Rete

If anyone on this newsgroup feels that I am an authority and am issuing more than experienced and learned advice on completing forms, anticipating what to expect from various INS offices and/or US Consulates on receipt of various petitions, then you should be made aware that I am not an attorney nor have I know nor ever purported myself to be one. My knowledge, as limited as it may be, was obtained through experience, both personal and accumulatively through others.

I was not aware that I had earned a reputation as being a source of irrefutable knowledge on immigration. What little I know is limited to a few marriage-based petitions and I know squat all about work visa, refugee procedures, etc.

So any advice I impart is just that advice from a store of knowledge. If I don't answer a question as fully as Mr. Udall wishes me to, bear in mind that he is the attorney who specializes in this field and as he so puts it "volunteers his time" to this newsgroup and others to share his wisdom with you all.

Rete

Rete

Folinskyinla

Rete:

Both you and Matt appear to this cranky old immigration lawyer to be font of knowledge on the marriage boards. I've seen things addressed to you by name and you answer.

However, we all make mistakes. We look at it, and if a mistake is made, we correct it. However, we do try to avoid them.

To both you and Matt -- kiss and make up already!

donahso

Hey, Rete. I get your drift and personally appreciate the info you do provide. Not to say that I always agree or that your 'style' is warm and fuzzy. But, what the hell do I know? Please don't stop. You do have a reputation, but so does Roger, Patrick, Paul and some others. So?

I would hope, however, that you simply ignore Matt's frequent prods. Seems like he is baiting you and you can't keep yourself from biting. It really distracts folks from reading your words of wisdom...and...his helpful advice, too.

Folks who read this board (newsgroup or whatever the technical term is) should understand that posts are opinion and nothing more. Even from the attorneys who don't have all of the facts. Their posts are not client-attorney communications; simply replies, like your's. The only difference is they have dealth with more diverse situations.

Please don't be intimidated (or baited) and keep giving your 'opinions'. If someone acts on something you post, it is no different than anything I might post. If they are upset, they need to look at their checkbook and see where you gained anything for your time. As Abe Linclon said: "An attorney's time is his sock in trade". Matt and Lolin should be more worried that someone will take their postings to heart.

-Don H

Mark

You are a asset to this community. You give your all in attempt to help
others, as does Matt Udall. Both of you should be proud of your un-selfish
nature and good hearted attempt at helping others with no reguard for
personal gain. Keep up the good work Rita.

Mark
"Rete" wrote in message
news:446101.1034815514@britishexpats-
.com...
    > If anyone on this newsgroup feels that I am an authority and am issuing
    > more than experienced and learned advice on completing forms,
    > anticipating what to expect from various INS offices and/or US
    > Consulates on receipt of various petitions, then you should be made
    > aware that I am not an attorney nor have I know nor ever purported
    > myself to be one. My knowledge, as limited as it may be, was obtained
    > through experience, both personal and accumulatively through others.
    > I was not aware that I had earned a reputation as being a source of
    > irrefutable knowledge on immigration. What little I know is limited to
    > a few marriage-based petitions and I know squat all about work visa,
    > refugee procedures, etc.
    > So any advice I impart is just that advice from a store of knowledge.
    > If I don't answer a question as fully as Mr. Udall wishes me to, bear in
    > mind that he is the attorney who specializes in this field and as he so
    > puts it "volunteers his time" to this newsgroup and others to share his
    > wisdom with you all.
    > Rete
    > --

Pimpbot

You know, I and I am sure 99.9% you, come here to ask questions and then hope we can get a few answers. I couldnt give a crap if someone wants their ego stroked, or if someone thinks that someone else is doing somebody a dis service with their information. Theres a wealth of knowledge here, and I appreciate it all.

The last few weeks, this board has taken a turn for the worse with petty arguments and pissy comments. Time for some people to get a life and grow up.

Lets get back to what this board is here for, helping people to be with their loved ones.

Matthew Udall

Grow up Rita. Enough with your OT MUdall postings, OK. Contrary to what Donahso thinks, I'm not "baiting" you. You are the one whose lately been posting your OT MDUdall threads. You started your fit when your sent me a check (for a favor I did for you and Jim a long time ago, done in the spirit of friendship and without expectation of payment) and posted about it on the group (I assume due to your anger at me when I contacted you privately about a posting you made telling a newbie to commit an illegal act at the point of entry). I've done nothing but reply to your insane rantings, and your tried and true fall back position is to always try to villainies me instead of taking a look at your own activity.

You claim you don't know of your reputation you've garnered for yourself with the boards (in other words, people will take notice and listen to what you have to say). I say Bull.

Personally, I don't care if you post, but since people listen to what you have to say, I do care when you spew forth information that you know is incorrect.

We have discussed the 4 conditions that eliminate the affidavit of support obligations on more than one occasion (more likely 4 or 5 times now) and each time I've told you the mere passage of 10 years does not cancel the affidavit, yet you still perpetuate this myth/bad information on the board.

We've also discussed the concept of abandonment too, and yet you still post that there is some sort of magical time-cutoff where there is no danger of abandonment being found. This particular issue is much more dangerous to the DIY community than your affidavit answer, but both are incorrect nonetheless.

Your attempt to qualify your advice with your statement, "So any advice I impart is just that advice from a store of knowledge", falls into the "No Shit Sherlock" category :-). Don't you think that also applies to anybody and everybody on the planet? Attorneys and non-attorneys alike all impart what they know from what they have learned from a variety of sources. But like it or not Rita, people know your name due to the volume of your postings. "You" created your reputation by your actions, and now you want us to buy the fact that you are now surprised that anybody listens to what you have to say (the danger being that you keep giving incorrect information about certain subjects [notice that I did not say about all subjects] over and over again).

I don’t like to see you giving bad information and advice to the immigration community, especially when you and I have discussed this on many prior occasions and you “know� the correct answers. So, I guess being concerned about this makes me a bad person, right?

Ranjini

Rita, you and I have had our personal differences in the past. But I have at all times, re-iterated that I value your contribution to this forum. And still do.
This forum is all about people sharing their personal experiences. More so than anything that Matt Udall or others of his ilk can contribute. So keep on posting Rita. We need you. You will be missed more than Matt Udall will ever be missed. Especially, since Alvena no longer appears on the forum. Chill it, Matt Udall.
Best wishes,
Ranjini

Targaff

Pimpbot wrote in news:446169.1034819800
@britishexpats.com:

    > The last few weeks, this board has taken a turn for the worse with
    > petty arguments and pissy comments.

And I know for a fact that I've stopped paying quite so much attention to what's
being said on the newsgroup now, precisely because of the level of bitchiness that
has risen on the part of certain people that drags everyone down into it. It's
coincided with my arrival in the US, but I doubt I'll be using the newsgroup again
for advice regarding future queries, notably the AoS. There's websites for that
which provide perfectly adequate information, regardless of whether the person who
wrote it cares about whether they see Messrs. on their letters.

--

Targaff

Matthew Udall

Ranjini,
I'm not trying to get Rita to quit posting. I am however concerned about the immigration community (as that is related to my life's work) and I am trying to keep Rita from posting incorrect information that is dangerous to the immigration community (when I know she actually knows the correct information). What's wrong with that? Do you think it’s a good thing for the immigration community, when Rita posts (and these posts are archived for future readers) that there is no danger of abandonment when she only takes the passage of a certain amount of time into consideration with her answer?

Please don't try to villainies me or my "ilk" for trying to keep incorrect and dangerous information/advice from being dispensed to the immigration community (especially from someone who actually knows the correct information, and who has taken upon herself, through thousands of postings over the period or years, the role of immigration advisor). Thanks.

M.U.

NormaJeanne

I'll second that opinion. I appreciate the information I have rec'd and I, too, appreciate it all!

The progress on any one case is more dependent on "luck" and coincidancal timing than anything else, I believe.

Mrtravel

Ranjini wrote:

    > Rita, you and I have had our personal differences in the past. But I
    > have at all times, re-iterated that I value your contribution to this
    > forum. And still do.
    > This forum is all about people sharing their personal experiences. More
    > so than anything that Matt Udall or others of his ilk can contribute.
    > So keep on posting Rita. We need you. You will be missed more than
    > Matt Udall will ever be missed. Especially, since Alvena no longer
    > appears on the forum. Chill it, Matt Udall.

What I haven't seen is Matt originating this issue in this newsgroup.
Whatever fight they are having doesn't really need to be here.

People respond in the manner that fits them. If you don't like a person
type of responses, ignore them.
Personally, I think it is a good idea to hear different view on a topic.
A lot of the INS/DOS stuff falls into grey areas. These areas sometimes
a personal non-legal view, as well as a legal view. The first choice of
most people is to do things the legal way, and we can usually count on
attorneys to give us that view in a conservative manner. For many
people, the conservative way hasn't worked for them and they are looking
at doing things just inside the boundaries of what INS will permit.
Others simply will go beyond the boundaries for what is legal and what
is not. Those views should be represented here, with caveats, of course.
Plus.... If we don't agree with someones legal or moral views, we have
the freedom to state our disagreements. It is a public forum and should
be treated as such.. However, it is a forum for Immigration discussion
and not for people to drag dirty laundry over from a fight going on
outside of the newsgroup between newsgroup members. I don't see a
reason to take sides in this disagreement or to determine who is more
valuable. I value the opinion of both Rete and Matt. I also sometimes
disagree with their methods....