Straight Dope Message Board

[Czarcasm]

Are there any countries we haven't ever received posts from? 1

[EinsteinsHund]

The Vatican? I doubt it, but I'd be glad to be convinced otherwise. 2

[kopek]

I would think we've all the major ones covered. We may be missing Komi (none of the kinfolk admit to dropping past), Tannu Tuva (anyone remember a throat-singing thread?), and Seychelles but other than that nothing would surprise me. You have to remember how big AOL was back in the day as well. I don't know that they ever posted but I know a few folks from little places/towns like Osturna read now and again.

(It's odd; when the WWW was smaller more folks went just about anywhere on it; now that its huge we tend to stick more to our own regions) 3

[Atamasama]

Sealand. 4

[Exapno Mapcase]

Google says there are 195 countries. I'd be surprised if we saw much more than half. 5

[Horatio Hellpop]

Abkhazia, Artsakh, and South Ossetia? I used to live near the Naminara Republic... 6

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by Exapno Mapcase

Google says there are 195 countries. I'd be surprised if we saw much more than half.

I'd agree. And the total is probably boosted by anonymizers. We've received very few posts from Africa, or from most of Latin America, with the exception of Panama, Mexico, and Argentina. 7

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Colibri

I'd agree. And the total is probably boosted by anonymizers. We've received very few posts from Africa, or from most of Latin America, with the exception of Panama, Mexico, and Argentina.

Speaking of Africa, at a Wikipedia (Wikimedia) fundraiser the other night the Wikimedia presenters said there are more Wikipedia pages about the different types of cheeses than there are about Africa. Interesting. 8

[Smapti]

I don't imagine there are many North Korean Dopers. 9

[MrDibble]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Speaking of Africa, at a Wikipedia (Wikimedia) fundraiser the other night the Wikimedia presenters said there are more Wikipedia pages about the different types of cheeses than there are about Africa. Interesting.

That is interesting. Not surprising, mind you, but interesting.

I bet there haven't been posts from half the African countries, at least. 10

[glee]

I nominate the Cook Islands - who once beat the USA at Sevens Rugby! 11

[Siam Sam]

I don't recall any posts from Bhutan. 12

[UY Scuti]

I doubt that even all the states and territories of the United States are represented on this board. 13

[ctnguy]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Speaking of Africa, at a Wikipedia (Wikimedia) fundraiser the other night the Wikimedia presenters said there are more Wikipedia pages about the different types of cheeses than there are about Africa. Interesting.

I wonder how they came up with that claim. (Were it on Wikipedia, I'd add a "[citation needed]" tag. )

The "Cheese" category contains 1,089 articles. Whereas the "Africa" category contains 66,441 articles within the first 3 levels of subcategories (and far more if you go deeper, but the scanning tool times out). 14

[Balthisar]

How would we determine where they're from? Heck, I lived in China for five years and posted, but I could have faked it without any determination otherwise. IP addresses can be spoofed (and while I was in China, usually were). 15

[kopek]

Originally Posted by UY Scuti

I doubt that even all the states and territories of the United States are represented on this board.

Over the course of say a year my bet is that they would be. Us Daily Dopers are a little bit of a much larger and more widespread group from my reading of the stats. Its like those pretend psychics/cold readers --- get enough people together and someone will be from almost anywhere. 16

[Chronos]

I'd actually be surprised if there were any major country we've had no posts at all from. I mean, sure, some have an extremely low percentage, but we're talking about 22 million posts.

That said, I would be very surprised if any of them were from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. 17

[Robot Arm]

I posted from Nevis, once. 18

[manson1972]

Originally Posted by Balthisar

How would we determine where they're from? Heck, I lived in China for five years and posted, but I could have faked it without any determination otherwise. IP addresses can be spoofed (and while I was in China, usually were).

Shhhhh!! A lot of people in the government have staked their reputation on attribution based on IP addresses and easily changed DNS registration! 19

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

In Soviet union, they send you to posts--and nail you to them! 20

[Baron Greenback]

Originally Posted by Chronos

That said, I would be very surprised if any of them were from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

I've probably at least read the boards while travelling in a vehicle that they help fund... 21

[kopek]

Originally Posted by Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor

In Soviet union, they send you to posts--and nail you to them!

We've had several former Soviet Republics and there was one guy active for a fair bit who was basically a unrepentant Soviet even after the Union broke up. And about Malta ---- that I don't recall but there was one Austrian who used to post when he was on business in either the Isle of Man or somewhere close. 22

[kanicbird]

The SDMB being in english language is going to limit its appeal. If non-english speaking nations access the dope it is most likely americans on vacation. 23

[Baron Greenback]

Originally Posted by kopek

that I don't recall but there was one Austrian who used to post when he was on business in either the Isle of Man or somewhere close.

There was a fairly regular poster who lived on the Isle of Man back when I first joined. Can't remember his name, alas. 24

[EinsteinsHund]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

The SDMB being in english language is going to limit its appeal. If non-english speaking nations access the dope it is most likely americans on vacation.

That's not really true. We have contingents of French, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish and German posters and numerous from some other countries. Not everyone here has English as their first language. 25

[Horatio Hellpop]

Originally Posted by Smapti

I don't imagine there are many North Korean Dopers.

I hear there are only eight websites, and seven of them are Dear Leader's speeches, but cannot confirm.

Originally Posted by UY Scuti

I doubt that even all the states and territories of the United States are represented on this board.

I posted from Guam a couple of times while on vacation. What territory is less likely? (Some of the extended Hawaiian Islands are uninhabited, so maybe those...) 26

[MrDibble]

Originally Posted by Horatio Hellpop

I posted from Guam a couple of times while on vacation. What territory is less likely?

Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station? 27

[UY Scuti]

Originally Posted by Horatio Hellpop

I posted from Guam a couple of times while on vacation. What territory is less likely? (Some of the extended Hawaiian Islands are uninhabited, so maybe those...)

I may have misunderstood the OP but I thought we were talking about posters from different countries, not one poster traveling all over the world. 28

[Wrenching Spanners]

Originally Posted by MrDibble

Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station?

If you count Antarctica as a territory, then there was a poster who did an “Ask me” thread while working a season on that continent. 29

[CairoCarol]

I'd be surprised if we have complete coverage from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. 30

[MrDibble]

Originally Posted by Wrenching Spanners

If you count Antarctica as a territory, then there was a poster who did an “Ask me” thread while working a season on that continent.

IIRC they were at McMurdo, which is a lot less impressive, being that much larger. 31

[Dead Cat]

Originally Posted by Baron Greenback

There was a fairly regular poster who lived on the Isle of Man back when I first joined. Can't remember his name, alas.

Indeed, likewise I can't remember his name except I think I recall it being a single word starting with a lower case letter - which doesn't really narrow it down enough... 32

[Dead Cat]

Too late to edit - I was only half right, but the chap's handle was Lobsang - last posted just over 4 years ago, but last regular activity was over 18 months prior to that. I seem to recall enjoying his posts. 33

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by UY Scuti

I may have misunderstood the OP but I thought we were talking about posters from different countries, not one poster traveling all over the world.

That's not clear in the OP, but it does say "countries" rather than posters from different countries.

I believe I've posted from Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the past few years. I can't recall other posts from those countries. 34

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by Colibri

That's not clear in the OP, but it does say "countries" rather than posters from different countries.

I meant the latter, but the former is o.k. too. 35

[carnivorousplant]

Originally Posted by CairoCarol

I'd be surprised if we have complete coverage from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Heck, we have a bunch of Marshall Islanders in Arkansas. There are at least four Arkansans on the board. 36

[kopek]

Originally Posted by UY Scuti

I may have misunderstood the OP but I thought we were talking about posters from different countries, not one poster traveling all over the world.

But like a lot of things, us Dopers can make it a little gray. The one guy/girl/never knew which was on the road internationally for business and only in the Homeland (which I believe was Germany?) maybe one week a year. I tried to talk them into the MMP once so the weather reports from Swampy had some competition and so we could name them "Waldo". 37

[Chronos]

To be clear, I was referring to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, not Malta. The latter is small enough already, but the former exists only as an embassy within Vatican City (and when you're entirely within Vatican City, you know you're small). 38

[Enginerd]

Originally Posted by Colibri

I'd agree. And the total is probably boosted by anonymizers. We've received very few posts from Africa, or from most of Latin America, with the exception of Panama, Mexico, and Argentina.

I know I've posted from Chile and Guatemala. Maybe Ecuador too, but I'm not sure there. 39

[CairoCarol]

Originally Posted by Colibri

That's not clear in the OP, but it does say "countries" rather than posters from different countries.

I believe I've posted from Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the past few years. I can't recall other posts from those countries.

I posted from Indonesia from 2008 until 2017. 40

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by CairoCarol

I posted from Indonesia from 2008 until 2017.

I should have remembered that, but then, your handle was misleading (as it seems to be currently based on your profile).

TokyoBayer, China Guy, Siam Sam, and Paul in Qatar are also apparently no longer in their namesake localities. 41

[Peter Morris]

I don't remember many posts coming from Pitcairn Island, although they do have Internet there. 42

[Bryan Ekers]

Originally Posted by kopek

We've had several former Soviet Republics and there was one guy active for a fair bit who was basically a unrepentant Soviet even after the Union broke up.

There are several candidates, but you might be thinking of Commissar. His sincerity in his professed pro-communist beliefs was called into question, though. 43

[Die Capacitrix]

I was in Malta earlier this year, but wasn't on this board then.

Haven't even been to the Vatican or San Marino yet. 44

[CairoCarol]

Originally Posted by Colibri

I should have remembered that, but then, your handle was misleading (as it seems to be currently based on your profile).

Choosing a location-based handle is a bad idea for itinerant souls. In 2005, when I joined, I didn't know this, hence the misleading handle.

Madmonk also posted from Indonesia for quite a while, as I recall, doing reconstruction work after the 2004 tsunami that obliterated so much of Aceh. 45

[Siam Sam]

Originally Posted by CairoCarol

Choosing a location-based handle is a bad idea for itinerant souls. In 2005, when I joined, I didn't know this, hence the misleading handle.

Madmonk also posted from Indonesia for quite a while, as I recall, doing reconstruction work after the 2004 tsunami that obliterated so much of Aceh.

Mine still stands though. I may live in Waikiki now, but I will always have ties to Thailand and will end up there again some day. With 25 years there under my belt and a Thai wife, it tends to define me in real life too to a certain extent. 46