802mark
From: Panama
4/22/2012 22:33 EST
Hey guys.... love most of you, hate the rest,, just kidding.
listen I have seen a lot of questions on this site for a long time, many of which have already been covered 10 times, but still gets asked from time to time.. and many which I don't know what to reply too..
so what do I do??? I do a google search on it,, and well what do you know the answer is right there on 20.843.938,00 pages..
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lapapuja
4/23/2012 06:45 EST
I have heard this many times. It is easy to forget when you have been in a forum or group for a while, that the purpose is to ask questions about the subject. Then hopefully someone can give you an answer. My view is that people SHOULD do their homework but isn't this a place to do it? I'm fine with newcomer questions over and over again. I will answer if I know the answer. Let's say you search for an answer, you get hundreds of results, many of them different, many outdated, ... what do you do? Ask on a forum or group. That is what it is for.
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jrod1944
4/23/2012 10:26 EST
I have to agree with lapapuja. The ones that are here all the time are aware of the repetitions. The ones that come in for the first time feel they have found a source of information, and ask the question we have heard so many times before. I don't think admonishing them will change anything.
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Tizzy
4/23/2012 11:05 EST
Somewhere between the two is about right...all you need to do is scan the previous discussions to see if there's a response...everyone including me should do this new or not. If you don't see your question answered somewhere in the forum...fire away with your question. There is a distinct chance that your question has been answered but not to your satisfaction…then you could ask for more details on what you’re looking for…in closing…the beatings will continue until morale and forum behavior gets up to snuff! Ha!
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lapapuja
4/23/2012 18:55 EST
OK, if no one knows the answer or doesn't want to answer a "dumb", "lazy" question, I'll do it if I know the answer. Been doing it for more years (since 1999) than most, so, ask away.
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LakeOkoboji
4/24/2012 18:59 EST
Hello, I am new to this site.
As I am reading how certain people feel about the "asking of questions", I have made a mental note to ask NO questions on ExpatExchange for fear of being called "lazy", "dumb", or "just want attention".
I am very interested in at least visiting Panama. Who knows? In the past I have just picked up and moved out to Seattle. I have lived outside the US twice in my life. Germany is an awesome place, well, to visit. I lived on the economy once for 2 years and the second time for 1 year. Although, I have never been to Panama, it is something I am seriously considering. I am ready to go NOW, except for I am a personal assistant to a 94 year old woman, and do not want to abandon her. But, the day she goes into a senior home or expires, I am ready to go to Panama for about 3 or 4 months to start with. The pay is way to good to pass up, so may as well work and put away money for the future.
I have been on many sites checking out the country, how to get there, looking at rentals to see how I want to live, how to bring my best friend over, looking up the airlines rules, the papers I need to get, like passport. I do look back to see what people were talking talking about. I have taken alot of information from that. But, I also like to get updated information, and people who live in Panama, well some people, most people, are very informative. I also wonder to myself how many times a person who has lived in Panama for even a few years anwsers the same questions over and over sometimes.
To those people I want to say "thank you". If you were not so generous with your time and information I would not be so interested in visiting and possibly moving. If I like it. When I was in Germany I had 1 and then 2 young children. Now, I am free to do as I wish.
But, the people that are willing to share their information and knowledge over and over are the people the entice people such as me to visit.
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jonoyakker
4/25/2012 08:01 EST
Hate to admit it, but I am coming to Mark's defense on this one. Just don't get used to it...
I have only been reading here for a few months and already I have seen the same basic cost of living question asked about 4 times or so.
Mark, if you are tired of answering the same questions, (and getting PO'd) maybe just direct people to the custom search window at the top of the page each time?
Jon
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billmiller54
4/25/2012 08:19 EST
When I join a new forum I always scan the subject lines if not read the whole thread for as far back as I can. Doing so helps me learn the basics quickly and allows me to get to substantive questions sooner.
Perhaps such a suggestion could be made in a welcoming message to new users? Admins listening?
Or keep a document of oft repeated answers and just paste em in without thinking.
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RonRLR
4/25/2012 08:20 EST
MARK writes>>>
If your scared hire me and I will hold your hand and walk you past the night into the light.
Mark what do you charge?
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StudioN
4/25/2012 09:39 EST
I've been reading the forum for about a year and I sometimes get the impression that you enjoy being a curmudgeon. I can understand that you get tired of answering the same thing over and over again, but in defense of some of the questioners, the version of the forum that comes to my email does not have a search feature to check to see if a question has been asked before. It simply offers a list of the current questions and answers.
That said, another thing to remember is that things change. Prices change. Situations change. What may have been the case last year may be different today.
For example, here in the US, a couple of years ago we were advised to buy used cars instead of new because of the initial depreciation. Next, we were told that the prices of used cars had skyrocketed due to demand and dealers were cutting the prices on the new cars.
That is just one example. As recently as 5 years ago, anyone who could fog a mirror could get a loan to buy a house. It didn't matter if you could afford the payments or not. If you were willing to borrow, the banks were willing to lend. Then came the "crash" and all of a sudden no one could get a loan.
Here in the US we are bombarded with reports of how idyllic life is in Panama and other Latin American countries. We are told that we can live there for practically nothing and have excellent health care and a maid to do everything but brush our teeth for us - all on a Social Security budget. Oh and yeah, the natives will love us.
How can you blame someone for wanting to check with "real people" to see if any of this is true?
Those of us who are still trying to get it together to come down to Panama and see for ourselves, do appreciate the patience and willingness to share of the people who answer the questions.
PS - Yes it is scary to contemplate leaving everything familiar behind and go to a new place - especially if you fear that you might not be able to afford to come back if you didn't like it.
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eldukedeplas
4/25/2012 09:43 EST
Mark is modest. Offer him a bottle of good rum and a box of Cubanos. (Plus gas for his gas guzzler.)
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eldukedeplas
4/25/2012 12:49 EST
Hey Mark. You've been call a lot of things, I've even been so unkind, but a curmudgeon?? I'm a simple guy, but, what the heck is curmudgeon, and is it contageous and will I need to get special inouculations for it my next trip down?
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eldukedeplas
4/25/2012 12:51 EST
Oh yeah, I forgot. I should have GOOGLED it. Maybe I'll do it when I get back from the beach.
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IAMJTSA
4/25/2012 15:37 EST
Part of the problem may be that here, unlike many other Question & Answer forums, there does not appear to be a way to rate a "Best Answer" so as to know what information to most trust. Additionally, rules, regulations and laws change, so to use old information opens up "Dumb, Lazy, Scare(d) or Love the Attention" people up to the follow-up slap, you should have done your homework.
My help to others in many areas is also not boundless, but this is an important distinction. If the forum would have an answer rating system, that could help eliminate the repetitiveness, I suspect.
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802mark
From: Panama
4/26/2012 13:27 EST
let me reply, it's not that I get tired of the same old questions. I have repeated help on the same questions more times then I can count.
I think what really bothers me, is the fact that many questions are aimed at panama as being this far off place that has never seen a white man before.
someone once said there is never a dumb question,, ahhh someone on this site wrote me and asked "WHAT TYPE OF AIR DO WE HAVE IN PANAMA" I at first thought they meant is the air clean or smoked up from cars ect.. so I replied, no the air is clean and fresh.. they replied no I meant does panama use the same air as we do in the u.s.?
now maybe I am being harsh or maybe I am the dumb one here and maybe I have been out of the u.s. too long, so could someone tell me if someone has made new air for us to breath? DON'T REPLY I JUST KNOW THAT WAS A DUMB QUESTION..
Panama is not some back water little country, you can find that here, but there is a huge city here with streets and working lights.. really not kidding..
you can buy tools of any kind here along with the lastest fashions. many times in the same mall,. yes we do have malls rofl...
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802mark
From: Panama
4/26/2012 23:14 EST
I charge a hug.. and a thank you.. that is all.. I would hope the thank you comes from you and the hug from your wife, but it is what it is.. rofl... no I don't charge anyone.. the on;y reason I post of this site is to help other people. I spent around 50k moving here because I didn't know anything, I only hope I can help others before they learn the way I did.
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802mark
From: Panama
4/27/2012 13:30 EST
I didn't write this,, all these email post just hit the site and I have not posted any of these.
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