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meramarina Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5971 days ago 1341 posts - 2303 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, French Personal Language Map
| Message 58 of 85 17 April 2010 at 5:53pm | IP Logged |
Sprachprofi, I just want send along a little additional support and to say that your posts are always thoughtful, intelligent and professional, and that the loss of your contributions would be very unfortunate for all serious language-learners here. I do understand the reason, though: it's very unpleasant and distracting to log on and have to deal with sarcasm, disrespect or simply thoughtless expression of irrelevant (to serious language study) opinion. Last week, after reading some of the most disturbing posts I've ever seen here, I was as close as I have ever been to writing a very angry rebuttal, but knew that I'd only involve myself in unnecessary quarreling, and I don't really have much right or authority here to publicly air this criticism anyway.
I hope you decide to continue your involvement here, but if you have to restrict it this is understandable. I know that semi-anonymous online discussion often erupts into heated, unreasonable infighting, and I've always tried to stay away from this as much as possible. If it becomes impossible, though, I would, like you, need to take time away.
I did not participate in this forum for many months after registering, partly because of technical problems, but also because it seemed too contentious for me at the time. My language project was still fresh and uncertain and involvement seemed risky until I could be more confident about it. I'm glad I returned now, but ultimately for me, and each of us, our own language study must take precedence over involvement in any internet forum. Still, I'd be sad to see you go.
Edited by meramarina on 18 April 2010 at 1:37am
1 person has voted this message useful
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5399 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish
| Message 59 of 85 17 April 2010 at 5:54pm | IP Logged |
I, too, really appreciate what you bring to this forum. I certainly respect whatever decision you make, but I will definitely miss your wisdom here.
I wonder how many of these people who bad-talk Esperanto actually know anything about it. It's amazing how much ignorance on a subject matter can bring out the worst in opinionated people. (I always thought you had to know something before you're allowed to have an opinion on it!)
I wish you the best!
1 person has voted this message useful
| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5560 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona
| Message 60 of 85 17 April 2010 at 9:16pm | IP Logged |
Sprachprofi wrote:
Because of the other people I have now heard, I will probably drop by once in a while to read about new language-learning methods or to answer questions directed at me... |
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I'm very glad you've decided to keep your account open and will continue to drop by once in a while and share your ideas. Your contributions to the forum are really top-notch, and this is reflected in the significant number of people here who are inspired and supported by your posts and would like you to stay, me included. I was very sorry to hear about your recent and ongoing difficulties, and it's indeed a considerable loss to lose such a top contributor.
I wish you every luck with your new Esperanto forum and other logs, and it would be fantastic if you could also pop in to let us know how you're progressing in the TAC challenge too. Your experience in learning and studying several languages to an advanced level is a guiding light to us all.
1 person has voted this message useful
| dantalian Diglot Senior Member Bouvet Island Joined 5686 days ago 125 posts - 156 votes Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German
| Message 61 of 85 18 April 2010 at 9:11pm | IP Logged |
I want to add my voice to all those that were said above, namely that your decision to leave the log was too rash.
You are not going to die if you are stung by a wasp, aren’t you? Why are you going to «die» on the forum if somebody on purpose or not stung you verbally in some discussion? You cannot really expect from everybody to share your views or always try to hide any discrepancies, can you?
As to the votes, it looks like your opponents voted for each other posts and that's all there is to it.
By the way, the whole discussion about Esperanto was very interesting and both sides tried their best to prove their viewpoints. As for the argument’s quality in any discussion I would humbly recommend you to reread the following passage from your great countryman Arthur Schopenhauer about Eristic in order to persuade you not to take all that seriously:
«If human nature were not base, but thoroughly honorable,
we should in every debate have no other aim
than the discovery of truth; we should not in the least care whether
the truth proved to be in favor of the opinion which we had begun by
expressing, or of the opinion of our adversary. That we should
regard as a matter of no moment, or, at any rate, of very secondary
consequence; but, as things are, it is the main concern. Our
innate vanity, which is particularly sensitive in reference to our
intellectual powers, will not suffer us to allow that our first
position was wrong and our adversary's right. The way out of this
difficulty would be simply to take the trouble always to form a
correct judgment. For this a man would have to think before he spoke.
But, with most men, innate vanity is accompanied by loquacity and
innate dishonesty. They speak before they think; and even though they
may afterwards perceive that they are wrong, and that what they assert
is false, they want it to seem the contrary. The interest in truth,
which may be presumed to have been their only motive when they stated
the proposition alleged to be true, now gives way to the interests of
vanity: and so, for the sake of vanity, what is true must seem false,
and what is false must seem true.»
So, I definitely think you should not take personally all the unfavorable words about Esperanto you mentioned and try to reconsider your decision.
2 persons have voted this message useful
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5399 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish
| Message 62 of 85 18 April 2010 at 9:38pm | IP Logged |
Since some people seem to be reading into what I (and others) have said, I would like to clarify that I never meant that Sprachprofi's decision was rash, or wrong.
I completely understand that, when people attack something you hold dear, it's hard *not* to defend it. Dantalian, if someone was bad-mouthing your sister in front of your face, would you not defend her?
Whoever came up with the kids rhyme that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" was flat-out wrong!
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| dantalian Diglot Senior Member Bouvet Island Joined 5686 days ago 125 posts - 156 votes Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German
| Message 63 of 85 18 April 2010 at 9:43pm | IP Logged |
Kerrie wrote:
Since some people seem to be reading into what I (and others) have said, I would like to clarify that I never meant that Sprachprofi's decision was rash, or wrong.
I completely understand that, when people attack something you hold dear, it's hard *not* to defend it. Dantalian, if someone was bad-mouthing your sister in front of your face, would you not defend her?
Whoever came up with the kids rhyme that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" was flat-out wrong! |
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Sorry, in my background I'm accustomed to much more violent internet discussions and that is why I can feel differently. Nothing more :)
Edited by dantalian on 18 April 2010 at 9:46pm
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| jondesousa Tetraglot Senior Member United States goo.gl/Zgg3nRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6268 days ago 227 posts - 297 votes Speaks: English*, Portuguese, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Latin, Mandarin, Spanish
| Message 64 of 85 19 April 2010 at 1:47am | IP Logged |
In general I am quite glad to see that most support for Sprachprofi's decision is positive. It is disappointing that there are those who cannot even see the point of her reduction in time spent here. Most Esperantists are as attached to the culture and idea of Esperanto just as many folks are attached to the culture and ideas of their own national heritage. As such, it is completely understandable when someone is taken aback or even severely insulted at such attacks as when forum members tell them that what they study is a waste of time and essentially worthless. I for one support Sprachprofi's decision and plan to spend more time at the Esperanto forum in support. I also believe that some forum members could benefit from Thumper's advice, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Well, that's my 2 yen worth.
1 person has voted this message useful
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