Novelis
Jedi Master
Hello everybody,
I just wanted to bring the following to everybody's attention...
First, a little bit of background. I recently wrote a thread in the linguistics section, here:
http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,35666.0.html
Then I got a private email from “monikalbert” who had (supposedly) read it, as follows:
[quote author=Monikalbert, 3rd Sept]Dear Mr. Turner,
As I wrote above I really appreciate your analytical and objective posts on the Cassiopaea forum. They are a real highlight and I like to read your "flow", as it helps me to understand and learn more about the structure and built up of english sentences and its' (hidden) implicated meaning.
A gave up my wish to really be certain about what is meant if someone talks/writes in a language that is foreign to me. Actually I can't even be sure about understanding what people wish to say in my mother tongue, which is german by the way. Sometimes I have to ask back-up questions to make sense on what we are talking about, to see if we are still "orbiting" the same kind of topic/subject. (Sorry I leaned your orbit example, which seems inappropriate used my way:)
By now some friends even asked if I'm suffering hearing problems. I catch myself in utilizing confirmatory fillers like 'Ge', which is just showing me my own sub- or unconcious uncertainty about some things in general and being understood and understand my environment in particular. Do I make sense here?
To make a long story short, please post as much as your time and effort allow you to investigate. It is highly appreciated on my end so THANK you and your wife of course for your commitment.
I would have posted a comment on the forum to kind of encourage you to go on but unfortunately I'm not allowed to anymore.
(My former English teacher Mr.Ford would certainly take his red pen to correct all my mistakes throughout each paragraph, so feel free to do so too:)
I hope to read more from you in the future, as learning is fun!
Sincerely yours,
M.A.[/quote]
Well, I thought it was a bit iffy, here is what went through my mind:
[quote author=Monikalbert]As I wrote above I really appreciate your analytical and objective posts on the Cassiopaea forum. They are a real highlight and I like to read your "flow", as it helps me to understand and learn more about the structure and built up of english sentences and its' (hidden) implicated meaning. [/quote]
This person seems to understand that I am somewhat attached to the “merits” of language learning, and senses that I am passionate about the subject, and so knows that an ego stroke might prompt a response.
[quote author=Monikalbert]A gave up my wish to really be certain about what is meant if someone talks/writes in a language that is foreign to me. [/quote]
Then why on earth are you interested in the first place, if you’ve “given up”? Are you really interested? The thread recommends that this is something ANYBODY can do, so why don’t you help yourself and do your own stylistic analysis?
[quote author=Monikalbert]Actually I can't even be sure about understanding what people wish to say in my mother tongue, which is german by the way. Sometimes I have to ask back-up questions to make sense on what we are talking about, to see if we are still "orbiting" the same kind of topic/subject. (Sorry I leaned your orbit example, which seems inappropriate used my way:)[/quote]
This sounded quite a lot like a cry for help, of which I felt quite obliged to help out, being an English teacher and all…
[quote author=Monikalbert]I would have posted a comment on the forum to kind of encourage you to go on but unfortunately I'm not allowed to anymore.[/quote]
This really made me want to reply and ask him/her why they were “not allowed to anymore”, but I resisted because the red flag was just too in my face.
If they are interested in LKJ’s works, then why wouldn’t they be allowed to comment on the forum anymore? Got kicked off?
[quote author=Monikalbert] (My former English teacher Mr.Ford would certainly take his red pen to correct all my mistakes throughout each paragraph, so feel free to do so too:) [/quote]
Again this just made me nearly respond, since the “teacher in me” just wanted to tell him how bad of an English teacher he had for doing this (for using red pen), and it made me feel that he seemed to be genuinely asking for help.
He/she then gave me another email, providing a link to a website:
[quote author=Monikalbert, 12th Sept]Hi Robin,
A few days ago I found an interesting unscientific blog. Sometimes repetative, nontheless refreshing (:
_http://illuminatimatrix.wordpress.com/
Ciao,
M.A.[/quote]
Well, I had a brief look at the website, it just made my eyes glaze over, I don’t suggest anybody spending more than a few minutes looking at that, for I wouldn’t want to be responsible for wasting another’s precious time.
I actually began to write him an email, but I deleted it before sending it, it went something like:
[quote author=Robin]Hi Monikalbert,
Thank you for your encouragement, I’ll keep going when I have time.
Why are you not allowed to comment on the forum anymore? Did you get banned?
I can sense that you seem to really want to improve your English; I recommend that you can do your own stylistic analysis on something short that you like to begin, maybe a song, a poem or even a short story.
Regards,
Robin.[/quote]
I didn’t send him the email, and I must say, I felt really bad for not giving him the benefit of the doubt, assuming the worst in her/him, and just reporting this to the forum, so I emailed my good friend who is a long time member here, and he suggested that I report this to the network, which is what I promptly did.
I would appreciate anybody who could give me further insights and/or what I might have failed to notice.
The experience has taught me not to be so attached to this ‘fake I’ of being an English teacher, as people who might not have the best intentions could use that against me.
Thanks,
Robin
I just wanted to bring the following to everybody's attention...
First, a little bit of background. I recently wrote a thread in the linguistics section, here:
http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,35666.0.html
Then I got a private email from “monikalbert” who had (supposedly) read it, as follows:
[quote author=Monikalbert, 3rd Sept]Dear Mr. Turner,
As I wrote above I really appreciate your analytical and objective posts on the Cassiopaea forum. They are a real highlight and I like to read your "flow", as it helps me to understand and learn more about the structure and built up of english sentences and its' (hidden) implicated meaning.
A gave up my wish to really be certain about what is meant if someone talks/writes in a language that is foreign to me. Actually I can't even be sure about understanding what people wish to say in my mother tongue, which is german by the way. Sometimes I have to ask back-up questions to make sense on what we are talking about, to see if we are still "orbiting" the same kind of topic/subject. (Sorry I leaned your orbit example, which seems inappropriate used my way:)
By now some friends even asked if I'm suffering hearing problems. I catch myself in utilizing confirmatory fillers like 'Ge', which is just showing me my own sub- or unconcious uncertainty about some things in general and being understood and understand my environment in particular. Do I make sense here?
To make a long story short, please post as much as your time and effort allow you to investigate. It is highly appreciated on my end so THANK you and your wife of course for your commitment.
I would have posted a comment on the forum to kind of encourage you to go on but unfortunately I'm not allowed to anymore.
(My former English teacher Mr.Ford would certainly take his red pen to correct all my mistakes throughout each paragraph, so feel free to do so too:)
I hope to read more from you in the future, as learning is fun!
Sincerely yours,
M.A.[/quote]
Well, I thought it was a bit iffy, here is what went through my mind:
[quote author=Monikalbert]As I wrote above I really appreciate your analytical and objective posts on the Cassiopaea forum. They are a real highlight and I like to read your "flow", as it helps me to understand and learn more about the structure and built up of english sentences and its' (hidden) implicated meaning. [/quote]
This person seems to understand that I am somewhat attached to the “merits” of language learning, and senses that I am passionate about the subject, and so knows that an ego stroke might prompt a response.
[quote author=Monikalbert]A gave up my wish to really be certain about what is meant if someone talks/writes in a language that is foreign to me. [/quote]
Then why on earth are you interested in the first place, if you’ve “given up”? Are you really interested? The thread recommends that this is something ANYBODY can do, so why don’t you help yourself and do your own stylistic analysis?
[quote author=Monikalbert]Actually I can't even be sure about understanding what people wish to say in my mother tongue, which is german by the way. Sometimes I have to ask back-up questions to make sense on what we are talking about, to see if we are still "orbiting" the same kind of topic/subject. (Sorry I leaned your orbit example, which seems inappropriate used my way:)[/quote]
This sounded quite a lot like a cry for help, of which I felt quite obliged to help out, being an English teacher and all…
[quote author=Monikalbert]I would have posted a comment on the forum to kind of encourage you to go on but unfortunately I'm not allowed to anymore.[/quote]
This really made me want to reply and ask him/her why they were “not allowed to anymore”, but I resisted because the red flag was just too in my face.
If they are interested in LKJ’s works, then why wouldn’t they be allowed to comment on the forum anymore? Got kicked off?
[quote author=Monikalbert] (My former English teacher Mr.Ford would certainly take his red pen to correct all my mistakes throughout each paragraph, so feel free to do so too:) [/quote]
Again this just made me nearly respond, since the “teacher in me” just wanted to tell him how bad of an English teacher he had for doing this (for using red pen), and it made me feel that he seemed to be genuinely asking for help.
He/she then gave me another email, providing a link to a website:
[quote author=Monikalbert, 12th Sept]Hi Robin,
A few days ago I found an interesting unscientific blog. Sometimes repetative, nontheless refreshing (:
_http://illuminatimatrix.wordpress.com/
Ciao,
M.A.[/quote]
Well, I had a brief look at the website, it just made my eyes glaze over, I don’t suggest anybody spending more than a few minutes looking at that, for I wouldn’t want to be responsible for wasting another’s precious time.
I actually began to write him an email, but I deleted it before sending it, it went something like:
[quote author=Robin]Hi Monikalbert,
Thank you for your encouragement, I’ll keep going when I have time.
Why are you not allowed to comment on the forum anymore? Did you get banned?
I can sense that you seem to really want to improve your English; I recommend that you can do your own stylistic analysis on something short that you like to begin, maybe a song, a poem or even a short story.
Regards,
Robin.[/quote]
I didn’t send him the email, and I must say, I felt really bad for not giving him the benefit of the doubt, assuming the worst in her/him, and just reporting this to the forum, so I emailed my good friend who is a long time member here, and he suggested that I report this to the network, which is what I promptly did.
I would appreciate anybody who could give me further insights and/or what I might have failed to notice.
The experience has taught me not to be so attached to this ‘fake I’ of being an English teacher, as people who might not have the best intentions could use that against me.
Thanks,
Robin
