From: werner@cs.utexas.edu (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.german
Subject: "Mir reicht es jetzt !" ist die falsche Reaktion
Date: 26 Jan 1993 19:51:56 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: dimebox.cs.utexas.edu


	naja, eigentlich sind wir Deutsche ja bekannt dafuer, dass wir
	gerne Haare spalten.... zumindest war das immer MEIN Eindruck...
	(auch von mir selber :-)


 (Peter Savage Schweitzer) wrote
|....
|> What I feel is important to remember is that a network like
|> this should be used as a great resource by Germans and people
|> interested in German to exchange information, ask questions,
|> practice reading and writing in a foreign language, find out
|> more about German culture, etc.

	well, I'm not sure that "should be used" is something I would
	hang my hat and reputation on, but it is certainly true that
	during the great renaming party at some USEnix ca 7 years ago,
	when the soc.culture.* hierarchy was established, everyone thought
	of it as a place where expatriates could have a friendly, social
	chat with each other and, maybe, exchange some information about
	"the old place" that might be useful to know...

	but in recognition of the informal, anarchic reality of this net,
	I find that the words "important to remember" "great resource"
	and all that follows "give me gas" - a discomfort such heavy sounding
	phrases and prescriptions often leave me with.  USEnet groups are
	dynamic, and especially when no better home (no alternative newsgroup)
	exists to point the current discussion to, I find it quite OK that
	this discussion take place, and take place here - for "why not" and
	"where else"?!!


|> We here in America have only limited opportunities to find out more about
|> current issues in Germany...

	wrong expectation.  this is not CNN-Ersatz and will never be so (as much
	as I sometimes try myself);  I recommend reading the paper and, maybe,
	ask some German friends to send you video-tapes of German TV-programs...

	this group is ANYTHING BUT an effective tool to keep well informed
	about current German developments and topics ...


|> ...and to try to assist Germans who have questions about or are having
|> troubles living in the US.

	assist Germans who have questions about the US?  or have troubles
	living in the US?   heck, that's "not it" either.  I see this simply
	as a social gathering place, where one might expect to find higher
	than average knowledge and interest in topics which might be labelled
	"related to Germany".  I'd even describe it as a place where one
	can have a "typical German argument" with someone ... :-))

|> I would hate to subscribe subscribe to this group right now for the first
|> time hoping to find out what was available on the network and be forced to
|> try to sift through the absurd postings that are now sadly dominant.

	the first thing to tell to a new-comer is to grow some calluses and
	a thick skin, basically, and to avoid expecting too much or getting
	disappointed too easily.  Oh, and recommend and explain the use of
	KILL-files first thing (or pretty early, anyway)


 (Jens Dominik Muller) writes:
> I do think the discussion we're having currently (J4G, Anatomie,..)
> matches your criterea. Xenophobia, Neo-Nazism and the 3. Reich
> were at the top of the agenda whenever I recently had discussions
> with friends at home. Even the recession Germany is diving into
> is most frequently seen in this light, as is, of course the
> whole reunification. You definitely learn about German culture
> at the moment. 

	absolutely my thoughts and experience also ...


> ...Germans always (...) tended to do things profoundly right, perfect.

	yep.  I "lay blame" for my tendency to participate repeatedly in
	"Haarspalterei" - to the German Gymnasium-education somehow (what
	else?)... 

> ... those who dislike the current dominating topic do not see how
> fundamentally important the issue is as a new German self image is emerging.

	that's a very good point, Jens!  glad you made it!  glad you spoke up!
	I had been looking for words but couldn't find "the time"... :-)

	but if I wasn't using a KILL-file to simply ignore some of the
	back-and-forth and over-and-over-again-and-again, some of the more
	stereo-typical and German-hating articles, I'd probably be tempted
	to post "Mir reichts" also with some frequency.... (or simply unsubscribe)


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