old.sparkles

There is a high percentage of new members who only join to spam the site. I'm going to guess that for that group, they all disappear immediately.

For some new members, they join to get answers to specific question - and may not stick around after that is answered. For others, they join to get information, and are not happy with the answers.

What is the purpose of the site - it was set up to be an online community that could provide info and support to those looking to move to another country on the immigration processes, living in another country, and living away from the UK.

Finknottle

Fair enough.

So, to go back to the OP, what happened to the vibrant & supportive community?

Gordon Barlow

https://britishexpats.com/forum/ Judging by the statistics listed on the site's home-page, there has actually been a vibrant and supportive community over the years - and there may indeed still be one. We could do without the political nonsense on the TIO forum, and the frivolity in The Lounge, but I guess they don't do much harm. Going back to the OP's question... Like all sites, this one has just gotten weary and begun to stagnate. Could it be revived? Probably, with a bit of effort.

Finknottle

As a resource for those emigrating, tackling residency issues or just sharing experiences & life I would suggest that BE is unrivalled (certainly among English language websites).
However, the rest of it (TIO, the Lounge, etc), well...

Pulaski

At least some of the former regulars still frequent the BE Farcebook page, or so I hear, as I have never been there myself.

I assume there is some value to IB/ BE to having an FB presence, but I can't see any evidence that FB is driving traffic to the BE web forum.

dbd33

I see various expat facebook pages and occassionally direct people over here, especially if I know there are good answers to their questions here. What is startling about reading the British expat posts on facebook is the discovery that the posters here are among the most literate and coherent of immigrants.

Pollyana

I've joined a couple of the expat facebook groups because friends have asked me to answer visa queries etc, and leaving aside the standard of basic English in some posts, the most scary thing is the ignorance. On forums such as this the serious visa questions are answered with authoritative links and correct info and anyone posting incorrect or outdated information is soon corrected. On facebook rumours and wrong info abound and its worrying to see how many people take the word of one random stranger above that of several posting the official links. Most of the stuff I see is to do with Australian visas, and is frighteningly wrong with people getting classes of visas mixed up, people being told they can get a visa as long as someone (anyone!) offers them a job, one I saw the other week was told if her child arrived as on a 3 month tourist visa and went to primary school then that instantly gave the parents permanent residence. And people believe this rubbish "because facebook said so". People are reluctant to move into "forum-land" for some reason, even when pointed quite clearly to a reliable source of info.
One noticeable thing missing from facebook groups is the posting by registered agents. Aussie visas aren't simple, and in many cases an agent's assistance is vital. Yet they rarely post in these groups (probably cos it would be like banging their heads on a brick wall) and so the expertise that is shared by them for free on forums like this is lost to many people.

dbd33

I think it's fascinating. What did George Carlin say "never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups"? Facebook, especially, has made the groups larger and the people stupider. Visa issues, belief in the international driving permit conferring all manner of authority, these are examples where the mob is clearly wrong without guidance. Trump and vaccinations are examples where the smallest effort leads the large groups of stupid people in frightening directions. Facebook may have got Zuckerberg laid but at no small cost to the world.

Pollyana

Fascinating is a good word for it at times! You wonder how people manage their lives if they really are like this in real life. One of this week's classics was someone looking to move UK to Aus, family of 4, wanting to know what the price of air fares would be for the next few summers so they could work out if they could afford to fly back, and which airlines would be the cheapest at various times of year. Then there was the one who always books through Skyscanner and told everyone "Skyscanner are the only good airline, with the best crew and meals and really pretty planes" - cue lots of comments from sheeple saying "ooh I'll fly with them next time" "I hope they serve better meals than Flight Center" and "Skyscanner are a much better airline than BA/Qantas/Emirates etc"
How do these people manage to navigate the whole process of moving across the word?!

crofty82

The misinformation astounds me as well. I'd be fascinated to know how the people to whom the bad advice was given fared afterwards. You never see follow up posts saying "Thanks a lot, because of the bad advice we got on here, we now have no chance of emigrating."

I try to offer more reasoned advice in those groups when I can, but it's like swimming against the tide.

Pollyana

It is. I try and give correct advice to those who are being told total rubbish, but as the majority come out with the easy - and usually wrong - option, the correct stuff just gets lost in the fog.

BristolUK

I guess it's all walks of life and doesn't need social media (although that helps spread it).

Anyone remember how you "could get grants from the DHSS for a TV if it came in a cabinet with doors because it counted as furniture"?

scilly

I do similar to you, except I check in early in the evening most days, but often there is nothing that catches my interest now.

Atlantic Xpat

19 years or so after moving here, I find the urge to share advice and experience is less than it was. Also, my experiences from an immigration perspective are rather out of date these days.

I guess also, as the number of posters I used to interact with diminishes and/or their frequency of posting, there's less incentive to post. Bit of a shame as some of the virtual friendships made here were important to me & I miss some posters wit and erudition. Facebook holds less of an appeal as of course, one has to be the real person rather than hiding behind a handle!

BristolUK

It can still be done in the general part - the lounge. TIO can be a bit weary sometimes but the lounge is fun. I'm not sure why frivolity is a bad thing as Gordon seems to think.