Well, it should be patently obvious to any of those outside of the Taipei circle, that this site is renowned for being exceedingly lunkheaded when it comes to new posters and occasional lurkers. A leper-like reputation precedes any social mention of Forumosa.
There are the usual suspects, some are even mods. The fact of the matter is that if this site is to be regarded as anything other than a clique of circle-jerks, then it’s high time the moderators started acting as the examples they should very well be.
It would be a start if several could refrain from posting overly subjective views in the very same forum that they moderate. Rules of order cannot be maintained without at least some semblance of impartiality. Objectivity is an oft unattainable ideal, yet it’s lower lofts can sometimes be grasped.
With a little effort.
Because it’s there…
[quote=“marboulette”]To make matters worse, some people post way too much. As an example, buttercup had 12 posts on August 13 followed with 34 posts on August 13. That’s right! 34 posts in one day!
We’re talking 50 posts in two days, here, Gus. Admittedly, I am not a fan of buttercup, but that’s not the issue. The issue is simply that posting that much shouldn’t be allowed because you end up with the same posters in EVERY threads, and often times, these threads are like the ones linked above by you, the Bear and Funk. And THAT is what gives some posters, especially newbies, the impression that the site has an “in club.”
Coincidently, sandman had 24 posts yesterday. It’s too much. We’re looking at nearly 100 posts in two days… From 2 posters. That’s a problem, Gus. [/quote]
Set limits on how often people post? What an idea! I don’t agree with that at all, and cannot think how it could possibly be justified. Let people post as often as they like. The more posts there are, the better - the more chance there is of unearthing those gems that make the site such a pleasure to visit, and that often come from the most prolific posters.
[quote=“Omniloquacious”][quote=“marboulette”]To make matters worse, some people post way too much. As an example, buttercup had 12 posts on August 13 followed with 34 posts on August 13. That’s right! 34 posts in one day!
We’re talking 50 posts in two days, here, Gus. Admittedly, I am not a fan of buttercup, but that’s not the issue. The issue is simply that posting that much shouldn’t be allowed because you end up with the same posters in EVERY threads, and often times, these threads are like the ones linked above by you, the Bear and Funk. And THAT is what gives some posters, especially newbies, the impression that the site has an “in club.”
Coincidently, sandman had 24 posts yesterday. It’s too much. We’re looking at nearly 100 posts in two days… From 2 posters. That’s a problem, Gus. [/quote]
Set limits on how often people post? What an idea! I don’t agree with that at all, and cannot think how it could possibly be justified. Let people post as often as they like. The more posts there are, the better - the more chance there is of unearthing those gems that make the site such a pleasure to visit, and that often come from the most prolific posters.[/quote]
have to say i agree…BC might have had 34 posts on one day, but 30 might have been very helpful posts on ESL issues, they often are…random post limits aren’t the answer…mods who moderate the tone of discourse most certainly are…
Forumosa is a culture. And posting on the site is part of that culture. The tone has evolved over a number of years, and that is that. It is mostly a feeding ground for people who are slightly miffed at the turn of events that got them where they are. Why else do people return? It’s not for the quality of the responses they get. You either like hot pokers shoved up your ass or you don’t. Personally I like the flob. Its a hard battleground where people need to step up or step off. Its a textual vomit pile of my life over the past 5 years. From angry to mental to angry again. With the odd placid moment thrown in.
If you want to welcome newbies you should have done something about it 3 years ago. Add all the coloured text shit you like, bottom line is that it is a place for about 50 people to sporadically puke out the details of their lives. End of.
P.S. Nice to see a post from Tetsuo the other day. Now we need Jefferson back.
Me? I’d build up social influence and buy-in the my values, on my site, then ask everyone to do what I wanted. I’d try and develop relationships with potential mods who were able to do this, also.
To address the periodic Buttercup bash, I’m not nasty at all in that I’m not gratuitously vicious, but I sometimes fail to manage others’ responses adequately (I think Loretta knows what I mean; you can either respond blithely to any shit that’s said in order to defend a ‘polite’ self image, or you can think ahead five steps ahead in the exchange ahead to make sure the person doesn’t piss you off in the first place) . I also take far more than I dish out; as a result, modern-day Buttercup posts very differently from the early days. I can be sharp, I know that, but I’m not hateful. I also don’t let things go if someone has insulted me, when I should really just ignore it. For that, I get sorry occasionally, though not consistently, to be frank. I’m actually very kind and approachable, but not if you already have my back up.
About the thread you cited; I didn’t start i and I wasn’t the meanest, but of course, I took some of the worst name-calling. People taking offense makes things offensive now? The OP responded with stuff like ‘you meanies are all ugly and mentally ill and probably really lonely’. Respect should not be given freely until until courtesy, good faith and willingness to join in are established. Like it or not, forumosa is a community of friend networks; not a free Q&A service run by neutral, unpaid researchers.
The issue of the mods is simpler; take away some of their ‘special’ power. The offensive ones are not ‘Ignorable’, so they have more run-ins.
It’s poor form to place a subjective comment on a potential scam warning and then lock it, like this thread; viewtopic.php?f=110&t=81130
Dragonbones asked earlier; ‘Am I missing something?’ When people pointed out the financial risk and the risk of getting involved in forwarding possibly criminally acquired goods with a paper trail back to the mark, he got pissy, had a little dig, then temped and locked it. This MO annoys people and makes them less likely to self monitor because boundaries they don’t agree with or buy into are constantly reinforced, whereas values they hold dear are paid lipservice only to, or simply not on the table at all. if you allow a culture to develop where stakeholders have no buy-in (to corporate speak), then you’ll have to rely on policing rather than developing self-regulation. Kindy 101.
This is a well known scam. Should people not think through these things because the OP sounds marginably plausible? If the OP had simply not thought through his own risk and was on the level, then he benefitted from the exchange and will not get stung elsewhere. If he was, forumosans didn’t get stung. Your demands that all should be treated in good faith, whatever they write is simply not plausible. Nigerian scammers exist because they make money. Yet they probably would get much from forumosans. A clever, articulate, plausible scammer would rip through forumosa with no resistance.
Newbs; you could produce some easily accessible info, answering questions about visa, etc? It is unwieldy to find info via ‘Search’, especially if you are not really sure what you’re looking for.
Meh, just some thoughts, btw, not trying to start yet more arguing. You’ll simply think of your own stuff with your pals, anyway; way of the world.
Apart from a couple of posters (whose names I won’t mention) that have a hard-on for me, nobody gives me any shit here. I find queries promptly and courteously answered. I will go further and add that there is often kindness and love behind some responses by posters who are prepared to go the extra mile.
Sure, I suffered a little humiliation initially, but that’s a rite of passage, innit?
I realised that I was asking dumb questions and took the derision on the chin. Fer chrissakes, such is the nature of internet forums.
As Mr TomHill astutely pointed out, this is a Taiwan expat forum and our lives in Taiwan are compounded by a clusterfuck of difficulties. Sometimes we get testy. Most of the time, though, we want to assist our fellow sufferers in their times of need and, I think, succeed admirably.
[quote=“Buttercup”]
It’s poor form to place a subjective comment on a potential scam warning and then lock it, like this thread; viewtopic.php?f=110&t=81130 [/quote]
Yes. And I will add my comment on that “thread” here, seeing as I couldn’t enter it in the locked “thread”: Is it rude to call a spade a spade?
taihu57 is a really bad case that has a lot suspicion as he moved out so quickly.
To avoid picking I think there’s already one rule in place which is “Discuss the message, not the messenger”
Offering a risky business transaction that involves some kind of commission as a complete newbie is a bit of a suicide…
He can really arrange something with the sellers on Ruten.com.tw directly (as he wrote he’s fluent in Chinese)!
Personally I don’t find “new guys” get picked a lot in general. I verified it as following:
- Go to the Member List, forumosa.com/taiwan/memberlist.php
- Sort it by “Joined Date” (ascending) by clicking twice on the “Joined” table heading
- Open the profile of users which have < 10 posts in a new window
- Click on the “Search user’s posts” in that pages, below “Total Posts”. and check if picking happens.
I thought having irishstu posting on here was a way to give people someone to pick on easily, thereby preventing them from having a go at newbies. Maybe we could get him posting more? Omegas have a place in the pack too, you know.
Let me guess, it went something like this:
Gus: Where can I find sour cream?
Chinese1: My name is Wei Hau. Let me introduce to Wan Mei cladding. It is beautiful and practical and economic. Our siding can be apply to all building… 500 word Chinglish sales pitch on completely irrelevant product.
Chinese2: Filthy imperialist western pig!! Why Chinese food not good enough for you?! If you don’t like, go home… 200 word Chinglish ultranationalist diatribe and invite to piss off home.
China apologist1: My dear chap, if local food is not to your liking, perhaps you are in the wrong country?.. 100 words of apologist claptrap with nice grammar and punctuation.
Oldhand1: Search n00b!!
Repeats of above, until…
Oldhand443: Maybe check in City Shop?
Unfortunately, Gus already stopped checking this thread at about post #27.
As the Taiwanese are wont to say, at least it’s better here than in China! 
Gus,
I would rein in the mods and the trolls. When I won’t click a thread because Dr. McCoy is trolling it up, Sandman has a similar problem. While not to the depths and depravity that Tealit forums were, forumosa does have a clique that you must ingratiate yourself too in order to get on. I’d say the happy hours are the main way to do so. While I like Dr. McCoy IRL, I hate seeing him post in any serious thread.
The search function isn’t always clear nor easy to use. I’d suggest a policy of linking to the appropriate thread or sending them a PM to let them know.
But
Trolling is obvious. As far as subjective, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if this [quote]Soft skills, influencing people, not telling them what to do.[/quote]worked so well. Unfortunately, it doesn’t and some people need a talking to. I’m sure most of the regulars have gotten a PM from the Mods for getting out of line.
Ask people why they don’t post and they will tell you, we do have a lot of lurkers who won’t get involved because it seems to cliquish.
Ban everyone.
Sure. People also ething about gaining the world but losing your soul. Was that the Beatles or the Bible?
Ban newbies. Problem solved! Thank you. Thank you. 
[quote=“Stray Dog”]I would also make sure the new guy doesn’t respond in a way that might cause matters to escalate into a serious argument, as the poster did in the the thread posted by the bear. He wasn’t scared off, as some seem to be suggesting; he chose to stand and make a fight of it. Also, if you look, for a newcomer, he just walked in, without introduction, and started asking questions without realising that he might offend. In the ruten thread, the new guy responded to the jokes with a direct insult.
[/quote]
You do realize though that often those jokes are at the cost of the people that they are addressed at, and that they might not find them funny at all, in particular if the poster in your example is genuine?
And in that case the OP’s response by calling others jerks shouldn’t be surprising.
And why is it not possible to respond in a helpful manner or just shut the fuck up if you have nothing helpful to say?
It’s a different thing to step into an on-going discussion with regulars than to be ridiculed for asking a question in the WCIF forum.
The most friendly forums I know of are those where rules are strictly enforced, regardless who the offender is. f.com is not one of them.
Genuine or not, I’d rather have a joke with someone than be part of a dull forum.
It is possible. Just like it’s possible to make a comment without saying things like ‘shut the fuck up’. If you want people to make nothing but useful comments, then good for you. I would find it useful, but that’s all.
Ridiculed? Read it again. Playful remarks. Considering it looks very much like a scam, how would you handle it? Would you go offering your credit card to see how it played out? Would you point out to the guy that his post looks a lot like a scam? Or would you bring in some humour to point out that his post looks like a scam?
Go ahead and vote for a reverend Forumosa with no playful comments and no swear words. It would be great. It would attract lots of newbies . . . in fact, probably nothing but.
If friendly is your thing, that’s great. I prefer relieving the stresses of my day with a little good-natured humour. That’s all. Certainly wouldn’t see me telling someone to STFU. Humour v. aggression? I’ll take the former, thanks very much.
The thing is, I don’t really care about it. It can be whatever you want it to be.