I do not think that it is exactly "fear of punishment" that inhibits people from certain cultures from participating in such 'public' exchanges - it is more a "fear of losing face". That is, they are worried about how they will be perceived by others.... When interacting with people directly it is easier to understand the social cues, so more people would be inclined to actively participate.<br> <br>Not sure what can be done about this. If one desires, it is not difficult to hide one's true identity from the forum (generic email address, no full name, etc.), but this does not seem to make much of a difference.<br> <br>Anyway.... <br><br>Zvi<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/6/6 Jonathan E. D. Richmond <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:richmond@alum.mit.edu">richmond@alum.mit.edu</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <br> <br> I do not think the issue is fear of lack of knowledge but fear of punishment.<br> <br> In many Asian countries there is a taboo about expressing opinions, an activity often felt to be reserved for politicians and the most senior officers --Jonathan!<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br> <br></div></div><br></blockquote></div><br>