Location or lack of it

[bryan1]

Hiya Guys,
It seems on alot of topics people are are asking questions particularly on radio frequency projects and as usual NO location details are listed under the persons name. How about making it a requirement to have your location listed in the persons profile. I'm sure this would save many people alot of typing in the future and also clear up a sore point where people have to guess where the member is located.

Just a Thought

Cheers Bryan

 

[Jay.slovak]

I think people should fill-in their location field (especially when they ask about Radio things or where to buy things...). The question is, how are you gonna force them to fill it in?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You could make it a required field?, but people will just enter stupid rubbish anyway, as some do now!.

 

[Joel Rainville]

I too find it irritating when someone posts a 1 sentence question (without any punctuation of course!...) in broken english that sounds like he is asking for answers to his homework or the like... The fact that the location is empty makes me wondering :

- is this a 14 year old trying his best to be understood?
- is this from someone overseas struggling with english not able to come up with a comprehensible question?
- or is it a rude person, wherever they're from, trying to get their homework done by someone else and who clearly don't give a d@mn about the subject altogether. Those guys most people here don't wanna waste time with.

Maybe the country could be implemented as a required drop-down box field as seen on many registration forms...

There could be an "Anonymous Coward" entry for new users who are not sure if they want to share that information right from the start. Those who'll stay will surely end up selecting the right entry.

Those looking for the easy way out will probably either choose the "Anonymous Coward" option (which is a warning to the reader), lie and choose England or Bangladesh or whatever (easy to spot for someone actually living in these countries), or actually choose the right entry and choose to behave themselves...

It's mainly about people being themselves by removing one layer of anonymity...

Yes, it is a form of discrimination. It's discriminating the dumb*sses...

But maybe I'm not being too rational about it... What do you think?



P.S. I could look on the phpBB website for the appropriate Mod/Patch if you decide something like this is worth implementing in the registration/profile forms. I have some experience with phpBB...

 

[Jay.slovak]

I agree with you Joel Rainville,

Maybe that Mod could make a difference, I don't know if there is such a mod..

 

[eblc1388]

There could be an "Anonymous Coward" entry for new users who are not sure if they want to share that information right from the start.

The word "coward" could be a pre-judgement. I would prefer something like "Can't tell you" or "Don't want you to know" which accurately reflects the situation than the word "anonymous". This is what the forum will display if one does not fill in the location.

 

[Phasor]

. I would prefer something like "Can't tell you" or "Don't want you to know" which accurately reflects the situation than the word "anonymous".

How about "I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you" :lol:

 

[Joel Rainville]

There could be an "Anonymous Coward" entry for new users who are not sure if they want to share that information right from the start.

The word "coward" could be a pre-judgement. I would prefer something like "Can't tell you" or "Don't want you to know" which accurately reflects the situation than the word "anonymous". This is what the forum will display if one does not fill in the location.

Sure, I just couldn't think of anything better last night.

"Anonymous Coward" is used on https://www.slashdot.org, a website with "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters". There's a hint of humor on that site that makes the terms "Anonymous Coward" totally acceptable there...

However it is actually used as the default username for those wishing to remain totally anonymous, without having to pick a username in the first place. But I think the concept could be applied to our little problem here...

I think "Don't want you to know" could work. In fact, I like Phasor's suggestion better, but that's pushing it a bit too far :lol:

 

[Joel Rainville]

The fact that the location is empty makes me wondering :

1 - is this a 14 year old trying his best to be understood?
2 - is this from someone overseas struggling with english not able to come up with a comprehensible question?
3 - or is it a rude person, wherever they're from, trying to get their homework done by someone else and who clearly don't give a d@mn about the subject altogether. Those guys most people here don't wanna waste time with.

There's a very good example in the "Trash Can" forum right now :

https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/arm-processor.17784/

Although the syntax and grammar are pretty good, my guess is that's someone struggling with english. In his native language, he might have written something like "I'm thinking of building a smoke sensor circuit. Do you know of any useful resources I could consult?" But his limited knowledge of english translated his thoughts into such a simple and short sentence that it sounds rude...

I've been studying Russian for 2-3 years in my spare-spare-time (that's when I have so much spare-time, that I end-up with spare spare-time, which is not often ) I am now at a level where I could go to a russian message board, and type my question by looking at my French-Russian dictionnary and my russian grammar guide. However, chances are my sentences will be very short and contain the bare minimum to make sense. And while they might be understood, it will probably sound awkward, rude, or maybe even highly inappropriate. But I still did my best to be understood...

Now, take that trash can post and add the required Location field :

- if it's USA, England, any other english speaking country or the "None of your business" option, well, there's not much that'll save it

- if it's an asian country for example, then there's a better chance someone will respond with an answer just as short as the question, with maybe a link to a previous post, to the search feature of the forum, an external link, or maybe a link to Google which not everyone knows about, but if they do, they get the message pretty clearly!
That gets the poster started on the subject, and maybe even allows him to learn some english vocabulary related to the subject so he might be able to ask a more intelligible question next time.

 

[Joel Rainville]

I've been looking for a MOD over at phpBB, but nothing suitable seems to exist... Most MODs enhance only the user profile/control panel, not the actual registration process where most of the profile values are first input. I'm sure the solution described above is easy to implement, but I'm also sure phpBB's registration process is easy to break and shouldn't be messed with.

Maybe defining a default value for the Location field in the database could do it?

Those who don't fill the location field at registration would get the default value similar to what we've been talking earlier ("I don't want you to know"). Serious members would quickly replace this with something else, which may or may not be useful information. But at least a few more users will take the time to fill in the field.

 

[roboticmisinfo]

Going back to your earlier comments Joel, in some ways I agree with you. It can be very frustrating to read a post that doesn't make any sense, and I think that if you are going to post on an English speaking forum, then you should at least know how to ask a question correctly. But I do think, however, that it shouldn't matter which country you are from - it shouldn't make any difference. Why would we want to know somebody's location? Unless we were all multi-linguistic (is that the right term) then it would'nt matter to us. I can't imagine there are many foreign forums similar to this one, so I guess this website will be the only option for people in poorer countries. I always make a point when filling in forms by not filling in the "race" or "religion" sections as I feel they have no relevance. This sort of attitude leads to racism. If nothing was made of it, then it wouldn't be an issue. Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick - I got a bit carried away there with my views didn't I?

Mike

 

[Joel Rainville]

I got a bit carried away there with my views didn't I?

No, not at all, and I expected someone to bring this up sooner or later.

The solution we discussed earlier, of allowing a generic answer to an eventual required "Location" question is there to give enough freedom to someone who would have legitimate reasons not to reveal his/her location to do so.

Religion, sexual orientation or political views, I don't care about and I don't want to know about it, not on this forum.

The goal is to give most members a good reason to fill that Location field with something useful, which should at least be their current country of residence, so that 1) answers can be even more appropriate, but, and most importantly to me 2) help spot the morons who are only here to have us do their homework. How can knowledge of the moron's location can help? That's what I described in a previous post, and I don't feel like typing it again, unless it isn't clear enough, in which case I'll be happy to explain further

While this solution does absolutely nothing to prevent racism or hatred, it doesn't encourage it in the least either. The freedom of choice still remains, but with a strong incentive to disclose a minimum of information... Like I already said, it's all about removing one layer of anonymity so there's a bit more chance that new members will behave, and the morons ignored. There are still several "layers" of anonymity left...

But maybe I am taking this way to seriously, and I might need to take a break away from my computer... go fishing or something :lol: Might help me relax and help me take the morons with a laugh and just ignore them. More often than not though, they get my blood very close to a boiling point... The question is, is my blood already close to that boiling point before reading the "please do my homework for me" posts? Maybe, maybe not :lol:

In fact, all in favor of the status quo should just ignore this thread. I'll get over it :lol:

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

But I do think, however, that it shouldn't matter which country you are from - it shouldn't make any difference. Why would we want to know somebody's location?

Of course it matters!, a great deal of posts on this board are simply because people (like you!!) dont' enter their location - it only needs to be the country!.

Many questions are country specific, or at least possible answers are highly dependent on the country in question.

Simply entering your country in the Location field allows people to give relevant answers. Many threads are between five and ten times as long as they need, simply because of the back of a country in the location field!.

Why do you have a problem with entering your location?, I can understand sex and religion, they aren't at all relevant, and I've no interest in other peoples primitive superstitious beliefs.

 

[Roboticinfo]

I have never seen nigel explode like that you must of really tampered with him.


Actually it is kind of funny

:lol:

 

[roboticmisinfo]

Nigel, I am sorry I if I did upset you. I still fail to see why anyone should need to know the location. It is pretty obvious if somebody is foreign when they can't construct sentences correctly. If they are fluent in English, then it doesn't matter where they are from... The point I was trying to make (maybe I wondered off track) is that if you tell somebody where you are from, then they may be less inclined to help you. So I can definately see why people may not want to fill in this field. It's sad that people still have such old fashioned values.... but I have noticed it before. I do not have "primitive supersticious beliefs" - it is a blatant fact that such people exist... and unfortunately they are not few and far between.

Sorry if I have got anyone's back up. Maybe I am missing something... how can so many questions be country specific?

Kind regards

Mike

 

[Joel Rainville]

Mike,

Try to answer Nigel's question :

Why do you have a problem with entering your location?

Maybe it'll help us see your point. Because for now, it just looks like *you* have a problem with entering your location. I was under the impression that most just couldn't be bothered with entering it, and very few would still hide if they were actually required to enter something in that field.

I don't see how wanting to know someone's origin is "old fashioned". Maybe what you mean is that it is too "real world" for the web?

I'm also not sure how anyone's fluency in english can be interpreted as a geographic location?

]It is pretty obvious if somebody is foreign when they can't construct sentences correctly.

What do you mean by "foreign"? Foreign to what? I don't know, because it doesn't says anywhere what country you're from. Foreign to any english-speaking country? Man does the world look simple in your head. How about a Mexican immigrant in the US? He's he foreign? Foreign to what? This forum?! Say that Mexican member asks a question about where to find RS-232 chips, I don't care if he had guacamole for breakfast. But I do need to know what country he lives in, so that if by any chance it's Canada, I can help him, if not, someone else will provided we know where he lives.

If they are fluent in English, then it doesn't matter where they are from...

You don't get it. Have you read the whole thread?

how can so many questions be country specific?

Again, read the thread...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

As Joel says, read the thread!, all the points you raised are already addressed there.

 

[Jay.slovak]

Sorry if I have got anyone's back up. Maybe I am missing something... how can so many questions be country specific?

Kind regards

Mike

Just imagine the number of posts that are asking for help regarding:
HF Transmiter, Line voltage, Phone line, Where to buy stuff, Legal issues...
there are more then we realize. And I agree with Nigel that if they provide us with Location info from the beginning, it might reduce number of replies needed.

 

[roboticmisinfo]

Sorry Joel - you are right I was being a bit narrow minded there - by foreign, I mean foreign to the Wetern world... . I do not have a simple wiew of the world - you obviously didn't uderstand me. Where I live (In the UK as it is relevant here) there are a lot of older people with old fashioned views about country of origin (to be politically correct lol). Again I will say that some folks will not help people from other countries where culture etc is different. & again like I say I have seen it on electronics forums. Thats my views, and we obviously all have different point of view on this, so we should probably leave it there.

Regards,

Mike

 

[Roboticinfo]

Sorry Joel - you are right I was being a bit narrow minded there - by foreign, I mean foreign to the Wetern world... . I do not have a simple wiew of the world - you obviously didn't uderstand me. Where I live (In the UK as it is relevant here) there are a lot of older people with old fashioned views about country of origin (to be politically correct lol). Again I will say that some folks will not help people from other countries where culture etc is different. & again like I say I have seen it on electronics forums. Thats my views, and we obviously all have different point of view on this, so we should probably leave it there.

Regards,

Mike

Wait your'e from the the UK!

That explains a lot

Not to sound offensive but it clears a lot of things for me