Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kimcheeking]

There is also no stopping someone from organizing thier own get-together in another city. It doesn't always have to be Seoul. Austin, if you are feeling left out, why don't you organize your own party instead of whining like a 3 year old baby.

[Tiger Beer]

[Austin]

Interesting why so many of you long to put words in my mouth.

Kimcheeking,

I am not whining about anything. Again, I posed a question, and what you have done is exactly what I warned about happening.

Life goes on, regardless of what happens here.

[kimcheeking]

[Tiger Beer]

[Zyzyfer]

[bucheon bum]

how could he omit Anda from the list though?? .

[gajackson1]

ok, I can only speak for myself, and I am not speaking as a mod . . .

Back in the States, I had a regular group of hang-out buddies. Some had been friends of mine from college, and others were current or previous co-workers. They were my real-life 'community message board.' Most of the time I was working with kids (which I love), but it doesn't give a lot of opportunities for either high-brow or low-brow conversations, both of which I enjoy.

Hosting barbecues, getting together in bars, attending festivals, etc. were all pretty commonplace for me. My schedule left me enough free time, and it is easy to just pick up the phone.

Welcome to Korea!!!

You lose that support network almost immediately, unless you are lucky enough to have friends already here. Yep, if you are lucky, there may be a large group of teachers for you to make friends with. Or, you may have the mindset to be able to comfortably mesh with Western-minded Koreans. But most of us felt/feel more than a little out of sorts.

The people who come to this board and stay - like almost any board - form online friendships. For a lot of us, the chance to meet offline and in person is a welcome opportunity. Hard to share a drink or a dance with someone online! (joke punchlines are usually delayed, as well).

I do agree about the Seoul thing - there are just plain a lot more teachers here. And, to that end, I have tried to encourage people to get together in other towns - esp. the bigger cities, like Daejon, Daegu, Busan (which already has a Busanweb community).

The trial run for Osan-Songtan seemed to go well - I met a few people I met before, and some new people as well. We are hoping that a lot of people south of Seoul, and those in Daejon, would consider coming up for the weekend. I'd love to see people arrange stuff in other cities, and would honestly be willing to travel, time permitting.

There have been smaller groups a lot of times before, getting together to do stuff - for the opera, for college festivals, dj shows, movies, restaurants, Club Night, etc. Now, we have a group gearing up for wrestling.

The board is a big, diverse place, and there is room here for most people. The more opportunities it provides people to interact, the better I say.

So, Matko, when are you inviting us to all stay at your place for a weekend???

Regards,

gajackson1

Austin, in all honesty - you DO have a valid point about a potential pitfall. If you have an alternative idea about member participation/conduct, I'd be more than willing to hear it. I've been at this site almost 6 years now, and this is the best I've seen things. It is a 'tinker-friendly' system, and no one has a monopoly here on good ideas.

Sincerely,

Glen

[Tiger Beer]

I agree.. its a dynamic place open to constant change. You could look at the board by a month-by-month basis.. and see a constantly revolving door of very different and very unique major players which seem to be most involved and then either disappear or replaced by others and whatever else. No one has a monopoloy on anything.. its a free-for-all..

[Hotel Cheonan]

We could settle this in Thunderdome style . . .

Two men enter, Austin, and whoever pisses him off . . .one man leaves

"Anything goes baby it's Thunderdome!"

-George Costanza

[Austin]

It is disappointing that some are incapable of seeing what I have been alluding to in my original post, yet comforting to see that some of the more articulate posters have.

Kimcheeking,

You asked what you have done, so allow me to explain without fear of consequence.

People that lurk or rarely post on this site, observe the dynamics here(people can see, read, think for themselves). When a considerable number of those in power pounce on a post that they disagree with, place words in the mouth of the poster, and label the poster as a "wussy," a "whining three-year old," a "coward," etc., do you think those that actually agree with the poster dare to publicly voice their support?

Certainly, people want to avoid controversy. Moreover, they want to avoid being targeted. I do not blame them, but why do you suppose they fear to publicly voice their support?

Again, I can not be held accountable for those that wish to display their intolerance, but to blindly state that it would never impact this board is a fallacy.

A couple people have asked me to not make such a big deal about "it," but I have not been.

I have been asked to "prove it or plug it" by one, yet proof is a two-way street. I never resorted to asking the poster to "prove" that he is impartial or "plug it."

One claims that I am "flaming" by asking questions.

Again, I am making the big deal, or...

[Tiger Beer]

I'm going to try to pull apart Austin's words in an effort to understand where all of this comes from..

[William Beckerson]

[kimcheeking]

[Ryst Helmut]