Censorship-free blogs or sites.

Well, about the ONLY two topics that aren't welcome here for discussion are POLITICS and RELIGION, other than that almost everything is fare game. So I don't know where you get the idea that this site is full of censorship.

Topics are routinely closed if they're about political issues since these tend to get tempers flared up and it is clearly unproductive here. Anything that makes some kind of religious statement is going to get closed too, because this is not a vehicle for trying to convert other members. Obviously any religious slurs are going to be deleted immediately too. We do allow questions about how certain aspects of religion may effect expats, clearly there are questions from-time-to-time like how wearing certain religious garb or headwear will be accepted in a country, those kind of things are no problem here at all.

If you're getting topics closed or moderated in any way then it's because they're too politically or religiously provocative, or you're violating Expat-blog Terms and Conditions of Use. Moderation is not done without a sound reason behind it.

Cheers,
James
Expat-blog Experts Team

Strange looking over your past activity, 25 postings I see only ONE that was moderated, and it was for being OFF TOPIC and INAPPROPRIATE.

Methinks thou dost protest too much!!!

You're a very long way from the good ol' US of A, and so is Expat-blog (it's located in Mauritius), so your First Amendment doesn't apply here I'm afraid.

There's an expat site where you can find everything you're looking for if you can wade through all the auto-bot advertising spams and files laced with trojan viruses.

If you're still interested pm me.

James wrote:

Strange looking over your past activity, 25 postings I see only ONE that was moderated, and it was for being OFF TOPIC and INAPPROPRIATE.

Methinks thou dost protest too much!!!

You're a very long way from the good ol' US of A, and so is Expat-blog (it's located in Mauritius), so your First Amendment doesn't apply here I'm afraid.

Many posts just don't get shared. Self-censoring, i think, is done by all. Alot of it anybody'd agree with. However, if there is a Vietnamese expat site on .vn somewhere or a .com within Viet borders, I'm willing to bet it would be under fewer restrictions by far and any that might exist wouldn't apply to me as I've no wish to change them.
   I study such things and have for a very long time. Odd hobby but you could call it that. Heavily into philosophy, sociology and politics. I see these in everything and they are a permanent part of all my observations. And I want to learn more and find out what more's out there. One of my more curious questions was the one presented in that one post which was moderated. Not super-crazy stuff, but I now know, not what this site is rigged for. No big deal. You site is more set for majority interests.

   I have found some more freedom on membership sites and they cover some pretty small niches and don't cost. None specifically Taoist or political yet.  Niche sites would have people of similar interests so little real arguing would be happening. Something this site's wide audience can't duplicate.

   But wouldja happen to know a site or somethin' doing what this site doesn't? I want to talk about religion and politics  like I can in the street with others who've left their homelands behind. I'm so sorry I have this sickness. I feel so dirty. I should talk about what normal people talk about. Bores me to piss though.

   I've come a long way for honesty. I have gained. And continue to look farther. Sometimes I look on the net.

   Anybody see any?

   Good luck all. I'm gonna check the street. I love the freedom here. Streets are always real.

er.... i got suspended once stating I am advertising myself which I was not aware of?

Some members here PMed me privately asking me what happened too.

Anyway, I can live with it.

Not a complain though but just thought it was relevant for a comment for this topic.

Re: Censorship-free blogs or sites.
Well, about the ONLY two topics that aren't welcome here for discussion are POLITICS and RELIGION, other than that almost everything is fare game. So I don't know where you get the idea that this site is full of censorship       WRONG James I posted to find a fellow member who has gone missing, and the one known as the Princess chose  to TERMINATE  my attempt, That, my friend, is an extreme misuse of power in the area of sensoreship or am I to assume, when you say " almost anything is fair game" that you are reserving power for when the princess feels the need?  P;s  for those that care!!   Tran Hung Dao still has not been heard from   

Barkester wrote:

I can't answer simple questions like why I came here.

Disgusted with US policies, I left long ago.

US politics tend to cause a lot of arguments, more so than the politics of most countries.
There are many forums dedicated to arguing, shouting at each other and calling people a wide variety of names, most suggesting bedroom activity or various intimate body parts.

This site was designed to be an expat mutual help site and nasty politics tend to get in the way of that, so threads tend to get removed quickly.
A few political threads do survive, but they tend to be ones that are likely to be of issue to expats in a given country.
General political topics don't survive.
Self censorship is very good, and something you should stick to.

Most sites I wouldn't fault for not allowing some political discussion, but most sites don't style themselves as "expat" sites. The only thing expats have incommon is that we left our home countries. Thats it. And having known a great many of them over the years I do know that a great many of them left for political and/or religious reasons.

   As you are running an "expat" site, shouldn't we be able to discuss how we became expats? It just seems like you'd've been better off with "tourists" as a name had you wished to avoid such discussions. Tourists tour for little reasons. Expats leave behind kith and kin and all we know and that takes a much greater impetus.

   Tourist-blog woulda been more appropriate and safer for the current admin's tender sensibilities.

   In short, to enforce political quiet is to take part in a Western political action. This site is quite political. It is pro-Western and self-censorship is a common Western political action .

   It is breeding fear right now. Relax! When one doesn't like an opinion, one simply skips it. The beauty of forums! Political and religious discussion can have a place in everyday life and do outside the west for many. The only legitimate fear I see is that one might be exposed to views that differ from the majority.

   And the end result is expats are stereo-typed as 2-dimensional characters here only for the shoes and sex. Thus I'm insulted and feel the need to reply to the site's actions.

   Why am I here? My answer must now be that I wanted to be able to wear flip flops every day or I like spring rolls and am so incredibly stupid, I moved around the world for them. And every other expat is here for similarly ridiculously menial reasons. The site thus does insult to a great many.

   This site in no way represents any expats I know. It took the name of expats only to spit on it apparently. Just a Western shopping network for tourists and missionaries.

    Want to strive for more? Change. Don't be so scared.

   Communication is good. Thats the truth.

In short, to enforce political quiet is to take part in a Western political action. This site is quite political. It is pro-Western and self-censorship is a common Western political action .

Why am I here? My answer must now be that I wanted to be able to wear flip flops every day or I like spring rolls and am so incredibly stupid, I moved around the world for them. And every other expat is here for similarly ridiculously menial reasons. The site thus does insult to a great many.

I moved because I saw no future in the UK, disliked the way the UK was going (Politically and socially) then a chance of something better came along.

Do I like the newspaper fed western politics, especially US foreign policy? No, I think it's terrible, but I make detailed posts as to why on political forums where arguments are common and the norm.
When you move to another country, you have to accept local ways, just as when you join a forum, you accept that's what the forum is.
This isn't a political forum, it's a mutual help forum, and arguments don't much help anyone.

My all means, tell you you left because you thought your government was crap, but leave it at that, making your points on other forums that allow or encourage arguments, name calling, and all the mess that goes with those things.

They aren't the norm here, so I don't express much by way of an opinion (as a rule).

As for moving half way around the world for an easy 'flop flop' lifestyle with copious quantities of spring rolls, why would that be stupid?

I'm back in Canada for a month and every conversation I have is about Vietnamese politics. While I was in Vietnam for over a year no one cares about politics.

What I found is you can't have an intelligent debate about politics with someone that has biases and personal feelings involved.

If you found US policies sucks than leave it in the US. You moved to Vietnam to get away from it but you seem to be bringing US policies with you to Vietnam. Clean your slate of sheets clean. Leave your westernized ideals behind. Embrace Vietnamese culture and the way they do things. Embrace the youth of Vietnam.

People in Vietnam just want to work hard and enjoy their life just as expats to this forum seek. Politics makes you take sides. In Expat.com forum we're all one and together. I like how the forum is run now.

^
Nice post