www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Thank you, Lennydo, for adding something constructive to this otherwise continuing diatribe of useless whining.

If people would put as much effort into contributing something useful to the forum instead of all the complaining and telling the Admin how to run it, everyone would gain something.

If the Admin chooses to move a category (which was NOT part of the original board) or determines he can live without someone's advertising that would be his prerogative and his concern, not the members.

A forum such as this is only as strong as the people who contribute to it. If it falls apart it will be because it self-destructed.

As for Srilm, I have never met him. His posts have limited value to me personally but he has a right to post the same as anyone. From what I've seen he probably has taken more crap than is actually warranted. That being said if he chooses to leave CRT then just go and stop the grandstanding.

Wit

Lennydo

I vote for you to peruse what Admin3 is asking. It could be very good for CRT, although possibly some work on your part.

Health & happiness to all............

_________________
It's not the size of the wand that put the rabbit in the hat, it's the magic in it!!!

I've read most of the opinions presented so far, and given them some thought. I also respect that everyone has a different take on the direction of this board. Cutting to the chase, this is the way I see it:

1. The owners/admins of CRT will run their board as they please;

2. I will continue to post as a non-VIP member within the new framework of participation established by the admins. If it is the intent of management to marginalize, or eventually eliminate, contributions from the non-VIPs, c'est la vie.

Some background on my history with the CRT board:
I joined CRT after my second trip to Costa Rica, and have been a CRT member for 10 years. I became a VIP shortly after joining. During my early trips to CR, the board helped me with information and discounts. I believe I did my best to reciprocate with trip reports and reviews. While VIP, I was never really into the CRT hype and hoopla, and attended only one official CRT function, a Superbowl Party. During the course of 20+ trips to CR, I got to know maybe a dozen CRT members. After a few years of VIP, the luster began to wear off. Subsequently, Lifetime membership was offered. I opted to decline and allowed my annual VIP membership to lapse. Nevertheless, I continued to post and share my knowledge and experience on the board. Around that time, I made my first trip to Colombia, and after that, my trips to CR became less frequent. A year or two later, more and more CRT guys started coming to Medellin instead of San Jose. Some of these new visitors reached out to me... and in short order, I was able to match dozens of faces to CRT handles. Since moving to greater Medellin, I have more contact with CRT members than I ever did while traveling to Costa Rica. I don't believe I was ever a post whore. But now, reading and posting on Internet boards and blogs has become one of my pastimes during retirement here in Colombia. So, I figured the least I could do is post current information for CRT travelers to Medellin and other destinations in Colombia. Although I won't be able to do that on CRT any longer, I do plan on posting once in awhile in the non-VIP sections.

I am also active on another monger board, In Search of Chicas (or I.S.O.C.). I have been a member of this site for almost as long as I've been on CRT... and enjoy it very much. The site has an effective team of moderators and enjoys an atmosphere of camaraderie. Although its original scope was mongering in the DR... it has expanded to include destinations throughout the world. When more CRT members started reporting on places like Thailand, Colombia, the PI, etc., I thought CRT might take a similar direction... but I guess I was wrong about that. The I.S.O.C. board presently has almost 24,000 members. Like CRT, I.S.O.C. is a pay site... but with a twist. There is a graduated membership fee for access to the paid sub-forums and picture sections. However, a member can "earn" free access and advancement to higher levels through aggressive participation (posting quality trip reports, pictures and information) on the board. I.S.O.C. embraces the concept that its active contributors are its greatest asset... and is willing to give these guys a "free pass." I'm not judging here, just pointing out a different approach to running a website.

Next to I.S.G. & I.S.O.C., CRT remains a pretty good source for information on Medellin...even though many CRT contributors have gone underground in recent years. I'm sure some of the VIPs, who are frequent flyers to Colombia, will continue to keep the Medellin aficionados updated.

I've always thought they had an excellent approach and looking at how they have expanded over the years obviously it has worked VERY well for their growth and success. Posters get rewarded with additional access for reports and pics, or can just pay for it. There must be some reason ISOC currently has 482 users online and CRT has 25.

I too have been contacted by Admin3 asking me to meet with him (after a recent post I made that was somewhat critical of the current administration's lack of responsiveness to issues on the forum) for the purpose of discussing my concerns and thoughts. If anyone has any ideas, complaints, suggestions please send them to me and I will address them with him when I meet with him.

_________________
Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Blue Devil, nice reply but unfortunately you did not address any of the points brought by Scuba1, BB57, Srilm and myself. All you posted was a rationalization or series of excuses about why you wont pay. Bottom line is your cheap and you want something for nothing.

By your own acknowledgement you have been to CR maybe one time in the past 5-6 years so therefore you would not have anything worthwhile to post about CR. You live in Medellin so you do have some useful information to post about that. However, if everyone thought like you and your cheapo friends there would be no CRT. As another poster suggested why don’t one of you Medellin guys put up a website ? After you put your time and effort into creating the site make it all for free and then let the posters spam the site with Medellin sucks and the DR or CR is better post for two years. Then let us know how it works out for the sponsors of your website.

You mention ISOC where you are also an unpaid member and have made over 5,000 post. ISOC waives your fee because you contribute post. ISOC price structure is $8 for three days, $40 for 6 months and $60 per year. They dont offer a fraction of the discounts this site does and they have about 30-40 posters who are total post whores who chime in on almost every thread and there are almost no coherent threads on the board. Anytime someone starts a thread in a general information type section, and that thread gains traction, the post gets moved to the PPV section in an attempt to severely limit a non paid memeber, or non post whores, access to the site. I joined the site once for 6 months and paid $40. IMHO the site blows, most of the posters are full of shit blowhards who want to brag brag brag and when they get done bragging brag some more. I dont care who phucked 14 women in 3 days and never paid more than $20 per girl. Because I don’t pay to read bullshit I wont have access to the PPV part of the site. However, I do not complain about it either.

Hey Loco, you and some of the other loonies on this thread have gone a little too far taking shots at other guys who offer opinions. Its people like you who bring CRT down to gutter snipe level. You need to back off and stop with the low class crap.

Excuse me but you and some of the others are not offering opinions you are offering excuses and rationalizations for not paying and crying like Babi*s about having one section moved to the PPV part of the website. I argue with people for $$$, I'm a lawyer, and the arguments or rationalizations you have made are some of the weakest arguments I have ever heard or read in my life. They are easy to refute. A slick third grader could out argue you all day long.

In 7 years on this board I have just over 200 post or about 30 per year. How am I bringing CRT to any level? In the 7 years on the board I have patronized our sponsors, as recently as last weekend, and will continue to do so. I will continue to bring friends to the CR and have them patronize the sponsors. I stay at the La Amistad and Matt and the gang know I originally came from CRT. Thats a contribution , that's how CRT stays in business. When I walk over to the SL and have a few drinks with friends and watch a ballgame then I am contributing in a small way. If it weren't for people like me and the many other real contributors as well sponsors their would not be a CRT for you freeloaders to post on. Then you you would have nothing to whine about on ISG.

Now back to the question that has been asked repeatedly, why don't one of you Medellin lovers put up a website make it free to everyone?

Estebanh, how is calling Loco a loonie any better than him calling Blue Devil a cheapskate? His argument may be ridiculous, but the whole fighting fire with fire concept is part of what's bringing this site down.

Loco
Blue Devil is one of the best posters on the site. He has provided more thoughtful and helpful posts than just about any member of this board. YOur contirbutions have been squat. He is following the rules of the forum and providing his input. Under whose rules is he a freeloader? No reason to trash him and call him cheap.

Loco Mike,
You have your opinions but taking shots at Blue Devil are uncalled for. He has contributed much information over the years and asked for nothing in return.

He wasn't boasting about anything but merely stating some facts and his viewpoint. He stated why he is no longer a paying member but that has never stopped him from contributing and to my knowledge has never taken a negative stand against CRT or any of its members.

Post what you like but make sure they are directed where they should be and not at someone who selflessly has tried to help anyone who asked and always added value to this forum. Granted over time the information has shifted from Costa Rico to Colombia but he has still added much more value to this website than many paying members.

Let's all work together on building this forum into something useful again and not work quite so hard on misdirected criticism.

Wit

I notice you are not flying the flag. Noted without comment, but we seem to have a pot and kettle situation. The Bro spent 1/2 his post talking about another site entirely, with not really anything about individuals. I hate flame wars--they ALWAYS end badly. Can we dial it down (all of us) to just simmer temp?
Of course CR and CRT have changed--some looked forward to this; others dread it and want to hold on to something that can now only be history/a memory. Here's an idea for someone creative and energetic (and, no, I'm not even a little bit joking)--an oral/written history of CR in the retiree/ monger/other type of expat experience during the Golden/Pioneer years. There has got to be a PhD. candidate ( cultural anthropology) who is eager for a socio-historical history of this sub-set of the post-war expat experience. I am not stoned, I am not drunk, I am serious. This project would include a lot of SJO but not exclusively--how about those folks during the Viet Nam era who came to CR to run a rustic lodge or grow some coffee or run a small alpaca ranchero? Or someone coming later after having been near-burnt-out by the Great American RatRace? I think a project split in two (SJO/ in-the-boonies) would be valuable, informative and even fun. I don't see any of the subjects as having escaped from anything, but escaping to. Not talking about any of those numerous Dark Side folks--another study for another day...Just good, solid folks caught up in something or actively deciding there's a better way.
<<signed>> That Cock-eyed Optimist

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

The strongest possible "Amen" to Bro Witling in this. Bro Witling himself has contributed mightily to this Board over the years and has the stature to speak directly. Notice the "...misdirected..." in that sentence--if you don't like something, speak on it...but be exact and correct in your examples and don't forget a bit of humor is always welcome i.e. Not "that restaurant is terrible." but " Their chicken is so tough, I re-shod my sandals with it." You know, like that.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

LOCO MIKE WROTE:
One might say that about me, but I would prefer to use the word "frugal." This personal trait helped me to retire early and live comfortably in paradise. I would understand, and would have no hard feelings, if Admin eventually tells me to take a hike... that is his prerogative. Have a nice day, LM.