Timelines and signatures

[Jordy]

I need to say that I really dont like the decision to remove timelines in members signatures, and I would please like the hosts to reconsider this unilaterial decision that was made without consultation. For me this was such wonderful feature of this forum. I remember someone saying once that a whole new world opened up for them when they registered and signed on because they could now see new information they couldn't see previously.

I do understand the tickers were making the forum messy and that some signatures were very long. Mine was getting way too long, but that is only because I am getting further down the road.

Riekie mentioned in the announcement that some people complained. Can I ask whether the number of complaints was so high that it necessitated such a decision? Perhaps those of us who wanted them and found them extremely useful out-weighed those who didn't.

Riekie also says we should put our timelines in the Personal statement in the Profile view. That just doesnt work for two reasons - 1. because it is too short 2. - because I couldnt be bothered opening up someones profile first to check which visa they on and their progress before answering a question.

Please would the hosts reconsider this decision? I think you have lost a crucial and a special feature of the forum. I took quite alot of pride in my signature - to the extent that when I receieved documents like PCC's or IELTS results, the first thought that crossed my mind was that I could update my signature.

Perhaps more guidelines were needed as to the length, font, colour, information etc was the answer rather than banning them outright.

Please give this a re thought!

Jordy

[Ajay]

I clearly understand that the signatures have been limited to 8 lines

what I am asking is...

WHY?

there are, in my understanding, two issues of contention...

1. Bandwidth - we have been clearly advised that bandwidth is not the issue'

2. Irritatation to forumites / aesthetics... - we know that signatures can be activated or removed as per each individuals personal tastes....

so....

neither of these hold any water...

I am happy to abide by rules and regulations... if they are based in logic...

once the rules no longer confirm to the basic rules of logic I feel compelled to question...

so... no... I do not feel that the situation has been dealt with...

My question remains unanswered.... and you, as hosts, are required to respond...

Why are the signatures limited to 8 lines

As a forumite I respectfully ask you to please quantify your decision to limit signatures to 8 lines

It's a simple question... please stop dismissing me!

Hi Foncused,

The question has been answered already - more than once. Too many lines are cluttering the forum. There was resistance to the suggestion of switching off signatures because many members still want to see timelines - just not reams and reams of pages due to lengthy timeslines. So, the decision was made to allow them to remain in the signatures, with limited to 8 lines.

I think this matter has been flogged to death now and that we should all get back to the business of helping out with regards to the real questions and stop bickering about the small stuff.

Cheers

Ajay

[JanCPT]

Hi Foncussed - Thanks, you communicated the matter in a way that I am clearly not able to

And the ticker boxes - possibly as an option instead of the extended time line signature - they would surely clutter less than 8 lines of signature

& they add colour to the page as well!!

I think this will add value to the forum, because people measure their estimated remaining time to the next step, by comparing to the time line signatures of others - as I constantly did, before they were banned

Cheers

Jan

PS

- just not reams and reams of pages due to lengthy timeslines.

Do people actually print the posts out???? No wonder they have a problem with the extended timelines & colour banners - can't they just scroll - no problem with that surely??

Edited March 14, 2008 by JanCpt

[Riekie]

To answer the question of why limiting the time-lines?

This is why: You get a one-liner response with the rest of the screen filled up by a time-line that goes on forever. (No intended reflection on the person who's time-line I copied as an example - just picked one at random...) You can not see the post before or after the post and have to scroll up & down all the time to make sense of the continuity of the thread. It irritates people and they complained. We, as host who have to read through everything on a daily basis and find it very tiring having to scroll on endlessly to read a few one liners. It will make the forum more user friendly for everyone.

Example: (this one line was the full extent of the actual post).

jy verwys daarna om alles "relocation" strokies vir belasting te hou. Dis nou vir die SA belasting as ek dit nie mis het nie. Kan jy dalk daarop uitbrei?

--------------------

02 Feb '07 - apply for IELTS

31 Mar '07 - write IELTS

15 Apr '07 - receive IELTS results

25 Apr '07 - applied for unabridges birth certificates

25 May '07 - received unabridges birth certificates

19 Jun '07 - 1st contact with employer

25 Jun '07 - job offer accepted

20 Jul '07 - RSMS 857 nomination ack received by DIAC

08 Aug '07 - nomination approval received from DIAC, CO assigned: start RSMS Subclass 119

15 Aug '07 - application for Police Clearance

26 Sept '07 - received Police Clearance certificates

10 Oct '07 - sent all paperwork to DIAC

12 Oct '07 - received by DIAC and acknowledged

05 Nov '07 - new CO assigned, requires form 80/47es, values statement, and Vetassess assesment

05 Nov '07 - apply online for ASCO 2523-11 Vetassess

13 Nov '07 - went for medicals in PTA

19 Nov '07 - receive ack from LCU

21 Nov '07 - receive ack from Vetassess

29 Nov '07 - Vetassess changes from "active" to "positive"

7 Dec '07 - Receive official letter from Vetasses

14 Dec '07 - Receive CO email that they received medicals from LCU

17 Dec '07 - Receive VISA approval from CO via email !!!!!!!

6 Feb '08 - Flying through Quantas, JHB-Sydney-Proserpine

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To all of you who feel that it is your right to demand to be consulted on forum decisions, I only have one answer. How thankless!! We bust our butts to tray and keep everyone satisfied and I'm really sick and tired of having to justify every singe action we take to improve the forum. I have a close friend in hospital after a stroke 3 days ago and my Aussie mom has been admitted to hospital today. Yet, I sat last night (and almost every night) after midnight still answering PM's & Emails of ppl who ask for help and still validating members and replying to ppl's requests for ladies lounge access - and I do this regardless and never complain!! What do I get for it? A bunch of whingers complaining about tickers!! That's it!! I've had it!! You lot carry on like spoilt brats, I have a life to live!!

[Jordy]

A bunch of whingers complaining about tickers!! That's it!! I've had it!! You lot carry on like spoilt brats, I have a life to live!!

Thats a bit harsh Riekie. Really now!

If the forum is taking up so much of your time and you despise us members so much then please either move on or appoint extra hosts / moderators to help with the work of running the forum. There is nothing worse than an ungracious host who makes you feel unwelcome.

I note that out of the 13 people on the host team, all but 2 joined and were made hosts / mods in February 2006. The HELP section invites people to become HOSTS but I note that no one besides the founding members have have ever been appoointed host. May I ask if anyone has ever offered in the two years of the forum. If so why were they turned down?

I will gladly offer my services as a moderator (not host). I am sure others will too if you will let us help.

[sa2auz]

Hi there Jordy, thanks for your reply and offer of help. As far as I am aware no one has ever offered to host, so hope that answers your question.

I can assure you that there is alot that goes on behind the scenes and we always try to make sure that all decisions are fair and all issues are voted on, we don't always agree but we try to do what we believe is right for the members of the forum.

As far as the topic in hand re timelines and signatures, we tried to do what we felt was best for firstly, the majority of forumites, secondly - forum and hosts.

Lets all try to compromise and get back to the important stuff.

[Mara]

Hi Jordy

It seems to be OK for members to loose their cool with the hosts, but when one of us retaliates, like Riekie, then the members are quick to shout us down.

You are wrong, it is not just the founding members that are hosts, there have been quite a few appointed since then.

I, for one understands where Riekie is coming from, and she does not despise the forum as you state, BUT, from time to time we have members who seem to sweat the small stuff instead of looking at the bigger picture and appreciating the information that is provided on this website.

Case in point, it seemed to be that it had been settled that tickers were out, timelines in signatures were limited, and guess what, a new debate is started about whether or not tickers should now be allowed instead of timelines......

As I said before, could we please put this thread to bed? Decisions have been made, tickers are out and timelines in the signatures are limited to eight lines!

[Ajay]

If the forum is taking up so much of your time and you despise us members so much then please either move on or appoint extra hosts / moderators to help with the work of running the forum. There is nothing worse than an ungracious host who makes you feel unwelcome.

Actually, Jordy, I think there are quite a few things worse - ungracious members who make us feel inadequate and useless, despite the fact that those same members benefit from a lot of behind the scenes work put in by these hosts who so obviously despise their members so much. How dare you?! I'd like to make a suggestion of my own - If you are unhappy with the way in which this VERY SUCCESSFUL forum is managed, please move on yourself. Perhaps there are many forums out there that run these things like a real democracy with every decision being debated amongst thousands - you'll no doubt be happier there. Some people here seem to think the Hosts have no right to an opinion - well, sorry for you. We are members like everyone else, just with additional responsibility.

As to your other question. Not a single person has ever put their hand up and offered to be a host, and we have therefore never turned anyone down. There have been few people, other than founding members that have been approached by us and asked if they would be interested in joining the team. You might be suprised at how many people that have STRONG opinions on how this place should be managed suddenly run like the wind when asked if they would mind making a committment and assisting on a more formal basis.

Now for a strong opinon of my own (and apologies to Hendie and my fellow Hosts (note - not moderators) for being as blunt as I am about to be). This forum has a few members who seem to be of the opinion that they are better qualified, better equipped and altogether more suitable to this job than I and some other Hosts are. Well, you know what - I think I'm better than my boss at his job, but I have the common courtesy, decency and enough good sense to know that to walk into his office every day and tell him that I think his decisions suck, that he has no manners, is ungracious and incompetent and that the company would be better of without him and that the next time he makes a decision without consulting me, I'll make a public outcry and demand that he reverses it until such time that he has my explicit agreement to implement it, I would be told, in no uncertain terms, what to do with myself. The Hosts are not the bosses here, but given that we carry the responsibility and the accountability, I think that there are a lot of you out there who should be ashamed of the way that some of my colleagues have been treated. If you don't like it here, then vote with your feet (or your fingers, as is the case) and move on to somewhere that meets your requirements better.

Apologies to those that have not been guilty of any of the above, but I am just completely fed up with the demanding and childish behaviour that has resulted out of something as simple as a bloody signature! What the heck are we going to do when something really challening comes up!

Ajay

[saffer2]

Ajay,

You guys do a GREAT job. Herding members is like managing primary school children!

We DO appreciate you guys and the HARD work.

Saffer2

[Dedrei]

Holy crap. I have been away for 10 days in NZ and this is what happened while I am away???

Geez people, really. I totally support my fellow hosts and I am stunned at the response from our members. I am shocked at some of the responses and I really think everyone needs to step back and look at the bigger picture and just freakin' RELAX!! Is this childish behaviour actually helping anyone?

Since the forum started, we have had NOT ONE request from a member to become a host. We have since Feb 2006 approached a few people to become hosts and some have accepted and some not.

I am very sad that some of our hosts have been "attacked" the way they have been by some members and that they offer up their little free time they have to contribute to this forum and this is the thanks we get?? I am sad that friends have fighted over this stupid thing. Some members have really hurt some of the hosts and we don't need this kind of treatment. Please tell me what you would do this forum had no hosts? It would become the same story as that crap Rainbownation forum that we all used to chat on and was taken over by TROLLS as there was no moderators of any kind.

So I am asking very nicely, please just try and understand our decision and be supportive and not attack us for doing so. We also have the best interest of our forum and our members at heart.

Cheers from NZ

[Dedrei]

And for those that don't know, we have a timeline that we run for the members of the forum so you can keep track of everyone's timeline on one page.

http://www.freewebs.com/saaustraliaforum

This I also update in my little free time that I have, so be a little bit grateful and stop this bickering

[sa2auz]

Hi D

Welcome back. I am sure this will all blow over soon, lets all just get back to the good stuff.

S

[Mara]

Well said Ajay, could not have said it better myself! We are damned if we do and double damned if we don't. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place!

[JanCPT]

If you don't like it here, then vote with your feet (or your fingers, as is the case) and move on to somewhere that meets your requirements better.

Or in the words of our great South African Ministers - "if you're not happy about the crime in SA, .... leave!!!"

I have tried to point out on a number of posts, that I had no grudge with the Hosts & appreciated their work - this seems to be totally ignored in the replies - is it because it is an easier wicket to bat from when you insinuate that you have been insulted on a personal level??

This topic is not about been consulted on a day to day event, it's about a matter that a number of members find quite important and the hosts seem to prefer feeling insulted because members have made their feelings known.

If I could refer you to the result of the poll in this regard - yet the Hosts still state that it is in the best interest of members that the timelines & tickers are restricted (do you have a better understanding of what the members want, than what they do themselves??)

In closing, could I just clarify again (before I get misunderstood) - Thanks for everything that you guys do & have done .... but I don't agree with this one & I find it quite important

Cheers

Jan

Edited March 14, 2008 by JanCpt

[Hendie]

Julle sal my verskoon as ek sommer nou in Afrikaans skryf. Dis my moedertaal, en ek spreek myself net meer effektief uit daarin.

Kom ons kyk net gou eers na die doel van SAAustralia (én SACanada, SAUSA, en nou ook SAEU): Om voornemende emigrante vanaf Suid-Afrika na die land verteenwoordig deur die spesifieke forum te ondersteun met raad en daad om die verhuising so maklik en kommervry moontlik te maak. Verder, om dié wat reeds die skuif gemaak het geleentheid te gee om te kan netwerk, sosiaal te ontmoet, en ondervindinge te deel. Hierdie is ons primêre doel "in die lewe". Dít is waarvoor ons ure en ure spandeer aan lees, beantwoord, PM, ondersteun, ens ens. Dit is vir die ongepubliseerde dankies wat ons op mense se gesigte sien wanneer hulle op die lughawe land en 'n vriendelike gesig sien in 'n nuwe, vreemde land. Dis vir die wete dat ek iemand se lewe help makliker maak het te midde van 'n traumatiese besluit om sy vaderland te verlaat en die vreemde aan te durf.

Nou wil ek vra dat ons kyk na die vermorste ure wat spandeer is daaraan om die tema van hierdie gesprek deur te trap, op tone te trap, in mense se karakters in te klim, en bloot te vergeet wat ons nou eintlik hier doen!

Dan wil ek graag ook my opinie gee oor die hele saak van kleurvolle, flikkerende slangetjies of treintjies, en elle lange "signatures" met tydlyne. Soos julle kan sien, sonder dat ek iets verder hoef te sê: ek is daarteen. Daar is ander webwerwe en publieke forums waar 'n mens sommer kopseer kry as jy net 'n bladsy oopmaak so flikker en glinster dit. Ons is nie so 'n plek nie. Die belangrikste inhoud van ons forum is die raad en gesprekke rondom immigrasie. Dít is wat ons wil hê die aandag moet trek. As dit van my afgehang het het ek signatures totaal verban van die forum af! Ja, ons luister na die lede, en ons hét 'n kompromie aangegaan deur opsommende 8 lyne toe te laat, maar ons hou ook heeltyd ons missie in die oog. Indien ons 'n sosiale MySpace, of Facebook was, was ons besluite dalk anders, maar ons skerm primêr vir ons missie. Alle besluite wat deur die gasheerspan gemaak word is met dié doel voor oë.

[DKH]

Hi all,

May I be as bold to suggest:

Firstly, let's all agree to disagree about the aspect of the timelines / signatures and put it to bed.

Secondly, let's commit to a sociable and considerate co-existence where the focus is to help and support one another.

Thirdly, let's follow the principles of any good society where certain members carry the responsibility to take decisions, whether popular or unpopular. There are always reasonable ways to resolve differences.

Lastly, I vote that this topic now be deleted as no-one can really add anymore and it is not helpful to the community, especially newcomers. Jordy, since you started it, may I ask you to request the hosts to delete it?

Personal note: Don't forget the PM facility where issues can be handled behind the scenes without affecting all the bystanders.

I wish all an excellent weekend and may the force, eh-em Case Officers be with you...

DKH

[Mara]

I have decided to place this thread in the cooler, and to close it. I think the whole thing has been done to death.