Is it fair to have someone block you because she doesn't like your answers?

Question

I've been blocked here on Y/A Korea, and have been unfairly flagged as well by someone who doesn't like my answers. The last one I gave was a simple statement that kimchee is an acquired taste. Gastromically, I said, Korea is Asia's Germany, as in Europe. I was emailed that my reply was offensive (?) and then blocked.

Is this a closed forum then? Am I supposed to come here ONLY if I agree with everyone? Heck, I DID agree -- I said it was an acquired taste. How would I know if I HADN'T ACQUIRED THE TASTE????

Are all the people like that here? Is this how Koreans and people who like Koreans are? To cowardly flag someone, to block someone, and to email someone and not give the chance for a reply? Is that how you are? Is it any wonder, then, why I might be skeptical?

Okay, I won't comment here on this forum any more. Fine. But if this is how you are then you ARE a pretty nasty people.

No, Gaya, it DOESN'T make me feel any better. I gave my opinion. It wasn't negative. It could only have been offensive to someone like you. And I couldn't email you. And you do act in a cowardly way. And 15 people here seem to agree at least in principle that I had a right to make my point. I won't come here anymore. Koreans are simply too sensitive for me.

For the first 15 people -- thank you for your answers. I appreciate the feedback. I won't come back to this forum but I hope to cross paths with you again on others.

Thanks, Boom Blatz. I wouldn't have said anything if I thought I had done anything wrong. From a third person, your response helps.

Answer 1

Dude, you are talking about the NYC Kyopo Gestapo. She is the self proclaimed archangel of all things Korean. She also has more than one ID so that she can kick you on her own. I had a question removed for being offensive days after it was resolved. Funny thing is, I had sourced the question with news articles and the best answer I chose was from a Korean person.
Anyway, the more I watch of her behavior the more I believe that she is a 'real' Korean, but not one of the fun loving college students that will sit and drink a bottle of soju and try to practice English, more like one of the drunk old men lying in the gutter who will jump up and try to fight you at the slightest perceived insult but they are too loopy to figure out how to properly attack.

Edit:
I just read your answer to the kimchi question. It was fair. I do not know anything about German cuisine, so I do not get the comparison. I do not think you were referring to any of the terrible aspects of Germany's history (which given the behavior of both North and South Koreans in the 50's you certainly could) so I do not get the problem with that.
As far as saying it taste like vomit... we are talking about a food that is purposely rancid. To someone not familiar with it(and many foreigners that are), that is a perfectly acceptable characterization.

Answer 2

Gene

I think it is normal, as human beings.....that we sometimes view someones actions...or in this case Q and A's with a certain level of judgement/sensitivity. I think you should maybe work it out, and maybe come to some sort of understanding ~ or, simply let it go. Really, we aren't always going to agree with each other, thats life. And life is not fair.

What if your co-worker doesn't like your ideas, or ignores your suggestions? Are you going to quit your job? Saying you "will not comment on this forum" and then stating that 'maybe' Korean people and people who like Koreans are nasty is just a little bit childish and uncalled for....

Regarding the "kimchi question"...I guess its an aquired taste, sure....and maybe to some people, the flavour is "vomit like". Is it wrong to say that, in an open forum?....I don't think so. But, we are all different, all unique....so, what bothers one person, may not bother another. There are alot worse things in life to get upset over I guess.......

I don't think you have to be Korean, or a foreigner living in Korea to understand all things Korean. I agree with v-man, Dawn, and others...that it does help to live there. But, I also agree with Gaya and can understand where she is coming from with her comments.

Anyway... Korea is simply part of the world that we on this forum choose to enjoy ~ so, lets all just enjoy Korea ~ and everything that it has to offer^^

Cheers ~ M.

Answer 3

That happen to me. All I did was apologize to this person for something that might have been offensive. I did not even answer her question! She e-mailed me back said crazy things and blocked me! So ditto. LOL People are to sensitive. We are not all going to have the same opinions. I feel when you place a question on here you should be prepared for someone to answer who thinks differently than you. This is the world we live in and these are the people in the world that take part in Yahoo Q's and A's. I don't get offend easily. I just stay strong and remind myself that I don't know these people. Yahoo Q's and A's is a place for the strong.

Answer 4

Unfortunately there are some people who do not want to hear foreigners (or anyone) point out negative things about their nation. Maybe the user didn't know what you meant when you compared Korea to Germany and thought of something offensive, like Nazism. I don't know.

In any case, like all of the features, people can abuse them. The block feature is supposed to be used to block trolls, but in MANY categories people are blocked for a variety of senseless, immature reasons.

In this case, someone truly thought you were offensive, so maybe that person is just ultra-sensitive or misunderstood your point. My e-mail is not on Yahoo!Answers, but it's quite possible that some people have blocked me, as well. You shouldn't let it bother you. It's up to the people asking the questions to decide who is best. The thumbs-up and thumbs-downs do not always mean much...

Answer 5

You have made several good points about limitations of Yahoo! Answers. To answer your question, it's not fair. I think Dawn V and yo-shin in Korea mirror my feelings on this issue.

As for Gaya, before I even read your question I knew it had to her that you were writing about. Regarding your third paragraph of questions about the Korean people. She is not Korean and doesn't live in Korea. She's American. I've had issues with her too. Her attitude is completely American in this forum, and frankly she is as "un-Korean" as they get. I live and teach at a university in Korea and in my four years here, no Korean (male or female), has ever demonstrated this type of oversensitive, domineering behavior.

And your last sentence reaches the wrong conclusion. Your issue is not with a Korean, but an American. Koreans are not like this --- especially Korean females. My experiences with Koreans have been 99% positive. In general they are a kind group of people.

Answer 6

Yo-shin, Boom, and several more names I can't remember made good points.
Of course it's not fair, but you're unlikely to change someone's mind when they're upset.
It's ridiculous, though, to ask, "Is this how Koreans and people who like Koreans are?" That's every bit as reactionary as someone being offended by your description of kim chi.
Maybe the reader thought you meant gestapo-ically instead of gastronomically.
Maybe this string of positive answers to the Q will get us all blocked. :)

Edit: I just tried to find the offensive answer, and am not allowed to view the question. . . It's like I'm psychic or something. Tee Hee Hee

Answer 7

In my experience, there is a risk of being insulting (even if such is not intended) when speaking frankly. That risk is greater in cases in which the audience is not well-known to the speaker, and cultural differences in communication style can result in unintended effects from messages delivered.

Some US politicians have suffered from this phenomenon, and some US comedians have built careers upon it. Go figure.

Dwelling on fairness in cases in which there has been an unintended insult is not nearly as productive as recognizing the transgression when it occurs. For those who desire it, opportunities for redemption usually exist.

Am I an advocate for political correctness? I don't consider myself to be.
Am I an advocate for understanding our differences? I try to be.

Answer 8

u know what gene. i just saw ur answer about kimche Q but 1st of all, yeah i can see where ur angry and what ever ur comment people as long as it's not offensive should not be to what had happened. but ur answer to gayas Q could of been to some offensive. as it is well known that germans r bashed in the u.s. for alot of reasons that it can be an indirect way of putting koreans down. gersman cusine is known in the western world to be primitive and again indirectly u can be saying korean food is primitive and with the slightly scented flaver of words "VOMIT" could of offended many.
gaya is always trying to help people here with her well manored ways. she knows about korea or koreans and try and share her opinions on a open forum about what and where she has knowledge to. yes, many celebrities and politition had been bashed to be where they r but it is in a place of a society with in ones understanding and grasp. in a cultural place like here in this forum wheather korean, german or phillipines if u would of answered like so, people will get made and upset. gaya is not a gestapo bi*ch as if u were to see her ways in the many A/Q remarks and also an adult to see her level u'll understand her and respect her. y would u want to itch with a child for gaya is only a child or kid if u will. u should of been more adult like with this situation.

and again, don't get me wrong. as ur disterbence i can agree with u but again do not agree with the way ur handleing about this uncomfortable situation with a child.

Answer 9

Actually, Gene, if this makes you feel any better:
I have been on Yahoo answers Korea for a few years, and the only people who seem to get offended or disappointed by the answers here are people who do NOT live in Korea.
I fnd that Korean people within Korea are very interested in how the outside world percceives them, good or bad, and like to initiate discussion about it.
Koreans who live abroad are sometimes more interested in defending Korea and wanting to hear only the positive.
(maybe because they feel isolated in their heterogeneous community)
Just forget about it.. you can't please everyone.
And anyone living over here knows the good, the bad and the ugly more so than anyone NOT living here, Korean or otherwise.
You'll find HUGE differences between KOreans in KOrea and KOreans livin overseas... even KOreans here will tell you they are as dissimilar than similar. So don't let one person's thoughts bother you. A lot of the "Top answers" people in the KOrea section do not live here anymore, if they ever did.
They are just knowedgable about Korea, not necessarliy everyday life on the street.

Answer 10

Seems pretty silly to me.

I see lots of answers I disagree with but I've only ever reported someone one time (and that was because of name calling and racist comments).

Everyone has their opinion and is entitled to it. If people start blocking everyone who disagrees with them then Answers has become a waste of time.

Send an email to the admins asking exactly what the justification for this was...

I love Korea and Korean food but it doesn't offend me that other people don't. Now if you used racist terms or said Korea should be destroyed or something I'd be against you... but just giving your opinion... no problem with it.

As for kimchi tasting like vomit.. I love kimchi now, but it took me several months to get to that point. And I still can't stand new kimchi. New kimchi is icky...