Please make location mandatory

[Catlady]

If you want to share your location, is anything stopping you from doing so? Why do you care if I share mine?

If I ask a question to which the answer is location-specific, and it bugs you so much to ask my location, just DON'T BOTHER ANSWERING.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Catlady

If you want to share your location, is anything stopping you from doing so? Why do you care if I share mine?

If I ask a question to which the answer is location-specific, and it bugs you so much to ask my location, just DON'T BOTHER ANSWERING.

It's not only location-specific questions where location is helpful.

It is also helpful to know that English is not the posters first language. I will phrase my response taking that into consideration, often with annotated screen shots. I'll also avoid using idioms, word plays and puns.

But I don't advocate making it mandatory.

BR

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

It's not only location-specific questions where location is helpful.

It is also helpful to know that English is not the posters first language. I will phrase my response taking that into consideration, often with annotated screen shots. I'll also avoid using idioms, word plays and puns.

But I don't advocate making it mandatory.

BR

How do you know that living in Spain makes English not the first language or living in Canada makes English the first language? You cannot say it for sure.

[WT Sharpe]

As far as book recommendations, issues of geo-restrictions, and even in some instances technology, it would be better if everyone at least name the country in which they spend most of their time, but like BR, I don't believe it should be mandatory. There are all kinds of reasons why someone might wish to withhold that information and I think we need to respect that.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

As far as book recommendations, issues of geo-restrictions, and even in some instances technology, it would be better if everyone at least name the country in which they spend most of their time, but like BR, I don't believe it should be mandatory. There are all kinds of reasons why someone might wish to withhold that information and I think we need to respect that.

If someone doesn't want to divulge the country, then that person should not ask any questions where the answer depends on what country the person lives.

[WT Sharpe]

It wouldn't make sense for them to do so.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

How do you know that living in Spain makes English not the first language or living in Canada makes English the first language? You cannot say it for sure.

That's so true. They also speak Canadian in the Great White North

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

That's so true. They also speak Canadian in the Great White North

And French Canadian, which any Parisian will tell you bears only the most minimal resemblance to the One True French.

Oh, and let's not forget the many Indigenous languages that are first (and even only) languages for some.

But seriously, as a country that still actively promotes immigration, we have many different languages, but only two official languages.

As for this whole argument about mandatory country? No. Just No. While my personal preferences are for a bit of location in my profile, I accept that some would prefer to leave it blank. However, I'd far rather blank than one that is deliberately incorrect.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

How do you know that living in Spain makes English not the first language or living in Canada makes English the first language? You cannot say it for sure.

My answer to an Englander living in Benidorm, would be the same as to a Basque living in San Sebastian - and equally or otherwise comprehensible

Also if a poster appears to misuse a word - e.g. 'traduce', and I see they're from Spain then I'll look up the word in Spanish. In that case I'll assume they mean 'translate'; in English 'traduce' means to besmirch, trash someone's reputation. If I didn't know they were from Spain, then I would assume nothing and seek clarification.

BR

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

How do you know that living in Spain makes English not the first language or living in Canada makes English the first language? You cannot say it for sure.

I thought Canadians spoke Creole.

[JSWolf]

How about putting something like...

Location (just country will do but it's not mandatory but will help when you ask questions that have country specific answer(s))

[DiapDealer]

It's.
Not.
In.
The.
Cards.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Catlady

If you want to share your location, is anything stopping you from doing so? Why do you care if I share mine?

In the kind of threads I tend to participate in, in makes a lot of difference, it what I would write, if the poster is from a country where is there is substantial lack of freedom to read and/or currency controls preventing book purchases. I realize there is a low probability of this, but I'd hate to have played the ugly American by posting something against the way someone gets their eBooks when they have no choice.

Someone posting from a country with book censorship might say they were from Neverland, Ruritania, or Azkaban. That's fine with me and is why stating what country you live in would be mandatory if I owned Mobileread, but it needn't be a real country.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

It's not only location-specific questions where location is helpful.

It is also helpful to know that English is not the posters first language. I will phrase my response taking that into consideration, often with annotated screen shots. I'll also avoid using idioms, word plays and puns.

But I don't advocate making it mandatory.

BR

So maybe now it's not enough to know where in the world I reside, but what my first language is as well? Maybe some want to know my IQ and my level of education too--just so they don't use too many big or confusing words.

[4691mls]

I know I've seen other forums (can't remember an example right now) where there were stickies reminding people to include certain basic information when asking for help. If we could have something like that here in the "which one should I buy" forum (and any other forum where this might be an issue), it wouldn't have to be mandatory. I suspect some newbies who come here to ask a question may not even realize that answers might vary by location.