Guidelines for the new expat-only forum

[zboy1]

I nominate Travelin Man (the guy living in Hong Kong) Green1976, Yohan and Gsjackson to be part of the forum.

[KokujinKrusader]

Thanks. I appreciate the invitation.

[Jackal]

This could be interesting. It will depend on how it's actually done.

Here's a song for the revolutionary spirit of this forum. The title "A Mi Forradalmunk" means "Our Revolution" in Hungarian! hehe

[zboy1]

I believe Yohan would make a good addition to the expat forum.

[djfourmoney]

I'm not included? LOL

[zboy1]

I'm not included? LOL

The problem with you is that you have a lot of 'beef' with other members, and I don't want the forum to dissolve into in-fighting and name-calling like in the regular forum.

[Z Man]

Am I the only one thinking this is a bad idea?

I haven't posted much yet here, though I have been reading and lurking here for almost a year. Many forums around the web I have lurked as I tend to gather much information and thought before I share my opinion with others. I have noticed a common pattern: Many blogs and forums welcome comment and discussion AS LONG AS YOU AGREE WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE SITE OWNER OR ADMINS.


Warning: This forum operates on the principles of truth, free speech and freethought without politically correct censorship.

One of the main draws for me here, to Happier Abroad, is the above statement. Many of us living in America or the Western world already feel excluded from the current ills of society and/or the women that populate Western society. Also we feel excluded by the "Elite", as Winston mentioned above. Freethought and free speech are continually discouraged by the day to day people surrounding those of us still in the west. Many of them don't understand why I would even want to go abroad to look for love. It is strange to them.

In my opinion, being part of an exclusive club of members only forums is the antithesis of why Winston started this site in the first place? Winston didn't feel he fit in with the "normal" way of thinking and living, so he created this site and others to include others that "don't fit in".

So if you haven't travelled abroad yet, and your not considered "cool", then you can't be in the exclusive forum?Personally, I have a girl in the Philippines I've been chatting with for 1 year now. But for circumstances out of my control at the moment (back surgery soon, also car repairs) my trip to visit her has been delayed until next year. Meanwhile, I have been researching here and elsewhere all I can about Filipino culture and relationships and people's experiences, etc in preparation. That should include ALL perspectives, not just expats, IMHO.

While I agree that the forums here should do without trolls and abusive language, you can't selectively choose who gets a voice to share and who doesn't.. or you are giving in to censorship.

I guess what I am saying is.. it's a slippery slope: I agree the forums need moderation to keep trolls out and the like, and possibly threats or name calling attacks, but nobody should be excluded because of something they said offended somebody else. people get offended by little things everyday!

Anyway, do what you will. But it just seems like it would further divide this community rather than encourage more Westerners whom "don't fit in" to travel abroad and seek positive experiences. Strength in numbers..

[Seeker]

I think I should be included despite my relative lack of posts. I currently live and work in China, having been here for over a year. I also have a place in the Philippines and have previously lived in Thailand. I have years of experience of living and working abroad, and of the local women in those places. I can also offer a rare perspective as a South Asian man in East/South East Asia. I'm also not a racist or a conspiracy theorist.

[zboy1]

I think I should be included despite my relative lack of posts. I currently live and work in China, having been here for over a year. I also have a place in the Philippines and have previously lived in Thailand. I have years of experience of living and working abroad, and of the local women in those places. I can also offer a rare perspective as a South Asian man in East/South East Asia. I'm also not a racist or a conspiracy theorist.

Okay, you're in Seeker.

[drealm]

Am I the only one thinking this is a bad idea?

No you are not the only one.

zboy essentially wants to create competing rooschv forum with about 1% of the population. If he wants to create a clone of rooschv with the exact same rules why not just go there? Do you really think anyone from rooschv is going to come here? Do you really think guys who worship roosch are going to like Winston? Do you think those guys are going to tolerate posts about topics like aliens? If zboy had it his way he would axe Winston in the back and turn HA into rooschv.

This will push top posters away from the public forum. The new pages will be unindex. New posters won't see any activity and they'll leave.

All around this is about the worst possible marketing idea anyone could think of. Division doesn't equal multiplication folks.

Winston I don't think you should trust zboy your site revenue.

[djfourmoney]

I'm not included? LOL

The problem with you is that you have a lot of 'beef' with other members, and I don't want the forum to dissolve into in-fighting and name-calling like in the regular forum.

Beef? "The Village Idiot" wouldn't be invited to this new "forum" so why would there be "beef". I have no "beef" with anybody you listed as being the preferred members to join the group.

I also didn't see More Torque or anybody else I've had disagreements with.

Look, it's simple -

1) Don't post pictures of your wife or girlfriend online and not expect any feedback. The brutal truth hurts at times and men are to blame for clutching low hanging fruit.

2) Don't bring up silly topics based on pseudoscience like people of color are inferior in some form or fashion to fit your racist, bigoted world view.

3) BBW's aren't attractive period

4) Why constantly talk about finding a virgin? I think we got his point several post back... In that time I have traveled to a few places and he hasn't moved an inch.

5) All_That_Is_Man attacks me via PM, not in the open forum...lol

Whatever the case is, I was just wondering. If you don't want me to attend your rain dear games is fine with me; being "Black" I am used to be excluded from sh*t.

Oh well, have fun.

[djfourmoney]

Am I the only one thinking this is a bad idea?

No you are not the only one.

zboy essentially wants to create competing rooschv forum with about 1% of the population. If he wants to create a clone of rooschv with the exact same rules why not just go there? Do you really think anyone from rooschv is going to come here? Do you really think guys who worship roosch are going to like Winston? Do you think those guys are going to tolerate posts about topics like aliens? If zboy had it his way he would axe Winston in the back and turn HA into rooschv.

This will push top posters away from the public forum. The new pages will be unindex. New posters won't see any activity and they'll leave.

All around this is about the worst possible marketing idea anyone could think of. Division doesn't equal multiplication folks.

Winston I don't think you should trust zboy your site revenue.

I think you're onto something. If interesting content is not indexed and when new visitors look at the forum to only see conspiracy theories, racist/bigoted rants, constant rants about feminism and X women are terrible or even worst, all women are the same, yadda-yadda-yadda; it will chase off people that don't agree with these views.

I also agree that since nobody is reading their trash, many of those people would simply stop posting. The inactivity you are speaking of and Winston's income stream would go down.

I was just wondering why I wasn't included on the golden list, no big deal.

[zboy1]

Am I the only one thinking this is a bad idea?

No you are not the only one.

zboy essentially wants to create competing rooschv forum with about 1% of the population. If he wants to create a clone of rooschv with the exact same rules why not just go there? Do you really think anyone from rooschv is going to come here? Do you really think guys who worship roosch are going to like Winston? Do you think those guys are going to tolerate posts about topics like aliens? If zboy had it his way he would axe Winston in the back and turn HA into rooschv.

This will push top posters away from the public forum. The new pages will be unindex. New posters won't see any activity and they'll leave.

All around this is about the worst possible marketing idea anyone could think of. Division doesn't equal multiplication folks.

Winston I don't think you should trust zboy your site revenue.

I don't want to clone "RooshV." I just want a section of the forum where all the insults, bickering, racism and other nonsense, is not allowed, and where actual substantive topics are discussed.

The new expat-only forum should be available for everyone to view--and it should be indexed on HA--I just don't want uninvited posters to be allowed to post their garbage, that's all. ...

[Cornfed]

If you want a forum where it is only possible to discuss certain subjects in a way you broadly agree with, why don't you start your own forum? Why is it necessary to vandalize existing forums?

[Jester]

Am I the only one thinking this is a bad idea?

No you are not the only one.

zboy essentially wants to create competing rooschv forum with about 1% of the population. If he wants to create a clone of rooschv with the exact same rules why not just go there? Do you really think anyone from rooschv is going to come here? Do you really think guys who worship roosch are going to like Winston? Do you think those guys are going to tolerate posts about topics like aliens? If zboy had it his way he would axe Winston in the back and turn HA into rooschv.

This will push top posters away from the public forum. The new pages will be unindex. New posters won't see any activity and they'll leave.

All around this is about the worst possible marketing idea anyone could think of. Division doesn't equal multiplication folks.

Winston I don't think you should trust zboy your site revenue.

I think you're onto something. If interesting content is not indexed and when new visitors look at the forum to only see conspiracy theories, racist/bigoted rants, constant rants about feminism and X women are terrible or even worst, all women are the same, yadda-yadda-yadda; it will chase off people that don't agree with these views.

I also agree that since nobody is reading their trash, many of those people would simply stop posting. The inactivity you are speaking of and Winston's income stream would go down.

I was just wondering why I wasn't included on the golden list, no big deal.

(Not sure if I quoted the above right, sorry)

Like Drealm and DJ I have some misgivings.

Splitting the forum makes sense, I would call the fragments:

(1) FreeThinkers at Large, and
(2) HappierAbroad.

FreeThinkers would allow all and have firm-but-fair moderation, perhaps by FSchmidt or GSJackson. Or ZBoy.

HappierAbroad would be open to all,but you would have to apply for membership with a short email, and be approved. Topics would be restricted as above, no race-dissing, etc.

No reason the new, downsized HA should be a closed forum, it should be open.

BUT you could THEN make a special closed forum WITHIN THE HA PART that is for veteran members only, hand-picked where they could discuss verboten gray-area topics, that might offend some foreign readers. This would be an alternative to PM's and would NOT help "drive the business". Maybe juicy stuff about which particular consulate offers low-hassle residency, underground employment, good places to meet a girl, VPN techniques, etc.