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Who is the owner of BAexpats.org? Why does he delete posts and allow people to make up fake posts?

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Chris M.

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I posted on BAexpats.org for many years. I finally quit in protest as he is crazy on moderation and deletes whatever he personally doesn't agree with. Many people have mentioned on Twitter the same thing and I met up with several expats on the website who said the same thing about him. They had horrible experiences with that guy.

I found this website and see that a long time poster of that forum in good standing also quit that forum in protest for the owner's antics. I read on Twitter the owners name is Igor. Does anyone know anything about him? Now I see he is making fake profiles on his site and bashing people and companies and posting things about fake photos for real estate websites. I would think this would cross into libel.

Does anyone know what his deal is?
 
I posted on BAexpats.org for many years. I finally quit in protest as he is crazy on moderation and deletes whatever he personally doesn't agree with. Many people have mentioned on Twitter the same thing and I met up with several expats on the website who said the same thing about him. They had horrible experiences with that guy.

I found this website and see that a long time poster of that forum in good standing also quit that forum in protest for the owner's antics. I read on Twitter the owners name is Igor. Does anyone know anything about him? Now I see he is making fake profiles on his site and bashing people and companies and posting things about fake photos for real estate websites. I would think this would cross into libel.

Does anyone know what his deal is?
I also had serious problems with Igor the owner of that website. I posted things on many different topics from politics, and many other topics and if he personally disagrees with it then he deletes it but he lets things stand that he agrees with. @earlyretirement called him out on his BS and that's the reason he created this website.
 
I posted on BAexpats.org for many years. I finally quit in protest as he is crazy on moderation and deletes whatever he personally doesn't agree with. Many people have mentioned on Twitter the same thing and I met up with several expats on the website who said the same thing about him. They had horrible experiences with that guy.

I found this website and see that a long time poster of that forum in good standing also quit that forum in protest for the owner's antics. I read on Twitter the owners name is Igor. Does anyone know anything about him? Now I see he is making fake profiles on his site and bashing people and companies and posting things about fake photos for real estate websites. I would think this would cross into libel.

Does anyone know what his deal is?
This is horrible! I didn't know what people were referring to when they talked about the "old forum". Crazy! This guy sounds like a total nutjob.

@Chris M. - Is this your post? - https://x.com/jpgninja/status/10535438460?s=20 Wow, this behavior goes back to 2010. Now I know why a new forum was created. I find that some forum owners just think they can do whatever they want. I'm glad this new and improved forum was started.
 
I post on both the old forum and this new forum. I don't use the same screen name. I know several others that have moved over to this new forum but they have a different screen name. I think it's horrible what the owner of the BAExpats.org website is doing creating fake user names and making libelous posts about fake photos, etc.

I myself have had to deal with posts getting deleted. Igor and/or other Admins on that website have gone to an extreme. If they disagree with you politically they will delete your post. Or other people as well. I have met other locals who posted things that didn't violate any moderation policies and Igor blocks their IP addresses.

I just read a post defending a business owner against slander by one of his clients and Igor deleted that post but left up libelous posts. I am probably not going to participate on the old forum again if this keeps up.
 
from the old forum:

"QuilmesSlo - Joined Jul 27, 2020
Yesterday at 10:26 PM
Have people notice that this entire thread and others are simply being copied onto the new website launched by the former member from here??? Seems really crappy of him."


@QuilmesSlo if you're registered here, or going to move over here like a lot of us, there's a reason we had to flee to ExpatsBA.com - Igor from BAExpats was deleting posts and censoring stuff (politically motivated? not sure).

keep in mind that you can't even delete your profile and remove your information on the other forum...i had to resort to posting a bunch and messaging him to get him to delete my account. he refused, and instead just banned me, so i couldn't even view anything without clearing all my cookies. he's a super weird dude, Russian I read somewhere, and that site was buggy and it would be super slow and my Likes wouldn't show-up a lot (like I was shadow-banned).

weirdly enough, i ditched that old forum a month ago because it was so slow and hard to use, and there were so many local Peronists posting. i luckily found this forum when BuySellBA made it, and despite my varied opinions, i haven't seen a single thing removed, and highly doubt the owner would, since he's a big free-speech guy.

in summary, the posts aren't just being "copied" - they are being preserved in this new forum for our benefit, since Igor could wipe his server at any moment and we'd lose info from the past 10+ years. also suspect is that some users who seem to be going after earlyretirement have profiles on that forum made super recently:

joined Nov 22, 2023 - David Y
joined Nov 29, 2023 - wile.e (the only "like" on David Y's post)
joined Dec 11, 2023 - Miguel741

and lol @ no one using BuySellBA - i'll admit i paid for a consult a few weeks ago, and CanadaGoose did, too, and it was money well-spent for the contacts and unlimited resources from a dude who has been in BsAs for 2 decades and will respond 19 hours a day to my messages (seriously, he doesn't sleep!)
 
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from the old forum:

"QuilmesSlo - Joined Jul 27, 2020
Yesterday at 10:26 PM
Have people notice that this entire thread and others are simply being copied onto the new website launched by the former member from here??? Seems really crappy of him."


@QuilmesSlo if you're registered here, or going to move over here like a lot of us, there's a reason we had to flee to ExpatsBA.com - Igor from BAExpats was deleting posts and censoring stuff (politically motivated? not sure).

keep in mind that you can't even delete your profile and remove your information on the other forum...i had to resort to posting a bunch and messaging him to get him to delete my account. he refused, and instead just banned me, so i couldn't even view anything without clearing all my cookies. he's a super weird dude, Russian I read somewhere, and that site was buggy and it would be super slow and my Likes wouldn't show-up a lot (like I was shadow-banned).

weirdly enough, i ditched that old forum a month ago because it was so slow and hard to use, and there were so many local Peronists posting. i luckily found this forum when BuySellBA made it, and despite my varied opinions, i haven't seen a single thing removed, and highly doubt the owner would, since he's a big free-speech guy.

in summary, the posts aren't just being "copied" - they are being preserved in this new forum for our benefit, since Igor could wipe his serve at any moment and we'd lose info from the past 10+ years.
@StatusNomadicus,

Yes, next the fake profiles of Igor will accuse you of being a fake user or a bot! Like you, I have had issues over the years. The more I think about it, I'm not sure if it is buggy or if the owner is just shadow-blocking you as you mentioned. I don't know anything about technology. But I noticed when I posted things, they would get deleted or modified without notifying me.

I have read on this website both pro-Massa and pro-Milei posts and some are very left-wing posts but I haven't read or heard about posts getting deleted. I saw some posts go off topic but a Moderator stepped in to get it back on track. People on this new forum seem respectful. I do NOT agree with many posts but I respect their right to post what they believe in.

I agree with you about being able to delete your profile or request your posts to get deleted if you want to. Over the years, I have heard many complains about BAexpats.org and some people have tried to start alternative sites but they have failed.

It looks like a lot of time, love and money are devoted to this website. All to share good information on Buenos Aires. I read @earlyretirement's posts on the old forum for 13 years and they were always objective and informative. Very respected member of that forum. He never mentioned his company at all and always went out of the way to help people and answer posts.

I believe that Igor just got threatened by his popularity. And when he called Igor out and asked what his moderation policy and Igor refused to answer then he got worried. For good reason!

I read that earlyretirement was reposting his 13 years worth of posts and I think that is so great. There were a lot of nuggets in all those years worth of posting.
 
I previously deleted this thread when someone else asked about the owner, Igor but now I am going to let it stand as I will stand up to Igor who is a total bully. I don't like bullies who think they can say or do anything they want without someone calling them out on their BS.

Igor is allowing fake users to libel my company. I think it's laughable that they try to claim we have "fake photos". My company was one of the most well-known real estate companies in the history of Argentina. We were chronicled in many prominent magazines and newspapers around the world including the Economist, Wall Street Journal, New York Times (4 times), Time Out Guidebook, London Sunday Times, BBC, Boston Globe, and dozens of other respected publications.

I had a client respond today to that libelous post and Igor deleted it. That is a testament to the kind of bully that Igor is. It's the reason why I created this website. I don't like bullies and I like the sharing of information, especially as it pertains to Buenos Aires.

We have had many users from the old forum "claim" their identities. Some have the same name but others fear Igor's wrath if he sees them posting on this newer, cooler, better, funner website. They know he will block them or delete their profile.

I'm not even saying the BAExpats.org forum is bad. Quite the contrary. It's a good forum with smart and intelligent users. There is great information there and I contributed to that forum for 13+ years. I would NOT have done that if I thought it was a bad forum. I never mentioned my company until I got outed a few months ago. Even Igor didn't know who I was. NO ONE did. Once Igor found out he said he was honored that I was posting on his forum so many years. And it was already after getting permission that I mentioned my company only after someone posted it was me. Once I got outed it was then that I told Igor that I would be willing to pay him to advertise even though he gave me permission to post about my company. He gladly accepted.

However, I got very concerned as I noticed people complaining about getting their posts deleted. I went on Twitter and I saw a track record spanning almost 15 years of people complaining. Then I started talking to people on that forum who told me personal stories. Then through it's a small world, I even talked to a doctor that had her own run in with Igor many years ago. Apparently he didn't like her posts so he shadow banned her too and blocked her IP address.

I spoke to Igor S. on the phone twice. One time for over an hour. I found him intelligent however, when I flat out asked for his moderation policies, he literally said, "I don't want to talk about my moderation policies". That made me very leery about not only paying him to advertise on his forum, but just creeped out as I believe in free speech. And after I asked him that he started acting VERY weird. Maybe I never had issues before as I never questioned his moderation techniques but once I did, it got very strange.

Then I talked to a few more people that I had corresponded with over the years that have been members in good standing on his forum for many years. They too told me personal stories about how strange Igor is and various things he did as Admin.

I felt a connection with Igor on my first phone call with him. He was a nice guy. But then he started to delete posts of MINE that broke no moderation rules. That's when I warned him that I would not only advertise with him but that I would resign from his forum.

The more I thought about it, the more angry I got that he could bully people and just delete their posts if he didn't agree with it. That's when I decided to create a competing forum. I didn't do it behind his back. I told him directly that I was going to do it and why I was going to do it. I also told him that I was bringing all my posts with me. Something that he can't stop.

I'm not even saying people shouldn't go to his forum. It's been around for a long time and there is a lot of content on it. But I think it's really really sad when members have to fear posting on this new forum for fear Igor will block them. That's just pathetic.

I had my staff pre-reserve the most active user names from that forum so no one could "poach" their handle. So anyone that wants their user name can request my office and we will give you the log in details so you can change your password and email address. We have already done this for 12 users of that forum.

Igor is originally from Russia and he kind of reminds me of Putin. Thinking he can do anything he wants and people will be scared to act against him. No, I'm not scared of that bully and people shouldn't be either. If he continues to allow people to libel me or my company that I will take legal action against him. He is based in Las Vegas so he can easily be sued.
 
Several users from the BAexpats.org have requested to claim their identify. Some are posting under the same name. Some are telling us they want to use a different name because they fear Igor or other administrators will punish them for also posting on our website.

We always believe in free speech. People can disagree and the world would be a boring place if everyone thought the same thing.

We got this email from an actual user of BAExpats.org. We will not post anyone’s identity but I feel it’s important that people read what kind of emails we are getting. This is an actual unedited email from an actual user of BAExpats.

"Thanks for setting me up with my old username. Thank you Carina!!

I saw you mentioned this site recently on Twitter. That is where I find more news, business and industry information. Overall, it is always more serious site for me. I know Twitter can be many things, but for me it is the easiest to only follow those types of accounts.

It is strange on that old ba expats site. It was a bit more free in the early days, though never ideal. That admin rejected and punished anyone for even suggesting the smallest detail. I am used to more open online communities where internal discussions about the inner workings of the site are encouraged. There should always be a thread/forum for members to suggest ideas or discuss site problems between each other. Meta.StackOverflow.com is just one great example of members feeling they have a small part. Another example is how every opensource project has that same philosophy.

I appreciate you asking to bring my identity and posts, though at this time I am not ready to do that. Either there are irrelevant or outdated posts, and also the privacy of other members who I replied or they replied. Perhaps in the future if you have a UI for me to browse, and checkmark the ones I agree with."
 
I previously deleted this thread when someone else asked about the owner, Igor but now I am going to let it stand as I will stand up to Igor who is a total bully. I don't like bullies who think they can say or do anything they want without someone calling them out on their BS.

Igor is allowing fake users to libel my company. I think it's laughable that they try to claim we have "fake photos". My company was one of the most well-known real estate companies in the history of Argentina. We were chronicled in many prominent magazines and newspapers around the world including the Economist, Wall Street Journal, New York Times (4 times), Time Out Guidebook, London Sunday Times, BBC, Boston Globe, and dozens of other respected publications.

I had a client respond today to that libelous post and Igor deleted it. That is a testament to the kind of bully that Igor is. It's the reason why I created this website. I don't like bullies and I like the sharing of information, especially as it pertains to Buenos Aires.

We have had many users from the old forum "claim" their identities. Some have the same name but others fear Igor's wrath if he sees them posting on this newer, cooler, better, funner website. They know he will block them or delete their profile.

I'm not even saying the BAExpats.org forum is bad. Quite the contrary. It's a good forum with smart and intelligent users. There is great information there and I contributed to that forum for 13+ years. I never mentioned my company until I got out a few months ago. And it was already after getting permission from Igor and truth be told, I offered to pay him to advertise and he accepted.

However, I got very concerned as I noticed people complaining about getting their posts deleted. I went on Twitter and I saw a track record spanning almost 15 years of people complaining. Then I started talking to people on that forum who told me personal stories. Then through it's a small world, I even talked to my doctor that had her own run in with Igor. Apparently he didn't like her posts so he shadow banned her too and blocked her IP address.

I spoke to Igor S. on the phone twice. One time for over an hour. I found him intelligent however, when I flat out asked for his moderation policies, he literally said, "I don't want to talk about my moderation policies". That made me very leery about not only paying him to advertise on his forum, but just creeped out as I believe in free speech.

Then I talked to a few more people that I had corresponded with over the years that have been members in good standing on his forum for many years. They too told me personal stories about how strange Igor is and various things he did.

I felt a connection with Igor on my first phone call with him and even shared personal things about a medical condition and pain that I have. He was a nice guy. But then he started to delete posts of MINE that broke no moderation rules. That's when I warned him that I would not only advertise with him but that I would resign from his forum.

The more I thought about it, the more angry I got that he could bully people and just delete their posts if he didn't agree with it. That's when I decided to create a competing forum. I didn't do it behind his back. I told him directly that I was going to do it and why I was going to do it.

I'm not even saying people shouldn't go to his forum. It's been around for a long time and there is a lot of content on it. But I think it's really really sad when members have to fear posting on this new forum for fear Igor will block them. That's just pathetic.

I had my staff pre-reserve the most active user names from that forum so no one could "poach" their handle. So anyone that wants their user name can request my office and we will give you the log in details so you can change your password and email address. We have already done this for 12 users of that forum.

Igor is originally from Russia and he kind of reminds me of Putin. Thinking he can do anything he wants and people will be scared to act against him. No, I'm not scared of that bully and people shouldn't be either. If he continues to allow people to libel me or my company that I will take legal action against him. He is based in Las Vegas so he can easily be sued.
WOW. I didn't know this is why you started the new forum. I agree that the Admin of that forum is strange. I have suggested something and then it was strange as my posts got edited or deleted without notifying me. Does anyone know if Igor has other Admins who are doing this too? I would hate for Igor to take all the blame if it's others too. But since he owns the website the buck has to stop with him.

Of course, he is free to do what he wants with HIS forum. But he has to be able to withstand people mentioning his crazy antics. This sounds like it has been going on for years and years and it's getting worse. I have found that people think they can say whatever they want online because they think they are anonymous but what you will find is that when a lawsuit happens, you can get drawn into it by posting something you thought would be anonymous.

My brother-in-law has a website and it was a circus! There was a lawsuit involved and I told him he was being a jackass letting members say whatever they wanted. He was like Igor and he edited and allowed people he agreed with to keep their posts up and then deleted other posts. Long story short my brother-in-law was in a legal battle for over a year. He had to turn over IP addresses for some of the users who were posting libelous information. He is a jackass and I told him his day would come by acting that way.

It reminded me of a Mike Tyson quote, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." It sounds like Igor is a bully and about ready to get punched in the face. It doesn't sound like a sucker punch. It sounds like you were upfront with him about what you were going to do with him. He sounds like a moron.
 
I have been a member of the old forum for many, many years. It is a good forum with a lot of people. I like the format of this forum better but the other one has far more users. I also agree it's not good to selectively edit posts. That has happened to me too there. There are 2 sides to every story so you should let Igor come here and post his side of it.

You say you talked on the phone. Did he call you? Seems strange the behavior but I would like to hear his side of the story too.
 
I don't know Igor, nor know how he runs his website, but can concur the actions there are driving away members. In my case I was a long time lurker and limited poster who got banned for only god knows why.

The forum itself, no doubt was valuable with the wealth of information and collective knowledge of its posters, but I have no doubt as more and more people find out and migrate here, the other site will wither away to the winds.
 
I don't know Igor, nor know how he runs his website, but can concur the actions there are driving away members. In my case I was a long time lurker and limited poster who got banned for only god knows why.

The forum itself, no doubt was valuable with the wealth of information and collective knowledge of its posters, but I have no doubt as more and more people find out and migrate here, the other site will wither away to the winds.
Thank you @FuturoBA and @Pink Panther for confirming about your experiences with Igor and other possible Admin's of the BAexpats.org website. I know it's far from isolated cases. I have received emails from MANY members and also people on Twitter since posting about Igor, have sent me DM's there too telling about years worth of this sort of thing happening to them. The thing about bullies is they will keep doing it and even get bolder and bolder as the years go on. I saw other people tried to start competing forums but they probably didn't have the time, money, resources to do it the right way.

I can tell you that I'm honestly not involved with this forum other than responding to some messages when I see them. I own and operate many corporations in 4 different countries. I have hired several staff members to moderate and run this website. I do occasionally see emails when members from the old forum email in to claim their ID. I can CONFIRM that the email that @Cariba posted above is 100% non-edited.

My reputation in Buenos Aires is steller with investors and also rental clients or employees, or business partners. You do NOT last 21+ years in Buenos Aires doing things the wrong way. Well, maybe in Igor's case that is true but it's only a hobby for him. His website is a hobby where he feels like he can be in control deleting or editing people's post that he disagrees with. Or shadow banning, or blocking their IP address or whatever he is doing.

Again, I think his website is great and I've only met in person 2 members of that forum in the almost 14 years I have posted on it. I NEVER posted on it to get business. As I mentioned many times, I just don't think that 99% of the expats out there have much money to invest. I deal with hundreds of investors that are high-net worth individuals. People that can hide behind fake usernames can act like a tough guy/girl but I've found that like Igor, their days are numbered.

Igor finally met someone that will stand up to a bully. And he can operate correctly and run a forum the right way. Or as I mentioned to him directly, he can be a dinosaur and become extinct. I do honestly wish him the best in his hobby of running that website. I think both websites can co-exist. And I've always found that competition will push all out there to be the absolute best they can be.

Cheers to all.
 
I have been a member of the old forum for many, many years. It is a good forum with a lot of people. I like the format of this forum better but the other one has far more users. I also agree it's not good to selectively edit posts. That has happened to me too there. There are 2 sides to every story so you should let Igor come here and post his side of it.

You say you talked on the phone. Did he call you? Seems strange the behavior but I would like to hear his side of the story too.
Hi @Under the Radar

Yes, I have commented that the old forum is good and has a lot of great information and intelligent posters. (Some not so intelligent as well but that's ok). Thanks for the compliments on this forum. Yes, I did talk to him on the phone two times. No, I called him. We have a mutual friend and I asked him if Igor would be interested in possibly allowing me to advertise there. I never thought there would be much possibility to get investors and still don't. Sure, maybe one or two but my Twitter account can do that fine as there are high net worth Twitter users.

But on the rental side, I did get a few expats that reached out about renting. In fact, I did rent my apartment for 2 YEARS to a member that reached out on that forum. That was a nice experience and I couldn't be happier about providing my apartment to him and his wife. Like me, they are Christians and I am happy to rent to them. Heck, I didn't even charge them a damage deposit. That's how trusting of a guy I am.

Igor is more than happy to post his side of the story here. I can promise you that it will match what I am saying. I have NO reason to lie about this. He is blatantly lying if he acts all surprised as to why I started my forum. I gave him ample warnings. I didn't start this forum behind his back. I told him I was doing it. Starting a forum is the LAST thing that I need. I have a lot going on in my life right now with work and writing my autobiography that Netflix already has offered to purchase the streaming rights to - www.3yearstolive.com
 
Is the owner's name of that site - Igor S.? What a wierdo. People have been complaining about him for many years. I did some digging and someone mentioned Las Vegas and did some checks.
Yes, that is his name. He or Admin on his site posted a tale today about me just calling them Dinosaurs and deciding to quit the forum but he doesn't explain what I posted above. And the reason for it. As mentioned, I called into question his moderation and I called to question all the complaints I was hearing about him and/or Admin (but I have a feeling it's just him calling the shots). It was only after him saying on the phone he didn't "want to talk about moderation" that I told him that I was resigning from his forum. That is how all of this started and it's evident from all the people complaining online and here on this forum that many people have issues with him and his moderation techniques.

Rather than just improve he is getting worse not better. He has strayed so far from the mission of providing great information about Buenos Aires and sharing the knowledge. That has always been my goal on his website and also this forum. To just share great and informative information about Buenos Aires. The only reason he is angry is he doesn't like someone standing up to him and he is crazy that he can't control and moderate like a dictator.

We don't live in Russia and he isn't Putin (although he acts like he is). I would love to show all of this to a judge in a court of law. And it's all the truth. People have been complaining about his moderation for years and years. Sure, he owns the website and he is free to do what he wants. But he has to take the criticism when it all comes out publicly. We are getting emails EVERY day from his members on his site (and also on Twitter) complaining and giving us examples.

I have no idea what Igor's real job is. He mentioned to me on the phone it was something with computer engineering. I'm not sure if he has real clients and if he acts this way with his clients. But I truly wish Igor the best of luck with his website and also with any clients that do business with him. I truly hope he isn't as unreasonable with them as he is with members of his own forum.
 
I post on both sites but I think both you and Igor should just stop this nonsense. I don't doubt what you are posting @earlyretirement as I read your posts on the old forum for over a decade. You always came across as a straight shooter. A bit arrogant sometimes but you have a good reputation from all that I can see online.

The goal should be to share information on Buenos Aires. Both websites seem to be doing that. I think everything else is just noise.
 
I post on both sites but I think both you and Igor should just stop this nonsense. I don't doubt what you are posting @earlyretirement as I read your posts on the old forum for over a decade. You always came across as a straight shooter. A bit arrogant sometimes but you have a good reputation from all that I can see online.

The goal should be to share information on Buenos Aires. Both websites seem to be doing that. I think everything else is just noise.
I agree about the need to stop fighting with one another. I can see that Igor started it first with members making up profiles recently to make false claims and then Igor/Admin selectively deleting what they want to delete. That's not cool. That has been going on for years. Even if you criticize him you get on his bad side. This is a known issue that members have talked about for years.

Regardless of the desire for a new website, I think both websites can provide good information. I like your mission @earlyretirement to provide helpful information on Buenos Aires. This website does that. It's clear to me that you love Argentina. I got to respect the hell out of someone that posts content to any website for 13 years with no other agenda than to help people. I'm not sure how anyone can criticize you for that.

Igor is cut from a different cloth. A few of us used to meet up for meet ups MANY years ago. Times were different back then. I think it's ok to tell this story. One time, Igor got sick and had to go to the hospital. A few of us were Moderators and helped out. We were shocked when he came out of the hospital, he was angry at us for helping out and stripped some people of the Moderator role. The website is his baby. At times he doesn't do that right thing for that "baby" but he still loves it and loves it the best he can. But now it seems like he as an abusive parent and child protective services is going to take the baby away and put the baby into another house. This website seems to be that.

I wish the both of you good luck.
 
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