What are the best rules for a forum?

So… Torsten is our Boss here… :smiley: :smiley:

cheering and claps for him … :smiley: :lol:

Herc

Yes, exactly. So we all need to stay on good terms with Torsten. :slight_smile:

Hi Cris

You’re right, it’s wrong. Thanks for pointing out the typo. I’ll correct it. :smiley:

Amy

EDIT: Typos, typos, and more typos… This just isn’t my day at the keyboard… 8)

You’ll notice that some people in the forums are grateful for the criticism. In particular, Michael, Jan and Spencer appear actually to want the criticism.

Jamie,

I’m most aware of the fact that many of our users like to be corrected: we all learn from our mistakes, don’t we? However, I think that it’s a bit tactless to be too provocative in one’s posts.

You mean too provocative.

Note that I never provoke Michael, Jan or Spencer. In fact, I hardly provoke anyone about his or her English, except for one person. There appears to be a pattern as to whom I provoke and why.

I personally think that adherence to elitist views in regard to various forms of English, and name dropping authors one doesn’t know, will tend to elicit provocation.

There are also extreme styles of discussion. In one, the person challenges others and expects to be challenged. In the other, the person expresses opinions but does not want to be challenged, and prefers to be agreed with or complimented all the time.

Also, sometimes people who are too narcissistic about their command of a foreign language are more sensitive to critique than are people whose skills are not as developed.

Hi Jamie,

And thanks for your correction. I must say that I find it quite interesting that you seem so anxious to point out on mistakes that are to be found in my posts. I mean, I have never really claimed that I speak English like HM Queen Elizabeth II or any other RP speaker even though I have insinuated that I find an RP accent very sophisticated.

Take a person who has played the piano for a few years and who admires Mozart and thinks that Mozart is a more distinguished musician than anyone else as an example. Would you expect him or her to play just like Mozart used to? As I see it, my situation is quite similar to the musician I’ve described above. I just cannot understand why you need to criticise me the way you do. It’s definitely off-topic to post comments on my English if we’re discussing accents. I expect to be challenged, even refuted, but pointing out on errors in my posts really isn’t a way of refuting me.

And you will have an excellent opportunity to criticise my writing and correct my mistakes very soon when I take part in the 30/30 Challenge. That’s where you ought to correct my mistakes rather than in other contexts where you do it for reasons other than helping people in improving their English.

I also feel forced to bring up narcissistic behaviour in my post. A person may be a narcissist for various reasons, some of which are of a strictly medical nature and should be treated appropriately by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or another qualified therapist. If you think that a person is mentally ill, you should take this into account when posting replies. A person with the diagnosis F60.8, which stands for “another specific personality disorder” (the patient may be eccentric, a ‘haltlose’ type, immature, narcissistic, passive-aggressive or psychoneurotic), for instance, might not get any better if people just keep criticising the person: it would be much better to refer the person to his or her family doctor.

All the best.

Hi

I can’t still understand what the reason could be to set general and formal Forum’s rules (i.e a regime, that would be - and have to be - maintained by all Forum’s moderators) - specially orientated and meant especially for mentally and/or psychologically problem persons (learners).
I think such a way could, little by little, make a kind of a mental hospital from this, now healthy, Forum (thanks God, thanks moderators, thanks all of us).

Again… as for me, with no any generalization :
I am a usual forum learner, slightly narcissist - of course, but within reasonable limits - hopefully :slight_smile:
I consider each my post as a (provocative :slight_smile: ) request to help me to improve my English just a little bit, I’m grateful for the response and don’t let myself to be carried away :slight_smile: by any negative feelings :wink:

As I’m adult and came here on my own initiative, then my motivation and a way how I manage to keep it high enough is my own problem, not anyone’s else. If I allow my motivation to be destroyed by critics – again, it’s my problem, why my self-esteem is so unsteady and tottering.

Leaning is a very individual process that goes inside the learner - naturally.
Everyone is individual. I am also individual and have no intention to generalize and set general and formal rules. Let it be natural and flexible enough to be alive.

I think that this community is mature and healthy enough to do without ‘formal rules’ of such kind.

Tamara

Hi,

Please see Jamie’s post “Ego in learning”.

[color=blue][size=75][color=blue][b]Englishuser wrote
Hi Cristina,

And thanks for your question. Torsten would probably be the best person to answer it, but I’ll try to do my best.

The phrase that appears under your username depends on your status, i.e. if you are a guest (a person who visits our forum without being a registered user), a registered user (phrases like “I’m new here and I like it”, “You can meet me at english-test.net”: which phrase you get depends on how many posts you have), or a moderator. And, of course, Torsten has the rank of Site Admin (which means that he has can create moderators, ban users, moderate all forums etc.). [/size]

[color=brown]Thank you very much for your help Englishuser,now I have clearer the idea :idea:
Cris