Do your Time Line

[no name 1]

Devilette-Even a cursory scan of YOUR first posts on VJ reveals afew of YOUR questions that are already answered in the guides or could be found on the actual USCIS forms or on other websites ( USCIS; the British Consulate...etc)-yet NO ONE just posted YOU a link and nothing else or just responded with " read the guides" to you and NO ONE who answered YOUR questions got as grumpy with you ( as a newbie); or complained about you as you yourself do with newbies and their questions now .

So fed up of seeing you complain all the time about newbies, when you have posted your share of what I feel are obvious questions ( but which at the time were not obvious to YOU). Same for newbies now. It seems obvious to us who have been through it-but not to them.

If newbie questions make you as grumpy as it seems from the way you write-why do you do it?

Do not judge me, I am far from grumpy. I never said I complained about newbies - so stop putting words in my mouth. Are you always so judgemental?

I believe your first few posts were just as easily answered by a search as well. (NOA1, address change, etc) But thanks for checking up! I would have LOVED someone to post a link for me actually, that's more spoonfeeding than answering it.

I didn't say you said you were grumpy I did say you seem grumpy and you complain about newbies.....Which you do. A look at your posts is an easy way to prove that. You need say nothing more. I am like every one else, I can only judge by how you present yourself here; because that's all I know. And you present yourself as very grumpy.

As for my posts, I agree some of my questions seem obvious now-yes; but you don't see me looking down my nose or complaining about newbie questions....and that is my point. We were all new with obvious questions once, and some of us seem to forget that.

What are you trying to say? I did not say you said you were grumpy...I was saying you seem grumpy. I didn't put words in your mouth at all-proof is all there in various threads.

PS Red is great isn't it?

Red is great!

You are making no sense. You said I was grumpy & complained, hence the highlights. I'm saying I'm not grumpy (you only think I am) & I don't complain about newbies, so stop judging me & putting words in my mouth.

Lets cut to the chase-I think you are intolerant of newbies. Clear enough?

So you can call me names & judge me, yet when I point out flaws in your logic, you turn it around to suit your needs?

I'm done 'discussing' this.

[rebeccajo 14]

I do think it would be a good idea if a new member could not post until they had read the guides.

I realize you can't MAKE somebody read them. It's rather like having to accept a license agreement when you install new software. But maybe some would read if registration linked them to the guides before their membership were accepted.

I'm not really as bothered with timelines as I am with knowing the visa type or other present immigration status of the member.

[LaL 418]

please stop the bickering

[no name 1]

I do think it would be a good idea if a new member could not post until they had read the guides.

I realize you can't MAKE somebody read them. It's rather like having to accept a license agreement when you install new software. But maybe some would read if registration linked them to the guides before their membership were accepted.

I'm not really as bothered with timelines as I am with knowing the visa type or other present immigration status of the member.

I remember you replying to me in the beginning saying, SLOW DOWN & READ THE GUIDES. I was annoyed but in retrospect, I am sooooo thankful!

I receommend a 7 days delay to being able to post (after joining) but it was shot down.

[~*Maria*~ 1]

Agreed,

Properly filled in timelines do help other VJ members out alot when it comes to answering questions posted on the forums. I myself have come across questions posted on the AOS forum that really should be posted on for example the K-3 or K-1 forum instead.

Maria.

[LaL 418]

and I am still a proponent of not having a waiting period. I joined on the day of our refused interview which is not covered anywhere in the guides. I was lost, worried, scared, shocked, and I needed people who had been going through the visa journey to help me process what had happened to us.

[rebeccajo 14]

I do think it would be a good idea if a new member could not post until they had read the guides.

I realize you can't MAKE somebody read them. It's rather like having to accept a license agreement when you install new software. But maybe some would read if registration linked them to the guides before their membership were accepted.

I'm not really as bothered with timelines as I am with knowing the visa type or other present immigration status of the member.

I remember you replying to me in the beginning saying, SLOW DOWN & READ THE GUIDES. I was annoyed but in retrospect, I am sooooo thankful!

I receommend a 7 days delay to being able to post (after joining) but it was shot down.

Thanks. I remember it too. I PM'd you about it 'cause I could tell you were really trying to absorb a lot of information very quickly.

There's so many layers and nuances to all this stuff. When those of us who have been around awhile see someone 'hurtling' it makes us worry.

I can remember many a night (when I was new to all this) where I sat at my PC, blurry-eyed into the night, trying to sort an answer. I still find myself digging, looking for the right section of the code or the right policy memo.

It's tough to get new members to comprehend that this process isn't like pulling up to fast-food drive-thru window and getting smiling service your way just because you're the customer. There's only one vendor dispensing visas, permanent residency and citizenship, and that's the Department of Homeland Security. You do it their way or not at all.

and I am still a proponent of not having a waiting period. I joined on the day of our refused interview which is not covered anywhere in the guides. I was lost, worried, scared, shocked, and I needed people who had been going through the visa journey to help me process what had happened to us.

I don't know that there needs to be a 'day' limit. But a cursory glance of the guides would be nice.

[featherB 1]

and I am still a proponent of not having a waiting period. I joined on the day of our refused interview which is not covered anywhere in the guides. I was lost, worried, scared, shocked, and I needed people who had been going through the visa journey to help me process what had happened to us.

I'd agree with that... not every new member is someone who's in the process of filling out their I-129F or wondering how many days they'll have to wait for their NOA1. If someone happens across the site when they've run into a serious problem, being made to wait before posting would be horrible if they could benefit from advice & support straight away. And yeah, I know that if it's THAT serious a problem, they should be getting in touch with a lawyer... but I don't think preventing people from posting for a period after joining is the way to solve the 'can't read, won't read' problem. If people are that disinclined to read the guides (and more importantly, the instructions on the forms they're filing), I very much doubt that a waiting period before posting on here will make them do it either.

[LaL 418]

this is just my honest opinion, but I believe a waiting period for n00bies is very anti-n00bie.

(btw we did have a lawyer when our issue arose, we were questioning his knowledge)

[rebeccajo 14]

this is just my honest opinion, but I believe a waiting period for n00bies is very anti-n00bie.

(btw we did have a lawyer when our issue arose, we were questioning his knowledge)

*waves hands* LOL

Um....I suggested asking them to read through the Guides before the membership is suggested. Not a waiting period...........

[LaL 418]

this is just my honest opinion, but I believe a waiting period for n00bies is very anti-n00bie.

(btw we did have a lawyer when our issue arose, we were questioning his knowledge)

*waves hands* LOL

Um....I suggested asking them to read through the Guides before the membership is suggested. Not a waiting period...........

I know becs - I was responding to Dev's previous request of the 7 day waiting period (and some of the conversation that occured prior).

[~Nini~ 2]

Even something like a page that pops up when their membership is approved. Like a general tips page or something, "First starting out? We recommend starting with the guides to answer any general questions you may have. If you have a more specific question, please ensure that you're posting in the correct forum." And then links to each guide - K1 fiance visa guides, K3 visa guides for spouses, etc.

It's been awhile since I first registered, so I don't even know if we have anything like that.

[rebeccajo 14]

Agreed,

Properly filled in timelines do help other VJ members out alot when it comes to answering questions posted on the forums. I myself have come across questions posted on the AOS forum that really should be posted on for example the K-3 or K-1 forum instead.

Maria.

That's not really a timeline function though, is it? That's the visa type.

The original purpose of VJ timelines was to build data, as there was (I've been told) no other place on the web it could be had. USCIS was also even less forthcoming than they are now with processing times. So there was a perceived need to develop some sort of 'averages' to help people track their cases.

Ya gotta keep two things in mind with timeline data. First, it's averaged data. To get averages you have some things on the shorter end of the spectrum and some on the longer end. Secondly, the process does experience changes. Policy changes and new laws can change average processing speed overnite, thus making old timeline data obsolete in a new scenario.

I also imagine there may be a crush of all types of petitions being filed AS WE SPEAK by people trying to beat the upcoming fee increase. Timelines are gonna be all out of whack.

[rebeccajo 14]

this is just my honest opinion, but I believe a waiting period for n00bies is very anti-n00bie.

(btw we did have a lawyer when our issue arose, we were questioning his knowledge)

*waves hands* LOL

Um....I suggested asking them to read through the Guides before the membership is suggested. Not a waiting period...........

I know becs - I was responding to Dev's previous request of the 7 day waiting period (and some of the conversation that occured prior).

I think we talked about a 'waiting period' in other threads as 'Troll Control'. But that'd be like punishing everybody for the bad behavior of a few.

[featherB 1]

this is just my honest opinion, but I believe a waiting period for n00bies is very anti-n00bie.

(btw we did have a lawyer when our issue arose, we were questioning his knowledge)

*waves hands* LOL

Um....I suggested asking them to read through the Guides before the membership is suggested. Not a waiting period...........

And a very good suggestion it is, too... although I bet a lot of people would just click the 'yes, I have read the guides' button if prompted to do so, without having so much as glanced at the things. There must be some genius way of encouraging people to read the guides, instructions, etc etc etc, and getting the idea across that the ONLY people who will suffer from their not doing so is themselves.

I know there are people who think it's intolerant and unfriendly to even suggest that someone might need to do a bit of research, but when you read some of the questions posted on here (y'know, the big lists of 'what do I put for question 1? what do I put for question 3? how much is the fee? what do I send with the form? where do I send it?' that make it quite clear the poster hasn't so much as glanced at the filing instructions), I don't think it helps people AT ALL not to point out that they need to do some reading & research. If someone is repeatedly asking the most basic of questions, then that just begs the question 'if you don't know THAT, what else don't you know?'... makes me (genuinely!) fear for the couple concerned and wonder how they're ever going to get through the process. I know it's a case of 'on your own head be it' if you can't be bothered to do a bit of research, but I'd rather not see anyone suffer unnecessary complications, delays or even potential denials that could have been avoided if only they'd have taken on board the advice to RTFM...

Ahhh, it's been discussed to death many a time, I know!