Where is everybody?
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 12:52 AM posted in General DiscussionNumber of comments over the past week:
Media - 13
News & Features - 7
Qing Wen - 15
Intermediate (Monopoly) - 23
Elementary (April Fools Day) - 27
Advanced - 4
Upper Intermediate - 17
Questions: Where is everybody? (Surely not studying?) What proportion of the comments on Lesson threads are people seeking language partners?
But that raises another question - if the high % of 'spam' is affecting the discourse, should ChinesePod design a space just for messages seeking language partners?
go_manly
April 06, 2010, 11:43 PMWhere is Jenny? Only 14 comments in the last 8 weeks.
user76423
April 06, 2010, 08:48 AMLast week I studied 6 Intermediate podcasts.
bodawei
My brain would not cope with that. I had a one hour encounter with a Chinese version of the 'Amway lady' yesterday and I think that will nearly do me for the week. 先在房子内及其干净。
user76423
@bodawei:
Self study is full of ups and downs.
Sometimes everything flows, you are optimistic, Anki reviews show you've learned something, you understand audios easily.
And sometimes you understand nothing, your Anki reviews are full of failures, you feel depressed because there seems to be no progress.
But you go on.
It's hard and it's mostly fun.
But sometimes you think you should stop this crazy Chinese...
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 08:49 AMXiao-liang. Ah, yes Easter, but I thought that was an opportunity to stay home & do ChinesePod. Wait, I've just remembered that you do yours at WORK.
Xiaophil. Your work ethic is an example to us all. :) I actually had a break with Tomb Sweeping Day, back to work in earnest tomorrow. Hope to see you back here more BTW - your contributions are missed.
I was looking for some kind of Information Age response to this question - are we in 'overload' on this site? Are there so many groups, so many conversations, that it is just not possible to keep them going? And weren't we worried, just a matter of weeks ago, about TOO MANY comments from certain people? It seems to me that this thing we know, ChinesePod, is a sensitive flower. It needs to be nourished more than regulated.
xiao_liang
April 06, 2010, 08:52 AMI hope that wasn't a snarky comment! I post on here while at work in breaks. I study pods on the way home in the car, and do other study while at home :-p
I don't study while I'm spending time with friends and family!
bodawei
Definitely not snarky, I envy anyone who can do ChinesePod at work, even during breaks. I used to print off the odd lesson at work for the train home. You sound pretty organised by the way. I just hope you are not driving yourself while 'studying pods'. Sounds like a poor defence in case of an accident.
xiao_liang
Heh! No, I sit in the back studying hard, while my chauffeur drives me home :-p Or not.
I think listening to podcasts while sitting in traffic is perfectly fine!
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 09:00 AMMy brain would not cope with that. I had a one hour encounter with a Chinese version of the 'Amway lady' yesterday and I think that will nearly do me for the week. 先在房子内及其干净。
pretzellogic
April 06, 2010, 10:59 AMi'm entertaining relatives here from North America on easter break.
bodawei
你正忙着当导游， 对吧？You're excused. :-)
orangina
April 06, 2010, 11:21 AMI moved and no longer have unlimited internet access. Am working on that though so I can come back more. (I also just had 2 friends complain to me about my absence.)
bodawei
I thought that all home internet access in China was unlimited. My understanding with China Telecom is that there is a choice of two speeds, that's it. Okay, I do have trouble reading the brochures.
And I accidentally paid some of my bill in advance recently - instead of a receipt for what you paid, they give you a receipt for how much you are AHEAD. (Took me some time to work that one out.)
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 12:33 PMDefinitely not snarky, I envy anyone who can do ChinesePod at work, even during breaks. I used to print off the odd lesson at work for the train home. You sound pretty organised by the way. I just hope you are not driving yourself while 'studying pods'. Sounds like a poor defence in case of an accident.
xiao_liang
April 06, 2010, 07:46 AMIt's easter - national holiday in England...
changye
April 06, 2010, 12:53 PMHi bodawei
I think that the current threading system and "language exchange" spams, at least, don't help increase comments here.
bodawei
Hi Changye
I won't comment on the threading (maybe that has been done to death) but I am wondering if ChinesePod should design a special space for the 'language exchange' conversations. I suggest allowing people to report the success of these approaches for language partners - that might help keep out the type of approach we refer to as 'spam'. Actually I have just re-read my post and I think it may be rubbish. I was trying to suggest that even spammers give up if effort is not rewarded, but unfortunately a lot of people are inconvenienced in the process either way. My 'nurture them not nuke them' approach is going to go the way of the Hippy. :-)
changye
Hi bodawei
I believe some people have already gotten tired of complaining about the new threading system and those spam comments. Exactly speaking, "language exchange" spams were not so spammy in the old threading system, but they really are spammy in the current system, where you have difficulty finding newly-posted comments, except for the newest one.
user76423
@changye: You are right. The current threading system is awful. The threads are very, very confusing and hard to follow. And the spam posts tell me: go back studying, don't read all this garbage!
Plus: if the weather is good, I enjoy listening ChinesePod in the park.
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 12:53 PMI thought that all home internet access in China was unlimited. My understanding with China Telecom is that there is a choice of two speeds, that's it. Okay, I do have trouble reading the brochures.
And I accidentally paid some of my bill in advance recently - instead of a receipt for what you paid, they give you a receipt for how much you are AHEAD. (Took me some time to work that one out.)
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 01:12 PMHi Changye
I won't comment on the threading (maybe that has been done to death) but I am wondering if ChinesePod should design a special space for the 'language exchange' conversations. I suggest allowing people to report the success of these approaches for language partners - that might help keep out the type of approach we refer to as 'spam'. Actually I have just re-read my post and I think it may be rubbish. I was trying to suggest that even spammers give up if effort is not rewarded, but unfortunately a lot of people are inconvenienced in the process either way. My 'nurture them not nuke them' approach is going to go the way of the Hippy. :-)
henning
April 06, 2010, 05:37 PMI'm still here, however I currently don't have the time to get sucked into the discussions so I refrain from posting...
user76423
April 06, 2010, 08:33 PM@bodawei:
Self study is full of ups and downs.
Sometimes everything flows, you are optimistic, Anki reviews show you've learned something, you understand audios easily.
And sometimes you understand nothing, your Anki reviews are full of failures, you feel depressed because there seems to be no progress.
But you go on.
It's hard and it's mostly fun.
But sometimes you think you should stop this crazy Chinese...
user76423
April 06, 2010, 08:37 PM@changye: You are right. The current threading system is awful. The threads are very, very confusing and hard to follow. And the spam posts tell me: go back studying, don't read all this garbage!
Plus: if the weather is good, I enjoy listening ChinesePod in the park.
bodawei
April 06, 2010, 12:45 PM你正忙着当导游， 对吧？You're excused. :-)
xiaophil
April 06, 2010, 03:50 AMI have been really busy lately, so that's why I haven't been here much. I have been checking in, though, and it does seem to me that there are fewer people commenting.