I have been a participant on quite a few message boards over the last four years or so. I have to say that not one of them has managed to be quite so international as AWADtalk. Just as a kind of reminder, or record, I wondered if participants could confirm (maybe once again) which countries they come from.
I know, of course, that the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are well represented here. I have seen at least one poster from India. Any South Africans? Any other South Asians? South East Asians? What about the Caribbean? Africa (rest of)? South America? Is there anybody out there?
cheer
the sunshine warrior
Scotland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Indonesia, Tasmania (W-->E).
There was someone from Spain, and someone who was originally from South Africa (living in NZ). I don't know if either of them will be back. There was someone from Japan, who may be back if his new job eases up. There was one from Ireland, who will not be back. There were about two posts from someone in China some time back; none since.
I know, of course, that the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are well represented hereNZ well represented here? Intriguing. Where are all the other Kiwis hiding? I always read the AWAD newsletter when it comes out to see how many subscribers are from .nz, and am constantly embarrassed at how few there are - still fewer than one thousand AWAD subscribers. I have only been posting here for a couple of months, but in that short time, I can't seem to recall many other NZers posting. Representation here is something else at which our Trans-Tasman cousins are beating us hands down!
>NZ well represented here?
sometimes it only takes one, max. :-)
Zigackly! Ferpick.
Asterisk
Max,
Perhaps, pro rata, there are more NZers in AWADtalk (awaders, awaddlers, waders, awadeers, awadadiddies diddy dum diddy doos) than in the general membership in AWAD.
Is there a way we can find out the active members in AWADtalk? It would be interesting.
>active members
Its not too difficult to do a quick summary.
Here is a rather unscientific and inelegant version:
Select one of the discussion areas. Swipe mouse across to select body text in columns, copy. Paste into a spreadsheet ,eg Excel, delete extraneous detail, leaving only names of people making posting, delete all mentions after the second one, giving list.
Repeat operation for as many pages as you have time for, amalgamate and delete duplicates. The only problem is it took too long as it tried to copy and paste all the links too, i'm sure its easy to turn hyperlinks off (I know how to do it in Front Page but not sure if you can do it globally in Word or Excel). I'm too tired to try again but I'm sure its a dead easy job for one of you programmer types to work out a quick solution over a cup of Starbucks. (I'll let Anna off and anyone with windpowered Macs.)
PS just noticed have to adjust it for really old threads which have been brought to the top by a recent post, so may have to keep the date column so you can delete really old posts if only want recent ones. I'm sure someone will work out a more elegant solution.
Just managed to make my method work for this current page in my browser:
AnnaStrophic*Avy*awaddle
*belMarduk*Bingley*Bridget
*emanuela*dawa*enrique*FatherSteve*FishonaBike
*Jackie*Jazzoctopus*jmh*Kmeson*lusy
*Marty*maverick*Max Quordlepleen*metameta
*of troy*paulb*RhubarbCommando*shanks
*TEd Remington*the mailler *tsuwm*wsieber*xara
Add a post to this list (or send me a mail) if you are around and are not mentioned, I'll update it - your latest post may be on the next couple of pages or on one of the other discussion areas.
jo,
A quick way:
1) Press on threaded mode button (top left corner button under logout) to get a recap of thread per post.
2) Highlight all, copy, then paste into word.
3) Eliminate the thread subject column and voila you have a list of the people who participated in that thread (along with the date of appearance should you wish to eliminate the older ones)
You can also alphabetize in Word if you wish.
What I was really looking for was a recap like you get through the home page - the one that lists all the participating countries and members in each. It would be nice to have one for AWADtalk specifically.
So here's a list of who has posted so far:
belMarduk* Jackie* jmh* Max Quordlepleen* shanks* tsuwm
Looks like Can - 1,UK - 2, USA - 2, NZ -1, so far but I can't see a quick way of matching up people and homes without going back to their profiles.
I find that I tend to check out the profile for new members as I'm always interested in where they are based. It relates back to the poster sex conversation. I like to have my own image of the person, even if it later turns out to be incorrect. I wonder if as e-mail becomes more common and face to face communication (at least in business) becomes less common we'll lose that need for a context.
I am interested in knowing how many (or how few) of us are non-native English speakers.
I would like to share with them the two faces of this experience for me:
1) to accept that I am not perfect - here, that I cannot avoid mistakes,and that I have to accept to show them to an audience of well English writers - is not a shame, but just a way to be open to the world and to the people
2) anyway, how frustrating is not to be able to express your idea unless in a simplified form, for lack of words!
Ciao
Emanuela
If it makes you feel any better Emanuela, perhaps we should have an Italian day where we all posted our replies in Italian - I'm sure that our efforts would keep you amused for ages.
Arriverderchi (no idea how to spell it!
)
Jo
Emanuela--
Again, I think you are very brave and I admire you tremendously. Thank you for giving us such a good example!
Hi Emanuela
I would like to respond to your message - since English is not my native language.
I too struggle with wanting to be perfect and speak English like all the rest. I use the board as a learning and note down phrases and words that the others have used, and use them myself. The other day during a very Indian occasion I said "Dagnabbit" (that Anna had used sometime), it sounded so odd and out of place. My one fear is to use what we call Indianism - constructions arising out of translation from Indian languages. One example is "Don't speak in the middle" for "Don't Interrupt". The question is what is perfect? It is relative, isn't it? French style of speaking English sounds perfect when the French speak it. Yes, it is frustrating not to have enough words to express oneself. That improves with more writing and speaking. As for being self-conscious - in a place where every one knows you it shouldn't really matter if a word is where it shouldn't be. You're absolutely right - the lack of language should not succeed in keeping the world and people away.
awadadiddies diddy dum diddy doosLove that, belM
(I'll let Anna off and anyone with windpowered Macs.)'preciate the consideration, there, Jo
And as for you, Avy, I have never ever uttered or typed the word "dagnabbit" until this very moment!
(but your point is taken) ... I became bilingual rather late in life and will still often misuse a term in Portuguese. If I were to give examples, though, I'd be guilty of YARTing in public. And this is something ladies do not do.
Avy,
On a similar note to Jackie's reply to Emanuela, I too admire you, Emanuela and all other non-English-speaking contributors to this board. I know I approached my first few postings with some trepidation, despite being an English speaker! Now I have a more relaxed what-the-hell attitude.
Just before I hit the Continue button to post this, I did a search on "dagnabbit" and found that Anna had already beaten me to the punch with a reply, and confirmed what I suspected. I don't want to waste all these precious characters that I've typed (would they go to the dead letter office if I deleted them?), so here's my say, anyway..[
I too learn a lot about words and expressions from other people's postings, but I would urge caution in your approach. As you probably realize by now, some of the words and expressions in use here are "made up", some are obscure references that not every one would understand, some are specific to a particular country (perhaps slang) and some are deliberate (or accidental?) misuse/mis-spelling of the "correct" word. I, for example, had never heard/seen the word "dagnabbit" in my life before Anna used it, and I suspect most of my circle of family/friends/acquaintances would look at me rather strangely if I used it.
Oh, and there's a big category here for jokes of all kinds, lots of puns, and many recurring themes or "in" jokes (i.e. only understood by one of the "group") - eg cycling fish. I guess once you understand all of them, you'll know you've "made it". You'll be doing better than I. You'll also be a little weird.
...and Anna, I think you're splitting hairs there. Does cutting and pasting not qualify as typing? Your response to belMarduk's use of the phrase "dag nabbit":
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=6149I do excuse you - I know two weeks ago puts it in the old-history-purge-from-memory category.
I will confess that I am the likely culprit who first posted this substitute for cursing, that I picked up from my Tennessee cousin. But I am not the one whom Anna
quoted.
anyone with windpowered Macs.I hope that's not a subtle way of calling me garrulous!
>And as for you, Avy, I have never ever uttered or typed the word "dagnabbit" until this very moment!
Sorry Anna
- Let us just say you COULD have used it. It is a really cute word. I plead guilty to quotingmis. (That is another thing I learnt - cockney back slang - if I am using it right)
You are right Marty I will be careful.
Avy, don't worry a bit, Sweetie--you're doing just fine.
And Max--you're killing me! Wind-powered! Ohmigawd! HA!
shanks, I'm borrowing your ah gender to put this one in.
shanks, I'm borrowing your ah gender to put this one in.
Despite my original suggestion - it ain't actually hidden!
Sorry folks, getting into this late again. I am the one that brought up dag nabbit. This is a cleaned-up curse I have been toting around since childhood. I seem to recall picking it up on The Beverly Hillbillies television show. This is also where we picked-up calling our grandmother Granny (she loved it from the first and immediately started signing her cards that way). There are certain things that stick with you forever (like freckles) and dag nabbit is one of them.
PLUS, and a very important plus it is, it was the only word I could get away with without having my mouth washed out with soap by my mom. Ugh.