i can't connect to chat from work.

ok, i hope you guys can clear things up.

Daniel

Ah ok, well, I hope all is sorted out.

I think having more immigration forums is a good thing, actually, 'cus it's really hard to find a helpful place like VJ and FBI, and having more increases the chances of stumbling upon it.

Ewok said he wasn't againstt the other site, there were just a few things that bothered him concerning copying info etc...

I guess I am guilty of that but I rarely see Steve post and never really did get a chance to thank him. Besides, how many threads ever stay on subject?

There has been a lot of side choosing and name calling with this issue so hope it will now be done with. I am not much of one to get involve in politics and the like and can never understand all the finger pointing and name calling, flame wars serve no purpose!

How can it be done with? So that's it? Thanks, Lorelle, for basically getting me through my visa journey, you'll be missed, sayonara, such a shame, etc.?

We are of course all entitled to our opinions on the matter, but that kind of reaction really disappoints me. It's such a slap in the face to Lorelle.

ewok did say that when the other site was first started he noticed something were copied directly from this site like the FAQ he did say that has changed now though after he sent them an email about it.... a few months back

My point was that I hope all this name call and flaming is over and the parties involved and work the issues to their satisfaction.

I think between the 20-30 people in the chat just a short while ago we straightened things out . In the end it all boils down to both communication issues as well as just some principles. Originally there was content copied that was probably done without mal-intent. Either way it was upsetting to the degree it was done. At the time we did not know who owned the site and thought it could be anyone trying to steal things.

Since then it seems that the content is now changed which is great. I never had a beef with the site just the way things were copied at the time. Anyhow, concerning Aussie she is not suspended to post so she can of course post here in the thread if she wishes. Also I should mention that one reason I was upset is that when I asked if she affiliated at all with the other site she denied it making me suspicious. In any case from then on there was poor communication and I think an over reaction today because all the information was not available. While I can not repeat the hour or two's worth of chat in the chat room I can say that many people there were able to ask q's and in the end I feel as though we are all on the same page.

Thank you all again and sorry for the whole mess!

I personally was not helped by Lorelle in our K1 part of the visa journey(or on any immigration related topic), because I was done with it(the visa part) by the time she joined VJ. So for me, I can't choose sides based on whether she helped me or not. I know she helped a lot of people. I can't relate on that issue though. I think those who were personally helped may have more vested interest in this situation than people who were not. I could be wrong, don't know...

I was in chat with Ewok and others, and for now I am just gonna see what happens and if Ewok and Aussie can resolve it.

Congratulations I am glad you were able to work your issues out.

You just spoke my mind Stina!

Aussie please email me at admin at visajourney if you would like to chat (not sure how to contact you directly). I know Steve has even volunteered to chat with you on the phone since he is in your timezone and can explains things as well since he was in the chatroom and genuinely wants to make things happy for all .

Was wenchie not in this last chat?

I would have hopped in if I had known it was going on.

A bunch of us were there. Steve too. We all chatted and figured things out . She must not have seen the link. A few people I think tried to find her but were unsuccessful. We covered this issue, conspiracy stories, Roswell, the JFK shooting (heck I even told them who did it!) .

Aussiewench has been away from her computer for the last few hours. She had offline errands etc.

Capt Ewok you could probably PM her with the invitation to contact. Might be more direct that way, rather than chancing all the potential for missing seeing it here. Just a thought.

I will email her at her board email since that will get to her even if she does not sign on .

Sounds like a plan.

I wish I had been home for the chat, but we were out too. I hope things get resolved. Gotta love that Aussie. M.

I was at the chat and appreciated the honest discussion that took place. I feel confident that Ewok and Lorelle will be able to work things out satisfactorily.

I would like to believe this can be sorted out.

In my opinion, that remains to be seen.

When the atmosphere of this community returns to one of a place of exchange of information, rather than a place for entertainment and a playground for the bored - then some of the 'healing' can begin.

I do not understand why two, three, ten or ten thousand message boards cannot exist freely on the web, especially when they are about a SERVICE offered by the US government. This isn't Bill Gates or Thomas Edison with top-secret inventions. It's immigration.

As for my participation today, I regret that I descended to the same level of behavior I find so abhorrent. My incredulousness at what had happened got the best of me. But - I will no longer try to refrain myself (as I have many many times) from calling a spade a spade. If that's 'spiraling' then hey - crucify me.

Or censor me.

As was said in the chatroom today it is great that there are so many sites of all flavors. The issue was mainly copied content several months ago that started all this. Things are probably better now so really this issue just got out of hand and was overblown due to so much speculation and misunderstanding. If I was not the best then I can be faulted surely. I do try hard and sometimes I guess I do not do everything perfect. :\. I will try harder.

I do believe you made a *very* wrong decision, Captain,and one that I would never have made, but I will also say that no one is perfect(certainly not me!) and I think for the most part you do a fantastic job with this place. As has been said numerous times, there is certainly room for everyone and Lorelle has created a fantastic site as well. I will be proud to frequent both boards, and I really hope this can be sorted out between the two of you...this site would suffer a great loss if Aussie were to not ever come back here again. M.

in chat today, ewok mentioned that he was never against the other site...

he just noticed that some things from that site seemed to be copied straight from VJ but now they have fixed that .... and he wasn't aware that it was AW's site at first....

everything just got blown out of proportion...

Well, I mentioned that I wasn't in chat...actually wasn't even questioning the Cap here...just stating my POV. M.

VvvavaaaaaaaAAtt iz goin' on 'ere???????

Okay, so I leave for like...um...a coupla weeks and everything explodes?

And what is all this organizer stuff? Wooah everything is changing....I am an oldie..I need to get back on track!

Censor you - right! We'd need one active moderator first.

I agree wholeheartedly about VJ becoming more of a playground for the bored, but clearly that isn't going to change. The shiny red bow that was put on everything yesterday is what it is. Aussiewench wasn't even in that chat which I just find laughable. But hey, whatever works and makes the masses happy.

I'm just glad there's another place for me to go. Oh and the URL for FBI is still altered when I try to put it in my sig.

Laters!

i know and I wasn't questioning your opinion, sorry if it came off that way ....

it was discussed in chat that Ewok plans to have a talk with AW to try and straighten this out... we told Ewok that is what he should do and he agreed, we will see what happens...

IMO, I really don't think this had anything to do with censorship but just a misunderstanding ......

Misunderstandings happen all the time in life..... it is not what was misunderstood that is important here it is what is seen to be done to make things right....

Kez

I agree with you there...

Ewok did take AW off of the ban..... we will see what happens from there....

I know that, I'm not dim.

I just think it was silly to not have her there and solve it all in one fail swoop.

And I believe I said yesterday that it seemed like a miscommunication, so that isn't lost on me either.

I wasn't calling you dim, sorry if it sounded like that .... just stating my opinion...

nothing was really solved in chat either, we told Ewok he should talk to AW and sort this out with her.... I just realized that is what I just said, sorry, still half asleep over here

Okay, I still have no idea what's going on...

But since AW was away from her computer, I think Ewok was just coming in to calm everyone else down...don't think he could have just left it to stew. People would be calling for his head, and he can't really control that AW was busy.

I hope he and AW settle this today

I don't think ppl can be referred to as "the masses" just because they aren't mad at Ewok (or Aussie). Are we all supposed to leave VJ to prove we didn't like the action? Many people will have no idea what even went on. There was no shiny red bow yesterday, we are not a bunch of idiots who just believe whatever someone says. There was a "wait and see if I can resolve this". So now we are waiting. And we will see what really happens. I cannot just assume Aussie is the right one and Ewok was wrong, I don't know either of them personally. Maybe you know Aussie better which gives you better insight into her side.

I know Ewok is in charge here, but this site is a full functioning place with thousands and thousands of members. There are problems, yes. Any site with so many thousands of members and little moderation would have the same problems. That is an issue here, yes.

And while some areas may be considered playgrounds, which OT, General Polls, & etc would fit into that because they are meant for fun, can it really be true that every single forum relating to visas, consulates, petitions,etc is a playground? I think there are lots of people here to find info on their visajourney, more than ppl who are here cuz they are bored.

And yes I like coming here when I am bored. But I don't go into the immigration related forums to have my "fun", I go to OT or the polls, which is the place to be for bored people and people who want to have fun or just chill.

I have not gone much into many immigration related forums lately, since I am just waiting to lift conditions now. But I find it hard to believe that every one of them is a "playground" now.

I ditto what Lisa said above about why the chat happened when it did.

i echo my sister tracy, this incident turned into a clusterfuck over lack of communciation... sounds hopeful, that the communciation lines are now open...maybe, i am just a pollyanna

I've gotten a couple of PM's and I read Stinas post above. I would like to clarify what I mean by 'playground'.

Certainly OT, Polls, etc. are areas for socialization. The original intent of the Regional Forums was for social interaction.

When those areas (or any area of an internet community) become havens for adult internet bullies to freely roam - that, to me, is a "playground for the bored".

Every schoolyard has their little 'billy bada$$e$'. We have several. They hide their social retardation, rudeness and flamebaiting personalities behind the excuse of their right to speak freely, or state their almighty opinion.

As I stated above - I'm unsatisfied with the "hammer down" approach taken to yesterdays events BECAUSE of the fact that other behaviors are tolerated. I don't think any of us are truly going to be able to 'see' what happened between Aussie and Admin. It may indeed have just been a miscommunication.

But I know what I did see yesterday, and in the months leading up to it. I see an absentee Admin who decided to censor over a political matter. That - I believe - was and is completely unfair to 'the masses'.

I understand more what you mean now.

Thanks for clarifying.

I emailed Aussie yesterday to contact me so we can chat. Yesterday STeve even volunteered to call her in person since he is closer and let her know what was going on since he was in the chatroom and has a good pulse on the situation. I have also posted in this thread my email for her to contact me at if she chooses. So, that said, I would love to work this misunderstanding out with her but we have to talk first. In the history of this nether one of us ever have chatted a single time on this topic which is at the heart of the issue. In any case I am eager to resolve all the related issues once we chat. Her account is open and able to log on as well. I am not sure what else I can do since I do not know her personally and only have her member email. :-\

and unfair to someone who has been such a valuable, kind resource to VJ.


And to everyone that thinks AW would come back, don't bet on it. Why, to get censored again or her account closed?

I agree 100% rebecca. The biggest issue here in my mind is why other truly nasty behavior is constantly tolerated and why someone so valuable, helpful and kind to VJ members was censored. If anyone choose to leave VJ I suspect it's not because "they didn't like the action" but rather because they prefer to be part of an immigration forum that provides accurate information without all of the nastiness, rudeness and personal bashing that goes on here. Just my .02.

OMG, when will you guys stop stirring the pot. Leave it to the two people it should concern. If anyone doesn't like VJ anymore fine - leave, go find a place that better fits your needs and taste. People before you have left, come back, left for good.... big deal. There is new members signing up every day. Spots will be filled. It's always been like that. VJ is a dynamic community. It's constantly changing. It's a part of life. I know it's a tough cookie to swallow but you will all get over this eventually.

I would like to say that I am open to more member mods if that helps with reducing out of control posts or threads. Someone said I am absent but that is not true. Overwhelmed at times maybe. In any case, there is already one volunteer mod now and I would add maybe two more? That sounds like a good starting point. Also we should not forget the dozen or so organizer members that really do make a difference to help out. Thank you to everyone for their help .

mememememememe! yes i'm just kidding

I thought we turned the page......

I'd vote for ya......

the likelihood of that happening is not even as good as gwb making it to a 3rd term

Got my vote