Korean Job Discussion Forums

mithridates · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 8:58 am Post subject: Getting Koreans used to php

My board's going well for a 20-day old creation, but I still seem to be having troubles with the Koreans there not really talking to each other. I have the settings on the board set to Korean so there is no language barrier and no problems in registering, but nevertheless most of them try to use it as if it were the guest book on a Cyworld page - they'll come in, start a thread like "Nice job on the board mith, keep it up!" or "Wow, how did you make this?" which isn't really good thread material.

I've put up info here and there on my hompy and the board itself about how you can register without using your real name and therefore say whatever you want without repurcussion, that you can have an avatar, write a poll, and so on. Any other benefits I should bring up? I'm trying to drive the point home that it isn't like my Cyworld page where every question or comment is answered by me, but that it's a large collection of people and that I just make sure that things go smoothly and post whenever I feel like it. Like here.

Any other benefits to php or things I should mention? I'm thinking of writing up a whole new announcement to try to explain everything in detail because it doesn't seem to be getting through.

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

You know that "click here to chat with us" thing I have on our site. Well, this is usually how it goes with Korean people:

Operator: How can I help you?

Customer: Hi

Silence until I ask again.

If it is a native English speaker, skips the hi, gets right to it.

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

Assuming by php, you mean phpBB or bulletin board, rather than trying to explain its benefits or form, try starting up some threads with controversial topics that are pertinent to Koreans. Cultural differences is always a good topic.

A couple of other general suggestions:

1. Try linking to hot discussion topics from your cyworld page. Do this daily.
2. Try translating some of the stupid whiny threads here on the eslcafe board and posting them on your own board. I can't think of a better way to stir up the pot. However, I'd strongly suggest a disclaimer stating that not all foreigners are as retarded as the ones who post here. You wouldn't want to fan the flames of the recent English Spectrum fallout.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

Cheem wrote

mishlert · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun

One section of my board is for my university students, and the few who post do the same as what the OP said; making comments and saying hello.
Ironically, not one has written in my �ѱ��.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

yeah, haha, when I visited your board I thought the same thing: some of these koreans are treating it like a cyworld message board. And anybody whose read a cyworld message board knows that its full of mind-numbingly trite sentiments like:

"nice homepage"

"what a pretty homepage"

"i like the this homepage"

"homepage. good. pretty. i like."

"i visited your homepage and left this message which you are reading right now, just thought i'd let you know. and your homepage is nice."

Maybe you should try to generate a little controversy over there. Just be careful about creating a headache for the rest of us.

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

mithridates · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 7:42 pm Post subject:

We do have a little bit of controversy over there with things like Dokdo and the professor that is getting a lot of flak right now...usually Shakuhachi steps into those threads and they get a little bit more interesting. Still too few of those threads though.
Posting commentary from this board is a good idea though. Maybe I'll put up jackthecat's confession.

ersatzprofessor · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:32 pm Post subject:

ersatzprofessor · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:35 pm Post subject:

mithridates · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:39 am Post subject:

Are you serious? The people on the anti-englishspectrum site know all about Dave's and even they aren't doing anything.

ersatzprofessor · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:03 am Post subject:

Well, tongue only partly in cheek. It's one thing to have ignorant posts on Daves that only a few Koreans adept in English enough to read this kind of thing for fun will ever bother read ...and these are thus mostly inured to the ways of us whiny wayguks.

But it's another to translate them into Korean to be easily cut and paste and widely disseminated across cyberworld and naver.

Think about it.

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003