The Cellar - An American Place? - Page 4

Flint · 07-31-2008, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaC

lol. I'm tempted to say yes :P

I'm keeping my tongue firmly in-cheek, but to follow this line of thought to its logical conclusion I would have to say that if the WORLD is "American" then an "American" board would simply be representative of reality.

DanaC · 07-31-2008, 08:58 AM

hahah fair point, Flint, can't fault it.

But....to take my tongue out of my cheek for a moment: the analogy doesn't really hold up. The internet does not contain all of humanity, merely those who choose to take part in it. The world however, contains all humanity. If you ask me, does the fact that England has far more British people in it than any other group, make it a British country, I say yes.

xoxoxoBruce · 07-31-2008, 11:04 AM

Yeah but, if they aren't Cellar members, or at minimum Cellar lurkers, they're nobody.

Flint · 07-31-2008, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaC

hahah fair point, Flint, can't fault it.

But....to take my tongue out of my cheek for a moment: the analogy doesn't really hold up. The internet does not contain all of humanity, merely those who choose to take part in it. The world however, contains all humanity. If you ask me, does the fact that England has far more British people in it than any other group, make it a British country, I say yes.

Unless you can demonstrate a statistically significant difference in internet usage among people, divided along international lines, then I have to assume that the portion of the population who is on the internet is an equal factor among different nations.

And I'm not saying there isn't one, but, between the US and the UK? I can't see a reason for that.

limey · 07-31-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

Unless you can demonstrate a statistically significant difference in internet usage among people, divided along international lines, then I have to assume that the portion of the population who is on the internet is an equal factor among different nations......

I have to disagree. Surely access to the technology, which is at least partly defined by wealth, is a major factor in the representation of nationalities on the innernets?

Flint · 07-31-2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

And I'm not saying there isn't one, but, between the US and the UK? I can't see a reason for that.

What is the difference in "access to the technology, which is at least partly defined by wealth" between the US bullies who dominate this board and the poor UK outcasts who don't get a fair shot at being heard?

I'm not saying there will be an equal number of Afghanis or Rwandans here.

Flint · 07-31-2008, 11:48 AM

Go play with your Star Wars toys, fanboy!

Flint · 07-31-2008, 12:19 PM

Current "online users" at AG:

United States of America (3)
Canada (1)
Bolivia (1)
India (1)
Mexico (1)
Peru (1)
Sweden (1)

This is the board where I cut my teeth. I've always thought the internet was a big ol' melting pot. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the concept of an "American" internet site.

DanaC · 07-31-2008, 02:02 PM

It's also partly defined by available infrastructure. You're right, Flint, that the difference between the US and the UK is less than that between the US and some other countries, but we are still behind you in terms of coverage. We've started catching up, but that's quite a recent phenomenon. During the dial-up days and even into the beginnings of ADSL, BT had a virtual monopoly on all but cable connections. About three years ago their ability to control the overall infrastructure was removed; that and the burgeoning of broadband has opened the market up quite a bit. It is still very expensive here compared to US internet prices and consequently access is less spread across the economic groups.

glatt · 07-31-2008, 02:05 PM

I'm waiting for the first Dwellar from Papua New Guinea.

Flint · 07-31-2008, 02:05 PM

AG online users right now:

United States of America (4)
Canada (4)
Italy (1)
Mexico (2)
United Kingdom (1)
[Other] (2)

classicman · 07-31-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

AG online users right now:

United States of America (4)
Canada (4)
Italy (1)
Mexico (2)
United Kingdom (1)
[Other] (2)

Can ya do it by post count?

DanaC · 07-31-2008, 02:08 PM

Y'know, I really don't understand what is so difficult to accept about a community which began as a Philedelphia affair and then grew into a wider community with members from far flung places, but the largest portion of which are still in America, being an American board. That doesn't mean it is exclusively an American board. It merely means that the dominant culture is that of America. This is not a bad thing. I do not believe members like myself, who post here from other countries, feel like they are any less a part of the community than the American members are.

London is a cosmopolitan city and there are people of every culture and background, cheek to jowl and living as citizens. It is still, fundamentally, an English city. An English city which has become more than that, a world city.

This is an American board, but it is an American board which has become more than that, a world board. It is both.

glatt · 07-31-2008, 02:17 PM

I kind of view it as a Philadelphia board that's been taken over by the internet.

limey · 07-31-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaC

Y'know, I really don't understand what is so difficult to accept about a community which began as a Philedelphia affair and then grew into a wider community with members from far flung places, but the largest portion of which are still in America, being an American board. That doesn't mean it is exclusively an American board. It merely means that the dominant culture is that of America. This is not a bad thing. I do not believe members like myself, who post here from other countries, feel like they are any less a part of the community than the American members are.

London is a cosmopolitan city and there are people of every culture and background, cheek to jowl and living as citizens. It is still, fundamentally, an English city. An English city which has become more than that, a world city.

This is an American board, but it is an American board which has become more than that, a world board. It is both.

What she said.
As far as I can tell in this thread none of us non-US citizens have objected to the American flavour of this board, or said we feel excluded. It is simply a description, in the same way that another board I frequent is definitely a British board, because the majority of the content is contributed by a particular nationality/culture.

07-31-2008, 11:04 AM	#3
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Yeah but, if they aren't Cellar members, or at minimum Cellar lurkers, they're nobody. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-31-2008, 11:48 AM	#7
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Go play with your Star Wars toys, fanboy! __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

07-31-2008, 12:19 PM	#8
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Current "online users" at AG: United States of America (3) Canada (1) Bolivia (1) India (1) Mexico (1) Peru (1) Sweden (1) This is the board where I cut my teeth. I've always thought the internet was a big ol' melting pot. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the concept of an "American" internet site. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

07-31-2008, 02:05 PM	#11
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	AG online users right now: United States of America (4) Canada (4) Italy (1) Mexico (2) United Kingdom (1) [Other] (2) __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

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07-31-2008, 08:58 AM	#2
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	hahah fair point, Flint, can't fault it. But....to take my tongue out of my cheek for a moment: the analogy doesn't really hold up. The internet does not contain all of humanity, merely those who choose to take part in it. The world however, contains all humanity. If you ask me, does the fact that England has far more British people in it than any other group, make it a British country, I say yes.

07-31-2008, 02:02 PM	#9
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	It's also partly defined by available infrastructure. You're right, Flint, that the difference between the US and the UK is less than that between the US and some other countries, but we are still behind you in terms of coverage. We've started catching up, but that's quite a recent phenomenon. During the dial-up days and even into the beginnings of ADSL, BT had a virtual monopoly on all but cable connections. About three years ago their ability to control the overall infrastructure was removed; that and the burgeoning of broadband has opened the market up quite a bit. It is still very expensive here compared to US internet prices and consequently access is less spread across the economic groups.

07-31-2008, 02:05 PM	#10
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I'm waiting for the first Dwellar from Papua New Guinea.

07-31-2008, 02:08 PM	#13
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Y'know, I really don't understand what is so difficult to accept about a community which began as a Philedelphia affair and then grew into a wider community with members from far flung places, but the largest portion of which are still in America, being an American board. That doesn't mean it is exclusively an American board. It merely means that the dominant culture is that of America. This is not a bad thing. I do not believe members like myself, who post here from other countries, feel like they are any less a part of the community than the American members are. London is a cosmopolitan city and there are people of every culture and background, cheek to jowl and living as citizens. It is still, fundamentally, an English city. An English city which has become more than that, a world city. This is an American board, but it is an American board which has become more than that, a world board. It is both.

07-31-2008, 02:17 PM	#14
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I kind of view it as a Philadelphia board that's been taken over by the internet.

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