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

I am a Brit and can say that it's not what America stands for that I or anyone I know have a problem with. Neither do we have a problem with individual Americans. The values of freedom, equality and democracy (but not democracy as practiced in America) are values that people value regardless of their nationality.
The impression I get is of a government who only honout those values when it is economically beneficial and of vast corporations who have far too much influence and power that sways the democratic process in its favour at the expense of freedom, equality and democracy. I have to say though that it isn't exclusively an American problem. Money talks no matter what nationality you are.
The vast majority of American people I have met in and out of SL are good people, much the same as people from anywhere else so my opinion has not changed.

LOL, i'm guilty of this is aswell. But that's because in dutch lol means "fun", so i often use it also when i'm just enjoying myself, and not only when i'm Laughing Out Loud.

well i live in the USA, but i was in florida with my dad, and my dad was talking to his friend in portuguese, and some stupid redneck.. was in a harley....

this was just after 9/11

he noticed that we were speaking another language..
he got in his bike as he was riding down... he said "f*kin terrorists"

LOL i dont mind it, because i know he has no education on him, but it was kinda sad seen and old guy not know about cultures around his world.

I think it is the point of the poll...if I made a poll that asked people if their feelings on african americans or asians or any race for that matter had changed due to SL...would that be offensive? I don't see the relevancy of the poll really, but I see people as people...not races or nationalities etc...

Ok so i guess i shouldnt of used the word offended...then maybe surpised i guess...but just like the title said...just my thoughts

Chustee, i do agree money talks no matter what nationality you are!...It is a sad world we live in were alot of people put money above what is important!

Mhh, I must make a comment about this poll and not exactly is something on topic but is something about it, its the name, Why people from the USA call themselves Americans? its non sense, America is a continent not a country, What about the people from the rest of the continent? Are not they also americans or what? We all are americans

NORTH AMERICA = Continent
AMERICANS= Dwellars Of NORTH AMERICA

Sorry all the cool Brit names were used up, but we love those cool phone booths, ours just stick in the ground and never work !

just a silly american having fun in north america , omg , as if

oh after reading the quote again I had to edit,
there was a Mexican,Canadian and American walked into a bar...+ add punch line ----> ( HERE )

I'm a simple person so every time I have a nice little chat with someone from a different nation, my general impression of it and its people turns favourable ever so slightly. And since the majority of the people I've met so far in SL are from the States, yes, my general opinion about Americans has become considerably more favourable.

As for jerks, I usually don't bother to stay long enough to know about their locations/nationalities unless they are rather entertaining in their own annoying way.

Anyways, Tara, don't take it too personally, OK? Being a citizen of the major pie-throwing target in East Asia, I sort of empathise you, though.

Hmmm... I might as well keep on playing my role as a funny little Japanese chick in SL so that the world will be more aware of the fact that we're crazy, but mostly harmless...

In fact Canada is also north america baby ^^

And north america is PART of the continent not a continent of its own.

Lets see, And how do you call all the people from ALL the continent?

Like Europeans, Africans, Asians.....Im talking about that

Hmmm I am pretty sure N.America is a continent in its own right, which would mean you could call them North Americans I guess

I see the problem, here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas

The classification of the Americas as a single continent vs multiple continents is debated. Traditionally in English-speaking countries, North and South America are considered two continents.


STILL all of it is America so my point is still there.

Also would like to state this point in the same page:

People who live in the Americas are sometimes referred to as being American, although the word American is used much more commonly in English, and some other languages, to refer to a citizen of the United States of America. The Spanish language uses norteamericano ("North American" or estadounidense (literally "United Statesian".

EDIT= Okay found the answer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_words_for_American

There have been a number of attempts to coin an alternative to "American" as an adjective (a demonym) for United States nationals. Some people would prefer to use "American" to indicate any inhabitant of the Americas rather than a citizen of the United States. In other cases, the motivation is to avoid ambiguity. For instance, in legal circles a citizen of the United States is usually referred to as a 'U.S. citizen', not an 'American citizen', which would technically include the citizens of all of the countries of the Americas.


Hail to wikipedia, it knows everything @@

What did he just say? weeewww way over my head


I see your point just as in Italy we wont call them what they want to be called, Italians
we'll just call them the Boot people.

As you group us all into your "Americana soup" please dont forget those little guys who make those great cigars in Central America,, oooo another player.

Ok lets recap- The 274 million folks who live in the middle of the Continent of North America, They like being called Americans.
Our Colorful Brothers that live in the southern part Of North America they like being called Mexicans.
Our Frosty Brothers that live in the northern part Of North America they like being called
Canadians.

so you are debating:: The classification of the Americas as a single continent vs multiple continents. cool

dude me and you need to party !!!!

The fact that you or others like it doesnt mean its correct......

The American people are pretty much the same as people everywhere else... though personaly I got abit disappointed by the American culture. But thats mostly because of my Geek point of view on the world, rather then nationality.

Generally I haven't changed my view. I like most Americans I've met in RL and SL but cannot stomach Bush and his cronies. My Amerian friends and I do get tangled up sometimes with differences in the language but we usually sort it out. Apart from one guy who said 'England is in Paris isn't it?' who obviously skipped geography in school

Alexa

My favorable attitude toward the good folks in the USA has been enhanced due to meeting certain unusually bright, articulate and technically astute individuals in SL.

My long-term dislike of the lowest-common-denominator 'culture' and commercials seen on certain television shows originating in the US remains unchanged. Television is avoidable, and I avoid it, but in SL it's hard to avoid the tacky imitations of that 'culture' built by residents of all nationalities.

My long-term admiration for the strong US traditions of upholding individual rights and freedoms, capitalism and democracy remains unchanged despite the surprising number of individuals I've met in SL who advocate socialism and other forms of elitism. Fortunately SL is a community where these differences of opinion are enjoyed as another aspect of the diversity that makes our friends and neighbors so interesting.

Fascinating stuff so far. I've been mum on why I started this poll because, yes, I'm hoping to writing something in NWN about the results.

If you selected either of the "more favorable" or "more negative" options, I'd love to interview you-- please send me a private message, IM me, or e-mail [email]hamlet@secondlife.com[/email]!

and then there are the 'american indians', who neither call themselves americans nor indians. I think we know how they feel about the europeans, and everyone else, who moved in.

Actually.

North America is the continent which supports the USA or United States of America and Canada... We call ourselves Americans because we live in the country of the United States of AMERICA which is on the continent of North America.

Canadians call themselves that because they live in the country of CANADA on the continent of North America

Mexico is in the continent of Central America..Brazil on South America.. I've heard Brazilians being referred to as South Americans much like those on the continent of Africa in the southern region referred to as South Africans.

I was a little taken aback by the poll. I see everyone for who they are regardless of what country. Yes, each person, depending on their culture has their different nuances that make you think before you say or do anything as not to offend because we all take things differently (such as the Dutch person saying LOL means "fun" in their country). Yes there are more, it seems, players from the USA than other countries, actually I'd like to see more countries represented. I know what America is like, I want to see how others live. I've even met some from other countries that I'd rather not speak with again, same as my fellow USA'ers, individual preference, grouping Americans into one solid group isn't fair to us that aren't horrid. I view people for themselves if I meet one person from, say France who is a horrible person and annoying I don't automatically assume that all French people are that way, unfortunately I've not seen the same given to Americans. Just becaue people don't agree with our government, they don't like us. Whether we agree with what is going on in Washington or our local governments or don't agree, does not prove our dispositions and personalities. Look at us for each individual, not what you see on the television or newspapers about the "higher ups"

*stepping off my little box now*

Bringing up differences in people is the same tact that Hitler used to ostracize the Jewish community in Germany and eventually across Europe. So I think this question is way out of bounds and damaging to the SL community. One of the highlights of SL is to ignore all differences and create a new community without bias.

Walkin Zadoq

I've made a lot of American friends and have challenged them (sometimes almost incessantly) about their world view and such things.

Many of us don't agree on a few things -- but we're able to discuss them. I think that's pretty unique in today's modern culture of "I'm right!"

.. even though I'm often given a long sigh and rolling eyes any time I express any of my opinions.

Fact is nobody is inherently right. We've all got to step down from the box once in a while and realize just how little we all actually "know."

We should all just be a little more humble and a little less self-serving.

Well I feel that like the real world people are only as nice as you treat them. At times you have smart asses as you say. But al in all i think my views are the same or even more positive then before.
Usagi

I'm sorry. I am new here. But this is the kind of thing that breeds animosity. I don't want to know your opinion of Americans as a whole. I will judge each person as I meet them. (If you don't like the word judge, see my nickpage.) I don't care where they are from, what they look like, or who they are. And I expect you to be the same.

Think about the fact that this "survey" is making you judge people based on generalities. This is a big site, but I doubt if you will meet every type of person that represents any countries society here. It's not that big.

Who knows, we keep this up, we may regress to witch hunting again.

This poll isn't making you judge at all.
This poll ask your opinion, and more specifically, it asks if your opinion has changed since you started using secondlife.
It is a interresting question because we here, work, play and communicate with eachother in a way that we wouldn't be able to do otherwise. And many people theorise that bringing people together through the internet helps bring better understanding of each other.
With the recent anti American sentiment in the real world, it is a fair and interresting question to ask if being here has changed your opinion on Americans, since most of the residents are American.

For you Marcus, being a enlightend soul who doesn't judge people by nationality it would mean that being in SecondLife hasn't changed your opinion on Americans as a whole. And that is all what this poll ask, has your opinion changed.