"Filer" threads

[rebeccajo 14]

It's no wonder nobody can find the answer to a simple question around here.

The trend of 'monthly filers' has now moved to the AOS forum. Not only do these people keep track of each other in these threads, they converse with each other about RFE's on their cases, etc.

These threads need to be killed. Honestly, they serve absolutely no purpose and too much information is lost inside them.

Edited July 29, 2007 by rebeccajo

[trueimage 0]

How about just adding a subforum like in the K-1 section? This should take care of all the fluff-posts.

[KarenCee 3]

How about just adding a subforum like in the K-1 section? This should take care of all the fluff-posts.

That's a good idea...a "filers forum".

[L_n_O 3]

THINK most forums could use a case filing and progress sub-category

[rebeccajo 14]

IMO I'd like to see them gone from K1 as well.

I'd like to see Captain modify the existing timeline searches so these folks could locate data without creating threads.

Too much info is getting buried.

[Fandango 1,439]

I think the filer threads are great...gives everyone 'on the same boat' a feeling of cameraderie.

[The_dip_sticks 0]

I think the filer threads are great...gives everyone 'on the same boat' a feeling of cameraderie.

Dito

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

I thought they were great at first, as well.

But then they kept coming. First half of the month filers. Last half of the month filers.

Early morning of the first half of the month filers. Afternoon filers.

I don't think creating yet another subcategory in the forums is a good idea. We have too many of those as it is.

I understand there is a lot of information (Not going to comment on whether it's useful or not) out there but does everything need to be labeled and put in its own little box in a bigger box and in yet an even bigger box?

We're not in kindergarten here.

[SqdnGuns 21]

IMO I'd like to see them gone from K1 as well.

I'd like to see Captain modify the existing timeline searches so these folks could locate data without creating threads.

Too much info is getting buried.

Good idea but your making the assumption that people are actually familiar with the use of the Search function.......

[Captain Ewok 1,857]

The search tool will search within threads to find information as well (by default). In general, I see both sides of the coin. On the one side of the coin the diversity of threads build (as was said) a great sense of community and friendship which is something that many people are looking for through the process (the feeling of being all alone in immigration is tough when generally you do not meet people day-to-day in the same situation). The other side is to improve organization and make things easier to find. As of now the best ways to find things are the primary site search on the top of every page, the the forums only search, you can also search within a topic at the bottom of each topic, and also finally the portal page where you can find topics from people of a similar interests as yourself very quickly. I am very open to suggestions and ways to improve and make the site even more welcoming and easy to use .

[rebeccajo 14]

If the purpose of these threads is to create data, why can't the existing timeline functions of VJ be used to create the same data?

How many members are there here now? Over 34000? It's not hard to find comraderie. In fact, the more people continue to stay in their own 'threads' and 'forums' the less comraderie there is.

[~Nini~ 2]

But then they kept coming. First half of the month filers. Last half of the month filers.

Early morning of the first half of the month filers. Afternoon filers.

I think these are getting out of control, honestly.

A sub-forum for AOS would be handy, but in the same token don't want that to get out of hand either.

[vanee 13]

Too much info is getting buried.

In general, I see both sides of the coin. On the one side of the coin the diversity of threads build (as was said) a great sense of community and friendship which is something that many people are looking for through the process (the feeling of being all alone in immigration is tough when generally you do not meet people day-to-day in the same situation). The other side is to improve organization and make things easier to find.

I see both sides, and the problem may be different personal preferences. I'm subscribed to the daily digest version of the February filer's K-1 thread, but I don't usually read that email (that is, when that thread was active) because it had so many one-line posts with no information. If there was anything I wanted to read, chances are that I'd miss it scrolling past everything else. I haven't updated that thread with my status because if I did, I'd feel that I should check back on that thread to see if anyone responded with questions for me, and I don't want to wade through that thread.

Filer threads aren't the only ones like that, and again, it comes down to personal preference. Some of us have limited time here and find that sense of community more in posts where people are helping each other with information. For some others, short posts and lots of them are their way of dealing with the difficult waiting stages of this process.

To accommodate everyone's preferences, I think the sub-forums are the best solution. Everyone can find the types of threads they want, the main forums are less cluttered, and as Captain Ewok said, we have the search option.

[rebeccajo 14]

My perspective comes from the 'old days' when we didn't have these types of threads.

We all managed to 'know' the people who filed around the same time we did without them. And I do believe we managed to find friends from all around the world much more easily.

It was tons easier to find answers to questions also - from a thread title. Most times it wasn't even necessary to use 'Search'.

Edited July 29, 2007 by rebeccajo

[featherB 1]

I used to be of the opinion that the 'filer' threads were entirely useless, but now I think they can be a good way of letting people engage in inane banter about mailing off packages/checks being cashed/files being touched/etc, without clogging up the forums (and irritating the hell out of people) with thousands of such posts. The problems I see with them are that yes, important information could be lost in amongst the hundreds of 'pointless' posts (they definitely shouldn't be used for seeking advice on anything remotely important, IMO, as the people who are actually likely to be able to give accurate answers are unlikely to be reading!), and also that I think it can insulate people from the wider picture - there are definitely people, for example, who seem to be totally oblivious to the fact that it is NOT at all unusual for AOS approval to take a long time, and I have seen a few people who seem to be sinking into despair because someone else has had everything happen in record time, it hasn't happened to them, and therefore something must have gone horribly wrong with their application. Similarly, people who've been waiting all of three months getting seriously pissed off that someone else has been approved before them... crazy. I'm not sure if the 'filer' threads are the cause of this, but I'm not sure that they help at all...

Sooo... my opinion (for what it's worth!) is that they're not necessarily an altogether bad thing - they can be a good way to keep all the chitchat posts together. But I agree, they might actually be causing problems of their own... oh, and I do think it's got beyond a joke when people are starting 'First Week In April Filers' threads, or country-specific ones. The country-specific one in the AOS forum has me totally bemused - what has country of origin got to do with it!? And before anyone says it, I know that NOA dates have ####### all to do with anything, either, but...!

Edited July 29, 2007 by featherB