Job Discussion Forums

badtyndale · Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 181 Location: In the tool shed

Please observe a minute's silence in respect of the death of their website.

This used to be good for a laugh, what with all its spoof ads (intentional or otherwise). Now it seems they have 'joined forces' with asiaxpat - a marriage made in cyber-heaven or a relationship doomed to failure? Press your buttons now...

Everything appears to be at least a week old on it - am I missing something? The format of the job ads truly reveal the lack of information provided by employers. I 'applied' for one of these jobs once and a girl rang me back about three weeks later asking me to come for an interview (no details about the type of job or level of pay). I asked her where the office was where the interview would be held - she didn't know! Shocked

Milo.Minderbinder · Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Beijing

It's just a guess on my part but judging from some of the responses I've gotten from That's Beijing's offerings I would have to say that some people are looking for all the information they can get from everyone or anyone. I'd advise being very careful about putting your name and picture together. I don't put my picture on my resume, if they want it I'm happy to bring it by their office but many times I never get a response back after I offer to visit their place of business. Cheers!

ShapeSphere · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 386

Well let's wait and see. It was never very good, but it was still an option. I have just checked the site, and though the design and layout are worse, I had managed to find some writing & editing work from That's Beijing in the past. Not often, but it happened and I got paid. Which was a shock I can tell you.

I agree that some responses were dodgy in the past, but one must always be wary in business. And multiply that by a hundred when in China.

matador · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 281

....groan. What we have here is another bland and lifeless website...very much like the multitude of free magazines in Shanghai: over priced expat villas in Pudong anyone?...want to invest you 30,000RMB per month salary...? want to go to over-priced eating places...? Viva la revolution! Wink

garbotara · Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 529 Location: China

I am sad . The site really is terrible now.I can not even access my inbox to get messages.Does anyone know how to do that on this new crappy site?

ShapeSphere · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 386

I've been looking for the inbox as well. It seems to have been removed due to the move. We should remember that the idea of efficiency, planning & competency are alien concepts to the Chinese.

There was no prior information that the site would change and be moved. We could have been ready and saved our data. Therefore it looks like the inboxes are not an option anymore. Possibly we just get messages sent directly to our email accounts. Again we must wait and see. Maybe it is a technical glitch.

I noticed that my login name has changed. Before I logged in with my Yahoo address, now I have to use firstnamenumber. Same password though.

Maybe if we all write to the new site and ask for some information or our inboxes back, they will ...... err ........ do absolutely nothing. Good old China, you can always rely on it to be unreliable.

garbotara · Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 529 Location: China

matador · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 281

...very typical of the 'new' China...glossy upfront but lame quality and little customer service values...

garbotara · Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 529 Location: China

Milo.Minderbinder · Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Beijing

Asia Expat has been going for at least five years and I was under the impression that it was a Hong Kong concern but in this day and age it could be from Bucharest, you know? It says on the redirect page; "All that's classified ads have been moved to the combined that's/AsiaXPAT sites. We will upgrade our user system in January to offer you full editing control of your ads." Cheers!

garbotara · Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 529 Location: China

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Has nobody noticed the Editor in Chief was unceremoniously disposed of?
His name was Mark Kitto. The SCMP ran a number of interviews with him, and he boasted repeatedly that the Chinese "journalists" were learning from his paper and emulating him...
Then came the day of reckoning - I think last month - and the Chinese "journalists" took over!
Contributors were ditched too, including a guy from Britain who used to write in the last page.
And the woman who initially founded CLUELESS - the former incarnation of THAT'S - is back on the payroll too.

badtyndale · Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 181 Location: In the tool shed

Well I've just managed to login after waiting for them to send me my 'username' which was not originally my username at all (and therefore I didn't know it) - and let me tell you/confirm-agree that it is indeed a pile of 5hite. I cannot find any access to the folders/messages/attachments stored on the original site and so can only assume that everything is indeed in limbo until January, as stated above. Good job it's not an essential part of my little underground world. There are, incidently, as I write, three new ads there (what has happened to everything between the 14th to the 20th of December is anyone's guess). Don't get too excited though jobseekers: One ad is for services offered (music teacher, I think her name's Edna but she likes to call herself Beauty in Chinese); another ad is 'looking for some English native speakers' (anyone will do - the more naive the better - please send CV including nationality and age, and a small photo); and the other ad is for Modern English (42 hours a week... say no more!).

ShapeSphere · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 386

Just received this at my Yahoo email account! If you're a user - then check your email.

Hi there that��s Beijing classified ad user:

Today we learned that the company providing our website has unilaterally violated our web services contract and pulled down our that��s Beijing website.

They have also sold your web-based personal information to a company based in Hong Kong without our knowledge.

that��s Beijing has nothing to do with this site, despite what it says on their front page.

As this came as a complete surprise, we were uable to do anything to warn you, our users, or to prepare a backup site.

Luckily we have stored your emails in another location so as to warn you if such a catastrophic event were to occur.

We no longer have any access to any of your personal information, and for those of you who have lost access, our sincerest apologies.

We are working hard at re-establishing our new website as soon as possible. Please keep a lookout for that site to reappear at www.thatsbj.com.

In the mean time:

-- If you would like to place a classified advertisement in our January 2005 magazine, please send your ad to [email protected]

-- If you would like to sign up for future email updates, please send us an email at [email protected]

Look for the next issue of that��s Beijing to hit the streets next week, December 30. If you can��t get your hands on a copy, please contact our distribution department at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Michael Wester

General Manager

That��s Beijing magazine
________________________

*Please note my new email: [email protected]
________________________

Michael Wester
General Manager
that's Beijing
[email protected]
A-502 Meihui Building
58 Dongzhong Jie
Dongcheng District, Beijing 100027
Office 6554 5630
Fax 6554 7885
Cell 1370 114 1284

Tamil_Tiger · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:24 pm Post subject:

What a crock of Sh*t this all is. I can't access my mailbox for that's guangzhou anymore. What a bunch of d*ckheads. They didn't even mention they were going to change this all up. I am a yahoo user and didn't receive any notices. Maybe it's just the beijingers. I use thats guangzhou and maybe our information wasn't sold. I hate the new format too. Completely unnavigable. The that's system was much better. I guess I'll just have to make do.