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| A Newbee forum: good idea? |
| Yes |
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| No |
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[ 14 ] |
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| Total Votes : 27 |
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SweetBear
Joined: 18 May 2003
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 Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 9:23 am Post subject: |
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ajarn.com manages their newbie forum quite well. unfortunately on this site there are way too many petty, hyper- critical, super egos around. it's a shame really as it's a great idea. personally i would like to see the more helpful posters like peppermint and homer moderate and contribute to such a forum and make it a limited access area to keep some of the... no, i can't say that... 
... okay, the " less helpful" types out, how's that? |
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Dan The Chainsawman
Joined: 05 May 2005
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Unbelievable that anyone would agree to such a blatant example of cyber hooliganism. Shall we sharpen up our wit for our newly fledged cyber "Night of the Long Knives"? |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Demophobe wrote: |
It may be a good idea if there were a few old-timers assigned to answering the questions posted there clearly and correctly. Like 'advisors', in a sense. Like mods, but with limited powers in that forum only.
Sounds like the oft-ignored FAQ though.
Newbies should really get aquainted with that...it's a great resource (if it is well-maintained, that is)
The FAQ needs to be culled and stripped of the chaff. It still takes forever to wade through the garbage and find an unclear answer. |
additionally the FAQ was created to help reduce stickies in the other forums but now we have too many stickies or announcements in all forums. |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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My two cents....
I think thousands and thousands of posted questions could be avoided, often the same ones over and over (I know I am guilty), by creating a booklet to be given to every incoming ESL teacher to Korea. Maybe the size of a package of korean Esse cigs? FAQs regarding all of the labors standards in korea. Would include relevant sections from korean labor/tax/health/immigration law, banking and money matters, phone numbers, some phrases in both korean and english that are relevant to a foreigners labor needs. No, not, "Where is the bus station?", but useful things like, "No, mam, I cannot work in three locations unless I have an endorsement on my ARC."
Logistically, I think it's pretty straight forward. The Korean government would have to endorse and distribute it. There are relatively few international points of entrance to Korea, and the immigration officers at those points would give a booklet to each E-2 (and whatever other visas allow ESL teaching) incoming visa holder.
The hard part would be covering the cost, but I would bet that the Korean government would pay for the materials if the labor was provided for free.
Perhaps the hardest part would be gettting the Korean government to recognize the need for such a book, and then persuading them to let english native speakers create it...
All that being said, I am sure someone will post a link to another discussion topic here from the past that says just what I said...ha ha ha.
So, waddayathink Dave? |
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ajuma
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Zark has a great website http://www.tefldaddy.com/ that answers a LOT of "newbie" questions...not just for Korea, but everywhere. |
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Lemonade
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Natalia wrote: |
There's a hell of a lot of snobbery on this forum, from people with the attitude of, "What the hell would you know? You haven't lived here for six (or more) years". It is an intimidating place for people who just want some help (and don't judge me by my joining date please). Not everyone is planning on staying in Korea long term, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
At the same time, a newbie forum seems a bit like an attempt to put everybody in their place. I don't really see what it would achieve. |
I agree there's a hell of a lot of snobby arrogant trolls on here who feed off the misery of other people, especially newbies. "Intimidating" is an understatement. Sometimes I don't know which is worse - Koreans who hate foreigners or foreigners who hate other (especially new) foreigners here. I'm inclined to say the later.
Having a newbie forum would be like putting chickens on the chopping block for the butchers of "Dave's Meat Market."
As for the know it all "teachers" here, I've taught them a thing or two while I've been here about Korea, especially concerning the employment laws. They often tell me I know more than them. Some of them have been here almost six years. Lord only knows why they've stayed as they seem miserable with a seriously bad attitude towards Korea. The Ironic thing is that they are always the first to condemn a newbie for being the least little bit critical about Korea. So they think they have the right to complain and no one else has EARNED the right to complain but them. Lord have mercy!  |
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SweetBear
Joined: 18 May 2003
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Lemonade wrote: |
| Natalia wrote: |
There's a hell of a lot of snobbery on this forum, from people with the attitude of, "What the hell would you know? You haven't lived here for six (or more) years". It is an intimidating place for people who just want some help (and don't judge me by my joining date please). Not everyone is planning on staying in Korea long term, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
At the same time, a newbie forum seems a bit like an attempt to put everybody in their place. I don't really see what it would achieve. |
I agree there's a hell of a lot of snobby arrogant trolls on here who feed off the misery of other people, especially newbies. "Intimidating" is an understatement. Sometimes I don't know which is worse - Koreans who hate foreigners or foreigners who hate other (especially new) foreigners here. I'm inclined to say the later.
Having a newbie forum would be like putting chickens on the chopping block for the butchers of "Dave's Meat Market."
As for the know it all "teachers" here, I've taught them a thing or two while I've been here about Korea, especially concerning the employment laws. They often tell me I know more than them. Some of them have been here almost six years. Lord only knows why they've stayed as they seem miserable with a seriously bad attitude towards Korea. The Ironic thing is that they are always the first to condemn a newbie for being the least little bit critical about Korea. So they think they have the right to complain and no one else has EARNED the right to complain but them. Lord have mercy! |
Yep. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:44 am Post subject: |
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My thinking on a newbie forum was not to exclude newbies...not at all!
It was to centralize their questions on one easy place so that when they do have questions they can go there and even see what other topics have been covered instead of wandering the job forum or general forums and often getting bashed by users.
The forum would be dedicated to topics that concern newbies and would mean easier access to information for them.
Also, those that want to help newbies could post there and it would perhaps diminish the bash factor for newbies who post in the job or general forums.... |
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Lemonade
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:54 am Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
| My thinking on a newbie forum was not to exclude newbies...not at all! |
Now, that's a quotable quote if ever I have seen on on here. Ahhh, too funny |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 3:11 am Post subject: |
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Glad it made you laugh lemonade....
But hey I was just looking for a discussion on the idea of a newbie forum. such forums work very well on other websites and avoid just what we have here: newbies posting in the general and job forums, getting bashed and/or repeating the same questions over and over.
A newbie forum would centralize all these questions (hereby eliminate repetions) and perhaps dimimish the idiotic bashing that occurs vs newbies sometimes. They could get the information they need in one forum instead of wandering about.
It makes sense to me. |
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Scott in Incheon
Joined: 30 Aug 2004
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah something like that Scott. |
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SweetBear
Joined: 18 May 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 4:17 am Post subject: |
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| It's a good idea Homer. Like I said, it works real well on ajarn ( a similar forum for teachers in Thailand). |
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chrisOC2005
Joined: 19 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 2:03 am Post subject: |
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I think a newbie forum would be a good idea, not necessarily for asking questions that would lead to the blind leading the blind, but to find people who are in the same situation and announce house-warming parties!
Okay, that may be a little much, but it can be good to network with people who are in the same boat.
Chris |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 2:33 am Post subject: |
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| Chirs questions asked by newbies would be answered by more experienced teachers...not by newbies (unless they want to relate their experiences). The newbee forum would not be closed to others, it would be a public forum like all the others. |
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