Job Discussion Forums

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

I find it really sad that I have gotten messages like this several times in the past:

I saw the messages you posted on 'davesesl' under the name anne_o and I wondered if you have the time to answer a few questions about the reality of teaching 'privates' full time. I was going to post directly on the forum but a lot of the guys there seem a bit, um, pessmistic to say the least Smile

I'm in Korea now, and you rarely get all of the negativity and righteousness on the Korean board.
I have been using Dave's for many years, and have not seen such negativity on other boards either.....mexico, thailand, vietnam, etc.....
What is wrong?
Does every post have to turn into an argument or attack?
I myself have sometimes dreaded to read the replies to a question I might have.
People have questions and need advice. If you don't want to help, don't reply to a post.....I think that is simple.
I'll be back in Tokyo in a month, but as before, I will look to other sites for the answers to my questions.[/i]

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:53 am Post subject:

What are you talking about...or is it the Soju posting?

NCTBA

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

I've found a lot of info on gajin pot.....much more relaxed, more humor, and the posters seem to take themselves less serious I think.....definitely seem to be more creative, open-minded, and friendly.
What's with this rigid mind set foreigners seem to adopt after living in Japan....?.....it's almost like a loss of identity in order to adapt and 'fit in'.....so annoying....and again....sad.
Maybe it's just a lack of self-confidence......maybe boredom???

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Oh gee we don't find you that sad. Poor thing, you really need to talk to someone about your poor self esteem.

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

case in point....i might take the time to dig through here and find all of this persons nasty posts.....but......nahhhhh....i'd rather drink too much soju and puke my brains out Exclamation

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

GaijinPot is more relaxed??????

Really?

People may take themselves less seriously over there, but you certainly run into far more flame wars than here!

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I don't really see all the negativity that you are talking about, anne_o. Sure, people sometime post discouraging things, but that is usually because people are asking for something that is not going to happen, e.g. working visa with no degree, or a university job without a Masters, and the eikaiwa industry as a whole is pretty depressed now, so it is mostly just people being realistic.

Painting unrealistically rosy pictures of things is not helpful- many people are pessimistic in the current economic climate, but there is a good reason for it.

What did you reply about the reality of teaching privates full time? I think I would probably give a slightly discouraging reply to that too, because realistically it probably isn't going to be possible unless someone has been in Japan for years, and even then it is hard, as I know from personal experience. Very few people actually manage it. Anyone saying "yeah, go for it, you can do it if you try!" wouldn't be doing that person a service because it is unlikely to work out for them.

As for gaijinpot, you might get some useful advice there but you have to sift through an awful lot of garbage to find it- the ratio of serious:non-serious answers tends to be pretty low in my experience.

Anyway, you're entitled to your opinion, but perhaps you can point out a few posts with the negativity you've been seeing?

steki47 · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 1029 Location: BFE Inaka

Gaijinpot has its moments. Of entertainment and education. But the psychopaths can be a bit much when you just want to ask a question or discuss. Let's Japan is pretty good about that sort of stuff.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:39 am Post subject: Re: pretty sad

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Seriously, I don't know what anne_o was talking about, and nor has she bothered to come back and tell us which posts she and the people contacting her found offensive.

I put a fair bit of effort into trying to give helpful answers, and so do many others here. If someone is asking us to tell them they can do something totally unrealistic, I won't hesitate to say it's impossible, but I don't see what is so offensive about that.

But if people want to ask about Japan on a Korea board, by all means... Confused