News about/ from Ian - SP
Jan 24th 2019, 3:48 pm
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,447
News about/ from Ian - SP
Hello all – this will be my last post on BE.
Sheila and I met online in 1997. It’s so commonplace now that no one gives a second thought to it... but in those days, it was still pretty new – and it turned more than one head when it was mentioned.
In those days everything was done by mail and phone. You had to call the INS (there was no USCIS then), and request the specific forms you needed (and hoped you got the right form numbers)... and they mailed them to you! Too bad if you made mistakes on the forms because there was no way to properly correct the carbon copies! You’d have to call and request another form. You couldn’t email the INS, and none of the forms existed online... and it would be another 10 years before fillable PDFs came on the scene! In those days there were no email updates, no help line, and no way to find out what was going on. You sent in your forms and you waited for a response.
If you wanted information, BritishExpats wasn’t the place to go – because it didn’t yet exist! For info, you either had to call the INS and hope they’d answer the phone, or you got online (dial up!) and checked out one of two Usenet newsgroups: alt.visa.us and/or misc.immigration.us. Both had useful information... but there wasn’t much of it because there were very few people who had been through the process at that time, so there were no real mentors. We actually had to figure out stuff on our own!
Rete and I helped to form the splinter newsgroup alt.visa.us.marriage-based. That newsgroup (and one or two others) was eventually ported to BritishExpats and is now the marriage-based forum that you’re currently reading. A few years later, the Usenet feed was cut... and this forum took on a life of its own. Occasionally, I still think of user Retire to Italy.
And then there was September 11, 2001 – and things changed.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed; the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) was disbanded and reformed as BCIS (Bureau for Citizenship and Immigration Services) and then shortly after that, BCIS was reformed... and USCIS was created. And so it has remained.
For those who had already applied for a visa, the wait times got longer. For those who hadn’t yet applied, the process became more involved... and wait times got longer. All of it revolved around new security checks that were put in place. Airport security increased by several orders of magnitude... and, in general, the world became a less happy place! And so it has remained.
Now... 20 years after Sheila and I started our journey and after 15 years as a member of BE, I’ve had enough. I’ve answered enough questions; I’ve given enough advice; and I’ve had enough verbal sparring.
It now also seems that a number of my recent posts have contained incorrect information, and that’s unconscionable... more so considering that I’ve admonished others for not posting correct information. I’ll be the first to admit that my memory isn’t as sharp as it was 20 years ago but I fear that my recent gaffs are becoming more common and are now a distraction to the members here – and I do not want to do a disservice to the members. Immigration is hard enough without me muddying the waters – and I apologize for that incorrect information. Also, lately, there have been a number of life distractions that have kept my focus elsewhere.
So, to that end, I’m going to do the honorable thing and close my account.
Overall, it’s been swell folks – and I’ve enjoyed both learning and instructing. For some of you, I don’t really care if I ever hear your names again... but I will miss a number of you. You know who you are... those who have kept me amused these many years, those who helped when Sheila and I were on our journey, and those who I recently PM’d and who I consider to be part of my extended family.
As Worf said to Riker, “The honor is to serve.” Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to serve for so many years. And now... onward to new adventures.
Ian
Sheila and I met online in 1997. It’s so commonplace now that no one gives a second thought to it... but in those days, it was still pretty new – and it turned more than one head when it was mentioned.
In those days everything was done by mail and phone. You had to call the INS (there was no USCIS then), and request the specific forms you needed (and hoped you got the right form numbers)... and they mailed them to you! Too bad if you made mistakes on the forms because there was no way to properly correct the carbon copies! You’d have to call and request another form. You couldn’t email the INS, and none of the forms existed online... and it would be another 10 years before fillable PDFs came on the scene! In those days there were no email updates, no help line, and no way to find out what was going on. You sent in your forms and you waited for a response.
If you wanted information, BritishExpats wasn’t the place to go – because it didn’t yet exist! For info, you either had to call the INS and hope they’d answer the phone, or you got online (dial up!) and checked out one of two Usenet newsgroups: alt.visa.us and/or misc.immigration.us. Both had useful information... but there wasn’t much of it because there were very few people who had been through the process at that time, so there were no real mentors. We actually had to figure out stuff on our own!
Rete and I helped to form the splinter newsgroup alt.visa.us.marriage-based. That newsgroup (and one or two others) was eventually ported to BritishExpats and is now the marriage-based forum that you’re currently reading. A few years later, the Usenet feed was cut... and this forum took on a life of its own. Occasionally, I still think of user Retire to Italy.
And then there was September 11, 2001 – and things changed.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed; the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) was disbanded and reformed as BCIS (Bureau for Citizenship and Immigration Services) and then shortly after that, BCIS was reformed... and USCIS was created. And so it has remained.
For those who had already applied for a visa, the wait times got longer. For those who hadn’t yet applied, the process became more involved... and wait times got longer. All of it revolved around new security checks that were put in place. Airport security increased by several orders of magnitude... and, in general, the world became a less happy place! And so it has remained.
Now... 20 years after Sheila and I started our journey and after 15 years as a member of BE, I’ve had enough. I’ve answered enough questions; I’ve given enough advice; and I’ve had enough verbal sparring.
It now also seems that a number of my recent posts have contained incorrect information, and that’s unconscionable... more so considering that I’ve admonished others for not posting correct information. I’ll be the first to admit that my memory isn’t as sharp as it was 20 years ago but I fear that my recent gaffs are becoming more common and are now a distraction to the members here – and I do not want to do a disservice to the members. Immigration is hard enough without me muddying the waters – and I apologize for that incorrect information. Also, lately, there have been a number of life distractions that have kept my focus elsewhere.
So, to that end, I’m going to do the honorable thing and close my account.
Overall, it’s been swell folks – and I’ve enjoyed both learning and instructing. For some of you, I don’t really care if I ever hear your names again... but I will miss a number of you. You know who you are... those who have kept me amused these many years, those who helped when Sheila and I were on our journey, and those who I recently PM’d and who I consider to be part of my extended family.
As Worf said to Riker, “The honor is to serve.” Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to serve for so many years. And now... onward to new adventures.
Ian
=left
Despite Ian's larger than life persona on BE, he was, I think, quite a private person, and I don't expect to hear regularly from him, but when I hear from him again, I will share news to the extent that he tells me is OK to do so. Below is a picture he sent, of him with his wife, Sheila, at the Devil's Tower, which he OK'ed to share, so I think we can safely assume that he is quite happy with life despite not now posting on BE!
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 24th 2019 at 3:57 pm.
Jan 24th 2019, 3:54 pm
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 6,159
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Nice....
Jan 24th 2019, 4:11 pm
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,661
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Glad he's doing well......
Jan 24th 2019, 5:35 pm
#4
MODERATOR
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 58,679
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Cool, thanks.
Rene
Rene
Jan 24th 2019, 7:08 pm
#5
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: "LA LA Land"
Posts: 2,448
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Pulaski, thanks
Ian, in case you peek in
Jan 25th 2019, 10:30 am
#6
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Your acerbic wit and cutting retorts have never quite been replaced Ian.
Although I've tried to give it a shot
You are, and continue to be, missed!
Although I've tried to give it a shot
You are, and continue to be, missed!
Jan 25th 2019, 5:01 pm
#7
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 473
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Thanks for the update! He will be missed, but please give him my regards next time you speak with him.
Jan 26th 2019, 2:39 am
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Lovely.
Jan 26th 2019, 7:53 pm
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2014
Location: Anchorage, AK, USA
Posts: 1,347
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Good to hear. Thanks Pulaski.
Jan 27th 2019, 1:24 am
#10
L2, GC, Surrey, OH, TX!
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Surrey to Dallas (via Ohio)!
Posts: 6,363
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
always good to hear a great person is still doing well!
Jan 28th 2019, 1:31 pm
#11
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,390
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Late to post and hopefully I will be as late for my own funeral one day.
You and Shelia are looking great, Ian. Wonderful to hear from you and to know that you are doing well. Enjoy your new adventures and your travels. You deserve them.
You and Shelia are looking great, Ian. Wonderful to hear from you and to know that you are doing well. Enjoy your new adventures and your travels. You deserve them.
Jan 29th 2019, 4:41 pm
#12
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: News about/ from Ian - SP
Good to see they're doing well 
