I have had this sent to me this morning via the BA newcomers list . Interesting and well put
Frank I really think this is a little below the belt. Calling the people that control the main "competition" to banewcomers as "scammers" and "crooks" (go to google and type in "define: scammer" or "define: crook"). I don't think that is fair. There are only 2 large expat forums in Buenos Aires, banewcomers and baexpats, surely this city is big enough for both to coexist.
I've met Igor a few times - he's a nice humble guy. He's not scamming anyone because they add in 10 pesos per person for the dinners they have every 2 or 3 months. I believe them when they say that they have lost money on some of the dinners because of no-shows and complete lack of tipping. But even if their reason is not to create a little breathing room in case of unexpected problems, what would be wrong with them making money on the event? Is every other expat allowed to try some entrepeneurial effort, whether its a bar, or restaurant, or airport transport, or expat trips, or apartment rental service, or making cookies or whatever (and I applaud all those efforts), but they can't? I hardly think anyone is living off of 100 pesos every 2 or 3 months, much less "scamming" people in the process. Many of the dinners (not all), including the one earlier this year at Pozo Santo, were 3-course, 5-star meals, and at 80 pesos with wine, you would definitely pay more going on your own.
Linking to Mike's BAExpat Group Watch site (kind of creepy IMO) where some online reviews with prices paid of a Chinese restaurant are compared to the price of the multi-course- with-wine BAExpat event (where I was there and the restaurant went over the top with servings until no one could eat anymore), and neither you nor Mike were there at that event...and that's the scamming proof?
I don't blame you that you are upset about the negative comments posted on a thread at the other site. I think expats should be making efforts to support each other, not tear each other down publicly (hey if you don't like someone's product or service, why not just not buy their product or service and leave it at that?). Don't all entrepeneurial efforts have enough hurdles, without other expats tearing down their efforts? But you as a moderator of banewcomers should know that it's not always easy to know when to moderate. In your case, one could make the argument that it was in your interest that the baexpats thread on your cookies was deemed to have gotten out of hand and further posts denied. And you did post 8 times on the subject before the thread was cut off. In the end, you may have moderated that series of events differently if it was on banewcomers, but how that thread was moderated was one of many possible and reasonable alternatives. Honestly I don't know what I would have done in that situtation - let the thread keep going on and on, but allowing unrelenting negative comments ad infineum, or cut it at some point when its spriralled out of control? Or would you not have allowed the thread at all? That feels uncomfortable to me too, as that means no negative comments or reviews are allowed about any expat run businesses? All this goes to show, as you know from your experience as a moderator, that these can be difficult judgements to make, not that anyone is a crook or scammer or whatever.
The other problem I have with linking to the Mcarthyesque BAExpats Group Watch, is the statements on there to go after people's immigration status. Does everyone here on banewcomers have to think about their immigration status before posting for fear of immigration status retribution? And the main beef on that monitoring site is that too much free wheeling debate, that sometimes slides into anti-Argentina talk, is allowed at baexpats. I'm not a contributor to that site, but I can understand why its much bigger than banewcomers. Banewcomers is awesome for newcomers - but there is a more freewheeling debate that is allowed at baexpats, and that can be more interesting after you've been here awhile. But there are also some very negative people out there that can drive everyone else crazy, and that makes for tricky moderation. In the end why not let people choose the style of forum they want - more freewheeling but sometimes maybe more disrespectful, vs more respectful but more limited in topics. (I've only been reading baexpats in 2009, and I don't find so many negative posts, but I don't read it everyday either.) I propose we just choose which style of forum fits our comfort level, vs creating competitor "watch" groups and sites (and calling people criminals).
You have a great successful business, you sell cookies to Jumbo and Starbucks among many other places...I just think all this is below you.