The forum reality check

[JAFO]

Over the last 2 weeks I have spent a descent amount of time on TV going over threads and responding into some of them. I read a lot of threads where foreigners from all countries around the globe asking about Thailand versus expats home countries and of course the infamous Thai women threads.

I have come to the conclusion that we are all here for varying different reasons hence why the threads all seem to go off into bashing the others posters opinion mode. Each of us sees it through entirely different eyes. The sweeping generalizations only tend to make it that much more complicated but it is the nature of the beast. There are expats here in Thailand that have strong financial means and live without budgets to others that are darn near flat broke. There are expats that married bar girls and expats that met really wonderful woman and everywhere in between. There are expats that always see the negative side of things and others that see it as tropical paradise. There are some that want everything western and others that came here to rid themselves of that western lifestyle. There are expats that are only here to "Shag", 'Root" (as some say term it) Thai woman while others are here because they wanted to meet a Thai gal and start a new life. We then have the UK versus US versus Australia debates.

Anyway my point in my first, and probably the only thread I will ever start, is that we are all different and hail from very different places and see things very different and there is no one answer that will ever fit all. Heck in the US alone the points of view are huge from west coast to the midwest to the east coast. Some say why would you leave Calif to move to Thailand? Well I have numerous reasons why but they are my reasons and opinions and undoubtedly will never make sense to a vast majority of others because they live elsewhere in the US and see Calif as the dream state.

I enjoyed the bantering, the candid feedback, the views of most others and various folks in most of the threads. I will say It takes a lot of filtering because there are some pretty bitter folks that post. In the end we all make it what it is. Its really that simple. If you think its bad it will surely be bad. I tend to be the opposite and find that there is lots to go off and do and lots of new things I can dive into and learn. When you do not have to work and you decompress from that life you enjoy things more as its now life on your terms.

Cheers

Edited September 8, 2014 by JAFO

[Costas2008]

OP, Excellent and congratulations.

You are the1232 person that writes the same observations on TVF.

Can't falter you as your style of writing is very appealing.

Let this not be your first and last thread.

We will be delighted to hear from you again.

But please try to think of a more original topic.

Cheers

[JDGRUEN]

Good post OP ... very observant and while much of it has been said before... your sincerity shows through... There are just so many people of TVF that somehow think that the only way to view Thailand or even the world is via their eyes and mindset. And not much is going to change that unfortunately.

Some TVF members are such control freaks that on any subject - ANYTHING that which deviates from how they see the situation sets off a firestorm of cynical hate laced responses... And all the while many of these people see themselves as 'liberals' ... How that meshes I will never understand.

One thing that amuses me is that some TVF posters somehow believe OPINION is not a valid post on thaivisa.com forums... These control freaks want endless citation of weblinks to support one's opinion - as if somehow a lifetime of education and experience does not entitle one to have and express an OPINION...

I see thaivisa.com forums as a miniature version of the forums on The Guardian which happens to be the epitome of Leftist domination in the Western World... where any deviation from the politically correct 'norm' is considered to be absolute heresy... where accusations of racism are flung about without regard to any sense of the definition of the real and accurate term...

But, TVF will not likely change no matter the common sense you describe in your post OP... so we just keep on keeping on ... wishing for a rational world...

Edited September 8, 2014 by JDGRUEN

[JAFO]

OP, Excellent and congratulations.

You are the1232 person that writes the same observations on TVF.

Can't falter you as your style of writing is very appealing.

Let this not be your first and last thread.

We will be delighted to hear from you again.

But please try to think of a more original topic.

Cheers

Yeah I knew I was not the only one who had stated similar sentiments. One hopes that if enough people state it in one way or another it may have an affect to a posters response keeping in mind the audience. I like TV for what it is. There are some terrific posters and I enjoyed reading their inputs and views even if vastly different than my own.

Clearly some people get it and others just don't and they will scream at the top of the world pushing that you are wrong when in fact its likely the opposite.

Its all good.I will go back to my lurking status.

Cheers

[geronimo]

It is this "difference" that makes us all unique. Sadly, some use TV as a platform to spread their negativity but, as you say, that is the nature of the beast. I also rarely post, only when I think I have some input.

On the upside, there are some great people on TV and you will get to know who they are. Internet forums are strange in as much as the written word can be taken many different ways, unlike a spoken conversation where we use tone of voice, stress etc, so some folks see things that are not there. Having said that, the keyboard warriors delight in being able to shoot others down anonymously. TV is like trying to have dialogue with several hundred people who you do not know.

My thoughts

[Jimi66]

Very true and balanced post, OP. I've been going through this forum for a couple of months and got same feeling as yours.

Keep on posting!

[benalibina]

This forum can be good for this

To help people, do it with this in mind

To do it properly, this is essential

On many threads there are funny posters with a great sense of humor

I use the forum for this.

[seajae]

good post op and basically pretty close to the truth. I know a lot of times my posts depend on how I am feeling at the time, I always try to be straight forward and open about the subject though. I am an aussie so I do tend to defend it but at the same time I also admit to its frailties, the US and UK have their own problems, people can only judge others on what they know and on their own principles. Thailand is a great country and it is my home but I will still be open about its faults the same way I am open about Australias, just because we live here does not mean we cannot have an opinion about it be it good, bad or otherwise. Those that only see the good side are deluding themselves just as those that only see the bad side do, the truth lies in the middle as it usually does for all countries.

The posts will always be based on the opinions of the poster, some are good, some are bad and some are just gibberish, if they have been ripped off they can be nasty, if they are having a good time the post follows suit, just accept that every has a differering opinion and that they will never agree 100% of the time. Also be thankful that a lot of us have a sense of humor, there are always a few posts that will make you laugh or if your not so quick wonder what the <deleted> we are talking about but then thats life

[samuibeachcomber]

And of course then there are the jokers...............i prefer to keep things light hearted but its not always possible.It pays to have a thick skin and not take things too personal when attacked by another member.

[JLCrab]

We're all different To each his own Different strokes for different folks Whatever floats your boat Make someone happy & you'll be happy too

The above is exactly 140 characters which is all you get to make your point on Twitter.

[SoiBiker]

There are expats that married bar girls and expats that met really wonderful woman and everywhere in between.... There are expats that are only here to "Shag", 'Root" (as some say term it) Thai woman while others are here because they wanted to meet a Thai gal and start a new life.

Then there are expats who didn't come here for the women at all. Hell, there are even expats who actually are women. These seem to be concepts that most here struggle to comprehend, though.

[Ulysses G.]

There are expats that married bar girls and expats that met really wonderful woman and everywhere in between.... There are expats that are only here to "Shag", 'Root" (as some say term it) Thai woman while others are here because they wanted to meet a Thai gal and start a new life.

Then there are expats who didn't come here for the women at all. Hell, there are even expats who actually are women.

They both exist, but are such a tiny percentage that they are mostly ignored.

[SoiBiker]

There are expats that married bar girls and expats that met really wonderful woman and everywhere in between.... There are expats that are only here to "Shag", 'Root" (as some say term it) Thai woman while others are here because they wanted to meet a Thai gal and start a new life.

Then there are expats who didn't come here for the women at all. Hell, there are even expats who actually are women.

They both exist, but are such a tiny percentage that they are mostly ignored.

They make up the majority of the people I know here. Perhaps it depends which circles you move in.

[sipi]

The "experts" that "copy and paste" wikipedia are annoying, especially when they post at 2am Thai time. Have they ever been to Thailand?

[Kaalle]

A remarkable thing about this place is that it seems to house a lot of old people and they treat social platforms on the internet as something serious and impacting. This is a good thing in many ways, this forum is less trollish than others for sure.

[TacoGuy]

I think TVF would be improved by having some sub forums based on customer type. Many peoples views are influenced by their education and wealth (i.e. class) and in the real world it's unlikely that a lawyer, for example would be exchanging notes with a truck driver - and vice versa. Equally some have very different experiences and opinions on the girls thing, and so many valid discussions end up in a big bun fight between people who will never see eye to eye. Not saying that a big general forum is not good too, it's interesting to have a diversity of opinion and characters, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to have discussions with people that are on the same wavelength.

[mauGR1]

I think TVF would be improved by having some sub forums based on customer type. Many peoples views are influenced by their education and wealth (i.e. class) and in the real world it's unlikely that a lawyer, for example would be exchanging notes with a truck driver - and vice versa. Equally some have very different experiences and opinions on the girls thing, and so many valid discussions end up in a big bun fight between people who will never see eye to eye. Not saying that a big general forum is not good too, it's interesting to have a diversity of opinion and characters, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to have discussions with people that are on the same wavelength.

If some people are on the same wavelenght, most probably there is not discussion at all.

[buhi]

I think TVF would be improved by having some sub forums based on customer type. Many peoples views are influenced by their education and wealth (i.e. class) and in the real world it's unlikely that a lawyer, for example would be exchanging notes with a truck driver - and vice versa. Equally some have very different experiences and opinions on the girls thing, and so many valid discussions end up in a big bun fight between people who will never see eye to eye. Not saying that a big general forum is not good too, it's interesting to have a diversity of opinion and characters, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to have discussions with people that are on the same wavelength.

If some people are on the same wavelenght, most probably there is not discussion at all.

Problem is nobody is on my wavelength.

However , it is good to have a feel of what others think/feel.

[NativeSon360]

An excellent piece, JAFO. Thank you for sharing your insight

[Crazy chef 1]

OP, Excellent and congratulations.

You are the1232 person that writes the same observations on TVF.

Can't falter you as your style of writing is very appealing.

Let this not be your first and last thread.

We will be delighted to hear from you again.

But please try to think of a more original topic.

Cheers

exactly- choose the next time a better topic such as : gerbils,TGAUS,honey badgers or about gayness( happyness)... no offence Costas i like your posts...

BTW does the word really just consists of UK,US and Australia? may my teachers were wrong they tought me about many other places wich funny names like France,Spain,Greece,Brasil,SA and so on.

[AlexRRR]

OP, Excellent and congratulations.

You are the1232 person that writes the same observations on TVF.

Can't falter you as your style of writing is very appealing.

Let this not be your first and last thread.

We will be delighted to hear from you again.

But please try to think of a more original topic.

Cheers

Why does it have to be original?

And 2000 plus posts make you the number 1 TV critic? Very easy to criticizes, as a Greek you may never heard of the saying that goes something like this "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"

I liked the post and from time to time it needs to be said.

[JLCrab]

As attributed to the late US Senator / former Harvard Professor Daniel Patrick Moynihan: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts."

However, on here, it seems, someone will say "The truth of the matter is ..." and then offer their own opinion.

[TacoGuy]

I think TVF would be improved by having some sub forums based on customer type. Many peoples views are influenced by their education and wealth (i.e. class) and in the real world it's unlikely that a lawyer, for example would be exchanging notes with a truck driver - and vice versa. Equally some have very different experiences and opinions on the girls thing, and so many valid discussions end up in a big bun fight between people who will never see eye to eye. Not saying that a big general forum is not good too, it's interesting to have a diversity of opinion and characters, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to have discussions with people that are on the same wavelength.

If some people are on the same wavelenght, most probably there is not discussion at all.

Problem is nobody is on my wavelength.

However , it is good to have a feel of what others think/feel.

Why, what's your wavelength ? Buddhist grand master or something?

[SoiBiker]

I think TVF would be improved by having some sub forums based on customer type. Many peoples views are influenced by their education and wealth (i.e. class) and in the real world it's unlikely that a lawyer, for example would be exchanging notes with a truck driver - and vice versa. Equally some have very different experiences and opinions on the girls thing, and so many valid discussions end up in a big bun fight between people who will never see eye to eye. Not saying that a big general forum is not good too, it's interesting to have a diversity of opinion and characters, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to have discussions with people that are on the same wavelength.

I think it would be improved if some people were able to recognise that not everyone is on the same wavelength as them. Rather than, for example, coming out with sneering comments like 'I bet you came here for the temples' when confronted by somebody who wasn't lead here by their dick.

[Costas2008]

OP, Excellent and congratulations.

You are the1232 person that writes the same observations on TVF.

Can't falter you as your style of writing is very appealing.

Let this not be your first and last thread.

We will be delighted to hear from you again.

But please try to think of a more original topic.

Cheers

Why does it have to be original?

And 2000 plus posts make you the number 1 TV critic? Very easy to criticizes, as a Greek you may never heard of the saying that goes something like this "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"

I liked the post and from time to time it needs to be said.

No 3000 minus 22.

After you reach that you can criticize me, in the meantime back to your glass house to collect the stones.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Costas2008

[vincent13]

TV very useful for information about a wide variety of topics related to living in Thailand.

However, I do tire of the negativity, racism and bigotry that pervades many threads.

[opalred]

i joined to get help from all the retired school teachers here that help me and the young boys and girls to learn

inglsh but i am to old to get private lessons

[JAFO]

good post op and basically pretty close to the truth. I know a lot of times my posts depend on how I am feeling at the time, I always try to be straight forward and open about the subject though. I am an aussie so I do tend to defend it but at the same time I also admit to its frailties, the US and UK have their own problems, people can only judge others on what they know and on their own principles. Thailand is a great country and it is my home but I will still be open about its faults the same way I am open about Australias, just because we live here does not mean we cannot have an opinion about it be it good, bad or otherwise. Those that only see the good side are deluding themselves just as those that only see the bad side do, the truth lies in the middle as it usually does for all countries.

The posts will always be based on the opinions of the poster, some are good, some are bad and some are just gibberish, if they have been ripped off they can be nasty, if they are having a good time the post follows suit, just accept that every has a differering opinion and that they will never agree 100% of the time. Also be thankful that a lot of us have a sense of humor, there are always a few posts that will make you laugh or if your not so quick wonder what the <deleted> we are talking about but then thats life

I agree. I am easy going guy and life is waaaaaaaay to short to let yourself get spun up around the axle about a flaming post from an anonymous poster. No value in it. Its a forum and some folks just post that way and its their style. If I do not care for their style I ignore them, its really quite simple. In fact there are some pretty fun folks here( actualy quite a few I would like to meet) and I can take a jab just like the majority. The forum would never work if we all agreed on the subject line I just struggle with the petty folks who seem to want to derail every thread they post in. I like to read peoples differing points of view as it gives me an idea of the cross section of folks that live here plus how others feel/felt about their homeland and moreover why they decided to exit it.

As I have mentioned in other posts, I have lived in Thailand for roughly 7-8 years but had been coming here for business 2-3 years prior. Unfortunately the last few have been back in the US a lot more than I would like but has afforded me the luxury of bringing my wife with me so she can see the various parts of the US as time allows. We will be returning home soon I hope.

Anyway my OP was not to cite a riot or throw digs at folks it was to make another unoriginal post with huge sweeping generalizations to further the general forum section along and give posters something to talk about.

[sipi]

Your post had a degree of nascissism about it within 2 dozen or so replies JAFO. How unusual.

[RandomSand]

"reality check"?

Don't you realise that several members exist as nothing but electronic avatars on this forum ?

I mean. come one, you don't seriously suppose that any sane human being would spend over 12 hours every day on this site do you?