

it is ignorant and incompetent that big brother / government let its citizen go through emotional suffering that is caused by their visa process. also including how our tax dollars are squandered everyday.

Only if Lincoln and Washington was still here today...

"—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" Abraham Lincoln.

[Krikit 1,165]

Names as usernames? I'm sure they could match a VJ member's country to a NOA1 and NOA2 date listed on their timeline (or better yet match profile pictures to pictures on petitions) and figure out who's who if wanted.

The Consulate in Montreal has done it for quite a few of the Canadian members. There's a few threads on it in that forum.

Even if they do monitor VJ - it would only be useful in a tiny percentage of the applications they receive.

They only "need" to do it for the applications they feel need further investigation. (They also do it out of personal interest.) And, even then, they're only doing it for the cases going through their Embassy/Consulate.... and those cases which have been assigned to them.

[Krikit 1,165]

it is ignorant and incompetent that big brother / government let its citizen go through emotional suffering that is caused by their visa process. also including how our tax dollars are squandered everyday.

I look at it as the right and responsible thing to do to protect its citizens and country.

[confusedasheck 21]

Yes in a larger system like immigration the task would be overwhelming, but it would not be ridiculous to think it couldn't happen. I don't know everyone who walks through my neighborhood. Your computer keeps track of your searches (ie. the ads you see later) and ip addresses are traceable. Is it possible? YES.

In order for them to get your IP, they need a search warrant. Not sure what leverage the patriot act gives them, but the COs are not police. How can they use the patriot act for that type of investigation? Useless you post something advocating terrorism (which is using deleted pretty quickly), how can they legally ask the ISP to give them your records?