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Message board > A bit disgusted
A bit disgusted
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celticrover1
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English only, please. If you want to adapt and insert L1 words or symbols or whatever into one of the downloads later that �s up to you. Also, instructions in an L1 language or even different languages while useful, of course, are not for the site. I wish they were, because in one of my classes I have two guys from China, one from Korea, one from Germany, one from Spain and three from Oman. Regarding �quality �, sometimes a title and a picture or three or four pasted pictures (with or without any words) are all you �re looking for. It �s not a case of what somebody regards as �excellent � or a great resource, rather it �s a case of what one teacher - maybe working alone without too many resources - in some place at some time might find useful.
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25 Apr 2010
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corina2211
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Dear Allan, I am sorry but I disagree with you. On one hand, I understand that on this site we cannot upload worksheets with instructions in L1 but the only thing Eva was �gulity � of was the fact that she had 2 words in Spanish. Futhermore, the ws was completely editable so the words could be easily removed or replaced. Have a great Sunday everybody,
Corina |
25 Apr 2010
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blunderbuster
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Dear Lovinglondon,
It was me who reported your ws. In the last month I reported about 3 ws, since I became a member of this site, I reported about 10 ws, I really don �t remember, but it really wasn �t much more. So, I do not report for the sake of reporting (just in case my blond friend from the country with the blue and white flag decides to......).
Anyway, please try to see the matter from a different perspective. What about people who don �t speak Spanish, these Spanish words might confuse them. People should not have to search for words they don �t understand in an English ws, some people might explain things the way you did, some people might not and then we have the borderline cases again that result in hours of discussions. Where do you draw the line? 1 word, 2 words, 3 words? Spanish, Arabic, Chinese? Your ws had more then 20 downloads and no single comment, I assumed that this was because the ws did not comply with the rules. Most people are too lazy to report, simple as that. The longer you sleep the bigger the mess....so I try to clean up as I see things...and I wear glasses..... ;o)
Rules are there to help and make life easier, and maybe they are there to teach. I have been told that there are rules here on this site and that it took a long time to agree on these rules and that I should accept them the way they are.
Another moderator who defended me when people started to make the matter personal told me last night that she took the task of moderating very seriously. What does this mean? Well, I guess nobody really knows. The way she explained it was this: She does not want this site to be shut down due to copyright issues, that is why she is investing time in trying to keep this site clean. (Dear mod in question, if you want me to remode these lines I will.) Rules do keep this site clean.
I did contact people about non-English words in their ws and nothing happened. Reporting streamlines efforts and makes sure changes get implemented quickly and definitely. You might have done something if I had told you, well, you might be one exception among many. So, I do apologize for the bad taste in your mouth that I might be responsible for, even though it was a democratic decision, the ws went, not only based on how I see things.
Wouldn �t you like for this site to still be here in 5 years? Wouldn �t
you like to be able to download something at the last minute because you
have to substitute for another teacher without having to scrutinize it
for words in a foreign language?
Trying to keep emotions out of things is hard, I know that. But seeing things the way they are and not reading tings into matters and taking everything personal helps as well. Don�t want to get busted for driving too fast? Don�t do it and don�t blame the cop for doing their job. In this case, again, the majority of people voted against the ws.
Regards
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25 Apr 2010
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mena22
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Hi! The way you put it, it really sounds so ridiculous. But is it?
Let �s put ourselves in the shoes of the moderators. What do they have, what is the basis of their work? The rules of the site, of course. In this particular case, they are very clear: "Your contributions must be 100% in English language."
This rule isn �t new. However, to avoid ambiguity and to see that everybody was being treated in the same way, victor decided to add the "100%" in the new rules. If we start voting aingst the rules, how can we guarantee that next time a member who uploads a worksheet with 2 words in another language will be treated equally? And why not 3 words? Why not 4? 5? 6? Where should modeartors draw the line? That is exactly the reason why this rule has been updated in the first place.
As I �ve said, out of the context, it may sound ridiculous. But it definitely isn �t in my opinion. Modeartors have a lot of work, believe me. I should know because I am a moderator myself. An active one I should add. So why not try to abide by the rules and make their work easier?
I understand your reasons and the reasons other member may state for using the students � mother tongue. No one is saying that a member shouldn �t give them to their students. That is evry member �s choice. What I �m saying is that members should remove any words in their mother tongue before uploading their worksheets.
Have a nice Sunday,
mena |
25 Apr 2010
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Lina Ladybird
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Dear mambaverde, KatieKurvenkratzer and blunderbuster! 
You are definitely right with everything you say, BUT I can still imagine why lovinglondon is not happy with the decision the moderators made, because there were only 2 words in Spanish, 2 WORDS ONLY!!
Let me cite you: "...and then we have the borderline cases again that result in hours of discussions. Where do you draw the line? 1 word, 2 words, 3 words? Spanish, Arabic, Chinese?"
You are right in saying that it �s awfully difficult to draw the line, however, IMHO 2 Spanish words in an editable (!) ws are definitely not a major case of breaching the rules...
Let�s not be so petty, folks!!!!
Have a relaxing Sunday, dear Regina and everyone else! :))
topolina |
25 Apr 2010
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corina2211
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Dear Mena, I perfectly understand your position too. It is difficult to keep this site clean. There are hundreds of ws each day and there must be rules. I was just speaking from Eva �s point of view and because I consider that this was a special case due to the fact that there were only 2 words. I am happy that at the end everything has worked out well and that Eva will upload the worksheet again in an accepted form. Have again a great Sunday. Corina |
25 Apr 2010
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Lina Ladybird
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Dearest mena,
I �ve just read your post and have to admit that you are completely right, too! I used to be a moderator in this site, so I definitely know how difficult the job is.
Not to mention the discussions which may arise when a ws with 2 words in L1 isn �t removed: at least one user will show up and say, "why didn �t they delete this ws when mine was removed for containing just 3 words in Russian??"
That �s one of the reasons why I suggested to upload only wss which are in English completely in my first post. ;)
Love - topolina
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25 Apr 2010
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blunderbuster
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Topolina, the majority of IMHOs decided. Rules make for a path in the jungle of IMHOs.
I guess I was a wee bit quicker than Mena, when hitting the "send" button for my comment. I am glad she sees things the same way as me because I have the greatest respect for her work as a creator of ws as well as a moderator. I can �t believe how much time she invests here. Mena, you are my all-time hero here, also because you have (had) patience with me so often.
Regards
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25 Apr 2010
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lovinglondon
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Hi Mambaverde,
I must talk about several points:
1) I want you to tell me how difficult is to understand the word "meaning" in a WS. That was the title in which my 2 Spanish words were. So I think it is not very difficult to understand that those two words were the meaning in Spanish. Anyway, I must tell you that I have already re-uploaded the WS by just replacing those words with dots. (This was not very difficult to do because it was fully editable and every member could have done it, or even replace both words with some in their own language).
2) I received a message yesterday saying that my WS had been reported. I replied with my reasons and nobody has answered. Nobody has given me the opportunity to defend myself or even give my own reasons for that WS. This is not fair. You yourself have told that this is none sense because nobody reacts to the messages. I must tell you that I do. and I would have liked to have that opportunity. If you want to be a modeerator, do all the job, that is, moderate but also report to the author, even if you have no answer...maybe there may be any surprise and you get a reply.
3) I think this wonderful site will continue in 5 years time because this is built day by day by incredible people who send their WS after much time of effort (some more....some less....but effort at the end)
4) You can �t measure the WS by the comments they receive. There are member who download them and leave no comment, because they have no time or another reason...I don �t know. I �ve got WS downloaded 140 times and I �ve got 18 comments ....Is this a good proportion??? Perhaps no, and it should be deleted according to you.
5) This message is not aimed to protest about your job. This is just a message to demand my right to defend myself and if you have read all my comments here, the first thing I said was that Rules are rules and I shouldn �t have written those words, but I think that sending me a simple message before removing it could have avoided that it was removed. Nothing more.
6) Mambaverde is a Spanish word....
Have a good Sunday
Eva
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25 Apr 2010
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Jayho
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Hi everyone
In my mere ten days of moderation experience prior to the changes I saw this issue debated on the reporting page on several occasions. I recall Victor�s final words on the debates by him stating that the member/s can remove the non-English parts from the printable and then reupload it.
I believe that the rules should be clear enough for everyone, including moderators. It is unfair on moderators to have turn a blind eye to a clear rule when there is already a huge load placed on the those wishing to moderate anyway. Turning a blind eye is in itself unfair to those who do follow the rule by uploading 100% English printables.
I believe that we should adhere to the rule until such time the rule changes. There have been several good suggestions on this thread showing how we can still meet our own individual L1 needs whilst at the same time meet the rules of the site.
Well, that�s my penny�s worth ...
Cheers
Jayho
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25 Apr 2010
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