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August 29, 2006
What's the point of LoveUSHateUS.com (and how you can help)
We've reached a new stage with this project, and I want to thank everyone who's been part of it so far. We've had to put some **** in some entries, but on the whole the discussion's been civil, and important information about viewpoints has emerged.
The problem we face now is that our original concept, of collecting ethnographic information (to use academic talk) or real life stories (to put in a magazine article framework), has morphed into an online discussion. And the tool we created isn't really right for the job, because visitors to the site aren't seeing what they are told to expect. Instead, they have to try to figure out where they are in an argument.
Some of the comments are personally and angrily directed at others, which isn't appropriate. Others are too idiosyncratic to be helpful in a public forum.
Here's what we are going to do:
1. We're not going to post personal/idiosyncratic messages on the main board.
2. We'll save a copy of the unpublished postings, because setting up a forum poses security risks that we aren't sure we can deal with right now. It's going to be "Coming Soon" until we figure this out.
3. We'll write more extensive guidelines to contributors, highlighting entries that are particularly useful.
4. We will e-mail our thousands of contacts outside the States, asking them to add more comments, and we'll soon send out a press release as well.
Meanwhile, I'm in China, up to my neck in work but gathering new ideas about this topic, and project, all the time. Please bear with us, and go through your memories for specific accounts, talk to your friends, and help us make this discussion one that will be valuable to those who seriously want to understand the issues--and to do something to improve our relations with people of other nations, whether they're in the U.S. or outside it.
Posted by Karen Christensen at August 29, 2006 10:33 PM
Comments
Karen, you should check the book "WHAT'S UP AMERICA? A Foreigner's Guide to Understanding Americans" by DIANE ASITIMBAY (Culture Link Press).
I had not gone back to your site for a month and I got surprised today. Well, it is too bad.
Evelyne
Posted by: Evelyne (EJ) at November 29, 2006 7:21 PM