As a forum it is not very helpful.

Sateeb

I have lived abroad in the Philippines for a few years. I’ve got used to the way of life there and a huge help was the expat forums offering advice from accommodation to car insurance and restaurant recommendations and buying land. I owe a lot to them as once upon a time I was the new kid in town.

I got back here and was finding my feet again, searched for something and ended up here. I did something as simple as getting a haircut and was wondering if people tipped here now. Big difference in giving a few pesos in Cebu to giving x Euro here so I thought I’d ask on here but most replies are like “here we go again.” I had done a search and added a post to an existing topic but it was deleted (for some unexplained reason) so I started a new one so it is hard to win.

Reading on here and read about the guy that bought new tires for his motorcycle online and wanted a place to fit them and it sort of turned into a pi55ing contest about all topics cropping up again. Again if you add to an old one it is deleted but if you start a new one you are condemned.

After hours seems to be what passes for humour these days but you have topics about taking your dick and balls out when you pi55 and farting during sex but derided for asking for financial advice.

Overall this place is not very helpful but more a home for what seems to be the same old “faces” patting each other on their cyber backs in a bit of a circle jerk. Easier to condemn someone for asking a question and getting a few thanks than either answering or keeping out if it.

A pity that some on here value a few thanks over giving a bit of advice.

Thanks all,

Steve & Maria-Grace.
Cebu, Philippines (soon thank God.)

OCEANIC FIZZY POP NINE

With After Hours you kinda need to read the first post and then skip to page 2, it's been like that for years. Theirs been a good few threads in here about the folk who rush in to drop turds on page 1.

You got helpful replies to your Dublin Airport Thread.

Posting in an old thread and/or starting a new one has been a problem for years aswell, mods won't agree, some don't mind some do, it shouldn't still be an issue but what can you do...christ we still have mods putting warnings on post 1471 or whatever on some threads.

hullaballoo

You're right that there are some forums where "here we go again" is the stock response from some regulars and that is a problem. The benefit of this site has always been the willingness of members to help one another out by sharing experience etc and as soon as it becomes acceptable to respond as you have outlined, the forum loses all of its value.

Genuine queries should get genuine replies. Threads about how much of your package you unload at a urinal demand a different type of reply, though.

K-9

It's a frustrating thing to read sometimes so I can imagine what it's like for a new poster. God forbid you say something stupid or incorrect, a few will never forgive you and drag it onto other threads.

Unfortunately threads about tipping, cyclists etc. are contentious and bring out the smart arses and trolls, you just have to try and filter those out sometimes and focus on the helpful replies.

Usually mods would try and find a more appropriate forum for a thread or maybe warn others to stop the messing, but in a busy forum like AH that might not always be possible.

As mods it can be hard ignore the negatives sometimes but there are plenty of genuinely helpful people on boards who do stick around to make the site worthwhile and a helpful resource for people like yourself op. Don't lose faith, AH sometimes isn't the best way to find the site!