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2ch: Japanese Web Forum As Social Vent
News for nerds writes "This NY times article (reg blah blah) sheds the light on Japan's largest Internet bulletin board - 2ch. About 5.4 million people come to this "Channel 2" each month, many of them several times a day (just like you nerds making beowulf cluster of alphabets all the day!). Founded in 1999, "ni-channeru," as it is called there, has become part of Japan's everyday culture as no other Web site has. While you can also find useful info such as dinner recipes there, it's almost like Battle Royale came into life as a web site, filled with verbal and physical violence backed by pseudo anonymity."
It's all in the subtle positioning of the rectangles.
The large number of people who don't have oriental language sets installed on their browser is a bit sad. Occasionally, companies and programmers have bouts of interest in localization. Such efforts often fall through.
Regardless, the Internet is a great place to learn language skills. Personally, I think all web designers should chose a second language and trying muddling their way through web sites written in a different language to understand the challenges of different cultures.
It seems generally true that as a website becomes popular, a certain group of dickheads (usually males in the 12-16 age group) turn up with the goal of ruining it for everyone.
Not really. The point is, they have their own world, just like the rest of the community.
Think of it as the equivalent of graffiti - sure, it ruins walls and what not, but hey it's a creative outlet and a means of expressing themselves. And better this than anything else.
And more importantly, it's called Freedom of Speech - and I really like the way Slashdot handles this.
The point is, almost everyone feel like trolling at some point of time or the other, or atleast on some topic or the other. And when you do, you inevitably fall into the so-called fuckwit category that you mentioned.
And quite honestly, I take offence at your choice of words - fuckwit factor? What is that supposed to mean?
It's a forum, and people can discuss just about anything that pleases them - and on a place like Slashdot, you are given the choice of seeing what you like. Despite everything, I would not like anyone messing with the posts, no matter how shitty they are.
There are times when I read at -1 (and quite honestly, enjoyed the trolls) and there are times when I read at +3.
There is no one-size fits all.
And that's one of the many reasons I like Slashdot (well, Kuro5hin is better in some respects when it comes to tolerating trolls, but I digress). Your fuckwit tolerance level changes, and you have the choice of choosing how tolerant you are.
And finally, to answer your question - RTFA. They do not.
Didn't the NYT just do a article about the wild west, irc which turned out to be utter sensationalist crap. Why should we believe this, or even read a word of it? Not to mention that none of us can actually read EITHER article without a little/lot of effort respectively (finding google link/learning nihongo).
And this is different from American corporate culture how?
People gossip, form alliances, backstab, bully, and snub here in the US too. A showdown or heart to heart to resolve differences is actually fairly rare in any office, it's more likely that a person will silently become your enemy and never show it until they have a chance to screw you over.
Sure the Japanese are different, but so is every other country. I think too much credence is still given to the "inscrutable oriental" image.
[Set Cain on fire and steal his lute.]
that's a hilarious and refeshing attitude
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Or perhaps you mean that I should want to have such things. Because languages are good for me or some such. Sorry, but I have way too much to learn already, that'll have to wait for another lifetime.
There is an old European proverb that says: With each language you learn, you're worth one more person.
Learning languages is great. Learning languages is a unique gateway into loads of new information, new literature, and other cultures. Think of all the good scientific work written in German. Think of all the South American literature. Think of all the Asian philosophy.
I really could never understand people who are not interested in learning languages. Maybe it's because I grew up in Europe, but I see people who don't at least speak one language next to their own as just shy of illiterate (and they often ARE illiterate).
I think you greatly overestimate the overlap between your geek circles and otaku (geek) circles. I also live in Japan, but don't move in geeky circles, rather creative ones. Everyone knows ni-channeru because it's one of the central hubs of creativity.
As anyone who has lived here knows, the scenes in Japan are greatly splintered, and every scene has its own subcultures. In London, someone would say she's a goth. In Japan, the same person might be 'between cyber and lolita.' In the USA, you might be a geek. In Japan, you might be otaku, but you might be a food otaku, a PC otaku, a music otaku, a design otaku etc etc. Ni-channeru is the one place everyone can congregate and mix with those outside their group. As people have said it's also about the only place (apart from their cars) where Japanese will freely demonstrate their true feelings.
If you think the site is a mess, it's a matter of perspective. Ignoring the fact that almost all Japanese websites are hideous throwbacks to 1998, the chaos of ni-channeru is part of the environment, and it helps the community remain unsplintered.