Nationality on the internet
- Thread starter isay
- Start date
Recommended Videos
I don't assume anything about people on the internet. Whether it's nationality, age, gender, intellect..
Of course, if you've read posts from someone for a long time (or speak with him/her in an MMO), you start estimating things like that. Age is an easy one. And to be clear, I don't think someone is young when his/her grammar is horrible. More importantly is whát the person is saying. Also, being Dutch, it makes it easier to say when someone else is Dutch when his or her English isn't that great. Proverbs that are only used in Dutch but are translated into English is a good one for that.
Oh, and gender? Just look out for romantic poems and cuteness.
Of course, if you've read posts from someone for a long time (or speak with him/her in an MMO), you start estimating things like that. Age is an easy one. And to be clear, I don't think someone is young when his/her grammar is horrible. More importantly is whát the person is saying. Also, being Dutch, it makes it easier to say when someone else is Dutch when his or her English isn't that great. Proverbs that are only used in Dutch but are translated into English is a good one for that.
Oh, and gender? Just look out for romantic poems and cuteness.
Nothing annoys me more than when someone online, like on a forum, tries to excuse their poor grammar and spelling by claiming that english is not their first language. La-di-fucking-da, same applies for most people. I'm not from an english speaking country either, that doesn't mean I'm a moron whose incapable of telling the difference between "there" and "their".
We're constantly exposed to the english language not only on the internet, but in pretty much every other media aswell, so it shouldn't be that hard to learn.
Anyway, to answer the OP's question(s): no, I haven't assumed such a thing. I like the idea of the internet being it's own anarchistic nation, but with the various governments continious efforts to gain control over the internet, I fear it's only a matter of time before they restrict it.
We're constantly exposed to the english language not only on the internet, but in pretty much every other media aswell, so it shouldn't be that hard to learn.
Anyway, to answer the OP's question(s): no, I haven't assumed such a thing. I like the idea of the internet being it's own anarchistic nation, but with the various governments continious efforts to gain control over the internet, I fear it's only a matter of time before they restrict it.
Where the hell is porn island? that's the whole point of the internet isn't it?Cpt_Oblivious said:With immaculate what?jasodan92 said:
And as a rule: The foreigners speak better English than we do, I learned that from MMOs with the Scandinavians.
For your second question there's an XKCD comic somewhere about saying "I'm from the internet". I'll try to dig it up.
Found the Internet Nationality map.
Also in my head you all speak with an australian accent.
If someone posts in immaculate English I tend to assume they're not British or American because we've frankly bastardised our own language with so many bizarre colloquialisms, phrases and slang that they make us look bad. The prime offenders are the Dutch - DAMN their superior grasp of English!
I don't really assume that people on the internet are British or American. There are some characteristics that allow me to recognize certain nationalities, though:
1) When someone posts how great it is to be able to smoke weed and how great beer is, along with a "
" smiley, I know for a fact that the person is Dutch. And it embarrasses me.
2) Often, people have the country code in their nickname. Names that were quite common in WoW, for example, were names like 'RogueDK' ( or its equivalent 'RougeDK' ), ShadowHunterNL, and other poorly thought of names.
3) When playing Company of Heroes, one can assume that most people are either French or German.
4) When people don't know the difference between your/you're and there/their/they're, they are from lazy-retard-land. It really isn't that hard, but people just can't be arsed to learn how to use these words..
Can't think of anything else right now, but I'm sure others would have something to add to this list.
1) When someone posts how great it is to be able to smoke weed and how great beer is, along with a "
" smiley, I know for a fact that the person is Dutch. And it embarrasses me.2) Often, people have the country code in their nickname. Names that were quite common in WoW, for example, were names like 'RogueDK' ( or its equivalent 'RougeDK' ), ShadowHunterNL, and other poorly thought of names.
3) When playing Company of Heroes, one can assume that most people are either French or German.
4) When people don't know the difference between your/you're and there/their/they're, they are from lazy-retard-land. It really isn't that hard, but people just can't be arsed to learn how to use these words..
Can't think of anything else right now, but I'm sure others would have something to add to this list.
Well, I fear government surveillance. Seems that they think they can justify invading everyone's privacy to 'protect' us from terroist attacks despite there only being a handful of successful ones in western countries. Its not like I have anything to hide but it still annoys the hell out of me.
It's really a problem. While I don't assume that everyone is American or British, since I'm German, I often wonder what people will think about my sometimes clumsy expressions.
But I played a PBeM and one girl I thought was from India or so because her English was full of accent and spelling and grammar mistakes. Later found out that she was from the US, Middle West.
But I played a PBeM and one girl I thought was from India or so because her English was full of accent and spelling and grammar mistakes. Later found out that she was from the US, Middle West.
I don't fall into the "everyone's from ****" trap. Or "everyone's ** years old."
I know a lot of people on the Escapist do, because I still get questioned in private messages if I'm really American or British or some other nationality (although I have the American flag in my profile). I also get accused of not being over 30 in private messages.
It's the Internet - no accents, no inflections, no face to go with the words.
I know a lot of people on the Escapist do, because I still get questioned in private messages if I'm really American or British or some other nationality (although I have the American flag in my profile). I also get accused of not being over 30 in private messages.
It's the Internet - no accents, no inflections, no face to go with the words.
