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And what do you know about India? And cultures? Your comment says you know nothing about India and are an "internet-expert". People sitting on the couch commen

And what do you know about India? And cultures? Your comment says you know nothing about India and are an "internet-expert". People sitting on the couch commenting on things without having the slightest idea. China and India are very complex countries. They are countries only on the surface. There are hundreds of very different cultures in both. Do you know India has 1762 languages for example? Generalizing for them on the basis of what some ignorant fools believe about eclipses is being as ignorant as them. When they haven't been to grade five. They are more likely to believe heresy and superstition. Most people would not even know what IS cyanide. Forget committing suicide for it. Some people think of the sun as god as have some religious rituals. Having said that, some of these rituals are old. Remember the hysteria after 9/11? Every two days there used to orange alerts and green and god knows what alerts. Was that a culture thing too? It isn't about being racist. If you even mention that it (your comment) has to do anything with racism It's about ignorance. And absolute ignorance. I see this way too often about eastern cultures on the internet. And it sure is upsetting and extremely irritating.

ErrantX 17y ago
Certainly not ignorance; I've seen this affect first hand. Mass panic in the US is incredibly different from what is seen in, say, India. It's fantastically interesting to see. In the US it tends to be an "inactive panic" - so people will rant at length in bars and with friends etc. but end up taking no practical measures. The media heavily milk the situation but the healthcare profession tend to take a sensible laid back approach. In China (as I havent observed swine flu panic in India) its a much more "active panic". With remedies, face masks, precautions etc. One of the guys who works for us and lives in India part of the year says mass movement is definitely part of the culture - and that panic (espeacially a global panic) can overlay onto that in interesting ways. No ignorance: just interest. > When they haven't been to grade five. They are more likely to believe heresy and superstition. This perhaps was the problem then: the issue in the comet example was the media started the mass panic. But it was fairly global: and one of the biggest adverse reactions was in Asia. Also please note you might have misconstrued "culture" - I see you talk about language and heritage, This is not the culture I refer to: but instead culture of the society there. And whilst India does have a many faceted and seriously complex mix of cultures and heritage it also has a clear national culture constructed from that. Sorry I didnt make that clear. > I see this way too often about eastern cultures on the internet. And it sure is upsetting and extremely irritating. (sorry to keep editing in further replies - im working at the same time). I find this highly offensive. Because I am definitely not ignorant of Eastern culture having spent some time there and having a deep interest in people, their interactions and their cultures. Please note I never said mass panic doesnt manifest in other cultures - I was simply commenting on one of the unique ways it does manifest in Asia.
- chromophore 17y ago
  Link me up with the suicides due to reports of Cyanide. That sounds ridiculous to me.
  - ErrantX 17y ago
    with pleasure :) (bear in mind this is in 1910! Internet-ness is vague. Hunt down a book called "Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear" - that has better references, I dont have it to hand right now) http://books.google.com/books?id=U4FZp6f6q6MC&pg=PA437&lpg=PA437&dq=1910+suicide+comet+cyanide&source=bl&ots=SQYzf4N5GM&sig=XLldB2YVhCrw2qVL-vcp2qraY0A&hl=en&ei=VMWCSvTjEYisjAeA4-CCCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=1910%20suicide%20comet%20cyanide&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=U4FZp6f6q6MC&pg=PA437&#... http://starryskies.com/articles/dln/3-98/comet.html http://starryskies.com/articles/dln/3-98/comet.html Interestingly in Rome the manifestation was a hording of oxygen bottles (which had to be banned briefly). There was some suicides there too I think.
    - chromophore 17y ago
      Ah!! Well my dear friend this was not in India. But America. I remember watching about this hysteria on Carl Sagan's Cosmos. They had organized parties all over California as they thought they were going to die in some days as the Earth would be finished. And so it was better to have fun, make confessions etc. So there. Coming back. Well don't you think there's a difference between 1910 and now? If you move the clock back a little. I think witches were pretty common in America and Europe (and related hysteria in towns and cities where they were "located") too don't you think? Or take the hysteria after the launch of the Sputnik. People thought they were just going to be bombed every second day. And suicides weren't because it was said Halleys' tail had cyanide. It was because of this: Comets have had a history IN ALL cultures to invoke some sort of fear. The only difference is that there are still a lot of people in Eastern countries who are backward. That's the only difference. In Europe not very long ago, comets could lead to executions. In places like India and China there are still a lot of people who hold on to such beliefs that the gods are angry. And when I said about culture I meant that there are hundreds of cultures and such rituals are more prevalent in some of them than the others. So generalizing would be a sin. About flu. I have not been to America since the outbreak of the flu so I can't say. I think in India and China some of it is necessary. A lot of people live in slums, and these are more likely to catch the virus once it has spread. Right now it is confined to people who came in touch with people coming from abroad. If there isn't a certain degree of hysteria, there could be catastrophe when these poor people start getting it. And I agree with your point about the media created frenzy, but I again believe that it's the same in all countries if you normalize.
chromophore 17y ago
Avoid editing the same comment please and write a new one instead. The context of my replies gets lost.
plinkplonk 17y ago
"I see this way too often about eastern cultures on the internet. And it sure is upsetting and extremely irritating." I am Indian too, but I don't find anything "offensive" about it. If anyone misconstrues our culture, and we think it deserves correcting, let us correct them with facts, data and explanations and not necessarily assume ill will. God knows many Indians look on Americans as uncultured barbarians with a lot of money but no culture. They are wrong too, but being offended may not be a productive response. At least on HN let us assume goodwill and argue based on facts vs perceived intention and "offensiveness". I am not disputing your right to be offended, just trying to propose an alternative. All cultures have ridiculous and glorious aspects. All people have incomplete perceptions. As I said, I am Indian and live in India these days, but have lived in the USA. I maybe limited in my experience, but I've found most people in both countries to be decent people with no real notions of cultural superiority. This might be a good assumption to work off unless proved otherwise. Just my 2 cents. Ok I am done. Thanks for listening. carry on :-)
- chromophore 17y ago
  Good comment plinkplonk. My first comment was made "at the spur". Not the guys fault. but reading too many articles on "Indian Culture" today. But I definitely thought it was a ridiculous comment. I agree with the edited versions.
  - plinkplonk 17y ago
    @chromophore. Sure. I wasn't really disputing your comment vs suggesting a different frame. I have met my share of obnoxious people, both in the USA and in India, It is just that it is (in my opinion) very very hard to read the correct tone into written communication, specifically casual email/internet posts and a modicum of caution in this respect pays rich dividends.
  - ErrantX 17y ago
    > I agree with the edited versions. yeh sorry. this was why I edited it. Both as I dug out some reference to the event I read about and your reply highlighted areas of confusion.

ErrantX 17y ago

Certainly not ignorance; I've seen this affect first hand. Mass panic in the US is incredibly different from what is seen in, say, India. It's fantastically interesting to see. In the US it tends to be an "inactive panic" - so people will rant at length in bars and with friends etc. but end up taking no practical measures. The media heavily milk the situation but the healthcare profession tend to take a sensible laid back approach. In China (as I havent observed swine flu panic in India) its a much more "active panic". With remedies, face masks, precautions etc. One of the guys who works for us and lives in India part of the year says mass movement is definitely part of the culture - and that panic (espeacially a global panic) can overlay onto that in interesting ways. No ignorance: just interest. > When they haven't been to grade five. They are more likely to believe heresy and superstition. This perhaps was the problem then: the issue in the comet example was the media started the mass panic. But it was fairly global: and one of the biggest adverse reactions was in Asia. Also please note you might have misconstrued "culture" - I see you talk about language and heritage, This is not the culture I refer to: but instead culture of the society there. And whilst India does have a many faceted and seriously complex mix of cultures and heritage it also has a clear national culture constructed from that. Sorry I didnt make that clear. > I see this way too often about eastern cultures on the internet. And it sure is upsetting and extremely irritating. (sorry to keep editing in further replies - im working at the same time). I find this highly offensive. Because I am definitely not ignorant of Eastern culture having spent some time there and having a deep interest in people, their interactions and their cultures. Please note I never said mass panic doesnt manifest in other cultures - I was simply commenting on one of the unique ways it does manifest in Asia.

chromophore 17y ago
Link me up with the suicides due to reports of Cyanide. That sounds ridiculous to me.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  with pleasure :) (bear in mind this is in 1910! Internet-ness is vague. Hunt down a book called "Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear" - that has better references, I dont have it to hand right now) http://books.google.com/books?id=U4FZp6f6q6MC&pg=PA437&lpg=PA437&dq=1910+suicide+comet+cyanide&source=bl&ots=SQYzf4N5GM&sig=XLldB2YVhCrw2qVL-vcp2qraY0A&hl=en&ei=VMWCSvTjEYisjAeA4-CCCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=1910%20suicide%20comet%20cyanide&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=U4FZp6f6q6MC&pg=PA437&#... http://starryskies.com/articles/dln/3-98/comet.html http://starryskies.com/articles/dln/3-98/comet.html Interestingly in Rome the manifestation was a hording of oxygen bottles (which had to be banned briefly). There was some suicides there too I think.
  - chromophore 17y ago
    Ah!! Well my dear friend this was not in India. But America. I remember watching about this hysteria on Carl Sagan's Cosmos. They had organized parties all over California as they thought they were going to die in some days as the Earth would be finished. And so it was better to have fun, make confessions etc. So there. Coming back. Well don't you think there's a difference between 1910 and now? If you move the clock back a little. I think witches were pretty common in America and Europe (and related hysteria in towns and cities where they were "located") too don't you think? Or take the hysteria after the launch of the Sputnik. People thought they were just going to be bombed every second day. And suicides weren't because it was said Halleys' tail had cyanide. It was because of this: Comets have had a history IN ALL cultures to invoke some sort of fear. The only difference is that there are still a lot of people in Eastern countries who are backward. That's the only difference. In Europe not very long ago, comets could lead to executions. In places like India and China there are still a lot of people who hold on to such beliefs that the gods are angry. And when I said about culture I meant that there are hundreds of cultures and such rituals are more prevalent in some of them than the others. So generalizing would be a sin. About flu. I have not been to America since the outbreak of the flu so I can't say. I think in India and China some of it is necessary. A lot of people live in slums, and these are more likely to catch the virus once it has spread. Right now it is confined to people who came in touch with people coming from abroad. If there isn't a certain degree of hysteria, there could be catastrophe when these poor people start getting it. And I agree with your point about the media created frenzy, but I again believe that it's the same in all countries if you normalize.

chromophore 17y ago

Avoid editing the same comment please and write a new one instead. The context of my replies gets lost.

plinkplonk 17y ago

"I see this way too often about eastern cultures on the internet. And it sure is upsetting and extremely irritating." I am Indian too, but I don't find anything "offensive" about it. If anyone misconstrues our culture, and we think it deserves correcting, let us correct them with facts, data and explanations and not necessarily assume ill will. God knows many Indians look on Americans as uncultured barbarians with a lot of money but no culture. They are wrong too, but being offended may not be a productive response. At least on HN let us assume goodwill and argue based on facts vs perceived intention and "offensiveness". I am not disputing your right to be offended, just trying to propose an alternative. All cultures have ridiculous and glorious aspects. All people have incomplete perceptions. As I said, I am Indian and live in India these days, but have lived in the USA. I maybe limited in my experience, but I've found most people in both countries to be decent people with no real notions of cultural superiority. This might be a good assumption to work off unless proved otherwise. Just my 2 cents. Ok I am done. Thanks for listening. carry on :-)

chromophore 17y ago
Good comment plinkplonk. My first comment was made "at the spur". Not the guys fault. but reading too many articles on "Indian Culture" today. But I definitely thought it was a ridiculous comment. I agree with the edited versions.
- plinkplonk 17y ago
  @chromophore. Sure. I wasn't really disputing your comment vs suggesting a different frame. I have met my share of obnoxious people, both in the USA and in India, It is just that it is (in my opinion) very very hard to read the correct tone into written communication, specifically casual email/internet posts and a modicum of caution in this respect pays rich dividends.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  > I agree with the edited versions. yeh sorry. this was why I edited it. Both as I dug out some reference to the event I read about and your reply highlighted areas of confusion.