I know many of you don’t exactly agree with me on disclosing your real names while posting - in fact I recently have experienced some of the negative aspects of having my name (real) on a Blog. However, I still stand by the idea that if you have an opinion that you feel strong enough to want to write for public display/knowledge then you should also have the “guts” to acknowledge that it is your work. There are obvious exceptions to this - physical/occupational threats, or self-incriminating reports, but for the most part what is generally posted on these blogs don’t fall into those categories.
Here is an example:
A young Korean woman wrote an article and submitted it to The Korea Times. The article is in English, fantastic work especially considering it is probably a second language (I am not sure if the woman is a Kyopo or not) and it seems to be something really special to her - a story about her deceased grandmother. Here are the comments that have been left on her article:
3 ???????? 12-03-2004 03:38
Well written. It is a shame that many younger Koreans still treat the older generation unfairly. To say the least, they deserve our utmost respect.
2 papa 12-02-2004 19:55
Halmoni also didnt like it when you did a [gratuitous insult deleted]
1 Patriot 12-02-2004 19:11
I thought Koreans were always respectful to their elder family members. What`s this about talking back and being disrespectful?
Nulji - if “papa” is an American then I am almost in full agreement with you that he is trailor trash - now imagine if this person had to take responsibility for his post? I understand that a lot of people write negative things just to blow off steam, but this person has no excuse. I hope that The Korea Times will remove it, hopefully before she reads it.
16 Comments
I agree! Of course, the irony here is that I do not trust people to write comments on my site, but I’m doing so on someone else’s–I’ll admit I haven’t found the solution yet. It would be nice if a comments feature could be invented that simply recorded comments, and allowed a preview by the site owner, who could decide which ones to post.
Well, I use an “abbreviated” form of my name, but always provide a link to my blog where one can easily find my full name and a lot more (and perhaps too much more).
I know it’s probable that some day one of the things I’ve written (especially my more visceral, rant-esque material) is going to bite me in the back, but maybe I’m just another ??¸??? ??´??œ??´ ?¤? ?ª¨??´??” ?????€ ?†? who’s too full of himself to be wary of the risks.
People like “papa” generally have a problem with their self-image and have a tendency to share their misery with the rest of us. The fact that he has to live with himself is punishment in itself, no?
I agree with Marmot. Even though I use a “nom-de-plume”, I always try to be careful not to cause harm with something I write, as if I were speaking directly to someone. I’m in favor of moderated forums since being anonymous seems to draw out the cowards, losers and what-have-you and hurts any online effort. That is why other Korea-based forums like the Korea Herald’s have pretty much died.
Hey guys - thanks for posting the kind comments on the student’s article - at least she now has some good things to read instead of some stupid and immature comments that give nulji fodder for his constant attacks on Westerners living in Korea.
Marmot, most Korean people don’t accept different opinions from theirs because of their low self-esteem. When Bernard Kerik was nominated to head the US homeland security, even conservative media like Chosunilbo and SBS TV talked extensively about his military experience as a USFK member and “Soon-Ja, his ex-Korean lover” and “Lisa, his daughter”. Koreans like to find some kind of connections between Koreans and famous foreign person. It’s very evident how Koreans will take this kind of Korean newspapers reports on Bernard Kerik. And nowadays Korean people are talking about the distorted images on Korean men on the ABC TV’S drama “Lost”. (http://news.media.daum.net/soc.....59842.html)
I deleted my blog(http://boilingpot.ebloggy.com) because there were too many hate mails from Koreans. When you post an article or something afterwards, please don’t reveal your email.
You know? Do you remember the time when Korean people strongly criticized about the fix(?) of the short track games at Salt Lake Winter Olympics, and Korean people tried to crash CNN website? Consequently CNN blocked all the IPs from Korea. And you know what? This time Korean people criticized CNN too. According to Korean people, Korean people couldn’t study English because CNN blocked Koreans from accessing the CNN site. Ha!!!! Nonsense!
SBSTV drama “Love in Harvard” reflects Korean people’s unaccomplished their American dream. Their American dream can be accomplished only in drama. By the way, the title “Love in Harvard” is not correct, the correct of saying it is “Love at Harvard”.
Ah, two things:
1) The writer is a young woman, not a “young girl”–I went over to the site thinking it was a twelve year old girl who was writing! In fact, she’s an undergraduate student.
2) Now that several people (including me), have left comments on that thread specifying our origin, the young woman may find out about the insult from the Marmot’s Hole, and not from the thread itself, which has deleted the offending post. Perhaps the Marmot or someone else here could simply bracket out the offending message in this post as “[gratuitous insult deleted]“.
Nathan,
You are indeed correct - I think that is a sure sign of my own age showing when I can refer to a young woman as a young girl. My apologies if any were offended.
The Pythi Master says:
1. Much confusing, your author names still are. Perhaps in a larger font, should your names be displayed.
(The post was written by Robert Neff, not the Marmot, my Padawan Learners!)
2. Much spam do I sense in your comments. Spam is the path to the Dark Side of the Force. Spam leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering… Better spam control, you must install.
Okay, I think we got it now…
I wasn’t don’t worry!
I just thought it was important enough to clarify. But perhaps you might remove the actual insult from the main page…? Anyway, good job to you and your two blogging colleagues here–I visit everyday.
Thanks - I removed and replaced the “young girl” part. Again, it was my mistake and probably a sign that old age is creeping (ok - rushing) up on me
Robert Neff
Hi Mr Neff, Do you have somthing against calling a woman , a woman, or are all women girls, young girls children etc. If she is over 18 (19) in korea she is a woman. Maybe that ruins your idea that all women are children or (young girls) as you assumed. (by the way, how many children in korea get published in the Korea times). I am glad you fixed your comments, but does that make it OK. Its infantizing women. its the same kind of discrimination as rasism.
He already apologized–twice! It’s also a private site where the owner and his sidekicks can say what they like. We may make suggestions, but if we don’t like it, we can go elsewhere….
Dear Woman -
Again I offer my apologies because I obviously offended you. To be honest, if the writer had been a male I would have said kid instead of man. Again there is no offense intended with the word “kid,” it is actually a reference to his youth. I am sure however, that you realize this sometimes comes up in Korean dramas and comedies. A person inadvertantly addresses a woman as ????¤Œ?§? instead of ????°€?”¨ or they address a student as ????°€?”¨ instead of ??™???. I was hoping that people would have read the earlier apologies and give me the benefit of the doubt and take it for what it was intended as - a compliment of youth. As you/we grow older we generally tend to desire one thing - youth again, and we are ever envious of those who are still in their youth.
Again, please accept my apologies for offending you - the intent of the article was not to offend the young woman/student that wrote the article but instead to enlist support for her efforts and to counter some of the truly immature and assine comments made about her article.
Wishing you the best
Robert Neff
Considering how many times I have been lectured by Koreans on how Americans, to the man, disrespect their elderly relatives, in clear contrast to Koreans, each of whom displays laudable “filial piety”, I can understand the sentiment.