Quiet

[Lyric]

Am I missing something or is nobody posting ? it's days now.

[gavilan]

maybe we are just enjoying the silence ...like animals did during lockdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqfpj3yIVNE

[El Cid]

The reality is that we no longer have a significant number of active members. Why? There are so many other options to what is now an old-fashioned form of social media. Facebook is so much more common with a huge number of local groups. I have joined a few, but I hate them. Interminable adverts, no structure to the whole thing. They offer me nothing at all. When I first came to Spain, I joined some Expat forums and they were really useful and very active and I was very happy to contribute.

Sadly that is no longer the case. Also, there are fewer people moving to Spain now, mainly because of difficulties caused by Brexit. It's almost impossible to move to Spain unless you are retiring there. The idea of just coming here and taking a chance at getting a job has gone.

Covid kept the forum busy, but mainly with interminable conspiracy theory posts rather than useful information.

So, that's where we are today and I cannot see any possible chance of it changing - but if anyone has any suggestions - please feel free to share them. Personally, I think a WhatsApp group would probably be more active!

Sadly

Sid

[chrissiehope]

Even tho' I no longer have links to Spain, I enjoy reading the forum, keeping up with whats going on, and would miss it if it went (& I don't have WhatsApp !)

[Wicksey]

Not a Whatsapp group please! I much prefer the format of this forum as it's easy to find postings and it subject related. I don't do social media. Just having to look at public Facebook pages when businesses have them is bad enough and I certainly don't want to join that or any of the other platforms.

[gavilan]

I totally agree with chrissiehope and Wicksey ... I dont have Whatsapp either ... nor do social media ... and I would miss A.com enormusly ...

[costakid]

If the forum is relying on advertising revenue to survive i really cant see it surviving next year. I check in everyday but less and less people are posting. It would be a shame for it to go but i see it going the same way as friends reunited did. I would/ will miss it if it goes because in the old days you could get some really useful info on here.

I suppose the bonus is we dont get any trolls anymore.

[gerryh]

It would be a sad day for me if this forum ever disappeared.
This is the forum I use when I need some reliable advice and assistance.
Long may it continiue.
Cheers
Gerry

[El Cid]

It won’t disappear, but I don’t see it retuning to its former popularity. We all need to make an effort to find more subject worthy of discussion. At least we have the US election and the UK budget coming up. I’m sure that should generate some interest!

Sid

[gavilan]

closer to home than UK/USA events...?how about how we in Andalucia are experiencing climate change?!

[Wicksey]

I totally agree with chrissiehope and Wicksey ... I dont have Whatsapp either ... nor do social media ... and I would miss A.com enormusly ...

I do have Whatsapp and couldn't manage without it, but hate groups on it. On a one to one basis it is fine. We do not have a reliable mobile signal here so I rely on contacting people via Whatsapp. Most businesses use it so I can easily contact them that way plus I am regularly messaging friends, but wouldn't want to join a large group one.

I couldn't have done any of the things I have done without the expertise of the other members. I have got our digital signatures, exchanged my driving licence and applied and obtained both our TIEs with the information I have been given here, plus much more.

I've been on holiday for the past week although still had a look at ACom, but also noticed there were hardly any new posts. It seems, from one of the threads, a number of us are planning on relocating, although we still don't know what we want to do. Our first drive to the airport for 11 months was a bit of a shocker as it took us 90 minutes instead of the usual 40. We almost missed our flight, and coming back the traffic around Malaga was horrendous. It seems to have got so much busier around here but the foreign voices I hear in local shops now are German, Dutch and other northern Europeans, not many Brits at all these days. As Sid said, the Brits are not coming to live here so much and we know of quite a few that have gone back to the UK permanently.

[markwilding]

Personally, I don´t mind groups as long as the chat is to commnicate information. I have left any group that is constantly veering away from the reason the group was set up. They are also useful if they are temperary set for an event. I always switch off sounds when some posts in groups as well. At the momentI I am in 2, one to do with family and one where people can let people let me know if they are playing music in local venues. However, I have to say, I rarely if ever contribute so I cetainly would not want A.Com to go down that route.

Sid might have a point about the fact social media is changing and of course the boom in posters coincided with the boom in peoople from the UK buying in Spain and the downturn has also coincided with the reduction in those numbers. Threads that gave advice on technology must have driven many to the site. I know, because sometimes I google something and more often than not A.COM forum comes at the top of the list of possible answers. I used to be kept quite busy with putting in my two pennys worth but even this has dried up recently.

To my mind there was another factor why certain members gave up on the forum namely the problem of using forum to further spread conspiracy theories. Don't get me wrong, there were many valid opinions, which maybe were not my own but offered an alternative viewpoint, helping to not to see things from one perspective. However, in my opinion it became toxic and even someone like me, who dosn't really worry if someone trolls them and loves an argument, gave up posting on the subject.

Compare that with the Brexit debate, which I agree, did get out of hand sometimes, but to my mind the arguements were representative of public opinion at the time. The Covid debate wasn´t, even though anyone reading this forum might think otherwise and that a high percentage had those views.i could never understand why the brexit debate was closed down but some of the Covid ones weren't

I don't know what the future holds for the forum but i hope it does continue while allowing lively debate but taking into account that not everyone has the same opinion.Not forgetting Its useful source of information, invaluable for spanish residents like me, who don't have much contact with other expats.

[El Cid]

I could never understand why the brexit debate was closed down but some of the Covid ones weren't

To some extent, it was because Beachcomber, who was joint moderator at the time, stated the main COVID conspiracy theory thread. Admin was consulted and approved its continued existence, primarily because it was in the Amigos Lounge, which cannot be accessed by non-members.

I don't personally think it deterred other discussions as almost nobody apart from the very few core posters bothered to read it!

Sid

[olive]

Spot on Wicksey!

Spain embraced Whatsapp and almost bypassed email. Incredibly versatile with useful things like being able to give your location temporarily to another user. Not so many users in the UK. We have been having a lot of trouble with businesses. Sorry cannot dial a foreign mobile……. As things have turned out an ESim with a UK number would have been best. Hindsight is a marvellous thing.

Malaga is set to-be bigger than Seville. It really is booming . Lets just hope the infrastructure can cope.

Lets have some threads on US election and the UK car crash budget from “robber Reiver”. We never seem to have anything on our beloved EU. Migration is a car crash Defence isnt much better. How can Hungary still be in the EU. How can Turkey be in NATO but has just attended the expanded BRICS but still has aspirations to join the EU. No one seems to care……..

[olive]

As I am having an un planned extended visit to the UK, I am watching more UK news than normal.

Keir Starmer - definition of a working person is someone who goes out and earns their living, usually paid in a sort of monthly cheque but they do not have the ability to write a cheque to get out of trouble. People with assets like shares or property wouldnt come within his definition.

You could not make it up. Meanwhile the “ never will work” are sacred cows. A good friend asked her neighbour who is claiming all manner of benefits if she had any intention of working. No. What about you? ( directed to her 22 year old son. )No, I wouldn’t be able to get up each day.

People voted Labour because the Conservatives were such a shower. I wonder how many of them are already regretting it! The US presidential election is much the same.

[markwilding]

People voted Labour because the Conservatives were such a shower. I wonder how many of them are already regretting it!

if people are already regretting it, it means there is a fundimental problem in the way society thinks. How on earth can the deep rooted problems the UK faces be resolved in three months? Personally, I believe many UK voters suffer from cakeism. What I mean to say is they want excellent public sevices while not having to pay the taxes needed to fund them. Those complaning about a government that has to deal with so many issuies built up, over the last 40 years or so are completely unwilling to wait.

Others talk about concensus on policies like the NHS and education to have some sort of long term plan, then complain that that there no difference between the two major parties, which is total rubbish put out by parties such as Reform and those further to the left.The rhetoric put out by Reform that the consevatives are a left party is laughable as is the left's claim that Blairites and starmer is thatcherism. A long term plan of investment starting now and continuing for years is necessay and yes, many benefits won't be felt for some years.

14 years of Idiology politics, especially brexit and austerity during the 14 years of of tories haven't solved the UK's problems. In fact, they have compounded them while creating new ones. In my opinion what is needed is serious thought with pragmatism on which direction the UK wants to go forward. However, there is an important question that needs ansering, do we want Reform's low tax, small goeverment model like the USA or a more social based one with good public services?

What is clear to me is both are not possible because veering from one to other just means the first period of government will be spent unpicking stuff from the previous one.

[Wicksey]

As I am having an un planned extended visit to the UK, I am watching more UK news than normal.
Meanwhile the “ never will work” are sacred cows. A good friend asked her neighbour who is claiming all manner of benefits if she had any intention of working. No. What about you? ( directed to her 22 year old son. )No, I wouldn’t be able to get up each day.

We watch UK TV and read the Telegraph online but I must admit it is depressing. Criminals being let out of jail and other commiting crimes not being jailed, while minor and first offenders have been geven relatively long sentances. The attitude to things like shoplifting that has resulted in a boom of offences, whereas if you dare say that a man can't be a woman the police will be at you house super quick to arrest you. No disclipline anywhere, children going to school still not being able to use the toilet (due to Covid lockdowns apparently), there are many first hand articles and comments about their poor communication skills in some cases. I know you tend to only hear the bad news, but some of the incidences I read about (again, first hand accounts not just hearsay) are quite shocking.

I do wonder what the future holds when there are an increasing number of people not working, and not willing to work, plus a regular influx of illegal immigrants that cost the UK millions each day in housing and benefits, whilst local services and health centres are struggling to meet demand. My brother says his daughter is waiting for council accommodation but never seems to get anywhere near the top of the list. There's been plenty of talk (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2 ... ationCosts) but the previous Government did nothing that they promised to do. I don't know what the answer is long term, and it is an EU wide one. I see France is now checking at borders again although I think it's all a bit late now.

[Lavanda]

Hold tight as the German government is on the point of collapse with a vote of no confidence in January, I think, and possible elections after that and a right-wing government as sure as eggs are eggs. With The Netherlands, Austria and Italy already gone to the right it should be interesting as to what will happen in the EU in the coming year.

[olive]

Interesting? I think alarming.

We have countries topped by Spain not spending enough on defence. The biggest economy in the EU with a government at point of collapse. Paralysed and unable to make decicisions

A couple or three countries on Putibs side.

[fincalospinos]

To me, one thing that summed up the UK was in the news yesterday.
Apparently, the Editor of The Guardian issued a statement to all its employees, especialy the ones that have been reporting on the USA elctions, that if they have been traumatised by the result there will be councelling available free of charge to anyone affected.

What sort of Nanny state is the World becoming ?