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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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Landros
Joined: 19 Oct 2007
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:54 pm Post subject: Internet Explorer, Toliet paper trash cans, Korean Culture |
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Why is such an advanced nation such as Korea still using websites that aren't chrome compatible. It is like a highway designed for carts and horses.
And God the public washroom at SeoHyun Station stank so bad today. Why don't men flush shitty toilet paper?
Finally, I mean I'm all for recognizing the greatness of Korean culture but why do people have such pride in being Korean and fail to mention it is South Korean culture as if North Koreans are so awesome too. Do they even have Naver there? |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011 Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: Internet Explorer, Toliet paper trash cans, Korean Cultu |
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Landros wrote: |
Why is such an advanced nation such as Korea still using websites that aren't chrome compatible. It is like a highway designed for carts and horses. |
It's all because of government regulations and internet industry geared only towards hardware components. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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For the toilet paper, that's a hold-over from the "honey bucket brigade" days. I lived in Seoul, quite close to Hanyang University, back in 1978. My house wasn't too bad, but like most people in the area, the commode was an outhouse. The honey bucket brigade would charge a greatly increased price for cleaning out polluted waste instead of just the regular ol' urine and feces. So, if you've grown up your entire life dropping the paper in a little can next to the hole, you're not going to all of a sudden change that habit. |
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Lazio
Joined: 15 Dec 2010
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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CentralCali wrote: |
For the toilet paper, that's a hold-over from the "honey bucket brigade" days. I lived in Seoul, quite close to Hanyang University, back in 1978. My house wasn't too bad, but like most people in the area, the commode was an outhouse. The honey bucket brigade would charge a greatly increased price for cleaning out polluted waste instead of just the regular ol' urine and feces. So, if you've grown up your entire life dropping the paper in a little can next to the hole, you're not going to all of a sudden change that habit. |
That�s a lame excuse.
These very same people grew up without phones, let alone mobile phones. Now they�ve adopted smart phones and can�t live without them. |
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Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Location: Easy Street.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:01 am Post subject: |
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1. In Korea either everyone does it or no one does it. Everyone uses IE and no one uses Chrome. Also, they've developed all their webpages so that they work really well with IE, and don't want to mess them up just because some foreigners have an inexplicable fetish for using non-standard browsers.
2. They believe flushing toilet paper will lead to blockages. You might try telling them that we flush toilet paper in toilets in the West without any clogging; you might tell them westerners all do it in Korea too without any problem. It won't have any immediate effect, but perhaps these seeds will take root one day.
3. When they say 'Korea', they mean 'South Korea'. Neither the South nor the North recognizes the other as a legitimate heir to the Korean state. |
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Threequalseven
Joined: 08 May 2012
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:36 am Post subject: Re: Internet Explorer, Toliet paper trash cans, Korean Cultu |
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Landros wrote: |
Why is such an advanced nation such as Korea still using websites that aren't chrome compatible. |
I don't know, but I bet it's the same reason why Korean websites are completely devoid of graphic design. Popular sites like Naver look the same as scammer websites back home.
Landros wrote: |
And God the public washroom at SeoHyun Station stank so bad today. Why don't men flush shitty toilet paper? |
I've heard that some Koreans think they'll plug up the septic system if they flush the paper. I don't know if that's actually true, though.
Landros wrote: |
why do people have such pride in being Korean and fail to mention it is South Korean culture |
Korea is kind of an anomaly. The peninsula was one country until just 60 years ago, right after the Korean War. Since then, both sides still regard Korea as one country. They share the same history. One taxi driver said to me that Koreans are "one people"... however, half the country just happens to be ruled by an oppressive dictatorship. As far as Korean pride goes, I think that it's just meant to distinguish them from the Chinese, Japanese, and pretty much every other country in the world. |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Privateer wrote: |
1. In Korea either everyone does it or no one does it. Everyone uses IE and no one uses Chrome. Also, they've developed all their webpages so that they work really well with IE, and don't want to mess them up just because some foreigners have an inexplicable fetish for using non-standard browsers. |
To answer this question. A lot of Korean webpages still suck on IE; too much flash, popups, stupid security measures etc. Yet a majority of Koreans don't know any better because they stick with the status quo even if they know its slow and terrible. Thankfully, a lot more Koreans have found Chrome and more Korean websites have been changed to not solely work on IE. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:46 am Post subject: |
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Lazio wrote: |
That�s a lame excuse.
These very same people grew up without phones, let alone mobile phones. Now they�ve adopted smart phones and can�t live without them. |
To you, it's lame. Heck, to me it's pretty lame too. But that has to be the reason behind it. There's nothing wrong with the sewage pipes today which, of course, weren't there 40 years ago. The point is, that's the way they were trained.
Your example of them not growing up with mobile phones doesn't really apply, IMHO. For one thing, as you said, they didn't grow up with the phones so there's nothing for them to compare that to. They did, on the other hand, grow up taking their daily dump. |
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Dodge7
Joined: 21 Oct 2011
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:53 am Post subject: Re: Internet Explorer, Toliet paper trash cans, Korean Cultu |
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Landros wrote: |
Finally, I mean I'm all for recognizing the greatness of Korean culture... |
I stopped reading right here. |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:06 am Post subject: h |
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The toilet paper thing is about the pipes. A Korean told me that back in the day the plumbing wasn't so good, so if you flushed the paper it would get stuck. Now, though, the plumbing is good it's just some people still have that mind set. There is some truth behind it, because I thought it was BS until I found it wasn't...I guess the building didn't upgrade its plumbing oops.
I got some of my smarter students using Chrome now and they love it. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Also, they've developed all their webpages so that they work really well with IE, and don't want to mess them up just because some foreigners have an inexplicable fetish for using non-standard browsers. |
While Firefox is ubiquitous to the point that I wouldn't call all their users "fetish" users, it seems that for non-standard web browser users, this is often true. Usually it's liberal arts types who have limited computer knowledge who are using Lunascape or Safari because they don't want to be a "tool" and use IE, which frankly is a perfect example of hipster toolism.
That said, I can't stand the rampant IE and ActiveX blitzkrieg that are Korean websites.
Quote: |
They believe flushing toilet paper will lead to blockages. You might try telling them that we flush toilet paper in toilets in the West without any clogging |
Really depends on where the toilet is, the higher class the facility, the less likely you are to see the trash can.
But I've personally experienced the bad plumbing. I'm not about to lecture some ajumma fruit seller or 'been there since 1979 hof operator' on the moral superiority of my crapping habits and screaming for them to spend more money on new plumbing. |
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crescent
Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: yes.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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CentralCali wrote: |
So, if you've grown up your entire life dropping the paper in a little can next to the hole, you're not going to all of a sudden change that habit. |
CentralCali wrote: |
There's nothing wrong with the sewage pipes today which, of course, weren't there 40 years ago. The point is, that's the way they were trained. |
LOL ! Plumbing systems installed in public places did not begin to improve until well into the late 90's. iBelieve it or not, even in 2013, there are still a lot of plumbing rigs that can't handle paper. People tend to use a lot when it's provided and they jam up the rig. Especially rigs that pump waste from deep below ground level. The trash can wasn't put in the stall for any other reason.
I do editing work for Daegu City Hall and they specifically put that in their guidebook.
Last edited by crescent on Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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CentralCali wrote: |
Lazio wrote: |
That�s a lame excuse.
These very same people grew up without phones, let alone mobile phones. Now they�ve adopted smart phones and can�t live without them. |
To you, it's lame. Heck, to me it's pretty lame too. But that has to be the reason behind it. There's nothing wrong with the sewage pipes today which, of course, weren't there 40 years ago. The point is, that's the way they were trained.
Your example of them not growing up with mobile phones doesn't really apply, IMHO. For one thing, as you said, they didn't grow up with the phones so there's nothing for them to compare that to. They did, on the other hand, grow up taking their daily dump. |
I grew up using toilet paper. Now I have a bidet. It was an easy habit to break, so it is a lame excuse. |
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aq8knyus
Joined: 28 Jul 2010 Location: London
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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The paper in the basket thing is also done in Israel, Korea is probably not the only place.
Good point about North Korea although its not hard to see why they would want to dissassociate themselves from the land of gulags, state rascism, slavery and serfdom. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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NYC_Gal 2.0 wrote: |
CentralCali wrote: |
Lazio wrote: |
That�s a lame excuse.
These very same people grew up without phones, let alone mobile phones. Now they�ve adopted smart phones and can�t live without them. |
To you, it's lame. Heck, to me it's pretty lame too. But that has to be the reason behind it. There's nothing wrong with the sewage pipes today which, of course, weren't there 40 years ago. The point is, that's the way they were trained.
Your example of them not growing up with mobile phones doesn't really apply, IMHO. For one thing, as you said, they didn't grow up with the phones so there's nothing for them to compare that to. They did, on the other hand, grow up taking their daily dump. |
I grew up using toilet paper. Now I have a bidet. It was an easy habit to break, so it is a lame excuse. |
I love my bidet as well.
But we all know that there are different 'adaptors' in society.
Many change quickly, but a good portion continue to do what they do - regardless of the evidence against it. |
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