Expectations and Web-based Forums
by Zube (Zube@cs.colostate.edu)
Created:  Sep 28, 2006
Updated:  Dec 31, 2006
http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~dzubera/manga2.txt

[Additions, suggestions, corrections or thoughtful discussion always welcome.]
[This was originally titled _Manga is Fun, Manga Discussions Aren't_.]

I recently became a manga convert and while scanning some sites, I found
a blog entry that had been linked by several other people.  That blog
entry is here:

http://www.tokyopop.com/ChunHyang72/blog/10956.html

I found the entry interesting, but wanted to discuss several aspects of
it.  I left a comment that made the points I wanted to in a (IMHO) consise 
and polite manner.  After I posted it, I received a note that the blog was 
moderated.

The comment never showed up.  I guess it was moderated away because it
questioned some of the author's views.  This isn't a trait I like in blogs
I read, so I stopped reading that particular blog.

A few days later, this same blog entry was mentioned again, this time here:

http://www.mangablog.net/?p=668

On this site, I left a comment about how my post on the ChunHyang72
blog never showed up.  It will come as no surprise that my comment
about how my ChunHyang72 comment was moderated away ... was moderated
away.

I guess people prefer to hear themselves talk.

Don't worry, I won't interrupt your kindergarden tea party ever again.

*********************************

[Update on Oct 10, 2006 and later on Dec 31, 2006]

Actually, I was wrong on both counts.  Both of my comments eventually
showed up, although it took more than a day on the second blog and more
than a week (quite possibly two) on the first blog.  In addition, all
of the formatting of the first message was completely lost, so my posting
looks like a giant run-on sentence.

I sincerely apologize to both blog authors for claiming that my comments 
were moderated away.  Still it's clear that this form of communication
isn't suited to me.

What to take away from this?

Web-based forums are their own medium and play by their own rules.  
They are significantly different from both mailing lists and Usenet and 
woe to you who expect them to be, as I did, Usenet or a mailing list
with a pretty face.  Web-based forums aren't Usenet any more than 
television is radio with pictures.