I think i've told this story sometime here in the chat; or I've written about it in a comment before. I can't really remember. But now I feel like sharing it here in this blog.
Before coming here, I was member of another English learning site (Italki, but don't even bother looking for it, it sucks now) It was just like MyEC but more active and it was cool till a biggest company bought it and changed everything to make it all commercial: They removed the chat room and the site turned into a very impersonal and cold place where the 'most important' was that you had the 'chance' to buy credits, buy lessons, find tutors and teachers that you had to pay buying credits in the site, 'invite friends to get a lesson for free', etc.
This was the main reason I left that site but, before that, something happened that made me take the final decision. And that was 'cause I wrote a blog (the last one I wrote there) that they deleted. And you might wonder: What did you do that time Mary?? What terrible and controversial thing you wrote there? Well, the reason is the funny thing: My blog was deleted there because I shared a link to MyEnglish Club.
Yup, just like that.
Looking how commercial the site was becoming, I wrote a blog sharing different english resources, all of them FREE sites. It wasn't the first time I was sharing free resources (same as I've done here sometimes too), because I liked to share stuff that I thought could be useful not only for me, but for other members. And I repeat again, they were all free sites and obviously I wasn't earning anything with it.
They didn't care about any link I shared there (online dictionaries, english podcasts, free english exercises...) but the one of MyEC... I guess because MyEC was giving for free something for what they wanted to do a business and make money now.
This is the mail I got from the moderator who deleted my blog:
It says:
"Hi Mary,
My name is Sam. I am the community manager at italki dot com
We saw that you posted a link to english club.
Please don't post any more links to english club. We know that you are just trying to help but it is against policy. Thank you very much."
Well, I can't deny they were very polite, at least. But super bad Mary was again breaking a rule, how terrible! How she dared to share a link to a free learning english site?!!!
I've to say here that I wasn't even active in MyEC back then, I just checked it a bit and seemed interesting enough to share it, that was all. But after being an active member in that Italki site for some years, and a blog of mine being deleted for a new moderator and for such a silly reason... I couldn't do anything but complain about it! What else?! You know me :P
So, I complaint about it defending that I was just sharing a link to a free site and that I didn't have anything to do with MyEC and that it was unfair, etc... And what did Evil Mary get for complaining so much??: She got suspended for a week.
And that was the last reason I needed to quit definitely that site.
----
I wanted to share this story here again because I find it kind of 'funny' now. I know some people here might think that I'm ungrateful with this site 'cause I complain about many stuff or whatever. But every time I find someone here telling me that I'm 'ungrateful', I remember that time I was suspended from another site for suggesting MyEC to other english learners.
Anyway... now I just can't help but thinking: Did it worth to complain? Does it worth to complain about anything you find 'unfair' and try to explain your reasons? Does it worth to ask for any kind of explanation just to try to understand better the situation? Isn't better just to shup up and not to get into 'troubles'?
Sorry for this long 'open letter'.
Thanks for reading (if you did)
Comments
Diah, haha yeah, that site sucks now...
Oh yeah, I know what you mean. There's a quote that comes to my mind very often, said by one of my fave writers (Franz Kafka); it says “In man's struggle against the world, bet on the world.”
Thanks for sharing your experience here ;)
Lol Mary!! I also joined Italki i forget maybe since 2016 but I rarely comw there because I have to be rich only to learn english.... since im just a broke girl lol. I have met some partners to talk english but I still don't get how it works.
Btw, it is a risk of a person who likes to complain and find the fair in this world. Some do agree and vice versa. You remind me when I had a discussion in class, but I spoke by myself to say what I thought it was true... while nobody defended me lol. I had been in those situation oftenly... so I think it depends on the case. We have to be smart to read the situation around and choose which one is better; keep silent or complain. And sometimes, it is better to leave the argue... and relax! I hope you got my point...
^_^
HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
I'm so proud of you.
Roman, I'm afraid your head still lives and will always live in "another world" haha... but no worries, that's okay. I'm myself a Cloud Walker too.
But yeah, life takes us to many different situations that make us see things in other perspectives and that make us change (sometimes for better, sometimes for worse). Probably that's the only meaning of life for a human being: to learn, change and evolve the more we can while we have time.
I dunno if you should 'learn' anything from me, but I feel flattered :P Anyway, it's cool when people 'inspire' you; and I'm sure you're also an 'inspiration' and a very good influence for many people here as well.
"Please don't stop trying to help people. Even if they don't understand it."??? hahaha, oh no! I'm not so pretentious XD
Thanks for your comment.
"Due to my life experience, It doesn't worth it."
Yes Svitlana, that's what I'm fiding out lately... I'm also starting to think that most of the time it doesn't worth. But when something happens that I think is 'unfair', I just can't help it... and I'm afraid I'm not gonna be able to change that. Sometimes I'd be right, others I'd be wrong, and as you very well said: most of the time it won't worth... But the option of just to keep shut up... makes me feel sad.
I dunno, I guess it's not easy sometimes to see clearly what's 'right' or 'wrong', what is better to do or not. But as you said, that's life, right? And in any case, we learn from our mistakes.
Thanks for dropping by; it's nice reading you too.
Rys! Your 'caramba' feels always like a breath of fresh air :D
So you suggest me not to complain?... Ha!, you wish :P
Thanks for dropping by ;)
Estanis, yeah ¬¬
Hey tam, yeah. Don't waste your time there.
A7!! ^_^
Ok, your wish is my command!
Activate "kill mode'' and go for the jugular, my AWESOMEGURL.
Hello, Mary. It's an interesting story. I have joined in italki. They seem to want to make it a success as a business. On the other hand, I don't feel strongly EC wants it.
Haha... I see you success in everywhere :D
It's really soooooooooooo nice to see you ranting and yapping here again, caramba, i missed all that so much.
I am apt to agree with your last statement...don't complain...and when you are in a chicken coop, don't laud the peacocks...LOL.
Hello, Mary!
I have to confess that I have visited many English sites before but they were all nothing in comparison with MyEc. Some of them are just for chatting, others are just for learning. Most of them are not free. We have to pay for each lesson, even for chatting with other memebers sometimes. But this site has everything for improving English skills.
Nowadays, money talks. Of course paid sites don't want to get links from free sites. They are afraid of intense competition.
About your complaints, dear Mary. Due to my life experience, It doesn't worth it. Surely, everything depends on people to whom you complain. But most of the time it doesn't work. People don't like to hear complaining and don't want to explain anything. ( In fact, there are exceptions).
This is our life.
I have been pleased to read your thoughts, Mary. thank you for sharing them.
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