Restructuring the forums

Needless to say immigration.com is an excellent site not only for folks like us but also for those pursuing immigration law. Having been a user of this site for years now, I think i have started liking immigration law more than IT. But this is all due to you Rajiv and your team. Here are my suggestions:

1. I disagree mandatory sign on for everyone. But i think we should maintain compulsory sign on for those who wish to reply.

2. Like most folks wrote various categories should be listed under non-immigrant and immigrant sections. Such sections should be seperated into sub categories by visa types/ service centers. And under each heading the first entry should explain the process and it should brightly highlighted so every user feels like reading it beore reading any other forum articles. For example: Lets say the category is Consular Process. The first entry in the forum (put in read or something bright) should be explain the various steps in the CP with minimum and maximum timelines.

3. On every sign on page for a new user remind the user to read the first articles of each sub forum/ categories. This will reduce duplicate queries as it has been happening. I have been the culprit too in this regards.

4. Remind users not to post same queries in multiple locations. Unfortunately i did this unknowingly not realizing the adverse effects.

5. Remind users to post queries in the right section of the forum.

6. Also Rajiv if you reply to a query on your forum, have your smiling photo show up next to your login name and this truly gives the impression that you are talking to us. It is more of a psychological boost for us.

What I am trying to get at is that there are 2 parts to improving this site: (i) Restructuring the site which Rajiv is working on (ii) In the hands of the we folks who post queries and replies by avoiding duplication and posting same queries in multiple locations and so on. If we can work hand in hand we can "Make Things Happen".

Last but not the least, Rajiv Thanks to you and your team for investing in building this site and this has helped educate thousands of us about USA immigration do's and don'ts.
 
Thanks for your comments. Let me respond to items that need response from me right now. I have noted the rest.


Originally posted by kdivekar
Needless to say immigration.com is an excellent site not only
2. Like most folks wrote various categories should be listed under non-immigrant and immigrant sections. Such sections should be seperated into sub categories by visa types/ service centers. And under each heading the first entry should explain the process and it should brightly highlighted so every user feels like reading it beore reading any other forum articles. For example: Lets say the category is Consular Process. The first entry in the forum (put in read or something bright) should be explain the various steps in the CP with minimum and maximum timelines.

+++++++++++++++++++++++Excellent idea. Let me see how we can implement this.

3. On every sign on page for a new user remind the user to read the first articles of each sub forum/ categories. This will reduce duplicate queries as it has been happening. I have been the culprit too in this regards.

++++++++++++++++++:)

4. Remind users not to post same queries in multiple locations. Unfortunately i did this unknowingly not realizing the adverse effects.

5. Remind users to post queries in the right section of the forum.

+++++++++++++++++++++++Yup.

6. Also Rajiv if you reply to a query on your forum, have your smiling photo show up next to your login name and this truly gives the impression that you are talking to us. It is more of a psychological boost for us.

+++++++++++++++++++++Naah. That is too...weird for my taste.

What I am trying to get at is that there are 2 parts to improving this site: (i) Restructuring the site which Rajiv is working on (ii) In the hands of the we folks who post queries and replies by avoiding duplication and posting same queries in multiple locations and so on. If we can work hand in hand we can "Make Things Happen".

+++++++++++++++++++++Oh yes.

Last but not the least, Rajiv Thanks to you and your team for investing in building this site and this has helped educate thousands of us about USA immigration do's and don'ts.

++++++++++++++++++++++Still a work in progress. The site really is made by its visitors above all else.
Click to expand...
:)
 
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My observations

First I think this site is awesome and would like to Thank Mr. Khanna and others in his organization for putting this up and maintaining it.

1) On your first page, The branches which says immigration portal and then the Trying out new directions etc. The immigration portal link should be removed. The other links can remain the way it is
2) The way the highlighting works in this page doesn’t seem to be correct
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3
Highlighting in the Green card section seems to be fine but the other sections seems to be off. Should be consistent. Perhaps this page can be collapsed a little better. Example greencard is the only entry and when people click it they get to the remaining sections.
3) In this page the green card section should be the first section. If you look at the traffic it speaks for itself.
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3
4) In the I-485 section is there a way to pull the frequently asked questions to an FAQ section. This section cannot be posted by folks but a bot scans all the 485 postings and puts the most talked about topic in this section.
5) On the first page http://boards.immigrationportal.com/ We should have a link to your immigration news. I am sure a lot of folks would benefit from it.


My two cents

Thanks again for all your effort.
I also noticed the dramatic improvement in the page loading time a few days ago. Thanks for investing in your hardware to make it easier for us folks.
 
Re: My observations

Originally posted by tru
First I think this site is awesome and would like to Thank Mr. Khanna and others in his organization for putting this up and maintaining it.

1) On your first page, The branches which says immigration portal and then the Trying out new directions etc. The immigration portal link should be removed. The other links can remain the way it is
2) The way the highlighting works in this page doesn’t seem to be correct
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3
Highlighting in the Green card section seems to be fine but the other sections seems to be off. Should be consistent. Perhaps this page can be collapsed a little better. Example greencard is the only entry and when people click it they get to the remaining sections.
3) In this page the green card section should be the first section. If you look at the traffic it speaks for itself.
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3
4) In the I-485 section is there a way to pull the frequently asked questions to an FAQ section. This section cannot be posted by folks but a bot scans all the 485 postings and puts the most talked about topic in this section.
5) On the first page http://boards.immigrationportal.com/ We should have a link to your immigration news. I am sure a lot of folks would benefit from it.


My two cents

Thanks again for all your effort.
I also noticed the dramatic improvement in the page loading time a few days ago. Thanks for investing in your hardware to make it easier for us folks.
Click to expand...


Thank you very much. I appreciate your comments. Furiously noting them all.
:) :)
 
Can we have a new section/field to the usercp

to provide a background for the user. The signatures are getting too big. Also the user might have a set of his own faqs like RFE/AC21 etc. The new memo field can be placed along with the other fields like homepage/icq etc.

Could you possibly to nominate moderators from among the user group? This will help cleanup some of the unwanted stuff from the boards. Bad posts have discouraged many users and I am sure the moderators are too busy with their workload. So would it be possible for users to apply to moderate the boards?

I really appreciate your efforts to provide such a wonderful service for free.
 
Re: Can we have a new section/field to the usercp

Originally posted by patienceGC
to provide a background for the user. The signatures are getting too big. Also the user might have a set of his own faqs like RFE/AC21 etc. The new memo field can be placed along with the other fields like homepage/icq etc.

Could you possibly to nominate moderators from among the user group? This will help cleanup some of the unwanted stuff from the boards. Bad posts have discouraged many users and I am sure the moderators are too busy with their workload. So would it be possible for users to apply to moderate the boards?

I really appreciate your efforts to provide such a wonderful service for free.
Click to expand...

I love your signature line. :) Moderators is an excellent idea. I think what we will do is creat a forum called "Deleted Posts and Threads." The moderators can move the unnecessary stuff there. Hmmm. We could do all kinds of cool stuff if we had that kind of help. Ok. Let me send a call out.
 
asylum petition

I have prepared a petition that calls for the removal of the 10,000 cap on visa issuance for asylees. Currently there is a 10 year wait time for asylees to get their green card once they apply for their I-485. here is the petition. i adopted your style to do mine and hope you add it to the other petitions. thanks so much. you have done a great favor to immigrants through this forum

PETITION
Increase of the 10,000 cap on visas issued to asylees
Dear Sir,
We are writing on behalf of individuals, who have signed the attached petition, and countless others affected by the interminable delays facing those who have applied, or in the process of applying, for permanent residency based on their granted asylum. Every day this issue is ignored is one more day for these individuals to lose their feelings of security and safety.
Disproportionate Waiting Times Unjust
The reality of present immigration law is that individuals who have been granted political asylum would have to wait at least 10 years to obtain their green cards. The system puts asylees (i.e. those who were granted political asylum) at an extreme disadvantage compared to other immigrants. For example, if an individual marries an American citizen or applies for an employment-based green card, he/she will wait no longer than 2 years to obtain his/her green cards. As asylees wait for 10 years, they lose their opportunity to become American citizens and are constantly reminded that they do not enjoy full residency at the US.

The 10, 000 cap on visa issuance for asylees
The current immigration law requires that asylees are issued no more than 10, 000 immigrant visas every year. Currently, there are more than 100,000 asylees that have already applied for permanent residency. According to the current law, it will take approximately 10 years for asylees who apply today for permanent residency to be approved. This ten-year wait period before which the applicant becomes eligible for permanent residency is both unreasonable and too restrictive. Currently, the BCIS is processing applications for permanent residency that have been submitted on or before February 1999, and thus the current waiting period is four years. If this law does not change, and if the 10, 000 cap is not lifted the waiting period will jump from four years to 10 years.

Harm Resulting From Such Harsh Restrictions:
Asylees have been uprooted from their homes and have experienced so much agony and pain before coming here. They came to America hoping to start a new life and find safety and security. Waiting 10 years to get a green card adds to their hard aches and causes them a deep sense of alienation and loss. This long waiting period is unjust since it disrupts many lives and reflects a deep sense of discrimination. In other countries such as Canada, Norway and Germany, asylees are granted permanent residency within a period of 3 years at most.

Increasing the 10, 000 caps on visa issuance for asylees is humane and long due.
The petitioners, and others like them, want to see the current 10,000 cap removed. Removing this cap will not only make it easier for asylees to get their permanent residency and thus feel safe about their future, but will help prevent immigration law violations. It would be inhumane not to lift these unnecessary restrictions that cause asylees to wait 10 years to belong to this great nation.
As it appears that the BCIS has not made any accommodation for this most compelling case, we submit the attached petition to reflect the horrendous plight of asylees. Thank you for your attention to this most urgent matter
 
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Tracking all applications

Hi Rajiv

You have this great service.

Many individual forums are tracking various applications at INS or DOL or else where.

Would you please see, if you can have one single place where people can add/update their applications and check status of other people's applications ?

By doing this, you will have control of all various processing times, and every user will have unique view to the site.

Thanks,

Kumar.
 
Re: Tracking all applications

Originally posted by laborvictim
Hi Rajiv

You have this great service.

Many individual forums are tracking various applications at INS or DOL or else where.

Would you please see, if you can have one single place where people can add/update their applications and check status of other people's applications ?

By doing this, you will have control of all various processing times, and every user will have unique view to the site.

Thanks,

Kumar.
Click to expand...

I have been struggling with this for a while. I am yet to find an interface that I like. Do you folks have any suggestions on how we can impelement it?
 
Rajiv,

This is a wonderful service that you are doing for the immigrant community! Thank you!

A few points...

----I think the color scheme can be changed to something more easy on the eye

----Also there are many people who post stuff not related to immigration some of which can be quite offensive to people on the board...is there some way to block offensive posts and allow only postings related to immigration?

Thanks once again for this great site!
 
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Originally posted by greenpeace
Rajiv,

This is a wonderful service that you are doing for the immigrant community! Thank you!

A few points...

----I think the color scheme can be changed to something more easy on the eye

----Also there are many people who post stuff not related to immigration some of which can be quite offensive to people on the board...is there some way to block offensive posts and allow only postings related to immigration?

Thanks once again for this great site!
Click to expand...

Apprpriate color schemes are hard to determine. We have stuck with the default because it looked acceptable. Experience has also taught us it is impossible to come to a consensus what is easy on the eye. But please feel free to let me know what in your opinion the schemes should be.

We are going to try to recruit moderators from within users who can take care of this issue.
 
Ok I finally have some useful comments.

a) We've been maintaining faqs or important threads that we try and keep on the top (without in a subforum). It's link is http://boards.immigration.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77555. I was wondering if there is a way that could be kept prominent without individual effort. All of us take turns on posting something random on it to keep that thread on the top and within view.

b) There's a subforum for tracker, under CSC immigration, I don't think it is being used in the way it was intended to be. Frankly, people don't visit a subforum, better to have one common thread, but a way to access all important threads consolidated, like http://pceegcee.tripod.com (that guy is just awesome).

c) This is far fetched. If people could as a part of their "user cp" keep their data updated (When did I get approval, when did my case change from Resumed to RFE sent etc.), we could have an automatically setup user reported tracker .. while maintaining user privacy.
 
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Congressman Sam Graves

I have picked Congressman, Sam Graves as this months anti-immigration
reform leader. I have written Sam Graves office on several occasions
before finally recieving a letter stating that he did not support
reform and his stance was that we needed to do more to curb illegal
immigration and to remove more illegals from the country. He
essentially feels that illegal aliens have entered the country
therefore they are crimminals for violating U.S. immigration laws.
Sam Graves has expressed that separation of family is not a concern
of his and that it is the fallback of the immigrants action of
entering the country illegally. He does not support changes that
would keep long term permanent residents from having fair hearigs
before being deported. He does not support changes to keep permanent
resident veterans who have been honorably discharged from the
military from being deported. We must come together and advise the
congressman that this view conflicts with the values and rights that
have made America that country that it was prior to 9/11. If the
congressman's voting record continues to be against civil rights and
pro police state, we will vote for a congressman that is for human
decency and fair immigration practices. Please contact the senator
via email or write him a letter. If you live in Missouri please
visit the senator's office and speak to him in person.

You can contact him by following this link
http://www.house.gov/graves/

Here is some current proposed legislation by our Congressman
Graves to Introduce Landmark Immigration Reform
Bill would issue a temporary moratorium on
immigration until reckless programs are eliminated


(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Congressman Sam Graves is drafting
legislation that would call for a moratorium on immigration until the
government can effectively curb illegal immigration and screen for
possible terrorists. The bill specifically targets the Visa Waiver
Program, commonly known as "visa express."

"No one ever fixes a leaky faucet while the water is running,"
Graves said. "We must temporarily suspend immigration until we can
properly identify everyone who comes into this country."

The proposed legislation would end several immigration programs,
including the visa express program. The visa express program was
originally intended to boost tourism by providing a quicker visa
application process. The program does not require a background check;
making it easier for terrorists to gain entry into the United States.
At least three of the nineteen September 11 hijackers used the visa
express program to enter America.

"We need to know who is coming into our country," Graves
said. "Terrorism is not an East-Coast, West-Coast issue. If we let
our guard down in the Midwest, we will become what terrorists are
looking for: a target of opportunity."
:mad:
 
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