That's not accurate, for me, at all. I recognize that there are different types of people from different places, but I don't obsess on it, or make threads about it. For me, the internet is all about bringing people together, and there aren't any restrictions on that based on geographical boundaries or national affiliations.

This is from SG's original post:
Exactly. The internet has brought us together, allowing us to learn about each other, and now, we can focus on our common humanity.

This is because the internet has no national boundaries. The internet is everywhere. To try to give it a geographical attribute is inherently illogical to me, and I just can't get past that.

There are no foreigners on the internet, only human beings. This is the new world order you've been hearing about. One world, one love. All that.

P.S. I don't notice anything different about this place that sets it apart from more "international" boards I have posted on. So that right there tells me that we are all just human beings with a lot of things in common no matter where we're from. To try to place us in categorized boxes seems superficial to me. That's not what the internet is for. It's for coming together, not huddling in homogenous lumps.

I think my point was missed by myself too last night. :) It's easier for Americans (and Australians and Brits) to talk about interesting events in their country, because the language is the same. If I linked to some Finnish newspaper and asked what do you think about it, I'd have to translate the article first, and unfortunately I'm way too lazy for that. :)

It doesn't bother me at all, and as I tried to tell, I have no problems about the Cellar being an American place (from my point of view).
I might start some threads later, but now I have about 7 minutes to turn off this terrible time-consumer (my computer, not the Cellar ;) ) and get to work...

Flint, unless you are frequenting international boards where English is not the main language, you are statistically likely to be on one where Americans are the mainstay of the board.

The reason I started the thread was because it really bugged me that something so obvious to me was being vehemently denied. It was like going through the looking glass. I had to reassure myself that in fact I wasn't crazy. I'm not obsessed by it, by any means. If I was I would start linking to this thread in other posts. Ahem.

Flint, just admit that you're wrong and we can all go back to being part of one glorious whole :grouphug: (Rimmer)

Somehow, I can identify with that.
NoBoxes
But then I'm frequenting international boards where English is not the main language.

sorry. i knew i shouldn't have joined in.

But no!
You are the most qualified. Don't start being stingy with your expertise now!

My introduction to internet communities was a place filled with (English-speaking) Aussies, Cannucks, Kiwis, Brits, and fluent English speakers from all corners of the globe. English speakers are everywhere, and I'll remind you that it isn't an "American" language.

The numbers will be skewed towards Americans because we have a larger population, that's all.

To say that a place is an "American" board sounds like a description of its character, not a statistical analysis.

I don't think we can continue to indulge national characteristics as an important element of human interaction. That part of history is dying away, this is the future. We're all here together.

There is one human race. This is a HUMAN board.

I'm not "denying" it, I'm questioning its significance. Why should we pick apart the things that separate us, and put the focus on that? We're all human, and we all have more in common than the trivial, divisive cultural idiosyncraices we cling to.

It is American in character due to the statistic that the majority of posters are American.

Whether you choose to recognise it or not, there are differences between people of different countries. Ask Slang if living in the Phillipines is the same as living in America. Ask Monster and Perry Winkle if Britain and the USA are the same. Ask me if I saw any daily differences when I lived in France as a 15 year old (aside from the language obviously) It's not indulgent, it's the way things are. Denying that differences exist doesn't change anything.

Anyway, I got what I wanted from the thread. I know that other people see what I do, and that the people who don't can't or won't understand the point I was making.

Hurray! Once again I win the game! (Dr Carlton)

"Whether you choose to recognise it or not..." Where are you getting that I'm "denying" or "choosing not to recognize" anything? Please read my posts.

Other people "see what you do" becasue you don't have a unique insight. You're not contributing anything that isn't obvious.

People are from different places. Agreed. Obvious.

There are differences in people from different places. Agreed. Obvious.

As it isn't difficult to grasp these basic concepts, the question is what do we do now?

We're all here together in this worldwide community that has no boundaries whatsoever. For the first time in history, people from anywhere in the world can converse in real time, as if they were next-door neighbors. This is a major, important advance in human culture! This changes everything!

Oh, wait, but all SG cares about is that this is an "American" board. That is just sad, to me. It strikes me as small-minded. You've taken this amazing opportunity in human interaction and found something negative to pick apart and complain about. That actually turns my stomach a little.

You're the one who sees what I am saying as a problem.
I don't see this board as being a bad place at all. If I did, I wouldn't be here.

What do we do now? Eh? I don't need this place to change.
We carry on communicating, getting to know people, sharing details of our lives and learning what is different and what is the same and enjoying it. Those with turned stomachs are excepted of course.

As Monster explained, certain words and phrases, while still in English, carry different connotations in different countries. If you aren't cognizant of where the poster is from, you can misinterpret the post.

I think this shows up more in the daily banter than posts on serious international issues, but it's still important to flow of thoughts and feelings.

The cultures will slowly merge, and we accelerate the process.

I see that YOU have a problem or you wouldn't be saying anything in the first place.

What else is there to your observation, if not an implied complaint? It's obvious that we are from different places and have different things about us--in fact it's SO obvious that there's nothing there to make a thread about.

The second, unfounded complaint you have is that Americans have a "blind spot" to the obvious thing you think you are so clever for having observed.
___

And the old-guard luddites will drag their feet at every step, constantly reminding us that we should stay segregated into little boxes that will be increasingly impossible to maintain the illusion of. I'm against that. If you hadn't noticed. There's no point in resisting the future--it comes whether you welcome it or not.