Questions about the City-Data Forum Hawaii... (real estate, insurance, sex offenders)

[McFrostyJ]

After reading some posts tonight by OpenD, Whtviper1 and Hawaiian By Heart, I have some questions that I seriously don't know the answers to.

Does anyone know what the purpose of City-Data Forum Hawaii is?

Is it to help people looking to move to or from Hawaii?

Is it to help answer the questions of people wishing to travel to Hawaii?

Is it to share stories, videos, pictures, music and other things that make up what Hawaii is and or was?

Is it to talk about current events that are happening in Hawaii?

Is it to discuss and learn from the history of Hawaii?

Is it a place for people who live in Hawaii, have lived in Hawaii, want to eventually live in Hawaii, have been to Hawaii or have never been to Hawaii but would like to learn more about it, is it a place for all these people to come together and chat about Hawaii?

Is it all of the above?




I'm not making a joke, these are serious questions that I have.

[hotzcatz]

Primarily, I'd guess it's for folks who want to relocate to Hawaii or visit Hawaii, but all the other accessory discussions help educate folks as to what Hawaii is all about.

I'm sure it's also typical of other "vacation" states, but there is a lot of data out there put out by the visitor industry which sort of shows a skewed view of the state. Having the ability to ask questions, listen in to conversations and just in general lurk around and gather data about Hawaii helps regular folks figure out what Hawaii is actually all about. At least, the Hawaii experienced by the folks here, anyway. I'm sure it's different for everyone. But, if someone wanted to move to Hawaii and all they had to go by was what they saw on the TV or heard about in tourist brochures, it would be a difficult move indeed.

I dunno, what do you use it for?

[OpenD]

In my view... for starters, I look at the home page of the web site, which says:

Welcome to City-Data

By collecting and analyzing data from numerous sources, we're able to create detailed, informative profiles of all cities in the United States. From crime rates to weather patterns, you can find the data you're looking for on City-Data.com.

https://www.city-data.com/

And in addition to maps and links to various kinds of Data about cities, it has buttons on the Home page for data on Cities, Schools, Neighborhoods, Assessments, More (Restaurants, Sex Offenders, Local Crime, etc.), and Forums. The Primary forums are about key cities or geographical areas.

In short, the name says what the primary purpose of the site is... a site for obtaining Data about US Cities, primarily to serve people who are relocating.

The site management generously allowed the Forum section to expand over time to embrace a lot of secondary topic areas that people were interested in, and that in turn helped make the site quite popular with the general public.

So today you can ask questions about, or discuss such far ranging topics as Genealogy or Aviation or Real Estate, but the core forum topics, at the top of the Index, are the relocation forums, divided by State, and subdivided into Cities or areas.

The Hawai'i Forum is one of those relocation forums, and the primary purpose, inferred from all of the above, is to answer people's questions about relocating to and from Hawai'i.

But relocating isn't entirely about home prices, and schools and commute times, so other topics relating to Hawaiian state and local current events, public issues, tourism sites and activities, and Hawaiian culture are also considered valid for commentary. And over time many of us who enjoy sharing information about Hawai'i have become familiar with each other and have formed a loose online community who discuss topics of interest about Hawai'i with each other.

To summarize, all the questions you asked get at various aspects of the way people use the Hawai'i Forum, but the primary purpose, the very raison d'etre for the site in the first place, is to assist people with relocation.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

It's pretty apparent that C-D forum has morphed into being whatever the posters want it to be. The postings are all over the place and, as long as they are not advertising or being exceedingly rude, they all have a life of their own. People who come here looking for information can pick and choose what threads they want to read.

I like hotzcatz and OpenD's perspectives on this.

[McFrostyJ]

I have seen many different people post that this forum isn't the place for this or isn't the place for that. So that's why I was wondering what exactly are and are not appropriate topics on this City-Data Forum.

Thanks for your replies!

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by McFrostyJ

I have seen many different people post that this forum isn't the place for this or isn't the place for that. So that's why I was wondering what exactly are and are not appropriate topics on this City-Data Forum.

Well, I'm pretty sure that trying to find a job in Mexico isn't appropriate here.

As is any topic that has a specific forum area devoted to it, such as Politics and Other Controversies, or is unusually contentious, like Politics and Other Controversies.

[Mattks]

I think it's variables of all of them. I come to the Hawaii forum because I like to dream about vacationing and possibly retiring there in the future. I traveled to China last year and was planning on stopping in Hawaii for a few days, just to find out the flights didn't work that way... we were then planning on going this year, but that vacation was postponed to visit my wifes sister in Canada, who just had a baby... now we are hoping to go in about a year. I think the Hawaiian life and culture is something a lot of people want to be part of, but can't due to a variety of reasons, so we like to hear about other peoples stories who move to the islands, and continue to look for a way to get ourselves out there. In the meantime we soak up as much as possible. All I know is that I had better had a vacation to Hawaii by the end of next year or I'm going to be ticked off.

[kixette]

I dream about moving to Hawaii. It's mostly a dream, I don't think I'll ever be able to live there, unless I get a "windfall" of some sort (Texas Lottery?). But after being on here for so long, I feel like I "know" the people. Hotzcatz, OpenD, winkosmosis, Hawaiian By Heart, White Viper, McFrosty, and so many more! so now when I come hang out it's mostly to see what people are talking about. And of course something COULD happen where I could move there, and then thanks to "all of y'all" as we say in Texas, I'll be ready!!!!

[Nbotumkesar]

Your question could be asked about any state or city's forum on City-Data. Discussions take on many topics and styles.

What I have discovered is weird. The "locals" to any state of city forum develop some crazy sense of over-lording and knowitall domination and control, as if they are the owners of the site or act as hall monitors. It's sometimes quite nutty. Others are busy acting as promoters and boosters of a city or state - and some are even getting PAID ad freelance writers (the owners of this site, Advameg, does hire "writers" as freelancers all the time) - sometimes you will never know that the poster, albeit a "freelancer", is actually getting PAID to write and post on City Data and a host of other sites they own. Then you have folks who are hired by REAL ESTATE firms, moving companies, builders, insurance agents, travel agents, CVB'c, Chamber of Commerce, Metro Planning Agencies, University systems, local governments, state governments,, etc etc etc who post constantly about the news of an area, projects, issues, politics etc. It's nutty. If you think you're getting straight feedback all the time, you're crazy. There is a reason why a "local poster" has posts totaling in the THOUSANDS, or are always "Helpful Helens" being omnipresent, hanging out on the web, everyday, all day long, just waiting to pounce on those keys to clickity-click his so-called "wisdom".

In short, caveat emptor - it ain't all true ! This is a business, not an exercise in altruism.


// I'm quite serious about City data's owner, Advameg, hiring writers for many of their sites as "freelancers". I have tracked several posters/screen names to so-called freelancer writers who use a service called "ELANCE". These signup writers using ELANCE as sort of a place to get hired for writing, accept "assignments" for short term or longer terms "projects" for writing on sites that Advameg (e.g. City Data) owns.

Beware friend beware

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Nbotumkesar

Your question could be asked about any state or city's forum on City-Data. Discussions take on many topics and styles.

Oh, look... another "new" member, with only 4 previous posts, here to school us all about the way this forum REALLY works using his deep and intimate knowledge! Can you say, "cognitive dissonance?"

What I have discovered is weird. The "locals" to any state of city forum develop some crazy sense of over-lording and knowitall domination and control, as if they are the owners of the site or act as hall monitors. It's sometimes quite nutty.

We've heard this harangue before, and the language is familiar. Are you sure we haven't met you previously?

Others are busy acting as promoters and boosters of a city or state - and some are even getting PAID ad freelance writers (the owners of this site, Advameg, does hire "writers" as freelancers all the time) - sometimes you will never know that the poster, albeit a "freelancer", is actually getting PAID to write and post on City Data and a host of other sites they own.

Oh, wow, you mean people actually get PAID to write on the INTERNET? What a HORROR! Oh the HUMANITY! There oughta be a LAW!

Geez, Louise... looking over the Advameg portfolio of more than 50 websites, I see mostly reference sites and informational sites that are full of information that was... gasp!... professionally written! This Forum site is the only one which is primarily crowdsourced, and from what I've seen, the vast majority of the posters don't deserve to be paid for all their misspellings and bad grammar and flawed logic.

Then you have folks who are hired by REAL ESTATE firms, moving companies, builders, insurance agents, travel agents, CVB'c, Chamber of Commerce, Metro Planning Agencies, University systems, local governments, state governments,, etc etc etc who post constantly about the news of an area, projects, issues, politics etc. It's nutty. If you think you're getting straight feedback all the time, you're crazy.

While this is true, for the most part it's pretty obvious when somebody is shilling, or posting a "stealth" ad, and a lot of it gets deleted.

There is a reason why a "local poster" has posts totaling in the THOUSANDS, or are always "Helpful Helens" being omnipresent, hanging out on the web, everyday, all day long, just waiting to pounce on those keys to clickity-click his so-called "wisdom".

I suppose that could be meant for me, but the simple truth is that I don't get paid at all to do this. Nor do I have a choice. I'm actually a slave, chained to my computer, whipped with wilting leis if I don't write, only allowed short sleep breaks on a greasy pallet on the floor before it's time to rise and make the magic happen again. And on weekends I have to play guitar and sing for the supper crowd. I think they must put drugs in the slop they feed me because my will to run away has been completely sapped. I'm truly a broken man.

In short, caveat emptor - it ain't all true ! This is a business, not an exercise in altruism.

And this is supposed to be a big revelation? CDF is a business, no question about it. And there are certain forums that are knee deep in self-promoting real estate agents and people who sell home improvements, but there's really not much of that here on the Hawai'i forum.

Yes, a few posters do seem to have weird personal agendas, like bullying people from the safety of their anonymous accounts, or talking to themselves from different "sock puppet" accounts. But the best of the posters here are just folks who like to share with others. I've met and talked to a few offline and found them to be real and normal. Well, to be honest, "normal" might be stretching it a little...

// I'm quite serious about City data's owner, Advameg, hiring writers for many of their sites as "freelancers". I have tracked several posters/screen names to so-called freelancer writers who use a service called "ELANCE". These signup writers using ELANCE as sort of a place to get hired for writing, accept "assignments" for short term or longer terms "projects" for writing on sites that Advameg (e.g. City Data) owns.

Wow, thanks for the tip. I knew Elance was a big freelance service for IT personnel, but I didn't realize they handled writers, too. I'll have to get over there right away and sign up, so I can start making the really big bucks writing for online forums!

Beware friend beware

Yes indeed, I'm afraid, so very afraid!