Twin Wolf Technology Group

Just my opinion but I do not see the need to go out and recruit new members. Several things need to happen. First, lots of information and responses. That means members need to speak up when questions are asked. Give your opinion you won't get banned or your contribution deleted. This is already happening to a certain degree. Members here asking advice about hotels in Panama City and discussion about Ruta Sur. It will take awhile to build that vast information we used to have but that is what will bring more people. If they want to go In the list of 1,001 things to do, I am sure Bud has SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on his list. That is a fancy way of saying that this site will pop up on Google and other search engines when people are searching for Chiriqui, Boquete, David, Volcan etc The one thing this site has over the old site is there are more chatter-boxes here. Comparing the two sites, I think Chiriqui Life ended up with more members that give their opinions which leads to interesting discussions that and go in all different directions. That is certainly a plus. I struggle a bit when conversations get split off and moved because now I am jumping around and losing the thread. I like organization but perhaps organization could be done after the discussion draws to a close. Staying on topic is always difficult both online and in real life. Then again going off topic can often get more interesting than Q&A of facts. I don't mind watching and commenting on the old site but I think it is a mistake to make that the focus. Setting this discussion board apart from the old site is as simple as having lots of discussions on various topics related to life in Chiriqui. Right now the only discussion on the old site related to life here is where to get good pizza, which by the way was a slight personal frustration of my own tonight. I drove from Potrerillos up to Boquete just to try out Retrogustos but they were closed. Speaking of which it is time to go raid the fridge... good night all.

Bruce make a great suggestion. I have stayed at the Toscana Inn, just down the street from the Milan and the Parador. A BIG step up in class and a little bit more expensive. When business clients came to town, the choice was ALWAYS the Toscana Inn http://www.toscanainnhotel.com/home. It is the difference between a 2-3 star hotel and a 4-5 star. When I wanted inexpensive, I chose the Milan or Parador. When I wanted comfort and was willing to pay a few more buck, definetly the Toscana. They have the biggest king size beds I have ever seen in any hotel.

I thought there was three but they are like totally awesome! Quality over quantity.

I understand. In your case you got a bogus copy fixed, I did the same and besides I had to get it to support some of my clients. My opinion is Windows 10 runs fine if you get it with a new computer or have a legitimate reason to upgrade (not just because its free).

My opinion, your privacy disappeared a long time ago. Microsoft (and all the others) may be getting more and more access to your data but more worrisome is the government. The real question about upgrading should be - what is the benefit? It does not matter if it is a new Windows or a new Mac OS - what are you getting that you did not get before and why do you need it? If the current mentality about upgrading and buying the latest/greatest were applied to other things, people would be out buying a new car just because it came in a new color. The same goes for all the operating systems from Microsoft, Apple, Google etc. There is no quantum leap in the next version. Do not fall for "ITS FREE". Ask yourself what you will get and realize you may very well lose somethings you have in the process. Yes Windows 10 works better compared to Windows 8. Is it better or give you something you can not do without from Windows 7? I highly doubt it. From a technology guy - permit yourself to get off the eternal upgrade hamster wheel. It goes nowhere.

Having 5 bars does not mean you have a good connection to the cell tower. Those 5 bars are measuring the signal between your cell phone and the booster. If the signal between the booster and the cell tower is weak, you will still have issues like you are describing. If you can not get a good cell signal but have Internet, you should look at getting some sort of VOIP (voice over IP), such as Skype and use that instead.

She may have quit. Those that try to stay anonymous and hide in the darkness always seem to run away when the light of day is shone on them and their identity is revealed.

Looks like I am really late to this discussion. I have advised all of my clients if you have Windows 7, just keep it and do not upgrade. If you have Windows 8, then do the upgrade. In my opinion, there are not enough benefits to jump from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and it does introduce many changes that are not necessarily great or needed. When in doubt about upgrading, think to yourself how many people lament not upgrading sooner - virtually none, yet there are plenty of those that wish they had not done so. Microsoft's automatic upgrade to Windows 10 is a trap that many people step into because of the way it is presented. Besides its "free" (another red flag) Take Judy's advice to get rid of the annoying update icon and know that your Windows 7 is perfectly fine.

I believe that the current sponsors/advertisers on Ning are left-overs. Most probably paid a multi-month (quarterly, semi-annual or annual) fee before JLM took ownership. This was the case with Planet Telecom, their advertising was paid up through the end of December. I am giving the current advertisers the benefit of the doubt and assume their accounts have not yet come due for renewal. Not all will have the courage to stand up for the community like Al did for Planet Telecom but to those who do have my support and respect.

Bonnie, you raise some good points. Examining my assumptions, I assumed that Ambreen was part of the JLM Foundation and had not considered she was hired or outsourced. When I read the description on Datamatics site, I considered the list of talents to be beyond Ambreen's capabilities. However, a new thought has crossed my mind. Perhaps Bob Hunter has multiple web site investments, not just Ning. I have often wondered what else Bob Hunter does as a business man given his lack of concern for the obvious destruction to the value of Ning as an asset. I see many things that lend weight to your claim that Ambreen is a hired as an outsourced moderator. It makes me wonder how much she is getting paid and why Bob Hunter continues down this road. I do not see any return on investment nor a legitimate goal. Everyone loves a mystery, I guess that is why we keep watching.

Hmmm... I disagree. I believe this is Ambreen: Facebook only comes up with one person with her name: https://www.facebook.com/ambreen.ghazi.10 She lives in Pakistan and belongs to more than 12 religious christian groups. Doing a Google search for JLM and Pakistan, the top hit is a website for Jesus Love Ministries based in Pakistan. There is a 10 hour difference from Pakistan to Panama. I do not recall Ambreen being online during our normal hours. She is there early and late possibly indicating she lives on the other side of the world. Lastly add to all of those things that there is a NEW advertiser on Ning under sponsors - The Stephen Ministers fitting in with the religious group idea. So, that is my guess

For those that do not visit Ning, here is a screen shot of Al's post. I suspect it was in response to an email Ning recently sent out announcing new advertising rates. I am proud to say I have service with Planet Telecom. Nicely said Al. It will be interesting to watch what the other advertisers do.

I concur. I am sure it is a very small number of people that use Gravatars. Most probably just upload a photo for their profile on each discussion board or blog they visit. A Gravatar works in places where you cannot upload a profile photo, such as when you comment on a private blog like Chiriqui Chatter. It is free and tied to your email address. Due to the number of blogs and discussion boards I visit, I use it so my logo or profile photo is the same across all discussion boards and blogs I visit. Thanks Bud. You have found the fix. Dan

Problem solved - THANKS!

Personally, I like the fact that now there is no background photo. It keeps it simple and loading faster. Looks good Bud.

Bud, Users that have selected "Use Gravatar" to supply their profile photo are not working. We are getting just a silhouette rather than our actual Gravatar profile photo. Gravatar was working on the old version of the software and the selection is still available in the new version. The Gravatar service provides a profile photo to all blogs and discussion groups across the Internet. Pass along the error to the service provider, I suspect it is just a glitch in the upgrade. Dan Porter Twin Wolf Technology Group

Sounds great - I know they are located near the church but what are their hours?

Keith, The link to the video doesn't work because the software being used here does not allow "iframes". It is a security measure in the Chiriqui Life software. Here is a link to a similar video without the iframes issue: http://video.theloop.ca/watch/man-fights-panama-home-invasion/4601519366001#.VkDV57erSUl

My answer would be 1. A little bit of entertainment 2. The chance to learn something new and useful 3. Something they can take back to their friends and family 4. A sense of belonging to a larger group 5. A place to get help

LMAO Jay!

I have to agree, it is not just about being dumped by Ning. In fact myself and many others just voluntarily quit and closed our accounts back when JLM took over. There was a dishonesty about keeping their identity hidden that just did not sit right with me. The thing about Ning is that while Lee owned it, the entire community also took ownership. Every post, comment, suggestion and even our disagreements were an effort to build and be apart of that community. Each person took a little bit of ownership. The total disregard for what everyone had contributed over the eight year period is what was so insulting. The slash and burn mentality to the membership that followed tore that community apart. They dumped long standing members, friends of Lee and even community leaders. By dumping them, they also dumped each of their contributions over the years. At a time when the community needed it the most - the resource was torn apart. Many felt assaulted and are still being disparaged by comments from the new management and a some anti-CL members. It is notable that the original stated purpose of the new management was to make Nng more friendly. The result has been to not only cause more disharmony but also to destroy the community we built together over those 8 years. At this point Ning appears to have little direction. Posts vary from disgusting graphic videos to arguing about how many members they have as they try to justify themselves as being relevant. Currently, many post are not related to Boquete, Chiriqui or even Panama. It makes a person wonder why they called the site Boquete Panama. As I have posted before, Ning is now like a car wreck. You can't help but look, shake your head and mutter "stupid bastards - what were they thinking?" I actually think that over the next year we are going to end up with even better resources as Ning fades and the community rebuilds what it lost. Lee planted the seed and let it grow. From the roots of that tree are growing many more despite the loss of the original.

Just my opinion but the only reason to have a membership on Ning is if you want to post.

While this is not related to life in Chiriqui, I felt it was newsworthy enough to share. This was reported in a few news sources today. The following is a link to a Youtube video that shows men with jetpacks on flying alongside of a jumbo passenger jet all carefully planned by Emirates Airline. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFCQJ5sYGtI From what I read, the two men were dropped from a helicopter that was keeping pace with the aircraft so they could be up to speed with it. Amazing technology.

As a side note, if you are hanging the Panama Flag vertically, remember that the blue star always goes to upper left corner as seen from the front.

The Ning machine revealed - finally we can see who is behind it.