Non-American Residents, please take this poll...

Personal stories and observations related to your answer welcome here, too!

*just the same lunatics we have* diversity at its best = SL

i have to say that i have found everyone i've met in SL very friendly and kind, regardless of nationality, race, creed or colour.

i am not really sure what the point of the poll is or what it is getting at. Is it implying that Americans are less than friendly?

i think overall it is impossible to put someones nationality in a box and catergorise and generalise about them because everyone is different though we all do have cultural traits. The only thing that i have noticed in another chat with regard to some people i have been friendly with who come from America is that sometimes outspokenness can be a little thoughtless in regard another persons feelings but the person who makes the thoughtless comment has not realised that it is hurtful or is blase about the fact that they have said it. An arrogance i suppose is something i have encountered with some American friends of mine that has been more marked than with other nationalities. Sometimes, perhaps because the US is a huge, very powerful country, some Americans forget that the rest of us are here. To give an example, where i used to chat often if there were events or competitions they would never be timed to consider that some of us are in bed at 9pm EST because it's 2am GMT. Personally were i running an event with a multi cultural society i would plan it at a time that was possible for most people at the weekend or run two events to give those who have to get up for work a chance to participate. BUT and i think it is a big but, i can't really say that either of these things is an 'American' thing, it is just simply that i have encountered this with regard to come people from America i have known. The bottom line is, people from all nationalities can forget to be considerate or can be hurtful, callous and arrogant, it doesn't matter what part of the world you come from, so i feel that this poll is a rather negative and prejudiced thing on face value. It seems rather rude to me to assume that 'Americans' as a people are less than friendly or that others might have a negative of view of them.

I couldn't really answer the questionnaire, because my response isn't quite so black and white.

I have always liked the Americans I have known, and I like the vast majority of them in second life.

In the same way that you can meet charming, kind and intelligent Englishmen, you can also come across unpleasant and thuggish ones too, so Americans are not all the same.

In recent months I have seen larger numbers of the extreme right-wing Americans, who tend to substitute slogans for thought and whose outlook is solipsistic and unempathetic. Those, I definitely don't like.

You can't expect to like everybody though.

I agree. Generally the make up of SL is much more pleasant than the make up of say Wikipedia. I have some very good American friends in world. I've also met some real nationalist morons, alas the US doesn't have a monopoly on them..

What would be really cool would be an understanding that the SL population is totally diverse. This is a great thing!

When I see flags or the new "defend our troops" ribbons it disappoints me. It stops the immersion and turns this into part of a foreign country

Yup, yup yup..

Its taught me that everyones different. But if you forced me to answer I'd say slightly better

Can we get the opposite Poll please. Europeans feelings after living with USA people in SL.

That is what this is, lol..

The opposite would be Americans feelings after being around the rest of the world

What i think is that is good if Lindenlab Hire a few european employes
Maybe a server in europa and run of european employes

These are the non-American Lindens (that I know of):

Jack Linden (UK)
Nigel Linden (UK)
Tesla Linden (UK and Japanese)
Babbage Linden (UK - not a liaison)

Mick Linden (Australia)
Nicole Linden (Australia)

Kona Linden (Canadian)

Like Sel and Roberta I have to say not changed much.

Americans that I meet over here en masse are hear as tourists, and I hate them impartially, along with the German, Japanese and other British tourists it's the tourist part that seems to entail leaving their brains behind and blocking doorways, narrow pavements etc.

Individual Americans, like individual any other nationality, are a mixed bag. I have some great friends in SL and RL from the USA, many that I like, a few people that I won't waste the time of day on, and a few that I won't seek out but won't avoid. I've not sat down and done any serious analysis of it, but I'd say the proportions don't appreciably vary based on nationality.

People are people after all...

Canada is like America's fatter, uglier, little brother that no one likes to talk about.

I find American's generally friendly, open and fun. My opinion about them hasn't changed much since I sarted SL.


PS: I had to say this, their missiles are pointed in Canada's direction and it's only a matter of time before the invasion begins. But we are rallying the beavers together for a counter assault.

Hamlet, on this side of the atlantic, we don't really have a lot against individual americans. What we do hate rather passionately is your corrupt, militaristic leadership and the megacorps they protect and serve.
Around 50% of americans didn't vote for bush. Those people need to be saved. I propose we merge the blue states with canada and the red ones with mexico

lol, i think that the red states would rather be joined to canada, even with their liberal ways.
And i think the blue states would welcome Mexico, so they could bring it up to economic speed.

Not sure what you are trying to Incite here, asking Nationalitys to take a poll about one Nationality. Asking a world group to point there views and feelings of a country.

I know the forms have been blah boring latly.

But this is way out of the box !!

Im sorry, I couldnt resist looking at the poll and seeing the results! I am American. And really I was surpised to see a poll like this going...I dont know if i should be offended or what..When I started SL, I thought it was be a great place to meet people from all over. Never thinking about were they are from or what color they are. I'm sorry so many people have a problem with America and what it stands for. I am sorry if you dislike the US, but stop and wait for a minute.....what have I done personally to you to make you feel that way?.....People shouldnt pass judgement upon someone you know just for there nationality...but then again they do..and im sorry that for those people who do that to one another. The world would be a better place if people wouldnt make nationality, color, and sex an issue....But sad for all of us, they always well. When i first got land in SL I got an american flag , i was going to put it up on my land...Then i thought no...this isnt
America, Europe, China, etc....this is SL..why make your nationality an issue, so i didnt put it up. i want people to know me for me not were i live. So pass judgement upon me if you will..im sorry you feel you must do that.....hopefully one day the world will get past all of this.....BUT NOT IN MY LIFE TIME!

My View has not changed any. I have always liked Americans.

Being Out neighbors to the south and all we are like Brothers .

Thunder Bay,Ontario, Canada.

Americans say "LOL" too much in online games when its not even funny.. yes it hit my pixel boobs as i joined sl.. and im stuck with this "LOL" thingy.

We must never forget that the SL population is pretty much skewed in terms of demographics - either in the US or elsewhere. We get an uncanny amount of very bright, educated, cultured, open-minded people here - as well as some fundamentalist fanatics. Trying to "judge" the "average" US population (or even the world population...) from these extremes is a bit difficult.

That said and done, I feel a natural empathy towards the first group, and a natural animosity against the second one. Fortunately, the first group is far bigger and growing faster than the second one

As SL grows into the millions of users, I expect that the current "cultural elite" will be diluted in the middle of a more "average" user base. Still, they will be very different from the "average" RL person - at the very least, they will be computer-savvy, with broadband connections and having invested in better-than-average computers, and a willingness to use new technology, so, definitely, they will be on a completely different level than the "average" population. Again, this will certainly be not a good basis for any sort of "judgement" that we may make.

I cannot say that I feel more or less "favourable" to "Americans" due to SL. As with any sort of bright new technology, I was expecting the kind of people I met here to be very much aligned to my own personal interests - open-minded, with a willingness to try new things out. I was not disappointed in any way, but I also didn't expect to be. Perhaps I'm glad that I found out more people from the "bright elite" and much less from the "fundamentalist radicals" group. And, sincerely, both groups exist both among the Americans and non-Americans. They mingle very easily, independently of their RL origin. Common interests are a much stronger bond than nationality, I think.

So, did SL make me feel more favourable to the cultural elite of America? Not really, I always got along very well with them

Well this Brit's opinion hasn't really changed.

It matters not to me where people come from, but what they are made from

Most of the people I have come across during my year and a bit in SL are lovely, and I couldn't fault them, some on the other hand, are complete assholes, whether they are American or not doesn't cross my mind

BTW... can I PLEASE marry Jack Linden?!?!!

Why would you feel offended? The results show that people's opinions haven't changed. Which means that if I felt good about American's before SL, I still feel good about them now.

And overall, the comments have been positive. So I'm not really sure where you're coming from.

Willow, I think you need to start a fan club. I would like the premium membership please, the one where I get the official Jack Linden Fan Club 11" x 17" poster, 10% off my bill at selected restaurants and a free oil change at my local garage.

(sorry for the hijack Hamlet)

Uh, Uh... But I am the only person in the WORLD that is allowed to want Jack!!!!

He's on my side of the world!!,

But I can take you out for a meal and change your oil, if thats any compensation

(yes, sorry Hamlet >.>

I took the poll. The results didn"t surprise me. The majority of people playing SL found that their opinion [of americans] hadn't changed much.

I do agree with those that question the reasons for having a poll like this.
I think that living in SL, in a multi-ethnic, multi-national society is obviously a great
chance for many to experience relationships with people from other countries in a much more intimate way than they might normally be able to have...

This fact raises the question though, why bring traditional (and often contentious) aspects of our 1st Lives (so to speak) into SL?

Its nice (and warm and fuzzy) to see everybody getting a long together (which in my experience, I have found to be true, in-world), but on the other hand, this equal footing we all have presently is only underminded if we begin to discuss out-world politics, religion and current issues.

Not to say that these topics should be avoided all together, but rather we should discuss these topics as SL citizens looking out; as if discussing some far-off country's political system for example....

Anywyas, thanks for the poll...
Perhaps next time we can have one regarding the different citizen/areas/groups of SL...!

I like people for their actions rather than nationality.