It's not tiring to me at all. How often have you seen someone answer a seemingly routine question, when another poster chimes in and notes that the law has changed recently, or that the situation differs in another part of Italy? That's how we keep info up to date. Putting stuff in a sticky may be easier, but it diminishes opportunities to introduce new info on a subject, or to describe a regional variation.

Bill is right here. The fact that the same questions are/may be asked and answered time and again is never, ever tiring - at least not for those who answer. It might seem a little tiresome for those who are reasonably new who have seen the answers before, and for others who have stuck around having read most of the info in the database. BUT that is what gives this site its soul - the fact that you CAN ask the question time and again and you're not going to be told to . Now doing that WOULD be a big mistake and, I think, be the beginning of the end.....

You 'lisann' are now one of those who has "been here and done that" to the extent that you can offer answers too. So I am certain that members like you are prescious to Cristina and to Expats.

Most people (and, for my sins I'm one of them) join a site and NEVER get beyond the Forums. Databases gathered over time are of little or no interest to them. I wonder how many members of ANY site are aware of what there is 'behind' the forums? Not too many I bet.

FWIW (which isn't a lot) - I think the balance is between 'promoting' the database info at every opportunity, while at the same time keeping threads going to attract, hold - and encourage - present and new members to provide up to date information to add to it.

There - see.... you got me back on the again!

Thanks, Carole and Bill...I guess I took the meaning of your post wrong and I'm sorry. I am also guilty (and am doing it now) of dragging a thread off in different directions, and I seem to post questions that have probably been asked many times in the past (sometimes I can't seem to do a search correctly to find the answer ). I've never gotten the impression that it was wrong to do so, but I don't want to bog down the board either. Thanks.
And back to congratulating Cristina...I've said in the past that I was grateful that I found this board, and paid for a membership in order to say "thanks"...this board IS different from all the others, and the unique members keep it alive.

Carole - ah, no worries