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brasil
PopStar
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 1072
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Nov 04, 2009 - 11:52 AM |
 
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| Post subject: what do you think of the english articles written by expats |
what do you think of the english articles written by expats in english magazines here? (such as thatsshanghai )
fun read? badly written, grade 5 english level?
how does it compare to the magazines back home? |
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SoFarSoGood
Reacher
Joined: Mar 10, 2006
Posts: 272
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:02 PM |
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some of the articles are written by quite good authors. but these magazines mostly just grab someone fresh from the boat and make him/her write articles. |
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rocco72
Veejay
Joined: June 14, 2005
Posts: 2076
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:02 PM |
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I think they're fine, quite informative, for me they get the job done. |
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redsneef
Talker
Joined: June 14, 2007
Posts: 80
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:05 PM |
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They're absolutely horrible! Very poorly written--not that I know a thing about writing an article but as an end user I can't help but think that they all need to go back to school and up their reading level. City Weekend is the bottom of the barrel. They have the worst articles. That's Shanghai is a little better as is Talk!
Compared to back home--you get some poorly written content with the well written content so you can at least pick and choose what is worth reading and what is not. Here it's a little harder--not to mention with them being mostly free magazines I imagine they don't pay the writers well enough to produce decent reading. |
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jeffreylubowski
Barker
Joined: July 04, 2007
Posts: 178
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:43 PM |
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Aren't they aimed at local Chinese English speakers though? like the local TV channels? I mean they can't hire white tv presenters for how wooden their performances can be right? ... |
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SexyDjPaul
Lurker
Joined: Oct 26, 2009
Posts: 23
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:51 PM |
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If there were NO magazines then people would complain, we get a a few magazines for free every month/fortnight and people still complain. I would rather have that than nothing at all. I think there is a few good writers out there. Justin Fischer, Chris St Cavish,Aubrey Buckingham,Sam Riley, Nick Taylor,Crystal Moe ,Natalee Blagden Dan Bignold Phil Boyle and JFK (when they can be bothered). If you think you can write better than them then send some articles in to the editorial departments. If your good then they will pay. Instead of criticizing people, why not take some action. |
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ClarenceBodicker
Rocker
Joined: May 02, 2009
Posts: 661
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:51 PM |
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they r a joke.
my colleague used to write them, 500 rmb and u can knock 1 out in about 10-20 mins. good gaff apparently - if u r the writer. i wud neva actually waste my time reading the shite they produce tho.
she even joked about how she "reviewed" some place she had never been to. just phoned a friend and asked her what she thought of the place.
they r all english teachers (as way of explanation and sick irony) |
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Tim will heal anything, but hopefully not merely by forgetting. |
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Klick
Ranter
Joined: Jan 04, 2009
Posts: 503
Location: pupudongadong
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 12:57 PM |
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Well it's not like anyone reads them as pieces of investigative journalism, right? They're 'fluff' pieces, meant to highlight places to shop or to eat or take visitors, or aspects of 'the lifestyle' here in SH. So people pick them up to glance through whilst having a coffee, riding the metro or whatever, see what's new, what's going on around town, and then discard. You get what you pay for. |
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BeiDong
Raver
Joined: June 09, 2009
Posts: 484
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 01:58 PM |
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It's a business. The advertising-based stuff and new places I don't really pay much attention to, especially if it's a ridiculously positive review and they make a shitty pun in the title or opening. They put something to grab your attention and then the rest of it might be negative. Most is just seasonal stuff to fill the pages. Depends on who they'd like to appeal to; it's mass market and it does its job.
Some columns and writers I read are interesting as they have a unique voice, most kind of blend together. |
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nrgfink
Reacher
Joined: July 20, 2009
Posts: 314
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 02:05 PM |
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trousers
Ranter
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Posts: 581
Location: sofa
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 02:15 PM |
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I like Klick's use of the word 'fluff'. I've never seen this word before in this context and it fits rather well, and I've often wondered how much the establishments written about pay for their promotion.
I rather enjoy the small descriptions of restaurants in the back of some magazines - often they sometimes negative. Did these guys not pay?
Wow, thanks Klick - I've just checked the dictionary and there it is: fluff (noun) trivial or superficial entertainment or writing. Live and learn! |
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Delpy wrote: No we are not racist.Racist never happen in China, Racist only happen in you civilize countries. 11.08.09 |
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carlon78
Barker
Joined: June 16, 2008
Posts: 125
Location: jing'an/putuo
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 03:06 PM |
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The English publications in Shanghai aren't supposed to be treatises on political theory, FFS. They're entertainment/lifestyle mags, and do not pretend to be anything different. If you want something less fluffy, go pay 70 kuai for a copy of Time in Feidan.
The people working at them are mostly young expat writers (not, as someone suggested, English teachers) who are cutting their teeth as journalists. I think they're doing a pretty good job - I always look forward to getting my hands on the latest edition of CW/That's/Talk. It's a shame that SH went under last year. |
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臭屁不响，响屁不臭 |
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carlon78
Barker
Joined: June 16, 2008
Posts: 125
Location: jing'an/putuo
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 03:08 PM |
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| SexyDjPaul wrote: |
| I think there is a few good writers out there. Justin Fischer, Chris St Cavish,Aubrey Buckingham,Sam Riley, Nick Taylor,Crystal Moe ,Natalee Blagden Dan Bignold Phil Boyle and JFK |
I agree. I also like Ric Stockfis (SmartShanghai), Rebekah Pothaar (ChinaTravel) and Dan Shapiro (City Weekend). |
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臭屁不响，响屁不臭 |
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ClarenceBodicker
Rocker
Joined: May 02, 2009
Posts: 661
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 03:40 PM |
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^u r being sarcastic i presume. 2 of my colleagues worked for those joke rags (both english teachers as a REAL JOB) lol
they r utter crap. they told me any john can work for them not ˙oung writers cutting their teeth""
they offered me the job but i wudnt be arsed.
how did the times editor put it ?...
"thoroughly absorbing"" |
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Tim will heal anything, but hopefully not merely by forgetting. |
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Swiss-James
Post Roaster
Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 4330
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 03:49 PM |
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| ClarenceBodicker wrote: |
^u r being sarcastic i presume. 2 of my colleagues worked for those joke rags (both english teachers as a REAL JOB) lol
they r utter crap. they told me any john can work for them not ˙oung writers cutting their teeth""
they offered me the job but i wudnt be arsed.
how did the times editor put it ?...
"thoroughly absorbing"" |
I think you'd be quite a test for an editor Clarence.
I only know about That's Shanghai but most (maybe 80%?) of the magazine is written by people who work on the magazine full time.
Some stuff is written / added to by people who have other jobs, some of those other jobs are writing for other magazines (e.g. Financial mags, British Consul stuff).
I don't know anyone who writes for That's SH and teaches english on the side, but even if they did, so what?
500RMB for 10 minutes work and you turned it down huh?
Must be nice for some. |
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ISpy: Shanghai blog ||  |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2789
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 03:57 PM |
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CW's are generally truly awful reviews. They have nothing but oh-so-gushing praise for their ubercool to die for hip joints where trendsetters party the nights away to the sounds of the latest beats in the company of good and beautiful people letting their hair down like there's no tomorrow.
Reality check: Frozen manequin type local girls who dont move in case their make up falls off their face lest they lose business that night. Fat letchy westerners propping up the bar. Western big bottomed women dancing like their dad at a wedding party. Teachers drinking cheap Tsingtao. Cant hear or talk with your mates because of the loud blaring 50cent tune (yeah that same one). Expensive weak drinks. |
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Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind
Last edited by Shangstar on Nov 04, 2009 - 04:00 PM; edited 2 times in total |
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chingiskhan
Low Seater
Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 3357
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 03:59 PM |
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I'm quite surprised that people here feel the need to criticise free publications like That's Shanghai for the quality of writing. I personally am quite happy to have a few magazines that are written in English and helps to highlight some new additions to the entertainment scene in Shanghai.
This forum seems increasingly inhabited by moaners and whingers. |
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BeiDong
Raver
Joined: June 09, 2009
Posts: 484
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 04:06 PM |
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That is the nature of a forum. How exactly would everyone change their listing of information? I write for a new site and will need to decide the direction the content takes, so I'd really like to know. |
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Swiss-James
Post Roaster
Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 4330
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 04:12 PM |
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Well 160 pages in the new That's Shanghai issue- there are interviews with the performers at Circus World, a feature on male trailing spouses, a piece on night markets, preview of Obama's visit including a roundup of previous presidential trips, architecture bit about the Fortune Gate building (with a great full-page photo and Q&A with the architect), a 19 page fashion section, vegetarian restaurants (plus phrases in Mandarin of how to ask for veggie / vegan food)
24 hours in Taipei travel bit, book section, interview with a Beijing electro-rock group and some Norwegian jazz people, feature on the Shanghai wild animal park, how to spot if someone's addicted to prescription drugs. Article about the Indian expat community etc. etc.
And 3 reviews of bars. |
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ISpy: Shanghai blog || |
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Swiss-James
Post Roaster
Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 4330
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 04:14 PM |
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Damn- that was meant to be a response to Shangstar. Now I see he was talking about CW.
Isn't CWs whole thing meant to be that the reviews in there are "user generated" from the website? |
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ISpy: Shanghai blog || |
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thickchick
Barker
Joined: Dec 19, 2008
Posts: 132
Location: Shanghai and NC, USA
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 04:19 PM |
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As an active user/reader of shexpat I'm hardly one to be discerning of quality reads. I'm just sayin'..... |
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Ni Hao Y'all |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2789
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 04:50 PM |
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yeah the user gen reviews are useful but the editorial reviews are bad. For a freebie mag I suppose they need to keep potential advertisers happy though - but as a guide to whats good and whats not in town, it's pretty useless. |
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Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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ziccawei
Post Roaster
Joined: Sep 12, 2008
Posts: 4556
Location: Ziccawei
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 05:10 PM |
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I read all these magazines. I find them to be highly informative, yet engaging and whimsical.
I like Swiss Tony's blog too but not that Ghengis bloke's blog. He should just stick to his day job.
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Jackie Onnassis on acid. |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2789
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 05:14 PM |
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this forum is great for warnings on where to avoid!! |
_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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nrgfink
Reacher
Joined: July 20, 2009
Posts: 314
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 04, 2009 - 06:22 PM |
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