You're taking this all very seriously, Gordon.

Gordon probably is a pseudonym. He's really Gary Johnson and lives in Leeds.

Look in every now and again but don't normally post. I must say that it is good to see so many of the old crowd posting once again.

How is me stating my opinion aggressive but you calling us names not? Why on earth do you think I would use my supposed discretionary powers to censor a poster just because they have a differing opinion to mine?

I like the idea of Facebook keeping people honest via less hiding.
I find though more and more peole are leaving FB in droves or keeping off it apart from emergencies or to use it to keep up to date with old friends or monitoring notifications from closed groups. I've noticed also more and more people who do not have accounts at all and they often seem to have very healthy attitudes to life.
All the Dads I know have not posted in 3 years or so. A definite flight.
Prefer forums as you can get better discourse and advise on say that fishing rod or new ski.

I don't think Facebook is that much better at "keeping people honest". I don't use my real name on there either. The people who I know and care enough for to be on my page know my FB name. Anyone else doesn't need to see what little I post. Including my employer or perspective employers.

I use Facebook and forums for very different purposes.

My FB is tied down tightly, my friends really are friends, they know where I live. I am a member of very few groups and leave them when they're no longer useful (e.g., just moved to Seattle - joined a few local pages, left some when I realised they were not helpful or were full of FWs). In groups I am careful what personal information I divulge; though membership is restricted, it's easy to answer the qualifying questions and most of them are still strangers.

On open forums such as this I'm very careful about what personal information I divulge. I've met four current posters (who became friends in the real world), I may feel like I know a few more of you from years of reading your stories, but there are many thousands of people I wouldn't know from a bar of soap, and you're not all who or what you say you are. I'm honest, WYSIWYG, but you'll never know my address. That's just common sense.

I swing by extremely rarely. Sometimes I'll read something and I'll remember one of the many stand-up rows I had here, including the one about climate change with one of the Super Moderators that lead me to quit the forum, and I'll drop by and see what's going on. Seems like it's on its last legs, judging by the sporadic posting.

I think one of the central problems with this forum is that most of the people using it are not expats in the traditional sense, but simply migrants, seeking a new (and hopefully better) life away from the United Kingdom. And it seems to me that the people that prospered in their adopted countries were the ones who knew they were migrants and lost the 'expat' mentality pretty soon after making the leap. I certainly never saw myself as an expat and never sought to cling to the company of other Brits here. So once I was settled here (and it's been 14 years now) I realised my world view was at odds with the whole basis of this forum and with the world view of many of the regular posters here. Anyway - just my 10 cents - I'll **** off back into the wider Internet now. As you were.

If you were on the 'it's happening' side of the climate change argument, come back, you can say 'I told you so!'

You were before my time here, but nice seeing you anyway

Welcome back. Stick around a while and maybe you'll entice a few more back.

The poster is encouraged to come back, irrespective of his/her views on climate and what others think about that. Good gosh.

Oh my wordy yes indeedy.

Congratulations. Hope baby Clacfarts arrival goes well.