Chica de Chiriqui

Yes, Alison, you are correct, I do have the interest of local people at heart. When I dare to express that they should be paid more, I am demonized, as well. My bad.

I fully feel the pain of those of us who began and helped to make Ning a place where "all things Boquete" could be known. There's a sense of loss I realize. As well a real anger for what we sense is a dismantling of what was. DITTO, Alison I have the sudden urge to fess up (for those of you who don't know) that my Ning profile name, 8 years ago was, Save Boquete.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Ambreen got the boot. Anyone notice the conspicuous missing in action status of her today? Bob Hunter has a big job to fill her shoes!

Her name is Ambreen Ghazi. At least that is how she signed her name in the letter she sent out about advert rates. After having noticed the change of slide show pictures on ning this morning, I am now convinced that Ambreen is Malaysian! I could barely contain myself when I saw the picture of the woman selling fruit wearing the non la bamboo hat!

Is this real enough for you? A letter she sent replying to a request about advertising on ning... Dear ............., Welcome to the new Boquete Ning partner program. Our team has spent the past 3 months observing the interaction of the Boquete community with Boquete Ning. We have identified multiple opportunities for businesses such as yours to start improving community visibility on Ning. Boquete Ning will be a super charged interactive site for users and businesses alike in the near future. The goal is to get the locals to participate on Ning under many platforms, create opportunities for the sponsor partners to maximize your while providing great content & exposure to help everyone succeed. For literally only about $1 per day, you can reach countless locals and thousands who are considering to be part of our community. Check out our options, maximize your exposure for success. Introductory spots are available, enroll now. All the best, Ambreen Ghazi Ning Administrator

I do hope Dianne, who I think was Lee's friend, will do the right thing, and disclaim and refrain to sponsor her advertisement on ning. My poetic skills could be better!

Alain, There's always someone who braves being the first when it comes to stepping up and saying what's needed to be said. Most others keep quiet to remain polite. I respect, and admire you for being that person. Ning was an incredibly important source of information while Lee and Fran were at the helm, now it has sunk, and it needs to be known.

Ambreen has deleted both his discussion, his personal blog, AND banned Alain? That girl is in desperate need to brush up on her marketing, p.r., and people pleasing skills. I notice that 4 of the businesses that paid for advertising on ning have left. The book about Boquete, and the detox treatment center remain!

I don't want to see personal photos posted, it clogs up the activity stream. If I ignore the member, will they still be able to see my posts?

I like Walter. I suspect Ambreen pays him handsomely to keep ning going! In the letter she sent to old, and prospective advertisers she said, " Thousands of page views per day, one recent member post STIMULATED over 1o,ooo page views in 2 short days." (It was Walter's post, English for Expats)! "Ning has a huge amount of traffic from Boquete residents, overseas investors, (B.S.!), visitors, and those thinking about moving to Boquete." Following is a letter she sent to a request for advertising rates... Dear .............,Welcome to the new Boquete Ning partner program. Our team has spent the past 3 months observing the interaction of the Boquete community with Boquete Ning.We have identified multiple opportunities for businesses such as yours to start improving community visibility on Ning. Boquete Ning will be a super charged interactive site for users and businesses alike in the near future. The goal is to get the locals to participate on Ning under many platforms, create opportunities for the sponsor partners to maximize your while providing great content & exposure to help everyone succeed. For literally only about $1 per day, you can reach countless locals and thousands who are considering to be part of our community. Check out our options, maximize your exposure for success. Introductory spots are available, enroll now.All the best,Ambreen GhaziNing Administrator

Bud, ok, I'm talking about the activity stream page. I have no idea how to do a screen capture, as you suggest.

Bud, when someone likes or dislikes a post, there is a green or red symbol, it shows up on the main page only occasionally. Look at my post about ning from earlier today, it has a green indicator, someone liked it. I liked Bonnie's post, but it only appears in the thread.

Bonnie, I "liked" your post. Not sure why the green indicator only randomly appears on the home page.

Not sure which is more interesting, the moderator's and the new member's comments on ning, or the interest their members have in posted discussions. Another Home Invasion, 3 comments. Fantastic Donuts, 25 comments.

Only a typical media report from the government saying that a section of this road will begin to be constructed. The completion of this highway will take far more than $3.5 million to complete. Ask yourselves why this is so important when the main problems would be better spent to improve the infrastructure directly in the inner-city area of Boquete itself. The hospital hasn't even been completed, after the "promise" some 4-5 years ago.

John, sorry, I don't understand what you mean, are you saying that you think the hospital in Boquete has been open and staffed for a couple of years, or, it will be a couple of years at least before it will be open. As for the Boquete one, I'm guessing a couple of years at least considering the number of people they have working there.

I should have included that the post of Jim's on ning was specifically referring to Alto Boquete. So, in this case, Val was making an intentionally, invalid statement saying, "having a local health facility is huge." "What is happening here is incredible. The growth is amazing and also a bit disconcerting. Every day I see new buildings that I haven't seen before. Yes Jim, as you point out there is much good going on. Having a local health facility is huge." Further conclusions that ning is only allowing members who are claiming Boquete is "amazing". ...

I've just read a possibly valuable post on Boquete ning by, Val, suggesting that there is a local health facility. "What is happening here is incredible. The growth is amazing and also a bit disconcerting. Every day I see new buildings that I haven't seen before. Yes Jim, as you point out there is much good going on. Having a local health facility is huge." P.S. Jim never said, "there is much good going on"!

If absolutely nothing else in "Debbie Silverman's" missive made me have zero doubt that it was written by one of the multiple personality members of the new ning, it was this "factual claim"... "Lee suspended at least 100 previous members since I enrolled in 2011." Lee suspended very few members in almost 8 years. He very rarely moderated ning, Fran did!

Ning member(s), Peter Stryker, doesn't know the difference between coup and coop! He/she/they continuously make the same error in each exceedingly defensive reply. I googled him to find that the name Stryker is one of the most famous gay-porn stars of the 1980s and '90s! LOL ! Confession of a Ning MemberPosted by Debbie Silverman on November 9, 2015 at 10:21am in NewsView DiscussionsI have a confession, I am a past member of Boquete Ning, (using alter ego now) and a current member of Chiriqui Life, (CL) I flew the coup so to speak on Ning when a circulating email of us old timers from Ning were asked to ban together and attempt to create trouble for Ning's new management via postings on CL and Ning to make Ning look bad to the community. The post this morning by Judy Sacco is confirmation of such a plan. Attack Ning management on the forum (IE. taking down the notice of assistance for Marion Clamp) versus a more thoughtful approach by Judy via email inquiry to its management directly. I can no longer be around the hypocrites of CL; If one notices, there is not a visible offer to help Marion on CL homepage anywhere, (although, they take their headline to promote their 1 month anniversary) and no members on CL complain to Bud & co., but those few like Judy and Joanne have no problem attacking Ning, versus thanking Ning for making their homepage a charitable notice for the past month to the community for Marion Clamp. (and Marion is my friend). The majority of CL's content is centered on "Ning disgruntled s" so to speak and why those CL members got banned or volunteered to leave Ning. The conversations are childlike adolescents, upset because someone stole their toys. For god's sake, try to be nice and realize Boquete Ning owes nothing to any of us, all members are and always have been registered guest(s). Ning has the right to terminate anyone, any time they wish for whatever reason. Lee suspended at least 100 previous members since I enrolled in 2011, so what, it was his right just as it is also JLM's currently. It is a shame I cannot use my true registered name on this post, however I would be besieged for abandoning the group, lose friends and or banned from CL. My hope is Ning prevents these type of attack posts from continuing in the future. It is not constructive for our community. Peace in Boquete among neighbors would be a good goal, especially for us who are getting at the end of our life cycle.

According to ning's new owner, Bob Hunter, Judy's question was, "unfair", and he promptly closed the discussion. What happened to the headline about Marion Clamp?Posted by Judy Sacco on November 9, 2015 at 7:01am in NewsView DiscussionsThe headline asking for financial assistance is gone. I can't find it any place else except by doing a search of old posts. You won't allow links to Chiriqui Chatter where all the updates of her are posted. Have you decided the community no longer cares to read about Marion on ning, or find out how to help her? She is still in the hospital, and she is still very weak. This is not an old story to be forgotten. Like Views: 359 Replies are closed for this discussion.

Hey Ambreen, it's really awesome of you to not charge people to sell their stuff on ning.

I am sorry, John, afraid I can't answer that. Your best bet would be to ask Don Ray.

Has anyone missed American expat, Don Winner's "Panama Guide"? Winner described it as "The #1 English Language web site about the Republic of Panama. There are currently more than 8,500 articles in our ever-expanding database.'' He charged a one year membership fee to continue reading his journalistic articles. The members all got screwed when suddenly the website closed down. FYI, Winner, fled the country last December, about the time that they put his star source, Alejandro Moncada Luna, under house arrest and prosecutors started asking questions about the Petaquilla Gold scam that he hyped. Awww, the unsavory elements who find their way to Panama'.

Yes, John, I am well aware that Don Ray is the best source, I am in contact with him daily. I'm only curious whether or not Ambreen will report about Marion, as she subscribes to reading both this site, and Don Ray's Chiriqui Chatter, and doesn't need to rely on rumors. I also wonder how long she will leave the headline up. Ning has become the scourge of expat websites, and it is absolutely time for them to close shop, and move on, that is, if they care to go away with any semblance of decency. Another ning is in the works, which will, again, provide the kind of informative discussions that Lee made possible.