Let's Come "Out of The Closet"

[Richard Detrich]

I assume this is about Boquete.org . . . So here goes . . . I've waited a year to say this.

Boquete.org had a place. It was a good idea. Bud Huber is to be thanked for creating this endeavor. He saw a need and filled it. But the ".org" gave the impression it was a "community" site. Unfortunately Bud wanted to remain anonymous which is hard to do since anyone can easily look up on line the owner of any domain. It wasn't long before controversy started in "paradise". I think it began around a guy named Ozzie or Izzie or something. Anyway things started going negative, which was not Huber's idea of how things should be, so he shut the site down. And since it was his "ball", I guess he had the right to take his ball and go home, even although at the time the public perception was that it was somehow a "community" site.

If someone has an opinion and wants to express it in public, I think he or she should the balls or whatever to put their name to their opinion and not hide behind anonymity or cutesy Internet tags. I advocated this to Bud directly via email and offered to meet him and chat further.

Eventually Bud reopened his site, now with a heavy-handed team of anonymous moderators. I continued to advocate people being straight forward and open and expressing their opinions without hiding behind cutesy names. Bud and his anonymous cabal of groupies did not like this, so a year ago they banned me from posting on Boquete.org because of my "negative" postings.* Translation: opinions that Huber didn't like and/or disagreed with.

Now I wouldn't know this guy if I saw him: granted I don't get out enough. I don't know his anonymous heavy-handed groupie editors, although I suspect I meet them socially, but they are sworn to protect their cover.

I have no problem if Bud wants to have his own "sandbox" and selectively allow only the friends he chooses to play with him. But I do have a problem with a so-called "community" site which seeks to shape and influence community opinion being published anonymously and run by an anonymous group of editors who ban anyone who has an opinion other than their own. Newspapers have publishers and editors and editorial boards who don't hide behind cloaks of anonymity.

Interestingly Boquete.org has degenerated from what was once a lively public discussion to a mostly bulletin board of for sale ads and posts by "calendar lady", "moderator" and "marketing."

This is one of the reasons I applaud Lee Zeltzer for providing a truly "open" forum (which I admit is sometimes a little too open for my personal taste, but, hell, freedom of expression is freedom of expression). Neither Lee nor anyone else is responsible for my ranting and raving here . . . just me.

My name is Richard Detrich.

My blog is www.richarddetrich.wordpress.com

*Now I probably will be banned from even reading Boquete.org

[Pantah]

The bad dude's name is Ozzie. And there are people here that would really like to chat (interrogate) with him. However, I believe he has "left the room". I applaud your comments and also Bud and especially Lee for providing forums that never existed before.

There are different rules what can be said here in Panama, although I don't know the internet legalities of this, which may have a bearing on where the server is or where the authors are. There has recently been two very serious crimes perpetrated on resident gringos in Boquete but no mention of it on any websites. What I would like to see is a local police report like that found in small town US newspapers. That way there would be some transparency on what is going down here, rather than the bochinche grapevine that exists. Ozzie was perpetrating his crimes for a month while investigations were made. Another guy, Gwain Grant had four denuncias for threatening behavior against him spanning some period of time. I know some of the complainants who had filed the equivalent of restraining orders. Nothing was done. He died last year so those folks who he hassled, and there are many, no longer need to fear. There has to be a better way.

[Jim Short]

There's a new website in town- boqueteportal.com If you don't like boquete.org, you're going to love my site. Watch it grow in the coming months. I have already placed a link to this site (with Lee's permission of course) We've got free business listings for all businesses in Boquete, (not just the businesses that make money off tourists.) free classifieds, a free community calendar, free coupon maker for businesses and a blog that all are welcome to post to! Coming soon - authors area! Of course I'm trying to sell a few ads along the way.
I have only been a member of boquete.org since last July, but do think it is odd and not really keeping with the spirit of what a forum is that the moderators are anonymous. I think it peaked... Love to meet you sometime Richard... and you too Pantah.

[Pantah]

His name is Frederick Osburn known by his nickname "Ozzie". Google his name, lots of stuff! Of course the Bajareque times posted a letter to the editor from him, where he essentially said he was being picked on. Weird. Boquete is attracting some unsavory characters and it is getting worse.

What's with the latest crime wave in the Boquete area? Prowlers inside occupied houses and some serious assaults. Anybody hear details?

[Paul Saban]

I dont think that the town is necessarily attracting more unsavory people, they are already here, but because there is more opportunity for crime, they are taking advantage of it, and us. We are not talking international criminals here but locals who know that there is little or no chance of them being caught or prosecuted. Be sensible, spend a little extra money on security for your home and dont tempt fate. These are opportunists, give them a hard time, make life difficult and they will move on.

[jim seltzer]

I sign my name to my remarks and so does Jim.

This week, I replied to a letter on boquete.org concerning the quest by "shaddow" (whoever that is) for baby seats to be in The Quo Vadis restaurant.

My reply on Boquete.org was to the effect that I had been dining in a certain restaurant (I stated the name of the restaurant without thinking that this was derrogartory ) where I had to sit through dinner there with a baby crying and children running amuck. Then I said "I hope not" concerning putting baby seats in Quo Vadis restaurant.

My reply was not allowed to be posted.

Now, we are "on probation" or something like that, by Boquete .org for saying the name of the restaurant.

I don't understand how ,at the same time, Boquete.org is allowing a story about not hiring two people who run a dog sitting service (business) and goes on to say very damaging remarks, in my opinion about them, They state these peoples names and the remarks ARE ALLOWED.

Shouldn't the RULES about cencorship at least be consistent?

By the way, Quo Vadis restaurant is a GREAT place for eating and they are in no way involved in my remarks here.

OLIVIA

[Tracey Card]

I do believe Panama is a place where it is "normal" for crying babies, children running amuck, loud music, car horns, dogs barking etc...just about anywhere. The fact that children are welcome just about anywhere is a big plus for us-unlike Canada and U.S.
I like it!

[Paul Saban]

Where does the U.S. constitution come into this. We live in Panama - that means we abide by their rules - we are our own selves here, not controlled by your ex government or mine!!!!! If you want to live your life by the old rules, why did you come here?

[Richard Detrich]

I am happy to see that Boquete.org is at least making some ownership and graphic changes . . . but with many of the same cast of characters running the show . . . we shall see.

[Joy Koopman]

I have to say Richard, that I totally agree with what you're saying. It appears that only a select few can post on the site. As a business owner and since it says you can post your business listing "free" in the business directory, I wrote sometime ago and requested that my company be added to the business section; I provided text, logos and my brokerage's real estate license number, as well as the fact we're a member of ACOBIR.

I followed up 3 times when I saw my brokerage was never added and was told it would be shortly. It never was added to the real estate section, even though my brokerage is fully licensed and there are real estate brokerages in the business directory that are not.

Guess he or one of his "anonymous" editors determined that a fully licensed major franchise is not worthy of posting their business on the site - or maybe they just don't like blondes - who knows?

Kudos to you for starting this discussion and I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that not everyone was allowed to participate/post. I had put a link to their site on my website for people to get information, but now that I know that a lot of us are not "allowed" to post, I'm going to remove it so people go to the one site in Boquete, Lee's site, where there aren't any hidden agendas.

Best,
Joy Koopman
Owner
CENTURY 21 Boquete Gold
CENTURY 21 Bocas Gold