Get the hell out of here! *new users only*

OK that’s it. Enough.
I originally had a look around these pages before signing on. What struck me was the way-out attacking tone, but granted, some of it was REALLY funny. The older (meaning: been here longer) inhabitants of this fantasy world (WHY the hell do they still use nicks? They all know each other anyway!) will cut you down at every corner, every opportunity, if you DARE differ with anything said that does not fit into their Been In Taipei Ten Years Or So / And/Or Counting look-down-my-nose-at-you worm-who-dares-to-speak parameters. No wonder they don’t know where to get chill pills.
I tried to write in the same way. It didn’t work, in the sense of DO NOT try to make a joke, or use word play, or even just differ in opinion from the previous poster. You’ll get NAILED!!!
Not to mention the tediousness of having to explain and explain and explain till it busts your brain! what you meant when you said something.
The lesson??? This is supposed to be an Open Forum. As long as you agree!!!
I’ve had enough - and refrain from posting a reply to this posting, you’ll be talking to everybody but me.
Hope you enjoy your time here, I didn’t. Thank you to the people who answered crucial questions, especially in the Travel and Health sections.
NOW HOW THE FUCK DO I GET DELETED FROM HERE???
Make it snappy.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - (playa of the Century) Mahatma Gandhi

I would write something in response, but you said you’re not responding so what’s the point.

[quote=“miltownkid”]“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - (playa of the Century) Mahatma Gandhi[/quote]What is that load of bollocks supposed to mean and how does it help ?

Banshette is right though, there are a couple of seasoned posters who prefer to argue to cause trouble, who either know it hurts, or are completely unsympathic to others’ feelings, and they are the ones who should know better.
I think this may be connected to the on-line personas thread where people forget that the person they are tauting is a real human human being with feelings.

But I’m nice though :blush:

Gandhi was the Playa.

Here’s one from Buddha, the Playa of the millenium:

“You are what you think.”

(PS: Anyone who thinks the Gandhi quote was bollocks needs to reread it. :wink: )

I was looking forward to meeting you at the hapy hour. Guess you won’t be there?

Snif, I liked your style Banshette.

[talking to myself ]

:slight_smile:

[quote=“banshette”]DO NOT try to make a joke, or use word play, or even just differ in opinion from the previous poster. You’ll get NAILED!!!
Not to mention the tediousness of having to explain and explain and explain till it busts your brain! what you meant when you said something.
The lesson??? This is supposed to be an Open Forum. As long as you agree!!![/quote]

Though to some extent I agree with banshette, I think that some times this approach is an understandable one.
When I first started out only a year ago, I had quite a few people trying to knock me around. Some went as far as to send me nasty little emails with absurd threats of legal action and calling me a con artist.
Fortunately, I stood my ground and proved my point.(This being easy enough if you’re in the tech industry and the topic is the same.)

As for other posts…I’ve posted a few comments that were ignored, but I’m used to that in my day to day life anyway.

:blush:

When I originally posted this, I failed to mention the fact that eventually, other members of Forumosa took my side(or at least a neutral stand point) in a few posts.
Maybe if you’d stuck around for longer than a month, you would find the same.
You seem to have leapt head first into a fiery pit, only to complain about the outcome.:homer:

[quote=“banshette”]OK that’s it. Enough.
I originally had a look around these pages before signing on. What struck me was the way-out attacking tone[/quote]

I got attacked with my very first post and the very first reply…

Seemed the same as the new kid at school thing.

My particular antagonist from my first post has been requesting information for their holiday in India and I keep wanting to post up spots that are particularly dangerous and the chance of a decent mugging is highest.

I figure this is childish though so I get over it. Where would the most dangerous spot be by the way?

If everybody was just nice how would it work. There have to be adversarial positions to get discussion going.

New nice site example with 12 months posts below;

I went to dinner in Taipei. The food was nice.

Reply: That is really nice.

My job is nice.

Reply: That is so nice.

Just read a few of the topics you were involved in, and it doesn’t seem at all like you’re any more a victim than those you sliced diced and quarreled with.
You seemed to hold your own, pretty well.

[quote=“Wilbur”]

New nice site example with 12 months posts below;

I went to dinner in Taipei. The food was nice.

Reply: That is really nice.

My job is nice.

Reply: That is so nice.[/quote]

More like, painfully nice. :wall:

I woke up this morning and realized what I had done
I stood alone in the cold gray dawn
I knew I’d lost my morning sun
I lost my head and I said some things
Now come the heartaches that morning brings
I know I’m wrong and I couldn’t see
I let my world slip away from me
So…

Hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world?
And if you did, was she crying, crying?
Hey, if you happen to see the most beautiful girl that walked out on me
Tell her, “I’m sorry.”
Tell her, “I need my baby.”
Oh… Won’t you tell her that I love her.

What happened was that a few folks got together several years ago to start a forum where they could exchange ideas with like-minded people. Now years later, with searches bringing up www.forumosa.com, more and more people visit this site. More often than not, these new visitors, like myself, are very different than the people who started the site. If we met them on the street we probably wouldn’t have any interest or desire to even chat with them. Yet, this is their forum and we need to follow their rules if we want to play in their playground. So watch what you say, temper your opinions and feelings and basically paint a rosey picture when refering to anything “taiwan” and you’ll do just fine. No matter how right you are, you will still get banned if you offend the “powers that be”.

So use what you can from the forum and connect with some of the newer ones 'till you find a match for your personality. Forumosa is still a good resource for helpful ideas and suggestions even though they are not on the cutting edge for progressive thought and discussion. Formosa serves its purpose and we should be thankful for the old-timers that keep it going.

Didn’t you read the forum rules and fine print? If it’s your first time here at the Forumosa Club, you have to fight.

Good point Poagao. Part of the problem may be that people overlook this rule in an effort to remember Rules 1 and 2:

(1) You do not talk about Forumosa Club; and

(2) You DO NOT talk about Forumosa Club.

I’m one of the powers that be, in that I’m a moderator. Ditto Big Fluffy Matthew.

If you disagree with anything I say then feel free to argue and use any appropriate insults you can think of. Everyone else does. (Except for Fluffy, who’s nice.) But be prepared to defend yourself if you say anything stupid or controversial.

Not to put too fine a point on it, some people do post the most unbelievable rubbish here. And then people who disagree with them will argue. It happens to all of us, it’s not an ‘establisment’ vs ‘newbie’ thing.

But natural selection ensures that people who can’t take the heat tend to drift away, leaving only the argumentative bastards and occasional idiot. (Actually we have a few full-time idiots too.)

Personally, I would be happy to see more newbies sticking around. One proposal, that never got anywhere, was for a forum that couldn’t be accessed by anyone with more than say 100 posts. We never really reached a consensus about the best way to make the site more accomodating to people who are finding their feet, and always welcome constructive suggestions.

Other than modifying people’s behaviour - we tried an implant on some of the old-timers - does anyone have any suggestions? The point of the quote about being the change you wish to see is that it’s no good to bitch and blame others. If you want this site to change then it starts with you making a proposal, or setting a trend.

Also, remember that some of us do meet in real life. In Taipei we have movie outings, the games club, happy hours, and other small-scale events that are not published. Anyone is welcome, and if you’re not in Taipei then why not get in touch with people in your area and arrange something? We seem to have plenty of users in Tainan, Taizhong, Taoyuan, to name just a few.

Forumosa is not the powers-that-be. Forumosa is the people who use it. It’s up to you, not us, to change the site.

And if you really can’t find anyone here to be friends with, then I suggest that the problem lies with you not the other thousands of people that do use this site.

Actually, there were just two of us (and we split up a couple of years ago). Also, the purpose was not to exchange ideas with one another (we were living together at the time, so believe me, I heard enough from her every day). The purpose was to provide new arrivals a resource/refuge to go to when they tired of taking on the challenges of living in new country :astonished: I guess this means that the website was meant for new visitors like you more than anyone else!

Ouch

I had another goal when we first started the website – that the forums represent the community that uses it. Indeed, I resisted having explicit rules because of this. I figured, what good are rules if you believe the community is growing and changing all the time and some rules of netiquette would become outdated.

I had a short-hand expression for not having rules: “real life”. So the web forum might approximate real life. I think you’ll agree with me that this isn’t really the case (there’s a discussion going on now wondering why People who use Forumosa behave so differently to one another when they are online and offline)

No, this is not the case. A very careful banning process has evolved. You won’t get banned no matter how right or wrong you are.

The very first rule for getting banned was a pragmatic one: if you delete your own posts (thereby harming the integrity of the database and the discussions your posts are in), you are likely to get banned.

Only more recently has boorish behaviour been added as a consideration for being banned.

Except for the part about progressive thought and discussion, I agree with you here :slight_smile:

Enjoy the rest of the website!

Great post, SB :slight_smile:

Exactly!

[quote]Yet, this is their forum and we need to follow their rules if we want to play in their playground. So watch what you say, temper your opinions and feelings and basically paint a rosey picture when refering to anything “taiwan” and you’ll do just fine. No matter how right you are, you will still get banned if you offend the “powers that be”.
[/quote]Taiwan is a dump, Maoman is a ponce with a funny dog, Stragbasher has underwear retention problems. See ? I’m still here.

Edited: Decided not to hassle Big Fluffy Matthew, in the spirit of niceness :slight_smile:

Oh, and some people make unhelpful posts. Bastards.

Quit complaining, you, you, you worm-who-dares-to-speak.