泡网俱乐部

我不知道贝贝现在是否已经在回老家的火车上了。但是我还是把昨晚写的东西放在这里，说不定frankk会路过这里转交贝贝。这两天考试，完了就找机会翻译成中文。


Dear Beibei 1980,

I rushed this letter overnight due to the urgency of the matter, 'cause I know you are heading for hometown tomorrow and I want you to read this letter before you leave. Sorry for having to write in English as my notebook at home suddenly stops working with Chinese inputs.

Beibei, I could imagine and understand how you are feeling at this very moment when everyone is joyfully shopping for the Spring Festival and preparing for family reunion. This moment is naturally reserved for everyone to relax and have fun after a year of hard work. Unfortunately, a note rather unharmonious derived from a notice of leave you posted yesterday which I believe shocked and sadden everyone, either member or non-member, in this Photo Forum. We members are all expecting you to reconsider the decision and choose to stay.

Life is short, everyone has to stand alone. True, but what I was trying to say is that no man or woman is an island, which means he or she cannot live entirely on his or her own without interdependence on or interaction with the rest of community, either in reality or virtual reality. This is the very spirit based on which we are gathering here in this Photo Forum in the name of photography. As the Web-based Forum worldwide has its own inherent features and is still at the early stage of development, rules and procedures here are understandably primitive and ambiguous in such a way that they oftentimes give rise to misunderstandings or even conflicts between or among its members. And this Photo Forum of Jianghuse is no exception as evidenced by numerous instances or even incidents in the past.

Hence, it may be too luxury to expect this Forum to be like a place akin to the real life workplace or club where a well-defined social disciplines and code of conduct are effective and functional. Here in website, quite like our ancestors many thousands years ago, expression and behavior of each Member of a tribe are governed by self-discipline or sense of shame without dependable sanctions. People even go so far as term the web forum as a pure model of anarchy. In such circumstance, each Member of Forum is much more required to exercise restraints and show respect for the fellow Members in daily exchange in the Forum. What really governs we members here are not well-written rules, but rather other invisible elements which we may take for granted, such as care for good reputation and public opinions, fear for countermeasures by other Members once prejudiced by us. Of course there is possible expulsion by the Webmasters for misconduct, but that is a rare occurrence and highly controversial among members.

Against such backdrop, what has happened during the last few days between you and Lao Deng concerning debate on the particular standard of photographs and entry threshold for female members or candidates in this Forum together with Lao Deng's personal comments on the quality of your photographs and photographic competence, offers us a typical case illustrating why the above-mentioned rational and need to systemically improve rules of this Forum are imperative. Like Confucious says, in a bit variation, treat others the very way you want others to treat you. Hence, what is more needed here is mutual understanding and mutual respect. Today's post by Laodeng shows that he is in full understanding of the situation in this case and asks you to stay.

Beibei, if I may, I would share with you a real story of mine. I know a professor named Mr. Enrico from a University in Latin America at Seminar on international law with. During a heated debate, Mr. Enrico was criticized or even cursed emotionally by Mr. Stevenson, another professor from North America who proved later to be incorrect and wrongful in his comments. But at that moment, after that Mr. Stevenson made that "humiliating" comments targeting on him, Mr. Enrico picked up the microphone and replied the followings:

---"I wish I could reciprocate exactly what Mr. XXX has just said about me moment ago. If I did, I would doubt my ability of matching his eloquence in every bit. But, for the sake of success of this Seminar and our intellectual community as a whole, I would rather choose to ignore his unfortunate remarks on me and proceed with my topic today."

I hope, Beibei, in the name of this small but nice Forum of Jianghuse we all care and love and, of course, you yourself, you might as well allow for a chance for peace and "choose to ignore" what has happened. I believe this matter, once ended in peace, would be told fondly and respectfully by our children in many years to come.

Give my regards to Frankk.

Wishing you a good journey home for the Spring Festival and a very Happy Birthday.

Care,

Yours,

Jura
04/01/15 4am.

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