It so happens that a 29-year-old female mechanical engineer has replaced Seoul's original choice as the first South Korean in space...and the reactions on the Internet blogs are amazing!
As this news article notes:
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology told a news conference that Russia's Federal Space Agency asked for Ko San's replacement, as the 31-year-old repeatedly broke training protocol by taking sensitive training material outside of the Russian space center. Back-up candidate Yi So-yeon will take over.
``The main reason for the cut is Ko made two consecutive security violations,'' said Lee Sang-mok, the head of the ministry's space technology bureau, adding that both events appeared unintentional.
He explained that the Russians regard abiding by the rules as critical since even a small and innocent mistake could lead to serious consequences in space.
The authorities have taken a decision for whatever reason... and the experts opinions are out in full flow. It is a free for all on the Korean blogs. Some male chauvinists are upset that it is a woman who will be the first Korean...others have suggested that the original candidate was spying for Samsung (his employer)...
Even English Teachers who obviously know nothing about space science (or they wouldn't be teaching first graders grammar).... have taken it upon themselves to throw in their two-bits (about who is the better candidate to go to space)!
Take a look at this reaction from one of them who says it is now party time! Some of the comments that follow in the blog post are quite something.... Conspiracy theories flow.... and some are cocksure that she is the better candidate. Com'on guys, leave it to the experts. Why don't you stick to teaching the kids!
Update: I remove childish and immature reactions to my blog posts!
31 comments:
And you deduced that we are science-ignorant, first year English teachers by exactly what method?
And for a blogger who deals in opinions, you're pretty censorious of other people's ideas on other peoples forums . . .
"Update: I remove childish and immature reactions to my blog posts!"
You may consider removing childish and immature blog posts, as well.
And despite your air of smug superiority, you could use a little help from an English teacher occasionally. If you really are a business journalist, you must have good editors.
Seoul Buffoon, your reaction to the profession of English teaching shows that you are either envious of their salaries and free time, or that sadly you still engage in the judgementalism of an old-fashioned, unenlightened caste system.
Buffoon...you obviously deserve the "childish and immature" reactions...from what I see, you have spent 4 years in Korea and still haven't realized that English Teachers cannot stand any criticism...they will pounce on you like a pack of wolves! All the same, tell me if I am wrong...you were objecting to conspiracy theories and judgements about the suitablity of canditates.... then why are these English Teachers so offended? Just because you linked to a post by an English teacher?
Thanks to The Marmot for this unusual traffic on my site (not that i wanted it):
My take:
"anon1": I never said that English Teachers are "science-ignorant". Just that they cannot judge who is more qualified to go into space!
"seth gecko": loved your comment. quick-witted!
"jonny": perhaps you do not know that when a blogger writes, he/she is just banging away on the keyboards, without taking the time to review and check the grammar....unlike reporters do for news articles or features. But i will surely consider hiring you to edit my blog posts...interested?
"business journalist": for you info, i earn four times the average salary of an english teacher (even if you include all the illegal side jobs). Also it was cheap of you to refer to the much-maligned caste system in India, just because I am an Indian!
"anon2": you are right...
I'm sure you feel pretty good about not having an opinion on the astronaut debacle, and I do see your point about the importance of discretion. However, when you're citing comments posted on a blog as your evidence, I think your argument loses something.
Faulty logic again, my friend:
My point was that you have no way of knowing the basic level of science knowledge OR the job of any of the commenters on Marmot or Metro unless they've stated so. I, for example, am NOT an English teacher. And, once again, you have nothing to back up your claim that "they" have no basis or background to judge . . .while of course, you are equipped to judge who is capable of judging, apparently.
Thanks to The Marmot for this unusual traffic on my site (not that i wanted it)
You're more than welcome.
The authorities have taken a decision for whatever reason...
Like maybe the reason cited by the head of Korea's space program?
Buffoon -- you nixed my comment, which wasn't even anywhere near out-of-line. It was critical, but I guess you can't stand that kinda heat. So, I've linked to and blogged about your post-about-my-post, and will fully allow you the space to reply, no matter what you say. Care to comment?
In that post, I made one challenge to you: if you are so confident in both your assertions and qualifications, then tell us who you are and what publication you work for. Have any links to anything you've written? I'm not being facetious or cheeky -- I just think that if you stand by what you say, why hide?
My name is Michael Hurt, and you know where to find me, as you can see all specific, pertinent information about me. Can you tell us the same, either on my blog or your own?
A bruised ego speaks...going off on a tangent and attributing all kinds of nonsense to me. Hopefully it made you feel good.. Meanwhile keep your childish challenges to yourself....
you shouldnt tell people they arent qualified enough to have an opinion or to make judgments when you are little more qualified. As far as i know, business journalists arent on the advisory board for NASA, either.
I don't think it's a "childish" challenge at all. Your whole argument (as well as claims to authority) in this post is based on your being a highly-paid "business journalist", presumably for a reputable and well-known publication.
You deride all those in the English teaching profession on the very basis of them working in that profession, as people relegated to "teaching first grade grammar."
You say in your profile you are the "Chief Editor" for a business magazine.
Your entire modus operandi involves an appeal to apparent qualifications, and you deride others for apparently lacking them -- yet you remain conspicuously and inexplicably anonymous.
Why is that? If your claims about profession, position, and salary are indeed true, then you can simply make us all eat humble pie for doubting you by simply saying, "My name is XXX XXXX and I work for XXXXXXX publication. Here are some articles I've written or approved."
Is this really a "childish challenge" or perfectly reasonable, given the fact that you have publicly denigrated an entire profession as unqualified and uncredentialed as those like you?
This is a perfectly reasonable request to make, give the specific claims of this post, as well as the general disdain you seem to hold for those in the English teaching profession.
We would just like to know what it is YOU do.
I'm not afraid to offer up a short curriculum vitae. Why should you be?
Michael,
You certainly suffer from a persecution complex. Attributing motives to my posts where there are none. The post was plain and simple...the message being that every one is commenting on who is a better candidate to go to space. There are certain procedures in place and the authorities are best placed to decide.
I do not have anything against English Teachers... and never intended to deride them... it is all in your mind. In fact if you compare my post and the ones that you wrote referring to my blog, people can easily realize who is being childish, arrogant and enjoys deriding strangers!
Further, I never boasted about being a “highly-paid business journalist, presumably for a reputable and well-known publication”.......the salary range that was mentioned and made you so upset about was a specific response to one comment. If you cannot stand it, I cannot help you.
Call me names for all I care. Chapter closed.
Poor reasoning in your argument Buffoon. People have the freedom to write what they choose. As a journalist I'd expect you to know that. You're a business journalist, why are you giving your expert opinions on English teachers then?
It's clear to me that you just write for the sake of writing, and have no clear thought process.
Nice blog otherwise.
It's certainly amusing (if all-too-predicatble) to see a bunch of sanctimonious bloggers and blog commenters deride another blogger for being sanctimonious.
When and where is the lynching party this time?
Seiously, there are so many problems happening in this country and this is the kind of thing that everybody gets worked up about?
Hubris, sheer navel-gazing hubris!
Everyone is entitled to an opinion.
If you do not agree with it, just move on and stop with all the name calling and title dropping. Each person serves a unique purpose and no one person is actually more important than anyone else.
I suggest we read, observe and experience as much as possible in life and come to our own conclusions.
Try and help people where you can and leave alone the ones not wanting help.
This may be a little jumbled, but it is late and I am really tired.
Buffoon,
Don't let Micheal Hurt/metropolitian bug you. He's known to have a prosecution complex and is a self-promoting and long winded freak. He's a contrarian and any little criticism pointed in his direction, he'll try to discredit you in any possible personal fashion. You probably don't but if you by chance read his blog, he'll bring up his "impressive" cv or credentials as frequently as possible. Why does he do this? I have no idea. It's obvious that this man has alot of insecurities and venom, I just wish somebody would punch out his big fat mouth. Good that you're not taking his bait.
Re the above . . .
do either you or Buffoon have any idea what the meaning of the words "persecution complex" (not, NOT prosecution complex!) is? Take some time, look it up, try again.
Anonymous -
I'm self-promoting and long-winded? Check.
Discredit people in any possible personal fashion? How's that? By calling an arrogant braggart on his claims? I'm just calling the bluff, baby.
Drop creds as much as possible? Outside of 3 letters written in Korean to Koreans, and a CV page on what it obviously a commercial site, umm, where?
If you'd like to "punch me in my big fat mouth," I invite you to try. Name the time and place.
Ah, but then, you're writing anonymously. Riiight.
Well, the fact that she was the back up does seem to suggest that maybe someone expert (maybe even a lot of someones) thought she was a good choice.
Michael,
For your information , I have a new post which gives you my background. Hope it satisfies you.
I teach elementary English to middle schoolers. Somehow I managed to track down a website of something called a newspaper, and read an article about a woman astronaught. I don't know how I was able to do it, but somehow I formed an opinion about the matter. Amazing since my profession is teaching first grade English grammar.
this only confirms why english teachers have a bad reputation here...
buffoon is the perfect moniker, my friend. not only are you offensive and unknowledgeable, but you have taken on all of the bad habits of journalism in korea.
there's an old saying: if you can't "do", teach. and if you can't teach, join the military. and if you can't get into the military, become a journalist. i had never fully understood that until i saw your posting. good luck, chappy.
Wow-
There's a lot of guy-on-guy tension here. I hope that buffoon is simply an Internet troll taking the piss.
Sadly, I get the feeling that he's not.
Keep the negativity going!
Hi Densha. Did you read any of the Seoul Buffoon's other posts before you made your final decision on this guy's entire blog?
Just asking, you know.
Rob, thanks for the support...and reply on my behalf. From the comments, i gather that Densha is "simply an Internet troll taking the piss."
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