Pollyana

Did you read my explanation in the post further up the thread? Badge took my post completely out of context when he quoted it here.

gedge

even moderators are entitled to an opinion, strange as it may sound

Wendy

Get out of town, you are kidding right?

All moderators should be only people who are on cloud nine all the time and only post good things surely

NKSK version 2

I like the negatives.

For us, Australia has been a very positive experience. When I read the negatives on MBTTUK it makes me realise how lucky we have been.

I just get cross with those people who move their family across the world with the same attitude as if it was a move across the village - with very little research, very little consideration of what to do if things don't work out, no plan B at all, little preparation, thinking that it will be all good. And sometimes these are the same people who have only ventured to Spain in the past.

And then they moan about the place.

worzel

It seems to me there are distinct classes of negative posts (and fair to say positive ones too).

There are the (increasingly rare) well-meaning ones where people are trying to pass on the benefit of their experience in case it helps others avoid the same mistakes.

There are those on a downer whose unhappiness needs to find an outlet. They are comforted that there are others in the same boat as them. MBTTUK is where they like to hang out. I don’t go there often but I have on occasion and did before I came out. It didn’t scare me, but the benefit was it made me remember to take all posts, good and bad, with a huge pinch of salt. As a result I came with an open mind and have always reminded myself that if something does not suit me it is me that needs to adapt rather than 20 million other people.

Then there are the trouble makers. They prefer the Barbie or Australia forums and just rake up the same old rubbish. I do not have a problem with a balanced argument but repeating the same things (not enough pubs & shops generally) adds nothing.

I have known many people who were scared to come on BE because of a mixture of the vitriol and negativity. I feel obliged to counter the whingers because I have good friends who would not be loving their lives in Australia if the negativity had been allowed to engulf them and stop them coming.

Then there are the trolls and flamers. Trolls come on here solely to cause trouble. We haven’t had a good one since Sher Khan.

Flamers are the Mike Stanton’s, PB’s, etc. I have to say there was quite a lot of truth in what those guys wrote. It is just that Australia and them did not get on well. Why they felt compunction to share that with us (repeatedly) I am not sure. They were similar to the whingers in some respects, just that they wanted a fight about it.

Like I say, there are classes of positive posters too.

There are the rose-tinted brigade – who have often not been here or only briefly and think they are coming to the UK with sun.
There are the gloaters (I do that sometimes I admit)
There are the balanced ones who give you a straight answer, who stand up against the whingers and genuinely want to let those back in the UK know what they are letting themselves in for. I would like to think I am in that group. Bix, Hutch, Badge, Amazulu, Northernbird, ABC Diamond (in the past) spring immediately to mind. The Banana Diaries were an excellent read a couple of years ago.

jad n rich

"happy little vegimites picking every day" , what a happy place this forum is lately.

Anyway the question, negative posts, love them. Reading 2 other forums, (other countries), and love the way someone asks a question a whole host of replies come back good and bad usually without anyone ripping off their blouse, bursting into tears or getting all precious and trying to ram the nation anthem down your throat. Negative posts very useful, know what your getting into.

sid_s

Thing that really surprised me when I first arrived was just how many British people there are here. Some days it seems like every second person I meet is British – don’t even notice it any more. I work in a big company and it seems like about 20-30% of the employees are British.

All the ones I’ve spoken to seem to be very happy here. Many say they would never move back to the UK, some say they might one day but not for a few years. They just seem very balanced – nobody I’ve met left the UK because they hated it there either. I haven’t actually come across anyone who’s told me they don’t like Oz. They all just seem to be happily going on with their lives – I’ve asked a few if they ever use BE but surprisingly none of the ones I’ve asked have ever heard of it.

With all the negative posts people who haven’t actually moved here yet probably think that many British expats spend their time listing complaints about the place but that really hasn’t been my experience outside of this forum.

NickyC

I totally agree. I've been here for over 25 years and in that time would have met literally hundreds of British people. Truly, I've only ever known one couple return to the UK (and they came back quick smart). As you say, most people just get on with it; they certainly don't seem to experience the angst, drama and heart-searching that goes on in here .

And none of the British people I know have heard of BE either.

Wendy

I think that posts should be taken for what they are, peoples opinions. Nothing more nothing less. What bothers one person won't bother another and what some will find as a positive won't be for another.

Some people do tend to state opinions as fact and that does tend to annoy people (even me sometimes and I'm quite easy going )

I think there is a lot of rubbish talked on here. But it's just a message board and really everything that is on here could be true, or could be downright lies, so it should be read that way.

I don't really have a problem with what anyone says, I do feel for those that have become very bitter about Australia though. I can't see how that is going to benefit them in the long run, I think these people should step away from this site, try to put it all behind them and move on.

I do think that I live in a different Australia to some, but I don't think it's really the country that is different just our perception of it and to an extent, life in general.

aston man

how long do you think it is before your allowed to defend australia..a year ,two years,ten?

only asking because one day i would love to be a defender...

good on them all...

aston...

worzel

A year I reckon. You need to have experienced the cold of a winter's night and a 45C week. Long enough for it to stop feeling new and exciting like a holiday too.

NKSK version 2

I'm looking forward to getting my Australian citizenship so that I can slag off MY country!!

mackinnon

If you take the ridiculously negative posts & the ridiculously positive ones then a good place to start looking for the truth might be somewhere between in the middle.

Mid Lifer.

I have read them and still pop in now and then.I feel like a fly on the wall most of the time.But after all it is a forum for people who are unhappy with their lot to let off steam and support each other.So because of that I dont get involved with "defending" Oz when I see a thread (in the MBTUK forum)slagging off this country.Much like I wouldnt go into an AA meeting half pissed spouting off how great the odd drink is.However I dont expect a recovering alcoholic to come into my local spouting off about the evils of drink.
Does that make sense?

LIBBY

So what you are saying is people who have done years worth of research and have been to, lets say America (bit further than Spain) settle and dont get homesick and never go back to the UK.

What a load of rubbish.