perceptions of Americans

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tessa
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#21 Post by tessa » Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:17 pm

Good lord Naga, couldn't you have made that a URL? You just created a huge horizontal scrollbar for me and made this thread a pain to try to read now. :/

(Not to mention that huge picture totally kills 56k anyway).

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#22 Post by ganandorf » Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:46 pm

Working at the place i do, a tech support centre for an american internet company, while living in Canada
I get to deal with the cream of the crop, the smartest America has to offer </sarcasm>

George Bush has tarnished the name of America, and its citizens, his leadership has made alot of people hate the americans if u disagree, then haha at you

one of the other things that americans are seen negatively for is their attitude towards others, there are alot of americans who are polite etc, but there are others who think that america is the best country in the world, strongest army etc. blah blah blah, that kinda crap pissess me off, and alot of others

Not all americans are bad, and i do not see all americans in the same light
but hell there are alot of idiots in the states
"My internets not on"
"Is the internet cable plugged into the computer"
"What internet cable, is it the one that goes in the computer"
"yes thats it, is it plugged in tightly"
"Iunno"
"well can you go to start > run > type cmd > hit okay > type ipconfig > hit enter, and tell me what your ip address is?"
"Im not at home right now, can u just fix it from there"

and thats assuming they know how to turn there computer on
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#23 Post by Devi » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:29 pm

Not all americans are bad, and i do not see all americans in the same light
but hell there are alot of idiots in the states
I would go as far as to say that there are a lot of idiots everywhere, but sometimes it's hard not to get the impression. I think Americans are definitely to express stupidity. Ride a train or bus anywhere and you'll agree.
I get to deal with the cream of the crop, the smartest America has to offer.
On a side note, I would happily point out that some really brilliant folks (americans or not) have trouble with computers and the like. I've worked with plenty of people with PhDs who can't figure out how to get to the next slide in powerpoint. This is actually a common occurence at conferences.

I think anyone who's willing to make generalizations based on a criterion like internet proficiency, using a small self-selected sample, has no right to judge the intelligence of others.

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#24 Post by ganandorf » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:32 pm

do these people who have pHD's and cant get to the next powerpoint slide know how to turn on their computer monitor?
if so theyre smarter than half the people i help
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#25 Post by luminier » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:47 pm

man how do u get a phd without knowing at least a few things about microsoft office? is this a phd in arts or something?
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#26 Post by Devi » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:56 pm

Shockingly, there was a time when office didn't exist. Typewriters. ;)

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tessa
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#27 Post by tessa » Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:43 pm

Powerpoint/Microsoft Office didn't always exist, and I'm not sure why everyone should automatically know how to use them by default.

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#28 Post by Delmon » Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:54 pm

I really don't think Americans in general can be called stupid...

We could, however, make fun of some Canadians! :P

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#29 Post by luminier » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:39 pm

delmon don't give me ooc reasons as well as ic reasons to kill you more ig. =P


to tessa and devi... oh i didn't know we were talking about old old ppl i thot w were talking about like ppl in their 30's 40's they should all know how to use a computer for sure. hell if my parents can in their almost 60's then so should they.
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tessa
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#30 Post by tessa » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:50 pm

Computers aren't a second nature. Just because the new generation of teenagers are dependent on them doesn't mean everyone else is too.

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#31 Post by Delmon » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:55 pm

Luminier, what do you think about that... Eh?
:D

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#32 Post by luminier » Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:28 am

I wouldn't call it dependence... maybe in some, however. I just use it out of convenience. At one time, type writers were also a said convenience (although from what my dad tells me they sucked anyways) and they might have been criticized the very same way. Everyone always has something to say about these "new age" technologies when in fact learning something about them, even if it is a little, could alleviate much stress in peoples lives and make things that much easier. It’s not like Microsoft Office has what you would call a steep learning curve. Hell my 6 year old cousin can use word as well as any of my friends. And don’t give me the oh their brains are still forming connections and it makes it easier to learn, the kid is 6.

Who’s with me!
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#33 Post by aragog » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:45 am

Well Lum, I cannot agree. I know that a lot people who haven't grown up with the use of computers (and really, not everybody needs a computer to work - some managers have secretaries and assistants to do that kind of stuff :shock: ) are actually afraid to touch the machine at all. That affects the learning as well, since these people rather stay away from everything they do not know. It's kind of a psychological block - if you cannot take away the fear from them, their brain will just refuse to accept the idea that this stuff is perhaps not so complicated at all - what leads finally to the situation that even adding a new slide to a power point presentation is quite a challenge.

Have a bit mercy - it's like learning how to drive a car - it's not really difficult, but if you're afraid, you'll be probably one of the people who let their engine die at the crossing :P

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#34 Post by Grindel » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:48 am

Managers don't touch computers because it is just too slow to format everything with Office, they tape their letters and have them typed by the secretary. And even for people who did not start with a typewriter, Office can be a real pain in the ass if you are used to commandline, TeX and such. My typewriter-parents on the other hand handle Office better than me.

On topic: judging a nation on the idiots who crowd trains and babble stupid things does not work, there's plenty of these everywhere.

America's problem is that unlike many other countries they force the world to deal with them. Take Canada, which was mentioned but which is absolutely no topic for a german to deal with, its a country like many others. America on the other hand stomps through the world swinging the axe. If someone draws that much attention on himself he needn't be surprised to get closely eyed and criticised.

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#35 Post by Devi » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:29 am

America's problem is that unlike many other countries they force the world to deal with them. Take Canada, which was mentioned but which is absolutely no topic for a german to deal with, its a country like many others.
When I went to Canada, I found the news there so bizarre. I think they paid more attention to current events in the US than people living there did. When I came home, I told all of my family about my trip to Alberta. They asked, "Where's Alberta?" - a definite contrast to the Canadians who seemed to know as much about American politics and geography as me.

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#36 Post by eirikeld » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:54 am

I have noticed something similar when it comes to big cities. Those on the outsides of where it's all happening, tend to have a good idea of what's going on inside the city. Those inside the city, tend to have no clue about anything past where they're at.

Now, America is more or less in the middle of things, the center of the world, as it were. Our ascendance was marked through the last 50 years. Yes, we're unraveling. All good things come to an end. Yes, there was always a whole world out there. Yes, it mattered. I'm not saying the US is greater than everyone, but like it or not, we were one of two, or the only real superpower in the world, for better or worse.

Applying my observation of cities, we on the inside have little clue about what's out there. This is bad, but the way these things work. When the world looks to us for pop culture, entertainment, and ideology in many ways, then why would we look outside? I say we, as a nation. I'm far from typical, but know that I am. I am sure there are others as well, but that's the culture as I've seen it as an insider, looking at the others not looking outwards. :)

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#37 Post by Naga » Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:24 am

Europe might very well miss the days when the world's superpower was, for all its flaws, a democracy with values that are distinctly liberal (little L). Watch the shift of demographics and the global economy, and hope when the wheel has come to its next stop it lands on something not antipathetic to your ideals.

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#38 Post by Grindel » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:05 am

Watch the shift of demographics and the global economy, and hope when the wheel has come to its next stop it lands on something not antipathetic to your ideals.
It's already happening, but the realization takes longer than the change itself. Once everyone starts to notice it might just as well be a good lesson to be learned.

Let's start this thead over again, after that! ;-)

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#39 Post by Naga » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:36 am

I've been on Geas coming on seven years already, on and off. I'll probably still be around...

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#40 Post by luminier » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:41 pm

ya i suppose u are right aragog, the mind can convince people that anything is a bad or good idea. i can defiantely see how your statement would work.

aragog wrote:Well Lum, I cannot agree. I know that a lot people who haven't grown up with the use of computers (and really, not everybody needs a computer to work - some managers have secretaries and assistants to do that kind of stuff :shock: ) are actually afraid to touch the machine at all. That affects the learning as well, since these people rather stay away from everything they do not know. It's kind of a psychological block - if you cannot take away the fear from them, their brain will just refuse to accept the idea that this stuff is perhaps not so complicated at all - what leads finally to the situation that even adding a new slide to a power point presentation is quite a challenge.

Have a bit mercy - it's like learning how to drive a car - it's not really difficult, but if you're afraid, you'll be probably one of the people who let their engine die at the crossing :P

poAra
The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.

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