How NOT to post on DR1

Toddman1

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Feb 3, 2008
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I agree with the poster, I am also new too the site and whenever I asked for help, I get mean spiritedness, sarcasm, and general discouragement about living in the DR or working here! It's a shame, because I know there are some good people on DR1,as I have had some help, but most of it has been very disappointing or outright rude.


(A few posts that were taken from an employment thread where the original poster simply wanted to know how to get a job in the South of the Island. Most of this was deleted initially, but it makes a good case study for newbies.
Moderator)
 
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Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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I agree with the poster, I am also new too the site and whenever I asked for help, I get mean spiritedness, sarcasm, and general discouragement about living in the DR or working here! It's a shame, because I know there are some good people on DR1,as I have had some help, but most of it has been very disappointing or outright rude.

Was I mean spirited and sarcastic when you sent me emails?

Just because your not getting the type responses you want to hear, don't assume they are not valid or factual.

Sometimes the way a new poster goes about posting on DR1 has a lot to do with the responses they receive. Sometimes eating a little humble pie goes a long way....
 

Toddman1

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Feb 3, 2008
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My case in point Robert...I clearly said some people were of help to me including you..But why should a new member be welcomed with a little humble pie? (or expected to eat some. It's like this clique, closed society, that God forbid you should disagree or even worse defend a Dominican. I was mearly sticking up for a young lady who was being picked on.......and so it goes.
PS; Many things I have seen here are valid and factual..and many things are not!
 

ybonabeach

Member
Jan 16, 2008
238
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Oh my!!
I'm new to DR1 too;have had nothing but positive responses and lots of help. Ask for advice/comments in a positive manner and you'll get the same. What you put out is what you get in return!!!
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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I agree with the poster, I am also new too the site and whenever I asked for help, I get mean spiritedness, sarcasm, and general discouragement about living in the DR or working here! It's a shame, because I know there are some good people on DR1,as I have had some help, but most of it has been very disappointing or outright rude.

Toddman1, if you keep hijacking someone else's thread, you're going to get general discouragement from me. Take your comments somewhere else as this is not the correct place for them. If you're unhappy with Robert, send him a pm. Any further off-topic posts will be deleted.
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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Chris,
Please forgive me posting this after your comments re hijacking of the thread - perhaps ALL of the comments not related to the OP's request for help should be transfered to a new thread probably called 'First Few Posts on DR1' :pirate:

This is a 'CONSIDERED' response to all those posting about the discontent of long time posters who respond in an abrasive manner. :ermm:

PLEASE remember that your first few posts are the only thing we know about you. WE make an interpretation from them as to your mental ability, your temperament & agendas PURELY from what you write AND how you write it. As such, it would be helpful to a positive & helpful relationship if you could treat us with a certain amount of credibility until you get to know us (& we get to know you) better. Good spelling will show your level of education &/or nationality, good grammar will help to support this. A desire to LEARN rather than telling us how it SHOULD be (in your eyes) will allow a learning curve by us too - not alienate us to you.

IF you were standing in front of us asking (sometime demanding) responses, we could understand your body language & respond accordingly - regrettably on forums where only your written word is visible, we have to make assessments & decisions as to whether we want to get involved, ON WHAT YOU SAY & HOW WE PERCEIVE THOSE WORDS. You write badly, without respect &/or in an aggressive manner & we will either respond in a like manner or ignore you completely.

Over the ten years of DR1 I have tried to be helpful in an honest manner. Over the last two or three years I have posted less because of the lower level of comprehension of the English language & the bastardisation of it by people being incorrectly taught my Mother tongue. I do not mean people to whom English is a second or third language just those from ENGLISH speaking countries who have not been taught it correctly. Some people seem to think that this excuses them from writing correctly - I do NOT. It is OUR responsibility to be able to communicate in a manner that others can immediately understand & respond to & not for them to make concessions for our lack of good education.

Living in the Dominican Republic (a Spanish speaking country) it is MY responsibility to be able to communicate in THEIR tongue or apologise profusely in advance for MY shortcomings. After 15 years here I STILL apologise anyway - it lets the receiver of my communication know I am a foreigner who knows I still need help & understanding in any/all communication we are about to have. Regrettably, too many 'newbies' have (or give the impression that they have) the thought process that it is the Dominicans that need to learn THEIR language (English) rather than the other way round. This causes resentment (& quite rightly so) because the 'Newbie' is trying to impose THEIR way of life rather than accepting an alternative & respectful appreciation of the Dominican Culture.

So it is on DR1. YOU (the newbie) are entering a new arena for communication. Initially you should abide by the rules (written AND unwritten) that have been set over the years. AS you progress on this forum, you can then develop your personality & arguments from WITHIN the group rather than TELLING the group on day one that you think they are Crap & need to mold to YOUR ways. I think THAT is what the posters here refer to as humility - not that you are expected to bow down to us & agree with everything that is written here. Perish THAT thought!!!

I do not DEMAND your respect - I earn it by what I write & how I write it. The Same goes for you ........ you can not demand MY respect - you have to Earn It. That will be done by writing clearly, unambiguously & in a manner that the majority on here will understand - that means CORRECT GRAMMAR & SPELLING to the best of your ability.

Again - my apologies to the moderator for putting this on an already hijacked thread. :pirate:

Disclaimer - all spelling mistakes in tis post are as a result of emotion when writing - NOT because of lack of education!! :cheeky: :cheeky: :surprised
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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Very well summed up BushBaby!

Hey, the mod deleted my post, damn, I guess I need to pay more attention to our own rules :)
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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Very well summed up BushBaby!

Hey, the mod deleted my post, damn, I guess I need to pay more attention to our own rules :)
:cheeky::cheeky::cheeky: Hey Robert, the moderator probably expected your English spelling & grammar to be incorrect & so removed it without reading it to save embarrassment??? :cheeky::ermm: (minus 50 brownie points for BushBaby here!!)

Thanks for the nice (correctly spelt & beautiful grammar) PM Yohanna - let us hope that your future questions & requests for help/guidance are received a lot more favourably! ~ Grahame.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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Put the u back in humour!!

:cheeky::cheeky::cheeky: Hey Robert, the moderator probably expected your English spelling & grammar to be incorrect & so removed it without reading it to save embarrassment??? :cheeky::ermm: (minus 50 brownie points for BushBaby here!!)

Thanks for the nice (correctly spelt & beautiful grammar) PM Yohanna - let us hope that your future questions & requests for help/guidance are received a lot more favourably! ~ Grahame.


In the States we would use "spelled", spelt is a form of grain. But we are a great deal more forgiving with language skills, not being the home of the mother tongue.


I do think that the tone of many of the members on this board has probably led to an increase in the population of Costa Rica.

I have certainly not wanted to meet most of them personally.
 

korejdk

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Dec 29, 2006
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altough I am not 100% in agreement with some moderators censure, I must say that I cannot agree with your concusions...this coming from a another newbie.
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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I have certainly not wanted to meet most of them personally.

Now now, you have to be fair. When you first started posting on this board, I would say that you were truly obnoxious. It took some time to figure out that you're good people. :laugh:

(I think this job is developing my memory into that of an elephant!)
 

dreamsource

New member
Jul 29, 2007
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As a relative newbie, I know I've made my mistakes- and I know I've been taken to task for them, in fairly humorous ways.
Humble works here, as far as I've seen. Most of these folks really do have something to share, and I for one am glad to listen. This forum, and this country, are big enough for us all so far- and if we listen well, our opportunities to talk will increase.
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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Although the title of this thread is "How NOT to post on DR1 ", Bushbaby's post on "how to post' could hardly be more accurate, helpful & true.
It's been my experience that new posters who are normal people making normal posts, are treated with respect and welcomed with courtesy.
On the other hand, those who have bad attitudes, are not so well received.

I'm at a loss to answer the OP's question properly, as to how not to post.
I suppose the only thing I could suggest, is to not be phony and hide behind anonymity.
If you post things that you would say in person amongst a group of people, you would likely be respectful and get respectful replies.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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People should have the choice to be anonymous or not - but they way you conduct yourself -especially the first impressions you give- will affect the way you're treated as a poster, either way. Just like real life, really.
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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Rocky: What you say is true, but also often no the case. For example, a person(newbie) will ask a simple direct question that for the average reader of the English language is straight forward. Often the answer they will get will be sarcastic, off topic, or a mini FBI style grilling. Sometimes this is of course because the thing/person they are asking about may have been/is a negative experience for a fellow DR1er; but they don't no that. When you read/lurk around this board for a few years - for me since around 1998, you get a sense of when someone is truly being helpful and at other time just being facetious.
 

johne

Silver
Jun 28, 2003
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A site for finding out where the slave quarters will be

These responders should be restrained, in the same way you will restrain me ...thats ok ive joined another board Welcome to Life in the DR. The responses are quick and to the point and i thouroughly recommend you join!

best wishes


One would certainly be encouaged to join the site if you would like to view
the trials and tribulations of "digging a ditch" at a finca. Complete with photos-step by step.Or, if that is too boring and doesn't get you excited one might want to know where "the slave quarters" will be located.Yep, you may read those words yourself.

Or, be linked in seconds to.......Real Estate! Amazing isn't it?
Follow the lemming brick road. (my error is it "yellow" ?)
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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Rocky: What you say is true, but also often no the case. For example, a person(newbie) will ask a simple direct question that for the average reader of the English language is straight forward. Often the answer they will get will be sarcastic, off topic, or a mini FBI style grilling. Sometimes this is of course because the thing/person they are asking about may have been/is a negative experience for a fellow DR1er; but they don't no that. When you read/lurk around this board for a few years - for me since around 1998, you get a sense of when someone is truly being helpful and at other time just being facetious.
I agree.
I've been taken aback several times by the first reply that a new poster might get.
Maybe the person replying suspects that the newbie is a sock puppet.
Maybe he just got out of bed on the wrong side.
Maybe he's one of these people who can only feel good about himself if he is demeaning another, and feels that he can get away with it with a new poster.
If I had any good suggestions, I would make them, but I have none.

DR1 is has such a huge membership, that it seems impossible to avoid attracting crackpots and trouble makers.
At best, we can try to defend those who come under unjustified attack.
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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One would certainly be encouaged to join the site if you would like to view
the trials and tribulations of "digging a ditch" at a finca. Complete with photos-step by step.Or, if that is too boring and doesn't get you excited one might want to know where "the slave quarters" will be located.Yep, you may read those words yourself.

Or, be linked in seconds to.......Real Estate! Amazing isn't it?
Follow the lemming brick road. (my error is it "yellow" ?)
Too funny, and "oh so true".
Nevertheless, it may be that Mike would fit in better over there on the dark side.