Suggestions for VisaJourney

[Sofiyya 1,687]

We have one person moderating over 30000 members. That's an impossible task.

The regional forums need moderated heavily. People are spending too much time in them. When I first came to VJ there were no regional forums. We got to know members from other cultures and other consulates. The knowledge gained by that free flow of dialougue gave a better understanding of the overall process.

It's my recollection that the regional forums were originally created so people could compare notes with others from their same consulate, which is extremely valuable. IMO nowadays members seem to stay within their own Regional Forum and don't gravitate out much.

I really think this kind of behavior helps create the 'silly question' behavior we are seeing so much of. If someone can't find the answer amongst their compatriots, they just willy-nilly up to their petition forum and ask a question.

All the phases of immigration EXCEPT the actual granting of the visa are non-consulate specific. But I believe the amount of traffic in regionals and OT exceeds the traffic in other areas. Kinda weird, I think.

I agree that the regional threads can become a trap. From my experience in one forum, some of the participants, primarily female, have become quite insular and proprietary about "their" forum. It hasn't created a welcoming atmosphere for those who don't fit in with the core group. I don't know if this is the same on other forums. I can only speak from my own experience.

[Ban Hammer 13,248]

We have one person moderating over 30000 members. That's an impossible task.

The regional forums need moderated heavily. People are spending too much time in them. When I first came to VJ there were no regional forums. We got to know members from other cultures and other consulates. The knowledge gained by that free flow of dialougue gave a better understanding of the overall process.

It's my recollection that the regional forums were originally created so people could compare notes with others from their same consulate, which is extremely valuable. IMO nowadays members seem to stay within their own Regional Forum and don't gravitate out much.

I really think this kind of behavior helps create the 'silly question' behavior we are seeing so much of. If someone can't find the answer amongst their compatriots, they just willy-nilly up to their petition forum and ask a question.

All the phases of immigration EXCEPT the actual granting of the visa are non-consulate specific. But I believe the amount of traffic in regionals and OT exceeds the traffic in other areas. Kinda weird, I think.

I agree that the regional threads can become a trap. From my experience in one forum, some of the participants, primarily female, have become quite insular and proprietary about "their" forum. It hasn't created a welcoming atmosphere for those who don't fit in with the core group. I don't know if this is the same on other forums. I can only speak from my own experience.

certainly not the case in the brazil thread. i think the biggest argument i saw in there was about cooking spices.

[kitkat1 5]

The Ciudad Juarez thread for K1s is one big happy family - there have been NO fights.

[Ban Hammer 13,248]

The Ciudad Juarez thread for K1s is one big happy family - there have been NO fights.

i read most of the central/south american threads, never saw one in that thread either.

[Donna A 4]

to be fair to everyone...get rid of the pics of people on the top of the page. its not fair that only a select few get the honor of having their face on the web site.

I find it very hard to believe there is anyone on this site who is so petty and pathetic that they would see those pictures and feel 'left out'.

ewok asked for suggestions not to slam someone elses ideas. maybe petty and pathetic to u...but not to others.

[Sinergy 3]

I dont think choosing a council of elders will be the best thing to do when giving out info. Again no one on here is 100% an expert on immigration, and god forbid someone gives a newbie or someone going thru something else the wrong info. There are guides for a reason. Yes i agree the guides are not enough, sometimes you need to just hear an answer from a person. But whos to say on here has the most experience or not. I do think having anyone who wants to join would need to read the guides before they can log in. It would indeed cut down on questions like "who do i make the check out to", "do my papers need to be notorized" and "do i have to be divorsed before i can file a k1 for my fiance".

I do agree with moderators. Not ALOT of them, but enough to sit around and babysit for awhile since some of the threads get out of control sometimes. There are a few ppl on vj who find themselves too free to curse at ppl whenever they get heated.

[TracyTN 237]

I agree with what has been said about the lack of moderation. Thats the one thing that has been the death of many boards I've frequented, and frankly, its starting to wear me out about VJ.

Of course, it has to be handled with a 'happy medium' approach. My fiance posted on one board where anyone who started a new thread that was at all similar to one that existed, they'd just type 'duplicate post', then a link to a similar thread and close the new thread. They expected you to search through their thousands of threads before you posted anything. SO annoying!

[Caladan 19]

I think the regional boards are useful, because it congregates regional advice in one place, which makes it easy to point newbies in that direction. What might be good advice for Vancouver interview might be bad advice for Manila. Not to mention that the regional forums can be very useful for country specific advice; where to stay, how to get police records, what the doctor's office is like, how it's hidden in a corner, where to park.

Otherwise we have to hope that the thread posted by someone going through a specific consulate gets noticed amongst the six zillion threads asking about the I-134?

I wouldn't want to get rid of the Canada forum just because the MENA board is feisty.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

And I wouldn't want to get rid of MENA cuz we're fiesty either.

[ceriserose 1]

We have one person moderating over 30000 members. That's an impossible task.

The regional forums need moderated heavily. People are spending too much time in them. When I first came to VJ there were no regional forums. We got to know members from other cultures and other consulates. The knowledge gained by that free flow of dialougue gave a better understanding of the overall process.

It's my recollection that the regional forums were originally created so people could compare notes with others from their same consulate, which is extremely valuable. IMO nowadays members seem to stay within their own Regional Forum and don't gravitate out much.

I really think this kind of behavior helps create the 'silly question' behavior we are seeing so much of. If someone can't find the answer amongst their compatriots, they just willy-nilly up to their petition forum and ask a question.

All the phases of immigration EXCEPT the actual granting of the visa are non-consulate specific. But I believe the amount of traffic in regionals and OT exceeds the traffic in other areas. Kinda weird, I think.

I agree that the regional threads can become a trap. From my experience in one forum, some of the participants, primarily female, have become quite insular and proprietary about "their" forum. It hasn't created a welcoming atmosphere for those who don't fit in with the core group. I don't know if this is the same on other forums. I can only speak from my own experience.

It's happened on more than one regional forum.

[rebeccajo 14]

If I didn't say it before....moderation isn't just about stopping the squabbles.

It's about watching out for incorrect advice. The flagrantly bad kind.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

We have one person moderating over 30000 members. That's an impossible task.

The regional forums need moderated heavily. People are spending too much time in them. When I first came to VJ there were no regional forums. We got to know members from other cultures and other consulates. The knowledge gained by that free flow of dialougue gave a better understanding of the overall process.

It's my recollection that the regional forums were originally created so people could compare notes with others from their same consulate, which is extremely valuable. IMO nowadays members seem to stay within their own Regional Forum and don't gravitate out much.

I really think this kind of behavior helps create the 'silly question' behavior we are seeing so much of. If someone can't find the answer amongst their compatriots, they just willy-nilly up to their petition forum and ask a question.

All the phases of immigration EXCEPT the actual granting of the visa are non-consulate specific. But I believe the amount of traffic in regionals and OT exceeds the traffic in other areas. Kinda weird, I think.

I agree that the regional threads can become a trap. From my experience in one forum, some of the participants, primarily female, have become quite insular and proprietary about "their" forum. It hasn't created a welcoming atmosphere for those who don't fit in with the core group. I don't know if this is the same on other forums. I can only speak from my own experience.

It's happened on more than one regional forum.

I'm sure it does, ceriserose (Donovan fan, are we?), but do those forums even go so far as to begin a duplicate daily thread if someone who is not an "in" person starts one first? We have two Sunday threads today because Charles started the first one, and the faction that doesn't like Charles started another so they don't have to post on his thread. The same thing happened a week ago Friday when I started the Friday thread; a second Friday thread was started. Then, there is competition to see whose thread will get larger. It's like high school cliques on MENA for the popular girls, and that's because our well-meaning moderator, who is aware of the problems, is spread too thin, and there are some that curse and name-call believing that no one will stop them, and they aren't stopped. I'll bet that unpopular people would also be shunned when asking for advise. More and more MENA folks aren't posting much on MENA for general advice. They're going "willy nilly" to other boards, as rebeccajo complained about, or pming individuals for help, and that's a tale untold.

I'm not saying get rid of the regional boards due to goofy ####### happening on a few. I vote for more moderation for objective balance overall, and somehow encouraging propriety regional group members to spread out over the site more.

Edited February 4, 2007 by Green-eyed girl

[matako 0]

I think the best thing is to split VJ into 2:male section and female section.

Anyone who goes to the board side for the opposite sex will be banned from VJ.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I think the best thing is to split VJ into 2:male section and female section.

Anyone who goes to the board side for the opposite sex will be banned from VJ.

No, thanks! I would not want to be stuck with all females. That is what's happening to me now

[kitkat1 5]

I think the best thing is to split VJ into 2:male section and female section. Anyone who goes to the board side for the opposite sex will be banned from VJ.

But then we would have to create a third section for freaks/trolls like you Matako.