Special treatment for JREF Japanese members ?

[Grandpa Frank]

Oh oh, trouble, I was thinking, which is dangerous. I got to wandering about the lack of Japanese members here on JREF. Other members here from around the world greatly outnumber them, even though this website is for and about Japan. Are their any special benefits we could offer them to join? Is it just the shyness and language barriers that keep them away?How about when we are debating in a post about something to do with Japan, should what the Japanese poster has to say be given extra weight. Should we all chip in some cash and place TV and newspaper ads in Japan looking for more members? Maybe put some posters up at the Japanese uni's where Japanese students study English.Perhaps a JREF bumper sticker for all our members who drive in Japan, saying TUNE IN TO WWW.JREF.COM ? Maybe a JREF PAYPAL account where we pay Japanese members who post often a monthly $ reward? How about we hire one of those vans with all the speakers on top and park it outside busy rail stations; Thomas can yell into the mike about all the wonders of JREF they can enjoy if they come to our forum. Maybe hire some poor jobless Japanese people to wear sandwich boards telling the wonders of JREF? OR....maybe forget the whole weird thoughts of Uncle Frank, LOL.

 

[Davey]

hahaha, funny post.

Well I think that Thomas should have a big jref sticker on his bicycle!!!

It would be a nice thing for the people who are working in Japan, or studying in Japan to promote Jref a bit.

 

[yukio_michael]

I'm very appreciative of the members that we do have here, and it seems that the barrier does seem to be language, as while some here are very proficient in Japanese, the board is both a) mainly an English Language board, and b) lacking in enough proficient Japanese speakers.

What would need to occur would for there to be a mirror www.jref.co.jp site, which was entirely in Japanese instead, with Japanese moderators, and an English section, that way, regardless, people could use the forum and contribute to the English section... think of it as a cultural exchange...

One other point to think about is that, outside of language, and cultural tradition, at what point do we say that a person who say, has lived in Japan for over 5-10 years, works with Japanese people, speaks better than average Japanese, etcetera has a weaker point of view than someone who actually is Japanese. I know the subject dictates both the person's point of view, and perhaps their experience with it, but is there a time where one could say, "oh you do not understand, because you are not Japanese..."... I think it treads a very dangerous line.

That said, there are countless things I have learned from our Japanese users that I would have not known otherwise... I would be remiss in saying that there aren't many many things that we can learn (and exchange) in knowledge... we can all think it in our heads, but I think when we put it down in writing, the idea of privilege doesn't really solve the problem.

Make the site easier to use for Japanese who are not as proficient in English, and I think you'll see an increase in Japanese membership.

Ps. Thank you very much to all of our Japanese members, your contributions here, and input are much appreciated, and this board would not be what it is without you.

 

[Mars Man]

A thoughtful post, indeed--I feel. I have seen advertisments here in Japan, so I do know that happens. I have told some of my students, but I kind of sense that the English level is above all of their immediate abilities or needs--and laziness kicks in?

OK !! I know what I'll do. I'll put on an Elvis wig, and the white suit with the flare bottoms and flare sleeves, and all the hangy things and silver studs and all, and play my guitar in front of Matsumoto station, swinging my pelvis, and saying , "Since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell, down at the happy street at J-R-E-F babe....and I'M so happy !...."

And maybe the server would start smoking by all the folks signing up. How's that sound? MM

 

[Goldiegirl]

Don't foget to hand out tissues while at the station singing!

 

[SushiShin]

lol! this is a funny thought, but how about just make an advertisment in the local newspaper there in japan?? here it worked with a similar forum GunkTv its about belgian gamers who like to play games they even have their own tv-show and their own shop were you can buy games for every console/handheld.

unrather then all other games i hate this program/store/forum.

but this is an idea for jref? a van with a micro as Uncle frank said or an advertisement in the local paper?? i dunno the sandwich stuff is rather old but very funny to see. here when we see those guys WE SANDWICH them (a sort of bumping on a person)

no serious, i think its a good thought.

so what louds your anwser Jref Staff??

 

[KirinMan]

Dont know if many people actually notice this at the top of the "Top" page here on the forum but there is one language that is conspicuously missing.

Since this is a forum about Japan, and it is obvious that people, myself as well, enjoy the interaction with the Japanese members as well, shouldn't the board at the minimum have Japanese as a language option?

I know very well the cultural problems many Japanese have with English, and I do think that even though many have excellent skills they are frightened off by the fact this is only in English. I would suggest adding Japanese and advertising the heck out of it here first and see how many people adopt it for use.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[Mars Man]

Well. . . the Elvis trick didn't work out. The police who are usually sitting in their little office at the end of the station building came up and said there was a law against improper pelvis twisting--even though that Hard Gay character gets away with it. hee, hee, hee...no actually...

There was another ad--perhaps almost every week--in the Asahi Weekly, a thin newspaper-like publication that comes out once a week all over Japan. It's a nice ad, and I wonder if that isn't Admin 1 himself in the picture that's in the ad.

I know, maybe they should put a picture of me in my Elvis wig there...then we'd be teaming with so many Japanese posters that we'd start getting warnings for not posting in the medium language. . . hee, hee, hee...

I'm not so sure of the pragmatic/logistical threshold for building up more of a Japanese section of the forum above what's already here. I also very much appreciate what the Japanese nationals are doing to help JREF. MM

 

[dan_j]

u guys cud try t-shirt nd clothing wit da j-ref logo

 

[Damicci]

I have done alot of questioning and offering up JREF to english learners. It seems Japanese are very busy these days with other things. So sitting around checking an internet forum is not of interest to many of the people I know. And those that do use the computer often are stuck behind the language barrier or have no interest in learning english.

 

[The7thSamurai]

I remember seeing the coolest advertising banner once, on the Yamanote train line in Tokyo I think. Going through one of the tunnels, these boards one after another would flash up and because you were going at such speed it looked like a little animation just outide the window. Maybe Jref could do something like that?

 

[dan_j]

above^
think dat wud b a lil expensive
cud try nd link j-ref 2 travel agents etc

 

[yukio_michael]

above^
think dat wud b a lil expensive
cud try nd link j-ref 2 travel agents etc

Okay, I got part of that, but, uhm, you're gonna have to try to use, you know, real words, punctuation, and proper spelling if anyone is going to understand you. You're not texting someone on their mobile you know.

After "expensive", I have absolutely no idea what you just said.

 

[diceke]

Huh?

 

[dan_j]

Okay, I got part of that, but, uhm, you're gonna have to try to use, you know, real words, punctuation, and proper spelling if anyone is going to understand you. You're not texting someone on their mobile you know.

After "expensive", I have absolutely no idea what you just said.

then how do people know what they are reading when they are being texted on their mobile?
if you were serious about that other remark the translation would be " you could try and link (as in website link etc) j-ref to travel agents etc", as in website link etc

 

[diceke]

I got to wandering about the lack of Japanese members here on JREF. Other members here from around the world greatly outnumber them, even though this website is for and about Japan.

Easy. The website is about Japan for non-Japanese. That's why.☝

 

[Mars Man]

That is true, diceke san, and also, along with that, the medium language is not Japanese--which also makes it at least a bit more trouble for some. The idea with the advertising, however--as jest put aside--was to try to reach the market of Japanese people who are interested in trying to use, or learn, or experience English. It may take a little more work to get the fora on 'learning English' more attractive...perhaps.

dan_j san, while understanding your point, I would point out that while this forum is not as strict as some may be regarding English, I think there are enough reasons to think that giving careful consideration for how things are worded is good. Complete sentences with normal syntax for printed text works best, and retains artistic nuances, all the while getting the communication across. Why be lazy?

 

[diceke]

That is true, diceke san, and also, along with that, the medium language is not Japanese--which also makes it at least a bit more trouble for some.

Along with that, it's the amount of bigotry that scares people away.☝

 

[Mars Man]

Along with that, it's the amount of bigotry that scares people away.☝

I seriously doubt that that is material to that degree, however.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Along with that, it's the amount of bigotry that scares people away.☝

Especially from a few Chinese and Korean members every so often , till they are banned.

Uncle Frank

 

[Raika]

how about working with VIP accounts, to pay for the commercials idea? (I don't know if there already are VIP accounts here.. *feels like a total n00b*) a lot of profile sites do it that way..

 

[duff_o_josh]

i would just suggest promoting the fact that they can practice english. I don't know if the key words for this site include something along the lines of english practice but i am sure if that was promoted more, you would see more members.