Posting Safety at VisaJourney

[meauxna 15]

In a thread earlier today, someone posted this:

Already I have chosen the people I would rather ask information from via personal message rather than post.

It caused me to think, really this is not such a good idea. It's my personal policy to not discuss immigration matters in private message or email, and I really recommend that people *seeking* information not do so in private.

Why? Discussion groups like Visa Journey are a collection of our experiences. Sometimes we get the info wrong when we're passing it onto each other or information changes. By posting our questions and answers in public, bad info can be corrected, and good info can be reaffirmed.

Also, someone coming along after is *sure* to have the same question. Often, unheard lurkers benefit greatly from the open exchange of information.

And that's all I have to say about that.

[charmac7 4]

I agree Meauxna it is not a good thing

Had I not found VJ I would never have know I could check my case status online...I would never have known the steps in the process and never would have realized my lawyer was a moron and that after a few months here I knew more about immigration than he did.

Char

[MrMrsKnight 0]

I agree

If you ask something in private and the person gives you a wrong advice, you'll never know it's wrong because you won't have other VJers to support that advice.

And also, everytime someone asks something (most of the time actually) everyone going throught the same situation benefits from it. And that's what a forum is all about... sharing experiences.

I wouldn't mind asking Aussiewench something in private though..... she's pretty reliable. But I don't think she'd enjoy having everyone here choosing to ask her stuff in private instead of posting it!

Edited March 29, 2006 by MrMrsKnight

[simple_male 1]

I agree

If you ask something in private and the person gives you a wrong advice, you'll never know it's wrong because you won't have other VJers to support that advice.

And also, everytime someone asks something (most of the time actually) everyone going throught the same situation benefits from it. And that's what a forum is all about... sharing experiences.

I wouldn't mind asking Aussiewench something in private though..... she's pretty reliable. But I don't think she'd enjoy having everyone here choosing to ask her stuff in private instead of posting it!

Aussiewench is great!!! She is very knowledgeable about immigration process.

[Fuzzness 2]

I agree. Isn't this also the reason that chat is off topic only?

[chocolaterie 0]

I guess some are afraid of ridicule or criticism of their situation if they do ask. I know I've had criticism aimed at advice such as seeking a marriage counselor before filing for divorce. Albeit that doesn't deter me from giving my advice but I can see how some would be apprehensive about posting.

[almaty 19]

i think the more info and opinions you get..the better the experience..lorelle ( aussiewench) ..will agree with this...

[silverbutterfly228 0]

I think postings should be for everyone to see. I have stubbling across a post that answered a question i hadn't thought of posting and never occured to me until i read it and it helped ease a worry about i-129f. Posting is fun. lets all post freely so everyone can read.

[meauxna 15]

I guess some are afraid of ridicule or criticism of their situation if they do ask. I know I've had criticism aimed at advice such as seeking a marriage counselor before filing for divorce. Albeit that doesn't deter me from giving my advice but I can see how some would be apprehensive about posting.

I can sure appreciate that concern; I think there is way too much life advice injected into immigration question threads. That is something that we as a group can decide to encourage or not (much like the recently locked thread)--it's a community thing. If "we" feel that newer members are inhibited in asking questions, and we don't like it, change each other's behavior by example.

If we're all grown up enough to be moving around the world, surely we can be adult enough to treat each other the way we'd like to be treated.

Thank you for bringing this up.

[Ana Paula 2]

i can tell about me...

i just talk shits on privates messages, i talk to some brasilians and we laugh, and i got them msn's to talk and we dont ask advices or things... we just talk how work is a ###### and how is weather and how is difficult to wait and thats it...

i knew wonderful people on private messages, like david and val, and we talked on skype together, david and val, bryan and me anad it was great.

/why am i writing this?

Afe... i dont know... i agree

ajaiajahuah

bye peopleeeee

[aussiewench 9]

i think the more info and opinions you get..the better the experience..lorelle ( aussiewench) ..will agree with this...

Very true Dean. I have been here since last June and all I pretty much did until we filed in October was read and learn from everyone's experiences here, as well as USCIS, DOS websites. I learnt from many, particularly meauxna & yodrak. I learnt very quickly that despite the wealth of information from members, I was responsible for my own case.....so I would verify what I was reading by going to the USCIS & DOS websites. Not everything naturally but you get my drift. Research is the key to your own case...by using VJ and the USCIS, DOS websites.

[MrMrsKnight 0]

I guess some are afraid of ridicule or criticism of their situation if they do ask. I know I've had criticism aimed at advice such as seeking a marriage counselor before filing for divorce. Albeit that doesn't deter me from giving my advice but I can see how some would be apprehensive about posting.

I can sure appreciate that concern; I think there is way too much life advice injected into immigration question threads. That is something that we as a group can decide to encourage or not (much like the recently locked thread)--it's a community thing. If "we" feel that newer members are inhibited in asking questions, and we don't like it, change each other's behavior by example.

If we're all grown up enough to be moving around the world, surely we can be adult enough to treat each other the way we'd like to be treated.

Thank you for bringing this up.

Well said!

[meddykomp 0]

I agree also. It is one thing to ask someone specifics about their case or how they did something, but quite another to take one persons information as the only way for something.

[Ladylethal 12]

That´s why I came here (brazilian girls from Orkut showed me the way), ´cus we can get our questions with a dozen answers and also gets to see different problems and how to deal with them in case it happens to you.

[pax 0]

Giving this thread a well-deserved bump.