I do think that it is a world gone mad. There is a balance to be struck. On the one hand forum administrators want to strike a balance and keep things polite, certainly not encouraging criminal activity or allowing their sites to fall into the realms of some bad magazines which are so advertising driven that it’s hard to work out what’s personal and what’s commercial. Also there is a fear of litigation. I’ve worked extensively with avocats and notaires in property matters, and despite the ever present danger of litigation, I think it’s far less likely to materialise in France than the UK.
By the way I agree that Brits who don’t have insurance or tax are criminals, because they’re putting third parties at risk.
I used to run AOL UK’s gardening forum and live chat years ago before they went all commercial on me. It’s not a simple job and I did have a zap button which would immediately silence someone in Gardening Chat who became unreasonable. I would also look at the forum once or twice a day to make sure everything there was legal, decent and honest.
Being a 60’s sort of a guy (1960’s, that is) I was quite liberal I thought, but occationally people complained I was being over zealous.
My most recent message board punch up has been with the BBC Gardening section. I offered my review of Chaumont Garden Festival with a link to my blog for the full story and photographs. Because it is a big show, I proposed writing about it in 5 or 6 hits. The poor old BBC removed the post, but when I complained replaced it… and a day later removed it again. Post number 2 was given the same treatement and resulted in members either condemning my actions or those of the moderator.
My final point is to agree with those describing misunderstandings. Emails are bad enough, but it is so easy to dash off a note which reads badly or seems rude to those reading it. I’m nice, so if I sound rude at times please blame the system!
Interesting post, I have to say I find AngloInfo French Alps a cracking resource, in fact more useful if I dare say so than Survive France which I find annoyingly sud-o-centric
Absolutely!!! regarding Anglo sites.
It is getting ridiculous. I have been struck off of one area of the LR region three times just for helping others. I cannot get back on now as they know all my email addresses and just disallow me access. I wasn’t doing anything wrong at all and another area in LR that I have posted on had my same posts and accepted them with no problems so it just doesn’t make sense.
If run properly it is really great for all expats.
Maybe we should consider starting up our own???
Regarding the car business. We who do things right here do get rather annoyed with other expats living here who just swan around without all the paperwork for their cars. You would’t do it the UK so why do they become criminals here.
Regards
Sue
Getting back to the original thread title… time for it to close down - perhaps. Or quite simply vote with your feet (or keyboard and mouse) and don’t use it. The way a site is run seems to dictate the sort of people who use it and that’s why I like and only use this one - we’re all different, open minded, like open debate and helping each other if we can - no real need for the other sites then is there!
Why not if they’re not displaying either UK or French vignettes ! it’s a known problem that “pisses off” locals and law abiding brits alike. when i was working at the CCI in rodez there was talk of policing the airport carpark “properly” but as far as know it was never done - too much hassle and they didn’t want to upset people bringing valued investment into the area… that’s OK as long as they don’t ever have an accident…
That’s why I only use sfn - had a look at the others and there not even worth connecting too (in my humble opinion as someone who is surviving quite nicely thank you but likes to see what others are doing, chat openly and help with advice where I can). I also agree about the Uk cars with no UK tax disc or French vignette and contrôle technique vignette… doesn’t do much for those of us who are well integrated and have to put up with french work mates, family and friends moaning about the situation! On that note I happily left a note on a Uk car left blocking the school entrance on a Monday morning - we were all having a problem getting our kids safely into the school - mini bus had to park up the road - while the owners were still in bed… would they have done that in the UK, perhaps, who knows, but the note was polite and written on the back of my business card.
Maybe its being picky, but I know that the Midi-Pyrenees AngloInfo is run by an American. As Evelyn mentioned, the strict rules appear to come from the AngloInfo hierarchy, although maybe it is over zealously enforced by the local franchisees.
My site has no hidden agenda and aims to simply offer information
You could setup a group here dedicated to rehoming animals - and then link back from elsewhere, that way you wouldn’t be in breach of any regulations. Except they might not like the link I suppose.
Anglo info - A web site run by a few Brits who tell other Brits how France ought to be run! Although it does have its uses there are other sites carrying the same info but without the hidden agenda, thank heavens.
Don’t know if you’ve seen my post about my husband James being booted off AI for not including his (yes his! ) micro chip number - but if not its here somewhere and should raise a smirk at pastis time!
And I’m sure we all agree that driving uninsured is a Bad Idea, driving with unrestrained passengers is a Bad Idea, over zealous moderation is a Bad Idea, driving badly (whatever side the steering wheel is on) is a Bad Idea and that healthy, polite debate is a Good Idea!!!
Poor driving is not restricted to RHD cars, the number of times I see blatent tail gating here I’ve lost count of, and it would appear that the french can see round corners as well!!!
Coming from a county with a higher than average no of tractors and being a professional driver all I can say is that to overtake safely you should not be gay and hold well back so that you can see round the beast while leaving room to pull back in, obviously if you are on the wrong side of the Vehicle there is a need to hold back even further to give a good view.
One other tip I learnt was never to trust any driver in a hat…still holds good I find
We seem to be going a little off topic here so I may continue the insurance issue on another thread.
Suffice to say that it was a hell of a shock. We could not eat at the restaurant that night but we promised to return. When we did the accident had been meticulously detailed in the local paper, which is how we got to know how it happened. It is true that had the other driver been insured the result would have been the same but it would be equally true that had the uninsured driver followed the law he should not have been there!
With regard to RHD cars here you are correct. My opinion of their continual use by people resident here is not particularly favourable as I have witnessed some very dodgy driving at times. Another particular incident springs to mind. A mother & small child in a Vauxhall trying to overtake a tractor & trailer resulted in the car swerving rapidly from side to side throwing the unbelted child around the car, whilst scaring the oncoming motorists, many of whom had to brake hard & flash their lights! Too many near misses.
A traumatising situation obviously, especially for someone with a vivid imagination. One that is faced by the emergency services every day of the year; but I ask my self, as should you,’ would it have been less so if the driver was insured’ and how do you know, as a bystander, that that was the case?
Perhaps you have an argument against all drivers in RHD Cars which seems to be the contributing factor here.
