Critiques of Japan Today

[Mark of Zorro]

As many of you know I migrated here as the Japan Today Forum was closing down. The site had two sides that were run by separate moderators, the News Site (still up and running) and the Forum (now closed). The Forum mods were cool, open-minded and considerate, and while they enjoyed some autonomy, they were still subordinate to those running the news site, and those running the news site are a bunch of conservatard wankers (as opposed to decent conservatives, of whom I have friends) and feminazis (as opposed to feminists, of which I am one). I believe that situation of extremist idiots in control had a lot to do with the closing of the more moderate forum.

Anyway, I find the Japan Today news site to be extremely biased in its reporting and moderating. They do make a show of being balanced, perhaps even a better show than what Fox News will give you. But the bias is there. Pretty much every decent human being I know from that site and the former forum was banned so as to keep their opinions off the site. So if you go there, keep that in mind. There are still some very good and poignant posters there, but the place is over-run with the abusive behavior of the moderators and certain posters whose very poor behavior is mostly tolerated. The intelligent and left-leaning posters left are the type who never offend anyone, even when it would be highly appropriate as tit for tat, and so while their logic is strong, their voice and power are weak. And that is precisely why they are allowed to remain.

Many decent posts are erased without a trace. If you hit refresh enough, you can watch them disappear. Complain about it, and may find yourself banned pretty quickly.

Do you have any experience with Japan Today? Are you a member? What do you think of them? (BTW, any criticism of the site WHATSOEVER was never allowed on any part of JT. The forum moderators did try to overlook it, but eventually the news site mods would catch on and erase it all, pathetic thin-skinned individuals that they are).

Anyway, your opinion?

 

[thomas]

I have neither been a member on the JT forum nor on the JT news site.

I do visit occasionally in case of interesting political events, but IMO their news is just syndicated, superficial and not exactly up-to-date. It's quite entertaining to browse through their comment section, which seems pretty active, but repetitive (then again, the same could be said about our forum, lol). Their kuchikomi section is sometimes hilarious, and I used to enjoy reading their weekly street interviews.

I don't have your insights, Mark, but I was always under the impression that there was a heavy-handed censorship in place since the early days of MD.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Yes it is truly the comment section that makes JT worth visiting. IE, it is truly the members who make it what it is. And I don't know why the operators and moderators cannot have a take it or leave it policy with the posts. The only answer I get is that they want to control public opinion, but whether they actually think their opinions are so just, or just want the power trip, I cannot say. All I know for sure is that I am thankful none of them are judges in a court of law because their judgments are garbage. There is a distinct lack of IQ to their responses to my queries about their decisions, but even there, its hard to tell if its a real lack of IQ or just a lack of respect for the public. Or, could be both.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

I've never been to the JT site, but I had a similar experience at the Gaijinpot forum. I was banned from there (without the prior warning required by the site's posted rules) for complaining about arbitrary enforcement of the rules.

My most outrageous experience there: After I had an argument with another poster, a moderator contacted me by PM and offered to sell me the other guy's real name and address for $5,000! I couldn't friggin' believe it! The mod probably made the same offer to the other guy. I reported the mod's actions to forum management, and never received any reply.

I made some friends at the GP site who urged me to return under a new name, but I refused on moral/ethical grounds.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Gaijin Pot and Japan Today are owned by the same people.

But I would not call the enforcement of the rules arbitrary. There is a pattern.

 

[thomas]

After I had an argument with another poster, a moderator contacted me by PM and offered to sell me the other guy's real name and address for $5,000! I couldn't friggin' believe it! The mod probably made the same offer to the other guy. I reported the mod's actions to forum management, and never received any reply.

So that's what they mean by "monetizing a forum". Ingenious.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Japan Today - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The wiki on them is quite bizarre. All the things they are accused of I find to be the opposite. In fact, I have to wonder who wrote that wiki and what their game is.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

Gaijin Pot and Japan Today are owned by the same people.

But I would not call the enforcement of the rules arbitrary. There is a pattern.

You may be right. You probably are. I got banned when I received no reply to my PM to management, and then complained on the forum.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

So that's what they mean by "monetizing a forum". Ingenious.

Yeah, but why would anyone care enough about some bozo on the internet to pay five grand just to find out who he is?

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Here is a classic example of a lying JT headline:

Shimane town demands pants for Michelangelo's David sculpture ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion



BertieWooster correctly writes:

Let's face it, the whole town of Shimane is not "demanding underpants," is it?

Why does JT have to exaggerate in this way.

This is ONE or TWO repressed and VERY NOISY people.

His criticism is tolerate because he did not more correctly write that JT lies. They do lie. That was more than just an exaggeration. They are liars. And I see no reason to be nice to a liar when they lie such.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

I believe I said above that the moderators control the thumb up and thumbs down.

Look at this users posting history. ValentinesDay ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Why so many thumbs down? Because they knew it was me.

And all they have done is prove, once again, that they have zero integrity.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

So why patronize them with your presence and posts?

 

[Mark of Zorro]

So why patronize them with your presence and posts?

Because they have a significant effect on views on Japan on English speaking foreigners in and out of Japan, as well as on what people think in general.

I have changed some people's thinking over there, much to the chagrin of the operators I am sure. Letting idiocy run rampant just does not seem like the way.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

Well, I quit going to Gaijin-pot altogether. It occurred to me that every time someone pops in there, it may be counted for calculation of ad revenue. The last thing I'm going to do is help them make money.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Well, I quit going to Gaijin-pot altogether. It occurred to me that every time someone pops in there, it may be counted for calculation of ad revenue. The last thing I'm going to do is help them make money.

I understand that sentiment. But they will continue to make money without us. If my lack of posts hurt them, it would be easy for me not to post. Unfortunately it seems my frequent absences have had zero effect.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

"Most importantly though, Judges in the U.S. (and other Western countries) are typically allowed latitude to consider "extenuating factors", and they often significantly reduce sentences or dismiss cases entirely if they feel that the case merits it."

So you are saying that they don't have latitude in the Maldives and that you know that she was not given any?

I have heard that lashings of females are a joke outside of the psychological torture. I heard the whipper has to hold a book under the elbow of his whipping arm and its expected to not be so harsh. I understand it beats caning hands down. And we don't even know how many lashes we are talking about.

Any idea why JT would remove that post?

Feminazis is my reason.

 

[Korra]

As a Korean, I can't believe this.

This is not a good news site.

It's really really siding towards Japan

 

[Mark of Zorro]

As a Korean, I can't believe this.

This is not a good news site.

It's really really siding towards Japan

On certain issues it may seem so. But I always felt it sided with American interests mostly. Thus it does not side with Japan over Dokdo, but does side with Japan over the Senkakus. It does not side with Japan over WWII, and thus JT's opinion on the issues over the Kuriles are somewhat murky.

But those are just side issues I think. JT seems much more opinionated on issues such as the U.S. military, U.S. foreign bases, driving under the influence of alcohol, and child porn and child and teen sex related issues.

One thing you might notice is that the opinions will be weighted heavily to one side in the comments at first (thanks to heavy handed moderating) but then after a couple days you start seeing the opposing opinion comments appear. Those people either came late or finally had their comment allowed. They make sure their opinion gets the most air time, then allow a few token opposition comments when the discussion is pretty much over. Its pretty obvious and frankly, its criminal.

Its also pretty GD pathetic to hobble the opposition and wear them down before the debate even begins. What overwhelming cowardice!