PBH Popular in Google

paisa29 says on Jan 5, 2006, 15:00:

crazy eagle.. this is the translation for my message in spanish

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 5, 2006, 15:36:

Anyone who comes to PBH looking for advice about Colombia is making a huge mistake. Trust only advice from Colombian friends and relatives who have an interest in your well-being.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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litost says on Jan 5, 2006, 16:55:

No GIB, it's not "what it is"... it's what we make it.

And unfortunately this is where I fundamentally disagree with you, UTC and others. You see this is as pure entertainment, a means of spending your free time, which is apparently a lot. This leads to lots of joking, sarcasm, disinformation, lack of objectivity, vulgarity and sometimes offensive content.

I'm colombian and have been around this site for a long time. At first I loved the innovative concept and for me the most important thing was to share my knowlede of Colombia with others interested. Give actual information, take questions seriously, try to shed some light on the reality which is so far from the stereotypes. But I saw this starting to go downhill a long time ago already, for a while I practically stopped posting or even reading (specially most of this year that I spent in Colombia, actually living it and not just talking about it) because I found the quality of the posts and especially the discussions to have gone down the drain. Far from Colombia again, I have come back to what continues to be despite everything I mention the most complete site on Colombia for foreigners. But it's far from offering the kind of information it could, far from the potential, I think many of the people with real love for Colombia and knowlede about it eventually abandon PBH because it's become a forum to just babble about anything.

I thought the main objective of this site was to share experiences about the country and talk primarily of the positive aspects, without denying the obvious problems Colombia has. I know that unfortunately I'm part of the minority, and surely this post will be met with responses telling me I have no sense of humour or that who am I to be telling others what should be posted or not on this site... but I'm glad paisa29 brought up the subject so I could at least get this off my chest, which has been present for quite a while.

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paisa29 says on Jan 5, 2006, 17:37:

GIB... Most of the times I find your comments pretty smart and maybe I am one of the few member who knows when you are joking or when you are serious, but this time I can´t agree with you, there is too many people taking this information or advices seriously.

I also think the website is entertained at times


Peter I would like to know how many people has visited your website in the last year for example?

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juanalejo says on Jan 5, 2006, 17:40:

Litost I for one have quit posting a lot on this site, as me as many other Colombians who have been through this site can hardly give an opinion, much less state a fact, because you have people like GIB who will directly disqualify your opinion with his typical generalizations of Colombian people and things. I have decided instead to privately send messages when possible directly to the person interested, and in more than one ocassion getting a nice thank you note, for the information given. That for me is as much as I can do for this site but it is a lot for my country. As long as people whose only objective is to talk bad about my countrt 24/7, no matter the subject, I will remain somehow around, I do hope you do too. But like somebody who visited Colombia over Christmas and who with I was commenting on this site said, if a non-Colombian is 24/7 on this site is either because he does not live here and misses it terribly or he lives here but needs to get a real life.

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dwmte says on Jan 5, 2006, 18:34:

when i post on this site... i post what i know, what i've experienced. i don't post it to please anyone...colombians, foreigners, googlers, spies, whatever. just to share what i know. too, i add quips on my own sentiments and on my beliefs. again, not to please, displease or offend anyone native or foreigner alike.

i have been taken to task a time or two by those who--in my opinion--failed to really read my post. to presume that i offend is really tough measure. offence, i have for no one, or no thing. if it is felt, it is offence taken, not given.

few foreigners have been blessed with the esperience of colombia as has been vouched safe to me. and for this blessing i am not only thankful, but in love. i love colombia, i adore her, i know her, i have family there, i've buried a child there...with my own hands...but all that doesn't mean i'm blind to the crap and bull shit one can deal with there. and i'm not talking about what foreigners deal with, i'm talking about what colombians deal with. let me tell you all, there aint no foreigners out in eastern antioquia. i was all alone, in the REAL colombia, not the eye wash of medellin/bogota/cali/cartegena etc. nope, the real gritty down to earth magnifence of way-rural, insurgent infested colombia where the truth is what you see and absolutely nothing more. is, is. and one better get used to it and deal with it's isness or they're in way deep shit and there aint no 'niceness' that will change it. it has it's own rules and making some up wont help. the law is right before your eyes and no personal love for the motherland changes it.

so i think we need to enjoy this site and share our love, questions, experiences and fears as we know them. i do agree that we can show a lot more class in the way we treat each other. even when we don't agree with each other. we're not here to agree with each other. by the same coin, we're not here to offend, either. neither person, place, nor thing.

we can uplift our (peter's ) wonderful site, not by changing what we share, but by the way and manner we share it. if everyone pitches in with an addition of a little class, we'll all appreciate the difference.

i enjoy posters here and i respect their different opinions...all different than mine. i don't appreciate how so many of us berade and insult each other...why should i? do you? it's not the opinions, it's their presentations.

i posted a thread--yesterday or the day before--because i was so taken by how some of my brothers on this site took after and laid into each other. i repeat, what the fuck for? i can't imagine any of them feeling the better/bigger for it. the post, "yawn...what have we come to?" well, i found it further interesting that no body made a comment...interesting.

so, for what it's worth from my side, keep up your posts, elevate yourselves and keep moving forward.

dw

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morphus says on Jan 5, 2006, 22:11:

The funny thing is that when somebody new comes on here and asks a specific question, they they get blown off and are told to search the old threads. A lot of people on here have time to write a bunch of crap but refuse to answer a specific question. I like to write funny posts but i also try to help if there is something i know.

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quindioman says on Jan 6, 2006, 02:29:

desafortunadamente no todo el mundo que demuestra algun interes en Colombia tiene una esposa, mujer, mosa o lo que sea Colombiana...por eso es que vienen a este lugar por que si tuvieran a alguien para preguntarle sobre Colombia no estarian perdiendo el tiempo haciendo una pregunta aqui.
Es por eso que el Colombiano participa...esperando que pueda ayudar el extranjero que no sabe mucho de Colombia con algo de informacion sobre el pais.....lo que me arde es el negativismo de ciertos miembros que oviamente han sufrido demasiado en vida por que se les nota la amargura por encimita.

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quindioman says on Jan 6, 2006, 02:30:

La mayoria de tiempo hago lo mismo que Juaanalejo....con los mismos resultados.

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paisa29 says on Jan 6, 2006, 05:24:

I only want that you respect my point of view and opinions as I do you respect yours.

PBH is a good to show my love for Colombia.

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litost says on Jan 6, 2006, 12:26:

I "focused" on you two guys mainly due to your answers to this particular post, particularly UTC's comment:

"Anyone who comes to PBH looking for advice about Colombia is making a huge mistake. Trust only advice from Colombian friends and relatives who have an interest in your well-being."

And your agreement with him, especially the "It is what it is" part.

Points of view which are valid and respectable, but I disagree with them on a personal level in my perhaps overly idealstic perception of this site's raison d'etre. Though I have strong disagreements with many things said here, I do my best to not engage in personal attacks, because it's absolutely assanine and not like me.

I want it to be clear that I am not personally attacking you or UTC (who I agree does give useful information often, though at others he just seems to be "mamandonos gallo"). I just have a different view on what this site should be about, I have no kind of power or authority to impose my view, besides the fact of being colombian and genuinelly hoping to share its richness with anyone interested.

Those of us who've been around for a while know when to take posts seriously and when to just take them for their "entertainment" value. What I worry about, and coming back to the OP, is what all the google users are going to start find themselves with when they type in "colombia", "bogota", "cali", "medellin", "pereira", etc. Realizing that the number of visitors to this site has explosed, I think an extra degree of personal responsibility should be heeded as far as the quality and seriousness of the posts, especially when related to actual information.

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 6, 2006, 13:12:

The visa stuff I take seriously because it is 1) very stressful being in that situation and 2) a topic where it pays to talk to someone who's been through it. The rest of the stuff you're better off asking your friends and family. Why ask a bunch of strangers on the internet for relationship advice? Geez, you're asking for it. I have to laugh when I google something and get back in the results my own idiotic response on PBH. Gotta love the internet!

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Lucia Rojas says on Jan 6, 2006, 13:12:

I do the same thing as quindioman and juan alejo, I have opted for PM's to answer things that I consider important. Specially sinc getting really insulted for saying that a poster who doesnt live here, doesn't have a clue about where to find something in Colombia. I have left only some babble for the public forums and I am not that interested in visiting the site as frequently as I did for a while. I will hang around for the same reason juan alejo does and will gladly help with information and in disscussions, including those about the problems colombia and colombians have, which I am the first to admit to, and to be happy to have creative disccusions about. It just really gets bad around here sometimes...

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Colombiche says on Jan 6, 2006, 13:36:

Lucia To tell you the truth, I am just as tired of this as all the other Colombians that have voiced their opinion.

I see where PBH is going. This is going to end up being a page with negligible female prescence and very little Colombian input, which is probably just as well for most of the people here.

When I originally signed up here, I thought the atmosphere was going to be cleaner. I guess I am silly for trying to talk about my country on a positive note.

I could turn around and return some of the personal attacks people have thrown my way. Contrary to what many people say, that is not my style. I could have lashed back really badly at some people but decided not to.

I'm through with trying to post my POV on the friendly talk zone. I am taking the route of Juanalejo, Lucia and Litost.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 6, 2006, 13:40:

There is still the "Well-off and Moderately Happy" Canadian site. Like Canada itself, it's kind of boring though. Everyone is very polite until they get into the Molson's and start typing like this ghjlj'a';,k.....

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Albatross says on Jan 6, 2006, 14:18:

So what are you suggesting ? So what are you suggesting... that all of us write for the benefit of random netsurfers who may someday land at PBH and sift through fifty pages of old threads and come upon a sarcatic remark buried in a post that may cause them to completely revise their opinion of an entire country and culture ?

I doubt there's much danger of anybody taking my stupid comments seriously.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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dwmte says on Jan 7, 2006, 20:21:

i'm personally saddened.... that soooo many of this site's brothers and sisters have discontinued posting just because of the inanities of the occassional loudmouth, blowhard and just plain vulgar.

look, the web is full of sites that are boring to hell...i mean, where else can you find posts that cover elmo in spandex, GIB wondering where his change is, how much better tex-mex is than colombian food, the future price of the peso, what to do with a taxi driver who tries to rip you off, how much will a cow cost, getting laid in cucuta...and on and on and on???

geez, this is the best site i've ever found, that's the ONLY reason i sign on and post. some of our greatest personalities that brought so much color and 'zip' not to mention conflict to the site are gone. why? just because of the occassional screwball? damn, i miss gomezman and colombiano x, old gringo and countless others whos names escape me. hell, there's no one here who agrees with me, but i still continue to post and have since 2001. i do make a point of not intentionally offending persons, places and things and avoiding those who busca lucha by using obnoxious pm's. but why leave the site? our site-mother, peter, puts up with us, our moderators put up with us, can't we put up with each other? i sure hope so.

colombiche said that many post because they have nothing better to do. you're right, girl. being exiled here in daytona the dull without PBH would be a fate worse than just being here. i can confirm that by just asking my paisa wife. we feel like fish outta water...our daughter, too.

i hope none of you leave. each and everyone of you is important. next thing ya know, elmo will be saying, 'fuck ya all, i'm outta here." then what? where would we ever find another? damn, folks, i don't think it's too much to ask to not be so sensitive and to try and be a little nicer to one another. i'm willing.

dw

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 7, 2006, 21:16:

We have to be nice to that burra-fucking corroncho Elmo?

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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litost says on Jan 8, 2006, 08:11:

JAJAJA... just googled the words burra and colombia, guess what the first two listings were... gotta admit, pretty funny!

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litost says on Jan 8, 2006, 08:12:

for those maybe confused with my spanish, jajaja translates hahaha ;p

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tomtom33 says on Jan 8, 2006, 13:11:

Muchas gracias por traducir.

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Colombiche says on Jan 8, 2006, 14:14:

Seeing as... Colombiche is a common term to refer to Colombians in the US (some say it is a term of endearment, others say it is a slur), I decided to google the word, and yours truly comes up first. I noticed there are countless other Colombiches at other forums, but I still show at the top of the list.

Too bad somebody already registered it as a domain name.

Peter is a search engine optimization guru. Probably helps that the code is html and not php. A good reason to mind what you write around here.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 8, 2006, 16:42:

I love having my stupidity preserved for posterity. Google this! (While grabbing his crotch!)

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Jan 8, 2006, 18:26:

I tried this and the big mining company RIO TINTO gets all the top hits. Boo-hoo.



On a more substantial note, if anyone is reading from Toronto, Canada...you might check out the TINTO coffeehouse, which is owned by Colombians.



www.tinto.ca

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zuan says on Jan 10, 2006, 07:37:

I'm proud to be a Colombian ! Is just a matter of time other colombians realize that PBH can be very positive for Colombia and start to participate too.

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seammckenna126 says on Jan 11, 2006, 01:15:

I don't say a whole lot, but I would think that anyone with a half way decent intellect can see what's bs and what's not. I have read comments on here before my first trip to Colombia and the not so flattering comments have actually helped me know what not to say, how not to stand out, and things that I should be aware of before I went....ect. The visa questions and answers have helped me out immensely. I think the people your worried about being scared off wouldn't make the trip anyway, even if it was one big Disneyland. I think the women's comments help counter balance the men's. I wish there were more comments from the ladies. I've noticed since I've been coming here more often that there are people with certain "roles" here. There's the "defenders" of Colombia's good points, bashers, people you specifically ask for when wanting information, the people who try to get an arguement going and the occasional idiot who wonders if its "normal" for the Colombian girl he just met and fell in love with two days ago to kick him in the family jewels and then ask him for 10 million pesos. Sometimes I wonder if some of these men have ever...in their entire life... went outside and actually talked to more than two women. I wouldn't worry so much. I was one of those people who googled before I went and nothing I read terrified me about Colombia. I was smart enough to know that every city in every country has places you don't want to go and certain people you don't want to associate with. But that's just me. I've only been 5 times and I think the country is very beautiful and the all the people I've met so far have been terrific.

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seammckenna126 says on Jan 11, 2006, 01:16:

.

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Albatross says on Jan 11, 2006, 03:59:

? So it's NOT normal ?

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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Albatross says on Jan 11, 2006, 04:02:

?? Do you mean more than two women at once... outside ??

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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