Newest Users

HIgh five!

I've been here's for many years too. Not exactly from the beginning, but close: ken was here & lessons were all free. :). I don't post often, but I work on chinespod lessons every day & sometimes more than once a day. It has been a real pleasure to use chinespod & I have expressed my appreciation in every communication with them - if not always on the boards.

However, the last year or so has been such a disappointment that I'm considering leaving when my subscription is up. Thanks to all of you for letting me know that chinesepod has been sold & that Connie & Jaiojie are gone for good. Dilu too?!

Let me say 'me too' to grambers & pretzellogic's posts. For those of you who are newer & don't like to hear complaints from older users, I'd just remind you that we love this site & hate to see its great qualities diminished.

And to the current chinesepod staff, it would have been really nice if you'd devoted a couple news shows to explaining the changes & the whys of them.

FWIW, I don't think there was any "cashing out" for Connie and Jiaojie, but I agree with what you've said here.

I see them

Am I the only one who is seeing greatly enlarged avatars and posts here?

Looks like another issue to fix - parts of the comments cannot be accessed.

Hi James,

We have been checking some accounts complaining about the lost of the bookmarks but I still haven't been able to find out where it comes from.

Would you mind sending me by email armel@chinesepod.com some of the lessons missing in your bookmarks? It could be really useful. The more you can tell me about the data missing the more it would help me to understand what happened.

Thank you

Hi Armel, its nice to see a presence here trying to iron out bugs. Can you please recover all of my lost bookmarks and progress data. It has really thrown me off. and no other staff members are replying to me

It can't be. Did CPod actually employ an IT guy who know what he's doing? Would everyone please tread softly so I don't wake up.

Sarah, the problem is solved for the exercises.

Sarah, I am checking this problem, but I recommend to create a new topic if you notice new bugs to make sure I don't miss them ;)

I tried a couple of things to block him but finally deleted his account. I am working on improving the tools to avoid SPAM.

Thanks! Things are finally getting done around here.

With regard to the spammer stanleyuba:

Did you finally block him, or did he actually run away after my request for his IP address? I noticed his spam stopped right after I made that request. So I'm guessing that he was actually a disgruntled ex-user.

Thanks. Nice to have someone on the job!

@mikeinewshot: I will check this ranking issue ASAP.

@Right-Wingnut: I now only display the latest users with avatar.

That has been happening for years at the start of each month until the following Monday. They are the all-time rankings. I actually find it interesting to see them.

Armelcpod: Re the "Newest Users": Previously it only showed the newest users who had non-blank avatars. It is actually a bit dull seeing a string of users with no avatar. Could this be returned to the way it was? (ie. before it was broken)

great stuff.

How about fixing this week's rankings where we find that Bababadwan has posted 14317 times and old dearly missing friends like Changye and Henning have posted in their thousands?

You are welcome, shanghaichanges, and sorry if I came off a bit harsh in saying that the issue was "irrelevant." I'm sure CPod is still good value if you are willing and able to commit enough time to study. For us old timers I guess we tend to notice how much CPod has lost. Its definitely not the value that it was before, but that does not mean that it is not worthwhile or worth the price. Oh, and the technology glitches predate the recent tech team replacement -- by n number of years! So caveat emptor there, but as CPod is absorbed into the new group maybe that will finally get sorted out too.

Thanks podster. Interesting to know about these changes. I've been using it on and off over the years. Only just started to really fully utilise their resources.

Ancient history and really irrelevant to Cpod's status now. All of the founders have cashed out. CPod is now owned by a conglomerate which also has interests in some other Chinese language learning resources, as well as media properties. I have no insight into what the "new" owners have planned for CPod (the acquisition was already a long time ago too), but Jenny cites the replacement of the IT team as being part of the acquisition. So don't expect things to stay the same, but if you can get past the interface you will find a treasure trove of archived lessons from CPod's glory days. I definitely learned more from CPod than any other on-line or software-based resource.

What? I thought Chinesepod had something good going. Why bolt? Someone made a huge offer he couldn't turn down? I remember there was this thing about a school he previously owned and there was a large debt, but he sold it to some other guy. So the debt shouldn't have been related to him.

Four and a half years to be precise since Ken bolted.

Ken 'did a runner years ago'! Others can tell you the history of ownership

Just Jenny I believe.

Just saw this post. Am I the 'Rich' you're referring to?

I wasn't a voice on ChinesePod (and kind of regret I never was, but I'll have my time in the future), but guess was here a bit, yet not as much as when I was a user 2006-2008, haha.

I left right before John P left at the beginning of December, but just happened to be at the same time, to move back with my wife to my hometown in the States. Originally, when I started at ChinesePod in Oct 2011 I thought I might be leaving after 9 months (and they probably wouldn't have hired me if they knew that, haha) but ended up staying on 2 years and 1 month. Was a great time.

I teach Chinese now here in Boise Idaho as a volunteer to get experience one night a week with newbies...will see where that goes, and as a day job still do web development for a small startup.

Having been around for a few years (3 or 4?), I understand the comments that are flying around. Some are constructive, more are not. I'm not sure why people who have 'unsubscribed' are even hanging around anymore. A bit of sour grapes? Lonely? Seeking attention?

Jenny, with all the changes you have had to deal with, I'm amazed that you are still here and haven't gone off on people more. I too am annoyed by the negative, spiteful comments that serve no useful purpose.

Cpod has definitely gone downhill on quality and service. However, I have recently observed signs of life, having gotten a positive, pleasant reply to a very lengthy technical complaint message I sent. Some terrific people, recent and long-timers, such as Shanell and Vera, are stepping up and doing a wonderful job with lessons and community interaction.

I'm optimistic that improvements are happening and will continue. Besides, there is still a wealth of lessons available that are worth far more than my annual subscription, which I plan to continue with. Jenny has done a marvelous job of keeping Cpod moving forward through the years and I believe she will continue to do so, despite setbacks big and small.

As another "old time user" here, although I only frequent the message boards intermittently, CPod has been an almost regular activity for me from almost the beginning. During that time, CPod has achieved what so many start-ups can only dream about. There have always been bumps along the way, but CPod seemed to weather them in the end.

I was only able to visit the old factory once, and have always enjoyed following the ChinesePod story almost as much as the lessons themselves.

Hopefully, the current team will get past the apparent recent bumps in the road, correct what needs correcting, and continue with what has been, from my perspective, an otherwise good product.

Wow you might say I am an old time Cpod user from the very beginning ... With lots of big gaps along the way...May not has commented much and most posts were before the very first website format which I don't the those discussions were ever saved。 Anyway it's like returning to check in on a long lost relative. An old friend. You guys were the best thing since sliced bread for a young twenty you're old moving to Shanghai many years ago to take on a position a little over his head but well worth it. Cpod helped me more in some ways then a major in chinese language in USA. I remember that air of a rising story what Ken John and Jenny we're doing (and others）to take mandarin and language learning in general to a new level.. The cpod family. ...

Looks like the program and idea are still strong I've resigned up again as plan a return move to china after many years away ... Hong kong this time..

Anyway above posters mention and to Jenny too, I agree I would read a screenplay or a book with that story...maybe parts of it are in the blog

.s ounds like there was drama good and bad but a great story as well. I'd love to hear about it someday.

-

Cheers to the Golden days of Cpod! And new ones too it possible ahead

Ken resurfaced shortly after his exodus to Taiwan as a consultant and has been active on facebook, twitter, and his website. He even talks here about why he left.

http://ken-carroll.com/

As for a story - not going to happen, nor should it.

What an extraordinary idea you have for Ken John and Jenny to write up their story. If Ken resurfaced that really would be something novel.

How is it you think you speak for the majority?

RW, thanks for the post, but I'm not sure if that affects them gettiing together to share their story. Also I think that is implied with the mention of an interesting story to tell of people leaving the country (like Ken and also Aric)

Jenny, don't worry too much about any non-constructive criticism. Being negative online is way too easy and doesn't take much effort. The majority of us ignore those posts. We look forward to seeing what new amazing things you will do.

Ken and John are not with CPod any more.

Does anyone else remember the Saturday Show? I haven't been online for several months but it seems a lot has happened. I do remember how much Cpod felt like a online family. It is unfortunate that there were not better send offs for the staff that had been here for awhile. I think Ken and John and Jenny need to get together and write a screenplay of all that's happened including the speedy flights from the country. There really is an interesting story to tell, at least the part before it became more corporate.

Best of luck ChinesePod!

My sincere apologies to you. Believe me I know first hand that there's a lot needs to be done. CPod has been through a lot since 2005, all the drama and mistakes we've made. We wouldn't have been here if it weren't for users like yourself who has continued to support us. So I am really sorry for my unjust comments. But I do honestly feel that people like Right Wingut are a very negative influence.

Mike, your longer post above sums up my feelings quite nicely too. I'll continue to use cpod as I do still get a lot out of it and have done since 2006 (has it really been that long!), but things have certainly changed.

Yea, I feel the same ways though I have only been around for about 3 years. Especially when I get attacked by Jenny herself for my joking remark about Chinesepod's new policy for keeping users in the dark and a post deleted that mentions Chinesepod competitors.

I get the feeling criticisms just get dismissed or swept under the rug these days and it's sad.

I will probably renew my subscription which comes up in two days but reduce to "basic."

OK. What was the reason for Connie and Jiaojie leaving?

Why was their leaving not announced, queries about their whereabouts not answered (except belatedly by Vera), nor their time at CPod celebrated?

Couldn't a decision not to recognise three prominent CPod staff for their contributions (as was previously done with Amber, Pete and others) be interpreted as 'mean'. Who is responsible for that decision, and what was the logic behind it?

I you can answer ALL of those questions and honestly tell me that you were not involved in any decision to let those people go and/or to sweep their departure under the rug, then I will be happily apologise for my previous comment.

I was certainly not trying to justify any personal attack, nor was I intending to tackle any specific post.

I wrote this piece to try to capture what I consider to be a real issue. I was trying to help Chinesepod understand better the reasons for the feelings of some of the users as exemplified in many of the posts recently.

As a user of relatively short tenure (less than two years), I haven't been around long enough for Mike's allegory to have truly struck a chord the way it may have for other. But whenever I dip into the vault and study an older lesson, I am always struck by how vibrant the community used to be. The discussion pages ran dozens of comments long – sustained by a foundation of long-time users who could be counted on to participate in the collective learning experience, interacting with each other as well as a responsive and dedicated staff. When I study those lessons I gain as much, if not more, cultural and linguistic insight from the comments as I do from the lesson materials themselves.

I have, however, been around long enough to have been privy to the steep decline in customer service, the attention to detail, and technological competence. It's quite obvious that the shriveling of the community is a direct result of the deterioration in quality and attentiveness on the part of the site. The early seeds of ChinesePod were planted with dedication, character, and a sense of family, and from those seeds sprouted an engaged and colorful community.

Not long ago I came across a farewell podcast for an ex-staffer named Amber. She was clearly loved by staff and users alike, and it was striking to listen to the podcast, watch the video her colleagues had made for her, and read the avalanche of forlorn user comments. Now, another well-liked staffer (Dilu) has vanished without a trace, and the thought of any sort of Amber-esque fanfare is laughable; it's like pulling teeth just trying to get an answer as to what has even happened to Dilu.

So while Mr. Wingnut's comment was probably unnecessarily snide and personal, I think that, as Mike said, the underlying frustration is not only understandable but inevitable. Half the comments that appear on any given day are complaints. I hope the site emerges from this sad state and finds a way to restore, at least to some degree, its prior quality and character. It's clear that users over the years felt that they were paying not just for learning materials but for a broader learning experience, so at the very least, the seeming indifference to the direction of the site seems like bad business.

Do you really think anything justifies the personal attack that Jenny was responding to?

Jenny: Please imagine.

Imagine you had been attending your favourite school for years. The school's special philosophy was to be centred on you the learner, providing resources for you to use at your convenience. You got to know the teachers, you asked them questions and they took their time to give you answers. You even were encouraged to go to the school's head office and were welcomed there. You felt happy that you were learning and getting value for money. From time to time the head teacher or senior staff had announced that you would be getting a new teacher or that an old teacher was leaving to take a new job elsewhere. New teachers would be introduced to the whole school and when teachers left there was the opportunity to bid them farewell. You stayed for many years at this school and were happy that the quality of their materials and instruction was second to none. You attended throughout the year and tried to keep in touch even on your holidays. You tried to contribute to the school by providing ideas and materials yourself. Altogether you felt part of a family as you swapped learning tips and anecdotes with the other students and the teachers themselves. The school was still developing and from time to time there were some problems with the school technology, but you were told the reasons and most of the time you were warned ahead of time if there were to be any changes that might affect your learning experience.

Then things started to change. Some of the teachers would suddenly not be there. You asked where they were and what was happening but no one answered. Sometimes new teachers would appear unannounced. Many of the long term students who felt part of the school would speculate but the school seemed to go quiet. Happily the standard of the school teaching materials was still good, and you continued to attend. Then some of the school technology would suddenly go wrong without warning. Attempts by the students to communicate with the school would sometimes be met by the school criticizing the students, but most often would be ignored. Then there started being some quality issues with the lessons themselves. When the students pointed these out, some of the teachers would sometimes reply and apologise but often they would be ignored.

Some of the long term students especially became very sad and frustrated. They felt that their second home was no longer interested in them. They were willing to continue to contribute for a while but as time went on and their attempts at communicating with the school were continually ignored or criticised, some of them became cynical, some of them left the school altogether, some of them spent less time at the school. Some of them held on hoping that some of the original character and 'learner centric' attitude would return, and that the quality of lessons would be restored.

Do you see that frustration and being kept in the dark are the reasons for some of the comments that have appeared cynical? I am sure that all of your users continue to wish you the very best for the future.

Dilu had a full time job which relocated her outside of Shanghai. So she wasn't able to record with us. BTW, you seem like a really mean person.

I miss Dilu. :-(

I agree with you 100%.

I wonder if it was her talent and her popularity that led "someone" to dismiss her? "Someone" for whom one cannot say there is "no sign of any conceit or narcissistic tendencies".

Yes and she was, in my opinion, the best female host they ever had. Her English was top notch, as was her understanding of the world. A very smart girl and not a bit pretentious with no sign of any conceit or narcissistic tendencies. Her and John had a chemistry that made them very enjoyable to listen to and to learn from. Her obvious departure was one of the last straws in my decision to not remain as a paying customer after 7 years. Rich has also left (of this I am sure) and apparently spin doctor Alex F&F has been recently replaced by "Armelcpod". Unfortunately with all this change, some things at cpod never change.

Dilu was in a lesson as late as Feb 28, about 6 weeks after the others left

no, dilu probably left with all the others in the january mass exodus from chinesepod that was barely acknowledged or mentioned on the site.

I've always read the comments whether subscribed or not.

Lately though I've left CPod open continuously to combat the spammers.

You still seem not to be able to stay away despite lack of subscription!

I have reduced mine to Basic only.

Correction: None the westerners, male or female made the cut.

Almost all of my posts were transcripts. One transcript would typically take over 60 comments. So the rankings don't mean too much.

Also, did Rich leave?

Its interesting to note that the number of counselors has been greatly cut back.

Also, why isn't Dilu there? Have I missed an announcement since I unsubscribed?