(edit title) This forum sucks Do you think it's time for change Options

[Uncle Fred]

There has been many recent comments on how this forum and how it's lost its way. It has been hijacked by students, visa questions and trolls.
For this reason a vast majority have left, Gamla I think you must be the oldest serving.

I was wondering if between the members who may be interested that we set up a new forum and let this one rot (as it is already doing).

I found this, which is a free forum hosting site.

https://www.proboards.com/create-free-forum

We could have sub sections such as life in Sweden, What's going and Jokes etc., NO students and NO visa apps.

Any views on this.

[mjennin2]

*Raises hand*

I think I've been a member here for a decade now? I miss the old cast. Mzungu, fishtank, Bender, etc.

It was hilarious back then, a nice way to kill dead time at the office. But isn't forum cancer contagious? :/

[Bsmith]

So what's going on in this forum...is it only here on TL or is it society as a whole?

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

We miss the "old days" in all aspects of life, Thelocal is what we make of it now...

Even the Trolls here are very poor quality...

It's really up to us, maybe we would get lucky to have a comedic Troll or two...

Chins up...

Wait a minute, we could have a discussion on why square ball bearings are so scarce!!!

[Bsmith]

Explain yourselves... intelligently and thoroughly.

To who? You??? Bwahahahahaha!

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

Don't feed the Troll!!!

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

And then there is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI16zDNFLec

And What say you???

Enough to get the pot boiling???

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

Stop whining and get real!!!

What about posts like this:

Is life the absence of death or is death the absence of life???

Why do we need to believe in a God???

When and why did we invent God???

And finally the question of self rising or self raising flour!!!

TheLocal awaits your most intelligent ans controversial replies...

[Cheeseroller]

No BSmith, if you look at Toytowngermany, the German forum, you see a lot more conversation and debate. This forum has died out under the continuous posts of visa's, permits, etc - people who don't have a clue how to think for themselves, and then a group of posters who shout everyone else down - some who have no relation to Sweden at all.

Even in the heyday there was a fair amount of Sweden bitching as folks tried to figure out life here. But there was also more camaraderie. Some posters met privately.

The forum has mostly become a resource for the thick witted, looking for someone else to answer their questions rather than do any research themselves. Whereas in the past is was more of an expat community.

It's the Facebook influence I think. I see the same use of that as I see here. A lot of people who take and few give.

[mjennin2]

This forum has died out under the continuous posts of visa's, permits, etc - people who don't have a clue how to think for themselves, and then a group of posters who ... (show full quote)

This forum has died out under the continuous posts of visa's, permits, etc - people who don't have a clue how to think for themselves, and then a group of posters who shout everyone else down - some who have no relation to Sweden at all. ... (hide full quote)

Sometimes I feel guilty for propogating the visa stuff. When I first joined this forum, I was in my young 20s, had just begun dating my now-husband (who was known as jailbait to the old cast ), and I knew NOTHING about Sweden. I was one of those "no relation to Sweden" folks.. other than said romantic interest.

But I stuck around because the forum was hilarious and the camaraderie was infectious. But then I took a new job that eliminated all the free time I had at my previous one, and I didn't return until several years later when I was beginning my own immigration journey and desperately seeking any information I could get. The process is very often ambiguous and much less transparent than MV's website might often make it appear to be. I owe this forum a great deal for not only being a source of information but also a community of consolation when I was going through a very difficult time in my life, trying to navigate such a big shift in my life with very little information to operate off of. I have several real life friends here in Sweden that I met on this forum as we all were immigrating at the same time. I feel an obligation to pay it forward to others in a similar situation, because I know how useful the help can be.

For that reason, I do honestly believe that visa conversations have their place here. And I don't think it's always a case of people not being able to do their own research. There are so many horror stories and conflicting information out there, much of it thanks to the mouths of MV employees themselves!, that one finds the need to just ask other humans questions. To ask for help. The student threads that pop up every semester also have their place - I've read several of those threads and not only are they community-based, but people are always mentioning their schools and programs and seeking others who they could meet up with. It's just a niche of the community.

I don't really know what happened to TL in the years I left, but the community definitely wasn't the same when I came back. I just figured people moved on. It's a shame, but with facebook, it's so much easier to have more personal interactions. I wonder how many regular users on this forum would be more interested in joining a private Facebook group instead of this forum so prone to randoms traipsing in and leaving just as quickly (or, conversely, staying around for far too long. I won't name names )

[gsurya]

Agree, if all those hate filled trolls who fill up each thread with whining, racism, insults and abuse leave this forum for another one where only their type posts, both the forums will be better off. So will be a win-win situation for all.

[Uncle Fred]

I wonder how many regular users on this forum would be more interested in joining a private Facebook group instead of this forum

I would never join Facebook until tax evading Mark Zuckerberg and his crony crooks pay their full taxes.
That is why I surgested a forum in my first post on this thread, these forums are easily regulated.

[Saywhatwhat]

[Uncle Fred]

http://expats-in-sweden.boards.net/

[Bsmith]

Agree, if all those hate filled trolls who fill up each thread with whining, racism, insults and abuse leave this forum for another one where only their type posts, both the f ... (show full quote)

Agree, if all those hate filled trolls who fill up each thread with whining, racism, insults and abuse leave this forum for another one where only their type posts, both the forums will be better off. So will be a win-win situation for all. ... (hide full quote)

You leaving?