Many of the posts on the Oriented forums are informative and helpful, for newcomers and long-time residents alike. However, as in many forums, threads tend to degenerate quickly to sarcastic attacks and childish come-backs. I presume that most of us are adults. So why is it that people so often address others in such a manner on Internet forums, when they would not if they were standing face to face?
The moderators seem to be getting more assertive in directing the threads when they get off track (for example, Gus suspending Lobogau in the “pepper spray” thread and warning others in various other threads). Thanks for that. Let’s try to keep Oriented a valuable source for information and adult dialogue.
It’s also a platform for us to hurl insults and have them understood you big weenie!
With Chinese linguistic parameter for scolding someone barely exceeding (san ge zi), it’s refreshing and Western to bust out. Imposing your strictly utilitarian concept to this site would cut the hits 500 fold and they’d sink with the rest of the dotcoms - you low brow mongrel masquerading as the standard barer of decorum and etiquette.
If you want to be informed, stick to the paper. If you want interaction and petty insults with a mix of highly subjective opinions, stay here.
Woah, PlacardJoe – I did not “waste” all my time these past couple of years to put up a repository of hurled insults from closed-minded half-wits (uh, not you, of course )
But please do put up your OWN website, or start a Taiwan forum on another one (think www.zhongwen.com or www.icered.com). Then invite me (gus@oriented.org) and I will join in the fray (but only when I have the time).
You have a problem with living in Taiwan? Fine – express it in my forum: Living in Taiwan (click here). Be prepared to back it up, though, and you better act civilized.
If I sense that a visitor is creating needless work on my part, and not contributing meaningfully to the thread – then they are out of here.
I don’t believe I’ve done a particularly good job of enforcing the rules of my forum. I do plan to get better at it. Or invite someone who is.
This is a place for exchanging ideas, not for hurling childish insults. Too many ideas that would be great for the foreign community in Taiwan to explore are reduced to idiocy by the kind of logic you’re advocating.
There never has been a limitless freedom of speech. The moderators are showing why. You can express your scatological self all you want, but unless you own this forum, we don’t have to read it.
You need to “bust out”? Why can’t you do this in the real world? I am frankly tired of reading the rants of somebody with an adult mind and a 3-year-old’s maturity.
I agree with Gus: Buy yourself your own domain. And when you’re ready to act like an adult, you can come back and discuss it with the rest of the people here.
I think the majority of the insults are entertaining- most especially any directed at me. I remember seeing 2 other oriented-like websites for taiwan, but I forgot their addresses. Anyone know them?
britai writes:
I agree with Gus: Buy yourself your own domain. And when you’re ready to act like an adult, you can come back and discuss it with the rest of the people here.
Sounds like, “Well if you don’t like Taiwan, just leave!”
How prim and proper should we be, and who decides? The moderators, or at least some of them, are quite biased, and I am not fully confident that they understand what moderation entails.
I don’t advocate a total lack of content, but if you have something to add, can expose someone as a fraud, and hurl and tasteless insult, I’m all for it.
Seems like some of you guys wanna bring back Martial Law. “The content will be as we specify.” That’s a load of commy crap. If a thread degenerates just stop reading it - that’s your choice. There are hundreds of threads, not all of them will suit you. If the moderator starts blocking unsuitable opinions, the site’s lost it’s value.
Most of this stuff is just for entertainment value and is supposed to be fun. Childish insults are like pulled punches, they’re not intended to hurt. Much more malicious “mature” insults like ‘without the anonymity of cyberspace you’re a cowardice little hermit’ are pretentious and plain spiteful. I like both- and just cuz some only like mature criticism doesn’t mean run little boys out of town.
quote:Originally posted by PlacardJoe:
Seems like some of you guys wanna bring back Martial Law. "The content will be as we specify." That's a load of commy crap. If a thread degenerates just stop reading it - that's your choice.
The moderators are obligated do as they see fit within these forums to ensure that the threads adhere to the terms and conditions of use. That is their prerogative and indeed their mandate as moderators. You on the other hand, do not have that dispensation.
On the other hand, you are totally free to stop reading, take your posts elsewhere, or to set up your own little corner of cyberspace where you can vent and spout off to your heart’s content. In fact, it happens to be your only option, as you have ABSOLUTELY NO SAY with regard to what appears on these pages or what forms the rules should take. Whatever makes you think that forums like this are or should be democratic?
If you were just a little more perceptive (OK then, a great deal more perceptive) you would no doubt grasp that it is posts such as yours that the moderators are most keen to curb.
I think there should be another forum called something like ‘Sh1t’ or ‘Insults and mindless rubbish’. Any really useless and abusive posts or threads that totally degenerate would be moved there by the moderators. Anybody who wanted to keep slinging mud or still hadn’t got enough of slagging off English teachers could still read the crap.
True, Brian, a separate forum for puerile drivel and schoolyard insults would be an option, but it is one that both the site owners and the moderators have time and again made clear they have no wish to pursue. I believe that is their right.
Again, I suppose it would make a nice pet project for Placard Joe or anyone else who feels that running such a site would be a rewarding way to spend one’s spare time.
quote: Sounds like, "Well if you don't like Taiwan, just leave!"
How prim and proper should we be, and who decides? The moderators, or at least some of them, are quite biased, and I am not fully confident that they understand what moderation entails.
I have yet to see any bias on the part of the moderators, but I could be wrong. Care to share with us when this happened?
Moderation is about having ground rules. This is why, for instance, you can’t bring a handgun to a political debate. The whole point of having a forum and topics is to share ideas, information, and opinions. People get to test them against other people’s arguments. But a moderator has to make sure the debate sticks to the subject. You have to make sure that the IDEA is being attacked, rather than the person writing it.
If you knew anything about me, you’d know that “prim and proper” isn’t accurate. I’m all for heated discussion. I want to hear your ideas. In fact, I’m pretty disappointed that I rarely see anybody show any truly radical thoughts here.
Disagree with me anytime you want. Tell me how I’m wrong. Cite your sources. Show the superiority of your argument. Keep coming back with your replies. But keep to the original topic.
Go watch Jerry Springer if you want to watch a trash-fest.
I agree we have to follow the rules of this site. I just wish I had the time to put up my own ideal one. I wouldn’t be afraid of scaring consumers away, that’s for sure. If anyone starts a Taiwan related site with minimal moderation, please post it here. As i posted before, I remember 2 other sites, but I didn’t save their addresses.
quote:
If any of the moderators on ORIENTED feel it necessary to send you a warning about your online behaviour, and then you choose to ignore this warning, we will suspend your Login ID for two or more weeks…
…Obviously, cleaning up these forums has grown a bit more than some of us can handle (er, I’m just talking about “me” ). We (I) appreciate your help in pointing out where things go awry, where people break the forums rules, and whatever it is about these forums you like and don’t like. Write us at problems@oriented.org, or post your views in the Feedback Forum (click here)