baexpats.org a con?

I echo what @Mckenna has said because believe me, I have days when I really loathe this country, but they are outweighed by the positive days quite considerably.

Some posts were rubbing me in the wrong way on the other forum and on other online venues, where there are people rather patronizing and assuming everybody else is either less intelligent (if they can't figure out something / ask for help) or a criminal (if they are doing good, they must something fishy). For this reason, I stopped reading and contributing.

Especially on Facebook, where the feed literally feeds you stuff daily, I had to turn off notification from certain groups and people. Thank God there are such features!

My quality of life improved a great deal because when I read them, they got on my nerve and I kept bitching about them with my husband ('do you know that X wrote on FB that....?! Isn't that absurd, since he/she i/has done/was.....?!) .

There are some stuff I am marginally interested into, so when I have the time, I will go look for them. But I don't want them to be part of my daily life. There is just too much information on the Internet!

But while with general forums/websites/news outlet you can simply stop reading them, with people that know you in real life, things are different. I had 'friends' on FB who were posting religious/political/me-thing/frustrated posts several times a day. I couldn't unfriend them altogether, but I have silenced them on my feed. When I have to meet them in person, I prepare by reading their FB wall because they somehow expect that I am up to par with their life, since they gave me access to it by friending me on FB. I don't reciprocate the feeling and post mostly pictures of my cat on my FB wall, but I am aware that they some people expect this from our 'friendship'. I am also not enthusiastic to meet with people that have these expectations, because I have to 'prepare' in advance before meeting them and thus aren't laidback social meetings for me.

This happened also with professional online venues where 'the good ol' boys', who happen to be also the moderators since they are actually older than anybody else, are heavy handed and basically playing police with members. Which is why I rarely read them and why colleagues withhold information or avoid to share it. This is counterproductive in all senses (we pay to be member of that professional association and to thus to access to online discussion groups) but I don't want to be the David against Goliath.

My point is: when I don't like something, I steer away from it and don't waste time pretending I can change it. If my interest(s) change/evolve over time, so be it!

I am not married for life to it.

I was never offended by something on this forum - I know almost everybody in real life and this helps keeping a civil discussion, imho.

This pretty much sums up the argument troll who considers it to be his life's work.

Quote from Semigoodlooking

On the other forum, it's interesting that people who are negative about Argentina are shouted down. I have tried on many occasions to say how the crime here is a problem and there are some on that forum who just won't have it. They throw up comparisons to Mexico City or Rio. It's a similar story if you are just complaining about minor issues, such as availability of products or terrible service. According to them there's always somewhere worse... it reminds of Argentine people themselves actually, never accepting the issues and facing up to them.

I have been reading Expats in Argentina forums for 7 years and there are some odd characters.

The one I loathe the most is the philanthropist from the Anglo-saxon world.

By reading his posts, you get the idea that he moves and deals in Argentina like a Gulf sheik with billions of $$$ and thinks of himself as a philanthropist when he tips more than 10%, or if he asks to his mucama (who doesn't clean well) to come three times a week instead of two even if he lives alone. He is surrounded by a court of low-income South Americans (not necessarily Argentinian, usually they are Venezuelan, Peruvian, Dominicas) that put up with his b***it. Officially, they are his encargado, his masseur, the cleaner, the mucama, the yoga teacher/personal trainer or a generic 'assistant'. Except that they have to be there any day/hour when he snaps his fingers. He doesn't cook, clean, or pick up after his mess. When his USD purchasing power fell, he started yelling that the end is near. But HE had a plan, because he had researched this since he is so smart he had figured this out 20 years before anybody else. He also thinks that whatever non-mainstream video/author says is by default true and 'the system' is covering the truth. Luckily, we have him to enlighten us.

He usually displays arrogant reasoning such as 'I know hot to tip my encargado to ensure no issue with my apartment' or that he knows how to deal with the local world, or how to help a young boy/girl (in exchange of sex, of course!). Curiously, in his home country he seemed to lead a rather dull life. His USD seems to be worth 100x in Argentina (this doesn't happen with mine, I wonder why...). When things got messy, he flew back home. So much for the reasoned plan B he'd be cooking for decades!

These are also the same who claim that life is grim in Argentina if you earn less than 3,000 USD /month and are single. Ironically, they describe themselves are down-to-earth people willing to help the underprivileged.

The second type is the one married to someone from a wealthy Argentinian family. They are here but only live the finest life in Argentina, they actually consider themselves from Miami. They own several properties, in Argentina and abroad, and they seem to get access to all of the best deals on the market prior they are made aware to the public. They also seem to become more rich the worse the country is going. Usually there are 'campos' or 'polo' in their posts.

Another character is the complexed Westerner who wants to save the world.

Nobody is ever guilty, they are just victims of society. With this reasoning, they forgive ignorance, crime, arrogance and whatever negatives other people see around them in Argentina. In the most perverse form, they consider themselves very close to native Americans and share any and every battle because they want to be the ones on the side of the poors and weaks. They adopt native Americans culture (by playing traditional instruments or dressing like natives, or combing their hairs like natives) even if they are whiter than Mr. Clean. They 'want to help them' but they get as far as setting up a banquet in a square to sell bracelets. They have an iphone and visit their home country once per year. Their real native friends do not.

Quote from Mckenna

Sometimes staying in a forum for a long spell can become boring, same questions keep popping up from new members , but what i have noticed lately is how polarized some have become, even this forum.

So i do agree that over time a group of regulars is formed who might be lined up on their political views and or other views in life in general, making the experience a little less than comfortable for others.

I do not defend or condemn any group or forum as there's no obligation for anyone to stay if you don't feel heard or represented. i also have noticed certain political bias in some of them , after all, it's just a forum , maybe i'm too old to be affected by what people think of me about my views in this context.

I see your point and I agree with you. Diversity of voices make a forum lively and interesting (and sometimes ruffles somebody's feathers). Filtering voices makes conversation repetitive and unengaging.

Quote from UK Man

Just to let you know I posted a new thread over there tonight. As I expected it's awaiting Mod approval.

Depite it being true I don't think it will be made public so we shall see. I took a screenshot.

What possible reason would a harmless post like that need to be moderated?

They moderate your user, so anything you post is moderated by default. I think they have also a 'moderate for 1-3-6-12 month rule'. Whether your moderated messages are read and approved/rejected, it remains a mystery. I think I was allowed to post again only when the probation period was over. I don't think I got absolved because I am still banned from sending PMs, since I used them to write people about this forum.

The terms and conditions used to clearly state that PMs may be read by the mods, but if you read them now, no such mention of that aspect is made.

And here are some examples of bizarre censorship, going back as far as 2015.

And the Hubsters!