I've been in Hefei for almost 10 years now, and by the looks of it, this summer most likely will be my last. During my time here, Hefei Expat has been a great help, whether it's finding good food offers, or places to buy things, and so on. It's changed quite a bit over the years, but the users have pretty much been the same kind. What I mean is the people using this site has been both "foreign" and Chinese, which is great. You get two different sides to a story sometimes, which broadens people's horizons and understanding of things.
From time to time, things will get misunderstood because of the cultural differences, which is pretty much a given. So for people visiting a site like this, it's always best to show patience, and have an honest curiosity to find out the real meaning of what is said here. The worst thing people can do is "throw mud at each other", only to later find out that things were taken out of context, or whatever.
When I visit other sites, whether it be geared towards expats or not, I usually "lurk" for the first little while, trying to get a feel of how the site runs. You know, how the people are, how the comments usually are shown, and so on. That is the safest way to play it, and it shows respect to the forum's members, who've been there longer (much longer most times) than myself. I think that should be applied to people visiting Hefei Expat for the first time, and even for the first few times. Get a feel of the place, then kind of blend in with things, respect what's going on and the people in it already before you, and try to contribute as much as possible.
If Hefei Expat is setup like this, it makes for a place where people can come, gather info, and possibly ask questions, in a non-threatening, relaxed type of place. Aussie Mike has done an incredible job with the site. Since he took over, he really has this place oiled and churning out good stuff. So I think it's only fair that we as users, new and old, to observe a common respect for people here, and keep the place nice and shiny, for others to come to and feel at ease.
This is my hope before I leave Hefei, and my hope for things to be after I leave.
My two cents.
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Topic: My thoughts on coexisting on Hefei Expat (Read 7719 times)