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Author Topic: Alternate RW Forums  (Read 74581 times)

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Offline Admin

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Alternate RW Forums
« on: June 29, 2010, 09:05:26 AM »
I suppose the more correct plural of 'forum' is 'fora' - but this title sounded more understandable.

This post represents a change in recent policy and a return to one of the tenets upon which RWD was founded. As some of you know, RWD grew out of the good work of the original Planet-Love site. The founder of Planet-Love was Patrick, who was both forward-thinking and a pioneer in the internet forum arena. He is married to a lady from South America, and based on his interest in the 80's and 90's, he founded Planet-Love.com, GoodWife.com, and at least one other site that was home to his Latin American agency. Planet-Love was a rough and tumble site, and not for the faint of heart. After having participated at Planet-Love since the late 1990's, I decided to create a site dedicated to international relationships with partners from the FSU - nominally referenced as "Russian Women." Patrick learned of the creation of RWD, and true to form, his reaction was to make an announcement at PL about the new site, and creating a permanent link to RWD from PL. The guy was, and is, a class act.

A lot has changed in the internet since the late 1990's. Posters on the internet are now far more likely to have an arrogant sense of entitlement, as opposed to the gratitude and appreciation people felt back then. As a result, it has become commonplace for some to swagger over to RWD having just created some fledgling site someplace, and expect it to be quite OK to scavenge our members.

Standing apart from that behavior, I have long been impressed with SufiPoet, the owner of Russian Meeting Place, who approached me gently and professionally when RWD was in its early days and building activity, and he asked if I would be willing to make reference to a project he was sponsoring at RMP. After some discussion, we mutually decided to not pursue the reference, but his professional demeanor and the courtesy he displayed has remained with me ever since - particularly as it was in such stark contrast to behaviors of several others.

As some of you know, there has been enmity - in some instances, a LOT of it - between other forum owners (or their reps) and RWD over the past several years. Much of it is to be expected as RWD is the biggest forum of its sort on the internet, and we became a target. Sadly, a great deal of the criticisms expressed were fabricated and bore no resemblance to fact - it was merely a smear campaign.

This message is to send the unequivocal signal that the time has come for a change. It is time to return to the model of Patrick and SufiPoet, and in fact, to the original intent of RWD. To that end, the following is a list of the currently known forums that offer information about the subject of cross-cultural relationships and marriage with a partner from the Former Soviet Union:


If anyone knows any others, please feel free to post it in this thread.

Please be advised this topic is NOT an invitation to engage in cross-board bashing. As with other sensitive topics here at RWD, it is recognized there is likely to be controversy and passions connected to other internet communities. Those passions are likely to run from one extreme where someone feels unfairly treated by an alternate site - to those who would visit RWD to promote an alternate site. Neither end of that passion spectrum is appropriate. While members are free to share their thoughts and experiences, criticisms and successes - please remember that RWD is focusing on those things we can effectively and successfully manage - and we have no interest in becoming involved in controversies raging or emanating from elsewhere.

Finally, as a result of this new approach, I have created a new membergroup to specifically 'flag' those who are Owners, Administrators, or Moderators of an Alternate Forum. This is done in a similar manner to our Commercial Members, so that our Regular Members are aware of the possibility of motives that are different from the 'norm'.

- Dan

PS - one final comment. I want to make special mention of RWD member 'Manny' who is the owner of RUAdventures. As those few of you who care about such things may be aware, Manny and I have had our share of 'spats' over the years. Very recently that has changed. Giving credit where credit is due - that change came about due to Manny's initiation, not mine. I will have more to write on this topic in the future, but it may be some weeks before I can dedicate the time.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2010, 09:33:26 AM by Admin »

Offline Admin

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2010, 09:49:37 AM »
Another resource that has been around for such a long time, it remains known by its ORIGINAL name - the St. Johns List. It is now hosted by another site and is a listserv - found here -- http://listserv.icors.org/scripts/wa-icors.exe?A0=RUSSIAN-WOMEN-L.

- Dan

Offline Sculpto

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2010, 10:13:46 AM »
Dan.. kudos to you for reaching out.  Despite any differences you and I have had.. what you just did wipes the slate clean for me.  It took a big person to reach out that way and I support this effort 100%.

btw.. I think you forgot a rather active forum at fiance.com that goes between being a free for all and being moderated with a heavy hand.

Offline Admin

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2010, 02:09:52 PM »
Dan.. kudos to you for reaching out.  Despite any differences you and I have had.. what you just did wipes the slate clean for me.  It took a big person to reach out that way and I support this effort 100%.

btw.. I think you forgot a rather active forum at fiance.com that goes between being a free for all and being moderated with a heavy hand.

There are numerous 'forums' that I missed. Some agency sites will include a forum as an ancillary feature for its members, and perhaps to attract new members. I recall hearing about a handful of different Yahoo groups - in fact, I just realized I missed Kevin Hayes' Yahoo Group (that I do not know the URL for because I've never visited).

Y'all are welcome to add other forum sites to this topic.

- Dan

Offline Manny

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2010, 02:58:23 PM »
PS - one final comment. I want to make special mention of RWD member 'Manny' who is the owner of RUAdventures. As those few of you who care about such things may be aware, Manny and I have had our share of 'spats' over the years. Very recently that has changed. Giving credit where credit is due - that change came about due to Manny's initiation, not mine. I will have more to write on this topic in the future, but it may be some weeks before I can dedicate the time.

As Dan has noted, he and I have had our differences over the years across a variety of fora. I recently had cause to contact Dan over something. It must be said that Turboguy was instrumental in facilitating that contact. Our subsequent discussions have allowed us to iron out many of our differences and agree to differ on that which we cannot agree. We have agreed to co-operate with each other, where we can, especially when it might be beneficial to the members of both sites.

It may have been me who made the first contact after several years of "cold war", but it has been Dan who has taken the first steps to remove the barriers that existed between our sites in recent days.

On the subject of other forums, I wanted to give another one a mention that I think deserves a small plug: http://www.realrussia.co.uk/forum/category-view.asp

Real Russia is a UK oriented visa site. I have no connection with them other than that I get my own Russian visas from them (and we carry their links on RUA). They have a small forum there where there are some very knowledgeable guys about the UK visa process, UK citizens' visas in Russia etc. For the minutiae of UK visa rules, these guys are where it is at. They are not a general "Russian Bride forum", but if you are a Brit who wants to know how to get his visa registered in a hurry in Dumpsk, how to get visas for kids/babies, or any of the more UK specific visa related info, these guys can help. 

Offline Sculpto

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2010, 03:24:04 PM »
 :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:

Offline Shadow

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2010, 03:26:40 PM »
I think it is great that differences are solved, and I hope the owners of all boards will continue to work together in solving differences.
Regardless of differences in style and background, the ideas remain the same.
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Offline wiz

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2010, 04:42:42 PM »
Nice to hear that the big boys finally decided to stop having arguments and are prepared to work along side for the same ideas.

A good co-operation between all the boards should be the guiding rule.


Offline Chicagoguy

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2010, 05:45:34 PM »
Please excuse my ignorance because I was absent for a few years. But I remember
RWG or Russian Women Guide. Am I correct ? What happenned to them ?

Offline Admin

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2010, 06:03:38 PM »
Please excuse my ignorance because I was absent for a few years. But I remember
RWG or Russian Women Guide. Am I correct ? What happenned to them ?

Purchased by European Connections and converted to a static site quite some time ago. The old RWG morphed into the RussianWomenForums.com URL in the OP - owner unknown.

- Dan

Offline wiz

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #10 on: June 30, 2010, 04:01:22 AM »
Dan

I am curious .................

Somebody told me today that you are planning to retire and "Manny"
wants to take over the board?

Is that true?


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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #11 on: June 30, 2010, 06:12:08 AM »
Dan

I am curious .................

Somebody told me today that you are planning to retire and "Manny"
wants to take over the board?

Is that true?



Well, well . . . it seems we may now know WHO is the rumor monger in need of vicarious drama (ref. this post -- http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=11882.0).

- Dan

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2011, 10:27:59 PM »
Sadly, for those who would find this topic and consider RussianMeetingPlace.com, I want to point you in the direction of this more recent RWD topic, found here -- http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=12912.0.

Be sure to check out the shenanigans they obviously apparently condone by their moderation staff.

- Dan

Offline Slumba

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2012, 09:54:49 PM »
May I ask, if anyone remembers a guy named (true story!) Beau Brummel, he ran a mailing list for RW-oriented discussion during the late 1990s, and himself traveled to Russia to find a wife.

I remember a few marriages on the list, including a guy named Kevin (Black? I don't remember) who went over and found a beautiful redheaded woman to marry.

I think he helped a StP-based service called Introductions by Irina, get started with a web site, also. 

They are still around - http://www.introbyirina.com/ although their introduction service is gone and they offer apartments to rent and walking tours at this point.

Mods, hope this post is OK in this location - if not, please move it...
Me gusta ir de compras con mi tarjeta verde...

Offline Muzh

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #14 on: October 05, 2012, 08:12:36 AM »
It is Kevin Block and I think he is still in this list.


Beau was married to Iryna and I believe they divorced.
To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead. Thomas Paine - The American Crisis 1776-1783

Offline Patagonie

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2012, 12:30:50 PM »
Guys, i am for you a newbie. But i want to tell you something, RUA and RWD are the most powerful sites to fight against the 2 billions $ of the mob business. THis 2 billions $ (if this numeral is true, i think it is about the total mob in the world) has dammaged and abused many men and kill theirs dreams. The worth if this two forums is incalculable. By having very efficient moderators who prevent sites to be scavenged by commercial interests it gives to people a free mine of informations (ok like anytime in internet you need to sort). Typically those sites are the only opposed power of this massive scam industries. I have discovered that the biggest agencies try to control all advertising and manipulate people by mass medias. They don't want to have any wrong informations about them. Only these types of sites are capable to fight against such practices. Lwish you a long life, and thank all moderators and people who spend time for others, this is generous, that what i want to tell you.
"Je glissais through the paper wall, an angel in the hand, s taboy. I lay on the floor, surgi des chants de Maldoror, je mix l'intégrale de mes nuits de crystal, i belong to the festival.

Offline JayH

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #16 on: October 02, 2013, 07:09:51 PM »
Funny thing is I asked the exact question of thread title  in a post when when I first came here-- got beaten up over it and reprimanded--maybe even a period in the sin box-- just saw this now and cannot help but laugh!!
SLAVA UKRAYINI  ! HEROYAM SLAVA!!!!
Слава Украине! Слава героям слава!Слава Україні! Слава героям!
 translated as: Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!!!  is a Ukrainian greeting slogan being used now all over Ukraine to signify support for a free independent Ukraine

Offline AnonMod

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #17 on: October 02, 2013, 08:25:23 PM »
No, you were asked not to bring your dispute with another forum here.   
This account does NOT accept PM's. If you need to contact the RWD Staff, please use the 'Report to moderator' link.

Offline onlyFSU4me

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2013, 09:08:54 PM »
Sadly, for those who would find this topic and consider RussianMeetingPlace.com, I want to point you in the direction of this more recent RWD topic, found here -- http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=12912.0.

Be sure to check out the shenanigans they obviously apparently condone by their moderation staff.

- Dan




 Wow, first I heard about this. Glad Jay posted here today and I saw this. Hard to believe he tried to pull something like that, especially in such a close knit community like we have here with FSU forums.


 Thanks for posting this!

Online Faux Pas

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #19 on: October 03, 2013, 07:09:17 AM »



 Wow, first I heard about this. Glad Jay posted here today and I saw this. Hard to believe he tried to pull something like that, especially in such a close knit community like we have here with FSU forums.


 Thanks for posting this!

GTR is a real piece of pooh work. At RMP the only truth is his truth. Anyone disagreeing with that is a troublemaker and must be banned. It's not a big deal really, that these guys want to exclusive, they're allowed and the forum owner permits it. What's bad is GTR and his ilk dispensing bad advice to build up their own sagging egos and banning anyone who disagrees or doesn't chum up to it. In the case of where myself and Boethius was banned, the advice GTR was offering there was so bad, it couldn't be ignored by anyone with half a conscience

Offline Boethius

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #20 on: October 03, 2013, 07:23:35 AM »
I was unbanned after someone notified Khashyar.  But, I haven't been back, other than once to answer a PM.
After the fall of communism, the biggest mistake Boris Yeltsin's regime made was not to disband the KGB altogether. Instead it changed its name to the FSB and, to many observers, morphed into a gangster organisation, eventually headed by master criminal Vladimir Putin. - Gerard Batten

Offline Turboguy

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #21 on: October 03, 2013, 08:12:05 AM »
I stop in over there once in a while and post when there is something worth posting.  I have to agree with the comments.  I have said over there that when posting over there you feel a bit like you are walking on egg shells.  They seem to examine everything with a fine tooth comb and if something can be taken another way that seems to happen.  They are a little rudderless there which I am sure can be a challenge.   GTR denies doing what he did what there seems to be ample proof that he did but that is all ancient history anyway. 



I do think the policy here that problems from another forum can't be discussed here is a good one, just as the policy that someone shouldn't be attacked who isn't here to defend themselves. 


As far as Dan's original post and list I believe Olga's forum "RussianWomensHome" has been shut down.  They had a really nice forum that Robert and Olga had put a lot of work into but they had very little activity.   There may be some others on the list that are now defunct as well. 

Online Faux Pas

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #22 on: October 03, 2013, 08:51:04 AM »
I stop in over there once in a while and post when there is something worth posting.  I have to agree with the comments.  I have said over there that when posting over there you feel a bit like you are walking on egg shells.  They seem to examine everything with a fine tooth comb and if something can be taken another way that seems to happen.  They are a little rudderless there which I am sure can be a challenge.   GTR denies doing what he did what there seems to be ample proof that he did but that is all ancient history anyway. 



I do think the policy here that problems from another forum can't be discussed here is a good one, just as the policy that someone shouldn't be attacked who isn't here to defend themselves. 


As far as Dan's original post and list I believe Olga's forum "RussianWomensHome" has been shut down.  They had a really nice forum that Robert and Olga had put a lot of work into but they had very little activity.   There may be some others on the list that are now defunct as well.

Back in 2005/06 IIRC it was the first forum I had found. It was a good source of information at that time with some good knowledgeable posters. "At that time" being the key phrase. Several years later GTR and the circle jerkers began to identify "undesirables" those that disagreed and started banning them. They had good traffic and membership up to that point. It's gone from a few thousand posts a day to two or three posts a day and dissension is forbidden. GTR's actions here at RWD is well documented, there is no doubt. His actions for the most part at RMP have been hidden and/or deleted

Offline Turboguy

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #23 on: October 03, 2013, 01:18:14 PM »
I have to agree with "at that time"  RWD was the first real forum I found and that was just a few days after its launch (My join date is 4 days after Dan's join date).  Later I tripped over the defunct RWG and RMP but RWG was out of control but busy and RMP was a little quiet then.  I got banned here for a while and having been hooked on forums hung out a little more at RMP but still found it slow.  Then Jooky and Don Started up which gave me someplace to practice my addiction until the ban got lifted here.  I got rather upset when you and Boethius got banned and probably got pretty close to joining that club.  While I was still rather upset I posted my feelings over at Wiz's in a way that wasn't very complimentary to GTR.  I do agree that at one time RMP was a very busy place with lots of advice for anyone but I can't say during my time there that it ever was real busy and now it is quite slow.  I do think there is less interest in men meeting RW now and that is likely part of the reason for things slowing in many places.  In the early days here it seemed like the majority of the members were men looking for a wife.  Now it seems the majority are guys with a RW.  It seems like more of the conversations are about things like the government shutdown and fewer discussions about which is a good agency (if there is such a thing)

Offline GQBlues

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Re: Alternate RW Forums
« Reply #24 on: October 03, 2013, 01:57:38 PM »
One other site that hasn't been mentioned here was RWG's ex-moderator Ronin's site. He called it RWPrimer. He really did put a lot of effort in trying to make that site work when RWG's Spencer surprised everyone, including the mods, in selling RWG to a bride agency.

I think he tried for almost 2 years to make it a go. It came to a point where he was the only one posting in the site. It was kind 'sad'.

 :'(
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