FPM

Then why don't you moderate with impartiality rather than the farce you've let this site become? Good or bad on the Oz forum, you're 'avin a laugh aren't you?

Paul

Don't be so ridiculous. This site goes from strength to strength. Every so often we have to step in to prevent a few disruptive posters intent on ruining things for others. Given that you seem to be ignoring the multiple warnings you have already received, I can only assume you are one of those posters.

TraceyW

Paul, I think what he was getting at was that we can't really post any negative comments on the Australia forum, there would be all out war!! There always is. It's understandable though, that forum is full of people waiting for their visas and are full of hope and they're convinced that Aus is the best thing since sliced bread!

I hope you see fit to put a take it outside or a debtate forum for those people who want to let off steam and not cause disruption.

Paul

We have a forum for that. http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=67

If you make a post that others are likely to disagree with, it's pretty obvious there will be a response. If discussions are not kept civil, there is no alternative but to close the thread or remove accounts.

TraceyW

You know what I meant Paul. A forum like the Barbi, for the people who want to go home and it's linked to the MBTTUK forum.

Southerncross

Sorry FPM - I forgot the UK calls suburbs "villages"! And since you are so determined to dwell on all of the negatives about Australia, is that huge pall of smog still hanging over Manchester? You know the humoungous black fog that sits over it and that you can see from a hundred miles away? It certainly was there for all to see when my husband and I were in the UK in the early 90's so I guess it has only gotten worse over time. Oh and since we only talk about negatives on this site, if anyone from Oz is thinking of going to the UK, I personally wouldn't recommend visiting London. It is dirty and v. expensive and some of the service people were downright unfriendly. Once you've seen the Tower of London and Big Ben and a couple of other touristy things, you've seen it all. And as for the trains! Yikes, they are very expensive and so run down. But then again that is just my humble opinion. I know that some people love London, so who am I to say? And of course while it is indeed the norm to only talk about the things you don't like, I am going to break ranks and tell you about some of the things we did enjoy. We loved the UK countryside. We loved the villages, the pubs, the people, the beautiful scenery. We had many beautiful walks along country lanes. Of course there is not much to do in the countryside except enjoy the scenery, and since some of you might like more excitement, be prepared for this fact. (I would just hate you coming back to Oz and saying that you found the villages boring and lacking in night life etc). Also, remember that we were there about 15 years ago so I am sure much has changed since then. I believe the city of London is sprawling like a cancer into the outlying areas and so you have to travel further and further to get out of the city, (yep, not just an Australian problem i'm afraid). Oh, and keep your children close because remember there was that abduction and murder of the 2 school children in one of the charming, crime free UK hamlets a couple of years ago. Come to think of it, I guess the man and woman accused of that crime must have been Australian? I vaguely recall they were of 100% English heritage but they must have had Australian blood in them somewhere because the UK just couldn't possibly have any murderers in their midst could they?

And as for the other murders you talk about in Australia, I didn't mention the above murder or the 3 children killed by firearms in London in the last couple of weeks, in my previous post because it is just too darn ridiculous to get into such a tit for tat slanging match. The reality is that we are living in a fast changing world, and not for the better. And all of the western world is suffering from an increase in crime, a lot of it caused by drugs. To bring up our infamous murders without bringing up your own shows me how long a bow you are prepared to draw in your desire to criticise Australia.

As for this being a back to the UK site and us "dingos" not being welcome to post comment. Well I was pointed to this site by my friend who is from the UK, and she told me to read it and see what I thought. Well, unfortunately for me, I got flamed enough by the comments to want to reply. Fat lot of good it does I know, and each time I get drawn into making a comment I promise myself that it will be the last time. Even though in your eyes, I'm an uneducated, ignorant dingo, I'm smart enough to recognise when I am trying to preach to the converted and I know that I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting you to see that you are being one eyed. But I guess there is only so much negative stuff you can read about your country without taking offence.

Well, I'd love to sit and chew the fat with you but I'm about to go out into my garden - it is an absolutely exquisite day here in Perth. One of those extremely rare, (according to some of you) days when it is not 45 degrees in the shade! It is a perfect 28 degrees today, and oh, just in case some of you are worried, I've put tape over my mouth so those billions of flies can't fly in to my mouth, so all is well here in the hellhole they call Perth!

TraceyW

Yes, I understand the civility issue. What is confusing though is that all of the mods state they will not tolerate an AUS V UK debate on the MBTTUK forum. So how come it's acceptable on the Barbi forum? They are allowed to post the most damning anti England posts and nothing gets done.

Paul

There will be a new forum, but it's purpose will be for light hearted off-topic chat. The forum rules will still apply. Controversial topics still belong in TIO.

TraceyW

See Paul, there's another one above

Paul

It has nothing to with the content being posted. It's how the thread participants conduct themselves. The same moderation is carried out in all forums. Just because your focus may be in one or two forums, the moderators are active across the site.

Paul

Yes... but take a look at FPMs first sentence. You can't start a post like that and not expect a response similar to the above. Rule number 1 applies to everyone.

TraceyW

Its all getting rather pathetic now,

Paul

If you disregard my reasoning as 'pathetic', then you obviously don't understand the civility issue. Everybody is always the victim....

TraceyW

I understand civility Paul and I perfectly understand the need to not verbally abuse or disrespect another poster. What I don't understand is the one rule for one, and one for another routine that goes on from the moderators.

Take a look at The Barbi; it is full of people berating the UK, chastising anyone who dislikes AUS and smacks of racism on a daily basis when discussions arise with regards to the immigration policy in the UK. Threads are started that will blatantly cause AUS-V-UK debate,;

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426891

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=427483

these sorts of posts are never closed. And yet this post ;

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=427196

was closed because of, The message is in the first post - it is the Moving Back to the UK Forum. Its not the Lets whinge about Aus forum, or the "Why the UK is better forum.

So why are people allowed to post on the Barbi saying how crap the UK is and how wonderful Aus is and we're not allowed to do vice-versa on the MBTTUK forum? Only seems fair to us lot.

DrWho

Personally I hope there is a new sub-forum created and I hope that people will be able to have a good old moan at why things didn't work out for them, etc... And not just from Oz, but anywhere... The last couple of months seems to me to have shown that there's a real need for this for a lot of people now... A TIO style would be good... I appreciate that there's already a TIO but I'm not sure the regular participants in there would appreciate the deluge from MbttUK... All IMHO of course...