Nich-Nick is Missing in Action

[Vanitas 310]

So as I've mentioned in another thread, Nich-Nick is currently no longer on these forums.

The reasoning for this is because about two weeks ago, she was suspended for a comment in another thread. We're not entirely sure what the offence is because the moderators are hiding behind the TOS (e.g. they won't tell me) and Nich herself disputes the warning, but cannot post to this effect until she even accepts said warning. Since then, she's said she's had enough of VJ and won't be coming back anytime soon.

Now, most of you who've been through the K1 process in the past will know who she is and how she helped you out. In the last couple of weeks, it's just been me and some of the more recent K1 successes. She's held the UK forum together alongside myself, Lost and those who have stuck around here and there to help out even after they've moved.

I'll be the first to say that my knowledge isn't as complete as hers, but that's why we pooled our resources and wrote the K1 guide. So I'll be the first to ask the following things:

*If you have new information to add to the guide about something that's changed, please post it in the Guide thread.

*If you need help, please read the guide first - if your question isn't answered, then post a new thread and ask it. If it is answered in the guide, then you'll be linked to the specific post of the guide where the answer is.

As for Nich.. well, we're discussing what the heck is going on down here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/322-tos-violations-and-moderator-responses/?view=getnewpost - If you want to add your voice and say this was unjust, go right ahead.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Thanks for bringing this to everyone in the UK forum's attention. Believe it or not, I used to be helpful in here, but when Nich came to town -- level-headed, full of knowledge, organised -- I knew this place was better left to someone who cared. And that's what Nich has done for years here -- really, truly cared about people. Even the most outlandish, childish, unrealistic posters got a dose of Mama Nich's good advice. She's the BOMB. Her absence is noted and notable, and depressing because I can think of others on VJ over the years (meauxna, dr_lha come to mind; elsewhere payxibka and aussiewench) who have been driven off. When we lose these people, we lose years of knowledge. Nich stuck around longer than many of the people (who I will not name) who swore they'd stay -- and then promptly did a runner when they were reunited with their beloved.

I can't stand for capricious application of rules, and that includes the TOS. We all know where someone has gotten away with a slap on the wrist for being a class A so-and-so. Coincidentally, for coursework today I had to state a favourite legal quotation. I chose this, from Cicero: "Law applied to its extreme is the greatest injustice." If Nich violated the TOS -- if -- it was an unintended violation. Suspension may be the letter of the TOS for such a violation, but for a person like Nich it is the greatest injustice.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

This is ridiculous, users like Nich Nick are a huge asset to this site and a big reason why this site is so useful. If the moderator's drive away the knowledgeable people who put so much of their own time into the site to help others then this site will go backwards fast :/

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

This is ridiculous, users like Nich Nick are a huge asset to this site and a big reason why this site is so useful. If the moderator's drive away the knowledgeable people who put so much of their own time into the site to help others then this site will go backwards fast :/

I don't want to diminish the loss of another really helpful member.

But it's been happening across the community for a long time. And somehow the membership just keeps growing.

It's not really the integrity of information that gets many people here. It's the long arm of the Google search engine. Post boosting by people playing games. More hits and more hits by people arguing in threads.

Sad really.

[Pooky 3,804]

I don't want to diminish the loss of another really helpful member.

But it's been happening across the community for a long time. And somehow the membership just keeps growing.

It's not really the integrity of information that gets many people here. It's the long arm of the Google search engine. Post boosting by people playing games. More hits and more hits by people arguing in threads.

Sad really.

The integrity of the information may not be what gets people started here, but it's knowledgeable posters, especially those with the patience and perseverance to stay around a while, that keep people coming back, as they navigate their way through this process.

The subtitle in the banner at the top of the page reads "Your US Immigration Community". When we lose those posters willing to be an active part of helping the community, we run the risk of diminishing the usefulness of the site as a whole, as a wealth of experience from that member is lost.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

The integrity of the information may not be what gets people started here, but it's knowledgeable posters, especially those with the patience and perseverance to stay around a while, that keep people coming back, as they navigate their way through this process.

The subtitle in the banner at the top of the page reads "Your US Immigration Community". When we lose those posters willing to be an active part of helping the community, we run the risk of diminishing the usefulness of the site as a whole, as a wealth of experience from that member is lost.

I agree with you 100% percent in principal.

But someone else does eventually come along who helps. And those who have gone before are just forgotten about. I think it's partly the nature of message boards. The difference on here IMO is that Ewok really does not give a flying f#ck.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Rebecca Jo

[Pooky 3,804]

I agree with you 100% percent in principal.

But someone else does eventually come along who helps. And those who have gone before are just forgotten about. I think it's partly the nature of message boards. The difference on here IMO is that Ewok really does not give a flying f#ck.

The trouble I see is that fewer people are staying around to pass on their experience.

More and more, people are leaving the site once they're done, rather than hanging around and getting morosely depressed, hankering for the good old days, like some of us.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

The trouble I see is that fewer people are staying around to pass on their experience.

More and more, people are leaving the site once they're done, rather than hanging around and getting morosely depressed, hankering for the good old days, like some of us.

Hahaha......

VJ was good to me. It helped me get Wes here. I did my part I think for a long while. But, well I don't really want to drag up why and how it all changed for me. But there was real hurt there for a long while. After a while it didn't matter anymore. I could see that it was more of a playground now. That bad behavior was encouraged and help not rewarded. New people come along and they get all wrapped up in it like I did. I watch then now and I think they are good souls. I hope they have good lives and wish good things for them. I also hope they'll not get into deep though. That they will realize they helped a lot of people, and that when their day is done it's been all good. You have to remember who you helped and why. You don't do it for the good of the site. You do it because it was in your character.

Then you just go on and do more good stuff elsewhere.

[stevensane 10]

She really helped me out a lot by replies to forums and personal messages, by calmly explaining the facts and telling me when I was being stupid. I really appreciated her contributions to this forum. Many forums are fairly trivial, but for the people on this forum we know that VJ is not trivial. For many of us VJ is a life-line to our loved ones. The official guidance can be so vague and opaque that somewhere like VJ for many people can mean the difference between being re-united successfully or not with the person/people that they love. I have been apart with Sophie (USC) for 2 years of our 4 years together, but now that I am 10 days away from entering the US to reunite with her I know my visa process would have been so much more painful, confusing and a strain on our long-distance relationship without the years of accumulated knowledge on VJ. Nich represents a great deal of that accumulated knowledge and if she really isn't coming back that the UK VJ forum is that much poorer without that knowledge.

I'm not sure how much help I can be, but I'll certainly try to help out with questions I understand.

Edited March 20, 2014 by stevensane

[PalmTrees 34]

I can't believe it. She helps so many people, directly and indirectly, and I will be forever grateful for all her knowledge. And now she's gone. I read the thread that supposedly caused the ban and thought I'd missed something. Surely all this can't be over what was said there? There was nothing wrong.

There are a few regular posters on this site that help out so much from the kindness of their hearts, not because they are obliged to do so. I could never have got through the process so quickly and easily without their knowledge, and it will be a great shame for new posters to not be able to benefit from Nich-Nick's info. I really hope she comes back and this matter is settled.

That being said, I have lurked before signing up and posting and have noticed a change in postings. I think its sad that people come here for information, get what they need and leave as soon as the visa is in hand. As I'm flying out soon I have a lot of things to take care of, but as soon as I'm more settled I will be coming back frequently to help out where I can (although my immigration knowledge is like 1/100th of Nich-Nick's and other regulars). I want to help but also believe its important to help others in return for being helped before.

Basically, I wouldn't have got through this process as calmly and as prepared as I did if it weren't for wonderful posters like Nich-Nick. I hope she will return.

[topoftherock2013 23]

Bring nich-nick back!

To put it a few words, without her, I wouldn't have a clue about this process and probably would be stuck with a few RFEs. We couldn't have gone as far as the K1/AOS without her guidance. I solely follow her words, I barely looked at the guides on the site.

She IS the UK forum, not just an adviser.

[Anna Grant 169]

I can't believe that Nick-Nich has gone. I've seen the post which probably caused the administrative action and I've seen far worse that resulted in no action taken. And the post was open to interpretation also.

You would think that the Mods might consider all the help that Nich-Nick has given to other members and the time she has taken - often individually as she did with me. The Mod action seems out of proportion.

Since arriving in the US last June, I have posted less but that is partly because the London process has changed so much since I went through it and my guidance is out of date. I do post in some other areas and do read a fair amount.

[Lisi 3]

I'm really disappointed to hear this news as well. Nich-Nick has been such an asset to this community. She has been so patient and understanding with answering questions from people, questions that probably get asked many many times, over and over and each time, she's come in and replied fairly and informatively. I even told her that I was so appreciative to her that I'd buy her a Starbucks gift card when we got our approval. Well today, we got our approval and I've got a Starbucks card with her name on it!!

This forum has been so informative. I know I wouldn't have been able to navigate the K1 process without it. She was a huge part in making me understand it all.

I hope that she does what's best for her, but I know that if she leaves for good, she'll be greatly missed. It'd be great to see her come back!

[Owen_London 65]

I posted in the TOS thread, but I'll post here too. I'd completely understand if Nich doesn't come back even if the ban is lifted. Please wish her good luck from me.

[Novembro 1,763]

It's a shame, especially when she is replaced by a massive influx of uppity, misinformed ####### posters.