I was reading the chess thread and I noticed that at the end of it I couldn't write any more after Domhnall's post. Tar-bloody-nation! I'm at a complete loss for what happened there, I don't know if someone killed the thread or what. We were all getting on well enough. Antaine, I still think the set is a great idea which is definitely worth it's own thread.
Beir bua agus beannacht.

I expect Caoimhín closed the thread, as it was veering off topic.

Oh I do so wish that Caoimhin had at least given us warning before he cut the thread that the all of us had so carefully woven. It just seems so unfair to end something that had grown and lengthened for so very long. I understand that the website belongs to himself and that he can theoretically do what he pleases, but sure and I wish that he hadn't closed that thread, it was something that a lot of us really enjoyed. I mean no ill will or trouble to anyone, but it just saddens me to see that a harmless thread is shut down without warning. This is made noticable by the fact that when people were calling Taku a racist nothing was done to stop it, but here this has been. Even so I adore this site and thus I will conform. But I feel that I ought to have the right to speak my piece. I send the all of you my very best wishes.

Beir bua agus beannacht

Riona...you are just now discovering an issue that has all but driven me from this board. It used to be that we could disagree, banter and even argue all the while staying on point. But, in recent months (if not years) I've been called every kind of "...ist" in the book on this site. The insult originating only from one or two individuals who remain frequent agitators. It has dampened my enthusiasm for this site and has all but eliminated my participation.

Contrary to what has been indicated in another thread, I have actually learned less Irish from this site over the past year. What was a daily endeavor is now weekly at best. The fun has gone out of this site and as a result, and more importantly, the fun that I used to experience learning Irish has gone as well. This site has become a forum for linguists and academics. The common person, the self-teaching neophyte etc is definitely not made to feel very welcome here at all. Case in point..Taku's request.

For all the rhetoric about "acceptance" and "diversity" the fact is, if you don't already have a good deal of Irish, or if you ask a simple question, or if you drop a fada, or forget to lenite, or can't read IPA....in other words, if you're just getting started and need some help, you're either going to get bombarded with corrections or made to feel stupid, or both.

You're dabbling in a pool of linguistic elites. The focus is no longer on teaching others so much as it is on flaunting the individual's academic credentials/prowess.

Hang in there...eventually, this board will come full circle and be the fun-filled community it once was. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Riona,
There is another learning-Irish site with a discussion board called "Anything Goes."

http://www.erinsweb.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=8

The discussion there is currently a little "light," but perhaps you can change that?

p.s., I also enjoy the extraneous topics, but I acknowledge they too easily draw my attention away from my language study.

Scríobh James:

>>You're dabbling in a pool of linguistic
>>elites. The focus is no longer on teaching
>>others so much as it is on flaunting the
>>individual's academic credentials/prowess.

I'm sorry you've had a bad experience, James. I have found 99% of the members here to be quite cordial, both to me and to others. There's a small amount of elitism, but no more than anywhere else, including in real life. Just ignore any malcontents and/or self-promoters as you would in your everyday life and all will be well.

I also wish to refute your assertion that no teaching/learning occurs here. I've seen countless questions answered and I've seen several members give of their time/talent to create audio material and study resources for learners.

You've chosen to focus on a few bad experiences, and that's your right, but I felt it important to set the record straight. The Daltaí discussion board and all of its members are a wonderful resource. Even people well versed in Irish can learn a thing or two here. If you want to see REAL nastiness, go visit some of the other discussion boards out there. It might make you better appreciate what you have here.

Le meas,
Cionaodh

Cionaodh, A Chara:

Perhaps you misunderstood. I never asserted that there was no teaching taking place. My assertion is that the focus is less on teaching and more on individual one-up-manship.

I've been a participant on this board for several years now so my experience is hardly focused on "a few bad experiences".

There are some superb participants on this site. On that, we can most certainly agree. However, the recent months/years have seen an influx of those more focused on promoting their own self-image and stroking their own egos than they are focused on actually teaching.

Gone are the days of explaining the rules of lenition, eclipsis etc. Gone are the days of nursing a new participant through the intial stages of using the language.

It's a sink or swim environment now. Again..I point to a simple request from a Japanese participant who asked for some simple assistance. The poor guy (an assumption that Taku is a male name) was lambasted and called everything up to and including a "Racist". I've been called a racist, an ageist, a fascist....pick the "..ist" or the "..ism" and it's been applied.

There are a ton of very friendly participants on this site. There are also a ton of people like me who are trying to learn the language but have been beaten into the corner for trying to use a language with which we are only moderately familiar, who have been slammed into the mat because we happen to be born in the wrong country and who have been marginalized because we don't read/write/speak Irish fluently in all of the major dialects and sub-dialects.

Sorry if that goes against your perception. It has been my experience and as a result, you see very little participation from me. I am here lurking, "listening" and reading. I just don't participate much anymore for fear of some linguistic sniper taking pot shots at me because my fada was on the wrong vowel, etc. I don't need to log on to this site for unwarranted vitriol...hell, I've got an ex-wife that gives me all of that I can handle.


Le meas,
James

Now James, I can recall some of the agist and racist comments. I don't think you were been agist.

I think the days of such abuse appear to eb over. Now it si true I do act the cod at times, but I am often messing (like with Takú). It would be absurd to take that 'insult' as real.

how can we best answer questions, like? if someone asks for translations, it is given. If it for some grammar stuff it is given. I agree, the attacks on grammar if someone is typing fast sometimes appear to be a little non-understanding. In my analysis, I can only point to Mac Múiri and Mick Rua, as having no flaws in their writing. Lughaidh uses dialectal forms, so i cannot say 100%. Dennis types quick. etc Everyone else makes mistakes, be it by fault or by haste, so I don't think there should be such sniping.

By analysis i mean I sat down with a book and looked over the 'best' users of this board. Only 3 were 'prefect'/'near perfect'. That was 2 months ago. I dont know if anyon with that 'level' has come in since

Mac Muirí, rather

Robert -- when someone isn't a native speaker of English (or of any language for that matter), that person can tend to take things literally and have a very difficult time understanding someone's sense of humor.

In the case of Taku, I don't think that was the case. You were rude, plain and simple. The point of this board isn't to "mess with people" -- it's to help them get a better understanding of language.

And -- here's another tip -- someone who insults someone else doesn't have the right to say that the insult wasn't real.

"And -- here's another tip -- someone who insults someone else doesn't have the right to say that the insult wasn't real."

Isuppose youare right

Sure and it's nice to get this all out on the proverbial table. I echo what Nicole said in reguards to the situation of Taku, it just isn't right to mess with people who may not (for linguistic reasons or any other) know what you're doing. Having said that I have noticed that Robert has improved of late. No one has ever been unkind to me here and for that I thank you all. People's questions usually get answered by my aproximations. There are actually a few things about my posts that I'm surprised that no one has commented on.
Beir bua agus beannacht

quote:

Sure and it's nice ... There are actually a few things about my posts that I'm surprised that no one has commented on.

OK, here goes. You've started three messages with "Sure and..." in the past few days. Do you really talk like that, or is this just an attempt to sound Oirish?

quote:

I sat down with a book and looked over the 'best' users of this board.

Yipes. Is aisteach liom go gceapann duine nach bhfuil in ann a chuid smaointe a chur in iúl i nGaeilge go bhfuil sé i gcumas agus i dteideal breithiúnas a thabhairt ar Ghaeilge daoine eile!

Yes I really do talk like that. Ask anyone I know with any depth and they'll tell you. Now granted you and I don't really know any of the same people but it is true that I speak that way in real life. I went to Erinsweb as was mentioned above and it didn't seem like much was going on there. This is whare all the action clearly is. Anyway maybe I'm just too bloody forthright for my own good. Oh, and I hope Antaine will give us periodical updates on his project since that is what spawned this thread in the first place.

Beir bua agus beannacht

A Dhennis, tá do phost ceart go mion, anois....

ta ionad orm cen fath nach bhfuil alan daoine ag scriofa teachtaireacht as gaoiluinne. ni mor daoibh fluirseach i aon chor chun bhur tuairami a cur i gclo. nach bhfuil dothain beurla inar gcruinne anois. mar sin cuitear do cois is fearr os do gcomhair agus bainfear sibh usaid as do chuid gaoiluinne. is cuma cibe ar bith ce go feadfadh se maith nu uafais(cosuil le mise). Maybe ill try a bit of the darby o gill oirish here
("AH go on now give up your auld english for gods sake!!)

Ain't never seen that movie but I figured out what you said as Gaeilge. Ta ag teastail labhair Gaeilge, ach ball (beag) ta me agam amhain beagan. For this truth I'm sorry.
Beir bua agus beannacht.isas

quote:

Ta ag teastail labhair Gaeilge, ach ball (beag) ta me agam amhain beagan.

Maith thú, a Ríona!! Thuig mé thú. :-)

I tried very hard because I simply had to know what had been said and after figuring it out I wanted to try to write so that the all of you knew I understood. I was so proud that you thought I did well.

Beir bua agus beannacht.

maithu riona, do thogfa an cead ceim. ta alan bothun ag scaipeadh faoi mo teactaireacht fein ach is cuma. is docha ni rabhas mo chuid beurla ceart nuair a bhios og ach do chuirios i bhfeasu nuair a thogais suas. molfaim duitse coineall do chuid teactearacht i ngaoluinne agus la eigan beidh gaoiluinne liofa agat. ni folair gaoluinne saineolas a usaid ta chuile leibheal ata ann.

Ta me ag iaraidh, ach ta me mearbhlach. Ta aifeala.

ta tu go maith riona. deir me leat gur rinne me alan bothun le mo scriofa fein. beidh tu ag dul i feabhas le do chuid gaelige ma ta tu ag leanuint le do cleachtadh. ni mbeidh tu ag dul i feabhas i ngaelige ma ta tu ag scriobh i mbeurla. is doigh liom gach rud a deir tu roimhre.

Achara,
Go raibh maith agat ar na scriofa. Ta tu caireiseach iontach agus ar foighne. Slan.

Beir bua agus beannacht.