Do you think there should be a private forum for New York?

amother

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:27 am

There has been so many threads started lately about Corona that are specific about people living in New York. I sometimes see posters upset the people from other places are posting in them, since they feel they can't understand or judge what its like since they don't live in New York.
I once posted a thread asking about how Israelis are doing during the lockdown, and people replied that they mainly respond in the closed forum for just Israelis since their all going through the same thing and can understand each other

I'm also wondering - aren't people who dont live in New York, getting tired reading about all this? or is the majority of the site from New York anyways....

Another benefit would be that each thread would automatically not be viewable for the public...

amother

Black

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:29 am

YES!!!!!!!! They are not the center of the world (even though many, at least on this site) think they are.

amother

Chocolate

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:29 am

Maybe it should go in the chasidish forum since many chasidish posters on this site post things like “everyone” or “all” when what they actually mean is all chasidim...

Reality

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:29 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

YES!!!!!!!! They are not the center of the world (even though many, at least on this site) think they are.

Rude!!

amother

Powderblue

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:31 am

I would appreciate a separate forum.
Dh is an only son with many sisters. This forum has started to feel like Shabbos afternoons at my in-laws.....

Reality

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:32 am

The Israelis have their own forum because we are not supposed to say loshon harah about the land of Israel.

People who live there can post about a problem because they need help. But for those of us from chutz l'aretz to read about it from afar is just pure loshon harah.

Raisin

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:32 am

Just skip reading them if you are not interested. There is already a NY specific forum, maybe people can use that.

amother

Black

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:32 am

Reality wrote:

Rude!!

I just said what many think.

amother

Goldenrod

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:33 am

Yes.

But who gets to join?

I grew up mostly in Brooklyn haven't lived in NYS for over twenty years but do have a son who goes to a Mesivta in Brooklyn who is home now becuase of the shutdown.

Would I be able to join?

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:33 am

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

Yes.

But who gets to join?

I grew up mostly in Brooklyn (did live elsewhere for a few years growing up) don't live there now but do have a son who goes to a Mesivta in Brooklyn who is home now becuase of the shutdown.

Would I be able to join?

These place specific forums are usually for people who LIVE there.

Reality

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:35 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

I just said what many think.

Ok.

Are you one of the nice, warm OOT people that New Yorkers are always negatively compared to?

amother

Black

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:36 am

Reality wrote:

Ok.

Are you one of the nice, warm OOT people that New Yorkers are always negatively compared to?

I dont live in the USA.

amother

Cobalt

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:37 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

I dont live in the USA.

Bingo.

amother

Wine

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:39 am

Reality wrote:

At this point some of the NY threads turn to Lashon hora too...

amother

Coral

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:39 am

Reality wrote:

Oh please, there’s plenty of LH on all the other forums.

amother

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:40 am

Raisin wrote:

Just skip reading them if you are not interested. There is already a NY specific forum, maybe people can use that.

True, but as far as I know its open to everyone so anyone can comment, plus they can be read even if your not logged in... I guess it does help in that if anyone is tired about reading about whats going on in New York, they'd be able to block it by selecting that in the preferences....

Reality

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 11:41 am

amother [ Black ] wrote:

I dont live in the USA.

Do you live in a very large Jewish community?

Do you enjoy being stereotyped?

amother

Cyan

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 12:09 pm

New York or Boro Park?

In the threads you are referencing, anyone who lives out of the BP bubble is called an outsider.

WitchKitty

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 12:12 pm

About half of the COVID-19 threads on this forum are NY specific.
I would appreciate if they would be put in a subforum which could be blocked at will.

Elfrida

Sun, Oct 18 2020, 12:18 pm

Quote:

I once posted a thread asking about how Israelis are doing during the lockdown, and people replied that they mainly respond in the closed forum for just Israelis since their all going through the same thing and can understand each other

I remember that thread. The opening post said that it was providing a space for Israelis to vent about the lockdown. My initial reaction was to wonder why we needed a thread that was parallel to one that already existed. Just around that time, there were a lot of threads that were opened 'for the Israelis'. Obviously people don't see all the israeli conversations on the board, but I was wondering if these threads were because people were sorry for us, or curious, or if they thought we couldn't speak out for ourselves. If they were curious, we don't mind answering questions but it would be nice if they were phrased as such.

When corona first started, and there were rumours and threats of imminent lockdowns all over the world, someone started a lockdown thread. A few days later, it became clear that Israel was taking a very different path to America, and someone else started an Israeli lockdown thread. The general one died after a few days, but the Israeli one is now on its third itineration, and meanders around all aspects of the lockdown. The actual regulations, what they practically mean, whether people are keeping them, the resultant frustration, and so on. And all kinds of minor incidents that just happened during the lockdown. We know the main characters who post under their screen name, and those who prefer to remain anonymous can also make their points without having to explain every detail.

Broadly speaking, on the Israeli forum everyone has a similar political view - that the current coalition is weak and ineffective, and that no one is sure that new elections would help. We probably mostly vote for the same range of parties. There is none of the deep political divisions that come up in America. While we might accuse some of our politicians of being anti-chareidi, it would be a fallacy to call them anti-semitic.

The New York corona threads seem to be plagued with politics and frustration, and often go round in circles. To he honest I don't normally read beyond the first few posts, unless they are actually saying something new. It's hard to say where some of them should go. Posting then on a Corona forum is a valid choice, but they are often dealing with the local social effects of Corona, rather than the disease itself and a local political forum would be an equally valid choice. Perhaps a 'Corona in New York' subsection which could encompass both areas would be the way to go. Hopefully, though, within the next year Corona (and American politics) will become a far less pressing issue. Do we need to open a subsection for what will hopefully be a relatively short term issue? Would a long running single thread, like the Israeli one be a substitute? Or is there some better solution that people can think of?

Imamother is 'connecting frum women around the world'. It is a given that the Americans are the majority, and of them there are probably more from New York than any other single place, but the overall diversity helps to make this place what it is. I don't like the idea of splitting this group into local subsections any more than is necessary.

Last edited by Elfrida on Sun, Oct 18 2020, 12:36 pm; edited 2 times in total