# Why does there seem to be only Americans and Brits on the Internet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738 "2005-09-08T23:23:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/21 "2005-09-09T15:39:18Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > That’s like when us Yurpeans log on here mid-morning - there’s a dearth of N American posters. Ssshhhhh! Don’t let them know that’s when all the best threads are started and the hamsters are lightning fast! ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/22 "2005-09-09T15:49:19Z")
I also have to ask, **VCO3** , how sure are you that you know where all the people you interact with on the internet in English are located? There are millions of people all over the world who are competent or even fluent in English as a second language. If they’re IMing, they can hide a high degree of non fluency. Do you hang out on sites that are US or Brit centric in their appeal? Seems likely, given that you live in the US yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/23 "2005-09-09T16:19:43Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > With the bazillions of people in the world, why is it that 98% of the people I encounter online are in the U.S. Why is it when I go to a Chinese Restaurant the owners are Chinese? I can’t believe the egocentric nature of your statement. Oh, wait a minute. Yes, I can actually. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/24 "2005-09-09T18:35:22Z")
It’s because you speak English and interact with people who speak English. If you spoke and read Chinese, you’d find them. Go to [www.baidu.com](http://www.baidu.com) and go to the message board section. You’ll find the Chinese you are looking for. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/25 "2005-09-09T19:20:50Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > Where are the billion Chinese online? Where are the Japanese? Brazilians? Mexicans? Spain? Russia? Indians and Pakistanis? I run a message board for urban planners and others interested in cities and the built environment. The majority of users come from the United States and Canada. There’s a growing number of members from the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand; enough where there are now long threads on cricket tests and footie competitions. There are some others from non-English speaking countries, but they post in English. There’s one country, though, that has a fairly large, affluent, English-speaking population, with absolutely no presence on the board. South Africa. English-speaking middle-class South Africans seem disproportionately underrepresented on most message boards I’ve seen… Middle-class suburban sprawl is as much of a part of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria as it is part of Milwaukee, Adelaide or Calgary, but it’s as if those living there just don’t have computers. Hell, South Africa just got television in 1976, so maybe we won’t see them online until 2020 or so. Think about it: if there was a Dopefest in Brisbane or Aukland, a few people might actually show up. Hold a Dopefest in Sandton, and … well, it would be a very lonely affair. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/26 "2005-09-09T21:28:21Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > Where are the billion Chinese online? Trying to break into my home network. The logs on my firewall are ah… _interesting_. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/27 "2005-09-09T21:45:01Z")
> [@PastAllReason](#): > > If you haven’t noticed Canadians, Australians, and Kiwis on the SDMB you haven’t been paying attention. Oh how CUTE! It’s a well known fact that Kiwis are really just Aussies on a smaller island, and that Aussies are Brits. Canada is the US’ “Maple Leaf State.” See? Only Brits & Merkins. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/28 "2005-09-09T23:09:14Z")
Go to Yahoo chat rooms during the day. Welcome to Bombay. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/29 "2005-09-10T07:02:24Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > > [@PastAllReason](#): > > > > If you haven’t noticed Canadians, Australians, and Kiwis on the SDMB you haven’t been paying attention. > > Oh how CUTE! > > It’s a well known fact that Kiwis are really just Aussies on a smaller island, and that Aussies are Brits. > > Canada is the US’ "Maple Leaf State."See? Only Brits & Merkins. Well, you’ve just managed to earn the animus of about 55 million people. ---
**Author:** ![Foaming\_Cleanser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Foaming\_Cleanser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foaming_Cleanser)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/30 "2005-09-10T16:26:51Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Well, you’ve just managed to earn the animus of about 55 million people. Whoosh! ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/31 "2005-09-11T00:52:24Z")
There’s also a huge number of Koreans on the Internet. But, like the Japanese, if you can’t read Korean, you miss a huge load of it. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/32 "2005-09-11T01:06:00Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > There’s one country, though, that has a fairly large, affluent, English-speaking population, with absolutely no presence on the board. South Africa. I have a feeling this is related to the excessive cost of telecommunications in South Africa. I would certainly agree there is a significant number of middle class English speaking South Africans (myself being one, although I’m currently in the States). Hopefully this will improve with the SLO, but I’m not expecting anything fast. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/33 "2005-09-11T09:57:20Z")
Re. South Africa - what proportion of the 44m population would reasonably come into the category “middle-class English speaking”? I suspect it’s a minority. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738/34 "2005-09-11T15:47:43Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > There’s also the time difference to consider–I have a link to an app that shows me the latest 40 pictures posted to LiveJournal. When I get up at 5:00 in the morning, most of the pictures are from Russia. 5:00 in the afternoon, U.S. I was going to mention LJ as well. When I hit the “Search Random” button, at least half the blogs that come up are in Russian. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-there-seem-to-be-only-americans-and-brits-on-the-internet/320738.md?page=1)