A virtual Japanese punching bag!

On a serious note, media properties like this, I suppose, do their bit in maintaining social balance. Japan already has a disturbingly high suicide rate...

How did you get that link? I was trying to make my own reg free link, and got it by going to Google news,
and searching for the article but it just forwarded me to the ny times site without any additions to the html link.

I noticed however that the 3 things you need are the partner (=google, or =slashdot?), an ex=(something,
maybe related to the partner?), an en=(i don't know how you get this?) and an ei=5062

How?

It's all in the subtle positioning of the rectangles.

The large number of people who don't have oriental language sets installed on their browser is a bit sad. Occasionally, companies and programmers have bouts of interest in localization. Such efforts often fall through.

Regardless, the Internet is a great place to learn language skills. Personally, I think all web designers should chose a second language and trying muddling their way through web sites written in a different language to understand the challenges of different cultures.

It seems generally true that as a website becomes popular, a certain group of dickheads (usually males in the 12-16 age group) turn up with the goal of ruining it for everyone.

Not really. The point is, they have their own world, just like the rest of the community.

Think of it as the equivalent of graffiti - sure, it ruins walls and what not, but hey it's a creative outlet and a means of expressing themselves. And better this than anything else.

And more importantly, it's called Freedom of Speech - and I really like the way Slashdot handles this.

The point is, almost everyone feel like trolling at some point of time or the other, or atleast on some topic or the other. And when you do, you inevitably fall into the so-called fuckwit category that you mentioned.

And quite honestly, I take offence at your choice of words - fuckwit factor? What is that supposed to mean?

It's a forum, and people can discuss just about anything that pleases them - and on a place like Slashdot, you are given the choice of seeing what you like. Despite everything, I would not like anyone messing with the posts, no matter how shitty they are.

There are times when I read at -1 (and quite honestly, enjoyed the trolls) and there are times when I read at +3.

There is no one-size fits all.

And that's one of the many reasons I like Slashdot (well, Kuro5hin is better in some respects when it comes to tolerating trolls, but I digress). Your fuckwit tolerance level changes, and you have the choice of choosing how tolerant you are.

And finally, to answer your question - RTFA. They do not.

Didn't the NYT just do a article about the wild west, irc [slashdot.org] which turned out to be utter sensationalist crap. Why should we believe this, or even read a word of it? Not to mention that none of us can actually read EITHER article without a little/lot of effort respectively (finding google link/learning nihongo).

I think the article greatly exagerates both the audience and the importance of this website. I live in Japan, and travel in fairly geeky circles, but none of my Japanese friends in IT had heard of the website. I also frequently read the newspapers and occasionally the tabloids, but I haven't seen it mentioned there either.

It's true that there haven't been many successful "web communities" in Japan until now (unless, of course, you count the sex sites), and most internet usage here has been business oriented or mapquest-style information searches (and of course email). However, I would suggest that was not due to any fundamental difference in Japanese society, but rather to the fact that until the recent expansion of Japanese broadband options, almost all Japanese internet access was dial-up. And in Japan, dial-up access means an expensive per-minute charge. So it's only natural that until recently most Japanese internet users would limit their use to fairly non-timeconsuming activities. After all, we all know what a waste of time Slashdot can be.

But man, that sites a mess. It makes this site seem like a super-organized fountain of relevant comentary. Somebody should point him to slash.

Over here, personal disagreements just get sat on and when people have disputes, rather than talk about it to fix it, they just never end up talking to that person again. Or if they do talk, it's under the cover of being insincerely "nice". This is just so the peace is not disturbed.

And this is different from American corporate culture how?

People gossip, form alliances, backstab, bully, and snub here in the US too. A showdown or heart to heart to resolve differences is actually fairly rare in any office, it's more likely that a person will silently become your enemy and never show it until they have a chance to screw you over.

Sure the Japanese are different, but so is every other country. I think too much credence is still given to the "inscrutable oriental" image.

best part:

On Friday, Mr. Nishimura said he paid $20,000 a month to a company in Palo Alto, Calif., to provide a host for the Web site. With the advertisements, Mr. Nishimura said he managed to break even.

In keeping with his detachment, Mr. Nishimura said he was bored with his Web site and did not believe it was worth enough to attract buyers. Asked about Channel 2's role in Japanese society, he said people used it simply to "kill time."

"Many people who write on Channel 2 are stupid," Mr. Nishimura said, making a statement that many Channel 2 regulars would agree with but one that will surely draw a flurry of attacks. "They cannot change the world by writing about it. If they really want to have an impact, there are other things they could be doing."

that's a hilarious and refeshing attitude ;-)

Just FYI- I and a lot of people I know have picked up the NTSC director's cut on ebay :)

Moral outrage?
Have you seen "Ichi The Killer"?
Fry's sells that for fucks sake!

Haven't you heared about this site? You are still Gaijin. They always try to be nice to Gaijin.

Or perhaps you mean that I should want to have such things. Because languages are good for me or some such. Sorry, but I have way too much to learn already, that'll have to wait for another lifetime.

There is an old European proverb that says: With each language you learn, you're worth one more person.

Learning languages is great. Learning languages is a unique gateway into loads of new information, new literature, and other cultures. Think of all the good scientific work written in German. Think of all the South American literature. Think of all the Asian philosophy.

I really could never understand people who are not interested in learning languages. Maybe it's because I grew up in Europe, but I see people who don't at least speak one language next to their own as just shy of illiterate (and they often ARE illiterate).

Wouldn't you call a rate of 36.5 per 1000 (for men) disturbingly high?

Especially, when it comes from a relatively economically stable country with no current war involvements...

I think the article greatly exagerates both the audience and the importance of this website.

I think you greatly overestimate the overlap between your geek circles and otaku (geek) circles. I also live in Japan, but don't move in geeky circles, rather creative ones. Everyone knows ni-channeru because it's one of the central hubs of creativity.

As anyone who has lived here knows, the scenes in Japan are greatly splintered, and every scene has its own subcultures. In London, someone would say she's a goth. In Japan, the same person might be 'between cyber and lolita.' In the USA, you might be a geek. In Japan, you might be otaku, but you might be a food otaku, a PC otaku, a music otaku, a design otaku etc etc. Ni-channeru is the one place everyone can congregate and mix with those outside their group. As people have said it's also about the only place (apart from their cars) where Japanese will freely demonstrate their true feelings.

If you think the site is a mess, it's a matter of perspective. Ignoring the fact that almost all Japanese websites are hideous throwbacks to 1998, the chaos of ni-channeru is part of the environment, and it helps the community remain unsplintered.