Every week or so I read expat blogs. Of course it is quite interesting they all are and what is so interesting to me is that even with the differences in areas we originally come from and areas where we now live, we discuss very global things. We have some amazing writers out there!

Now though I have a question. Many of the bloggers that I read have been on this board for years and every once in a while I check to see who links back to us or to our main site. Slowly but surely the list of who links to us has shrunk so that now very few of you are linking to us. I guess my question is, why is no one linking to us? I see many of you link to other sites but we are not on the lists. Gotta say it is quite disheartening seeing 6 or 7 other expat sites and we aren't even mentioned.

Do you not feel that the forum and or the site are of use any longer?

Are we not helping the expat community any longer?

I guess the reason I am asking is because for a while I have been thinking about selling the site and forum or just shutting it all down as I no longer have as much time as I did 4 years ago. A full time job and 2 kids can do that to a person. So do you think it is worthwhile for me to continue?

one certainly link to you, and try to recommend the site as often as I can! With our house being for sale, yuou wouldn't believe how many emails I get from people who aren't really interested in buying our house, but do have any interest in moving to Italy, and of course they have tons of questions! I always send them here for the most up-to-date info. I also tell tham that things vary from region to region, from consulate to consulate, so that by reading the site, seraching the forum, and maybe asking their own questions they can get a better idea of what's involved.

Altho we've been here nearly 5 years, there are still questions that op up from time to time, and this is the place I depend on for answers! Cristina, if there's any way you can keep the site going, I for one would really, really appreciate it!

This is gonna be long: dear, dear Cristina, so I'll do paragraphs I promise!!!
Should you sell the site? That is something only you can know as you balance family, work, and life. (We must have a phone date soon.....) Should the site continue and does it have value....yes and YEEEESSSS!!!

After 5 years in Italy I still consult this site for information. But more than that, I think of it as my home. Expats got me through the very difficult (and in my case mid-life....even harder) transition of the move and the culture shock. It helped me to find friends and an entire community of others who had done the move. It made me feel that I was not alone, insane, ungrateful for not always enjoying every step of the journey. I am now very well adjusted to life in Italy,
very happy, and above all still very grateful every day to Expats.

I am so fond of many members, some of whom I have not even met in person. Your perspective and wisdom, Carole's, Bills, Alice....Annika....Gil.....Cyndi.....too many others to name but all of whom have shared their experience and enriched mine. I don't often have time these days to spend on the forum. Oddly, though, when I am away from Italy working in NY, as right now, I connect to the forum to feel "at home", and cope with my nostalgia di casa.

Sometimes people get cranky and act out here. But Expats will always be home to me.

This web site is precious and I hope it continues. On the flip side, Cristina, so is your personal life, so I hope you can find a "buyer".

Anyone out there have some ideas for a "joint venture"? I too have a full time job but I would love to find a way to keep this going.

You've done an amazing job, Cristina...

Cristina:
My blog links back to this site, but I am still not on the blog roll...
I love this site, and I hope it stays running one way or another! If you do feel that it is too much for you (and of course you should keep your sanity) hopefully one of the long-time members would keep it running.

I don't want to lose this site. I know I am not nearly as active as I wish I were but I do tend to stop buy and stalk the forums an aweful lot. I would like to offer my assistance in any way possible. I am not working and my time is pretty much my own. Please let me know what I can do to help besides trying to get my link back on my blog...that's is actually a work in progress.

I can only add to the growing torrent of those who'd be devastated if this site disappeared. Since we moved permanently to Italy 7 months ago - and before - it's been a matchless source of wit and wisdom.

And to any blogger who doesn't already link - aside from 'Why' ? - I'd say do it, and do it now. Aside from being good etiquette, it's also good sense. If you're plugged-into to Google Analytics, you can see where your traffic's coming from and this site is a big draw.

Those who use the site do have a responsibility to try and keep it going.

Allow me to add my voice to the chorus. This site is definitely still useful and worthwhile. It's not only a source of information, but the forum helps us keep in contact and make contact with other expats.

I can only wonder why someone who has a blog hasn't linked to the site.

First, a big thanks to Cristina for providing this community service...

To those who have blogs and don't link back (especially after having your blog linked here), c'mon, this is basic blog etiquette.

I would also encourage those who aren't premium members to become one (if you can afford it). This will help not only to defray maintenance costs for the site but also encourage Cristina (or if she sells it, whomever the new owner is) to continue to put the love and energy that she has put into it up until this point.

Think about all of the good, free, first person advice and experiences that have been shared here. You could have paid, and some have, an attorney €200 per hour and had them give you erroneous information; so why not pony up $50 (that's US dollars, what's that, €5?) or so to help out the site?

Please don't sell or close the site Cristina! It is and has been sooooo valuable to so many. Maybe the thing to do is expand the advertising some to help make it profitable enough to pay for some admin help and ease your admin burden.... I don't know exactly how it works but there are BlogAds and some other organizations out there that can help to automate a lot of the ad processes.

Also, last but not least, a shout out to all of the good folks that have helped out (and are continuing to do so) with site admin and moderation -- Annika, AliceTwain, BellisimaTina, Bill2, Gil and anyone else I forgot -- I would like to express my personal gratitude for your efforts. Keep up the good work....

I'm one one the bloggers without a link *gasp*!
If I have to explain what goes on my blog, the reason I don't currently link is that I have some specific readers who I don't necessarily want to view all the stuff I write about on here. I do, however, whenever possible send people this way. Whenever I get someone asking me a question by email about Italy I send them this way.

I love this site - I'm sure this is clear from the amount of time I spend on here. I'm sure you have the stats. What I might do, is change my name on here so that if someone goes from my blog to here it's not strikingly obvious which poster I am.

I'd hate to see this site go. I don't know exactly what is involved in running the site, but if there are any admin tasks or similar I can help out with I'd be more than happy to do so.

Dear Cristina

I rarely contribute here but I have to say that without this forum I would have had a much, much harder time with making plans and finding information. It has given me a lot of good info and some confidence that I wouldn't otherwise have had.

I am willing to help out if there's anything I can do to make it easier on you.

I do link from my blog but I'm not sure anyone reads it except my godsister!

Maggie

I tried to do a link and couldn't get it to work. I go on other forums too and mention them in my posts - as I do this site - but don't have a link to them either. I'll put a link in but it will be without a graphic - I think I have a temperamental template - it's one where I can't change the header to a photo either, but I like the template!

I still visit this site most days, even if I don't contribute to it. I've met people in Florence that use the site and recognise my name from it (like Delina says not sure if this is a good thing! I don't use my real name on other forums) and they all say how helpful the site has been even if they haven't contributed to it. I can think of 5 at least like this.

I was only able to put the graphic link in by uploading the pic to my geocities page and doing the html by hand. Blogger's template will only let you do a text link or a link-less picture which is kind of annoying.

Maggie

This site showed me the way!!! It is a family now that I visit every day! Please keep going and know how appreciated you are!!

Grazie mille sempre!!!

Cristina,

Please email me if you can think of something that I can do to help you save Expats. I'm sure that it will be missed by plenty of people as there is an infinite supply of information here.

To those that gave me praise. Thanks!

non puoi sognare, se sogni solo. every body please help Cristina out. please keep going, this site has helped me already so much.Let me know please if i can do anything to help. Thankyou

Cristina, you must decide for yourself if you feel that the effort you put in and the reward you get is worth the time it takes away from your family and time you might put to more profitable use. Of course it is worth saving, but you only have so much time in every day. For me sitting in front of the computer working most of the day it's a diversion and a community even if I don't agree with everyone who lives in it. I would hate to see it go or get more commercial, but I also do not want to make you sacrafice for my pleasure.

I am a paying member as you know and I have had a link on my blog for a long time. Just this morning I got an email from someone who reads my blog and is thinking of moving to Italy I referred them here.

I was so surprised to hear there are other expats in Italy sites that I went and had a look. Cristina, please don't give this up, it is far and away the best site for real information as well as a good group of really helpful people. I won't go into detail about what this site has done for me personally, but I think life-changing would not be a hyperbole.

I think the replies here should tell you a lot about how we feel, so please think it over (and I can well appreciate the grind of it at times).

SAVE THIS SITE!!!

If it weren't for this site I would not have even known about getting Italian citizenship. I owe it all to this site and Cristina in particular. I will donate money if it will help. This is one of the very few connections to Italy I have. Please don't close it... at the very least sell it. This is by far the best expats site. I really hope it will be around when I finally make my move to Italy as I'm sure I will still have plenty of questions when the time comes. Let us know what we can do!

I'd also be happy to help out in any way I can. I think the site has a huge amount of priceless information, and the community feel makes it a welcoming and positive place to be. It would be a great shame to see it go.

I also run a couple of sites (with a full time job, though not with a family!) and would be happy to share income generating ideas etc with you.

Cristina,I echo others who have said this is a very personal decision for you and in consideration of all the good that you have done by creating this site, it is only just that you benefit tremendously as we all have.

I am happy to put in a link to the site on my main page in the blog. I have mentioned the forum many times, but will put in the code . Is there html code available for a logo?

And yes, I could not immagine my life without the forum. It looks like after a very difficult attempt at my husband being the expat in the usa, I will be returning to Italy full time.

either this it seems, or we will break up.

I will sign up for a premium membership asap.

Thank you for all your work.

I also have someone who is expert at making sites generate money and can help you if you are interested. I can't imagine that you would have to sell it to make this puppy generate income.

Sounds like it might be time to grow, not abdicate. This is your creation, why let someone else reap the harvest?

Not begging, just wishing you can keep control of it.

Thanks so much for everything.

I'm doing a little exercise with a friend here in SF where we send each other an email every day (read: every day one of us remembers ) about three things that made us smile that day...#1 in today's email will be the Expats in Italy website!

I'm a relatively recent addition, having started lurking around here when I started planning our trip to Italy in earnest last February. Now, I joyfully report that last Thursday, I picked up ER Visas at the SF Consulate for me and my boyfriend, and we are "Turin or bust" starting May 22! Having finally gotten our visas highlights how much this website helped me with the process, from moral support, to brainstorming and more!

Christina, I join the chorus of those who treasure the EII website and just processed my membership in support. Currently, I am actually working on learning programming languages like HTML and CSS; when I have a better grasp of them, I'd like to help out with the website too!

Cristina,

While Dora and I would respect your choices, please know that we would be very sad if you were no longer part of this wonderful site. Few here have been affected by you and your site as much as Dora and I. Today I did my part and renewed my premium membership. I hope many others follow. I know the job can be a pain sometimes, but there are great rewards too. Our lives as Dora and I know them would not be anything like what they are today without what you have created. In addition, this beautiful little girl would not exist. Bless you Auntie Cristina!!!