Posting Safety at VisaJourney

[meauxna 15]

My approach is to listen to what people advice and then look at that advice in the contect of the process I am working with. In this case immigration. So when I read something here I do not assume it is right I go to the authoritative source and confirm it.

Paul, you're in the sensible camp. Minority or majority? We'll never know.

[no name 1]

You may feel everyone judges and maybe you are right but it is the degree to which they judge and the manner in which they present it. If by sugarcoat you mean tact than I think you are dead wrong, especially when dealing with immigration. After all, if you judge someone and they are from a completely different culture than you are judging them based on your culture and that I would judge that as being culturally arrogant. But just my opinion.

Paul

Sugarcoat does not mean tact, it means reality. And sometimes that's harsh.

4 wives is not a cultural judgment! It's called abuse of the K1 visa.

Guess that is what makes the world the way it is. While you are so sure you know all the facts I tend to be cautiously optomistic until I know something that says to me one way or the other.

Hey, I never said I know all the facts. I try to help others if I can. I do my own research personally before I make choices relating to immigration.

[mrsushi66 0]

You may feel everyone judges and maybe you are right but it is the degree to which they judge and the manner in which they present it. If by sugarcoat you mean tact than I think you are dead wrong, especially when dealing with immigration. After all, if you judge someone and they are from a completely different culture than you are judging them based on your culture and that I would judge that as being culturally arrogant. But just my opinion.

Paul

Sugarcoat does not mean tact, it means reality. And sometimes that's harsh.

4 wives is not a cultural judgment! It's called abuse of the K1 visa.

Guess that is what makes the world the way it is. While you are so sure you know all the facts I tend to be cautiously optomistic until I know something that says to me one way or the other.

Hey, I never said I know all the facts. I try to help others if I can. I do my own research personally before I make choices relating to immigration.

I was talking about the person posting about working on their 4th fiance. In other words if you know all facts about that and then make a judgement, k. But to just judge someone based on a post that says this is my fourth visa-fiance...well I am not comfortable drawing any conclusions with little or no facts.

Edited October 2, 2006 by mrsushi66

[meauxna 15]

Add your thoughts if you have any.

I'm just bumping this anyway.

[Jenn! 918]

This needs a bump. Apparently PM's have become for some the preferred mode of giving/receiving visa information...

[chuckandkim 0]

Trust but Verify

Edited March 2, 2007 by chuckandkim

[Sofiyya 1,687]

When you get tired of being flamed on the board for the most inconsequential comment, fair or unfair to others, pms are the way to go

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Without reading every entry im not sure this doesnt show why people do use pms, many i did read were saying they ask once and got flamed, ridiculed etc and never ask again. In the end it is still each persons responsibility to do their reading, learning and decision making for themselves.

[aussiewench 9]

To those that do PM for immigration advice

The risks

No single member has all the correct information. No single member is knowledgeable or has experiences in all areas of immigration. By relying on a single member in a PM for an answer to a immigration issue you risk getting wrong information that can't be corrected by other members like it would if posted in the forums. Immigration can change like the wind, policies/rules change, information upgraded, etc. Other members may also have direct experiences that differ than what is commonly known. Consulates also vary in their requirements.

When questions are asked in PM's and answers given it also takes away the opportunity for others to learn. This is afterall a site for sharing information and experiences.

Questions you should ask yourself

How important is your immigration process?

Who is responsible for my immigration process?

Should I rely on one members opinion given as advice in a PM?

To those that feel they are ridiculed....This is a message board, other members cannot hurt you. They are words. Wade through the ####### that is often thrown around, until you get to the posts that are helpful and that do not judge. You OWE that to yourself. By reverting to PMs you HIGHLY RISK misinformation that CAN'T be corrected, which CAN screw up your case. What is more important....avoiding some hurtful remarks or finding the information that WILL help you.

[Melyssa 0]

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

This is so true! I've already been benefitting a lot from many posts I haven't commented on. And I just noticed a few questions today that I wish I had asked before.

[Yodrak 7]

Green-eyed girl,

While napalm is unpleasant (to say the least), flambe is exquisite.

Yodrak

When you get tired of being flamed on the board for the most inconsequential comment, fair or unfair to others, pms are the way to go

[chuckandkim 0]

Although the senior members don't say it but they "secretly" feel superior than the newbies Deal with it!

Ok, joking!

In honest truth, I once PM a member to aks for help with my wife's name change after AOS. Flat out denied by him/her, stating: i do not answer PM question. My first reaction: damn what the... But I didn't say anything in respond just thank you. Bottom line is, it's for your own good not to PM questions which may help you and others who didn't even think of the question to ask, or whom do not know what what to ask in the first place. Further more, before asking any question, check the Guides and FAQ first. By all mean do PM if you do not want your personal information on the public forum, then again, who do you think these folks on the board are, lawyer, who abide by privacy disclosure and disclaims? HAHAHA! That got me thinking, stop PM people for help, just post, some jerks will make fun of you, so what, but the only thing matters to you is the GOOD answer you get from that one individual. Don't expect everyone to be nice and rosies, you will run accross some characters (me included hahaha). Remember: there is not stupid question, just stupid answer!

Post on or Post-off!

[Jenn! 918]

To those that do PM for immigration advice

The risks

No single member has all the correct information. No single member is knowledgeable or has experiences in all areas of immigration. By relying on a single member in a PM for an answer to a immigration issue you risk getting wrong information that can't be corrected by other members like it would if posted in the forums. Immigration can change like the wind, policies/rules change, information upgraded, etc. Other members may also have direct experiences that differ than what is commonly known. Consulates also vary in their requirements.

When questions are asked in PM's and answers given it also takes away the opportunity for others to learn. This is afterall a site for sharing information and experiences.

Questions you should ask yourself

How important is your immigration process?

Who is responsible for my immigration process?

Should I rely on one members opinion given as advice in a PM?

To those that feel they are ridiculed....This is a message board, other members cannot hurt you. They are words. Wade through the ####### that is often thrown around, until you get to the posts that are helpful and that do not judge. You OWE that to yourself. By reverting to PMs you HIGHLY RISK misinformation that CAN'T be corrected, which CAN screw up your case. What is more important....avoiding some hurtful remarks or finding the information that WILL help you.

Thank you, aussiewench. Very sound advice!

[rebeccajo 14]

IMHO, one of the best reasons for posting questions in public is so research can be done.

By new members as well as senior.

[Fandango 1,439]

First of all, I think that there are many an answer that can be found with the search feature.

But we're all here to question one thing or another...who cares if someone's going to say something negative? (S)he is the one who will look foolish, not the other way around. A topic is a great way for checks & balances...for correcting wrong or outdated information, to open a discussion for people who are in the same situation, or even as a way to keep information on that particular subject in the archives...so the next person who comes along with the same questions can have a starting point, and also not feel so bad in starting his/her own thread if need be.